Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here to testify today in support of SB 6253.
• I'm here to testify in support of Senate Bill 6253.
• I'm here today to testify in support of SB 6253.
• We're still in great need of mental health support.
• But again, bottom line, we support the policy goal.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held public hearings on several bills. Substitute Senate Bill 6066 would authorize counties, cities, towns, and WSDOT to designate crash prevention zones on roads with repeated serious or fatal collisions, require public hearings and engineering/traffic studies, increase enforcement, add a $73 penalty for certain infractions in signed zones, and dedicate those funds to zone-related safety work. The prime sponsor and Pasco officials cited repeated crashes on U.S. 395 and U.S. 12; supporters said the bill would help address dangerous corridors, while one member of the public argued it was unnecessary and duplicative. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6253, which would make labor-recommended seats on public transportation benefit area boards voting members while limiting participation in executive sessions on labor and personnel matters. Labor representatives and transit workers supported the change as giving frontline employees a meaningful voice, while Washington Policy Center opposed it, warning of conflicts of interest and reduced accountability. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6311, which would require continuous, accessible pedestrian passage during certain construction projects near hospitals, parks, and school zones, authorize inspections and stop-work orders, and direct WSDOT to adopt rules for reroutes and detours. Cities and counties said they support the safety goal but want more flexibility and less risk of added cost or liability; disability and transit advocates strongly supported the bill. Senate Bill 6262 would raise the transportation benefit district vehicle-fee exemption from 6,000 pounds to 9,000 pounds for certain trucks, allowing local districts to charge heavier vehicles a flat fee; Spokane, Spokane Valley, Port Orchard, and AWC supported it as a fairness and pavement-preservation measure, while several members of the public opposed it as another tax increase. Finally, Senate Bill 6335 would narrow and revise the statutory responsibilities of the State Transportation Commission, removing some planning and outreach duties while retaining toll, ferry fare, and other functions. Local governments, ports, and commission members opposed the bill, arguing the commission provides independent statewide planning, public input, and coordination; the sponsor said the goal was to eliminate duplication and focus the commission’s role. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after the hearings.

Transcript Highlights:

• He said those are the big three items going on right now and thanked the committee for its support and
• Thank you for support<00:13:05.279><c> and</c><00:13:05.519><c> thank</c><00:13:05.680><c> you</c><00
• :13:05.760><c> for</c><00:13:05.920><c> the</c><00:13:06.079><c> time</c> support and thank you for the
• time support and thank you for the time today,<00:13:06.560><c> sir.
• </c><00:15:41.519><c> those</c> DOC to use technology to disable those DOC to use technology to disable

Bills: HB33 , HB35 , HB274 , HB56 , HB287 , SB229 , SB201 , SB216 , HB33 , HB35 , HB274 , HB56 , HB287 , SB229 , SB201 , SB216

Committee: Senate Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• I support the amendment and encourage the body to do so as well.
• I support the bill. I encourage the body to support the amendment as well.
• Here to speak in support of the bill.
• I still support the bill. We could call it anything, really.
• So I encourage the body to support the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there anyone in the room who wants to add on support? Name and affiliation. Support.
• We're pleased to support SB 582.
• Yes, Amber King with LeadingAge California in support.
• Amber King with LeadingAge California in support.
• Julia Terry with Child Care Resource Center in support.

Summary: The Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee met on June 24 with a substitute chair presiding and considered three measures. SB 352 by Senator Reyes was placed on the consent calendar and approved unanimously, 7-0, to be re-referred to the Committee on Emergency Management. SB 433 by Senator Wahab, presented on behalf of Senator Stern, was heard next and focused on room-and-board protections for participants in the assisted living waiver and CalAIM assisted living transition community support programs. Supporters, including Justice in Aging, CANHR, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, the California Commission on Aging, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, argued the bill would prevent low-income Medi-Cal residents from being charged unaffordable rates and losing their housing. Opponents, including the California Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge California, and Six B’s, said they remained concerned about the bill’s rent-control implications and statutory scope, though they acknowledged recent amendments addressed some eligibility issues. After committee discussion, SB 433 was approved 5-1 with one abstention and re-referred to the Committee on Human Services. The committee also heard SB 582 by Senator Stern, presented by Senator Wahab, which would allow state departments to issue disaster suspensions of active licenses for facilities rendered inoperable by declared emergencies, waive some licensing fees, and provide temporary flexibility for community-based adult services, child care, and evacuation planning requirements for skilled nursing and residential care facilities. Support came from the California Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge California, the California Commission on Aging, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, CANHR, and a child care resource center, all describing the bill as helpful for rebuilding and continuity of services after disasters. There was no recorded opposition, and SB 582 passed unanimously, 7-0, to the Committee on Health. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I totally support that.
• support that ecosystem.
• supporting their academic researchers?
• This division is helping support them with technical support and grants to help them bring those small
• The executive is supporting an increase, supporting that recommendation, and the LFC is supporting it

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> without additional general fund support without additional general fund support both<00:16:24.360
• and whether the a uh for the disabled and whether the a big<00:22:16.080><c> part</c><00:22:16.400><
• Given the serious changes in the cuts to the state agencies, the minority cannot support House Bill 2
• Any budget there is going to have provisions the minority supports, particularly with respect to the
• disabilities and the Community<00:31:55.919><c> Mental</c><00:31:56.240><c> Health</c><00:31:56.519>

Summary: The House Finance Committee met for final approval of HB 1 and HB 2, with legislative budget staff Michael Kain reviewing the final amendment documents and surplus statements. Kain explained that HB 1474H and HB 1484H incorporated the committee’s prior votes and the Governor’s recommended sections, and he walked through the budget math for the general fund, education trust fund, Highway Fund, and Fish and Game Fund. He said the committee’s proposal remained balanced overall, though the current-year general fund showed a projected deficit that HB 2 would address by allowing a possible rainy day fund transfer if needed. He also noted that the committee’s revenue estimates were below the Governor’s, requiring reductions and adjustments to appropriations and lapse assumptions. Members discussed the rainy day fund provisions, including a section in HB 2 that suspends existing restrictions so a transfer can be made if the deficit materializes. Kain said the committee’s approach differed from the Governor’s because the state was not below the overall revenue plan, and the fiscal committee would retain a role in determining any transfer. He also summarized that the Highway Fund would end with about a $13 million balance and Fish and Game with about $3 million, both without additional general fund support. The committee then adopted two amendments to HB 2 unanimously: Amendment 1473H, a technical cleanup to the Group 2 retirement seven-year rule, and Amendment 1482H, a technical correction to the recreational services language. Amendment 1484H, which incorporated those changes into HB 2, was adopted on a 14-1 vote after minority members objected to the bill’s broader cuts and policy changes, including reductions to state agencies, health and human services, and education-related provisions. The committee also adopted Amendment 1474H to HB 1A on a 14-1 vote after similar debate over budget reductions, vacancies, university funding, and school spending limits. Finally, the committee voted 14-1 to report HB 1A and HB 2 as amended as ought to pass, with the minority voting no and the committee planning a full House presentation the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• I ask for your favorable support.
• So thank you for your support.
• I see your husband here supporting you, your family supporting you.
• He came to support the bill.
• With that, I ask for your favorable support. With that, I ask for your favorable support.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and heard several introductions and announcements before moving to a long special-order calendar. Early bills passed included a trust law measure allowing a nonjudicial process for trustee settlement and discharge, a military affairs bill expanding leave protections and retirement eligibility for certain Guard and Coast Guard-related public employees, a penny-rounding bill for cash transactions, a podiatric medicine bill restricting certain cellular/tissue-based products and adding notice and consent requirements, a veterans’ courts bill expanding access to those courts statewide, an RV assessment clarification bill, a military-installation jurisdiction bill giving juveniles on bases access to state juvenile justice resources, an alcohol-tax deduction bill restoring DBPR’s authority to allow deductions for unsellable alcohol, a bail bonds bill revising training, fees, remission timing, and electronic procedures, an eyewear insurance bill updating definitions for modern products, a nursing education fund bill expanding support to health science programs, a recovery residences bill streamlining regulation and background-check rules, a felony battery bill adding resisting an officer with violence as a qualifying prior offense, a child welfare bill extending visitor definitions, making the Step Into Success program permanent, and creating a best-practices repository, and a candidate qualification bill tightening party-affiliation requirements and, via the House version, adding a name-change disclosure provision. Most of these bills were substituted with House companions where applicable and passed on near-unanimous votes, with one recorded dissent on the bail bonds bill. Several measures drew brief debate or explanation. Senator Wright’s military affairs bill was amended to restore two Florida National Guard special project officer positions to retirement eligibility, and Senator Gates’ veterans’ courts bill was described as a way to better address PTSD, brain injury, and substance-abuse-related offenses through problem-solving courts. Senator Trunow’s bail bonds bill prompted questions about charitable bail bonds, with the sponsor saying the current statute would remain in place and that further discussion could occur later. Senator Massullo’s podiatric medicine bill was framed as a bipartisan patient-protection measure, and Senator Leak’s felony battery bill was presented as closing a loophole that allowed repeat violent offenders to avoid enhancement. The chamber also took up a candidate qualification bill that would create an enforceable party-affiliation requirement and, in the House version, restrict recent petition-based name changes for candidates. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to a farewell ceremony for Senator Lori Berman, with family, staff, former colleagues, and guests in attendance. Senators from both parties offered extended remarks praising her leadership, collegiality, policy work, and advocacy on issues including voting rights, women’s rights, Israel and antisemitism, school safety, breast cancer, Everglades restoration, and other constituent services. Berman’s own remarks reflected on her 16 years in the Legislature, her family, and her belief in dignity, respect, and practical problem-solving. The Senate then adopted a motion to spread her remarks upon the journal and recessed before returning to continue the calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• I ask for your support. Further remarks?
• Ask for your support. Further remarks?
• I urge your support. Further remarks?
• I ask for support. Further remarks?
• So I would urge support.

Summary: The Rules Committee considered a long series of House bills and substitute House bills, moving nearly all of them from the white sheet to the floor calendar. Topics included health care transaction notice requirements (HB 2548), waste-to-energy compliance and utility rates (HB 2416), language access for state programs (HB 2475), repeal and transition away from the Community Protection Program for developmental disabilities services (HB 1390), nursing regulation and ARNP standards (HB 2339), lump-sum payment increases for small monthly payments (HB 2124), roadway fatality risk data collection by the Traffic Safety Commission (HB 2192), statewide low-income energy assistance (HB 1903), local government tax resources and flexibility (HB 2442), permanent property tax exemption for multipurpose senior citizen centers (HB 2133), retirement benefit bargaining for Department of Corrections employees (HB 1069), collective bargaining rights for non-academic employees at Western Washington University (HB 1570), medically tailored meals in Medicaid (HB 2211), aviation funding for wildland fire response (HB 2104), port worker retirement and wage/benefit authority (HB 2179), overdose data sharing (HB 2168), real estate transaction exemptions for public-benefit acquisitions by public entities, tribes, and conservation groups (HB 2624), security measures for legislators and other elected officials (HB 2333), voter registration challenge procedures (HB 1916), limits on restraint and isolation in schools (HB 1795), jail search policies for transgender and intersex individuals (HB 1604), Attorney General investigators for wage theft and fraud (HB 2156), Transportation Improvement Board updates (HB 1823), tax treatment for land transferred to government entities (HB 2140), expanded shared leave uses for hate crime and immigration enforcement-related situations (HB 2411), collective bargaining protections if federal enforcement changes (HB 2471), labor standards for clean energy/urban area property tax exemption projects (HB 1210), employer notice and enforcement rights during I-9/immigration audits (HB 2105), tax increment financing dispute resolution for special purpose and junior taxing districts (HB 2451), AI-generated content disclosure and enforcement (HB 1170), tourism marketing assessment authority (HB 2325), defective license plate replacement fees (HB 2114), the Blue Envelope Program for neurodiverse drivers during traffic stops (HB 2323), and pre-clearance provisions under the Washington State Voting Rights Act (HB 1710). Most motions passed on voice votes with little or no opposition; one notable dissent came on HB 2105, where Senator King raised concerns about the bill’s private right of action. The committee also noted Senator Conway’s likely final Rules Committee meeting and thanked him for his service before adjourning with no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Would you support switching it to DPH or DMH?
• I'm testifying today in robust support of this bill 2219. today in robust support of this bill 2219 S
• I'm here to voice my support for both of these bills.
• MHLAC supports House Bill 2199.
• I’m testifying in support of House Bill 2199.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery

Summary: The committee held its fourth public hearing of the 2025-2026 session on bills dealing with involuntary commitment and access to addiction treatment, especially proposals to move Section 35 civil commitments away from jails and prisons and into facilities licensed or approved by DPH or DMH. Chairs Velis and Domb framed the hearing as a discussion of how to support people in crisis with compassion, while also warning against using involuntary commitment as a way to remove unhoused people from public view. The hearing also touched on related concerns about discharge practices, treatment capacity, and the need for a broader continuum of care. Testimony split largely along two themes. Addiction researcher Keith Humphreys argued that many people enter treatment under pressure, that involuntary treatment can be ethically justified in the face of overdose risk, but that it should not be mandated unless high-quality services exist first; he emphasized the need for inpatient care when someone is a grave danger, followed by case management and outpatient support. MAMH’s Kate Alicante supported the bill, saying Massachusetts is the only state that commits people with substance use conditions to jails or prisons and that carceral settings add trauma and stigma; she pointed to prior legislative steps, including the Section 35 commission and the planned closure of DOC’s MESAC facility, as evidence that the Commonwealth is moving toward health-based settings. A major portion of the hearing focused on Stony Brook, a sheriff-run stabilization and treatment center in Hampden County. Boston City Councilor John Fitzgerald, several committee members, and multiple people in recovery described the facility as humane, well-run, and effective, with longer stays, medical monitoring, medication-assisted treatment, counseling, and warm handoffs to aftercare. Several witnesses said Stony Brook saved their lives or helped family members recover, and they argued that the sheriff’s office model should be expanded rather than eliminated. Others, including family members and advocates, countered that even a well-run correctional setting remains stigmatizing and that people should not be treated in facilities run by sheriffs or corrections when they have committed no crime. No vote was taken. The hearing concluded with continued testimony, including Senator Friedman’s support for Section 35 as a civil commitment tool but not in a criminal justice setting, and her separate support for a bill to speed inpatient mental health treatment.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> a large proportion of it is supporting a large proportion of it is supporting State<00:04:07.680
• </c><00:04:28.840><c> status</c> or uh or your age or disability status or uh or your age or disability
• <00:04:55.560><c> state</c><00:04:55.880><c> entitlement</c> support state entitlement support state
• </c> sense of the services that they support sense of the services that they support here<00:06:40.680
• </c> which which provides employment support which which provides employment support and<00:10:31.920

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• I ask for your favorable support.
• So thank you for your support.
• I see your husband here supporting you, your family supporting you.
• Jeff, you are my rock and supporter.
• He came to support the bill.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, several introductions, and an announcement that there would be no weekend conference. The chamber then took up a long special-order calendar of bills, generally moving each measure through third reading and final passage, often by substituting House companion bills. Early measures included trust law modernization (SB 786/HB 895), military affairs changes and Guard retirement corrections (SB 474), rounding rules for cash transactions as pennies phase out (SB 1074), podiatric medicine regulation and informed-consent requirements (SB 1092), veterans court expansion (SB 50/HB 199), RV park special assessment clarification (SB 118), concurrent jurisdiction for juvenile offenses on military installations (SB 502/HB 351), alcoholic beverage loss deductions (SB 678/HB 1137), and bail bond/pretrial release revisions (SB 600). Most passed unanimously or near-unanimously; SB 600 passed 36-1 after questions about charitable bail bonds and an amendment aligning with the House version and prosecutors’ concerns. The Senate also considered bills on portable electronics and eyewear insurance (SB 772), the linking industry to nursing education fund and health science workforce programs (SB 1246), recovery residences and behavioral health licensing (SB 1030, with a technical amendment on background checks and probationary licenses), felony battery enhancements for repeat offenders and offenses against law enforcement (SB 436), and child welfare changes including foster-home visitor screening, a permanent statewide Step Into Success program, and a best-practices repository (SB 1718). These measures were explained by sponsors as efforts to streamline regulation, improve workforce and health-care training, strengthen public safety, and reduce administrative burdens while preserving safeguards. Votes on these bills were overwhelmingly favorable, with final tallies typically 36-0 or 37-0. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to a farewell tribute to Senator Lori Berman. Members from both parties praised her leadership, collegiality, policy work, and advocacy on issues including voting rights, women’s rights, Israel and antisemitism, school safety, breast cancer, and family law. Berman delivered a lengthy farewell reflecting on her 16 years in the Legislature, her caucus leadership, and the importance of dignity, respect, and public service. The Senate adopted a motion to spread her remarks upon the journal and then recessed before returning to continue the calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have two cards, green cards, in support.
• I had two cards in support of J.P.
• The Police Jury Association was supportive as well.
• The Police Jury Association was supportive as well.
• You have some cards in support of that last bill. Chief Brian Adams would support. All right.

Bills: HB345 , HB503 , HB511 , HB590 , HB655 , HB685 , HB692 , HB707 , HB715 , HB748 , HB776 , HB856 , HB860 , HB868 , HB887 , HB888 , HB896 , HB999 , HB1000 , HB1086 , HB1233

Committee: Senate Transportation, Highways & Public Works

Summary: The Senate Committee on Transportation and Public Works met with five members present and approved the April 29, 2026 minutes. The committee then heard and favorably reported several bills, including HB 1233, which lowers the contract threshold for hospital service districts to use the Seymours program for certain hospital construction projects, and HB 715, which requires aerial applicators operating from public airports to have a transponder and radio; an amendment removing language about airport use of ADS-B data for fees was adopted after sponsors said the issue would be handled in another bill. HB 999 was reported favorably to allow impoundment of out-of-state vehicles operated in Louisiana without liability insurance, and HB 692 was amended to let parishes and municipalities use group purchasing organizations, with a narrowing amendment limiting one-source procurements and assurances that local bidders would not be disadvantaged. The committee also advanced HB 511, creating a grant program for pursuit intervention technology in response to officer safety concerns, and HB 590, which would let OMV issue specialized envelopes or notices for drivers with autism or other disabilities so officers are alerted during traffic stops. HB 503 was reported favorably after a local cleanup change to a golf cart bill for Golden Meadow, and HB 655 was approved to let DOTD use cost-plus contracts for operation and maintenance of state-owned ferries. HB 748 clarified that school board-owned or leased vehicles are exempt from tolls, and HB 860 would allow fillable electronic bids for local government procurement. Later, the committee approved HB 896, a major tolling-related cleanup bill for Plaquemines Parish that addresses customer service center access, administrative fees, and exemptions, with members and local officials criticizing the toll structure and its impact on the parish. HB 1000 was reported favorably as a cleanup measure tied to highway priority program reporting and local district contract limits. HB 887 established a more consistent scoring and ranking process for Seymour projects, with an amendment to avoid conflict with changing FAA grant rules. HB 888, a cleanup bill on temporary tags, was amended with added security features and then reported favorably. HB 1086, a broad electronic title and registration modernization bill, received a lengthy amendment set but was voluntarily held over for a week so members could review the new language. The committee also advanced HB 776 to expand the Port Priority Program to larger projects, with amendments clarifying flexibility and removing private projects from the bill. HB 707 was reported favorably to let the Department of Agriculture and Forestry handle promotional activities for the liquefied petroleum gas commission through a cooperative endeavor agreement. HB 868, a farm safety bill requiring safety chains or other manufacturer-specified equipment on trailers, was reported favorably after testimony about a fatal accident and assurances it would not change engineering standards beyond existing manufacturer requirements. Finally, HB 856 was amended to authorize indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting for DOTD maintenance and construction work, then reported favorably, and the committee later corrected the record on HB 856 by reconsidering and withdrawing one technical amendment set so further floor cleanup could be made. The meeting adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• registered a support position with the committee.
• For these reasons, we support SB 1064. Thank you.
• For these reasons, E2 supports SB 1213.
• Bill McGovern, with the Coalition for Clean Air, in support, and also voicing support for APN Action,
• Support time, removing our opposition. Okay.

Committee: House Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm excited to support it.
• I am highly supportive. making CAL FIRE year-round.
• And we have to support that.
• So we thank you for your support.
• We support both of these measures.

Committee: Assembly Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• They are training and supporting more than 2,000 researchers.
• In their program, the main goals are to support students who want to study science and engineering, yay
• veteran property tax exemption, requiring a disabled veteran to occupy a property continuously to be
• House Bill 159 continues: a comprehensive and evidence-based mental health support platform.
• So again, But in order to support members in their districts, we went ahead and did it.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have targeted supports.
• How do we proactively support students?
• You stay their emotional support.
• Some children need extra support, even a lot of extra support, or they might need support navigating
• Some children need extra support, even a lot of extra support, or they might need support navigating

Bills: HB1795

Committee: House Education

Keywords: restraint, isolation, public schools, educational programs, student rights

Transcript Highlights:

• So we urge your support. Thank you. Is there anyone else here in support of SB 437?
• Eric Harris, Disability Rights California, in support. Thank you. Mr.
• So happy to support. So happy to support it today.
• And support.
• So I can't support it.

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:

• We are just about there in support.
• We strongly support them.
• Well, I'm prepared to support this bill leaving committee today, but I cannot commit to supporting this
• We're here to support you. I guess I... You're doing great. We're here to support you.
• We strongly support SB 1240.

Committee: Senate Governmental Organization

Transcript Highlights:

• A thousand jobs of supporting families.
• I, too, want to stand in support.
• Is your co-sponsor here to support?
• Yes, yes, they're in support. Yes, the tribes, nations, and Pueblos are in support.
• I do support this bill. Thank you. Senator Sophanix, I do support this bill. Thank you.

Bills: SB273 , SB37 , SB100

Summary: The Senate convened on the 30th day of the 2026 session, established a quorum, heard an invocation from Chaplain Harry Eberts, and received several announcements and House messages. The chamber then took up multiple concurrence and third-reading items, including Senate Bill 273, Senate Bill 37, Senate Bill 100, Senate Bill 41, House Bill 34, House Bill 20, House Bill 43, House Bill 38, and House Bill 256. The body also heard that House Joint Memorial 2 was moved from the President’s table to the calendar, and later received messages from the House on several other Senate and House measures. The most contentious action was concurrence on Senate Bill 273, which concerns correction facility loss of revenue for counties affected by the loss of ICE detainees. Senators debated the economic impact on Torrance, Otero, and Cibola counties, with supporters arguing the bill provided partial relief and critics saying it did not come close to replacing lost jobs and revenue. The Senate ultimately concurred with the House amendments by a vote of 22-18. On Senate Bill 100, which would have expanded burglary-related definitions to include an “extension of a dwelling,” several senators argued the House language was too broad and legally vague, and the Senate voted not to concur, sending the bill back to the House. Senate Bill 41, with a technical correction and addition of second-degree criminal sexual penetration, was concurred with by voice vote. Among the bills passed on third reading, House Bill 34 updated school nurse licensure rules and supervision pathways and passed 38-0. House Bill 43, a PERA cleanup bill, clarified retirement and survivor-benefit provisions, and passed 39-0 after questions about whether it affected PERA’s unfunded liability; sponsors said it did not. House Bill 38 expanded insurance coverage for powered mobility devices and prosthetics, including coverage for batteries and in-state provider requirements, and passed 38-0. House Bill 256 expanded cardiac emergency response planning and AED requirements to athletic activities and schools, including private schools on a phased-in basis, and was debated over cost and scope before passing. House Bill 20, which would allow Native American designation on driver’s licenses and IDs, prompted extended discussion about tribal support, documentation, and possible profiling concerns; the transcript cuts off before final disposition of that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, I, too, rise in support of this Resolution 8679.
• So appreciate the support. Further remarks?
• So, asking for your support.
• And I ask you to join me in supporting this.
• And with that, I urge the body's support.

Bills: SB5223 , SB6178 , SB5892 , SB5177 , SB6039 , SB5941 , SB5993 , SB5831 , SB5928 , SB5912 , SB6183 , SB6071 , SB5995 , SB5966 , SB5841 , SB5840 , SB6061 , SB6058 , SB5931 , SB5944 , SB5520 , SB6011 , SB6087 , SB6076 , SB5916 , SB6016 , SB5936 , SB6137 , SB5185 , SB5956 , SB6025 , SB6009 , SB5833 , SB6161 , SB6188 , SB5890 , SB5917 , SB5820 , SB5973 , SJM8015 , SB5816 , SB6136 , SB6091 , SB6024

Summary: The Senate opened with roll call, the pledge, prayer, and approval of the previous day’s journal, then received a House message announcing passage of engrossed substitute House Bill 1604. The chamber adopted Senate Resolution 8679 recognizing Taiwan, with remarks emphasizing Washington’s trade relationship, shared democratic values, and Taiwan’s support during COVID. The Senate also confirmed three gubernatorial appointments: Mark Silva to the Lower Columbia College Board of Trustees, Shilpa Tavari to the Higher Education Facilities Authority, and Christine Johnson to the Eastern Washington University Board of Trustees. The Senate then took up several bills on final passage. Substitute Senate Bill 5720, the Uniform Consumer Debt Default Judgments Act, passed after supporters said it strengthened consumer notice protections and reflected extensive stakeholder work. Substitute Senate Bill 5824 passed, allowing fifth-wheel travel trailers up to 46 feet and aligning length rules for legal sales and highway use. Substitute Senate Bill 5886 passed to protect personality rights by addressing name, likeness, and voice in the context of deepfakes and AI. Senate Bill 6013 passed to update ski area and winter sports terminology, and Substitute Senate Bill 6039 passed to let the Department of Labor and Industries use electronic or non-electronic notices at the recipient’s choice. Substitute Senate Bill 6036 passed to exempt certain former foster care providers from adult family home licensure, with supporters saying it would preserve stability for youth aging out of foster care. Senate Bill 6178 passed to prohibit post-loss assignment of property insurance benefits, with the sponsor saying it would keep homeowners in control of claims after disasters. Senate Bill 5892 passed to protect voter registration database information by routing requests through the Secretary of State, despite opposition over the bill’s felony penalty and strict process. Substitute Senate Bill 5941 passed to allow limited exemptions from renewable energy system requirements for certain school districts in cold, remote areas. Senate Bill 5177 passed to expand the topics considered in educator professional development on supporting historically marginalized and underrepresented students. Finally, engrossed substitute Senate Bill 5912 passed after an amendment assigning staff support for the Indigent Defense Task Force to the Office of Public Defense; supporters said the task force is needed to address public defender shortages and caseload standards. The Senate then announced a later start time for the next day and adjourned.