Transcript Highlights:

• You submit a license application, and there's never one ADHS person assigned to your case or to your
• Now it's taking about three to six months to get an ADHS license approved and one year for an Access
• And so when... ...ADHS license approved and one year for an Access approval, and so when the operator
• You know, sober living homes are essentially the lowest level of care that we license.
• ones that are— ...can you, even if the ones that are unlicensed, or even the ones that are licensed,

Committees: Senate Health and Human Services , Senate Senate Health and Human Services COR

Transcript Highlights:

• So they in turn decided to make one of those penalties a license suspension.
• If they have it at one level in the state and the federal government has it set at a different level,
• We just don't know what they're going to do on the federal level.
• Uh but we do know one the federal level.
• level or to default to hemp on the state level or to default to um<01:22:59.120><c> the</c><01:22:59.360

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations.
• Another one is adding licensing for PTAs.
• one is adding licensing this uh another one is adding licensing for<00:03:06.280><c> ptas</c><00:03:
• </c> We waive any portion of the licensing requirements, and one of the portions for internationally
• qualified historic license because my business is operated in a building on the National Historic Register

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations met on March 27, 2025, with a quorum present and first took up House Bill 255, relating to physical therapy. The bill sponsor and representatives of the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy and APTA Kentucky said the measure is mainly a cleanup and modernization bill that updates outdated statutory language, changes PTAs from “certified” to “licensed,” gives the board authority to purchase liability insurance, moves fee and fine caps into regulation without changing current fees, renames temporary permits as provisional licenses, and creates a pathway to more easily recognize some internationally trained physical therapists already practicing in other states. Senators asked whether the bill changed training, scope of practice, Medicaid, or supervised practice standards; witnesses said it did not, and that supervised practice requirements remain in place with out-of-state practice accepted only when equivalent or more stringent. The committee approved HB 255 with favorable expression. The committee then considered House Bill 618, an alcoholic beverages measure with a Senate committee substitute. The bill was described as having three parts: allowing restaurants to buy limited quantities of alcohol from retail outlets to meet customer demand while keeping the three-tier system intact and requiring quarterly reporting; creating a temporary auctioneer license to auction previously retail-sold alcohol in original packaging, such as estate or bourbon collections; and giving quota bar license holders the same opportunity restaurants already have to sell barrel picks by the bottle. Testimony supported the bill as a way to help restaurants, auctioneers, and bars, while a senator raised a question about sales tax on auction sales and another noted that nonprofit or church-related alcohol auctions already require permits under existing law. One senator suggested future guardrails to encourage local purchasing, but no amendment was adopted. The committee passed HB 618 with favorable expression.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know you guys have busted your backsides off on this, but we need to get that six-year level.
• held a vehicle dealer For a manufacturer that in Washington held a vehicle dealer license on January
• Is they going to come and buy one license fee for every sales location in the state?
• Ford welcomes competition on a level playing field, and we firmly believe that state Ford welcomes competition
• on a level playing field, and we firmly believe that state laws regulating the sale and service of vehicles

Summary: The committee heard briefings and public testimony on three transportation bills. Substitute Senate Bill 6170 would raise WSDOT monetary thresholds for doing repairs in-house and for contracting work intended to support small, veteran-, minority-, and women-owned businesses, increasing the regular repair limit from $60,000 to $100,000, the emergency repair limit from $100,000 to $160,000 with annual inflation adjustment, and the contracting threshold from $100,000 to $160,000. The sponsor and WSDOT supported the bill as an efficiency measure; the fiscal note indicated no fiscal impact. Washington Federation of State Employees also supported it, saying the higher limits would let highway maintenance crews do more work in-house while preserving the existing work split with contractors. Substitute Senate Bill 6225 would authorize new and expanded transportation general obligation bonds, including $1.1 billion for highway projects in the Move Ahead Washington account, $400 million for listed highway projects with cost increases, and a $500 million increase to the SR 520 bond authorization, while also ending issuance of certain older unissued bond authorizations after June 30, 2026. Committee members asked about debt service, bond capacity, and how the money would be allocated; staff said the projects would be handled through the budget process and that the bill was intended to provide flexibility. Labor and business groups supported the bill as a way to fund preservation and maintenance and provide predictability, while Transportation Choices Coalition said any bonding should be limited and paired with broader transportation funding reforms and protection for multimodal programs. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6354 would allow certain qualifying U.S.-based battery electric vehicle manufacturers that have Washington service facilities and no prior franchise agreements to own and operate dealer licenses and sell directly, while also raising the dealer documentary service fee from $200 to $250 until the end of 2026 and directing part of the increase to an EV rebate program and the multimodal transportation account. Rivian and Lucid supported the bill as a compromise that would expand EV access and direct-sale options; Climate Solutions and the Port of Seattle also supported it, citing emissions reduction and affordability goals. Washington State Auto Dealers Association supported the compromise, saying it strengthens franchise protections while allowing limited direct sales. Honda, Toyota, Ford, GM, and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation opposed the bill, arguing it creates special treatment and weakens the franchise system, and some urged added consumer protections, service requirements, or bonding. The committee took no final action and closed the public hearings after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• We can also work on revoking that license.
• And I've talked about one of them previously: public health licensing.
• And I've talked about one of them previously, public health licensing.
• And if we had one that put conversion therapy on their application, I think we would license it.
• uh There's some sort of action taken on the license.

Committee: Senate Director Nominations

Transcript Highlights:

• on the back page, still under subsection 4, it says as part of a condensed military application a licensing
• I'm a licensed professional counselor, and I'm asking you to vote no on this bill.
• I'm a licensed professional counselor, and I'm asking you to vote no on this bill.
• Be able to enter at our first expectations for a licensed professional counselor level.
• Just one follow-up.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Human Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it just based on people? Is it based on income levels in those community action areas?
• What we're finding on a system level, there's two data points that are helpful if we can peek out with
• child care licensing, just to kind of level set for the whole group.
• information about child care licensing, just to kind of level set for the whole group.
• As you all have already tagged on to, HHS noted that the assisted living license carries very little

Committee: Joint Human Services

Summary: The Human Services Committee met in interim session and first approved the previous meeting minutes before receiving a series of presentations on homelessness and housing stability. Jennifer Henderson of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency updated members on the new Interagency Council on Homelessness, describing its executive-order mandate to review resources, gather input from stakeholders, identify gaps, and develop recommendations. She said the council’s first work is building a statewide program matrix of existing homeless services and funding sources, with attention to youth, tribal communities, and other vulnerable populations. Members raised concerns about youth homelessness, homeless veterans, and how the council will stay focused on a practical framework rather than getting lost in details. The committee also discussed possible connections to the rural health transformation grant and agreed to continue the topic later in the spring. Beth Olson of Presentation Partners in Housing described the organization’s housing-first model in Cass County and Clay County, including homeless prevention/diversion, housing navigation, and Cooper House, a 42-unit permanent supportive housing building in Fargo. She said the organization focuses on people with long-term and chronic homelessness, many with mental health, addiction, health, domestic violence, and Indigenous identity-related barriers, and reported strong outcomes: 85 of 86 people housed in 2025, 91% still housed after one year, and major reductions in emergency room use, ambulance rides, jail stays, detox days, and shelter use. She also explained that state funding has grown from a small share of the budget to about $1.1 million in state-connected funding for fiscal 2026, largely through contracts tied to supportive services. Members asked about vouchers, rent contributions at Cooper House, length of stay, and whether similar projects could be expanded elsewhere. Andrea Olson of the Community Action Partnership of North Dakota outlined statewide homeless and housing-related services delivered through six community action agencies in all 53 counties. She explained the Community Services Block Grant structure, said housing was identified as the top need in the most recent statewide needs assessment, and described programs including Supportive Services for Veteran Families, North Dakota Homeless Grant services, and Home ARP supportive services. She emphasized that the end of North Dakota Rent Help has increased pressure on the system, that the current $2 million annual homeless grant is far smaller than prior rent-help assistance, and that community action is using case management and financial assistance to move households toward self-sufficiency. Members asked about funding formulas, rural service delivery, and coordination with Presentation Partners to avoid duplication. YouthWorks then began a presentation on youth homelessness, describing services for ages 12 to 24, the special needs of youth and former foster youth, and the organization’s use of federal and state funds to support transitional housing, emergency shelter, maternity housing, and diversion services.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, that is depending on when their renewal of their license. So, if it's a tier one, it is yearly.
• </c> on a full-time teaching license on a full-time teaching license um<01:03:23.280><c> that's</c><01
• Knock on wood, one day, and be able to have an online licensing system that helps expedite licensing
• out on if we were license she's missing out on if we were to<01:28:29.440><c> become</c><01:28:29.760
• </c><01:30:57.360><c> And</c> try and get a tier one license. And try and get a tier one license.

Bills: HF3635 , HF3638

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: teacher mobility, interstate compact, licensure, military spouses, education, teacher regulation, teacher qualifications, state sovereignty, educator licensing, paraprofessional credentials, mental health, professional development, data sharing

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not going to go into each one of those one by one.
• If you need a Microsoft license or an Adobe license, you consume the license.
• You consume the license... ...a Microsoft license or an Adobe license.
• You consume the license, so you get a charge back on your invoice.
• And then the last one is an enterprise-level chargeback.

Committee: Joint Government Finance Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, where we say you have to teach this class and, well, there's no financial impact on this level
• </c><00:16:10.079><c> this</c><00:16:10.240><c> level</c> Finance Financial impact on this level Finance
• Financial impact on this level there<00:16:11.000><c> is</c><00:16:11.240><c> because</c><00:16:11.440
• That document out to check on, to let you know that we know that you didn't get a license.
• title fees and then the big one licenses title fees and then the big one is<03:06:38.279><c> uh</c><

Summary: The committee first took up HB 129, which would redefine “evidence-based” in public education. The Department of Education testified that the bill’s definition would conflict with federal definitions and be very restrictive, potentially affecting a wide range of instructional methods, curriculum materials, teacher training, civics requirements, suicide prevention training, and other programs. The department said the bill could force a broad overhaul of school practices, create local implementation burdens, and require at least one new state position, with a fiscal note estimating roughly $118,000 in FY 2026 rising in later years. Members also raised concerns about possible impacts on federal pass-through funding and whether the bill was workable. Representative Papovich moved to retain HB 129, and the motion passed 7-0. The committee then heard HB 133, a Department of Safety/DMV bill involving follow-up when a person votes using an out-of-state license or non-driver ID and then does not obtain a New Hampshire credential within the statutory timeframe. DMV officials said the bill would require a $40,000 technology upgrade plus a new full-time position, and that the fiscal note did not include postage or fully account for the manual work needed to match records, send notices, and review responses. They said the proposal also raised broader tracking issues because it would apply not only to voters but to anyone who had not obtained a New Hampshire license within 60 days, and they questioned whether DMV was the proper agency to make those inquiries. Committee members pressed the department on how the 60-day clock would be determined, whether the bill could amount to a kind of poll tax or raise privacy concerns, and whether voter ID cards or other exceptions would avoid that problem. The department explained that New Hampshire offers a free voter identification card through town clerks for people without a license or state ID, but said the bill did not exempt those cards and that the DMV would still be asked to investigate status after voting. Officials also said the bill would be difficult to enforce, that some cases would be ambiguous, and that any response from the DMV would likely amount to a request for information rather than an enforceable consequence. No vote on HB 133 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Driving drunk or on a suspended license.
• in particular on the license suspensions, given how big an impact that can have on people.
• Because we heard one of my colleagues—I thought it was a great idea—is putting a tag on the license.
• So-called points add up on somebody's license.
• Kevin had 14 suspensions on his driver's license.

Transcript Highlights:

• One, licensing boards should not be tasked with this punitive policy, which punishes poor people.
• But based on my research on this, I do think a license is necessary. My mom's a civil engineer.
• Come on up. Hi. My name is Dr. Tyler Anderson. I'm a licensed acupuncturist.
• I vote no on AB 2497. Thank you. Thank you. My name is Ilan Liu. I am a licensed...
• I am a licensed acupuncturist. I am here on behalf of Dr.

Committee: House Business and Professions

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, I also just have brief comments on this one.
• Yeah, so on that one, the money is running out. It was the one-time money.
• There's feces on the beds, feces on the floor, feces on patients.
• , the license for the license has been revoked.
• And so I just want to make sure, number one, this person never gets a license again to open another facility

Summary: The Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services heard a series of budget items focused first on the California Department of Aging and then on the Department of Social Services. For Aging, the director reported the state is at the midpoint of the Master Plan for Aging, with about 300 initiatives launched and roughly three-quarters completed, nearly $1 billion invested, and expanded local planning, research, and stakeholder engagement. The committee also discussed HICAP modernization, which would add ongoing funding from the Special HICAP Fund to expand Medicare counseling capacity, and senior meal programs, including support for virtual congregate/to-go meals and the use of prior one-time nutrition investments. The chair raised concerns about federal H.R. 1 and its downstream effects on older adults, food assistance, and other safety-net programs, and the department said its direct budget was not affected but that other programs serving older adults could be under pressure. The committee then reviewed multiple CDSS proposals. These included implementing the federal Medicaid Access Rule by creating a statewide grievance process and critical incident reporting system for IHSS and other home- and community-based services; housing and homelessness programs such as CalWORKs Housing Support, Housing and Disability Advocacy, Home Safe, and Bringing Families Home, where the department described strong outcomes but warned that one-time funding is expiring and services are scaling back; and permanent position authority for the Housing and Homelessness Division. Members also heard about the facility management system modernization for Community Care Licensing, home care services branch solvency and regulation work, child care centers in multifamily housing, the Seizure Emergency Response Act, licensing during emergencies and disasters, the Family Preparedness Plan Act, and social services automation projects including CalSAWS, the enterprise data pipeline, and CalWORKs child support notices. The LAO and Department of Finance generally had no additional comments or were still reviewing several requests. A notable exchange occurred on the Community Care Licensing item, where Senator Grove pressed the department about the Autumn Oaks facility in Tulare County, citing dozens of complaints and severe conditions affecting seniors. The department said it had worked with the county and ombudsman on relocation, was reviewing what went wrong, and had authority to pursue administrative action even after a license surrender. The hearing ended with a stakeholder presentation from the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging supporting a $62.3 million Older Californians Act request, followed by public comment from advocates for housing, Meals on Wheels, HICAP, Home Safe, and H-DAP. The subcommittee adjourned without taking votes, and all items were held open.

Transcript Highlights:

• psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner over on page two and a licensed physician assistant with
• , then the court shall appoint a licensed physician psychiatrist and then all the other ones included
• , a licensed psych mental health, um, and go on from there.
• Uh, I'll move to replace the language on page two, lines 10 through 12, with new language: a licensed
• c> on discussion on this bill on the other on discussion on this bill on the other side,<01:14:32.960

Bills: SF0023 , SF0057

Committee: House Labor, Health & Social Services

Transcript Highlights:

• It'll be after hours or, to some clients, 24-7 service, one-on-one, or it could be shared staff.
• So in 2025, the legislature passed that there could now be master's-level licensed psychological practitioners
• And Arkansas was actually one of the first states to sort of take that on and to reopen that license.
• . view, but all that can also be administered by a master's level or a specialist level licensed psychological
• On the licensing board, do you have an update on that?

Committee: All TASK FORCE ON AUTISM

Summary: The Arkansas Legislative Autism Task Force approved the April 1, 2026 meeting minutes and discussed several vacant membership slots, including positions tied to the Arkansas Psychology Board, Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, UAMS, and parent or guardian appointments. Members said they would try to fill the vacancies and, if not, include the issue in the legislative report and consider statutory changes in the next General Assembly. The task force then heard from the Developmental Disabilities Provider Association and Civitan Services about DDPA’s role in supporting 80 provider organizations serving more than 13,000 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across 75 counties. They described services such as early intervention day programs, adult day programs, supported employment, intermediate care facilities, work activities, and community/residential waiver services, and said autism falls within the populations they serve. They also shared survey information on services used by older adults with IDD and offered contact information for providers. Members also heard a proposal to amend Act 656 of 2021 to add licensed psychological practitioners as qualified providers for autism waiver-related evaluations. The presenter argued this would reduce wait times, avoid duplicate assessments, and help families access services sooner, while noting that Arkansas Medicaid already pays for some of these evaluations. Task force members and Dr. Scott discussed the roles of psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and the possibility of using training or board oversight to ensure evaluators are properly qualified, with some noting that speech pathologists’ inclusion has historical and clinical roots. The task force also said it still needs a future discussion on fraud, plans to invite the Attorney General’s office, and wants to identify priorities for the 2027 session before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• There’s a doctor on the—” “There’s a doctor on these too. In every single one? Providing licensing.
• , you know, I mean, the ones that I’ve spoken to operate under a medical, under the license and supervision
• Whether or not they choose to have a licensed member on their staff, though, that's not regulated by
• One of those entities that is credentialed and licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
• One of those entities that is credentialed and licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 611 by Rep. Freeman, which would require pregnancy-related service centers that provide health care services to be licensed or, as amended, to clearly disclose that they are not a licensed medical facility regulated by the Louisiana Department of Health. Rep. Freeman and supporting witnesses argued the bill was prompted by a legislative auditor report and concerns that some centers provide ultrasounds, STI testing, pregnancy tests, and related services without clear medical oversight. The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners’ executive director testified that interpreting ultrasounds and performing certain tests can constitute the practice of medicine, while opponents argued the centers already operate under medical directors and that the disclosure requirement was unconstitutional under the NIFLA case. The committee adopted an amendment, but after debate on the amended bill, a motion to report favorably failed on a roll call vote, and the bill was voluntarily deferred. The committee then heard House Bill 902 by Rep. Marcelle, which directs the Louisiana Department of Health to develop trauma-informed training. Supporters said the bill grew out of a task force on student behavior, mental health, and discipline, and that educators need a more consistent, evidence-based trauma-informed curriculum than what is currently available online. Some members raised concerns about cost and whether the bill would mandate new school obligations, while a witness from the Louisiana Baptist Convention opposed the measure as mission creep and argued trauma-informed care is too specialized for general teacher training. Other members supported the bill as a way to help educators identify and respond to children facing trauma. The bill was amended with technical changes and then discussed further, but the transcript ends before a final vote on HB 902 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We issue driver's licenses. We get plates on the on the back of cars.
• But a lot of folks they may hear only on a one-year visa so their license will expire and in one year
• And then the last thing just wanted to touch on is we've got our mobile driver's license units.
• Here we have 14, we call flow Beals Florida licensing on wheels.
• When you come for a driver's license, one things we can do is take a voter application.

Transcript Highlights:

• So on the adjuster licensing exemption for every travel insurance...
• So on the adjuster licensing exemption, for every travel insurance claim, someone in the process is licensed
• It's an exemption because you're already covered under one of these other licenses.
• A licensed producer is the only one allowed to sell, solicit, or negotiate.
• a coordinated level to make... ...efforts need to happen, especially on a coordinated level to make

Summary: The Consumer Protection and Business Committee held public hearings on three bills and then moved into a work session on insurance-related topics. House Bill 2428 would require life insurers to send advance written notice of an impending lapse or cancellation, including notice to a designated third party, and to provide proof of delivery; it would also require applicants to be told they may designate such a third party. The prime sponsor and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner supported the bill as a consumer protection measure for older or vulnerable policyholders, while the life insurance industry supported the concept but requested a delayed implementation date and a small technical amendment. The committee then heard House Bill 2399, which would prohibit post-loss assignments of benefits in property insurance. Staff and the prime sponsor described the practice as allowing contractors to step into the policyholder’s shoes and potentially take control of claims, litigation, and settlement, often to the consumer’s detriment. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner, the Washington State Association for Justice, PEMCO, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau all supported the bill, emphasizing consumer vulnerability after disasters and the risk of fraud or inflated claims. Members asked about steering by adjusters, alternative ways for homeowners to authorize others to help with claims, and the $50,000 per-violation penalty, which would go to the general fund. House Bill 2087 would enact a Washington Travel Insurance Act based on the NAIC model, creating a more detailed statutory framework for travel insurance licensing, travel retailers, travel administrators, disclosures, and prohibited sales practices. The sponsor and industry witnesses said the bill would expand consumer choice and standardize rules, while the Office of the Insurance Commissioner supported the compromise language but raised a remaining concern about claims being adjusted by unlicensed adjusters. The Attorney General’s Office testified that the bill should not be read to supersede Washington’s anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws, and the sponsor said amendments were being worked on to address that concern. In the work session, OIC and Department of Natural Resources staff presented the wildfire mitigation and resiliency work group report. They said the group reached consensus on several areas, including the importance of community-level mitigation, better data sharing, improved transparency around wildfire-related nonrenewals and cancellations, and a voluntary grant program to help homeowners retrofit to IBHS wildfire-prepared standards. Members asked about leadership for the recommendations, overlap with existing programs, privacy concerns in data sharing, and how the proposals would fit with broader statewide wildfire planning. The committee also received a briefing on flood insurance markets and claims after the December atmospheric flooding event, with staff noting that private flood policies generally offer broader coverage than the federal NFIP, and that Washington had seen about 700 federal claims and roughly $18 million paid out so far.

Transcript Highlights:

• There’s a doctor on the—” “There’s a doctor in every single one?” “Providing licensing.
• , you know, I mean, the ones that I’ve spoken to operate under a medical, under the license and supervision
• Whether or not they choose to have a licensed member on their staff, though, that's not regulated by
• One of those entities that is credentialed and licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
• If you're licensed, you're licensed.

Bills: HB611 , HB897 , HB902 , HB931 , HB1030 , HB1092 , HB1100 , HB1118 , HB1138 , HB1143 , HB1160 , HB1185 , HB1216

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: pregnancy help centers, healthcare services, licensure, Department of Health, medical services, counseling, regulatory compliance, public health, healthcare data, privacy, pregnancy services, confidentiality, client rights, Louisiana Pregnancy and Baby Care Initiative, trauma-informed, child education, mental health, training program, adverse childhood events, religious instruction

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, so, but on that one, the money is running out. It was the one-time money.
• Yeah, so, but on that one, the money is running out. It was the one-time money.
• No, no, actually, that's a good one, but not on this one. This one's going well.
• There's feces on the beds, feces on the floor, feces on patients.
• And so I just want to make sure, number one, this person never gets a license again to open another facility