Transcript Highlights:

• This is the senator from Marian day.
• And, you know, the state will only pay for five days. They can accumulate five days.
• They can accumin for five days.
• accumulate uh five days. accumulate uh five days.
• for for so long of your your busy day. for for so long of your your busy day.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:05 Attendance Roll Call: 00:10 SB 70 Discussion: 00:58 SB 70 Vote: 04:36 SB 80 Discussion: 05:16 SB 80 Vote: 31:45 SB 127 Discussion: 32:30 SB 127 Vote: 39:38 SB 154 Discussion: 41:25 SB 154 Vote: Adjournment: 47:14, 958, all

Summary: The committee first considered Senate Bill 70, which would modify the Public Pension Oversight Board by adding one House member and one Senate member, automatically placing the House and Senate chairs of state and local government on the board, adding the state treasurer, broadening who the Speaker and Senate President may appoint, and reducing the governor’s board appointments from two to one. After a brief procedural correction about a committee substitute, the bill was explained and then passed by a 9-0 favorable vote. The committee then heard Senate Bill 80, a constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to people with felony convictions after they complete imprisonment, probation, and parole, while excluding certain offenses such as election fraud, violent felonies, sex offenses, and crimes against children. The sponsor and Senator Herron argued that Kentucky’s current system is confusing and leaves the state as one of the few with lifetime disenfranchisement, while witnesses from the Sentencing Project, the League of Women Voters of Kentucky, and an advocacy group for people with lived experience supported restoration but urged a simpler, broader, automatic approach without offense-based carveouts. Committee members raised questions about implementation, clerk guidance, and how the proposal interacts with expungement and gubernatorial pardons; one senator specifically asked whether serious offenders, including child rapists, would regain voting rights under a broader version, and the witness answered yes. The bill passed with a favorable expression by an 8-1 vote. The transcript then began discussion of Senate Bill 127, also sponsored by Senator Hickden, but the exchange was cut off before the bill was fully explained or any vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do not think that the 10-day timeline is reasonable. We think the 45-day—it's complicated.
• cover the load for each hour of that peak day to make sure that throughout the day we have enough supply
• after day.
• to day right now.
• But slice of day was very complex.

Summary: The committee first heard AB 1026 by Assembly Member Wilson, which would require investor-owned utilities to provide clearer front-end information and follow more consistent timelines for post-entitlement energization applications tied to housing projects. The author and supporters from the Housing Action Coalition and Mission Housing said utility delays can hold up approved housing, add costs, and create uncertainty, and they argued the bill would align utility processes with recent state efforts to streamline local permitting. PG&E and Southern California Edison opposed the bill, saying existing CPUC timelines and the ongoing energization rulemaking already address the issue, that the bill could be duplicative or premature, and that some proposed timelines were too short. The committee discussed the bill’s relationship to the CPUC’s September 2024 decision, and AB 1026 was ultimately approved on a 15-0 vote, with the consent calendar also passing. The second half of the hearing was the committee’s annual oversight hearing on electric reliability. Representatives from the CPUC, CEC, CAISO, and DWR reviewed lessons from the 2020 and 2022 heat emergencies, emphasizing that California has since added significant resources, improved planning, and created backstop programs such as the strategic reliability reserve. They said the summer 2025 outlook is cautiously optimistic, with no expected shortfalls under traditional planning conditions and a projected surplus, though wildfire and extreme heat remain risks. The agencies also described major changes in planning and operations, including more battery storage, updated resource adequacy rules, expanded transmission planning, and reforms to the interconnection queue. Members asked about data center load, Diablo Canyon’s future, the strategic reliability reserve, demand response, wildfire mitigation costs, affordability, and regional market expansion. Witnesses said data center demand is a major variable but can be managed through better forecasting, flexible service arrangements, and siting in areas with existing capacity; they also said firm clean resources remain valuable while planning continues around Diablo Canyon’s scheduled retirement. On affordability, they said the agencies try to balance reliability with least-cost procurement, and that new resources can lower market prices even as they require upfront investment. CAISO also highlighted the value of the Western Energy Imbalance Market and the planned day-ahead market, saying regional coordination improves both reliability and cost savings.

Transcript Highlights:

• And perhaps you and I walk past burning bushes by the dozens each and every day and just don't notice
• grant us the grace of wonder, surprise us, amaze us, awe us in every crevice of your universe each day
• Members, today, January 27th, is Holocaust Remembrance Day.
• I've been asked to help us commemorate that day.
• :33.200> coincides us uh commemorate that day it coincides us uh commemorate that day it coincides

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House convened with a chaplain’s prayer delivered by Pastor Ryan Brilley of Central Lutheran Church in Elk River, Minnesota. The prayer focused on wonder, attention, and noticing the “burning bushes” in everyday life, drawing on the story of Moses and quoting Abraham Heschel in asking for grace, awe, and mystery. The presiding member then noted that January 27 was Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and asked members to observe a moment of silence in honor of those who perished in the Holocaust. Members stood for the Pledge of Allegiance afterward. No legislation was debated or acted on. The clerk took the roll, and the House was informed that a quorum was not present. As a result, the House adjourned until 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 28, 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• He will be serving as doctor all day.
• That's not an all-day thing.
• Well, there is a formula in there that breaks out the regular day versus the special education day.
• Remember those days.
• I move to suspend the three-day rule. Senator Nichols moves to suspend the three-day rule.

Bills: SJR12, SJR81, SCR39, SB22, SB32, SB241, SB393, SB414, SB458, SB464, SB568, SB583, SB609, SB660, SB693, SB731, SB732, SB746, SB783, SB785, SB897, SB993, SB996, SB1008, SB1029, SB1035, SB1036, SB1120, SB1122, SB1147, SB1163, SB1188, SB1197, SB1209, SB1227, SB1245, SB1267, SB1307, SB1321, SB1332, SB1386, SB1394, SB1396, SB1470, SB1494, SB1537, SB1596, SB1598, SB1610, SB1664, SB1814, SB1822, SB1841, SB1948, SB2065, SB2155, SB2406, SB2407

Keywords: parental rights, education, constitutional amendment, school choice, child education, tax exemption, ad valorem, tangible personal property, income production, border security, southern border, federal immigration policy, illegal immigration, cartels, transnational cartels, fentanyl, drug trafficking, human trafficking, Operation Lone Star, Texas border

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum call, invocation, approval of routine motions, and the reading of gubernatorial nominations and several honorary resolutions. The chamber adopted resolutions recognizing Jack and Jill of America Day and DJ Daniel Day at the Capitol, with multiple senators offering remarks praising youth leadership, perseverance, and public service. The Senate also introduced the Doctor of the Day and then proceeded to a long series of floor actions on bills. A major focus was Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 568, which overhauls special education funding and services in public schools by moving from a placement-based model to an intensity-based system tied to student needs and IEPs. Senators Bettencourt, Creighton, and Menendez emphasized transparency, parent input, evaluation funding, dyslexia services, and better alignment of funding with actual services; Senator Hinojosa shared a personal story about dyslexia and the importance of early intervention. The bill was advanced on second and third reading and finally passed 30-0. The Senate also passed SB 1396 to prohibit national sex education standards in public schools, SB 2065 on the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System, SB 1664 requiring clearer public disclosure of transmission and distribution utility rate changes, SB 1029 on advertising certain used motor vehicles, SB 1120 expanding rights for family violence victims, SB 1036 regulating residential solar retail transactions, SB 464 creating school-proximity restrictions and penalties for tobacco and vaping sales, SB 1035 giving farmers and ranchers equitable relief from certain local agricultural regulations, SB 1610 addressing civil commitment facility safety and prosecution issues, SB 1197 extending drone restrictions to spaceports, and SB 1386 changing legislative witness immunity from transactional to testimonial immunity. Another major bill was Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1188, which updates electronic health record requirements. Senator Kolkhorst said the bill builds on Texas medical privacy law by requiring U.S.-based storage of EMR data, prohibiting recording of voter registration status and credit score information, requiring provider verification and disclosure for AI-assisted diagnosis or treatment recommendations, preserving parental access to minors’ records until age 18, and ensuring EMRs can capture metabolic health and biological sex information. A floor amendment clarified the bill’s scope and enforcement, and the bill passed 23-7. Several measures drew debate, especially SB 414 on bond ballot transparency, where Senators Eckhardt and Menendez questioned whether requiring estimated interest and total debt cost on ballots could be misleading or difficult to implement because interest rates and financing terms can change before issuance or over time. The transcript ends during that discussion, with no final action shown on SB 414.

Transcript Highlights:

• It was the second day.
• But yet, it's happening every day, all day.
• It was the second day, a day after opening day here at the Capitol. I was driving to the Capitol.
• We have a wonderful day. Please have a wonderful day. Thank you for what you do.
• During Lent, which is 40 days to about 47 days, I give up soda.

Bills: HB2127, HB2257, HB2305, HB2573, HB2772, HB2941, HB2957

Keywords: special license plates, transportation, funding, nonprofits, charitable contributions, boating, watercraft licensing, law enforcement, safety fund, state funding, Arizona Revised Statutes, towing regulation, private towing carriers, vehicle impound, towing rates, preemption, DUI, ignition interlock, substance abuse treatment, driving privileges

Summary: The House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure heard several bills, beginning with HB 2957, which would require physical driver licenses to be accepted for identification purposes and prohibit cities, towns, counties, and districts from requiring digital mobile IDs for government services. The sponsor framed the bill as a privacy and choice measure tied to concerns about Real ID, biometric data, and federal overreach. Supporters said it preserves a non-Real ID option and protects privacy, while opponents raised concerns about travel requirements and whether the bill could affect proof of legal status. The committee approved HB 2957 on a 4-3 vote. The committee then considered HB 2941, which would make certain motorcycle lane-splitting or passing behavior subject to reckless driving penalties. The sponsor and a motorcycle rights representative explained the difference between lawful lane filtering and unlawful lane splitting, saying the bill would add enforcement teeth for unsafe conduct and improve safety. Members discussed the distinction between filtering and splitting, and several related personal safety concerns. The committee passed HB 2941 unanimously, 7-0. HB 2305, dealing with private towing carriers, would establish statewide rules for private-property towing, including rate standards tied to DPS agreements, documentation and photo requirements, notice to law enforcement, and penalties for unlawful towing. Supporters said the bill would create uniformity and curb predatory towing, while the Arizona Trucking Association raised concerns about the DPS rate structure and the need for further stakeholder work. The committee adopted an amendment clarifying the bill applies only to motor vehicles towed from private property and then passed the bill 7-0. HB 2257, a strike-everything amendment changing the distribution of watercraft fee revenues and requiring an annual expenditure report, also passed after Game and Fish warned of a significant fiscal impact and committee members discussed Mohave County’s water patrol needs; the vote was 4-3. Finally, the committee heard HB 2573, which as amended was narrowed to address a 45-day gap before repeat DUI offenders can install ignition interlock devices. Supporters said the change would improve public safety by allowing earlier use of the technology, while members discussed whether it would weaken DUI laws and how the interlock system works. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on HB 2573, so no committee action is shown for that bill in the provided text.

Transcript Highlights:

• Every day, all day, F.B.I. agents are out there keeping us safe.
• EVERY DAY, ALL DAY, F.B.I. AGENTS ARE OUT THERE KEEPING US SAFE.
• SPEAKER, DAY AFTER DAY, DONALD TRUMP IS ABUSING POWER, BREAKING THE LAW AND TEARING APART OUR CONSTITUTION
• September 11, 2001, was not just a day of immense loss; it was a day that changed our country forever
• SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, WAS NOT JUST A DAY OF IMMENSE LOSS IT WAS A DAY THAT CHANGED OUR COUNTRY FOREVER.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 10-day requirement that says you shall. 10-day requirement that says you shall.
• But if we have something that's gone 90 days, 120 days, 180 days without any verification to the department
• > without gone 90 days, 120 days, 180 days without gone 90 days, 120 days, 180 days without any
• 60 days in advance. 60 days in advance.
• we'll reply within 10 days. we'll reply within 10 days.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and consent calendar, then moved through several Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid-related rules. Rule 25-220 from the Department of Energy was postponed until June so stakeholders would have more time to review revised language. Rule 25-240, involving Medicaid income verification and deductible provisions for medically needy applicants, was adopted after staff noted the cited sections had expired but the agency said it had continued operating under federal law and the state plan; the agency also said it had begun rulemaking on the cited provision. Rules 25-265 and 2633 were also adopted, with staff explaining that although parts of the rules had expired, the agency had continued implementing the policies through the Medicaid state plan, billing manuals, and related rules. The most extended discussion centered on rule 25-304 from the Bureau of Aging and Adult Services, which covers case management services for the CFI program. Staff and the agency explained that the amended conditional approval request clarified how case management agencies indicate staffing capacity, how telehealth decisions are evaluated, and that the department—not the case management agencies—sets the timeline for accepting or denying cases. The agency said the rule is intended to ensure participants are not pushed into telehealth when they do not want it or cannot use it, while leaving technical and clinical telehealth decisions to the provider. A case management provider testified in opposition to parts of the rule, arguing that the committee should not require agencies to admit unverified patients, that reimbursement-rate issues belong in legislation, that the quality-management section duplicates existing licensure oversight, and that the telehealth language improperly gives case managers authority over how other licensed providers deliver services. Committee members questioned whether the telehealth language was simply allowing case managers to determine whether telehealth fits a person’s care plan, and agency representatives responded that this was the intent. No final vote on rule 25-304 is shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:17:28.960> 7 the polls close uh on election day, 7 the polls close uh on election day
• Um, what other changes did election day.
• I think that was inerson absting day.
• Or they have to come in in that 22 days?
• They may be working during those days.

Keywords: Elections - Room 409, 3 February, 2026; 1:00 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee took up several election- and ethics-related measures. First, it considered SB 2589, which would require campaign finance reports to be filed online through the Secretary of State’s filing system, with the system voluntary until February 1, 2028. The bill was explained as a continuation of prior campaign finance reform efforts, and after brief discussion it received a title-sufficient do-pass motion and was reported out. The committee then discussed a constitutional amendment vehicle for ballot initiatives, described as allowing citizens to place measures on the ballot through petitions equal to 10% of active registered voters, with limits on signatures from any one congressional district, a prohibition on initiatives depriving any human being of the right to life, and a 60% vote requirement for initiatives dealing substantially with state revenue or expenses. Members raised concerns about severability, the legislature’s ability to later amend initiative statutes, and whether an alternative measure on the ballot was too confusing. The committee adopted the committee substitute and reported the measure out, then also advanced SB 2919, a shell bill bringing forward the code sections needed to implement ballot initiative changes if the main measure passes. Finally, the committee considered a bill to revise in-person absentee voting procedures by eliminating absentee ballot envelopes and having voters cast ballots directly into an OMR machine after showing ID, with the machine rejecting errors and preserving ballot secrecy. The sponsor said the proposal was intended to make the process smoother and more secure for circuit clerks, and noted possible additional excuses for in-person absentee voting, including work obligations and parenting responsibilities. Members asked about affidavits, penalties for false excuses, timing, and whether mail voting would still be available for those unable to vote in the 22-day in-person absentee window; the sponsor said mail voting would remain unchanged. The committee adopted the committee substitute, passed the bill out, and then rose and reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think that can be like up to 90 days, right?
• And I think that can be like up to 90 days, right?
• up to 90 days, right?
• So notifying the provider for 90 days."
• deadline the day before the committee. deadline the day before the committee.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 3542 was heard in committee and moved forward with a recommendation to be re-referred to the Children, Families, Finance, and Policy Committee. The bill would change current law so that the commissioners of Human Services and Children, Youth, and Families must disclose the existence of an investigation, rather than may disclose it, with the stated goal of increasing transparency to the public and legislature. Members and agency officials discussed concerns that mandatory disclosure could tip off subjects of investigations, especially in fraud cases, allowing them to destroy evidence, coordinate stories, or otherwise interfere. The Department of Human Services and the Inspector General said disclosure can compromise investigations and noted that providers are typically notified when payments are reduced, suspended, or withheld, though federal law can sometimes require delayed notice. Representative Pinto offered an A2 amendment to require disclosure within 30 days unless it would compromise an investigation, but it was rejected. Representative Hudson then offered an oral amendment stating that disclosure would be required if the commissioner has taken action to reduce, suspend, or withhold payments to the subject of the investigation. The chair waived the rule to allow the oral amendment, and it was adopted. Staff clarified that the bill would only require disclosure of the existence of an investigation, not underlying details, and would not address trade secret redactions. After the amendment, the committee approved the motion to re-refer the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today is Bus Driver Appreciation Day.
• day.
• The next day, one of our school day.
• <02:12:05.840> day.
• It is library day. So, if you have year. It is library day.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And this one we reduced from 42 days to 21 days in which people can be in an immediate care facility
• Line 637, uh, we changed the shall to may, and this is where we reduced from 63 days to 31 days.
• days to 31<00:04:04.560> days.
• > we changed from 30 days to 15 days at we changed from 30 days to 15 days at the<00:05:12.160> request
• In lines 1970, we changed from 30 days to 15 days.

Keywords: Medicaid - Room 210; 2 February, 2026: 2:30 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first took up a placeholder bill related to the Medicaid “L tax” for long-term acute care hospitals. The sponsor explained that these hospitals pay into Medicaid but do not receive Medicaid reimbursement, and said members had reached a general consensus that a solution is needed. The bill was described as a dummy bill with no firm language yet, and the committee adopted a motion for title sufficient do pass; the bill was reported despite one opposing vote. Members then heard a detailed explanation of the committee’s Medicaid technical bill. The sponsor said it was much lighter than in prior years because of uncertainty around federal Medicaid conditions and the lack of a signed bill in recent years. Most changes were described as federal-language updates, cleanup, or department-requested revisions, including changes from “shall” to “may” to give the department more flexibility, shortened notification and care-period timelines, and removal of outdated provisions. Substantive items mentioned included allowing the department to review value-based payment models, adding pediatricians to a covered list, increasing ambulatory surgery center reimbursement from 80% to 85%, approving “treat in place” for ambulances, allowing supplemental payments to hospitals, and reestablishing the Medical Advisory Council. After brief questions, the committee adopted a motion for title sufficient do pass on the tech bill and reported it, again with one opposing vote. The chair then announced a follow-up hearing for the next day at 1:30 p.m. in Room 216 on the L tax, the hospital bed tax, a Medicaid 101 overview on hospital financing, and a briefing on nonopioid medications and a device intended to prevent or reduce epilepsy seizures.

Transcript Highlights:

• Days like today matter.
• I move to suspend the three-day rule. Senator Hinojosa moves suspension of the three-day rule.
• Senator Blanco moves suspension of the three-day rule.
• Senator Zaffirini moves suspension of the three-day rule.
• Senator Hinojosa moves suspension of the three-day rule.

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum, an invocation, and routine business including dispensing with the previous day’s journal, receiving a House message on HB 104/HJR 34, and a gubernatorial message naming two appointees to the Texas Real Estate Commission. The chamber also adopted several resolutions recognizing Alzheimer’s Advocacy Day, Golf Day in Texas, Cindy Ramos-Davidson, and the 50th anniversary of the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District. Members then adopted memorial resolutions honoring fallen first responders, including Deputy Jesse Ray Perez and Deputy Melissa Pollard, and the Senate agreed to adjourn in their memory. The Senate considered and passed several bills. SB 2199 increased penalties for loading overweight vehicles transporting hazardous materials; SB 1959 adjusted permit factors for the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District; SB 1376 changed supervision rules for code enforcement officer trainees; SB 2595 created a new offense for harassing, intimidating, or threatening someone while concealing identity with a mask or similar headgear; SB 1012 authorized sale or lease of certain surplus state property in Austin; SB 2245 revised bonded title procedures; SB 2605 created a municipal housing authority asset commission; SB 3044 expanded and adjusted the board of the Presidio County Underground Water Conservation District; SB 628 clarified county fire code enforcement authority through interlocal agreements; SB 2778 raised the spending threshold for emergency services district employees; SB 3039 addressed public higher education transfer issues; and SB 2523 allowed release from municipal extraterritorial jurisdiction by petition. Most of these bills were passed to engrossment, the three-day rule was suspended, and final passage was completed, often by wide margins. The chamber also took up SB 1844, which would require cities to provide services before expanding taxing areas into limited-purpose jurisdictions; a floor amendment narrowed the bill, and it was passed to engrossment. SB 2284 clarified municipal and county authority over firearms, airguns, archery equipment, and related items, and was passed despite opposition. SB 2529, dealing with the vote threshold for taxing units to adopt higher tax rates or issue tax bonds, prompted extended debate over voter approval and representative decision-making; after questions, the bill was passed to engrossment and held. At the end of the session, the Senate recessed for 20 minutes and announced it would meet as the Caucus of the Whole.

Transcript Highlights:

• Patrick's Days at that location.
• But at the end of the day, it's not you, me, or anyone in this room that has to deal with them on a day-to-day
• They need to know you're working them every day because you are working on them every day.
• day one day and then waiting six weeks to four months for the next day.
• day one day and then waiting six weeks to four months for the next day.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was held in Clinton Town Hall as part of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means’ budget review, with local officials welcoming legislators and noting the long agenda of many panels. The main presentation was from Secretary Terrence Reedy of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, who outlined the Healey-Driscoll administration’s FY26 proposal for the secretariat, including a $1.7 billion budget and a 7% increase over FY25. He described investments in emergency preparedness, hate-crime prevention, reentry programming, technology modernization, internships, and public safety training, while also noting some reductions driven by resource constraints, including cuts to certain grant programs and administrative costs. Committee members also raised concerns about federal uncertainty and how it could affect state budgets and public safety planning. A major portion of the questioning focused on the Department of Correction. Secretary Reedy and Commissioner Sean Jenkins said the biggest challenges are staffing, officer wellness, facility safety, and contraband—especially K2. They described steps taken at MCI Souza and other facilities, including reducing population at the maximum-security unit, changing management, removing metal products and free weights, improving screening and roll calls, adding a rapid response team, and increasing investigative and technological efforts to combat K2. They also discussed the closure of MCI Concord, saying it was driven by high maintenance costs and staffing needs, and explained that savings are being used to improve staffing patterns and address deferred maintenance over time rather than producing immediate large budget reductions. Members also questioned the budget’s impact on police training and community policing. The administration defended the increase in police academy tuition from $3,200 to $6,000 as reflecting true training costs and said it would still be subsidized by the state, while acknowledging the burden on small municipalities. They said the MPTC is expanding regional training and considering proposals such as Greenfield Community College’s. On community policing, officials emphasized uniform statewide training, de-escalation, and communication skills. The State Police also announced an outside review of the academy by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and said the next class will be split into two smaller groups to improve oversight and allow quicker implementation of recommendations. Other topics included ICE and federal immigration enforcement, with Reedy saying state law prohibits Massachusetts law enforcement from acting in a civil immigration capacity and that no state dollars were used in the Tufts-related ICE operation mentioned by a member. Senators and representatives also raised the upcoming FIFA World Cup, warning that it will require significant public safety resources and likely federal funding. Additional discussion covered restorative justice and juvenile diversion, health care costs in DOC, electronic health records, and the need for more diverse and culturally competent public safety staffing. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So say we're 100 days into the school year and the student has missed more than 10 days, regardless of
• , I mean, isn't that 18 days instead of 10 days, correct?
• , just 20 days.
• So let's just use it. several more days, you know, just 20 days. Let's just use that.
• How do you think this would affect your day-in, day-out job?

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its prior meeting and then took up House Bill 5537, a bill to repeal several obsolete or outdated code sections. Counsel explained that the bill would remove provisions related to professional development, a behavioral interventionist pilot program, county lists of facilities for child daycare, and high school graduation rates, with a proposed amendment adding another outdated education code section from 1923. The committee adopted the amendment and reported HB 5537 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass as amended. The committee then considered House Bill 4656, which would shift truancy policy toward chronic absenteeism and earlier intervention. Counsel said the committee substitute would replace punitive status-offense treatment with wraparound services, student support specialists, and a new child-in-need-of-supervision process, while also ending compulsory attendance at age 18 and removing criminal penalties for 18-year-olds. Members questioned how the new thresholds would work, including the role of attendance directors, prosecutors, judges, and the Department of Human Services, and whether the bill would change current diversion funding or court authority. Witnesses from Fayette County, Greenbrier County, and Taylor County largely opposed the bill or urged caution. The Fayette County attendance director said current truancy procedures, including school-based probation and court involvement, help secure family participation and services, and warned that removing the status offense would weaken enforcement. A Greenbrier County probation officer said diversion programs are effective and that court involvement often leads to needed services. A Taylor County juvenile prosecutor said status-offense jurisdiction gives courts meaningful leverage and flexibility, and asked that counties be allowed to keep existing approaches that work locally. After testimony, the committee voted to report HB 4656 to the full Senate without recommendation and with a recommendation that it be re-referred to the Committee on Education, then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:56.240> We service centers on election day. We service centers on election day.
• vote on election day. Period. Full stop. vote on election day. Period. Full stop.
• vote on election day.
• /c><00:23:44.880> you whether the last day is the day that you whether the last day is the day
• on the final day of voting.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1525, which would appropriate funds to counties to open more voter service centers for in-person voting, provide money to the Office of Elections to print and mail the voter information guide to all registered voters, and support a public outreach campaign to increase voter participation. The Office of Elections supported the bill and estimated costs of a little over $2 million to print and mail the guide and about $178,000 for outreach, noting it spent about $441,000 on election advertising in 2024. Testimony from advocacy groups including Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, Common Cause Hawaii, and Indivisible Hawaii strongly supported the measure, emphasizing access for neighbor island voters, people with disabilities, new voters, and voters who need ballot assistance. County election officials from Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai provided comments or testimony that were more cautious. They said additional funding would be welcome, but staffing and logistics remain major constraints, especially for election-day service centers. Honolulu’s city clerk said funding alone would not necessarily solve long lines, while Maui’s county clerk explained that voter service centers require trained seasonal employees, extensive training, and the ability to handle many ballot styles. Maui also described its current pop-up sites, including Hana, as expensive but necessary for remote communities, and said the county is already running at bare minimum staffing. Members asked questions about who decides how many service centers are opened, how staffing is handled, and whether there is a middle-ground model between the old precinct polling places and the current voter service center system. Honolulu explained that county clerks make those decisions under current law and that the county has tried pop-up sites in addition to its main centers. The discussion also noted that in 2024 most voters used vote by mail, while a smaller number used early in-person voting or final-day service centers. No vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next order of business is the calendar for the day for Wednesday, May 6th.
• the day pursuant to Rules 1.21 and 3.33. the day pursuant to Rules 1.21 and 3.33.
• for the day. for the day.
• the day? the day? Representative<00:02:34.760> Liska. Representative Liska.
• , in favor of the calendar for the day, in favor of the calendar for the day, please<00:03:24.600

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So you can sell this stuff 24 hours a day, seven days a week?
• You can buy seven days a week, 24 hours a day. That is correct.
• for 7 to 10 days.
• And, I mean, you can get that 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Sorry, for a misdemeanor, it's 60 days. For a felony, it's 120 days.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• days of the legislature.
• Today is no day for politics. Today is a day for servant leadership.
• $170 to $200 a day.
• within 5 days. within 5 days.
• Um day.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House convened with 98 members present, declared a quorum, approved the prior journal, and received Senate concurrence requests on Senate Bills 263, 281, and 324. The chamber then moved through second readings and committee reports on a range of measures, including education, agriculture, banking and insurance, judiciary, licensing, and task force resolutions. Among the reported bills were measures on KEES scholarships for non-certified schools, a residential safe room rebate program, dual credit scholarships, impeding a first responder, motor vehicles, tallow-based cosmetic products, animal health emergencies, mortgage loan income limits, deferred deposit fees, child protection, Attorney General operations, corrections operations, school leadership, school transportation, advanced mathematics coursework, and task forces on charitable gaming and early childhood education governance. The House passed House Bill 642, a Teachers' Retirement System housekeeping bill, after adopting House Committee Substitute 1. The sponsor said the bill updates survivor benefit documentation, raises the daily earnings limit for retired members returning to work from $170 to $200, removes an unused early-return provision, reinstates a pension waiver program, clarifies benefit tier calculations using an earlier participation date in another state system, and allows a parent member to manage payments for a disabled child without a court order. Members asked about substitute teaching limits, retirement penalties, budget impact, and a removed provision involving index funds; the sponsor said he would follow up on the day limits and stated he did not believe the bill would add to unfunded liability. The bill passed 96-0. The House also passed House Bill 780 on recording commissioner’s deeds, after adopting a floor amendment that removed fines and penalties. The bill allows a city to petition circuit court if a deed is not recorded within 30 business days, and the court may compel filing and award costs and attorney’s fees. Members discussed whether the bill effectively created a lawsuit-based enforcement mechanism rather than a fine, and supporters said it would help local governments identify responsible property owners and address code enforcement and public safety issues. The bill passed 96-0. House Bill 541, concerning peace officers, also passed after a committee substitute; the sponsor said it cleans up Kentucky Law Enforcement Council procedures, strengthens certification standards, clarifies revocation language, and reflects input from law enforcement groups. It passed 95-0. House Bill 195, the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative, passed after a committee substitute and floor amendment. The substitute added Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension alongside UK Cooperative Extension, and the floor amendment changed the pilot’s implementation date to January 1, 2027 and adjusted the program’s term timing. Supporters said the bill would expand urban agriculture education, connect youth to food systems and career pathways, and help students in urban counties learn practical agricultural skills; it passed 97-0. The House then took up House Bill 794 on financial exploitation, which expands protections to all adults age 65 and older, adds felony penalties for knowingly, wantonly, or recklessly exploiting those adults, allows the attorney general to seek extradition from another state, and requires investment advisers to complete three hours of continuing education on financial exploitation. Members cited real-world scam experiences and urged stronger penalties, but the bill passed 96-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• we're just doing this years of 89 day we're just doing this years of 89 day hire<00:22:14.720>
• It's similar to 89-day—exact same as 89-day.
• similar to 89 day exact same as 89 day similar to 89 day exact same as 89 day so<00:28:08.200>
• your so 89 day you get your so 89 day you get your pension<00:28:11.559> and<00:28:11.760>
• But it still violates the 89-day hire chair because 89-day hire says you can only do it for emergency

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee met in decision-making on a long list of Senate bills and adopted most measures with amendments or unamended, often with members voting aye and some recording reservations. Among the measures acted on were SB 40, SB 411, SB 436, SB 443, SB 447, SB 572, SB 583, SB 739, SB 742, SB 746, SB 816, SB 826, SB 830, SB 841, SB 850, SB 865, SB 952, SB 955, SB 1040, SB 1042, SB 1083, SB 1229, SB 1359, SB 1469, SB 1553, SB 1578, SB 1609, SB 1610, SB 1619, and SB 1641. Common amendments included deferring effective dates to 2050, adding sunset dates, adopting LRB technical changes, and narrowing or clarifying program language. Several bills drew brief discussion on policy details. SB 583 was amended to remove references to selling naming rights, leaving only leasing. SB 739 was discussed for its land exchange provisions and concerns about ceded lands and OHA revenue, but it was still adopted with reservations. SB 830 was amended based on DNR testimony to address reconstruction after disasters, excluding certain coastal hazards. SB 850 added State Council on Developmental Disabilities recommendations to address health disparities for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. SB 952 shifted administration of a pilot program to the Department of Human Services in partnership with the Office of Wellness and Resiliency, and SB 1610 added requirements for utility connections and capped spending on the Ohana Zones/Cales-related program. The committee also heard substantial discussion on SB 442, which concerned returning retirees to state employment. Testimony from the Department of Law Enforcement and the Attorney General focused on whether the bill should allow a shorter waiting period and how it would interact with current 89-day hiring practices, succession planning, and law enforcement retirement rules. After debate, the committee moved to decision-making and adopted amendments to include investigators, expand eligibility to hard-to-fill or succession-planning positions, and set a term limit for returning retirees with director approval for extensions. In a separate joint Ways and Means/Judiciary hearing, SB 716, SB 763, and SB 804 were also advanced with amendments, including organizational placement changes for DLE programs and Attorney General amendments to avoid retroactivity and contract-impairment issues. Several items were deferred, including SB 983, SB 1220, and SB 828.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members please help me celebrate Andrews County Day.
• And help us celebrate Andrews County Day. And I do move adoption.
• Creek Lake Day at the state capitol.
• Roger Fowler from Tyler as the Doctor of the Day. day.
• Members, today we gather to celebrate McAllen Day at the Capitol.

Keywords: 1184, house, all