Transcript Highlights:

• ranchers and farmers a portion of their cost to transport livestock, livestock products, agricultural commodities
• additionally, are requesting the addition of the words 'and honey' to the definition of agricultural commodity
• There wasn't—just to make sure, in case it's not included, to the definition of agricultural commodity
• There wasn't—just to make sure, in case it's not included, to the definition of agricultural commodity
• There wasn't—just to make sure, in case it's not included, to the definition of agricultural commodity

Summary: The committee first considered three gubernatorial nominations. GM510, Faith Tui Pulotu to the Molokai Irrigation System Water Users Advisory Board, received strong support from the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau, though the nominee was not present online. GM614, Mark Gordon to the Environmental Advisory Council, also drew unanimous support from state and private testifiers; Gordon described his environmental health and safety background and said he could commit the time needed. GM696, James Falconer to the Advisory Board on Pesticides, was supported by the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and the Hawaii Farm Bureau; Falconer discussed his long experience in coffee and sugar, including work responding to coffee leaf rust and the need for timely pesticide tools. All three nominations were recommended for advise and consent and were adopted by four-member votes. The committee then heard several agriculture bills. HB 1603 HD1 would allow the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to extend agricultural park leases without the current county-population restriction; supporters called it an equity measure and asked that it apply to all ag park leases, while the department gave standard testimony. HB 1707 HD1 would create a local agricultural transportation cost reimbursement program; supporters said transportation is a major production cost and suggested amendments to define “necessary supplies” and explicitly include honey. HB 2155 HD1 would establish an agricultural statistics program, with supporters emphasizing the need for better data to guide planning. HB 2594 HD1 would direct a study on insurance coverage for small producers, which supporters linked to recent storm damage and the lack of tailored insurance products. HB 2595 HD1 would create a regional agricultural feasibility and food systems production working group; supporters said it should consider markets as well as crop suitability and regional conditions. Members asked questions about lease competition, transportation reimbursement amounts and anti-double-dipping safeguards, the usefulness of agricultural data, and whether state or federal insurance models could be used as templates. Testifiers generally said the bills would help reduce costs, improve planning, and support small and neighbor-island producers, while noting that implementation details and funding levels would need further work. The committee then voted to pass all five bills with amendments, generally including a deferred effective date of July 1, 2050, and in the case of HB 1707, the committee adopted the suggested amendments to define necessary supplies and add honey to the covered commodities.

Transcript Highlights:

• proposed by the department and will be working closely with this committee and the Senate Privacy, Digital
• Similar to other constitutional rights, such as the right to vote, our right to privacy is not a commodity
• The motion is due pass to the Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection.
• bill has been moved by Senator Richardson please call motion is due pass to the committee on privacy digital

Committee: Senate Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• joint hearing between the Senate and the House Ag Committees to receive those reports from the Ag Commodity
• These require the reports of 14 different agricultural commodity promotion groups.
• joint hearing between the Senate and the House Ag Committees to receive those reports from the Ag Commodity
• entire morning, which is a packed, jammed morning, when you're listening to all the ag, all the commodity
• But I know it's a rallying day for the commodity groups because the evening before they generally have

Committee: Joint Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• However, the Department of Ecology may not identify chemical products used to produce agricultural commodities
• By way of brief background, the Washington Commodity... Farm-to-Food Pantry Program in statute.
• By way of brief background, the Washington Commodity Donation Program was created in 2024 to procure
• Turning to the bill before you, House Bill 2463 makes some modifications to the Washington Commodity
• Throughout the Commodity Donation Grant program in 2025, we had the privilege of working with Northwest

Bills: HB2279 , HB2463 , HB1941 , HB2238

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: PFAS chemicals, agriculture, environmental impact, regulation, food safety, farmers, food security, Washington, support for farmers, cannabis, cooperatives, marijuana industry, HB 2238, HB2238, statewide food security, food security strategy, hunger, food insecurity, food access, food assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• First, it modifies the already existing Washington Commodity Donation Program, and it creates a Farm
• By way of brief background, the Washington Commodity... Farm to Food Pantry Program and statute.
• By way of brief background, the Washington Commodity Donation Program was created in 2024 to procure
• Turning to the bill before you, House Bill 2463 makes some modifications to the Washington Commodity
• Throughout the Commodity Donation Grant program in 2025, we had the privilege of working with Northwest

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee heard public testimony on House Bill 2279, which would require the Department of Agriculture to create a program and criteria to evaluate PFAS chemicals in fertilizers and pesticides. The prime sponsor argued PFAS are persistent “forever chemicals” that are entering soil, water, wildlife, and people, and said Washington should begin acting now rather than waiting for federal action. WSDA said the bill is implementable but would require rulemaking, ongoing staff resources, and likely a 12-month extension to complete stakeholder engagement; it also noted the bill should be clarified to address all pesticides, not just new ones. Agricultural and industry witnesses opposed the bill as duplicative of EPA review and warned it could reduce product availability and put Washington farmers at a competitive disadvantage, while environmental advocates supported it as a needed food-safety and environmental measure. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 2463, which would expand the Washington Commodity Donation Program and create a Farm to Food Pantry Program to help hunger-relief organizations buy Washington-grown food directly from farmers. The sponsor said the bill is part of a broader state response to reduced federal food-security support and is intended to keep families fed by strengthening local food purchasing. Testimony was largely supportive from food banks, food hubs, farmers, AARP, and hunger-relief groups, who said the programs help move surplus produce, dairy, protein, and other products to people in need while supporting local farms and reducing waste. Several witnesses, however, raised concerns about language limiting participation to organizations that “solely” function for food sourcing, saying it could exclude many existing regional organizations and reduce resilience; one tribal representative also requested an amendment to include tribally owned small-scale farms. No action was taken on HB 2463 during the hearing. After the hearings, the committee went into caucus and then held executive session only on House Bill 1941, which authorizes licensed cannabis producers to form agricultural associations for collective processing, handling, and marketing. Supporters said it would help smaller cannabis producers cooperate and prepare for possible federal changes, while opponents argued it was premature given marijuana’s federal status and too broad in scope. The committee approved HB 1941 on a 6-5 vote and reported it out of committee with a do-pass recommendation. House Bill 2238 was deferred to the following day for further review of amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that is this legislature initiated global leadership on digital assets.
• sure that the United States is the leader in blockchain and digital asset technology.
• We've got to turn that around, and the work you did on digital assets will help turn that around.
• It's going to be that way in Wyoming for digital assets. And again, it's because of what you did.
• And again, it's because digital assets.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our staff are not interchangeable commodities.
• spaces, this can be viewed as a form of exclusion against people with disabilities, often known as the digital

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Summary: The Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities held a hearing focused on accessibility-related legislation, with the chairs emphasizing ASL and CART accessibility and asking testifiers to speak slowly and clearly. The committee heard testimony first on H.223/S.130, a bill to establish a livable wage for community-based human service workers by reducing the pay gap with state employees. Providers’ Council, Communities for People, the Key Program, and BAMSI all supported the bill, describing persistent wage disparities, high vacancy and turnover rates, and the impact on continuity of care for children, youth, and families. Witnesses said the bill would help recruitment and retention and stabilize services across the Commonwealth. The committee then heard extensive testimony on H.224/S.160, the ACE Act, which would create a dedicated funding source to improve accessibility in the creative economy. Arts organizations and advocates, including Community Access to the Arts, Abilities Dance Boston, Jacob’s Pillow, the Multicultural Arts Center, Northampton Community Music Center, Mass Creative, Open Door Arts, and Monkey House, described barriers such as inaccessible buildings, lack of ASL interpretation and captioning, inadequate lifts and backstage access, and the high cost of renovations. Testifiers said the bill would help smaller and historic institutions make physical and programmatic improvements and allow people with disabilities to participate as artists, workers, and audiences. The committee also heard testimony on H.4180, which would require DDS to consider neuropsychological evaluations when determining eligibility for intellectual disability services. Parents and advocates argued that IQ cutoffs alone can miss significant functional needs, especially for autistic adults and others with complex developmental profiles, and urged broader access to DDS supports. Additional testimony supported S.101 on closed captioning and telecommunications in public areas, and S.158 on requiring restaurants to have some chairs with arms to better accommodate physically disabled and older patrons. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair adjourned after hearing from the scheduled witnesses and noting a few signups that were not present.

Transcript Highlights:

• be used for emergencies that affect the producers of livestock, poultry, crops, and other farm commodities
• 00:04:14.879><c> other</c><00:04:15.120><c> farm</c><00:04:15.760><c> farm</c><00:04:16.160><c> Commodities
• </c><00:04:17.120><c> so</c> crops and other farm farm Commodities so crops and other farm farm Commodities

Summary: The committee took up House File 1101, which would add $1.5 million to the agricultural emergency account beginning July 1, 2026. Chair Anderson explained that the account was created after the 2015 bird flu outbreak, has been funded in the past, and currently has about $1.2 million remaining. He said the bill would strengthen the state’s ability to respond to livestock disease emergencies and support the Board of Animal Health and Department of Health. Representative Hansen offered the A1 amendment to shift $1.5 million from an unused $4 million dairy line item into the emergency account, arguing the funds were sitting unused, a federal farm bill was uncertain, and the money could help with immediate food testing and emergency response. Chair Anderson opposed the amendment, saying the dairy funds had been set aside for that purpose, he expected federal action in the coming months, and he was unsure the emergency account statute allowed the money to be used for food testing. He recommended a no vote. A roll call was taken on the A1 amendment, and it failed by a vote of 6-7. After brief additional comment in support of the bill, House File 1101 was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• The survey, wetland delineation, market and commodity assessment are completed, and the geotechnical
• assessment</c><00:25:53.360><c> are</c><00:25:53.600><c> completed</c><00:25:54.080><c> and</c> commodity
• assessment are completed and commodity assessment are completed and the<00:25:54.480><c> geotechnical
• new material handler on a separate location in the port in order to be able to unload multiple commodities
• </c><00:35:06.000><c> or</c> to being able to move commodities or to being able to move commodities or

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation met on July 15, 2025, approved the June 4 minutes, and heard updates on aviation and riverport funding programs. Commissioner Mark Carter of the Kentucky Department of Aviation reported on the $200,000 grants for general aviation airports included in House Bill 1, saying the money is being used mainly for hangar projects, fuel trucks, parking lot resurfacing, airport equipment, crew cars, and public education efforts. He said about 25 hangar-related projects were reported, with an estimated 60 T-hangars and four or five box hangars supported, and noted that the grants are often used to match federal funds. He also said the state’s jet fuel tax revenue generates about $23 million annually, up from about $19 million in 2021, and that most airports are now compliant with the ADS-B/VOR-related reporting system required in budget language, which has improved reported operations and may help airports qualify for FAA grants. Members asked about the pace of airport projects, the limited number of contractors for hangar construction, and whether airports could finance hangars themselves. Carter said timing has generally been good, though federal projects have slowed somewhat and contractor capacity remains a challenge, and he said there is no statute preventing airports from financing part or all of a hangar project. Questions also focused on the long-term need for hangars and the effect of the jet fuel cap, with Carter saying general aviation airports still have significant hangar demand and rely on state assistance because hangars are a key revenue source. Jeremy Edgeworth of the Transportation Cabinet and Brian Wright of the Kentucky Association of Riverports then reviewed riverport projects funded through House Bill 265 and House Bill 1. Edgeworth said the cabinet’s riverport grant program awarded $500,000 in each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026 for 13 projects under an 80/20 match, and that House Bill 1 provided $7.5 million per year for public riverports with no local match. He described completed or underway projects at multiple ports, including equipment replacements, dock and road repairs, material handling upgrades, mooring cell rehabilitation, and a waterline loop at Owensboro. He said $12.6 million of the KPRCM funds had been awarded across 20 projects, with about $2.4 million still to be awarded later in the fall. Wright said the riverport investments are helping ports replace aging assets, expand capacity, and match federal dollars, but he also said the statewide capital need remains large, with the current list of top projects already in the $90 million range and longer-term needs still estimated at $60 million to $90 million. Members asked about timelines and future needs, and Edgeworth said many of the larger projects will take two to five years because of permitting and coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• apply to artificial intelligence, and giving celebrities and their families more control of their digital
• What they found was that when you took the same video and digitally altered the background so that it
• What they found was that when you took the same video and digitally altered the background so that it
• monitor individuals to cultural bias that perpetuates stereotypes and ensures cultural erasure across digital
• for a state like California, which is the breadbasket of the country and where water is a limited commodity

Committee: House Privacy and Consumer Protection

Summary: The hearing was an informational session of the Consumer Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee on AI risks and mitigation, with the chair framing the discussion around two areas: automated decision systems used in high-stakes settings and frontier models with broader capabilities. The chair emphasized that California has already passed some targeted AI measures, but broader regulation has stalled, and criticized a proposed federal moratorium on state AI laws as a threat to public safety and state innovation. The hearing was organized into two panels, and members repeatedly returned to the balance between innovation, trust, and guardrails. The first panel focused on automated decision systems and algorithmic discrimination. Princeton professor Arvin Narayanan described predictive AI as often only modestly accurate and prone to reproducing historical bias, citing examples such as welfare fraud, criminal risk tools, hospital discharge predictions, and opaque hiring systems. Alondra Nelson, former White House OSTP official, outlined a spectrum of algorithmic discrimination—allocative harms, surveillance and privacy harms, targeting and profiling, and misrepresentation—using examples from IRS audits, Life360 data sharing, facial recognition misidentification, ad targeting, and health care. Cathy O’Neil described her auditing work as building a “cockpit” for AI systems to identify who could be harmed, measure disparities, and set thresholds; she argued that audits, impact assessments, and transparency can improve systems and reward better actors. Members asked about costs, whether AI is more biased than humans, the availability of auditors, and whether state regulation would drive business away; witnesses responded that compliance costs can be managed, that many harms are already occurring, and that companies often need outside pressure and access for meaningful audits. The second panel turned to frontier models. Joshua Bengio warned that frontier AI capabilities are improving rapidly, with planning and reasoning benchmarks advancing at an exponential pace, while alignment and honesty problems remain unresolved. He cited recent research showing models that appear to deceive trainers, preserve their own goals, or even blackmail in simulated settings, and said these behaviors are especially concerning as systems become more agentic and able to act over time without human oversight. The overall discussion ended with bipartisan remarks from members about the need for California to lead on AI safety, protect consumers, and support innovation in lower-risk uses such as agriculture while imposing stronger oversight in consequential domains like employment, housing, health care, and elections.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a very valuable commodity, and that'll be part of this expansion. Looking forward to that.
• Latex paint recycling in the state has gone from low single digits to 86% thanks to this program.
• And basically, the bill makes Washington less competitive for the digital economy that we're all trying

Bills: HB2515 , HB2343 , HB2301 , HB2272 , HB2367

Committee: House Environment & Energy

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

Transcript Highlights:

• food; and then the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, CSFP, that's commodity food and boxes for seniors
• </c><01:32:28.320><c> food</c> tfap that's government commodity food tfap that's government commodity
• ><c> commodity</c><01:32:33.800><c> food</c><01:32:34.119><c> and</c> program csfp that's commodity food
• food; and then the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, CSFP, that's commodity food and boxes for seniors
• food; and then the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, CSFP, that's commodity food and boxes for seniors

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• but also the transitional skills that provide the necessary agility for sustained success in our digitally-driven
• that warehouse... ... racked five layers high so that we can store a little over 1,000 pallets of commodity
• world-class faculty who conduct transformational research related to each of the state's most important commodities
• Slide 5 shows the breakdown of our leading commodities. However, we'll populate.
• been instrumental in our. affordability and our success efforts, allowing us to achieve those double-digit

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Futures... ...as something that falls under the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
• age. ...keeps the record of the courts and has really pushed it into the digital age.
• We've gone from single-digit attorneys to double-digit in the DA's office, and I think that that's creating
• The recidivism rate for those graduates is in the single digits.
• The recidivism rate for those graduates is in the single digits. It is fantastic.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Summary: The committee first heard an Aging and Long-Term Services Department budget presentation comparing the LFC and executive recommendations. The main differences were in the Aging Network, Adult Protective Services, Program Support, and Long-Term Care Division, especially the executive’s proposed $10 million infusion into the Kiki Savadra Senior Dignity Fund and $6.2 million for expanding New Mexico Care. LFC staff explained that the committee recommendation was lower in general fund and fund-balance use, while the executive emphasized rising senior population needs, meal and transportation costs, and the cost savings of keeping older adults at home. The secretary also reviewed the department’s special requests, including the conference on aging, outreach, emergency preparedness, and the Kiki fund, and described New Mexico Care’s growth, its evaluation results, and the department’s plan to separate Kiki into its own accounting fund. Members largely focused on senior services, rural meal delivery, transportation, caregiver support, and the Kiki fund. Several members urged stronger support for non-metro aging providers and for New Mexico Care, citing its role in keeping seniors out of nursing homes and the program’s reported savings and outcomes. Questions also covered eligibility, background checks for caregivers, respite care, dementia and Alzheimer’s screening, and whether Kiki funds can support home modifications such as ramps. The committee then voted to adopt the LFC recommendation with one executive language change: adding the executive’s page 14 language allowing an additional 12.5% distribution for initial payments to aging network providers at the start of FY27. Representative Dow opposed the motion. The committee then moved to the Attorney General’s budget. LFC staff explained that the office’s budget relies heavily on the Consumer Settlement Fund, with both recommendations reducing general fund revenue while increasing settlement-fund use, and that performance measures were in consensus. The Attorney General said the office was not seeking more general fund, but wanted greater ability to use funds it recovers. He highlighted major consumer and public safety work, including litigation against major social media and AI platforms, a case involving Snapchat and child exploitation/extortion, the statewide crime gun intelligence center, efforts to address oilfield theft, work on missing and murdered Indigenous persons, and efforts to protect federal funds coming into New Mexico.

Transcript Highlights:

• We inspect all of the commodities that I just listed throughout the year.
• So we, we inspect all of the commodities that I just listed throughout the year.
• So we, we, Of the commodities that I just listed throughout the year.
• I can pull the sample. of the commodities that I just listed throughout the year.
• On those three commodities. I hope that helps answer the questions.

Bills: SB47 , SB110 , SB122 , SB143 , SB168

Committee: Senate Senate Conservation

Keywords: food recovery, composting, waste management, solid waste surcharge, organic waste reduction, environment, grants, advisory group, bosque management, Rio Grande, environmental protection, water resources, fiscal appropriation, drinking water, well owners, water testing, water treatment, public health, agriculture, New Mexico Department of Agriculture

Transcript Highlights:

• Commodities?
• More and more food banks are seeing very different commodities coming from their USDA partners.
• The commodity we have to offer you right now is 500 turkeys.
• Fear is what is motivating these changes and speculatory commodities.
• Change is constant, and commodities change. Fear is resulting in violence.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• I was naive enough to believe that we could perhaps create a memorial that covered all ag commodities
• We're a Title I commodity, and so Our cooperatives are authorized to borrow money from the U.S. government
• It's such a global commodity that it's really important to not just advertise locally, but to also go
• It's such a global commodity that it's really important to not just advertise locally, but to also go
• And then all the commodities come together and cost-share our salaries, so it's based on how much time

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• contracts that the state agencies enter into through authorities in chapter 16C for services and commodities
• 00:06:49.920><c> services</c><00:06:50.520><c> and</c><00:06:50.800><c> and</c><00:06:51.360><c> commodities
• </c> um uh for services and and commodities um uh for services and and commodities and<00:06:52.400><

Transcript Highlights:

• They’re altering their commodity so they can get back on the highway.
• I have not actually been physically at either the Los Indios or the Star Commodity Far Bridge, but I
• important thing to point out, it was mentioned earlier, there is a standard for moving fuel and other commodities
• us an opportunity to potentially shed some light on how legitimate commerce can continue in every commodity
• Like the Star Commodity Bridge, obviously we...

Bills: SB290 , SB2949

Committee: House Energy Resources

Keywords: LP-gas, property owner notice, natural resources, gas installations, safety notification, motor fuel, fuel transport, fuel export, transloading, export fuel transloading facility, fuel terminal, terminal operator, comptroller, Texas Tax Code, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, TCEQ, Department of Public Safety, DPS, border security, ports of entry

Transcript Highlights:

• We kind of set that, and I know the commodity groups work around that.
• These require the reports of 14 different agricultural commodity promotion groups.
• joint hearing between the Senate and the House Ag Committees to receive those reports from the Ag Commodity
• You're listening to all the ag, all the commodity groups, because there are a lot of them, giving their
• But I know it's a rallying day for the commodity groups because the evening before they generally have

Summary: The Legislative Procedures and Arrangements Committee met with a quorum and approved the minutes from the previous meeting. The committee first considered and adopted a Joint Rule 211 change clarifying the deadline and statutory references for bill drafts involving health insurance mandates, after discussion that the process is still somewhat cumbersome but improved by the clarification. The committee then reviewed a revised draft addressing confidentiality protections for certain legislators and candidates, but members expressed concerns about the breadth, enforceability, and transparency implications of the proposal, and the committee chose not to advance it at this time. The committee received an informational update on the new NCSL Legislator Security Fund. Staff explained that North Dakota is applying for the grant, which could provide about $200 per legislator for home security or related safety expenses, subject to Emergency Commission approval and reimbursement procedures. Members asked about eligible expenses, administrative burden, and whether new legislators would be covered; staff said guidance would be provided if funding is approved. The committee also approved the 2027 timing for the State of the Judiciary, tribal-state relationship message, and State of the State address on January 5, and set the Commerce Department and agricultural commodity reports for January 13 and 14, respectively, as required by statute. A major portion of the meeting focused on legislative staffing and organizational planning. The committee approved a recommendation for 36 Senate staff positions and 41 House staff positions, along with a 3% compensation increase for session staff. Discussion centered on replacing some procedural clerk duties with permanent policy analyst staff, retaining quality assurance roles for now, and adding or repurposing positions in IT, program evaluation, legal, and administration. Members also discussed expanding program evaluation capacity and the need for clearer oversight of new programs, with staff noting upcoming training and model-sharing with other states. Finally, the committee reviewed a proposed new legislator orientation day on November 30 and broader organizational session training changes, including mock committee and floor sessions, security training, and more robust budget/appropriations instruction, but took no final action on the agenda items and adjourned after completing the budget-related recommendations.