Transcript Highlights:

• Thanks to these successes, demand for petroleum-based fuel sources has steadily decreased in the state
• Thanks to these successes, demand for petroleum-based fuel sources have steadily decreased in the state
• But I'm happy that this bill actually is bringing skilled jobs in so that way we can keep our workforce
• Based on the tools that you have provided us, we do see the confidential information, and it does come
• Michael Jaird, with the Nature Conservancy, echoing the comments related to nature-based solutions and

Committee: House Natural Resources

Summary: The Assembly Natural Resources Committee heard three major bills focused on California’s energy transition, fuel supply, and climate investments. SB 237 by Sen. Grayson proposed short-term measures to stabilize gasoline supply and prices, including validating the Kern County EIR for new oil and gas permitting with setbacks, a well cap, offshore/pipeline provisions, possible suspension of summer fuel blend requirements, and a study of regional fuel blends. Supporters argued it would help keep refineries operating, protect jobs, and reduce price spikes during a “mid-transition” away from fossil fuels, while opponents said it was a fossil-fuel giveaway that would worsen pollution in Kern County and fail to address refinery-community protections or broader transition planning. The committee approved SB 237 on a due-pass vote, with some members voting no or not voting. The committee also heard SB 352 by Sen. Reyes, which would strengthen implementation of AB 617 by codifying the Environmental Justice Bureau in the Attorney General’s office, requiring at least five years of monitoring in AB 617 communities, and mandating annual reporting by CARB and air districts on program implementation. Supporters said the bill would add accountability and ensure the new continuous funding for AB 617 leads to real emissions reductions, while opponents criticized the process and argued the bill was an end run around separate negotiations and imposed rigid requirements on limited resources. The bill advanced on a due-pass vote after extensive testimony from environmental justice groups, business organizations, and local air districts. Finally, SB 840 by Sen. Limon was presented as the cap-and-invest package, maintaining California’s climate leadership while directing revenues to state and community priorities. Supporters highlighted stronger offset integrity, more frequent protocol updates, continued funding for programs such as AB 617, transit, housing, and other climate investments, and broad labor and local government support. Some witnesses and members noted the bill did not include dedicated funding for zero-emission vehicles or climate-smart agriculture and urged future work on those priorities. The committee passed SB 840 on a due-pass vote as well, and all three bills were later confirmed out of committee on the floor call.

Transcript Highlights:

• At the heart of that culture is a strategy coordinating grant-based research at university and private
• During this period, our scientists based in the United States published 70% of the papers in the top
• These highly skilled cadre of scientists, medical experts, and regulatory professionals allow medical
• provide support for clinical trials. designed to test the safety and efficacy of novel treatments based
• And that is a, it's a technological thing, it's a sociological thing, it is a relationship-based thing

Committee: Senate Senate Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• They could also include not grazing where there's heavy drought impacts, which reduces the prey base
• It really is based on the company and the case that comes before us.
• My question is based on this action, this appropriation.
• I know that the game and fish and also the wildlife group does have that number.
• The science-based view would tell you that the animals were placed ...would tell you that the animals

Committee: Senate Senate Natural Resources Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from February 27 and March 3, 2026, then heard House Bill 2013, which would require ADEQ to submit an exceptional event demonstration to EPA when a wildfire on federally managed land affects Arizona air quality. The sponsor said the bill would help Arizona’s ozone/nonattainment situation by ensuring wildfire-related exceedances are excluded from official counts. Sierra Club opposed the mandate as duplicative and costly, and ADEQ said it was neutral but concerned about requiring submissions that may not meet EPA’s regulatory-significance standard and could take about 200 staff hours each. HB 2013 received a do-pass recommendation by a 5-3 vote. The committee also approved House Bill 2156, appropriating $250,000 to the Livestock Compensation Fund, after testimony from opponents raising transparency, conflict-of-interest, and funding concerns; supporters argued ranchers need help with depredation losses. HB 2156 passed 5-3. House Bill 2113, which would require RUCO to intervene in utility rate cases when a proposed residential rate increase is 100% or more, drew testimony from the sponsor about rural customers facing large increases and from RUCO saying it lacked the staff and budget to take on the added workload. The chair and sponsor discussed adding an appropriation or lowering the threshold, but no amendment was ready. Opponents argued the bill would divert RUCO from larger cases, while supporters emphasized protecting rural ratepayers. The committee gave HB 2113 a do-pass recommendation, 6-2. House Concurrent Memorial 2011, urging Congress to delist the Mexican gray wolf and return management to states and local authorities, was supported by the sponsor and ranching-focused testimony citing livestock losses, while opponents said the species remains endangered and recovery should stay science-based. HCM 2011 passed 5-3. The committee then considered House Bill 2026, which would let ADWR evaluate water availability for certain developments by looking only at the proposed source or sources, even if water is commingled in a delivery system. ADWR was neutral but warned that commingled systems make it difficult to track actual water use and could weaken groundwater safeguards; opponents said the bill could enable double counting or more pumping. HB 2026 received a do-pass recommendation, 5-3. House Bill 2056, which appropriates $100,000 for a feasibility study of brackish groundwater desalination sites, was supported by the sponsor as a way to explore additional water supplies; ADWR was neutral but said the study would be new for the agency and that brackish water is still regulated as groundwater. HB 2056 passed 5-3. House Bill 2098, modernizing Pinal County Water Augmentation Authority bonding and financing authority, drew support from Pinal County representatives and passed unanimously, 8-0. Finally, House Concurrent Resolution 2057, supporting a geothermal permitting roadmap and coordination among agencies, was backed by industry advocates as a way to unlock Arizona’s geothermal potential and also passed unanimously, 8-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• purpose of the WSP accessing criminal history record information, including mandatory fingerprint-based
• or if the eligibility requirements ... history record information, including mandatory fingerprint-based
• on any background or anything that we don't see. to a free election based on any background or anything
• on the policy that we pass. ...have people that are being hurt or killed based on the policy that we
• This should be something that brings us together, not separates us based on a skin color.

Summary: The House Community Safety Committee met on February 24, 2026, for executive action on several bills, with no public hearings. The chair announced that action on Substitute Senate Bill 5067 would be deferred. The committee then considered bills dealing with fabricated depictions of minors and sexual exploitation (SSB 5105), worship-place protections and related civil remedies (SSB 5436), toxicology testing by certified laboratories (SSB 5880), reckless driving and speeding in construction zones (ESB 5890), human trafficking prevention and remedies (SSB 5936), law enforcement leadership and sheriff eligibility/background checks, volunteers, and specially commissioned officers (SSB 5974), and missing persons alerts and law-enforcement search tools (ESSB 6070). Several bills had amendments, including a striking amendment to SSB 5436 and a striking amendment plus multiple amendments to SSB 5974; ESB 5890 also received an amendment lowering the construction-zone threshold to 20 mph over the limit when workers are present. Members generally supported the bills but raised concerns on several measures. On SSB 5436, members discussed balancing protection of worshippers with constitutional protections for peaceful protest and concerns about law enforcement access in emergencies; the committee adopted the striking amendment and then advanced the bill. On SSB 5974, members debated background-check timing, due process, vacancy triggers, and whether election-related requirements for sheriffs were constitutional; some amendments were adopted and others rejected before the bill advanced. On ESSB 6070, members discussed the new Ebony and Purple Alerts, existing alert systems, and concerns about surveillance tools and privacy, with some members supporting the bill “with concerns.” Human trafficking testimony and comments emphasized holding accountable businesses that knowingly facilitate trafficking. Final actions taken included reporting out SSB 5105, SSB 5436 as amended, SSB 5880, ESB 5890 as amended, SSB 5936, SSB 5974 as amended, and ESSB 6070, all with due pass recommendations. The committee also adopted amendments to SSB 5436 and several amendments to SSB 5974, while rejecting others. The chair thanked members and staff, canceled the committee’s next scheduled meeting, and announced this was the committee’s last meeting of 2026 before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there is some skin in the game from these grantees as well.
• That's the demand that water providers, based on our conversations with them and based on their publicly
• We will issue to each of these teams, and based on each... ...how are we going to answer all of those
• But that also means that the state of Arizona then gets to own all of that work, so we determine, based
• on that information, based on what they tell us about the environmental feasibility, how they're going

Committees: Senate Natural Resources , Senate Senate Natural Resources Committee of Reference

Transcript Highlights:

• It's awarded for service in a combat or non-combat situation based on sustained performance or specific
• A Space Force base, or if a Space Force veteran retires in Texas, that many of the current definitions
• My oldest was deployed, and my youngest was on base, and... and we lost him in an accident on base.
• There is so much property in San Antonio: Kelly, Fort Sam, Randolph, Lackland, all the bases.
• So we would like to start here in San Antonio, where our base office is.

Bills: HCR7 , HB1557 , HB1608 , HB2061 , HB2201 , HB2210 , HB2426 , HB2754 , HJR165 , HB2513 , HCR7

Committee: House S/C on Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: Veterans of Foreign Wars, veterans, commemoration, military service, recognition, September 29, waiver programs, toll roads, discount programs, transportation, affordable housing, land bank program, low-income households, Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation, HB 2061, Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 225, State Highway 242, Interstate Highway 69, Montgomery County

Transcript Highlights:

• Here's how that breaks down, and this is based on the licenses required by TD.
• Based on drug sales, so at every level, this stuff is being exposed, but it's not new.
• We’ve never been able to control anything based on age.
• So the cutting off is based on the time.
• It was the Court of Criminal Appeals that abruptly changed the game.

Bills: SB5 , SB11 , SB12 , SB 5 , SB 11 , SB 12

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• for individuals to continue to learn, practice, and implement skills.
• So a PACT team, it's not a facility-based. They are totally community-based.
• It's not facility-based.
• And lastly, H.R. 1 introduces an earning-based eligibility standard for academic programs.
• And lastly, H.R. 1 introduces an earning-based eligibility standard for academic programs.

Summary: The committee held a work session focused first on juvenile rehabilitation system capacity. DCYF officials said the juvenile rehabilitation population is older, includes more adult-sentenced youth, and has longer lengths of stay, especially for “post-25” youth who must remain in secure facilities and cannot go to community beds. They described overcrowding at Green Hill School, placement limits at Echo Glen and Harbor Heights, staffing turnover, mental health acuity, and the need for more medium-security and specialized mental health beds. DCYF said it is pursuing a Parkland facility proposal, a staffing model decision package, and a broader feasibility study and master plan update. No votes were taken; members were asked to follow up with questions later. The committee then heard on behavioral health system capacity from the Behavioral Health Administration and the Health Care Authority. DSHS described growth in forensic and civil bed need, expansion at Olympic Heritage, Maple Lane, and Brockman, and construction of a new 350-bed forensic hospital at Western State expected to open in 2028. HCA reported progress on long-term civil commitment beds, intensive behavioral health treatment facilities, PACT teams, and intensive residential treatment teams, saying the community-based system is being expanded to support step-down care and reduce hospital reliance. Members asked about whether capacity is right-sized, the difference between facility types, and federal match eligibility for services. A federal funding update followed, covering the effects of H.R. 1 and H.R. 5371 on SNAP, Medicaid, marketplace coverage, long-term services and supports, K-12, higher education, and hemp regulation. OFM and agency staff said H.R. 1 adds work requirements, changes non-citizen eligibility, increases state administrative and benefit costs, reduces Medicaid and marketplace subsidies for some groups, tightens redeterminations, and may significantly affect provider payments and state-directed payments. H.R. 5371 extended federal funding through January 30, 2026 and included some agency appropriations and other provisions, including changes affecting hemp producers. Members asked about SNAP error rates and special enrollment periods. Finally, budget coordinator Mary Monroe gave a 2026 supplemental budget preview. She reviewed the state’s near general fund outlook, noting revenue declines since the enacted budget, the effect of reversions, and a preliminary maintenance-level outlook showing a projected increase in NGFO spending over the four-year period. She said the supplemental will reflect updated caseload and cost forecasts and mandatory impacts from H.R. 1, but not policy proposals. No actions or votes were taken during the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• And overall, our state FMAP, its base percentage is 50%.
• So you're basing that on a person, and so So 63% of their...
• And if you've talked to me once about eligibility or a hundred So you're basing that on a person.
• And the amounts of that will vary based on each individual client's situation.
• There is already likely an increase of 15% in premiums above the base.

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Summary: The committee held a work session to review how H.R. 1 would affect Washington’s Medicaid, long-term care, developmental disabilities, and food assistance programs, with a focus on state budget impacts and implementation challenges. Staff and agency officials explained Washington’s Medicaid financing, eligibility categories, caseload trends, and the role of managed care, then outlined H.R. 1 provisions affecting the expansion population, including work requirements, six-month redeterminations, changes to immigrant eligibility, reduced retroactive coverage, cost sharing, provider tax and state-directed payment limits, and penalties tied to eligibility error rates. Officials also described the need for major IT and systems changes across agencies, including the state’s existing CMS corrective action plan for automated renewals and the difficulty of implementing new federal requirements before guidance is finalized. Health Care Authority and DSHS witnesses said the expansion population would be most affected, with potential coverage losses for about 620,000 Apple Health expansion enrollees and additional impacts for some lawfully present immigrants and a smaller number of long-term care and developmental disability clients. They said many current enrollees already work, but the new requirements would create administrative barriers and could increase uninsured rates, emergency room use, and uncompensated care. Agency leaders also discussed the immediate prohibition on Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood services, with the state planning to backfill about $11 million so clients can continue care. Members asked about FMAP comparisons, work requirement experiences in other states, waiver possibilities, definitions of exemptions, and whether the changes would affect COFA communities, rural areas, and behavioral health services. The committee then heard a separate presentation on H.R. 1’s food assistance provisions. DSHS said the bill would broaden SNAP work requirements, end certain immigrant eligibility for federal SNAP, eliminate SNAP-Ed, increase the state administrative match from 50% to 75%, and create a future state cost share for SNAP benefits based on payment error rates. Officials estimated a four-year fiscal impact of about $750 million, with significant costs tied to the immigrant eligibility shift, administrative match changes, and possible benefit cost sharing. DSHS also described the state’s integrated eligibility system and the large amount of work needed to update it across multiple quarterly releases while coordinating with other agencies. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's based on people I talk to in the community.
• And that and that's based on buildings.
• on data and based on facts and not based on feelings.
• This bill would force schools to file a police report based on that incident.
• I do want to make a couple statements based on some stuff that was said earlier about St.

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• You have used your talents, your skills, and dedication to this body to address the needs of the House
• 01:34:30.080><c> your</c><01:34:30.400><c> talents,</c><01:34:31.199><c> your</c><01:34:31.440><c> skills
• </c><01:34:31.920><c> and</c> used your talents, your skills and used your talents, your skills and dedication

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:29:48.159><c> and</c> elected officials um get the skills and elected officials um get the skills
• </c> response to those witnesses, not based response to those witnesses, not based on<00:58:46.799><c
• It's evidence-based, and it builds on what Colorado has already done.
• ><c> builds</c><01:28:49.120><c> on</c> It's evidence-based, and it builds on It's evidence-based, and
• And based off of the to proceed."

Transcript Highlights:

• We would this value-based system.
• </c> integrated value-based care model. integrated value-based care model.
• ><c> experience,</c> Based on Hawaii's historical experience, Based on Hawaii's historical experience
• , based<01:28:10.080><c> on</c><01:28:10.200><c> economic</c><01:28:10.840><c> principles,</c> based
• HMSA has a strong reserve base.

Transcript Highlights:

• MTCA is a risk-based tool for environmental protection.
• , data-based process.
• And then it's also encouraged risk-based and exposure-based approaches for all MTCA sites.
• It's super conservative and not risk-based in practice.
• It's super conservative and not risk-based in practice.

Summary: The committee first heard updates on the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) and related funding. Department of Ecology staff explained how MTCA and the hazardous substance tax support cleanup, prevention, stormwater, and local assistance programs, but said forecasted revenues have declined while appropriations and transfers have outpaced incoming funds. Ecology said the operating account will require underspending to stay balanced this biennium and that the problem is ongoing, with further reductions possible if forecasts worsen. Ecology also reviewed the state cleanup program, noting there are more than 14,500 cleanup sites in Washington and that new sites continue to be discovered faster than they are cleaned up. A question from Representative Lee raised the long-term issue of declining fossil-fuel-based revenue, and Ecology agreed that this is a future structural concern even though the current shortfall is driven more by forecasts and transfers than by fuel-use decline. The Pollution Liability Insurance Agency described its underground storage tank and heating oil programs, saying it has modernized from a reinsurance model to a financial assurance model with stronger state oversight and cleanup milestones. Russ Olson said the agency’s dedicated petroleum tax account is in strong financial condition, but emphasized the importance of preserving that funding source. He also discussed the loan and grant program for historic commercial releases and a new heating oil loan/grant program, while noting the agency is working on equity concerns where liens can be disproportionate to property values in smaller communities. Practitioners and advocates then offered differing views on MTCA’s performance: one attorney urged a collaborative review process to make cleanups faster, less expensive, and more certain, while another consultant argued the program is too conservative and process-heavy and should focus more narrowly on actual exposure and realistic cleanup standards. Environmental and community groups countered that MTCA is essential for cleanup, pollution prevention, stormwater control, and public participation, and that it is especially important for environmental justice communities such as the Duwamish Valley. Port and city representatives stressed that MTCA grants and cleanup funding are critical for large redevelopment projects, but said long timelines, permitting delays, and funding uncertainty can slow projects and jeopardize commitments. The committee then shifted to utility wildfire risk. Staff summarized recent legislation, including requirements for utility wildfire mitigation plans, creation of a wildfire mitigation standards work group, authorization for captive insurance by local governments and PUDs, securitization authority for disaster costs, and the existing wildfire response and resilience account. Chelan County PUD and Puget Sound Energy described extensive mitigation efforts such as vegetation management, grid hardening, undergrounding, AI smoke cameras, weather stations, enhanced operating settings, public safety power shutoffs, and community outreach. Both said wildfire risk is rising and insurance costs are increasing, and Chelan PUD asked the Legislature to restore funding to the wildfire response and resilience account. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner said a 2022 utility liability market study found insurance availability is tightening as perceived risk rises, and reported that a 2025 work group recommended restoring community resilience funding, requiring insurers to share wildfire risk scores and mitigation steps with property owners, and creating a grant program based on insurance industry wildfire standards. A PNNL scientist added that wildfire probability is increasing in parts of Washington and that mitigation requires long-term, landscape-scale coordination. The final speaker began describing California’s approach to wildfire risk, but the transcript cuts off before that presentation concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• And they basically had a big war game over there for the better course of a year.
• It’s a performance-based program.”
• The lead-based pipe issue affects somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000, right?
• But we feel like the seven days, based on the experience, would work, so..."
• I wouldn't see someone saying, well, I don't believe that I have lead-based pipes.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first considered H.C.R. 89 by Representative Charles Owen, which directs the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism to study, with the Louisiana State Museum and the World War II Museum, the feasibility of a museum and trail dedicated to the Louisiana Maneuvers. Owen described the historical significance of the maneuvers and said the proposal would mainly involve markers and a modest museum. The committee moved the resolution favorably to the floor without objection. Members then debated H.R. 179 by Representative Marcel, which would create a study of neighborhood crime prevention and security districts and their effectiveness in reducing crime. Several members raised concerns about the number of study groups and the breadth of a statewide review, while others supported gathering data on crime trends, cameras, and district performance. Marcel said the study was intended to collect information, not mandate changes, and the resolution was moved favorably to the floor. The committee next took up S.B. 228 and S.B. 268 by Senator Duplessis, both related to replacing lead and copper water service lines. S.B. 228 was a constitutional amendment allowing public funds to be used on private property for replacement of lead-based and copper pipes, and S.B. 268 set out the process for municipalities or parishes to implement the program, including notice to homeowners and an inventory/testing process. Members questioned homeowner rights, the seven-day notice period, emergency entry language, contracting, and whether the work would fully address hazards inside homes; Rainwater said the program was narrowly tailored, federally funded through the EPA and LDH, and intended to replace lines from the main to the shutoff valve. Both measures were moved favorably as amended. Finally, the committee approved S.B. 283 by Senator Barrow, creating the Boulevard at Harding Area Special District in Baton Rouge to encourage development in a food desert near Southern University, and moved H.R. 225 by Representative Eccles, which urges study of parish-wide solid waste, debris removal, and disaster resilience services in Ouachita Parish. H.R. 223 by Representative Walters, urging Shreveport to partner on the Southern Soul City Initiative, was also moved favorably. The chair noted it was likely the committee’s last meeting of the session, and members and staff were thanked for their work.

Transcript Highlights:

• And they basically had a big war game over there for the better course of a year.
• It’s a performance-based program.
• The lead-based pipe issue affects somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000, right?
• But we feel like the seven days, based on the experience, would work.”
• I wouldn't see someone saying, well, I don't believe that I have lead-based pipes.

Summary: The committee met on May 13 and first took up House Concurrent Resolution 89, which asks the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism to study, with the Louisiana State Museum and the World War II Museum, the feasibility of a Louisiana Maneuvers museum and trail. Representative Owens described the historical significance of the Louisiana Maneuvers and said the proposal would help preserve and teach that history. The committee moved HCR 89 favorably to the floor without objection. The committee then heard House Resolution 179, which would create a study of neighborhood crime prevention and security districts and their effectiveness in reducing crime. Representative Marcel said the resolution was prompted by questions about crime data and district performance, while several members raised concerns about the number of study groups and the breadth of a statewide review. Other members supported the idea as a way to gather data on what works, including cameras and other security measures. The resolution was moved favorably to the floor. Next, the committee considered Senate Bill 228, a constitutional amendment to allow public funds to be used to replace lead and copper drinking water service lines on private property, and Senate Bill 268, the companion implementing bill that sets out the notice and replacement process. Paul Rainwater explained that the program would use EPA and state revolving-fund money, with work focused on the line from the meter to the shutoff valve, and that the city would inventory affected homes, give notice, and then proceed with replacement. Members asked about homeowner rights, emergency entry, contractor accountability, and whether the program could expand beyond New Orleans; Rainwater said he would return with more detail on the objection/emergency process. Both SB 228, as amended, and SB 268 were reported favorably. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 283, which creates the Boulevard at Harding Area Special District in Baton Rouge to encourage development near Southern University, and two resolutions: House Resolution 225, urging agencies and local governments in Ouachita Parish to study solid waste, debris removal, and disaster resilience services, and House Resolution 223, urging Shreveport and partners to advance the Southern Soul City Initiative. All were moved favorably to the floor, and the meeting ended with members and the chair thanking staff and noting it was likely the committee’s last meeting of the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're just a little late to the ball game right now. The process is Game right now.

Bills: HB491 , SB85

Committee: House Health

Keywords: HB491, public schools, K-12, school nutrition, school lunch, cafeteria, artificial dyes, food additives, food coloring, synthetic dyes, Red Dye No. 3, Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2, Green Dye No. 3, school fundraising, vending, snacks

Transcript Highlights:

• history in the world of skateboarding, representing the United States on the biggest stage, the Olympic Games
• Her journey from the skate parks of Petaluma to the Olympic Games is a testament to her hard work and

Transcript Highlights:

• Market development is a long game; you can't necessarily get the buyers in one year.
• They're based in London, but they serve clients in over 150 countries.

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Students were assigned to schools based solely on their zip code.
• Game wardens shouldn't be afraid to ticket poachers.

Bills: HB3725 , HB3260 , HB3660 , HB3369 , HB3370 , HB2937 , HB3419 , HB3264 , HB3266 , HB3267 , HB3268 , HB3310 , HB4311 , HB3841 , HB3024 , HB3075

Keywords: labor, e-verification, immigration, employers, employment eligibility, Department of Labor, penalties, funeral licensing, continuing education, Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association, professional development, licensing requirements, HB3660, natural organic reduction, human composting, soil reduction, green burial, funeral services, cremation, burial permit