Transcript Highlights:

• </c> $3.2 million of it. $3.2 million of it.
• Uh, yeah, we are optimistic we can keep it stable. Uh, is it possible? Yes. Is it desirable? No.
• I'm up for it. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm up for it.
• </c><01:27:41.040><c> to</c> a few things but it is it is related to a few things but it is it is related
• c> Um it was high workflow, it was a lack Um it was high workflow, it was a lack of<01:33:04.560><c>

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But it would give you this buffer, it would address volatility, and it would leave you, again, better
• Is that the school doing it? Are we paying consultants to do it?
• Got it.
• In some respects, I think of it as: it may take four hours to drive 40 miles on a dirt road, but it may
• It would. It would. Okay. So...

Summary: The committee heard the May Revision presentation for the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, with public comment focused heavily on K-12 priorities such as universal school meals, kitchen infrastructure, food service and custodial support, youth leadership grants, Special Olympics funding, English learner support, universal pre-K, literacy investments, and concerns about community college funding shifts. Speakers also urged support for expanded learning, teacher recruitment and training, and maintaining or increasing funding for community colleges and student support programs. Finance and the LAO then reviewed the Proposition 98 outlook. Finance said the May Revision lowers the 2025-26 Prop. 98 guarantee to $114.6 billion, about $4.3 billion below January, due mainly to lower revenue estimates, with smaller effects from attendance and property tax changes. The administration also described rebenching for universal transitional kindergarten and a one-time rebench tied to Los Angeles fire-related property tax losses, along with changes to the Public School System Stabilization Account, deferrals, and updated COLA assumptions. The LAO said the budget relies too much on deferrals and one-time funds, creates a structural shortfall, and should instead align ongoing spending with the guarantee and preserve a reserve buffer. Members questioned the TK rebench and the shift of funding from community colleges to K-12, asking why it was being applied retroactively and how colleges would be held harmless. Finance said the changes align funding with where TK costs are being incurred and that reappropriation funding and other adjustments would offset impacts on community colleges. The LAO argued the historical split formula is outdated and should be abandoned in favor of budgeting around current priorities rather than fixed percentages. Members also raised concerns about draining the rainy day reserve and using deferrals, while the LAO said preserving reserves would better protect against future volatility. The committee then moved to specific K-12 and education proposals. Finance outlined May Revision changes including state operations adjustments for the Department of Education, technical trailer bill changes, a $100 million student teacher stipend program administered by Kern County, and updates to the charter school facility grant program. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposed increases for expanded learning, literacy coaches, and the student teacher stipend as currently structured, while supporting the minimum grant increase for expanded learning. Members expressed support for teacher recruitment efforts but questioned whether one-time funding can sustain ongoing programs and whether the student teacher stipend should be targeted to shortage areas or low-income communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:22:32.400><c> a</c> a function, and it it ends up being a a function, and it it ends up being
• We can accept it or we can deny it.
• c> with</c> then we have it uh it pre-arranged with then we have it uh it pre-arranged with department
• . it. it.
• About seven or eight years ago, HHS set off on a very intensive effort to modernize its centralized procurement

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee chair opened by explaining that the committee has expanded from a traditional audit-follow-up role into an oversight role focused on whether audit recommendations are implemented and whether controls are in place to detect fraud. He said the committee was concerned about fraud uncovered in social service programs in other states and wanted to understand New Hampshire’s safeguards, especially around major contracts and program performance. Charles Buchanan, director of the New Hampshire Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and investigator Tim Brackett described the unit’s structure and mission. Buchanan said the unit, housed in the Attorney General’s Criminal Justice Bureau, investigates and prosecutes fraud by health care providers serving Medicaid beneficiaries, as well as abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of residents in health care facilities. He outlined common Medicaid fraud schemes such as billing for services not rendered, upcoding, using unqualified staff, drug substitution, kickbacks, supplemental charges, and inflated customary charges. He also described resident abuse/neglect and drug diversion in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living settings. Brackett said his role is financial investigator/auditor and noted the unit is grant-funded and must include a prosecutor, investigator, and auditor. The witnesses then explained how cases reach the unit and how they are handled. Most referrals come from the state Department of Health and Human Services’ program integrity unit and from managed care organizations’ special investigations units, which look for fraud, waste, and abuse and refer credible allegations. Other sources include qui tam whistleblower actions, the national Medicaid Fraud Control Units association, citizen complaints, provider referrals, adult protective services law-enforcement referrals, local law enforcement, and federal agencies. Once a referral is received, the unit can accept or deny it; accepted matters may be investigated criminally or civilly, while nonviable matters can be referred back to HHS or other agencies for administrative action, including repayment demands and reimbursement offsets. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is on call. It is out. The bill is out. Thank you. I believe it is on call.
• It is on call, but we'll keep it open. Thank you so much.
• So it takes a lot of planning. It takes a lot of planning. It takes a lot of ordering.
• I just got it.
• You were in opposition to it then. It wasn't what we wanted, but it was a decent compromise.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee heard AB 84, a charter school accountability measure focused on non-classroom-based charter schools and fraud prevention. The author and supporters said the bill was intended to respond to the A3 charter fraud case and related scandals by strengthening audits, transparency, authorizer oversight, and funding determination rules, while ensuring public education dollars are used for public education. Supporters included FCMAT, CSEA, CTA, and CSBA, who argued the bill would improve oversight and protect taxpayers. Opponents, including the California Charter Schools Association, Green Dot, many charter parents, educators, and charter operators, said the bill was too broad, would impose major new costs and bureaucracy on all charter schools, and could reduce options for families, especially those using flexible, homeschool, or special-needs charter programs. After extensive testimony and committee discussion, the bill passed on a 5-1 vote and was sent to Appropriations, with the item left open for additional votes. The committee then approved a consent calendar of 11 education bills, including AB 542, AB 563, AB 731, AB 753, AB 784, AB 964, AB 988, AB 1034, AB 1233, AB 1255, and AB 1381, all moving to Appropriations. The consent calendar passed unanimously. Later, the committee heard AB 1454, a literacy and reading instruction bill authored by Assembly Members Rubio and Revis. The bill would require the state to create professional development resources for evidence-based literacy instruction, update English language arts and English language development instructional materials, and revise administrator preparation standards to include literacy training. The authors and a broad coalition of supporters, including CTA, EdVoice, Families in Schools, Decoding Dyslexia, school administrators, and parent advocates, described the measure as a compromise aimed at improving reading outcomes and addressing California’s literacy crisis. There was no opposition testimony at the hearing, and members voiced strong support for the bill and its collaborative approach.

Transcript Highlights:

• At this point, it does not look like that will cover it.
• It is too costly, unnecessary, and it risks destabilizing the workforce it claims to support.
• not change it?
• Oh, there it is on it. Thank you, Chair Ormsby.
• Oh, there it is on it. Thank you, Chair Ormsby.

Summary: The committee first heard Substitute House Bill 1128, which would create a Child Care Workforce Standards Board within the Department of Labor and Industries to study child care workforce conditions and make recommendations on employment standards. Staff explained that the proposed second substitute narrows the board’s role from setting enforceable standards to making recommendations, with estimated ongoing costs for L&I staffing and smaller costs for board member stipends and possible DCYF support. Supporters, including child care providers, SEIU 925, and labor representatives, said the bill would help address understaffing, low wages, and retention problems; opponents, including child care industry groups and private schools, argued it duplicates existing work, adds bureaucracy, and creates unfunded costs. No vote was taken in the hearing. The committee then heard Second Substitute House Bill 1634, which would direct OSPI and ESDs to develop a technical assistance and training framework to help schools coordinate student behavioral health supports. Staff said the bill aligns with the Washington Thriving Strategic Plan and could largely be implemented with existing work and limited additional costs, though DOH would need some support. Testifiers from behavioral health and school counseling fields described severe youth mental health needs and urged passage, and OSPI said the work is doable with current resources. The committee also heard Substitute House Bill 2636, which would create a public education review advisory council to recommend K-12 policies and funding provisions for JLARC review; staff described JLARC, OSPI, and State Board costs, and no public testimony was offered. The committee next heard House Bill 1316, which would expand the Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness program so additional university campuses can access funding. The sponsor said the program has strong retention outcomes, and student advocates testified that campuses such as UW Bothell need access to already appropriated funds for emergency aid, food pantries, and case management. Staff then briefed Substitute House Bill 2474, which would allow the Student Achievement Council Tuition Recovery Trust Fund to be used for refunds tied to broader consumer protection violations, with no expected fiscal impact; there was no testimony. The committee also heard Substitute House Bill 2365 on digital equity, which would expand the Broadband Office’s role, revise the digital equity forum, and rename the grant program; supporters emphasized rural access, affordability, and the loss of federal digital equity funding, while staff estimated significant Commerce staffing costs and some additional agency impacts. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2401, creating a Washington State Boys and Men Commission contingent on non-state funding, with staff outlining OFM startup and fundraising costs and an estimated operating budget if fully funded. Supporters said boys and men face mental health, education, and mentorship gaps and that the commission would improve coordination; the bill drew testimony from rural school leaders, nonprofit advocates, and community members. The committee then heard Substitute House Bill 2475 on language access, which would require the Office of Equity to develop uniform language-access guidelines and a report on interpreter and translator shortages; staff said the office could absorb the work but other agency and local government impacts were uncertain. Substitute House Bill 2517, on permitting for high-capacity transit, would let regional transit authorities apply for permits earlier and streamline land-use processes; Sound Transit and the sponsor said it would speed delivery of major projects, while staff estimated Commerce technical-assistance costs and possible local government impacts. The last bill heard was Substitute House Bill 2145 on the 340B drug pricing program, which would bar manufacturers from restricting contract-pharmacy access and require reporting to DOH; supporters said it protects safety-net providers and patient services, while opponents warned of higher costs for employers, state health plans, and litigation burdens. No final committee action or votes were recorded in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• At this point, it does not look like that will cover it.
• It is too costly, unnecessary, and it risks destabilizing the workforce it claims to support.
• It is too costly, unnecessary, and it risks destabilizing the workforce it claims to support.
• not change it?
• it clearly, measurably, and consistently in statute. ...mention, then it must define it clearly, measurably

Bills: HB1316 , HB2401 , HB2557 , HB2720 , HB1073 , HB2685 , HB2640 , HB2403

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: postsecondary education, homelessness, foster youth, education access, support programs, commission, gender equity, boys, men, advocacy, state policy, special education, parental rights, educational access, evaluation reports, disability services, behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access

Transcript Highlights:

• I do appreciate it. And I and I pass. I do appreciate it.
• And I'm going to turn it over within it. And I'm going to turn it over to<01:06:37.520><c> Mr.
• </c><01:28:22.719><c> was</c><01:28:22.800><c> very</c> it was effective for me but it was very it was
• </c><01:38:31.920><c> It</c> veterans, it does my heart good. It veterans, it does my heart good.
• Yes, it is true. numbers. Yes, it is true.

Committee: House Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Um it was it was was was saying.
• It was that it took to get there.
• I found it's much easier to listen to it than it is to read it all.
• I it it doesn't make sense to me and it I it it doesn't make sense to me and it just<00:32:42.000><c>
• </c> to request it. to request it.

Bills: HF3919 , HF3467 , HF3741

Committee: House Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Keywords: veterans benefits, Secret War, Laos veterans, eligibility process, burial fees, veteran designation, veterans affairs, food insecurity, homelessness, suicide prevention, state resources, reporting requirements, agency initiatives, veterans, educational assistance, tuition waiver, spouses, children, military service, benefits

Transcript Highlights:

• it what it does experience and I think it what it does not<00:04:27.639><c> only</c><00:04:27.919><c
• As I mentioned, it is east-west. It is north in many cases, does east-west.
• what it needs from taxpayers and then it what it needs from taxpayers and then it might<00:18:26.280>
• </c> how's how's it how's it going Madam how's how's it how's it going Madam chair<00:47:16.680><c> members
• So it can add a cost to a project even if it is approved.

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• their tax accounts, and it is part of our broader modernization effort that you all may know of as DORIS
• </c> need to fix it and we're not fixing it. need to fix it and we're not fixing it.
• </c> of it none of it makes any sense at all. of it none of it makes any sense at all.
• </c> it it is to fix this? it it is to fix this?
• </c> fix it. fix it.

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:01 SERVS Informational Update- 00:01:22 Child Removal and Reunification Update: Department for Community Based Services Financials- 00:03:00 Small Business Sales Tax Websites: Department of Revenue-00:28:05 Senior Citizen Meal Programs: Department for Aging and Independent Living-00:35:50 Adjournment-01:41:57, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the September 11 meeting by motion and voice vote. It then received a brief update on the statewide emergency responder voice system, but no presenter was present. The chair said he expected a more substantive update in November and warned that if there is not real progress on acquiring needed private properties, the committee may consider further action, including possibly freezing funding. The main discussion centered on the Department for Community Based Services’ child removal and reunification work and its structured decision-making tools. Commissioner Lisa Dennis and General Counsel Wesley Duke explained that the intake, safety, and risk assessment tools are being used at very high rates and that the department is still implementing and evaluating the system. Dennis said the tools are meant to inform, not replace, professional judgment; when staff disagree with a recommendation, the worker and first-line supervisor consult and decide together. Members questioned whether the system favors keeping children in the home, whether the department has studied safety outcomes for in-home cases versus removals, and whether foster home shortages affect removal decisions. Dennis said child safety remains the top priority, that the practice has not changed, and that the department would provide additional data on outcomes later. Members also asked about permanency timelines and delays in termination of parental rights cases; Dennis said federal timelines are difficult to meet because of family progress, substance use recovery, and court delays, and she confirmed foster parent shortages were not the reason for those delays. The committee then heard a presentation from the Department of Revenue on the new My Taxes portal. Staff said the portal, launched in March, replaced DOR’s portion of the old Kentucky One Stop Business Portal and now allows businesses to file and pay multiple taxes, update account information, and receive official notices. They reported the system is available 24/7 except for scheduled maintenance every other Thursday evening, has maintained over 99% availability since launch, and now has a dedicated contact center with 50 agents plus a public help line and email. In response to questions, the department said early downtime was caused by unexpectedly high traffic, but server capacity was increased and in the last three months there had been only one day of unexpected downtime.

Transcript Highlights:

• it should it pass and ready to implement it should it pass and we'll<00:38:14.240><c> stand</c><00:38
• </c><00:40:08.880><c> was</c> when it came to the Senate, it was when it came to the Senate, it was amended
• <c> very</c><00:40:37.680><c> well</c> it it adequately addresses very well it it adequately addresses
• </c> bottom it it describes what note one is. bottom it it describes what note one is.
• How well it works I think So it works.

Bills: SF0069 , SF0070 , SF0016 , HB0078 , HJ0002 , HB0085 , HB0086

Committee: Senate Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources

Keywords: wastewater, stormwater, infrastructure, environmental quality, public data, data collection, funding, study, water development, irrigation, public works, agricultural supply, municipal water, grazing lands, subleasing, non-owned livestock, state lands, rental fees, agricultural policy, land management

Transcript Highlights:

• You can't avoid it in the news, and it shouldn't be avoided.
• </c> can't avoid it in the news and it can't avoid it in the news and it shouldn't<00:19:36.559><c> be
• </c><02:12:26.719><c> the</c> on and on it goes It goes because the on and on it goes It goes because
• that it serves.
• that it serves.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, January 13, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So is it normal? No.
• So is it normal? No.
• </c> it unless there are questions about it it unless there are questions about it that's<00:26:45.640
• It starts on line 2.24. It has bipartisan support.
• It is Representative Bonner's provision for the Political Contribution Refund Modernization Act.

Bills: HF2274 , HF1932

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: taxation, income tax, property tax, corporate tax, homestead credit, local government aid, tax credits, economic development, taxpayer assistance, tax credit outreach, tax preparation, free tax help, IRS, Department of Revenue, general fund appropriation, earned income tax credit, child tax credit, volunteer income tax assistance, VITA, low-income taxpayers

Transcript Highlights:

• but if they that they're able to meet it but if they can't<00:20:29.039><c> it</c><00:20:29.200><c>
• ><c> um</c> can't it would it wouldn't hinder um can't it would it wouldn't hinder um moving<00:20:33.159
• </c> months I think you'll be able to do it months I think you'll be able to do it um<00:25:25.080><c
• Thank you so much for hearing it.
• Thank you so much for hearing it.

Committee: House Economic Development & Technology

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee on Economic Development and Technology met on March 12, 2025, and heard testimony on several measures. On SB 9, the Hawaii Food Industry Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation testified in support, and there were no questions or objections. On SB 148, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs offered comments, and a member of the public testified in support of combining boxing and MMA oversight into a single combat sports commission, with amendments to preserve safety standards and separate or distinct treatment for the two sports. Committee discussion focused on whether proposed requirements were primarily safety-related or cost-related, how to handle smaller events, and whether a one-year implementation delay was necessary; the department said many safety provisions already exist in the MMA program, that it was open to continued discussion on costs, and that it needed time to combine rules and appoint new commissioners. The chair suggested possible amendments to account for event size and to reduce burdens on smaller events. The committee then heard SB 816, which drew extensive testimony on providing legal representation for immigrants in immigration proceedings. Supporters included the Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission, ACU Hawaii, the Refugee and Immigration Law Clinic, the Legal Clinic, Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights, the Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Pride at Work Hawaii, and others. Supporters argued that immigration cases can be as serious as criminal cases, that counsel is essential for due process, and that representation improves outcomes; several also emphasized the economic importance of immigrants to Hawaii. One supporter noted a suggested amendment to include training for attorneys and partners doing deportation defense and asylum work. Opposition came from a Navy veteran who argued the bill would use state resources for a federal issue, create inequities, and impose fiscal burdens. The chair noted 69 testimonies in support and 44 in opposition, and later an additional supporter brought the total to 70 in support. No vote was taken in the portion of the meeting provided. The committee also heard SB 125, with the Department of Economic Development, the Agreed Business Development Corporation, and the Hawaii Food Industry Association in support, and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii offering technical comments about complicated nested definitions in the bill. Testimony on SB 125 focused on updating the Enterprise Zone Program so local manufacturers selling directly to retail could qualify, along with value-added products and certain health-related sectors. Finally, on SB 732, the State of Hawaii Creative Industries testified with comments, raising concerns about county permit-fee waivers, implementation timing, and the bill’s lack of a carry-forward provision for the film tax credit. The witness said uncertainty in the credit was already causing productions to delay coming to Hawaii and urged stability to support the industry and local workers. The committee then moved on to additional testimony on the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> it shows the current funding ratio it it shows the current funding ratio it shows<00:37:43.920><
• It is just that the police and fire plan didn't have the funds to be able to afford it, and it wasn't
• funds to be able to uh afford it and it funds to be able to uh afford it and it wasn't<00:47:14.359><
• it mean?
• If it were to change to layered amortization instead of it being 2048, it would be effective of that

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> we</c> coming at it from where we're at, it we coming at it from where we're at, it we have<00:14
• </c> as poor as it is. as poor as it is.
• </c> committee should you want it or need it. committee should you want it or need it.
• Or is it, I guess it should be you, shouldn't it, Miss Martin? Thank you.
• it would put it all into the general it it would put it all into the general fund<01:20:31.600><c> for

Bills: SF0032 , SF0010 , SF0001 , HB0001

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety, mental health, detention, competency evaluation, treatment, contractual agreements, Wyoming, budget, funding, education, wildfire prevention, healthcare, community colleges, grants, economic development

Transcript Highlights:

• It says one, the it does two things.
• Um, it doesn't, I don't believe it stops it from being noticed.
• believe it stops it from doesn't I don't believe it stops it from being<00:46:50.200><c> noticed.
• It it just it just seems a Minnesota.
• I think we can get it on it.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:01:31.559><c> further</c> imagine it could it could have further imagine it could it could have
• it or leave it what you get is a take it or leave it proposition<02:08:41.079><c> and</c><02:08:41.320
• I mean, it makes it impossible.
• it basically makes it market you know it basically makes it impossible<02:32:05.080><c> so</c><02:32
• </c> it does is it increases it does is it increases evictions<03:10:59.800><c> from</c><03:11:00.120

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It can have It can decrease tourism.
• it it simply says that public and &gt;&gt; Um it it it simply says that public and private<00:55:04.079
• It mandates it and it would that.
• It just is not sensible. And it thing. It just is not sensible.
• That's it. &gt;&gt; That's<02:54:12.960><c> it.</c> &gt;&gt; That's it. &gt;&gt; That's it.

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> it vendor rules? Is it publisher rules? it vendor rules? Is it publisher rules?
• We've been talking about how we need to modernize our IT systems, and many of you have probably heard
• It seems like we have a lot of IT projects and we have some plans for IT modernization, but we don't
• And what it does is it ...
• . it. it.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Keywords: 1187, senate, all