Transcript Highlights:

• You will see some of the effects of that.
• You will see some of the effects of that.
• some of it done and to make the beginning of some changes.
• That's a lot of money.
• notice of...

Committee: Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Relative to the repair of damage infrastructure from certain excavators or demolishers, to provide for
• definition, to provide for notice, to provide for the repair of damage, to provide for the.
• Relative to the repair of damage infrastructure from certain excavators or demolishers, to provide for
• definition, to provide for notice, to provide for the repair of damage, to provide for the.
• For definition, to provide for notice, to provide for the repair of damage, to provide for the reimbursement

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 750 by Rep. Cox, the “Click to Cancel Act,” regulating automatic renewal contracts. After adopting technical and substantive amendments, members discussed easier cancellation methods, reduced notice requirements, shorter record-retention periods, a 30-day cure period, small-business exemptions, and limiting damages to actual damages. The bill drew support from consumer advocates and opposition cards from industry groups, and it was reported favorably as amended. House Bill 259 by Rep. DeWitt addressed damage to underground infrastructure during BEAD-funded broadband excavation projects, requiring notice before digging and making contractors repair or pay for damage before final payment is released. An amendment added pre-construction coordination, a point of contact, and fault-based liability language. Members discussed rural utility damage, broadband buildout, and the need to protect small water systems; the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then considered HB 220 by Rep. Schlegel, which requires covered platforms to maintain an easy-to-use reporting mechanism for child sexual abuse material and exploitation. After technical and clarifying amendments, the sponsor and members discussed scope, nonprofit and small-business exclusions, AG enforcement discretion, and concerns about clear-and-conspicuous placement. The bill was reported favorably as amended. Next, HB 830 by Rep. Wright required proxy advisors to disclose when anti-management recommendations are not based on written financial analysis and to provide that analysis when it exists. After amendments excluding certain affiliates and 501(c)(3) charities, the sponsor and a witness argued the bill was about transparency and fiduciary duty, while LASERS testified in opposition, saying the measure could make proxy advice unavailable and create a hardship for its internally managed portfolio. The bill was nonetheless reported favorably as amended. The committee also advanced HB 463 by Rep. McMakin, which raises the maximum local 9-1-1 service charge from $1.25 to $2.00, with an amendment requiring annual reporting and local governing authority approval; testimony explained the funding need for Next Generation 9-1-1, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. Finally, the committee began HB 536 by Rep. Coates on wireless communication facilities near schools. After adopting technical and then lengthy substantive amendments narrowing the school proximity zone, adjusting setbacks, adding co-location and permit timing provisions, and clarifying uniform application, members raised concerns about whether the bill duplicated existing safety standards, could delay deployment, and whether it would apply only to new towers. The sponsor and a parent witness emphasized school safety and emergency planning, but discussion remained ongoing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, five is to repair and replace some of the transitional housing.
• of the Division of Ports and Harbors.
• So replacement of elevators in both of...
• of AI.
• There's a number of furniture, closets, and furniture that are in need of repair or replacement because

Keywords: 928, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the end of the of the current bienium. the end of the of the current bienium.
• </c> a priority of the of the cabinet. a priority of the of the cabinet. &gt;&gt; Yep.
• invest in what we need to keep roads and bridges in a good state of repair.
• </c><00:24:43.279><c> So</c> bridges in a good state of repair.
• So bridges in a good state of repair.

Keywords: 00:03 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:57 Capital Projects and Highway Plan 56:11 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation met to hear the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s presentation on the governor’s 2026 capital projects budget and recommended highway plan. Secretary Gray and cabinet staff first thanked KYTC snow and ice crews, local road departments, first responders, utility workers, and others for their work during a major winter storm, then outlined the capital budget request. The cabinet said its facilities are aging, with about 35% at or beyond useful life, and that limited road fund revenues led it to focus mainly on maintenance, maintenance pools, aircraft maintenance, environmental compliance, AASHTOWare upgrades, state park road maintenance, truck parking, and reauthorization of several projects, including airport work and road projects. The cabinet said the governor’s budget includes about $22.8 million in state funds for the capital budget over the biennium, plus carry-forward language for maintenance pools and project reauthorizations to avoid losing federal funds. Members asked about repeated reauthorizations, cost increases, and whether projects should be restarted as new requests after carrying over for multiple budgets. The cabinet responded that budget office policy generally allows only one reauthorization before a project must be resubmitted, and said many delays are due to acquisition or other project issues. Members also questioned the basis for increased-cost line items and the $5 million request for commercial truck parking; cabinet staff said they could provide original project cost details and that many increases are inflationary, while the truck parking project is expected to use federal funds and is a cabinet priority. The committee also discussed the decline in road fund receipts, which the cabinet attributed largely to lower motor fuels tax revenue. The presentation then shifted to the 2026 recommended highway plan. Officials said the plan covers more than 1,300 projects over six years and anticipates about $9.5 billion in federal and state funding. They said the plan is intended to maintain existing assets, advance long-term priority projects, and honor prior commitments, including the Mountain Parkway, the Brent Spence Companion Bridge, and the I-69 Ohio River Crossing. About 40% of plan funds are dedicated to existing pavements, bridges, and guardrails, and officials cited a 61% rise in highway construction costs from 2020 to 2025 as a major challenge. To help offset those pressures, the cabinet is seeking $125 million from the budget reserve trust fund for the Brent Spence Bridge and release of a federal grant condition tied to the already appropriated $150 million for the I-69 crossing. No votes were taken at the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we go to the draft 25.1438.8.020000, in there, Section 1 talks about that the repair of equipment
• If we go to the draft 25.1438.8.020000, in there, Section 1 talks about that the repair of equipment
• Section 1 talks about that the repair of equipment by an owner or independent repair provider shall be
• had a piece of harvest equipment that broke down, and he was told that the repair company came out.
• Currently, there are 10 states that have some type of right-to-repair legislation in law.

Summary: The committee first approved minutes from prior meetings and then filled a vacancy on Legislative Management by appointing Senator Braunberger after a caucus recommendation. Members then took up an unusual appeal from the North Dakota Gaming Commission after the Administrative Rules Committee voided a rule that would have raised the poker tournament entry fee from $300 to $1,500. Legislative Council explained the administrative rules process and the grounds for voiding a rule, while Gaming Commission representatives argued the commission had statutory authority and that the issue should be left to the full Legislature. Several members raised concerns about legislative intent, precedent, and whether the matter should wait for the regular session. On a motion to disapprove the Administrative Rules Committee’s finding and restore the rule, the committee voted no, so the voiding of the rule remained in place. The committee then reviewed the fiscal impact statement for Constitutional Measure No. 1 on congressional age limits. Staff reported no current fiscal impact because no litigation had been filed, though members noted the possibility of future legal challenges if the measure were enforced. After that, the committee began hearing proposed bills for the upcoming special session, starting with several kratom-related measures. Representative Wolff withdrew her bill, saying it was redundant, while Representative Heinert presented a bill to legalize and regulate natural kratom for adults 21 and over under the Attorney General, with licensing, labeling, penalties, and a public health campaign. Senator Axtman presented a companion bill targeting synthetic kratom derivatives, placing them on the controlled substances list with penalties similar to marijuana. Legislative Council later outlined Representative Johnston’s separate kratom bill, which would regulate kratom under the Department of Agriculture with product registration, licensing, and enforcement provisions. The committee also heard Senator Hogue’s bill to address funding for the State Historical Society’s military museum project. He argued the state was in breach of contract and that delaying action would increase costs, so his bill would authorize a $35 million line of credit to keep construction moving while fundraising continued. Members questioned the relationship between the proposed line of credit, existing SIF funding, and the private fundraising requirement, but no vote was taken before the meeting moved on. Finally, Representative Sue Ann Olson began presenting a bill requiring the Class D driver’s license test to be administered in English, arguing it was a safety measure because road signs are in English and law enforcement encounters can be complicated by language barriers. The transcript cuts off before her testimony concluded or any action was taken on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• purview of the Department of Agriculture.
• And then, as I touched on the rising costs of repair and then just overall overhead, the right to repair
• is another key piece of legislation that we're watching and farmers' ability to repair their own equipment
• And then as I touched on the rising costs of repair and then just overall overhead, the right to repair
• is another key piece of legislation that we're watching and farmers' ability to repair their own equipment

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's in Snohomish County, with Mill Creek, City of Snohomish, a little bit of Everett, and a lot of
• WSDOT right-of-way. ...any right-of-way needs because it's all in WSDOT right-of-way.
• of gives you a high level of what we do.
• of gives you a high level of what we do.
• This is kind of a snapshot of it.

Committee: Joint Joint Transportation Committee

Summary: The meeting began with introductions from members of the Joint Transportation Committee and a presentation from the Association of Washington Cities and the public works directors of Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, and West Richland. The cities described the Quad Cities region as one of the fastest-growing in the state and outlined shared transportation priorities that align with the committee’s focus on safety, multimodal access, climate resilience, and economic development. They emphasized Vision Zero efforts, complete streets, ADA accessibility, regional trail and bike/pedestrian planning, and coordinated long-range transportation and land-use planning to manage growth. The city officials also discussed major funding and delivery challenges, including rising construction costs, project phasing, pavement preservation, right-of-way acquisition, and delays caused by state and federal permitting and review processes. They highlighted regional cooperation through the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments, Good Roads, and local funding tools such as impact fees, transportation benefit districts, REET, tax increment financing, and state and federal grants. Specific projects discussed included Richland’s SR 240/Aaron Drive complete streets project and downtown connectivity work, Kennewick’s Columbia Center Boulevard improvements and rail study, Pasco’s Court/Road 68, Sylvester Street corridor, I-182 bridge/interchange work, and a new north-south bridge study, and West Richland’s SR 224 Red Mountain corridor project, which officials said was awarded under budget and is scheduled to begin construction. Committee members asked questions about sidewalk connections to schools, state-agency right-of-way timelines, apprenticeship utilization, contractor selection, and whether complete streets requirements add burdens to pavement preservation projects. The city officials said new development is generally meeting sidewalk standards, but older infill areas remain a gap; that state right-of-way transactions can take much longer than expected; that apprenticeship requirements are common but harder for smaller contractors and local labor markets; and that low-bid contracting leaves little room to screen for performance history. They also said complete streets requirements are usually manageable on major projects but can be difficult to absorb in smaller preservation work. The committee then shifted to a JTC-funded study on transit-oriented development, presented by Urban Institute researcher Yona Freemark. The study examined TOD conditions in 33 cities in Snohomish, King, Pierce, Clark, and Spokane counties near rail and bus rapid transit stations. Freemark said Washington’s housing affordability crisis is severe, especially near transit, and found that high-cost cities have seen more development near stations but also signs of gentrification and loss of affordable housing, while lower-cost cities have had less development and worsening affordability relative to income. He identified barriers including high debt costs, land costs, infrastructure costs, zoning and parking rules, and limited subsidies for affordable housing. He recommended more neighborhood infrastructure funding near stations, stronger affordable housing investment, and better use of public land, noting that HB 1491 and related legislation are already changing some local requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• From what we've seen is that it's really alleviating some of the backlog work, but it's not, you know
• From what we've seen is that it's really, it's alleviating some of the backlog worked, but it's not,
• of model, what type of agreements, what type of encryption, what type of protections we have to have
• And so the pause— Of '26, we kind of lost sight of the other things, frankly.
• Of course, a lot of it, again, got put on pause.

Committee: House Subcommittee on Appropriations - General Administration

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a number of instances where funds were shifted over to dedicated accounts off of number of instances
• And then finally here, using some dedicated funds, addressing a backlog of drinking water lab audits
• to kind of talk through specifics of that proposal.
• I'm unable to support some of the aspects of the budget.
• And all of this is because of great work in the colleges, but also because of your investments in our

Bills: SB5998

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're a department of a city, the city of Santa Clara.
• We are kind of the poster child for the opposite of that.
• And, of course, there are a lot of citing considerations that go into. to other areas of the country,
• the range of the range of...
• of service.

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Assembly Committees on Utilities and Energy and Privacy and Consumer Protection focused on the energy impacts of AI and the rapid growth of data centers in California. Chairs and members emphasized that the state wants to support innovation and data center development, but only under terms that protect ratepayers, preserve reliability, and avoid stranded grid costs. Testimony from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the California Energy Commission, the CPUC, CAISO, PG&E, Silicon Valley Power, and the Data Center Coalition described the scale of projected load growth, the uncertainty in forecasting, and the need for coordinated planning across agencies. Dr. Nate Gleason of Lawrence Livermore said data centers are a major and fast-growing share of electricity demand, with planning challenges driven by short construction timelines for data centers versus long lead times for transmission and generation. He urged stochastic planning, co-optimization of generation, storage, and transmission, and greater use of flexible load and demand response. CEC Director Alicia Gutierrez described the CEC’s bottom-up forecasting approach, based on utility energization requests and load profiles, and said California has over 23,000 megawatts of data center capacity requests in the CAISO footprint. CPUC Deputy Executive Director Luan Tesfai outlined recent actions on energization timelines, flexible service connections, PG&E’s Rule 30 tariff, and the commission’s resource planning and transmission permitting work. CAISO’s Neil Miller stressed that large loads affect transmission planning, interconnection, and reliability standards, and said the agency is preparing additional stakeholder work on technical issues. Utility and industry witnesses said California is already seeing substantial data center interest and is building out infrastructure accordingly. PG&E’s Mike Medeiros said the utility has more than 10 gigawatts of data center interest in its territory, has shifted to cluster studies, and is using flexible interconnection tools such as FlexConnect to speed service while protecting reliability. Silicon Valley Power’s Nico Prokos said data centers account for about 55% of its power use and that the city is investing heavily in transmission and local system upgrades to support projected load growth. He also warned that AI loads may be more variable than traditional cloud loads and that backup generation and air quality constraints complicate curtailment strategies. The Data Center Coalition’s Karabonder argued that data centers are also driving efficiency gains and support critical digital services, while urging better forecasting methods, more transparency, and regular backcasting. Members asked about statutory authority, data availability, flexible load, and whether current forecasts are sufficient for long-lead infrastructure planning. Witnesses said California already has authority to pursue flexible service and rate design, and that the CEC and CPUC have access to utility data, though out-year demand remains highly uncertain. CPUC representatives noted an advanced rate design rulemaking and said the commission is opening additional work on ratepayer impacts. No votes were taken during the informational hearing, and the discussion ended with continued questions about how California should structure planning, pricing, and reliability rules as AI-related load grows.

Transcript Highlights:

• of 12 or 13 of them uh the department of it's<00:05:14.960><c> the</c><00:05:15.080><c> department</
• </c><00:11:02.399><c> so</c><00:11:02.519><c> you</c> slide of of of the increment so you slide of of
• </c><00:28:42.640><c> all</c> 43% so of all the people again of all 43% so of all the people again of
• > Human</c> bucket of the Department of Human bucket of the Department of Human Services<00:31:39.600
• ><c> of</c> play into the role of the Department of play into the role of the Department of Human<00:

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• of a dwelling unit unless the repair was directly necessitated by the tenant's lease violation.
• Now, I'd be curious to know what is the average cost of repair that a landlord is doing after move-out
• You want to know the actual cost of the repair. Right. Okay. I will look into that.
• excessive damages caused by the tenant are necessary, reasonable, and match the cost of making repairs
• Just making sure that the cost of deductions matches what the landlord is charging or paying for repairing

Keywords: Virginia Housing Commission - Fees in Residential Rental Agreements Workgroup, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Relative to the repair of damaged infrastructure from certain excavators or demolishers, to provide for
• definition, to provide for notice, to provide for the repair of damage, to provide for the... requested
• Relative to the repair of damage infrastructure from certain excavators or demolishers, to provide for
• definition, to provide for notice, to provide for the repair of damage, to provide for the.
• For definition, to provide for notice, to provide for the repair of damage, to provide for the reimbursement

Bills: HB220 , HB259 , HB463 , HB536 , HB750 , HB830 , HB950

Committee: House Commerce

Keywords: child exploitation, online reporting, platforms, cyber crime, PROTECT Act, excavation, demolition, infrastructure repair, BEAD Program, utility damage, construction coordination, contact point, emergency services, telephone charge, wireless service, reporting requirements, communications district, wireless communication, school safety, community permits

Transcript Highlights:

• Then our Department of Transportation was constantly working to keep roads open, repair damages, and
• be for the residents of the state of Washington?
• the residents of the state of Washington?
• Additionally, USDA support requires on-site verification of the damage before repair or replacement,
• kind of run-of-the-mill business for our staff.

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All of our tax revenue. So all of our...
• standing contracts for the purpose of accomplishing construction, renovation, maintenance, and repair
• So those are the two types of maintenance and repair contracts that we have the...
• So those are the two types of maintenance and repair contracts that we have the authority for now that
• Mark Rhodes, I'm here on behalf of ACEC of Missouri, the American Council of Engineering Companies of

Committee: House Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• century, implemented major bus, bike, and public realm projects, and led record investments in state-of-good-repair
• in state of good repair.
• State of good repair is another, to name a few. Do you? Yeah. Thank you.
• good repair work that's critical for the effective functioning of our system, not only today and tomorrow
• good repair work that's critical for the effective functioning of our system not only today and tomorrow

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The joint meeting of the Senate Finance, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, and Transportation committees considered four nominations to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board: Melanie Hartzog, Jeanette Sadecott, Matthew Rand, and James O’Donnell. Each nominee gave opening remarks describing their public service or transportation-related experience and their interest in issues such as affordability, accessibility, state of good repair, regional connectivity, and transit safety. Senators also raised concerns about MTA transparency, the 2025-29 capital plan funding gap, fare and toll evasion, worker safety, and the need for better service in underserved areas. Members pressed the nominees on several policy questions, including the feasibility of free or reduced-fare buses, expanding bus service and bus lanes, restoring Hudson Valley and Harlem Line service, improving west-of-Hudson and Rockland County transit, and advancing the Second Avenue Subway and accessibility projects. The nominees generally said they were open to studying these ideas, emphasized collaboration with the MTA, governor, mayor, and legislature, and supported greater transparency and investment in transit infrastructure. Senators also highlighted labor concerns, including the MTA workers’ contract and safety for bus operators and other transit workers. At the end of the hearing, the committees voted separately on each nomination. Melanie Hartzog, Jeanette Sadecott, Matthew Rand, and James O’Donnell were each approved by the committees and advanced to the Senate floor. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Matt Kremens on behalf of the California-Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers and proud chair of
• Chris Lee on behalf of the Urban Counties of California, in support.
• Chris Lee on behalf of the Urban Counties of California in support.
• He said his district has much-needed freeway repairs, and more than half of his district commutes to
• repairs.

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• billions of dollars in economic output and support hundreds of thousands of jobs within our state.
• This type of act isn't harmless.
• </c> agricultural land with the intent of agricultural land with the intent of damaging<00:03:08.560>
• Has there been anyone in the last 7 years that's been convicted of this type of trespass?
• <00:05:08.360><c> of</c> this type of this type of trespass?

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And in acquisitions and major repairs, there's an $8.3 million decrease, mostly due to the removal of
• This slide goes into granular detail of the source of each means of finance.
• And lastly, you have acquisitions and major repairs... ...of a $1.6 million increase.
• of OJJ.
• , some repairs of the facility.

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That piece of requirement came out of the 2023 session.
• And it's just kind of a formal declaration of kind of what happens next.
• paper of a certificate of graduation.
• of the day.
• of scale.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Funding Review Committee

Keywords: 908, all