Transcript Highlights:

• A county and a city within that county may not concurrently impose the tax.
• House Bill 2194 allows a county and a city within that county to impose the sales and use tax at the
• If a city and county both impose the tax, the county must allow a credit against its tax for the full
• It simply clarifies and expands local authority, allowing counties or cities, if they choose, to adopt
• The legislative authority of a county may also impose a special local renewable energy tax if a local

Summary: House Finance met on Friday, January 23rd, and heard three bills. On House Bill 2194, staff explained that the bill would allow a county and a city within that county to both impose the cultural access sales and use tax at the same time, with the county providing a credit for the city tax. Representative Parsley said the change would let more jurisdictions support cultural, arts, science, and school-related programs. Olympia and Thurston County officials testified in support, describing grant funding for cultural organizations, free programming, and school access benefits; a committee member raised a question about how the change could affect county bond obligations. The committee then heard House Bill 2089, which would narrow a B&O tax preference for first mortgage interest by removing the requirement that a financial institution be located in 10 or more states, and direct the resulting revenue to the wildfire response, forest restoration, and community resilience account. Staff said the bill would raise significant revenue and have implementation costs for the Department of Revenue. Representative Scott said the bill was intended to restore wildfire funding and limit the preference to community banks, while opponents from the Washington Bankers Association and Community Bankers of Washington warned the bill could harm community banks and mortgage lending if not drafted carefully. The Department of Natural Resources and a public employee representative supported restoring wildfire preparedness funding. Finally, the committee heard a proposed third substitute for House Bill 1960, which would replace property taxation for new or repowered large renewable energy facilities and battery storage systems with a state and local excise tax structure, while also creating a local investment distribution account and a tribal capacity grant program. Staff and the sponsor described the bill as a way to reduce property tax shifts onto nearby taxpayers and provide more stable, predictable revenue for local governments and tribes. County officials, assessors, treasurers, and some clean energy and conservation groups supported the concept but asked for clearer definitions, payment timing, and rate adjustments; utilities and renewable developers said they supported the goal but opposed the bill as drafted because of concerns about the rates and the treatment of centrally assessed utilities. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after closing the hearings on all three bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have with us some distinguished guests from Pierce County: Jamie Pololi, the new mayor of Wilkeson
• Pierce County is responsible for a large and complex bridge system in total.
• Pierce County is responsible for a large and complex bridge system in total.
• Simply put, the county cannot afford to replace 100 bridges.
• I've worked with Pierce County.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee began with a work session on the Fairfax Carbon River SR-165 Bridge closure and replacement. Wilkeson Mayor Jamie Pololi described the bridge as a long-neglected state asset whose closure cut off a gateway community from Mount Rainier access, hurt local businesses and municipal revenue, complicated emergency response, and severed access to public lands. Pierce County’s Melissa Littleton emphasized that the Fairfax closure, along with recent bridge closures from other causes, shows the need for stronger preservation and modernization funding. WSDOT’s Steve Rourke explained that the 105-year-old bridge was permanently closed after structural failure, that a detour route on private property is now the only access for some residents, and that the agency’s planning study considered seven alternatives; the current recommendation is to continue geotechnical work and NEPA review, with construction likely taking 24 months or more once a design is finalized. Committee members asked about detour distance, speeding up the project, emergency authority, historic-preservation issues, community mitigation, and funding needs; WSDOT said about $7 million in existing preservation funds has already been used and more will be needed. The committee then heard public testimony on proposed substitute Senate Bill 5987, which would declare the Fairfax Bridge closure an emergency, direct WSDOT to restore SR-165 access as soon as possible, and give the transportation secretary some emergency authorities. Supporters, including the mayor, residents, recreation advocates, and trail groups, said the bill is needed because the closure was foreseeable, has harmed local economies and recreation access, and lacks a current emergency response pathway. WSDOT testified in opposition, warning that the bill could create false expectations because most of the timeline is driven by federal environmental review and historic-preservation requirements that the secretary cannot waive. The bill drew strong support in testimony, with 606 pro, 1 con, and 2 other recorded on the sign-in tally. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6170, which would raise dollar thresholds for state highway work performed by state forces and for certain contracting rules that help small and disadvantaged businesses compete. Staff said the limits have not been updated since 2005 and the bill would increase the normal state-force threshold from $60,000 to $100,000 and the emergency threshold from $100,000 to $160,000. Senator King, the prime sponsor, said the change would better match inflation and help keep maintenance work in-house when appropriate. Washington Federation of State Employees and WSDOT supported the bill, saying it would help maintenance workers do more timely work without harming existing equity and small-business contracting programs; the committee noted 55 pro and no con on the sign-in tally. The chair then reminded members that amendment requests for the upcoming executive session were due the next day, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Requirements and counties impacted by the 2024 hurricanes.
• Coordinate with fiscally constrained counties and resources for debris removal.
• MY COUNTY HAD ISSUES WITH HB1115.
• FOR HB1115 TO BE A PART OF HB1105, I NEED SOME CLARIFICATION FOR MY COUNTY.
• THIS AMENDMENT STRENGTHENS THE AUTHORITY OVER REMEDIATION AND ENFORCEMENT.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> when he is the chief author of bills. when he is the chief author of bills.
• The reason why that's important is because it is Hennepin County, as you know, Hennepin County group
• The reason why that's important is because it is Hennepin County, as you know, Hennepin County group
• All that remained was for the Hennepin County judge, several Hennepin County judges because they were
• </c><01:21:00.880><c> judge,</c> was for the Henipin County judge, was for the Henipin County judge,

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We authorize a set of permitted uses for this fund that again, counties can voluntarily, if they choose
• And so all counties have this, and so this is just another tool for counties if they choose to do so.
• their county healthcare assistance funds is meeting a need identified by patients and counties while
• counties?
• My name is Marla Schultz, registered lobbyist for Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, I'd like to thank the author for bringing this bill.
• I appreciate you authoring this bill.
• Paul Yoder, on behalf of the county supervisors from the counties of Napa, Shasta, and Fresno, in support
• Thank you, Madam Chair and author.
• Thank you to the author.

Summary: The committee began as a subcommittee due to the lack of a quorum and heard several privacy- and technology-related measures. The first item was H.R. 117, a resolution urging Congress to reform Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The author and supporters argued the law is outdated and shields platforms from accountability for harms such as harassment, exploitation, scams, and other online abuse. Witnesses, including a survivor parent and a gender justice advocate, described harms to children, women, and LGBTQ people and urged a two-year sunset to force federal reform. Some members supported the resolution as a call for federal action, while one member said he could not support it because the resolution was too general and lacked specificity about the reforms being sought. No vote was taken because the committee lacked a quorum. The committee then heard SB 898, which would require manufacturers of connected consumer products to disclose how long they will support the software and to notify consumers when products approach end of life. The author said consumers deserve transparency about security updates and continued functionality, and supporters from Consumer Reports and PIRG emphasized cybersecurity risks, consumer confusion, and electronic waste from unsupported devices. Opponents, including business and industry groups, raised concerns about enforcement through the unfair competition law, notice burdens, labeling issues, and compliance challenges, especially for products with long support windows or third-party dependencies. One member expressed support, noting the cybersecurity risks of end-of-life devices, but again no vote was taken because there was no quorum. The committee also heard SB 435, which would narrow the CCPA definition of publicly available information to limit how businesses classify data as public. The author and supporters said the bill would close a loophole that allows data brokers and others to monetize personal information without meaningful consent and could help prevent surveillance and misuse of data, including by government agencies. Opponents argued the bill would upset the balance between privacy and the free flow of information, create compliance uncertainty, and retroactively reclassify information that businesses reasonably believed was public. Some members said they supported the goal of stronger privacy protections, while others said the bill was too broad. The committee again could not vote due to the lack of a quorum. Later, the committee heard SB 923, which would expand Californians’ right to delete personal information to cover data obtained from third parties and require online businesses to offer a web form or similar method for deletion requests. Supporters, including the California Privacy Protection Agency and consumer advocates, said the bill would make deletion rights meaningful and better address data broker practices. Opponents sought an opt-out-of-processing alternative and raised operational and legal concerns, but supporters said deletion is not the same as retention or processing limits. Members largely spoke in favor of the bill’s privacy goals, but no action was taken. The committee also heard SB 947, the “No Robo Bosses Act,” which would require human review for certain automated employment decisions and limit predictive analysis in workplace discipline and termination. Labor groups supported the bill as a safeguard against biased or erroneous AI-driven decisions, while business, public employer, and local government groups opposed it as overbroad and burdensome. Members voiced support for human oversight in employment decisions, but the item was not voted on because the committee still lacked a quorum. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1114, the SOGI Data Privacy Act, which would restrict disclosure of sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex data to federal agencies absent a court order or legal requirement; the author and witness framed it as a response to federal efforts to obtain sensitive LGBTQ-related data.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Chair lays out, um, committee substitute on House Bill 3276 and recognizes its author to explain
• to Nueces County to Dallas County.
• This is a local bill, um, that makes changes to the Moore County Juvenile Board.
• Um, again, a local bill for just one county, um, it was brought to me by my constituents.
• One, is your county supporting this? 2, do you want this to go to local consent? Both. Yes.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, the Harris County CSCD has over 30 detailed budgets.
• Harris County is... When the bill was laid out, it has 30 budgets; that's one county.
• Dallas County is the same size; it probably has 30 budgets too.
• The budgets are very complicated, not just in Harris County.
• These aren't county funds.

Bills: SB663, SB958

Keywords: community supervision, budget approval, corrections department, strategic plan, judicial oversight, SB 958, Texas Government Code, nondisclosure, order of nondisclosure, criminal history record information, trafficking of persons, human trafficking, compelling prostitution, survivor rights, record sealing, expunction, deferred adjudication, prostitution, controlled substances, theft

Transcript Highlights:

• Johns County School District.
• Miami-Dade County did not own the plant. Miami-Dade County did not own the plant.
• I'm James Culkins, former County Commissioner of Santa Rosa County.
• In Palm Beach County, 4,700 feet. Pinellas County, 3,700 feet.
• John's County.

Summary: The committee first took up CS/SB 1730, a Live Local Act bill on affordable housing. The sponsor described it as a set of technical and policy adjustments to strengthen implementation, including changes to zoning, height, parking, moratoriums, attorney fees, and related land-use rules. An amendment by Senator Claudio was adopted, adding provisions such as a 10-story height limit near single-family neighborhoods, exclusions for certain protected areas, and changes to fee and use definitions. The committee then reported the bill favorably. Members next considered CS/SB 1674 on unrated bonds for Israel bonds, with a clarifying amendment adopted to make clear the bill applied only to Israel bonds. CS/SB 140 on charter schools was also approved after debate over parent-led conversion of public schools, municipal job-engine charter schools, and surplus school property; opponents warned about local control and impacts on teachers and communities, while the sponsor said the bill preserved district authority and created new school-choice and economic-development options. The committee also passed SB 96, a claims bill for Jacob Rogers, and CS/SB 954 on recovery residences, after strike-all amendments that addressed zoning, ADA concerns, bed caps, staffing ratios, and limits on operation in certain multifamily settings. Senators expressed support for expanding treatment housing but also raised neighborhood and staffing concerns. The committee then approved CS/SB 1714 on local housing assistance plans, which would allow SHIP funds for limited lot-rental assistance for mobile-home owners and require local plans to address mobile-home park closures. SB 658 on standardized construction lien release forms was reported favorably despite testimony from contractors and lawyers warning about possible effects on lien rights and the separate House proposal. The committee also reconsidered and then approved CS/SB 482 after a late-filed amendment addressing local government art fees and a key issue over defining “extraordinary circumstances,” with counties and cities saying more work remained. Finally, the committee passed SB 24 and CS/SB 4, both local claims bills, CS/SB 712 on synthetic turf and related construction rules, SB 952 repealing the emergency firearms/ammunition restriction, CS/SB 1164 allowing email notice delivery in landlord-tenant matters with opt-in safeguards, and SB 202 on municipal water and sewer rates, which drew extensive opposition from North Miami Beach and Miami Gardens officials over utility surcharges and revenue impacts. The meeting ended with SB 202 still under heavy questioning and testimony about the fairness and financial consequences of the surcharge structure.

Transcript Highlights:

• District 3, PA Bosman; Belknap County District 2, Matthew Coker; Hillsborough County District 45, Jack
• County District 23, uh Howard; Hillsborough County District 32, Jim Kofalt; Hillsborough County District
• 1, Sandra Panek; Hillsborough County District 8, Kevin Scully; and Carroll County District 8, Brian
• </c> Scully Carrol County District 8 Brian Scully Carrol County District 8 Brian Taylor<00:12:46.839>
• </c> Hillsboro County Hillsboro County 125,1<00:22:50.080><c> 183</c><00:22:50.640><c> votes</c><00:22

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . county. county.
• Bullet County, Barber County, district. Bullet County, Barber County, district.
• Bullet County, Barber County, and Russell County. They don't they they and Russell County.
• The county where county got to pay from? The county where county got to pay from?
• I can find out county by county. Wow. I can find out county by county. Wow.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Under this proposal, the county will pay 16.28%.
• It authorizes DHS to draw down federal match for re-entry.
• AMC strongly urges lawmakers to reject cost shifts to counties.
• Counties also appreciate the inclusion of language for a two-year extension of waiving county billing
• , this bill introduces a new county cost share for waiver exemption.

Bills: HF2434

Keywords: healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding

Transcript Highlights:

• The Chair lays out Senate Bill 2037 by Senator Sparks and recognizes the author to explain the bill.
• , Chairman Birdwell, for authorizing and to Senator Brent Higginbotham. for a District 34 co-authoring
• The city and the county have addressed all of those for us.
• My name is Josh Marr, I'm the county commissioner for Grayson County.
• I live in southwest Malcolm County as a pecan farmer.

Bills: SB2037, SB1757, SB1758, SB1759, HB29

Keywords: rock crushing, permits, air quality, environmental monitoring, aggregate production, seismicity, public meeting, land use, SB 1758, cement kiln, portland cement, aggregate production operation, aggregate quarry, semiconductor wafer manufacturing, chip fabrication, semiconductor plant, vibration, seismic disturbance, liability limitation, TCEQ

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill does not change forfeiture authority or procedure.
• I have a lot of little roadside stands out in my neck of the woods in Ada County.
• We just keep adding more and more authority to the Attorney General's Office.
• We just keep adding more and more authority to the Attorney General's Office.
• Half is distributed to cities, counties, and magistrate courts.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:18:46.720><c> There'll</c><00:18:46.960><c> be</c> authority, the NITA board.
• There'll be authority, the NITA board.
• He went on to serve as a highly respected agriculture teacher in Spencer County for 42 years.
• Uh during that County for 42 years.
• Spencer County but the Commonwealth<00:22:13.520><c> of</c><00:22:13.760><c> Kentucky.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> nursing facility uh funding the county nursing facility uh funding the county pays<01:00:47.040>
• </c> budget, she had in increased the county budget, she had in increased the county cap<01:01:42.960
• </c><01:02:26.880><c> Thank</c> 3% increase to the county cap. Thank 3% increase to the county cap.
• Um that was due to um the counties.
• </c> over fiscal year 25 adjusted authorized over fiscal year 25 adjusted authorized by<01:50:18.800>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And two bills will fall under the special order: SB 354, authored by Pro Tem Limón, and SB 1209, authored
• SB 354 authored by Pro Tem LeMone and SB 1209 authored by Senator Allen.
• Okay, do we have any questions for the author from the committee?
• A recent California Earthquake Authority report A recent California Earthquake Authority report recommended
• Justin Garrett at the California State Association of Counties, represented in all 58 counties.

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee heard several bills, with most of the discussion focused on insurance transparency, claims handling, privacy, and regulatory enforcement. SB 877 and SB 878 by Senator Pérez addressed post-disaster claims practices: SB 877 would require insurers to disclose original and revised loss estimates and related claim materials to policyholders, while SB 878 would add automatic interest penalties for delayed claim decisions or payments and require written identification of disputed items. Fire survivors, consumer groups, AARP, the Department of Insurance, and other advocates supported both bills, while insurer groups moved to neutral after amendments. Both bills were voted out on roll call and reported to the Committee on Appropriations. The committee also considered SB 1054 by Senator Cabaldon, which would expand data sharing and reporting to improve workforce program evaluation and help counties verify work requirements for Medi-Cal and CalFresh using employer-reported hours worked. County officials, workforce advocates, and the Department of Insurance supported the measure, and no opposition was heard. The bill passed on a due-pass-as-amended motion to the Committee on Labor and Employment. SB 1209 by Senator Allen, presented with Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, would give the commissioner stronger enforcement tools to require insurers to carry out corrective actions identified in market conduct examinations, including fines and hearings for noncompliance. The commissioner and author said the bill would close an enforcement gap and improve accountability; there was no opposition testimony, but the bill was left on call after the roll. The committee also heard SB 354 on insurance privacy, presented by Senator Padilla on behalf of Pro Tem Limón, which would modernize insurance privacy rules by expanding consumer rights over personal data, limiting sale and use of sensitive information, and increasing disclosure requirements. Supporters said the bill updates outdated 1980s-era rules, while insurers, agents, and business groups raised concerns about scope, compliance burdens, and small-business impacts. Members indicated the bill was still being negotiated and would return in a revised form in the Privacy Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• I, Greg Abbott, Governor of the State of Texas, by the authority vested in me by Article 3, Sections
• HB number one by Darby, relating to the resident youth camp plans and preparedness, authorizing civil
• Select HB number twenty-two by Bonnen relates to the authority of the Comptroller to provide funding
• of Attascosa County, referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence.
• HB number seventy-three by Bella Montgomery relates to municipal and county financial requirements for

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have a few counties left. We have Yavapai County, La Paz County, Hila County.
• Pima County is not included. Coconino County is not included. Mohave County...
• Any questions for La Paz County? Hila. I'm sorry, Hila County. My apologies. For La Paz County?
• We have Mojave County, I forgot—Mojave County, Pinal County, and Santa Cruz County, so next.
• I forgot Mojave County Pinell County and Santa Cruz County so next hello my name is Nikala Carlson Public

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've spent 20 years as a county supervisor, Spent 20 years as a county supervisor, and I found, after
• work for cities and counties.
• to Ventura County to San Diego, Los Angeles, Kern, and Sonoma County.
• I'm here today on behalf of the Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority.
• I farm in Solano and Sutter County.

Summary: The meeting began with a lengthy opening discussion with Secretary Karen Ross of the Department of Food and Agriculture, who reviewed the department’s proposed budget, emphasized California agriculture’s record output, and highlighted major priorities including climate-smart agriculture, groundwater management, local food systems, farm-to-school, food hubs, invasive pest prevention, bird flu response, and food safety. She also warned about federal budget cuts, especially at USDA and FDA, and discussed market access challenges abroad, rising input costs, labor shortages, and the need for automation and workforce training. Members raised questions about the future of Farm to School, the California Nutrition Incentive Program/Market Match, local food procurement, and how to better connect farmers to schools, food banks, and food hubs; Ross said the department had strong evidence the program benefits small farms and Title I schools and noted continued interest in building out local food infrastructure. The committee then took up item one on eliminating vacant positions at the Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Parks and Recreation, and Food and Agriculture. The Legislative Analyst’s Office explained that the Governor proposed eliminating 6,000 vacant positions statewide, with the Joint Legislative Budget Committee previously rejecting 650 of them, including 174 in these three departments. LAO and Finance said the vacancies represented a source of budget flexibility, but warned that eliminating them could create program impacts; LAO recommended retaining the special-funded positions at Fish and Wildlife and Food and Agriculture, while weighing the General Fund positions against other priorities. Finance argued the reductions were part of a broader budget-resiliency exercise and that departments could reclassify or shift vacancies to higher priorities. Members focused heavily on the practical impacts of the cuts. Assemblymember Petrie-Norris argued that Fish and Wildlife staffing shortages were already slowing permits needed for housing, clean energy, water, and transportation projects, and questioned the value of saving relatively small amounts of money. Fish and Wildlife officials said the department had prioritized mission-critical work and could still meet permitting obligations, but acknowledged limited-term staffing constraints. State Parks said the proposed ranger and maintenance cuts would not have immediate effects but could slow maintenance and eventually worsen deferred maintenance. Food and Agriculture said some of the eliminated positions supported early pest detection and eradication, but that the department believed it could still meet its mandate and reclassify positions if needed. The chair and several members signaled concern about the Fish and Wildlife and Parks cuts, while also noting the broader need for budget reductions. The committee then moved to item six, hearing an overview from the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. Staff described the office’s role in CEQA implementation and said the budget requests were baseline funding to maintain existing functions, including IT services and administrative/legislative support, rather than new programs. The chair asked the presenters to move quickly through background material so the committee could get to questions, and the item began with no votes taken during the meeting.