Transcript Highlights:

• What this does is it requires the school districts to use a coordinated screening system to identify
• What this does is it requires the school districts to use a coordinated screening system to identify
• Use a coordinated screening system to identify students exhibiting characteristics of dyslexia, reading
• If screening indicates that they do have such characteristics, the district must ensure the student is
• And, you know, I've listened and I've tried to make an honest assessment.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and doctor-of-the-day introduction, then moved through a long special-order calendar. Early proceedings included a resolution honoring former Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham and a moment of silence for firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber also heard several member introductions and recognitions before taking up bills. The most substantial debate centered on CS/CS/SB 1758 on public assistance and Medicaid/SNAP reforms. The bill would strengthen fraud enforcement, impose a Medicaid work requirement for able-bodied adults, expand behavioral health services through a waiver, modernize Medicaid pharmacy purchasing, and require a SNAP fraud-reduction plan and photo ID on EBT cards. Senators Berman, Smith, Bracy Davis, Osgood, and others argued for Medicaid expansion and added protections for vulnerable SNAP recipients, while Gates defended the bill as a compliance and cost-saving measure. Multiple amendments were offered, including Berman’s Medicaid-expansion condition and Osgood’s SNAP photo-ID safeguards; both were defeated. The bill was placed on the calendar for third reading after extended questioning. The Senate then passed a series of bills, often substituting House companions before final vote. These included tax conformity legislation (7031/7048), technology and computer science education (1503/1694), Parkinson’s disease registry and related public-records measures (1443/1684), designation of the SS American Victory as the official state flagship (249/1656), electronic payments for local governments (967/1612), legal tender and related public-records exemptions for gold, silver, stablecoins, and virtual currency kiosks (1311/1588/1087/7044/1568), local government finance and spending transparency (1329/1566), digital voyeurism (1536), insurance customer representative licensing (1343/1504), and medical freedom legislation (1756) with amendments on anti-kickback rules and vaccine information materials. Most bills passed on largely party-line or near-unanimous votes, with several amendments adopted and some withdrawn; the medical freedom bill was still under consideration at the end of the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• created indoor contamination that survivors and even environmental health experts have struggled to assess
• because no state... ...that survivors and even environmental health experts have struggled to assess
• Immediately after the Eaton Fire, we found very little information to assess the risk of returning to
• This research shows that we have a major gap in the risk assessment and remediation of smoke damage by
• It does not dismantle or revise existing screening tools.

Summary: The committee heard extensive testimony on AB 2218, which would declare state policy to recognize and address water-related inequities affecting California Native American tribes and require several state agencies to incorporate that policy into water-related decisions. The author and tribal witnesses said the bill would codify a seat at the table for tribes and build on existing consultation and equity commitments, while supporters from environmental and tribal organizations backed the measure. Opponents from municipal utilities, water agencies, cities, counties, agriculture, and business groups argued the bill was too vague, could create uncertainty for water supply and project approvals, and might invite litigation. The chair signaled support, and the author said the bill was intended as a consultation measure rather than one that would usurp agency authority. The committee then took up AB 1795, a wildfire smoke-damage bill that would establish statewide standards for inspecting, testing, and remediating smoke-damaged homes and create clearer insurance claim handling rules. The Department of Insurance supported the bill, saying it would bring consistency and accountability after major urban-interface fires, while wildfire survivors and advocates said current insurer practices leave families unable to safely return home. Insurance and local government groups opposed unless amended, warning about cost, implementation uncertainty, and the bill’s scope. Members discussed unresolved issues, including how the bill would interact with a separate wildfire health-and-safety bill, whether it would apply to existing policies, and how presumptions and testing standards should work. The committee voted AB 1795 out on a due pass as amended motion to Appropriations. AB 1642, another wildfire-related bill, was also heard and focused on setting science-based testing and clearance standards for homes, schools, and businesses after urban and wildland-urban interface fires. The author and a Caltech scientist described contamination from lead and other heavy metals in fire-affected homes and argued for a presumption that certain contaminants found after a fire came from the wildfire, to reduce costly disputes. Survivors and many advocacy groups supported the bill, while insurers and other industry groups opposed, saying the testing regime was too broad, the geographic scope was unclear, and the presumptions could function like strict liability and raise insurance costs. Senators pressed both sides on how AB 1642 would overlap with the CDI smoke-claims task force and with AB 1795, and the author said the two bills were intended to be complementary and would continue to be reconciled. The committee also briefly heard AB 1976, which would create a CEQA exemption for pedestrian malls and limit certain local procedural delays for pedestrian and traffic-calming projects. Supporters said it would make it easier to create safer, more walkable, and more livable streets, and there was no opposition testimony. The chair described it as a narrow CEQA exemption for active transportation-related projects and indicated support. The committee then moved on to AB 2026, a groundwater recharge permitting bill, with the author explaining that it would streamline permitting so more recharge projects can capture floodwater and store it for drought years; testimony on that bill began as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Companies like Apple and Google already implement screen options on the phones.
• “Screen options on the phones.
• Amendment 10 provides that these fees should be assessed on each permit issued and collected by the public

Bills: HB471, HB798, HB947, HB1140, HB1186, HB1195, HB1222

Keywords: surveillance, price discrimination, consumer protection, automated decision systems, data privacy, broadband, cable service, price increase, notification, digital assets, abandonment, custodian, escheatment, blockchain, cryptocurrency, unclaimed property, state treasurer, telecommunications, spoofing, call authentication

Transcript Highlights:

• Oh, my screen. Well, my apologies to everyone.
• And the concern that I'm hearing and that I'm seeing on screen is that if I were to go into an administrative
• Under 3, assessment of evaporation and conveyance losses, we struck several lines of text, and then we

Summary: The committee first waited for a quorum, then heard presentations from North Idaho irrigation districts on water management challenges. Brandon Rose of Hayden Lake Irrigation District described rapid growth, groundwater pumping, a new reservoir and main replacement project, and concerns about aquifer and lake impacts. Barney Metz of Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District discussed the Palouse Basin aquifer decline, LOID’s mixed domestic and irrigation system, ESA and tribal issues, a proposed water exchange, and problems caused by urban encroachment and fiber installation damaging water infrastructure. Ron Wilson of East Green Acres Irrigation District described aging infrastructure, grant-funded upgrades, workforce training, aquifer coordination through the Idaho-Washington Aquifer Collaborative, and similar damage from broadband construction. Members raised concerns about “do-not-dig” enforcement and liability for utility damage, but no formal action was taken on the presentations. The committee then took up Senate Concurrent Resolution 119, which Representative Van der Woude said highlighted water needs in Region 2 and growth-related recharge issues in the Treasure Valley. The committee moved the resolution to the floor with a due pass recommendation. After that, the committee considered several Idaho Department of Water Resources fee rules. It approved the Shoshone-Bannock Water Bank rule docket and the Water District 34 rule docket after brief questions, but held the stream channel alteration rule docket at the call of the chair after members raised concerns about revised definitions, especially the “100-year flood” language, fish habitat terminology, and whether the edits were clearer or more restrictive. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 746, which would expand Idaho Department of Lands deficiency warrants to cover reimbursable non-fire emergency uses of fire resources, such as flooding response, pumps, incident command support, and prescribed fire or fuels work. Testimony from the Idaho Fire Chiefs Association and the Department of Lands said the bill would improve flexibility, keep Idaho resources available for mutual aid, and not create non-reimbursable obligations, though it could temporarily affect spending authority until reimbursement is received. Members questioned definitions, reimbursement timing, budget impacts, and whether existing agreements could address the issue. No final vote on the bill was shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hopefully, we can get it up on the screens as well. That one Right there.
• we're taking an interest in and asking NMSU to help us compile that inventory so we can begin to assess
• into a dentist office and there's nobody there to greet you, but you're there in front of a computer screen

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Of course, we rely on data to try to assess what's going on with the economy, and a lot of that data
• Some of you are fairly familiar with this kind of document you see up on the screen.
• I think you're seeing it on the screen.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a work session covering the state revenue outlook, caseload forecasts, wildfire costs, budget balance, tort liability, water supply, and pension policy. The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council reported modest near-term U.S. growth, no near-term Washington employment growth in 2026, continued personal income growth, and elevated inflation, with tariffs and federal policy cited as major risks. Revenue forecasts were slightly improved for the current biennium by about $105 million but down about $185 million for the next biennium. Members asked about income inequality and housing permits; staff said personal income is an aggregate measure and housing production remains below long-term needs. The Caseload Forecast Council then reported that most forecasts were unchanged or only slightly changed, but several programs increased, including Washington College Grant, Working Connections, aged/blind/disabled cash grants, nursing homes, home and community services, and developmental disabilities personal care. The largest policy-driven change was in Medicaid low-income adult caseloads, where federal H.R. 1 was projected to reduce coverage substantially through narrower eligibility, community engagement requirements, and shorter eligibility periods. The committee also heard a wildfire funding update and a 2025 fire season review. Staff explained that the state budgets $93 million annually for suppression and uses supplemental appropriations for costs above that level, with an estimated state supplemental need of about $139 million for the current year. Department of Natural Resources officials said 2025 fire activity remained below the 10-year average in acres burned, but fires were more complex and closer to communities, contributing to higher residence loss. They described expanded use of aircraft, firefighters from other states, corrections crews, and the Arcadia 20 hand crew, and said the state did not need National Guard ground support this year. A budget preview then showed that the near general fund outlook had worsened after vetoes, lapses, and forecast changes, and that maintenance-level costs alone would leave a projected negative balance by fiscal year 2027 and about $4.3 billion by fiscal year 2029, before any policy decisions. Jason Seams, the state risk manager, reported a sharp rise in tort claim costs, with indemnity expenses nearly doubling from fiscal year 2023 to 2025 and DCYF accounting for most of the increase. He said the state self-insurance liability account has run deficits for four straight biennia and is now facing nearly $600 million in deficits, driven largely by a surge in DCYF claims, especially juvenile rehabilitation and long-running sex abuse cases. Members asked about the role of old claims, comparisons with other states, excess insurance, and whether more Attorney General staff could reduce special assistant attorney general costs. The committee then shifted to water policy, hearing from tribal leaders, Ecology, and the Washington Water Trust. Tribal witnesses emphasized overappropriation, declining flows, climate impacts, and the need for legislative oversight and tribal participation in water policy. Ecology described major projects in the Odessa sub-area, Yakima Basin, and Dungeness, along with the need for storage, recharge, conservation, and policy changes to support water supply development. The Washington Water Trust argued that climate change is reducing summer flows and that the state needs more funding, enforcement, and long-term commitment to restore instream flows. The final item was a pension update on LEOFF 1 surplus assets; staff reviewed two 2025 bills that would have merged or restructured the plan and used surplus assets, but neither passed, and instead the budget directed the Select Committee on Pension Policy to study the issue and report back.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so when EPA provided that risk assessment to the public about a week, a week and a half or so ago
• I think that was the assessment at the time, but we'd have to check the records going back to—I don't
• But would it be a fair assessment to say that it was negligent on the federal government's part that
• Based on those assessments, we have established six infested zones across Zavala, LaSalle, Gillespie,
• The CDC's own identification guide lists specific microscopic features that simply cannot be assessed

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think either side is wrong in their assessment either way.
• </c><02:57:25.160><c> I</c><02:57:25.240><c> think</c> in their assessment either way.
• I think in their assessment either way.
• </c> structured engagements screen-based structured engagements screen-based platforms<03:55:59.400><
• We limit their screen time. They lives. We limit their screen time.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the changes in this bill addresses a gap in the statute related to tuberculosis screening.
• Current law requires TB screening but does not clearly outline a process when incarcerated individuals
• Current law requires TB screening.
• Current law requires TB screening<00:10:40.800><c> but</c><00:10:41.040><c> does</c><00:10:41.279><c>
• does not clearly outline a screening but does not clearly outline a process<00:10:42.880><c> when</c

Bills: HF3405, HF3413, HF3769, HF3768, HF3771, HF3465

Keywords: Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, Use of Force Investigations Unit, federal agents, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, CBP, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS, officer-involved death, use of force, law enforcement accountability, police oversight, independent investigation, criminal sexual conduct, sexual assault, peace officers

Transcript Highlights:

• We are building EPIC around these three pillars: understanding future demands, assessing our fuel and
• Understanding future demands, assessing<00:04:58.560><c> our</c><00:04:58.760><c> fuel</c><00:04:59.280
• ><c> and</c><00:04:59.440><c> generation</c> assessing our fuel and generation assessing our fuel and
• assessments in its regulatory<00:10:31.400><c> proceedings.
• So, including the preliminary screening and the issuance of reports with recommendations on proposals

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Attendance Roll Call 02:25 SB 100 Discussion 02:59 SB 100 Roll Call Vote 31:10 SJR 134 Discussion 32:41 SJR 134 Roll Call Vote 33:43 SB 222 Discussion 34:43 SB 222 Roll Call Vote 39:55, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I would expect that if they are not reduced, they would rely on their assessment to ensure that they
• Their risk assessments correctly, that independent physicians will be left holding the bag, and there's
• So if you look at the screen that I put up, this is from the Think New Mexico report because I'm going
• That's why there's a more accurate process to assess surcharges against the hospitals.
• That's why there's a more accurate process to assess surcharges as against the hospitals.

Bills: SB38, SB17, SB41, SB264

Keywords: SB38, pet food, registered pet food, registration fee, fees, sunset repeal, repeal of repeal, revenue, state fee, business regulation, animal feed, pet food registration, New Mexico, gun control, firearm safety, dealer regulation, illegal trade, background checks, sexual crimes, statute of limitations

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee heard extensive testimony on House Bill 99, a proposed reform of the Medical Malpractice Act. Representative Chandler said the bill is intended to address physician shortages, rising malpractice premiums, and litigation pressures by changing punitive damages rules, including a higher standard of proof, a requirement that punitive damages not be pleaded in the initial complaint, and limits tied to the type of provider. Supporters, including physicians, business leaders, and some patients, said the bill would help retain doctors, improve access to care, and create more predictable liability exposure. Several supporters also said current malpractice conditions are driving doctors out of the state and harming rural access to services. Opponents argued the bill would reduce patient recovery, create unequal treatment based on insurance status through the bill-versus-paid provision, and raise constitutional concerns involving equal protection, collateral source rules, and separation of powers. They also criticized the bill for not addressing other drivers of malpractice, such as hospital practices, prior authorization, staffing, and background checks for out-of-state doctors. Some witnesses urged amendments to protect the Patient Compensation Fund, ensure future medical expenses are covered, require minimum surcharge settings, and improve oversight of providers entering the state. Committee members questioned the sponsor and witnesses about whether the bill would actually lower premiums, whether it would improve access to care, and how it would affect hospitals, independent providers, and the Patient Compensation Fund. The sponsor said the bill was based on negotiations and comparisons with other states, and that it should help premiums over time. Members raised concerns about the fund’s solvency, the role of hospitals in the fund, and whether some provisions would survive legal challenge. No final vote was taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the chair indicated amendments would be discussed later and the committee would continue the hearing the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're very excited to use our new DCYF strategic priorities and an upcoming assessment of our children's
• Laws should not be based on emotionally driven assessments.
• </c><01:08:37.759><c> poorly</c> on emotionally driven assessments poorly on emotionally driven assessments
• There's no ability to assess a fine. They're indigent.
• There's no ability to assess a fine. They're indigent.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I will attempt to share my presentation, and we'll see how well this works on the screen.
• I will attempt to share my presentation, and we'll see how well this works on the screen.
• Chairman, members of the committee, I have the presentation slides up on the screen there as well as
• I will attempt to share my presentation, and we'll see how well this works on the screen.
• Chairman, members of the committee, I have the presentation slides up on the screen there as well as

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the increases are outlined, did the screen fall? Okay. Sure.
• It's the young man in East Austin who skipped a cancer screening because the bill cost more. than his
• mother in the valley who rations her insulin, the young man in East Austin who skipped his cancer screening
• Romero to explain the amended amendment mr. speaker members this amendment provides tcq ability to assess
• Members, we're moving to Article 9, page 437 is on the screen. 10390 10391 Is Mr.

Bills: SB1, HB500, SB1, HB1400, HB 1094, HB365, HB 1109, HB647, HB500

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, state budget, mental health funding, education funding, infrastructure improvements, public safety, groundwater, water conservation, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, innovation fund, local conservation districts, transportation protection agreement, funeral services, insurance exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• It has the initial screeners that they could screen a person out for and automatically say if you have
• a person out for and screen a person out for and automatically<00:13:40.399><c> say</c><00:13:40.800
• them for all the other things to screen them for all the other things that<00:14:19.839><c> landlords
• It talks about that the physicians have to do a health screening, a hearing screening of the newborn,
• of</c><00:40:21.040><c> the</c> screening, a hearing screening of the screening, a hearing screening

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Friday, March 20, 2026, 960, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you want us to get that on the screen for the public, or are you just going to walk us through that
• So, I would invite you to really dig in, and I'd be happy to engage our team with that assessment to
• The assessment action program is essentially run by one person.
• So, when you talk about whether they're assessing their mills, a lot of communities are barely making
• So, we must assess our full mills. There are a handful of communities in the state that...

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The courts and the Supreme Court have looked at those findings and assessed them to come up with the
• Those numbers will be evaluated as each jurisdiction is assessed.
• It was intended to look and assess what Manner?
• It was intended to look and assess what the need is in terms of judges for each jurisdiction.
• This is to assess how many judges are needed based upon demographics and all of the factors that are

Bills: HR265, HR266, HR267, HR268, HR269, HR270, HR271, HR272, HR273, HCR107, HCR108, HCR109, HCR110, HCR111, HR257, HR258, HR259, HR260, HR261, HR262, HR263, HCR105, HCR106, SCR30, SB57, SB157, SB202, SB237, SB276, SB450, SB465, SB501, SB525, HR3, HR80, HR197, HR243, SCR5, SCR35, HB4, HB623, HB944, HB986, HB1098, HB1222, SB34, SB164, SB172, SB198, SB208, SB232, SB281, SB286, SB317, SB322, SB334, SB380, SB385, SB409, SB417, SB421, SB430, SB439, SB447, SB458, SB510, SB398, HB646, HR84, HR188, HR205, SCR19, SCR3, SCR6, SCR18, SCR11, SCR22, SCR2, SCR20, SCR24, HCR6, HB301, HB359, HB657, HB675, HB680, HB727, HB302, HB819, HB1257, HB1258, SB8, SB10, SB11, SB12, SB13, SB14, SB16, SB17, SB18, SB20, SB21, SB22, SB40, SB48, SB55, SB69, SB75, SB77, SB78, SB85, SB102, SB115, SB133, SB140, SB148, SB151, SB165, SB169, SB170, SB185, SB197, SB200, SB217, SB235, SB278, SB280, SB291, SB300, SB303, SB315, SB324, SB330, SB411, SB416, SB420, SB436, SB438, SB449, SB455, SB456, SB477, SB489, SB521, SB45, SB58, SB71, SB81, SB92, SB100, SB109, SB141, SB156, SB181, SB203, SB204, SB205, SB207, SB213, SB214, SB216, SB229, SB257, SB274, SB290, SB304, SB374, SB379, SB396, SB410, SB425, SB427, SB429, SB479, SB522, HCR72, HB633, HB603, HB940, HB251, HB775, HB998, HB1191, HB625, HB1255, HB901, HR20, HR74, HCR65, HCR71, HB284, HB306, HB341, HB366, HB393, HB458, HB577, HB582, HB605, HB614, HB733, HB752, HB773, HB798, HB911, HB955, HB996, HB1035, HB1069, HB1113, HB1140, HB1180, HB1240, SB82, SB89, HB258, HB842, SB149, SB382, SB441

Keywords: Pineville High School, Lady Rebels, softball, LHSAA, Louisiana High School Athletic Association, Class 5A, state championship, high school sports, student athletes, commendation, resolution, athletics, girls softball, championship team, Pineville, school recognition, sportsmanship, coach Allison Frye, Louisiana legislature, House Resolution

Transcript Highlights:

• issued, which is more restrictive than the law, had not yet been analyzed, readily available, or assessed
• And this is taking into account the experience of DHCS, just from that longitudinal assessment of the
• Since 2014, only a small number of residents required screenings, and all were ultimately eligible for
• And B, it allows departments and executive management to assess emerging risks more timely, risks that
• We think a yearly basis allows a more on-time assessment of risk.

Summary: The hearing focused on the expected loss of health coverage in California due to H.R. 1 and related federal policy changes, and what that could mean for county indigent care programs. Members and the chair said the state expects large Medi-Cal and Covered California disenrollments, with concerns that counties will again become the safety net for uninsured residents. The committee also framed the hearing as a chance to assess whether current systems are ready and what policy or budget changes may be needed before the next budget cycle. The Legislative Analyst’s Office described county indigent care as a long-standing, county-run program of last resort with wide variation in eligibility and benefits, funded largely through realignment dollars that also support public health. LAO said enrollment in county indigent care fell sharply after the ACA, but could rise again, and estimated that 20% to 50% of newly uninsured people might seek county care. LAO and administration witnesses emphasized that data on county programs is fragmented, not centrally collected, and would need to be standardized before the Legislature could make major structural decisions. Administration officials said Medi-Cal disenrollment could reach more than 1 million members at full implementation, with additional losses possible because a new federal rule makes medical-frailty exemptions more restrictive. They also said Covered California enrollment is projected to decline, though state subsidies may soften the drop. Members pressed the administration on the lack of real-time data and whether statutory authority might be needed to require county reporting. Officials said a statewide, apples-to-apples data system would likely take years, though some existing HCAI and DHCS data could help in the meantime. County representatives from Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Tulare described the practical effects of the coverage losses and asked for state help. They said their indigent care systems are limited, often reactive, and far less comprehensive than Medi-Cal, with many patients likely to show up only after conditions worsen. Counties warned that they would need bridge funding, updated statutory authority, and more flexible realignment rules to rebuild capacity and serve newly uninsured residents. The California Health Care Foundation echoed that the problem is statewide and cannot be solved county by county alone.

Transcript Highlights:

• no longer be eligible for PSCOC funding and staff will remove the facilities from the facilities assessment
• as of April 30th of 2025, we have 64 out of 91 school districts have had a facility maintenance assessment
• Romero, they, um, that's only their one assessment they've had done so far.
• Uh, it's just that we have not been out to assess that particular school district yet, but it is coming
• That's a recent discussion that we've had, so we are trying to make an assessment and see how much we're

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> assess a fee or in now or in the future. assess a fee or in now or in the future.
• Okay, so that either assess a fee now or in the future. Yeah.
• </c> do have 10 states that have assessed do have 10 states that have assessed taxes<01:04:58.640><c>
• So now we're seeing your screen. Thank you. Sorry, I thought I was sharing my screen.
• </c> we'll start to keep a running assessment we'll start to keep a running assessment of<01:52:01.280

Keywords: 1183, house