Transcript Highlights:

• and long-term care.
• not have long-term care at all.
• not have long-term care at all.
• long-term care at all.
• long-term care at all.

Bills: HF23 , HF1355

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: whistleblower, whistleblower protections, public employees, state employees, retaliation, reporting fraud, misuse of authority, personal gain, state government, state services, state programs, legislative auditor, constitutional officer, public corruption, fraud reporting, government accountability, employee rights, labor law, Minnesota Statutes 181.931, Minnesota Statutes 181.932

Transcript Highlights:

• And I got to know children in the foster care system.
• system.
• Thank you. ...her dedication, and her advocacy for children in the foster care system.
• That our students are taken care of.
• I had very loving, caring foster parents. I had very loving, caring foster parents.

Committee: Senate Senate Rules

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, improving health care access, quality, and outcomes through transformation of the health care delivery
• that there is a focus on innovative care, which will ensure that we have access to health care in rural
• They'll have to demonstrate long-term sustainability to us.
• to speak, to really move the needle for our rural providers and communities, but to set them up for long-term
• system.

Summary: The Rural Health Transformation Committee met with a quorum and approved the April 22 minutes. CMS officials Kate Sapra and Jonathan Jones joined as part of Idaho’s site visit and gave an overview of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, describing it as a $50 billion, five-year cooperative agreement with all 50 states approved. Sapra emphasized CMS’s close oversight, annual rescoring, reporting requirements, and the need for states to obligate funds by October 30 and spend them by the following September, with unspent or unallowable funds subject to recovery. She said the first year will focus mainly on implementation milestones, with outcomes becoming more important in later years. Department of Health and Welfare Director Juliet Sharon then reviewed Idaho’s first round of year-one funding opportunities and the proposed review process. She said the department is moving quickly to post initial solicitations in June, using both full RFPs and sub-grants depending on the type of project. Early priorities include structural and administrative contracts, data and evaluation support, provider recruitment and retention administration, needs assessments, technology and infrastructure investments, transportation, and service-oriented sub-awards such as EMS, maternal and child health, behavioral health, and chronic disease prevention. Committee members asked for more detail on KPIs and requested access to the underlying RFP documents through SharePoint. Members also asked about reimbursement versus upfront funding, multi-year projects, minor renovations, and whether funds could be shifted between categories. CMS said funds cannot supplant existing financing, but states may structure awards to provide upfront funding if allowed under state procurement rules; it also said minor renovations are defined through CMS guidance and FAQs, not a strict federal definition. Sharon and Sapra said year-one category allocations would be difficult to change significantly, though adjustments may be possible later with CMS approval. The committee agreed to continue sending feedback through the co-chairs and set the next meeting for July 15, with the meeting adjourned afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Has to do with the foster care plus.
• requirement in terms of their compensation.
• Kids when they leave foster care.
• Now, in New Mexico IMPACT, which is our new system, we did build into the system for it to be itemized
• Do you know how long until you'll be implementing some changes?

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first took up the committee substitute for HB 38, a complex insurance bill concerning coverage for prosthetics, orthotics, and complex rehab technology. The sponsor and expert witness explained that the substitute made technical clarifications across multiple sections of law, including explicit coverage language, restoration of services and supplies, and replacement timing rules to avoid overuse while preserving access when a patient’s medical needs change. They said the changes had been reviewed and supported by the Office of Superintendent of Insurance and insurers, and there was no opposition from the public. Members asked about the need to return the bill to committee because of the number of statutory changes, and the sponsor said the Speaker wanted a clean committee substitute before floor action. The committee adopted the substitute and then approved a do pass recommendation on the committee substitute for HB 38, with no opposition. The committee then heard House Memorial 59, which requests a study of fair compensation for foster parents, including consideration of a cost-of-living allowance, with findings due to the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee by November 30. CYFD testified that the study would likely use a contractor and that the department already has related recruitment, retention, and placement work underway. Members asked about foster parent numbers, foster care plus stipends, Social Security benefits for children in care, and clothing allowances; CYFD explained current payment structures, including a $50 monthly clothing amount built into the rate and separate vouchers in some cases. The committee heard supportive testimony from the New Mexico Child First Network and then voted do pass on HM 59 without opposition. The chair announced there would be no meeting the next day and adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• It seems like a long time ago.
• The agency has developed and is executing a multi-year plan to ensure the long-term preservation of the
• cemetery, address changes and unforeseen issues arising. from 1995, and to develop a plan for short and long-term
• appreciate the question, and I will say that we are now working with a couple of offices on sort of long-term
• our rivers, and clean air. and recreational opportunities and tourism and so forth, sustaining that long-term

Committee: House Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• COURTS ARE TRIAGING THESE THEY ARE GETTING MORE VOLATILE SYSTEMS IN THE SYSTEM.
• LOCKING SYSTEMS AND REPAIRS AND THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR SYSTEM ARE TAKING PLACE THERE.
• BUT WE MUST ENGAGE IN A LONG TERM DISCUSSION ADJUSTING REVENUE STREAMS THAT FUND OF THE OFFICE AND STREAMS
• I URGE YOU TO SPONSOR AND SUPPORT THE LONG TERM SENTENCING BILL PRESENTLY AND DRAFTING.
• SPONSOR AND SUPPORT THE LONG TERM SENTENCE ACT THANK YOU. >> Chair: THANK YOU FOR THIS VALUABLE INFORMATION

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A year-long supply increases access and removes obstacles to care, reduces missed doses, and allows people
• And there's a lot of times that there's stress over who's caring for mom or dad and how long, and the
• It's not that we don't want to care for others.
• And there's a lot of times that there's a stress over who's caring for mom or dad and how long and the
• And as long as that person is receiving nutrition. and as long as that person is receiving nutrition

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have upgraded our customer relationship management system.
• There's some gaps in the system that this funding would address.
• Deposit tracking for parks into an internal system.
• We did resolve that, get that taken care of.
• So that is a very impactful thing that I think will be supportive and have long-term benefits for the

Committee: House A&B Natural Resources Subcommittee

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce on its FY26 priorities, recent performance, and budget requests. Commerce said it had helped announce about 8,000 direct jobs and nearly $14 billion in investment year-to-date, while noting challenges such as tariffs, workforce recruitment, staffing/FTE management, and the condition of its 100-year-old office building. The agency highlighted projects and initiatives including a new Taiwan trade office, Route 66 Centennial planning, the National Main Street conference in Tulsa, Olympic-related coordination, census outreach, and continued improvements to its grants and CRM systems. Requested funding included $8.3 million for building repairs or relocation planning, census support, $300,000 for EDGE, $135,000 for IT/cybersecurity upgrades, $250,000 for the Taiwan office, and additional support for Head Start, senior nutrition, and the Strategic Air and Space Commission. Members asked about the meaning of the investment totals, the building condition, delays in senior nutrition distributions, and staffing vacancies; Commerce said the investment figures reflected formal company capital announcements, the building had significant facade and roof damage, delays were due to multiple contracting layers, and several open positions were expected to be filled soon. The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department then presented its FY26 budget and goals. New director Amy Blackburn and special advisor Sterling Zearley said the department oversees 38 state parks, six lodges, seven golf courses, and nine travel information centers, and emphasized tourism’s economic importance. They reported savings from bringing marketing and tracking functions in-house and from shared services, but said the department faces more than $271 million in deferred maintenance needs, staffing shortages, and connectivity problems at parks. Their goals include increasing park visitation to 10.2 million, raising occupancy to 36%, and growing travel to Oklahoma, with major marketing tied to the Route 66 Centennial, America 250, the FIFA World Cup, the Olympics, and other events. The department also discussed a request to raise its purchasing exemption cap from $25,000 to $75,000, a possible TravelOK.com redesign, and efforts to improve restaurant operations at lodges through a new RFP structure. Members questioned the apportionment cap, the size and timing of deferred maintenance requests, park revenue, and the use of parking pass funds; tourism said annual park-related revenue is about $32 million to $34 million and parking pass revenue is about $2.5 million. Finally, the OSU Veterinary Medicine Authority presented its budget request and program updates. The authority said it supports the veterinary teaching hospital and related student training, and that its FY26 budget is entirely state-appropriated. It requested continued support for hospital operations, the large animal scholarship program, and a new $12.5 million annual payment tied to the $250 million Legacy Capital Fund authorization for the veterinary teaching hospital, along with additional funding to expand in-state enrollment. Officials said in-state enrollment had increased from 58 to 69 students after prior funding, with a goal of reaching 90 of 106 total seats, and that there were 195 in-state applicants this year. Members asked whether standards would be lowered; the authority said academic standards would not change and noted strong board-pass rates and retention outcomes. It also said accreditation concerns tied to faculty shortages and off-site teaching had been addressed by bringing students back to the main campus and improving staffing. The committee ended by thanking the presenters and announcing its next meeting date.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many students, when they leave the school system, just don't have access to the same computers or the
• A shared understanding of budget stability, long-term obligations, and the fiscal impact of compensation
• We also encourage careful consideration of how financial conditions are monitored.
• We are in this work because we care about students, ...have what they need to be successful.
• Instruction to develop and maintain a statewide online system for IEPs.

Summary: The House Education Committee heard several bills focused on school district operations, student access, and special education. Substitute Senate Bill 6222 would allow school districts and educational service districts to sell or grant surplus technology hardware, such as laptops and tablets, directly to public school students, with priority for low-income students and documentation of the transfer. Testimony from the sponsor, district staff, and advocates emphasized helping students keep familiar devices, reducing waste, and extending the public investment in technology. The committee also heard Second Substitute Senate Bill 5969, which would better integrate IEP transition plans with the statewide online IEP system and the universal high school and beyond plan platform to reduce duplication; staff noted a fiscal note had been requested, and there were no public testifiers on the bill. The committee spent substantial time on Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6247, a school district financial management bill. The bill would require additional ESD oversight and support for districts showing signs of financial distress, create mandatory school director training on funding and finance, strengthen penalties for knowing violations of budget expenditure limits, and require disclosure authorizations before hiring certain budget or accounting personnel. Senator Dozier said the bill was prompted by district financial problems, declining enrollment, failed levies, and reserve fund declines. ESD, WSSDA, WASA, WOSBO, and OSPI testified in support overall, though some witnesses raised concerns about mandatory training, funding for implementation, and whether training should extend beyond school directors. Committee members asked about the bill’s scope, the undefined term “significantly,” the $750,000 reimbursement cap, and how it compared with House Bill 2593. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 622, which would exempt school districts and ESDs from certain surplus-property notice requirements when selling or granting surplus technology hardware to students at depreciated cost or no cost to low-income students. Senator Hunt said the bill came from constituent concerns about unused laptops and tablets and would help students transition to work, college, or technical school. Zero Waste Washington and an Issaquah School District official supported the measure, citing environmental benefits and practical student access to technology. The committee closed public hearings on the bills, noted sign-in counts for pro and con positions, and announced amendment deadlines and upcoming executive sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• term.
• As California continues its long-term efforts to transition our cannabis market, success requires this
• This is my last term, and I'm just hoping, I fully believe, This is my last term, and I'm just hoping
• We have the most fragmented system in the country.
• Yeah, I would just second in terms of the compliance side.

Summary: The joint hearing focused on the Governor’s 2025 reorganization plan to split the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency into two new agencies: a Business and Consumer Services Agency and a California Housing and Homelessness Agency. Administration officials said the change would give each side more focused leadership, improve consumer protection and regulatory oversight, and better align housing and homelessness policy with the state’s broader housing goals. Leaders from the Department of Consumer Affairs, Cannabis Control, Alcoholic Beverage Control, and Financial Protection and Innovation all voiced support for the business-side reorganization, while housing officials emphasized that the new housing agency would help streamline funding, compliance, and coordination across programs. Members raised concerns about timing, budget impacts, office space, and whether the split would actually reduce bureaucracy. The administration said the plan would be included in the May Revision, was intended to be cost-neutral, and would not require fee increases for licensees or additional office space. On the housing side, officials said the new Housing Development and Finance Committee would work toward a single application and more coordinated award process for affordable housing funding, while preserving CalHFA’s statutory and financial independence. They also said the reorganization would improve compliance monitoring, data collection, and coordination with local governments, including Los Angeles homelessness programs. Public testimony was largely supportive. Industry groups representing beverage distributors, craft brewers, wine, mortgage lenders, and housing organizations backed the business-side split, and housing advocates such as Housing California, the California Housing Partnership, and the California Housing Consortium supported the housing agency concept and the proposed one-stop-shop approach. Several witnesses urged that tax credits, bonds, and other funding sources be better coordinated, and some said the plan should be paired with additional state investment and implementation resources. No formal vote was taken; the hearing was informational.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is nice to be back with you as a legislator, in a former legislator, in what I call long-term recovery
• </c><00:20:04.280><c> of</c> very long time uh in terms of very long time uh in terms of examination<
• Is it a new system, or has the system been in place a while?
• , our tax-related systems, and our wage system.
• and our wage system um related systems and our wage system um right<01:27:33.560><c> now</c><01:27:34.360

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony from Insurance Commissioner DJ Bettencourt on the New Hampshire Insurance Department budget. He said the department is self-funded through assessments on insurers based on New Hampshire premium volume, with about $8 billion in premiums written in the state and a department budget of roughly $15.5 million. He explained that the department has 88 authorized positions, eight vacancies, and that three full-time positions were unfunded after the governor’s requested 4% reduction exercise. He also said the department is trying to balance staffing needs with not overburdening carriers during a hard insurance market. A major topic was the department’s $2.6 million rebate to industry from the prior fiscal year, which Bettencourt described as a credit against the next assessment rather than a direct cash payment. Members questioned why that credit was not reflected as a reduction in the upcoming budget, and Bettencourt and staff explained that the budget assumes full staffing and full spending, with any year-end surplus returned to insurers. The commissioner said the department had added staff in recent years for succession planning and to preserve institutional expertise, and that the rebate reflects careful budgeting rather than excess spending. Members also asked about staffing changes by division, including positions unfunded in fraud, property and casualty examinations, life and health examinations, and tax. Bettencourt said fraud investigations remain strong and that the department can use outside contractors for examinations, with those costs billed to the company being examined. He also described the department’s examination process, including periodic financial exams and targeted market conduct reviews triggered by consumer complaints or trends. Additional questions covered OIT transfers, the department’s oversight of fully insured health coverage, the insurance premium tax and fines going to the general fund, and the department’s limited role in auto repair reimbursement disputes, where he said complaints have recently declined.

Transcript Highlights:

• Take care. My office is 314. My office is 314. Thank you for your testimony. Take care.
• It's a merit-based system where points are awarded for LPAs.
• That's the one statistic that I recall from this very long report.
• But in the grow facilities, there are definitely a lot of people who want to turn this into a long-term
• Normal is a relative term.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy held its fourth hearing, with opening remarks from Senate Chair Adam Gómez and House Chair Dan Donahue emphasizing the committee’s broad agenda, including retail modernization, labor protections, advertising rules, sustainability, and financial resources. Testimony began with public health advocates supporting H.157/S.9 to ban cannabis billboard advertising, arguing that billboards normalize use for youth and are linked to cannabis-related harms such as psychosis, addiction, and cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. Witnesses cited research, family stories, and court decisions in Mississippi and Virginia upholding similar restrictions, while committee members questioned the scope of the state’s authority to regulate billboards on private property and the relevance of federal highway funding and federal cannabis law. The committee also heard testimony on H.175, a proposal to allow cannabis drive-through sales. A dispensary operator argued drive-throughs would improve access, especially for disabled customers and veterans, and said security and ID checks could be handled with cameras and staff screening. Committee members pressed him on how employees would assess impairment, whether drive-throughs could increase access for minors, and whether the industry should be treated like alcohol, with the witness responding that staff already refuse service to intoxicated customers and that education, not prohibition, is the better approach. Another bill, H.3982, would apply the bottle deposit law to carbonated hemp- or THC-infused beverages; the sponsor said the measure would standardize recycling requirements for products already sold in dispensaries and other markets, and members asked about container types and recycling compatibility. A major portion of the hearing focused on labor peace agreements, with UFCW representatives, cannabis workers, and Sen. Lydia Edwards supporting S.77/H.161. They said the bill would require cannabis businesses to remain neutral when workers seek to organize, arguing that unions improve safety, wages, benefits, and job stability in an industry they described as underregulated and prone to retaliation. Witnesses cited workplace hazards, wage theft, and the death of a worker at a Holyoke facility as examples of why stronger worker protections are needed. Committee members asked how the proposal differs from existing labor law, whether tying LPAs to licensing and renewal could create legal or administrative problems, and how other states handle similar requirements. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• violations, silicosis cases, and regional trends, and hopes to promote safety in the industry and lower long-term
• In fact, research shows that some workers with short-term credentials earn only $30,000 or less, and
• Today, the workforce system operates under two different administrative structures.
• Today, the workforce system operates under two different administrative structures.
• Currently, we're working on securing long-term funding, and we want it to succeed.

Summary: The Assembly Labor and Employment Committee heard and advanced a series of bills, mostly on worker safety, wages, workforce training, and retirement savings. AB 2137 (Chen) would strengthen safety rules and certification for artificial stone fabrication shops to reduce silica exposure; AB 2499 (Gibson) would require Cal/OSHA to develop heat-illness protections for incarcerated workers and staff in correctional facilities; AB 2300 (Arambula) would streamline the disbursement of state and federal workforce funds; AB 2646 (Krell) would establish a minimum wage floor for certain agricultural workers; AB 2227 (Connolly) would tighten licensing and bond requirements for farm labor contractors and add default-judgment procedures for wage claims; AB 1869 (Haney) would create a reporting process for alleged REIT interference in hotel operations; AB 2650 (Pellerin) would expand CalSavers with emergency savings accounts and other updates; AB 2634 (Zbur) would prioritize labor-management partnerships in High Road Training Partnership grants; and AB 1888 would require skilled-and-trained workforce and prevailing wage standards for work under the Safe Home Grant Program. AB 1534 (Irwin) would create California’s approval process for short-term Pell-eligible workforce programs. The committee also took up several consent items, including AB 1904, AB 1980, AB 2550, AB 2078, and AB 2682. Most bills were described as aligning state programs with federal law or improving worker protections and program quality, while opponents generally raised concerns about costs, administrative burden, regulatory uncertainty, or reduced oversight. Testimony was largely split along labor and industry lines. Supporters included labor unions, legal aid groups, workforce boards, and affected workers or family members, who emphasized heat illness, wage theft, silica exposure, poor prison conditions, and the need for higher-quality training and retirement access. Opponents on several bills, especially those affecting agriculture, REITs, and workforce administration, argued the measures would increase costs, create uncertainty, or duplicate existing law. On AB 2227, committee members engaged in extended discussion about Labor Commissioner delays and whether the bill’s default-judgment and bond provisions would meaningfully help workers. On AB 1869, members and witnesses debated whether the bill created new standards or simply improved enforcement of existing REIT rules. The committee voted to pass all of the measures heard, generally with motions to do pass and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations. Several bills were held open for absent members during the meeting, and later add-on roll calls recorded additional ayes, moving the bills out of committee. The meeting concluded after the consent calendar was approved and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Hampshire healthcare system. Hampshire healthcare system.
• </c> Hampshire healthcare system. Hampshire healthcare system.
• but by developing antibody response, even that efficacy was found to be waning very fast and lacking long-term
• :55.520><c> fast</c><00:27:56.040><c> and</c> very fast and very fast and lacking<00:27:57.440><c> long-term
• </c> lacking long-term efficacy. lacking long-term efficacy.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Special Committee on COVID Response Efficacy for New Hampshire held its first organizational meeting. The chair read the committee’s updated mission statement, which says the bipartisan committee will fact-find on the state’s COVID-19 response and its impact on the healthcare system, with focus areas including federal guidance, federal funds, emergency use authorization vaccination efforts, long COVID, the Patient Bill of Rights, and vaccination policies. The chair also announced committee staffing changes: Linda McGrath stepped down as vice chair and Representative Gerard was named vice chair; Representative DeRoy was named clerk. The chair emphasized the committee’s work is intended to be science-based and fact-finding, not anti-vaccine, and noted that the committee may issue follow-up reports and recommendations. Members discussed a broad list of topics for future hearings, including long COVID treatment, ongoing vaccination policies, reporting of COVID deaths, standards of care and provider discretion, COVID-related funding such as ESSER/CARES Act money, and communication of treatment developments during the pandemic. Representative Pollina argued the committee should examine specific treatments and outcomes, including remdesivir, oxygen/intubation practices, and ivermectin, and raised concerns about whether some treatments were harmful or suppressed. He also focused on pediatric vaccination policy, saying the committee should review New Hampshire’s recommendations for children and medical students, and questioned the state’s reliance on federal guidance versus independent review. The chair responded that shifting federal positions may justify an independent New Hampshire evaluation and asked him to gather more information and potential witnesses. In open discussion, members suggested additional witnesses and topics, including local funeral directors, nursing homes, and emergency medical services, as well as how nursing homes were affected by positive tests and admission restrictions. Another member suggested the committee consider what products it should produce, such as a final report, possible bill recommendations, and better documentation or footnotes tying findings to testimony and scientific sources. The chair said the committee’s deliverables could include reports, letters to department heads or legislative leaders, and other actions, and noted that the committee’s 2024 report and supporting documents are available on the House committee page. No votes or formal actions beyond the organizational appointments were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Recreational inhalation of nitrous oxide can cause long-term neurologic impacts, paralysis, and even
• Every kratom consumer has 7-OH in their system. Every kratom consumer has 7-OH in their system.
• Every kratom consumer has 7-OH in their system.
• And we should be looking at this in terms of... ...this in terms of, and it frankly reminds me of the
• other stuff in their system too.

Committee: Senate Public Safety

Summary: The Senate Committee on Public Safety heard two bills. SB 99, by Senator Blakespear, would improve coordination between military and civilian law enforcement in domestic violence cases involving military protective orders. The author and a Department of Defense witness said the bill would help courts and police identify existing military protective orders, allow them to be considered in restraining order proceedings, require notification to military authorities when violations are suspected, and encourage memoranda of understanding between agencies. The ACLU California Action opposed unless amended, citing due process concerns because military protective orders are issued by commanders without court procedures. Members generally supported the bill as a way to protect survivors, and it passed the committee 5-0 to the Judiciary Committee. SB 758, by Senator Umberg, addressed nitrous oxide and concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products sold in retail settings. Supporters, including local officials, law enforcement groups, and parents, argued that nitrous oxide misuse and concentrated 7-OH products are harming youth and communities and that the bill would restrict sales while preserving legitimate culinary uses of nitrous oxide. Opponents, including kratom and drug policy advocates, argued the bill would criminalize adults, that 7-OH is a naturally occurring kratom component with limited evidence of severe harm when used alone, and that regulation rather than prohibition would be preferable. After discussion, the committee adopted amendments narrowing the bill and voted 5-0 to send SB 758 as amended to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• An unpiloted aircraft system, also known as an unmanned aircraft system, or UAS, is an aircraft operated
• This is a bill about improving access to health care.
• Guard also being able to use unpiloted aircraft systems?
• They've lost their health care.
• care system.

Bills: HB2198 , HB2401 , HB2462 , HB2419 , HB2210 , HB2205 , HB2249

Committee: House State Government & Tribal Relations

Keywords: regulatory efficiency, permitting, licensing, executive order, state government, commission, gender equity, boys, men, advocacy, state policy, unpiloted aircraft, drones, regulation, airspace safety, privacy, address confidentiality, administrative law judges, privacy protection, staff employment

Transcript Highlights:

• If you did enrollment, then we wouldn't care, you know.
• as well as long as we've had potato harvest over 40 years.
• And then not long ago, we... ...it's also variable according to local needs.
• I'm not a fan of the old term local control all the time.
• So it's an authorized, I think the longer term is authorized chartering entity.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from February 12 and 13, then recognized page Ethan Cowell for his service before moving into legislation. House Bill 599 was explained as a technical change to how funding for digital curriculum grants is awarded, shifting from first-come, first-served to a need-based application process using a rubric from the State Department of Education. The committee voted to send HB 599 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then introduced RS 33436, a proposal related to the state endowment fund. The sponsor said the measure would not change the amount of money distributed to schools, but would send endowment dollars directly to schools as a separate line item rather than blending them into the general school funding formula. After a brief question about average daily attendance, the committee voted to introduce the RS. House Bill 710, which would set a statewide public school start date of the Tuesday after Labor Day, drew extensive testimony. The sponsor argued for a uniform start date for predictability and said schools could adjust by shortening breaks, while opponents—including superintendents, the Idaho PTA, and the Idaho School Boards Association—said the bill would override local control, disrupt harvest schedules, and create problems for districts with four-day weeks or calendars built around community needs. The Idaho Lodging and Restaurant Association supported the bill, saying later starts would help tourism businesses. After debate, a motion to send the bill to the floor without recommendation failed, and the committee then voted 9-5 to hold HB 710 in committee. Finally, the committee considered RS 33230C1, which would create a performance-based funding flexibility model for charter schools. The sponsor said it would reward strong academic, financial, and governance performance with greater spending flexibility. Members discussed whether similar flexibility should also be available to traditional school districts, but the sponsor did not agree to broaden the RS. An amended motion failed, and the committee then voted to introduce RS 33230C1.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is about making sure we understand the long-term impacts of wind and solar development, especially
• areas, often with little or no funding. ...oversight, limited coordination with local officials, and long-term
• term.
• systems across the state.
• That's a compelling case when you integrate technologies to reduce long-term operational costs.

Bills: HB1951 , HB2715 , HB3092 , HB3237 , HB3278 , HB3511 , HB3592 , HB3675 , HB3778 , HB3782 , HB3826 , HB3970 , HB4016 , HB4049 , HB4341 , HB4344 , HB4406 , HB4427

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: collective bargaining, public works, government contracts, labor agreements, state funding, removal from office, political subdivisions, local government, judicial proceedings, administrative judicial region, electric transmission, public convenience, landowner consent, utility regulation, energy infrastructure, energy consumption, higher education, governmental entities, sustainability, electricity reduction

Transcript Highlights:

• We just want to make sure that people have confidence in the health care system.
• these people working, and I always give this example: If you are in an old folks' home, if you're at a long-term
• care delivery system.
• So this year right now, we're talking about San Juan County, but I'm concerned long-term that we're talking
• We share your goal of strengthening Washington's health care system, but this bill does not represent

Bills: SB5877 , SB5904 , SB5988

Committee: House Health Care & Wellness

Keywords: anesthesiology, medical personnel, surcharges, licensing, healthcare regulations, nursing titles, licensure, healthcare professionals, patient safety, professional standards, opioid treatment, accreditation, health department, fee authority, substance abuse, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• any case, if there is a particular medicine that is proving effective and a treatment that's been a long-term
• any case, if there is a particular medicine that is proving effective and a treatment that's been a long-term
• As long as it's coming back before this committee, Mr. Chair, then I'm okay with it.
• Wallace is an update on the United Health Care rebid.
• And maybe preventive care as well, specifically.

Committee: All ALC-STATE INSURANCE PROGRAMS OVERSIGHT SUBCOMMITTEE

Keywords: 1204, all