Transcript Highlights:

• Is that to only a judicial warrant.
• training like they all have here.
• I how should I how should I training,<01:18:39.199> educational<01:18:39.840> training<
• /c><01:18:40.239> like<01:18:40.480> we training, educational training like we training
• Are we be trainings on each campus?

Bills: HF3432, HF3411

Keywords: resident tuition, employment, higher education, Minnesota, tuition rates, state universities, immigration status, immigration, postsecondary education, privacy, data access, federal officers, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• personal training fund 540 to align with the comptroller's biannual revenue estimate.
• A 6% salary increase for all non-judicial staff positions was adopted at $3 million.
• Salary increase, 6% for non-judicial staff, adopted at 300,000.
• State commission on judicial conduct. Item one.
• Number four, firefighter training was adopted at $400,000.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, in December, uh, judicial branch.
• stability of our judicial branch. stability of our judicial branch.
• judicial branch that keeps them running. judicial branch that keeps them running.
• responsibility of managing the judicial responsibility of managing the judicial budget<00:32:41.279
• Do you think they're judicial system.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:00 Roll Call: 00:00:09 State of the Judiciary: 00:02:33 The Corrections - KCTCS Reentry Program: 00:49:44 Update on 2022 RS SB 90: 01:27:49, 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on the Judiciary met on November 6, 2025, approved the minutes, and welcomed guests including Kentucky Specialty Courts manager Elizabeth Nichols and Boyle/Mercer Family Court Judge Bruce Petri. The committee then heard the Chief Justice of Kentucky, Deborah Lambert, deliver her state of the judiciary address, focused largely on judicial branch funding, facilities, technology, and specialty court programs. Chief Justice Lambert said the branch is facing a projected $14.3 million shortfall for fiscal year 2026 and asked lawmakers for supplemental support, access to reserve funds, and higher base appropriations to cover inflation and nondiscretionary costs. She also requested a 15% across-the-board pay increase for judicial branch employees, citing salary gaps with other state workers and declining judicial compensation relative to national averages. She emphasized that the branch has received a clean FY 2025 audit and said the requests were intended to sustain current operations rather than expand them. A major portion of her remarks covered court technology and facilities. She described the move to Chamberlain during Capitol renovations, the purchase of that building as a cost-saving measure, and the need to fund courtroom audio/video systems and a new statewide case management system. She also discussed courthouse maintenance, flood damage, mold issues, security system upgrades, and the $47 million asset preservation fund created last session, while asking for additional local facilities funding and one-time disaster-related support. Lambert highlighted specialty court and statewide program results, including foster care review boards, family recovery courts, court designated worker programs, drug and mental health courts, and the Judicial Commission on Mental Health. She thanked legislators for prior bills and support, including House Bill 1, Senate Bill 26, and the CES law, and said 2026 recommendations will focus on civil commitment reforms under KRS 202C. During questions, Senator Wheeler asked whether some courthouses are being overbuilt; Lambert said most facilities are inadequate, though some may be larger than needed, and that future needs and population changes must be considered. She also noted that virtual hearings and technology have improved efficiency. No votes or formal committee actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd like to also jump on the praise train.
• I'm going to jump on the praise train as well.
• The bill requires training for petition circulators and provides for that training.
• You all talked about the online training.
• My question is, with this two-hour training, who is going to create this training, and will this training

Bills: HCR35, SJR59, SJR84, SCR30, SB127, SB317, SB324, SB457, SB506, SB511, SB529, SB547, SB584, SB619, SB636, SB646, SB659, SB715, SB732, SB735, SB771, SB784, SB800, SB801, SB904, SB1026, SB1049, SB1065, SB1181, SB1224, SB1250, SB1383, SB1467, SB1524, SB1528, SB1531, SB1568, SB1585, SB1640, SB1681, SB1754, SB1757, SB1777, SB1972, SB1980, SB2007, SB2041, SB2046, SB2050, SB2055, SB2069, SB2080, SB2119, SB2138, SB2139, SB2154, SB2201, SB2225, SB2268, SB2306, SB2308, SB2310, SB2330, SB2366, SB2375, SB2392, SB2401, SB2422, SB2480, SB2514, SB2530, SB2533, SB2543, SB2544, SB2589, SB2610, SB2615, SB2623, SB2660, SB2662, SB2693, SB2695, SB2707, SB2722, SB2742, SB2753, SB2807, SB2843, SB2844, SB2858, SB2880, SB2885, SB2891, SB2925, SB2938, SB2986, SJR3, SJR18, SB5, SB914, SB963, SB1197, SB1415, SB1437, SB1786, SB326, SB767, SB769, SB783, SB1035, SB1271, SB1619, SB1637, SB1806, SB1, SB260, HB135, HB 1109, HCR35, HCR64, SJR36, SJR50, SJR63, SJR84, SJR59, SCR12, SCR39, SCR48, SCR19, SCR30, SCR3, SB2023, SB619, SB2742, SB646, SB1026, SB2880, SB62, SB666, SB847, SB284, SB854, SB1073, SB810, SB1505, SB583, SB1502, SB507, SB1434, SB1376, SB1585, SB1772, SB2016, SB1163, SB1122, SB731, SB397, SB508, SB1436, SB287, SB261, SB1882, SB393, SB1791, SB529, SB209, SB2429, SB1999, SB511, SB2309, SB510, SB584, SB1085, SB2046, SB1975, SB2717, SB1262, SB1524, SB636, SB2056, SB884, SB517, SB1200, SB1845, SB1863, SB2681, SB2200, SB2199, SB1757, SB2050, SB2458, SB2201, SB2660, SB2662, SB1065, SB801, SB2533, SB3014, SB3013, SB758, SB1721, SB2366, SB1013, SB2797, SB2383, SB1754, SB2119, SB2448, SB1777, SB1283, SB2392, SB2076, SB2786, SB2876, SB2284, SB2225, SB1540, SB2929, SB1972, SB2540, SB2595, SB2217, SB715, SB2330, SB1383, SB500, SB1640, SB2001, SB2080, SB506, SB2514, SB2753, SB2398, SB1241, SB2927, SB2173, SB2538, SB898, SB1449, SB2529, SB1531, SB2846, SB2476, SB986, SB1181, SB2075, SB2154, SB2864, SB1359, SB2386, SB771, SB2844, SB2550, SB1351, SB1423, SB1931, SB2245, SB2589, SB2707, SB2807, SB410, SB659, SB2776, SB2693, SB2580, SB1980, SB1886, SB1234, SB739, SB456, SB127, SB1666, SB2843, SB2801, SB800, SB2055, SB784, SB2986, SB735, SB1012, SB324, SB2926, SB2938, SB2007, SB2138, SB1242, SB2615, SB1049, SB2310, SB1224, SB2972, SB1568, SB2841, SB2885, SB3016, SB2858, SB2610, SB2139, SB1856, SB2035, SB2308, SB2306, SB2041, SB1528, SB1681, SB1141, SB2401, SB2530, SB2375, SB547, SB1266, SB1373, SB1467, SB2069, SB2269, SB2480, SB2544, SB672, SB904, SB2695, SB2891, SB2422, SB2543, SB1854, SB317, SB2539, SB2532, SB2925, SB1250, SB2082, SB2203, SB457, SB2357, SB2721, SB243, SB1285, SB2568, SB1959, SB1442, SB1454, SB2520, SB2541, SB1708, SB1237, SB1844, SB1586, HB1392, HB22, SB1551, SB3039, SB2819, SB66, SB629, SB1015, SB2342, SB2903, SB2933, SB1965, SB2477, SB3029, SB2605, SB2419, SB1957, SB375, SB250, SB777, SB628, SB2523, SB2367, SB2703, SB2608, SB2778, SB3044, SB2965, SB2521, SB865, SB127, SB506, SB529, SB584, SB659, SB735, SB771, SB784, SB800, SB1049, SB1383, SB1531, SB1568, SB1681, SB1972, SB1980, SB2007, SB2041, SB2046, SB2050, SB2080, SB2225, SB2306, SB2308, SB2366, SB2392, SB2544, SB2610, SB2660, SB2662, SB2807, SB2843, SB2844, SB2885, SB2938, SB2986, SB324, SB1065, SB1754, SB2330, SB2693, SB2858, SR448, SR463, HCR35, SB324, SB619, SB646, SB1026, SB1065, SB1754, SB2330, SB2693, SB2742, SB2858, SB2880, SB3063, HJR5, HJR98, HB 109, HB 114, HB388, HB421, HB431, HB879, HB 1244, HB1399, HB1445, HB1672, HB1695, HB1734, HB1875, HB1893, HB1950, HB2152, HB2217, HB2558, HB2559, HB2775, HB2789, HB2809, HB2856, HB3012, HB3126, HB3135, HB3163, HB3229, HB3306, HB3513, HB3770, HB4134, HCR56, HCR102, SB3063, HJR5, HJR98, HB 109, HB 114, HB388, HB421, HB431, HB879, HB 1244, HB1399, HB1445, HB1672, HB1695, HB1734, HB1875, HB1893, HB1950, HB2152, HB2217, HB2558, HB2559, HB2775, HB2789, HB2809, HB2856, HB3012, HB3126, HB3135, HB3163, HB3229, HB3306, HB3513, HB3770, HB4134, HCR56, HCR102

Keywords: spaceports, tax-exempt bonds, aerospace investment, Texas space economy, Federal legislation, education funding, Texas State Technical College System, capital projects, infrastructure, higher education, tax exemption, property tax, homestead, fire damage, constitutional amendment, Birding Capital, Matagorda County, wildlife, conservation, Texas Legislature

Transcript Highlights:

• They take care of our warrants and quasi-judicial administration violation hearings.
• The judicial branch legislative budget request is approved by the Supreme Court.
• They can ensure that the case is ripe and ready for judicial effort in time.
• And finally, there is an issue for the Judicial Qualifications Commission.
• They are in the Judicial Branch Budget.

Summary: The committee met to hear fiscal year 2026-2027 legislative budget requests from several justice-related agencies. The Florida Commission on Offender Review requested funding for investigator and revocation staff salary increases to address turnover, plus nonrecurring funds for Wi-Fi, seven vehicles, technology support, and commissioner salary adjustments. The State Courts Administrator presented a broad judicial branch request focused on trial court case-management technology, additional case managers, trust fund authority for child support hearing officers, courthouse furnishings, district court flexibility in staffing, a future courthouse for the Sixth District Court of Appeal, Supreme Court elevator replacement, POM accounting implementation support, judicial security liaison positions tied to the Florida Fusion Center, expanded senior management service authority, and judicial salary adjustments. The Office of the Attorney General outlined pay and operating requests for consumer protection, citizen services, ethics, crime compensation, victim services, vehicle replacement, IT and cybersecurity, lease and operating costs, and PALM-related expenses, while several senators questioned the office about outside counsel contracts, contingency-fee arrangements, transparency, and the use of private law firms. The Department of Corrections made the largest presentation, describing severe staffing shortages, high turnover, rising inmate populations, increased assaults, and heavy overtime use. Secretary Ricky Dixon said the agency’s request was driven by constitutional and public safety needs and included funding for operations, security equipment, inflationary costs, vehicle replacement, offender information system modernization, technology restoration, inmate health services, drug and food cost increases, staffing pilots, maintenance, security infrastructure, Florida PALM, recruitment and retention, and $56 million for new correctional housing units. Members asked about inmate labor, prison safety, overtime, vehicle breakdowns, and whether more National Guard support was needed; Dixon said the agency needed more staffing and pay competitiveness rather than a long-term military presence. A correctional officers’ union representative also urged support for pay raises, citing low pay and staffing concerns. No votes were taken on the budget requests. The chair allowed extended questioning, especially for the Department of Corrections, but noted time constraints and asked agencies to return in a later committee meeting, including FDLE, which was deferred because of a House site visit.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:49.680> districts three members from judicial districts three members from judicial
• with UMD tribal training and certification partnership.
• She said the program will move forward with training once the preliminary foundational training is complete
• they have done the preliminary foundational training.
• the preliminary foundational training.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee approved the January 21 minutes and then reviewed committee rules, emphasizing deadlines for handouts, testimony notices, and substantive amendments, along with a warning that disruptive signs, noise, or demonstrations could lead to removal from the hearing room. The chair said the rules would be shared with the full House and noted the committee would operate with quorum and not tolerate chaos. The committee then heard a presentation from Tammy Baker Olson, the state program administrator for the Guardian ad Litem Board, on the program’s structure and budget request. She explained that guardians ad litem are independent voices for children’s best interests in child protection and family court cases, not attorneys or direct service providers. She said the program operates statewide, with 243 employees, and in 2024 advocated for more than 12,000 children, attended over 30,000 court proceedings, and filed reports in over 16,000 hearings. She also described specialized Family Court and Indian Child Welfare divisions, efforts to address racial disparities, and training requirements for guardians. Members asked about mileage and travel demands, the distinction between a child’s attorney and a guardian ad litem, caseloads, re-entry outcomes, the move from contractor/volunteer models to employee-based staffing, and the role of volunteers. Olson said most guardians use personal vehicles and mileage reimbursement, average caseloads are about 24, and the program has not seen a statewide increase in cases but does face staffing vacancies and turnover in some areas. She said the board believes the employee model improved advocacy and supervision, while the program is rebuilding a modest volunteer pool. She also said the program supports Indian Family Preservation Act-related work and has a formal process for handling conflicts of interest, which should be raised immediately to a supervisor rather than waiting for a complaint process.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have trained people now. We're full.
• We can't keep the people that we train. so we send them away.
• that you don't always get in out-of-state training, so we have started to develop very specific training
• We also ask in number 3 internal agency training.
• We have found that if we can tailor the training to our particular lawyer needs, that training is more

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh Board of Judicial identical.
• <00:09:37.279> property um sealing or of judicial property um sealing or of judicial property
• judicial judicial provisions.<00:42:43.280> Section<00:42:43.760> one<00:42:44.079>
• <00:47:11.760> or participate in vocational training or participate in vocational training
• On R5, Senate section 5 training.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• is at risk if not more than judicial is at risk if not more than judicial officials<01:08:28.159
• funding the fando castal training funding the fando castal training<01:37:41.440> fund<01:37:
• The Philando Castile Training Fund has been our sole source of training for several years.
• The training is important to keeping our police officers trained with these important skills, however
• which is use of force mandated training which is use of force training<01:39:29.040> in<01:39

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Outlined in the preamble of the judicial conduct, which judges are typically bound by the judicial conduct
• Judicial Conduct.
• The code of judicial conduct. Code of judicial conduct? Right, and that is already in statute.
• Judicial conduct there. Correct. I would just replace ethical standards with judicial conduct.
• Judicial conduct.

Bills: HB1455

Keywords: tribal consultation, Indian Affairs Commission, tribal governments, tribal sovereignty, state-tribal relations, Native American, tribal nations, consultation requirement, legislative process, jurisdiction, sovereignty, North Dakota tribes, government-to-government consultation, tribal chairpersons, 908, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee first heard House Bill 1455, which would require the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission to review introduced legislation for tribal implications and conduct consultation with affected tribes. Rep. Collette Brown said the bill was intended to formalize and strengthen tribal consultation, and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe representative Ross Bell testified in support. Brad Hawk, executive director of the Indian Affairs Commission, testified neutrally, saying the office already does much of this work but that the bill would add structure; several senators raised concerns about duplication, possible future staffing costs, and whether the bill was necessary. The committee amended the bill to replace “each measure” with “all legislation,” then passed a do-not-pass recommendation on HB 1455 by recorded vote, with Sen. Luick designated as carrier. The committee then took up House Bill 1032, dealing with municipal courts, appeals, and judge qualifications. Legislative Council and court staff walked through proposed amendments, including making municipal courts courts of record on a delayed effective date, clarifying appeal procedures, and adding standards for municipal judges. Members discussed whether to use the term “ethical standards” or “judicial conduct”; after questions about definitions and enforcement, the committee settled on replacing the language with “judicial conduct” in the amended bill. The committee adopted the amendments and then passed HB 1032 as amended on a do-pass vote, with Sen. Cory to carry. Later, the committee heard House Bill 1263, which would make it easier for people with criminal records to seek sealing after a denial by allowing an appeal and reducing the waiting period for a new petition from three years to one year. Rep. Nels Christensen, Christopher Davis, Travis Fink, and Brad Peterson all supported the bill’s goal of giving people a better path to rehabilitation and employment. The main point of disagreement was whether to keep the statutory presumption that the benefit to the petitioner must outweigh the presumption of openness of criminal records; several witnesses urged removing that language, while others said it was part of the compromise that created the current law. The committee closed the hearing without taking final action and said it would review the House discussion before deciding later.

Transcript Highlights:

• A judicial officer, the Commonwealth, is making that determination.
• But we will continue to build out a training framework.
• These are where riders go to train.
• I'm a physician, a public health-trained addictionologist as well.
• I trained at Boston City Hospital 30-something years ago.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on several public safety bills, with testimony first on S.2681, Colby’s Law, which would establish safety standards for BMX and motocross tracks. Supporters, including the family of a child killed at a track, argued the bill is needed because some tracks lack basic protections such as barriers, emergency plans, on-site medical staff, and adequate track maintenance. A motocross track representative opposed the bill as overregulation that could impose major costs and argued existing safety efforts and voluntary safety committees are preferable. No vote was taken during the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on S.2680, which would expand emergency preparedness requirements around aging nuclear power plants and nuclear waste sites from a 10-mile to a 50-mile radius. Supporters from Cape Cod Downwinders, Massachusetts Peace Action, physicians, and other advocates said current law is outdated and insufficient, citing risks from radioactive waste storage, limited federal oversight, and the need for broader evacuation and emergency planning. Testifiers urged the bill’s passage, and no action was taken. A major portion of the hearing focused on the Protect Act, H.5158, dealing with limits on cooperation between state/local agencies and federal civil immigration enforcement. Sheriffs testified about how ICE detainers and notification requests work in practice, emphasizing discretion, public safety, and the difference between sentenced prisoners and pretrial detainees. Supporters from labor, education, and health care groups said immigrant communities are living in fear and asked for stronger protections, including bans on 287(g) agreements and clearer limits on ICE activity in schools, hospitals, and other sensitive locations. The hearing also included testimony on H.4697 regarding training and certification of constables and civil deputy sheriffs, with the Hampshire County sheriff saying sheriffs are already working with POST and MPTC on training standards and that the bill may be duplicative.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and has been mentioned previously, our judicial center currently conducts screenings.
• judicial and veteran service<00:22:22.799> buildings.
• equipment and personnel and training. equipment and personnel and training.
• <00:24:10.240> and complex that we provide the training and complex that we provide the training
• <00:36:37.760> branch, to the legislature, the judicial branch, to the legislature, the judicial

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee reconvened in open session after a closed discussion of sensitive security details and reviewed the public executive summary of the Minnesota State Capitol Complex Security Assessment by Axtel. Members discussed weapon screening and access control at length, including testimony from Capitol security and judicial center staff about screening procedures, prohibited items, and how screening is managed for visitors and authorized personnel. The chair emphasized that the committee was voting on high-level recommendations to be included in the final ACAST report and that the Department of Public Safety and Department of Administration would be encouraged to pursue the necessary work, including any legislative or budget requests. The committee then took a series of roll-call votes on the Axtel recommendations. Access control screening and visitor management (5.11) passed 4-2, while authorized access control and credential oversight (5.12), internal circulation and zoning controls (5.13), perimeter and exterior grounds (5.14), staffing models/post orders/operational readiness (5.15), technology and system integration (5.16), and protective intelligence (5.18) all passed unanimously 6-0. Each approved item was added as a recommendation in the final report. After the votes, the Department of Administration, Department of Public Safety, and House and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms offices walked through the draft final report. They highlighted staffing improvements, security infrastructure already installed, and remaining needs, including an estimated $41.008 million request for future enhancements such as kiosks, glass-resistant film, door access controls, cameras, lighting, bollards, and an updated distributed antenna system. The report also includes recommendations on trauma-informed safety drills, conduct rules for hearings, and designating the Minnesota State Patrol Capital Security Division as the primary investigative authority for potential criminal activity on Capitol grounds.

Bills: SB683, SB1579, SB1389, SB1387, SB1390, SB1391, SB2063, SB1829, SB2060, SB1842, SB1398, SB1212, SB2158, SB102, SB1772, SB1958, SB2010, SB1595, SB1687, SB1684, SB2049, SB1966, SB1989, SB1191, SB1258, SB1920, SB1936, SB2143, SB2122, SB330, SB2071, SB2169, SB2069, SB2095, SB2157, SB1806, SB1430, SB206, SB1547, SB1849, SB1428, SB1653, SB1984, SB1644, SB1561, SB1813, SB1570, SB1796

Keywords: education, tax credit, student support, private school, Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit, financial assistance, homeschooling, qualified expenses, property tax, valuation increase, taxpayer rights, homestead, protest process, school choice, tuition assistance, income limits, parental choice, accreditation, sales tax, motor vehicles

Transcript Highlights:

• with the job training fund.
• called the Judicial Council, we are not in fact part of the judicial branch.
• <01:58:51.760> Council to the judicial Council to the judicial Council um<01:58:53.840>
• needed both additional judicial needed both additional judicial resources<02:11:25.119> and
• "No, they're all cross-trained. Everybody's cross-trained and so intended to be.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony from Insurance Commissioner DJ Bettencourt on the New Hampshire Insurance Department budget. He said the department is self-funded through assessments on insurers based on New Hampshire premium volume, with about $8 billion in premiums written in the state and a department budget of roughly $15.5 million. He explained that the department has 88 authorized positions, eight vacancies, and that three full-time positions were unfunded after the governor’s requested 4% reduction exercise. He also said the department is trying to balance staffing needs with not overburdening carriers during a hard insurance market. A major topic was the department’s $2.6 million rebate to industry from the prior fiscal year, which Bettencourt described as a credit against the next assessment rather than a direct cash payment. Members questioned why that credit was not reflected as a reduction in the upcoming budget, and Bettencourt and staff explained that the budget assumes full staffing and full spending, with any year-end surplus returned to insurers. The commissioner said the department had added staff in recent years for succession planning and to preserve institutional expertise, and that the rebate reflects careful budgeting rather than excess spending. Members also asked about staffing changes by division, including positions unfunded in fraud, property and casualty examinations, life and health examinations, and tax. Bettencourt said fraud investigations remain strong and that the department can use outside contractors for examinations, with those costs billed to the company being examined. He also described the department’s examination process, including periodic financial exams and targeted market conduct reviews triggered by consumer complaints or trends. Additional questions covered OIT transfers, the department’s oversight of fully insured health coverage, the insurance premium tax and fines going to the general fund, and the department’s limited role in auto repair reimbursement disputes, where he said complaints have recently declined.

Transcript Highlights:

• The mediation training is uneven.
• Um the mediation training<00:11:19.279> is<00:11:19.600> uneven.
• Um we have some training is uneven.
• We have an issue with staffing in a lot of areas, but judicial staffing.
• I want to help. legal training that can rule whether legal training that can rule whether something<00

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met without a quorum and discussed how to proceed with its family court review work. The chair said preliminary, unofficial reports could be circulated and voted on by email, and noted that next year the work might continue as a full committee rather than a subcommittee. Members also discussed carrying unresolved issues into next year, including the long-standing “one judge, one case” concept. Later, the committee received additional materials from a member who could not attend, including a packet on state-funded transcript requests and background information on how different states structure family court systems. A major presentation focused on improving New Hampshire family court pre-trial and mediation practices. The presenters said current rules give judges broad discretion, which can lead to inconsistent discovery, evidence, and timelines, especially for self-represented parties. They raised concerns about uneven mediator training and oversight, lack of uniform domestic violence screening, and unclear information for families about their rights and how to exit mediation. They recommended standardized pre-trial case management orders, clearer plain-language deadlines, mandatory domestic violence screening, stronger mediator certification and continuing education, a mentorship program, an independent oversight board, and a pilot program in a few counties before any statewide rollout. Members and presenters also discussed existing court forms and practices, including mediation agreements, mediator preparation forms, first appearances, and the use of Zoom for mediation. One participant argued that mediation can work better when parties are better prepared and when cases are not sent too early, and suggested that neutral case evaluation is another useful alternative dispute resolution tool. The discussion also touched on the need for better educational materials for pro se litigants, with one member describing efforts to create a more accessible guide for people going to court. No votes were taken, and the session ended with plans to continue reviewing materials and refine recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:26:33.840> vacancies position, but for judicial vacancies position, but for judicial vacancies
• across all of our judicial circuits. across all of our judicial circuits. >> Yeah.
• At those trainings, judges talk among themselves.
• You have judicial selection committee.
• <00:36:55.440> improvements policy and training improvements policy and training improvements

Bills: SB2055, SB2152

Keywords: civil rights, helpline, investigator, data analysis, Aloha United Way, reporting, confidentiality, community support, mandatory retirement, Hawaii Constitution, judiciary, justices, judges, 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard SB 2055, which would create a Civil Rights Commission helpline for reports of harms from federal deployments in Hawaii and require annual reporting and a public hearing. The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission supported the concept but said the bill should be broadened to cover civil rights and human rights violations more generally, and recommended using existing 211/Aloha United Way infrastructure. Testimony was largely in support, with a few opponents. Members focused on whether the proposed line was really a 24-hour legal hotline or a reporting/referral mechanism, what jurisdiction the commission would have over federal employees, and the estimated costs. The committee chair indicated the bill would move forward with amendments, including adopting HCRC recommendations and adding appropriations for Aloha United Way, database/website development, and staffing. The committee then heard SB 2152, a proposed constitutional amendment to raise the mandatory retirement age for state judges and justices from 70 to 75. Judge Robert D.S. Kim, the Office of the Public Defender, Earthjustice, Community Alliance on Prisons, the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, United Public Workers, the League of Women Voters, ILWU Local 142, CARES, and others testified in support, arguing that experienced judges improve stability, reduce vacancies, and preserve institutional knowledge. Opponents or skeptical comments were limited, but one member questioned whether the measure was just a temporary fix rather than a broader solution to judicial succession and mentoring. Members also asked about existing retention and fitness safeguards, including Judicial Selection Commission retention hearings and the Commission on Judicial Conduct’s ability to investigate complaints about a judge’s physical or mental ability to serve. The discussion noted that the measure would still leave those processes in place. No final vote on SB 2152 was taken in the portion provided, but the committee appeared to be moving toward decision-making after questions concluded.

Bills: HR46, HR47, HR48, HR49, HR50, HR51, HR52, HR53, HR54, HR55, HR56, HR57, HCR31, HB20, HB21, HB166, HB494, HB710, HB795, HB985, HB986, HB987, HB988, HB989, HB990, HB991, HB992, HB993, HB994, HB995, HB996, HB997, HB998, HR42, HR43, HR44, HR45, HCR22, HCR23, HCR24, HCR25, HCR26, HCR27, HCR28, HCR29, HCR30, SCR13, HB894, HB983, HB984, SB19, SB23, SB26, SB30, SB39, SB45, SB46, SB50, SB51, SB55, SB69, SB71, SB73, SB84, SB85, SB89, SB96, SB98, SB101, SB110, SB148, SB150, SB160, SB164, SB303, SB340, HB28, HB36, HB50, HB52, HB56, HB62, HB68, HB92, HB110, HB117, HB119, HB124, HB140, HB147, HB160, HB171, HB174, HB182, HB193, HB196, HB198, HB203, HB228, HB234, HB237, HB260, HB268, HB271, HB285, HB289, HB316, HB351, HB393, HB400, HB413, HB446, HB469, HB486, HB534, HB551, HB552, HB574, HB576, HB634, HB649, HB677, HB735, HB739, HB779, HB784, HB796, HB807, HB842, HB850, HB919, HB474, HB487, HB503, HB606, HB633, HB707, HB720, HB728, HB733, HB846, HB852, HB856, HB868, HB875, HB129, HB130, HB287, HB489, HB545, HB553, HB555, HB570, HB854, HB952, HB221, HB148, HB331, HB149, HB901

Keywords: HR 46, House Resolution 46, water well drillers, water wells, well drilling, driller licensure, licensing requirements, Department of Conservation and Energy, R.S. 38:3098.1, LAC 46.LXXXIX.507, professional references, two years drilling experience, workforce development, barriers to entry, water infrastructure, natural resources, groundwater, public health, state water resources, occupational licensing

Transcript Highlights:

• In Gormley of judicial discipline.
• <00:43:25.119> Commission, versus the Judicial Conduct Commission, versus the Judicial Conduct
• a judicial ambush. a judicial ambush.
• /c><00:50:00.800> judicial judicial animus, excuse me, judicial judicial animus, excuse me, judicial
• They called it judicial ambush.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A landlord-tenant case takes less judicial time, less judicial involvement, than a capital felony.
• And with that kind of... ...the amount of judicial time that was spent on that.
• touches, more judicial time than previously.
• There's 20 judicial circuits.
• And this particular Chief Justice has also prioritized enhancing judicial practices.

Summary: The committee first heard an update from the Florida Department of Corrections on the proposed Lake Correctional Institution mental health project in Clermont. Tim Fitzgerald explained the project’s history, including the 2016 Disability Rights Florida litigation, the 2018 consent decree, and the original plan for a 550-bed inpatient mental health facility. He said inflation and design changes pushed the project above the bond amount, leading the department to shift to a “continuum of care” alternative with 572 beds total: 92 inpatient beds and 480 residential treatment beds in three special housing units. Fitzgerald said the project is currently paused pending House concurrence, while the Senate has already agreed to the alternate plan, and noted the bond balance, prior expenditures, and the need to spend down the tax-exempt bond by August 2026. Members questioned how the new plan differs from the original facility, whether it satisfies the consent decree, and what caused the cost increases. Fitzgerald said the department believes it has already met the consent decree through systemwide improvements to housing, staffing, programming, and out-of-cell time, though he said he would confirm the court documentation. He also said the original scope grew from 275,000 to 350,000 square feet as treatment, nursing, security, and programming needs were refined, and that inflation, fees, permitting, and contingencies contributed to the higher cost. Several members asked for follow-up information on Senate approval, consent decree documentation, and the project’s impact on crisis-stabilization capacity. The committee then received a joint court-system presentation from State Courts Administrator Eric McClure and Clerks Corporation Executive Director Jason Welty on caseload trends, case tracking, and staffing. McClure described statewide filing trends, the use of weighted caseload studies to certify judicial need, and recent Supreme Court rule changes aimed at active civil case management, including differentiated case tracks, stricter deadlines, and proportional discovery. He said the latest workload study led the Supreme Court to certify a need for 23 circuit judges and 25 county judges. Welty reviewed clerk workload trends, the statewide case maintenance and CCIS systems, and declining clerk FTE despite rising case volumes, and said clerks are seeking additional funding for injunctions, Baker Act/Marchman Act/sexually violent predator work, and juror management. In questions, members pressed both presenters on data quality, case-weight calculations, filing fees, and whether current resources are enough to reduce delays. McClure clarified that the workload weights are based on judge time studies and that a capital murder case averaged 3,177 minutes, while other examples such as auto negligence and dissolution cases were much lower. Welty said the Legislature could help by increasing funding or potentially revisiting filing fees, and noted that many clerk services are unfunded or underfunded, especially indigent and protective filings. The chair and members also raised concerns about backlog, inconsistent case reporting across circuits, and enforcement of judicial time standards; McClure said there is no direct sanction in the rules, and compliance is largely managed through chief judges and the Supreme Court. The meeting ended with no votes taken and adjournment by motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• I like it better in the judicial I like it better in the judicial protection<00:08:42.400> and
• way the judicial way the judicial protection<00:08:54.520> works.
• family members in the judicial family members in the judicial protection<00:08:59.080> law
• being put on through judicial fiat. being put on through judicial fiat.
• Criminal Justice Training. Criminal Justice Training.

Keywords: 958, all