Transcript Highlights:

• So I'm going to introduce legislation.
• And would you oppose legislation that simplified that, reduce Would you oppose legislation that simplified
• enabling legislation that you need to...
• For any legislative enabling legislation that you need to accomplish that as soon as possible.
• I think we would like to help if there's some legislation, companion legislation, that would need to

Summary: The hearing focused on a state audit of Cal/OSHA titled “The Division of Occupational Safety and Health: Process Deficiencies and Staffing Shortages Limit Its Ability to Protect Workers.” Committee leaders and the audit team described serious workplace tragedies, argued that California’s worker protections are not being adequately enforced, and said the audit was prompted by concerns that Cal/OSHA was too often relying on letters instead of inspections, delaying investigations, and closing cases without enough documentation. Members repeatedly emphasized that the issue was not just staffing, but also outdated policies, weak oversight, and inconsistent enforcement. State Auditor Grant Parks said the audit found a 32% vacancy rate in 2023-24, heavy reliance on hard-copy files, outdated or unclear policies, and inconsistent decision-making in complaints, accidents, citations, and fine reductions. He said Cal/OSHA conducted on-site inspections in only about 20% of complaints, used letter investigations more than 80% of the time, often lacked evidence that hazards were corrected, and sometimes failed to inspect serious injury cases on time. The audit also found weak documentation for fine calculations and settlement reductions, with some penalties reduced substantially without clear explanations. Parks said the agency had accepted the findings and would provide progress updates later in the year. Committee members pressed the auditor on vacancy rates, the use of letter investigations, the low rate of criminal referrals, and whether fines were being reduced too often. Cal/OSHA and DIR officials responded that the vacancy rate had fallen to 12% partly because 66 vacant positions were eliminated in a statewide budget reduction and partly because of hiring; they said 126 people had been hired in the first half of the year. They also said they had hired a policy writer, were updating several policies, were planning periodic internal audits, and were developing a new data management system expected to go live in late 2026 or early 2027. On fines, officials said Title 8 sets base penalties and allows adjustments based on factors like employer size, history, and good faith, with appeals and informal conferences also affecting final amounts. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:44:40.440><c> that</c> what kind of a budget appropriation that what kind of a budget appropriation
• </c> the I don't believe the legislation the I don't believe the legislation either<03:27:40.160><c>
• </c> environmental around having appropriate environmental around having appropriate tobacco<04:53:35.638
• </c><04:58:15.878><c> for</c> ones that responded to a request for ones that responded to a request for
• pending in the Senate with legislation pending in the Senate with an<05:16:06.000><c> appropriation<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Finance Committee’s Division 3 held a public work session on the Behavioral Health budget on February 27, 2025. The chair opened by explaining the schedule, materials, and deadlines for the budget process, and noted there would be no motions or votes in the division that day. Division of Behavioral Health Director Ktia Fox and DHHS CFO Nathan White then walked the committee through the division’s mission, structure, and budget materials, describing the division’s four bureaus: Mental Health Services, Children’s Behavioral Health, Drug and Alcohol Services, and Homeless Services, along with the policy unit. They emphasized the division’s role in oversight, technical assistance, quality assurance, contracting, and the continuum of care from prevention and early intervention through crisis and residential services. Much of the discussion focused on major programs and funding lines, including the 988 Lifeline contract with Headrest, a technical assistance contract with UNH, Medicaid pass-through payments to New Hampshire Hospital and Glencliff, crisis response services, cold-weather homeless responses, housing supports, and the children’s system of care. Members asked about the UNH contract, the 988 program, crisis stabilization centers, and the peer certification program; Fox explained that the peer certification is a training-and-credentialing pathway for people with lived experience to enter community-based behavioral health work, not a volunteer program. The committee also discussed the “Choose Love” program, which Fox said was created after the Sandy Hook tragedy to build resilience and strength-based emotional regulation in schools and communities. On the children’s side, Fox described the system of care account as the place where many contracted services are budgeted, including community mental health centers, care management entities, rapid response services, and residential programs. Members asked about temporary staffing, and Fox said roughly $500,000 in temporary staff costs shown in the current year would not be spent next year because the money came from a nonlapsing appropriation in HB 1573 for oversight of children’s residential services. She also said provider rate increases were a prioritized need but were not funded in the governor’s current budget, and that the Children’s Behavioral Health Resource Center was not funded, resulting in about a $1 million reduction. The session ended while the division was still moving through the children’s behavioral health slides, including questions about the Fast Forward high-fidelity wraparound program and medication management.

Transcript Highlights:

• If the court determines that the MHSA is appropriate...
• This legislation is really complicated, as Corey did a great job explaining.
• And I think that this legislation and this reshaping of the program really does that.
• I'm the prosecuting attorney here in Thurston County and a legislative co-chair for the WAPA legislative
• Future legislators may look at this policy and want to adjust it.

Summary: The House Community Safety Committee met on January 29, 2026, and announced it would not hold executive session that day because of the large number of public hearing sign-ups; those executive sessions were pushed to the following Monday. The committee first heard House Bill 2558, relating to the mental health sentencing alternative (MHSA). Staff explained that the bill narrows eligibility to people diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, adds restrictions for certain domestic violence and prior violent offense cases, requires more detailed DOC reports, lengthens some community custody terms, mandates regular progress hearings, and shifts assessment work to contracted providers. The sponsor said the bill is intended to refocus the program on people whose offenses are tied to serious mental illness and to reduce misuse in domestic violence and other violent cases. No public testimony was taken on HB 2558 that day, and the hearing was held open for later testimony. The committee then heard House Bill 2217, which would replace the current first-time offender waiver with a pretrial deferral option and a suspended sentence option for eligible first-time felony defendants. Supporters, including public defense, immigration advocates, judges, economists, and the Sentencing Guidelines Commission, argued the bill would create a meaningful rehabilitation pathway, reduce recidivism, improve employment outcomes, and avoid the long-term harm of an immediate felony conviction. They also said the deferred-adjudication structure could help immigrants avoid immigration consequences and would better incentivize restitution and compliance. Opponents, including sheriffs, prosecutors, and victim advocates, raised concerns about expanding eligibility to offenses such as assault 2 and robbery 2, the meaning of “violent offense,” the possibility of judicial diversion without prosecutor consent, and the impact on victims and public safety. After testimony, the sponsor said she would remove the bill’s strong presumption in favor of relief, and the committee closed the public hearing on HB 2217. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2641, the “ICE Out Act of 2026,” which would bar Washington law enforcement agencies from hiring people who were sworn ICE officers after January 20, 2025, with the restriction applying prospectively beginning October 1, 2026. The sponsor said the bill was meant to protect communities and prevent hiring officers associated with federal immigration enforcement practices she described as harmful. The committee then heard House Bill 2648, which would require state and local officers who encounter suspected ICE employees conducting immigration enforcement to activate body and dash cameras, report the encounter, and document it, while providing state indemnification for officers acting in good faith. Supporters said the bill would improve transparency and protect communities and officers; the Washington State Patrol said many of the practices already align with its policies. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs expressed concerns about added reporting requirements, possible effects on federal-local cooperation, and asked for changes to soften mandatory language and strengthen indemnification. The committee ended the hearing without further testimony and adjourned, noting executive sessions on about a dozen bills would occur the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> prevention policy and appropriations prevention policy and appropriations bill.<00:17:01.199><c>
• A roll call was requested. A roll much. A roll call was requested.
• </c> And so in this particular legislative And so in this particular legislative session,<01:06:06.000
• So we was never appropriated anywhere.
• </c><02:11:56.960><c> for</c> grant programs, and the requests for grant programs, and the requests for

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> for question is not in the appropriate for question is not in the appropriate setting<00:07:51.680
• we pass legislation based on I think we pass<00:36:33.119><c> legislation</c><00:36:33.680><c> based
• Who was the request for? Oh, he know what the question.
• Um putting this in a bonding request.
• </c> committee regularly approves requests committee regularly approves requests for<01:46:38.800><c>

Bills: HF1323 , HF3500

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Keywords: undocumented, financial aid, state policy, higher education, noncitizen eligibility, funding, storm damage relief, Bemidji State University, reforestation, state appropriations, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:37:15.480><c> and</c> the scope of the legislation and the scope of the legislation and definitions
• </c> Uh to the appropriate time next session? Uh to the appropriate time next session?
• </c><01:17:21.400><c> a</c> going, could I just uh please request a going, could I just uh please request
• </c><01:39:13.040><c> Services</c> Department of Legislative Services Department of Legislative Services
• </c> Appropriations, it is report number 17. Appropriations, it is report number 17.

Keywords: House streaming session for Friday, March 20, 2026, 957, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have with us Ann Hollingshead from the Legislative Analyst's Office, Carolyn Chu from the Legislative
• Yes, the Legislative Analyst.
• It's legislatively.
• Brought by legislation that has made the cost of business. brought by legislation that has made the cost
• It's legislatively.

Summary: The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee held an informational hearing on California’s Budget Stabilization Account, or Rainy Day Fund, with opening remarks focused on the state’s long history of revenue volatility and the role reserves play in smoothing downturns. The Legislative Analyst’s Office explained that California’s personal income tax base is highly volatile because high-income earners’ income is tied to capital gains and other fluctuating sources, and that Proposition 2’s current reserve rules set aside 1.5% of General Fund revenues plus a share of excess capital gains, but cap constitutional deposits at 10% of General Fund taxes. The LAO said its analysis evaluates reserve policy over decades and found the current system would cover about 30% of funding shortfalls in a 90th-percentile downturn scenario over 50 years, which is an improvement over no reserve but still inadequate. The LAO recommended raising the reserve cap substantially, ultimately to 50% by 2055, with an immediate increase to 20% and gradual increases thereafter. It also suggested either replacing Proposition 2’s deposit formulas with broader rules that capture volatility across all tax revenues or, alternatively, depositing all excess capital gains rather than only a share. The Department of Finance said the Governor’s prior proposal similarly sought to raise the cap from 10% to 20% and exclude reserve deposits and withdrawals from the state appropriations limit, arguing those two constraints limited the state’s ability to save during recent revenue surges. Other panelists and members discussed whether reserves should be paired with broader structural changes, including unemployment insurance reform, safety-net funding, infrastructure reserves, and the projected surplus temporary holding account. The California Budget and Policy Center supported reserve reform but emphasized balancing savings with current needs and noted other tools such as revenue increases, borrowing from special funds, and the new surplus-holding account. Members debated the causes and effects of Proposition 13, the appropriations limit, business departures, and whether reserve policy should be more directly tied to protecting Californians’ access to health care, food assistance, child care, and other core services. No votes or formal actions were taken, as the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're going to appropriate $1.1 million. And we're going to hire 10-11 employees. Is that right?
• So, the particular money for this program is appropriated Just for to fund that position.
• And then the funding that is requested could be used to expand the program to reduce the wait time to
• Yes, and you'll note the original Bill, while it was written differently, did have an appropriation request
• I know you're shocked, but I looked this up, and there is 124 Pieces of legislation that have been passed

Bills: HB2993 , HB3850 , HB3595 , HB3763 , HB3760

Committees: House Public Safety , House A&B Public Safety Subcommittee

Keywords: rural law enforcement, grant fund, public safety, financial assistance, coordination districts, grant funding, law enforcement coordinators, municipal assistance, education, inmates, literacy, high school equivalency, Department of Corrections, parole, rehabilitation, HB3595, Safer Counties Revolving Fund, Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, county grants, traffic barrier equipment

Transcript Highlights:

• Individualized is not required, which is proposed in the legislation.
• So because no amendments have been taken, I respectfully request a no vote. Thank you.
• With that, we respectfully request your aye vote. Secretary, please call the roll.
• Motion is due pass and re-refer to Committee on Appropriations. Ortega: Aye.
• The motion is due pass and re-refer to Committee on Appropriations. SB 1299, Aragon.

Committee: House Labor and Employment

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We did not request. Margie's not in here. We did not request her presence, but um, happy birthday.
• processes. ...through the appropriate process.
• I've worked on thousands of pieces of legislation.
• Did they pass their legislation?
• But my number one concern I have with this piece of legislation... have with this piece of legislation

Bills: HB297

Committee: House Financial Services

Keywords: cash transactions, money transmission, regulatory compliance, criminal penalties, Alabama Securities Commission, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• our guests and visitors today, state law prohibits persons in the gallery from interfering with legislative
• Persons disrupting legislative proceedings are subject to removal, arrest, or other appropriate legal
• Pursuant to Assembly Rule 96, I request unanimous consent to re-refer the following bills to committee
• We are going to be recognizing the retirement of a long time legislative staff member, dedicated a member
• He always considered the impact of any legislation to the taxpayer.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> years and janor ruy I'm a Legislative years and janor ruy I'm a Legislative Assistant<00:03:27.040
• </c> for $2 million almost in request for $2 million almost in request 62<00:12:35.880><c> grants</c>
• <00:19:11.200><c> of</c><00:19:11.320><c> 270,000</c> appropriation of 270,000 appropriation of 270,000
• </c> opportunity um the proposals requested opportunity um the proposals requested nearly<00:19:42.280
• But you can see the amounts requested there and the amounts awarded.

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Actually, I used this slide during the legislative session last session.
• Thank you, legislators. It's been an honor.
• Jamie, those numbers don’t include the dual credit scholarship appropriation.
• I said, uh... ...and access issues in the appropriate role of dual credit.
• Our Legislative Council staff.

Summary: The committee reconvened at North Dakota State College of Science for a presentation from President Dr. Flanagan and college leaders about NDSCS’s mission, enrollment growth, workforce training, and facilities needs. Flanagan highlighted student success in national competitions, strong placement and retention, growing enrollment, and new or expanding programs in aviation maintenance, fire science, dental hygiene, community health worker training, surgical technology, HVAC/plumbing, and precision agriculture. He also emphasized the college’s partnerships with industry, including John Deere, Fargo Jet Center, Sanford, and Comdel Innovation, and said NDSCS plans to seek approval next session for a revenue bond to build a new dorm and to remodel the library into academic and allied health space. Allied health dean Deb Smith testified that her division is at capacity and needs a simulation center, more lab and classroom space, and expanded dental and OTA facilities to meet demand and accreditation needs. Committee members questioned Flanagan and staff about workforce shortages, especially faculty pay, and whether the college can staff additional growth. Flanagan said the biggest challenge is recruiting instructors because industry pays more, but noted some health care and adjunct hiring is possible because of schedule flexibility and benefits. He also discussed shifting resources away from lower-demand programs like power sports toward higher-demand areas such as automotive and aviation maintenance. Members also asked about the college’s identity as a technical institution, with Flanagan arguing North Dakota would benefit from a more defined tech-school system. The committee then received a University System presentation from Jamie Wilkie on the cost of delivering dual credit. Wilkie explained the methodology used to allocate direct and overhead costs across subsidized and unsubsidized dual credit, noting that dual credit and early entry account for about 5.9% of total credit hours and 2.7% of formula funding. The analysis showed subsidized dual credit tuition revenue of about $5.5 million and unsubsidized revenue of about $2.9 million, with some institutions showing margins and others losses depending on the model. Members discussed whether K-12 funding should also be reflected, how payments to high schools and teachers are structured, and whether tuition-free dual credit would require replacing both tuition revenue and the current dual credit scholarship. No votes were taken; the committee simply received the presentations and discussed the findings.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> The motion is inexpedient to legislate. The motion is inexpedient to legislate.
• </c> The motion is inexpedient to legislate. The motion is inexpedient to legislate.
• </c> inexpedient to legislate is adopted. inexpedient to legislate is adopted.
• </c> to legislate on House Bill 629. to legislate on House Bill 629.
• </c> inexpedient to legislate is adopted. inexpedient to legislate is adopted.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Mine is referring to your testimony of potential legislation. Thank you.
• One of them, Representative Dahlaby covered on the legislative part.
• will move forward in the legislative process.
• He's been in his local branch multiple times requesting withdrawals.
• As legislation is passed, we'll be in physical session this year, but as legislation is passed, we need

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Persons disrupting legislative proceedings are subject to removal, arrest, or other appropriate legal
• Connie Chan, Legislative Manager, State Treasurer, Fiona Ma, and Russell Manning, Legislative Analyst
• I respectfully request an aye vote. Thank you, Assemblymember Schiavo.
• Let's try and get through as much legislation as we can.
• Also, this is a California Legislative Black Caucus priority bill.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Unanimous consent has been requested. Is there objection?
• Unanimous consent has been requested. Is there objection?
• Unanimous consent has been requested. Is there objection?
• Unanimous consent has been requested. Is there objection?
• Unanimous consent has been requested. Is there objection?

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Their requests are...
• So we're not seeing money requests for new projects or cost increases.
• It's... ...requests for new projects or cost increases.
• I would put them more on the housekeeping side of a capital request.
• that you're seeing, all the base requests you're seeing from agencies.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met on October 16, 2025, for a budget and revenue overview, a traffic safety presentation, and a discussion of potential transit and active transportation grant programs. Committee staff reviewed the adopted 2025-27 transportation budget, noting $15.5 billion in expenditures, the large share for WSDOT, and the mix of revenue sources including fuel tax, vehicle-related fees, federal funds, Climate Commitment Act revenue, and new 2025 revenues from SB 5801 and SB 5802. Staff said the 2025 session produced a balanced four-year plan, preserved major project schedules, maintained highway preservation funding, and added money for culverts, local preservation, and other priorities. They also described a September forecast showing lower motor fuel consumption than previously expected, but still enough revenue growth to keep the transportation plan balanced. For the 2026 supplemental, staff said agency requests were relatively modest overall, with most capital requests reflecting reappropriations and timing shifts rather than new projects, while WSDOT’s addendum identified much larger future needs for maintenance, preservation, paving, culverts, and safety work. Senators asked for more detail on how revenues are distributed by fund type and geography, how much of the maintenance and preservation request is actual maintenance versus equipment, whether paving needs could be supported through bonding, and how electric vehicle sales trends might affect forecasts. The committee then heard a remote presentation from Dr. Jessica Chikino of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on traffic safety trends and countermeasures. She said U.S. traffic fatalities have risen sharply over the past decade, with especially large increases for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists, and argued that the U.S. lags other high-income countries in roadway safety. Her presentation highlighted IIHS’s “30 by 30” goal to reduce fatalities 30% by 2030 through safer speeds, stronger impaired-driving countermeasures, better pedestrian protection, and safer commercial vehicles. She discussed research linking higher speed limits to higher fatality risk, the benefits of lower urban speed limits, speed safety cameras, traffic calming, lighting, pedestrian beacons, and safer intersection design. She also described ongoing work with Bellevue on smart signal technology and pedestrian safety pilots. Committee members thanked her for the presentation and said they would share the materials with others. In the final work session, the committee revisited transit and active transportation grant concepts that had been included in the Senate budget proposal but did not advance in 2025. Barb Chamberlain of WSDOT’s Active Transportation Division explained how grant programs need runway, staff capacity, applicant readiness, and clear criteria, and compared program design to getting a plane off the ground. She discussed the proposed Senior Transportation Emphasis Program and regional trails/cycle highways concepts, noting that some projects could be structured as funding-first programs while others would work better as project-line or project-first models. She said regional trail projects are already eligible under existing programs but often score lower because current criteria emphasize safety and population served. Justin Leighton of the Washington State Transit Association then reviewed transit grant programs and argued that transit safety and security needs remain underfunded, including operator barriers, lighting, shelters, behavioral health coordination, and non-uniformed security staff. He said many transit capital programs are oversubscribed, that operator barrier retrofits alone could cost $20 million to $30 million, and that agencies face uncertainty about how recent sales tax changes apply to security-related contracts. No votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Unanimous consent has been requested. Is there objection?
• That would require further legislation. Any funding adjustments would require further legislation.
• That consent has been requested. Is there objection? Hearing none, the gentleman has the floor.
• Speaker, request unanimous consent to cease further reading of House Bill 544.
• The unanimous consent has been requested. Is there objection?

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Persons disrupting legislative proceedings are subject to removal, arrest, or other appropriate legal
• I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 45.5 to allow Assembly Members Wilson, Aguilar-Curry
• I request unanimous consent to suspend Assembly Rule 118 to allow Assembly Members Wilson and Papin to
• These kids are here to immerse themselves in the legislative process and learn about the work we do here
• I’ll request that the adjournment in memory be deemed read and printed in the journal.

Summary: The Assembly convened in Sacramento with an initial quorum call, then established a quorum and proceeded with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and routine opening business. The chamber dispensed with reading the prior journal, deferred introductions and references of bills, and reported no Governor or Senate messages. Procedural motions were approved, including suspending rules to allow adjournment-in-memory remarks and guest access, and withdrawing S.J.R. 7 from committee and placing it on the third reading file. Members then recognized several guest groups, including Grace Valley Christian School, College of San Mateo student-athletes, the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Agricultural Leadership Class, the Light of the World youth group, and exchange students from Germany and Tajikistan. There was no substantive floor debate on legislation; daily file and several file items were passed, retained, or continued without further action. The main floor activity centered on adjournment-in-memory tributes. Assemblymember Ortega honored former San Leandro Mayor Stephen Cassidy for his public service, school and hospital advocacy, and civic leadership. Assemblymember Wilson honored Joseph R. Martinez, a Solano County agricultural leader and advocate for rural health care. The Assembly observed moments of silence for both individuals. The session concluded with announcements, including a reminder that FPPC Form 700 was due that day, notice of committee meetings, and an adjournment motion carrying the House until Thursday, March 5 at 9 a.m.