Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:13:59.199><c> and</c> court time and time and time again. and court time and time and time again
• </c><01:27:24.639><c> and</c><01:27:24.800><c> and</c> criminal penalties and and and criminal penalties
• So, we went to the restaurant and there we found three large trucks with blacked-out windows and Texas
• We parked at the law enforcement building, and the agents blocked us in.
• We were parked parallel to the building, and they blocked us in, got out of the car, and began taking

Bills: HF3433 , HF3402 , HF3412 , HF3405 , HF3404

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.
• park service, fish and service, national park service, fish and wildlife<00:39:07.920><c> service,</
• c> wildlife service, the bure and the wildlife service, the bure and the bureau<00:39:09.280><c> of</
• And really applies to only a few parks.
• </c> few parks where those people can go and few parks where those people can go and know<04:21:22.479

Committee: House Resources, Recreation and Development

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, schedule 16 is Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
• , working with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries where this is housed.
• Experts that participate in this from CPRA to Department of Agriculture to Wildlife and Fisheries to
• We have boots on the ground to make sure that they're not bringing food in from Texas and then trying
• We have boots on the ground to make sure that they're not bringing food in from Texas and then trying

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on several budget requests tied to health and human services. Louisiana Children’s Advocacy Centers asked for continued support and a supplemental appropriation of $1.173 million for infrastructure and standardization, explaining that the money would expand use of the Guardify digital evidence system, improve chain of custody, and reduce reliance on DVDs. Baton Rouge and statewide CAC leaders said prior funding helped eliminate a therapy wait list and speed services for abused children. Members asked detailed questions about the digital system, MDT coordination, and how the request related to SB 237, which would strengthen multidisciplinary review of child abuse cases. The Alzheimer’s Association sought $824,000 to sustain the dementia care specialist program, saying it helps families navigate services, keep loved ones at home longer, and reduce Medicaid costs. AARP and the Live at Home Coalition also testified for 750 additional Community Choice waiver slots at a state cost of $3.3 million, arguing that home- and community-based care is cheaper than nursing homes and that the current wait list is more than 11,000 people. Legislators discussed the size of the need, the state’s long-term care spending mix, and whether more support should go to family caregivers and community-based options. Testimony also focused on disability support services, substance use treatment, and developmental disability provider rates. A parent and direct support worker described the Children’s Choice waiver’s 20-hour cap and low pay, saying it makes it hard to retain caregivers and meet the needs of medically fragile children. Odyssey House and O’Brien House asked for higher Medicaid reimbursement rates under ASAM 4, warned that removal of room-and-board payments and weak Medicaid eligibility pathways are reducing access, and called for more oversight of sober living homes; members questioned outcomes data, length of stay, and links to homelessness. Finally, the Arc of Louisiana said the LDH rate study confirmed underfunding and supported a $53.6 million increase in state general funds, with local ARC leaders describing the services they provide and the need for higher direct support professional wages.

Transcript Highlights:

• The man convicted of killing her was in custody and was paroled due to lack of detention space in Texas
• And nobody knows it better than my constituents in Texas, with the 1,200-mile common border with Mexico
• We've seen the increase in extreme weather from California to Texas to the Southeast and beyond.
• The founder and CEO of a real estate research company in Texas. spoke to the reporter and said the whole
• This is how this is coming into the property and insurance markets in Texas in this story.

Committee: Senate Senate Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• So, federal, state, county, and municipal regulations and codes have been enacted that require consideration
• Building codes and infrastructure mandates.
• These are major, and I know you guys are looking at building codes with all the flooding and fires that
• IBC and IECC codes are not suitable for agricultural builds.
• That code is NMAC 1479. You have to have an EV charger for three or more parking spots.

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• changes the code and makes the project not work.
• changes the code and makes the project not work.
• for construction and construction materials in the state and comprises a number of model codes and standards
• , the model codes and standards.
• a jurisdiction's building and fire codes.

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:

• > near</c> developments and park spaces often near developments and park spaces often near playgrounds
• Park, Manoa Valley Park, and Poo Valley District Park. urgency to regulate is made Greater by urgency
• Other states, Texas, Connecticut, and Maryland, have already taken action, and Hawaii really has an incredible
• response</c> Wildlife beaches and Wildfire response Wildlife beaches and Wildfire response this<03:42
• The tax code is a system of levers that you push and pull.

Committee: House Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, and then looking at that as far as the commission or wildlife and fisheries property, you could
• We still notify our Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries administrative and executive staff
• , and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, en route to notifying the hunter that actually
• Chair of the Wildlife Commission and a pretty good array of wildlife experience.
• And he's bringing deer out of Texas. I said, no, he can't bring deer out of Texas.

Summary: The committee continued discussing recommendations for chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance and response in Louisiana’s wild and captive deer herds. Members and staff reviewed current surveillance results, noting that LDWF had met goals in 32 of 64 parishes and that voluntary hunter-harvest sampling was falling short in other areas. Several ideas were raised to improve sample collection without making it broadly mandatory, including incentives for hunters, taxidermists, and possibly processors; use of DMAP properties and mobile sampling units; and targeted sampling of older bucks and other higher-risk animals. Members also discussed whether to use parish-level or other geographic control areas, and whether to mirror aspects of Arkansas’s approach, including testing to reduce or remove restrictions when prevalence remains low. The committee also heard from LDWF and LDAF about captive herd surveillance and reporting. LDAF described its licensed deer facilities, a 2024 positive in Jeff Davis Parish that led to depopulation and quarantines, and follow-up testing that has remained negative at quarantined farms. Witnesses said the agencies currently share information informally and through USDA/NVSL channels, but there is no specific law or regulation requiring 24-hour notification between agencies. The Wildlife Federation and several members recommended mandatory enrollment in the USDA herd certification program, mandatory reporting of positives, and clearer coordination between LDWF and LDAF. Members also discussed the cost of testing, with LDWF saying USDA grants covered diagnostic testing for the last two deer seasons, while department self-generated funds covered earlier costs. A major portion of the meeting focused on how to respond when a positive wild deer is found. Some members favored immediate restrictions, while others argued for keeping existing season rules in place through the season and using the positive as a trigger for intensified sampling, with the goal of avoiding unnecessary penalties and encouraging hunters to submit samples. There was also discussion of whether baiting should be prohibited, allowed during hunting season, or phased based on testing results, with Arkansas’s statewide baiting allowance and county-based disease management zones used as a comparison. The chair emphasized that no final recommendation would be adopted at this meeting; instead, staff was directed to compile the discussion and written recommendations for consideration at the April meeting, when the committee expects to vote and the commission may need to act quickly through its notice-of-intent or emergency rule process before the next hunting season.

Transcript Highlights:

• The current post-mining land use is designated for grazing, wildlife grazing, and habitat.
• the end use, which is the grazing and wildlife end use, then we will have further discussion with the
• And we have backgrounds in geology, soil science, land reclamation, biology, chemistry, and wildlife
• The sampling and analysis plan is the operator's plan to conduct wildlife surveys, soil surveys, air
• I believe Wyoming and Texas. Yeah, Mr.

Committee: House Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• and put Texas in jeopardy.
• and families across Texas.
• and families across Texas.
• Guard, and Texas State Guard.
• They're limited on codes and such.

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• basic necessities to those who are living in parks, under overpasses, and beyond.
• This proactive review is critical to ensuring compliance with fire and life safety codes and preventing
• Kim Delfino, on behalf of Defenders of Wildlife and Sierra Club, in support. Thank you.
• , and two... ...for structure, including 23 public parks, six museums, two cargo terminals, and two cruise
• areas through mitigation measures and compliance with existing building codes.

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of local government and housing-related bills, with testimony often centered on regional coordination, permitting reform, and local control. SB 802 by Senator Ashby would require Sacramento-area jurisdictions to form a joint powers authority to coordinate homelessness and housing response; supporters argued the region has long lacked accountability and coordination, while Sacramento County, Folsom, and others opposed the mandate as an unprecedented state-imposed JPA. The bill drew extensive support from local officials, business groups, service providers, and advocates, and opposition from county, city, and nonprofit representatives who said a local process was already underway. Committee members expressed support for the concept, but the bill was held pending a quorum and later discussed again with strong encouragement for regional collaboration. The committee also heard SB 222, SB 677, SB 908, SB 226, SB 828, and SB 1193. SB 222 would streamline permitting for residential heat pump and water heater installations; supporters said it would lower costs and speed clean-energy adoption, while local government groups argued the main barrier is upfront cost, not permits. SB 677 would curb what the author described as abusive appeals and delays in affordable housing approvals, with developers testifying about frivolous subdivision map appeals and TEFRA hearing delays; the California Native Plant Society sought an amendment to preserve appeals on habitat lands. SB 908 would simplify permits for energy-code-compliant window replacements, and SB 226 would clarify financing authority for a West Sacramento baseball stadium proposal; both passed unanimously. SB 828, prompted by the Esparto fireworks warehouse explosion, would tighten fireworks storage and licensing rules, expand inspection and seizure authority, and increase fines; it also passed unanimously after testimony from fire officials and a pyrotechnic operator who opposed it unless amended. SB 1193, a county-specific Alameda County transparency bill, generated the sharpest debate. The author argued it would prevent waste, favoritism, and conflicts of interest in discretionary spending by requiring board approval, a public spending log, and clearer whistleblower procedures. Alameda County and county associations opposed it as overly broad and burdensome, saying existing processes already provide transparency and that the bill would reduce flexibility during fiscal stress. After committee questions about the bill’s purpose and the county’s current practices, the measure passed 7-0, with the author indicating willingness to accept an amendment restoring a four-fifths vote threshold. The committee then moved out of order to SB 1090, which would impose a temporary moratorium on state housing density laws in Altadena through 2030 in response to post-fire displacement concerns. The author said the bill is intended to protect long-term residents from investor-driven redevelopment after the Eaton Fire, while acknowledging amendments to align the moratorium with affordable housing development timelines. The transcript cuts off during the presentation of this bill, so no final action is shown for SB 1090 in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• those are funds that are administered through Fish and Wildlife.
• So the first is a Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources project
• of and heritage um, cabinet department of fish<00:08:05.440><c> and</c><00:08:05.599><c> wildlife</c
• It's the fish and wildlife resources.
• Park in Campbellville and Technology Park in Campbellville and both<00:41:19.440><c> the</c><00:41:19.599

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including approval of the June meeting minutes and receipt of several correspondence and information reports. Those reports covered quarterly capital project status updates from state agencies and postsecondary institutions, lease modifications, asset preservation projects, school district debt issuances, and Kentucky Communications Network Authority budget history materials. Members also raised questions about a long-open stream mitigation account and were told the funds are fee-in-lieu stream mitigation monies administered through Fish and Wildlife, with staff promising to follow up on the specific project. The committee then reviewed and approved several capital project actions. These included a new Camp Oralis dining hall project for the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, explained as a reauthorization because the funding split changed to 64% federal and 36% agency funds; an appropriation increase for the Shelbyville armory addition due to higher construction costs and security requirements; and emergency repair projects for Fort Boonesboro flood remediation and the Kentucky State Police Supply Branch fire damage. Members also approved a tenant improvement fund request for parking garage safety improvements at the Mayo Underwood Building. The Office of Financial Management presented three Kentucky Infrastructure Authority items and one Cleaner Water Program reallocation. The loans included a Shepherdsville sewer/drainage project and two Auburn water and lead service line projects; the grant reallocation involved unused Cleaner Water Program funds, with staff emphasizing that all ARPA-funded cleaner water dollars must be spent by December 31, 2026 or returned. After discussion, the committee approved the package. The committee also approved six Economic Development Fund grants, and the Cabinet for Economic Development began presenting the first six KPDI projects, though the transcript cuts off before those project details were completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• and speak for and against this issue.
• about our state and about our nation and what makes Arkansas and America such a special place, and that
• ...able to raise a significant amount of money to preserve our wildlife, our ecosystems, and our environment
• And if a business is going to fail, it's just going to go to Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Louisiana.
• And they will do that, and they likely will. And those types of data centers are good.

Committee: All BOYS STATE

Transcript Highlights:

• /c> put in a code and put in a code you know put in a code and put in a code you know anyway<01:30:09.600
• As the Director of Parks and Trails has communicated verbally and in writing, foraging is not compatible
• </c><01:54:11.040><c> and</c> resources as the Director of parks and resources as the Director of parks
• <c> areas</c> parks our Wildlife Management areas parks our Wildlife Management areas State<02:02:11.960
• c><02:13:32.760><c> chooses</c><02:13:33.199><c> to</c> wildlife and for anyone who chooses to wildlife

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• These projects connect the Sun Trail Network, the Florida Wildlife Corridor, and the state's designated
• And starting September of 2024, we have installed QR code signs at 44 locations throughout the state.
• Continuing the collaboration with DEP, the Florida Greenways and Trails Council, the Florida Wildlife
• So you’ll be building for our reports and metro stops at park-and-ride areas where people can, you know
• So you'll be building for our reports and metro stops at park and rise in areas where people can, you

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met and first received an update from FDOT on the Sun Trail shared-use nonmotorized trail program. FDOT said the program, created in 2015 and expanded by 2023 legislation, now includes connections to the Florida Wildlife Corridor and received a one-time $200 million appropriation plus increased annual funding. The department reported programming about $180 million of that funding, completing 42 construction projects totaling nearly 95 miles in 21 counties, and installing trail counters and QR-code surveys to measure usage and economic impact. Members expressed support for the program and asked no substantive questions. The committee then heard a presentation on FDOT’s locally administered state transportation funding programs, including SCOP, SCOPM, SCRAP, SIGP, and TRIP. FDOT explained these programs support local roadway resurfacing, bridge repair, drainage, paving unpaved roads, and safety or capacity improvements, with varying state match levels depending on the program and eligibility. FDOT said its adopted five-year work program includes more than $1.4 billion for local transportation improvement projects. A member asked whether toll revenues from Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties fund these programs; FDOT said it would research the funding source and follow up. The committee’s main discussion was a panel on advanced air mobility (AAM), including FDOT and industry representatives from Supernal, Joby, Atlantic Aviation, Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, and Eve Air Mobility. FDOT described its AAM planning work, advisory committee, local government guidebook, and upcoming training, while panelists emphasized Florida’s leadership, the likely use of existing airport and heliport infrastructure first, and the expectation that private investment will fund much of the early vertiport buildout. Members raised concerns about community acceptance, privacy, zoning, airspace congestion, security, and lessons from scooters and drones. Panelists repeatedly stressed a “crawl, walk, run” rollout, local government coordination, multimodal connectivity, and public outreach. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after the panel.

Transcript Highlights:

• AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER, AND HEARING IMPAIRMENTS, AND UNDERSTANDING LEARNING STYLES, AND INTELLECTUAL
• AND IT CERTAINLY HELPS AN UNDERSTANDING OF AT WHAT POINT IT WOULD BE TRIGGERED AS TO WHAT CODE YOU ARE
• AND THEY TRIED AND GAVE THE SUBPOENA OR THE WARRANT AND THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAME BACK AND SAID WE HAVE
• AND CHILD.
• WILDLIFE PRESERVES OR ON OR NEAR FRESHWATER BODIES WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS AND INTRODUCES A MANDATORY BALANCING

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:28:31.120><c> And</c> with made some changes to tax code.
• And with made some changes to tax code.
• And so what this does, and it is accounted for in the budget, Fish and Wildlife get the funding that
• Fish and Wildlife<00:43:25.600><c> right</c><00:43:25.920><c> now,</c> Wildlife right now, Wildlife right
• </c> accounted for in the budget, Fish and accounted for in the budget, Fish and Wildlife<00:45:46.800

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:10:07.720><c> And</c> $10,000 and less. And $10,000 and less.
• </c> level and then and do this and do that. level and then and do this and do that.
• ><c> you</c><00:10:47.520><c> have,</c> ag parks and the leases that you have, ag parks and the leases
• are also in need of sterilization services and can harm Hawaii's native birds and other wildlife, this
• other Hawaii's native birds and other wildlife,<00:26:28.120><c> we</c><00:26:28.280><c> feel</c><00

Bills: HB1736 , HB1620 , HB1695

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Environment

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1737, which clarifies allowable uses in agricultural districts for farm dwellings and farm employee housing, and HB 1604 HD2, which creates an agricultural workforce housing working group within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Testimony on HB 1737 was overwhelmingly supportive, with county agriculture officials, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Hawaii Farmers Union backing the measure; one witness asked for a definition of “affordable” to guard against misuse of farm housing. For HB 1604, the Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Housing Hawaii’s Future, Hawaii Farmers Union, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs supported the bill, with OHA requesting disaggregated data and a seat on the working group. Committee discussion focused on housing shortages, possible misuse, affordability, and whether innovative housing models such as modular, tiny, and container homes should be considered. The committee then took action on both measures. HB 1737 HD3 was recommended to pass with amendments that would limit farm employee housing to agricultural employees and their immediate family members actively engaged in the farm operation, add a grandfathering provision for existing permitted housing, preserve county zoning authority, clarify that ag tourism must be secondary and not occur in employee housing, delete a square-footage-per-acre ratio, and defer the effective date to July 1, 2050. HB 1604 HD2 was also recommended to pass with amendments adding OHA and a housing-shortage organization to the working group, expanding its scope to include modular, tiny, and container homes and permitting/zoning streamlining, and deferring the effective date to July 1, 2050. Both motions were adopted unanimously by the members present. The joint hearing then moved to HB 1736, which would establish a spay and neuter special fund and require sterilization and declaration provisions for cats, with some discussion of dogs. DLNR and the Hawaiian Humane Society supported the bill, while Pacific Pet Alliance objected to the broader requirements and the inclusion of dogs; the Hawaiian Humane Society and American Bird Conservancy supported cat-focused sterilization and the special fund, while some testifiers opposed mandatory sterilization as too costly or intrusive. Members raised questions about toxoplasmosis, trap-neuter-release, enforcement, neighbor-island access, and funding needs, and DLNR indicated additional funding and third-party contracting would likely be needed. The transcript then began HB 1620 HD2 on energy, which would increase the environmental response energy and food security tax and shift funds from the hydrogen fueling subaccount to EV charging infrastructure; state agencies generally stood on written testimony in support, while the Tax Foundation objected to special fund earmarks and noted the bill raises only one part of the barrel tax structure.

Transcript Highlights:

• species and habitats within our population and our parks.
• water quality and wildlife habitat.
• Water quantity and quality are important for wildlife and people.
• WMAs can serve fish and wildlife for future generations, ensuring a rich and diverse fish and wildlife
• On our WMAs, people can learn and practice outdoor skills and actively enjoy fish and wildlife resources

Committee: Senate Environment and Natural Resources

Summary: The Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources convened with a quorum present and took up SB 302 by Senator Garcia, which would promote nature-based solutions for coastal resilience. Garcia said the bill would direct DEP to adopt statewide guidelines, encourage local restoration projects through existing grant programs, streamline permitting for green and hybrid infrastructure, support workforce training, and require a study on flood-risk and insurance benefits. Senator Harrell asked about implementation, existing statutory authority, and possible fiscal impacts. The committee adopted an amendment clarifying that hybrid infrastructure need only combine green and gray elements, not prove superiority over either alone. The committee heard supportive testimony on SB 302 from Katie Bauman of Surfrider Foundation, who said nature-based approaches such as dunes, wetlands, and mangroves are cost-effective and protective, and several organizations waived in support, including the Environmental Defense Fund of Florida, the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association, and 1,000 Friends of Florida. Senator Harrell said she supported the concept but remained concerned about the breadth of rulemaking and the fiscal implications of workforce funding. After closing remarks from Garcia, the committee voted to report CS for SB 302 favorably. The remainder of the meeting consisted of informational presentations on land management. Brian Bradner of DEP reviewed Florida State Parks management, including prescribed fire, invasive species removal, hydrologic restoration, cultural resource preservation, visitor use, and budgeted land-management activities. Melissa Tucker of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission described wildlife management areas, emphasizing habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring, ranch infrastructure, public access, and the economic value of the system. Rick Dolan of the Florida Forest Service outlined state forest management funded through a $20 million appropriation, including road and facility work, recreation upgrades, invasive species control, reforestation, habitat restoration, prescribed burning, and boundary marking. Senators praised the agencies’ work and noted the ongoing cost of managing state lands. The committee then adjourned without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• if</c> Colorado Parks and Wildlife because if Colorado Parks and Wildlife because if you<01:49:55.760
• Other concerns that I have is the overall stressing of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
• Other concerns that I have is the overall stressing of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
• Other concerns that I have is the overall stressing of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
• Other concerns that I have is the overall stressing of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.