Video & Transcript : 'uncertified educators' :
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MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Public Service Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Public Service
Transcript Highlights:
- I came from the education space as a principal, and I can't tell you every year we were short-staffed
- wake of free community college through Mass Educate and Mass Reconnect.
- And while the legislature debates, our members, the people who keep public higher education running,
- People who keep public higher education running are left in limbo.
- These unnecessary delays send a harmful message that the people who educate and support thousands of
Committee:
Joint Joint Committee on Public Service
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Public Service heard testimony on a wide range of retirement, municipal workforce, and public employee labor bills. Early testimony focused on H. 2749, a Plymouth home rule petition to classify Plymouth harbormaster employees as Group 4 for retirement purposes. Supporters, including local officials and retirement board representatives, argued the employees perform law-enforcement and rescue duties comparable to police and fire personnel, that the change would be fair, and that it would have little or no fiscal impact on the town. A separate harbormaster-related bill, H. 2743, was also introduced later in the hearing.
The committee also heard testimony on provisions of the Municipal Empowerment Act (H. 56), including a temporary critical-shortage exemption allowing retired state or municipal employees to return to work in hard-to-fill positions, and a renewed OPEB commission to study retiree health care costs. Administration and municipal officials said the measures were needed to address staffing shortages and rising benefit liabilities, while emphasizing the shortage exemption would be time-limited and require proof of recruitment efforts. Related retirement bills drew support and caution: advocates for higher COLA bases and enhanced COLA benefits urged relief for retirees, but some asked the committee to wait for recommendations from the special COLA commission before acting.
A major portion of the hearing concerned labor rights at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Union representatives and employees backed bills to extend just-cause protections, promotional rights, and collective bargaining rights to MWRA and CPCS workers, arguing they currently lack protections available to most other public employees. Testimony described unfair discipline, delayed promotions, and high turnover, and committee members indicated prior favorable action on similar MWRA bills and expressed support for addressing CPCS labor rights. The committee also heard from representatives of the Massachusetts Municipal Association and public higher education employees in support of H. 2820, which would require timely funding of ratified state employee contracts, with witnesses describing long delays in receiving negotiated raises and back pay. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair repeatedly invited written testimony and closed each panel after questions.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- There was an amendment on this bill, presented and adopted in the House Committee on Education.
- I think it's another thing that we need to do for our educators.
- So I think for those men educators, this would be extremely helpful.
- One educator says she gave birth to premature twins and had to return to work before her babies were
- So I think for those men educators, this would be extremely helpful.
Committee:
House Appropriations
Summary:
The House Appropriations Committee met on May 26, 2026, and first took up Senate Bill 433, which would provide Medicaid coverage for certain weight-loss medications. After adopting a House amendment adding customary subject-to-appropriation language, the committee heard from LDH Secretary Bruce Greenstein, who said the state currently spends about $240 million a year on GLP-1 drugs for Medicaid patients with obesity and certain other conditions, and that the bill would let the department expand coverage gradually while controlling costs and negotiating better pricing. Members spoke in strong support, and SB 433 was reported favorable as amended.
The committee then considered Senate Bill 157, which creates paid parental leave for eligible public K-12 educators and staff. An amendment was adopted to adjust fund language and make the bill proper for Appropriations. Senator Jenkins and supporters, including the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, described the bill as providing six weeks of paid leave for birth, adoption, fostering, and related family-building events, while members discussed whether medical leave should also be included and confirmed the leave applies to fathers as well. The bill drew broad support and was reported favorable as amended.
Senate Bill 250, requiring the Office of Group Benefits to offer a comprehensive weight management plan with employees paying the full premium and medication costs, was briefly discussed and reported favorable without objection. The committee then spent considerable time on Senate Bill 237, a child welfare measure from Senator Barrow that would expand notification, access, and investigative procedures for the Child Ombudsman and DCFS, including child-on-child sexual abuse cases and multidisciplinary fatality reviews. Members and agency officials debated the fiscal note, with estimates ranging from about $525,000 to $3.2 million and disagreement over whether some costs were already covered or could be absorbed; after a roll call, the bill passed 10-9 and was reported favorable as amended.
Finally, the committee began Senate Bill 155, which requires insurance coverage for medically necessary dental care tied to cancer treatment. Senator Talbot and medical and cancer advocacy witnesses said the bill would remove a barrier to timely chemotherapy or radiation and could prevent more expensive complications later. Members expressed support and discussed a relatively small fiscal note, but the transcript cuts off before final action on the bill.
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
House and Governmental Affairs Apr 14th, 2026
House and Governmental Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- And I'll be really clear about this: most of higher education is not funded by tax dollars.
- Most of higher education is funded by tuition.
- From the other side of the table, you get a real education in open meeting law.
- I've been trying to follow and get an education through the context clues.
- So a lottery, you go An education through the context clues.
Committee:
House House and Governmental Affairs
Keywords:
juror confidentiality, public records, criminal procedure, privacy, court disclosure, intercollegiate athletics, confidentiality, revenue sharing, student athletes, official journal, public notices, government transparency, local government, municipal website, school board notices, parish council, police jury, special districts, levee district, drainage district
MS
Transcript Highlights:
- But we also need a lot of education of our members both on the Senate side and the House side to understand
- But we also need a lot of education of our members both on the Senate side and the House side to understand
- But we also need a lot of education of our members both on the Senate side and the House side to understand
- But we also need a lot of education of our members both on the Senate side and the House side to understand
- </c><00:27:55.679><c> of</c> But we also need a lot of education of But we also need a lot of education
Committee:
Joint Technology
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations. (3-17-26)
Licensing & Occupations
Transcript Highlights:
- Um, this just improves um transparency and allows individuals to find out before they invest in education
- </c> find out before they invest in education find out before they invest in education whether<00:03:
- Don't get in their continuing education.
- </c><00:19:46.720><c> It</c> engaged um in social work education.
- It engaged um in social work education.
Committee:
Senate Licensing & Occupations
WV
West Virginia 2026 Regular Session
Senate in Session Mar 14th, 2026 at 05:55 pm
West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- As someone with a long career in the legal profession, I'm sure he found that experience educational.
- So I want to thank you for advancing the cause of higher education and health care in West Virginia.
- And I have appreciated spending time in our education suite together for four years.
- Last year when I first came to the Senate, I was on the Education Committee.
- Committee and talk about the staff and the Education Committee and the Finance Committee, you realize
Summary:
The Senate first handled several House amendments to Senate bills and passed them, including SB 194 updating the definition of disabled veteran taxpayer, SB 499 requiring toxicology tests in auto accidents, SB 672 on Real Estate Commission licensing discipline, SB 724 on home confinement officers and the EMS retirement system, SB 897 on alcohol and drug counselor licensure, and SB 982 creating the Neighborhood Access Road Program. In each case, the chamber agreed to the House changes and then passed the bill, with some measures also given effective dates, including SB 724 effective July 1, 2026 and SB 648 effective from passage. The Senate also concurred in amendments to SB 197, doubling penalties for sex crimes against minors, and SB 648, which removed restrictions on foreign entities in the Strategic and Critical Resources Act.
The chamber then took up a series of additional bills and conference actions. It appointed a conference committee on HB 4588 after refusing to recede from its amendment. The Senate passed HB 4009, the Portable Benefit Account Act, after adopting a Banking and Insurance committee strike-and-insert amendment that moved the program to the Division of Labor, expanded portable benefit definitions, and made technical changes. Later, the Senate also passed SB 182 on annexation by minor boundary adjustment after amending the House changes to allow one annexation per year instead of one every two years, and it passed HB 5101 increasing strangulation penalties, HB 4364 on juvenile offender bail and counsel language, HB 4412 on age verification for certain websites, HB 5564 on deputy sheriff vacation carryover, HB 4138 on sex offender registration fees, HB 4951 after receding from its earlier amendment on continuing education, SB 4 after receding from its amendment, SB 389 after refusing to concur in a House amendment that would have stripped the bill, SB 927 on beekeeping and municipal regulation, and HB 5214 on drug testing for parents before reunification.
A major portion of the meeting was devoted to Senate Resolution 67 honoring Senator Michael Andrew Woelfel and Senate Resolution 68 honoring Senator Charles Houston Clements. Numerous senators gave extended remarks praising Woelfel’s legal skill, candor, mentorship, and service, and Clements’s long service, institutional knowledge, steadiness, and friendship. Both resolutions were adopted by roll call votes, with SR 67 passing 34-0 and SR 68 passing 33-1. After the resolutions, the Senate recessed briefly to present the outgoing senators with resolutions and flags flown over the Capitol.
WV
West Virginia 2026 Regular Session
Senate in Session Mar 14th, 2026 at 05:55 pm
West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- As someone with a long career in the legal profession, I'm sure he found that experience educational.
- So I want to thank you for advancing the cause of higher education and health care in West Virginia.
- And I have appreciated spending time in our education suite together for four years.
- I appreciated spending time in our education suite together for four years.
- DOs to complete continuing education. The message will be received. Senator from Lewis.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
House Budget Review Sub. on General Government (2-12-26)
Transcript Highlights:
- We license all the agencies, and we license all the EMS education institutes in Kentucky.
- The second is a $2.1 million workforce education grant that would have funded what was known as House
- since the rural health transformation funding rolled out, it appears that we're going to have some education
- </c><00:02:24.239><c> grant</c> $2.1 million workforce education grant $2.1 million workforce education
- dollars in there to kind of education dollars in there to kind of launch<00:02:45.280><c> some</c><00
Keywords:
Meeting Start 00:00:00
Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) 00:00:53
Approval of Minutes 00:23:37, 958, all
Summary:
The Kentucky Board of EMS presented an additional budget request focused on grant funding for local EMS agencies, not agency operations. Officials said the board has 13 full-time staff after losing employees in the 2022 transition back to state government, and that the request would be a 100% pass-through to providers. They initially described two requests totaling $12.91 million: $10.8 million for the EMS block grant and $2.1 million for workforce education tied to House Bill 484, but later said they would withdraw the $2.1 million request because rural health transformation funding appears likely to cover those education needs.
Most of the testimony explained why the EMS block grant should be increased. The board said the grant began in 1980 at about $1.2 million and has remained largely unchanged while EMS costs have risen sharply. They cited higher prices for ambulances, stretchers, and cardiac monitors, along with increased labor and reimbursement pressures. Board members emphasized that modern EMS now provides much more advanced care in the field, especially in rural areas, and argued that equipment such as 12-lead cardiac monitors can significantly improve patient outcomes. They said the current grant provides about $10,000 per county, while the request would raise funding to about $100,000 per county and increase the per-capita amount from roughly 26 cents to $2.60.
Members also discussed whether the block grant statute should be reformed to target need more directly. Board officials said they had considered making the grant more competitive, but decided against it for now because many counties rely on the annual funding and shifting money away from some areas would create hardship. In response to questions, they said Kentucky has about 160 class one EMS agencies providing 911 response across 120 counties, and that grant awards in recent years reached 91 counties, then 108, then 110 counties. They also highlighted the cost and safety benefits of power loading systems for stretchers, saying they can reduce back injuries and help retain EMS workers, but are often unaffordable for smaller departments.
No votes were taken on the budget request during the hearing. After the testimony and questions, the committee approved the minutes from the prior meeting by motion and second, with no opposition, and then adjourned.
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
02/03/2026 - House Democratic Caucus Calendar #3
Transcript Highlights:
- Madam Chair and members, HB 2060 prohibits public educational institutions from encouraging or facilitating
- as rules to provide the scope of practice, core competencies, and describe and define reasonable education
- It delays the date by which a local education agency must receive scores and data from student statewide
- Madam Chair and members, HB 2203 requires the Department of Education to review each statutory reporting
- Madam Chair and members, HB 2203 requires the Department of Education to review each statutory reporting
Summary:
The caucus reviewed a long minority calendar covering a wide range of bills, with sponsors giving brief descriptions and members frequently raising concerns about constitutionality, cost, federal preemption, and policy impacts. Topics included medical intervention and vaccination/mask prohibitions, state treasurer investment rules, vacant state positions reporting, shooting range closure limits, congressional term limits, audit penalties, cellphone use while driving, procurement restrictions tied to China, air ambulance regulation, hospital immigration-status reporting, SNAP purchase restrictions, school assessment changes, school contract transparency, religious excusals from school, student contact information, fitness reporting, and several property tax, water, and agriculture measures. Members also discussed bills on AI-generated sexual material consent verification, DEI liability, hate-crime sentencing, commercial driver forfeiture tied to immigration status, speed-limiting devices for repeat speeding offenses, PFAS firefighting foam, name changes for sex offenders, abortion-inducing drugs, prisoner transition services, sexual extortion penalties, solar radiation management bans, and cultivated-cell food labeling and sales bans.
Several bills drew explicit opposition or requests to pull them from consent, especially those affecting abortion access, immigration-related hospital reporting, school testing, religious release programs, DEI policies, and cultivated-cell foods. Members noted that some measures appeared duplicative, overly broad, or likely unconstitutional, and in multiple cases referenced prior vetoes or prior-year versions of the same bills. Supportive comments were also made on selected bills, including the PFAS foam prohibition, the assistive technology study committee, the digital goods consumer protection bill, and the prisoner transition services extension.
The caucus also considered water and infrastructure measures, including brackish groundwater funding and studies, water augmentation authority bonds, Pima County water rates, groundwater transport rules, and HOA drought watering limits. Toward the end, members reviewed election-related memorials and resolutions, including a proposal to limit voting centers, a memorial urging withdrawal from the United Nations, and another urging defunding the IMF; all three were noted as being on consent and were pulled for further discussion. The meeting closed with announcements, including a note about a local missing-person concern and a caucus recognition program called the Affordable Arizona Award.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- Additionally, we've been discussing implementing more continuing education training for all the agents
- so that they understand when their policyholder is canceled. continuing education training for all the
- And really educating—think about who we are educating: young people, right?
- What works is education. So at any rate, that's all I'll say on that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
- We're also presenting on education and raising awareness. It's for career technical education.
Committee:
Senate Senate Finance
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Community Safety Jan 15th, 2026 at 08:00 am
Community Safety
Transcript Highlights:
- It also provides training and educational programs.
- And they are continuing to help us with educating students in schools. ...and on drive.
- And lowering the BAC does educate people about impairment and deters impaired driving.
- I think educate them that it's not okay to do any of that, right? You want a zero BAC?
- This is an educational bill that will save lives, that will save billions, This is an educational bill
Committee:
House Community Safety
Keywords:
criminal justice training commission, CJTC, law enforcement training, peace officer certification, decertification, corrections officer certification, tribal police certification, police accountability, police oversight, public safety, academy training, in-service training, continuing education, use of force, misconduct investigations, disciplinary hearings, administrative law judge, hearing panel, law enforcement standards, background investigations
AR
Transcript Highlights:
- Members, we're moved to item B-3, Treasurer of State, Arkansas Financial Education Commission.
- Also, next month we’ll have both the Department of Education and the Department of Commerce.
- Today we have the Division of Higher Education. Its report is in your packet.
- Courtney Sallis Ford for the Department of Education, Division of Higher Education.
- Division of Higher Education. We have 32 rules in effect.
Committee:
All ALC-ADMINISTRATIVE RULES
Summary:
The Administrative Rules Subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council reviewed several agency rules and requests. It approved without objection an Insurance Department amendment implementing Act 261’s holding company system requirements, two State Board of Election Commissioners rules on poll watchers/provisional voting and certified election monitors, and a Treasurer of State rule removing DEI-related membership requirements to comply with Act 938. The committee also held over for a month a Department of Education request related to excluding a rule from reporting requirements so it could be discussed further with the Department of Commerce.
A major portion of the meeting focused on the Department of Human Services’ request to be excluded from rulemaking for Acts 567, 568, 967, and 1025. DHS said federal CMS guidance created comparability and other issues for the Medicaid-related dental and diagnostic lab provisions, making it difficult to implement the acts as written by their effective dates. DHS outlined possible paths, including broader adult dental coverage, waivers, or splitting the dental rate increase from the special-needs cap increase. The Arkansas State Dental Association disputed DHS’s approach, arguing Act 1025 is workable, that the pediatric rate increase should move forward separately, and that DHS should continue pursuing the law rather than stop rulemaking. Committee members questioned both sides extensively about CMS correspondence, waiver timelines, fiscal impact, and whether the acts could be severed.
After testimony from DHS, the Dental Association, and a public commenter, the committee adopted a motion not to exclude DHS from reporting requirements for Acts 567, 568, 967, and 1025, meaning DHS must continue the normal rulemaking/reporting process. The committee then accepted the Division of Higher Education’s report, which recommended repealing three of its 32 rules and keeping the remaining 29 in effect. It also received routine written updates on older and newer rulemaking items and filed the monthly updates without further action.
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- patients with the convenience of receiving life-changing medical nutrition therapy and diabetes education
- War, Missouri Dental Association, the American Dental Hygienists Association, the American Dental Education
- War, Missouri Dental Association, the American Dental Hygienists Association, the American Dental Education
- War, Missouri Dental Association, the American Dental Hygienists Association, the American Dental Education
- You'd still have to take your CE, your continuing education classes.
Committee:
House Economic Development
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommitee Oct 6th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- I believe we put $10 million in higher education this year to cover costs of dual enrollment.
- Have opportunities for education to increase pay, to have a livable wage within those centers.
- and have doubled our education student enrollment with a focus.
- What is being done to educate the public?
- Well, through the Chair, I think there's a lot that we can be doing education-wise.
NV
Nevada 2025 Regular Session
Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections May 29th, 2025 at 01:00 pm
Legislative Operations and Elections
Transcript Highlights:
- and the Nevada Financial Disclosure Act so that legislative committee staff members may attend educational
- Senate Bill 226 revises the date that a teacher wishing to serve on the Nevada State Teacher and Education
- The bill revises the date by which a teacher wishing to serve on the Nevada State Teacher and Education
- The bill revises the dates by which the State Board of Education must submit and the Joint Interim Standing
- When parents vote, they are voting for their children's education, health care, and overall well-being
Keywords:
election reform, voter accessibility, conditional ballots, voter registration, mechanical voting systems, election audits, voter access grants, provisional ballot, voting technology, AB562, Nevada, Secretary of State, elections, elections management system, HAVA, Help America Vote Act, automatic voter registration, AVR, election technology, state appropriations
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session - part 2 May 9th, 2025
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- So there is CTE which is managed under the Department of Education.
- We have an educated workforce.
- For me, especially as we look at how it intersects with education.
- Or they expect to be paid back for that education.
- And higher education and certainly children and families.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration Apr 1st, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- programs that are there at the moments that matter, from leaving service to seeking employment and education
- California State Approving Agency for Veterans Education, or C-SAFE. Thank you.
- The California State Approving Agency for Veterans Education, or C-SAFE, approves programs of higher
- education across the state so that veterans can use their education benefits such as the GI Bill, and
- They have to show that they're of good moral fortitude, and they have to do continuing education.
Summary:
The Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 on State Administration held an informational hearing on budget issues for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Cannabis Control, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and the California Arts Council. The chair noted there would be no votes. CalVet gave an overview of its programs serving veterans and families, including transition assistance, county veterans service officers, education approvals, housing and homelessness programs, home loans, long-term care homes, and state veterans cemeteries. Members asked about future long-term care needs for aging veterans, staffing and recruitment challenges at veterans homes, and the Yountville steam infrastructure replacement project, for which CalVet sought a $38.8 million reappropriation and said federal reimbursement was expected. CalVet also discussed the role of county veterans service officers in helping veterans file claims and avoid predatory unaccredited representatives.
The Department of Cannabis Control described its regulatory role from seed to sale and requested one position to implement SB 1064’s combined activities license. Members and public witnesses focused heavily on the illicit cannabis market, enforcement staffing, and the impact of taxes and fees on the legal market. DCC said it had roughly 87 enforcement positions with about a 15% vacancy rate and more than 200 compliance staff. Its economist presented the 2024 cannabis market report, which found licensed production and retail quantity were up, but retail value and prices were down, with an estimated 11.4 million pounds of illicit production and about 60% of California consumption still coming from the illicit market. Industry witnesses argued the legal market is in crisis, urged repeal of the scheduled excise tax increase, stronger enforcement against illicit cannabis and hemp-derived intoxicants, and expanded retail access.
The Department of Consumer Affairs briefly presented nine budget proposals, including a $2.6 million ongoing request to maintain a business modernization system for several boards and bureaus. The Commission on the Status of Women and Girls described its work on economic and educational equity, health care, violence prevention, student rights, and archival and outreach projects, and said its budget request would convert limited-term positions to permanent. A member urged the commission to narrow its priorities toward current issues such as affordability, child care, and women’s health. The California Arts Council outlined its role as the state’s only statewide arts funder and requested restoration of $5 million in local assistance; supporters testified that the funding would leverage additional local investment and help sustain arts access, especially in rural communities. The hearing ended after the non-presentation items were noted and no further public comment was offered.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Hearings to examine the nomination of Lori Chavez-DeRemer, of Oregon, to be Secretary of Labor. - Part 2 of 2 Feb 19th, 2025 at 09:00 am
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- To rebuild confidence and strengthen our workforce, we must invest in educational pathways beyond the
- There's nothing that I want more than for business and employers and the education departments to work
- In 2023, during the House Committee on Education, and workforce markup.
- And from the Department of Labor, I couldn't again be more prideful that I had served on educational
- your tenure at the Department of Education?
Keywords:
PRO Act, labor laws, worker rights, unionization, right-to-work, public testimony, political polarization
Summary:
The meeting centered around an in-depth discussion of the PRO Act, with representatives expressing passionate opinions both for and against the legislation. Representative Chavez de Rimmer emphasized the importance of worker freedom, arguing that the PRO Act would infringe upon individual rights by coercing unionization. This perspective was strongly received by members from right-to-work states, who articulated their concerns about the potential erosion of workers' choices and protections. Speaker after speaker conveyed conflicting views on labor laws, indicating a deeply polarized environment surrounding labor issues at the moment.
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
PSM DEFER, PSM Public Hearings 03-20-2026
Public Safety and Military Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- testimony in hearing this bill regarding gun violence protective order support for community and education
- </c><00:05:09.280><c> to</c> community outreach and education to community outreach and education to
- Education is essential for safety.
- Education is essential for safety.
- Education is essential for safety.
Committee:
Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs
Summary:
The Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs took up several measures, beginning with House Bill 2413 on pre-trial reform, which had been deferred from a prior agenda. The chair said the committee would incorporate judiciary recommendations and other technical, non-substantive amendments to continue discussion, and the measure was adopted with amendments by a 2-1 vote, with one member excused.
The committee then heard extensive testimony on House Bill 2062, which appropriates funds for gun violence prevention efforts, including processing temporary restraining orders and gun violence protective orders and funding public awareness campaigns. Supporters, including county, advocacy, law enforcement, and student witnesses, said the bill would improve implementation of an existing law, save lives, and reduce suicides and violence. Opponents argued red flag laws can be abused, raise due process concerns, and may create dangerous enforcement situations. Written testimony was reported as 60 in support, 47 in opposition, and one comment. The committee later passed HB 2062 with amendments, including a corrected effective date, by a 3-1 vote with one member excused.
The committee also considered House Bill 1957 on safe entryways, which would establish enforcement procedures in larger cities to prevent blocking of private doorways and entrances. Written testimony included support and opposition, but no oral testimony was offered, and the bill was passed with technical, non-substantive amendments. House Bill 253 on fireworks, which expands civil asset forfeiture for felony fireworks offenses and clarifies air-delivery provisions, was also passed with an amended effective date. House Bill 2581 on emergency management, which would narrow the definitions of disasters and emergencies, drew testimony both supporting the bill as a check on emergency powers and opposing it as incomplete or too broad in its current form; decision-making on that measure was deferred to the committee’s March 23 meeting. House Bill 2498 on a care home resilience pilot program was also deferred to March 23 after no testimony was offered.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Appropriations Mar 9th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- The report is to include specific data for each district, school, or state tribal education compact school
- I think that it's our legislature's and my duty to make sure that we have a free and appropriate education
- And oftentimes what I found, as I've, as a member of the Education Committee as well, touring some of
- So I'm sure that some of the educators in my district and others probably won't be super thrilled that
- I do see cuts to education. But it doesn't look like tightening the belts.
Summary:
The House Appropriations Committee met in executive session on three bills. For Second Substitute Senate Bill 6182, staff explained it would create an abortion savings program funded by a new assessment on health carriers to support grants for abortion clinical care access. Representative Marshall offered amendments to limit grants to Washington residents, expand eligibility to IVF and fertility providers, prioritize medically underserved areas, and add a 2031 sunset; all were rejected or withdrawn. The committee then voted 18-10 to report the bill out with a do pass recommendation.
For Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6260, staff briefed a striking amendment that would reduce savings in K-12 spending by changing local effort assistance and Running Start limits, prioritizing some transition-to-kindergarten funding, and eliminating inflation increases for National Board bonuses. Members debated a series of amendments on bus depreciation, charter school LEA payments, transition-to-kindergarten funding, and Running Start. Some amendments were adopted, including a bus depreciation change and a Running Start adjustment, while others were rejected. The committee then adopted the striker as amended and reported the bill out 17-12 with a due pass recommendation.
For Substitute Senate Bill 6355, which would establish the Washington Electric Transmission Authority and related board and advisory structures, members considered amendments on rural land-use expertise, eastern Washington board representation, corridor review standards, tribal workgroup removal, and payments in lieu of taxes for transmission facilities. One amendment was withdrawn and the others were rejected except for a landowner/rural expertise amendment that passed. The committee then reported the bill out 18-11 with a due pass recommendation. At the end of the meeting, members exchanged closing remarks thanking staff and colleagues, and the committee adjourned.