Transcript Highlights:

• I led and chaired the Rebuild Committee for, I think, six years while I was on City Council and would
• not be sitting here had we not done a good job of trying to rebuild.
• to my city and stood in the burned-down neighborhoods and said, we're going to be here until you rebuild
• was left could be zero dollars, but make that available to folks who still have not been able to rebuild
• and there is no successor, that adds additional costs to those same fire victims who are trying to rebuild

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy convened with a quorum and first heard SB 254, a major utility affordability and wildfire package authored by Senator Becker and coauthored by Assemblymember Petrie-Norris. The bill was described as combining wildfire mitigation reforms, $6 billion in securitized financing for future fire-mitigation capital spending, a public ownership/transmission financing program, tighter scrutiny of utility profits, clean energy permitting streamlining, stronger customer connection timelines, and a successor wildfire fund/continuation account to replace the current fund. Supporters, including the Governor’s office, TURN, labor, clean energy groups, utilities, and public advocates, said the measure would lower bills, stabilize utilities, protect fire victims, and reduce wildfire-related bankruptcy risk. Opponents and some local government groups raised concerns about affordability impacts, the volumetric wildfire fee, strict liability, and provisions they said could affect local control. After discussion, the committee approved SB 254 on a 16-0 vote and sent it to the floor. The committee then held an informational hearing on AB 825, which would enable California to participate in a West-wide electricity market. The authors said the proposal could save ratepayers up to $1 billion annually, improve reliability by allowing California to draw on a larger regional supply, reduce curtailment of renewable power, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Support came from environmental organizations, labor, utilities, community choice aggregators, large energy users, and the Public Advocates Office, all emphasizing cost savings, reliability, and cleaner energy integration. TURN opposed the measure, warning that last-minute amendments removed safeguards against subsidizing out-of-state fossil generation and could expose California ratepayers to unwanted costs. Members questioned governance, exit rights, CPUC oversight, and local control, and the authors responded that the bill includes multiple safeguards, legislative reporting, the ability to exit without penalty, and continued local consultation. No vote was taken because the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kerrville will rebuild, but we need the tools and the funding to do it right.
• They're ready for rebuild building and since they started we're being told oh you can't rebuild wait
• So when we do figure out how to Start repairing and rebuilding these roads.
• My understanding is they were rebuilding it. We put a Stop work order on that.
• We are now facing monumental, a very Rebuilding Bumblebee Hills, and now we have been told.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They may have a gap in doing a complete rebuild.
• Maybe they needed a complete rebuild and we have a $30,000 gap in getting them recovered.
• <00:37:32.160> Maybe<00:37:32.320> they doing a complete rebuild.
• Maybe they doing a complete rebuild.
• to $40,000 to go towards um, a rebuild to $40,000 to go towards um, a rebuild or<00:41:02.240>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force met with a quorum, adopted the minutes from the previous meeting, and heard a presentation from Western Kentucky University’s Disaster Science Operations Center. WKU described its multidisciplinary disaster science effort, including meteorology, emergency management, the Kentucky State Climate Center, the Kentucky Mesonet, and the Disaster Science Operations Center, which was created in 2021 and serves as an operational hub for forecasting, emergency planning, crisis management, training, and decision support. Speakers emphasized applied learning, student field work, partnerships with industry and event venues, and a five-year NSF/UK-led research project focused on weather hazards, disaster preparedness, and building a statewide disaster database to improve mitigation and resilience. Members asked about flooding, the relationship to EKU’s program, Tennessee’s capabilities, and the timeline and goals for the research project; WKU said the data collection is underway and that the evidence suggests tornado risk is shifting east and occurring more at night. A WKU graduate student also described the value of hands-on storm-chasing and operational forecasting experience, saying it helped prepare her for work in forecasting and emergency management. Members asked about her motivation for joining the program and about the practical realities of storm chasing. The discussion also touched on whether Kentucky’s tornado risk is shifting east; WKU said the evidence from tornado observations and other studies points in that direction, with added concern about nighttime events and communicating warnings to vulnerable communities. The task force then heard from Amy Shaquinn of the Mayfield Graves County Long-Term Recovery Group, who outlined the county-level recovery process after the 2021 tornadoes. She said Kentucky ranks among the top states for federally declared disasters, has seen a high number of tornadoes in recent years, and also faces major flood risk and earthquake concerns along the New Madrid fault. Shaquinn stressed the distinction between immediate response and long-term recovery, explaining that response covers rescue, cleanup, temporary housing, and short-term assistance, while recovery is the longer effort to restore survivors to safe, sanitary, and secure housing through local long-term recovery groups. She said community-led recovery is essential and that preparedness and mitigation follow once immediate recovery needs are addressed.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are part of a rebuilding period right now.
• We had a multi-year rebuild that was established by our board of directors.
• <01:42:52.719> period part of a in a in a rebuilding period part of a in a in a rebuilding
• We had a multi-year rebuild right now.
• But it's critical help rebuild reserves.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee took up the pooled risk management program bill and reviewed a new amendment drafted with input from the Insurance Department and Legislative Services. Department witnesses explained that the proposal would move oversight of pooled risk management programs from the Secretary of State’s office to the Insurance Department, add a licensure requirement, preserve the programs’ non-insurer status, and exempt them from third-party administrator licensure. They also described a series of solvency tools in the draft, including financial reporting, risk-based capital standards, minimum capitalization, investment limits, commissioner examination and enforcement authority, rulemaking authority, merger and affiliate-transaction review, confidentiality protections, and a separability clause. A major theme of the discussion was that pooled risk management programs differ from commercial insurers because the risk remains with the member local governments rather than being backed by a state guarantee fund. Witnesses said the bill is designed to emphasize solvency over return of premium and to give the Insurance Department a regulatory “toolbox” to prevent insolvency, including a proposed $5 million excess or stop-loss coverage benchmark, optional accessible policies, and a requirement that boards vote on dividends or premium returns when capital exceeds 600% of risk-based capital. Members questioned how this approach differed from the original Secretary of State bill and whether assessments on towns would still be possible; the department responded that the new framework would allow more flexible oversight and alternatives to immediate court action. The committee also discussed why the statute should continue to say the programs are not insurers, with the department explaining that this preserves their autonomy and avoids applying unrelated insurance laws and premium taxes. Members asked about the department’s workload and were told the department believed it could absorb the new duties without additional funding. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• for eligible nonviolent individuals who are near release to return home safely, work, and begin rebuilding
• My current organization works every day with individuals trying to rebuild their lives after being trafficked
• It's rebuilding once they're free. For survivors, the hardest part isn't escaping.
• It's rebuilding once they're free.

Bills: SB1110, SB1140, SB1234, SB1275, SB1426, SB1436, SB1470, SB1489, SB1512, SB1540, SB1556, SB1568, SB1569, SB1573, SB1585, SB1609, SB1627, SB1634, SB1635, SB1648, SB1654, SB1687, SCR1027, SCR1040

Keywords: home confinement, electronic monitoring, community supervision, criminal justice reform, recidivism, expungement, misdemeanor, criminal record, Arizona Revised Statutes, judicial process, record sealing, juvenile court, legal representation, appointed attorney, guardian ad litem, child welfare, veterans, mental health, criminal diversion, military service

Summary: The Judiciary and Elections Committee met with a hard stop at 4:30 and approved the February 4, 2026 minutes. The chair announced several bills would be held for a later supplemental meeting, then took up SB 1426, the “squatter” bill. The bill was described as changing forcible detainer rules for unauthorized occupants and requiring immediate writs of restitution after judgment. Testimony from the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office supported the measure as a practical, collaborative response to unlawful occupancy. SB 1426 received a do-pass recommendation on a 7-0 vote. The committee next considered SB 1687, a strike-everything amendment moving the primary election date from late July to the Tuesday before Memorial Day starting in 2027. The sponsor said the goal was to give more time between the primary and general elections and align Arizona more closely with other states. County election officials testified in neutral, saying they generally supported more time but flagged several issues, including filing deadlines, consolidated election dates, polling place availability, redistricting timelines, signature calculations, and possible conflicts with presidential preference elections. The amended bill passed 4-3, with concerns raised about clean elections qualification periods and state versus local control over elections. The committee then approved SB 1110, which creates a home confinement program for certain nonviolent inmates, with GPS monitoring, eligibility limits, and a 50-to-1 inmate-to-officer ratio. Supporters said it would help families, reduce recidivism, and save money; an opponent criticized the retroactive effective date and questioned funding and monitoring capacity. SB 1110 received a do-pass recommendation on a 5-1 vote. SB 1275, which allows courts to consider PTSD and related service-connected conditions when sentencing certain veterans and first responders, drew support from the sponsor and advocates but opposition from county officials who argued it would undermine mandatory sentencing and victims’ rights; it passed 7-0. Finally, the committee heard SB 1140, as amended, which allows expungement of eligible misdemeanor records after a waiting period, with exclusions for serious offenses and special rules for shoplifting and peace officer employment. Supporters, including a formerly incarcerated advocate and a retired police chief working on anti-trafficking issues, said expungement would improve employment and stability and give people a real second chance. The committee adopted the amendment and then passed SB 1140 as amended on a 7-0 vote before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will rebuild. In Michigan, we write our own story.
• We will rebuild. In Michigan, we write our own story.
• <05:24:48.480> and begin infrastructure rebuilding and begin infrastructure rebuilding and
• with rebuilding and recovery efforts. with rebuilding and recovery efforts.
• ,<05:28:15.840> I will do for the North Rim rebuild, I will do for the North Rim rebuild,

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, March 16, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our mission is simple: Consumers must have real choices, and our goal is to rebuild a sustainable competitive
• Our goal is to rebuild a sustainable competitive insurance market where insurance companies want to do
• So we're not just rebuilding an insurance market; we have to rebuild trust.
• And we can expect this to only increase as the settlements are being reached on primary rebuild of total

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee held its fifth oversight hearing on the California Department of Insurance’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy (SIS), with Commissioner Ricardo Lara providing an update on implementation. Lara said the department has finalized major reforms, including new catastrophe modeling tools, faster rate review procedures, use of forward-looking data tied to mitigation, and modernization of the FAIR Plan. He argued the strategy is intended to improve insurance availability in wildfire-prone areas, increase transparency, and stabilize the market, while also criticizing consumer intervenor groups and saying the department will tighten rules on intervener compensation and relevance. Members questioned Lara about when the SIS would begin producing visible market changes, how long rate filings would take to approve, and what the FAIR Plan modernization would mean for consumers’ costs. Lara said catastrophe model approvals should be completed by the end of the month, insurers are expected to begin submitting SIS filings in the coming weeks, and rate reviews have already been reduced from 281 days to 71 days. He also discussed a new market conduct investigation into State Farm’s handling of wildfire claims, ongoing complaints about smoke-damage claims, and a newly created smoke claims and remediation task force to develop standards. Lara said the department has helped more than 12,000 wildfire survivors, with over 38,000 claims filed and more than $17 billion paid, and that it is also working with other western states on underinsurance issues. Public commenters from the insurance industry, homebuilding, and insurance brokerage sectors largely supported the SIS and the department’s efforts, saying the reforms are needed to restore availability and stability. They emphasized the importance of timely rate approvals, FAIR Plan solvency, and greater transparency, and several noted that member companies are preparing to use the new filing process. The hearing ended without a vote or formal action, though members and the commissioner discussed ongoing legislative needs, including AB 226 and possible future FAIR Plan transparency measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• knew a vital trust had been broken between our citizens and our state, and we were determined to rebuild
• knew a vital trust had been broken between our citizens and our state, and we were determined to rebuild
• and we were citizens and our state and we were determined<00:07:58.440> to<00:07:58.680> rebuild
• that<00:08:00.000> trust<00:08:01.000> and<00:08:01.120> to determined to rebuild
• that trust and to determined to rebuild that trust and to do<00:08:01.560> that<00:08:01.759>

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 1257, which would eliminate the Public Safety Advisory Committee to the POST Board, was the final bill heard. The bill’s sponsor argued the committee was created in 2020 in response to post-Floyd criminal justice reforms but had since become obsolete because local agencies and communities had created their own oversight bodies and the main POST Board still includes citizen members and public participation. The sponsor said the advisory committee had run out of issues to address and was effectively meeting just to justify its existence. Former Representative Carlos Mariani testified in opposition, saying the committee was a bipartisan part of the 2020 Minnesota Police Accountability Act and was intended to preserve citizen involvement in policing policy and protect civil and human rights after George Floyd’s murder. He argued that eliminating it would weaken a state-level structure created to rebuild public trust and ensure consistent oversight, while still allowing local efforts to continue. Another member asked about compensation and noted the committee has a $20,000 ongoing appropriation through the POST Board; the sponsor clarified members are not individually compensated beyond per diem and travel. After discussion, the sponsor renewed the motion to recommend re-referral to the General Register. The committee voted, and the motion carried, sending House File 1257 to the General Register.

Transcript Highlights:

• As amended, SB 676 aims to support community rebuilding. Schultz? Aye. Wix? Zabur? Aye. Zabur? Aye.
• As amended, SB 676 aims to support community rebuilding.
• As amended, SB 676 aims to support community rebuilding by adding consistency to environmental review
• So for cities that are faced with these catastrophic events and needing to rebuild their communities.
• These consistent CEQA procedures for rebuilding efforts in communities affected by declared emergencies

Summary: The committee first heard SB 14, which would direct state agencies to reduce single-use plastics and improve waste diversion at state facilities by updating integrated waste management plans, increasing reusable foodware use, reducing paper purchasing, and requiring better employee education and recycling/composting practices. Supporters from the California Compost Coalition, Republic Services, Waste Management, and others said the bill would help build composting and recycling markets and let the state lead by example. Several groups that had opposed earlier versions said they were now neutral after amendments, including the removal of a 90% requirement. The bill was moved out on a due pass as amended recommendation. The committee then took up SB 326 on wildfire mitigation. The bill would create a framework for Cal Fire to evaluate the risk-reduction benefits of fuels management and landscape resilience investments, and it would accelerate implementation of Zone Zero defensible-space standards, including grants for local enforcement and broader application to rental and sale properties and post-fire reconstruction. Support came from Stanford climate researcher Michael Mastrandrea and several local government, insurance, and climate groups. With no opposition, the bill passed as amended to Appropriations. Next, SB 34 on port emissions and the South Coast Air Quality Management District drew extensive testimony. The author said the bill was narrowed by committee amendments to preserve the ports’ ability to reduce emissions while preventing cargo throughput caps and addressing concerns about automation, local control, and the timeline for port clean-air planning. Supporters included ILWU, business groups, and port-related stakeholders, while the South Coast AQMD and many environmental and community organizations opposed it, arguing it would weaken public-health protections and set a bad precedent. After lengthy debate, the committee approved the bill on a due pass as amended vote to Transportation, with some members voting no and others abstaining. The committee also heard SB 279, which would expand composting options for farmers and small community composters by allowing limited on-farm composting after large biomass events and increasing the amount small operations may process and sell. Supporters said the bill would help address agricultural waste, expand composting capacity, and reduce landfill disposal. Commercial composting representatives opposed it, warning that the bill could create regulatory inequities, strand recent investments in permitted facilities, and allow too much unregulated food waste. Despite those concerns, the bill passed to Appropriations on a due pass vote. The transcript also briefly referenced SB 613 on upstream methane emissions data, described as having no opposition and intended to improve tracking of imported oil and gas emissions.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, we're not going to be able to rebuild probably the Will Rogers mansion.
• But in this case, rebuilding of existing structures or structures that were lost.
• For example, we're not going to be able to rebuild probably the Will Rogers mansion.
• And also there was a historic Topanga hotel that we were getting ready to rebuild anyhow.
• There was a historic Topanga hotel there that we were getting ready to rebuild anyhow.

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations on the administration’s Proposition 4 spending plans for extreme heat mitigation and outdoor access, then took up SB 54 implementation, SB 707 textile producer responsibility, and recovery needs related to the Los Angeles fires at state parks. For the extreme heat chapter, agencies described funding for the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program, urban greening, urban forestry, fairground upgrades, and technical assistance for community-based climate programs. Witnesses emphasized that these are existing programs with strong demand, that technical assistance is important for reaching disadvantaged and tribal communities, and that the proposed funding would expand outreach and implementation capacity. Members asked for more detail on where funds have gone geographically, examples of successful projects, tree-planting totals, and how fairgrounds could better support fire staging and emergency preparedness. The LAO said the timing of the administration’s proposed funding generally made sense because the programs are already established, and no votes were taken. For outdoor access, State Parks, Fish and Wildlife, and Natural Resources described funding for new parks in underserved communities, deferred maintenance, state lands access, and several new or pending programs. State Parks said the park development program would fund roughly 48 projects and that deferred maintenance funding would address high-priority health, safety, and access needs. Fish and Wildlife said its lands program would improve visitor amenities and access on properties that often lack basic facilities. The Natural Resources Agency also outlined three newer outdoor-access proposals: expanding recreation in disadvantaged communities, enhancing natural resource values and trail access, and a nature/climate/education facilities grant program. The LAO distinguished between existing programs, which are ready to move forward, and the newer proposals, where the Legislature may want more input before funds are allocated. Members also raised concerns about park police vacancies, the need to track outcomes for accessibility investments, and whether Prop. 4 could help with wildfire-related recovery at state parks. CalRecycle then presented on SB 54, the plastics and packaging producer responsibility law, and members pressed hard on the delay in regulations. CalRecycle said it has held workshops, formed an advisory committee, selected the producer responsibility organization, and completed required baseline and covered-material reports, but needs more time to address complex comments and novel features such as source reduction and eco-modulated fees. Members expressed frustration that a statutory deadline was missed and asked for a concrete timeline; CalRecycle said it expects regulations in place by 2026, ahead of the PRO’s January 1, 2027 plan deadline. Finance said the Beverage Container Recycling Fund is currently healthy enough to support short-term loans for implementation. The committee also reviewed SB 707, the textile EPR law, which would create the nation’s first textile producer responsibility program; staff said the proposal would add positions and loan authority, and members noted the statutory deadlines for PRO approval, needs assessment, and later regulations. The hearing ended with discussion of the January Los Angeles fires’ damage to Topanga State Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park, where State Parks described extensive losses, emergency response work, and ongoing damage assessment. Members asked about FEMA eligibility, state funding sources, and community engagement in rebuilding, and the department said it is still assessing costs and will work with the public on reimagining the parks.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kerrville will rebuild, but we need the tools and the funding to do it right.
• And we're now rebuilding.
• And we're now rebuilding.
• permission, permit, something to say, okay, yeah, you're now permitted to rebuild.
• My understanding is they were rebuilding it; we put a stop-work order on that.

Summary: The joint Senate and House disaster preparedness and flooding hearing opened with quorum calls, prayer, testimony time limits, and remarks from legislative leaders emphasizing decorum, respect, and the goal of learning from the July 4 flood to prevent future loss of life. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dustin Burrows said the special session and hearings were intended to hear directly from local officials and residents, and that the state would pursue immediate and longer-term legislation and continue working beyond the current session. The committee then heard invited testimony from Kerr County, Kerrville, Kendall County, Real County, and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, followed by member questions. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Sheriff Larry Leitha, and emergency management coordinator William B. Thomas described the flood as a sudden, unprecedented event that overwhelmed local systems before many officials or residents understood the danger. They said the county received multiple National Weather Service and IPAWS alerts, but the rain fell in remote upstream areas with limited gauges, and the flood rose too quickly for normal response. They detailed the emergency response, including dispatchers handling heavy call volumes, deputies and volunteer firefighters conducting rescues, and state and federal partners assisting. County officials said 108 people died, including 37 children, and two remained missing. They called for better real-time flood detection, stronger rural emergency management resources, improved broadband and cell coverage, and more funding for swift-water rescue and warning systems. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring and City Manager Dalton Rice said the city had floodplain rules, emergency plans, and prior preparedness efforts, but the event exposed gaps in communications and regional warning capacity. They urged the Legislature to fund a flood warning system, whether sirens, automated alerts, or a hybrid, and asked for support for predictive weather modeling, broadband expansion, a hazard mitigation fund, and disaster recovery resources. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority said it had long funded gauges and pursued flood-warning and mitigation projects, including a new software-based flood prediction system and possible retention dams, and planned to dedicate reserve funds to feasibility studies and infrastructure improvements. Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk said his county’s emergency action plan and early alerts helped prevent deaths there, and he recommended easier access to alerting tools, a river-wide warning system, simpler grant applications, and regional coordination. Real County Judge Bella Rubio said rural counties face major challenges because of limited cell service, broadband, staffing, and funding, especially for camps and visitors along the Frio and Nueces rivers, and argued that reliable alert systems should be treated as a necessity, not a luxury. Members asked about the timeline of the flood, low-water crossings, communications failures, sirens, bridges, and funding, and several witnesses said the key lessons were better communications, better warning systems, and more investment in rural flood mitigation and emergency response.

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe he's our Rebuilder-in-Chief.
• The President was there recently and is truly the Rebuilder-in-Chief, as are many private enterprises
• know California will have the full support of the federal government to respond, to recover, and to rebuild
• And we must rebuild resiliently.
• business owners and homeowners find what resources were available to them to help them recover and rebuild

Transcript Highlights:

• And then I think, to the extent of, you know, like, for example, with Maui County and the rebuilding,
• And then I think, to the extent of, you know, like, for example, with Maui County and the rebuilding,
• But you're talking huge amounts of lumber on the rebuild that have set them back.
• , rebuild, rebuild, you<00:37:46.760> guys<00:37:47.040> are<00:37:47.160> going
• that have set them lumber on the rebuild that have set them back.<00:38:00.760> So,<00:38:00.920

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard several measures and took testimony without questions on SB 2431 relating to health savings accounts and SB 2797 relating to consumer protection. For SB 2797, the DCCA Office of Consumer Protection offered comments, Retail Merchants of Hawaii opposed the bill over gift card fraud compliance costs and legal risk, and AARP Hawaii supported it. The committee also heard SB 2946 on foreclosures, where the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Collection Law Section and several lenders, associations, and individuals opposed the measure, while the Hawaii Bankers Association and others offered comments. SB 2961 on insurance drew comments from the Insurance Division and Hawaii Insurance Council, with NAMIC opposing and some individuals supporting. SB 2948 on insurance fraud received comments from the Insurance Division and support from the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, with NAMIC and the Alliance for Responsible Consumer Legal Funding also commenting. No votes were taken during the hearing portion, and the committee recessed after testimony. The committee then reconvened for decision-making on the 9:30 agenda. SB 2431 was passed with amendments, including DOTAX-requested changes, a five-year limit on credit carryforwards, removal of an aggregate cap, a rural definition, transparent reporting, technical amendments, and a deferred effective date of July 1, 2050. SB 2797 was also passed with DCCA-requested amendments, technical changes, and the same deferred effective date. SB 2946 was deferred because there was no testimony in support. SB 2961 was passed with amendments, but after Senator McKelvey raised concern that policy-limit language could undermine the bill, the committee removed two policy-limit amendments before adopting the recommendation. SB 2948 was passed with amendments deleting certain definitions, aligning penalties and public-records provisions, adding coordination and disclosure clarifications, and making technical changes; one no vote by Senator Awana was recorded, with the rest in favor. The committee also considered SB 3000 from a prior hearing and recommended passage with amendments clarifying the Attorney General’s authority, creating a special fund, and addressing concurrent actions, again with a deferred effective date and one no vote by Senator Awana. In a joint CPN/GVO agenda, SB 2258 relating to school agriculture procurement targets was passed with amendments after the Department of Education said it would need to follow up on whether changing the target period from calendar year to school year would create procurement or scheduling issues; the committee added technical changes, a deferred effective date, and routed the bill to Ways and Means, with a note that Education should also have received it. In a later joint CPN/AEN hearing, SB 2452 relating to climate-friendly insurers drew strong opposition from the Insurance Division and several insurance groups, who warned it could push insurers out of the authorized market and into the surplus lines market, raising costs; Senator Dela questioned whether the bill would worsen an already strained market, while the division said the legislature could make the policy choice but warned of market disruption. The hearing then moved to SB 2760 on invasive species, where DLNR, DAB, CGAPS, and the Oahu Invasive Species Committee generally supported broader inspection and quarantine authority, civil penalties, and longer interim-rule authority, while committee members asked about staffing, treatment capacity, and implementation for non-agricultural commodities such as building materials and vehicles.

Transcript Highlights:

• Why not take a similar facility, not the same but an animal facility, and rebuild it up and now make
• Why not take a similar facility, not the same but an animal facility, and rebuild it up and now make
• ><00:33:06.320> we're<00:33:06.600> trying<00:33:06.919> to<00:33:07.360> rebuild
• repurpose and we're trying to rebuild repurpose and we're trying to rebuild and<00:33:08.480>
• it up and now facility and and rebuild it up and now make<00:33:32.360> it<00:33:32.480> an

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee on Economic Development and Technology heard testimony on several measures, with most witnesses either supporting the bills or offering technical concerns and suggested amendments. On SB 338, testimony came from the Department of Taxation, Tax Foundation of Hawaii, and Surpac, and the bill later moved forward with amendments. On SB 558, testimony was largely in support from the Department of Agriculture, Ulupono Initiative, Local Food Coalition, Hawaii Food Industry Association, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and the Agribusiness Development Corporation, which described the measure as supporting rural jobs, food-system development, and use of off-grade agricultural products. ADC requested flexibility for neighbor-island siting and funding allocations, while the committee also discussed whether the bill’s language should be made more general and whether it could raise constitutional concerns about overly specific site designations. The bill was advanced with amendments and a noted appropriation allocation of $350,000. The committee also heard SB 186, which drew support from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, Department of Agriculture, Ulupono Initiative, Hawaii Food Industry Association, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Public Health Institute, DED, ADC, AAHU RC&D, and the Hawaii Youth Food Council. Supporters said the measure would improve coordination among agencies on food systems, help address food security and the state’s 30% by 2030 farm-to-school goal, and create a more organized statewide food systems effort. SB 328 received support from the Department of Taxation and Hawaii Farm Bureau, with Farm Bureau describing it as a way to repurpose existing dairy infrastructure to revive hog production and support livestock and farm-to-school goals; the Tax Foundation of Hawaii opposed the measure as a potentially narrow industry incentive that could unfairly benefit a specific taxpayer and said a direct appropriation would be more transparent. SB 89 was described by Hawaii Farm Bureau as a labeling measure intended to protect the integrity of a culturally relevant local product, though the group raised concerns about wording and implementation timing. Later, SB 742 received support from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Office of Wellness and Resilience, the Executive Office on Early Learning, the University of Hawaii System, Hawaii KidsCAN, the Hawaii Workforce Funders Collaborative, and the State Commission on the Status of Women. Testifiers said the bill would improve cross-agency data sharing, support workforce and education planning, and create public-facing dashboards; the Commission on the Status of Women asked to be included in the working group or as an advisory member. In decision-making, the committee adopted amendments and advanced SB 338, SB 558, and SB 1186. For SB 1186, the chair’s recommendation added three positions, specified committee-note funding amounts for those positions and operating funds, and revised working-group membership to have co-chairs appoint five members with relevant experience and expertise.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Smith, does that include rebuild too? My understanding is it includes all titles.
• 00:14:00.440> does<00:14:00.639> that<00:14:01.160> include<00:14:01.560> rebuild
• 601 does that include rebuild 601 does that include rebuild too<00:14:03.800> my<00:14:04.240

Keywords: Roll Call 00:32 Approval of Minutes 01:38 HB 20 Discussion 02:08 HB 20 Vote 06:00 HB 188 Discussion 07:07 HB 188 Vote 10:10 Administrative Regs 11:09, 958, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met with a quorum, approved the previous meeting’s minutes, and heard two House bills plus several Transportation Cabinet regulations. House Bill 20, sponsored by Rep. Hodson, would restrict the retention and sale of automated license plate reader data, limit storage to 60 days, and prohibit nonconsensual tracking devices such as micro-trackers and subcutaneous trackers. Hodson said the bill was aimed at protecting citizens’ privacy and noted it had passed the House previously; members asked about enforcement and deletion responsibility, and one member suggested criminal penalties might be worth considering in the future. The committee voted to report HB 20 favorably. House Bill 188, sponsored by Rep. Duvall, addressed driveaway plate businesses that transport vehicles for others. Duvall said Kentucky law had created confusion about how many vehicles could be on the road and had driven up insurance costs, hurting a Warren County business; the bill would let such companies purchase the exact number of plates needed, which he said would reduce exposure and premiums. He emphasized the bill would not affect dealer tags or trailer transport and said he was working on a floor amendment to make that clear. The committee reported HB 188 favorably as well. The committee then reviewed five administrative regulations, including Transportation Cabinet rules allowing technology to be used in title examinations, extending an off-road vehicle pilot program to July 2026 and updating the definition of local government, aligning truck weight-mass rules with statute, adopting the MUTCD traffic control manual, and an emergency Kentucky State Police regulation adjusting a TSA-related hazardous materials endorsement fee because the federal change came too quickly for the normal regulatory process. Members asked whether the title rule covered rebuild titles, and staff said it applied to all titles. The committee noted the regulations had been reviewed and then adjourned, with the next meeting tentatively set for the following Tuesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• We were seeing $16 million over four fiscal years starting in the 2025–2029 period to rebuild or replace
• We were seeing $16 million over four fiscal years starting in the 2025–2029 period to rebuild or replace
• an addition that they were going to hopefully get for the future fiscal years to either replace or rebuild
• an addition that they were going to hopefully get for the future fiscal years to either replace or rebuild
• an addition that they were going to hopefully get for the future fiscal years to either replace or rebuild

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The committee heard a State Auditor’s Office performance audit on OSPI’s school apportionment system, which distributes K-12 funding to districts. Auditors said the system and its underlying 2008-era infrastructure are outdated, unstable, inefficient, and at high risk of errors or failure. They also found weak controls over data input, documentation, oversight, and monitoring, with heavy reliance on a small number of staff and vendor knowledge. In limited testing of three districts, the system calculated 2023–24 funding correctly, but auditors identified small discrepancies between state budget inputs and underlying statutory language and said broader system risks remain unresolved. JLARC members asked about the scope of the district testing, whether smaller districts face greater risk, the meaning of the funding discrepancies, and whether the system could support a future change to a simpler per-student funding formula. Auditors said the discrepancies were small but could compound into millions statewide, and that the audit did not evaluate broader policy questions or alternative system owners. They recommended OSPI modernize or replace the system and address current control weaknesses while the new platform is developed. OSPI officials largely agreed that the current platform needs replacement and said a feasibility study completed in 2024 found the system at catastrophic risk of failure. They clarified that the Legislature had approved up to $16 million in the state IT pool for the project, but that funding is released through gated oversight and not all of it had yet been appropriated for the current biennium. OSPI disputed the auditor’s characterization of some rounding and budget-law issues, saying the calculations were consistent with agency rules and legislative inputs, and explained that some manual workarounds are used to handle newer statutory requirements. One member of the public testified in support of modernizing the system and strengthening controls. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so someone's going to have to go in there, rebuild it, and then begin the process of operating it
• to allow the use of eminent domain to take back the hospital property and complete the task of rebuilding
• it does so with some services no longer available and with its own capacity challenges while it rebuilds
• inpatient beds make crisis moments the most likely way a community hospital will see a significant rebuild
• their emergency rooms, rebuild their beds, and everything else.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on H. 3599, a bill concerning access to historic Indian lands and easements for landlocked tribal parcels in Massachusetts. Witnesses, including members of the Mashpee Wampanoag and Herring Pond communities, said the bill would restore access to family lands that have long been treated as landlocked and had been denied easements by necessity in prior court rulings. They described heavy tax burdens, prior litigation, and support from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, with conditional support from the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe pending language changes. Committee members asked about the tax assessments and the status of tribal support, and the chair said the committee would follow up on possible amendments. The committee then took up S. 2922, which would authorize an underground easement at Magazine Beach in Cambridge for the Greater Cambridge Energy Project. Eversource representatives said the easement is needed for a transmission line connecting the Brighton and Kendall Square substations, supporting grid reliability and the Commonwealth’s clean energy transition. They said DCR would receive fair market value and replacement land in Wendell to satisfy Article 97 requirements. No objections were raised, and the panel’s testimony concluded without a vote recorded in the transcript. Most of the hearing focused on H. 5047, which would authorize the Commonwealth to take the Norwood Hospital site by eminent domain so the hospital can be restored. Sponsors, local officials, hospital task force members, EMS and fire representatives, a chamber of commerce leader, and a former hospital administrator all argued that the 2020 flood and Steward’s bankruptcy left the region without adequate care, causing longer ambulance transports, emergency room boarding, staffing strain, and economic losses. They said the site remains a partially completed shell, that the state should be able to acquire it and bring in a nonprofit operator, and that the taking would not require state funding because an operator would pay the acquisition costs. Committee members from both chambers expressed support and asked about costs, timing, infrastructure, and whether a nonprofit operator is being pursued. The chair took the bill under advisement after extensive testimony; no vote was taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Survivors struggle to rebuild their homes and lives.
• the risk of both rising utility rates and more costly or more limited essential city services to rebuild
• be reduced instead of pushing the costs onto the very victims and local governments tasked with rebuilding
• frequently wait many years for compensation, and the compensation provided is often insufficient to rebuild
• I want to rebuild. I want to rebuild. I want to— I want my normalcy back. I want to rebuild.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The committee held the first of several informational hearings on the SB 254 Natural Catastrophe Resiliency Study, focused on wildfire risk, utility liability, and how to finance catastrophic losses. Chair Allen opened by describing California’s recent utility-ignited wildfires, the creation of the wildfire fund under AB 1054, and SB 254’s extension of that fund and requirement for a study. The California Earthquake Authority, as wildfire fund administrator, presented the report’s process and findings, emphasizing that the study was intended to be neutral and broad, based on extensive stakeholder outreach, and that the status quo is not working well for survivors, communities, ratepayers, insurers, or utilities. CEA’s report organized recommendations into three policy pathways: continued mitigation investment, more equitable allocation of catastrophe burdens, and expanded state roles in catastrophe financing. For utilities, the report discussed options such as setting a binding risk-tolerance standard, preserving safety certificate accountability, tying executive compensation more directly to safety, creating confidential reporting with safe-harbor protections, reforming utility liability including possible changes to inverse condemnation, limiting damages, reducing insurance subrogation, and creating a fast-pay facility for survivors. The financing analysis compared a more durable wildfire fund, risk transfer/reinsurance, liability reforms, and state-backed mechanisms such as a state insurer, a state backstop, and broader funding for community wildfire mitigation. The CPUC said wildfire mitigation oversight has improved, but wildfire-related costs are driving electricity bills higher and creating an affordability crisis. The Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety highlighted its wildfire mitigation plan review and field inspections, and recommended stronger safety reporting and more safety-weighted executive compensation. In member discussion, senators and assemblymembers focused on the cost of the status quo, whether the burden should be shared by ratepayers, utilities, the state, or other parties, and whether California should consider broader disaster-financing approaches. Several members raised concerns about inverse condemnation, the pace of survivor compensation, local land-use responsibility, and the need for a more comprehensive statewide solution rather than piecemeal bills. No votes or formal actions were taken; the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• The money costs show it is much more expensive to rebuild our fossil fuel infrastructure versus building
• just personally hope that we spend that money much more effectively on green infrastructure, not rebuilding
• The money costs show it is much more expensive to rebuild our fossil fuel infrastructure versus building
• just personally hope that we spend that money much more effectively on green infrastructure, not rebuilding

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior journal, and then took up a Rules Committee report advancing several bills directly to third reading, including Senate Print 9630, an appropriations extender for government operations, and Senate Print 9631, an extender related to Part U1 of Chapter 61 of the Laws of 2023. The chamber then moved to the controversial calendar and debated the first extender, with Senator O’Mara questioning what the bill covered, how much funding it extended, and the status of budget negotiations. Senator Krueger said the extender covered about $1 billion for payroll and certain payments for agencies including Health, Law, OPWDD, and Veterans Services through April 7, and described the budget talks as still unresolved, with no announced follow-up Joint Budget Conference Committee meetings or table targets. She also discussed utility affordability proposals, including a three-year moratorium on A.I. and crypto data/storage facilities and support for green energy and low-income ratepayer relief. O’Mara argued the lack of urgency and absence of written proposals on climate and utility costs was concerning. Both extender bills were then passed, with the first receiving 59 ayes and the second passing 46-13 after debate over its two-year duration. The Senate then adopted the resolution calendar, excluding two items initially, and took up two resolutions. Resolution 1821, sponsored by Senator Ramos, recognized Farmworkers Day and highlighted the essential role of farmworkers, the history of organizing for farmworker rights, and concerns about immigrant workers facing fear and retaliation; Senator May added support, noting the importance of farm labor to dairy production and food supply and the impact of deportation fears on farms in her district. The resolution was adopted. Resolution 1823, sponsored by Senator Zellner, proclaimed March 20, 2026 as Behavior Analysis Day in New York, recognizing applied behavior analysis and its benefits for individuals with developmental disabilities, autism, education, healthcare, and other fields; it was also adopted. The chamber also welcomed a group of students from Queens visiting Albany, with Senator Comrie speaking about the importance of civics education and government engagement. After the introductions and acknowledgments, there was no further business, and the Senate adjourned until Wednesday, April 1, at 11:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Floodway and plain rebuilding policy. Regulatory authority in the ETJ and annexation.
• Kerrville will rebuild, but we need the tools and the funding to do it right.
• They're ready for rebuilding. And since they started, we're being told, oh, you can't rebuild.
• until he gets permission permit something to say okay yeah you're now permitted to rebuild and he's
• My understanding is they were rebuilding it; we put a stop-work order on that.

Summary: The joint Senate and House disaster preparedness hearing convened in Kerrville with quorum, public testimony limited to three minutes and invited testimony to 10 minutes. Leaders from both chambers, along with the lieutenant governor and speaker, framed the hearing as an unprecedented joint effort focused on learning from the July 4 flood, honoring victims, and identifying actions to reduce future loss of life. The committee also heard opening remarks about decorum, logistics, and the intent to continue work in future sessions. The first panel included Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Sheriff Larry Leitha, Emergency Management Coordinator William B. Thomas IV, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr., Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice, Upper Guadalupe River Authority representative William Rector, Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk, and Real County Judge Bella Rubio. They described the flood as sudden and catastrophic, with Kerr County reporting 108 deaths and two missing. Local officials emphasized that they received no timely warning of the scale of the event, that responders and volunteers acted heroically under extreme conditions, and that communications, cell coverage, and rural emergency resources were strained. Several witnesses said the county’s existing alert systems were limited by geography, sparse broadband, and the speed of the flood. Testimony focused on possible improvements, including real-time flood gauges and predictive monitoring, stronger rural emergency management staffing and training, better interoperability and alerting tools such as IPAWS, CodeRED, WENS, and sirens, and expanded broadband and radio coverage. Kerrville asked for a flood warning system before next summer and state help for stormwater, floodplain, and disaster recovery funding. UGRA described its past and current flood-warning and mitigation efforts, including gauge funding, a new software-based flood prediction project, and consideration of additional retention dams. Kendall and Real counties highlighted successful or needed alerting and evacuation practices, while also stressing the difficulty of funding and maintaining such systems in small rural counties. Members asked detailed questions about the timeline of the flood response, low-water crossings, communications failures, sirens, bridges, and whether regional consolidation or additional infrastructure could improve future preparedness.