Transcript Highlights:

• state.
• . across the state.
• The way the structure is currently, federal law requires all state buildings to have an accessibility
• This is what our state is currently working on to ensure that all of our state websites are accessible
• building."

Committee: Senate Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• state of Hawaii so state budget for the state of Hawaii so uh<00:13:02.480><c> chair</c><00:13:02.839
• build it the right way.
• build it the right way.
• So, as you're building it out, are you considering, um, right, it's very expensive for the state on the
• , the state builds it, so, but the county controls zoning and planning, but they don’t plan for those

Transcript Highlights:

• When we build the original bill, the only other source of funds that we have access to state funds is
• non-state.
• Within that commitment, the state committed to building out the road structure in and around what we
• in the state.
• in the state.

Committee: House Ways & Means

Transcript Highlights:

• The point being that when we look at our historic sites and the state being really the keeper of those
• We manage 30 historical sites across the state.
• Thank you. completed an economic impact study of the various sites across the state.
• These buildings continue to be important for heritage tourism in the state.
• Now, a critical area of need since we have these sites around the state is information technology modernization

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• . and I don't think that Cascade site.
• That whole site has been, from the early part of the 20th century, a mill site.
• This helps to inform the rest of the cleanup site. It is a larger cleanup site.
• Part of that is a state gas tax at 54, 55 cents per gallon.
• They must be constructed in Washington State.

Bills: HB2495

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: vehicles, streetcar operation, public safety, urban regulation, transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• We have examples across the state like San Francisco, El Dorado, and San Diego that we can build from
• We have examples across the state like San Francisco, El Dorado, and San Diego that we can build from
• We have 20 sites.
• We have four sites.
• For the expansion of preschool and transitional kindergarten to be successful, the state must build upon

Transcript Highlights:

• 03:50.000><c> budget</c> Janice Thomas, deputy state budget Janice Thomas, deputy state budget director
• </c> funded 50% federal funds and 50% state funded 50% federal funds and 50% state maintenance<00:05:
• </c><00:08:45.120><c> Roof</c> Lake Barkley Lodge Main Building Roof Lake Barkley Lodge Main Building
• </c> On the very first one, Kentucky State On the very first one, Kentucky State Pentry<00:09:25.839>
• </c> compliance states. compliance states.

Summary: The meeting opened with prayer and a quorum call, then the committee approved the prior meeting minutes. Staff reported several informational items, including University of Kentucky medical and research equipment purchases, school district debt issues, leasehold improvements, and Kentucky Community and Technical College System bond allocations. The committee then approved a line-item appropriation increase of $350,000 in federal funds for the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ Cumberland Forest Conservation Program, along with two Department of Military Affairs projects: the Ashland Readiness Center window replacement and the MATES HVAC replacement at Fort Knox. It also approved four larger maintenance-pool projects without further action: HVAC and smoke evacuation work at the Kentucky State Penitentiary, HVAC and hot water tank replacements at Oakwood, a Green Bank energy-savings performance project across state facilities, and roof replacement at Lake Barkley Lodge. Members asked about the prison project, the roof procurement process, and whether minority-owned firms receive special bidding preference; staff said capital projects are awarded through open low-bid procurement with qualification and warranty requirements, and that minority participation is preferred but not a bidding criterion. Two lease modifications were approved for Franklin County agencies: an expansion and renovation for the Auditor of Public Accounts and a downsizing and renovation for the Kentucky Workers Compensation Funding Commission. The committee also approved Kentucky Infrastructure Authority items, including a Monticello sewer loan, several Cleaner Water Program grants and reallocations, and a House Bill 1 water grant that required no action. Members questioned engineering costs and were told the KIA board reviews technical details and anomalies before approval. Finally, the committee approved six economic development grants: one EDF grant for V Simple in Jefferson County and five KPDI EDF grants for projects in Breckinridge, Erlanger, Todd, and Washington counties. The last action item was approval of Western Kentucky University’s up-to-$10 million general receipts revenue bond issue for athletic facilities. An informational Kentucky Housing Corporation multifamily bond item prompted concern from members about rising per-unit costs for affordable housing, and they requested further explanation from the housing corporation at a future meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is still this shuttered building down there because the state just hasn't figured out, for the little
• It is still this shuttered building down there because the state just hasn't figured out for the little
• And I'm aware that the excess sites fund is responsible for DMV site locations and other state properties
• excess sites, they have priority.
• in this state.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first one is the State Building Code Council update with Dustin Kerr, Managing Director of SBCC,
• For the record, I'm Todd Byruther, District 3, Spokane, Chair of the State Building Code Council.
• I'm the Managing Director for the State Building Code Council, and the State Building Code Council helps
• develop the state building codes in the State of Washington.
• The State Building Code Council helps develop the state building codes in the State of Washington.

Committee: House Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• If you'll state your name, please.
• We'd also benchmark with other states, taking a look at what other states are doing, what programs they
• As a reminder, the members of the State Weed Committee advise on matters related to the state noxious
• If you'd like me to state the motion. Would you state the motion? Thank you.
• , this is a state-mandated fee.

Committee: Joint Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have another state fair, but this is not our state fair.
• This was new, obviously, post-State of the State.
• We have volunteers from those sites that are willing to go to other sites.
• , or new sites.
• more, either additional capacity or additional sites or new sites.

Committee: House Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• The first one is the State Building Code Council update with Dustin Kerr, Managing Director of SBCC,
• For the record, I'm Todd Byruther, District 3, Spokane, Chair of the State Building Code Council.
• I'm the Managing Director for the State Building Code Council, and the State Building Code Council helps
• develop the State Building Codes in the State of Washington.
• The State Building Code Council has authority to help define the rules.

Summary: The committee held its first official work session with member and staff introductions, then received an update from the State Building Code Council on the current three-year code cycle and several legislatively directed code changes. Council staff said the council is moving toward CR-102 rulemaking and final adoption in the spring, with legislative mandates nearing completion on minimum dwelling unit size, emergency shelters, single-exit stairs for buildings up to six stories and 24 units, and sixplexes in the residential code. Members asked about how technical advisory groups are selected, and staff explained that the council advertises seats, reviews applications and recommendations, and approves members in public meetings, typically including firefighters, engineers, architects, and other subject-matter experts. A major portion of the meeting focused on the single-stair and sixplex work and on how fire safety, egress, and local service levels are being considered. Council representatives said the single-stair proposal includes emergency escape and rescue openings on all levels and is intended to provide more options for safe egress while reducing building footprint and cost. They emphasized that the recommendations are still entering the public rulemaking process and that cost-benefit considerations were part of the legislative intent. Members also raised questions about whether self-rescue devices or other builder options could be codified, and council staff said such ideas are considered through the advisory process, though not all become required code provisions. The second half of the session covered performance-based codes, prompted by a bill referred to as HB 2381. Todd Byrd explained the difference between prescriptive codes, which specify exact solutions, and performance-based codes, which set outcomes and allow designers and manufacturers more flexibility in how to meet them. He described the bill as a narrow proposal for low-rise residential buildings up to 24 units and under the high-rise threshold, with third-party or state certification and local jurisdiction approval still required. He cited international examples, especially Japan and Sweden, where performance-based approaches supported innovation and prefabrication, and said such systems can lower costs while maintaining safety. Members discussed seismic safety, builder participation, embodied carbon, and energy-code interactions, and council staff said the proposal could help align material, energy, and design optimization without changing the existing energy code. The committee took no vote and adjourned after the informational presentation and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• In a good year, though, that means we're building approximately 20,000 units in our state.
• The state is far behind its stated goal of building one million affordable units by 2030.
• And it's not because they're not building. They are building.
• program because we have all these sites that could be used. to talk about their excess sites program
• There's no money to build.

Summary: The committee heard several housing-related measures, beginning with SB 222 by Senator Wiener, the Heat Pump Access Act. The bill would streamline permitting for heat pump water heaters and HVAC systems, allow virtual contractor participation during inspections, and limit HOA barriers to installation. Supporters, including Spur, a contractor, and several clean-energy and environmental groups, said the measure would lower costs, reduce pollution, and speed replacements. The League of California Cities opposed the bill over the permit fee cap and concerns about virtual inspections, while committee members raised questions about HOA authority, electrical panel upgrades, and whether the bill could create unintended costs for local governments. SB 222 was approved 10-0 and sent to Local Government. The committee then considered SB 677, a follow-up to SB 79. The author announced the bill had been narrowed to two items: mobile home exemption language and a future SB 79 cleanup bill in the next session, with the larger set of implementation issues to be handled separately. Local governments and counties said the reduced bill still needed clearer definitions and more implementation guidance, while several housing and transit advocates supported the narrowing and the decision to revisit the broader cleanup later. After the amendments were accepted, SB 677 passed 10-1 and was sent to Local Government. The main debate centered on SB 417, a proposed $10 billion affordable housing bond for the 2026 ballot. Supporters, including the California Housing Consortium, labor, housing nonprofits, local governments, and many advocacy groups, argued that the state’s existing housing bond funds were exhausted, that thousands of shovel-ready projects were waiting for financing, and that the bond would leverage federal tax credits and private capital to produce and preserve affordable homes. Opponents and skeptics focused on state debt levels, the cost of housing production, and whether another bond was the right approach, with Habitat for Humanity asking for a dedicated CalHome allocation. Committee members discussed debt capacity, affordability, homeownership, and the need to keep funding flowing to existing programs. SB 417 passed 8-1 to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 492, a youth housing and youth center bond proposal, which the author said was intended to be folded into the larger housing bond package; testimony from Covenant House California emphasized the need to house transition-age youth and prevent long-term homelessness. No vote on SB 492 was shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:07:10.079><c> The</c> site plans and building permits. The site plans and building permits.
• plans and building approving site plans and building permits<01:32:22.719><c> for</c><01:32:22.960><
• I'm the chair of the state building code review board.
• </c><02:39:21.600><c> of</c> state building code that consists of state building code that consists of
• </c><04:47:22.718><c> because</c> buildings anywhere in the state because buildings anywhere in the state

Committee: House Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• It was crazy the difference just from site to site.
• It was crazy the difference just from site to site.
• Now, this includes an understanding of the crazy the difference just from site to site.
• Trades Council and Mike Monaghan on behalf of the State Building and Construction Trades.
• Madam Chair, members, Mike Monaghan on behalf of the State Building Trades.

Committee: House Emergency Management

Transcript Highlights:

• at the site, in the building, or on the grounds.
• to build a new school.
• They have to go and find a site, they have to build enrollment, and as those dollars come in, that can
• Representative Olson: Or to sell school sites pursuant to Section 15-342, or to build school buildings
• or buildings or sell school sites pursuant to section 15342 or to build school buildings but the authorization

Committees: House Education , House House Education Committee of Reference

Transcript Highlights:

• . building. building.
• It was originally used as a coal unloading site for Excel Energy or Northern States Power at that time
• The last item is again building off of something the legislature has helped us do with contaminated sites
• We call them fund finance sites, and that's where the state will do the work to make sure that we're
• that's where the fund finance sites and that's where the state<01:10:05.080><c> will</c><01:10:05.640

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, those of you who have crossed state lines recently, I feel this way.
• When hurricanes impact our state, elections are often impacted.
• When hurricanes impact our state, elections are often impacted.
• The Secretary of State has 14 days to respond, either approve or deny.
• The state can swim in between OSHA regulations and the preemption that the state does.

Summary: The Transportation and Economic Development Budget Subcommittee met and first took up CS/HB 567, a broad transportation bill by Rep. McFarland. The bill, as explained, covered a range of transportation policy changes including higher speed limits, local regulation of e-bikes and e-scooters, parking accommodations for pregnant women, advance land acquisition for DOT projects, changes to FDOT contracting, elevation of roads in capacity projects, MPO quality metrics, and repeal of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council. Two amendments were adopted: one added a prohibition on driving too fast through flooded roads and creating excessive wake, and another updated language to allow for future technology in traffic management systems. The strike-all removed several items from the original bill, including utility-right-of-way language, private-public-use airport funding, and an electric vehicle tax redirect, and added MDX board changes. The bill then passed favorably on a recorded vote. The committee next considered CS/HB 1535, also by Rep. McFarland, a lengthy hurricane recovery and preparedness measure. It requires local governments to post storm-preparedness and recovery information online, expands special needs shelter information, mandates emergency management training, improves debris removal planning, and adds provisions for fiscally constrained counties. It also addresses shelter access, rebuilding rules, permitting timelines and fees after storms, homestead rebuilding limits, and election flexibility after disasters, including a process for supervisors of elections to request emergency changes through the Secretary of State. Members asked several questions about local rebuilding ordinances, election “super sites,” and the request/approval process. The bill drew support from several groups, including disability advocates, builders, waste and recycling interests, crane owners, and restaurant and lodging representatives, and it passed favorably. The committee then heard CS/HB 561 and CS/HB 563 from Rep. Cobb on manufacturing. HB 561 would elevate a chief manufacturing officer within the Department of Commerce, create a voluntary Florida manufacturing promotional campaign, and require biennial reporting on manufacturing efforts; an amendment removed the grant portion of the program, and the bill passed favorably with support from industry groups. HB 563 established an annual fee, capped at $100, for participants in the voluntary manufacturing promotional campaign and also passed favorably. Finally, Rep. Spencer presented HB 827, which directs a statewide study on the impact of automation and artificial intelligence on Florida’s workforce, to be updated every three years and developed with business, academic, and local input; it too passed favorably. The meeting then adjourned with notice that the subcommittee would meet again the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and other sites ready for solar.
• , and other sites ready for solar.
• With a couple of off-site arrays, With a couple of off-site arrays, the school system now has $99,000
• Imagine, if you will, a time when every municipal building and parking lot in the state is covered in
• So there are folks who live in these buildings, these large buildings, who are struggling with energy

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

Summary: The hearing focused broadly on solar policy and several related bills, especially S. 2269, S. 2270, H. 3520, H. 3521, and related measures on distributed energy resources, municipal solar caps, permitting reform, and tax credits. Testimony from the Air Force supported S. 2232, which would exempt federal military installations from renewable energy production caps and net metering limits to support energy resilience at bases like Hanscom. Most other witnesses argued that Massachusetts needs to speed up rooftop, municipal, and community solar deployment to address high electricity prices, federal tax credit rollbacks, grid reliability, and climate goals. A major theme was streamlining permitting through automated or “smart” solar permitting, including a statewide platform managed by DOER. Permit Power, SEIA, Vote Solar, 350 Mass, and others said current local permitting is fragmented and costly, and that instant permitting could reduce soft costs and speed installations. Several witnesses also urged changes to interconnection rules, including flexible interconnection, remote inspections, and faster utility approval timelines. Some speakers raised concerns about small towns lacking staff to meet short deadlines and suggested a state-hosted platform to reduce the burden on municipalities. Another major topic was lifting caps on solar deployment. Municipal officials from Lexington and Cambridge said the 10-megawatt municipal cap and regional caps are blocking shovel-ready projects and should be removed, including for behind-the-meter municipal solar and MBTA-community housing. Other witnesses described additional limits on project size, net metering, and residential tax credits, and called for making the state residential solar credit refundable and larger. Several speakers also supported virtual power plants, distributed energy resource targets, solar canopies, microgrids, and expanded access for affordable housing, tenants, and low- and moderate-income customers. No votes were taken. Committee members asked questions about permitting timelines, grid modernization, the rationale for caps, balcony solar, and interconnection delays, and witnesses said they would follow up with additional information where needed. The hearing ended with broad support from industry, municipal, environmental, and advocacy groups for advancing the solar and distributed energy bills, while some witnesses opposed provisions they viewed as overly restrictive, such as mandatory SMART participation for all solar projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> sites completed and 76 more in process. sites completed and 76 more in process.
• c> work</c><00:17:07.839><c> with</c> we build buildings right we work with we build buildings right
• </c> that we have towers all over the state. that we have towers all over the state.
• sites, green field sites that 80 tower sites, green field sites that<00:40:04.400><c> we</c><00:40:04.560
• </c><00:42:29.119><c> selection,</c><00:42:30.480><c> site</c> not limited to site selection, site not

Summary: The committee opened with roll call, welcomed a new member, approved the July meeting minutes, and then took up testimony on the statewide emergency responder voice system, also described as the state police radio system replacement project. John Hicks, secretary of the governor’s executive cabinet and state budget director, testified that the project is unusually complex because it combines multiple IT replacements, land acquisition, and tower construction. He said the existing system dates to the early 1970s and that the administration is treating the project as a priority, with work proceeding in phases and weekly coordination among the Justice Cabinet, Kentucky State Police, and Finance and Administration Cabinet. Hicks said the project has already spent about $110 million, with nearly 1,900 portable radios acquired, microwave replacement completed at 56 sites and underway at 76 more, and routers, switches, and network upgrades addressed. He explained that because the State Police are not set up to handle real property work, the administration brought in outside real property consulting vendors through an RFP, and three vendors are now qualified to help identify and negotiate sites. He said the goal is to speed up land acquisition and tower construction while the State Police continue the technology work, and he emphasized that the project is intended to close coverage gaps for state police first and later benefit local governments and other first responders. Members of the committee expressed concern about the project’s cost and pace. Representative Petri noted that about $218.8 million has been authorized since 2018 and questioned whether the project could stretch into 2030 or later, asking what more the General Assembly could do to help. Representative Blandon also raised concerns about the long timeline and the risk of the project becoming another costly, delayed infrastructure effort, while asking when the vendor RFP was completed and whether any sites had been acquired since then. Representative Sharp asked whether there was a detailed plan and timeline, and Hicks responded that the technology side is well defined but the property acquisition side must proceed site by site because each location depends on ownership, access, power, and other factors. Hicks said the west-to-east phasing has been a smart approach and that the executive branch should improve performance to beat the current timeline expectations.