Transcript Highlights:

• So we're addressing that by extending the sanctioning authority up to 30 days.
• DOCs went even further to address some of the problems that our investigation at WCCW revealed.
• Senate Bill 5873, sponsored by Chair Senator Wilson, addresses escorted leaves of absence.
• And I will forward on the email.
• I found the email.

Summary: The committee began with a Department of Corrections update focused on agency culture, staff safety, reentry, and health services. Secretary Tim Lang highlighted DOC’s “Washington Way” approach, expanded visitation reforms, safety summits, community-corrections sanction changes, education and transportation improvements, partial confinement expansion, and efforts to increase volunteer and peer-led programming. Assistant Secretaries Danielle Armbruster and David Flynn described progress on Pell Grant implementation, reentry transportation, partial confinement, behavioral health standards, HIPAA compliance, the 1115 Medicaid waiver, telehealth expansion, and budget requests for opioid use disorder treatment, close-custody capacity, and staffing relief. Members asked about veterans’ units, telehealth for substance use treatment, women’s placement on the east side, correctional industries, and firefighting training. The new Office of Correction Ombuds director, Jeremiah Bourgeois, then outlined the office’s mission and limited resources, saying he would focus on the most serious complaints and continue building accountability with DOC. He described recent OCO reports, including findings of excessive force at the women’s prison, and said DOC had agreed to implement all recommendations. He also noted a new process for referring possible criminal misconduct to DOC leadership and law enforcement. Committee members praised the DOC-OCO partnership and Bourgeois’s appointment. The committee then heard Senate Bill 5895, which would add a new basis for extraordinary medical placement when DOC cannot meet an incarcerated person’s basic medical care needs. Senator Saldana said the bill is intended to provide a compassionate, workable path for people with serious or end-of-life medical needs while maintaining public safety. Testifiers in support included family members, Disability Rights Washington, and the League of Women Voters, who said the current EMP process is too restrictive and rarely results in release. DOC testified that it supports the EMP framework but has concerns about the bill’s definition of “basic medical care.” A former DOC physician suggested extending the qualifying time period and adding “approximately” to the language. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5873, which would expand escorted leaves of absence to include reentry-focused outings and broaden the family definition for funeral or bedside visits. Senator Wilson said the bill is meant to support a “slow release” and better prepare people for community reentry. DOC supported the concept, and witnesses from public defense, DOC reentry, and Amend said escorted reentry outings are consistent with evidence-based and international correctional practices. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 5945, which would limit persistent offender sentencing to convictions occurring after age 18 and require resentencing for affected people. Supporters argued the bill aligns with youth brain-development research and would address racial disparities; opponents, including prosecutors, victim advocates, and sheriffs’ representatives, said it would reopen painful cases, undermine finality, and impose costs. The hearing on that bill was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• The plan should address disasters, accidents, epidemics, and fatalities.
• The plan should address emergency shelter and evacuation. It does not address evacuation.
• areas, that addresses the four areas.
• And to your answer of when that email was sent about the video from 2017, that email was actually from
• And to your answer of when that email was sent about the video from 2017, that email was actually from

Transcript Highlights:

• So, how do you anticipate us addressing<00:45:00.880><c> that?
• </c><00:45:01.680><c> Um</c> addressing that? Um addressing that?
• I too have received non-stop emails about this.
• </c> addressed and I understand them fully. addressed and I understand them fully.
• Um, and I non-stop emails about this.

Committee: House Families & Children

Transcript Highlights:

• Specialized men's facility that is going to address the mental health and medical needs that we have.
• In our database, you'll get an email.
• In our database, you'll get an email reply if you provide an email for us.
• You'll get an email reply that will be in contact with you to try resolving some of those complaints.
• there, collaborate with the locals, develop an operational plan together, and target that hot spot to address

Transcript Highlights:

• It is an attempt to address the concerns that are raised in the bill.
• </c><00:08:21.440><c> the</c><00:08:21.759><c> concerns</c> is an attempt to address the concerns is
• </c><00:09:51.519><c> uh</c> brought forth has really addressed uh brought forth has really addressed
• Uh, I sent that email out.
• </c><00:20:11.200><c> out</c> that email out that email out and<00:20:12.880><c> I</c><00:20:13.120><

Committee: House Resources, Recreation and Development

Transcript Highlights:

• they have on file, again, as well as if they have any email addresses or anything like that, they would
• </c><00:15:07.279><c> addresses</c><00:15:07.600><c> or</c><00:15:07.760><c> anything</c> have any email
• addresses or anything have any email addresses or anything like<00:15:08.000><c> that</c><00:15:08.240
• , maybe then we'll send it to all of those, as in most those that don't have email addresses.
• But if we happen to have any information about email addresses, we'll send it to those as well. >> Okay

Committee: Joint Business and Financial Institutions

Transcript Highlights:

• We made that clear in the nomination email and the prenomination email.
• Number 5: new commission email.
• Like all these mysterious people are trying to hack your email.
• Does everybody know about the email? Yeah, I'll add it into the documents.
• In the podcast, yeah, anything else on the email?

Committee: House Oklahoma Education Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• We need additional staff in order to address all these changes.
• . ...there that need to be addressed.
• I would be happy to email you with the specific number if that's okay.
• And could you email that to? And could you email that to us as well? I would. Yeah, absolutely.
• And could you email that to?

Committee: House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm happy to address any of those.
• If you If you do receive an email or a communication that you can interpret as requesting records, please
• areas, the trickier areas to be aware of in regards to the OPMA, are: one, conference calls; two, emails
• noted, meetings can occur telephonically, electronically like here via video conference, or even via email
• In 2026, 20 bills address tax preferences.

Committee: Joint Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences

Transcript Highlights:

• And I just wanted to thank you for addressing my concerns around the tax.
• Feel free to email me. Yes. That information right now, so I'll give you my card.
• Feel free to email me. Yes. Thank you.
• And we spent the last several years trying to address some of those concerns.
• Does the bill address that in any way, shape, or form? It doesn't explicitly address that.

Summary: The committee first heard HB 2517, which would give regional transit authorities, especially Sound Transit, more flexible permitting tools for high-capacity transit projects. Staff and the bill sponsor said the goal is to let permit applications and technical reviews proceed concurrently with property acquisition and land use decisions, reducing delay and uncertainty for large transit projects. Sound Transit testified that the bill could save as much as nine months, while a city representative from Bothell asked for an amendment requiring notice to property owners before permits are advanced on land not yet owned or controlled by the agency. The committee then took testimony on HB 2313, concerning publicly owned grocery stores in underserved areas. The bill would let cities acquire land, build or rehabilitate stores, seek capital grants, and create tax increment financing areas for grocery access projects, with annual reporting requirements. Supporters, including the sponsor, Food Lifeline, and Northwest Harvest, argued that grocery closures and food deserts are real problems and that local governments need tools to fill gaps when private grocers leave. Opponents, including grocery industry groups and several students, warned that public stores could undercut private grocers, burden taxpayers, and create operational and property-rights concerns; some testimony also questioned the need for government ownership and the use of tax increment financing. A proposed substitute removed eminent domain and tax increment financing provisions and narrowed the bill to grant-funded stores in underserved areas. Next, the committee heard HB 2451, a major rewrite of local tax increment financing rules. The bill would tighten notice, consultation, reporting, and mitigation requirements for TIF areas, strengthen the “but-for” test, limit where increment areas can be located, and protect existing taxing districts by excluding certain levies and requiring negotiation, mediation, or arbitration when impacts are significant. Cities, ports, counties, libraries, fire chiefs, and hospital districts largely described the bill as a negotiated compromise that improves transparency and addresses unintended impacts, though some local governments said they still wanted more flexibility or protections for existing projects. One city testified against the bill, arguing the new restrictions would make TIF much less useful for large redevelopment efforts. The committee then heard HB 2298, which would authorize county auditors to create voluntary property title protection programs to help prevent land-record fraud by allowing owners to record a protection instrument that delays recording of a title transfer for up to five business days unless identity verification is provided. Auditors, treasurers, and county officials strongly supported the bill as a practical response to rising deed fraud, while title and foreclosure industry representatives said the proposal was too limited, could interfere with foreclosures or other transfers, and would only delay—not prevent—fraud. The final bill heard was HB 2566 on local government procurement, which would raise certain small-purchase and small-public-works thresholds for counties, remove some differences between larger and smaller counties, and give counties more options when no bids are received. County representatives supported the bill as a needed update to procurement rules and a way to reduce bureaucracy and keep pace with inflation.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this bill addresses that as it was addressed last year. Thank you. Further discussion.
• The second part of it is the delivery of encrypted message sent through email, and the third portion
• The delivery of a document using email electronic message shall satisfy the attachment.
• So they know to check their email. The recipient would have to opt into it. Correct.
• They know to check their email for this because they signed up to receive these electronically.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we are going to basically just go through the document that was emailed out to you all: the list of
• I let people know in my network through email, and I think a little bit on social media.
• About that engagement piece, I let people know in my network through email, and I think a little bit
• Whether they wrote emails, I don't know.
• How do you address fidelity? Yeah. You know, evidence-informed, promising.

Summary: The committee met for its final session before the report is delivered to the governor and legislature, with introductions and reminders that the meeting was public and recorded. Facilitators explained that the group was reviewing the final draft of the committee’s strategic priorities and recommendations for a five-year behavioral health plan focused on prevention, early intervention, and community-based services. They also noted that the recommendations were drawn from subcommittee work, a survey, and prior committee discussion, and that similar work is occurring in other groups such as Washington Thriving and the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group. Most of the discussion centered on the first two overarching priorities and how to frame them. Members raised concerns that the draft did not sufficiently center people with lived experience, families, and communities, and suggested revising the vision language to reflect that. Several participants also emphasized the need for an executive-level role to coordinate behavioral health across state agencies and improve accountability. The group discussed the timing of related planning efforts, including Washington Thriving and the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group, and agreed the report should acknowledge those efforts without duplicating them. The committee then turned to the high-priority recommendations and the structure of the report. Members asked for more specific action steps under the broader recommendations, rather than leaving them as aspirational statements, and suggested moving some of the lower-priority recommendations into the main sections as examples or sub-actions. There was also substantial discussion about terminology: participants recommended using language such as evidence-informed, promising practices, best practices, and practice-based evidence, especially to better reflect tribal and community-based approaches. Other edits included clarifying early intervention language, adding flexibility, addressing credentialing and carrier/MCO requirements in phases, and considering mentorship as a workforce retention strategy. The committee also discussed accountability and public engagement, with members suggesting the report include stronger references to community voice and oversight. Facilitators said they would revise the draft, circulate it by May 22, and seek comments by May 27 so the report can be finalized and submitted by the June 1 deadline. Several members offered to help with the final drafting and reorganization of the report.

Transcript Highlights:

• And yesterday I sent the entire committee an email with all the links to their websites.
• And yesterday I sent the entire committee an email with all the links to their websites.
• I'm sorry I didn't address you earlier. You're at Katz.
• It's just an email. So sometimes you don't have to pay for just an email to come back to you.
• It would look like one email from you and one email back from them. I can't imagine that, yes.

Summary: The committee first considered HB 431, which would require annual training for municipal mayors. After adopting a technical amendment adding municipal retirement systems to the training categories, members heard testimony from the bill author and Louisiana Municipal Association (LMA) officials that the measure would require 16 hours of annual training, count existing ethics/harassment/cybersecurity requirements toward that total, allow online and in-person options, and impose no penalty other than public audit disclosure of compliance. The bill was favorably reported. Members then heard HB 150, authorizing Cameron Parish to create a local insurance program to help residents recover and repopulate after hurricanes without state funding. Testimony emphasized that the program would be locally funded and likely function as a subsidy or premium offset rather than a standalone insurer. The bill was favorably reported. HB 822, dealing with nonprofit entities appointing members to certain economic development district boards, was also favorably reported after discussion of an amendment to set a two-year forfeiture period for noncompliant nonprofits. The committee then took up HB 204, which would require monthly financial reports from certain East Baton Rouge Parish agencies to the Legislative Auditor. After an amendment removing the Council on Aging, testimony from CATS, BREC, and the auditor focused on whether the information was already public, the burden of monthly bank-statement reporting, and whether bank statements would expose sensitive information. Members ultimately agreed to voluntarily defer the bill for further work. The committee also favorably reported HB 136 on Harahan classified police hiring, HB 376 extending provisional appointment timeframes in civil service, HB 377 changing pay-range rules for the State Examiner and Deputy Examiner, HB 450 clarifying veterans’ points in fire and police civil service exams, HB 273 repealing a duplicate local tax statute, HB 1068 on garbage collection contract terms, and HB 864 allowing New Orleans to establish fire limits in certain state-right-of-way areas to address bridge fires. The transcript ends as HB 444 on adding commissioners to the East Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission was being introduced.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, so this is strictly addressing permits then? Yes. Okay, perfect. Thank you very much.
• This clarifies that obviously a rental agreement can be delivered via email, because there aren't even
• There's a series of then emailing in there that it'll all be recorded.
• Again, usually in call, email, texts, and mailing still to this day. Okay. Thank you for that.
• , when I send reminders, when anybody on my team does anything relative to an account or... emails when

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment

Summary: The committee first went into executive session on House Bill 2099, adopting a House committee substitute and an amendment clarifying language about non-private, non-commercial property and authorized agents, including executors, administrators, trustees, and verified heirs. Members discussed the amendment as a way to prevent people from exploiting recent obituaries to occupy property without authorization. The committee then voted unanimously to do pass the House committee substitute for HB 2099. The main public hearing was on House Bill 1791, which would set deadlines for political subdivisions to act on building permit applications and reduce fees if deadlines are missed. The sponsor and supporters, including the Missouri Municipal League’s critics from the construction industry, argued the bill would reduce costly delays, improve predictability, and help housing and business development. Opponents from municipal groups said the bill could create liability concerns, impose one-size-fits-all mandates on cities of different sizes, and interfere with local inspection and safety processes. Several witnesses said they were willing to work on the bill’s definitions and timelines, but no vote was taken in the transcript. The committee also heard House Bill 2465, which would let sole proprietors and single-member businesses obtain group health coverage outside the ACA framework and would revise the employee-count threshold from two to one, with discussion about whether the upper limit should remain 50 or be changed. Supporters said the bill would help small businesses, especially family-run firms, access more affordable and flexible coverage, including out-of-network options; one witness described personal difficulty obtaining coverage for a spouse who works in the business. Members raised questions about federal implications and the impact of changing the 50-employee cap, but the hearing ended without a recorded vote. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2717, a storage-unit and public notice bill that would modernize notice requirements by reducing reliance on newspaper advertisements, allow electronic delivery of rental agreements, shorten certain notice periods, and address storage units being used as housing. Supporters said the bill reflects current business practices and improves communication and efficiency, while opponents focused on preserving newspaper notice and raised concerns about public awareness and process. The sponsor said the bill had been repeatedly introduced in prior sessions and was intended to update the industry’s rules; the hearing concluded without final action in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• We could have gotten an email.
• I think we had language in the bills that addressed that.
• Garrett put up an email that he had sent to us.
• It had a couple of emails, the one video that you saw.
• Because it just feels like the barrage of emails or coordinated campaign that we're receiving.

Transcript Highlights:

• And you'll have 3 minutes to address the council. So, Cassie, please conduct a roll call.
• Next, I want to address the lab's quality assurance.
• OK, council member Katie shared a few items that she would like to address.
• We have an entire website with batch numbers, and you can send out emails.
• That's like a pharmaceutical company saying to me an email and an update.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:04.640><c> their</c> stated that started to address their stated that started to address their
• All my emails went unanswered, letters went unanswered, she wouldn't take my phone calls.
• He wrote me an email. I have it in my phone telling me how excited he was to support this.
• He wrote me an email. I have it in my phone telling me how excited he was to support this.
• He wrote me an email. I have it in my phone telling me how excited he was to support this.

Summary: Lawmakers and manufactured housing residents discussed a Minnesota bill of rights for manufactured home park residents, aimed at addressing rent increases and private equity ownership of mobile home parks. Rep. Matt Norris and Sen. Liz Bolden described the proposal as a response to out-of-state investors buying parks, raising lot rents, and using enforcement gaps to pressure residents. The bill would define “reasonable rent,” give residents a stronger opportunity to purchase their parks when sold, and strengthen penalties and enforcement of existing protections. Bolden said it is a policy-only bill with no expected fiscal cost and noted it had bipartisan support in the Senate, with a plan to move it from the Commerce Committee to the Judiciary Committee and then to the Senate floor. Residents from Blaine International Village, Sylvan/Lake Elmo, and Cimarron described large rent increases, higher eviction rates, and what they characterized as predatory management practices by out-of-state private equity firms. Tammy Fry said her rent rose from $425 to $700 after her park was sold to Haven Park, while new residents were paying $1,000; Bree Mafee said Sylvan’s lot rent is $1,060 a month and has risen more than 35% in five years, with evictions increasing from about three a year to more than 40 since 2020. Speakers emphasized that manufactured housing residents are both homeowners and renters, and said the bill is needed to protect families from losing homes they own but cannot easily move. Several legislators voiced support. Sen. Judy Seeberger said she had seen predatory practices in Cimarron and would vote yes in committee. Sen. Jim Abeler, a Republican, said he had become aware of the issue and could not stay silent, calling the situation wrong and not a partisan matter. During questions, Bolden said the bill includes a reasonableness standard for lot rent increases, with an exception for health and safety needs, and said similar provisions exist in other states. She also said the bill stalled previously due to timing and moving pieces, not a substantive Senate defeat, and residents argued the issue is about housing stability rather than party politics.

Transcript Highlights:

• Third,<00:03:08.959><c> addressing</c><00:03:09.519><c> societal</c><00:03:10.080><c> challenges</c>
• Third, addressing societal challenges Third, addressing societal challenges takes<00:03:11.040><c> time
• Um, there was an email that went out with instructions on how to pay.
• Um, there was an email that went out with instructions on how to pay.
• Um, there was an email that dues, $100.

Transcript Highlights:

• We need additional staff in order to address all these changes.
• I would be happy to email you with the specific number if that's okay.
• Recommendations we've made to address them.
• And could you email that to?
• Could you email that to us as well? I would. Yeah, absolutely.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee met as a Joint Health and Human Services Committee of Reference to hear sunset reviews and performance audit findings for several health-related boards. The first action taken was on the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy. The Auditor General reported that while the board met some licensing deadlines, it had significant problems enforcing controlled substances prescription monitoring program (CSPMP) requirements, timely investigating complaints, and documenting fee analyses and other compliance items. The board director said the agency had implemented some recommendations, was seeking legislative help on CSPMP enforcement and data issues, and described staffing and vendor challenges. A public member testified that the board was generally efficient but that statutory gaps limited its effectiveness. The committee then voted 13-0, with six not voting, to continue the Board of Pharmacy for six years until July 1, 2032, with statutory changes to improve its operations. The committee next reviewed the Arizona State Board of Nursing. The Auditor General found the board timely processed licenses but continued to resolve too many complaints late, with a large and growing backlog of open cases, and identified additional issues in oversight, accounting, public records, and conflict-of-interest practices. The executive director said the board had been under-resourced as nursing volume and complaints increased, requested 28 additional investigative positions, and described efforts to triage cases and improve tracking. The Arizona Nurses Association supported the board’s role and said it was working on a bill, House Bill 2408, to improve accountability, prioritization, and fairness in the disciplinary process. A nurse attorney testified that changes to complaint notice, the scope of investigations, and triage could shorten delays. The committee approved continuation of the Board of Nursing for four years until July 1, 2030, by a 14-0 vote with five not voting. The committee then heard the sunset review for the Arizona Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners. The Auditor General reported that the board generally met licensing timelines but had documentation problems verifying fingerprint clearance cards or criminal history checks, and it failed to act promptly on a renewal application involving serious sex-trafficking-related charges. The board said it had accepted all recommendations, had implemented most of them, had moved to a new licensing platform, and had hired help to address rulemaking delays. Members asked about fingerprint verification and the handling of the serious criminal charges. The committee voted 16-0 to continue the board for four years until July 1, 2030, with statutory changes to improve its performance. Finally, the committee began the review of the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants. The Auditor General found the board had met some licensing and enforcement requirements but lacked adequate executive oversight, accountability, and tracking systems, and it had very high complaint-resolution delays. The report also criticized the board’s incentive pay structure, which paid all staff based on measures unrelated to complaint timeliness. The new executive director said the board had created formal investigative timelines, improved reporting, sought additional support staff, and was updating IT and incentive metrics; she also explained that the board is a shared agency with the Medical Board. The transcript ends during this presentation, before any vote on the physician assistant board is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• work and learn from them and their recommendations on ways to strengthen the profession and help address
• for people with disabilities, but also to elevate other potential policy solutions that can help address
• And so if you know folks in your field of work, in your community, who could qualify, please email us
• And happy to kind of share more information as we connect over email.
• There's a survey or email, especially if you have any accessibility issues.

Summary: The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities’ Long-Term Services and Supports and Health Equity Subcommittee met to hear a presentation from the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University. Monica Mitra introduced the institute’s work on disability health equity and long-term services and supports, and staff described several research centers focused on community living policy, disability and pregnancy, and parents with disabilities. The presentation emphasized participatory research, accessible dissemination, and the connection between health equity and access to home- and community-based services. Joe Caldwell discussed the Community Living Policy Center’s work on Medicaid HCBS, the direct care workforce crisis, housing, and policy advocacy, including efforts related to the Money Follows the Person program and the Medicaid access rule’s interested parties advisory group. Sid Pickern highlighted a workforce study interviewing direct care workers, a forthcoming policy brief on the access rule, and housing research including Massachusetts’ Alternative Housing Voucher Program. Teresa Nguyen described the Community Living Equity Center’s focus on disparities in community living for people of color, especially a study on self-direction and community living outcomes, and asked for help recruiting participants. Lauren Bixby demonstrated the community living data dashboard, which compares adults who need LTSS with those receiving Medicaid LTSS using ACS and TMSIS data. She explained that the dashboard can be filtered by state and demographics, but noted major race and ethnicity data gaps for Massachusetts and other states. Commissioners praised the dashboard and the institute’s work, asked questions about data sources and the 1115 waiver, and discussed possible connections to the Health Equity Compact. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with an invitation for follow-up, including a forthcoming direct care workforce brief and the institute’s October 28 lecture.