Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:47:56.839><c> programs</c><00:47:57.160><c> that</c> disabled partners program programs that
• </c> lot program our animal feed lot program lot program our animal feed lot program permitting<01:31
• </c> program the habitat enhancement program the habitat enhancement landscape<02:06:58.840><c> program
• </c> enhancement program which is a program enhancement program which is a program that<02:09:38.239>
• </c><02:10:46.800><c> farm</c> part of the federal farm part of the federal farm bill<02:10:49.719><c

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• The interventions program was mostly for maintaining levees.
• Chair, Stephen Fenroly with the California Farm Bureau.
• Also, Farm Bureau and Cattlemen members text me every day about this. ...Farm Bureau and Cattlemen members
• This is the first step of creating this program.
• Richard Filgus, California Farm Bureau, representing over 20,000 farming and ranching members, respectfully

Committee: House Water, Parks, and Wildlife

Transcript Highlights:

• So the program got a shot in the arm by the 1988 passage of SB 34.
• The intervention program was mostly for maintaining levees.
• Chair, Stephen Fenroly with the California Farm Bureau.
• This is the first step of creating this program.
• Richard Filgus, California Farm Bureau, representing over 20,000 farming and ranching members, respectfully

Summary: The committee heard several wildlife and water-related bills. SB 872, by Senator McNerney, would create a Delta Levees and Canal Subsidence Fund and allow waiver of local cost-sharing for Delta levee repairs to protect the State Water Project and Delta infrastructure. Supporters from water agencies, environmental groups, counties, and agricultural interests said the bill is needed to address levee failure and canal subsidence; there was no opposition, and the bill was held open until a quorum was present, with broad support expressed. SB 1108, by Senator Caballero, would establish the Grasslands Ecological Area Conservancy in the Central Valley to coordinate conservation, habitat restoration, public access, and voluntary easements in a region described as the largest remaining wetland/grasslands complex west of the Mississippi. Support came from the Grasslands Water District, Audubon, conservation groups, and local stakeholders, who emphasized the area’s importance to migratory birds, wildlife corridors, and land-use transition under groundwater sustainability. There was no opposition, and the bill received favorable committee support. SB 1135, by Senator Blakespear, would reestablish and strengthen the statewide wildlife coexistence program to reduce human-wildlife conflict through nonlethal deterrence, education, and compensation for livestock losses. Supporters cited rising wildlife incidents, wolf depredation, and the need for proactive tools; opponents and some committee members raised concerns about rural impacts, funding, and the absence of law enforcement/public safety as a specifically named advisory role. After discussion and amendments that moved the cattlemen and Farm Bureau to neutral, the bill passed out of committee on a due-pass motion, though some members voted no or abstained. SB 1305, by Senator Richardson, would direct CDFW to study the feasibility of grizzly bear reintroduction and prepare a roadmap, with tribal consultation and stakeholder engagement, but would not itself authorize reintroduction. Tribal sponsors and conservation groups supported the bill as a planning and cultural restoration effort, while hunting, ranching, and county groups opposed it, arguing California already faces major wildlife-management and funding challenges and that the proposal would create new conflicts. Committee members debated costs, appropriations, and whether the study should include funding estimates; the bill was amended and passed on a due-pass motion. The committee also heard SB 1250, by Senator Cortese, which would require Caltrans to incorporate wildlife connectivity into transportation planning; supporters said it would reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity, and the bill was presented in support as the hearing continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• Program, which focuses on even other resource concerns that don't fall into one of our existing programs
• The state board's newest program, the on the ground conservation Program mentioned earlier, And, uh,
• It is a competitive grant program.
• I'm the program manager for the flood control program at the Texas Soil and Water Conservation Board.
• You'll see Texas A&M and uh colleges like that come on board with hemp programs, hemp breeding programs

Bills: HB294 , HB405 , HB519 , HB294

Committee: House Agriculture & Livestock

Keywords: food production, property owners' association, home gardening, cottage food, urban agriculture, livestock, community standards, renewable energy, ethanol, biodiesel, incentives, agriculture, grants, honey production, beekeeping, food safety, local regulation, energy efficiency, tax exemption, residential properties

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, that program started at the height of the farm crisis in the 1980s.
• has enabled farmers to keep this program has enabled farmers to keep farming<00:03:33.840><c> and</c
• Put simple, this program saves farms and I could probably say saves lives, too.
• Put simple, this program saves farms<00:04:53.440><c> and</c><00:04:53.680><c> I</c><00:04:53.840><c>
• She added that the program has kept farms in business over time.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Most programs in this... a district whose budget is separate from the counties.
• Most programs in the state are not countywide.
• John's Organic Farm, and they're also I've worked at a farm in Emmett called St.
• John's Organic Farm, and they're also helping me launch my own business, Grandad Farms.
• But yes, that would be very detrimental to my program. Representative Berch?

Committee: House Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• I've worked with Farm Bureau.
• This is about farm equipment. Just farm equipment? Yes, sir.
• They wouldn't be allowed in this program, but I know that they worked with LED on the Fast Sites program
• So if you put it in this program, is there a finite set of money in this program?
• I mean, if it's this FAST program, which I'm reading, is a federal program, correct?

Bills: HB345 , HB503 , HB511 , HB590 , HB655 , HB685 , HB692 , HB707 , HB715 , HB748 , HB776 , HB856 , HB860 , HB868 , HB887 , HB888 , HB896 , HB999 , HB1000 , HB1086 , HB1233

Committee: Senate Transportation, Highways & Public Works

Summary: The Senate Committee on Transportation and Public Works met with five members present and approved the April 29, 2026 minutes. The committee then heard and reported a series of bills, including HB 1233, which lowers the contract threshold for hospital service districts using the Seymours program; HB 715, requiring aerial applicators operating from public airports to have transponders and radios and removing proposed ADS-B fee restrictions in favor of separate legislation; and HB 999, allowing impoundment of uninsured out-of-state vehicles. It also advanced HB 692 to let parishes and municipalities use group purchasing organizations, with an added sole-source procurement amendment for certain repairs and parts, and HB 511 to create a pursuit-intervention technology grant program, using a technical amendment to establish the fund structure. The committee also reported HB 590, creating a program to help law enforcement identify drivers with autism or other mental/physical disabilities through special envelopes and related notice technology; HB 503, a local bill cleaning up golf cart and utility terrain vehicle definitions in Golden Meadow; HB 655, authorizing DOTD cost-plus contracts for state-owned ferries; HB 748, clarifying that school board-owned or leased vehicles are exempt from tolls; HB 860, allowing fillable electronic bids; HB 896, addressing tolling rules and fees in Plaquemines Parish and requiring a nearby customer service center; and HB 1000, a cleanup bill on highway priority program reporting and local district contract limits. Later, the committee reported HB 887, which establishes a more consistent scoring and ranking framework for certain procurement processes, and HB 888, a cleanup bill on temporary tags and temporary license plates with added anti-counterfeiting and safety features. HB 1086, a major overhaul moving Louisiana toward a fully electronic vehicle title and lien system, was amended but voluntarily held for a week so members could review the extensive new language. The committee also reported HB 776, expanding port priority funding to larger projects and allowing flexibility in annual amounts, HB 707, shifting LPG commission promotional work to Agriculture and Forestry, HB 868, requiring safety chains or other manufacturer-specified safety equipment on farm trailers, HB 856, authorizing indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting for DOTD maintenance and construction work, HB 345, adding rail infrastructure at ports to the rail improvement program, and HB 685, allowing transit agencies to use FAST Act cooperative procurement for buses and other rolling stock. At the end, the committee corrected its action on HB 856 by reconsidering and withdrawing the technical amendment set 2332 for later floor work, while leaving the bill reported with the department’s substantive amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• As for the crop, the Phoenix farm is somewhere near 13,000 As for the crop, the Phoenix farm is somewhere
• And then there are other programs, there are conservation programs, serious conservation programs that
• I have a thousand acres of it on my farm.
• I don't know how much time you have to farm because you're down here all the time to testify.
• of Arizona's farm and ranch families throughout every corner of the state.

Committee: Senate Senate Natural Resources Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard an informational presentation on transportation fuel supply in Arizona from Gordon Shemp of Nemecu Analytics. He described Arizona’s dependence on pipeline deliveries, limited terminal inventories, and the resulting vulnerability to outages and price spikes. He also discussed recent refinery closures in California, increased imports from overseas, and a proposed Kinder Morgan project that could add east-to-west capacity into Phoenix. Committee members asked about fuel formulations and how many fuel types move through the system; Shemp said the project would not change destination fuel specifications and that multiple fuel products already move through the pipelines. The committee then took up House Bill 2758, which would allow groundwater transport from the McMullen Valley basin to an initial AMA and related uses, with provisions for eligible entities, transportation fees, and water improvement programs. Supporters, including Stan Barnes, Jim Downing, and Barry Arons, argued the bill follows the 1991 transfer-basin framework, provides needed water augmentation for urban Arizona, and includes local benefits and guardrails. Opponents, including La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin, Devonna Sater, and Ed Curry, said the bill would worsen groundwater decline, subsidence, and well failures in Salome and Wenden and favored rural communities being used to solve urban water shortages. The committee approved HB 2758 on a 4-3 vote. The committee also considered HB 2078, which clarifies that certain aggregate mining reclamation notice requirements apply only to new reclamation plans and new aggregate operations, not existing mines. The sponsor said the bill fixes confusion from prior legislation, and the committee passed it 5-0. HB 2031, extending the deadline for applying for a certificate of grandfathered right in the Wilcox AMA from 15 to 27 months, also passed after some members argued the extension was needed for affected applicants while others said it would delay needed protections. HB 2102, allowing county improvement districts in certain basins to use eminent domain for a well and standpipe site and to operate domestic water delivery systems, and HB 2103, allowing gifts and fee revenues to support water hauling and local water improvement programs, both passed 4-3 despite opposition that they were only partial fixes. Later, HB 2117, which increases the annual distribution cap for conservation district education centers and shifts Environmental Special Plate Fund disbursements to the Natural Resource Conservation Board, passed 5-2 after supporters called it a technical cleanup and one member objected to changing the administering entity. HB 2261, revising agricultural property tax valuation terminology and requiring income-based valuation for agricultural real property, passed 4-3 after assessors and county representatives warned it would remove agricultural improvements from the tax rolls and shift costs to homeowners, while farm groups said it would clarify and stabilize agricultural taxation. Finally, HB 2262, transferring the Resource Analysis Division from the State Land Department to the Arizona Geological Survey and changing related geospatial advisory duties, was presented with State Land Department concerns that the bill left several duties and funding questions unclear; the transcript ends before any final action on HB 2262.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the programs. the programs.
• </c> dairy farms. dairy farms.
• ><c> farms,</c> neighborhood farms, neighborhood farms, rural<01:01:26.200><c> communities.
• </c> trying to focus on smaller farms. trying to focus on smaller farms.
• </c> to help out those small farms. to help out those small farms.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 980 ON HUNGER FREE CAMPUS PILOT PROGRAM BY SENATOR BERNARD.
• THE PROGRAM IS ESTABLISHED FOR A ONE YEAR PERIOD BEGINNING JULY 1, 2025.
• ON FARM LEGAL WORKER HOUSING.
• WITH THAT, I PRESENT THE FLORIDA FARM BILL. >> THANK YOU SENATOR TRUENOW.
• TRIP HUNTER, FARM BUREAU, WAIVING IN SUPPORT. TRIP HUNTER, FARM BUREAU, WAIVING IN SUPPORT.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have 29 grant programs.
• We also have sub-grant programs, all total sub-grant grant programs about 59.
• Some of those 15 grant programs have sub-programs.
• Many of our programs are decades old. Some are newer programs.
• Many of our programs are decades old. Some are newer programs.

Bills: HB2470 , HB2353 , HB2420 , HB2338

Committee: House Capital Budget

Keywords: HB2470, school construction assistance, capital budget, school facilities, on-base schools, military base schools, military installations, public school construction, school plant projects, state funding assistance, superintendent of public instruction, OSPI, school capital funding, instructional space, school district construction, alternative learning experience, ALE, free and reduced-price meals, special housing burden, district growth

Transcript Highlights:

• Specifically, we enforce farm to fork and vine to glass.
• in farming for one more year.
• But these programs, That these programs strengthen the agricultural workforce here, resulting in increased
• So most of the programs, probably 95% of the programs that we offer throughout the year, are during the
• So most of the programs, probably 95% of the programs that we offer throughout the year are during the

Summary: The Senate Select Committee on California’s Wine Industry held its first meeting at Napa Valley College, with opening remarks from Chair Senator Christopher Cabaldon and Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry emphasizing the industry’s importance to California’s economy and communities. The chair said the hearing was intended to gather information and ideas, not to vote on legislation, and to inform future policy, budget, and oversight work. The first panel focused on research and trends, with speakers from Sonoma State, UC Davis, and Terrain describing the industry as facing structural change rather than a temporary downturn. Panelists said California wine is confronting falling consumption, rising costs, labor shortages, housing pressures, tariffs, and competition from imports. Dr. Damien Wilson argued the industry has relied too heavily on premiumization and must focus on attracting new consumers, especially younger generations, through more accessible products, better marketing, and evidence-based decision-making. UC Davis’s Ben Mumpeteet said grapevine disease, extreme weather, and water shortages require long-term research investment and stronger university-industry-state partnerships. Chris Bitter, a wine economist, reported that California wine sales are down about 25% since 2019, that large amounts of grapes have gone unpicked, and that vineyard removals and falling vineyard values reflect a severe supply-demand imbalance; he urged regulatory review, trade competitiveness analysis, and transition support for growers. The committee then heard from industry representatives. Michael Miller of the California Association of Wine Grape Growers described a crisis in which growers can produce high-quality fruit but have no buyers, leading to abandoned or removed vineyards, lost farm revenue, and pressure to restore market balance. Honor Comfort of the Wine Institute presented the Share Wine Co-Lab, an open-access marketing platform designed to help wineries better reach younger consumers through data-driven, collaborative outreach. Jane Lisa Tamayo of Family Winemakers of California discussed the burden on smaller wineries and growers, including regulatory and market challenges. Members and witnesses also discussed changing consumer preferences, the need to adapt to younger drinkers, and concerns about tariffs and trade policy, with the chair warning that broad tariff calls had harmed export markets such as Canada. A final panel addressed tourism, farmworker impacts, and water regulation. Visit Napa Valley’s Lindsay Gallagher said tourism remains strong in Napa but is increasingly dependent on broader destination marketing beyond wine, while international visitation has declined. Sonia DeLuca of the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation said declining sales and rising costs reduce hours and income for farmworkers and urged targeted relief, wage-loss support, and continued bilingual training. State Water Board official Annalisa Kihar outlined the 2021 Winery General Order for winery process water, saying it was designed to streamline permitting, improve consistency, and reduce burdens on small wineries while protecting water quality; she reported 56 wineries enrolled and 122 under review, and said the board is working with industry partners on technical support and sustainability-based compliance pathways.

Transcript Highlights:

• Last session, the program was expanded to allow for Northwest Indian College to establish a program.
• Last session, the program was expanded to allow for Northwest Indian College to establish a program.
• Program.
• technology programs.
• This is exactly the type of program and chemical that Ecology's Safer Products program is meant to be

Summary: The committee first heard Substitute House Bill 1128, which would create a Child Care Workforce Standards Board within the Department of Labor and Industries to study child care workforce conditions and make recommendations on employment standards. Staff explained that the proposed second substitute narrows the board’s role from setting enforceable standards to making recommendations, with estimated ongoing costs for L&I staffing and smaller costs for board member stipends and possible DCYF support. Supporters, including child care providers, SEIU 925, and labor representatives, said the bill would help address understaffing, low wages, and retention problems; opponents, including child care industry groups and private schools, argued it duplicates existing work, adds bureaucracy, and creates unfunded costs. No vote was taken in the hearing. The committee then heard Second Substitute House Bill 1634, which would direct OSPI and ESDs to develop a technical assistance and training framework to help schools coordinate student behavioral health supports. Staff said the bill aligns with the Washington Thriving Strategic Plan and could largely be implemented with existing work and limited additional costs, though DOH would need some support. Testifiers from behavioral health and school counseling fields described severe youth mental health needs and urged passage, and OSPI said the work is doable with current resources. The committee also heard Substitute House Bill 2636, which would create a public education review advisory council to recommend K-12 policies and funding provisions for JLARC review; staff described JLARC, OSPI, and State Board costs, and no public testimony was offered. The committee next heard House Bill 1316, which would expand the Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness program so additional university campuses can access funding. The sponsor said the program has strong retention outcomes, and student advocates testified that campuses such as UW Bothell need access to already appropriated funds for emergency aid, food pantries, and case management. Staff then briefed Substitute House Bill 2474, which would allow the Student Achievement Council Tuition Recovery Trust Fund to be used for refunds tied to broader consumer protection violations, with no expected fiscal impact; there was no testimony. The committee also heard Substitute House Bill 2365 on digital equity, which would expand the Broadband Office’s role, revise the digital equity forum, and rename the grant program; supporters emphasized rural access, affordability, and the loss of federal digital equity funding, while staff estimated significant Commerce staffing costs and some additional agency impacts. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2401, creating a Washington State Boys and Men Commission contingent on non-state funding, with staff outlining OFM startup and fundraising costs and an estimated operating budget if fully funded. Supporters said boys and men face mental health, education, and mentorship gaps and that the commission would improve coordination; the bill drew testimony from rural school leaders, nonprofit advocates, and community members. The committee then heard Substitute House Bill 2475 on language access, which would require the Office of Equity to develop uniform language-access guidelines and a report on interpreter and translator shortages; staff said the office could absorb the work but other agency and local government impacts were uncertain. Substitute House Bill 2517, on permitting for high-capacity transit, would let regional transit authorities apply for permits earlier and streamline land-use processes; Sound Transit and the sponsor said it would speed delivery of major projects, while staff estimated Commerce technical-assistance costs and possible local government impacts. The last bill heard was Substitute House Bill 2145 on the 340B drug pricing program, which would bar manufacturers from restricting contract-pharmacy access and require reporting to DOH; supporters said it protects safety-net providers and patient services, while opponents warned of higher costs for employers, state health plans, and litigation burdens. No final committee action or votes were recorded in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Women are farmers, farm owners, ranchers, researchers, educators, processors, marketers.
• I'm very happy to celebrate the year of women in farming and agriculture.
• My family's farm, where we farm almonds and citrus, is called John Nevia Farms.
• that someday my children too can be involved in farming.
• So to the women in farming, thank you.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it basically just taking, for example, the Farm Bureau plan and expanding that?
• It's not replacing Farm Bureau insurance, not replacing the Farm Bureau insurance, but the same concept
• I think it's a little bit different than the Farm Bureau plan.
• I do want to start off with the question about the Farm Bureau. Thank you.
• This is a program that assists in providing a solution for our small businesses.

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Summary: The Committee on Health and Mental Health met with a quorum, first voting in executive session to do pass House Bill 1977 and House Bill 2146, both by unanimous 12-0 roll call votes. The committee then heard House Bills 1680, 1966, 2296, and 2642, a package sponsored by Representatives Stinnett, Haden, Sites, and Peters aimed at requiring health plans to cover non-opioid medications for acute pain without forcing patients to try opioids first or pay higher cost-sharing. Sponsors and supporters described the bills as a response to opioid addiction and argued they would preserve patient choice and improve access to safer pain management options. Several witnesses from healthcare, recovery, and advocacy groups testified in favor, including the Missouri State Medical Association, PreventEd, Reach Healthcare Foundation, and recovery organizations, with multiple members sharing personal stories about opioid dependence and overdose. Opponents from the Missouri Insurance Coalition and America’s Health Insurance Plans said they supported the goal but objected to the drafting, arguing the language was too narrow, appeared to center on one FDA-approved non-opioid drug for acute pain, and would limit insurers’ ability to use formularies, step therapy, and cost-sharing differences. Committee members pressed the insurance witnesses on whether insurers should override physician judgment, and sponsors said they were open to discussing broader language. No vote was taken on these bills during the hearing. The committee also heard House Bill 2596 from Representative McGaugh, which would update Missouri law governing multiple employer self-insured health plans (MEWAs) for small businesses. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and several chamber and business witnesses supported the bill, saying the plans help small employers pool risk, offer competitive health benefits, retain workers, and remain affordable; they said the bill would modernize eligibility rules for sole proprietors with employees and update surplus requirements to a more risk-based standard. Committee discussion focused on how the plans work, their solvency protections, and the difference between this arrangement and the Farm Bureau plan. No opposition was presented, and the hearing on HB 2596 concluded without a vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Farm Safety Net and Disaster Support, the Agricultural Risk Coverage Program, and the Price Loss
• Okay, so with the WIC and Senior Farmers Market Program, this is funded by the Food Farm Bill.
• In the past, both programs have been 100% federally funded through the Farm Bill.
• Just moving on to the WIC program. So is that funded through the Farm Bill, Madam Chair?
• The WIC and Senior Farmers Market programs are funded through the Farm Bill, but the WIC program is not

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• farms, but get farms, some are large farms, but get acquainted<03:16:45.760><c> before</c><03:16:46.000
• I grew up on a farm in uh my home farms.
• The family farm<03:17:27.200><c> is</c><03:17:27.520><c> going</c> farm is going farm is going away.<
• on your farm.
• on your farm.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to start by thanking the Farm Bureau and the Commodity Commissions, the Department of Agriculture
• The safety net program and investing in the proven charitable food system that already exist.
• We are concerned about the governor's cuts around small farm and marketing assistance funds.
• We are concerned about the governor's cuts around small farm and marketing assistance funding in our
• Then we have a farm-to-food-banks bill.

Summary: The meeting focused on Washington state food insecurity and a broad legislative response to strengthen food access. Food Lifeline’s CEO described rising hunger across western Washington, citing that about one in eight residents and one in six children are food insecure, with concerns that federal SNAP changes and higher costs could worsen the situation. He emphasized food access as a basic determinant of community health and economic stability, and called for coordinated action among nonprofits, farmers, retailers, and government. Representative Lisa Reeves said the state must lead in feeding Washingtonians amid federal cuts and a government shutdown, and outlined a larger House and Senate food security agenda. She highlighted several bills and policy areas, including a Washington-style farm bill (HB 2616), a ban on force-feeding birds (HB 1735), local food infrastructure grants, a statewide food security strategy (HB 2238), dynamic grocery pricing (HB 2481), farm-to-schools efforts, medically tailored meals (HB 2211), a farm-to-food-banks bill (HB 2463), food donation reporting, and a PFAS-related pesticide bill (HB 2279). She also noted concerns about cuts to small farm and marketing assistance funding and the potential loss of millions of meals from federal policy changes. Representative Darya Farivar and grocery worker Dan House focused on grocery access as infrastructure and supported HB 2313, which would let local governments step in when private grocery options disappear. Farivar also described her related package: HB 2294 to remove anti-competitive covenants blocking grocery reuse, HB 2297 to give local governments tools to support stores in underserved areas, and HB 2313 to allow municipal or partnered grocery operations as a backstop. House testified that store closures, including the Lake City Fred Meyer, harmed families, seniors, and workers, and said UFCW 3,000 supports HB 2313. No votes were taken; the session ended with an invitation for questions and a general call for continued collaboration and support for the proposed bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:25:45.520><c> of</c> Coalition, uh, which is a program of Coalition, uh, which is a program of
• Ultimately, program integrity efforts.
• </c> be developed in the farm kitchen. be developed in the farm kitchen.
• </c> homemade food products and farm homemade food products and farm kitchens.<01:44:06.639><c> In</c
• </c> Um secondly, I want to define farm Um secondly, I want to define farm kitchens<01:44:33.840><c>

Bills: SB2275 , SB2390 , SB2540 , SB3142 , SB2414 , SB2340 , SB2848

Committee: House Health

Summary: The House Committee on Health heard testimony on a series of bills related to public health, pharmacy regulation, disability access, and health care infrastructure. HB 1535, creating an income tax credit for automated external defibrillator installations, drew support from the Department of Health, tax department comments, and public testimony emphasizing AED access in community and transit settings. HB 1765, requiring safety warnings for spear fishing gear, received comments from DLNR and strong support from a free-diving safety advocate who described blackout risks and argued for point-of-sale warnings. HB 1549, which would repeal the law prohibiting drug paraphernalia, drew mixed testimony: the Department of Health, the Public Defender, and harm-reduction advocates supported repeal as a public health measure, while HPD and a county prosecutor opposed it, warning it could encourage drug use and create public safety issues. The committee also heard HB 1550, which would exclude drug testing products from the definition of drug paraphernalia. The Department of Health and harm-reduction advocates supported the bill, saying drug checking tools save lives and help prevent overdoses, while one written opponent was noted. HB 1995, allowing people who are blind or deaf to receive disabled parking permits, drew opposition from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Disability and Communication Access Board, and other opponents, while a few written supporters were also noted. HB 1671, allowing licensed dental hygienists to place interim therapeutic restorations in public health settings, received support from the Department of Health and several oral health organizations, with the Board of Dentistry offering comments. HB 1643, establishing a framework for pharmacy audits and record retrieval, prompted the most extended discussion. The Board of Pharmacy and independent pharmacy representatives supported the bill as a needed framework to limit burdensome audits and protect patient care, while HMSA raised concerns about possible conflicts with upcoming federal PBM reforms and potential unintended consequences. Committee members questioned both sides about timing and workload, and supporters argued the bill was needed now to protect rural and independent pharmacies. Finally, HB 1978, appropriating funds for a new outpatient care center in North Kona, received strong support from Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, Queen’s Health Systems, the Kona-Kohala Chamber, and others, who described it as a long-term investment in West Hawaii’s health care capacity and economy. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:21:54.320><c> representative</c> of the uh of the program representative of the uh of the program
• </c> that they've uh the the program that they've uh the the program originally<00:26:15.240><c> was<
• And so, you know, whether, obviously, whenever you start a state program or a government program... that
• </c> A state program or a government program, um, it's kind of a cat of nine lives, really.
• So it has nothing to do with farming, but it has everything to do with their cost to stay in farming,

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy