Transcript Highlights:

• just for future reference, Representative Birnbaum, we do not reference Washington Administrative Code
• I'm wondering if you'd be open to some sort of amendment that aligns with OSPI's duty code, so that way
• we eliminate some of that vagueness and go with the duty codes that already exist, so that way we don't
• I'm curious whether PEBB, through any mechanism, defines positions through some sort of coding.
• I know that they do, and I'm aware of the duty codes that I think you were referring to earlier, and

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee heard staff briefings and testimony on four bills. House Bill 2124, a Department of Retirement Systems request, would raise the minimum monthly pension benefit that can be paid as a lump sum from $50 to $250, with future inflation adjustments by the director; staff said it would cost about $11,000 in administrative changes and have no actuarial impact on the pension funds. House Bill 2125 would remove a biennial restriction on using pension fund interest earnings for certain administrative and compliance expenses that protect the funds; DRS said it would have no fiscal impact and would continue existing practice. Seth Miller of DRS supported both bills as efforts to reduce complexity and improve consistency across retirement systems. House Bill 2179 would create a retroactive exemption from PERS membership for certain port district employees who are instead covered by federal railroad retirement or union-sponsored defined benefit plans. Staff said audits found a small number of affected employees, with a one-time administrative cost of about $18,000, and noted possible legal concerns because retroactive changes can implicate vested retirement rights. Testimony from the Washington Public Ports Association and the Port of Ponderay supported the bill as a narrow clarification needed to avoid dual coverage and large retroactive liabilities; the Port of Vancouver also supported it as a fix for building trades workers covered by union plans. House Bill 2160 would change SEBB eligibility rules for school employees, creating a presumption of coverage on day one for returning employees who previously worked 630 hours in prior years, effectively shortening the lookback period and extending it across SEBB employers. Supporters, including substitute teachers, WEA, SEIU, and other school workers, said the bill would reduce disruptive gaps in coverage, help workers and families maintain continuous insurance, and improve recruitment and retention. Opponents, including school administrators, business officials, and school directors, argued it would be an unfunded mandate that could significantly increase district costs and administrative complexity, especially because districts would have to track hours and rebut presumptive eligibility. The Health Care Authority explained that eligibility is determined by local benefits administrators using worksheets and appeals, that the current two-year presumption was built from earlier benefit rules, and that the bill could increase costs and create issues for retirees who currently manage hours to stay below the 630-hour threshold. The committee took no votes and adjourned after public hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was a former city council member and currently still work there.
• These products include coding-related products.
• My name is Andy Owen, and I'm the Public Works Director for the City of Centralia.
• My name is Pat Hayley, and I'm the city administrator for Quincy.
• My name is Matthew Heppner, City Councilmember for the City of East Wenatchee, Position 7, signed in

Bills: HB2515 , HB2343 , HB2301 , HB2272 , HB2367

Committee: House Environment & Energy

Keywords: energy facilities, large energy use, regulation, state oversight, infrastructure, water quality, game farms, public health, environmental protection, regulatory oversight, extended producer responsibility, paint waste management, environmental regulations, sustainability, recycling, ski areas, winter sports, terminology update, recreation, regulatory changes

Transcript Highlights:

• Comply with all applicable building codes. D.
• It goes on against Bloom versus City of... It goes on against Bloom versus City of Fort Collins.
• Ruben Sims Jr. was the first Black firefighter in the city of Aurora.
• State or state-created entities like special districts, counties, and cities.
• If that does happen, you can always go to your city hall, your city police and say, "Hey, I don't A speeding

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• disabled with a physical or mental impairment that has received a disability rating under United States Code
• , it would be a very minimal amount per city.
• They added that a permitting fee might go up from $75 to $76 for others in the city, and that it is a
• They said that spread across all the cities, it would be a very minimal amount per city, perhaps a permitting
• be a very minimal amount per city.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And the Attorney General or city, town, or county may judicially enforce the prohibition of negative
• a city, town, or county from enacting or enforcing an ordinance imposing a civil penalty or authorizing
• I'm Daria Farvar, State Representative from the 46th legislative district, which includes the Lake City
• In Lake City this fall, we lost our only major grocery store and our last standing pharmacy when the
• I fundamentally believe that, at the end of the day, your zip code should not determine whether or not

Committee: Senate Business, Trade & Economic Development

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the Attorney General or city, town, or county may judicially enforce the prohibition of negative
• a city, town, or county from enacting or enforcing an ordinance imposing a civil penalty or authorizing
• I'm Daria Farvar, State Representative from the 46th Legislative District, which includes the Lake City
• In Lake City this fall, we lost our only major grocery store and our last standing pharmacy when the
• I fundamentally believe that, at the end of the day, your zip code should not determine whether or not

Summary: The Washington State Senate Committee on Business, Trade, and Economic Development waived the five-day notice rule to consider Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2274 and Engrossed House Bill 2294. The committee first heard HB 2274, which would modify the Washington Commercial Electronic Mail Act by requiring false or misleading subject lines to be knowingly false or misleading, and reducing statutory damages from $500 to $100 or actual damages, whichever is greater. Representative Springer and retail witnesses described the bill as a compromise reached with consumer lawyers, retailers, and the Attorney General’s office, intended to address a surge in lawsuits after a recent Supreme Court ruling while preserving consumer protections. Consumer advocates testified that they supported the compromise as a temporary step, while one consumer-side attorney objected to the bill’s text-message damages change, arguing it was unrelated to the email issue and could weaken existing protections. The committee held the public hearing open and did not take final action on the bill during the meeting. The committee then heard HB 2294, which prohibits private agreements that restrict real property from being used as a grocery store or pharmacy, declaring such negative use restrictions against public policy and unenforceable after the bill’s effective date, with exceptions for preexisting agreements and limited relocation scenarios. Representative Farivar said the bill was prompted by grocery and pharmacy closures and aimed to prevent property covenants from blocking replacement stores in underserved communities. Supporters from the Washington Food Industry Association and Northwest Grocery Retail Association said the bill would help independent grocers and communities, though the retail association asked for further language refinement for retail-center situations and noted the bill preserves some limited protections for existing investments. The committee took public testimony but did not vote on HB 2294 during the hearing. In executive session, staff briefed Substitute House Bill 2428, which requires insurers issuing individual life insurance policies to send lapse notices to policyholders and designated third parties. The committee then adopted a due pass recommendation and sent the bill to the Rules Committee. The motion passed by voice vote, with the bill passed subject to signatures.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Cities United Way. Cities United Way.
• </c><00:31:51.240><c> United</c> On behalf of Greater Twin Cities United On behalf of Greater Twin Cities
• Members, any questions on the rearranging of the coding of the amendment?
• </c> actually coded as the A26-0101. actually coded as the A26-0101.
• of of the coding of the amendment?

Bills: HF3877 , HF3714 , HF3750 , HF3024

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Keywords: public authorities, dissolution cases, court system, child protection, legal notice, foster care, child welfare, enrollment priority, education programs, child care assistance, foster youth, extended foster care, bill of rights, out-of-home placement, Minnesota Statutes chapter 260C, social services agency, caseworker, permanency team, sibling visitation, relative contact

Transcript Highlights:

• covered the entire State some of the covered the entire State some of the larger<00:05:46.000><c> cities
• think</c><00:05:47.080><c> are</c><00:05:47.400><c> now</c><00:05:48.160><c> starting</c> larger cities
• I think are now starting larger cities I think are now starting their<00:05:49.080><c> own</c><00:05
• You can also print out what’s called a code summary, and the code summary includes all of the medications
• </c><01:46:14.760><c> summary</c> print out what's called a code summary print out what's called a code

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• very different from other cities in Texas.
• I used to work for a city that was actually a brand-new city and was only represented in this last census
• For our beautiful Sun City.
• City? Yes, I'm in the part of Missouri City that is Siena in Ron Reynolds' district.
• Missouri City, you're in Missouri City. What part of Missouri City? Yes, Sienna. Sienna?

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• city in the country among those top 25 cities, and that Forbes ranked Minneapolis number one.
• Forbes Magazine ranked the top 25 cities Forbes Magazine ranked the top 25 cities for<01:13:19.520><c
• in the country of those top 25 city in the country of those top 25 cities<01:13:28.120><c> Forbes</c
• ><01:13:28.639><c> ranked</c> cities Forbes ranked cities Forbes ranked Minneapolis<01:13:31.199><c>
• </c> now I am here to uh stand up for my city now I am here to uh stand up for my city a<01:25:08.760

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Master's in nursing from Oklahoma City University and a bachelor's from Wesleyan.
• She serves as a board member for Tri-City Youth and Family Services in Choctaw, and as the secretary
• Madewell in Putnam City North High School with just Putnam City North High School students, but a vision
• And it's open to all three schools in the Putnam City School District.
• And a dentist can, again, as the representative from eastern Oklahoma City said, charge less.

Summary: The House convened, completed the roll call, prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and recognitions, including guests from a South African refugee program, Weatherford Middle School students, international students, and the 2025 Aviation State Teacher of the Year, Sam Madewell. Representative Ranson also presented remarks for International Student Recognition Day, highlighting the economic and cultural contributions of international students in Oklahoma. The chamber then took up House Bill 4329 on dental insurance claims, with Pro Tem Moore arguing it would restore fairness by preventing insurers from controlling prices for services they do not cover; the bill drew questions about free-market effects, rural dentistry, and premiums, but Moore said it should not raise costs and noted similar laws in other states. HB 4329 passed 91-5. The House also passed House Bill 2730, which ties the interest rate on taxpayer underpayments to market rates rather than a fixed statutory rate, after brief questions about how the rate would fluctuate; it passed 87-11. House Bill 3465, extending the sunset on the emission tax credit program from July 1, 2027 to July 1, 2029, passed 82-16. House Bill 4426, extending the sunset on the strategic industrial development enhancement sales tax credit from December 31, 2027 to December 31, 2032, passed 76-20. During announcements, members noted upcoming committee meetings, a rural caucus with OSU President Hess, a devotional, and a lunch event tied to International Student Recognition Day. The House then recessed until the next day, Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• It eliminates the 25% surcharge on customers outside city limits and reduces the rate differential cap
• We have Rebecca Hare from the League of Cities speaking for information. Good afternoon.
• It has come to my attention that certain cities are requiring annexation as a condition of connection
• It has come to my attention that certain cities are requiring annexation as a condition of connection
• Rebecca O'Hare, Florida League of Cities, speaking against. You are recognized.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Regulated Industries met with a quorum and considered four bills. First, the committee took up SB 1724 on municipal utility services. A late-filed strike-all amendment by Senator Martin was adopted after he explained it would require annual customer meetings for certain extraterritorial utility customers, cap the use of utility revenues for general government purposes, eliminate a 25% surcharge and reduce the rate differential cap, remove municipal natural gas utilities from the bill, and preserve certain surcharges only as needed to satisfy existing bond covenants. The Florida League of Cities raised implementation concerns about the July 1, 2026 effective date and the time needed for rate studies and budget adjustments, but the bill as amended was reported favorably. The committee then heard SB 936 on temporary door locking devices by Senator McLean. The bill would define temporary door locking devices, authorize their installation at any height, require the Florida Building Commission to add standards to the Florida Building Code, and require their use to be incorporated into safety plans, drills, and training. With no opposition or debate, SB 936 was reported favorably. Next, the committee considered SB 1014 by Senator Mayfield, which would prohibit municipalities from refusing water and wastewater service solely because a property owner declines annexation, if the property is near a municipal main line, not served by another utility, and the utility has capacity. An amendment narrowed the bill by defining “main line” and reducing the distance threshold from 2,000 meters to one-half mile. The Florida League of Cities opposed the bill as amended, citing concerns about large users, possible conflict with annexation law, potential enclave creation, and revenue impacts, but Senator Mayfield said he would continue working on the issues. The committee reported the bill favorably. Finally, Chair Bradley presented SB 1498 on community associations. A strike-all amendment was adopted that made technical changes to video conference recording, turnover inspection reports, and electronic voting, and added provisions requiring associations to provide records to law enforcement and prosecutors, creating a second-degree misdemeanor for willful refusal. It also targeted mandatory club or amenity fee structures controlled by developers or third parties, declaring such provisions against public policy, limiting assessments to proportional expenses, and allowing suits and conveyance of common areas after turnover. Testimony from homeowners described alleged governance abuses and opaque, profit-driven mandatory fees in their communities, while the Community Associations Institute supported the amendment. The committee reported CS for SB 1498 favorably. Members then recorded additional votes for the record, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The city of Marine on St.
• The city of Marine Mill Historic Site. The city of Marine on<00:08:59.360><c> St.
• And with city of Marine on St. Croix.
• . city. city.
• </c> certain that is needed because cities certain that is needed because cities are<00:51:40.040><c>

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We implemented a national conversion of the CIP codes, which I know we regularly talk about, like CTE
• But this is a good example of it being complicated because nobody else uses CIP codes as just a term
• CIP codes as just a term that we throw out there it's the classification index for the program so it's
• When the national SIP code changes, and it doesn't happen too often, but when...
• When the national SIP code changes, and it doesn't happen too often, but when they change, there is a

Summary: The House Education Committee received status updates on career and technical education (CTE), including OSPI’s work under 2024 legislation on allied health pathways and a statewide CTE task force, an update from Core Plus Maritime, and findings from an Education Northwest longitudinal study of Washington CTE access and outcomes. OSPI described development of allied health guidance such as a home care aide to nursing assistant bridge, model curricula, updated course equivalency frameworks, and coordination with health agencies and employers. It also reviewed Core Plus framework work, task force expansion under later legislation, and the timeline for recommendations due in November 2026. Committee members asked about health profession outreach, equitable access for rural districts, data updates, and employer support for local programs; OSPI said it continues to work with agency and industry partners and that local labor-market alignment varies by region. Core Plus Maritime presenters described expanding maritime career exploration into middle school through low-cost ROV curriculum, student visits to ferries and vessels, Sea Scouts partnerships, and ship-based safety and welding experiences. Industry representatives from the Northwest Marine Trade Association, American Seafoods, and Vigor Marine Group emphasized the maritime sector’s economic importance, aging workforce, and need for hands-on training to build the pipeline for family-wage jobs. A teacher from South Kitsap High School said the program gives students a clear pathway and has helped connect them to careers in shipyards, fishing, and related trades. Vigor also noted support for a student welding competition and equipment donations for a Rainier Beach shop. Dr. Sam Riggs of Education Northwest presented a longitudinal study using state data from 2013-14 through 2023-24. The study found CTE access has been relatively steady statewide, but offerings vary by school size, locale, and income, with rural and lower-income schools generally offering fewer pathways. Participation is high: nearly all students earn at least some CTE credit, and more students are accumulating multiple credits over time, though fewer go deep within a single pathway. Students who earned more CTE credits, especially within pathways such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and construction, were more likely to graduate on time and later had stronger postsecondary certificate attainment and earnings. Riggs recommended addressing local barriers to participation, considering whether the CTE graduation requirement should better encourage depth while preserving flexibility, and aligning offerings more closely with labor-market needs. Committee members asked about COVID-era trends, student motivation, early workforce entry, delivery settings such as skill centers, and how to interpret the comparison groups used in the analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• We code and configure. And then we test, accept, and release.
• We code and configure. And then we test, accept, and release.
• You have access to the original code and structure of the data.
• We're still, that code is written in COBOL, correctly.
• My job is to enforce the election code.

Summary: The subcommittee first heard a panel on state cloud modernization efforts after canceling an LBR on the Department of Corrections’ OBIS project because the presentation materials were not submitted on time. Florida Digital Service, the Northwest Regional Data Center, and several agencies described how the state is assessing and migrating applications to cloud environments under the cloud-first policy. Northwest explained its 2023 cloud readiness assessment of 890 applications from 24 agencies, the criteria used to rate readiness and risk, and its recommendation to tackle lower-risk applications first. Agency updates covered the Department of Corrections’ modernization of 98 legacy applications tied to OBIS and cloud-native infrastructure, the Department of Elder Affairs’ Microsoft Power Platform modernization, the Department of Health’s health management and child protection systems, and FDOT’s large cloud program for transportation systems. Members repeatedly asked about costs, data ownership, disaster recovery, single sign-on, security tools, and whether cloud migration actually saves money; presenters generally said the focus is more on modernization, resilience, and efficiency than immediate savings, and that cost analyses are often application-specific rather than enterprise-wide. The discussion also covered governance and architecture questions. Florida Digital Service said agencies remain responsible for their own databases and cloud tenants, while FLDS provides advice and an enterprise architecture framework; it does not have statutory oversight over most projects, except for OBIS project oversight due to its size. Northwest said it is acting as a cloud broker for some agencies and is consolidating Azure and AWS payer tenants to seek better pricing, but agencies still make system-by-system decisions based on business needs, risk, latency, and total cost of ownership. Members raised concerns about fragmented data structures, the lack of a complete statewide application inventory, and the need for better interoperability and enterprise standards. Several agencies said disaster recovery is built into their cloud plans, and FDOT and Corrections described ongoing efforts to keep systems current through core platforms, training, and ongoing support. In the second half of the meeting, the Department of State presented two new technology requests. Secretary Byrd described the SunBiz corporate registry system as a 34-year-old platform supporting more than 3.5 million business entities and generating over $575 million in annual general revenue. He said the department had already virtualized the legacy hardware after earlier modernization efforts failed and is now seeking $800,000 recurring for password protection and $5 million nonrecurring to continue procurement for a replacement system. The department also presented the Florida Voter Registration System modernization request, noting that the current system is outdated and requires manual workarounds for some statutory changes. The department requested $2.4948 million nonrecurring and $44,000 recurring to procure a modernized FVRS solution, and staff said the feasibility study recommended a hybrid approach. Members asked about the study’s findings and about creating a database for voter eligibility information for returning citizens; the department said that would require data sharing with all 67 clerks of court and other entities such as DOC.

Transcript Highlights:

• In my role, I work across the city departments and with community partners on issues related to human
• Through the city supported and funded Upstream Project in 2022, our partners, The Family Partnership,
• In my role, I work across the city departments and with community partners on issues related to human
• Through the city supported and funded Upstream Project in 2022, our partners, The Family Partnership,
• In my role, I work across the city departments and with community partners on issues related to human

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 4738 was laid over for possible inclusion in the 2026 tax bill. Representative Keeler presented the bill as a funding source for Minnesota’s Safe Harbor program, arguing that trafficking and sexual exploitation are statewide problems and that current shelter and housing resources are insufficient. She and several supporters emphasized that the program serves youth across greater Minnesota, not just the metro, and that state and federal funding pressures make additional support necessary. Testifiers from Place Called Home/Life House, The Link, the City of Minneapolis, and a survivor all described the impact of Safe Harbor and related shelter programs. They cited data on youth served, bed nights, mental health services, and high unmet need, including waitlists and youth turned away because programs are full. Testimony stressed that stable housing and trauma-informed services help survivors recover and move toward education, employment, and family stability. One committee member, Representative Davis, objected to the proposed funding source, saying he would not support taking money from women’s sports scholarships and urging a different source. The bill’s tax mechanism was described as ending the sales tax exemption for preferred seating, suite licenses, and related amenities at athletic and entertainment events. Alec Williams of We Make Minnesota supported the proposal as a fair way to raise revenue from high-end discretionary purchases for a public purpose. Committee discussion also focused on the size of the revenue estimate and the breakdown of the impact, with nonpartisan staff saying roughly 85% would come from suite licenses, 10% from collegiate seating, and 5% from amenities. Representative Smith and others framed the issue as both a tax and moral question, and the chair moved the bill to be laid over.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a very proud representative of the city of San Francisco, which for generations ...has for generations
• From the pink triangle overlooking Twin Peaks to the Pride flag flying above Harvey Milk Plaza, our city
• history, resilience, and contributions ...of LGBTQ people who helped shape San Francisco into the city
• You'll also find a program featuring a QR code linking to the biographies of this year's 15 legendary
• learn more about these distinguished individuals, please read their biographies by scanning the QR code

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Bailey moves to discharge from the Committee on Codes, Assembly Bill 1422 and substitute the
• SENATOR BAILEY MOVES TO DISCHARGE FROM THE COMMITTEE ON CODES, ASSEMBLY BILL IS 1422 AND SUBSTITUTE THE
• Because when you think about Fort Drum, just like my colleagues in the city would know, just like, MSG
• It really is a city unto itself that is a partner with the community around it.
• As a teenager, he attended the High School for Health Professions and Human Services in the city.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with ceremonial opening proceedings, approved the prior journal, and then moved through a series of calendar actions, including discharging and substituting identical companion bills from committee and restoring several bills to the Third Reading Calendar after reconsideration. The chamber also took up a supplemental budget calendar and a controversial supplemental budget extender, with Senator O’Mara questioning the delay in final budget negotiations, the size of the extender, table targets, and unresolved policy issues such as auto insurance reforms, SEQRA, New York for All, and CLCPA changes. Senator Serrano responded that negotiations were ongoing and that the extender was a clean measure to keep state government functioning. The budget extender bills were then passed, with Senator Weik voting in the negative on one of them. The Senate also adopted a resolution memorializing May 4, 2026, as 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum Day, and hosted Major General Scott Naumann and other Fort Drum leaders and soldiers for remarks on the division’s deployments, readiness, economic impact, and requests for continued state support on items such as microreactors, health care, DMV services, dining facilities, airports, and mineral-related development. The Fort Drum resolution drew extensive bipartisan praise from Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Minority Leader Ortt, Senator Scarcella-Spanton, Senator Ashby, Senator Walczyk, and others, who emphasized the division’s military history, its role as a major employer and economic driver in Northern New York, and the sacrifices of service members and their families. Several senators highlighted individual soldiers in attendance and their service records, while the resolution was opened for co-sponsorship and adopted. The Senate also recognized a visiting child author, Thomas Ortiz, who was introduced for publishing a book encouraging kindness and friendship. After the ceremonial segment, the Senate returned to regular business and passed a series of bills on the calendar, including measures affecting environmental conservation, executive law, public service, education, public authorities, real property tax, criminal procedure, election law, and civil rights. Some bills drew negative votes from a bloc of senators, particularly on the environmental, criminal procedure, election, and civil rights measures, but all listed bills were ultimately passed. The Senate then adjourned until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next we have from Representative Womack, a report from City County Local. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• know those people are no longer with you, but I'm just wondering why they thought trips to New York City
• Arkansas Code directs the legislative auditor to notify the Arkansas Governmental Bonding Board of audit
• Is that something the cities pay?
• Did he give it back to the city? What happened with that, other than just the letter being sent?

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• metro in Texas without a law school, and it shows we have fewer lawyers per capita than other big cities
• I'm also also on the Dallas Opioid Task Force and I also look at my Calen County, the city that the county
• Yeah, from Park City. All right. Oh well then I don't feel bad.
• Commercial lighting, you're not running up to code standard lighting. You're just running.
• these young adults, we're supporting their enormous potential as members of our communities, our cities

Bills: HB232

Committee: House Higher Education

Keywords: disaster recovery, natural disaster, weather disaster, emergency relief, flood relief, hurricane relief, storm damage, wildfire, tornado, hail, windstorm, extreme heat, ice storm, snowstorm, property damage, personal injury, temporary housing, relocation assistance, lost wages, state emergency management