Transcript Highlights:

• changes to federally adjusted gross income, and the below-the-line stuff is not going to be put into
• Can you explain again above and below line and conformity and what Department of Revenue did this year
• And therefore, you know, there are a lot of line items, but the line item that is pretty significant
• We have 120-year-old sewer pipes. We had one that was leaking significantly.
• So we received a $2 million grant from WIFA to replace that sewer line, and we just wrapped that project

Committee: House House Ways & Means Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2780, a technical cleanup measure related to Arizona’s judicial tax lien foreclosure process. The sponsor and a witness explained that it would clarify when a foreclosure should proceed as a public sale, standardize how excess proceeds are distributed, and resolve inconsistencies left from prior reforms. Members asked about the intent to protect lienholders while ensuring former property owners can receive excess funds; the bill was then returned with a due pass recommendation on a 9-0 vote. The committee then took up House Bill 4029, as amended, which would require the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to evaluate the revenue impact of federal tax conformity changes earlier in the year, and would require the Department of Revenue to issue tax forms consistent with current statute. The amendment added reporting deadlines and a trigger for the governor to assess whether a special session is needed if the revenue impact is at least $100 million. Supporters argued the bill would force earlier action on conformity and prevent tax forms from being issued based on changes not yet enacted; opponents said it added bureaucracy and could delay the long-standing practice of preparing forms based on expected conformity. The committee adopted the amendment and then approved the bill as amended on a 5-4 vote. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 4030 and the related HCR 2052, which would impose a moratorium from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030 on local increases in municipal and county fees, transaction privilege tax rates, and utility rates. Supporters said the measure would protect taxpayers from higher costs of living and prevent local governments from using utility rates or fees to offset other revenue needs. Opponents from cities, counties, and advocacy groups warned it could limit funding for water, wastewater, roads, public safety, and other infrastructure, especially for fast-growing or rural communities that rely on rate studies, grants, and enterprise funds. After extensive testimony and debate over municipal revenue growth, utility financing, and local control, the committee moved the bill forward; the transcript ends during the roll call and does not clearly state the final vote on HB 4030 or HCR 2052.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm testifying in support of House Bill 2420 on behalf of the Washington Association of Water and Sewer
• into more complex bidding processes for routine projects that used to be manageable and efficient. sewer
• This helps ensure that the projects are supported by the community and are in line with the planning
• our staff work to get project agreements in place with those projects that fall above the funding line
• our staff work to get project agreements in place with those projects that fall above the funding line

Bills: HB2470 , HB2353 , HB2420 , HB2338

Committee: House Capital Budget

Keywords: HB2470, school construction assistance, capital budget, school facilities, on-base schools, military base schools, military installations, public school construction, school plant projects, state funding assistance, superintendent of public instruction, OSPI, school capital funding, instructional space, school district construction, alternative learning experience, ALE, free and reduced-price meals, special housing burden, district growth

Transcript Highlights:

• Community, not shaped by which side of the county lines they happen to live on.
• SB 1444 is intended to draw a clear line.
• And I love it when the cities and the counties get over the finish line.
• I want to go directly to the bill, and I'm looking at, particularly line 119 to lines 126, where use
• I’m going to jump down to line 135 to 142.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered a series of bills, many focused on local government authority, land use, housing, and public notice requirements. Several measures were reported favorably, including SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits and prevention, SB 1612 requiring local governments to accept electronic payments, SB 936 on temporary door locking devices, SB 962 on affordable housing protections for farms, SB 218 on land use regulations in hurricane-affected counties, SB 1020 on regulation of chickee huts, and SB 1434 on infill redevelopment of environmentally challenged properties. SB 1180 on community development district recall elections was amended to narrow and clarify the recall process and to add provisions on synthetic turf and compact urban mixed-use districts before being reported favorably. SB 380 on legal notices was also amended and reported favorably despite significant opposition from the Florida Press Association, Common Cause, and others who argued it would further fragment public notice access; supporters said it would modernize publication options and save money. Testimony on the bills was mixed. Supporters of the housing and redevelopment measures argued they would increase attainable housing, streamline approvals, and make better use of underutilized or contaminated land, while local government groups and advocacy organizations warned about overdevelopment, reduced public input, infrastructure strain, and conflicts with comprehensive planning. On SB 1444, which combined preemptions related to religious gatherings, private clubs, and certain permitting requirements, supporters framed it as protecting religious freedom and limiting local micromanagement, while the League of Cities and the Florida Association of Counties opposed it as overly broad and unclear; the bill nevertheless passed favorably after debate. SB 218 was presented as restoring normal land-use authority in counties unaffected by hurricanes while preserving protections in damaged areas, and SB 984 was described as clarifying firefighter cancer benefits and health coverage rules; both passed without controversy. The committee also heard extensive testimony on SB 948, a strike-all on local government land development regulations and orders that would create a statewide framework for starter homes and lot-split rules within urban growth areas. Supporters said it would expand housing supply and reduce regulatory delays, while opponents said it would override local zoning, weaken infrastructure and environmental protections, and apply too broadly. The bill drew support from housing advocates and some local officials, but opposition from the Florida League of Cities, Florida Association of Counties, and others. The transcript ends with SB 948 still under consideration, with testimony continuing and no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• undertake a transformational legacy project where the entire town will be converted from septic to sewer
• undertake a transformational legacy project where the entire town will be converted from septic to sewer
• This project is in the final phase of construction, and they are currently slated. sewer services.
• program pre-application portal so that the folks who applied in the pre-app portal would be first in line

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs met with a quorum present and heard several housing and disaster-recovery items. The committee heard SB 48 by Senator Gates, which would require local governments to allow voluntary accessory dwelling units, preserve homestead treatment for the owner-occupied portion of the property, limit undue parking restrictions, require 30-day minimum rentals, extend certain density bonuses for military families, and allow reusable tenant screening reports. The bill drew strong support from the Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals and several others, and it was reported favorably. The committee also heard SB 34 by Senator Sharif, creating a historic cemeteries program to help preserve historic African-American cemeteries and allow sale of excess vacant land if proceeds are used for long-term maintenance; it was also reported favorably. The committee then considered and recommended confirmation of Fox Henderson to the Board of Directors of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Members also received a presentation from the Department of Commerce on the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program and Rebuild Florida. Deputy Secretary Justin Domer described the state’s administration of HUD disaster recovery funds, including more than $4.3 billion received since 2017, housing repair and replacement programs that have completed 5,271 homes, and infrastructure and mitigation projects such as sewer conversion in Alford, the new Calhoun-Liberty Hospital, and the Florida Keys desalination plant. Members asked about average project costs, contractor oversight, corrective actions for deficient work, and audit procedures; Domer said the department uses inspections, vendor oversight, and financial penalties, and noted stricter contract consequences in newer programs. The Division of Emergency Management also presented on Elevate Florida, a federal mitigation program that allows homeowners to apply directly for elevation, reconstruction, acquisition/demolition, or wind-mitigation projects, with a 75/25 federal-homeowner cost share and no state funds. Director Kevin Guthrie said the program is designed to reduce repetitive flood losses and keep homeowners in place, and that it has received more than 12,000 applications, with about 1,500 prioritized, 500 on a wait list, and 305 submitted to FEMA for final approval. Members asked about the 25% match for seniors, the wait list, contractor procurement, and how projects are classified; Guthrie said the program uses insurance proceeds where available, has competitively procured 27 contractors, and may shift projects from elevation to reconstruction depending on damage and flood rules. The committee adjourned after the presentations and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, we have Representative Skosdale on lines who's going to testify virtually. Representative?
• We are really hopeful to get this one over the finish line.
• We are really hopeful to get this one over the finish line.
• departments, sewer districts, water and sewer districts, and wastewater facilities.
• Under the current law, there is no bright line, I would say, no consistency in how these are deployed

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Service

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service heard testimony on a wide range of retirement, municipal workforce, and public employee labor bills. Early testimony focused on H. 2749, a Plymouth home rule petition to classify Plymouth harbormaster employees as Group 4 for retirement purposes. Supporters, including local officials and retirement board representatives, argued the employees perform law-enforcement and rescue duties comparable to police and fire personnel, that the change would be fair, and that it would have little or no fiscal impact on the town. A separate harbormaster-related bill, H. 2743, was also introduced later in the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on provisions of the Municipal Empowerment Act (H. 56), including a temporary critical-shortage exemption allowing retired state or municipal employees to return to work in hard-to-fill positions, and a renewed OPEB commission to study retiree health care costs. Administration and municipal officials said the measures were needed to address staffing shortages and rising benefit liabilities, while emphasizing the shortage exemption would be time-limited and require proof of recruitment efforts. Related retirement bills drew support and caution: advocates for higher COLA bases and enhanced COLA benefits urged relief for retirees, but some asked the committee to wait for recommendations from the special COLA commission before acting. A major portion of the hearing concerned labor rights at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Union representatives and employees backed bills to extend just-cause protections, promotional rights, and collective bargaining rights to MWRA and CPCS workers, arguing they currently lack protections available to most other public employees. Testimony described unfair discipline, delayed promotions, and high turnover, and committee members indicated prior favorable action on similar MWRA bills and expressed support for addressing CPCS labor rights. The committee also heard from representatives of the Massachusetts Municipal Association and public higher education employees in support of H. 2820, which would require timely funding of ratified state employee contracts, with witnesses describing long delays in receiving negotiated raises and back pay. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair repeatedly invited written testimony and closed each panel after questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• That means we need everyone lined up from those responsible for allowing permits to..." "...lined up
• So that's when people connect to our water and sewer for new units.
• So that's when people connect to our water and sewer for new units.
• So that's when people connect to our water and sewer for new units.
• We're wanting to scale those to unit size. sewer for new units.

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee work session focused first on Civic Commons’ “starter home production plan,” a statewide strategy intended to increase production of homes affordable to households roughly between 60% and 120% of area median income. Presenters said the Covenant Home Ownership program will not succeed without more starter homes, and outlined recommendations including a temporary cross-sector crisis task force, a developer network, new financing tools, public seed funding, and a multi-site demonstration program to test off-site construction and standardized designs. Committee members asked about silos in the current system, the role of off-site and modular construction, target income ranges, and where the plan would be most useful. Civic Commons said the plan is meant to be statewide, community-informed, and respectful of local context, with pre-approved plans and standardized approaches for both single-family and multi-unit housing. The Department of Labor and Industries then gave an update on factory-built housing oversight. Officials said residential factory-built structures are a small but important part of their work and described progress in prioritizing residential plan reviews, which they said has reduced review time from months to about two days. They also reported creating a plans examiner supervisor position, moving forward with rules for third-party plan review and inspection, and beginning analysis of national standards from the Modular Building Institute to see whether they align with state code. Committee members and L&I discussed the value of standardized plans, real-time tracking for applicants, and the role of state inspection in reducing local jurisdictional variation. The Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council testified that it supports efforts to reduce permitting delays and increase housing production, but warned against weakening safety standards or labor protections. The labor representatives said prefabrication and modular construction can help if the workforce is protected, wages and apprenticeship opportunities are preserved, and projects use tools such as community workforce agreements. They also raised concerns about wage theft, misclassification, and unlicensed contractors in residential construction, and suggested stronger front-end contractor education or licensing. Committee members responded that the goal is to expand production without sacrificing safety or good jobs. The committee also heard city perspectives on local housing reforms. Olympia described its affordable housing emergency ordinance, which gives qualifying projects priority in the permitting queue, and said success depends on communication among housing staff, planners, engineers, and developers. Walla Walla, an early adopter of middle housing, reported increased ADUs, duplexes, and smaller-lot development after eliminating single-family zoning and expanding tools such as MFTE and ADU flexibility. Des Moines described adopting middle housing and ADU ordinances in June 2025 after a lengthy public process, while Poulsbo described proactive code changes including duplexes on corner lots, unit lot subdivisions, manufactured home protections, expanded ADU allowances, and pre-approved ADU plans shared with neighboring jurisdictions. No votes were taken during the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Community, not shaped by which side of the county lines they happen to live on.
• SB 1444 is intended to draw a clear line.
• And I love it when the cities and the counties... ...get over the finish line.
• I want to go directly to the bill, and I’m looking at particularly line 119 to lines 126, where you use
• I’m going to jump down to line 135 to 142.

Committee: Senate Community Affairs

Summary: The committee took up a broad agenda of local government, land use, housing, and public notice bills. It reported favorably SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits, SB 1612 requiring local governments to accept electronic payments, SB 1180 creating a recall process for community development district board members and adding related CDD provisions on synthetic turf and compact urban mixed-use districts, SB 936 on temporary door locking devices, CS/SB 380 expanding options for publishing legal notices, SB 962 clarifying that the Live Local zoning preemption does not unintentionally capture farms and farm operations, SB 1444 on state preemption involving religious gatherings, private clubs, and certain permitting issues, SB 218 narrowing hurricane-related land-use protections to affected counties, SB 1020 regulating chickee huts, and SB 1434 creating a redevelopment framework for environmentally impacted parcels in certain urban counties. Several of these bills were amended before passage, including SB 1180, SB 380, and SB 948. Testimony was mixed on the more controversial measures. Supporters of SB 984 said the bill clarifies benefits for firefighters diagnosed with occupational cancer. On SB 380, the Florida Press Association and Common Cause opposed shifting legal notices away from newspapers and warned that publication would become more fragmented and harder to find, while the sponsor argued the bill would save money and reflect digital practices. SB 1444 drew support from Florida Family Voice on religious freedom grounds, but the Florida League of Cities and Florida Association of Counties warned that the bill was broad, undefined in places, and could create unintended consequences for local zoning, parking, and permitting. SB 1434 on redevelopment of environmentally impacted land drew support from housing advocates but opposition from counties and cities, which said it would bypass local development review and could allow overdevelopment. The committee also heard substantial testimony on SB 948, which would create a statewide framework for starter-home and lot-split regulations in residential areas. Supporters, including housing advocates, a Gainesville city commissioner, and an urban economist, said local regulations have constrained housing supply and that the bill would help produce more starter homes. Opponents, including the Florida Association of Counties, 1,000 Friends of Florida, and the Florida League of Cities, argued it would function as a statewide zoning code, reduce local planning authority, and create infrastructure and litigation concerns. The bill was amended and then laid over for further consideration after extensive debate and public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Line<00:41:57.599><c> one.</c> Line one. Line one.
• </c> to the or on line 21? to the or on line 21?
• </c> need to be amended on page 2, line 15. need to be amended on page 2, line 15.
• Um, page two, line 15 to 18.
• Um, page two, line 15 to 18.

Bills: HB0068 , HB0062 , HB0127 , HB0109

Committee: House Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• changes to federally adjusted gross income, and the below-the-line stuff is not going to be put into
• Can you explain again above and below line and conformity and what Department of Revenue did this year
• And therefore, you know, there are a lot of line items, but the line item that is pretty significant
• We have 120-year-old sewer pipes. We had one that was leaking significantly.
• So we received a $2 million grant from WIFA to replace that sewer line, and we just wrapped that project

Bills: HB2780 , HB4029 , HB4030 , HCR2052

Committees: House Ways & Means , House House Ways & Means Committee of Reference

Keywords: judicial foreclosure, tax lien, redemption rights, excess proceeds, property auction, income tax, federal tax conformity, revenue analysis, legislative session, tax reporting, municipal fees, county fees, utility rates, moratorium, tax classification, local government, inflation, economic stability, tax increases, cost-of-living protection

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator DiCeglie: Delete line 11 through 21...
• Senator DiCeglie: Delete line 11 through 21 dealing with storm debris collection. Chair: Questions?
• Senator Berman: So, line 132 of the strike all takes out the word "direct."
• Our concern is narrow and it is with the deletion of the word "directly" in line 132.
• We have concerns with that language in line 1310 to 1312 that Senator Berman was just mentioning.

Bills: S0598 , S0934 , S1260 , S1300 , S1452 , S1510 , S1566 , S1580 , S1668 , S7034

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government

Transcript Highlights:

• So if anybody is listening to this and has some lead line replacement projects, please come see us.
• So if anybody is listening to this and has some lead line replacement projects, please come see us.
• But all of those line up, right?
• But all of those line up, right?
• Something along those lines.

Committees: Senate Natural Resources , Senate Senate Natural Resources Committee of Reference

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:32:41.679><c> You'll</c> Water and sewer cap capacity. You'll Water and sewer cap capacity.
• All of line two would be deleted up to, um, line three in evaluating the Wyoming Business Council.
• On page 12, we're deleting lines 11 through 22. deleting lines 1 through 12. deleting lines 1 through
• </c> on line. on line.
• </c> line five. Sorry I did this on the fly. line five. Sorry I did this on the fly.

Bills: HB0150

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there anyone on the phone lines opposed to Assembly Bill 444?
• We'll stay on the phone lines.
• We'll stay on the phone lines.
• So, question on page 18, and it is lines 12 and 13.
• We'll stay on the phone lines.

Committee: Senate Government Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• They're on the front lines.
• They're on the front lines.
• That was the last piece of the line item, right?
• So this is line item 7704-905.
• They don't come to you and ask for a line item. We do.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a public FY27 budget hearing at Barnstable Town Hall, with opening remarks emphasizing the Cape and Islands’ seasonal infrastructure, housing, transportation, workforce, and digital needs. The hearing began with testimony from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, which outlined the Healey-Driscoll administration’s budget priorities for job training, apprenticeship, youth employment, reentry programs, and unemployment insurance modernization. The secretary highlighted proposed funding for the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund, Career Technical Initiative, YouthWorks, reentry workforce development, and services for young adults with disabilities, along with a proposal to streamline youth work permits. Members also discussed the unemployment trust fund, the COVID assessment on employers, rising unemployment, and the need to improve DUA customer service and claims processing. Committee members asked about job seeker barriers such as child care, housing, transportation, and out-migration of young workers, as well as how to keep Cape Cod graduates and seasonal workers in the region. The administration said its strategy is to pair training with broader affordability investments and to expose students to career pathways earlier, including through middle school, early childhood STEM, YouthWorks, pre-apprenticeships, and Building Pathways. Senators and representatives also raised concerns about regional funding disparities, especially for Hampshire Franklin MassHire, and the administration said it is reviewing MassHire funding and service equity through a policy committee and statewide workforce board. On unemployment assistance, officials reported major improvements in wait times and claims processing, but said they are still working through backlogs and staffing challenges while maintaining program integrity. The committee then heard testimony from the Executive Office of Economic Development. The secretary described House 2 as a fiscally restrained budget with no new taxes or fees, while preserving core programs and using the Mass Leads Act tools to support competitiveness. EOED’s proposal included funding for the Community One Stop for Growth, rural economic development, social enterprise operating grants, regional economic development organizations, the Workforce Investment Trust Fund, Community Workforce Partnerships, Pathmaker, advanced manufacturing training, life sciences, innovation vouchers, AI initiatives, small business assistance, and tourism and live theater support. The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation also testified on its FY27 request, focusing on consumer protection, licensing, banking, insurance, and public safety regulation. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Lines then thanked the speaker.
• deleting the remainder of the line and deleting lines 22 and 23 in their entirety, and we will insert
• So it's a matter of getting in line.
• The question he had was, this water line or new water lines are going to be from the main to the house
• And they have to fix everything if they kill a tree or tear up another line or the sewer line or whatever

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first considered H.C.R. 89 by Representative Charles Owen, which directs the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism to study, with the Louisiana State Museum and the World War II Museum, the feasibility of a museum and trail dedicated to the Louisiana Maneuvers. Owen described the historical significance of the maneuvers and said the proposal would mainly involve markers and a modest museum. The committee moved the resolution favorably to the floor without objection. Members then debated H.R. 179 by Representative Marcel, which would create a study of neighborhood crime prevention and security districts and their effectiveness in reducing crime. Several members raised concerns about the number of study groups and the breadth of a statewide review, while others supported gathering data on crime trends, cameras, and district performance. Marcel said the study was intended to collect information, not mandate changes, and the resolution was moved favorably to the floor. The committee next took up S.B. 228 and S.B. 268 by Senator Duplessis, both related to replacing lead and copper water service lines. S.B. 228 was a constitutional amendment allowing public funds to be used on private property for replacement of lead-based and copper pipes, and S.B. 268 set out the process for municipalities or parishes to implement the program, including notice to homeowners and an inventory/testing process. Members questioned homeowner rights, the seven-day notice period, emergency entry language, contracting, and whether the work would fully address hazards inside homes; Rainwater said the program was narrowly tailored, federally funded through the EPA and LDH, and intended to replace lines from the main to the shutoff valve. Both measures were moved favorably as amended. Finally, the committee approved S.B. 283 by Senator Barrow, creating the Boulevard at Harding Area Special District in Baton Rouge to encourage development in a food desert near Southern University, and moved H.R. 225 by Representative Eccles, which urges study of parish-wide solid waste, debris removal, and disaster resilience services in Ouachita Parish. H.R. 223 by Representative Walters, urging Shreveport to partner on the Southern Soul City Initiative, was also moved favorably. The chair noted it was likely the committee’s last meeting of the session, and members and staff were thanked for their work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Lines thanked the speaker.
• After 'affected by,' we're deleting the remainder of the line and deleting lines 22 and 23 in their entirety
• It's on page 3, line 21, after 'affected by,' we're deleting the remainder of the line and deleting lines
• So it's a matter of getting in line.
• And they have to fix everything if they kill a tree or tear up another line or the sewer line or whatever

Summary: The committee met on May 13 and first took up House Concurrent Resolution 89, which asks the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism to study, with the Louisiana State Museum and the World War II Museum, the feasibility of a Louisiana Maneuvers museum and trail. Representative Owens described the historical significance of the Louisiana Maneuvers and said the proposal would help preserve and teach that history. The committee moved HCR 89 favorably to the floor without objection. The committee then heard House Resolution 179, which would create a study of neighborhood crime prevention and security districts and their effectiveness in reducing crime. Representative Marcel said the resolution was prompted by questions about crime data and district performance, while several members raised concerns about the number of study groups and the breadth of a statewide review. Other members supported the idea as a way to gather data on what works, including cameras and other security measures. The resolution was moved favorably to the floor. Next, the committee considered Senate Bill 228, a constitutional amendment to allow public funds to be used to replace lead and copper drinking water service lines on private property, and Senate Bill 268, the companion implementing bill that sets out the notice and replacement process. Paul Rainwater explained that the program would use EPA and state revolving-fund money, with work focused on the line from the meter to the shutoff valve, and that the city would inventory affected homes, give notice, and then proceed with replacement. Members asked about homeowner rights, emergency entry, contractor accountability, and whether the program could expand beyond New Orleans; Rainwater said he would return with more detail on the objection/emergency process. Both SB 228, as amended, and SB 268 were reported favorably. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 283, which creates the Boulevard at Harding Area Special District in Baton Rouge to encourage development near Southern University, and two resolutions: House Resolution 225, urging agencies and local governments in Ouachita Parish to study solid waste, debris removal, and disaster resilience services, and House Resolution 223, urging Shreveport and partners to advance the Southern Soul City Initiative. All were moved favorably to the floor, and the meeting ended with members and the chair thanking staff and noting it was likely the committee’s last meeting of the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Providers are frankly required to change bathrooms and plumbing and fire sprinklers, sewer lines, or
• Providers are frankly required to change bathrooms and plumbing and fire sprinklers, sewer lines, or
• The sewer and water standards were also developed in 2008.
• Context-sensitive design, which is also in line with existing conditions.
• Context-sensitive design, which is also in line with existing conditions.

Committee: Senate Local Government

Summary: The committee held a work session on form-based codes, child care facility siting, and street standards/frontage improvements. Chair Solomon opened by explaining the topics as ways to explore more flexible zoning, barriers to child care access, and whether frontage improvement mandates are discouraging housing projects. On form-based codes, Commerce’s Dave Anderson described them as zoning that emphasizes building form and public realm over use and density, with objective standards and illustrations. He said they are typically applied in specific districts, not statewide, and can reduce reliance on large use tables. City of Lacey’s Vanessa Dolby said Lacey’s Woodland District code was created through community engagement, fiscal and market analysis, and subdistrict-specific standards; she said it has helped produce a more walkable environment and more flexible uses, but can be harder for applicants and staff to navigate and may still require some use restrictions in a hybrid approach. The child care siting panel focused on state and local permitting barriers. DCYF officials Ruben Reeves and Nicole Rose said Washington has more than 6,500 licensed child care providers, but applicants must navigate both state licensing and local zoning, building, fire, parking, and occupancy rules, which can vary widely by jurisdiction. They said DCYF recently created a pre-licensing support team and is collecting data on why applicants stall or drop out, with a broader action plan expected in summer 2026. Testifiers including Julia Perez of Yakima described costly and confusing local requirements for in-home child care, including fees, multiple departments, elevation and well-related conditions, and delays that led her to abandon her effort. Enterprise Community Partners’ Juanita Salinas Aguila said child care deserts remain widespread and identified impact fees, zoning and building code requirements, permitting delays, parking mandates, outdoor space requirements, and lack of dedicated funding as major barriers; she highlighted examples of local fee waivers, expedited permitting, zoning reforms, and county funding efforts. Jordan Crawley of Seattle and Julie German-Murray of Spokane also described delays, parking and zoning barriers, and the difficulty of finding feasible sites, especially for larger centers or specialized inclusive care projects. The final section addressed street standards and frontage improvements. Poulsbo planning manager Nicole Coleman argued that current frontage and utility standards, largely designed for greenfield subdivisions, are mismatched with today’s infill and middle housing needs and can add $50,000 to $200,000 per project. She gave examples where required sidewalks, utility relocation, water main replacement, and access standards made small projects infeasible or caused them to be abandoned. Blueprint Capital’s Lucas de Herrera echoed those concerns for Seattle and Kirkland, saying frontage, curb ramp, alley, and EV-ready parking requirements can trigger expensive engineering and undergrounding work that kills small projects, and that some standards are buried in manuals or director’s rules rather than clear code. No votes were taken; the session was informational, and members discussed possible follow-up on child care facility designation as an essential public facility and on whether state-level changes to frontage and parking rules could reduce barriers.

Transcript Highlights:

• This would mirror and line up this camera policy with would mirror and line up this camera policy with
• And my last two questions is I'm looking at lines 264 to 266.
• Going back to, going back to line 100, Thank you, Chair.
• Going back to line 100 and looking at, as far as the environmental preservation on lines 1202 to 1.5,
• And if you need the line area, Senator McLean, I am specifically looking at lines 100 to 105, talking

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills. SB 330, by Sen. Bradley, clarified the heart disease presumption for firefighters, law enforcement, and correctional officers, including allowing a prior physical exam to count if a transferring officer is not given a new one; an amendment declaring the act an important state interest was adopted, and the bill passed favorably. SB 594, by Sen. Burton, would make mobile home residents eligible for local housing assistance programs such as SHIP for lot rent and home repairs; it received supportive testimony from manufactured-home advocates and passed favorably. SB 840, by Sen. DeSigley, revised hurricane-related land-use restrictions from prior legislation by shortening the affected area from 100 miles to 50 miles, ending certain temporary limits on June 30, 2026, and exempting some water, flood, and state/federal planning matters; it passed favorably after supportive comments from local-government interests and members noting the need to fix unintended consequences of prior law. The committee also approved SB 526, by Sen. Grawe, which addresses no-damages-for-delay clauses in public construction contracts, creates a uniform commercial permit application, requires permit fee reductions when private providers are used, and adds mitigation to statewide product approval categories. County representatives testified with concerns about the contracting language, unfunded mandates, and fee reductions, but the bill passed favorably. SB 504, by Sen. Burgess, creates a statewide framework for code inspector body camera use, and SB 506, its linked public-records bill, exempts certain sensitive content from disclosure; both passed favorably with support from the sponsor and no opposition in committee. The most heavily debated measure was SB 354, by Chair McLean, which creates a “blue ribbon project” framework for very large developments that trade state preemption over local land-use regulation for reserving at least 60% of the land for conservation, agriculture, recreation, utilities, and related uses. The bill drew significant testimony from environmental groups, counties, smart-growth advocates, and local residents who argued it could weaken local control, reduce public review, and allow sprawl or inadequate infrastructure planning; supporters argued it could help address housing needs and preserve large amounts of land. The committee adopted two amendments clarifying reserve-area easements and requiring certain easements to be granted without charge, and the committee then reported the bill favorably, with some senators noting they supported it in concept but wanted further changes before later stops.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is the agency at least have an open line of communication with both as well?
• reimbursement is there a breakdown of that there is I did not did not bring the breakdown, but we do have a line-by-line
• People like building houses right up next to the tree line.
• But I think it's important to note that our authority and jurisdiction ends at the state line.
• That's our water, that's where we have to provide water and sewer.

Committee: House Intergovernmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• And so once someone's out of that line of work for over two years, they kind of lose interest and decide
• So on the very last page, on page 8, towards the bottom, on line 2, a person who has contracted for the
• This is our bottom line. This is what we need to spend to improve our system.
• But we work in water and sewer. So it's a for-profit company?
• Yeah, if you want to call sewage... ...sewer. So it's a for-profit company?

Committee: House Conservation and Natural Resources

Summary: The Conservation and Natural Resources Committee first took up Senate Bill 953, which was described as ensuring environmental protection funds remain dedicated to that purpose. The committee substitute added provisions from House Bill 1885, changing Clean Water Commission membership conflict rules, and Senate Bill 1397, giving certain reservoir water storage contract holders exclusive rights to return flows. Members discussed the conflict-of-interest language and the water-return provision, then adopted a House committee amendment and the amended substitute by voice vote. The committee then voted the House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 953 do pass by a 6-5 roll call, with Representative Wellenkamp voting no. The committee then heard House Bill 3193, a proposal by Representative Wellenkamp to reduce single-use plastic waste in state parks and historic sites by phasing out plastic bags, plastic water bottles, and Styrofoam/styrene containers, while allowing exemptions where needed. Supporters, including conservation groups, a Missouri River Bird Observatory representative, and others, said plastics harm parks, waterways, wildlife, tourism, and human health, and urged alternatives and better waste practices. Some members raised concerns about accessibility and the need for practical substitutes for people with disabilities and for emergency or park operations. The Missouri Beverage Association opposed the bill, arguing its plastics are recyclable and that education and recycling are better approaches than bans. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 3320, the Drinking Water Transparency and Accountability Act, which would assign Missouri public water systems A-F grades based on violations, finances, operations, and infrastructure, and would impose additional oversight and spending restrictions on systems graded D or F. The sponsor said the bill would make water-system problems easier for ratepayers to understand and help address chronic failures; supporters from Missouri American Water, Central States Water Resources, and the Missouri Chamber said it would improve transparency and support investment. Opponents from municipal utilities, the Missouri Municipal League, and the Missouri Water Association argued the bill oversimplifies a technical field, duplicates existing consumer confidence reports, could confuse customers, and may undermine trust in local systems. No vote was taken on HB 3193 or HB 3320 before adjournment.