Transcript Highlights:

• Implementation of water quality plans, including total maximum daily loads, which is a measurement of
• loading capacity on a watershed basis, then long-term impacts of water quality and watersheds, and sustainability
• burner, the burner is important in my estimation because we're comparing whether we have to take a load
• That's like 200 loads compared to loads after it's gone through a burner: one load.

Summary: The task force met to focus on funding systems and incentive structures for a proposed regional waste infrastructure effort, including how a future WIPA framework might support solid waste planning in the Willamette Valley. Staff and members heard presentations from DEQ on the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, from Business Oregon on the Special Public Works Fund, and from Oregon State Treasury on state bonding capacity and the bond issuance process. Presenters explained how their programs are structured, how projects are scored or approved, what kinds of public entities and projects are eligible, and how interagency coordination and co-funding can work. DEQ emphasized that its revolving loan fund is driven by water-quality benefits and public-health criteria, while Business Oregon described a broader infrastructure loan program for public entities with no scoring system, and Treasury outlined the state’s debt-capacity process and the differences between general obligation and lottery bonds. Members used the presentations to discuss whether similar funding tools could support solid waste infrastructure, especially for transfer stations, regional hubs, and related facilities that may need to be built before Coffin Butte reaches the end of its lifespan. Several questions centered on whether public-private partnerships could qualify, whether equipment inside facilities could be financed, how repayment would work, and whether planning costs could be covered. DEQ and Business Oregon both said they could potentially collaborate on scoring or co-funding, but noted eligibility limits and the need for public ownership in many cases. Treasury said bond capacity is limited and competitive, especially for lottery bonds, and that project authorization generally runs on a two-year cycle, though unused authority can sometimes be reauthorized. In task force discussion, members debated whether the group should pursue a dedicated funding lane for the seven-county region rather than having local governments compete with other statewide needs. Some members stressed the importance of criteria to avoid stranded assets and to ensure funding is available when projects are ready, while others raised concerns about how cities and counties would generate revenue to repay debt during construction and early operations. The group also discussed flow control, system fees, and the need for regional collaboration among counties, cities, and haulers to create enough waste volume to support new infrastructure. Staff noted that pre-session filing materials for the legislature are due September 11, and the chair said the August meeting will focus on organizational structure and identifying partners. During public comment, Representative Kevin Mannix submitted written testimony supporting the WIPA concept and urging the task force to endorse it. Commissioner Bubba King of Yamhill County urged the task force to compare alternatives objectively and warned against adding bureaucracy before evaluating existing infrastructure and costs. Commissioners Kevin Cameron and Roger Nyquist of Marion and Linn counties described regional hub-and-spoke concepts, transfer stations, and intermodal options, emphasizing the need for planning, strategic siting, and collaboration with haulers and local governments.

Transcript Highlights:

• apply small, precise amounts of active ingredients directly to the seed, reducing the overall chemical load
• pesticide registrants currently to obtain sales data for neonics treated with seeds to quantify the load
• c><00:32:28.880> to<00:32:29.039> quantify<00:32:29.440> the<00:32:29.600> load
• <00:32:29.919> that with seeds uh to quantify the load that with seeds uh to quantify the
• load that major<00:32:30.960> res<00:32:31.600> uh<00:32:31.840> registrants<00:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And we need to be able to be agile and handle those at different loads at different times.
• We can carry the bulk of the load of pulling applications in and managing the identities without having
• to be that bridge between the vendor and the business, with the vendor carrying the majority of the load
• c><00:20:03.120> majority<00:20:03.440> of<00:20:03.520> the<00:20:03.679> load
• carrying the majority of the load. carrying the majority of the load.

Keywords: 1:00 Roll Call 2:38 Overview of Citizen Identity Security and Threat Reduction 9:36 Identity Solution and Casts 13:51 System Application and Discovery Issues 21:31 Staffing and Timelines 29:14 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Personnel, Public Retirement, and Finance received a presentation from Jim Barnhard, CIO of the Commonwealth Office of Technology, and David Carter, deputy CIO/CISO, on the state’s citizen identity management project. They said the project is intended to streamline citizen logins across agencies, reduce duplicated identity-management costs, improve security by centralizing authentication, and provide a flexible system that can scale with demand. The presenters described major implementation challenges, including integrating with diverse and legacy applications, and said the chosen software-as-a-service vendor was selected because it can connect to many systems and maintain the service in a federally certified cloud environment. The presenters emphasized that the project scope is limited to login, authentication, identity management, and identity proofing, while leaving authorization decisions to the individual applications and agencies. They said the work is being done in phases, beginning with discovery sessions with agencies, then selecting representative applications for onboarding rather than attempting a “big bang” rollout. They also said the vendor agreement includes professional services and knowledge transfer to reduce long-term dependence on outside support, and that the state has already begun outreach to agencies, including initial work with the Finance Cabinet and the Department of Revenue. Members asked about staffing, current spending, future costs, and whether existing systems or contracts could be reduced. The presenters said the project is being supported with existing staff, with no expectation of a large increase in positions, and that the vendor will carry most of the operational load. They said they did not have statewide spending figures with them but could try to gather them, and explained that the negotiated pricing is intended to be all-inclusive, with fixed costs for the first five years and capped increases in years six and seven. They said centralizing identity services should eventually allow the Commonwealth to stand down some duplicated agency-level licensing and reduce overall operational costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that We learned that by going to the mine site and watching the demonstration of how they load the
• where they store the ore when it's brought out of the mine, and that's the pads where they actually load
• data comports with the same numbers that are captured at the point where the trucks have just been loaded
• weighs a large amount of that, and that leaves an amount of 25,000 pounds of material that can be loaded
• Once it's been loaded and the tarp has been covered over the top, that is how the material is moved and

Transcript Highlights:

• Think about loading tigers, brown bears in and out over this dock.
• <00:12:29.519> dock<00:12:30.399> uh<00:12:30.519> the lack of indoor loading
• dock uh the lack of indoor loading dock uh the veterinary<00:12:31.040> team<00:12:31.320>
• <00:12:58.680> dock<00:12:59.560> uh space up and over this loading dock uh space up
• the time of day so think about loading the time of day so think about loading Tigers<00:13:04.320

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, first, the business impact is probably more front-loaded to this FY26 than even it shows here.
• Highlights in this photo are the loading dock area.
• The loading dock will continue to progress quickly through... ...are almost completed.
• The loading dock will continue to progress quickly through the next couple of months in order to be utilized
• Also adding snowmelt in the loading dock and the interior courtyards, providing concrete paving instead

Summary: The Budget Section Leadership Division met with a quorum present and approved the March 18 minutes. The committee first heard an update from the Petroleum Council on oil and gas activity, which described North Dakota production as holding steady around 1.1 to 1.2 million barrels per day despite lower prices and market volatility. The presentation emphasized that efficiency gains, longer laterals, and improved completion technology are allowing operators to sustain output while activity shifts north in the Bakken. Members asked about gas taxation, natural gas liquids, flaring, and enhanced oil recovery; the witness said gas is taxed by volume, most liquids are handled through oil lines or gas processing, and the state’s EOR pilot projects and new gas infrastructure are intended to help hold production flat and expand future recovery. The committee then received a presentation from the Tax Department on the federal “big beautiful bill” and its effect on North Dakota income tax collections. The department explained that most of the federal changes were extensions of existing Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions, but several items — including the larger standard deduction, senior deduction, tip and overtime exclusions, auto loan interest deduction, and business expensing changes — affect state collections. Revised estimates showed a smaller-than-expected impact on individual income tax, with the department suggesting a net cash effect in the range of roughly $30 million to $35 million when business and individual effects are combined, plus a possible one-time distortion from large oil-field transactions in fiscal year 2025. Members asked which provisions apply to standard versus itemized returns, and the department clarified that most of the individual provisions apply broadly, while the SALT-related item is itemizer-specific. OMB then reported on major capital projects and facility funding. Updates included Capitol grounds improvements such as 18th-floor renovations, wayfinding, augmented reality displays for the Rough Rider Hall of Fame, tree management and lighting studies, and restroom and parking reconfiguration in the tower. OMB also described security upgrades at the governor’s residence, where human remains were discovered on site and are being handled with historical and legal review. The state hospital project in Jamestown remains on schedule for substantial completion in winter 2027 and opening in spring 2028, with costs currently estimated a little over $292 million and a line of credit expected to be drawn in April 2027. The North Central State Office Building in Minot is under construction, with a $5.6 million line of credit already accessed. OMB also reported on the State Facility Maintenance Fund, noting about $1.1 million spent so far on projects such as the Liberty Memorial Building roof and foundation work, Capitol window replacement, boiler replacement, and kitchen remodeling. Finally, Legislative Council staff reviewed the interim compliance report on legislative intent and state trust funds. The report highlighted the status of multiple lines of credit, including those for the state hospital and Minot office building, and noted that the executive budget will likely need to include repayment planning for about $350 million of expected outstanding balances. Other updates included the Bank of North Dakota profit transfer schedule, litigation pool spending, the new Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship, the Missouri River Correctional Center planning effort, HHS items such as FMAP and child care assistance, Job Service’s unemployment insurance modernization project, and DPI school aid turnback estimates. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• One is called premium alignment, otherwise known as silver loading.
• grateful to Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer for issuing an emergency rule directing all the plans to load
• .the ability to reduce 80,000 people dropping to more like 40,000 is premium alignment, or silver loading
• When we've loaded the rates into our system and we do the analysis of what the actual price points are
• assuming a couple of things on the table on the right: that people choose, that we're doing the silver loading

Summary: The committee first welcomed new DSHS Secretary Angela Ramirez, who introduced herself and described her background in public service, federal and state legislative work, and health and human services leadership. Members emphasized the importance of building strong relationships with her and noted her focus on protecting services, using strategic approaches in a tight budget environment, and improving partnerships with the Legislature. Ramirez said she wanted to keep communication open and that her priorities would be shaped by what she learns from lawmakers and agency partners. The next work session focused on the West Coast Health Alliance and the broader Governor’s Public Health Alliance. Department of Health and governor’s office staff said the West Coast alliance, involving Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii, was formed to coordinate science-based public health guidance, especially around vaccines, return-to-work guidance, and responses to federal changes. They said the alliance is intended to reduce confusion, counter misinformation, and preserve access to evidence-based recommendations, with early actions including vaccine guidance for COVID-19, flu, and RSV, a statement rejecting any vaccine-autism link, and preparation for possible ACIP changes. Members asked about workload and coordination with other regional alliances, and staff said there is informal coordination but no formal regular meetings. The committee then heard from the Washington State Health Benefit Exchange about open enrollment and the effects of federal policy changes. Exchange leaders said the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits, HR1 provisions, and immigration-related eligibility changes are affecting affordability and enrollment, with some customers facing large premium increases and some counties becoming harder to serve. They reported early open-enrollment traffic increases, nearly 10,000 new sign-ups, and nearly 12,000 active coverage drops so far, while noting that many more people may disenroll later if subsidies are not extended. They also described mitigation efforts such as silver loading, Cascade Care Savings, outreach through navigators and community partners, and planning for future HR1 requirements like ending auto-renewal and adding verification steps. In the final work session, staff from the Health Care Authority and Insurance Commissioner’s office reviewed Washington’s health reform history and the state’s current affordability and access efforts. They highlighted past ACA-related coverage gains, continued work on prescription drug affordability, PBM oversight, primary care and behavioral health access, and a pending legislative proposal to preserve access to preventive services. They also discussed federal changes affecting Medicaid and the exchange, including work requirements, six-month redeterminations, and the need to coordinate across agencies to implement new rules. Members raised concerns about network adequacy, provider access, and the complexity of the health care system, while staff said they are trying to mitigate harm, simplify administration, and keep coverage and access as stable as possible.

Transcript Highlights:

• Data centers, AI, and reindustrialization have brought load onto the system at a speed that we have never
• As demand grows, so does the need for more base load power, and I believe nuclear energy continues to
• makes about about 20% of the total. generation in the United States, but if we increase our installed load
• also the problem, at least in the. areas that are regulated by FERC jurisdictional markets, the base load
• the way fundamentally to fix this is to pay rates that are commensurate with the benefits that base load

Keywords: nuclear energy, permitting process, energy production, public lands, national parks, uranium imports, legislative bills, infrastructure development

Summary: The committee meeting was dominated by discussions on a variety of legislative bills including major topics such as nuclear energy advancement, the effects of regulatory hurdles on energy production, and proposals to improve national park staffing and maintenance. Members expressed concerns over the federal government's handling of uranium imports and the necessity for maintaining a robust domestic nuclear supply chain. Efforts to streamline permitting processes to facilitate more efficient energy project development were also a focal point, alongside public testimony from stakeholders in the energy and environmental sectors. The meeting highlighted the urgent need for infrastructure development to meet rising energy demands while addressing climate change impacts.

Transcript Highlights:

• one of the first ones, as you can see, he's a tough act to follow with a script that I'm usually loaded
• one of the first ones, as you can see, he's a tough act to follow with a script that I'm usually loaded
• He's a tough act to follow, with a script that I'm usually loaded with, and, you know, he's one step
• The facility will allow customers to bring 53-foot over-the-road trailers and swing loads from the containers
• ground in April, will allow customers to bring 53-foot trailers over-the-road type trailers and swing loads

Summary: The Commerce and Tourism Committee met to hear an overview of its jurisdiction and then focused primarily on Florida manufacturing. Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly described manufacturing as central to a more resilient, diversified economy, citing the 2023 Florida Manufacturing Report and noting strong growth in manufacturing businesses, jobs, exports, and workforce programs. He emphasized that most Florida manufacturers are small businesses, that the sector is increasingly STEM- and technology-driven, and that the state’s main challenge is workforce aging and the need to retain trained talent. Members also discussed how to better expose students and parents to manufacturing careers, improve startup access to capital, and strengthen regional manufacturing corridors and transportation links. Kevin Carr of FloridaMakes said Florida is on track to become a top-five manufacturing state, but warned that productivity, technology adoption, and workforce shortages remain key issues. He said a proposed manufacturing bill would create a chief manufacturing officer and help address workforce, technology, and market-visibility challenges. Bain Beecher of PGT Innovations described the company’s growth and community role, but highlighted obstacles such as affordable housing, insurance costs, permitting delays, supply-chain disruptions, and limited awareness of manufacturing careers among students and parents. Andrew Kosowski of Veterans Metal focused on small- and medium-sized manufacturers, citing labor shortages, the cost of adopting new technology, regulatory burdens, and cybersecurity compliance as major pressures, and urged support for the draft manufacturing bill. Brian Giuliani of the Port of Tampa Bay outlined the port’s cargo mix, infrastructure investments, and role in moving fuel, construction materials, and manufactured goods, saying the port’s expansion and transloading plans could better connect Florida manufacturers to suppliers and markets. Committee members repeatedly stressed the need to promote manufacturing careers earlier in school, improve public perception of the industry, and reduce barriers to investment. No formal vote was taken during the discussion, but the panelists broadly supported the draft manufacturing legislation and the committee’s focus on manufacturing policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• THE BENEFITS TO THIS HELP WITH HIGH LOADING.
• THEY HELP WITH LOW LOADING AND WHAT HAPPENS IS WE END UP WITH THE BACTERIA SUBMERGED INTO THIS MEDIA.
• THAT LOOKED AT 10 SYSTEMS BECAUSE WE KNEW WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT NITROGEN LOADING IN THE KEYS AND ALSO

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:16.160> interconnections<00:04:16.840> will new large load interconnections
• will new large load interconnections will stress<00:04:17.720> both<00:04:18.000> our<00
• 00:13:08.960> uh<00:13:09.360> undermining<00:13:10.040> base<00:13:10.400> load
• <00:13:10.600> electricity of uh undermining base load electricity of uh undermining base
• load electricity and<00:13:12.640> driving<00:13:13.120> up<00:13:13.280> our<00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're full-time teachers that are taking this on either as an extra load or it converts their load.
• And so because they're not taking full loads, they're really only accounting for about a third of our
• So your college faculty that are teaching the online dual credit, is that just part of their load?
• So your college faculty that are teaching the online dual credit, is that just part of their load?
• From maybe a more system standpoint, there are loads of spreadsheets that...

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I am doing my best to get through my load of patients because there was no one else to see them while
• An enormous demand for increased electricity generation and load within New Mexico that there is really
• participating in the PNM's integrated resource planning process that is ongoing right now, and their load
• Geothermal just to support that increase in demand, and the load forecast just continues to go up after

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Mention later, you can also be used for load.
• factory producing transportable to a permanent site or a temporary location which referred to earlier as load
• And some of those are being driven by loads that are look co-locating next to those plans is the reason
• And it's being driven by the load growth that's occurring in the country and in diversify supply.

Transcript Highlights:

• amendment that essentially expands the exemption from individual workers having a certification to mix and load
• into the bill, most of these accidents with these sorts of chemicals happen during the mixing and loading
• If he tells me to, he's up on his trailer loading a sprayer, and he asks me to hand him a jug of chemical

Bills: HF2446

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant

Transcript Highlights:

• <03:18:40.960> of I can only imagine with a full load of I can only imagine with a full load
• They said, "Well, a load of gravel is around 350 bucks.
• So, if I need to bring in a load of gravel, just a single load of gravel, it's about 350 bucks.
• They said, "Well, a load of the costs?"
• > about<03:36:36.720> 350 a single load of gravel, it's about 350 a single load of gravel

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up HB 163FN, dealing with requiring current, verifiable evidence of a species’ presence before land-use restrictions are imposed for habitat protection. Members discussed an amendment that had been worked on with agencies and stakeholder groups. Fish and Game testified that, while the amendment improved the bill, the agency still opposed it because of concerns about citizen science, how the proposal would apply to public versus private property, and how the transition to DES would work. Representative Darby argued the amendment was ambiguous, lacked a full hearing, and did not clearly address record verification or private-property access issues. The amendment passed 8-7, and the committee then voted OTPA 8-7, with a minority report noted. The committee then moved to HB 1752FN, which would create a chain of custody for timber and carbon credits. Representative Davis presented an amendment saying it would help law enforcement investigate timber theft and add transparency to New Hampshire’s carbon registry by identifying buyers of carbon credits. Supporters said the change would impose little burden and align with practices in other states. Opponents, including Representative Darby, Representative Vale, and the state forester from DNCR, said the carbon market is complex, the amendment was not fully vetted, and a hearing with all stakeholders was needed; they also raised fiscal-note concerns. The amendment passed 8-7, and the committee then voted OTPA 8-7, again with a minority report. Finally, the committee opened a hearing on HB 1019, which would add an active water treatment professional to the state water well board. Representative Peter Petrino and Representative Wendy Thomas said the board should include expertise on contamination risks and treatment technologies, citing concerns about arsenic, radon, and PFAS in private wells. The chairman of the Water Well Board testified in opposition to the bill as drafted, saying the board supports the general idea of licensing water filtration work but does not currently have authority or rules to oversee that field and believes the proposal would put “the cart before the horse.” Members questioned whether the board’s current mandate even covers filtration systems, and the discussion ended with those concerns unresolved.

Transcript Highlights:

• greater unless the applicant demonstrates, by a preponderance of the evidence, From West Virginia load-serving
• ratepayers, and finally they must prove that, upon approval of the request to serve West Virginia retail load

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Energy, Industry and Mining Committee met, established a quorum, and approved the minutes from the March 9 and March 11 meetings. The committee then took up an engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 4012, which as explained by counsel would limit the Public Service Commission’s ability to approve rate increases and certain utility-related approvals unless the costs to ratepayers are shown to be proportionate to the benefits, with written justification required for approved increases. The bill also addressed PSC approval of certain electric transmission lines and related service commitments. The committee adopted a strike-and-insert amendment that removed most of the House bill’s provisions and inserted the contents of engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 669, which had previously passed the Senate, while retaining only the portion related to certificates of public convenience and necessity for certain transmission lines. After the amendment was adopted, the committee voted to report House Bill 4012, as amended, to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass. The committee also adopted a title amendment and then adjourned. No opposition votes were recorded on the motions described in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, that's a loaded question. I'll try to be quick. So with regard to resources, yes.
• Boy, that is a loaded question.
• I just have such a hard time understanding how a junior in high school can take a full-time load as a
• high school junior and a full-time load as a college freshman at the same time.
• the classes they're taking as juniors and seniors are going to count both ways, so they have a full load

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, that's a loaded question. I'll try to be quick. So with regard to resources, yes.
• Boy, that is a loaded question.
• I just have such a hard time understanding how a junior in high school can take a full-time load as a
• high school junior and a full-time load as a college freshman at the same time.
• the classes they're taking as juniors and seniors are going to count both ways, so they have a full load

Summary: The committee reconvened at North Dakota State College of Science for a presentation from President Dr. Flanagan and college leaders about NDSCS’s mission, enrollment growth, workforce training, and facilities needs. Flanagan highlighted student success in national competitions, strong placement and retention, growing enrollment, and new or expanding programs in aviation maintenance, fire science, dental hygiene, community health worker training, surgical technology, HVAC/plumbing, and precision agriculture. He also emphasized the college’s partnerships with industry, including John Deere, Fargo Jet Center, Sanford, and Comdel Innovation, and said NDSCS plans to seek approval next session for a revenue bond to build a new dorm and to remodel the library into academic and allied health space. Allied health dean Deb Smith testified that her division is at capacity and needs a simulation center, more lab and classroom space, and expanded dental and OTA facilities to meet demand and accreditation needs. Committee members questioned Flanagan and staff about workforce shortages, especially faculty pay, and whether the college can staff additional growth. Flanagan said the biggest challenge is recruiting instructors because industry pays more, but noted some health care and adjunct hiring is possible because of schedule flexibility and benefits. He also discussed shifting resources away from lower-demand programs like power sports toward higher-demand areas such as automotive and aviation maintenance. Members also asked about the college’s identity as a technical institution, with Flanagan arguing North Dakota would benefit from a more defined tech-school system. The committee then received a University System presentation from Jamie Wilkie on the cost of delivering dual credit. Wilkie explained the methodology used to allocate direct and overhead costs across subsidized and unsubsidized dual credit, noting that dual credit and early entry account for about 5.9% of total credit hours and 2.7% of formula funding. The analysis showed subsidized dual credit tuition revenue of about $5.5 million and unsubsidized revenue of about $2.9 million, with some institutions showing margins and others losses depending on the model. Members discussed whether K-12 funding should also be reflected, how payments to high schools and teachers are structured, and whether tuition-free dual credit would require replacing both tuition revenue and the current dual credit scholarship. No votes were taken; the committee simply received the presentations and discussed the findings.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:42.120> then<00:10:42.320> the<00:10:42.440> case<00:10:42.680> load
• <00:10:42.880> is ago um since then the case load is ago um since then the case load is Multiplied
• public Guardian as a extremely<00:13:50.000> heavy<00:13:50.279> case<00:13:50.560> load
• <00:13:51.040> and<00:13:51.320> these extremely heavy case load and these extremely
• heavy case load and these Social<00:13:52.079> Service<00:13:52.480> AIDS<00:13:53.240

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Judiciary heard the Judiciary’s budget presentation from Brandon Kimura and other court administrators. The Judiciary outlined its mission and access-to-justice programs, including specialty courts, self-help centers, online small claims dispute resolution, and e-reminders. It requested an operating budget of $6.17 million in FY 2026 and $6.25 million in FY 2027, along with 17 permanent and one temporary position, and described a series of staffing and program requests tied to specialty courts, district court operations, technology, and public guardianship. Major program requests included making women’s court permanent by converting seven temporary positions to permanent and adding a substance use counselor; expanding truancy court and the Early Education Intervention Program on Oahu; and making the driving while impaired court permanent. The Judiciary also sought staffing and funding for the new Wahiawa District Court, including security, janitorial, IT, clerical, bailiff, and social worker support, plus an additional district court judge and staff in Kona. Technology requests included cybersecurity tools and a cybersecurity unit, enhanced email protection, and replacement of aging network switches. Other operating requests included continued funding for the Criminal Justice Research Institute, restoration of 12 positions cut during the pandemic, and added support for the Office of the Public Guardian. For capital improvement projects, the Judiciary’s top priorities were $4 million to design a new South Kohala District Court, $900,000 to replace an aging AC chiller on Kauai, and $5 million for lump-sum facility preservation work. Members asked questions about purchase-of-service contract rates, implementation of court-appointed fee increases, federal grant dependence, specialty court effectiveness, truancy court outcomes, and the condition of the Ewa District Court site. Judiciary witnesses said they were working to raise provider rates through contracts and a separate bill, cited low recidivism and reduced petitions as evidence that specialty courts and truancy efforts are working, and said the Ewa site has significant foundation issues that may require further assessment or a different location.