Transcript Highlights:

• vulnerable citizens: adults age 60 and older, as well as individuals 18 and older who have cognitive impairments
• frequent calls that they receive are calls of concern for those senior adults or individuals with impairments

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Transcript Highlights:

• If impairment ratings are within their scope of practice, then they would be asked to perform that function
• required to do an attestation, they're certified to work in Washington, and their credentials are not impaired

Summary: The Labor and Workplace Standards Committee held its first meeting of the session and heard four bills. HB 2107 would make permanent and slightly narrow a temporary L&I requirement that, after an on-site safety inspection at a building construction site, the agency make a good-faith effort to notify the owner or employer within 10 working days if an immediately identified hazard could injure a worker. Construction industry groups and L&I supported the bill and said the pilot had worked well, with L&I reporting it had been able to notify owners almost 96% of the time during about 1,400 inspections. HB 2137 would remove the population threshold for binding interest arbitration for correctional employees in city and county jails. Teamsters representatives said the change would give corrections officers in smaller jurisdictions the same bargaining rights as other uniformed personnel and help address safety, staffing, and wage inequities. County representatives opposed the bill, saying it would increase bargaining and compensation costs for many counties, and asked for amendments requiring arbitrators to consider county finances and making awards nonbinding on county legislative authorities. HB 2264 would clarify unemployment insurance eligibility for workers who opt into an employer-initiated layoff or reduction-in-force plan, even if they can rescind their decision, so long as the termination results from the employer’s plan. Supporters said current court rulings create confusing and unfair denials of benefits for workers who leave in good faith during layoffs; NFIB raised questions about severance, retirement, and UI solvency. HB 2243 would allow physical therapists and occupational therapists to serve as attending providers in the workers’ compensation system. Physical therapy and occupational therapy advocates said this would speed care and return workers to work sooner, while retailers, food industry representatives, NFIB, the Washington State Medical Association, and L&I raised concerns about diagnosis, scope of practice, added costs, and the possibility that all PTs and OTs would have to join the provider network. No votes were taken; the committee heard testimony and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• staff analysis, a really great breakdown of how millions of Americans rely on wheelchairs due to impaired
• staff analysis a really great breakdown of how millions of Americans rely on wheelchairs due to impaired

Committee: House Commerce Committee

Summary: The committee took up eight bills and memorials and reported each favorably. It first passed HM 4063, a memorial urging Congress to lay the groundwork for a federal sovereign wealth fund. Sponsor Rep. Anderson described it as a long-term economic security measure, while several members questioned how such a fund would be structured, governed, and balanced against paying down debt. Ranking member Hunschofsky and Rep. Spencer raised concerns about transparency, market disruption, and the lack of specific parameters. The memorial passed on a recorded vote. The committee then approved CS/HB 139, allowing pawnbrokers to use digital transaction forms, with SMG testifying in support as a modernization and pro-business change. It also adopted an amendment and passed HB 1157, which tightens reemployment assistance requirements by adding work-search, interview, identity, immigration, and availability checks; the amendment added protection for missed interviews due to emergencies and removed an email reporting requirement. The Florida AFL-CIO and Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy opposed the bill, arguing Florida’s unemployment system is already overly restrictive and that the proposal would further limit access to benefits, while supporters said it would ensure claimants are actively seeking work and verify eligibility. Members also passed CS/HB 497 to create nonprofit agricultural organization medical benefit plans for farmers and ranchers, with support from Americans for Prosperity, the Florida Hospital Association, and the Farm Bureau; CS/HB 729 to authorize veterinary professional associates to perform limited duties under veterinarian supervision, with testimony from veterinarians and advocates citing access and workforce shortages; and HB 311, a right-to-repair bill for motorized wheelchairs, which drew strong support from disability advocates who described long repair delays, high costs, and the impact on independence and health. Rep. Tramont praised the wheelchair repair bill during debate, and the committee voted it favorably. Finally, the committee passed CS/HB 1549, an Office of Financial Regulation agency bill intended to help regulate financial institutions more efficiently, and CS/HB 715, which allows licensed roofing contractors to perform roof-to-wall connections during reroof or repair projects and extends the emergency cancellation window to 180 days after a declared emergency. HB 715 was amended to require a contract notice advising property owners to verify insurance coverage before signing when the work is tied to an insurance claim. Roofing industry groups and home inspection representatives supported the measure as a way to reduce costs and improve wind mitigation. At the end of the meeting, the chair announced the agenda was complete and the committee rose.

Transcript Highlights:

• It will provide local governments the ability to expedite remediation of water quality, improved impairments
• now have an abundance of scientific evidence linking for it to increase risk of neurocognitive impairment

Transcript Highlights:

• SSDI supports some of the most vulnerable Americans who have severe and long-lasting medical impairments
• </c><00:23:01.600><c> that</c> longlasting medical impairments that longlasting medical impairments that
• As a child, this progressive neurodegenerative disease impaired his coordination, his balance, his speech
• /c><02:00:43.360><c> his</c><02:00:43.599><c> coordination,</c><02:00:44.400><c> his</c> disease impaired
• his coordination, his disease impaired his coordination, his balance<02:00:44.960><c> in</c><02:00:45.199

Bills: HB8884 , HCR89

Keywords: Iran, war powers, War Powers Resolution, hostilities, military force, Congressional authorization, declaration of war, AUMF, foreign policy, national security, self-defense, U.S. Armed Forces, Middle East, executive war powers, troop withdrawal, intelligence sharing, counterintelligence, diplomatic facilities, regional security, anti-war resolution

Transcript Highlights:

• As a patrol deputy, I have seen it in vehicles on traffic stops and in the possession of impaired drivers
• I have interacted with community members on calls for service who have attested to the impairing and
• </c><01:36:02.880><c> I</c><01:36:03.040><c> have</c><01:36:03.199><c> interacted</c> of impaired drivers
• I have interacted of impaired drivers.
• and addictive effects of I impairing and addictive effects of I have<01:36:10.560><c> been</c><01:36

Bills: SF0071 , SF0088 , SF0056

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• much detail as to what do we do in the case of a RIS pool that gets into some sort of financial impairment
• this amendment further clarifies and puts some more structure into the insolvency and financial impairment
• <c> situation</c><02:01:07.400><c> and</c><02:01:07.560><c> what's</c><02:01:07.760><c> the</c> impairment
• situation and what's the impairment situation and what's the process<02:01:08.960><c> in</c><02:01:09.320
• </c><02:01:40.320><c> some</c> insolvency and financial impairment some insolvency and financial impairment

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the largest reasons for this impairment is our phosphorus levels.
• </c><00:23:40.440><c> one</c><00:23:40.600><c> of</c><00:23:40.760><c> the</c> designated as impaired
• one of the designated as impaired one of the largest<00:23:41.360><c> reasons</c><00:23:41.720><c> for
• </c><00:23:41.880><c> this</c><00:23:42.039><c> impairment</c><00:23:42.760><c> is</c> largest reasons
• for this impairment is largest reasons for this impairment is our<00:23:43.240><c> phosphorus</c> our

Bills: HF458 , HF459 , HF461 , HF449 , HF450 , HF965 , HF1280 , HF612 , HF615 , HF616 , HF622 , HF650 , HF651 , HF1045 , HF972 , HF851 , HF644 , HF1050

Committee: House Capital Investment

Keywords: HF458, Henderson, water treatment facility, drinking water, municipal water, public infrastructure, capital investment, state bonds, bonding bill, Public Facilities Authority, water distribution system, well connection, local government grant, Minnesota capital budget, HF459, Carver levee, City of Carver, levee restoration, flood control, flood mitigation

Transcript Highlights:

• Ninety percent of individuals with Parkinson's have or will have a speech or voice impairment.
• </c> will have a speech or voice impairment will have a speech or voice impairment we<00:48:56.040><c
• </c> the Blind and Visually Impaired the Blind and Visually Impaired community<01:08:08.079><c> Through
• With this funding, we aim to screen over 20,000 for vision impairments and provide free prescription
• and provide free for vision impairments and provide free prescription<03:44:08.720><c> glasses</c><03

Transcript Highlights:

• We have those that are deaf and hard of hearing or visually impaired.
• This ensures that state deaf and hard of hearing, visually impaired, and ESL assistants have full access
• We have those that are deaf and hard of hearing or visually impaired.
• This ensures that state deaf and hard of hearing, visually impaired, and ESL assistants have full access
• and ESL assistants have full impaired and ESL assistants have full access<01:02:25.520><c> to</c><01

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• Disabled and neurodivergent folks, and people with intellectual disabilities, cognitive impairments,
• Rather, they tend to stem from impulsive emotional reactions, impaired judgment, and social stresses,
• reactions, impaired judgment, especially due<01:23:51.040><c> to</c><01:23:51.199><c> the</c><01:23:
• reactions,</c> stem from impulsive emotional reactions, stem from impulsive emotional reactions, impaired
• judgment, and social stresses, impaired judgment, and social stresses, or<01:24:53.360><c> some</c><

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Louisiana School for the Blind back in the 70s, later called the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired
• Louisiana School for the Blind back in the 70s later called the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired
• And those of us who are blind or visually impaired, the numbers of employment are much less than what
• the Blind, we get the privilege of serving about 2,200 to 2,300 people who are blind or visually impaired
• People who are blind or visually impaired every year.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on several budget requests tied to health and human services. Louisiana Children’s Advocacy Centers asked for continued support and a supplemental appropriation of $1.173 million for infrastructure and standardization, explaining that the money would expand use of the Guardify digital evidence system, improve chain of custody, and reduce reliance on DVDs. Baton Rouge and statewide CAC leaders said prior funding helped eliminate a therapy wait list and speed services for abused children. Members asked detailed questions about the digital system, MDT coordination, and how the request related to SB 237, which would strengthen multidisciplinary review of child abuse cases. The Alzheimer’s Association sought $824,000 to sustain the dementia care specialist program, saying it helps families navigate services, keep loved ones at home longer, and reduce Medicaid costs. AARP and the Live at Home Coalition also testified for 750 additional Community Choice waiver slots at a state cost of $3.3 million, arguing that home- and community-based care is cheaper than nursing homes and that the current wait list is more than 11,000 people. Legislators discussed the size of the need, the state’s long-term care spending mix, and whether more support should go to family caregivers and community-based options. Testimony also focused on disability support services, substance use treatment, and developmental disability provider rates. A parent and direct support worker described the Children’s Choice waiver’s 20-hour cap and low pay, saying it makes it hard to retain caregivers and meet the needs of medically fragile children. Odyssey House and O’Brien House asked for higher Medicaid reimbursement rates under ASAM 4, warned that removal of room-and-board payments and weak Medicaid eligibility pathways are reducing access, and called for more oversight of sober living homes; members questioned outcomes data, length of stay, and links to homelessness. Finally, the Arc of Louisiana said the LDH rate study confirmed underfunding and supported a $53.6 million increase in state general funds, with local ARC leaders describing the services they provide and the need for higher direct support professional wages.

Transcript Highlights:

• provided in current law, and also adds that this harm may be due to caregiver incapacity and substance impairment
• , among other things. may be due to caregiver incapacity and substance impairment among other things
• since 1990, the city of Seattle was sued because its transportation system was failing the mobility impaired
• the current law, and also adds that this harm may be due to caregiver incapacity and substance impairment
• , among other things. ...and substance impairment, among other things.

Summary: The committee first received staff briefings on amendments for a series of bills, including measures on child care workforce standards, homelessness programs, community preservation authorities, domestic violence survivor relief, public defense funding, student behavioral health supports, water system ownership changes, nonprofit health carrier surplus assessments, 340B drug pricing reporting, Secretary of State filing fees, step housing, campaign security reimbursements, digital equity programs, a Boys and Men’s Commission, a waste-to-energy facility’s Climate Commitment Act obligations, 6PPD tire substitutes, and an early education scholarship. Staff described the policy changes and, where available, the expected fiscal effects of each proposed substitute or line amendment. The committee then went into caucus before returning for executive session. In executive session, the committee voted out House Bill 1073, then adopted a Couture line amendment to House Bill 1128 exempting private K-12 schools with licensed child care programs from the child care employer definition before reporting the bill out as Second Substitute House Bill 1128. House Bill 1316, 1408, 1591, 1592, 1634, 1906, 1960, 2073, 2145, 2248, 2266, 2301, 2333, and 2365 were also reported from committee, with several amendments adopted along the way. Notable actions included adopting an emergency clause for House Bill 1408, rejecting proposed amendments to House Bill 1591 that would have narrowed relief for survivors and removed retroactivity, adopting a narrower amendment to House Bill 1592’s public defense funding formula, and adopting a substitute to House Bill 2145 that limited 340B reporting to hospitals. The committee also debated and rejected several amendments to the step housing bill, House Bill 2266, including proposals for larger school/daycare buffers, more local oversight, and broader local government authority; the bill still advanced on a 16-13 vote. House Bill 2073, which requires nonprofit health carriers to contribute surplus funds to Cascade Care Savings, advanced over concerns about using one-time money for an ongoing program. House Bill 2248 advanced after an amendment redirected annual license fee deposits to the state treasury rather than the Secretary of State’s revolving fund. House Bill 2333 was narrowed to allow use of campaign funds for personal security reimbursements, and House Bill 2365 advanced with some amendments adopted and others rejected as the committee began discussing additional digital equity oversight provisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• right<00:47:58.079><c> now</c><00:47:58.520><c> we</c><00:47:58.720><c> have</c><00:47:59.480><c> impairment
• </c><00:48:00.480><c> we</c><00:48:00.640><c> have</c> right now we have impairment we have right now
• we have impairment we have distraction<00:48:01.559><c> which</c><00:48:01.680><c> we</c><00:48:01.839
• We all know that we have an issue with impairment.
• and there, with sometimes even the executive counselors, to find and address ways to deal with impairment

Summary: The Transportation Committee met in executive session on several House bills. HB 212, allowing a 180-day operation waiver when a vehicle fails an emissions test, was retained at the sponsor’s request for possible modifications. HB 249, which would have let bicyclists treat stop signs as yields and stop lights as stop signs, was recommended inexpedient to legislate (ITL) by a 9-7 vote, with a minority report expected. The committee then retained HB 298, creating an exception for removing VIN tags from pre-1981 vehicles when needed for repair or restoration, by a 15-1 vote. HB 411-FN, making handheld device use while driving a secondary offense, was recommended ITL by consent after members argued the current primary-offense law is more effective for enforcement and safety. On HB 414, which would have barred DMV license suspensions based on debts owed to private towing or storage companies, the committee rejected ITL and instead retained the bill 16-0 after members split over whether the current law unfairly ties driving privileges to private debt collection. HB 441, addressing visible diesel emissions and “rolling coal,” was recommended ITL 16-0 because members said the conduct is already illegal under existing state and federal law. The committee then took up HB 461, concerning Department of Safety and DMV training and testing materials, where members debated whether driver testing should be limited to English and whether multilingual materials are a safety necessity or discriminatory; the transcript cuts off before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mental illness means a substance impairment of emotional processes or of the ability to exercise conscious
• control of one’s actions or of the ability to perceive reality or to reason when the impairment is manifested
• He highlighted this next section: it does not include impairment primarily caused by intellectual disability
• The problem is that the definition of mental illness excludes impairment primarily caused by intellectual
• health services framework to ensure individuals experiencing a behavioral crisis, and whose primary impairment

Committee: House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• For over 50 years, California has struggled to reduce impaired driving.
• because at least one person in this room has lost or knows someone who has lost a loved one to alcohol-impaired
• because at least one person in this room has lost or knows someone who has lost a loved one to alcohol-impaired
• Thank you. ...impaired driving. I can guarantee it.

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard several bills focused on active transportation, transit, road safety, and local enforcement. SB 569 would restrict removal or downgrading of bikeways built with state General Fund dollars for at least 20 years, require public hearings before major changes, and was supported by bicycle advocates and some local and environmental groups. The City of Encinitas opposed the bill, arguing it could limit needed safety fixes and should apply only to future projects; committee members discussed whether the bill still allowed safety-based modifications. The bill passed on a due pass vote to Appropriations. SB 741 would streamline the Low-Carbon Transit Operations Program by reducing administrative burden and giving transit agencies more flexibility to use funds for service improvements, fare programs, and other transit needs while maintaining oversight and disadvantaged community requirements. Transit agencies and advocacy groups supported the measure, saying it would help agencies respond to post-pandemic ridership and financial challenges. The committee approved the bill on a due pass as amended vote to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 1167, which would tighten consumer protections by clarifying that high-powered e-motos and similar motor vehicles are not e-bikes, requiring clearer disclosures and labels, and improving crash reporting. Supporters said the bill would reduce confusion and improve safety for riders, pedestrians, and parents; the Motorcycle Industry Council opposed unless amended, arguing the term “e-bike” is used broadly and the bill could affect existing businesses. The bill passed to Appropriations. Later, SB 953, dealing with vehicular manslaughter cases dismissed through misdemeanor diversion, would add DMV points so fatal conduct remains reflected on driving records; the bill was supported by the victim’s family and safety advocates and passed to Appropriations. The committee then heard SB 1218, which would let local agencies boot vehicles tied to repeated unpaid illegal dumping citations instead of using DMV enforcement. Oakland officials and community groups supported the bill as a needed deterrent, while the ACLU opposed it as punitive debt collection without a sufficient nexus to the vehicle. The bill passed to Appropriations. Finally, SB 739 would revise the Clean Miles Standard for rideshare companies by allowing CARB and CPUC to adjust electric vehicle mileage targets in light of current market conditions; Uber and Lyft supported the flexibility, while clean air advocates began raising concerns about weakening climate goals as the transcript cut off.

Transcript Highlights:

• demonstrating that higher levels of the endocrine-disrupting chemical DEHP, as well as its metabolites, impair
• disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, seizures, heart attack, hypertension, and cognitive impairment
• to learn, socialize, and navigate the world, but when we introduce substances into their body that impair
• What children in the U.K. can enjoy without disruption, children here consume with chemicals that impair

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Health

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health held a lengthy hearing to take testimony on a wide range of bills related to environmental health, PFAS, medical device chemicals, food access, lead poisoning, air quality, oral health, and school food additives. Chair Driscoll and Chair Decker emphasized that the hearing was for testimony only, no decisions would be made that day, and that written testimony could still be submitted. They also noted the high volume of speakers and asked witnesses to keep remarks brief. A major portion of the hearing focused on PFAS-related legislation, including bills to restrict PFAS in products and food packaging and to create a PFAS remediation trust fund. Municipal officials and advocates described the high costs of PFAS cleanup, especially for drinking water systems, citing Easton’s multimillion-dollar treatment investments and rate increases. Testimony from legislators and advocates argued that Massachusetts should act despite federal uncertainty, and that the state should stop PFAS at the source rather than leaving municipalities and residents to pay for remediation. The committee also heard strong support for a bill banning DEHP in medical devices, with physicians, nurses, and a bill sponsor saying the chemical can leach from IV bags and tubing and that safer alternatives already exist. The committee also heard testimony on bills to establish statewide food truck permitting, with food truck owners and a senator describing the current system as costly, duplicative, and inconsistent across municipalities. Another set of witnesses supported the “Bean New Deal,” which would expand plant-based food options in public institutions, senior nutrition programs, and WIC, citing health, equity, and cost savings. On lead poisoning, housing advocates and a representative backed bills to expand lead-safe housing requirements to all rental units, arguing the current law contributes to discrimination against families with children and leaves too much pre-1978 housing uncertified. The committee also heard support for an outdoor air pollution bill that would create an advisory committee, identify pollution hotspots, expand monitoring, and set reduction targets, with testimony from environmental justice groups, pediatricians, and legislators describing disproportionate asthma and other health harms in overburdened communities. Later testimony addressed oral health bills to create dental therapists and allow dental hygienists to administer nitrous oxide, with supporters saying the measures would expand access, reduce costs, and help underserved patients. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to prohibit harmful food dyes in competitive school foods, with parents describing behavioral and health concerns tied to synthetic dyes. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• contractor disputes, where there was a plaintiff that had reckless driving in any way, whether that's an impairment
• whether um, reckless driving in any way, whether that's<00:50:59.160><c> an</c><00:50:59.280><c> impairment
• </c><00:50:59.960><c> from</c><00:51:00.400><c> from</c> that's an impairment from from that's an impairment

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• for folks who can no longer drive or maybe shouldn't drive anymore, for folks that have vision impairments
• .for folks who can no longer drive or maybe shouldn't drive anymore, for folks that have vision impairments
• And also, I want to lift up accessibility requirements for hearing- and seeing-impaired people.
• these are operating, but just making sure that those are requirements so somebody who is seeing-impaired

Summary: The committee held a work session on autonomous vehicles, beginning with an overview from the Washington State Transportation Commission on the state’s five-year AV work group. The commission described its 2018 legislative mandate, the 35-member executive committee and seven subcommittees, and the resulting 29 recommendations and “roadmap to the future.” The presentation emphasized six policy “building blocks” for Washington: agency readiness, public outreach, equity, safety, testing and pilots, and a path to deployment. It also noted current Washington law requires AV testing companies to self-certify with the Department of Licensing, carry $5 million in liability insurance, report collisions and violations, and notify local law enforcement before testing; three companies are currently certified. State regulators from California and Arizona then outlined their AV frameworks. California described its long-running permit system for testing with and without a safety driver and for commercial deployment, its current rulemaking to expand use cases to heavy-duty trucks and passenger shuttles, and new requirements for mileage, operational assessments, and more detailed crash and incident reporting. California also said it is creating a new enforcement tool allowing citations to be issued to manufacturers for moving violations by AVs. Arizona described its executive-order-based approach, later codified by statute, which allows testing and driverless operations through self-certification, law enforcement interaction plans, quarterly meetings with companies, and reporting of crashes or near misses; Arizona also said it tracks crashes monthly and has not recorded fatalities attributed to AVs. Industry representatives from Waymo, Zoox, and the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association argued that AVs can improve safety, accessibility, and mobility while creating jobs. They described extensive sensor systems, community outreach, first-responder engagement, and current operations in multiple cities. Waymo cited more than 127 million rider-only miles and said its data show large reductions in injury-causing and pedestrian crashes; Zoox said it operates in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Seattle and stressed its purpose-built electric robotaxi and local jobs; AVIA said its members have driven more than 145 million autonomous miles and that 26 states now expressly authorize driverless operations. Members asked about public education, crash and fatality tracking, enforcement, weather, school zones, first-responder interactions, and labor impacts. Labor and public-safety witnesses from the Teamsters, firefighters, and driver unions opposed commercial AV deployment without stronger safeguards. They argued Washington should not be an unregulated testing ground, especially for heavy trucks and hazardous materials, and warned of job losses for drivers, taxi and rideshare workers, and related occupations. Firefighters and driver representatives raised concerns about AVs interfering with emergency scenes, blocking responders, and creating risks in dynamic roadway incidents. Committee members also asked for comparisons to human-driven vehicles, data on citations and crashes, and more information on how AVs interact with pedestrians, first responders, and workers.

Transcript Highlights:

• EPA has what they call their 303(d) lists, which are impaired or polluted streams, and Oklahoma has 700
• staff, and the testing that we do, will accept that as a success story and take it off of their impaired
• staff, and the testing that we do, will accept that as a success story and take it off of their impaired
• staff, and the testing that we do, will accept that as a success story and take it off of their impaired

Committee: House A&B Natural Resources Subcommittee

Summary: The meeting began with a budget presentation from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. Secretary Blaine Arthur and Deputy Commissioner Jan Lee described the agency’s divisions and recent efforts to improve efficiency, including expanded online licensing, electronic veterinary inspection certificates, and a new laboratory information system. They highlighted youth and workforce programs, local food initiatives for schools, market development efforts, and ongoing animal health concerns such as avian influenza, equine herpesvirus, and the threat of New World screwworm. They also discussed staffing, turnover, and uncertainty around federal cooperative agreement funding, while noting they were not requesting new or additional appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year. Members asked about meat inspection staffing, the use of one-time forestry firefighting funds, biosecurity and national security coordination, and agency staffing levels. The department said meat inspection was currently in good shape but dependent on federal funding stability, and explained that prior firefighting dollars had been used for equipment purchases. They also said they work with state and federal partners, including DHS and FBI, on threat preparedness and have reduced turnover by adjusting salaries and maintaining staffing at or below prior levels. The Oklahoma Conservation Commission then presented its budget and program overview. Staff described the agency’s long history and current work in water quality, flood control, soil health, unpaved roads, wetlands, and woody species control, especially eastern red cedar removal. They emphasized data-driven, voluntary conservation practices, citing stream cleanups, flood-control dam benefits, pond cleanouts during drought, and the Cherry-Peach watershed project as examples of programs that improve water resources and reduce wildfire risk. The agency said its workload has grown significantly and requested funding for critical dam repairs, local conservation district staffing, continued unpaved roads work, and expansion of woody species control statewide. Members asked about county matching for road and dam projects, who to contact about flooding roads, sediment removal from pond cleanouts, and the effectiveness of county training programs. Commission staff explained that county in-kind work can count as match, local conservation districts are the first point of contact, and the road training has produced measurable savings and better maintenance practices. They also clarified that “high hazard” dams are those where failure could threaten people or infrastructure downstream, not necessarily dams that are structurally failing.