Transcript Highlights:

• So some of the changes would be in the mechanism.
• But the way this is worded, and this was on feedback from an administrator in my district, was making
• And so, I had feedback from a Constituent who said, 'Hey, these teacher credentialing academies, you
• I've reviewed their feedback, and a lot of that is incorporated in the legislation.

Bills: HB4420, HB3974, HB3016, HB3062, HB3021, HB3145, HB4128, HB3131, HB3015, HB3472, HB3453, HB1638, HB4126, HB2696, HB2710, HB3552, HB3031, HB3544, HB3521, HB4490, HB4488, HB1746, HJR1069, HB4428, HB4429, HB1170, HB3538, HB4124, HB3904, HB4106, HB2999, HB3982, HJR1077, HB3464, HB2588, HB3462, HB4440, HB3674, HB3345, HJR1067, HB4326, HB4331, HB4337, HB4338, HB4359, HB4392, HB3557, HJR1076, HB4003, HB3495, HB3497, HB3501, HB3505, HB3749, HB3011, HB4336, HB4346, HJR1087, HB3240, HB3647, HB3796, HB3969, HB3972, HB3983, HB3984, HB3989, HB3383, HB3130, HB4358, HB3327, HJR1055, HB3386, HJR1089, HB3087, HB2970, HB3314, HB4129, HB4199

Keywords: reading, intervention, literacy, education, third grade retention, teacher training, funding, Strong Readers Act, tort claims, inmate housing, government immunity, public trust, private prison, emergency legislation, vision screening, binocular vision, kindergarten, elementary education, health, firearm rights

Transcript Highlights:

• In this position, I get to remind our team members why their job matters, and also that their feedback
• And so, establishing that culture, we started really listening to feedback.
• small businesses that I’m excited about that we hope will come to fruition, just really easy filing mechanisms
• We have surveyed youth and interviewed youth and have had feedback in that process to try to improve

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules convened with quorum and first approved several governor’s appointments not required to appear, including Deborah Garns, Davis Rabbit, Cindy Silva, Vincent Wells, and Lee Herrick as California Poet Laureate, all by 5-0 votes. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees and floor acknowledgments, each by unanimous 5-0 votes. The committee then heard testimony on the appointment of Trista Gonzalez as Director of the Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Gonzalez described her 33-year career in tax administration, emphasized taxpayer service, efficient collection, and support for small businesses, and answered questions about lithium extraction tax registration, online sales tax enforcement under Wayfair and AB 147, and CDTFA’s work with illicit cigarette, tobacco, and cannabis activity. Members praised her responsiveness to legislators and constituents, and public commenters from Ryan LLC and the California Society of Enrolled Agents supported her confirmation. The committee voted 5-0 to send her nomination to the full Senate. The committee also heard from Aaron McGuire, executive director of the Board of State and Community Corrections, on his confirmation. He discussed the board’s expanded responsibilities, including annual detention facility inspections, grant administration, and the new in-custody death review division. Members questioned him about grant oversight, audits, implementation of SB 519, access to local agency records, standards for detention facilities, and conditions in Los Angeles County juvenile facilities. McGuire said the board is using inspections, technical assistance, and public reporting to improve compliance and transparency, and that additional trailer bill language clarified access to records. Public support came from nonprofit reentry providers and Giffords. The committee approved his nomination 5-0, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• In this position, I get to remind our team members why their job matters, and also that their feedback
• And so, establishing that culture, we started really listening to feedback.
• businesses that I'm excited about, that we hope will come to fruition, just really easy filing mechanisms
• We have surveyed youth and interviewed youth and have had feedback in that process to try to improve

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Tribe is partnering with us to do a pedestrian safety study, with the hopes that once they get that feedback
• tribe is partnering with us to do a pedestrian safety study with the hopes that once they get that feedback
• And the feedback that I got back helped guide how we focus our resources.
• You had police there talking about the road rules, bike mechanics.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met in Yakima to focus on tribal traffic safety, with members and Yakima Nation leaders emphasizing the importance of safety, the right to travel, and continued partnership on U.S. 97 corridor improvements. Yakima Nation Vice Chair Christopher Wallachie and engineering staff described the Tribal Traffic Safety Committee, the U.S. 97 safety project, heritage connectivity trails, roundabout construction, and the use of federal grants and advanced sensing technology to identify hazards before crashes occur. They highlighted collaboration with WSDOT, the Traffic Safety Commission, the University of Washington, and other regional partners, and explained that the goal is to move from reactive crash response to proactive risk reduction. The Yakima Nation engineering team and AI Vision presented the MUST sensor project, which uses compact AI-enabled devices to collect traffic counts, speeds, near-miss events, roadway conditions, and pedestrian activity, with data transmitted to a dashboard and used for real-time warnings and longer-term planning. Committee members asked about speed tracking, driver behavior, enforcement, and partnerships with WSDOT and counties. Yakima Nation staff said the relationship with WSDOT has improved over time, especially after community outreach on proposed roundabouts, and that the tribe now supports several roundabout projects and broader safety coordination. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission then presented statewide fatality trends and tribal traffic safety data. Mark McKekney said 2024 showed a roughly 10% decrease in fatalities statewide, though recent years remain among the highest in decades. He noted that race and ethnicity data are only available for people who die in crashes, and that many American Indian and Alaska Native fatalities involve passengers, pedestrians, or bicyclists rather than drivers. Penny Rerick outlined tribal traffic safety coordinator grants and other state-funded tribal projects, including work with Yakama Nation, Colville, Kalispel, Makah, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Muckleshoot, Lower Elwha, and Puyallup, stressing that flexible state funding helps fill gaps left by federal programs and supports community-led solutions. The final presentation covered impaired driving enforcement and ignition interlock compliance in Yakima County. Yakima Police Chief Sean Boyle said the city created a DUI enforcement and education officer program that helped reduce serious injury and fatal impaired-driving crashes, supported by state funding and social media outreach. Yakima County District Court’s Nick Bazan described a supervision program for DUI offenders and interlock compliance, reporting more than 1,000 DUI convictions in 2024-25 and about 3,800 noncompliant interlock users countywide. He said the court is using a two-pronged approach—pretrial assistance for indigent clients and post-conviction accountability and case planning—to improve compliance and reduce impaired driving. The committee expressed support for the work, noted the progress made, and adjourned the work session after thanking presenters for their updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• We work routinely with legislators. and stakeholders to obtain and provide feedback on bills that affect
• And so that's how a lot of people look at their realtors and so our members do hear a lot of. feedback
• But that's a space where we do hear feedback and. concern from our members on behalf of their clients
• And at this point in time, there is no mechanism that actively workforce boards about Chapter 3D and

Bills: HB406

Keywords: local economic development, notification, workforce development, municipal agreements, county contracts, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's the same thing where we're giving them that authority to work with the feedback from the court,
• You made a point to talk about the legislative process as a way for people to provide feedback into ballot
• The feedback on those measures and the summary statements were about 99% to 1% opposed to in favor.
• And so, like, when we talk about the idea of the feedback, right, you know, the courts are kind of a.
• .. ...of the feedback, right?

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of hospital funding in Medi-Cal flows through a financing mechanism called state-directed payments
• So I would appreciate your feedback on that, because I think it is something that the Legislature should
• We've got really positive feedback that it's easier for people to find information, including sample
• So thank you, colleagues, for your comments and feedback.
• individuals who spoke in public testimony today, thank you very much for your comments, for your feedback

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What I am hearing in this committee is so similar to the feedback, the consistent patterns of feedback
• Comments and feedback that we hear with the Children, Youth Behavioral Health Work Group, which is why
• , as the workgroup members heard this continuing pattern of feedback, they identified that solution of
• And we tried to do our best to represent not just our own judgments, but specifically their feedback,
• the feedback we've heard from them through many meetings.

Bills: HB1634

Keywords: mental health, behavioral support, education, school districts, student assistance, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What I am hearing in this committee is so similar to the feedback, the consistent patterns of feedback
• strategic planning process that we did with Washington's Thriving and the consistent comments and feedback
• that we hear with the Children, Youth Behavioral Health Work Group. ...comments and feedback that we
• And we tried to do our best to represent not just our own judgments, but specifically their feedback,
• the feedback we've heard from them through many meetings.

Summary: The House Education Committee held a work session on the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group and its school-based behavioral health and suicide prevention subgroup, followed by a public hearing on House Bill 1634, as amended in a proposed second substitute. Work group leaders Lisa Callan and Tisha Kirschbaum described the group’s statewide, cross-agency structure, its Washington Thriving strategic plan, and the goal of moving toward a more integrated “system of care” for children and youth. They emphasized that behavioral health, physical health, and education are interconnected, that families and schools often face a fragmented system, and that Washington’s youth flourishing outcomes show a need for stronger supports. Committee members raised concerns about regional disparities, rural access, language and cultural responsiveness, and the burden on schools and educators, while the presenters stressed that schools should be supported to identify needs and connect students to outside clinical services rather than carry the full burden themselves. Representative My-Linh Thai and Christian Stark then outlined the school-based subgroup’s work and recommendations. They said the subgroup meets monthly, includes students, parents, educators, providers, and agencies, and has focused on prevention, early identification, early intervention, and crisis response in schools. For the 2026 session, the subgroup recommended maintaining current investments in school behavioral health programs, strengthening statewide guidance on school behavioral health, and creating a coordinated technical assistance and training network for schools. They explained that the proposed substitute for HB 1634 would direct OSPI and the educational service districts to work with behavioral health agencies and community partners to conduct a needs assessment, map resources, and build a statewide framework for technical assistance and training, with public posting required by August 1, 2027. Testimony in support came from school staff, OSPI, behavioral health professionals, students, parents, and advocacy groups, who described high student anxiety, suicide risk, staffing shortages, and the need for coordinated, accessible supports. One witness from a psychiatric watchdog group opposed the bill, arguing it could increase labeling and drugging rather than holistic care. No vote was taken in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the first largest pieces of feedback that we received is, we don't even know when providers are
• So we had a lot of robust conversations, and it was amazing how much the feedback that we got from the
• and questions and all of that, I would say as a new legislator, it's a really that there's feedback
• They also give us policy feedback on a regular basis.
• If the sweep mechanism was put in place to maybe support that enhancement program, those inform each

Summary: The Capital Budget Committee heard presentations from the Department of Commerce, the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO), and a consultant on the School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) study. Commerce officials described their agency’s role in housing, energy, local government, broadband, and other capital programs, and reported on a $5 million pilot under Senate Bill 5200 that used trusted community messengers and technical assistance to help historically excluded organizations prepare for capital funding. They said 18 organizations received direct support and 79 smaller projects were also funded, but emphasized that statutory match rules, reimbursement-based payments, site-control requirements, insurance and audit costs, and extensive contracting rules remain major barriers. Commerce outlined efforts to expand outreach, digital modernization, internal contracting improvements, tribal MOUs, and innovation centers, and members asked about small business support, housing program placement, and outreach to Eastern Washington and communities of color. RCO described its grant programs for recreation, conservation, education, and salmon/orca recovery, and reviewed equity work done before and after a 2021-23 proviso. The agency had already created a small-communities carve-out in youth athletic facilities, piloted stipends for advisory committee members, and reduced match requirements where allowed. Under the proviso, RCO completed an equity review and a planning program that funded 54 projects across 34 counties, with many applicants being new or long-absent grantees. Staff said the review led to changes in scoring criteria, clearer application guidance, more objective data measures, expanded technical assistance, and targeted community engagement. Members asked about application burden, project sizes, outreach, and how the agency is broadening participation and representation on advisory committees. The final presentation summarized a planning study on SCAP, which examined rising construction costs, fragmented grant programs, local funding barriers, and uneven district capacity. The report recommended nine major changes, including stronger planning support, a new minor-modernization category, a mechanism to use unused funds more quickly, an education-specification prototype, a SCAP enhancement program for low-capacity districts, acceptance of non-SCAP funds, phased modernization, streamlined D-form and reimbursement processes, and revisions to the SCAP formula to better account for grade-band differences, enrollment projections, and regional cost factors. Additional recommendations included ongoing monitoring and evaluation, facilities-impact reviews, matching SCAP increases to construction-cost inflation, earlier locking of funding estimates, flexible program spaces, and updated statewide building-condition assessments. No votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• As I'm reading through the mechanics of the bill, you know, in Jackson County, our new prosecutor has
• prescriptive in who gets put on there because you talk about their task on page three as collecting feedback
• I think the likelihood of collecting feedback from them will be much greater than trying to get them
• Functionally, task forces tend to have not only feedback, but actually recommendations.
• But I absolutely appreciate your feedback. Representative Sharp and Representative Taylor.

Summary: The Committee on Crime and Public Safety met with a quorum and first took up several bills in executive session. House Bill 2323, relating to a domestic violence registry, was discussed as a private law-enforcement database for domestic abuse offenders; members noted it was similar to other registry bills already advanced, though some said it differed in details. House Bill 2530, described as the scrap metal bill, was also voted do pass without discussion. House Bill 1882 was withdrawn from consideration after members noted it had been rolled with another bill and had been sent back from fiscal review and Rules. The committee then adopted a House committee substitute and two amendments for House Bill 3332, which concerns public safety personnel recruitment and retention and employment benefits for first responders; the substitute removed additional degree programs from scholarship eligibility and the amendments fixed scholarship prioritization language and removed a sunset from the line-of-duty death benefit. HB 3332 was voted do pass. In public hearing, Representative Justice presented House Bill 3174, Missouri’s version of Alyssa’s Law, requiring each school employee to have access to a wearable panic alert system tied to local emergency responders and school personnel. He said the bill is subject to appropriations and would use a qualified vendor list; members questioned cost, funding, liability, and whether schools could already implement such systems. Support testimony came from Lori Alhadeff, Alyssa’s mother, who described the Parkland shooting and argued that faster alerts save lives, including in medical emergencies, and from a teacher who said the system would help in both active shooter and non-shooter emergencies. No opposition testimony was offered. Representative Williams then presented House Bill 3434, which would create a Missouri statewide sexual assault response task force to examine reporting, investigation, medical response, advocacy, and prosecution and report recommendations by December 31, 2028. She said the task force would build on progress made reducing the sexual assault kit backlog but address ongoing inconsistencies across jurisdictions. Members asked about overlap with a prior expired task force, appointment structure, and whether the group should include more medical or law-enforcement representatives. Support testimony from the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence described the history of the kit backlog, the Telesane program, uneven services across the state, and the need for continued coordination and accountability; the Missouri Emergency Nurses Association also supported the bill, citing the need to address both rural and urban response challenges.

Transcript Highlights:

• So a lot of the feedback that we received was in that space.
• So a lot of the feedback that we received was in that space.
• So a lot of the feedback. long-term services and supports helping people with disabilities live in their
• So a lot of the feedback that we received was in that space.
• Similar request in terms of the mechanism with dedicated and federal fund spending authority.

Summary: The Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved the January 26 and January 27, 2026 minutes, then took up the gubernatorial appointment of Juliet Sharon as director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Sharon described her background in public health and Medicaid administration in Arizona, Texas, and Idaho, and outlined her priorities if confirmed: program integrity, efficient operations, clearer outcome measures, child welfare, disability services, and resolving long-running class action lawsuits. Senators asked about measurable goals, balancing compassion with fiscal responsibility, audit findings, and collaboration with the disability community. Sharon said she expects to more than double program integrity recoveries, that audit findings are being addressed through corrective action plans rather than firings, and that disability collaboration should be embedded in daily operations. Committee members also discussed Idaho’s influence on federal policy and Medicaid administration. No vote on the appointment was taken in the portion provided. The committee then heard a lengthy Medicaid budget presentation focused on the Department’s supplemental request for state fiscal year 2026 and line-item requests for 2027. Sharon and Deputy Director/State Medicaid Director Sasha O’Connell explained that the supplemental request was driven by caseload growth, especially in traditional Medicaid, adult disability services, and youth/adult behavioral health, along with federally required rate and system changes. They also reviewed the impact of the governor-directed 4% provider rate reduction and the ending of some adult behavioral health services, saying the department had already been tracking budget sustainability before the executive order. O’Connell said the rate cuts drew the most public comment the agency has ever received, especially from home- and community-based providers, and that access monitoring is being developed to track whether services remain available. For 2027, the department requested funding for MMIS procurement, estate recovery, additional procurement staff, Medicaid admin reductions, and population forecast adjustments. Sharon said the MMIS modernization is on pause because of litigation over a major contract award, but other modules are moving forward. She also said estate recovery is underperforming and could bring in more general funds with contractor support. The committee discussed pharmacy costs and a possible Medicaid copay under House Bill 345, with Sharon saying implementation is underway and O’Connell noting savings estimates are still being developed. Senators also asked about expansion Medicaid growth and whether it affects other eligibility groups; Sharon said expansion growth is leveling off and that recovery rules apply to any Medicaid member receiving long-term care services. The meeting ended without any budget votes in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• New Mexico IDEA and the statewide economic development professional association, as well as the Mechanical
• report that will then be read out to various interim committees so that they can give additional feedback
• And I'll make that project right now in terms of getting feedback on that and making sure that everybody
• And, you know, I'll make that project right now in terms of getting feedback on that and making sure
• I, Madam Chair, presenters, I've had some feedback from some constituents in my area about this change

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So when we did our community feedback to develop the Martinez and Yazi action plan, some of the specific
• feedback from community members was to utilize Navajo Preparatory School and Santa Fe Indian School
• about the $1.5 million one-time funding, that was to supplement for sure, and we definitely hear feedback
• would be lovely, and lots of other states struggle with these very... kinds of discussions and mechanisms
• I'm hoping to get some feedback from staff as well, so that they can provide some information for you

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, that’s good feedback. And that’s kind of where I am as well.
• But the bill had eight different mechanisms to improve the quality of or require additional consultations
• And so that may be, you know, a better mechanism in the short term rather than the commission focusing
• Great feedback and a good idea.

Keywords: Commission on Updating Virginia Law to Reflect Federal Recognition of Virginia Tribes, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So involving teachers in this and getting their feedback on this video I think would be really helpful
• So involving teachers in this and getting their feedback on this video I think would be really helpful
• So how are they going to monitor, and is there going to be a mechanism used if the students do these
• We believe HCR 31 provides a vital carrot to encourage students to master the functional mechanics of

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I hope to get your feedback on it. If you see something that you may not like, good...
• to give you a brief of what the bill does and how I drafted it, and like I said, I would love any feedback
• So there's not really a new mechanism needed, just adding things.
• There's not really a new mechanism needed, just adding things.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have 36 of the 67 counties in the state of Florida under this default mechanism.
• I'm curious for feedback from anybody on the panel, so I've seen both the pros and cons.
• What was the feedback from your constituents, et cetera?
• That's a home rule question, and we have mechanisms in place that if any county wants to adjust their

Summary: The subcommittee met to discuss Florida county commission districting options, with an overview from Ginger Delagall of the Florida Association of Counties. She explained the constitutional, statutory, local charter, and federal Voting Rights Act framework governing county commissions, including the default five-member at-large model for non-charter counties, the option for seven-member mixed boards with a referendum, and the broader flexibility available to charter counties, which can choose different board sizes, election methods, and term limits. She also described the current distribution of county structures across the state and noted a few counties in transition or litigation, including Orange, Lee, and Alachua. County commissioners from Bay, Madison, Pinellas, Polk, and Bradford counties testified about how their current systems work in practice. Commissioners from Bay and Polk defended at-large systems as promoting countywide accountability, broader perspective, and collaboration, especially in large or diverse counties. Commissioners from Madison and Bradford supported single-member districts as improving local access, clarity, and responsiveness, particularly in smaller rural counties. Pinellas Commissioner Dave Eggers described a mixed system in a large charter county and said it balances district-level responsiveness with countywide accountability. Several members asked about Orange County’s mayor-chair structure, the effects of single-member versus at-large representation, and whether counties had considered changing their systems. In questions and discussion, members raised concerns about accountability, representation, gerrymandering, countywide versus district-specific interests, and whether certain structures better serve rural or urban counties. Delagall said the association had not done cost or equity studies comparing systems. The panel repeatedly emphasized home rule and local choice, with commissioners and Delagall urging the Legislature to let counties and their voters decide their own form of government. No votes were taken on any bill or proposal, and the meeting ended with adjournment after the presentations and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then we'll create either a price agreement or some other mechanism for us to purchase those moving forward
• Do you consider any changes to federal funding mechanisms?
• 60, and 90, the agency provides those plan sets to their contractors, and the contractors provide feedback
• that point, the design team can actually make adjustments to the design of the road based on that feedback

Transcript Highlights:

• One, it raises the cap on our rainy day fund from 10% to 20%, and after further research and feedback
• One, it raises the cap on our rainy day fund from 10% to 20%, and after further research and feedback
• And so using the debt repayment mechanism of Proposition 2 to set aside funds for that is another option
• We may need to have a mechanism in the revised prop that gives us a clear path to paying down those debts

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Accountability and Oversight held a hearing on proposals to reform California’s Budget Stabilization Account, or rainy day fund, ahead of the May Revision. Members and witnesses reviewed how Proposition 2 (2014) changed reserve rules, including mandatory deposits, a 10% cap on the fund, and limits tied to the Governor’s declaration of a budget emergency. LAO staff explained that California’s revenues are highly volatile, that current reserve rules are complicated by interactions with Proposition 98 and the Gann limit, and that under current law reserves would cover only about one-third of funding shortfalls in a benchmark scenario over 50 years. The LAO presented its report recommending a larger reserve target, including raising the cap to 50% by 2055 and pairing that with either broader, more flexible deposit rules or a simpler approach that deposits all excess capital gains. The Department of Finance described the Governor’s proposal to raise the cap from 10% to 20% and exempt BSA deposits from the state appropriations limit, while Assembly Member Valencia presented ACA 1, which would make similar changes and was described as an evolving proposal. Testimony generally supported saving more during boom years, but differed on how much to hardwire into the Constitution versus leave flexible, and on whether to broaden the deposit formulas beyond capital gains. Public witnesses and committee members raised additional issues, including whether reserve reforms should also address debt repayment, the treatment of unemployment insurance fund debt, and whether the Gann limit should be adjusted to better allow reserve growth. Supporters argued that stronger reserves would protect Californians from cuts during downturns and help the state weather volatility and federal funding threats. Some advocates warned that reforms should not come at the expense of current public needs, while taxpayer representatives cautioned against turning the BSA into a pass-through account that weakens constitutional spending limits. The hearing ended without a vote, with the committee chair noting the complexity of the issue and adjourning after public comment.