Transcript Highlights:

• So in 2022, the legislature directed Ecology to add an additional review cycle for a specific set of
• So in 2022, the legislature directed ecology to add an additional review cycle for a specific set of
• And our next report to the legislature is due in June of 2027.
• The report will be made available to the legislature in January of 2029.
• Currently the legislature has allocated over $55 million of funding.

Summary: The committee held a work session covering PFAS regulation and impacts, no-cost allowance allocation for emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries (EITEs), and regional resource adequacy and data center load growth. Senator Victoria Hunt was welcomed as a new member. The Department of Ecology reviewed Washington’s Safer Products for Washington PFAS work, including completed restrictions on PFAS in outdoor furniture, carpets, rugs, stain/water-resistant treatments, and newer rules adopted in November restricting PFAS in most apparel, cleaning products, and automotive washes, with reporting requirements for some other products such as cookware and firefighting gear. Ecology also described Cycle 2 PFAS reviews now underway, including artificial turf and paints, and answered questions about compliance, online sales, sell-through periods, and how Washington’s approach differs from broader bans in states like Maine and Minnesota. The Department of Ecology also presented on PFAS in biosolids, describing a 2024 sampling study, limitations in testing methods, and a 2025 statutory amendment requiring additional sampling between 2027 and 2028 and a report to the legislature in 2029. The Department of Health then updated the committee on PFAS in drinking water, reporting that most Group A public water systems have completed sampling, that 317 sources and 188 systems are expected to exceed new contaminant levels, and that treatment costs for public systems are estimated at about $970 million, leaving a large funding gap; members also asked about private wells, health effects, bathing exposure, and home filters. The Board of Health’s new state action levels are being aligned with federal MCLs, and the department said it expects to continue monitoring and notification under state rules. Ecology also briefed the committee on no-cost allowance allocations to EITEs under the Climate Commitment Act, explaining the leakage-mitigation rationale, the current allocation schedule through 2034, and a forthcoming report on policy options for 2035-2050; members asked about industry barriers, competitiveness, and whether facilities might leave the state. Finally, E3 presented a regional resource adequacy study showing rising load, retirements outpacing additions, limited winter reliability value from wind, solar, and batteries, and a projected shortfall beginning in 2026 that could grow to about 9,000 MW by 2030 if planned projects are not built. The presentation emphasized winter cold-weather events, hydro variability, the importance of permitting and transmission, and longer-term options including nuclear, geothermal, hydrogen, carbon capture, and long-duration storage. EPRI then introduced its DC Flex initiative, which is studying how data centers can provide flexible load through workload shifting, cooling optimization, and on-site backup or bridging resources to reduce grid stress and protect ratepayers.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is my first committee meeting as a new member of the state legislature.
• In 2019, the legislature passed major changes to MOTCA accounts and the HST to really stabilize the funding
• As the legislature considers solutions, these dollars far exceed the money available.
• As the legislature considers solutions to shore up funding for these essential programs and projects,
• We really appreciate the work the Legislature has done on this.

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:

• Believe it or not, I've not been able to get that passed through the legislature.
• Our state legislature. And I've seen that, very frankly, over the last 20 or so years.
• I've seen our legislature have a diminishing role as a check and balance on the executive branch.
• Let's not be an acquiescent legislature. Legislature. So those are my thoughts on this legislation.
• And also the state legislature, the majority of the state legislature.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• So we really appreciate the, the opportunity to work closely with the legislature on a number of initiatives
• Um, and again, we, we appreciate having been able to work with the legislature on a number of initiatives
• With the legislature increasing funding, putting in place important programming, there's so much that
• I've had conversations with some of the members of the legislature as well.
• The legislature is mandated to provide penalties for violating this section.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, the legislature created a few years ago a data sharing subcommittee.
• I think that that's one of the cruxes of the issues that we hope to address as a legislature.
• So what can we as a legislature do better, or how can we improve the follow-up?
• One was for the legislature to require Admin to...
• The legislature put into place a whole bunch of requirements in 2023.

Bills: HF3043 , HF2891

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• As I testified just a second ago, since 1951, the legislature 76 77 analysis with the Texas Court of
• The duties clause does not permit the legislature to assign to the Attorney General any duty without
• . legislature, the judiciary, and the executive create a separation of powers doctrine.
• The legislature has violated the separation of powers doctrine because we are not aware of any other
• I think they have to, from my understanding, they have to answer to the legislature on those crimes.

Bills: SB108 , SB318 , SB507 , SB511 , SB533 , SB1026 , SB1386 , SB1433 , SB1434 , SB1596

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• And so the legislature in the FY25 budget had created this group.
• And then the legislature had asked the group to consider whether or not there was a benchmark that the
• So this was a difficult process, but we wanted to make sure that the Legislature realized that we took
• The legislature used the rainy day fund, but it's not sustainable.
• The legislature used the rainy day fund, but it's not sustainable.

Summary: The subcommittee opened with roll call and approved the November 2025 minutes. Commissioner Charlie Carr then introduced Leslie Darcy, chief of LTSS at MassHealth, who provided an update on the PCA working group and on federal and state budget pressures affecting MassHealth and long-term services and supports. Darcy said the PCA working group had completed its work and submitted recommendations, including reinstating the 66-hour overtime cap, strengthening program integrity, and ending paid paperwork time for EVV users; she said those changes were implemented on 11/26 and were expected to save $7.4 million. She also described additional consensus recommendations to lower the overtime cap from 66 to 60 hours, create a seven-hour weekly meal-prep support limit, and continue exploring benchmarks, though the group could not reach consensus on a benchmark standard. Darcy warned that a federal bill enacted about six months earlier would significantly affect MassHealth, with an estimated $3.5 billion loss to the Commonwealth by 2028. She outlined upcoming changes including revised immigrant eligibility rules in October 2026, work requirements for certain non-disabled adults beginning in January 2027, six-month redeterminations for some adults, and shorter retroactive coverage periods. In response to questions, she said people with disabilities and Medicare beneficiaries would be exempt from the work and six-month redetermination requirements. She also explained that reduced federal ACA subsidies were being offset in Massachusetts by state spending, including $250 million in additional state support to keep premiums lower for middle-income families. Members raised concerns about community hospitals, the health safety net, and the impact of federal funding changes on provider rates and uncompensated care. Darcy said restrictions on provider taxes would limit MassHealth’s ability to use those revenues to support rates, and she noted a current $300 million shortfall in the health safety net. She said FY27 would likely include a rate freeze, targeted reductions, one-time budget measures, and further work groups to examine programs such as adult foster care, which she said had grown 40% in two years. Carr emphasized that the situation was serious but potentially fluid, and the meeting ended with no further business; the subcommittee agreed to adjourn before the next meeting and noted an upcoming February presentation from the Department of Public Health.

Transcript Highlights:

• and, if not specific recommendation, kind of a menu of options for all of us to consider in the Legislature
• and, if not specific recommendation, kind of a menu of options for all of us to consider in the Legislature
• and, if not specific recommendation, kind of a menu of options for all of us to consider in the Legislature
• But we've really, you know, in the legislature at least, said, you know, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• ...in the legislature at least, said, you know, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts should be leading the

Summary: The meeting was the first organizational session of the special commission created by Chapter 238 of the Acts of 2024 to study the future of payments and sales transactions by credit card and the impacts on small businesses. Chair James Murphy and Senator Paul Feeney explained that there would be no testimony at this meeting; instead, commissioners introduced themselves and discussed how the commission would structure its work and future hearings. The commission’s charge includes examining payment trends, cashless transactions, credit card fees, mobile payments, buy now, pay later financing, and the impact of Section 28A of Chapter 140D on small businesses, with a final report and recommendations expected. Members and stakeholders generally supported the proposed approach, including hearings focused on business and consumer experiences, the legal and regulatory landscape, and policy options such as transparency measures, fee disclosures, reporting requirements, and possible limits. Several participants emphasized that swipe fees are a major and growing cost for retailers and restaurants, and that the issue is timely given changes in payment habits and developments in other states. One member suggested the commission also consider cryptocurrency in transactions, and another raised the possibility of holding hearings in locations outside the State House to improve access for small businesses across the Commonwealth. The chairs said staff is still organizing hearing topics and may group testimony by subject matter. They announced a tentative first hearing date of April 8 in Gardner Auditorium, with testimony allowed in person, online, or in writing, and noted that the number of hearings will depend on public interest. The commission also agreed to invite members to suggest experts or additional topics, and the meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn that passed unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• funding through the Higher Education Department, and appropriations would be made by the state legislature
• They must be approved by the legislature before they’re granted to the department.
• again, the Higher Education Department would then approve the projects, and then ultimately the legislature
• Higher Education Department would basically do the analysis and then would have to come to the legislature
• , so it's there as a guidepost but not to bind the legislature to any particular project before they're

Summary: The committee first announced that House Bill 180 would be rolled because of administration concerns, with plans to meet with stakeholders and sponsors later in the week. The committee then took up House Bill 8, which would create and transfer $300 million to a Major Capital Projects Fund for higher education, with stated priorities of $150 million for the UNM School of Medicine, $50 million for a multipurpose building at NMSU, and $100 million for student life and housing projects statewide. The sponsor and staff explained eligibility rules, match requirements, waiver procedures, and how institutions would apply through the Higher Education Department, with the legislature retaining final appropriation authority. Public testimony was strongly supportive. Representatives from the New Mexico Council of University Presidents, NMSU, and the independent community colleges said the bill would address major capital and housing needs, especially for student housing and facilities that are not well served by current funding streams. Committee members asked detailed questions about match waivers, who would set waiver standards, whether housing and family housing projects would qualify, and how the fund would interact with the budget and the State Investment Council. Staff clarified that the fund is a transfer from the general fund rather than an endowment, and that the $150 million for the UNM School of Medicine in the budget depends on passage of HB 8. Members also discussed the bill’s graduation-rate standards for athletics projects, noting current rates at UNM and NMSU are below the 65% threshold and would need to improve over time. After questions concluded, the committee adopted an amendment that removed the general-fund transfer language and struck a section on page 5, then voted “do pass” on House Bill 8 as amended. Representative Pettigrew was noted in opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sometimes we see stuff come from the state legislature that you all work on. Follow-up? None. Okay.
• So that's our starting point for when the Legislature sets a budget for an agency.
• Last year, the Legislature decided to make the Idaho Home Visiting Program a one-time appropriation.
• This was also a requirement in House Bill 345 that passed the Legislature last session.
• The governor just recommends that the Legislature let the department begin hiring those positions in

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• This session is the time for the Legislature to demonstrate in a dramatic and lasting way how serious
• Let me talk about the court's obligation to the legislature, which is to faithfully and consistently.
• We don't ask ourselves, did the legislature really mean what they said? that?
• Or am I interested at all in a conflict with the legislature over which branch of the government has
• I want to thank the legislature for the work it's done. done in recent sessions, to require DFPS to keep

Transcript Highlights:

• DPS was directed by the 88th legislature. to conduct a study to improve the effectiveness and efficiency
• The 88th legislature appropriated $15.6 million to a federal government to address the drug toxicology
• And the last thing I'll mention is just the support from the legislature.
• Texas legislature funded these ballistic windshields, and when we interview our recruits Why are you
• In the 79th legislature, the 15-year replacement schedule has expired.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V

Transcript Highlights:

• PROCESS OF ACTUALLY UPDATING EVERY ONE OF OUR B MAPS TO INCORPORATE SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT THE LEGISLATURE
• THE LEGISLATURE ADOPTED SENATE BILL 712, WHICH IS BASICALLY ONE PIECE OF THAT WHICH WAS TO REQUIRE LOCAL
• THIS IS A SCREENSHOT THAT IS SUBMITTED TO THE LEGISLATURE EACH YEAR.
• SO THE LEGISLATURE AND AT THE DEPARTMENT'S BILL EXPANDED THIS TO THE WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GRANT
• THEY ALREADY HAVE A MECHANISM THAT WE HAVE SET UP IN THE LEGISLATURE AND FUNDED TO THE TUNE OF OVER $1

Transcript Highlights:

• The legislature did an our school runs.
• This legislature and the U.S.
• So in the legislature this fall.
• </c> the READ Act and the legislature the READ Act and the legislature deciding<01:47:29.119><c> on</
• </c> seclusion that we can as a legislature seclusion that we can as a legislature say,<01:48:06.880>

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the process that we that the legislature the process that we that the legislature laid<00:10:40.800
• ><c> wrote</c><01:18:55.600><c> the</c> Number one, the legislature wrote the Number one, the legislature
• The legislature passed it, but let's be honest about the makeup of the legislature at that time. um has
• The legislature passed it, but let's be honest about the makeup of the legislature at that time.
• </c> again you don't need us as a legislature again you don't need us as a legislature to<01:26:30.800

Bills: HF3217 , HF2252

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: bioindustrial facilities, economic development, renewable energy, advanced biofuels, state funding, HF2252, Minnesota bonding, volume cap, private activity bonds, tax-exempt bonds, public facility bonds, public facilities pool, unified pool, bond allocation, municipal finance, bond cap, housing bonds, residential rental projects, manufacturing bonds, enterprise zone bonds

Transcript Highlights:

• This week on Senate Spotlight, the 94th Legislature has come to an end, which begs the question: how
• The end of the 94th Legislature [music] The end of the 94th Legislature [music] signifies<00:01:03.680
• Um, we had a divided legislature. It's an election year.
• </c><00:02:06.360><c> It's</c><00:02:06.560><c> an</c> Um we had a divided legislature.
• It's an Um we had a divided legislature. It's an election<00:02:07.120><c> year.

Summary: The program reviewed the end of Minnesota’s 94th Legislature and featured interviews with Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy and Minority Leader Mark Johnson about the session’s major outcomes. Murphy said Senate Democrats used their one-seat advantage to advance priorities including emergency rental assistance, immigration enforcement, stabilization of HCMC, gun violence prevention, and a $1.2 billion infrastructure/bonding bill. She also highlighted a one-year reduction in vehicle tab fees, some property tax and business tax relief, and the creation of an independent Office of Inspector General, while saying more should have been done on lead pipe replacement and that some work was delayed by House inaction and federal policy changes. Murphy argued the session was shaped by a divided legislature and by negotiations that often happened late and behind closed doors, which she said made the process frustrating and left some Senate proposals without House counterparts. She said the Senate also worked on protecting Medicaid and SNAP from federal cuts and on stabilizing hospitals, especially HCMC and rural facilities. She described the gun violence and immigration debates as examples where bipartisan demands did not match what she saw as the needs of Minnesotans, and said the state should return to more public conference committee negotiations next session. Johnson said Senate Republicans focused on fraud prevention, affordability, and education. He pointed to the Inspector General bill and the “Take It Back Act” as major bipartisan wins, and said Republicans used their leverage to secure the tab fee reduction and other tax relief. He also said the caucus wanted stronger protections against fraud without harming legitimate service providers, and criticized DFL priorities on government growth and education outcomes. Both leaders said relationships across the aisle improved over the session, though they differed sharply on how much was accomplished and what should be prioritized next year.

Transcript Highlights:

• One, it changes the date for the report to be submitted to the legislature from March to February 15th
• We spend $400 million on financial aid for our students, and yet we come every year at the legislature
• I think probably most of us on this committee and in the legislature have been hoping for this kind of
• the legislature have better things to do than to worry about this?
• The executive director did not bother to come to the meetings with the legislature?

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee heard several higher education and K-12 bills centered on TOPS, school accountability, and curriculum alignment. It first welcomed University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s new president, Ramesh Kuluru, who spoke about student success, workforce alignment, and the university’s financial recovery. The committee then adopted amendments and reported HR 17 favorably, directing a study of TOPS return on investment with the Board of Regents, Louisiana Works, LED, and the Blanco Public Policy Center. Testimony from business and policy groups supported the study as a way to assess whether state financial aid is producing workforce and retention outcomes. Members then considered HB 385 by Rep. Bamberg, which would require repayment of TOPS awards under certain circumstances when students lose eligibility, with exemptions for hardship and a pathway into LCTCS or career-technical programs. The bill drew strong debate over whether merit scholarships should ever be repaid; opponents argued TOPS is earned for the semester and should only be lost going forward, while supporters emphasized taxpayer accountability. After amendments, the committee narrowly approved the bill by roll call vote, with Chair Schlegel casting the deciding yes to report it favorably as amended. The committee also unanimously reported HB 1058 favorably, which requires the Board of Regents to maintain a uniform data system for state financial assistance; independent colleges and business groups supported the measure as a way to improve accountability and analysis. The committee next heard HB 406 by Speaker Pro Tem Johnson, which asks the Department of Education to study the feasibility of moving oversight of interscholastic athletics to a more accountable model after a legislative study found widespread complaints about the private LHSAA’s transparency and consistency. Supporters said the bill is a cautious step toward reform and a possible 2028–2029 transition, while an LHSAA representative defended current audits and governance and opposed the premise of the bill. Despite objections, the committee reported HB 406 favorably. It then heard HB 787 by Rep. McMakin, as substituted, which would exempt non-public high school students from the TOPS computer science requirement; BESE and the Department of Education opposed the bill, saying it would separate diploma and TOPS requirements and create scheduling confusion, while Catholic school representatives said the requirement conflicts with their theology curriculum. McMakin asked to defer the bill for two weeks. Finally, the committee unanimously reported HB 1059 favorably, which aligns TOPS math requirements with BESE’s integrated math pathways, and began hearing HB 1021 by Rep. Egan on repayment of certain TOPS awards, though the transcript cuts off before that bill was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2024, the Legislature passed AB 1172, which required In 2024, the Legislature passed AB 1172, which
• Last year, the Legislature went a couple steps further, going on record in support of hosting a pilot
• And the Energy Commission is not going to apply them unless the Legislature tells them to do so.
• And that's why the Legislature needs to take a very careful look before moving forward. Thank you.
• We just want that report to be brought clearly before the Legislature.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications heard a long agenda of energy, water, housing, and technology bills. SB 952 (Laird, presented by Perez) would give the Department of Water Resources more flexibility to meet the State Water Project’s 100% clean energy procurement goal by 2035 while managing costs; it drew support from the State Water Contractors and California Municipal Utilities Association and no opposition. The committee also heard SB 1417, which would extend transparency, notice, and public meeting requirements to mutual water companies’ rate increases; Senator Perez and supporters tied the bill to post-Eaton Fire recovery in Altadena, while the California Association of Mutual Water Companies opposed it, citing conflicts with tenant billing laws, privacy concerns, and burdensome meeting requirements. SB 1417 was approved on a split vote and the roll was left open. Members then considered SB 924, a low-income utility assistance/weatherization bill by Hurtado, which would require measurable affordability outcomes and better tenant-focused benefits; it passed to Appropriations with broad support from clean energy and community groups and no opposition. SB 925 (McNerney) would direct the California Energy Commission to develop a statewide roadmap for fusion energy; supporters from General Atomics, Clean Air Task Force, and TAE Technologies argued it would help keep fusion investment in California, and it passed unanimously to Environmental Quality. SB 1011 (McNerney) would require CPUC standards for human review and labor consultation before utilities deploy AI in operations; labor and utility engineer witnesses supported guardrails, while business and utility groups opposed or sought more review, warning of overregulation and overlap with other laws. The bill passed to Privacy, Digital Technology and Consumer Protection on a divided vote. The committee also advanced SB 1168 (McNerney), a study bill directing the CPUC to examine how data centers can pay their fair share of grid costs; data center and utility groups were opposed or neutral pending amendments, while climate advocates supported it, and it moved to Revenue and Taxation. SB 1196 (McNerney) would speed utility hookups for ADUs and JADUs by allowing earlier applications and setting timelines and penalties; housing advocates supported it and it passed to Local Government. SB 1350 (McNerney) would allow renewable portfolio standard credits for power plants using green hydrogen, drawing strong support from hydrogen, labor, utility, and local government interests, but opposition from TURN over greenwashing and tracking concerns; it passed to Environmental Quality. Finally, SB 1158 (Stern) would expand quarterly reliability reporting by the CEC and CPUC to include transmission and grid upgrade status; it was presented as a common-sense reliability measure and moved forward with support.

Transcript Highlights:

• This legislature has decided they debated all the risks associated and said, look, we're going to let
• They said, well, 22:1295 has a waiver clause, so the legislature meant to allow us to waive it.
• Well, I mean, we're the legislature. We set the laws, and we set these laws 10 years ago.
• I only found it last night, of what the legislature was trying to do.
• I disagree with part of that, but again, it was the intent of the legislature to do that.

Committee: House Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• And I know that's a discussion the Legislature has been looking at in terms of 60 units for an associate
• We welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with the legislature on solutions that strengthen
• The Legislature has already established a clear framework through the Medical Practice Act.
• The legislature has already established a clear framework through the Medical Practice Act.
• When the Naturopathic Doctors Act... ...beyond what the legislature originally intended.

Summary: The joint sunset oversight hearing reviewed five California regulatory entities: the Respiratory Care Board, the California Council for Interior Design Certification, the Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, the Board of Occupational Therapy, and the Board of Naturopathic Medicine. Each agency described its mission, recent modernization or enforcement work, and requested continuation of its authority. Committee members focused on access to care, workforce impacts, fee structures, transparency, and whether proposed changes would improve public protection without creating unnecessary barriers. For the Respiratory Care Board, the main issues were a possible move from an associate to a bachelor’s degree for entry-level licensure, fee cleanup changes, and ongoing work on the role of LVNs in respiratory tasks. Board representatives said the degree change would better align with national trends and could support future reimbursement and professional advancement, while public commenters and some legislators warned it could worsen shortages, especially in rural and underserved areas. Much of the public testimony centered on families and facilities relying on LVNs for trach and ventilator care in congregate living health facilities, with requests to preserve or expand exemptions. The board also discussed its reserve cap and efforts to modernize licensing and enforcement systems. The interior design item drew the most debate. CCIDC leaders argued the current voluntary certification/title-act model works, that complaints have not shown public harm, and that licensure would disrupt the workforce and create barriers for experienced designers. Committee members questioned the lack of enforcement authority, transparency, and whether the model provides enough accountability or consistent plan acceptance by local jurisdictions. Public testimony was split between supporters who said the current system is flexible and effective, and critics who said the private structure lacks accountability and creates confusion, especially for commercial work and plan check acceptance. The Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board reported major modernization gains, including online licensure processing, faster application times, new continuing education audits, and updated supervision and advertising rules. Members and stakeholders discussed a proposed audiology assistant license, which the board and the California Academy of Audiology supported as a way to improve access to care and reduce workload pressures. The Occupational Therapy Board described strong enforcement and licensing performance, a new strategic plan, and a request for additional fee authority to address rising costs and reserve concerns; public testimony largely supported the board and a proposed reduction in advanced practice hand therapy training hours. The Naturopathic Medicine Board emphasized consumer protection, unlicensed practice enforcement, and consumer confusion over titles, saying most of its enforcement workload involves unlicensed activity and that stronger title protection and clearer statutory authority are needed.