Transcript Highlights:

• FOR TODAY'S MEETING I WANT TO PROVIDE EACH OF YOU AND STAFF ALREADY DID IT ELECTRONICALLY BUT WE'VE GOT
• VICE CHAIR AND I WILL BE WORKING WITH STAFF THIS SUMMER ON THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES.
• I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE STAFF.
• WE COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN ALL THIS TOGETHER WITHOUT THE WORK OF OUR STAFF, EVERY ONE OF THEM.
• NO, SERIOUSLY, THE STAFF HAS BEEN WONDERFUL TO WORK WITH.

Transcript Highlights:

• I can, and Director Mar and his staff might be able to respond to that as well.
• ><02:15:50.239><c> director</c><02:15:50.599><c> Mar</c><02:15:51.320><c> his</c><02:15:51.520><c> staff
• </c><02:15:51.800><c> might</c> can uh and director Mar his staff might can uh and director Mar his staff
• We probably have three staff currently working on this program and other motor vehicle-related programs

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Transportation Committee opened its public hearing with HB 249, sponsored by Representative Seth Miller, which would allow bicycles, human-powered vehicles, and electric bicycles to treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs in certain situations. Miller argued the bill would improve cyclist safety and traffic flow at no cost to the state, citing Idaho and Delaware as examples where similar laws were associated with fewer injuries and crashes. He emphasized that the proposal would remain optional for cyclists, who would still be required to yield to cross traffic and obey right-of-way rules, and said the bill is intended to help riders maintain momentum and avoid the instability that comes from repeatedly starting from a full stop. Committee members raised concerns about uncertainty for drivers and pedestrians, liability, and whether the bill would create a special class of road users with different rules. Representative Crawford asked about the red-light left turn language, and Miller explained it was included because bicycles may not trigger some traffic signals. Representative Hill questioned how other road users would know what a cyclist intended to do at an intersection, and Representative Gon noted the bill did not appear to address liability the way some motorcycle-related laws do. Miller responded that cyclists would still be expected to yield appropriately and said he would be open to an amendment if liability language was needed. Representative Emble also questioned whether the bill would create a special vehicle class, and Miller replied that bicycles already have different roadway rules and that the bill was meant to improve safety and flow. Several supporters testified in favor of the bill. Michael Frank, a cyclist and League cycling instructor from Spofford, said he regularly rides a cargo bike for errands and that stopping fully at intersections leaves him exposed longer and makes it harder to restart on hills. He said the bill would let cyclists slow, assess traffic, and proceed safely while maintaining momentum, and noted that he had not personally received a ticket for rolling through a stop sign, though he had been warned by police. Tim Blagden, former head of the Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire, said the bill reflects how many people already ride, saves energy, and helps bicycles move through intersections faster and more safely. No vote or committee action was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• This requires a roll call vote, so the staff will call the vote on it. Staff, call the roll on it.
• Just over half of our staff are actuaries.
• And the board's staff is eight employees.
• I'm at LEOFF 2 staff. All right. Again, my name is Dave Dunlap. I'm at LEOFF 2 staff.
• Melinda Oz, staff to the SCPP.

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Just my opinion, if I am a staff member with the Attorney General's office and I'm in a courtroom and
• If staff actually catches them in, because I think they're a different designation.
• So staff, I'm not sure staff work. I don't know the answer to that.
• , that does change it by cutting some of the staff members.
• I mean, I would think that that would be more like paralegals or office staff.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And for a rare second appearance, Haley Gamble for staff report.
• Brandon Popovac for staff report. Thank you, Chair Liias, members of the committee.
• For the record, Brandon Popovac, staff for the committee.
• And so amendments on those bills would be due to staff noon tomorrow.
• And so amendments on those bills would be due to staff noon tomorrow.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held public hearings on three bills: SB 6225, a proposed substitute bond bill authorizing transportation funding bonds; SB 6005, the proposed substitute supplemental transportation budget; and SB 6354, a bill to expand access to electric vehicles through limited direct sales by qualifying EV-only manufacturers and changes to the documentary service fee. Staff explained that SB 6225 would authorize $1.1 billion in general obligation bonds, an additional $400 million for selected Move Ahead Washington highway projects, a $500 million increase in SR 520 bond authority, and the expiration of some older unused bond authorizations. For SB 6005, staff described a $17.5 billion supplemental budget with $1.5 billion in new funding, including reappropriations, preservation and maintenance spending, ferry investments, Climate Commitment Act-related adjustments, and a six-year balanced plan through 2031. For SB 6354, staff outlined the direct-sales framework for qualifying EV manufacturers, dealer licensing requirements, penalties for violations, and a fee increase that would direct revenue to EV rebates and multimodal transportation. Testimony on the budget and bond bills was broadly supportive from transit, local government, labor, construction, ports, and climate advocates, who praised preservation funding, ferry investments, safety programs, EV charging, rail electrification, and flood-response or local project funding. Several witnesses asked for specific project or account changes, including support for Skagit Transit, Day Road and Poplar Way bridge-related funding, Spokane TMC operating support, Kent corridor funding, and additional rail capital projects. Some speakers also urged more Climate Commitment Act funding for EV rebates, charging, and rail electrification, while others warned against deeper cuts to local programs and stressed the need for long-term preservation and bonding to stabilize the system. Testimony on SB 6354 was sharply divided. Rivian, Lucid, and several Washington auto dealers supported the bill as a compromise that would allow limited direct sales for EV-only manufacturers while preserving franchise protections and generating revenue for EV rebates. Climate advocates supported the bill as a way to accelerate EV adoption and asked that more of the fee revenue go to instant rebates for low-income buyers. In opposition, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation and Honda argued the bill creates unequal rules, weakens the franchise system, and was not the product of a true compromise. The committee announced that SB 6225 and SB 6005 would be in executive session Thursday at 8 a.m., with amendments due by noon the prior day, while SB 6354 would be scheduled for executive action later.

Transcript Highlights:

• Staff are saying, you know, I want to do the right thing.
• You know, we have paralegals on staff.
• Again, not for any lack of good work done by my team, but 16 staff.
• This request is for purchasing staff.
• So this request is for three fully dedicated procurement staff, procurement and contract staff at the

Summary: The Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved the January 26 and January 27, 2026 minutes, then took up the gubernatorial appointment of Juliet Sharon as director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Sharon described her background in public health and Medicaid administration in Arizona, Texas, and Idaho, and outlined her priorities if confirmed: program integrity, efficient operations, clearer outcome measures, child welfare, disability services, and resolving long-running class action lawsuits. Senators asked about measurable goals, balancing compassion with fiscal responsibility, audit findings, and collaboration with the disability community. Sharon said she expects to more than double program integrity recoveries, that audit findings are being addressed through corrective action plans rather than firings, and that disability collaboration should be embedded in daily operations. Committee members also discussed Idaho’s influence on federal policy and Medicaid administration. No vote on the appointment was taken in the portion provided. The committee then heard a lengthy Medicaid budget presentation focused on the Department’s supplemental request for state fiscal year 2026 and line-item requests for 2027. Sharon and Deputy Director/State Medicaid Director Sasha O’Connell explained that the supplemental request was driven by caseload growth, especially in traditional Medicaid, adult disability services, and youth/adult behavioral health, along with federally required rate and system changes. They also reviewed the impact of the governor-directed 4% provider rate reduction and the ending of some adult behavioral health services, saying the department had already been tracking budget sustainability before the executive order. O’Connell said the rate cuts drew the most public comment the agency has ever received, especially from home- and community-based providers, and that access monitoring is being developed to track whether services remain available. For 2027, the department requested funding for MMIS procurement, estate recovery, additional procurement staff, Medicaid admin reductions, and population forecast adjustments. Sharon said the MMIS modernization is on pause because of litigation over a major contract award, but other modules are moving forward. She also said estate recovery is underperforming and could bring in more general funds with contractor support. The committee discussed pharmacy costs and a possible Medicaid copay under House Bill 345, with Sharon saying implementation is underway and O’Connell noting savings estimates are still being developed. Senators also asked about expansion Medicaid growth and whether it affects other eligibility groups; Sharon said expansion growth is leveling off and that recovery rules apply to any Medicaid member receiving long-term care services. The meeting ended without any budget votes in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Staff are saying, you know, I want to do the right thing.
• You know, we have paralegals on staff.
• Again, not for any lack of good work done by my team, but 16 staff.
• This request is for purchasing staff.
• So this request is for three fully dedicated procurement staff, procurement and contract staff at the

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Any questions for staff?
• And it may be staff.
• Staff, please announce the vote.
• Staff, please announce the vote.
• Staff will announce the vote.

Summary: The House Local Government Committee heard public testimony on HB 2588, which would let county ferry districts exercise broader authority over ferries rather than being limited to passenger-only ferries. The sponsor and county officials from Whatcom, Pierce, and Skagit described rising operating and capital costs for county-run vehicle ferries and said the bill would give local governments a needed funding tool. Opponents argued it would create another tax burden and that county councils do not directly represent voters on such decisions. The hearing on HB 2588 was later reopened for additional testimony, but no vote was taken in the hearing portion. The committee also heard HB 2094, which would require non-charter counties to appoint coroners rather than elect them, unless they use appointed medical examiners. The sponsor said the bill was intended to address accountability and staffing problems, citing Yakima County as an example and arguing that coroner positions are technical and should be filled through hiring rather than partisan elections. Supporters said appointment would reduce ballot complexity and allow for professional management, while opponents, including elected coroners and the Washington Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners, argued that elected coroners provide independence, public accountability, and the ability to order inquests without political pressure. The public hearing on HB 2094 was closed without committee action during the hearing. In executive session, the committee advanced several bills. HB 2451 on local tax increment financing passed with three adopted amendments and a 7-0 vote. HB 2298 on county title protection programs also passed with one adopted amendment and a 7-0 vote. HB 2566 on local government procurement passed 7-0 without amendment. HB 2267 on urban forest management ordinances passed 4-3 after a substitute was adopted, with some members expressing concern about state guidance becoming too regulatory. HB 2530 on public facilities districts for regional aquatics and sports facilities passed 7-0 after removing the deadline for forming such districts, and HB 2388 on siting distributed energy generation on agricultural lands passed 7-0 after an amendment narrowing the bill’s scope. The committee then returned to public testimony on HB 2094 and HB 2588 before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• For authors and their staff, you'll note that our hearing is public, noticed as file order.
• Thank you to the committee consultants and staff for all their hard work on this bill.
• So we're looking at dollars already committed to students and staff that would be drained.
• So we're looking at dollars already committed to students and staff that would be drained.
• I personally... ...continue to struggle with recruitment and retention of permanent staff.

Summary: The committee heard several bills related to public employment. AB 1601, by Assemblymember Rogers, would give Sonoma County flexibility to work with its retirement board and actuaries on a possible retiree cost-of-living adjustment; supporters said Sonoma is the only 1937 Act county system without an automatic COLA and that retirees have gone since 2008 without an increase, while no opposition testified. The bill passed on a do-pass vote and was placed on the floor. AB 1729, by Assemblymember Lee, would update state telework policy by requiring written telework plans, adding more structure before return-to-office decisions, and restoring public reporting on telework savings. Supporters, including SEIU Local 1000, the Association of California State Supervisors, and many state workers, argued telework improves productivity, reduces emissions and commute costs, and could save the state about $225 million annually; there was no opposition. The committee approved the bill 6-0 and re-referred it to Appropriations. AB 1630, by Assemblymember Colosa, would allow union representatives to invite bargaining-unit members to observe meet-and-confer sessions, including remotely, to increase transparency and engagement. UC and CSU opposed the measure, saying observer rules should be negotiated at the table and warning the bill lacked clear limits on the number of observers and could create logistical and security problems. The bill passed 5-0 with one member not voting and was sent to Appropriations. AB 1750, also by Assemblymember Colosa, would require school employees who exhaust sick leave and are absent due to illness or injury to receive full salary for an additional five months. CTA supported the bill as a needed safety net for teachers and classified staff, while school districts and administrators opposed it over cost, staffing, and student stability concerns, saying it could encourage longer absences and strain already tight budgets. The committee passed the bill 5-0 and sent it to Higher Education. AB 1896, by Assemblymember Gonzalez, would bar people who participated in immigration enforcement from holding California public employment, with supporters framing it as a response to ICE and Border Patrol actions and opponents warning it was overbroad and could exclude otherwise qualified applicants from law enforcement jobs; the bill passed 5-1 and was referred to Public Safety.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got um staff is a huge effort.
• , professional staff.
• </c> provisional staff, professional staff. provisional staff, professional staff.
• </c> treatment and training for staff. treatment and training for staff. uh<00:26:04.400><c> worked</
• </c> counseling staff are frequently counseling staff are frequently stretched<00:30:50.320><c> thin<

Bills: HF729

Keywords: human services, provider enrollment, medical assistance, healthcare, housing stabilization, substance use disorder, vulnerable adults, fraud prevention, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I'm grateful to our staff.
• Our staff and the board staff have been working intensely together over the last couple of months to
• And that's a huge achievement for our staff.
• I owe a debt to her, my fellow board members, and BES staff for their work today.
• increased fees to give DTSC staff.

Summary: The joint oversight hearing focused on DTSC’s implementation of SB 158 reforms, including enforcement, community engagement, fee stability, the hazardous waste management plan, permitting backlogs, and the Safer Consumer Products program. Senators and Assembly members emphasized protecting overburdened communities and asked how DTSC and the Board of Environmental Safety are using their authority to improve accountability, reduce delays, and address hazardous waste facilities and consumer product chemicals. The hearing also included discussion of extended producer responsibility programs and whether DTSC can support them more efficiently, including through coordination with CalRecycle. DTSC Director Katie Butler said the department is now more transparent, accountable, and fiscally stable, citing stronger enforcement actions, an interactive inspections map, expanded community outreach, and emergency response work on the Los Angeles wildfire cleanup. She said DTSC has made progress on fee reform, the hazardous waste management plan, cleanup grants, permit renewals, and safer consumer products rulemaking, including adding microplastics to the candidate chemical list. Board Chair Andrew Rakestraw said the board has held multiple public meetings and hearings, is working on fee rates and performance metrics, and is revising the hazardous waste management plan after public comment, including removing a proposal to send certain contaminated soil to municipal landfills. He also noted remaining concerns about fee structure, permit delays, and the pace of the safer consumer products program. Public witnesses offered sharply different views. A representative of the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance said SB 158 reforms have improved permitting and transparency, but urged more attention to risk-based decision-making, reduced duplication, and possible General Fund support for plan implementation rather than relying only on fees. Earthjustice argued DTSC remains too slow and that communities continue to suffer from long-delayed permits and weak protections, urging the Legislature to take a more active role and to prioritize eliminating hazardous substances rather than minimizing costs. Committee members pressed the witnesses on permit renewals, community impacts, and the pace of the safer consumer products program, while DTSC defended its progress and said further legislative collaboration may be needed on hazardous waste management and emerging waste streams.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:02:49.280><c> uh,</c> bill as well as our partisan staff uh, bill as well as our partisan staff
• </c><00:29:52.640><c> Um,</c> they are funding staff. Um, they are funding staff.
• So, um, but to reiterate, thank you again to our nonpartisan staff, to our partisan staff.
• </c> staff. Um, it's been really fantastic. staff. Um, it's been really fantastic.
• </c> side, on the DFL side, all of our staff. side, on the DFL side, all of our staff.

Bills: HF1141

Keywords: housing, finance, affordable housing, infrastructure bonds, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, supportive housing, homeless prevention, elderly assistance, community development, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Does staff understand that direction? We heard to everybody. All right.
• Does staff understand that direction?
• Am I understanding that the nods correctly, staff? Yes. Mr. Wade? Yes, Mr.
• I also have, and prepared for me, and I can have staff send it out to everybody else.
• I have, and it's prepared for me, and I can have staff send it out to everybody else.

Keywords: Code Commission, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is staff burnout.
• Oftentimes, we have violence toward the staff, high levels of staff burnout with our physicians and our
• Our staff takes them out of the hospital on walks around the facility.
• In our program, we will have on Site clinical staff providing health services.
• Unhoused Oklahomans or various workforce initiatives for nursing facility staff.

Summary: The meeting focused on hospital “avoidable days” and the difficulty of discharging medically stable patients who still need post-acute placement or social services. Presenters from Saint Anthony Hospital Midtown, the Oklahoma Hospital Association, City Care, and OU Health described common barriers including lack of skilled nursing, rehab, long-term care, behavioral health, and hospice placements; insurance prior authorization delays; Medicaid and Social Security eligibility delays; guardianship and Adult Protective Services bottlenecks; limited home health and private duty nursing; and the challenge of placing unhoused, uninsured, or medically complex patients. Several speakers emphasized that these delays reduce bed availability, increase emergency department boarding, contribute to staff burnout, and expose patients to hospital-acquired conditions and other harms. The testimony included multiple examples of patients remaining in acute care for days, weeks, or even months after being medically ready for discharge, including patients awaiting guardianship, disability determinations, or placement in facilities willing to accept them. Speakers also highlighted special populations such as patients with behavioral health or substance use disorders, medically fragile children, patients with criminal histories, and unhoused individuals who need respite or hospice care. City Care described its planned 40-bed medical respite facility, set to open in 2027, as a way to provide clinical support and housing navigation for patients too sick to recover on the street or in shelters. Witnesses recommended policy and system changes such as standardizing preauthorization protocols, expanding rural swing-bed and home-based services, increasing public guardianship resources, improving data collection on homelessness, expanding private duty nursing hours, and creating more placement options for complex patients. They also suggested better coordination between hospitals, DHS, APS, the Health Department, and post-acute facilities, including a database of facility services to improve discharge planning and keep patients closer to home. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the transcript, but the chair indicated the issue would require collaboration across multiple agencies and partners.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thanks to the great staff we had working on the committee here and on the bill this year, on our side
• I want to thank the committee staff, fiscal analyst Ken Savory, House research analyst Megan Mullenbach
• </c><00:14:33.839><c> and</c> and the hard work of our staff and and the hard work of our staff and committee
• from the office of pandemic staff from the office of pandemic preparedness<00:19:24.080><c> and</c><
• But as a former staff member at food.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:14:08.880><c> walkth</c> basically we're doing a staff walkth basically we're doing a staff walkth
• </c> gavl and we're just going to have staff gavl and we're just going to have staff walk<00:14:17.680
• We have agency uh staff your packet.
• He had assaulted a number of staff at the local jail.
• He had assaulted a number of staff at the local jail.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My colleague Israel Satello, our board chief of staff, is also here with me today.
• , and county staff.
• , and county staff. in the recent takeover of the local center. cemetery staff and county staff.
• There is no Form 700 for any of the Board of Supervisors staff at all.
• I want to also thank the committee staff for their assistance with the bill as well.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Local Government heard a full agenda of bills covering port procurement, housing litigation, special district audits, cemetery district governance, county discretionary funding transparency, labor standards in density bonus projects, transit planning, and homeowner code enforcement. SB 983 would let the Port of San Diego use job order contracting for smaller repair and maintenance work; supporters said it would speed repairs and reduce costs, while opponents raised concerns about construction definitions and project labor agreement language. SB 1256 sought to limit repeated litigation against the Harmony Grove Village South housing project; supporters framed it as a response to duplicative lawsuits delaying housing, while opponents argued it could weaken wildfire and subdivision-map review. SB 992 would make permanent and expand a small special district audit flexibility, and SB 1115 would give Tulare County a narrower way to remove dysfunctional cemetery district trustees rather than taking over the district entirely. Both drew support from county and district representatives, with CSDA opposing SB 1115 but continuing talks on amendments. The committee also considered SB 1193, which would impose transparency and conflict-of-interest guardrails on Alameda County discretionary funding. The author and supporters said the bill responds to grand jury findings and would require clearer public reporting and board approval, while Alameda County argued it already has strong public processes and that the bill is overly restrictive. SB 1383 would clarify that density bonus projects cannot use incentives and concessions to waive locally adopted labor standards; labor groups supported it as protecting worker safety and wages, while housing interests were not present in opposition during the hearing. SB 1361 would prevent local governments from undermining planned transit projects to avoid SB 79 density requirements; LA Metro and labor supported it as protecting transit investment, and the Bay Area Council withdrew opposition. SB 1272, the CASH Act, would give homeowners more time to cure certain non-safety code violations tied to prior owners’ work, with counties and code enforcement groups opposing the introduced version but saying they were working on amendments. Several bills were voted out of committee, many on amended or consent motions, with some remaining on call before later final votes were recorded. SB 983, SB 992, SB 1115, SB 1193, SB 1256, SB 1383, SB 1361, and SB 1272 all ultimately received committee approval, while the consent calendar bills SB 1187 and SB 1388 were also adopted. The chair repeatedly noted ongoing negotiations on several measures, especially SB 983, SB 1193, and SB 1272, and members emphasized wildfire safety, transparency, and labor protections as key issues during debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• To accomplish this, we must ensure that county human services eligibility staff can effectively screen
• We talk to staff.
• We estimate we need 178 additional staff, about 90 on the eligibility side and then the remainder on
• It’s eligibility staff at the county level. It’s that... ...because we were there on site.
• It’s eligibility staff at the county level.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we like to look at staff to recommend limitations if we know...
• We like to look at staff to recommend limitations.
• Staff recommended yes.
• Line 40, the staff LFC recommendation would be no on that.
• Staff recommendation on line 42 would also be a no.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, this includes the staff that does the eligibility determinations.
• Again, this includes the staff that does the eligibility determinations.
• And I believe that is a current staff that is in the...
• We can hire a maintenance staff; we keep them busy all day long.
• We can hire a maintenance staff; we keep them busy all day long.

Summary: The Senate Finance and House Appropriations committee met with a quorum present and first took up questions about a separate Rural Health Funding Task Force. Members asked who created it, its purpose, whether it was replacing JFAC, and whether it was tied to the governor’s task force. The chair said it was created by legislative leadership, not this committee, and that JFAC would still control funding decisions; the task force was described as a structure to help shape how any future appropriation would work. The committee also recognized guests from Boise State’s Executive Educational Leadership Program before moving to the General Fund Daily Update and then the Department of Health and Welfare budget review. Legislative Services analyst Alex Williamson reviewed Health and Welfare’s Division of Welfare, Mental Health Services, and Psychiatric Hospitalization budgets. Major items included one-time Medicaid eligibility system changes tied to federal law and House Bill 345, ongoing SNAP administrative cost shifts to the general fund, Medicaid expansion work requirement implementation costs, restoration of some transfer authority, and several behavioral health adjustments. In mental health, the department requested partial restoration of positions and funding tied to the former Behavioral Health Center of Excellence, but the director said the center itself had been disbanded and the request was instead for 15 FTE to support children’s mental health and the Jeff D. settlement. Other items included funding for mobile crisis services, a fund shift for hospital benefits and cost increases, replacement items at the state hospitals, and endowment fund adjustments. Director Juliet Sharon and Behavioral Health Administrator Ross Edmonds answered extensive questions about federal changes, managed care, and behavioral health service reductions. They said the department is implementing work requirements and more frequent Medicaid redeterminations required by federal law, starting with a one-month compliance period for applicants, and is not seeking a waiver to delay implementation. On behavioral health, they explained that reductions to Medicaid and non-Medicaid services were mirrored, that ACT services were discontinued as a bundled service but individual components remain available, and that the department is tracking hospital utilization, crisis services, and client touchpoints through Magellan. Members also asked about audits, deceased-member payments, endowment funds, staffing shortages, and whether some services were being duplicated; the director said program integrity processes are in place and that the department is trying to reduce duplication while maintaining reporting transparency. No formal votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after indicating it would meet again Monday morning.