Transcript Highlights:

• establishes a non-refundable income tax credit for taxpayers that incur costs related to the design, materials
• establishes a non-refundable income tax credit for taxpayers that incur costs related to the design, materials
• race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, national origin, place of birth, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual
• ><00:23:35.440><c> orientation</c><00:23:36.000><c> or</c><00:23:36.200><c> gender</c> disability sexual
• orientation or gender disability sexual orientation or gender identity<00:23:37.159><c> with</c><00:

Committee: Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs

Summary: The Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs heard several bills on building codes, taxation, police reports, National Guard benefits, and discriminatory reporting. SB 48 would have required the State Building Code Council to assess financial impacts of code adoption on homes and include utility costs; testimony was mixed, but the bill drew concerns about housing costs and code timing. SB 120 would have changed the State Building Code Council’s responsibilities and code adoption process; the International Code Council and Sierra Club opposed it, while BIA Hawaii and others supported it, arguing current code cycles raise costs and counties need more flexibility. The committee later noted that county building departments had not submitted testimony on SB 48 or SB 120. SB 138 would create a nonrefundable income tax credit for hurricane-resistant safe rooms. The Department of Taxation and the Tax Foundation raised concerns about blank provisions and revenue uncertainty, while Hawaii Emergency Management stood on written comments. The committee recommended passage with amendments, including a clarifying tax language change and an effective date of July 1, 2077. SB 112 would allow immediate family members of deceased persons to receive police closing reports after a set period; the Attorney General and prosecuting attorney supported access in principle but requested explicit redaction authority for minors and confidential personal information. The committee adopted amendments reflecting those concerns and passed the bill. SB 88 would authorize allowances for TRICARE, dental, and vision coverage for Hawaii National Guard personnel ordered to active duty for more than 30 days. It received support from National Guard and Department of Defense representatives and was passed as is. SB 16 would create civil remedies for discriminatory reporting to law enforcement based on protected characteristics and require public guidance from the Department of Law Enforcement and Civil Rights Commission; it received support from the department and several advocates, with one opposition testimony. The committee passed SB 16 with an amended effective date and technical changes. In final action, the committee deferred SB 48 and SB 120, and adopted the chair’s recommendations on the remaining measures before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today, this child sexual abuser is still out there, free to sexually abuse other children, with no consequence
• sexual penetration of a minor—that is provided in three, okay?
• contact, you have to prove the criminal sexual contact.
• That would be an example of a fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.
• I would like to keep second-degree criminal sexual penetration.

Bills: SB41 , SB153 , SB165 , SB261 , SB264

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• uh to the extent access to the materials uh to the extent that<01:47:34.760><c> is</c><01:47:34.920>
• and so we them with access to materials and so we want<01:49:28.719><c> to</c><01:49:28.880><c> make
• We try to bring materials to them wherever they are.
• </c><01:53:19.800><c> to</c> service we try to bring materials to service we try to bring materials to
• </c> Coalition against Domestic and Sexual Coalition against Domestic and Sexual Violence<04:35:30.959

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• c> to be identified on some forward-f to be identified on some forward-f facing<00:26:52.960><c> material
• </c><00:26:54.880><c> And</c><00:26:55.120><c> I</c><00:26:55.360><c> think</c> facing material or print
• And I think facing material or print.
• </c><00:50:56.720><c> a</c> person who has been convicted of a person who has been convicted of a sexual
• <00:50:57.440><c> offense</c> sexual offense sexual offense cannot<00:51:00.000><c> change</c><00:51:

Committee: Joint Judiciary, Division A

Transcript Highlights:

• contextualize the repeal because it would show the repeal alongside any other legislative changes, like new material
• So, Kevin, for instance, with the Sexual Assault Protection Order Act or the Stalking Protection Order
• Act, the extreme risk, if someone goes to, let's say, 7.90 sexual assault protection order, what would

Committee: Joint Statute Law Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• There was also a provision from the Senate related to AI images for child sexual abuse materials, which
• These include domestic violence shelters, sexual assault advocates, and general crime advocates.

Transcript Highlights:

• All of the information I present today comes from my examination of public budget materials and public
• to investigate claims of false advertising by businesses than we do to investigate complaints of sexual
• The only provision that applies is when the Attorney General turns these materials over to other people
• ] in a criminal proceeding before it uses the materials you send them.
• data with license plate numbers that have been manually entered into the ALPR database and that are material

Summary: On January 20, 2026, the committee held public hearings on House Bill 2102, House Bill 2161, and House Bill 2332. HB 2102 would sharply limit legal financial obligations by prohibiting courts from imposing costs unless specifically authorized by statute, repealing many fees and interest on restitution, and making eliminated debts unenforceable and satisfied. The sponsor and supporters argued that LFOs are harmful, inconsistently applied, and create uncollectable debt that burdens indigent defendants and hinders reentry. Opponents, including local government and collections representatives, warned the bill would shift costs to cities and counties, reduce accountability tools, and could cost local jurisdictions millions. No vote was taken. HB 2161 would expand the Attorney General’s authority to issue civil investigative demands for possible violations involving civil rights, labor standards, jail standards, immigration-related restrictions, and police use-of-force laws. Supporters from the Attorney General’s office, labor groups, and civil rights advocates said the bill would make investigations faster and more effective, especially in wage theft and discrimination cases, while not changing substantive enforcement authority. Opponents from law enforcement, cities, and business groups argued the bill was overbroad, lacked sufficient standards, and could create due process, confidentiality, and separation-of-powers concerns. Members asked about safeguards, and staff and the AGO described court challenge procedures and internal review standards. No action was taken. HB 2332 would regulate automated license plate readers used by state and local agencies, generally limiting use to specified law enforcement, parking, toll, and transportation purposes, restricting sharing and retention, and prohibiting uses tied to immigration enforcement or protected health care. The sponsor and privacy, immigrant-rights, and reproductive-rights advocates said the bill was needed to prevent misuse of sensitive location data and to close loopholes that could allow out-of-state or federal access. Law enforcement, cities, vendors, and some business and campus representatives supported privacy guardrails but said the 72-hour retention limit, warrant requirements, and other restrictions were too strict and could hinder investigations, victim recovery, and parking enforcement. The hearing ended with testimony still underway and no vote or final action reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, pardon me for being—I'm just thinking in a sexual assault case, for instance, where the interviewer
• would say to the... ...in a sexual assault case, for instance, where the interviewer would say to the
• But they're only going to be involved in a packet of materials, just like any other case that could be
• But they're only going to be involved in a packet of materials.
• Can they confiscate any kind of material, or just serve the search warrant?

Bills: HB1982 , HB2156

Committee: House Community Safety

Keywords: Indian rights, treaty rights, convictions, tribal members, criminal justice reform, Attorney General, AG investigators, limited authority peace officer, peace officer certification, economic crimes, financial crimes, white-collar crime, fraud investigation, search warrant service, electronic service, business records, law enforcement authority, criminal background check, training requirements, Washington RCW

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, pardon me for being, I'm just thinking in a sexual assault case, for instance, where the interviewer
• In a sexual assault case, for instance, where the interviewer would say to the defendant, oh, well, yeah
• But they're only going to be involved in a packet of materials.
• But they're only going to be involved in a packet of materials.
• Can they confiscate any kind of material or just serve the search warrant, or does that also mean they

Summary: The committee opened with a work session on effective interrogation techniques, hearing from two remote experts, retired homicide detective Matt Jones and former federal agent Mark Fallon. Both argued for science-based, information-gathering interviewing over confrontational or deception-based tactics, emphasizing rapport, open-ended questioning, corroboration, and avoiding coercion, especially with vulnerable interviewees. They said these methods improve reliability, reduce false confessions and wrongful convictions, and better withstand court scrutiny. Members asked for source materials and raised concerns about how friendly or minimization-style questioning could affect victims; the witnesses said they would provide research and noted that some common tactics can be problematic in sexual assault cases. No votes were taken in the work session. The committee then held a hearing on House Bill 1982, which would expand Washington’s existing process for vacating convictions tied to treaty rights. Staff explained that current law mainly covers pre-1975 fishing convictions, while the bill would extend relief to convictions involving treaty fishing, hunting, gathering, and pasturing rights, remove the date limit, include local ordinances, authorize the Office of Public Defense to provide direct representation and consultation, and create a tribal liaison position. The prime sponsor and tribal leaders testified in support, describing the bill as a way to correct historical wrongs and remove barriers to jobs, housing, and other opportunities. The Office of Public Defense said it supports the bill but needs statutory authority and a hub to identify and process cases; an Attorney General’s Office tribal liaison also supported the concept and suggested clarifying amendments. Some members questioned the scope of the affected population, costs, and whether the legislature could vacate the convictions directly, while others raised concerns about competing resource demands and the need for judicial action case by case. No final action was taken. Finally, the committee began hearing House Bill 2156, which would expand the Attorney General’s Office investigators’ authority in limited circumstances. Staff said the bill would let AGO investigators exercise only the authority of the entity granting concurrent jurisdiction, allow them to serve business search warrants only when authorized by a judicial officer, and clarify that they cannot detain, arrest, or carry weapons. The bill sponsor said it would reduce delays in economic-crime cases by allowing investigators to serve electronic warrants themselves instead of relying on local officers. Opponents from the sheriffs and police chiefs association and a retired veteran argued the bill blurs the line between investigation and prosecution, lacks sufficient oversight, and could create constitutional and training concerns. AGO representatives responded that the bill is narrowly focused, that most investigators are retired law enforcement, and that it would mainly streamline service of electronic warrants in cases such as organized retail theft and wage theft. The hearing was still in progress when the transcript ended, and no vote was recorded on this bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• The report also included a policy recommendation regarding the use of AI to generate child sexual abuse
• materials.
• abuse materials, and deepfakes used to harm and defraud.
• outreach, transferring materials to WASBO and assisting with the overall handoff.
• The communications team also developed accessible outreach materials and gathered meaningful input to

Summary: The committee held a work session focused on technology in government, AI, broadband, and digital equity. Seattle CTO Rob Lloyd described the city’s AI strategy, emphasizing responsible use, privacy, security, community input, and data strategy. He said Seattle is using small pilots and partnerships to test AI for tasks such as public records processing, infrastructure inspection, and permitting, while keeping humans as the final decision-makers. Members asked about bias, liability, training on best practices, labor involvement, and public records; Lloyd said AI should remain an assistant tool, not a replacement for human judgment, and that Seattle is still testing solutions for records requests and permitting. WATech CTO Nick Stow and Deputy Director Mark Quimby discussed the state’s broader AI policy, the generative AI executive order, a sandbox with more than 15 agencies, and use cases including a resident portal, cybersecurity, and wildfire detection. They stressed consent, closed systems, human-centered design, and the need to govern all forms of AI, not just generative AI. Committee members raised concerns about federal data access, labor issues, and wildfire detection effectiveness. Spokane County IT staff described a more restrictive approach to AI, citing privacy, bias, and cyber risks. The county standardized on Microsoft Copilot as its only approved chat-style AI tool, blocked other AI chat platforms, and requires human review of all AI-generated content. They said AI is also being used by criminals for phishing and deepfakes, underscoring the need for strong policy and security controls. The committee also received an update from the Attorney General’s AI Task Force. Yuki Ishizuka said the task force has 19 members and eight subcommittees covering ethics, consumer protection, labor, health care, public safety, education, government efficiency, cybersecurity, and industry/energy. The task force is working toward an interim report due December 1, 2025 and a final report due July 1, 2026, and is reviewing recommendations through public forums and advisory committees. Ishizuka warned that a federal budget reconciliation provision could bar states from enforcing AI regulations for 10 years, and several members voiced support for state authority and asked about possible 2026 legislation. The committee then heard updates on broadband and digital equity. Commerce’s Dave Pringle said the BEAD broadband program is being reshaped by new NTIA guidance, which removed or reduced emphasis on several prior priorities, and Washington is now working under an expedited process to submit its state application by September 4. He noted that no projects have been built yet, that four counties did not receive applications in round two, and that the state is trying to keep applicants engaged through office hours and a shortened review window. The Office of Equity and the Digital Equity Forum reported increased participation, new members, and ongoing outreach to tribal, rural, and underserved communities, while previewing recommendations such as creating an interdepartmental digital equity team and improving data use. Finally, Lumen’s Robert Thoms described private-sector broadband deployment challenges, including permitting, regulation, and the economics of extending fiber, while noting continued investment in overbuild projects, a $30 low-cost service option tied to the former ACP, and work with the state, tribes, and libraries. No votes were taken; the meeting consisted of presentations and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• They are significantly more likely to suffer military sexual trauma, PTSD, and depression than male veterans
• Gardening materials and mitigation tools extending both of these programs guarantees fire-threatened
• Assembly Bill 993 by Assemblymember Hadwick, an act relating to hazardous materials.
• They require minor construction activities but are built with durable, low-to-moderate cost materials
• . materials, and lasts from one year to five years.

Transcript Highlights:

• It creates a statewide sexual assault nurse examiner coordinator. Thank you, Mr. Schueter.
• It establishes a statewide sexual assault nurse examiner coordinator for the state of Louisiana, housed
• increasing access and care and integrity of evidence collection for survivors of sexual assaults.
• The activities of a sexual assault nurse examiner and persons involved in the response to sexual assaults
• It falls within confidential information, medical records of a sexual assault survivor.

Committee: House House and Governmental Affairs

Summary: The committee first deferred Senate Bill 49, which would remove the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education from the list of offices subject to closed party primary elections, after the sponsor said additional amendments were being prepared. It then took up House Bill 1247, which creates a statewide sexual assault nurse examiner coordinator within the Department of Justice to improve access, evidence collection, and coordination for sexual assault survivors. Members adopted a committee amendment package that clarified the coordinating structure, geographic response considerations, reimbursement language, and related public records issues, and the bill was reported favorably as amended with support from health care and law enforcement-related groups. House Bill 1245, also dealing with public records, was amended to protect certain personal identifying information in criminal history records of criminal justice agency employees who serve as witnesses in criminal proceedings. The discussion focused on limiting release of Social Security numbers, home addresses, and dates of birth while preserving disclosure required for court proceedings and impeachment-related purposes. The committee adopted a further amendment narrowing the protection to those PII items in records held by the clerk of court, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. House Bill 1011, allowing jurors to donate per diem compensation to CASA, and House Bill 1186, which standardizes construction code and inspector licensing records while protecting inspectors’ personal information, were also reported favorably. Senate Bill 425, which implements the constitutional mandate for removal by suit of certain elected officials for felony conviction, malfeasance, or gross misconduct, drew the most extended debate. Supporters said it creates a civil process to address serious misconduct when criminal prosecution is unavailable or incomplete, while opponents warned it could be abused for political targeting, duplicate existing remedies, and rely on vague standards. After amendments clarifying the process and standards, the committee voted 10-5 to report the bill favorably as amended. The committee also adopted amendments and reported favorably House Bill 1057, extending absentee-by-mail eligibility for overseas service members from one year to two years, and began discussion of House Bill 709, which would create a rulemaking notification system, a 10-year sunset for certain rules, and an Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the governor’s office.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I also have done, in addition to those child crimes, whether it's child sexual abuse, physical child
• that cellphone evidence to prosecute the crime and understand DNA, which is a huge part of child sexual
• I am very fortunate to have two dedicated child sexual abuse prosecutors in Cleveland County.
• She also finished one of the worst child abuse, both physical and sexual abuse cases at my office that
• All children in my district who are physically and sexually abused go to my care cottage.

Committee: House A&B Judiciary Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• The A9 amendment Instead, it directs money to the Sexual and Reproductive Health Services grants, of
• The Sexual and Reproductive Health Services grants offer affordable access to family planning services
• Every dollar spent on sexual and reproductive health saves the public $7. What a deal.
• Including my religious views, my sexuality, and my plan for my pregnancy.
• And you're right; people will give money, whether they're contributing to the sexual and reproductive

Transcript Highlights:

• know of another little girl who is going through treatment right now because they said that she was sexually
• So what we can say is you have the right to this material, but your parent has the right to shut it down
• to keep users scrolling, which can lead our children down dangerous rabbit holes of inappropriate material
• age verification, robust parental controls, and AI-driven content moderation to filter out harmful material
• They must limit direct... ...material.

Bills: HB235 , HB276 , HB285

Committee: House Children and Senior Advocacy

Keywords: social media, age verification, minors, under 16, children online safety, online privacy, platform regulation, deceptive trade practice, Attorney General, civil penalties, punitive damages, consumer protection, account creation, algorithmic feeds, internet safety, youth social media, minor safety, child online safety, teen accounts, parental controls

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> interviews with victims of sexual interviews with victims of sexual assault<02:09:23.440><c> that
• </c><02:11:02.560><c> Um</c><02:11:03.119><c> yeah,</c> are being sexually assaulted.
• Um yeah, are being sexually assaulted.
• Young men and young women are being victimized sexually through this.
• </c> being victimized sexually through this. being victimized sexually through this.

Summary: The Committee of Conference on HB 1 and HB 2 was called to order, and Legislative Budget Assistant Michael Kaine reviewed the working documents before the committee. He explained the compare report, the detailed change sheet, the HB 1 index, the HB 2 side-by-side, the surplus statement, and a revenue handout, noting that the committee would vote up or down on all detail-change items and that unresolved items on hold would be removed from the final bills. He also identified staff available to answer technical questions and noted that the committee would track the dollar impact of decisions as it proceeded. Members then turned to the revenue outlook, with discussion focused on the gap between the House and Senate budget positions. House members said their budget guidance was based on revenue estimates that were significantly below the governor’s proposal, and they discussed whether additional revenue could close part of the gap. Department of Revenue Administration Commissioner Lindsey Stepp presented updated revenue estimates based on May data, explaining the methodology and the ranges for fiscal years 2025, 2026, and 2027. She said business taxes were the largest source of uncertainty, with estimates reflecting current economic conditions, recent revenue performance, and a range of possible growth rates. Committee members questioned the assumptions behind the business-tax ranges, including why the low and high scenarios were set at 2% and 8% growth. Stepp said the range was based on historical performance and current economic factors such as inflation, tariffs, and business behavior, and she noted that June is a major estimate-payment month for business taxes. Members also discussed recent revenue trends, including the effect of tariffs and the possibility of federal tax policy changes affecting repatriated profits. The commissioner and House members also discussed other revenue sources, including rooms and meals and real estate transfer taxes, with the House side arguing that lower mortgage rates and home prices could increase real estate transfer revenue. No votes were taken in the portion provided, but the committee discussed possible upward adjustments to House revenue assumptions, including increases of roughly $70 million in total based on the updated outlook and additional insurance-related revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• It provides for civil actions by persons for conduct relating to obscene material, child sexual abuse
• material, and sexual images.
• It also changes provisions relating to no-contact periods for victims of sexual assault, and changes
• abuse, probation, and provisions of corporate sexual abuse, guardian, adult guardian, adult welfare
• offenses, offenses, offense assault, penalties to the offense solved by strangulation, self-case, sexual

Bills: LB764 , LB815A , LB839 , LB888 , LB955 , LB972A , LB1029 , LB1087 , LB1091 , LB1126A , LB1181A , LB1237A , LB1261A , LB304A , LB762 , LB889 , LB929 , LB966 , LB1022 , LB1187 , LR508

Transcript Highlights:

• , a class A felony is the equivalent of a manslaughter charge, continuous sex assault on a minor, sexual
• , a class A felony is the equivalent of a manslaughter charge, continuous sex assault on a minor, sexual
• 00:03:54.319><c> minor,</c> continuous sex assault on a minor, continuous sex assault on a minor, sexual
• assault in the first degree, sexual assault in the first degree, kidnapping<00:03:57.920><c> as</c><
• suitable for DNA biological material suitable for DNA analysis. analysis. analysis.

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on several bills related to bribery and public corruption. On SB 2249, which would increase penalties for bribery under certain circumstances, the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office and Honolulu Police Department supported the measure, arguing that Hawaii’s current class B felony penalty is probationable and too weak to secure cooperation in corruption cases, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Snyder decision narrowed federal bribery prosecutions. The Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing that elevating bribery to a class A felony and making it non-probationable was excessive, overbroad, and would remove judicial discretion. Multiple individuals also testified in support. Committee members questioned the prosecutor about removing deferred acceptance of plea provisions and asked HPD about the $20,000 threshold; the prosecutor said alternative charges could still be used in plea bargaining, and HPD said the threshold aligns with first-degree theft. The committee also discussed how current law tolls the bribery statute of limitations while an official remains in office, with the prosecutor explaining it can extend up to six years total. The committee then heard SB 2494, which would set a nine-year statute of limitations for bribery offenses. The Public Defender opposed the extension, saying the justification based on the length of federal investigations was too broad and that bribery already has a longer limitations period than most felonies. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office supported the bill, saying bribery cases often involve coordination with federal investigators, that federal and state evidence-gathering methods may differ, and that a longer period would help ensure admissible evidence and allow state prosecution when federal law no longer applies. Members asked whether there were public examples of cases lost to the current limitations period; the prosecutor said he was not aware of any publicly available examples, but maintained nine years was a reasonable period. The committee also considered SB 2737, which would create a misdemeanor for failure by a state or county elected official to report bribery. The Department of the Attorney General offered comments and suggested changing the term to “public servant” for consistency with existing law. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office supported the intent but warned the reporting requirement could create Fifth Amendment issues for witnesses who might otherwise be useful in grand jury proceedings. The bill drew broad public support, with 33 supporters and no opposition noted. Finally, the committee took up SB 3071, which revises sex trafficking and promoting prostitution statutes by redefining “profits from prostitution” and adding an affirmative defense for certain lawful transactions. The Public Defender opposed the measure, saying it still could reach people without the required criminal intent and that the affirmative defense language could be applied unevenly. The Attorney General and Honolulu Prosecutor supported the bill, saying it better addresses concerns raised by the State v. Ibarra decision while closing loopholes that allow traffickers to disguise profits as loans or gifts. The prosecutor emphasized that traffickers are sophisticated and can structure transactions to evade current law.

Transcript Highlights:

• Jonathan: All the materials and devices you would use for your card game, things like that.
• In some cases today, children and sexual offense victims might be directly questioned by the person accused
• We are talking about children, those who are sexually offended, and persons with intellectual disabilities
• Murray in 1995 where a pro se defendant was accused of sexually abusing a child and the court held it
• To be of a compelling state interest to protect sexual offense victims and persons with intellectual

Transcript Highlights:

• strong commitment to equal opportunity for all regardless of disability, race, color, gender, age, sexual
• strong commitment to equal opportunity for all regardless of disability, race, color, gender, age, sexual
• strong commitment to equal opportunity for all regardless of disability, race, color, gender, age, sexual
• attempts to unduly influence the outcome of an election, including a public question, by providing materially
• </c><00:35:54.640><c> false</c> question by providing materially false question by providing materially