Transcript Highlights:

• <c> child</c><00:07:43.800><c> care</c> And preschool facilities, child care, and early learning programs
• public school projects related to new or renovated facilities for pre-kindergarten and preschool programs
• includes the responsibility for the repair and maintenance of those programs on DOE or charter school
• </c> kindergarten and preschool programs kindergarten and preschool programs includes<00:08:09.319><c
• </c> repair and maintenance of those programs repair and maintenance of those programs on<00:08:13.159

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• as well as just inundated with programs as well as just inundated with trying<00:13:58.800><c> to</c
• </c><00:19:20.440><c> but</c> not only our teacher prep programs but not only our teacher prep programs
• so that we teacher preparation programs so that we can<00:21:55.400><c> ensure</c><00:21:56.279><c>
• Currently, this is accomplished by identifying and revising certain programs that empower and enable
• We also identified several current innovation programs buried inside of 124D and move all those programs

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• A project may still voluntarily use this program.
• At the end of the day, everyone wants to see these programs be successful, want to see these programs
• The Coastal Act already provides the correct path: the local coastal program.
• I think the commission has funded the grant ...program application to make that happen and is ready and
• to continue to try to get that certified program.

Summary: The committee heard a series of bills focused on environmental policy, public infrastructure, housing, and energy. AB 1812, dealing with compostable plastics and compost contamination, drew strong support from farmers, composters, counties, cities, and waste companies, while manufacturers and compostable-product companies opposed it unless amended, arguing it would undermine compostable packaging and SB 54 goals. AB 2216 to expand the Delta Conservancy’s service area also received broad support and no opposition. AB 2481, which would allow leftover glass quality incentive funds to support recycled glass used in fiberglass insulation and other products, was supported by insulation manufacturers, recyclers, and waste advocates and passed with no opposition. AB 2152, streamlining fire station construction and tying CEQA relief to project labor agreement requirements, was supported by firefighters and construction trades but opposed by contractors and wildlife groups over the PLA mandate and environmental review provisions; the committee discussed amendments and sent it forward. AB 1536, the Save Our Shores Act, aimed at offshore oil and gas safety and decommissioning, was supported by coastal and environmental groups and opposed by the petroleum industry, with members debating pipeline safety, drilling risks, and carbon intensity before advancing the bill. AB 1849, a study bill on decarbonized gaseous fuels, split supporters from hydrogen, bioenergy, and propane interests against environmental and justice groups who said it favored biomethane and hydrogen without clear definitions; the author said it was only a study measure, and it moved ahead. AB 1732, which would expand CEQA streamlining for public university and community college housing projects, was backed by students, UC representatives, housing advocates, and labor, with no opposition heard; members raised concerns about environmental impacts and evacuation planning, but the bill was approved. Several measures were taken on consent and others were held open for absent members or quorum issues, with multiple bills receiving due pass recommendations as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• . $2 million is for the maintenance program.
• Program S, this is $3.65 million.
• Diving down into just a little bit further into Program M.
• Program V, this is public transportation.
• Last but not least, program. On this effort as well.

Summary: The committee began with a work session on transportation planning for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Western Washington. April Putney of the Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 Local Organizing Committee described the event as a statewide, 39-day tournament with six Seattle group-stage matches, additional possible matches, fan zones across the state, and major transportation impacts centered in the Seattle area, including street closures, increased I-5 traffic, and heavy use of transit, shuttles, ferries, and active transportation. She said the goal is safe, seamless mobility with 80% of stadium attendees arriving by non-personal vehicle, and noted coordination with federal agencies on border crossings and security. WSDOT’s Travis Phelps outlined roughly $25.65 million in World Cup-related funding for tunnel maintenance, traffic operations, signage and digital messaging, public transit support, ferries, and related staffing and training, emphasizing use of existing staff, overtime, and current fleets rather than new hires or vehicles. Senators asked about border staffing and ferry capacity, and WSDOT said it would follow up on ferry staffing concerns. The committee then held public hearings on several bills. SB 5839 would remove the “passenger only” limitation for county ferry districts, allowing them to support vehicle ferries; supporters from Whatcom County and the Association of Counties said the change would help aging ferry systems, improve funding flexibility, and support essential island access, while some testimony was opposed. SB 6032 would amend the secure-your-load law to allow vehicles with mud, rocks, or debris on them to be covered instead of cleaned before being towed on paved highways; the sponsor and industry witnesses said it would save time and water for construction equipment operators, and the hearing closed with strong support and little opposition. SB 5824 would clarify how fifth-wheel travel trailers are measured, allowing up to 46 feet measured from the kingpin to the rear of the trailer; RV industry, dealer, and business groups supported it as a safety-neutral clarification that would align Washington with other states and improve competitiveness, and the hearing closed with overwhelming support. Finally, SB 5864 would create an online motor vehicle insurance verification system at the Department of Licensing, require insurers to provide policy data, and use the system at registration renewal beginning in 2029 after a pilot period. The sponsor and supporters from insurers and law enforcement said the bill would reduce uninsured driving, improve roadside verification, and lower costs shifted to insured drivers, while county auditors and vehicle subagents supported the policy but warned that implementation must be technically reliable and adequately funded so renewals are not slowed. The public hearing closed with substantial support and some operational concerns raised, and the committee adjourned after the final hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• The program sunsets after tax year 2029, giving the General Assembly the opportunity to evaluate results
• of the normal, like $50,000, something reasonably de minimis relative to the overall cost of the program
• that is that when you compare the tax savings to Delaware's primary competitors for veterans, both grant
• full exemption of military pension income, and Maryland grants up to $12,500 and $20,000 at age 55 and
• base that the state can spend on resources and benefits for health care and for, you know, food programs

Summary: The House Revenue and Finance Committee met to consider House Substitute 1 for House Bill 386, which would create a temporary Delaware income tax deduction for qualified tip income from tax years 2027 through 2029. The sponsor described it as relief for service workers in restaurants, salons, and similar tipped occupations, with a deduction of up to $15,000, income-based phaseouts, a refundable credit for lower-income workers, and a sunset for later review. Committee members raised questions about the resident/non-resident language, the fiscal note, and whether the Department of Finance could implement the change; Finance said the department could administer it and expected only modest administrative costs, while the Comptroller’s office said the bill would reduce general revenue. After a brief recess to review updated language, the committee took public comment, but no one testified. A motion to release the bill failed to receive enough votes, and the chair said she would walk it to seek additional signatures. The committee then considered Senate Bill 219, which would phase in an increase in the military pension income exemption from $12,500 to $25,000 by tax year 2029. The sponsor argued the measure would help attract and retain military retirees, citing economic return estimates, workforce benefits, and support from all 21 Senate co-sponsors. Some members supported the bill as a way to reward service and bring in long-term residents, while others questioned whether the exemption should be income-based rather than available to all military retirees, including those with substantial second careers. The Department of Finance said it could operationalize the bill and that the non-resident language was unnecessary because the subtraction is already picked up in the non-resident code section. Public testimony from veterans’ organizations strongly supported the bill, emphasizing that the exemption can influence retirement decisions and help veterans and their families stay in Delaware. A motion to release the bill also failed to get enough votes, and the chair said she would walk it for signatures before adjourning the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We added that if the court finds that the violation occurs, the court may grant damages and injunctive
• And I’d like to see the legislation crafted to allow the county commission to grant that authority to
• Very much similar to other types of programs.
• Very much similar to other types of programs. The Fund serve.
• Very much similar to other types of programs.

Committee: House Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So on page 5, the creative industry grants—we're moving creative industries grants.
• kind of like the statutory authority for the Creative Industries Division and what they use these grants
• The federal government would give us a healthy match as part of the program.
• The federal government would give us a healthy match as part of the program. the federal government would
• give us a healthy match as part of the program.

Bills: SB190 , HB247 , HB8

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: cancer treatment, revenue bonds, Gila Regional Medical Center, Nor-Lea General Hospital, healthcare funding, capital outlay, capital projects, appropriations, reversion, encumbrance, reauthorization, reappropriation, general fund, capital development and reserve fund, tribal infrastructure project fund, Department of Finance and Administration, DFA, state board of finance, severance tax bonds, tax-exempt bonds

Transcript Highlights:

• works with guardians, and it was providing some justification for increasing the guardians' pass grants
• Guardianship pass grants.
• We’re very solidly behind the program or the idea, but we’re questioning the amount of money it’s going
• And the private, we specialize in a lot of other areas rather than educating on the state’s programs
• On your topic of the guardianship grant, I don’t remember that we had that discussion before.

Bills: SB2012

Committee: Senate Appropriations - Government Operations Division

Keywords: transportation, funding, infrastructure, grants, municipal, 908, all

Summary: The Government Operations division met to consider House Bill 1015, the OMB budget, with several amendments already in hand. A major portion of the discussion centered on Senator Mathern’s concerns about the proposed new state hospital in Jamestown. He argued the project is outdated, too expensive, and should be delayed or reduced in favor of local behavioral health services and deferred maintenance at the existing LaHogue facility. Other members questioned him about staffing, capacity, constitutional issues, and the relationship between the hospital proposal and broader mental health investments in other bills. The committee also reviewed budget mechanics, including the transfer of up to $240 million from the Social Services Fund to the Human Services Finance Fund, a $40 million deferred maintenance fund, a $3 million deficiency appropriation for the new and vacant FTE pool, and other OMB-related items. Members discussed whether OMB should have managerial control over the Jamestown project and generally agreed that OMB oversight could help manage costs, though concerns about the hospital remained. The committee then considered two funding items that drew the most debate: guardianship grants and a pro-life education campaign. After testimony from a representative supporting the campaign, members agreed to reduce that item by $500,000 and add $1 million for guardianship grants, while leaving the overall bill to be finalized in conference. The committee adopted Amendment Version 2006 with those changes and then passed HB 1015 as amended on a roll call vote, with all members voting aye except Senator Burckhard on the amendment vote; he later voted aye on the bill itself. The chair indicated the bill would move to conference committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Federal match-up program.
• We evaluate all programs.
• youth, or expand some programs.
• While WIOA, which is our Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act program, this youth program Serves
• programs are working as expected.

Transcript Highlights:

• and the mineral royalty grant program. grants and loan specialist for the city grants and loan specialist
• program or the clean water state revolving fund program.
• All of our systems the SRF programs.
• </c><01:35:38.000><c> or</c> recovery and implementation program or recovery and implementation program
• Uh in that basin we that program.

Committee: Joint Select Water Committee

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are four budgeted programs there.
• There are four budgeted programs there.
• You've got four budgeted programs.
• Entities of state granting organizations are to be listed and published as qualified scholarship granting
• Section 3102 established eligibility requirements for the County Medical Indigent Program, but that program

Summary: The Senate opened with roll call, prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the March 11 journal and received routine communications, including notice of a temporary substitute senator and several committee reports. The chamber also received a gubernatorial message transmitting signed Senate bills and House messages on enrolled bills and new legislation. Committee reports moved a number of bills forward, including measures on finance, judiciary, resources, education, local government, agriculture, and transportation, with some bills held for amendment or one legislative day. On the floor, the Senate considered several third-reading bills. Senate Bill 1351, concerning state office vacancies and limits on reappointed gubernatorial appointees, passed 34-0. Senate Bill 1364, revising the expiration of temporary administrative rules, passed 35-0. Senate Bill 1370, amending the abortion trafficking statute by removing the word “recruiting” after constitutional concerns raised by the Attorney General’s office, passed 28-6. Senate Bill 1337, allowing limited flexibility for small irrigation district boards, passed 34-0, and Senate Bill 1339, replacing continuous improvement plans with multi-year strategic performance plans for schools and reducing reporting requirements, also passed on a 34-0 vote. The Senate also passed House Bill 576 on the Consumer Asset Recovery Fund, House Bill 731 on participation in the federal tax credit scholarship program, House Bill 591 cleaning up obsolete indigent eligibility law, House Bill 663 shifting agricultural license plate design authority, House Bill 543 updating retirement system Roth contribution language, House Bill 563 revising CPA licensure pathways, and House Bill 652 designating hunting as Idaho’s state sport. Senate Bill 1303, revising provisions related to renewable/sustainable energy resources and the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources, passed 27-8. House Bill 822 was introduced, and Senate Bill 1227 received House amendments that the Senate concurred in. The major defeat of the day was Senate Bill 1375, the fiscal year 2027 Health and Human Services maintenance appropriation bill. After extensive debate over Medicaid rate reductions, provider impacts, federal funding losses, and the use of reserves versus cuts, the bill failed 10-25 and was retained by the Secretary. The Senate then returned to committee reports, received additional House and Senate messages, and adjourned until 10:30 a.m. the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's Division of Welfare, and it has two budgeted programs.
• There are four budgeted programs there.
• You've got four budgeted programs.
• Entities of state granting organizations are to be listed and published as qualified scholarship granting
• Section 3102 established eligibility requirements for the County Medical Indigent Program, but that program

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The cap-and-trade program is a tax-and-spend program.
• And so this program is a demand-side program.
• , if not expanded, and previous grants to projects like BSV-2 must be protected, and key programs must
• , if not expanded, and previous grants to projects like BSV-2 must be protected, and key programs must
• A modest discretionary investment from GGRF for a statewide grant program would go a long way and would

Summary: The hearing opened with budget framing from the chair and the LAO, who said the May Revision addresses roughly a $14 billion budget problem and that the environment and transportation subcommittee’s proposals account for about $1.9 billion of the solution. The LAO urged members to focus on solutions that do not worsen out-year deficits, to preserve reserves, and to defer major policy changes that are not necessary to pass the budget, including the newly introduced water-related trailer bills. Members also raised concern about a late-dropped Olympic-related trailer bill, which the LAO likewise suggested should be deferred for fuller review. The first major item was the Delta Conveyance Project and related water quality control plan trailer bills. The administration argued the proposals would streamline permitting, water rights proceedings, judicial review, and land acquisition, and would clarify DWR’s bond authority for the project. DWR said the project is needed to protect water supply reliability against drought, earthquakes, sea level rise, and other climate-related disruptions, and that the tunnel would help move water when conditions are wet and safer for the environment. Committee members from both parties questioned the timing, the use of budget trailer bills for major policy changes, the scope of the CEQA and water-rights changes, the lack of a bond cap, cost growth, and eminent domain protections. The LAO recommended deferring both water trailer bills without prejudice. Public comment was sharply divided, with labor, water agencies, and some business groups supporting the project as climate adaptation and reliability infrastructure, while environmental, tribal, fishing, county, and community groups opposed it as an attempt to bypass public process and weaken protections. The committee then briefly heard the DMV’s Digital Experience Platform fee trailer bill, which would reinstate a $1 system improvement fee to help fund the vehicle-registration phase of the project. DMV said the fee would raise about $7 million annually and offset roughly $59 million to $60 million of project costs, while the LAO noted it would help but would not solve the Motor Vehicle Account’s broader structural gap. The hearing then moved to California High-Speed Rail, where the new CEO presented an updated plan and said the project remains a major climate and infrastructure investment. He reported a revised Merced-to-Bakersfield cost range of $34.9 billion to $38.5 billion, said the agency is trying to reduce risk through direct procurement of materials, and argued that stable annual funding is needed to avoid higher costs from delays.

Transcript Highlights:

• Grant us understanding across differences and patience when consensus feels far away.
• Grant patience when the work is slow, courage when the decisions are hard, and faith when the challenges
• Laws and programs can be revised. They can be changed and updated.
• Everyone I've spoken to about the program supports making sure the children in Florida don't go to bed
• Everyone I've spoken to about the program supports making sure the children in Florida don't go to bed

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• things available, such as access to computerized software and the powers of arrest, which is already granted
• We have a six-month program.
• For the women who complete the six-month program, we have a 70 to 75 percent success rate.
• In that, 30 to 45 days into the program, they are required to start working.
• And just this bill would really help getting the ladies the jobs and getting them through the program

Committee: House Corrections and Public Institutions

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• SCR 16, Zaffirini, granting the legislature permission to adjourn. for more than three days during the
• teachers, but after it was approved as a branch campus of the Agricultural Experiment Station in and Grant
• supporting local farmers. suppliers, businesses, while also giving back through scholarships, youth programs
• These programs deliver more than just meals.
• language school into a comprehensive agency providing in critical services like job training, senior programs

Transcript Highlights:

• Exemption of residents homesteads from ad valorem taxation by a school district SCR 16, Zaffirini, granting
• teachers, but after it was approved as a branch campus of the Agricultural Experiment Station in and Grant
• Tameka LeGrand, and offers more than 70 degree programs through its eight colleges and schools and it's
• Meals on Wheels programs across the state. Keep your conversations outside the rail.
• language school into a comprehensive agency providing critical services like job training, senior programs

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the only way to backfill that is to do a program similar to community paramedic.
• But service one has a program that does community paramedic service.
• a year following the start of our program.
• , community paramedic program, and that is happening.
• Program, community paramedic program. And that is happening. And that is happening.

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the program standards if it is a group program.
• program maintains the program standards and ensures any employer under the program follows the standards
• of the program.
• I’m going to focus on some of the big grant programs that impact Washington.
• It’s... what’s happened is they’ve taken away the folks who actually administer the grants, and the programs

Summary: The committee heard a report on the Underground Economy Task Force in Washington’s construction industry. Labor and Industries said the task force, created by a 2024 budget proviso, met 11 times and developed consensus recommendations to improve enforcement against worker misclassification, unregistered contractors, and unpaid taxes and premiums. Consensus items included defining and regulating construction labor providers, improving interagency data sharing, increasing penalties for repeat offenders, expanding L&I authority over successor accountability, reviewing agency penalty rules, and exploring tracking of cash payments. Majority-but-not-consensus ideas included posting subcontractor notices at job sites, setting an independent-contractor threshold that would trigger L&I review, holding direct contractors liable for unpaid wages owed by subcontractors, and reviewing reporting requirements. Testifiers from labor, business, and the Attorney General’s Office generally supported stronger enforcement and transparency, while business representatives cautioned against overregulation and said any new rules should avoid burdening legitimate contractors or restricting lawful cash payments and independent contracting. L&I said the final report would be distributed by December 31 and the task force work group would be reconvened. The committee then reviewed the wage recovery work group report. L&I explained current wage complaint procedures and said the work group, made up of labor and business representatives, reached five consensus recommendations: allow L&I to prioritize wage complaints strategically, permit aggregation of related complaints, raise the minimum penalty under the Wage Payment Act from $1,000 to $1,500 and create a penalty matrix, improve employer awareness with materials for new hires, and establish a wage recovery fund. The fund would be seeded by penalties, would not require new employer assessments, and would allow limited early payments to eligible workers facing hardship, with a proposed cap of $2,500 and a later review of the program. Business and labor representatives both supported the overall framework, though business raised concerns about fraud safeguards and recovery of funds if a claim is later found invalid. Members also received an overview of Washington’s apprenticeship system. L&I described the state’s apprenticeship agency structure, the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council, and the difference between Washington’s state apprenticeship standards and the federal Office of Apprenticeship system. The presentation highlighted current participation levels, program approval and objection processes, and strong post-completion outcomes, including median annual earnings above $100,000 and an estimated $7.80 return for every public dollar invested. Committee members asked about how apprentices apply, how sponsors work with L&I, and whether recurring objections could be addressed earlier in the process. Finally, the committee heard updates on wildland firefighter respiratory protection, federal cuts to NIOSH, and economic and federal policy impacts on unemployment insurance and workforce services. L&I said wildland firefighters face significant smoke exposure and cancer risk, but current rules do not require respiratory protection for that work because of technical and operational challenges; the agency is watching efforts in other jurisdictions and at the federal level. On NIOSH, L&I warned that federal staffing and grant cuts could weaken occupational safety research, training pipelines, and programs affecting Washington workers, including firefighter cancer tracking and Hanford exposure assessments. ESD reported rising UI claims, a stable unemployment rate, and pressure on the trust fund, while also describing technology and process changes that have improved claims handling. ESD also said HR1 will significantly increase demand on WorkSource services through new work-search requirements for SNAP and Medicaid recipients, creating an unfunded mandate that the agency is preparing to implement with partner agencies.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, the programs that they oversee are the homeless programs, energy efficiency programs, and rehab programs
• program.
• Um, almost 19,000 families were helped through our programs or impacted through our programs.
• emergency housing programs.
• , about a year's worth of program. funding for that program.

Committee: House Mortgage Finance Authority Act Oversight Committee