Transcript Highlights:

• effectively convey and distribute information about wildlife and wildlife-based recreation based on website visits
• We've been exceeding our target for website visits for the last... ...based on website visits.
• We've been exceeding our target for website visits for the last several years at over 2.5 million website

Committee: House Resources and Conservation

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, President, for visiting us today. I have a question about the PLU student. Thank you.
• Thank you, President, for visiting us today. I have a question about the PLU student.
• During our national accreditation, WABON accompanied the visit.
• During our national accreditation, WABON accompanied the visit.

Summary: The Postsecondary Education & Workforce Committee held courtesy hearings on three bills before moving to executive session. House Bill 2443 would create an Armed Forces Reserve post-secondary education grant for members of the Armed Forces Reserve and their spouses or dependents, with repayment required unless the reservist serves one year for each year of benefit received. The prime sponsor said the bill is intended to extend educational support similar to what Washington National Guard members already receive. Testimony was generally supportive, emphasizing military readiness, recruitment, and fairness to reservists; one clarification was made that the bill applies to Armed Forces Reserve members broadly, not just the Army Reserve. House Bill 2567 would restore Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship award amounts for students attending four-year private, not-for-profit institutions. The sponsor and many students, school leaders, and private college representatives argued the 2025 cuts were inequitable, harmed low-income and first-generation students, and limited student choice. Supporters said the state’s dedicated financial aid account has grown and that the cuts disproportionately affected students at private institutions. Opponents, including representatives from public universities, argued state dollars should prioritize public institutions and questioned whether aid should be shifted away from state schools. Testimony was mixed but heavily pro, with sign-ins reported at 1,584 total, including 1,572 in support. House Bill 2498 would change nursing education oversight by limiting the Board of Nursing’s authority where programs are nationally accredited and by expediting approval for new programs. The sponsor and several community college leaders said the bill would reduce unnecessary barriers, speed program expansion, and help address the nursing shortage, especially in rural areas. The Board of Nursing, nursing educators, employers, and professional associations opposed the bill, arguing that state oversight is needed for public safety, Washington-specific workforce needs, and consistent standards, and that the board is already revising its rules through an open process. The committee then took executive action on two other bills: it passed Second Substitute House Bill 2363, allowing supervised music therapy practice for up to six months while exam results are verified, with an amendment delaying implementation to January 1, 2028; and it passed Substitute House Bill 2422, shifting private security guard license fees from applicants to employers and delaying implementation to November 1, 2026, by a 9-7 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• President, we saw a number of guests today in and out of the annex visiting with us in our offices.
• President, we saw a number of guests today in and out of the annex visiting with us in our offices.
• President, we saw a number of guests today in and out of the annex visiting with us in our offices.
• President, we saw a number of guests today in and out of the annex visiting with us in our offices.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ensuring clinicians retain the autonomy to decide when telehealth is appropriate and when an in-person visit
• Pharmacy-based care costs $277 less per episode and showed no difference in patient outcomes or return visits
• I personally called them after their visits, and they told me how much the pharmacy care meant to them
• Additionally, we offer urgent medications as an alternative to emergency room visits.

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee first met in executive session and advanced five bills out of committee. SB 5999, as amended by a substitute, would let rural counties under 100,000 population appoint an APRN or physician assistant as an acting local health officer; SB 5185 would create a pathway for international medical graduates to physician licensure through a Washington Medical Commission pilot; SB 5845 would revise timely payment rules for health carriers, including longer acknowledgment and payment timelines and clarifications on scope; SB 6071 would standardize overpayment recovery timelines for carriers; and SB 6258 would create a non-disciplinary pathway for relinquishing Washington Medical Commission licenses. Each bill received a due pass recommendation and was sent to Rules, with the bills passed subject to signatures. The committee then heard SB 6226, which would protect the clinical autonomy of audiologists and ensure hearing-instrument and communication-device rules are applied consistently across care modalities, including telehealth. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive, emphasizing access for rural and mobility-limited patients and the importance of teleaudiology, though one association cautioned the bill could affect broader regulatory authority. The hearing closed with 54 pro, zero con, and two other sign-ins. Next, the committee heard SB 6305, the Truth in Mental Health Coverage Act, which would require carriers to submit standardized annual data to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner on mental health and substance use disorder coverage, access, utilization, reimbursement, and network participation, with public posting in raw and dashboard form. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would improve transparency and accountability without changing benefits, while opponents argued it could duplicate recent parity reforms and add administrative burden. The hearing closed with 396 pro, two con, and zero other sign-ins. Finally, the committee heard SB 5924, a proposed substitute expanding pharmacists’ prescriptive authority for certain limited conditions and products, including some preventive and minor-illness treatments, and allowing limited diagnosis within defined bounds. Supporters said it would improve access, especially in rural and underserved areas, reduce administrative barriers from collaborative drug therapy agreements, and align with the sunrise review; opponents, including the medical association, said the bill went beyond the review and needed more time, while some testimony raised concerns about psychiatric prescribing. The hearing closed with 279 pro, six con, and four other sign-ins, and the committee adjourned after concluding its business.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so hopefully everyone who showed up today will take an extra minute. ...and go visit the LFC office
• She said occupational therapists prevent costly hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and long-term
• She said this would be especially helpful if certain compacts are passed, because visiting providers
• is going to be especially great if certain compacts are passed so that they know they can get a visiting

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's been very successful, reducing preventable ER visits by 10 to 15%.
• It's been very successful, reducing preventable ER visits by 10 to 15%.
• programs prove their safety and the efficacy in terms of saving money and diverting emergency department visits
• telehealth consultation for appropriate patients in the field and perhaps avert emergency department visits

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules convened with quorum and first approved several governor’s appointments not required to appear, including Courtney Welsh to the California Housing Partnership Corporation Board, Janessa Goldbeck to the California Veterans Board, and Tom Huntington to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, each by 3-0 vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees, the 2026 committee chair and membership appointments, the 2026 session schedule, the 2026 Senate holiday schedule, and floor acknowledgments, all by 4-0 votes. The committee then heard confirmation testimony from Hernando Garzon, M.D., nominated as Chief Medical Officer of the Emergency Medical Services Authority. Senators asked about EMSA’s strategic plan, data integration, local flexibility in statewide standards, ambulance patient offload regulations, stakeholder engagement, disaster response, rural access, and alternatives to transporting 9-1-1 callers to emergency departments. Garzon emphasized data-driven decision-making, technical assistance to local EMS agencies, collaboration with hospitals and providers, and the use of community paramedicine, telehealth, and pre-positioned resources in disasters. Public commenters and members supported his confirmation, and the committee approved the appointment 4-0 for referral to the full Senate. The committee also heard from Stephanie Weldon, nominated as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health. She described her tribal background, prior state, county, tribal, and nonprofit experience, and her focus on serving communities facing health disparities. Senators questioned her about how the office sets priorities, measures outcomes, balances equity work amid political opposition to DEI language, and tailors technical assistance to rural and tribal communities. Weldon pointed to work on tribal consultation, behavioral health, youth mental health, the California Reducing Disparities Project, gender-affirming care, reproductive health, housing and climate-related supports, and community advisory boards. Numerous public witnesses, including tribal and health equity advocates, spoke in strong support, and the committee approved her appointment 4-0 for the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• IMPROVEMENTS AND MATERNAL OUTCOMES FOR EXAMPLE, THERE HAS BEEN AN OVERALL DECREASE IN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS
• ALSO THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE PERCENT OF WOMEN WHO ARE ATTENDING THEIR OWN POSTPARTUM VISIT
• APPLES COMPARISON WITH OUTCOMES OF THE PRELIMINARY DATA I WAS READY TO SHARE TODAY IS MORE ON THE ER VISITS
• AS OPPOSED TO POSTPARTUM HOSPITAL VISITS AND SO I THINK THERE ARE SOME INDICATORS BUT WE ARE STILL DIGGING

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We visited with Charles Lee and members of the Legislative Finance Committee as well.
• We've also had several visits with superintendents from Vaughn and Corona to, you know, Tucumcari, Sanjohn
• It'd be awesome to visit your students.
• I know last year we, you know, we visited with. Mr. Honey with ATD and we agreed we're doing good.

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• adopted House Bill 2854 by Representative Aa relating to the required approval for certain hospital visits
• supervision for certain releases and to the hospital's liability for damages resulting from those visits
• We cannot speak, write letters, or have visitation.
• I had more, but we'll visit your offices. Thank you so much. Thank you, Ms.

Committee: House Corrections

Transcript Highlights:

• JPs are used in visiting judges that are also candidates against sitting judges.
• members with the J.P.... ...These would nominate or appoint three folks that would potentially be visiting
• They can also change, add, or subtract, but what we don't want them to do is... ...point visiting judges
• If you’d like, I’d be glad to visit with you about possibly adding stronger language in this regard.

Bills: HB2242 , HB2446 , HB2799 , HB4502 , HB2920 , HB2790 , HB5620 , HB5060 , HB5076 , HB5080 , HB5081 , HB5128 , HB5130 , HB3847 , HB5116 , HB2969 , HB4546 , HB4202 , HB5624 , HB3964 , HB4803 , HB872 , HB4775 , HB4777 , HB4961 , HB5570 , HB2988 , HB4260 , HB1375 , HB5009 , HB5411 , HB5134 , HB4388 , HB3095 , HB1387

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Keywords: constables, civil rights, local government, law enforcement, policy-making authority, affidavit, medical bills, civil actions, reasonable charges, healthcare services, judicial statistics, court performance, family law, civil cases, efficiency reporting, court security, emergency management, harassment penalties, judicial safety, court committee

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd love to come by and visit with you. Thank you, Senator Hagenbuch. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• Of course, Senator Miles and I visited.
• I don't have questions for you all, but I do have an open invitation for you all to come visit our campuses
• So anyway, I'd like to come visit sometime with you, some of the facilities, and learn what more we can

Committee: Senate Nominations

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But are you gonna have a chance to visit all these locations? That's over a thousand.
• have</c><00:19:18.559><c> a</c><00:19:18.799><c> chance</c><00:19:18.960><c> to</c><00:19:19.679><c> visit
• </c><00:19:20.000><c> all</c> you gonna have a chance to visit all you gonna have a chance to visit all

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Education heard three resolutions. STR 53 SD1 sought to have the Legislative Reference Bureau work with the Hawaii State Public Library System to identify rural and underserved communities needing better telecommunications access so residents can participate in the legislative process. Testimony from the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities supported the measure, emphasizing that many advocates cannot always travel to the Capitol and need better access. STR 117 SD1 urged the Department of Education to work with the Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee and the County of Hawaii to inventory bus stops on Hawaii Island used by students and develop safety improvements; DOE described an upcoming live route audit, noted the large number of routes and stops on the Big Island, and said some stops are on private roads. The Department of Transportation, Hawaii County Council, the mayor’s office, and others supported the measure, and members discussed whether the effort could eventually expand statewide. STR 134 asked the Department of Education to provide a detailed report on the true cost of producing school meals to improve transparency and avoid unnecessary price increases. DOE said it already tracks food, labor, benefits, supplies, equipment, and other costs to calculate per-meal costs, but does not currently include transportation costs in the same way; it stated its breakfast cost was $5.80 and lunch cost was $8.66. Support testimony came from the Hawaii Public Health Institute, Hawaii Appleseed, the Hawaii Children’s Action Network, the Hawaii Hunger Action Network, and others, who said clearer cost information is especially important amid funding uncertainty. In decision making, the committee amended and passed STR 53 SD1, reverting it to the original draft by replacing the Legislative Reference Bureau with the Controller and adding coordination with the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development and the Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office, while removing references tied to the LRB and the public access room outreach clause. The committee also amended and passed STR 117 SD1, shifting the lead role to the Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee and adding a request for the County of Hawaii to consider funding the effort. STR 134 was passed unamended. Representative Souza was excused for the votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We visit with those applicants where the program officer and one of those advisors can ask more questions
• We have advisors going around the state doing artistic visits.
• For the larger grants greater than $50,000, we do a monitoring visit during the grant period.
• It's quite amazing, and people travel to visit it.

Committee: House Legacy Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• governor the last time those sections governor the last time those sections were<00:10:47.320><c> visited
• > they</c><00:10:48.440><c> granted</c><00:10:48.800><c> a</c><00:10:49.040><c> specific</c> were visited
• they granted a specific were visited they granted a specific power<00:10:49.760><c> to</c><00:10:49.959
• Someone in the audience is recognized: District Judge Teresa Miller Mahan, who is visiting with the speaker

Keywords: Consideration of HCR 67 02:28 Discussion of SB 126 08:05, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Elections, Constitutional Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs met with a quorum, recognized a student page from Covington Catholic High School, and then took up House Concurrent Resolution 67, sponsored by Representative Emily Callaway. The resolution would create a Kentucky Restoration of Voting Rights Act task force to study restoration of civil and voting rights for people who have served their sentences and shown rehabilitation. Callaway said the task force would include legislators and representatives from state offices and advocacy groups, and she noted the issue should receive serious attention as part of civic participation and reentry. Members asked about differences between the House resolution and a similar Senate measure. Callaway explained that her version was more specific about membership and included state agency representatives and advocacy organizations. Representative Blacket said he preferred the House version and noted expungement had also been discussed. Representative Marzian said she would vote no, arguing the Secretary of State already handles election integrity and that the proposal was unnecessary and costly. Representative Roberts supported the resolution, saying the current process for restoring voting rights can be expensive and lengthy. The resolution passed with favorable consideration. The committee then heard discussion-only testimony on Senate Bill 126 from Senator Chris McDaniel, a proposed constitutional amendment to limit the governor’s pardon power. McDaniel argued the power has been abused and said the amendment would not eliminate pardons, but would restrict them to the 60 days before an election and the period between the gubernatorial election and inauguration so voters could weigh in. He cited high-profile pardons and commutations as examples and said the measure had previously been supported by law enforcement groups. Representative Lockard and another member expressed support, saying pardon power can be undemocratic and that the timing of mass pardons after elections is troubling. McDaniel said the 60-day window was chosen as a practical period for information to reach voters. No vote was taken on the bill, and the meeting adjourned after a visiting district judge was recognized.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll be glad to answer any questions that you have, and then myself and my staff available to visit with
• posted and give us a little more insight. into that. information to the committee, but I'd like to visit
• ... to ensure Texas maintains our leadership position as the best state to live, to work... and to visit
• Consistent with what you've heard before, we are. are absolutely available to come and visit with you

Committee: House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Local dentists visit DOE schools to provide oral health education and free oral health kits to over a
• give kids a smile program<00:16:17.120><c> local</c><00:16:17.440><c> dentists</c><00:16:18.160><c> visit
• </c><00:16:18.440><c> dwe</c><00:16:18.800><c> schools</c> program local dentists visit dwe schools program
• local dentists visit dwe schools to<00:16:19.279><c> provide</c><00:16:19.560><c> oral</c><00:16:19.880

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I would also suggest if you can be here in person, that we can visit and talk to you as opposed to
• We can visit and talk to you as opposed to remote. That would be my personal request. Anybody else?
• You and I have visited several times.
• So Representative Moshebacher and I visited about this, and this is an important topic for us, believe
• I think it'd be a good thing to visit with him about as he interprets his own power. Okay.

Summary: The committee was called to order, the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer were offered, and the minutes from the previous meeting were approved. Members then received a memo summarizing major audit items and began hearing audit presentations from the State Auditor’s Office and private auditors on a range of state agencies and organizations. Several audits were reported as clean, including the Bank of North Dakota, the North Dakota Guaranteed Student Loan Program, the Office of the Governor, the Office of the State Treasurer, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Transportation’s flexible transportation fund, Lake Region State College, and the Department of Environmental Quality. The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association also received an unmodified opinion, though repeat findings were noted for limited segregation of duties and financial statement preparation due to its small staff. The Council on the Arts audit found two findings: payroll charged to federal awards without adequate timekeeping records, and unallowable expenditures from a restricted cultural endowment fund. The Department of Public Instruction audit identified unsupported scholarship applications in the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, though additional testing showed the funds were used for their intended purpose. The most extensive discussion centered on the North Dakota Racing Commission audit, which identified four findings: overspending the promotion fund’s 25% operating limit, grant conditions not being met, improper Breeders Fund awards, and improper procurement for advertising services. Racing Commission director Bruce Johnson acknowledged complacency and weak controls, said the agency would tighten procedures, and explained that the commission had since worked with procurement and would follow the rules more closely. Auditors also explained that the commission would now be audited every two years because of the findings. Another major discussion involved the University of North Dakota School of Law, where auditors found a lack of documentation supporting admissions decisions for post-baccalaureate programs. UND officials said they remain in good standing with the American Bar Association but agreed better documentation and tools are needed; the committee pressed for more transparency and follow-up on admissions criteria. The committee also received an update on Dakota College at Bottineau, where Minot State University reported that bank reconciliations had been brought current after a significant backlog and would now be maintained through shared services. Members requested a written follow-up report on the issues and corrective actions. Finally, the North Dakota Fair Association explained that its foundation has been dissolved and remaining funds were transferred to another nonprofit for continued support of the state fair, and the Department of Public Instruction provided an update on school meal debt, saying the reported amount was about $1.1 million from a partial district survey and that debt remains a local issue, though it could be revisited if school meal funding changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• When I visited her, I knew immediately that she was having a medical emergency.
• She had requested an emergency medical visit with the doctor but was given no importance.
• When I visited her, I knew immediately that she was having a medical emergency.
• She had requested an emergency medical visit with the doctor but was given no importance.
• Now he cannot access regular doctor visits and must pay out of pocket for medications he depends on.

Committee: Senate Health

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Nearly 1.2 million visits for children's programming, 157,000 for young adult programming, and 385,000
• Just to add a bit of context for Marion County, in 2023-24 we had over 26,000 visits to our library,
• and in 2024-25 we're on track to have over 50,000 visits. million wireless sessions across the million
• </c><00:56:51.599><c> So,</c> have over 50,000 visits. So, have over 50,000 visits.
• </c> items circulated via bookmobile visits. items circulated via bookmobile visits.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on State Government met for its first meeting and heard a presentation from the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KY Stats) by Executive Director Matt Barry and Legislative Director Calli Arnold. The presentation reviewed KY Stats’ statutory background, its evolution from KESUS, its board membership, and its role in housing Kentucky’s longitudinal data system and labor market information office. Barry explained that KY Stats links data from multiple state sources, validates and cleans it, deidentifies it, and uses it to produce reports, evaluations, and responses to data requests for policymakers, practitioners, and the public. Barry described the scale of the system, noting more than 6,000 active data elements, 178 unique file types, and data from 48 sources across 26 agencies. He highlighted the agency’s privacy and security practices, including separate servers for source data and deidentified reporting data, and said KY Stats does not use real-time data. He also outlined the types of reports produced, including the annual high school feedback report and a recent life outcomes report tracking the 2017 public high school cohort’s postsecondary education, completion, wages, and employment outcomes. Members asked about the timeliness and availability of data, especially SNAP and Medicaid information, and Barry said most data arrive annually or quarterly and that Medicaid data had been used in a limited one-time project rather than as an ongoing feed. Questions also focused on artificial intelligence; Barry said KY Stats has not integrated AI but is exploring it cautiously because of privacy and security concerns. Several members encouraged further work with AI tools, while Barry emphasized that any use would need to protect confidentiality. The committee also discussed staffing and funding, with Barry saying KY Stats has about 49 total staff and annual funding of roughly $3.1 million in state general funds, plus federal labor-related funding. Committee members praised the agency’s work and suggested legislators may not fully understand its capabilities. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• 54:22.079><c> special</c> Hospital stay and a year of special Hospital stay and a year of special visits
• and had it not been for State visits and had it not been for State paid<00:54:25.079><c> family</c><
• When I saw them half a year ago to visit, Abigail was 18 months old.
• When I saw them half a year ago to visit, Abigail was 18 months old.
• When I saw them half a year ago to visit, Abigail was 18 months old.

Committee: House Labor

Keywords: 910, house, all