Transcript Highlights:

• Too many drivers move extremely fast, posing hazards to all of us.
• Too many drivers move extremely fast, posing hazards to all of us.
• Too many drivers move extremely fast, Too many drivers move extremely fast, posing<00:09:52.320><c> hazards
• </c><00:09:53.680><c> House</c><00:09:54.000><c> File</c> posing hazards to all of us.
• House File posing hazards to all of us.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• He reported it, and we found that we had a serious hazard.
• dollars a year replacing poles to protect the integrity of that infrastructure, so we mitigate fire hazards
• We're continuing to work with them despite all these hazards.
• What we've seen in-house deal with frequent water line damage, water theft, and hazardous cross-connections
• But we have dealt with cross-connection hazards and trying to determine if contamination has been introduced

Bills: HB3445 , HB3448

Committee: House S/C on Telecommunications & Broadband

Keywords: telecommunications, electric cooperative, rights-of-way, infrastructure, provider access, right-of-way, pole attachment, regulatory access, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , uh, the vehicle so that we can make the appropriate emergency appropriations for, uh, temporary hazard
• can make sure that we can accommodate all of the bargaining units that will be afforded temporary hazard
• 07:28.800><c> be</c><00:07:28.960><c> afforded</c><00:07:29.800><c> temporary</c><00:07:30.240><c> Hazard
• </c> that will be afforded temporary Hazard that will be afforded temporary Hazard pay<00:07:30.720><

Committee: House Labor

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Dippel asked whether the model policies and plans include a policy for schools in proximity to other hazardous
• Their mission is to assist schools to prepare for, respond to, and recover from all-hazard emergencies
• <00:50:47.280><c> recover</c><00:50:47.680><c> from</c><00:50:47.880><c> all</c><00:50:48.160><c> Hazard
• </c> to and recover from all Hazard to and recover from all Hazard emergencies<00:50:50.119><c> um</c

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, just thinking about what we’ve encountered this last week, like flooding, huge surf.
• a resident of Makilo, a community of approximately 474 homes with limited access routes, roadway hazards
• </c><02:34:42.479><c> to</c><02:34:42.720><c> the</c> posing ongoing safety hazards to the posing ongoing
• safety hazards to the community. community. community.
• such as these present roadway hazards such as these present especially<02:35:48.640><c> serious</c><

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs heard testimony on HB 1875, which would expand Hawaii’s existing protections to include gender-affirming health care, clarify permitted disclosures of protected health information, and bar certain adverse actions by malpractice insurers and health carriers against providers of lawful reproductive or gender-affirming care. The Insurance Division of DCCA supported the bill with a technical amendment, suggesting language tied to actuarial analysis rather than the phrase “actuarially sound.” The Office of Information Practices also provided comments. Most testimony was strongly in support. State agencies and advocacy groups, including the Hawaii State Youth Commission, State Health Planning and Development Agency, Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii Public Health Institute, Stonewall Caucus, ACLU of Hawaii, PFLAG Oahu, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said the bill would protect patient privacy, reduce chilling effects from out-of-state litigation, and help retain providers in a state already facing shortages. Several testifiers said gender-affirming care is medically necessary, evidence-based, and life-saving, and emphasized that Hawaii should protect its own health care decisions from outside political pressure. A few individuals testified in opposition, arguing the bill was unnecessary or that it protected providers more than opponents of the bill, but these views were not echoed by most of the testimony. The chair repeatedly reminded testifiers to keep comments brief and maintain decorum. The transcript provided does not include a final committee vote or disposition on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a flood area in there, and so this bridge would offer another way of crossing the river in case
• It's a flood area in there, and so this bridge would offer another, homes in that area, it's a flood

Bills: HB3443 , HB2123 , HB3757 , HB2445

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: transportation, oversize permit, overweight permit, permit fees, motor carrier, commercial trucking, heavy haul, wide load, special combination vehicle, manufactured home transport, portable building transport, utility poles, rural electric cooperative, farm equipment, agricultural hauling, bridge formula, load limits, weight limits, road funding, highway construction

Summary: The committee took up several transportation-related bills. House Bill 2123, as amended, would change an existing statute authorizing the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to build a bridge crossing the Arkansas River between Tulsa and Bixby by removing self-sufficiency language. Representative Tedford said the bridge has been contemplated for decades, that traffic and safety concerns have increased as the area has grown, and that local, state, and federal officials discussed the project and potential funding for connector roads. Members asked about fiscal impact and funding sources; Tedford said there was no appropriations fiscal impact and that local governments and possible federal dollars could help with connector roads. The bill passed 10-1. House Bill 3757, as amended, would extend the time before the Turnpike Authority’s authorization sunsets, changing the construction deadline from five years to seven years. Representative Wilk said the bill was intended to give the project more time to begin construction. A member raised a question about what happens if bonds are already issued before the deadline, but no answer was provided. The bill passed 7-4. House Bill 2445, with a PCS adopted, would extend the work of the Route 66 Centennial Commission and continue state efforts tied to the Route 66 centennial beyond the initial celebration period. Representative Hill said the goal was to preserve and build on investments already made along Route 66, including signage and related improvements, and to continue that work for the next 100 years. Members discussed maintenance and ongoing investment in the corridor. The bill passed 10-0. The committee also reported one earlier bill out of committee by a 10-0 vote before moving to HB 2123.

Transcript Highlights:

• of artificial intelligence and other similar technologies, is the capability for these systems to flood
• The voices of our communities and the years of work behind them were buried under a flood of artificial
• No coordination required, no paper trail; a single bad actor or no identifiable actor at all can flood
• No paper trail; a single bad actor or no identifiable actor at all can flood a state agency or local

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee met to hear several bills, with the main discussion focused on SB 1159 by Senator Cabaldon and SB 932 by Senator Dato. SB 1159 would allow public agencies to treat AI-generated or bot-generated participation differently from human public comment and public records activity, in response to concerns that automated systems can flood local governments with fake comments and requests. Supporters, including Sierra Club California, the League of California Cities, county and city associations, and local officials, said the bill would protect genuine public participation and reduce burdens on clerks and agencies. Committee members raised questions about how agencies would detect AI-generated submissions, what enforcement would look like, and whether the bill could create First Amendment or liability issues if real human comments were mistakenly excluded. The author said the bill was intended to clarify that agencies are not required to treat bots as people and that detection standards and safeguards would need further work.

Transcript Highlights:

• , where we've seen really serious flooding from rivers and serious storm events.
• not just in coastal New address flooding not just in coastal New Hampshire<00:26:39.760><c> but</c><
• from rivers and serious serious flooding from rivers and serious storm<00:26:45.200><c> events.
• </c><01:31:10.880><c> of</c><01:31:11.199><c> rivers</c> we've had major flooding of rivers we've had
• major flooding of rivers during<01:31:12.560><c> severe</c><01:31:12.960><c> stormish</c><01:31:14.000

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee began with introductions and a description of the day’s process: a full committee work session on four bills, with no public testimony, followed by caucus and then executive action. The first bill discussed was HB 113, concerning OHRV operation on certain highways in Windsor. Representative Nab presented an amendment that would require a public hearing and Department of Transportation approval, modeled on procedures used in Coös and Grafton counties. Members discussed whether Windsor had already held a local vote or hearing, whether minutes from a town meeting existed, and whether the amendment truly preserved local control. A Windsor resident testified informally that the town had not taken a final vote and that the matter had been left to the state. Committee members also raised concerns about noise, dust, public safety, and the fact that the road in question would connect OHRVs on a state road rather than a trail system. The chair closed the work session on HB 113 and said the committee would return after caucus to vote on the bill and amendment. The committee then took up HB 595FN, relative to coastal resilience zones. Representative Nat said the bill addressed flooding concerns in both coastal and inland New Hampshire, but that the sponsor viewed it as too complex and had recommended breaking the issue into separate parts in future legislation. On that basis, Nat said it was appropriate to ITL the bill, and noted that the sponsor supported that course. No further discussion followed, and the work session was closed. Next was HB 629FN, funding the operation, maintenance, and repair of state dams. Representative Darby explained that the original bill had proposed both a waterfront frontage tax and a $5 charge tied to boat registration, but that the amendment would replace the bill by removing the frontage tax, moving the $5 dam-maintenance fee to the boat decal section of statute, and changing the effective date to January 1, 2027. Darby said the larger fee had raised concerns about impacts on current-use property and enforcement, while the revised $5 fee would raise roughly $500,000 to $600,000 annually. Representative Dunn thanked Darby and said the Marine Trades Association supported the revised approach. A question was raised about whether the original prime sponsors supported the amendment; the chair said they were on board, and Darby added that the proposal reflected recommendations from a prior study committee. The committee then closed HB 629FN and opened SB 27FN, relative to dwellings over water. On SB 27FN, Representative Derby said he opposed the bill because it would take away public access rights and amounted to a one-off legislative solution for a private concern. Representative Donnelly asked how many similar structures might be affected and whether the Department of Environmental Services knew of other cases; DES responded that there was one other related case under settlement compliance and no other active cases with the same issue. In follow-up discussion, DES clarified that the proposal was not a shoreland 50-foot setback issue, but rather involved structures extending over public water. The discussion remained focused on the scope of the bill and its potential precedent-setting effect, with no vote taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• When the flood in 2012, Minnesota passed a $168 million disaster assistance package.
• When<00:03:36.880><c> the</c><00:03:37.000><c> flood</c><00:03:37.600><c> in</c><00:03:37.760><c> 2012
• When the flood in 2012, Minnesota passed a<00:03:40.040><c> 168</c><00:03:41.200><c> million</c><00:
• Minnesota helped flood victims and drought victims and mill towns and paper towns.
• Minnesota helped flood victims and drought victims and mill towns and paper towns.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House and Senate DFL lawmakers held a Capitol news conference to press for a $100 million small business relief package in response to the economic fallout from Operation Metro Surge and related ICE enforcement activity. Representatives Cedrick Frazier and Jay Xiong, along with Senator Susan Pappas and other supporters, said the enforcement surge caused widespread fear, reduced customer traffic, lost wages, and closures for immigrant-owned and other small businesses in Minneapolis-St. Paul and greater Minnesota. They argued the state has a history of providing disaster-style aid when communities are harmed through no fault of their own and said this situation warrants similar action. Business and community testimony described specific losses: a Willmar restaurant closed after both parents were detained, a North Mankato grocery store opening was delayed, The Coven reported a 33% revenue drop at two locations, and Lake Street businesses were said to have lost substantial revenue and staff. Speakers said the damage affected workers, landlords, suppliers, and neighborhood corridors statewide, and several emphasized that the relief should come as grants or forgivable loans rather than additional debt. They also criticized House Republican leaders for tying the relief to changes in paid family leave and for blocking a public hearing. In response to questions, Frazier said negotiations were ongoing through committee chairs and conference committee, with the issue still being discussed in broader leadership talks. He said the House would need only one Republican vote in committee and on the floor to advance the measure, and identified Chair Baker as a possible supporter because of harm in his district. Speakers said the Senate has already passed the relief and urged the House to act quickly before the end of session.

Transcript Highlights:

• way of background, Laws 2024, Chapter 34 defined destroyed as a verifiable accident, including fire, flood
• Additionally, the bill specifies that only property destroyed by a verifiable accident, including fire, flood
• Additionally, the bill specifies that only property destroyed by a verifiable accident, including fire, flood
• The intent at the time was for homes that were destroyed by flood or fire up in northern Arizona and
• It also added a narrow definition of destroyed to mean improvements that are only destroyed by flood,

Bills: SB1180 , SB1215 , SB1270 , SB1290 , SB1292 , SB1294 , SB1430 , SCR1028

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: income tax, conformity, Arizona Revised Statutes, taxpayer, federal regulations, firefighters, occupational disease, workers compensation, cancer presumption, police officers, hazardous duty, SB1270, Arizona retirement system, public safety personnel, defined contribution plan, correctional officers, corrections officers, retirement contributions, supplemental contributions, retention incentive

Transcript Highlights:

• To know, between the flooding here at our own courthouse, having these records digitized is a huge win
• To know, between the flooding here at our own courthouse, having these records digitized is a huge win
• To know, between the flooding here at our own courthouse, having these records digitized is a huge win
• To know between the flooding<00:12:32.480><c> here</c><00:12:32.639><c> at</c><00:12:32.880><c> our</
• c><00:12:33.040><c> own</c><00:12:33.440><c> courthouse</c> flooding here at our own courthouse flooding

Keywords: 0:20 Rollcall 2:28 Definition of Legacy system and demands of modern workplaces 10:48 Discussion of funding and planned expenditures 22:26 Contingency funding 23:16 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Personnel, Public Retirement, and Finance heard a presentation from the Commonwealth Office of Technology on legacy IT modernization funds and how they are used to address outdated, unsupported, or unsustainable systems. David Carter and Carrie Welch explained the state’s definition of a legacy system under KRS 7A.180, emphasizing not only vendor support issues but also changing business needs, regulatory compliance, and the loss of institutional knowledge for older systems. They described the office’s review process for determining whether a project qualifies, including assessing business risk, comparing options such as upgrades, replacements, shared solutions across agencies, or commercial products, and then matching the project to available funding. The presenters said COT reports twice a year to the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue on progress with legacy modernization projects. They reported 30 projects funded to date, with 18 completed, and said remaining projects are still moving forward while agencies continue to identify modernization needs. They highlighted examples of completed work, including modernized security cameras, replacement of unsupported systems, migration of documents to the Commonwealth Enterprise Content Management Platform, restoration of vendor support, a digital policy acknowledgement portal, replacement of the State Police dispatch system, and digitization of paper records for faster retrieval and better disaster resilience. Members asked for more detail on how the $10 million request would be allocated, including system-by-system spending, the split between software, hardware, vendor contracts, and staff time, and how the office determines when a system needs replacement. COT said it did not have a system-by-system or cost-category breakdown at the hearing but could provide one later, and explained that the funds are intended for development and first-time acquisition costs rather than ongoing maintenance. They also said the $5 million annual request was based on prior years’ experience and that agencies often contribute some funding themselves, so the program could still operate if appropriated less than the full amount. The committee then approved the minutes and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• They did remove the $390,000 for the hazard pay and deleted footnote 4.
• <00:16:13.680><c> $390,000</c><00:16:15.120><c> for</c><00:16:15.279><c> the</c><00:16:15.519><c> hazard
• </c><00:16:15.839><c> pay</c><00:16:16.079><c> and</c> the $390,000 for the hazard pay and the $390,000
• for the hazard pay and deleted<00:16:16.639><c> footnote</c><00:16:17.199><c> 4.

Bills: SF0032 , SF0010 , SF0001 , HB0001

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety, mental health, detention, competency evaluation, treatment, contractual agreements, Wyoming, budget, funding, education, wildfire prevention, healthcare, community colleges, grants, economic development

Transcript Highlights:

• In terms of Part 3, which would mandate the department to reduce hazardous fuels on all state lands,
• which would mandate the department to which would mandate the department to reduce<00:19:16.080><c> hazardous
• <c> fuels</c><00:19:17.159><c> on</c><00:19:17.440><c> All</c><00:19:17.640><c> State</c> reduce hazardous
• fuels on All State reduce hazardous fuels on All State lands<00:19:18.880><c> um</c><00:19:19.400><c

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee met on March 19, 2025, and heard testimony on several measures before taking up decision-making. Senate Bill 1381, relating to the Hawaii National Guard, received support from the Department of Defense and other testifiers and was recommended to pass as is. Senate Bill 422, relating to education and high school diplomas for veterans, also drew support from the Department of Education, the Military Affairs Council, and the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, and was recommended to pass as is. Senate Bill 414, relating to restoring access to disaster-affected areas in Lahaina, was discussed with testimony from HHFDC and others; members agreed to amend the bill to refer to the Department of Transportation as the acquiring agency, and the measure was recommended to pass with amendments. The committee then considered Senate Bill 223, relating to fire prevention. The Department of Land and Natural Resources supported the bill but recommended changes to make the wildland-urban interface code a matter for the State Fire Council/State Fire Marshal rather than statute, and noted it lacked authority to mandate fuel reduction work on lands outside its control. Members also discussed community fuel reduction funding, with DLNR indicating that $10 million would be an effective amount and describing current funding for equipment, outreach, and positions. The chair proposed amendments to make fuel reduction on non-set-aside lands permissive rather than mandatory, to allow the State Fire Council to amend the state fire code to include easement holders, and to note a defective date and the funding request in the committee report. The bill was recommended to pass with amendments, with one member voting with reservations. In a later decision-making session, the committee considered Senate Bill 1379, relating to emergency preparedness and Community Readiness Centers, and Senate Bill 371, relating to property damage of critical infrastructure facilities. For SB 1379, the chair proposed an HD1 incorporating the Hawaii Advisory Council on Emergency Management and county emergency management in site-selection criteria, adding geographic resilience considerations, changing the defective date, and noting $10.8 million for site design plus $1.2 million for contract support; the bill passed with amendments, with reservations from some members over county input and funding. For SB 371, the chair amended the bill to remove recklessly/negligently causing damage and require intentional conduct throughout, while leaving other issues for Judiciary review; the bill passed with amendments, with at least one member voting with reservations.

Transcript Highlights:

• a, uh, I went, I was at Morehead with in pre-vet; and he's actually, I represent his practice in Hazard
• c><00:05:32.240><c> practice</c><00:05:32.600><c> on</c><00:05:33.240><c> in</c><00:05:33.479><c> Hazard
• </c> I represent his practice on in Hazard I represent his practice on in Hazard and<00:05:34.199><c>

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:30 Introduction of New Members 00:53 SB 69 Discussion 01:24, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Agriculture met for its first session and took up Senate Bill 69, as amended by a committee substitute. The substitute was adopted by motion and vote, and the chair noted that a fiscal note had been requested but not yet received, so the bill would proceed and the fiscal note would be trailed. The bill concerns equine dental care and related chiropractic services, creating a licensing and regulatory framework for equine dental providers and allied animal health practitioners. Senator Robin Webb, the bill sponsor, said the substitute made technical corrections requested by the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association and the chiropractors association. She described the measure as a compromise intended to clarify scopes of practice, establish a credentialing/licensing board, and provide a legal pathway for people who have long provided equine dental services, especially in rural areas where veterinary access can be limited. Supporters said the bill would improve accountability, allow providers to obtain liability insurance, and preserve referrals to veterinarians for issues outside the defined scope. Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association and Board of Veterinary Examiners representatives said the bill was developed through a working group, modeled in part on Texas, and would include continuing education, grievance procedures, and due process protections. Justin Tallup, an equine dental provider, testified in favor, saying the bill would not change day-to-day practice but would legalize and formalize it. He said the scope would be limited to floating and balancing molars and incisors and removing caps and wolf teeth, with anything beyond that referred to veterinarians. He also said certification requires formal training, case submissions, testing, and annual continuing education. Senator Deneen asked about sedation, and witnesses said sedatives would still be prescribed and dispensed by a veterinarian under a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship, with the owner administering them. Michelle Shane of the Board of Veterinary Examiners said the board supported the bill’s disciplinary framework and would defer to federal law on controlled substances. Dr. William Rainbow, a veterinarian, testified against the bill, arguing that equine dentistry is veterinary medicine and that the proposal would allow undertrained practitioners to work without sufficient standards, including a grandfathering provision. He said practitioners should have training comparable to licensed veterinary technicians and warned that the bill could leave horses vulnerable to poor care. The committee did not take final action on the bill in the portion of the meeting provided, but the chair indicated time was running short and that a vote would be needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• We expect there will be some large costs associated with the major flooding that happened in Washington
• The recent flooding that we saw last month underscores the need for resiliency in our system.
• keep local needs in mind, too, including state funding to unlock federal funding for response to flooding
• I observed when the recent floods happened and Highway 2 was so affected, the Empire Builder, which is
• provides much needed redundancy to support emergency response, evacuation during increasing wildfire and flood

Bills: SB6005

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: transportation budget, transportation appropriations, capital budget, supplemental budget, Washington State Department of Transportation, WSDOT, Washington State Patrol, Department of Licensing, ferries, Puget Sound ferries, tolling, express toll lanes, highway safety, traffic safety, impaired driving, ignition interlock, speed cameras, transit funding, public transit, multimodal transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• We expect there will be some large costs associated with the major flooding that happened in Washington
• The recent flooding that we saw last month underscores the need for resiliency in our system.
• keep local needs in mind, too, including state funding to unlock federal funding for response to flooding
• I observed when the recent floods happened, and Highway 2 was so affected, the Empire Builder, which
• provides much-needed redundancy to support emergency response, evacuation during increasing wildfire and flood

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met on January 13, 2026, for a work session on Governor Ferguson’s proposed 2026 supplemental transportation budget and a public hearing on Senate Bill 6005, which makes supplemental transportation appropriations for the 2025–27 biennium. Committee staff reviewed the transportation budget outlook, noting that the 2025 session had balanced the transportation budget over four years with significant new revenues, but that recent fuel-tax and Climate Commitment Act forecasts had softened the long-term outlook. Staff and the governor’s budget team said the proposal still leaves the budget in positive shape while addressing major needs such as preservation, ferry replacement, maintenance, and the state self-insurance account. The governor’s office described a $16.8 billion transportation budget proposal centered on preservation and maintenance, including $3.1 billion in bonding for eligible preservation projects, $1.1 billion for three new ferries, additional ferry preservation funding, pavement and bridge work, maintenance funding, County Road Administration Board startup money, State Patrol communications upgrades, DOL service access improvements, dredging for the Lower Columbia River, and restored regional mobility grant funding. Committee members asked about ferry capacity, DOL mobile offices, self-insurance costs, and whether additional preservation money could be used in 2026. Testifiers from cities, counties, labor, ports, construction, business, and environmental groups generally supported the emphasis on preservation, ferry reliability, local road funding, and freight projects, while some urged broader transit and rail investment and one witness criticized the budget’s spending approach. During public testimony on SB 6005, speakers from Bainbridge Island and ferry communities supported ferry investments and reliability improvements; local government and labor representatives backed preservation funding and better working conditions for transportation workers; business and construction groups endorsed maintenance, paving, bridge repair, and the Lower Columbia dredging item; and port and environmental advocates supported freight, port electrification, and rail funding. One witness raised concerns about the cost and long-term implications of hybrid-electric ferry maintenance, and another urged restraint in spending. The hearing ended after testimony, with the chair noting the sign-in tally and adjourning the committee without a vote on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, the farmer just last week, who actually a month ago now before the floods, was plowing under
• But that also kind of compounds with what we just experienced: the significant floods, especially in
• mentioned some of the west side pressures being faced by agriculture, including urbanization and the flooding
• mentioned some of the west side pressures being faced by agriculture, including urbanization and the flooding
• For example, even as we're recovering from the historic flooding in the last month, growers in central

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee opened its 2026 session with committee housekeeping, member introductions, and a reminder that schedules are set a week in advance and amendments must be submitted by the prior day’s deadlines. Chair Reeves emphasized solution-oriented, collaborative, and respectful participation, then outlined that the committee would focus on three interim reports relevant to its work this session: municipal water efficiency, ecosystem services, and food policy. The first presentation, from the William D. Ruckelshaus Center and WSU, reviewed Washington’s municipal water efficiency statute and regulation. Presenters said interviewees largely agreed on the need for better data collection, more technical assistance for smaller systems, and more state funding for both agency staffing and water system infrastructure. Most opposed shifting oversight of the conservation program from the Department of Health to Ecology, and the report recommended keeping oversight at DOH while improving collaboration across agencies and tribes. The presenters also urged broader statewide water planning, more consistent reporting using the AWWA water audit method instead of leakage percentage, re-evaluating the 500-connection threshold, and addressing outdoor water use, rebates, reuse, and public education. Members asked about creating a new office for water oversight, but the presenters said that idea was generally viewed as too costly and impractical under current budget conditions. DNR then presented its 2025 ecosystem services work group report. The department described ecosystem services markets it studied, including regulatory and voluntary forest carbon, avoided wildfire emissions, and water leasing, with lower potential identified for blue carbon, biodiversity, and water quality markets. DNR said about 15,000 acres of state forest land may have carbon-market potential, but emphasized that the analysis was broad and not project-specific, so the report recommends pilots, continued market monitoring, use of third-party developers, and clarification of authority through House Bill 2170. Committee members asked about economic feasibility, timber tradeoffs, and how success would be defined, and DNR said those questions would be better addressed in future, more detailed project-level work. The final presentation covered the Food Policy Forum’s 2025 report to the legislature. Speakers described broad consensus recommendations on food security, local foods in schools, farm-to-food-bank programs, a state farm bill, commercial access, and food system infrastructure. They highlighted pressures on agriculture from development, flooding, drought, water shortages, and the need to preserve farmland and support farmers, food banks, and local procurement systems. The committee chair thanked the presenters and noted that several related bills and policy proposals would be heard later in session. No votes were taken; the meeting concluded after the presentations and brief member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• And on that note, I'm curious about the flood in Gila County recently.
• We believe that there were tens of millions, $100 million worth of damage caused by that flood.
• Those 7,800 are available for fires, floods, rescues, all those things.
• Specifically, I was there firsthand during the flood at Heila County.
• ensued following the floods, right?

Committee: Senate Director Nominations

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This has loss due to fire, theft, or flood.
• So I would strike on page 9, line 11, 'due to fire, theft, or flood.' Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• This has loss due to fire, theft, or flood.
• So I would strike on page 9, line 11, 'due to fire, theft, or flood.'
• I would strike on page 9, line 11, 'due to fire, theft, or flood.'

Bills: SB3 , HB70 , HB49 , HB60 , HB151 , HB164 , SB17 , SB35 , SB164

Committee: Senate House Judiciary

Keywords: mental health, commitment, involuntary commitment, civil commitment, assisted outpatient treatment, AOT, court-ordered treatment, behavioral health, psychiatric hold, danger to self, danger to others, suicide prevention, self-harm, homicide risk, capacity, decisional capacity, guardianship, treatment guardian, crisis stabilization, crisis triage center

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 35, which would create one additional judgeship in the First Judicial District. Senator Trujillo and Chief Judge Bichai explained that the position had been approved through the judiciary’s unified budget process based on caseload and weighted-caseload needs. Members asked about how the new judge would be appointed, election timing, and courthouse space; the judge said the district would make room temporarily and that technology had helped with courtroom efficiency. One member of the public testified in opposition, alleging questionable case-assignment practices in the district court. The committee then voted do pass on SB 35 to the Finance Committee without objection. The committee then heard Senate Bill 17, the Stop Illegal Gun Trade Act, with extensive testimony on both sides. Supporters, including the sponsors, gun-violence survivors, prosecutors, law enforcement, city representatives, educators, and advocacy groups, argued that the bill would address a retail-to-criminal pipeline by requiring gun dealers to secure inventory, train employees, track sales, report suspicious activity, and restrict future sales of certain military-style firearms and large-capacity magazines. They cited gun violence statistics, local homicides, and the impact on children and schools. Opponents, including NRA and industry representatives, sheriffs, ranchers, dealers, and other citizens, argued the bill would violate the Second, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments, create a de facto registry, impose costly burdens on lawful businesses, and fail to stop criminals. Several opponents also raised concerns about litigation costs and the effect on rural gun owners. Committee members then questioned the sponsors and debated the bill’s definitions, recordkeeping, confidentiality, and dealer requirements. Senator Duhigg offered and the committee adopted several amendments, including removing narrow loss-language tied to fire/theft/flood, changing backup timing language back to the federal standard, and revising the confidentiality/IPRA language to protect names and personal identifying information of transferees. The sponsors said the bill was intended to align with or build on federal standards in some areas while adding state-level dealer oversight. The chair allowed extended amendment discussion and indicated the committee would continue working through the substitute bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• as well as mitigate impacts of flooding as well as low<00:19:34.240><c> flows.
• And when that flood happened, it filled And when that flood happened, it filled this<02:57:53.680><c>
• I came and testified and participated in the original Title 15 law. floods are more devastating. floods
• flooded by the railroad. And guess what?
• </c><03:15:57.279><c> zone</c> North Second in Laramie is a flood zone North Second in Laramie is a flood

Committee: Joint Select Water Committee

Keywords: 916, all