Video & Transcript Research : 'liability reduction'

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HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

CPN Public Hearing 01-29-2026

Commerce and Consumer Protection

Summary: The Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee opened its first hearing of the year with remarks from Chair Jared Kohole outlining hearing procedures, a two-minute testimony limit, rules for remote testimony and decorum, and a revised testimony-publication pilot that keeps 96-hour notice but returns to a standard 24-hour testimony deadline. He then moved through the agenda, beginning with SB 2004 on outdoor advertising, which would increase penalties for violations of billboard and outdoor advertising laws. Testimony on that measure was limited; Henry Curtis of Life of the Land was first up, and written support was noted from Hawaiian Electric and the Outdoor Circle. The committee then heard SB 2039 on election campaign finance, which would prohibit certain business entities from engaging in campaign finance activities. The Attorney General’s office offered comments and did not take a formal position at the hearing. Several proponents testified in support, including Josh Frost, Tom Moore of the Center for American Progress, Hapa/Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, and Common Cause Hawaiʻi, all arguing the bill would curb corporate and dark-money influence and return elections to the people. Moore distinguished between regulating corporate “rights” and limiting corporate “powers,” and said the state can redefine the powers it grants corporations. In questions, Senator McKelvey asked whether the bill could be expanded to include unions; the Attorney General said he would need to get back with legal analysis, while Moore said his preferred approach would include all entities and that leaving out nonprofits or unions would create problems. Members also discussed whether the bill would affect PACs, and Moore explained that the proposal would prohibit corporate and dark-money flows into PACs while leaving individual political giving and existing political committees in place. The committee then moved on to the next measure. SB 2042, relating to insurance, was heard next. The bill would reduce the unimpaired minimum capital and surplus required of class 4 sponsored captive insurance companies under certain circumstances. The DCCA Insurance Division said it stood on its written testimony, and the Hawaii Captive Insurance Council testified in support, describing the change as a narrow, risk-based adjustment that would not affect the commissioner’s authority where actual risk resides and would help keep Hawaii competitive. The committee noted additional written support and proceeded without a vote or final action in the portion of the hearing provided.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations Feb 12th, 2026

Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:
  • removes a stipend offset that was intended to ensure that youth in the program were covered for any reduction
  • Outdated liability thresholds by increasing per-claim caps from 200 to 300 and the aggregate cap from
  • It establishes clear insurance and liability standards and caps attorney's fees at 25% of recovered funds
  • another statute that deals with caps on non-economic damages that runs through a physician, outdated liability
  • It establishes clear insurance and liability standards and caps attorney's fees at 25% of recovered funds
Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills, beginning with SB 694 on compensation for the descendants of the Groveland Four. Senator Bracey Davis described the wrongful accusations, convictions, deaths, and long-term harm to the families, and an amendment added a $4 million appropriation and updated the recipient for Ernest Thomas’s family. Multiple family members, advocates, clergy, and supporters testified in favor, emphasizing the decades-long delay in justice and the need for accountability and repair. Senators from both parties spoke in support, and the committee reported the bill favorably after a roll call vote. The committee then approved SB 330 on disability provisions for firefighters, law enforcement, and correctional officers; SB 474 on military affairs leave and related benefits; and SB 96 on the Veterans Dental Care Grant Program. SB 96 drew the most discussion, with Senator Sharief explaining that the bill raises eligibility to 400% of the federal poverty level and moves $500,000 in recurring funding to the General Appropriations Act. Senator Wright and Senator Harrell raised concerns about whether expanding eligibility could worsen the existing waitlist, while supporters argued the change would help more veterans access needed dental care. The bill was ultimately reported favorably. The committee also passed SB 7018 on child welfare, making the Step Into Success pilot program permanent and statewide, adjusting visitor/background-check rules for foster homes, and creating a best-practices program through the Florida Institute for Child Welfare. SB 480 on information technology was reported favorably after amendments creating a central IT governance structure under the Governor’s office, adding vendor performance metrics and a preferred vendor list, and restoring criminal justice information security provisions. SB 1066 on the Ocklawaha River and Rodman Dam also advanced after extensive testimony from supporters and historians about partial restoration, recreation, and economic benefits; the sponsor said he would continue working through permitting questions before floor consideration. Later, the committee approved SB 1216 on educator compensation, which gives districts more flexibility on cost-of-living adjustments, advanced degrees, and performance pay caps, and SB 1120 on water management district oversight and reporting. The committee also reported favorably SB 1366 on sovereign immunity and claims against government, which would raise damages caps, index them to CPI, shorten claim deadlines, and cap attorney fees at 25%. That bill drew testimony from hospitals, cities, counties, school districts, and others, with some supporting the Senate’s compromise approach and others raising concerns about impacts on self-insured law enforcement agencies and attorney incentives. The meeting concluded with the favorable report on the bill after debate continued over those issues.
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Education Finance Committee 2/27/25

Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • Representative Lee said, “Two points, because this is Ed Finance, and I think it — I guess a reduction
  • is I'm being asked, and this committee will probably be asked, where are you going to find the reductions
  • going<01:38:10.040> to<01:38:10.159> find<01:38:10.360> the<01:38:10.480> reductions
  • <01:38:11.320> this<01:38:11.400> is<01:38:11.560> a going to find the reductions
  • this is a going to find the reductions this is a start<01:38:14.199> thank<01:38:14.360> you
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee Apr 16th, 2025

Public Safety and Homeland Security

Transcript Highlights:
  • HB411 is a proposed bill that's going to protect people from civil liability in situations where someone
  • having the wording in there about the criminal case is to make sure that we're not giving someone liability
Bills: HB411, HB559
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Health Policy Jan 26th, 2026

Health Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • We reduce provider liability by maintaining real-time notifications of employee arrests, reduce workforce
  • They may dispense it and have no criminal or legal liability under that requirement.
  • They may dispense it and have no criminal or legal liability under that requirement.
  • Given that the bill provides immunity from both state civil and criminal liability, I believe that if
  • , immune from liability, you ought to do it for those who have, who are actually qualified to do this
Bills: S1082, S1168, S1756, S1156, S1480
Summary: The committee took up several health-related bills. SB 1082, on a statewide provider and health plan claim dispute resolution program, was presented as a way to let providers and insurers use the federal independent dispute resolution process for emergency out-of-network claims under state-regulated commercial plans. A late-filed amendment clarified when providers and health plans could access the state program, and the bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. SB 1168, which would centralize background screening clearinghouse functions at the Agency for Health Care Administration, also passed as amended after an amendment requiring sealed and expunged records to be included in screenings for qualified entities. Supporters said centralization would improve turnaround times, reduce duplication, and save costs; the sponsor said the bill also addresses coaches’ background screening language from last session. The committee then approved SB 1156, which moves ambulatory surgery center regulation out of the hospital-focused chapter of law into a standalone section, and SB 1480, as amended by a strike-all, which would grandfather certain temporary certificate holders practicing in areas of critical need if federal designation changes affect those areas. Testimony on SB 1480 emphasized continuity of care for patients in underserved communities, and the bill was reported favorably. The final and most heavily debated measure was SB 1756 on medical freedom, which would require state-approved educational materials on childhood vaccines, require practitioners to provide those materials and alternative schedules before vaccination, expand school immunization exemptions to include conscience-based objections, clarify that the Surgeon General cannot order vaccination during a public health emergency, and authorize pharmacists to provide ivermectin behind the counter without a prescription with written information and safeguards. The sponsor argued the bill strengthens parental choice and informed consent. Committee members raised concerns about vaccine-preventable disease risks, immunocompromised children, school outbreaks, and the impact of adding a new exemption. A Department of Health representative said the department would need to provide details on the history of exemption consultations and noted that removing the earlier consultation requirement had not been shown to increase outbreaks. The committee adopted a friendly amendment to give physicians the same liability protection as pharmacists for ivermectin dispensing, but rejected a substitute amendment that would have required a consultation for exemption requests. Public testimony was overwhelmingly opposed to the bill, with physicians, pediatric specialists, cancer advocates, parents of immunocompromised children, and public health groups warning that it would lower vaccination rates and endanger vulnerable Floridians. The bill remained pending after testimony, with the committee continuing to hear public comment.
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee Apr 9th, 2025

Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Transcript Highlights:
  • Operators must have liability insurance that meets or liability insurance that meets or exceeds the minimum
  • Operators must have liability insurance.
  • Now, on this, I have met with and put something in there that came with liability concerns from the county
Bills: HB352, HB366, SB272, SB296
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

House - Judiciary Feb 9th, 2026 at 06:43 pm

House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • Therefore, the crime is one of strict liability.
  • So it is a strict liability crime in that sense. ...was under the age of 18.
  • It is strict liability.
  • It is a strict liability.
  • It's strict liability on that part.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Mar 26th, 2025

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • Currently, under our health care liability claim statutes, some minors have an extra time period beyond
  • If we really want to offer liability justice to Texans who have been harmed, these protections cannot
  • In addition, youth gender modification should be excluded as a health care liability claim from Section
  • Again, we're open. into extending those liability periods for all types of medical care, but to do it
  • If you want to extend the liability period, let's do that for all medical care.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Mar 26th, 2025

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • Members, this is Chairman Cecil Bell's bill we heard on March 12, relating to the civil liability of
  • Members, this is Chairman Guillen's bill that we heard last week relating to civil liability arising
  • This is Speaker Moody's bill that we heard last week, relating to civil liability arising from a firearm
  • We heard last week relating to the liability of a cavern entity for injuries arising from certain activities
  • In addition to other limitations of liability. Are there any questions?
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Banking and Insurance Jan 13th, 2026

Banking and Insurance

Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm encouraged by the momentum we've had on the downward trajectory of the policy count and the liabilities
Summary: The Committee on Banking and Insurance met with a quorum and took up several bills, beginning with SB 834 on insurance requirements for nonprofit religious organizations and health care sharing ministries. The bill repeals a recent restriction on licensed insurance agents marketing or selling faith-based health care sharing programs. Supporters argued the change restores free speech and consumer education while preserving existing fraud and disclosure protections; opponents said allowing agents and brokers could create consumer confusion and has been associated with bad actors. A title amendment was adopted, and after debate the committee reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard and passed SB 642, which extends reporting and duty requirements to foreign and alien bail bond insurers, and SB 394, a technical bill updating reinsurance intermediary manager law to match current DFS practice. SB 266, which lets vulnerable adults rescind public adjuster contracts without penalty, was reported favorably after testimony from supporters in the insurance and elder law communities and a public adjuster who said the intent was good but the bill may need refinement. SB 832, a residential property insurance transparency bill requiring rate breakdown reports and a consumer resource center, also passed after discussion about consumer clarity and whether the required cost categories can be compiled as written. Later, the committee approved SB 540, which creates cybersecurity requirements for mortgage and money service businesses, closes a regulatory gap for certain investment advisers, adjusts OFR examination-payment deadlines, changes de novo charter requirements, allows virtual credit union meetings, and makes other financial regulation updates. Several amendments were adopted, including a substitute amendment removing fintech sandbox provisions. Finally, SB 1028 on Citizens Property Insurance Corporation was reported favorably after debate over a commercial lines clearinghouse intended to reduce Citizens’ exposure and shift more business to the private market; members discussed taxpayer risk, market competition, and consumer protections. The meeting ended with adjournment.