Transcript Highlights:

• of physicians, which means longer wait times and greater cost of care.
• and care actually delivered.
• opportunity to receive that care.
• Assembly Bill 1696 by Assembly Member Stephanie relates to health care.
• California is currently suffering from an acute care shortage.

Transcript Highlights:

• If he had been in the care of an actual human being and therapist, perhaps he would be alive today.
• of an actual &gt;&gt; If he had been in the care of an actual human<00:04:44.080><c> being</c><00:04
• </c><00:13:35.040><c> and</c> while preserving access to care and while preserving access to care and
• You need to speak to somebody who's a caring partner in your life or a mental health professional.
• </c><00:21:26.240><c> caring</c> speak to somebody who's a caring caring speak to somebody who's a caring

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 251, Access Lactation Care and Breastfeeding, authorizes breastfeeding and lactation care
• of their physician or other health care professional.
• care access, and I will also note that at the same time, Member P.
• access, and I will also note that at the same time, To expand health care access.
• Madam Chair, I don't believe so, but we can take care of that for you.

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long minority calendar covering a wide range of bills, with sponsors giving brief descriptions and members frequently raising concerns about constitutionality, cost, federal preemption, and policy impacts. Topics included medical intervention and vaccination/mask prohibitions, state treasurer investment rules, vacant state positions reporting, shooting range closure limits, congressional term limits, audit penalties, cellphone use while driving, procurement restrictions tied to China, air ambulance regulation, hospital immigration-status reporting, SNAP purchase restrictions, school assessment changes, school contract transparency, religious excusals from school, student contact information, fitness reporting, and several property tax, water, and agriculture measures. Members also discussed bills on AI-generated sexual material consent verification, DEI liability, hate-crime sentencing, commercial driver forfeiture tied to immigration status, speed-limiting devices for repeat speeding offenses, PFAS firefighting foam, name changes for sex offenders, abortion-inducing drugs, prisoner transition services, sexual extortion penalties, solar radiation management bans, and cultivated-cell food labeling and sales bans. Several bills drew explicit opposition or requests to pull them from consent, especially those affecting abortion access, immigration-related hospital reporting, school testing, religious release programs, DEI policies, and cultivated-cell foods. Members noted that some measures appeared duplicative, overly broad, or likely unconstitutional, and in multiple cases referenced prior vetoes or prior-year versions of the same bills. Supportive comments were also made on selected bills, including the PFAS foam prohibition, the assistive technology study committee, the digital goods consumer protection bill, and the prisoner transition services extension. The caucus also considered water and infrastructure measures, including brackish groundwater funding and studies, water augmentation authority bonds, Pima County water rates, groundwater transport rules, and HOA drought watering limits. Toward the end, members reviewed election-related memorials and resolutions, including a proposal to limit voting centers, a memorial urging withdrawal from the United Nations, and another urging defunding the IMF; all three were noted as being on consent and were pulled for further discussion. The meeting closed with announcements, including a note about a local missing-person concern and a caucus recognition program called the Affordable Arizona Award.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if you care about the health of the people living around the airport, ...many children, all these
• environmental justice-eligible communities, you'll do the right thing and show that you care about the
• HDA members are the link between manufacturers and where Washington patients receive their care.
• HGA members are the link between manufacturers and where Washington patients receive their care.
• a direct benefit to the quality or value of the health care we're getting.

Summary: The committee began with a work session on aircraft fuel taxes, hearing from WSDOT Aviation about the FAA’s aviation fuel tax rules, Washington’s compliance history, and the potential consequences of noncompliance. WSDOT said the state has collected roughly $210 million in aviation fuel taxes since the federal compliance period began, and that FAA has questioned some of the state’s claimed offsets. Members asked about the federal authority behind the rules, who pays the taxes, and whether Boeing is affected. The committee then moved to public hearing on several bills tied to aviation fuel tax revenue. SB 5989 would redirect a small share of state sales and use tax on aircraft fuel to the aeronautics account and require reporting on airport project funding. Supporters, including port, airport, and pilot groups, said it was a measured step toward FAA compliance and airport investment; the bill’s staff summary said it would reduce general fund revenue and increase DOR costs. SB 5898 would redirect hazardous substance, petroleum products, and oil spill-related taxes on aircraft fuel to the aeronautics account. Supporters said it would bring Washington into compliance and help airports, while Ecology, counties, and ports warned it would significantly reduce MTCA and related environmental funding. SB 6240 would create a new noise and air quality mitigation account funded by a portion of hazardous substance tax revenue; airport and aviation groups opposed it as duplicative or noncompliant with FAA rules, while community and environmental advocates from Sea-Tac area cities supported it as a needed mitigation source. The committee also heard SB 6244, which would extend a hazardous substance tax exemption for certain pesticides used in Washington agriculture through 2038. Agricultural and logistics witnesses supported it as important for food security, storage, and competitiveness, and staff said it would have a small revenue loss and administrative cost. SB 6231, a governor-request bill, would repeal the sales tax exemption for data center refurbishments while keeping the exemption for original server equipment; OFM and local government groups supported it as a revenue-raising budget measure, while data center, labor, and business representatives opposed it, warning of lost investment, jobs, and competitiveness. SB 6228 would repeal the preferential B&O rate for prescription drug resellers; OFM supported it as an outdated preference, but pharmacies, wholesalers, and business groups argued the cost would be passed through to pharmacies, hospitals, insurers, and patients and could worsen pharmacy closures. The committee then heard SB 6220, which would narrow and clarify a property tax exemption for nonprofit low-income homeownership property by allowing temporary community use and preserving the exemption when property is transferred to another exempt nonprofit. The sponsor said the bill was intended to let a community land trust host local performances without jeopardizing affordable housing plans. Finally, the committee heard SB 5880, which would allow blood and breath toxicology results to be admissible if tested by ISO/IEC 17025-certified labs, in addition to the state toxicologist process. Seattle’s city attorney supported it as a way to reduce a long toxicology backlog and speed DUI cases, while counties raised concerns about shifting costs to local governments and creating unequal access based on local resources. No votes were taken in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Access to health care must come with protection for both patients and the providers.
• safe enough to provide care rather than succumb to threats.
• I offer evidence-based, life-saving medical care with gender-affirming care.
• It's essential to my ability to continue to provide care to my patients.
• Protecting provider safety protects patients' access to care.

Bills: HB2176 , HB2244 , HB2120 , HB2333

Committee: House State Government & Tribal Relations

Keywords: drug therapy, public records, confidentiality, healthcare, collaborative practice, transparency, accountability, exemptions, government accountability, audit, legislative review, resource efficiency, committee work, political violence, elected officials, election officials, criminal justice, protection, safety, threats

Transcript Highlights:

• Health care needs good quality staff.
• And as we continue to age, we need access to really good health care as well.
• field, and then labor representatives as well that are health care.
• field, and then labor representatives as well that are health care.
• health care.

Summary: The House Education Committee received status updates on career and technical education (CTE), including OSPI’s work under 2024 legislation on allied health pathways and a statewide CTE task force, an update from Core Plus Maritime, and findings from an Education Northwest longitudinal study of Washington CTE access and outcomes. OSPI described development of allied health guidance such as a home care aide to nursing assistant bridge, model curricula, updated course equivalency frameworks, and coordination with health agencies and employers. It also reviewed Core Plus framework work, task force expansion under later legislation, and the timeline for recommendations due in November 2026. Committee members asked about health profession outreach, equitable access for rural districts, data updates, and employer support for local programs; OSPI said it continues to work with agency and industry partners and that local labor-market alignment varies by region. Core Plus Maritime presenters described expanding maritime career exploration into middle school through low-cost ROV curriculum, student visits to ferries and vessels, Sea Scouts partnerships, and ship-based safety and welding experiences. Industry representatives from the Northwest Marine Trade Association, American Seafoods, and Vigor Marine Group emphasized the maritime sector’s economic importance, aging workforce, and need for hands-on training to build the pipeline for family-wage jobs. A teacher from South Kitsap High School said the program gives students a clear pathway and has helped connect them to careers in shipyards, fishing, and related trades. Vigor also noted support for a student welding competition and equipment donations for a Rainier Beach shop. Dr. Sam Riggs of Education Northwest presented a longitudinal study using state data from 2013-14 through 2023-24. The study found CTE access has been relatively steady statewide, but offerings vary by school size, locale, and income, with rural and lower-income schools generally offering fewer pathways. Participation is high: nearly all students earn at least some CTE credit, and more students are accumulating multiple credits over time, though fewer go deep within a single pathway. Students who earned more CTE credits, especially within pathways such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and construction, were more likely to graduate on time and later had stronger postsecondary certificate attainment and earnings. Riggs recommended addressing local barriers to participation, considering whether the CTE graduation requirement should better encourage depth while preserving flexibility, and aligning offerings more closely with labor-market needs. Committee members asked about COVID-era trends, student motivation, early workforce entry, delivery settings such as skill centers, and how to interpret the comparison groups used in the analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• something like that might happen, or do we just need to depend upon the property insurance to take care
• So I just want us to really be careful with what we're doing here.
• It's common sense oversight and assurance for our state in today's health care sector.
• If it appeared from the review that the transaction was going to harm health care in New Mexico, then
• President, the Health Care Authority doesn't—this is not their business to do this.

Transcript Highlights:

• Medicaid patients visit them if this would disrupt the regular care system.
• We are trying to find ways because we are in a health care issue right now.
• I've talked primary cares in my area.
• </c> are in a healthc care issue right now. are in a healthc care issue right now.
• </c> or a couple hundred miles to get care. or a couple hundred miles to get care.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the cabinet secretary of the Health Care Authority.
• By the way, home, home care, in my opinion is probably better than some institutional facility care,
• We really are working hard to raise awareness for primary care, internal care, and other specialties,
• Trying to take care of in this system are done so safely and with consistency.
• Care in its third incarnation.

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• This started out addressing the subject of equine dental care and some of the challenges that have been
• This started out addressing the subject of equine dental care and some of the challenges that have been
• I'm a breeder, owner, exhibitor. equin dental care and some of the uh equin dental care and some of the
• Chairman Cook in the House kind of deferred this issue to me, said, 'Take care of it.'
• We call them pasture ornaments sometimes, but they still demand a level of care, and we can't charge

Summary: The Senate Committee on Agriculture met for its first session and took up Senate Bill 69, as amended by a committee substitute. The substitute was adopted by motion and vote, and the chair noted that a fiscal note had been requested but not yet received, so the bill would proceed and the fiscal note would be trailed. The bill concerns equine dental care and related chiropractic services, creating a licensing and regulatory framework for equine dental providers and allied animal health practitioners. Senator Robin Webb, the bill sponsor, said the substitute made technical corrections requested by the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association and the chiropractors association. She described the measure as a compromise intended to clarify scopes of practice, establish a credentialing/licensing board, and provide a legal pathway for people who have long provided equine dental services, especially in rural areas where veterinary access can be limited. Supporters said the bill would improve accountability, allow providers to obtain liability insurance, and preserve referrals to veterinarians for issues outside the defined scope. Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association and Board of Veterinary Examiners representatives said the bill was developed through a working group, modeled in part on Texas, and would include continuing education, grievance procedures, and due process protections. Justin Tallup, an equine dental provider, testified in favor, saying the bill would not change day-to-day practice but would legalize and formalize it. He said the scope would be limited to floating and balancing molars and incisors and removing caps and wolf teeth, with anything beyond that referred to veterinarians. He also said certification requires formal training, case submissions, testing, and annual continuing education. Senator Deneen asked about sedation, and witnesses said sedatives would still be prescribed and dispensed by a veterinarian under a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship, with the owner administering them. Michelle Shane of the Board of Veterinary Examiners said the board supported the bill’s disciplinary framework and would defer to federal law on controlled substances. Dr. William Rainbow, a veterinarian, testified against the bill, arguing that equine dentistry is veterinary medicine and that the proposal would allow undertrained practitioners to work without sufficient standards, including a grandfathering provision. He said practitioners should have training comparable to licensed veterinary technicians and warned that the bill could leave horses vulnerable to poor care. The committee did not take final action on the bill in the portion of the meeting provided, but the chair indicated time was running short and that a vote would be needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• It doesn't care if it's Republican or Democrat.
• There's room to bond for important bipartisan projects when it comes to child care.
• When it comes to child care, the demand is high and the supply is low.
• </c><00:26:26.440><c> providers</c> current inhome child care providers current inhome child care providers
• </c> 60% of the income inhome day care 60% of the income inhome day care providers<00:26:44.799><c> in

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Thompson, do you care to close debate? Senator Thompson waives.
• Senator Murdoch, would you care to close debate? Yes, thank you.
• Senator Murdoch, would you care to close? Yes, I would. Thank you.
• Senator Murdoch, would you care to close? Yes, I would. Thank you.
• Senator Hall, would you care to close debate? He waives.

Bills: HB1590 , HB3075 , HB3548 , HB3661 , HB3986 , HB4273 , HB4346

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Summary: The Revenue and Taxation Committee met and first laid over House Bill 15.9 to the next meeting. The committee then unanimously advanced an executive nomination, James Burleson to the Oklahoma Tax Commission, after brief testimony from Sen. Pugh and Burleson’s comments about his private-sector, nonprofit, and community experience and desire to serve the state. Members then considered several tax-related bills. House Bill 3986, expanding eligibility for the 24-month gross production tax exemption for wells completed using recycled water, passed 10-1 after questions about whether the change was retroactive. House Bill 3548, which would exempt small child-run businesses from certain taxes and permits up to a $1,000 gross-revenue threshold, passed 11-0 after questions focused on enforcement and adult involvement. House Bill 3661, removing the sunset on the forestry equipment sales tax exemption, passed 8-3 despite concerns about the lack of hard data supporting the incentive’s continuation. The committee also passed House Bill 4346, creating reciprocity for agricultural sales tax exemptions for neighboring states, after discussion about verification methods, fraud prevention, and whether the Oklahoma Tax Commission could track out-of-state buyers; the bill passed 8-3. House Bill 3075, the “Oklahoma Common Sense Act” dealing with a post-penny environment and giving agencies and political subdivisions more time to update point-of-sale systems, was amended to set an effective date of November 1, 2026, and then passed 11-0. Finally, House Bill 4273, clarifying that certain R1 university aerospace research employees qualify for an aerospace tax credit, passed 6-5 after debate over whether the credit could create a broader domino effect for other professors and fields. The chair announced the committee would likely meet again the following Monday for its last meeting of the year, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• organization and that organization has expressed a desire in writing to provide for the afterlife care
• He said they want every bill dealing with afterlife care to show this amount of care.
• He said every bill dealing with afterlife care should show this amount of care, and he expressed appreciation
• He said this bill is a perfect example of that, because it shows care for individual needs.
• He said they want every bill dealing with afterlife care to show this amount of care, and he expressed

Committee: Senate State & Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• . care. care.
• </c> care by October 2028. care by October 2028.
• </c> that single continuum of care. that single continuum of care.
• . care. care.
• </c> care of the people that needed the help. care of the people that needed the help.

Transcript Highlights:

• programs, cutting-edge technologies, and connecting our systems of care.
• CalHires, which is our California health care eligibility enrollment and retention system.
• Yes, and that's that time window that includes the 45,000 cases from foster care.
• Maybe I'll pause in and care too and see what other questions you have about that.
• and for tracking health care costs as they affect consumers' premiums.

Transcript Highlights:

• We should be focused on taking care of our communities.
• But that's our federal delegation that needs to take care of ICE, not us.
• At CV&M, we believe it is our responsibility to care for our land, air, and water, because we care deeply
• Joanna was a nurse, and she was requesting the care that she needed.
• They did not care. All those employees got other jobs or left.

Bills: SB100

Committee: House House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• In child care, we have $89 million ongoing General Fund for DSS to administer child care programs, that's
• And MAGA Republicans in Congress have voted to gut funding for food aid and health care.
• rooms are going to be their number one source of health care in that scenario.
• As we talked about today, the health care system is under significant financial strain.
• We also call for equitable new sustainable revenue solutions to protect IHSS and long-term care.

Committee: House Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• For $488,000, which it all goes to Substitute Care Advisory.
• So we really need to look really closely to take good care of them.
• And gets child care assistance.
• We give them free child care assistance because they're a job seeker.
• I mean, they're taking care of that good.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Health care, housing illegally.
• </c> degrade human life or deny basic care. degrade human life or deny basic care.
• . care. care.
• They don't care about this. They don't. What they care about is coming home and their mom's gone.
• </c> care about this. care about this. They<02:47:32.880><c> don't.

Transcript Highlights:

• Health care. $30,000 combined spent in manufacturing and what was the other?
• And I understand that I heard both of you comment about child care.
• This woman is working in health care.
• “This woman is working in health care.
• care as well, because, I mean, you have an entire ecosystem just within health care itself.

Committee: All ALC-HOSPITAL, MEDICAID, & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES STUDY SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The meeting focused on Arkansas’s proposed workforce system overhaul, including a combined WIOA/Perkins state plan and a package of federal waiver requests intended to consolidate workforce governance, reduce administrative costs, and redirect more funding to training and supportive services. Commerce officials said the plan would replace the current structure of 10 local workforce boards and more than 200 board members with a single statewide board and one administrative entity, while keeping local offices open and using regional business councils to preserve employer and local input. They said the state has already reduced Commerce headcount and operating costs, and that the changes would improve coordination with higher education, adult education, vocational rehabilitation, DHS, and Arkansas Industry Connect. Much of the discussion centered on the waiver package, especially the proposal to make the state board function as the local board, allow more flexible movement of funds across regions, eliminate the WIOA “last dollar” requirement for training and supportive services, create affiliate sites instead of requiring every area to maintain a comprehensive center, and relax the 14 youth program element requirement. Officials said the State Board of Workforce Development approved the waiver package 11-3 before it was submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor, and that implementation would begin only after federal approval and a closeout process, likely taking up to a year. They also described plans to streamline referrals and data sharing, expand mobile and virtual services, and use a more centralized model to improve customer service and employer engagement. Members raised repeated concerns about rural representation, local control, board composition, and whether jobs and relationships would be lost if local boards were eliminated. Commerce officials responded that local offices would remain open, some current staff could be rehired by the state, and regional business councils would help ensure local employer voice. Several members also questioned how the funding was being used, citing audit findings that only about $1.8 million to $1.9 million of roughly $14 million to $15 million in federal workforce funds had gone to training and supportive services. Officials said the reorganization could increase annual training spending to roughly $6 million to $7 million by reducing overhead, one-stop operator contracts, and board administration. The committee also discussed how the changes might support workforce training facilities, apprenticeships, child care and transportation assistance, and employer-driven training in fields such as manufacturing, health care, technology, and welding. The Division of Higher Education also briefed members on Workforce Pell. Officials explained that the new federal program would extend Pell eligibility to short-term programs, but only within narrow limits, such as 150 to 599 clock hours and 8 to 15 weeks of instruction, with additional completion and employment benchmarks. They said Arkansas is working with colleges and universities to identify programs that fit the criteria and that the governor has designated the Division of Higher Education to lead implementation. No votes were taken by the committee during this portion of the meeting.