Transcript Highlights:

• As per standard practice, the operating budget usually has maintenance and operation funding for that
• Foundational Public Health Services were cut by $24 million in last year's operating budget, and the
• Reliable, stable foundational public health services funding allows public health to stay nimble when
• Health Homes is fully operational across Washington, with over 60 care coordination organizations working
• to public health.

Bills: SB5998

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Because of that, there's less funding available to cover health care costs in the Health Care Authority
• health.
• So this is mostly in the Health Authority Medical and the Department of Health itself.
• health is the number one priority.
• the health professions account.

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on the Senate operating budget proposal, beginning with a staff briefing from James Kettle. He described the budget as built on relatively flat revenue after multiple forecast updates, with substantial mandatory cost growth, especially in Health Care Authority, DSHS, and DCYF. He highlighted major policy-level additions and savings, including large tort liability costs, continued support for long-term services, reductions tied to child care and K-12 items, several assumed revenue bills, and major transfers from reserves and other accounts. Kettle also noted the four-year outlook remained positive overall, with about $1 billion ending fund balance in the final year and roughly $3 billion in total reserves. A committee member asked about a diagram showing the loss of federal funds, and staff said they would follow up. Public testimony then focused first on K-12 education, where school leaders, teachers, OSPI, PTA, and rural district representatives largely opposed the proposed cuts to local effort assistance, transition to kindergarten, bus depreciation, and related school funding items. Many argued the reductions would disproportionately harm rural and property-poor districts and weaken early learning access, while several students and educators spoke in favor of career and technical education and IT Academy funding. The committee also heard support for wildfire prevention funding from the Commissioner of Public Lands, who thanked the Senate for restoring those dollars but raised concerns about recreation program reductions. Higher education testimony was mixed but generally supportive of the Senate proposal compared with the governor’s budget. Community and technical college leaders warned that the budget still shifts compensation costs to tuition and reduces Running Start funding, while university representatives from Western, Eastern, Central, WSU, and UW thanked the committee for avoiding deeper cuts. Private vocational college students and administrators urged extension of Washington College Grant eligibility for students already enrolled, and others asked to preserve IT Academy and related certification funding. In early learning, child care and advocacy groups praised the decision not to cap Working Connections Child Care but warned that child care and transition to kindergarten still bear a disproportionate share of cuts; they also requested continued support for Dolly Parton Imagination Library and Pierce County early childhood programs, including Family Connects. The hearing continued with testimony on employee compensation, mental health, and human services. State employee and retiree groups supported the budget’s COLA and wildfire funding but objected to cuts in retiree health benefits. Behavioral health and public safety advocates supported mentoring, Trueblood-related funding, crisis stabilization, and the Recovery Navigator Program, while others opposed reductions to those programs and to community-based recovery services. In human services, witnesses thanked the committee for funding victim services, child welfare supports, health homes, adult day care, community health centers, energy assistance, and disability services, while urging the committee to avoid further reductions to skilled nursing, case management, and recovery navigation. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is to pay salaries and operational expenses for the division, including the operations at the state
• You're operating all over the state, aren't you? Yes, ma'am. We are operating all over the state.
• the operations program.
• No, it came from the Department of Health. It came from the Department of Health.
• The agency is requesting changes for two appropriations: their health operations paying account and the

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services will now come to order.
• This bill will provide crucial support for nurses considering a career in the operating room.
• This bill will provide crucial support for nurses considering a career in the operating room.
• , transfer, and discharge data available to the Florida Health Information Exchange Program.
• transfer and discharge data available to the Florida Health Information Exchange Program.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Summary: The Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee met to review and advance the Senate’s fiscal year 2025-26 budget proposal for the committee’s portfolio. The presentation highlighted a $1.8 billion increase over the current base budget, including full funding for Medicaid and KidCare, investments in IT modernization, Medicaid provider rate increases, mental health and substance use services, opioid treatment, foster care and guardian assistance, elder care, veterans’ services, cancer research, school nurse staffing, and other public health initiatives. The committee adopted a motion allowing technical adjustments and then approved the budget proposal to be reported to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The committee then heard and voted on several bills. SB 152 on surgical smoke protection required hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to adopt smoke evacuation policies; nurses testified in support, citing workplace and patient safety risks, and the bill was reported favorably. CS/SB 958 on early detection of type 1 diabetes required the Department of Health to provide educational materials to schools and, by amendment, early learning coalitions; it was also reported favorably. CS/CS/SB 170 on nursing home oversight added consumer satisfaction surveys, reporting requirements, quality incentive changes, and financial reporting penalties, with an amendment exempting state-operated homes and directing a study of best practices; it passed after questions about dementia, language access, and retaliation protections. CS/SB 738 modernized child care regulation by streamlining DCF processes and reducing obsolete requirements, and was reported favorably without opposition. The committee also approved CS/SB 1356 creating the Florida Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases at FSU and a Sunshine Genetics pilot to expand rare-disease screening and research, with support from members emphasizing early detection and data collection. SB 1370 separated ambulatory surgical centers into their own statute, with testimony that the change would better reflect the industry and help avoid burdensome regulation; it passed favorably. Finally, CS/CS/SB 1626 made a range of child welfare changes, including codifying DCF coordination with military installations, adjusting shelter certification, refining criminal-background exemptions, extending licensing compliance time, addressing room-and-board rate methodology, and clarifying missing-child procedures; after adopting three amendments and hearing both support and concerns, the bill was reported favorably. The committee also recorded a member’s affirmative vote on SB 958 before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• /c> win for our health and our health care win for our health and our health care practitioners,<00:09
• and health care for the future health and health care workforce,<00:09:12.000><c> and</c><00:09:12.160
• and health care generation of health and health care professionals<00:10:02.959><c> in</c><00:10:03.120
• and health care needs.
• and health care train future health and health care professionals.<00:13:09.200><c> All</c><00:13:09.440

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The programs currently operated at the Whitehall campus operate under a state-issued health care facility
• Additionally, facilities providing health care, mental health care, private or public, are subject to
• HHS operates and inhabits buildings that are owned and operated by the State Building Division administrator
• So, combined, slightly over $1 million in savings to not operate Whitehall, but some of those operating
• You have to have the program fully operational.

Committee: Unicameral Health and Human Services

Keywords: 956, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We operate the state-operated psychiatric hospitals throughout the state.
• We also operate the state-operated habilitation centers and some state-operated community programming
• University Health is operating those beds for us right now. They started that for us this year.
• No, so University Health operates a lot of residential beds in the community, and they would work for
• This is a maternal health access program operated out of the University of Missouri-Columbia College

Committee: House Budget

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Heavy health care users, that's uncertain.
• Health care claims are regularly used in health services research and policy analysis.
• They would rely on a mix from the California Health Data and Planning Fund, the Health Plan Improvement
• ICDV. 9 for Health Access California.
• SB 306 increases transparency in the prior authorization process by requiring health plans and health

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I’m Assistant Secretary for Environmental Public Health at the Washington State Department of Health.
• ’s health department or health requirements.
• I'm Assistant Secretary for Environmental Public Health at the Washington State Department of Health.
• health department or health requirements.
• We have a lot of fees at the Department of Health.

Bills: SB5816 , SB5971

Committee: Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, state regulation, market access, green fertilizer, low-carbon, sustainability, incentive program, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Will operate beyond the 10-year period.
• Now, how that is actually implemented by operators and where, that's an operator decision on whether
• Has anyone asked that pipeline operator what they need to continue operating long term to prevent a dire
• That we understand, look, we're here operating. Our members want to continue to operate here.
• So we're vigorously opposed to it continuing operation past this coming April. ...operation past this

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Assembly Committees on Utilities and Energy, Transportation, and Natural Resources focused on California’s transportation fuels sector, especially the state’s response to refinery closures and the broader transition away from fossil fuels. Opening remarks emphasized the tension between climate and air-quality goals, fuel affordability, refinery jobs and local tax bases, and the need to avoid crisis-driven responses as Phillips 66 and Valero consider shutting refineries in Wilmington and Benicia. Professor Emily Grubert framed the issue as a long-term managed transition in which the public already bears much of the risk and should also capture benefits from a well-planned shift. CARB Chair Leanne Randolph reviewed the state’s emissions and fuel policies, including AB 32, the low-carbon fuel standard, clean vehicle programs, and the at-berth regulation for ocean-going vessels. She said California’s transportation sector remains the largest source of greenhouse gases and a major source of smog-forming pollution, but that the state has made substantial progress and still needs to reduce demand for fossil fuels while maintaining compliance with federal air-quality standards. Randolph also said CARB’s recent LCFS amendments had not caused the predicted spike in gas prices and explained that compliance pathways for the at-berth rule include emissions-reduction technologies or payments into a remediation fund. CEC Vice Chair Gunda described declining gasoline demand, shrinking in-state refining capacity, and growing dependence on imports, arguing that the state is in a “mid-transition” period that requires both support for legacy infrastructure and continued investment in cleaner alternatives. He outlined the administration’s petroleum market stabilization proposal, which aims to return California crude production to 125 million barrels a year through four components: codifying the ban on fracking, validating the Kern County oil-and-gas permitting ordinance, creating a temporary CEQA exemption paired with a two-for-one plug-and-drill framework, and strengthening pipeline and spill-safety requirements. Department of Conservation Director Jennifer Lucasey said the proposal is intended to stabilize crude supply and pipeline throughput while preserving health and environmental protections, and noted that CalGEM would still review permits and enforce other requirements. Mayor Steve Young of Benicia testified that a Valero closure would significantly reduce city revenue and leave the community facing years of cleanup and redevelopment challenges. He said the city supports environmental protection but is worried about the economic hit, the possibility that Benicia becomes a fuel-import terminal, and the lack of local influence over refinery decisions. Members pressed the panel on the CEQA exemption, tribal and habitat review, disclosure of closure liabilities, fuel-demand projections, and whether the proposal should include more demand-side measures. No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and officials said some proposals, including a margin-cap pause and further transition planning, would be taken up later in the process.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Certification of Water System Operators. Certification of Water System Operators.
• in that field, and I've been an operator and distribution operator, so I know what happens and what
• </c> GM 782, John McComas, Statewide Health GM 782, John McComas, Statewide Health Coordinating<00:10
• Health Coordinating Council.
• Um, I have been committed and dedicated to health care in an effort to ensure that health care for those

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services met on April 15 to consider several gubernatorial nominations, with the chair reminding the public that written testimony had been reviewed and testimony time would be limited. The first nominee, James Landgraf (GM 528) for the Board of Certification of Public Water System Operators, was supported by the Department of Health and testified that his water-system experience would help ensure certification standards protect safe drinking water, including on Maui and the other islands. Committee members asked about his background and Maui water issues, and the chair later recommended advise and consent. The committee also heard GM 552 for Pina Lemosu to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, but Lemosu was absent due to illness. Daintry Bartoldus of the council testified in strong support, citing Lemosu’s lived experience, critical thinking, and advocacy on disability and employment issues. The committee deferred decision-making on this nomination until the next day. For GM 717, Annabelle Stone for the Language Access Advisory Council, testimony from Waipahu Safe Haven Immigrant Migrant Resource Center and Aloha Care emphasized her interpreter background, bilingual skills, and commitment to equitable access for limited-English-proficient residents. Stone said her public health and community experience would help the council, and the chair recommended advise and consent. The final nomination, GM 782, was John McComas for the Statewide Health Coordinating Council. Supporters including Jack Lewin and Aloha Care highlighted McComas’s long career in health care, including leadership at Aloha Care and work on expanding community health resources. McComas said he wanted to continue contributing to health care access statewide after retirement. The committee took no objections on the nominations it voted on and adopted the chair’s recommendations to advise and consent for GM 528, GM 717, and GM 782, while GM 552 was deferred.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, that's the one operated by Coös County Family Health. Okay.
• Uh, that's the one operated by Coös County Family Health. Okay. Senator Waters. Thank you, Mr.
• We also operate out of this bureau our FEP, our public health emergency preparedness and hospital preparedness
• We also operate out of this bureau our FEP, our public health emergency preparedness and hospital preparedness
• We also operate out of this bureau our FEP, our public health emergency preparedness and hospital preparedness

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's different on the behavioral health side versus a physical health side.
• health benefits for our employees.
• , higher education, K-12, and low-income health care and community behavioral health.
• Higher education is 1.17%, and low-income health care and community behavioral health is 2.83%.
• But the health care inflation or projected health care inflation is not included.

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative-Executive Committee on Budget Transparency and Fiscal Sustainability

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is sort of the operational strategy.
• The second is restore trust in public health.
• And then the final piece is centering health equity.
• So the Board of Health authorized a set fee schedule to cover the cost of operating the nursing home
• And we had a really reactive operational posture.

Committee: House Health and Human Services

Keywords: House Room C, General Assembly Building, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• substance use and public health services in the state for the Committee on Public Health.
• Services or for the Committee on Public Health.
• on Public Health.
• Health HB 2036 by Oliverson relating to the provision of behavioral health services under the Medicaid
• Health and Human Services.

Transcript Highlights:

• Through our health care trust, which we have operated since 1994, we have seen these pressures on our
• Hello, my name is Blair Rosso, vice president of pharmacy operations at CHAS Health, a community health
• health.
• Finally, there may be a cost to state-operated health care facilities, such as the UW medical facilities
• or the 24/7 facilities operated by DSHS, and to local health jurisdictions, all of which would be required

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:

• We provide health and housing to 25,000 people annually.
• Reliable, stable funding for public health allows public health to stay nimble when emergencies arise
• to our public health.
• The stakes for health care are high.
• Health Homes is fully operational across Washington with over 60 care coordinating organizations working

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee continued its public hearing on House Bill 2289, the fiscal biennial supplemental operating budget appropriations bill. The chair and vice chair explained the hearing process, limited testimony to one minute per person, and then heard extensive public comment from a wide range of advocates, local officials, service providers, and residents. No committee vote was taken during the hearing. Much of the testimony focused on opposition to proposed budget shifts involving Climate Commitment Act revenue, especially the proposed diversion of $569 million to other uses, including the Working Families Tax Credit. Environmental, public health, and local government witnesses argued those funds should remain dedicated to climate pollution reduction, wildfire resilience, clean transportation, natural climate solutions, and affordability programs. Several speakers also urged full funding for wildfire response and forest health, including the HB 1168 commitment, and opposed transfers from the Public Works Assistance Account. Other major topics included Medicaid and long-term care rates, with nursing home and assisted living providers warning that freezing or delaying rate rebasing would worsen staffing shortages and threaten access to care. Public health and health care advocates opposed cuts to foundational public health services, Apple Health expansion, and pharmacy benefit changes, while oral health advocates asked to preserve Medicaid dental funding and support Dentist Link. Testimony also supported or opposed funding for K-12 programs such as special education, the Ninth Grade Success Initiative, and homeless student stability; early learning and child care subsidies; disability services; public defense; housing and homelessness prevention; food assistance; higher education; and immigrant legal services. The committee concluded the hearing and adjourned after public testimony ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is the Environmental Health Fund, so it is tied specifically just to these operations.
• To adopting our operating budget. Seeing none, we've adopted our operating budget. And then, Mr.
• health providers.
• From Medicare, so it's in which is operated through the health care authority Medicaid managed Medicaid
• I mean, within the health care authority, we work with the behavioral health services division.

Transcript Highlights:

• Cohen Military Family Clinic and Behavioral Health Coordinator, demonstrating an unwavering commitment
• </c><00:19:37.880><c> coordinator</c> clinic and Behavioral Health coordinator clinic and Behavioral
• Health coordinator demonstrating<00:19:39.360><c> an</c><00:19:39.559><c> unwavering</c><00:19:40.120
• Resources are accessible Mental Health Resources are accessible to<00:20:18.600><c> those</c><00:20:
• </c> staging Squadron medical operations staging Squadron medical operations flight<00:20:33.760><c>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House was called to order with 47 members present. After the journal reading was deferred and there were no messages from the Governor or Senate communications, members offered several introductions recognizing visiting guests, including tourism and hospitality representatives, Kahakai Elementary School students and staff from Kona, a Portuguese delegation from the Luso American Development Foundation, and other constituents and aides. The chamber then moved to floor presentations. House Resolution No. 84 was presented, commending the United States Air Force Reserve Command 624th Aeromedical Staging Squadron Medical Operations Flight for humanitarian service providing mental health support after the Maui wildfires. Representative Perck moved adoption, Representative Cochran seconded, and the resolution was read into the record describing the unit’s work with state and nonprofit partners to distribute supplies and support survivors’ emotional recovery. The House adopted the resolution by voice vote, and the motion carried. Following the presentation, the House recessed briefly so members could congratulate the honorees. When the House returned, there were no resolutions for action, and announcements included the Women’s Legislative Caucus Easter basket drive, recognition of Hawaii Iron Workers Stabilization Fund visitors, birthday greetings, and a reminder that substantive resolutions were due by 6:00 p.m. The House then voted to keep the journal open until 6:00 p.m. for resolution introductions and adjourned into recess until 12:00 noon Monday.

Transcript Highlights:

• The programs currently operated at the Whitehall campus operate under a state-issued health care facility
• Additionally, facilities providing health care, mental health care, private or public, are subject to
• HHS operates and inhabits buildings that are owned and operated by the State Building Division administrator
• So combined, slightly over $1 million in savings to not operate Whitehall, but some of those operating
• You have to have the program fully operational.

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee held an invited-testimony hearing on LR 425, which examines the Whitehall campus in Lincoln and possible long-term options for youth currently served there. Chair Brian Hardin explained that Whitehall houses two separate programs for adolescent males: a substance use program and a youth-who-sexually-harm program. Testimony from DHHS officials described Whitehall as a Joint Commission-accredited psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) that provides about 40 hours of weekly programming, family involvement, school services, and community reintegration activities. Officials said the department is evaluating whether the programs should remain at Whitehall or move to another state-owned facility, with Hastings described as the department’s preferred alternative because it is more residential in design than a youth rehabilitation treatment center (YRTC).