Transcript Highlights:

• Well, I'm looking forward to getting back to, you know, helping care of... Yes, sir.
• Well, I'm looking forward to getting back to, you know, helping care for the little one.
• She continued that UWF is aligning itself with directives from Florida and even the federal government
• But we have to take care of our military, and we have to take care of our military, and there's been
• But we care enough about helping other people.

Summary: The Committee on Ethics and Elections met to consider a large slate of gubernatorial appointees, with 127 nominees on the agenda. The committee first approved the grouped nominees in Tabs 1 through 54 by unanimous roll call vote after brief public testimony in support of several appointees. The committee then took up individual University of West Florida and Pensacola State College-related nominations, including noting that Dr. Joel Rudman had resigned from the Pensacola State College board before appearing, leaving no action to take on that tab. Several UWF trustees were confirmed after testimony focused on their qualifications and priorities for the university. Paul Bailey emphasized his local ties, legal background, and interest in UWF’s military connections and pre-law program; Rebecca Matthews highlighted her education and public service background, current role as UWF board chair, enrollment growth, fundraising, and alignment with state directives; Rachel Moyah discussed her education leadership experience, finance role, and positive enrollment and fundraising trends; Ashley Ross described her fundraising and higher education background and stressed workforce, advancement, cyber, and military partnerships; and Christopher Young spoke about his Panhandle roots, business experience, audit and compliance work, and support for military and student opportunity. Each of these nominees was confirmed by roll call and forwarded to the full Senate. The most contentious nomination was Adam Kissel for the UWF Board of Trustees. Kissel described his background in higher education policy, free speech, philanthropy, and federal education work, and said he would focus on free speech, accreditation, military/veteran support, honors programming, and graduation rates. Committee members questioned him closely about prior writings on privatizing public higher education, his views on free speech versus Senate Bill 266, Project 2025, AI in administration, and his fit for UWF. Public testimony was split, with supporters praising his free-speech credentials and reform views, while opponents, including former UWF leaders, warned he was too ideological and not sufficiently grounded in the university community. After debate, the committee voted 5-4 not to confirm Kissel, so his name will not be forwarded to the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not being caring. We're not making sure that people get the care that they need voluntarily.
• But then there's also the, if I'm a loved one, because I think we all care, right, and I care about my
• And who provides the care? And who provides the care? Who has the contract that provides the...
• Domb, we need beds to provide appropriate care. We need beds to provide appropriate care.
• But I do understand that we don't have enough care to take care of the people who need this help.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held its fourth public hearing of the 2025-2026 session on bills dealing with involuntary commitment and access to addiction treatment, especially proposals to move Section 35 civil commitments away from jails and prisons and into facilities licensed or approved by DPH or DMH. Chairs Velis and Domb framed the hearing as a discussion of how to support people in crisis with compassion, while also warning against using involuntary commitment as a way to remove unhoused people from public view. The hearing also touched on related concerns about discharge practices, treatment capacity, and the need for a broader continuum of care. Testimony split largely along two themes. Addiction researcher Keith Humphreys argued that many people enter treatment under pressure, that involuntary treatment can be ethically justified in the face of overdose risk, but that it should not be mandated unless high-quality services exist first; he emphasized the need for inpatient care when someone is a grave danger, followed by case management and outpatient support. MAMH’s Kate Alicante supported the bill, saying Massachusetts is the only state that commits people with substance use conditions to jails or prisons and that carceral settings add trauma and stigma; she pointed to prior legislative steps, including the Section 35 commission and the planned closure of DOC’s MESAC facility, as evidence that the Commonwealth is moving toward health-based settings. A major portion of the hearing focused on Stony Brook, a sheriff-run stabilization and treatment center in Hampden County. Boston City Councilor John Fitzgerald, several committee members, and multiple people in recovery described the facility as humane, well-run, and effective, with longer stays, medical monitoring, medication-assisted treatment, counseling, and warm handoffs to aftercare. Several witnesses said Stony Brook saved their lives or helped family members recover, and they argued that the sheriff’s office model should be expanded rather than eliminated. Others, including family members and advocates, countered that even a well-run correctional setting remains stigmatizing and that people should not be treated in facilities run by sheriffs or corrections when they have committed no crime. No vote was taken. The hearing concluded with continued testimony, including Senator Friedman’s support for Section 35 as a civil commitment tool but not in a criminal justice setting, and her separate support for a bill to speed inpatient mental health treatment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we see a positive shift in health care use from crisis to preventative care.
• </c><00:03:57.360><c> for</c> are just uh providing more direction for are just uh providing more direction
• of so that they're not being taken care of by law enforcement in our ERs.
• of so that they're not being taken care of by law enforcement in our ERs.
• </c> are the providers the continuum of care are the providers the continuum of care networks<00:13:44.399

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It solves it for places where there is no child care. The child care deserts are so extreme.
• And if the problem is... ...care. The child care deserts are so extreme.
• It's going in the right direction.
• or not have health care, but when they go for health care and get a health insurance plan, they're put
• In order to maintain that access to direct patient care, fertility services are very important.

Bills: HB2720, HB2073, SB5816, SB5919, SB5831, SB6244, SB6044, SB5109, SB5877, SB6258

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, state regulation, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives, best practices, community protection, voluntary measures, mortgage modification

Summary: The House first took up Substitute Senate Bill 6225, a transportation bond measure. Supporters said it was needed to fund preservation and maintenance of Washington’s transportation system, including road upkeep and emergency repairs, while opponents argued the state had already addressed current needs through a recent unanimous budget and existing bond authority. The bill passed final passage 59-38, meeting the required three-fifths vote. The House then considered Gross Substitute Senate Bill 6260, an education budget-related bill with many floor amendments focused on transition to kindergarten, alternative learning experience (ALE) funding, local effort assistance (LEA), educational service district reserves, superintendent pay, MSOC funding, and collective bargaining limits. Most proposed amendments were rejected, though Amendment 2654 on TK priorities was adopted. After the committee amendment as amended was adopted, the bill advanced to third reading and then passed 50-47. Supporters described it as a necessary budget reduction and risk-management measure; opponents argued it cut K-12 funding too deeply, especially in rural and property-poor districts, and would worsen inequities and invite litigation. The House also concurred in Senate amendments and passed several other bills. House Bill 1796, about school construction financing and capital levy use, passed 95-2. Second Substitute House Bill 2105, dealing with immigrant worker protections, passed 58-38. Engrossed House Bill 2211, on food sourcing for a health-related program, passed unanimously. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2225, regulating companion chatbots and child safety, passed 74-21. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2247, related to animal care, passed unanimously. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2418, streamlining permitting timelines to support housing affordability, also passed unanimously. The House then moved on to additional Senate-concurred bills, beginning with Second Substitute House Bill 1906.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's a step in the right direction, but it's too little too late. Tax filing season has begun.
• “In addition, this...” “...from public schools, health care, and affordable housing.
• And sorry, I don't know who to direct the commentary to, but, Mr.
• That's a step in the right direction.
• Whose health care are we going to take away with the money that we're giving to rich people?

Bills: HB2011, HB2089, HB2090, HB2092, HB2477, HB2785

Keywords: individual income tax, subtraction, Arizona Revised Statutes, retirement benefits, adoption costs, charitable contributions, health insurance, premium payment, Arizona State Retirement System, contingent annuitant, long-term disability, benefits limitations, disability compensation, social security, retirement system, elected officials, ASRS, eligibility waiver, age 65, education savings

Transcript Highlights:

• The OSPI is also directed to adopt rules to implement the minimum fund balance requirements.
• The OSPI is also directed to adopt rules to implement the minimum fund balance requirements.
• And this is also directed at staff.
• This bill also established... ...that they can take care of emergencies.
• That allows a district to reduce staff through attrition rather than direct layoffs.

Bills: HB2440, HB2551, HB2593

Keywords: education, ombudsman, record-keeping, transparency, advocacy, school funding, financial solvency, education budget, district financial health, state funding, accounting, budgeting, reporting, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They know this committee cares about this issue.
• They're people that I care about deeply.
• But FDA always recognizes Texas has to take care of Texas.
• So would you support telemedicine care if it reduced the cost of veterinary care for sheep and goats?
• So I provide direct medical support to shelters through medical care, spay and neuter surgeries, and

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• from Scott County in the bill as it's currently written to be directed instead to MnDOT.
• Thank you for being here and making sure that we get this taken care of for Scott County.
• The directional sign needs is routinely used to get people and make them aware of the locations.”
• The directional sign needs is routinely used to get people and make them aware of the locations.
• We think this bill is a big step in the right direction. Thank you for your time.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• a loss of quality care.
• patient care.
• they could have gotten a lot of that care at an urgent care that I know Patterson has?
• This revised process will give direction to the Department of Health Care Access and Information to forgive
• ' care.

Summary: The committee heard AB 1887, which would speed prior authorization for FDA-approved rare disease treatments prescribed by specialists and, if a plan does not act within 30 days, deem the request approved. The author and supporters, including patients and clinicians, said delays can cause irreversible harm, hospitalizations, and death, especially for children and people with progressive rare diseases. Health plans and insurers opposed the bill’s automatic-approval provision and said the measure lacked safeguards for incomplete requests and shared responsibility for timely information. The chair encouraged continued work with opponents, and the author said the bill was narrowed from an earlier version that would have waived prior authorization entirely. The committee also heard AB 1979 on artificial intelligence in health care, AB 2161 on Medi-Cal work requirements, AB 539 on extending approved prior authorizations, AB 2311 on physician employment at public hospital districts, AB 1148 on banning phthalates and bisphenols in food packaging, AB 1825 on mental health offender reentry coordination, and AB 2282 on a temporary emergency stabilization unit in Patterson. AB 1979 would preserve licensed clinicians’ professional judgment, bar AI from directing unlicensed clinical functions, and protect medical records used by consumer chatbots; after amendments, several hospital, medical, and industry groups moved from opposition to neutral. AB 2161 would limit the harm of federal Medi-Cal work-reporting rules by using existing data, improving notices, and protecting due process; it drew broad support from patient, provider, and advocacy groups. AB 539 would keep prior authorization approvals valid for up to one year or the course of treatment, with supporters citing continuity of care and opponents warning about utilization, fraud, and cost concerns. AB 2311, as amended, would let certain high-payer-mix or distressed public health care districts directly employ physicians; CMA withdrew opposition after the bill was narrowed, while some hospital interests still objected to the carve-out. AB 1148 would prohibit two chemicals commonly used in food packaging, with supporters citing cancer and endocrine-disruption risks and opponents arguing DTSC should handle the issue through its existing regulatory process. AB 1825 would improve transition planning and Medi-Cal enrollment for offenders with mental health disorders leaving state hospitals, and AB 2282 would authorize a temporary rural emergency stabilization care unit in Patterson until a permanent hospital is built. Several bills were held for later action because the committee lacked a quorum, and the chair repeatedly noted that motions would be taken once enough members returned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was in foster care.
• Higher education, natural resources, child care, and health care.
• It reduces child care. It doesn't help with insurance. It doesn't help with health care.
• Gas, groceries, rent, insurance, health care, child care, energy, you name it. You name it.
• We cut a lot of child care.

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee met in executive session on a proposed substitute operating budget bill and worked through a long series of amendments before voting on the bill. Members discussed a wide range of budget items, including court funding for Thurston County civil filings, Attorney General funding for a domestic extremism task force, grants for Yakima aquatics access, North Mason mobile integrated health, mentoring programs, poverty reduction work, a proposed Department of Housing task force, federal grant inventory staffing, HEAL Act funding, assisted living rebasing, DCYF family resource centers and pediatric interim care, law enforcement training and equipment, shellfish and birthing center licensing fees, school bus depreciation, charter school accountability, transition to kindergarten priorities, and several Fish and Wildlife and OSPI grants. The committee also considered amendments related to the Columbia River Gorge Commission, shrub-steppe habitat mitigation, and a study on Lower Snake River reservoir drawdown impacts. Debate on many amendments centered on whether items were statewide priorities or local projects, and on the fiscal constraints of the budget. Supporters often argued that proposals would protect vulnerable populations, improve public safety, or leverage future savings and outside funding; opponents frequently cited budget pressure, the availability of existing funding, or the need to avoid singling out local projects. Some amendments were adopted, including Clark 343 on intent to fund up to 10,000 additional eCAP slots, Jones 419 on paint stewardship funding, and Stevens 070 limiting birthing center license fees. Many others failed, including amendments on Thurston County court funding, the domestic extremism task force, Yakima aquatics, North Mason mobile integrated health, mentoring, poverty reduction workgroup funding, the Department of Housing task force, federal grant staffing, HEAL Act funding, assisted living rebasing, the PIC Center contract, the Lacey regional training academy, and several Fish and Wildlife and OSPI-related proposals. The committee then moved to the underlying bill, Proposed Substitute House Bill 2289, and adopted a do pass motion after disposing of the amendments. The transcript indicates the committee ultimately reported the bill out of committee with a do pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let me help direct you in the right direction.
• More than half of our employees work in direct care serving patients in our state psychiatric hospitals
• care.
• So, for long-term care and acute care, when we started working on this in September� October we already
• So the foster care kids, kids who are coming into care, they have some initiatives. about behavioral

Bills: HB150, HB869, HB876, HB 1043, HB1494, HB1522, HB150

Keywords: cybersecurity, state command, information resources, data protection, incident response, information technology, classification officer, job descriptions, state positions, competency-based, information sharing, government efficiency, public sector, private sector, distributed ledger, title registry, real estate, property liens, pilot program, healthcare

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have a large amount of our staff provides direct care.
• But a question directly related to that is it looks like you're converting some vacancies into direct
• care positions.
• care positions.
• The task force also directed our office to work on an RFI announced by The task force also directed our

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first reviewed the Department of Juvenile Corrections budget. Legislative Services analyst Noah Peterson outlined the agency’s funding sources, staffing, recent expenditure patterns, and several FY 2026 and FY 2027 budget requests, including substance use disorder treatment, youth assessment center funding, replacement items, IT upgrades, and a clinician services transfer from the Department of Health and Welfare. Members asked about the governor’s holdback, public works projects, vehicle replacements, and staffing. Director Ashley Dowell said the department’s census has declined due to strong county partnerships, prevention and diversion efforts, and youth assessment centers, and she explained that a staffing analysis found the agency understaffed by 12 positions, with six vacancies converted to direct care roles. She also described the holdback impacts as coming from contract reductions, internal efficiencies, travel and training cuts, and substance use disorder funding adjustments. The committee adjourned after the department discussion. The committee then reviewed the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources budget. Peterson described the office’s mostly federal funding, small staff, dedicated funds, prior energy resilience appropriations, and FY 2027 requests for personnel realignment, Idaho Orchestrating Nuclear (ION) support, and home energy rebates. Administrator Callie Younger said the office is focused on energy resilience, permitting coordination, hydropower relicensing, geothermal and mining projects, and a growing nuclear policy portfolio. She highlighted the new nuclear task force, the office’s request for information to industry, and work on a federal request related to a nuclear lifecycle campus. Members asked about nuclear development, spent fuel, modular reactors, permitting efficiency, and whether the office might merge with the Office of Species Conservation. Younger said the office is exploring a merger because of overlapping permitting functions and could reduce positions and save some general funds, while also improving its ability to handle nuclear and mining work. The chair closed by noting the committee’s alignment with several governor’s office recommendations and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• this is to the Health Care system and caring<00:32:30.519><c> for</c><00:32:30.720><c> these</c><00:
• Care accessibility for communities with Care accessibility for communities with limited<00:59:27.520>
• I think in my career as a medical oncologist, I take care of breast cancer patients.
• </c> from prevention screening treatment care from prevention screening treatment care delivery<01:11
• </c> insufficient access to healthc care insufficient access to healthc care across<01:47:40.840><c>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Health care is declining in those rural areas.
• How does this change the health care of Idaho?
• So what happens on these managed care points that you find?
• How many of these findings are a direct correlation?
• When we move to managed care, again, there's no incentive for managed care to look for people that are

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The meeting focused first on a legislative working group report created under House Bill 368 from the prior session on medical education in Idaho. The presenter described Idaho’s physician shortage, noting the state ranks 50th per capita in physicians and would need roughly 1,400 additional physicians to reach the national average. The group’s unanimous recommendations included maintaining current state-supported medical school seats, adding 10 new non-WAMI seats this year, expanding graduate medical education by 15 seats, prioritizing in-state training, and creating a dedicated health education coordination role to manage undergraduate and graduate placements, clinical sites, and data. Members discussed whether WAMI should also expand, the quality of WAMI graduates, the need for more clinical preceptors and residency sites, rural recruitment incentives, and whether the plan should include other health professions such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants. The presenter said the plan includes benchmarks and timelines, and estimated costs of about $350,000 for coordination, $350,000 to $485,000 for 10 new UME seats depending on placement, and $900,000 for the GME request. The committee then heard from Legislative Audit Division Manager April Renfro on the state’s 2024 single audit and related accountability work. She reported $5.4 billion in federal assistance audited, 21 major federal programs across 15 agencies, 45 findings, seven repeat findings, $2.4 million in known questioned costs, and $2 million in projected questioned costs. Major issues were concentrated at the Department of Health and Welfare, including Medicaid findings involving delayed health and safety surveys, managed care provider eligibility and roster controls, and capitation payments tied to ineligible members; Child Care and Development Fund reporting and cost-allocation errors; and repeat issues in vocational rehabilitation and low-income home energy programs. She also noted Department of Environmental Quality problems with indirect cost proposals and a duplicate grant draw, while Transportation had no findings. Members asked about accountability for repeat findings, the role of Luma in reporting errors, fraud detection, and how to prioritize corrective action; Renfro said agencies, federal management decisions, and legislative oversight all play a role, and she planned to send a prioritized list of key findings to the co-chairs. A later presentation by budget analyst Brooke Dupree introduced front-end reports in the legislative budget book, explaining state government structure, the constitutional limit of 20 executive departments, and how the Legislature uses decision units to build appropriations. She walked through the original appropriation, reappropriations, supplemental appropriations, and how those pieces roll into the current-year total appropriation, with members asking brief questions about departmental divisions and the budget model.

Transcript Highlights:

• I see people who care about their communities. Aren't we all on the same team?
• Um, they're a group of people who care a lot about Wyoming.
• Um, but there'd be some direction in section two to wind them up earlier.
• And subsection D directs that uh one of the accounts...
• Um, you know, CARES Act, CPF, and LBA.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> ambulatory care pharmacist center care. ambulatory care pharmacist center care.
• . care. care.
• care.
• </c> child care. child care.
• </c> care providers. care providers.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Families already use electronic signatures for health care, housing, and education documents.
• My name is Juentan, founder and the CEO of MCT Technology and Care Connect.
• We provide software to many child care agencies and learning programs across California.
• My name is Juentan, founder and the CEO of MCT Technology and Care Connect.
• We provide software to many child care agencies and learning programs across California.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Whatever it is, I'm talking about the direction.
• I'm talking about the direction of the Workforce Development Board.
• But the direction is so obvious here. I don't understand.
• It's really great to see us moving in that direction.
• It's really great to see us moving in that direction.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you knew of any federal requirements in that direction. Thank you. Any further questions for Mr.
• That bill neglected one— That bill neglected one chapter, which is consumer-directed services, which
• Chairman, I guess my only response to that is, in many cases in Medicaid we have legislative direction
• legislative direction we receive from the committee that we're standing in front of.
• Before you is the Consumer Directed Services Chapter Repeal.

Summary: The House Health and Welfare Committee met with a quorum and first considered RS 33132, the “expanded medical freedom” bill sponsored by Representative Beiswenger. The bill would clarify school and daycare vaccine language, make immunization registry participation voluntary, prevent local governments from preempting the Medical Freedom Act, and adjust employer-related travel vaccination provisions. Representative Egbert raised concerns about possible conflicts with state and federal medical-document requirements for employment, and Representative Furman said the statement of purpose was misleading. The committee voted to introduce RS 33132. The committee then took up several Department of Health and Welfare rule dockets. It approved a consolidated federal welfare programs chapter and repealed separate TANF and LIHEAP chapters as part of the consolidation. During discussion, members asked whether TANF had any vaccination-related requirements and about LIHEAP funding; the department said it was not aware of any TANF vaccination requirement and that LIHEAP is entirely federally funded at $22.6 million. The committee next handled Medicaid rule dockets tied to House Bill 345, which had removed several Medicaid rule sections from the administrative code with the expectation they would be repromulgated in a single chapter. The department said the updates were mostly consolidations and cleanup, including case management for certain HCBS waiver participants, removing an age-18 requirement for some personal care providers, aligning extraordinary care definitions with federal guidance, removing obsolete Healthy Connections language, and adding speech-language pathology assistants as providers. The committee extended a temporary Medicaid docket to July 1, 2026, approved the corresponding pending rule, and also approved the repeal of the Consumer Directed Services chapter. The meeting adjourned after all agenda items were approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• For background, there are a number of legislatively directed efforts related to youth behavioral health
• I would say no, because they're directed to look at existing policies.
• and direct coaching to my faculty teams in public school since 2020.
• So it's really a good step in the right direction.
• How do we make sure that we're working together and not working in separate directions?

Summary: The committee held public hearings on three K-12 bills focused on behavioral health, literacy, and review of education mandates. On House Bill 1634, staff and Rep. Milin Tai described a framework for OSPI and educational service districts to coordinate with state and local partners on behavioral health technical assistance and training for schools, aligned with the Washington Thriving prenatal-to-25 plan. Testifiers, including students and education/behavioral health representatives, said the bill would improve coordination, early intervention, and access to supports for students and families. The bill was presented as having no fiscal note because it relies on existing funding, and testimony emphasized parent and student engagement in the framework. On House Bill 2636, staff and Rep. Skyler Rude explained that the bill creates a Public Education Review Steering Committee to identify existing policies and funding provisions for JLARC review, with the goal of determining whether they achieve intended outcomes, improve student performance, are cost-effective, and should be maintained, modified, or repealed. Supporters said the bill is intended to help reduce burdensome or ineffective requirements on school districts and free resources for students, while some members questioned how the committee would define policy and whether it could affect future mandates. A representative of the Washington State School Directors Association supported the concept as a meaningful review of unfunded mandates. The committee also heard House Bill 1295, which would require evidence-aligned literacy curriculum updates after 2027, require comprehensive K-4 literacy programs using structured literacy practices, direct PESB to revise literacy endorsement standards, require literacy-related continuing education, and direct OSPI to develop educator literacy training. Supporters, including parents, educators, students, dyslexia advocates, and district staff, argued that structured literacy is supported by research and would improve outcomes for struggling readers and students with dyslexia. One witness from the Washington Education Association supported the bill but raised concern about adding another continuing-education requirement. Testimony on the bill was extensive and largely in favor, with some discussion about whether the approach would address older students and how it would interact with existing district and ESD efforts. After public hearings, the committee moved into executive session and approved three gubernatorial appointments for confirmation recommendation. It adopted an amendment to House Bill 1796 and advanced the bill to Ways and Means, passed Engrossed House Bill 2317 to Rules, and adopted a striking amendment to Substitute House Bill 2594 before advancing it to Ways and Means. All actions were taken by voice vote, with no opposition recorded.