Transcript Highlights:

• The rights of parents to be notified if schools or residential placements use restraint and seclusion
• Industrial and Rehabilitative Services, to which was referred House Bill 757, an act relative to tip pooling
• they're charged because their servers don't understand what they're getting into with regard to tip pooling

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The other one is the next one, which is called provider rate residential habilitation.
• The other one is the next one, which is called provider rate residential habilitation.
• This bill before you, this option, is not a removal of the residential habilitation services.
• Across the board, residential habilitation rate cuts are a blunt instrument.
• Impact on community stability, residential and habilitation services, residents.

Summary: The Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved the February 18, 2026 minutes and then heard House Bill 863 from Senator Julie Van Orden. The bill would reduce Medicaid residential habilitation rates by pulling back funding tied to a 2022 KW lawsuit-related service array while keeping the separate provider rate increase in place, and it would add audit/cost-survey language. Department of Health and Welfare officials said the 2022 funds were originally federal ARPA dollars, that the state share was later expected to be addressed, and that the bill would require third-party audits and broader cost surveys for home and community-based services. Van Orden and the department argued the bill would not eliminate services but would strengthen oversight and provide better data for future rate decisions. Testimony was sharply divided. Providers and advocates said the proposed reduction would destabilize residential habilitation agencies, force wage cuts, reduce services, and risk closures, while supporting the audit and transparency provisions. Several witnesses emphasized that the services help vulnerable adults remain in the community and warned of downstream costs if supports are reduced. A litigation attorney testified that the bill’s findings were inaccurate, saying the KW case remains active, the department is still under court orders, and reductions could trigger further litigation or enforcement issues. Department officials responded that the bill would repeal certain rate-setting rules tied to current cost-survey methods and that the new audits would be phased in. After testimony, Senator Van Orden closed by reiterating that the bill was intended to reduce, not remove, the service funding and to require a third-party audit. The committee then considered motions to hold the bill in committee. A substitute motion to hold House Bill 863 in committee subject to the call of the chair passed on a 7-4-2 vote, and the bill was held in committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, the estimate is based on all residential transfers. So, all residential transfers.
• So, I think residential property taxes.
• </c> uh residential uh residential property<00:35:33.200><c> taxes,</c><00:35:33.680><c> primary</c><
• I believe the apply to all residential?
• 45.520><c> that</c><00:48:45.839><c> does,</c> residential homeowners, what that does, residential homeowners

Committee: Joint Revenue

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So if a city or town allows a residential use in their downtown business district, say you can have residential
• So if a city or town allows a residential use in their downtown business district, say you can have residential
• Those are districts where residential uses are allowed. Which one would govern?
• Those are districts where residential uses are allowed. Which one would govern?
• land statewide. than 10,000 square feet on a mere 3% of residential land statewide.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a public hearing on Initiative Petition 25-03, House Bill 5000, which would allow single-family homes on small lots in areas with adequate infrastructure. Committee chairs outlined the Article 48 process and the hearing format, then heard first from two subject-matter experts. Under Secretary Chris Clutchman of Housing and Livable Communities explained that the proposal would amend Chapter 40A’s Section 3 (the Dover Amendment) to require most municipalities, except Boston, to allow single-family homes on residentially zoned lots of at least 5,000 square feet with 50 feet of frontage and access to public water and sewer, while still allowing reasonable local regulations on setbacks, height, bulk, and short-term rentals. He distinguished the proposal from Chapter 40Y starter-home zoning, said implementation would likely require regulations to address issues such as wetlands, infrastructure capacity, and nonconforming lots, and answered committee questions about lot subdivision, MBTA Communities, and the relationship to existing zoning tools. Attorney Susan Murphy testified that the petition would significantly override local zoning and could create conflicts with existing statutes, including Chapter 40A Section 6 protections for certain nonconforming lots, subdivision control law, and other residential zoning districts. She raised concerns about how “access” to water and sewer would be defined, whether the measure could apply in business or industrial districts where residential uses are allowed, and whether the proposal could allow large homes on small lots without any affordability limits. She also warned that the measure could have significant infrastructure impacts and argued that the Legislature should consider broader, more comprehensive housing legislation rather than expanding exceptions to the zoning framework. Committee members asked both experts about frontage, lot size, infrastructure capacity, and how the proposal would interact with 40Y and MBTA Communities. The proponents, led by Andrew McCulla of the Legalized Starter Homes Coalition, argued that Massachusetts faces a severe housing shortage and affordability crisis, citing high home prices, high rents, declining listings, and outmigration of younger residents. They said the measure would legalize modest single-family homes on smaller lots, increase housing supply, and help first-time buyers and downsizing seniors, while leaving most other local rules in place. Other proponents, including representatives from Abundant Housing Massachusetts, the Charles River Regional Chamber, and individual residents, emphasized workforce retention, the need for more starter homes, and the view that large minimum lot sizes are a major barrier to production. Committee members pressed the panel on the lack of any home-size or affordability requirement, possible effects on 40B compliance, the number of new lots and homes that might result, and the fact that the ballot initiative would not be amendable by the Legislature. The hearing then turned to opponents from the Massachusetts Municipal Association, who urged the committee to take no action. MMA leaders said zoning should remain a local decision made by residents and elected local officials, and argued that the proposal would preempt local control with a one-size-fits-all mandate. They also said the measure is impractical because many communities with water and sewer are already at or near capacity, so infrastructure availability does not necessarily mean development capacity. The hearing ended during the MMA’s testimony, with no vote or final committee action taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• There was some good discussion there about creating a uncompensated care pool for HCMC, but for other
• There was some good discussion there about creating a uncompensated care pool for HCMC, but for other
• There was some good discussion there about creating a uncompensated care pool for HCMC, but for other
• discussion there. uh that was creating a uncompensated<00:30:40.480><c> care</c><00:30:40.799><c> pool
• for HCMC but for uncompensated care pool for HCMC but for other<00:30:43.039><c> hospitals</c><00:30

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 369 was the main topic, with House authors Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar, Rep. Robert Bierman, and Rep. Dave Baker arguing that the bill would give Minnesota’s 2024 340B law “teeth” by enforcing protections for nonprofit and rural hospitals’ access to the federal drug pricing program. They said the measure costs the state nothing, aligns with similar laws in more than 20 other states, and is needed before adjournment to help hospitals close funding gaps, support services like emergency care, obstetrics, behavioral health, and pharmacy access, and preserve care in remote communities. Several hospital leaders from across greater Minnesota testified that 340B revenue helps keep their facilities viable and that losing it would threaten services and, in some cases, hospital survival. Witnesses described severe financial pressure on rural hospitals, including reimbursement cuts, workforce shortages, inflation, and rising drug costs. Leaders from United Hospital District in Blue Earth, Lakewood Health System in Staples, Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital, Northshore Health in Grand Marais, Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet, and Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby said their hospitals serve as safety-net providers and often operate with thin or negative margins. They emphasized long travel times to other hospitals, seasonal tourism pressures in some areas, and the importance of local emergency, ambulance, inpatient, and specialty services. The Minnesota Hospital Association president also criticized pharmaceutical company messaging and said nonprofit hospitals are working around the clock to maintain access. In response to questions, Zeleznikar said she had considered other enforcement approaches but now supported using the original Senate-passed bill, citing concerns about fraud and the difficulty of alternative enforcement mechanisms. She and hospital leaders distinguished this bill from a separate hospital stabilization-grant proposal, saying both are needed but serve different purposes. No vote was taken at the meeting, and the speakers repeatedly urged House leadership to bring the bill to the floor before session ends.

Transcript Highlights:

• The administration's proposed budget solution would come out of the pool for augmentations.
• Fundamentally, there's a pool for the existing Medi-Cal program and then a pool for Ogden.
• The pool for augmentations is conceptually for augmentations, and that's the key issue.
• to exchange data, to move individuals through the system, as well as for flexible housing subsidy pools
• Generally, the measure is quite broad in the pools of funding.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This report is being provided at a time when the structure and operations of public entity risk pools
• Risk pools emerged as a solution to that problem, allowing these entities to collectively self-insure
• their effectiveness... ...in the United States participate in at least one risk pool, demonstrating
• There are many organizations like NDIRF across the United States operating as governmental risk pools
• governance oversight, while executive compensation aligns with market benchmarks for similar risk pool

Summary: The committee was called to order, the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer were offered, and the minutes from the previous meeting were approved. Members then received a memo summarizing major audit items and began hearing audit presentations from the State Auditor’s Office and private auditors on a range of state agencies and organizations. Several audits were reported as clean, including the Bank of North Dakota, the North Dakota Guaranteed Student Loan Program, the Office of the Governor, the Office of the State Treasurer, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Transportation’s flexible transportation fund, Lake Region State College, and the Department of Environmental Quality. The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association also received an unmodified opinion, though repeat findings were noted for limited segregation of duties and financial statement preparation due to its small staff. The Council on the Arts audit found two findings: payroll charged to federal awards without adequate timekeeping records, and unallowable expenditures from a restricted cultural endowment fund. The Department of Public Instruction audit identified unsupported scholarship applications in the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, though additional testing showed the funds were used for their intended purpose. The most extensive discussion centered on the North Dakota Racing Commission audit, which identified four findings: overspending the promotion fund’s 25% operating limit, grant conditions not being met, improper Breeders Fund awards, and improper procurement for advertising services. Racing Commission director Bruce Johnson acknowledged complacency and weak controls, said the agency would tighten procedures, and explained that the commission had since worked with procurement and would follow the rules more closely. Auditors also explained that the commission would now be audited every two years because of the findings. Another major discussion involved the University of North Dakota School of Law, where auditors found a lack of documentation supporting admissions decisions for post-baccalaureate programs. UND officials said they remain in good standing with the American Bar Association but agreed better documentation and tools are needed; the committee pressed for more transparency and follow-up on admissions criteria. The committee also received an update on Dakota College at Bottineau, where Minot State University reported that bank reconciliations had been brought current after a significant backlog and would now be maintained through shared services. Members requested a written follow-up report on the issues and corrective actions. Finally, the North Dakota Fair Association explained that its foundation has been dissolved and remaining funds were transferred to another nonprofit for continued support of the state fair, and the Department of Public Instruction provided an update on school meal debt, saying the reported amount was about $1.1 million from a partial district survey and that debt remains a local issue, though it could be revisited if school meal funding changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• dwellings residential.
• The short-term rentals still benefit from the 3 residential Realtors is that we do maintain the residential
• properties and should remain residential properties.
• We've taken residential property that has been historically residential property.
• to non-residential.

Committee: Joint Economic & Rural Development & Policy Committee

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If a city or town allows a residential use in its downtown business district, such as residential over
• So if a city or town allows a residential use in their downtown business district, say you can have residential
• Those are districts where residential uses are allowed. Which one would govern?
• Those are districts where residential uses are allowed. Which one would govern?
• Now our campaign is... ...adequate for a building lot for single-family residential use.

Bills: H5009

Committee: Joint Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions

Keywords: collective bargaining, worker rights, labor relations, public counsel services, state employees

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on Initiative Petition 25-03, House Bill 5000, which would allow single-family homes on smaller lots in areas with public water and sewer service. The hearing began with committee members outlining the Article 48 initiative process and then hearing from two subject-matter experts. Under Secretary Chris Clutchman of Housing and Livable Communities explained how the proposal would amend Chapter 40A, noted that Boston would be excluded, and said municipalities would still be able to adopt reasonable regulations on setbacks, bulk, height, and short-term rentals. He also flagged unresolved implementation questions, including how to treat wetlands, infrastructure capacity, and pre-existing nonconforming situations. Attorney Susan Murphy said the measure would significantly alter local zoning, could create conflicts with existing zoning districts and Section 3A/MBTA Communities rules, and raised concerns about infrastructure capacity and the lack of any home-size or affordability limits. Supporters of the petition argued that Massachusetts faces a severe housing shortage and that large minimum lot sizes are a major barrier to building starter homes. Proponents said the measure would legalize single-family homes on lots as small as 5,000 square feet with 50 feet of frontage where public sewer and water are available, and they cited polling showing public support for lot-size reform. They said the proposal could produce thousands of additional homes per year, help young families and seniors, and expand housing choices in high-cost suburbs. Committee members pressed the proponents on how the measure would interact with affordability, home size, frontage requirements, 40B compliance, and whether the bill would actually produce starter homes rather than larger expensive houses. The Massachusetts Municipal Association testified in opposition, urging the committee to take no action. MMA representatives argued that zoning is fundamentally a local decision and that the proposal would preempt municipal authority with a one-size-fits-all mandate. They also said the bill is impractical because public water and sewer service does not guarantee available capacity, citing examples of communities facing water and wastewater limits and costly infrastructure upgrades. MMA further argued the measure lacks affordability requirements and could be counterproductive, and pointed to existing and pending state tools such as Chapter 40Y, 40R-related proposals, and other housing funding or zoning reforms as better approaches. No vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• STRs are operating businesses in established residential neighborhoods.
• ... ...and target short-term rentals for regulations that do not apply to similar residential uses of
• Those local ordinances provide reasonable, consistent restrictions for residential uses that protect
• It affirms that residential property remains residential property while preserving local authority to
• Residential area is doing great. It's quiet, it's peaceful. We don't have sidewalks.

Summary: The Senate Commerce Committee approved minutes from February 17 and February 19, 2026, then heard two competing short-term rental bills: Senate Bill 1263 and House Bill 583. SB 1263, sponsored by Sen. Harris, would limit local regulation of short-term rentals while allowing basic safety rules, emergency contact information, and certain fire/health standards; supporters said it balanced property rights and local control, while opponents argued it still imposed burdens, did not solve existing local overreach, or failed to address infrastructure and safety concerns. HB 583, carried by Sen. Lakey, would more broadly restrict local governments from singling out short-term rentals for special licensing, caps, occupancy-day limits, or other regulations beyond those applied to ordinary residences, while preserving general safety, nuisance, and building-code enforcement. Proponents framed it as a property-rights bill and a clarification of Idaho’s 2017 short-term rental law; opponents warned it would weaken local control, public safety, and community planning in resort areas. Testimony on both bills reflected the split between resort-city officials, fire/safety officials, and rental owners. Supporters of SB 1263, including representatives from resort cities, argued it was a reasonable middle ground that preserved local ability to contact owners and enforce safety rules. Opponents of SB 1263 said it would create instability, impose burdens, and still allow overreach. On HB 583, supporters emphasized equal treatment of short-term rentals as residential uses and said local governments were discriminating against owners; opponents, including some city officials and safety advocates, said the bill would prevent communities from addressing parking, occupancy, inspections, and other local concerns, and could increase emergency-response and life-safety risks. Several witnesses described local ordinances in places like McCall, Driggs, Bear Lake, Coeur d’Alene, and Lava Hot Springs, with some citing safety incidents and others citing overregulation. After debate, the committee first voted on SB 1263 and adopted a motion to hold it in committee by a 5-4 roll call vote. The committee then considered HB 583. A substitute motion to send HB 583 to the 14th order for possible amendment failed by a 7-2 vote, and the original motion to send HB 583 to the Senate floor with a do-pass recommendation then passed 8-1. The committee adjourned after sending HB 583 forward and holding SB 1263.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, in other words, on the personal lines market for residential policies, for example, those policies
• And then the last point I'll make is how many—will we have a pool of companies that will be able to be
• for example, if we have a condo owner in a building in Miami or any one of our districts, that residential

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Judge John Carlin, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a recognition of FSU Police Officer Cody Popple for his actions during the April campus shooting. The Speaker also outlined the final week of session, noting the House would focus on Senate bills and returning messages, and that the 2026-27 budget would not be completed by the end of the week. The chamber then adopted the special order calendar for the day. The House passed several technical and open-government bills, mostly on strong bipartisan votes. These included SB 100, SB 104, and SB 102 on the Florida Statutes and reviser changes; SB 7006, SB 7014, SB 7002, SB 7012, SB 7024, SB 7016, SB 7026, SB 7008, SB 7000, and SB 7004, which extended or preserved various public records or meeting exemptions involving the Public Service Commission, social media investigations, military affairs, highway safety investigations, cybersecurity, small business loan records, trade secrets, emergency shelter locations, and conviction integrity units. Members asked questions on several of these bills, especially about the scope and purpose of the exemptions, but the bills generally advanced with little opposition. The chamber also took up more substantive measures. SB 7040 recreated the emergency preparedness and response trust fund and drew extended debate over whether the fund had been misused for the Everglades detention facility; an Escamani amendment to let the fund expire failed, while a Griffiths amendment adding limits and oversight was adopted, and the bill ultimately passed 82-25. CS/CS/SB 302 on coastal resiliency passed unanimously after supporters highlighted nature-based shoreline protection and a Biscayne Bay provision. CS/CS/SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits passed after a House amendment aligned it with the House version. CS/SB 474 on military affairs passed unanimously after an amendment allowing local governments to extend Guard leave. SB 488 on the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles was debated extensively over vehicle registration requirements, license plate frames, and I-94 documentation, with amendments including one for disabled veterans and another on dealer allocation; the transcript cuts off before final disposition of that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, in other words, on the personal lines market for residential policies, for example, those policies
• And then the last point I'll make is how many—will we have a pool of companies that will be able to be
• for example, if we have a condo owner in a building in Miami or any one of our districts, that residential

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Lee County Judge John Carlin, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of FSU Police Officer Cody Popple for stopping the April campus shooter. The Speaker then outlined the final week of session, noting the House had passed 253 House bills and 149 Senate bills to date, but that the 2026-27 budget would not be completed this week. The chamber also adopted the Rules and Ethics Committee’s special order report for the day. The House took up several Senate bills on special order, largely technical or open-government measures, and passed them with little or no opposition. These included SB 100, SB 104, and SB 102 on the Florida Statutes and revisor’s changes; SB 7006, SB 7014, SB 7002, SB 7012, SB 7024, SB 7016, SB 7026, SB 7008, SB 7000, and SB 7004, which extended or preserved various public-records and meeting exemptions for matters such as Public Service Commission proprietary information, social media investigations, military affairs, highway safety records, cybersecurity, emergency shelter contact information, conviction integrity units, and trade secrets. Most passed overwhelmingly, though SB 7006 drew 99-8, SB 7022 on public records for exam integrity passed 101-8 after questions about testing materials and scoring rubrics, and SB 7026 on trade secrets passed 106-3. The most substantive floor debate centered on SB 7040, which recreates the emergency preparedness and response trust fund in the Executive Office of the Governor. Rep. Eskamani offered an amendment to let the fund expire, arguing the money had become a “slush fund” and had been used for the Everglades detention facility rather than emergencies; several members supported her on fiscal and separation-of-powers grounds, while others said the fund is needed for rapid disaster response. The House rejected Eskamani’s amendment and then adopted a Griffiths strike-all amendment adding accountability measures, including spending limits, quarterly reporting, asset tracking, and a sunset/review provision. SB 7040 then passed 82-25. The chamber also passed CS/CS SB 302 on coastal resiliency, CS/CS SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits, CS SB 474 on military affairs, and SB 488 on Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which prompted extended questions about vehicle registration requirements, license plate frames, and foreign passport/I-94 documentation; the bill was still under amendment and debate when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• So in other words, on the personal lines market for residential policies, for example, those policies
• And then the last point I'll make is, how many—will we have a pool of companies that will be able to
• for example, if we we have a condo owner in a building in Miami or any one of our districts, that residential

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• or town violated the prohibition on maliciously delaying licensing timeframes for single-family residential
• footprint of Bitcoin was 1.6 cubic kilometers, enough water to fill 660,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools
• And so my cell phone bill is not tied to my residential address out there.

Summary: The Senate met in multiple Committee of the Whole sessions and considered a large number of bills, many related to digital assets and cryptocurrency, including SB 1042, SB 1043, SB 1044, SB 1045, SB 1432, SCR 1003, SCR 1033, and SCR 1028. Members discussed whether the state should accept cryptocurrency for payments, tax or exempt virtual currency, ban central bank digital currency, and support digital assets in retirement systems. Senator Epstein repeatedly argued against the measures and tried to offer amendments targeting data center tax exemptions, but one such amendment was ruled not germane and the ruling was upheld on a division vote. The bills and resolutions in that group generally advanced with do-pass recommendations, with SB 1043 and SB 1044 amended before advancing. The Senate also advanced several bills on family law, public records, scholarship organizations, property conveyances, underground facilities, and environmental and energy issues, including SB 1039, SB 1139, SB 1147, SB 1148, SB 1328, SB 1078, SB 1142, SB 1184, SB 1254, SB 1278, SB 1281, SB 1418, SB 1445, and SB 1566. Some measures drew discussion and amendments: SB 1254 received a clarifying amendment for deeds handled by title and escrow professionals; SB 1278 had a floor amendment withdrawn; SB 1281 was amended by committee and floor changes; SB 1418 prompted questions about small modular reactors and concerns about uranium mining and health impacts; and SB 1566 was amended to address malicious delay enforcement and judicial review. Most of these bills received do-pass recommendations. In the health and human services calendar, the Senate advanced SB 1052, SB 1115, SB 1149, SB 1193, SB 1233, SB 1345, SB 1346, and SB 1631, with SB 1124 retained on the calendar. Debate centered on ACCESS and remote work, administrative deficiency cure periods, anonymous complaints, fee-for-service claims, and DCS-related hearings and investigations. Senator Gonzales opposed several ACCESS-related bills, arguing they lacked appropriations, could disrupt services, or conflicted with federal Medicaid law, while sponsors said the bills addressed agency performance and provider complaints. SB 1115, SB 1149, SB 1193, SB 1233, and SB 1345 were amended before receiving do-pass recommendations, and SB 1345’s sponsor said ACCESS was removed from the bill. The final calendar included regulatory and veterinary-related bills such as SB 1137, SB 1144, SB 1205, and SB 1286. SB 1205, dealing with motor vehicle booting fees, received a floor amendment requiring an appeals process for private parking lots. SB 1286, on veterinary telemedicine and prescriptions, drew the most extended debate, with a committee amendment and a Kavanagh floor amendment restoring a 14-day prescription extension and adding flea and tick treatment; Senator Leach opposed the floor amendment, describing prior stakeholder negotiations and changes in committee support. The transcript ends while that debate is still underway, after several bills have already been reported out with do-pass recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• She lives at the school and in the residential homes there.
• So there's plenty of paid parking that you can get, so people park in the residential areas and tramp
• Districts, because in NMAA, because we know some schools have a bigger pool, we should actually, they

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think the pool is strong. Very strong at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• So although that 2015 map shows it underneath residential buildings, there's a 450 foot buffer zone of
• So we have four extraction wells operating continuously that pump the groundwater in that residential

Committee: House Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• This report was about commercial-to-residential conversions.
• This report was about commercial to residential conversions.
• Okay, commercial to residential housing offers some unique advantages.
• Going from commercial to, in terms of the residential code versus the building code.
• building code and the residential code.

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee heard a series of work-session presentations focused on transit-oriented development, commercial-to-residential redevelopment, building code implementation, housing market trends, and the Covenant Homeownership Program. The first presentation, from the Urban Institute, reviewed research on HB 1491 and TOD feasibility, arguing that Washington has made major progress but faces diverging conditions across transit areas. The presenter said rising construction costs, higher interest rates, and lower rents in some markets have made many projects less feasible, and recommended targeted infrastructure funding for lower-market communities, adjustments to MFTE and affordability requirements by local market conditions, more support for very low-income housing in high-market transit areas, minimum density standards near stations, expanded public land/joint development tools, and better tracking of TOD outcomes over time. Committee members asked about AMI calculations, immigration’s effect on construction labor, developer input, and whether a tracking mechanism had been removed from the bill. The Department of Commerce then outlined implementation of HB 1491 and demonstrated the new Washington Zoning Atlas, which is live and intended to help visualize zoning, overlays, and station-area conditions. Commerce said local governments will designate station areas, update zoning and MFTE policies, and handle anti-displacement measures, with Vancouver and Spokane first to implement and Puget Sound following later. Staff described a timeline for updated MFTE guidance, station-area implementation guidance, a TOD model ordinance, and later rulemaking on variances. The committee also heard from the Lieutenant Governor’s office on a report about converting commercial properties to housing, which found substantial potential for redevelopment on vacant or underused commercial land, especially near transit, but noted barriers such as ground-floor retail mandates, affordability requirements, infrastructure costs, private covenants, and slow implementation. The office urged by-right residential use on commercial land and faster rollout of new housing laws. The State Building Code Council updated the committee on its three-year code cycle and several legislatively directed actions, including minimum dwelling size, emergency shelters, and especially single-exit stairs and multiplex housing. Council staff said those code changes are nearing completion and will provide prescriptive solutions, while noting that elevator size and requirements were not changed and would require separate legislative direction if the committee wanted to revisit them. Members discussed the cost impacts of building and energy codes and the council said it is required to consider economic impacts and is increasingly looking at performance-based approaches. Later, the Washington Center for Real Estate Research presented its annual housing report, showing that higher mortgage rates have sharply reduced affordability, flattened house prices in many cities, and slowed single-family permitting and completions, while multifamily construction has recently cooled after a prior surge. Finally, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission reported strong first-year results for the Covenant Homeownership Program, which provides zero-interest down payment assistance to eligible first-time buyers with family ties to Washington before 1968; the program assisted 547 homebuyers in its first fiscal year, with more than $60 million loaned, and the agency said participation has continued to grow after income-limit changes enacted in 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• homes mostly because it's, you know, residential care facilities.
• I'm here as a survivor of multiple youth residential treatment programs in Idaho.
• During my time in residential care, I spent multiple months at various placements.
• So oversight of residential care facilities, I thought it might include fraud.
• There's about 31 residential facilities that I could find.

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 723, which Representative Erickson said was developed in response to a state oversight report on children’s residential care and testimony about abuse and neglect in licensed youth treatment facilities. The bill would codify and strengthen oversight standards, require individualized service planning, create a youth bill of rights for residents and parents, and require critical incident reporting to parents or guardians within one business day. Erickson said the bill largely mirrors existing department rules, was drafted with the Department of Health and Welfare to avoid a fiscal note, and includes enforcement tools such as corrective action plans, sanctions, payment withholding, and law-enforcement referral for crimes. Several senators raised concerns about whether the bill was strong enough, whether unannounced inspections could raise Fourth Amendment issues, whether faith-based facilities would be affected, and whether the department would have too much discretion. Erickson responded that the inspections apply only to licensed facilities, not private homes, and that the bill is intended to improve transparency and oversight without changing existing rights or imposing new costs. Survivors and advocates testified in strong support, describing seclusion, restraints, forced medication, medical neglect, lack of private communication, humiliation, and retaliation in Idaho and out-of-state residential programs. They argued the bill would improve accountability, transparency, and safety for children and families. After testimony, the committee discussed the bill further. Some members said the bill was a meaningful step but wanted stronger consequences, while others noted the seriousness of the abuse described and the need for oversight of Medicaid-funded facilities. Senator Wintrow moved to send H723 to the floor with a do pass recommendation, and the motion passed by voice vote. The committee then received a presentation from Teligen on its role as Idaho Medicaid’s quality improvement organization. Nancy Johnson explained that Teligen handles prior authorization, quality oversight, fraud and abuse reporting, and a small case management program for complex Medicaid participants. She said the case management team of five Idaho-based nurses reached out to just over 1,000 participants in 2025, fully engaged 160, and reported about $850,000 in cost savings through reduced readmissions and better care coordination. Members asked about contract costs, staffing, the scope of services, and how suspected fraud is reported to the Medicaid program integrity unit. The committee adjourned after the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• homes mostly because it's, you know, residential care facilities.
• I'm here as a survivor of multiple youth residential treatment programs in Idaho.
• During my time in residential care, I spent multiple months at various placements.
• So oversight of residential care facilities, I thought it might include fraud.
• There's about 31 residential facilities that I could find.

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• STRs are operating businesses in established residential neighborhoods.
• Those local ordinances provide reasonable, consistent restrictions for residential uses that protect
• It affirms that residential property remains residential property while preserving local authority to
• Residential area is doing great. It's quiet, it's peaceful. We don't have sidewalks.
• If we don't have some kind of barrier, the entire residential area will become 50% short-term rentals

Committee: Senate Commerce and Human Resources

Keywords: 989, all