Transcript Highlights:

• gauging equipment to scientifically document our current water usage and support future development claims
• gauging equipment to scientifically document our current water usage and support future development claims
• gauging equipment to scientifically document our current water usage and support future development claims

Committee: Senate Resources and Environment

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They make claims against each other in court.
• You can't just make claims; you have to have evidence of those claims.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• conviction integrity unit while it reinvestigates a case of a previously convicted person to review a claim
• While it reinvestigates a case of a previously convicted person to review a claim of innocence.
• It's an optional division for the state attorney that allows him to review plausible claims of innocence

Summary: The Criminal Justice Subcommittee considered four bills and reported all of them favorably. HB 373, by Rep. Duggins, tolls the statute of limitations for the offense of knowingly and willfully failing to report suspected child abuse until law enforcement or another outside agency learns of the violation. Members raised concerns about fairness if the underlying abuse is time-barred while the reporter still faces prosecution, and the sponsor said he would discuss possible changes with his state attorney, but the bill was not amended and passed 13-0. HB 359, by Rep. Anderson, extends the deadline for forensic examination of seized computers and electronic devices from 45 days to 365 days. Supporters from the Florida Prosecutors Association and state attorneys said modern devices are difficult and time-consuming to unlock and analyze, creating repeated requests to extend search deadlines and slowing investigations in cases involving child exploitation, homicide, and other crimes. The bill passed 13-0. HB 703, by Rep. Gentry, preserves a public records exemption for information generated by a state attorney’s conviction integrity unit during reinvestigation of a claim of innocence, with supporters saying disclosure could reveal sensitive information such as alternate suspects, witnesses, or evidence and compromise the review. It passed 12-0. HB 4001, by Rep. Tant, caps inmate health care compensation in Jefferson County at 110% of the Medicare reimbursement rate to encourage preexisting provider contracts and prevent overbilling; it also passed 13-0. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• make sure they are alive and requires department commerce to share information related to fraudulent claims
• a required assessment employment assessment that was and that was attached to these unemployment claims
• I would I would claim the office and say we're the best in the nation and the reason you have we shouldn't

Transcript Highlights:

• So SB 4950. 5, insurance data and claims do pass. Out on an A-roll call.
• SB 487, Grayson, workers' compensation claim, do pass, as amended, to apply the bill to a peace officer
• SB 437 Weber-Pearson claim eligibility. Do pass. That's out on a B roll call.

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• be required to dismiss the suit unless the information in the affidavit is adequate to support the claim
• By providing a streamlined ex parte approach will help rightful property owners clear fraudulent claims
• Property owners can often face expensive legal fees just to clear these fraudulent claims.

Bills: SB 302 , SB 1335 , SB 1734 , SB 1760 , SB 1975 , SB 2127

Committee: Senate Jurisprudence

Keywords: probate court, statutory judge, reimbursement, court costs, court proceedings, judicial assignments, judge assignment, cost reimbursement, judicial expenses, estate management, statutory requirement, court expenses, estates, inheritance, representative duties, court authority, personal representative, real property, deed fraud, title fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a contract for services related to processing our unemployment claims.
• I'm just curious about the amount of claims or issues you have with this structure, or is that...?
• The number of claims we have per year probably ranges from 100 to 150. Okay, thank you.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's adjusted and aged, so it's, you know, It's adjusted and aged, so it's essentially current data.
• I just mentioned we made some progress with the targeted market equity adjustments.
• Now, there were some equity adjustments that were approved in the current biennium also, but they were
• The target market equity adjustments specifically refer to a program that was approved, not for this
• There have been some additional equity adjustments.

Summary: The Employee Benefits Committee met to approve prior minutes, hear presentations on state employee health insurance, compensation, leave, and related policy issues, and then recess for lunch. PERS reviewed the history and structure of the state health plan, noting the long-standing state-paid family coverage, cost-control measures, wellness incentives, the current grandfathered PPO and high-deductible options, and the effects of recent benefit mandates such as insulin caps, prosthetic coverage, medication management, prescription copay changes, and ambulance balance-billing limits. Committee members questioned the fiscal impact of adding benefits and the possible cost of moving to a non-grandfathered plan, while PERS and HRMS emphasized that health insurance remains the top-ranked employee benefit and that any major plan changes should be considered carefully. HRMS also presented compensation comparisons showing state pay generally below private-market benchmarks, discussed targeted market equity adjustments, identified ongoing recruitment and retention concerns in fields like nursing, IT, engineering, and attorneys, and reviewed leave policies, tuition reimbursement, and family leave comparisons with neighboring states. Job Service provided labor market data showing low unemployment, high labor force participation, and wage growth that still trails some neighboring markets, and OMB explained that prevailing wage requirements apply to federally funded projects under Davis-Bacon, not to ordinary state contracts. After lunch, the committee took up the required process for health insurance mandate bills and adopted an amendment to Joint Rule 211. The amendment clarified that the deadline for submitting mandate measures is intended to allow time for all required reports, including both the cost-benefit analysis and any Employee Benefits Committee actuarial report, while leaving the existing deadline unchanged. The amendment was adopted on a roll call vote, with several members voting yes and a few no votes recorded. The committee then moved into its jurisdiction review of bill drafts, beginning with a bill that would automatically renew pre-tax dental and vision elections; members debated whether it had any actuarial or administrative impact on PERS or the state, and the chair explained that the committee’s role was only to decide whether further analysis was needed before later testimony and recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• You don’t necessarily need legislation to...” “...adjust that to a permit.
• It was in South Texas and West Texas where the EPA made their adjustments on pressure.
• It was in South Texas and West Texas where the EPA made their adjustments on pressure.
• I mean, is there anything that needs to be adjusted there?
• So instead of suspending a rule, it goes in and makes adjustments to the administrative code.

Committee: House Natural Resources & Environment

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But it was also really important to cover the operating adjustments in this area because without doing
• But it was also really important to cover the operating adjustments in this area because without doing
• But it was also really important to cover the operating adjustments in this area because without doing
• We funded operating adjustments to judicial staff at a level that would... function as team house and
• We funded operating adjustments branch.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So, it's been adjusted going along the way.
• And so, that's been adjusted going along.
• And so, that's been adjusted going along.
• adjust the surcharge.
• And so, that's been adjusted going along.

Bills: HB0116 , HB0056

Committee: Senate Minerals, Business & Economic Development

Keywords: water rights, beneficial use, industrial production, hydrogen, applications, public welfare, carbon capture, energy standards, public utilities, environmental regulation, state law, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in 2026 which is meant to adjustment in 2026 which is meant to help<00:31:11.720><c> cover</c><00:31
• First, ARM strongly opposes the proposal to cap inflationary adjustments at 2%.
• This adjustment will further erode their wages.
• Timelines adjusted right now.
• Timelines adjusted right now.

Committees: Senate Health and Human Services , Senate Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• CPCs also make false and misleading claims.
• As of 2021, over 63% of Minnesota CPCs made false and biased claims.
• As of 2021, only 9% of Minnesota CPCs claim to employ a physician, and only 20% claim to employ a registered
• </c><01:01:57.640><c> to</c><01:01:57.760><c> employ</c><01:01:58.039><c> a</c> and only 20% claim to
• that this data is protected under claim that this data is protected under Hippa<01:02:23.799><c> but

Bills: HF25 , HF1 , HF428

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Keywords: pregnancy support, women's health, maternity homes, nonprofit organizations, grant funding, abortion, family services, Office of Inspector General, inspector general, legislative audit, fraud prevention, waste and abuse, public funds, grant oversight, state grants, grant management, whistleblower protection, retaliation, subpoena power, data practices

Transcript Highlights:

• And I had been involved pre-COVID and indeed, pre-coming back to DPC, in the fight over quality-adjusted
• mine, and I had been involved pre-COVID and indeed pre-coming back to DPC in the fight over quality-adjusted
• The big issue here, though, that I wanted to draw a connection to, the parallel, are quality-adjusted
• lets someone live 10 years longer with severe epilepsy would only get credit for saving 5.5 quality-adjusted
• These included a ban on the use of quality-adjusted life years for making such decisions and some additional

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities’ Long-Term Services and Supports and Health Equity Subcommittee met to hear a presentation from Colin Killick of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network on disability discrimination in crisis standards of care during COVID-19. He described how Massachusetts and other states initially used standards that prioritized longer life expectancy and, in some cases, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), which he argued devalued the lives of disabled people and older adults. He also discussed related issues such as denial of transplants, pressure on disabled patients to sign do-not-resuscitate orders, and inequities affecting communities of color. He said disability advocates, legal groups, and public officials pushed back through litigation, media, and organizing, leading to revisions of Massachusetts’ standards and the eventual inclusion of disability advocates in the drafting process. Killick also discussed vaccine rollout, saying disabled people were initially under-prioritized but later gained broader access and more accessible vaccination options such as ASL interpretation and in-home vaccination. He closed by urging support for S. 869, an act relative to preventing discrimination against persons with disabilities in the provision of health care, which he said would ban disability-based discrimination in crisis standards, prohibit QALYs in health care decision-making, and add protections against coerced DNRs. He noted the bill had been favorably reported out of the Health Care Financing Committee but still needed support. In questions, members asked why the bill had not advanced further; Killick said earlier opposition from QALY supporters had been resolved, and the main barrier now was lack of legislative prioritization. Members thanked him for the presentation and for the work on revising crisis standards. The subcommittee then completed roll call, approved the prior minutes, and adjourned, noting the next meeting would be August 31.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 1761 really deals with the PCIA, the power charge and difference adjustment that CCAs and other departing
• That will allow for a longer runway to be able to adjust to changes that are coming, as well as increased
• are coming, as well as increased accountability and scrutiny on those numbers, where we have seen adjustments
• By making such adjustments, customers on dynamic rates can reduce their own electricity bill and help
• By making such adjustments, customers on dynamic rates can reduce their own electricity bill and help

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy met without a quorum at first and proceeded as a subcommittee, then later established quorum and took up three bills. AB 1715, by Assembly Member Schiavo, would require the CPUC to create a searchable online database of utility advice letters, responses, and resolutions dating back to 2020, and add quarterly reporting on taxpayer-funded loans and grants to investor-owned utilities. Supporters, including TURN, said the bill would improve transparency and accountability around utility financing and ratepayer savings; no formal opposition testified, though SDG&E and SoCalGas said committee amendments addressed their main concerns. The bill was moved do pass as amended to Appropriations and ultimately passed 16-0. AB 1761, by Assembly Member Rogers, would improve transparency around the PCIA charge paid by community choice aggregators and other departing load customers by allowing advance access to data used in the calculation through an existing CPUC nondisclosure process. CalCCA, several CCAs, local governments, and clean energy groups supported the bill, arguing that current PCIA-setting practices are opaque and can cause rate shock; IOUs opposed, citing concerns about market-sensitive data and noting an existing CPUC process they said had not been fully used. After discussion of confidentiality protections and the committee amendments, the bill passed 15-0 to Appropriations. AB 1787, by Assembly Member Schultz, would require the CPUC to direct the large investor-owned utilities to offer optional dynamic rate tariffs once smart meter and related system upgrades approved on or after January 1, 2027 are in place. Supporters said dynamic pricing can help customers shift usage to lower-cost, cleaner periods and reduce peak demand costs, while opponents from PG&E, SDG&E, and SCE argued the bill was too prescriptive, could conflict with ongoing CPUC proceedings, and might create cost or implementation issues. The author said he would continue working with opponents and accepted committee amendments; the bill passed 13-0 to Appropriations. All three measures were reported out, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 1761 really deals with the PCIA, the power charge and difference adjustment that CCAs and other departing
• That will allow for a longer runway to be able to adjust to changes that are coming, as well as increased
• are coming, as well as increased accountability and scrutiny on those numbers, where we have seen adjustments
• By making such adjustments, customers on dynamic rates can reduce their own electricity bill and help
• By making such adjustments, customers on dynamic rates can reduce their own electricity bill and help

Committee: House Utilities and Energy

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Does DPS have the mechanism or the ability to adjust the fee for out-of-state so that the... ...the mechanism
• or the ability to adjust the fee for out of state so that the 10% will wash out?
• concerns on this, we did have stakeholder meetings with DPS, and in the bill, it allows a director to adjust
• It allows a director to adjust cost to make sure that it is revenue neutral.
• And so that kind of adjusts to that.

Committee: House House Judiciary Committee of Reference

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard and advanced five Senate bills. SB 1160 would make it a class one misdemeanor to fly a drone within one mile of a ticketed entertainment event, with exceptions for authorized personnel or written consent; NASCAR testified in support on public safety grounds, and the bill received a due pass recommendation by a 6-1 vote. SB 1093 would expand the definition of riot to include force or threats causing property damage and add riot as a predicate offense for conspiracy and racketeering; criminal defense attorneys opposed it as overly broad, while the sponsor argued it would target those who pay for organized riots, and it passed 5-2. SB 1049 would place a four-year limit on spousal maintenance and adjust related court guidelines; the sponsor said it was intended to end open-ended support, while members raised concerns about long marriages, businesses, and lifestyle disparities, and it passed 5-2. SB 1053 would change CCW permit fees so Arizona residents pay 10% of the nonresident fee; supporters said the bill would make resident permits cheaper while allowing DPS to keep the program revenue neutral, but some members worried it could reduce state revenue, and it passed 6-2. SB 1058 would bar firearm registries and the use of merchant category codes to identify firearm retailers or purchases, with enforcement by the Attorney General and county attorneys; supporters framed it as a privacy and Second Amendment measure, and it passed 6-2. SB 1211 would allow victims of felony aggravated harassment involving domestic violence to seek a lifetime injunction against the convicted defendant; domestic violence advocates supported it as closing a gap for ongoing harassment, a criminal justice group opposed a broader amendment but not the bill itself, and the committee ultimately approved the bill unanimously, 9-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the two decades since, that amount has never been adjusted, and that has caused a widening gap in
• of an investigator and less than half of a deputy prosecutor. 5109 will address this by finally adjusting
• The amount must then be added or subtracted from the home care agency vendor rate and factor in adjustments
• to modify the home care administrative rate between the rate-setting board activities in order to adjust
• DSHS will continue to calculate the incremental adjustment for the home care agency rate, as they always

Summary: The Appropriations Committee held a public hearing on several bills. Senate Bill 5109 would raise the mortgage lending fraud prosecution surcharge on recorded deeds of trust from $1 to $5 and remove the 2027 sunset on the surcharge and account. Committee staff said the change would generate additional revenue for county auditors and the Department of Financial Institutions to contract with prosecutors; King County and the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys testified in strong support, saying the current funding has eroded and the bill would better sustain mortgage fraud prosecutions. A question was raised about whether other budget funding could serve a similar purpose, but supporters said the dedicated surcharge/account structure was the best fit. No vote was taken. The committee also heard Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5500, which would require DCYF’s biennial child care report to include a current cost-of-quality study in addition to the market rate survey. Testifiers from Child Care Aware of Washington, child care providers, and the early education design team supported the bill, saying the market rate survey alone does not capture the true cost of providing quality care. Staff said the bill would have a small fiscal impact for DCYF. The committee then heard Substitute Senate Bill 5834 and Senate Bill 5835, both Department of Retirement Systems request bills: one would broaden use of pension fund interest earnings for fund-protection expenses beyond the 2025-27 biennium, and the other would raise the threshold for lump-sum payment of small monthly benefits from $50 to $250. Neither bill drew public testimony, and staff said the fiscal impacts were minimal. Later, the committee heard Engrossed Senate Bill 5872, which would create the Pre-K Promise Account for ECAP funding and allow gifts, grants, and donations to be used solely to expand the program. Supporters including rural health coalitions, the Balmer Group, and Snohomish County said the account would help expand access to early learning, especially in child care deserts; DCYF estimated staffing costs to administer the account. Substitute Senate Bill 6007 would direct WSIPP to study DCYF’s child welfare screening tools and their effects on outcomes, with a reported cost of about $234,000; there was no public testimony. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6019 would clarify home care agency rate-setting and require that no more than 20% of Medicaid home care rates go to administrative costs, with DSHS saying there would be no fiscal impact. Labor and caregiver witnesses supported it as a parity and accountability measure. Finally, Senate Bill 6065 would allow school districts in binding conditions or enhanced financial oversight to use transportation vehicle funds more flexibly, including temporary loans or permanent transfers with approval; a rural education representative supported the bill, and staff said OSPI would incur only modest administrative costs. The committee took no final action and adjourned after the hearings.

Transcript Highlights:

• As we adjust and refocus, we just want to make sure that we have the proper resources to assist our law
• We've adjusted many times, and we're used to deployments—hurricanes, wildfires, border operations—but
• The legislature has been great to us, and we've made other adjustments along the way.
• So we made adjustments, and the legislature was great working with us. accommodate those.
• At some point—and it's still early to tell—but we have to look at our policies and make some adjustments

Committee: Senate Border Security

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• WE HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AND FERTILIZER RECOMMENDATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OR JUST THE FACT
• WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO ACCOUNT FOR HARVESTING PROGRESS.
• WE CAN MAKE FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS AS WE COLLECT MORE OF THAT IN CASE OF MARGINALLY PLANTING OR IF THEY
• BECAUSE WE USE THE SAME METHODOLOGY ACROSS ALL THREE OF THE STORMS THIS YEAR AND BECAUSE WILL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS
• MAKING ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED.

Keywords: 999, senate, all