Transcript Highlights:

• That's what we saw in multiple states when these changes were implemented.
• If it's over 8% but less than 10%, then the state pays out 10% of all benefits paid out in the state,
• Instead, it simply encourages the state to coordinate more effectively.
• Nothing existed at our state public health for this program before this.
• I'm the Associate State Director of Advocacy for AARP here in Arizona.

Committee: Senate Senate Health and Human Services COR

Summary: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee met and first recognized Physical Therapy Day at the Capitol, welcoming Arizona physical therapy leaders and students. The committee then took up several bills related to SNAP, health care regulation, child welfare, dementia services, and safe haven newborn surrender. SB 1334 would bar DES from seeking or renewing SNAP work-requirement waivers for able-bodied adults without dependents unless required by federal or state law; supporters said it would curb administrative expansion and opponents argued it would reduce flexibility during high unemployment and harm food-insecure Arizonans. The bill received a do-pass recommendation on a 4-1 vote. SB 1333 would require DES to reduce the SNAP payment error rate to 3% by 2030, with annual reporting, corrective action plans, Auditor General oversight, and possible funding penalties if targets are missed. After adopting a committee amendment changing reporting to quarterly updates and replacing a forensic audit with a special audit, the committee approved the bill as amended on a 4-1 vote. SB 1331 would require able-bodied adults under 60 receiving SNAP to participate in mandatory employment and training unless exempt; proponents said it would strengthen work expectations, while opponents and DES raised concerns about administrative burden and food bank impacts. The bill passed 4-2, with members explaining no votes due to child care, rural access, and food insecurity concerns. The committee also advanced SB 1162, which clarifies DHS’s role in licensing and monitoring health care institutions and, as amended, requires DHS and AHCCCS/Access to coordinate to reduce duplicative oversight and report periodically to the legislature; it passed 6-0. SB 1017, requiring additional signatures and witness verification on emergency informed consent forms for surgical procedures, passed 4-2. SB 1149, which adds reporting and procedural requirements for DCS periodic review hearings, passed as amended 5-1. SB 1249, designating DHS as the lead agency on Alzheimer’s and dementia and creating a state plan and services program funded through lottery monies rather than the general fund after amendment, passed 6-0. Finally, SB 1253 clarified that a parent may surrender a newborn at the hospital of birth without leaving and returning, and requires updated safe-haven reporting; it passed 5-0, after testimony from hospital and safe-haven advocates in support. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Committee, Bruce Skog, District 10, Star, Middleton, and Nampa areas of our great state.
• I like it, but it's also 34 other states' ideas. I've put a handout in your folders.
• This legislation exists in over 35 states.
• Well, the state steps in, I don't know.
• We've had this in other states for many years, for decades, 34 states.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Any other witnesses who want to state their name in support?
• up and down the state.
• Unlike states like Texas and Florida that have rampant gerrymandering where you know the winner and loser
• of utilizing the United States.
• A lot of states are for some reason dropping out of it.

Committee: House Elections

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The reason this is kind of sticking with me is that it's my understanding that the state of Texas actually
• or brought in from other states without regulation.
• So what we do have is quasi-dispensaries within our state around the state that are selling products
• They followed the state law and the state plan, but they were still being penalized due to natural fluctuations
• And unfortunately, what he is doing isn't being done in most of the state.

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Summary: The Senate Agricultural Committee began by approving the March 10, 2026 minutes and then recognized a departing page, Isabel Frasheiser, who thanked the committee and described plans to study agribusiness and political science at Montana State. Members praised her work and presented her with a gift. The committee then moved to two hemp-related bills, with extensive testimony from the Idaho Farm Bureau, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, and Boise Police Officer Cameron Colos. House Bill 879 would clarify that retail establishments offering certain hemp products for human ingestion or inhalation are subject to Idaho’s existing Industrial Hemp Research and Development Act. Supporters said the bill is meant to provide clarity and oversight for retail hemp products, while excluding non-viable whole hemp seed, hemp seed protein powder, and hemp seed oil, which they said are already recognized as safe and contain no THC. Several senators questioned whether the bill could create a pathway for marijuana-like products or vaping products, and the department and law enforcement testified that Idaho law already requires zero THC in retail products and that the bill is intended to help address mislabeled or out-of-state products. The committee voted to send HB 879 to the floor with a due pass recommendation, with one senator noting he would continue reviewing the issue before floor debate. House Bill 772 would change how negligent violations are treated for industrial hemp grown for grain or fiber. Supporters said the bill would protect good-faith farmers from negligent-violation penalties when crops exceed THC limits because of factors outside their control, while leaving the underlying THC standard unchanged. Testimony from ISDA explained that the bill does not alter the 0.3% total THC limit or the requirement that crops be remediated before leaving the field; it only changes whether a violation is considered negligent. A former federal drug prosecutor testified against the bill, warning about broader marijuana legalization efforts and expressing concern that hemp provisions could be used to support future cannabis production. After discussion, the committee voted to send HB 772 to the floor with a due pass recommendation, with some members reserving the right to revisit their positions later. The committee then adjourned and noted it would be subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• This follows similar successful programs adopted in states like Texas, Georgia, and Arizona.
• Again, we're in 24 different states, 48,000 units to... Mr.
• It's just phasing out over time the state funding of that organization.
• It's just phasing out over time the state funding of that organization.
• Private donations as opposed to state funding.

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think this is something—I believe we're only the third state to have a dedicated AI committee.
• And that's a very serious deal, and it's something that impacts the entire state.
• Kupper said, we're one of the first few states... ...right?
• You know, if my state wins, I feel like I win, and I don’t like to lose.
• He said he believes the states are innovators of incubation and that it is on states to come up with

Committee: House House Artificial Intelligence & Innovation Committee of Reference

Summary: The House Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Committee met for its first meeting, with members and staff introducing themselves and the chair outlining the committee’s purpose and expectations. The committee adopted its standing rules, including House-rule-based procedures for agendas and amendment deadlines, and then moved to a chair’s presentation since no bills were assigned yet. The chair’s presentation focused on what AI is and is not, examples of current uses such as transcription and image generation, concerns about misinformation, deepfakes, surveillance, job displacement, and the need for responsible governance. He emphasized Arizona’s role in AI infrastructure and semiconductor manufacturing, including data centers, chip fabs, workforce development, energy, water, and national security considerations, while arguing the committee should be innovation-friendly and avoid overly burdensome regulation. Members then discussed their perspectives. Several expressed cautious optimism, highlighting AI’s potential in health care, education, public administration, and business, while stressing privacy, cybersecurity, human oversight, and safeguards against misuse. The vice chair and others noted the importance of state-level policymaking and the committee’s bipartisan approach. No legislation was heard, and the meeting ended with the chair stating the committee would meet weekly and begin hearing bills as they are assigned.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of people were impacted, I know, people in your communities across the state.
• In states like New Jersey, there's a rider attached to every lease.
• This is a ask we're hearing from communities throughout the state for improved acquisition funds, a state-run
• In 2024, Washington had a record-breaking 23,000 eviction filings across the state.
• In 2024, Washington had a record-breaking 23,000 eviction filings across the state.

Bills: SB6139 , SB6214 , SB6237 , SB6091 , SB6096 , SB6200 , SGA9278 , SGA9279

Committee: Senate Housing

Keywords: rental payments, landlords, tenants, eviction, legal procedures, housing stability, land banking, property authority, housing development, urban planning, real estate management, SB 6237, Washington landlord-tenant law, Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, rental property disclosure, flood risk, flood hazard area, special flood hazard area, potential flooding, tenant notice

Transcript Highlights:

• I think this is something, I believe we're only the third state to have a dedicated AI committee.
• And it's something that impacts the entire state.
• You know, if my state wins, I feel like I win, and I don't like to lose.
• And their idea was that states shouldn't be allowed to make any rules about AI.
• I came from Texas and Oklahoma, a bunch of farmers.

Committee: House Artificial Intelligence & Innovation

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of people were impacted, I know, in your communities across the state.
• I want to draw the committee's attention to other states.
• In states like New Jersey, there's a rider attached to every lease.
• In 2024, Washington had a record-breaking 23,000 eviction filings across the state.
• In 2024, Washington had a record-breaking 23,000 eviction filings across the state.

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee held public hearings on three bills. SB 6237 would require landlords to disclose flooding history and flood risk to new tenants, along with notices that renters’ insurance and flood insurance may be needed and that county or local government sources have hazard information. The sponsor said the bill was a simple disclosure modeled on other states’ laws after recent flooding in Washington. Testimony was generally supportive, with an environmental nonprofit urging a broader jurisdiction-based disclosure instead of only county government, and housing industry groups saying they were neutral or concerned about added lease disclosures and asking for clearer language about what flooding information must be disclosed. No vote was taken on the bill. The committee then heard SB 6214, which would authorize public corporations, housing authorities, and certain nonprofits to operate as land bank authorities for affordable housing, with requirements for affordability covenants, annual reports, priority access to tax-foreclosed properties, and tax exemptions for qualifying land bank property and transfers. Supporters from Spokane, counties, housing authorities, affordable housing groups, and developers said land banking would help lower land costs, speed development, and expand affordable housing production. One member of the public opposed the bill, arguing it could remove land from the market and affect rural land supply. Department of Revenue staff flagged a technical issue, saying the bill needs a clearer definition of a qualifying land bank authority so the exemption can be administered, and confirmed the proposal would shift property off the tax rolls. The committee also asked whether the bill would allow non-housing uses such as parks or green space; staff said the bill requires affordable housing use, though the other half of land bank activity is not specified. The committee also heard SB 6139, which would require landlords to keep accepting previously used payment methods and continue to accept partial rent payments during an unlawful detainer process, while making clear that partial payments do not reinstate a lease or stop an eviction unless the parties agree in writing. The sponsor said the bill was intended to address cases where tenants can make partial payments but landlords shut off payment portals and refuse them, forcing judges to issue case-by-case standstill orders. Tenant advocates opposed the bill, arguing it would encourage evictions, remove judicial discretion, and could trap tenants by inviting partial payments that do not protect their housing. Landlord and property management groups were concerned about requiring continued access to payment portals and about ambiguity over whether accepting partial payments would waive eviction rights, though they said the bill was a good starting point and suggested clearer receipts and statutory protections. The public hearing was closed without action on SB 6139. In executive session, the committee adopted a proposed substitute for SB 6091, which limits broker marketing restrictions without requiring open access to homes and removes a Washington Law Against Discrimination provision, then voted the bill do pass to Rules. The committee also voted to recommend confirmation of gubernatorial appointments 9278, Pedro Espinoza, and 9279, Diana H. Perez, to the Housing Finance Commission.

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Paul Feeney, I'm the State Senator from the Bristol and Norfolk District and Senate Chair
• based on what the taxes are in your domiciled state.
• Forty-six states in our nation, including every other New England state, allow physicians to directly
• "Other states, including Maine, have already enacted similar reforms.
• Howard regarding how many manufactured homes are in the state.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Financial Services

Summary: The Senate Committee on Financial Services held a public hearing on late-filed matters, chaired by Senator Paul Feeney and Representative Jamie Murphy. The committee heard testimony on several bills, including S. 2738 on rising insurance costs for manufactured home residents, S. 2739 on creating a fire cistern program, and S. 2732 on direct primary care. Members were reminded to keep testimony brief, and several legislators and local officials testified out of turn as they arrived. The hearing ended with a motion to adjourn, which passed unanimously. On S. 2738, Senator Kelly Dooner, Representative Lisa Field, Taunton Mayor Sean O’Connell, Taunton City Council President Barry Sanders, and several residents and local officials described sharp premium increases, limited carrier options, and confusion over coverage for manufactured home communities. Testifiers said many residents are seniors, veterans, or low-income households on fixed incomes, and urged creation of a special commission to study the market and recommend solutions. Some asked that residents themselves be included on the commission and suggested more immediate relief if possible. On S. 2739, fire chiefs from Hopkinton and East Hampton supported a state fund for fire cisterns, saying many communities lack municipal water or hydrants and need reliable year-round water sources for structure fires, wildfires, and newer hazards such as lithium-ion battery fires. They said cisterns improve response and can affect insurance ratings, but maintenance and installation costs are difficult for local departments to cover. The Massachusetts Insurance Federation opposed the funding mechanism, arguing that insurance assessments are being used as revenue generators and warning that the proposal would add to policy costs and trigger retaliatory taxes. The committee also heard strong support for S. 2732 from physicians and specialty groups, including Dr. Jenny Labonte, Dr. Wendy Cohen, Dr. Rica Nair, and the Massachusetts GI Association. They said the bill would allow direct primary care physicians to make referrals for HMO patients and permit in-office dispensing of medications, which they argued would improve access, continuity of care, medication adherence, and affordability. No votes were taken on the bills during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• How many states already do this? Mr.
• Diaz, I believe there are five states that allow it as a method.
• I also want to state that Arizona's prison population includes many veterans.
• Reentry has been funded by the state in some capacity since FY22.
• So this has been a very good investment on behalf of the state.

Committee: House House Judiciary Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1655, which would have allowed qualified jurors to substitute temporary election work for jury service if summoned 90 to 120 days before an election. The Arizona Association of Counties opposed the bill, saying the timing would create major planning problems for county jury commissioners and courts, and that a better approach would be to excuse jury service only when election work overlaps the summons period. Members raised concerns about jury shortages, training, and whether the bill mixed two very different civic duties. The motion for a due pass recommendation failed on a 4-5 vote. The committee then heard SB 1751 and SCR 1049, identical measures to expand Arizona’s execution methods to include firing squad and lethal gas, with the choice left to the person sentenced to death. Senator Payne argued the change was needed because Arizona has had repeated problems with hangings, gas chambers, and lethal injection, and said the firing squad option would be more reliable. Opponents, including a death penalty attorney and a corrections chaplain/former officer, argued the bill would increase suffering, litigation, costs, and trauma for corrections staff, and that the state should instead improve existing lethal injection procedures or reconsider the death penalty itself. After debate, both measures received due pass recommendations, with several members explaining split or reluctant votes. The committee next considered a strike-everything amendment to SB 1317 that would appropriate opioid settlement remediation funds for county coordinated reentry planning services and a statewide database. Supporters from the Arizona Sheriffs’ Association and county sheriffs said the county jail reentry programs have reduced recidivism, helped people find housing and work, and should be expanded to more counties, with the database needed to track outcomes. Members asked about data, funding levels, and whether the opioid settlement money would be sufficient, but generally supported the concept. The strike-everything amendment was adopted, and SB 1317 as amended received a due pass recommendation on a 9-0 vote. Finally, the committee heard SB 1656, which would change court procedures for appointing professional personnel in family court cases. A court representative’s written concerns were read into the record, arguing the bill duplicated existing practice, would add unnecessary depositions and recording requirements, could raise costs, and included provisions that were already available under current law. With no bill sponsor or outside speakers present to address those concerns, members expressed uncertainty and the bill failed to receive a due pass recommendation on a 3-6 vote. The meeting ended with closing remarks thanking members and staff for the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Teresa and I actually started in the State Capitol. She has served for 21 years in this building.
• This bill mirrors a framework of SB 474, which limits commissary price markups in state facilities to
• comparing ourselves to states like Texas, Arizona, and Florida, thereby risking the exodus of critical
• SJR 18 actually builds on an effort that is being done in many states around the United States, Montana
• houses in the United States.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How many states already do this? Mr.
• Diaz, I believe there are five states that allow it as a method.
• Reentry has been funded by the state in some capacity since FY22.
• So this has been a very good investment on behalf of the state.
• And the state has something that the counties need, and now is money.

Bills: SB1317 , SB1655 , SB1656 , SB1751 , SCR1049

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: reentry programs, criminal justice, funding, grants, recidivism, attorney general, jury duty, election worker, Arizona Revised Statutes, temporary appointment, civic duty, family court, professional personnel, parenting time, legal decision-making, evidentiary hearings, child custody, ethical standards, capital punishment, death penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• Safety and efficiency in our state forensic system.
• However, most adults in our state lost access to care.
• We moved from Texas a couple years ago as we were victims of seven hate crimes.
• It will worsen the teacher shortage we already have in the state.
• Teachers are leaving the state. Teachers are leaving the profession.

Bills: S0560 , S0590 , S0778 , S1010

Committee: Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs

Keywords: child welfare, psychotropic medication, Department of Children and Families, community-based care, liability insurance, forensic services, defendants, mental health, judicial system, defense, legal definitions, minors, healthcare, parental rights, criminal penalties, civil action, sex-reassignment, investigations, economic damages

Summary: The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs considered four bills. SB 590, by Sen. Bradley, would toll the statute of limitations for failure to report suspected child abuse by mandatory reporters until the offense is known to law enforcement; an amendment clarified retroactive application for offenses not already time-barred by the bill’s effective date. Sen. Bradley said the bill is intended to ensure accountability in institutional abuse cases and not to change the reasonable-suspicion reporting standard. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard SB 778, by Sen. Simon, which would update the definition of forensic client so certain individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism whose charges were dismissed for incompetency can be housed with other Chapter 916 residents, reducing duplicative staffing and space needs at the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. Barney Bishop appeared in support, and the bill was reported favorably without amendment. SB 560, by Sen. Garcia, would streamline procedures for psychotropic medication prescriptions for children in DCF custody, reduce duplicative background checks and reporting, and simplify consent documentation. Amendments removed language allowing licensed clinical social workers and marriage and family therapists to serve as evaluators and narrowed changes to the Road to Independence Program’s postsecondary education services and supports, extending eligibility ages from 18 to 26 while keeping the five-year cap. Senators discussed the fiscal impact and funding blend for the education stipend. The committee adopted the amendments and reported the bill favorably. The committee then took up SB 1010, by Sen. Yarbrough, which adds criminal and civil enforcement for violations involving sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures for minors and related parental-rights provisions. An amendment clarified that the civil action authority applies to minors and that damages benefit the affected minor. Public testimony was heavily divided, with supporters saying the bill enforces existing protections and opponents warning it would chill care, counseling, and school-based support for transgender youth. Senators Harrell, Sharief, and Rouson raised concerns about vagueness, standing, and impacts on teachers and health professionals; Sharief voted no, while the bill was still reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Teresa and I—Teresa actually started in the State Capitol.
• This bill mirrors a framework of SB 474, which limits commissary price markups in state facilities to
• This bill will deter companies from outsourcing manufacturing to other states and ensure the vitality
• SJR 18 actually builds on an effort that is being done in many states around the United States, Montana
• houses in the United States.

Summary: The Assembly met in session, established a quorum, and opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several guest and retirement recognitions, including tributes to long-serving Assembly staff Liz Foster and Teresa Trujillo. Members also made procedural motions, including placing SB 546 on the inactive file, re-referring SB 716 to the Local Government Committee, and rescinding prior actions on SB 1344 and SB 1273 to return them to the third reading file. The body then took up a long series of concurrence and third-reading items, with most measures passing overwhelmingly. Among the bills discussed were AB 442 on working forest management plans, AB 2042 on civil actions, AB 1145 on vehicles, ACR 162 honoring Congressman Doug LaMalfa, AJR 17 on immigration registry renewal, SB 941 limiting commissary markups in private detention facilities, SB 1306 on controlled substances and semiconductor manufacturing, SB 1169 extending tentative map validity, SB 1211 on conviction integrity units, SB 971 on older adult education, SB 1193 on Alameda County discretionary funds, SB 1115 on public cemetery district trustee removal, SB 1187 removing language-access provisions from a Brown Act transparency measure, SB 505 on money transmitter security, SB 799 on the South Bay Regional Housing Trust, SB 994 banning NDAs for local officials and staff, SB 1405 on unclaimed retirement distributions, SB 881 extending food-bank-related tax incentives, SJR 18 on campaign finance reform, SB 1307 on forged real estate documents, and SB 1196 on utility hookup timelines. Most measures were approved with little or no opposition; SJR 18 passed 43-14, and several items required urgency or 54-vote thresholds and were adopted. The Assembly also adopted HR 136 designating Home Hardening Week and the consent calendar, including ACR 228. The session concluded with adjournment-in-memory presentations for David and Lupe Navarro and Rachel Summers, followed by an announcement that the Assembly would reconvene the next day at 9 a.m. for a floor session recognizing departing members, and the House adjourned until Tuesday, August 18 at 9 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> rural communities across the state. rural communities across the state.
• They mentioned Texas, North Carolina, some of the other states where these businesses are choosing to
• They mentioned Texas, North Carolina, some of the other states where these businesses are choosing to
• </c> business in our state. business in our state.
• </c> state permits to sell firearms. state permits to sell firearms.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The IG report stated, The IG didn't bother to investigate whether there was collusion between SBA officials
• Fitzgibbon's holds a bachelor's degree from the best university, Iowa State University.
• Sims obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas.
• In the United States, last year, last year of the Biden administration, 886,000 jobs.
• I do believe small businesses, they're the engine of our economy, every state.

Committee: Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee

Keywords: SBA, 7A loan program, underwriting standards, loan defaults, Community Advantage Program, small business funding, testimony

Summary: The committee meeting focused on discussions regarding the SBA's 7A loan program and its implementation challenges. Members raised significant concerns about recent changes to the underwriting standards, which have been criticized for leading to an increase in loan defaults. Ranking members expressed a desire for a return to stronger guidelines to protect taxpayers and ensure the program remains a viable source for small businesses struggling to secure funding. Testimonies from community lenders highlighted their efforts to support underserved communities and stressed the importance of the Community Advantage Program.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, as a state employee at the State &gt;&gt; Uh, as a state employee at the State Fusion<00:16:21.120
• </c> the whole state. the whole state.
• States like Texas, Illinois, and, as previously mentioned, Louisiana have explored such policy.
• </c><00:56:30.559><c> like</c><00:56:30.799><c> Texas,</c><00:56:31.760><c> Illinois,</c> States like
• </c><02:17:43.760><c> you</c> it if the state if the state gives you it if the state if the state gives

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Florida state law already prohibits the feeding of sharks in state waters.
• Florida state law already prohibits the feeding of sharks in state waters.
• Florida state law already prohibits the feeding of sharks in state waters.
• Florida state law already prohibits the feeding of sharks in state waters.
• Florida state law already prohibits the feeding of sharks in state waters.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> is independent of the state lab, right? is independent of the state lab, right?
• </c><01:33:02.719><c> uh</c> uh state the state and subdivisions uh uh state the state and subdivisions
• state agricultural and<01:33:31.760><c> state</c><01:33:32.080><c> state</c><01:33:32.320><c> food</
• Uh, Texas, of course, we all know Texas and the lone star.
• </c> the the state cap the not just the state the the state cap the not just the state capital,<05:05

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Keywords: 1191, senate, all