Transcript Highlights:

• And if they don't know, they look them up online.
• This would raise the price of the tag to $25, and this would approximately raise $330,000 annually.
• This would raise the price of the tag to $25, and this would approximately raise $330,000 annually.
• fuels, authorize private license police agencies to become authorized agents for IFTA, and allow online

Bills: S0174 , S0388 , S0470 , S0488 , S0490 , S0584 , S0628

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The Transportation Committee heard and advanced several bills, mostly related to honorary roadway designations, specialty license plates, and Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles administration. SB 628 designated a portion of South Navy Boulevard in Pensacola as “Warrior Sacrifice Way” to honor Ensign Joshua Watson and Petty Officers Muhammad Hatham and Cameron Walters, who were killed in the 2019 Naval Air Station Pensacola attack. The bill passed favorably with no debate or opposition. The committee also considered SB 174, naming a portion of State Road 985 in Miami-Dade County as Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue. Senator Arrington opposed the bill during debate, citing Kirk’s public statements as inconsistent with the honor, while Senator Rodriguez argued the designation was an honorary roadway naming that did not require agreement with Kirk’s views. The bill was reported favorably. SB 388, which raises the annual use fee for the Florida Wildflowers specialty license plate from $15 to $25 while keeping the lower fee for owners with more than 10 vehicles, also passed favorably after a support-only public comment. Members then approved SB 470, which opens the Fraternal Order of Police specialty plate to the general public and allows redesigns to help sustain sales and increase funding for law enforcement memorial efforts. Public testimony from the FOP supported the change. SB 584 authorized DHSMV to enter agreements allowing county tax collectors to enforce certain commercial driving school provisions, aimed at addressing fraud and licensing abuses, and it passed favorably with support. Finally, the committee approved SB 488, the DHSMV agency package updating IFTA compliance, online filing, crash reporting thresholds, registration procedures, email communications, and tank vehicle definitions, along with SB 490, the companion public records exemption for email addresses used under SB 488; both were reported favorably, with SB 490 noted as requiring a two-thirds vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so they're coming to us because of price versus availability. Okay.
• They do get CE credit, continuing education credit, if they take it, but they have to go online and take
• It is, they do get CE credit, continuing education credit, if they take it, but they have to go online
• We still have very, very few choices for our customers to get adequate coverage at an adequate price,
• Because the price of insurance will skyrocket for everyone else in the state.

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee held an oversight hearing on the California Fair Plan, focusing on its rapid growth, financial stability, rate adequacy, and role in the homeowners insurance market. Committee members described the Fair Plan as increasingly functioning as a “safety net” rather than a true insurer of last resort, while Fair Plan representatives said the plan was created by statute, is privately funded by member insurers, and is now taking on more business because of non-renewals and limited availability in the admitted market. They emphasized that the plan offers residential and commercial coverage, but not a full HO-3 homeowners policy, and said expanding into that product would require major new staffing, vendor, and claims infrastructure. A major topic was pricing and assessments. Fair Plan officials said their rates have historically lagged their projected costs, especially because reinsurance costs were not fully recoverable in rates until recently. They reviewed recent filings, including a 2023 filing that was reduced from an estimated 80% need to a 35.8% request after working with the Department of Insurance. They also discussed the plan’s reinsurance tower, a new catastrophe bond, and the $1 billion assessment triggered by the 2025 Los Angeles fires after losses exceeded available capital. They said AB 226 helped secure a $600 million line of credit to reduce assessment risk, and they thanked lawmakers for supporting that measure. Members raised constituent concerns about coverage limits, underinsurance, and misinformation from agents. Fair Plan officials said they do not deny applicants because their homes exceed the plan’s $3.3 million limit; instead, policyholders can combine Fair Plan coverage with excess insurance. They said broker training and webinars are being expanded to address misunderstandings, and they noted that raising the cap would depend on achieving actuarially sound rates and sufficient financial capacity. Members also asked about smoke claims from the 2025 fires; the Fair Plan said it has paid covered smoke claims under California law, reviewed closed claims, and removed the “sight and smell” language from its policy form after litigation and CDI action. Public commenters from the insurance industry, builders, agriculture, and nonprofit service providers largely urged faster depopulation of the Fair Plan, more adequate rates, and reforms to the clearinghouse process. Some warned that the Fair Plan is now competing with the admitted market because it can be cheaper in some areas, while others said the plan is still essential because the private market is not serving high-risk or specialized properties. The hearing ended without a vote or formal action, but committee members and Fair Plan representatives agreed to continue working on rate, transparency, and depopulation issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• approval of contracts by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska and inflation adjustment of the maximum price
• approval of contracts by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska and inflation adjustment of the maximum price
• of natural gas, relating to an alternative volumetric tax and... ...maximum price of natural gas, relating
• The Senate version uses different, more granular percentages that change once the LNG plant comes online
• of natural gas; relating to an alternative volumetric tax on natural gas throughput. ...on the price

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> price over time. price over time.
• But that need varies greatly by price point. Right? The need varies greatly by price point.
• But that need varies greatly by price point. Right? The need varies greatly by price point.
• </c> qualify for just the median priced home. qualify for just the median priced home.
• One, prices decline or flatten.

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• We've seen asphalt prices from early in the 2000s...
• Asphalt prices from early in the 2000s were about $27 a ton in place.
• The current price is $100 a ton. Massive increases over the same time period.
• We're seeing a big spike in asphalt prices, and unless we see additional funds coming in... ...a big
• There's a panel online. No one that's signed up. Okay, well, whoever's online, come on up. Mr.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Transportation

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation held its first hearing of the session on H. 53, Governor Healey’s Chapter 90 proposal to increase state funding for municipal roads, bridges, sidewalks, and culverts. Committee chairs outlined the hybrid hearing process and invited testimony from municipal officials, labor groups, regional planning organizations, contractors, and administration officials. Across the hearing, speakers consistently supported the bill, emphasizing long-deferred maintenance, inflation in construction costs, climate-related flooding, and the need for more predictable, multi-year funding so cities and towns can plan projects and take advantage of the construction season. The administration described H. 53 as part of a broader $8 billion transportation package, proposing to raise annual Chapter 90 funding from $200 million to $300 million for five years, with the additional $100 million distributed by road mileage to better support rural and small communities. They also highlighted $200 million for culverts and small bridges, plus other transportation investments, and said the five-year authorization would provide certainty for municipal capital planning. Municipal witnesses from places including Carlisle, Beverly, Granby, Hatfield, Newton, Nahant, Gardner, Beckett, and Yarmouth described local road and culvert backlogs, rising asphalt costs, and the difficulty of maintaining infrastructure on limited local budgets. Labor and industry witnesses from the AFL-CIO and MAPA said the bill would support good-paying jobs and provide stability for contractors and producers. The MBTA Advisory Board and regional planning representatives also backed the proposal, noting the connection between local roads and the broader transportation system. Committee members asked questions about the road-mile formula, culvert needs, asphalt costs, and the rationale for a five-year authorization. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee adjourned after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• know what the price is going to be at that point.
• So in that situation... ...doesn't know what the price is going to be at that point.
• But we want to have the flexibility to be wrong and be able to have prices be more than we expect.
• So they will do everything they can to keep prices down, including on projects like this.
• I mean, sometimes... ...it isn't just about the lowest price.

Bills: SB6132

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: indebtedness limits, inland port districts, federal funding, infrastructure improvements, economic development

Transcript Highlights:

• And now, you know, they're paying a higher price.
• And online, we registered online and then it took six, seven months before they even recognized that,
• online.
• And so the online form, anytime we do something on something like this, if it has an online component
• Sam LeClyder, Missouri Realtors, turned in my paperwork online.

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1714, pricing emergency enforcement. SB 1715, distressed residential real estate.
• SB 1747, social media online content minors. SB 1748, victims' rights opt-in process.
• education education research report HS 17 17 13 13 access procurement contracting HHS 17 17 13 13 pricing
• SB 1746 elections voting centers polling places judicial sharing elections as we 1747 social media online
• SB 1797, central drugs price and lease limits.

Transcript Highlights:

• approval of contracts by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska and inflation adjustment of the maximum price
• approval of contracts by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska and inflation adjustment of the maximum price
• of natural gas, relating to an alternative volumetric tax and Maximum price of natural gas, relating
• of natural gas, relating to an alternative volumetric tax... ...of the maximum price of natural gas,
• of natural gas, relating to an alternative volumetric tax on natural gas through. on price of natural

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and approved the journal and the prayer for the record. The clerk read gubernatorial messages calling the legislature into a third special session and describing the call around House Bill 381, a major natural gas project bill addressing property taxes, municipal taxes, AGDC, reporting requirements, contract approval, an alternative volumetric tax, municipal impact grants, and related provisions. Messages from the Senate reported passage of a Senate-amended version of HB 381 and transmission of Senate Concurrent Resolution 203 to suspend certain rules related to the bill. The House introduced HCR 301 and HCR 302. HCR 301, which suspends rules on carryover of bills into a special session, passed 40-0. The House then took up the Senate amendments to HB 381. The Majority Leader outlined the Senate changes, including new school funding provisions, reorganization and oversight of AGDC funds, a public project dashboard, stricter bond approval requirements, a heating fuel assistance fund, changes to the alternative volumetric tax structure and distribution of revenues, a permanent rather than sunsetted tax break, new deadlines tied to final investment decision and construction, and a new graduated income tax on certain pass-through entities. He urged members to vote no on concurrence, and the House rejected concurrence 12-28. Because the House did not concur, the Speaker appointed a conference committee on HB 381 consisting of Representative Schrage, the Majority Leader, Representative Edgmon, and Representative Ruffridge. HCR 302, authorizing the House and Senate to recess for more than three days, passed 40-0 after members stated the recess was intended to allow conference negotiations to continue and that the body would return on a time certain. The House also received two governor-request bills, HB 3001 and HB 3002, both referred to the Finance Committee. The House then excused several members for specified absences and adjourned until July 1 at 10:30 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those that are paying attention to us online. It's great to be here.
• We looked at online billing so that maybe you finance this over time.
• Our concept is to fix our price.
• So now you have three of our components that have a fixed price.
• You know what land prices are.

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And they use Brent prices in their report.
• And they use Brent prices in their report.
• I'm just going to touch on prices.
• at $70, which would put our prices at $60.
• at $70, which would put our prices at $60.

Summary: The Leadership Division of the Budget Section approved the prior meeting minutes and then received an update from Senator Jonathan Sickler on the Cash Management Board’s interim work under House Bill 1278. He said the board has reviewed state cash, investments, and liquidity across agencies and concluded the state’s overall mix of long-term and short-term assets is appropriate, with about $35 billion in total liquid assets and investments and roughly 89% in longer-term investments. He highlighted process improvements already underway, including replacing more than 500 six-month CDs with a special-rate savings account to reduce administrative work, and said the board sees opportunities to improve forecasting, automation, and statewide coordination. Members asked about whether the CD change would increase returns, how the Legacy Fund transfer for the homestead tax relief bill affected earnings, and whether more state cash could be consolidated or better managed through BND; Sickler and BND staff said those issues are being studied and may lead to legislation for the 2027 session. Representative Nathan Toman then updated the committee on the Task Force on Government Efficiency. He said the group has focused less on cutting dollars and more on defining metrics and asking how the legislature knows whether programs are working. The task force is pushing a standard set of questions for new or expanding programs—who is affected, expected outcomes, alternatives, how success will be measured, and full funding—and OMB has agreed to require those answers in future budget requests. Members discussed possible use of dashboards, program evaluators, AI tools, and possible rule or statutory changes to require performance measurement. Toman said the task force will continue meeting with agencies such as the courts, university system, auditor, HHS, Commerce, and ITD to identify workflow bottlenecks and potential efficiencies. Phil Davis of Job Service North Dakota gave a workforce update, reporting that North Dakota’s unemployment rate is 2.5% and labor force participation is about 68.7%, both well above national performance. He described Job Service’s 15 workforce programs, including H-2A housing inspections for foreign agricultural workers, the job placement partnership program with DOCR, WOTC, and other federal and state workforce efforts. Davis said the agency served more than 11,000 individuals in 2025, operates nine workforce centers, and tracks outcomes through quarterly and annual reporting. In response to questions, he said job openings data reflect only positions in the system and may understate actual hiring needs, that child care and other assistance programs could be better tied to employment outcomes, and that the DOCR partnership has shown strong results with lower recidivism and higher earnings. He also said the H-2A inspection workload is growing quickly and additional staffing or less frequent federal inspection requirements could help. Allen Knutson then presented S&P Global’s updated revenue forecast. He said oil prices have risen sharply since the prior month’s outlook, improving the state’s near-term revenue picture, though the economy remains volatile and agriculture is facing weaker commodity prices. Based on the updated forecast, total major tax revenues for the current biennium are projected to be about $89 million above the legislative forecast, and the next biennium could be about $500 million higher, though that estimate is preliminary and may change. He also walked through an alternate oil-price scenario showing significantly higher oil and gas collections and a larger Strategic Investment Fund balance if prices remain elevated. Members asked whether another forecast should be requested once oil markets stabilize and about tribal allocation changes in the alternative scenario; Knutson said additional updates are possible through OMB and future forecast cycles.

Transcript Highlights:

• As background, the 340B drug pricing program requires drug manufacturers to provide price discounts on
• And in fact, 340B helps discourage excessive drug prices when a manufacturer raises their price faster
• And in fact, 340B helps discourage excessive drug prices when a manufacturer raises their price faster
• Instead, they may request reimbursement based on undiscounted prices.
• For the tribes, the 340B program is not a pricing preference.

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee held a hearing on several bills. SB 5904 would prohibit non-human entities from using nursing titles; the sponsor and nursing groups said it is meant to increase transparency around AI and ensure patients know when they are interacting with a real nurse. SB 5915 would change Health Technology Assessment Program review criteria and timelines, with supporters arguing it would better account for Medicare coverage and national guidelines, especially for rare and life-threatening conditions. SB 6025 would update the definition of fetal death to allow gestational age to be determined by the best clinically accurate method rather than last menstrual period, and medical professionals and the sponsor said this would reduce emotional, financial, and legal burdens on grieving families. SB 5933 would require near real-time sharing of overdose data into ODMAP; public health, local government, and recovery advocates said it would improve overdose response, while one witness asked that poison center data be included and clarified separately. SB 5990 would allow APRNs and physician assistants to serve as local health officers in counties under 100,000 population; rural county officials supported the added flexibility, while public health groups and naturopathic physicians raised concerns about qualifications and asked that naturopathic doctors be included as well. SB 5981 would restrict drug manufacturers from limiting 340B drug access through contract pharmacies or requiring data as a condition of discounts; safety-net hospitals, community health centers, pharmacies, and patients said it protects access and reinvestment in care, while manufacturers, employer groups, and industry representatives argued it increases costs, lacks transparency, and may not ensure savings reach patients. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the transcript; each bill was heard and testimony was closed. Sign-in counts were reported for several bills, including strong pro support for SB 5904, SB 5915, SB 5933, and SB 5981, and mixed or substantial opposition on SB 6025 and SB 5990.

Transcript Highlights:

• So average price in production reflect through the month of December.
• We were tracking a little bit below the price, the North Dakota price, and the forecast was $59.
• It's also online.
• It's not a price process.
• So it is available online. I mean, it might be some data, but it is available online.

Summary: The Budget Section met with a quorum, approved the December 10, 2025 minutes, and received a general fund and revenue update from the Office of Management and Budget. OMB reported the state was about $2 million ahead of forecast biennium-to-date, with an estimated ending general fund balance of about $397.5 million. Joe Morset also reviewed balances in major funds, oil tax revenues, interest income, federal grant reporting, fiscal irregularities, the voluntary separation incentive program, vacancy savings, and the FTE pool. Members asked about the higher-than-forecast interest income, the effective oil tax rate and stripper-well production, the impact of temporary pay adjustments and vacancy savings, and whether the voluntary separation program could reduce institutional knowledge or shift duties to remaining staff. The committee then approved four Emergency Commission requests: $5.26 million for DPI to support an AI-enabled tutoring platform, $105,000 from the general fund contingency for Corrections GPS monitoring, about $1.963 million for HHS SPACES eligibility system upgrades tied to Medicaid work requirements, and about $1.2 million for SNAP eligibility IT improvements. Legislative Council reported remaining interim spending authority after those approvals, and NDIT gave an update on digital accessibility compliance efforts, saying the state has made substantial progress on websites and PDFs but that applications will take longer to remediate. NDIT also reported on the Infinite Campus student information system rollout, noting data migration remains the biggest challenge and that a supplemental vendor is being brought in to help get districts ready for summer go-live. Greg Hoffman then gave a brief update on NDIT’s operational fund, saying cash remains negative in PeopleSoft but accounts receivable keeps the fund functioning within federal limits. The Supreme Court reported on its new and vacant FTE funding pool, saying it has filled 7 of 10 new positions and has realized some vacancy savings, and Legislative Council provided a similar report for the legislative branch along with a reminder that budget action reports are available online. The Department of Transportation presented its Flexible Transportation Fund, explaining the fund’s allocation formulas and ranking process, and sought Budget Section approval for two projects over the $10 million threshold: a Medora city streets and sidewalk project and a Cass County bridge replacement. Members questioned whether funding Medora streets could set a precedent for city street reconstruction and whether the bridge application process fully reflects statewide needs. DOT said the projects were scored competitively and that the bridge list does not capture all deficiencies statewide.

Transcript Highlights:

• All of this is available when we consolidate access at premium prices and resource-saving schools and
• </c><00:09:09.760><c> and</c> consolidate access at premium prices and consolidate access at premium
• prices and resource<00:09:10.640><c> saving</c><00:09:11.040><c> schools</c><00:09:11.440><c> and</c>
• It says for statewide licenses to online databases selected in cooperation, and it goes on.
• Yes, thank you for price. That's all.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 493, the Wartime Price Gouging Prevention Act.
• that would activate anti-price-gouging protections.
• So what does the Wartime Price Gouging Act do?
• Obviously, the focus has been oil and gas prices.
• Obviously, the focus has been oil and gas prices.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, though no final votes were taken because a quorum had not yet been established. SB 493 by Senator Becker would add war or armed conflict to California’s price-gouging emergency triggers, with the author and supporters arguing it would protect consumers from gas-price spikes tied to international conflict. Opponents, including business and housing groups, warned the bill could over-trigger emergency powers and create broad, ongoing price controls. The chair indicated support for an aye-as-amended recommendation once quorum was reached. SB 1056 by Senator Grayson would require protective orders for disclosure of sexually explicit material involving adult victims in specified criminal cases. Denise Huskins-Quinn and Aaron Quinn testified in support, describing how sensitive evidence in their case was copied and handled without adequate safeguards; supporters said the bill would extend privacy protections similar to those already used for child sexual abuse material. Criminal defense attorneys supported the goal but raised concerns about notice procedures and how the bill would apply when material is in the public domain. The chair said the bill filled a gap in existing law and would receive an aye recommendation. SB 1208 by Senator Grayson would let law enforcement seize and return crypto assets used in scams and fraud to victims. The Attorney General’s office and law enforcement groups supported the bill as a tool to recover losses from transnational crypto fraud, while the ACLU and public defenders argued it lowered the burden of proof, raised constitutional concerns, and could be misused against unbanked or low-level defendants. The chair nevertheless said the bill aligned with existing law for stolen property and would be recommended aye. SB 874 by Senator Weber-Pearson would strengthen oversight of Medi-Cal behavioral health treatment services, including requiring background checks for employees of providers and convening a stakeholder workgroup; it drew support from the California Association for Behavior Analysis and no opposition was heard. Later, SB 1266 by Senator Stern would change how the value of stolen copper and related infrastructure damage is calculated, aiming to address copper theft and its costs to cities and utilities. Supporters said the bill would better capture the real harm from thefts that disrupt streetlights, telecom, and emergency services, while opponents argued it would inflate charges, turn many misdemeanors into felonies, and increase court and incarceration costs. The author said he would continue discussions and accept the amendments. Senator Cervantes presented SB 1379, which would separate the Riverside County sheriff and coroner offices and create an independent medical examiner; supporters cited in-custody death concerns and conflicts of interest, while opponents said the problem was not unique to Riverside and that the bill would override local control. Cervantes also presented SB 1418 to extend ballot-custody protections to other election records and equipment after a Riverside County ballot seizure, with support from the Attorney General’s office. Finally, Senator Blakespear began presenting SB 936 on nitrous oxide misuse, describing public health, impaired-driving, and disposal concerns, but the transcript cuts off before the bill’s testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Would you believe that Tesla, because most people buy it online and customize online, might not need
• online they customize online so they online they customize online so they might<03:39:22.000><c> not<
• People like buying online. most of the time they customize online most of the time they customize online
• </c> most of the time not online. most of the time not online.
• </c> it's going to potentially lower prices it's going to potentially lower prices for<03:59:11.760><

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:08.280><c> businesses</c><00:04:09.120><c> in</c> world's leading online businesses in world's
• leading online businesses in support<00:04:09.720><c> of</c><00:04:10.000><c> uh</c><00:04:10.120><c
• She said their impact on communities is big, as is their public price, and thanked the committee.
• T thank you thank you very public price T thank you thank you very much<00:41:26.119><c> any</c><00:
• Across the country, data centers are being used as excuses for keeping fossil fuel plants online for

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman Price, on your bill, on your resolution. Thank you, Mr.
• The amendment is online and is being passed out.
• It lets the DOTD look at things other than just the price.
• I'm here to speak today strictly on the concept of average bid price award.
• With the average bid price approach, that will no longer be the case.

Bills: HR275 , HR282 , HCR112 , SCR62 , SCR64 , SB513

Committee: House Transportation, Highways & Public Works

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on May 26 with a quorum present and took up several resolutions and one Senate bill. SCR 64 created a task force to study construction management at risk (CMAR) in Louisiana public works; an amendment added representatives from the Louisiana Associated General Contractors and Associated Builders and Contractors, and the resolution was reported with amendments. HR 282 created a task force to study utility terrain vehicles with state agencies; an amendment added the State Fire Marshal, and it was also reported with amendments. The committee then considered SB 513 on public works project delivery methods. The bill originally included an average-bid award method for certain pilot projects, along with airport design-build provisions. Testimony from a Reason Foundation analyst and from the Louisiana Associated General Contractors raised concerns that average-bid contracting could encourage collusion, raise costs, and lacked supporting data or use by U.S. transportation departments, while airport design-build was supported. The committee adopted an amendment in concept to strike the average-bid provisions, leaving the airport-related design-build language in place, and SB 513 was reported with amendments by a vote of 11 yeas and 4 nays. The committee also reported SCR 62 favorably, which urges DOTD to evaluate school zones on state highways in response to safety concerns and near misses, including a fatal incident referenced by the author. HCR 112 was reported favorably to study flooding on Louisiana Highway 1 in Shreveport, and HR 275 was reported favorably to study an interstate highway signage maintenance and reporting program. The meeting concluded after all items were disposed of and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The amendments will establish<00:05:05.160><c> the</c><00:05:05.280><c> price</c><00:05:05.760><c> DNR
• </c><00:05:06.080><c> must</c><00:05:06.360><c> pay</c><00:05:06.600><c> for</c> establish the price
• DNR must pay for establish the price DNR must pay for easements<00:05:07.520><c> to</c><00:05:07.760>
• Online. Go ahead and give us your testimony. Really? No one? Oh, um I'm sorry. I Really? No one?
• Okay.<00:21:26.040><c> Online.</c> Okay. Online. Okay. Online.

Bills: HF3643 , HF3426 , HF4222 , HF4224

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• you in our research, which you can access in the PDF links that I filed as a, uh, testimony, um, online
• :37.200><c> testimony</c><00:03:38.200><c> um</c> um as a uh testimony um um as a uh testimony um online
• 03:41.080><c> and</c><00:03:41.760><c> the</c><00:03:42.000><c> data</c><00:03:42.280><c> says</c> online
• They are mixed in with other higher-price units so that the project is feasible; otherwise, they could
• units so that in with other higher price units so that the<00:13:54.639><c> project</c><00:13:54.920

Committee: Senate Housing

Summary: The Committee on Housing heard testimony on several housing-related measures. Senate Bill 65 would appropriate funds to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority for rehabilitation and repair of public housing units. Testifiers from the Department of Human Services, HPHA, Catholic Charities Hawaii, and Roar Cares supported the bill, emphasizing that repairing vacant units is a fast, cost-effective way to increase available housing for homeless and elderly residents. HPHA later told the committee it had 139 vacant units, with an estimated average repair cost of about $73,000 per unit. In decision-making, the committee recommended passage of SB 65 with amendments, including an appropriation of $10,147,000, and the motion passed. The committee also considered Senate Bill 40, which would allow HHFDC to secure a line of credit or other indebtedness for the bond volume cap recycling program. HHFDC supported the measure and explained that Act 35 had provided a $150 million line of credit for fiscal year 2025 only, so this bill would extend that authority; HHFDC said the bonds involved would be revenue bonds. Roar Cares supported the bill, while the chair asked whether the Legislature would need to pass such a bill annually. In decision-making, the committee recommended passage with amendments to specify revenue bonds and noted the administration should study other ways to secure the line of credit without annual legislation. For Senate Bill 35, which would create a Housing Efficiency and Innovation subaccount within the rental housing revolving fund and allow fund transfers without legislative approval, HHFDC and several others supported the measure, arguing that more flexible fund movement would improve efficiency. The committee adopted a recommendation to pass SB 35 with amendments, including language prioritizing projects on state or county land or projects by entities required to reinvest surplus into housing, and noting nonprofit developers could qualify for prioritization. Senate Bill 42, which would repeal certain 30% AMI set-aside and preference requirements for rental housing revolving fund projects, drew opposition from Catholic Charities Hawaii, which argued the bill would reduce the supply of the most vulnerable housing units, while HHFDC warned it could reduce production of 30% AMI units. The committee deferred SB 42. The final bill discussed was Senate Bill 75, which would establish a working group to revise the state’s qualified allocation plan and related rental housing revolving fund loan terms and report back to the Legislature. HHFDC and others offered comments, while Catholic Charities asked that the bill be deferred, saying HHFDC already had the capacity to work with the community without a new law. Roar Cares supported the concept but urged broader stakeholder inclusion. In decision-making, the chair said the committee report would note concerns about prior QAP revisions and the need for more transparent, ongoing stakeholder participation, and the committee recommended passage of SB 75 without amendments. All recommendations were adopted, and the hearing adjourned.