Transcript Highlights:

• Student success means recruiting more students than other programs.
• But 93 students have come back.
• So it’s not just recent students. These students go back a ways.
• System pathways and the lived experiences for a variety of students and student types.
• To K-12 students.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But this, of course, depends on having green ammonia infrastructure.
• <00:40:22.839> on<00:40:23.040> imported by reducing our dependence on imported by
• This legislation is an important investment in Minnesota's schools, students, and workforce.
• performance and fewer sick days for students and staff.
• teachers anded ating our students teachers anded ating our students overall<01:27:26.320> this

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our economy depends on it.
• We do not even know how many students will be affected by this amendment.
• We already know how many students are going to be affected. Every student is going to be affected.
• We already know how many students are going to be affected. Every student is going to be affected.
• Every student athlete will play on the team that they were born to play on.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and adopted two ceremonial resolutions: one commemorating the dedication of the Woburn Battle Road Memorial as part of the Massachusetts 250th celebration, and another recognizing May 1-7 as Elks National Youth Week. The chamber then took up House Bill 4005, a fiscal year 2025 supplemental appropriations bill using FY24 Fair Share surtax surplus funds, and ordered it to a third reading before later considering it for passage to be engrossed. During debate on the bill, the House heard a lengthy presentation in support of the proposal, which would direct about $828 million to transportation and $353 million to education. The transportation spending was described as primarily supporting the MBTA, including workforce and safety funding, reserve replenishment, station and infrastructure improvements, reduced fares, and reimbursement for tunnel closure costs, along with smaller amounts for regional transit authorities and unpaved roads. The education side included additional special education circuit breaker funding, vocational school capital, early education workforce supports, early literacy, universal school meals, higher education endowment matches, Green School Works, and ESOL waitlist reduction, with the Inspector General directed to review circuit breaker cost controls. Members then debated several amendments. One amendment related to a school athletics policy was modified by a further amendment calling for DESE analysis before implementation; both the further amendment and the underlying amendment as amended were adopted. A transportation amendment to shift $50 million from MBTA funding to Chapter 90 municipal roads was supported by members emphasizing rural road needs but was rejected on a roll call, 25-120. Another transportation amendment adding at least $300,000 for Route 93 mitigation costs in Medford was adopted, 133-20. The bill itself then passed to be engrossed on a roll call, 140-14. The House also observed moments of silence for former First Lady Kitty Dukakis and for victims of the Santo Domingo nightclub collapse, and later adopted an order to meet the next day at 11 a.m. before adjourning in memory of former Representative Philip W. Johnston.

Transcript Highlights:

• It would have no connection or dependence on federal dollars. Is that correct?
• This does not depend on federal dollars except for the Montgomery GI Bill I talked about.
• This does not depend on federal dollars except for the Montgomery GI Bill I talked about for active duty
• It clarifies the Oklahoma Promise language as it relates to homeschool students.
• It clarifies the Oklahoma Promise language as it relates to homeschool students.

Summary: The committee considered and advanced a series of bills, beginning with House Bill 3834, which creates a revolving fund at the Department of Health for ibogaine research. The author said the measure is limited to clinical trials, has support from several tribal nations, and would not have an immediate fiscal impact, though retirement-related costs were discussed as roughly $1 million based on prior estimates. HB 3834 passed 20-0. House Bill 3940, updating Oklahoma Military Department provisions, National Guard retirement benefits, and some Uniform Code of Military Justice language, also passed after questions about the same estimated retirement cost and the effect of changing the date for implementation; it passed 21-1. Members then approved House Bill 4346, with an amendment aimed at addressing fraud concerns in agricultural sales tax exemptions. The bill would extend reciprocity to holders of ag sales tax exemption cards from Texas and other surrounding states, allowing them to use those exemptions in Oklahoma border communities. Opponents argued the change would place too much burden on retailers to verify out-of-state cards and could increase liability, but supporters said it would help rural businesses. The bill passed 17-4. House Bill 2947, allowing clinical interns and accredited behavioral health graduate programs to bill Medicaid for supervised services, passed 21-0, and House Bill 3257, extending state benefits for 100% disabled veterans to those similarly disabled due to negligence at a VA hospital, also passed 21-0. The committee next passed House Bill 3264, which adds domestic abuse by strangulation to the list of 85% crimes. Supporters emphasized the seriousness of strangulation and its connection to later homicide risk, while questions focused on prison population growth and costs; the bill passed 21-0. House Bill 4326, dealing with Oklahoma Promise homeschool language and the definition of certified classroom personnel, was amended to remove unrelated T-SET restructuring language and then passed 19-2. House Bill 4421, “Leo’s Law,” which requires fentanyl testing in child welfare drug screens when fentanyl use is suspected, drew emotional testimony about a child’s death and had its fiscal estimate discussed as dropping from $125 million to about $16 million; it passed 22-0. Finally, the committee approved House Bill 3944, a State Finance Act cleanup and modernization measure, after questions about reporting dates and public finance oversight, and House Bill 3979, which raises financing caps under the Oklahoma Economic Development Finance Pool, after an amendment to add an effective date and emergency clause; both passed 21-0. House Bill 4118, updating the family caregiver tax credit and raising the maximum credit while keeping the annual cap unchanged, passed 20-1. The meeting ended with thanks to members and staff and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:34:28.480> The<00:34:28.639> student contact with the student.
• The student contact with the student.
• <01:34:45.360> Um 7,000 per student. Um 7,000 per student.
• students. Ah, thank you're wonderful. students.
• states make every student take the ACT. states make every student take the ACT.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 14 January, 2026; 1:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first heard a budget presentation from a charter-school authorizer agency. Witnesses explained that the agency no longer receives the federal CSP grant, that a one-time $499,000 equipment grant was not recurring, and that in FY25 they also had no general fund appropriation. They said their special-fund revenue has grown but is not enough to sustain operations alone, especially because the money arrives once a year and the agency needs a cash balance in advance. Their budget request sought a mix of general and special funds, but the legislative budget recommendation stayed near the FY26 appropriation level. Members asked about salary growth and contractual spending; the agency said higher salaries reflected doctorate-level staff and a planned sixth position, while contractual costs covered technical assistance, consultants, CPA reviews, and outside legal support. The agency also said a pending bill, identified as House Bill 2, could significantly affect its operations and revenue. Members asked about Republic, and the agency said a peer report had just been released, the school had made operational changes, and progress was being made though questions remained. The Library Commission then presented its budget request. The outgoing director announced retirement and introduced the incoming director, and praised the agency’s recent federal and state audits with no findings. The commission asked to restore two headcount reductions in the budget recommendation, saying the positions were hard to fill because they require specialized librarianship credentials and that losing them would cost about $130,000. It also asked to restore federal spending authority in case IMLS funding became uncertain, and requested about $173,000 for a 5% salary progression pool because turnover had reached 35% and many employees were near the start step. Senators asked about the open positions and turnover; the commission said one position had been open 10 months, another about eight months, and some turnover was due to retirements. Mississippi Public Broadcasting then presented its request for an $18.153 million appropriation. The agency said it wanted salary progressions to retain staff, four new vehicles for engineering and transmitter work, and $522,000 in reappropriated digitization funds to continue a project that has digitized more than half its library holdings for online access. The director also highlighted programming and outreach, including a new food-focused show, a music program, live coverage of the National Folk Festival, a Medgar Evers documentary now in national distribution, and expanded radio programming. He said MPB reaches nearly 1 million TV viewers annually, has strong radio and app usage, and continues to provide required weather, Silver Alert, and Amber Alert notifications. He also described a partnership with the Department of Education using e-glass technology to connect teachers to classrooms lacking instructors, saying the program is already serving multiple districts and drawing national interest.

Transcript Highlights:

• West Side Day students.
• It started serving Albuquerque student athletes in 2020.
• We thank the students.
• Thanks for our students who are here joining us.
• on... ...funding stream, not dependent on general fund revenues.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We depended a lot on federal funding, and, you know, I hate to jump to another bill that isn't on the
• Students, please join us. My name is Aliana Poo. I come from Maui. I reside in Wailuku.
• My name is Aishik, a 15-year-old high school student at high school on Oʻahu.
• [Applause] Thank you, students, for your testimony.
• How awesome are those students? Stand on support. Hawaii Farmers Union on Zoom. Thank you, Chair.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Minnesota FFA serves more than 15,000 students, and National FFA serves more than 1 million students
• agricultural education are help students agricultural education are help students are<00:03:31.120
• ><00:03:32.879> later are helping students be successful later are helping students be successful
• They depend on happen by accident.
• depend heavily export dependent<01:31:13.440> making<01:31:13.840> stable<01:31:14.800>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um but when students just fine midday.
• Now, since students of school staff.
• The response was that it depends.
• that's<00:48:13.920> involved students, every person that's involved students, every person
• Um, so they students or families.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It depends because they've now redefined the definition of parent.
• I'm a parent of a Broward County student. She's no longer in Broward County. She's graduated.
• How many students K through 12 in your district, Ms. Fam?
• It depends. The judge determines the weight of the aggravating and mitigating factors in a case.
• It depends. I only ask you this way, if I may.

Summary: The committee first considered the appointment of Michelle Whitworth to the Florida Commission on Offender Review. Whitworth described her 30 years of criminal justice experience, and the committee voted to recommend her confirmation favorably. The committee then took up SB 1692 on material harmful to minors, adopting a delete-all amendment that shifted the focus to K-12 instructional materials and objections by parents or residents. Supporters argued it would create clearer standards and protect children from pornographic content, while opponents warned it would worsen book bans and remove consideration of literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. After extensive debate and public testimony, the bill as amended was reported favorably. The committee also reported favorably on several criminal justice and public safety bills. SB 1422 increased penalties for certain drone-related offenses near critical infrastructure and for weaponized drones; SB 1360 clarified xylazine’s veterinary use while creating stronger trafficking penalties; and SB 1732 increased penalties for animal cruelty involving minors and for contributing to a minor’s delinquency. SB 776 added an aggravating factor for the assassination or attempted assassination of a head of state, and SB 984 added aggravating factors for capital felonies committed where people are gathered for religious, school, or government activities. SB 1640 made domestic violence lethality assessment forms confidential, and SB 1268 updated FDLE operations and increased reimbursement for retired police dogs. All of these bills were reported favorably after brief debate and mostly supportive testimony. Later, the committee approved SB 1084 on sexual cyber harassment, with a strike-all amendment addressing digitally forged intimate images and extending prosecution time limits. SB 1654 updated sexual offender and predator registration rules, including definitions of residence and online reporting for in-state travel, though one witness raised concerns about vague language and employer privacy. SB 1774 created a rebuttable presumption in certain second-degree murder cases when the victim had a controlled substance in their system, drawing criticism that it could devalue victims who used drugs. Finally, SB 1838 strengthened protections for court officials against tampering, harassment, and retaliation, with an amendment adding magistrates, hearing officers, and related staff; defense attorneys warned the tampering language could inadvertently reach zealous advocacy. Each of these measures was ultimately reported favorably, and the meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We hire students, and I always like to stress that we love students.
• I love students because in 1986 I was a student.
• students.
• non-traditional students.
• And as we program to students, we heard a lot about the traditional aid student.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first reviewed the 2024-25 tuition waiver report for the North Dakota University System. Staff explained that waivers were reported for degree-seeking students and broken out by residency, institution, and waiver type. Members asked about partial versus full waivers, institutional discretion, athletic waivers, and whether campuses have published guardrails or transparency requirements. Staff said most waivers are set by institutions, with some statutory and board-required categories, and that athletic waivers are a small share of total waiver dollars. The report showed total gross tuition of $354.5 million, tuition waived of $38.9 million, and 11,193 of 42,040 students receiving some waiver. Members also discussed how waivers affect net tuition revenue, housing and food collections, and whether campuses are using waivers strategically compared with scholarships and other funding sources. The committee then heard a presentation on tuition rates by campus and State Board policy. Staff explained the board’s tuition factors for resident, Minnesota reciprocity, contiguous-state/U.S. nonresident, and international students, and noted that campuses often seek exceptions based on program-specific competition and enrollment goals. Members asked whether rates are based on cost or competition, and staff said campuses typically bring forward estimates and market comparisons when requesting special rates. The presentation also reviewed general fund appropriations versus net tuition revenue by campus, and members discussed how local tuition decisions and waivers do not directly affect the state funding formula, though they do affect institutional revenue and reserves. Questions were also raised about the Higher Learning Commission’s financial composite indicator and how it differs from the more intuitive reserve and revenue figures. The committee next received a broad overview of non-higher-education entities affiliated with the State Board of Higher Education, beginning with NDSU agriculture-related units. Dr. Greg Lardy described the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education, the NDSU Extension Service, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the branch research centers, emphasizing their statewide role in crop and livestock research, extension education, and county-based outreach. He outlined funding mixes for extension, the experiment station, and branch stations, noting that grants and contracts support both research and education, while the agronomy seed farm is self-funded through seed sales. Members asked about the new and vacant FTE pool, R1 research status, matching requirements for grants, and whether state appropriations count toward research expenditures. Dr. Lardy also highlighted major research impacts, including crop varieties, virtual fencing, AI-assisted weed control, and NDAWN weather data. The Northern Crops Institute and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute also presented. NCI described its role in market development, technical services, and education for regional agriculture, its governance through the Northern Crops Council, and its funding from state appropriations, other states, and earned revenue. Members asked about the source of out-of-state funding, intellectual property, and the institute’s international reach. UGPTI then outlined its transportation research, federal and state funding structure, and work on road and bridge condition assessments, travel demand modeling, and workforce training. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's because students don't come first anymore.
• When it comes to our students, our students shouldn't have to be going through these courses or learning
• Today I'm honored to represent Students for Life Action, an organization with over 1,600 student groups
• During my time as a student leader at ASU, I spoke with thousands of my fellow students...
• During my time as a student leader at ASU, I spoke with thousands of my fellow students about the issue

Bills: HB2015, HB2060, HB2062, HB2100, HB2118, HB2165, HB2258, HB2327, HB2397, HB2445, HB2460, HB2641, HB2745, HB2876, HB2917, HB4011, HB4049, HB4056, HB4087, HCR2013, HCR2016, HCR2040, HCR2044, HCR2048, HCR2056

Keywords: budget procedures, late filing penalty, accounting standards, financial reporting, state appropriations, abortion, educational institutions, health education, state aid, public schools, Buffalo Soldiers, monument, commemoration, Arizona, public funding, Wesley Bolin Plaza, military history, historical memorial, small land subdivision, land use

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from the prior meetings and then took up several measures, beginning with HCR 2013, which would proclaim June 2026 as Celebrate Life Month in Arizona. The resolution drew emotional testimony in support from Crystal Cooper and Bella Stockton, both of whom shared personal stories about living with spina bifida and argued for celebrating life and supporting people with disabilities. Senator Kennedy voted no, saying the resolution was symbolic and did not address practical supports such as paid family leave, health care, housing, and school meals. The committee ultimately gave HCR 2013 a due pass recommendation on a 4-1 vote, with two members not voting. The committee then advanced HB 2327, as amended, clarifying protections for eligible persons’ identifying information in county recorder records and explicitly excluding voter registration records from the confidentiality provisions. Representative Hendricks said the bill was intended to fix problems created by earlier language protecting elected officials and first responders. The committee also passed HB 2258, which adds La Paz County to the Tourism Advisory Council’s geographic area, with no opposition testimony. A longer debate followed on HB 2397, which expands HOA/condominium disclosure requirements for prospective buyers, including bylaws, declarations, plats, meeting minutes, and information about assessments and known defects. Representative Biasucci said the bill was about transparency for buyers, while the Arizona Association of Community Managers raised concerns about cost and the scope of the disclosure requirements; the Arizona Homeowners Coalition supported the bill but opposed an amendment that would require managers to be on site for capital projects. The committee adopted two Hoffman amendments and then gave HB 2397 a due pass as amended recommendation. The committee also passed HB 2015, which imposes penalties on state agencies that miss federal audit reporting deadlines, and HB 4049, which changes how the Attorney General represents DCS in cases alleging misconduct; both drew opposition over concerns about punitive penalties and existing conflict procedures. Later, the committee approved HB 4087, authorizing a memorial plaque for former legislator Barbara Love, and HB 2100, which allows counties to authorize certain small land subdivisions, despite objections that it could weaken water-supply protections. The committee then passed HB 2460, as amended, preempting local ordinances that penalize businesses for abandoned or stolen movable property such as shopping carts; supporters argued cities were charging victims of theft, while cities and towns said the bill would undercut local nuisance enforcement and shift costs to taxpayers. Finally, the committee began hearing HCR 2056, a proposed constitutional referral recognizing a right to refuse medical mandates, with Representative Cooper and supporters framing it as bodily autonomy and opponents warning it would weaken public health protections, especially in schools and during outbreaks.

Transcript Highlights:

• The dependents of police officers are extended to dependents of former police officers, maybe those who
• The dependents of police officers are extended to dependents of former police officers, maybe those who
• The dependents of police officers are extended to dependents of former police officers, maybe those who
• The dependents of police officers are extended to dependents of former police officers, maybe those who
• The dependents of police officers are extended to dependents of former police officers, maybe those who

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• For those students, transportation isn't a convenience.
• , students in foster care, and students with disabilities.
• Last year, Ever-Driven transported more than 12,000 homeless students and foster care students and over
• who depend most on individualized transportation.
• cost for a special education student was $13,825.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security held a public hearing with opening remarks from Senate Chair John Cronin and House Chair Dan Cahill, followed by member introductions and instructions limiting testimony to three minutes. The committee first heard testimony on S. 2743, an act addressing staged suicides. Elizabeth Sherin Feiner of Jewish Family and Children’s Service and later Susan Altman, a domestic violence advocate, described cases in which deaths initially treated as accidents or suicides were later found to be homicides, arguing the bill would improve training, investigation protocols, and accountability in deaths involving domestic abuse. Committee members asked about current police and medical examiner practices, and one member noted that sudden-death determinations are handled by the chief medical examiner in Massachusetts. The committee then heard testimony on S. 2861, a special commission to examine school bus safety, led by Representative Sabadosa and Amanda Taylor, whose daughter Summer Steel was killed in a school bus door incident. Taylor urged adoption of anti-pinch sensor technology on new buses, saying it could have prevented her daughter’s death. Representative Sabadosa and later a Mazur USA representative supported the bill, explaining that anti-pinch and anti-drag technologies are already used in other transportation sectors and could prevent similar tragedies. The hearing also included discussion of costs and the fact that the proposal would apply prospectively to buses manufactured going forward. Finally, the committee heard testimony on S. 3021, updating Massachusetts student transportation. Ever-Driven Technologies and Chamber of Progress supported the bill, saying it would modernize Section 7D requirements for smaller passenger vehicles used for alternative student transportation while keeping core safety standards in place. They argued the change would help districts serve students experiencing homelessness, in foster care, or with disabilities, reduce costs, and expand transportation options amid a statewide transportation crisis. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee adjourned after public testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• And as a student member of CHIRLA, I support AB 49. Hi, my name is Kelly Texan.
• To testify in support is Kate Rogers with the Student Homes Coalition.
• The student housing crisis is undeniable.
• We have tens of thousands of students who are actively homeless right now.
• This makes student homelessness one of the most serious issues facing students.

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on May 14, 2025, for a regular order hearing with a large consent calendar and many individual bill presentations. The committee first approved numerous bills on consent, then heard a series of measures spanning reproductive health, child care eligibility, transportation, mental health diversion, county recorder fees, groundwater management, election deadlines, parking enforcement, consumer protections, housing, immigrant and student protections, and utility/CPUC oversight. Several bills were taken up only for presentation because they were on suspense, including ACA 4 on long-term housing funding, and the committee later approved a very large suspense calendar as a whole. Among the bills discussed, AB 260 would protect medication abortion access and providers; AB 904 would clarify child care subsidy eligibility during family leave or job search; AB 1014 would give Caltrans more flexibility on speed limits in rural highway segments; AB 46 would clarify judicial discretion in mental health diversion; AB 1413 and AB 929 addressed groundwater adjudication and SGMA-related protections for small community water systems and wetlands; AB 930 would count vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days; AB 1022 would end towing solely for unpaid parking tickets; AB 290 and AB 302 dealt with automatic payments for the California Fair Plan and medical data protections; AB 1303 would remove the need for a Social Security number for California Lifeline eligibility; and several housing bills, including AB 920, AB 956, AB 1470, AB 893, and AB 1021, sought to streamline approvals or expand housing options. AB 1318 and AB 49 focused on immigrant-serving nonprofits and keeping immigration enforcement out of schools, while AB 1532 extended telecommunications and transportation access programs and added CPUC accountability measures. Testimony was generally supportive for the bills heard, with authors and sponsors emphasizing low or absorbable fiscal impacts, consumer protection, housing production, public safety, and protections for vulnerable communities. Opposition appeared on a few measures, including concerns about ADUs, towing authority, charter school-related issues, and the scale of proposed housing funding in ACA 4. Several members also commented in support of the housing and immigrant-protection measures, and some bills were voted out with recorded no votes or not-voting members noted. After the suspense calendar was deemed approved, the committee opened public comment on bills not presented that day, heard a long list of supporters and opponents on various measures, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The The goal has been to increase student service and technology centers to 40,000 students.
• What percentage or what amount of Those students would really be high school students, 9% yes.
• And we moved forward with 143,000 students to 151,000 students Any questions there?
• So, a lot of schools that were dependent on international students don't have that same revenue stream
• The tuition goes up, but they discount a large portion of it depending on how good an out-of-state student

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and families and will focus particularly on students and families, so we have, of course.
• We wrote it that way, that they advocate for students and families.
• Of its kind in the entire country that does focus its advocacy on students and families.
• And so we established it in the DDC because we wanted it to be very, uh, student focused.
• And some students can't. Tell you that they want a person there, right?

Transcript Highlights:

• And I don't think our students, our teachers, our schools, or our communities should have to bear the
• and teens access for to protect students and teens because<00:39:02.480> it<00:39:02.800>
• The Summit for the last four years, and this is a topic that many of the students and teens, um, say
• of the measure is to include dependents of the measure is to include dependents over<00:48:37.680
• <00:49:04.480> of<00:49:04.720> the member of any dependent of the member of any dependent

Bills: SB2421, SB2690, SB3103, SB3137, SB3164, SB3206, SB2933, SB3133, SB3315

Keywords: cannabis, marijuana, Hawaii Cannabis Law, legalization, decriminalization, adult use, hemp, taxation, social equity, public health, primary care, health insurance, health carrier, insurance commissioner, Med-QUEST, Medicaid managed care, provider reimbursement, downcoding, prior authorization, utilization review

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several health-related bills. HB 1864, which would require health insurance coverage for standard fertility preservation services for people undergoing medically necessary treatment, drew broad support from SHIPA, the Department of Health, HMSA, the Hawaii Association of Health Plans, and others. Testifiers emphasized that fertility preservation is routine coverage on the mainland and important for patients facing infertility from cancer or other treatment; one patient described incurring more than $20,000 in costs. The Insurance Division flagged possible Affordable Care Act issues, a potential conflict in the bill’s language about using patient history to determine limits, and a mismatch with state medical-necessity standards. Committee discussion also focused on whether the bill should apply to all women of childbearing age rather than a narrower age-based category. HB 2305 would require nutrition and metabolic education as part of physicians’ continuing medical education. The Hawaii Medical Board opposed the measure, arguing that CME should remain flexible and tailored to each physician’s specialty and warning that topic-specific mandates can expand over time. The Office of the Governor supported the bill, saying it would help the state’s rural health transformation application and could improve federal funding prospects, though the exact impact was unclear. Members questioned whether nutrition is already covered in medical training and whether the requirement should be limited to primary care physicians; the board said Hawaii currently has no topic-specific CME mandates and that physicians can already choose relevant courses. The committee also heard strong support for HB 1597, which would establish an Alzheimer’s disease research center at the University of Hawaii. Supporters from the university, the Alzheimer’s Association, AARP, and others said the center could attract federal research dollars, expand clinical trials, and help address the state’s high Alzheimer’s-related health costs. HB 2159, which appropriates funds for health care workforce development, also received broad support from the University of Hawaii, health systems, and advocacy groups, with no opposition noted. Finally, HB 2121, which would prohibit the sale and distribution of disposable electronic smoking devices, drew support from the Department of Health, youth advocates, and public health groups citing youth addiction, environmental waste, and fire hazards; the department said a separate bill, HB 1573, would be more comprehensive and better defined for enforcement and penalties. The committee ended with HB 1913, creating a veteran services mental health coordinator position at Tripler Army Medical Center, which was supported by veteran services officials and others who said veterans need better navigation and coordination for behavioral health care.

Transcript Highlights:

• We protected essential services that people depend on.
• We prioritize public safety and the essential services that people depend on.
• We prioritize public safety and the essential services that people depend on.
• They absolutely depend on it. No, look, I understand.
• You have codified protections for immigrant students, English language learners, and students with disabilities

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The joint budget hearing opened the FY27 budget process with remarks from the Senate and House Ways and Means chairs, who described the fiscal outlook as challenging because of slow revenue growth, rising health care and other costs, and uncertainty from federal policy changes. Governor Healey and Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew Gorzkowicz then presented House 2, a $62.8 billion budget that they said grows by about 1% and does not raise taxes or fees. They emphasized affordability, fiscal discipline, protection of core services, and continued investment in education, transportation, housing, child care, health care, and public safety. The administration also discussed a separate bill to delay and phase in certain federal tax-code changes from the so-called OB3 law, especially research and experimental expense provisions, to reduce immediate budget impacts and preserve competitiveness. A major portion of the hearing focused on education and municipal aid. The administration said House 2 provides about $7.6 billion for Chapter 70 aid, fully funds the final year of the Student Opportunity Act, increases special education circuit breaker funding, and raises rural school aid. Senators and representatives from both parties raised concerns that Chapter 70 and other aid formulas are not equitable for small, rural, and low-wealth communities and are not keeping pace with inflation, and several called for broader review of the formula and related funding streams. The governor and secretary said they are open to further discussion, pointed to additional support through rural aid, special education, transportation reimbursements, and minimum aid, and said total Student Opportunity Act investment would reach about $2.1 billion over the life of the law. Transportation, housing, and fair share spending were also central topics. The administration said fair share revenues are being used holistically, with education-heavy spending in the operating budget and transportation-heavy spending in the supplemental budget, and estimated the overall split to date at roughly 57% education and 43% transportation. They highlighted MBTA stabilization, regional transit authority support, microtransit, fare-free regional transit, and bridge and commuter rail investments, while noting the MBTA remains a major fiscal concern. On housing, the governor stressed production, permitting reform, ADUs, down-payment assistance, and support for public housing authorities, while lawmakers pressed for more funding for local housing authorities and for ways to address out-migration, energy costs, and affordability. The governor also said the administration will not withhold fire safety grants from communities over MBTA Communities Act noncompliance and will handle such issues case by case. No votes were taken at the hearing; it was an informational presentation and question-and-answer session.

Transcript Highlights:

• The individual jurisdictions have different capacities depending on their database.
• Depending on the construction, we did find out, as Ms.
• And unfortunately, it depends on what they do and how they do it.
• different processes depending upon the local regulation.
• That analysis was produced last spring by one of our students.

Summary: The Committee on Regulated Industries met for a panel discussion on current issues affecting Florida condominiums. DBPR Secretary Melanie Griffin highlighted the department’s expanded condo education, complaint, and ombudsman services under HB 1021, including new online resources, board member certification, increased outreach, and broader complaint jurisdiction. She said the division has filled most of its new positions and that the new condo website is intended to improve transparency and access to records and information. Other panelists focused on insurance, inspections, and market impacts. Insurance agent Mike Clarkson said the condo insurance market remains difficult, especially for older buildings, and raised concerns about roof replacement demands, Citizens’ depopulation practices, and the mismatch between reserve studies and insurer timelines. Building officials representative Ron Laceca described challenges with phase one and phase two inspections, including incomplete databases, limited contractor capacity, and the need for local flexibility and better recordkeeping. University of Florida researcher Bill Hughes said his data show the condo market has not suffered a major overall decline from the new laws; he argued the rules have made costs more transparent and may strengthen the market over time. Community association manager Jamie Ballard said the biggest pressures on associations are rising insurance costs and early roof replacement requirements, and she supported board certification while opposing the continuing education exemption for long-tenured CAMs. In committee discussion, members pressed witnesses on whether recent condo laws caused insurance and roof-cost problems, and witnesses generally said those issues are driven more by the market than by the legislation. Senators also discussed possible reforms, including better data collection, clearer reporting duties for managers, and possible changes to insurance and reserve practices. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with adjournment.