Transcript Highlights:

• As we do so, we must also ensure that they have the support and resources ready to succeed.
• And you may proceed when ready. Thank you. Do you hear me? Good afternoon.
• And feel free to introduce yourselves and proceed when ready. All right, good afternoon.
• We need a bigger workforce. We need broadly more and more efforts in the health care sector.
• . young people are asking to serve in these roles, meeting a more diverse workforce.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In all actuality, we are getting ahead of it; we are still behind, but they are shovel-ready and in the
• She was ready to imagine something differently and see the world from a different place.
• So, are you ready? Okay, please, go ahead, Austin. And just, everybody, please introduce yourself.
• For instance, things like workforce training and education have many of the bigger fiscal impacts from
• reducing the size of the workforce to cut costs. costs, and relocation of resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• When you're ready. Appreciate that, as another Bruin.
• Whenever you're ready. Mr. Chair, my name is Mark Chitillo.
• Whenever you're ready, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chair and members.
• Whenever you're ready, sir. Whenever you're ready, sir. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr.
• We have the best workforce in the country to develop geothermal.

Summary: The committee heard several climate, environmental, and housing bills. AB 1425, dealing with pit dewatering near the San Joaquin River Parkway, drew extensive testimony. The author and supporters argued the bill was needed to protect the river, groundwater, floodplain conditions, tribal and cultural resources, and public access from a proposed mining project near the river. Opponents, including Cemex, labor representatives, and industry groups, said the bill would bypass the CEQA process before it was complete, threaten jobs, and create uncertainty for an existing operation. Members questioned both sides about hydrology, blasting, dewatering, and the adequacy of the ongoing environmental review. The bill was moved, but several members expressed concern about preempting CEQA and some did not vote or voted no. AB 881, which would allow California to move forward with carbon capture and sequestration pipelines, was presented as a way to advance state climate goals and capture federal funding. Supporters, including SMUD, labor, and industry groups, said the bill would help deploy carbon capture safely and preserve jobs. Environmental justice opponents supported stronger safety direction and warned that CO2 pipelines pose serious risks and that the state should not move ahead without clearer standards. The bill received a due-pass recommendation to Appropriations. AB 1207, on the cap-and-trade allowance price ceiling and the social cost of carbon, was presented as a science-based update to California’s climate policy. The author and EDF said the bill would keep the program aligned with current economic and climate data and protect it from federal political interference. It received broad support and a due-pass recommendation. AB 1106, creating a coordinated network of air quality incident response centers, was also approved after testimony about wildfire smoke, toxic emissions, and the need for better real-time monitoring during disasters. AB 28, the Landfill Fire Safety Act, focused on the Chiquita Canyon landfill fire and related health impacts in Castaic and Val Verde; residents described serious illnesses and contamination concerns, while landfill and county representatives warned about costs and asked for more study. The committee nonetheless advanced the bill with a due-pass recommendation. The committee also heard AB 357, which would speed Coastal Commission review of student and faculty housing projects, with supporters citing student homelessness and opponents urging caution but acknowledging the need for more housing; the bill was presented and discussed, with the committee emphasizing the need to balance housing production and coastal oversight.

Transcript Highlights:

• Director, when you are ready, go ahead and proceed, and you'll have about 20 minutes.
• Representative Schmec, I say that you have your hand up when you're ready.
• Fortenberry, when you're ready, go ahead and proceed. Okay.
• Go ahead and proceed when you're ready. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• So when you're ready, go ahead and proceed.

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held an interim work session focused on Washington agriculture’s viability, workforce, and competitiveness. Director Derek Sanderson of the Washington State Department of Agriculture and WSU Dean Raj Kosla described the size and diversity of the state’s farm sector, declining farm numbers, major export markets, and pressures from labor costs, low commodity prices, trade barriers, drought, regulatory burdens, and pests and disease. Kosla emphasized WSU’s land-grant role in education, research, and extension, including precision agriculture, broadband needs in rural areas, and the need for state support to help producers adopt new technologies and train the next generation of agricultural workers. Members asked about retaining farmland, increasing workforce capacity, and the role of precision agriculture. Kosla said precision agriculture can help address labor shortages and water scarcity, but adoption is limited by cost and rural broadband gaps. He explained precision agriculture as tailoring inputs to the right place, time, amount, and manner, and said WSU is working on low-cost sensor technologies and other innovations. Members also asked about how widely precision agriculture is used and whether it improves farm bottom lines; Kosla said adoption varies by tool and that he would follow up with more data. The committee then heard from Dr. Randy Fortenberry of WSU’s Impact Center on an agricultural competitiveness study and the effects of tariffs and trade. He reported that Washington’s competitiveness has generally declined relative to peer states in dairy, grapes, hops, apples, and wheat, with potatoes as the main bright spot. Surveyed producers said a substantial share of revenue is tied to regulatory compliance, with labor-related costs a major driver, and small diversified farms reported land access, capital, and profitability as bigger barriers than regulation. On trade, Fortenberry said Washington agriculture is highly export-dependent and vulnerable to retaliation, citing past losses in wheat, apples, pulses, and cherries when tariffs disrupted markets, while noting current uncertainty around China and India. The committee asked follow-up questions about compliance time, peer-state comparisons, and regulatory burdens; no votes were taken, and the department said it plans an interim report by the end of the year and a final report by June 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• and a framework to ready the workforce to be able to receive this type of training, to implement these
• ready, and to be able to establish and develop clinical trials.
• So we end up training everybody, so we develop their workforce, and they become good.
• existing requirement of Workforce existing requirement of Workforce Development<03:12:05.600>
• doing within dbed and our Workforce doing within dbed and our Workforce Development<03:12:39.840

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• .<00:40:07.599> Something<00:40:07.839> our<00:40:08.160> state workforce.
• Something our state workforce. Something our state desperately<00:40:09.119> needs.
• Bill proponents stand ready to work with DHS if they come forward with further technical assistance.
• Across both county-operated and contracted models, the system is under significant workforce strain.
• system is under significant workforce system is under significant workforce strain.<01:15:31.679

Bills: HF3738, HF2295, HF3520, HF3666

Keywords: pediatric care, hospital discharge, home care, healthcare accessibility, nursing services, family support, mental health, crisis services, Dakota County, mobile crisis response, public safety, treatment services, rehabilitation, behavioral health fund, client eligibility, home and community-based services, case management, waiver services, county services, disability advocacy

Transcript Highlights:

• And when person's ready, they're ready.
• . 30% of our workforce is on workforce. 30% of our workforce is on the<05:18:47.680> other<05:
• a a workforce shortage. a a workforce shortage.
• oldest workforces in this nation. oldest workforces in this nation.
• lot of our employment workforce. lot of our employment workforce.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs heard HB 1790-FN, which would address involuntary admissions for certain individuals with a substance use disorder. Representative Lucy Weber introduced the bill for Representative Long, and the committee heard extensive testimony both in support of and in opposition to the proposal. Opponents, including John Burns of SOS Recovery and Jake Barry of New Futures, argued that involuntary commitment is not well supported by research, can retraumatize people, may increase overdose risk after release, and could undermine New Hampshire’s existing recovery and harm-reduction efforts. They emphasized that treatment should be voluntary, trauma-informed, and paired with housing, recovery supports, and other community-based services. Representative Long said he was willing to accept DHHS’s request to amend the bill into a study commission, though he expressed concern that a prior state study had not led to action. He said the commission should focus on implementation details, including where people would be placed, staffing, withdrawal management, elopement prevention, length of commitment, and aftercare. He described involuntary commitment as one tool for people with severe dangerous addictions, distinct from drug court, and said it could help avoid criminal records. Committee members asked about capacity at New Hampshire Hospital and how the proposal would work in practice. DHHS officials Katya Fox and Cynthia Pabonis testified that the bill raises major policy and fiscal concerns. They said New Hampshire’s current system has benefited from investments in naloxone, medication-assisted treatment, recovery centers, and community-based services, and that those investments have helped reduce overdose deaths. They estimated the bill would require a new 70-bed facility costing about $40 million to build and about $33.3 million annually to operate, with only a small portion offset by insurance, plus more than $600,000 in annual legal costs and additional staffing and system changes. They also said New Hampshire Hospital has 185 beds, with about 100 patients typically ready for less restrictive settings, and that housing shortages are a major bottleneck. NAMI New Hampshire also testified in opposition, saying families often want any possible treatment for loved ones but still opposed the bill. No vote or final action was taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• They talk about things like land price, grid reliability, water resources, workforce, and taxes, and
• They talk about things like land price, grid reliability, water resources, workforce, and taxes, and
• We also have talented and well-trained union workforce here who are known for delivering high-quality
• um which just certainly meets Workforce um which just certainly meets that<01:05:06.680> criteria
• They are ready to go, but we can't sell anything without having that equipment, whether on display or

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They look at the general stuff like transportation, water quality, and disaster readiness.
• And while those things general stuff like transportation, water quality, and disaster readiness.
• least, we're going to go to tab number one: Senate Bill 936 on a statewide study on automation and workforce
• SB 936 is a study that requires the Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic Research at the Department
• Commerce to perform a statewide study on the effects of automation, robotics, and AI on the state's workforce

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development heard three bills after temporarily postponing SB 1524. The committee first took up CS for SB 1264, a broad economic development bill covering law enforcement recruitment bonuses, venture capital tax credits, data center tax exemptions, military land transfers, Space Florida procurement exemptions, and changes to regional planning councils. An amendment was adopted to remove sections tied to emergency management shelter plans so the bill would align with another measure. The main debate centered on the proposal to repeal regional planning council statutes; supporters argued the councils are duplicative and bureaucratic, while opponents said they provide valuable regional coordination, technical assistance, and grant support, especially for rural communities. The bill was reported favorably 13-1, with Senator Sharif voting no. The committee then considered CS for SB 1348, which streamlines motor vehicle services by expanding the role of tax collectors as DHSMV agents. Three amendments were adopted: one making the scalping of driver and motor vehicle appointment slots a misdemeanor, one increasing penalties for texting while driving and requiring a new distracted-driving course to remove points, and one allowing veterans with DV plates to use a sticker instead of a stencil or imprint. The bill received supportive testimony from tax collectors and law enforcement-related groups and was reported favorably without opposition. Finally, the committee heard SB 936, which directs the Department of Commerce’s workforce research bureau to conduct a recurring statewide study every three years on the effects of automation, robotics, and AI on Florida’s workforce. The sponsor said the study would have minimal fiscal impact and would help guide policy recommendations. With no opposition or debate, the bill was reported favorably. The committee then adjourned after brief closing remarks thanking staff and members.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Plutonium Workforce Development Initiative, which focuses on workforce development in New
• It's a workforce development issue and something we're getting more into.
• work on workforce development.
• And we're doing so many great things with NMSU for the workforce around pit production.
• It's disappointing, but I would stand ready to help in any way we can. Kenny for governor.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we need that green workforce to be able to get to that next stage.
• Representative, whenever you're ready. Good morning, Mr. Chair and members.
• You ready? Are we good now? Okay.
• Whenever you're ready. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• Whenever you're ready, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're ready. Whoever wants to start us off, Secretary, are you starting us? Yes. Thank you, Mr.
• Chair, I think we're ready. All right.
• healthcare authority, early childhood development, aging, and long-term services department. of Workforce
• Aging and long-term services has a larger percentage increase, but the rest of the workforce solutions
• all the way Through high school and into college, particularly low-income kids are showing up more ready

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for retraining and reskilling, including through extension and certification programs, and standing ready
• So we should stand ready to provide temporary assistance to farmers who need to transition to other crops
• There's a perception that when you're looking at workforce, the issues that matter, where we're going
• There's a perception that when you're looking at workforce, the issues that matter, where we're going
• SCORE, the Workforce Development Board, and the Chambers of Commerce are critical lifelines for small

Summary: The committee held an information hearing on California’s economy and household affordability, with the first panel focusing on inflation, housing, energy, wages, and the likely effects of new federal tariff policy. PPIC’s Sarah Bone said Californians remain deeply pessimistic about the economy, with inflation the main driver of concern; she noted prices are still about 23% higher than in January 2020, with especially large increases in food, energy, and housing costs. LAO’s Brian Euler emphasized that housing is the largest household expense and pointed to insurance, electricity, gasoline, and health care as other major cost pressures, urging the Legislature to review whether existing policies are actually reducing costs and to consider studies of why recent housing laws have not produced more units. UC Davis economist Catherine Russ warned that tariffs on China, Canada, Mexico, and potentially broader imports could raise consumer prices, disrupt supply chains, and hurt California exporters, farmers, and small businesses; she suggested monitoring prices, strengthening food assistance, and preparing transition support for affected workers and producers. Members pressed the panelists for concrete, near-term policy ideas, especially on housing and tariffs. Questions centered on whether accessory dwelling units are making a meaningful dent in affordability, how to improve implementation of pro-housing laws at the local level, and how to measure the impact of tariffs on consumers, health care, and agriculture. Panelists said ADUs help but are limited, that state laws can be undermined by local implementation and litigation, and that tariff effects may show up quickly in prices and later in hiring and investment. Several members stressed that the tariff issue is not a minor disruption for constituents and asked for more data on consumer impacts, food aid needs, and crop-specific farm losses. The second panel shifted to regional economic development and small business support. Go-Biz’s Derek Kirk described California Jobs First and the state economic blueprint as a first-in-decades, regionally informed strategy to create good-paying jobs, support key sectors, and align workforce and business development across 13 regions. The California Association for Local Economic Development’s Gerbach Sahota argued that local governments need practical tools, stable policy, and stronger partnerships with the state, while warning that prosperity is not always perceived as shared and that rural communities can be left behind. He urged the Legislature to use hearings, local input, and existing funding streams more effectively, including for recovery and infrastructure. David Fitzgerald of the Small Business Development Centers said California’s SBDC network serves hundreds of thousands of clients, many of them women and historically underrepresented entrepreneurs, and has generated billions in economic impact, capital access, revenue, and jobs. He said the biggest gaps are outreach to the state’s many self-employed businesses with no employees, better labor data on those workers, and more flexible support for direct services. Committee members then asked what small businesses need most in the face of inflation and tariff shocks, including lower licensing costs and other relief, and the discussion continued on how to better target state support to businesses and households under pressure.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 549 by Representative Burrell provides relative to workforce development, create the Bayou
• House Bill 549 by Representative Burrell, provides relative to workforce development, create the Bayou
• Growth Opportunity Workforce Program, provided relative to the fund, program awards, annual reporting
• The fastest way to grow our workforce is to invest in the people we already have.
• “Four years for them to prepare, to get staffing ready, to get the business ready.

Bills: HR192, HR193, HR194, HCR80, HCR81, HCR82, HCR83, HCR84, HCR85, HR188, HR189, HR190, HR191, SB134, SB140, SB281, SB331, SB384, SB389, SB415, SB451, SB458, SB479, SB504, SB523, HR38, HR96, HR160, HCR31, HCR61, SCR19, HB316, HB549, HB578, HB646, HB748, HB798, HB824, HB988, HB989, HB1001, HB1032, HB1081, HB1108, HB1129, HB1140, HB1157, HB1186, HB1192, HB1195, HB1198, HB1222, HB1244, SB73, SB89, SB128, SB149, SB191, SB196, SB238, SB318, SB340, HB225, HR1, HR17, HCR5, HCR4, HCR47, HCR32, HB362, HB893, HB990, HB1007, HB1153, HB1243, HB12, HB42, HB205, HB222, HB267, HB324, HB325, HB350, HB478, HB610, HB617, HB745, HB749, HB752, HB797, HB807, HB821, HB896, HB979, HB992, HB1000, HB1024, HB1050, HB1166, HB1172, HB1173, HB1207, HB1218, HB1223, SB162, SB349, SB350, SB382, SB383, SB127, SB244, SB256, HB911, HB306, HB366, HB1161, HB1230, HB59, HB481, HB772, HB897, HB1003, HB1008, HB1112, HB1180, HB1189, HB181, HB1118, HB901, HR20, HR74, HB284, HB393, HB458, HB459, HB525, HB577, HB582, HB605, HB614, HB682, HB733, HB773, HB864, HB996, HB1035, HB1058, HB1082, HB1113, HB1234, HB1240

Keywords: ACOG, maternal health, healthcare professionals, patient-physician relationship, obstetrics, gynecology, condolences, military service, veteran, community, memorial, visual acuity, student health, de-identified data, longitudinal analysis, education policy, property rights, carbon dioxide sequestration, expropriation, Landowner Bill of Rights

Transcript Highlights:

• And so our greatest natural resource is people, and it's our skilled workforce.
• As part of our skilled workforce, we need to make sure that we're not leaving anybody behind, and it's
• Ensuring that people with disabilities can fully participate in our workforce has long been a priority
• In response to a request from the House Education and Workforce Committee, the GAO reviewed employment
• and job training programs authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities held its quarterly virtual/in-person meeting and approved the December minutes. The chair announced plans for the next “Meeting the Moment” community forum in Lowell on March 27, in partnership with MassAbility, focused on digital accessibility, education-to-employment transition, workforce supports, long-term services and supports, and health equity, along with a resource fair. The commission also began planning for its October National Disability Employment Awareness Month event and sought volunteers for a small planning group. The meeting featured an update from the Attorney General’s office on federal litigation affecting Massachusetts, including challenges to federal actions on higher education diversity data collection and DEI-related funding conditions, immigration/TPS for Haitians, NIH research grant disruptions, and the nonrenewal of mental health services grants for schools. The presenter said the state has helped protect more than $3 billion in federal funding and noted ongoing or pending appeals in several cases. Commissioners asked about possible impacts on disability-related DEI work and Medicaid; the AG’s office said guidance on DEIA/employment initiatives is available and that the state is closely monitoring federal Medicaid communications and coordinating with the governor’s office. Undersecretary of Labor Josh Cutler and apprenticeship liaison Amara Riemann presented on registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, emphasizing paid, employer-driven pathways with classroom instruction and wage progression. They highlighted growth in nontraditional fields such as human services, IT, early education, biotech, and banking, and described Bridgewater State University’s Excel program for neurodivergent people and people with disabilities as a model that can lead from pre-apprenticeship to apprenticeship. Commissioners discussed expanding similar models through community colleges and disability-focused workforce pipelines. Subcommittee reports covered disability employment, long-term services and supports, and health equity. The employment subcommittee heard from CED on state disability employment initiatives and planned future presentations from the Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment and Veterans Affairs. The long-term services and supports subcommittee discussed MassHealth budget pressures, anticipated federal Medicaid changes, the personal care attendant working group, and an upcoming discussion on crisis standards of care. In commissioner announcements, members highlighted recent honors for several commissioners, updates on municipal digital accessibility grants, a June Medicaid summit, and other commission activities. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ready for me to begin, Chair? Whenever you're ready. Thank you.
• Whenever you're ready, you can go ahead, and whenever your witnesses are ready.
• Senator Papan, are you ready to represent?
• Whenever you're ready, Senator. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
• Whenever you're ready, Senator. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on domestic violence protections, pay equity enforcement, Jewish demographic data collection, court transparency, auto glass insurance practices, pet policy disclosure for renters, and civil rights accountability for federal officers. SB 99 would require courts and law enforcement to better recognize military protective orders in domestic violence cases; supporters from the Department of Defense and military organizations said it would close jurisdictional gaps for military families, and the bill passed to Public Safety. SB 1237 would increase penalties for repeat noncompliance with California pay data reporting laws; supporters said stronger enforcement is needed to address persistent wage gaps, and the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1387 would allow Jewish identity to be reported as an ethnic category in state demographic data; supporters said better data would improve policy and anti-discrimination efforts, while opponents argued the bill was unnecessary or divisive, and it passed to Privacy. SB 932 would require assignees filing civil actions to identify the original party in the case caption; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, and it passed to Judiciary/Appropriations on call. The committee also took up SB 98, which would regulate auto glass insurance claims by restricting assignment of benefits, requiring clearer estimates and invoices, and limiting inducements to consumers. The sponsor and NICB said the bill would curb fraud and unsafe repairs, while independent glass shops and industry groups argued it could reduce consumer choice and favor insurer-aligned networks; the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1296 would require landlords to disclose pet policies before collecting application fees and provide refunds if nondisclosure materially affected an applicant’s decision; supporters said it would save renters time and money, while rental housing representatives objected to a provision limiting eviction based solely on failure to sign a pet addendum. The bill passed to Appropriations. Finally, SB 747, the No Kings Act, would create a California cause of action allowing people to sue federal officers for constitutional violations using standards similar to Section 1983. Senator Wiener and a witness who said he was unlawfully detained by Border Patrol argued the bill is needed because federal officers currently lack comparable accountability after the Supreme Court narrowed Bivens remedies. Law enforcement groups opposed the bill, warning that the qualified immunity language is unclear, could create a separate California standard, and might expose officers and governments to retroactive litigation; members discussed possible amendments on qualified immunity and retroactivity, and the bill was moved forward with an urgency amendment while negotiations continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, whenever you are ready to start, go ahead. Thank you very much Mr.
• And, uh, whenever, uh, whenever the witnesses are ready.
• You know, again, I am open and ready for good faith negotiations.
• Whenever you're ready. I'll send a computer science professor.
• Whenever you're ready. Thank you. Good afternoon.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'll get to that in just a moment whenever you're ready.
• You ready? Yeah. All right, Senator Berghmans, go ahead.
• We've got a microphone ready for you.
• You're ready to go.
• Right now, it's hearing them and making sure that they're ready to go and ready for consideration.

Bills: SB36, SB88, SB92, SB97, SB48, SB55, SB58, SB76, SB93, SB89, SB60

Keywords: quantum technology, tax credit, infrastructure, economic development, New Mexico, corporate tax, research and development, innovation, foster care, income tax, guardianship, youth services, financial relief, affordable housing, gross receipts tax, tax deduction, construction materials, multifamily housing, low income, tax credits

Transcript Highlights:

• MMI consistently ranks among the top institutions in academic rigor and college readiness.
• Kick it off whenever you're ready. 805 again, members. We're getting the packet now.
• We'll dive in, all ready to do our workshop session. Then, okay. Uh, thank you, uh, Mr.
• We used to call it shovel-ready or on the shelf and ready to go and engineered and everything else.
• We'll have an even flow of planned projects and ready-to-construct projects.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:33.519> This<00:10:33.839> amendment that it is ready to go.
• This amendment that it is ready to go.
• being made by the nursing home workforce being made by the nursing home workforce standards<00:21
• nursing home workforce standard board. nursing home workforce standard board.
• We want them to continue to work in the nursing home in the face of workforce shortage.

Keywords: 1183, house