Transcript Highlights:

• But Madam Chair, Representative, we grew up with alcohol and we grew up with cigarettes.
• I'm sure, I know we have laws for the distributors, the same as we do with alcohol and cigarettes.
• I don't like what we do on cigarettes. I mean, maybe it is a help.
• But it does occur to me that if I buy a pack of cigarettes, there's a warning on it, that there should

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Cigarette tax revenues are plummeting. This affects various entities.
• We do support the cancer center getting more money and am available for questions. session U cigarette
• tax revenues are session U cigarette tax revenues are plummeting<01:02:54.680> this<01:02:54.880
• She asked the committee to consider increasing the cigarette tax to 5 cents per stick, or a dollar, which
• There were 34 other individuals in support and 11 in opposition, including cigarettes-related testimony

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee heard testimony on several measures related to child welfare, health care access, overdose response, disability services, and waste management. For SB 710 on child welfare, the Department of Human Services, the Office of Wellness and Resilience, the Attorney General’s office, and multiple advocacy groups testified in support, with the Governor’s office noting support but deferring to the Attorney General on implementation because of separation-of-powers concerns. For SB 952 on child welfare services, DHS, the Governor’s office, and child- and trauma-informed care advocates supported the bill, saying it would help families access services, provide basic material support, and reduce strain on the child welfare system. SB 954 on a home health services rate study also drew support, including from DHS, the Hawaii Healthcare Association, and a public testifier who said the study would help ensure funds reach low-income, disabled, and kupuna recipients. SB 957 on overdose prevention received support from the Department of Health and the Attorney General, who said overdose prevention centers are evidence-based but raised federal-law concerns and recommended amendments; the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center and others also testified in support. The committee then moved to the 1:00 regular calendar and heard SB 850 on disability health disparity, which was supported by the Executive Office on Aging, the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, self-advocates, and others. Testimony emphasized that a disparity study could improve workforce development, training, and services for people with disabilities. SB 838 on continuous glucose monitoring drew support from health agencies and advocates, with testimony stressing that monitors can be critical for some diabetes patients. SB 829 on health care was supported by the Department of Health and health care stakeholders, who said it would help rotating physicians serve neighbor islands without local hospital privileges and align with CMS rules. SB 446 on waste management drew mixed testimony: the Department of Health and several public entities provided comments, the County of Maui opposed, and environmental advocates urged stronger aquifer protections and limits on ash reuse. During decision making, the committee adopted recommendations to pass SB 298, SB 322, SB 299, SB 450, SB 451, SB 949, SB 710, SB 957, SB 69, and SD 952 with various amendments, including technical changes, blank appropriations, and defective dates. SB 323, SB 324, SB 712, SB 950, SB 954, and SB 959 were deferred, largely because companion House measures were moving or similar Senate measures had already passed. The chair also announced recesses to find quorum and noted that some bills from the earlier Monday calendar were being deferred to avoid duplication.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think three grams is anywhere from six to nine marijuana cigarettes or joints.
• the legalization bill and said he recently saw somebody sentenced to 30 days in jail for about a cigarette
• the legalization bill and said he recently saw somebody sentenced to 30 days in jail for about a cigarette
• the legalization bill and said he recently saw somebody sentenced to 30 days in jail for about a cigarette
• To 30 days in jail for about a cigarette pack's worth of cannabis, about 20 grams.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard SB 1231, which would repeal the Parentage Uniform Act of 1973 and update Hawaii’s parentage laws, including parts of the Uniform Parentage Act of 2017. Supporters said the current statutes are outdated and do not adequately address assisted reproduction, surrogacy, and modern family formation. The Attorney General’s office supported the bill with technical amendments, including conforming changes to the Probate Code and child support provisions, and several testifiers urged passage as a needed modernization of the law. A major point of disagreement was Part 10, which concerns donor anonymity. Some supporters, including members of the task force, the Uniform Law Commission, fertility and family law practitioners, and LGBTQ+ advocates, backed the bill as written or said it should move forward even if Part 10 is removed. Others, including donor-conceived adults, parents, and advocacy groups, opposed Part 10 and urged the committee to adopt the 2024 version of Article 9 or delete Part 10 entirely, arguing that anonymous donation harms donor-conceived people’s access to genetic, medical, and identity information and that anonymity is not realistic in the DNA-testing era. One task force member and attorney said she supported the bill but preferred removing Part 10 if necessary to pass the rest. The hearing included extensive public testimony both in support and opposition, with many individuals describing personal experiences with adoption, IVF, surrogacy, and donor conception. No committee vote or final action on the bill was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I haven't bought cigarettes for a long time. In fact, I'm an adamant anti-smoker.
• However, I'm pretty sure we're still selling cigarettes to 18-year-olds in the state.
• To somebody who's selling vapes or cigarettes, right?
• I mean, they can still buy cigarettes, right? ...the general health of people generally.
• I mean, they can still buy cigarettes, right?

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've seen it with opioids, and we've seen it with the cigarette manufacturers.
• We've seen it with cigarettes. We've seen it with opioids.
• This is not an issue with a tobacco company who knew cigarettes caused cancer, but failed to warn.
• This is not an issue with a tobacco company who knew cigarettes caused cancer, but failed to warn.
• This is not an issue with a tobacco company who knew cigarettes caused cancer, but failed to warn.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first postponed CS for HB 781 at the sponsor’s request. It then heard and passed CS for HB 429, which codifies the existing process for terminating or cancelling motor vehicle dealer franchises and requires manufacturers to provide written sales and service performance criteria; the bill was supported by the Florida Automobile Dealers Association and was reported favorably 12-0. The committee next took up HB 983 on homeowners associations, where the sponsor described HOA fraud and abuse concerns and proposed expanding local law enforcement authority to investigate, inspect, and audit HOAs, easing recall procedures, and allowing prevailing-party attorney’s fees in recall disputes. Two amendments were adopted: one removing constitutionality-problematic Kaufman language, and another defining financial statements more comprehensively to improve HOA transparency. The bill drew support from Miami-Dade County and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and was reported favorably as amended 14-0. The committee also passed CS for HB 1343 on public nuisance abatement fines, which raises daily fines from $250 to $500, removes the $15,000 cap, adjusts foreclosure timing on unpaid nuisance liens, and allows attorney-fee calculations to include legal assistance time. Members discussed due process and notice concerns, and the sponsor said he would work on clarifying notice for both owners and nuisance-causing parties; the Orange County Sheriff’s Office supported the measure, citing violent crime tied to nuisance properties. CS for HB 643 on residual market insurers was then reported favorably without discussion. CS for HB 1183 on cybersecurity incident liability followed; it would shield government and private entities from liability if they substantially comply with cybersecurity standards, with the sponsor explaining that the bill was revised after a prior veto to define substantial compliance through policy letters, disaster recovery planning, and multi-factor authentication. Despite concerns about the breadth of the liability protection, the committee adopted an amendment and reported the bill favorably 13-1. PCS for HB 915, addressing advertisements for representation services, was also reported favorably 14-0. The bill targets misleading advertising by nonlawyers and notaries, especially in immigration-related services, requiring clear bilingual disclosures and allowing damages, fees, and injunctive relief for violations; it was supported by faith-based and civil rights groups. CS for HB 585 on former phosphate mining lands was then approved 14-0; the sponsor said it would create a defense to Water Quality Assurance Act strict liability for naturally occurring substances on former phosphate mine sites, require notice recording, radon surveys, and pre-suit radiation testing, and it would not apply retroactively to pending litigation. HB 6503, a claims bill for Mandy Penny Lemon, was also reported favorably 14-0 after brief sponsor remarks describing her severe injuries and homelessness following a 2018 incident. Finally, the committee considered HB 129 on pesticide-related products liability. A strike-all amendment was adopted that bars failure-to-warn claims for EPA-registered pesticide products when the label is consistent with EPA’s most recent human health risk assessment and carcinogenicity classification, while preserving claims if information was withheld, concealed, misrepresented, or destroyed to obtain or maintain the label. Supporters argued the bill provides certainty and respects EPA’s scientific labeling process; opponents warned it would effectively block access to courts and delay claims until after lengthy EPA investigations. After extensive debate, the committee reported the bill favorably as amended 13-1.

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't ban minors from smoking cigarettes because smoking cigarettes is bad.
• We don't ban minors from smoking cigarettes<00:40:57.400> because<00:40:57.960> smoking
• <00:40:58.400> cigarettes cigarettes because smoking cigarettes cigarettes because smoking cigarettes

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House took up House File 4138, a bill establishing requirements for social media platforms regarding accounts for minors. Rep. Scott explained the bill and an A10 amendment that made several changes, including aligning with Senate language, adding transparency about age-estimation processes, changing the covered-platform revenue threshold, tightening privacy settings for child accounts, and strengthening limits on the sale or disclosure of data collected for age estimation. The A10 amendment was adopted by voice vote. Rep. Bonner then offered A11 to raise the bill’s age threshold from under 16 to under 18 and to replace references to “child” with “minor,” arguing that 18 is the clearer legal age of consent and would better protect 16- and 17-year-olds. Rep. Scott and others opposed the change, saying the bill was designed around First Amendment concerns and that 16 was a more workable cutoff; the amendment failed on a roll call, 15 yeas to 111 nays. A subsequent A13 amendment by Rep. Smith, as amended by A17 from Rep. Myers, added a requirement that platforms review publicly available user-generated content and report potential mass-violence threats to the state fusion center with immediate reporting language. Scott objected that the new language had not had hearings, but the Myers amendment to the amendment was adopted, 83 yeas to 47 nays. Rep. Greenman then offered A18 to tie the discussion to broader gun violence prevention and assault weapons, arguing social media measures alone were insufficient; Rep. Finke spoke in support of broader harm-reduction efforts and the amendment’s intent. The transcript ends while discussion of A18 is still underway, with no final vote shown on that amendment or on final passage of the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• talk master settlement, that's the tobacco settlement, and those dollars we receive on the sale of cigarettes
• <00:15:19.120> uh<00:15:19.199> sale<00:15:19.519> of<00:15:19.880> cigarettes
• c><00:15:20.399> here<00:15:20.560> in<00:15:20.720> the on the uh sale of cigarettes
• here in the on the uh sale of cigarettes here in the state<00:15:21.320> so<00:15:22.040>

Keywords: 00:00 Meeting Start 00:45 Attendance Roll Call 01:50 Introduction of New Members 07:10 Discussion of HB 24 09:36 Roll Call Vote 12:20 Discussion of HB 216 19:25 Roll Call Vote, 958, all

Summary: The Agriculture Committee met for its first meeting of the 2025 session, with the new chair opening the meeting, confirming a quorum, announcing the House’s 24-hour rule for committee substitutes and amendments, and welcoming several guests and new committee members. The chair also emphasized agriculture’s importance to Kentucky’s economy, citing crop revenue and the broader economic impact of the sector. The committee first considered House Bill 24, which would raise the audit threshold for conservation districts from $750,000 to $1 million. Supporters said the bill updates an outdated threshold and helps reduce the burden of costly audits amid inflation. The bill received a motion and second, no opposition was raised, and it passed by roll call vote. The committee then took up House Bill 216, presented by the vice chair and Brandon Reed of the Kentucky Office of Policy. The bill would allow certain Department of Agriculture employees to apply for grants or loans while preserving the existing prohibition for employees who oversee those programs. Testimony explained that the office’s funding comes from tobacco master settlement dollars, with a formula that directs money to agriculture and other purposes, and members discussed the importance of keeping those funds in Kentucky. The bill passed with favorable expression by roll call vote. Before adjournment, members made additional welcoming remarks for local officials and guests, and the chair noted the National Farm Machinery Show and tractor pull as a major event for Kentucky agriculture. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• the level of cigarette tax revenue and the portion that comes to the university via cigarette tax revenue
• the level of cigarette tax revenue and the portion that comes to the university via cigarette tax revenue
• <00:51:30.040> tax<00:51:31.119> so the cigarette tax so the cigarette tax so um<00
• As you know, we have zero ... we're very proud of this cigarette tax we're very proud of this cigarette
• They also said they had agreed to put cigarette tax in place, and that cigarette tax is supposed to be

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Finance Committee held an informational briefing with the University of Hawaiʻi, led by new President Wendy Hensel and Vice President for Budget and Finance Calbert Young. Hensel outlined the university system’s scope, student demographics, research activity, and campus missions, emphasizing four strategic priorities: serving Native Hawaiians and Hawaiʻi, student success, workforce development, and economic diversification through innovation and research. She highlighted the system’s enrollment, research funding, and the roles of Mānoa, Hilo, West Oʻahu, the community colleges, and specialized institutions such as JABSOM and the Cancer Center. Young then reviewed the budget request, focusing largely on making prior one-time appropriations permanent and supporting recurring needs. Items included funding for Mānoa athletics, the Hawaiʻi Institute for Marine Biology, K-12 teacher education, Pamantasan Council support, Hilo programs, Windward’s mental health technician certificate, Maui’s practical nursing bridge program, and student support positions such as financial aid and admissions counselors. He also described workforce-related requests tied to nursing expansion at Mānoa and West Oʻahu, as well as facilities support at West Oʻahu. A major portion of the testimony addressed the university’s two Kakaʻako medical facilities. Young explained that declining tobacco settlement and cigarette tax revenues are no longer sufficient to cover debt service for JABSOM and the Cancer Center, so the governor’s budget includes general fund support to supplement those obligations. He also described a regents-approved request not included in the governor’s proposal: expanding the Hawaiʻi Promise financial aid program to the four-year campuses, estimated at about $11–12 million. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the cigarette ban, we did that because of children that were able to walk up and buy a pack of smokes
• In the cigarette ban, we did that because of children that were able to walk up and buy a pack of smokes
• <00:47:03.760> machines, analogy of of the cigarette machines, analogy of of the cigarette
• <00:47:07.280> Um, solved the cigarette problem either.
• Um, solved the cigarette problem either.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard House File 3642, as amended by the DE1, which would prohibit virtual currency kiosks in Minnesota. The author, Chair Kaggel, said the bill is intended to stop scammers from using crypto kiosks to defraud vulnerable people, especially older adults, because the transactions are often irreversible and hard to trace. Representative Perryman spoke in support, describing local fraud cases and saying the issue had come to her attention through St. Cloud residents and police. The bill was laid over for further work with the Department of Commerce and other interested members. Testimony from law enforcement and advocates strongly supported the ban. A St. Cloud police sergeant said the problem is statewide and described a case in which a 78-year-old woman lost $80,000 after being directed to a kiosk. A Woodbury detective said current safeguards, including warnings, limits, and refund provisions, have not stopped weekly victimization and that scammers coach victims to bypass protections. An AARP Minnesota volunteer said kiosks are a preferred vehicle for scammers because they move stolen funds quickly and are especially harmful to older adults, and he noted that the 2024 consumer protections have not been enough. The Department of Commerce also supported the bill, saying crypto kiosks are a growing fraud vector and citing 120 complaints over three years, nearly $1 million in reported losses, and 70 cases with $540,000 in losses already in 2025. The department said many victims do not report losses, so the true amount is likely higher. In contrast, Coinflip’s general counsel opposed a ban and argued that fraud should be addressed through stronger regulation, refunds, blockchain analytics, and customer-service requirements rather than prohibiting a legal product. He said scams would continue through other channels if kiosks were banned. In discussion, members asked about the number of kiosks, how long they have been operating in Minnesota, and the scale of losses; the department said there are about 350 licensed kiosks operated by 8 to 10 operators, though the total number may be higher.

Transcript Highlights:

• THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS A TOXIC SMOKE FROM CIGARETTES THAT IS MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR SMOKING RELATED
• WOULD BE CREATING AN ACCURATE DEFINITION FOR HE DID TOBACCO PRODUCTS THAT DISTINGUISH THEM FROM CIGARETTES
• INDIVIDUALS WHO USE THIS PRODUCT WHO ARE FORMER SMOKERS AND THEY TEND NOT TO GO BACK TO SMOKING CIGARETTES

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The carcinogens in tobacco products come from the tobacco in the cigarettes.
• smoking, where we taxed... ...as we've done in the state of Arizona with smoking, where we taxed cigarettes
• We've seen cigarette usage go down in Arizona to below the national average as a result of that disincentive
• And it really tackles higher fines that are needed, that I was astounded that these also apply to cigarettes

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Vaping among Arkansas students is now more than double traditional cigarette use.
• actually contain two, three, and up to four times, just depending on the brand of tobacco or vape e-cigarette
• It has two, three, four times as much nicotine as one pack of cigarettes.
• One pack of cigarettes has 20 grams of nicotine in it.

Summary: The committee heard extensive public testimony from youth advocates and public health speakers urging action on vaping. Witnesses said flavored products and social media are driving youth use in Arkansas, described nicotine addiction and health harms, and asked lawmakers to prohibit vaping in public indoor spaces, align vape rules with smoke-free laws, and expand prevention efforts. Committee members thanked the speakers and encouraged them to continue building support for future legislation. The main presentation was an overview of Arkansas’s Rural Health Transformation Program, a five-year federal initiative funded through CMS. State officials said Arkansas received about $209 million for the first year and may receive roughly $1 billion over five years if performance is strong. They emphasized that the program is intended for targeted, locally driven transformation rather than general operating support, debt relief, or new construction, and outlined four initiatives: Heart, PACT, Rise, and Thrive, focused on prevention, access and coordination, workforce development, and technology. Officials said applications would open in the spring, with a reimbursement-based process and a goal of launching all four initiatives by June. Members asked detailed questions about eligibility, rural definitions, school gardens, faith-based and nonprofit partnerships, mobile clinics, EMS, behavioral health, residency slots, and whether urban providers serving rural patients could apply. Officials said the program would favor regional collaboration, could support targeted renovations and expansion of existing programs, and would allow residency growth and some equipment or infrastructure purchases, but not food purchases or permanent new construction. They also said a committee of state health and finance officials would review applications, with heavy technical assistance and an expectation of quick turnaround. The committee also reviewed two DHS/Health Department rules. One implemented Medicaid and CHIP coverage and care coordination for eligible incarcerated youth before and after release, including targeted case management and screening services, with no public comments received. The other updated audiology licensing rules to reflect recent acts expanding scope of practice and changing the renewal deadline. Both rules were reviewed without objection, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Vaping among Arkansas students is now more than double traditional cigarette use.
• actually contain two, three, and up to four times, just depending on the brand of tobacco or vape e-cigarette
• It has two, three, four times as much nicotine as one pack of cigarettes.
• One pack of cigarettes has 20 grams of nicotine in it.

Summary: The committee first heard extensive public testimony from youth and advocates urging stronger restrictions on vaping. Speakers described vaping as a youth-targeted public health problem, citing flavored products, social media marketing, nicotine addiction, brain development concerns, school disruption, and exposure to harmful aerosol. They recommended prohibiting vaping in public indoor spaces and aligning vape rules with smoke-free laws. Committee members praised the speakers and encouraged them to continue building support for future legislation. The main presentation was on Arkansas’s Rural Health Transformation Program, administered through DFA. Secretary Jim Hudson and program director Brad Andi explained that Arkansas received about $209 million in the first year under the federal program, with potential for roughly $1 billion over five years if performance is strong. They emphasized that the program is meant for long-term rural health transformation, not general operating support, debt relief, or new construction. The state’s plan centers on four initiatives: HEART for prevention and community health, PACT for access and provider collaboration, RISE for workforce development, and THRIVE for technology and telehealth. Officials said applications will be handled through upcoming notices of funding opportunity, with a focus on local, shovel-ready projects, regional collaboration, and transparency. Committee members asked how the program would work for hospitals, clinics, nonprofits, schools, faith groups, and urban providers serving rural patients. Officials said eligibility is broad if applicants can show a connection to rural health, and that targeted renovations, mobile units, school-based clinics, farm-to-school or garden projects, EMS equipment, residency expansion, and behavioral health initiatives may fit if they align with the plan. They stressed that the program cannot fund working capital, routine maintenance, or new buildings, but can support repurposing space and collaborative networks. Members also raised concerns about protecting existing rural providers from being displaced, and officials said applications would be reviewed by a state committee with technical assistance and a reimbursement-based process. The committee then reviewed and took no objection to several DHS and Health Department rules. DHS presented a Medicaid/CHIP rule implementing federal requirements for incarcerated youth, including pre- and post-release coverage, care coordination, targeted case management, and screening services, with no public comments received. The Health Department also presented a licensing rule for audiology and speech pathology that implements recent acts and changes the renewal deadline; that rule was likewise reviewed without objection. The meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PACKAGING AND THE CIGARETTES THAT ARE SMOKABLE EACH ONE IS NOT LABELED NOTHING ON
• ONLY THING IS ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE PACKAGE THAT WOULD SAY SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE THC LEVEL OF EACH CIGARETTE
• IS. >> Chair Burton: YOU RECOGNIZE. >> THE PACKAGE OF MARIJUANA CIGARETTES WOULD BE LABELED AS A CERTAIN
• SO ONCE THE PRE ROLLED CIGARETTES ARE OUT OF THE PACKAGE THERE'S NOTHING ON THEM AT THAT POINT TO FOLLOW

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• amendments to deposit the funds into the Hawaii Cancer Research Special Fund, provided that 4 cents per cigarette
• Uh, K had asked the guys who are not smoking cigarettes now where did they go, kind of thing.
• thinking that vaping is a new alternative, so I was wondering if there's a way of putting vape e-cigarettes
• in the percent of raising e-cigarette tax to help what we're trying to... go kind of thing so I did
• 53.559> what<00:27:53.679> we<00:27:53.799> trying<00:27:54.000> to The e-cigarette

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee met in decision-making only and first took up HB 300, the Senate majority budget package. The chair described the bill as a response to economic uncertainty and reduced revenue forecasts, and outlined a wide range of appropriations and staffing changes across state agencies, including agriculture, education, health, public safety, housing, labor, natural resources, and corrections. The package emphasized one-year funding for many new programs, vacancy reductions, and investments in services such as preschool, mental health, wildfire mitigation, cybersecurity, public access, and workforce development. HB 300 was recommended to pass with amendments and was adopted unanimously, with members voting yes and no reservations noted only as procedural responses. The committee then acted on HB 794 and HB 795, both recommended to pass with amendments by changing the defective date to 2050; both measures were adopted without discussion. On the 101 agenda, HB 400, the Judiciary budget bill, was recommended to pass with amendments. The bill included vacancy reductions, security funding, permanent staffing for several court and justice programs, and support for civil legal services, immigration-related services, and technology licenses. HB 400 was adopted. HB 410 was also adopted with amendments and a defective date change to 2050. On the 102 agenda, the committee passed several bills either unamended or with targeted amendments. HB 3, HB 134, HB 177, HB 237, HB 648, HB 713, HB 735, HB 1391, and HB 1462 were passed unamended. HB 214 passed with amendments expanding eligibility for retired employees to fill labor-shortage or succession-planning positions, including certain management positions excluded from collective bargaining; one member raised concerns about school resource officers and community fit, which the chair said could be addressed in the committee report. HB 441 passed with amendments to direct cigarette tax funds to the Hawaii Cancer Research Special Fund, with a discussion about whether e-cigarettes should be included. Other measures passed with amendments included HB 448, HB 667, HB 727, HB 740, HB 806, HB 1020, HB 1345, and HB 1365, generally involving date changes, blank appropriations, or technical language. HB 1391 was adopted with a reservation from Senator Kim. The meeting concluded with HB 1462 adopted unamended.

Transcript Highlights:

• my trip up, and I came in the corner of the funeral home, and he was sitting in his office with a cigarette
• with a cigarette with a cigarette and<01:12:42.360> a<01:12:42.400> cup<01:12:42.600
• was in his office with a cup of coffee coffee coffee and<01:13:27.200> a<01:13:27.280> cigarette
• > God<01:13:28.480> bless<01:13:28.800> you,<01:13:28.920> Tom and a cigarette
• God bless you, Tom and a cigarette.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and so I got to visit this distributorship, and they apply tax stamps to cigarettes.
• Here is a tax stamp on cigarette packages.
• And so it was incredible how the order would come in for cigarettes, and then the cartons would come
• Eliminating the vendor allowances for the cigarette tax, cigarette inventory tax, tobacco products tax
• Any revenue gain realized as a result of eliminating the vendor allowances for the cigarette tax, cigarette

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, there’s no sales tax on cigarettes, but there’s a separate excise tax on cigarettes, so
• but there's a separate excise cigarettes but there's a separate excise tax<00:15:58.160> on<00
• :15:58.399> cigarettes<00:15:59.360> so<00:15:59.519> we<00:15:59.680> don't<
• /c><00:15:59.920> include tax on cigarettes so we don't include tax on cigarettes so we don't
• tax in Li of the sales tax on cigarettes tax in Li of the sales tax on cigarettes and<00:16:07.000

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In that they had monthly reporting down to the cigarette level, not the pack, not the carton, but down
• to the cigarette level.
• monthly reporting down to the cigarette monthly reporting down to the cigarette level,<00:59:11.119
• <00:59:14.960> Um,<00:59:15.440> on but down to the cigarette level.
• Um, on but down to the cigarette level.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee convened after briefly waiting for a quorum, approved the minutes and consent agenda, and then moved through several agency rule items. The Department of Transportation’s outdoor advertising rule filing was approved after staff noted the department had addressed substantive comments, though the rules had been expired since 2021 and the agency said it had been operating under statute. Members asked about a denied digital sign proposal, and DOT said that decision was based on statute rather than the rule. The Department of Safety’s administrative license suspension item was postponed with a waiver so the agency could submit conditional approval materials and resolve issues between its forms and rules. The Board of Architects item was conditionally approved, with the condition that the board later approve updated incorporation-by-reference materials at its April 3 meeting or the matter would return as a preliminary objection. The Department of Agriculture’s expired rules prompted extended discussion. Staff and committee members questioned why the department was seeking to adopt rules that had been expired for many years and whether the statutes already provided enough authority to operate without them. Agriculture officials said they were working through a broader modernization effort, focusing on statutes that use mandatory language and updating outdated rules to match current practices, federal standards, and current products such as apples, cider, eggs, and other agricultural commodities. They said the rules before the committee were part of that effort and recommended approval, but members remained concerned about whether some rules were unnecessary. The committee ultimately granted a waiver and postponed the agriculture item for one month so staff could review the underlying statutes and determine whether rulemaking is actually required. Under other business, the committee took up an emergency Department of Safety rule to update DMV forms to reflect statutory fee changes enacted in the 2025 budget. DMV officials said the new fees were already in effect, but the corresponding forms still showed old amounts, causing confusion for customers and elected officials who were fielding complaints. They argued the forms needed immediate updating because the affected forms are widely used, and they said the department had already tried to treat the changes as editorial before being told full rulemaking was required. The department emphasized it was trying to follow the process while avoiding continued use of incorrect fee forms, and asked the committee to allow the emergency rule to proceed.

Transcript Highlights:

• One in 10 middle school students and one in five high school students use e-cigarettes.
• intentionally flashy, colorful, Flum-flavored products containing sometimes as much nicotine as 20 cigarettes
• Forty-three percent of 15- to 20-year-old e-cigarette users were illegally sold these products by a retail
• It is not by accident that we have a youth e-cigarette usage crisis.
• It makes cigarettes and vapes more like alcohol and puts them under the purview of ABC.

Keywords: Call to Order 00:00 SB 100 Discussion 00:05 SB 100 Vote 06:42 SB 202 Discussion 08:35 SB 202 Vote 43:17 SB 17 Discussion 47:37 SB 17 Vote 48:08 SB 22 Discussion 49:22 SB 22 Vote 52:55 SB 133 Discussion 53:55 SB 133 Vote 55:15 SB 190 Discussion 56:00 SB 190 Vote 56:38 Adjournment 57:19, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 100, which would place cigarettes, vapes, and related nicotine products under the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) system, add enforcement tools against bad actors, and regulate nitrous oxide/laughing gas sales to those under 21. Supporters, including youth advocates Mallerie Jones and Griffin Kian Neth, argued the bill would reduce youth access to nicotine products through retail licensing, compliance checks, and escalating penalties. Higdon said the bill targets illegal sales rather than most retailers, and noted the measure also updates House Bill 11 from the prior year and raises the retail license fee from $250 to $500. The committee adopted the committee substitute and then passed the bill on a roll call vote, with members voting yes and no opposition recorded in the transcript. The committee then considered Senate Bill 202, focused on cannabis-infused beverages. Senator Julie Raque Adams said the bill was intended to create common-sense public health guardrails for a rapidly growing product category sold in gas stations, liquor stores, and vape shops, and to address enforcement gaps. She explained the committee substitute would define cannabis-infused beverages at a 5-milligram limit per 12-ounce can, place enforcement under ABC while keeping CHFS manufacturing and testing rules in place, require a University of Kentucky report back to the General Assembly, allow existing higher-dose inventory to be sold through June 1, exempt festivals and fairs until January 1, 2026, and allow stores to obtain licenses to continue selling the product. The committee adopted the substitute and then heard testimony from hemp-industry representatives and a consumer. Opponents of SB 202/SB 22, including Dee Taylor of the Kentucky Hemp Association, Cornbread Hemp co-founder Jim Higdon, Annie Rouse of Cannabuzz Barn, and consumer Nancy Roberts, argued the bill would hurt a legal Kentucky hemp industry, reduce consumer access, and force sales into liquor stores. They said the 100-milligram beverage referenced in debate is actually 10 servings with a resealable top, that hemp retailers educate customers, and that the industry already operates under 2024 regulations and needs better enforcement rather than new restrictions. Higdon and Rouse objected to the 5-milligram cap, the on-premise sales ban, the move to ABC enforcement, and the taxation approach, warning the bill could wipe out a large share of business and jobs. No final vote on SB 202 was taken in the portion of the transcript provided.