Transcript Highlights:

• We have here with us riders with the Long Road Home Horse Rescue Project.
• House Management. House Resolution 1040. Read the resolution for the second time.
• And so there are continuation capital projects.
• And so there are continuation capital projects.
• We're just not having finished the projects yet. So again, no new revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• The project would use eminent domain to force property owners off the project.
• As a rule, TWA does not engage on a local project.
• Before construction of any project, a new project in the water plan must go through various existing
• Soz-Brakish desal project first came online in 2016, a full 10 years after project inception.
• Again, we don't want to slow down these projects.

Bills: HB1523 , HB2109 , HB2694 , HB3525 , HB3898 , HB4646 , HB5188 , HB5219 , HB5320 , HB5651 , HB5655 , HB5659 , HB5662 , HB5672

Committee: House Natural Resources

Summary: The Committee on Natural Resources heard House Bill 2109, which would remove certain long-proposed reservoir projects from the state water plan after 50 years without progress. Chairman Van Deaver and many landowners, local officials, timber interests, and conservation advocates testified in support, arguing that the Marvin Nichols Reservoir has burdened Northeast Texas landowners for decades with the threat of eminent domain, depressed property values, and uncertainty over homes, farms, ranches, schools, churches, and cemeteries. Supporters also said the project would flood tens of thousands of acres, require extensive mitigation, harm timber and agriculture, and that Texas now has better alternatives such as conservation, reuse, aquifer storage and recovery, and desalination. Several members expressed sympathy for the affected families and questioned whether a project could remain in the plan indefinitely without progress. Opposition came from North Texas water interests, including the North Texas Commission, Tarrant Regional Water District, and the Texas Water Association, who argued that the bill would interfere with the state’s long-term water planning process and remove needed future supply options for a fast-growing region. They said Region C faces major projected shortages by 2070, that conservation and reuse have already delayed the need for new supplies, and that reservoirs remain one tool in the state’s water-planning toolbox. TWDB staff explained the existing inter-regional conflict process and noted that the substitute would affect several unique reservoir sites, not just Marvin Nichols. After testimony, Chairman Van Deaver closed by urging passage of the bill, but the committee withdrew the substitute and left HB 2109 pending. The committee then took up House Bill 5188, a brackish groundwater bill. The author said the bill would reduce permitting burdens for wells in designated brackish groundwater production zones, and the committee substitute added requirements on monitoring, groundwater-rights ownership, and allocation of pumpage limits while removing some exclusions and export-fee provisions. Texas Wildlife Association testified against the bill, warning that the exemptions could weaken groundwater conservation districts’ ability to protect freshwater resources and surface-owner rights. San Antonio Water System testified in favor, saying brackish groundwater is a key future supply and that the substitute would help speed development of desalination and brackish projects. The Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts testified neutrally but raised concerns about reduced district oversight, especially around injection-well exclusions and the loss of export fees, and said discussions on the bill were ongoing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senior medical case manager for Sunburst Projects. So let's go in that order and...
• Senior medical case manager for Sunburst projects.
• Gentis, who's a senior medical case manager with Sunburst Projects. Welcome to the committee.
• The case managers, these case managers ensure long-term survivors receive the support they need from
• Gentis, who's a senior medical case manager with Sunburst projects. Welcome to the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• or any other project.
• what their project needs are.
• . >> A Bill 7 project.
• </c> city projects like that? city projects like that?
• . project. project.

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:

• These case management systems are not cheap.
• In addition to the six navigators, we would hire a project manager to oversee that program.
• manager that is an experienced grant writer.
• So that's why we would like to have a project manager assist us with that.
• So it's not as difficult to manage. Moving on, county contracts. It's not as difficult to manage.

Summary: The Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary heard presentations from several agencies. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported full National Association of Medical Examiners accreditation, major improvements in turnaround times, staffing growth to 18 forensic pathologists, and expanded rural coverage, but warned that a flat budget would leave it short of funds by August. The agency requested $4.5 million in recurring funding for professional staff and operations, citing rising supply, transport, IT, and facility costs, and said failure to fund the request would cause a catastrophic collapse. Members asked about cremation fees, other revenue sources, and the consequences of not funding the request; the chair said the recommendation would be forwarded but not necessarily adopted. The Council on Judicial Complaints said complaints against judges have roughly doubled since 2018, with most complaints involving dissatisfaction with judicial rulings rather than misconduct. The council emphasized its goal of responding within 90 days, its new judges college to prevent ethics problems, and the cost of removal proceedings. It requested an additional $125,000 on top of its current $300,000 appropriation to cover rising operating costs, a lease increase, judicial college expenses, and salary adjustments. Senators asked about case prioritization, turnover, staffing, and whether a specific courtroom incident could be investigated; the director said it would be an appropriate complaint to review. The Oklahoma Indigent Defense System described heavy caseloads in rural counties, a mix of satellite offices and county contracts, and a need to reduce attorney workloads, especially in Norman and Lawton. It requested funding for six resource navigators, a project manager, direct-care support, eight additional attorneys, internal training, and continued county contract funding, while also discussing possible diversion programs and grant opportunities. The Department of Corrections requested increases for county jail backup per diem and ICON maintenance, highlighted contraband interdiction, centralized visitation, mobile check-ins, and tablet-based efficiencies, and discussed an ICE detention contract at Watonga that brings in monthly revenue and jobs but is not counted in the budget request. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs presented a revised legacy-fund request tied to purchasing and remodeling a building shared with OSBI, saying the new plan would cost about $25 million total and save money compared with new construction; it also noted declining wire-transfer revenue tied to fewer grow operations and other enforcement changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then it measures to what our updated spending projections were for this fall.
• We update our projections based on updated claims.
• And we fund that through, paying the managed care organizations to capitation payment.
• So we saw about a $36 million projected increase in this biennium compared to what we had projected before
• It really was CADI that was growing at a rate higher than what we had previously projected.

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• per project.
• We want to take the projects that were the best, continue to prioritize those projects, understand why
• projects are.
• There are three projects that that team is proposing.
• We have given you the tangible projects.

Bills: HB2024 , HB2053 , HB2097 , HB2116 , HB2117

Committees: House Natural Resources, Energy & Water , House House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee of Reference

Keywords: water infrastructure finance authority, WIFA, water supply development, snowpack augmentation, cloud seeding, water augmentation, water financing, water infrastructure, Arizona water law, water conservation, groundwater recharge, stormwater recharge, reclamation and reuse, water rights, water supply projects, public-private partnership, long-term water augmentation fund, water provider, desalination, drought mitigation

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we submitted that list of A cap of $30 million worth of projects.
• And so we submitted that list of 17 projects.
• They were the Bechler 6 project, Okanogan G, and the South Lake Ozette projects.
• They were managed under a single Department of Fishing Game.
• Does that preclude the commission from certain activities as far as management?

Summary: The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held a work session with an update from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Commissioner Dave Upthe Grove outlined DNR’s size and scope, previewed agency-request legislation, and emphasized budget priorities. He said DNR will seek authority to sell ecosystem service credits, better use underutilized water rights with tribal consultation, add a tribal representative to the State Board of Natural Resources, make minor timber-sales efficiencies, and include wildland firefighters in the LEOFF pension system. He also urged restoration of wildfire prevention and preparedness funding, warning that reduced funding would mean fewer firefighters, less forest health work, and less support for rural fire districts. He noted DNR’s wildfire suppression costs are rising and argued prevention spending can reduce larger, more expensive fires. State Forester George Geisler followed with a detailed wildfire season review. He said Washington now responds to fires year-round and also assists other states, including Texas. He described DNR’s use of 31 aircraft, 691 firefighters, and corrections-based crews, and said the agency’s success rate for keeping fires under 10 acres improved slightly from 93.7% to 94.1%. He highlighted increased arson activity, especially around Spokane, and described the Crescent Road Fire as an example of early detection, rapid response, and the use of bulldozers, aircraft, and hand crews to contain a fire to 182 acres with no structure losses. Senator Saldan praised the emphasis on prevention and the use of bulldozers as cost-effective tools. Assistant deputy supervisor Dwayne Emmons then reviewed the trust land transfer program, which was codified in statute in 2023 after being funded through the capital budget for decades. He said more than 130,000 acres of underperforming trust land have been transferred since the 1990s to other public or tribal entities for more appropriate use, while DNR acquires replacement lands to keep the trust whole. He described the current application and ranking process, including tribal input, and said DNR is requesting funding for remaining parcels from the last round, including portions of Tract C, Babcock Bench, and Middle Fork Snoqualmie. In questions, Senator Wagoner raised concerns about DNR’s decision to remove some acres from timber harvest rotation and its impact on local revenue and mills; the commissioner responded that current five-year harvest plans provide short-term stability and that any changes would be explored through the Board of Natural Resources process, not through immediate reductions in supply. The committee then received a history briefing from staff member Jeff Olson on the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission and agency structure. He traced the evolution from early fish and game commissioners to the current commission-appointed director model adopted by voter-approved Referendum 45 in 1995. Olson explained the commission’s statutory duties, membership requirements, and how Washington compares with other states. Chair Chapman said he had no plans to hear a bill this session changing the commission’s makeup, but he expressed personal interest in exploring reforms, accountability, and possibly a future broader coalition or referendum process. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational only, and the chair adjourned the session with holiday and New Year’s wishes.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and the regulation, management, and transaction of wildlife hunting, fishing, and wildlife conservation
• I've written management plans, monitoring plans.
• For the record, Jeff Gray here in Baffa Central Arizona Project.
• I'm Daniel Harris, the Government Relations Manager for the Arizona Farm Bureau.
• Chairman, I’m very happy that you’re keeping your thumb on this project.

Committee: Senate Senate Natural Resources Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from February 3 and February 10, 2026, then heard two nominations. Jessica Manuel was introduced as a nominee to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. She described a science-focused background and experience with state and multi-agency work, and members discussed wildlife management, including gray wolves and conservation. The committee voted 8-0 to recommend her confirmation. Stephen Williams was then introduced as a nominee to the Arizona Livestock Loss Board. He emphasized his experience with the State Land Department and livestock operators, and members asked about compensation claims and wolf-related livestock losses. The committee voted unanimously to recommend his confirmation as well. The committee next considered SB 1785, which would codify ADWR’s existing one-mile safe-harbor policy for recovery wells near groundwater storage facilities. Supporters said it would provide certainty and preserve current practice, while ADWR requested clarifying language about the bill’s definitions. Opponents argued it would lock current policy into statute and could reduce flexibility. The bill received a 5-3 do-pass recommendation. SB 1082, which would impose sanitation and handwashing requirements on petting zoos and similar animal encounter exhibits, drew emotional testimony from a parent advocate describing children hospitalized with STEC HUS after a state fair petting zoo exposure, while opponents said the bill was unnecessary and overly burdensome. The committee adopted the sponsor’s amendment but then deadlocked 4-4, so the bill failed. The committee then took up SB 1336, a continuation and reform bill for the Arizona State Land Department that also created a temporary oversight committee and, through a large amendment, added lease, notice, and committee-structure changes. Supporters from mining and agriculture backed the measure as a way to improve predictability and transparency, while some members objected to the amendment’s scope and the committee’s composition. The amendment passed 4-3 and the bill as amended was recommended 6-2. SB 1200, an emergency measure directing ADWR to revisit certain Phoenix AMA assured water supply applications using older groundwater models, was supported by the sponsor but opposed by CAP/GRD and ADWR, who warned it would add replenishment obligations and rely on outdated models; it passed 5-3. SB 1335, requiring the Arizona Water Banking Authority Commission to post its annual report online, passed 7-0-1. SB 1559, creating rural groundwater management work groups in each basin with NRCD involvement and annual reporting to ADWR, drew support from conservation district representatives and opposition from Mohave County interests concerned it would not address overpumping; it passed 5-3. Finally, SB 1761, appropriating $47.7 million to the University of Arizona for its desert agriculture, Cooperative Extension, and experiment station programs, was presented as a land-grant mission funding measure and received broad support from agriculture and several members, with some concerns about budget priorities and the size of the appropriation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll be providing an overview of CDCR's fall 2025 population projections.
• We use what's called a logarithmic statistical model to project Prop. 36 impact.
• startup delays and keep statewide fire alarm replacement projects fully funded.
• So we have the fire alarm projects that are mentioned as the reappropriation.
• So we have the fire alarm projects that are mentioned as the reappropriation.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 on Public Safety heard updates on CDCR’s population projections and the preliminary fiscal impacts of Proposition 36. CDCR said its fall 2025 projections show continued declines in the institution and parole populations through June 2030, while noting Prop. 36 admissions are increasing but remain uncertain. The LAO said the administration’s Prop. 36 estimates may be somewhat low because they were based on only six months of implementation data, and the Department of Finance agreed the methodology is still developing. Committee members asked about the offenses driving admissions and the sentence-length impacts, and CDCR identified the main qualifying offenses and enhancements it is tracking. No votes were taken. The committee then discussed CDCR’s request for $91 million ongoing for lump-sum leave cashouts for correctional officers and nurses. CDCR said vacancy reductions and prison closures have reduced the salary savings historically used to cover these costs. The LAO supported the funding only on a limited-term basis and urged more oversight and reporting on CDCR’s structural shortfall, while the Department of Finance argued ongoing funding is needed because leave liabilities are mandatory and salary savings are less stable. Members raised concerns about transparency, asked about leave buyback practices and accrued leave balances, and requested more information before the May Revision. Members also heard CDCR’s proposals for $10 million for the final two statewide video surveillance projects and $15.2 million for Fire Watch coverage and related fire alarm work. The LAO supported the Fire Watch request as a one-time health and safety cost, while CDCR explained the aging prison infrastructure and the need for interim safety measures while longer-term replacement planning is developed. The committee then reviewed CDCR’s proposal to close the California Rehabilitation Center, which would produce a net General Fund reduction of $99.6 million in 2026-27 and ongoing savings of more than $150 million starting in 2027-28. CDCR said the closure is driven by sustained population declines and will include retention and realignment funding; the LAO recommended approval. Public comment focused on county funding for Prop. 36 implementation, opposition to using Prop. 36 as a reason to keep prisons open, and support for community-based rehabilitation programs. The hearing adjourned without any votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• So municipal building projects often get delayed.
• So municipal building projects often get delayed.
• So as I pulled up, the track manager there offered...
• There should be a risk management program in place.
• the staff, frankly, to power the needed design and project management.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security heard testimony on several bills, with strong support expressed for a proposed municipal and public safety building authority (H. 2571/S. 1650). Municipal officials, fire chiefs, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, regional planning leaders, and Senator Comerford described aging town halls, fire stations, DPW facilities, and other local buildings, especially in small towns and gateway cities, and argued that local budgets and Proposition 2 1/2 make major capital projects difficult to fund. Testimony emphasized the need for a dedicated revenue stream, with the bill proposing a share of marijuana excise tax revenue and a rural funding set-aside. Committee members asked about prioritization and funding levels, and witnesses said even a modest start would help address a large statewide backlog. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee later adjourned unanimously. The committee also heard testimony on H. 2689, requiring fuel gas alarms/detectors in residential dwellings using explosive gases. Representative Jeff Roy, Susan Brown, Jason Cohn, and representatives from NEMA and Kidde supported the bill, describing it as a life-saving measure similar to carbon monoxide detector requirements. Witnesses cited the 2015 Franklin propane explosion that killed Nancy and Robert Brown, the Merrimack Valley gas explosions, and national fire data showing fatalities and property damage from gas leaks. They said detectors are affordable, commercially available, and should be required where gas is used; one witness noted battery-backed or battery-operated options exist. Committee questions focused on cost, battery power, outdoor propane setups, and whether the bill would cover private databases or only residential safety devices. Another major topic was S. 1755 on missing and abducted children. Senator Pavel Payano testified in favor, citing the case of Lee Manuel Villoria Paolino and arguing that misclassification of missing children as runaways can delay urgent response and worsen outcomes, especially for Black and brown youth. He said the bill would set minimum law enforcement response standards, require training, and expand multilingual intake forms. The committee also heard support for expanding the state DNA database through familial DNA searching, with Dr. Amory Myers explaining that the technology could help solve long-unsolved cases while including guardrails to prevent use of private consumer DNA databases. Finally, the committee heard extensive testimony on H. 2740, “Colby’s Law,” establishing safety standards for BMX and motocross tracks. Colby Lippincott’s family, community members, and industry representatives described his fatal crash and urged requirements for medical staff, insurance, inspections, warning systems, barriers, and access roads. Witnesses said the bill would not end the sport but would create basic protections, and the committee heard that Massachusetts would join a number of other states with similar standards. The hearing ended with a motion to adjourn, which passed unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> divisions, waste our waste management divisions, waste our waste management division<00:11:56.160
• We we don't land resources management.
• on all the capital projects.
• </c> Um, have you ever included this project Um, have you ever included this project in<01:21:14.719>
• I think that I think the reality... project stuff. Yes. Yeah. Scratch that. project stuff. Yes.

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 74, which would require agencies issuing certain real-property-related permits to track and report how many permits they issue and how long the process takes. Representative Carol McGuire introduced the bill and said the goal is to gather data on permit timing and fees, especially for DES and DOT permits involving wetlands, alteration of terrain, driveway permits, and similar approvals. Supporters argued the state needs better visibility into permitting delays and whether statutory deadlines are realistic; they also noted the bill had passed the House on a voice vote with no debate. Adam Crapo of the Department of Environmental Services said DES is generally supportive of the reporting concept but warned that the agency’s data are spread across many separate, partly manual databases. He said DES can already do this for some land resources permits through its new system, but not across all of its more than 90 permit types without additional help. DES estimated it would need two part-time positions to compile the reports, especially for waste management and water programs, and said otherwise existing permitting staff would have to do the work, potentially slowing permit processing. He also said the agency is already working to simplify rules and move more permits onto a new online platform, but could not meet the bill’s 2026 reporting deadline with current staffing and systems. Committee members questioned whether delays are often caused by incomplete applications rather than agency inaction, and Crapo said that is frequently the case. He said DES already tracks timelines to some extent for management and statutory compliance, but not at the individual-permit detail the bill would require. He also said some letters and records are captured in One Stop, but not all are. Members expressed support for the bill’s transparency goals while also worrying about added workload and possible slowdowns. The discussion then moved to DOT, where Susan Clawson said DOT is neutral on the bill because it recently implemented Salesforce and now has good data for reporting; DOT’s fiscal note reflects software-related costs, but the agency can already track the required information in its system.

Transcript Highlights:

• When capital projects get deployed, that money needs to be there.
• So, we can do them directly, or we can make them through fund managers. If we make.
• We have vetted many projects with our partner, Makita Global Investments.
• A lot of small fund managers here.
• So, I believe they're starting with more either commercial-sized projects or... commercial-sized projects

Committee: House Investments & Pensions Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• I will let my testifier speak to the specifics of the project, but you should know that this project
• Paul Port Authority, who will give an overview of the project. Welcome to the committee.
• However, we are here in front of you today because this project is a little different.
• This project will offer all different affordability levels and uses.
• company that manages nearly 200 rental units across the Twin Cities.

Bills: HF1143 , HF1548 , HF1340 , HF2549 , HF2559 , HF1673 , HF2740 , HF2507 , HF2461 , HF2381 , HF2695

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:14:42.360><c> was</c> our field operations manager was our field operations manager was promoted
• We also have advanced airway management capabilities, pain management, a wide variety of cardiac medications
• </c><01:10:08.239><c> capabilities</c> Advanced Airway management capabilities Advanced Airway management
• These are complex projects that have to work as Mr.
• These are complex projects that have to work as Mr.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• We have one of the leaders from Washington on this project here.
• Privately managed forests already function as critical corridors.
• also completing a similar project at the moment.
• WSDOT may use complete streets project funds to participate in local or tribal system projects and construct
• Complete streets projects provide similar value.

Committee: House Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• So projects are getting done faster.
• Some rendering, some shots, some actual project photos of local projects to the Bay Area and the state
• I love demonstration projects. How many successful projects have you been able to complete?
• That is, for one project.
• That is, for one project.

Summary: The Select Committee on Housing Construction Innovation met to examine how industrialized construction, including modular, panelized, manufactured, and 3D-printed building methods, could help lower California’s housing costs and speed delivery. Chair Buffy Wicks opened by describing the committee’s purpose as a cross-cutting effort to address construction costs, drawing on visits to factories in Sweden, Idaho, and Indiana. Members from both the committee and invited participants broadly agreed that California’s housing crisis is driven not only by land use and permitting, but also by high construction costs, labor shortages, and a lack of scalable innovation. Ben Metcalf of UC Berkeley’s Turner Center provided the main policy overview, saying California needs roughly 2.5 million additional homes by 2030 and that multifamily construction costs in the state can be far higher than in Texas or Colorado. He said factory-built housing can reduce hard costs and timelines under the right conditions, but barriers remain in financing, local code and design review, uncertain demand pipelines, and fragmented research and data. In response to committee questions, he discussed possible state actions such as pro-housing incentives, state-backed purchasing or subsidies, more standardized approvals, and better research infrastructure. Members also raised the need to involve labor and building trades in the process. A panel of developers and builders then described projects and cost savings from factory-built and related methods. Caleb Rupp of Pacific Companies said modular construction can save about 20% on average and cited a project where modular delivery reduced the need for public subsidy by $18 million; he suggested incentives such as tax exemptions, state-owned sites, third-party inspections, and limits on local code variation. Lois Kim of Mutual Housing California described a pipeline of more than 660 units across six jurisdictions, saying a predictable factory pipeline can reduce construction time by about 40% and total development costs by at least 10%. Danny Haber of O’WOW said standardized design, componentized construction, and mass timber can cut costs substantially, while also criticizing outdated codes, utility hookup fees, and financing costs. Donna Jamian of Emergent Construction described California’s first code-approved 3D concrete printing projects, including homes in Redding and work on a commercial building and fire-recovery projects in Altadena. She said current codes have not caught up to the technology and asked for participation in local self-certification programs. Committee members asked about the role of state incentives, code alignment, financing support, and how to build developer confidence after failures like Katerra. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational and ended with plans for further hearings and a forthcoming white paper with policy recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've had a busy year delivering our projects, where we had 100 major projects last year in various phases
• Project.
• It identifies vetted, shovel-ready projects, increases the likelihood of completing those projects on
• And we like to say we manage projects from cradle to grave, or construction only.
• And of our 460 active projects, we have maybe four per year And of our 460 active projects, we have maybe

Bills: SB5989

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: aircraft fuel tax, tax revenue distribution, aviation funding, transportation, state revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd like to share just a handful of recent examples of Chapter 90 projects.
• And in Ludlow, a project for replacing a sidewalk and paving roads around town.
• housing projects become a reality, and ensure These funds will help much-needed housing projects become
• Looking forward, we plan to continue to support communities with new project management features within
• projects.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets

Summary: The Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets held a public hearing on H. 5279, a bill financing long-term improvements to municipal roads and bridges. MassDOT and A&F testified in support, describing the bill as a more than $5 billion transportation bond package centered on a four-year, $1.2 billion Chapter 90 authorization, plus funding for MBTA rail reliability and modernization, housing-related transportation improvements, a new DCR/MassDOT PRISM program for parkways and other DCR assets, and reauthorizations of the Municipal Pavement Program, Shared Streets and Spaces, and highway programs. They said the bill would support safety, resilience, housing production, and multimodal transportation, and noted that some bonds could be issued as special obligation bonds backed by the Commonwealth Transportation Fund and Fair Share revenues. Committee members asked about the size and structure of the authorizations, the federal match for highway projects, the source of MBTA vehicle procurement, bridge repair needs, and whether the housing-related funds could be used flexibly for items like sidewalks, bike lanes, bus stops, and other local transportation improvements. Administration witnesses said the bill is intended as a temporary refill of existing programs until a larger transportation bond bill is filed next session, that the federal-aid line includes the full spending authority while the state only borrows the 20% match, and that the housing-related program is deliberately broad and not limited to MBTA communities. They also said Chapter 90 includes a road-mile component that especially helps rural communities and that preservation and safety are built into the programs. The Massachusetts Municipal Association also testified in strong support, emphasizing that Chapter 90 is the most important tool municipalities have to maintain the roughly 30,000 miles of local roads and bridges they are responsible for. MMA urged timely passage before construction season and praised the continued $300 million Chapter 90 level, especially the $100 million road-mile distribution that helps communities with large road networks and smaller populations. No votes were taken on the bill, and the hearing concluded with adjournment after testimony ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Connie Tan, and I'm a research manager at Stop AAPI Hate.
• of when a project was announced for bid.
• bid, allowing labor costs to be incorporated into the project budgets and project contracting pricing
• large infrastructure projects, design-build projects, or similar procurement delivery methods.
• moving forward with these projects.

Committee: Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement