Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:13:42.160><c> It</c> selection of service providers. It selection of service providers.
• </c> service providers for Orisa plans. service providers for Orisa plans.
• :59.839><c> should</c> Retirement plan service providers should Retirement plan service providers should
• </c> service and dedication to the community. service and dedication to the community.
• Forest Service in the Bridgeport Ranger District, helping maintain campgrounds for the benefit of residents

Bills: HB2988

Keywords: ERISA, retirement savings, pension plans, defined contribution plans, 401(k), 403(b), fiduciary duty, fiduciary, ESG, environmental social governance, proxy voting, shareholder rights, brokerage window, self-directed brokerage account, designated investment alternative, plan sponsor, investment adviser, service provider, non-pecuniary factors, pecuniary factors

Transcript Highlights:

• Removing some of that from the forest improves forest health. It increases climate resilience.
• Forest Health it increases improves Forest Health it increases climate<01:10:32.840><c> resilience</
• Collectively, the forest absorbs more carbon than is emitted, which makes the forest sector the only
• Collectively, the forest absorbs more carbon than is emitted, which makes the forest sector the only
• Collectively, the forest absorbs more carbon than is emitted, which makes the forest sector the only

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:11:50.160><c> If</c><00:11:50.399><c> the</c> service, will they be punished?
• If the service, will they be punished?
• protection cannot service, their protection cannot disregard<00:12:09.120><c> the</c><00:12:09.360><
• </c><00:38:12.720><c> on</c> the office of protective services on the office of protective services on
• They are landing right where this bill is now. >> Yes, sir, exactly. >> Okay.

Bills: SB255 , SB199 , SB47 , HB605 , HB216 , HB621 , HB148 , HB389 , HB509 , HB248 , SB255 , SB199 , SB47 , HB605 , HB216 , HB621 , HB148 , HB389 , HB509 , HB248 , SB336 , SB293 , SB43 , HB420 , HB60 , HB188 , HB106 , HB105 , HB11 , SB336 , SB293 , SB43 , HB420 , HB60 , HB188 , HB106 , HB105 , HB11

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: SB255, cannabinoid, hemp, hemp-derived THC, THCa, delta-8 THC, HHC, CBD, THC, novel cannabinoid products, hemp products, intoxicating hemp, delta-8, retail license, Department of Revenue, Department of Agriculture and Industries, testing and labeling, third-party laboratory, product safety, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, state law currently does a very good job at promoting open space and farm and forest land.
• So, you have forest rangers with the Division of Forest and Lands.
• </c><03:27:27.439><c> You</c><03:27:27.680><c> Am</c><03:27:27.920><c> I</c> Division of Forest and Lands
• You Am I Division of Forest and Lands. You Am I up<03:27:28.160><c> on</c><03:27:28.399><c> time?
• I own land in Tilton, but I also land.

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your public service announcement time.
• , Farm and Forest webinar.
• Last, we have the Farm and Forest account. This is really to protect Washington's working lands.
• Without going into great detail, if you imagine a Forest Service, a DNR, or other road that you can't
• lands and keeping them working lands, but also providing recreational opportunities for members of the

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several capital-related bills. HB 2353 would raise the pre-design threshold for state-funded capital projects from $10 million to $15 million and index it to inflation beginning in 2027. The sponsor and a testifier said the change would reduce delays and save money on projects by avoiding costly pre-design work for mid-sized projects; staff noted the bill could reduce future capital budget costs. HB 2420 would increase the Small Works roster contract cap in stages from $350,000 to $650,000 by 2030, with a proposed substitute shifting the first increase from July 2026 to January 2027 to allow time for rulemaking. Testimony from universities, cities, ports, counties, and water/sewer districts supported the bill as a way to reduce administrative burden, speed projects, and help small and diverse contractors. The committee also heard HB 2470, which would change how the School Construction Assistance Program treats school facilities on military bases. Staff explained the bill would exclude on-base instructional space from a district’s available-space calculation and adjust state assistance to account for federal funding, potentially increasing eligibility for affected districts such as Clover Park and Medical Lake. The sponsor and supporters said current rules unfairly reduce state support for districts serving military families; OSPI testified in support but said the bill would need amendment to avoid federal-law issues and was working on a revised approach that would increase the SCAP funding assistance percentage instead of directly referencing federal funds. Clover Park School District and the Veterans Legislative Coalition also supported the measure. In executive session, the committee moved HB 2338, which expands the low-income weatherization program to include community-scaled projects, out of committee with a do-pass recommendation by a vote of 17 ayes and 2 excused. The committee then held a work session with the Recreation and Conservation Office on its competitive grant programs, including Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program accounts, youth athletic facilities, community forests, aquatic lands, boating, off-road vehicle, firearms and archery, and federal grant programs. Members asked about demand, ADA compliance, geographic distribution, and technical assistance; RCO said demand is high in several programs and that it uses scoring criteria, regional allocations, and outreach to improve access statewide.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> your service. Good work. All right. your service. Good work. All right.
• The dry lands of Kona. Aloha. Aloha. The dry lands of Kona. Aloha.
• Is Kane being fetched by the forest? Is Kane percolating from the forest to the aquifer?
• We need to be better at citing<00:54:54.559><c> land</c> citing land citing land use<00:54:57.680><c>
• committed community groups to steward community forests located on public lands for the betterment of

Summary: The Water and Land Committee held a hearing on several governor’s messages for confirmation to land and water-related boards and commissions. The first item was GM 745, confirming Nor Abbott to a second term on the Natural Area Reserves System Commission through June 30, 2029. DLNR and other supporters submitted testimony, and Abbott said his focus has been on watching for potential impacts to marine reserves from nearby land activity and helping ensure those impacts are avoided, minimized, or mitigated through a thorough process. The committee then took up GM 783 and GM 762, both involving the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission. Fenton Pang and Jensen Chop were nominated for terms ending June 30, 2028 and June 30, 2029, respectively. Multiple individuals and organizations testified in strong support, including representatives of civic clubs, Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, and other community groups. Testimony emphasized Pang’s scientific background, cultural values, humility, and service, and described Chop as a long-time Kahoʻolawe steward with strong ties to restoration work and the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana. Chop said his goal is to help more people build a connection to ʻāina and to continue restoration and cultural education efforts on Kahoʻolawe. The final major item was GM 770, confirming Hannah Kihalani Springer to the Commission on Water Resource Management through June 30, 2028. DLNR strongly supported her nomination, describing her as a cultural expert and advocate who can ensure indigenous knowledge is meaningfully included in water policy. Testimony from community members, Earthjustice, Sierra Club, and others highlighted her experience, integrity, and role in protecting customary and traditional water rights, especially for place-based and Native Hawaiian communities. Supporters also said her appointment was important given current water and climate challenges. The chair indicated the committee would proceed to decision-making after the hearing, and no opposition was noted in the testimony summarized here.

Transcript Highlights:

• lands in our communities.
• Without these services, it has... Without these services, it has...
• DNR and other forest land managers, including land trusts, have been using prescribed burns and other
• DNR and other forest land managers, including land trusts, have been using prescribed burns and other
• sustainable. ...forest land managers, including land trusts, have been using prescribed burns and other

Bills: HB2289

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: appropriations, budget, fiscal matters, state spending, general fund, supplemental budget, biennial budget, substitute bill, public defense, civil legal aid, courts, judicial branch, homelessness, supportive housing, affordable housing, behavioral health, juvenile rehabilitation, youth services, child welfare, foster care

Transcript Highlights:

• Service, and leveraging funds on state trust land.
• So it's really working with the Forestry Department, working with BLM, working with the Forest Service
• to say, I'm okay with this burn moving forward or not, and not just relying on the Forest Service to
• It's going to help with forest fire reduction, forest management, all sorts of things.
• It's called the land maintenance fund.

Committee: Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations from the Secretary of State, the State Land Office, the Attorney General, and the State Auditor. The Secretary of State said its requested general fund budget of $15.88 million was intended to maintain baseline operations, replace lost federal cyber and election support, and address a 12% vacancy rate. Officials warned that the House recommendation still left major gaps for election security, tabulator replacement, campaign finance system upgrades, overseas and military ballot services, ballot tracking, and a new tax lien filing system. Senators pressed about the election fund, county burdens, and the risk of underfunding election administration; the office said the House had provided $15 million for the election fund for the primary and another $15 million for the general election, but not enough for operations or all capital needs. The State Land Office said it was satisfied with the House budget action and had no additional request. Staff described the office’s record revenues, low vacancy rate, clean audits, and proposed new positions tied to forestry, economic development, petroleum, geothermal, and royalty compliance work. Senators asked about long-term revenue trends, forest thinning and biomass opportunities, and bookkeeping around the land maintenance fund; the office said the new positions were intended to generate revenue and support land management, including fire mitigation. The Attorney General’s office presented a budget built around a 0% general fund increase, greater use of the Consumer Settlement Fund, and $4.5 million in special/extraordinary litigation funding. The AG emphasized active litigation and investigations involving consumer fraud, Medicaid fraud, federal funding cuts, Meta and other technology platforms, AI and child safety, gaming compacts, tobacco, and possible litigation over abandoned uranium mine cleanup. Senators asked about scam enforcement, the structure of settlement funds, and whether the office could take on uranium-related litigation; the AG said the office could prepare a litigation budget but warned such efforts would require sustained funding. The State Auditor said the House budget added only modest increases while the office faced about a 40% vacancy rate, difficulty recruiting auditors, and a shrinking pool of public accounting firms, creating risks for constitutional audit responsibilities.

Transcript Highlights:

• converting land that used to be forests back to forests.
• converting land that used to be forests back to forests.
• converting land that used to be forests back to forests.
• converting land that used to be forests back to forests.
• converting land that used to be forests back to forests.

Bills: HF3556

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• This land is our past and our future. This land is our past and our future.
• I've served on incident management teams with Cal Fire and the Forest Service.
• We have agreements and great partnerships with Cal Fire, the Forest Service, and are signatories to the
• You know, land is our asset. And we've had no land until now.
• And smarter land-use planning.

Summary: The Select Committee on Native American Affairs met on Barona tribal land to examine rising homeowners insurance costs affecting tribal communities, with opening remarks from tribal leaders and Assembly members emphasizing tribal sovereignty, the history of forced settlement in high-risk areas, and the need for the state to recognize mitigation work already being done on tribal lands. The committee heard that wildfire, drought, and other climate-driven disasters have sharply increased insurance premiums and reduced coverage options, especially for tribes located in rural or mountainous areas that were not chosen by the tribes themselves. Cal Fire Deputy Director Frank Bigelow described the state’s wildfire response and tribal engagement efforts, including tribal liaisons on incident management teams, a Southern Region Tribal Affairs Deputy Chief, cultural burning agreements, and more than $30 million in tribal wildfire resilience grants over the last three years. Members questioned why tribal communities receive only a small share of grants, whether Cal Fire should do more outreach and budget proposals for tribes, and whether mitigation work is being recognized by insurers. Bigelow said Cal Fire is working with insurers and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety on mitigation standards, but acknowledged that more tribal outreach and participation are needed. Tribal chairpersons and fire chiefs testified that their communities are already investing heavily in fire protection through dedicated fire departments, fuel reduction, defensible space, prescribed burns, firebreaks, and home-hardening efforts, yet premiums remain high or coverage is denied. Barona leaders said premiums can range from $6,000 to $18,000 and urged insurers to assess properties individually rather than by broad high-risk zones. Soboba, Hamu, and Pechanga representatives described similar efforts and said grant rules, environmental review, and insurer practices can make it difficult to translate mitigation into lower rates. Several members suggested short-term state assistance or a tribal insurance mitigation fund, and the committee discussed the possibility of requiring insurers to better account for tribal mitigation and sovereignty in risk assessments.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your public service announcement time.
• , farm and forest webinar.
• Last, we have the Farm and Forest account. This is really to protect Washington's working lands.
• Without going into great detail, if you imagine a Forest Service, a DNR, or other road that you can't
• lands and keeping them working lands, but also providing recreational opportunities for members of the

Bills: HB2470 , HB2353 , HB2420 , HB2338

Committee: House Capital Budget

Keywords: HB2470, school construction assistance, capital budget, school facilities, on-base schools, military base schools, military installations, public school construction, school plant projects, state funding assistance, superintendent of public instruction, OSPI, school capital funding, instructional space, school district construction, alternative learning experience, ALE, free and reduced-price meals, special housing burden, district growth

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> campaign medal with two bronze service campaign medal with two bronze service stars,<00:30:19.760
• Without objection. of service. The day after the September of service.
• </c> life of service after he returned home. life of service after he returned home.
• </c> of the committee on financial services of the committee on financial services or<02:17:10.559><c
• </c> Court is to rule on the law of the land. Court is to rule on the law of the land.

Bills: HB1526 , HR300 , HR293 , HR294 , HR164

Keywords: injunctive relief, court authority, legal proceedings, federal law, separation of powers, committee appointments, House of Representatives, membership, standing committees, legislative process, pairs, voting procedure, Congress, financial protection, overdraft lending, digital payments, consumer protection, voter registration, remote voting, proxy voting

Transcript Highlights:

• Interested in TDAM and the Forest Service I'm sure I've lost my place a little bit.
• The Forest Service did have an exceptional item request for wildfire airport. aircraft.
• It's with the Texas A&M Forest Service. But it's not reflected here. Correct. How come?
• Al Davis Director of the Texas A&M Forest Service.
• We also take the same equipment that we use for fighting fire from the Forest Service.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Article III

Transcript Highlights:

• LCPs are long-range land-use planning documents.
• carbon neutrality by 2045. 81 targets are set across agriculture lands, forests, wetlands, urban areas
• They focus exclusively on forest health and forest management, even though shrubland and chaparral ecosystems
• health and reducing forest fuels.
• Forest Service recently.

Committee: House Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• Yesterday, we just learned that the ramifications of the Trump-Musk chainsaw cuts to the Forest Service
• and USDA caused the closure of two of the busiest Forest Service offices and issue permits in Ely and
• Service and USDA that caused the closure of two of the busiest Forest Service offices and issue permits
• </c><00:06:48.639><c> caused</c><00:06:48.800><c> the</c> forest service in USDA that caused the forest
• of two of the busiest forest closure of two of the busiest forest service<00:06:50.720><c> offices</

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, our company only services law enforcement agencies and doesn't engage in any other commercial
• Develop their own facial recognition services or anything and have a kind of a patchwork if governmental
• with a government or if governmental agencies could contract with a provider that provides these services
• If it's one piece of it or two pieces of it related to having to take any bank or any lending service
• And the staff that is working to provide the service to the state of Texas and the citizens.

Bills: HB12 , HB149 , HB 12 , HB149 , SB229 , SB1361 , SB1749 , SB1897 , SB2113 , SB2566 , SB2677 , SB1652 , SB2327 , SB2344 , SB2696

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: election law, attorney general, prosecution, criminal offenses, law enforcement, jurisdiction, voter fraud, local prosecuting attorney, public safety, communication, governor approval, interoperability, political subdivision, radio systems, artificial intelligence, regulation, biometric data, ethical AI, consumer protection, AI governance

Summary: The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce heard testimony on HB 149, the Artificial Intelligence Governance Act. Senator Schwertner described the bill as an outcomes-based AI framework that would require disclosure when people interact with AI, prohibit manipulative or social-scoring systems, address biometric capture, discrimination, and deepfake child exploitation, and give the Attorney General enforcement authority. It would also create an AI Sandbox and AI Council. Witnesses from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a Houston attorney, TechNet, and the Texas Association of Business strongly supported the bill, praising its stakeholder process and pro-innovation approach, while Texas Appleseed suggested regulators should have more examination authority over sandbox participants. The bill was left pending. The committee then heard SB 229, which would prohibit motor vehicle dealers from conditioning a sale on dealer-offered financing or charging more because a buyer uses outside financing or cash. Senator West said the bill is meant to stop forced financing and bait-and-switch pricing, and he noted the bill passed the committee and Senate in the prior session. The Texas Automobile Dealers Association opposed the bill, arguing it would force dealers to accept any third-party lender or cash transaction on terms they cannot control. The Texas Credit Union Association supported the bill, saying consumers should be able to choose outside financing without hidden fees or pressure. After questions about cash purchases and dealer practices, the bill was left pending. The committee also took up SB 2566, which would clarify legislators’ access to information from executive agencies, including confidential information, by setting response deadlines, limiting confidentiality agreements to statutory terms, requiring a standard AG form, and creating a complaint and penalty process for noncompliance. No witnesses testified, and the bill was left pending. Finally, SB 1749, as substituted, would let certain court-related employees and judicial conduct commission personnel keep personal information such as home addresses and phone numbers confidential, with work addresses used in place of home addresses for certain purposes. District clerk and judicial conduct commission witnesses described threats and harassment as the reason for the bill, and a court administration witness answered questions about how the address protections would work with voter registration and precinct records. That bill was also left pending, and the committee recessed without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• What choices did we, as a state, make that lands us in this place? We've had income tax cuts.
• we're doing, instead, we turn to, oh well, let's just make sure that the people that can't get these services
• Because if someone who looks like me walks in for services, they will not be questioned.

Bills: HB3057 , HB3130 , HB4113 , HB3310 , HB3314 , HB3985 , HB4486 , HB3040 , HB3407 , HB4343 , HB2981 , HB3764 , HB3765 , HB3767 , HB3982 , HB3321 , HB3322 , HB3323 , HB4126 , HB4130 , HB4170 , HB3345 , HB2941 , HB3062 , HB3244 , HB3298 , HB2977 , HB3304 , HB3299 , HB3297 , HB4260 , HB3906 , HB3648 , HB3319 , HB2933 , HB3544 , HB1322 , HB4104 , HB4105 , HB4106 , HB4107 , HB4108 , HB3974 , HB3134 , HB3055 , HB3115 , HB3471 , HB3497 , HB3500 , HB3505 , HB3755 , HB4202 , HB4226 , HB4236 , HB4139 , HB4144 , HB4422 , HB4423 , HB4317 , HB4321 , HB4322 , HB3176 , HB3239 , HB3263 , HB3673 , HB3794 , HB3796 , HB4265 , HB4266 , HB2123 , HB3048 , HB2445

Keywords: government reporting, information technology, child welfare, environmental policy, state agency compliance, gender transition, minors, health services, punitive damages, parental rights, health care providers, voter registration, voter eligibility, felony disenfranchisement, restoration of voting rights, formerly incarcerated, reentry, parole, probation, supervision

Transcript Highlights:

• Like, the food service director is not part of a 504 meeting, and so that's a really big problem.
• Boston Children's we would continue to ask for is, when you schedule the 504 meeting, ask for the food service

Bills: H5012 , S2927

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Higher Education

Keywords: student nutrition, food allergies, celiac disease, gluten-free meals, allergen-free meals, medically restricted diets, school meals, college dining, K-12 education, higher education, disability access, accessibility services, food service, nutrition information, website disclosure, school website, meal accommodations, special diets, Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71

Bills: SB6046

Committee: House Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans

Keywords: SB 6046, Civil Air Patrol, Washington Military Department, Washington Division of Civil Air Patrol, volunteer air patrol, search and rescue, disaster relief, cadet training, communications support, cyber security, emergency response, governor call-up, active state service, federally chartered Civil Air Patrol, Washington Wing, Title 38 RCW, military department, tribal cooperation, public safety aviation, aerospace cadets

Transcript Highlights:

• And there'll be a lot of benefits, I think, for customer service in that sense. So we did.
• And there'll be a lot of benefits, I think, for customer service in that sense.
• , among other services.
• , among other services.
• And thank you very much for your service. We do have one more testifier.

Bills: SB6046

Committee: House Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans

Keywords: SB 6046, Civil Air Patrol, Washington Military Department, Washington Division of Civil Air Patrol, volunteer air patrol, search and rescue, disaster relief, cadet training, communications support, cyber security, emergency response, governor call-up, active state service, federally chartered Civil Air Patrol, Washington Wing, Title 38 RCW, military department, tribal cooperation, public safety aviation, aerospace cadets