Transcript Highlights:

• One, it's a carbon-free source.
• One, it's a carbon-free source.
• One, it's a carbon-free source.
• One, it's a carbon-free source.
• One, it's a carbon-free source.

Transcript Highlights:

• In this question particularly, we found an overwhelming majority.
• The complexity of the data and the usability of that data, multiple and inconsistent sources.
• The data source is the health plan negotiated rates with contracted hospital.
• But the data source here is health plan negotiated rates with hospitals and other providers.
• I know that is a major question for the legislature.

Committee: Senate Health & Long-Term Care

Summary: The committee held a work session on the long-term care workforce, hearing first from DSHS Assistant Secretary B. Rector and then from representatives of Washington Health Care Association, SEIU 775, and Behavioral Health Solutions. Presenters described rapid growth in the 85-and-older population, increasing demand for home- and community-based services, and persistent shortages in direct care, nursing, and behavioral health staff. They cited low wages, unstable hours, benefits, certification and testing delays, immigration-related workforce concerns, and burnout as major barriers to recruitment and retention. DSHS highlighted recruitment and retention initiatives funded with federal dollars, including high school training programs, a retention toolkit, transportation support, workforce navigators, tribal partnerships, and remote caregiving pilots. Industry and labor witnesses urged higher reimbursement and compensation, better training pathways, and more worker voice; they also noted that Washington ranks highly nationally on some workforce measures but still faces shortages and turnover. Behavioral Health Solutions added that credentialing delays and mental health staffing gaps are affecting nursing home behavioral care, and that its programs aim to reduce hospital transfers and improve resident outcomes. No votes were taken. The committee then received an overview from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner on the palliative care benefit work group created by 2024 legislation. OIC explained that the work group, with actuarial analysis from Milliman and input from multiple stakeholder organizations, studied a proposed palliative care benefit for commercial plans, Medicaid, PEBB, and SEBB. The report concluded that a new benefit would likely increase costs, estimating about 28 cents per member per month overall and roughly $2.6 million to $4.5 million in annual state Medicaid costs if implemented in 2027. OIC said the evidence was insufficient to conclude that palliative care would produce offsetting savings, though several provider members disagreed and submitted response letters. Members asked about other states, Medicare, health homes, and whether more research could clarify cost savings; OIC said the issue remains unsettled and that additional data may emerge as other states implement similar benefits. Finally, the Health Care Authority provided a broad overview of health care price transparency tools in Washington and federally. Staff described federal hospital and health plan transparency rules, the state all-payer claims database, consumer-facing price and quality tools, prescription drug price transparency reporting, the Health Care Cost Transparency Board, and the Prescription Drug Affordability Board. They emphasized that these tools provide useful but incomplete information because of data lags, proprietary restrictions, limited self-insured employer participation, and the complexity of machine-readable files. The committee also discussed the role of AI in making transparency data more usable and the limits of current tools in helping consumers afford care. No formal action or vote was taken on any item.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, in sum, I see that there are major challenges.
• What was the major difference between those two?
• What was the major difference between those two? The major difference was established.
• What was the major difference between those two?
• HAP is one of the very few funding sources that supports our HAP is one of the very few funding sources

Transcript Highlights:

• of students, it's not the majority of faculty, it's not the majority of administrators.
• Jews are perceived as part of the white majority.
• There's a major difference.
• So I looked up primary source. Yeah.
• Massachusetts taxpayer money has gone to Primary Source.

Summary: The meeting opened with approval of the July 9, 2025 minutes and a roll call confirming quorum. DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez gave his first official testimony, affirming the department’s commitment to preventing antisemitism and societal bias in schools, saying DESE supports the commission’s recommendations and will add staff resources to help develop and disseminate guidance and instructional materials. He said DESE’s rubric and guidance for identifying effective curricula and resources should be finalized in late fall, and commissioners welcomed the partnership and asked about the ongoing Section 98A work. The commission then heard from Professor Eitan Hirsch of Tufts, who presented research on antisemitism and campus climate. He described survey findings showing sharply different Jewish and non-Jewish views on Israel, increasing social pressure on Jewish students, and a growing tendency for Jewish students to hide their identity or feel penalized for participating in Jewish life. He argued that colleges need to do more to teach students how to handle dissent and build cultures of viewpoint diversity, and commissioners asked about best practices, regional differences, and the role of campus climate surveys. Rabbi Fine of UMass Amherst Hillel and student Sky Landau testified about antisemitism at UMass, especially since October 7. Fine described both a thriving Jewish student community and serious incidents including harassment, vandalism, classroom issues, protests, and students hiding Jewish identity; he said the university is working with Hillel and DEI leadership on goals and strategy for Jewish inclusion, and he urged more training and structured dialogue. Landau described antisemitic incidents she experienced or witnessed, including hostile BDS meetings, exclusion of Zionist students, Holocaust denial, threats, and social ostracism, and said Hillel was the only consistently safe space for her. Commissioners discussed reporting pathways, affinity groups, mental health supports, and ways to distinguish criticism of Israel from antisemitism. Later, the commission moved to its recommendations and made several edits before voting, including deleting offensive wording in a footnote, adding a citation to recent FBI hate crime data, and restoring language tied to an existing DESE regulation, 603 CMR 26.05, on classroom neutrality and fact-based instruction. Commissioners also reiterated that criticism of Israel’s government is not inherently antisemitic. The meeting included a brief interruption by a protester, after which the commission recessed and then resumed its work on the draft recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• sources now completely fund that design of that project.
• The majority of our projects are, especially in the transportation realm, The majority of our projects
• And we have a major problem of very cost-burdened renters.
• So let me summarize what I see as the major trends here.
• This is a major issue. This is combined with high costs... This is a major issue.

Committees: Joint Transportation , Joint Joint Transportation Committee

Summary: The committee met in the Quad Cities area and first heard a joint presentation from public works directors from Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, and West Richland on regional transportation priorities, challenges, and project delivery. The cities said their priorities align with JTC goals such as safety, multimodal access, climate resilience, and economic development. They highlighted regional coordination through the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments and Good Roads, use of multiple funding sources including TIB, REIT, impact fees, transportation benefit districts, and tax increment financing, and a shared approach to Vision Zero, complete streets, ADA access, and active transportation planning. They also described major projects such as Richland’s downtown connectivity and SR 240/Aaron Drive improvements, Kennewick’s Columbia Center Boulevard corridor and rail study, Pasco’s Court/Road 68, Sylvester Street, Broadmoor interchange, and north-south bridge concepts, and West Richland’s SR 224 Red Mountain project. The directors also described common obstacles: rising construction costs, project phasing, permitting and right-of-way delays, utility coordination, pavement preservation needs, and workforce shortages. West Richland emphasized that its SR 224 project stayed on schedule by setting clear roles, maintaining frequent communication, resolving right-of-way issues early, and reducing contractor risk through detailed plans and utility relocation. Committee members asked about sidewalk connections to schools, state-agency right-of-way timelines, apprenticeship utilization, contractor selection, and whether complete streets requirements add burdens. The cities said sidewalk gaps are most common in older infill or unincorporated areas, state right-of-way processes can be slow, apprenticeship requirements are generally built into funded projects but are hard for smaller contractors to meet, and there is no easy fix for low-bid contractors with poor performance histories. After the local presentations, staff introduced a JTC-funded study on transit-oriented development policy, and Urban Institute researcher Yona Freemark presented findings from work covering 33 cities in the Puget Sound, Spokane, and Vancouver regions near rail and bus rapid transit stations. He said Washington faces a severe housing affordability problem, with rising rents and home prices, and that TOD can help connect housing and transit but must be tailored to different market conditions. The study found that higher-cost cities near transit have seen more development but also signs of gentrification and loss of affordable housing, while lower-cost cities have had less development and still face worsening affordability. Freemark identified barriers including high debt and construction costs, limited subsidy resources, high land costs, regulatory and parking requirements, and impact fees, and he said HB 1491 and related legislation may address some zoning and parking constraints. He recommended more targeted state support for neighborhood infrastructure around stations and policies that reflect the different conditions of high- and low-demand communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there's the federal gas tax portion that makes up the majority of the funding from.
• We've just got to keep that in mind whenever we're looking at funding sources.
• And there are different, as Stephen talked about, different sources of funding.
• I mean, it is a major, major problem. Thank you. Thank you. Stephen, will you do me a favor?
• At the Army, we've completed... well over 10 projects, some of the major projects.

Committee: House S/C on Transportation Funding

Transcript Highlights:

• With that, I've mentioned the four areas of sources as far as our source funds go, and the amount in
• So that available source water is very limited.
• And so that's the majority of that reduction within that budget.
• sources here and there that help make up the budget that's on the right.
• So that's a major effort that we have in South Florida.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government heard budget presentations from all five water management districts for FY 2026-2027: Northwest Florida, Suwannee River, St. Johns River, Southwest Florida, and South Florida. Each district described its preliminary budget, major funding sources, staffing levels, and how most of its spending is tied to the four core missions of water supply, water quality, natural systems, and flood protection. Several directors noted budget reductions from the prior year largely because major projects were completed or because grant/appropriation funding is not yet fully reflected in preliminary budgets. Committee members repeatedly asked how districts project operations and maintenance costs, how projects are selected, and what share of staff and spending is devoted to core missions versus administration or regulatory work. Northwest Florida Water Management District said its preliminary budget is $93.4 million, down about 15%, with 97% of spending tied to core responsibilities and a request for additional regulatory services funding. Suwannee River Water Management District presented a $70.4 million budget, emphasized its rural/agricultural character and spring protection work, and highlighted the Water First North Florida reclaimed-water recharge project; members also discussed its need for an additional FTE to handle consumptive use permit reviews tied to a new lower Santa Fe rule. St. Johns River Water Management District presented a $181 million budget, highlighted major water supply, water quality, flood protection, and land management projects such as Taylor Creek Reservoir, Water First North Florida, Black Creek, Crane Creek, and Lake Jessup restoration, and said about 93% of its budget supports core missions. Southwest Florida Water Management District presented a $227.6 million budget, with major spending on alternative water supply, water control structure repairs, watershed projects, and land management; officials said 93.4% of the budget supports core missions and discussed rising construction costs for aging infrastructure. South Florida Water Management District presented the largest budget at $1.05 billion, focused on Everglades restoration, flood control, water supply, and ecosystem recovery; the director described major reservoirs and treatment projects, the EAA Reservoir, and ongoing efforts to improve water quality and restore flows to the Everglades and Florida Bay. The committee took no formal votes on the district budgets and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• You could, for example, provide rebates to folks from that funding source.
• Revenue source. Right.
• I don’t think it’s the only funding source for these projects, right?
• And those are state and local and federal sources, right? It’s a mixture.
• And those are state and local and federal sources, right? It's a mixture.

Summary: The Budget Subcommittee No. 4 hearing focused on the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) and cap-and-trade reauthorization, with members and panelists discussing how to balance climate goals, affordability, and legislative oversight. The chair emphasized the hearing as a broad review of past GGRF spending and future options, while the LAO outlined how GGRF revenues are generated, how variable they have been, and the tradeoffs between continuous appropriations and annual budget control. Two academic panelists, Dr. Kyle Meng and Danny Cullen Ward, argued that cap-and-trade remains an effective climate policy, but stressed that future revenue will depend heavily on market design, allowance allocation, and price levels. They also raised the idea that GGRF could be used more directly for affordability, especially by lowering electricity costs, and for targeted investments in technologies that the market would not otherwise support. Committee members pressed the panelists on where revenues come from, how much has actually been spent, and whether continuous appropriations reduce oversight. CARB staff said more than $33 billion has been generated to date and a little over $11–12 billion has been spent, with the rest committed or in process, and noted that project timelines can be lengthy. Members also asked about ways to lower electricity rates, reduce wildfire-related utility liabilities, and support electrification. The panelists said transportation fuels are the largest source of GGRF revenue, that industrial emitters receive a smaller share of free allowances, and that reducing wildfire liability and investing in grid-scale batteries could help lower costs and speed decarbonization. Public commenters largely urged the Legislature to preserve or expand continuous appropriations for specific climate programs. Speakers supported funding for nature-based solutions, natural and working lands, urban greening, agricultural climate solutions, waste and composting programs, clean transportation, AB 617 community air protection, clean cars, transit, affordable housing near transit, and dairy digesters. Several groups argued these programs are cost-effective, provide public health and affordability benefits, and should receive dedicated shares of GGRF. Others urged reducing free allowances and using more GGRF revenue to directly lower energy costs for households. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do the SMRs utilize water in any major capacity?
• Do the SMRs utilize water in any major capacity?
• As we said, right now this is qualified alternative energy sources.
• Battery storage is becoming a major resource for grid reliability.
• So the major cost here is the front-end cost of money.

Bills: SB5821 , SB6004 , SB6010 , SB5941

Committee: Senate Environment, Energy & Technology

Keywords: nuclear energy, energy strategy, advanced technology, sustainability, state policy, renewable energy, public entities, electric generation, contracting, SB 6010, Washington energy siting, EFSEC, Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, tribal consultation, government-to-government consultation, federally recognized tribes, energy facility siting, RCW, clean energy, alternative energy

Transcript Highlights:

• So let's get to the source.
• And the number one source of microfibers, remember, the number one source of microplastics in water,
• So let's attack the source.
• One major source of these microplastics is washing machines.
• We believe the companies that are sourcing recycled content material should also have to source that

Bills: HB1420 , HB2233 , HB2271 , HB2212 , HB2284

Committee: House Environment & Energy

Keywords: textile responsibility, recycling, sustainability, environmental impact, consumer protection, waste reduction, environment, retail, bags, pollution, consumer products, plastic, environmental policy, postconsumer waste, microplastics, environmental protection, washing machines, water quality, litter reduction, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• Smaller cities and counties tend to use fewer funding sources, and some of these funding sources simply
• Fewer funding sources, and some of these funding sources simply don't generate sufficient revenue for
• This was the only funding source that we're going to pass it.
• Cities have seen increased revenues from local transportation restricted sources and federal sources.
• So the other major impact is media.

Committees: Joint Transportation , Joint Joint Transportation Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Eliminating the source of raw material would put the public health at risk.
• The vast majority of new fur comes from factory farms.
• The majority of pet stores in the United States do not sell puppies.
• Here that attempt is from furs sourced from ranched or Products to eliminate.
• Here, that attempt is from furs sourced from ranched or farm-raised animals.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

Summary: The committee hearing covered a wide range of animal, wildlife, hunting, and environmental bills. Early testimony focused on deer management, with Rep. Markey urging creation of a deer commission to address crop damage, vehicle collisions, and Lyme disease, and Sen. Durant supporting bills to allow Sunday bow hunting, expand crossbow use, and reduce the 500-foot dwelling restriction for archery hunting. Supporters framed these measures as practical wildlife-management tools, while questions centered on how they would differ from existing Fish and Wildlife authority and whether they would allow hunting closer to residences. Later, Rep. Sena also spoke in support of a bill to increase protected wildlife management areas and another to require non-lead ammunition, arguing both would benefit biodiversity and reduce environmental harm. A substantial portion of the hearing addressed animal welfare and commerce. Multiple witnesses supported bills to ban or phase out the retail sale of dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs in pet shops, arguing that pet stores rely on puppy mills and obscure the source of animals, while opponents said the bills would hurt responsible breeders, small businesses, and consumer choice. The committee also heard strong testimony for bills to ban the sale of cats and dogs in pet shops, with supporters citing sick animals, consumer deception, and the need to cut off the puppy mill supply chain. In a separate animal-testing segment, witnesses backed bills requiring non-animal testing methods for cosmetics and household products, saying alternatives are more accurate and humane; biomedical research representatives opposed those bills and a related research-animal measure, warning of unintended restrictions on research institutions and arguing animal models remain necessary for many studies. The committee also heard testimony on horseshoe crab conservation, with supporters of H. 898 urging an end to taking horseshoe crabs for bait because of population declines, shorebird impacts, and the species’ importance to biomedical science. On wildlife trafficking, witnesses backed bills to ban intrastate sales of ivory and rhino horn, saying Massachusetts should close loopholes that aid poaching and align with federal law and other states; one antique dealer testified in support, saying he avoids such items and still sees them in the marketplace. Additional testimony supported bans on fur products from factory farms and on force-feeding birds for foie gras, with advocates emphasizing cruelty, public health, and environmental concerns. The hearing was lengthy and heavily attended, with the chairs repeatedly limiting testimony to three minutes and inviting written submissions; no committee votes or final actions were taken during the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• How well is the U.S. industrial base prepared to mobilize in the event of major conflict?
• And also second sourcing and multi-sourcing are important options to be able to create more capacity.
• Often those are foreign adversarial sources that are cheaper but can introduce risk.
• authority to direct sources of supply, they most often do not, letting industry choose.
• often a Chinese or other adversarial source, or a more secure source.

Committee: Senate Subcommittee on Personnel

Transcript Highlights:

• In going forward, our funding sources reside from four areas.
• With that, I've mentioned the four areas of sources as far as our source funds go and the amount in there
• And we are very limited for source water, primarily because the only source water that we can make available
• So that available source water is very limited.
• So that's a major effort that we have in South Florida.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government heard budget presentations from the Northwest Florida, Suwannee River, St. Johns River, Southwest Florida, and South Florida water management districts for FY 2026-2027. Each district described its preliminary budget, major funding sources, staffing levels, and priorities within the four core missions of water supply, water quality, natural systems, and flood protection. Common themes included reduced budgets from the prior year due to completion of major projects, continued reliance on state appropriations and ad valorem revenue, rising construction and maintenance costs, and the need to maintain aging infrastructure while advancing alternative water supply, springs restoration, flood control, and land management projects. Committee members repeatedly asked how much of each district’s budget and personnel were devoted to the core missions, how maintenance and operating projections were developed, and how projects were selected. The districts generally said most spending was tied to core responsibilities, with administrative overhead relatively small, and explained that budgets are built through a mix of staff analysis, governing board direction, strategic basin planning, and cooperative funding with local, state, and federal partners. Several districts highlighted specific projects, including Water First North Florida, Black Creek, Taylor Creek Reservoir improvements, Crane Creek, Everglades restoration, and various springs and watershed projects. The districts also noted challenges from hurricanes, inflation, cybersecurity, and aging water control structures. South Florida Water Management District’s presentation focused on Everglades restoration and the large-scale infrastructure needed to move, store, and clean water in South Florida. The director said the district’s $1.05 billion preliminary budget is largely for flood control, water supply, ecosystem restoration, and maintenance of extensive canals, levees, pumps, and reservoirs, and emphasized that recent restoration investments are producing measurable water quality and salinity improvements. No votes were taken on the district budgets, and the committee adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• With that, I've mentioned the four areas of sources as far as our source funds go and the amount in there
• So that available source water is very limited.
• So that's the majority of that reduction within that budget.
• The majority of them are tied to the core mission. Okay, great. Members? Questions?
• So that's a major effort that we have in South Florida.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government

Transcript Highlights:

• So it would be EMS Link, Inc., sole source. Who wants to take on the sole source?
• Actually, I'm looking at this item and it doesn't look like it's the sole-source, the other sole-source
• Are you looking for sole source ones, Representative? No, it's not generally just a sole source.
• If you look at the sole source justification form, full— Generally just a sole source.
• It's also a sole source procurement.

Committee: All JBC-PEER REVIEW

Transcript Highlights:

• It's also sole-source procurement.
• So it would be EMS Link, Inc., sole source. Who wants to take on the sole source?
• Actually, I'm looking at this item and it doesn't look like it's the sole-source, the other sole-source
• So it's not sole-source? Correct.
• Are you looking for sole-source ones, Representative? No, it's not generally just a sole source.

Committee: All JBC-PEER REVIEW

Summary: The PEER Review Subcommittee met to consider a large agenda of budget, appropriation, transfer, and contract items. Members approved temporary appropriation requests for several agencies, including the Auditor of State, Department of Education, and Labor and Licensing; ARPA return requests from Workforce Services; Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requests for State Police and Agriculture; restricted reserve transfers for teacher scholarships, school facilities, and economic stimulus; a Commerce reallocation of positions and spending authority; cash fund, budget classification, overtime, and pay plan requests; and 17 methods of finance items for universities and other agencies. Most items were approved without objection after brief explanations from staff and agencies. Several items drew questions and were held or discussed further. A Department of Human Services discretionary grant package for the RSVP program was held over after Senator Irvin raised concerns about whether the grants were an effective use of state general revenue and asked for more information on administration costs and program operations. In the contracts section, Representative Richardson questioned a DHS sole-source contract with EMS Link for document management software and a DHS contract with Presidio; the EMS Link item was held for additional answers, while the Presidio item was clarified as not sole-source and was allowed to proceed. Members also asked for more information on a Department of Education mental health referral contract with Care Solace, which officials said is a statewide concierge/referral service connecting students to Arkansas providers and telehealth options. The committee also reviewed monthly reports, including the Medicaid Trust Fund. DHS and DFA officials said the fund was currently sufficient to finish the fiscal year, though it was being drawn down and would likely require a $100 million transfer from restricted reserves in FY27, with another $100 million set aside in the governor’s budget as a backstop. Members discussed the need to define a minimum reserve level and to better account for ongoing Medicaid costs in the budget. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• that fund DNR work, and how our divisions differ in the funding sources that they use.
• Each of these different funding sources plays an important part within DNR's overall budget.
• The General Fund is also one of the major sources of forest management funding, along with the Forest
• However, as you can see, the majority, only 12 percent have not started any planning yet.
• There's going to have to be a dedicated source of revenue for maintaining...

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Majority Leader. Mr. President, Protector. Thank you. Mr. Majority Leader, Mr.
• Majority Leader. That's you. Mr.
• Majority Leader. Mr.
• Major Leader, motion on page 11.
• Majority Leader, Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:41.719><c> of</c> are expired or used is the majority of are expired or used is the majority
• at the universities; it is the largest source.
• at the universities; it is the largest source.
• at the universities; it is the largest source.
• The second largest source at the universities; it is the largest source.

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy