Transcript Highlights:

• For the last four quarters, the Commission has transferred over about an additional $4 million to the
• <00:12:56.480> over the commission has transferred over the commission has transferred over
• So when we have agents in the field, they'll key these machines. They will pull those software.
• But as it stands today, the vendors submit written reports to our office, and then we have field agents
• and we have an auditor that field agents and we have an auditor that can<00:53:20.800> go<00:

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• standardizing course numbers for career technical education, this bill makes it easier for students transferring
• Fourth, the bill adds language to allow for the transfer to and treatment at more appropriate facilities
• to offer home protection products to their customers through licensed home protection companies or agents
• the process for tribal land return transactions by extending the welfare exemption and documentary transfer
• tax treatment to land held by a federally recognized tribe for conservation purposes. ...transfer tax

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• it's taken a while for the agents it's taken a while for the agents >> to<01:03:40.960>
• We're about 275 insurance agents.
• We're 100% uh insurance agents.
• Therefore, both the retail agent and the surplus lines agents are licensed by the state.
• Therefore, both the retail agent and the surplus lines agents are licensed by the state.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So currently Webb County's purchasing agent reports to the Board of judges.
• This bill would simply help to increase accountability for purchasing agents, and I want to point out
• We don't want to abolish the purchasing agent.
• The purchasing agent really has no pressure on him to perform accurately.
• And there's nothing wrong with our particular purchasing agent.

Transcript Highlights:

• of ICE agents coming in. of ICE agents coming in.
• <02:29:56.800> and too common, but armed mask agents and too common, but armed mask agents
• <02:36:28.000> up<02:36:28.160> at If mass agents are showing up at If mass agents
• <02:36:39.920> up<02:36:40.080> at If mass agents are showing up at If mass agents
• This resolution calls for federal agents This resolution calls for federal agents to<02:37:51.120

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . agents. agents.
• agents because they don't know anything. agents because they don't know anything.
• I mean, I saw an ICE agent training.
• yourselves to these federal agents. yourselves to these federal agents.
• Representative Grieman. agents. I'm wondering what the agents.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• continue to go on, from masked agents continue to go on, from masked agents dragging<00:12:04.240
• They're federal agents. They're trained as federal agents.
• again, we're back to uh federal agents again, we're back to uh federal agents who<00:15:27.680><
• enforcable upon federal agents. enforcable upon federal agents.
• , a local law accosting an ICE agent, a local law enforcement<01:09:31.040> agent<01:09:31.600

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Thursday, January 29, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate reconvened after a snow delay, heard an invocation from Reverend Scott Shelton, and conducted several floor introductions and recognitions, including birthday wishes for staff, a welcome for a temporary office staffer, recognition of the Center for Urban Families, and introduction of the week’s pages. The chamber then approved the prior journal and moved through bill and bond initiative readings, referring the listed measures to their standing committees or the capital budget subcommittee. The first substantive action was adoption of a favorable committee report on Senate Bill 17, an emergency bill authorizing the Baltimore City Board of Licensed Commissioners to issue a related event promoters permit for the CIAA tournament. The floor leader said the bill had no amendments, no fiscal impact, and no opposition in committee. The Senate adopted the report without objection and ordered the bill printed for third reading. The Senate then took up Senate Bill 1 from the Judicial Proceedings Committee, which would require the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to adopt a statewide policy on law enforcement face coverings, apply it to state, local, and federal officers in Maryland, and enforce violations through a civil citation and discipline. The committee report included two amendments: one technical and one making the policy statewide and preempting local policies. During extended debate, the bill’s sponsor argued that masks undermine transparency and trust and that the measure would create a uniform standard. A senator from Frederick County questioned whether the bill would effectively create a policy for federal agents without Maryland-specific training and raised concerns about enforcement, temporary detention, complaints, and possible conflicts with federal authority. The sponsor responded that officers would retain discretion, that the bill would be enforced through civil citations, and that similar civil enforcement mechanisms have been upheld in Maryland. No final vote on the amended report is shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• It creates a state-level framework for the registration of agents and organizations associated with foreign
• The federal law already requires agents representing foreign countries and entities to register with
• The federal law already requires agents representing foreign countries and entities to register with
• I want to call particular attention to the efforts on the Foreign Agent Registration Act that Senator
• So we have been working with states across the country to develop foreign agent registration acts that

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 1178, the Foreign Interference Restriction and Enforcement Act. Senator Grohl explained that the bill expands state restrictions and disclosure requirements related to foreign countries of concern and designated foreign terrorist organizations, including foreign-agent registration, gift bans for public officials, ethics training, procurement limits for IT and critical infrastructure, restrictions on sister-city/sister-state affiliations, changes to linkage institutes and in-state tuition provisions, and new criminal penalties for certain offenses committed to benefit foreign governments or terrorist organizations. Senator Polsky raised questions about higher education, election technology, federal FARA overlap, and whether the bill would affect candidates or events involving CARE; the sponsor responded that the bill focuses on foreign countries of concern, ownership/control, and gifts, and does not prohibit speaking at events. An amendment clarifying definitions, willful violations, and ethics-training content was adopted, and after supportive testimony from Kelly Curry and Robert Pierce, the committee reported CS for SB 1178 favorably. The committee then considered Senate Bill 1622, which provides a one-time waiver of the automatic fine for a late-filed financial disclosure if the filing is made before the maximum fine accrues and the filer has not previously received such a waiver or accrued the maximum fine in prior years. Carrie Stillman of the Commission on Ethics testified that the bill supports transparency and makes the fine and appeals process more efficient, noting it was a commission recommendation. The bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee held confirmation hearings on appointments in Tabs 3 through 26. No senator requested separate votes on any appointee, no public testimony was offered, and the block of appointments was approved and recommended favorably to the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also use budget transfer forms when budget must be moved to cover deficit balances in general ledger
• It's led by Jeff Martin, who is a former probation agent and a counselor.
• Working with a vendor, our engineers helped develop the lift system that allowed him to transfer from
• He lost the ability to safely transfer independently.
• He lost the ability to safely transfer independently.

Keywords: 977, all

Summary: The committee met to receive a detailed financial operations presentation from the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency, with staff walking members through funding sources, budgeting, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and grants management. Sabrina Walker explained VR’s blended funding structure, including federal grants, state appropriations, program income, and interagency contracts, and emphasized that state funds are essential to meeting the federal match and maintenance-of-effort requirements. Members asked repeatedly about transparency, audit controls, and the risk that state cuts could reduce federal drawdowns; staff responded that all reports reconcile back to the SCEIS accounting system, are subject to state audits and internal reviews, and that even modest state reductions could significantly reduce total available funding. The committee also discussed pre-employment transition services for students with disabilities, with staff confirming services are offered through school districts, charters, and private schools, and that contracts are monitored for performance and compliance. The presentation then shifted to budgeting and internal controls. Walker described a zero-based departmental budgeting process, monthly monitoring reports, contingency reserves for unexpected expenses, and a formal annual cycle that culminates in board approval. Members asked about facilities tracking, culture, and how the agency maintains accountability; staff said facilities staff inspect buildings and equipment, supervisors justify line-item requests, and the process has become smoother over time as departments learned the system. Cynthia Johnson followed with an accounts receivable overview, describing invoicing, receipting, aging, customer verification, year-end reporting, and the use of cross-training, shared email inboxes, and spreadsheets as checks and balances. She also explained work training center billing, interdepartmental transfers, and the revolving fund used to issue consumer checks more quickly than standard vendor payments. Olivia Perez presented accounts payable operations, including invoice processing through SCEIS and OnBase, the three-way match, travel reimbursements, revolving fund checks, State Treasury Office interactions, and handling of reversals, rejections, and levy notices. She reported that AP processed 67,723 SCEIS payments, 13,670 case management system invoices, 3,379 travel reimbursements, and 15,693 revolving fund checks in fiscal year 2025, with only 70 payment rejections. The final portion of the meeting covered Grants and Funds Management, where Walker explained federal reporting, drawdowns, payroll allocation, asset tracking, lease and IT contract reviews, cost allocation, and closing packages. She noted upcoming system changes such as S/4HANA, Workiva, and SC Pro, but said the agency is receiving training and feedback opportunities. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the presentation portion beyond approval of the prior minutes and a brief recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, testimony um from<01:43:12.000> the<01:43:12.320> deputy<01:43:13.119> agent
• /c><01:43:14.000> general<01:43:14.400> told<01:43:14.639> us from the deputy agent
• general told us from the deputy agent general told us that<01:43:14.960> we<01:43:15.119>
• envision is that because we would also be in a state where if you have a vacant position, you could transfer
• position, you could uh transfer that. position, you could uh transfer that.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 74, which would require state agencies, especially the Department of Environmental Services and other permitting agencies, to report more detailed data on permit applications, approvals, denials, pending applications, and permits taking longer than 90 days. The sponsor’s representative and a lawyer who helped draft the bill argued that the legislature needs comprehensive permitting data to evaluate whether current timelines are reasonable and whether regulatory delays are burdening property owners and economic activity. They said the information should already be tracked within existing budgets, despite a fiscal note claiming additional staff would be needed. A Business and Industry Association representative supported the bill, saying better data is needed to understand actual permitting timelines and to help streamline the process, especially in light of housing and development concerns. Members asked whether the bill was simply collecting data without a clear next step, and the response was that the data would allow lawmakers to judge whether existing deadlines, extensions, and exemptions are justified and whether changes to permit timelines are needed. Several members agreed the information would be useful and that agencies should already be tracking it. The committee then voted to pass Senate Bill 74 on a roll call, with the motion approved and the bill placed on consent for further consideration, with a note that it would go to finance for review of the fiscal note. The committee then took up Senate Bill 196, which would raise the threshold for certain in-house construction projects handled by the Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services and two other departments from $500,000 to $1 million, described as an inflationary update. The sponsor said the department’s existing staff can handle these smaller renovation-type projects and that the bill should not require new positions; the deputy adjutant general later confirmed the department does not need additional staff and said the projects are typically roof, boiler, and similar repairs. Members asked about a fiscal note suggesting new positions and about revenue/expenditure impacts, and the sponsor explained that the fiscal note language appeared to reflect an earlier draft and that the budget effect is largely a shift in where the work is performed. The committee recessed briefly for the deputy adjutant general’s arrival, then continued discussion of the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then there is an opportunity for the agents to go back to the applicant and say, notwithstanding
• And then there is an opportunity for the agents to go back to the applicant and say, notwithstanding
• And then there is an opportunity for the agents to go back to the applicant and say, notwithstanding
• Is it for a small transfer station?
• station and I can tell you if transfer station and I can tell you if it's<01:54:10.440> 180<01

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I also respectfully request that the legislature include language allowing OEE to transfer funds to the
• We don't have, like, FBI agents, for example, that just go out and can stake out a convenience store.
• We don't have agents that could stake out a child care center, for example, right?
• Topics have included cash management and cash handling, offboarding, and written knowledge transfer documentation
• audience on a number of topics such as procurement, governance, and other kinds of oversight, knowledge transfer

Keywords: 995, all

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Center for Persons with Disabilities, or NDCPD, at Minot State University to act as the bona fide agent
• Center for Persons with Disabilities, or NDCPD, at Minot State University to act as the bona fide agent
• Severe impairment in eating, toileting, or transferring signals that the individual likely needs a nursing
• At present, $2.5 million requested and transferred from the SIF have never been utilized, and that's
• As of July 1, 2027, any unobligated funds, or in this case the entire balance, would be transferred back

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Human Services Committee met in interim session and first approved the previous meeting minutes before receiving a series of presentations on homelessness and housing stability. Jennifer Henderson of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency updated members on the new Interagency Council on Homelessness, describing its executive-order mandate to review resources, gather input from stakeholders, identify gaps, and develop recommendations. She said the council’s first work is building a statewide program matrix of existing homeless services and funding sources, with attention to youth, tribal communities, and other vulnerable populations. Members raised concerns about youth homelessness, homeless veterans, and how the council will stay focused on a practical framework rather than getting lost in details. The committee also discussed possible connections to the rural health transformation grant and agreed to continue the topic later in the spring. Beth Olson of Presentation Partners in Housing described the organization’s housing-first model in Cass County and Clay County, including homeless prevention/diversion, housing navigation, and Cooper House, a 42-unit permanent supportive housing building in Fargo. She said the organization focuses on people with long-term and chronic homelessness, many with mental health, addiction, health, domestic violence, and Indigenous identity-related barriers, and reported strong outcomes: 85 of 86 people housed in 2025, 91% still housed after one year, and major reductions in emergency room use, ambulance rides, jail stays, detox days, and shelter use. She also explained that state funding has grown from a small share of the budget to about $1.1 million in state-connected funding for fiscal 2026, largely through contracts tied to supportive services. Members asked about vouchers, rent contributions at Cooper House, length of stay, and whether similar projects could be expanded elsewhere. Andrea Olson of the Community Action Partnership of North Dakota outlined statewide homeless and housing-related services delivered through six community action agencies in all 53 counties. She explained the Community Services Block Grant structure, said housing was identified as the top need in the most recent statewide needs assessment, and described programs including Supportive Services for Veteran Families, North Dakota Homeless Grant services, and Home ARP supportive services. She emphasized that the end of North Dakota Rent Help has increased pressure on the system, that the current $2 million annual homeless grant is far smaller than prior rent-help assistance, and that community action is using case management and financial assistance to move households toward self-sufficiency. Members asked about funding formulas, rural service delivery, and coordination with Presentation Partners to avoid duplication. YouthWorks then began a presentation on youth homelessness, describing services for ages 12 to 24, the special needs of youth and former foster youth, and the organization’s use of federal and state funds to support transitional housing, emergency shelter, maternity housing, and diversion services.

Transcript Highlights:

• > medical agents worked with uh medical agents worked with uh medical professionals<01:05:03.680
• Extension's impact wasn't limited to our agents, as referenced by Senator Webb earlier.
• Currently, we have 40 veteran extension agents who have volunteered to be on our strike teams.
• Then we work to identify the agents who are nearby who can go and meet that need.
• , they're deployed when extension agents, they're deployed when extension agents, you<01:14:56.239

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met to adopt the minutes of the second meeting by voice vote, then heard an update focused on disaster preparedness, resiliency, response, and coordination among state agencies and partners. The chair emphasized avoiding duplication of resources and highlighted the importance of agriculture-related response issues, including animal evacuation, feed distribution, and the role of extension services during disasters. The Department for Public Health was invited to explain its role in emergency planning and response. Public Health described its Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch as the lead coordinating agency for Emergency Support Function 8, covering health and medical services under Kentucky’s emergency operations framework. Testimony outlined its broad responsibilities, including support for hospitals, morgues, local health departments, behavioral health, crisis counseling, suspicious package testing, disease outbreaks, and coordination with emergency management, EMS, transportation, and nonprofit and private partners. Officials also described the agency’s risk-assessment process, training and exercise programs, and deployed assets such as PPE caches, deployable communications, a federal medical station, a mobile treatment center, and alternate care support used in events like the eastern Kentucky floods and COVID-19. The agency also discussed funding through federal cooperative agreements for public health emergency preparedness and hospital preparedness, noting that these programs have evolved since 9/11 and have been shaped by major disasters and emerging threats. Officials said Kentucky’s funding has declined over time and that current awards are partially funded for the first time in the program’s history. They expressed support for efficiency if federal programs are consolidated, but cautioned that combining programs could risk further funding losses.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also have a group from Larue and Green County that are up today with their 4-H agents.
• I also have a group from Larue and Green County that are up today with their 4-H agents.
• I found my passion, and that is to become an extensionist agent.
• I found my passion, and that is to become an extensionist agent.
• wants to become an an extension agent wants to become an an extension agent agent<00:19:29.480><

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Agriculture Committee met with a large group of 4-H and FFA students and guests in attendance, and members repeatedly highlighted the importance of those youth programs to agriculture and future leadership. The committee first took up House Bill 356, as amended by a committee substitute, which would create the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative. The sponsor explained that the substitute broadened the bill beyond hands-on farming to include agricultural education, agribusiness, advocacy, internships, apprenticeships, and other experiential learning, while also lowering the starting age from 6 to 5, removing the requirement that participants have access to farmland, and changing the program into a pilot focused on urban youth. Testimony from a 4-H student and Kentucky 4-H leadership emphasized that the goal is to remove barriers and provide access to agriculture education for all youth, including those in urban areas. Several members spoke in support, noting the value of urban agriculture and youth exposure to the field, and one member asked whether urban community gardens would fit within the concept; the sponsor said the substitute was designed to allow that kind of access. The committee then voted unanimously to pass HB 356 as amended, and also approved a title amendment. After HB 356, the committee moved to House Bill 315, a foreign adversary land bill intended to limit certain foreign entities’ ability to purchase land in Kentucky. The sponsor said the bill was carried over from a prior version drafted by a former representative. The chair then recognized Tim Shank, general counsel for the Kentucky Bankers Association, who testified in opposition to the mechanics of Section 8 dealing with foreclosure. He said banks are already heavily regulated and must screen borrowers through federal systems such as FinCEN, and warned that the bill’s provisions could create problems for community banks that make agricultural loans and potentially limit access to credit if the issue became widespread. The transcript ends during discussion of HB 315, before any final committee action on that bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because your department, or the assessors, also receive the paperwork when there is a transfer of deed
• I like the Amendment A piece of it, but at the end of the day, this is really a transfer of taxation
• of of taxation from really a transfer of of taxation from homeowners. homeowners. homeowners. um um
• Uh, and so we don't want that happening because we don't want undercover agents playing poker to make
• Uh, and so we don't want that happening because we don't want undercover agents playing poker to make

Bills: SF0110, SF0044, SF0046

Keywords: property tax, residential real estate, tax assessment, primary residence, tax revenue, gambling, lotteries, raffles, social relationships, charitable gaming, gaming, liquor establishments, skill based amusement games, regulations, age restrictions, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On wire transfer cash transfers, the federal government already charges a fee.
• <01:01:55.760> would licensees that do wire transfers would licensees that do wire transfers
• authorized DFA as central leasing agent authorized DFA as central leasing agent for<01:37:56.400
• <03:01:06.880> of where the sale, delivery, or transfer of where the sale, delivery, or transfer
• <03:59:47.880> from Many L TAC patients are transferred from Many L TAC patients are transferred

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 12 February, 2026; 9:30 AM, 925, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum present, dispensed with the reading of the journal, committee reports, and bill titles, and heard an invocation and pledge. The early portion of the meeting focused on recognizing recipients of the 2026 Governor’s Arts Awards. The Senate adopted resolutions honoring Greg Harkins for excellence in traditional craft, Jesse Robinson for lifetime achievement in blues music, Heather Christian for excellence in music composition, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra for excellence in performing arts, and Dorothy “Dottie” Armstrong for excellence in art education. The executive director of the Mississippi Arts Commission briefly thanked the senators and invited them to the evening awards ceremony. The chamber also received several announcements and introductions, including recognition of the Mississippi Society of Radiologic Technologists’ Capitol Day and visiting students from several radiologic science programs. There was also mention of an out-of-order resolution commemorating the 155th anniversary of Alcorn State University, though no action on it was detailed in the excerpt. On the calendar, the Senate took up Senate Bill 2915, which concerns alcoholic beverages, native wine retail permits, and festival permits. The bill was explained as a measure to support Mississippi’s native wineries by allowing free-standing tasting rooms in different parts of the state while maintaining tax collection; a committee substitute and a friendly amendment were adopted, and the bill passed by use of the morning roll call. The Senate then began consideration of Senate Bill 2828, the Money Transmission Modernization Act, which would impose transaction fees, create a Law Enforcement 287G Program Fund, provide an income tax credit for fees paid, and revise licensing and control definitions. After objections to the usual motion, the bill was read at length, but the excerpt ends before final action on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• uh net neutral transfer of about $7,000. uh net neutral transfer of about $7,000.
• from the Colorado Water transfer from the Colorado Water Conservation<04:14:48.560> Board<04:
• Enter one rogue agent, one rogue person at the CBI lab who tampered with upwards of 10,000 pieces of
• Enter one rogue<04:39:20.320> agent,<04:39:21.359> one<04:39:21.680> rogue<04:39
• transfer. I ask for a no vote. transfer. I ask for a no vote.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• video evidence of ICE agents video evidence of ICE agents repeatedly repeatedly repeatedly asking
• Minnesota to challenge uh, ICE agents Minnesota to challenge uh, ICE agents who<00:42:34.720>
• It was masked agents. He didn't know if it was shock police.
• and we can continue on with those agents and we can continue on with those agents who<01:01:49.920
• I don't think we do to regulate federal agents in the state of Minnesota.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:59:52.359> is um in the application the agent is um in the application the agent is required
• The most common complaint I always have about managing agents is everybody thinks all managing agents
• The most common complaint I always have about managing agents is everybody thinks all managing agents
• The most common complaint I always have about managing agents is everybody thinks all managing agents
• The most common complaint I always have about managing agents is everybody thinks all managing agents

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce met on January 30, 2025, and heard testimony on several condominium-related bills, beginning with HB 70. HB 70 would require a budget summary disclosure for condominiums. Supporters, including Community Associations Institute, a real estate broker, and several condominium owners, said the bill would improve consumer protection by giving owners and buyers a clearer, more understandable snapshot of an association’s financial health and reserve compliance. One supporter noted the bill should help reduce confusion caused by lengthy reserve studies and emphasized the importance of accurate disclosure. A testifier also urged the committee to hear other condominium bills quickly, including measures related to an ombudsman, managing agents, parliamentarians, and attorney’s fees. The committee then heard HB 106, which would change the process for condominium fines and disputes. Phil Nery of CAI and other supporters said the bill would strengthen due process by requiring clearer notice, allowing an internal board appeal, and then permitting small claims court review without attorney’s fees unless the fine is upheld. They argued this would prevent fines from escalating into costly legal disputes and provide a more linear, fair process. Some supporters suggested amendments, including clarifying that the statute controls over association documents and refining refund language. During questioning, members raised concerns about small claims limits and whether associations would be represented by volunteers or attorneys. One testifier initially in support later said he would not support the bill as written after hearing HPD’s concerns. HB 224, relating to property rights, drew opposition from the Department of the Attorney General and the Honolulu Police Department. Both agencies said the bill would improperly push law enforcement into a quasi-judicial role and could short-circuit existing due process procedures for occupants of residences. A realtor who had initially been listed in support changed his position after hearing the opposition testimony. The committee also heard emotional testimony from a resident describing a long-running squatter and utility theft problem at a neighboring property, which he said took years of court action and police involvement to resolve. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the meeting reflected in the transcript.