Transcript Highlights:

• Since October 2023, CALSAS is the single system for the state, and we're supporting Medi-Cal, CalWORKs
• Along with the core system, the BenefitsCal Portal was implemented at the same time.
• Secure systems for the data and workloads that comply with all the various regulations and policies,
• We have to be an expert of these systems in many cases, right?
• and our child welfare system. system.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The situation puts additional pressure on an already strained system of service delivery.
• And it's just driving providers out of the system.
• that would increase delays in a system intended to provide care to injured workers.
• that would increase delays in a system intended to provide care to injured workers.
• It's about the workers' compensation system and the policy contained therein.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Insurance met as a subcommittee and heard several bills related to workers’ compensation, insurance access, climate resilience, and farmworker protections. AB 815 would prevent social service workers who use personal vehicles to transport clients from being misclassified as commercial or for-hire drivers under personal auto policies; supporters said the current practice leads to unaffordable premiums and denied claims, while no opposition testified. AB 1329 would revise the Subsequent Injury Benefit Trust Fund to reduce litigation and medical-legal costs and lower employer assessments; insurers and business groups opposed unless amended, citing concerns about eligibility standards and the QME process, but the bill advanced after amendments were discussed. AB 1048 would allow disputed unauthorized payment reductions for medical providers to be reviewed through independent bill review; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, while opposition argued IBR is the wrong forum and existing contract dispute processes should control, though the bill also passed. AB 1236 would create a Department of Insurance grant program for climate and sustainability risk-reduction projects, with broad support from the department, environmental groups, and insurers, and it passed unanimously. The committee also heard AB 1336, the Farmworker Heat Illness Prevention Act, which would create a rebuttable presumption that a heat-related injury arose out of employment when an agricultural employer fails to comply with heat illness prevention standards. Supporters, including United Farm Workers, argued the bill would help protect farmworkers amid extreme heat and enforcement gaps; opponents from the workers’ compensation and agricultural sectors said the measure improperly uses the compensation system to enforce OSHA rules and could create unclear adjudication and delay issues. Members discussed Cal/OSHA enforcement limits, undocumented workers’ reluctance to report violations, and the relationship between the bill and existing workers’ compensation procedures. Despite opposition, AB 1336 passed on a divided vote. The committee also took up a consent calendar including AB 1125, AB 1293, and AB 1398, which were approved together. Roll calls were held open and later completed, and the bills that advanced were sent to the Committee on Appropriations. The meeting concluded with the committee adjourning after final votes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have two bills that we are monitoring, both carryovers from last year.
• It has the same ability to fund on a phone delivery system just as we are.
• So we'll be monitoring that.
• In essence, basically taking what we're doing and applying that to state radio system.
• So where we're looking at it, we're monitoring it.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• "Most Maryland systems are already below the bill's limits."
• House Bill 1370, Town of Rising Sun stop sign monitoring systems, authorization of pilot program.
• House Bill 421, Prince George's County, speed monitoring systems, Maryland Route 210.
• House Bill 326, Maryland Center for School Safety Anonymous Reporting System.
• place for an anonymous reporting system place for an anonymous reporting system in<01:41:08.360>

Keywords: House streaming session for Monday, March 23, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House convened with 129 members present, read the prior journal, and then took up a series of third-reading bills. Early action included unanimous passage of HB 159 (mail theft), HB 412 (child support and driver’s license suspension), HB 912 (trap-neuter-return policies for community cats), HB 914 (Worcester County Board of License Commissioners membership), HB 558 (Prince George’s County wine festival licenses), HB 1400 (shellfish aquaculture penalties), and HB 1463 (Anne Arundel County Board of Education constituent services liaison). HB 582, dealing with Prince George’s County alcoholic beverages licenses and voter registration requirements, drew brief debate over whether it removed or retained a voter registration condition; it ultimately passed 119-12. HB 846, a property tax exemption for the Hagerstown multi-use sports and events facility, passed 126-7 after a system delay interrupted proceedings. Several bills prompted more substantive discussion. HB 1218, the Safe and Healthy Homes for All Act, drew opposing explanations over a proposed public registry of properties with housing violations; supporters said it would help identify serious housing problems and improve compliance, while opponents objected to publicly naming private properties based on administrative findings. It passed 99-36. HB 525, the Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act, passed 135-1 after questions about enforcement, with supporters comparing it to ordinary classroom discipline. HB 1483, allowing out-of-state clinical professional counseling and social work providers to use telehealth for continuity of care, passed 135-0 after clarification that it applies to people moving into Maryland and allows a six-month continuity period. HB 1504, the Pedestrian Safety Act, passed unanimously. Later, HB 664 (Cecil County alcoholic beverages license quota) passed 134-1, and HB 837 (cardiovascular pre-screening for student athletic activities) passed 133-2 after the sponsor explained that reporting requirements were removed for cost reasons and the bill now mainly requires screening questions. HB 925, regulating PFAS in sewage sludge applied to farmland, generated the most extended debate: one delegate argued the bill’s limits were too weak and lacked liability for industry actors, while supporters said it establishes the first limits, requires wastewater treatment plants to reduce PFAS, and leaves room for future tightening; it passed 130-7. HB 1370, authorizing a pilot stop-sign monitoring program in Rising Sun, passed 109-26. HB 649, expanding Maryland Commission on Civil Rights enforcement to higher education discrimination claims, passed 100-35 after supporters said current protections are stronger for K-12 than for colleges. The House also passed HB 512 on compensation for Anne Arundel County license commissioners and inspectors, and the session continued into HB 661 on commemorative months.

Transcript Highlights:

• And neglect is at the top of the top of... ...treatment and then placed in the foster care system, and
• You know, the public school systems have adamantly opposed any type of ACE testing done at the school
• So this is more of a monitoring report that we bring to you all to show you, when we're finding true,
• Then they'll move into live calls, where they'll be monitored by a supervisor or a person attached to
• I don't know if there's online or the videos, everything with the computer systems.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Aging, Children, and Youth first approved the February 11 minutes and then reviewed a DCFS policy manual update from Director Tiffany Wright. The rule changes were described as largely terminology and compliance updates to align with new laws, an executive order, and current practice, including moving internal procedures out of the public manual and into DCFS’s internal procedure manual. Members asked whether the changes altered practice or just wording, and Wright said they were mainly procedural and vernacular updates, such as changing terms like “protection plan” to “immediate safety plan” and “safety factor” to “safety threat.” The committee then reviewed and accepted the rule without objection. Wright also presented DCFS performance data for the third quarter of FY 2026, including hotline reports, investigations, foster care, in-home services, permanency, and adoption measures. She noted staffing shortages in some counties, lower timeliness in completing maltreatment reports, and efforts to support those areas with central office staff and daily calls. Members asked about neglect trends, sexual abuse/exploitation categories, behavioral issues, and workforce recruitment and retention. Wright said DCFS is expanding hiring support, outreach, retention efforts, trauma support through UAMS, and a new staff training model beginning July 1. She also presented the biannual overturned investigations report, which tracks hotline calls, true findings, appeals, and reversals by county, and answered questions about comparing it with prior years. Major Jeff Drew of the Crimes Against Children Division presented the 2025 annual report, saying the hotline received 67,987 calls and 37,986 were accepted for investigation, with 6,539 CACD investigations assigned and a 28% substantiation rate. He described hotline operator training, including a four-week program with policy review, scenarios, recorded calls, live call monitoring, and evidence-chain and decision-making instruction. He said the starting salary for hotline operators is $43,888 plus benefits and would check on comparisons with other states. Elizabeth Pooley of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas reported that the state’s 29 CACs and 64 multidisciplinary teams served 13,568 children and families in 2025, up about 3,000 from the prior year, and hosted 259 trainings. Members asked about funding, and she said state funding is the same for each center at roughly $70,000 to $75,000, supplemented by federal and community support, with work underway on Arkansas-specific best practices. The meeting ended after a brief unrelated question about Meals on Wheels and a Project Zero adoption event announcement.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've certainly been in the state system, and I have also hired people in the state system.
• Um, typically if an employer has like an internet-type system or a shared file system, they can have
• Um, typically if an employer has like an internet-type system or a shared file system, they can have
• Um, typically if an employer has like an internet-type system or a shared file system, they can have
• Uh the system isn't broken. feelings. Uh the system isn't broken.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Who are our monitors out there? Who's monitoring? What about our environmental monitoring?
• <01:08:53.520> Who's are our monitors out there? Who's are our monitors out there?
• Who's monitoring?
• What about our environmental monitoring?
• nonprofit that does remote monitoring nonprofit that does remote monitoring population,<01:52:30.080

Bills: HB1527, HB1823, HB2490, HB2223, HB2325, HB2104, HB2593, HB2592, HB1927, HB1553, HB1964, HB1918, HB1990

Keywords: gambling prohibition, Aloha Stadium, University of Hawaii, amateur athletics, state lands, coastal resilience, Maui, Mantokuji Bay, coastal erosion, environmental protection, Native Hawaiian, spiritual sites, historic preservation, economic development, burial sites, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, cultural history, archaeology, Hawaii Revised Statutes, civil service

Summary: The committee first heard HB 1527 relating to gambling. The chair outlined hearing rules, including a two-minute limit and a warning that bills not heard would die. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support from a prosecutor, Honolulu Police Department, and Stop Predatory Gambling, all arguing that casinos and sports betting increase crime, sex trafficking, harassment of athletes, and broader social harm. No opposition testimony was presented, and the committee moved on without questions or action taken on the bill. The committee then heard HB 1823 relating to coastal zone management and HB 2490 relating to coastal resilience. For HB 1823, DLNR, the Office of Planning, and Maui County testified, with Maui County supporting the measure and its proposed amendments. For HB 2490, DLNR expressed concern about exempting a proposed Mokuji Bay pilot project from permits and regulation before a long-term plan is finalized, while the County of Maui, the Mokuji Soto Zen Mission, and the Office of Planning supported the bill as a coastal resilience pilot. The mission described severe erosion, sea-level rise impacts, and years of unsuccessful efforts to stabilize the shoreline; its consultant said the study is leaning toward nature-based and hybrid solutions. In questioning, members and DLNR discussed whether the bill should say the project “shall” or “may” be exempt, and the chair indicated the language would be adjusted to preserve DLNR discretion and to change the lead agency reference to OPSD. No vote was taken in the transcript. Finally, the committee took up HB 2223 relating to historic preservation reviews. SHPD said it stood on its written comments, while OPSD and DHHL supported the bill. DHHL argued the measure would streamline reviews, improve transparency, and help address long wait times for its projects, saying it could alleviate burden on SHPD and better serve beneficiaries. Representative Shimizu questioned whether the bill would create redundancy and expand government rather than strengthen SHPD, noting a separate staffing bill already exists. SHPD responded that DHHL is uniquely subject to 6E review and that the bill would not waive federal or state historic review requirements; the discussion also touched on possible federal-style grant support and the existing memorandum of agreement between SHPD and DHHL. The transcript ends during questioning, with no final committee action shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• and public address systems, and monitoring for local weather alerts.
• or over the course of the PA systems.
• Do you monitor? We stay informed. We monitor the LCRA. They alert us in several different ways.
• I think y'all have a gated kind of system.
• For like 15 bucks a month, you can have a monitor system.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's about protecting kids, safeguarding consumers, and preserving the regulated systems voters chose
• Dominion, HCA, Dignity, UHS, Tenet, those hospital systems already have existing systems here in California
• Sex hormones impact the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the skeletal system, the digestive
• system.
• Hormones are like a PA system that can broadcast information to the entire body.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So when they are doing administrative work or hall monitoring, they're being taken away from the kids
• So when they are doing administrative work or hall monitoring, they're being taken away from the kids
• We provide trauma support, navigate foster systems, and manage family crises.
• services instead of being pulled in different indirect services such as substitute teaching or monitoring
• substitute teaching or monitoring substitute teaching or monitoring hallways<00:10:52.959> and

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: Legislators and school counselors discussed a bill aimed at strengthening school counseling services in Minnesota. Supporters said the proposal would clarify counselors’ roles in state policy, require at least one school counselor in every school, and ensure counselors spend 80% of their time in direct services to students rather than being assigned to duties like hall monitoring or substitute teaching. The bill was described as building on prior efforts to expand student mental health supports after COVID and responding to Minnesota’s low student-to-counselor ratio, which speakers said ranks 48th nationally. Several counselors testified about the pressures facing students and schools, especially in communities affected by ICE enforcement and broader trauma. A St. Paul counselor described students displaced by enforcement actions, a child whose father was detained, and schools serving as food distribution centers. Another counselor from Minneapolis said students were experiencing chronic stress, fear, and difficulty focusing on school, with staff organizing mutual aid, delivering supplies, and helping students continue learning from home. Speakers said these conditions are statewide and that counselors are providing trauma support, family crisis navigation, and basic needs assistance. In response to questions, a Minnesota School Counselor Association advocate said the bill is intended to give counselors a clearer state framework and support their professional training and responsibilities. No vote or formal committee action was described in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the system worked.
• The system worked.
• And the system worked.
• So our funding system has to change.
• So here's what we're suggesting: we create a monthly system, a monthly payment system.

Summary: The committee first heard the proposed Pre-K-12 education budget for fiscal year 2025-26, totaling $34.7 billion. The chair highlighted major increases for the FEFP, including $29.6 billion for public schools and K-12 scholarships, a $984 million year-over-year increase, along with higher per-FTE funding, $4 billion for the Family Empowerment Scholarship, $431.4 million for VPK, funding for school safety, the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, school hardening, Jewish day school security, and an education enrollment stabilization fund. With no public comment, the committee adopted a motion for staff technical corrections and then approved the budget proposal as a recommendation to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The committee then considered SB 1402 on dropout retrieval programs. The bill expands eligibility so any individual who has withdrawn from high school may enroll in dropout retrieval services and clarifies how school grades are calculated for virtual instruction providers that offer those services. An amendment clarifying the grading calculation was adopted, and the committee reported the bill favorably. Next, the committee took up SPB 7030 on educational scholarship programs, a broad measure addressing school choice funding and administration. The bill would fund the Family Empowerment Scholarship as a separate categorical, expand the education stabilization fund, create fall and spring application windows, require a single scholarship application and more documentation, assign student IDs, standardize payment timing to monthly installments, require continued eligibility verification, and add Level 2 background checks for providers receiving state funds. Members raised questions about background-check enforcement, payment timing, data sharing, and the impact on homeschool and private-school families. Public testimony included support from school-choice advocates and concerns from private-school representatives about added regulatory burdens and deadlines. The committee adopted the bill as a committee bill and reported it favorably, with Senator Osgood voting no. Finally, the committee considered SB 508 on the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, which requires private schools to disclose in writing what accommodations, modifications, and services they will provide to students with existing plans such as IEPs, EEPs, 504 plans, or ELL plans before enrollment. An amendment was adopted to require public schools to consult with private schools about equitable services. Testimony was mixed: supporters said the bill would give parents needed information for informed choice, while private-school representatives said the language could be burdensome and vague. The committee reported the bill favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• system system um is um within the legal system system um is really<00:13:31.120> the<00:13:31.279
• creating programs with less monitoring creating programs with less monitoring than<00:29:36.080>
• current records management system current records management system um<00:41:58.319> based
• <01:03:17.559> if additional things for um monitoring if additional things for um monitoring
• <01:52:57.679> meaning Hawaii's child welfare system meaning Hawaii's child welfare system

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee first considered House Bill 1324, which would require the Judiciary to contract for legal services for residential tenants in landlord-tenant disputes and allow attorneys, paralegals, and law students to provide those services, with an appropriation. The Department of the Attorney General recommended removing reference to Hawaii Public Housing Authority tenants because HPHA eviction proceedings are administrative and could conflict with the bill. Hawaii Appleseed and other testifiers strongly supported the measure, citing studies showing much higher tenant retention when counsel is available, and suggested adding notice of the right to counsel at key points such as rent increases, eviction notices, and lease signing. The committee adopted amendments, including the Attorney General’s suggested change and a technical amendment, and passed the bill out with a recommendation to move it forward; members voted aye, with one member voting with reservations and several excused. The committee then heard House Bill 126 on property forfeiture, which would increase transparency and accountability in civil asset forfeiture by clarifying covered property, changing disposition rules, and removing language requiring liberal construction of the forfeiture act. The Attorney General said forfeiture remains an important law enforcement tool and that the bill would not impair its use. The Office of the Public Defender supported the measure but argued civil forfeiture is broadly problematic because many people cannot meaningfully challenge it and are not entitled to counsel. Honolulu Police Department opposed the bill, saying forfeiture is useful in fighting illegal activity and that added procedures would delay enforcement and reduce operational funding from forfeiture proceeds. Community Alliance on Prisons, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and other supporters urged reform or abolition of civil forfeiture, citing transparency concerns and the risk of abuse. No vote on HB 126 was taken in the portion provided. The final measure discussed was House Bill 166, which would require the state to defend professionally licensed or certified state employees in certain civil actions, allow employees to hire their own counsel at their own expense, and set a process for the Attorney General to transfer or withdraw representation if the state declines to defend. Testimony from the Hawaii Association for Justice and labor representatives was in strong support, describing the bill as a negotiated clarification that balances employee protections with accountability and noting it had passed previously but died in conference. The transcript cuts off before any committee action on HB 166.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to add at the end of line 21, after the word “system,” the following: “as determined by the
• We know that ALPRs have been used to monitor people who attend mosque.
• We know that ALPRs were used to monitor people who attended rallies for both Democratic and Republican
• We know that ALPRs have been used to monitor people who attend mosque.
• to monitor government behavior.

Bills: SB40, SB104, SB136, SB164

Keywords: SB40, Driver Privacy and Safety Act, automated license plate reader, ALPR, license plate reader, vehicle surveillance, privacy, data sharing, law enforcement data, immigration enforcement, reproductive health care, gender-affirming care, civil liberties, surveillance, public records, Inspection of Public Records Act, New Mexico State Police, Department of Public Safety, data sovereignty, vehicle tracking

Transcript Highlights:

• But the system is still not broken. I mean, not is the system is still broken.
• But the system is still not broken. I mean, not is the system is still broken.
• But the system is still not broken. I mean, not is the system is still broken.
• The system isn't working. The system isn't working.
• <02:40:51.480> they issue, and they've monitored they issue, and they've monitored they monitored

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's our responsibility to ensure that we monitor the network.
• We monitor 24/7, 365 operations.
• Is there still a tier within that system?
• In addition to that, this team is fully committed 100% on this system.
• We didn't want— we call our system— we didn't want a fax 2.0.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is to simplify the administrative system for food licensing, to allow for business evolution and
• Again, like I said, it's to help simplify the administrative system.
• that uh provides accounting system that uh provides adequate<01:02:09.680> uh<01:02:10.160>
• these program or these grain monitor these program or these grain buyers<01:05:30.960> uh<01:
• It’ll allow us to monitor from year to year and step in if need be.

Bills: HF1063

Keywords: grain buyers, grain dealer, grain elevator, agriculture, financial reporting, audit, CPA review, independent accountant, financial statement, balance sheet, cash flow, nonpublic data, licensee oversight, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, grain purchase volume, insolvency, nonpayment, warehouse chain, fiduciary duties, producer protection

Transcript Highlights:

• And how do you, um, what kind of systems do you have in place to monitor the utilization and ensure that
• So we use an enterprise system called Financial Edge, and that is a system we use to keep track of individual
• And how do you, um, what kind of systems do you have in place to monitor the utilization and ensure that
• to monitor like the have in place to monitor like the utilization<00:22:33.120> and<00:22:33.280
• So, I'm the uh system level.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Higher Education heard several Senate concurrent resolutions related to University of Hawaiʻi programs, audits, and workforce development. Testimony on SCR 50, which urged establishment of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the Maui campus, was strongly supportive, with witnesses citing the state’s nursing shortage and Maui’s acute physician and nurse shortages. The committee later recommended passage with a technical HD1 amendment, and the measure was adopted unanimously by the members present. The committee also heard SCR 137, SCR 138, and SCR 142, all involving proposed audits. SCR 137 sought a performance audit of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation; the Foundation opposed it, and the chair recommended deferral after noting the legislative auditor’s view that the office lacks jurisdiction over the private nonprofit. SCR 138 proposed a management and performance audit of the Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy, and SCR 142 proposed an audit of the UH Mānoa athletics department. UH representatives provided comments on both, with athletics explaining existing NCAA-required financial audits, internal performance evaluations, and a strategic plan that includes self-review. The committee ultimately recommended passage of SCR 138 and SCR 142 with technical HD1 amendments. For SCR 192, which proposed a veterinary medicine expansion working group, UH and other witnesses discussed the idea of exploring a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, but the chair said a community college is not the appropriate venue for a doctoral program. The committee recommended substantial HD1 changes removing Windward Community College from the title and shifting the effort to the UH system level, adding the UH president or designee and a Hilo campus representative to the working group; the amended resolution was adopted. The committee also heard SCR 193, calling for community colleges to identify bachelor’s degree and workforce pathways aligned with regional needs, and SCR 203, which sought exploration of an Alzheimer’s disease research center and federal funding requirements; both drew supportive comments and no opposition. The meeting recessed briefly for lack of quorum, then reconvened for decision-making and adopted the chair’s recommendations on the measures considered.

Transcript Highlights:

• The other one is application monitoring. And so that is helpful for us to look at.
• The other one is application monitoring dashboard.
• We are going to have a, what we're called the QRIS, or the quality rating improvement system.
• We are going to have a, what we're calling the QRIS, or the quality rating improvement system.
• How does it fall within the overall QRIS system?

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then heard a presentation from Maddie San Juan of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas on the report “Holding It All Together: Working Moms and Child Care in Arkansas.” She said the research found Arkansas moms are working and want to work, but child care costs, inflexible schedules, inadequate paid leave, and the mental load of caregiving are major barriers. She cited survey and focus group findings showing flexible hours were the most requested workplace support, 69% of moms identified child care costs as a barrier, and many families spend a large share of income on care. Members asked about labor force trends, what flexibility means in practice, and the cost and age structure of child care assistance programs. The presenter also noted child care affects economic development and workforce recruitment, and mentioned a Department of Commerce option that may help pay child care for people seeking training. Department of Education and Office of Early Childhood staff then gave updates on internal dashboards for enrollment, applications, and provider participation in School Readiness Assistance (SRA), saying the tools are now live for internal use and should improve transparency and data access. They said CLASS transition funding from the PDG grant would be released soon to providers who completed observations, and clarified that OEP awards based on CLASS scores are separate from OEC’s work. They also warned providers about a payment interruption during the transition to a new system: June 26 would be the last day to submit SRA payments for processing, payments would stop June 30, and billing would continue without processing from July 1 to 13, with back payments expected when the system resumes around July 14. Members raised concerns about provider cash flow, early childhood special education funding, an overpayment appeal involving a child care center, and whether CLASS data would be public; staff said the data is FOIA-able but not used by the department to set current quality or rates. The department also said it is reviewing audit requirements tied to Head Start and SRA, that Early Head Start children remained in their facilities after a closure, and that a market rate survey/cost analysis is still in procurement. Staff reported that the QRIS process will begin with a June 23 webinar and that CLASS will be part of a broader quality system still being developed with provider and parent input. They also said the local lead network was re-competed and will cover all counties starting July 1 with 23 local leads, and that the PDG partner group has been formed to provide ongoing stakeholder feedback. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are constantly monitoring weather conditions and the conditions of our system.
• They took the institutional knowledge of how to operate those systems or how to upgrade those systems
• One of my questions is about the sort of incentive In a microgrid system versus a virtual system, and
• Vice Chair, Representative, what we're seeing on the systems that we have deployed battery systems again
• Chevron has built a filtration system.

Transcript Highlights:

• liner system and the leachate collection system, which together prevent the escape of contaminants from
• liner system and the leachate collection system, which together prevent the escape of contaminants from
• liner system and the leachate collection system, which together prevent the escape of contaminants from
• needs to be M but the leate system needs to be M collection<00:27:10.679> system<00:27:11.320
• <00:53:10.839> uh 3-31 of our Waste Disposal Systems uh 3-31 of our Waste Disposal Systems

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The informational briefing focused on the City and County of Honolulu’s effort to site a replacement landfill for Oahu before Waimanalo Gulch landfill closes in 2028. Department of Environmental Services officials outlined the solid waste system, including curbside collection, convenience centers, transfer stations, H-POWER, and the existing landfill, and explained that H-POWER reduces the volume of waste going to the landfill by about 90%. They reviewed the siting history, including the 2019 Land Use Commission deadline, the 2020 enactment of Act 73 with landfill setback and conservation-district restrictions, and the 2021-2022 landfill advisory committee that evaluated six sites but recommended none because they were within the Board of Water Supply’s no-pass zone. The city said it ultimately selected a site in central Oahu, on agricultural land near Wahiawa and the Dole Plantation, as the best legally permissible option and described it as requiring about 150 acres, with 90 acres for the landfill itself. City officials also described the proposed landfill design and safeguards, emphasizing a modern sanitary landfill with double liners, leachate collection, groundwater monitoring wells, and post-closure monitoring. They said the ash from H-POWER is dry and that leachate would be pumped to a wastewater treatment plant. They stated the site is away from residences and groundwater wells, accessible by highway, and can be permitted under state and federal rules, though they acknowledged that a full environmental review, public hearings, and multiple permits would still be required. When asked whether the new landfill could be operating before the 2028 closure date, the city said it did not yet know and that an extension of Waimanalo Gulch might be needed if the new site is not ready in time. The Board of Water Supply strongly opposed the city’s decision to site a landfill above Oahu’s freshwater resources. Its representative said the agency’s mission is to protect safe, dependable water for the future and that it had disapproved all six previously proposed sites because they were located over freshwater aquifers. In response to questions from legislators, the Board said it could not guarantee the liner system would remain impermeable forever and warned that leachate can contain hazardous chemicals, including so-called forever chemicals. The Board characterized the proposal as a long-term risk to the island’s drinking water supply and compared the decision to past infrastructure choices that later proved problematic. No votes or formal actions were taken during the briefing.