Transcript Highlights:

• Um, you know, it's not my 24 hours.
• hours and maybe that's the way to hours and maybe that's the way to adequately<00:53:30.319> address
• after 40 hours of training. after 40 hours of training.
• Those 40 hours of training, Department.
• <01:19:57.520> of officers to get the 40 hours of officers to get the 40 hours of training

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused primarily on House Bill 1087 and House Bill 123, both related to firearms. HB 1087 was introduced as a Second Amendment measure, but after questions from the chair and discussion with law enforcement, the sponsor agreed it should be set aside and referred to a study committee for further review, rather than advanced as written. The New Hampshire Chiefs of Police Association testified in opposition to the bill as written, while also indicating support for the sponsor’s proposed amendment or a study approach. The bulk of the discussion centered on HB 123, which would require the return of firearms after a not guilty verdict or dismissal. The sponsor and several members described the bill’s purpose as speeding up the return of property, but law enforcement and judicial branch witnesses raised concerns about federal law, the need to ensure a person is still legally eligible to possess firearms, and the bill’s 24-hour return requirement. Witnesses from the State Police and judicial branch explained the current process, including background checks through the state police gun line, and said the existing procedure already aims to return firearms promptly while allowing time to verify disqualifying information. Members and witnesses discussed possible amendments, including removing language that would bar background checks and instead tying return of firearms to completion of the check within a set time frame. Judicial branch and State Police witnesses said a process that requires a background check and return within a reasonable period, with notice if there is a delay or denial, would better address safety and legal concerns. The hearing ended without a vote; the committee closed the public hearing and indicated it would continue working on the language before executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's about saving the 50+ hours per year that every central Texan loses sitting in traffic.
• If you could be in Houston and get to San Antonio and or Austin in one hour already if I need to drive
• is that same hour of commute time, ladies and gentlemen.
• You don't have to be there an hour before.
• When you talk about being able to get from like Dallas to Austin in an hour, um.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um hours.
• heavy lift if it was 8 hours. heavy lift if it was 8 hours.
• the request is for 8 hours. the request is for 8 hours.
• identified 2 hours. identified 2 hours.
• that many hours, quite frankly. Okay. that many hours, quite frankly. Okay.

Keywords: 916, all

Summary: The joint Minerals Committee met to select interim topics and announced its meeting dates for April 27-28 in Casper, June 4-5 in Casper, and August 27-28 in Cheyenne. Members heard public testimony on several economic development and minerals-related topics and were asked to identify their top priorities for later ranking and consensus. No formal votes were taken during this portion of the meeting. A major topic was removing obstacles to energy development in Wyoming, including possible regulatory, bonding, and permitting barriers. Testimony from the Mining Association and Energy Capital Economic Development supported revisiting barriers to development, similar to the earlier Regulatory Reduction Task Force. Another related topic was industrial siting exemptions on coal mine property, with testimony arguing that mineral-related projects such as rare earths, uranium conversion, and ferroalloys should not have to go through the full industrial siting process when communities have already dealt with similar development. Members also discussed industrial siting bonding requirements, including whether bonding or advance payments should be used to cover impacts on local services and emergency response, especially for projects like solar farms or battery storage. The committee also discussed coal bed methane industrial sovereign zones, tied to House Bill 120, with testimony seeking to include coal bed methane in value-added manufacturing zones. The sponsor said the goal was to create industrial zones that support economic development while protecting scenic values and limiting industrial sprawl. Another topic was sourcing curling stones in Wyoming, which was presented as a lighthearted but potentially useful way to promote Wyoming stone and broader dimension-stone quarrying; a state geologist testified that Wyoming has granite with similar mineralogy to stone used for curling stones elsewhere. Child care as an economic driver was withdrawn. The committee also heard support for a Business Council restructure review, though several members said the Minerals Committee should do the substantive review because the Business Council falls within its jurisdiction, while still coordinating with Appropriations. Finally, the committee heard a proposal for a domestic preference in residential general service contracts, extending Wyoming preference concepts beyond construction into goods and services, with testimony emphasizing local economic multipliers and possible exceptions for federal funding or other procurement limits.

Transcript Highlights:

• We work the peak traffic hours.
• We work at the peak traffic hours.
• working 12 hours.
• working 12 hours.
• They're working 10 hours a day. They're working two hours of overtime every day.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard a presentation from the Legislative Budget Board on the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Article 5 budget. LBB recommended $3.7 billion in all funds for 2026-27, a 5.2 percent decrease from the base, while FTEs would rise by 856.7. Major items included funding for driver license services, DPS facilities, troopers and recruit schools, crime labs, vehicle and aircraft operations, border security, and rider changes. The committee also reviewed DPS exceptional items not included in the recommendation, including additional staffing, technology, and facility requests. Members focused heavily on driver license operations, criticizing long wait times, call abandonment, and repeated staffing increases without clear process improvements. LBB said the agency’s call-answer rate was about 9 percent in fiscal 2024, with average hold times around 34 minutes, later reduced to roughly 22-25 minutes. Senators questioned whether more FTEs alone would solve the problem and urged a broader efficiency study and better use of technology. DPS officials said they were pursuing process changes, including appointment-system upgrades, online pre-population of forms, and remote issuance options, while noting that Real ID requirements and population growth continue to drive demand. DPS leadership then outlined the agency’s priorities: completion of the Williamson County training academy, recruitment and retention of troopers, capital needs for vehicles and aircraft, and expanded responsibilities at the Capitol complex and the Alamo. Officials said the new trooper funding would help address staffing shortages, public safety, and border operations, and that overtime and deployment patterns had been adjusted to reduce burnout and improve flexibility. They also discussed Operation Lone Star, saying DPS spending is largely overtime, travel, and fuel, and that the agency continues to coordinate with federal partners while awaiting clarity on possible federal reimbursement for border security costs. Senators also raised concerns about oilfield theft, cartel activity, high-speed pursuits, bilingual pay, and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, and DPS said it would follow up on some of those issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are many, many hours, not just what appeared to be the 20 or 30 hours during session that started
• These are many, many hours, not just what appeared to be the 20 or 30 hours during session that started
• These are many, many hours, not just what appeared to be the 20 or 30 hours during session that started
• Um, they work countless hours before we show up, countless hours after we leave.
• adjourned to the hour of 2:00 p.m. adjourned to the hour of 2:00 p.m.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The third portion of the morning hour is reserved for... ...go from uncontested to contested.
• Parents were told to expect the worst, to prepare for loss within hours or days, and tragically, many
• May we return to the first morning hour for purposes of an announcement? Of course.
• Per House Rule 51, the House has returned to the morning hour.
• Per House Rule 51, the House has returned to the morning hour.

Keywords: March 05, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of them are working a little bit less because they are taking 15 hours, semester hours.
• How many hours? Is it like a typical college semester where it's like 12 hours is what they do?
• So typically, it's either nine or 12 hours.
• And so as you go into apartments, it's six hours.
• They may be taking six or nine hours.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from November 17 by motion and voice vote. It then heard a presentation from Arkansas State University on its inclusive postsecondary education programs, HOWL and ATLAS, led by Dr. Kristen Johnson and Shane Broadway. The programs serve students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, by providing on-campus living, academic support, life-skills training, financial literacy, internships, employment support, and community integration. Johnson explained that HOWL is a comprehensive transition program that does not lead to a degree but is eligible for financial aid, while ATLAS is degree-seeking and provides additional supports. She reported strong outcomes, including high goal attainment and a majority of graduates working full time, and emphasized that the programs are designed to help students build autonomous adult lives. Members asked about recruitment, eligibility, costs, school outreach, business partnerships, and transition planning. Johnson said the programs have done extensive outreach through IEP meetings, transition symposia, email blasts, and school visits, but that awareness remains a challenge. She identified major roadblocks as business concerns about liability, fragmented collaboration, and difficulty navigating funding streams such as vocational rehabilitation and Medicaid. She also said more coordinated statewide communication and coalition-building are needed, and noted that ASU is helping launch a state alliance for similar programs, with new programs opening at ASU Mountain Home and the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff. The committee then heard from the University of Central Arkansas about Project Ascend, a new low-sensory living-learning community for neurodiverse students in Hughes Hall. Dr. Debbie Daly and Jeremy Gillum described it as a voluntary, self-identified program focused on community building, belonging, and retention rather than remediation or degree planning. The program has hosted a few low-sensory social events and plans to expand outreach through campus tours, orientation, and targeted communications. Members asked about recruitment, participation, success measures, and how to avoid duplicating ASU’s efforts; UCA said it is still in its infancy and will measure success mainly through participation, retention, and student engagement. The meeting ended with general support from members, discussion of collaboration across institutions and agencies, and adjournment of the task force.

Transcript Highlights:

• YOU CAN SEE HERE A TRENDLINE GOING BACK TO 1928 WITH OVERTIME HOURS.
• WE EXPECT OVERTIME HOURS TO GO DOWN THIS YEAR.
• HOURS TO BE LOWERED BUT OVERTIME EXPENDITURES TO BE HIGHER.
• HOURS TO BE LOWERED BUT OVERTIME EXPENDITURES TO BE HIGHER.
• AS YOU KNOW WE SHIFTED FROM A 12 HOUR SHIFT MODEL TO AN EIGHT AND A HALF HOUR SHIFT MODEL A FEW YEARS

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We aim for a 14-hour schedule and that dark blue means we are hitting the 14-hour schedule. what happens
• How much recreation time is that out of 14 hours? I am uncertain of the exact hours.
• It's manned. that's 24 hours.
• 14 hours, whatever it may be.
• We've got about an hour until session begins. We've got about an hour until session begins.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All hours worked in prefab are charged to the job site.
• All hours go to that job that they're working on.
• and charge the flooring contractor $28 an hour.
• ’re making that type of profit for every person-hour.
• Yes, I did three hours this morning. Well, hopefully we get you back on the road before rush hour.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on several labor-related bills, especially proposals to give legislative employees the right to organize and collectively bargain, close a prevailing wage loophole for off-site prefabrication work, and strengthen enforcement against wage theft. Committee chairs opened the hearing by explaining the hybrid format and asking witnesses to keep testimony brief. Multiple legislators testified in support of the legislative staff union bill, saying staff deserve the same bargaining rights as other public employees and that unionization would improve pay, benefits, retention, and workplace dignity. Witnesses also discussed how the bill would likely be structured, with separate House and Senate bargaining arrangements or locals, and emphasized that it would only create the option to unionize, not require it. A second major topic was the prevailing wage bill addressing off-site fabrication and prefabrication in construction. Union leaders, contractors, and workers described how more work is being shifted from job sites into shops, especially in sheet metal, HVAC, electrical, and pipefitting work, and argued that the law should treat that work the same as on-site construction when it is part of a public project. They said the current loophole lets some contractors underbid by paying lower wages off-site, while responsible contractors already pay prevailing wages in their shops. Supporters argued the bill would protect workers, preserve apprenticeship and training standards, improve safety and quality, and make enforcement easier through certified payroll and clearer definitions. The committee also heard testimony on wage theft legislation. Representative Dan Donahue, the Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division, AFL-CIO representatives, and carpenters’ union witnesses described wage theft, misclassification, labor brokers, and tax fraud as widespread problems that hurt workers, honest contractors, and public revenues. They supported giving the Attorney General stronger enforcement tools, adding contractor accountability up the subcontracting chain, and protecting workers from retaliation and from delays that can cause claims to expire. A separate witness supported a bill to extend the statute of limitations for Wage Act cases while AG investigations are pending, and another supported changes to help hospital workers enforce timely payment rights. No votes were taken during the hearing; witnesses repeatedly asked for favorable reports on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Similar to the hour is the new gallon.
• hours versus the customer display. hours versus the customer display. Right?
• checking the actual kilowatt hours checking the actual kilowatt hours delivered<00:53:51.119>
• kilowatt hour tax. kilowatt hour tax. um<00:55:40.720> when<00:55:40.960> that<00:
• per kilowatt hour, not all of them. per kilowatt hour, not all of them.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The meetings last, I think the last one was maybe five hours, six hours.
• , six hours on a Zoom.
• , six hours on a Zoom.
• , six hours on a Zoom.
• Chairman. set 5 hours, 6 hours uh to listen to all set 5 hours, 6 hours uh to listen to all these<00:

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:03 Summary of Staff Report on the Firefighter Commission Minimum Training Standards and Administrative Spending- 00:01:00 Staff Update on Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel 00:16:00 Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Panel Representatives Available for Questions-00:39:34 Kentucky State Police & Finance Cabinet Status Update on Kentucky Statewide Emergency Responder Voice System-00:52:35 Adjournment-01:46:24, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from December 19 and June 12, then received a staff report on the Kentucky Fire Commission’s minimum training standards and administrative spending. Staff explained that the commission’s current minimum training hours are 115 for volunteer firefighters and 300 for paid firefighters, down from 150 and 400 before January 1, 2023, after the commission removed elective classes not directly tied to NFPA standards. The report found the commission’s certification testing aligns fully with NFPA standards, but recommended that the commission formally promulgate regulations establishing the reduced training hours. On finances, staff said the commission complied with the first statutory cap on administrative reimbursements to KCTCS, but could not verify compliance with a second, more specific cap because the finance system does not break out program-level costs and the statute is vague. Staff recommended the commission work with KCTCS to fix that issue and suggested the General Assembly may wish to clarify the statute. After questions about reimbursement levels and investment income, the committee voted to accept the report. The committee then heard an update on the Kentucky Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel. Staff reported that the panel has implemented two of three prior recommendations: it revised its agency notification letter to clearly state the 90-day response deadline and added response prompts and checkboxes to improve completeness. The third recommendation, to adopt formal written procedures, remains in progress; staff said the panel plans to develop those procedures alongside its new case management system. The panel is meeting its statutory membership and meeting requirements, but agency responses to its recommendations have been inconsistent: 48% were timely and appropriate in 2022, 36% in 2023, and 82% in 2024, though only three of nine timely 2024 responses were fully complete. Staff also described the new case management system project, funded with $200,000 in one-time money, and recommended the panel consult budget staff about use of those funds beyond fiscal year 2025. They reissued the recommendation that the panel develop written procedures for case review, findings, recommendations, and annual reports. Committee members raised concerns about the lack of penalties for noncompliance, the volume and length of panel meetings, and technology barriers to reviewing cases, and one member said the panel’s findings should inform future legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, for example, in 2023, the total number of hours in 13 weeks was 528 to be a police officer.
• We will and are currently increasing those hours to 14 weeks at 705, putting us third in the region.
• So you said we're increasing 528 hours to 705. So who decides how many hours it's going to be?
• And from their input, they have asked for an increase in training hours, but more practical.
• And, sir, I apologize if I get these numbers wrong, but it's approximately 40 hours.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, for example, in 2023, the total number of hours in 13 weeks was 528 to be a police officer.
• So you said we're increasing 528 hours to 705. So who decides how many hours it's going to be?
• And from their input, they have asked for an increase in training hours, but more practical.
• It's around a little over 86 hours.
• I'm correct, and sir, I apologize if I get these numbers wrong, but it's approximately 40 hours.

Summary: The committee first reviewed the Division of Environmental Quality’s asbestos abatement program. DEQ officials explained that the program licenses asbestos-related workers and businesses, including contractors, workers, inspectors, planners/designers, consultants, air monitors, and training providers, under federal and state requirements. Members asked about asbestos use today, grant funding for removal, inspections funded by fees and fines, complaint handling, enforcement authority, and health risks. DEQ said some asbestos-containing products are still manufactured, grants have not been issued in over six years due to funding constraints, inspectors investigate complaints and can issue civil penalties or other enforcement actions, and exposure can cause asbestosis and mesothelioma. The report was accepted without objection. The committee then heard from the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training. Officials described the agency’s standards and training divisions, three basic academies, advanced training, and jail standards training. Members asked about recruitment, academy capacity, training costs, and curriculum changes. The commission said recruitment and retention are improving, basic academy enrollment is around 700 per year with capacity for about 725 to 750, training costs counties nothing because the state funds it, and basic training is being expanded from 528 hours to 705 hours with more practical instruction based on input from chiefs and sheriffs. Questions also covered detention officer training, school resource officer training, and whether other agencies are subject to the same standards. Officials said detention officers receive separate training, school resource officers have standalone training approved by the commission, and other law enforcement divisions such as the Department of Agriculture are held to the same standards. They also noted a Veterans to Law Enforcement program that allows eligible veterans to attend the academy without first being hired by an agency, with GI Bill support. The report was accepted without objection, and the meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Forty-eight hours' notice is hereby given for...
• Forty-eight-hour notice is hereby given for final reading of SB 2069 CD2.
• Forty-eight-hour notice is hereby given for final reading of HB 1334 CD2.
• Forty-eight-hour notice is hereby given for final reading of HB 1334 CD2.
• Forty-eight-hour notice is hereby given for final reading of Forty-eight-hour notice is hereby given

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It causes burnout among clinicians, which results in folks reducing their clinical care hours or even
• And finally, it establishes a 24-hour response time for urgently needed care.
• Dana-Farber spent hours trying to navigate the plan's appeals process and peer-to-peer requirements.
• And a recent study said that it takes 26.7 hours per day for a PCP to complete all those tasks.
• A follow-up study indicated that there are only 24 hours in each day. Who knew?

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on several health care access and insurance-related bills, with most testimony focused on H.1136 to improve the prior authorization process. The Massachusetts Medical Society, Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, Health Care for All, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, physicians, and hospital representatives all supported the bill, arguing that prior authorization delays care, increases administrative burden, contributes to clinician burnout, and can worsen patient outcomes. Witnesses described examples involving delayed cancer treatment, diabetes care, COPD medication, shingles pain treatment, and hospital discharge delays. They said the bill would preserve prior authorization but add guardrails such as longer validity periods, continuity-of-care protections, faster responses for urgent care, clearer lists of services requiring authorization, and more transparency and standardization. The committee also heard testimony on H.1142/S.783 regarding equitable reimbursement for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), with Senator Lovely and CRNA advocates supporting parity with physician anesthesiologists. They said CRNAs provide the same services at the same standard of care, but private insurers sometimes reimburse them at lower rates than physicians, which they argued is inconsistent with federal and state policy and harms access. Senator Keenan testified in support of a bill addressing claim denials and appeals, saying insurers should provide clearer explanations, time to resubmit claims, and timely appeal responses. Dr. Lorraine Schratz supported H.1126 to align state patient disclosure requirements with federal No Surprises Act rules, and Dr. Michael Trimbley supported H.1120 to recognize direct primary care as not being insurance and to encourage primary care participation. The committee also heard testimony on H.1140/S.801 to remove barriers to patient care by updating insurance statutes to reflect nurse practitioners’ full practice authority, and on H.1168/S.A.18 to eliminate the PCP referral requirement for specialty gynecological care. Witnesses on those bills described delays and denials affecting autism diagnosis, nutrition coverage, and endometriosis care, and said the proposals would reduce unnecessary barriers and improve timely access. After testimony and a few member questions, the chair closed the hearing; no votes were taken during the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the 11th hour.
• And again, in 2021, this body moved that prompt meant 48 hours.
• And actually, 48 hours is helpful for victims because they know within that arrest, within 48 hours,
• There's no ability to even process this within the four hours that were left.
• We could line this up for two hours. This should have been a two-week hearing.

Bills: AB275, SB371, SB457

Keywords: criminal procedure, wiretap, law enforcement, child protection, sexual offenses, SB371, Nevada, trespass, criminal trespass, NRS 207.200, property rights, misdemeanor, warning period, 24 months, 36 months, no trespassing, posted signs, fencing, private property, public property

Transcript Highlights:

• intervening motion except one one hour intervening motion except one one hour of<02:18:40.280>
• Again, you want to spend a half hour, an hour, eight hours debating labeling requirements for pool heaters
• an hour<02:38:24.760> 8<02:38:25.120> hours<02:38:25.640> debating<02:38:26.359
• > labeling hour 8 hours debating labeling hour 8 hours debating labeling requirements<02:38:27.399
• My colleague reminds us, yes. president it's been a half hour now of president it's been a half hour

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's a 10-mile-an-hour speed differential.
• If you are going 15 miles an hour slower than traffic, even if traffic is going 20 miles an hour over
• than if you're going 15 miles an hour faster than traffic.
• <01:40:12.719> slower if you are going 15 mil an hour slower if you are going 15 mil an hour
• <01:40:37.800> speed hour speed hour speed differential<01:40:39.719> but<01:40:39.880>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 119-FN, which would allow rental companies registering a rental fleet to choose New Hampshire as their base jurisdiction under the International Registration Plan. The DMV witness said the state already has this capability under the IRP and did not support the bill, adding that no additional staffing should be needed. Committee questions focused on whether the bill would change where registrations are done, what implementation would require, mileage tracking, decals, and inspection requirements. A representative of the Motor Transport Association also said the bill was unnecessary because the option already exists, while noting some related truck-registration and property-tax issues. The chair then closed the public hearing on HB 119-FN with no further speakers. The committee next heard House Bill 612, which would let youth operators renew up to 30 days before turning 21 and receive a temporary license so they can transition to a standard horizontal license without an extra DMV trip. The sponsor and DMV director strongly supported the bill, describing a long-standing problem where early online renewals can trigger another vertical youth license, forcing a duplicate transaction and fee after the birthday. The DMV said the change would reduce confusion and workload, and estimated a one-time system update cost of $48,000. Members asked about whether the proposal was effectively a 30-day extension, how law enforcement would view the temporary status, and whether the system could handle printing and mailing the new horizontal license; the director said the DMV could manage it and that the bill was the best approach. The chair closed the hearing after no one else testified. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 209, which would exempt new vehicles from inspection in the second year after purchase, effectively allowing two years before the next inspection. The sponsor argued the bill would save taxpayers money and reduce unnecessary trips for owners of new vehicles. Supporters said newer vehicles are already maintained through warranties and routine service. Opponents, including the New Hampshire Auto Dealers Association and a service manager from a dealership, argued the bill was not limited to truly new cars, would weaken safety by delaying inspections on vehicles that can still develop tire, brake, and other defects, and could raise costs for everyone else if inspection volume drops. The Motor Transport Association clarified that commercial motor vehicles remain subject to annual federal inspection requirements. No vote was taken in the transcript, and the hearing remained open with testimony continuing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will then adjourn for a short break from 12 to 12:30, and then we will have one more hour on the very
• and hearing We will then adjourn for a short break from 12 to 12:30, and then we will have one more hour
• Frontline staff must also take an additional 40 hours of job shadowing.
• I will now shift to L&I's enforcement of wage and hour laws.
• We will reconvene here for the last hour.

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