Transcript Highlights:

• In the state of Idaho or the state of Washington, as a man, as a military person and a felon, I was granted
• When I had permission to leave the state of Washington through a court order, now I’m being accused of
• of Washington.
• The reason the state of Washington is important is because one phone call was made from Washington State
• to CPS Washington State, who immediately went to Idaho with partial information, no accountability,

Committee: House Judiciary, Rules and Administration

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:12:41.200><c> um</c><00:12:41.440><c> who</c> of Evergreen Energy, um who of Evergreen Energy
• ,</c> listing states, listing states, there<00:16:14.320><c> is</c><00:16:14.480><c> no</c><00:16:14.800
• . state. state.
• </c> the discussions about an energy target. the discussions about an energy target.
• ><00:34:48.040><c> Utilities,</c> the Minnesota Senate Energy, Utilities, the Minnesota Senate Energy

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• winery to a resident of the state.
• </c> can be shipped by an in or out of state can be shipped by an in or out of state winery<00:11:40.880
• </c> impacts to the customers in this state. impacts to the customers in this state.
• </c> more efficient use of state dollars. more efficient use of state dollars.
• </c> irrespective of available state funding. irrespective of available state funding.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• provisions regarding the state historic preservation program; amending Section 67-4112, Idaho Code, to
• 67-4127A, Idaho Code, related to the State Historic Preservation Officer; and declaring an emergency
• 67-4127A, Idaho Code, related to the State Historic Preservation Officer; and declaring an emergency
• House Bill 721, by the State Affairs Committee, regarding the Idaho Building Code Act.
• House Concurrent Resolution 32, by the State Affairs Committee, regarding energy.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Especially those who feel like Washington too often forgets them.
• The United States, sir. That's right.
• It is a billion-dollar industry in this country and my state.
• Our colleagues at the State Department have very important tools.
• Again, I'm from a state where ordinary folks are just struggling.

Committee: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee

Keywords: legislation, housing affordability, financial regulation, public testimony, accountability, oversight

Summary: The meeting involved significant discussions around key legislative proposals, primarily focusing on various bills such as HB2 and SB5. The committee examined the implications of these bills on issues like housing affordability and financial regulation. Notable members engaged in debates, providing differing perspectives on the potential economic impacts of the proposed bills. The meeting witnessed public testimony, which included a call for accountability in government actions and oversight of current financial policies. Members echoed concerns about following through on commitments to address critical issues affecting everyday Americans.

Transcript Highlights:

• State of Washington Tourism released data last May showing that 2024 spending in Washington continued
• in Washington state?
• State of Washington tourism released data last May, showing that 2024 spending in Washington continued
• The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
• The outcome of this is increased business for Washington state.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2325, which would create a tourism self-supported assessment program to fund statewide tourism promotion. Staff explained that the bill would let the Washington Tourism Marketing Authority develop and administer an assessment program overseen by a 10-member ratepayer board, subject to a referendum of affected businesses, and would add a public records exemption for business financial and commercial information. The prime sponsor and supporters from State of Washington Tourism, the hospitality industry, the Port of Seattle, breweries, and wine interests argued that Washington is underinvesting in tourism compared with other states and that an industry-led assessment would provide sustainable, competitive funding. Opposition testimony from a taxpayer group objected to new assessments and unelected authority over tax-like charges. No vote was taken on the bill in the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 2481, which would prohibit surveillance-based price discrimination and surge pricing for certain retail goods, require clear price posting, and temporarily bar electronic shelf labels in larger grocery stores while Commerce studies their effects. The sponsor said the bill is intended to ensure that customers in the same store pay the same price and to prevent AI-driven pricing based on personal data. Labor, privacy, and consumer advocates supported the bill, citing concerns about hidden price discrimination, worker stress, and consumer harm. Grocery and retail groups, along with an ESL manufacturer and a tech association, opposed the bill as written, warning that the definitions were too broad and could interfere with loyalty programs, discounts, inventory management, and electronic shelf label systems; several said they were working with the sponsor on amendments. The chair indicated amendments were expected and asked stakeholders to submit language soon, but no vote occurred. Finally, the committee opened House Bill 2503, which would require developers of generative AI systems to post high-level documentation about training data before public release and make violations a Consumer Protection Act issue. The sponsor described the bill as a transparency measure meant to function like an ingredients label for AI, helping consumers, researchers, and creators understand what goes into a model. Supporters from TechNet and Chamber of Progress said they generally backed the concept but wanted the bill aligned more closely with California’s recent law, especially on enforcement and the private right of action. Members raised questions about trade secrets, applicability to large versus small developers, and whether the bill could affect medical or other specialized AI uses; the sponsor said amendments were anticipated and that the bill was still early in the process. The hearing on HB 2503 then moved to public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• the state of Washington.
• For the Washington State LGBTQ Commission.
• state government work better for everyone in Washington.
• Washington State is not a Voting Rights Act state.
• Do you get your money from the state of Washington?

Summary: The committee held a work session on voting rights in the United States and Washington, beginning with testimony from Marissa Wright of Campaign Legal Center and David Montes of the ACLU of Washington. They described the federal Voting Rights Act’s main protections—preclearance, vote suppression, and vote dilution—and argued that Supreme Court decisions such as Shelby County v. Holder and Brnovich have weakened those tools. They said Washington should consider stronger state-level protections, including a preclearance program and broader safeguards against discriminatory voting practices. Members asked about Washington’s history of discrimination, voter roll purges, noncitizen registration, and remedies under the Washington Voting Rights Act, including ranked-choice voting and district-based systems. The committee then heard from the Office of Equity and several commissions, which described their roles in advising state government and working with communities. They focused on the immigration sub-cabinet created under Executive Order 2509, saying it is intended to improve coordination across agencies, the legislature, the courts, and community organizations on issues such as data privacy, language access, health care, education, and accountability under the Keep Washington Working Act. Members asked about the use of NGOs, accountability for KWW violations, and the sub-cabinet’s goals, and the panel said the effort is meant to help government respond more quickly and collaboratively while centering immigrant, disability, LGBTQ, and other communities. The final panel was from the University of Washington Elections Database Project, which presented data on vote-by-mail ballot challenges, cures, and rejections from 2020 to 2024. They reported that about 1.5% of ballots are signature-challenged in most elections, roughly 60% of challenged ballots are cured, and overall rejection rates are about 1% in general elections and 1.5% in primaries. The researchers said voters of color, younger voters, and some tribal-area voters experience higher rejection rates, and that differences appear tied to signature mismatch, language access, ballot timing, and familiarity with the system. In the last panel, Maria Fernandez and Vicki Frausto of EIA described voter education and civic engagement work in Yakima County and Sunnyside, including concerns about intimidation, language barriers, signature mismatch, and at-large election systems; they said stronger Washington Voting Rights Act protections would help communities elect candidates of choice. No votes were taken during the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, energy prices are skyrocketing, and Virginia... Mr.
• energy portfolio, and $29.20 for the offshore wind farm.
• , and nearly 40% of that energy was purchased from other states.
• Speaker, Virginia's flawed energy policy is making the Commonwealth energy dependent on other states
• while making our citizens energy poor.

Keywords: March 12, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If this bill were to pass, will it still be the state energy policy that state government and local government
• state.
• the state of Florida.
• state.
• Energy delivered across our entire state.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for two service members killed in the Middle East, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. Members adopted the special order report and then began taking up the special order calendar. The first major measure was HB 7031, the annual tax package, which included a hunting, fishing, and camping sales tax holiday, a back-to-school holiday moved earlier in the summer, property tax changes for mobile home parks and other exemptions, reductions in pari-mutuel taxes and fees, extensions and expansions of several tax credit programs, vacation-rental tax collection changes, and a full decoupling from federal tax changes in the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The bill drew questions about the fiscal impact of decoupling and the firearm-accessories holiday; supporters emphasized fiscal caution, housing and home-hardening provisions, and family tax relief, while opponents objected to the firearm-related tax break. HB 7031 passed 105-2. The House then passed CS/CS/CS HB 1177 on Space Florida and spaceport operations, which updates business development rules, board membership, and creates a strategic spaceport hub designation. CS/CS HB 639/CS SB 246 on specialty license plates also passed after a strike-all amendment that added several new plates, revised the Fraternal Order of Police plate, and tightened financial and nonprofit requirements for plate sponsors. CS HB 697 on drug prices and coverage passed after debate on pharmacy benefit manager reforms requiring equal reimbursement, prohibiting forced losses on drugs, and allowing consolidated appeals. CS/CS HB 1263 on the Office of Insurance Regulation passed with an amendment clarifying fingerprinting provisions, and CS/CS HB 527 passed with a human-review requirement for insurance claim denials so AI cannot be the sole basis for denying or reducing claims. Additional bills approved included CS HB 1449, which limits use of the statewide provider and health plan claim dispute resolution program when a claim is already in the federal process and, by amendment, narrows the bill to out-of-network emergency services and claims of $50,000 or less; CS HB 93, requiring surgical smoke evacuation systems in hospitals and surgical centers, which passed overwhelmingly after emotional bipartisan praise for the sponsor’s multi-session effort; and CS HB 1217, which prohibits governmental entities from adopting net-zero greenhouse gas policies, after Democrats argued it would preempt local climate and resilience efforts and Republicans argued it protects energy reliability and affordability. The House also passed CS/CS HB 1461 establishing a framework for licensing and regulating advanced nuclear reactors, with supporters framing it as a step toward reliable, affordable, cleaner energy. Later, CS HB 1229 on residential homes for medically or technologically dependent children was explained as creating a licensure program for medically complex children’s homes and was rolled over for final passage as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is the state prohibited from doing that? No, sir. not. Is the state prohibited from doing that?
• across the state.
• Systems across the state.
• Energy storage systems.
• states in the U.S.

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• State your inquiry.
• State your inquiry.
• As the state of Texas has continued to grow and we welcome thousands of newcomers to our state, Texas
• on State Affairs.
• , for the Committee on State Affairs.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• “And the state code council does take that into account.
• “The other thing the International Code Council has just done in relation to the energy code, because
• “The board of directors for the International Code Council has just created two energy codes now that
• And the only reason why that's in the plumbing code is because it's in the state sanitary code.
• And the only reason why that's in the plumbing code is because it's in the state sanitary code.

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The House Committee on Commerce met on May 18, 2026, with a quorum present and the chair noting it was the committee’s last meeting of the session. The committee first considered Senate Bill 254, which would prohibit certain excess debit card surcharges and authorize enforcement by the Attorney General. After adopting technical amendments and a committee amendment requiring written notice before a private right of action, the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then took up Senate Bill 80 on broadband administration fees and GUMBO program closeout. Members questioned the proposed increase in administrative and contractor fees, the timing of project completion, and how withheld reimbursements would work for utility damage. After adopting several amendments, including cleanup language and a provision to restore the reimbursement process, the bill was reported favorably as amended, though the Louisiana Telecommunications Association voiced concerns about the withholding language and lack of a clearer fault-determination process. The committee next considered Senate Bill 469, updating the Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law. Technical amendments were adopted, along with amendments clarifying that the bill’s 30-day notice to utility owner-operators is separate from existing GUMBO notice requirements and creating a rapid dispute-resolution process involving the Office of Broadband, the utility operator, and the local governing authority. Testimony from broadband and municipal stakeholders emphasized the need for quicker responses to excavation damage and better enforcement, while some witnesses raised concerns about the late amendment and the need for clearer recourse and standards. The bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 468, dealing with fuel rewards programs and fuel discount limits, was also amended to allow such discounts while capping them at $1 below the advertised price; it was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 131, concerning attorney’s fees and costs in professional licensing disciplinary proceedings, drew testimony from a cosmetology board representative and the Pelican Institute. Supporters argued the bill would curb incentives for boards to generate revenue through enforcement and give licensees a fairer opportunity to resolve cases; board testimony noted that some boards already have fee caps and that enforcement actions are relatively limited. After adopting an amendment clarifying when a licensee is the prevailing party, the bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 251 on critical infrastructure protection also received technical amendments and several substantive changes, including adding ports and airports to the definition of critical infrastructure, clarifying “significant access,” adding a knowledge requirement, and adjusting exemptions and enforcement timing; it was reported favorably as amended after testimony from State Armor representatives about foreign adversary threats. Finally, House Resolution 253 was introduced to create a task force to study how post-2005 building code additions and inspection requirements affect residential construction costs, with the sponsor explaining the goal was to gather industry input and return recommendations next session.

Transcript Highlights:

• These fees are currently deposited with the state treasurer.
• These are currently deposited with the state treasurer.
• do business in Washington.
• doing business in the state.
• The Secretary of State may authenticate the signature of a Washington public official or a notary public

Summary: The Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2248, described by the prime sponsor and Secretary of State staff as a technical cleanup and clarification measure affecting several Secretary of State programs. The bill would redirect portions of annual business filing fees over $50 into the Secretary of State’s revolving fund, require initial reports from nonprofit corporations and limited liability partnerships, clarify that employing a remote worker in Washington does not by itself constitute doing business in the state, remove a requirement to issue a new trademark certificate to an assignee, create reinstatement procedures for terminated international student exchange placement organizations, and limit certain notarization authentication practices. The sponsor and agency witness said the bill does not change policy or raise fees, but improves clarity and aligns statute with current practice. A committee member asked about trademark transfers, and staff said the bill would not affect public tracking of ownership changes. No vote was taken on HB 2248 during the hearing. The committee then moved into executive session on House Bill 2178 and House Bill 2158. For HB 2178, staff said the proposed substitute would remove a two-year extension for courts of limited jurisdiction to implement electronic submission of protection order petitions and would place into statute the treasurer’s authority to distribute appropriated local fiscal officer collection grant funds to county clerks, while repealing AOC’s role in administering those grants. Members generally supported the substitute, though one member voted no without recommendation, citing concern about how the Administrative Office of the Courts would comply with earlier legislation after removal of a section from the original draft. The committee approved the substitute and reported HB 2178 out with a due pass recommendation by a vote of 10 ayes, 2 nays, and 1 excused. For HB 2158, staff explained that the bill updates the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts to address remote notarization of tangible records, with proposed substitute H-2937.1 narrowing the procedure to one acceptable method for confirming the record and adding the word “tangible” for clarity. Supporters said the substitute incorporated helpful technical changes from the Court Reporters Association and added a two-year delay to allow the Department of Licensing time for rulemaking. The committee approved the substitute unanimously and reported HB 2158 out with a due pass recommendation by a vote of 12 ayes, 0 nays, and 1 excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• A couple, not a couple, a lot of states across the United States have defined infant in a different age
• kind of state level.
• These are a little bit different because it's kind of state operations or state programs.
• Here, or more state kind of state level.
• These are a little bit different because it's kind of state operations or state programs. Okay.

Summary: The committee first heard May Revision child care and human services items. The Department of Child Support Services described two technical adjustments, which the analyst supported. The Department of Social Services then walked through child care proposals, including a reduction in federal and Proposition 64 funding absorbed through a shift from General Child Care to the Alternative Payment program, a 2.01% child care COLA, disaster-related infrastructure grants, a new administrative support cost structure for Alternative Payment agencies, the removal of prospective pay funding after a federal rule change, a reappropriation for existing infrastructure grants, and estimates of unspent child care funds. The Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended asking for more justification for shifting reductions to CAP, supported the COLA reduction but wanted consistency across programs, recommended removing prospective pay funding, opposed the administrative cost shift, and suggested further review of disaster grant alignment. Members pressed the administration on why more slots would be cut for the same savings, why the COLA was reduced, and whether the administrative percentage would grow over time. The administration said the changes were intended to avoid disrupting currently enrolled families, reflect point-in-time relinquishments and unspent funds, and stabilize contractor operations. Public commenters, including providers, advocates, and county representatives, urged full COLA funding, rejection of child care slot reductions, preservation of prospective pay, and continued investment in child care infrastructure and access. The subcommittee then recessed before moving to health items. In Part B, the Department of State Hospitals presented its May Revision proposals, including a central utility plant replacement project at Metropolitan State Hospital, funding for a continuum electronic health record system, reduced county bed billing authority to reflect phase-in of additional LPS beds, limited contract exemption authority for online clinical subscription services, reversion of prior-year unspent operating funds, and a workforce development proposal to use Behavioral Health Services Act funds instead of General Fund for training programs. The department said the EHR would modernize records and improve continuity of care, and that the contract exemption would prevent delays in essential clinical information services. No votes were taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The more we give as a state to child care, the admin... ...the more we give as a state to child care,
• A couple—not a couple, a lot—of states across the United States have defined infant in a different age
• , kind of state level.
• These are a little bit different because it's kind of state operations or state programs. Okay.
• In conversations with other states that are facing similar problems, those other states are...”

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are stepping up in the state of Washington to make sure that we are focusing on how we feed every
• state, all in the name of profit.
• of Washington, something we've not had before.
• State.
• So if you're not familiar, we are working on House Bill 2616, which is a Washington State version of

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The meeting focused on Washington state food insecurity and a broad legislative response to strengthen food access. Food Lifeline’s CEO described rising hunger across western Washington, citing that about one in eight residents and one in six children are food insecure, with concerns that federal SNAP changes and higher costs could worsen the situation. He emphasized food access as a basic determinant of community health and economic stability, and called for coordinated action among nonprofits, farmers, retailers, and government. Representative Lisa Reeves said the state must lead in feeding Washingtonians amid federal cuts and a government shutdown, and outlined a larger House and Senate food security agenda. She highlighted several bills and policy areas, including a Washington-style farm bill (HB 2616), a ban on force-feeding birds (HB 1735), local food infrastructure grants, a statewide food security strategy (HB 2238), dynamic grocery pricing (HB 2481), farm-to-schools efforts, medically tailored meals (HB 2211), a farm-to-food-banks bill (HB 2463), food donation reporting, and a PFAS-related pesticide bill (HB 2279). She also noted concerns about cuts to small farm and marketing assistance funding and the potential loss of millions of meals from federal policy changes. Representative Darya Farivar and grocery worker Dan House focused on grocery access as infrastructure and supported HB 2313, which would let local governments step in when private grocery options disappear. Farivar also described her related package: HB 2294 to remove anti-competitive covenants blocking grocery reuse, HB 2297 to give local governments tools to support stores in underserved areas, and HB 2313 to allow municipal or partnered grocery operations as a backstop. House testified that store closures, including the Lake City Fred Meyer, harmed families, seniors, and workers, and said UFCW 3,000 supports HB 2313. No votes were taken; the session ended with an invitation for questions and a general call for continued collaboration and support for the proposed bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• and the adoption of a residential building code, introduced by Representative Campbell of St.
• </c><00:05:27.199><c> introduced</c><00:05:27.680><c> by</c> building code introduced by building code
• </c><00:06:52.080><c> House</c> energy and digital infrastructure.
• House energy and digital infrastructure.
• Madam Speaker, today I have a constituent from Coventry visiting the State House.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• certain exceptions, and amending Section 31-1423, Idaho Code, to provide a correct code reference and
• , energy coordination, reducing the appropriation from the Idaho State Historical Society for fiscal
• If it is a monopoly, we have code in our book to deal with monopolies.
• House Bill 952 is Take 2 on the Secretary of State Enhancement Budget.
• Amending Title 67, Idaho Code, by the edition of a new Chapter 83, Title 67, Idaho Code to provide a

Summary: The House began with roll call, prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the journal. Members also received communications including the designation of a substitute legislator and committee reports on pending and temporary administrative rules, with several rules approved and some recommended for rejection or exception. The Speaker outlined the day’s plan, noting the chamber would work through orders of business, suspend rules for selected bills, and likely finish for the day before returning the following week. A major floor debate centered on Senate Bill 1397, which would bring certain private sewer districts under Public Utilities Commission oversight for rates and related matters. Supporters argued the bill would protect private property owners in large private sewer districts from monopoly-like control, lack of recourse, and arbitrary rate or hookup decisions. Opponents argued sewer districts are already heavily regulated through DEQ and other requirements, that costs vary by system, and that the bill would expand government and create accountability problems. After debate, the House voted 18-51 with one pair recorded, and the bill failed to pass. The House then passed House Bill 952, the Secretary of State enhancement budget, which included funding for a voter pamphlet on constitutional amendments and initiatives and a 2% ongoing general fund reduction. It also passed Senate Bill 1426, the Idaho Transportation Department enhancement budget, and Senate Bill 1427, the Department of Lands enhancement budget. The chamber also introduced and referred several new bills, including measures on child care, taxation, abatement districts, homestead property tax relief, education, homeowners associations, and appropriations for Fish and Game, species/minerals/energy coordination, and corrections. Later, after recess, the House received additional Senate messages, introduced Senate bills on public health, stable coins, behavioral health, and water resources, and adjourned until Monday, March 30, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also want to offer tailored state-to-state defensive advice as well.
• So Anthropic released Claude Code, OpenAI has Codex, and then Claude Code has just really taken off,
• good at coding.
• up in the state.
• At Lawrence Livermore, we are focused on nation-state cyber threats to water, energy, and other critical

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You see that jumping from 6.8% to almost 30% of our net energy for load for the state.
• state?
• In terms of renewable energy sources other than solar, is there any uptick in wave energy or energy from
• One of the questions that I had, because as the state is growing and we're seeing more energy demand,
• I think it's important for infrastructure providers in the state of Florida to live by the same code

Summary: The committee heard introductory remarks from Chair LaMarca and members, then received presentations on electric utility planning, transportation infrastructure, and broadband deployment. Public Service Commission staff explained how Florida’s utilities plan for reliability and cost through 10-year site plans, demand forecasting, and economic dispatch. The presentation emphasized Florida’s residential-heavy load, growing EV demand, expanding solar and battery storage, continued reliance on natural gas combined-cycle plants, and the role of nuclear power. Members asked about energy efficiency, rates, renewable options beyond solar, cybersecurity, grid resilience, data centers, and small modular nuclear reactors; the witness said efficiency programs are reviewed every five years, utilities must balance reliability and affordability, and large new loads like data centers generally must pay for their own infrastructure needs. Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue described FDOT’s five-year work program, decentralized district structure, and funding mix, noting that the agency is predominantly state-funded and prioritizes maintenance and preservation before expansion. He highlighted record investment levels, major congestion-relief projects, toll-road revenues, seaport and airport partnerships, spaceport investments, workforce and equipment needs, and emerging technology such as advanced air mobility. Members asked about project timing, MPO planning, rail and ferry funding, airport governance, winter storm preparedness, and flooding/sea-level rise; Perdue said faster delivery depends on resources, local governments lead transit operations with FDOT as a capital partner, and coastal and drainage projects are designed around storm surge and resiliency. The Office of Broadband reported on six grant programs supporting infrastructure, community facilities, digital connectivity, and future digital capacity and broadband expansion. Director Leo Garcia said the office has awarded hundreds of millions of dollars across most counties, leveraged significant private investment, and focused heavily on rural areas. He noted that broadband efforts are intended to support telehealth, education, workforce development, and economic growth, and said the state has reduced the number of unserved locations from more than 400,000 to a projected 170,000 after current awards are completed. He also said the office needs additional budget authority for the upcoming digital capacity program and that the larger federal/state broadband deployment program will be used to reach remaining unserved and underserved areas.