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• 39.079> of<00:09:39.320> of<00:09:39.480> this<00:09:39.680> bill Randy Pera
• 38.120> Randy thank you thank you next we have Randy thank you thank you next we have Randy Pera

Keywords: 910, house, all

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• Pera Tomko. Yes. Representatives Plasencia. Yes. Brackett. No. Abbott. Yes. Anderson. Yes. Andrade.

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• <00:41:37.680> As<00:41:37.920> an<00:41:38.079> example, Under standard PERA
• years to allow rural districts to hire veteran retirees for more than 110 days without a reduction in PERA
• to join the list of eligible retired employees who can be hired full-time while maintaining their PERA

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the journal from January 30, 2026, and then moved several bills to special order. The chamber first took up House Bill 1068, which would authorize the Legislative Council Executive Committee to set remote-participation policies for legislators serving on joint committees. Supporters described it as a bipartisan, zero-fiscal-note measure to provide flexibility and consistency for joint committee meetings. An amendment offered by Representative Luck to give the House’s majority position precedence in tie situations was debated and failed, and the bill then passed. The House next considered House Bill 1027, concerning boards of cooperative services (BOCES). The sponsor explained that the bill would allow BOCES executive directors to remain eligible for PERA retirement benefits while working full-time and would expand BOCES eligibility for postsecondary and workforce readiness funding. Supporters emphasized the importance of BOCES to rural education, special education, concurrent enrollment, and workforce training. The committee report was adopted and the bill passed. The chamber then took up House Bill 1045, dealing with housing protections for individuals with disabilities and assistance animals. Supporters said the bill would restore and codify federal housing guidance in Colorado law after federal guidance was withdrawn, reducing confusion for tenants and landlords and protecting people who rely on service animals. Opponents argued the bill could create presumptions, increase liability, and impose vague standards on housing providers. Amendment L005 to the committee report passed as a clarifying change, but Amendment L008 and a later amendment from Representative Brooks (L006) both failed. After the committee report was adopted, the bill itself passed. Representative Brooks then introduced another amendment package, including L007, and a title ruling was requested, leading to a brief recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next up, we have Courtney Pera on Zoom. Good morning.
• My name is Courtney Pera, and I'm a social work student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and I'm
• My name is Courtney Pera, and I'm a social work student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and I'm

Bills: HB1518, HB1699, HB1747, HB1705, HB1565, HB1801, HB1645, HB2115, HB2114

Keywords: HB1518, Hawaii SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, food stamps, Department of Human Services, DHS, pre-release SNAP, pre-release application process, incarcerated individuals, prisoner reentry, reentry services, formerly incarcerated, jail release, prison release, recidivism, food security, benefits eligibility, controlled substance felony, drug felony, drug conviction

Summary: The committee opened its first meeting of the 2020 session and heard testimony on several measures, beginning with HB 1518, which would allow people incarcerated and nearing release to apply for SNAP benefits before release. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Human Services said they support the bill and are already piloting a pre-release application process at two facilities, with plans to expand it. The Attorney General’s Office supported the intent but noted a technical issue: one section of the bill appears to affect TANF as well as SNAP, while the title refers only to SNAP. A wide range of advocates, including Catholic Charities, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, Hawaii Hunger Action Network, Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, ACLU of Hawaii, and others, testified in strong support, emphasizing food insecurity after release, reentry stability, and reduced recidivism. The committee did not take a vote during the hearing. The committee then heard HB 1747, which would direct the Department of Human Services to seek federal waivers or extensions related to restricting certain SNAP purchases, including sugary drinks. DHS said it had already been approved for a narrow demonstration waiver and was working with retailers on implementation, with a target date of August 1. Supporters of the measure argued it would promote healthier choices, while opponents, including Hawaii Appleseed, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, and the Hawaii Food Industry Association, said such restrictions are ineffective, stigmatize low-income residents, create burdens for retailers and DHS, and may be difficult to implement. Members asked DHS to clarify the scope of the waiver and confirmed it applies to sugary drinks and beverages containing more than 10 grams of sugar. Finally, the committee took up HB 1705, which would allow licensed mental health counselors to serve as child custody evaluators, but there was no testimony from the relevant agencies and the item was quickly set aside. The committee also heard HB 1565, which would establish a judiciary working group to improve family court processes and legal representation for youth in the child welfare system. The Attorney General’s Office offered minor technical amendments, and supporters from the Office of Wellness and Resilience, High Hopes Hawaii, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, and a social work student described the need for legal representation, citing better reunification and stability outcomes and the importance of youth voice in court proceedings. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

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• 00:24:37.039> in<00:24:37.640> opposition<00:24:38.640> Randy<00:24:38.960> Pera
• Care okay in opposition Randy Pera Care okay in opposition Randy Pera testifying<00:24:40.000>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard several measures on agriculture, energy, stadium governance, and hotel consumer protections. On SB 448 relating to agriculture, Agra Business Development Corporation and the Hawaii Farm Bureau testified in support of a proposed conservation easement acquisition in Central Oahu; the chair asked follow-up questions about the exact location, cost, and agricultural potential of the land, and the witness said the parcel had good soil and water and was former pineapple land, with cost still to be provided. On SB 827 relating to meat processing, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism said the state needs more meat-processing capacity and that any grant program should complement, not compete with, existing efforts; the Attorney General’s office warned the bill lacked legally sufficient standards for grants of public money under the state constitution and offered draft standards. Several industry and chamber witnesses supported the measure, while discussion focused on the need for brick-and-mortar or modular facilities, infrastructure costs, federal inspection needs, and access for hunters and neighbor islands. The committee then took up SB 1269 relating to geothermal resources, which drew broad support from county officials, energy consultants, utility representatives, and community advocates, with one witness opposing it. Supporters described geothermal as a viable, indigenous, firm baseload energy source that could help reduce Hawaii’s high electricity costs and support clean energy goals; one witness emphasized prior work in New Zealand and another urged the state to move forward with exploration. A DBEDT representative explained that the department is coordinating geothermal-related work with the Hawaii Technology Development Corp., the University of Hawaii, and the Hawaii State Energy Office, noting a prior $3 million appropriation, phase-one community engagement work, and plans to seek a contractor for geoscience and exploration in phase two. Members pressed DBEDT to explain how this bill fits with other geothermal measures moving through different committees, and the chair asked the department to review SB 993 and better coordinate the package of geothermal bills. On SB 1337 relating to the Stadium Authority, the stadium manager testified in support of clarifying quorum rules, explaining that the authority currently has eight seated voting members out of nine possible voting seats and that the bill would help ensure voting members are counted for quorum; he said meetings have not been delayed. Finally, on SB 883 relating to hotels, the Attorney General’s office raised First Amendment and contract-law concerns and recommended adding a purpose statement and a non-impairment savings clause. Unite Here Local 5 and other supporters said guests should be notified of hotel service disruptions such as construction, closures, or labor disputes, while opponents questioned who would enforce the law, what penalties would apply, and whether the measure could require hotels to pay damages even without a complaint. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

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• this last year was to allow social workers to return to work and still be able to draw down on their PERA
• effect to allow us some time to bring them back from retirement without Secretary: disrupting their PERA

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• keep our state employer employees because at the end of the day, what's important to them is their PERA
• Our healthcare is a really valuable resource, especially for PERA and ER ERB, um.

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• LFC has zero in this bucket, but they'll have a recommendation for out-of-school learning in the PERA

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• And if the asset is still within Pera, it's easy to recover.
• 04.080> within if if the if the asset is still within if if the if the asset is still within Pera
• <01:55:07.440> But<01:55:07.760> but<01:55:08.000> if Pera, it's easy to recover
• But but if Pera, it's easy to recover.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

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.

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• Toya, General Counsel of PERA, is going to be discussing a bill, which, actually, for the committee's

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• Justin Martinez, and I'm the Justice Abbott coordinator for the Southwest Region with Latino Justice Pera

Bills: HB153

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• Pera, he likes to go to the ground sometimes.
• the<01:26:42.440> cost<01:26:43.239> of<01:26:43.440> the<01:26:43.920> pera
• <01:26:44.920> that<01:26:45.040> was due to the cost of the pera that was due to the
• cost of the pera that was information<01:26:45.800> that<01:26:45.920> I<01:26:46.080>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

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• modifications to its pension administration system related to the legislators moving from being non-salary PERA

Keywords: 996, all

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• That we have traditionally at PERA. We compare ourselves to the isotopes.

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• plan and actually that is brought to us by the plan so they maintain a separate funding status, MSRS, PERA

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

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• :40:53.319> bus<00:40:53.560> drivers<00:40:54.079> chaperon<00:40:54.960> peras
• have the same bus drivers chaperon peras have the same bus drivers chaperon peras food<00:40:55.839

Bills: HF6, HF52, HF53

Keywords: education, literacy, science of reading, school performance, funding flexibility, innovation zones, equity and inclusion, HF52, New Germany, wastewater treatment, wastewater facility, sewer infrastructure, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, Public Facilities Authority, municipal infrastructure, water quality, sanitation, sewage treatment

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• The standard as you know from PERA, ERB, SIC, and SNOE should be 4 billion per person.

Keywords: 996, all

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• 36.279> about<01:04:36.559> 10 $54,000 that's for about 10 $54,000 that's for about 10 peras
• :04:40.359> workers<01:04:41.359> and<01:04:41.880> um<01:04:42.079> a peras
• um three kitchen workers and um a peras um three kitchen workers and um a few<01:04:42.440> other

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

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• 56.400> um know as a teacher I I interacted with um know as a teacher I I interacted with um peras
• and<00:02:57.400> educational<00:02:58.040> assistants<00:02:59.040> every peras
• and educational assistants every peras and educational assistants every day<00:02:59.599> all

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Education Finance Committee met on January 28, 2025, to receive updates on chronic absenteeism work funded in the 2024 education finance bill. The chair introduced presentations from districts in the student attendance pilot program—Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, Chisago, and Rochester—and noted that the committee would also hear the student attendance and truancy legislative study group report and later a bill from Senator Weber. The chair also thanked educational assistants and paraprofessionals for their work in schools. Minneapolis Public Schools described common attendance challenges across pilot districts, including inconsistent attendance coding, weak family communication, difficulty identifying interventions, and uneven responses to absences. The district said pilot districts want statewide definitions for absences, tardies, and exempt codes, as well as better internal dashboards and clearer procedures. Minneapolis also highlighted strategies such as attendance teams at each school, quarterly postcards to families after five or more absences, Promise Fellows, home visits, multilingual communication through TalkingPoints, and a morning nurse line to help parents decide whether a child should stay home. The district said its main attendance goal is to raise consistent attendance from 68 percent to 80 percent by 2026. In response to committee questions, Minneapolis said its main post-COVID absenteeism reason has been illness or medical issues, followed by transportation problems, and that it does not penalize students for transportation-related absences. The district said it counts secondary absences when students miss more than three periods in a day, with truancy beginning after seven such absences, while elementary students are counted absent for the full day. Members also asked about whether reduced truancy referrals reflected more attendance or diversionary supports; the district said its approach is to focus on understanding root causes and providing support rather than quickly referring students to truancy processes. The district reported improved communication, greater parent awareness, and fewer truancy referrals so far, and said the attendance team model should be sustainable because it uses existing staff with clearer direction.

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• I say that because I happen to be the Chair of the PERA when the market crashed in 2009, and I, you know