Senate committee reports two bills to repeal inactive childcare and housing funds

The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee voted on March 11 to report two bills that would repeal unused or inactive state funds and accounts tied to childcare and housing.

Takuma Inouye, staff to Sen. James Kaufman, told the committee that SB 263 "is part of an effort to use the inactive state funds report by Legislative Finance Division to repeal unused and inactive state funds and accounts," and that SB 264 performs the same function for housing-related funds. Rob Carpenter of the Legislative Finance Division was listed as available to answer committee questions.

Chair Senator Bjorkman opened public testimony on both measures but no members of the public registered to speak. A committee member moved to report SB 263 from committee with individual recommendations and an attached fiscal note; the chair asked for objection, heard none, and announced SB 263 was reported from committee. The committee followed the same process for SB 264.

Neither bill drew substantive debate in committee on March 11, and both were reported out without recorded roll-call votes after committee members indicated no objections. The committee noted it would sign the committee reports after the meeting.

What happens next: both measures were reported from committee and will proceed according to the Senate’s rules, including assignment to subsequent floor action or further committee consideration as required.