Transcript Highlights:

• Without early diagnosis and Senator Bracy Davis: treatment, the condition can lead to rapid liver damage
• Senator Bracy Davis: No parent should have to live with the weight of wondering whether early knowledge
• If the program fails to do this, the Board must terminate the program and may discipline the director
• Under the amendment, the Board must deny an application from an applicant who has a program terminated
• Only terminated or revoked. Not minor discretions. Not complaints. Nothing. Only revoked.

Bills: S0162 , S0254 , S0688 , S0794 , S1110 , S1574

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Keywords: surgical smoke, health standards, hospital safety, patient protection, medical regulations, nursing education, licensure, remedial courses, temporary license, graduate nursing preceptorship, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, background screening, support coordination services, developmental disabilities, Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome, public hearings, orthotics, prosthetics, healthcare, Medicaid

Transcript Highlights:

• Zen Dutcher is the vice president of leadership, and he's a senior at Arrowhead Early Park College High
• Zen Dutcher, he is the vice president of leadership, and he's a senior at Arrowhead Early Park College
• He is the vice president of leadership, and he's a senior at Arrowhead, Early Park College High School
• And I just wanted to share a story from early in my childhood.
• Certain circumstances, requiring the Children, Youth and Families Department to file a motion to terminate

Transcript Highlights:

• I confirmed that that defendant has filed two petitions to terminate his probation.
• terminated from probation.
• They are not automatically granting early termination. And you look at people who are teenagers.
• So this is a moot thing because they can never complete it early. So there would be no incentive.
• But... ...because they can never complete it early, so there would be no incentive.

Bills: SB1092 , SB1094 , SB1139 , SB1239 , SB1240 , SB1248 , SB1326 , SB1502 , SB1512 , SB1540 , SB1616 , SB1635 , SB1669 , SB1673

Committees: House Judiciary , House House Judiciary Committee of Reference

Keywords: probation, dangerous crimes, children, Arizona Revised Statutes, criminal justice, juvenile offenses, rehabilitation, gender reassignment, civil liability, minors, medical consent, detransition, family court, therapeutic intervention, expert testimony, parenting time, child development, sex offenders, statute of limitations, prosecution

Transcript Highlights:

• Given the early stage we find ourselves in regarding the deployment of these reactors, as well as the
• number of energy projects that are constantly being zoned and permitted in counties, it is too early
• SMRs must receive a federal early site permit...
• SMRs must receive a federal early site permit, a NERC permit, a FERC permit, complete required public
• I, in fact, practiced nuclear regulatory law early in my career, and I learned then that U.S. nuclear

Committee: Senate Senate Natural Resources Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2787, which would bar the state and its political subdivisions from using personnel or financial resources to enforce or cooperate with the federal Mexican wolf reintroduction program, while exempting the Livestock Loss Board’s livestock loss program. Sierra Club and animal welfare advocates opposed the bill as harmful to wolf recovery and unnecessary given the livestock loss reimbursement data. The committee approved HB 2787 on a 4-3 vote. Members then considered House Bill 255, which would create a Brackish Groundwater Recovery Program Fund and authorize the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority to administer projects using long-term water augmentation funds. Opponents argued brackish groundwater is still groundwater and pumping it could cause localized impacts and land subsidence, while supporters framed it as a water-supply solution. The bill failed on a 2-4 vote. The committee next advanced House Bill 2782, requiring disclosure rules for regulatory assets included in utility rates, and House Bill 2781, which would impose financial assurance, insurance, decommissioning, and site-restoration requirements on solar energy power plants. HB 2781 drew stakeholder testimony from solar industry, utilities, and local-government interests; an amendment to revise financial assurance and remove a remediation fund was adopted, but the bill itself then failed on a 4-4 vote. The committee also approved House Bill 2975, which would suspend State Land Department solar scoring maps and require new mining and housing resource maps, despite opposition that it would reduce transparency and favor certain land uses over solar. Later, the committee approved House Bill 2696, as amended, directing the Arizona Commerce Authority to prioritize fuel and gas price reduction and create a fuel resiliency task force, after debate over whether the bill should focus more broadly on energy resilience and whether the ACA was the right agency. The committee also passed HCM 2009, urging Congress to streamline mining access, compensate states for subsurface mineral rights, and require legislative approval for new national monuments, and HB 2889, which would fund ADEQ monitoring of uranium contamination and create a statewide registry and tribal-partnered monitoring program. Finally, the committee heard HB 2763, which would require a legislative joint resolution before the Game and Fish Commission could close a shooting range; Game and Fish said it would add another step to the closure process and mainly affect the Ben Avery facility, but no vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• These termination notices appear to be selectively widespread.
• And what were the grounds of that termination?
• Everything that I just described is at stake, terminated, lost.
• -based nonprofit arts organizations report terminations.
• And we know that these are just early figures in Los Angeles.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on how recent federal actions are affecting arts, culture, humanities, libraries, museums, and the creative economy in California. Chair Ben Allen and Vice Chair Chris Ward opened by describing the hearing as a response to proposed and ongoing federal cuts to the NEA, NEH, IMLS, and public broadcasting, as well as grant terminations and leadership changes at cultural institutions. Several members emphasized the economic and civic importance of the arts, while one Republican member argued for greater ideological diversity in the arts and noted the loss of music programs in small schools. Testimony from Aaron Harky of Americans for the Arts and Jolie Fisher of SAG-AFTRA described the impact of federal policy on grants, jobs, and production. Harky said executive orders and the FY 2026 budget proposal threaten arts agencies and arts education, and that rescinded grants are causing hiring freezes, shutdowns, and losses for small organizations, especially in rural and underserved communities. Fisher focused on runaway film and television production, outdated tax rules, and the need for federal incentives, intellectual property protections, and action on AI and digital replicas. Members also discussed bipartisan support, the role of business and tourism partners, and the need to include more diverse voices in arts advocacy. The second panel featured Rick Noguchi of California Humanities, Greg Lucas of the State Library, and Danielle Purcell of the California Arts Council. Noguchi said NEH funding was cut immediately, putting California Humanities’ grantmaking and documentary programs at risk and prompting consideration of litigation and possible state support. Lucas reported that IMLS funding for California libraries was briefly canceled but partly restored, though a budget gap remains. Purcell said the California Arts Council is still awaiting federal award language for state partnership funds, but NEA grant terminations and the proposed elimination of federal cultural agencies create major uncertainty; she also said the council is assessing the damage and tracking impacts on grantees. Members asked about measuring outcomes, AI’s threat to creative work, documentary funding losses, and possible state and national strategies to protect cultural institutions and jobs.

Transcript Highlights:

• The overall investments of $545 million for early literacy and $264 million for educator workforce are
• For early literacy, it is imperative that California invest $200 million in professional development
• IMLS also terminated grants to multiple states.
• And while the precise impact of the state library from the grant termination is still unclear at the
• So the grant, the annual grant, was terminated April 1st, and they rescinded the. termination on May

Transcript Highlights:

• amount, millions of dollars, tens of millions of dollars of federal funding to Washington that was terminated
• one I would mention is we had a case where the Federal Department of Health and Human Services terminated
• about 18 months into the current administration, and so the lawsuits that we filed, especially the early
• Or to just terminate the federal money.
• And how can we make sure that as a state we're communicating early, often, and consistently?

Committee: House State Government & Tribal Relations

Transcript Highlights:

• The Board may terminate non-compliant programs with a possible 60-day extension.
• If the program fails to do this, the board must terminate the program and may discipline the director
• Must terminate the program and may discipline the director.
• And secondly, when the board terminates a program because the program's director has failed to appear
• And the reason is, watching these schools with the Board of Nursing all the way back to the early 2000s

Committee: Senate Health Policy

Summary: The committee heard and approved several health care bills. Senate Bill 68, by Senator Harrell, would require all hospital emergency departments to be prepared to treat children by maintaining pediatric equipment, staff training, written policies, a pediatric care coordinator, and completion/public posting of the National Pediatric Readiness Assessment. Senator Harrell said the bill is intended to improve pediatric emergency care in general hospitals, and the bill was supported by the Florida College of Emergency Physicians and the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. It passed favorably. The committee also approved Senate Bill 154, which corrects the Mobile Act for dentists and dental hygienists by requiring graduates of out-of-state dental schools seeking licensure by endorsement to have attended a CODA-accredited school. The bill drew support from dental and dental hygienist groups and passed favorably. Senate Bill 40, by Senator Sharif, would require Medicaid managed care networks to ensure at least half of primary care providers offer appointments outside regular business hours, including evenings and weekends, to improve access and reduce emergency room use; it also passed favorably. A lengthy discussion centered on Senate Bill 254, also by Senator Harrell, which would tighten oversight of nursing education programs, create a temporary provisional license and preceptorship for new graduates awaiting NCLEX results, require remediation for low-performing programs, add standardized admission and exit-exam requirements, and allow the Department of Health to inspect programs unannounced. Supporters said the bill would improve quality and help students gain experience, while opponents warned it could reduce the number of nursing programs and worsen shortages, especially among private schools. After debate and testimony from nursing and school representatives, the bill passed favorably, with Senator Davis voting no. The committee then received an OPPAGA presentation on interstate health care licensure compacts. OPPAGA reviewed how Florida uses licensure by endorsement, telehealth registration, and compacts for nurses, psychologists, and physicians, and explained the potential benefits and drawbacks of joining additional compacts, including portability, data sharing, and emergency staffing versus costs, administrative burdens, and possible conflicts with Florida scope-of-practice laws. No action was taken on the presentation, and the meeting adjourned after Senator Davis requested to be recorded in support of SB 68 and SB 154.

Transcript Highlights:

• At that time, I made the unprecedented and very difficult decision to ask CMS to terminate that program
• I know when you requested the termination, there was a 30-day period for comments, and then there was
• So when, in fact, will the program be terminated?
• I can tell you that at the earliest, it will be terminated in October. 20th.
• And then on August 1st, I Stopped and asked CMS to terminate Housing Stabilization Services.

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• So I got my license back in the early 70s.
• Bernard for this potential Louisiana International Terminal development. Okay.
• He also said that, based on his research, the Louisiana International Terminal is an important project
• Bernard Port facility to the proposed Louisiana International Terminal is to compare a goldfish to a
• Next up, consider the use of Seymour for the Lincoln Parish Early Childhood Center.

Summary: The committee first heard and favorably reported House Bill 1175, which updates aeronautics-related definitions to make Louisiana more attractive to the aviation industry. It then approved House Bill 655, giving DOTD clearer authority to contract for operation and maintenance of state ferry systems on a cost-plus basis, with testimony focused on flexibility for the Cameron Ferry and other state-run ferries. House Bill 1037, which reorganizes certain DOTD operations by shifting duties to a chief operating officer and extending work on a unified permitting platform, was also reported favorably, as was House Bill 1174, which recreates the Department of Transportation and Development on a revised cycle. House Bill 714 was voluntarily deferred. The committee next took up several port-related measures. House Bill 871, which would have added two St. Tammany appointees to the Port of New Orleans board, was voluntarily deferred after the author said the timing was premature given ongoing work on the LIT project and regional trade zone issues. House Bill 345, expanding the Rail Infrastructure Improvement Program to include rail infrastructure at ports, was reported favorably. House Bill 713, which would cap the Caddo-Bossier Port executive director’s compensation at the statewide average of the top ten port directors, drew extensive testimony for and against; supporters argued the salary was excessive and the port needed accountability, while opponents said ports are different from one another, the local appointing authorities already oversee the board, and the bill could hurt recruitment. The committee voted 12-1 to involuntarily defer HB 713. House Bill 667, which would change the Caddo-Bossier Port Commission from appointed to elected members, also drew strong opposition over cost, voter confusion, and loss of local appointing authority, and it too was involuntarily deferred by a 12-1 vote. The committee then favorably reported House Bill 743, creating the Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport District in St. Mary Parish, after testimony that the airport should be managed as a dedicated economic development asset. House Bill 836, which would reconfirm members of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East, was amended to move the reconfirmation date from August 1, 2026, to December 1, 2026, to avoid disrupting hurricane-season operations, and was reported favorably by substitute. Finally, House Bill 730, concerning the use of ADS-B aircraft tracking data, was discussed with an amendment limiting the bill’s application to smaller aircraft; the measure was presented as a privacy and safety bill to prevent assessors or others from using ADS-B data to impose fees or taxes on aircraft owners.

Transcript Highlights:

• Title 40, relative to medical marijuana, to allow the use of medical marijuana by terminally ill patients
• House Bill 116 by Representative Freiberg, early childhood care and education, provides for voluntary
• House Bill 648 is designed to allow early child care providers and parents with children under the age
• Representative Brass: House Bill 648 is designed to allow early child care providers and parents with
• Terminal, pass the bills. May you favor? Yes. Members opposed, vote. Members, vote. Machine...

Bills: HR115 , HR116 , HR117 , HR118 , HR112 , HR113 , HR114 , HCR51 , HCR52 , SCR18 , SCR20 , SB14 , SB76 , SB118 , SB142 , SB156 , SB170 , SB197 , SB234 , SB258 , SB287 , SB288 , SB313 , SB315 , SB393 , SB396 , SB426 , SB427 , HCR7 , HB76 , HB84 , HB132 , HB181 , HB210 , HB250 , HB265 , HB275 , HB291 , HB322 , HB342 , HB457 , HB475 , HB477 , HB486 , HB616 , HB635 , HB639 , HB690 , HB740 , HB757 , HB761 , HB766 , HB774 , HB808 , HB855 , HB866 , HB872 , HB883 , HB886 , HB903 , HB949 , HB962 , HB996 , HB1003 , HB1036 , HB1054 , HB1071 , HB1076 , HB1078 , HB1113 , HB1132 , HB1146 , HB1232 , HB1233 , HR15 , HR20 , HCR14 , HCR6 , HCR19 , HCR10 , HR74 , HCR26 , HCR35 , HB98 , HB108 , HB131 , HB151 , HB161 , HB288 , HB294 , HB305 , HB310 , HB320 , HB336 , HB380 , HB392 , HB403 , HB420 , HB459 , HB476 , HB540 , HB615 , HB631 , HB637 , HB648 , HB665 , HB682 , HB789 , HB813 , HB815 , HB835 , HB870 , HB905 , HB915 , HB933 , HB938 , HB987 , HB1040 , HB51 , HB82 , HB143 , HB145 , HB160 , HB180 , HB192 , HB393 , HB430 , HB445 , HB506 , HB515 , HB521 , HB565 , HB590 , HB614 , HB638 , HB670 , HB672 , HB685 , HB692 , HB752 , HB773 , HB781 , HB799 , HB860 , HB874 , HB887 , HB917 , HB937 , HB956 , HB965 , HB972 , HB977 , HB982 , HB1006 , HB1010 , HB1044 , HB1072 , HB1088 , HB1179 , HB1200 , HB81 , HB400 , HB154 , HB410 , HB463 , HB827 , HB868 , HB952 , HB953 , HB140 , HB750 , HB911 , HB52 , HB961 , HB399 , HB401 , HB901 , HB9 , HB58 , HB193 , HB284 , HB570 , HB577 , HB582 , HB605 , HB733

Keywords: Kappa Alpha Psi, fraternity, Louisiana, commemoration, community engagement, recognition, state championship, basketball, sports achievement, school commendation, commendation, athletics, team sports, youth, community recognition, water utility, tax credit, excessive rates, residential service, subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• 649, Autonomous Practice by a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, and HB 723, Type 1 Diabetes Early
• In conclusion,... terminating their inpatient and surgical services.
• Data from our physician colleagues illustrate severe anesthesia shortages as early as 2030.
• This is a very common-sense bill that will help with early detection and prevention.
• This is a very common-sense bill that will help with early detection and prevention.

Summary: The Health Professions and Programs Subcommittee met with a quorum and heard two bills. HB 649 would remove the current written physician protocol requirement for certified registered nurse anesthetists, allowing CRNAs to practice autonomously. The sponsor and supporters argued the change would modernize Florida law, address anesthesia workforce shortages, keep graduates in the state, and improve access especially in rural areas; opponents, including the Florida Medical Association and a cardiologist, warned that physician oversight is important for patient safety and that anesthesia complications can arise quickly. After debate, the committee passed HB 649 favorably by a vote of 12 yeas and 6 nays. The committee then heard HB 723, which requires the Department of Health, working with school districts, to develop informational materials on early detection of type 1 diabetes and have schools notify parents within the first 30 school days about those materials. The sponsor said the goal is to help parents recognize warning signs earlier and avoid emergency diagnoses such as diabetic ketoacidosis, with minimal fiscal impact because the materials would be distributed digitally. Members generally supported the bill and discussed timing and distribution methods, suggesting the notice not get lost in back-to-school paperwork. HB 723 passed unanimously, 18 yeas and 0 nays, and was reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• ...and they will be the estimates further developed from the very basic estimates that we provide early
• though it Early, they decided to even though it was voted in to disregard it.
• Everyone knows about the port terminal. They're on Market... The port terminal is on Market Street.
• But you may forget that the Barker and Burge Wararf terminal is also our facility.
• passenger terminal for the Isles of Scholes steamship company, the Thomas Leighton.

Transcript Highlights:

• construction workers better navigate the demands of the job, look out for one another, and get help early
• Why are you up so early? He'd tell me, I was sitting at home playing with the gun.
• It was actually early morning before noon.
• That would be early June of this year.
• And at its peak, they threatened workers with terminations over unionizing efforts.

Bills: HB2405 , HB2406 , HB2471 , HB2478 , HB2492

Committee: House Labor & Workplace Standards

Keywords: mental health, PTSD, treatment program, research, pilot program, veteran support, trauma, healthcare funding, labor, communication, Department of Labor and Industries, workplace standards, modernization, collective bargaining, labor relations, employee rights, union representation, non-covered employees, wage enforcement, labor standards

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the president of New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
• , and the CEC's Commerce Terminal has a deepwater berth that's serving the offshore wind industry as
• They would lack independent... ...pressures of the ship owners, terminals, ports, and not the public
• Terminal wants to bring a 106-foot beam ship through the Chelsea Street Bridge.
• Pilotage is not a commercial service like a tugboat or terminal operator.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

Summary: The committee hearing covered several bills related to environmental, natural resources, and maritime issues. Representative Markey testified in support of H. 1000, which would create a commission to study financing wastewater infrastructure, especially in southeastern Massachusetts and the South Shore, citing combined sewer overflows and impacts on aquaculture. Members agreed the core challenge is finding long-term financing for wastewater solutions. The committee also heard testimony on H. 902 to establish an Office of Outdoor Recreation, with supporters describing its role in expanding access, supporting underrepresented communities, and helping grow the outdoor economy. Related testimony also supported H. 986, which would codify the Division of Ecological Restoration and the Office of Fishing and Boating Access within the Department of Fish and Game, with witnesses emphasizing habitat restoration, flood reduction, public access, and boating/fishing opportunities. A major portion of the hearing focused on H. 901/S. 597, “An Act Providing Nature for All,” which would dedicate existing sporting goods sales tax revenue to a new conservation fund. Supporters from Mass Audubon, Environmental League of Massachusetts, Appalachian Mountain Club, Trust for Public Land, Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, and conservation groups argued the bill would provide a sustainable revenue stream for land conservation, parks, trails, wetlands, water protection, and climate resilience, while also advancing environmental justice and outdoor recreation. They said the state needs roughly $300 million more per year to meet land conservation goals and that the bill could generate about $100 million annually without raising taxes. Committee members asked about balancing conservation with housing and development, and witnesses said the goals are compatible and that the bill includes safeguards. Witnesses also noted similar funding models in other states. The hearing also included H. 1053, a bill to create a Merrimack River Collaborative. Regional planning and watershed advocates said the river faces bacterial contamination, heavy metals, combined sewer overflows, and other pollution, and that a formal collaborative would help coordinate municipalities, state agencies, and nonprofits across the watershed and possibly across state lines. Another bill, H. 4109, would relocate harbor lines in New Bedford Harbor to allow reconstruction of deteriorating bulkheads at a waterfront industrial site; the New Bedford Port Authority, engineers, and the property owner said the change is needed for permitting and would support port modernization and jobs. Finally, the committee heard extensive testimony on S. 641 regarding marine pilotage in New Bedford. Supporters argued the bill would remove a District 3 pilotage restriction and improve port flexibility and offshore wind operations, while opponents warned it would undermine the state’s compulsory pilotage system, weaken safety, and allow ship owners to shop for pilots. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, Secretary Simon can testify on it, and then we'll have his staff because they have to leave early
• um but know they have to leave early um but know that<00:01:11.520><c> this</c><00:01:11.640><c> is<
• in the year very that's okay so early in the year very early<00:09:18.399><c> January</c><00:09:18.760
• Well, CISA has terminated its contract with CIS, which runs this EIISAC.
• We know they've terminated that contract. We know that they're doing a review.

Committee: Senate Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• It also terminates the fund on July 1, 2030, unless reenacted by the Legislature, and that is the bill
• IT ALSO TERMINATES THE FUND ON&nbsp;&nbsp; 111 JULY 1ST 2030 UNLESS REENACTED BY THE&nbsp; LEGISLATURE
• We will be back Wednesday morning, bright and early. We look forward to seeing you then.
• WE WILL BE BACK WEDNESDAY&nbsp;&nbsp; 270 MORNING BRIGHT AND EARLY ADM.
• &nbsp; 271 MORNING BRIGHT AND EARLY ADM. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THEN.

Summary: The Transportation Economic Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and heard four measures. First, the committee considered PCS for HB 1177, which originally addressed ad valorem tax exemptions for defense and aerospace operations and contract procedures for Space Florida. An amendment removed the tax exemption portion for later consideration in the tax package, and the bill then passed favorably after brief discussion about Florida’s competitiveness in the space industry. The committee next took up a conforming budget bill on documentary stamp taxes, which redirects a portion of doc stamp revenue from general revenue to the State Transportation Trust Fund. The sponsor said the change restores a $60 million transportation funding stream with a corresponding general revenue reduction, while maintaining a net zero fiscal impact overall. Members asked about why the funding was being restored and how the money would be used, and the bill passed favorably. Members then heard PCB 26-02, which re-creates the Emergency Preparedness Response Fund and adds restrictions and oversight. The proposal limits the fund to state appropriations for natural emergencies, requires legislative consultation for extended emergencies, keeps revenue in the fund, sends federal reimbursements to general revenue, adds quarterly reporting and inventory/accounting requirements, and sunsets the fund in 2030 unless reenacted. Testimony and debate focused on accountability, disaster response readiness, and concerns about prior uses of the fund; the PCB passed favorably. Finally, the committee considered HB 953, which strengthens oversight of commercial driving schools by authorizing county tax collectors to enforce related statutes and inspections. The sponsor said the bill responds to fraud and misrepresentation in the industry and would help protect driver licensing integrity, especially in South Florida. After supportive testimony from the Miami-Dade Tax Collector’s Office and a lobbyist, the bill passed favorably. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're in early stages of planning for the release of the remaining $5.47 million, plus an additional
• We got terminations for the public health infrastructure grant and the climate-related grant, and then
• This program was previously supported with federal funds that expired early this calendar year, and the
• CRDP does support culturally responsive community-based prevention and early intervention.
• CRDP does support culturally responsive community-based prevention and early intervention, and these

Transcript Highlights:

• If a covered individual resigns, is terminated, or is placed on leave during an investigation of misconduct
• However, in more recent years, near the unfortunate early conclusion of my career, I filed five mandatory
• that says any resignation during an investigation or in lieu of contemplated disciplinary action, termination
• that says any resignation during an investigation or in lieu of contemplated disciplinary action, termination
• would allow someone who does not disclose those things that the district or charter would be able to terminate

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• consists of children and family services, which is the child welfare program, juvenile rehabilitation, early
• We would be taking our terminal construction for ferries and the vessel construction sub-programs and
• So while you're, so the terminal projects, are those the main projects that you're consolidating?
• It's a sub-program for both the terminal construction and the vessel construction.
• And so in that consolidation, especially on the two terminal projects, they'll still be looking at the

Committee: Joint Legislative Evaluation & Accountability Program

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the June 18, 2025 minutes, and heard four proposed budget format changes. Washington State Parks requested a structural change to separate and better track its Stewardship Services Division, including cultural and natural resources, environmental planning, and Climate Commitment Act investments. DCYF proposed moving direct service functions now housed in program support into the child welfare program so operational costs and direct services would be reported separately; members asked how this would help avoid across-the-board reductions affecting direct services, and the agency said the change would improve transparency and prevent that problem. The Department of Transportation sought to create a new Ferries Program Support sub-program to consolidate four related projects and two existing sub-programs into one administrative/project support structure, while the Department of Veterans Affairs requested only a title change for Program 20 from Field Services to Veteran Services and Counseling and Wellness. The committee voted unanimously to approve all four changes. Kevin Feltis then gave an interim work plan and staffing update for LEAP. He said the office is continuing work on the rewritten capital budget application (BuildSUM), updating the transportation bond model, completing carry-forward levels for the 2027-29 biennium, publishing 2026 legislative budget notes, updating 2025 salary data, and participating in a LegiTech AI pilot for system development within the legislative network. He also noted LEAP’s role in supporting the new Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Budget Transparency and Fiscal Sustainability. Staffing remained steady at 11 FTEs, with no retirements or staffing changes in the past year, though one vacancy may be filled later and two retirements are anticipated over the next four to five years. The committee also discussed updates to the fiscal.wa.gov website. Planned work includes streamlining how budget data is updated when budgets are released, converting more than 100 reports from Microsoft Reporting Services to Power BI because support is ending, and evaluating whether the site’s search tool should be improved or replaced. Senators and representatives raised concerns about the number of clicks needed to reach capital and transportation project maps and about making public-facing budget information easier to find and understand. Staff said the website redesign was based on prior user testing and that they would look at ways to make maps and other top-level information more accessible. Finally, the committee elected new officers under its alternating-chair rule. Representative Gregerson was nominated and elected chair, and Senator King was nominated and elected vice chair. The meeting then adjourned.