Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:18:56.320><c> uh</c> goes on these maps and in zones uh goes on these maps and in zones uh really
• And and these bonds are these bonds.
• </c> defunded by 25% by bonds. defunded by 25% by bonds.
• Um, but our bond to introduce next year.
• </c> year to give comfort to investors, bond year to give comfort to investors, bond investors.<00:48

Summary: The committees heard testimony on five housing-related measures. SB 2232 would create a three-year tiny home grant pilot program within HHFDC, with annual reporting to HHFDC and the Legislature; testimony was mixed, and the bill was later recommended for passage with amendments, including a full-time housing development specialist, a residential-use-only restriction for the tiny homes, and a blanked appropriation. SB 2192 would bar county down-zoning that reduces housing capacity unless equivalent capacity is added elsewhere in the county; it drew support from housing advocates and comments from planning officials, and was also recommended for passage with amendments. SB 2378 would clarify insurance requirements for single- and multifamily projects seeking expedited county permitting; engineers and housing groups supported it, while one testifier opposed it, and it was recommended for passage with a technical amendment. SB 2524 would appropriate funds to the City and County of Honolulu for housing-related departments to comply with prior acts; the Honolulu department supported it, and members asked about prior spending and funding sources. SB 2398 would require residential housing utility availability maps; the Honolulu Board of Water Supply opposed the bill as written, citing infrastructure security, accuracy, liability, and administrative burden concerns, while supporters said it would improve transparency for developers. The chair proposed amendments to make the maps broad and geographic rather than parcel-specific, remove contested-case and reliance provisions, allow disclaimer language, and change the date; the bill was then recommended for passage with amendments, with one member noting reservations. All five measures were ultimately passed out of committee with amendments, with votes recorded and some members excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:11:26.159><c> or</c> they have the necessary zoning or they have the necessary zoning or subdivision
• </c><01:15:10.960><c> or</c> potentially also had no zoning or potentially also had no zoning or subdivision
• We receive a bonding recommendation each year from the Capital Debt Affordability Advisory Committee.
• The bonding recommendation for this two-year cycle was lower than in previous cycles, not because of
• And H952, an act relating to capital construction and state bonding budget adjustments.

Transcript Highlights:

• On top of that, tolerance zone. This is something that I wanted to briefly touch on as well.
• So within that tolerance zone, let's say you have a four-inch pipeline, that means within 20 inches on
• Failure to maintain clearance on the tolerance zone sits at 24%.
• We do have a 100 feet buffer zone outside the actual polygram itself, so.
• Just had a couple quick questions, or we'll get one of our zone operators.

Transcript Highlights:

• happens to specifically the building or improvements to that building before we get to the loan and bond
• that dollar through a formulary, and that's to Partially make up for an inability to have access to bonding
• capacity through their whatever district they're zoned in.
• There was a discussion about forcing inclusion in local Bonding initiatives.
• I believe last year we had a piece Of legislation that changed the zoning process if you're a charter

Bills: HB2210 , HB2398 , HB2959 , HB3006 , HB3026 , HB3151 , HB3315 , HB3372 , HB3467 , HB3590 , HB4268 , HB4359 , HB4427

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: youth apprenticeship, career education, workforce development, high school programs, mentorship, vocational training, state oversight, credential of value, education, labor market, government reporting, school abuse reporting, child abuse, neglect, mandatory reporting, student safety, school employee misconduct, administrator reporting, superintendent, law enforcement notification

Transcript Highlights:

• They must be in a different time zone over at one Granite Place than they are here.
• So we don't yet have the opportunity to share an enterprise system, but I think that's more back of the
• Sharing an enterprise system probably are there, but there are other tools that we're using in common
• So we don't yet have the opportunity to share an enterprise system, but I think that's more back of the
• It's happening across the enterprise.

Summary: The committee met to review the annual report on collaboration between the University System of New Hampshire and the Community College System of New Hampshire, and the meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and a gubernatorial proclamation recognizing the community college system’s 80th anniversary. Both chancellors praised the proclamation and described the report as a statutory follow-up to the public higher education task force. They said the two systems have built a close working relationship and that the collaboration is intended to continue, though progress may be limited by resources and staffing changes. Much of the discussion focused on transfer pathways and new academic models. The chancellors said House Bill 1530 helped drive the creation of more than 100, and possibly about 130, “universal pathways” between the systems, with a reported 30% increase in community college associate-degree graduates transferring to the university system in the last academic year. They also discussed direct-admit outreach for community college graduates, early college and CTE-to-workforce pathways, and the development of three-year bachelor’s programs at Plymouth State and in some health-care fields. Members asked about nursing, allied dental health, and radiologic technology, and the chancellors said they are exploring whether some programs can be streamlined, while noting that nursing’s requirements may limit how short a pathway can be. Members also raised concerns about whether transfer pathways could affect university enrollment, but the university chancellor said declining enrollment is more likely due to a smaller pool of college-age students and broader competition, not the transfer programs. Another topic was the ERP/technology platform recommendation from the task force: the university system is moving to Workday, while the community college system is working to align business practices and move from an on-premises system to a cloud-based solution. Officials said a shared enterprise system could create efficiencies in the future, but it is not expected in the short term; student-facing tools like Canvas are already shared. The committee also discussed House Bill 112, which would require passing a civics test for graduation, and the chancellors said they support civic education but see implementation challenges. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving the report.

Transcript Highlights:

• important as we diversify<00:14:55.440><c> into</c><00:14:55.839><c> other</c><00:14:56.079><c> enterprises
• ,</c><00:14:56.959><c> you</c> diversify into other enterprises, you diversify into other enterprises
• They also operate a little recreational activity center, which supports mother and child bonding and
• </c><00:35:58.000><c> The</c><00:35:58.240><c> last</c> and child bonding and therapy.
• The last and child bonding and therapy.

Summary: The meeting opened with a quorum, approval of the September 18, 2025 minutes, and a staff update on recent tobacco settlement-funded agriculture activities. The agriculture side highlighted Commissioner Shell’s outreach, including school visits, farm visits, and speaking engagements in Kentucky and a trip to Tennessee to discuss program models. A representative also described a national conference in Iowa, where Kentucky’s agriculture finance program was praised as a $180 million loan program built with tobacco settlement funds. The board noted September approvals totaling $950,000 for the agriculture development board and $3.3 million for the finance corporation, along with staff activity such as site visits, program closures, and project reports. The board also announced that the KKMP report covering 2015-2022 would be distributed and that the annual report, marking the program’s 25th anniversary, was being prepared. The board then reviewed two featured projects. The Organic Association of Kentucky requested $425,000 for organic producer support, but the board approved only one year of funding at $29,000, with members noting concern about recurring applicants and the need to evaluate long-term funding. The second project, by Joseph Dale Bentley in Lewis County, sought $51,300 to expand a small ruminant facility for goat production and export. Members were particularly interested because the project was already operating and creating market opportunities for Kentucky goat producers; the board approved half the project cost to help expand infrastructure and potentially allow quarantining on site. The cabinet then presented its annual update on tobacco settlement fund use in public health. Julie Brooks, Sarah Johnson, and Andrea Day reported on the HANS home visitation program, tobacco prevention and cessation efforts, lung cancer screening, and early childhood oral health. HANS served more families in FY25, rising from 6,293 to 6,715, and increased services from 139,943 to over 143,000. Tobacco prevention and cessation programs continued to support Quit Now Kentucky and My Life, My Quit, though officials noted federal uncertainty and the loss of federal tobacco control infrastructure. They also reported a slight decline in student outreach and cessation requests, but continued demand from schools and communities for vaping and nicotine prevention support. Lung cancer screening expanded to 55 screens, with Kentucky cited as a model for other states due to improved incidence, survival, and early detection rates. Early oral health efforts continued through local health departments, with more trainings for public health nurses, continued varnish kits, and expanded support for dental graduates and hygiene teams.

Transcript Highlights:

• the system also allows our small businesses to operate with the reach and security of much larger enterprises
• commissioners should just kind of keep an eye on that for when we schedule it, if there are any kind of no-fly zones
• commissioners should just kind of keep an eye on that for when we schedule it, if there are any kind of no-fly zones
• If there are any kind of no-fly zones commissioners need us to look at certain dates or not other ones
• If there are any kind of no-fly zones commissioners need us to look at certain dates or not other ones

Summary: The Special Legislative Commission on the Future of Payments and Sales Transactions by Credit Card and the Impacts for Small Businesses held a public hearing focused on interchange fees, sales tax and tip processing, chargebacks, fraud, surcharging, and the broader future of payment systems. Chair Paul Feeney and co-chair Rep. Jamie Murphy opened by explaining the commission’s charge and inviting testimony from small businesses, industry groups, banks, and policy experts. Representative Sean Garballey testified first, arguing that Massachusetts tourism depends on universal card acceptance and stable interchange, and urging the commission not to disrupt the current system ahead of major events expected to bring millions of visitors to the Commonwealth. A large portion of the hearing featured independent restaurant owners and advocates describing thin margins and the burden of paying percentage-based processing fees on sales tax and tips that are not business revenue. Jen Ziskin, Kristen Canty, Nancy Cushman, Kerry Colzer, and others said restaurants often operate on very small profits and that processing fees on taxes and gratuities can amount to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Ryan Lotz also urged reforms to chargebacks, including refunding chargeback fees when merchants prevail, requiring consumers to contact businesses before disputing charges, and limiting repeat abuse. Commission members pressed witnesses on whether tax and tip amounts could be separated at the point of sale, and several witnesses said current consumer card systems do not transmit that level of detail. Testimony from credit union, banking, and payments representatives largely opposed state-level changes that would carve out taxes or tips from interchange, warning of compliance burdens, higher costs, reduced rewards, and possible effects on fraud protection and access to credit. Alex Verine of America’s Credit Unions and Deb Peters and Keely McEwen of the Electronic Payments Coalition said the payment system is complex, that interchange funds fraud prevention and network infrastructure, and that new state mandates could create operational and legal uncertainty. Dan Swanson argued states have authority to act and pointed to Illinois litigation and federal court rulings, while Julian Morris and Brad Popolado emphasized the benefits of card acceptance, the decline of cash, and the need to consider other payment methods and check fraud as well. Several witnesses discussed international payment systems, instant payments, and QR standards as possible future directions. The chairs and members engaged in extended back-and-forth with witnesses about whether Massachusetts could exempt sales tax from swipe fees, whether surcharging should be revisited, and whether vendor compensation or other targeted relief might be more workable than broad changes to interchange. No votes were taken. At the close of the hearing, the chairs said the commission would hold one additional public hearing date to be determined, after which members would begin developing next steps and a report.

Transcript Highlights:

• has come to, you know, disrupt, let's just say, a number of issues related to business and free enterprise
• Amendment number two reduces the school proximity zone from the area within 1,000 feet of a school property
• changes the requirement for setbacks of newly constructed wireless towers within a school proximity zone
• conditional use permit for construction of a new freestanding wireless tower in a school proximity zone
• I do appreciate that this bill creates the school proximity zone while still not prohibiting cell towers

Bills: HB220 , HB259 , HB463 , HB536 , HB750 , HB830 , HB950

Committees: House Commerce , House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Keywords: child exploitation, online reporting, platforms, cyber crime, PROTECT Act, excavation, demolition, infrastructure repair, BEAD Program, utility damage, construction coordination, contact point, emergency services, telephone charge, wireless service, reporting requirements, communications district, wireless communication, school safety, community permits

Transcript Highlights:

• setting aside 10% of allocated funds for construction contracts, specifically with minority business enterprises
• Stan flood zones with 100 years in greater.
• We're defining exclusive zones and non-exclusive zones and limiting locked access point requirements
• to exclusive zones reading specific exemptions to like last requirements for for certain CTE spaces like

Transcript Highlights:

• The governor's FY 26/27 budget approved a total of $81.4 million in general obligation bond funds and
• 13:48.760><c> in</c><00:13:48.920><c> general</c><00:13:49.240><c> obligation</c><00:13:49.760><c> bond
• </c> in FY 27 in general obligation bond in FY 27 in general obligation bond funds<00:13:50.959><c> which
• </c><00:14:06.320><c> funds</c> million in general obligation bond funds million in general obligation
• bond funds and<00:14:07.199><c> 80.5</c><00:14:08.040><c> millions</c><00:14:08.440><c> in</c><00:14

Summary: The Committee on Finance held informational briefings first with the Department of Defense on its FY 2026 budget request, then with the Hawaii School Facilities Authority. Major General Steve Logan outlined the Department of Defense request for $40.5 million in state funds, which he said would leverage about $74 million in federal matching funds and support 411 open projects that could attract up to $2.3 billion in additional federal grant money. He said the budget focuses on sustainment, safety, and reorganization in light of lessons from the Maui wildfires. Key requests included $1.3 million to sustain IT systems, $2.7 million for 32 HEMA emergency management positions, three new Hawaii Army National Guard positions plus four upgrades, and $1.9 million for the Youth Challenge Program to cover state-mandated fringe costs and staffing needs. He also reviewed capital improvement projects, including Youth Challenge facility upgrades, siren modernization, ADA improvements, building retrofits for disaster resilience, Army facility upgrades, a third state veterans home on Maui, HEMA EOC improvements, and a maintenance/fuel building at Diamond Head. Members asked about the siren modernization timeline, and HEMA said roughly 26 to 31 sirens would be modernized this year, with 15 on Maui, eight on Oahu, and eight on the Big Island. Questions also focused on Youth Challenge and Job Challenge enrollment and vacancies, with the department saying the Hilo Job Challenge Academy is growing and that combining Youth Challenge recruiting statewide into one Kilauea program has helped enrollment. Logan also answered questions about the New Year’s Eve medical transport mission, explaining the Hawaii Air National Guard’s relationship with active-duty Air Force assets and saying the flight cost is about $20,000 per flight hour, though the final bill had not yet been determined. On the Maui veterans home, staff said the University of Hawaii site was no longer viable after faculty senate opposition, so the department is now focused on a 10-acre Puna District site; the project remains tied to a certified $35 million state match and August 2025 and August 2026 federal suspense dates. Logan said the veterans home remains one of the department’s highest priorities, but it could not be moved higher in the submitted CIP ranking. The department also discussed a Governor’s add-on for a fire marshal/Office of Recovery and Resiliency proposal. Logan said the fire marshal position was reestablished last session but has not yet been filled, and that if the function is transferred to the Department of Defense, the department wants funding ready to move quickly. Staff later said the request would include about $1.1 million for seven positions and about $2.2 million for operating costs, though details were still preliminary. The committee then reconvened for the School Facilities Authority briefing, where Executive Director Ricky Fujitani described the agency as a startup created in 2020 to improve school and workforce housing development through standardized designs, prefabrication, best-value procurement, and public-private partnerships. He said Hawaii’s single school district still functions like 15 different districts because of its 264 schools across 15 complex areas, and that the authority’s goal is to create more efficient, maintainable, and cost-effective facilities.

Transcript Highlights:

• The network of businesses and enterprises that support Minnesota's pork industry increase our endurance
• Minnesota's farms vary in size from sole proprietors to large enterprises with many employees.
• with many employees these Enterprises with many employees these sweeping<00:24:37.440><c> mandates</
• </c><01:04:15.480><c> and</c><01:04:15.640><c> paying</c><01:04:15.880><c> our</c> $100,000 grain Bond
• </c><01:11:48.639><c> companies</c> were but this time bonding companies were but this time bonding companies

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• happens to specifically the building or improvements to that building before we get to the loan and bond
• That is to partially make up for an inability to have access to bonding or local ad valorem dollars.
• whatever district they're zoned in.
• As I mentioned, there was a discussion about forcing inclusion in local bonding initiatives.
• I believe last year we had a piece of legislation that changed a zoning process.

Bills: HB2210 , HB2398 , HB2959 , HB3006 , HB3026 , HB3151 , HB3315 , HB3372 , HB3467 , HB3590 , HB4268 , HB4359 , HB4427

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The Senate Education Committee considered a long agenda of education-related bills, including school calendar changes, scholarship and tax credit cleanup, charter school facilities, apprenticeship expansion, testing windows, and teacher staffing rules. Several measures were framed as technical or clarifying changes, while others drew more substantial debate over accountability, eligibility, and funding. The committee also heard a bill to extend the sunset of the Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education and another to allow certain military dependents to start kindergarten based on their home-country age rules. Among the more debated bills, House Bill 3590 updated the Opportunity Scholarship Fund Act by changing reporting and income-verification language; senators questioned whether the bill effectively expanded eligibility or added accountability, but the author said it was a cleanup measure and the title was struck before passage. House Bill 3151 would raise the minimum school year from 166 to 173 days beginning in 2027-28, contingent on an additional $175 million in common education funding; supporters argued Oklahoma students need more time in front of teachers, while opponents questioned the evidence and fiscal impact. House Bill 4359 moved statewide assessments to the last four weeks of the school year, with an amendment changing the window from three to four weeks, and House Bill 4427, as amended, continued limits on adjunct teachers in early grades while clarifying qualifications and timelines for existing adjuncts. The committee also advanced House Bill 2398, which would create “credentials of value” to help students and families evaluate postsecondary programs based on workforce demand and economic return, and House Bill 3372, which would create a charter school facilities fund and loan/collateral mechanisms; the latter passed on a narrower vote after questions about asset disposition and state control. Other bills passed with little or no opposition, including a 24-hour reporting requirement for school abuse to outside law enforcement, an expansion of youth apprenticeship eligibility, adoption-related maternity leave, and a pilot for teacher growth metrics and NBCT funding. Most measures were reported out favorably, with several title-stricken amendments adopted along the way.

Transcript Highlights:

• When the PUA was first founded, it did not have a great bond rating at its inception.
• As we've had to upgrade our facilities, we do so by going to the bond market, but we have to manage our
• After the first five years, I can tell you that that bond rating went up substantially.
• First, the Water Development Board currently sets pumpage limits for BGPZ zones.
• The way I understand, these zones are set up. That the Gadewch i mi eich enwio yng Nghymru. Mr.

Bills: SB1169 , SB1285 , SB1583 , SB1611 , SB1898 , SB1976 , SB2160 , SB2161 , SB2658 , SB2661 , SB2662 , SB2692 , SB1055 , SB1359 , SB2660

Committee: Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• identification cards to essential utility workers, granting those workers easier access to evacuation zones
• Bill 1001 establishes a system that will facilitate essential work behind the lines of evacuation zones
• Altadena was not in a high fire zone, but we now know that it is.
• And how are we going to protect the highest wildfire zones in the state so that we have the equipment
• anticipate that at some point over the next five years, this legislature will be looking at water bonds

Committee: Senate Emergency Management

Transcript Highlights:

• We're a social enterprise recycler here in Minnesota.
• We're a social enterprise Recycling.
• bonds and previously issued bonds does not exceed $130 million.
• and previously issued additional bonds and previously issued bonds<01:39:44.560><c> does</c><01:39:44.800
• That bonds does not exceed 130 million.

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• Martin Fisher, staff attorney with the Legislative Counsel Service, and with me I have Aaron Bond and
• The updated spaces in 2019 We passed a local bond in which we then had renewed in 2023, which has paid
• So again, that was secured through a statewide geo bond and also local funding.
• A detailed map of the area we're going to operate in so that construction zones are going to change our
• Just so you know, we've established a list of all the properties that are affected by this flood zone

Transcript Highlights:

• Nonprofit home developers like Habitat for Humanity, Self-Help Enterprises, and others are prohibited
• the contractual provisions with the nonprofits themselves, but we do sell these with inclusionary zoned
• individual homeowner can gain 1% equity return over 20 years, whereas if you're buying an inclusionary zoned
• the contractual provisions with the non-profits themselves, but we do sell these with inclusionary zoned
• This is fully consistent with existing housing element obligations, including requirements to zone for

Committee: Senate Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• If I could briefly editorialize, this is kind of the nut of it: if it's meeting the underlying zoning
• Washington has 10 federally defined climate zones, over three dozen fire weather zones, and over 300
• Washington has 10 federally defined climate zones, over three dozen fire weather zones, and over 300
• In 2023,... ...weather zones and over 300 fire protection districts providing first response.
• Thank you. ...weather zones and over 300 fire protection districts providing first response.

Bills: SB5633 , SB6279 , SB6291 , SB6274 , SB6309 , SB5903 , SB6016 , SB5820 , SB6132 , SB6189

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: land subdivision, zoning, property development, local government authority, real estate, infrastructure, wildfire, wildland urban interface, WUI, building code, fire-resistant construction, defensible space, hazard map, risk map, state building code council, department of natural resources, fire marshal, regional fire defense board, roofing standards, exterior walls

Transcript Highlights:

• management and, uh, getting an EP by the governor two years ago, within the emergency management enterprise
• ,</c><02:31:51.760><c> we</c><02:31:52.000><c> had</c> management uh, enterprise, we had management uh
• , enterprise, we had conversations<02:31:52.800><c> about</c><02:31:53.120><c> sirens</c><02:31:54.399
• 16.960><c> tsunami</c> proclamation for sirens in the tsunami proclamation for sirens in the tsunami zones
• zones zones other<02:32:19.600><c> people</c><02:32:19.760><c> across</c><02:32:20.080><c> the</c><02

Bills: HB676

Committee: House Public Safety

Summary: The committee heard three public safety bills. HB 2235 would appropriate $1.3 million for the Military Affairs and Community Relations Office to strengthen coordination on military and defense issues. Supporters, including the Hawaii National Guard and DBEDT’s military relations office, said the office helps Hawaiʻi understand federal contracting, USA Jobs, and military-related economic impacts. One member questioned why the state should fund a DoD-related office while Hawaiʻi remains under-reimbursed on impact aid; supporters responded that the office serves Hawaiʻi communities and helps prepare residents for federal jobs. The chair said she intended to recommend the bill pass with a HD1, a blank appropriation to be filled in the committee report, technical amendments, a defective effective date, and updated office title language. HB 2263 would expand Hawaiʻi family leave law to cover qualifying military exigencies. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, DBEDT’s military relations office, and the Hawaii National Guard supported the measure, saying military families often face short-notice deployments, relocations, briefings, and urgent family arrangements that require time away from work, and that aligning state law with federal standards would provide clarity and consistency. The chair said she would recommend passage with a HD1, a defective effective date, and technical amendments. HB 2291 would clarify that certain National Guard Youth and Educational Programs employees are excluded from collective bargaining, rename the program, and codify its Hawaiian name. The Hawaii National Guard said it was a housekeeping bill with no appropriation, but requested an amendment to align the bill with updated authorities and program references; the chair asked for proposed language before the later decision-making. She said she would recommend passage with a defective date and the requested amendment if provided, and then recessed the hearing until 11:30 a.m. for decision-making on all three bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• This measure includes agricultural tourism in the definition of enterprise to authorize the Agribusiness
• in the includes agricultural tourism in the definition<00:55:33.440><c> of</c><00:55:33.680><c> enterprise
• We made note that in other states, typically land zoned agricultural may be anywhere; their minimum lot
• <01:03:47.720><c> typically</c><01:03:48.599><c> um</c><01:03:48.880><c> land</c><01:03:49.359><c> zoned
• </c> other states um typically um land zoned other states um typically um land zoned agricultural<01:

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Summary: The committee heard a series of transportation and public safety bills, beginning with HB 706, which would require skateboard users under age 16 to wear helmets. The Department of Transportation supported the measure, and the chair noted written support from AAA Hawaii, Kulani Medical Center for Women and Children, and several individuals. No opposition was mentioned, and the bill appeared to draw no questions. Members then heard HB 860, which would grant immunity to the state or county that repairs or maintains a street when ownership or jurisdiction is disputed. DOT and DLNR supported the bill, with county support from Maui and a Hawaii Island county representative, while the Hawaii Association for Justice opposed it. The committee also heard HB 1162, requiring applicants for a motorcycle instruction permit to complete an approved basic rider course, with DOT support and a recommended amendment to exempt motorcycles used for training; the Public Defender asked about the current process, and DOT explained the bill was intended to improve safety given motorcycle fatalities. HB 1259, allowing speed-limit reductions within 10 mph of the current limit without an engineering study, also drew DOT support and support from the AAHU Metropolitan Planning Organization and individuals. The committee next considered HB 1158, a governor’s package bill limiting civil liability for people who provide firefighting services with vessels at commercial harbors or roadsteads to gross negligence or wanton conduct. DOT Harbors said the bill was prompted by lessons from the Lahaina fires and was intended to encourage privately owned firefighting-equipped vessels to assist without hesitation; the Hawaii Harbor Users Group and an individual supported it. HB 54, which would make a third or subsequent excessive speeding offense a Class C felony and allow vehicle forfeiture, drew DOT support but strong opposition from the Public Defender, who argued the bill was overly harsh, would force jury trials, and could create sentencing problems; the Public Defender also said existing penalties were already significant. The committee then heard HB 1334, which would exempt donations of wild game meat, including axis deer, to charitable and nonprofit organizations from certain meat inspection and transportation laws; DLNR and multiple community and food-related groups supported it, and no opposition was noted. Finally, the committee took up HB 698 on animal cruelty, which would increase criminal penalties for various offenses. The Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing the cases are rare, enforcement is limited, and the proposed penalties—up to Class A felony treatment in some cases—were too severe; animal welfare advocates strongly supported the measure, saying cruelty cases are widespread, underreported, and under-enforced, and that stronger penalties are needed as a deterrent. No votes or final actions were taken on any of the bills in the portion of the hearing provided.