Video & Transcript : 'conservation futures program' :
Page 98 of 500
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- But it's hard to guess the future. It's hard to guess the future, but I will ask the Mr.
- But it's hard to guess the future. It's hard to guess the future, but I will ask the, Mr.
- And in three years, In three years, we as a state should know where the future of the program is going
- program.
- And the leasing program, have you made any offers in the leasing program currently?
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Water and Natural Resources Jul 2nd, 2025
Water & Natural Resources Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Leading that post-fire program is paramount for the state to pick up what the federal government or future
- It is a program that will help us with the conservation in-house that we want to That money comes in
- And thankfully, in 1937, the federal administration created the Soil and Water Conservation Program through
- Over 25 years ago, a long time ago, Jack, Madam Chair, we started the first conservation cost-share program
- Those programs are paramount for the future of people living in New Mexico, with care for the watershed
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- to be available in 26-27. include 22.7 million in all funds for the on-the-ground conservation program
- I'm John Foster, Programs Officer for the State Department. Saline Water Conservation Board.
- These improvements ensure efficient program management and oversight enhanced conservation efforts.
- The next item is the Agricultural Conservation Fund and the program that is funded through that fund.
- This program funds research to support the development of conservation. innovations right here in Texas
ID
Idaho 2026 Regular Session
Agenda Mar 11th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- As we previously discussed in this committee, the CREP program is a program where the state matches state
- Revenue Fund for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.
- Revenue Fund for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.
- $87,100 from dedicated funds for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, add 16.75 FTP, $3,535,000
- The staff who would be involved in this program would primarily be a policy analyst, program manager,
Summary:
The committee received a general fund “green sheet” update from budget analyst Noah Peterson, who reviewed recent changes to the FY 2026 and FY 2027 balances, including large population-adjustment supplementals for Medicaid and Corrections and other committee actions. He also highlighted several policy bills with fiscal impacts, including county jail per diem changes, a state police-related bill, and a health and welfare board/position bill. Janet Jessup then walked the committee through several budget housekeeping items and supplemental/maintenance adjustments, beginning with the Department of Environmental Quality and a solid waste regulatory program change tied to House Bill 555.
The committee approved multiple motions, including adding 4 FTP to DEQ and adopting revised language for a hazardous waste fund transfer; a FY 2026 Soil and Water Conservation Commission supplemental for the CREP program; and a major two-step reorganization moving the Soil and Water Conservation Commission from Agriculture to Water Resources. The committee also approved the related FY 2027 reductions and additions for the commission and Water Resources, including CREP funding and a one-time restoration of a rescission to preserve stream-gauging and water monitoring services. Members discussed whether those restorations should be one-time or ongoing, with some favoring one-time adjustments to preserve budget flexibility and others warning about agency stability.
The committee then handled the consolidation of the Office of Species Conservation and the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources into a new Office of Species, Mineral, and Energy Coordination. It approved a reduction for the Office of Species Conservation and a reduction for OEMR, then considered competing motions for the new combined office. After extended debate over the appropriate number of FTP reductions and the importance of nuclear and mining coordination, the committee rejected a substitute motion and then rejected the original motion as well, leaving the new office budget unresolved. Finally, the committee approved the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses request for replacement vehicles and IT hardware, and adjourned with notice of upcoming budget hearings the next day.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- This includes the SNAP Employment and Training Program, as well as the staff work program.
- the Waste Tire Program.
- Our young hunters are the future of conservation, so we have expanded youth lottery hunts at White Lake
- We've established a conservation incentive program, which provides an opportunity to grant the taxpaying
- There's no future for conservation if we're not here to help protect it.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee Jul 15th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- I was monitoring Back to the Future here.
- program for implementing a wide range of vital conservation efforts.
- program for implementing a wide range of vital conservation efforts.
- knowing that these funds will continue to exist into the future.
- Michael Jared with The Nature Conservancy is in support.
Summary:
The committee heard and advanced several natural resources and water-related bills. SB 224 by Senator Hurtado would require the Department of Water Resources to implement audit recommendations, improve climate-informed water supply forecasting, and provide annual updates to the Legislature; supporters emphasized the need for better transparency and more accurate water planning, and the bill passed as amended to Appropriations. SB 556, also by Senator Hurtado, would fund floodplain restoration in the Tulare Basin to reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, and provide habitat and other community benefits; local officials and conservation groups supported it, some initial concerns about Proposition 4 were resolved, and the bill passed as amended. SB 630 by Senator Allen would streamline State Parks and other state real property acquisitions by raising review thresholds and reducing duplicative approvals; conservation groups and park advocates supported the measure, while some members raised oversight and fiscal concerns, and it passed as amended. SB 718 by Senator Allen would reduce hunting and fishing license costs for low-income Californians, framed as helping subsistence users and disabled veterans and seniors, and it passed as amended.
The committee also approved SB 427 by Senator Blakespear, which extends the sunset of the Habitat Conservation Fund from 2030 to 2035. Supporters said the fund has protected more than 1.2 million acres, leverages other funding, and supports habitat, recreation, and climate resilience; members highlighted its importance for areas like the Salton Sea and the need to protect the funding stream from future sweeps. SB 586 by Senator Jones, an e-moto off-highway vehicle bill, was taken up with little discussion and passed as amended. SB 639 by Senator Ashby would extend the deadline for Sacramento-area flood protection projects in the Natomas Basin and Beach Lake subareas from 2025 to 2030 to allow completion of remaining work and avoid delays to infill housing; city, county, and flood agency representatives supported it, and it passed as amended.
Throughout the hearing, witnesses and members repeatedly emphasized water reliability, flood protection, conservation funding, and reducing bureaucratic delays. Several bills drew broad support from local governments, water agencies, tribes, and conservation organizations, and multiple members requested to be added as coauthors. All of the measures discussed were reported out of committee, generally with amendments and with some items left open for add-on votes.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
House - Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Mar 1st, 2025
House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources
Transcript Highlights:
- We're talking about the conservation fund. Mr.
- We have a conservation fund that only 20% of those.
- Who pays that conservation tax?
- Number one, we did pay into the conservation.
- This is not sustainable for our futures.
ID
Idaho 2026 Regular Session
Agenda Mar 11th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- As we previously discussed in this committee, the CREP program is a program where the state matches state
- Revenue Fund for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.
- The Soil and Water Conservation Commission...
- $87,100 from dedicated funds for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, add 16.75 FTP, $3,535,000
- The staff who would be involved in this program would primarily be a policy analyst, program manager,
Summary:
The joint Senate Finance and House Appropriations committee heard a series of budget presentations and acted on several FY 2026 and FY 2027 items. Noah Peterson reviewed the General Fund Daily Update, noting large FY 2026 supplemental actions for Medicaid and Corrections that reduced the estimated ending balance, and a FY 2027 outlook that still had room for remaining work. He also flagged several policy bills with fiscal impacts, including county jail per diem changes, a state police bill, and a health and welfare board/position bill.
Janet Jessup then walked the committee through Department of Environmental Quality and Soil and Water Conservation actions. The committee approved adding four FTP for DEQ’s solid waste regulatory program and adopted related language transferring $400,000 from the hazardous waste emergency fund to support the new solid waste regulatory fund. It also approved a CREP supplemental for the Soil and Water Conservation Commission and then voted to move the commission from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Water Resources, including a corresponding reduction in Agriculture and an addition in Water Resources. The committee adopted language to align the new budget structure and approved a one-time $390,000 restoration in the Department of Water Resources to avoid reducing stream-gauging and water-monitoring services.
The committee next considered the consolidation of the Office of Species Conservation and the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources into a new Office of Species, Mineral, and Energy Coordination. It approved reductions to the two existing offices and then debated competing motions for the new office. The substitute motion to cut four FTP and reduce spending more deeply failed, while the original motion to reduce two FTP and preserve more staffing for nuclear and mining coordination passed. Members and the agency administrator argued that Idaho needs a stronger “one-stop shop” for nuclear and mining projects, while others emphasized following the policy bill moving through the legislature and capturing consolidation savings. The committee also approved a DOPL budget item for replacement vehicles and IT hardware. Most motions passed with do-pass recommendations, and the committee announced it would meet again the next day; Senate Finance was noted as on hold, while House Appropriations would continue after adjournment.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee Jan 27th, 2026
Water, Parks and Wildlife
Transcript Highlights:
- The backbone of the program, what we call our human wildlife conflict program.
- Compensation program was the wildlife conflict program, which is more general. That's correct.
- and, as a subset of that, the Wolf Program.
- Those programs are really critical.
- species management programs.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Natural Resources Committee Apr 6th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- , or is this merely speculation that this program could impact housing development in the future?
- Will that supersede funding for current programs like Cal Fire's Wildfire Mitigation Program?
- For current programs like Cal Fire's wildfire mitigation program that includes home hardening, and we
- and recycling programs work.
- Soils Program.
Summary:
The committee heard several bills and one resolution focused on recycling, housing affordability, air quality, coastal protection, wildfire resilience, and nuclear policy. AB 2559, by Assembly Member Ward, would require local governments to return refundable construction and demolition permit deposits if compliance documentation is submitted within three years of final inspection; supporters said it would prevent homeowners and developers from losing deposits due to mismatched local deadlines, and it passed unanimously as amended to Appropriations. AB 1704, by Assembly Member Gonzalez, would require CARB to assess the cost of lower-embodied-carbon building materials and pause the embodied-carbon program if cost parity is not reached; supporters framed it as a housing affordability safeguard, while environmental groups argued it would delay implementation of a key climate law. The bill passed on a party-line vote to Appropriations. AB 2349, by Assembly Member Solache, would create regional air quality incident response centers for emergency monitoring and coordination; it drew strong support from air district and local government representatives and passed unanimously to Appropriations. ACR 149, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act and Coastal Conservancy, highlighted coastal access, habitat protection, and climate adaptation; it passed the committee, though some members voted no. AB 1960, by Assembly Member Bennett, would let Cal Fire fund community-level wildfire hardening projects through the Wildfire Prevention Grants Fund; members raised questions about funding and implementation, but it passed to Appropriations. AB 2254, the Coastal Monarchs Protection Act, would require coastal local governments to add monarch overwintering protections when updating local coastal plans; supporters cited steep monarch declines and economic benefits, while local government groups opposed the mandate as duplicative and burdensome, and it passed to Water, Parks and Wildlife. AB 2253 would restrict deceptive recycled-content claims and mass-balance accounting practices; supporters said it would protect consumers and real recyclers, while business groups argued it would conflict with recognized accounting systems and EPR programs. The transcript also included AB 1757, which would create a limited carve-out from California’s nuclear moratorium for microreactors; supporters said it could provide clean, local power and support data centers, while opponents warned of cost, waste, and safety risks. The committee ultimately rejected AB 1757 on a divided vote, then granted reconsideration, and the discussion continued without a final action shown in the excerpt.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- That program has been around since the late 1980s, and we use it to accomplish those conservation easements
- with this program.
- future with this program<00:42:14.640><c> Madam</c><00:42:14.839><c> chair</c><00:42:15.119><c> members
- build this out into the future.
- as we look at the needs of of future as we look at the needs of of various<01:12:22.600><c> programs
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Natural Resources Committee Apr 7th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Stewardship is vital to uphold conservation values of land conserved for the public good.
- Chair, AB 1358 aims to promote equity within the Santa Ana River Conservancy Program.
- We have conversations about disadvantaged conservancies, whole conservancies, relative to other conservancies
- , both through this program and the Farm and Ranch Cleanup Program.
- The VTC program operates an 18-month residential program that is rigorous and comprehensive.
Summary:
The committee heard a long agenda of natural resources and related bills, with several measures taken up as the committee reached quorum and many others moving on consent or with due-pass recommendations. Early items included AB 80 on carpet recycling, AB 452 creating a local process for state surf reserves, and AB 823 restricting microplastics in personal care and cleaning products. AB 80 drew broad support from recycling, labor, and environmental groups and was described as a follow-up to earlier carpet recycling reforms. AB 452 was backed by surf, tourism, environmental, and local government interests as a voluntary, community-driven way to recognize and protect surf breaks. AB 823 generated the most extensive debate, with supporters citing public health and environmental harms from microplastics and opponents warning the bill’s language could sweep in products such as sunscreens, cosmetics, and fragrance-encapsulation materials; the committee discussed possible ambiguity and EU comparisons before voting the bill out on a due-pass-as-amended basis to Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials.
The committee also advanced AB 1046, which would create a narrow exemption from SB 1383 organic-waste requirements for certain crop preparers and tree nut processors that do not send organic waste to landfills. Agricultural witnesses said the bill would clarify that their operations already reuse byproducts and should not face duplicative reporting, and the measure passed with support from agricultural and rural county representatives. AB 252, the “Stop Laying Off Firefighters Act,” proposed year-round Cal Fire staffing; the author and Cal Fire supporters argued that wildfire conditions are now year-round and that maintaining trained crews would improve response and prevention, and the bill was sent to Appropriations. AB 571, a targeted CEQA exemption for the Southern California Veterans Cemetery in Anaheim, drew strong bipartisan and veterans’ support and also passed out.
Later, the committee approved AB 1455, which would authorize emergency rulemaking and streamline future updates for ember-resistant building regulations after recent wildfire emergencies, and AB 687, which would let public agencies use forest-practice rules and timber-harvest plans for certain publicly funded fuel-reduction projects; AB 687 drew some opposition over scope and enforceability concerns but was still advanced. The committee also moved AB 652, allowing alternate members on the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District board to prevent quorum problems, and AB 317, a first-time homebuyer housing bill that would exempt certain small, lower-cost homes from CEQA and defer some property taxes; AB 317 prompted discussion about guardrails to avoid unintended use on larger subdivisions. Finally, AB 900, requiring the Natural Resources Agency to develop a stewardship plan for 30-by-30 lands, was heard with broad support from land trusts and conservation groups and advanced on a due-pass recommendation, and AB 738, a wildfire-rebuild bill easing solar requirements for certain disaster survivors, was introduced and discussed with questions about its narrow scope and the number of homes affected.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Agriculture & Natural Resources Feb 3rd, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- But we can do better, and we could be that voice of the future.
- So it's not like it's a new program or a new issue for me.
- The fourth person will be Nadine Adau with Conservation Northwest. Thank you.
- My name is Rachel Baker, Forest Program Director at Washington Conservation Action and a principal of
- the Forest and Fish Conservation Caucus.
Summary:
The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee heard public testimony on House Bill 2598, which would create a Salmon Advisory Commission made up of tribal leaders, state agencies, legislators, and local governments to develop recommendations on salmon and steelhead recovery. Prime sponsor Rep. Lekanoff described the bill as a way to bring executive, legislative, and tribal leaders together on salmon recovery and treaty obligations. Staff noted a fiscal note of roughly $35,000 in out years. Supporters emphasized salmon’s cultural and treaty importance and the need for coordinated leadership, while the lone public testifier, Todd Myers of Washington Policy Center, opposed the bill as another statewide layer of bureaucracy and argued that recovery efforts should focus more on local, watershed-level action. The committee noted 10 signed in pro, 886 con, and one other, but no vote was taken on the bill in the hearing.
The committee then heard House Bill 2620, which would repeal the recently adopted Forest Practices Board rule expanding riparian buffers on non-fish-bearing streams and impose new standards for future riparian buffer rulemaking, including an economic viability standard for the timber industry and additional consensus and alternative-analysis requirements. Rep. Dent said the bill was intended to restore communication and collaboration in the forest practices process. Testimony was sharply divided. Tribal representatives and environmental advocates said the rule was the product of a long, science-based adaptive management process under the Forest and Fish framework and was needed to protect water quality, salmon habitat, and treaty rights; they argued the bill would undermine that process and conflict with Clean Water Act compliance. Forest industry and small forest landowner witnesses supported the bill, saying the process had lost trust, ignored alternatives, and imposed significant economic harm on rural communities and family tree farms. DNR and Ecology testified in opposition, saying the rule was based on science and that the bill would weaken water-quality protections and jeopardize HCP compliance. The committee recorded 592 signed in pro, 489 con, and one other, with no vote taken during the hearing.
After the public hearings, the committee moved into executive session on five bills. Staff briefly described House Bill 2104, which would make permanent the Aviation Assurance Funding Program for wildfire response; House Bill 2348, a DNR request bill on land and material sales advertising; House Bill 2544, which would require an adjudication process for the Upper Columbia River with a proposed substitute; House Bill 2554, which would repeal Initiative 456 concerning state declarations on tribal natural resource management; and House Joint Memorial 4009, urging federal action on wildland firefighting consolidation. The committee then recessed briefly for caucus and began executive action, starting with a motion to report House Bill 2104 out of committee with a do pass recommendation.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee Apr 21st, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- The Steelhead Trout Fishing Report Restoration Card Program.
- This is a program that's been around about 30 years.
- I feel like they're contributing to conservation.
- I feel like they're contributing to conservation.
- Plan, and Desert Tortoise Conservation.
Summary:
The committee heard SB 1393, an omnibus update to the Fish and Game Code covering steelhead trout and Dungeness crab management. Supporters from The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, CalTrout, and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations said the bill would strengthen the steelhead report card program, refine crab fishery rules, and clarify vessel transit through closed crab areas. There was no opposition, and the bill was accepted with amendments and moved on a 4-0 vote to the Appropriations Committee.
The committee also heard SB 1250, which would require Caltrans to incorporate wildlife connectivity into transportation planning and asset management, with performance targets and coordination with wildlife agencies. The author and supporters argued it would improve ecosystem connectivity, reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, and save money by integrating crossings, culverts, and fencing into planned projects. The California Building Industry Association moved to neutral after amendments clarifying the bill would apply to transportation rights-of-way and not create exactions on private property. The bill passed 4-0 to Appropriations.
Members then considered SB 1212, which would repeal California’s ban on importing and selling kangaroo products. The author argued kangaroo harvest in Australia is tightly regulated and that California’s ban is outdated, while opponents from Humane World for Animals, Animal Legal Defense Fund, and others said the bill would reopen the market to products from a cruel commercial slaughter industry and undermine long-standing wildlife protections. No motion was taken at that point. The committee also heard SB 1268, codifying the Outdoors for All initiative, which supporters said would protect and expand equitable access to parks and outdoor recreation; it advanced 3-0. Finally, the committee heard three Western Joshua Tree bills from Senator Arreguín: SB 1061, SB 1062, and SB 1063. Supporters from water agencies, local governments, and industry said the bills would reduce fees and streamline permitting for tree relocation, public infrastructure, and basic utility hookups in desert communities. Opponents withdrew or softened opposition on the first two bills after amendments, but objected to SB 1063 as too broad. SB 1061 and SB 1062 each passed 2-0 to Appropriations, while SB 1063 was still under discussion at the end of the transcript.
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Appropriations and Finance Feb 6th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Chair, should the program go on?
- To a conservation group, 365,000, 885 acres.
- We’ve identified a very good program, the Emergency Watershed Protection Program.
- Emergency Watershed Protection Program.
- Chairman and members of the committee, the EWP program, an actual cornerstone of the program, is that
Summary:
The committee first took up House Bill 180, a disaster-funding measure that was amended with a substitute adding reporting requirements for the Natural Disaster Revolving Fund, creating a new funding “waterfall” that could draw first from the executive orders for disaster fund, then the appropriation contingency fund, and then the revolving fund, and removing language tied to the end of a fiscal year. The sponsor said the bill clarifies which disaster funds may be used for natural and non-natural disasters, limits and structures executive authority, and improves transparency. Supporters included the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts and the Village of Ruidoso; DFA raised concern that the transfer language could unintentionally create a deficit and threaten bond obligations. After questions about non-natural disasters, executive orders, and the fiscal impact, the committee voted do not pass on the original bill and do pass on the committee substitute.
House Bill 158, dealing with the Government Results and Opportunity Expendable Trust, was amended with a technical change replacing “expendable trust” with “program fund” in several places. The bill would require agencies receiving GROW appropriations to submit accountability and evaluation plans to the state budget division director and LFC director. Sponsors said they had worked with DFA and tried to address concerns raised in a prior veto message. There was no public opposition, and the committee approved the bill as amended.
House Bill 271 proposed a one-time $100 million general fund appropriation to the Office of Natural Resources Trustees for public land expansion and restoration, plus up to $30 million for state matching funds for political subdivisions with approved federal disaster assistance. Supporters from outdoor recreation, conservation, wildlife, and local government groups said the bill would help restore fire- and flood-damaged lands, expand access, and support rural economies; opponents or skeptics raised concerns about land management, tax base loss, tribal consultation, and whether the state should acquire more land given New Mexico’s already high public-land percentage. After extended debate, the committee tabled the bill.
Finally, House Bill 246 was heard as a Lincoln County/Ruidoso floodplain mitigation bill. It would provide state matching funds so local governments can leverage federal Emergency Watershed Protection dollars to buy out and rehabilitate repeatedly flooded properties, with the goal of reducing future disaster risk. The sponsor and county officials said the program is voluntary, based on pre-disaster valuation, and intended to help residents relocate while restoring floodplains; supporters from conservation and recreation groups said it could become a model for disaster recovery. Committee members asked about property priority levels, voluntary participation, ownership after acquisition, and climate-related planning. The discussion ended with the sponsor describing the bill as a Lincoln County-specific effort tied to ongoing flood recovery and forest-management concerns.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee Jul 16th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- , it was a 10-year pilot program.
- Higher conservation rates, that's a matter of the record.
- It can't discern weather, economics, or conservation.
- It can't not discern weather, economics, conservation.
- to discern conservation from foreclosure, weather, economics.
Summary:
The committee heard several energy and water affordability bills, with extensive testimony on SB 254 by Senator Becker, SB 541 by Senator Becker, SB 453 by Senator Stern, SB 292 by Senator Caballero, and SB 473 by Senator Padilla. SB 254 was presented as a broad utility affordability package addressing short-term climate credits, a Power Fund, tighter scrutiny of rate increases and utility profits, wildfire spending, securitization of future utility costs, and streamlining. Supporters, including TURN and several environmental and public power groups, said it could lower bills and reduce long-term costs; opponents from investor-owned utilities, labor, business, and local government raised concerns about market impacts, insufficient analysis, and the breadth of the bill. The committee approved SB 254 on a 6-3 vote and placed it on call.
SB 541 focused on load flexibility and using existing grid capacity more efficiently. Senator Becker described it as a transparency and planning measure to identify cost-effective load shifting and reduce peak demand, while supporters said it could improve resiliency and save money. Several CCAs and utilities opposed the bill in print or unless amended, arguing that some language implied a mandate and that the concept needed more cost-effectiveness analysis; the author said amendments would remove language dividing the state goal among retail suppliers and clarify that the bill is not a procurement mandate. The committee passed SB 541 as amended to Appropriations on a 9-1 vote and left it on call.
SB 453 by Senator Stern would return unspent ratepayer-funded microgrid program dollars and was described as a way to keep the lights on and redirect unused funds. It drew support from local government and environmental groups, with PG&E expressing concern about how the bill would affect its ability to spend awarded funds. The committee passed SB 453 as amended to Appropriations on a 12-0 vote. SB 292 by Senator Caballero would require more granular outage and reliability reporting, including census-tract-level data, to better inform resilience planning after PSPS events; utilities opposed unless amended, citing duplicative reporting and regulatory overlap, but the bill passed 12-0 to Appropriations.
SB 473 by Senator Padilla would require or expand water utility decoupling to promote conservation and affordability. Supporters, including water utilities, labor, business, and local government groups, argued decoupling stabilizes revenue, supports conservation, and can keep rates lower for low-use customers. The Public Advocates Office opposed, saying prior pilot data showed no conservation benefit and about $1 billion in added costs, and that the CPUC had already rejected similar requests. Committee members questioned the conservation and capital-investment effects of the different rate structures; the author and supporters argued decoupling helps utilities fund infrastructure while allowing lower fixed charges for low-use customers. The transcript ends during that discussion, before a final vote on SB 473 is shown.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Special Committee on Rural Issues Jan 14th, 2026
Special Committee on Rural Issues
Transcript Highlights:
- , and conservation.
- Our program is a wonderful example of what agriculture programming can be. It's hands-on.
- Our program is a wonderful example of what agriculture programming can be. It's hands-on.
- I'm the program director for Agriculture Education on the Move, which is an agriculture education program
- And it truly is an impactful program.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Apr 27th, 2026
California Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- And this goes hand in hand with the work of the Conservancy.
- You know, together, the work of both the Commission and the Conservancy, we've conserved over half a
- We are deeply honored to be joined by both members of the Commission and the Conservancy.
- Behind every statistic is a child whose safety, dignity, and future are at risk.
- , The goal of any health and human services program has got to be self-sufficiency.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee 2/25/25
Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- the work of this bill and expanding the program.
- the work of this bill and expanding the program.
- I appreciate the work of this bill and expanding the program.
- </c><00:27:17.880><c> planning</c><00:27:18.200><c> and</c> for conservation planning and for conservation
- Chair, for hearing the bill today. grant program 90 Acres for snas and 5.7 grant program 90 Acres for
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee Apr 14th, 2026
Water, Parks and Wildlife
Transcript Highlights:
- We need this conservation program to work and make it work.
- It is critical we continue this program and ensure that future projects are approved in an expedited
- from The Nature Conservancy.
- I'm Serena Jepson, Endangered Species Program Director with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
- existing and proven program at the Wildlife Conservation Board, which will fund voluntary conservation