Video & Transcript : 'employer support' :
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CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session May 7th, 2026
California Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- CASA volunteers provide immeasurable support to our young people.
- Colleagues, I rise today in support of SCR 167.
- This vote has bipartisan support, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you.
- There's support on both sides. I respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you, Senator.
- Members, I rise in support of Senate Resolution 106.
WV
West Virginia 2026 Regular Session
Senate in Session Mar 11th, 2026 at 08:02 pm
West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Engrossed Committee Substitute for House Bill 5086, relating to peer support services, second reading
- Engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 5086 relating to peer support services, second reading
- that will provide grant funding to employers in the state to provide West Virginia students with paid
- summer employment that aligns with high-demand and emerging industries in the state.
- also adds a new section providing civil, criminal, and administrative immunity to participating employers
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- that they are actively looking for new employment.
- They are telling their current employer that they are actively looking for new employment, but they are
- I ask for your green light to support private property rights.
- I ask for your green light to support private property rights. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
- I ask for your green light to support private property rights. Thank you, gentlemen.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Employment in my district, but the largest employer by far in the district that I represent is the Cypher
- I support several things that were said today. Our organization supports the Section 8 program.
- We support the veterans' vouchers.
- In support of HB2985.
- That's the only part of the bill that I I don't support everything else in the bill; I do support that
Bills:
HB164 , HB164 , HB411 , HB627 , HB 1226 , HB1677 , HB1865 , HB1997 , HB2985 , HB3462 , HB4188 , HB4685 , HB4840 , HB5370 , HB5424 , HB5466 , HB5509 , HB5660 , HB5673
Committee:
House Intergovernmental Affairs
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Housing Jun 21st, 2026 at 09:00 am
Joint Committee on Housing
Transcript Highlights:
- Chairman, I support that idea. Yeah.
- I appear to support S. 1005.
- So yes, to the site plan review, please support.
- NAIOP is very much in support. NAIOP is very much in support of House Bill 2347.
- We also support YIMBY and site plan review.
Committee:
Joint Joint Committee on Housing
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Housing held a hybrid hearing on zoning, Chapter 40B, and related housing bills. Much of the testimony focused on the “Yes in My Backyard” bill (H. 1572/S. 962), which would expand by-right development of missing middle housing, reduce barriers such as minimum lot sizes and parking mandates, and support duplexes, triplexes, and other small-scale housing. Supporters included housing advocates, developers, local officials, and municipal leaders from places like Cambridge, Salem, and Braintree, who argued that state action is needed because local zoning often blocks needed housing and that the bill would help create more affordable, neighborhood-compatible homes. Several witnesses also backed a companion “Yes in God’s Backyard” bill (H. 2347), which would allow faith-based institutions to build housing on their property by right, with testimony emphasizing the potential for new units, added municipal tax revenue, and partnerships between religious organizations and housing developers.
The committee also heard testimony on Senate Bill 1021 to modernize Chapter 40R incentives. Senator Pavel Payano and others said the program’s payments have not kept pace with inflation since 2004 and should be increased to better encourage smart-growth zoning near transit and town centers. Another major topic was H. 2298 on site plan review, which would codify and standardize the process in state law. Rep. Kristin Kassner and witnesses from MAPC and NAIOP said current site plan review practices vary widely across the state, creating confusion, delays, and litigation, while a uniform framework would give municipalities clearer tools to review by-right projects without undermining local oversight.
The hearing also included testimony on Chapter 40B reform, including S. 1005 and H. 1537. One witness supported further review of 40B and stronger regional planning, while another backed a proposal to allow certain pre-2010 40B condominium owners to sell at market value under a framework that would recapture some of the subsidy benefits. Committee members asked several questions about local zoning changes, housing goals by county, and how the proposed bills would affect communities. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chairs indicated that written testimony would be welcomed for technical details and additional comments.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- I was very supportive of this until I listened to the diversity talk.
- That's not good enough to support our economy, and it's critical. that we make every effort to support
- So that creates an attainment gap that affects students and employers.
- Well, for. any institution in your district, we're going to be supporting it all the way.
- This bill supports the central priority of the building this talent strong.
Bills:
HB42 , HB 125 , HB 1233 , HB2853 , HB3148 , HB3326 , HB3701 , HB4066 , HB4361 , HB4762 , HB4909 , HB4912 , HB42 , HB125
Committee:
House Higher Education
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Education Policy and Administration (01/15/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> technical assistance we do not support technical assistance we do not support or<01:09:06.600><c
- That deals with employment.
- </c> five test if they were not employable five test if they were not employable the<01:38:34.480><c>
- </c> there's a lot of crossover employment there's a lot of crossover employment wise<01:47:47.760><c
- <02:24:05.319><c> and</c> employment and employment and lure<02:24:07.399><c> and</c><02:24:07.600><c
Summary:
The House Education Committee held its organizational meeting for the new term, with members introducing themselves and describing their backgrounds in teaching, school boards, special education, administration, law, and related fields. Chair Glenn Cordelli outlined the committee’s goals and procedures, emphasizing civility, professionalism, and respectful treatment of witnesses and members. He also noted that the committee has been split into two this year because of the large volume of bills, and said the committee had already sent three bills to the other education committee, with 36 bills currently assigned and more expected.
The chair reviewed committee rules and logistics: hearings should start on time, members should minimize cell phone use and avoid searching during testimony, and questioning of witnesses is limited to one question at a time unless the chair allows a follow-up. Members were told to use the title “Representative,” to sign up on pink cards to testify, and to submit written testimony to the clerk. He also explained that hearings are for listening rather than debating, while executive sessions are where debate and motions occur. Possible motions include ought to pass, inexpedient to legislate, and retain in committee for further work, including subcommittees.
Additional procedures covered scheduling, with the committee expected to meet Wednesday and Thursday the following week because of a holiday, and regular meetings generally planned for Monday and Wednesday. The chair also discussed the consent calendar, reports from majority and minority positions, and the expectation that members who testify on a bill should not then question other witnesses on that same bill. No legislation was voted on at this meeting; it was a procedural and orientation session for the committee.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Transportation Feb 27th, 2026 at 02:30 pm
Transportation
Transcript Highlights:
- I am testifying in support.
- I am testifying in support.
- She said the bill already has strong bipartisan support in the House and is supported by industry and
- And so on behalf of AWB and our employers across Washington, we urge your support of the bill.
- Please support House Bill 1923.
Committee:
Senate Transportation
Keywords:
vehicle ownership, insurance, title transfer, consumer protection, motor vehicle, oil tanker, tank vessel, restricted waters, Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, Rosario Strait, Admiralty Inlet, Discovery Island, New Dungeness, tug escort, pilotage, marine safety, spill prevention, oil transport, petroleum shipment
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- Kevin McCarthy, president of the Arizona Tax Research Association, here in support of the bill.
- We didn’t testify in support of that for a number of reasons, but not the least of which was that it
- So it is imperative that we take action, and I think we, as Arizona’s small business employers, that
- Chairman, I’d be available with any questions or just support the bill. Any questions, Mr. Chair?
- Employers may change behavior based on what a worker is now receiving.
Committee:
Senate Senate Finance Committee of Reference
Summary:
The Senate Finance Committee took up SB 1638, a federal tax conformity bill that updates Arizona’s tax code to the Internal Revenue Code as of January 1, 2026 and incorporates several H.R. 1-related changes, including subtractions for tips, overtime, seniors, and auto loan interest, plus changes to the standard deduction and charitable contribution deduction. Committee members and staff discussed two amendments: a chair’s clarifying amendment on retroactivity and foreign dividend language, and a more substantive Epstein amendment that would remove the broader conformity provisions and charitable deduction changes while limiting the standard deduction change to tax year 2025. The committee also discussed whether the bill would align Arizona with Department of Revenue forms and how much of the conformity package affected corporate versus individual taxpayers.
Public testimony was split. Supporters, including the Arizona Tax Research Association and the National Federation of Independent Business, argued the bill was needed quickly to reduce filing-season confusion, keep Arizona aligned with DOR’s posted forms, and preserve business expensing provisions that help small businesses invest and hire. Opponents, including the Arizona Center for Economic Progress, argued the bill would significantly reduce state revenue, primarily benefit corporations and higher-income taxpayers, and worsen the state’s budget outlook; they also questioned the value of provisions such as SALT conformity, foreign dividend changes, and the tip/overtime subtractions. Committee members debated the fiscal impact, the policy merits of immediate expensing and conformity, and whether taxpayers would need amended returns if the bill changed after filing season.
The committee adopted the chair’s clarifying amendment and rejected the Epstein amendment. It then voted to report SB 1638 as amended with a do-pass recommendation. The bill passed the committee by about 4-3, with members explaining their votes along lines of taxpayer certainty and conformity versus concerns about revenue loss and budget balance.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Professional Registration and Licensing Feb 25th, 2026 at 08:30 am
Professional Registration and Licensing
Transcript Highlights:
- And we are in support of HB 2195.
- We are in full support of this bill.
- We are in full support of this bill.
- Thank you for your support.
- The employer does not pay into that.
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- They might just need it for a certain duration of time because they're going on to an employer-sponsored
- And if you are in a position where you're changing employers, you need coverage for three months, or
- And if you are in a position where you're changing employers, you need coverage for three months, or
- I'm actually very much in support of this.
- And so I do support the... ...And so I do support this.
Committee:
House Health and Welfare
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee 3/24/26
Judiciary Finance and Civil Law
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> support today. support today.
- I do support the bill.
- </c> employers and employees. employers and employees.
- I support this bill.
- </c> would encourage your support. would encourage your support.
Bills:
HF3951 , HF4005 , HF962 , HF4585 , HF3870 , HF4542 , HF3893 , HF4293 , HF4075 , HF4057 , HF3809
Committee:
House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Health and Human Services Oversight REVISED: 11:15 a.m. - New Start Time
Health and Human Services Oversight
Transcript Highlights:
- So could we, could they conceivably use this as seasonal employment, but really be yearly?
- The difference between an employer with 50 employees and 100 employees is a huge did. an employer with
- I'm going to have some discussions with the folks that requested it and the people who have supported
- House Bill 4275 would allow case managers and peer support specialists to be employed by counties and
- This would be specifically to support county sheriffs, first responders, police and fire, those types
Committee:
House Health and Human Services Oversight
Summary:
The Health and Human Services Oversight Committee opened with prayer and then heard a series of bills, most of them request bills from state agencies or related to veterans and military matters. House Bill 3043 would let the Oklahoma Dental Board Association hire temporary or PRN workers during peak periods; it passed 11-1. House Bill 3044 would continue an existing tax-return checkoff for donations and passed 12-0. House Bill 3078 would create an online donation option for the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs during license and tax transactions and passed 12-0. House Bill 3940 made a number of cleanup and policy changes to a prior Oklahoma National Guard measure, including retention, benefits, discipline, museum operations, and state active duty pay issues; it passed 11-0. House Bill 4117 would define family resource centers in statute and emphasize faith-based partnerships, workforce development, and braided funding; it passed 12-0.
The committee also advanced House Bill 3428, which would require certain businesses to post information about veterans’ benefits in a conspicuous place to help more eligible veterans enroll in benefits; members discussed raising the employee threshold from 50 to 100, but no amendment was adopted during the meeting, and the bill passed 10-2. House Bill 4275 would allow counties and cities to employ case managers and peer support specialists while maintaining certification, to support sheriffs and first responders, and it passed 12-0. House Bill 3257 would treat 100% disabilities caused by VA medical malpractice as service-connected for state benefit purposes, aligning state law with federal treatment, and it passed 12-0.
Two public health bills also advanced. House Bill 3901 would authorize psychological autopsies in suicide and overdose cases to better understand causes and improve prevention; members discussed whether the process should include notifying prescribing physicians when patients die from opioid overdoses, and the bill passed 12-0. House Bill 4298 would allow DHS child care rule changes to be distributed by mail and electronically, reflecting current practice, and it passed 12-0. The committee adjourned after reporting all measures do pass.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session May 19th, 2026
California Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- But thank you for your support. Thank you for rising. Thank you for your support.
- I rise in support and strong support of this bill.
- I support reliability, I support affordability, I support honest long-term planning, and while I absolutely
- I support reliability, I support affordability, I support honest long-term planning, and while I absolutely
- ... ...support affordability, I support honest long-term planning, and while I absolutely support keeping
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Revenue Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am
Joint Committee on Revenue
Transcript Highlights:
- mayor continuing that support.
- I'm here in support of 4105.
- And so we urge your support.
- We are looking at ways to support our staff who will ultimately support our students.
- I'm here in support of Bill 3903.
Committee:
Joint Joint Committee on Revenue
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Revenue held a public hearing on a series of bills focused largely on local-option real estate transfer fees and housing funding tools for communities facing severe affordability pressures. Testimony strongly favored bills for Somerville, Concord, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Chatham, and a statewide local-option transfer fee, with speakers arguing that high-end real estate transactions should help fund affordable housing, anti-displacement efforts, workforce housing, and related capital improvements. Elected officials and local housing leaders described rising rents and home prices, investor activity, shrinking year-round housing stock, and difficulty recruiting or retaining teachers, police, health care workers, and other essential employees. Several witnesses emphasized that the proposals would be optional for municipalities, could include exemptions for first-time homebuyers or seniors, and would direct revenue into local affordable housing trust funds or housing banks. Committee members asked questions about who would pay the fee and whether it could make housing less affordable, and supporters responded that the fees would be targeted at higher-value transactions and designed with local flexibility.
For Somerville, the delegation and Mayor Katjana Ballantyne backed both a local home rule petition and statewide enabling legislation, saying the city has already used zoning reform, inclusionary zoning, and local housing funds but still needs a new revenue source to address displacement and investor-driven purchases. For Concord, Representative Carmine Gentile and Concord housing advocates supported a home rule petition and the statewide bill, arguing that a modest fee on sales above $1 million could generate predictable revenue for affordable housing production and preservation. One committee exchange focused on whether the fee would affect most Concord sales and whether it would be passed on to buyers; supporters said the policy was intended to shift costs toward higher-value properties and help leverage other funding sources.
The committee also heard testimony on House 4105, which would redirect a casino-related revenue stream to the Healthy Incentives Program. Farmers, advocates, and residents said the current funding was originally intended to support horse racing but has not met that goal, and that the money would be better used to support Massachusetts farmers and food-insecure residents through HIP. In a separate bill, Senator Becca Rausch testified in support of Senate 268, which would create a state-level hostile learning environment complaint process for higher education institutions and potentially strip tax exemptions from colleges or universities found to have such environments; she cited anti-Semitic and transphobic incidents on campuses and argued that existing federal protections should be mirrored in state law. The hearing also included testimony on college tuition debt reduction legislation from Senator Michael Moore, who said the bill would allow a deduction for tuition and fees paid to Massachusetts public colleges and universities to ease student debt and support the state’s workforce.
A major portion of the hearing focused on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket housing bank proposals. Hospital, school, housing, planning, and municipal officials from Martha’s Vineyard said the island’s year-round housing shortage is harming health care, schools, and the local workforce, and urged approval of a housing bank funded by a local-option transfer fee. Nantucket witnesses made similar arguments, pointing to a very high median home price, a large seasonal housing stock, and the need for a dedicated revenue stream to preserve and create year-round housing. Supporters repeatedly cited the long-running success of the islands’ land banks as evidence that transfer fees can work without harming real estate markets. Senator Julian Cyr and Representative Thomas Moakley Luddy also backed the Cape and Islands transfer-fee bills, saying the region needs bold action and a sustainable local funding source to address its housing crisis.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
FIN Info Briefing - Wed Jan 8, 2025 @ 9:00 AM HST
Hawaii House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:19:23.559><c> uh</c> management uh system support uh management uh system support uh maintenance
- </c> means for inured workers employers means for inured workers employers attorneys<00:19:57.000><c>
- </c><00:20:10.039><c> the</c> environment uh the system supports the environment uh the system supports
- </c> need to track the continuous employment need to track the continuous employment of<00:39:01.839>
- </c><05:45:25.280><c> so</c> no longer um going to be supported so no longer um going to be supported
Summary:
The Committee on Finance held an informational briefing with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations on its budget, staffing, and operations. The director reviewed department leadership and reported on recruitment and retention efforts, including a 14% vacancy rate, a 10.5% workforce increase from filling 189 positions, and the Hela Imua internship program, which has placed 516 interns since inception and led to 62 permanent hires. The department also described modernization efforts, including the UI Huakai project and the Disability Compensation Division’s electronic case management system, and said the unemployment compensation trust fund exceeded $71.5 million, triggering Schedule C for calendar year 2025.
The department’s main budget requests included $2.9 million for fiscal year 2026 to support maintenance and operations of the electronic case management system, plus restoration of two enforcement specialist positions. Officials said those positions are needed to address a decline in investigators from 11 to six since 2009, improve compliance, and handle Hawaii Compliance Express certificate work. Additional requests included two human resources specialists to address recruitment backlogs, two labor enforcement specialists to reduce a backlog of Chapter 104 prevailing wage and wage cases, and two positions for the Office of Community Services to expand immigrant services and access centers. The department also discussed federal funding for unemployment insurance and workforce programs, including National Dislocated Worker Grants and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds, and said some funding is received in increments and may require extensions.
Members asked about Kauai inspection coverage, federal funding uncertainty, the size of the special unemployment insurance fund, and whether the department could ramp up staffing during a future crisis. Officials said Kauai is currently served by inspectors from Honolulu and there are no plans to open a permanent island position because of staffing constraints. They said the department is meeting federal guidelines and is not in jeopardy, and that the special unemployment insurance fund has about $10 million, with current UI operations funded at a little over $15 million, meaning the fund may need to cover roughly $5 million if federal support declines. The director said the department would use the special fund to supplement shortfalls, but noted that federal funding cuts and the loss of ARPA support have already affected operations.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Jun 29th, 2026
California Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I stand in support of SR 113. Peace requires more than just support of an idea. It requires action.
- And I rise as a co-author in support of SCR 113.
- Madam President, I also rise in support of SR 113.
- I rise in support of SB 1350 as a proud principal co-author.
- It rejects reductions to In-Home Supportive Services.
Summary:
The Senate session opened with a roll call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through a long series of floor recognitions and votes. Members spent substantial time honoring the Los Angeles Dodgers, celebrating their back-to-back World Series championship and highlighting the team’s history, community role, and connections to Jackie Robinson, Fernando Valenzuela, Vin Scully, and Jaime Jarrín. Senators also recognized summer interns and welcomed members of Kappa Alpha Psi’s Kappa League and Guide Right program to the floor.
The chamber then took up several measures, beginning with AB 182 on ballot order and proposition numbering for the 2026 statewide ballot, which passed 38-8 after debate over whether placing legislatively referred measures first was fair. SR 113, commemorating the International Day of Peace and honoring Dr. Yongshik Cho’s role in proposing it, passed unanimously after supportive remarks about peace, education, and California’s diversity. The Senate also adopted SJR 16 urging Congress to restore commercial driver’s licenses for affected California truck drivers, and SCR 185 designating Probation Services Week.
A major portion of the meeting was devoted to budget trailer bills. The Senate concurred in Assembly amendments to AB 112, AB 150, AB 152, AB 181, and AB 179, covering Medi-Cal, child care, human services, education governance, and housing. It also passed or concurred in SB 168, SB 169, SB 170, SB 171, SB 172, SB 174, SB 177, and SB 180, addressing public resources and energy, transportation, executive branch reorganization, labor, state government, courts, Medi-Cal financing, and taxation. Several of these drew opposition centered on energy costs, transparency, business impacts, or the proposed “fair share” approach to Medi-Cal costs for large corporations, but most measures passed on party-line or near-party-line votes. The Senate also confirmed three California Horse Racing Board appointments and ended with adjournment motions, including a request to adjourn in memory of Francis Lydia Limos of American Canyon.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee Jun 29th, 2026
Budget and Fiscal Review
Transcript Highlights:
- So I want to support that.
- We support AB 181 and the investments in We support AB 181 and the investments in early education and
- Second, we are in strong support. We are in strong support of AB-181.
- This will help support our most vulnerable communities while also supporting our farmers.
- So really appreciate that support.
Committee:
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
March 25, 2025 - 03:30 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you, Madam Chair and committee members for your support.
- Nathan Hoffman, Foundation for Florida's Future, waves in support.
- Charmin Postal is in a... waves in support. Thank you.
- Eric Carr, Florida Chamber of Commerce, waves in support. Dr.
- And Nathan Hoffman, Foundation for Florida's Future, waves in support.
Summary:
The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met during Budget Week and first considered three member bills. House Bill 1111, by Rep. Valdes, would eliminate the option for students to leave high school with a certificate of completion instead of a standard diploma. Valdes said the bill was inspired by students who met credit requirements but could not pass a required assessment, and argued the certificate does not provide access to college, trade school, or military service. The bill passed unanimously, 15-0. CS for House Bill 127, by Rep. Kendall, would support students with disabilities by using existing Florida Department of Education curriculum to create micro-credentials and coordinating with the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities and OSHA on workplace safety. Goodwill, the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Florida PTA, and others supported the bill, which also passed unanimously, 15-0. House Bill 1367, by Rep. Booth, addressed chronic absenteeism by requiring statewide definitions and more uniform attendance reporting, along with rules for excused and unexcused absences and early identification of chronically absent students. Testimony emphasized inconsistent district policies and the need for clearer data and interventions. The bill passed 13-0, with some members noting concerns about implementation details and future rulemaking.
The committee then took up PCB-P-PKB-2501, the proposed conforming bill for the fiscal year 2025-2026 Pre-K through 12 budget. The chair said the bill was designed to align statutes with budget and scholarship funding procedures, especially around the Florida Education Finance Program and scholarship payments. The PCB would require Florida student ID numbers for scholarship students, standardize cross-checking against FTE survey data, set quarterly payment dates, and use one data source for both reporting and withholding scholarship-related FFP amounts. It also would reduce certain add-on weights by 50%, remove the budget stabilization program, and repeal the educational enrollment stabilization program. Several members raised concerns that the add-on weight reductions could hurt career and technical education, AICE, IB, and CAPE programs, while the sponsor argued the data showed too much spending in an “other” category and that the reductions were aimed at aligning funding with actual program costs. Public testimony was mixed: some supported tighter accountability and clearer payment rules, while others warned against undermining expensive career-readiness programs. The PCB passed 11-2.
After the conforming bill, the chair presented the proposed fiscal year 2025-2026 Pre-K through 12 budget, totaling just under $21 billion, about $400 million below the current year. She said the budget reflects a need to slow spending growth and includes $20 million for New Worlds Scholarship Accounts, $7 million for security grants at Jewish day schools and preschools, $14 million for public school transportation stipends, an overall FEFP increase of about $747.7 million, $100 million for teacher salary increases, and increases in the base student allocation and funds per student. The committee did not vote on the budget recommendation at this meeting; it was distributed for review and will move to the Budget Committee next week.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Postsecondary Education & Workforce Feb 4th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm here today in support of House Bill 2567.
- I just was asking to support the bill.
- I just was asking to support the bill.
- We cannot support HB 2498 in its current form.
- So I'm here, obviously, testifying in support of the bill, but I am also here in support of a streamlined
Summary:
The Postsecondary Education & Workforce Committee held courtesy hearings on three bills before moving to executive session. House Bill 2443 would create an Armed Forces Reserve post-secondary education grant for members of the Armed Forces Reserve and their spouses or dependents, with repayment required unless the reservist serves one year for each year of benefit received. The prime sponsor said the bill is intended to extend educational support similar to what Washington National Guard members already receive. Testimony was generally supportive, emphasizing military readiness, recruitment, and fairness to reservists; one clarification was made that the bill applies to Armed Forces Reserve members broadly, not just the Army Reserve.
House Bill 2567 would restore Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship award amounts for students attending four-year private, not-for-profit institutions. The sponsor and many students, school leaders, and private college representatives argued the 2025 cuts were inequitable, harmed low-income and first-generation students, and limited student choice. Supporters said the state’s dedicated financial aid account has grown and that the cuts disproportionately affected students at private institutions. Opponents, including representatives from public universities, argued state dollars should prioritize public institutions and questioned whether aid should be shifted away from state schools. Testimony was mixed but heavily pro, with sign-ins reported at 1,584 total, including 1,572 in support.
House Bill 2498 would change nursing education oversight by limiting the Board of Nursing’s authority where programs are nationally accredited and by expediting approval for new programs. The sponsor and several community college leaders said the bill would reduce unnecessary barriers, speed program expansion, and help address the nursing shortage, especially in rural areas. The Board of Nursing, nursing educators, employers, and professional associations opposed the bill, arguing that state oversight is needed for public safety, Washington-specific workforce needs, and consistent standards, and that the board is already revising its rules through an open process. The committee then took executive action on two other bills: it passed Second Substitute House Bill 2363, allowing supervised music therapy practice for up to six months while exam results are verified, with an amendment delaying implementation to January 1, 2028; and it passed Substitute House Bill 2422, shifting private security guard license fees from applicants to employers and delaying implementation to November 1, 2026, by a 9-7 vote.