Transcript Highlights:

• Our facilities include state police posts, residential youth facilities for juveniles, day treatment
• for juveniles, adult youth facilities for juveniles, adult correctional<00:03:17.239><c> facilities,
• ,</c> criminal justice training facilities, criminal justice training facilities, crime<00:03:26.000>
• The 247 facilities life safety.
• at the DOCJT facilities?

Summary: The committee heard capital plan presentations from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the Personnel Cabinet, and the School Facilities Construction Commission. The Justice Cabinet described its large portfolio of more than 900 facilities across the state and said decades of underfunded maintenance have created a backlog of repairs. Requested projects included a high-acuity mental health treatment facility for juvenile justice youth, two female detention centers to support the regional detention model, major corrections repairs and replacements, a new kitchen at Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex, a new dormitory at the Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women, completion of a new Eastern Kentucky prison, DOCJT training facility upgrades in Richmond and Madisonville, State Police radio system replacement and post construction, a combined Frankfort headquarters/Post 12 facility, and expanded crime lab and storage capacity. When asked about the high cost of the EKCC kitchen project, staff said construction inside an operating facility raises costs and that building a new adjacent kitchen would be more economical in the long run. The panel also asked about Fish and Wildlife officers training at DOCJT; staff said they do and that the training is funded through the CLEFT fund. The Justice Cabinet also said the recently enacted Senate Bill 4’s AI inventory and registry requirements would be part of its enterprise application and AI inventory system work. The Personnel Cabinet requested funding to replace CHRIS, the state’s human resources and payroll system, which supports payroll and benefits for about 48,000 employees and the Kentucky Employee Health Plan for roughly 192,000 members. Staff said the current SAP-based system went live in 2011, is approaching end of support in 2030, and has not received functionality enhancements since 2016. They said the replacement is estimated at $151 million, with most of the cost tied to professional services and software, and that the project would begin in July 2026, go live by July 2030, and require a stabilization period through 2032. In response to questions about outsourcing payroll or reusing existing systems, staff said the complexity of state HR, payroll, tax updates, and integrations with other agencies makes outsourcing or partial reuse impractical. The School Facilities Construction Commission introduced its role in helping all 171 school districts address unmet facility needs, focusing on core school facilities such as roofs and elementary buildings rather than athletic projects. No votes or formal actions were taken during the excerpted discussion; the meeting consisted of presentations, explanations of requested projects, and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have a plan for moving that facility from being an active facility to being in what's called cold
• everyone depart the facility.
• In terms of reactivating a facility, I think it really depends on the facility that you're talking about
• On the facilities that have security detail, who provides that security? For our closed facilities?
• What's the newest facility? What's the newest facility that's in cold closure?

Committee: Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> facility to serve DJJ committed youth. facility to serve DJJ committed youth.
• It was a 18 bed facility. 21.6 million. It was a 18 bed facility.
• Building a facility.
• ,</c> facilities.
• We only do core facilities, facilities.

Summary: The meeting was the first of the year for the Capital Planning Advisory Board. Members were called, a quorum was confirmed, new co-chairs and members were welcomed, and the board approved the prior year’s meeting minutes. The chair also reviewed the capital planning timeline, packet organization, and the list of agencies that submitted plans but would not testify. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services presented first, outlining priorities centered on public safety, protecting existing infrastructure, preventive maintenance, and improving service delivery. Its major requests included a $21 million maintenance pool for 14 campuses and 175 buildings, phase 2 construction funding for a new public health laboratory, an 18-bed psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents with severe mental health needs, and several projects at Western State Hospital, Western State Nursing Facility, Hazlewood, and Oakwood. Members asked about the youth facility’s relationship to a separate DJJ project, vacant buildings, the high per-bed cost of the children’s hospital, and how the cabinet determined the need for the youth facility. CHFS said the youth project would be a separate facility serving high-acuity youth, the cost reflected the specialized nature of the unit and an 18-bed cap, and the broader youth plan also includes prevention, in-home services, and coordination across agencies. The Kentucky Department of Education then described projects for its three state-operated facilities: the Kentucky School for the Deaf, the Kentucky School for the Blind, and the FFA leadership training center. It requested additional funding for the FFA classroom and activity building after bids came in higher than expected, plus funding for a new education finance application system to support SEEK budgeting. Other priorities included a maintenance pool, FFA pool renovation, electrical upgrades, campus education enhancements, lighting improvements, safety and security work, door and window replacements, and HVAC maintenance. Members asked about student outcomes, the size of the FFA pool, and construction cost assumptions; the department said it tracks students through the schools and short-course programs, the pool size figure may have been a typo, and current construction estimates are being adjusted upward because of inflation and supply-chain pressures. The Education and Labor Cabinet began its presentation with 12 priority projects, including a state labor exchange system to connect job seekers and employers, renovation of the McDow Vocational Rehabilitation Center, and a new adult education and family literacy management information system. The cabinet said the labor exchange would help match workers with employers at no cost, while the McDow renovation was needed because the 30-year-old facility has safety and code concerns. The adult education system was described as outdated and lacking adequate case-management and tracking capabilities.

Transcript Highlights:

• DTSC can shut down a facility that poses a danger to the surrounding community and requiring facilities
• Why it is that this facility gets to be so close to homes and schools, how a facility with the long record
• of the solid waste facilities.
• of the solid waste facilities.
• It's dangerous for workers to be around a non-compliant facility.

Summary: The Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee heard several bills focused on wildfire preparedness, industrial safety, and recycling oversight. SB 1153 by Senator Caballero would require urban retail water suppliers to add wildfire-specific procedures to emergency plans and coordinate with fire agencies; supporters said it would improve planning while recognizing water system limits, and the bill was framed as protecting ratepayers and infrastructure. SB 811, also by Senator Caballero, would create a comprehensive DTSC permitting and regulatory framework for metal shredding facilities; supporters argued it would set clear statewide standards and protect communities, while opponents said it would weaken hazardous waste protections and carve the industry out of existing law. SB 883 by Senator Umberg would impose new safeguards for facilities storing reactive chemicals such as methyl methacrylate after the Garden Grove evacuation, including backup cooling, public review, emergency planning, and state tracking; industry groups opposed the breadth of the bill and sought further clarification, while environmental and community groups supported it. SB 1010 by Senator Ashby would strengthen oversight of appliance recyclers by improving reporting, inspections, certification, and funding for enforcement; supporters said it would reduce emissions and improve compliance, while recyclers raised concerns about fees and certification requirements. Each bill drew extensive testimony from industry, environmental, labor, local government, and community representatives. Supporters generally emphasized public safety, transparency, and the need for clearer statewide standards, while opponents warned about overregulation, reduced flexibility, or unintended impacts on existing hazardous waste and recycling systems. Committee members also raised questions about transparency, liability, size-based treatment of facilities, and whether the bills were narrowly tailored enough to address the problems identified. The committee voted to advance all four measures to the Committee on Appropriations, with votes taken on call and some members voting no or not voting on certain bills. The final add-on votes showed SB 811, SB 883, SB 1010, and SB 1153 all passing out of committee, with the roll left open for absent members before the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• FACILITY.
• THIS IS THE OVERLAY OF THE BROWARD DETENTION FACILITY.
• IS DETENTION FACILITY? OR THE LONG TERM RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES? OR IS IT A MIX OF BOTH?
• LET'S SAY THAT WE HAVE CAPACITY IN A SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT FACILITY OR RESIDENTIAL FACILITY AND WE
• EVERY FACILITY I WENT TO THE KIDS DAILY.

Transcript Highlights:

• That facility will only be reimbursed about $93 a day, but someone at Tier 4, the facility will be reimbursed
• inoperable facility.
• inoperable facility.
• Additionally, for child care facilities. Fees on the inoperable facility.
• Additionally, for child care facilities and adult day health facilities, which are paid based on daily

Summary: The Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee met on June 24 with a substitute chair presiding and considered three measures. SB 352 by Senator Reyes was placed on the consent calendar and approved unanimously, 7-0, to be re-referred to the Committee on Emergency Management. SB 433 by Senator Wahab, presented on behalf of Senator Stern, was heard next and focused on room-and-board protections for participants in the assisted living waiver and CalAIM assisted living transition community support programs. Supporters, including Justice in Aging, CANHR, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, the California Commission on Aging, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, argued the bill would prevent low-income Medi-Cal residents from being charged unaffordable rates and losing their housing. Opponents, including the California Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge California, and Six B’s, said they remained concerned about the bill’s rent-control implications and statutory scope, though they acknowledged recent amendments addressed some eligibility issues. After committee discussion, SB 433 was approved 5-1 with one abstention and re-referred to the Committee on Human Services. The committee also heard SB 582 by Senator Stern, presented by Senator Wahab, which would allow state departments to issue disaster suspensions of active licenses for facilities rendered inoperable by declared emergencies, waive some licensing fees, and provide temporary flexibility for community-based adult services, child care, and evacuation planning requirements for skilled nursing and residential care facilities. Support came from the California Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge California, the California Commission on Aging, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association, CANHR, and a child care resource center, all describing the bill as helpful for rebuilding and continuity of services after disasters. There was no recorded opposition, and SB 582 passed unanimously, 7-0, to the Committee on Health. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have folks living in this facility who have concerns about the public safety...
• We have folks living in this facility who have concerns about the public safety around their facility
• activities of daily living, such as an assisted living facility, a nursing home, a long-term care facility
• There’s no cost to the facilities. It’s not covered in their licensing fees.
• You don't have to move into an assisted living facility.

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2299, which would create a state senior independent living ombuds program. Staff explained that the bill would direct the Department of Commerce to contract with a nonprofit to provide ombuds services for residents of senior independent living facilities, including complaint handling, data collection, referrals, training, and protections against retaliation and disclosure. The bill also sets qualifications and conflict-of-interest rules for ombuds staff and requires facilities to post notice of the services. The chair noted that, although executive session was on the agenda, the bills would not be voted out that day because amendments were still being worked on. Representative Christine Reeves, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure was intended to address gaps in protections for seniors in independent living settings, which are often treated under multifamily housing law rather than senior housing or long-term care statutes. She described constituent concerns about poor communication, delayed maintenance, safety issues, and a lack of a clear place for residents to seek help. Committee members asked about the bill’s scope, including whether it would apply to 55-plus communities, condominiums, and rented versus owned units, and staff clarified that the bill defines covered facilities as age-restricted apartment buildings, condominiums, or residential neighborhoods where residents rent the unit or land, plus certain portions of CCRCs and assisted living buildings not actively used for assisted living. Testimony was mixed. The Washington Health Care Association and LeadingAge Washington said they support the goal but raised concerns about the bill’s structure, funding, overlap with existing landlord-tenant and long-term care ombuds systems, and the need for a broader stakeholder process and a resident bill of rights first. The Washington State Long-Term Care Ombuds Program supported the concept and said it could potentially absorb the work, but emphasized that current funding is already below recommended staffing levels and that additional resources would likely be needed. Residents and advocates testified in support, saying the bill would provide a neutral outside authority and help address real problems in senior communities. No vote was taken, and the hearing was closed without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• And while Echo Glen and Green Hill are larger facilities, the national trend is toward smaller facilities
• , which research suggests are more Facilities, the national trend is toward smaller facilities, which
• to a community facility.
• Both of these facilities have over 100 beds.
• working across its secure and community facilities. 78% of these staff worked in secure facilities,

Summary: The committee met on July 15, 2026, but began without a quorum, so it could not adopt the previous minutes. Chair Jerry Pollett welcomed new member Senator Victoria Hunt and introduced new JLARC staff. The committee then heard a preliminary JLARC performance audit of DCYF’s Juvenile Rehabilitation programs. Auditors said overcrowding, staffing shortages, weak training, unreliable risk assessments, and uneven program access combine to create unsafe conditions and limit rehabilitation. They reported that about 74% of youth are in two large secure facilities, incidents rise as population rises, 47% of frontline staff leave within a year, current assessments are not valid for the population, and program offerings are tied more to facility location than individual need. JLARC made eight recommendations, including one to the legislature to address crowding and seven to DCYF on retention, training, incident procedures, validated assessments, program alignment, individualized programming, and better data. DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter agreed overcrowding is a major problem, said the agency would respond in detail later, and noted the department needs legislative help on staffing, pay, education, and program funding. Senators and representatives asked about JR-25, training adequacy, assessment validation, contraband, education access, and possible retaliation concerns, and JLARC staff and DCYF answered that the issues are interrelated and that a fuller agency response would come later. The committee next heard JLARC’s preliminary audit of Labor and Industries’ enforcement of farm worker labor laws. JLARC concluded that L&I generally meets timelines for health and safety inspections but not for wage-and-hour or retaliation complaints, largely because complaint volume exceeds staff capacity and delays occur before assignment to investigators. Auditors said recent agency changes and 2026 legislation may help, including added staff, screening processes, workload reorganization, the ability to prioritize complaints, a later start date for the 60-day wage complaint clock, and authority to expand some investigations to similarly affected workers. JLARC recommended that L&I report back in December 2026 and December 2027 on backlog reduction and implementation of the new law. L&I’s deputy policy director said the agency appreciates the report, is hiring additional investigators, and expects the new laws to substantially change how wage complaints are handled. Members asked for clarification on what counts as a wage complaint, the share of farm worker complaints, and how the new authority will work. JLARC then provided an update on the Department of Health’s strategic management plan for hospital data reporting, inspections, and complaints. Staff summarized prior recommendations and noted that House Bill 2577 clarified hospital inspection timing. DOH officials described a detailed plan with measurable milestones for improving inspection compliance, verifying accreditation standards, expanding complaint forms into more languages, addressing language-access barriers, and seeking long-term funding for adverse event reporting and financial data reporting. DOH said acute care inspection compliance had risen from 28% to 61% and projected further increases through 2028, while also working on staffing, a new licensing system, and public reporting tools. Committee members praised the specificity of the plan but raised concerns about the long timeline for language access and whether hospitals should do more outreach as part of their community health assessments. After lunch, the committee began the 2026 tax preference performance reviews preliminary report. JLARC staff introduced the first three reviews, starting with the Main Street tax credit and program. Auditors said the preference appears to have met the legislature’s broad goal of increasing Main Street communities and businesses overall, though results vary by community. They reported that Main Street communities grew from 9 in 2005 to 40 in 2025, business counts in those communities rose overall, and donations and tax credits have remained high, with many local businesses donating to support their own downtowns. The committee then moved into the rest of the tax preference review presentation, with additional reports to follow later in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And while Echo Glen and Green Hill are larger facilities, the national trend is toward smaller facilities
• , which research suggests are more... facilities, the national trend is toward smaller facilities, which
• to a community facility.
• Both of these facilities have over 100 beds.
• working across its secure and community facilities.

Summary: The committee met on July 15, 2026, but initially lacked a quorum, so it could not adopt prior minutes. Chair Jerry Pollett welcomed new member Senator Victoria Hunt and new JLARC staff, and noted national recognition for recent JLARC reports. The meeting then moved into a series of preliminary audit presentations and an agency strategic management update, with committee members asking questions after each item. JLARC presented a preliminary audit of DCYF’s Juvenile Rehabilitation programs. Staff concluded that crowding, staffing shortages, weak risk assessments, and inconsistent programming combine to create unsafe conditions. The report found that most youth are housed in two large secure facilities operating near or above capacity, incidents rise as population rises, 47% of frontline staff leave within a year, current assessment tools are not valid for the population, and program access depends more on facility than individual need. JLARC made one recommendation to the legislature to address crowding and seven to DCYF, including improving retention, training, incident response procedures, validated assessments, program alignment, and data quality. DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter said the agency agreed overcrowding is a serious problem, described ongoing efforts to improve staffing and safety, and said a detailed response would be provided later. Committee members raised concerns about education access, retaliation against staff or youth who participated in the audit, and whether JR-25 has helped or worsened conditions. JLARC then presented a preliminary audit of Labor and Industries’ enforcement of farm worker labor laws. The audit found that L&I generally meets inspection timelines for health and safety complaints, but not for wage and hour or retaliation complaints, where delays are driven largely by time before assignment to an investigator. Staff said complaint volume exceeds capacity, though the agency has added staff, created screening processes, and reorganized workloads, and 2026 legislation now allows prioritization of complaints and broader investigations. JLARC recommended that L&I report back in December 2026 and December 2027 on backlog reduction and implementation of the new law. An L&I representative said the agency is hiring additional staff and will provide a formal response later. The committee also received a JLARC overview and Department of Health strategic management plan update on hospital data reporting, inspections, complaints, and adverse event reporting. DOH reported measurable progress on inspection compliance, new staffing and licensing systems, translated complaint forms, and plans for future work on language access, adverse event reporting, and financial data dashboards. After lunch, JLARC began its 2026 tax preference performance reviews. The first review covered the Main Street tax credit, which JLARC said has helped increase the number of Main Street communities and businesses, with positive growth near designated districts; JLARC recommended continuing the preference and improving business-count data. The second review covered the equitable access to credit program, which JLARC said appears to support underserved communities by funding loans through CDFIs; JLARC recommended continuing the preference beyond its 2027 expiration. The committee began questions on the program mechanics and the role of the Community Reinvestment Act, and the presentation was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• re-entry center at the facility.
• We need a new facility.
• We need a new facility.
• facility in the future.
• The Kulani facility is our sex offender treatment facility.

Committee: House Public Safety

Summary: The Public Safety Committee held a hearing on House Bill 433, which would appropriate $4 million for Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation re-entry services to connect offenders with community-based services. Director Tommy Johnson said the department supports the bill’s intent but noted the governor’s executive budget already includes $4 million for the same purpose and asked that the measure defer to that budget. Supporters, including the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, Community Alliance on Prisons, and the ACLU, backed the funding but urged that it be tied to a clear re-entry plan, performance measures, transparency, and regular reporting to the legislature. They emphasized that re-entry should begin at intake and involve community partnerships, housing, treatment, employment, and family reunification services. Committee members questioned the department about current re-entry services, pre-trial detainees, and how the new funds would be used. Johnson said the department’s current statewide re-entry budget is about $1.5 million to $1.7 million, separate from the larger Corrections Program Services Division budget for in-facility programs. He described the proposed $4 million as supporting a mix of services, including a pilot apprenticeship program, substance abuse treatment, navigator or warm-handoff services, and short-term transitional housing. He also said the department already tracks performance outcomes in its annual report and can provide a matrix showing the intake-to-discharge process, program contracts, and volunteer organizations. The discussion also covered pre-trial detainees, electronic monitoring, and mental health services. Johnson said the department has limited jurisdiction over pre-trial detainees but works with courts to seek supervised release when possible; he noted that many requests are denied, though electronic monitoring has improved release rates somewhat. On mental health, he said the jail is not an ideal therapeutic setting for people found unfit to proceed and suggested a secure community-based step-down facility run by the Department of Health for those needing care above what the jail can provide but below forensic-level treatment. No vote or final action on the bill was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have folks living in this facility who have concerns about the public safety...
• We have folks living in this facility who have concerns about the public safety around their facility
• of daily living, such as an assisted living facility, a nursing home, a long-term care facility, or
• There's no cost to the facilities. It's not covered in their licensing fees.
• You don't have to move into an assisted living facility.

Bills: HB2299 , HB2118 , HB2236

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: seniors, independent living, ombudsman, elderly support, continuing care retirement communities, common interest communities, restrictions, property rights, homeowners association, community governance, housing finance, affordable housing, housing commission, state agency, financial assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• I would also like to thank the facilities team.
• So we have a plan for moving that facility from being an active facility to being in what's called cold
• everyone depart the facility.
• In terms of reactivating a facility, I think it really depends on the facility that you're talking about
• On the facilities that have security detail, who provides that security? For our closed facilities?

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee met to consider several governor’s appointments and routine agenda items. It first approved, on call, appointments not required to appear for Olivia May Assuncion to the Commission on Disability Access, William Adams to the California Exposition and State Fair Board of Directors, and two California Law Revision Commission nominees, with one of the law revision appointments drawing a split vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees and floor acknowledgments before moving to appointments required to appear. Brian Bishop, nominated to lead the Division of Adult Parole Operations at CDCR, testified that he would emphasize public safety, accountability, rehabilitation, and staff well-being. In questioning, senators focused on risk assessment for higher-risk parolees, GPS monitoring, coordination with local law enforcement, victim protections, supervision of unhoused parolees, and oversight of private reentry/housing contractors. Bishop said DAPO uses data-driven supervision, risk tools, compliance sweeps with law enforcement, exclusion zones and administrative transfers to protect victims, and contract monitoring through invoices, site visits, and utilization reports. Public commenters from reentry and justice organizations supported his confirmation, and the committee voted 5-0 to send the nomination to the full Senate. Sarah Larson, nominated to direct CDCR’s Facilities Management and Construction, described her CDCR background and said she wanted to help modernize the department’s aging infrastructure to support staff and incarcerated people. Senators asked about aligning facilities with a declining prison population, cooling and heat mitigation, safety during construction, prison closures such as Norco, disaster planning, and how closed facilities are maintained or could be reopened. Larson said CDCR has reduced its footprint, is piloting cooling upgrades at several sites, maintains closed facilities in cold shutdown with minimal upkeep, and uses emergency planning and mutual aid for disasters. She also said the department is exploring infrastructure master planning and more substantial, targeted improvements, and the committee again heard supportive public testimony before voting 5-0 to advance her nomination to the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Intermediate care facilities.
• Is this outline here for one facility?
• This is for one facility, about a 5,000-square-foot facility, which would house four individuals.
• care facilities that we've done out in Dickinson or the hospice facilities.
• care facilities that we've done out in Dickinson or the hospice facilities.

Bills: SB2015

Committee: Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Human Resources division met with a quorum and spent much of the meeting on a proposed “medical home” concept for people with significant disabilities and medical needs. Matt Schwartz described the need for small, community-based homes so adults like his daughter could live in a least-restrictive setting without losing housing if service providers change. Architect Jeff Eubel presented a conceptual budget for one roughly 5,000-square-foot facility for four residents, explaining that the design would likely include four large sleeping units, common space, support areas, and medical infrastructure such as emergency power, oxygen, sprinklers, and accessibility features. Committee members and George Sink, joining by phone, raised questions about layout, zoning, ownership, staffing, and whether families would actually move loved ones into such facilities if they were far from home. The department said the concept was not in the governor’s budget and identified staff who could continue discussions; the committee did not take final action and instead discussed refining the language with interested members. The committee then turned to amendments related to long-term care and behavioral health funding. One amendment would reduce a planned $4 million general fund incentive payment and instead create a withhold-based quality program for nursing facilities, to be developed collaboratively by the department and providers and reported to Legislative Management by September 2026. The department said it could live with the language but preferred the governor’s timing; several senators questioned whether the committee should be directing an operational policy change and whether the study would simply delay implementation. No vote was taken, and the amendment was set aside for later consideration. A second amendment would clarify use of an existing $2 million general fund item for behavioral health services in nursing homes and basic care facilities, directing it toward training, technical assistance, consultation, and direct patient care for residents with medically based behavioral health disorders. Members noted the funding was already in the bill and discussed it in the context of other budget items, but again deferred action. The committee also clarified that a separate $750,000 juvenile justice diversion appropriation in House Bill 1425 was distinct from a similar amount in the budget and should likely remain in that separate bill. The chair indicated a goal of having amendments ready by the end of the week, and the committee recessed without final votes on the discussed items.

Transcript Highlights:

• , in these three facilities, has.
• I know that there was 10 facilities. Now there's five facilities.
• . items concern our facilities.
• Lastly, facility closures.
• facilities? Outside of facilities? Well, I think Mandy kind of talked to...

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V

Transcript Highlights:

• Misconduct in the facilities.
• Facility leaders have met at each prison with those individuals being transferred to their facilities
• from that facility.
• </c> transfer to a different uh uh facility. transfer to a different uh uh facility.
• </c> practice in in many of our facilities. practice in in many of our facilities.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• So really, our facilities are unique facilities.
• facilities.
• They'll buy a facility, upkeep the facility, and lease it to the charter school itself.
• Are their worst facilities.
• Facility ranked very high.

Committee: House New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Public Facilities Authority.
• Back to the potato facility. Okay. Back to the potato facility. facility. facility.
• </c> facility that is not programri. facility that is not programri.
• at every facility. facility. facility.
• library facilities, etc.

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• The report for the two law enforcement agencies that have private detention facilities.
• So I've had the opportunity to visit this facility, the Yakima Valley School.
• I've toured the facility. There's inadequate mental health care.
• dealing with incarcerated people or folks who are in detention facilities of any kind.
• that into their contract. standards on the private detention facilities.

Summary: The Senate Human Services Committee met on February 25 and received staff briefings on three bills. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2253, the DCYF licensing bill, was described as affecting foster care licensing, crisis residential center staffing ratios, and child care licensing. Staff reviewed multiple proposed amendments, including changes related to immediate threats to children’s safety, substance use, subsidy fraud, reporting channels, and DUI-related ineligibility, as well as a Wilson striking amendment that would remove many of those floor changes. After caucus, the chair announced she would pull ESHB 2253 from executive action for further work over the interim, and no vote was taken on the bill. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2319, which renames certain residential habilitation centers, had one amendment to rename Yakima Valley School as the Yakima Valley Residential Habilitation Center. The committee adopted the amendment despite opposition from Senators Warnick and Christian, who said constituents in Yakima did not support the change. The bill then received a do-pass recommendation and was sent to Rules, with Senators Warnick and Christian voting no. House Bill 2464, concerning incident reporting by private detention facilities to the Department of Health and local law enforcement, was also considered. Senator Christian offered six amendments, including a JLARC study, public posting and legislative sharing of reports, expanded reporting requirements, food-safety consistency, and reimbursement for compliance costs; all six amendments failed. The committee then approved the bill on a do-pass recommendation and sent it to Rules, with Senator Christian opposing and Senator Orwall supporting the measure as a human-rights and safety bill. The chair closed the meeting after noting the committee had reached the policy cutoff and thanking staff for their work.

Transcript Highlights:

• What do you think the cost for developing this decarbonization plan would be on a facility-by-facility
• Those are expensive to implement and to retool a facility.
• The folks that make the facilities work, right?
• You know, I just did a little bit of looking at the WestRock facility.
• Simplot operates food processing facilities in Washington.

Summary: The Environment and Energy Committee heard testimony on House Bill 2537, which would change how energy-intensive, trade-exposed facilities (EITEs) are treated under the Climate Commitment Act. Committee staff and the bill sponsor explained that the measure would require Ecology to update its post-2034 report to include proposed allowance-reduction methods, leakage-risk adjustments, and consignment recommendations, and would add new reporting and decarbonization-planning requirements for EITEs to continue receiving no-cost allowances. The committee also briefly took up House Bill 2245, a separate Clean Energy Transformation Act bill, and later voted the proposed substitute out of committee on an 11-8 vote with 2 excused, after debate over exemptions for certain utilities and market customers. Supporters of HB 2537, including The Nature Conservancy, NRDC, Washington Conservation Action, Climate Solutions, Clean and Prosperous Washington, Ecology, and some utility representatives, said the bill would provide needed clarity, better data, and a path for long-term industrial decarbonization while helping prevent emissions leakage. They argued that EITEs receive substantial public value through free allowances and should be required to document emissions sources, energy needs, and feasible reduction pathways so the state can design a post-2035 policy consistent with climate goals. Ecology said it generally supports the bill, though it recommended streamlining duplicative reporting and noted the work would require significant agency resources not included in the governor’s budget. Opponents, including the Association of Washington Business, the Northwest Pulp and Paper Association, the Association of Western Pulp and Paperworkers, WISPA, the Alliance of Western Energy Consumers, Food Northwest, Simplot, Kaiser Aluminum, and Newcor Steel, warned that the bill could increase compliance burdens, expose sensitive business information, and worsen leakage risks by making Washington less competitive. They said many facilities have already made major investments and face high capital costs, limited clean electricity supply, permitting delays, and technologies that are not yet commercially viable at scale. Several speakers pointed to recent plant closures and job losses in pulp and paper, food processing, and metals as evidence that leakage is already occurring, and urged the committee to preserve flexibility, protect confidentiality, and consider targeted funding or other incentives rather than new mandates alone.

Transcript Highlights:

• NFPA 101 and health care facilities code.
• The bill bans smoking in facilities that use oxygen and long-term care facilities.
• At one point, one of the caretakers in the facility, who belonged to the facility, told me that he was
• The facility he was at was not like a Medicaid or low-cost facility either.
• at the facility: there are cameras.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Aging and Independence

Summary: The Committee on Aging and Independence heard testimony on a package of long-term care and elder care bills focused on building on the state’s 2024 long-term care reform law (Chapter 197). Richard Moore of Dignity Alliance urged favorable action on the bills as a “long-term care 2.0” effort, arguing they would strengthen the workforce, protect residents’ rights, improve clinical quality, and increase transparency and sustainability in nursing homes and other facilities. He also raised concerns about staffing funds not reaching direct care workers and suggested further oversight of how appropriated money is spent. Patricia Crispy of the American Nurses Association testified in support of House Bill 766, which would require at least one registered nurse with full voting rights on the board of directors or trustees of every acute care hospital and nursing home. She and the bill’s sponsor, Representative Vanado, said nurses’ clinical expertise and 24/7 presence make them valuable contributors to governance and patient safety. Committee members asked whether the bill would cover assisted living and how many facilities already have nurse board members; the witness said she would provide more data and clarify the assisted living question. Senator Lovely testified on two bills: Senate 479, which would expand transparency and accountability in long-term care by tightening fire safety, smoking, hearing-loss, and ownership disclosure requirements, adding advocacy groups to an advisory committee, and increasing penalties; and Senate 480/House 795, which would require single-occupancy rooms in nursing homes unless residents consent to share, to improve privacy and reduce infection spread. Deborah De Benedictus also testified in support of House 759, describing her father’s experience in assisted living and arguing for the use of cameras in elder care facilities to monitor care and deter neglect. The committee discussed privacy concerns, notification rules, and the need for honest staffing and care practices, and then adjourned without taking any recorded votes or formal actions in the transcript.