Transcript Highlights:

• In partnership with several higher education institutions across the state, Acre will give startups,
• researchers, and educators access to the high-performance computing power they need to develop and use
• Massachusetts is a leader in innovation in many areas—education, medical, and now AI.
• To respond to crises and to stabilize and grow the economy, we just have to use them effectively.
• We represent 25,000 human service workers and educators in Massachusetts.

Summary: The House Bonding Committee met to hear testimony on H. 5527, the Mass Wins Act, with Secretary of Economic Development Eric Paley opening by describing the bill as a follow-on to Mass Leads. He said the proposal includes $305 million in bond authorizations, with $180 million for new programs and $125 million to expand existing ones, plus $140 million in deauthorizations of unused or redundant authorizations. He highlighted investments in applied AI and quantum, robotics, business expansion capital, defense innovation, global business attraction, ag tech and food science, downtowns, and the creative economy, and said the bill is intended to support geographic equity and small business growth across the Commonwealth. Committee members questioned the administration on several policy sections, including the MassCEC climate-tech certification language, housing-related provisions tied to 40B compliance and site plan review, the removal of the LCSW exam, AI transparency and federal preemption concerns, and the effect of lower LLC filing fees. Paley generally said some contested sections were added by the Economic Development Committee rather than the administration, defended the MassCEC discretion language as necessary for climate certification, and said the administration would follow up on committee-added provisions. He also said the bill’s housing provisions were meant to help address the state’s need for more homes and that the deauthorizations were housekeeping measures that did not affect current capital plan projects. Public testimony covered a wide range of topics. AARP and local advocates urged a statewide ban on cryptocurrency ATMs, arguing they are heavily used in scams, impose high fees, and drain money from seniors and local economies. Housing groups supported codifying site plan review and adding parking reform and YIGBY-style housing on faith-owned land. Building trades asked to include off-site fabrication in prevailing wage law. The Massachusetts Public Banking Campaign backed the bill and urged inclusion of a public bank concept. Several witnesses supported Section 106, the Transparency and Frontier AI Act, as a way to require safety plans, audits, incident reporting, and whistleblower protections for the largest AI companies, while an AI startup group argued the section would overregulate smaller firms and should be separated from the bond bill. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Individuals practicing without a license have not completed the education, the training, or the examination
• Rather than protecting consumers, this bill seeks to criminalize our titles, our education, and our ability
• They have standardized education with a minimum of 1,200 hours of OMT, at least four years of education
• At its core, this bill is about dignity, fairness, and stability, and when service members raise the
• Madam Chair and members, happy to present AB 2311 today, the Public Hospital Physician Stability Act.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• defense is now three humanitarian missions of emergency services, cadet programs, and aerospace education
• services, cadet programs,<00:11:59.080><c> and</c><00:11:59.200><c> aerospace</c><00:11:59.720><c> education
• </c> programs, and aerospace education. programs, and aerospace education.
• residents must also provide for arrangements for re-engagement beds, sometimes referred to as stabilization
• </c> sometimes referred to as stabilization sometimes referred to as stabilization beds,<00:23:17.880

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And of course, Jean has a strong presence here and will be able to educate.
• insurance availability for reducing wildfire risk, improving public safety, and stabilizing insurance
• And then lastly, consumer education and mitigation guidance.
• Are there educational efforts, especially on the professional conduct side of it, that could be helpful
• However, we added in as part of our continuing education requirements that a certain number of hours

Summary: The Consumer Protection and Business Committee held public hearings on three bills and then moved into a work session on insurance-related topics. House Bill 2428 would require life insurers to send advance written notice of an impending lapse or cancellation, including notice to a designated third party, and to provide proof of delivery; it would also require applicants to be told they may designate such a third party. The prime sponsor and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner supported the bill as a consumer protection measure for older or vulnerable policyholders, while the life insurance industry supported the concept but requested a delayed implementation date and a small technical amendment. The committee then heard House Bill 2399, which would prohibit post-loss assignments of benefits in property insurance. Staff and the prime sponsor described the practice as allowing contractors to step into the policyholder’s shoes and potentially take control of claims, litigation, and settlement, often to the consumer’s detriment. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner, the Washington State Association for Justice, PEMCO, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau all supported the bill, emphasizing consumer vulnerability after disasters and the risk of fraud or inflated claims. Members asked about steering by adjusters, alternative ways for homeowners to authorize others to help with claims, and the $50,000 per-violation penalty, which would go to the general fund. House Bill 2087 would enact a Washington Travel Insurance Act based on the NAIC model, creating a more detailed statutory framework for travel insurance licensing, travel retailers, travel administrators, disclosures, and prohibited sales practices. The sponsor and industry witnesses said the bill would expand consumer choice and standardize rules, while the Office of the Insurance Commissioner supported the compromise language but raised a remaining concern about claims being adjusted by unlicensed adjusters. The Attorney General’s Office testified that the bill should not be read to supersede Washington’s anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws, and the sponsor said amendments were being worked on to address that concern. In the work session, OIC and Department of Natural Resources staff presented the wildfire mitigation and resiliency work group report. They said the group reached consensus on several areas, including the importance of community-level mitigation, better data sharing, improved transparency around wildfire-related nonrenewals and cancellations, and a voluntary grant program to help homeowners retrofit to IBHS wildfire-prepared standards. Members asked about leadership for the recommendations, overlap with existing programs, privacy concerns in data sharing, and how the proposals would fit with broader statewide wildfire planning. The committee also received a briefing on flood insurance markets and claims after the December atmospheric flooding event, with staff noting that private flood policies generally offer broader coverage than the federal NFIP, and that Washington had seen about 700 federal claims and roughly $18 million paid out so far.

Transcript Highlights:

• When the governor vetoed the bill, I started End Free Kill Now to educate Floridians and other people
• practice, that is tasked with making sure that those doctors either don't practice or that they're re-educated
• Any revisiting of this issue must include reasonable liability protections to maintain market stability
• Stability, trust, long-term relationships, access to care, what I needed, my family needed when we needed
• Rates have stabilized and are trending downwards. Your work is working.

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met to consider HB 6003, a bill to repeal Florida’s “free kill” law that limits certain survivors’ ability to recover non-economic damages in medical negligence wrongful death cases. The sponsor, Rep. Trabulsy, said the bill would restore access to the courts for a small class of families and noted the measure passed both chambers last year before being vetoed by the governor. She and supporters framed the bill as a fairness and constitutional issue, while opponents argued repeal would increase malpractice exposure, insurance costs, and pressure on physician access, especially in high-risk specialties and rural areas. Public testimony was sharply divided. Supporters included family members who described deaths they said were caused by medical negligence and who argued the current law denies accountability and equal treatment based on marital status or whether a decedent had minor children. Opponents included the Florida Hospital Association, Florida Medical Association, Florida Chamber, U.S. Chamber, Florida Insurance Council, and other health care and business groups, who warned that repeal could worsen already high malpractice premiums, contribute to physician shortages, and destabilize access to care. Several speakers on both sides discussed possible caps on non-economic damages as a compromise, though the bill itself was presented as a clean repealer with no amendments. During debate, several members spoke in support, emphasizing equal access to the courts and rejecting the idea that the law should treat some families differently from others. Opponents of the bill argued that the current system helps preserve market stability and that liability concerns, not the free kill law, are driving provider departures. After closing remarks from the sponsor, the committee voted 15 yeas and 1 nay to report HB 6003 favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Act, the Black Education Act, and the Bilingual Multicultural Education Act.
• Multicultural Education Act, and the Black Education Act.
• Education Act and the Black Education Act.
• special education law.
• for overseeing gifted education.

Summary: The committee first heard a detailed staff presentation on the LESC FY27 public school support recommendation. Staff reviewed the budget structure and explained that, despite a downward revision in state revenue estimates, the recommendation still relied on recurring and non-recurring revenue to support educator compensation, insurance, transportation, literacy, math, special education, and other school programs. Major recurring items included a 3% compensation increase, funding for an 80-20 health insurance cost share, insurance premium growth, and transportation adequacy funding. Staff also flagged a possible supplemental need of up to $35 million for virtual education tied to rapid enrollment growth in Chama and Santa Rosa, and members raised concerns about the quality, accountability, and funding model for virtual programs. Members asked questions about transportation for rural districts, the Martinez-Yazzie lawsuit fees, the treatment of enrollment declines in the school funding formula, and whether the word “average” in salary language should remain in the budget. Staff explained that the SEG should remain whole, that the insurance and transportation recommendations applied to all public school employees but not contractors, and that the budget included multiple math-related investments spread across several lines rather than one single appropriation. There was also discussion of out-of-school learning grants, school meals, literacy center operations, special education training, and the Public Education Reform Fund, including the use of multi-year, evaluation-based appropriations for high-impact tutoring and community schools. After discussion, the committee adopted the LESC budget recommendation. The committee then moved to endorsed legislation proposals. It endorsed a bill allowing the secretary to suspend an individual school board member, with notice and appeal procedures clarified, and a bill creating an 80-20 health insurance cost-share requirement for public school employees, along with a study of the sustainability of public school insurance programs. It also endorsed a bill on attendance provisions for students with severe medical conditions, which would keep those students from being classified as excessively absent. Finally, the committee discussed a teacher residency bill that would raise stipend levels, allow residents to complete service anywhere in New Mexico, and remove the requirement that sponsoring schools must hire them, though the bill did not include an appropriation. Members also raised questions about bilingual, Hispanic, and Black education funding, cultural and linguistic supports in teacher preparation, and where various programs should be placed in the budget or PERF framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then how do we look at the next layer of doing educational opportunities with the children so that they
• And that includes things like education for the individual kids, but again, that's not scalable to do
• It's supporting our families, our farmers, students, their education, and their health.
• It's supporting our families, our farmers, students, their education, and their health.
• It's supporting our families, our farmers, students, their education, and their health.

Summary: The subcommittee heard a series of Department of Food and Agriculture budget proposals, beginning with ongoing funding and trailer bill language for the Farm to School program and related climate-smart agriculture work. CDFA described the program’s goals of linking California producers with schools, expanding access to local and nutritious food, and supporting underserved farmers through technical assistance and outreach. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposal as presented because of the state’s budget condition and suggested that some activities might instead be supported through Proposition 98. Members questioned whether the program is reaching the schools and communities with the greatest need, how grants are scored, and whether the proposal’s goals are measurable enough to justify ongoing funding. The item was held open. The committee also discussed CDFA’s climate bond expenditure plan, which would allocate remaining Proposition 4 funds to existing programs such as SWEEP, Healthy Soils, urban agriculture, fairground emergency response upgrades, and invasive species work, as well as new or developing programs including year-round certified farmers markets, mobile farmers markets, regional farm equipment sharing, and tribal food sovereignty. CDFA said the funds would be released in stages based on program readiness, with audits and performance metrics tied to each program. The LAO found the plan reasonable and consistent with bond requirements. Members asked about audit responsibility, performance tracking, and whether the bond programs should be front-loaded or spread over a longer period. A third CDFA item addressed the elimination of vacant positions under prior budget reductions. CDFA and the Department of Finance explained that the positions were selected because they had been vacant for long periods or were hard to fill, and that departments identified the positions based on their own operational knowledge. The LAO supported retaining the special-fund positions and suggested the General Fund positions be weighed on their merits. Members raised concerns about the impact on core functions such as audits, investigations, milk marketing, and grape pricing reports, and asked for follow-up on how the department determined which positions could be removed. The committee then heard a CDFA IT proposal to add funding and four positions for information technology operations; the LAO had no concerns, and members discussed cybersecurity, legacy systems, and future risks such as AI and quantum threats. The committee took public comment and then voted to approve items 9 through 13, which included CDFA dog importation certificates, livestock carcass disposal, Gambling Control Commission IT support and tribal grant funding, and an ABC district office relocation. The hearing then moved to the Department of Cannabis Control, which presented a request to strengthen enforcement against the illicit cannabis market by adding a North State field office in Redding and three non-sworn support positions. DCC said the illicit market remains far larger than the legal market, with a large backlog of cases and significant public safety and environmental concerns. Finance supported the targeted expansion, the LAO had no comment, and members asked about regional coverage, officer safety, and whether a larger, more transformational enforcement effort might be warranted in the future.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, advances in technology right now allow for local production of ammonia fertilizer to bring stability
• It allows our members to plan ahead, it reduces financial risk, and it brings real stability to one of
• And if we are here now in this moment having the opportunity to provide some stability and some help
• ,</c><00:49:15.640><c> and</c> to provide resources, education, and to provide resources, education,
• We just had a bill for green ammonia to recognize that price stability is a virtue for our farmers.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our duty extends to the reliability and stability of the grid for all Texans. Hearing none.
• Gleason:** And I think we need to do a better job of educating everyone on what our processes do and
• Gleason:** And I think we need to do a better job of educating everyone on what our processes do and
• This past year, some of these factors have started to stabilize.
• As I mentioned before, rates have started to stabilize, and most Texas...

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But what we did wind up taking on is $13.5 million of, basically, it's a rent stabilization program that
• We did wind up taking on is $13.5 million of, basically, it's a rent stabilization program that was started
• And then the other three positions were with that program of rent stabilization.
• And then you've got the $13.5 million, which we've talked about was the rent stabilization program that
• That's the ESA bill that was in education today.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2014, the budget for the Industrial Commission, with Representative Kempenich walking through the agency’s major components: the administrative office, Bank of North Dakota, housing finance, Department of Mineral Resources, and the State Mill and Elevator. He described mostly special-fund operations, including bond payments, economic development programs, the rail loan program, the Rebuilder’s Loan Program, housing incentive funding, abandoned well reclamation work, lignite research, litigation reserves, and a capacity purchase arrangement for a future natural gas pipeline. He also explained several one-time funding items, such as grid resiliency grants, housing-related transfers from the Strategic Investment Fund, and enhanced oil recovery funding repurposed from a prior salt cavern study. Members asked about the reduction in housing incentive funding from the Senate version, the use of one-time Strategic Investment Fund dollars for ongoing housing programs, and whether a trigger should be added to increase housing funding later. Kempenich said no trigger was discussed and emphasized that housing needs vary widely across the state. Another exchange focused on the enhanced oil recovery grant program, which he said would be driven largely by the Energy and Environmental Research Center and would use repurposed funds. A longer discussion covered the natural gas pipeline capacity purchase, including its purpose, possible routes, and the idea that the state would be buying capacity rather than immediately building a pipeline. The committee adopted Amendment 25.0181.0207 on a 21-1 vote, with one member absent and not voting. The committee then passed HB 2014 as amended on a 21-1 vote, with one member absent and not voting. Representative Kempenich was designated to carry the bill. The chair then noted this was the final budget hearing for the committee, with one bill remaining to be heard later.

Transcript Highlights:

• It provides stability and it is something that is much needed in my district and the assembly member
• By extending these critical protections the E-299 will directly help provide stability and security to
• Capacity, stabilizing the financial structure of the Fair Plan helps all Californians.
• Demand swift reconstruction, fueling economic growth, revitalizing neighborhoods, and restoring stability
• Olivia's educational journey began at Broad Oak School at Whittier College, where she was a student from

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Say is this is part of the Alabama Military Stability Commission's package of bills.
• only do we have the support of the mental health steering committee, but also the Alabama Military Stability
• Whatever you can do to stabilize this situation, we want our director to be in the governor's office.
• in our nation on this issue, and so I want to make sure I... issue, and so I want to make sure I educated
• Jake Proor will be here from the Military Stability Commission.

Bills: HB154, HB153, HB180, SB70

Keywords: veterans affairs, Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, State Board of Veterans Affairs, commissioner, governor appointment, board advisory, veteran service organizations, veterans homes, veterans cemeteries, veteran service officers, district managers, state veterans home trust fund, veterans benefits, military veterans, disabled veterans, elderly veterans, active-duty service members, state agency reorganization, executive authority, governance reform

Transcript Highlights:

• will enhance our statewide geospatial data infrastructure through research, planning, training, and education
• will enhance our statewide geospatial data infrastructure through research, planning, training, and education
• referenced is that the State 911 Board had the opportunity to take some ARPA funds and some budget stabilization
• referenced is that the State 911 Board had the opportunity to take some ARPA funds and some budget stabilization

Summary: The committee first met in executive session on Senate Bill 905, moving the bill “do pass.” After roll call, the motion passed by a vote of 6 ayes and 4 nays, and SB 905 was reported do pass. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Bill 959, presented by Senator Doug Beck on behalf of Senator Roberts, who was on active duty. The bill would create the Missouri GIS Council within the Office of Administration to improve statewide geospatial data coordination, planning, training, and education. Supporters, including Greater St. Louis, Inc., the State 911 Service Board, and BioSTL/Next Missouri, said the council would improve emergency response, broadband and infrastructure planning, economic development, and government efficiency, while also including privacy protections that prohibit collection of personally identifiable information. An opponent from Armour Vine argued the bill was “big brother” and raised concerns about government access to geospatial data and privacy, suggesting the measure could be used to track citizens. Committee members questioned both sides about whether the bill collected personal data and whether similar information is already available through cell phones or mapping systems. Supporters responded that the bill concerns address and map data, not individual tracking, and emphasized its value for 911 routing and public safety. No vote was taken on SB 959, and the hearing was closed after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• And Senate Bill 1317 will be referred to the Education Committee.
• In the Senate, Senate Resolution 114 by the Education Committee.
• In the Senate, Senate Resolution 114 by the Education Committee.
• This is the resolution for the rules for the Education Committee.
• And as far as the Disabilities Education Act, it's something that we cannot opt out of.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the journal and moved through committee reports and messages. Committee actions included referral of a large group of newly printed Senate bills to the appropriate standing committees, a do-pass report on House Bill 55 from Health and Welfare, and referral of Senate Bills 1270 and 1271 for possible amendment. The Senate also received a gubernatorial appointment of Jeff Seelich to the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho Board and House bills 576, 577, 632, and 607 for introduction. In the 10th order, the Senate adopted Senate Resolution 114 on Education Committee rules and Senate Resolution 115 on temporary and pending rules for several state agencies, both without opposition. It also adopted Senate Joint Memorial 109, which urged Congress to address campaign finance concerns and out-of-state influence in Idaho elections, and House Joint Memorial 9, which asked Congress to reaffirm FLPMA as the governing framework for federal land management and exchanges. House Joint Memorial 11 was also adopted, calling on Congress to fully fund IDEA at the promised 40% level; supporters emphasized the burden on state and local budgets and property taxpayers, while opponents argued the state should resist federal overreach and dependency. The Senate confirmed the committee report recommending Ryan Lanham as State Athletic Commissioner, with supportive testimony highlighting his combat sports background and experience. It also adopted the committee report confirming Juliet Sharon as Director of the Department of Health and Welfare, with senators citing her Medicaid and program integrity experience and the size and complexity of the agency. In first and second reading, the Senate referred House Bills 576 and 577 to Transportation and House Bills 632 and 607 to State Affairs, and advanced House Bill 533, Senate Bill 1258, and House Bill 502 to third reading. The chamber then heard announcements about caucus and lunch events before adjourning until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Does a college education incentivize any candidate to join the MSP?
• So the more education, the more educated troopers we have, I would argue, that would support us.
• I was on the Education Committee hearing earlier, so apologies for being late.
• We conduct educational programming. We perform... ...activities.
• We conduct educational programming.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am a veteran, and I was an educator for 20... ...and live in Calusa with my family.
• I am a veteran, and I was an educator for 27 years before retiring in August 2021 at the age of 58.
• We tried to stabilize some of those premiums for people, knowing what was going on.
• Educate and train those who serve Medi-Cal members.
• At the same time, we're trying to think about how we stabilize the system, how we reinvest in it.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and other political subdivisions, school districts, and the state's public institutions of higher education
• and other political subdivisions, school districts, and the state's public institutions of higher education
• It allows us to comply with the law while maintaining trust, stability, productivity, and workplaces.
• There's no statutory requirement for the AG to invest in education outreach.
• When workers are afraid, the impacts do not stop at the job site; they affect housing stability, school

Bills: HB2091, HB2105, HB2218, HB2107, HB2137, HB2243, HB2264

Keywords: public employers, employee information, bargaining representatives, labor relations, union representation, immigrant worker protections, immigrant rights, worker protections, I-9 audit, Form I-9, employment eligibility verification, workplace raid, federal immigration inspection, employer notice, anti-retaliation, retaliation, Attorney General enforcement, private right of action, labor law, workplace rights

Transcript Highlights:

• These savings can be redirected toward other critical community needs such as health care, education,
• This program will provide technical assistance, resident education, and management support for these
• And it's because it is in a limited equity cooperative, because the costs are stabilized, and so she's
• And then my second question is, you brought this up about educating people about being able to have an
• So I'm just curious about whether what kind of programs or education is in place.

Summary: The committee met for work sessions on land banking/shared homeownership and on maximizing existing housing stock. Members first heard an overview from Commerce on alternative homeownership models, including community land trusts, limited equity cooperatives, condominiums, accessory dwelling units, middle housing, church land for housing, and public land transfers. The discussion focused on how these models can help households build equity while keeping housing permanently affordable. Committee members asked about statewide counts of co-ops and land trusts, and Commerce said it does not track all of those entities directly. Pierce County staff then described the Pierce County Community Development Corporation’s rapid acquisition fund and its role in acquiring, holding, and transferring public land for affordable housing. They said the county used general fund and affordable housing sales tax dollars to buy properties, preserve a manufactured home park through resident ownership, and create a pipeline of sites for future development. Members asked about the advantages of a public development authority, funding sources, the use of surplus and underutilized public property, and how the model works with housing authorities. Spokane land bank staff followed with testimony that land banks can reduce blight, preserve affordability, and help nonprofits acquire land quickly, but that holding costs and taxes can make the work harder without state support. They also described brownfield assessments, donated properties, and work on Black homeownership and public surplus properties. The committee then heard from the Northwest Cooperative Development Center on limited equity cooperatives, especially in manufactured housing communities. The witness said Washington now has about 43 limited equity co-ops and that recent subsidy funding and legislation have accelerated resident purchases of manufactured home communities. Members asked how residents benefit from capped equity, how values are affected, and whether the model improves access to lending; the witness said the model stabilizes costs, allows modest equity gains, and that a recent law allowing manufactured homes in co-ops to be titled as real property should improve access to traditional financing. The committee also discussed House Bill 1974 from the prior session and possible updates to land banking legislation. In the second work session on maximizing existing housing stock, Commerce reviewed recent housing laws and implementation timelines, including ADUs, middle housing, condo liability reform, SEPA changes, tiny homes, and co-living. Members raised concerns about the long implementation horizon, vacancy data, corporate ownership of homes, and the need for better support for small landlords and first-time ADU owners. Sightline then testified on mobile dwelling units, arguing that RVs, tiny houses on wheels, and similar units are a low-cost, quick-to-install housing option that is often blocked by zoning; the witness said many Washington residents already live in these units, often informally. Finally, AARP discussed housing options for older adults, including ADUs, missing middle, manufactured home communities, co-living, universal design, and village-style support models, emphasizing aging in place and the need for more accessible, affordable housing choices.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our economic stability. Time. Thank you for your time.
• I have been an early childhood educator teacher for 15 years. I am here today to support HB 2239.
• I became a teacher, I have been an early childhood educator teacher for 15 years.
• They were zoning decisions that shaped who had access to stability and who did not.
• It creates a pathway for stabilization and rehabilitation before conditions deteriorate.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This encourages not only education among renters...
• This encourages not only education among renters, but it also ups the game of landlords themselves.
• Please stand by your words and stabilize people in their homes. Thank you for your time.
• That's not stability; it's a trap.
• That's not stability; it's a trap.

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee held public hearings on three bills. SB 6237 would require landlords to disclose flooding history and flood risk to new tenants, along with notices that renters’ insurance and flood insurance may be needed and that county or local government sources have hazard information. The sponsor said the bill was a simple disclosure modeled on other states’ laws after recent flooding in Washington. Testimony was generally supportive, with an environmental nonprofit urging a broader jurisdiction-based disclosure instead of only county government, and housing industry groups saying they were neutral or concerned about added lease disclosures and asking for clearer language about what flooding information must be disclosed. No vote was taken on the bill. The committee then heard SB 6214, which would authorize public corporations, housing authorities, and certain nonprofits to operate as land bank authorities for affordable housing, with requirements for affordability covenants, annual reports, priority access to tax-foreclosed properties, and tax exemptions for qualifying land bank property and transfers. Supporters from Spokane, counties, housing authorities, affordable housing groups, and developers said land banking would help lower land costs, speed development, and expand affordable housing production. One member of the public opposed the bill, arguing it could remove land from the market and affect rural land supply. Department of Revenue staff flagged a technical issue, saying the bill needs a clearer definition of a qualifying land bank authority so the exemption can be administered, and confirmed the proposal would shift property off the tax rolls. The committee also asked whether the bill would allow non-housing uses such as parks or green space; staff said the bill requires affordable housing use, though the other half of land bank activity is not specified. The committee also heard SB 6139, which would require landlords to keep accepting previously used payment methods and continue to accept partial rent payments during an unlawful detainer process, while making clear that partial payments do not reinstate a lease or stop an eviction unless the parties agree in writing. The sponsor said the bill was intended to address cases where tenants can make partial payments but landlords shut off payment portals and refuse them, forcing judges to issue case-by-case standstill orders. Tenant advocates opposed the bill, arguing it would encourage evictions, remove judicial discretion, and could trap tenants by inviting partial payments that do not protect their housing. Landlord and property management groups were concerned about requiring continued access to payment portals and about ambiguity over whether accepting partial payments would waive eviction rights, though they said the bill was a good starting point and suggested clearer receipts and statutory protections. The public hearing was closed without action on SB 6139. In executive session, the committee adopted a proposed substitute for SB 6091, which limits broker marketing restrictions without requiring open access to homes and removes a Washington Law Against Discrimination provision, then voted the bill do pass to Rules. The committee also voted to recommend confirmation of gubernatorial appointments 9278, Pedro Espinoza, and 9279, Diana H. Perez, to the Housing Finance Commission.