Transcript Highlights:

• <00:18:23.679> grant commissioner could withhold state grant commissioner could withhold state
• and auditor and two district auditors. and auditor and two district auditors.
• of electing the auditors of electing the auditors 41<00:43:23.280> colon<00:43:23.839>
• Um after withhold state grant funding, Um after withhold state grant funding, we<01:44:46.719> added
• um the auditors um the auditors so<02:14:56.639> that<02:14:56.800> we<02:14:57.040>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill deals with the Attorney General's office, which would seem to fit within state government.
• I'm curious why, if you requested to see this bill in state government...
• We didn't feel like it was necessary to come before state government Finance, so we did not call for
• <00:01:57.079> of<00:01:57.280> data changes some classification of data changes some
• We didn't go to state government.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I have been the long-standing AAG lead as well for the Washington State Archives.
• or the United States, or state and federal law.
• credit unions. $172 million a year state-chartered credit unions, $125 million.
• I'm Keenan Katapasky, the former legislative auditor.
• We still have a lot of people in the United States, and certainly in the state, that are working in the

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences met on May 6, 2026, with quorum present and unanimously approved the October 21, 2025 minutes. The Attorney General’s Office then provided its annual refresher on Washington’s Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act, emphasizing broad disclosure requirements, records retention, prompt routing of records requests to staff, and OPMA rules for meetings, conference calls, emails, special meetings, and executive sessions. JLARC staff next reviewed 2026 tax preference legislation, noting 20 bills affecting tax preferences. Examples included repeal of the coal sales tax exemption, changes to data center exemptions, new property tax exemptions for renewable energy facilities and land bank authorities, and a broad tax package in Senate Bill 6346 that created credits and deductions, expanded the working families tax credit, and exempted items such as diapers and hygiene products. Staff also presented the 2026 expedited review report covering 64 tax preferences and explained that it is based on prior JLARC reviews and Department of Revenue studies rather than full new reviews. The commission approved unchanged 2026 public testimony questions and then adopted the draft 2027–2036 tax preference review schedule, along with a new rolling 10-year schedule format that will be updated each May. During discussion, Representative Pollitt questioned how preferences are prioritized for full review versus expedited or no review, especially for large preferences without performance statements, and staff explained that legislative mandates, expiration timing, and staff capacity drive the schedule. The commission agreed staff would meet with members to discuss possible future adjustments. The meeting concluded with public and staff recognition of Commissioner Grant Forsyth, who is leaving the commission after 13 years of service. Speakers praised his leadership, consensus-building, and long tenure as both commissioner and chair. The next commission meeting was announced for August 4, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are there questions for the state auditor?
• State Auditor, in the meantime, now is the time to present your analysis.
• This is exactly why the California State Auditor is the right entity for this work.
• The State Auditor is independent, nonpartisan, and accountable to the Legislature and the public.
• Controller would be duplicative of the work being asked to be done by the state auditor.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We our civil service classifications.
• state<00:44:36.960> employment.
• <00:51:48.480> and say anything about following state and say anything about following state
• HTA, comments from the Hawaii State HTA, comments from the Hawaii State Public<00:52:46.559>
• <01:01:10.000> fire 436 SD1 relating to the state fire 436 SD1 relating to the state fire

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• with with 3M in the state of Minnesota. with with 3M in the state of Minnesota. at<00:10:41.760>
• bioolids in their state as well. bioolids in their state as well.
• . classification. classification.
• <00:47:55.119> Medical classification decision? Medical classification decision?
• Thank you. states that have reporting? Are you states that have reporting?

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• , and the state would pay for it.
• , and the state would pay for it.
• It's what the Auditor General criticizes as pay and chase.
• By the SFOs has to be returned to the state.
• And these are state dollars that we want to make sure every student gets an education in the state of

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee met with a quorum present and took up two bills. The first, SB 250 on rural communities by Senator Simon, was described as a broad rural development package creating an Office of Rural Prosperity, a Renaissance grant program, housing and transportation investments, added funding for rural education consortiums, and health care initiatives for rural areas. Senator Harrell asked about overlap between road funding programs, and the sponsor explained that eligible counties could receive both SCRAP and FARM funding. Several organizations waived in support or spoke in support, and the bill was reported favorably by unanimous vote. The committee then heard SB 318, the committee substitute for educational scholarship programs by President Gates. The bill was presented as a response to Auditor General findings about the rapid growth and administration of Florida’s school choice and scholarship programs. It would separate Family Empowerment Scholarship funding from the FEFP, require more frequent student enrollment verification, lower scholarship funding organization administrative fees, require return of overpayments, create a student ID system, establish a $250 million stabilization fund, require annual audits, and direct DOE to recommend future program administration through competitive procurement. Gates also offered five amendments, including technical changes to eligibility documentation and a substantive amendment requiring a DOE report on future administration and competitive selection; all five amendments were adopted. During debate and public testimony, senators and witnesses discussed accountability, software solutions, reimbursement delays, monthly attestations, and impacts on public schools and families. Supporters and opponents alike raised concerns about bureaucracy, fraud prevention, special education services, and whether the bill would help or burden parents. Gates said the bill aimed to fix tracking and payment problems without capping the program, and he noted the IEP timeline would be aligned with public school timelines. After debate, the committee reported CS for SB 318 favorably by unanimous vote, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The State Auditor is elected directly by the people of the state of Washington and operates independently
• We track State Auditor recommendations over the previous four years, and once they are implemented, we
• They are both from the State Auditor report examining Washington's concurrent Medicaid enrollments.
• Auditor to use mapping resources that are available from the state.
• I'm a senior performance auditor with the Office of the Washington State Auditor.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee I-900 Subcommittee heard JLARC’s annual update on the status of legislative implementation of State Auditor recommendations, followed by two State Auditor performance audits. JLARC staff reported that for the 2024 review period there were three new legislative recommendations and three unresolved older recommendations. They said the legislature did not convene a work group on civil asset forfeiture, and no formal action was taken on two water-use-efficiency recommendations. Two recommendations related to concurrent Medicaid enrollments were addressed in a bill introduced this session, but that bill was not adopted. The first audit examined how Washington can ensure climate-resilient electricity infrastructure. The State Auditor found the state has opportunities to better adapt new energy infrastructure by using more site-specific climate information, broader collaboration, and vulnerability assessments. The report recommended expanding climate analyses through the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group if funding is available, using forecasted information in DNR wildfire maps, designating a non-regulatory office to coordinate siting and conflict resolution, and expanding vulnerability assessments in Ecology and Commerce processes. Agency witnesses generally agreed resilience is important but emphasized existing efforts, the need to avoid duplicative requirements, the importance of affordability and efficiency, and the role of current forums such as the Clean Energy Siting Council and SEPA processes. The second audit reviewed fines for human trafficking and related sexual exploitation crimes. Auditors found courts assessed fines inconsistently, collection rates varied, some revenues were sent to the wrong local government, and some jurisdictions did not use the money as required for enforcement, prevention, or survivor services. The audit recommended courts work with prosecutors to improve awareness of mandatory fines, and that King and Pierce County improve coding, templates, and tracking so revenues are routed and used correctly. King County testified that it appreciated the audit and described its existing prevention and survivor-support work. The committee took no votes or formal actions and adjourned after the presentations and testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• So now we'll proceed to the state auditor for the status report.
• Are there questions for the state auditor?
• State Auditor, in the meantime, now is the time to present your analysis.
• This is exactly why the California State Auditor is the right entity for this work.
• The State Auditor is independent, nonpartisan, and accountable to the Legislature and the public.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• According to the analysis, the bill has no significant state costs.
• So in the bill, it states that the... ...transparent and public.
• operations if publicly disclosed. ...or the state operations, if publicly disclosed.
• As noted in the Assembly Appropriations Committee analysis, this bill has no state fiscal costs.
• As noted in the Assembly Appropriation Committee analysis, this bill has no state fiscal costs.

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on April 22, 2026, with a quorum present and first took up a large consent calendar. It moved a set of bills to the Assembly Floor consent calendar by unanimous vote, including AB 1773, 1785, 1828, 1873, 1918, 2001, 2085, 2173, 2412, 2536, 2644, and 2781, and separately approved another group of unanimous bills not eligible for floor consent, including AB 1544, 1555, 1614, 1621, 1637, 1704, 1816, 1933, 2529, 2559, 2663, and 2731. The committee then heard several individual bills, with each author describing the measure and witnesses generally testifying in support; no organized opposition was recorded on the bills discussed. Among the measures heard, AB 2393 would create fixed statutory damages for certain false imprisonment and arrest claims, while exempting peace officers, custodial officers, and public entities. AB 1697 would delay implementation of a recently enacted prohibition on employment contracts that require workers to repay employer debts if they leave a job, and AB 2534 would extend Domestic Violence Prevention Act restraining order protections to attempted forced marriages and survivors of forced marriages. AB 1608 would strengthen the High-Speed Rail Inspector General’s office by adding staffing and contracting authority, requiring public reports, and allowing limited temporary confidentiality for sensitive information; the bill drew questions from members about transparency and whether information could be withheld, but the author and Inspector General said the measure would increase accountability and only allow narrow, time-limited confidentiality. The committee also approved AB 1916, which would allow American Sign Language interpreters to participate in the same collective bargaining process as other certified court interpreters, and AB 1803, which would require anti-hate speech training as part of workplace harassment prevention training for employers with five or more employees. AB 1821 would change Public Records Act response timelines from calendar days to business days, with local government sponsors arguing it would better reflect actual processing time for broad and complex requests without reducing access. AB 1919 would establish election procedures to let voters decide the future of Santa Cruz Metro service funding after a one-time grant expires. Each of these bills was moved forward on due pass votes, with some members not voting on certain measures. The committee then approved a long suspense file, and the remaining suspense bills were deemed approved without further discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is under the purview of the parent, and that is stated in state statute. Of the parent.
• And that is stated in state statute. Okay, anything else? Yes, Madam Chair.
• We take advantage of the state grants for SROs. We take advantage of the state grants for SROs.
• the Auditor General, the State Board of Education must consult with the Arizona Department of Education
• having state aid withheld.

Bills: HB2093, HB2370, HB2376, HB2380, HB2381, HB2383, HB2423, HB2481, HB2621, HB2895, HB4005, HB4043, HB4109

Keywords: mental health, school curriculum, education policy, instruction requirements, statute repeal, charter schools, education, weapons detection, public safety, school administration, school districts, real estate transactions, school property, bond issuance, land use approval, capital improvements, school governance, board meetings, education funding, parental notification

Transcript Highlights:

• Jessica Puff, State Historic Preservation Division, LNR 806. State Parks, LNR 906.
• Jessica Puff, State Historic Preservation Division, LNR 806. State Parks, LNR 906.
• Jessica Puff, State Historic Preservation Division, LNR 806. State Parks, LNR 906.
• Jessica Puff, State Historic Preservation Division, LNR 806. State Parks, LNR 906.
• Jessica Puff, State Historic Preservation Division, LNR 806. State Parks, LNR 906.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe the auditor became ill, and they were in the trunk of her car.
• I was just thinking, as many of you know, our state has gone from... ...our state has gone from 24 payments
• So I talked to the auditors about the coming problem.
• Now, if this is state, do we have—does the state demand, if the governor gives some money to them, do
• From the state of Arkansas? Yes, sir. Okay. Thank you.

Summary: The committee began with approval of the prior meeting minutes and then received updates on delinquent private water and sewer reports. Staff reported that 19 of 43 original entities for the 2022 reporting year had had turnback reinstated, while 24 remained in escrow; for the 2023 reporting year, 59 of 64 entities had filed, leaving five still outstanding. The committee also heard that Adona had come into substantial compliance with municipal accounting law, and it voted to file that report and discontinue withholding turnback. It then voted to start the 60-day clock and file the report for Gum Springs after hearing repeated findings involving budgeting, disbursements, payroll, and Act 833 funds, with city officials saying they had begun correcting records and were seeking help from the Municipal League and a city attorney. Fargo was deferred because the mayor was absent due to illness. The committee next considered Denning, where staff described repeated and serious accounting problems over 2022-2024, including unauthorized payments, missing documentation, weak payroll controls, and improper handling of funds. The mayor and recorder-treasurer said prior records were disorganized and that they were now working with an attorney, CPA help, and new software; the committee voted to start the 60-day clock and file the report. Green Forest’s report, involving a fixed-asset listing issue after the mayor’s death, was filed. Several private water and sewer reports were either filed or deferred depending on whether responses had been received, and the committee announced its March meeting would be held in Room 149 because of renovations. The committee then reviewed a series of referred reports involving alleged financial irregularities. In Elaine, the fire chief’s questionable purchases were referred and filed. In Strong, staff described undeposited garbage-bag receipts, improper payments for private dumpster service and other expenditures, payroll tax penalties, and deficit fund balances; the mayor said controls had been improved, but the committee deferred the report to March. The Faulkner County Fair Association report found undocumented cash withdrawals, questionable disbursements, and inadequately documented cash payments to a carnival vendor; the committee filed it. Brooklyn’s report involved a fraudulent direct-deposit change, and Mineral Springs’ report involved transfers from the cemetery fund, employee loans, overpayments, and travel reimbursement issues; both were filed. Additional reports included Rondo, where the recorder-treasurer explained missing computers and fuel purchases tied to personal vehicles, and the committee filed the report; Waldo, where the mayor had been overpaid due to extra biweekly payments, which was filed; Columbia County, where a floodplain management contract lacked an authorizing ordinance, which was filed; and several private water-system reports, some filed and others deferred for lack of responses. Carlisle’s report showed large but improving misstatements in financial records, and the committee filed it after hearing that new software and training had reduced prior problems. Caddo Valley’s report prompted a lengthy discussion about CDs and interest recognition; staff explained that principal balances should be reflected as city assets and interest should be recorded when earned or reported by the bank, and the report was filed. Prairie County’s budget overrun and road-fund issues were discussed at length, with the judge explaining equipment and weather-related costs and staff clarifying the distinction between road funds and locally approved sales-tax uses; the report was filed. Finally, the committee deferred a Cross County Rural Water Association matter after learning it had not filed with Legislative Audit since 2002-2003 despite receiving significant state funding, and members expressed concern about the long gap in filings.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rose Hennessy Allen, pension director at the office of the state auditor.
• Auditor, and meet statutory requirements to qualify for fire state aid.
• We have just a couple the state auditor.
• auditor and meet office of the state auditor and meet statutory<00:33:02.720> requirements<00
• <00:37:24.880> auditors recommendations from the state auditors recommendations from the state

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The auditors must be an independent firm or public accountant certified by the state.
• The auditors must be an independent firm or public accountant certified by the state. remain on probation
• I think maybe it would be more appropriate to say that the independent auditor be licensed by the state
• district to hey, listen to this auditor. district to hey, listen to this auditor.
• the state board. the state board.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I have been the longstanding AAG lead as well for the Washington State Archives.
• It directs JLARC to study state and local renewable energy tax rates by October 2031.
• or the United States or state and federal law.
• I’m Keenan Katapasky, the former legislative auditor.
• We still have a lot of people in the United States and certainly in the state that are working in the

Summary: The Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences met on May 6, 2026, with quorum present and unanimously approved the October 21, 2025 minutes. The Attorney General’s Office then provided its annual open government refresher, covering key points of the Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act, including broad disclosure requirements, records retention, response timelines for public records requests, and rules for meetings, special meetings, emergency meetings, and executive sessions. JLARC staff gave a 2026 legislative session update on tax preference bills. They highlighted 20 bills affecting tax preferences, including repeal of the coal-related sales and use tax exemption, changes to data center exemptions, new property tax exemptions for renewable energy facilities and land bank authorities, and a broad tax package in engrossed substitute Senate Bill 6346 that created multiple credits, deductions, and exemptions. Staff also presented the 2026 expedited tax preference review report covering 64 preferences, noting it is based on prior JLARC reviews and Department of Revenue studies and is now available in an interactive searchable format. The commission approved the 2026 public testimony questions without changes and then adopted the 2027–2036 tax preference review schedule, along with a new rolling 10-year schedule that will be updated each May. During discussion, commissioners raised concerns about how preferences are prioritized for full review versus expedited review, especially for older or high-revenue preferences without performance statements, and staff explained that legislative mandates, expiration dates, and workload constraints drive the schedule. The meeting also included a public and staff recognition of Commissioner Grant Forsyth’s 13 years of service and leadership, with remarks praising his collaborative approach and long tenure; the next meeting was set for August 4, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• state bonding bill?
• and it doesn't cost the state anything. and it doesn't cost the state anything.
• thing for us at the state level to do. thing for us at the state level to do.
• state gains because we're doing this. state gains because we're doing this.
• that different state, what what state that different state, what what state that was.<01:35:49.199

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that is something the State Auditor does in compliance audits, and that is separate from this data
• Hutchins can answer or the auditors, but the mandate is to serve all state agencies, and does the office
• The legislative auditor has concluded that boating-related revenues collected by the state support general
• State law directs DNR to calculate a sustainable harvest level for the state forest lands it manages.
• And as a reminder, the I-900 JLARC subcommittee hearing state auditor office performance reviews is meeting

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee met on September 17, 2025, in hybrid format. After roll call, the committee initially lacked a quorum and deferred approval of the July 15 minutes until Representative Berg arrived; the minutes were then adopted. Members also discussed the proposed 2026 JLARC meeting schedule, including possible changes to address crowded July meetings and the annual tax exemption review workload. Staff presented the annual lodging tax expenditures report, noting that 213 municipalities received distributions in 2024, with 91% reporting compliance, $114 million awarded for more than 1,700 activities, and no independent verification of the self-reported data. Several members questioned the value and usefulness of the report, and the executive committee indicated it may recommend removing the statutory reporting requirement. The committee then heard the preliminary performance audit of the Office of Privacy and Data Protection, which found the office meets its statutory responsibilities and has high user satisfaction, but recommended updating the statute to better match the office’s current capacity and focus and improving performance measures to reflect long-term privacy outcomes rather than outputs. Members asked about FERPA and other federal privacy laws, and OPDP staff said they provide general privacy training and consultation but not law-specific training unless requested. The committee adopted the final report on Washington State recreational boating programs without recommendation, after staff reported that boating revenues support both general government and boating activities and that no participating agencies submitted formal comments. Members asked about boater safety education and possible overlap among the six agencies involved; Parks staff said education has reached more than 500,000 boaters and that fatalities and incidents have declined. The committee also reviewed planned study questions for a JLARC review of Labor and Industries’ enforcement of farm worker laws, with members raising scope questions about the term “farm worker” versus “agricultural worker,” and for DNR’s Eastern Washington sustainable harvest calculation, which JLARC will review as DNR completes its recalculation. Finally, staff outlined the 2026 tax preference performance reviews covering seven preferences, and members asked about racial equity, environmental impacts, disclosure of beneficiary savings, and how the reviews will measure effectiveness; the meeting adjourned before noon.

Transcript Highlights:

• Letters, oh. this beautiful state.
• For the debate. ...from the denser areas of the state.
• over a billion dollars for this state.
• Stop mixing up the money, the Auditor General said.
• And it allows us to advance our state.

Summary: The Senate convened with a prayer, pledge, doctor-of-the-day introduction, and several recognitions, including a Founders’ Day tribute to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a welcome to a nationally ranked student debater in the gallery. The chamber then took up a committee report on 52 gubernatorial executive appointments; after explanation by the Ethics and Elections chair, the Senate adopted the report and confirmed the appointments by a vote of 39-0. The first major bill was SB 250 on rural communities. Senator Simon described it as a broad “Rural Renaissance” package creating an Office of Rural Prosperity, a Renaissance Grant Program, housing and transportation investments, education funding, and rural health care improvements. Two amendments were adopted to remove overlapping health-care provisions in light of new federal rural health funding and to update hospital funding amounts. Senators from both parties spoke in support, emphasizing the bill’s focus on rural infrastructure, health care access, and local flexibility. The bill passed 39-0. The Senate then considered CS/SB 318 on educational scholarship programs. Senator Gates explained that the bill responds to Auditor General concerns by separating scholarship funding from public-school funding, tightening enrollment verification, reducing administrative fees, requiring student identification numbers, improving reimbursement processes, and directing the Department of Education to develop a business plan for scholarship funding organizations. Three amendments were adopted, including removal of a declining-enrollment provision from the bill, with that issue expected to move elsewhere. Senators discussed transparency, accountability, and protections against overpayments and unverified enrollments, while also noting the need to preserve support for school districts. The bill passed 38-0. After both bills passed, the Senate waived rules to immediately certify SB 250 and CS/SB 318 to the House. The chamber also heard announcements recognizing Palm Beach County Day at the Capitol and scheduled a group photograph for the following Thursday before adjourning until January 22 or upon the President’s call.

Transcript Highlights:

• , Commissioner of Public Lands, Attorney General, State Auditor and State Treasurer, is there an ongoing
• I will Now, I will pass it over to DFA or the state auditor. What did the House do?
• That's the one that the State Auditor mentioned.
• And then kind of tied to that personnel, the State Auditor did include a special for 750,000.
• State Auditor. And very briefly, so you're down six.

Keywords: 996, all