Transcript Highlights:

• are represented. alongside the Lieutenant Governor's Office who leaves it, and multiple state agencies
• So is it a state agency, right? Exactly.
• The tri-share model, you know, the three entities are the agencies, plural, since not just one agency
• Sometimes your challenge is to speak to things that you may not know well in committee...
• Here's my challenge, and again, it's us at a committee. Stay here, not say it there.

Bills: SB293 , SB279

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: SB 293, youth camp, child care licensing, Office of Child Care Licensing, OCCL, American Camp Association, ACA accreditation, Purchase of Care, POC reimbursement, summer camp, school-age child care, child care exemption, Division of Public Health permit, Title 14, Delaware Department of Education, health and safety standards, child care provider reimbursement, summer child care, camp licensing, license exemption

Summary: The Senate Education Committee approved the June 10 minutes and then heard House Bill 447, which would create a framework for voluntary child care cost-sharing partnerships among the state, employers, community sponsors, and families. Supporters said the bill is meant to help make child care more affordable and support workforce participation by using the existing Interagency Resource Management Committee to coordinate planning and funding. Committee discussion focused on how the tri-share model would work, who would participate, and whether it would reach lower-income families; no public comment was offered on the bill. The committee then took up House Bill 300, as amended, which would establish a statewide Title IX coordinator within the Department of Education to provide training, technical assistance, data collection, and oversight for interscholastic athletics in grades 6 through 12. The bill’s sponsor and supporters said the position would help schools comply with Title IX, improve consistency, and make athletic participation and spending data more transparent; opponents or skeptics questioned whether a new DOE position was needed and whether districts were already meeting their obligations. The sponsor and witnesses responded that existing federal data are delayed and incomplete, that some Delaware schools have participation gaps, and that a state-level coordinator would provide needed support and accountability. Public comment on HB 300 included testimony from the Delaware State Education Association, the Delaware Association of School Administrators, the Delaware School Sports Network, and the Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy, all generally supporting the bill or its goals. DASA noted it remained neutral but appreciated changes made in House Amendment 1 to reduce reporting burden. After public comment, the chair asked members to sign the bill release forms for the two bills heard, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Of a high-acuity kid, and there's also not in statute a way for the agencies to collaborate information
• And it requires the agencies to give us the information we need so we can create that framework.
• It also requires all of the different agencies involved just to simply tell the caregivers, or in that
• Just all the different agencies, once a week, that's all this bill does.
• To be able to bring all those agencies together is going to make an absolute difference.

Transcript Highlights:

• It makes state and local agencies operating ALPR systems the legal owners of the associated ALPR data
• Currently, under current law, medical debt is not reported to a credit reporting agency.
• The agencies on the data... ...chamber may you get adjusted even further.
• It does present some challenges and problems to our counties.
• I would like to point out that both of their deaths were investigated by the same agency.

Bills: SB5837 , SB6011 , SB6009 , SB5868 , SB5974 , SB5720 , SB5833 , SB5936 , SB5993 , SB6070 , SB6002 , SJM8014 , SB6086

Committee: Senate Law & Justice

Keywords: guardianship, conservatorship, protective arrangement, protective arrangements, supported decision-making, supported decision making, court visitor, adult guardianship, limited guardianship, full guardianship, adult conservatorship, less restrictive alternative, capacity, legal capacity, respondent rights, due process, vulnerable adults, disability rights, elder abuse, estate management

Transcript Highlights:

• House File 2309 is an agency bill, and so I'll just walk through the bill with you line by line to share
• This covers all allocating agencies by including sub-allocators such as Minneapolis, St.
• If there are vouchers that weren't able to be placed in an area, this would allow the agency to move
• Okay, section 3, we're on the challenge program. Lines 2.19 to 2.21.
• Kitzberger wants to say anything on behalf of the agency.

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we have been tackling a lot of very challenging issues in previous years, but particularly, I
• think, this... ...of very challenging issues in previous years, but particularly, I think, this session
• But I think there are few that are as challenging as decarbonizing our energy-intensive trade-exposed
• It's a fascinating topic, and as I mentioned, it's a very challenging topic.
• This is a... ...conversation we are likely to have for many years given its challenge, and I look forward

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:

• And so, we need to prepare whatever that challenge is to do that.
• So, it doesn't get into the politics of your agency either.
• And I really think AI is going to help us Identify spatially unique challenges that we face and that
• And also to meet their challenges.
• Cultural challenges, all the things, childhood trauma, all that has to be a part of our assessment.

Committee: House Oklahoma Education Commission

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A year before the rule, the agency started to cut the fees charged to borrowers and lenders.
• They responded by starting their own home health care agency.
• At the same time, the agency also loosened underwriting standards for loans of $500,000 or less.
• Moreover, the agency focused on increasing the number of banks that participate in the 7 program.
• They have unique challenges.

Committee: Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

Keywords: SBA, 7A loan program, underwriting standards, loan defaults, Community Advantage Program, small business funding, testimony

Summary: The committee meeting focused on discussions regarding the SBA's 7A loan program and its implementation challenges. Members raised significant concerns about recent changes to the underwriting standards, which have been criticized for leading to an increase in loan defaults. Ranking members expressed a desire for a return to stronger guidelines to protect taxpayers and ensure the program remains a viable source for small businesses struggling to secure funding. Testimonies from community lenders highlighted their efforts to support underserved communities and stressed the importance of the Community Advantage Program.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and any actions by the agency in that time frame allows us to see whether the agency is growing in
• some technical challenges there are some technical challenges<01:51:07.199><c> with</c><01:51:07.440
• ><c> implementing</c><01:51:08.040><c> something</c> challenges with implementing something challenges
• </c><03:29:47.160><c> ensure</c><03:29:47.640><c> that</c> agency the Federal agency to ensure that agency
• </c> could absorb that um as a dcyf agency could absorb that um as a dcyf agency and<03:41:14.080><c>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Children and Family Law Committee opened with a brief prayer for Representative Grossman’s son, Oscar, who was reported to be in critical condition after a traumatic fall. The committee then took up House Bill 430, which would reduce DHHS retention of unfounded abuse and neglect reports from 10 years to 3 years. Prime sponsor Chairman James Spain argued that 10 years is excessive and burdens families with a long-lasting stigma, while emphasizing that founded reports and reports with reasonable concern would still be retained indefinitely. Committee members questioned whether longer retention helps identify malicious reporting or patterns of abuse, and whether parents understand the distinction between unfounded and unfounded with reasonable concern. The Office of the Child Advocate and DCF opposed the bill. Child Advocate Cassandra Sanchez said historical reports are important for identifying patterns, reviewing critical incidents, and understanding family dynamics, and that screened-out and unfounded reports can be essential context when later reports arise. She also noted that the records are highly confidential and not publicly accessible. DCF General Counsel Susan Larabe added that the bill could create inconsistencies by retaining screened-out reports longer than unfounded reports, and explained that unfounded reports can be used in court and in administrative reviews when there are multiple prior reports. The committee discussed how other states handle retention, with testimony that some keep records indefinitely and others for long periods. The hearing on HB 430 concluded, and the chair said the bill would not be executed until early March, leaving time for amendments. The committee then opened House Bill 187, concerning restraining orders sought by a parent on behalf of a minor child. Prime sponsor Representative Mike Belcher said the bill is intended to correct a gap in the law so children can access the same restraining-order protections adults can, through a parent or guardian, and framed it as an equal-protection issue. Members questioned why the proposal was placed in the child abuse and neglect statute rather than the civil restraining-order statutes, and whether it should instead be handled as a broader civil-law fix. Alanda Peterson, who said she created Jade’s Law, testified that the original wording was meant to protect all children, not just those harmed by family members, and supported expanding the language. The hearing continued with additional discussion of the bill’s scope and purpose.

Transcript Highlights:

• And what this will do is it will help the state regulatory agencies.
• Are you able just to accept those funds under your current agency?
• We would be able to accept them under the current agency.
• So the first rules are the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship.
• Just for clarity, this replaces the challenge scholarship? It replaces the Concurrent Challenge.

Committee: All ALC-ADMINISTRATIVE RULES

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee met to review a long agenda of agency rule changes, beginning with housekeeping on the order of business and then taking up rules from multiple state agencies. Early items included Department of Energy and Environment rules on landfill post-closure trust fund spending thresholds and liquefied petroleum gas standards, DFA’s odometer disclosure rule allowing electronic signatures and disclosures, and several Department of Health rules covering ionizing radiation, mobile home and recreational parks, lead-based paint, counseling licensure, hearing instrument dispensers, athletic training, dental specialties and compacts, nursing, pharmacy, physician assistants, medical compacts, speech-language pathology and audiology, radiologic technology, massage therapy, community health workers, doula certification, and cosmetology/body art. Most of these were described as technical updates, conformity with recent acts, federal standards, or compact participation, and nearly all were approved without objection after brief questions and, in many cases, no public comment. The committee also reviewed Department of Labor and Licensing rules on minimum wage/independent contractor standards, boiler rules, motor vehicle commission requirements for ATV/LSV dealers, professional wrestling regulation, appraiser qualifications, and military recruiting and retention programs. Testimony generally emphasized that the rules implemented recent legislation, updated fees or licensing standards, or streamlined existing processes. Members asked a few questions about fee structures, the rationale for regulating professional wrestling, and how the National Guard’s public-private partnership and incentive programs would work; the department said the recruiting incentives would be funded from existing appropriations and were intended to improve retention and force strength. These rules were also approved without objection. The most extensive discussion came on the Department of Education’s Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom Account Program rule. The department said the revisions, based on Act 920 of 2025, were intended to add guardrails, clarify allowable expenses, and speed approval of core educational purchases. Changes included defining core educational expenses, limiting certain sports-related spending, adding an intentional misuse standard, restricting phone purchases except for disability-related needs, setting a $1,000 threshold for additional review of technology purchases, capping carryover funds at $8,500, and creating a reconsideration process for denied expenses. Members raised concerns about safeguards, appeals, sports equipment, provider credentialing, rural vendor access, and whether the department would be flexible or overly restrictive. The department said it would review every request, provide written explanations for denials, allow appeals up to the State Board, and refer suspected fraud to prosecutors if necessary. After hearing from 13 members of the public, the committee continued to discuss the rule, but the transcript ends before any final vote on the EFA rule is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• outperform estimates, the administration and the legislature must work together to address this challenge
• It becomes more of a challenge in this current budget period.
• That being said, I recognize that what I'm saying adds to the challenge before you, because as Ms.
• I think we need to seriously look at whether there are agencies where there's bloated funding.
• And then finally, I'll just end with, we have many of our transit agencies on the brink.

Committee: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review

Summary: The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee heard opening remarks on the Governor’s 2026-27 budget and presentations from the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Chair Laird described the proposal as roughly balanced with $23 billion in reserves, while Vice Chair Niello argued the revenue estimates were overly optimistic and warned of a structural deficit, calling for a deeper review of programs and concern over the state’s $20 billion unemployment insurance debt. Finance said the budget is balanced in the budget year but still leaves a roughly $2.9 billion deficit, with out-year gaps above $20 billion, and characterized the plan as largely a workload budget with limited new spending or cuts. The LAO said its office sees substantial downside risk to the revenue forecast, emphasized the volatility of stock-market-driven revenues, and urged the Legislature to begin addressing the structural deficit now rather than waiting until May. Members focused on the implications of federal policy changes, Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and the MCO tax, as well as the state’s reserve strategy. Senators Menjivar and Richardson raised concerns about health coverage reductions, county costs, hospital finances, and the lack of a broader revenue solution, while Finance said the state cannot fully backfill federal cuts and is still assessing the impacts. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposal to suspend the rainy day fund deposit and setting aside the proposed Proposition 98 settle-up rather than using it for spending. Finance defended both proposals as necessary to balance the budget year and said it plans to begin discussions with legislative leaders before the May Revision. The committee also discussed climate and transportation funding, including cap-and-trade/GGRF allocations for Cal Fire, interest earnings from the fund, zero-emission vehicle incentives, and AB 617 air quality investments. Senator Reyes questioned the focus on light-duty ZEV incentives instead of heavy-duty vehicles, and Finance said the proposal is intended to partially replace the federal consumer tax credit and that some heavy-duty funding remains from prior years. Senator Richardson also raised concerns about Olympics-related infrastructure, courthouse repairs, and displaced workers, while other members stressed homelessness funding and the need for more immediate action on out-year budget problems. No formal votes or actions were taken during the portion provided; the hearing was informational and moved into member questions after the presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> agencies aren't losing people. agencies aren't losing people.
• </c> Agencies aren't losing funding. Agencies aren't losing funding.
• </c> and seeing these type of challenges and seeing these type of challenges happen.<02:05:55.440><c>
• ,</c><02:24:18.479><c> or</c> mental health challenges, or mental health challenges, or incarceration
• </c> psychosocial challenges, other barriers. psychosocial challenges, other barriers.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I recognize our budget is in a very, very challenging situation.
• Central services are core services provided by a centralized agency to support other state agencies in
• So it is challenging having that low of a fund split.
• So it is challenging having that low of a fund split.
• So it is challenging having that low of a fund split.

Bills: HB2070 , HB2671 , HB2617 , SB6258

Committee: House Postsecondary Education & Workforce

Keywords: funding, education, higher education, Western Washington University, state funding parity, financial aid, state funding, student support, educational reform, university procedures, academic policy, student success, Washington Medical Commission, medical license, license relinquishment, voluntary surrender, nondisciplinary pathway, physician regulation, health professional licensing, disciplinary database

Transcript Highlights:

• will of the voters and we would like to get to work right away on a bipartisan basis to tackle the challenges
• Did you try to convince him to keep challenging that? I’m not going to go into that.
• The last residency challenge, Bob Barrett, the special election did not happen until well into February
• that I I'm not going to go challenging that I I'm not going to go into<00:10:29.160><c> that</c><00:
• two of the going on in those agencies two of the other<00:21:40.240><c> priorities</c><00:21:40.960>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• My challenge is making sure more people know about and utilize extension.
• It's still a challenge.
• Um, I think the big challenge is not, I mean, $25 million is significant.
• That's where the challenge is and the challenge that that I think we face as a university is.
• So those are state agency and higher education projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've always been an agency that focuses on the mission first and the budget second.
• that focus solely on achieving total abstinence. ...to address these challenges.
• I think every law enforcement agency does it.
• Things get challenged. Task force members were able to step forward. Dr.
• How are agencies able to seek reimbursement?

Committee: House Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Task Force

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• agencies with our organization process and things like that.
• agencies um with we run as independent agencies um with our<00:04:46.520><c> organization</c><00:04:
• </c><00:53:17.599><c> the</c> you know the state as an agency the you know the state as an agency the
• Supplemental nursing service agency: 2015.
• </c> licensed by the 26 uh delegated agency licensed by the 26 uh delegated agency programs<01:05:20.200

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> a small businesses extremely challenging a small businesses extremely challenging no<00:02:31.760
• </c><00:37:58.200><c> located</c> the owner of Care Health agency located the owner of Care Health agency
• agency.
• agency.
• agency.

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In response to this ongoing challenge, In response to this ongoing challenge, I am proud to collaborate
• Misclassification also creates discrepancies between various state agencies.
• A company that size in a number of the trades, the ratio restrictions are just challenging.
• I company that size in a number of the trades the ratio restrictions are just challenging.
• MOVA, just so you know, is an independent state agency.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hybrid hearing on a large group of bills carried over from the previous session, with Chair Jake Oliveira and House Co-Chair Paul McMurtry outlining the process and limiting testimony to three minutes. The committee heard testimony on several labor and workplace proposals, including bills to harmonize employee definitions to address misclassification (SB 1338/HB 2141), expand bereavement leave (including H. 2189/S. 1354 and related bills), protect collective bargaining rights for certain administrative employees (HB 268/SB 1306), expand commuter transit benefits (HB 2153/SB 1345), regulate employer use of credit reports (S. 1286), and require apprenticeship participation or OSHA-related workplace safety measures on public projects. At the end of the hearing, the chairs read into the record additional bills that did not receive testimony that day. Supporters of the misclassification bill, including Greater Boston Legal Services and the AFL-CIO, said aligning the employee-status tests across wage, unemployment, and PFML laws would reduce confusion, improve enforcement, and help workers wrongly treated as independent contractors or managers recover benefits and bargaining rights. NAGE and its representative argued that public-sector employees have been improperly reclassified into management titles to weaken unions, and that the bill would force the Division of Labor Relations to review those titles. On bereavement leave, advocates including the Louis E. Brown Peace Institute, a state representative, the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, and individual survivors described the impact of sudden loss and homicide on families, saying guaranteed leave would help workers grieve, make arrangements, and avoid losing jobs or custody-related stability. The committee also heard support for commuter benefits as a low-cost way to reduce emissions and increase transit use, and for restricting employer credit checks because of inaccuracies and discriminatory effects. There was opposition to some construction-related bills. The Associated Builders and Contractors and the Building Trades Employers Association supported apprenticeship training in principle but said current apprentice-to-journeyworker ratios are outdated or misunderstood, and that the bills should be amended or clarified before advancing. The Massachusetts landscape and snow-removal industry strongly supported a snow-liability limitation bill, arguing that hold-harmless clauses and broad indemnification requirements force contractors to assume liability for conditions they cannot control, drive up insurance costs, and threaten business viability. The committee did not take any votes during the hearing, and the session ended with the chairs thanking members, staff, and the public before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next up, we have Representative Unger, state agencies.
• Various agency staff members were present to report how the agencies intend to address the audit findings
• And, you know, I know you had a lot of challenges and you were working on those then.
• Do y'all have any other cities have their challenges in parks?
• Do y'all have any other cities have their challenges in parks, including my city?

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Ecology's existing report on CCA spending, and then a separate report from agencies to the Environmental
• The biggest challenge that I'm trying to address here is that several of the largest accounts under the
• The other thing that the bill does that is challenging, and I think we have more work to do to get it
• That tool has proven very challenging to administer and put together, and part of that reflects the way
• This is agency request legislation that we worked with Rep. Kalenan?

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee held public hearings on three bills. House Bill 2251, sponsored by Rep. Fitzgibbon, would reorganize Climate Commitment Act revenue accounts by repealing several existing accounts and creating new operating and capital accounts, changing how auction proceeds are distributed when revenues are above or below a set threshold, broadening some tribal and overburdened-community spending language, adding electric vehicles and certain housing uses, capping Ecology administrative costs, and moving some reporting from annual to every two years. Supporters said the bill would simplify a confusing account structure and improve predictability, while opponents criticized the reduced reporting frequency and said it could weaken accountability. No vote was taken. House Bill 2254 would adjust the funding model for the Partnership Access Line and related behavioral health consultation programs by allowing the cost of the third-party administrator to be included in the carrier assessment rather than paid from general funds. Committee staff said this would produce general fund savings, and testimony from HCA, UW Medicine, Seattle Children’s, and others supported the bill as a technical fix that would stabilize the programs and potentially free up funds to restore service levels. No vote was taken. House Bill 2385 would extend deadlines and the expiration date for the Medicaid Access Program created last session, after federal HR1 restrictions prevented implementation of the original program and provider assessment. The bill would push out CMS submission deadlines, update the rate-setting reference year, and extend the act’s sunset date. The sponsor and the Washington State Medical Association supported the bill as necessary to preserve the option of pursuing the program later. The committee took no action and adjourned after the hearings.