Transcript Highlights:

• county in the last 10 years, uh, and probably a lot more to come in in the next 10 years when we get water
• We're running out of water for this industry that we have trying to come in.
• In the Parks and Wildlife Code, the language was adjusted to allow Class 1 e-bikes on natural surface
• For example, the port's enabling statute does not align with the Texas election code or the water code
• powers because the porters are being passed, as many know, is located immediately adjacent to the waters

Bills: HB 535, HB 2120, HB 2822, HB 3243, HB 3457, HB 3544, HB 4089, HB 4192, HB 4669, HB 4868, HB 4955, HB 5253, HB 5669, SB 1371, SB 1919, SB 2001

Keywords: motor vehicle, pedestrian, bicycle, traffic safety, municipality, criminal offense, pedestrian safety, traffic regulations, municipal law, bicycle regulations, motor vehicle passing, traffic law, municipalities, bicycle operation, traffic laws, municipal regulations, port commission, Corpus Christi, Nueces County, San Patricio County

Transcript Highlights:

• And probably a lot more is on the way in the next 10 years when we get water.
• We're like the state of Texas; we're running out of water for the industry that we have trying to come
• The language was adjusted to allow Class 1 e-bikes on natural surface trails where traditional bicycles
• For example, the port does not align with the Texas election code or the water code provisions applicable
• giving us additional powers because the Port of Sabine Pass is located immediately adjacent to the waters

Bills: HB535, HB2120, HB2822, HB3243, HB3457, HB3544, HB4089, HB4192, HB4669, HB4868, HB4955, HB5253, HB5669, SB1371, SB1919, SB2001

Keywords: motor vehicle, pedestrian, bicycle, traffic safety, municipality, criminal offense, pedestrian safety, traffic regulations, municipal law, bicycle regulations, motor vehicle passing, traffic law, municipalities, bicycle operation, traffic laws, municipal regulations, port commission, Corpus Christi, Nueces County, San Patricio County

Transcript Highlights:

• water.
• And our expert, so what is happening with that water since that water is used as drinking, I think it's
• on that water.
• Water is to live for, yeah, water is life.
• And produced water spilled.

Transcript Highlights:

• see that you can completely throw away your use tables because what if a special purpose district, a water
• With surface parking lots and build that into that walkable community, and then look at incentivizing
• The sewer and water standards were also developed in 2008.
• But it required a full water main replacement in the street segment, and that water main serves well
• Was there a specific circumstance that made it so those people had to replace the water main?

Summary: The committee held a work session on form-based codes, child care facility siting, and street standards/frontage improvements. On form-based codes, Commerce’s Dave Anderson explained that these codes emphasize building form, orientation, and the public realm more than traditional use and density tables, and that they are typically applied in specific districts rather than citywide or statewide. Lacey’s Vanessa Dolby described the city’s Woodland District code, developed through community charrettes, fiscal and market analysis, and subdistrict-specific standards to create a walkable downtown. She said the approach has helped produce a more desirable built environment and more flexibility in permitted uses, but also noted it can be less user-friendly for applicants and still requires some use restrictions; both presenters said a hybrid approach is often best. The committee then heard from DCYF and multiple providers about barriers to opening child care facilities. DCYF officials said Washington has more than 6,500 licensed providers and that a new pre-licensing support team is helping applicants navigate licensing, but local zoning, building, fire, parking, utility, and occupancy requirements still create delays and confusion. Testifiers described long permitting timelines, inconsistent local interpretations, costly upgrades, and utility hookup delays; one Yakima provider said county requirements, a floodplain-related elevation certificate, and a private well issue stopped her in-home child care proposal, while others described traffic impact fees, parking mandates, and zoning barriers that made projects infeasible. Enterprise Community Partners highlighted examples of successful local reforms, including fee waivers, expedited permitting, and zoning changes in several cities, and DCYF said it is working toward a 2026 action plan and a resource guide for providers. In the final section, planners and developers discussed how street standards and frontage improvement requirements can undermine infill and middle housing. Poulsbo’s planning manager said current standards were designed for greenfield subdivisions and often force costly curb, gutter, sidewalk, stormwater, and utility upgrades on small infill sites, sometimes adding tens of thousands of dollars and causing projects to be abandoned. A Seattle-based developer made similar points about small middle-housing projects being burdened by frontage work, curb ramps, buried standards, and EV-ready parking requirements that can trigger expensive undergrounding. Committee members asked about possible state-level changes, including whether child care should be treated as an essential public facility and whether parking requirements had already been reduced; one senator noted that minimum parking requirements for child care facilities were eliminated in prior legislation, with implementation phased in over the next few years.

Transcript Highlights:

• than a comparable closed-loop system, minimizes groundwater and surface water use, and does not unreasonably
• burden water resources.
• <01:17:46.280> water minimizes groundwater and surface water minimizes groundwater and surface
• <01:17:49.160> burden<01:17:49.800> water and does not unreasonably burden water and
• A<01:17:52.280> water<01:17:52.680> quality<01:17:53.320> certification A water

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House first took up S. 298, the Vermont Voting Rights Act. Members explained the Senate’s further proposal of amendment, including changes to language about how the State Ethics Commission may respond to ethics inquiries, a directive for the Secretary of State and Ethics Commission to work out a shared process for the candidate financial disclosure form by January 30, and a technical PAC-related wording change. The committee reported an 11-0-0 vote in favor, and the House concurred in the Senate proposal of amendment. The chamber then suspended rules to take up S. 328, the omnibus housing bill, and heard detailed committee reports from General and Housing, Ways and Means, and Appropriations. The bill addresses common interest community resources, a service-supported housing advisory council, expansion of the 10% for Vermont program to 12.5%, an off-site construction accelerator pilot, VHFA’s rental housing revolving loan program, special assessment districts, municipal housing planning requirements, and several reports on housing-related issues. Ways and Means described revenue impacts from the cash-balance expansion and revised the off-site construction pilot and loan program language; Appropriations removed a section already included in the budget and adjusted advisory council per diem funding. The House adopted the amendments, ordered third reading, suspended rules to place the bill in all remaining stages, passed it in concurrence with proposal of amendment, and messaged the action to the Senate forthwith. The House then suspended rules to take up S. 197, relating to payment reform for primary care. The House Health Care Committee recommended a strike-all amendment, saying the health care system is in crisis, premiums are rising, access to primary care is limited, and clinicians are burdened by documentation and administrative work. The committee vote on its amendment was 10-0-1, and the bill was also referred to Ways and Means and Appropriations because of fiscal implications. The transcript cuts off as the House was beginning consideration of the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• We miss protecting their valuable open space, their clean water, their drinking water, their local farms
• water.
• Wetlands filter and absorb pollutants, regulating water flows to benefit wildlife, drinking water, and
• A big focus of the legislation is land that protects water, including for flood protection, water quality
• , and drinking water.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a public hearing on Initiative Petition No. 25-15, H.5505, “An Act to Protect Water and Nature.” Committee co-chairs outlined the Article 48 initiative process and explained that the hearing was divided into expert, proponent, opponent, and public-comment sections. The first witness, Undersecretary Stephanie Cooper of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, described current state and federal funding sources for land conservation and outdoor recreation, said existing programs are oversubscribed, and noted that the proposal aligns with the Commonwealth’s 30% land conservation goal by 2030 and 40% by 2050. She also flagged possible governance clarifications in the petition, including board structure and administrative authority, while saying the administration has the expertise to manage such a fund. Proponents from Mass Audubon, the Trustees of Reservations, Mount Grace Land Trust, the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, the Authentic Caribbean Foundation, and Bemis Associates argued that Massachusetts needs a dedicated, sustained revenue stream for conservation, clean water, climate resilience, and public access to nature. They said current funding is inconsistent and insufficient, cited estimates that the state may need roughly $300 million or more annually to meet conservation targets, and emphasized benefits to public health, mental health, biodiversity, flood protection, and the outdoor recreation economy. Several speakers said the measure would dedicate a portion of existing sales tax revenue tied to sporting goods, recreational vehicles, and golf courses, and that it would support both urban and rural communities, including underserved communities. Committee members pressed witnesses on the bill’s fiscal and constitutional implications, including how much sales tax revenue would be redirected, whether the measure is constitutional, how funds would be allocated among communities, and why the proposal includes certain revenue sources but not others such as ticket sales. Proponents said the measure would likely direct up to about $100 million annually when fully phased in, that it was designed as a “subject to appropriation” mechanism, and that legal review had found it constitutional. They also acknowledged that the proposal would reduce general fund flexibility but argued it would create a long-term investment in natural resources. The hearing concluded after public testimony, and the committee announced it would accept written testimony until March 27 at 5 p.m.; no vote was taken on the petition at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the outside in is the attack surface management.
• institutions, 19 tribal, 23 judicial, 18 entities within the judiciary and legislative as one, and water
• Attack surface management, that's the outside looking in; there is a gap of 17%.
• Based on the risk and the profiles, we have selected 73 water and wastewater authority systems for us
• For example, if, once again, this is just an example, if water authorities are not using multi-factor

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, at the local level, having accurate ownership is important for tax billing reasons, for water
• deleterious impact on the surface deleterious impact on the surface subsurface<00:46:34.079>
• And so, as we have seen, um, the water quality in New Hampshire is in the news.
• And so, as we have seen, um, the water quality in New Hampshire is in the news.
• I know that a foundation put in certain soils is not going to be a dam for subsurface waters.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• waters.
• That is to protect and remediate surface waters.
• HB 332, which allows for the establishment of a village district to protect and remediate surface waters
• Thank you. remediate surface waters adds another remediate surface waters adds another layer<03:12:16.200
• waters.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When I say habitat changes, I mean land, air, and water.
• pretty they're not just um surface pretty they're not just um surface challenges<00:15:57.240>
• But what I'm thinking of more is our water and the contaminants that are going in our water from our
• that are going in our water contaminants that are going in our water from<00:22:02.559> our<00
• <04:20:25.800> Transportation support those non-surface Transportation support those non-surface

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Division 2 Finance Committee heard an overview and budget presentation from New Hampshire Fish and Game, led by new Executive Director Stephanie Simi and Business Division Chief Kathy Leonti. The agency described its mission to conserve and manage fish, wildlife, and marine resources, and emphasized growing pressures from disease, climate impacts, habitat change, and increased public demand. Simi said the department is largely funded by hunting and fishing license revenue and federal grants, is reviewing staffing and internal processes, and faces critical needs including permanent funding for environmental review staff, infrastructure and IT modernization, and possible service reductions if additional support is not found. Members asked about specific program and policy issues, including chronic wasting disease in deer, hemorrhagic disease in rabbits and hares, moose population decline, and a proposed bait-disease bill. The department said it is actively monitoring diseases and did not see a need for the bait bill at this time. Legislators also discussed the Hike Safe program, which the department said has grown from an expected $100,000 annually to more than $300,000, and a possible boating version of that program, which the department said remains under consideration but would involve complex logistics and multiple agencies. Questions were also raised about rescue costs, out-of-state hikers, and whether boat registrations could be used as a revenue source; Fish and Game said boat registration is handled by the Department of Safety, though the department receives $5 per registered boat for the public boat access program. The budget discussion focused on revenue projections, use of unrestricted Fish and Game funds, and dependence on federal reimbursements. Leonti said the department met the governor’s general fund target but not the Fish and Game fund target without using surplus unrestricted funds, leaving only about $100,000 in the fund by the end of the biennium. She said the budget uses more than $18 million in Fish and Game funds annually against about $14 million in unrestricted revenue, and that five of 193 full-time positions remain unfunded. The department warned that if federal grants were halted, it could cost about $5 million over five months and force the Fish and Game fund to cover the gap. Committee members also requested that future presentations be sent electronically in advance, and the department agreed to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the not well um below the surface of the water<01:19:18.560> in<01:19:18.880> many<
• water and storm water quality of waste water and storm water to<01:19:58.719> try<01:19:58.960
• So, lots of hot water.
• So lots of hot water. Uh there to do so. So lots of hot water.
• You're still using water.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and water resources; water, ground, everything that you deal with.
• Their attestation that they're providing enough water for X number of years, firm water.
• Do you have enough water so that the homes they build will have water for the next generation?
• It's usually where there's a stream that's feeding surface water.
• from the waters.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the water.
• the water.
• the water.
• um on paved surfaces. um on paved surfaces.
• going to be using stateowned waters going to be using stateowned waters including<01:34:11.520><

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee began with introductions and a description of the day’s process: a full committee work session on four bills, with no public testimony, followed by caucus and then executive action. The first bill discussed was HB 113, concerning OHRV operation on certain highways in Windsor. Representative Nab presented an amendment that would require a public hearing and Department of Transportation approval, modeled on procedures used in Coös and Grafton counties. Members discussed whether Windsor had already held a local vote or hearing, whether minutes from a town meeting existed, and whether the amendment truly preserved local control. A Windsor resident testified informally that the town had not taken a final vote and that the matter had been left to the state. Committee members also raised concerns about noise, dust, public safety, and the fact that the road in question would connect OHRVs on a state road rather than a trail system. The chair closed the work session on HB 113 and said the committee would return after caucus to vote on the bill and amendment. The committee then took up HB 595FN, relative to coastal resilience zones. Representative Nat said the bill addressed flooding concerns in both coastal and inland New Hampshire, but that the sponsor viewed it as too complex and had recommended breaking the issue into separate parts in future legislation. On that basis, Nat said it was appropriate to ITL the bill, and noted that the sponsor supported that course. No further discussion followed, and the work session was closed. Next was HB 629FN, funding the operation, maintenance, and repair of state dams. Representative Darby explained that the original bill had proposed both a waterfront frontage tax and a $5 charge tied to boat registration, but that the amendment would replace the bill by removing the frontage tax, moving the $5 dam-maintenance fee to the boat decal section of statute, and changing the effective date to January 1, 2027. Darby said the larger fee had raised concerns about impacts on current-use property and enforcement, while the revised $5 fee would raise roughly $500,000 to $600,000 annually. Representative Dunn thanked Darby and said the Marine Trades Association supported the revised approach. A question was raised about whether the original prime sponsors supported the amendment; the chair said they were on board, and Darby added that the proposal reflected recommendations from a prior study committee. The committee then closed HB 629FN and opened SB 27FN, relative to dwellings over water. On SB 27FN, Representative Derby said he opposed the bill because it would take away public access rights and amounted to a one-off legislative solution for a private concern. Representative Donnelly asked how many similar structures might be affected and whether the Department of Environmental Services knew of other cases; DES responded that there was one other related case under settlement compliance and no other active cases with the same issue. In follow-up discussion, DES clarified that the proposal was not a shoreland 50-foot setback issue, but rather involved structures extending over public water. The discussion remained focused on the scope of the bill and its potential precedent-setting effect, with no vote taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was on an uneven surface. Just this much.
• I was on an uneven surface, just this much uneven, and the caster fell out.
• We worked extensively with Clean Water Action to make this...
• I'm the Environmental Health Program Director for Clean Water Action.
• Proper maintenance, including watering, is essential to their long-term health.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure opened with logistical remarks about testimony procedures, time limits, accessibility supports, and the large number of witnesses. The first bill discussed was H. 451, which would allow professional license applicants who do not have a Social Security number to use an ITIN instead. Supporters said the bill would help qualified workers, especially immigrants, enter licensed trades and professions without lowering training or testing standards, while addressing workforce shortages. Committee members asked a few questions, and the bill was framed as a uniform statewide licensing reform. The bulk of the hearing focused on S. 210 and H. 1278, two bills aimed at improving wheelchair repair and warranty protections. Supporters included the Attorney General’s Office, disability advocates, wheelchair users, clinicians, and legislators, who described long repair delays, missed work and medical appointments, loss of independence, hospitalizations, pressure injuries, and other harms caused by broken wheelchairs and slow service. They argued for stronger timelines, two-year warranties, required parts availability, loaner chairs, and enforcement mechanisms, with H. 1278 modeled on a Connecticut-style repair deadline and S. 210 focused on warranty protections. Several witnesses emphasized that wheelchairs are essential medical equipment, not ordinary consumer goods. Opposition came from NCart, which said it supports solutions but raised concerns that the bills, as written, could be difficult to implement for complex rehab technology. NCart said some warranty provisions may not fit wear-and-tear components and noted that MassHealth has already taken steps such as preventive maintenance, reduced prior authorization, and transportation support. Other witnesses and advocates countered that the current market is dominated by a few profitable companies and that the legislature needs to impose clear standards because voluntary fixes have not worked. The committee also heard testimony on S. 195, a toxic-free kids bill from Senator Comerford and Representative Hawkins, which would restrict PFAS and other toxic chemicals in children’s products and create disclosure and phase-out requirements. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• The ask is to move attack surface management, governance, and risk control.
• We know that we have Water scarcity on the east side of the state.
• And so, a military-based impact fund can help that community with some water scarcity water Reuse type
• And they would allow them to train and continue to train, especially in swift water rescue and heavy
• to try to rescue people in rapid and moving water if they're not trained to do so.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:42:29.360> Who surface, that sounds reasonable. Who surface, that sounds reasonable.
• <04:13:50.319> body reference line of a public water body reference line of a public water
• <04:16:35.439> to surfaces, and storm water management to surfaces, and storm water management
• to imperous surfaces and storm water<04:18:14.960> management.
• In short, local water management.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• very good and that navigate those waters very good and could<00:20:31.280> work<00:20:31.440>
• or fiber or airports or access to water or fiber or airports or workforce<01:04:21.359> or<01
• And obviously some of that money would not only go for curbs and gutters, sewer, water, but also for
• And obviously some of that money would not only go for curbs and gutters, sewer, water, but also for
• And obviously some of that money would not only go for curbs and gutters, sewer, water, but also for

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• governs if and to what extent water can be withdrawn from Florida's aquifers and surface waters for
• resources of the state, which are your springs, surface waters, and wetlands.
• to the water resources and associated natural systems.
• There are increased requirements if you're in an Outstanding Florida Waters area or in an impaired water
• water quality.

Summary: The Joint Administrative Procedures Committee met on February 3, 2025, with a quorum present and took up three main items. First, the committee considered a large set of recommended objections to Agency for Health Care Administration rules, all centered on sunset provisions stating the rules would expire after five years. AHCA asked for another deferral while it reviewed the rules, arguing the sunset language was a form of self-restraint rather than an invalid exercise of rulemaking authority. Committee leadership disagreed that further delay would resolve the issue and moved to a single vote covering all objections. The motion passed by roll call, and the committee informed AHCA that an objection would be filed unless the agency amended the rules within 30 days. The committee then heard an informational briefing from the Department of Environmental Protection on its Outstanding Florida Springs rule and stormwater rule. DEP explained that it did not prepare a statement of estimated regulatory cost for the springs rule because the proposed standards largely mirror existing water management district rules and the Central Florida Water Initiative framework, so DEP said there was no new regulatory burden. Members asked about permit authority, costs, and whether the rules were functionally different from prior rules. DEP maintained the rules set minimum standards and did not add costs beyond what regulated parties were already doing. DEP also described implementation of the stormwater rule adopted under the 2020 Clean Waterways Act and later ratified by the Legislature in 2024. DEP said the rule was the product of years of workshops and technical advisory committee meetings, and that the final version included lower-cost alternatives, grandfathering, and phased implementation. DEP estimated the rule’s cost at about $2,600 per acre in the revised CERC, while industry witnesses said the real cost could be much higher, especially if land costs are included. A home builders representative argued the estimate understated impacts, while a stormwater engineer said the rule gives more flexible, performance-based tools and could become more cost-effective over time. Finally, Senator Graal presented proposed Chapter 120 changes in SB 108, aimed at tightening and modernizing rulemaking. The proposal would require five-year rule reviews, annual agency reporting, faster notice of proposed rulemaking after authorizing legislation, electronic filing, public access to incorporated materials, clearer tracking of technical changes, and limits on how long rules can remain pending ratification. Members discussed whether the Legislature should be more specific in statutes about rulemaking deadlines and whether agencies should be more accountable when rules stall. No formal action was taken on the Chapter 120 proposals, and the committee adjourned after discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• This $4.4 million proposal increases water use permit and application fees and water use fee rates, which
• So as an example, the first water use fee tier is up to $50 million.
• As part of a statewide watershed-based approach to water management, the DNR's Clean Water Fund budget
• that advance the goals of the Clean Water Fund.
• They tested keys using a surface test and...

Transcript Highlights:

• > and<00:11:54.440> a<00:11:54.519> lot<00:11:54.680> of<00:11:54.800> water
• <00:11:55.079> in growing season and a lot of water in growing season and a lot of water in
• uh s largest source of pollution water uh s largest source of pollution water pollution<00:28:10.399
• altogether with something on the surface altogether with something on the surface that's<00:31:02.080
• and Land chair to essentially undo his amendments that were made in the Water and Land Committee.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education heard several measures focused on health, environment, and research. HB 970 would allow chiropractic students to participate in clinical practice under direct supervision; the Hawaii Board of Chiropractic offered comments and asked for a delayed implementation date until July 2027 to allow time to adopt rules, while the Hawaii State Chiropractic Association supported the bill. Members also discussed that there are currently no chiropractic schools in the state. The committee then heard HB 1185, which creates a plant-based building materials working group, and HB 1337, which establishes an endemic plant seed bank pilot program. Supporters of HB 1185 said the bill could help create green jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by developing materials such as bamboo, hempcrete, and bio-cements, with questions raised about in-state processing. For HB 1337, witnesses supported the goal of preserving endemic species but said a large-scale refrigerated storage and seed-production facility would be needed; one witness estimated startup costs of about $6 million for one island and noted existing seed banks are small-scale and not designed for reforestation. HB 1300 would fund a University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center multi-ethnic cohort study on cancer disparities among Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Filipinos, and Asians, including environmental and social factors such as proximity to landfills. The Cancer Center, ACS CAN, and labor representatives supported the bill, emphasizing health disparities and concerns about landfill exposure; committee members asked about federal funding, and the Cancer Center said it would pursue NIH, private, and foundation support, with the state share described as $500,000 per year for two years. HB 736 would create a wastewater technology testing pilot program at the Water Resources Research Center; supporters said it could help certify cheaper alternatives to costly cesspool and septic upgrades, and the Department of Health supported the measure. The committee also heard HB 531, which authorizes special license plates for the Cancer Center; supporters said it would raise visibility and funds, and the Cancer Center estimated revenue would likely be under $100,000. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.