Transcript Highlights:

• The current framework for hazardous waste does not include metal shredding facilities, and therefore
• DTSC has an existing program and regulations that apply to hazardous waste sites.
• DTSC has an existing program and regulations that apply to hazardous waste sites.
• Mega shredders will treat that material, which is a hazardous waste.
• to a regular landfill as non-hazardous waste.

Summary: The committee heard SB 404 on metal shredding facilities, SB 601 on water quality protections after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Sackett decision, SB 682 on phasing out PFOS in certain consumer products, and later SB 646 on prenatal vitamins and toxic metal contamination. SB 561 had been pulled from the hearing. In each of the measures, the authors and supporters emphasized environmental and public health protections, while opponents raised concerns about overregulation, implementation, and unintended economic impacts. The committee also spent time on the policy details of each bill, including how smaller operators would be treated under SB 404, how “nexus waters” would be defined under SB 601, and whether alternatives and testing standards were adequate under SB 682 and SB 646. For SB 404, Senator Caballero said the bill would create a permitting and enforcement framework for metal shredding facilities, with operational standards for fire prevention, stormwater, and releases of shredder residue, while supporters argued it would bring needed certainty to a critical recycling industry. Opponents, including small recyclers and community/environmental advocates, said the bill was either too broad or not strong enough, with some warning it would burden smaller facilities and others arguing it would fail to protect overburdened communities. The committee approved SB 404 on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations, with recorded support from the chair and some members and opposition from others. SB 601 sought to restore state-level protections for waters that lost federal Clean Water Act coverage after Sackett, using a “nexus waters” framework and revised enforcement provisions after amendments removed the private right of action. Supporters said California needed to preserve protections for seasonal streams and wetlands and avoid backsliding, while opponents from business, agriculture, water districts, and local governments argued the definition remained too broad and could create uncertainty, costs, and unintended consequences. The committee also approved SB 601 on a due-pass motion to Appropriations, again with split votes. SB 682, which the committee also advanced, would phase out intentionally added PFOS in six product categories, including cleaning products, cookware, dental floss, ski wax, food packaging, and juvenile products, with an amendment delaying cookware implementation until 2030. Supporters framed it as a source-control measure to reduce PFAS contamination and lower long-term water treatment costs, while manufacturers and cookware interests argued the bill was overbroad, lacked workable testing standards, and could push consumers and businesses toward uncertain alternatives. The committee chair recommended an aye vote, and the measure passed to Appropriations. SB 646 was then introduced on prenatal vitamins, with supporters saying it would require testing and disclosure of heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, while the opposition said disclosure must be handled carefully so as not to confuse consumers or undermine confidence in prenatal supplements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Safeguards to prevent the possible spread of chronic wasting disease.
• With the advent of Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, all deer from breeder facilities are required to
• These plants would take water from the bay and discharge waste into the bay.
• And Canada are following standard disease protocols in dealing with chronic wasting disease (CWD).
• In these areas, many have chronic wasting disease (CWD).

Bills: HB4568, HB5458, HB4543, HB2703, HB3728, HCR113, HCR126

Keywords: film industry, incentives, grants, Texas, moving image, economic development, production companies, content standards, HB 5458, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, TPWD, chronic wasting disease, CWD, cervids, deer, elk, moose, wildlife management, game animals, disease management

Transcript Highlights:

• facility utilized by a county and city solid waste management program... ...of a waste-to-energy facility
• of aquifer protection, waste disposal, and local energy production.
• It provides solid waste services for the region.
• This bill is about waste-to-energy, the most environmentally accepted practice of handling waste worldwide
• This bill is about waste to energy, the most environmentally accepted practice of handling waste worldwide

Bills: HB2521, HB2249, HB1796

Keywords: firearms, background check, gun control, public safety, legislation, HB 2249, Washington Technology Solutions, WaTech, civil service, classified service, exempt employees, state employment, state personnel, network security, cybersecurity, information technology, IT contracting, data center, systems integration, network engineering

Transcript Highlights:

• Only to watch their hard-earned tax dollars stolen and wasted.
• Let's put an end to waste, fraud, and abuse. Members, vote green.
• Well, you oh, we're we're wasting money. Well, you know<00:30:39.040><c> what?
• ,</c><00:37:33.320><c> and</c> forward to expose fraud, waste, and forward to expose fraud, waste, and
• can root out fraud or that can waste can root out fraud or misuse. misuse. misuse.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We we need it fraud, waste, and abuse.
• And I think that's why a lot of people in my caucus get upset over the waste, fraud, and abuse because
• , fraud, and abuse looking at the waste, fraud, and abuse and<00:10:20.079><c> um</c><00:10:21.120><c
• &gt;&gt; So<00:10:41.600><c> you've</c><00:10:41.839><c> mentioned</c><00:10:42.240><c> waste,</c><00
• :10:42.560><c> fraud</c><00:10:42.800><c> and</c> &gt;&gt; So you've mentioned waste, fraud and &gt;&

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're going to find waste in Social Security. They're going to find waste in medical assistance.
• They're going to find waste in Medicare.
• They're going to find waste in Social Security. They're going to find waste in medical assistance.
• c> going to find waste in medical going to find waste in medical assistance<00:13:39.320><c> they're<
• </c> assistance they're going to find waste assistance they're going to find waste in<00:13:40.360><c

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> because we do want to capture um waste because we do want to capture um waste water.<00:24:23.440
• They take in waste and waste water that contains PFAS, and their waste water itself that comes out of
• Now, the waste disposal ourselves.
• </c> by its very nature, they take in waste. by its very nature, they take in waste.
• </c><01:09:58.239><c> waste</c><01:09:58.640><c> water</c> They take in waste and waste water They take

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:01:40 Chair Comments 00:02:51 Rep. Nima Kulkarni PFAS Presentation 00:04:35 EEC PFAS Presentation 00:39:36 Rusty Cress PFAS Presentation 01:01:10 Chair Comments on Admin Regs and Reports Received 01:14:41, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now in California, half of all municipal solid waste ends up in landfills, approximately 146 tons
• Right now, 1383 requires that 90% of all waste as of this year be converted into material that cannot
• AB 333 Alanis, waste glass market development payment, holding committee.
• AB 333 Alinez waste glass market development payment holding committee.
• Dupass is amended to strike the solid waste disposal and co-deposal site cleanup program fund out with

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on January 22, 2026, for its regular order hearing and suspense-file hearing. In regular order, the committee approved consent-calendar bills AB 683, AB 763, AB 1126, and AB 1278 on unanimous due-pass motions, and AB 34 and AB 442 on a second unanimous due-pass motion. The committee then heard and advanced several bills, including AB 35, which would create an APA exemption for Proposition 4-funded programs to speed implementation of water, wildfire, energy-storage, and grid-support projects; AB 748, establishing pre-approved housing programs for local agencies; AB 939, allowing immediate transfer of certain affordable homeownership units to qualified nonprofit housing organizations; AB 643, adding a narrow organic-waste-derived agricultural fertilizer product to SB 1383 procurement options; and AB 96, removing the high school diploma requirement for certified Medi-Cal peer support specialists. Testimony on these bills was largely supportive, with sponsors and coalition representatives emphasizing reduced delays, lower costs, and improved housing, environmental, or behavioral-health outcomes. The Department of Finance offered general budget comments but no bill-specific positions. The committee voted the bills out, with AB 643 and AB 96 receiving no recorded opposition in the transcript and AB 939 passing with some members noting support and interest in coauthoring. The committee also received a presentation-only discussion of AB 1091, a proposal to authorize eight-letter specialty license plates, which the author said could generate revenue for rural programs such as the Williamson Act; the bill was not acted on at that time. After public comment, the committee moved to the suspense-file hearing on 53 bills. Using a substituted motion for due-pass and due-pass-with-amendments items, the committee held some bills and advanced many others, often with amendments that narrowed scope, deleted provisions, or required reports or studies. Bills held in committee included AB 405, AB 298, AB 333, AB 296, AB 1091, AB 1241, and AB 577, among others. The committee reported moving 43 bills to the Assembly floor, with several on A roll calls and others on B roll calls or with amendments, and noted that amendment language would be posted later online.

Transcript Highlights:

• And you can think medical waste is anywhere from body parts, blood, gauze, syringes, intestines, everything
• has covered this, where surgery centers, hospitals were not sending and not separating their medical waste
• never been there, I do invite you in to see the work that's being done as we try to divert 75% of waste
• never been there, I do invite you in to see the work that's being done as we try to divert 75% of waste
• </c><00:03:50.319><c> from</c> as we try to divert 75% of waste from as we try to divert 75% of waste

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 4017, with Representative Johnson presenting a delete-everything amendment that substantially changed the bill from a regulatory approach to a study. Johnson explained that the issue involves improper disposal of medical waste by hospitals and surgery centers, including items such as blood, gauze, syringes, and body parts, which he said has been occurring statewide despite an existing separation law dating back to 1989. He described the problem as a safety, operational, and cost issue for waste facilities and workers, saying facilities have had to shut down, bring in cleanup crews, and investigate incidents when contaminated waste is found in general trash. Johnson said prior efforts to address the problem with hospitals and other locations had only temporary success, and that the amended bill would instead create a study to determine why the violations are happening, how widespread they are, and who needs education. The chair noted the amendment was a compromise that could move forward now, even if it was not a complete solution. No member questions were raised. The committee adopted the DE1 amendment by voice vote, then renewed the motion to refer House File 4017 as amended to the general register. That motion passed by voice vote, and the bill advanced. Johnson thanked the co-authors and others who worked on the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome everybody to the Solid Waste Subcommittee.
• </c> Florida they do they have a ton of waste Florida they do they have a ton of waste to<01:21:11.159
• </c><01:41:26.199><c> uh</c> collaboration with the solid waste uh collaboration with the solid waste
• c><01:47:32.320><c> is</c><01:47:33.320><c> that's</c> waste and other waste um is that's waste and other
• The other issue is waste.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Solid Waste Subcommittee met to discuss proposed amendments to HB 171 and HB 215. For HB 171, Representative Gerna outlined technical changes to a landfill moratorium bill: DES would be allowed to accept applications only to review them for completeness, a notwithstanding clause would override automatic approval timing rules, the word “fully” would be removed, and an unnecessary reference to perennial water bodies would be deleted. Members raised concern about whether applications deemed complete during the moratorium would still have to comply with later changes in law or rule. Director Mike Whap of DES said applicants would likely need to amend applications if policy changes occurred, and suggested the bill could explicitly state that later changes apply to pending applications. The subcommittee generally supported the revised language and agreed the amended bill could go directly to executive session, though one member said the underlying legislation was ill-advised but preferred the amended version over the original. The committee then turned to HB 215, which would create a two-stage landfill siting review centered on a “net public benefit” determination before full technical review. Representative Gerna explained that the amendment would define net public benefit, require an independent third-party assessment paid for by the applicant, and set up a process for selecting the contractor from a list submitted by the applicant, with DES and the host community involved and the commissioner choosing if no agreement is reached within 60 days. Members asked how “host community” would be defined; DES said it would generally mean the municipal governing body, though that body could appoint others. The amendment also broadened the factors considered in both harms and benefits, including human health, property values, tourism, recreation, wildlife, local economic benefits, and infrastructure improvements. The discussion also added a provision directing DES to consult with the Department of Transportation, the Department of Business and Economic Affairs, and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources as needed when reviewing the third-party assessment. Director Whap said interdepartmental consultation is normal and that DES would likely adopt rules to guide the process. Members questioned whether the new framework would be too vague or burdensome for applicants, but Whap said it would not be designed to stack the deck against applicants and that the process should provide clearer, more balanced criteria. No votes were taken during the meeting, and the subcommittee appeared to continue refining the amendment language before further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bill No. 14, by the Environment, Energy and Technology Committee, is an act relating to hazardous waste
• , repealing Chapter 58, Title 39, Idaho Code, relating to hazardous waste facilities.
• , repealing Chapter 58, Title 39, Idaho Code relating to hazardous waste facilities.
• House Bill 714: An act relating to hazardous waste, repealing Chapter 58, Title 39, Idaho Code, relating
• to hazardous waste facility siting.

Summary: The House convened with 69 members present, approved the previous journal, and received a substitute appointment notice for Kenneth Zakin to temporarily serve in Legislative District 3, Seat B. It also received an enrolled Senate bill for the Speaker’s signature and a large batch of committee reports and bill referrals, including several new bills and resolutions being printed or sent to standing committees. House Joint Memorial 15 and House Resolution 24 were sent for printing, and multiple bills were introduced and referred, including measures on hazardous waste, libraries, transportation funding, motor vehicle registration, campaign finance, elections, building codes, and taxation. The chamber then considered and passed several bills on third reading. House Bill 528, concerning self-directed and directed blood donation, passed 52-17. House Bill 521, which moves fingerprinting authority for certain non-criminal-justice private entities into a new code section, passed 69-0. House Bill 498, allowing the Legislature to hire private counsel for offensive litigation, passed 61-8. House Bill 539, tightening rules around temporary administrative rules and related review requirements, passed 67-2. House Bill 516, correcting a leftover reference in the parental rights and education law, passed 59-10 after debate over its effect on existing education restrictions. House Bill 522, addressing drone incursions near prisons and related penalties, passed 62-7. House Bill 635, requiring the Education Professional Standards Commission to report possible criminal conduct to law enforcement, passed 66-8. House Bill 594, codifying a court decision on distribution of penalties and interest from late tax payments to subjurisdictions, passed 69-0. House Bill 610, preserving homeowners exemptions for Idahoans serving religious or community missions when they intend to return, passed 48-20. Other business included holding House Bill 639 and House Joint Memorial 12 on the third reading calendar, and announcing that House Bill 620, 532, 629, 503, and Senate Concurrent Resolution 115 had been reported out of committee earlier in the day. The House also heard announcements about the Simplot Games, Idaho Food Bank, Whammy Kids, an Energy Caucus meeting, Idaho School Board Association lunch, and girls’ state basketball tickets. The House adjourned until 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• It says, aim for elimination of waste through superior design of materials, products, and...
• Speaker, gentlemen, I think this will help with waste reduction more than anything else.
• Trying to take waste out of the waste stream and reduce that footprint, that carbon footprint, I think
• Speaker, gentlemen, the Hazardous Waste Bureau, the waste...
• We have Green Tree Solid Waste, and they bailed a lot of tires.

Transcript Highlights:

• This amendment changes the bill's title to waste management.
• means of solid waste disposal.
• means of solid waste disposal.
• Waste to energy is critical infrastructure for Florida.
• He concluded that waste-to-energy technology is proven, safe, and reliable, and that modern waste-to-energy

Summary: The committee heard and acted on a long agenda of local, housing, education, construction, and claims bills. It first took up SB 1730 on affordable housing/Live Local changes, adopting an amendment that narrowed and clarified several provisions, including density, height, parking, attorney fees, and exclusions for certain protected areas, then reported the bill favorably. It also approved SB 1674, which clarifies that local investment restrictions cannot block Israel bonds, after a clarifying amendment. SB 140 on charter schools was reported favorably after significant debate over school conversion, teacher contracts, local control, and the use of surplus school property for housing or other public purposes; several speakers opposed it as harmful to public schools, while the sponsor said it preserved district authority and added options for municipalities and job creation. The committee also passed SB 96 and SB 4, two local claims bills, and SB 1714, which allows SHIP funds to help mobile home owners with lot rent and requires local housing plans to address mobile home park closures.

Transcript Highlights:

• In many cases, it's cheaper for bad actors to dump illegally than to dispose of the waste properly.
• In many cases, it's cheaper for bad actors to dump illegally than to dispose of the waste properly.
• This waste was then covered with organics, i.e., mulch littered with plastics and solid waste.
• It would really be helpful to have more bulky waste pickups and reduce landfill fees.
• Our organics waste program requires the waste hauler companies to haul the organic waste to whatever

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It simply adds more plastic to the waste stream.
• We do think this bill is a helpful contribution to the conversations around plastic waste and litter
• I'm the program manager for the solid waste management program at the Department of Ecology.
• I'm the program manager for the solid waste management program at Department of Ecology.
• We manage solid waste and stormwater for the city of Seattle. For us, tires are a triple threat.

Bills: HB2421, HB1652, HB2367, HB2284

Keywords: 6PPD, tires, environmental impact, public health, chemical regulation, HB1652, Salish Sea Protection and Marine Clean Fuels Act, marine fuel, low-sulfur fuel, sulfur emissions, ocean-going vessels, shipping, maritime pollution, air quality, particulate matter, Department of Ecology, port visit, regulated waters, fuel switching, vessel emissions

Transcript Highlights:

• You are wasting donations, you are wasting funds and time by doing that.
• You are wasting the first place is going to kill them again, and you are wasting taxpayer money, you
• are wasting donations, you are wasting funds and time by doing that.
• It's actually through my division of waste management to collect these tires.
• It was handling the waste of the rum distillery.

Summary: The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources heard a series of presentations focused on coral reef restoration, artificial reefs, biosolids management, and a proposed biosolids processing facility. Mote Marine Laboratory described the severe decline of Florida’s coral reefs, its restoration methods using microfragmentation, genetic banking, selective breeding, nurseries, and outplanting, and asked for a long-term state commitment to help restore reef areas. The Keys Marine Laboratory and Florida Institute of Oceanography highlighted their role as a hub for coral rescue, holding, propagation, and research, including emergency response during the 2023 bleaching event. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission discussed the scale of reef loss, the state’s coral rescue and propagation efforts, and the economic and habitat value of artificial reefs, while noting permitting delays and material-selection concerns for reef projects. The committee then received a DEP update on the Osborne Reef tire cleanup. DEP explained that the original tire reef was a failure, that nearly 500,000 tires had been removed by 2024, and that the current effort is funded at $5 million for the fiscal year, with cleanup now shifting from large tire clusters to more difficult individual tires and coral relocation. Members asked about the future of the site after cleanup; DEP said that phase two decisions, such as whether to restore or monitor the area, have not yet been made. DEP also presented on biosolids rules, explaining that the 2021 rule tightened nutrient management, groundwater, and surface water protections, reduced the number of active land-application sites, and contributed to a shift away from Class B land application toward Class AA, landfill, or out-of-state disposal. Senators raised concerns about PFAS, nutrient loading, and the loss of disposal options, and a public speaker warned of a statewide septage disposal crisis. Finally, Sedron Technologies presented its VARCOR system and a planned Indiantown facility that would process dewatered biosolids into clean water, ammonia, and a dry Class AA product or fuel, with the company saying the process can destroy PFAS and help relieve regional disposal pressure. Senators expressed support for the technology as a potential solution to Florida’s biosolids challenges. No formal votes were taken on the presentations themselves, and the only action at the end of the meeting was adjournment after Senator Polsky moved to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't want to waste money on food, because when we waste money on food, that's money that could be
• And there's been has been wasted.
• </c> is so much waste.
• We don't want to waste is so much waste.
• </c> money on uh food, because when we waste money on uh food, because when we waste money<00:28:05.440

Bills: SCR120, SCR71, SCR164, SCR41

Keywords: rangelands, pastoralists, pastoralism, ranching, ranchers, paniolo, livestock, grazing, grasslands, land management, conservation, sustainable agriculture, agriculture, Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity, University of Hawaii, ecosystem services, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, Hawaii counties, International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists

Transcript Highlights:

• Another area where we can find a significant amount of savings is going after waste, fraud, and abuse
• And we've seen that hasn't been a very good oversight from the administration when it comes to waste,
• </c><00:07:56.479><c> Fraud</c> of savings is going after waste Fraud of savings is going after waste
• Fraud and Abuse so I think you'll waste Fraud and Abuse so I think you'll see<00:08:07.159><c> the</
• Fraud and Abuse so we can at the waste Fraud and Abuse so we can at the end<00:08:15.599><c> of</c><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• or how their manufactured items could become waste.
• ><01:04:28.400><c> become</c><01:04:28.720><c> waste.
• </c> manufactured items could become waste. manufactured items could become waste.
• </c><01:10:22.719><c> recycling</c> when I visited my waste recycling when I visited my waste recycling
• </c><01:12:35.920><c> and</c> recently passed the packaging waste and recently passed the packaging waste

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Nicolappas with California's Against Waste.
• So as local governments were charged with managing solid waste and meeting the state's solid waste diversion
• So as local governments were charged with managing solid waste and meeting the state's solid waste diversion
• It improves the quality of organic waste inputs, reduces waste management costs for local governments
• Isabel Ferrand, on behalf of Rethink Waste, The Last Plastic Straw, Zero Waste San Diego, California

Summary: The committee heard extensive testimony on AB 2218, which would declare state policy to recognize and address water-related inequities affecting California Native American tribes and require several state agencies to incorporate that policy into water-related decisions. The author and tribal witnesses said the bill would codify a seat at the table for tribes and build on existing consultation and equity commitments, while supporters from environmental and tribal organizations backed the measure. Opponents from municipal utilities, water agencies, cities, counties, agriculture, and business groups argued the bill was too vague, could create uncertainty for water supply and project approvals, and might invite litigation. The chair signaled support, and the author said the bill was intended as a consultation measure rather than one that would usurp agency authority. The committee then took up AB 1795, a wildfire smoke-damage bill that would establish statewide standards for inspecting, testing, and remediating smoke-damaged homes and create clearer insurance claim handling rules. The Department of Insurance supported the bill, saying it would bring consistency and accountability after major urban-interface fires, while wildfire survivors and advocates said current insurer practices leave families unable to safely return home. Insurance and local government groups opposed unless amended, warning about cost, implementation uncertainty, and the bill’s scope. Members discussed unresolved issues, including how the bill would interact with a separate wildfire health-and-safety bill, whether it would apply to existing policies, and how presumptions and testing standards should work. The committee voted AB 1795 out on a due pass as amended motion to Appropriations. AB 1642, another wildfire-related bill, was also heard and focused on setting science-based testing and clearance standards for homes, schools, and businesses after urban and wildland-urban interface fires. The author and a Caltech scientist described contamination from lead and other heavy metals in fire-affected homes and argued for a presumption that certain contaminants found after a fire came from the wildfire, to reduce costly disputes. Survivors and many advocacy groups supported the bill, while insurers and other industry groups opposed, saying the testing regime was too broad, the geographic scope was unclear, and the presumptions could function like strict liability and raise insurance costs. Senators pressed both sides on how AB 1642 would overlap with the CDI smoke-claims task force and with AB 1795, and the author said the two bills were intended to be complementary and would continue to be reconciled. The committee also briefly heard AB 1976, which would create a CEQA exemption for pedestrian malls and limit certain local procedural delays for pedestrian and traffic-calming projects. Supporters said it would make it easier to create safer, more walkable, and more livable streets, and there was no opposition testimony. The chair described it as a narrow CEQA exemption for active transportation-related projects and indicated support. The committee then moved on to AB 2026, a groundwater recharge permitting bill, with the author explaining that it would streamline permitting so more recharge projects can capture floodwater and store it for drought years; testimony on that bill began as the transcript ended.