Transcript Highlights:

• And we'll go to the live stream on stuff that's happening around the state.
• Okay, so first, Medaview Assisted Living in Emmett.
• You have 250,000 acts of service.
• There's 318,000 acts of service and change.
• And with Kempthorne services, they had some issues with it whipping.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The America 250 in Idaho Advisory Council met with a quorum and approved the June 10, 2026 minutes. Staff then gave a financial update showing an unobligated balance of $42,547.53, with additional accrued revenue expected to become available in fiscal year 2027; members were also reminded that Luma would be closed July 1-2 for invoice processing. Treasurer Ellsworth reported on the ambassador program and statewide America 250 activities, highlighting events and outreach efforts across Idaho, including service projects, festivals, and public appearances. He also updated the council on the Liberty Bell project, noting that the bell had been restored, that fundraising for the statewide tour was ongoing, and that the bell’s route would include county seats and other communities; a request was made on the record for the bell to pass through Nampa. He also said the bell’s transport and liability arrangements had been reviewed with risk management and that state employees could volunteer to drive it. Secretary McGrane gave a broader planning update for the July 4 Capitol celebration, saying preparations were largely complete and that the event would proceed outdoors if possible, with an indoor backup at Treefort Music Hall and a rescheduling option if needed. He described Capitol decorations, media promotion, volunteer recruitment, and coordination with Idaho Public Television, the governor’s office, and event partners. He also highlighted the national recognition of Idaho’s July 4 event, the Idaho State Pavilion in Washington, D.C., the Move 250 initiative, the restored Liberty Bell’s statewide tour, and other upcoming America 250-related events, including a July 8 statewide reading of the Declaration of Independence. The council then discussed scheduling its next meeting for July 14, tentatively, and members confirmed who would attend the July 4 celebration before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• through the Village of Maxwell property that are required to provide necessary water and sanitary service
• It makes sense for both entities to make this transition permanent.
• Our goal is to move that forward so it's a living document, and we provide good updates to where we're
• Broadband had recently transitioned out of PSFA as of June 30, 2025.
• The status report contains details regarding the agency's contractual services and the categories of

Transcript Highlights:

• Today's meeting is being recorded and streamed live on TVW, and regardless of how you participate, you
• The Public Health Corps is the uniformed branch of the Public Health Service, and the National Oceanic
• And thank you, Senator, for being here and for your service.
• I overheard that conversation a little bit earlier, so thank you for your service.
• And thank you for your service. Thank you. I don't see any other questions.

Summary: The committee held public hearings on two bills. Senate Bill 5420 would expand access to state benefits and preferences for veterans, uniformed service members, and military spouses by adding the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and NOAA Corps to various eligibility provisions, extending some employment preferences to military spouses, and updating related protections. Staff and the prime sponsor, Sen. John Lovick, described it as a long-worked-on measure that passed the Senate overwhelmingly. Tammy Pro of the Department of War supported the bill, saying it modernizes state law and better recognizes service members and military families. The committee also heard Engrossed Senate Bill 5649, which would create a Washington State supply chain competitiveness infrastructure program to provide grants and loans for public and tribal port projects tied to freight mobility and supply chain performance. Sen. Marko Liias and port representatives testified in support, saying ports are critical to Washington’s trade-driven economy and that the bill would help fund needed infrastructure, including rail and terminal improvements, especially for smaller and rural ports. Testifiers said the program would fill a gap because ports lack a dedicated state grant program and could help leverage federal funding. An amendment to SB 5649 was explained as limiting eligible projects to those not already eligible for funding from the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board, to avoid duplication. The committee paused and later closed the hearing on SB 5649, then returned to SB 5420 to hear additional testimony. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended after the public hearings were closed.

Transcript Highlights:

• We pause together with gratitude for life and for the responsibility entrusted to public service.
• ,</c><00:09:21.760><c> Charles</c><00:09:22.080><c> County</c><00:09:22.399><c> Transit,</c> Cecil Transit
• , Charles County Transit, Cecil Transit, Charles County Transit, City<00:09:23.279><c> and</c><00:09:
• ,</c> RTA of Central Maryland, Shore Transit, RTA of Central Maryland, Shore Transit, Harford<00:09:32.000
• </c><00:09:37.920><c> and</c> thank you for your service and thank you for your service and everything

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Thursday, January 22, 2026, 960, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Department of Administrative Services Department of Administrative Services Bureau<00:12:00.959>
• That's space that the General Court is going to use in transition.
• I live eight miles from the border.
• I live eight miles from the border.
• I live in Sandown, New Hampshire.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Has that transition been difficult?
• are making these decisions.<00:03:58.080><c> Has</c><00:03:58.319><c> that</c><00:03:58.560><c> transition
• Has that transition been decisions. Has that transition been difficult? difficult? difficult?
• brings a perspective, and every senator has a unique perspective that they bring here with their own lived
• brings a perspective, and every senator has a unique perspective that they bring here with their own lived

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• is not about self, but about service to all people, especially those most in need.
• Thank you all for your service, our great state. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• Adrian, a 22-year-old college student, whose donation saved the lives of two people.
• Adrian, a 22-year-old college student whose donation saved lives of two people.
• Her legacy lives on in the family she raised, the community she nurtured, and the countless lives she

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and pledge, then dispensed with reading the journal and moved through a large number of procedural items, including deeming 102 second-reading items read and amendments adopted. The body also approved several floor motions, including suspending rules for guest access and committee noticing, moving AB 2595 to second reading, and sending ACR 110 to the inactive file. Numerous local officials and community representatives were introduced from cities including South Pasadena, Isparia, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Palmdale, Holtville, and Lindsay. On the floor file, several measures were taken up and passed. AB 1673 by Hadwick, allowing county fish and game commissions more flexibility to use certain funds for wildlife conflict prevention, passed 62-0. ACR 143 by Pacheco, proclaiming April 19-25 as California Cities Week, was adopted with 65 co-authors added. AB 1982 by Lowenthal, removing sunsets from existing anti-drink-spiking requirements for certain establishments, passed 68-0. ACR 158 by Solache, recognizing April 2026 as Donate Life Month, was adopted with 74 co-authors added after testimony about organ donation and transplant needs. AB 1908 by McKinnor, authorizing counties to establish victim compensation funds for survivors of abuse involving public agencies, passed 71-0. AB 2052 by Stephanie, aimed at ensuring continuity for vulnerable victims in criminal cases by allowing the same prosecutor to remain on a case, passed 62-0. ACR 178 by Flora, recognizing April 21 as National Rendering Day, was also adopted with 69 co-authors added. The second-day consent calendar and remaining listed items were then approved, with all votes recorded at 69-0 and no items removed. The Assembly also heard an adjournment in memory from Assembly Member Haney for Mary Dallas Armstrong of San Francisco, followed by announcements of committee meetings and the next floor session. The House adjourned until Monday, April 27, at 1 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and the service here.
• <01:19:07.560><c> uh</c><01:19:08.239><c> uh</c> service uh uh service uh uh reduction<01:19:10.199><
• , and the service here.
• , and the service here.
• because we are able to do this lives because we are able to do this under<01:21:48.719><c> release</

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• monies to pay any professional association that advocates for libraries, librarians, and information services
• Rights to include the right of a parent to be informed if any school employee facilitates social transitioning
• We have had problems with schools transitioning kids without parental consent, and therefore this specifically
• We have had problems with schools transitioning kids without parental consent, and therefore this specifically
• election cycle with people who are on the active early voting list, just to go, 'Hey, do you still live

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The meeting covered a long list of House bills, mostly on third-read consent calendars, spanning appropriations, elections, education, public safety, water, taxation, and criminal law. Early discussion focused on HB 2148, which would give the legislature authority to appropriate non-custodial federal funds, described by the sponsor as a transparency measure. Other measures discussed included HB 2091 on insurance-related assessment limits, HB 2122 on reciprocity for BTR-related professions, HB 2138 clarifying firefighter workers’ compensation coverage, and HB 2008 barring public school libraries from using public money to pay library professional associations. HB 2110, removed from consent, would allow school governing body members to pray at meetings, with members noting Supreme Court precedent supporting such prayer. Several bills addressed school safety and parental rights. HB 2142 would create a School Safety Center at the Arizona Department of Education and allow up to 10% of school safety program funds for administration, with supporters citing an audit and lack of oversight. HB 2249 would expand the Parents’ Bill of Rights to require notice if a school employee facilitates social transitioning of a minor and to provide broader access to educational records, with penalties discussed for violations. HB 2074 would add mandatory reporting for anyone in a medical facility who knows a partial-birth abortion is occurring, and HB 2144 would allow child support calculations to begin during pregnancy based on a confirmed pregnancy test and related DNA testing provisions. The committee also took up election-related measures. HB 2022 would make permanent changes tied to the federal Electoral Count Act, including moving Arizona’s primary earlier to preserve military and overseas voting access, while keeping petition dates valid and preserving existing deadlines for candidates. HCM 2001 urged federal designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, and HCM 2002 supported a separate congressional effort involving CARE and related federal review and designation processes; members debated the distinction between direct designation and a request for federal investigation. HCR 2001 proposed a constitutional amendment to limit voting to U.S. citizens, require government ID to register, prohibit foreign contributions, and end early voting by the Friday before an election. Water, land use, and tax bills were also reviewed. Measures included HB 2024 on snowpack augmentation as a water supply development project, HB 2029 and HB 2030 tightening how Water Conservation Grant Fund money is used, HB 2053 appropriating $100,000 for updated stormwater recharge mapping, HB 2096 expanding revolving fund uses to address cesspools, HB 2097 capping groundwater withdrawal in irrigation non-expansion areas, and HB 2116 funding potential Colorado River litigation. On the tax side, HB 2016 would remove late-filing penalties when no tax is due, HB 2104 and HB 2105 would protect agricultural property owners from repeated reclassification and require notice of inspections, and HB 2289 would update truth-in-taxation examples to reflect higher home values. The committee also heard bills on criminal penalties and other matters, including HB 2043 on felony murder involving an unborn child, HB 2045 on discharging a weapon near a vehicle, HB 2131 and HB 2132 on weapons trafficking and fentanyl penalties, and HB 2062 authorizing a Buffalo Soldiers memorial in Wesley Bolin Plaza.

Transcript Highlights:

• He said he looks forward to her continued service.
• Well, I go where the governor asks of my services and where they're needed.
• Well, I go where the governor asks of my services and where they're needed.
• I've lived there for 42 years, and I represent them as well as the university.
• I live in Jacksonville, Florida.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education heard and approved two bills before moving into confirmation hearings for several university and college board nominees. CS/SB 1458 on apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships was presented as a measure to improve consistency and transparency in local education agency partnerships, cap LEA administrative funding at 10% when applicable, and require public meetings and work papers for workforce funding model decisions. Support was noted from Associated Builders and Contractors, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Foundations for Florida Futures, and Independent Electrical Contractors. The bill passed unanimously and was reported favorably. The committee then considered CS/CS/SB 1726 on higher education governance and presidential searches after adopting a delete-all amendment and a late-filed amendment defining the final group of presidential applicants as no fewer than three. The amended bill added provisions on trustee citizenship and residency/alumni eligibility, interim president succession planning, longer presidential contract renewals, limits on candidate polling by universities, syllabus posting, textbook/open-access material lists, and other governance and academic policy changes. Senators raised concerns about the minimum-three finalist requirement, interim president selection, trustee eligibility, and polling restrictions, while supporters said the bill would depoliticize leadership selection and improve transparency. The bill was reported favorably after the amendments were adopted. The committee then heard confirmation testimony from multiple appointees and reappointees, including nominees for FAMU, UNF, Pensacola State College, UWF, and UF. Most nominees emphasized ties to their institutions, student success, workforce development, military connections, and institutional growth. Several UWF nominees were questioned extensively about their votes for former chair Scott Yenner and his controversial comments about women and other groups; some said they were unaware of those remarks at the time of the vote and would not have supported him with that knowledge. Public testimony on UWF expressed concern about the nominees’ lack of higher education experience, their ties to the region, and the impact of Yenner’s views. The committee later voted to recommend a block of non-UWF nominees favorably, and it agreed to vote on the UWF nominees individually, with some remaining nominees deferred to a later hearing due to time.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you guys all for your services. Thank you for your testimony.
• Thank you all again for your continued service to our people. Aloha.
• Thank you all again for your continued service to our people.
• Thank you all again for your patience and for your service to our people.
• </c><00:33:35.159><c> to</c> your patience and for your service to your patience and for your service

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• resolution filed by Representative Sabadosa of Northampton, commending Daval Advoid for his 50 years of service
• endorsement that it has been referred under suspension of Joint Rule 12 to the Committee on Public Service
• House Bill 3724, relative to regional transit authority advisory boards; and House Bill 4374, designating
• An act relative to regional transit authority advisory boards, House Bill 3724.
• An act relative to regional transit authority advisory boards, House Bill 3724.

Summary: The House received a gubernatorial message proposing fiscal year 2026 supplemental appropriations to respond to recent federal actions, which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. Members also adopted several procedural orders, including extensions of reporting deadlines for the Committees on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities and on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, and they concurred in a Senate-passed sick leave bank petition for a Department of Corrections employee. The House suspended Joint Rule 12 to allow consideration of two petitions: one to further regulate state and local participation in federal civil immigration enforcement, and another on energy costs, transparency, and sustainability. The Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling also reported a slate of bills for consideration, including measures on school exemptions for Hancock and Warwick, homeowners insurance repairs, landlord notice for utility shutoffs, locksmith notice requirements, retirement benefits, regional transit authority advisory boards, and a Sandwich overpass naming. Several bills were advanced on the floor. The House ordered the scheduled bills to third reading, then passed to be enacted Senate 24 on the Great Barrington Fire District and House 4589 authorizing Ludlow to pay an unpaid bill. It also engrossed House bills authorizing Rochester to keep its fire chief, waiving the Boston police maximum age requirement for one applicant, increasing Orange’s selectboard membership, and establishing a sick leave bank for a Suffolk County Sheriff's Office employee. The House also adopted an order to meet again Thursday at 11 a.m. and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• following their time of service.
• I'm a director of forensic and jail diversion Services under Behavioral Health Services at Texas Health
• and Human Services Commission.
• And just as NASA transitioned from owning space shuttles to acquiring launch as a service, uh, they will
• now transition from owning portions of the ISS to acquiring access to space station as a service.

Transcript Highlights:

• support,... adolescent programs, independent living, education and training, housing supports, all services
• So these direct services are more appropriately aligned with our children and family services, or the
• So if we remove those direct services and move it into the programmatic budget, then we won't... ...services
• We're requesting simply a title change for our budget program 20, from Field Services to Veteran Services
• Our budget program 20 from Field Services to Veteran Services and Counseling and Wellness.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the June 18, 2025 minutes, and heard four proposed budget format changes. Washington State Parks requested a structural change to separate and better track its Stewardship Services Division, including cultural and natural resources, environmental planning, and Climate Commitment Act investments. DCYF proposed moving direct service functions now housed in program support into the child welfare program so operational costs and direct services would be reported separately; members asked how this would help avoid across-the-board reductions affecting direct services, and the agency said the change would improve transparency and prevent that problem. The Department of Transportation sought to create a new Ferries Program Support sub-program to consolidate four related projects and two existing sub-programs into one administrative/project support structure, while the Department of Veterans Affairs requested only a title change for Program 20 from Field Services to Veteran Services and Counseling and Wellness. The committee voted unanimously to approve all four changes. Kevin Feltis then gave an interim work plan and staffing update for LEAP. He said the office is continuing work on the rewritten capital budget application (BuildSUM), updating the transportation bond model, completing carry-forward levels for the 2027-29 biennium, publishing 2026 legislative budget notes, updating 2025 salary data, and participating in a LegiTech AI pilot for system development within the legislative network. He also noted LEAP’s role in supporting the new Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Budget Transparency and Fiscal Sustainability. Staffing remained steady at 11 FTEs, with no retirements or staffing changes in the past year, though one vacancy may be filled later and two retirements are anticipated over the next four to five years. The committee also discussed updates to the fiscal.wa.gov website. Planned work includes streamlining how budget data is updated when budgets are released, converting more than 100 reports from Microsoft Reporting Services to Power BI because support is ending, and evaluating whether the site’s search tool should be improved or replaced. Senators and representatives raised concerns about the number of clicks needed to reach capital and transportation project maps and about making public-facing budget information easier to find and understand. Staff said the website redesign was based on prior user testing and that they would look at ways to make maps and other top-level information more accessible. Finally, the committee elected new officers under its alternating-chair rule. Representative Gregerson was nominated and elected chair, and Senator King was nominated and elected vice chair. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The transition to a circular economy doesn't happen automatically.
• communities live in.
• in and our communities live in.
• We rely on community engagement for lived experience to inform our policies and our actions.
• Our meetings are all hybrid and with Spanish-language interpretive services.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're being live streamed, so the archived live stream will be posted at the conclusion of today.
• Or essential educational services.
• Also, a school committee member entering my final year of service, so I appreciate your service to your
• the schools to live within their 61%.
• , DPW services, and all our other town services.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused primarily on H. 517/S. 314, a bill to provide a sustainable future for rural schools, and H. 697, a bill to require full funding of regional school transportation. Witnesses from rural districts, school committees, superintendents, students, and local officials described chronic underfunding, declining enrollment, high fixed costs, special education and transportation burdens, and the loss of programs, staff, and extracurriculars. Several speakers argued that rural aid should be funded at $60 million annually and made non-discretionary, while others emphasized that transportation reimbursement for regional districts has repeatedly fallen short of the state’s promise and is driving budget crises and overrides. A number of students testified in support of rural aid, describing cuts to classes, counselors, and activities, and the impact on their schools and communities. Committee members also discussed whether transportation policy should be revisited to address underlying cost drivers, including bus bidding practices and whether regional districts should have more flexibility in transportation requirements. The committee also heard H. 515, concerning Hancock Elementary School and a school choice-related exemption from a state requirement that has created a large financial burden for the district. Hancock’s superintendent and Rep. John Barrett explained that a decades-old regulation, recently enforced by DESE, would require Hancock to pay tuition for choice-in students through high school graduation even though the district only serves pre-K through grade 6 and sends its own students elsewhere for middle and high school. They said the rule creates a significant per-student shortfall and has forced Hancock to opt out of school choice. Committee members asked for clarification about how the arrangement works and how the costs fall on Hancock. Additional testimony supported related transportation bills for non-regional districts, especially Plymouth/Carver and North Middlesex, describing high and rising bus costs, special education and McKinney-Vento transportation expenses, and the strain on local budgets. Speakers repeatedly said that state reimbursement has not matched actual costs and that communities are being forced to choose between transportation and classroom services. No votes or final actions were taken in the hearing; the committee simply received testimony and closed the hearing on the bills discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• The maintenance budget enables their service and it is the lifeline for the services that they provide
• The maintenance budget enables their service and it is the lifeline for the services that they provide
• The maintenance budget enables their service and it is the lifeline for the services that they provide
• that</c> is the lifeline for the services that is the lifeline for the services that they<00:04:01.120
• </c> couple years while we do a transition. couple years while we do a transition.

Keywords: 00:01 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:47 Maintenance 12:40 Approval of Minutes 12:55 Vehicle Regulation 21:08 General Admin and Highways 34:11 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation met without a quorum at first, then later approved the minutes once quorum was established. The committee heard presentations from Transportation Cabinet officials Mike Hancock, Jeremy Slinker, and Sean McCarnieran on maintenance, vehicle regulation, general administration, highways, and related capital projects. Hancock emphasized that maintenance is the cabinet’s most visible public service, especially for snow and ice removal and routine roadway upkeep, and said rising costs have outpaced funding. He cited a 61% increase in highway construction costs since 2020 and said maintenance spending was $488 million in FY 2024 and $511 million in FY 2025, while the FY 2026 baseline request was $483.3 million. The cabinet’s additional maintenance request would add $23.6 million in FY 2027 and $38.6 million in FY 2028, with expected impacts on litter pickup, mowing, vegetation management, and pothole repair if not funded. The cabinet also outlined five maintenance-related capital projects: additional funding for Ballard County maintenance/salt storage, Hopkins County maintenance/salt storage, Whitley County maintenance/salt structure, and the District 2 office and materials lab, plus reauthorization of the Breckinridge County maintenance and salt facility. Hancock also asked for budget language allowing the cabinet to use unexpected restricted and federal funds more quickly, similar to existing authority for federal earmarks. McCarnieran described the governor’s inclusion of funding for the ASHTOWare system, employee health exams, priority IT projects, and a District 7 office renovation request, noting that some items were not funded because they ranked low among competing projects. He also said the governor’s budget included a $7.5 million annual maintenance pool for the cabinet’s 1,200 facilities and requested additional restricted fund authority for Trimark and the Cumberland Gap Tunnel. Slinker focused on the Department of Vehicle Regulation, saying recent investments in staffing and equipment had reduced wait times and improved customer service in driver licensing offices. He requested $535,600 to keep temporary contract workers in place for the rest of the year, warning that without it regional office operations would have to be reduced. He said the surge in demand was driven by new 15-year-old licensing requirements, vision testing, and Real ID implementation, but believed the volume was beginning to level out. He also outlined FY 2027 and FY 2028 plans totaling $20.38 million and $19.85 million, including six new regional offices and a shift away from temporary workers toward state positions. Additional requests included $106,000 for debt service on the new driver’s license modernization system and operating costs of $5 million in FY 2027 and $2.5 million in FY 2028 to support the transition from the old system. Members asked about the cabinet’s funding sources, and officials said the road fund is the primary source, supported by motor fuels tax, usage tax, driver-related receipts, and some restricted funds; they stressed that the requests were not for additional general fund dollars. Questions also covered employee health exam reimbursements, the annual Trimark/Cumberland Gap contract, and the District 7 renovation request. No votes were taken on the budget items during the meeting, beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Joe Datsth, the interim chief of police at Metro Transit.
• safe and welcoming experience for riders, transit workers, and the wider community.
• Tens of thousands of people use transit to get to, from, and around the Capitol complex every day.
• here at Metro Transit.
• Serious crimes remain infrequent on the transit system.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And actually, you know, until I was eight years old, that's where I lived.
• That's where I lived. It was in the Old Northeast District.
• They go back and they—the state where they live gets to retain that money.
• in the residence that you live in, those are the type of things.
• Okay. they're going to get an in-transit plate.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> know vary in in makeup and like I live know vary in in makeup and like I live in<01:23:09.320><c
• Service service Beyond Your Service eligibility<03:22:25.600><c> is</c><03:22:25.840><c> worth</c><03
• </c> benefit after three years of service benefit after three years of service that<03:39:57.600><c>
• </c> governor and I sat on her transition governor and I sat on her transition team<04:11:09.840><c>
• That's four years of service.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 187, which would allow parents or guardians to seek restraining orders on behalf of a minor child even when the alleged perpetrator is not a family or household member. Tracy Sirles testified that the bill was prompted by her family’s experience after being told by state police to seek a restraining order, only to learn the current law did not allow it because the offender was the child’s best friend’s father. Members agreed the change was straightforward, noted the fiscal note reflected only a small indeterminate cost to the judicial branch, and moved House Bill 187 ought to pass; the motion was approved unanimously. The committee then discussed House Bill 66, a Right-to-Know bill that removes “citizen” language in favor of “person” in some provisions and allows certain New Hampshire-connected requesters to seek records electronically if the records already exist in that format. Members reviewed concerns about defining “member of the media,” the scope of electronic requests, and a sentence stating appeals would have no filing fee or search charge. After debate, the committee voted to amend the bill by removing that fee-waiver sentence, then recommended House Bill 66 ought to pass as amended. The vote was 6-3. Next, the committee heard from the Environment and Agriculture chair about several solid-waste-related bills being folded into trailer bill language, including House Bill 215 and House Bill 171, with discussion of a possible three-year landfill moratorium and the need to address DEES staffing and funding concerns. DEES later clarified that the revised approach would not require new positions or create a fiscal impact because the new solid waste commission would be self-funded through filing fees. The committee voted unanimously to retain House Bill 215. Finally, the committee considered House Bill 566, which requires landfill permit applications to include a detailed leachate management plan and more information about disposal contracts. The sponsor said the bill was developed with DEES to address leachate problems and improve safety oversight. DEES testified that the bill largely reflects current practice and would have no specific fiscal impact, with existing staff able to absorb any review workload. The committee moved House Bill 566 ought to pass, and the motion was approved unanimously. The committee also briefly discussed House Bill 624, a grant program for local river management advisory committees, but no vote was taken in the portion provided.