Transcript Highlights:

• <00:29:04.120> when the County's goodfaith effort when the County's goodfaith effort when
• Our Lānaʻi Community Land Trust is working tirelessly to even shift a lot of their efforts into helping
• Our Lānaʻi Community Land Trust is working tirelessly to even shift a lot of their efforts into helping
• <01:21:32.560> of<01:21:32.719> condominium ...management activities of condominium
• on determining whether or not efforts on determining whether or not it's<01:26:14.840> warranted<

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Housing Committee heard testimony on several housing-related bills. On SB 26, SD 2, relating to affordable housing, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development explained a prior transit-oriented development study that identified roughly 59,000 possible units and about 25,000 affordable units from known projects, and said the bill would help fill gaps by evaluating additional public lands for housing suitability and possible co-use with existing facilities. Members asked about the need for resources and staffing to do that work, and OPSD said it would need time and consultant support to carry it out. Testimony on the bill included support from state and county housing agencies and comments from planning and land use entities. On SB 66, SD 2, relating to housing and historic preservation review, SHPD and OHA both testified. SHPD said the bill would not override existing burial-site protections and that county staff with proper qualifications could make historic-property determinations locally, while OHA asked for clearer language requiring consultation when Native Hawaiian historic sites are involved and clearer procedures if an adverse effect is found. Committee members and SHPD discussed whether the bill should explicitly preserve existing Chapter 6E processes, whether counties have qualified staff, and how quickly a county would have to decide if it cannot complete the review itself and must use a third-party reviewer. Supporters said the measure could speed permitting and keep decisions local; one opponent argued it could rush approvals and strain infrastructure. The committee also heard support from housing, construction, business, and food-industry groups, and opposition from some preservation and community advocates. The committee then heard SB 332, SD 1, on foreclosure-related protections, with testimony focused on Lānaʻi and concerns about speculative real estate after the foreclosure moratorium ended. SB 414, SD 2, on restoring access to disaster-affected areas, drew support from HHFDC, DHS, and the Maui Chamber; HHFDC noted DOH plans for a temporary paved access road to the Kayola temporary housing site and said agencies were discussing which parcels would be needed. On SB 102, SD 2, relating to affordable housing and third-party historic review, SHPD said it would need to do more upfront screening and that the bill’s timelines and third-party provisions should be clearer; OHA said the measure should include a sunset and better staffing, and asked that the department fill positions to meet review demand. No votes or final committee actions were reported in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and the efforts of many departments to make recruitment a top priority.
• of outreach efforts, and the efforts of outreach efforts, and the efforts of many<00:02:54.640><
• That's why I think maybe it might have to be a joint effort between us and them.
• between joint effort between >> us<00:53:58.000> and<00:53:58.240> them.
• We are actually in that process of actively recruiting for most of those positions.

Bills: SB1, SB4, SB6, SB9, SB16, SB17, SB20, SB22, SB28, SB29, SB36, SB41, SB45, SB77, SB85, SB87, SB96, SB98, SB110, SB126, SB139, SB143, SB164, SB167, SB171, SB186, SB188, SB195, SB197, SB198, SB204, SB205, SB206, SB207, SB209, SB210, SB211, SB217, SB219, SB220, SB225, SB231, SB237, SB238, SB241, SB244, SB246, SB247, SB272, SB294, SB315, SB346, SB364, SB366, SB367, SB386, SB392, SB403, SB415, SB427, SB431, SB437, SB457, SB459, SB469, SB471, SB478, SB484, SB489, SB502, SB503, SB507, SB508, SB510, SB516, SB517, SB518, SB519, SB521, SB535, SB543, SB550, SB564, SB568, SB570, SB575, SB577, SB578, SB590, SB607, SB616, SB621, SB634, SB644, SB647, SB649, SB652, SB655, SB656, SB663

Keywords: agricultural lands, foreign ownership, state agriculture policy, real estate regulation, land conservation, SB4, Royal Mausoleum, Mauna Ala, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, OHA, Department of Land and Natural Resources, DLNR, stewardship, Hawaiian affairs, cemetery, burial site, ancestral remains, cultural preservation, state land management, agency transfer

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill would bolster existing emergency planning efforts by requiring urban retail water suppliers
• This bill would bolster existing emergency planning efforts by requiring urban retail water suppliers
• wildfire prevention and suppression efforts.
• If DTSC were to proceed with its efforts to regulate shredders as hazardous waste facilities, and it's
• We have put aside huge differences of opinion over some of these legal issues in an effort to reach a

Summary: The Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee heard several bills focused on wildfire preparedness, industrial safety, and recycling oversight. SB 1153 by Senator Caballero would require urban retail water suppliers to add wildfire-specific procedures to emergency plans and coordinate with fire agencies; supporters said it would improve planning while recognizing water system limits, and the bill was framed as protecting ratepayers and infrastructure. SB 811, also by Senator Caballero, would create a comprehensive DTSC permitting and regulatory framework for metal shredding facilities; supporters argued it would set clear statewide standards and protect communities, while opponents said it would weaken hazardous waste protections and carve the industry out of existing law. SB 883 by Senator Umberg would impose new safeguards for facilities storing reactive chemicals such as methyl methacrylate after the Garden Grove evacuation, including backup cooling, public review, emergency planning, and state tracking; industry groups opposed the breadth of the bill and sought further clarification, while environmental and community groups supported it. SB 1010 by Senator Ashby would strengthen oversight of appliance recyclers by improving reporting, inspections, certification, and funding for enforcement; supporters said it would reduce emissions and improve compliance, while recyclers raised concerns about fees and certification requirements. Each bill drew extensive testimony from industry, environmental, labor, local government, and community representatives. Supporters generally emphasized public safety, transparency, and the need for clearer statewide standards, while opponents warned about overregulation, reduced flexibility, or unintended impacts on existing hazardous waste and recycling systems. Committee members also raised questions about transparency, liability, size-based treatment of facilities, and whether the bills were narrowly tailored enough to address the problems identified. The committee voted to advance all four measures to the Committee on Appropriations, with votes taken on call and some members voting no or not voting on certain bills. The final add-on votes showed SB 811, SB 883, SB 1010, and SB 1153 all passing out of committee, with the roll left open for absent members before the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, these efforts have one thing that’s consistent: strong energy.
• STEM activities, filling the gym, filled with kids.
• An example of that is the Dakota Russet potato, a 13-year effort.
• The CCF functions as a liaison between the activities of the state.
• They meet in different portions of the state and have activities.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• OGC plays an outsized role in the department's rulemaking efforts.
• And there are good efforts in the USDA on both of these issues.
• We were very active in supporting the efforts of those who challenged the proposition.
• We've got to promote, and that involves a salesman. activity.
• . efforts to help ensure underserved farmers can equitably participate in USDA's programs.

Keywords: USDA, nominations, Judge Vaden, Tyler Clarkson, agriculture policy, rural America, tariffs, farmer advocacy

Summary: The meeting focused on the nominations of Judge Stephen Alexander Vaden for Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Mr. Tyler Clarkson for General Counsel at the USDA. Members expressed concerns regarding the challenges farmers and ranchers face, especially in navigating the impacts of recent tariffs imposed by the President. Significant attention was given to how these nominations could influence agriculture policy and support rural communities amidst economic uncertainty. The committee emphasized the necessity for strong leadership in the USDA to advocate for farmer needs and ensure the proper implementation of assistance programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• So thank you for the effort toward our school folks. We appreciate the committee effort. Great.
• but also support the staff that will continue the monitoring activities hopefully indefinitely.
• And this information is hugely important, both for the regulatory, Activities are going in that area.
• So if an event, or there is an increase of activity in this type of events, how this data or how the
• We're seeing more activity. We can maybe modulate this here.

Bills: SB29, SB64

Keywords: SB29, math requirements for teaching license, teacher licensure, teacher endorsement, mathematics methods, elementary education, secondary education, special education, early childhood education, reciprocity, Public Education Department, Mathematics and Science Education Act, mathematics instructional leadership framework, professional learning plan, K-3 screening, mathematics screening assessment, mathematics difficulty, support plan, multilevel support, intervention

Transcript Highlights:

• So yes, we are still in active engagement on those processes.
• Uber on the world's most widely available platform for zero-emission rides, with over 230,000 active
• We're actively working on doing that, making that visible for riders on the platform.
• And this data directly. uses trip activity data that is based on TNC travel. Next slide.
• We are an active conversations with Senator Cabaldon, Lyft, and Uber.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:01:47.599> living I'm the healthy eating active living I'm the healthy eating active living
• We need ambitious efforts like this measure. We urge you to pass this measure.
• Well, what's happening is only 33% of our adults are physically active.
• And we our adults are physically active.
• So it's just activity requirements.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1694, which would create a sustainable aviation fuel tax credit, and HB 1695, which would expand the state’s renewable fuels production tax credit. For HB 1694, supporters from the airlines, renewable fuels industry, business groups, and some environmental and youth representatives said sustainable aviation fuel is a practical near-term way to cut emissions in aviation, a hard-to-decarbonize sector, and argued the credit would send a market signal, support local production, and help meet state climate goals. Opponents, including Energy Justice Network and a taxpayer-focused testifier, argued the bill could subsidize expensive fuels that may not be truly clean, could duplicate benefits available under other tax provisions, and should not support transpacific aviation or technologies they said are unproven or harmful. The Department of Taxation stood on written testimony, and the chair later asked that all verbal testimony on remaining bills be limited to one minute because of time constraints. HB 1695 drew similar support and opposition, but focused more broadly on renewable fuels for transportation, trucking, shipping, and other sectors. Supporters, including the Hawaii State Energy Office, airlines, PAR Hawaii, the Hawaii Renewable Fuels Coalition, Pacific Biodiesel, and the RNG Coalition, said the bill would help scale local fuel production, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support jobs and agriculture, and advance the state’s climate and energy goals. Several supporters emphasized that the credit would help build a local industry and that life-cycle accounting should be used to measure emissions benefits. Opponents repeated concerns that some biofuels and waste-based fuels may not be climate-beneficial, may rely on flawed modeling, and could create costly infrastructure that would need to be replaced later. No votes or final committee action were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, state funding programs are a key part of those efforts.
• Well, they're implementing water conservation efforts.
• It shows you all of the active CCNs in the state of Texas.
• It's time to accelerate this effort.
• That effort.

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, we refer to our efforts as the ABCDs of water.
• State funding programs are a key part of those efforts.
• The drainage district got very active.
• It shows you all of the active CCNs in the state of... Texas.
• So that's That's kind of why we're supporting that effort.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It modified it to allow those who were active duty military or serving in the National Guard and were
• duty military roles in many cases in harm's way. performing active duty military roles in many cases
• And the rule has always been you had to be six months on active duty.
• Two are elected by all the system members, active employees and retirees.
• It discourages any effort to earn, save, or even keep pace with the rapidly rising cost of living.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on a range of public retirement and municipal health insurance bills. Mass Retirees and the American Federation of Teachers supported House 2890/Senate 1848 on transparency in municipal health insurance, arguing that broker and consultant roles should be clearly defined, commissions disclosed, and dual roles prohibited to reduce conflicts of interest and costs. They also supported House 2799/Senate 1848 on protecting municipal retirees from future premium contribution increases, House 2854 on voting rights for surviving spouses in retirement board elections, and Senate 1917 on updating the definition of veteran for retirement purposes. Committee members discussed whether the veteran definition should simply conform to the federal definition going forward. Educators testified in support of House 2769/Senate 1921, which would allow teachers with at least 20 years of service to buy back creditable service for periods when they worked part-time while raising children. Multiple teachers described the financial and retirement penalties they experienced after stepping down to part-time work for child care, calling the current system inequitable and a “mom tax.” Sponsors and supporters said the bill is intended to correct that disparity and help retain teachers, while one committee member noted it appeared neutral on an actuarial basis. The committee also heard strong support for Senate 1908, which would raise the cap on outside income for public pension recipients, from retired State Police troopers who said the current limit is outdated and unfair to those forced into disability retirement after line-of-duty injuries. Another State Police representative supported House 2910 on state police pensions, citing recruitment and retention problems under current pension rules. In contrast, Hampden County Regional Retirement System officials and the Massachusetts Association of Contributory Retirement Systems opposed House 2745, a bill to restructure the Hampden County system’s governance, arguing it would weaken PERAC oversight and create an unworkable local system. They instead supported House 2813, which would extend the time to fill a vacant fifth member seat on retirement boards. At the end of the hearing, the committee voted to adjourn the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• How many of those are active duty?
• That's a great idea, but how many active duties?
• Tepper and Will, so to give due diligence in this effort. Sent my deputy down for two weeks.
• It talks about our activities.
• In the last 61 months, 58 independent activations of the state emergency operation.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the nation in fraud detection efforts the nation in fraud detection efforts and<00:07:12.880>
• I introduced this last year, and it's still active for the biennium.
• do what is the extraordinary efforts do what is the extraordinary efforts that<00:20:24.720>
• <00:35:22.320> from fact, she res resisted Tom efforts from fact, she res resisted Tom efforts
• We met every o um activity that we did.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: Senate Republican leaders held a press event to roll out a package of anti-fraud proposals focused on state welfare and human services programs. Mark Johnson opened by citing recent fraud scandals, including a shuttered housing program and reports of vulnerable adults being left without care while providers billed for full services, and said Republicans want top-down reform, stronger accountability, new technology, and tighter oversight of taxpayer dollars. Michael Kreun said Republicans support an independent Office of Inspector General and argued the Senate-passed bill should not be weakened in the House; he also said the Senate should restore its role in confirming agency commissioners, especially at DHS, which he described as central to the fraud problem. Jordan Rasmusson outlined a plan to stop “blank checks” for DHS and DCYF services by requiring legislative audit review when a program exceeds budget by 5 percent and legislative approval for additional spending at 10 percent over budget. He also said DHS should adopt basic integrity tools such as electronic visit verification and client sign-off. Steve Drazkowski described two bills: a statewide “do-not-pay” list to block payments to ineligible people or entities, and an “I’m Not a Robot” proposal for Medicaid managed care that would require enrollee verification forms, with a 2 percent payment withhold used to encourage compliance and potentially fund county system upgrades. Mark Krueger said the state should improve technology and data use for eligibility determinations, citing other states’ rapid fraud-fighting systems, and proposed penalties for false reporting to the Legislative Auditor after a DHS audit found falsified site-visit records. Steve Gruenhagen said his bill would require DHS and DCYF to resume annual fraud-prevention and oversight reports to the legislature, which he said had stopped after 2017 despite rising fraud cases. Michael Holmstrom proposed unannounced site visits for all DHS and DCYF providers before enrollment, reenrollment, and revalidation, funded through provider service fees, and cited a recent case involving a woman with autism who was billed for far more care than she received. In the Q&A, Kreun said House Democrats’ delete-everything amendment to the inspector general bill removed the law enforcement division and stripped the bill of its “teeth,” and he suggested the governor’s office may have been involved in efforts to replace the bill with a weaker coordination council model. No votes were taken in the press conference.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman Jonas, Representative Schatz, it's a team effort with this student.
• They're doing the relationship-building activities in their classrooms.
• ALICE training is an active shooter response training.
• Alice training is an active shooter response training.
• school districts supported a wide range of safety and compliance activities.

Summary: The committee met to hear presentations on dual credit programs from North Dakota higher education leaders, a school superintendent, and teachers. Valley City State University described its dual credit model, emphasizing quality control through annual teacher training, syllabus and outcomes alignment, faculty qualification review, school visits, and pathways aimed at the College Studies Certificate. Members asked about teacher employment, course scheduling, revenue, scholarships, and whether a centralized model might improve efficiency; VCSU said most instructors are K-12 employees, online offerings are still small, and centralization could weaken local relationships and choice. Lake Region State College similarly stressed access and partnerships, noting about half of its headcount is still in high school, with both online and face-to-face dual credit options, district reimbursement arrangements, and support for rural schools. Lake Region also said dual credit helps students who might not otherwise see themselves as college-bound, but reduced tuition can still be a barrier for some families. Fargo Public Schools reported continued growth in dual credit, with 50 courses offered in partnership with several NDUS institutions and a 12.61% increase in participation. The superintendent highlighted a growing education pathway, including students completing Introduction to Education and field experience, and said the district is exploring a grow-your-own teacher pipeline. He also raised concerns about inconsistent institutional processes, teacher credentialing requirements, and transfer clarity, arguing for more aligned statewide systems. In response to questions, he said AP and dual credit can coexist, with AP often better for highly selective out-of-state colleges and dual credit better for students targeting North Dakota institutions, and he described some use of Arizona State online courses in earlier rural partnerships but said Fargo is focused on local institutions. Two teachers then testified on the classroom perspective. A West Fargo anatomy and physiology teacher said dual credit has expanded access, lowered costs, and prepared students well, but agreed that foundational science courses may be more effective when taken later in high school to reduce knowledge loss before college. A Drake-Anamoose English teacher, who has taught dual credit for more than 20 years, said the program has supported many students who went on to a wide range of careers and emphasized that small rural schools rely on dual credit to provide opportunities they otherwise could not offer. No formal votes or actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And, you know, this risk and needs assessment is critical for many activities.
• with our recruitment efforts to hire at the minimum.
• But with respect to efforts to fill our vacancies, we are constantly actively recruiting.
• So that effort is currently underway.
• I mean, is that actively process and being filled? >> My understanding is, yes, it is.

Transcript Highlights:

• , even though our police were not involved with the ICE activity per se.
• , even though our police were not involved with the ICE activity per se.
• <00:43:04.720> So<00:43:05.480> just activities upon our community.
• So just activities upon our community.
• , would be doing a warrant or an activity, would be doing a warrant or an activity, they<00:46:28.360

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , have had to beef up their lobby teams in recent years because there has been a pretty concerted effort
• There was an effort to get all capacity firmed during the last session, but ultimately it was decided
• And so this would be an effort to try and avoid that more amicably and efficiently.
• As many of you know, Texas spent more than $11 billion on border security efforts.
• Such efforts help ensure system reliability.

Bills: HB45, HB755, HB 1232, HB1555, HB2460, HB2702, HB2973, HB3120, HB3225, HB3314, HB3356, HB3371, HB3634, HB3638, HB4247, HB4283, HB4290, HB4302, HB4503, HB4511, HB4565, HB4581, HB4627, HB4632, HB4660, HB4668, HB4960, HB5042, HB45

Keywords: housing, affordable housing, rent control, landlord-tenant laws, housing rights, lobbying, public entities, expenditures, government code, transparency, Texas Ethics Commission, government regulation, lobbying restrictions, government accountability, taxpayer money, HB 1232, whistleblower, whistleblower protection, public employee, retaliation

Transcript Highlights:

• February 2025 bar exam, as well as our audit of CSU and UC's implementation of Title IX and their efforts
• The Active Transportation Plan is not at the... And that's really what audits are for.
• The Active Transportation Plan is not at the...
• So I appreciate the effort that's here.
• So I appreciate the effort that's here.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit Committee met to hear status updates from the state auditor and consider several new audit requests. The auditor reported 10 JALAC audits in progress, including a new 2026 audit on DMV license revocation, and noted other statutory audits on the State Bar exam rollout, CSU/UC Title IX implementation, tobacco tax, state financial statements, federal compliance, and high-risk issues such as late financial reporting, Medi-Cal eligibility, and water infrastructure safety. The committee approved a consent calendar covering audits on UC library resources, law enforcement information sharing, EDD unemployment insurance claims, and Housing and Community Development housing development monitoring. The committee then considered Assembly Member DeMaio’s request to audit SANDAG’s road project management and use of transportation funds. DeMaio argued the audit was needed to examine whether restricted funds, voter-approved revenues, and project commitments were properly used and documented, citing prior problems with tolling and financial oversight. SANDAG’s CEO and CFO said the agency already undergoes extensive oversight and audits, has improved internal controls, and believed its funding uses were appropriate. Several members questioned whether the audit duplicated existing reviews and whether the issues were already public, and the request ultimately failed on a roll call vote. Next, Senator Valadares presented an audit of the Board of State and Community Corrections’ administration of Proposition 47 grants. Supporters said the audit would assess whether grant recipients comply with requirements and whether outcome and recidivism data are reliable, while BSCC said the program already has oversight, including biennial State Controller audits, and pointed to reported reductions in homelessness, unemployment, and recidivism. The committee approved the audit. Senator Cortese’s request to audit CalHR’s dental benefits procurement and Delta Dental contract also passed, with supporters citing rising out-of-pocket costs, provider network problems, and the long-running contract’s lack of competition; CalHR responded that most members have nearby access, it recently ran an RFP, and it will add MetLife as a second carrier in 2027. The committee then approved the remaining consent items and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please make every effort to review them.
• No, this would be active law.
• This is an attempt to keep officers, uh, retention efforts to go as far as... ...the retention efforts
• At the top is the active COLAs over the years in red.
• What the blue represents is the active COLAs, and the red is the retiree COLAs.

Bills: HB188, HB52

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, patient rights, medical treatment, access, affordability, income tax, CHOOSE Act, education funding, ABLE account, tax credits, poverty threshold, legislative funding, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Brantley, thank you very much for your ongoing efforts.
• Because through their efforts, Mr.
• So thank you for all that effort. And thank you for bringing the certificate.
• It's an assessment of the effectiveness of the efforts.
• So this bill is all about efforts, and I think it's important that those efforts be assessed.