Transcript Highlights:

• We remain mindful of the families of the survivors, the first responders, and the communities whose lives
• We remain mindful of the families of the survivors, the first responders, and the communities whose lives
• A lot of the conversation during the lay-out was when we visited the community that weekend before: what
• The bill would have addressed a lion's share of the critical emergency response and disaster preparedness
• The point of the flood watch is to increase awareness and preparedness.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, this is having to do with SB 1379 related to emergency preparedness.
• groups, and collaboration, communication with stakeholders.
• </c><00:02:14.360><c> programs</c> support emergency preparedness programs support emergency preparedness
• </c> relevant information about Community relevant information about Community Readiness<00:02:23.440
• <00:10:31.160><c> to</c><00:10:31.279><c> use</c><00:10:31.560><c> those</c> community to use those community

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs met on its 3:15 p.m. reconsideration and hearing agenda. The committee first reconsidered SB 1379 on emergency preparedness and voted to pass it with amendments. The amendments would require HEMA to submit a report to the Legislature on a community readiness centers plan, including public and private sites, funding sources, partnerships, stakeholder coordination, and projected annual funding, due 20 days before the 2026 Legislature convenes. The committee also made technical and fiscal-related changes, including blanking out certain amounts in the bill and committee report while retaining recommended amounts there, and changing the effective date language. The committee then voted unanimously to adopt the amended recommendation. The committee heard SB 1364, which makes emergency appropriations for law enforcement personnel costs. The Department of Budget and Finance supported the bill but said the figures in oral testimony would be slightly higher than those in written testimony and that updated numbers would be emailed later in the week. Because the exact figures were not yet available, the chair deferred decision-making to February 7, 2025. The committee also heard SB 1451 on critical infrastructure, SB 1452 on the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, SB 1149 on hate crimes reporting, SB 1321 on the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, and SB 1341 on energy industry information reporting. For SB 1451, testimony was split, with support from state law enforcement and opposition from the Public First Law Center, which argued the information was already protected under existing law; the committee later adopted a motion to pass the bill with amendments, including a narrower definition of critical infrastructure information and a revised effective date. SB 1452 received support from law enforcement and prosecutors, with a requested cleanup amendment to correct a federal drug-name spelling issue; decision-making was postponed to allow the department to provide language. SB 1149 drew substantial testimony both for and against; supporters emphasized better hate-crime data collection and transparency, while opponents raised concerns about definitions and free speech. The committee adopted amendments and passed the bill, with the chair summarizing the move from the older UCR system to NIBRS and noting a public dashboard expected by September 30, 2025. SB 1321 was passed with amendments shortening the oversight coordinator term from four years to three years, though one senator voted with reservations in favor of a longer term. SB 1341 was passed as is after brief support testimony, and the committee adjourned after completing the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is Senate Bill 21109 relating to emergency preparedness communications.
• </c> relating to emergency preparedness relating to emergency preparedness communications.<00:50:29.200
• Um, and so emergency preparedness for, um, public education and communications program provides a clear
• Turning to the last measure on the agenda, Senate Bill 21109 relating to emergency preparedness communications
• as well as preparedness.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2145, which would establish a statutory right for the public to record law enforcement activities in public. Supporters, including the Libertarian Party of Hawaii and the ACLU of Hawaii, said the bill would clarify First Amendment protections, reduce confusion, and provide a private right of action if the right is violated. Most written testimony was in support, while the Maui Police Department and Honolulu Police Department submitted opposition. A senator asked about existing court cases, and the ACLU witness said courts have consistently recognized a right to record officers in public so long as recording does not obstruct police activity. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2151 on emergency management. Testimony from the Office of Information Practices and HEMA focused on proposed changes to Chapter 127A, including limits on emergency powers and a two-thirds legislative override. Earthjustice and other supporters argued the bill was needed after the Hawaii Supreme Court’s Nakoa decision, which they said read emergency powers too broadly and could allow suspension of laws for long-term policy issues rather than true emergencies. HEMA opposed the restrictions, saying emergency managers need flexibility to respond to unknown, statewide crises such as tsunamis, hurricanes, war-related threats, and large disasters, and objected especially to limits on the governor’s ability to suspend public records requirements during emergencies. Several witnesses, including the Public First Law Center, said the bill was a step in the right direction but suggested amendments to better define emergencies and make clear the changes respond to the Nakoa decision. Committee members questioned whether the proposed limits would hinder disaster response and whether the legislature already has tools to override emergency proclamations. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a PCB relating to the recreation of the Emergency Preparedness Response Fund.
• We believe this is the responsible approach to dealing with the Emergency Preparedness Fund, and I just
• nbsp; 162 HELENE AND DEBBIE AND MILTON WHICH CONTINUE TO&nbsp; HAVE DEVASTATING IMPACTS IN MANY COMMUNITIES
• The reason why I do, and I did, just like you, Vice Chair, I've been in the situation where your community
• In 2018, my community was hit by Hurricane Michael. I know you want immediate response.

Summary: The Transportation Economic Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and heard four measures. First, the committee considered PCS for HB 1177, which originally addressed ad valorem tax exemptions for defense and aerospace operations and contract procedures for Space Florida. An amendment removed the tax exemption portion for later consideration in the tax package, and the bill then passed favorably after brief discussion about Florida’s competitiveness in the space industry. The committee next took up a conforming budget bill on documentary stamp taxes, which redirects a portion of doc stamp revenue from general revenue to the State Transportation Trust Fund. The sponsor said the change restores a $60 million transportation funding stream with a corresponding general revenue reduction, while maintaining a net zero fiscal impact overall. Members asked about why the funding was being restored and how the money would be used, and the bill passed favorably. Members then heard PCB 26-02, which re-creates the Emergency Preparedness Response Fund and adds restrictions and oversight. The proposal limits the fund to state appropriations for natural emergencies, requires legislative consultation for extended emergencies, keeps revenue in the fund, sends federal reimbursements to general revenue, adds quarterly reporting and inventory/accounting requirements, and sunsets the fund in 2030 unless reenacted. Testimony and debate focused on accountability, disaster response readiness, and concerns about prior uses of the fund; the PCB passed favorably. Finally, the committee considered HB 953, which strengthens oversight of commercial driving schools by authorizing county tax collectors to enforce related statutes and inspections. The sponsor said the bill responds to fraud and misrepresentation in the industry and would help protect driver licensing integrity, especially in South Florida. After supportive testimony from the Miami-Dade Tax Collector’s Office and a lobbyist, the bill passed favorably. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Deputy Director Frank Bigelow, Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation, California Department
• My name is Frank Bigelow, and I'm a deputy director of the Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation
• And I think rural communities and tribal communities need more, especially.
• tribal communities.
• tribal communities.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• John's in Hanford, and consistently supported his community.
• Dang was a role model in the community.
• An ordinary day turned into a nightmare for the communities of Pacific Palisades and Malibu, the communities
• It reminded us of the power of nature, the urgency of preparedness, and the importance of building communities
• It reminded us of the power of nature, the urgency of preparedness, and the importance of building communities

Summary: The Assembly met in session after a quorum call, with the clerk calling the roll and a quorum eventually declared present. The day began with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by routine procedural actions: the previous day’s journal was dispensed with, committee reports were deemed read, and several motions were approved, including unanimous consent to allow specified members to speak on adjournments in memory and to let Assemblymember Ortega have guests in the rear of the chamber. The body also gave one-day notice to remove SB 25 from the inactive file. On the daily file, Assembly Bill 673 was read with amendments and the amendments were deemed adopted. Concurrent items 2 and 3, Governor’s vetoes in items 4 through 77, reconsideration items 79 through 81, and third-reading items 82 through 84 were passed and retained or continued as noted. No substantive floor debate occurred on legislation during the session, which was described as a very short session. Most of the meeting was devoted to adjournment-in-memory tributes. Members honored Monica Lynn Martinez Hayes, a Capitol scheduler and artist; Edwin Silva Brazil, a dairyman and community leader; Grand Master Deng Huiduk, a martial arts instructor and mentor; victims of a Stockton shooting, including four young people; and the victims of the Eaton and Palisades fires. Several members spoke about the fire victims by name and emphasized recovery, resilience, and the need to support affected communities. A moment of silence was observed, the names were ordered printed in the journal, and the House adjourned until Friday, January 16 at 9 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1 by Perry, relating to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, is referred to the
• Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding.
• to outdoor warning sirens in flood-prone areas, is referred to the Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness
• Emergency Management for local authorities, is also referred to the Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness
• Senate Bill 4, relating to disaster management, is referred to the Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness

Bills: SB15, SB9, SB7, SB1, SB2, SB67, SB15, SB9, SB7

Keywords: real property, fraud, theft, elderly, disabled, statute of limitations, criminal offense, property rights, property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap

Transcript Highlights:

• Certain communities have been overlooked.
• Not one taxpayer, not one community, all of us.
• Not one taxpayer, not one community, all of us.
• , but all communities throughout the Commonwealth.
• These are costs that no single community can absorb on its own.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and welcomed several student and community guests, including ambassadors from Robinson Middle School in Lowell, visitors honoring the Gaudet family and Patricia Rappucci, Scottish visitors celebrating Scotland’s World Cup appearance, Top-Notch Scholars students from Lawrence, and the King Philip Regional High School baseball team after its first state championship. The chamber also adopted several routine resolutions and orders, including extending the reporting deadline for the Health Care Financing Committee and suspending Joint Rule 12 for a condominium-related petition. The House then rejected concurrence with the Senate on the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act and instead voted to appoint a committee of conference. The major policy action was on Senate Bill 3064, the Mass Ready Act, a large climate resilience and environmental bond bill. Members speaking in support emphasized flood protection, clean water, PFAS remediation, municipal vulnerability preparedness, coastal resilience, parks, trails, housing, and agricultural and food-system investments. The bill was described as authorizing roughly $3.8 billion in general obligation bonds, with discussion of specific funding for the Clean Water Trust, PFAS remediation, coastal infrastructure, biodiversity, healthy homes, and farmland preservation. A consolidated amendment was adopted, and after debate the House passed the bill to be engrossed by a roll call vote. The House also took up the conference report on H. 5511, the early literacy and teacher preparation bill. Supporters said the measure would require evidence-based reading instruction, move away from three-cueing approaches, support educator training and apprenticeships, and improve student literacy outcomes statewide. The conference report was accepted on a roll call vote of 152-0. Later, the House considered amendments to the Mass Ready Act, including one proposal to increase PFAS remediation funding that was ultimately withdrawn, and adopted another consolidated amendment before passing the bill to be engrossed by a roll call vote of 151-0. The House then adopted an order to meet the next day at 11 a.m. and adjourned to an informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• For too long, communities have been overburdened by air pollution.
• Certain communities have been overlooked.
• Not one taxpayer, not one community, all of us.
• , but all communities throughout the Commonwealth.
• These are costs that no single community can absorb on its own.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• preparedness, and parcel-level mitigations.
• wildfire preparedness and fuel reduction strategies to create resilient communities and landscapes.
• My name is Frank Bigelow, and I'm the Deputy Director of the Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation
• Thank you again, Frank Begolo, Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation.
• So internally, Cal Fire chose to break that up in half: $25 million to community wildfire preparedness

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Typically, participants in the assisted living waiver and the corresponding community support are very
• To live in an assisted-living setting, residents must also give up their community homes.
• assisted living providers have robust emergency preparedness plans.
• Sadly, even the best emergency preparedness plans cannot stop a natural disaster from occurring.
• As a result, many RCFEs in California have suffered total losses of their communities.

Summary: The Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee met on June 24 with a substitute chair presiding and considered three measures. SB 352 by Senator Reyes was placed on the consent calendar and approved unanimously, 7-0, to be re-referred to the Committee on Emergency Management. SB 433 by Senator Wahab, presented on behalf of Senator Stern, was heard next and focused on room-and-board protections for participants in the assisted living waiver and CalAIM assisted living transition community support programs. Supporters, including Justice in Aging, CANHR, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, the California Commission on Aging, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, argued the bill would prevent low-income Medi-Cal residents from being charged unaffordable rates and losing their housing. Opponents, including the California Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge California, and Six B’s, said they remained concerned about the bill’s rent-control implications and statutory scope, though they acknowledged recent amendments addressed some eligibility issues. After committee discussion, SB 433 was approved 5-1 with one abstention and re-referred to the Committee on Human Services. The committee also heard SB 582 by Senator Stern, presented by Senator Wahab, which would allow state departments to issue disaster suspensions of active licenses for facilities rendered inoperable by declared emergencies, waive some licensing fees, and provide temporary flexibility for community-based adult services, child care, and evacuation planning requirements for skilled nursing and residential care facilities. Support came from the California Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge California, the California Commission on Aging, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, CANHR, and a child care resource center, all describing the bill as helpful for rebuilding and continuity of services after disasters. There was no recorded opposition, and SB 582 passed unanimously, 7-0, to the Committee on Health. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of members of my community offer this service.
• community of equity, opportunity, and well-being.
• community of equity, opportunity, and well-being.
• Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, or OCAPICA, is a nonprofit community-based
• Issa Sosti with the Sokow-Pacific Islander Community Response in support.

Summary: The committee heard a series of child care, social services, immigrant support, disability services, and language access bills, with many measures drawing strong support and no opposition. Early in the hearing, AB 450 proposed a Department of Aging task force to study and recommend policies for undocumented adults age 55 and older; AB 593 would let CDSS identify data-sharing opportunities to improve CalFresh administration and participation; and AB 904 would clarify child care subsidy eligibility so families do not lose care during pregnancy leave, family leave, caregiving, or job search periods. All three were presented as ways to reduce barriers and improve access to essential services, and AB 904 was moved out on a 1-0 call after support testimony from child care advocates and a member of the public. AB 617, which would expand and standardize respite care access for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by requiring licensing and registry participation, drew both support and significant opposition from respite providers and disability service organizations concerned about added regulation, cost, and possible delays; the author said she would continue working with opponents, and the bill was moved out on a 2-0 call. The committee also heard AB 1220, which would require regional centers to document denials, notices of action, and appeals in individual program plans and include that data in annual reports to improve transparency and equity in developmental services. The bill drew extensive public support from parents, advocates, and disability organizations, with no opposition, and passed 5-0. AB 752 would make child care centers by right in certain residential zones when co-located with multifamily housing or institutional uses, and supporters argued it would reduce zoning barriers and help expand child care capacity; it also passed 5-0. AB 1242 would create a CalHHS language access director, require human review of machine translation, and improve language coverage determinations for state and local agencies; supporters emphasized health equity and the need for better access for limited-English communities, and the bill was moved out on a 4-0 call. Later, AB 548 would continue and expand the Asylee and Vulnerable Non-Citizen Program, which provides case management and integration services for asylees and certain visa holders; supporters said the program had been effective but had run out of funding, and the bill passed 4-0. AB 495, the Family Preparedness Plan Act, would strengthen family safety planning for immigrant families, standardize acceptance of caregiver authorization affidavits, and create a joint guardianship process for temporary separations; testimony focused on fear of family separation and the need for clear school and medical procedures, and the bill passed 4-0. AB 1357 would exclude guaranteed income payments from being counted as income for state public assistance eligibility, with supporters arguing it would prevent recipients from falling off the “benefits cliff”; it passed 4-1. Finally, AB 1201, the Reunity Act, was introduced to require individualized court assessments before denying reunification services to parents with certain violent felony convictions after a five-year period, with the author and a witness describing the bill as a trauma-informed approach to family reunification.

Transcript Highlights:

• the Idaho Department of Lands fund, but they go into a specific account, and it's for wildfire preparedness
• This surcharge is a key part of the department's dedicated wildland fire preparedness funding, the funding
• Preparedness is the backbone of the department's fire strategic plan because fast, well-resourced initial
• attack is the most cost-effective way to protect homes, communities, and natural resources, especially
• forests have substantially increased the complexity, risk, and cost of wildfire response, and preparedness

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first confirmed Michael Lyndon of Post Falls to the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and then heard several water-related bills. Senate Bill 1304 would clarify ditch easement rights by stating that ditch owners may inspect, maintain, and move diversion structures within an existing easement without landowner permission, while written permission would still be required to move structures outside the easement. Senate Bill 1306 would change the process for excluding land from an irrigation district so that a petition is not automatically approved if a hearing is not held within 150 days, and instead sets a more structured timeline for review and appeal. Senate Bill 1305 would allow water districts, if authorized by resolution, to charge specific property owners for costs tied to updating water-right ownership records during property transfers rather than spreading those costs across all users. Senate Bill 1307 would repeal and consolidate overlapping code chapters governing lateral ditches, simplifying definitions, election or appointment of managers, and maintenance responsibilities. Each of these bills was moved to the Senate floor with a do pass recommendation, though one senator reserved concerns about property rights on SB 1304. The committee then considered House Bill 511, which would raise the cap on the Idaho Department of Lands improved-parcel wildfire surcharge from $40 to $100 per year. The sponsor and department said the increase is needed because the number of improved parcels in the wildland-urban interface has grown, equipment and personnel costs have risen, and the surcharge funds wildfire preparedness, engines, training, and readiness for initial attack. Logging and forest industry representatives supported the bill, citing higher fire-response costs and the need to protect homes, timber, and communities. The bill passed the committee on a do-pass motion, with Senators Hart and Cole recorded as voting no. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 1269 on cloud seeding. The sponsor said the bill does not create or expand the program but adds statutory definitions, reporting requirements, public meetings, and accountability provisions for the existing cloud-seeding program, including suspension of authorization if required reporting is not provided. Supporters from the Idaho Farm Bureau, Idaho Water Users Association, and a farmer said cloud seeding is a useful water-supply tool and that clearer reporting would improve transparency and public confidence. Some members said they still had questions about effectiveness and wanted more discussion, but the bill was sent to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Salzman: emergency responders will communicate and respond to active shooter incidents.
• going to require all faculty and staff and students of public education to complete active shooter preparedness
• interesting because I was listening to the points you are making about the bill, specifically about preparedness
• , and I was thinking about preparedness because who in the world can be prepared for a situation like
• Again, talking about preparedness, the shooter was someone who I was a friend of.

Transcript Highlights:

• So they're not just faceless vulnerable people in the community.
• It's valuable to our communities. It protects us from disease. It's valuable to our communities.
• The major projects funded through this were Community Wellness Hubs and the Community Health Improvement
• They worked with communities. They hired people from the community, actually. It was great to see.
• They worked with communities. They hired people from the community, actually. It was great to see.

Summary: The subcommittee held an oversight hearing on federal actions affecting California’s public health and family planning systems, focusing first on the freeze to Title X family planning funds and then on broader CDC/public health grant terminations. Chair and members described the cuts as abrupt, harmful, and likely to create major gaps in disease surveillance, vaccination, contraception, STI testing, and other preventive services, while also criticizing the federal administration’s explanation that the actions were tied to DEI or civil-rights compliance. The chair thanked Attorney General Bonta for legal action and said the hearing was intended to document the real-world impacts and inform state budget responses. Witnesses from Essential Access Health, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, a Central Coast clinic, and other providers said California’s Title X network serves more than half a million low-income patients annually and relies on the funds for staffing, outreach, training, mobile and school-based clinics, and confidential care. They warned that the freeze has already forced reserve spending, delayed services, and could lead to layoffs, reduced hours, longer waits, and fewer appointments, especially for sexual and reproductive health care. Public comment included support for a proposed state backfill of Title X losses, with advocates emphasizing impacts on low-income, LGBTQ+, and communities of color. On the public health side, CDPH, county health officials, and local health officers testified that the CDC’s rescission of $11.4 billion in grants would affect California by an estimated $840 million and threaten lab capacity, immunization programs, health disparities work, and data systems such as CalConnect and vaccine registries. Sacramento County and others described how the grants supported outbreak response, sequencing, community vaccination clinics, and equity-focused partnerships, and said terminations had already led to canceled appointments, stopped contracts, and layoffs. Several speakers urged the Legislature to preserve and expand state “future of public health” funding and to backfill federal losses, while public commenters from HIV, immunization, labor, and county organizations echoed concerns about workforce losses and worsening health outcomes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is my community okay?
• </c> preparedness, response, and recovery. preparedness, response, and recovery.
• </c> the their loved ones, their community. the their loved ones, their community.
• support is the support, community support is the faith-based<01:23:10.800><c> community.
• </c> to communicate with them on that? to communicate with them on that?

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Public Safety held an informational briefing on the second anniversary of the Maui wildfires, with Chair Dela Alani framing the discussion around emergency preparedness, recovery, and lessons for future disasters. The main presentation came from researchers involved in the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study, who described the project as a grassroots academic-community partnership that has enrolled more than 2,000 adults and children for health screenings, social assessments, and biomonitoring. They said the study has documented elevated mental and physical health conditions, housing instability, unemployment, barriers to care, and exposure to heavy metals and other toxicants, while also noting some modest improvement in adult mental health and self-rated health compared with the prior year. The presenters emphasized that wildfire impacts remain severe two years later. They reported that about half of adult participants had worsening health since the fires, roughly 40% had direct or frequent fire exposure, and many adults showed chronic disease burdens such as hypertension, diabetes, and respiratory impairment. They also said about half of adult survivors reported depressive symptoms, about a quarter had moderate to severe anxiety, more than 4% had considered suicide in the prior month, and nearly one in four had PTSD. A clinician from the Lahaina Certified Community Behavioral Health Center described the clinic’s no-turn-away model, with case management, therapy, psychiatric evaluation, and medication management for anyone who needs it, and urged lawmakers to fund and expand that approach. The researchers also highlighted environmental findings, saying urine testing of more than 1,200 adults found heavy metal signatures that differed between burn-zone residents and those on the perimeter, with higher levels associated with displacement and ash re-exposure. They said about 20% of participants had higher-than-expected heavy metal levels 6 to 12 months after the fires, and cited a negative association between nickel levels and lung function. They argued for long-term monitoring, better cleanup methods, and a centralized health surveillance system tied to community outreach. No vote or formal committee action was taken during the briefing; the chair said the presentation materials and related reports would be posted for public access, and members were invited to ask questions after the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, we have the Small Business Finance and Community Support Program.
• Next, we have the Small Business Finance and Community Support Program.
• It's a small community of about 2,000 people.
• So this is really making an impact on a community level.
• So this is really making an impact on a community level.

Summary: The committee held a work session focused on the effects of tariffs on Washington’s economy, agriculture, and small businesses, followed by updates on emergency management, cybersecurity, disaster resilience, tsunami preparedness, and World Cup security planning. Office of Financial Management economist Abdelamintrawe Trieri said tariff increases are expected to raise prices, reduce output and employment, and lower state revenue over a four-year horizon, with the hardest-hit sectors including aerospace, food and beverage manufacturing, and agriculture. Members asked about updated tariff scenarios, crop-specific impacts, inflation versus deflation in different goods, and whether some manufacturing sectors could benefit; staff said updated numbers would need to be rerun as tariff rates changed. Washington Department of Agriculture representative Ryan Hamm described how tariffs raise costs for farm inputs such as equipment, parts, packaging, and fertilizer, while also affecting exports of key commodities like wheat, potatoes, apples, cherries, dairy, and wine. He said some sectors support tariffs on competing imports, but retaliation and market restrictions have hurt exports, especially to China and, in the wine sector, Canada. Department of Commerce representative Andrea Chartock outlined export assistance, business finance, recruitment, and industry-sector development programs, and proposed expanding tariff-resilience support through market diversification, supply-chain optimization, and efforts to attract investment and federal funding. She also noted uncertainty around delayed federal STEP funding for small business export assistance. Emergency Management Division Director Robert Ezell warned that federal disaster and mitigation funding is becoming less reliable, citing the denied bomb cyclone disaster declaration, delays in FEMA grant processing, and possible restructuring of FEMA that could shift more responsibility to states. He said Washington may need stronger state-funded public assistance, individual assistance, and mitigation programs, along with broader coordination among state agencies and local governments. Cybersecurity staff described state efforts to support local governments through the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee, threat intelligence sharing, vulnerability assessments, and a proposed volunteer incident response team, while noting the loss of MS-ISAC funding and the importance of continued state matching funds for cybersecurity grants. Hazard mitigation and tsunami staff emphasized the need for sustained investment in flood, wildfire, earthquake, lahar, and tsunami resilience, including vertical evacuation structures and language-access outreach. Ezell also briefed the committee on World Cup security preparations and federal grants for counter-unmanned aircraft systems, explaining that the state can buy mitigation capabilities but current authority to use them remains largely federal; the committee asked follow-up questions about fan zones, training, and the meaning of drone mitigation. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with adjournment after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2765 would align the definitions of rural counties with HUD's Community Development Block
• Texas Farm Bureau's support will help boost economic growth in our communities.
• I'm the Executive Director of the Governor's Military Preparedness Commission.
• This ensures that every community has the tools they need to protect these vital facilities.
• I believe that with the help of the business community. that they do.

Bills: HB2564, HB2760, HB2765, HB2898, HB3260, HB3800, HB4341, HB4396, HB5195

Keywords: Defense Economic Adjustment, grant applications, economic assistance, local government, Evaluation panel, judicial review, Texas Workforce Commission, unemployment compensation, legal proceedings, labor law, rural development, infrastructure, Texas economic fund, private investment, job creation, meteorological evaluation towers, wind resources, aviation safety, regulations, construction notice

Transcript Highlights:

• of rural counties with HUD's Community Development Block grant program and expand eligibility for financial
• The, uh, Texas Military Preparedness Commission was established in 2003, uh, to preserve, protect, expand
• Currently, the government code requires that the director of the Texas Military Preparedness Commission
• I'm the executive director of the Governor's Military Preparedness Commission.
• This ensures that every community has the tools they need to protect these vital facilities.

Transcript Highlights:

• preparedness, and parcel-level mitigations.
• wildfire preparedness and fuel reduction strategies to create resilient communities and landscapes.
• My name is Frank Bigelow, and I'm the Deputy Director of the Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation
• Frank Begolo, Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Fire Preparedness and Mitigation.
• So, internally, Cal Fire chose to break that up in half: $25 million to community wildfire preparedness

Summary: The subcommittee met to discuss several California Conservation Corps (CCC) and Cal Fire budget proposals, with no votes taken and all items held open for a future hearing. The CCC overview highlighted the program’s 50th anniversary, its statewide conservation, disaster response, education, and workforce development work, and its funding mix of General Fund and fee-for-service reimbursements. Members praised the program’s impact on young adults and communities, and asked about revenue sources, partnerships, recruitment, and outcomes for Corps members after service. A major CCC item was reopening and staffing the Greenwood Residential Center in El Dorado County. The department said the center is needed to restore local wildfire and fuel-break capacity, especially when winter road closures limit access to other facilities. The LAO said the proposal has merit but suggested the Legislature consider lower-cost alternatives, such as using fewer new Corps members or delaying opening, given the budget condition. The committee also discussed a proposal to move CCC hand crews to a seven-day wildfire readiness schedule; the department argued this is needed to match Cal Fire’s year-round operations and reduce chronic staffing gaps, while the LAO recommended considering partial funding or other cost-saving options. Cal Fire’s department overview focused on year-round wildfire response, vegetation management, community preparedness, and the 66-hour workweek rollout. Members asked about contract counties, federal partnerships, reforestation capacity, and the use of cap-and-invest and General Fund dollars amid structural deficits. Cal Fire said its nursery capacity is far below reforestation needs and relies on public-private partnerships, and it described reimbursements for work on federal lands. The committee also discussed defensible space inspections, with Cal Fire seeking permanent staffing to replace temporary positions and maintain its goal of 250,000 inspections annually; the LAO suggested alternatives such as different funding mixes, a reinstated SRA fee, or one-time funding. Finally, the committee heard a request to increase Cal Fire’s fixed-wing pilot and mechanic contract. Cal Fire said the larger, more complex aircraft fleet and year-round fire season require more pilots and maintainers, and that contracting provides flexibility and avoids some benefit costs. The LAO said the proposal addresses significant health and safety concerns and merits consideration, while members questioned whether in-house staffing or longer contract terms might be more cost-effective. Throughout the hearing, members emphasized wildfire risk, budget pressures, and the need to balance public safety with fiscal discipline.