Transcript Highlights:

• For the record, Representative Raymond, and I represent Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, and Lemhi counties
• Again, Representative Brandon Mitchell, District 6, covering Latah, Lewis, and Nez Perce counties.
• It keeps our election decisions close to the people, protects Idaho's authority over campaign finance
• I am Representative Barbara Ehart from District 33, Bonneville County, and primarily Idaho Falls.
• both reviewed by the Lewis County prosecutor and the Attorney General.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from March 20 and then reordered the agenda to hear several Senate measures. Senate Bill 1350, on cash rounding when pennies are unavailable, was presented as a voluntary guide for cash transactions only; it would round to the nearest five cents and was supported by the Idaho Retailers Association. After a brief question about change-making and a note of support from Pam Eaton, the committee sent the bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Members then heard Senate Joint Memorial 112, which urges Congress to propose a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. Representative Raymond argued the federal deficit is unsustainable and said Idaho’s congressional delegation should lead on the issue; the memorial was advanced on a due pass motion. Senate Bill 1322, concerning voter affidavits for voters without photo ID, would require additional identifying information such as name, address, and either date of birth or driver’s license number before a ballot is issued. The Secretary of State’s office said about 1,200 voters used the affidavit in 2024 and supported the bill, which also received a due pass recommendation. The committee also advanced Senate Joint Memorial 109, reaffirming Idaho’s sovereignty and the Tenth Amendment in election administration, and House Concurrent Resolution 35, honoring Idaho’s 2026 Olympians, including medalists Breezy Johnson, Jalen Koth, and Hillary Knight. Representative Church read a statement from Sammy Smith’s coach praising her athletic competitiveness. Senate Concurrent Resolution 122, reaffirming Idaho’s relationship with Taiwan and its economic ties, was likewise sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation. In the final item, the committee considered temporary and pending rules for the Idaho Public Safety Communications Commission governing multi-year 911 grant authority and related scoring/application provisions. Sheriff Andy Creech said the rule would provide clearer limits and guidance for grants supporting next-generation 911 and that prior grants would remain valid. Despite his explanation, the committee voted to reject both docket 15-0601-2501 and docket 15-0601-2215, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Director of Bernalillo County Animal Care Services.
• He said that Bernalillo County had been using this money for vaccines and not for spay and neuter.
• Luna County, about a quarter of the people live at or below the poverty level.
• Luna County, about a quarter of the people live at or below the poverty level.
• I'm the cabinet secretary of the Health Care Authority. We're all a little tired tonight.

Bills: HB25, SB38, SB101, HB199

Keywords: juvenile delinquency, firearm possession, criminal background checks, state law, gun control, youth offense, conviction, public safety, SB38, pet food, registered pet food, registration fee, fees, sunset repeal, repeal of repeal, revenue, state fee, business regulation, animal feed, pet food registration

Transcript Highlights:

• , Tulare County.
• I respectfully ask for the roll to be open for co-authors if possible. With that, I close.
• The clerk will open the roll for co-authors. Members, this is for co-authors.
• For co-authors, all members vote who desire to vote.
• All those vote who desire to vote, this is for co-authors. All those vote who desire to vote.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, I would first like to thank my co-author.
• county county um um um uh<00:25:07.679><c> processes</c><00:25:08.400><c> of</c><00:25:08.480><c> the
• the counties, that it uh processes of the counties, that it good<00:25:09.760><c> standing</c><00:25
• </c> got like all authors amendments. got like all authors amendments.
• So it's up to the author.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you read Section B, it says a municipality or county shall allow the...
• I do come from Palm Beach County, which is, um...
• I'm a resident of Hillsborough County, and this is my daughter, Sydney.
• John's County. Their mortgage is $2,500. It's a family of four. They live in St. John's County.
• What's their authority? Thank you very much.

Summary: The committee took up a series of health and human services bills, beginning with CS/SB 1602, which would require emergency departments to have evidence-based pediatric care protocols, training, appropriate child-sized equipment and medications, a designated care coordinator, and participation in a pediatric readiness assessment. It was reported favorably. CS/SB 1224 followed, aligning Florida law with federal requirements so paramedics may administer controlled substances in the field under physician or nurse practitioner protocols; it also passed favorably after supportive testimony from fire chiefs. The committee then adopted a strike-all for SB 890, the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act, which addresses venous thromboembolism by creating a statewide registry, requiring screening and training in hospitals and long-term care settings, and adding assisted living facility response requirements. Assisted living representatives objected to the ALF provisions as unrealistic and potentially harmful, while supporters argued the bill would save lives; the bill was reported favorably. CS/SB 1182, requiring continuous glucose monitors to be covered as both durable medical equipment and a pharmacy benefit, also passed favorably with support from AARP. The committee next considered CS/SB 12, a claim bill for a child severely injured after a DCF home visit allegedly failed to meet standards, and it was reported favorably without opposition. CS/CS/SB 954, dealing with substance abuse treatment centers and recovery residences, drew substantial debate. The bill would limit local zoning restrictions on treatment facilities and allow larger recovery residences if staffing ratios are increased; a late-filed amendment reduced the maximum active patients from 500 to 300. Municipal and county representatives warned that the bill could override local reasonable-accommodation efforts and create institutional-scale facilities, while supporters said housing is essential to recovery and that clustering concerns are overstated. The committee ultimately reported the bill favorably. CS/SB 1050, expanding the developmental disabilities pilot program statewide and creating a statewide family care council, also passed after extensive testimony from families and advocates. Supporters emphasized the long waitlist and the need for more services, while some speakers opposed managed care and warned about provider shortages and loss of individualized supports. Later, CS/SB 614, requiring a public educational webpage about background screening clearinghouse and level two screening requirements, was reported favorably. CS/SB 1578, which would require coverage for mammograms and supplemental breast cancer screening in certain circumstances, was also reported favorably. CS/SB 1060 created a joint legislative oversight committee to review Medicaid operations and financing; members discussed the need for stronger oversight of large midyear spending adjustments, and the bill passed favorably. CS/SB 1240, a Department of Children and Families substance abuse and mental health bill, was amended to clarify Baker Act transfer timing and notification requirements after debate over whether facilities could hold patients too long; it was then reported favorably. Finally, Senator Harrell presented CS/SB 526, a major nursing education bill aimed at Florida’s low NCLEX passage rates. The bill would require nursing programs to use exit exams, remediation, reporting, and stricter oversight, and the strike-all would add graduate preceptorships for low-performing programs and temporary provisional licenses for graduates pending NCLEX passage. The transcript ended while that bill was still being explained, before final action was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Eliminating this enhancement will allow county courts to focus on more serious offenses.
• We have county. Courts that have backlogs that they can't get to.
• We need to give that barrier and give the power back to the school authorities.
• Right now there's no numbers for Houston-Harris County for 2023 or 2024.
• I'm an assistant DA in Chambers County.

Bills: HB316

Keywords: Medicaid, healthcare, affordable care act, medical assistance, federal funding

Transcript Highlights:

• But we thank the authors of this measure as well, much needed.
• But we thank the authors of this measure as well, much needed.
• But we thank the authors of this measure as well, much needed.
• We have County Council Member Ashley Kirtz in support, and Stephanie...
• </c> activities to the authorizing activities to the authorizing statutes<00:47:47.760><c> um</c><00:

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees first heard SB 1146, which would appropriate funds to the University of Hawaiʻi to develop an action plan and pre-engineering concept plan for debris management and water quality control in the Ala Wai Watershed. Testimony was largely supportive from DLNR, a UH student, and a special improvement district representative, while one speaker suggested the work should be coordinated with existing efforts to avoid duplication. Committee discussion focused on the multi-jurisdictional nature of the watershed, existing debris-trap work that captures only about 20 to 30 percent of debris, the role of the university in capstone projects and recommendations, and the relationship to the existing Geni project and other community efforts. Members also asked about costs, tracking progress, and the difference between water-quality improvements and the larger debris problem. The committees then voted to pass SB 1146 with amendments, including blanking out the appropriation and deferring the effective date to July 31, 2050. The motion passed in both committees, with votes recorded in support and no opposition noted during the decision-making. The committees also heard SB 321, which would deem certain fee simple privately owned lands transferred to adjacent property owners or community associations if specified conditions are met. Testimony was in support from several individuals, but members raised concerns about the lack of input from counties and the state, and about how the bill might affect roads already used by the public or maintained by local governments. After discussion, the committees voted to advance SB 321 unamended to the next committees, with the measure adopted in both committees despite one recorded no vote in the Water and Land committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am with the California State Association of Counties representing all of California's 58 counties.
• File Item 1, SB 615, authored by Senator Allen. This bill has an urgency clause.
• This item has an urgency clause authored by Senator Weber Pearson.
• Item number 3 SB 454 authored by Senator McNerney.
• Item number 4 SB 724 authored by Senator Richardson.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , to put Cost County on equal footing with other counties in the state.
• , to put Cost County on equal footing with other counties in the state.
• </c> County delegation.
• . counties. counties.
• I'm county commissioner from Coös County. I'm representing today the county commissioners.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:31:17.000><c> drive</c> the state, for all the counties, drive the state, for all the counties
• And I was the co-author on those the And I was the co-author on those the bill.<00:34:19.640><c> So,<
• We haven't put a lot of resources for the counties.
• We haven't put a lot of resources for the counties.
• We haven't put a lot of resources for the counties.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 4466, the Health Finance and Policy bill, and first adopted the A8 amendment, described as a set of technical fixes. Members then considered a large A9 amendment that bundled a wide range of Children and Families provisions, including child care licensing modernization, crisis nursery licensing, SNAP/MFIT-related language, child care provider self-reporting, a physical abuse recognition poster, child protection and welfare provisions, funding for parent support outreach, and forensic interview training scholarships. Supporters described it as bipartisan work with relatively small fiscal impact, while opponents said it greatly expanded the bill and should be handled separately; after a roll call, the A9 amendment failed 7-14. Representative Scott then offered the A11 amendment, raising concerns about new all-payer claims database language and whether it should have been heard in the Judiciary and Civil Law Committee. Department of Health staff explained the data-sharing safeguards, de-identification process, fee structure, and enforcement provisions, but Scott remained concerned about privacy and the scope of the program and withdrew the amendment. The committee then moved to final bill discussion. Members and authors described HF 4466 as a lean health finance bill largely conforming Minnesota law to federal HR1 Medicaid-related changes, including work requirements, retroactive eligibility limits, cost-sharing, and home equity provisions. Supporters argued conformity was necessary to avoid major federal funding losses and noted a few additional member bills in the package; opponents criticized the federal changes as harmful, especially for vulnerable populations such as victims of trafficking and domestic violence. Fiscal staff said the bill would save just over $2 million in FY 2026-27 and almost $98 million in FY 2028-29. No final vote on the bill itself was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I represent District 62, which is Cass and Bates County.
• , Ozark County seat, St.
• Charles County. We want to go on record in support of the legislation.
• We include the counties of St. Charles, St. Louis, St.
• Louis City, Franklin County, Jefferson County, Warren County, and Lincoln County.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am Senator Perry Dozier, 16th District, which is Walla Walla County and Benton Franklin County, taking
• I am Derek Stanford, State Senator for the 1st District, parts of King and Snohomish County.
• A few of them are representing two counties at the same time.
• , Clark County, and Greater Puget Sound, again, all having long-term strategic plans.
• And then in the Ninth District for Senator Schoesler, Columbia County, 11, and Garfield County, two.

Summary: The Senate Business, Trade, and Economic Development Committee met for its first session under the committee’s new name and heard a work session on Washington’s economic development policy from the Department of Commerce. Commerce described its Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness, including small business finance, export assistance, business attraction, and sector development work, and emphasized the need for a statewide economic development strategic plan with regular review, stakeholder input, and attention to rural and regional needs. Members asked about foreign trade offices, federal funding uncertainty, tax competitiveness, workforce programs, and the role of the Keep Washington Working program. Commerce said the state’s trade and investment efforts are valuable but face funding challenges, and that Washington must compete on more than taxes, including its business ecosystem and workforce. The committee then heard public testimony on Senate Bill 5919, which would encourage fire districts and insurers to develop voluntary incentives for wildfire mitigation best practices related to agricultural activities. The sponsor described the bill as a way to reward farmers for practices such as defensible space, fire breaks, equipment storage, and avoiding high-risk work during red flag conditions. A fire chief testified in support, citing recent standing grain fires and the need for practical incentives in rural areas. The bill was described as having no appropriation and no requested fiscal note. Members also heard testimony on Washington in the Making 2040 from the Association of Washington Business and a business owner. Supporters said the 16-year economic vision plan was built from broad public engagement and focuses on workforce, business climate, infrastructure, housing, and community. They argued Washington needs more housing, a more competitive regulatory and tax environment, and reliable energy to support growth. Senators questioned how the plan would achieve its housing goals and what specific regulatory changes were needed; AWB said it would provide a regulatory study soon. The committee also received a wildfire mitigation work group update from the Office of Insurance Commissioner, which recommended stronger community mitigation, better data sharing, consumer transparency, and a possible grant program for home hardening, though it did not reach full consensus on a single property mitigation standard. Finally, the committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 5871, which would prohibit assignment of benefits in property and casualty insurance and set new rules for motor vehicle glass repair claims, including ADAS-related disclosures and limits on steering and inducements. The sponsor and supporters, including the Office of Insurance Commissioner, Safelite, NAMIC, and the Northwest Insurance Council, said the bill would reduce auto glass fraud, improve transparency, and help stabilize premiums. Independent glass shop owners and the Independent Glass Association opposed the bill as written, arguing it would favor large vertically integrated companies, restrict small businesses, and fail to address insurer steering and conflicts of interest. Several witnesses requested technical amendments, and the committee took no final vote before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Public Education, Department of Health, Health Authority, all working together.
• Nationwide, they have roughly... 7,200 county office staff.
• We're in Eddy and Otero County, and our grandkids are the sixth generation.
• I don't think we are buying the beef out of Eddy or Otero County yet.
• Level that the state itself actually focuses on as a health care authority.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Five million in general funds for county Five million in general funds for county detention<00:59
• The authorized employee counts indicate the number of positions that are legislative authorized.
• goes to Teton County or the county<02:04:18.080><c> that</c><02:04:18.320><c> I</c><02:04:18.560><c>
• The JAC did adopt the governor's recommendation to authorize $30 million in borrowing authority from
• </c><03:15:27.200><c> These</c> Teton County over there. These Teton County over there.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But when I was the county supervisor in the County of Ventura, as I began, they had a structural deficit
• We'll go on to issue four, High-Speed Rail Authority.
• The project update report is the authority conducting that.
• The authority would perhaps... I'm going to interrupt.
• I think perhaps the authority can speak in more detail.

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on transportation agency budget proposals and did not take any votes. The first major discussion focused on the Motor Vehicle Account shortfall and a proposed one-time $166 million transfer from the Air Pollution Control Fund and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to offset California Air Resources Board mobile source costs. Department of Finance and the LAO described the account’s long-running structural deficit, driven largely by employee compensation growth and REAL ID-related workload, while members criticized the use of Proposition 4, GGRF, and other one-time or redirected funds as backfills and urged a longer-term solution that addresses both revenues and expenditures. The committee then heard Caltrans’ request for $25 million in General Fund support to create a Clean California Community Cleanup and Employment Pathway Grant Program. Caltrans said the program would build on the prior Clean California effort by funding local litter and graffiti cleanup, community engagement, and workforce pathways for vulnerable populations. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposal, arguing that local litter abatement is not a core state responsibility and that one-time funding is unlikely to solve persistent local cleanup needs. Several members echoed those concerns, while public commenters split between support for the cleanup/employment model and calls to instead restore funding to the Active Transportation Program and transit operations. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency requested that California administratively recognize Tahoe’s federally designated population figure for state formula-based transportation funding, which would raise the population count used in formulas from 40,000 to 145,000. The agency said the change would not request new money but would better align state formulas with federal law and support a shared regional funding framework; members appeared generally supportive, though they noted the need to phase in the change to reduce impacts on other regions. The final presentation was on High-Speed Rail. The LAO reviewed the authority’s project update report, noting that it did not fully meet statutory requirements and that key details are still pending in a supplemental report expected later in the summer. The LAO said the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment still shows an estimated roughly $7 billion funding gap, with no specific plan to close it, and highlighted risks from federal review, inflation, and uncertain GGRF revenues. High-Speed Rail Authority staff said they are conducting a bottom-up review of scope, schedule, ridership, and costs, expect to provide updated information by late summer, and are exploring public-private partnerships and other financing strategies. Members stressed that no further funding commitments should be made until the updated analysis is available.

Transcript Highlights:

• Although the authority... ...possessing the authority to construct, operate, and maintain the asset.
• Can't speak for the author, but I don't think that's the goal of the author either. ...not the goal of
• Can't speak for the author, but I don't think that's the goal of the author either.
• Thank you to the author for bringing the bill.
• Thank you to the author for bringing the bill.

Summary: The committee hearing covered a long agenda of energy, utility, and data-center bills, with members hearing extensive testimony on affordability, ratepayer protections, wildfire liability, and grid planning. Several measures were presented by Assembly Member Irwin and others, including AB 2182 on industrial energy efficiency incentives, AB 2396 on allowing community choice aggregators to develop transmission projects, AB 2589 on returning federal tax savings to ratepayers, AB 2508 on shifting public purpose program costs off utility bills, AB 1577 on data center reporting, and AB 2383 on large energy-use facility rate design. The chair noted the hearing began without a quorum and later proceeded once quorum was established for the data-center and AB 2383 votes. AB 2182 and AB 2589 were discussed but not acted on during the portion shown, while AB 2396 drew substantial debate over wildfire liability, financing, and whether CCAs should be allowed to own transmission lines. AB 2508 generated the most divided policy discussion, with supporters arguing that public purpose programs and energy efficiency costs should not be borne by ratepayers and should instead be funded through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund or other public sources. Opponents warned that moving those programs to GGRF would threaten funding stability, undermine cost-effective efficiency programs, and jeopardize important safety-net and wildfire-related spending; wildfire survivor advocates asked for amendments to ensure victims are paid first before any reallocation. Committee members raised concerns about whether GGRF is an appropriate and stable funding source, and several said they could not support the bill as drafted. AB 1577, requiring data centers to report energy, water, and noise information, passed on a 10-1 vote after supporters said the bill would help local and state planners manage rapid load growth, while opponents argued it was burdensome, duplicative, and could expose proprietary or security-sensitive information. AB 2383, which would direct the CPUC to create a new rate structure for large energy-use facilities and require long-term contracts to prevent cost shifts and stranded assets, also drew strong support and opposition. The Little Hoover Commission and NRDC backed the bill as a way to protect ratepayers from data-center-related costs, while CCAs, the Chamber of Commerce, manufacturers, and petroleum interests objected to the bill’s scope and to CPUC oversight, especially as it could affect CCAs and other large users beyond data centers. After discussion about preserving local authority and avoiding stranded costs, the committee approved AB 2383 on a 13-0 vote and left the roll open for absent members. The hearing then moved to AB 1774, a wildfire accountability bill by Assembly Member Berman, which was introduced with testimony from fire survivors and consumer advocates emphasizing the need to verify that utility wildfire mitigation spending is actually performed before ratepayers are charged.

Transcript Highlights:

• So um it's it's you know not the author.
• main</c><01:15:10.480><c> geographic</c> Henipin County is our main geographic Henipin County is our
• But you as individuals have the authority.
• But you as individuals have the authority.
• But you as individuals have the authority.

Bills: HF3806, HF2687, HF497

Keywords: housing, infrastructure bonds, funding, appropriation, Minnesota Statutes, HF2687, single-family homes, corporate landlords, corporate ownership, real estate investment trust, REIT, landlord registry, landlord database, tenant transparency, housing affordability, homeownership, deed tax, transfer tax, property tax, affordable housing

Transcript Highlights:

• on property owners in his county.
• Rachel Martin, the land use director in Blaine County, testified that Blaine County has concerns with
• Do you know if that's statewide or just your county?
• plat, but ours is specific to our county.
• And as the planner from Blaine County indicated, a number of our counties do have provisions that would

Summary: The Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee met on March 5 and took up Senate Bill 1355, sponsored by Senator Harris. The bill would create a narrow exemption allowing landowners to gift or sell five-acre-or-larger parcels to immediate family members without going through the full subdivision process, with ownership and holding-period requirements intended to prevent speculation. Harris said the measure was meant to help farm and rural families keep land in the family and allow children to establish homes or agricultural operations, and he asked that the bill be sent to the 14th order for possible amendment. Testimony was mixed. Ada County Development Services Director Richard Beck and Blaine County land use director Rachel Martin opposed the bill as written, saying it could create parcels that still do not meet local zoning, building, or safety requirements, could be unbuildable, and could create enforcement problems around family relationships and holding periods. Martin also warned about hillside and avalanche hazards in mountainous areas and suggested an administrative review process or an agricultural-land limitation. In support, Teton County resident Tom Henson said current county minimums and lending practices make it difficult for his children to finance homes on family land, and Pacific Legal Foundation’s Reese Empey backed the bill as a way to reduce regulatory barriers to family housing and agricultural transfers. Idaho Association of Counties executive director Seth Grigg said counties could work with the sponsor on friendly amendments to address administrative concerns. After discussion, the committee voted to send Senate Bill 1355 to the 14th order for possible amendments. The committee then approved the February 19, 2026 minutes and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Authored by Thomas Jefferson, shaped through debate and revision by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin,
• The act ratified Idaho's Constitution, defined state boundaries, established courts and legal authority
• Housewell, number 620, by Resources and Conservation Committee, and after relating to boards of county
• The three-line addition on lines 26 to 28 on page 3 of House Bill 551 grants that authority.
• And it does say that the... ...authorization allotment and the use of funds.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The review will determine the future will is a valid exercise of delegated legislative authority.
• Has current statutory authority.
• Additionally, for those rules with for which a mandatory delegation of rule making authority remains
• And that's something to be darn proud of and really proud of the people of Collier County for basically
• This bill authorizes the discrete, the distribution and sale of prescription hearing aids through the

Keywords: 999, senate, all