Bills: HB62 , HB124 , HB182 , HB193 , HB198 , HB203 , HB223 , HB237 , HB469 , HB486 , HB574 , HB779 , HB796 , HB919 , SCR2 , SB4 , SB36 , SB38 , SB109 , SB152 , SB168 , SB195 , SB216 , SB221 , SB236 , SB404

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: Louisiana Women's Policy, gender equality, policy research, commission membership, women's representation, Domestic Violence, judicial experience, legislation, criminal law, family law, HB182, sexual assault, rape kit, forensic examination, forensic medical exam, sexual assault survivor, sexual assault nurse examiner, SANE, emergency department, hospital staffing

Transcript Highlights:

• When men have access to mental health care without stigma, rates of gender-based violence decline.
• We can aspire to a society where sex and gender are not predictors...
• We can aspire to a society where sex and gender are not predictors of poor life outcomes like living
• Having a sense of identity as provider is important to many men, and we shouldn't ignore that.
• Having a sense of identity as provider is important to many men, and we shouldn't ignore that.

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several bills. HB 2462 would direct the governor to create rules for countering threats from unpiloted aircraft systems and authorize National Guard support for law enforcement in certain circumstances; the prime sponsor and National Guard witnesses said it would improve coordination for events like the FIFA World Cup, while one testifier supported it with amendments related to law enforcement authority, data privacy, and a web portal. HB 2401 would create a Washington State Boys and Men’s Commission, contingent on non-state funding through 2029; supporters described concerns about boys’ and men’s mental health, suicide, loneliness, education, and workforce outcomes, while some asked that physical health and fatherhood be more explicitly addressed. HB 2198 would expand and standardize statewide credential and permit reporting, require agencies to publish timelines and fee refunds for missed deadlines, and consolidate reporting; the governor’s office, business groups, labor, ports, and the Department of Health testified in support, citing faster processing, predictability, and economic benefits. HB 2419 would extend Address Confidentiality Program eligibility to administrative law judges and certain Office of Administrative Hearings staff; OAH, county officials, and county clerks supported the bill, citing threats and safety concerns, and some asked to include county clerks as well. The committee then took executive action on HB 2210, HB 2205, and HB 2249. It adopted an amendment to HB 2210 preserving existing ranked choice voting systems and advanced the bill 4-2 with one excused. It adopted an amendment to HB 2205 making threats against sports officials, coaches, or participants involved in wagered events a Class C felony and barring offenders from future wagering, and advanced the bill 5-1 with one excused. HB 2249, reclassifying certain WATEC employees performing network and security duties, was advanced unanimously 6-0 with one excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• well as ensures that ed tech does not collect students' immigration status, sexual orientation or gender
• identity, or reproductive or sexual health information, information that is invasive and not necessary
• on, and that's the sharing of personal data related to sexual or reproductive health, related to gender
• identity, sexual orientation, immigration status.
• identity, or their views on immigration, I think that we have to act expeditiously.

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• It recognizes that strong, thoughtful coastal governance is essential to California's identity, economy
• It recognizes that strong, thoughtful, coastal governance is essential to California's identity, economy
• As a former therapist for women who have experienced gender-based violence, I've seen firsthand how that
• While people, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, are susceptible to experiencing sexual violence
• Sexual violence is not caused by clothing, identity, or where someone has a right to exist.

Transcript Highlights:

• the very fabric of our state, and they continue to be integral to the state's history and cultural identity
• assimilation, efforts that specifically targeted and erased longstanding stories, ceremonies, and gender
• Through culturally grounded work, children are nurtured in their identity, their language, and their
• Since 1965, the commission has worked to promote gender equity.
• Since 1965, the commission has worked to promote gender equity.

Summary: The Assembly met on June 4, 2025, after a quorum call and opening prayer led by Assembly Member Ramos, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and routine procedural actions. Members handled several motions on bill referrals and file management, including disputes over SB 280 and ACA 8. The Speaker’s rulings were repeatedly appealed and sustained, and the body ultimately approved re-referral and notice waivers related to ACA 8 and SB 280, along with related committee hearing notices and shortened file notice requirements. Several bills were also removed from consent, moved to inactive file, or withdrawn from committee as nonfiscal measures. The chamber then held a Native American Day ceremony centered on ACR 102 by Assembly Member Ramos, recognizing California Native American Day and the California Indian Cultural Awareness Conference. Multiple caucus leaders and members spoke in support, emphasizing California’s Native history, past state harms, and recent legislative efforts affecting tribal communities. The resolution was adopted by voice vote after 71 coauthors were added. The ceremony also honored Native leaders and students, including Judge Abby Abinanti, Councilwoman Catalina Chacon, Rosemary Salgado, Chairman Frederick Massetti, and Clovis Unified students who defended their right to wear regalia at graduation. Later, the Assembly took up concurrence votes on several Senate-amended bills, all of which passed unanimously: AB 829 on Parkinson’s disease, AB 463 on emergency medical services, AB 493 on mortgage escrow interest, and AB 1387 on behavioral health coordination for justice-involved individuals. The body also adopted ACR 100 honoring India’s Independence Day and H.R. 44 recognizing homeless service providers, both by voice vote after substantial support from members and coauthors. Guest introductions highlighted the music industry, the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and visiting officials from Pakistan. The session concluded with adjournments in memory of Joel Nilsen and Grace Akiko Kojima, followed by announcements of upcoming session dates and adjournment under the call of the Speaker.

Transcript Highlights:

• or, excuse me, insurance fraud. ...because now the child does not have gender dysphoria anymore and
• is detransitioning, going back to the gender they were originally in.
• . ...and she found her identity.
• Chair and Representative Vegas, the striker and the original bill are identical.
• Chair, Representative, it is no, it's identical. Okay. Yeah, thank you. Mm-hmm.

Committee: House House Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1167, which would allow municipalities and counties to satisfy certain public-notice requirements by posting advertisements, publications, and printings on their official websites. The sponsor argued the bill is permissive, intended to modernize notice practices, reduce costs, and help governments meet statutory deadlines, while a Blackmun amendment required a six-month transition period in which notices would still be published in newspapers and the public would be alerted to the change. Newspaper and media representatives, along with tribal and rural community advocates, opposed the bill, arguing that print notices remain important for transparency, historical recordkeeping, and access in areas with limited internet service. Supporters from county and local government said newspaper publication schedules have become unreliable and that websites are a more effective way to reach the public. The committee adopted the Blackmun amendment and then passed SB 1167 as amended on a 4-3 vote. The committee then considered SB 1021, as amended by a strike-everything that would require the Auditor General to refer evidence of possible criminal activity involving health profession regulatory boards to the Attorney General, with procedures for investigation and conflict-of-interest handling. The sponsor and amendment sponsor said the measure would create a mechanism for criminal findings in audit work to be acted on. With no opposition testimony, the committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1021 as amended on a 4-3 vote. Next was SB 1011, which would require county medical examiners or forensic pathologists to review an infant’s immunization and vaccination history, along with any countermeasures administered in the prior 90 days, in sudden unexplained infant death cases. The sponsor said the bill was a data-collection measure meant to improve accuracy, transparency, and prevention efforts. Opponents, including vaccine advocacy and disability representatives, said Arizona already collects this information, that unsafe sleep is the primary issue in most SIDS cases, and that the bill could fuel misinformation about vaccines. The committee passed SB 1011 on a 4-3 vote. The committee also heard SB 1013, a merit-based public employment bill that would prohibit hiring based on conditions other than merit. Supporters said it would ensure public employees are selected by qualifications and objective criteria; opponents argued existing law already bars discrimination and that the bill could create litigation risks and hinder outreach to underrepresented communities. The committee passed SB 1013 on a 4-3 vote. Finally, the committee considered SB 1015 and a strike-everything amendment that would replace the bill’s original detransition-liability language with the Arizona Thriving Families Act, creating a family and medical leave insurance program within Medicaid beginning in 2029. The original bill sponsor defended the underlying detransition-related liability concept as accountability and support for detransitioners, while opponents said it would function as a discriminatory backdoor ban on transition care for minors. The transcript ends during debate and explanation of the strike-everything amendment, before a final vote on SB 1015 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• identity, and sexual orientation.
• Well, our identities are like those ingredients. Some of your identities consist of more...
• Understanding how our identities intersect and how society interacts with us based on our identities
• for the purpose of any gender transition.
• How much is currently spent on gender-affirming care?

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the previous day’s journal by a 126-0 vote, and suspended business for the Speaker to sign several bills and substitutes. Members then spent much of the day introducing guests, including county assessors, students, civic groups, and visitors from local schools and universities. The chamber then took up House Bill 2002, the elementary and secondary education budget. Members adopted several amendments, including technical fixes to allow board-operated schools to use personal service funds for career ladder payments, clarifications to child care subsidy language, and changes to Parents as Teachers rules so that enrollment remains voluntary and virtual visits are not reimbursable. An amendment to shift $1 million from one child care facilities line to Child Care Works passed, as did an amendment to fund a new Success-Ready Student Assessment with $2 million to help replace the MAP test. A proposal to pay child care subsidies for foster children based on enrollment rather than attendance failed 53-93, and an amendment to divert $10 million in Title I funds into a competitive grant program also failed. A later amendment to send budget reports to the ranking minority member passed, while an attempt to remove child care subsidy language from the bill failed. The House then moved to higher education and workforce development appropriations. Members approved an amendment broadening a pre-apprenticeship program statewide and supported funding for Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries through a transfer from dual credit scholarship funds. The most extensive debate centered on House Bill 2003’s higher education funding model, where the chair defended an FTE-based approach as more transparent than the long-standing status quo, while opponents warned it would sharply cut funding for institutions such as Harris-Stowe, Lincoln, Truman State, and some community colleges, and would ignore factors like graduation rates, research, and workforce needs. A compromise amendment to soften the transition was withdrawn, and a separate amendment to restore the governor’s recommendation was also debated at length, with members arguing over the fairness and consequences of the proposed model.

Transcript Highlights:

• ensuring that Arizona's government workforce prioritizes qualifications and performance over any identity-based
• Its proponents seek to socially engineer obsessions with race and gender identity.
• Its proponents seek to socially engineer obsessions with race and gender identities, anti-Zionism, and

Bills: SB1013 , SB1023

Committee: Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency

Keywords: merit-based hiring, public employees, non-discrimination, employment practices, Arizona Revised Statutes, optometrists, eye exams, eyeglass prescriptions, healthcare, vision care

Transcript Highlights:

• This is generally a written request for documents, identities of people, written discovery.
• to use them only for the purposes specified in the bill, and these provisions are substantively identical
• And again, these provisions are identical in both the House and the Senate bill.
• It's identical, I believe. We just forgot the Court of Appeals last year. Not that you did.
• But it should be identical. Anything else? It sounds like that's pretty simple for us.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with the most extensive discussion focused on civil investigative demands for the Attorney General (ESSB 5925), automated license plate readers (ESSB 6002/6702), medical debt interest limits (ESSB 5993), default judgments in consumer debt cases (SSB 5720), adult guardianship technical changes (ESSB 5837), and Court of Appeals bailiff authority (SB 6011). Sponsors and agency staff generally framed the bills as targeted tools or clarifications, while opponents raised concerns about privacy, due process, overreach, and unintended consequences. The AG’s office supported 5925 as a way to investigate civil rights, wage theft, and related laws more efficiently; opponents argued it gave too much pre-suit power and lacked sufficient judicial safeguards. The Court of Appeals bailiff bill was presented as a near-identical extension of authority already given to Supreme Court bailiffs, with no major controversy beyond questions about training. The ALPR bill drew the sharpest policy split. Supporters, including the prime sponsor and civil rights advocates, argued Washington lacks meaningful regulation of license plate readers and needs limits on retention, sharing, and vendor access to protect privacy and prevent misuse. Law enforcement, cities, and some parking-related users said the bill was necessary but too restrictive or technically flawed, warning it could effectively shut down the technology or prevent use in serious cases; they asked for broader crime coverage, clearer definitions, and longer retention. Privacy and civil liberties groups supported regulation but urged stronger protections, especially shorter retention periods and tighter limits on third-party access. On medical debt, the sponsor and supporters argued that capping interest at 1% would reduce financial harm to patients, especially those facing serious illness, and would still allow administrative costs to be covered. They cited bankruptcy risk, chronic illness, and the burden on families, while noting the bill was narrowed from an earlier version and made prospective. Hospitals, collectors, dentists, and physician groups opposed the bill, saying it would not solve broader affordability problems, could reduce repayment incentives, and might push providers toward cash-only models or credit cards, especially harming small and rural practices. The committee also heard support for the consumer debt default judgment bill as a negotiated compromise that improves notice and preserves existing debt-buyer protections, and for the guardianship bill as a technical cleanup of adult guardianship and supported decision-making provisions. No votes or final actions were taken in the hearing excerpts provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• identity.
• Kids can't read at grade level, but we're spending time and money on gender ideology?
• , sexuality, and identity.
• identity ideology.
• It assumes parents are the enemy of their child's best interest when experiencing gender identity confusion

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Gender ideology, by contrast, demands that feelings override facts.
• Well, the person wanted to be called by the opposite gender. Oh.
• identity protection laws.
• identity.
• Melissa Flournoy: States, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 162, which would change the workers’ compensation medical treatment schedule appeals process by allowing additional medical evidence submitted in court to be sent back to the medical director for review and a new opinion. The Attorney General’s office explained the bill, noting a 30-day deadline for the medical director to act before the case returns to court. The bill drew support from injured workers and several business and labor groups, and the committee adopted technical amendments and then reported the bill favorably without objection. House Bill 353, which would establish a state minimum wage starting at $12 in 2027, rising to $15 in 2029 and then indexed to inflation, prompted extensive testimony and debate. Supporters, including the sponsor, Invest in Louisiana, the Workplace Justice Project, 10,000 Women Louisiana, and the AFL-CIO, argued that Louisiana’s wages have lagged behind living costs, that many workers remain in poverty despite working, and that higher wages would help families and local economies. Opponents, including NFIB and several members, argued that the market is already setting wages above the federal minimum in many jobs, that a mandate would raise costs, compress pay scales, reduce hours or jobs, and hurt small businesses. After discussion, the committee voted on the bill and it failed on a roll call vote. The committee then reported Senate Bill 383 favorably with amendments. That bill expands the incumbent worker training program by increasing funding flexibility, shortening the business eligibility period from three years to two, and allowing unobligated funds to roll over. Members and the Louisiana Works secretary discussed workforce training, outreach, and how to connect workers to existing training programs and high-demand jobs. The committee also reported Senate Bill 382 favorably, which repeals the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council, and began hearing House Bill 422, the “Behind-the-Counter Safety Act,” aimed at workplace violence protections for retail and food service workers, including signage, reporting, and enhanced penalties; the sponsor explained it was intended to address attacks on frontline workers and to give businesses a tool to warn against violence.

Transcript Highlights:

• She also wrote, "Allowing participation in sex-segregated activities based on gender identity places
• She also wrote, "Allowing participation in sex-segregated activities based on gender identity places
• She also wrote, "Allowing participation in sex-segregated activities based on gender identity places
• She also wrote, "Allowing participation in sex-segregated activities based on gender identity places
• She also wrote, "Allowing participation in sex-segregated activities based on gender identity places

Bills: HR22 , HCR14

Keywords: committee appointments, House of Representatives, representation, legislative committees, elections, fiscal policy, budget resolution, deficit reduction, mandatory spending, economic growth, government deregulation, federal revenues, entitlements, congressional authority

Transcript Highlights:

• James is that he makes no apologies for being a Christian, and I think we live in a time when identity
• is attacked and it's all over the map on what that identity is.
• During her tenure, she fought for gender equality, reproductive freedom, and equal rights under the law
• They were especially united on cases involving gender discrimination and jury service.
• They were especially united on cases involving gender discrimination and jury service.

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum, and handled a number of procedural motions, including suspending rules for adjournments in memory and guest introductions, rescinding prior action on SB 493, and re-referring several Senate bills to different committees. Members also recognized guests on the floor, including family members, interns, firefighters from the Corona Fire Department, and the Quartz Hill High girls’ soccer team, which was honored for its historic championship season. The main floor action was on AB 1795 by Assembly Member Gibson, the Smoke Damage Recovery Act, which would create statewide standards for inspecting, testing, and remediating wildfire smoke damage and set clearer insurance claim practices. Supporters said the bill would help wildfire survivors return home safely and urged science-based standards and a rebuttable presumption that contamination after a wildfire was caused by the fire; opponents warned the bill could raise costs and should better address government failures in fire recovery. The bill passed on a 54-6 vote, including the urgency clause. Members also adopted SCR 137, proclaiming March 15 as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Day, with remarks praising her role in advancing gender equality and equal rights. The resolution was adopted after 65 co-authors were added and then approved by voice vote. The consent calendar, including SJR 11, was adopted 71-0. A large portion of the session was devoted to adjournments in memory, including tributes to Larry Vane, Dr. William A. Burke, Colonel Alfred P. Glover, and Rita Semmel. The Assembly also honored departing Member James Gallagher, who gave extended farewell remarks before leaving for Congress. The house then announced upcoming committee meetings and adjourned until Thursday, June 11, at 9 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• James is that he makes no apologies for being a Christian, and I think we live in a time when identity
• is attacked and it's all over the map on what that identity is.
• During her tenure, she fought for gender equality, reproductive freedom, and equal rights under the law
• They were especially united on cases involving gender discrimination and jury service.
• They were especially united on cases involving gender discrimination and jury service.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is the practice of creating environments where people of all backgrounds. identities, and experiences
• value diversity, equity, inclusion, thereby creating an environment where everyone, regardless of gender
• Gender representation results from various factors, including gender stereotypes, lack of role models
• Traditional gender roles and stereotypes can and discourage girls and women from pursuing STEM fields
• The Senate is also in the process of sending us 120 SBs with identical bill numbers.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a young woman of color, I've seen firsthand how gender-based discrimination, whether relationships
• As a young woman of color, I've seen firsthand how gender-based discrimination, whether relationships
• , gender identity, or pregnancy, impacts students' ability to show up and succeed.
• It simply clarifies a necessary technical fix that sex, along with gender, gender identity, and pregnancy
• I'm here to oppose this because the language already says gender, gender identity, gender expression,

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills. AB 416 would allow emergency room physicians to initiate 5150 mental health holds, with supporters saying it would reduce emergency room bottlenecks and speed care for patients in crisis. County and behavioral health representatives opposed the bill, and some members raised broader concerns about the 5150 system and juvenile placements. The bill was ultimately approved on a do-pass as amended vote. AB 446, the Surveillance Pricing Act, drew extensive testimony. The author and supporters argued it would prohibit businesses from using personal data to charge different prices for the same product or service, describing the practice as discriminatory and exploitative. Business and industry groups opposed the bill, warning that its language was too broad, could affect discounts and loyalty programs, and would create litigation risk through a private right of action. After discussion about enforcement and possible amendments, the bill passed on a do-pass motion. AB 632 would give local governments a faster way to collect penalties for serious code violations, including unsafe housing, fire hazards, and illegal cannabis activity, by allowing certain fines to become money judgments and clarifying lien authority. It had support from county and city groups and no opposition was voiced in the hearing; the bill passed as amended. ACA 7, a constitutional amendment intended to clarify and limit misuse of Section 31A, also moved forward after brief support testimony. The committee then took up AB 649, which would extend protections for businesses that proactively obtain certified access specialist inspections and fix accessibility violations; the author, a small business owner, and others testified in support, while disability rights groups moved to neutral after amendments. Members discussed the balance between access enforcement and reducing predatory litigation, and the bill was still under consideration as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• the need to address domestic violence as a serious crime which affects people of all races, ages, gender
• Right now, throughout Louisiana statutes, we use the term gender and sex interchangeably, but they're
• Sex is biological and objective, and gender is more personal and subjective, and when we interchange
• discrimination based on gender identity as sex discrimination?
• So if federal law recognizes gender identity under sex, but state law does not, that wouldn't put us

Bills: HR210 , HR211 , HR212 , HR213 , HR214 , HR215 , HR216 , HR217 , HR196 , HR197 , HR198 , HR199 , HR200 , HR201 , HR203 , HR204 , HR205 , HR206 , HR207 , HR208 , HR209 , HCR87 , HCR88 , HCR89 , HCR90 , HR118 , HCR63 , HCR69 , HCR86 , SCR6 , SCR18 , HB79 , HB165 , HB175 , HB198 , HB437 , HB457 , HB488 , HB603 , HB646 , HB763 , HB902 , HB909 , HB971 , HB981 , HB1066 , HB1089 , HB1099 , HB1125 , HB1154 , HB1231 , HB1245 , HB1246 , HB1247 , HB1248 , HB1249 , SB47 , SB82 , SB106 , SB206 , SB210 , SB248 , SB305 , SB376 , SB397 , SB441 , HCR41 , HCR76 , HCR77 , SCR19 , SCR3 , HB64 , HB68 , HB92 , HB316 , HB549 , HB578 , HB748 , HB798 , HB824 , HB988 , HB989 , HB1001 , HB1032 , HB1081 , HB1108 , HB1129 , HB1140 , HB1157 , HB1192 , HB1195 , HB1198 , HB1244 , HB167 , HB227 , HB243 , HB321 , HB335 , HB398 , HB492 , HB624 , HB689 , HB708 , HB804 , HB906 , HB926 , HB955 , HB968 , HB969 , HB978 , HB985 , HB1005 , HB1029 , HB1069 , HB1077 , HB1095 , HB1104 , HB1107 , HB1187 , HB1203 , HB1217 , HB1220 , SB73 , SB89 , SB128 , SB149 , SB191 , SB196 , SB238 , SB318 , SB340 , SB66 , SB68 , SB76 , SB139 , SB336 , SB475 , HCR32 , HB181 , HB1118 , HB1082 , HB225 , HB864 , HB1166 , HB1189 , HB59 , HB617 , HB897 , HB911 , HB1223 , HB901 , HR20 , HR74 , HB284 , HB306 , HB366 , HB393 , HB458 , HB459 , HB577 , HB582 , HB605 , HB614 , HB682 , HB733 , HB752 , HB773 , HB996 , HB1035 , HB1113 , HB1180 , HB1234 , HB1240

Summary: The House met on April 27, 2026, with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a series of personal privileges recognizing Domestic Violence Prevention and Advocacy Day, Guarantee Corporation’s 100th anniversary, Delta Waterfowl, FFA and 4-H students, St. Bernard Parish Day, the Louisiana Notary Association, and New Orleans Day. The chamber also received Senate messages, committee reports, and introduced several resolutions, including measures on Gulf States renewable energy, asthma and allergy awareness, St. Bernard Parish Day, and other commemorations. The floor then took up a long series of bills and resolutions. Among the notable measures were House Bill 316 on literacy and tutoring, House Bill 578 changing statutory references from gender to sex, House Bill 748 expanding toll exemptions for school board vehicles, House Bill 101 redesignating a portion of U.S. Highway 190 as the Jesse Jackson Memorial Highway, House Bill 1032 cleaning up DWI terminology, House Bill 1081 transferring the Louisiana Ports and Waterways Investment Commission, House Bill 1108 creating a homeschool pride prestige plate, House Bill 1129 giving in-state auctioneers preference for selling surplus state property, House Bill 1157 creating a Louisiana State Infrastructure Bank, House Bill 1192 creating a dental hygienist prestige plate, House Bill 1195 revising athletic commission rules and NIL-related provisions, House Bill 1198 barring arbitration in child custody and visitation matters, House Bill 181 allowing limited tax-data sharing for Medicaid/SNAP integrity, House Bill 1118 requiring disclosure of hospital ownership by real estate investment trusts, House Bill 1082 changing venue rules in suits involving municipal police employees’ retirement systems, House Bill 225 proposing a lifetime two-term limit for governor, House Bill 864 on municipal fire limits and storage of flammables, House Bill 1189 requiring captain’s licenses for certain freshwater charter guides, and House Bill 549 creating the Bayou Growth Opportunity Workforce Program. Most measures passed, often after brief debate and technical amendments. Several bills were recommitted or returned to the calendar, including House Bill 902, House Bill 1245, and House Bill 1247, while House Bill 225 failed on final passage. The House also considered and passed multiple Senate bills dealing with tax administration, child custody testimony, Supreme Court disciplinary jurisdiction over out-of-state lawyers, civil investigation demands in Medicaid fraud cases, service of process fees and notice, and permanent homestead exemption registration. The session ended with the House in recess after completing its bill agenda for the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• expression, and/or gender identity.
• expression, and/or<01:06:16.000><c> gender</c><01:06:16.400><c> identity.
• </c><01:06:17.039><c> These</c><01:06:17.359><c> students,</c> and/or gender identity.
• These students, and/or gender identity.
• ><c> should</c> of gender identity where students should of gender identity where students should feel

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• It's like the location of the voter, not the self-reported Native voter identity.
• auditors, election auditors will examine ballots and make sure that signatures line up to verify identity
• I-200 is an anti-affirmative action statute that says you cannot use race and gender in awarding public
• We also have one on gender as well, and you can select by trooper class.
• We also have one on gender as well. And you can select by trooper class.

Committee: Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections

Summary: The committee met for a pre-session kickoff focused first on voting access on tribal lands. Dr. Chelsea Jones of the Brennan Center presented research showing turnout on tribal lands trails turnout off tribal lands in every federal election studied from 2012 to 2022, with about a 10-point gap in Washington and about 11 points nationally. She identified barriers such as long travel distances to polling places and drop boxes, nontraditional addressing, unreliable postal service, lack of language assistance, and limited broadband and voter information. Members asked about the meaning of the turnout gap, the role of tribal leadership and community outreach, and whether the figures reflected lost ballots or missed voting opportunities; Dr. Jones emphasized the issue is access, not ballot disappearance, and said trusted local voices and tribal-government partnerships are important complements to policy fixes. The University of Washington Elections Database then presented vote-by-mail data for tribal reservation areas from 2020 to 2024. The presentation showed voter registration on reservations rose steadily from about 107,000 in 2010 to 137,000 in 2024. Turnout on reservations remained lower than outside reservations by roughly 8 to 9 percentage points in general elections, with similar but slightly smaller gaps in primaries. The UW team also reported that about 1.5% of ballots cast on reservations were signature-challenged in general elections, that cure rates were generally similar inside and outside reservations and ranged around 60% to two-thirds, and that late return was the most common reason for rejection in primaries while signature mismatch was the leading reason in general elections. Senators raised concerns about mail delivery and postmarking, and the researchers said they would continue studying return methods and cure rates. The committee next heard an overview of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs from staff and Executive Director Tim Rennon. They described the office’s history, its role as a liaison between the state and tribes, and its work on consultation, training, convening work groups, and supporting the Centennial Accord and related tribal-state agreements. Rennon said the office now has six positions, is working on statewide tribal relations training, and does not speak for tribes but helps ensure consultation occurs early and often. Members asked about whether tribal voting is discussed in Centennial Accord settings and were told it is more commonly addressed through ATNI and its voting committee. The final major topic was state contracting and supplier diversity. WSDOT’s Earl Key described the impact of Initiative 200 and the recent federal suspension of the DBE program, and said WSDOT has expanded race-neutral tools such as mentorships, small business goals, veterans goals, trucking consortia, small-works set-asides, and emerging/rising small business goals. DES’s Adrian Thompson and OMWBE’s Sharon Harvey Hughes and Laca Fernandez outlined statewide contracting policy, outreach, certification, and spend data, noting efforts to centralize support, expand the EDGE program, and improve procurement systems. OMWBE reported agencies increased spend with certified firms to over 6% in the latest period, with total certified-firm spend at 4.15% or about $371 million, while higher education lagged behind. Members pressed for clearer performance data, asked about certification barriers and the effect of federal changes, and were told the agencies coordinate through a governor’s sub-cabinet, regular meetings, and ongoing outreach. The Office of Equity then began its update, describing its role in agency consultation, dashboards, and accountability monitoring, including a homelessness dashboard and a trooper-cadet application dashboard, before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• characteristics outlined in Section 220 of the Education Code, covering race and ethnicity, religion, gender
• Section 220 of the Education Code covers race and ethnicity, religion, gender, LGBTQ+ identification,
• We have classrooms filled with students of different races, cultures, religions, identities, and abilities
• We are seeing attempts right now to silence conversation about race, identity, and lived experience,
• identity, gender expression, nationality, race, and ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any

Summary: The committee heard SB 998, which would define and expand the roles of discrimination prevention coordinators in the Office of Civil Rights, including a new disability-focused coordinator and a deputy coordinator on anti-AAPI discrimination. The authors and supporters, including representatives from LGBTQ, Black, Latino, and AAPI caucuses, argued the bill would help schools proactively address discrimination, improve student safety and belonging, and support learning. Opposition from the California Faculty Association and SEIU California focused on the appointment structure and preference for regular civil service hiring, while some members questioned whether the bill duplicated existing anti-discrimination law and whether it would add government bloat. The committee ultimately voted SB 998 out on a due pass basis to the Senate Judiciary Committee and placed it on call. SB 1082 was then presented as a measure to streamline inter-district transfer appeals by requiring more timely district action, allowing concurrent review, and clarifying that a district’s failure to respond is not treated as a denial. The sponsor, the Association of California County Boards of Education, and supporters from Families in Action for Quality Education said the bill would reduce delays, improve fairness, and help families make timely educational decisions without changing districts’ authority to approve or deny transfers. The California School Boards Association had previously been opposed unless amended and said it would re-evaluate after the committee changes. The committee supported the measure, and SB 1082 was voted out as amended to the Senate Appropriations Committee and placed on call. The committee also took up SB 960, which would revise the rules for community college baccalaureate degrees by tying authorization to local access gaps and impacted CSU programs rather than a blanket statewide prohibition. Supporters, including the Campaign for College Opportunity and several community college and education groups, argued the bill would expand access for place-bound and adult learners and better align programs with workforce needs. CSU representatives and the California Faculty Association opposed the bill, warning it could duplicate CSU offerings, worsen enrollment and funding pressures, and affect faculty jobs. Members debated the Master Plan for Higher Education, impaction, and whether the state should instead fully fund CSU capacity; the committee nevertheless recommended SB 960 for passage as amended to Appropriations and placed it on call. Finally, SB 965 was heard, a bill to make it easier for 16- and 17-year-olds to obtain public library cards without a parent or guardian physically present. The author and supporters said the bill would remove an unnecessary barrier to educational resources while preserving local library control over checkout policies and liability rules. The California Library Association expressed support for the goal but said details matter and urged language that preserves local discretion while encouraging reduced in-person requirements where feasible. The transcript ended during that testimony, before any committee vote on SB 965.