Transcript Highlights:

• Please continue to work with staff. Thank you.
• , the staff culture, and the environment.
• I just want to make sure that we're—and I know staff is—I ask this question all the time, and staff has
• We recognize that as staff.
• I appreciate the work staff; it's really helpful.

Transcript Highlights:

• Martha Whaling, OPR, nonpartisan staff.
• Good morning, Emily Poole, nonpartisan staff to the committee.
• Rebecca, Rebecca Podza's House Republican Caucus staff. Thank you also very much. Caucus staff.
• We want to support and use the tools available to support and help our staff.
• On slide 10, I’m trying to keep it easier for staff.

Summary: The Technology, Economic Development, and Veterans Committee held its first meeting of the session and began with member and staff introductions, followed by a work session on emerging technology, digital risks, and governance, focused on artificial intelligence in state government. Washington Technology Solutions officials Gretchen Perry, Katie Ruckel, and James Galvin described the state’s approach to balancing innovation with public trust, emphasizing human judgment, transparency, accountability, and the use of AI to augment rather than replace people. They outlined benefits such as automating repetitive tasks, improving fraud and anomaly detection, supporting multilingual access, and improving customer service and internal productivity. The presenters also discussed AI risks, including algorithmic bias, overreliance, hallucinations, and ethical concerns, and explained the state’s governance framework. That framework is based on NIST AI risk principles and includes statewide AI principles, inventory requirements, risk assessments for high-risk uses, accuracy and monitoring requirements, training, data-sharing controls, and restrictions on creating likenesses without consent. They noted the state adopted a statewide AI policy on December 11 and has created an AI community of practice and related subcommittees to support implementation. They also said the policy was bargained with unions where required and that agencies must give notice before consequential AI-related changes affecting working conditions. James Galvin highlighted current AI use cases across state agencies, including visual and spatial analysis for emergency response and flood recovery, the Department of Licensing’s Dolly chatbot for resident services, and an internal contract-assistance tool for staff that is limited to approved materials. Members asked about audit implications, language services and interpreters, the policy’s applicability beyond government, union involvement, return on investment, and whether the state uses off-the-shelf or custom AI models. The presenters said most uses rely on off-the-shelf large language models, that high-risk generative AI is not yet in production, and that the policy is designed to encourage low- and moderate-risk uses while adding more scrutiny for higher-risk applications. No votes or legislative actions were taken; the meeting concluded with committee housekeeping and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's 66 applications that were reviewed by the VCA staff.
• And, yeah, thank you to the staff and the panelists.
• And these are reviewed by VCA staff and advisory panels.
• Really, that's a staff duty.
• Really, that's a staff duty.

Keywords: Virginia Commission for the Arts Board Meeting, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How many support staff positions do you need for that, too?
• When you add a new judge and new staff, you must staff a new courtroom.
• We are an extremely lean agency with 93 staff members.
• We need staff augmentation with contractors.
• We'll make sure staff feel that pride, as well as the youth.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All this does is really protect the nonpartisan staff at the county level from being involved in any
• So, we're making sure that staff is doing their job and they are not subject to the whims of political
• So, it says that the you know, cuz<00:30:13.400><c> staff</c><00:30:13.880><c> is</c> cuz staff is cuz
• </c><00:30:18.600><c> the</c> administer and staff the administer and staff the uh<00:30:19.920><c> redistricting
• </c> clarification that nonpartisan staff clarification that nonpartisan staff should<00:31:24.080><c

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It wasn't just for the staff, but for anyone who appearing before us.
• Staff recommendations. You move for staff to accept staff recommendations of waiver. Yes.
• So, uh, so Commissioner Schmidt, you second, uh, the motion to accept staff staff recommendation.
• Just work with the staff to get that fine paid as soon as possible.
• At this time, staff can recommend no waiver or reduction.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, Got such great staff.
• So staff highlight idea programs recommended for consolidation.
• We're not going to be reactionary, uh, here as staff.
• Thereby, they called for EliS staff to lead that planning process.
• You've got changing secretaries, changing staff in special ed.

Transcript Highlights:

• These were tied to board requests to raise the salaries of the budget staff.
• We're just shifting the staff time over to the NAB Waters Fund.
• be paying for their staff time to do NAB Waters work.
• That means we have less staff to issue permits.
• We have less staff.

Summary: The Joint Finance-Preparation Committee heard budget presentations for the Endowment Fund Investment Board, the Department of Lands, and the Department of Environmental Quality. Janet Jessup, Legislative Services analyst, reviewed each agency’s structure, funding sources, vacancies, and requested enhancements. For EFIB, she noted the board’s low operating costs and a small request for a laptop replacement. Chris Anton said the board kept costs very low and had no major budget increases beyond personnel costs. The Department of Lands discussion focused heavily on wildfire funding, staffing, and dedicated funds. Director Dustin Miller said 2025 was a record year for endowment income, but fire season was increasingly expensive and staffing pressures could affect the Eastern Idaho Forest Protective District and other fire programs. Members asked about the fire suppression deficiency fund, which Jessup explained is used only for active fires and can go negative, with any deficit later reconciled through supplemental action. Miller also described House Bill 511, which would raise the structure surcharge cap for fire preparedness funding, and House Bill 226-related fund shifts moving 1.25 FTP and $160,000 from the abandoned mine lands fund to the navigable waterways program. For DEQ, Jessup and Director Jess Byrne discussed the agency’s staffing shortages, backlog in permits, water quality monitoring, and funding structure. Byrne said targeted pay increases had reduced turnover and vacancies, but the agency still had fewer core staff than 25 years ago and faced permit backlogs and reduced monitoring, including for harmful algal blooms. He also explained that the Drinking Water Loan Fund is a revolving federal-state match loan program whose balance has grown because projects are reimbursed over time, not because demand is absent. Byrne said DEQ is considering fee increases, especially in air quality and drinking water, to reduce reliance on general funds. The committee took no formal votes or other actions and adjourned, announcing future budget hearings for the Department of Administration and the Permanent Building Fund.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's as far as we, as PSFA staff, can go, I believe.
• The district request, as stated, matches the staff recommendation.
• And if the staff could address that, that's probably a staff recommendation. Mr.
• Also, we've included a 3% compensation increase for staff.
• They would be included in the 200s of staff members.

Transcript Highlights:

• This included not having a process for its staff to track the receipt and review of independent audit
• This included not having a process for its staff to track the receipt and review of independent audit
• What we actually are doing, we have already provided updated training to our staff.
• In addition to phone services, staff received and responded to over 13,600 emails.
• However, as of May 2025, authority staff had not done so since July 2024.

Summary: The committee met as the House Commerce Committee of Reference to hear sunset reviews and a performance audit covering the Department of Gaming, the Racing Commission, the Boxing and MMA Commission, the Barbering and Cosmetology Board, and the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority. The Auditor General reported that the Department of Gaming and the two commissions generally met some statutory duties, but identified major issues: the department had not consistently reviewed independent audit reports for event wagering and fantasy sports operators, had disclosure and conflict-of-interest compliance gaps, lacked comprehensive complaint-handling processes, and was late distributing some compact trust fund payments to tribes. The Racing Commission needed better public records procedures, and the Boxing and MMA Commission had licensing and fee-setting issues. The department and commissions said they agreed with the findings and were implementing recommendations, with the department noting it had already begun look-back reviews, updated guidance, and additional staffing. Members also discussed consumer protection, illegal gambling, prediction markets, and whether out-of-state enforcement actions should affect Arizona licenses; the department said it would evaluate such matters case by case and generally wait for final adjudication or final regulatory action before acting. The committee then voted to recommend continuation of the Department of Gaming for two years until July 1, 2028, the Racing Commission for six years until July 1, 2032, and the Boxing and MMA Commission for six years until July 1, 2032. The Department of Gaming motion passed 7-4, the Racing Commission motion passed 10-1, and the Boxing and MMA Commission motion passed unanimously. The committee next heard the Barbering and Cosmetology Board audit. The Auditor General said the board timely processed many applications and complaints and had adopted curriculum rules, but it failed to enforce disciplinary guidelines consistently, sometimes issuing different sanctions for similar violations without documenting why it deviated from policy. The audit also found problems with reciprocity education requirements, application review quality control, inspections, open meeting and public records compliance, conflict-of-interest processes, fee-setting, and statutory clarity on scope of practice and training requirements. The board said it agreed with the findings, had already updated disciplinary parameters and documentation policies, and was working on the remaining recommendations and possible legislation. The committee then voted to continue the board for six years until July 1, 2032, and the motion passed unanimously. At the end of the meeting, the committee began hearing the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority performance audit, but the transcript provided cuts off before that presentation was completed or any action was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• The staff amendment amends the year.
• There is a staff amendment. Is there a motion? Motion for approval of the staff amendment.
• There are staff amendments. Is there a motion for approval of the staff amendments?
• The staff technical corrections.
• There is a staff amendment. Do we have a motion for approval of the staff amendment? Second.

Keywords: 0:22 – Roll Call 0:30 – Approval of minutes 1:04 – Department of Veterans Affairs 2:06 – Board of Pharmacy 3:20 – Board of Optometric Examiners 39:26 – Board of Nursing 40:07 – Board of Emergency Medical Services 41:52 – Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources 44:36 – Transportation Cabinet: Department of Vehicle Registration 45:36 – Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control 47:00 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services: Department for Medicaid Services 49:59 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services: Department for Community-Based Services, 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee approved the minutes from the previous meeting and then took up several regulations. The first was a Department of Veterans Affairs regulation, with a staff amendment, to allow nurse practitioners to apply for the Veterans Affairs nurse loan repayment program year-round and to make technical drafting changes. The committee heard from the Office of Kentucky Veteran Centers, then adopted the staff amendment and approved the regulation without objection. The main item of the meeting was the Board of Optometric Examiners’ proposed amendment to 201 KAR 5:010, which would allow applicants to use the Optometry Examining Board of Canada written exam in place of part one of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry exam for licensure. The board said the change would improve access to care, provide an additional pathway for Canadian-trained candidates, and still require applicants to pass the remaining national board parts. Opponents, including NBEO officials, ARBO, Pearson VUE, and several optometrists, argued the Canadian exam is not equivalent, does not test the same biomedical science content, is not validated for U.S. scope of practice, and raises concerns about test security, transparency, and portability across states. They urged the committee to find the amendment deficient or vote no. Committee members questioned both sides about prior communication with the board, whether Kentucky would be the first state to adopt such a change, the rationale for the proposal, and the cost difference between the exams. Supporters said the board had received some written comments and one phone call, and that the proposal was driven by access concerns and the presence of Canadian students. Opponents said they had not had direct discussions with the Kentucky board before the hearing. No final vote on the optometry regulation is reflected in the transcript excerpt, but the committee heard extensive testimony and rebuttal before moving on.

Transcript Highlights:

• This change will help providers to address staff wage and benefit challenges.
• This change will help providers to address staff wage and benefit challenges.
• This change will help providers to address staff wage and benefit challenges.
• Focused on recruiting new home care staff.
• He said he did not know if he could get help from the staff.

Bills: HF729, HF728

Keywords: human services, provider enrollment, medical assistance, healthcare, housing stabilization, substance use disorder, vulnerable adults, fraud prevention, respite care, children, licensed settings, home and community-based services, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:38:41.200><c> crisis</c> Continue to focus on the staff crisis Continue to focus on the staff
• </c><00:40:26.480><c> or</c> facilities and especially if staff or facilities and especially if staff
• there are additional staff who provide these services.
• I'm looking at staff.
• So, we will put looking at staff.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And nonpartisan staff or partisan staff.
• Staff recommends the House.
• Uh staff recommends the differences. Uh staff recommends the house.<00:15:28.079><c> Okay.
• Staff. Staff.
• Staff recommends House.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• staff.
• </c><01:43:07.800><c> or</c> staff but perhaps kitchen staff or staff but perhaps kitchen staff or maintenance
• , so our staff are overwhelmed.
• staff our staff are our staff so our our staff our staff are overwhelmed<02:33:58.800><c> um</c><02:
• </c> staff and it took out all that staff staff and it took out all that staff there<02:46:54.720><c>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Division 3 House Finance Committee opened a work session and announced scheduling updates, including a second Medicaid work session on March 5 at 9:00 a.m. and a reminder that recommendations or budget amendments must be moved to the full finance committee by the end of March. Members were told no motions, roll calls, or votes would be taken, and the chair also reviewed upcoming meeting dates and weather-related cancellation procedures. The day’s presentation was a budget work session on the Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), with officials Marie Nunan and Nathan White introducing the agency’s budget materials and mission. DCYF’s presentation focused on its core mandates and recent operational changes. Officials described child protective services, juvenile justice services, and the Sununu Youth Services Center, then highlighted workforce improvements, including reduced vacancy rates for assessment caseworkers, juvenile justice officers, and youth counselors. They attributed the staffing gains to legislative pay raises, mass recruitment posting changes, a more stable and trauma-informed model at SYC, and broader flexibility after prior budget cuts and hiring freezes. Members asked about full-time versus part-time staffing, and DCYF said most positions discussed were full-time, with some harder-to-fill part-time youth counselor roles at SYC. The committee also discussed DCYF’s emphasis on serving families earlier through its Community Navigator hotline referrals and community-based voluntary services, which are intended to connect families to supports before abuse or neglect escalates. Officials said the Community Navigator program had received 807 referrals since August 2023. On juvenile justice, DCYF described its assessment and diversion process and said it had reduced juvenile probation involvement by 30% from 2019 to 2023; members were directed to slide 17 for 2024 data, and officials said the trend continued toward fewer in-home juvenile justice cases. The agency also reported progress in kinship care, saying initial out-of-home placements with kin now occur 74% of the time and that kinship placements are associated with more reunification. Officials said kinship caregivers are being licensed and paid similarly to foster parents, and that the legislature’s kinship law has helped. Finally, DCYF outlined transition-age youth supports, including the HOPE program, Youth Villages LifeSet, and housing vouchers. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• We just want to take a moment to acknowledge our staff.
• But we have staff on this committee, which are outstanding.
• In the House, I had great staff when I was chairing this committee.
• In the Senate, we've had great staff as well.
• I really have achieved only because of the great staff.

Summary: The Labor and Commerce committee held its final executive session and took action on several House bills. On ESHB 1155, concerning noncompetition and nonsolicitation agreements, the committee adopted the Stanford striking amendment and then advanced the bill to Rules on a two-pass recommendation; the King amendments on goodwill/ownership interests and specified executives were withdrawn. The committee also advanced SHB 1570, giving non-academic student employees at Western Washington University collective bargaining rights, to Ways and Means, and ESHB 2303, banning employer requests or coercion for employee microchipping, to Rules. SHB 2405, creating a PTSD workers’ compensation treatment pilot program, was sent to Rules, and 2SHB 2479, creating a wage recovery program and account to help advance unpaid wages to low-wage workers, was sent to Ways and Means. The committee also adopted amendments and moved forward several liquor and cannabis-related bills. EHB 1941, dealing with cannabis producer agricultural cooperatives, was amended with the Saldana striking amendment and sent to Rules. HB 1526, allowing snack bar liquor license holders to sell wine by the glass, was amended with a Saldana striking amendment and sent to Rules. ESHB 2476, expanding the theater liquor license to larger theaters and requiring alcohol control plans when minors are allowed, was also sent to Rules. In each case, members noted the bills’ policy goals and, where relevant, the need for further fiscal review or referral to the appropriate committee. During the session, members briefly discussed the policy rationale for the bills, including worker protections, faster recovery of unpaid wages, PTSD treatment access, and support for business investments in theaters. The committee also took a moment at the end of the meeting to thank staff for their work and heard remarks from Senator Conway reflecting on his long service on the committee and the importance of bipartisan labor-management problem solving. All bills reported out were approved subject to signatures, with referrals either to Rules or Ways and Means as noted.

Transcript Highlights:

• We attempted to work with the SDE staff, transportation staff, to resolve this issue, feeling that the
• Pupil services staff are among the hardest roles for school districts to fill.
• We are allowing them to move, and then we are bringing pupil service staff.
• Same for pupil service staff.
• Same for pupil service staff.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Amy Skae, committee staff. Is the mic on there? Good morning, conferees.
• Any questions to staff?
• Their willingness to compromise, and again thank you to all the staff. Rep.
• But I want to acknowledge the staff again.
• And again, thank you to the incredible staff who helped us get here.

Summary: The conference committee met to act on the conference report for gross substitute Senate Bill 6005, the state’s two-year supplemental transportation budget. Staff summarized the agreement as a $16.6 billion budget for the biennium, compared with $17 billion in the Senate version and $16.5 billion in the House version. The package includes about $800 million in reappropriated capital funds to continue existing projects, along with new funding for preservation, maintenance, and ferries, and it is tied to a six-year transportation plan and two project lists referenced in the bill. Members from both chambers spoke in support of the compromise while noting ongoing concerns about long-term transportation funding. Several emphasized that maintenance, preservation, ferries, and safety were the central priorities, and that the budget would help keep workers employed and projects moving. Chair Fye and Ranking Member Barkas both said more work is needed in the interim and next session to develop a sustainable long-term revenue and capital strategy, while Senator King, Representative Donaghy, and Senator Krishnadasan highlighted the preservation, maintenance, ferries, and jobs impacts of the agreement. After debate, Representative Fine moved to approve the conference report. The committee then took a roll call vote and recommended the conference budget by a tally of five to one, with Representative Barkas voting do not recommend and the other members voting to recommend. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Staff, please close the vote. Declare the vote: 14 ayes, one nay. Staff, please close the vote.
• Staff, please close the vote. Declare the vote: 15-0, nay.
• Staff, please close the vote. Declare the vote. Staff, please close the vote.
• Staff, please close the vote, declare the vote.
• They have a whole staff that are experts in that.

Bills: HB4246, HB4230, HB3617, HB3657, HB2976, HB3391, HB4459, HB4128, HB3989, HB2989, HB4060, HB3145, HB2992, HB3464

Keywords: HB4246, water rights, rural water, wastewater, drinking water, environmental quality, DEQ, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, Oklahoma Rural Water Association, technical assistance, water infrastructure, small systems, utility operators, emergency water response, nonprofit contractors, vendor qualification, competitive bidding, best value procurement, central purchasing act, rural utilities

Summary: The committee took up a long agenda of energy, agriculture, wildlife, water, and utility bills, adopting PCS drafts and amendments on several measures before voting them out. Early bills, including HB 4246 and HB 423, would let DEQ obtain technical assistance and instruction from outside suppliers, and both passed with 11-1 votes. HB 3617, the agricultural equipment right-to-repair bill, drew the most extended debate; supporters said it would help farmers and ranchers keep equipment operating and preserve access to parts, tools, and diagnostics, while opponents raised concerns about private contracts, intellectual property, and government mandates. The author agreed to continue working on the language and to strike the title later, and the bill passed 13-9-2. HB 3657, updating agricultural wage reporting and adding the Workforce Commission to employment-data recipients, passed 15-0. HB 2976, directing DEQ to set water-quality criteria for aluminum using EPA guidance as a tool, passed 14-1. HB 3391, requiring licensed commercial pet breeders to display their ODAF license number in advertisements, passed 15-0. The committee also advanced several natural resources and land-use measures. HB 4459 created a voluntary five-year averaging option for permitted water users, with metering required only for participants; members emphasized that nonparticipants could continue current practices unchanged, and the bill passed 12-1-3. HB 4128, as amended, moved Oklahoma’s bear season earlier by two weeks; the author said it was intended to address nuisance bears in southeast Oklahoma and protect hunters and landowners, while members raised concerns about population impacts and whether the Wildlife Department could manage harvest levels. The bill passed 13-1-2. HB 3989, described as a cleanup bill from the earlier “one megawatt fight,” passed 15-1 after the author said a compromise had been reached. HB 2989, as amended, authorized electric utilities to prepare wildfire mitigation plans and created a revolving fund, with the amendment limiting recovery to reasonable and prudent mitigation costs; the author said it was not a liability shield, and the bill passed 14-1. Later, the committee considered utility and renewable-energy regulation. HB 4060, the Plug-in Solar Act, addressed interconnection agreements and behind-the-meter solar for residents; it passed 14-1. HB 3145 cleaned up language affecting the commercial hunt industry and passed 14-1. HB 2992, the Data Center Customer Protection, Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026, would require new large-load customers such as data centers, crypto mining, and AI facilities above 75 MW to cover their own infrastructure and provide collateral so costs are not shifted to ratepayers; members discussed protections for existing contracts and utility oversight, and it passed 14-1. Finally, HB 3464 imposed common-sense regulations on wind, solar, and battery storage projects, including surety bonds for land restoration, permit fees to support local fire departments, and a 30-day Fire Marshal response timeline; the author said more amendments were likely, and the bill passed 14-0. The meeting then recessed and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the record, Danielle Creech, staff to the committee.
• Greg Vogel, committee staff.
• Greg, any questions for staff?
• Any questions for staff?
• Any questions for staff? Seeing none, on to the last one.

Summary: The committee began by waiving the five-day notice rule for Senate Bills 631 and 5046. It then held public hearings on several measures. Senate Bill 6215 would require the state auditor to compile an inventory of audited state programs and an annual statewide high-risk list focused on fraud prevention; the sponsor said it would improve transparency, while the State Auditor’s office raised concerns about cost, scope, record retention limits, and the bill’s timeline. Senate Bill 6160 would eliminate or modify dozens of agency reporting requirements across state government; OFM and the sponsor described it as a government-efficiency measure, while some senators noted they wanted to preserve certain reports. Senate Bill 6313 would create a Capitol Centennial Stewardship Account to support repairs, remodeling, interpretive facilities, and public engagement at the Capitol ahead of its 100th anniversary in 2028. Senate Bill 6049 would exempt certain employee engagement survey responses and Healthy Youth Survey records from public disclosure; OFM, students, and other supporters argued the bill would protect privacy and encourage honest participation, while the record showed substantial opposition sign-ins. Senate Bill 6164 would exempt information submitted to Washington Technology Solutions for digital experience platform services from disclosure; WOTEC and some media representatives supported it as a narrow privacy measure, while one coalition opposed it as overly broad. Senate Bill 5046 would designate November 22 as Kimchi Day, which the sponsor framed as a cultural recognition bill, with little opposition noted in testimony. In executive session, the committee considered Senate Bills 6035, 5853, and 5888. It adopted a proposed substitute for SB 6035, which concerns an electronic ballot portal and tribal voting access, and sent it to Rules. It also adopted a proposed substitute for SB 5853, which shifts administration of a statewide emergency notification system for elected officials from the Secretary of State to the Military Department, and sent it to Ways and Means. Finally, it passed SB 5888, which removes Senate confirmation for members of the Washington State Women’s Commission, and sent it to Rules. The committee then adjourned.