Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:30:33.159><c> we</c> repository and our Reporting System we repository and our Reporting System
• </c> and navigating the Health Care system and navigating the Health Care system and<00:47:15.440><c>
• and Health Systems Minnesota's hospitals and Health Systems had<01:10:33.040><c> a</c><01:10:33.280>
• stresses access across the system.
• stresses access across the system.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They all really think that the speed-based tier system makes a lot of sense.
• They all really think that the speed-based tier system makes a lot of sense.
• This makes for a poor consumer experience, and it's a system that is not as safe as it can be.
• Once that is done, we're going to have to come up with fine systems.
• for classification system in this bill is particularly valuable.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation held a hearing on the governor’s Ride Safe Act (S 3077), a micromobility bill based on recommendations from last year’s Special Commission on Micromobility. Administration witnesses from MassDOT and the MBTA said the bill is needed because current laws are outdated and inconsistent, and they emphasized a new speed-based framework that would classify devices by maximum speed rather than by device name. They said the bill would set statewide rules, clarify enforcement, require safety equipment and age limits, restrict unsafe modifications, improve crash-data collection, and create a working group to address future issues such as registration, licensure, insurance, and emerging technologies. Committee members asked about crash reporting, battery safety, enforcement on shared-use paths, commuter rail access, and how the bill would apply to off-road vehicles. Several witnesses and legislators supported the bill’s general approach but raised concerns about whether the speed tiers should be tied more directly to actual operating speed on paths, whether higher-speed devices should be registered, and how police would distinguish between similar-looking devices. Representative and commission witnesses also urged more funding for Complete Streets and Shared Streets and Spaces, and some suggested adding default speed limits on shared-use paths and automated enforcement tools. Public testimony was mixed. Pediatric emergency physicians strongly supported the bill but urged amendments for a minimum age to operate powered devices and a universal helmet requirement, citing rising severe injuries and deaths among children. A police chief and other safety advocates backed clearer rules and better data collection, while some moped riders objected that the bill would treat low-speed gas mopeds too harshly and should better account for mopeds as vulnerable road users. UL Standards and AAA supported the bill’s safety and clarity goals, with UL recommending tighter language on battery certification and equivalent standards. No vote was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is Mary Ann Bates, Executive Director of Cradle to Career Data System.
• . ...of the sales tax base, and it's not an overhaul of the tax system.
• I only use the system once a year.
• If you try one more password, you're shut out of your system altogether.
• And we know, with the enhancements to the system, there might be questions, just basic questions.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• through the Integrated Claims Management System that I believe we'll be talking about today.
• It's one of the most abused systems. You know, they kind of overlap.
• The people that are egregious that are hurt the most wind up in the system.
• And yet, EDD moves forward with implementing these systems on the UI program.
• be penalized for having a claim pending in the system.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor, and Transportation heard presentations on labor and public employment issues from the Employment Development Department (EDD), the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), and the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). The committee first focused on EDD Next modernization, where EDD described progress on online claims, call center upgrades, language access, fraud prevention, and the Integrated Claims Management System (ICMS). The Legislative Analyst’s Office urged closer legislative oversight, especially as the project moves into the most difficult phase. Senators asked about the revised timeline, total cost, fraud reduction, stress testing, transparency around change orders, and the decision to phase in disability insurance and paid family leave before unemployment insurance. EDD said the overall project cost remained about $1.2 billion, that it had no major cost overruns, and that it had saved more than $20 million by shifting some shared customer portal work into ICMS. The subcommittee then considered CWDB’s request for additional operational resources and trailer bill language to streamline reporting. CWDB and the Department of Finance said staffing had been expanded during the pandemic-era surge in grant funding and should now be reduced as one-time grant programs wind down. Senators questioned the proposed staffing reduction, arguing that workforce development needs remain strong and that the board’s policy role still requires adequate capacity. The committee also discussed a proposal to consolidate multiple annual and interim reports into a single biennial report, with LAO supporting the streamlining. Members asked about reporting for specific programs and the cost savings from reducing duplicative evaluations. A major portion of the hearing addressed DIR’s proposed reforms to the Subsequent Injury Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF) and related workload funding. DIR and LAO described rapid growth in applications, a large and growing backlog, and sharply rising liabilities and employer assessments. The administration’s trailer bill would tighten eligibility, apply reforms to open cases, and use contemporaneous evidence and QME reports to document preexisting disabilities. LAO said the proposal largely matched its prior recommendations and would help return the program to its original intent. Senators raised concerns about fairness to pending claimants, the effect on workers with undocumented preexisting conditions, and whether the QME system could absorb the added workload. The committee also heard DIR’s request to eliminate vacant positions under a statewide vacancy sweep, with members objecting that some vacancies reflect unmet enforcement and safety needs rather than excess capacity. The hearing continued with DIR proposals for additional Cal/OSHA investigative staff, permanent changes to Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board petition deadlines, and apprenticeship-related funding increases. DIR sought 14 permanent positions for its Bureau of Investigation to handle serious workplace fatalities and injuries, and members emphasized the importance of timely investigations and family communication. The WCAB requested making permanent a 2024 change that starts the 60-day reconsideration clock when a case is transmitted rather than when the petition is filed; the board said this had reduced the number of cases awaiting decisions from 637 to 460. Finally, DIR proposed increasing apprenticeship training grants from $3 million to $20 million annually using the Apprenticeship Training Contribution Fund, citing an $80 million fund balance and workforce demand tied to rebuilding and infrastructure needs, and then began discussion of a separate request to expand pre-apprenticeship programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• We trusted a health care system that was supposed to care for him.
• Because, as you said, systems help each other.
• We're a system, and we need to support the entire system, Madam Chair and Representative.
• That unfortunately creates a system that significantly narrows who gets represented.
• This is the exact same closed-loop system proposed in this legislation.

Bills: HB99, HJR5, HM39, HB206, HB213, SB41, SB153, SB165, SB261, SB264

Keywords: medical malpractice, malpractice reform, patient's compensation fund, PCF, health care liability, tort reform, damage caps, punitive damages, hospital liability, physician liability, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, outpatient facility, ambulatory surgical center, urgent care, free-standing emergency room, insurance surcharge, superintendent of insurance, New Mexico hospitals, medical review process

Transcript Highlights:

• We have South Texas Health Systems, which is...
• or $1.2 billion is allocated to the A&M system.
• Is allocated to the A&M system.
• and the higher ed system.
• Without these modernized data systems, we wouldn't be where we are today.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Funding that we spend goes to taking care of that system.
• So overwhelmingly, the dollar goes to taking care of a system that we have.
• It's just because we don't have the funding to tackle all those with the size of system that we have.
• I don't have the exact number, but we have quite a large system. 73,700 bridges.
• Our system, you know, half of our system carries about 90% of our traffic, and we focus our efforts on

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and governance that support our public school systems.
• This is on line 23, community research and Nonprofit organizations with expertise in education systems
• It would be much broader planning for how we sustain those systems over time.
• So, I think it's important to clarify that this memorial requests us to study what this system could
• Chair, is this isn't just K-12; it's looking at the overall system.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:21:51.200><c> in</c><00:21:51.679><c> 2018,</c> water system in 2018, water system in 2018, um
• wastewater treatment systems.
• 00:33:36.720><c> requiring</c> wastewater systems are also requiring wastewater systems are also requiring
• And I believe that wastewater systems.
• We also pump septic systems.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We're our sewer system. We went on with the new ranking county system.
• We have our own we've got a good system. We have our own water<00:27:52.960><c> system.
• So we stand on our own as far as our water system and our sewer system.
• We have 10 exist across our system.
• Now, our astute system dollars.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 210; 20 January, 2026: 8:45 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't have it in the system. We've never seen it.
• and you have to complete one in the Texas system.
• It is working with integrating with the ERP systems.
• Integrated systems right now.
• , our new voter registration and election management system.

Bills: HB10, HB 12, HB675, HB10, HB12

Keywords: regulatory reform, government efficiency, administrative law, rulemaking, agency deference, judicial review, de novo review, Texas Government Code, Administrative Procedure Act, state agencies, plain language, regulatory burden, regulatory reduction, cost-benefit analysis, fiscal note, public benefits and costs, contested case, rule challenge, Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, advisory panel

Transcript Highlights:

• I serve as the Executive Director of the California Cradle to Career Data System.
• Just so I have clarity: all the systems are coming together for that.
• all as part of a seamless system.
• It's how do the courses translate from one system to another?
• So it's... ...IPAV apply from one system to another.

Summary: The committee heard an update on the administration’s Career Education Master Plan and the new California Education Interagency Council. Administration and agency staff described efforts to better connect K-12, higher education, workforce, and data systems, including the California Cradle to Career Data System, e-Transcript California, and a proposed career passport. They emphasized regional coordination with workforce boards and community colleges, and said the new council’s immediate tasks are to hold its first meeting by the end of June, enter into a data-sharing MOU, and complete a strategic plan by the end of November. Members asked about the council’s authority, reporting requirements, and how it would relate to the broader Master Plan for Higher Education; staff said the council will make recommendations but does not have implementation authority. The committee then took up the Governor’s proposed $100 million one-time expansion of dual enrollment grants and related changes to instructional minute requirements. Finance and the Department of Education said the proposal would support middle college, early college, and CCAP programs, add technical assistance, prioritize high-need LEAs, and reduce the minimum instructional day for certain dual enrollment students from 240 to 180 minutes to ease scheduling barriers. The Chancellor’s Office strongly supported the investment, citing access, acceleration, and equity benefits, while the LAO recommended rejecting the funding, arguing the state already provides ongoing support and that the proposal does not address major barriers. Members raised questions about adult learners, A-G alignment, reporting on outcomes and expenditures, rural access, transportation, staffing, and whether the funding would create lasting program capacity. The item was left open after discussion. The committee also considered trailer bill language to align the definition of long-term English learners across data systems. Finance and CDE said the change would simplify identification by defining LTELs as students who have not attained English proficiency within seven years and RTELs as students not proficient within six years, matching the dashboard and research-based timelines. CDE said the current mismatch between dashboard and assessment definitions creates confusion and delays, while some members and advocates worried the change could reduce earlier intervention or should be handled through policy committees rather than the budget process. The committee voted to reject the proposal and refer it to policy, though the administration said it still supports the budget language. Finally, the committee heard a proposal to extend the Supporting Inclusive Practices project by one year, through June 30, 2027. CDE said the project is promising but raised concerns about the contract structure and fiscal management, while Marysville Joint Unified School District testified that SIP had helped expand inclusive preschool and district-wide practices and reduce reliance on more restrictive placements. Members questioned why funds had not been fully encumbered and whether the remaining money should be redirected to areas with greater implementation need. The item was discussed but no final action was described in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• The whole system works like a conveyor belt.
• The whole system works like a conveyor belt.
• That's a big shock to the system, and other shocks as well.
• So our state highway system is looking, responding quite well.
• I would say the county road system is responding to less quality.

Summary: The committee first heard an update on the Joint Transportation Committee study of transportation impacts if the Lower Snake River dams were removed. WSDOT and Jacobs described the study’s phases, including current work on geology, infrastructure risk, and a total logistics cost model. They explained that the study is examining how freight now moved by barge—especially wheat, fertilizer, and wood—could shift to rail and roads, and they outlined several scenarios ranging from no-dam future conditions to new unit-train terminals, short-line rail options, and a combined “many solutions” scenario. Members asked about irrigation, impacts in Idaho and Oregon, port capacity, emissions, competition, EV trucks, and whether the model could estimate transportation effects if grain volumes decline. The presenters said the study assumes current production levels continue, does not model irrigation changes or broader farm-economics impacts, but does account for transloading costs and can estimate transportation impacts under different volume assumptions. WSU’s independent review team said the model has improved substantially but still needed refinement, especially in routing, road data, and spatial detail, and that stakeholder engagement had been strong though delayed by model development. No votes were taken. The committee then received a presentation on the alternative sidewalk funding study. Staff and consultants said the study is exploring ways local governments could sustainably fund sidewalk maintenance, repair, and new construction, using a statewide survey, interviews, national research, and case studies in eight jurisdictions. They noted sidewalks are important for pedestrian safety and connectivity, but there is no dedicated funding source in Washington, and existing grants and local revenue tools are highly competitive or limited. The consultants highlighted sidewalk fees or utility-style charges as the most promising option to study, while a parcel tax was largely set aside because of state property-tax uniformity concerns. Members asked whether the study would duplicate existing funding or add to current taxes, and how a sidewalk fee would be collected; the consultants said the goal is to expand local options, not mandate adoption, and that fees would likely be billed through utilities rather than property taxes. A preliminary draft report is due December 15, with a final report due in mid-June. Next, staff gave a brief update on the ocean-going vessels study, which is examining shore power and emissions rules for vessels at berth. The presenter explained that federal Clean Air Act rules and California waiver authority create legal limits on how far Washington can go if it wants to adopt similar standards, and that deviations from California’s approach can increase litigation risk. The report will summarize stakeholder outreach and will be presented in draft form at the next JTC meeting. Finally, county engineers from Chelan and Douglas counties began a presentation on county transportation challenges, with the association’s director emphasizing collaboration with state agencies and local partners on issues such as fish passage barriers and infrastructure needs. The county presentation was only beginning when the transcript ended, and no committee action or votes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• To replace that system is over 600 million.
• Municipal water systems serve 70% of the population in the state but make up just 10% of the system.
• systems, tribal mutual domestics, small rural communities, as well as larger water systems.
• To increase their GRT rates to fund EMS, solid waste operating systems, sewer systems, public safety,
• The 700 megahertz radio system.

Transcript Highlights:

• The retirement system: there are two significant things in the budget for the retirement system, and
• The retirement system: there are two significant things in the budget for the retirement system.
• system.
• and the uh community university system and the uh community college<02:15:32.400><c> system.
• ,</c><02:45:22.080><c> a</c><02:45:22.319><c> system</c> have a community health system, a system have

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was a House budget briefing focused on the overall state budget and the first of three divisions. The presenter reviewed the size and structure of the budget, noting that the state had eliminated the interest and dividends tax and still balanced the budget. He explained the major spending categories in the general fund and total budget, emphasizing that health and human services and education remain the largest areas, while transportation is largely self-funded. He also walked through the revenue picture, including business taxes, insurance taxes, court fees, communications taxes, and Medicaid recoveries, and said the remaining interest and dividends tax revenue reflected late payments from prior assessments. Members asked about the size of the tax cut from eliminating the interest and dividends tax, federal funding stability, and why Medicaid was being reduced if federal support was expected to remain steady. The response was that the lost revenue would have been about $200 million absent repeal, and that the budget gap was addressed through many small cuts across departments. On federal funds, the presenter said most aid is tied to multi-year grants and that core programs such as Medicare and Medicaid were expected to remain relatively stable, though some federal reductions could occur. He also said some agency reductions came from eliminating long-vacant, funded positions and from expected lapses. The discussion then moved into Division One, which covers smaller and miscellaneous agencies. The division made cuts to the governor’s office, eliminated a temporary position at the Governor’s Commission on Disability, reduced Department of Information Technology spending through a back-of-budget cut, and found savings in Administrative Services. It also delayed maintenance at the Sununu Youth Services Center, stopped advertising for paid family medical leave, changed retiree health insurance funding, and consolidated several personnel-related boards into one. The division eliminated the Commission on Aging and the Office of the Child Advocate, made a temporary special education advocate position permanent, reduced the Secretary of State’s budget, kept municipal rooms-and-meals distributions flat, and made changes to the retirement system, including $55 million to improve Group 2 retirement benefits and a new retirement structure for future state hires. The judicial branch was also asked to find savings and received two additional judges because of expected caseload increases from other eliminations.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Johnson uh Hawaii correctional system Johnson uh Hawaii correctional system oversight<00:16:45.560
• </c><00:20:13.039><c> oversight</c> correctional system oversight correctional system oversight commission
• ><c> the</c> what's the sieges system um it's the what's the sieges system um it's the criminal<01:14
• </c><01:14:04.239><c> um</c> criminal justice database um system um criminal justice database um system
• </c> those who provide software and systems those who provide software and systems um<02:46:05.120><c

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee met on February 12 at 2 p.m. and heard several measures related to corrections, re-entry, law enforcement, retirement benefits, and gun violence prevention. On HB 10002, which would extend the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission coordinator’s term and clarify unannounced inspection authority, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said it had no objection to the term length or to 24/7 unannounced access. The commission’s chair, Commissioner Mark Patterson, asked for a longer term, saying the commission needs more time and stability to manage reform efforts after years without staff during COVID. Community Alliance on Prisons and Carolyn Eaton also supported a longer term, with both suggesting six years would better insulate the position from politics. The chair noted he had asked Chair Bot for background on the prior committee’s changes and said that could be discussed during decision-making. The committee then heard HB 67, which would require DCR to help inmates obtain civil identification documents such as IDs, birth certificates, and Social Security cards as soon as practicable, including for people in furlough or community placement programs. DCR said it supported the bill and described ongoing work with the city and county on ID machines and with agencies on certificates and Social Security cards. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Oversight Commission, Community Alliance on Prisons, and the Office of Public Defense all supported the measure, emphasizing that identification is essential for housing, employment, and successful re-entry and noting the disproportionate impact of incarceration on Native Hawaiians. On HB 1183, which would classify certain law enforcement administrators and Department of Law Enforcement employees as Class A members for retirement purposes, the Department of Human Resources Development, the Employees’ Retirement System, and the Department of Law Enforcement all supported the bill. DHRD said it would help recruitment and retention, ERS said it had technical amendments to suggest, and DLE said the change would help with succession planning and allow the governor to appoint the most qualified leader. The committee also heard HB 1045, an emergency appropriation bill to cover payroll fringe benefits for Department of Law Enforcement personnel after salary funding had been shifted to other departments; Budget and Finance and DLE explained the need for the supplemental funding, and no opposition was noted. Finally, the committee took up HB 664, which would create an Office of Gun Violence Prevention, a grant program, a resource bank, and a special fund. The Attorney General recommended adding standards for grant awards and warned of overlap with the existing Gun Violence and Violent Crimes Commission, suggesting consolidation and repeal of the older commission to avoid duplication. Supporters included the Brady Campaign, Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action Hawaii, a physician, and an Army veteran, who argued the office would centralize data, coordinate prevention efforts, and help secure outside funding. Testimony was mixed, with the chair noting 37 supporters, nine opponents, and three commenters, but no vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• As we work together in this session to create systems and policies that address food insecurity and tackle
• But it's going to take all of us working across a systems perspective and changing the narrative from
• Every community deserves affordable groceries, and workers deserve a system that puts people first.
• The safety net program and investing in the proven charitable food system that already exist.
• It's the kind of systems-level policy change that's essential to make a real impact on the prevalence

Summary: The meeting was a legislative press event focused on food insecurity and a broader state strategy to improve food access in Washington. Food Lifeline CEO Stephen Davis described rising hunger across western Washington, citing roughly one in eight residents and one in six children as food insecure, and warned that federal SNAP cuts and higher costs could worsen the problem. He emphasized the need for coordinated state, local, nonprofit, and industry action to strengthen food security and support the charitable food system. House Agriculture and Natural Resources Chair Rep. Lisa Reeves framed the issue as a state-level responsibility and highlighted a Food Fighters Caucus working on multiple bills. She pointed to proposals including a Washington version of a Farm Bill (HB 2616), a statewide food security strategy (HB 2238), a ban on force-feeding birds (HB 1735), support for local food infrastructure grants, farm-to-schools efforts, medically tailored meals (HB 2211), a farm-to-food-banks bill (HB 2463), food donation reporting, dynamic grocery pricing (HB 2481), and pesticide restrictions on PFAS (HB 2279). She also said the state was trying to offset federal policy changes that could reduce millions of meals and affect SNAP recipients. Rep. Darya Farivar focused on grocery access as infrastructure and described the closure of the Fred Meyer in her district as an example of fragile food access. She outlined a bill package centered on HB 2294, HB 2297, and HB 2313: removing anti-competitive covenants that block grocery stores from reopening, giving local governments tools to support existing and new stores in underserved areas, and allowing municipal or partnered grocery options when private stores disappear. Grocery worker Dan House, of UFCW 3000, testified in support of HB 2313, saying store closures hurt seniors, families, workers, and neighborhood stability. No votes were taken; the event ended with a call for continued support, collaboration, and public engagement on the bills and food security efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:30:06.320><c> and</c> experiened the pre-trial system and experiened the pre-trial system and
• here</c><00:32:02.240><c> in</c> system our pre-trial system here in system our pre-trial system here
• uh without a pre-trial data system uh without a standard<00:33:16.000><c> system</c><00:33:16.240><c
• </c> wonder if it's something with our system wonder if it's something with our system because<00:35:
• </c> set without understanding how the system set without understanding how the system as<00:36:11.319

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That is how the system is. It's not a system that's been designed.
• it's not a system is how the system it's not a system that's<01:59:13.840><c> what's</c><01:59:14.159
• We have to dismantle the current system. The current system is not working.
• The current system is current system. The current system is not<02:22:15.920><c> working.
• The whole health care system. and abuse. The whole health care system.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we also have a jail management system, which is a case management system.
• Also, we have had some issues with our fire alarm system as well as our burglar alarm system.
• The same is for the burglar alarm system.
• They make sure that our automated biometric information system, where our fingerprint system works.
• Our 17 field offices will rotate into a system with those cases.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to hear the Attorney General’s budget and related agency presentations. Legislative Council first reviewed the compliance with legislative intent report and the base budget worksheet, highlighting current and ongoing appropriations, FTE changes, one-time funding items, continuing appropriations, and major special and federal funds. Members asked about items such as the Missing Indigenous People Grant Fund, the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit grant funding, and staff explained the funding sources and status of those programs. Assistant Attorney General Clare Ness then outlined the Attorney General’s office structure, staffing, and budget pressures. She emphasized the office’s broad statutory duties, the value of its legal and investigative work for state and local governments, and concerns about attorney salary competitiveness, the new and vacant FTE pool, and the impact of the 3% operating budget reduction on BCI, IT, and the crime lab. Members also discussed AG opinions, boards and commissions training, and the office’s litigation and settlement recoveries. Ness and committee members raised the possibility of broader attorney salary benchmarking across state government. The crime lab director described severe space and infrastructure constraints, including overcrowding, shared workspaces, glycol leaks, air handling limits, and aging fire and burglar alarm systems. She said the 2024 study projected a much larger facility would be needed and that a new building on the current health department site would best address the lab’s needs. She also reported that backlogs have improved significantly in DNA, drug, fingerprint, and firearms work, though toxicology had a recent delay after an air compressor failure. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit director described the unit’s fraud, abuse, and neglect work, noted federal-state funding and recent federal scrutiny, and said the unit needs more staff. The gaming division reviewed charitable gaming growth, e-tabs, trust accounts, and compliance issues, while BCI covered its caseload, cybercrime and child sexual abuse material investigations, the missing indigenous person task force, and the use of lottery funds for drug task forces. No formal votes or budget actions were taken during the meeting.