Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, seeing none, moving on to SB 836 relating to water catchment systems.
• Okay, seeing none, moving on to SB 836, relating to water catchment systems.
• Board of Water Supply Ernest La providing comments. Thank you very much.
• </c><01:11:22.679><c> quality</c> support Robin Knox Hawaii water quality support Robin Knox Hawaii water
• </c> so for SV 838 relating to Water so for SV 838 relating to Water catchment<01:13:09.520><c> Systems

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee heard testimony on several measures related to child welfare, health care access, overdose response, disability services, and waste management. For SB 710 on child welfare, the Department of Human Services, the Office of Wellness and Resilience, the Attorney General’s office, and multiple advocacy groups testified in support, with the Governor’s office noting support but deferring to the Attorney General on implementation because of separation-of-powers concerns. For SB 952 on child welfare services, DHS, the Governor’s office, and child- and trauma-informed care advocates supported the bill, saying it would help families access services, provide basic material support, and reduce strain on the child welfare system. SB 954 on a home health services rate study also drew support, including from DHS, the Hawaii Healthcare Association, and a public testifier who said the study would help ensure funds reach low-income, disabled, and kupuna recipients. SB 957 on overdose prevention received support from the Department of Health and the Attorney General, who said overdose prevention centers are evidence-based but raised federal-law concerns and recommended amendments; the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center and others also testified in support. The committee then moved to the 1:00 regular calendar and heard SB 850 on disability health disparity, which was supported by the Executive Office on Aging, the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, self-advocates, and others. Testimony emphasized that a disparity study could improve workforce development, training, and services for people with disabilities. SB 838 on continuous glucose monitoring drew support from health agencies and advocates, with testimony stressing that monitors can be critical for some diabetes patients. SB 829 on health care was supported by the Department of Health and health care stakeholders, who said it would help rotating physicians serve neighbor islands without local hospital privileges and align with CMS rules. SB 446 on waste management drew mixed testimony: the Department of Health and several public entities provided comments, the County of Maui opposed, and environmental advocates urged stronger aquifer protections and limits on ash reuse. During decision making, the committee adopted recommendations to pass SB 298, SB 322, SB 299, SB 450, SB 451, SB 949, SB 710, SB 957, SB 69, and SD 952 with various amendments, including technical changes, blank appropriations, and defective dates. SB 323, SB 324, SB 712, SB 950, SB 954, and SB 959 were deferred, largely because companion House measures were moving or similar Senate measures had already passed. The chair also announced recesses to find quorum and noted that some bills from the earlier Monday calendar were being deferred to avoid duplication.

Transcript Highlights:

• borders; and whereas Washington and British Columbia are permanently linked by the Salish Sea, whose waters
• are unconstrained by national borders; and whereas the country... ...Salish Sea, whose waters are unconstrained
• our country in times of crisis, lending supplies and volunteers during the Nooksack floods, sending water
• The other work on invasive species, those water-borne invasive species, these...
• Work on invasive species, those water-borne invasive species, knowing what we need to do on both sides

Summary: The Senate convened on Tuesday, February 24, approved the previous day’s Journal without objection, and handled committee referrals. Among the measures referred, engrossed substitute House Bill 2548, concerning health care market standards, was specifically sent to the Committee on Rules rather than the committee listed in the standing committee report. The chamber also received supplemental committee reports later in the day, including Senate Bill 5998, the operating budget supplemental, and House Bill 2664, both referred to Rules. The main floor action was consideration of Senate Resolution 8696, which recognizes Washington’s interconnected relationship with Canada. The resolution highlighted economic, cultural, environmental, and border-community ties, including trade, shared infrastructure and energy links, cross-border family connections, tribal and First Nations relationships, and cooperation on issues such as climate policy, disaster response, and scientific research. Senators Schumake, Short, and Slatter spoke in support, emphasizing border communities, shared natural resources, research partnerships, and the long-standing friendship between Washington and Canada. The resolution was adopted by voice vote. After adoption, the Senate recognized visiting Canadian and regional officials and representatives, including the Canadian Consul General in Seattle, the Consulate’s trade commissioner, Quebec’s delegate in Seattle, the Mayor of Blaine, and Western Washington University representatives. The Senate then went at ease, later reconvened briefly to process the supplemental committee reports, and adjourned without objection until Thursday, February 26 at 10:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• into a home from some sort of outsized growth of water on the land.
• pipe bust, that we call that a water damage claim, another property has a fire.
• pipe bust, that we call that a water damage claim, another property has a fire.
• How much water coverage do they choose?
• If they exclude water coverage or limit it, that could save them a large amount of money.

Summary: The subcommittee held its first meeting on homeowners property insurance, with members from both parties introducing themselves and repeatedly noting that insurance affordability, roof condition, claims handling, and storm recovery are top concerns for their districts. Chair Yeager said the meeting was intended as an educational discussion rather than a legislative debate, and introduced a panel that included Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworski, consumer Chad Carr, agent Mary Catherine Lawler, insurer executive Melissa Burt DeVries, and policyholder attorney Chip Merlin. The panel and members discussed major cost drivers in Florida homeowners insurance, including inflation, home age, roof age, mitigation features, claims history, litigation costs, reinsurance, and the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. Commissioner Yaworski said underwriting has become more sophisticated and that litigation costs, reinsurance, and replacement-cost inflation all affect premiums; he also said litigation is down about 30% and average requested rate increases have fallen from about 22.1% in 2022 to 0.8% today. DeVries said age of home, replacement cost, roof age, and coverage choices can materially change premiums, and explained that reinsurance is a major expense passed through to consumers. Merlin emphasized transparency concerns, argued that insurers are increasingly individualizing risk, and said consumers often struggle with coverage limits, deductibles, and claim denials. Members asked about flood coverage, hurricane deductibles, managed repair programs, mitigation credits, new insurer capitalization, and whether savings from reforms are reaching consumers. Yaworski explained that flood is generally excluded from homeowners policies and covered separately, that hurricane deductibles are mandatory in Florida and usually around 5%, and that the office tracks savings from reforms through rate filings and insurer discussions. He said the state is updating mitigation discounts and monitoring new entrants closely for solvency and market conduct. Several members and panelists said recent reforms have helped reduce some abuses and litigation, but many consumers are still seeing higher premiums because replacement costs and reinsurance remain elevated. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Wildlife LR 404 Kira Kahani with Water Wildlife LR 404 Kira Kahani with Water Resource<00:01:58.759
• There's not a whole lot of water resources.
• There's not a whole lot of water resources.
• So now we're going to move from fire to water, okay?
• <01:33:24.960><c> okay</c> water okay water okay 404<01:33:27.520><c> yeah</c><01:33:27.880><c> so</c

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> DNR liaison, Bob Meyer and John Waters. DNR liaison, Bob Meyer and John Waters.
• </c> I'll hand it over to um to John Waters. I'll hand it over to um to John Waters.
• Waters, if you want to just pro Mr.
• Waters, for this great presentation.
• </c><01:38:12.960><c> touching</c> for instance if there's water touching for instance if there's water

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Louis County draw their drinking water from.
• Louis County draw their drinking water from.
• As far as the potential health effects from exposure to leachate-contaminated water, it presents a number
• If there's one thing we should all agree on, it's that Missourians deserve clean water, rivers, and streams
• credit, and said he had talked to people that run various programs at the university dealing with water

Committee: House Emerging Issues

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing none, we will go on to National Resources, Energy and Water, page 56, SB 1200.
• Chair, members, Senate Bill 1200, as amended by ENRU, enables a person to use a qualifying body of water
• within an active management area for the transportation of other types of water for landscaping or other
• purposes by combining the effluent with the water used, if the owner or operator of the body of water
• Senate Bill 1560 increases from $3 million to $20 million the maximum single loan amount from the Water

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long list of Senate bills and memorials across several policy areas, with most items presented as consent or third-read measures and little debate. Topics included special license plates for the Arizona Space Commission, local land-use and housing restrictions, liquor regulation updates, limits on municipal delays in permitting and exactions, election equipment security and timekeeping requirements, precinct committeeman vacancy procedures, assisted living and deed-fraud measures, a Freedom of Speech Monument committee, renaming Wesley Bolin Plaza, and a ban on gender transition procedures for minors. Members also discussed health and human services bills on behavioral health technician standards, Medicaid billing during ownership changes, breast cancer screening cost-sharing, naturopathic IV administration authority, safe-haven newborn surrender at hospitals, and access claim-processing timelines. The Judiciary portion covered probation limits for dangerous crimes against children, a civil cause of action related to prohibited gender reassignment surgery on minors, elimination of the statute of limitations for failure to register as a sex offender, probation incentive calculations, victim-rights expense recovery, unlawful flight penalties, vulnerable adult theft definitions, motor fuel theft, unlawful alerting, and evidence rules in sexual-assault-related hearings. In discussion, members asked for clarifications on several bills, including the definitions of “malicious” delay, internet access on election equipment, the scope of the breast screening bill, and the meaning of unlawful alerting. Supporters repeatedly described bills as common-sense, fraud-prevention, patient-access, or public-safety measures, while one member noted a no vote on extending the Vulnerable Adult System Study Committee. Additional measures in land, agriculture, water, public safety, and transportation included foreign-entity restrictions on land transactions, limits on transporting Mexican gray wolf puppies, water reuse and groundwater fee extensions, a larger water supply revolving fund loan cap, congressional memorials on EPA authority and the San Carlos irrigation project, expanded traumatic event counseling coverage, reimbursement of legal costs for certain disciplined law enforcement officers, data sharing with the federal government on unauthorized aliens, roadable aircraft registration, motor vehicle booting rules, military-property sign placement, a towing and impound study committee, photo enforcement penalties, and highway renaming memorials. No roll-call votes were described in the transcript, and the meeting ended after the transportation items and memorials were completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• I can't cut my water costs. I can't cut my power costs. So the things that I'm going to...
• I can't cut my water costs. I can't cut my power costs.
• But this was a full tillage program. water. We're not sure. But this was a full tillage program.
• We were able to obtain some water rights and transfer them to this field, but before we tilled up the
• Cover crops are great, but they use more water and they are not cheap.

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Summary: The House Agricultural Affairs Committee approved the January 20, 2025 minutes and then took up an RS, introduced by Rep. Jaron Crane, promoting natural sugar in school lunches and breakfast programs as part of Idaho’s support for the MAHA movement. The committee voted to introduce RS 32944C1, with lighthearted discussion about “sweetening” the proposal. Crane and others framed the memorial as a way to encourage federal officials to prioritize real sugar over artificial sweeteners and to support Idaho sugar beet growers. The committee then heard a panel from the Snake River Sugar Beet Growers Association and Amalgamated Sugar on the economic condition of the sugar beet industry. Growers described sharply lower prices, rising input costs, and tightening margins, saying many farms are near break-even or losing money and that smaller family farms are especially vulnerable. A presentation on regenerative agriculture emphasized soil health practices such as strip-till, cover crops, and compost/manure use, while noting that cover crops are costly and may be reduced in tight years. Questions from members focused on glyphosate availability, the effect of losing herbicides on tillage practices, and whether more incentives or federal help could support production. Amalgamated Sugar’s Jake Hancock explained the cooperative’s role in Idaho’s economy and described the federal sugar program, arguing that low prices are being driven by excessive imports, USDA demand overestimates, and an outdated high-tier import duty that has not kept pace with inflation. He said the recent federal increase in the sugar loan rate helps, but long-term sustainability requires raising the duty and better aligning import policy with domestic production costs. Several members expressed support for a joint memorial to Congress and federal agencies asking them to review sugar policy and protect the domestic industry. The chair closed by stressing that agricultural policy decisions affect rural jobs, families, and local economies, and then adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 178, introduced by Senator Pope, an act relating to water, amending and enacting sections
• of the Produced Water Act, amending the Water Quality Act, amending the Tax Administration.
• Act restricting the use of produced water off the oil field for research purposes only, imposing a 50
• -cent produced water fee on barrels of produced water from oil or gas wells, creating the Plugging and
• Wells Fund, depositing money collected from the produced water fee into the Plugging and Remediating

Transcript Highlights:

• Inadvertently, we did miss the soil and water conservation districts.
• Is that all on the soil and water conservation district?
• Chair and Representative Scott, I do believe that says the case with that; it is for the soil and water
• Representative Mitchell, I'm just wondering if you can tell us on this, are soil and water conservation
• We need to bring the clerks into this conversation and some of the soil and water conservation districts

Committee: House State Affairs

Summary: The committee first approved minutes from prior meetings and agreed to reorder the agenda. It then heard House Bill 673, which would require legislative candidates to have lived in their district for at least 120 days before filing, clarifying residency intent for House and Senate races. The sponsor said the bill is narrowly aimed at legislative offices and could be revisited later if redistricting creates timing issues. The committee moved HB 673 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Members also introduced several RS measures. RS 33171 would let Idaho cities apply to join the state insurance pool, with the sponsor saying cities would pay all costs and could decide whether the arrangement saves money. RS 33289 was described as an election cleanup bill to fix missed references for soil and water conservation districts, mail-in-ballot-only precincts, and canvassing timelines; members asked questions about district elections and ballot logistics. RS 33343 would strengthen criminal penalties for sextortion, especially involving minors, by making threats to expose intimate images actionable even if the images are never shared; the sponsor emphasized the harm to children and the need for early intervention. All three RS measures were introduced. The committee then heard House Bill 549, which would amend hospital district dissolution petition rules by requiring signatures from electors only, rather than both electors and property owners. The sponsor and a remote testifier said the current property-owner requirement is difficult or nearly impossible to verify in areas with many nonresident property owners and is inconsistent with other initiative laws. After testimony, the committee sent HB 549 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The meeting adjourned after completing its work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thursday committee, about half of this committee is going to take a tour of the Veolia water treatment
• About half of this committee is going to take a tour of the Veolia water treatment plant, and so the
• We talk about water. We talk about timber. What our resources are and what's priority.
• We talk about water. We talk about timber. We talk about recreation. We talk about tourism.
• Sorry, Representative Sodder, none of them are water skiing.

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including a silent roll call, notice of an upcoming tour of the Veolia water treatment plant, and approval of the February 9 and February 11, 2026 minutes. Members also recognized a departing page, Kaelin, who briefly shared her plans to serve an LDS mission and later attend college for an agribusiness degree. The committee then heard House Bill 652, presented by Representative Stone on behalf of a fourth-grade homeschool student from Twin Falls, Betty Grandi. The bill would designate hunting as Idaho’s official state sport. Grandi testified that she researched the issue, surveyed her community through her newspaper, and found hunting to be the clear favorite. She argued it reflects Idaho’s history, outdoor traditions, conservation values, and family recreation. The committee praised her presentation and unanimously voted to send the bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The remainder of the meeting was devoted to pending Idaho Department of Lands rules. Andrew Smith presented changes to mine land reclamation rules, saying the revisions were the product of negotiated rulemaking, public meetings, and comments, and would reduce word count and restrictive language while adding definitions and reorganizing requirements. Will Teeteman of the Idaho Conservation League supported periodic review of reclamation plans but objected that the rule did not clearly reflect statutory five-year review language; the committee nonetheless approved the docket. Marty Menzinger then presented navigable waterways rule changes, describing outreach, no fee increases, and reductions in word count and restrictive terms; the committee approved that docket as well. Finally, Lawson Tate presented right-of-way easement rule changes, including removal of nominal fees, updated compensation language tied to appraised value, emergency-work definitions, and longer temporary permits; after questions about appraisal costs and selection, the committee approved the rule. The meeting adjourned after all pending items were acted on.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is primarily due to the fact that infants are not strong enough to pull their head out of the water
• must include the increased risk of drowning for infants and toddlers in bathtubs, pools, and other water
• sources, water safety measures that parents can employ to prevent drowning, emphasizing the importance
• , of course, of constant supervision of infants and children when they are around water.
• seeking to empower caregivers with the knowledge and tools they need to keep children safe around water

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services heard public testimony on concerns about changes to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and the iBudget waiver, including warnings that HIV patients could lose access to medications and that direct support providers need a rate increase. Senators discussed possible alternatives such as medically needy coverage and FQHC/340B access, and a witness urged the legislature to delay implementation of the HIV-related changes and restore funding. Another witness asked for support for a modest increase for iBudget direct care providers. The committee then considered and reported favorably several bills. SB 428, by Sen. Yarborough, expands the state swimming voucher program from ages 0-4 to ages 1-7 to align with drowning-prevention guidance; it passed without opposition. CS/SB 68, by Sen. Harrell, requires hospitals with emergency departments to adopt pediatric emergency care policies, training, equipment standards, and readiness assessments; an amendment aligning reporting dates with the House version was adopted, and the bill passed favorably. CS/SB 1718, by Sen. Grall, makes the Step Into Success foster youth pilot permanent, adjusts visitor/background screening rules for out-of-home placements, and modifies stipend provisions; it also passed favorably. The committee also approved CS/SB 606, by Sen. Smith, which adds drowning-prevention and safe-bathing education to postpartum materials and requires hospitals and birthing centers to keep compliance records. CS/CS/SB 96, by Sen. Sharief, expands eligibility for the Veterans Dental Care Grant Program up to 400% of the federal poverty level; an amendment removed the $500,000 appropriation so funding can be handled in the budget process, and the bill passed. CS/SB 340, by Sen. Harrell, requires nursing education to include a human trafficking course before licensure, and CS/SB 1480, by Sen. Burton, creates a grandfathering process for certain health care providers in areas of critical need if federal designations change; both were reported favorably. The committee adjourned at the end of the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• HCR 2006 environmental, natural resources, energy and water.
• The Committee on Natural Resources, Energy, and Water is assigned as primary committee for House Bill
• The Committee on Natural Resources, Energy, and Water is assigned as primary committee for House Bill
• HB 2400, motor fuel tax holiday, Natural Resources, Energy and Water.
• HB 2696, commerce authority gas prices prioritization, Natural Resources, Energy and Water.

Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the prior journal, and recorded attendance at 56 present, zero absent, and four excused. Members then used personal privilege to introduce guests and recognize visiting groups, including the West Valley Regional Chamber, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics Arizona, Vitalant, and veterans and military representatives. The chamber and blood donor month proclamations were read, with Representative Bliss recognizing January as National Blood Donor Month in Arizona and Vitalant’s role in supplying most of the state’s blood supply, and Representative Aguilar declaring January 22, 2026, West Valley Regional Chamber Day. The House handled a large volume of procedural business, including reports of standing committees, first reading and referral of numerous bills and resolutions, and announcements of committee meetings. The bills covered a wide range of topics such as elections, education, housing, taxes, health care, artificial intelligence, veterans, public safety, and energy. Several measures were also withdrawn and reassigned to different committees, including referrals to the Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Innovation, Government, Public Safety and Law Enforcement, and Natural Resources, Energy, and Water. Members also made brief remarks honoring guests and community causes, including a Veterans Caucus lunch announcement focused on military-family policy and a personal remembrance by Senator Cruz. No substantive floor votes on legislation were taken beyond procedural approvals and the motion to adjourn. The House recessed and later adjourned until 1:15 p.m. on Monday, January 26, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• , affordable access to wastewater treatment, and investments in our land, air, water, and wildlife that
• keep doing that, but to take and invest 328 million in transportation this year and 227 million in water
• There's another 100 million, as the vice chair talked about, going straight to the Water Trust Fund and
• the Water Trust Board, in addition to a wide range of investments in watershed historic investments
• in the Strategic Water Reserve, which is to preserve in-stream flows in a number of other areas But I

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 310 by Ghan relating to the use of money transferred by the Texas Water Fund referred to the Committee
• Owners Association to assess a fine or discolored vegetation during a period of residential watering
• HB 365 by Gonzalez of El Paso relating to the authority of the Texas Water Development Board to provide
• HB 391 by Bella Coffman relating to the board of directors meeting locations to certain rural area water
• For certain water districts referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, AG 421 by Gonzalez of El

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><02:23:01.359><c> omnibus</c><02:23:01.840><c> water</c> Bill 87 sponsored by water omnibus water
• Bill 87 sponsored by water omnibus water bill<02:23:02.399><c> planning</c><02:23:02.960><c> an</c><
• </c> bill planning an act relating to water bill planning an act relating to water development<02:23:
• ; water account two, rehabilitation; and water account three, dams and reservoirs.
• ; water account two, rehabilitation; and water account three, dams and reservoirs.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Waters, no. Senator Apprentice, no. Waters, no. Senator Apprentice, no.
• Senator Waters, no. Senator McConi, yes. Senator Waters, no.
• </c> Waters, no. Senator Apprentice, no. Waters, no. Senator Apprentice, no.
• Senator Waters, no. Senator McConi, yes. Senator Waters, no.
• </c> Senator Waters wants to speak as well. Senator Waters wants to speak as well.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and means removed by Senator Waters. and means removed by Senator Waters.
• Senator Waters. No. Senator McConi. Yes. Senator Waters. No.
• Senator Waters, no. Senator McConi, yes. Senator Waters, no.
• Senator Waters, no. Senator McConi, yes. Senator Waters, no.
• Senator Waters, no. Senator McConi, yes. Senator Waters, no.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Contaminated water enters the air as aerosolized water droplets, impacting everyone who lives near it
• , not just those who actually enter the water.
• Lifeguards are exposed to contaminated ocean water, either working near it or entering the water in an
• where turbulent water injects hydrogen sulfide into the air at 70 times the nuisance standard.
• Our work group experiences noxious odors, physical contact with polluted water and soil, flash flooding

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on workplace technology, labor protections, and data center oversight. SB 947, the No Robo Bosses Act of 2026, would require human review before automated systems are used in discipline, termination, or deactivation decisions and would ban predictive behavior analysis in the workplace. Labor groups, worker advocates, and privacy organizations supported the bill, arguing AI can be biased and should not make life-changing employment decisions without human judgment. Business groups opposed it, saying it was broader than prior versions, could interfere with workplace safety tools, and should not include a private right of action or cover independent contractors. After discussion about due process and accountability, the bill passed the committee 3-1 and was sent to the Senate Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection. SB 978, the Data Center Community Accountability Act, would require data centers to pay upfront for new transmission or distribution infrastructure, create a separate rate structure so costs are not shifted to other ratepayers, and include skilled-and-trained labor standards for construction. Supporters said the bill would protect ratepayers, create good construction jobs, and encourage zero-carbon energy development. Opponents, including the Data Center Coalition and Silicon Valley Leadership Group, argued the CPUC already has ongoing proceedings on these issues and warned the bill could single out one industry and discourage investment. The committee members emphasized labor standards and community concerns, and the bill passed 3-0 to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. SB 951, the California Worker Technological Displacement Act, would expand WARN-style notice requirements for layoffs caused by AI or automation, require reporting to workers, local government, and EDD, and give displaced workers first consideration for other openings. Supporters said the bill responds to rapid AI-driven layoffs and would provide needed transparency and data. Opponents said the definitions were too broad, the notice requirements too burdensome, and the bill conflicted with existing WARN law; they also objected to the private right of action and inclusion of independent contractors. The committee discussed amendments clarifying that an employee may still be discharged for reasonable and substantiated cause during the notice period. The bill passed 3-1 to the Senate Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection. The committee also approved SB 1032, which would create a licensing and regulatory framework for temporary staffing agencies, and SB 1046, which would direct Cal/OSHA to develop standards to protect lifeguards and park rangers from transboundary pollution in the Tijuana River Valley. SB 1032 drew support from labor and enforcement advocates who said it would help stop staffing fraud, while staffing firms argued the bill was vague and could burden legitimate small businesses; it passed 3-1 to the Senate Committee on Judiciary. SB 1046 was supported by park workers and community groups describing health impacts from pollution and passed 4-0 to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. The committee also took up a consent item, which passed 4-0, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Contaminated water enters the air as aerosolized water droplets, impacting everyone who lives near it
• , not just those who actually enter the water.
• Lifeguards are exposed to contaminated ocean water, either working near it or entering the water in an
• where turbulent water injects hydrogen sulfide into the air at 70 times the nuisance standard.
• Our work group experiences noxious odors, physical contact with polluted water and soil, flash flooding

Committee: Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Keywords: 987, senate, all