Transcript Highlights:

• So it fits in a lot of different occupations.
• Again, Adrian alluded to a lot of the different services.
• Well, I mean, there's a lot of different paths, right?
• So we work with a marketing company to do a lot of digital We work with a marketing company to do a lot
• It's a lot of digital advertising.

Summary: The subcommittee met to receive an informational presentation from CareerSource Florida President and CEO Adrian Johnson, joined by Anthony Gagliano of CareerSource Suncoast, on the structure, funding, and services of Florida’s workforce development system. Johnson explained that CareerSource serves job seekers and businesses through 21 local workforce development boards and nearly 100 career centers, using federal and state funding streams such as WIOA, Wagner-Peyser, SNAP Employment and Training, and TANF. She described services including case management, training, wraparound supports, job matching, rapid response for layoffs and disasters, and business services such as recruitment, customized training, and on-the-job training. She also highlighted the REACH Act’s role in consolidating local boards from 24 to 21, creating the Master Credential List and Credential Review Committee, and implementing performance-based letter grades for local boards. Members asked detailed questions about funding formulas, letter grade metrics, apprenticeships, youth services, small business access, and the demand occupation list. Johnson said federal allocations are driven largely by unemployment and poverty formulas, which has reduced Florida’s WIOA funding by about $27 million over four years because of the state’s low unemployment rate. She explained the letter grades measure outcomes such as increased earnings, reduced public assistance, employment and training outcomes, work-based learning, business engagement, and service to individuals in certain programs, and said the system is being reviewed for possible changes, including removing extra credit and adjusting weights. On youth services, she said Florida has a waiver allowing a 50/50 split between in-school and out-of-school youth funding, and that local partnerships drive outreach. On the demand occupation list, she said it is based on state labor market data and projections, but local boards can submit evidence of local demand when data does not reflect conditions in their area. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on apprenticeships and workforce training grants. Johnson and Gagliano described apprenticeship navigators funded by the $7.75 million apprenticeship expansion allocation, which help employers navigate registration and expand apprenticeships into nontraditional fields such as IT, health care, education, and hospitality. Gagliano gave examples from CareerSource Suncoast and said navigators helped employers move faster through registration and develop programs with local education providers. Johnson also discussed Incumbent Worker Training Grants and Quick Response Training Grants, noting recent awards of nearly $3 million to 69 businesses and $6.5 million to 24 businesses, respectively, and said these programs are targeted toward high-skill, high-wage occupations and priority industries. The meeting ended with no votes or formal action; the chair thanked the presenters, invited follow-up questions, and adjourned the meeting without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:02:38.480> of overlap areas um we have a lot of overlap areas um we have a lot of efforts
• meetings and I'm getting to learn a lot meetings and I'm getting to learn a lot more<00:26:06.000
• I've seen a lot that I like.
• um I I want to say push back but a lot um I I want to say push back but a lot of<00:36:27.359>
• I feel like a lot of people don't.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard HCR 96, which encourages the University of Hawaiʻi to evaluate and expand student mental health services. University of Hawaiʻi Associate Vice President Farah Marie Gomes testified in support and noted the system’s mental health and basic-needs efforts across all 10 campuses. Members discussed staffing and funding constraints, including that the system had 27 adult mental health positions, 21 filled and six vacant, with one vacancy open for about four years. The resolution was adopted unanimously, unamended. The committee then took up several gubernatorial appointments. GM 785 nominated Wendo Hensel to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), and GM 784 nominated Terry George to the same body. Both nominees testified about the value of Hawaiʻi’s participation in WICHE; Hensel emphasized the importance of sharing policy ideas and best practices, while George highlighted Hawaiʻi’s unique higher education needs and the benefits of learning from other western states. Both nominations were supported and moved forward. The committee also considered multiple appointments to the Hawaiʻi Commission for National and Community Service. Kylie Alakard described wanting to serve as a youth voice and role model, and Ray Galas spoke about his prior volunteer board experience and desire to help people connect through service. Sandra Larson said volunteerism and community service were important to her and that she wanted to give back. The committee then heard GM 771 and GM 772 for Ken Kawahara to the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi; Kawahara said he would bring business and government experience to help with internal operations, education, and strategic goals, though he acknowledged he was still learning the organization’s details. Members also began hearing GM 624 for Joshua Famuina to the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents, with student caucus testimony in strong support emphasizing his attendance, communication, and engagement with students.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:11:16.959> of which uh if any of you know a lot of which uh if any of you know a lot of
• And so, a lot of that, as you've probably heard the former governor say, a lot of the ARPA money was
• 00:21:56.240> that<00:21:56.360> funding<00:21:56.760> that know a lot of a lot
• There is lots and lots of oversight.
• <02:36:11.920> there there's lots and lots of oversight there there's lots and lots of oversight

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• have a lot of lot of people that have a lot of concerns<01:03:15.440> about<01:03:15.680>
• It funds a lot of our programs.
• > a lot of your programs.
• A lot of your a lot of your programs.
• costs while requiring luxury-sized lots. costs while requiring luxury-sized lots.

Bills: HB1721, HB1714, HB1718, HB1732, HB1740, HB1777, HB1842, HB1919, HB1701, HB1923, HB1741, HB1734, HB1739

Keywords: housing, expedited permits, insurance, indemnification, construction, affordable housing, executive compensation, Hawaii housing finance, legislative approval, low-income housing, moderate-income housing, mixed-use development, transit-oriented development, TOD, county powers, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, HHFDC, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, DHHL, affordable housing credits

Summary: The House Housing Committee met on February 4 and heard testimony on several housing measures, beginning with HB1721, which clarifies insurance, indemnification, and certificate-of-occupancy requirements for expedited permits. Testimony on HB1721 was uniformly supportive from the American Council of Engineering Companies, the Grassroot Institute, and individual testifiers, who said the bill would fix insurance issues for design professionals and encourage more participation in the expedited-permit program. No opposition was heard and no questions were raised. The committee then heard HB1714, which would raise salary caps for the executive director and deputy executive director positions at the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and allow more autonomy in personnel matters, including employment contracts. HHFDC supported the bill, saying greater flexibility is needed to recruit and retain staff and that current pay ceilings are not the main issue because the agency lacks operating funds to reach them. The Department of Human Resources Development offered comments and raised concerns about autonomous personnel authority and employment contracts, saying state personnel matters are governed by existing statutes and collective bargaining rules; the Hawaii Public Housing Authority also offered comments, and one board member and one individual opposed the measure. Members questioned whether performance-based pay or existing incentive policies could address retention instead of statutory salary changes. The committee also heard HB1718, which would make permanent county authority to facilitate mixed-use developments and issue county bonds for low- and moderate-income housing projects. Support came from OPSD, HHFDC, the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Housing and Land Management, and Housing Hawaii’s Future, all emphasizing that permanent authority is needed to finance long-term mixed-use and transit-oriented projects. A member asked whether the sunset provision would make bonding impractical, and the city representative agreed that temporary authority would make financing difficult because development takes time. Later, the committee took up HB1732, establishing the Kamina Homes program to fund counties’ purchase of voluntary deed restrictions from eligible buyers. The Department of Taxation and several groups, including HHFDC, AARP Hawaii, the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaii Realtors, Holomua Collaborative, and others testified, with most supporting the bill as a way to help local families remain in Hawaii and age in place. Holomua said a recent survey found 75% of 3,200 working families were considering moving, and argued the bill could preserve housing for local residents. Members asked about the bill’s 8% cap on deed-restriction cost and why the program focuses on residency rather than resale restrictions; the bill’s proponents said the cap allows flexibility for county negotiations and that the measure is aimed at workforce preservation rather than land-trust-style appreciation limits. Finally, the committee heard HB1740, which would modify a prior HHFDC housing pathway by reducing the qualified-resident requirement from 100% to 80% and allowing more flexibility for long-term rental instead of owner occupancy. HHFDC and Holomua Collaborative supported the change, saying the earlier 100% requirement had produced no developments or applicants and that the revised standard would make projects more feasible while still preserving housing for local residents. The committee did not take final votes on these measures during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I too spent a lot of time as a waitress outside of being a nursing assistant in those years, and a lot
• <01:08:00.200> of looks like I know there's a lot of looks like I know there's a lot of schools
• We continue to also have a lot of digital momentum.
• <01:18:40.040> of nearly five times greater so lots of nearly five times greater so lots of
• A lot of people have it, and they enjoyed a lot of fun and they have a lot of good opportunities, so

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• in a lot of the next.
• and I think you're going to I think you're going to get a place, you know, of a lot in a lot of people
• to be a lot of the time.
• And then you're going to be a lot of them. And then you're going to be a lot of people here.
• And we need to have a lot of side of that.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think there's a lot of...
• I spend a lot of time in schools, 24 years. It's... I spend a lot of time in schools, 24 years.
• I appreciate you going into our schools, but a lot of our schools are feeling a lot of stress.
• And so that says a lot to me.
• And then these kids are, we're requiring a lot of them and a lot of them doing the comp sports as well

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have house-and-lot in Anahola. We have farm lots.
• We have the know house and lot in anola. We have the farm<00:20:39.280> lots.
• We have many people who I farm lots.
• leases are still pending as far as lots leases are still pending as far as lots being<00:24:18.640
• . lot. lot.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Hawaiian Affairs heard nominations for several members of the Burial Council and the Hawaiian Homes Commission. For Burial Council nominations, the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Historic Preservation Division testified in support of Leimana Abunes, Cyrus Sito, Chantel Freeman, and Chadley Shiml Fenig, emphasizing their genealogical ties, cultural knowledge, experience with iwi kupuna, and commitment to preservation and reinterment. Each nominee also briefly introduced themselves and described their background and motivation to serve. Committee members said they had favorable conversations with the nominees and indicated votes would be taken at the end of the agenda. The committee then took up Governor’s Message 773, Shaylin Ornellas, for the Hawaiian Homes Commission. Testimony in support was strong, including 45 written supports and no opposition, along with oral testimony from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and community supporters. Supporters highlighted Ornellas’ education, real estate and development experience, public service, and connection to Kauaʻi and homestead communities. Ornellas said she was answering a call to serve and discussed her background and commitment to the community. Members questioned Ornellas closely about Act 279, the DHHL waitlist, beneficiary consultation, housing options, and the department’s “paper lease” practice. She said Act 279 was intended to help reduce the waitlist, supported broader housing options and beneficiary input, and acknowledged limited familiarity with the technical details of paper leases. One senator raised concerns that paper leases may not guarantee actual lots and urged further research. The discussion also touched on policy issues such as beneficiaries maintaining their waitlist positions after declining offers or taking rentals, with committee members noting these are commission policy choices rather than statutory mandates.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a lot going on at TSTC.
• A lot of our kids end up with college loans; they have debt, they have a lot.
• We did a lot of food drops.
• All is a create a lot of innovation, a lot of jobs, and things like that.
• A lot of companies, very visible, but a whole lot of higher education institutions that would take advantage

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, so a lot of the you see calculus.
• But, you know, there's a lot of minutia in standards and it's a lot of content, and so you need, you
• of minutia in standards and it's a a lot of minutia in standards and it's a lot<00:47:12.480> of<
• So there's a lot of looking at that.
• <01:36:30.800> of because of the prevalence of a lot of because of the prevalence of a lot

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Legislative Oversight Committee met to review statewide education improvement and assessment issues under RSA 193-C:8-a, with the chair focusing on curriculum frameworks, academic standards, and resource elements tied to the state’s adequate education statutes. The chair walked through the statutory relationship between minimum standards for public school approval, academic standards, and local control of curriculum, noting that New Hampshire law requires curriculum frameworks to guide what students should know and be able to do while leaving districts flexibility in instruction. He also raised concerns that some subject areas appear to have current frameworks or standards while others do not, and suggested the committee may need to consider an amendment creating a curriculum frameworks and academic standards coordinator at the Department of Education. Nate Green, director of the Division of Education Analytics and Resources, explained that the terms “academic standards” and “curriculum frameworks” have evolved over time and are often used interchangeably, but can mean different things depending on the subject area. He said the state’s more prescriptive standards largely developed after No Child Left Behind, especially in math, ELA, and science, while older or less-tested subjects such as arts, physical education, and health often retained looser framework-style documents. Green outlined one possible approach of standardizing terminology, but also said New Hampshire could instead define curriculum frameworks separately as a combination of standards, curriculum, and instructional approaches. He emphasized that state standards must support statewide consistency and assessment, while local districts retain control over how they teach. Committee members discussed how these distinctions affect different grade levels and subjects, using examples from math and science to show that minimum standards are broad while academic standards are more specific and grade-level based. Green described how science standards are organized by physical science, life science, and earth/space science across grade bands, while math standards are more directly tied to individual grades. No votes were taken and no formal action was reported during this portion of the meeting; the discussion remained informational and exploratory as members considered whether statutory language or departmental organization should be updated.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's lots of models that work well in business and lots that fail.
• So obviously, as an executive line agency, the legislature has a lot of involvement with DMF, a lot of
• You put a lot of time in. But when does the council?
• A lot, several times.
• A lot of it is right here in this environmental area.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The joint hearing focused on the Massachusetts sea scallop fishery, especially the economic importance of the industry, federal scallop management, and two policy questions: reopening the Northern Edge area on Georges Bank and allowing permit stacking/permit consolidation. Chairing senators emphasized their interest in hearing both sides, their frustration with federal bureaucracy, and their view that the issue should be guided by science while protecting the long-term resource and local communities. Dr. Kate O’Keefe of the New England Fishery Management Council and Kevin Stokesbury of UMass Dartmouth described the Magnuson-Stevens framework, annual catch limits, rotational area management, and the role of industry-funded surveys and the research set-aside program. They said scallops remain the most lucrative council-managed commercial fishery on the East Coast, but recent changes include more small scallops, lower biomass in some areas, higher natural mortality, and shifting abundance toward Georges Bank. On the Northern Edge, they explained that the council previously considered opening the area through a framework/joint action with habitat management, but discontinued the action in 2024 because of conflicting objectives involving scallop yield, habitat protection, and other species. They said the issue could be revisited through future council priority-setting. Representatives of the Sustainable Scalloping Fund argued that the fishery needs modernization to remain economically viable. They supported reopening the Northern Edge and strongly backed permit stacking, saying it would allow two permits on one vessel while keeping ownership caps in place, reducing costs, improving safety, and helping family-owned fleets avoid financial distress and outside investment. Port of New Bedford representative John Regan stressed the port’s central role in the state economy, the need to protect working waterfront infrastructure, and the importance of any permit changes preserving local ownership and participation. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and members asked that the witnesses keep the committee informed as the council and federal agencies consider next steps.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, this bill allows property owners to split a larger lot into smaller lots.
• About 10 years ago, Houston adopted minimum lot size reform that allowed lots of 1,400 square feet to
• owners chose to build larger homes on large lots.
• The mandatory minimum lot size in the bill will result in an over 85% reduction in current lot sizes.
• There is a lot of good in this bill. And I appreciate that.

Transcript Highlights:

• The biggest change was that the section 13 gave a lot of folks a lot of concerns after many.
• Their lots when the new owners close the park.
• In our park, a lot of the homes are on lots owned by the owners, so they're not such big parks like those
• How many of them are in privately owned lots?
• It's a lot.

Transcript Highlights:

• At least right now, is a whole lot better.
• Well, we do think you have a lot of expertise in this session, and there are people who come with lots
• Lots of things are happening in Virginia.
• Land costs and all that are going up a lot.
• And that's what a lot of pressure.

Bills: SB257

Keywords: supply chain resilience, critical supply chains, critical goods, manufacturing, domestic manufacturing, reshoring, nearshoring, supply chain security, supply chain shock, supply chain disruption, critical infrastructure, emerging technologies, semiconductors, microelectronics, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, advanced manufacturing, blockchain, cybersecurity

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:30:43.480> of rent be so there's a kind of a lot of rent be so there's a kind of a lot
• A lot less units.
• And you also had seen a lot of development occur in land that didn't require a lot of site work.
• > to<01:48:17.960> build require a lot of effort to to build require a lot of effort to
• Not by a lot, but we did.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was a Ways and Means briefing opened by the vice chair, who introduced Jason Wong of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston to discuss the national and regional economy. Wong focused on inflation, asking why it had fallen from about 9% in 2022 to the 2%–3% range, and what that meant for monetary policy and the risk of an economic downturn. He said the Fed’s target is 2%, noted that recent PCE inflation was about 2.4% and core PCE about 2.7%, and described the ongoing debate over whether interest rates should stay tight or be lowered further to protect the labor market. Wong explained that the improvement in inflation has been driven largely by goods prices, especially durable goods such as cars, appliances, and furniture, as well as non-durable goods like food. He said supply-chain disruptions during the pandemic caused major price spikes in 2022, but those pressures have eased and many goods prices are now at or below the Fed’s target. He also referenced the New York Fed’s Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, saying it showed extreme pandemic-era disruptions that have since receded. The main remaining inflation problem, he said, is in services, especially housing. Wong broke services into rent of shelter and all other services, explaining that shelter is a large share of household budgets and that housing inflation has a lag because rent measures often reflect older lease terms rather than current market rents. He said monthly Zillow data suggest market rents have cooled and may eventually feed through to official inflation measures. Members asked several questions about the chart’s time scale, the treatment of real estate, property taxes, and utilities, and Wong clarified that housing costs are counted in services and that the slides would be shared digitally. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because a lot of times we don't make the time for it, or everybody gets too busy, and there is a lot
• <00:19:04.640> don't Chairman, a lot of reservations don't Chairman, a lot of reservations
• So, I know that it would be beneficial in a lot of ways, but I also know that we're building on a lot
• So, I know that it would be beneficial in a lot of ways, but I also know that we're building on a lot
• they're a lot they're a lot different they're a lot they're a lot different breed<01:34:06.719><

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's obviously a pretty small thing, but to a lot of people, uh, this could mean a lot.
• There's been a lot of Smith.
• I deal a lot with mental health, and I am here trying to absorb a lot.
• I've learned a lot, but I also want to contribute a lot.
• So, I really appreciate the lot.

Bills: HF4588, HF3685, HF4577, HF4932

Keywords: veterans, veterans affairs, mental health, behavioral health, rural health, rural areas, access to care, task force, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, general fund appropriation, veteran suicide prevention, PTSD, service members, military families, telehealth, rural psychiatry, high school diploma, armed forces, education policy, military service

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not a lot but um that's where with. It's not a lot but um that's where we<01:01:50.559> are.
• So, yes, this happens a lot.
• So, yes, this happens a lot. you know? So, yes, this happens a lot.
• There is a lot of problem with the children. There is a lot of problem with the family.
• There is a lot of problem with the children. There is a lot of problem with the family.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first opened with brief remarks about a member’s recovery and then heard House Bill 518, which would require the commissioner of Health and Human Services to provide a detailed annual report of all costs related to DCYF. The sponsor, Representative Erica Layon, said the bill was intended to improve transparency, clarify how much time and money are spent on DCYF work versus other departmental work, and help future discussions about staffing, resources, and whether DCYF should remain within DHHS or become a separate department. She said the department could likely produce the report without additional cost, though she was open to adjusting the reporting date and possibly adding more detail about federal mandates. Former Representative Betty Gay and several members supported the bill as a way to better document costs and procedures, while DCYF Director Marie Nunan said the department was not taking a position on the bill, already has many policies and operating procedures, and believed it could comply without a fiscal note. Members raised questions about whether the reporting requirement duplicated existing oversight, whether it should apply to other agencies, and whether the report should include federal funding mandates. Some suggested that a broader review or subcommittee on DCYF might be more useful than a single reporting bill. In executive session, the committee voted 15-1 to retain HB 518, so it will not go on the calendar. Members said they wanted more time to discuss the bill, watch the budget process, and consider whether the reporting requirement could be implemented informally or through a broader oversight effort. The committee then moved on to House Bill 775, which was introduced by Representative Jodi Nelson as a measure to support supervised visitation centers. Dr. Scott Hampton testified in favor, describing the loss of visitation centers since 2019, the role of supervised visitation in protecting children and vulnerable parents in domestic violence cases, and the potential benefits for child safety, crime prevention, and family preservation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I fully recognize this does not leave us a lot of time.
• I think a lot of folks maybe thought about that.
• My point is a billion dollars is a lot of money.
• We put a lot of kids out into the workforce.
• You have a lot of minority students and a lot of challenges, as I remember. Is that correct?

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of forethought there. It did. A lot of forethought there.
• Also, there are a lot of the cities and towns that don't have a lot of training.
• There's a lot that could be done. A lot of ways we could use our funds that we currently have.
• A lot of these conversations are...
• A lot of these conversations are very early on, and there's a lot to be flushed out.

Keywords: 985, all