Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we have testimony and support from Executive Office on Aging.
• Uh, we have testimony and support from Executive Office on Aging.
• </c><01:26:00.080><c> Um</c> executive office on aging on that.
• Um executive office on aging on that.
• in which to address this um mechanism in which to address this particular<03:31:01.600><c> issue.

Bills: HB1769

Committee: House Public Safety

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1769, which would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to incrementally reduce the number of people incarcerated in private out-of-state correctional institutions. The DCR director opposed the bill, saying the department does not control overall prison population levels because courts determine admissions, and arguing that Hawaiʻi’s in-state facilities are already over capacity, especially Halawa, which he said is 165% over design capacity. He said only a small portion of the population is under departmental control through furlough programs and argued that bringing people home would require building a new medium-security prison. Supporters, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, the Public Defender’s office, and several individuals, argued the bill creates a phased, accountable path to reduce reliance on mainland prisons and bring people home. Supporters emphasized the harms of separating incarcerated people from ʻohana and culture, the disproportionate impact on Native Hawaiians, and the need for diversion, treatment, re-entry support, and fair sentencing. Several testifiers also said the department has more control than it claimed, pointing to underused furlough options, reclassification, and empty beds at some in-state facilities, while others urged clearer statutory language and guardrails. Members questioned the director about whether people could be reclassified or moved to available beds at facilities such as Kulani and Waiawa, and about whether the department could do more through staffing and contract changes. The director said some proposals had been sent to the Department of Human Resource Development, but that major facility changes would be costly and that minimum-security facilities would need substantial upgrades to house medium-security inmates. After discussion, the chair said the committee would defer HB 1769 to Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. for decision-making and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• age to under age one.
• Others thought that any child five years of age should be considered school age.
• of age to under age one.
• There's a lot of children less than 18 months of age, two, under age one.
• Others thought that any child five years of age should be considered school age.

Committees: Joint Human Services , Joint Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, you know, we heard this bill in Ag.
• And with that Uh, you know, we heard this bill in Ag.
• </c> Uh you know, we heard this bill in Ag. Uh you know, we heard this bill in Ag.
• </c> additional mechanisms to fund this. additional mechanisms to fund this.
• , mechanisms, mechanisms, and<03:32:45.040><c> this</c><03:32:45.280><c> is</c><03:32:45.680><c> a</c

Transcript Highlights:

• They cannot rent a vessel to anyone under the age of 18. They must report vessel accidents.
• They cannot rent a vessel to anyone under the age of 18. Must report vessel accidents.
• Yet I find that the biggest demographic of accidents fall within that age group, so it is, I think, the
• if you're born prior to 1988 yet I find that the biggest demographic of accidents fall within that age
• It provides a mechanism for the clerks to request their discretionary appropriations through the JAC.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice

Summary: The Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice met with a quorum present and first received an implementation update on CS for SB 606, the Boating Safety Act of 2022, from FWC Lieutenant Colonel Robert Roe. He described the livery permit system, safety and insurance requirements, required pre-rental and pre-ride instruction, recordkeeping, overdue-vessel reporting, accident reporting, and penalties for violations. He also reported enforcement results since the permit requirement took effect in January 2023, including 1,428 permits issued, 1,093 liveries operating, three 90-day suspensions, one revocation, and two pending revocations. Members asked whether liveries may require boating safety education even for people exempt under current law; Roe said they may do so as a business decision, but current law does not require it unless the statute is changed. A member noted concern that many accidents involve boaters in the older exempt age group and said the issue may be revisited this session. The committee then considered SB 878 by Senator Martin, which extends probation for misdemeanor offenders who were using controlled substances when they committed the offense, allowing supervision for up to one year and aligning those cases more closely with existing alcohol-related misdemeanor probation rules. With no appearance forms or debate, the bill was voted favorably. Next, the committee took up CS for SB 538 by Senator Bradley, the state court system package. The bill updates statutes to reflect current court operations, including duty judge procedures, removal of a location limit for duty hearings, repeal of a cap on arbitrator compensation in court-ordered non-binding arbitration, and an alternative method for judicial authentication when a court seal is unavailable. An amendment shifting certain clerk reimbursement requests through the Justice Administrative Commission was adopted, and the bill was then reported favorably with support waivers from several court-related entities. Finally, the committee heard SB 472 by Senator Truenow, which provides that inmates who complete classes meeting required curriculum standards may receive credit toward licensure requirements for those classes. Several organizations waived in support, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• schools and districts have been working on reducing commercial tobacco use among California school-aged
• schools and districts have been working on reducing commercial tobacco use among California school aged
• We do not think that, you know, we are selling to school-age children, and so we're happy to have further
• We do not think that, you know, we are selling to school-age children, and so we're happy to have further
• So having some sort of mechanism in California law for our regulatory boards, whether that be the...

Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard a long agenda of licensing, consumer protection, and sunset-review bills. Early items included SB 1148, which would let aspiring security guards complete all required training before a guard card is issued; SB 342, which would soften the penalty for contractors who were licensed during part of a project but had a brief lapse; and several sunset bills for boards and bureaus, including the Board of Registered Nursing (SB 1302), the Board of Naturopathic Medicine (SB 1303), the Respiratory Care Board (SB 1304), the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (SB 1363), and the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board (SB 1368). The committee also heard SB 1311, which makes various updates to DCA boards and programs, and SB 1314, which restricts new tobacco retailers from locating within 600 feet of schools or daycare centers and bans nitrous oxide sales and related paraphernalia. Testimony was generally supportive on the training, sunset, and licensing cleanup bills, though several measures drew “opposed unless amended” or neutral positions over scope and implementation details. On SB 1314, supporters including prosecutors and school administrators argued it would reduce youth exposure to tobacco, while gas station, convenience store, cigar lounge, pharmacy, and business groups raised concerns about impacts on existing businesses, transferability of tobacco licenses, and possible de facto limits on future stations; some public health groups shifted to neutral after amendments. On SB 1302, nursing groups supported the board sunset bill, while the California Medical Association objected to allowing out-of-state nurse practitioner transition-to-practice experience to count without a California attestation process. On SB 1304, health facilities and long-term care groups supported the board extension but sought broader clarification so LVNs could perform respiratory tasks consistently across settings. After quorum was finally established, the committee voted to send the consent calendar bills SB 1376, SB 1391, SB 1416, and SB 1315 to Appropriations, and then approved SB 342, SB 1148, SB 1302, SB 1303, SB 1304, SB 1311, SB 1314, SB 1363, and SB 1368, all moving forward to the Committee on Appropriations. SB 1314 passed with some no votes, while the other measures advanced with broad support. The hearing ended after additional members were added on the record and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are providing a mechanism for the schools that do provide driver instruction, right?
• This is providing a possible mechanism.
• We were faced with the question about having someone that graduated high school at 18 years of age and
• And the age thing was an absolute problem, I think, even if they've got a BS, they can still be done
• And the age thing was an absolute, you know, problem, I think, for, even if they've got a BS, they can

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Transcript Highlights:

• approximately 29% of residents under the age of 18.
• For one preschool-age child, families would need to earn around $185,000 a year annually.
• </c><01:08:10.079><c> population</c> means to have an aging population means to have an aging population
• Minnesota currently requires background checks on children starting at age 13.
• This bill recommends moving the background checks to age 16.

Bills: HF1367 , HF2732 , HF1897 , HF1424 , HF1383 , HF2728 , HF2863 , HF1685 , HF2929

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:23:51.840><c> to</c> bill provides a high level mechanism to bill provides a high level mechanism
• It's managed and used as a timber resource or even ag land.
• This is simply a cost mechanism to try to stifle that off.
• This is simply a cost mechanism to try to stifle that off.
• This is simply a cost mechanism to try to stifle that off.

Committee: House Resources, Recreation and Development

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the enforcement mechanisms, but we're not doing the job.
• These were children ages 5 and under, most of whom were under the age of 2.
• of 12 months or above the age of 18 months, as do other states.
• But here in California, we define it between the ages of 0 and 24 months.
• They should be age-appropriate, with detailed steps and action plans.

Committee: House Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• We work with TEEX to collaborate on correct... curriculum that is age appropriate for our students in
• And I've got to tell you, the last and I'm aging myself a little bit.
• to ideum, I guess it's just a different type of mechanism as opposed to the electronic.
• We have our ag mechanics competitions. There are so many ways to get involved in addition to...
• It focuses on college-age students and their love of Texas history.

Committee: House Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I'm of an age CARES program.
• </c> good representative of the aging good representative of the aging population<04:44:20.480><c> that
• I think that AARP aging.
• </c> cross-section of disability and aging. cross-section of disability and aging.
• </c> there's a couple of different mechanisms there's a couple of different mechanisms to<05:35:22.718

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Transcript Highlights:

• Think about age data. This is done by age. It can be, yes, there is error.
• So undercounts are below the line for each age group, and overcounts are above the line for each age
• It would be seen mostly in those working ages, the ages 30 to 44 in this slide, 45 to 49.
• It's the age heaping.
• You see age, ethnicity, and race.

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on the Census

Summary: The Senate Committee on the Census met on December 8 at 9:32 a.m. to examine the dynamics that drive census undercounts and overcounts, with testimony first from Joseph Salvo and then from Susan Strait of the UMass Donahue Institute. Salvo explained the Census Bureau’s two main evaluation tools: demographic analysis, which uses vital records, migration estimates, and Medicare data to produce a national benchmark, and the post-enumeration survey (PES), which compares a separate sample-based count to the census. He said the 2020 census showed a small national net undercount, but larger age- and race-based disparities, including the highest undercount among children ages 0 to 4, higher undercounts for men, substantial undercounts for Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native populations, and overcounts among some older and college-age groups. He also described how self-response, non-response follow-up, administrative records, proxy responses, and imputation affected data quality, arguing that proxies and imputation were especially weak and that outreach remains critical for 2030. Committee members asked Salvo to clarify the methods and error bands, the role of international migration estimates, and how the PES differs from the census address list and LUCA. He explained that PES is based on a separate sample of blocks and can add units within sampled blocks, but it does not measure units missed entirely from the original address list; LUCA matters because it improves that list before enumeration. He also discussed age heaping, duplicate responses among older adults, and why group quarters and COVID-related disruptions complicated the 2020 count. Senator Driscoll briefly interrupted to describe Randolph’s successful appeal of its 2020 count after an undercount in disability care homes, and Salvo noted that the post-census group quarters review helped correct some missed facilities. Susan Strait then focused on Massachusetts-specific results. She said Massachusetts’ 2020 count was strong overall, with population growth above the national average and a PES-based finding that the state was overcounted by 2.24 percent, though she emphasized that this did not mean all areas were accurately counted. Using demographic analysis, she said Massachusetts had an estimated 4.15 percent undercount of children ages 0 to 4, with the largest county-level undercounts in Hampden, Suffolk, and Essex, and she linked higher child undercounts to lower educational attainment and female-headed households. Strait also reviewed operational metrics showing that Massachusetts had relatively strong internet self-response, but that non-response follow-up relied heavily on household interviews, administrative records, proxies, and imputation in different counties. She highlighted higher proxy use in college-heavy counties such as Hampshire and Suffolk, and said counties with more minority residents were more likely to have population-count-only cases and other indicators of harder-to-count populations. The hearing ended with discussion of how these findings could inform outreach and census planning for 2030.

Transcript Highlights:

• People who would judge this contest would be people in the ag industry, ag leaders, farmers, and community
• Where can we get that support Ag hat? Thank you. Follow-up question.
• Where can we get that support Ag hat? Salt Creek Boutique. Great. Thank you. Thank you.
• Where can we get that support Ag Hat? Salt Creek boutique. Great. Thank you. Thank you.
• And the Ag Committee will now be adjourned.

Committees: House Agriculture , House Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• Good afternoon, and welcome to the June 24th Aging and Long-Term Care Committee hearing.
• I'm Hagar Dickman, Director of California LTSS Advocacy for Justice in Aging.
• Assisted living providers use this mechanism to extract additional funds from residents' family members
• Carol Swartzlander, California Commission on Aging, in support.
• Carol Swartz, from the California Commission on Aging, in support.

Summary: The Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee met on June 24 with a substitute chair presiding and considered three measures. SB 352 by Senator Reyes was placed on the consent calendar and approved unanimously, 7-0, to be re-referred to the Committee on Emergency Management. SB 433 by Senator Wahab, presented on behalf of Senator Stern, was heard next and focused on room-and-board protections for participants in the assisted living waiver and CalAIM assisted living transition community support programs. Supporters, including Justice in Aging, CANHR, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, the California Commission on Aging, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, argued the bill would prevent low-income Medi-Cal residents from being charged unaffordable rates and losing their housing. Opponents, including the California Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge California, and Six B’s, said they remained concerned about the bill’s rent-control implications and statutory scope, though they acknowledged recent amendments addressed some eligibility issues. After committee discussion, SB 433 was approved 5-1 with one abstention and re-referred to the Committee on Human Services. The committee also heard SB 582 by Senator Stern, presented by Senator Wahab, which would allow state departments to issue disaster suspensions of active licenses for facilities rendered inoperable by declared emergencies, waive some licensing fees, and provide temporary flexibility for community-based adult services, child care, and evacuation planning requirements for skilled nursing and residential care facilities. Support came from the California Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge California, the California Commission on Aging, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, CANHR, and a child care resource center, all describing the bill as helpful for rebuilding and continuity of services after disasters. There was no recorded opposition, and SB 582 passed unanimously, 7-0, to the Committee on Health. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• want California and Californians to be strong and knowledgeable and equipped with the skills in the age
• want California and Californians to be strong and knowledgeable and equipped with the skills in the age
• That includes anything from life safety issues to building age.
• Ninety-two percent are over the age of 25.
• I served in the Marine Corps as a V-22 mechanic, specifically for the Osprey.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this bill would provide a mechanism for digital assets as well.
• So this bill would provide a mechanism for digital assets as well.
• So this bill would provide a mechanism for digital assets as well.
• So this bill would provide a mechanism for digital assets as well.
• So this bill would provide a mechanism for digital assets as well.

Bills: SB57 , SB155 , HB39 , HB77 , HB104 , SB57 , SB155 , HB39 , HB77 , HB104

Committee: Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund

Keywords: property, acknowledgment, conveyance, business entities, limited liability companies, state employees, payroll deduction, salary deduction, comptroller, membership association, membership dues, voluntary contributions, insurance premiums, financial instruments, deferred compensation, state payroll, employee benefits, association dues, withholding, Alabama Code 36-1-4.3

Transcript Highlights:

• It eliminates age-based defenses for those who commit sexual offenses that are categorized based on the
• victim's age.
• And I'm talking about people that are from zero to age 99.
• This bill requires social media companies to provide a mechanism.
• So what mechanisms do we have in place to ensure the platforms will comply with this?

Summary: The Senate convened with an opening prayer by Rabbi Moshe Umatz, the Pledge of Allegiance led by pages, and several introductions and recognitions, including guests from Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Clay County, and a moment of silence for Pope Francis. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar after a motion to reconsider SB 1080, which was temporarily postponed. Several bills were also set aside during the day, including measures on social media use by minors, veterans’ nursing homes, Parkinson’s disease, mental health and substance use disorders, education, educator preparation, and school social workers. The Senate passed a series of bills, often substituting House companions for Senate bills. These included funding for expedited DNA testing grants for local law enforcement (SB 1072/HB 847), additional aggravating factors in capital cases involving religious, school, or government gatherings (SB 984/HB 693), fertility preservation coverage for cancer patients (SB 924/HB 677), commuter rail indemnification for Miami-Dade and Broward counties (SB 916/HB 867), restrictions on disposing of migrant vessels in Florida waters (SB 830), specialty license plates including Miami Northwestern and several colleges and institutions (SB 824), an Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness campaign (SB 398), relocation of the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys to Florida Memorial University (SB 364), charter school changes allowing parent conversion and municipal job-engine charter schools (SB 140), sex offender registration reporting changes (SB 1654/HB 1351), penalties for assaulting utility workers (SB 1386), juvenile justice revisions and truancy process updates (SB 1344), reporting of student mental health outcomes (SB 1310/HB 969), foster home license transfer simplification (SB 1174/HB 989), water access facility funding and boating industry incentives (SB 1162/HB 735), Florida Virtual School operational changes (SB 1122), school readiness program support for children with disabilities (SB 1102), sexual image offenses involving minors (SB 1180/HB 757), age-related defenses in child sex offense cases (SB 1136/HB 777), tampering with electronic monitoring devices (SB 1054/HB 437), certified recovery residences and local zoning accommodations (SB 954), and the FSU Election Law Center (SB 892). Most of these bills passed with strong bipartisan support, though SB 984 and SB 140 drew some opposition. One of the most extensive debates centered on SB 820, codifying the Office of Faith and Community. Senator Polsky offered an amendment to bar political activity by office staff, citing emails and campaign-related communications tied to Amendment 4; the amendment failed on a 13-23 vote. Senators then debated the bill’s relationship to state election law, free speech, and the role of faith-based outreach. Supporters emphasized the office’s service network and reported benefits to children and families, while some senators raised concerns about interfaith representation and political use of government resources. The bill was then read a third time and the Senate proceeded toward a final vote as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• going</c><00:02:25.040><c> coming</c><00:02:25.280><c> to</c><00:02:25.440><c> you</c><00:02:25.640><c> AG
• </c><00:02:26.000><c> is</c> opposed to going coming to you AG is opposed to going coming to you AG is
• If we can get more from other sources through philanthropy, through other financing mechanisms, it just
• If we can get more from other sources through philanthropy, through other financing mechanisms, it just
• We have to do some really internal kind of mechanisms to control, in fact, that they do stay in Hawaii

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Summary: The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism and Higher Education heard HB 1494, relating to sports facilities. Testimony was largely in opposition to the bill as drafted from the Stadium Authority, the Department of Accounting and General Services, and the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, with several other written comments also opposing; each asked that if the measure advances, Senate language from related stadium bills be incorporated instead. The University of Hawaiʻi testified in support of the Nāʻid project and said it wants the project delivered at Halawa so the university can have a football facility, though members pressed the university on whether it was effectively supporting both the project and the bill’s current approach. A substantial portion of the hearing focused on the stadium project’s financing, schedule, and oversight. DAGS and Public Works discussed a consultant contract that had grown to about $28 million and an audit that recovered $441,000 after improper travel and expense reimbursements, including first-class airfare and other personal expenses; officials said the audit exposed weak internal controls and led to revised reimbursement policies. Members questioned whether the problems would have been found without media reporting and whether stronger oversight should have been in place earlier. The committee also discussed the current Ching Field setup for UH football, with witnesses describing it as less than ideal and temporary until the new stadium is built. Stadium Authority representatives said the current preferred offeror is Aloha Halawa Development Partners, negotiations have recently accelerated, and the goal remains a contract this summer and a fall 2028 opening. They said the state is committed to $350 million in general obligation bonds, with the overall project expected to cost more, and that the developer is exploring other financing sources such as TIF or CFD while the state and city work to expedite permits and demolition. No vote or final action on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the home to the Recreation Department, Council on Aging, and Veteran Services.
• It is an aging institution.
• My area is all about age, and I need to protect my elders, my parents, my aunts, my uncles.
• which attorneys are aging and they're going to be retiring.
• I know the goal was to try to do a same-same transfer from the AG to us.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• We discovered that municipalities lack consistent mechanisms to prevent displacement of creative workspace
• It is important to note that these are sustainable mechanisms to expand revenue streams to support municipalities
• neighborhoods with free, accessible art, performances, and community activities for residents of all ages
• And it's completely inappropriate that they be considered assets in this day and age.
• They need to be It's really inappropriate that they be considered assets in this day and age.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development

Summary: The Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development held a hearing on October 21, opening with a moment of silence for former committee chair Senator Edward Kennedy. Chairs Senator Paul Mark and Representative Sean Garballey then heard testimony on several bills related to tourism funding, arts infrastructure, public art, Native heritage, and a choreographer laureate. A major focus was legislation to require earlier distribution of regional tourism council grants from the Tourism Trust Fund, with testimony from regional tourism leaders from North of Boston, Metro West, Cape Cod, and Senator Joan Lovely. Witnesses said delayed grant allocations make it difficult to plan fall, winter, and shoulder-season marketing, and they argued that an October 1 or September 1 deadline would help preserve tourism’s economic impact without increasing appropriations. They cited tourism’s role in jobs, tax revenue, and regional economic development, especially for smaller and less prominent tourism regions. The committee also heard strong support for the Creative Space Act and the PLACE Act, which would help municipalities preserve affordable creative workspace and create a public art funding mechanism tied to state construction projects. Testimony from MassCreative, MAPC, arts organizations, muralists, and local arts leaders emphasized loss of workspace, displacement of artists, and the economic and community benefits of public art. Additional testimony supported bills to protect Native American heritage by preventing the sale of funerary and sacred objects in public or nonprofit collections, and a bill to establish a first-in-the-nation choreographer laureate of the Commonwealth. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee adjourned after public testimony concluded.