Transcript Highlights:

• committee postings or recess motions, for purposes of this motion, committees and subcommittees scheduled
• The committee on Criminal Jurisprudence is scheduled to meet today at 10:30 a.m. or upon final adjournment
• SB 4268 by Morgan, relating to the recoverable depreciation for property damage claims under an insurance

Bills: HJR4, HJR6, HB195, HB 13, HB143, HB135

Keywords: occupation tax, securities, financial regulation, tax exemption, legislative amendment, capital gains tax, realized gains, unrealized gains, investment income, asset sale, capital assets, wealth tax, estate tax, trust tax, tax limitation, constitutional amendment, Texas Constitution, Article VIII, property tax, sales tax

Transcript Highlights:

• Depreciation. B329,839,41745. This amount shall be from client cash revenues. B6.
• Depreciation, $323,681. These amounts shall be from client cash revenues. B9.
• Annual depreciation lease equivalent payment: K14, 333,334.
• </c><05:06:31.360><c> lease</c> A11 annual depreciation lease A11 annual depreciation lease 122,600,62,600,60
• <05:32:26.480><c> lease</c><05:32:26.798><c> 14483,626</c> depreciation lease 14483,626 depreciation

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• concerned that the added consultation requirement would expand, would increase the complexity of scheduling
• So these would have, you know, 10-plus-year construction schedules.
• Committee, and more importantly, former staff to the Senate inquiry into the cost and schedule problems
• inquiry members agreed that mismanagement was the most significant cause of the cost overruns and schedule
• Project sponsor does not control the costs and the schedules. Thank you.

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on Senate Bill 5821, which would direct the Department of Commerce, if funded by gifts or grants, to develop a nuclear power strategic framework and integrate it into the state energy strategy. Supporters, including Sen. Braun, Energy Northwest, public power representatives, and several pro-nuclear advocates, said Washington needs to keep advanced nuclear on the table to address rising electricity demand, reliability concerns, and clean energy goals. Opponents, including the Sierra Club, Columbia Riverkeeper, tribal representatives, and other environmental advocates, argued the bill gives nuclear special treatment, lacks sufficient guardrails on waste, safety, cost, and public process, and was rushed without adequate tribal consultation. Several tribal testifiers said the bill should require early, meaningful government-to-government consultation and stronger protections for treaty rights and cultural resources. The committee then held a work session on a Washington State Institute for Public Policy report reviewing state policies supporting small modular reactors. Staff and researchers explained that the report surveyed 79 policies in 35 states and found most states are still in preliminary planning stages, with policies focused on feasibility studies, siting, workforce development, permitting, financial support, and market integration. Members asked about water use, waste, footprint, and whether the report covered fusion; the researchers said it was limited to fission and that water needs vary by reactor design. Some senators noted the need to consider lifecycle impacts and compare nuclear with other energy technologies. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6010, which would change FSEC tribal consultation procedures by exempting most government-to-government consultations from the Open Public Meetings Act when there is no deliberation or commitments, requiring all FSEC members to participate in consultation, and giving tribes a chance to review and correct the consultation summary before it goes to the governor. Tribal witnesses and environmental groups supported the bill as a way to improve confidentiality and meaningful consultation, while the Association of Washington Business opposed it, saying it could add delays and suggesting timelines. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 6004, which would update contracting statutes so public entities can contract for renewable or non-emitting generation capability under CETA definitions; utilities supported the update as a modernization, while consumer and environmental opponents warned it could shift financial risk to ratepayers, especially for nuclear projects. No votes were taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:16:13.519><c> schedule</c><00:16:14.240><c> was</c><00:16:14.399><c> also</c><00:16:14.600><c
• > slow</c> that depreciation schedule was also slow that depreciation schedule was also slow down<00:
• Authorizing such scheduling will prioritize CDL exams within the existing system, and I think that's
• Authorizing such scheduling will prioritize CDL exams within the existing system, and I think that's
• Authorizing such scheduling will prioritize CDL exams within the existing system, and I think that's

Bills: HF1167, HF1242

Keywords: Northern Lights Express, NLX, Minneapolis-Duluth rail, passenger rail, intercity passenger rail, high-speed rail, Duluth, Minneapolis, MnDOT, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Council, transportation funding, rail appropriation, general fund, trunk highway fund, rail project cancellation, infrastructure spending, commercial driver training, CDL, financial assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• opportunities to start businesses from their own homes, allowing them to save money, maintain flexible schedules
• part of our commitment to these principles, most municipally owned utilities already post full fee schedules
• and rate information on their websites, and our customers are accustomed to locating these schedules
• get or modular homes or whatever manufacturing, whatever language you want to use is that they depreciate

Bills: HB303

Keywords: jail standards, living conditions, Harris County jail, safety, inmate welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• course, then 2019, and then in the early 2000s when there were substantial changes with bonus depreciation
• ..and then in 2019, and then in the early 2000s when there were substantial changes with bonus depreciation
• changes and then 2019 and then in the early 2000s when there were substantial changes with bonus depreciation

Bills: HB2780, HB4029, HB4030, HCR2052

Keywords: judicial foreclosure, tax lien, redemption rights, excess proceeds, property auction, income tax, federal tax conformity, revenue analysis, legislative session, tax reporting, municipal fees, county fees, utility rates, moratorium, tax classification, local government, inflation, economic stability, tax increases, cost-of-living protection

Transcript Highlights:

• Depending on today's schedule, just so you're aware, at 11:00 on the steps, there will be a home education
• Depending on today's schedule,<00:26:04.240><c> just</c><00:26:04.480><c> so</c><00:26:04.559><c> you're
• </c><00:26:04.720><c> aware,</c><00:26:04.960><c> at</c><00:26:05.120><c> 11:00</c> schedule, just so
• you're aware, at 11:00 schedule, just so you're aware, at 11:00 on<00:26:05.760><c> the</c><00:26:05.919
• The program was scheduled to repeal on September 1st, so we are ending the program early.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• energy projects come on and the personal property is added to the tax rolls, over time as that depreciates
• Over time, as that depreciates, the tax burden is shifted over onto residents and other businesses in

Bills: HB1717, HB2133, HB2135, HB2140, HB2442, HB2559

Keywords: affordable housing, sales tax, housing programs, tax incentives, economic development, property tax, senior citizens, tax exemption, local government funding, permanent legislation, adaptive housing, disabled veterans, tax preferences, housing affordability, retail sales tax, governmental transfer, agriculture, land use, local government, tax authority

Summary: House Finance heard briefings on several tax and housing-related bills, including HB 1717 on a local sales and use tax remittance program for affordable housing, HB 1859 on expanding affordable housing opportunities on religious organization property, HB 1960 on a renewable energy excise tax, HB 2133 on making a senior center property tax exemption permanent, HB 2135 on extending a disabled veterans housing tax preference, HB 2140 on tax treatment for land transferred to government entities, HB 2442 on a broad package of local tax and levy authorities, and HB 2559 on a local option excise tax on short-term rentals for affordable housing. Staff also described proposed substitutes and amendments for each measure, including changes to administration, eligibility, effective dates, tax credits, voter-approval requirements, and JLARC review provisions. During executive action, the committee adopted amendments to HB 1960 clarifying tax administration and JLARC independence, while rejecting an Orcutt amendment that would have adjusted property tax levies for renewable energy projects. The committee also adopted a technical correction to HB 2133 and an effective-date amendment to HB 2135. Amendments to HB 2442 and HB 2559 that would have required voter approval or provided state tax credits were rejected. Members debated the policy impacts of local taxing authority, housing affordability, and tax burdens on property owners, veterans, seniors, and short-term rental operators. The committee voted to report HB 1717, HB 1859, HB 1960, HB 2133, HB 2135, HB 2140, HB 2442, and HB 2559 out of committee with do pass recommendations. HB 1960 passed on a recorded vote of 11 ayes and 4 nays; HB 2442 and HB 2559 each passed 9-6; the other measures were approved by voice vote, generally 15-0. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• tax right away. ...and that's paid by that company immediately, but then over time that equipment depreciates
• doesn't have necessarily the same impact with our renewable energy facilities, for example, where the depreciated

Bills: HB1960, HB2194, HB2089

Keywords: HB1960, renewable energy, clean energy, solar, wind, battery storage, energy storage, excise tax, property tax exemption, local investment, county revenue sharing, local taxing districts, school districts, Department of Revenue, Department of Commerce, model ordinance, siting, permitting, tribal consultation, tribal capacity grants

Summary: House Finance held hearings on three bills. HB 2194 would allow a county and a city within that county to both impose the cultural access sales and use tax at the same time, with the county providing a credit for the city tax. The sponsor said the bill would fix an unfair limitation and expand support for arts, science, and cultural programs. Olympia and Thurston County representatives testified in support, citing grants to local cultural organizations, free programming, and school access. A committee member asked about whether concurrent taxes could affect county bond repayment, and the testifier said he would follow up. No vote was taken. HB 2089 would remove the current requirement that a financial institution be located in 10 or more states in order to lose a B&O tax deduction on interest from certain mortgage-related loans, with the resulting revenue directed to the wildfire response, forest restoration, and community resilience account. Staff estimated the bill would raise significant revenue and affect about 450 taxpayers. The sponsor said the bill restores wildfire funding cut in the prior session by narrowing a tax preference that he said had primarily benefited large institutions rather than community banks. The Department of Natural Resources and public employees representing wildfire workers supported the bill as a way to restore wildfire preparedness funding. The Washington Bankers Association and community bankers opposed the bill as drafted, saying it would harm community banks and that they were working on revised language; they also said credit unions are not subject to B&O tax. No vote was taken. The committee then heard a proposed third substitute for HB 1960, a complex bill that would exempt certain renewable energy facility personal property and battery storage systems from property tax and replace that tax with a state and local excise tax based on generating or storage capacity. The bill would also create a local investment distribution account, make tribal capacity grants permanent, and set conditions for counties to receive grant funds tied to siting and consultation requirements. The sponsor said the goal is to levelize taxes over the life of wind, solar, and storage projects so local communities are not left with a shifting tax burden, and described the measure as a compromise. County officials, assessors, treasurers, the Department of Revenue, and conservation groups generally supported the approach but asked for clearer definitions, payment timing, and rate adjustments. Utilities and some renewable energy developers were in respectful opposition or signed in as con, saying the rates may be too high, the bill may not be workable for centrally assessed utilities, and some provisions need further refinement. The hearing ended without a vote, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Instead of having that 300 acres to depreciate it out over, it decreases the number of acres that we
• can depreciate it on, which raises our costs when... shrink our operation.

Bills: HB43, HB519, HB1275, HB1592, HB2842, HB3088, HB3479, HB4163, SB823, HB609

Keywords: agriculture, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, honey production, beekeeping, food safety, local regulation, bovine producers, dairy farms, permits, bovine tuberculosis, public health, wildlife management, disease prevention, alert system, Texas A&M, white-tailed deer, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• the Democrats, and really because of the full party control by Democrats during that time, the depreciation
• schedule was changed and the cost went up for almost everyone with car tabs.
• Um, you know, I don't even know what that is yet, so that's going to be on my summer schedule.
• is yet, so that's going to be on my is yet, so that's going to be on my summer<00:23:35.400><c> schedule
• </c> summer schedule. summer schedule.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• You will have in front of you today my presentation and then the fee schedule, which I'll refer to a
• of the fees that we charge are through driver's license and motor vehicle, and we've split this schedule
• You will have in front of you today my presentation and then the fee schedule, which I'll refer to a
• of the fees that we charge are through driver's license and motor vehicle, and we've split this schedule
• My last slide, I wanted to discuss a few changes that have been made since we provided this fee schedule

Summary: The Government Finance Committee met with new leadership, approved the December 11 minutes, and received a series of informational updates on the state’s finances and related policy issues. The Office of Management and Budget reported the general fund is tracking very close to forecast, with revenues about $2 million above forecast and an estimated ending balance of about $397 million, higher than previously expected. OMB also reviewed balances in major funds, including the budget stabilization fund, legacy fund, foundation aid stabilization fund, social services fund, and strategic investment and improvements fund, and answered questions about oil tax revenues and fund management. The Tax Department provided updates on taxable sales and purchases by county and industry, noting Cass County as the largest county by taxable sales and that retail trade remains the largest industry sector. Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus also discussed the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its estimated effects on North Dakota income tax collections, explaining that the projected revenue impacts are measured against a 2025 baseline and that some provisions are temporary while others are permanent. He also reported that primary residence tax credit applications were running ahead of last year, with more than 154,000 received so far and an expectation of roughly 160,000-plus applications. The committee also heard fee-study presentations from the Department of Transportation and the Information Technology Department. DOT explained that driver’s license fees cover only about half of program costs and that the shortfall is subsidized by the highway fund, while also noting recent changes such as the blackout plate and motor vehicle excise tax distribution changes. NDIT described its internal service fund model, current billing structure, and possible future changes to simplify invoices and billing frequency. Legislative staff also updated the committee on office space needs in Bismarck-Mandan and on legislative branch space planning, and subcommittees reported progress on fixed-route transit funding and regional jail capacity, including a visit to the Burleigh-Morton detention facility and discussion of future prison bed needs. No formal votes or legislative actions beyond approving the minutes were taken, and the committee adjourned with its next meeting set for June 25.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're concerned that the added consultation requirement would increase the complexity of scheduling time
• So these would have, you know, 10-plus-year construction schedules.
• cost... ...committee, and more importantly, former staff to the Senate inquiry into the cost and schedule
• I'd be happy to answer... ...project sponsor does not control the costs and the schedules.
• little footnote that says $32 per megawatt hour is the median cost of energy from a totally fully depreciated

Bills: SB5821, SB6004, SB6010, SB5941

Keywords: nuclear energy, energy strategy, advanced technology, sustainability, state policy, renewable energy, public entities, electric generation, contracting, SB 6010, Washington energy siting, EFSEC, Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, tribal consultation, government-to-government consultation, federally recognized tribes, energy facility siting, RCW, clean energy, alternative energy

Summary: The committee heard Senate Bill 5821, which would direct the Department of Commerce, if funded through gifts or grants, to develop a nuclear power strategic framework to supplement the state energy strategy. The bill sponsor and supporters said Washington needs to keep all clean energy options on the table, including advanced nuclear, to address rising electricity demand, reliability, affordability, workforce needs, and potential economic benefits. Opponents, including the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Sierra Club, Columbia Riverkeeper, and others, argued the bill moves too quickly toward nuclear development, relies on private funding that could bias the process, and does not adequately address tribal consultation, waste, safety, or Hanford-related concerns. Supporters included Energy Northwest, Cowlitz PUD, Yakima County, and several nuclear advocates who said the bill is only a planning framework and that advanced nuclear could help meet future energy needs. No vote was taken on the bill in the transcript. The committee then held a work session with the Washington State Institute for Public Policy on its recent review of state policies supporting small modular reactors. WSIPP described 79 policies in 35 states and grouped them into categories such as feasibility studies, siting, workforce development, permitting, power purchase arrangements, and financial support. Members asked about water use, waste, land footprint, and how the report treated fission versus fusion; WSIPP said the assignment focused on fission and that some issues like waste and environmental impacts were not the main focus of the review. Senators also discussed the need to compare nuclear with other energy technologies over their full life cycle. The committee next heard Senate Bill 5941, which would exempt certain self-generation requirements from the state energy code for some commercial buildings. Supporters, including Vista and the Association of Washington Business, said the code requirement should not be imposed in all cases and that customers should not be forced into self-generation where it does not make sense. IBEW Local 46 opposed the bill, saying the state should protect and expand energy efficiency strategies instead of adding exemptions. The hearing then moved to Senate Bill 6010, which would change EFSEC tribal consultation rules by exempting most government-to-government consultations from the Open Public Meetings Act when there is no deliberation, requiring all EFSEC members to participate in consultation, and giving tribes a chance to review and correct the consultation summary before it goes to the governor. Yakama Nation, Washington Conservation Action, and Renewable Northwest supported the bill as a way to strengthen confidential, meaningful tribal consultation, while the Association of Washington Business opposed it as a possible source of delay unless timelines are added. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6004, which would update contracting statutes so cities, PUDs, and joint operating agencies can contract for renewable or non-emitting resources under CETA definitions rather than older qualified alternative resource definitions. Energy Northwest and the Washington PUD Association supported the bill as a modernization measure, while Sierra Club, ratepayer advocates, and others opposed it, warning it could shift financial risk to customers and encourage speculative nuclear projects. The meeting ended after the committee finished the remaining testimony on SB 5821, with supporters and opponents repeating their arguments about nuclear energy, costs, safety, waste, climate goals, and ratepayer risk.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now we are going to go to our first presentation that I have scheduled.
• We're about six minutes ahead of schedule, so that's a good thing.
• That's the problem with inflation; it depreciates the value of the dollars that you're saving.
• And as you know, we are on a schedule also. So I have Bridget to you. Thank you for being here.
• We are about 15 minutes off schedule, so if I could ask...

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, so in terms of what I'm going to do today, we have a schedule in terms of the different departments
• Okay, so in terms of what I'm going to do today, we have a schedule in terms of the different departments
• I</c><00:20:43.000><c> do</c><00:20:43.159><c> have</c><00:20:43.280><c> a</c><00:20:43.440><c> schedule
• </c><00:20:44.000><c> in</c> today we have I do have a schedule in today we have I do have a schedule
• is going to be for the services schedule is going to be for the services that<01:08:51.719><c> they<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting began with introductory remarks for new and returning members of the House Commerce Committee, led by Chairman John Hunt. Members briefly introduced themselves and their backgrounds, and several noted the committee’s bipartisan, collegial tone. Hunt explained the committee’s structure and traditions, including the division into three subcommittees: banking and business, consumer protection, and liquor commission matters, with insurance now handled as a single area. He also reviewed basic hearing procedures, including decorum, questions for information only, and the committee’s practice of moving bills through subcommittees before full committee executive sessions. The committee then heard an overview from the New Hampshire Insurance Department, led by Commissioner DJ Bettencourt and staff. The department described its mission as promoting a safe and competitive insurance marketplace and emphasized consumer protection, market competition, and affordability. Officials outlined the department’s responsibilities, including licensing insurers, producers, adjusters, and TPAs; reviewing insurance forms; regulating companies and market conduct; overseeing financial solvency; and investigating insurance fraud. They also noted that the department is self-funded through assessments on insurers, collects premium taxes and fees for the state, and returned more than $2.7 million to companies in fiscal year 2024 due to underspending. The presentation also covered the broader regulatory framework for insurance, including the role of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in promoting uniform standards across states and territories. Officials said New Hampshire licenses about 1,200 insurance companies and roughly 245,000 producers and adjusters, and that the department’s financial examinations are part of an accreditation system used nationwide. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion provided; the session was primarily organizational and informational, with the insurance department presentation beginning the committee’s substantive work for the term.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, some of the other ones is the floor now on deductions, the bonus depreciation deductions, and so
• </c> deductions, the bonus depreciation deductions, the bonus depreciation uh<00:54:06.960><c> and</c
• Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to hear this.
• I know you've got a busy schedule and you're hearing the governor's bill. I appreciate it.
• </c><01:50:32.960><c> and</c> know you've got a busy schedule and know you've got a busy schedule and

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• like you came from the corporate world—you have a list of assets and you understand where the depreciation
• like you came from the corporate world—you have a list of assets and you understand where the depreciation
• like you came from the corporate world—you have a list of assets and you understand where the depreciation
• importance of having a comprehensive list to them. ...of assets, and you understand where the depreciation
• your audit, which I totally appreciate, and I appreciate the four-year time scale or the four-year scheduling

Bills: HF1060, HF1062

Keywords: sports facilities, Minnesota, legislative commission, financial oversight, accountability, HF1062, driver and vehicle systems oversight committee, MNLARS, VTRS, vehicle title and registration system, driver's license system, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, MN.IT, legislative oversight, transportation finance, state government, committee repeal, sunset provision, information technology audit, vehicle registration

Transcript Highlights:

• including overnight care, making them essential for wage workers and those with non-trials. traditional schedules
• I'm limited to only capturing costs for true depreciation, mortgage interest, property tax. tax with
• You would have taken deferred maintenance, whatever component depreciation that is.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• something beneficial in the short run at the risk of having a long-term consequence that is going to depreciate
• and devalue the work of... ...that is going to depreciate and devalue the work of skilled workforce
• can't send this to the governor if we are going to have some kind of long-term economic harm and depreciation
• send this to the governor if we are going to have some kind of long-term economic harm on and depreciation

Summary: The committee hearing covered a long agenda of local government and housing-related bills, with the chair repeatedly noting the committee was operating without a quorum for much of the meeting. Several measures were heard with no opposition, including AB 2639 on Merced County flood control coordination, AB 1788 on allowing best-value contracting for general law cities and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, AB 2058 on reducing duplicative permitting and inspection costs for factory-built housing, AB 2576 on clarifying historic resource protections in a housing law, AB 2568 on increasing the compensation cap for water district board members, AB 2224 on updating county recorder fees and requiring electronic recording, AB 2469 on water-supply review and cost responsibility for data centers, and AB 2397 on requiring local governments to justify denials of certain housing-finance decisions. Most of these bills were presented as targeted fixes to improve efficiency, reduce delays, or modernize outdated statutes, and the authors generally requested aye votes and noted committee amendments where applicable. The most extended debate centered on AB 1751, which would streamline approval of qualifying townhome projects while setting a $28 hourly minimum wage floor for construction workers on covered private projects. Supporters argued the bill would expand homeownership opportunities, raise wages for largely non-union residential workers, and preserve existing prevailing wage law while adding enforcement tools and developer liability. Opponents, including several building trades and labor organizations, argued it would undercut prevailing wage standards, create a race to the bottom, and potentially affect wage-setting more broadly. Committee members asked detailed questions about land-use barriers, the relationship to prevailing wage, and whether the bill would affect unionized work; the author and supporters responded that it applies narrowly to private for-sale townhome projects and does not alter prevailing wage requirements. AB 2469 also drew a substantive split. Supporters said data centers should be required to provide water-supply assessments before approval, pay for infrastructure they trigger, and account for impacts on overdrafted groundwater basins and local ratepayers. Opponents from the Chamber of Commerce, Data Center Coalition, counties, and tech groups argued existing law already covers water planning, that the bill imposes unique and burdensome requirements on one industry, and that some reporting provisions could raise security concerns. The author responded that the bill is about front-end planning and local accountability, not daily reporting, and emphasized the hyperlocal strain data centers can place on small water systems. No final votes were taken during the hearing because the committee lacked a quorum, though members repeatedly indicated support or intent to vote aye once a quorum was present.

Transcript Highlights:

• something beneficial in the short run at the risk of having a long-term consequence that is going to depreciate
• and devalue the work of, That is going to depreciate and devalue the work of skilled workforce in the
• send this to the governor if we are going to have some kind of long-term economic harm on and depreciation
• send this to the governor if we are going to have some kind of long-term economic harm on and depreciation

Keywords: 988, house, all