Transcript Highlights:

• One of the big ones was reducing personnel costs.
• I have one: is this board, when they created operating, how are they operating?
• It was a cost in moving, and is it a cost in maintaining that position?
• They were able to operate at significantly lower fees.
• costs.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> uh in the cost of care. uh in the cost of care.
• </c><00:37:56.520><c> input</c><00:37:56.880><c> cost</c> uh from input cost uh from input cost um<00
• </c><00:38:08.040><c> Um</c> the underlying cost. Um the underlying cost.
• . operation. operation.
• </c> accept it a very high cost. accept it a very high cost.

Bills: HF4343

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: sales tax, use tax, advertising tax, taxable services, digital advertising, online marketing, marketing services, search engine marketing, lead generation, internet advertising, ad agency, media buying, campaign planning, Minnesota tax law, service tax, broadening tax base, web advertising, promotional services

Transcript Highlights:

• A fiscal note is available with no estimated state fiscal costs and additional local costs depending
• instead of out-of-pocket cost.
• cost.
• So by doing this, in theory, it will lower the insurance cost.
• So by doing this, in theory, it will lower the insurance cost.

Bills: HB2304 , HB2664

Committee: Senate Housing

Keywords: condominium, housing, warranty, property rights, construction, HB 2664, unlawful detainer, eviction notice, landlord-tenant, tenant rights, service of process, certified mail, notice by mail, notice posting, possession action, vacate notice, Washington RCW 59.12, housing law, rental housing, forcible entry and detainer

Transcript Highlights:

• Establishing a farm operation is capital-intensive.
• Inflation and operating costs have skyrocketed since COVID, affecting all of our inputs and supplies
• operation.
• So we have a very high cost structure to produce milk.
• FDOT funds up to 100% of the project costs for those... ...funds up to 100% of the project costs for

Committee: Senate Agriculture

Summary: The Committee on Agriculture convened, took roll, and heard Senate Bill 58 by Senator Harrow, which would create regulation for companion animal cremation. Harrow described a case involving mishandled pet remains and said the bill would require written service descriptions, prohibit false or misleading statements, require certification with returned remains, authorize Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services rulemaking, and impose civil penalties for violations. With no questions or public opposition, the committee voted the bill favorably. The committee then heard presentations on robotics in agriculture and aquaculture. Dr. Nathan Boyd of UF/IFAS discussed the rapid growth of agricultural robotics, including AI-driven weed detection, targeted spraying, autonomous tractors, and harvesting technology, emphasizing reduced pesticide use, lower input costs, and labor-saving automation. Dr. Nicole Kirchoff of Live Advantage Bait and Adrian Johnson of the Florida Shellfish Aquaculture Association highlighted aquaculture’s economic and environmental value, Florida’s strong position in the industry, and challenges including hurricane losses, lack of insurance, land-use instability, capital access, and water quality. They urged support for working waterfronts, risk mitigation, and policies to help the sector commercialize and expand. The committee also heard from dairy producers Kevin Lusher and Jacob Larson. Lusher described his family’s dairy and artisan cheese business, noting reliance on USDA grants, rising costs, labor shortages, and regulatory burdens, and asked for more grant support, marketing for Fresh From Florida products, and permanent funding for Farmers Feeding Florida. Larson discussed the broader dairy market, declining herd sizes due to efficiency gains, high production costs in Florida, and competition from out-of-state processing, suggesting incentives for local processing and supply management. Finally, FDOT Chief Planner Wayway Schen presented on arterial and local road funding programs, including ART, ARTW, SCOP, SCRAP, CIGP, and TRIP, and said rural road needs remain significant, with more than $16 billion in unfunded or partially funded project needs. The committee adjourned after brief discussion and thanks to the presenters.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is a transfer from operating budget revenues that come to the transportation budget.
• pressure on flexible funds to backfill the costs.
• We understand that you plan to bond revenues to address cost overruns.
• Rivian welcomes the opportunity to operate within a clear regulatory framework.
• We are fully committed to meeting To operate within a clear regulatory framework.

Bills: SB6225 , SB6005 , SB6354

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: transportation bonds, general obligation bonds, Washington State Department of Transportation, WSDOT, highway funding, road construction, infrastructure financing, motor fuel tax, gas tax, vehicle fees, bond authorization, state finance committee, highway bond retirement fund, corridor projects, interstate improvements, right-of-way acquisition, public-private partnerships, transportation capital projects, local matching funds, emergency clause

Transcript Highlights:

• So a lot of these costs reflect those just general increases in health care costs.
• therapy costs.
• of the premium cost.
• of the premium cost.
• Cost have been skyrocketing.

Summary: The subcommittee heard an overview of the Department of Health Care Services’ proposed budget, including a $229.1 billion total-funds budget and projected Medi-Cal enrollment decline as redeterminations continue. Members focused heavily on the fiscal and programmatic effects of prior budget solutions and federal changes, especially the elimination of General Fund-supported Prop. 56 dental supplemental payments beginning July 1, 2026, the hospice utilization-management change, and the impact of reduced caseloads alongside rising health care costs. DHCS said it is still completing required access and rate-reduction analyses for the dental cuts and has been engaging stakeholders, but could not yet quantify the real-world effect on utilization or provider participation. The committee also reviewed the November 2025 Medi-Cal local assistance estimate, which shows higher General Fund spending despite lower enrollment, driven by managed care rate growth, Medicare cost growth, state-only claiming, and federal policy changes. The hearing then turned to provider taxes and federal H.R. 1 constraints, with extensive discussion of the MCO tax, the hospital quality assurance fee, and other health care-related taxes. DHCS explained that H.R. 1 phases down allowable tax levels and tightens “generally redistributive” rules, making the current MCO tax structure and the proposed higher hospital fee levels difficult or impossible to renew as originally designed. Staff and the LAO described the tradeoff between preserving Medi-Cal funding and avoiding higher costs on private providers and consumers. Members asked about options for preserving revenue, including possible amendments to Prop. 35 or returning to voters, and were told the department is still evaluating approaches while federal guidance remains in flux. The committee also reviewed hospital payment increases already implemented through state-directed payments, with DHCS noting that H.R. 1 will force those payments down to Medicare levels over time. Several budget change proposals were discussed and left open, including requests tied to the managed care final rule, managed care operations, hospital value strategy, long-term care payment transparency, and interoperability requirements. The committee also heard about a one-year trailer bill extension for skilled nursing facility financing, including continuation of the SNF workforce standards program, the SNF quality assurance fee, and annual rate growth, while the department develops a longer-term financing redesign for 2027-28. Members expressed skepticism about repeated rate reform efforts and questioned whether a one-year extension of the eliminated workforce quality incentive program should be restored during the transition. Finally, Covered California presented its budget and enrollment update, reporting that the expiration of the federal enhanced premium tax credit is expected to reduce affordability significantly, with average premiums roughly doubling for many enrollees and as many as 400,000 Californians potentially losing marketplace coverage over time. The exchange said California’s $190 million subsidy program is helping lower-income enrollees, but not enough to offset the federal loss, and it is also implementing a new gender-affirming care benefit and awaiting federal action on benchmark plan changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• You're operating all over the state, aren't you? Yes, ma'am. We are operating all over the state.
• Yes, and then other, and then the other costs that go into that as well, including the operating, their
• the operations program.
• Every time the price of diesel goes up, the cost of operating buses goes up. Buses aren't cheap.
• We just need to adopt and incur in the state at our cost, not the employee's cost.

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Transcript Highlights:

• DSGS is operated based on trying to avoid extreme emergency alerts.
• It's not as cost effective. It hasn't enrolled very many.
• But 17 percent were all necessary material costs, processing costs, distribution costs, storage costs
• , things like that, legitimate. ...the distribution costs, storage costs, things like that.
• aren't suffering high energy costs.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy heard six budget-related items and took no votes, holding all items open for a future hearing. The first item concerned a climate bond expenditure plan for the California Transmission Accelerator Revolving Fund under SB 254. GoBiz, IBank, and the Department of Finance described a request for nearly $26 million and 10 limited-term positions to develop financing strategies and evaluate transmission projects, while the LAO said the proposal was broadly consistent with Prop. 4 but noted that the Legislature may want to provide more direction on program design. Senators questioned how the proposal would lower ratepayer costs, protect state funds, and ensure accountability for billion-dollar transmission projects. The second item covered trailer bill language to redirect funding among demand-side reliability programs. Finance proposed moving $22 million from the DEPA program to DSGS for summer 2026 and using CalSHAPE interest funds for ELRP or an equivalent CPUC program in 2027-28, with CEC and CPUC coordinating the transition. Senators and LAO questioned why CalSHAPE funds should not continue supporting schools, and several members argued DSGS has been more successful and should continue rather than be shifted to ELRP. CEC and CPUC explained that DSGS and ELRP serve different reliability functions and do not address public safety power shutoffs. Public commenters, including school groups and clean energy advocates, split between extending CalSHAPE for school HVAC/plumbing projects and preserving or expanding DSGS. The committee also heard on petroleum market oversight implementation under SBX1-2 and ABX2-1, with the CEC and its Division of Petroleum Market Oversight requesting additional staffing to support inventory monitoring, refinery resupply analysis, and market oversight. Senators pressed for details on investigations, refinery margins, gasoline price spikes, and the transportation fuels transition plan, while staff said the draft plan would be released soon and that DPMO’s work on branded versus unbranded gasoline remains ongoing. Finally, the CPUC presented three additional proposals: implementing AB 1207’s climate credit reforms, studying large-load/data center cost impacts under SB 57, and preparing for regional market participation under AB 825. The LAO repeatedly cautioned that some of these requests may go beyond statutory minimums and urged the Legislature to decide how much policy direction and staffing it wants to provide. Public commenters supported DPMO funding, opposed ending CalSHAPE, and strongly favored continued DSGS funding over a new ELRP structure.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> cost on or they do cover that cost cost on or they do cover that cost initially<00:02:08.239><c>
• the 50% cost?
• 50% would be $8.3 million for one year, transit cost plus state badge cost. Thank you. Yep.
• </c><01:02:46.960><c> operator</c><01:02:47.839><c> operators</c> hoisting machine operator operators
• Yeah, those are crane operators. So they are crane operators.

Committee: Senate Labor and Technology

Summary: The committees heard testimony on several personnel and employment bills. SB 2119 would require the state or counties to reimburse public officers and employees for approved work-related travel costs within 30 days; testifiers from the State Procurement Office, UPW, HGA, the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, and others supported the measure, citing delayed reimbursements. SB 3131 would update state position titles by changing “private secretary” to “executive assistant” and “secretary” to “administrative assistant” where applicable, and it drew support from DEED and comments from the State Librarian. SB 3069 would permanently exempt a limited number of specialized positions in DAGS Public Works and the Comptroller’s office from civil service; DAGS, HCDA, and DEED supported it, while UPW opposed it. Committee members questioned whether the exemption should be narrower and whether the positions should be consultants or actual employees, and DAGS said the roles were narrowly tailored, highly specialized, and intended to help manage complex projects such as Aloha Stadium, the convention center, and other major redevelopment work. The committee then heard SB 3180, which would repeal the limit on temporary employment in a single position for two 89-day terms. Testimony included support from the Procurement Office, DOE, DHRD, the State Librarian in opposition, UPW written comments, HGA, the Grassroots Institute of Hawaii, and others. Discussion focused on whether the bill was needed to address abuse of repeated 89-day hires and whether it would affect recruitment and career pathways. Finally, SB 2137 would allow departments, divisions, and agencies to assume hiring and recruitment functions from DHRD under certain conditions. DHRD opposed the bill, saying existing law already allows delegation and that agency-level recruitment often lacks the expertise and staffing to do the work; UHPA supported it, and UPW submitted written support. In questioning, DHRD said it had reduced backlog and was now current on screening, while also offering programs like Operation Hire Hawaii for faster agency-led recruitment.

Transcript Highlights:

• The fiscal note shows $440,000 in operating costs in the 2025-27 biennium and $870,000 in operating costs
• The fiscal note shows $440,000 in operating costs in the 2025-27 biennium and $870,000 in operating costs
• It shows just over $1.4 million in operating costs in the current biennium and just over $700,000 in
• It shows just over $1.4 million in operating costs in the current biennium and just over $700,000 in
• Funding for materials, supplies, and operating costs, especially utility costs, insurance costs, and

Summary: The Capital Budget Committee heard briefings and testimony on several bills. Substitute House Bill 2281 would require state agencies to avoid imposing an undue burden on Indian tribes’ traditional cultural practices at tribal traditional cultural places, and would create a Superior Court cause of action for tribes. The prime sponsor and tribal witnesses said the bill is needed to protect sacred sites and cultural resources, while an industry witness asked for narrower, more predictable language. Some testimony criticized the bill as too expansive and likely to increase litigation. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 2514, which would create a Global War on Terror memorial work group to plan and recommend details for a memorial on the Capitol campus; the sponsor emphasized honoring Washington service members and said private fundraising would be central to the project. House Bill 2551 would let school districts with very low ending fund balances seek OSPI approval to sell district real property and use the proceeds to restore financial stability, rather than depositing the money into capital or debt service funds. The sponsor and Tacoma School District testified that the bill is a safeguard for districts nearing binding conditions, while members raised concerns about possible impacts on local land use and whether the bill could be misused in urban or rural areas. Substitute House Bill 2668 would require the Department of Fish and Wildlife to identify alternate locations for the Bob O’K Game Farm and request future capital funding to relocate and remediate the site because of nitrate contamination affecting the Centralia area aquifer. Local officials, public health staff, and tribal representatives supported relocation, citing public health risks and the potential cost of inaction, while the sponsor stressed that the bill is about moving, not closing, the game farm. In executive action, the committee took up House Bill 2470, as amended by a proposed substitute, which would increase state school construction assistance for schools on military bases by adding 15% to the calculated state match percentage. Members discussed the role of federal funding and the need for safe, equitable facilities for military-connected students. The committee approved the substitute bill and reported it out with a due pass recommendation by a vote of 15-1, with three excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• costs.
• costs.
• of low-cost student housing projects a challenge. made the development of low-cost student housing projects
• The cost will vary dramatically.
• The budget also includes $2.4 million in ongoing general fund support to cover operating costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's probably the biggest cost to the spaceport in terms of operational costs, besides the facilities
• cost, is the cost to have those services available 24 hours a day.
• Is it paying back the operating costs for the Spaceport?
• That raises the cost of the house, the largest cost that a contractor has is in employment.
• You don't have these huge land costs.

Committee: House Economic & Rural Development & Policy Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• HEALTHCARE COSTS. INFLATION.
• PARTICULARLY ON THE COURTSIDE OF OPERATIONS.
• OF COURT OPERATIONS BEING MET BY MAINTAINING RESPONSIBILITY.
• WHEN YOU DO THOSE INJUNCTIONS IT IS NO COST TO THE CITIZEN AND COST 295 DOES $295 TO A FILE FOR THE CASE
• IT WOULD COST $195 TO FILE THE CASE.

Transcript Highlights:

• It updates cost thresholds for allowed utility work to address, in part, steep post-COVID cost...
• It updates cost thresholds for allowed utility work to address, in part, steep post-COVID cost. ...for
• If the operator knows that the user of the AI companion chatbot is a minor, the operator is required
• annually in operating costs, and unlimited liability. hundreds of thousands annually in operating costs
• For fleets and owner-operators who replace tires regularly, these costs are astounding.

Bills: SB5984 , SB6119 , SB6076

Committee: Senate Environment, Energy & Technology

Keywords: artificial intelligence, chatbots, regulation, technology, consumer protection, pollutants, tire regulation, 6PPD, environment, public safety, SB 6076, consumer-owned utilities, public utility districts, municipal procurement, competitive bidding, public works, clean energy, renewable energy, nonemitting generation, energy storage

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Division um to align that with the cost Division um to align that with the cost of<00:04:17.880>
• </c> assess are inadequate to fund the costs assess are inadequate to fund the costs of<00:04:33.600>
• Okay, moving on to the operating adjustment: there are two operating adjustments included in this proposal
• </c><01:24:31.560><c> gets</c> thank you go ahead um the cost gets thank you go ahead um the cost gets
• to cover the increased cost.

Committee: Senate Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• , as an average, what it costs us.
• It does cost us about $138 per day. It does cost us about $138 per day.
• It doesn't cover the cost.
• So, and for instance, a counterfeit airbag operates, but it doesn't operate to the federal standards
• So, and for instance, a counterfeit airbag operates, but it doesn't operate to the federal standards

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• Then there's $138 million toward personnel costs to operate the human service districts, personal and
• operating costs for the human service districts.
• costs.
• costs.
• what it costs to provide care, what our facilities cost to run.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• Under this proposal, Civil Air Patrol would operate in one of two ways.
• Turns out helicopters are an incredibly expensive operation to maintain.
• Currently, our agency operates in two Bell 206B helicopters.
• Several For emergency management operations.
• This is a significant cost for an agency that prides itself on being cost-conscious and utilizes civilian

Bills: SB6084 , SB6044 , SB5950 , SB6046 , SB5763 , SB5784

Committee: Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections

Keywords: elections, double voting, voting twice, multiple voting, same-day election, primary election, general election, special election, cross-state voting, ballot fraud, election fraud, voter misconduct, RCW 29A.84.660, State v. Padilla, civil infraction, class C felony, Secretary of State, Washington elections, election law, voter eligibility

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> problems. uh this will increase costs problems. uh this will increase costs for<00:07:44.479><c>
• </c> the costs onto other property owners. the costs onto other property owners.
• When the bill increased these costs, the cost does not disappear or get paid by some third party.
• When the bill increased these costs, the cost does not disappear or get paid by some third party.
• They pass the costs right on.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> in need after in the wake of Operation in need after in the wake of Operation Metro<00:01:56.600
• </c> enforcement operation in Minnesota. enforcement operation in Minnesota.
• As leaders on the ground, it's been horrifying to see the human economic costs of Operation Metro Surge
• As leaders on the ground, it's been horrifying to see the human economic costs of Operation Metro Surge
• </c> on sides of the Operation Metro Search. on sides of the Operation Metro Search.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government