Transcript Highlights:

• After an extensive work session, the House Education Policy Committee unanimously approved House Bill
• That was for the House hearing.
• If not, that ends the hearing on House Bill 235. And we can go right into House Bill 292.
• So would you like to period after clearing<01:42:50.239><c> house?</c> clearing house?
• clearing house?

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• supports House Bill 49.
• Committee substitute for House Bill 164 is basically what you saw in the 60-day version of House Bill
• Additionally, there's the State Ethics Commission, and the Ethics Commission receives complaints.
• Very... ...or do not pass on House Bill 164 and a do pass on House Judiciary Committee substitute for
• House Bill 164.

Bills: HB99 , HB49 , HB164 , SB30 , SB43 , SB50 , SB136

Committee: House House Judiciary

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 99, which would make changes to the Medical Malpractice Act, especially around punitive damages. The chair and sponsor said the bill would not be voted on that day and that public comment would wait until Monday, when a fuller presentation and any recommended substitute would be considered. Dr. Brooke Baker, a physician-lawyer, gave a long presentation on physician wellness, malpractice stress, and the effect of litigation on staffing and burnout, while also discussing hospital ownership structures, private equity, and rural hospital vulnerability. She argued that punitive damages are often pled too broadly in New Mexico, that the amendment language was unclear about which entities would be capped, and that better oversight and internal quality systems—not punitive damages—are the better tools for addressing bad actors and unsafe care. Committee members from both sides asked extensive questions about the patient compensation fund, indemnification, corporate structures, the effect of caps on insurance and recruitment, and whether the bill would protect physicians’ personal assets. No vote was taken on HB 99, and the committee recessed before moving to the next bill. The committee then returned to House Bill 49, a public safety measure increasing penalties for felons who possess firearms. The sponsors and law enforcement witnesses said the bill is aimed narrowly at serious violent felons who are already prohibited from having guns, and that it would align state sentencing with federal law and give police and prosecutors a stronger tool against repeat violent offenders. An amendment was offered to narrow the bill further, add destructive devices, and make the offense a second-degree felony rather than escalating to first degree on repeat offenses. The amendment was adopted without opposition. Public testimony on HB 49 was largely opposed. The Law Office of the Public Defender argued the bill criminalizes possession without a new act of violence, that current law already punishes felon-in-possession conduct, and that New Mexico has repeatedly increased penalties without evidence of reduced gun crime. The ACLU of New Mexico also opposed the bill, saying increased penalties are not a proven deterrent. The transcript cuts off as additional online opposition testimony was beginning.

Transcript Highlights:

• But there is an ethics that we need to be looking at.
• It's very loose ethics, as you had asked about, the ethics around it.
• There are also already ethics codes that exist.
• We're now opening public testimony on House Bill 3595.
• This is on the implementation of House Bill 3595.

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• That was the whole purpose of having ethics standards, to ensure that— ...of having ethics standards,
• Maybe somebody from ethics can tell us about how this would impact the ethics requirement and fines and
• House Bill 842 will move forward. Mays. Thank you. Thank you. House Bill 842 will move forward.
• Smith, House Bill 446. House Bill 534 will be reported favorable.
• I'll go ahead and offer up House Bill 446. House Bill 446. Okay, we have a card for Ms.

Committee: House House and Governmental Affairs

Summary: The Committee on House and Governmental Affairs met on March 18 and first adopted the minutes from its February 21 meeting. The committee then took up HB 250, which would have narrowed financial disclosure requirements for appointed, unpaid board and commission members by exempting immediate family information. Supporters said the bill would reduce burdens and help recruit volunteers, while opponents argued it would weaken ethics enforcement and create opportunities for undisclosed conflicts of interest. After debate and a roll call, the committee deadlocked and HB 250 failed to advance on a 6-6 vote with one abstention. The committee next considered HB 576, which transfers ownership and maintenance responsibility for the Old Governor’s Mansion to the Department of State and codifies its current operational role. Secretary of State Nancy Landry and mansion staff testified in support, describing expanded programming, increased visitors, and the need to align the statute with current practice. The committee adopted technical amendments and then reported HB 576 favorably without objection. The committee also heard HB 117, which recreates the Department of State and its statutory entities through July 1, 2033, and reported it favorably without objection. The major remaining item was HB 842, the annual omnibus elections bill, which makes numerous technical and substantive changes to election law, including voter assistance for people with disabilities, absentee ballot and petition procedures, inactive voter updates, and election contest deadlines. Several members and public witnesses raised concerns about disability documentation, absentee ballot curing, witness requirements, constitutional amendment challenge deadlines, and the scope of authority given to the Secretary of State, while others said the bill clarified existing practice and improved election administration. After adopting amendments and rejecting a motion to defer, the committee reported HB 842 favorably by an 8-5 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• The hour of 3:30 having arrived, we will call the House Ethics Committee out of recess and back into
• So, um, I'm going to announce the finding of the Ethics Committee.
• The House Ethics Committee wishes to clarify the expectations and norms of behavior for the body.
• House members are expected to House members are expected to attend assigned committees unless excused
• I've been on Ethics since before most of you were born.

Committee: House Ethics

Transcript Highlights:

• Board is Assistant Attorney Legislative Ethics Board.
• Now, the issues before this Legislative Ethics Board, Now, the issues before this Legislative Ethics
• That is not an ethical violation.
• Is that an ethical violation?
• Is that an ethical violation?

Summary: The Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings held oral argument before the Legislative Ethics Board in the matter of Tara Simmons, docket 401-645, on a respondent-filed motion for summary judgment. Judge T.J. Martin identified the issues as whether Simmons violated the Ethics Act by using her legislative position for the benefit of others and by holding outside employment that conflicted with her official duties, under RCW 42.52.070 and RCW 42.52.020, and, if violations were found, what penalties or sanctions would be appropriate. The judge clarified that board staff had not filed its own summary judgment motion, only a response to Simmons’ motion. Attorney Doug McKinney argued that the complaint and board staff’s allegations were legally insufficient because they did not allege a personal benefit to Simmons, only benefits to her employer, EEC, or to others. He contended that the Ethics Act has historically required a benefit to the legislator herself, that employees do not automatically have a disqualifying interest in their employers, and that the board’s position would create a new bright-line rule and unfairly change the law as applied to Simmons. He also addressed allegations involving a contract provision, a campaign surplus donation to AEG, a subcontract dispute involving AEG and EEC, and text messages with Anthony Powers, arguing none showed a special privilege or conflict of interest for Simmons. Assistant Attorney General Julia Eisenhower, for board staff, argued the motion should be denied because the record sufficiently alleged violations of both statutes. She said Simmons’ involvement in securing funding for EEC, her employment duties involving stakeholder and legislator connections, her donation of campaign surplus funds to AEG to help secure a job for someone she knew, her role in the AEG-EEC subcontract dispute, and her text messages referencing her official capacity all supported the allegations. A board member asked whether the allegations were sufficient to show a special benefit, and Eisenhower responded that the facts were enough at the summary judgment stage. After rebuttal by McKinney, the ALJ closed the hearing and the board went into deliberations; no ruling was announced during the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's many risks when it comes to morality and when it comes to ethics.
• This really places the ethical and responsible use of AI tools at center stage.
• Taught me the ethics, how to put my community first.
• Integrity can be broken down to agency, character, ethics, and morality.
• I'm a minister at House of Brady, the Living Church.

Committee: All ALC-HIGHER EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate all of the Legislative Ethics Board.
• I appreciate all of the Legislative Ethics Legislative Ethics Board.
• Now, the issues before this Legislative Ethics Board, Now, the issues before this Legislative Ethics
• That is not an ethical violation.
• Is that an ethical violation?

Summary: The Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings held oral argument before the Legislative Ethics Board in the matter of Representative Tara Simmons, docketed as Legislative Ethics Board case 2025-5. The hearing concerned Simmons’ motion for summary judgment in an ethics complaint alleging violations of RCW 42.52.020 (conflicts of interest) and RCW 42.52.070 (special privileges), based on her work involving an EEC proviso, her employment relationship with EEC, a campaign surplus donation connected to AEJG and Jerry Stone, her involvement in an AEJG-EEC subcontract dispute, and related text messages with Anthony Powers. No evidence was taken; the session focused on legal argument over whether the alleged facts, if accepted as true, were sufficient to establish violations as a matter of law. Simmons’ counsel argued the complaint was legally insufficient because the alleged actions benefited her employer or others, not Simmons herself, and that existing board opinions allow legislators to support employers absent a direct personal benefit. He also argued the board was effectively trying to adopt a new bright-line rule prohibiting legislators from funding employers, which he said would be an improper retroactive change. Board staff, through Assistant Attorney General Julia Eisentrout, opposed summary judgment and argued the facts were enough to show Simmons had an indirect financial or other interest in EEC’s funding, that her job duties and legislative actions created conflicts, and that her actions around the donation, subcontract dispute, and text messages could be viewed as using her position to secure special privileges. A board member asked whether the allegations themselves were sufficient and whether the standard required assuming the facts as alleged; staff responded that the motion failed because the record contained sufficient facts to proceed, and that any factual disputes should be resolved at hearing. After rebuttal, the ALJ closed the oral argument and turned the matter over to the Legislative Ethics Board for deliberation. No ruling was issued during the hearing, and the board was to decide whether to grant the summary judgment motion or set the case for an evidentiary hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Legalization of sabots is in a catch-up with statute, House Bill 128 from last session.
• hunting... ...Fish and Game's effort to safeguard fair chase and ethical hunting.
• I wanted to thank the House Resource and Conservation Committee for the opportunity to speak today.
• My name is Tal Samson, and I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to speak before the House Resource
• Boone and Crockett's fair chase statement for ethical hunting is widely recognized and clearly states

Committee: House Resources and Conservation

Transcript Highlights:

• However, Senate or House Bill 1620, 1622. Got it.
• Notice was emailed to bill sponsors on January 13, 2026, regarding House Bill 1170 and House Bill 1599
• House Bill 1146, which we called the Defined Benefit Plan Cleanup Bill.
• So that was a result of House Bill 1192 from this last session.
• On this Ethics Committee, have we already approved what they're doing?

Summary: The Administrative Rules Committee met on June 11 and first approved the March 12, 2026 minutes by voice vote. It then granted the Board of Medicine an extension of time to implement rules tied to recent legislation, including North Dakota’s participation in the physician assistant licensure compact and a new physician nutrition continuing education requirement. The Board said it was waiting on compact rules and fee information before finalizing its own changes. The committee heard a lengthy presentation from the Office of Management and Budget on broad personnel rule revisions, including salary administration, recruitment, leave, sick leave, funeral leave, service awards, appeals, and shared leave. OMB said the changes modernize HR language and implement recent legislation such as enhanced annual leave for hard-to-fill positions and new hire leave. Members questioned the hard-to-fill leave provisions, but OMB and counsel said those standards come from statute, not the rules. The committee also heard and accepted rule packages from the Lottery, the Board of Examiners for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, the State Electrical Board, the Industrial Commission, PERS, and Health and Human Services, with each agency describing mostly technical, clarifying, or statutory-conforming changes and noting the public notice and comment process. The most significant action came during the Gaming Commission rules presentation. After questioning whether the commission had authority to raise the poker tournament buy-in limit from $300 to $1,500, members moved to void Section 99-01.3-09-01 on the ground that the agency lacked statutory authority for that change. The motion passed on a roll call vote. The committee also discussed several gaming-related issues, including online raffles, kiosk use, advertising restrictions, and the broader policy question of whether charities should be allowed to own bars, but took no further formal action on those topics.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, Senate or House Bill 1620, 1622. Got it.
• Notice was emailed to bill sponsors on January 13, 2026, regarding House Bill 1170 and House Bill 1599
• House Bill 1146, which we called the Defined Benefit Plan Cleanup Bill.
• Bill 1274 and House Bill 1419, which renamed the plan the public safety plan.
• On this Ethics Committee, have we already proved what they're doing?

Committee: Joint Administrative Rules Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• This is House Bill 1440, relating to making an appropriate appropriation to provide expenses for the
• legislature, the auditor, the Legislative Reference Bureau, and the Ethics Commission.
• Okay, next is Hawaii State Ethics Commission. Aloha, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee.
• My name is Robert Harris, on behalf of the Hawaii State Ethics Commission.
• </c><00:12:33.920><c> commission</c> behalf of the ho State ethics commission behalf of the ho State

Committee: House Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• I won't go into the ethical conversation, but I'm for the bill.
• So anyway, House Bill 711 passed at the very end of the session.
• House bill? No, on this bill. Yes.
• I want moral and ethical people in my healthcare.
• Ethics and bias. Yes ma'am.

Bills: SB95 , SB268 , SB493 , SB619 , SB660 , SB922 , SB984 , SB1098 , SB1188 , SB1307 , SB1332 , SB1822

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Paul Smith, Clerk of the House. Honored to be with my favorite committee of the House.
• House 20-plus years ago.
• <c> the</c><01:05:09.799><c> house</c> whatever happens in the house whatever happens in the house level
• before the House.
• Chair: Will call Paul Smith, our House Clerk. Paul Smith, House Clerk: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Summary: The meeting was an introductory organizational session for the House Legislative Administration Committee. Chair Greg Hill and Vice Chair Vanessa Sheen welcomed members, introduced the new clerk and committee staff, and described the committee as generally nonpartisan and focused on bills on their merits. They also noted that many bills are handled on a consent calendar after discussion, and that the committee often works closely with staff, House counsel, and the House clerk on procedural matters. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on committee operations and expectations: how committee reports should be prepared and submitted, the use of electronic submissions, scheduling hearings, and the need for clear bill placards at the witness table for livestream viewers. Members discussed the committee’s calendar, including a proposed conflict with the governor’s budget address, and ultimately settled on moving the remaining hearings to February 19. The chair also emphasized advance notice for absences or amendments, and said executive sessions can be scheduled as time allows under current rules. House Clerk Paul Smith testified about his role as a nonpartisan officer and said he would be providing informational testimony on a bill affecting a law he sponsored years ago, as well as on a forthcoming PSLF-related bill for legislators. He also spoke about legislative customs, precedents, and the value of parliamentary procedure. The chair concluded with guidance on decorum: arrive on time, avoid interruptions during testimony, keep food out of the room, use electronic devices discreetly, and route questions through the chair for clarification rather than debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Or not they violated the ethics act.
• Act prohibit the members of the House Agriculture Resources Committee and legislative staff assigned
• I'm one of the ethics advisors in the Senate, and we have two, and the other one's sick today, so she's
• And we also have an ethics advisor from the House.
• But we do ethics advice for our members, and it's really nice when you sit at the table with us.

Summary: The meeting opened with attendance and brief remarks acknowledging recent violence against public servants in Minnesota and the risks of public service. The committee then approved the prior minutes and noted there were no employment disclosure forms to report. An update followed on digitizing committee files: the vendor’s estimate had been reduced after reviewing the files, the contract would be sent via DocuSign for the chair’s signature, and staff discussed whether the work could be completed before the end of the biennium and how it would be paid for. The main business was a review of remaining advisory opinions for possible retention or retirement. Staff walked through several opinions, recommending retention of some that still aligned with current law or practice, and retirement of others that were outdated, duplicative, or no longer useful because the underlying statutes had changed or the supporting materials could not be found. The committee voted to accept staff’s recommendations on the set of previously reviewed advisory opinions. A separate question was raised about an older opinion on outreach/newsletters and whether its factors should still apply outside the election-year context. Members generally agreed that the same factors should continue to guide analysis, with their weight varying depending on timing and circumstances. Staff was asked to review the opinion further and bring back a recommendation on whether to unretire or otherwise clarify it. The public portion of the meeting then adjourned, with the committee preparing to move into executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• What the ethics commission has to disclose is which violations of the ethics code are being alleged to
• </c><00:26:28.640><c> code,</c> up to is the legislative ethics code, up to is the legislative ethics
• "But I mean it's incumbent on every legislator to learn the ethics code, to abide by the ethics code,
• code, to abide by to learn the ethics code, to abide by the<00:29:50.880><c> ethics</c><00:29:51.279
• </c> the ethics code, to read the ethics the ethics code, to read the ethics code,<00:29:53.440><c> be

Summary: The commission heard argument on a renewed motion to compel discovery and related sanctions in an ethics case. Enforcement counsel said the respondent had provided incomplete and inconsistent discovery responses, including no authenticated medical records, and asked the commission to compel full interrogatory answers, bar the respondent from relying on unsupported medical claims at hearing, allow subpoenas for medical records and an LRC report, and continue the December 2 hearing. Respondent’s counsel replied that the defense had complied with discovery, that medical records were being withheld for reasons previously discussed, and that no outstanding discovery remained. The next matter was enforcement counsel’s motion in limine, which sought to exclude a wide range of evidence as irrelevant to the three ethics charges already found to have probable cause. Counsel argued the hearing should focus only on whether the respondent intimidated Fox’s, offered a favor in exchange for a donation, and engaged in inappropriate conduct while intoxicated in his office, and not on complainants’ motives, media coverage, bullying, religious discrimination claims, LRC policies, or other legislators’ conduct. He also argued that any claim of mental or physical condition should be excluded absent supporting medical proof. Respondent’s counsel opposed the motion, saying the excluded topics went to witness credibility, bias, motive, and context, and that LRC materials and testimony from additional witnesses were important to the defense. Commission members questioned both sides about the breadth of the motion in limine and whether any topics could be agreed to as irrelevant. Counsel for the respondent maintained that some challenged topics, including Lexington media coverage and broader legislative practices, were relevant to credibility and context. Enforcement counsel responded that even if such conduct were common, it would not excuse a violation of the ethics code. No final ruling or vote was announced in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> &gt;&gt; Moving on to the Alabama Ethics &gt;&gt; Moving on to the Alabama Ethics Commission.<00
• I believe in strong ethics.
• I believe in the ethics commission. I believe in strong<00:08:56.240><c> ethics.
• There's a reason there is an ethics<00:09:00.320><c> commission.
• And, uh, I promise to ethics commission.

Committee: Senate Confirmations

Transcript Highlights:

• We will go ahead and suspend the hearing on House Bill 2249 and open the hearing on House Bill 2352 with
• House Bill 2352 deals with having a beneficial interest in transactions and violation of state ethics
• House Bill 2352 amends the state ethics laws and aligns them with the municipal ethics laws regarding
• Next is House Bill 2244.
• Next is House Bill 2244.

Summary: The committee heard several bill presentations and took executive action on three measures. House Bill 2249 would remove a civil service exemption for Washington Technology Solutions cybersecurity employees, allowing those workers to be covered by state civil service law; the prime sponsor and a Washington Federation of State Employees representative said the bill would correct an unintended statutory discrepancy and let similarly classified IT security staff organize like counterparts in other agencies. House Bill 2475 would direct the Office of Equity to develop uniform language-access guidelines for state agencies and address interpreter and translator shortages; supporters from the Latino Community Fund, WFSE, and the Office of Equity said the bill would improve access to public services for limited-English-proficiency residents. House Bill 2237 would require deputy state fire marshal salaries to be competitive with comparable local fire agencies and direct a report on whether the State Fire Marshal’s Office should be made independent of the State Patrol; supporters said current pay is too low and hurts recruitment and retention. House Bill 2408 was described as a cleanup bill removing expired provisions and obsolete references to the Department of Personnel and other outdated statutes, and OFM supported it. In executive session, the committee adopted amendments and reported out three bills. Substitute House Bill 2281, concerning tribal traditional cultural places and consultation, was amended to narrow consultation scope, remove a reference to “contemporary” lands, and add a three-year statute of limitations; a proposed amendment to remove the cause of action was rejected, and the bill passed 4-3. House Bill 2309, which limits OFM from treating a postgraduate degree as the only way to show qualifications unless required by law, was reported out unanimously. House Bill 2244, a Sunshine Committee cleanup bill on ethics and public disclosure, was amended to restore exemptions for certain donor records and driver case records and then passed unanimously. The committee also heard House Bill 2352, which would lower the ownership threshold for state ethics conflicts from 10% to 1% to align state law with municipal ethics rules. Representative Paulette argued the current 10% standard is too lax and weakens public trust, but no vote was taken on the bill during the meeting. The hearing on House Bill 2435, which would create a Legislative Office on Indian Affairs to provide training and resources for legislators and staff on tribal affairs, featured strong support from Representative Lekanoff, who said it would strengthen the legislature’s government-to-government relationship with tribes. The committee then recessed and later adjourned after completing the remaining hearings.

Transcript Highlights:

• They there's some bills in the House.
• </c> just had a press conference, House just had a press conference, House Democrats,<00:03:02.319><c
• ><c> perhaps</c><00:03:23.120><c> Lady</c> House Republicans and perhaps Lady House Republicans and perhaps
• </c> points for House budgets right now? points for House budgets right now?
• and house between house dflers and house republicans<00:05:15.360><c> is</c><00:05:15.600><c> in</c>

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> Bill</c> speak on House Bill speak on House Bill 470?
• I serve on House Edna. What I have before you today is House Bill 282.
• Seeing none, we'll close the hearing on House Bill 282 and we'll go right into House Bill 248.
• So, um, I'm kind of ethics bill.
• My other concern is of ethics.

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration