Transcript Highlights:

• Um, but once you've learned the skill, it's not particularly hard to attain that and to keep that skill
• Um, but once you've learned the skill, it's not particularly hard to attain that and to keep that skill
• Um, but once you've learned the skill, it's not particularly hard to attain that and to keep that skill
• Um, but once you've learned the skill, it's not particularly hard to attain that and to keep that skill
• Um, but once you've learned the skill, it's not particularly hard to attain that and to keep that skill

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And as of the spring, all four departments under the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, as well
• And how would the Labor and Workforce Agency and some of the short-term career programs that they have
• And how would the labor and workforce agency and some of the short-term career programs that they have
• I’m going to turn it over to my colleague, Allison Hewitt, who has labor in her portfolio.
• I've unfortunately witnessed about five raids at our day labor center, including the infamous Operation

Summary: The committee heard an overview of the May Revision’s Proposition 98 changes for K-12 and community colleges. The Department of Finance said the minimum guarantee rises by $6.4 billion over the Governor’s Budget across the three-year window, with higher guarantees in each year, full payment of the prior settle-up, and larger deposits into the school rainy-day fund. The LAO said the revenue and LCFF updates were reasonable, but urged caution about the settle-up approach and recommended using more of the available funding to protect ongoing programs and build budget resilience. Members focused heavily on the size of the proposed $3.9 billion settle-up, the $10.3 billion reserve deposit, declining K-12 enrollment, and how much of the new funding should be ongoing versus one-time. The committee then reviewed the community colleges portion of the budget. Finance described the May Revision’s higher SCFF COLA, additional funding for enrollment growth, a student support block grant, apprenticeship adjustments, and continued funding for deferred maintenance, Calbright, Common Cloud, and credit for prior learning. The Chancellor’s Office supported the core investments but asked for more funding for enrollment growth, changes to the growth formula, and a COLA for Student Equity and Achievement. The LAO recommended prioritizing the statutory COLA increase, noted that more than half of districts are already above current-year growth targets, and said the new adult learner demonstration project should be rejected because districts already have tools to support similar services. Members also discussed a $52 million current-year apportionment shortfall, which Finance said was discovered too late for the May Revision and would need to be addressed later. Finally, the committee took up the proposed implementation of the federal Workforce Pell program. Finance proposed one-time funding for the California Student Aid Commission and Cradle to Career to build eligibility and data systems, along with trailer bill changes to set up state approval processes. CSAC said the program is promising but highly complex, that California lacks the needed infrastructure, and that the state will need emergency regulations, data linkages, and ongoing funding beyond the one-time proposal. The LAO agreed that some initial funding is needed but warned that the amounts and ongoing costs remain uncertain and that the Legislature should carefully draft the trailer bill language. Members asked about timing, other states’ actions, and how the state would ensure the program is ready for students and institutions.

Transcript Highlights:

• organization's operations or to perform labor organization activities during work hours, including using
• The nurses, firefighters, and teachers who are trained and skilled in their professions should be the
• The nurses, firefighters, and teachers who are trained and skilled in their professions should be the
• I have been a member of AEA, a labor organization or union, since 1974.
• I want to thank all the labor leaders who spoke with us today.

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from the prior February meetings and then took up several measures. HCR 2013, designating June 2026 as “Celebrate Life Month” in Arizona, drew emotional testimony from Crystal Cooper and Bella Stockton about their lives with spina bifida and support for the resolution. Senator Kennedy and others questioned the purpose of the resolution, arguing the state should focus on concrete supports for families, but the motion passed 4-1 with two not voting. Members then advanced HB 2327, which clarifies protections for eligible persons’ identifying information in county recorder records, with an amendment excluding voter registration records; it passed 5-0 with two not voting. HB 2258, adding La Paz County to the Tourism Advisory Council’s geographic area, also passed unanimously among those voting. HB 2397, expanding HOA/COA disclosure requirements for prospective buyers, was amended twice and passed 5-1; supporters said it would improve transparency about assessments and defects, while opponents warned about cost and administrative burdens, especially for smaller associations. HB 2015, imposing penalties for late federal/state financial reporting by state organizations, passed 4-2 despite concerns that the automatic penalties were too harsh and could be out of agencies’ control. The committee also approved HB 4049, allowing DCS to hire its own counsel and directing the Attorney General to represent the state’s interest in certain cases involving alleged DCS misconduct, though some members argued current law already addresses conflicts and that DCS had not been consulted. HB 4087, authorizing placement of a Barbara Love memorial in the governmental wall, passed without opposition. HB 2100, allowing counties to authorize certain small land subdivisions, passed 4-2 amid debate over water adequacy and the risk of “wildcat” development. HB 2460, preempting local fees and penalties tied to abandoned or stolen movable business property such as shopping carts, passed 4-2 after extensive testimony from cities, retailers, and advocates over local control, costs, and theft prevention. Finally, HCR 2056, a proposed constitutional amendment recognizing a right to refuse medical mandates, began hearing testimony; supporters framed it as bodily autonomy, while opponents, including pediatric and public health advocates, warned it would weaken vaccine requirements and outbreak protections for schools and children.

Transcript Highlights:

• ... ...on its own, and in fact leveraging the skilled land conservation workforce of nonprofits is a
• All of this must be done with key partners at the table, such as labor and affordable housing advocates
• All of this must be done with key partners at the table, such as labor and affordable housing advocates
• A master plan and a supply of trees are only effective if we have skilled people to invest in and manage
• I recall a season when pumpkins were ravaged by Phytophthora and the fruits of our labor were rotting

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on the Healey-Driscoll administration’s Mass Ready Act, a $3 billion environmental bond bill. Administration officials said the bill would fund climate resilience, clean water, land conservation, parks, PFAS remediation, food security infrastructure, and coastal and inland flood protection, while also streamlining permitting for housing, restoration, and other resilience projects. They emphasized that the bond authorizes spending but does not itself obligate it, and said the proposal includes deauthorizations as housekeeping. Committee members asked about the new Resilience Revolving Fund, flood and drought management, MVP funding, land acquisition, Chapter 61 right-of-first-refusal changes, salt marsh carbon sequestration, and how the bill would help smaller municipalities and offset expected federal funding losses. Officials said the revolving fund would be managed through EEA and the Clean Water Trust, with criteria aimed at directing aid to communities most in need, and noted that drought issues would continue to be handled through existing DEP and drought commission tools. Several committee members and witnesses discussed specific policy provisions, including flood disclosure requirements for homebuyers and renters, expanded authority for regional planning and small-town access to grants, and permitting reforms that would exempt or expedite certain environmental restoration and priority housing projects from more time-consuming review processes. Administration witnesses defended the reforms as a way to achieve the same environmental outcomes faster and with more certainty, while some advocates argued the bill should go further, especially on Chapter 91 and restoration permitting. The administration also described investments in DCR facilities, water and wastewater systems, open space, agricultural easements, and a new focus on blue carbon and salt marsh restoration. Public testimony largely supported the bill. Mass Audubon, the Trustees of Reservations, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, The Nature Conservancy, MAPC, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, municipal officials, and others praised the bill’s resilience, conservation, and water infrastructure investments. Some witnesses urged additional funding for land protection, coastal resilience, buyouts, and restoration, and several called for stronger or simpler permitting reforms. Municipal witnesses from Boston, Beckett, Beverly, Conway, and regional planning organizations stressed the need for flexible financing, especially for small and rural communities facing costly infrastructure and climate adaptation projects. No votes were taken during the portion of the hearing provided; the committee heard testimony and asked questions before moving on to additional panels.

Transcript Highlights:

• The program provides contestants with a platform to develop confidence, leadership skills, and community
• A family man from Plant City, skilled in business and strategy, who will leave any meeting to take a
• Article I, Section 6 of the Florida Constitution states the right of employees by and through a labor
• It strips unfair labor practice protections during critical salary negotiations.
• of Labor that was dismantled here in the state of Florida.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of a quorum, then adopted the special order calendar for the day. The first major item was CS/SB 156, the Officer Jason Rayner Act, which revises laws on resisting officers and adds manslaughter of a law enforcement officer to offenses eligible for a life sentence reclassification. The sponsor said the bill was intended to honor Officer Jason Rayner and clarify that questions of fault belong in court; opponents argued it removed judicial discretion, could sweep in unintended cases, and was a broad response to a case-specific prosecutorial failure. After debate, the bill passed 108-8. The House then passed CS/SB 688 on naturopathic medicine, which creates a regulatory structure and licensure framework for naturopathic physicians, defines scope and limits of practice, and establishes a board under the Department of Health with medical doctor oversight. Supporters described it as a consumer protection and medical freedom measure; opponents called it an expansion of scope and criticized the low penalty for impersonating a naturopathic physician. The bill passed 85-22. The chamber also passed CS/CS/SB 1062 on speech and debate education, creating a Florida Speech and Debate Hall of Fame, a Florida Speech and Debate Week, and a statewide debate initiative, by a vote of 112-0. Additional measures approved included CS/CS/SB 1220 on transportation, which covers a wide range of issues including FDOT authority, airports and seaports, drone delivery, autonomous vehicles, toll revenues, and related regulatory changes; it passed 87-23. SB 962 on affordable housing, which clarifies that Live Local Act zoning preemption does not unintentionally capture working farms and farm operations, passed 109-2. CS/CS/SB 1580 on illegal gaming was introduced and explained as a crackdown on illegal slot machines and unregulated gaming arcades, with questions focused on VFWs, sweepstakes, fantasy sports, and the Seminole gaming compact, but the transcript ends before a final vote on that bill. The session also included several recognitions and lengthy farewell remarks from departing members, including Leader Driscoll and Majority Leader Sirois.

Transcript Highlights:

• SNAP outreach is completely trusted by community partners who are skilled plain-language translators
• </c><00:40:51.000><c> plain</c><00:40:51.320><c> language</c> who are skilled plain language who are
• skilled plain language translators<00:40:52.720><c> that</c><00:40:52.880><c> help</c><00:40:53.040><
• big box consolidation by dominant big box retailers, retailers, retailers, rising<01:16:07.880><c> labor
• , costly state rising labor cost, costly state mandates,<01:16:10.280><c> tariffs,</c><01:16:11.200><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I found him in the Freedmen's Bureau records and labor contracts just after the Civil War.
• Elmer Lazzardi here on behalf of the California Federation of Labor Unions in support. Thank you.
• Elmer Lazzardi here on behalf of the California Federation of Labor Unions in support. Thank you.
• Today's cars are so complicated it really takes having a skilled auto tech with the right equipment,
• Today's cars are so complicated it really takes having a skilled auto tech with the right equipment,

Summary: The committee met as a subcommittee without quorum at first, then later established quorum and continued hearing several bills. SB 27, the annual CARE Court cleanup bill, would require courts to consider CARE referral for certain misdemeanor defendants found incompetent to stand trial, combine some hearings, allow limited data sharing among licensed medical professionals, and expand eligibility to include mood disorders with psychotic features. Supporters said it would clarify the meaning of “clinically stabilized,” streamline the process, and help more severely ill people receive treatment; opponents argued it would expand CARE Court too broadly, strain county resources, and divert attention from housing and voluntary services. The bill passed to the Health Committee on a roll call vote and was placed on call. SB 82, dealing with so-called “infinite arbitration clauses,” would limit consumer contract arbitration provisions to disputes arising from the product or service actually purchased. The author and supporters said the bill would stop companies from forcing arbitration in unrelated claims and would not ban arbitration itself. Opponents from business and banking groups argued the language was too restrictive, could create litigation over related transactions, and should be clarified as prospective only. The committee approved the bill and placed it on call after a roll call vote. The committee then heard two reparations-related bills. SB 437 would direct CSU to develop a genealogical methodology and framework for verifying descendants of enslaved people, with oversight, reporting, and guardrails tied to recently allocated state funding. Supporters said the bill would create a fair, evidence-based process; opponents, including professional genealogists and reparations advocates, argued the work is already well understood, the bill is unnecessary, and it could delay action. SB 518 would create a Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery within state government, with divisions for genealogy, property reclamation, outreach, and legal affairs. Supporters framed it as needed infrastructure to implement reparations recommendations; opponents objected to locating it in the Department of Justice, warned about data privacy and law enforcement control, and criticized the inclusion of broader communities. Both bills were moved to Appropriations and placed on call. The committee also heard SB 52, the End AI Rent Hikes Act, which would prohibit the use of algorithms to collude on and artificially inflate rental prices; the author and supporters described it as a response to AI-assisted rent fixing in California’s housing market.

Transcript Highlights:

• programs, misusing or improperly claiming tax preference or business subsidies, and violating state labor
• > business sub subsidies and violating business sub subsidies and violating State<00:21:41.799><c> labor
• laws um I just want to give State labor laws um I just want to give one<00:21:44.320><c> example</c>
• make sure that we are hiring the perfect individuals, even when you look at the definition for the skill
• </c> you look at the definition for the skill you look at the definition for the skill set<01:15:16.840

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This provides one-time 1.5 million general fund state appropriations for an AI-ready skills program.
• At the Department of Labor and Industries, it revises the L&I appropriated amounts to match the top line
• They do AI-ready skills, coding, and other activities that are getting kids into high school and middle
• are not only learning about STEM and science and technology, they're learning about communication skills
• think these robotics programs are very exciting and teach children as they develop quite a bit of skills

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee met in executive session on a proposed substitute operating budget bill and worked through a long series of amendments before voting on the bill. Members discussed a wide range of budget items, including court funding for Thurston County civil filings, Attorney General funding for a domestic extremism task force, grants for Yakima aquatics access, North Mason mobile integrated health, mentoring programs, poverty reduction work, a proposed Department of Housing task force, federal grant inventory staffing, HEAL Act funding, assisted living rebasing, DCYF family resource centers and pediatric interim care, law enforcement training and equipment, shellfish and birthing center licensing fees, school bus depreciation, charter school accountability, transition to kindergarten priorities, and several Fish and Wildlife and OSPI grants. The committee also considered amendments related to the Columbia River Gorge Commission, shrub-steppe habitat mitigation, and a study on Lower Snake River reservoir drawdown impacts. Debate on many amendments centered on whether items were statewide priorities or local projects, and on the fiscal constraints of the budget. Supporters often argued that proposals would protect vulnerable populations, improve public safety, or leverage future savings and outside funding; opponents frequently cited budget pressure, the availability of existing funding, or the need to avoid singling out local projects. Some amendments were adopted, including Clark 343 on intent to fund up to 10,000 additional eCAP slots, Jones 419 on paint stewardship funding, and Stevens 070 limiting birthing center license fees. Many others failed, including amendments on Thurston County court funding, the domestic extremism task force, Yakima aquatics, North Mason mobile integrated health, mentoring, poverty reduction workgroup funding, the Department of Housing task force, federal grant staffing, HEAL Act funding, assisted living rebasing, the PIC Center contract, the Lacey regional training academy, and several Fish and Wildlife and OSPI-related proposals. The committee then moved to the underlying bill, Proposed Substitute House Bill 2289, and adopted a do pass motion after disposing of the amendments. The transcript indicates the committee ultimately reported the bill out of committee with a do pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• And reading skills, strong reading skills, are the gateway to academic success, lifelong confidence,
• But again, make no mistake, teaching reading is not an easy skill to do.
• Teaching reading is not an easy skill to do. I'd ask all of you to try it.
• have been earning a dollar an hour, at times five to ten dollars a day for grueling, back-breaking labor
• But also, again, when these individuals leave prison, we need to make sure that they have this skill

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through a long floor file of bills. Early measures passed with little or no debate, including AB 698 on local transfer taxes and affordable housing analysis, AB 456 on mobile home sales, AB 1129 on reportable infant health conditions, AB 69 on Fair Plan insurance notices and voluntary market searches, AB 357 on expedited student and faculty housing permits, AB 383 on firearms code cleanups, AB 426 on drones interfering with emergency response, AB 825 on energy affordability and transmission financing, and AB 699 on ballot transparency for local tax and bond measures. Most of these bills passed unanimously or with strong bipartisan margins, while AB 825 drew the most extended debate over whether it would lower costs or expand state control of energy infrastructure; it ultimately passed 45-5. The most contentious item was AB 84, which would strengthen oversight of non-classroom-based charter schools and tighten accountability for charter spending and operations. Supporters argued it was needed to stop fraud and misuse of public education dollars, citing major scandals and audit findings, while opponents warned it would harm legitimate charter schools, reduce educational options, and disproportionately affect rural and special-needs students. Several members said they supported the bill only to keep negotiations going, and others urged more targeted or delayed action. After extensive debate and multiple amendments, the Assembly passed AB 84 on a 41-22 vote. The chamber also took up AB 610, a housing bill that would require cities and counties to disclose planned housing restrictions and limit new constraints for three years after housing element approval. The author framed it as a certainty and transparency measure to help address the state’s housing shortage, while noting continued discussions with local governments and housing advocates. The transcript ends with the bill’s presentation and request for an aye vote, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And they will simply function in a voluntary support role for key technical skills That we have trouble
• And they're all designed to give the kids an opportunity to learn a skill set coming out of Thunderbird
• Excellent skill. No one dentists and doctors. We have a lot of those that want to participate.
• So, I may have retired guards when I do have many that have very particular skills.
• So, we also extended our hours and added additional appointments during Labor Day, Memorial Day, and

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• then the third item is for education expenses for our existing staff. enhance their knowledge and skills
• test and in order to compel adoption of this second skills test at an additional cost it's going about
• It takes I guess on the litigation front it's a much different skill set.
• They help individuals develop, recover, and maintain skills needed for daily living and working.
• The first exceptional item is compensation adjustments to retain, reward, and attract skills staff.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, they take the citizen laborers they've got and they do mandatory overtime.
• Well, they take the citizen laborers they've got and they do mandatory overtime.
• Well, they take the citizen laborers they've got and they do mandatory overtime.
• Well, they take the citizen laborers they've got and they do mandatory overtime.
• Because of y'all, incredible skill.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, September 11, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Peace Act. we had violent labor movements we had violent labor movements in<03:47:55.120><c> the</c>
• We need balanced labor and state. We need balanced labor and workforce. workforce. workforce.
• </c><03:51:34.640><c> I</c> size without such qualified labor. I size without such qualified labor.
• </c> This bill modifies the labor peace act. This bill modifies the labor peace act.
• the</c><03:52:59.600><c> labor</c><03:53:00.000><c> peace</c> It modifies the labor the labor peace

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They've demonstrated remarkable skill and depth in all parts of it, and I want to give special recognition
• The amendment offers Labor and Industrial Relations Commission to change the name, information, or fee
• to remove barriers that we oftentimes see to self-sufficiency, to obtain stable employment, obtain skills
• the local level, their neighbors, or community agencies that can work with them to develop their skills
• the toolbox for this whole program so that we can be effective at helping to develop people, their skills

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• works hard every day, but she relies on academic intervention and free... math tutoring to build skills
• It gave me the time, support, and instruction that I needed to strengthen my skills and gain confidence
• gained academic independence and built confidence. and successfully transitioned out of what study skills
• Study skills is how ATC provides targeted support for students with IEPs or to students who are struggling
• Yet, HB 63 is currently penalizing our skill and efficiency.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are archival skills, osteology skills, geographic skills.
• So when we say that we've repatriated 2,800 remains, that's been done with the extraordinary and labor-intensive
• And if we were able to help children of the tribes become experts with these technical skills, that will
• I hear that they have to have special skills. We are those special skills.

Summary: The joint hearing of the Select Committee on Native American Affairs and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee focused on the University of California’s compliance with NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA and the return of Native American human remains and cultural items. Senators and Assembly Members opened by emphasizing the sacredness of repatriation, the ongoing trauma caused by delayed returns, and the need for stronger systemwide accountability. The State Auditor presented the third audit of UC’s repatriation efforts, concluding that UC still lacks the urgency, oversight, and clear timelines needed to promptly return remains and belongings. The audit found thousands of remains and hundreds of thousands of cultural items still in UC custody, new undisclosed collections at several campuses, weak budgeting and underspending, and repatriation plans that often lacked concrete deadlines. The auditor recommended stronger UCOP oversight, performance metrics, proactive searches for undiscovered items, and possible legislative action to tie funding to measurable progress. UC officials responded that the system is committed to full compliance and has accelerated its work since adopting a new policy in 2022. UC Provost Catherine Newman said the system repatriated more than 2,800 ancestors and nearly 80,000 funerary belongings in the past year, and that UC now says 80.3% of Native American remains are either repatriated or available for repatriation. UC announced a new systemwide plan to complete repatriation of human remains by the end of 2028, to finish high-risk campus reviews by June 2026, to recall all loans by January 2026, and to require quarterly reporting to UCOP. UC also said it will spend an additional $8.8 million over three years, expand staffing, improve databases, support tribal consultation costs, and identify potential reburial sites on UC land. Berkeley and San Diego described increased staffing, consultations, and repatriation activity, while Santa Barbara said it had corrected earlier omissions, notified tribes about previously unreported ancestors, and was working toward completing repatriations and updated inventories. Committee members pressed UC on why progress has been so slow, why the audit’s timelines differed from UC’s public reporting, and whether the 2028 goal applies only to human remains rather than all cultural items. UC said the 2028 target is for human remains, while cultural items will take longer, and acknowledged that more work remains. Members also asked about the technical expertise needed for repatriation, the role of tribal experts, and whether repatriation should be embedded more permanently in UC governance or statute. Tribal leaders and representatives then testified that remains and belongings were taken without consent and must be returned with tribal consent and leadership. They criticized the repeated delays, stressed that tribes are the experts on their ancestors and cultural heritage, and urged UC to treat repatriation as a top priority and to return all associated items, not just human remains, so ancestors can truly rest.

Transcript Highlights:

• But in the depth of Your love for us, transform the effect of our labor to a with Your grace plan for
• But in the depth of Your love for us, transform the effect of our labor to a with Your grace plan for
• She championed education, labor reforms, and public spaces for children, ensuring that progress didn't
• </c><05:28:02.280><c> reforms</c><05:28:02.840><c> and</c><05:28:03.120><c> public</c> education labor
• reforms and public education labor reforms and public spaces<05:28:04.280><c> for</c><05:28:04.878><

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• increases are largely attributed to fluctuating chassis prices driven by increases in material and labor
• of critical components such as pump controllers and computer chips, ongoing chassis redesigns, and labor
• added that when he was back in Kern, they actually built some of their fire trucks, but that it is a skill
• And I think the challenges that we are seeing again is very much related to the labor costs and the timeframes
• Now, as we've heard, the manufacturers may argue that these outcomes are driven by labor costs, supply

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the state representative for the Pharmaceutical Industry Labor Management Association, also known
• Lee Nugent, I'm the state representative for the Pharmaceutical Industry Labor Management Association
• We do not see the increased investment in labor costs, facility upgrades, or charity care because of
• We do not see the increased investment in labor costs, facility upgrades, or charity care because of
• Allowing EMTs as substitutes maintains safety and matches skills to clinical needs.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2437, which would put the Department of Health’s authority to accredit opioid treatment programs into statute and allow the department to set a fee to cover the cost of those services. The prime sponsor and DOH said the bill would preserve a service that is especially important to tribal and rural providers and would be self-sustaining rather than supported by the general fund. Members asked about the relationship between DOH and HCA and whether the bill would duplicate existing authority; staff and the department said DOH already performs the accrediting role and the bill mainly formalizes that authority and fee-setting power. Public testimony on the bill was then closed. The committee then held an extensive work session on the federal 340B drug pricing program and later opened public testimony on House Bill 2145, which would prohibit manufacturers, distributors, and third-party logistics providers from restricting 340B drug acquisition or delivery and from requiring claims or utilization data as a condition of access. Committee staff and NCSL gave background on how 340B works, recent growth in the program, contract pharmacy issues, and state efforts in other jurisdictions. Testimony on HB 2145 was sharply divided: hospitals, community health centers, tribal representatives, contract pharmacies, and labor groups said the bill would protect safety-net providers, rural access, HIV and behavioral health services, and tribal programs from manufacturer restrictions; business groups, pharmaceutical companies, and employer coalitions argued the program has expanded beyond its original intent, lacks transparency, shifts costs to employers and taxpayers, and should be addressed through federal reform instead. No vote was taken in the excerpt. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2155, which would bar non-human entities from using nursing titles such as RN, APRN, or LPN or otherwise implying they are licensed nurses. The prime sponsor said the bill is intended to protect patients from being misled by AI systems and to preserve transparency and public safety as health care technology expands. The Washington State Nurses Association testified in support, saying AI can be useful but should not replace nurses or be presented as a licensed professional. A member asked about enforcement and liability, and staff said they would follow up on those details.