Transcript Highlights:

• The one limitation, and I believe you're probably talking about HR1 and some of the work requirements
• As a result, the ability of the WCAB to act on petitions within 60 days was substantially limited.
• As of April 21, 2026, we have been able to limit the number of cases that we grant for study because
• Current grant levels underutilize available funds and limit training capacity.
• Please limit your comments to one minute. And thank you very much. Cesar. Madam Chair. Thank you.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor, and Transportation heard presentations on labor and public employment issues from the Employment Development Department (EDD), the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), and the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). The committee first focused on EDD Next modernization, where EDD described progress on online claims, call center upgrades, language access, fraud prevention, and the Integrated Claims Management System (ICMS). The Legislative Analyst’s Office urged closer legislative oversight, especially as the project moves into the most difficult phase. Senators asked about the revised timeline, total cost, fraud reduction, stress testing, transparency around change orders, and the decision to phase in disability insurance and paid family leave before unemployment insurance. EDD said the overall project cost remained about $1.2 billion, that it had no major cost overruns, and that it had saved more than $20 million by shifting some shared customer portal work into ICMS. The subcommittee then considered CWDB’s request for additional operational resources and trailer bill language to streamline reporting. CWDB and the Department of Finance said staffing had been expanded during the pandemic-era surge in grant funding and should now be reduced as one-time grant programs wind down. Senators questioned the proposed staffing reduction, arguing that workforce development needs remain strong and that the board’s policy role still requires adequate capacity. The committee also discussed a proposal to consolidate multiple annual and interim reports into a single biennial report, with LAO supporting the streamlining. Members asked about reporting for specific programs and the cost savings from reducing duplicative evaluations. A major portion of the hearing addressed DIR’s proposed reforms to the Subsequent Injury Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF) and related workload funding. DIR and LAO described rapid growth in applications, a large and growing backlog, and sharply rising liabilities and employer assessments. The administration’s trailer bill would tighten eligibility, apply reforms to open cases, and use contemporaneous evidence and QME reports to document preexisting disabilities. LAO said the proposal largely matched its prior recommendations and would help return the program to its original intent. Senators raised concerns about fairness to pending claimants, the effect on workers with undocumented preexisting conditions, and whether the QME system could absorb the added workload. The committee also heard DIR’s request to eliminate vacant positions under a statewide vacancy sweep, with members objecting that some vacancies reflect unmet enforcement and safety needs rather than excess capacity. The hearing continued with DIR proposals for additional Cal/OSHA investigative staff, permanent changes to Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board petition deadlines, and apprenticeship-related funding increases. DIR sought 14 permanent positions for its Bureau of Investigation to handle serious workplace fatalities and injuries, and members emphasized the importance of timely investigations and family communication. The WCAB requested making permanent a 2024 change that starts the 60-day reconsideration clock when a case is transmitted rather than when the petition is filed; the board said this had reduced the number of cases awaiting decisions from 637 to 460. Finally, DIR proposed increasing apprenticeship training grants from $3 million to $20 million annually using the Apprenticeship Training Contribution Fund, citing an $80 million fund balance and workforce demand tied to rebuilding and infrastructure needs, and then began discussion of a separate request to expand pre-apprenticeship programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rather than increasing earnings, those policies have led employers to limit the hours that employees
• Rather than increasing earnings, these policies have often led employers to limit employee hours in order
• SB 954 takes important steps to restore safeguards by limiting the advanced manufacturing exemptions
• But it's like when you start to look at who should be a plaintiff, who could, how do we limit that?
• That makes us limited partners with no ability to control or influence underlying company practices.

Committee: Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Summary: The committee heard SB 921, which would create a tax credit to help agricultural employers offset overtime premium costs for farmworkers. Senator Grove and supporters, including farmworkers, the California Farm Bureau, and agricultural groups, argued the bill would restore lost hours and take-home pay after California’s agricultural overtime law reduced schedules. Opponents, including the California Federation of Labor Unions and CRLA Foundation, argued the proposal would subsidize employers with taxpayer dollars and undermine the principle that employers should pay overtime themselves. The bill was held in subcommittee until more members arrived. The committee then took up SB 1083, a cleanup bill to the prior year’s school employee misconduct database law. The author and supporters said it would add due process protections for classified school employees, require an administrative law judge review before placement in the database, and improve notice and vetting rules for contractors and non-permanent staff. School employer groups and other opponents warned the bill could slow investigations and weaken child-safety protections. The committee approved the bill 3-0 and sent it to Senate Appropriations. Members also considered SB 1089, which would require CalPERS health plans to cover GLP-1 medications and expand access through CalRX for chronic weight management and related health conditions. The author and supporters, including the American Diabetes Association and medical groups, said the drugs can prevent diabetes and improve health outcomes but remain unaffordable for many. Pharma representatives expressed concerns about the bill as drafted but said they were open to continued discussions. The bill passed 4-0 to Appropriations. The committee also approved the consent calendar 4-0. Later, the committee heard SB 954, which would narrow and add guardrails to last year’s CEQA exemption for advanced manufacturing, including environmental review near disadvantaged communities and labor standards such as prevailing wage and skilled-and-trained workforce requirements. Labor, environmental, and community groups supported the bill as a cleanup of an overly broad exemption, while business and manufacturing groups opposed it, warning it would discourage investment and worsen California’s competitiveness. The bill passed 3-1 to Appropriations. Finally, SB 1299, a fire sprinkler fitter certification bill, was heard and passed 3-0 to Appropriations with support from the sprinkler fitters and building trades and no recorded opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• In other words, instead of increasing earnings, those policies have led employers to limit the hours
• Rather than increasing earnings, these policies have often led employers to limit employee hours in order
• SB 954 takes important steps to restore safeguards by limiting the advanced manufacturing exemptions
• But it's like when you start to look at who should be a plaintiff, who could, how do we limit that?
• That makes us limited partners with no ability to control or influence underlying company practices.

Committee: Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And if it is a matter of expanding or expanding the committee beyond 15 members or limiting it down to
• And that's what I'm trying to say is we need to limit some sort of cost, have a cost limitation to this
• I would say there needs to be a limit, or it either needs to be...
• I would say there needs to be a limit, or there needs to be some sort of limit on cost.
• These changes shall include but not be limited to... Mr.

Committee: Joint Child Custody Review Task Force

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Early intervention through strong protective orders reduces victimization, limits law enforcement calls
• SB 1239 removes the statute of limitations for certain offenses.
• A system with no time limits favors the state, not truth.
• Statutes of limitations are not loopholes. They are a foundational part of our justice system.
• So it's not only limiting their ability to deal with the Court of Appeals, Not only would it limit their

Summary: The Judiciary and Elections Committee approved the January 21, 2026 minutes and held SB 1208. It then heard SB 1211, which would allow victims of felony aggravated harassment involving domestic violence to seek a lifetime injunction against a convicted defendant. Supporters from victim advocacy organizations and a survivor described the bill as an important safety measure that would reduce repeated court appearances and trauma. The committee voted 7-0 to give SB 1211 a do pass recommendation. The committee next considered SB 1239, which removes the statute of limitations for failing to register as a sex offender or providing false registration information. The sponsor said the bill closes a public-safety loophole and was requested by DPS, while opponents argued existing warrant procedures already address the issue and raised due process concerns. After discussion, the committee voted 4-3 to recommend SB 1239 do pass. SB 1240 would exclude probationers convicted of dangerous crimes against children from the probation incentive payment formula. The sponsor tied the bill to a recent child sexual assault case and said the change would keep those cases separate from probation performance incentives; defense attorneys warned it could discourage treatment and push more people into prison. The committee voted 4-3 to recommend SB 1240 do pass. The committee also heard and approved SB 1095, as amended, which bans gender transition procedures and referrals for minors and restricts public funding and facilities for such care; supporters called it necessary child protection, while opponents said it was discriminatory. The committee then heard SB 1243 and SB 1244, both related to court-ordered mental health treatment. SB 1243 adds notice to guardians and lets them seek continued treatment, while SB 1244 creates a continuing court-ordered treatment process after repeated annual reviews. Supporters, including family members of seriously mentally ill patients, said the bills would close gaps and prevent dangerous lapses in care; opponents raised due process concerns and warned about expanded involuntary treatment. Both bills received do pass recommendations, with SB 1243 passing 7-0 and SB 1244 passing after amendment and roll call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• As stated in the hearing notice, there will be a time limit of two minutes per witness during public
• That area is just outside the city limits, and I went there because I was told that the people needed
• Impervious cover limits are disaster preparedness. They are flood mitigation.
• With limited cell phone coverage... Gathering places near flood-prone rivers.
• Representative Virdell said he had heard earlier about possibly limiting the bill to Kerr County and

Bills: HB48 , HB66 , HB68 , HB71 , HB75 , HB164 , HB171 , HB254 , SB3 , SB18 , HB123 , HB149 , HB117

Committee: House Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select

Keywords: HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert, Silver Alert, Blue Alert, missing persons alerts, accessible alerts, hearing impaired

Summary: The committee met in special session to hear a series of flood, preparedness, and youth-camp safety bills, with members repeatedly noting that many of the measures were intended as planning, warning, or authority-clarifying bills rather than direct spending bills. House Bill 254 would expand eligibility for the Rural Infrastructure Disaster Recovery Program to include Kerr County and 18 other flood-affected counties by raising the GDP cap and lowering the poverty threshold; it drew no opposition and was left pending. House Bill 68 would direct a study of flood mitigation in flatland areas, especially in the Rio Grande Valley, to develop cost-effective drainage and infrastructure recommendations; local officials and advocates supported it, and it was also left pending. The committee then heard several youth camp bills tied to the recent Hill Country flooding. House Bill 75 would impose flood-aware building and site standards for youth camps near floodplains, and House Bill 71 would require camps and youth activity entities to submit emergency preparedness plans to TDEM, coordinate with local responders, and maintain readiness protocols; both bills were supported by safety advocates and camp representatives, and both were left pending. House Bill 171 would require campgrounds near flood-prone waters to give written flood-risk notice to campers and obtain signed acknowledgment; it was presented as informed consent and left pending. Testimony on these bills emphasized Camp Mystic and other recent flood tragedies, with some witnesses urging broader building-code and floodplain reforms. The committee also heard House Bill 117, which would let counties regulate impervious cover for flood mitigation in unincorporated areas. Supporters, including county officials, environmental groups, and residents, argued that rapid development in the Hill Country and other growing areas is worsening runoff and downstream flooding; opponents from the builders’ association said counties already have substantial authority and warned about overreach into rural property use. After extensive testimony, the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 18 would streamline permitting for certain flood control districts to repair dams and reservoirs and build small holding areas, and it was left pending after supportive testimony from Plum Creek Conservation District. Senate Bill 3 would create a state-backed outdoor flood warning siren program for identified flood-prone areas, funded through a grant program; witnesses generally supported it, though some cautioned that sirens are not sufficient by themselves and may not be heard indoors or in overnight storms. It too was left pending. The committee also began hearing House Bill 149 on public-safety radio interoperability, but the transcript cuts off before the bill’s full testimony or action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there a limit on the total number of vouchers?
• So is there a limit to the actual total that we will disperse?
• A limit on the total number of vouchers?
• So is there a limit to the actual total that we will disburse? Mr.
• Chairman, there is not a limit in this bill.

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Summary: The Appropriations Committee heard presentations on the Senate’s proposed 2025-2026 budget, SPB 25-200, totaling $117.4 billion. Chair Hooper and committee chairs highlighted major spending priorities including a 4% raise for state employees, continued health insurance contributions, investments in water quality, transportation, education infrastructure, and workforce development, along with reductions tied to long-vacant positions. Education funding was a major focus, with increases for K-12 public schools and scholarships, higher education workforce programs, nursing initiatives, tutoring, and university performance funding. Health and human services, criminal and civil justice, transportation/economic development, and agriculture/environment budgets were also outlined, including Medicaid, mental health, corrections staffing, affordable housing, beach restoration, citrus recovery, and water projects. Members then questioned several budget choices, especially K-12 funding. Senators Polsky and Smith raised concerns that the Senate’s AP and dual enrollment funding changes could disadvantage public schools, while Burgess argued the budget preserves the money in the FEFP and gives districts more flexibility rather than reducing support. Questions also addressed voucher availability, school stabilization funding, and the My Safe Florida Home program. The committee adopted 171 consent amendments and three late-file amendments, then approved SPB 2500 as a committee bill. It also favorably reported implementing and conforming bills for state employees, retirement, natural resources, judgeships, K-12 education, higher education, and health and human services, along with SB 7022 on Florida Retirement System contribution rates and elected-officer DROP options, CS/SB 1320 on the Resilient Florida Trust Fund, SB 7014 ending the Mediation and Arbitration Trust Fund, SB 7028 on cancer research, CS/CS/SB 170 on nursing home quality and oversight, CS/SB 168 on mental health diversion and behavioral health data, SB 114 creating an insurance and risk management research center at FSU, and SB 180 on emergency preparedness and post-storm recovery. Most bills were reported favorably with little or no opposition, though SB 180 drew discussion about local-government authority after storms and the need to balance recovery speed with local safety and planning concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• In May, CMS released a proposed rule to address the directives in H.R.1, which limits state-directed
• It limits eligibility for federally funded Medicaid to individuals who are lawful permanent residents
• rule to address the directives in H.R.1, which limits state-directed payments.
• It limits eligibility for federally funded Medicaid to individuals who, It limits eligibility for federally
• It does place limits on certain state-directed payment arrangements.

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee met on July 30, 2026, to hear two main briefings. The first, from the Health Care Authority, focused on implementation of federal H.R. 1 Medicaid changes and Washington’s rural health transformation funding. HCA said the state is preparing for major eligibility changes, including the October 1 loss of Medicaid coverage for about 14,000 lawfully present non-citizens and January 1, 2027 work requirements, six-month renewals, and reduced retroactive coverage for roughly 600,000 Medicaid expansion adults. Officials described outreach efforts, new automated verification systems, a verification hub, and plans to use available data sources to reduce manual paperwork, while noting that about one-third of the affected population may still need manual processing. They also said H.R. 1 will limit state-directed payments over time, with an estimated long-term impact of up to $1.5 billion in hospital reimbursements. On rural health transformation, HCA said it is moving quickly to obligate its $181 million federal award through contracts and competitive grants for rural hospitals, workforce, behavioral health, technology, and tribal and community partners. Committee members asked about the impact on rural providers, community service as a work-requirement pathway, emergency Medicaid, tribal and federal reimbursement issues, and whether the state would submit comments on the federal work-requirement rule. HCA said it would file comments, that emergency Medicaid coverage for certain services remains available, and that it is working with tribes and other agencies to avoid erroneous terminations and to move eligible people into other coverage where possible. Members also raised concerns about the administrative burden on families and providers and the need for congressional attention on issues such as TRICARE reimbursement. The second briefing addressed maternal health and the Department of Health’s Maternal Mortality Review Panel report. DOH said maternal mortality in Washington increased for the first time in the report series, but most pregnancy-related deaths remain preventable. Nearly half were linked to behavioral health conditions, especially overdose deaths, with suicide, cardiovascular disease, and COVID-19 also significant causes; most deaths occurred postpartum rather than during delivery. The report found higher mortality rates among American Indian and Alaska Native, Black, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, multiracial, rural, and Medicaid-covered populations, and identified lack of access to care, financial hardship, housing instability, discrimination, bias, and systemic inequities as major contributors. DOH highlighted existing state actions such as one-year postpartum coverage, doula reimbursement, inpatient substance use treatment coverage for birthing people, and vaccine coverage requirements, and offered 12 legislative recommendations focused on affordable and high-quality care, basic needs and community supports, and equitable, culturally responsive services. Presenters from the Suquamish Tribe and Kitsap OBGYN described how the tribe acquired and stabilized a threatened OB-GYN practice to preserve regional access amid provider shortages and hospital service losses. They said rural obstetric care is difficult to sustain because of thin margins, workforce shortages, long travel distances, and higher-risk patients, and emphasized that tribal health systems can offer stronger reimbursement and integrated family-centered care. The Foundation for Healthcare Quality and the Bree Collaborative then outlined statewide maternity-care quality efforts, including work on perinatal behavioral health, care coordination, postpartum screening, doula support, and better-aligned payment models. They said Washington has strengths in innovation but still needs more OB-GYN capacity, better transitions of care, and more culturally responsive, trauma-informed maternal and Native health services.

Transcript Highlights:

• In order to facilitate the goal of hearing as much from the public within the limits of our time, we
• colleges are held to a procurement standard that requires a selection based on the lowest bid, which limits
• But that limitation is that it is small, that it be specifically and exclusively for those bachelor's
• But that limitation is that it is small, that it be specifically and exclusively for those bachelor's
• What we have suggested are reasonable boundaries and limitations that would help ensure that the CSU,

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee heard several Senate measures focused on community college procurement, higher education access, and student support. SB 1154 by Senator Reyes would allow community college districts to use best-value procurement for public works projects over $1 million. Supporters, including San Bernardino Valley College, the San Bernardino Community College District, labor groups, and several districts, said it would improve delivery of complex facilities and align community colleges with other education systems. Opponents, including the Associated General Contractors, argued the bill’s skilled-and-trained workforce requirements and labor-compliance scoring would narrow the bidder pool and raise costs. The committee passed the bill to the Assembly Floor on a due-pass vote, with some members voting no or not recorded. SB 1255, also by Senator Reyes, would create a California Hispanic-serving institution designation. Supporters from HACU, the CSU Chancellor’s Office, UC, community colleges, and other education organizations said the designation would recognize campuses that serve large numbers of Latino and low-income students and strengthen accountability and student success. The committee approved the bill as amended and re-referred it to Appropriations, with one no vote. SB 1328, presented on behalf of Senator Cervantes, would require LGBTQ+ points of contact at satellite or branch campuses of CSU and community colleges, either through designated staff or regular office hours. Testimony emphasized gaps in access at remote centers and the need for confidential support; one member raised concerns about staffing, costs, and whether existing systems could meet the need remotely. The bill was passed as amended and sent to Appropriations. The committee also considered SB 960 by Senator Cabaldon, which would expand the circumstances under which community colleges could offer bachelor’s degrees in response to unmet workforce needs, especially where CSU programs are impacted or not realistically accessible locally. Supporters said the bill would help meet workforce demand and expand access for place-bound and adult learners. CSU and faculty representatives opposed unless amended, urging stronger partnership requirements, clearer workforce-need standards, and safeguards around duplication and Prop 98 funding. Members discussed impaction, regional access, and the role of partnerships; the bill was passed as amended and re-referred to Appropriations. Finally, SB 632 by Senator Otagan would extend the California College Promise fee waiver to part-time community college students enrolled in nine units. Supporters said many students cannot attend full time because of work, caregiving, and living costs, and the bill would better reflect student realities; the transcript ends during testimony on this measure, before any vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• fees and related costs, particularly as it relates to improving food access for elderly and mobility-limited
• For many elderly, disabled, and transportation-limited individuals, delivery is not a convenience.
• And so we have the SNAP card that we're all aware of, and it limits the...
• The definition of ALICE is asset limited, income-constrained, employed households.
• Sounds like a limited transparency measure. I think it's a good idea.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 12 and considered a wide range of health, social services, and licensing measures. Early in the meeting, the committee reported favorably HCR 98, which asks the Louisiana Department of Health to study whether SNAP recipients should be allowed to use benefits for grocery delivery fees. The author said the proposal would not change SNAP rules directly, but would examine access issues for elderly, disabled, rural, and transportation-limited residents. The committee also advanced SB 273, a hospice patient-protection bill requiring documentation of hydration, nutrition, and care decisions in inpatient licensed facilities where hospice is provided, with LDH oversight and enforcement authority; members discussed how responsibility is shared between facilities and outside hospice providers, and adopted technical amendments. The committee then approved SB 415, creating the Empower Louisiana Food Purchase Program, a privately funded charitable food-card program intended to let nonprofits distribute food-only cards to people in need. Members and the author discussed whether the cards would be reloadable, which retailers could accept them, and whether prepared foods could be included; LDH said the program could use all SNAP-authorized retailers, and the bill was reported favorably with amendments. SB 437, a cleanup bill for judicially referred residential substance abuse treatment facilities, was also reported favorably with amendments after LDH clarified that facilities providing treatment must be licensed, while residences only housing individuals would not be. SB 451, updating newborn hearing screening terminology and reporting requirements, was reported favorably after testimony that the bill would strengthen early detection and follow-up for deaf or hard-of-hearing children. Later, the committee advanced SB 426, which modernizes the addictive disorder regulatory authority and creates a formal peer support specialist licensing pathway. Supporters said the bill would strengthen the behavioral health workforce, improve accountability, and create a progression from peer support to higher credentials; the committee adopted technical and transition amendments and reported the bill favorably with amendments. SB 236, requiring LDH annual reviews and reports on kidney disease treatment services in Medicaid, was also reported favorably with amendments. Additional measures approved included SB 39, allowing provisional licenses for massage therapy graduates; SB 190, which tightens oversight of poor-performing nursing facilities in the CMS Special Focus Facility Program and sets an 18-month improvement timeline; SB 124, allowing hospitals within the same health system to share peer review records without waiving privilege; HR 174, urging study of fenbendazole as a possible cancer treatment; SB 270, allowing terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in health care facilities; SB 359, changing terms for certain Morehouse Parish hospital district commissioners; and HR 194, requesting de-identified school visual acuity screening data for research. The committee adjourned after reporting all measures favorably, several with amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will adhere to our committee rules on time limits: five minutes for the author's opening and closing
• I've been asked to try to keep the bill limited for right now to make it... their university leadership
• I've been asked to try to keep the bill limited for right now to make it And so forth.
• at how Louisiana coordinates work-based learning. ...resolution that creates a task force limited to
• This task force creates a limited, this resolution creates a limited task force to map what currently

Committee: House Education

Summary: The House Education Committee met on May 12, 2026, and first approved SB 518, which gives LSU limited authority to buy and sell certain real estate within one mile of campus as a two-year pilot program. Supporters said the bill would let LSU respond more quickly to deteriorating properties near campus and improve the student experience, while keeping protections such as appraisals and fair-market-value requirements. Members asked about whether the authority would affect residential property or be expanded to other universities, and the bill was reported favorably without objection. The committee then advanced SCR 33, creating a one-year Work-Based Learning Coordination Task Force to study and better align apprenticeships, internships, job shadowing, and related programs across state agencies and employers. Testimony emphasized the need to reduce duplication and improve coordination so students and employers can more easily connect. HR 168 also passed, directing the Board of Regents to study collegiate athletic program funding after concerns raised by athletic directors about deficits and accounting practices. Members next approved SB 488, establishing a school safety drone response pilot program to supplement school crisis plans. The bill drew detailed testimony from a vendor describing drone deployment, response times, and coordination with law enforcement; an amendment was adopted to require coordination with the Department of Education, State Police, and the Sheriffs’ Association. The committee also favorably reported HCR 97, asking BESE and Wildlife and Fisheries to study adding age-appropriate hunting, conservation, and shooting sports education in grades 5-12, with members clarifying that no live firearms would be used on campus. Finally, the committee approved SB 112, allowing local school boards to adopt parental-consent release-time policies for religious instruction, with amendments adding instructor qualifications, reporting requirements, electronic delivery flexibility, and constitutional safeguards. It also reported SB 504, expanding individual graduation plans to include vocational options and apply to charter schools, with an amendment for standalone elementary charters. The committee then passed SB 346 and SB 347, both dealing with deepfakes—one prohibiting their use against K-12 students and the other adding unlawful deepfakes to campus power-based violence rules—and SB 353, authorizing postsecondary systems to digitize student IDs for use in LA Wallet. Several members raised concerns about naming LA Wallet specifically, but the bill was still reported favorably. The meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speakers will be limited to a maximum of two minutes per organization.
• CMA also notes the proposal's workforce impact is limited.
• Prohibiting licensed vocational nurses from providing respiratory care will dangerously limit access
• We respectfully urge the legislature to clarify the board's authority and ensure it remains limited to
• Therefore, the naturopathic medicine board's jurisdiction should remain limited to its licensees, not

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It also is calling for limits... of instructional technology during the school day.
• Limits and restrictions on access to internet-connected devices.
• Limits and restrictions on access to internet connected devices.
• There was some education being provided to parents about limiting screen time.
• So there is that limitation. And then, of course, just the act that they're acting in good faith.

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 3239, which would make the Missouri Workforce Diploma Program permanent and move it into the MoCAP framework. Representative Hurlbert and supporters said the program has helped about 1,200 adults earn diplomas, mostly women with children, and that it improves employment and health coverage outcomes. Members raised concerns about funding, the use of the foundation formula, and how the program differs from existing adult education options. Supporters said it is tuition-free, pay-for-performance, and intended for adults with a short path to graduation; no vote was taken on the bill. The committee then took up House Bills 2335 and 2230/2978 in executive session. HB 2335, dealing with teacher training, was amended and then given a do pass recommendation by a 19-0 vote. HB 2230 and 2978, as amended, were also approved do pass by an 18-1 vote after extensive discussion of the Student Screen Time Standards Act, including limits on screen time, a new advisory council, and a related cursive-writing amendment. Members generally supported the direction of the substitute, while some raised questions about local control, implementation, and the role of experts. Later, Representatives Irwin and Steinhoff presented House Bills 2913 and 3228, which would provide legal protection for teachers who intervene in violent situations to protect students or themselves. Supporters said the bills would reduce fear of liability and encourage reasonable intervention, while committee members and witnesses discussed possible limits, training, whether the protection should extend to other school staff, and how the proposal interacts with existing discipline and restraint rules. Public testimony was largely supportive, with school and teacher groups asking for clearer definitions and coordination with federal law; no vote was taken. The committee also heard House Bill 2304, which would require parental consent before major changes to a child’s special education placement or services. The sponsor and advocates said it strengthens parent involvement and collaboration, while members questioned delays, due process, safety exceptions, and the effect on school operations. Testimony from advocates and parents supported the bill, and the hearing concluded without action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Current regulations broadly pertain to edibles, and those regulations limit products in general to 100
• Current regulations broadly pertain to edibles, and those regulations limit products in general to 100
• Canada limits edibles and THC to 10 milligrams per package, and Washington requires a measuring device
• Consider limiting the use of strain... Flavor such as images of candy or desserts.
• They also recommended limiting edible doses, as the auditor did.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit Committee heard an audit on the Department of Cannabis Control’s oversight of cannabis packaging and labeling, focused on products that may be attractive to children. The auditor said the department’s rules are often vague or subjective, leading to inconsistent enforcement, and that the state relies heavily on complaints rather than pre-market review. The audit found disagreements with DCC’s conclusions in 13 of 80 packaging reviews, and noted weaknesses in tracking repeat violators and escalating penalties. The auditor recommended clearer statutory standards, better internal review tools, stronger repeat-offender policies, and consideration of options such as plain packaging or pre-approval systems. Committee members and the audit requester emphasized rising cannabis poison-control calls involving children under five and cited examples of legal products with cartoon imagery, bright colors, candy-like names, and beverage packaging that resembled ordinary drinks. DCC representatives said they had already begun reforms, including a centralized review team, improved databases, enhanced technology tools, and new procedures to track compliance history and apply progressive discipline. They also stressed that illicit cannabis and intoxicating hemp remain major sources of youth exposure and argued that some issues require both regulatory refinement and more legislative clarity. Public health witnesses argued that California has not done enough to protect children and urged plain packaging, limits on flavors and child-appealing design, and a pre-market review process. Industry representatives agreed that cannabis should not be marketed to children but said the current rules are too subjective and inconsistent, and asked for objective, bright-line standards rather than broader bans. Several members said the examples shown were plainly child-appealing and called for stronger statutory guardrails, while also acknowledging the need to keep pressure on the illicit market. No formal vote or action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, and I know this is a limiting thing maybe in some school systems, but, you know, parents do
• , that speech can be limited.
• Students have free speech rights, but they can be limited if it substantially or materially limits or
• All those eight limitations tie back to Supreme Court decisions. This is not a willy-nilly list.
• So a very important catch-all provision for one of these limitations to lawfully censor students.

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:47:38.480><c> investigation</c> House to conduct a limited investigation House to conduct a limited
• Institutions earn public trust not by acting on every impulse, but by being clear on their limits and
• </c><01:04:16.559><c> and</c> by being clear on their limits and by being clear on their limits and deliberate
• Are statutes of limitation appropriate for complex corruption cases?
• complex</c> limitation appropriate for complex limitation appropriate for complex corruption<01:05:36.079

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They build houses, and they do public works, and limiting their access to engaging in these projects,
• So we're going to call it as a question, but I am going to just kind of limit it because it might be
• After July 3, 2025, the exclusion limit is $15 million, and the limit would be adjusted annually for
• This is not a limit on an exemption.
• This is not a limit on an exemption. It is a wide expansion of sales tax.

Summary: House Finance heard bill briefings and testimony on several tax and property-tax measures. HB 2175 would exempt licensed nonprofit providers of free durable medical equipment from retail sales and use tax on items reasonably necessary to operate and provide care; the sponsor and a nonprofit provider described how the bill would help organizations that refurbish and donate wheelchairs, beds, walkers, and similar equipment, and staff noted a small Department of Revenue fiscal impact. The committee then heard HB 2608, which revises the targeted urban area property tax exemption for nuclear facility projects by requiring labor standards, including submission of a workforce or project labor agreement and related wage/apprenticeship information, and extending project-completion deadlines. Supporters said it would help attract major clean-energy and nuclear supply-chain investment and jobs, while opponents from construction groups, environmental advocates, and some public commenters objected to the PLA requirement, the tax preference for nuclear projects, and the broader policy direction; tribal consultation concerns were also raised. No votes were taken on these bills in the transcript. The committee also heard HB 2227, which expands an existing REET exemption for affordable homeownership sales from self-help housing to other nonprofit affordable homeownership programs, including community land trusts. The sponsor and nonprofit witnesses said the change would lower transaction costs, improve affordability, and support permanently affordable resale models; staff clarified the exemption applies to the initial sale from the nonprofit to an income-qualified buyer, not later resales. HB 2528 would allow cities and counties that fully plan under the Growth Management Act to impose the second local REET without voter approval, aligning opt-in jurisdictions with those required to plan under GMA. Supporters from cities and counties said the revenue would help fund sidewalks, ADA upgrades, water, sewer, and other infrastructure, while opponents argued it would raise home-selling costs and bypass voters. Finally, the committee heard HB 2292, which would subject long-term capital gains from qualified small business stock to the state capital gains tax beginning in 2026. Staff said the bill would affect about 260 taxpayers and raise roughly $1.2 million in FY 2027, while the sponsor and supporters argued the current QSBS exemption mainly benefits very wealthy investors and should be treated like other capital gains; opponents from the tech and startup community said the exemption helps founders attract investment, keep companies in Washington, and create jobs, and warned the bill would send a negative signal to entrepreneurs. The committee also heard HB 2257, a Department of Revenue request bill making technical and administrative changes to the tax code, largely to codify guidance from last year’s sales-tax-on-services law and make other clarifications; DOR said it was intended to provide certainty and had no fiscal impact. School groups testified that the 5814-related service-tax changes have increased costs for districts, especially for staffing and professional learning, and asked for relief or a broader exemption.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the first bill, 6081, we were going to be asking folks to limit their comments to one and a half
• It limits only public disclosure.
• This bill is one important step to limit sharing of voter registration data.
• So it doesn't set any limits on being paid by the hour. Thank you. Any other questions?
• This issue is not about limiting access to the ballot.

Bills: SB6081 , SB5902 , SB6034 , SB6035 , SB5892 , SB5973

Committee: Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections

Keywords: SB 6081, Washington privacy, sex designation, gender marker, nonbinary, transgender, vital records, birth certificate, death certificate, fetal death, stillbirth, driver license, ID card, Department of Licensing, public records exemption, confidential records, record sealing, data sharing, government records, privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• If we want to feed more people, it is counterintuitive to limit to three organizations instead of the
• Anna continued her testimony, arguing that limiting food security organizations from procurement and
• To truly address hunger, she said, a scalable system should include multiple pathways, not a limited
• To truly address hunger, she said, a scalable system should include multiple pathways, not a limited
• This bill will severely limit who is eligible to participate in this newer program.

Bills: HB2279 , HB2463 , HB1941 , HB2238

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: PFAS chemicals, agriculture, environmental impact, regulation, food safety, farmers, food security, Washington, support for farmers, cannabis, cooperatives, marijuana industry, HB 2238, HB2238, statewide food security, food security strategy, hunger, food insecurity, food access, food assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• The pilot is limited to a few counties, and we are contracting with AAAs in those areas to support us
• It impacts those with developmental disabilities and those who have limitations on hearing or seeing
• limited hours of personal care, up to 103 hours for folks who meet nursing facility level of care.
• Package, some limited hours of personal care, up to 103 for folks who meet nursing facility level of
• There are challenges, and the challenge is the limited access to services in both skilled nursing and

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Planning for Aging and Disability Issues

Summary: The committee met for what was described as its final meeting, with members and staff reflecting on the work of the Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care and noting that future work would likely shift to standing health and wellness committees. The meeting began with introductions and then moved into updates on major initiatives that originated from the committee, including Washington Cares, the Dementia Action Collaborative, and Medicaid long-term care programs. Presenters emphasized that these efforts were developed through long-term legislative-executive collaboration and were intended to help Washington prepare for the state’s aging population. On Washington Cares, DSHS described the program’s development from a 2014 research effort to its 2019 enactment, premium collection beginning in 2023, portability improvements in 2024, and 2025 changes including a grandfathered opt-out fix and a framework for supplemental private long-term care insurance. The agency said benefits are expected to go fully live next summer, with a pilot of up to 400 applicants planned for next January. On dementia policy, the Dementia Action Collaborative reported on the state dementia plan, Project ECHO training for providers, and pilot dementia-capable community programs at area agencies on aging, citing preliminary results that about 85% of family caregivers said services helped people remain at home. DSHS also reviewed Medicaid Transformation Project initiatives, including Medicaid Alternative Care, Tailored Supports for Older Adults, presumptive eligibility, and health-related social needs benefits such as rental assistance, nutrition support, and home modifications. The committee then heard an emerging issues panel from ombuds and disability advocates. Patricia Hunter of the long-term care ombuds program raised concerns about staffing shortages, resident rights, surveillance technology, private equity ownership of facilities, and illegal discharges or evictions. Betty Sweeterman of the Developmental Disabilities Ombuds discussed people stuck in hospitals without medical need, gaps in behavioral health services for people with developmental disabilities, and the need for better workforce training. Todd Carlyle of Disability Rights Washington urged expansion and bundling of community supports such as PACT, GOSH, and peer bridgers to reduce repeated institutionalization and support discharge from inpatient psychiatric settings. Provider and labor panels followed, with nursing home, assisted living, supported living, and union representatives all emphasizing workforce shortages, low wages, Medicaid rate inadequacy, case management bottlenecks, behavioral health complexity, and the need for more flexible care models and stronger accountability for rate increases. No formal votes were taken; the meeting ended with public comment on manufactured housing and closing remarks thanking staff and participants for the committee’s work.