Transcript Highlights:

• The cameras in the room will switch to whoever is actively speaking, so please only turn on your microphone
• Please click the 'Join as Panelist' pop-up when it appears and turn on your audio and video.
• Since then, our court has continued to operate, but in temporary conditions that are not designed for secure
• Securing funding this biennium will enable a small enabling project and allow this project to begin and
• The first is the $1.5 million that we requested for electrical grid security.

Summary: The Capital Budget Committee held a hearing on Proposed Substitute House Bill 2295, the supplemental capital budget. Staff said the proposal totals nearly $911 million, including about $400 million in bonds and $511 million from other state and federal sources, with much of the increase over the governor’s proposal coming from Climate Commitment Act (CCA) funding. Major spending areas include housing and homelessness, K-12 construction, human services facilities, and CCA-funded clean energy, decarbonization, and habitat restoration projects. The chair said the committee would not take amendments at the hearing and planned to vote out the budget on Thursday, with a technical fix striker expected. Testimony was largely supportive of the House proposal, with many witnesses asking the committee to preserve or increase specific items in final negotiations. Housing advocates urged support for the Housing Trust Fund, manufactured housing preservation, and projects such as Alliance Place, Cloverdale Cottages, Cherry Street Village, Somos, and the Thrive Center. Education and public facility witnesses backed investments in school seismic safety, small district modernization, Healthy Kids Healthy Schools, community college and university maintenance, and projects at Cascadia College, WSU, CWU, and UW. Health and human services testimony supported behavioral health, Tubman Center, HealthPoint, pregnant parenting treatment, and the Yakima Behavioral Health Hub. Natural resources, climate, and infrastructure witnesses praised funding for Flood Plains by Design, community forests, trust land transfer, salmon recovery, the Skokomish land purchase, and the Lower Columbia River dredging project. Several local governments and organizations requested additional support or Senate-level funding for specific projects, while Climate Solutions cautioned against using CCA dollars to backfill existing obligations. The committee heard no votes during the hearing, and the chair closed by saying the budget would be executed on Thursday.

Transcript Highlights:

• The cameras in the room will switch over to whoever is actively speaking.
• staff, and please click the 'join as panelists' pop-up when it appears and turn on your audio and video
• Additional projects in the general government functional area of the budget include funding for security
• The City of Linden applied to the Public Works Assistance Account this year to secure a grant or a loan
• paperwork and secure their employment authorization to connect them with jobs and ultimately to help

Summary: The House Capital Budget Committee opened its first hearing of the session on HB 2295 and briefly heard a presentation from OFM Senior Budget Advisor Jen Masterson on Governor Ferguson’s proposed supplemental capital budget. She said the proposal uses about $396 million in new appropriations, leaving roughly $5.4 million in remaining bond authority, and includes major investments in housing, urgent state facility needs, climate-related projects, K-12 school safety and modernization, and higher education minor works. The housing package was the largest share, with $225 million for the Housing Trust Fund, plus funding for homeownership, preservation, manufactured housing communities, and flood-impacted home repair. Committee members asked follow-up questions about Rainier School and juvenile rehabilitation projects, and staff said Rainier School was on the plan and that juvenile rehabilitation funding included flexible capacity funding and facility improvements. Public testimony was largely supportive of the governor’s housing, education, climate, and natural resources proposals, while several speakers urged changes. Housing advocates, Habitat for Humanity, community land trusts, and service providers backed the Housing Trust Fund and homeownership funding, including support for manufactured housing preservation and transit-oriented affordable housing. School and college representatives supported small district modernization, seismic safety, lead remediation, and minor works funding, while some asked for additional support for specific projects such as Cascadia College’s new building, Central Washington University’s feeder line replacement, and WSU Spokane health education renovations. Natural resource and tribal witnesses supported salmon recovery and community forest investments, but asked for more funding for RCO community forest and estuary programs. A major recurring concern was the proposed $75 million transfer from the Public Works Assistance Account, which cities, counties, sewer and water districts, and the Public Works Board said would jeopardize low-interest loans already awarded for local infrastructure projects and shift costs onto distressed communities. Other testimony opposed the budget’s omission of certain projects, including the University of Washington’s power plant decarbonization work and a Spokane cultural hub, while some local governments requested funding for wastewater and flood-control projects. No votes were taken; the chair closed the public hearing after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those cameras... And the cameras, much like... Do I have any athletes in here that play sports?
• That camera will find you.
• just another responsibility for these busy kids, but this online program will not only help teens secure
• You can Google those things; you can watch a video.

Committee: All GIRLS STATE

Summary: The meeting was a Girl State House session in which members received procedural guidance on chamber rules, recognition, voting, and decorum, then moved through a series of bills. The first bill, House Bill 1001, would have prohibited over-the-counter diet pills from being sold or transferred to minors; supporters argued it would protect teens from eating disorders and misuse, while opponents raised concerns about medical exceptions and the age cutoff. It failed 42-55. House Bill 1002, allowing lottery winners to keep their identities confidential for a period of time, was amended during discussion to a three-year confidentiality period and passed 79-17 after a motion for immediate consideration. House Bill 1003, requiring schools to provide resources and courses on child labor/workplace laws and readiness, drew debate over whether it should be mandatory, what age group it should cover, and whether schools could support it; it failed 22-73. House Bill 1004, the Arkansas Head Injury Act requiring helmets and protective gear for motorized cycle riders, passed 94-4 after testimony focused on safety for riders, other drivers, and first responders. Members then considered House Bill 1005, which would require a year-long personal finance course before graduation to teach budgeting, taxes, credit, and related life skills. Supporters said it would better prepare students for adulthood, while opponents argued the material is already covered in existing classes and raised concerns about scheduling and implementation; it failed 35-60. House Bill 1006 increased the teacher classroom investment income tax deduction from $500 to $1,000, with supporters emphasizing teachers’ out-of-pocket spending on classroom supplies and student needs; it passed 97-0. House Bill 1008 sought to limit the number of national franchise businesses in an economic zone to encourage local entrepreneurship and protect small businesses, but opponents argued it could hurt jobs, limit consumer options, and was unclear in scope; it failed 23-69. The House then passed House Bill 1009, creating a voluntary blue envelope program for people with intellectual disabilities to help law enforcement interactions, after supporters said it could reduce confusion and improve safety; it passed 87-5. The final bill introduced before the transcript ended was House Bill 2010, which would increase the income tax credit for Arkansas families supporting a child with special needs; the sponsor began by sharing a personal story about her brother with Down syndrome and the costs families face, but the discussion was cut off before debate or a vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Basically, it can run all those video analytics, AI algorithms, everything inside the device.
• On the right you see, actually, that's inside the camera, inside the device, where we have a small computer
• the speed traffic signs are the big-ticket item for law enforcement, for engineering and DOT, flock cameras
• But to those tuning in on TVW or watching this video, we'll adjourn that part of the meeting.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met in Yakima to focus on tribal traffic safety, with members and Yakima Nation leaders emphasizing the importance of safety, the right to travel, and continued partnership on U.S. 97 corridor improvements. Yakima Nation Vice Chair Christopher Wallachie and engineering staff described the Tribal Traffic Safety Committee, the U.S. 97 safety project, heritage connectivity trails, roundabout construction, and the use of federal grants and advanced sensing technology to identify hazards before crashes occur. They highlighted collaboration with WSDOT, the Traffic Safety Commission, the University of Washington, and other regional partners, and explained that the goal is to move from reactive crash response to proactive risk reduction. The Yakima Nation engineering team and AI Vision presented the MUST sensor project, which uses compact AI-enabled devices to collect traffic counts, speeds, near-miss events, roadway conditions, and pedestrian activity, with data transmitted to a dashboard and used for real-time warnings and longer-term planning. Committee members asked about speed tracking, driver behavior, enforcement, and partnerships with WSDOT and counties. Yakima Nation staff said the relationship with WSDOT has improved over time, especially after community outreach on proposed roundabouts, and that the tribe now supports several roundabout projects and broader safety coordination. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission then presented statewide fatality trends and tribal traffic safety data. Mark McKekney said 2024 showed a roughly 10% decrease in fatalities statewide, though recent years remain among the highest in decades. He noted that race and ethnicity data are only available for people who die in crashes, and that many American Indian and Alaska Native fatalities involve passengers, pedestrians, or bicyclists rather than drivers. Penny Rerick outlined tribal traffic safety coordinator grants and other state-funded tribal projects, including work with Yakama Nation, Colville, Kalispel, Makah, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Muckleshoot, Lower Elwha, and Puyallup, stressing that flexible state funding helps fill gaps left by federal programs and supports community-led solutions. The final presentation covered impaired driving enforcement and ignition interlock compliance in Yakima County. Yakima Police Chief Sean Boyle said the city created a DUI enforcement and education officer program that helped reduce serious injury and fatal impaired-driving crashes, supported by state funding and social media outreach. Yakima County District Court’s Nick Bazan described a supervision program for DUI offenders and interlock compliance, reporting more than 1,000 DUI convictions in 2024-25 and about 3,800 noncompliant interlock users countywide. He said the court is using a two-pronged approach—pretrial assistance for indigent clients and post-conviction accountability and case planning—to improve compliance and reduce impaired driving. The committee expressed support for the work, noted the progress made, and adjourned the work session after thanking presenters for their updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because it's a photo, it's a camera taking your photo if you're violating the law.
• Security freeze is on subsection 2 of the caucus sheet, and this bill is on third-read consent.
• Madam Chair and members, House Bill 2322, DCS investigations, interviews, recording, enables video or
• Security freeze is on subsection 2 of the caucus sheet and this bill is on third read consent.
• Madam Chair, members, House Bill 2322, DCS Investigations, interviews, recording, and it enables the video

Summary: The committee worked through a long Minority Caucus calendar covering a wide range of bills, with many items on consent and several pulled for discussion. Early items included resolutions on Judea and Samaria, bullion depository bills, a produce incentive appropriation, a biennial budget proposal, and a veterans services appropriation. Members also heard transportation-related bills on driver permits, citations, boat insurance, English proficiency for commercial drivers and motor carriers, photo enforcement, and a measure restricting incarceration for unpaid fines and fees. Several members raised concerns about constitutional issues, public safety, or whether bills were duplicative or targeted at specific groups. A large portion of the meeting focused on education and school governance bills. These included proposals on school district bond advisors, restrictions on school property leases and purchases, public meeting requirements, term limits and training for school board members, patriotic youth group access to students, computer science proficiency, and a bill requiring fingerprint clearance cards for traffic school instructors. Members repeatedly criticized what they described as inconsistent treatment of public schools versus ESA/private school programs, and several education bills were pulled from consent for further discussion. Other bills addressed child safety and family law, including DCS credit freezes, recorded child interviews, parents’ rights notices, mandatory reporting of threats by minors, sex offender residency and GPS monitoring, and a bill on guardianship rights during DCS investigations. The committee also considered a number of social services, health, and labor/consumer bills. These included SNAP work requirement and verification measures, a SNAP error-rate audit, dementia care telemonitoring funding, a Braille transcription appropriation, court fee limits, a physician assistant compact, pediatric licensure compact, and a kratom regulation bill. Members debated an earned wage access licensing bill at length, with opponents calling it predatory and akin to payday lending, while supporters argued it provided a regulated consumer option. Other measures covered cash acceptance by businesses, 529-to-Roth IRA rollovers, AI rules for state agencies, and a bill on public nuisance actions by the Attorney General. Several of these drew warnings about constitutional problems, preemption, or burdens on vulnerable populations. Energy, water, and tax policy also featured prominently. The committee heard bills on fuel formulations, gas tax relief, data centers and small modular nuclear reactors, utility reporting, and a Commerce Authority mandate to reduce fuel prices. Members criticized some proposals as favoring industry, preempting local control, or lacking a clear funding plan. The meeting ended after additional items on veterans, sample ballot mailing dates, and other miscellaneous measures, with multiple bills noted as pulled from consent or subject to later votes; no final roll-call results were detailed in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because it's a photo, it's a camera taking your photo if you're violating the law.
• Security freeze is on subsection 2 of the caucus sheet, and this bill is on third-read consent.
• Madam Chair and members, House Bill 2322, DCS investigations, interviews, recording, enables video or
• Security freeze is on subsection 2 of the caucus sheet and this bill is on third read consent.
• Madam Chair, members, House Bill 2322, DCS Investigations, interviews, recording, and it enables the video

Summary: The committee worked through a very long minority caucus calendar covering a wide range of bills, with many items being described and then either left on consent, pulled from consent, or noted for votes. Topics included bullion and state depository proposals, a produce incentive appropriation, a biennial budget change, veterans services funding, driver licensing and traffic enforcement measures, procurement and public records changes, school board and school facilities rules, SNAP work requirements and verification, child welfare and juvenile justice provisions, housing and homelessness measures, energy and fuel policy, election administration, and several tax, commerce, and licensing bills. Members repeatedly raised concerns about constitutionality, federal preemption, duplication of existing law, and whether some measures were policy priorities that had been vetoed in prior sessions and were returning unchanged. Several bills drew extended debate. Members objected to English-proficiency requirements for commercial drivers and motor carriers, arguing federal law and the supremacy clause would bar them. Earned wage access regulation prompted strong opposition over consumer harm, overdraft cycles, and high effective APRs. School-related bills were criticized for overregulating public schools while not imposing similar requirements on ESA/private-school programs, especially on fingerprint clearance and reporting. SNAP-related bills were also opposed as setting unrealistic mandates and repeating vetoed proposals. Other contested measures included a drag-show criminalization bill, a bill restricting photo enforcement, a bill limiting local regulation of unmanned aircraft, and a bill conforming Arizona tax law to federal changes, which members said would benefit wealthy taxpayers and corporations without a clear funding source. The committee also heard a number of supportive or less controversial measures, including bills on veterans awareness, dementia care telemonitoring, Braille transcription funding, CPA licensure pathways, cash acceptance by retailers, and some child safety and court administration changes. Several bills were pulled from consent for further discussion, while others were noted as having unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The meeting ended with caucus announcements, including an affordability award presentation, an upcoming Latino Caucus discussion on community land trusts, and an invitation to African American Legislative Day activities, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• In previous comments, I highlighted the restrictive access to audio and video recording during OMMA administrative
• The question continued about whether inspectors wear body cameras.
• So we have policies and procedures regarding the body camera, and they follow those policies and procedures
• Our compliance team will keep an active camera on while they're on site.

Summary: The Executive Advisory Council met without a quorum, so no votes were taken, but the meeting proceeded with public comment and agency updates. Public commenters focused on medical marijuana issues including transparency in OMMA proceedings, delays and accreditation at the OMMA quality assurance lab, THC potency inflation, recall and embargo procedures, and the need for more public data and patient safety protections. One commenter also urged consideration of allowing first responders access to cannabis off duty, while another praised OMMA staff professionalism during inspections and enforcement actions. OMMA leadership responded with updates on the QA lab, saying the agency has been building the lab since receiving authority in 2023 and funding in 2024, and that validations and accreditation are being phased in. They reported current accreditation for pesticides, flower, potency, oils and concentrates, with additional validations for terpenes, water activity, filth and foreign material expected by the end of the month, and heavy metals, mycotoxins, residual solvents, and microbial testing to follow. Officials also said a website page will be launched to provide ongoing lab transparency. Compliance and enforcement updates included 779 inspections, 83 investigations, 65 administrative actions, and the hiring of a recall coordinator. The council also discussed legislative developments. OMMA said seven bills affecting the agency remain active, including HB 4454 on clearer THC labeling and child-resistant packaging, HB 3143 and HB 3144 on extending the grow-license moratorium and capping grow licenses, and amended bills SB 640, SB 1242, SB 1501, and SB 3 addressing cleanup, training, vendor standards, and THC products outside dispensaries. Members asked about access to METRC data, recall timing, inspector training, body cameras, and whether OMMA considers itself a public health agency. OMMA said METRC data is used internally and is confidential under state law, recalls are handled through a combination of agency notice and industry action, inspectors do wear body cameras under policy, and the agency is still building out its public health and education functions. The next meeting was announced for July 17 at 9 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• She is not here in the building, but Bonnie Hammock, if everyone would wave to the camera and say happy
• She is the strongest, most kind and compassionate woman I know, so if the body would wave at the camera
• I ask the body to please say hi to the camera as my father is watching at work. Love you, Dad.
• House Bill number 3219, introduced by VanSkoek, an act relating to the offense of operation of a video

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you all. security throughout the entire building security throughout the entire building allow<
• We added cameras, magnetic door locks, and reinforced security walls within our classrooms designed to
• We added cameras, magnetic door locks, and reinforced security walls within our classrooms designed to
• The current security measures do not protect cameras, access control, run, hide, fight—insufficient.
• The current security measures do not protect cameras, access control, run, hide, fight—insufficient.

Committee: House Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The best they can do is control it, and if you watch a lot of YouTube videos, you see that they don't
• Many of us like myself have In the Depot Bench community, many of us, like myself, have cameras on our
• property, Ring cameras.

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a camera, it's a beacon. It's a lot of things.
• You just got a safety and security. What would Benjamin Franklin say?
• I don't like these cameras either, but they're here.
• , which is national security.
• What if they knew the security guard company or the internal security guard was not doing their job,

Committee: Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• Bowen puts up a video of her child and it's a one-time thing. She's not making money off of that.
• So we're not trying to stop, again, a regular person from sharing videos of their kids.
• Yeah, sorry, I'm trying to get my camera here. No worry. Okay, ain't cool.
• Yep, done video conference at one job.
• Oh, does anyone for the camera, do they need a closer shot of this? Or do you have it? All right.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a lengthy hearing on June 18 focused on workers’ compensation, independent contractor and classification issues, workplace safety, warehouse worker protections, extreme temperature protections, retaliation against injured workers, and workplace bullying. Committee chairs outlined procedures for the hybrid hearing and noted that members would be leaving intermittently for floor votes. Testimony also touched on a bill to expand workers’ compensation disfigurement benefits by removing the current $15,000 cap and extending coverage beyond scars on the hands, neck, and face. A major theme was workplace safety in warehouses and in extreme heat or cold. Teamsters, warehouse workers, and labor advocates described high injury rates, strict quotas, lack of water, inadequate ventilation, frozen or missing safety equipment, and pressure to work through heat waves and snowstorms. Supporters urged favorable reports on bills protecting warehouse workers and requiring employers to adopt heat- and cold-safety plans, while the NFIB opposed the temperature bill as overly prescriptive and burdensome for small businesses. Sen. Edwards, Sen. Roche, Rep. O’Day, and others argued that the measures are needed to prevent heat illness, provide shade, water, rest breaks, training, and emergency plans, and to cover all workers regardless of immigration status. Another major subject was the “Act to Protect Injured Workers,” backed by labor groups, immigrant worker centers, legal services organizations, and individual workers. Witnesses said employers often retaliate after injuries by threatening deportation, lying about how injuries occurred, delaying care, or firing workers, and they supported stronger anti-retaliation enforcement, multilingual notices, and a rebuttable presumption of retaliation within 90 days of protected activity. The Mass AFL-CIO and immigrant advocacy groups supported the bill and opposed measures they said would weaken employee classification standards. Testimony also supported a funeral-benefits bill to raise workers’ compensation death-benefit reimbursement for burial and funeral costs, based on a family’s experience after a workplace fatality. The committee heard additional testimony on workplace bullying bills, with some witnesses urging a new legal duty for employers to prevent and respond to bullying, while others described the harms of toxic workplaces and the lack of effective remedies.

Transcript Highlights:

• Wech just got up and said, and we can look at the video in very clear terms, if you change it from NEC
• Wech just got up and said, and we can look at the video in very clear terms, if you change it from NEC
• Camera Rogers, 350 East Bay, support if amended. Thank you.
• Camera Rogers, 350 East Bay, support if amended. Thank you.
• And finally, exempt publicly funded research facilities, public safety facilities, national security

Summary: The committee first heard SB 868, the Plug and Play Solar Act, which would streamline approval for portable plug-in solar devices for homes and apartments. The author and supporters argued the bill would help renters and other Californians lower electric bills, expand access to solar, and create statewide safety standards through UL certification and the National Electrical Code. Opponents, including electrical workers, firefighters, utilities, and PG&E, raised concerns about shock, fire, backfeeding, older electrical systems, and the bill bypassing the California Electrical Code and Building Standards Commission process. After extended discussion and testimony from UL, the author agreed to add California Electrical Code language, and several opponents indicated they would move to neutral; the committee then passed the bill out as amended to the Senate Judiciary Committee on a roll call vote. The committee then took up SB 886, which would establish rules for large data centers to prevent electricity cost shifts to other ratepayers. The author and supporters said rapid data center growth could drive major grid costs and that the bill would require data centers to pay for their own infrastructure, participate in demand response, and secure new zero-carbon resources. Supporters included environmental and consumer groups, while opponents such as the Data Center Coalition, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, utilities, and business groups argued the bill was unnecessary, could duplicate CPUC proceedings, and might impose operationally risky mandates, especially around demand response and backup power. Committee staff described amendments narrowing the bill to large data centers, clarifying tariff and cost-allocation provisions, replacing behind-the-meter storage with a pre-funded long-term clean energy contract, and exempting certain public and critical facilities; the discussion continued with questions about cost responsibility, clean energy targets, and peak-load management.

Transcript Highlights:

• down there, that is and throwing cameras down there, that is significantly<00:33:39.360><c> less</c>
• Both the upper tunnel manway and the lower tunnel nozzle access will be secured for security and safety
• Uh, we have um cyber security improvements to manage, um, to keep up with current technology.
• Uh, we have um cyber security improvements to manage, um, to keep up with current technology.
• Uh we have um cyber<00:43:16.720><c> security</c><00:43:17.119><c> improvements</c><00:43:17.680><c>

Summary: The House Special Committee on Red Hill held an informational briefing at the State Capitol focused on updates from the Navy Closure Task Force Red Hill and NAVFAC Hawaii. Members and Navy officials opened by noting the meeting format, providing public links to tank closure supplement 4 and environmental remediation resources, and thanking Admiral Barnett for attending before his transition. The Navy emphasized that the Red Hill closure effort and the PFAS/PAS environmental remediation effort are separate but coordinated, and that both are long-term undertakings. For the closure effort, Navy officials reported progress on tank cleaning, ventilation, sludge removal, groundwater monitoring, and preparation for pipeline removal. They said supplement 4 to the tank closure plan was submitted in May and outlines the overall closure strategy, post-closure monitoring, and the decision to proceed with closure rather than wait for beneficial reuse decisions. They described completed ventilation of tanks 3 through 8, the start of tank 2 ventilation, removal of 283 gallons of sludge from the first six tanks, and plans to begin pipeline pigging and removal later this year. Officials also said all sludge samples tested so far were non-hazardous and that air monitoring has not shown elevated volatile organic readings during operations. NAVFAC Hawaii then outlined the PFAS/PAS remedial investigation under CERCLA, explaining the cleanup process, the nature of PFAS, and the role of aqueous film-forming foam as a source. The presentation said the Navy began investigating PFAS releases in 2014-2015, that the 2021 Red Hill fuel release led directly into remedial investigation work, and that current activities include quarterly groundwater sampling at 42 monitoring wells, installation of new shallow and deep wells, soil sampling where exceedances were found, fate-and-transport modeling, and human health risk assessments. Officials said data are publicly available on the Red Hill environmental website and that the next restoration advisory board meeting is scheduled for August 27. The Navy also gave a water resiliency update, saying it is upgrading the joint base drinking water system with pump, tank, and cybersecurity improvements and is installing treatment systems for the inactive Navy Aiea and Red Hill shafts ahead of EPA drinking water standards taking effect in 2029. No votes or formal committee actions were taken, as the meeting was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sarge, please secure the chamber.
• Senators and guests, we have a video highlighting Senator Rouson's service in the Senate.
• And lastly, I want to ask your wife how she stays so young because you changed in the video.
• removing the authorization for private and charter schools to operate a school bus camera program.
• removing the authorization for private and charter schools to operate a school bus camera program.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's probably because there's no camera here.
• Chair, members of the committee, we had a nuclear medicine camera, medical equipment.
• It was a nuclear medicine camera. ...had a nuclear medicine camera, medical equipment.
• It was a nuclear medicine camera. And how much was that, Mr. Chair?
• The video is the secretary, any objection to adopting the grow?

Bills: SB152 , SB145 , HB2 , SB190 , HB247

Committee: Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Summary: The committee first set aside Senate Bill 247 because the Attorney General and bill sponsor were not present. It then heard Senate Bill 190, which would authorize bonding to help Healer Regional Medical Center in rural southwest New Mexico replace an aging linear accelerator used for cancer radiation treatment. The sponsor and hospital representatives said the equipment is at end of life and that replacing it would keep patients from having to travel long distances for care. The committee adopted a friendly amendment adding an emergency clause, but members then questioned the financing, noting the $5.7 million cost, the lack of local matching funds, and the fact that the equipment’s useful life is only about 10 years while the proposed bonds would run for 30 years. After extended discussion about interest costs and timing, committee members explored alternatives to reduce the state’s borrowing burden, including using existing rural health care funds, federal grant money, or structuring a county lease arrangement rather than issuing bonds. The bill was left pending while staff and the sponsor were asked to look into those options and report back. The committee also briefly heard from the Department of Justice about concerns raised by the Public Education Department regarding Gallup-McKinley and online learning companies; DOJ said investigations were ongoing but it could not say whether a lawsuit would be filed. Members expressed concern about possible large liabilities and discussed bringing the Attorney General and PED Secretary back in executive session. The meeting then shifted to House Bill 2 and related budget matters. Staff walked members through numerous line items, flagging some as potentially duplicative, unspent, or in need of further review, including attorney general litigation funds, rural health, education, transportation, tourism, energy, and economic development items. The committee adopted the “grow” spreadsheet after members said they had reviewed it, and then discussed reserve targets. Staff presented several scenarios to raise reserves from about 26.7% toward the 27.5% target, including cuts to natural resource, environmental, higher education, and transportation appropriations. Members generally favored a flexible “scenario five” approach and were reluctant to sweep older capital outlay projects immediately, preferring to wait until the capital outlay changes bill is resolved. The committee planned to continue the budget discussion the next morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• In great part because of streaming video.
• We call it a short video, but we know short videos are like 30 seconds.
• That was a beautiful video. Thank you for that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• to create videos.
• Audio and video sessions highlight artists in the studio.

Bills: HF1679 , HF1019 , HF2321 , HF1740 , HF2278

Committee: House Legacy Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Engrossed Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for House Bill 4995, requiring the use of video
• cameras in certain special education classrooms, third reading of the bill.
• This bill strengthens oversight and transparency requirements for video and audio recording in special
• Engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 5182, relating generally to authorizing security personnel
• This bill provides that security personnel employed by the state treasurer may carry a concealed firearm

Summary: The Senate considered and passed a series of House bills on third reading, with several title amendments and a few effective-date motions adopted. Early in the session, members passed HB 4452 removing acreage limits on land owned by church or religious trustees, HB 4577 creating reciprocal driver’s license recognition agreements with Ireland and Japan, HB 4588 authorizing West Virginia participation in a federal tax credit scholarship program, and HB 4592 requiring higher education institutions to create coordinated campus safety maps. HB 4602 was amended to align with a prior Senate child welfare pilot program, and members discussed its projected cost and implementation timeline before passing it. HB 4603 created a pre-adjudicatory alternative disposition process in abuse and neglect cases, and HB 4606 narrowed bail rules by requiring consideration of residency and community ties while prohibiting personal recognizance bonds for violent felony offenses after an adopted amendment. The Senate also passed HB 4710 changing the party-registration deadline for candidates from 60 to 180 days before an election, with debate over its impact on independents, and made it effective January 1, 2027. HB 4712, known as Bailey’s Law, increased penalties for DUI causing death and related conduct, with emotional testimony from members about the victim and similar tragedies. HB 4765 established a pay raise for teachers, school personnel, and state police and added a market-pay enhancement system based on county cost-of-living differences; an amendment to the amendment capped county differentials and guaranteed at least a 1% increase in every county. HB 4865 created an optional program for high school and homeschool students to serve as election official trainees, and HB 4869 established narrow guaranteed-issue rights for Medicare supplement policies. Later bills included HB 4995, which strengthened video/audio recording rules in special education classrooms and was passed, then reconsidered and passed again; HB 4996 creating a new crime for making threats of violence against schools or children; HB 5048 guaranteeing virtual instruction for foster children in temporary placement; HB 5065 adding recordkeeping and geolocation requirements for hotel marketplace facilitators to ensure proper hotel tax remittance; and HB 5074 reallocating medical cannabis fund revenues to child protection, homeless services, research, law enforcement, and other purposes. The Senate also passed HB 5101, the Joanna Phillips Domestic Violence Prevention Act, which increased penalties for domestic violence offenses and adjusted bail provisions, after amending it to conform with the earlier bail bill. Additional measures passed included HB 5166 requiring notice before political committees are fined for filing violations and allowing limited extensions, HB 5168 directing $12 million in lottery funds to EMS first responders and county EMS support, HB 5182 authorizing certain state treasurer security personnel to carry concealed firearms, HB 5212 streamlining higher-education financial aid rules, HB 5214 allowing court-ordered drug testing of parents before reunification in abuse and neglect cases, HB 5353 regulating virtual currency kiosks with licensing, disclosures, and transaction limits, and HB 5366 exempting J-LAP records from FOIA to protect confidentiality for lawyers and judges seeking assistance. Most bills passed with strong bipartisan support, though HB 5074 and HB 5353 drew some dissenting votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• To begin, we have an impact video.
• It started out just increasing cameras and really helping schools because, unfortunately, we can't access
• I did have another video of what happens in the classroom. You can see it right there behind you.
• We also created an educational or instructional video, if you will.
• about surveillance cameras at businesses.

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, it was a student in a P.E. class, and there's a video of all of this, who got upset at another student
• This wasn't a close call at all; it was all captured on UFPD surveillance cameras.
• the way quickly enough and this wasn't a close call at all it was all captured on UFPD surveillance cameras
• that, if cities, counties, and school districts aren't properly funded, they are less safe and less secure

Summary: The Budget Committee met with a quorum and took up several bills. HB 677, relating to state-covered fertility preservation for employees undergoing cancer treatment, was introduced as coverage for egg and sperm preservation for up to three years, with an estimated fiscal impact of about $813,000. After brief questions and no public testimony or amendments, the bill passed unanimously and was reported favorably. The committee then considered CS/HB 59, which would reform Florida’s wrongful incarceration compensation process by extending the filing deadline from 90 days to two years, removing the clean-hands requirement, and allowing exonerees to choose between the state compensation process and a civil lawsuit; it was supported by the City of Flagler Beach and passed unanimously. CS/HB 1313, which recreates the Resilient Florida Trust Fund in the Department of Environmental Protection before its scheduled termination in 2025, also passed unanimously after supportive testimony from advocacy groups. The committee received a lengthy presentation from the Department of Management Services on the State Group Insurance Program and the recent Revenue Estimating Conference. The presentation covered enrollment, revenues and expenditures, rising medical and pharmacy costs, emergency room utilization, GLP-1 drug spending, and options for tighter formulary and utilization management. Members asked about ER cost growth, GLP-1 coverage and copays, PBM oversight and potential conflicts, avoidable ER visits, cancer screening claims, dental and vision costs, specialty drug biosimilars, and possible savings from more restrictive pharmacy models. DMS said it would follow up on several questions and noted ongoing work on cancer coordination, preventive screening, biomarker testing, and a proposed member-facing benefits platform. The committee also heard extensive testimony on HB 301, which would raise sovereign immunity caps from $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident to $1 million and $3 million, align limitations periods with private claims, and allow government entities to settle above the caps without a claims bill. Local governments, school-related entities, and county and city associations opposed the bill, warning of major fiscal impacts, higher insurance costs, and pressure on services; several speakers urged smaller increases or a tiered approach. Proponents, including families affected by catastrophic injury or death, argued the current caps are too low and the claims bill process is inefficient and unfair. After debate, the bill passed on a recorded vote, with some members voting no, and was reported favorably.