Transcript Highlights:

• , and we may lead a for all in authority, and we may lead a quiet<00:01:29.040><c> and</c><00:01:29.360
• This authority has never existed, and Senate Bill 29 simply clarifies that fact. Mr.
• ><c> that</c><00:09:41.120><c> is</c> The only county authority that is The only county authority that
• :57.760><c> and</c><00:09:58.000><c> Senate</c> authority has never existed and Senate authority has
• </c><00:17:58.160><c> health</c> basic, already authorized health basic, already authorized health services

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have many authors here, but we're still waiting on committee members.
• My bill doesn't authorize an allocation.
• I would ask that you add me as a co-author, and you have my full support. Thank you. Great.
• I just want to thank the author.
• I'd like to thank the author for bringing this well-intentioned bill forward.

Committee: House Elections

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm going to thank the author for his leadership in bringing...
• I wanted to thank the author for bringing forward this measure.
• And I wanted to ask the author if I might be able to join as a co-author, if that's appropriate.
• I think the amendments will be adding you as a joint author. Yes.
• Thank you, and thank you to the author for carrying this bill.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee met without a quorum at first and began as a subcommittee, with the chair outlining hearing procedures and several bills on consent. The committee heard and advanced AB 1581, which would improve collection of tribal affiliation data for California students so Native students are more accurately counted and better served; supporters said current systems undercount Native students and erase their needs. AB 1586 also passed, requiring school resource officers who volunteer to carry naloxone to receive opioid overdose response training every two years; supporters emphasized student safety and the need for rapid response to overdoses on campus, while one school employees’ group raised concerns about retaliation protections for non-volunteers. Both bills were moved do pass as amended to Appropriations, with roll calls held open for absent votes. The committee then approved AB 1943, which updates school notices about secure firearm storage by making the information clearer, more visible, and more likely to reach families at key moments such as counseling or discipline interventions. Supporters from gun violence prevention groups, educators, and parents argued that many school shooters obtain guns from home and that plain-language, digital, and timely notices could help prevent child deaths and suicides; the author shared a personal story about a child accessing a gun at home. AB 1792 also advanced, directing the Instructional Quality Commission to consider updating health education to address digital safety issues such as deepfakes, extortion, grooming, and AI-generated exploitation; supporters said students need instruction that reflects modern online risks, while an opponent objected to language referencing LGBTQIA+ and gender-diverse students. AB 1653 passed as well, adding heat-illness guidance to the health framework after a young Girl Scout described students suffering during extreme heat and not recognizing symptoms. Later, the committee approved AB 1861, which would require the California Department of Education to create a public database of special education investigation reports with personal information redacted; supporters said families need better access to complaint outcomes and accountability, while an opposition witness warned of unintended consequences, misuse of incomplete information, and added burdens on districts. AB 1721 also moved forward, creating a stakeholder work group to review and streamline school safety plan requirements so plans remain practical and focused on emergency preparedness. AB 1631, which would make kindergarten mandatory, received mixed testimony: supporters argued it would help close achievement gaps and improve readiness, while opponents framed it as an intrusion on parental choice; the bill was held on call after a split vote. Finally, AB 1809, extending job order contracting authority for school and community college districts, was also held on call after opposition from contractors who argued project labor agreement requirements raise costs and reduce competition. The committee then began hearing AB 1659, aimed at improving transitions for court school students back to their home districts, with testimony describing re-enrollment barriers and the need for a designated district contact.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm going to thank the author for his leadership in bringing...
• I wanted to thank the author for bringing forward this measure.
• And I wanted to ask the author if I might be able to join as a co-author, if that's appropriate.
• I think the amendments will be adding you as a joint author. Yes.
• Thank you, and thank you to the author for carrying this bill.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Medical cannabis laws provide separate authorizations for qualifying patients and providers.
• produced or possessed in excess of the six-plant limit, unless otherwise authorized, and the bill authorizes
• , or excuse me... ...plant limit, unless otherwise authorized, and the bill clarifies that the Liquor
• Lastly, local bans authorized under existing cannabis statutes remain unchanged.
• Right, I know medical cannabis does authorize that conduct.

Bills: SB6196 , SB6204 , SB6195 , SB5882 , SB6134

Committee: Senate Labor & Commerce

Keywords: kratom, taxation, regulated substances, health safety, state revenue, cannabis, marijuana, home grow, home cultivation, personal cultivation, adult use cannabis, recreational marijuana, 21 and older, controlled substances, RCW 69.50, Liquor and Cannabis Board, LCB, plant limits, cannabis possession, cannabis concentrates

Transcript Highlights:

• The Washington State Patrol has rulemaking authority and enforcement over the provisions listed above
• if the disclosure is to federal, state, or local public health authorities to the extent the health
• As a public health authority, the commission is authorized to collect health care information.
• I'm sorry if I used the wrong term, public health authority.
• So it is limited; it is not full public health authority.

Summary: The committee first received a presentation from NCSL staff on national transportation funding trends and alternative user-fee options as gas tax revenue declines. The presentation covered declining fuel-tax purchasing power, the effects of more fuel-efficient and electric vehicles, and a range of state responses including indexed gas taxes, EV and hybrid registration fees, voluntary and mandatory road usage charges, transportation network company fees, retail delivery fees, and per-kilowatt-hour EV charging fees. Members asked about Virginia’s mileage-fee program, enrollment rates, and whether states had reduced gas taxes alongside new fees; the presenters said they would follow up with additional information. Committee staff then presented a comparison of Washington’s transportation budget with Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, focusing on population, lane miles, road condition, fuel taxes, preservation spending, mega-projects, and governance structures. The discussion highlighted Washington’s unique transportation pressures, including ferries, fish-passage obligations, high debt service, and major capital projects. Members asked follow-up questions about debt service, interest costs, CCA impacts on fuel prices, and whether project costs differed by state. The committee held public hearings on three bills. House Bill 2109 would allow vehicles being towed on trailers to use coverings to contain mud, rocks, or debris instead of requiring prior cleaning; the bill’s sponsor and construction witnesses supported it as a practical solution, and the fiscal note showed modest costs to WSP and WSDOT. House Bill 2139 would raise snowmobile registration fees to support snow park and trail grooming; State Parks, DNR, and several snowmobile advocates supported it, while some snowmobile users opposed it, arguing that enforcement of unregistered sleds should be addressed first. House Bill 2192 would expand the Washington Traffic Safety Commission’s fatal crash review authority and allow it to collect certain health data; the sponsor and agency supported the bill as a public-health tool, while one attorney raised concerns about limiting civil discovery and evidentiary access in fatal crash litigation.

Transcript Highlights:

• officials, and criminal justice participants against threats and incidents of political violence by authorizing
• Certain persons are authorized to apply, as mentioned in statute.
• Lastly, funding sources: House Bill 2333 authorizes the use of campaign funds and surplus campaign funds
• The bill also authorizes the use of a legislator's member business expense account and funds from the
• authority and the prescriptive authority activity under the agreement.

Bills: HB2176 , HB2244 , HB2120 , HB2333

Committee: House State Government & Tribal Relations

Keywords: drug therapy, public records, confidentiality, healthcare, collaborative practice, transparency, accountability, exemptions, government accountability, audit, legislative review, resource efficiency, committee work, political violence, elected officials, election officials, criminal justice, protection, safety, threats

Transcript Highlights:

• With me is one of the bill's authors, Republican Senator Carla Nelson.
• Now, Senator, you are the co-author to Bridges to Healthcare Bill.
• So a couple of those things is altering prior authorization, not requiring prior authorization for cancer
• Um, so a couple of those things is altering prior authorization, not requiring prior authorization for
• > Senator</c><00:26:01.360><c> Jen</c> The bill's author, DFL Senator Jen The bill's author, DFL Senator

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't yet have quorum, but we do have an author, so we are welcome.
• We don't yet have quorum, but we do have an author. So we will welcome up Mr.
• Thank you. to continue to engage with the author and sponsor. Thank you.
• I appreciate the author pushing this boulder up the mountain.
• And I just wanted to thank the author as well for this bill.

Summary: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard several housing bills. AB 2270, by Assemblymember Arambula, would give farmworker housing projects scoring parity in the state low-income housing tax credit program so they are not disadvantaged by amenity-proximity criteria that do not fit rural agricultural areas. Supporters, including La Cooperativa Campesina, said the bill would help farmworker projects compete fairly for credits; there was no opposition, and the bill was later approved 11-0 and sent to Appropriations. The committee also considered AB 2552, which would clarify use of the state’s new CEQA vehicle miles traveled (VMT) mitigation bank for affordable housing near transit. The author and supporters from the California Building Industry Association and business groups said the bill would add guardrails so the program is cost-effective and usable, while Housing California, the Planning and Conservation League, and others opposed the least-cost requirement, arguing it could undercut the new mitigation bank before implementation. After discussion about balancing housing and environmental goals, the bill passed 11-1 to Appropriations. AB 2689 would require good cause for nonrenewal of certain state-subsidized housing tenancies when a household’s income exceeds 140% of area median income for two consecutive years, with notice requirements and protections if the tenant cannot afford market rent. Some members supported the bill as a way to free up scarce subsidized units and create a housing “ladder,” while others objected that it could punish people for increasing their income. The bill was amended and passed 11-1. The consent calendar items AB 2308, AB 2397, and AB 2512 were also approved unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mortgage Finance Authority will be chaired by the Senate.
• New Mexico Finance Authority chaired by the Senate. RESTEP chaired by the House.
• For the College Finance Authority, we're adding Senator Bergman as advisory.
• New Mexico Finance Authority, and sort of on and on and on.
• They have broad authority.

Committee: House Legislative Council

Transcript Highlights:

• So Senate Bill 6188 removes the provision limiting L&I's rulemaking authority for asbestos certification
• So Senate Bill 6188 removes the provision limiting L&I's rulemaking authority for asbestos certification
• And the bill gives our state agency the authority in this critical worker safety area for Washington
• Last year, legislation was enacted changing the enforcement authority for these requirements from the
• So, but we’re limited today by the state law, by the authority in that state law.” “Understood. Mr.

Summary: The Labor and Workplace Standards Committee held public hearings on several Department of Labor and Industries request bills and related workplace measures. Senate Bill 6039 would allow L&I to send notices electronically with an opt-out option; Senator Curtis King and L&I supported it as a simple modernization and the committee heard no opposition. Senate Bill 6136 would require L&I to publish actuarially indicated workers’ compensation rates and explain when rates are capped below those levels; Senator King and employer groups described it as a transparency bill, while L&I said it would disclose how reserve funds and rate caps affect different classes. Senate Bill 6188 would expand L&I’s authority over asbestos certification rulemaking beyond rules specifically required to match federal standards; Senator Victoria Hunt and L&I argued this would strengthen worker safety and training, while the Building Industry Association raised concern about diverging from federal rules and asked for narrower authority. Senate Bill 6014 would create a Public Records Act exemption for people involved in pregnancy-accommodation complaints or investigations and fix a cross-reference in last year’s pregnancy accommodation law; Senator T’wina Nobles and Moms Rising said it would restore intended protections and privacy for pregnant and postpartum workers. The committee also heard testimony on Senate Bill 6058, which would give L&I discretion to investigate wage complaints under the Wage Payment Act and assess penalties for willful violations when it initiates an investigation; L&I supported the bill and noted a House amendment to reduce costs and avoid conflict with another wage-recovery measure. For Senate Bill 6136, hospitality, construction, and self-insured employer representatives all supported the measure as a transparency step, with the self-insurers noting the impact of PTSD presumptive claims on rate classes. For Senate Bill 6188, L&I said the bill would let the department set stronger certification standards for asbestos workers and supervisors, while BIAW argued the bill should be limited to specific EPA model standards rather than removing the current statutory limitation. In executive session, the committee took action on five bills. On Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5061, which requires annual prevailing-wage adjustments in public works contracts, an amendment allowing change orders for wage increases over 5% failed, a one-year effective-date delay was adopted, and the bill passed 7-2 as amended. Substitute Senate Bill 5874, allowing ESD to waive penalties for minor unemployment-insurance reporting errors, passed 9-0. Senate Bill 5944, making missed-appointment payments part of bargained compensation for language access providers, passed 9-0. Substitute Senate Bill 5972, expanding binding interest arbitration for correctional officers in city and county jails, rejected two amendments that would have limited the binding effect and required consideration of local fiscal ability, then passed 8-1. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6302, addressing misclassification of independent contractors on public works projects, passed 9-0. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• With all this criteria, we'll have the New Mexico Finance Authority on the committee.
• So by suspending the legislative authorization, we're going to be able to have different application
• I'll end with this: although you may not have the ability on an authorization bill, the fact that we
• And I am just, I just have confidence, extreme confidence in the Finance Authority.
• Finance Authority oversight because we do the checks and balances.

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The regulatory authority of HOAs to enforce certain CCRs is limited by statute in some cases.
• So House Bill 2118 would add a new limitation on HOA authority to regulate the types of use of a unit
• The housing finance program is a program authorized by statute in 1994 to provide mortgage financing
• authorization to make loans to or deposits with mortgage lenders for the purpose of making mortgage
• So we're authorized under IRS tax code to issue tax-exempt debt. And... To issue tax-exempt debt.

Bills: HB2118 , HB2236

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: common interest communities, restrictions, property rights, homeowners association, community governance, housing finance, affordable housing, housing commission, state agency, financial assistance, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One is the authorities and planning capabilities, and then secondly, our ability to scale.
• industrially starts with our legal authorities and the policies and plans.
• This is a tremendous authority that has not been used since the 1980s.
• You need that as a committee before you finalize the FY 26 National Defense Authorization Act.
• They have the authority to address challenges in our defense industrial base.

Committee: Senate Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel

Transcript Highlights:

• up to uh you the author um or um the up to uh you the author um or um the fiscal<00:13:00.160><c> analyst
• </c><00:31:28.799><c> on</c><00:31:28.960><c> the</c> the authors could comment on the the authors could
• and authors have taken.
• Thank you. and authors have taken. Um you have been and authors have taken.
• </c> something that I think um author something that I think um author mentioned<00:47:03.520><c> is<

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, I thank the author. Do you have any witnesses in support? No, I don't.
• I just want to thank the author for bringing this forward again.
• The author is closed. So with that, I ask for an aye vote.
• The author is closed, and the bill is moved. Will the Secretary call the roll?
• The author has accepted technical amendments from the committee.

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I understand why the author hides the actual beneficiary of this bill.
• I understand why the author hides the actual beneficiary of this bill.
• The author needs to answer that, please.
• The author and Trevor Project...
• I think it's a really good bill and would love to be added on as a co-author.

Committee: Senate Emergency Management

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But I also see one of our authors who are presenting today. I see Senator McNerney.
• I heard you needed authors. Great. Good morning, Madam Chair and members.
• I intend to keep supporting it, but I have faith in the author to navigate those issues.
• Okay, we have the next author I see, Senator Reyes.
• I see we have our final author here in the room. Thank you, Senator Blakespear.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on workplace technology, labor protections, and data center oversight. SB 947, the No Robo Bosses Act of 2026, would require human review before automated systems are used in discipline, termination, or deactivation decisions and would ban predictive behavior analysis in the workplace. Labor groups, worker advocates, and privacy organizations supported the bill, arguing AI can be biased and should not make life-changing employment decisions without human judgment. Business groups opposed it, saying it was broader than prior versions, could interfere with workplace safety tools, and should not include a private right of action or cover independent contractors. After discussion about due process and accountability, the bill passed the committee 3-1 and was sent to the Senate Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection. SB 978, the Data Center Community Accountability Act, would require data centers to pay upfront for new transmission or distribution infrastructure, create a separate rate structure so costs are not shifted to other ratepayers, and include skilled-and-trained labor standards for construction. Supporters said the bill would protect ratepayers, create good construction jobs, and encourage zero-carbon energy development. Opponents, including the Data Center Coalition and Silicon Valley Leadership Group, argued the CPUC already has ongoing proceedings on these issues and warned the bill could single out one industry and discourage investment. The committee members emphasized labor standards and community concerns, and the bill passed 3-0 to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. SB 951, the California Worker Technological Displacement Act, would expand WARN-style notice requirements for layoffs caused by AI or automation, require reporting to workers, local government, and EDD, and give displaced workers first consideration for other openings. Supporters said the bill responds to rapid AI-driven layoffs and would provide needed transparency and data. Opponents said the definitions were too broad, the notice requirements too burdensome, and the bill conflicted with existing WARN law; they also objected to the private right of action and inclusion of independent contractors. The committee discussed amendments clarifying that an employee may still be discharged for reasonable and substantiated cause during the notice period. The bill passed 3-1 to the Senate Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection. The committee also approved SB 1032, which would create a licensing and regulatory framework for temporary staffing agencies, and SB 1046, which would direct Cal/OSHA to develop standards to protect lifeguards and park rangers from transboundary pollution in the Tijuana River Valley. SB 1032 drew support from labor and enforcement advocates who said it would help stop staffing fraud, while staffing firms argued the bill was vague and could burden legitimate small businesses; it passed 3-1 to the Senate Committee on Judiciary. SB 1046 was supported by park workers and community groups describing health impacts from pollution and passed 4-0 to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. The committee also took up a consent item, which passed 4-0, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• What for EMS gateway systems that this body has never authorized by chance?
• I think it authorizes a greater... ...discomfort with this bill.
• Our current law does not authorize any election equipment to be connected to the Internet.
• They are not following our laws because public officials don't have any authority other than the authority
• They are not following our laws because public officials don't have any authority other than the authority

Committee: House House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections Committee of Reference

Summary: The Committee on Federal and Military Affairs and Elections met with all members present and began with an extended presentation on an investigative referral packet concerning alleged voter registration anomalies from March 2023 to the present. The presenter described multiple examples of registrations tied to out-of-state residents, deceased individuals, temporary residents, and registrations allegedly generated through Service Arizona, MVD, Access, county recorders, and third-party/NGO channels. The committee also discussed a Secretary of State email about party-preference changes, discrepancies between county and state counts, and a proposed criminal referral to the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice. Members asked questions about whether the issues were glitches or intentional, and several members said the examples reflected serious problems with voter-roll maintenance and automatic voter registration. A roll call was taken on whether members wished to sign onto the referral; some declined, while others agreed, and the committee said the referral would be transmitted after the meeting. The committee then considered Senate Bill 1259, which would allow certain protected individuals to use an alternate mailing address when filing candidate and financial disclosure paperwork. The sponsor said it closes a confidentiality loophole for people whose addresses are protected for safety reasons. Members raised concerns about how the bill interacts with in-district residency requirements, but the bill passed on a 6-1 vote. Senate Bill 1281, dealing with state land procedures for covered federal designations and notification of legislative leaders about land takings, drew opposition from the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter, which argued the bill was unnecessary, unfunded, and insufficiently protective of tribal consultation; it passed 4-3. Senate Bill 1037, concerning election equipment security and internet connectivity, prompted debate over whether the bill could be read to permit internet-connected election equipment and over a hostile strike-everything amendment that would have expanded voter-registration and election-administration programs, including ERIC participation and new funding. The amendment failed, and the underlying bill also failed on a 3-3-1 vote. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 1040, which would require county recorders to provide public online access to voter registration rolls and prohibit fees for downloading them. Staff explained that the bill would replace the current chairperson-request process with public access, while still excluding sensitive information such as Social Security numbers. Members debated how much information would be public and whether the bill adequately defined “voter registration rolls.” The bill passed on a 4-3 vote. The chair closed by asking members to look into school app data-sharing contracts and offered to show unredacted materials privately, then noted that dinner had been provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, authorization for the governor to consult with federally recognized Indian tribes is extended
• Harris mentioned from a historical perspective in 2022, you did authorize, As Ms.
• I represent the Chelan-Douglas Regional Port Authority in opposition to Senate Bill 6231.
• FDA authorization only means a product can be legally sold. Cigarettes are also authorized.
• Recently, the Biden administration authorized 12 products under this incredibly high threshold.

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: 904, all