Transcript Highlights:

• That may be a good thing for certain cities; it may not be for others.
• These starter homes are really important for young families, for young people, for retirees who want
• And these starter homes are really important for young families, for young people, for retirees who want
• Madam Chair, Senator, it would be for, likely for a development.
• for them.

Committee: Senate Senate Tax, Business & Transportation

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They are here today to watch a momentous occasion for something that I've been fighting for for four
• cost for that transmission... ...are in the PJM network requires, that cost for that transmission for
• I coached high school basketball here in West Virginia for 21 years, and so I think if we're talking
• And by gosh, we're better for it. So for those reasons, Mr.
• So under the current rule, you can play football for a high school, transfer out after the last game,

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The other bill is for the Republican Party, right? This is for the Democratic Party.
• for vehicular homicide, 14:39.1 for vehicular negligent injury, and 14:98 for operating a vehicle while
• But thank you again, Senator Wheat, for bringing this. Thank you for the time.
• Just ask for final or for a favorable passage.
• Thank you for your patience in the audience for listening to transportation.

Bills: SCR58 , SB309 , SB514 , HCR63 , HCR69 , HB401 , HB487 , HB722 , HB730 , HB745 , HB988 , HB989 , HB1001 , HB1024 , HB1032 , HB1050 , HB1081 , HB1086 , HB1108 , HB1172 , HB1173 , HB1175 , HB1192 , HB1218 , HB1244

Committee: Senate Transportation, Highways & Public Works

Keywords: SCR 58, Senate Concurrent Resolution, DOTD, Department of Transportation and Development, public-private partnership, P3, public-private partnership contracting, Belle Chasse Toll Bridge, Belle Chasse Bridge, toll bridge, tolling, tolls, transportation infrastructure, roads and highways, Plaquemines Parish, bridge project, toll fees, unauthorized charges, contract oversight, procurement

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, I ask for the committee's support for Rule Docket 37-032-2-2501. Thank you.
• for the third time.
• for the third time.
• So for truck vehicles for replacement, flow meter equipment for replacement, and then we would delay
• Chairman, I'd stand for any questions. Mr. Chairman, I'd stand for any questions.

Summary: The committee first considered RS 33154, introduced by Senator Tammy Nichols, which would update Idaho’s cloud seeding statute with clearer definitions, authorizations, and reporting requirements. Nichols said the proposal was a refinement of a bill from the prior session, did not create or expand a program, and had no fiscal impact, but would improve transparency and public accountability for existing cloud seeding operations. The committee moved to send the RS to print. The Idaho Department of Water Resources then presented zero-based rulemaking for Water District 34 in the Big Lost River Basin (docket 37-0312-2-250). Matt Anders explained that the changes were largely clarifying and reducing unnecessary language, with substantive edits in definitions, river reach descriptions, allocation of natural flow, and timing/administration provisions. He said the rule text was reduced by 484 words and that the committee approved the docket after a brief question about winter stock water use. Director Matt Weaver gave an agency update covering budget holdbacks, the new Water Administration Bureau, groundwater and delivery-call administration on the Eastern Snake Plain, Treasure Valley groundwater conditions, the Bear River Compact, and the proposed merger of the Soil and Water Conservation Commission into IDWR. He described ongoing curtailment and mitigation efforts, new groundwater district work in tributary basins, and concerns about staffing experience and workload. Committee members asked about groundwater district participation, Bear River water rights, and the effects of canal efficiency projects and Bear Lake storage; no votes were taken on the update. Jeff Raybould of the Idaho Water Resource Board reported on revisions to the state water plan, major water project funding, recharge and cloud seeding programs, aging infrastructure grants, and regional sustainability projects. He said the board had submitted state water plan changes tied to the ESPA settlement and a higher recharge target, and discussed projects such as the Anderson Ranch Dam raise, Priest Lake work, and the Twin Falls Canal Company lining project. Members questioned Bear Lake storage and how canal efficiency savings would affect groundwater demand, but no formal action was taken on the board presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• work, for my kids, for my family, has become incredibly important.
• For animals and animal products for food consumption, for example, there must be a written agreement
• And for that, we know the answer is yes. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your time. Great.
• I want to thank you for listening to my testimony today, and I'm really hoping that you will be in support
• , honestly, be a game changer, not only for families in need, for pets who are suffering, but also for

Bills: HB1904 , HB2106 , HB2211 , HB2247 , HB2329 , HB2339

Committee: House Health Care & Wellness

Keywords: animal welfare, cats, declawing, animal rights, pet care, healthcare, contract modifications, provider notifications, insurance carriers, health facilities, HB 2211, medically tailored meals, medical nutrition therapy, medical assistance, Medicaid, Health Care Authority, Department of Social and Health Services, nutrition support, chronic disease, dietary accommodations

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> for that. for that.
• </c> for the staff. for the staff.
• </c><02:35:57.400><c> for</c> language that would allow it for for language that would allow it for for
• </c> for your for the department? for your for the department?
• </c> for rules for legal fellows. for rules for legal fellows.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, there must be a For animals and animal products for food consumption, there must be a written
• And for that, we know the answer is yes. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your time. Great.
• I want to thank you for listening to my testimony today, and I'm really hoping that you will be in support
• , honestly, be a game changer, not only for families in need, for pets who are suffering, but also for
• . ...complicated and for bigger contracts, but for the smaller providers, I think it's important for

Summary: The committee heard public hearings on several health-related bills. House Bill 1904 would prohibit cat declawing except for therapeutic purposes, with staff explaining definitions, fines, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements. The prime sponsor and animal welfare advocates described declawing as cruel and linked it to pain and behavior problems, while the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association supported the substance of the bill but asked to remove the added reporting and disciplinary provisions as redundant and burdensome. House Bill 2211 would provide guidance for medically tailored meals under existing Medicaid-related nutrition supports, including standards for Washington-based nonprofit providers where possible, menu review, and nutrition requirements. The sponsor said it would clarify implementation without expanding the program, and supporters from meal providers, food distributors, and local farms said it would improve health outcomes, keep dollars local, and support Washington jobs and agriculture. House Bill 2329 would allow licensed midwives to delegate certain tasks to medical assistants and to supervise medical assistants, with the sponsor and birth center operators saying it would fix an omission in current law and help rural and under-resourced birth centers operate more efficiently. Supporters said it would improve staffing and financial stability, while the sponsor indicated the lactation consultant language would likely be removed because those consultants are not regulated by the Department of Health. The committee then returned to House Bill 1904 for additional testimony from humane organizations, veterinarians, shelter leaders, and local officials, all supporting a ban on declawing and emphasizing animal pain, shelter impacts, and available alternatives. House Bill 2247 would expand and clarify veterinary telehealth and veterinarian-client-patient relationship rules, allowing a VCPR to be established in certain telehealth circumstances and setting guardrails for consent, practice standards, and when in-person exams are still required. Supporters from shelters, animal welfare groups, mobile clinics, and veterinarians said telehealth would improve access in rural and underserved areas, reduce shelter intake, and help animals receive care sooner; the veterinary association supported the bill with amendments to clarify recordkeeping and access-to-care findings. House Bill 2339 would update nursing license terminology and processes for advanced registered nurse practitioners, including title changes, controlled substance rules for CRNAs, transcript submission, and interim permits. Nursing board and ARNP representatives supported the technical updates, while the hospital association and medical association raised concerns about title language for clinical nurse specialists and the deletion of a reference to the medical profession. Finally, House Bill 2106 would require health carriers to give 90 days’ notice of significant mid-contract payer modifications and provide the actual modification language, with the sponsor and hospital and provider representatives saying insurers are increasingly making unilateral changes that affect payment, services, and patient access. UW Medicine and a rural hospital district described examples where insurers changed imaging or preventive service coverage mid-contract, causing financial losses and forcing difficult choices about network participation. Carriers were noted as opposing the bill, while providers and facilities argued it would improve transparency and prevent one-sided contract changes that disrupt care.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the record, my name is Jason Sevy.
• hens for egg production.
• My SAE projects throughout high school were that I worked as a greenhouse manager for four years.
• We stand for questions. Thank you so much for a group of very articulate young adults.
• minimum for our high school education.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The House Education Committee heard first from the Idaho School Board Association, whose chair Jason Sevy gave a personal account of how public schools, local governance, and school-based supports shaped his life and his family. He argued that school board training and state support for local control are important, citing the value of ISBA training funds and examples of districts using grants and partnerships to improve early literacy, mental health supports, and student outcomes. Members asked how urban districts could build stronger parent/community ties, and Sevy said community engagement should begin at the elementary level. The committee then received a presentation from Idaho FFA state officers, who described FFA’s three-circle model of classroom instruction, career and leadership development events, and supervised agricultural experiences. The officers highlighted their own agricultural and education pathways, the statewide reach of FFA chapters, leadership camps and conferences, community service hours, and the economic impact of SAE projects. They emphasized that FFA builds public speaking, parliamentary procedure, job interview, and leadership skills in addition to agricultural knowledge, and invited legislators to the state convention in Twin Falls in April. Members responded positively to both presentations. Representative Pickett asked about strengthening community engagement in larger districts and how FFA can attract students beyond agriculture; officers said the program’s broader leadership and workplace skills are a major draw. Other members praised the students’ confidence and articulation, and one suggested FFA should be considered as a minimum high school offering. No votes or formal committee actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, things that people really hope for aren't going to happen. Uh, they're letting that go.
• </c><00:02:21.840><c> for</c> things that people really hope for things that people really hope for aren't
• I hope It did end with some hope.
• meant looking for ways to For others, it meant looking for ways to prevent<00:04:19.680><c> the</c><
• </c><00:18:32.400><c> also</c><00:18:32.720><c> for</c> working on where um for also for working on where

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you again for your time and for your continued partnership.
• and administrator for the community college system for the past 20 years.
• Our hope is that it will because they... ...for nursing. And that hasn't come to fruition.
• Thank you for that.
• Well, thank you so much for having us here for this. All right.

Summary: The joint sunset oversight hearing reviewed five California regulatory entities: the Respiratory Care Board, the California Council for Interior Design Certification, the Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, the Board of Occupational Therapy, and the Board of Naturopathic Medicine. Each agency described its licensing, enforcement, modernization, and consumer-protection work since the last review, and committee members focused heavily on workforce access, public safety, transparency, and fee authority. For the Respiratory Care Board, the main issues were a possible move from an associate’s degree to a bachelor’s degree for licensure, fee structure changes, and ongoing work on LVNs performing respiratory tasks. Board representatives said the degree proposal was intended to strengthen competency and could be phased in without harming access, but several public commenters—especially respiratory therapists and families of medically fragile children—argued it would worsen shortages, particularly in rural and low-income areas. Other stakeholders supported clarifying LVN authority in congregate living health facilities, while the California Medical Association flagged the proposed Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist classification as having limited current workforce impact. The interior design segment drew the most debate. CCIDC leaders defended the current voluntary certification/title-act model, saying it establishes competency, has produced minimal complaints, and that licensure would unnecessarily disrupt the workforce and create barriers without demonstrated public harm. Committee members questioned the lack of state-style enforcement authority, transparency, and Bagley-Keene compliance, and some public commenters criticized the private structure and inconsistent plan acceptance in local jurisdictions. Supporters of the current system said the certification and commercial designation help educate building officials and allow qualified designers to work safely, while opponents argued licensure would provide clearer accountability and reduce confusion. The speech-language pathology, audiology, and hearing aid dispensers board reported major modernization gains, including online licensure processing, faster turnaround times, and new continuing education audits and advertising rules. The board supported creating a licensed audiology assistant category to improve access to care, and public commenters generally backed the board while urging continued modernization. The occupational therapy board described steady growth, improved enforcement and licensing performance, and requested additional fee authority to address rising costs; the main public comment supported the sunset extension and a reduction in advanced practice hand therapy training hours. The naturopathic medicine board emphasized consumer protection, enforcement against unlicensed practice, and the need to clarify statutes; it said most licensed naturopathic doctors practice in underserved areas and welcomed legislative collaboration on scope and enforcement issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm hoping maybe in the future you can set up like a punch card for how many times we appear in Commerce
• I'm hoping maybe in the future you can set up like a punch card for how many times we appear in Commerce
• It was life-changing for me. To secure work for us.
• Thank you for your testimony and for doing this.
• Thank you, Justin, for your testimony. Next up, we have Chris Carmody for Meta speaking for.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Tourism

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I apologize for that. I have a question for the author.
• I apologize for that. I have a question for the author.
• That is a term of art for public agencies, not for mutual water companies.
• This is good for our economy, good for the environment, and good for public health.
• Thank you for the comments. Thank you for the witness.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications heard a long agenda of energy, water, housing, and technology bills. SB 952 (Laird, presented by Perez) would give the Department of Water Resources more flexibility to meet the State Water Project’s 100% clean energy procurement goal by 2035 while managing costs; it drew support from the State Water Contractors and California Municipal Utilities Association and no opposition. The committee also heard SB 1417, which would extend transparency, notice, and public meeting requirements to mutual water companies’ rate increases; Senator Perez and supporters tied the bill to post-Eaton Fire recovery in Altadena, while the California Association of Mutual Water Companies opposed it, citing conflicts with tenant billing laws, privacy concerns, and burdensome meeting requirements. SB 1417 was approved on a split vote and the roll was left open. Members then considered SB 924, a low-income utility assistance/weatherization bill by Hurtado, which would require measurable affordability outcomes and better tenant-focused benefits; it passed to Appropriations with broad support from clean energy and community groups and no opposition. SB 925 (McNerney) would direct the California Energy Commission to develop a statewide roadmap for fusion energy; supporters from General Atomics, Clean Air Task Force, and TAE Technologies argued it would help keep fusion investment in California, and it passed unanimously to Environmental Quality. SB 1011 (McNerney) would require CPUC standards for human review and labor consultation before utilities deploy AI in operations; labor and utility engineer witnesses supported guardrails, while business and utility groups opposed or sought more review, warning of overregulation and overlap with other laws. The bill passed to Privacy, Digital Technology and Consumer Protection on a divided vote. The committee also advanced SB 1168 (McNerney), a study bill directing the CPUC to examine how data centers can pay their fair share of grid costs; data center and utility groups were opposed or neutral pending amendments, while climate advocates supported it, and it moved to Revenue and Taxation. SB 1196 (McNerney) would speed utility hookups for ADUs and JADUs by allowing earlier applications and setting timelines and penalties; housing advocates supported it and it passed to Local Government. SB 1350 (McNerney) would allow renewable portfolio standard credits for power plants using green hydrogen, drawing strong support from hydrogen, labor, utility, and local government interests, but opposition from TURN over greenwashing and tracking concerns; it passed to Environmental Quality. Finally, SB 1158 (Stern) would expand quarterly reliability reporting by the CEC and CPUC to include transmission and grid upgrade status; it was presented as a common-sense reliability measure and moved forward with support.

Transcript Highlights:

• And for that reason, Mr.
• and for the next year.
• for project spending, whether maintenance or for different projects.
• budget for DOT.
• for our roads, you know, for different projects.

Keywords: 996, all

Summary: The committee met with quorum and took up only HB 3, the Department of Transportation Appropriation Act of 2026 for FY27. The bill was presented as an amended budget that would increase NMDOT’s operating budget by about $132.6 million, or 10.2%, using available cash balances, additional projected revenue, and contingent revenue tied to Senate Bill 2, the highway bond bill. Staff walked through the amendment section by section, explaining changes to project design and construction, highway operations, program support, modal programs, federal and interagency transfer lines, corrected performance-measure language, and added budget adjustment authority for the current and next fiscal years. Several members raised concerns about the late circulation of a revised amendment and the appearance of multiple bill versions, arguing the committee had not had enough time to review the changes and that the process may have violated the 24-hour rule. Others asked for clarification on how the budget distinguished between rehabilitation and maintenance, and DOT staff explained that major rehabilitation is generally tied to STIP projects while maintenance is handled through district-level plans and contracts. Members also discussed the use of cash balances for non-recurring spending, the impact of electric vehicles on road revenue, and the need for more maintenance, litter cleanup, fencing, and beautification funding. DOT and executive representatives noted the amendment includes a significant maintenance increase and said additional non-recurring funding could also come through House Bill 2 and the capital bill. The committee first rejected a substitute motion to delay action, then adopted the amendment and later voted due pass on HB 3 as amended. Public comment was opened, but no one spoke in support or opposition. After passage, members explained their votes, with some supporting the bill as a needed transportation investment and others objecting to the process and the compressed review timeline.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members say we have 6 bills for said we're going to do CS for HB 1137.
• 40 years. >> Along for alcohol, excise tax deductions for broken or swell products.
• So thank you so much for the staff for Bill. Thank you.
• And as you can imagine, the and the temperature was high. The fear was high.
• I hope I got that correct.

Transcript Highlights:

• connection charges for... ...organizations working on green technologies, hoping to engage in industrial
• We are also seeing the opportunities for utilizing renewable energy for fertilizer.
• “For all things?
• For working Washingtonians.
• And I’m concerned about giving more authority for indebtedness. Once For indebtedness.

Bills: HB1175 , HB1376 , HB1500 , HB1796

Keywords: HB1175, small business, residential zoning, land use, zoning reform, neighborhood store, neighborhood cafe, convenience store, minimarket, corner store, mixed-use, local government, city zoning, town zoning, code city, parking regulations, hours of operation, alcohol service, food requirement, commercial use in residential areas

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your time. Thank you. Thank you for your story. Thank you. Thank you for your story.
• my body and for my family.
• , but for generations.
• Thank you for bringing this legislation forward and giving us a platform for our testimonies.
• If not, I'm open for— I wouldn't recommend a motion for a due pass. Second.

Summary: The Senate Indian, Rural and Cultural Affairs Committee heard Senate Memorial 14, which calls on the Indian Affairs Department and the Commission on the Status of Women to conduct a comprehensive study of the history, scope, and continuing impacts of forced and coerced sterilization of Indigenous women and women of color. Sponsors and advocates said the memorial is intended to document harms that occurred not only in Indian Health Service facilities but also through other health providers, while being culturally sensitive and respectful of tribal sovereignty. Supporters described the issue as a reproductive justice, human rights, and Indigenous rights matter, and said the study could help lead to acknowledgment, healing, and possible reparative action. Several witnesses gave personal testimony. Representative Caballero shared a personal experience in which she nearly underwent a hysterectomy after a miscarriage due to forms she was asked to sign while sedated, and said that experience motivated her support. Jean Whitehorse, a Navajo Nation member and daughter of a Navajo code talker, described being sterilized in 1972 after treatment at Gallup Indian Health Service and said the practice caused lasting trauma to Native families. Other speakers, including Elena Giacchi, Keeley Badger, Jennifer Raphael Gatz, Rachel Lorenzo, Alicia Carese Lobbius, Nasserian Olamako, Deanna Warren, and Kat Sanchez, supported the memorial and emphasized the need for survivor testimony, historical records, data gathering, informed consent protections, and culturally grounded healing. Committee members asked about the difficulty of obtaining records and whether the information exists or is being blocked. Witnesses said access is limited, requests often need to come from official state or federal bodies, and many records may be sealed or difficult to retrieve. The Commission on the Status of Women said it could serve as the organizing entity for a three-phase process: gathering data, holding discussions with subject matter experts and survivors, and contracting with an Indigenous organization to prepare the report. After public comment and questions, the committee voted 4-0 to give Senate Memorial 14 a do pass recommendation, and the chair then recessed the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Inhibiting our ability to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care for our students, for our patients
• We are not asking taxpayers for support for that.
• For the record, my name is Peter Crawford, and I serve as vice dean for research for the medical school
• </c> for developing clinical trials for for developing clinical trials for ultimately<00:43:22.480><c
• At the same time, will there be a request for HIPAA because we... by uh the a well functioning high-

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• LAROSA FOR BEING WITH US TODAY, THANK YOU FOR THE INCREDIBLE COMMITMENT YOU MAKE TO THE PSC, THE PSC
• SAYING QUOTE, WHEN HE WAS LOOKING IN THE ORDER FOR REASONED CONCLUSION FOR FACTS HE SAID THAT THE ONLY
• SORRY FOR THE LONG RESPONSE. >> Sen.
• FOR RESILIENCY.
• IF NOT FOR THEIR APPEARANCE CARDS?

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A board can establish minimum pay floors, differential pay for high-risk job sites, and retention standards
• I'm not sure for staff or for you.
• Thank you for your time, and I hope that you support this. Thank you. Please proceed.
• I commend Representative Scott for bringing this bill to the legislature, and I hope that other representatives
• And more substantial careers, especially for high-skill, high-stress professions like my own.

Bills: HB2513 , HB2524 , HB2611

Committee: House Labor & Workplace Standards

Keywords: plumbing contractor, plumber, license suspension, credential suspension, administrative penalty, infractions, repeat violator, consumer protection, residential plumbing, construction licensing, Washington Department of Labor and Industries, advisory board of plumbers, plumbing certificate fund, code enforcement, professional licensing, trade regulation, security, regulation, employment standards, security guards

Transcript Highlights:

• for.
• the harms for.
• In that case, I hope that is not a high percentage in totality, but I don't know the facts.
• Thank you for the question. to consider to expand that recovery for students thank you for the question
• Our proposal is 10, and that was really out of our consideration for not making it too high of a barrier

Keywords: 988, house, all