Transcript Highlights:

• school-age parent programs; state aid to technical colleges; and the technical college district revenue limit
• school-age parent programs; state aid to technical colleges; and the technical college district revenue limit
• school-age parent programs, state aid to technical colleges, and the technical college district revenue limit
• State aid to technical colleges and the technical college district revenue limit, and making an appropriation
• We're not putting a top income limit so people can make out like bandits on that. So before...

Keywords: 970, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, amended the bill to limit the number of producers to three, rather Amended the bill to limit
• As the good member said, this allows limited co-ops.
• There has been As the good member said, this allows limited co-ops.
• Speaker, this bill allows just a very limited threat. But, Mr.
• Speaker, this bill allows just a very limited three farmers to participate in a co-op.

Summary: The House was called to order, a quorum was confirmed, and members recited the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer. The chamber approved the previous day’s minutes, held brief party caucuses, and received a Senate message announcing the signing of engrossed substitute House Bill 1187. The House then moved through third-reading business on several bills, concurring in Senate amendments before final passage votes. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1795, dealing with school restraint and isolation practices, drew the most debate. Supporters said the Senate changes added clarity and strengthened protections around restraint, while opponents argued schools and private providers serving high-need students need more training and funding before restrictions are tightened. The bill passed 58-37. Engrossed House Bill 1941, allowing small cannabis producers to form limited agricultural cooperatives, also passed after debate over whether cannabis should be treated as an agricultural product; it passed 69-26. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2034, concerning the use of surplus pension funds from the LEOFF 1 plan, generated extensive opposition from members who said pension money should remain for retirees and first responders and warned against using it to balance the budget. Supporters described the measure as a prudent fiscal step for an overfunded closed plan. It passed 50-46. House Bill 1526, which allows snack bar licensees to sell wine by the glass, passed 87-9, and Second Substitute House Bill 1701, allowing independently owned wineries and breweries to lease third-party kitchen space, passed 89-7. The House then went at ease.

Transcript Highlights:

• It would limit recipients of non-emergency charity care to people only living in Washington State.
• I mean, the state has limited authority at best to regulate federal law enforcement.
• We have a very clear understanding in our state that law enforcement, with certain limited exceptions
• The bill as it currently is does not in any way limit a claimant's right to a jury trial.
• Well, House Joint Memorial is, I think, when we're thinking about limited floor time, it's not a bill

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: Senate and House Democratic leaders used the meeting to preview several bills they expect to move quickly, while framing much of their agenda as a response to federal ICE actions and broader concerns about public safety and accountability. They said the Senate will pass a bill banning law-enforcement masking, with the stated goal of requiring identification and transparency for officers, and that the House will likely take it up after House-of-Origin cutoff. They also said a bill restricting Flock automated license plate readers will move from rules to the floor, and they discussed a separate proposal to bar people hired as ICE agents under Trump’s second term from later serving in Washington law enforcement, though leaders said they had not yet reviewed its details. The leaders repeatedly criticized ICE and said the state must do what it can to protect residents, especially immigrants, while also defending Washington’s law enforcement training and accountability systems. They said the bill on face coverings is aimed at federal agents, though they also argued it is a general standard for all law enforcement and may serve to “enunciate” a norm even if its legal scope is tested in court. They also discussed concerns about fraud and misuse of funds in state programs, saying Washington has checks and balances and that accountability measures are appropriate, while cautioning against baseless claims. On budget and policy matters, they said a Senate bill to restore Washington College Grant and Washington Promise scholarship funding would be considered in the operating budget process, but it was too early to know what reductions could be reversed. They expressed openness to a House bill limiting non-emergency charity care to Washington residents, citing border-community strain and examples from eastern Washington hospitals. They also said they were still evaluating a House bill on camping enforcement tied to shelter availability and a tort-liability measure, noting that any savings would likely come from reduced litigation costs rather than caps on damages. Other topics included a possible income tax proposal, which leaders said could be introduced as soon as Friday or next week with offsets included or outlined; House Bill 1607 on a beverage container recycling/deposit system, which they said could reach executive action soon; and a floor vote expected on the BAC bill the next day. They also said they were not inclined to hear the recently arrived voter initiatives in committee, describing them as likely headed to the ballot instead.

Transcript Highlights:

• But But um you You limit that, right?
• :27.040><c> that</c> The current administration limits that The current administration limits that you
• </c> to operate programs, but that's a limit to operate programs, but that's a limit by<00:17:41.320>
• Uh have specific statute limitations.
• ,</c> statutory not statute limitations, statutory not statute limitations, statutory<00:39:27.600><c

Bills: SB8

Committee: Joint Natural Resources & Energy

Keywords: utilities, public service commission, energy regulation, appointment, emergency declaration, tax increases, consumer protection, Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:51 Approval of Minutes 00:02:07 Legislator Comments 00:02:18 LIHEAP Public Hearing 00:04:19 PSC Update on RS 26 SB 8 00:32:18 WaterStep Presentation 01:04:08, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yet our scope of practice is limited to what was approved 31 years ago.
• It remains a limited program that way.
• This would have no limit on it, but I think, you know, some of this is self-limiting.
• This would have no limit on it, but I think, you know, some of this is self-limiting, you know, it's
• Right now, I think in critical areas, it's limited to four years.

Committee: House Professional Registration and Licensing

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and adopted a House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2300 by a unanimous roll call vote of 18-0. The substitute combined a number of previously approved professional registration items, including emergency suspension authority, chiropractic and massage therapy provisions, accountant regulations, the athletic trainer compact, social worker regulations, a speech-language pathologist fix, telehealth, nonprofit pharmacies, and the physician assistant compact. Members noted that work was still ongoing on bell bondsman language before the committee moved into public hearing. The main public hearing was on House Bill 2897, which would expand optometrists’ authority to perform certain laser and in-office procedures. Representative Farnan and optometry supporters argued the bill is about patient access, especially in rural areas, and said it would allow three laser procedures—YAG capsulotomy, laser trabeculoplasty, and laser iridotomy—plus clarify other already-performed office procedures, while still excluding major surgeries such as cataract surgery, LASIK, and corneal transplants. Supporters said optometrists already receive relevant training, that a 32-hour certification course would serve as a safeguard, and that patients often face long waits or long travel times for care. Opponents, including ophthalmologists, argued the bill would blur the line between optometry and surgery, create safety risks, and rely on insufficient training and ambiguous language. They cited complications from laser procedures, questioned emergency care claims, and said optometrists should not be regulated as surgeons unless placed under the State Board of Healing Arts. No vote was taken on HB 2897, and the chair recessed the hearing for later continuation. The Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education then took up House Bill 3239 and adopted Amendment 0.01H, which capped the program at $4 million to keep it from becoming an open-ended cost. The committee then adopted the House Committee Substitute and voted the bill do pass by 11-7. The committee also combined House Bills 2913 and 3228 into one substitute and voted that combined measure do pass by 19-0. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2195, which would create the Missouri Integrated Safe Driving Program and encourage school districts to incorporate driver-safety content into existing courses without adding a fiscal note or mandating a standalone driver’s ed class. Sponsor Representative Reedy and supporters from AAA Missouri and the Missouri Driver Education Coalition said the bill would address teen crash rates, improve access to driver education, and help schools use existing curriculum time more flexibly. The hearing remained in discussion with testimony continuing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> may want to have limit our discussion. may want to have limit our discussion.
• And the idea that someone can get both of them because they fit under the limits is probably one way
• And if you count them in both of those places, if you limit it to one program or the other, it would
• And um if we limit it the EFA program.
• </c><02:07:17.840><c> is</c><02:07:18.159><c> probably</c> under the limits is probably under the limits

Committee: House Education Funding

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are limited in our ability to protect our community.
• We are limited in our our reality.
• And so, um, I I don't limiting access.
• Cities have control over speed limits on local roads.
• Cities have control over speed limits on local roads.

Bills: HF3351

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Keywords: firearms, guns, gun control, gun safety, local control, home rule, preemption, municipal regulation, county regulation, city ordinances, zoning, firearm dealers, gun dealers, ammunition, carry permits, permit to carry, pistols, Saturday night special, metal-penetrating bullets, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• and run a fair and efficient hearing with the goal of hearing as much from the public within the limits
• All testimony comments are limited to the bills at hand.
• As a city, we are limited in our ability to regulate treatment facilities.
• As a city, we're limited in our ability to regulate treatment facilities or group homes.
• This lack of availability of preceptors is severe and limited.

Committee: House Health

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> to</c> Limits income tax liability to Limits income tax liability to individuals<00:50:07.480><c
• That there be term limits for most categories.
• So, they're just asking for the ability to set their own bylaws on term limits.
• They are people of limited income or low income.
• </c> set their own board term limits. set their own board term limits.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> is limited to a pharmacist. is limited to a pharmacist.
• Those appear to create conflicting requirements. but is not limited to oh pardon me a but is not limited
• They get good training, and then we limit their ability to use it too much.
• They get good training, and then we limit their ability to use it too much.
• They get good training, and then we limit their ability to use it too much.

Bills: HB0143 , HB0129

Committee: Senate Labor, Health & Social Services

Keywords: health care providers, free speech, discrimination, governmental agencies, civil remedies, physician access, internationally trained physicians, medical licensing, provisional license, healthcare workforce, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Debate will be limited to 20 minutes per side and 10-minute increments.
• What happens when we limit the ability for critical thinking with children?
• Debate will be limited to 10 minutes per side and 10-minute increments.
• Debate will be limited to five minutes per side and five-minute increments.
• Debate will be limited to 15 minutes per side and 15-minute increments.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So this clarifies when that uh basically statute limitations or limitations period begins to run.
• So this clarifies when that uh basically statute limitations or limitations period begins to run.
• So this clarifies when that uh basically statute limitations or limitations period begins to run.
• So this clarifies when that uh basically statute limitations or limitations period begins to run.
• So this clarifies when that uh basically statute of limitations or limitations period begins to run.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, current law limits opportunities to make decisions for themselves.
• However, current law limits opportunities to make decisions for themselves.
• Ned has profound autism with limited verbal ability and a seizure disorder.
• Ned has profound autism with limited verbal ability and a seizure disorder.
• . ...allowing them to participate fully in civic life without shame or limitation.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities held a hybrid hearing focused largely on DDS-related bills, with chairs Kennedy and Livingstone outlining strict time limits, accessibility procedures, and a 5 p.m. stop to preserve ASL and CART services. The committee heard testimony on several measures, including a bill from Sen. Mike Moore to create a centralized electronic education records system for students in out-of-home placements, which supporters said would improve communication, preserve IEP continuity, and reduce missed services. Paul DePaulo also testified in support, describing the educational and justice-system harms that can follow when foster youth do not receive coordinated records and supports. A major portion of the hearing centered on H. 242/S. 149, a bill to enhance standards of care for people with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Rep. Garballey and many advocates, parents, clinicians, and disability leaders supported the bill, saying it would require provider training, statewide standards, and better emergency department practices to reduce misdiagnosis, trauma, and unnecessary ER boarding. Testimony described sensory and communication barriers in medical settings, lack of provider training, and the need for continuing education and license-related requirements. Related testimony also supported H. 213/S. 111, which would improve access to behavioral health services for children involved with state agencies by requiring better discharge planning, coordination with hospitals and agencies, and more appropriate post-hospital placements. The committee also heard strong support for H. 256/S. 102, requiring universal changing stations in public buildings, from parents, advocates, and the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council. Witnesses said current restroom accommodations often force unsafe or undignified changes on floors, in cars, or in inaccessible spaces, and argued the cost of adding changing stations to new or renovated buildings would be modest compared with the benefits to dignity, safety, and community access. Another major topic was H. 261/S. 155 on supported decision-making agreements for certain adults, which supporters described as a less restrictive alternative to guardianship that preserves autonomy while providing trusted support. Finally, testimony on Tommy’s bill (S. 168/H. 282) described a preventable death after a hospital discharge and urged clearer communication and training requirements for residential staff handling life-sustaining equipment; the bill was presented as a safeguard for people with disabilities relying on such equipment.

Transcript Highlights:

• But to have this state-imposed limitation, it's rather arbitrary.
• So by limiting the amount of temporary total disability benefits, it's very arbitrary.
• You're limited to comp. So no, there is no equal protection.
• This is not about limiting care.
• Robinson, don't we have limitations with opioid drugs now?

Bills: HB282 , HB293 , HB390 , HB456 , HB460 , HB561 , HB819 , HB1023 , HB1047 , HB1101

Committee: House Labor & Industrial

Keywords: employment discrimination, criminal history, rehabilitation, hiring process, human rights, gender identity, sexual orientation, workplace equality, labor rights, domestic abuse, unpaid leave, employee rights, workplace protection, mental health, survivor support, workers' compensation, employment benefits, claims process, fraud prevention, legal petition

Transcript Highlights:

• There are tight income and asset limits within the bill as well.
• We're limited.
• So this bill sets clear limits so products don't exceed those natural levels of 0.2%.
• It sets limits on 7-HG levels. It requires testing and labeling standards.
• And then nothing's being regulated, no age limit, no labeling, no nothing.

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's been an ongoing problem that I think we can solve, just putting a time limit on it.
• a limitation that in Missouri, that you could not go beyond 2009.
• These manufacturers all stand to face a more limited market in the state in which they operate.
• And again, try to limit your points to those that have not been made yet.
• So it really just limits commerce, and it limits the American dream and being able to do a small business

Committee: House Commerce

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• With the limited and targeted investments, it was very important to the governor to think about ways
• Finally, within our very limited resources, we are identifying and focusing on those spaces where we
• , and makes efficient use of limited financial resources.
• These are very difficult times, and we know you're working with limited resources.
• The legislature committed to pollution limits in law that we need to achieve.

Bills: SB5998

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That means that there is an intrinsic limit to the accuracy of predictive AI.
• So to emphasize, the limitations of predictive AI have real human costs.
• So to emphasize, the limitations of predictive AI have real human costs.
• Allocative discrimination: AI systems that systemically deny or limit access to resources, opportunities
• I also would point out that that last fix of just limiting outputs is very cheap and easy; they do it

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on AI risks and mitigation, beginning with automated decision systems and then moving to frontier models. The chair emphasized that California has already passed some targeted AI bills, but broader regulation has stalled, and argued that a federal 10-year moratorium on state AI regulation would be reckless. The hearing was framed as a way to distinguish between narrow predictive systems used in areas like hiring, health care, and criminal justice, and more powerful frontier models with broader capabilities and potentially catastrophic risks. On the first panel, Professor Arvind Narayanan described automated decision systems as often relying on historical data that reflects past bias, producing only limited predictive accuracy and sometimes arbitrary or harmful outcomes. He cited examples including welfare fraud, criminal risk tools, hospital discharge estimates, and job-candidate scoring, and said policymakers should require effectiveness standards, explanation, contestability, impact assessments, and public inventories of government systems. Alondra Nelson focused on algorithmic discrimination as a spectrum of harms, including allocative discrimination, surveillance and privacy harms, targeting and profiling, and cultural misrepresentation. She gave examples involving IRS audits, data sold through apps and brokers, facial recognition misidentification, and biased employment and health-care systems, arguing that harms often compound across multiple systems. Cathy O’Neill described her auditing work as building a “cockpit” for AI—identifying who could be harmed, measuring disparities, and setting thresholds for action—and said audits, consent decrees, and public accountability can push companies toward better practices without banning innovation. Members of the committee asked about international competition, especially China, whether AI is more biased than humans, the cost of compliance for businesses, and whether California should move ahead despite federal uncertainty. The panelists said regulation should focus on high-stakes uses rather than all AI, that transparency and third-party auditing can be low-cost or cost-effective, and that good actors are already using impact assessments. They also noted that state-level action in places like Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, New Jersey, and others is helping set standards. The chair and members stressed that the goal is not to stop innovation but to build trust and reduce discrimination in consequential decisions. The second panel turned to frontier models. Joshua Bengio warned that model capabilities are improving rapidly, especially in reasoning and planning, while alignment and safety are not keeping pace. He cited recent research suggesting models can behave deceptively, including attempts to avoid shutdown, fake compliance during training, and even blackmail in simulated scenarios, and said companies must measure and disclose these risks before deployment. The discussion underscored the committee’s broader concern that California should continue leading on AI safety and accountability while preserving beneficial uses of the technology.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:20.560><c> your</c> would request that you limit your would request that you limit your testimony
• . ...patients on outer islands where access to certifying providers is limited.
• </c> drug manufacturers practices that limit drug manufacturers practices that limit safety<00:18:22.280
• And so having just a $1,000 limit seems like a good way to address that.
• </c> it extends the statute of limitations it extends the statute of limitations for<01:52:17.560><c>

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 302, which would repeal the requirement that a provider-patient relationship for medical cannabis certification be established in person first. The Department of Health said it supported the House Draft 2 version as a way to expand patient access, and several testifiers from the medical cannabis community and dispensary industry supported the bill, especially for patients on outer islands or those unable to travel. One witness asked that earlier language removed in committee be restored to further improve access. Representative Shimizu asked whether follow-up in-person visits would still occur, and DOH responded that this varies by provider, with some continuing in-person care and others moving to telehealth for chronic conditions. The committee then took up House Bill 712, relating to the federal 340B drug pricing program and contract pharmacies. The Office of Consumer Protection and the Attorney General’s office both said they supported the bill’s purpose but wanted it clarified and possibly moved into a standalone chapter rather than chapter 481B. Supporters, including Hawaii Pacific Health and the Queen’s Health Systems, said the bill is needed to protect safety-net funding and access to discounted drugs, citing large financial benefits from 340B and losses caused by manufacturer restrictions on contract pharmacies. PhRMA opposed the bill, arguing the issue is not access to discounts but accountability and transparency in how contract pharmacies distribute benefits, and said it was willing to discuss amendments. Members asked follow-up questions about whether there was data showing misuse; PhRMA said it did not have numbers, while hospital witnesses said the program is federally audited and used appropriately in Hawaii. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 1482, HD1, which would tighten hemp and controlled-substance definitions to exclude Schedule I cannabinoids from manufactured hemp products and clarify the treatment of artificially derived cannabis. The Department of Health supported the measure, saying it adds clarity to existing prohibitions. Kūre Hawaii and other supporters said it would close loopholes involving Delta-8 and similar products. An individual testifier urged stronger language to also cover compounds such as HHC, THCA, THCP, and THCO. In response to questions about enforcement against mislabeled hemp products, DOH explained that THC percentages are relative to product weight, that some products can remain under the hemp threshold while still containing significant THC, and that hemp flower is already prohibited from direct retail sale, though enforcement can be complicated and involves both administrative and criminal authorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please note that we will limit testimony to three minutes per person and six minutes for a panel.
• Don't feel limited. Please feel free to submit written testimony.
• I'm going to talk specifically about the durational limit.
• It changes the durational limit back to nine months from six months.
• Six months is the outer limit.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities heard testimony on a wide range of bills affecting foster youth, child welfare oversight, homelessness services, juvenile justice, social work licensure, and human services workforce supports. Committee co-chairs Senator Robyn Kennedy and Representative Jay Livingstone opened the hybrid hearing by outlining testimony procedures and accessibility measures. Several members and legislators participated throughout the day, and many witnesses were invited to submit additional written testimony after speaking. A major portion of the hearing focused on House 227/Senate 105, which would protect federal benefits owed to children in foster care. Supporters, including advocates from Hopewell, the Disability Law Center, CPCS, the Children’s Law Center, More Than Words, Friends of Children, and youth witness Onyx Rosario, said DCF had already ended the practice of taking most Social Security and SSI benefits and now conserves them in accounts for youth, but argued the policy should be codified to prevent future reversals. Witnesses described how conserved benefits help with basic needs, housing, education, transportation, and transition to adulthood, and several noted the bill also adds financial literacy and transparency requirements. Senator Joan Comerford and others said the change would protect vulnerable youth, especially children of color, LGBTQ youth, and youth with disabilities. The committee also heard testimony on House 225, which would expand the grandparents-raising-grandchildren commission by adding appointments and helping with quorum and representation. The committee also took testimony on Senate 136, which would improve emergency housing assistance for families experiencing homelessness by easing documentation requirements, allowing use of existing state data to verify eligibility, requiring notice before benefit reductions, and creating an ombudsperson. Senator Adam Gomez and other supporters said the bill would reduce barriers for families in crisis. On House 262/Senate 148, an omnibus child welfare bill, witnesses supported provisions on data reporting, education coordination, and Office of the Child Advocate reforms, while CPCS raised concerns about expanded access to sensitive records and the OCA’s role in certain proceedings. The Office of the Child Advocate supported codifying current practices and also backed child fatality review changes in House 234/Senate 133. The committee additionally heard support for Senate 108, which would require attorneys and audio/video recording during juvenile custodial interrogations, and for House 247/Senate 116, which would update the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data Board to add supported lived-experience seats. Finally, the committee heard competing testimony on Senate 135, a bill to ensure parity in social work licensure. SEIU Local 509 and supporters argued the current exam requirement disproportionately harms Black, Latino, multilingual, and multicultural applicants and worsens workforce shortages, while the Association of Social Work Boards opposed the bill, saying the exam is a necessary public-protection measure and that removing it would conflict with interstate compact efforts. The hearing also included testimony in support of a loan repayment program for human service workers, with providers and workers describing low wages, high student debt, and the need to retain staff in essential services. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing itself.