Transcript Highlights:

• It's a federal FEMA grant award that we are matching under the High Hazard Dam program.
• <00:31:43.519><c> Dam</c> Hazard Dam Hazard Dam program<00:31:46.039><c> also</c><00:31:46.360><c> under
• The rest of those dispositions have subdivision or mapping issues that will take additional time.
• The rest of those dispositions have subdivision or mapping issues that will take additional time.
• Thirty-two thousand still remain to be mapped, and so the transfer is kind of way in process.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you could come forward, present SB 328, and this deals with hazardous waste fees. Welcome.
• These changes to the hazardous waste generator fee have had a significant impact on development and have
• Site preparation for the project resulted in the disposal of hazardous waste, approximately 89 tons in
• Site preparation for the project resulted in the disposal of hazardous waste, approximately 89 tons in
• winter, in the disposal of hazardous waste, approximately 89 tons in winter of 2020 and 2,400 tons in

Summary: The Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee heard three bills after beginning without a quorum and later establishing one. SB 328 would cap DTSC hazardous waste generation and handling fees for infill housing and master development projects and set response timelines for cleanup reviews. Supporters said the current fee structure has made some housing and remediation projects infeasible, while opponents warned that capping fees for one sector could shift costs to other hazardous waste generators. The committee discussed the need for broader DTSC fee reform, and SB 328 was approved on a 7-0 vote and sent to the Committee on Revenue and Taxation. SB 754 would require manufacturers of disposable menstrual products to test for and disclose concentrations of certain contaminants, with DTSC able to verify results and publish them. Supporters framed the bill as a transparency and public health measure, citing recent studies finding toxic metals in tampons and emphasizing consumer right-to-know. Opponents, including manufacturers and hygiene product groups, argued the bill adds duplicative testing, vague requirements, and public disclosure that could be misinterpreted, and urged amendments. The committee members generally supported the goal of transparency, and the bill passed 5-2 with not voting members, moving to Appropriations. SB 466 would provide temporary legal protections for public water systems that are complying with approved chromium-6 compliance plans while they work toward the new drinking water standard. Supporters from Los Banos, Coachella Valley Water District, and other water agencies said the measure would help avoid costly litigation during a lengthy and expensive compliance period, especially for systems dealing with naturally occurring chromium-6. Committee members raised concerns about limiting recourse for harmed individuals and discussed possible alternative language, but the author said the bill would not affect state enforcement authority. SB 466 passed 7-0 and was sent to the Committee on Judiciary. The committee also adopted a consent calendar of additional measures by voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are 150 hazardous chemicals, 16 of which are on the EPA priority pollutant list.
• While many agencies recognize the hazards of surgical smoke, HVAC system.
• I thank you for your attention to this workplace safety hazard and for your support of this bill.
• I thank you for your attention to this workplace safety hazard and for your support of this bill.
• I thank you for your attention to this workplace safety hazard and for your support of this bill.

Summary: The subcommittee first heard HB 103, which would require hospitals and surgical centers to adopt policies using surgical smoke evacuation systems during procedures. Representative Woodson and several nurses and health care advocates testified that surgical smoke contains harmful chemicals and pathogens, poses respiratory risks to operating room staff and patients, and that the bill is needed to protect nurses and address workforce shortages. Members from both parties voiced support, and the bill was reported favorably by a 17-0 vote. The committee then took up HB 223, as amended, which would allow residents of nursing home or assisted living rooms to use fixed cameras, with guardrails on consent, non-rotatable placement, and prohibitions on posting footage online. The sponsor said the measure is intended to help families monitor loved ones and deter abuse or neglect, while supporters from AARP and some caregivers described cameras as tools for accountability and peace of mind. Facility and industry representatives raised concerns about privacy, dignity, roommate consent, and the potential impact on personal care conversations and resident autonomy. After questions and debate, members discussed how consent would work, who could access recordings, and how the bill would handle roommate changes and misuse of footage. The sponsor said the bill would continue to be refined in later committees. HB 223 was reported favorably as amended by a 16-2 vote, with Representatives Campbell and Franklin voting no. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• For low hazard buildings, For low hazard buildings, backflow preventers and inspections can be costly
• It's about low-hazard buildings, single-family homes, and small commercial properties where the cost
• We are explicitly not touching true high-hazard cases; those stay fully regulated.
• We are explicitly not touching true high-hazard cases; those stay fully regulated.
• We are already struggling with hazardous waste and public safety.

Bills: SB274, SB301, SB249

Keywords: healthcare, life-sustaining treatment, patient preferences, POLST, advance directive, medical orders, hospital discharge, pregnancy, patient care, discharge planning, healthcare policy, substance use, harm reduction, syringe services, needle exchange, overdose prevention, naloxone, opioid antagonist, drug paraphernalia, syringe

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several measures related to health care, public health, and patient protections. House Concurrent Resolution 148, urging a statewide educational strategy on menopause, was presented as a workplace awareness measure and received supportive comments from members before being released. Senate Bill 274, updating Delaware’s MOST program to POLST and clarifying capacity determinations and documentation for end-of-life orders, also drew supportive testimony from medical and nursing groups and was released. House Bill 458, limiting local backflow preventer requirements for certain low-hazard buildings, was presented as a cost-relief measure for homeowners and small businesses; DHSS expressed concerns but said it was willing to work on amendments and a sunset provision, and the bill was released. Senate Joint Resolution 18, designating August 31, 2026 as International Overdose Awareness Day and ordering flags at half-staff, was released after brief supportive remarks. The committee then considered Senate Bill 339, a technical correction to the advance health care directive form clarifying that an agent’s authority for voluntary mental health admission cannot exceed 72 hours, consistent with existing law. Members asked detailed questions about how the 72-hour limit works and whether it applies to voluntary directives; the sponsor and a Disability Rights Delaware witness explained that the bill only aligns the form with current statute and does not expand authority. The bill was released. House Bill 301, requiring hospitals to create discharge plans for pregnant patients discharged while showing signs of labor, prompted extensive discussion. The sponsor and supporters said it would improve safety, transportation planning, and aftercare, while some members noted Delaware hospitals already do much of this work and questioned whether codifying it was necessary; supporters emphasized maternal mortality disparities and the need for guardrails. The bill was released. Senate Bill 196, creating ownership disclosure requirements for long-term care facilities and resident notice rules after ownership transfers, was presented as a transparency measure for seniors and families and was released after supportive testimony from the Delaware Nurses Association and elder-care advocates. Senate Bill 320, expanding pharmacists’ independent prescriptive authority for certain non-controlled medications and allowing opioid use disorder medications under standing order, with added malpractice reporting requirements in Senate Amendment 2, was supported by pharmacists and nurse practitioners as an access-to-care measure and was released. Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 161, establishing a unified licensing and oversight framework for adult behavioral health providers under DSAM, was presented as a patient-protection measure; providers supported the goal but cautioned that regulations must be workable, and the substitute was released. Senate Joint Resolution 19, directing DHSS to study strategies to reduce health care costs, was released with a note reflecting concerns about broadening the analysis to include additional cost drivers and alternatives. Finally, Senate Bill 249 with Senate Amendment 2, modernizing harm-reduction programs and paraphernalia laws, generated the most extended debate: supporters framed it as life-saving public health policy, while opponents raised concerns about needle litter, community impacts, and whether the approach facilitates addiction. Despite the objections, the bill was released.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's an emergency reg that was a result of a change in the federal fee through the TSA for the hazardous
• the</c><00:13:14.720><c> TSA</c><00:13:15.399><c> for</c><00:13:15.680><c> the</c><00:13:15.839><c> hazard
• </c><00:13:16.360><c> hazardous</c> through the TSA for the hazard hazardous through the TSA for the
• hazard hazardous material<00:13:17.279><c> endorsement</c><00:13:18.120><c> threat</c><00:13:18.560><

Keywords: Roll Call 00:32 Approval of Minutes 01:38 HB 20 Discussion 02:08 HB 20 Vote 06:00 HB 188 Discussion 07:07 HB 188 Vote 10:10 Administrative Regs 11:09, 958, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met with a quorum, approved the previous meeting’s minutes, and heard two House bills plus several Transportation Cabinet regulations. House Bill 20, sponsored by Rep. Hodson, would restrict the retention and sale of automated license plate reader data, limit storage to 60 days, and prohibit nonconsensual tracking devices such as micro-trackers and subcutaneous trackers. Hodson said the bill was aimed at protecting citizens’ privacy and noted it had passed the House previously; members asked about enforcement and deletion responsibility, and one member suggested criminal penalties might be worth considering in the future. The committee voted to report HB 20 favorably. House Bill 188, sponsored by Rep. Duvall, addressed driveaway plate businesses that transport vehicles for others. Duvall said Kentucky law had created confusion about how many vehicles could be on the road and had driven up insurance costs, hurting a Warren County business; the bill would let such companies purchase the exact number of plates needed, which he said would reduce exposure and premiums. He emphasized the bill would not affect dealer tags or trailer transport and said he was working on a floor amendment to make that clear. The committee reported HB 188 favorably as well. The committee then reviewed five administrative regulations, including Transportation Cabinet rules allowing technology to be used in title examinations, extending an off-road vehicle pilot program to July 2026 and updating the definition of local government, aligning truck weight-mass rules with statute, adopting the MUTCD traffic control manual, and an emergency Kentucky State Police regulation adjusting a TSA-related hazardous materials endorsement fee because the federal change came too quickly for the normal regulatory process. Members asked whether the title rule covered rebuild titles, and staff said it applied to all titles. The committee noted the regulations had been reviewed and then adjourned, with the next meeting tentatively set for the following Tuesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• changes to the criminal penalty provisions of the Water Pollution Control Act, Clean Air Act, and Hazardous
• Under the Clean Air Act and the Hazardous Waste Management Act, it is also a first-degree violation if
• Under the Clean Air Act and the Hazardous Waste Management Act, it is also a first-degree violation if
• We are concerned that the legislation fails to... ...hazard environments.
• Hazardous Waste is here today in opposition to ESSB 5975, though we are comfortable with the striker

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• requiring L&I to make a good-faith effort to notify an employer or owner within 10 working days if a hazard
• be required to make a good-faith effort to notify an employer or owner within 10 working days if a hazard
• immediately to the extent that L&I sees something... ...to identify hazards immediately to the extent
• We've identified hazards.
• We've identified hazards. Over the court, you heard that the current law is a pilot.

Summary: The Labor and Workplace Standards Committee held its first meeting of the session and heard four bills. HB 2107 would make permanent and slightly narrow a temporary L&I requirement that, after an on-site safety inspection at a building construction site, the agency make a good-faith effort to notify the owner or employer within 10 working days if an immediately identified hazard could injure a worker. Construction industry groups and L&I supported the bill and said the pilot had worked well, with L&I reporting it had been able to notify owners almost 96% of the time during about 1,400 inspections. HB 2137 would remove the population threshold for binding interest arbitration for correctional employees in city and county jails. Teamsters representatives said the change would give corrections officers in smaller jurisdictions the same bargaining rights as other uniformed personnel and help address safety, staffing, and wage inequities. County representatives opposed the bill, saying it would increase bargaining and compensation costs for many counties, and asked for amendments requiring arbitrators to consider county finances and making awards nonbinding on county legislative authorities. HB 2264 would clarify unemployment insurance eligibility for workers who opt into an employer-initiated layoff or reduction-in-force plan, even if they can rescind their decision, so long as the termination results from the employer’s plan. Supporters said current court rulings create confusing and unfair denials of benefits for workers who leave in good faith during layoffs; NFIB raised questions about severance, retirement, and UI solvency. HB 2243 would allow physical therapists and occupational therapists to serve as attending providers in the workers’ compensation system. Physical therapy and occupational therapy advocates said this would speed care and return workers to work sooner, while retailers, food industry representatives, NFIB, the Washington State Medical Association, and L&I raised concerns about diagnosis, scope of practice, added costs, and the possibility that all PTs and OTs would have to join the provider network. No votes were taken; the committee heard testimony and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• “I’m with the EQ in the Hazardous Waste Permit Section.
• So they would have to probably go to a hazardous waste landfill if they were going to be disposed of.
• “I’m with the EQ in the Hazardous Waste Permit Section.
• Otherwise, they would have to be under the RCRA program, which is the hazardous waste division.”
• You can manage them as hazardous waste if you want.

Summary: The House Natural Resources Committee met on April 29, 2026, with a quorum present and took up several bills related to property rights, expropriation, renewable energy recycling, and local permitting. Representative Domangue first presented HCR 80 on private property rights, using it to highlight the 2025 landman code of conduct and the need for stronger guardrails in expropriation negotiations. She then deferred the resolution in order to allow Chairman Geymann to present HB 841, which was described as establishing a code of conduct for landmen and expropriation-related negotiations. The committee heard testimony and watched video examples from landowners describing intimidation, inadequate compensation offers, and the need for fair treatment. Amendments were adopted to broaden the bill to all certificate holders, prohibit threats about court costs and attorney fees, shorten response times, and add graduated fines and public posting for violations. HB 841 was reported favorably as amended, with no opposition cards recorded. The committee then considered HB 621 by Representative Coates, which would require recycling of decommissioned renewable energy infrastructure to the extent practical. After discussion with DEQ, the bill was amended to clarify that existing universal waste rules apply and to remove language that would have required the renewable facility owner to pay decommissioning costs in that section; the effective date was set for January 1, 2027. Testimony from renewable energy industry representatives supported the measure and explained that solar panels and related components can be recycled at high rates, with established markets for recovered materials. The committee adopted the amendments and reported HB 621 favorably. Next, Representative Jacob Landry presented HB 595, aimed at preventing local governments from unreasonably delaying or impeding energy projects through permit requirements, especially road permits affecting Haynesville Shale operations. After amendment, the bill required timely action on local road permits and deemed them approved if not acted on within 30 days. Supporters emphasized the economic importance of the Haynesville and the need for predictable permitting, while opponents argued the bill could further erode local authority, particularly regarding carbon capture and sequestration. The committee reported HB 595 favorably. Landry then presented HB 1191, creating a certificate of compliance process for oilfield and exploration and production sites to provide a cleaner path for cleanup, finality, and future investment. The bill drew technical and substantive amendments, including changes to definitions, confidentiality, and the role of DEQ; discussion continued over whether the bill should be deferred to allow more time to work through the remaining issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• state that do actually burn things, you know, in a way that would emit smoke that might be a bad hazard
• because you may have noticed if you have the ISO New England app on your phone the way I do that the map
• because you may have noticed if you have the ISO New England app on your phone the way I do that the map
• because you may have noticed if you have the ISO New England app on your phone the way I do that the map
• because you may have noticed if you have the ISO New England app on your phone the way I do that the map

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to go to tab 4: Hazardous walking conditions. See, Senator Leake is here.
• We're going to go to Tab 4: Hazardous walking conditions. CS for SB 650.
• However, if a hazardous walking condition has been identified over the course... ...live within two miles
• However, if a hazardous walking condition has been identified over the course of that two-mile distance
• roads are declared as hazardous roads, the financial obligation to provide transportation then falls

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met and considered a wide range of education-related bills, with most measures receiving favorable reports. Early in the meeting, the committee approved CS/SB 754 on International Baccalaureate bonus funding, CS/SB 1122 on Florida Virtual School updates, and CS/SB 430 requiring public schools to adopt cardiac emergency response plans, train students and staff in CPR/AED use, and maintain accessible AEDs. Testimony on the cardiac bill came from the American Heart Association and the Florida chapter of the American College of Cardiology in support, and the chair noted a survey suggesting many districts already have AEDs in schools. The committee also approved CS/SB 1528 on educational opportunities for military children, which expands coordination and training under the interstate compact, and CS/SB 364, which would move the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys from the Department of Legal Affairs to Florida Memorial University for research and administrative support. The committee then adopted amendments and favorably reported CS/SB 1590 on educator preparation, which modernizes teacher standards and certification pathways, including updates to FEAPs, a revised teacher exam, and an alternative certification program. The SPLC testified in opposition to part of the bill, arguing that language on historical instruction and systemic racism was contradictory and could limit accurate teaching of history. The committee also approved CS/SB 1702 on education, incorporating a wireless-device-in-schools pilot and other education provisions, with support from the Florida Charter School Alliance and others. CS/SB 444 on human trafficking awareness was amended to require no-cost training for school employees and charter schools; FSU law students testified in support, emphasizing the need for school personnel to recognize trafficking indicators. The committee also approved CS/SB 650 on hazardous walking conditions, expanding transportation eligibility for students walking near limited-access facilities, though members noted the bill carried an indeterminate fiscal impact and no dedicated funding. Later, the committee favorably reported CS/SB 1102 on school readiness, which expands how disabilities can be identified for early learning services and ties additional funding to training on early identification of delays. It also approved SB 1382 on access to school readiness programs for economically disadvantaged households, revising eligibility and priority tiers to use state median income rather than federal poverty level and refining the waitlist and forecasting process. Several members recorded votes on bills they had missed during the meeting, and the committee adjourned after reporting all of the above measures favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• million just in robotics and automation alone, which tells our team that we don’t want to mirror the hazards
• had a report with ADOT a couple weeks ago at ARPA, and they're just like, I mean, you look at this map
• Yeah. ...a couple weeks ago at ARPA, and they're just like, I mean, you look at this map, and everything
• We are so far behind, you know, and yes, when you see the map of the state and, you know, which roads

Bills: HB2003, HB2057, HB2109, HB2111, HB2112, HB2114, HB2256, HB2259, HB2317, HB2323, HB2398, HB2443, HB2446, HB2574

Keywords: driver education, instruction permit, underage drivers, motorcycle licenses, traffic regulations, special plates, centennial, Arizona Department of Transportation, vehicle registration, commercial discounts, Arizona Centennial, distracted driving, portable wireless communication devices, motorcycles, traffic safety, civil penalties, driver license, examinations, motorcycle awareness, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• As a public safety agency, we are concerned any time trucks loaded with hazardous materials co-mingle
• and they stop to top off at a fuel depot, they can add 30,000 to 50,000 pounds to their load of hazardous
• Hazardous materials and petroleum are our bridge's number one export, with over 70% of Mexico's fuel
• That is correct for the movement of hazardous materials. In particular, yes, sir. Okay.
• But when I talk to those carriers that have historically moved fuel, ...or hazardous materials of any

Bills: SB290, SB2949

Keywords: LP-gas, property owner notice, natural resources, gas installations, safety notification, motor fuel, fuel transport, fuel export, transloading, export fuel transloading facility, fuel terminal, terminal operator, comptroller, Texas Tax Code, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, TCEQ, Department of Public Safety, DPS, border security, ports of entry

Transcript Highlights:

• Each catastrophic fire that burns leaves behind degraded soils, damaged fish habitats, hazardous smoke
• Can you please talk about how the provisions of FOFA, including allowing hazardous tree removal within
• Their work... has resulted in thousands of acres of hazardous fuels reduction, millions of feet of timber
• We also need to engage in large-scale efforts to reduce the amount of hazardous fuel that has accumulated
• We also need to engage in large-scale efforts to reduce the amount of hazardous fuel that has the Fix

Bills: HB471

Keywords: forest management, wildfire prevention, public lands, Tribal jurisdiction, Fix Our Forests Act, wildfire, forest health, hazardous fuels reduction, fuels treatment, prescribed burning, mechanical thinning, mastication, fuel breaks, fire breaks, wildland-urban interface, WUI, fireshed, fireshed management area, fireshed registry, Fireshed Center

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on H.R. 471, the Fix Our Forests Act, which aims to address the ongoing crisis of wildfires exacerbated by climate change and the need for updated forest management practices. Various committee members voiced concerns about past federal management failures and emphasized the necessity for collaborative approaches involving local communities and stakeholders in forest management. As discussions unfolded, there were varying perspectives on the implications of certain provisions in the bill, particularly around regulatory changes and their likely impacts on public participation and environmental reviews.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm concerned when it goes to court how... who proves that hazard, whether it's a hazard or not?
• I mean, a hazard to one person could be different than a hazard to another person.
• who proves that Hazard whether it's a<00:34:26.079><c> hazard</c><00:34:26.399><c> or</c><00:34:26.520
• </c><00:34:27.520><c> to</c><00:34:27.760><c> one</c> a hazard or not I mean a hazard to one a hazard
• could be different than a hazard person could be different than a hazard to<00:34:29.760><c> another

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Committee substitute Senate Bill 2230, relating to the evacuation of unauthorized persons from a hazard
• Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 2230, relating to the evacuation of unauthorized persons from a hazard
• Menendez, relating to a study by the Texas School Safety Center on public school emergency response maps

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation, and adopted the previous day’s journal. Members then adopted Senate Resolution 358 honoring the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on its 10th anniversary, with remarks highlighting UTRGV’s growth, degree production, research expansion, medical school, and role in serving the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas. The chamber also recognized the doctor of the day and adopted additional resolutions, including one for Denton County Days at the Capitol and another recognizing Texas HBCU Day. The Senate gave extensive recognition to outgoing Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp through Senate Resolution 368. Senators from both parties praised his long public career, leadership of the A&M System, support for regional universities, and bipartisan approach. The resolution was adopted after multiple members added their names. The chamber also heard from advocates with the Texas Streets Coalition, and received gubernatorial nominations for the State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors and the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. On legislation, the Senate passed several major bills. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 27, relating to rights and support for public school educators, was debated and amended to address teacher vacancies, bilingual certification testing, paid leave options, classroom removals, and appeal rights, then passed unanimously. Senate Joint Resolution 12, proposing a constitutional amendment on parents’ right to direct a child’s education, advanced on a 22-9 vote. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1741, aimed at preventing foreign influence and intellectual property theft at public institutions of higher education, passed unanimously. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 29, the business entities bill, also passed after debate over corporate governance and shareholder protections. Senate Bill 857, authorizing law enforcement to tow certain vehicles driven by unlicensed or uninsured drivers, passed despite some concern about towing abuses during disasters. The Senate also took up Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1536 on dementia and Alzheimer’s training for certain guardians, but the transcript ends as that bill is being laid out.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because in its current form, HB 4027 would remove the mapping and official documents of their names.
• When we drive on the 202, on a map, but a powerhouse to the southwest.
• They're not hazardous, indecent, or obstructive.
• They're not hazardous, indecent, or obstructive.
• The State Land Department now uses a solar map that prioritizes solar projects over other land uses.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• acknowledge your very good question and read from my testimony here, which says, "We are aware of the moral hazard
• acknowledge your very good question and read from my testimony here, which says, "We are aware of the moral hazard
• acknowledge your very good question and read from my testimony here, which says, "We are aware of the moral hazard
• We are aware of the moral hazard that exists with loan guarantee programs, which at their worst can have

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Huge fire hazard. The pole actually caught on fire. Fire department had to stand up.
• Um very<00:16:55.680><c> hazardous</c><00:16:56.160><c> hazardous</c><00:16:56.720><c> work</c><00:16
• :56.880><c> as</c><00:16:57.120><c> one</c><00:16:57.360><c> of</c> very hazardous hazardous work as
• one of very hazardous hazardous work as one of the<00:16:57.600><c> previous</c><00:16:58.399><c> testifiers
• Thank you so much.” similar hazardous materials in the similar hazardous materials in the state.<00:40

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard three resolutions first. STR 32/SR 18 asked the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to work with the Department of Transportation to use inmate work furlough programs for state roadway and highway maintenance. Testimony was generally supportive of the intent, but the Correctional System Oversight Commission raised concerns about using work furlough for maintenance and emphasized that participants should be paid at least minimum wage, be able to meet restitution and support obligations, and not have their release timing affected. The measures were later recommended and adopted by both committees with no amendments in the joint portion. STR 199/SR 179 concerned increased caution regarding foreign infrastructure. There was no public testimony. In decision-making, the committees split the measures: STR 199 was deferred because of a similar measure, while SR 179 was passed with amendments. The amendments were described as clarifying Hawaii’s goals of self-sufficiency, local self-reliance, and self-determination, and encouraging scrutiny by departments and agencies to reduce dependence on imports. STR 231/SR 207, which would direct DOT to install electronic equipment at state airports and harbors to scan for illegal fireworks, drew mixed testimony, including support from the Oahu Filipino Community Council and comments from Matson Navigation. DOT said it supported the intent. The committees adopted amendments to address Matson’s concerns by moving inspections to a place outside the immediate loading and unloading area, and both committees passed the measures as amended. The Public Safety and Military Affairs committee then took up additional resolutions. STR 113/SR 94, designating Hawaii as a Purple Heart state on August 7, 2025, received no testimony and was not discussed further. STR 204/SR 164, asking the Department of Law Enforcement for information on disposal, detonation, and destruction of explosive fireworks and similar hazardous materials, also drew no testimony in the excerpt. STR 107/SR 88, urging military branches in Hawaii to provide hurricane-resistant shelters for active and retired personnel and families, likewise received no testimony. STR 148/SR 119, supporting construction of a floating dry dock at Pearl Harbor, drew broad support from industry, military, and state economic development representatives. STR 149/SR 120, creating a vegetation management working group to address wildfire risk, received extensive testimony in support and comments, with speakers from DCCA, PUC, Hawaiian Electric, IBW 1260, Hawaiʻi Telecom, and Kamehameha Schools discussing wildfire hazards, responsibility for vegetation near utility infrastructure, and the need to include workers and landowners in the process. STR 126/SR 105, calling for an incremental reduction in the number of inmates housed in private out-of-state facilities, prompted a lengthy discussion with DCR. The director said Hawaii’s out-of-state incarceration is driven by overcrowding and security needs, not a quota, described the per-person-per-day cost of CoreCivic housing, noted that Hawaii pays about $96 per inmate per day out of state versus about $37 in-state, and said the department is working on a master plan and future facility needs. The committee also discussed the need for a new prison and possibly a new jail. The excerpt ends with the committee still in discussion, without showing a final vote on STR 126/SR 105.

Transcript Highlights:

• This House Bill 364 is a National Guard hazardous duty payment bill that basically pays National Guard
• members hazardous duty pay when they're called up for a natural disaster or other emergencies by state
• The first 72 hours is the most crucial because you're exposed to seriously hazardous situations that
• situations that are seriously hazardous situations that are unforeseen unforeseen unforeseen and<00:
• I just want to say thank you all for what you did for us in '22 down in the Hazard area.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• program combines two long-term existing federal grants: the Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant and the Hazard
• Grant Program, the Flood Mitigation... ...administering multiple federal programs, including the Hazard
• There is an opportunity at the local level if a county did not give money toward the Hazard Mitigation
• There is an opportunity at the local level if a county did not give money toward the Hazard Mitigation
• to say this, there is an opportunity at the local level if a county did not give money towards the hazard

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs met with a quorum and heard two bills, a confirmation, and two agency presentations. SB 48 by Senator Gates would require local governments to allow voluntary accessory dwelling units, preserve homestead exemption for the owner-occupied portion, limit parking restrictions, require 30-day minimum leases, extend density bonuses for military-family housing, and allow reusable tenant screening reports. The bill drew strong support from the Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals and several others, and it was reported favorably on a unanimous roll call. SB 34 by Senator Sharief would expand the Historic Cemetery Program, particularly to help historic African-American cemeteries preserve and maintain themselves by allowing sale of excess vacant land only if proceeds are used for long-term upkeep; it also passed unanimously and was reported favorably. The committee also recommended confirmation of Fox Henderson to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation Board of Directors by unanimous vote. In addition, the Department of Commerce presented on the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program and Rebuild Florida, describing more than $4.3 billion in HUD disaster recovery funds since 2017, housing repair and replacement efforts that have completed more than 5,200 homes, and infrastructure and mitigation projects across the state. Members asked about average project costs, contractor oversight, corrective actions for deficient work, and clawbacks from a prior vendor; Commerce said it had ended the earlier vendor relationship, imposed about $3.6 million in financial consequences, and now uses stronger oversight and competitive procurement for contractors. The Division of Emergency Management then presented on Elevate Florida, a federal mitigation program that allows homeowners to apply directly for elevation, reconstruction, acquisition, or wind-mitigation projects, with a 75/25 federal-homeowner cost share and no state funds used. Director Kevin Guthrie said the program is intended to reduce repetitive flood losses, keep homeowners in their communities, and serve as a national model; he reported more than 12,000 applications, about 1,500 prioritized for review, 500 on a wait list, and 305 submitted to FEMA for final approval. Members asked about assistance for seniors who cannot meet the 25% match, the wait-list process, contractor selection, and the mix of project types, and Guthrie said contractors were selected through competitive procurement and that most projects are elevations, though some may become reconstructions or acquisitions depending on inspection results. The committee adjourned after the presentations.