Video & Transcript : 'IT modernization' :

Page 190 of 500
VA
Transcript Highlights:
  • I have seen it happen before. Yes, it is a thing that can happen. It is rarely done.
  • I have seen it happen before. Yes, it is a thing that can happen. It is rarely that's done.
  • we could focus on certain aspects of it that could change and modify it, maybe get it to be something
  • Appreciate it.
  • I have it.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Education Pre-K - 12 Feb 3rd, 2026

Education Pre-K - 12

Transcript Highlights:
  • So no, it wouldn't require them to lead prayer. It would allow them, if they're asked, to do it.
  • I'm not going to sing it for you, but it is a song.
  • But as the way it is right now, I can't support it. Thank you. Thank you.
  • muddies it.
  • And it means a lot.
Bills: S0824, S1170, S1620, S1738, S7036
Summary: The Education Pre-K-12 Committee considered several K-12 bills and resolutions. SJR 1104, by Senator Massullo, would place on the ballot a proposed constitutional amendment protecting voluntary religious expression in public schools; supporters said it simply codifies existing law and protects student and employee rights, while opponents warned it could entrench religious pressure and exclusion. The resolution was reported favorably. The committee also heard SB 1738, by Senator Yarborough, on educational facilities; an amendment removed crime-prevention-through-environmental-design language and adjusted transparency/safe-space provisions, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. SB 824, by Senator Truenow, was amended into a transparency measure requiring districts to submit annual reports on unimproved land holdings to DOE, and it was reported favorably. Appointments in tabs 7 and 8 were recommended for confirmation. The committee then took up SPB 7036, a comprehensive education package by Chair Simon. The bill would expand educational emergency triggers, adjust Title I withholding uses, align charter school rules with school improvement processes, update safety and early learning provisions, expand literacy and math interventions, and revise educator pipeline policies. Members raised concerns about a provision that could allow the state to develop instructional materials; Simon said that section was still being considered and would need guardrails. The committee adopted a motion to submit the bill as a committee bill, and it was reported favorably. SB 1620, by Senator Leak, proposed a “school board members’ bill of rights” giving board members direct access to district documents and staff, limiting district attorneys’ dual representation, strengthening nepotism rules, and prohibiting nondisclosure agreements. Volusia County school board members and others testified both for and against the bill, with supporters citing transparency and accountability and opponents warning about confidentiality, staff pressure, and undermining the superintendent’s authority. The bill was reported favorably. Finally, SB 1170, by Senator Calatayud, as amended, would allow parents of students in self-contained ESE classrooms to request cameras, with district policies governing review, notice, timelines, and appeals. Parents, advocates, and educators testified strongly in support, while one witness opposed it as an unfunded mandate. The committee reported the bill favorably.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Senate in Session Jan 29th, 2026

Florida Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • In the first year, it passed the House. It did not pass the Senate.
  • It is responsibility.
  • It is responsibility.
  • It doesn't matter.
  • And I appreciate it because it made me better and made me better understand it.
Keywords: 999, senate, all
Summary: The Florida Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions recognizing guests and groups in the gallery, including Challenger Learning Center representatives, the Florida Dental Hygienists Association, Zeta Phi Beta, Pine Forest High School students, and others. Senators also offered remarks honoring the anniversary of the Challenger disaster and welcoming visitors. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar. The main floor debate centered on Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 156, which would increase penalties for crimes against law enforcement officers and other personnel, including mandatory life imprisonment for manslaughter of a law enforcement officer engaged in official duties. The bill drew extensive debate over self-defense, excessive force, prosecutorial discretion, jury instructions, and whether the measure was a proper response to the Jason Rayner case. Two amendments were offered and withdrawn. After debate, the Senate passed the bill 31-4. Senators Bracy Davis, Smith, Polsky, and others spoke in opposition, while Leek, Trumbull, and Hooper supported the measure as a needed correction and tribute to Officer Rayner. The Senate then passed a series of other bills, mostly unanimously or by wide margins. SB 168 expanded public nuisance law to include gambling establishments; SB 288 clarified rural electric cooperative authority; SB 292 created a public records exemption for appellate court clerks and their families; SB 296 and SB 298 advanced the HAVEN initiative and a related public records exemption for domestic violence victims; SB 364 modernized CPA licensure; SB 386 created protections for farm equipment purchasers; and several Open Government Sunset Review bills preserved or extended public records and meeting exemptions for emergency shelter addresses, Department of Military Affairs records, conviction integrity unit records, Public Service Commission and Gaming Commission proceedings, DHSMV investigatory records, social media investigation records, and certain economic development loan records. Most of these bills passed 32-35 votes, with SB 292 passing 34-1 and SB 7000, SB 7002, SB 706, SB 708, SB 7012, SB 7014, and SB 7016 all approved. At the end of the session, the Senate adopted a motion to immediately certify all bills passed that day to the House, heard announcements about upcoming executive appointments and State of Black Florida Week events, and then adjourned until the next scheduled meeting.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Ways & Means Feb 2nd, 2026 at 04:00 pm

Ways & Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • Sounds good because it has ag in it and that piques my interest, and I can't tell what it means.
  • It is responsible, targeted funding. It is not a traditional grant.
  • It is responsible, targeted funding. It is not a traditional grant.
  • It protects the mission and its strength for long-term effectiveness.
  • This program also can't pay its way, and it isn't projected to.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

FL House Floor Session - 2026-01-29 (9:00AM Session)

Florida House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • In the first year, it passed the House. It did not pass the Senate.
  • She said she had read the statute, and it simply says, enough. It doesn't.
  • It is responsibility.
  • It doesn't matter.
  • And I appreciate it because it made me better and made me better understand it.
Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions recognizing guests and visiting groups, including Challenger Learning Center representatives, the Florida Dental Hygienists Association, local officials, students, and members of the Florida School Board Association. Senators also noted President Albritton’s recovery and offered remarks honoring the 40th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. The main floor debate centered on Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 156, which revises criminal penalties involving law enforcement officers and other personnel. Sponsor Senator Leek said the bill responds to the Officer Jason Rainer case by clarifying resistance to officers, shifting fault determinations to the courts, changing “lawful performance” to “official duties,” and imposing mandatory life imprisonment for manslaughter of a law enforcement officer. Senators Rouson and Bracy Davis offered amendments that were withdrawn. Senators Pizzo, Berman, Smith, Polsky, and others questioned the bill’s effect on self-defense, off-duty conduct, prosecutorial discretion, and the removal of language limiting unlawful force by officers. Supporters argued the bill corrects confusion and honors Officer Rainer; opponents said it removes civilian protections and imposes disproportionate mandatory sentencing. The bill passed 31-4. The Senate then passed SB 168 on public nuisances, expanding nuisance law to include gambling establishments and increasing penalties; SB 288 on rural electric cooperatives, narrowing statutory ambiguity while preserving consumer protections; SB 292 creating a public records exemption for appellate court clerks and their families; SB 296 and SB 298 addressing domestic violence and dating violence, including a feasibility study for a secure alert system and expanded address confidentiality protections; SB 364 modernizing CPA licensure pathways; SB 386 creating protections for farm equipment purchasers; and several Open Government Sunset Review bills preserving or extending public records and meeting exemptions (SB 7000, 7002, 7006, 7008, 7012, 7014, and 7016). Most of these bills passed with little or no opposition, though some sunset-review measures drew a few dissenting votes. At the end of the session, the Rules Chair moved to waive rules and immediately certify all bills passed that day to the House, and the motion was adopted. The Senate also heard announcements about upcoming executive appointments, State of Black Florida Week events, and a motion to adjourn until the next meeting on February 4.
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

Senate - Rules Feb 13th, 2026 at 09:19 am

Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:
  • I move it to pass. Senator Lopez. I move it to pass.
  • It doesn't say it's only the staff. It doesn't, it's not limited.
  • And so I don't think the language as it is before us limits it to staff.
  • do it.
  • I like looking into it.
Bills: SM20, SM9, SJR6, HB124
WA
Transcript Highlights:
  • With this bill, if it were in effect, that's tough cookies because it would be, if it happened before
  • You wouldn't like it.
  • I used to shop at it quite frequently. Very familiar with it.
  • , even if it is not settled, even if it doesn't see it all the way through the end of court, there are
  • My staff has written it out for me, and I still got it wrong.
Summary: The Consumer Protection and Business Committee held public hearings on three bills. House Bill 2229 would update the professional engineers registration act by removing the U.S. citizenship requirement for board members, increasing pro tem board positions, giving the board more discretion over experience and continuing education requirements, removing some registration exclusions, and making various technical updates. The bill sponsor and the board described it as a cleanup and modernization measure, and a board representative said one naming change in the draft was unintended and would be corrected. No public testimony was taken before the hearing was suspended and later closed. House Bill 2274 would revise the Washington Commercial Electronic Mail Act after a Washington Supreme Court decision led to a wave of lawsuits over email subject lines. The bill would require a sender to have a “reliable basis” to know an email is held by a Washington resident, narrow when a subject line is actionable, require recipients to show they reviewed and relied on the email to recover damages, and repeal the act’s per se Consumer Protection Act violation while keeping statutory damages. Retailers, small business owners, hospitality groups, and e-commerce representatives supported the bill, saying the current interpretation is producing costly, technical lawsuits over ordinary promotional language and creating settlement pressure even without consumer harm. Consumer advocates opposed the bill, arguing it would weaken protections against deceptive subject lines and that the current law already targets false or misleading claims. The committee took no final action on the bill. House Bill 2294 would prohibit future negative use restrictions on real property that block grocery stores or pharmacies, with exceptions for existing restrictions, relocations, and certain retail centers. The sponsor said the measure is intended to improve food and pharmacy access, especially after grocery closures such as the one in Lake City, and noted similar local ordinances already exist. Food industry and grocery association witnesses generally supported the bill as a way to reduce barriers to food access and help independent grocers, while also asking for clearer guardrails to avoid unintended effects on legitimate business arrangements. The sponsor said she was open to working on enforcement and other details. The committee then moved to executive session and passed House Bill 1269, which would adjust pawn broker loan terms, interest, document preparation fees, storage fees, and allow online payment for renewals. Members described it as a modest increase after 11 years without changes, and the bill was reported out of committee with a due pass recommendation by voice vote, with 15 members voting in the affirmative.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
  • Designating it Qualifies it as an interstate, qualifies it for the design elements that are restricted
  • One of our proposals is to make sure that we're modernizing the definition of aircraft so that it covers
  • It was Education Day, so it wasn't on the busy upcoming weekend when I think it got...
  • Us collect it, but analyze it as well.
  • it as well.
WA
Transcript Highlights:
  • However, it just started and he didn't know about it, and the local government didn't know about it.
  • We hope it keeps kids safe and expands care for families who need it.
  • It was a pretty big vision, and it did look at P through higher ed.
  • Is it a for-profit company, a non-profit company, and what does it do?
  • Does it address those at all? Or does it just have this smaller... It only applies.
Summary: The committee held public hearings on several education bills. SB 6078 would provide pre-licensing supports for prospective child care providers through DCYF, fire protection consultations, and a licensing resource guide; the sponsor, DCYF, and a community nonprofit all supported it, emphasizing that it would reduce fragmented permitting barriers and help expand child care access, while a senator raised the possibility of overlap with existing early learning facilities support. SB 6089 would create a public-private partnership account to support coordination across the P-20W system and fund a public-facing data dashboard; the sponsor and many advocates supported it as a way to align early learning through workforce systems and improve transparency, while some testifiers urged stronger public oversight, caution about private influence, and explicit inclusion of early learning. SB 5859 would expand competency-based assessments as graduation pathway options; supporters said it would better reflect how students learn and provide flexibility, while the State Board of Education and school principals urged caution and suggested waiting for the board’s broader Future Ready graduation review. SB 5861 would require more school board directors to be elected from director districts in larger districts; supporters said it would improve community representation, while some districts and WSSDA warned about local control, added costs, and governance disruption. SB 6065 would allow districts in binding conditions or under enhanced financial oversight to use transportation vehicle funds for temporary loans or transfers with OSPI approval; supporters said it could help districts recover financially without harming transportation needs. After the hearings, the committee moved into executive session and acted on two bills. It adopted a proposed substitute to SB 5956, which restricts certain automated decision systems, surveillance technologies, biometric data, and facial recognition uses in student discipline and school safety decisions, and then advanced the bill with a do-pass recommendation to Rules. It also adopted a proposed substitute to SB 5901, which concerns state funding for on-base school construction, and advanced that bill with a do-pass recommendation to Ways and Means. Both measures were reported out subject to signatures.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Consumer Protection & Business Jan 14th, 2026 at 01:30 pm

Consumer Protection & Business

Transcript Highlights:
  • With this bill, if it were in effect, that's tough cookies because it would be, if it happened before
  • You wouldn't like it.
  • I used to shop at it quite frequently. Very familiar with it.
  • , even if it is not settled, even if it doesn't see it all the way through the end of court, there are
  • My staff has written it out for me, and I still got it wrong.
US
Transcript Highlights:
  • It should embrace transparency in all its operations.
  • I really appreciate it.
  • And then other teams try to do it, and they can't replicate it.
  • Fauci called it total nonsense. Rochelle Walensky called it wrong and unsafe.
  • They want to speed it up.
Summary: The meeting of the committee focused on various healthcare and scientific issues, with significant discussions surrounding the impact of recent administrative actions on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its research agenda. Senators expressed concerns over funding cuts and personnel reductions, particularly the reported termination of over 1,200 NIH staff members, which could jeopardize ongoing and future research projects. The session included testimonies on the importance of supporting early-stage researchers and restoring public trust in scientific institutions following pandemic-related controversies. Additionally, the potential for future healthcare management based on diverse scientific ideas was emphasized as crucial to tackle chronic diseases effectively.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Feb 12th, 2026 at 12:35 pm

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • It doesn't burn, it consumes more carbon, and it generates an economic externality that's good for everyone
  • It puts the grid at risk and it puts people's lives at risk.
  • It provides peaking power. It provides baseload power.
  • It provides peaking power, it provides baseload power, and it provides certainty that our grid will be
  • It was indicated that part of it was supposed to be shut down in 2020 and part of it in 2025.
Summary: The House took up several bills on second and third reading, beginning with House Bill 2360 on expanding access to albuterol in public and private schools. A motion to recommit the bill to the House Health Care and Wellness Committee failed on a roll call vote, 38 yeas to 56 nays. Supporters said the bill would help school nurses respond to students in respiratory distress and reflected input from nurses, OSPI, and the Department of Health. Opponents raised concerns about training, drug interactions, follow-up care, costs to districts, and schools making medical decisions without a diagnosis. The bill then passed 60-34. House Bill 2467, clarifying measurement rules for fifth-wheel travel trailers, passed 94-0 after sponsors said it would help Washington dealers and consumers. House Bill 1983, relating to timberland tax treatment when land is sold to DNR, passed 68-26 amid debate over whether it would help forest management or make it easier for DNR to acquire timberland. House Bill 2531, updating ambulance transport fund quality assurance rules to align with federal regulations and preserve matching funds, passed unanimously 94-0. The House also passed Substitute House Bill 1390, which phases out the Community Protection Program for certain developmentally disabled individuals with high-risk histories and transfers participants to other waiver programs. Supporters said the program was overly restrictive, out of compliance with federal law, and had trapped people in long-term confinement-like conditions; opponents argued it would weaken public safety and move dangerous individuals into community settings without adequate safeguards. The bill passed 52-44. House Bill 2367, eliminating a preferential treatment related to the former TransAlta coal plant in Centralia, passed 63-33 after supporters framed it as closing the book on coal and opponents warned about energy reliability, jobs, and an emergency clause. Substitute House Bill 2133, making a property tax exemption for certain senior centers permanent, passed 96-0. Substitute House Bill 2355, establishing labor protections for domestic workers, passed 57-39 after supporters emphasized dignity and long-standing worker abuse concerns, while opponents cited fiscal impacts. The House then passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2534, with a technical amendment, to improve educational stability for children in military families; it passed 96-0. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1974, creating a land banking framework to support affordable housing, passed 59-37 after an amendment reduced fiscal impact by striking some tax preference sections. House Bill 2223, allowing certain irrigation district board service by farmers with spouses employed by the district, passed 93-3. Substitute House Bill 2239, allowing family burial grounds on private property, passed 96-0 after supporters cited rural needs, cultural traditions, and personal family stories. The session also included a brief congratulatory recognition for Representative David Stuebe after his first bill passed the House.
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

S/C on Workforce Apr 29th, 2025

S/C on Workforce

Transcript Highlights:
  • It traveled its way through to the Texas Supreme Court in 2009 in a case called Lawton. ...and it dealt
  • So it delays us. It makes it much more expensive for those projects.
  • So it delays us. It makes it much more expensive for those projects.
  • It is damaging to people. It makes you scared.
  • It hurts you, everything about it, you know, your fear of work. It makes you scared.
Summary: The subcommittee heard testimony on a broad agenda of workforce, labor, and workers’ compensation bills. HB 4676 would require political subdivision workers’ compensation networks to follow the same notice, access, and complaint rules as certified TDI networks; supporters said public employees and first responders deserve equal access to care, while municipal risk pool representatives opposed added regulation and said existing 504 networks already perform well. HB 4479 would create a rural workforce development grant program at TWC to support college-and-career readiness and local workforce alignment, and HB 3844 would define “opportunity youth” in state law to improve data, coordination, and access to services for disconnected young Texans; both drew strong support from rural, education, and chamber witnesses. HB 5545 would clarify federal tax treatment for wage-replacement benefits in non-subscriber injury benefit plans, with proponents calling it a win for employers and injured workers. HB 5118 would direct TWC and DIR to study AI and automated employment decision tools in hiring, including bias and oversight concerns. HB 1667 would move existing PTSD workers’ compensation language into a broader Labor Code chapter so more first responders, including state and campus officers, could qualify for benefits; supporters called it a technical fix to extend coverage more evenly across agencies. The committee also heard several first-responder and workers’ compensation bills. HB 2369 would speed up claims handling for injured first responders by allowing a single medical evaluation, giving carriers 60 days to accept or deny a claim, and letting workers seek treatment while disputes proceed; law enforcement supporters said it would help injured officers return to work faster, while opponents warned it would revive extent-of-injury waiver problems and increase litigation. HB 4483 would reclassify certain workers’ compensation maintenance taxes as surcharges to reduce retaliatory taxes imposed by other states on Texas-domiciled carriers, and HB 875, as revised by committee substitute, would create a small-project exception to municipal workers’ compensation and bonding requirements for certain low-value construction contracts in small cities; both were presented as cost-saving measures for Texas employers and local governments. HB 4415 would extend anti-retaliation protections for workers’ compensation claimants from first responders to all public employees and expressly waive sovereign immunity for those claims, with supporters describing it as closing a loophole that leaves public workers without the same remedy available in the private sector. The committee also took testimony on HB 5400, which would expand remedies for sexual harassment victims by removing the requirement to first file an administrative charge, extending the filing deadline from 300 days to two years, clarifying retaliation, and eliminating current damages caps. Supporters, including employment lawyers and a parent of a victim, said the current deadlines and caps prevent many survivors from obtaining counsel or full relief, especially younger workers and those in small workplaces or franchises. Across the agenda, witnesses repeatedly emphasized access to care, fair treatment for injured workers, rural workforce development, and stronger protections for vulnerable employees. After each bill was laid out and testimony heard, the chair generally closed the public hearing and left the bill pending; no final votes were taken, and the subcommittee adjourned after completing the agenda.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • And it was highly effective. And it still is.
  • And it was highly effective. And it still is.
  • , then it takes a lot to build it back up.
  • It sounds like it was talked about the year before.
  • But it, to just let it dissolve and, and just.
Keywords: 988, house, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Floor Session Apr 27th, 2026

California House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Speaker and Members, AB 2323 modernizes California's public notice system while preserving its role in
  • It happens because systems, our systems, allow it, protect it, excuse it, and that includes spaces like
  • It happens because systems, our systems, allow it, protect it, excuse it, and that includes spaces like
  • I remember it really like it was yesterday.
  • This bill, I hope you will read it again after you vote for it.
Keywords: 988, house, all
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Fiscal Policy Apr 17th, 2025

Fiscal Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • Strengthen it. Enforce it. Florida workers deserve better than this. Thank you.
  • So they had it, but it did require them to treat them as good as their best customers.
  • It will provide greater To help the council fulfill its mission.
  • And it?
  • No, I'm looking at it wrong. You marked it, right? And my handwriting.
Summary: The Committee on Fiscal Policy met and considered a wide range of bills, including early learning and special needs funding (SB 1102), Israel bond investment authority (SB 1674), Parkinson’s disease research at USF (SB 1800), mental health and substance use disorder reforms (SB 1620), veterans nursing home beds (SB 788), securities regulation updates (SB 988), labor pool regulation (SB 1672), Alzheimer’s awareness (SB 398), educator preparation (SB 1590), student mental health reporting (SB 1310), specialty license plates (SB 824), financial institutions and IOTA-related issues (SB 1612), transportation facility designations (SB 1408), utility worker protections (SB 1386), DNA testing grants (SB 1072), the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys (SB 364), housing support for former foster youth and homeless students (SB 584), sex offender registration changes (SB 1654), migrant vessel disposal (SB 830), commuter rail indemnification (SB 916), juvenile justice revisions (SB 1344), aggravating factors in capital cases (SB 984), and a criminal offender substance abuse pilot program (SB 1140). Most bills were explained by sponsors, often with supportive testimony from affected agencies, advocacy groups, or industry representatives, and several were amended before final action. The committee adopted amendments on many measures, including clarifications and effective-date changes for SB 1102; technical changes to SB 1620 implementing mental health commission recommendations; a delete-all amendment for SB 1620; an amendment to SB 988; a consumer-disclosure amendment on SB 1612; and multiple amendments to SB 1408, SB 364, SB 584, SB 1654, and SB 1344. SB 1672 on the Labor Pool Act drew extensive public testimony in opposition from worker advocates, who argued repeal would weaken protections for temp workers and formerly incarcerated workers, and the bill was temporarily postponed to a later meeting without a vote. Several bills received notable testimony in support, including SB 584, where former foster youth described housing instability and the importance of campus housing and federal voucher coordination; SB 1386, which was backed by utility and industry groups seeking stronger penalties for assaults on utility workers; and SB 984, which drew opposition from the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops over expansion of death penalty aggravators. The committee also heard support and opposition on SB 1612 regarding IOTA interest rates and legal aid funding, with bankers and civil legal aid representatives disputing the proper rate structure and whether the bill conflicted with Florida Bar rules. At the end of the meeting, the committee reported all voted-on bills favorably, including SB 1102, SB 1674, SB 1800, SB 1620, SB 788, SB 988, SB 398, SB 1590, SB 1310, SB 824, SB 1612, SB 1408, SB 1386, SB 1072, SB 364, SB 584, SB 1654, SB 830, SB 916, SB 1344, SB 984, and SB 1140. Members also requested to be recorded on various bills, and the committee adjourned after noting one remaining meeting would be lengthy.
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

S/C on Defense & Veterans' Affairs Apr 22nd, 2025

S/C on Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • it work?
  • you about it.
  • It's all it says.
  • We got it out.
  • , it seems less.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Again, it might not serve the purpose of holding the school accountable, but it is a critical resource
  • And I appreciate it.
  • I very much appreciate it.
  • If I'd have known that it was going to be adopted as it has been, I would have worked to put in much
  • If I'd have known that it was going to be adopted as it has been, I would have worked to put in much
Keywords: 988, house, all
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

Senate Standing Committee on Banking and Insurance. (2-10-26)

Banking & Insurance

Transcript Highlights:
  • It makes two changes.
  • It makes two changes. Number explain. It makes two changes.
  • We appreciate it. Uh, go expression. We appreciate it.
  • Here’s where you do it.”
  • They've modernized.
WA
Transcript Highlights:
  • It wasn't inadvertent.
  • I appreciate it.
  • So the access to internet and the skills used for it are integral to participating in modern civic life
  • Access to the internet and the skills to use it are essential in modern life.
  • I don't have it with me here, but happy to get it back to this committee.
Keywords: 904, all
Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee subcommittee held a hybrid hearing to receive three State Auditor’s Office performance audits. The first audit examined implementation of the Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act. Auditors said the Criminal Justice Training Commission had developed most required training, but six community/cultural topics were still unfinished, the patrol tactics curriculum was incomplete in one area, and the agency lacked a systematic project management approach. They reported that most officers had not completed the 40 required hours, with low participation in patrol tactics training, weak communication, limited data to track compliance, and ineffective incentives or consequences. Committee members questioned staffing, liability, and enforcement, and the Commission said it generally agreed with the findings and had begun implementing recommendations, including improving training development and communication. The second audit reviewed Washington’s digital equity planning. Auditors concluded the state lacked a comprehensive, unified digital equity strategy, a designated lead, and reliable funding. They said the existing PEAR/Impact Plan, BEAD five-year plan, and NTIA-approved digital equity plan each addressed parts of the issue but none provided a full statewide framework with clear authority across agencies. The Department of Commerce’s Broadband Office and the Office of Equity said they agreed with the findings and were open to working with the legislature and the Digital Equity Forum on a more structured approach. A public witness described local and regional digital equity planning efforts and emphasized the importance of coordination and community-based work. The third audit focused on Commerce’s management of the Digital Navigator Program. Auditors said Commerce did not consistently use a competitive process, did not adequately vet grantees and subgrantees, wrote contracts that lacked clear deliverables and monitoring requirements, failed to enforce reporting, and paid $10.7 million without sufficient documentation to verify reimbursement eligibility. They said agency staff had raised concerns that were ignored and that some payments and contract expansions occurred despite warnings. Commerce officials said new leadership had already begun major contract-management reforms, including centralized oversight, risk assessments, clearer documentation standards, and staff training, and they said they would pursue recapture where appropriate. Committee members expressed strong concern about accountability, and the hearing ended after public testimony and committee discussion.