Transcript Highlights:

• The language in the bill is very similar to a current budget proviso in the governor's proposed budget
• that allots $150,000 of Commerce's base budget to a very similar effort.
• And because the full cost of this work, as delineated, is not in the governor's budget...
• So it actually is in the governor's proposed budget, so it does have funds going towards it.
• Within two weeks, they must find $1,345 in their budget to settle the debt.

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on several bills. SB 5976 would revise the Washington Commercial Electronic Mail Act by narrowing liability for misleading email subject lines and changing damages and Consumer Protection Act claims. Business, retail, hospitality, and e-commerce witnesses supported the bill, saying recent litigation has created uncertainty and exposed routine marketing emails to excessive penalties. Consumer advocates and the Washington State Association for Justice opposed it, arguing the current law protects consumers from deceptive marketing and that the bill would weaken enforcement and class actions. SB 6111 would require age verification and parental consent for minors creating social media accounts, restrict providers’ use of minors’ data, and authorize enforcement by the Attorney General and a limited private right of action. The sponsor and several parents, medical professionals, and advocacy groups supported the bill as a response to social media harms, including addiction, depression, cyberbullying, eating disorders, and exposure to harmful content. Technology and civil liberties witnesses opposed it, warning about privacy, data security, constitutional concerns, and the difficulty of implementing reliable parental consent and age verification. The committee also heard SB 6250, which would raise the maximum small loan amount from $700 to $1,200 and index it to inflation. The sponsor and a lender representative said the change would update an outdated limit and preserve existing consumer protections. Opponents, including legal aid, poverty, housing, labor, AARP, and community advocates, argued the higher cap would increase debt burdens and fees for low-income borrowers and older adults. Staff also briefed SB 6257, which would allow illness-related tolling for trainee real estate appraiser licensing timelines, and SB 6289, which would direct Commerce to create a statewide economic development and competitiveness strategic plan; SB 6289 drew supportive testimony from Commerce, ports, economic development groups, and business interests. The committee also held confirmation hearings for several Gambling Commission and Lottery appointees, who described their backgrounds and service, but no votes or final actions were taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Has that been put into the Attorney General's budget or just attorneys' budgets?
• Has that been put into the Attorney General's budget or just attorneys' budgets?
• Is this in the budget, this downfall that we're talking about?
• into the budget?
• In the budget to backfill for the giant hole that it will crush into the budget.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our budgeted beds don't match our bed type, so budgeted beds are dictated by the Caseload Forecast Council
• One of the things we're also hearing about this budget crisis we're in is a lot of it.
• One of the things we're also hearing about this budget crisis we're in is a lot of it.
• Yeah, so in the biennial budget, DCYF took administrative cuts.
• I was just pointing out that in the biennial budget, the department took a cut in the biennial budget

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 1544, which would require DCYF to study and improve the risk assessment tool used in child abuse and neglect investigations, including better identifying family strengths and needs, substance use-related risk, and service needs, and to certify the tool every three years. Staff explained the bill and noted it had passed the committee unanimously in substitute form last year. The prime sponsor, Representative Rule, said the tool would help reduce bias and support better decisions about child safety. Members raised questions about whether the bill would require new data systems or create a fiscal impact, and DCYF testified that the recertification process would focus on evidence-based literature and fidelity to the tool, though the agency acknowledged limitations in its data system. Support testimony from Partners for Our Children and DCYF emphasized that the current tool is not evidence-based and that the department is piloting the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale. The hearing on HB 1544 was then closed. The committee then received a lengthy work session from DCYF on juvenile rehabilitation. Juvenile Rehabilitation Assistant Secretary Jennifer Redman and security classification administrator Jeff Endermark described a growing JR population that is older, serving more adult-sentence youth, and projected to rise to about 481 by 2031. They said Green Hill School remains crowded, Harbor Heights is being brought online as a short-term option, and Echo Glen is near safe operational capacity. They explained JR’s classification system, behavior management process, and the role of multidisciplinary teams in placement decisions, as well as the expansion of community transition services (CTS), which uses electronic home monitoring for eligible youth. Staff described CTS eligibility, supervision expectations, and examples of successful placements, but also said the program needs more after-hours staffing and community supports. Members questioned the validity and equity of the risk tools, the availability of community resources, the impact of behavior policies and escapes, the use of single bunking, and broader concerns about lawsuits and sexual abuse in the system. JR reported an escape rate increase from 1.78 per 100 youth in 2001 to 3.92 in 2025 and said additional capacity and staffing are still needed. The committee then heard House Bill 2219, which would allow child care centers more flexibility in mixed-age grouping during parts of the day and waive repeated DCYF pre-service orientation for people who have already completed it. The prime sponsor, Representative Ortiz-Self, said the bill is meant to ease burdens on small providers. Testifiers from SEIU 925, a family child care provider, the Washington Child Care Centers Association, a child care center director, and the Children’s Campaign Fund supported the bill as a practical way to improve staffing flexibility and reduce duplicative licensing requirements, though one association asked that the bill’s daily time caps on mixed-age grouping be revised or removed. The committee then heard House Bill 2253, an agency-request technical corrections bill for DCYF licensing. Staff said it would allow child-specific licenses for certain relatives under interstate placements, exempt kinship caregivers from blood-borne pathogen training, remove licensing exemptions for physicians and lawyers, allow termination of inactive licenses, revise crisis residential center staffing ratios, and eliminate state monitoring requirements for the Washington School for the Deaf residential program. Members asked about how inactivity would be defined and whether the School for the Deaf inspections had historically produced savings. DCYF said the bill would help right-size licensing workloads after budget cuts and would let the agency work with stakeholders to define inactivity in rule. Testimony from DCYF, Community Youth Services, and Partners for Our Children supported the bill, especially the staffing ratio fix for crisis residential centers and the child-specific licensing changes for relatives.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's the bad budget is set up.
• However, for my fourth energy budget, this is the best energy bill I've ever seen.
• ,</c> however, for my fourth energy budget, however, for my fourth energy budget, this<00:09:06.080><
• It protects so many of the gains that we've made, and we're passing a budget.
• So I encourage we're passing a budget.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The work of this unit is of great value for Minnesota in terms of the state budget.
• Each Medicaid fraud unit's size is based on the size of its Medicaid budget.
• Based on our state Medicaid budget, our size is supposed to be 41, but it's not.
• It's still at 32, and it hasn't grown like our state Medicaid budget has over the last five years.
• As you can see from our slides, when our state Medicaid budget has expanded, our Medicaid fraud unit

Bills: HF3043, HF2891

Keywords: public safety, illegal remunerations, healthcare fraud, grants, criminal penalties, state law, grants management, state employees training, certification, monitoring grants, accountability, grant fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• Number two on the calendar for the day, an act relating to transportation, establishing a budget for
• One of the big topics we discussed on our side of the aisle is the 2023 budget and how transformational
• look like that, you're gonna find out things you never knew were in that budget.
• So this budget is a reflection. Of that work. It was bipartisan work.
• So you'll see that this budget is a direct result of that hard work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Regarding each of those bills that are the subject of the mass motion, all except one are budget bills
• The rest of my comments have to do with the budget bills, and we've reviewed all of those as well, Mr
• The budget package, we think, is substantially constitutional. It's in proper form.
• has a sort of a condition, that there has to be a review by a legislative agency, Joint Legislative Budget
• Nevertheless, I mentioned that it's there, and I'm happy to answer any other questions about either the budget

Summary: The committee considered a mass motion declaring House Bills 4154, 4155, 4156, 4157, 4158, 4159, 4161, 4162, 4163, 4165, 4166, 4169, and Senate Bill 1630 constitutional and in proper form. Tim Fleming of the Rules Office said all of the measures were either budget bills or, in the case of SB 1630, separately reviewed and found constitutional and in proper form. He said the budget package was substantially constitutional and in proper form, but repeated several cautions about common issues in budget bills, including footnotes or directives that may go beyond appropriations, conditions placed on appropriations that could raise separation-of-powers concerns, and nonprofit funding that could implicate the gift clause or special legislation concerns. He also noted a provision in the health bill limiting counties from the expenditure limitation of Article 9, Section 20, which he said is not enforceable. After brief discussion and no further questions, the committee voted on the motion. The vote was 8 ayes and 0 nays, and the measures were recommended as constitutional and in proper form.

Transcript Highlights:

• >> THE JUSTICE BUDGET COMMITTEE WILL NOW COME TO ORDER. MS.
• OCTOBER 2025, ACTUALLY TODAY IS THE ROLL OUT DATE, THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET
• AFTER THAT OCCURS THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET COMMISSION OF THE FINAL REVIEW FOR
• DO YOU KNOW IF FDLE, AND SPECIFICALLY THIS GRANT PROGRAM, WILL BE MAKING A BUDGET REQUEST THIS YEAR FOR
• . >> Chair Maney: YOU ARE RECOGNIZED. >> THE STATE BOARD OF IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IS A SEPARATE BUDGET

Transcript Highlights:

• Then, where there was specific budget language in House Bill 2, we also put that language here so that
• you can track those appropriations to the language that's actually included in the budget bill.
• So again, that starts on page 20 and goes through each of the sections of the budget, including on page
• Title II, A, at $18 million, IDEA B At $110 million for School Meals, and an estimated preliminary budget
• So, the administration submitted a preliminary budget proposal—they're calling it a skinny budget—to

Transcript Highlights:

• So I did have one last-minute ask, and it was based on House action on the legislative branch budget,
• Tech Ed, who is the current tenant on that floor, that that funding would be replaced in the OMB budget
• to kind of make our operating budget whole.
• Placed in the OMB budget to kind of make our operating budget whole, because we fund our utilities and
• , for example, or very identified, I guess, needs, as opposed to an ongoing line in the operating budget

Bills: SB2014

Keywords: industrial commission, economic development, housing finance, oil and gas, rail infrastructure, financial assistance, emergency funding, 908, all

Summary: The Government Operations Division met to continue work on the remaining bill and related amendments. Joe Morse asked the committee to include a $219,000 general fund replacement for rent that would no longer be collected from Career and Technical Education after the 15th floor of the tower becomes legislative space under the Legislative Council’s jurisdiction. Members discussed that state law currently requires rent only from executive branch office space, not legislative or judicial space, and there was no objection to adding the request to the amendment package. The committee then revisited a set of amendments it had previously discussed, including whether to include funding for Prairie Public. Senator Dwyer argued against any Prairie Public funding, citing its reserves, endowment, and charitable gaming revenue, and said the state should prioritize other needs. Senator Irby supported a one-time infrastructure contribution as the state shares in related infrastructure costs. Senator Sickler said Prairie Public still provides unique local programming, but that a one-time infrastructure item would be a reasonable compromise rather than ongoing operating support. A motion was made and seconded to provide Prairie Public $850,000 from the Strategic Investment and Improvement Fund for infrastructure needs. The roll call vote failed 3-2, with Senators Sickler and Irby voting aye, Senators Dwyer and Burkhard voting no, and Chairman Wanzek voting yes. After that vote, the committee indicated the amendment package was otherwise complete, though leadership had asked that final action on the bill be held for a little longer. The meeting adjourned with the understanding that more amendments could still be brought forward before the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:12:13.320><c> It's</c> budget. So, it's a very big budget. It's budget.
• So, it's a very big budget.
• </c> appropriated over two budget cycles. appropriated over two budget cycles.
• </c> question about Minnesota's state budget. question about Minnesota's state budget.
• So when we try to do a higher ed budget last session and set the budget for two years, we were facing

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm director of the Minnesota Budget Project.
• </c> received in the federal budget received in the federal budget reconciliation<00:27:55.920><c> bill
• ><c> example,</c><00:51:33.680><c> the</c> The governor's budget, for example, the The governor's budget
• From a $35 billion budget in this state to almost 70 billion.
• to almost billion budget in this state to almost 70<01:14:00.000><c> billion.

Bills: HF4621, HF4123, HF4616, HF1183

Keywords: child tax credit, financial assistance, low-income families, state revenue, tax policy, net investment income, taxation, business income, self-employment, tax increase, wealth tax, fairness, public services, high-income earners, economic equity, Internal Revenue Code, employee classification, federal law, Minnesota statutes, 1183

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> because we came in under budget. because we came in under budget.
• continues to have the structural budget deficit.
• continues to have the structural budget deficit.
• continues to have the structural budget deficit.
• continues to have the structural budget deficit.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I remember coming into budget meetings, and you're like, I got this.
• We know we're going to come back and do the budget.
• We know we're going to come back and do the budget.
• What do we think, how can we get there, knowing our budget constraints, where we are in our budget timeline
• What do we think, how can we get there, knowing our budget constraints, where we are in our budget timeline

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, page introductions, and recognition of guests, including a state champion Crossroads Academy basketball team and a student intern. The chamber then took up executive appointment reports from the Ethics and Elections Committee and related committees, which covered a large slate of gubernatorial appointees to state boards and commissions. Senators were given the opportunity to separate nominees for individual votes, and several members spoke in support of or opposition to specific appointees based on qualifications, ideology, and prior public service. The first major confirmation vote covered most of the 186 appointments on the report, with debate centered on three nominees highlighted by Senator Polsky: Ilya Shapiro, Thomas Zachary Smith, and Dr. John Lattell. The report was adopted 31-0 after those objections, and Jeffrey Aaron was then considered separately for the Public Employee Relations Commission. Senators Smith and Polsky opposed Aaron’s confirmation, citing his role as legal counsel to the Hope Florida Foundation and alleged involvement in the transfer of Medicaid settlement funds to political entities; Chair Gates defended Aaron as a lawyer representing a client and noted no disciplinary or law-enforcement action against him. Aaron was confirmed 26-10. The Senate next confirmed Chavon Harris as Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration after debate focused on her prior leadership at the Department of Children and Families, Medicaid redeterminations, postpartum coverage issues, Hope Florida-related concerns, and a women’s shelter inspection dispute. Supporters emphasized her work stabilizing Medicaid funding and her responsiveness to agency problems, while opponents argued she had overseen serious failures and lacked suitability. The confirmation passed 32-5. Taylor Hatch was then confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Children and Families after committee members noted serious operational concerns at DCF, including SNAP/EBT compliance, child welfare practices, forensic audit issues, and questions about Hope Florida, but also cited her commitment to child welfare and willingness to address problems; the vote was 33-4. After the confirmations, the Senate recessed and later returned for a lengthy tribute to outgoing Senate President Kathleen Pasadomo. Senators from both parties offered personal remarks praising her leadership, diligence, toughness in committee, mentorship, and resilience after personal loss, while also joking about her reputation as a strict rules chair and “bill killer.” The session concluded with the recognition of her service and presentation of a handmade keepsake box filled with letters and mementos from staff and colleagues.

Transcript Highlights:

• and the government's balance the budget and the government's budget<01:50:50.280><c> itself</c><01:50
• :50.639><c> includes</c><01:50:51.119><c> signific</c> budget itself includes signific budget itself
• </c> approximately $75,000 to a school budget approximately $75,000 to a school budget each<03:26:46.239
• </c> districts regardless of size or budget districts regardless of size or budget can<03:33:20.000><
• </c><05:47:55.240><c> accounting</c> including the state budget accounting including the state budget

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the average taxpayer, to put this in real-world terms, it means real money back in their household budget
• “Last week, as you know, the legislature approved an education budget that features roughly $380 million
• Our state's private school voucher spending now makes up 6% of our state budget, and some lawmakers have
• We are experiencing a perfect storm of economic pressure on the state budget.
• Many more are unable to balance their budgets.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not raise the budget at all, and we do have a couple of testifiers. Perfect.
• It does not raise the budget at all.
• It does not raise the budget at all, and we do have a couple of testifiers. Perfect.
• provide updates directly to the leaders of our major veterans organizations, hear feedback on our budget
• and legislative proposals, and budget and legislative proposals, and hear<00:02:41.800><c> about</c>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a budget and policy analyst with Legislative Services Office.
• I just don't want to be having to cut that much out of our budgets; that really concerns me.
• I know we might have to cut our budget, and, you know, guess what?
• Everybody's cutting their budget. They're cutting their budget right now.
• And as you and I both know, we've already spent a lot of time and hours on this budget to figure out

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee met to review members’ homework projections and choose revenue estimates for the remainder of fiscal year 2026 and fiscal year 2027. Staff presented the compiled results, noted the average and median were close, and corrected a spreadsheet formula error after Senator Zuiderveld flagged that her submitted numbers had been copied incorrectly. The committee briefly went at ease while staff fixed the worksheet and then resumed with updated figures. Members debated several possible revenue projections, with discussion focused on how to account for possible tax conformity changes, the risk of overestimating revenues, and broader economic uncertainty. Some members argued for lower estimates to avoid future budget shortfalls, while others said the state’s economy remained relatively strong and that the committee should not be overly pessimistic. After debate, the committee adopted a substitute motion setting general fund revenue projections at $5,665.1 million for FY 2026 and $5,816.6 million for FY 2027 by a vote of 10-8. The committee then reviewed a letter/report for JFAC that incorporated the adopted projections and allowed for additional committee comments. Representative Van Orden moved to adopt the report language, Representative Monks seconded, and the motion passed 17-1. The committee concluded its work and planned to present the recommendation to JFAC the following morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• RCW 41.80.010, which states that if they are financially feasible, they move into the governor's budget
• our director determines if the agreements are feasible and can be put into the governor's request budget
• Our budget office is working very closely with our director to determine whether these agreements are
• If she does find them to be feasible, they will be proposed in the governor's request budget that will
• So then in May, the budget bill will be signed into law, and if you have funded the agreements, then

Summary: The Joint Committee on Employment Relations met for work sessions on supplemental bargaining for Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA) agreements in general government and higher education, followed by an overview of the collective bargaining process. OFM staff explained that bargaining for the 2025-27 biennium began in 2024, reached tentative agreements, was not ratified in time for the October 1 deadline, resumed, and ultimately produced ratified agreements in August 2025 that were submitted for financial feasibility review under RCW 41.80.010. Staff outlined the tentative agreements’ costs and covered employee counts, including roughly 2,500 FTEs in general government and 2,100 in higher education, with estimated 2025-27 total fund costs of about $22.25 million and $13.5 million respectively. Staff then gave a broader briefing on how state collective bargaining works, including the bargaining calendar, the role of class and compensation review, the June revenue forecast, interest arbitration, and the October 1 submission deadline. They described the groups OFM bargains for, including general government, higher education, health care coalitions, and certain non-state provider groups such as adult family home providers, child care providers, and language access providers. In response to a question from Senator King, staff said the legislature requires bargaining for those non-state provider groups and has also provided interest arbitration for them. Staff also discussed bargaining priorities such as general wage increases, targeted classification adjustments, recruitment and retention, low-wage worker increases, and maintaining the health care premium split. In executive session, the committee voted to keep the current co-chairs, Senator Robinson and Representative Couture, through 2026. Members also voted to recognize that the committee met twice in 2025 and to set the 2026 meeting schedule at two meetings. The motions passed without opposition, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And really, I mean, at the very end, when we were doing the budget and you were having to crank things
• So we are actually doing very well as far as this year's budget.
• Next year, next fiscal year, our budget, as all legislative agencies, was reduced...
• the budget issues that the legislature aptly faced this session.
• But even if we did, we could certainly do that within our current budget.

Summary: The committee began with introductions of members and staff, then approved the minutes from the previous meeting and approved a step increase for Code Advisor Kathy Buckley. Staff reported on publication sales and distribution, noting that 2024 paper and paid sales were down from prior years, while online access and reduced demand for printed copies continued to trend downward. Members discussed the continuing role of printed RCWs and session laws, with staff explaining that libraries and counties remain the main paper purchasers and that some specialized titles are still produced in print and electronic formats. The committee then reviewed a table of “multiple actions” affecting RCW sections from the 2025 session. Staff explained that 153 sections had multiple amendments or related actions, but most could be merged through editorial authority; about 10 sections would likely need future legislative cleanup. The committee approved the table, allowing staff to proceed with merging where possible. Financially, staff reported the office was on track to return about $542,000 to the state, though that amount may decrease slightly because of end-of-year purchases, including a shared printer for LSS. They also noted a slight budget reduction for the next fiscal year, but said staffing adjustments and existing coverage should prevent problems. The committee discussed upcoming rulemaking to align the office’s public records procedures with House and Senate practices, including designating a public records officer and updating language to reflect current legislative structure. Staff said the process would follow standard APA rulemaking and could take roughly six months. Members also heard about a prior “video auditor” incident at the office and the office’s response and training. Finally, staff provided a building update: the office is scheduled to move back into the renovated Pritchard building on September 14, 2026, with furniture selection underway. At the end of the meeting, staff shared session statistics, including 424 session law chapters, 1,305 House bills introduced, 1,082 Senate bills introduced, 238 House bills passed, and 193 Senate bills passed, and the committee adjourned.