Transcript Highlights:

• It's going to be adjusting with industry and with technology to ensure that we can maximize improvements
• </c><00:21:32.159><c> with</c><00:21:32.400><c> industry</c> It's going to be adjusting with industry
• It's going to be adjusting with industry and<00:21:32.960><c> with</c><00:21:33.200><c> technology</
• So adjusting that by five years could have significant cost impacts in the short term and longer term
• So adjusting that by five years target.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committees received an informational briefing from Hawaii DOT and related partners on the Navahine settlement and the department’s plan to meet its climate and transportation commitments. Speakers described the settlement as a first-of-its-kind agreement rooted in the state constitution, the public trust doctrine, and prior legislative findings and laws, including Act 131. They said the settlement is intended to formalize DOT’s work, establish milestones, and keep climate and transportation policy less dependent on changes in administration. The presentation emphasized that transportation is Hawaii’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and that the plan is aimed at meeting 2030 and 2045 clean energy goals. DOT outlined several major implementation pieces: creation of a new Office of Energy Security and Community Outreach, formation of a youth council, and development of an emissions reduction plan that will be updated over time. The youth council reported on its membership, statewide representation, meetings, and work on charter, bylaws, and committees focused on policy and legislation, events and advocacy, and ground transportation. Youth members said they provided feedback on the energy security plan and discussed walk audits and safe routes to school. The department also described a new project-scoring tool to measure greenhouse gas impacts of every DOT project, which it said is intended to make Hawaii a national leader in evaluating transportation emissions. A major topic was the settlement’s transportation network requirement, which speakers said compresses roughly 15 years of pedestrian, bicycle, and transit network work into five years and will require about $40 million to $50 million per year over the next five years. They said a GIS map is being developed to identify gaps and that the work will involve counties and other partners, with benefits for safety, connectivity, and emissions reduction. Other topics included clean fuel standards, electrification of ground transportation, sustainable aviation fuel, marine fuel transitions, cold ironing at ports, and the costs and availability challenges associated with those transitions. DOT also reported progress on EV charging infrastructure, including two completed sites and more planned, and said it is using a sustainability partner contract to maintain chargers and recover only electricity costs. The briefing also highlighted carbon sequestration and fire mitigation work, including native tree planting. DOT said it has exceeded its minimum annual tree-planting commitment, with 3,000 trees planted in 2024 and 4,200 by mid-2025, and noted that the Legislature provided $15 million for fire mitigation that is being used for this work. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the informational briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our adjusted authorized budget for fiscal year 2025 is currently $6,855,027.
• </c> 0.94% decrease below the FY 25 adjusted 0.94% decrease below the FY 25 adjusted authorized<00:08
• There would be no increase to the governor's recommended budget request, simply an adjustment of the
• </c><00:12:32.120><c> of</c> budget request simply an adjustment of budget request simply an adjustment
• And when that happens, '25 adjusted authorized—the leftover from '24 can actually flow into the '25 adjusted

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division 2 hearing took testimony from the director of New Hampshire Police Standards and Training on the agency’s budget request and operations. He described the agency’s role in setting hiring, education, certification, and discipline standards for police, corrections, probation and parole, and court security officers, and noted that the agency runs the full-time, part-time, corrections, and court security training programs. He also outlined the agency’s staffing, facility, and budget request for FY 2026-27, including a request to keep funding level with the governor’s recommendation while shifting funds to support an IT manager position by defunding a vacant administrative slot. The agency requested several statutory changes in Chapter 106, including clarifying the definition of police misconduct, allowing a temporary member on the Conduct Review Committee, clarifying reporting requirements for misconduct allegations, and codifying the Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission. The director also reviewed new responsibilities added in recent years, including crisis intervention training, statewide accreditation, the Conduct Review Committee, and increased annual in-service training requirements. He explained that crisis intervention funding is carried in a continuously appropriated, non-lapsing account and that some budget lines were reclassified, including software and janitorial services, to reflect actual spending needs. Members asked about national standards, the different academy tracks, crisis intervention funding, maintenance and contract changes, temporary positions, and the court security training program. The agency said it coordinates with national peers through IADLEST, that the part-time and corrections academies are longstanding programs, and that the new court security academy can be delivered either as a full academy or as in-service training depending on resources. The director also said the agency has been running extra full-time academies because of high vacancy rates, but expects to return to three full-time academies this year, with two corrections academies and one or possibly two part-time academies. He also explained the current approach to misconduct records and public disclosure, saying sustained findings under RSA 106-L are heard by the council and published, replacing the older, less standardized exculpatory list process.

Transcript Highlights:

• labor-management relations for the vast majority of California's public sector employees, ensuring that claims
• higher evidence standard to place a substantiated report into the database than it takes to make a claim
• School agencies have been paying billions of dollars to resolve claims that allege that they have failed

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement heard several bills, beginning with SB 1166 by Senator Arreguín, which would allow AC Transit and its employees to use the Public Employment Relations Board to resolve unfair labor practice charges instead of the courts. The author and union supporters said PERB would provide a faster, fairer, and more specialized process, while no opposition testified. The committee members expressed support, and SB 1166 was approved on a due pass motion and re-referred to Appropriations. The committee also took up consent items SB 1024, SB 1207, and SB 1444, which were moved on consent and placed on hold for absent members. Later, SB 1083 by Senator Perez was heard; it would refine last year’s school misconduct database law by adding an administrative law judge review process for classified employees, requiring stronger employer notification and record-sharing procedures, and extending vetting requirements to certain contracted workers. Supporters, including classified employees and labor groups, argued the bill adds due process and fairness while preserving student safety. Opponents, including school administrators, school districts, and liability organizations, argued it could create gaps in misconduct records, increase liability, and weaken protections for students. After discussion, the author said he was continuing to work with opponents on amendments and emphasized the bill’s goal of balancing due process with child safety, referencing his own experience with grooming as a student. SB 1083 was passed on a due pass motion and re-referred to the Committee on Education. The chair then announced that all bills had passed and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• labor-management relations for the vast majority of California's public sector employees, ensuring that claims
• higher evidence standard to place a substantiated report into the database than it takes to make a claim
• School agencies have been paying billions of dollars to resolve claims that allege that they have failed

Committee: House Public Employment and Retirement

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But we don't stipulate that the address for the property in question that's being claimed for the exemption
• identification card, but we don't stipulate that the address for the property in question that's being claimed
• clarification that establishes that if you have a similar homeowners exemption in another state, you can't claim

Summary: The House Revenue and Taxation Committee met on March 12, 2026, and took up three RS drafts for introduction only. RS 33573, by Representative Raymond, would create a permitting and licensing framework for vape and alternative nicotine products, define those products, require out-of-state sellers to post a bond, allow permit denial for fraud or felony-related issues, establish contraband rules, and impose a modest tax with revenues split among Health and Welfare, public education for cessation/education, and the general fund. Supporters said the bill was the product of years of stakeholder work and was intended to address youth vaping and black-market sales; opponents, including Representative Barbieri, argued it would overregulate a cessation product and could amount to double taxation. The committee voted to introduce the bill, with some nays recorded. RS 33664, by Representative Raybould, proposed a state property tax tied to occupancy, aimed at returning funds to counties and cities for law enforcement, fire, EMS, infrastructure, and property tax reduction. Several members said they were willing to introduce it for discussion but did not support a statewide property tax as a policy matter. The committee voted to introduce the draft. RS 33659, also by Representative Raybould, would tighten homestead exemption verification by requiring the Idaho ID address to match the claimed property address, allowing an Idaho income tax return as an alternative for those without a state ID, and clarifying that applicants cannot claim a similar exemption in another state unless they are on active military service or a religious mission. The sponsor said counties would handle verification and could check other state records when needed. The committee voted to introduce this draft as well, and then adjourned with a meeting scheduled for the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2477, as a reminder, this requires claims or causes of action against appraisers and appraisal
• Number H-3366.1, and this amendment would move the proposed codification of the new limitation on claims
• It also adds language that the new limitation on claims and causes of action arising out of an appraisal

Summary: The Consumer Protection and Business Committee met in executive session to review several bills and amendments. Staff briefed House Bill 2483 on creating a data broker registry, House Bill 2477 on limiting claims arising from appraisal reports, House Bill 2274 on the Washington Commercial Electronic Mail Act, House Bill 2394 on insurance fraud enforcement, House Bill 2624 on consumer protections for unsolicited real estate transactions, and House Bill 2240 on self-service storage rental agreements. Members discussed proposed amendments on narrowing the data broker definition, delaying registration dates, expanding exemptions, clarifying appraisal-related limitations, and revising email and insurance fraud language, but action on HB 2483 and HB 2477 was deferred. The committee then moved HB 2274 forward. Supporters said it was a needed fix after litigation involving misleading commercial emails, while some members noted remaining concerns but wanted to advance the bill before policy cutoff. The committee adopted the proposed substitute and reported it out with a due pass recommendation by a 12-3 vote. HB 2394 was also deferred without action. HB 2624 was reported out with a due pass recommendation after debate over whether the bill’s carve-out for public entities, tribes, and nonprofit nature conservancies was too broad; the vote was 9-6. The committee then adopted two amendments to HB 2240, requiring both email and first-class mail delivery of rental agreements when an email address is provided and extending notice for termination or nonrenewal to 25 days. As amended, HB 2240 was reported out with a due pass recommendation by voice vote, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The harm exists when someone claims against a person's property, but there is no, because they know the
• But there is no, because they know the person's information, they can claim against their property.
• place already to deter these sort of self-styled troublemakers from filing spurious UCC liens or claims

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2640, which would create procedures for dealing with unauthorized UCC financing statement filings. The bill would allow the Department of Licensing to refuse certain filings believed to be intended to harass or defraud, create an affidavit-based process for debtors to seek termination of wrongfully filed records, permit administrative review and court challenges by secured parties, and establish criminal penalties for intentional unauthorized filings. Department of Licensing testimony supported the bill as a narrow remedy for harmful filings that can affect credit, housing, banking, and reputation, while members questioned whether the department should be making legitimacy determinations and whether existing court remedies were sufficient. No vote was taken on HB 2640 during the hearing. The committee then moved to executive action on several bills. Substitute House Bill 2161, authorizing the Attorney General to issue civil investigative demands in certain civil rights and labor-related investigations, was reported out on a 7-5 vote after debate over due process concerns and the need for stronger enforcement tools. House Bill 2304, extending condominium warranty coverage to four-story buildings, passed unanimously. House Bill 2445, revising probate law and related protections, passed 10-2, with some members supporting the anti-fraud reforms and others worried about added complexity. House Bill 2590, exempting limited equity cooperatives from the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act, was amended with a technical change to the definition of limited equity cooperative and then reported out 8-4. Members described the bill as expanding affordable homeownership opportunities, though some raised broader policy concerns about the model. Finally, House Bill 2412, increasing the number of Superior Court judges in Yakima County from 8 to 9, passed unanimously after members cited access-to-justice needs and support from local funding and space resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• Claiming that definitions are immutable betrays the fact that these are not biologists that made this
• Legislation S79 claims that I am, in fact, a woman, though legally I have a right and an obligation even
• The next thing I want to talk about, I wanted to address one claim about the vital statistics.

Bills: HB45 , HB79 , SB79

Committee: House Health

Keywords: Medicaid, colorectal cancer, screening tests, noninvasive tests, preventive care, off-label, pharmacists, medical treatment, state board of pharmacy, employment protection, sex-based terminology, gender identity, male, female, man, woman, boy, girl, single-sex spaces, women's rights

Transcript Highlights:

• Claims for these products are manually...
• </c><00:16:22.480><c> Claims</c> pediatric tracheosttomy tubes.
• Claims pediatric tracheosttomy tubes.
• processing for these products, equating to 20,000 claims each year.
• </c> we'll be able to automate the claims we'll be able to automate the claims processing<00:17:09.760

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• creative and how you But most importantly, it taught you to be a little creative and how you would adjust
• I want to blow it on frivolous lawsuits from people claiming those issues. It makes no sense.
• It's my understanding under Section 57 that a court could sanction a litigant for an unsupported claim
• to deliberate litigation strategies in public during the 90-day pre-suit period and a Bert Harris claim
• This requirement for public deliberation ...during the 90-day pre-suit period and a Bert Harris claim

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, introductions, and a moment of silence honoring service members killed in the conflict in Iran, including Florida native Captain Cody Cork. The chamber then moved through a special order calendar, taking up several bills on education, public safety, insurance, health, and local government policy. Many measures were accompanied by sponsor explanations and supportive remarks from members, often emphasizing constituent impacts, public safety, and administrative efficiency. The first major bill, SB 1062 on speech and debate education, was expanded through a delete-all amendment and passed 37-0 after extensive floor debate praising debate programs as a civic and educational tool. SB 1072 created an anti-Semitism task force in the Attorney General’s Office; an amendment clarified that criticism of Israel is not prohibited, and the bill passed 37-0. SB 1230/HB 1019 addressed PFAS “forever chemicals,” especially in firefighting foam, with phase-outs, testing, enforcement, and exceptions for certain federal, military, and emergency uses; it also passed 37-0 and was dedicated in memory of former firefighter Joe Casello. SB 1706 expanded the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program with tighter eligibility rules, and SB 186 required broader seizure-response training and seizure action plans in schools; both passed unanimously. The Senate also approved SB 598 updating funeral and cemetery regulation, SB 990 authorizing protected cell captive insurance companies, SB 554 modernizing nonprofit corporation law, SB 560 streamlining foster care medication and oversight procedures, SB 684 easing electronic signature requirements for total-loss vehicle and vessel titles, and SB 778 revising forensic client services for certain defendants with intellectual disabilities or autism. Several bills were temporarily postponed, including SB 432, SB 928, and SB 620. Most of these measures passed by votes of 36-0 or 37-0 after brief debate or no debate. The most contentious item was SB 1134 on official actions of local governments related to DEI. The sponsor argued the bill would stop taxpayer funding and promotion of discriminatory or indoctrinating DEI practices, citing examples from several counties and cities. Multiple amendments sought to narrow penalties, protect good-faith officials, and preserve local proclamations and observances, including LGBTQ Pride Month and other cultural events, but those amendments were rejected. Debate centered on vagueness, local discretion, and whether the bill would chill legitimate government activity. The transcript cuts off during questioning on the underlying bill, before final disposition is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• California is the only state that has tied the validity of compostable claims to a marketing framework
• Claims that it will accelerate or incentivize any particular outcomes are not accurate.
• The bill provides certainty for companies that make such claims so long as the carbon credit...
• express willingness to pay higher prices for goods labeled with environmental or climate claims.
• However, companies... ...higher prices for goods labeled with environmental or climate claims.

Summary: The committee heard a series of bills focused on environmental policy, public infrastructure, housing, and energy. AB 1812, dealing with compostable plastics and compost contamination, drew strong support from farmers, composters, counties, cities, and waste companies, while manufacturers and compostable-product companies opposed it unless amended, arguing it would undermine compostable packaging and SB 54 goals. AB 2216 to expand the Delta Conservancy’s service area also received broad support and no opposition. AB 2481, which would allow leftover glass quality incentive funds to support recycled glass used in fiberglass insulation and other products, was supported by insulation manufacturers, recyclers, and waste advocates and passed with no opposition. AB 2152, streamlining fire station construction and tying CEQA relief to project labor agreement requirements, was supported by firefighters and construction trades but opposed by contractors and wildlife groups over the PLA mandate and environmental review provisions; the committee discussed amendments and sent it forward. AB 1536, the Save Our Shores Act, aimed at offshore oil and gas safety and decommissioning, was supported by coastal and environmental groups and opposed by the petroleum industry, with members debating pipeline safety, drilling risks, and carbon intensity before advancing the bill. AB 1849, a study bill on decarbonized gaseous fuels, split supporters from hydrogen, bioenergy, and propane interests against environmental and justice groups who said it favored biomethane and hydrogen without clear definitions; the author said it was only a study measure, and it moved ahead. AB 1732, which would expand CEQA streamlining for public university and community college housing projects, was backed by students, UC representatives, housing advocates, and labor, with no opposition heard; members raised concerns about environmental impacts and evacuation planning, but the bill was approved. Several measures were taken on consent and others were held open for absent members or quorum issues, with multiple bills receiving due pass recommendations as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• California is the only state that has tied the validity of compostable claims to a marketing framework
• Claims that it will accelerate or incentivize any particular outcomes are not accurate.
• It says that environmental claims tied to carbon credits must be backed by programs that meet serious
• express willingness to pay higher prices for goods labeled with environmental or climate claims.
• However, companies ...higher prices for goods labeled with environmental or climate claims.

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um it hasn't<00:24:38.080><c> been</c><00:24:38.320><c> claimed</c><00:24:38.720><c> yet</c><00:24:39.200
• yet and um I know hasn't been claimed yet and um I know you<00:24:40.720><c> know</c><00:24:40.799><
• So none of these tax credits that exist have been claimed, not a penny of them."
• ,</c> have been claimed, have been claimed, not<00:48:45.680><c> a</c><00:48:45.920><c> penny</c><00:
• So none of these tax credits that exist have been claimed, not a penny of them.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• There's additional language in there that allows you to claw back this failure-to-warn claim if there's
• Lysol, Clorox, any household cleaner that claims to kill germs, flea and tick collars, swimming pool
• to kill germs, flea and tick claims to kill germs, flea and tick collars,<00:26:43.040><c> swimming<
• So, there are three main ways that you could bring a claim against a product that has harmed you.
• against a product that has bring a claim against a product that has harmed<00:29:59.080><c> you.

Committee: House Agriculture

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:15 HB 195 Discussion: 05:22 HB 195 Roll Call Vote: 16:33 SB 199 Discussion: 18:34 SB 199 Roll Call Vote: 41:25 SB 5 Discussion: 43:50 SB 5 Roll Call Vote: 46:35 HB 687 Discussion: 48:10 HB 687 Roll Call Vote: 50:15, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But again, a lot of those are people who never claimed to be a voter.
• So by claiming to not be a citizen to be disqualified for jury service that currently invokes SOS Form
• We cannot claim that this bill will do anything to prevent non-eligible people from voting because it
• I take issue with the claim that updating your documents is easy.
• Users, they have continually come and claim they don't have any photo ID and and have been using this

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• The witness said there would not be specious claims, because only direct damages caused by the delay
• could be claimed.
• resolution process that appropriately allocates risk, and that the bill would lead to more delay claims
• Finally, delay claims are difficult and expensive to defend.
• Every critical infrastructure project will be subject to a delay claim, which must be defended, costing

Bills: SB75 , SB715 , SB776 , SB1299 , SB1405 , SB1968 , SB2021 , SB2077 , SB2148 , SB2321 , SB2330 , SB2411

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: electric generation, reliability, ERCOT, Public Utility Commission, penalties, performance requirements, energy policy, construction contracts, compensatory damages, government delays, contractor, legislation, nonprofit donor privacy, membership lists, supporter confidentiality, volunteer privacy, association rights, public records exemption, Texas Public Information Act, government transparency

Summary: The committee first took up pending business and favorably reported several bills without objection or by recorded vote, including SB 783, SB 1238, SB 1706, SB 1791, SB 458, SB 1644, and SB 1810, with some of them also sent to the local and uncontested calendar. The committee then moved into hearings on additional bills. SB 1968, by Senator Schwertner, would update the Real Estate License Act by repealing subagency, requiring written buyer-agent agreements before showings, and clarifying when a formal buyer representation agreement must be signed. Texas Realtors testified in support, saying the bill modernizes agency rules and increases transparency, while a committee substitute corrected drafting issues. SB 2411, the annual update to the Texas Business Organizations Code, was also laid out and left pending after supportive testimony from the Texas Business Law Foundation and drafting committee representatives. The committee also heard SB 2321, which would codify ERCOT’s current practice of notifying TCEQ when backup generation needs enforcement discretion for grid reliability; Sierra Club and a chamber of commerce witness supported it with suggestions for clearer emissions reporting, and the bill was left pending. SB 2077 would broaden eligibility for the Texas Mutual Insurance Company board by narrowing conflict restrictions tied to insurance-related interests; Texas Mutual supported the change and the bill was left pending. SB 1405, a broadband bill, would align state law with FCC standards and streamline Broadband Development Office processes; it was left pending after supportive testimony. SB 1299, protecting nonprofit donor privacy, drew support from privacy advocates and concerns from one witness about transparency for publicly funded nonprofit operations; it was left pending. The committee then heard SB 776, which would bar government construction contracts from shifting delay damages to contractors when delays are caused solely by the public owner. Contractors, surety representatives, and water infrastructure advocates supported the bill, arguing it would improve fairness and reduce inflated bids, while water utilities and critical infrastructure entities opposed it, warning of more litigation and higher costs; the bill was left pending. Finally, SB 715, which would apply reliability requirements retroactively to all generation resources in ERCOT, drew opposition from renewable and storage groups and support from some critics of renewable subsidies, with witnesses split over whether it would improve reliability or raise costs; testimony was underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• This adjustment seeks to correct that original, what I believe was...
• This adjustment seeks to correct that original, what I believe was an oversight, in increasing the membership
• It also makes an adjustment, which is kind of last minute, if I might.
• The adjustment will go on to correct that for the nine members.

Bills: HB3239 , HB4317 , HB4321 , HB4322 , HB3832 , HB3673 , HB3783 , HB3800 , HB2956 , HB3960 , HB2471 , HB3338

Committee: House Business

Keywords: veterinary medicine, definitions, animal husbandry, board of veterinary examiners, telemedicine, veterinarian-client relationship, accounting, CPA, licensure, educational requirements, reciprocity, professional conduct, elevator safety, inspections, Department of Labor, safety standards, regulatory compliance, funeral services licensing, funeral director, embalmer

Transcript Highlights:

• This adjustment seeks to correct that original, what I believe was, This adjustment seeks to correct
• It also makes an adjustment, which is kind of last minute, if I might.
• The adjustment will go on to correct that for the nine members.

Bills: HB3239 , HB4317 , HB4321 , HB4322 , HB3832 , HB3673 , HB3783 , HB3800 , HB2956 , HB3960 , HB2471 , HB3338

Committee: House Business

Keywords: veterinary medicine, definitions, animal husbandry, board of veterinary examiners, telemedicine, veterinarian-client relationship, accounting, CPA, licensure, educational requirements, reciprocity, professional conduct, elevator safety, inspections, Department of Labor, safety standards, regulatory compliance, funeral services licensing, funeral director, embalmer

Summary: The committee considered and advanced a series of occupational licensing, workforce, and regulatory bills, often after adopting proposed committee substitutes (PCSs) and, in some cases, live amendments. House Bill 437 updated CPA licensure pathways to align with the 2025 Uniform Accountancy Act and passed 6-0-9. House Bill 4321 added a restriction on the Department of Labor retroactively applying new rules to existing structures absent written findings of obvious safety hazards, and passed 6-0-9. House Bill 4322 removed the requirement that a funeral director in charge also hold an embalmer license, with supporters saying it would help rural funeral homes and opponents raising concerns about embalming coverage; it passed 7-1-1. House Bill 3783, a constituent-request bill for career tech/CIB testing changes in the plumbing field, was discussed as a work in progress to clarify experience-hour requirements and passed 8-0-2. House Bill 2956 made cleanup changes related to the Appraisers Board after a federal audit and passed 8-0-0. House Bill 2471 expanded and adjusted the Oklahoma Workforce Commission’s membership and quorum rules and passed 8-0-0. House Bill 3239 updated the Veterinary Practice Act and passed 8-0-0. House Bill 3673 allowed journeymen and contractors to renew expired licenses without reexamination if they meet fee, education, and disciplinary requirements, and passed 9-0-0-8. House Bill 3338, a constituent-request bill regulating the pool industry to address bad actors, also passed after adoption of a PCS, with the Attorney General reviewing the issue. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 3960, which would have required larger grocery stores and drugstores to employ more workers relative to self-checkout kiosks in an effort to increase staffing and reduce retail theft. Supporters framed it as a workforce and anti-theft measure, but the bill failed on a 2-6 vote. House Bill 3832 drew substantial discussion about human trafficking in exotic entertainment establishments; the sponsor explained that the bill was intended to require photo identification rather than lower the age threshold, so law enforcement could more quickly identify workers and shut down trafficking operations. Members asked about the practical effect of the proposal and related enforcement concerns, and the bill passed after the sponsor clarified the PCS was still being finalized. The committee then adjourned after the final bill was handled.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll have a chance to look at that letter and adjust or vote on it as well.
• And so we're just going to adjust that and make sure we're correct. So everything is accurate.
• These numbers, and this is why it took me a little more time to get the adjustment I don't...
• These numbers, and this is why it took me a little more time to get the adjustment fixed for the results

Summary: The Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee met to finalize general fund revenue projections for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, using updated worksheet results after a spreadsheet formula error was corrected. Staff explained the committee’s homework submissions, the average and median estimates, and how the corrected numbers affected the spread only slightly. Members discussed whether to use a lower, average, or median projection, with several noting uncertainty around possible tax conformity impacts, the state’s economic outlook, and the desire to avoid overestimating revenues. A motion to adopt the committee median was ultimately approved over alternatives. The committee voted 10-8 to set the general fund revenue projection at $5,665.1 million for FY 2026 and $5,816.6 million for FY 2027. Members who supported the lower estimate said they preferred to err on the side of caution, while others argued the projections should reflect expected revenues without assuming future conformity reductions. After the revenue numbers were set, the committee reviewed a draft letter/report to JFAC that incorporated the adopted projections. A motion to adopt the report language passed 17-1. The committee thanked staff for the quick turnaround and adjourned, with the co-chairs planning to present the recommendation to JFAC the next morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll have a chance to look at that letter and adjust or vote on it as well.
• And so we're just going to adjust that and make sure we're correct. So everything is accurate.
• These numbers, and this is why it took me a little more time to get the adjustment fixed for the results
• These numbers, and this is why it took me a little more time to get the adjustment fixed for the results

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee met to review members’ homework projections and choose revenue estimates for the remainder of fiscal year 2026 and fiscal year 2027. Staff presented the compiled results, noted the average and median were close, and corrected a spreadsheet formula error after Senator Zuiderveld flagged that her submitted numbers had been copied incorrectly. The committee briefly went at ease while staff fixed the worksheet and then resumed with updated figures. Members debated several possible revenue projections, with discussion focused on how to account for possible tax conformity changes, the risk of overestimating revenues, and broader economic uncertainty. Some members argued for lower estimates to avoid future budget shortfalls, while others said the state’s economy remained relatively strong and that the committee should not be overly pessimistic. After debate, the committee adopted a substitute motion setting general fund revenue projections at $5,665.1 million for FY 2026 and $5,816.6 million for FY 2027 by a vote of 10-8. The committee then reviewed a letter/report for JFAC that incorporated the adopted projections and allowed for additional committee comments. Representative Van Orden moved to adopt the report language, Representative Monks seconded, and the motion passed 17-1. The committee concluded its work and planned to present the recommendation to JFAC the following morning.