Transcript Highlights:

• We are going to replace that with an owner-provided geotechnical testing firm was contracted to verify
• The cost breakdown was approximately $550,000 for the actual homes, uh, about $633,000 for site work,
• 20% for soft costs, and which totaled, uh, $1.4 million.
• Uh, the estimated cost at this time is approximately $40 million. Item E, Mr.
• We know it's going to add a few steps to this by, you know, going to a full replacement, but again we'll

Transcript Highlights:

• We know what it costs to to cost us.
• care cost. care cost.
• And not have to worry about how much it would cost me to replace my bike attachment or my arm if I fell
• It is a replace all.
• It is a replace all.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What we need to replace from an insurance perspective.
• Those costs are only going up every single year.
• I don't know what the cost is, right? As an insurer, we are going to cover that cost.
• Months can actually change the estimated cost of a project.
• The costs were.

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, they just submitted their request as of yesterday, so they're requesting a combo replacement
• to funding big projects and people coming back to us for award language changes that are going to cost
• Leach, it looks like it's an elementary school/middle school replacement.
• The estimated fiscal impact has been explained, and we have the cost shown, so we present all of that
• , and we have the cost shown, so we present all of that data as well as the cost shown in the subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• It replaces the entire bill with the paragraph that says any person charged with a felony offense or
• sentencing decisions for legislation is discussed without a full and accurate picture of what that cost
• But we know that there will and can be more cost-intensive and less cost-intensive periods of incarceration
• How much is it going to cost for certain prisons to be built? Those concerns are real.
• a single piece... ...all of the 'be it resolved' paragraphs, to replace them with a single paragraph

Bills: HR73, HR272, HR273, HR278, HCR91, HCR99, HCR100, HCR111, HB255, HB261, HB328, HB378, HB479, HB517, HB564, HB778, HB1090, SB135, SB278, SB448

Keywords: domestic abuse, protective orders, victim protection, Louisiana State Law Institute, mandatory procedures, parental discipline, corporal punishment, child abuse, cruelty to juveniles, juvenile delinquency, juvenile justice, child welfare, DCFS, Office of Juvenile Justice, reasonable discipline, parental rights, family law, law enforcement reports, abuse allegations, single-parent households

Summary: The Criminal Justice Committee met on May 19, 2026, with a long agenda and several members’ bills and resolutions. The committee first considered HB 255, as substituted, which would add up to two years of imprisonment for a person charged with a felony or rioting offense who wore a mask or face covering to evade identification, with exceptions for religious coverings, motorcycles, and medical use. Supporters said it targeted concealment during felonies; the ACLU opposed it as redundant and potentially overbroad, while the Louisiana District Attorneys Association clarified the enhancement would apply only to felony convictions. The committee adopted the substitute and reported HB 255 favorably by a vote of 8-3. It then advanced HB 378, which creates penalties for using a vehicle to obstruct first responders and law enforcement; after an amendment narrowed the bill to first responders, it was reported favorably. HB 1090, increasing penalties for arson of a religious building, also passed favorably after testimony emphasizing attacks on houses of worship. HR 272, requesting a study on parental discipline, abuse allegations, and juvenile delinquency, was reported favorably as well. The committee also heard HB 479, the Fiscal Truth and Sentencing Act, which would require more detailed reporting on incarceration costs and sentencing impacts. Supporters, including the ACLU, said the bill would improve transparency and help lawmakers make better fiscal decisions; clerks of court opposed it as an unfunded mandate. Despite amendments shifting reporting duties and clarifying compliance with Children’s Code Article 412, the bill failed on a 4-7 roll call. The committee then deferred HCR 99 and took up HR 278, which asks the Attorney General to consult stakeholders and review electronic monitoring laws and regulations; supporters described serious failures in the current GPS monitoring system, and the resolution was reported favorably. HR 273, creating a task force to study work release programs, was also reported favorably after members said it would help refine the system and gather cost data. Later, the committee heard SB 448 on the Office of the State Public Defender. After discussion of a recent Supreme Court ruling and concerns about expert-witness funding and indigency determinations, the committee adopted an amendment adding a contradictory-hearing process and appellate review protections, then reported the bill as amended. HCR 100, concerning casino property sales, was amended to remove specific property references and instead urge the Gaming Control Board to consider economic development, job creation, and community benefit; the casino association withdrew opposition after the amendment, and the resolution was reported favorably as amended. The committee also voluntarily deferred SB 278 and HCR 91. HB 261, which would create exceptions to abortion laws for rape and certain sex offenses, drew extensive emotional testimony from supporters and opponents, including survivors and legislators discussing rape, incest, and fetal life; the bill was defeated 2-10. Finally, the committee took up HB 778 on kratom possession, with the author arguing for a distinction between natural kratom and synthetic products, and supporters and opponents offering conflicting testimony about safety, addiction recovery, and regulation.

Transcript Highlights:

• nine months, and even though construction mainly or repair and remodeling can only take a few weeks, costs
• These benefits are immediate: less disruption to the public and the tenants, lower overall project costs
• The project opponents are trying to litigate it again, and this is going to jam up the project, cost
• Time is all about the money, and that will drive up the cost of construction, and that would not help
• And so in those instances, eligibility requirements to indirect costs may not be applicable.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to make the amendment requested by the Disability and Communication Access Board to apply the court cost
• Is this later on going to be a cost going down to the consumer? Yeah, they're going to have to...
• Right now, there's going to be a cost sharing.
• for each electric utility to replace for each electric utility to replace fossil<00:15:03.959>
• uh right now there's going to be a cost uh right now there's going to be a cost sharing<00:15:32.000

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Ways and Means and Judiciary committee met in decision-making mode and took up a long list of measures, mostly recommending passage with or without amendments. Early actions included S.B. 414, which was amended to blank the appropriation, draw funds from the major disaster fund, and change the effective date to 2050, and S.B. 223, which would require fire breaks in hazardous fire areas and create or expand wildland fire prevention and protection programs with blank appropriations for FY 2026 and 2027. The committee also advanced S.B. 1009 on state reserve parking space enforcement, S.B. 1149 on reported hate crime definitions and reporting, S.B. 402 on mooring-line requirements for certain vessels, S.B. 1441 on the Oahu regional health care system transfer, S.B. 1442 on child and adolescent mental health responsibilities, S.B. 1478 on harbor evacuation orders, and S.B. 493 on written notice for emotional support animal sales or verifications. Members generally raised little opposition, and most measures were adopted without reservations. Some bills drew brief discussion or committee-report notes, including S.B. 1149, which referenced a Hawaii Civil Rights Commission report encouraging policy-level hate crime data reporting, and S.B. 1442, which was amended with a far-future effective date and a committee-report note about whether mental health services should be expressly subject to funding. S.B. 1441 was substantially revised to require a memorandum of agreement between the Oahu Regional Health Care System and the Department of Health by November 30, 2025, with patient care to begin by December 31, 2025, and a report to the legislature before the 2026 session. The committee also considered several finance and energy-related measures. S.B. 897 on the wildfire liability trust fund prompted questions about whether costs would be passed to consumers; the response was that the proposal contemplated cost sharing and that some amounts were still blank. S.B. 1395 and S.B. 1396 were amended to remove special-fund structures, direct revenues into the general fund, and require the governor to include equivalent amounts in the executive budget for climate-related projects. S.B. 501 was amended to expand step-in agreement provisions for future PPAs and establish a fund outside the State Treasury, and S.B. 1589 was amended so private donations to the stadium authority would go into the NID special fund for stadium infrastructure and sod, with members discussing accountability and the source of stadium-related consultant spending. The committee adopted the recommendations on all measures considered, with some members noting reservations on a few bills, and one item, S.B. 1418, was deferred.

Transcript Highlights:

• costs are going up, some are going down. costs are going up, some are going down.
• How much is that going to be costing How much is that going to be costing this?
• they are looking for replacement wages. they are looking for replacement wages.
• So, the cost that we said earlier, there was a cost to Anoka schools of $2.4 million.
• going to cost before we offset the levy. going to cost before we offset the levy.

Bills: HF2433, HF2434

Keywords: education funding, children with disabilities, transition aid, special education, school district consolidation, healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a formula-driven appraisal methodology with a statutory preference for cost approach on replacing
• costs.
• We are not reducing costs. We are increasing costs.
• We are not reducing costs. We are increasing costs.
• Striking the provision mandating extended replacement cost coverage for losses related to a declared

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• can't get someone to replace them. can't get someone to replace them.
• cost some money. cost some money.
• cost the state money. cost the state money.
• The estimates in this fiscal note represent the total cost of replacing OSHA with state-level regulation
• The estimates in this fiscal note represent the total cost of replacing OSHA with state-level regulation

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's the cost approach to value, which would be replacement cost new less depreciation.
• typically on market value or replacement typically on market value or replacement cost<00:33:50.080
• c> replacement cost new then less replacement cost new then less depreciation.<00:34:17.919> We
• <00:35:24.320> cost<00:35:25.440> new<00:35:26.000> less jump around replacement
• cost new less jump around replacement cost new less depreciation<00:35:27.680> you<00:35:27.760

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:17:17.880> for aviation fuel a dropin replacement for aviation fuel a dropin replacement
• As a result, we have lowered the Kernza processing cost significantly.
• processing cost processing cost significantly<00:48:02.880> that's<00:48:03.040> a
• <01:09:44.640> jute how could Industrial Hemp replace jute how could Industrial Hemp replace
• <01:29:59.280> and the three Rs retention replacement and the three Rs retention replacement

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So essentially, we are subsidizing at the cost of $275,000 for a single full-time job.
• Yeah, our understanding is the industry standard is to replace computer server equipment every three
• And you mentioned that those parts, a lot, need to be replaced every three to five years.
• So, my memory of the statute is that it's significant improvement to server space, replacing servers.
• However, it doesn't cover the cost of the sales tax.

Summary: The committee met on July 15, 2026, but initially lacked a quorum, so it could not adopt prior minutes. Chair Jerry Pollett welcomed new member Senator Victoria Hunt and new JLARC staff, and noted national recognition for recent JLARC reports. The meeting then moved into a series of preliminary audit presentations and an agency strategic management update, with committee members asking questions after each item. JLARC presented a preliminary audit of DCYF’s Juvenile Rehabilitation programs. Staff concluded that crowding, staffing shortages, weak risk assessments, and inconsistent programming combine to create unsafe conditions. The report found that most youth are housed in two large secure facilities operating near or above capacity, incidents rise as population rises, 47% of frontline staff leave within a year, current assessment tools are not valid for the population, and program access depends more on facility than individual need. JLARC made one recommendation to the legislature to address crowding and seven to DCYF, including improving retention, training, incident response procedures, validated assessments, program alignment, and data quality. DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter said the agency agreed overcrowding is a serious problem, described ongoing efforts to improve staffing and safety, and said a detailed response would be provided later. Committee members raised concerns about education access, retaliation against staff or youth who participated in the audit, and whether JR-25 has helped or worsened conditions. JLARC then presented a preliminary audit of Labor and Industries’ enforcement of farm worker labor laws. The audit found that L&I generally meets inspection timelines for health and safety complaints, but not for wage and hour or retaliation complaints, where delays are driven largely by time before assignment to an investigator. Staff said complaint volume exceeds capacity, though the agency has added staff, created screening processes, and reorganized workloads, and 2026 legislation now allows prioritization of complaints and broader investigations. JLARC recommended that L&I report back in December 2026 and December 2027 on backlog reduction and implementation of the new law. An L&I representative said the agency is hiring additional staff and will provide a formal response later. The committee also received a JLARC overview and Department of Health strategic management plan update on hospital data reporting, inspections, complaints, and adverse event reporting. DOH reported measurable progress on inspection compliance, new staffing and licensing systems, translated complaint forms, and plans for future work on language access, adverse event reporting, and financial data dashboards. After lunch, JLARC began its 2026 tax preference performance reviews. The first review covered the Main Street tax credit, which JLARC said has helped increase the number of Main Street communities and businesses, with positive growth near designated districts; JLARC recommended continuing the preference and improving business-count data. The second review covered the equitable access to credit program, which JLARC said appears to support underserved communities by funding loans through CDFIs; JLARC recommended continuing the preference beyond its 2027 expiration. The committee began questions on the program mechanics and the role of the Community Reinvestment Act, and the presentation was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I would just ask if any of you have ever had experience having to replace your windshield through
• You'll see that there are special provisions just for window replacement and window damage.
• I've had to replace a couple windshields over the last several years.
• I provided an affidavit to the Attorney General as a lifelong Democrat, knowing what it would cost me
• As a result of the delays, it has cost us $75 million more for that project.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on domestic violence protections, pay equity enforcement, Jewish demographic data collection, court transparency, auto glass insurance practices, pet policy disclosure for renters, and civil rights accountability for federal officers. SB 99 would require courts and law enforcement to better recognize military protective orders in domestic violence cases; supporters from the Department of Defense and military organizations said it would close jurisdictional gaps for military families, and the bill passed to Public Safety. SB 1237 would increase penalties for repeat noncompliance with California pay data reporting laws; supporters said stronger enforcement is needed to address persistent wage gaps, and the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1387 would allow Jewish identity to be reported as an ethnic category in state demographic data; supporters said better data would improve policy and anti-discrimination efforts, while opponents argued the bill was unnecessary or divisive, and it passed to Privacy. SB 932 would require assignees filing civil actions to identify the original party in the case caption; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, and it passed to Judiciary/Appropriations on call. The committee also took up SB 98, which would regulate auto glass insurance claims by restricting assignment of benefits, requiring clearer estimates and invoices, and limiting inducements to consumers. The sponsor and NICB said the bill would curb fraud and unsafe repairs, while independent glass shops and industry groups argued it could reduce consumer choice and favor insurer-aligned networks; the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1296 would require landlords to disclose pet policies before collecting application fees and provide refunds if nondisclosure materially affected an applicant’s decision; supporters said it would save renters time and money, while rental housing representatives objected to a provision limiting eviction based solely on failure to sign a pet addendum. The bill passed to Appropriations. Finally, SB 747, the No Kings Act, would create a California cause of action allowing people to sue federal officers for constitutional violations using standards similar to Section 1983. Senator Wiener and a witness who said he was unlawfully detained by Border Patrol argued the bill is needed because federal officers currently lack comparable accountability after the Supreme Court narrowed Bivens remedies. Law enforcement groups opposed the bill, warning that the qualified immunity language is unclear, could create a separate California standard, and might expose officers and governments to retroactive litigation; members discussed possible amendments on qualified immunity and retroactivity, and the bill was moved forward with an urgency amendment while negotiations continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• I would think so, yeah. insurance cost itself and then their transaction costs, like I said, the recording
• So, AI will not replace lawyers, but lawyers who use AI might replace lawyers who don't.
• Added cost to the clerk's office or how what are the added costs?
• You know, and to representative, your question about the cost savings, if it is cost prohibitive. for
• savings particularly cost to providers is going to be and perhaps how those cost savings from providers

Bills: HB150, HB869, HB876, HB 1043, HB1494, HB1522, HB150

Keywords: cybersecurity, state command, information resources, data protection, incident response, information technology, classification officer, job descriptions, state positions, competency-based, information sharing, government efficiency, public sector, private sector, distributed ledger, title registry, real estate, property liens, pilot program, healthcare

Transcript Highlights:

• The state can recover most of its oversight costs and technical assistance costs.
• The state's oversight costs are also recoverable.
• The other truth is the current cost of insurance is directly tied to the future cost of claims.
• , like the costs of dealing with catastrophic wildfires, those liabilities and costs get spread among
• If they were prudent, then the cost of the wildfire is just sort of the cost of doing business, and that's

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

Transcript Highlights:

• > of<00:34:18.919> this The total construction cost of this The total construction cost
• that cost somewhere, so. that cost somewhere, so. That's<00:40:08.440> all.
• money it costs. money it costs.
• contractors, which leads to high cost contractors, which leads to high cost for<00:52:41.240>
• That has already cost us come up.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The longer, the more expense that's incurred, both on their wage replacement, the medical costs that
• go into this, the cost to replace that worker while they're out.
• And medical cost and wage replacement come in as secondary factors into that calculation.
• Getting them the cost—let me go back to that—reducing the cost for... Getting them the cost.
• I know it’s a small cost to physicians, but that’s a minor cost.” “Yes.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee first disposed of several measures without debate, including deferrals of House Bill 460, House Bill 561, Senate Bill 322, and another deferred Senate measure, before taking up House Bill 819 by Chairman Cruz. HB 819 would replace Louisiana’s current workers’ compensation medical treatment schedule with ODG by MCG, a private evidence-based guideline system used in other states. Cruz and Troy Prevo argued ODG is more comprehensive, updated more frequently, and could reduce claim duration, medical costs, and premium rates; Dr. Jason Picard said Louisiana already uses ODG as a secondary reference for gaps in the state schedule and that the bill would not change appeals or variance procedures. Opponents, including injured-worker advocates Joseph Jola St. and Robin Crumholt, argued Louisiana’s current guidelines are working, that ODG is more cost-cutting and insurer-driven, and that the bill could increase denials and delay care. Members discussed amendments to add a two-year sunset, allow tacit approval when treatment follows the schedule, require payment within 30 days, and raise the carrier’s burden to challenge care; the committee adopted the amendments and then reported HB 819 favorably by a 7-6 vote. The committee then began Senate Bill 409 by Senator Myers, the Louisiana Living Donor Leave Protection Act. The bill would provide paid leave protections for living organ donors, set eligibility and verification procedures, and prohibit forfeiture of leave in certain circumstances for private employers. Myers said the measure is intended to remove job and paycheck barriers for people willing to donate organs and to support better transplant outcomes. Technical amendments were adopted at the start of the presentation, and the bill was introduced for further discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• bears the cost of that? bears the cost of that?
• huge stranded costs. huge stranded costs.
• >> Well, there are PPAs that cost more currently than what generation costs from a marginal cost perspective
• <02:01:37.119> perspective, costs from a marginal cost perspective, costs from a marginal
• <02:02:47.280> energy different cost like the cost of energy different cost like the cost

Bills: HB2284

Keywords: energy assistance, low-income households, electricity costs, Hawaii home energy assistance program, energy efficiency, 910, house, all

Summary: The hearing covered House Bill 2284, which would create the Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program in the Department of Human Services to help qualifying households pay energy bills and direct the Public Utilities Commission’s public benefits fee administrator to provide information and assistance to recipients. Testimony from the Division of Consumer Advocacy, DHS, and the Public Utilities Commission was in support. A committee member asked about how the program would interact with existing TANF-related energy assistance and whether rules could be adjusted to avoid duplicative benefits; DHS said logistics would need to be worked out and that the agencies would make the rules. The committees noted the bill’s $1.5 million appropriation and moved it forward with amendments, including blanking out amounts and noting them in the committee report. Both committees voted to pass HB 2284 with amendments, with the recommendation adopted. The committee then heard House Bill 2486, relating to plug-in or balcony solar. DCCA, the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, and the Public Utilities Commission stood on prior testimony in support of the bill’s intent. Multiple advocates and organizations, including Carbon Cashback Hawaii, 350 Hawaii, Bright Saver, Sierra Club of Hawaii, and others, testified in support, arguing that plug-in solar would lower electricity bills, expand access for renters and condo residents, and reduce emissions. Several speakers urged the committee to remove or avoid registration, reporting, feed-in tariff, interconnection fee, and other requirements they said would create barriers. Bright Saver testified that the systems are safe and would not back-feed during outages. No vote was taken on HB 2486 during the excerpt. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 1568, which would prohibit the importation or storage of LNG in the state and the construction of related infrastructure. State agencies including the Consumer Advocate, Hawaii State Energy Office, Public Utilities Commission, and Hawaiian Electric opposed the bill, with the Energy Office arguing LNG would perpetuate oil use on Oahu and expose the state to price volatility. Supporters included Life of the Land, Sierra Club of Hawaii, Greenpeace Hawaii, 350 Hawaii, Earthjustice, Our Hawaii, and others, who argued LNG would lock Hawaii into another fossil fuel dependency, create major infrastructure costs and safety risks, and undermine the state’s renewable energy goals. Several testifiers cited climate and affordability concerns and urged the committee to reject LNG. The excerpt ends during testimony on HB 1568, before any committee action or vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Have you all ever been challenged with market value being not appropriate and maybe replacement value
• It costs you $100 per household to produce the water and sell, sell, you know, all your costs.
• Costs.
• Coming and replacing your St.
• The moratorium has cost us more than $15 million to date. That's our revenue for 2025.

Bills: HB24

Keywords: groundwater, conservation, water permits, sustainability, resource management