Transcript Highlights:

• in summary, the department recommends that there should be a single lead agency that develops this map
• and wildlife has worked with Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization to produce a lot of the risk maps
• and requires DNR to adopt uh hazard maps and requires DNR to adopt rules<00:03:05.280> and<00
• with input from all develops this map with input from all other<00:03:47.519> agencies<00:03:
• <00:05:31.199> and to produce a lot of the risk maps and to produce a lot of the risk maps

Bills: SB3294

Keywords: wrongful conviction, compensation, Hawaii Revised Statutes, innocence, legal process, burden of proof, case manager, medical coverage, judicial discretion, 912, senate, all

Summary: The committees first took up SB 3294, a controversial measure concerning post-release assistance for people pursuing reversals of prior court decisions where innocence is in question. Members discussed keeping the bill moving on the “human side” while a House companion addressed the legal issues. The adopted amendments removed advanced compensation language and instead required DCR, with DHS, to help petitioners prepare applications for financial and medical assistance, notify DHS upon release, assign a case manager to assist with a cell phone for one year, housing, employment, mental health counseling, and expedited benefits, and provide a state ID upon release. The measure also included technical amendments and a defective date, and it passed unanimously. The joint committees then heard SB 2237 on fire prevention, which would require state agencies to create and update hazard maps and direct DNR to adopt rules and clear brush. DLNR testified that a single lead agency should develop the maps with input from other agencies, that a five-year timeline would be more reasonable, and that assigning DNR all fuels management on state lands would create an unfunded mandate. Members discussed using the newly created fire marshal’s office as the lead, and the committees ultimately deferred the bill in favor of a broader wildfire mitigation measure already moving in another committee. The final agenda included SB 2596 on government leases, SB 30002 on the Hawaii State Planning Act and green infrastructure, and SB 3067 on records and filing requirements. SB 2596 was advanced unamended to Ways and Means. On SB 30002, OPSD explained that a 2025-2027 comprehensive review of chapter 226 is underway, with a report and draft legislation due in 2027, and members debated whether to move piecemeal changes now or wait for the broader review; the bill nevertheless passed unamended. SB 3067, which updates outdated filing formats and drawing scales, also passed unamended with DAGS supporting the measure in writing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll get a road map for that.
• So you'll see lots of these colorful maps. These are just examples.
• It doesn't matter what these particular maps are, but you'll see lots of these colorful maps.
• So you'll see lots of these colorful maps. These are just examples.
• It doesn't matter what these particular maps are, but you'll see lots of these colorful maps.

Summary: The committee held its first meeting, with co-chairs and members introducing themselves and staff outlining the committee’s statutory mandate under the 2025-27 supplemental operating budget. Staff explained that the Joint Legislative-Executive Committee on Budget Transparency and Fiscal Sustainability will receive technical assistance from a nonpartisan organization, with work split into two phases: first on revenue growth, spending assumptions, and cost drivers in the four-year outlook, and later on staffing, overhead, performance management, and public reporting. Members broadly said they hoped the committee would build a shared factual understanding of the state’s fiscal situation, structural deficits, and budget processes, and identify a sustainable path forward for the operating budget. Staff then gave a detailed presentation on operating budget basics. They reviewed the size and composition of the operating budget, noting that most spending is concentrated in grants/client services and salaries/benefits, with K-12, DSHS, HCA, DCYF, DOC, and higher education making up most NGFO spending. They explained the distinction between constitutional, federal, statutory, and discretionary spending, using examples such as K-12, Medicaid, collective bargaining agreements, court-driven obligations like McCleary and Trueblood, and one-time appropriations. They also walked through how the state uses incremental budgeting, carry-forward and maintenance-level calculations, caseload and per-capita forecasting, and the four-year balanced budget outlook, including reserve calculations and the budget stabilization account. Members asked extensive questions about what is and is not included in the outlook, especially future collective bargaining agreements, health care and compensation growth, tort and other liabilities, and whether the state could better distinguish mandatory from discretionary spending. Staff explained that current CBAs and other already-enacted obligations are included, but future CBAs are not; some liabilities are reflected as expenditures when appropriated, while broader long-term liabilities are not fully captured in the outlook because they depend on future policy choices. Staff also noted that the legislature and ERFC can adopt assumptions such as reversions and growth factors, and that an outlook accuracy report is produced every five years to compare projected and actual maintenance-level spending. The committee agreed to follow up on some of the more complex liability and assumption questions. After a short break, Josh Goodman of the Pew Charitable Trusts began a presentation on Pew’s role and approach to state fiscal sustainability. He described Pew as a nonpartisan organization with long-standing state fiscal research, emphasizing its 50-state comparative data, interviews with state officials and experts, and focus on long-term sustainability, reserve policies, and recession preparedness. The presentation was ongoing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• And, as I mentioned, you can see all of that on the map here.
• This is just a map from the Commission on Water Resources.
• The map actually is from that atlas.
• So I'm looking at the map.
• So are these the red stars on the map, or those the green stars?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The informational briefing focused on the City and County of Honolulu’s effort to site a replacement landfill for Oahu before Waimanalo Gulch landfill closes in 2028. Department of Environmental Services officials outlined the solid waste system, including curbside collection, convenience centers, transfer stations, H-POWER, and the existing landfill, and explained that H-POWER reduces the volume of waste going to the landfill by about 90%. They reviewed the siting history, including the 2019 Land Use Commission deadline, the 2020 enactment of Act 73 with landfill setback and conservation-district restrictions, and the 2021-2022 landfill advisory committee that evaluated six sites but recommended none because they were within the Board of Water Supply’s no-pass zone. The city said it ultimately selected a site in central Oahu, on agricultural land near Wahiawa and the Dole Plantation, as the best legally permissible option and described it as requiring about 150 acres, with 90 acres for the landfill itself. City officials also described the proposed landfill design and safeguards, emphasizing a modern sanitary landfill with double liners, leachate collection, groundwater monitoring wells, and post-closure monitoring. They said the ash from H-POWER is dry and that leachate would be pumped to a wastewater treatment plant. They stated the site is away from residences and groundwater wells, accessible by highway, and can be permitted under state and federal rules, though they acknowledged that a full environmental review, public hearings, and multiple permits would still be required. When asked whether the new landfill could be operating before the 2028 closure date, the city said it did not yet know and that an extension of Waimanalo Gulch might be needed if the new site is not ready in time. The Board of Water Supply strongly opposed the city’s decision to site a landfill above Oahu’s freshwater resources. Its representative said the agency’s mission is to protect safe, dependable water for the future and that it had disapproved all six previously proposed sites because they were located over freshwater aquifers. In response to questions from legislators, the Board said it could not guarantee the liner system would remain impermeable forever and warned that leachate can contain hazardous chemicals, including so-called forever chemicals. The Board characterized the proposal as a long-term risk to the island’s drinking water supply and compared the decision to past infrastructure choices that later proved problematic. No votes or formal actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• They have a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for the National Digital Newspaper Program
• Number 11, UA Little Rock with SSIA Technologies to provide operational digital planetarium system.
• Number 11, UA Little Rock with SSIA technologies to provide operational digital planetarium system.
• , and reporting of digital media buys.
• They are actually—it's our digital media buys.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I yield three bank digital currency.
• Central bank digital currency is communist money for the digital age.
• Central bank digital currency is communist money for the digital age.
• Central bank digital currency is communist money for the digital age.
• The digital age.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, April 30, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First on the agenda is HB 934, relating to the Hoi broadband and digital equity office.
• First on the agenda is HB 934, relating to the Hoi broadband and digital equity office.
• technology so we have like digital technology so we have like digital platforms<00:27:03.240>
• First up, HB 934 HD1, relating to broadband and digital equity office.
• <01:38:16.880> Equity to White broadband and digital Equity to White broadband and digital

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with HB 934 on broadband and digital equity. Testifiers from the Lieutenant Governor’s office, the Office of Enterprise and Technology Services, DCCA, the University system, the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and others generally supported the measure and emphasized the need to coordinate broadband efforts, fund operations, and expand access to high-speed internet, devices, and digital navigation services. The Chamber of Commerce and West Coast Comprehensive Health Center supported the bill but objected to HD1 language excluding broadband infrastructure for retail service, warning it could create unintended consequences and limit community-led or rural projects. The Lieutenant Governor explained the state expects roughly $400 million to $500 million in federal broadband funding, described the bill as consolidating efforts under a broadband office attached to the CIO, and said the office would focus on infrastructure, devices, and training. No vote was taken on HB 934 in the portion provided. The committee then took up HB 97 on travel insurance. The Insurance Division said it had no major problem with the product but requested technical changes to align with licensing requirements and noted the bill largely codifies practices already used in the industry. Industry witnesses from Allianz and the U.S. Travel Insurance Association said the measure would create a consistent framework, add consumer protections, and align Hawaii with the NAIC model adopted in many other states. Members questioned whether there was a specific problem the bill was solving, and the division responded that it was mainly a framework and form-review measure rather than a response to a known enforcement issue. The bill was discussed but no final action was reported in the excerpt. HB 448 on technology enablement drew broad support from the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, the Chamber of Commerce, the Food Industry Association, and other business representatives. Supporters said the measure would help businesses use technology such as digital platforms, e-commerce, robotics, and AR/VR to improve competitiveness, especially in tourism and other sectors. Committee members pressed for clearer scope, cost estimates, and assurances that local companies would be used; the agency said it would prioritize local-first contracting, use federal NIST-related support where possible, and estimated an initial request of about $200,000, though it could not give a firm total. Members expressed concern that the plan was still too undefined. The committee then began HB 455 on small business loans, where the Attorney General suggested explaining why a special fund is needed, and a witness from H Collaborative said the bill would help startup businesses that struggle most to access capital.

Transcript Highlights:

• to the navigation mapping platforms. to the navigation mapping platforms.
• necessarily using their mapping necessarily using their mapping technology,<00:30:52.600> but
• So, failure of whatever fails when that doesn't get noticed on my Apple Maps.
• Maps, you know, north on 94 to go Maps, you know, north on 94 to go westbound<00:31:20.080> on
• <00:31:25.080> didn't that ramp was closed and my map didn't that ramp was closed and my map

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:46.760> uh assuredly result in unfair Maps uh assuredly result in unfair Maps uh another
• that don't end up becoming the maps.
• There is no contingency for when commissions can agree on boundary maps.
• These maps were used to draw a recommended legislative and congressional map, which was ultimately submitted
• <00:25:59.360> and want this group to agree on a map and want this group to agree on a map

Bills: HF550, HF412, HF796, HF140

Keywords: redistricting, Bipartisan Commission, Minnesota Constitution, census, legislative districts, HF412, Minnesota legislature, education committee, K-12 education, school observation, teacher observation, administrator observation, legislative transparency, legislator accountability, House rules, Senate rules, Legislative Reference Library, public reporting, education finance, education policy

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:12:35.279> is uh in the road map and our road map is uh in the road map and our road map
• They’re in our road map.
• They’re in our road map.
• They’re in our road map.
• They’re in our road map.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of people are interested in maps.
• I'm interested in maps, but we have another very serious issue.
• I feel like law enforcement is calling it the new map.
• I don't have any respect for those maps whatsoever. Yeah, please.
• That's the message on the maps.

Bills: SB5, SB11, SB12, SB9, SB42, SB15, SB5, SB11, SB12, SCR1

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, occupational licenses, criminal offenses, SB 11, Texas attorney general, election crimes, election law enforcement, criminal prosecution, Election Code, Government Code Chapter 402, local prosecutors, county attorney, district attorney, grand jury, probable cause reports, state election offenses, voter fraud, election integrity

Transcript Highlights:

• Every day, families, businesses, schools, farms, governmental agencies, and hospitals rely on digital
• , Applied Digital, and X.
• ,<03:11:10.640> Applied Meta, Amazon, OpenAI, Digital, Applied Meta, Amazon, OpenAI, Digital
• , Applied Digital,<03:11:11.439> and<03:11:11.680> X.
• And uh I wanted to bring Digital, and X.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:53.320> media, disclaimers also apply to digital media, disclaimers also apply to digital
• or audio communications would digital or audio communications would have<00:08:24.760> to<00:
• With advances in technology, the digital political ad landscape has also radically shifted over that
• <00:13:20.360> political to clarify that all digital political to clarify that all digital
• have especially in light of a digital have especially in light of a digital representation representation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Third, the bill modernizes Minnesota's on-ad disclaimer rules for digital ads, reflecting the prevalence
• of digital political spending by clarifying that digital political ads must have on-ad disclaimers unless
• > digital<00:47:33.440> political<00:47:33.839> spending prevalence of digital political
• spending prevalence of digital political spending by<00:47:34.640> clarifying<00:47:35.119>
• that digital political ads by clarifying that digital political ads must<00:47:36.560> have<00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So what this does is that on line 63 it would tie it to digital activity, and then it would go on to
• <00:22:38.559> activity uh it would tie it to digital activity uh it would tie it to digital
• 59.919> uh about, you know, something to handle uh about, you know, something to handle uh digital
• 01.760> uh<00:23:01.919> under,<00:23:02.400> you<00:23:02.559> know, digital
• currency uh under, you know, digital currency uh under, you know, common<00:23:03.039> ownership<

Bills: HB139, HB220, SB274, SB282, SB277

Keywords: 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• access policy that needs to be adhered to by the sender of the digital content to CIS before it is placed
• access policy that needs to be adhered to by the sender of the digital content to CIS before it is placed
• access policy that needs to be adhered to by the sender of the digital content to CIS before it is placed
• The newish Minnesota Legislature digital access policy that needs to be adhered to by the sender of the
• digital content to CIS before it is placed on a link on the website.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration met virtually on January 6, 2026, and took up four administrative policy items. Darren Hoff, Senate Human Resources Director, presented updates to the Legislative Coordinating Commission benefit book, including insurance changes tied to SEGIP, mental health and substance use office visit cost sharing, dental plan updates, dependent eligibility clarifications, a new voluntary legal services benefit, a 17% increase in Medicare premiums, and multiple leave-policy revisions to conform with the new paid leave law and other employment rules. Senator Pappas moved adoption of the benefit book with the LCC’s November 10, 2025 changes and staff technical corrections, and the motion passed. Secretary Tom Bern described a proposed Senate Policy 1.56 allowing written rules of conduct for visitors in Senate spaces, aimed at setting clear expectations for behavior such as not blocking hallways or using shouting and profanity, while being developed with consultation to address First Amendment concerns. Senator Marty moved adoption, and the committee approved the policy. Council Lexi Stangle then presented a change to Senate Policy 2.47 on severe weather emergencies that would allow employees who work remotely on severe weather days to accrue compensatory time with supervisor approval; Senator Johnson moved adoption, and the motion passed. The committee also considered a modernization of the Senate information systems policy. Secretary Bern and staff explained that the policy had not been substantially updated in about 20 years and was being condensed and updated to reflect current technology and practices. The revisions reduced the policy from 29 pages to 10, removed obsolete references, added a purpose statement, clarified email inspection and hardware/software procedures, updated website rules and accessibility guidance, and removed the secondary member page option. Senator Coleman moved adoption of the Senate information systems update, and it was approved. After the Rules Committee adjourned, the Subcommittee on Committees met and approved two appointments: one public member to the Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources through December 31, 2030, and Senator Gustafson to the Financial Crimes Advisory Board Task Force. Members asked about the task force’s scope and the public appointee’s background; staff explained the task force advises on identity theft and financial crimes, and identified the public appointee as Sha Lang of Preston, Minnesota. Senator Pappas moved adoption of the appointment list, and the subcommittee approved it before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chapter 282 of Florida statute requires coordination between agencies and Florida Digital Service.
• And then Florida Digital Service is also required to provide subject matter expertise in the development
• We at the Division of State Purchasing are actively working with our partners at Florida's Digital Service
• We at the Division of State Purchasing are actively working with our partners at Florida's Digital Service
• staff augmentation vendors, and we are currently procuring new and innovative IT services such as digital

Summary: The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability met with a quorum present and first took up SB 268, a public records exemption bill for public officers. Senator Brodeur explained the bill on behalf of Senator Jones, saying it would protect partial home addresses, phone numbers, and certain family information for the governor, cabinet members, and other elected officials because of threats and harassment against public servants. An amendment narrowing and clarifying the definition of public officer and the process for claiming the exemption was adopted without objection. Chair Fine and Senator Brodeur both spoke in support of the bill, citing personal experiences with threats and the need to protect officials and their families. CS for SB 268 was then reported favorably by roll call vote. The committee then heard a presentation from Brandon Spencer, Director of State Purchasing and Chief Procurement Officer at the Department of Management Services, on state agency procurement and contracting practices, including IT procurements. He described the state’s procurement structure, including state term contracts, alternate contract sources, and agency procurements, and said the division now manages more than 960 enterprise-wide agreements, with that number continuing to grow. He also highlighted that roughly 21% of purchase order spend is on IT services, discussed statutory requirements for IT procurements, and said the division is working with Florida Digital Service to improve oversight, training, vendor accountability, and procurement options. No committee action followed the presentation, and the meeting adjourned after no further business was raised.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill created a digital platform, which is to bring all workforce opportunities in one place in the
• This bill it created<00:02:00.079> uh<00:02:00.240> a<00:02:00.479> digital<00:02
• which is created uh a digital platform which is uh<00:02:02.880> bring<00:02:03.200> all
• And this aims to create a centralized digital platform where students can find internships and stuff
• <00:04:16.799> platform create a centralized digital platform create a centralized digital

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And you can see on the map, I know it's very small, but gray is no cleanup needed.
• So this is a map of where we have these tools cited to date.
• So this is a map of where we have these tools cited to date.
• They do not use state-run maps.
• So if we provide our own maps, they're not going to use ours? There has been no indication.

Summary: The committee first heard updates on the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) and related funding. Department of Ecology staff explained how MTCA and the hazardous substance tax support cleanup, prevention, stormwater, and local assistance programs, but said forecasted revenues have declined while appropriations and transfers have outpaced incoming funds. Ecology said the operating account will require underspending to stay balanced this biennium and that the problem is ongoing, with further reductions possible if forecasts worsen. Ecology also reviewed the state cleanup program, noting there are more than 14,500 cleanup sites in Washington and that new sites continue to be discovered faster than they are cleaned up. A question from Representative Lee raised the long-term issue of declining fossil-fuel-based revenue, and Ecology agreed that this is a future structural concern even though the current shortfall is driven more by forecasts and transfers than by fuel-use decline. The Pollution Liability Insurance Agency described its underground storage tank and heating oil programs, saying it has modernized from a reinsurance model to a financial assurance model with stronger state oversight and cleanup milestones. Russ Olson said the agency’s dedicated petroleum tax account is in strong financial condition, but emphasized the importance of preserving that funding source. He also discussed the loan and grant program for historic commercial releases and a new heating oil loan/grant program, while noting the agency is working on equity concerns where liens can be disproportionate to property values in smaller communities. Practitioners and advocates then offered differing views on MTCA’s performance: one attorney urged a collaborative review process to make cleanups faster, less expensive, and more certain, while another consultant argued the program is too conservative and process-heavy and should focus more narrowly on actual exposure and realistic cleanup standards. Environmental and community groups countered that MTCA is essential for cleanup, pollution prevention, stormwater control, and public participation, and that it is especially important for environmental justice communities such as the Duwamish Valley. Port and city representatives stressed that MTCA grants and cleanup funding are critical for large redevelopment projects, but said long timelines, permitting delays, and funding uncertainty can slow projects and jeopardize commitments. The committee then shifted to utility wildfire risk. Staff summarized recent legislation, including requirements for utility wildfire mitigation plans, creation of a wildfire mitigation standards work group, authorization for captive insurance by local governments and PUDs, securitization authority for disaster costs, and the existing wildfire response and resilience account. Chelan County PUD and Puget Sound Energy described extensive mitigation efforts such as vegetation management, grid hardening, undergrounding, AI smoke cameras, weather stations, enhanced operating settings, public safety power shutoffs, and community outreach. Both said wildfire risk is rising and insurance costs are increasing, and Chelan PUD asked the Legislature to restore funding to the wildfire response and resilience account. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner said a 2022 utility liability market study found insurance availability is tightening as perceived risk rises, and reported that a 2025 work group recommended restoring community resilience funding, requiring insurers to share wildfire risk scores and mitigation steps with property owners, and creating a grant program based on insurance industry wildfire standards. A PNNL scientist added that wildfire probability is increasing in parts of Washington and that mitigation requires long-term, landscape-scale coordination. The final speaker began describing California’s approach to wildfire risk, but the transcript cuts off before that presentation concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• The next slide is a map showing where the acequias are located across the state.
• This involves taking and ingesting multiple data layers, burn severity maps, and debris flow maps with
• Severity mapping, that's only applied on federal land.
• And so one of the actual stipulations of that legislation was to build a risk map.
• And I think it would be helpful to get a mapping, especially for emergency response, to get a mapping

Transcript Highlights:

• IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THIS YOU WILL SEE SMALLER MAP IS 2025, LARGER MAP IS 2026.
• SO THIS IS THE MAP TO KIND OF SHOW YOU WHO'S PARTICIPATING IN THE MARKET.
• SIMILAR TO THE SMALL GROUP THE SMALLER MAP IS THE 2018 VIEW.
• THAT MAP, THE SMALLER MAP THE RED INDICATES LESS COVERAGE AND THE GREEN I BELIEVE INDICATES MORE COVERAGE
• >> THE 2018 VIEW THE MAPS SHOW YOU THE NUMBER OF CARRIERS.