Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:12:10.360><c> solicit</c> prohibited by law or regulation solicit prohibited by law or regulation
• </c> funding to the organization uh fishing funding to the organization uh fishing with<01:43:26.080>
• Fishing guides caught on to what we were doing.
• </c> Coulson I'm the president of fishing Coulson I'm the president of fishing with<01:46:35.480><c>
• How am I ever going to fish again? I immediately got a response: "You're coming fishing with us."

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development - Subcommittee on Veterans

Transcript Highlights:

• THE COMMITTEE ON REGULATED INDUSTRIES WILL COME TO ORDER.
• ON THE REGULATED SIDE OF THE HOUSE WE PROCESSED 49802 LICENSES FOR LEGAL GAMING IN THE STATE.
• COMMONLY CALLED FISH TABLES AND IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD OF THEM IT IS BECAUSE IN THE DIGITAL DISPLAY IF
• IT WAS MOVING YOU WOULD SEE FISH BASICALLY SWIMMING THROUGH A DIGITAL DISPLAY.
• ON THE TABLE AND EVERY FISH SUPPOSEDLY REPRESENTS A DIFFERENT ODDS AT THE SMALLER THE FISH THE BETTER

Transcript Highlights:

• includes such items as the gaming activities, civil and criminal jurisdiction, the fees for state regulation
• Major employers for tribal members are the tribal government, individual treaty fishing enterprises,
• That will provide for a finer level of detail in regulating all manner of gaming activities on tribal
• In an effort to retain their rights, predominantly focusing on hunting, gathering, and fishing.
• have a tremendous impact on all of the fisheries because Upper Skagit took the lead in negotiating fish

Summary: The joint House and Senate committee meeting heard public testimony on tentative tribal-state gaming compact amendments for the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe and the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe. Staff from the Washington State Gambling Commission explained the compacting process, the role of ex officio legislative members, and that the amendments would next go to the Gambling Commission for a January 8, 2026 vote before possible governor review. The Port Gamble S'Klallam presentation emphasized how gaming revenue supports tribal government services, health care, housing, education, language revitalization, natural resources work, and community investment projects in Kitsap County. For Port Gamble S'Klallam, the proposed changes include expanded credit and wager limits, more gaming stations and player terminals, language for a second facility, and adoption of an electronic table games appendix similar to other tribes. Members asked about pre-screening for high-limit tables, including how the tribe would define problem gambling and self-exclusion; tribal counsel said internal minimum control standards were still being developed and more detail would follow. A question about green crab removal in Port Gamble Bay was deferred for follow-up because the natural resources director was not present. The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe described its history, sovereignty, gaming operations, and how gaming revenue supports member programs such as nutrition assistance, education aid, homeownership down payment help, and charitable giving in Skagit County. Its amendment would allow electronic table games after the tribe removed traditional table games due to staffing and cost pressures, with the goal of remaining competitive. Committee members also asked about air quality and smoking-related provisions in the compact; the tribe said it maintains separate smoking and non-smoking areas and supports smoking cessation efforts. Chairs from both chambers closed by thanking the tribes for their contributions to members, local communities, and natural resource protection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Even well-intended regulations can add up in ways that affect feasibility.
• “The state has a direct role in housing regulation in some ways.
• CARB engages in a multi-year stakeholder process when developing regulations.
• There is too much freight in my experience placed on this phrase regulator.
• new regulation.

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Regulatory Authority held its first hearing to examine how California’s regulatory framework affects housing availability and affordability. Chair Pacheco and Assembly Member Haney framed the discussion around the state’s housing shortage, rising costs, and the need to reduce unnecessary delays and burdens while still protecting public health, safety, and environmental goals. The first panel included housing policy experts and industry representatives, who argued that overlapping state and regional rules, complex code requirements, utility delays, and lengthy review processes add substantial cost to new housing. Bill Fulton described California’s land use system as a “big Rubik’s Cube” of competing goals, while CBIA’s Chris Ochoa and Bob Raymer urged more attention to affordability impacts in code adoption and state agency rulemaking. The Bay Area Council’s Louis Marante called for a statewide cost target for housing and stronger accountability for state agencies, citing project review delays, regulatory costs, and indirect impacts from water, stormwater, and transportation policies. State agency witnesses generally defended their roles as balancing housing with other statutory mandates. HCD said its enforcement of housing element law, streamlining statutes, and technical assistance has helped increase production, reduce entitlement times, and approve tens of thousands of homes that might otherwise have faced discretionary review. CARB said SB 375 does not regulate local land use or reduce housing supply, and that sustainable community strategies are planning tools that could support housing if fully implemented. The Coastal Commission said it has worked with local governments to streamline coastal housing approvals, approve density bonus and ADU ordinances, and support legislation to exempt some affordable housing from coastal permits, while still protecting coastal resources and sea-level-rise hazards. The Energy Commission said its building energy standards are required by statute to be cost-effective and save consumers money over time, though they can add some design complexity and upfront cost. Other agencies emphasized collaboration and early engagement as the best way to reduce delays. Fish and Wildlife said its mission is to protect California’s natural diversity and that better early coordination with developers can improve outcomes. DTSC said brownfield cleanup and vapor intrusion review are necessary to protect public health, but that early engagement, workshops, and site-specific approaches can help projects move forward; it also noted grant funding supporting affordable housing on contaminated sites. The Water Board said it uses general orders and basin planning to streamline permitting while meeting federal and state water-quality obligations, and that its infrastructure grants and loans support housing affordability. In response to Assembly Member Haney’s questions, several agencies said they already coordinate across departments, but he pressed for more cross-agency clarity and less siloed decision-making. No votes or formal actions were taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Idaho Fish and Game undertakes season setting every other year.
• Fish and Game doesn't track every species of fish—salmon, steelhead, yes; other fish, no.
• As an outfitter, I've dealt with the Fish and Game process, especially as it relates to big game regulations
• There are ample opportunities to be involved in the Fish and Game process.
• We talk to the Fish and Game biologists.

Committee: Senate Resources and Environment

Transcript Highlights:

• of natural resource lands, as well as regulations to protect critical areas.
• or imposing penalties on development regulations for steep slope?
• And when you add more regulation to that, it just multiplies the cost.
• So I have to... ...add more regulation to that, it just multiplies the cost.
• County regulations would need to conform to these determinations by July 1, 2029.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several local government bills. HB 2006 would extend the deadline for certain rural counties that collect a sales and use tax for economic development to designate industrial land banks under the Growth Management Act. Supporters, including the sponsor and Kittitas County representatives, said the bill would help counties identify industrial land for job growth and economic development; Futurewise opposed it, citing concerns about large industrial land banks and impacts to agricultural lands. HB 2244 would let a city that forms a fire protection district after July 1, 2026, keep its levy rate without reducing it by the district’s levy, and would also allow online notice and interlocal contracting for fire services. City and fire officials supported it as a practical tool to fund fire service, while one witness opposed the broader trend of appointed taxing authorities. The committee also heard extensive testimony on HB 2316, which would limit shrub-step vegetation inside urban growth areas from being treated as wildlife habitat, critical area, or conservation area, and would bar related mitigation or replacement requirements. Tri-Cities officials, builders, housing advocates, and the sponsor argued the bill would reduce delays and costs for housing and development on already designated urban land, while conservation groups, tribal representatives, and some individuals opposed it as a broad rollback of habitat protections and a harmful precedent for ecosystems and wildlife. No vote was taken on the bills during the hearing. HB 2103 would expand public utility contracting authority so cities, utilities, and joint operating agencies could enter “capability” contracts for renewable or non-emitting generation projects, including nuclear, renewable hydrogen, and fusion, and repeal certain price-limit restrictions. Supporters said it would align older contracting law with the Clean Energy Transformation Act and help utilities plan for future power needs; opponents warned it would shift risk to ratepayers and revive concerns tied to the WPPSS nuclear debacle. The committee also heard HB 2388, which would classify pivot-corner solar and agrovoltaic facilities on agricultural land as distributed energy resources and accessory uses; the sponsor and supporters said it would help meet energy needs without harming productive farmland, while Futurewise asked for clarification to avoid unintended loss of agricultural land. The hearing then returned to HB 2103 for additional testimony, with the same basic split between utility and clean-energy supporters and ratepayer or anti-nuclear opponents.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are various patchwork of towing regulations.
• And so, unfortunately, we have to regulate to those that are bad.
• So with that being said, I know Game and Fish is here.
• So always happy to support Game and Fish and what you guys are doing.
• So they're still allowed to drive a car, their car, under this regulation? And am I incorrect?

Summary: The committee first heard HB 2957, which would prohibit cities, towns, counties, and districts from requiring a digital or mobile driver license for government identification purposes and would require physical licenses to be accepted. The sponsor argued the bill preserves choice, privacy, and state control over identification, and several supporters said it protects informed consent and limits biometric data use. Some members raised concerns about travel requirements and proof of legal status, but the sponsor said the bill would not eliminate Real ID or change federal travel rules. The committee recommended the bill do pass on a 4-3 vote. The committee then heard HB 2941, which would make certain unsafe motorcycle lane-splitting or lane-sharing behavior subject to reckless driving penalties. The sponsor said the bill is intended to address dangerous conduct and close a gap in enforcement, while a motorcycle rights advocate explained the difference between lane filtering, which is legal under Arizona law in limited circumstances, and lane splitting, which is not. Testimony emphasized public safety and education for riders. The committee approved the bill with a do pass recommendation on a 7-0 vote. Next, the committee considered HB 2305, as amended, dealing with private property towing. The bill would make towing rates a matter of statewide concern, tie charges to DPS tow service agreements, require documentation and notice requirements, and standardize rules for private towing carriers. Supporters said the measure would reduce confusion and predatory towing by creating uniform statewide standards, while opponents from the trucking industry argued the DPS rate structure was designed for emergency towing and that more stakeholder work was needed. After adopting an amendment clarifying the bill applies only to motor vehicles towed from private property, the committee passed the bill 7-0. Finally, the committee heard HB 2257, a strike-everything amendment changing how watercraft fee revenue is distributed between the watercraft licensing fund, the State Lake Improvement Fund, and boating safety/law enforcement purposes, while also requiring an annual expenditure report. Supporters said the change would help Mohave County and other local agencies that are covering more water patrol duties as Game and Fish resources are stretched, but Game and Fish warned the shift would create a significant fiscal impact and said the department is already operating with tight budgets. The committee adopted the amendment and gave the bill a do pass recommendation on a 4-3 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• We should not be outsourcing our regulation to the European Union, Brazil, or anyone else.
• There is a predatory Chinese fishing fleet, and I would put the word "fishing" Fleet in quotes, because
• From pirate fishing fleets and from the Chinese fishing fleet that are offshore.
• Many of the top-level fish are down 90% from their previous numbers.
• It's a refining process, environmental regulations.

Committee: Senate Finance Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> federal regulation. federal regulation.
• Uh so the businesses that we regulate.
• </c> operations in connection with regulating operations in connection with regulating chartered<00:30
• It's regulated on what we can charge.
• So, we're talking about fishing<02:09:29.199><c> game,</c> fishing game, fishing game, highway,<02:09

Summary: The Joint Committee on Dedicated Funds met to review the House budget provision that would impose a 5% administrative charge on a broad list of dedicated funds, with some exemptions. Members discussed the House approach versus the Senate’s more general approach of leaving the governor discretion over which funds could be charged. The chair explained the committee was hearing from agencies about any legal, contractual, or practical reasons their funds should be exempt, and the agenda was expanded to include several departments and written submissions from others. The Department of Education testified first, identifying several funds it said should be exempt: a printing revolving fund that is funded by transfers rather than fees; teacher certification, which is self-funded by educator licensing fees and would require an immediate fee increase if charged; a vending stand set-aside tied to the federal Randolph-Sheppard program and subject to federal approval and vendor committee procedures; and a public school infrastructure/safety account, where most revenue is transferred from the education trust fund or general fund rather than generated by fees. Members questioned the department about the effect on school safety projects and whether the fee would simply reduce the number of projects completed each year. The Veterans Home asked for exemptions for three funds: a donation benefit account used for recreational activities and quality-of-life expenses for residents, a small memorial trust fund whose interest supports veteran activities, and a resident member account that holds veterans’ personal income such as Social Security and pensions. The department argued the charge would reduce donations, cut services, and effectively function like an income tax on vulnerable veterans. The Banking Department also requested exemption for its consumer credit administration license fund, saying it is used to keep exam fees low and is expressly intended by statute to reduce costs on regulated businesses; it said the 5% charge would undermine that framework and could eventually force higher fees. The Department of Justice began testimony on its dedicated funds, starting with the medical legal investigative fund, which pays for death investigations and related services under statute and without general fund support. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the committee mainly heard testimony and asked questions about the practical and legal effects of applying the administrative charge.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I want you to know that I spent my lifetime hunting and fishing in Idaho. I don't golf.
• My recreation is hunting and fishing. I have a passion for it.
• I've really enjoyed the last four years, learned a lot in the last four years with the Idaho Fish and
• Years, learned a lot in the last four years with the Idaho Fish and Game Commission, and it's a dream
• Couple of things that you'd like to see done in the next few years of the Fish and Game Commission.

Committee: Senate Resources and Environment

Transcript Highlights:

• We just recently had the uh building for at the commercial fishing...
• So as you can imagine, coming into the Portsouth Fish...
• The fish pier hoist at the Ports with Commercial Fish Pier and Right Harbor are in need of replacement
• It will also increase the efficiency of loading and offloading cargo and fish for the commercial fishing
• Surveillance at the Fish Pier, Right Harbor, and Hampton Harbor.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have our freshly harvested game and fish program.
• We also take fish.
• , then they can donate the fish directly to our program.
• So the pool we're fishing in is...
• So there may be a high fence that is regulated by both.

Summary: The meeting began with roll call, adoption of the agenda, and approval of the prior minutes. The main presentation was from Julie Grenwald of Louisiana Hunters for the Hungry, who described the nonprofit’s protein donation programs, including freezer clean-out days, deer and fish processing partnerships, and a paused feral hog donation program that had collected about 3,500 hogs and 137,000 pounds of pork before funding ran short. She said the group has donated roughly 300,000 pounds of protein over two years, works with food banks and local agencies, and is protected under Louisiana’s Good Samaritan Law. Members asked about processor locations, exotic species, signage, sponsorships, and whether the program could expand to other invasive species or mobile drop-off options; Grenwald said expansion is possible if processors and funding are available. The task force then received a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries update from Jonathan Bordelon on chronic wasting disease testing. He reported more than 2,800 samples collected and over 2,300 results returned, with nine positives total: eight in Tensas Parish and one confirmed in Concordia Parish on Richard K. Yancey WMA, which triggered preparation of an emergency declaration and future rulemaking to adjust the control area. He said harvest and sampling remain near record levels, most samples are voluntary, and the agency continues to monitor symptomatic deer reports and public submissions. The final major presentation was from William McKinley of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, who gave a detailed overview of Mississippi’s CWD response. He said Mississippi has 529 detections across 18 counties, with prevalence rising from about one in 500 samples to about one in 80 statewide, and much higher in some counties. He described Mississippi’s surveillance system, targeted tags within three miles of positives, environmental sampling, feeder bans in CWD zones, and research showing contamination at feeders and in scrapes. He also discussed possible multiple strains, including one linked to the Wisconsin whitetail strain and another around Vicksburg/Issaquena, and said the disease appears to be expanding about 3.5 miles per year. Members asked about high-fence enclosures, live deer movement restrictions, baiting and feeding rules, hunter participation, and whether Louisiana should develop similar environmental testing capacity; no votes were taken on these issues, but members discussed possible future legislative or budget action.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:57.279><c> applicable</c> and types of regulations applicable and types of regulations applicable
• I was on the ice fishing. for 30 years. I was on the ice fishing.
• </c> Um, so we do have an ice house, a fish Um, so we do have an ice house, a fish house<01:51:31.600
• </c><01:51:41.040><c> Um,</c> of fish we have, etc. Um, of fish we have, etc.
• we have, not just in our kind of fish we have, not just in our fish<01:51:54.000><c> house,</c><01:51

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• District Court injunction to remove state-owned culverts that block fish passage in the Puget Sound and
• District Court injunction to remove state-owned culverts that block fish passage in the Puget Sound and
• It also encourages WSDOT to request any available federal funding for fish barrier removal projects and
• It also encourages WSDOT to request any available federal funding for fish barrier removal projects and
• We all want thriving fish passages and fish populations, and by passing Senate Bill 5690, I think we

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held public hearings on several bills. Substitute Senate Bill 5690 would require WSDOT to give utility owners advance notice of fish barrier removal and other projects, seek federal funding for those projects when available, and report back to the Legislature; supporters said it would help small utilities plan for costly relocations, while WSDOT said the bill would not achieve its intended effect and that federal reimbursement for these costs is limited. The committee also heard Engrossed Senate Bill 5746, which would create or continue an advisory process on EV charger infrastructure property crime; the sponsor and supporters said it would help address vandalism and theft affecting charging access, and testimony was overwhelmingly in favor. Senate Bill 5750 would authorize state facilities to charge fees for privately owned EVs using state charging stations and deposit the revenue into the motor vehicle fund; the sponsor said this would make charging costs fairer and recover expenses, with broad support and some questions about whether the policy could be implemented administratively without legislation. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6148, which would increase the maximum term for regional transit authority bonds from 40 years to 75 years, affecting Sound Transit. Sound Transit and transit advocates argued the longer term would better match debt to long-lived assets, help accelerate construction, and reduce near-term financial pressure without raising taxes, while opponents warned it would increase long-term costs and shift repayment burdens to future generations. Committee members asked about interest costs, asset values, and examples of eligible long-lived projects such as tunnels and bridges. No votes were taken during the hearing, and each bill closed with testimony counts recorded on the record.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're out fishing and whatever. Do you see some? Spray it, spray it, spray it.
• As we've been hearing, surface water really isn't well regulated.
• Can you fish? Can you fish on your own property without a fishing license? I'm just curious.
• Can you fish? So, you know, that is there as well.
• Can you fish on your own property without a fishing license? I'm just curious.

Committee: House Natural Resources & Environment

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Trail affects our Beaver Minnesota fish Trail affects our Beaver Minnesota fish and<00:41:02.200
• </c> to groundwater atlases to fish to groundwater atlases to fish assessment<01:31:12.880><c> um</c>
• Fish bioassessments usually means there's something in our fish assessments that are... those often can
• Nitrate, PCBs, and fish tissue—that's what we look for with fish tissue with the DNR.
• </c> there's something in our um the fish there's something in our um the fish assessments<01:41:56.639

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• , and game is a legal term for species that are hunted, fish are fish, but what about species of greatest
• And we will talk to the fishing guides and outfitters up there as.
• It's at the Fish and Wildlife Service waiting for approval.
• Fish and Wildlife Service to update them regularly.
• It was submitted to Fish and Wildlife in July, and we're waiting on Fish and Wildlife approval as Director

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• of that regulation.
• . regulations. regulations.
• </c> interpretation of that regulation. Okay. interpretation of that regulation. Okay. Yeah. Yeah.
• </c><00:43:09.640><c> Establishes</c> to spear fishing safety. Establishes to spear fishing safety.
• </c> fishing safety education statewide. fishing safety education statewide.

Bills: HB2323 , HB2324 , HB1509 , HB2164 , HB2165 , HB2367 , HB2619 , HB1765 , HB2187 , HB1864 , HB1452 , HB2314 , HB1898 , HB2558 , HB2319 , HB1643 , HB2121

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Commerce

Summary: The committee heard several administration bills related largely to workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance. On HB 2323 HD1, which would modernize workers’ compensation notice and filing procedures, DLIR and other agencies testified in support of the original bill language but said HD1 removed key components and weakened the bill’s clarity and continuity. HB 2324 HD1, which would repeal state hoisting-machine certification requirements and the separate crane operator certificate, drew support from DLIR; members asked about whether the change would affect safety or local operators, and DLIR said OSHA-compliant certifications already exist and the union supported the change. HB 1509 HD1, which would require faster employer responses to treatment plans and impose penalties for nonresponse, received support from DLIR and others, while DHRD said it wanted an amendment. The committee also took up HB 2164 HD1 on compounded prescription drugs in workers’ compensation. DLIR supported the bill as a way to define compounded drugs and curb inflated pricing, but DHRD and a medical provider opposed it and asked for amendments. Testimony focused heavily on whether the definition should include 503B compounding facilities and whether physician dispensing should be limited to the first 30 days after injury. HB 2165 HD1, dealing with unemployment insurance eligibility and removing the two-year limit on recouping overpayments, was supported by DLIR but opposed by Unite Here Local 5, which argued it would make it harder for striking workers and other claimants. Members questioned the impact of changing reporting deadlines from calendar days to business days and raised concerns about future benefit offsets; DLIR said the bill was needed for federal conformity and that the committee would revisit the offset percentage and effective date. Later, the committee heard HB 2367 on pay transparency, requiring salary ranges in job postings and removing the small-employer exemption. The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, AAUW, Hawaii Women Lawyers, and an individual testifier supported the bill, saying pay transparency promotes fairness, trust, and pay equity; one testifier described being underpaid compared with a predecessor and said posting ranges would save applicants’ time. HB 2619 HD1, concerning homemade food products and farm kitchens, received generally supportive comments from the Department of Health, which requested an amendment to preserve flexibility in future rulemaking. HB 1765 HD1, on spear-fishing safety warnings, drew support from a safety educator and comments from DLNR; supporters said warning labels would help prevent hypoxic blackout deaths and were low-cost and easy to implement. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• to participate in hunting and fishing opportunities.
• We have the utmost respect for our fish and game and, most importantly, our wildlife.
• So we always base our hunts on our fish and game and, most importantly, our wildlife.
• So when we get a young person that wants to go hunting or fishing, we've taken—we have 10 fishing trips
• this year, deep-sea fishing, river fishing, whatever we can with these kids that we can get them in

Committee: House Water, Parks, and Wildlife

Transcript Highlights:

• It also requires reporting to Ecology annual water and energy consumption, regulated refrigerants used
• I also serve on the Columbia River and a tribal fish commission as a Yakama delegate.
• Losing this provision will kill more fish in the Columbia River.
• This was a catastrophic event for the fish and the tribe. Salmon and steelhead were killed.
• Curtailment authority protects ratepayers, public safety, and fish.

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2515, which addresses emerging large energy use facilities, especially data centers. Staff explained that the bill requires utilities to adopt tariffs or policies for data centers, adds reporting and sustainability requirements, sets renewable energy targets, and creates a sales tax exemption for certain eligible data center equipment in eastern Washington. The House sponsor said the bill is intended to protect ratepayers, grid reliability, water resources, and Washington’s climate goals as data center growth accelerates. Tribal representatives and several environmental and labor witnesses urged restoring provisions removed from the House version, especially authority to curtail data center load during energy emergencies and to refuse service if reliability or affordability would be harmed; they also asked for stronger water reporting and protections for salmon. Utility, business, and data center industry witnesses supported the bill’s general framework but raised concerns about implementation, costs, and some of the added requirements, while some opposed the tax exemption and the loss of earlier protections. No final action on 2515 was taken during the hearing portion shown. The committee then heard and acted on several bills in executive session. It passed Substitute House Bill 1302, which allows municipal utilities to waive connection charges for industrial symbiosis projects. It also passed House Bill 2338 on community-scaled weatherization projects after rejecting an amendment, and House Bill 2367 on eliminating preferential treatment for a coal-fired plant after rejecting an amendment. Substitute House Bill 2496 on tribal consultation by the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council was amended and then passed, while amendments to change public meeting and tribal summary provisions were rejected. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2225 on AI companion chatbots, House Bill 2426 on PCHB efficiency and appeals, House Bill 2606 on the Office of Privacy and Data Protection, Engrossed House Bill 2575 on reducing reporting obligations, and Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2215 on Climate Commitment Act compliance for fuels were also advanced, with some amendments adopted and others rejected. The committee then reopened public hearing on House Bill 2416, which would treat a Spokane waste-to-energy facility differently under the Climate Commitment Act by allocating no-cost allowances in the second compliance period and requiring a decarbonization and waste-reduction plan. Spokane city officials, labor, environmental groups, and Ecology generally supported the bill as a balanced approach that protects ratepayers while allowing the facility to decarbonize, though Avista raised a concern about language implying a utility compliance obligation. After that, the committee resumed testimony on House Bill 1170, which requires large AI providers to offer provenance tools and disclosures for AI-generated or altered images, video, and audio. Supporters said the bill would help workers and consumers identify synthetic media and prevent impersonation and misinformation, while industry and civil liberties witnesses argued the bill is technically difficult, uses new definitions, and may be unworkable or premature compared with California’s evolving approach.