Transcript Highlights:

• It is referred to the Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development.
• From the Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development: Senate Bill Number 222 receives
• From the Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development: House Bill Number 111 receives
• From the Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development: House Bill Number 112 receives
• From the Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development: House Bill Number 113 receives

Bills: SJR 3, SB 5, SB 21, SB 72, SB 703, SB 764, SB 790, SJR 36, SJR 3, SJR 34, SJR 18, SCR 9, SB 616, SB 565, SB 384, SB 5, SB 21, SB 72, SB 140, SB 262, SB 370, SB 372, SB 495, SB 627, SB 703, SB 764, SB 842, SB 971, SB 790, SB 767, SB 480, SB 1066, SB 929, SB 765, SB 523, SB 62, SB 19, SB 18, SB 666, SB 688, SB 707, SB 888, SB 687, SB 706, SB 847, SB 869, SB 890, SB 992, SB 1145, SB 494, SB 290, SB 766, SB 11, SB 10, SB 13, SB 263, SJR 3, SB 5, SR 172, SR 176, SR 177, SR 190, SR 193, SR 194, SR 202, SR 203, SR 208

Keywords: dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, research funding, state budget, prevention, healthcare, medical research, Dementia Prevention and Research Institute, research institute, funding, grants, state health initiatives, cryptocurrency, bitcoin, investment reserve, economic resilience, financial security, vehicle rental, damage waiver

Transcript Highlights:

• The Aquarian Workforce Development Programs have provided educational opportunities to over 5,000 students
• A program for trained engineers, physicists, mathematicians, and a beginning of the American space program
• Historic downtown is being developed. And it's just so.
• Members today we're joined by Impact Pasadena Leadership Program.
• an incredible mission of developing leaders who participate in a year-long program and this is about

Bills: SJR3, SB5, SB21, SB72, SB703, SB764, SB790, SJR36, SJR3, SJR34, SJR18, SCR9, SB616, SB565, SB384, SB5, SB21, SB72, SB140, SB262, SB370, SB372, SB495, SB627, SB703, SB764, SB842, SB971, SB790, SB767, SB480, SB1066, SB929, SB765, SB523, SB62, SB19, SB18, SB666, SB688, SB707, SB888, SB687, SB706, SB847, SB869, SB890, SB992, SB1145, SB494, SB290, SB766, SB11, SB10, SB13, SB263, SJR3, SB5, SR172, SR176, SR177, SR190, SR193, SR194, SR202, SR203, SR208

Keywords: dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, research funding, state budget, prevention, healthcare, medical research, Dementia Prevention and Research Institute, research institute, funding, grants, state health initiatives, cryptocurrency, bitcoin, investment reserve, economic resilience, financial security, vehicle rental, damage waiver

Transcript Highlights:

• Fire agencies develop these programs locally to meet their community's most pressing needs.
• OEDC has six units that manage 16 economic development programs.
• The Division also plans to develop an internal work plan that will help provide direction to program
• For one of their economic development programs, it aligned its program goal for the Job Training Incentive
• Program with a goal in their five-year statewide economic development plan.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee’s Initiative 900 subcommittee held a hybrid public hearing on two State Auditor performance audits. The first audit examined efforts to reduce non-emergency use of emergency systems through CARES programs. Auditors reported that Washington has 52 fire-agency-led CARES programs in 26 counties, but many communities without programs said they need one. Major barriers included unstable funding, difficulty hiring qualified staff, volunteer-based rural departments, and lack of statewide guidance. The audit also found that only about half of programs tracked both required performance measures, and it recommended that the legislature consider private insurance reimbursement options and convene a statewide work group to develop guidance, standards, and possible changes to the role of the Department of Health. Agency representatives and fire officials largely supported the findings and emphasized that short-term grants and one-year contracts make programs hard to sustain. Committee discussion focused heavily on financing, especially Medicaid reimbursement and accountable communities of health (ACHs). Auditors clarified that the 10% figure cited in the report referred to direct Medicaid reimbursement for treat-and-refer services, which some agencies do not pursue because the $115 rate is too low relative to the administrative effort. Several fire officials testified that their programs rely on grants and ACH support, but that funding is often year-to-year and uncertain. They also described the value of CARES programs in reducing emergency room use, jail detentions, and long ambulance wait times, while noting barriers to sharing patient records across systems. Members asked whether the new public safety sales tax authority could help, but fire district representatives said it is not a direct funding option for them. The second audit reviewed performance management in the Department of Commerce’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness. Auditors found that the division does not yet have a statewide economic development strategic plan and that performance management is inconsistent across its 16 programs. In a limited review, all six sampled programs had goals, but only half clearly identified performance measures and targets, and only three tracked outcomes and published results. The audit highlighted leading practices from other states, including strategic planning, regular progress reporting, aligning program goals with agency goals, and using performance-based contracts and grant monitoring. Recommendations urged Commerce to seek stakeholder input, assess internal and external conditions, set goals and measures, align programs with the strategy, and strengthen monitoring and evaluation. Commerce officials agreed with the audit and said the division is already working toward a strategic plan, with a new assistant director to be hired and a target of completing the work by mid-next year. Members pressed the department on how the plan would connect to workforce, higher education, housing, and other economic development systems, and asked Commerce to return to JLARC next year with progress updates. The meeting ended with instructions for submitting written public comments and notice of the next JLARC meeting schedule.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are supporting development of rental housing. We have many homeownership programs.
• Those are supporting development of rental housing. We have many homeownership programs.
• So we have some programs that we administer for the development of those developments overall, but also
• In Florida, the Department of Commerce administers the federal Community Development Block Grant program
• As you heard, the state loan program provides low-interest competitive loans to developers to construct

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs held its first meeting and heard presentations focused on affordable housing implementation under the Live Local Act. Florida Housing Finance Corporation described its role in administering rental and homeownership programs, including SAIL, SHIP, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, disaster recovery efforts, supportive housing, and the Live Local funding and tax incentives. Officials said the first year’s $150 million Live Local rental allocation was fully committed to 23 developments producing 3,171 units with mixed-income set-asides, and they outlined how projects were selected through competitive solicitations tied to statutory priorities such as mixed-use development, publicly owned land, foster youth, rural areas of opportunity, redevelopment, and housing near military installations. They also discussed the tax credit contribution program, the missing-middle property tax exemption, sales tax rebates, and the year-one ad valorem exemption for qualifying affordable projects. Members asked detailed questions about the data and program design, including the use of area median income figures, per-unit subsidy levels, county targeting, tenant relocation during redevelopment, and whether the programs were helping lower-income households. Florida Housing said it uses competitive scoring and data from the Schimberg Center and that redevelopment projects are supposed to include tenant relocation plans. The homeownership portion of the presentation covered the Hometown Heroes program, which provides down payment and closing cost assistance to first-time homebuyers, with exceptions for active-duty military and veterans. Staff said the program has assisted more than 21,000 families and leveraged over $6.5 billion in first mortgages, and members asked about repayment rates, credit scores, and whether participants were staying in homes long enough to show the program was serving intended buyers. The committee then heard from OPAGA on two required Live Local evaluations: affordable housing strategies in other states and affordable housing policies in Florida. OPAGA reported that Florida has a high share of cost-burdened households, with 1.5 million households cost burdened and 1.4 million severely cost burdened, and that Florida’s counties and municipalities reported more than $1.4 billion in affordable housing expenditures in fiscal year 2023-24. The report identified 13 innovative out-of-state programs, with three considered high-potential for Florida implementation, and summarized Florida local government practices such as SHIP-funded homeownership and rental assistance, expedited permitting, mixed-income zoning, rehabilitation programs, and interlocal cooperation. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• , LOW INCOME TAX PROGRAM WHICH IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM, MULTI FAMILY REVENUE BONDS PROGRAM WHICH IS ALSO
• A FEDERAL PROGRAM, THOSE HITS A LOT OF THE RENTAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS.
• THROUGH THE SEDOWSKI WE HAVE THE SHIP PROGRAM AND THE SALE PROGRAM, THE SHIP PROGRAM PROVIDING MEANINGFUL
• IN FLORIDA AND THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ADMINISTER THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM
• AS YOU HEARD THE STATE LOAN PROGRAM PROVIDES LOW INTEREST COMPETITIVE LOANS TO DEVELOPERS TO CONSTRUCT

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We had 12 development program closed out.
• We had 12 development program closed out.
• We had 12 development program closed out.
• We had 12 development program closed out.
• conducted development program reviews conducted development program reviews conducted and<00:09:

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:08 Approval of Minutes 00:43 KOAP Report 00:59 KY Office of Drug Control Policy 23:04, 958, all

Summary: The committee met on September 18, 2025, approved the July 10 minutes, and received Brandon Reid’s monthly report on Kentucky agriculture development and finance activity for July and August. Reid emphasized the long-running structure created under House Bill 611 and Senate Bill 28, the role of county agriculture development councils in all 120 counties, and the importance of the program as a national model for supporting Kentucky agriculture. He also introduced new staff and interns, including a new loan programs manager, Rachel Coward, and project manager Kylie Davis. For July, the development board reported $3.4 million invested in agriculture and the finance corporation reported $3.1 million in loans. Highlights included 11 county council meetings, site visits, program reviews, and 18 project reports. July approvals included county agriculture incentive programs, deceased farm animal removal programs, youth incentive programs, county/state projects, infrastructure loans, an agriculture processing loan, and beginning farmer loans. Staff also noted that all 120 counties had submitted their required five-year comprehensive plans on schedule. Bill McCloskey then highlighted several funded projects, including Dino’s Farm LLC in Jefferson County, which received support to purchase a meat processing facility and equipment, with the goal of creating market opportunities for goat, sheep, and cattle producers and establishing Kentucky’s first halal meat processing facility. Other projects included a veterinarian facility project to address large animal vet shortages and Grow Appalachia at Berea College, which provides technical assistance and market support for small-scale and eastern Kentucky producers. Members discussed the need for programs such as high tunnels and other small-scale opportunities in rural areas, and staff noted related resources such as CAPE and NRCS funding. For August, the board reported $500,000 in development board investments and just over $3 million in finance corporation loans, along with fewer staff activities than July but continued county council, site visit, and project review work. August approvals included county agriculture incentive programs, deceased animal removal programs, youth incentive programs, county/state projects, agriculture infrastructure loans, beginning farmer loans, and a horticulture incentives loan. Additional project updates included another veterinary equipment purchase, emergency safety equipment in Graves County, and a food safety and efficiency incentive for Jared Cornet.

Transcript Highlights:

• The 9% program is a competitive program, and it can cover around 70% of the development cost.
• The 4% program is non-competitive, and it covers around 35% of the development.
• As a result of that, both our 9% program, which really is just more tax credits that go into each development
• The program provides developers with access to bonds, tax credits through TCAC, and a subsidy loan for
• So we're a developer-owner, and we use the programs that are being made available by the state or the

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Housing Finance and Affordability held its first hearing of 2025 to examine California’s housing finance system, with opening remarks emphasizing the state’s severe housing shortage, high costs, and the need for practical recommendations to the Legislature and Governor. Co-chairs described the committee as an educational and problem-solving forum focused on financing housing production, first-time homeownership, mixed-income developments, and affordability across the income spectrum. Witnesses from state agencies and the development sector were invited to explain how housing is financed and where the system is breaking down. Panelists from the California Housing Partnership, the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, the Tax Credit Allocation Committee/State Treasurer’s Office, CalHFA, and Related outlined the “capital stack” used to finance affordable housing, stressing that projects typically rely on multiple public and private sources, including federal and state low-income housing tax credits, tax-exempt bonds, state subsidies, local funds, and rental income. Speakers noted that affordable housing rents generally cannot support full project costs without public subsidy, and that recent federal changes—especially the expansion of the 4% and 9% tax credit programs and the reduction of the bond financing threshold for 4% credits—should allow California to finance substantially more units. CalHFA also described its homeownership programs, including My Home, Dream For All, and disaster-related mortgage assistance, as well as its multifamily lending and bond issuance programs. Several witnesses and committee members emphasized that the system remains too complex, too slow, and underfunded. They pointed to the need for more state funding, a housing bond, a permanent funding source, and better coordination among agencies, while also citing recent streamlining efforts such as AB 434’s SuperNOFA, AB 519’s one-stop-shop working group, and the planned California Housing and Homeless Agency reorganization. Members raised concerns about equity, access, missing-middle housing, gender and racial disparities, and whether current programs adequately serve extremely low-income households and those at risk of homelessness. No formal votes or actions were taken during the hearing; the discussion ended with committee members and witnesses agreeing that both funding and administrative reform are needed to increase production and improve affordability.

Transcript Highlights:

• and any other programs that are directed to local governments, and then the Statewide Economic Development
• Programs for community development. But these are the two largest acts.
• On the more specific newer programs, particularly the Opportunity Enterprise and housing development,
• Another one that I'll mention here is the Home Rental Development Funds Program.
• The way that LEEDS works is that it's a funding program for economic development projects across the

Transcript Highlights:

• Touching on some programs that have come out of the North Dakota Development Fund would be the North
• Dakota Development Fund's Child Care Loan Program.
• This program is a strong example of the Development Fund deploying targeted grant funding to address
• excuse me, we’re developing a strategy to enable data sharing and enhance program efficacy.
• Two of those programs you'd highlight are the Community Development Block Grant program, which helps

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Budget Section’s Commerce and Legal Services Division met to review the Department of Commerce base budget for the 2027-29 biennium and to receive an update on Commerce programs. Legislative Council staff first walked the committee through the “blue sheet” base budget summary, explaining the major line items, the large share of federal grant authority in Commerce’s budget, and the continuing appropriations that support several Commerce funds. Members asked how grant funding is coordinated across agencies, and staff said collaboration varies by program but is strong in areas like UAS and LIHEAP. Commerce Commissioner Chris Schilken then presented on current activities, focusing heavily on grant administration, transparency, and economic development programs. Members questioned how grant applicants are selected, whether Commerce tracks applications and return on investment, and how long grant awards take to reach recipients. The commissioner said Commerce uses scoring criteria, outside reviewers, a minimum 30-day application window, and typically completes awards within two to three months. A lengthy exchange followed over whether Commerce should open some grants only to intended recipients versus running competitive application processes; Commerce said it follows best-practice grantmaking and that its attorney in the Attorney General’s office approved that approach. Commerce also highlighted the North Dakota Development Fund, citing long-term investment and job creation results, examples such as Red Trail Energy, Packet Digital, Valiance, Corvent Medical, child care loans, and the Automate ND program. Members asked about acceptable failures, lessons learned, regional economic development coordination, and the expansion of the fund into non-primary sectors. Workforce Director Katie Ralston Howell then outlined a statewide workforce ecosystem review, a new governor’s workforce sub-cabinet, and three task forces focused on simplifying entry, warm handoffs, and data integration. She discussed the in-demand occupations list, Workforce Pell, apprenticeships, and efforts to better connect students with employers and higher education. Commerce also briefly reviewed housing programs and a new housing sub-cabinet. No votes were taken; the committee simply received testimony, asked questions, and adjourned after setting up the next meeting to hear the Attorney General budget in June.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's a process that works well for the tax credit program, the HCD programs, and other local government
• funding programs.
• for this program.
• Support for this program.
• I mean, not of the program, but I know the development and have seen it in the last decade and a half

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several housing-related proposals and policy ideas. One speaker urged changes to the welfare property tax exemption for affordable housing, arguing that annual income recertifications are outdated and burdensome, and proposing a one-time qualification at move-in, streamlined monitoring through TCAC or HCD, and continued exemption protection for projects that remain in compliance. The witness said rising insurance costs and administrative burdens are hurting cash flow and threatening the viability of affordable housing operations. A major portion of the meeting focused on social housing and the SB 555 study. HCD described its ongoing study process, including public engagement with residents, practitioners, and experts, and noted that California already has many building blocks for social housing, such as public land tools, long-term affordability mechanisms, community land trusts, and tenant protections. Community land trust and housing policy witnesses argued that social housing will require legislative action, expanded public subsidy, tax abatements, public land, and simplified financing, and they emphasized the need to reframe the concept for the “missing middle” and middle-class households to build broader political support. Committee members discussed stigma around “social housing,” the need for a rebrand, and the possibility of a pilot program, especially on excess public land. The committee also heard a proposal for a certified professional plan-check system modeled on Vancouver, Canada. The presenter said California’s permitting delays, inconsistent reviews, and staffing shortages add cost and uncertainty even for streamlined projects, and proposed allowing state-certified private professionals to perform plan checks and inspections under state oversight while local governments retain zoning and enforcement authority. Members discussed local control concerns, infrastructure costs, and the need to reduce delays and uncertainty in the entitlement process. Finally, the committee heard testimony supporting changes to HCD loan disbursement so funds can be used during construction rather than only after completion. Witnesses said this would reduce interest costs, improve feasibility, and could produce additional affordable homes with existing funding. The discussion also referenced AB 1053 as the vehicle for implementing that approach.

Transcript Highlights:

• development program and the state development program and the state housing<01:08:40.000> tax
• programs are critical to the development programs are critical to the development of<01:08:44.120
• affordable home ownership development affordable home ownership development program<01:19:04.080
• c><01:26:45.520> Kristen development program my name is Kristen development program my name is
• development program faces a severe development program faces a severe funding<01:27:29.600> shortfall

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Local government projects to high-volume, high-profile economic development recovery and other programs
• And our partners' goals in those programs to develop metrics that we can then report out on.
• . and commercial development programs, and go over a little briefing about the program itself to the
• On slide 3, it gets into the policy development and how we develop the policies for both programs.
• On slide nine, we'll get into the housing development program. We have completed three rounds.

Transcript Highlights:

• , S. 1010/H. 1576, as well as S. 971, an act reforming the Housing Development and Incentive Program.
• Last session, your chambers voted to increase funding for the Housing Development Incentive Program,
• urging support today for S-971, an act of forming the Housing Development Incented Program, as well
• Last session, your chambers voted to increase funding for the Housing Development Incentive Program,
• what S. 971 would do, turning H-DIP into a program to support mixed-income development and recognizing

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Housing opened a hybrid hearing focused on housing production bills, with Chairs Julian Cyr and Rich Haggerty emphasizing Massachusetts’ housing shortage and the need to produce more than 200,000 units over the next decade. The committee then heard testimony on a wide range of proposals, including social housing, starter homes and the “missing middle,” accessory dwelling units (ADUs), single-stair residential buildings, permanent affordability homeownership, and housing for people with disabilities. Several witnesses framed the bills as tools to expand supply, lower costs, and address racial and generational wealth gaps. Representative Connolly testified for H. 1478 on the Massachusetts Social Housing Program, describing publicly owned, mixed-income housing financed through a revolving loan fund. Senator Feeney testified for S. 989 on missing middle starter homes, arguing for zoning changes, incentives, and affordability tools to support smaller starter homes and duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes. Multiple witnesses, including housing advocates, real estate representatives, and local officials, supported the ADU trust fund bill and the single-stair study bill, saying they would reduce barriers, support homeowners, and enable more family-sized and infill housing. Some witnesses opposed bills they said would weaken ADU reforms or add new restrictions, while others urged broader deregulation to speed production. A major portion of the hearing focused on H. 1576/S. 1010, the Homes for Lasting Affordability bill, which would create a permanent affordability homeownership program for low- and moderate-income buyers and support small developments with long-term affordability restrictions. Testimony from community land trust leaders, legislators, and housing advocates emphasized that permanent affordability can preserve public investment, stabilize neighborhoods, and help families build wealth over generations. Senator Miranda and Representative Worrell tied the bill to closing the racial wealth gap and expanding access to homeownership for Black and Latino residents. The committee also heard testimony on S. 971, which would reform the Housing Development and Incentive Program to require more affordability in Gateway City projects. The committee additionally heard from Senator Kennedy and disability advocates on S. 1004, which would strengthen the Alternative Housing Voucher Program for people with disabilities by codifying project-based vouchers and aligning the program more closely with other voucher systems. Witnesses described long waitlists and the lack of accessible, affordable units as major barriers that can lead to homelessness or unnecessary institutionalization. No votes were taken during the hearing; the session was devoted to testimony and questions from committee members.

Transcript Highlights:

• development.
• development.
• Could you, do you hear that from a large number of developers, cities as well, or just developers?
• program.
• I think it's the CRP, the other program, not our program, that ran out of money.

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee heard a series of work-session presentations focused on transit-oriented development, commercial-to-residential redevelopment, building code implementation, housing market trends, and the Covenant Homeownership Program. The first presentation, from the Urban Institute, reviewed research on HB 1491 and TOD feasibility, arguing that Washington has made major progress but faces diverging conditions across transit areas. The presenter said rising construction costs, higher interest rates, and lower rents in some markets have made many projects less feasible, and recommended targeted infrastructure funding for lower-market communities, adjustments to MFTE and affordability requirements by local market conditions, more support for very low-income housing in high-market transit areas, minimum density standards near stations, expanded public land/joint development tools, and better tracking of TOD outcomes over time. Committee members asked about AMI calculations, immigration’s effect on construction labor, developer input, and whether a tracking mechanism had been removed from the bill. The Department of Commerce then outlined implementation of HB 1491 and demonstrated the new Washington Zoning Atlas, which is live and intended to help visualize zoning, overlays, and station-area conditions. Commerce said local governments will designate station areas, update zoning and MFTE policies, and handle anti-displacement measures, with Vancouver and Spokane first to implement and Puget Sound following later. Staff described a timeline for updated MFTE guidance, station-area implementation guidance, a TOD model ordinance, and later rulemaking on variances. The committee also heard from the Lieutenant Governor’s office on a report about converting commercial properties to housing, which found substantial potential for redevelopment on vacant or underused commercial land, especially near transit, but noted barriers such as ground-floor retail mandates, affordability requirements, infrastructure costs, private covenants, and slow implementation. The office urged by-right residential use on commercial land and faster rollout of new housing laws. The State Building Code Council updated the committee on its three-year code cycle and several legislatively directed actions, including minimum dwelling size, emergency shelters, and especially single-exit stairs and multiplex housing. Council staff said those code changes are nearing completion and will provide prescriptive solutions, while noting that elevator size and requirements were not changed and would require separate legislative direction if the committee wanted to revisit them. Members discussed the cost impacts of building and energy codes and the council said it is required to consider economic impacts and is increasingly looking at performance-based approaches. Later, the Washington Center for Real Estate Research presented its annual housing report, showing that higher mortgage rates have sharply reduced affordability, flattened house prices in many cities, and slowed single-family permitting and completions, while multifamily construction has recently cooled after a prior surge. Finally, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission reported strong first-year results for the Covenant Homeownership Program, which provides zero-interest down payment assistance to eligible first-time buyers with family ties to Washington before 1968; the program assisted 547 homebuyers in its first fiscal year, with more than $60 million loaned, and the agency said participation has continued to grow after income-limit changes enacted in 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• > Development.
• Candyohigh County Economic Development. Candyohigh County Economic Development.
• Development, and Rising Tide Capital. Development, and Rising Tide Capital.
• We are a nonprofit economic development program operating primarily here in the metro area.
• There is We are a nonprofit economic development program operating primarily here in the metro area.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's a process that works well for the tax credit program, the HCD programs, and other local government
• funding programs.
• How programs and even the social programs have been to take care of the...
• I mean, not of the program, but I know the development and have seen it in the last decade and a half
• of development rather than after.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several housing-finance and permitting reforms aimed at making affordable and middle-income housing projects “pencil.” The first panel focused on the welfare property tax exemption, with witnesses arguing that annual recertifications are outdated, burdensome, and costly for both residents and operators. They urged streamlining by aligning eligibility rules with TCAC or HCD monitoring, allowing one-time qualification at occupancy, and preserving exemptions for projects that remain in compliance, especially as insurance costs and operating deficits are rising sharply. A major portion of the meeting centered on social housing and community land trusts under SB 555. HCD described the state’s ongoing study, due by December 31, 2026 and to be included in the 2027 annual report, and outlined public engagement already completed with residents and practitioners. Community land trust and policy witnesses argued that social housing will require legislative action beyond the study, including expanded tax abatements, public land use, soft loans, and simpler capital stacks. They emphasized that the model should include mixed-income and “missing middle” households, and several members discussed the stigma around the term “social housing,” suggesting a rebrand toward generational or multi-generational housing to broaden public support. The committee also discussed a proposed certified professional program modeled on Vancouver, Canada, to speed plan checks and inspections by allowing state-certified private professionals to perform certain code-compliance functions under local oversight. The witness said this would reduce delays, repeated reviews, and cost overruns while preserving local authority over zoning and enforcement. Members raised concerns about local control, infrastructure costs, and political resistance, but expressed interest in exploring a pilot and further recommendations. In the final panel, housing advocates supported allowing HCD loan funds to be disbursed during construction rather than only after completion. They said this would reduce interest costs, improve project feasibility, and could produce additional affordable homes without new appropriations. Members agreed the current system is fragmented and outdated, and several speakers and legislators repeatedly called for streamlined, more flexible financing and permitting tools to support housing production.

Transcript Highlights:

• Infrastructure Program, BDI program.
• <00:21:30.760> infrastructure<00:21:31.440> program<00:21:31.960> bdti development
• infrastructure program bdti development infrastructure program bdti program<00:21:33.960> the
• program State programs if typically with program State programs if you<00:37:58.040> want<00:37
• The Greater Minnesota housing development program, our infrastructure program, has not yet been unveiled

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• , Access, and Development program.
• Funding from the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Development program, with a primary focus on broadband
• This plan was developed in accordance with the federal State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, which
• To that end, Washington has developed and established a program called the Digital Navigator Program.
• Commerce did not consistently develop these five essential components for the Digital Navigator Program

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee subcommittee heard three State Auditor’s Office performance audits: implementation of the Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act, Washington’s digital equity planning, and the Department of Commerce’s Digital Navigator Program. In the law enforcement training audit, the State Auditor found the Criminal Justice Training Commission had developed most required training content but had not developed all required topics, lacked a systematic project management approach, and had weak tools to ensure participation and compliance. Auditors said most officers had not completed the required 40 hours, patrol tactics training was a major bottleneck, and the Commission’s reporting did not clearly show statewide compliance. The Commission said it generally agreed with the recommendations and had begun implementing some changes. Committee members raised concerns about staffing, liability, incentives, and whether the law had enough enforcement “teeth.” In the digital equity audit, auditors said Washington lacked a comprehensive, unified statewide plan, a designated leader, and reliable funding for digital equity efforts. They said existing plans were fragmented, with the NTIA-approved plan the most complete but no longer fully funded after federal changes. The State Auditor recommended the legislature establish oversight authority and require a lead organization to coordinate and evaluate statewide digital equity efforts and develop a unified plan. The Department of Commerce and Office of Equity agreed with the need for clearer leadership and coordination, and a public witness described ongoing coalition and local planning work. Committee members asked about best practices from other states and whether the auditor could provide additional research on coordination models. In the Digital Navigator Program audit, the State Auditor concluded Commerce did not consistently follow core grant-management practices, including competitive award processes, vetting of grantees, clear contracts, performance monitoring, and reimbursement controls. Auditors said Commerce expanded grants without a new competition, lacked adequate documentation and reporting, and paid out millions without sufficient support; they also cited management decisions that overrode staff concerns. Commerce said it had already begun major contract-management reforms, created a new contracts and compliance structure, and was working on risk assessments, documentation standards, and staff training. Members pressed Commerce on accountability, possible recoupment of improper payments, ethics issues, and whether the agency had clear performance metrics for the program. No votes were taken, and the hearing ended after public testimony and committee discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• In our workforce development program, we also have some very aggressive programs to support our veterans
• Another set of our probably most successful programs are our skills development program, and we're still
• But our skills development program and our jobs education. for Texans program.
• I'm going to shift a little bit and go from workforce development to a program that sometimes people
• I had the opportunity a few decades ago in a former life to run a workforce development program.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For this program code, this is the Economic Development Division.
• Now, moving to the last program code, let's go to page 11. This is Program Code 709.
• Programs so that those startup business programs, the JEDI program does an amazing job helping support
• program, and labor relations program.
• apprenticeship programs.