Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here today in strong support of SB 5906.
• And so I give my full support of this bill. I urge you all to support as well. Thank you.
• I strongly urge you to support Senate Bill 6070.
• We certainly would support a 30-day limit.
• We strongly urge support of this bill. Thank you.

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on four bills. SB 5925 would expand the Attorney General’s civil investigative demand authority to investigate possible violations of the U.S. and Washington constitutions, certain labor and civil rights laws, law enforcement use-of-force issues, and jail-related statutes. Supporters, including the Attorney General’s office, Teamsters 117, and Working Washington, said the bill would make investigations faster and more effective, especially in wage theft and discrimination cases. Opponents, including police, sheriffs, cities, counties, and retail and business groups, argued it would give the AG broad investigative power without enough threshold showing, could burden local governments and employers, and raised constitutional concerns about speech and search protections. No vote was taken. SB 5906 would codify and expand protections for non-public spaces in schools, child care facilities, health care facilities, higher education institutions, and county auditor election areas by limiting immigration enforcement access without a judicial warrant or court order and restricting collection of immigration-related information about students and families. Supporters said the bill would reduce fear, protect privacy, and make existing Keep Washington Working policies clearer and more durable, with testimony from immigrant rights groups, faith organizations, students, PTA, and health advocates. Some organizations, including health care and child care stakeholders, supported the goal but asked for amendments to clarify definitions, create model policies, add training and enforcement provisions, and adjust warrant/subpoena language. The committee also heard strong opposition concerns about federal immigration enforcement, but no action was taken. SB 6070 would expand missing-person tools by allowing certain digital investigative tools to be used in missing endangered person cases, creating new Abney and Purple Alerts for missing Black people and people with disabilities, and broadening the definition of missing endangered person. Supporters included prosecutors, law enforcement, tribal and disability advocates, families of missing persons, and students who argued that faster alerts and better digital tools save lives and address racial and disability disparities in missing-person responses. Testimony described delays in prior cases and the need for more urgent, targeted alerts. The committee then heard SB 6002, which would regulate automated license plate reader systems, set registration, use, retention, audit, and disclosure rules, and prohibit certain uses such as immigration enforcement and surveillance near protected locations. The sponsor said the bill is intended to create statewide guardrails for a technology already in use, and testimony was expected to continue after the excerpt ended; no vote or final action was recorded in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Gaming revenue also supports cultural and language revitalization efforts.
• The picture on the left, the PSO Blue Bills recently discovered an elderly low-income woman in South
• The picture on the right, this is another Blue Bills project that was recently completed with support
• We enacted a nutrition support program under the general welfare exception that the IRS put out, which
• allows us to provide direct nutrition support to tribal members without that support being taxable.

Summary: The joint House and Senate committee meeting heard public testimony on tentative tribal-state gaming compact amendments for the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe and the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe. Staff from the Washington State Gambling Commission explained the compacting process, the role of ex officio legislative members, and that the amendments would next go to the Gambling Commission for a January 8, 2026 vote before possible governor review. The Port Gamble S'Klallam presentation emphasized how gaming revenue supports tribal government services, health care, housing, education, language revitalization, natural resources work, and community investment projects in Kitsap County. For Port Gamble S'Klallam, the proposed changes include expanded credit and wager limits, more gaming stations and player terminals, language for a second facility, and adoption of an electronic table games appendix similar to other tribes. Members asked about pre-screening for high-limit tables, including how the tribe would define problem gambling and self-exclusion; tribal counsel said internal minimum control standards were still being developed and more detail would follow. A question about green crab removal in Port Gamble Bay was deferred for follow-up because the natural resources director was not present. The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe described its history, sovereignty, gaming operations, and how gaming revenue supports member programs such as nutrition assistance, education aid, homeownership down payment help, and charitable giving in Skagit County. Its amendment would allow electronic table games after the tribe removed traditional table games due to staffing and cost pressures, with the goal of remaining competitive. Committee members also asked about air quality and smoking-related provisions in the compact; the tribe said it maintains separate smoking and non-smoking areas and supports smoking cessation efforts. Chairs from both chambers closed by thanking the tribes for their contributions to members, local communities, and natural resource protection.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm here in support of House Bill 2765.
• Texas Farm Bureau supports HB 2765 because it will help bridge infrastructure gaps and boost economic
• I urge you to support House Bill 2765.
• For rural counties, supporting infrastructure needs for rural economic development.
• We're all unanimously in support of this bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Cynthia Kabki in support. Cynthia Ki, you present on Zoom. support.
• Cynthia Kabki in support. comments. Cynthia Kabki in support.
• April Aoyo in support. have Okay. April Aoyo in support.
• BA Mcccleintoch in support. Melissa Chong in support.
• BA Mcccleintoch in support. Melissa Chong in support.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard SR 12/SCR 16, which asks the Department of Health to convene a task force to identify minimum professional standards for community health worker training programs. The Department of Health supported the measure and said it could take on the work with current resources. Testimony from Papa Ola Lokahi, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, the Hawaii Community Health Worker Association, and community health workers strongly supported the resolution but urged broader task force representation, including community health workers themselves, Papa Ola Lokahi, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, the Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Community Health Worker Alliance, and community-based rural nonprofit organizations. Several testifiers also asked that community health workers make up at least half of the task force. The department indicated it had no objection to adding the requested groups, and members discussed those proposed amendments. The committee then took up SR 141/SCR 172, which requests a Department of Health working group on demolition waste reduction. Energy Justice Network and other supporters urged amendments, including use of the internationally recognized zero-waste definition and hierarchy. The committee also heard SR 165/SCR 205, which would direct the Department of Health to adopt rules setting maximum decibel levels for concerts or events at private venues in primarily residential areas. The department said it was already working on noise issues and wanted a community noise working group to address nuisances beyond current statutory categories, but members questioned the lack of specific standards, the absence of a defined working group membership, and whether the proposal would lead to broader restrictions on events. Testimony and discussion focused on concerns about noise impacts, enforcement, and the balance between community complaints and long-standing local events. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion provided. The hearing then moved on to SR 174/SCR 194, which would ask the Department of Health to reduce the use of disposable surgical equipment and adopt sustainable practices, but discussion of that measure was not included in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• "So by 2020, we have, or in 2020, they have, like, 26 elderly dependents per 100 working-age individuals
• By 2035, we'll have 37 elderly dependents per 100 working-age individuals.
• stock is more affordable over time, making sure that we have abundant housing and are providing supports
• We're going to continue to encourage and support new housing production all across the state while working
• take a look at the housing plan, achieving housing abundance is one of five strategies, providing support

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on the Census heard presentations on Massachusetts population trends and how they affect state housing planning. Susan Strait of the UMass Donahue Institute reviewed recent Census Bureau estimates, saying Massachusetts grew strongly over the last decade but that growth has slowed sharply in the newest estimates, largely because net international migration has fallen from a post-pandemic surge. She also described the four components of population change—births, deaths, domestic migration, and international migration—along with aging trends, declining fertility, the importance of the millennial cohort, and the role of foreign-born residents in births and the labor force. Committee members asked about college students in group quarters and about counting incarcerated people, and Strait explained the Census Bureau’s current methods and noted that some issues remain under discussion. Jesse Guerrero of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council then explained how MAPC uses UMass Donahue population projections to build household and local land-use forecasts for MassDOT and the statewide housing plan. He said the earlier transportation projections anticipated slower statewide growth and regional decline in western Massachusetts and on the Cape, with more growth in eastern Massachusetts. He also described how household formation, development patterns, zoning, and affordability are modeled, and noted that newer housing-plan scenarios use updated Census data and different assumptions about migration. Senator Miranda raised concerns about Cape Cod population loss and whether seasonal residents are being counted, and Guerrero and Strait said the projections focus on permanent residents, not seasonal populations. Tim Reardon of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities tied the demographic forecasts to the statewide housing plan, saying housing demand exists even under low-growth or slight-decline scenarios. He said the plan estimates about 115,000 homes are needed to address existing shortages, including doubled-up households, shelter families, seasonal conversion losses, and the need for healthier vacancy rates, plus additional units tied to future household formation. He added that the state’s total housing target is about 222,000 units, or as high as 262,000 under a higher-growth scenario. Senators pressed him on whether the scenarios are now too high given the recent drop in immigration, on affordability and out-migration, and on whether the housing plan adequately reflects homelessness and overcrowding in Boston and elsewhere. Reardon said the plan includes production, rental assistance, shelter prevention, and preservation strategies, and noted that HLC is also using grant programs and MBTA Communities-related infrastructure funding to support housing production statewide.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so as of today, $2.1 million will support construction of 19 homes, equaling $8 million of development
• It's under a thousand a month on a lot of elderly people.
• work to... ...because they're going to have a hard time gaining employment or continuing to work, to support
• Then I also have Ed Murphy, our state geologist, and Michael Leach, our executive manager of agency support
• So since that August time frame, WBI has been out working with customers to secure support for the project

Summary: The committee met as the Regulatory Division budget section and first reviewed the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency’s budget and program update. Legislative Council outlined the agency’s base budget and historical funding, and Housing Finance staff reported on homeownership lending, housing incentive fund (HIF) awards, and homeless grant spending. Agency officials said the five new FTEs approved last session are mostly filled, with one homeless program manager still open. They described strong demand for HIF, noting that September 2025 multifamily requests exceeded $73 million while only $25 million was available, and that single-family and homeless programs are also heavily subscribed. Members discussed the agency’s local loan servicing workload, interest-rate benefits, down payment assistance, and the need to coordinate housing discussions with Commerce and site-preparation efforts. The agency asked that HIF, single-family, and homeless funding be maintained or increased, and committee members emphasized accountability and statewide access for homeless prevention and rapid rehousing funds. The Department of Mineral Resources then presented its budget and agency initiatives. Staff reported that the department is on track financially, that most of the five new reclamation-related FTEs are hired, and that litigation costs tied to oil and gas matters are expected to continue appearing late in the biennium. The director reviewed ongoing modernization and organizational efforts, including the North Star IT project, succession planning, training, and rulemaking for oil and gas and critical minerals. Members asked about longer laterals, spacing, and production trends; the department said operators are increasingly drilling three-, four-, and even an initial five-mile lateral, which is helping keep North Dakota oil production relatively flat even as rig counts ease. The director also discussed oil price volatility tied to Middle East conflict, hedging practices among producers, gas capture remaining around 95%, and the likelihood that current production levels will stay near flat unless prices or geopolitical conditions change significantly. An update on the enhanced oil recovery grant program followed. The Industrial Commission’s grant administrator said the full $25 million appropriation was allocated in the fall to six projects, and because the oil and gas research fund also had carryover and biennial tax revenue, total awards reached about $45.1 million. The projects are expected to run two to four years, with meaningful results not likely until mid-2026 or later. Members questioned whether the public would have access to the research findings and how accountability would be maintained; staff said the grants are reimbursement-based, require regular status reports, and will culminate in public final reports. The committee also heard from the North Dakota Pipeline Authority, which updated members on natural gas transmission projects, especially WBI Energy’s proposed Bakken East pipeline. The authority said the project has advanced through a nonbinding and then binding open season, with WBI now securing survey permissions and moving through regulatory and landowner processes, while other related gas transmission projects near Minot and Epping are also in development.

Transcript Highlights:

• So by 2020, we have, or in 2020, they have like 26 elderly dependents per 100 working-age individuals
• By 2035, we'll have 37 elderly dependents for 1,048 individuals.
• stock is more affordable over time, making sure that we have abundant housing and are providing supports
• We're going to continue to encourage and support new housing production all across the state while working
• take a look at the housing plan, achieving housing abundance is one of five strategies, providing support

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• big balance of funds. of like normal income, basically savings went way up during the pandemic, supported
• that we are looking at collecting that data for this upcoming Okay, is there anything we can do to support
• I have no additional testimony I'm just here to provide support. All right.
• It does work. that we support, but unfortunately as the state spends state dollars to compress school
• And of course, thanks to the leadership here, we also added a bit of a sweetener for the elderly and

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Candace Rudd, thank you, waving in support.
• Waving in support. Thank you. And Trey Goldman, Florida Realtors, also waving in support.
• With that, I appreciate your support.
• Ryan Gill, waving in support. Jim Spratt, waving in support. And Jackson Overlink, waving against.
• Ryan Gill, waving in support. Jim Spratt, waving in support, and Jackson, Overlink, waving against.

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum present and considered several bills. SB 106 on exploitation of vulnerable adults would allow service of process on scammers through the same nontraditional communication methods they use; it passed 8-0. CS/SB 280 on candidate qualification would create an enforceable party-affiliation requirement and a private right of action to disqualify noncompliant candidates; it passed unanimously. CS/SB 948 on flood disclosures was amended to extend disclosure requirements to residential leases, condo developer leases, and mobile homes, with tenant remedies if disclosures are not provided and flooding causes major losses; it passed 8-0. The committee also advanced CS/SB 498 on IOTA interest rates after a lengthy debate over legal aid funding and bank regulation. Supporters argued the bill would restore sustainability and fairness to the program by setting alternative interest-rate benchmarks, while opponents said it would cut funding for civil legal aid and that banks participate voluntarily. After testimony from legal aid leaders and bankers, the bill passed 7-2. SB 774, requiring clerks to electronically transmit certain mental health, substance abuse, and risk protection orders to sheriffs within six hours, was presented in response to a fatal Volusia County incident and passed 11-0. CS/SB 752 on defamation and online publication was amended to require removal from a website rather than the internet, then passed 8-2 after testimony from the media, a private attorney, and supporters who said it would help people harmed by false online reports. The committee also heard SB 832 on former phosphate mining lands, which would create a narrow defense against strict liability claims if notice and gamma radiation survey requirements are met. The bill was amended to clarify notice provisions and received support from industry and technical witnesses describing radiation surveys and reclamation practices. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on SB 832, so no committee action on that bill is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our organization supports this.
• We urge your support. Thank you.
• We urge you to support this bill. Thank you. We urge you to support this bill. Thank you.
• We urge your support of this bill. Thank you. We urge your support of this bill. Thank you.
• We support House Bill 60.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , FEMA Public Assistance, but now with support from the state legislature.
• , FEMA Public Assistance, but now with support from the state legislature.
• , due to competing priorities, I imagine, more than a lack of real support.
• We've supported a version of that with several different letters of support and match commitments.
• The other was to stimulate the economy and support jobs.

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held a work session on food systems and food security, with no public testimony. The first panel focused on household food security and data. Marie Spiker of the University of Washington explained what food insecurity means, its health impacts, and the importance of reliable measurement, warning that the federal Census food security data is being terminated and that there is no true replacement. She described Washington’s WaFOOD surveys as a useful complement, not a substitute, and noted that they show food insecurity affects households at a range of income levels. Katie Raines of WSDA described the state’s food systems work, the need for shared data and dashboards, and the role of agriculture in both food production and the hunger safety net. Committee members asked about the $2.2 million state food assistance allocation, the scale of the SNAP gap, and how household size, housing costs, and other factors intersect with food insecurity. The committee then heard from Tracy Roof of the University of Richmond on the history of SNAP and its relationship to agriculture. She traced the program from Depression-era commodity distribution through the modern farm bill, emphasizing that food assistance has long functioned both as anti-hunger policy and as an agricultural and economic stabilizer. She highlighted how SNAP expands during recessions, supports retailers and farmers, and has become more important since the Great Recession because participation stayed high even as the economy recovered. Roof also noted that Washington has relatively high SNAP participation and low payment error rates, but that recent federal changes could reduce eligibility and shift more costs to states. Members asked how Washington compares to other states and why the program is structured as it is. A later panel featured the Washington State Food Policy Forum and a joint systems presentation from the Washington Farm Bureau, Washington Retail Association, and Washington Food Industry Association. The Food Policy Forum described its consensus-based recommendations on food insecurity, climate and water, regional food infrastructure, farmland protection, and farm viability, including more support for producer purchasing, water planning, and farmland conservation. The industry groups presented a systems map showing how agriculture, processing, retail, and transportation are interconnected, and argued that rising costs, regulations, labor and fuel expenses, retail theft, and thin margins make it harder to keep farms and stores viable. They said food security depends on store viability and local agricultural profitability, and promised to provide a more detailed list of policy recommendations. The final panel included state agency staff from DSHS, DOH, and WSDA. Bryce Montgomery said the Basic Food program serves about 920,000 Washingtonians monthly and warned that H.R. 1 could require Washington to pay up to 15% of SNAP benefits, broaden work requirements, and restrict immigrant eligibility. Karen Mullen described DOH nutrition programs, including WIC, farmers market nutrition benefits, fruit and vegetable incentives, and a fruit-and-vegetable prescription program, while noting funding instability and the end of SNAP-Ed. WSDA’s Katie Raines began describing ongoing food assistance and farmer support challenges, including farmer mental health and the need to address food insecurity across both producers and consumers.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is widely supported.
• It is widely supported.
• I'm testifying today in support of Senate Bill 319.
• Blancher at the table in support, wishing to speak.
• Blancher at the table in support, wishing to speak.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 319, which would tighten and standardize voter identification rules at polling places. Senator Presley and Secretary of State Nancy Landry said the bill replaces the current “generally recognized” photo ID standard with a specific list of acceptable IDs, removes the affidavit-only option, and allows voters without a photo ID to cast a conditional paper ballot at the registrar of voters office or during early voting if they later provide approved documentation within two days after the election. Supporters argued the bill improves consistency, election integrity, and poll-worker guidance while still preserving access through alternative documents and free state IDs; opponents warned it could create confusion and burden seniors, students, homeless voters, and others without easy access to the required documents. After debate, the committee reported SB 319 favorably by a 7-2 vote. The committee then approved Senate Bill 202, which adds one day of compensated meeting time for parish boards of election supervisors in certain elections, and Senate Bill 25, which revises the compensation schedule for registrars of voters and related staff. SB 25 was amended to remove outdated step references and make conforming technical changes, and supporters said the pay structure has not been updated since 2007 despite increased duties and workload. The committee also adopted and reported favorably Senate Concurrent Resolution 29, creating a legislative study committee on water quality in the Chafalalaya Basin, and House Concurrent Resolution 85, creating a task force on illegal dumping, both with technical amendments. In addition, the committee advanced Senate Concurrent Resolution 63, which asks the legislative auditor to review how fiscal notes are prepared during session, and Senate Concurrent Resolution 33, which creates a work-based learning coordination task force to improve alignment among education, workforce, and employer partners. SCR 33 was amended to change the appointing authority for two members. The committee also approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, establishing the Louisiana-Ireland Trade Commission, and House Resolution 196, which creates a study committee on the impact of fallen trees on residential property and insurance issues. Several of these measures were supported by agency representatives or outside groups, and the committee adopted technical amendments where needed before reporting the bills and resolutions favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are in support of this.
• I stand in strong support. Mahalo. Noah Television in support on Zoom.
• In support.
• Hawaii Public Housing Authority in support. HDA in support.
• support.

Bills: HCR93, HCR14, HR85

Keywords: image-based sexual abuse, working group, gender-based violence, Hawaii Commission on the Status of Women, prevention efforts, survivor protections, new technologies, legal reform, HCR14, House Concurrent Resolution, perpetual easement, non-exclusive easement, state submerged lands, submerged lands, shoreline easement, drainage outfall, stormwater outfall, lagoon outfall, pipelines, Kahala Hotel & Resort

Transcript Highlights:

• First up in support. How many do we have in support and opposition? Support, opposition. None.
• Two for support. Okay. Well then next up in support, please step forward. Stay here. Okay.
• A lot of support for that. Thank you.
• Next up in support. This will be the last five-minute testimony in support. Please state your name.
• How many more do we have in support? You’re in support, Chris? Ropee? You love this bill? Okay.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and support the overall IDR process that the state has.
• Sean Stafford waves in support. Orange County Public Schools.
• I'm in support of this bill. Additional debate. I'm in support of this bill. Additional debate.
• I'm in support of this bill. Additional debate. I'm in support of this bill. Additional debate.
• Many of them help support our Spanish-speaking populations.

Summary: The committee heard several health-related bills. SB 1082 would let providers or insurers in state-regulated commercial plans opt into the federal independent dispute resolution process for emergency out-of-network claims, with a late-filed amendment clarifying access to the state program in certain circumstances. The bill sponsor and emergency physicians said the measure would reduce litigation and improve payment resolution; the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably as a committee substitute. SB 1168 would centralize background screening work for the care provider clearinghouse at the Agency for Health Care Administration and update related screening rules, including sealed and expunged records for qualified entities. The sponsor said the change would speed turnaround and reduce duplication; an amendment was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. SB 1156 would move ambulatory surgical center regulation out of Chapter 395 into a standalone section of law, and it was reported favorably without amendment. SB 1480, as amended by a strike-all, would grandfather certain temporary certificate holders practicing in areas of critical need if federal designations change, allowing them to continue seeing current patients and potentially new patients in their existing area subject to board oversight. The committee heard support from health system representatives and reported the bill favorably. The final and most debated measure, SB 1756 on medical freedom, would require vaccine education materials and alternative schedules, expand school immunization exemptions to conscience-based objections, clarify limits on emergency vaccination orders, and allow pharmacists to dispense ivermectin behind the counter with written information. The sponsor and supporters framed it as parental choice and access, while physicians, public health advocates, cancer advocates, and parents of immunocompromised children warned it would lower vaccination rates and increase disease risk. The committee adopted a liability-related amendment, rejected a substitute amendment that would have required consultation for exemptions, and continued hearing public testimony opposing the bill; the transcript ends before final action on SB 1756.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just a reminder, the Greater Minnesota Partnership focuses on advocating for policy. that support economic
• I think we've had many conversations, and we are very interested in supporting housing development.
• There's the devil's in the details as these things go, but we are very interested in supporting that
• , and I'm sure you all know, is that those programs range from extremely affordable housing with supports
• to ensure that we're not creating a blunt instrument as we think about things like tax credits, supportive

Transcript Highlights:

• It just shows the state's support, the legislature's support for the state moving forward safely, but
• And even now, why are they supporting this still?
• We are finding support.
• Because I don't think I would be in support of that. Mr.
• We'll get a bill behind you and get support as you need.

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And my county is in support. Thank you. And my county is in support.
• I’m here in support.
• Here in support.
• but we do support.
• but we do support.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to support more tribal-led initiatives.
• So we need more support for that.
• Of course, I supported this memorial, and thank you for the update.
• Going to bring in all of the information; support groups are one of them.
• support for caregivers, including financial supports.

Transcript Highlights:

• , in support; Papaa Loa, in support; Hawaiʻi Family Caregivers Coalition, in support; DPH Kabuna Caucus
• , in support; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus, in support; I A665, in support; Sherm Hawaiʻi
• , in support; Highway?
• :56:31.559><c> loah</c><00:56:32.240><c> in</c> in support papaa loah in in support papaa loah in support
• in support dph kabuna caucus Coalition in support dph kabuna caucus in<00:56:38.880><c> support</c><

Keywords: 910, house, all