Transcript Highlights:

• This bill due to mandates like this one.
• This isn't a mandate the way the second thing is.
• mandate it if you will. mandate it if you will. >> Follow<04:17:19.359> up.
• This isn't a mandate the way the second thing is.
• So this is my initial foray mandate it.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And it is our legislative constitutional duty and mandate to write the budget.
• <01:55:22.160> to essentially an unfunded mandate to essentially an unfunded mandate to expand
• <02:12:21.640> for and creating unfunded mandates for and creating unfunded mandates for counties
• And I appreciate that because we don't want an unfunded mandate on counties.
• want an unfunded mandate on counties. want an unfunded mandate on counties.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, approved the prior day’s journal, and then took up a large third-reading consent calendar containing many House bills, most of them dealing with appropriations, fund transfers, repeals of programs or cash funds, and related budget adjustments. The calendar included measures affecting broadband infrastructure, early childhood prevention services, school food programs, reading and assessment programs, higher education funding, human services funding models, disaster and transportation funds, public safety communications, and several other state cash funds and reserve requirements. Most of the bills passed with broad support, though several drew recorded no votes from individual senators on specific measures. Before the consent calendar vote, Senator Catlin recognized a Montrose leadership class visiting the chamber. The Senate then adopted the consent calendar, with the clerk recording numerous individual no votes on particular bills. Among the more notable measures passed were bills related to the Healthy School Meals for All program, the state education fund, the Affordable Housing Financing Fund, kinship care, judicial discipline, public defender/prosecutor behavioral health support, public safety personnel health benefits, multimodal transportation funding, unclaimed property transfers, tobacco education funds, and preschool funding. Several bills were approved unanimously or near-unanimously, while others had more divided votes. The chamber then debated Senate Bill 90, which exempts critical infrastructure from the Consumer Repair Bill of Rights Act. Senator Snyder explained that the bill had been revised after stakeholder discussions with opponents, the governor’s office, and the attorney general’s office; the amendment L006 was described as narrowing and defining the exemption, giving the Attorney General rulemaking authority, and preserving district court review. Senator Carson supported the amendment and said it clarified that the bill focused on business-to-business and business-to-government equipment rather than retail consumer products. The amendment was adopted 35-0, and the bill then passed 22-13. The Senate also passed House Bill 1351 on the Healthy School Meals for All program, with Senator Kirkmeyer saying it repays money previously transferred from the state education fund and does not reduce program funding or transparency. House Bill 1353 on state-administered social studies assessments passed 25-10, and House Bill 1359 on school land mineral revenues passed 28-7. The final portion of the transcript shows additional House bills being read and passed, including measures on housing financing, reserve reductions, cash fund transfers, child welfare subsidies, kinship care, judicial discipline, public safety benefits, multimodal transportation, unclaimed property transfers, tobacco education funds, and preschool funding, with several senators recording no votes and Senator Kirkmeyer noting concerns about transparency in cash fund balances during the debate on House Bill 1405.

Transcript Highlights:

• And such a mandate, I mean, we're having a hard enough time trying to continue to provide subsidies for
• And such a mandate, I mean, we're having a hard enough time trying to continue to provide subsidies for
• So all that around, I think that if we're going to try to mandate these drivers, because that's what's
• availability of ZEVs and the ability of the drivers and the companies to be able to implement this mandate
• And one key component of this, as was referenced by opposition... ...implement this mandate.

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard several bills focused on active transportation, transit, road safety, and local enforcement. SB 569 would restrict removal or downgrading of bikeways built with state General Fund dollars for at least 20 years, require public hearings before major changes, and was supported by bicycle advocates and some local and environmental groups. The City of Encinitas opposed the bill, arguing it could limit needed safety fixes and should apply only to future projects; committee members discussed whether the bill still allowed safety-based modifications. The bill passed on a due pass vote to Appropriations. SB 741 would streamline the Low-Carbon Transit Operations Program by reducing administrative burden and giving transit agencies more flexibility to use funds for service improvements, fare programs, and other transit needs while maintaining oversight and disadvantaged community requirements. Transit agencies and advocacy groups supported the measure, saying it would help agencies respond to post-pandemic ridership and financial challenges. The committee approved the bill on a due pass as amended vote to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 1167, which would tighten consumer protections by clarifying that high-powered e-motos and similar motor vehicles are not e-bikes, requiring clearer disclosures and labels, and improving crash reporting. Supporters said the bill would reduce confusion and improve safety for riders, pedestrians, and parents; the Motorcycle Industry Council opposed unless amended, arguing the term “e-bike” is used broadly and the bill could affect existing businesses. The bill passed to Appropriations. Later, SB 953, dealing with vehicular manslaughter cases dismissed through misdemeanor diversion, would add DMV points so fatal conduct remains reflected on driving records; the bill was supported by the victim’s family and safety advocates and passed to Appropriations. The committee then heard SB 1218, which would let local agencies boot vehicles tied to repeated unpaid illegal dumping citations instead of using DMV enforcement. Oakland officials and community groups supported the bill as a needed deterrent, while the ACLU opposed it as punitive debt collection without a sufficient nexus to the vehicle. The bill passed to Appropriations. Finally, SB 739 would revise the Clean Miles Standard for rideshare companies by allowing CARB and CPUC to adjust electric vehicle mileage targets in light of current market conditions; Uber and Lyft supported the flexibility, while clean air advocates began raising concerns about weakening climate goals as the transcript cut off.

Transcript Highlights:

• Second one was at the Stop the EV Mandate rally you held in your district, and I was there speaking.
• At the Stop the EV Mandate rally you held in your district, and I was there speaking up in favor of EVs
• It is not an unfunded mandate. Local governments are already engaged in comprehensive planning.
• the bill is written, it does not impact the ability of a jurisdiction to have that public hearing mandated
• Mandated in their codes. So it doesn't change that? Correct.

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, accepted the prior day’s minutes, and read several committee reports and communications into the record. Members also observed moments of silence for two young people who had recently died, and the prayer and pledge were offered before the chamber moved into business. Consent calendar number 28, consisting of several resolutions, passed by voice vote. A large portion of the meeting was devoted to tributes and retirement remarks for Representative Jeff Holowski, who was praised by colleagues for his work on financial literacy, veterans’ issues, health care, diabetes policy, and constituent service, as well as for his military service and community involvement. Holowski thanked staff, colleagues, and his family, and said he was retiring to spend more time with his wife, children, and grandchildren. The chamber also recognized former Representative Harvey Kenton as a guest. The House then acted on several measures. Senate Bill 286, as amended by House Amendment 1, passed 40-0 and extends consumer protections and dealer equity standards to ATVs, side-by-sides, and vessels. Senate Bill 179, which updates the Delaware Sentencing Accountability Commission and its bench book/data analysis process, passed 27-14. Senate Substitute 2 for Senate Bill 23, the housing supply and affordability bill, was presented with extensive explanation and questions about local control, zoning, and implementation, but the transcript ends before a final vote on that measure. Senate Joint Resolution 18, designating August 31, 2026 as International Overdose Awareness Day and directing flags at half-staff, was also discussed in emotional remarks about overdose losses and the state’s ongoing response. The House later recessed for party caucuses.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 1171 also respects local bargaining and does not impose a one-size-fits-all mandate.
• It does not create new mandates.
• Importantly, the bill does not mandate a specific curriculum.
• We respectfully ask that the committee amend the bill to remove the PLA mandates and restore JOC as a
• Is, are you confident that CIF will actually make changes without the specific mandate in there?

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard several education-related bills, with most of the discussion centered on student privacy, faculty health coverage, Native student data collection, mental health training for coaches, and human trafficking prevention education. AB 1159, the California Learner Personal Information Protection Act, would expand student data privacy protections to higher education, clarify existing ed-tech rules, and add limited enforcement. The author and supporters said current law is outdated and does not adequately protect sensitive student information, while some college-related stakeholders raised definitional concerns about preserving routine student communications and access to course materials. The bill was approved on a due-pass motion to the Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies and Consumer Protection Committee and placed on call. AB 1171 would keep unspent funds in the part-time community college faculty health insurance program from being swept for other uses and would require all community college districts to begin negotiating participation by 2030. The author and supporters argued that part-time faculty often lack employer-sponsored coverage despite teaching most community college courses, while opponents said the bill was premature because participation is still growing and the program’s full-year spending data is not yet known. Members debated whether the Legislature should preserve the funding in statute or continue handling it through the budget process. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations and was placed on call. AB 1581 would require collection of tribal affiliation data for Native American and Alaska Native students in CalPADS to address severe undercounting and improve resource allocation. The author and tribal and education supporters said Native students are often misclassified, making it harder to provide culturally responsive programs and measure outcomes; committee members discussed how the reporting would work for multitribal and multiracial students and emphasized the need for tribal consultation and workable data definitions. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations and was placed on call. AB 1665, requiring mental health training for school coaches, was supported as a way to help trusted adults recognize warning signs and connect student athletes to services; it also passed to Senate Appropriations and was placed on call. AB 1766, which would expand human trafficking prevention education from kindergarten through 12th grade and address online grooming and exploitation, received strong support from the author, survivors, and advocacy groups, with testimony emphasizing earlier prevention and digital safety; the transcript ended during support testimony and did not include final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think we should forcibly<00:38:55.280> mandate<00:38:55.680> that<00:38:55.839>
• they<00:38:56.079> increase<00:38:56.320> the forcibly mandate that they increase
• the forcibly mandate that they increase the floor<00:38:56.720> if<00:38:56.880> they<
• And because of that, we're very cognizant, especially of bills that mandate things like this.
• <00:55:22.480> This that mandate things like this. This that mandate things like this.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I would just note as AASA that one of the mandates that we have for the foster children that we deal
• with who are in the abuse and neglect side of things, uh, it is mandated that we start talking with
• that we have for the foster mandates that we have for the foster children<00:43:05.200> that<
• Uh it<00:43:11.520> is<00:43:11.680> it<00:43:12.000> is<00:43:12.160> mandated
• that we um start it is it is mandated that we um start talking<00:43:16.160> with<00:43:16.480

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met on December 19, 2025, approved the draft minutes from the November 21 regular meeting, and received a DHS commissioners update. Patricia Tilly reported on the state’s rural health transformation application, saying CMS had provided only one question and positive feedback, that the final federal award amount was still pending, and that DHS was preparing an accept-and-expend item for fiscal review using an up-to amount. She also said the new Hampstead YDC facility remains on track, with substantive construction expected by late summer 2026 and move-in likely in early January 2027. In response to questions, she confirmed the playground/outdoor activity area had been in the original design and was added when funding became available. Henry Litman, Medicaid director, discussed the Senate Bill 248 study committee report on palliative and hospice care. He explained the distinction between palliative care, which can be provided while a patient still seeks curative treatment, and hospice care, which involves electing not to pursue curative services. He said the committee’s work pointed to a need for better education for providers and the public, and described ongoing conversations with the Foundation for Healthy Communities and Home Health and Hospice about developing materials and possibly addressing how palliative services are bundled. He also said the study committee itself did not generate future legislation, though members could pursue it separately. Litman then answered questions about Medicaid eligibility and long-term services and supports, including delays in processing, the backlog from pandemic-era redeterminations, and efforts to speed reviews. He said the department is using temporary staffing funded in part by last session’s legislation, working with the New Hampshire Healthcare Association, counties, and UNH Law to streamline policy and training, and relying more on electronic asset verification while still guarding against improper asset transfers. He emphasized the goal of balancing faster access to benefits with compliance and fraud prevention. Robert Rodler followed with the annual tuition waiver update for children in foster care or guardianship. He reported 82 applicants and 65 waivers granted, including 35 for USNH schools and 30 for the community college system, and noted a correction would be issued for inaccurate continuing/new student figures in the report. Senator Gray said he intends to pursue a separate budget appropriation for these tuition waiver costs in the future so the funding would be clearly identified and easier to track. No additional votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:12:09.040> to fulfill our legislative mandate to fulfill our legislative mandate to assist
• One of the great things that we have is our tripartite board of directors, which is mandated through
• One of the great things that we have is our tripartite board of directors, which is mandated through
• tripartite board of directors,<00:20:36.320> which<00:20:36.640> is<00:20:37.360> mandated
• ,<00:20:38.640> um, directors, which is mandated, um, directors, which is mandated, um, through

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: A joint informational briefing of the House Committee on Labor and the Senate Committee on Labor and Technology was held on August 19, 2025, to hear testimony on the Office of Community Services’ proposed Community Services Block Grant state plan for federal fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Ray Domingo of OCS explained that the plan is intended to maintain federal CSBG funding and focuses on compliance monitoring, coordination among community action agencies and state agencies, and strengthening partnerships. He also reviewed the program structure, noting that Hawaii’s four CAAs serve low-income residents, that the state must pass through at least 90% of the grant to CAAs, and that Hawaii received about $3.8 million in FFY 2025, with allocations to HCAP, Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council, Kauai Economic Opportunity, and Maui Economic Opportunity. He said statewide CAAs reported serving 40,980 individuals in FFY 2024. Representatives from each CAA testified in support of the plan and described how CSBG functions as flexible “glue” funding that supports overhead, fills gaps, and helps leverage other public and private resources. HCAP’s Robert Piper said the grant helps sustain its broad service network, including Head Start, job training, weatherization, shelter, food assistance, and energy programs, and emphasized its tripartite board structure and annual service to about 20,000 people. Hawaii County’s Chad Hosigal highlighted support for senior farmers market coupons, Meals on Wheels, and transportation services. Kauai Economic Opportunity’s Mabel Fujiuchi said the agency fully supports the plan and described CSBG as nucleus funding that helps support shelter, Meals on Wheels, weatherization, mediation, and other services, including assistance for homeless families and special needs items such as dentures and hearing aids. Maui Economic Opportunity’s Gay Sabonga described CSBG’s role in disaster response after the 2023 wildfires, including shelter transitions, document recovery, housing and utility assistance, bridge grants for small businesses, youth prevention programs, and employment services. Committee members asked about the stability of future federal funding, the frequency of federal assessments, and how satisfaction scores in the state plan were measured. OCS said federal funding information has been mixed and uncertain, that communication with federal partners has been limited and informal, and that the federal assessment website appears outdated; staff said assessments are done every two years. On the satisfaction metric, OCS said the score was 92 out of 100 and believed it reflected participant responses, though they offered to follow up with more detail. No votes or formal actions were taken at the informational briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, it's a provision, a mandate on Anoka County to spend a portion of its sales tax money
• the co-chair of the Ways and Means Committee, and it's a pedestrian bridge across the Rum River, mandating
• on<00:12:59.600> Ina<00:13:00.160> County<00:13:00.399> to a provision, a mandate
• on Ina County to a provision, a mandate on Ina County to spend<00:13:00.880> a<00:13:01.200><
• that Anoka pay or that Dam mandating that Anoka pay or that Anoka<00:13:19.839> County<00:13:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• these could sustain, preserve publications, preserve local jobs, and strengthen local offers. ...mandated
• These new mandates affect nearly every business and landlord in California.
• These new mandates affect nearly every business and landlord in California.
• These new mandates affect nearly every business and landlord in California.
• This would be another mandate that pulls staff out of the classrooms and creates a lack of consistency

Summary: The committee heard several labor-related bills, with AB 1424, AB 1340, AB 288, and AB 746 all advancing on due-pass motions to Appropriations after testimony and roll calls. AB 1424 would require climate resiliency and extreme-heat protections in CDCR facilities; supporters described dangerous heat conditions for incarcerated workers and staff, while no opposition testified. AB 1340 would allow rideshare drivers to unionize and collectively bargain; drivers, labor groups, and researchers testified that app-based work is low-paid and unstable, while TechNet, Uber, Lyft, and other business groups argued the bill conflicts with Proposition 22 and could raise costs. AB 288 would let PERB step in when federal labor remedies are unavailable; supporters said it is needed because of NLRB dysfunction, while the Chamber of Commerce raised preemption and enforcement concerns. AB 746 would create an inmate cooperative program and a green reentry reserve; supporters framed it as a recidivism-reduction and reentry strategy, and there was no opposition testimony. The committee also heard AB 858, which would extend hotel and hospitality worker recall rights after declared emergencies and extend existing COVID-era protections. Hospitality workers and unions supported the bill as a way to protect jobs after pandemics, wildfires, and other disasters, while hotel, chamber, retail, restaurant, trucking, travel, and attractions groups opposed it, saying the current recall rules were meant to sunset and that the bill would create broad liabilities and hiring complications. The bill was moved to Appropriations but remained on call after the roll. AB 291, creating a credentialed educator apprenticeship program to address teacher shortages and improve diversity, drew support from education groups and stakeholders who said apprenticeships could lower preparation costs and provide better support; it was also moved to Appropriations and placed on call. Later, the committee took up AB 1104, a solar-energy bill intended to clarify that private solar customers are not “awarding bodies” and to ease certain business-to-business solar transactions while preserving prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements for contractors. Supporters said the current interpretation has chilled commercial solar adoption and harmed jobs, while opponents from electrical workers, PG&E, and others warned about expanded “over-the-fence” power sales and the need for clearer limits. Members questioned the lack of a definition of “small,” and the bill was held without a second. The committee also heard AB 338, which seeks $50 million for Los Angeles and Ventura wildfire workforce recovery; the author and county officials described major job loss and business destruction and said the funds would support displaced workers and rebuilding, with the testimony continuing beyond the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• MDOT may, we're not mandating it, but they may update the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control
• MDOT may, we're not mandating it, but they may update the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control
• MDOT may, we're not mandating it, but they may update the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control
• MDOT may, we're not mandating it, but they may update the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control
• It's a statute with, um, mandating and putting in the manual standardizing what the signs look like,

Bills: HF3006, HF2130, HF1290

Keywords: Department of Corrections, DOC, corrections budget, supplemental appropriation, deficiency funding, public safety finance, incarceration, prerelease services, community supervision, postrelease services, supervised release, probation, reentry, reentry services, prison reform, body-worn cameras, corrections officer cameras, ARMER radio system, PREA, Prison Rape Elimination Act

Transcript Highlights:

• not the uncertainty of the economy that is affecting them; it’s the uncertainty of knowing what mandates
• about other issues and the actions we are taking already on the effect of education, and that’s the mandates
• not the uncertainty of the economy that is affecting them; it’s the uncertainty of knowing what mandates
• not the uncertainty of the economy that is affecting them; it’s the uncertainty of knowing what mandates
• not the uncertainty of the economy that is affecting them; it’s the uncertainty of knowing what mandates

Bills: HF4, HF173

Keywords: tax relief fund, budget surplus, surplus revenue, tax rebate, tax refund, one-time refund, income tax, property tax, constitutional amendment, Minnesota Constitution, general fund, budget reserve, taxpayer relief, state surplus, fiscal forecast, wealthy taxpayers, high-income exclusion, 2026 ballot, referendum, surplus distribution

Transcript Highlights:

• Another issue back in 2021: this office was mandated through HB 236 to review all conservatorship reports
• , but it was an unfunded mandate.
• At your cash balances and other things, and I feel like we've made changes already and mandates for this
• So our three FTE requests have to do. with ensuring that we are covering our cybersecurity mandate.
• Oh, we have a dual mandate to make money but not at the long-term expense of the resource.

Transcript Highlights:

• When a complete application comes in, the PUC's rules mandate a decision within 60 to 180 days depending
• When a complete application mandates.
• <00:31:20.320> a comes in, the PUC's rules mandate a comes in, the PUC's rules mandate a decision
• <00:42:12.240> when<00:42:12.400> it sensitive to unfunded mandates when it sensitive
• to unfunded mandates when it comes<00:42:12.720> to<00:42:12.960> our<00:42:13.359>

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She gave an example that some new mandates roll back the auto re-enrollment for Minnesotans into some
• <00:26:18.160> roll<00:26:18.280> back For example, some new mandates roll back For
• The newborn screening program is a mandated program that receives funding from fees.
• program that receives funding mandated program that receives funding from<00:31:20.640> fees.
• > would Mandating a statutory change would Mandating a statutory change would require<01:29:19.080

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In H.R. 1, that bill specifically mandates work requirements in states that have expanded Medicaid.
• In H.R. 1, that bill specifically mandate.
• In H.R. 1, that bill specifically mandates work requirements in states that have expanded Medicaid.
• Next, it repeals the sunset of the mRNA mandate prohibition.
• That law included vaccines created with mRNA technology and the prohibition against mandates.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized several introductions and memorials, including a resolution designating August 9, 2026, as Bob Graham Day and a moment of silence for firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber then moved through a long special-order calendar, with several bills substituted with House companions and adopted by voice vote or recorded vote. Early measures included a tax conformity bill tied to federal Internal Revenue Code changes, which passed 34-0, and a Medicaid/public assistance bill that drew extensive debate over work requirements, fraud reduction, behavioral health services, and SNAP/EBT reforms. Amendments offered by Senators Berman and Osgood to condition or soften the work and photo-ID provisions were rejected, and the underlying bill was placed on the third-reading calendar after lengthy questioning about implementation, exemptions, and eligibility effects. The Senate also passed bills on computer science education and AI instruction, a Parkinson’s disease registry public-records exemption and registry update, designation of the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the legal-tender sunset for gold and silver, public-records protections for gold/silver custodians and stablecoin-related entities, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, and local government budget transparency/spending measures. Most of these measures were adopted after minor amendments or technical substitutions, with votes generally ranging from 31-3 to 34-0. The chamber also recognized the Florida Channel’s 30 years of legislative coverage. Later, the Senate approved a digital voyeurism bill expanding the reasonable-expectation-of-privacy definition to include private fenced yards, and an insurance customer representative licensing bill allowing high school students to complete insurance/personal finance coursework and later qualify for licensure. The final major item was a medical freedom bill that would expand parental vaccine information requirements, add a conscience-based exemption to immunization mandates, allow behind-the-counter ivermectin for adults, and repeal the sunset on the mRNA mandate prohibition; two amendments clarifying anti-kickback rules and requiring vaccine information to include risks, benefits, safety, and efficacy were adopted, while questions from Senators Smith and Massullo focused on public-health impacts and the content of the required materials. The transcript ends during discussion of that bill, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• But she mandated in that funding, she said, "I will give you the $50 million to build a hospital only
• This is not a mandate for tribal police.
• Speaker, they spoke, and kind lady, they spoke loud and clear against this EIB mandate.
• So the biggest problem is they mandate a certain percentage Of their stock be electric vehicles.
• Speaker and gentlemen, this legislation does not mandate the use of any electric vehicles or mandate

Transcript Highlights:

• I too am concerned about uh the vagueness and also the mandate.
• I too am concerned about uh the vagueness and also the mandate.
• Uh again, the our and also the mandate.
• <00:29:48.320> that concerned about again a mandate that concerned about again a mandate that
• Um, on deck we have Leah. the Midwest do not impose mandates like the Midwest do not impose mandates

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's a huge concern that we have and would be a mandate.
• comport with any of the state mandates comport with any of the state mandates um<01:54:27.360>
• Of course, the biggest difference here is the mandate that ADU allowed to be attached, and this would
• Of course, the biggest difference here is the mandate that ADU allowed to be attached, and this would
• Of course, the biggest difference here is the mandate that ADU allowed to be attached, and this would

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• us meet a mandate that we set here uh us meet a mandate that we set here uh for<01:16:44.239> 2045
• front, are we going to start to limit ourselves where that viability might be because there is a mandate
• in that community, and if we're not able to get in there, then we're going to have to change that mandate
• in place and because there is a mandate in place and if<01:20:06.560> if<01:20:06.960> if<
• to reach 100% Net Hawaii has a mandate to reach 100% Net Zero<01:41:09.920> before<01:41:10.280

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee met on March 19, 2025, and first heard SB 137 SD2 HD1 relating to electric utilities. The Division of Consumer Advocacy and the Public Utilities Commission said they stood on their written comments, IBEW Local 1260 supported the bill, and Ulupono Initiative also supported it. Hawaiian Electric supported the intent but asked for an amendment, saying the bill’s definition of “acquiring entity” was too broad and could unintentionally cover purely local utility transactions. A later witness from Life of the Land supported the bill only if the merger/acquisition language were removed, arguing the PUC would not have a workable mechanism to let a cooperative intervene in a utility sale process. Committee members questioned whether the bill could still work without that section, and Ulupono said it was open to clarifying language but did not seek to remove the provision; the discussion ended without a vote in the excerpt provided. The committee then took up SB 1220 SD2 relating to a renewable gas tariff. The Division of Consumer Advocacy and the PUC again stood on written comments. HGas strongly supported the measure, saying it would create a faster, more cost-effective path for a voluntary renewable gas tariff without requiring a full rate case, while preserving PUC oversight and consumer protections. The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas also supported the bill, emphasizing that it would expand consumer choice and help Hawaii’s clean energy goals while keeping the program voluntary and shielding non-participating customers from costs. Henry Curtis of Life of the Land opposed the bill, arguing that HGas already had an active rate case and could have raised the issue there, and that the proposal did not increase renewable gas supply or speed up acquisition; he called it a gimmick. In response, HGas said the bill was mainly a mechanism to speed filing and that the details would be worked out in a PUC docket. Committee members pressed HGas on whether the measure would actually add renewable gas, what source would be used, and whether customers would simply be paying more for the same gas; HGas said it had two projects in development, including banagrass and hydrogen-related work, and that the tariff would be a voluntary opt-in rate for customers seeking renewable natural gas to meet sustainability goals. No vote was taken in the excerpt provided.