Transcript Highlights:

• President, the Committee on Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency, under consideration of House
• I move the following amendment to House Bill 2875, as amended by the Regulatory Affairs and Government
• I move the following amendment to House Bill 2875, as amended by the Regulatory Affairs and Government
• Seeing none, the question before you is the adoption of the Regulatory Affairs Committee amendment to
• House Bill 2126, amending Title 12, Chapter 7, Article 1, Section 12, relating to change of venue.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It would be happy to provide model language for the needed changes. Thank you.
• This report will show regulatory licensing system project requests among the priority rankings.
• How has it changed? I think 2017 is the date, around the same time we also created that.
• We'll get the regulatory... ...or something to show.
• We'll get the regulatory system working faster for you.

Keywords: 907, all

Summary: The committee held a series of informational briefings on information management and technology issues. It first heard from ACLU representatives on data privacy, who argued that Oregon should strengthen protections against private data brokers, government purchases of personal data, reverse warrants, automatic license plate readers, and local police surveillance. They urged data minimization, limits on data sales and retention, and broader transparency and accountability measures. Members asked about practical uses of license plate readers, state sales of data, and how Oregon’s approach compares with other states; the presenters said similar proposals have been adopted elsewhere, including data minimization in Maryland and a state version of the Fourth Amendment Is Not for Sale Act in Montana. The committee then received a detailed update from the Department of Administrative Services and Enterprise Information Services on licensing system modernization for 14 boards and commissions with the most immediate need. DAS said it is seeking a shared procurement approach through an RFP that would create either one scalable system or two tiers of systems, depending on agency needs and security requirements, with contracts expected by September. Committee members emphasized the need for a more unified, user-friendly statewide login and service experience for businesses and residents, and raised concerns about small agencies “figuring it out on their own” without sufficient cybersecurity or technical expertise. EIS said it is overseeing the investment review, security and architecture review, and future implementation planning, and noted that multiple agency requests may still come back to the legislature in the next session. The committee also discussed a revised cybersecurity incident notification concept. Staff explained that the earlier bill had raised stakeholder concerns, so the co-chairs directed further interim work with the Oregon Cybersecurity Advisory Council and other local government and K-12 stakeholders. The goal is a narrower, voluntary “911-style” notification process that would let public bodies alert peers and potentially receive assistance after cyber incidents; a temporary voluntary process is being tested now, with a work group developing language for possible 2027 consideration. Finally, the committee heard updates from the new state chief data officer on data governance, data sharing, geospatial work, and the state transparency website, followed by a briefing on data centers from NCSL and the Technology Association of Oregon. The data officer described efforts to expand data inventories, data governance plans, data literacy, and interagency sharing, along with statewide aerial imagery, geospatial standards, and the open data portal. The data center discussion focused on national and state trends, including rapid growth in data centers, rising electricity and water demand, and legislative responses such as new rate classes, reporting requirements, and cost-allocation rules to protect ratepayers. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the market's changed. It's been over 100 years under this regulatory regime.
• We have technologies changing. We have technologies changing.
• It’s designed to accommodate change in policy, change in dynamics, and change in needs.
• 24:00.400> change in policy, change and dynamics, change in policy, change and dynamics, change
• Um a lot's changed since then. So you. Um a lot's changed since then.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee held an informational briefing on the Public Utilities Commission’s performance-based regulation (PBR) framework and the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ whistleblower complaint process. Chair Jared Kohole opened the meeting, noted it was informational only with no public testimony, and explained that members would hear presentations and then have an opportunity for questions. The committee heard first from Ulupono Initiative, which provided background on why utilities are regulated, how Hawaii’s cost-of-service model and rate cases work, and why PBR was adopted to shift utility incentives away from a capital-investment bias and toward performance, efficiency, cost control, and policy goals such as renewable energy and reliability. Ulupono described Hawaii’s PBR structure as a five-year multi-year rate plan with annual revenue adjustments, a customer dividend, a Z factor for extraordinary exogenous events, and an exceptional project recovery mechanism for large projects. It also outlined performance incentive mechanisms tied to renewable portfolio standard progress, interconnection speed, reliability, and shared savings. The presentation said the current docket is evaluating a possible hybrid approach that would combine forward-looking forecasting with historical results, and Ulupono advocated for stronger incentives, arguing the current rewards are too small relative to utility revenues and should be more meaningful to better align utility behavior with legislative intent. The PUC then presented its own overview, emphasizing that the PBR docket is open and active and that the briefing was limited to the record to avoid ex parte concerns. The commission described the development of PBR in Hawaii through multiple phases beginning in 2018: an initial collaborative phase to set goals, a formal contested-case phase that produced the initial framework, later phases adding scorecards, reported metrics, and additional performance incentive mechanisms, and subsequent refinements including sunset of some mechanisms and adjustments after the August 2023 Maui wildfires. The PUC said the framework is intended to be customer-centric, administratively efficient, and protective of utility financial integrity, and that current work includes evaluating how to balance forward-looking and historical test-year approaches within the rebasing process. No votes or formal actions were taken at the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Regulatory compliance, such as OSHA.
• Nothing changed while everything increased.
• So I think that if nothing's going to change, Nothing's going to change.
• So I think that if nothing's going to change, nothing's going to change.
• Has that changed yet? What can we do to change that? That's what we're trying to do. Yeah, I know.

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Assembly Committees on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact and Agriculture, held at Fresno State, focused on cost pressures in California’s food system, household affordability, and the Central Valley’s role in agriculture. Opening remarks emphasized Fresno State’s regional importance, the Central Valley’s outsized contribution to food production, and the connection between agricultural health, food security, and the broader economy. Members also noted the impact of the federal shutdown on CalFresh benefits and the state’s efforts to respond with food assistance funding and National Guard support for food banks. The first panel featured academic and policy experts who described agriculture’s economic importance in the San Joaquin Valley and the rising pressures on farms and households. Dr. Conduro highlighted agriculture’s large share of regional GDP, farm receipts, jobs, exports, and food manufacturing, while identifying water scarcity, SGMA-related land fallowing, labor shortages and rising labor costs, market volatility, invasive pests, and production cost inflation as major barriers. Caroline Danielson of PPIC said food prices remain about 30% above 2019 levels, food insecurity affects about 1.8 million California households, and nutrition programs such as CalFresh, WIC, and school meals are essential in reducing poverty, especially in the Central Valley. Susie Pryor of the Central California Small Business Development Center described technical assistance, capital access, and training for small food and farm businesses, while warning that reduced funding limits support for rural and immigrant entrepreneurs. The second panel brought testimony from a small produce business owner, a food entrepreneur, and the Fresno County Farm Bureau. They said input costs for fertilizer, fuel, irrigation, labor, land leases, and compliance have risen sharply while commodity prices have remained flat or fallen, squeezing small farms and food businesses. Panelists stressed the need for small-batch processing facilities, local supply chains, education on food manufacturing compliance, land access for small farmers, and more pathways into agriculture through trade programs, community colleges, and FFA. Ryan Jacobson said California agriculture is facing a prolonged downturn, with farm bankruptcies, weak commodity prices, export-market uncertainty, water reliability problems, and costly ag-burning rules all contributing to financial strain. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken; the hearing was informational and concluded with discussion of possible policy solutions and continued engagement with stakeholders.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're kind of an economic regulatory They're kind of an economic regulatory of<00:48:01.119>
• There's mature regulatory mature.
• One, the first category being regulatory changes that we believe need to be changed in order to allow
• I think the the regulatory of it.
• regulatory for Wyoming and South Dakota. regulatory for Wyoming and South Dakota.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is our responsibility to make sure bills we pass are implemented properly so we can make changes if
• Surprisingly, the regulatory plans that we have received, all 64 of them, have included this.
• Upon completion of its review, the agency has four options: make no change, make a technical change,
• make a substantive change, or repeal the rule.
• An agency's decision to make no change or only technical changes are not subject to challenge by the

Summary: The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability met for its first meeting of the session, took roll, and heard a presentation from Ken Plant of the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee on SB 108, the 2025 law overhauling Florida rulemaking. The presentation focused on new deadlines for agencies to begin and publish rules, limits on automatic sunset provisions, changes to emergency rule procedures, expanded public input on statements of estimated regulatory costs, a five-year review cycle for existing rules, and new licensing-reporting requirements. Members asked about the review timeline and emphasized the need to keep agencies accountable for meeting the new requirements. The committee then reviewed the Department of Management Services’ response to Auditor General Report 2025-1096 on fleet management. DMS said the audit found 10 issues, most of which it believes it has addressed, and described the statewide fleet system as tracking about 27,000 assets with limited staff. DMS highlighted two major improvement ideas that would require funding: an enterprise telematics system to automate vehicle data and improve tracking, and centralized fleet procurement to reduce duplication and save money. Members questioned the status of FleetWave implementation, missing vehicle records, integration with other state systems, and access controls for separated employees. DMS explained that FleetWave is fully implemented but still relies on manual data entry, that discrepancies with the state accounting system largely reflect mismatched or inconsistent entries, and that policies and procedures were updated after the audit. The department said it now works more closely with People First to deactivate access when employees leave. After discussion, no further business was raised, and the committee adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• This essentially overrules them and says we're going to change the rule so that we're going to create
• We have seen time and time again throughout the legislative process where definitions change. Mr.
• Chair: Year in and year out, we pass statutes in this building that change the regulatory process.
• But, like, you can just simply change a line of code and siphon off money, which we've seen happen.
• And again, because I believe when there is a lack of precedent or regulatory authority by the federal

Summary: The committee took up AB 2285, a bill related to cryptocurrency staking and broader crypto regulatory issues. The author said the amendments would give California clearer guidelines for staking-as-a-service, maintain consumer disclosures, and remove a fee cap to make the business model workable. Supporters, including representatives of the Crypto Council for Innovation and the Satoshi Action Fund, said the bill would provide needed clarity and help Californians participate in blockchain-related opportunities. Opposition came from the Consumer Federation of California and credit union representatives, who argued the bill would weaken consumer protections, create an uneven playing field for state-chartered institutions, and move California into the middle of unresolved federal debates over the Clarity Act. They also raised concerns about fraud, money laundering, and the effect of the bill on DFPI’s authority and pending litigation involving Coinbase. The author responded that staking is distinct from buying crypto, that blockchain can improve traceability, and that the bill was still a work in progress with room for further amendments. Members discussed preemption, the pending federal framework, and whether the bill should wait until federal law is settled. The chair emphasized California’s role in setting policy and said other states were allowing consumers to benefit from staking. The committee ultimately adopted a due pass as amended motion and sent AB 2285 out on a 7-2 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• This essentially overrules them and says we’re going to change the rule so that we’re going to create
• We have seen time and time again throughout the legislative process where definitions change.
• Year in and year out, we pass statute in this building that changes the regulatory process.
• But like you can just simply change a line of code and siphon off money, which we’ve seen happen.
• And you have the Clarity Act brewing, which literally the Clarity Act changes about four times a day

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Department of Cannabis Control is the state's primary regulatory body for the commercial cannabis
• But if we look at the license side of the market, how has that been changing over time?
• States with licensed markets has been changing over time, over about the last 20 years.
• In prevalence of use, but no change in that trend when the licensed market was introduced.
• Policies and regulatory changes, we've got actually in yellow. It's not all bad.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I want to preface by saying there are a lot of great changes in these committee rules.
• So I want to preface by saying there are a lot of great changes in these committee rules.
• In these amendments, we've suggested that AB 238 be changed to make it clear... I don't know.
• Temporarily pausing additional changes to the building code is one way to do that.
• So in response, the city changed local codes to address this.

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on March 19, 2025, adopted its committee rules unanimously, and then heard a series of housing, insurance, and disaster-recovery bills. Early bills focused on wildfire relief and insurance issues, including AB 238 on mortgage forbearance for Los Angeles County wildfire survivors, AB 493 on insurance payout interest for homeowners, AB 597 on consumer protections after disasters, and AB 226 on strengthening the California FAIR Plan’s liquidity tools. Supporters generally framed these measures as necessary protections for disaster survivors and market stability, while opponents and concerned witnesses raised issues such as investor guidelines, compliance conflicts, and market disruption. Several members also noted equity concerns and the need to balance relief with consistency across the state. The committee also heard a cluster of housing-production bills. AB 306 proposed a six-year pause on new state building code updates affecting residential construction and limits on local code modifications, drawing strong support from housing and building industry groups who argued it would reduce costs and improve predictability. It also drew opposition from code, environmental, and clean-energy advocates, who warned about safety, local control, and the loss of important code updates. AB 253 would allow licensed third-party professionals to perform plan checks if local review takes 30 days or more, and AB 301 would impose state-agency permitting timelines similar to those already applied to local governments; both were presented as ways to reduce delays and speed housing development. AB 462 would exempt ADU construction from coastal development permit requirements in Los Angeles County, especially to aid fire recovery and expand housing supply. After hearing testimony and brief member discussion on each measure, the committee placed the bills on suspense or advanced them as appropriate. In the suspense hearing at the end of the meeting, the committee took up the suspense-file bills and reported AB 226, AB 238, AB 301, and AB 306 out with due pass recommendations on roll call votes. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, change will be initiated sooner where it is possible.
• to contemplate changes to this program.
• Impacts of select federal changes to the health care.
• federal changes, regulatory changes, and H.R. 1, and assuming Congress will not extend the enhanced
• a lot of change.

Summary: The committee heard a JLARC presentation on the Department of Health’s oversight of hospital inspections, complaints, and reporting. JLARC said DOH was late on 72% of acute care hospital inspections as of December 2024, had not verified that third-party accrediting standards were substantially equivalent to state standards, did not consistently require proof of those inspections, did not review adverse health event corrective plans, and could make hospital data more accessible. JLARC also raised a possible language-access barrier in the complaint system. Members asked about complaint filing by staff, the meaning of adverse health events, inspection outcomes, and whether the audit compared DOH to other agencies. JLARC said it had not reviewed inspection results or cross-agency comparisons, but noted inspectors were dedicated and working long hours. DOH later said it concurred with the recommendations and outlined a strategic plan with target dates for improving timeliness, verifying accreditation standards, expanding language access, reviewing adverse event laws, and improving public data access, with annual reporting to the Legislature expected. The committee then heard a Department of Health presentation on certificate of need modernization. DOH described the current certificate of need process, which reviews need, financial feasibility, quality, and cost containment for certain facility changes and new services, and said the program has not been modernized since the 1980s. DOH proposed 10 statutory modernization recommendations, including clarifying the program’s purpose, creating a planning entity, adding flexibility, reducing legal costs, updating access-to-care standards, expanding oversight to freestanding emergency departments and urgent care, addressing equity, improving cost control coordination, strengthening long-term funding, and using better data systems. Members asked about oversight of freestanding urgent care and EDs, funding sources, and whether the process could be streamlined or made more responsive to complaints or other triggers. A third panel discussed artificial intelligence in health care. Lucy O’Rourke of the Coalition for Health AI described CHAI’s work on responsible AI principles, technical standards, model cards or “nutrition labels,” testing and governance tools, and educational resources for providers. She said the group is focused on trust, transparency, fairness, safety, security, and privacy, and noted Washington’s AI-related policy work as among the more progressive in the country. No questions were asked. The final portion focused on the financial impact of federal and state health care policy changes. The Washington State Hospital Association said hospitals are facing low or negative operating margins, service reductions, layoffs, and closures, and that state cuts and taxes enacted in 2025, combined with federal HR1 changes, will significantly worsen finances. Providence Swedish leaders described staffing reductions, service cuts, delayed capital investments, and pressure from denials, tariffs, and reimbursement changes, while emphasizing that frontline staffing cuts are tied to service reductions rather than nurse-to-patient ratio changes. The Washington Health Benefit Exchange then began a presentation on expiring federal ACA premium tax credits, state Cascade Care Savings assistance, and eligibility changes affecting lawfully present non-citizens, with examples showing large premium increases for customers if federal subsidies expire.

Transcript Highlights:

• state so the need for regulatory state so the need for regulatory framework<00:43:55.280> there
• under that temporary regulatory under that temporary regulatory framework<00:48:06.920> uh
• temporary and permanent uh regulatory temporary and permanent uh regulatory framework<00:52:48.640
• five comments and saw very little change five comments and saw very little change between<00:59:
• <01:31:14.520> in things um maybe amended or changed in things um maybe amended or changed

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard several Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund requests and laid them over for possible inclusion. Senate File 673 sought $795,000 to help replace or refurbish the structurally unsound Marshall bandshell. Senator Gary Dames, Marshall Mayor Bob Burns, and Parks and Recreation Superintendent Preston Stenard described the bandshell as an iconic community venue used for concerts and arts events, noting prior repairs in 2004, a 2001 structural report, and the need for full replacement due to settlement and deterioration near the Redwood River. They said the project has local support and a local funding commitment for the remaining costs. Senate File 627 requested $850,000 for the Olmsted County Historical Society to continue rehabilitation of the George Stoppel Farmstead. Senator Liz Balden, Dr. Mark Warner, and Commissioner Sanum said the site includes three National Register buildings and preserves immigration and agricultural history in southeast Minnesota. They reported that $1.1 million had already been raised and that prior Legacy funding helped stabilize one structure, but additional work is needed on the bank barn and Stoppel house to complete restoration and improve accessibility. Senate File 822 proposed $65,000 in fiscal year 2026 for the Minnesota State Band to provide free public performances across Minnesota. Testifier Craig Allen said the volunteer band, formed in 1898, uses the funding to travel to small towns and schools, including outreach to students and veterans. Conductor Keith Leuty emphasized the educational value of school visits and upcoming concerts in Moose Lake, Grand Rapids, and Cloquet, including a performance at Fond du Lac Ojibwe School. Members expressed support, and the bill was also laid over. The committee then began hearing Senate File 575, which would appropriate $3.8 million for the Grand Rapids Old Central School renovation. Senator Iorn, city councilor Rick Blake, and City Administrator Tom Pagel described the 1895 building as a historic and arts-centered community landmark with artist residencies, galleries, concerts, and other public uses. They said the building needs major repairs, including a new roof, structural truss work, HVAC replacement, and ADA and elevator upgrades, and they were in the middle of detailing those needs when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Comprehensive regulatory framework for plastic cover materials in the nation.
• The plastic pollution mitigation fund is a groundbreaking opportunity to make transformative change,
• The bill also changes the standard.
• That doesn't change with the CEQA exemption under SB 131.
• Unfortunately, SB 887 creates a regulatory framework that could make it significant...

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The changes at the federal government, we have to make sure that we are doing everything to comply with
• The changes<00:09:49.360> at<00:09:49.519> the<00:09:49.680> federal<00:09:50.000
• > government,<00:09:50.399> we changes at the federal government, we changes at the federal
• There were massive increases in regulatory mandates on businesses throughout our state.
• There were massive increases in regulatory mandates on businesses throughout our state.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The committee substitute has no substantive changes.
• The changes are structural and format-related that the Legislative Counsel deemed necessary and removes
• the list of codes that do not have a change in the code from the section.
• changes the makeup of the committee.
• And the expiration has been changed to ending on odd-numbered years.

Bills: HB 4530, HB 4931, HB 5559, HB 5560

Keywords: water rights, Texas Water Trust, water bank, environmental conservation, water quality, instream flows, aquifer, water injection, Edwards Aquifer, environmental regulation, groundwater, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water conservation, drought, utility regulation, water use restrictions, Public Utility Commission, civil penalties, drought contingency, environmental protection

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, eliminate change orders, right?
• But the circumstances have changed over the generations. changed, so we wanted to get started on the
• On the regulatory side, a few different ways. Number one, I think Mr.
• And then a final layer on that is the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
• So I think we've got state regulatory, we've got federal regulatory, and then we've got cooperative governance

Transcript Highlights:

• What this will be doing is deleting sections two and three of House File 1987, with minor changes to
• A5 is basically a couple changes in the bill.
• She said the changes taking place have not been enough.
• Constitution protections on regulatory Constitution protections on regulatory takings<00:57:17.400
• <00:57:30.000> taking States Constitution uh regulatory taking States Constitution uh regulatory

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House File 1987, the Minnesota Starter Home Act, and first adopted the A1 author’s amendment, which made minor cleanup changes, removed sections two and three, adjusted ADU language, and tweaked density language. The bill authors described the measure as a bipartisan effort to address Minnesota’s housing shortage by allowing more starter homes, duplexes, townhomes, and accessory dwelling units, while also limiting some local zoning barriers and preserving city protections in certain sensitive areas. They emphasized that the state has a large housing gap, rising home prices, and that the bill is intended as one part of a broader housing package. Supportive testimony came from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Housing First Minnesota, Habitat for Humanity, AARP Minnesota, and Americans for Prosperity. These witnesses argued that workforce and starter-home shortages are hurting families, employers, and economic growth; that restrictive zoning and lengthy approval processes raise costs; and that more middle housing and ADUs would expand options for older adults, caregivers, working families, and people seeking homeownership. Several supporters said the bill would reduce regulatory barriers, lower development costs, and help communities add needed housing supply. Opposition or cautionary testimony came from city and municipal representatives, including officials from Cambridge, Eagan, and Mankato, as well as the League of Minnesota Cities and related groups. They argued that local governments already are approving substantial housing growth and need flexibility to manage zoning, parking, infrastructure, stormwater, and community input. They warned the bill could weaken local control, remove practical standards, and create unintended impacts such as more rental conversion in some neighborhoods or development without adequate infrastructure. No final vote on the bill itself was shown in the transcript beyond adoption of the A1 amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• They changed the name to Bass Pro Shop.
• They changed the name Cabela's district.
• yellow there is climate change. yellow there is climate change.
• So we often refer to the regulatory So we often refer to the regulatory compact<01:08:55.440>
• telecommunications landscape has changed telecommunications landscape has changed significantly,

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, we made some changes to the qualifications of the crime and removed the mandatory minimums.
• President, your Committee on Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency, having under consideration
• Affairs and Government Efficiency; HB 2342, homeowners associations, change structures; Regulatory Affairs
• H.B. 2697, expired opioid antagonist use; regulatory affairs and government efficiency.
• certification; Education; HB 2951, automatic subscription renewals requirements; Regulatory Affairs

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• IT'S MORE REGULATORY IN NATURE.
• WARREN BUFFETT SAYS IT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD EXCEPT HOW WE THINK.
• THE CONSULTING FIRM SAYS IT WILL CHANGE EVERY ASPECT OF INSURANCE.
• PUBLIC FEAR IS DRIVING REGULATORY SCRUTINY.
• OR THAT ONE PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT YOU INPUT IS GOING TO COMPLETELY CHANGE THAT, THE OUTCOME?