Transcript Highlights:

• are, these are projects that are not one-and-done projects.
• And if we're going to use one-time funding to do a project, then we won't have the funds when the project
• are, these are projects that, they're not one and done projects. these projects are, these are projects
• That is a very important point about the maintenance after the projects are completed.
• But when you group those projects, it allows you to measure how they... ...projects.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The joint Senate hearing of the Natural Resources and Water Committee and the Emergency Management Committee focused on wildfire resilience, with members discussing the SB 254 report on enhancing California’s response to natural catastrophes. Opening remarks emphasized the scale of wildfire damage, the need for prevention and preparedness, and concerns about the affordability and insurability crisis. Senators repeatedly contrasted the relatively small share of funding going to community hardening with the much larger amounts spent on utility wildfire mitigation and landscape-scale projects, and several members raised concerns about CEQA delays, one-time funding, and the need for more sustainable, ongoing financing. The Legislative Analyst’s Office presented an overview showing about $4.7 billion in state wildfire resilience appropriations from 2018-19 through 2025-26, with funding shifting from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the General Fund and then to Proposition 4. LAO noted that only about $65 million had been specifically targeted to community hardening, while most funding went to forest health, fuels, research, and related programs. LAO also said one-time funding will decline in coming years and that future GGRF support is uncertain, though General Fund use is not legally precluded. Members asked about maintenance costs, polluter-pays ideas, and whether performance metrics should focus more on property and community risk reduction than acres treated. Cal Fire’s State Fire Marshal described the state’s community wildfire preparedness strategy, centered on home hardening, defensible space, and neighborhood-scale mitigation. He said roughly 4 million homes are in the wildland-urban interface, most built before modern fire-resistant standards, and argued that the state must move from response to prevention. He said Cal Fire is incorporating the SB 254 recommendations into its updated action plan, has streamlined some fuel-reduction projects under a recent executive proclamation, and is shifting some grant funding toward maintenance of existing treatments. Cal OES described the AB 38 pilot and FEMA hazard mitigation work, saying the pilot helped build tools and standards for home hardening but that federal approval delays remain a major barrier; the agency reported 155 hardened properties, 19 under construction, and 370 assessed and waiting. The Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force said it has coordinated more than $6 billion in state and federal investments, is moving toward regional block grants and better data-driven prioritization, and is developing separate community and landscape strategies. The hearing ended with discussion of modeling, data gaps, utility coordination, contractor capacity, and possible legislative or budget changes to better align funding and metrics with community safety outcomes.

Transcript Highlights:

• $36 million uh then we tried to project $36 million uh then we tried to project out<00:20:08.480
• <00:27:32.600> projects<00:27:33.480> based<00:27:33.960> on are projecting
• projects based on are projecting projects based on potential<00:27:35.679> Revenue<00:27:36.279
• Hawaiian homelands and our projected Hawaiian homelands and our projected annual<00:29:39.120>
• <00:48:55.720> timelines anticipated projection timelines anticipated projection timelines

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint hearing focused primarily on Senate Bill 1409, which would cap county user fees charged to Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries. Department of Hawaiian Home Lands supported the measure, arguing it would reduce monthly housing-related costs for lower-income beneficiaries and help make homesteading more affordable. Several testifiers, including the Tax Foundation of Hawaii and some individuals, also submitted comments or support. County and city water and sewer agencies, including the County of Kauai Department of Water, the City and County of Honolulu Department of Facility Maintenance, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, and the City and County Department of Environmental Services, strongly opposed the bill, saying it would shift substantial costs to other ratepayers, create lost revenue, and could force fee increases for everyone else. They also raised concerns about the bill’s cap structure and potential misuse, while noting their systems are funded by user fees rather than taxes. During committee discussion, Honolulu Board of Water Supply officials estimated about 4,500 DHHL customers on Oʻahu and projected lost revenue of roughly $30 million to $36 million over five years, with larger cumulative impacts over time; they said any waiver would be absorbed by other customers. The County of Hawaiʻi representative estimated nearly 2,000 DHHL customers on the Big Island and about $2.4 million in annual lost revenue. DHHL responded that it is pursuing revenue-generating projects on unused lands, but members questioned whether the department should do more to generate its own revenue and suggested looking at other affordability mechanisms, including market rent on commercial properties or a similar cap on other beneficiary fees. After hearing the testimony and discussion, the committee chair announced the recommendation to defer SB 1409 indefinitely, and the Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs agreed with that decision. The hearing then moved to Senate Bill 1408, a housekeeping measure. DHHL testified in support, saying the bill was part of an effort to lower housing costs through a modular manufacturing approach. DHHL described plans to use an unused hangar at Kalaeloa for a potential modular housing manufacturing plant, including discussions with the University of Hawaiʻi and a Denver-based company, and said it was also exploring a pilot project with Habitat for Humanity on Maui. No vote or final action on SB 1408 was taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• a specific eligible project.
• build bridge projects in the pipeline. build bridge projects in the pipeline.
• Projects that keep our towns projects.
• allocated and used for these projects. allocated and used for these projects.
• A significant portion of the projects proposed for capital investment in 2025 are deferred maintenance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Vehicle registration tax is $2.4 billion for the next biennium, projected.
• 2.4 billion for the next bium projected 2.4 billion for the next bium projected 100%<00:22:43.640
• <00:32:46.320> the Bike and ped, sort of projects.
• This money would really focus more on maintenance than actual capital projects.
• Maintenance, than actual capital projects, as a whole.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is project agnostic.
• <02:18:01.280> this<02:18:01.519> is<02:18:01.679> project project this is project
• Um, overall, not being project specific but applicable, project agnostic. Okay.
• projects.
• Those are the only projects projects.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Department of Transportation for roadside treatment and infrastructure projects.
• This is the second stop order on this project.
• No new positions are needed to complete the project.
• other fund savings from the Police and Fire Project.
• fund savings from the Police and Fire Project.

Summary: The Emergency Board approved a series of consent federal grant applications from the Natural Resources and Public Safety subcommittees, along with several budget and position requests. The board approved grant applications for parks, transportation, judicial, emergency management, higher education, school nutrition, and other programs, including retroactive approvals where deadlines had passed. One member objected to the Natural Resources consent grants over concerns about future funding needs, but the motion still passed. The board also approved a one-time increase for Judicial Department court security, including digital privacy protections, circuit court security, and a statewide facilities assessment. A major discussion centered on Southern Oregon University’s financial stability. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission reported on SOU’s structural deficits, declining enrollment, and projected cash shortfall. The subcommittee recommended, and the board approved, allocating $7.5 million from the special appropriation for short-term stability, with a required update at the September 2026 Emergency Board meeting and a future request for the remaining funds. Members debated the broader crisis in higher education, with several saying SOU’s situation reflects systemwide enrollment and funding pressures and that long-term restructuring will be needed. The board also approved an AmeriCorps volunteer generation grant, an apprenticeship expansion grant, and a Department of Education nutrition equipment grant. In public safety, it approved funding for Oregon Military Department readiness facilities, a statewide evacuation planning tool, and a juvenile justice information system modernization report, while requiring a follow-up viability report. The Department of Justice received approval for additional antitrust positions and expenditure limitation, though several members raised concerns about the funding structure and incentives tied to settlement revenues; the motion passed despite objections. In natural resources, the board approved funding for the Water Resources Department’s well abandonment, repair and replacement grants, an assistant water master position in Washington County, groundwater data collection in the Lower Umatilla Basin, a wetlands remote sensing pilot, and parks-related grant applications for operations, maintenance, and capital improvements. Members generally supported the requests but raised concerns about geographic equity, long-term sustainability, and whether some county responsibilities were being shifted to the state. The meeting also included discussion of a Department of Emergency Management evacuation tool as an urgent wildfire preparedness measure, with members emphasizing its potential to save lives.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't know if I'm just projecting or not, but I'm having... Am I projecting?
• When you think about maintenance, we're talking about for major rehabilitation maintenance about $500,000
• That would be $70 million of maintenance capacity.
• It's a big project we've talked a lot about.
• It deals with maintenance costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• of those, but up with the maintenance of those, but honestly,<00:29:38.799> I<00:29:39.039>
• Ongoing maintenance and support of these things is just required to get you there.
• 34:08.800> of<00:34:09.040> these ongoing maintenance and support of these ongoing maintenance
• We're pursuing a project out in West Kentucky that we're very excited about.
• The project met budget.

Keywords: Call to Order 00:17 Department of Corrections 01:35 Community Transitional Services 06:47 Administrative Office of the Courts 23:06 Department of Criminal Justice Training/ KSP 45:49 Adjournment 59:14, 958, all

Summary: The Public Safety and Judiciary Committee met without a quorum, so approval of the January 3, January 20, and February 3 minutes was postponed. The committee then heard an update from the Department of Corrections on halfway house and Recovery Kentucky funding and operations. Deputy Commissioner Hillary Daily said DOC contracts for up to 1,752 halfway house beds and 780 Recovery Kentucky beds, with 16 halfway houses and 13 Recovery Kentucky centers statewide. She reported 6,329 admissions in fiscal year 2025, average daily populations of 1,041 in halfway houses and 494 in Recovery Kentucky, and explained that Recovery Kentucky placements are more restrictive, generally excluding violent and sex offenders, while halfway houses serve probationers, parolees, and sex offenders who need treatment. She also described programming such as MRT, parenting, adult basic education, and trauma-focused services, and said some facilities offer supervised visitation. Daily said no new funding request was included in the current budget, though DOC has sought rate increases in prior cycles. Community Transitional Services director Barbara Stum also testified in support of halfway houses as re-entry and substance abuse treatment centers. She said CTS primarily serves men coming out of prison or returning to prison who need treatment, and that halfway houses provide security, accountability, treatment, employment support, and help with home placement. Stum said the state moved substance abuse treatment into the community in 2010 to avoid sending people back to prison for treatment, and argued halfway houses are the least expensive form of incarceration. She cited daily rates of $33.61 for CTS beds and DOC figures of $37.33 to $44.33 per day, compared with higher prison and jail costs, and said reimbursement has not kept pace with inflation since the last increase in 2019. She said staffing and supplies are the main pressure points, with counselor pay below market rates, and noted two counselor vacancies. A former resident, Michael Bird, testified that CTS helped him recover and re-enter the community successfully. The committee also received an update from the Administrative Office of the Courts on implementation of the video arraignment/video conferencing system. AOC officials Zach Ramsey and Charles Buyers said the system is now fully implemented in all courtrooms and is used for video arraignments and other Zoom-based court proceedings. Buyers described the pandemic-era transition from older, inconsistent equipment to improvised laptop/webcam setups, then to a more integrated vendor-supported system with touchscreen controls and a judicial support specialist position for training and operation. He said 324 courtrooms are already up to the current standard, with 128 remaining on an older bundle, and that there are no technical barriers to continued use. AOC said it is seeking $3.8 million in recurring annual funding to keep the systems upgraded and current, and plans to upgrade 46 systems in fiscal year 2026 across 15 counties.

Transcript Highlights:

• Postal Service change of address data to ensure residency confirmation and the vote file maintenance.
• Testifying in support of this bill is representative of the elections integrity project that I appreciate
• My name is Colleen Britton I'm with the election integrity project California.
• Secretary of State, the LAROV, for violation of federal voter roll maintenance laws resulting in the
• But voter list maintenance can be challenging.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:13:08.400> Adam Minnesota as certified by project Adam Minnesota as certified by project
• <01:14:34.320> Adam confidence in our staff per project Adam confidence in our staff per project
• <01:20:45.199> opportunities opt in for maintenance opportunities opt in for maintenance opportunities
• But Project ADAM has done a lot to work with schools.
• <01:31:55.080> Adam students and that was with project Adam students and that was with project

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• fire, aquatic plant management, and sediment removal projects.
• So a very exciting project. A very exciting project that the board just approved.
• But, again, it's balancing the authorized project purposes for this project.
• District, which would make it not an overall successful project without addressing the maintenance concerns
• This is a tremendous project.

Summary: The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources met to hear presentations on Lake Okeechobee from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the South Florida Water Management District, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. FWC described the lake as a major recreation, water supply, and habitat resource, and outlined its habitat management plan, including control of invasive plants, prescribed fire, and restoration of native vegetation. The agency said low water levels have helped submerged aquatic vegetation recover, with gains in 2025 exceeding 24,000 acres and meeting its target, while torpedo grass and floating invasive plants remain active management priorities. Senators asked about bass fishing trends and blue-green algae; FWC said water levels are the main driver of fishery health and that it was not seeing current water-quality impacts on bass, though algal blooms can affect habitat and wildlife. The South Florida Water Management District focused on nutrient pollution, lake ecology, and restoration projects across the watershed. Director Drew Bartlett said the district’s work is aimed at reducing harmful discharges, improving water quality, and moving more water south to the Everglades through storage and treatment projects, including the EAA Reservoir, C-43 and C-44 reservoirs, aquifer storage and recovery, and wetland treatment areas. He said the state and federal governments have invested about $9 billion in restoration, roughly split 50-50, and that the EAA Reservoir is now targeted for completion in 2029. He also said Lake Okeechobee BMAP participation is around 92% and that recent data show phosphorus and nitrogen loading declines, though the lake remains impaired and eutrophic. An industry witness from Associated Industries of Florida said the BMAP and agricultural best management practices are producing measurable improvements and urged continued funding for water storage and treatment. The Army Corps of Engineers then explained LOSOM and Lake Recovery operations, saying the new operating approach balances flood control, water supply, navigation, ecology, and estuary protection. Colonel Brandon Bowman said Lake Recovery was implemented in late 2024 to bring the lake below 12 feet long enough to help submerged vegetation rebound, and reported that the lake met both recovery metrics, with water levels low enough to support a major increase in SAV from about 4,000 acres to 28,000 acres in 2025. He also noted benefits such as improved water clarity and more Okeechobee gourd plants, but acknowledged drawbacks including reduced navigation and some impacts to wading birds and snail kites. Senators pressed the Corps on the C-44 reservoir’s sloughing issue; Bowman said repairs are underway, the problem is geological rather than a safety failure, and the Corps expects to award a contract by 2027 and complete work by 2030. The committee did not take any substantive vote on the presentations and adjourned after Senator Smith moved to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Joint Resolution 75, a joint resolution relating to road projects.
• House Joint Resolution 76, a joint resolution relating to road projects.
• ,<00:53:59.920> support, the operations, maintenance, support, the operations, maintenance
• resolution relating to road projects. resolution relating to road projects.
• resolution relating to road projects. resolution relating to road projects.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She said that is a good project and that they have done a number of projects there specifically with
• This project represents a significant financial burden, with ongoing maintenance and liability concerns
• This project represents a significant financial burden, with ongoing maintenance and liability concerns
• modifies projects.
• So I know what the project is.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land met on March 13, 2025, and first announced that SB 1456 would be deferred to the end of the agenda and ultimately worked on later, with the chair indicating the bill would be deferred and revisited in a future measure. The committee then heard SB 841 on marine life conservation districts. DLNR supported the bill, saying it would fund carrying capacity studies to inform rules and policies. Testimony noted a pilot study already underway at the Puka Marine Life Conservation District and another nearing completion at the old Kona Airport MLCD. Members discussed costs, with DLNR estimating about $300,000 per year for one user-experience study, potentially more for ecological analysis, and also discussed possible funding from the Mālama Kai special fund. DLNR said it had no objection to consulting current operators and other users, and explained the program would be a new, ongoing adaptive-management tool. The committee next heard SB 411 on capital improvement projects at small boat harbors. DLNR supported the intent, saying the bill would help expedite use of special funds for CIP work, while the Department of Budget and Finance opposed it, arguing the draft could conflict with constitutional limits on appropriations. Public testimony from an industry representative supported the bill and urged more collaboration with commercial operators, while committee discussion focused on whether DLNR could already use special funds for repairs, how much engineering and bidding work is required before projects go out to bid, and whether the current process creates bottlenecks when bids exceed initial estimates. DLNR said it can do some repairs and maintenance within existing authority and funding ceilings, but that the bill as drafted could be too broad. The committee also heard SB 5 on historic preservation, where DLNR supported the measure and NAOP Hawaii opposed it, saying the bill’s broader definition could expand the scope beyond the stated goal of narrowing reviews and reducing backlog. The committee then took up SB 1462 on the state historic preservation income tax credit. The Department of Taxation said the revenue estimate assumes the cap would be reached each year the credit is available, and DLNR supported the bill. SHPD said the prior credit had sunset, outreach had previously been done in targeted communities such as Chinatown, and owners of eligible historic properties are notified during review. Finally, the committee heard SB 268 on island burial councils. DLNR supported the bill, and OHA strongly supported it, saying the councils have struggled with quorum and expertise and that the measure would restore the original intent of having lineal descendants and cultural practitioners as decision makers, while still allowing landowners and developers to testify and participate. OHA also said it would help provide technical support and urged continued involvement from SHPD and the Attorney General’s office.

Transcript Highlights:

• there's about $2.5 million of projects there's about $2.5 million of projects requested<00:30:01.760
• out for local school projects. out for local school projects.
• maintenance maintenance how<00:39:53.680> do<00:39:53.839> we<00:39:54.160> increase
• We try to help with specific root projects or just give them additional money for deferred maintenance
• maintenance, but money for deferred maintenance, but that's<00:40:42.079> more<00:40:42.400><

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am pleased to present AB 770, which will clarify and codify the term customary maintenance for all
• The term customary maintenance has never been defined in law before, which leaves room...
• Customary maintenance has never been defined in law before, which leaves room for regulatory agencies
• I am here in support of AB 989 on behalf of the California Native Vote Project. Thank you.
• Thank you. ...of AB 989 on behalf of the California Native Vote Project. Thank you.

Summary: The Governmental Organization Committee heard a series of bills on holidays, procurement, public safety, and business regulation. AB 268 would add Diwali as an official state holiday and allow schools and state workers limited flexibility to observe it; supporters described it as a recognition of California’s large South Asian and Hindu communities, and there was no opposition. AB 770 would define “customary maintenance” for outdoor advertising displays to clarify what repairs and reinforcements are allowed; the bill was presented as a safety and consistency measure for the billboard industry. AB 783 would authorize the Department of General Services to negotiate bulk pricing for construction materials to help disaster-affected communities rebuild more affordably, with supporters from the housing and building sectors and some members raising concerns about state contracting, storage, and implementation. AB 381 would update state procurement rules to better prevent human trafficking and forced labor in supply chains, aligning state policy with federal standards and drawing support from anti-trafficking advocates, labor, and local government representatives. AB 668 would extend drink-spiking prevention measures to music festivals by requiring test strips, drink lids, and reporting procedures; supporters emphasized victim safety and underreporting, while venue operators opposed the bill unless amended, citing feasibility and cost concerns. AB 880 would require prompt payment and indirect cost coverage for nonprofits contracting with the state, with broad nonprofit support and no opposition. AB 989 would make California Native American Day a paid holiday, with tribal and allied support. AB 592 would extend and expand temporary outdoor dining and alcohol service flexibilities for restaurants, with strong support from restaurant and business groups and opposition from alcohol policy advocates who preferred a narrower or permanent grandfathering approach. Most bills advanced on committee votes, generally on party-line or broad bipartisan support. AB 770 was moved to Appropriations, AB 783 was passed as amended to the Assembly Committee on Emergency Management, AB 381 was sent to Labor, AB 668 and AB 880 were sent to Appropriations, AB 989 was sent to Public Employees and Retirement, and AB 592 was sent to Health. The committee also took up a consent calendar containing several additional bills, which was approved. The hearing ended with the roll left open for additional votes and adjournment at 3:17 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill removes the requirement that a university's 1% maintenance reserve for certain new PICO projects
• be held in a project-specific escrow account, allowing greater flexibility to address higher-priority
• maintenance needs.
• These 12% of excess carry forward funds toward previously funded projects or deferred maintenance needs
• A small institution can be excellent, but it cannot be run like that on state-funded vanity projects

Transcript Highlights:

• to help us catch up on some of the deferred maintenance projects that are existing across the research
• And so another project that we have been doing is this the legendary harvest project.
• how to structure a project, how we apply investment, how we wrap project management around it, how we
• What's the current age of the project?
• We’ve got several projects that... Thank you.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to help us catch up on some of the deferred maintenance projects that are existing across the research
• And so another project that we have been doing is this the legendary harvest project.
• So that's a project.
• What's the current age of the project?
• We've got several projects that...

Summary: The committee met in Fargo and approved the minutes from the March 31 meeting before hearing a series of informational presentations focused on North Dakota agriculture, water, and research. NDSU President David Cook opened with remarks about NDSU’s land-grant mission, emphasizing statewide service through research, teaching, and extension, and highlighting examples such as the Lilac Agriculture startup and the university’s role in applying research to real-world problems. He said he intends to spend time listening across the state to better understand local needs. The committee then received a detailed presentation on a state irrigation and drainage study from Tom Bodine on behalf of Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. The study projected significant potential for expanded irrigation acreage, especially in counties such as McLean, Williams, Sargent, Burleigh, Mountrail, McKenzie, McIntosh, Dunn, and Bottineau, and estimated major economic gains from irrigation, including higher farm returns and support for value-added agriculture. Members discussed water permits, surface water versus aquifers, infrastructure, drought resilience, and the role of legal drains in improving productivity and generating economic activity. The presenters also noted that the full report is available online. Dr. Greg Lardy followed with NDSU’s required interim report, outlining the university’s agricultural research and extension system, including the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education, seven research-extension centers, and the economic importance of agriculture to the state. He highlighted recent research impacts such as new crop varieties, potato breeding successes, virtual fencing, AI-assisted weed control, weather-network tools, and 4-H programming. He also described NDSU’s budget priorities: restoring the governor’s proposed 10% cuts, additional operating support, and deferred maintenance funding. Committee members asked about the new agricultural field lab, storage sheds, and NDSU’s partnership with Grand Farm. The committee also heard from the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute and a professor presenting water-related research, including data center cooling, water reuse, smart irrigation, and a feasibility study on co-locating data centers with greenhouse and aquaculture production. Members asked about water use, ownership, and whether the concepts were operational or still speculative. Finally, North Dakota AgTech presented its NSF-funded innovation engine work, describing startup commercialization, on-farm trials, workforce development, and partnerships with NDSU, UND, tribal colleges, and other land-grant institutions. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the prior meeting minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• going but we do have a lot of projects going but we do have a lot of projects but<00:54:04.200><
• <00:54:43.839> we're specific highlighted projects we're specific highlighted projects we're
• I'll go into detail what those project I'll go into detail what those project leases<01:13:59.280
• Is that a new project going to do that? And then the old projects we mentioned, we try to upgrade.
• Is that a new project going to do that? And then the old projects we mentioned, we try to upgrade.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:58.960> and<00:04:59.199> transportation maintenance and transportation maintenance
• . maintenance. maintenance.
• pupil for maintenance and operation. pupil for maintenance and operation.
• We're talking about the the maintenance We're talking about the the maintenance of<00:10:06.320>
• That's a consolidation projects.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all