Transcript Highlights:

• Regarding staff turnover rates, on the next page, you will see we're actually down.
• your staff but to your recipients?
• If there's no more questions, we appreciate you and your staff and what you do every day.
• Again, this is a very efficient way to get staff out into the community... ...to get staff out in the
• The other half being their support staff, administrative personnel.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• about the urgent needs in their schools: funding for buildings, workforce, curriculum, and support staff
• in the classrooms, to ensure that we have stability for our students, especially our teachers and staff
• of color that's our teachers and staff of color that's what<00:10:58.360><c> reflects</c><00:10:58.760
• to come and figure is for District staff to come and figure out<00:16:26.600><c> how</c><00:16:26.680
• and their staff if it comes<00:21:38.120><c> down</c><00:21:38.400><c> to</c><00:21:38.679><c> saying

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• times a year in two-day online courses and is coordinated and documented by the State UCR program staff
• times a year in two-day online courses and is coordinated and documented by the State UCR program staff
• times a year in two-day online courses and is coordinated and documented by the State UCR program staff
• times a year in two-day online courses and is coordinated and documented by the State UCR program staff
• times a year in two-day online courses and is coordinated and documented by the State UCR program staff

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs met on its 3:15 p.m. reconsideration and hearing agenda. The committee first reconsidered SB 1379 on emergency preparedness and voted to pass it with amendments. The amendments would require HEMA to submit a report to the Legislature on a community readiness centers plan, including public and private sites, funding sources, partnerships, stakeholder coordination, and projected annual funding, due 20 days before the 2026 Legislature convenes. The committee also made technical and fiscal-related changes, including blanking out certain amounts in the bill and committee report while retaining recommended amounts there, and changing the effective date language. The committee then voted unanimously to adopt the amended recommendation. The committee heard SB 1364, which makes emergency appropriations for law enforcement personnel costs. The Department of Budget and Finance supported the bill but said the figures in oral testimony would be slightly higher than those in written testimony and that updated numbers would be emailed later in the week. Because the exact figures were not yet available, the chair deferred decision-making to February 7, 2025. The committee also heard SB 1451 on critical infrastructure, SB 1452 on the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, SB 1149 on hate crimes reporting, SB 1321 on the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, and SB 1341 on energy industry information reporting. For SB 1451, testimony was split, with support from state law enforcement and opposition from the Public First Law Center, which argued the information was already protected under existing law; the committee later adopted a motion to pass the bill with amendments, including a narrower definition of critical infrastructure information and a revised effective date. SB 1452 received support from law enforcement and prosecutors, with a requested cleanup amendment to correct a federal drug-name spelling issue; decision-making was postponed to allow the department to provide language. SB 1149 drew substantial testimony both for and against; supporters emphasized better hate-crime data collection and transparency, while opponents raised concerns about definitions and free speech. The committee adopted amendments and passed the bill, with the chair summarizing the move from the older UCR system to NIBRS and noting a public dashboard expected by September 30, 2025. SB 1321 was passed with amendments shortening the oversight coordinator term from four years to three years, though one senator voted with reservations in favor of a longer term. SB 1341 was passed as is after brief support testimony, and the committee adjourned after completing the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh<00:41:12.120><c> there</c><00:41:12.280><c> are</c><00:41:12.360><c> staff</c> Uh there are staff
• /c> the the totals include staff costs of a the the totals include staff costs of a new<00:41:16.080>
• Um and also costs five additional staff.
• I hope for the staff to make this run.
• Recommended by staff to change this, or counsel, I should say.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that going to go for staff as well as just incentives?
• What happens when an air district hires staff to implement the...
• Before I begin the testimony, I just want to thank the committee staff...
• I just want to thank the committee staff for the analysis on this bill.
• staff, and build their fire department and build more stations.

Committee: Senate Environmental Quality

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you require any accommodation, please speak with our sergeant staff.
• Um, we do have a couple new staff. I just wanted to identify here.
• They direct the staff in terms of how to develop the website and other communications that the board
• So, I really do want to take a minute to thank the staff for their work on the board as well.
• appreciate the staff of the campaign<00:21:25.679><c> finance</c><00:21:26.080><c> board.

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you to my colleagues who will be here shortly, staff, panelists, and members of the public who
• To be fair, the agencies lack the resources and the staff to be able to analyze the impact on housing
• CARB staff are currently working on the 2026 progress report and anticipate similar results.
• My staff are working for the public interest.
• And then lastly, just having the resources, the staff resources, to draft guidelines while continuing

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Regulatory Authority held its first hearing to examine how California’s regulatory framework affects housing production, affordability, and timelines. Chair Pacheco and Assemblymember Haney framed the discussion around the state’s housing shortage and the need to reduce costs while maintaining environmental, safety, and community protections. The first panel featured housing experts and industry representatives who argued that state regulations, code complexity, utility constraints, and agency review processes add substantial cost and delay to development. Bill Fulton described overlapping state and local land-use authorities and the tension among housing, coastal protection, climate, and wildfire goals. CBIA’s Chris Ochoa and California Apartment Association representative Bob Raymer said building codes, energy mandates, and agency processes have materially increased per-home costs, and they urged more centralized affordability analysis and greater scrutiny of regulatory impacts. The Bay Area Council’s Louis Marante called for a statewide cost target for housing and stronger timelines and accountability for state agency reviews. The second panel brought in state agencies to explain their roles. HCD said its housing element enforcement, streamlining laws, and technical assistance have helped increase production, shorten entitlement timelines, and improve compliance by local governments. CARB said SB 375 is a planning law that does not directly regulate land use, and argued that regional housing assumptions in sustainable communities strategies are not being fully implemented on the ground. The Coastal Commission said it works with local governments to balance coastal protection, sea-level-rise risk, and housing, and noted recent guidance and pilot efforts to streamline housing approvals in the coastal zone. The Energy Commission said its building energy standards are designed to be cost-effective and save consumers money over time, though they can add some design and documentation complexity. Fish and Wildlife and DTSC both emphasized early engagement and collaboration to reduce delays while protecting natural resources and public health; DTSC said it is refining vapor intrusion guidance and using brownfield grants to support redevelopment. The State Water Resources Control Board said it uses general orders and basin planning to provide predictable permitting while balancing water quality, water rights, and housing needs, and noted billions in grants and loans for water infrastructure and site remediation that can support housing affordability. In response to questions from Assemblymember Haney, several agencies described ongoing coordination across departments, including regular meetings among HCD, CARB, the Coastal Commission, and transportation agencies, as well as broader interagency efforts to reduce redundancies and identify pinch points in project delivery. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the hearing; the main outcome was informational testimony and discussion of possible future reforms to improve coordination, predictability, and affordability in state regulatory processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also want to take a moment to thank Tim and his staff, the 40+ people that make this job.
• As good as your staff is, Mr.
• Important bill, and I thank you for the hours and hours you and staff have invested so far.
• I want to thank Chair Burgess and his staff for working on this bill.
• , and the entire operations staff for keeping this train on the tracks as they always do.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If accommodation is needed, communicate with the sergeant staff.
• Thank you to the sergeant and armed staff who are present in helping maintain the quorum in the committee
• If accommodation is needed, communicate with the sergeant staff.
• Thank you to the sergeant and armed staff who are present in helping maintain the quorum in the committee
• </c><00:14:55.880><c> I'm</c> capital investment committee staff I'm capital investment committee staff

Committee: House Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:15:57.680><c> but</c> to have a superintendent on staff, but to have a superintendent on staff
• </c> consolidate resources to provide staff consolidate resources to provide staff more<00:29:12.399>
• Teachers and staff are offered contracts in April.
• Teachers and staff are offered contracts in April.
• ><c> contracts</c><00:38:38.720><c> in</c> and staff are offered contracts in and staff are offered contracts

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The sergeant staff do incredible things.
• To the health care staff, thank you.
• To the budget staff, Alicia, Mama Cheryl, and my former budget staff directors, Scarlett, Dawn, and Denise
• And I did check with staff on that as well as law enforcement.
• The union supported me and my staff during the pandemic.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of a quorum, then adopted the special order calendar for the day. The first major item was CS/SB 156, the Officer Jason Rayner Act, which revises laws on resisting officers and adds manslaughter of a law enforcement officer to offenses eligible for a life sentence reclassification. The sponsor said the bill was intended to honor Officer Jason Rayner and clarify that questions of fault belong in court; opponents argued it removed judicial discretion, could sweep in unintended cases, and was a broad response to a case-specific prosecutorial failure. After debate, the bill passed 108-8. The House then passed CS/SB 688 on naturopathic medicine, which creates a regulatory structure and licensure framework for naturopathic physicians, defines scope and limits of practice, and establishes a board under the Department of Health with medical doctor oversight. Supporters described it as a consumer protection and medical freedom measure; opponents called it an expansion of scope and criticized the low penalty for impersonating a naturopathic physician. The bill passed 85-22. The chamber also passed CS/CS/SB 1062 on speech and debate education, creating a Florida Speech and Debate Hall of Fame, a Florida Speech and Debate Week, and a statewide debate initiative, by a vote of 112-0. Additional measures approved included CS/CS/SB 1220 on transportation, which covers a wide range of issues including FDOT authority, airports and seaports, drone delivery, autonomous vehicles, toll revenues, and related regulatory changes; it passed 87-23. SB 962 on affordable housing, which clarifies that Live Local Act zoning preemption does not unintentionally capture working farms and farm operations, passed 109-2. CS/CS/SB 1580 on illegal gaming was introduced and explained as a crackdown on illegal slot machines and unregulated gaming arcades, with questions focused on VFWs, sweepstakes, fantasy sports, and the Seminole gaming compact, but the transcript ends before a final vote on that bill. The session also included several recognitions and lengthy farewell remarks from departing members, including Leader Driscoll and Majority Leader Sirois.

Transcript Highlights:

• with several members of the governor's staff, including the chief of staff, and they actually had the
• There may have been one in between. ...was with the governor and the chief of staff.
• So these are more either one-on-one, or the governor with her staff, or just me and the governor's staff—smaller
• These are more either one-on-one or the governor with her staff, or just me and the governor's staff—smaller
• In fact, I was joking with my staff.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Director Nominations held a confirmation hearing for John Connolly, the current Adjutant General and Director of the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA). Connolly described his background in the Army, National Guard, and military law, and outlined DEMA’s dual mission of supporting the Arizona National Guard and emergency management. He emphasized readiness, modernization of aging aircraft and facilities, growth in capabilities such as drones and electronic warfare, partnerships to restore helicopter training at Silver Bell, and stewardship of resources. He also discussed DEMA’s border-related missions, including Task Force Safe at Nogales, counter-drug operations, and use of artificial intelligence to monitor drone activity and build a common operating picture for law enforcement. Committee members questioned Connolly about his interview and vetting process, his role in emergency management, disaster response in Gila County, support for rural counties and tribes, and services for Guard members and families through the Integrated Resilience Operations Center. Several members pressed him on military discipline, lawful orders, classified information, and the distinction between war and hostilities. Senator Rogers focused on chain of command, combat readiness, and whether Connolly’s JAG background prepared him to lead a combat-oriented force; Connolly responded that his role is to provide ready forces, follow civilian authority, and ensure troops have training, equipment, and family support. He also said he had experience advising commanders and teaching lawful versus unlawful orders. A major point of contention came when members questioned Connolly about the 2021 COVID-19 vaccination mandate for the Guard and whether he had treated it as unlawful or unconstitutional. Connolly said it was a lawful order at the time and that exemption processes existed under the regulations. The hearing also turned to immigration enforcement, emergency powers, and whether the Guard should support ICE; Connolly said the Guard is a support function and would respond to a direct request through the governor, but he could not identify a specific scenario in the abstract. No vote or final action was taken during the hearing, and the committee appeared to continue its review after testimony and questioning.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's never fun when our staff are out on those roads.
• That way instead of always our staff on the road.
• And it's never fun when our staff are out on those roads.
• Even with our existing staff, people, you know, as your staff gets bigger, you lose more people because
• We have in the neighborhood of about 60 on staff right now.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Leadership Division of the Budget Section approved the prior meeting minutes and then received an update from Senator Jonathan Sickler on the Cash Management Board’s interim work under House Bill 1278. He said the board has reviewed state cash, investments, and liquidity across agencies and concluded the state’s overall mix of long-term and short-term assets is appropriate, with about $35 billion in total liquid assets and investments and roughly 89% in longer-term investments. He highlighted process improvements already underway, including replacing more than 500 six-month CDs with a special-rate savings account to reduce administrative work, and said the board sees opportunities to improve forecasting, automation, and statewide coordination. Members asked about whether the CD change would increase returns, how the Legacy Fund transfer for the homestead tax relief bill affected earnings, and whether more state cash could be consolidated or better managed through BND; Sickler and BND staff said those issues are being studied and may lead to legislation for the 2027 session. Representative Nathan Toman then updated the committee on the Task Force on Government Efficiency. He said the group has focused less on cutting dollars and more on defining metrics and asking how the legislature knows whether programs are working. The task force is pushing a standard set of questions for new or expanding programs—who is affected, expected outcomes, alternatives, how success will be measured, and full funding—and OMB has agreed to require those answers in future budget requests. Members discussed possible use of dashboards, program evaluators, AI tools, and possible rule or statutory changes to require performance measurement. Toman said the task force will continue meeting with agencies such as the courts, university system, auditor, HHS, Commerce, and ITD to identify workflow bottlenecks and potential efficiencies. Phil Davis of Job Service North Dakota gave a workforce update, reporting that North Dakota’s unemployment rate is 2.5% and labor force participation is about 68.7%, both well above national performance. He described Job Service’s 15 workforce programs, including H-2A housing inspections for foreign agricultural workers, the job placement partnership program with DOCR, WOTC, and other federal and state workforce efforts. Davis said the agency served more than 11,000 individuals in 2025, operates nine workforce centers, and tracks outcomes through quarterly and annual reporting. In response to questions, he said job openings data reflect only positions in the system and may understate actual hiring needs, that child care and other assistance programs could be better tied to employment outcomes, and that the DOCR partnership has shown strong results with lower recidivism and higher earnings. He also said the H-2A inspection workload is growing quickly and additional staffing or less frequent federal inspection requirements could help. Allen Knutson then presented S&P Global’s updated revenue forecast. He said oil prices have risen sharply since the prior month’s outlook, improving the state’s near-term revenue picture, though the economy remains volatile and agriculture is facing weaker commodity prices. Based on the updated forecast, total major tax revenues for the current biennium are projected to be about $89 million above the legislative forecast, and the next biennium could be about $500 million higher, though that estimate is preliminary and may change. He also walked through an alternate oil-price scenario showing significantly higher oil and gas collections and a larger Strategic Investment Fund balance if prices remain elevated. Members asked whether another forecast should be requested once oil markets stabilize and about tribal allocation changes in the alternative scenario; Knutson said additional updates are possible through OMB and future forecast cycles.

Transcript Highlights:

• First, I'll start with the staff, LAs, our media writers, our committee administrators.
• Well, first of all, I have to say our chief clerk, Patrick Murphy, all of the sergeant-at-arms staff
• Um<00:07:47.160><c> other</c><00:07:47.480><c> staff</c><00:07:48.480><c> um</c> Um other staff um Um
• other staff um well,<00:07:49.400><c> first</c><00:07:49.680><c> of</c><00:07:49.760><c> all,</c><00
• troopers staff people, our troopers it's<00:08:02.480><c> amazing</c><00:08:02.960><c> and</c><00:08

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So why don't we start with a briefing from staff?
• Madam Chair, members of the committee, Allison Mendiola, committee staff.
• CRC ratios, so are currently four staff to eight children with no less than three staff to eight children
• I want to extend deep gratitude to our staff who are here.
• I know we were down one staff person this session.

Summary: The Senate Human Services Committee met on February 25 and received staff briefings on three bills. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2253, the DCYF licensing bill, was described as affecting foster care licensing, crisis residential center staffing ratios, and child care licensing. Staff reviewed multiple proposed amendments, including changes related to immediate threats to children’s safety, substance use, subsidy fraud, reporting channels, and DUI-related ineligibility, as well as a Wilson striking amendment that would remove many of those floor changes. After caucus, the chair announced she would pull ESHB 2253 from executive action for further work over the interim, and no vote was taken on the bill. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2319, which renames certain residential habilitation centers, had one amendment to rename Yakima Valley School as the Yakima Valley Residential Habilitation Center. The committee adopted the amendment despite opposition from Senators Warnick and Christian, who said constituents in Yakima did not support the change. The bill then received a do-pass recommendation and was sent to Rules, with Senators Warnick and Christian voting no. House Bill 2464, concerning incident reporting by private detention facilities to the Department of Health and local law enforcement, was also considered. Senator Christian offered six amendments, including a JLARC study, public posting and legislative sharing of reports, expanded reporting requirements, food-safety consistency, and reimbursement for compliance costs; all six amendments failed. The committee then approved the bill on a do-pass recommendation and sent it to Rules, with Senator Christian opposing and Senator Orwall supporting the measure as a human-rights and safety bill. The chair closed the meeting after noting the committee had reached the policy cutoff and thanking staff for their work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Megan McFadden, staff for this committee.
• Megan McFadden, again, staff for this committee.
• Seeing no changes, staff will announce the vote. Seeing no changes, staff will announce the vote.
• I think the staff will call the roll, seeing no further discussion. Dolio?
• Seeing none, staff will announce the vote.

Bills: SB6013

Committee: House Environment & Energy

Keywords: ski areas, winter sports, terminology, recreation, economic development, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Megan McFadden, staff for this committee.
• Megan McFadden, again, staff for this committee.
• Seeing no changes, staff will announce the vote. Seeing no changes, staff will announce the vote.
• I think the staff will call the roll, seeing no further discussion. Doleo?
• Seeing none, staff will announce the vote.

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on SSB 6269, which updates the Motor Fuel Quality Act by removing the separate definition of alternative fuel and broadening the definition of motor fuel to include gaseous products and fuels used for transportation purposes. The Washington State Department of Agriculture testified that the change would let weights and measures staff test a wider range of fuels, including hydrogen and other clean fuels, and Douglas County PUD supported the bill as necessary to help regulate the state’s first hydrogen fueling station and future hydrogen infrastructure. A question clarified that the bill concerns the purity of the final hydrogen fuel product, not certification of the production process. The committee then received a briefing on three amendments to SB 5982, which expands Clean Energy Transformation Act coverage to additional entities. Amendment 170 would remove a requirement tied to affected market customers consuming the same or greater share of non-emitting and renewable electricity for the same end uses; Amendment 171 would exempt electricity used solely for emergency backup purposes; and Amendment 173 would similarly exempt backup generation using de minimis fossil fuels and related load from CETA compliance. Members discussed whether the amendments were needed to protect cogeneration facilities and emergency backup systems, while others argued they could weaken CETA’s clean-energy goals. In executive session, SB 6013 was reported out of committee with a do pass recommendation by a 21-0 voice vote. On SB 5982, Amendment 170 failed, Amendment 171 failed, and Amendment 173 passed. The committee then adopted the amendments into a striking amendment and voted 12-8 to report Substitute Senate Bill 5982 out of committee with a do pass as amended recommendation. Members supporting the bill said it levels the playing field and preserves exemptions for backup power and existing cogeneration, while opponents argued it could undermine CETA and allow continued fossil-fuel use or create loopholes.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can wear jeans, wear your Bronco gear, and that also applies to staff and nonpartisan staff.
• that<00:26:32.880><c> also</c><00:26:33.279><c> applies</c><00:26:34.159><c> to</c><00:26:34.480><c> staff
• </c><00:26:34.720><c> and</c> that also applies to staff and that also applies to staff and nonpartisan
• <00:26:35.760><c> staff.
• </c> nonpartisan staff. With that, Mr. nonpartisan staff. With that, Mr.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Gerry Pollet from the 46th, that includes North Seattle College and the most faculty, students, and staff
• And then we'll have staff introduce themselves. We'll start with Lily.
• For the record, Elizabeth Brenn, staff to the committee.
• Any questions for staff? Rep. Leavitt, tell us about your bill. Thank you, Mr.
• Any questions for staff? Rep Levitt, tell us about your bill. Thank you, Mr.

Bills: HB2088

Committee: House Postsecondary Education & Workforce

Keywords: nutritional health, dietetic professionals, licensure compact, interstate practice, healthcare regulation, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• at those programs people but also staff at those programs um<00:05:16.240><c> and</c><00:05:16.360><
• This DHS list is important because only support staff working under an official direct care staff service
• </c> that are considered Direct Care staff that are considered Direct Care staff services<01:02:42.000
• Care staff service an official Direct Care staff service can<01:02:51.480><c> assist</c><01:02:51.760
• </c> have a list of Direct Care staff have a list of Direct Care staff services<01:04:03.920><c> then

Committees: Senate Health and Human Services , Senate Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all