Transcript Highlights:

• As a result, I found out that this was a practice, and it was a practice that, in fact, hit national
• As a result, I found out that this was a practice, and it was a practice.
• That this was a practice, and it was a practice that, in fact, hit national news at the time.
• The federal government utilized Indian Health Services as a primary channel for these practices.
• I bled for nine months straight, and no matter what IHS facility or private hospital or private practice

Summary: The Senate Indian, Rural and Cultural Affairs Committee heard Senate Memorial 14, which calls on the Indian Affairs Department and the Commission on the Status of Women to conduct a comprehensive study of the history, scope, and continuing impacts of forced and coerced sterilization of Indigenous women and women of color. Sponsors and advocates said the memorial is intended to document harms that occurred not only in Indian Health Service facilities but also through other health providers, while being culturally sensitive and respectful of tribal sovereignty. Supporters described the issue as a reproductive justice, human rights, and Indigenous rights matter, and said the study could help lead to acknowledgment, healing, and possible reparative action. Several witnesses gave personal testimony. Representative Caballero shared a personal experience in which she nearly underwent a hysterectomy after a miscarriage due to forms she was asked to sign while sedated, and said that experience motivated her support. Jean Whitehorse, a Navajo Nation member and daughter of a Navajo code talker, described being sterilized in 1972 after treatment at Gallup Indian Health Service and said the practice caused lasting trauma to Native families. Other speakers, including Elena Giacchi, Keeley Badger, Jennifer Raphael Gatz, Rachel Lorenzo, Alicia Carese Lobbius, Nasserian Olamako, Deanna Warren, and Kat Sanchez, supported the memorial and emphasized the need for survivor testimony, historical records, data gathering, informed consent protections, and culturally grounded healing. Committee members asked about the difficulty of obtaining records and whether the information exists or is being blocked. Witnesses said access is limited, requests often need to come from official state or federal bodies, and many records may be sealed or difficult to retrieve. The Commission on the Status of Women said it could serve as the organizing entity for a three-phase process: gathering data, holding discussions with subject matter experts and survivors, and contracting with an Indigenous organization to prepare the report. After public comment and questions, the committee voted 4-0 to give Senate Memorial 14 a do pass recommendation, and the chair then recessed the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a result, I found out that this was a practice, and it was a practice that in fact hit national news
• without their The federal government utilizes internet health services as a primary channel for these practices
• Phase three would be again contracting with an indigenous organization to prepare the report in collaboration
• , I bled for nine months straight and no matter what IHS facility or private hospital or private practice
• grounded Healing and reproductive justice frameworks align with established transnational justice practices

Bills: SM14

Committee: Senate Senate Indian, Rural & Cultural Affairs

Keywords: forced sterilization, coerced sterilization, Indigenous women, Native American women, women of color, reproductive justice, reproductive sovereignty, truth and reconciliation commission, memorial, trauma-informed care, reparative justice, human rights, bodily autonomy, Indian Health Service, Indian affairs, Commission on the Status of Women, survivor testimony, reproductive health access, genocide, transitional justice

Transcript Highlights:

• Collaboration and communication are the driving forces here.
• We should practice love as a verb. We all need love in action. It's our most common link.
• Our goals this session should be to practice love and joy and peace, patience, and kindness, goodness
• We should practice love as a verb. We all need love and action. It's our most common link.
• Our goals this session should be to practice love and joy and peace, patience, and kindness, goodness

Summary: The Senate convened for opening day of the 2026 regular session with prayer, presentation of colors by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a performance of the national anthem by the FAMU Marching 100. The chamber then administered the oath of office to newly elected Senator Ralph E. Misullo, Jr. of District 11, and welcomed a number of special guests, including statewide elected officials, Supreme Court justices, and former Senate leaders and members. The Senate adopted SCR 1466, which authorized the House and Senate to meet in joint session to receive a message from the Governor, and waived rules to immediately transmit the resolution to the House. The Rules Chair also moved that the Secretary notify the House and Governor that the Senate was convened and ready to begin the 2026 regular session. No substantive legislation was debated; the session was largely ceremonial and organizational. In remarks, the Senate President reflected on the role of the Senate, the need for balance, deliberation, and checks and balances, and highlighted priorities such as rural Florida, citrus recovery, farmers feeding Florida, rural health care, affordability, low taxes, property tax relief, and fiscal restraint. He also emphasized faith, service, and cooperation. At the end of the session, Senator Gates announced that 52 executive appointments would be considered the next day, and the Senate adjourned until 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, with committee meetings and other business to follow.

Transcript Highlights:

• Collaboration and communication are the driving forces here.
• We should practice love as a verb. We all need love and action. It's our most common link.
• Our goals this session should be to practice love and joy and peace, patience, and kindness, goodness
• We should practice love as a verb. We all need love and action. It's our most common link.
• Our goals this session should be to practice love and joy and peace, patience, and kindness, goodness

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• actually was able to read the amendment yet. collaboration and talking together and collaboration and
• Um, I practiced animal law in the tri-state area for 20 years.
• Um I practiced questions you just asked.
• I do practice, uh, animal law.
• . settlement fund practices.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One practical application of this knowledge was collaboration with PepsiCo Quaker Oats for American Heart
• :13.640><c> collaboration</c><00:29:14.399><c> with</c><00:29:14.600><c> PepsiCo</c> knowledge was collaboration
• with PepsiCo knowledge was collaboration with PepsiCo Quaker Quaker Quaker Oats<00:29:17.120><c> um<
• Additionally, I have enhanced my ability to collaborate with department managers to create innovative
• </c><00:30:03.080><c> with</c><00:30:03.240><c> department</c> ability to collaborate with department

Bills: HF1439 , HF1004 , HF498 , HF1326

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: HF1439, Minnesota Grocers Association Foundation, Carts to Careers, workforce development fund, DEED, Department of Employment and Economic Development, grocery industry, food industry, food retail, retail workforce, job training, career pathways, scholarships, certifications, workforce pipeline, one-time appropriation, industry training, labor shortage, youth employment, apprenticeship

Transcript Highlights:

• It did not have that reference to being incidental to the practice of their profession, so this is a
• This is a predatory practice, and it should be prohibited. This bill does that.
• It is not a predatory practice for all.
• It is not a predatory practice for all.
• I appreciate the collaborative effort on this producing a good bill.

Summary: The Consumer Protection and Business Committee met on February 4, 2026, and removed House Bill 2629 from consideration. The committee received briefings on House Bill 2428, which would require insurers to give 30 days’ written notice before an individual life insurance policy lapses for nonpayment and to notify policyholders of the right to designate a third party for lapse notices; an amendment clarified the notice requirements and proof-of-delivery language. The committee also reviewed House Bill 2399, which would prohibit assignment of post-loss property insurance benefits, and House Bill 2087, which would enact the Washington Travel Insurance Act and regulate travel insurance products, producers, retailers, and administrators. Members also noted they had already been briefed on House Bills 2483 and 2477 before taking executive action after caucus. House Bill 2428 was amended and passed out of committee unanimously with a due pass recommendation. Supporters said it would help prevent unintentional life insurance lapses and protect consumers, especially older policyholders and families relying on coverage later in life. House Bill 2399 also advanced, but only after a divided vote of 8-7; supporters described post-loss assignments as predatory and harmful to insured homeowners, while opponents argued the bill was too broad and could hinder homeowners who use contractors to repair damaged property and resolve insurance disputes. House Bill 2087, as a proposed substitute, was reported out with a due pass recommendation by a 12-3 vote. Members said the substitute reflected stakeholder and Office of the Insurance Commissioner work to resolve conflicts in the underlying travel insurance framework and add guardrails for consumers. House Bill 2483, dealing with data broker registration, was amended several times to narrow exemptions, add Department of Licensing implementation details, and make the registry public; it then passed 8-7 after debate over privacy, public safety, and whether the bill was too limited or too broad. House Bill 2477, which concerned appraisal-related liability and reports, was amended to clarify appraiser liability and intended users, then passed unanimously with a due pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• That has been the practice at the city that I served in, the city of Irvine.
• That has been the practice at the city that I served in the city of Irvine.
• SB 1141 is a long overdue step toward dismantling a dangerous conflict of interest practice.
• So I say all this because I understand the concern, but I also think this is a very practical bill that
• We, with, you know, some extra compensation paid by the nonprofit regional collaborative, that would

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That is the committee's standing practice. So thank you all.
• I myself have been practicing criminal defense for indigent people for 40 years.
• There are also practical concerns.
• There are also practical concerns.
• Assembly Member, I know you're very collaborative in your approach.

Committee: House Public Safety

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• DOPL attorneys reviewed the practice acts of every profession under DOPL and recommended cutting 170
• pages and over 78,000 words from the practice acts that were determined to be outdated, obsolete, or
• So those are the types of management practices that I was referring to.
• It's operated very professionally, and our collaborative program is operated by Idaho Power Company.
• The collaborative program that we have here in Idaho costs a little under $3.5 million a year.

Summary: The House Resources and Conservation Committee met to consider several RS drafts and receive agency updates. The committee introduced RS 33151, described as a federalism bill intended to clarify state and federal roles in Idaho code; RS 33217, which would clarify distribution of the big game depredation fund so remaining money is paid pro rata to farmers and ranchers; RS 33284, proposing hunting as Idaho’s state sport; and RS 33287 C1, a revised version of a prior bill related to notice language and fish and game issues. RS 313185 was removed from the agenda at the sponsor’s request. The committee also approved pending rule docket 24-3501-2501 for the Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board. The committee then heard an extensive update from the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Officials said the division now oversees more than 259,000 licenses across 44 boards and three safety programs, has consolidated offices and systems to improve efficiency, and is moving toward two-year renewals and more function-based organization. They also outlined upcoming executive legislation on controlled substances, board consolidations, and unified disciplinary procedures, and reported on fee reductions, zero-based rulemaking, and board cash-balance corrections under prior legislation. The Department of Water Resources and the Idaho Water Resource Board provided lengthy presentations on budget holdbacks, water administration, groundwater conditions, recharge, cloud seeding, the Bear River Compact, and a proposed merger with the Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Director Weaver described budget reductions, staffing challenges, delivery-call enforcement on the Eastern Snake Plain, expansion of groundwater administration into tributary basins, and new monitoring and modeling work in the Treasure Valley. Chairman Raybould reviewed state water funding, recharge and canal-efficiency projects, cloud seeding, and the ESPA sustainability program, including grants for groundwater-to-surface-water conversion and telemetry. The committee asked questions about aquifer management, canal lining and recharge, Bear River depletion rights, and conversion projects. The meeting ended with approval of the February 3 minutes and notice that another RS would likely be taken up at the final meeting later in the week.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if a covered entity complies on paper but not necessarily in practice...
• The NIST standard covers these procedures, not just on paper, but in practice.
• from imposing cybersecurity standards or processes on a vendor exceeding generally accepted best practices
• We and CareerSource work collaboratively to maintain that system.
• I'm just trying to comprehend what an integrated system means in practice. Is it a single platform?

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill provides cities and towns with the practical, transparent, and voter-driven option to form.
• This bill provides cities and towns with the practical, transparent, and voter-driven option to form
• The bill makes practical improvements to the feasibility of urban growth area swaps while continuing
• The bill makes practical improvements to the feasibility of urban growth area swaps while continuing
• We are proud to have collaborated on this bill language during the interim.

Summary: The Senate Local Government and State Parks Committee heard several bills focused on local government finance, land use, and public safety. SB 5903 would deem a cemetery district commissioner elected if only one qualified candidate files, with sponsor Senator Cortez saying it would save ballot-printing costs and local resources; there was no testimony in opposition. SB 6037 would create or modify a voter-approved option for cities and towns to form a single-city fire protection district, adjust levy and notice rules, allow administrative service contracts with the city, and clarify commissioner elections; Senator Cortez and multiple city and fire officials said it would give communities more flexible, locally controlled funding tools for fire service, while committee members asked about how it would work and the fiscal impact. SB 5983 would exempt certain current-use land transferred to a government entity for right-of-way from rollback taxes when the transfer is tied to development conditions and stays within a 20% acreage limit; Senator Leas described it as helping a family farm avoid an unfair tax bill, and there was no testimony on the bill. The committee also heard SB 5995, which would remove the 2031 sunset on the prohibition against using port funds to buy fully automated marine container cargo handling equipment. The sponsor and labor witnesses argued the bill protects jobs, keeps public dollars from underwriting automation, and still allows zero-emission, human-operated equipment; port and labor representatives testified in strong support, while the sign-in sheet showed substantial public interest both for and against. SB 6016 would change how urban growth area swaps treat critical aquifer recharge areas, making the rules for annual and periodic updates more consistent and allowing swaps if they do not increase net CARA acreage within the UGA; the sponsor, Commerce, housing, business, and development interests said it was a technical fix that supports housing and consistency, while one witness warned it could weaken groundwater protections and create litigation risk. Finally, the committee heard SB 6066, which would let counties, cities, towns, or WSDOT designate “accident risk zones” on roads with repeated crashes, require a public hearing and engineering review, double certain traffic penalties in the zone, and dedicate half the extra revenue to safety improvements before dissolving the zone. Supporters from cities, counties, and Pasco said it could help address dangerous intersections and fund fixes, though several witnesses raised liability and implementation concerns and asked for further stakeholder work. No votes were taken in the transcript; the chair closed each hearing after testimony and sign-in counts were noted.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, this bill provides a practical, targeted tool to help developers in cities like Kent overcome
• Our goals ensure that this bill puts real practical protections for tenants, clear boundaries when it
• These are practical homeowner-centered improvements.
• ensure that those funds are used to help homeowners, not consumed by excessive fees or industry practices
• with stakeholders in Senator brainstorming and compromise struck in collaboration with stakeholders

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee heard public testimony on several bills. SB 5885 would expand affordable housing on property owned by religious organizations by lowering the density-bonus affordability threshold from 100% to 50% and adding a sales and use tax exemption for qualifying projects. The sponsor and supporters from Redmond, Tacoma, Spokane, faith organizations, and housing nonprofits said the current standard is too restrictive and that churches and other faith groups have underused land that could help meet the state’s housing shortage. A county planning representative raised concern about an unfunded mandate to update local development regulations, and one testifier said the bill should be paired with funding for county planning work. The committee also heard SB 5884, which would expand a sales and use tax deferral program for redevelopment of underutilized property. The bill would broaden eligible land beyond surface parking lots to include vacant, partially used, or underutilized parcels, and would allow cities to approve projects with at least 50% affordable units, or 20% in designated residential targeted areas. Supporters from Spokane, Vancouver, Kent, Bellingham, and the Washington State Association of Counties said the current program is too narrow and should be available in more places, including counties and more cities. Construction industry groups supported redevelopment but objected to a provision tying eligibility to apprenticeship utilization, saying it could disadvantage nonunion contractors and create compliance burdens. For SB 5937, the committee heard testimony on smart access systems in rental housing. The bill would require landlords, upon request, to offer a non-biometric, non-app-based alternative key and to provide privacy policies and limits on data collection for smart access systems. Tenant advocates supported the bill as a privacy and access protection, citing concerns about app-based locks, data tracking, lockouts, and retaliation. Landlord and multifamily housing groups said they were open to the concept but argued the bill was too broad and could impose burdens on small housing providers or simple keypad systems, and they asked for narrower definitions and clearer implementation language. Finally, the committee took testimony on SB 5938, which would make technical changes to the foreclosure prevention fee created last year, including exempting certain reverse mortgages and chattel loans, preventing duplicate charges on some state-backed transactions, and directing Commerce to study a possible state homeowner assistance fund. Homeownership counselors, legal aid, HOA advocates, and equity organizations supported the bill, saying it would clarify fee collection, protect low- and moderate-income buyers from unnecessary costs, and help sustain foreclosure prevention services. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the transcript, and the meeting ended after public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• It was the department’s practice to have Office of K-12 School Choice staff compare a list of participating
• We also know the department deviated from standard practice in handling preliminary cross-matches.
• We also know the department deviated from standard practice and handling preliminary cross-matches.
• Just so that I understand, because you talked about department kind of practice, and we also have statutory
• So what we are doing right now is we're working much more collaboratively with school districts than

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met for its first meeting of the 2025 session to hear the Auditor General’s operational audit on 2024-25 school funding accountability challenges, focused largely on the Family Empowerment Scholarship and its interaction with the FEFP. Deputy Auditor General Matthew Tracy described rapid growth in scholarship enrollment, timing mismatches between scholarship payments and public-school funding calculations, delayed membership survey processing, weak cross-check and recoupment procedures, inconsistent handling of parent survey responses, and limited documentation for withholding and returning funds. The audit said these issues contributed to funding inequities, duplicate-payment risks, and an unexpected draw on state education funds, and it recommended separating scholarship funding from the FEFP, aligning application windows with budget timing, strengthening controls and staffing, and creating clearer, documented recoupment and balance-limit processes. Committee members questioned whether current law gives the department and scholarship funding organizations enough authority and whether the system is effectively a pay-and-chase model. Several senators expressed concern about the lack of timely reconciliation, the size of the funds involved, and the absence of clear records showing how money was recovered or withheld. Adam Emerson, executive director of the Office of School Choice, said the department is working more closely with school districts and scholarship funding organizations, including pausing payments when districts identify students still enrolled in public schools, and said the office wants to improve the process. President Gates then previewed legislation he said would address the audit’s findings by funding Family Empowerment Scholarships as a separate FEFP categorical, expanding the Education Stabilization Fund, setting clearer application and acceptance deadlines, moving to monthly payments with eligibility verification before each payment, assigning student IDs for scholarship assistance, lowering SFO management fees, requiring annual audits, and requiring prompt return of audit-related funds. Public comment included a private-school attorney describing losses from unpaid scholarship amounts. Members generally supported the need for reform, with several senators saying the program should be preserved but better structured and more accountable. The committee adjourned after the discussion, with no vote taken on the legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Practices that are voluntary to implement by a project developer, and we often or very rarely have feedback
• I see this as an opportunity to collaborate and potentially create... ...practical and efficient recommendations
• and beneficial management practices that could be used for wind developers as a whole and also help
• But I do know of particular cases where companies, for example, have... ...worked collaboratively with
• But in practice, we are in a good place towards produced water use for beneficial purposes.

Bills: SB3074 , HB49 , HB2440 , HB3556 , HB3619 , HB3866 , HB4042 , HB4112 , HB4271 , HB4413 , HB4426 , HB5033 , HB49

Committee: Senate Natural Resources

Keywords: SB 3074, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Water Code, permit applications, environmental permitting, administrative record, ex parte communications, legislative communications, governor, lieutenant governor, state legislators, district projects, public records, recusal, conflict of interest, substantial interest, agency transparency, environmental regulation, permit renewal

Transcript Highlights:

• current mental health and substance use in. the state and to improve the effectiveness of current practices
• We blend those together, and I really appreciate the collaboration with Representative Busatta in the
• IT ALSO HAD LANGUAGE RELATED TO THE OPTOMETRY PRACTICE ACT REGARDING TOPICAL OCULAR PHARMACEUTICAL AGENTS
• STATES IN FIRST TIME PASS RATES WITH REGISTERED NURSES AND PRACTICAL NURSES.
• THE PRACTICAL NURSE PASS RATE WAS 80.8% COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 88.4.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• this past July, I was able to secure a **$1.4 billion** settlement with MEDA to stop the company's practice
• These parties have practically unlimited resources that could swamp most legal teams and delay effective
• I appreciate the collaborative spirit on resolving these issues.
• I mean, I've had a little practice now. I've gotten better at this job, so it helps.
• **General Paxton**: I mean, I've had a little practice now.

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, Attorney General, budget recommendations, funding swaps, salary increases, Landowner's Compensation Program, public testimony, law enforcement

Summary: The meeting focused on the budget recommendations for the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), where key issues included the proposed decrease of $163.9 million for the 2024-25 biennium and various methodology swaps for funding. Attorney General Paxton discussed ongoing litigation expenditures and emphasized the need for continued investments in agency staffing to address rising demands within law enforcement. Notably, he requested a 6% salary increase for 2026 and 2027 to retain talented personnel amidst competitive job markets. Public testimony highlighted community awareness challenges regarding the Landowner's Compensation Program, indicating a need for enhanced outreach efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bill if they're government practices Bill if they're government employees<00:20:43.880><c> this</c><
• However, if this is a community-based restorative practice that is not receiving any government funds
• </c> facilitate a restorative practice facilitate a restorative practice however<00:35:12.000><c> if<
• I'm an attorney in private practice.
• <03:16:30.680><c> transmit</c><03:16:31.399><c> information</c> practicable transmit information practicable

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> certainly opportunity to collaborate certainly opportunity to collaborate with<00:20:24.000><c>
• The collaboration that I just mentioned ensures that we're meeting family needs.
• How's soccer practice? Right?
• Can we have an intervention because we know that this is not best practice.
• </c> that this is not best practice. that this is not best practice.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first opened with brief remarks about a member’s recovery and then heard House Bill 518, which would require the commissioner of Health and Human Services to provide a detailed annual report of all costs related to DCYF. The sponsor, Representative Erica Layon, said the bill was intended to improve transparency, clarify how much time and money are spent on DCYF work versus other departmental work, and help future discussions about staffing, resources, and whether DCYF should remain within DHHS or become a separate department. She said the department could likely produce the report without additional cost, though she was open to adjusting the reporting date and possibly adding more detail about federal mandates. Former Representative Betty Gay and several members supported the bill as a way to better document costs and procedures, while DCYF Director Marie Nunan said the department was not taking a position on the bill, already has many policies and operating procedures, and believed it could comply without a fiscal note. Members raised questions about whether the reporting requirement duplicated existing oversight, whether it should apply to other agencies, and whether the report should include federal funding mandates. Some suggested that a broader review or subcommittee on DCYF might be more useful than a single reporting bill. In executive session, the committee voted 15-1 to retain HB 518, so it will not go on the calendar. Members said they wanted more time to discuss the bill, watch the budget process, and consider whether the reporting requirement could be implemented informally or through a broader oversight effort. The committee then moved on to House Bill 775, which was introduced by Representative Jodi Nelson as a measure to support supervised visitation centers. Dr. Scott Hampton testified in favor, describing the loss of visitation centers since 2019, the role of supervised visitation in protecting children and vulnerable parents in domestic violence cases, and the potential benefits for child safety, crime prevention, and family preservation.

Transcript Highlights:

• model for Recognized as a best practice model for other municipalities.
• We chose collaboration over complacency.
• This is best practices from the experts that we have talked about.
• Board of Nursing as a Licensed Practical Nurse.
• For all practical purposes, they're volunteers. They don't break even on the amount...

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 1 April, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all