Transcript Highlights:

• , the definition of carbon-free generating electricity without emitting carbon.
• :36:32.280><c> electricity</c><00:36:33.280><c> without</c> free generating electricity without free
• We also have surging electricity demand.
• </c> wind and solar generate electricity wind and solar generate electricity intermittently<01:03:45.039
• </c><01:03:55.039><c> less</c> and solar generating electricity less and solar generating electricity

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• lines that carry large amounts of electricity over long distances.
• The bill establishes the Washington Electric Transmission Authority to maintain or improve electric service
• Authority may purchase and sell property, may own and build electric transmission projects as a last
• large amounts of electricity over long distances.
• The bill establishes the Washington Electric Transmission Authority to maintain or improve electric service

Bills: HB2747

Keywords: budget sustainability, state finance, fiscal policy, economic growth, government spending, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so this is not just an electric vehicle-specific problem.
• They're really mostly focusing on electric vehicles at this point.
• This is only for electric vehicles.
• Eleven states currently have laws taxing this electricity.
• Especially newer vehicles and especially newer electric vehicles.

Summary: The committee first received a presentation from NCSL staff on national transportation funding trends and alternative user-fee options as gas tax revenue declines. The presentation covered declining fuel-tax purchasing power, the effects of more fuel-efficient and electric vehicles, and a range of state responses including indexed gas taxes, EV and hybrid registration fees, voluntary and mandatory road usage charges, transportation network company fees, retail delivery fees, and per-kilowatt-hour EV charging fees. Members asked about Virginia’s mileage-fee program, enrollment rates, and whether states had reduced gas taxes alongside new fees; the presenters said they would follow up with additional information. Committee staff then presented a comparison of Washington’s transportation budget with Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, focusing on population, lane miles, road condition, fuel taxes, preservation spending, mega-projects, and governance structures. The discussion highlighted Washington’s unique transportation pressures, including ferries, fish-passage obligations, high debt service, and major capital projects. Members asked follow-up questions about debt service, interest costs, CCA impacts on fuel prices, and whether project costs differed by state. The committee held public hearings on three bills. House Bill 2109 would allow vehicles being towed on trailers to use coverings to contain mud, rocks, or debris instead of requiring prior cleaning; the bill’s sponsor and construction witnesses supported it as a practical solution, and the fiscal note showed modest costs to WSP and WSDOT. House Bill 2139 would raise snowmobile registration fees to support snow park and trail grooming; State Parks, DNR, and several snowmobile advocates supported it, while some snowmobile users opposed it, arguing that enforcement of unregistered sleds should be addressed first. House Bill 2192 would expand the Washington Traffic Safety Commission’s fatal crash review authority and allow it to collect certain health data; the sponsor and agency supported the bill as a public-health tool, while one attorney raised concerns about limiting civil discovery and evidentiary access in fatal crash litigation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I do have an electric lawnmower and an electric car.
• So the transition to electric vehicles can happen through market incentives.
• an electric lawnmower and an have an electric lawnmower and an electric<00:23:52.720><c> car.
• </c> electric car. I'm basically a communist. electric car. I'm basically a communist.
• happen</c><00:24:21.120><c> through</c> electric vehicles can happen through electric vehicles can happen

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The digital economy clearly directly depends on electricity.
• Really, when the chips are down, this electric utility really responds.
• Really, when the chips are down, this electric utility really responds.
• Being a customer of an electric utility, you want to be informed.
• So I'm not aware of a lot of people who, you know, don't have an electric bill.

Summary: The committee met to hear invited presentations on storm recovery and storm protection from the Florida Public Service Commission, Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy, Tampa Electric, Chesapeake Utilities, and the Office of Public Counsel. The PSC reviewed the history of storm restoration financing and utility hardening efforts after major storms such as Hurricane Andrew, the 2004-05 hurricane seasons, Irma, and Michael, explaining storm reserve funds, storm recovery bonds, and the current three-year storm protection plan process. The commission’s role in approving plans and later reviewing prudence of actual costs was emphasized, along with the types of work included in the plans such as vegetation management, pole replacement, undergrounding, feeder hardening, and substation flood protection. The utilities described their own storm-hardening investments and recent storm performance. FPL said it has spent about $4.9 billion on storm protection and recovery-related efforts, highlighted improved restoration times during Helene and Milton, and said it is expanding undergrounding, feeder hardening, and smart-grid technology. Duke Energy reported more than 40,000 hardened poles and structures since 2021, major gains from self-healing grid technology, and faster restoration during recent storms. Tampa Electric described a roughly $200 million annual storm protection effort, including vegetation management, undergrounding, substation hardening, and new storm surge protections, and Chesapeake Utilities discussed its smaller-scale hardening program, vegetation work, pole replacement, and rapid restoration after Helene in Nassau County. Committee members asked about how utilities prioritize neighborhoods for lateral hardening, whether maps of planned projects could be shared, how much each utility has spent on undergrounding and hardening, and how reliability comparisons are normalized against the national average. Public Counsel Walt Trierweiler argued that storm recovery and hardening costs fall too heavily on investor-owned utility customers, said the current framework lacks a meaningful cost-benefit or prudence check at the planning stage, and urged broader sharing of storm costs because the benefits extend to the whole state. Senators also discussed whether the commission can review the reasonableness of approved programs and whether future reports or recommendations from Public Counsel would be helpful. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> issues with regard to taxing electricity issues with regard to taxing electricity and<00:04:23.000
• </c> sales tax revenue off the electricity sales tax revenue off the electricity for<00:04:41.919><c>
• </c> and that electricity could be enormous. and that electricity could be enormous.
• </c> electricity sold in Wyoming. electricity sold in Wyoming.
• </c> lately with the increases in electric lately with the increases in electric bills<01:06:22.240><

Keywords: 916, all

Summary: The Joint Revenue committee met with a quorum and heard a series of interim topic proposals focused on tax policy. Representative Brown raised two ideas: reinstating an exemption reporting requirement for corporations and entities receiving tax exemptions, with loss of the exemption for the current and prior year if they fail to report, and revising property tax treatment for wind turbines and related infrastructure by shifting the taxed footprint from agricultural to industrial classification. Senator Case and others then discussed energy taxation more broadly, including a possible generation tax for electricity, how to handle large data-center electricity loads, and whether sales tax revenue from very large electrical loads should be shared statewide rather than concentrated locally. The committee referenced prior bills and studies, including House Bill 300 and Senate File 76, and discussed using a mechanism that would keep local electricity bills net neutral while redirecting revenue distribution. The committee also took up problematic gaming and program funding. Senator Case described personal experiences with gambling addiction and the lack of available resources, while the presenter said the topic had been requested in multiple committees and that the biggest concern from House Bill 171 was protecting county and municipal funding. Members discussed whether the issue belonged in Revenue, Health, Labor, or Transportation, and several suggested it should stay with the standing committee handling gaming. Ideas raised included using gaming-related revenue for prevention and treatment, fully funding the 988 lifeline, and creating a broader trust fund for addiction-related services and law enforcement. The committee appeared to agree to continue the topic for educational purposes and to examine taxation of HHR and other gambling activity. Senator Case then proposed a severance tax on wind energy, arguing that wind development creates permanent landscape impacts and that the state should be compensated similarly to coal, oil, and gas extraction. Curt Meier, the state treasurer, supported reviewing lease agreements and said Wyoming should get more from wind resources, noting the state’s unique wind potential and the loss of viewshed. Finally, the committee heard a proposal to reform property tax relief by extending it to motor vehicle registration. Former Revenue director Dan Noble argued that vehicle taxes should be treated like other property taxes, using fair market value, depreciation, the residential assessment ratio, and local mill levies, which he said could provide broad relief but would be expensive, with an estimated fiscal impact of about $120 million. Representative Chestek followed with a related reform proposal based on Pennsylvania’s base-year assessment model, arguing that Wyoming’s current statewide relief measures treat symptoms rather than the underlying problem of rapidly rising local valuations.

Transcript Highlights:

• panels for electric cars and upselling when somebody didn't need something.
• to AI and actually build a mobile app that was able to allow a consumer to be able to see what electrical
• We need to activate our innovation hubs as training venues to really do a lot of this work. electric
• </c><00:51:08.480><c> He</c> electrical needs they might have. He electrical needs they might have.
• He also said Kentucky is the only surrounding state that charges sales tax on R&D supplies and equipment

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call: 00:00:28 Strengthening Kentucky's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: 00:02:45 Entrepreneur Led Economic Development: Kentucky’s Path Forward: 00:31:45, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• eight blocks west of here on 15th Street, a teenage constituent of mine was lawfully riding his electric
• So if you read 49-615 right now, it doesn’t include electric-assisted bikes.
• It only says a person propelling a human-powered vehicle, and the judge concluded an electric-assisted
• Senator Adams, so if I am riding my e-bike and I am pedaling and the electric assist kicks in while I'm
• So just so I'm understanding, the electric-assisted bicycle term that you are adding covers all three

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> vehicles uh and providing the electric vehicles uh and providing the electric uh<00:20:51.919><c
• </c> costs, the electric costs paid. Yeah. costs, the electric costs paid. Yeah.
• Regent, I know, has come to the Legislature quite a bit to talk about their electric vehicle, electric
• Not everybody can afford an electric vehicle. The infrastructure for an electric vehicle...
• since we're on the electric cars, since since we're on the electric cars<01:35:35.520><c> and</c><01

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committees received an informational briefing from Hawaii DOT and related partners on the Navahine settlement and the department’s plan to meet its climate and transportation commitments. Speakers described the settlement as a first-of-its-kind agreement rooted in the state constitution, the public trust doctrine, and prior legislative findings and laws, including Act 131. They said the settlement is intended to formalize DOT’s work, establish milestones, and keep climate and transportation policy less dependent on changes in administration. The presentation emphasized that transportation is Hawaii’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and that the plan is aimed at meeting 2030 and 2045 clean energy goals. DOT outlined several major implementation pieces: creation of a new Office of Energy Security and Community Outreach, formation of a youth council, and development of an emissions reduction plan that will be updated over time. The youth council reported on its membership, statewide representation, meetings, and work on charter, bylaws, and committees focused on policy and legislation, events and advocacy, and ground transportation. Youth members said they provided feedback on the energy security plan and discussed walk audits and safe routes to school. The department also described a new project-scoring tool to measure greenhouse gas impacts of every DOT project, which it said is intended to make Hawaii a national leader in evaluating transportation emissions. A major topic was the settlement’s transportation network requirement, which speakers said compresses roughly 15 years of pedestrian, bicycle, and transit network work into five years and will require about $40 million to $50 million per year over the next five years. They said a GIS map is being developed to identify gaps and that the work will involve counties and other partners, with benefits for safety, connectivity, and emissions reduction. Other topics included clean fuel standards, electrification of ground transportation, sustainable aviation fuel, marine fuel transitions, cold ironing at ports, and the costs and availability challenges associated with those transitions. DOT also reported progress on EV charging infrastructure, including two completed sites and more planned, and said it is using a sustainability partner contract to maintain chargers and recover only electricity costs. The briefing also highlighted carbon sequestration and fire mitigation work, including native tree planting. DOT said it has exceeded its minimum annual tree-planting commitment, with 3,000 trees planted in 2024 and 4,200 by mid-2025, and noted that the Legislature provided $15 million for fire mitigation that is being used for this work. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the informational briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, the Minnesota Board of Electricity adopts the electrical code, including any amendments.
• interpretations of the electrical code.
• > code,</c> Electricity adopts the electrical code, Electricity adopts the electrical code, including
• </c><00:12:58.360><c> industry</c> registration of the electrical industry registration of the electrical
• The board includes 12 electrical code.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and I think you need electricity for your computers.
• In addition, if there's no electricity, there's no way we can proceed. We have to be flexible.
• ,</c> be a if if they can't have electricity, be a if if they can't have electricity, they<00:12:36.480
• electricity for for your you need electricity for for your computers.<00:13:05.920><c> I</c><00:13:06.160
• ,</c> addition, if there's no electricities, addition, if there's no electricities, there's<00:14:26.880

Keywords: House streaming session for Friday, January 23, 2026, 957, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The RPS mandated that 25.2% of the state's electricity come from renewable sources by 2025.
• or RECs, representing electricity generated from renewable sources.
• It's going to require funding to make the housing supply go up.
• It's going to require funding to make the housing supply go up.
• It's going to require funding to make the housing supply go up.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Finance Committee opened a public hearing on House Bills 1 and 2, which concern the governor’s proposed FY 2026-2027 budget. The chair explained that the committee must fit the budget to House Ways and Means revenue, which is about $800 million below the governor’s estimate in an almost $16 billion budget. He also noted a projected current-budget overspend, the impact of recently passed legislation, possible fee updates, no new tax proposals at that time, and the importance of federal funding and Medicaid stability. Testimony was limited to three minutes, with the chair asking speakers to avoid duplication. Much of the testimony focused on Medicaid, disability services, and home- and community-based care. Speakers urged the committee to restore or protect funding for transportation, Medicaid, day programs, in-home supports, and behavioral health services. Several individuals and providers described how cuts would affect people with disabilities, medically fragile children, and families who rely on services to remain employed and avoid institutional care. A home care provider argued that a proposed 3% Medicaid cut would increase hospitalizations and costs, while a behavioral health representative asked for sustainable Medicaid rates, uncompensated care support, housing resources, and continued funding for community behavioral health clinics. Another major topic was the Group II retirement provisions in HB 2 for public safety workers. Representatives from police, fire, corrections, probation/parole, and related associations testified in support, saying prior pension changes hurt recruitment and retention, pushed experienced workers to neighboring states, and should be reversed to restore promised benefits. They argued the provisions would help keep public safety careers viable and honor commitments made to first responders. An executive counselor also warned that when the state shifts costs away from itself, local property taxpayers bear the burden, and she opposed cost shifts such as Medicaid premiums and universal vouchers. A separate speaker urged funding public schools rather than universal vouchers, arguing vouchers can leave other students behind as resources are diverted.

Transcript Highlights:

• In addition, plug-in solar reduces electricity bills and improves energy resilience.
• Also joining us via Zoom, Sher Pollock from 350 Havi. their electricity bills.
• This is a their electricity bills.
• ><c> bills</c><00:04:10.560><c> and</c> solar reduces electricity bills and solar reduces electricity
• Electricity costs are high and costs are rising. These plug-in solar systems are gamechanging.

Bills: SB2671, SB2902

Keywords: permit processing, permitting reform, county permits, development permits, building permits, land use, construction delays, housing development, infrastructure development, county workforce, differential pay, salary incentive, performance bonus, recruitment and retention, expedited hiring, vacancy rates, permit backlog, government modernization, county mayor, county council

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs heard two measures. SB 2671, relating to essential permitting positions, drew no oral testimony beyond written comments from the Department of the Attorney General and the Office of Planning. The chair said the bill was intended to make government more efficient and reduce red tape in the permitting process. SB 2902, relating to renewable energy, received testimony from the Division of Consumer Advocacy, the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, the Public Utilities Commission, Kauai Island Cooperative, Bright Saver, and 350 Hawaii. Supporters described the bill as a way to expand access to plug-in or balcony solar, lower electricity bills, improve resilience, and broaden access for renters and apartment residents. Several testifiers urged amendments to avoid limiting the measure to condominiums, to remove condominium board approval language, and to eliminate utility or PUC registration requirements. The PUC said registration could help with safety, linemen protection, and circuit hosting-capacity concerns, and noted that improper installation or oversizing could create problems. After a brief recess, the committee voted to recommend both bills for passage with amendments and deferred each to April 19, 2042. The recommendations were adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• [clears throat] electrical work on their [clears throat] electrical work on their house.<01:41:53.840
• electrical work perform electrical work without<01:42:07.120><c> permission.
• </c><01:42:52.960><c> This</c><01:42:53.200><c> is</c> electric motors. This is electric motors.
• </c><01:45:34.440><c> distribution</c> So, under C3 an electric distribution So, under C3 an electric
• </c> themselves do not have a electric bill? themselves do not have a electric bill?

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Including electric transmission.
• of Southern California Gas and Electric.
• They'll purchase electric vehicles, efficient electric appliances, and gain better access to information
• During the PSPS, some cell towers lost electricity.
• Joe Zanzi with San Diego Gas & Electric.

Summary: The committee heard several energy and water affordability bills, with extensive testimony on SB 254 by Senator Becker, SB 541 by Senator Becker, SB 453 by Senator Stern, SB 292 by Senator Caballero, and SB 473 by Senator Padilla. SB 254 was presented as a broad utility affordability package addressing short-term climate credits, a Power Fund, tighter scrutiny of rate increases and utility profits, wildfire spending, securitization of future utility costs, and streamlining. Supporters, including TURN and several environmental and public power groups, said it could lower bills and reduce long-term costs; opponents from investor-owned utilities, labor, business, and local government raised concerns about market impacts, insufficient analysis, and the breadth of the bill. The committee approved SB 254 on a 6-3 vote and placed it on call. SB 541 focused on load flexibility and using existing grid capacity more efficiently. Senator Becker described it as a transparency and planning measure to identify cost-effective load shifting and reduce peak demand, while supporters said it could improve resiliency and save money. Several CCAs and utilities opposed the bill in print or unless amended, arguing that some language implied a mandate and that the concept needed more cost-effectiveness analysis; the author said amendments would remove language dividing the state goal among retail suppliers and clarify that the bill is not a procurement mandate. The committee passed SB 541 as amended to Appropriations on a 9-1 vote and left it on call. SB 453 by Senator Stern would return unspent ratepayer-funded microgrid program dollars and was described as a way to keep the lights on and redirect unused funds. It drew support from local government and environmental groups, with PG&E expressing concern about how the bill would affect its ability to spend awarded funds. The committee passed SB 453 as amended to Appropriations on a 12-0 vote. SB 292 by Senator Caballero would require more granular outage and reliability reporting, including census-tract-level data, to better inform resilience planning after PSPS events; utilities opposed unless amended, citing duplicative reporting and regulatory overlap, but the bill passed 12-0 to Appropriations. SB 473 by Senator Padilla would require or expand water utility decoupling to promote conservation and affordability. Supporters, including water utilities, labor, business, and local government groups, argued decoupling stabilizes revenue, supports conservation, and can keep rates lower for low-use customers. The Public Advocates Office opposed, saying prior pilot data showed no conservation benefit and about $1 billion in added costs, and that the CPUC had already rejected similar requests. Committee members questioned the conservation and capital-investment effects of the different rate structures; the author and supporters argued decoupling helps utilities fund infrastructure while allowing lower fixed charges for low-use customers. The transcript ends during that discussion, before a final vote on SB 473 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We should do the same for electric that's going into vehicles.
• So the two of us are not paying electric for our cars, so we're not paying that electric rate. Mr.
• Kavanagh, who drives an electric, proudly a Tesla, I believe he's paying the electric and not the gas
• As to the electric vehicle, my son-in-law, who just came over last weekend, has an electric vehicle,
• Sure. the electric vehicle, my son-in-law, who just came over last weekend, has an electric vehicle and

Bills: SB1072, SB1111, SB1114, SB1116, SB1122, SB1179, SB1250, SB1308, SB1455, SB1456, SB1457, SB1487, SB1547, SB1549, SB1551, SB1552

Keywords: reimbursement rates, intellectual disabilities, community services, economic security, funding appropriations, automated license plate readers, law enforcement, privacy, data access, public records, behavioral health, patient brokering, appropriation, state funds, Maricopa County, claims review, medical necessity, American Indian health program, healthcare regulations, healthcare

Transcript Highlights:

• charging development fees and it is important because these builders and homeowners want to put gas or electric
• Prevention Code are not allowed to adopt measures that would force consumers to wire their homes all electric
• CS for CS for House Bill 597 entitled an act relating to to the removable storage and cleanup of electric
• to exceed three times the daily rate for storage authorized in statute for the proper storage of electric
• , CS for House Bill 577, a bill entitled an act relating to the removable storage and cleanup of electric

Bills: SB 5, SJR 3, HB 11, HJR 72, HB 48, HB 27, HB 144, HB 37, HB 1481, HB 581, HB 1696, HB 2216, HB 1035, HB 1633, HB 742, HB 754, HB 1689, HB 1690, HB 2669, HB 391, HB 517, HB 1775, HB 1024, HB 1607, HB 252, HB 1716, HB 1562, HB 4116, HB 1866, HB 1741, HB 2103, HB 2637, HB 2884, HB 3707, HB 503, HB 1089, HB 1757, HB 2986, HB 972, SB 365, SB 1786, SB 5, SJR 3, HB 14, HB 43, HB 36, HB 26, HB 149, HB 121, HB 206, HB 136, HB 3114, HB 2733, HB 1732, HB 3700, HB 467, HB 1130, HB 1846, HB 1442, HB 1147, HB 2176, HB 2701, HB 805, HB 2890, HB 1154, HB 1644, HB 2118, HB 1718, HB 2488, HB 2596, HB 2468, HB 484, HB 2578, HB 3204, HB 1041, HB 307, HB 685, HB 538, HB 2525, HB 3125, HB 2027, HB 2894, HB 3077, HB 106, HB 18, HB 11, HJR 72, HB 48, HB 27, HB 144, HB 37, HB 1481, HB 581, HB 1696, HB 2216, HB 1035, HB 1633, HB 742, HB 754, HB 1689, HB 1690, HB 2669, HB 391, HB 517, HB 1775, HB 1024, HB 1607, HB 252, HB 1716, HB 1562, HB 4116, HB 1866, HB 1741, HB 2103, HB 2637, HB 2884, HB 3707, HB 503, HB 1089, HB 1757, HB 2986, HB 972

Keywords: dementia, research institute, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, funding, grants, state health initiatives, research funding, state budget, prevention, healthcare, medical research, Dementia Prevention and Research Institute, licensing, reciprocity, regulation, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, interstate agreements, tax exemption, intellectual disability

Transcript Highlights:

• Just wanted to put out the concern, which probably everyone knows, about the adequate supply of interpreters
• High-speed electric devices capable of going 30 mph or more are increasingly appearing on the roads,
• </c> the state through national and the state through national and international<05:39:23.200><c> supply
• </c><05:39:24.120><c> And</c> international supply chains. And international supply chains.
• And if the outcome of this industry is widespread mortality along the supply chain, then I think that

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:47:59.680><c> generation</c> to a carbon- free electric generation to a carbon- free electric
• </c> utilities the quality of electric utilities the quality of electric natural<01:14:39.440><c> gas
• </c> our regulatory authority over electric our regulatory authority over electric and<01:16:02.560><
• </c><01:25:11.239><c> why</c> give give breaks electricity why give give breaks electricity why ratewise
• </c> I think about a a fast charging electric I think about a a fast charging electric vehicle<01:26:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll move to Senate Bill 6110, addressing electric-assisted bicycles and electric motorcycles.
• Electric-assisted bicycles and electric motorcycles.
• Concerning electric-assisted bicycles, I will refer to them as e-bikes, and electric motorcycles, I will
• bicycle versus electric motorcycle.
• I have witnessed more unsafe riding of high-powered electric vehicles than I can remember.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held a work session on impaired driving, beginning with data from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and a discussion of a proposed reduction in the legal per se blood alcohol concentration limit from 0.08 to 0.05. Mark McKekney presented crash and fatality data showing that about half of traffic fatalities involve an impaired driver, that alcohol remains the most common substance involved, and that impairment is strongly associated with speeding and higher crash risk. He also summarized a Washington/AAA survey finding support for lowering the limit rose from 54% to 71% after respondents received information about safety impacts, and he said the most persuasive arguments were that the change would save lives and reduce impaired driving. Committee members asked about how much alcohol can produce a 0.05 BAC, enforcement practices, blood testing in fatal crashes, and whether other states or countries use lower limits. The committee then heard emotional testimony from Joshua Jackman, who described severe injuries and long-term consequences from being struck by a drunk driver in 2007, and said the proposed law could help prevent similar tragedies by encouraging people to plan ahead. A panel followed with testimony from AAA Washington, the Washington State Patrol, and the Department of Transportation. AAA supported a 0.05 standard and cited research and international experience showing fewer fatalities and serious injuries without major effects on arrests or the hospitality industry. The State Patrol said the bill is intended to prevent crashes rather than increase arrests and would not change stop standards or DUI investigative practices. WSDOT described the safety, work-zone, congestion, equipment-damage, and liability costs caused by impaired driving, including recent crashes involving snowplows and road crews. No vote was taken on the impaired-driving discussion. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Bill 5234, which would raise snowmobile registration fees from $50 to $75 and vintage snowmobile fees from $12 to $18, with additional revenue going to the snowmobile account for grooming, plowing, sanitation, and other State Parks snowmobile programs. State Parks said the program has seen declining registrations and reduced services, while supporters from the snowmobile community said the increase is needed to stabilize the program and keep trails open. Some testimony supported the need for more revenue but opposed the fee increase as the wrong solution, arguing the program needs broader reform and that many snowmobiles remain unregistered. The hearing record noted 3 people signed in pro and 105 con. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 6110, which would clarify the definition of e-bikes, exclude vehicles capable of exceeding 20 mph solely on motor power or easily modified to do so, and direct the Department of Licensing to convene a work group to develop recommendations for regulating electric motorcycles. Committee discussion focused on the distinction between legal e-bikes and faster e-motos, with questions about wattage, speed, youth use, and whether the bill should define e-motorcycles more directly. Students, local officials, city representatives, trail advocates, and bicycle groups testified in support, describing safety concerns, injuries, and confusion in enforcement, while also emphasizing that true e-bikes improve mobility and access. Several local government and advocacy witnesses asked for a clearer statutory definition of e-motorcycles and a civil enforcement path for juveniles. No final action was taken on the bills during the hearing.