Transcript Highlights:

• Um, ultimately helping to prevent a lab.
• Um, ultimately helping to prevent a backlog.<00:52:12.960><c> Um,</c><00:52:13.440><c> stakeholders</
• Through great cooperation between loss prevention, law enforcement, and prosecutors.
• and law enforcement have prevention and law enforcement have gotten<01:32:56.239><c> very</c><01:32:
• The task force provides education and prevention through training and outreach and has conducted more

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They believe it prevents a concentration of power in the legislature.
• Did this measure apply to these offices?
• And that's what public opinion research is: to measure that.
• But that is what they said, and that's just what we measure and then report.
• Just what we measure and then report. Does that kind of answer what you're looking at? Yes.

Summary: The Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Committee met with a quorum, approved the prior minutes, and then took up a draft bill to make legislators’ and candidates’ residential addresses confidential in public records. Legislative Council and the Secretary of State explained the proposal was prompted by security concerns and would protect residential addresses while still allowing election officials to verify residency and keep candidate names and offices public. Members raised concerns about unintended consequences, transparency, and how the change would affect rural districts and residency enforcement. The Secretary of State suggested an amendment to end the confidentiality when a candidate’s term ends, and the committee agreed to hold the bill over for further discussion at the next meeting. The committee also reviewed follow-up materials on legislator security and best practices, including advice on situational awareness, internet hygiene, varying routines, and reporting threats, along with NCSL materials comparing capitol security practices in other states. Members discussed a recent security incident and the need to keep alert contact information current, and staff said they would continue working with the Highway Patrol on legislative-specific notifications. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to Garrity Consulting’s final report on mitigating the effects of legislative term limits. The consultants summarized survey, focus group, and stakeholder input showing concerns about loss of institutional knowledge, leadership turnover, onboarding demands, and workload pressures, while also noting public support for term limits and annual sessions. Recommendations included considering annual sessions or shifting biennial sessions to even-numbered years, restructuring organizational session and interim committee work, creating office hours and more structured orientation and mentorship, expanding ongoing training and staff support, improving public communication and virtual testimony rules, and addressing barriers to service such as employer support and travel costs. Members discussed the tension between making the legislature more effective and preserving a citizen-legislature model, and the report was received as a roadmap for future implementation rather than immediate action.

Transcript Highlights:

• where you're over a pipeline, you had to put, you know, a bridge or sometimes boards, anything to prevent
• So some of the measures that we take for safety—I'm going to go into a little bit of detail on some of
• So we have protective measures around the pipelines, buffer zones for dredging activities.
• So we have protective measures around the pipelines, buffer zones for dredging activities.
• So the question also, part two, is: is there any temporary measures that we thought might could be done

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The board met at the State Capitol and approved the agenda and prior minutes after brief motions and no public comment. Executive Director Michael Hare then gave a CPRA implementation update, describing a large portfolio of active projects and highlighting several that are under construction, nearing bid, or recently awarded, including Port Fourchon shoreline protection, Caernarvon marsh creation, Schooner Bayou saltwater barrier rehabilitation, Cain Bayou marsh creation, West Shore river reintroduction work, Morganza to the Gulf, Raccoon Island restoration, Chenier-O-Tig ridge restoration, Bayou Pigeon and Dismal Swamp boat launches, Grand Bayou marsh creation, Highway 1 terracing, and several National Coastal Resilience Fund projects. He also noted the annual plan public meetings had concluded, with comments accepted through February 17, 2026, and answered board questions about the Rockefeller shoreline project, saying CPRA and the Corps were working through geotechnical and environmental issues and trying to move it forward. The board then received a joint presentation from CPRA and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on the White Lake Conservation Area and Management Plan. Speakers described White Lake as a 72,000-acre property in Vermilion Parish with major freshwater marsh, wildlife habitat, hunting and fishing opportunities, and aging infrastructure that currently operates on limited self-generated revenue. The plan, finalized in October 2025, focuses on habitat protection, maintaining wildlife, supporting revenue generation, expanding controlled public access, and strengthening partnerships. Proposed priorities include GIWW shoreline protection, Unit 2/Caddo levee stabilization, and north shoreline protection, with about $30 million secured for engineering and design and total costs estimated around $120 million to $130 million. Officials also discussed a possible lodge revitalization funded only with private dollars, broader landscape-level habitat management, conservation incentives for private landowners, and potential land acquisition for additional public access. Board members and agency leaders emphasized the importance of White Lake to waterfowl habitat and public recreation, and one member urged similar management attention for Sabine, Lacassine, and Cameron Prairie refuges. The final major presentation covered CPRA’s marsh creation design guidelines. Staff explained that marsh creation remains a major share of the coastal master plan and current project pipeline, and reviewed how projects are built using dredged sediment, containment dikes, and pipeline systems. They said the 2017 design guidelines were intended to standardize minimum design and construction practices, but are now being updated to reflect lessons learned, current survey standards, geotechnical practices, construction methods, and issues such as oil and gas infrastructure and land rights coordination. Board members asked about reducing unnecessary geotechnical costs, improving land-rights timing, considering unconfined marsh creation where appropriate, and accounting for why marsh areas are failing in the first place. Staff said they would consider those suggestions as part of the guideline update and then moved into a follow-up presentation on safety, access, and logistics for marine construction in the coastal zone.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your consideration and for the urgent and just measure.
• serving boston's children and her families thank you for your consideration and for the urgent and just measure
• Although flashing yellow lights and crash trucks are utilized, they're often not enough to prevent disaster

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Service

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service heard testimony on a wide range of retirement classification and benefit bills affecting municipal and state employees. Much of the hearing focused on proposals to move various workers from Group 1 to Group 2 or Group 4, including municipal building officials (H. 2776), MassDOT highway workers (H. 2908/Sousa’s Law), DCF attorneys (H. 2771), probation officers, licensed electricians, drinking water operators (H. 3000/S. 1834), MWRA non-clerical workers (S. 1803), transitional parole officers (H. 2878), Plymouth BCI criminal investigator officers (H. 2975/S. 1863), Beverly fire alarm operators/public safety telecommunicators (S. 1876), Massport pipefitters and refrigeration technicians (H. 2788/S. 1829), and other public safety or hazardous-duty classifications. Witnesses generally argued that their work is physically dangerous, understaffed, or comparable to already higher-classified employees, and several said the changes would help recruitment and retention with little fiscal impact because the affected groups are small. The committee also heard testimony on H. 4508, a home rule petition to grant a disability pension to Boston principal Patricia Lampron. Supporters, including Representative Dan Hunt, Boston city councilors, and Lampron herself, described a severe 2021 assault at the Henderson Inclusion School that left her with lasting physical and psychological injuries and forced her into early retirement. They urged the committee to advance the bill quickly. One witness, Pamela McLaughlin, testified in opposition, arguing the bill would set the wrong precedent and describing alleged prior misconduct by Lampron, and asked that the bill be sent to study. Several witnesses and committee members asked brief questions, mainly about the scope of the bills, whether certain workers were already in higher groups, and the fiscal or precedent concerns. No votes were taken during the hearing. At the end, the chairs announced that testimony was complete, asked whether anyone else wished to speak, and then the committee voted to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, is one of the best in the continent in preventing and regulating harmful plastic waste.
• Speaker, to speak on the measure from a microphone not my own. Proceed, gentlemen. Thank you, Mr.
• I highly encourage the body to support this measure. Thank you. Further discussion on the bill.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill takes a measured approach.
• to existing statute and, as such, will either require policy changes or bill language in order to prevent
• I mean, 4% is a good measure, a good guide, and just to give you some dollar figures on that one, 3.5%

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Priorities such as uplifting youth voices and substance abuse prevention.
• their evidence-based instruction, it's data-driven, it's solution-based, it's strategies that are measured
• for interventions and measured for success.

Bills: HF1966 , HF54 , HF2043 , HF1171 , HF2741

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: HF1966, Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs, STARS program, alternative education, alternative programs, education finance, general fund appropriation, student support services, career readiness, employment skills, academic skills, social skills, student conferences, training grants, Minnesota Department of Education, specialized education, at-risk students, nontraditional education, HF54, Silver Lake

Transcript Highlights:

• And by the way, I don't think also it's fair you measure the highest level.
• And from everybody I’ve talked to, there’s nothing that prevents us from doing that.
• I've learned that real success isn't measured by what you make.
• Weatherization and grid hardening directly prevent outages.
• The only way to know is through measurement and verification.

Summary: The Senate Business and Commerce Committee held its third interim hearing on Texas electric grid reliability and 765 kV transmission lines/private property rights. Chair Schwertner opened by noting record ERCOT summer demand of 91,089 MW and emphasized the committee’s focus on managing rapid load growth, ensuring adequate generation, and protecting homeowners, businesses, landowners, and ratepayers. The committee also adopted strict two-minute limits for public testimony and planned to hear invited witnesses first, then public testimony. PUC Chairman Thomas Gleeson, ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas, and OPUC Chief Counsel Benjamin Barclay testified on Senate Bill 6 implementation, large-load interconnection, transmission cost allocation, and market design. Gleeson said the PUC has adopted or is finalizing rules on net metering/co-location, large load interconnection standards, and a transmission cost recovery rule that would move from 4CP to 12CP, lengthen the interval to 30 minutes, and add a minimum demand charge to better allocate costs to large loads. Vegas explained ERCOT’s new batch process for large loads, saying it provides year-by-year capacity allocations, clearer financial obligations, and a transmission plan; he reported 205 GW eligible for Batch Zero, with 65 GW classified as baseload, 25 GW in an intermediate category, and 114 GW as allocated load. Barclay supported the changes as better protection for residential and small commercial customers, while warning that the minimum demand charge may need an exit-fee concept to address stranded costs if large loads leave. Members pressed witnesses on whether additional market changes are needed to attract dispatchable thermal generation and whether DRS/DRRS Plus could become a capacity-market substitute. Gleeson and Vegas said the current market still favors solar, batteries, and other low-variable-cost resources, and that more incentives may be needed for gas and other thermal generation; Gleeson said the commission’s reliability standard assessment will begin this year and conclude next year with a 2029 outlook. They described DRS as an ancillary service for intraday reliability and DRS Plus as a proposed real-time revenue mechanism for thermal resources during scarcity, not a forward capacity market. Senators also questioned whether 12CP could still be gamed, whether curtailment authority under SB 6 should be expanded from EEA 2 to earlier stages, and whether the batch process should be bifurcated so traditional industrial loads are handled differently from data centers. Witnesses said the batch process is intended to prevent speculative projects from driving transmission costs, that most large-load projects are data centers, and that future rules may need to better distinguish among types of large loads.

Transcript Highlights:

• But due to current litigation regarding this matter, there is injunctive relief that prevents us from
• And Madam Chair, the big portion of the funds in BCP are for preventing the fraud..." "...and all the
• Helping transition-aged youth is how we prevent chronically homeless adults.
• Helping transition-aged youth is how we prevent chronically homeless adults.
• It protects young people from trafficking and a life of preventable despair.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 5 held an informational hearing on the Governor’s May Revision proposals for labor, public safety/judiciary, and transportation, and no votes were taken. In Part A on labor, the Employment Development Department described funding for EDD Next document management work, updated UI loan interest costs, disability insurance and paid family leave benefit increases, WIOA adjustments, UI and school employee benefit changes, an EMT training reappropriation, and a technical correction tied to an EDD Next reversion. PERB discussed reduced funding requests for AB 288 due to litigation and a proposal to implement AB 1 covering legislative employees. DIR presented proposals for legal unit reclassifications, two major IT modernization projects, a new Cal/OSHA emerging technologies unit, a COIA reappropriation, and trailer bill language requiring electronic payment of employer assessments and removing a salary cap for the DWC administrative director. CalHR proposed consolidating employee assistance services into a statewide contract with enhanced support for first responders, and CalPERS and CalSTRS presented budget adjustments tied to investment costs, state contributions, and benefit overpayments. Members focused heavily on the unemployment insurance debt and interest payments, asking why the administration had no concrete plan to pay down principal. Finance and LAO explained that the state’s UI tax structure has long been insufficient and that any long-term solution would need to address both the outstanding federal loan and the structural imbalance in employer taxes. Questions also centered on EDD Next costs and timelines, with the chair asking for clearer long-term project cost estimates and Finance noting that future maintenance and operations costs will continue after implementation. On DIR’s emerging technologies unit, members asked whether it would address AI-driven workplace harms; DIR said the unit would focus on physical workplace safety issues involving AI, robotics, autonomous equipment, and related guardrails, while LAO noted broader labor-practice questions would likely fall outside Cal/OSHA’s scope. In the CalPERS discussion, members raised concerns about transparency in private equity and external management fees, while CalPERS said higher fees reflect a strategy of greater private-market and active-management exposure and are offset by higher net returns. Members urged more information on specific investments and future reporting. For CalSTRS, Finance presented routine contribution and overpayment adjustments, but members also raised broader transparency concerns that CalSTRS staff said they would follow up on separately. Public comment in Part A was dominated by strong support for an immigrant worker emergency relief fund, along with support for apprenticeship and workforce proposals and PERB staffing. The chair and members said they would follow up on where the immigrant relief proposal should be considered, noting it may belong in another policy area. The hearing then moved into Part B with an overview of Judicial Branch-related May Revision items, including court interpreter funding, appellate court security, workload cap changes, lactation room implementation delays, and a reduction to the state court facility construction backfill.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's simply a transparency measure, and it also requires that there just be a report of how these funds
• It's simply a transparency measure.
• Um, I don't think that this is going to be a measure that's going to, you know, require an extensive
• I don't know why we were prevented from, why I was asked not to get a fiscal note last year.
• </c><01:37:05.840><c> from</c> don't know why we were prevented from don't know why we were prevented

Committee: Joint Public Health and Welfare

Keywords: Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 3 March, 2026; 3:00 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're just reviewing the online testimony as well, and we have a ton in support of this measure.
• In the distilled business, we have to measure and sell everything by the milliliters, but the state of
• Is there any contract or law in place that prevents them from doing that?
• This is a measured, regulated way to ensure Missouri-made products have a reliable path to Missouri consumers
• They measured, regulated way to ensure Missouri-made products have a reliable path to Missouri consumers

Committee: House Commerce

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• any new form of governance that will be at the will of the people, and it will go through a ballot measure
• I just gave you two ballot measures that were overwhelmingly passed.
• You tell me, when's the last time you saw over 80% and 90% approval on any ballot measure?
• These were two ballot measures where voters came out overwhelmingly in support of change.
• Is there anything preventing voters from putting, like, a county charter rewrite on the ballot or, you

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that's why these ballot measures are very vague.
• We would be grateful for any measures which move the needle to push back. teach Palestine curriculum
• We would be grateful for any measures which move the needle to push back. ...feels uncomfortable.
• We would be grateful for any measures which move the needle to push back this problem of hate in our
• to be liable under this bill, you see that they have to engage in activities that would actually prevent

Committee: Senate Senate Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee approved the March 11, 2026 minutes and then heard several education bills. HCR 2015, which supports efforts for students to receive at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity and for schools to display dietary guidelines, drew strong support from advocates for recess, student health, and physical education, and passed 6-0 with one not voting. HB 2040, requiring adoption-related information when school employees discuss contraception or STI testing and adding adoption content to sex education curricula, drew opposition from Reproductive Freedom for All and the Arizona Education Association, but was still given a due pass recommendation 4-2. HB 2255, extending Arizona Teachers Academy eligibility for community college students from two to four academic years, passed unanimously with a due pass recommendation. HB 2764, creating a state seal of computer science proficiency for high school graduates, also passed unanimously after support from the Arizona Technology Council. The committee then considered HB 2600, which would require written parental permission for students in grades 6-8 to join school clubs or organizations. The ACLU of Arizona opposed it, arguing it could suppress participation in clubs involving sensitive identities such as LGBTQ, religious, or cultural groups; the bill received a due pass recommendation 4-2. HB 2379 would require school district governing board members to complete finance and governance training, with an amendment narrowing the requirement to newly elected or appointed members and adjusting reporting; the Arizona Association of County School Superintendents supported it, while the Arizona School Board Association opposed parts of it, and the amended bill passed 4-2. HB 2142 would create a School Safety Center and School Safety Council within ADE to provide training, technical assistance, and risk assessments; supporters said it would help schools, especially smaller and rural districts, while opponents raised concerns about funding and council composition, and it passed 4-2. Later, HB 4033, which would require more detailed school bond election pamphlets and separate ballot propositions for certain large or specialized projects, was supported as a transparency measure by the sponsor but opposed by education groups that warned it could make it harder for districts to fund facilities; it passed 4-2. HB 2482, limiting job order contracting on building renewal grant projects to $1 million and requiring verification against artificial splitting of projects, drew concerns from builders and school board groups about delaying repairs and limiting procurement flexibility, but the sponsor said it was needed to improve competition and transparency; it passed 4-2. Finally, HB 2575, the Anti-Semitism and Education Act, would prohibit public schools and higher education institutions from teaching or promoting anti-Semitism and set up reporting and discipline procedures; the sponsor said it was needed to protect students, while the ACLU and Arizona Education Association warned it could chill speech and expose educators to legal risk. The transcript cuts off during testimony on that bill, and no final committee vote is shown in the provided text.

Transcript Highlights:

• state, or any of its agencies from implementing any regulation imposing urban growth boundaries that prevent
• Madam Chair and members, House Bill 4100 is an emergency measure that requires a municipal provider,
• I think that's what I'm seeing, that it's creating an emergency measure for the cities and towns.
• I did not realize this was an emergency measure.
• I'd like to see maybe something else come forth that is not an emergency measure and make the voters

Committee: House House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard and took action on several water, energy, housing, and natural resources measures. House Bill 2099, as amended, was advanced on a 6-3 vote after testimony from water utilities, CAP, ADWR, Phoenix, and agricultural interests about long-term storage credits, Colorado River shortages, and the need to preserve flexibility in underground storage. House Bill 2263, also amended, passed 6-3 despite concerns from CAP, Colorado River Indian Tribes, and others that it would restrict where Colorado River replenishment water could be stored and reduce operational flexibility. House Bill 2264, requiring the University of Arizona to promote Arizona history and the five Cs through the mining museum effort, passed 9-0. House Bills 2330 and 2341, both relating to power plant and transmission line siting criteria, passed 6-3 after the sponsor argued they would better account for an area’s character and for speculative projects lacking known off-takers. House Bill 2918, ending certain tax breaks for renewable energy and storage equipment after 2026, passed 6-3. House Bill 2889, appropriating $1 million for uranium contamination monitoring and a statewide registry, passed 9-0 after discussion of tribal health impacts and possible amendment to shift implementation to ADEQ. House Concurrent Resolution 2057 supporting geothermal permitting reform passed 9-0, and House Concurrent Resolution 2020 supporting certain housing developments outside designated provider service areas passed 6-2. The committee also heard House Bill 2843 on portable plug-in solar devices, with the sponsor and supporters arguing it would lower bills and expand access for renters and apartment dwellers. Electric co-ops and utilities raised safety, backfeed, inspection, and liability concerns, and the chair held the bill for further work rather than taking a vote. House Bill 2782, dealing with utility rate transparency and regulatory assets, drew testimony from the sponsor and constituents about alleged double-charging in Santan Valley; after a motion to suspend committee rules to consider a late amendment, the amended bill passed 5-3. House Bill 4025, creating a study committee on gasoline and petroleum refineries, passed 6-3 after the sponsor argued Arizona relies heavily on imported gasoline. House Bill 2912, requiring integrated resource plans and independent review for electric utilities, passed 6-2 after amendment. Finally, House Bill 4100, requiring notice to customers about potential rate impacts if CAP water is lost, drew opposition from municipal and private water providers who said the required estimates would be speculative and could not be prepared by the deadline; the bill was discussed with an amendment expanding its scope, but the transcript ends before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair and members, House Bill 4100 is an emergency measure that requires a municipal provider,
• What is it that you have the issue with that this is an emergency measure?
• I think that's what I'm seeing, that it's creating an emergency measure for the cities and towns.
• I did not realize this was an emergency measure.
• I'd like to see maybe something else come forth that does not, is not an emergency measure, and make

Bills: HB2099 , HB2263 , HB2264 , HB2330 , HB2341 , HB2492 , HB2757 , HB2782 , HB2843 , HB2889 , HB2912 , HB2915 , HB2918 , HB4025 , HB4100 , HCR2020 , HCR2057

Committee: House Natural Resources, Energy & Water

Keywords: water storage, long-term storage credits, groundwater management, drought contingency, Arizona water regulations, Colorado River, replenishment, groundwater savings facility, groundwater storage, underground water storage, active management area, irrigation non-expansion area, Arizona water law, water rights, water replenishment, recharge, water conservation district, multi-county water conservation district, CAP water, Central Arizona Project

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:42:54.720><c> approach</c> and and would be a measured approach and and would be a measured approach
• </c> into it in a little bit more measured into it in a little bit more measured approach<01:21:01.840
• Public confidence and measurable way.
• In the risk without measurable gain.
• </c> check your odometer with a tape measure check your odometer with a tape measure or<01:37:28.159>

Bills: HB0022 , HB0052 , HB0076

Committee: Senate Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions

Keywords: municipal officers, recall election, petition requirements, local governance, voter participation, elections, hand counting, recounts, vote auditing, Wyoming legislature, electoral process, annexation, landowner rights, municipal law, city planning, property, local government, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm pleased to author SB 1237, a priority measure for the Legislative Women's Caucus that is sponsored
• This is an affordability issue, a transparency issue, and a preventable source of conflict.
• It doesn't prevent counseling of individuals going through a gender transition or a detransition.
• It doesn't prevent counseling of individuals going through a gender transition or a detransition.
• The bill does not prevent the litigation by any means.

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Unlike type 2 diabetes, it is not caused by lifestyle factors and cannot be prevented.
• Unlike type 2 diabetes, it is not caused by lifestyle factors and cannot be prevented.
• Through this bill, I believe this lack of awareness could be mitigated, preventing many from having a
• </c><00:52:23.200><c> overall</c> have a consistent and measurable overall have a consistent and measurable
• We need clear bullying prevention.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 102, which would make informational materials about type 1 diabetes available on the Department of Education website. Senator Ward said the bill is intended to help parents, teachers, and school staff recognize early symptoms such as thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, and weight loss so children can be referred for care before they develop diabetic ketoacidosis. He noted that a newer blood test can identify some children at risk earlier than in the past. Members asked how people would be directed to the website, and Ward said the information would be posted online and also distributed in handouts, with school personnel helping spread awareness. He emphasized the bill is informational only and not a diagnostic or treatment tool. Several supporters testified in favor, including representatives from the Dartmouth Diabetes Link and students with type 1 diabetes who described delayed diagnoses, emergency hospitalizations, and the difficulty of having symptoms misunderstood as stress, athletics, or normal teenage changes. They said the bill could help parents, teachers, and peers recognize warning signs earlier and reduce the risk of life-threatening ketoacidosis. One witness noted that New Hampshire ranks high in childhood type 1 diabetes, and another said even a single person seeing the information could make a difference. A retired diabetes educator and state representative also testified in support. The hearing on SB 102 was then closed. The committee then opened the hearing on Senate Bill 211, which would require school sports teams to be designated as male, female, or co-ed, bar biological males from female-designated teams and locker rooms, and create a cause of action for violations. Senator Avard said the bill responds to constituent concerns and is meant to protect fairness, safety, and privacy for biological females. In questioning, he said girls could still play on boys’ teams, but boys could not play on girls’ teams, and he said he would be open to changes. Opponents, including an attorney from LGBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, argued the bill is substantially the same as a law passed the previous year that was already challenged in federal court and found likely unconstitutional under equal protection and Title IX; they urged the committee to mark it inexpedient to legislate. The transcript cuts off before any committee vote or further action on SB 211.

Transcript Highlights:

• tasks, we also use performance measures.
• Those performance measures tell us how we're handling our workload as a whole.
• So the measures we have in place show that we are overall doing a good job.
• So if we can't measure the effectiveness in a program, it deserves some scrutiny.
• So we're wanting them to say, how are we measuring success?

Summary: The task force reviewed survey results from state agencies on potential statutory revisions, with Levi reporting 70 proposals from 20 agencies and noting that about 33 might become agency pre-file bills. Members discussed the need to share the survey more broadly within higher education and to better coordinate issues involving IT and other cross-agency functions. The task force then heard from the Office of Management and Budget on three topics: concessions, architect/engineering pre-qualification, and legal notices. OMB said the concessions law is outdated and inconsistent with current practice, and suggested a collaborative rewrite to allow best-value evaluation, raise the threshold, and standardize solicitation templates. On architect/engineering pre-qualification, OMB proposed expanding authority beyond current state-agency limits and creating uniform templates. On legal notices, OMB proposed modernizing publication requirements, exploring online and abbreviated notices, and working with newspapers and other stakeholders on technology and accessibility improvements. Members asked about where concession revenues go, whether political subdivisions must follow the same rules, and how to move from discussion to action. The task force agreed to have OMB work with Legislative Council and affected stakeholders to develop bill drafts, and the motion passed unanimously. The University of North Dakota then presented a series of proposed revisions focused on public buildings and procurement. UND asked to rework the definition of construction so routine maintenance and one-for-one replacements over $250,000 would not automatically trigger public-improvement requirements, suggested raising the threshold to $500,000, and asked for more flexibility based on project complexity and risk. UND also proposed changes to public bid advertisements to reflect electronic bidding, revisions to construction manager-at-risk selection criteria, changes to architect/engineer procurement rules, an increase in the direct-hire design threshold, and a higher legislative-consent threshold for privately funded projects. The task force supported having UND work with counsel and OMB to develop bill drafts, and that motion also passed. The Department of Public Instruction concluded with proposed cleanup to credentialing and education statutes. DPI recommended reviewing its credential categories for relevance, possibly transferring credentialing authority to the Education Standards and Practices Board, removing outdated school safety patrol language, clarifying waiver provisions, and updating dyslexia screening reporting requirements so the statute reflects current practice. Members focused mainly on whether the dyslexia reporting requirement should remain, and DPI said the screening itself would continue even if reporting language were revised. No votes were taken on DPI’s suggestions, and the task force recessed after the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• and then also identification of IBR's recommended design options, as well as updated mitigation measures
• all that of my community, is going to be more costly and more alarming than if we take a step to prevent
• And recent... ...than if we take a step to prevent.
• So I hope that you'll put a flag on that and consider prevention before crisis management.
• We also had people go out and drive the routes to measure travel time, supplemented by some other available

Committee: Joint Joint Oregon-Washington Legislative Action Committee

Summary: The Joint Committee on Interstate 5 Bridge met remotely with Washington legislative members to receive updates on the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, including environmental review, cost and funding, tolling, and procurement for construction. Program staff said the final supplemental environmental impact statement was published in April 2026, with a federal record of decision expected in early summer. They described the recommended design as a single-level fixed-span bridge, centered I-5 alignment, C Street ramps, one auxiliary lane in each direction, and dispersed park-and-ride parking. Members raised concerns about transparency, the closed chat function, and the decision not to include two auxiliary lanes; staff said the one-lane option was recommended through consultation with partner agencies and analysis, but the final decision would come with the record of decision. Staff also said the diversion analysis projected less than 3% traffic diversion to I-205 in 2045, though members from Oregon and Washington expressed concern about impacts to their communities and asked for more detail on mitigation and decision-making. The committee also reviewed a major cost update. Staff said the full five-mile program is now estimated at $13.5 billion to $15.2 billion, with a likely cost of $14.4 billion, up from a 2022 estimate of $5 billion to $7.5 billion, citing inflation, schedule delays, scope changes, and more detailed risk modeling. They said the first funded phase has been reduced to a $5.68 billion package focused on the Columbia River bridge replacement, connections to I-5, Hayden Island and SR-14, bridge demolition, tolling infrastructure, and advancing light rail design. Funding for that phase was described as $5.69 billion, including $2.1 billion federal funds, $1 billion from each state, and $1.5 billion in projected toll revenue. Members asked what would happen if costs rise further; staff said the estimate includes substantial contingency, the project will use progressive design-build to manage risk, and the team will continue updating the finance plan annually. A separate tolling and traffic-revenue presentation explained that four toll scenarios were analyzed using regional travel demand modeling, a toll diversion model, and a post-processing review. All scenarios assume pre-completion tolling beginning July 1, 2028, a 50% low-income discount for eligible users, and exemptions for tribal preemptions, emergency vehicles, maintenance vehicles, and organized militia. Staff said the low-income discount would affect about 4% to 6% of annual transactions and reduce annual revenues by roughly 2% to 3%. They said Scenario 2 was used for the financial analysis and is sufficient to support the $1.5 billion toll contribution in the funded phase. Members asked about toll collection costs, revenue impacts of the discount, and how the scenarios differed; staff said collection costs are expected to be in line with other WSDOT toll facilities, but exact costs are not yet set because toll rates are not final. Finally, WSDOT staff outlined procurement and delivery steps for construction. They said WSDOT will be the lead contracting agency, using progressive design-build, with a request for qualifications targeted for early July 2026, a request for proposals in October, contractor selection in April 2027, construction starting in 2028, and tolling beginning in 2028. Staff said the approach is intended to consolidate scope, reduce interface risk, and allow transparent negotiation with an independent cost estimator, while preserving an off-ramp if a fair price cannot be reached. Members asked for more detail on timing, cost allocation, and the share of the first phase funded by tolls; staff estimated tolls account for about 26% of the first phase cost.