Transcript Highlights:

• So depending on what year the budget cycle falls on, uh, the training budget is typically gone right
• </c><00:30:33.679><c> that</c> one that's lacking that's the one that one that's lacking that's the one
• ><00:55:35.480><c> a</c> On that one, but the one that gives me a little bit greater pause is, um, on
• one case and one for the purpose of that one case and one from<01:14:30.560><c> the</c><01:14:30.719
• </c> designation of one on Brady is being designation of one on Brady is being weaponized<01:16:20.920

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• For some brief background, a long-term care worker is any person who provides paid, hands-on personal
• niece or your nephew, or your grandparent, or your grandchild, those types of situations where it's one-on-one
• I took one on diabetes recently, and one of my clients, who is a friend and is not being taken care of
• For brief background, the WIA Board provides guidance and recommendations to the legislature on workforce
• There is one amendment, but can I brief the amendment actually? Please proceed.

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on HB 2337, which would repeal the planned 2027 requirement that certain family-member long-term care providers complete annual continuing education. Rep. Barnard said the bill was intended to reduce burdens on relatives caring for one loved one and to avoid forcing them into courses that are often not relevant to the person they support. Supportive testimony from family providers and disability advocates emphasized that family caregivers already receive individualized training from doctors and therapists, that the available course library is often geared toward aging-related care rather than developmental disabilities, and that mandatory CE could create compliance barriers and risk losing caregivers. Opponents, including SEIU 775 representatives and family caregivers who support the current system, argued that continuing education improves care quality, helps caregivers stay prepared as needs change, and should remain mandatory; they also said the state had already responded to prior concerns by expanding the course catalog and allowing repeat courses for credit. No action was taken on HB 2337. The committee then heard HB 2311, a technical bill making administrative changes to the Workforce Education Investment and Accountability and Oversight Board. The bill would extend co-chair terms, allow more than four meetings per year, shift consultation on workforce investment effectiveness to the Student Achievement Council, and eliminate the requirement for a public data dashboard. The bill sponsor and supporters from WASAC, Microsoft, and the United Faculty of Washington State said the changes would improve board operations and oversight, while also raising broader concerns that WEA funds have been used to supplant general fund support for higher education. Testimony noted the dashboard had not been funded and that WASAC already tracks related metrics through other tools. No vote was taken on HB 2311 during the hearing. The committee then moved to executive action on HB 2132, which limits disclosure and retention of personally identifying information in WASFA records. An amendment by Rep. Levitt was adopted to allow the Student Achievement Council to share applicant information with entities beyond higher education institutions under binding data-sharing agreements. The committee then adopted the amended substitute bill and voted it out of committee. The final roll call was 9-8 in favor, and Substitute HB 2132 was reported out with a do pass recommendation. The committee also announced that executive action on HB 288 and HB 2148 would be delayed and that no action would be taken on those bills that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Starting on page 3, this page provides a brief overview of the projection method. methodology.
• Well, my last question is a number one so I know that we did a lot last in the introduced budget and
• As brief as I can on this, but there's a lot to say here in partnership with TEEX.
• I'll be presenting the summary of budget recommendations for the Commission on Law Enforcement.
• I'll be focused on three budget-related issues.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V

Transcript Highlights:

• She'd heard about the tax increase, and she said she was already putting food last on her budget and
• on hitting on first.
• on hitting on first.
• on hitting on first.
• rent, on food, on eggs, on diapers.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:22:53.840><c> reflecting</c><00:22:54.400><c> on</c> uh basically building on reflecting on uh
• </c><00:51:06.960><c> uh</c><00:51:07.119><c> on</c> discussing and not just move on uh on discussing
• and not just move on uh on one<00:51:07.680><c> part</c><00:51:07.839><c> of</c><00:51:08.000><c> the
• </c> budget that they approve. budget that they approve.
• </c> we focused really on the four bills one we focused really on the four bills one at<01:44:29.920>

Summary: The Education Funding Committee Subcommittee on Adequacy and Funding Sources opened its second meeting by reviewing four retained bills assigned to it: HB 651, HB 772, HB 491, and HB 734. The chair said the goal was to compare the bills across the board, consider whether any one of them should be the committee’s recommended vehicle, and then vote on a recommendation to the full committee. He noted the bills would move out before November 21 and be taken up on the House floor in January, while related LSRs were also being developed for the coming session. Representative Ames argued that HB 651 should be the main vehicle because it would substantially raise the adequacy base and adjust differential aid categories to better reflect real school costs, including poverty, special education, and English learner needs. He described the bill as building on court guidance and said the current funding formula is far below actual district needs. He also supported HB 491 as a study vehicle to examine revenue options, saying the legislature needs informed choices about how to pay for the changes. Representative Damon strongly backed HB 651 and HB 491, citing constitutional obligations, the Conval and Rand rulings, and large projected funding increases for districts such as Claremont, Windham, and communities in the chair’s district if HB 651 had passed earlier. Representative Fellows said he has an LSR similar to HB 491 that would study existing and new revenue options using criteria such as revenue potential, administrative cost, affected groups, implementation timeline, and implementation cost, with input from revenue administration and outside agencies. Representative Papich Muller emphasized constitutional separation-of-powers concerns, reading Article 83 and saying he was not comfortable with the broad claim that “cherish” clearly mandates a specific spending level, though he said he intends to follow Supreme Court guidance. Representative Ricky read testimony from a local school board member arguing that the state already imposes many mandates on schools while providing the least funding in the country, and that HB 651 would help restore meaningful local control. No final vote or action was taken in the portion provided, though the chair had indicated the subcommittee would vote before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have some other money in the budget. that we'll see later on here.
• Chair, I'll just make a brief comment on PED items in particular.
• The first one is that $650,000 for the operating budget. That is important.
• Them in my district have talked to me about how much of a hit this is on their budget.
• One of the issues, to be brief, is that we have an independence required as an audit firm.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• If you wish to speak on one of the bills on the agenda today, there is a sign-up sheet back by the podium
• </c> Uh the one thing I want everyone on the Uh the one thing I want everyone on the committee<00:18:
• One brief follow-up. Thank you. I thank you for the responses. I appreciate that from both of you.
• </c> One<00:43:14.480><c> brief</c><00:43:14.720><c> followup.</c> One brief followup.
• One brief followup. Thank<00:43:16.480><c> you.

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 77, which would allow comprehensive universities to pursue doctoral programs under a new approval process and, in the original bill, would also change who may serve on the EPSB board for small colleges and universities. The sponsor and Council on Postsecondary Education representative explained that the committee substitute removed the current statutory prohibition on comprehensive universities offering certain doctoral degrees, but added eligibility guardrails: a 77% first-to-second-year retention rate, a 56% six-year graduation rate, and three months of unrestricted cash reserves. They said the thresholds were based on national data placing institutions in roughly the top quartile, and that CPE would still review proposals for mission fit, workforce need, fiscal impact, and, where applicable, programmatic accreditation and legislative appropriations. EKU President David McFaden supported creating a pathway for comprehensive universities, said Kentucky is unusual in having an explicit statutory prohibition, and urged the committee to keep the standards attainable and durable. The committee approved the bill and adopted a title amendment, with the motion passing unanimously. The committee then heard Senate Joint Resolution 55, which addresses antisemitism on postsecondary campuses. Senator Tichenor said the resolution responds to a rise in antisemitic incidents after October 7, 2023, and would require campuses to notify students each semester of Title VI rights, complaint procedures, existing harassment policies, and available Jewish student resources. It would also direct campuses to disband student organizations found to provide material support to known terrorist organizations, report such matters to law enforcement, and collect and report antisemitism data to CPE for posting on its website. A guest speaker from the Kentucky Jewish Council described a sharp increase in reported incidents, including harassment, threats, vandalism, and hostile campus activity, and argued that schools have often done too little to respond. He said the resolution was amended to protect free speech while ensuring Jewish students receive the same protections as other protected groups. The transcript ends while testimony on the resolution was still underway, before any committee vote on SJR 55.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, uh, kind of come to the end of the slides just to kind of provide a quick brief on it.
• I did I close with this brief on it.
• They'll come in in November and brief here on their priorities, and they are changing a little bit with
• They'll come in in November and brief here on their priorities, and they are changing a little bit with
• They'll come in in November and brief here on their priorities, and they are changing a little bit with

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the August minutes, and heard a brief announcement from Senator Richardson about the Missing in America Project interring unclaimed veterans’ remains at the Western Kentucky Veterans Cemetery in Hopkinsville. He read the names of several veterans being laid to rest with military honors, and the chair thanked the volunteers involved in the effort. The main presentation was an update on Kentucky’s urban search and rescue program from the Department of Military Affairs and Kentucky Emergency Management. Officials said the program is being built around two regional task force hubs, a helicopter aquatic rescue team, an incident support team, and a rescue aid fund for local search and rescue units. They reported that the $8.3 million appropriated for the program in the 2025 budget was fully executed, that $482,670 of the rescue aid fund went to 29 local teams, and that $493,592 has already been allocated in the current year to 36 teams. They also described warehouse and equipment purchases, staffing with full-time and part-time personnel, and a new training site on state property for collapsed-structure and multi-agency exercises. Officials said the program has already been used in recent disasters, including flood response and urban search and rescue operations in several parts of the state, and claimed the effort has impacted more than 1,500 citizens through rescues, evacuations, and related assistance. They said the helicopter aquatic rescue team is fully operational, the task force roster should be finalized by January, incident support should be online by April, and the full program should be deployable by June 30 or July 1, 2026. Members asked about statewide response times, K-9 search capabilities, and the long-term cost of the program, including concerns about reliance on federal matching funds. The presenters said K-9 assets will be part of the task force, that pre-positioning during forecasted storms can reduce response times significantly, and that they would provide more detailed budget information later.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, the things that it could impact on the side, I could go on and on. I'll keep it brief. Mr.
• Um, the things that it could impact on the side, I could go on and on. I'll keep it brief. Mr.
• Um, the things that it could impact on the side, I could go on and on. I'll keep it brief. Mr.
• Um, the things that it could impact on the side, I could go on and on. I'll keep it brief. Mr.
• The things that it could impact on the side, I could go on and on. I'll keep it brief. Mr.

Bills: HB0108 , HB0039 , HB0091 , HB0070

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• and get a staff briefing on Senate Bill 5880.
• You can't simply just bring in one person who touched one part of it.
• be borne on the counties or the cities to take that additional cost on.
• One is no.
• And now we're going to start public hearing on Senate Bill 5912, and we will start with staff briefing

Bills: SB5865 , SB5880 , SB5912 , SB5837 , SB5855

Committee: Senate Law & Justice

Transcript Highlights:

• As brief background, the act is based on the federal WARN Act and prevents an employer from ordering
• As brief background, the act is based on the federal WARN Act and prevents an employer from ordering
• As brief background, the act is based on the federal WARN Act and prevents an employer from ordering
• As brief background, the act is based on the federal WARN Act and prevents an employer from ordering
• Can you turn on your camera? Or are you on Chester's computers? I'm confused. No, I'm on.

Summary: The Labor and Workplace Standards Committee held public hearings on several labor-related bills. SB 6197 would change plumbing license suspension rules from three infractions in three years to five infractions in five years, remove the advisory board recommendation requirement, and require L&I enforcement updates; the sponsor said the bill was narrowed after stakeholder talks, though one transition-timing issue remained unresolved. SB 6134 would require the Employment Security Department to notify striking workers applying for unemployment benefits that they may later owe overpayments if they receive retroactive wages; the sponsor and a testifier said the bill would prevent workers from being paid twice. SB 5292 would replace the PFML program’s statutory look-back premium formula with a forward-looking actuarial method while keeping the 1.2% cap and adding a four-month reserve requirement; labor, business, and policy witnesses offered support or concerns about the reserve. SB 6106 would exempt tribes and tribally owned businesses from the state WARN-style notice law and protect affected workers’ names and addresses from public disclosure; ESD and business groups supported it, while agricultural witnesses asked for a future fix for seasonal agriculture. The committee then moved into executive session on six bills. It adopted amendments to ESSB 5847, which expands access to medical care in workers’ compensation, including allowing certain outside-network providers and authorizing additional claims managers; the bill was reported out 7-2 as amended. SSB 6014, a cleanup bill correcting a date typo and protecting sensitive L&I records from public disclosure, passed unanimously. SSB 6039, allowing L&I to use electronic communications while offering a non-electronic option first, also passed unanimously. ESSB 6058, giving L&I discretion to prioritize wage complaints, was amended to align with the House companion and then passed unanimously. SB 6136, requiring publication of actuarially indicated workers’ compensation rates and disclosure when rates are set below them, passed unanimously. On SB 6188, which would expand L&I’s asbestos-certification rulemaking authority, the committee rejected an amendment that would have restored current-law limits and instead passed the bill without amendment. Members supporting the bill said it would let Washington strengthen asbestos protections if federal standards weaken, while opponents argued it could create conflicting requirements and unnecessary regulatory expansion. The bill was reported out 6-3. The committee adjourned after announcing the votes and noting it would reconvene the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is Assembly Budget Subcommittee 2 on Human Services.
• on these topics.
• budget of 2026 will have on our programs.
• As a reminder, we welcome public comment on any issue on the agenda.
• As a reminder, we welcome public comment on any issue on the agenda.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services heard an overview of efforts to streamline access to safety net programs and move toward more automatic, person-centered enrollment. CDSS, DHCS, and CalHHS described current cross-enrollment between Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and CalWORKs, including data showing high overlap among programs and a text-message outreach pilot that increased CalWORKs applications and enrollments but reached only a small share of potentially eligible people. Witnesses emphasized barriers such as differing federal eligibility rules, data-sharing limits, privacy concerns, and the need for better technology, consent management, and stakeholder engagement. Members pressed the administration on how to institutionalize these efforts across administrations and asked for concrete budgetary and regulatory steps to support “no wrong door” enrollment and automatic referrals. The committee also reviewed several chair priorities. On the proposed foster care multi-agency office, CDSS said existing coordination structures already address much of the intended work and asked to verify prior fiscal scoring. On the Employment First Office, CalHHS explained that the office’s $1 million budget was eliminated in the 2024-25 budget as part of deficit reductions, while noting that employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities remains an administration priority through existing departmental coordination. For the food insecurity proposal, CDSS said it could provide technical assistance but would need new data-sharing agreements, could not separately calculate a CFAP participation rate with current data, and would likely need until July 1, 2027, plus ongoing staffing, to complete the requested report. The mandated reporter proposal drew support for reform, with CDSS estimating low-millions in one-time training costs and ongoing costs in the hundreds of thousands. The subcommittee also discussed a guaranteed income proposal. CalHHS suggested drafting new statutory language and considering a county-administered model rather than a state-run competitive grant process to reduce administrative burden, while members and public commenters urged support for AB 661 and a study of a permanent statewide guaranteed income program. Public testimony also supported automatic enrollment, community-supporting mandated reporting reforms, and cash assistance for fire recovery. In the final items, CSD described how local nonprofit partners helped during the Los Angeles fires with food, housing vouchers, transportation, and emergency energy assistance, and explained that LIHEAP and CSBG remain important but limited tools for disaster response. CSD also said recent federal staffing cuts and possible future federal budget threats could affect LIHEAP and CSBG administration, though no immediate service disruptions had occurred and additional LIHEAP funds were expected to be released soon.

Transcript Highlights:

• Each one, we're going to have to transport. We do not have 100 beds in one place. That's one.
• Just hold on. Sorry. We chose to live in those areas. That's on us.
• Reliance on one big employer— I know it's not just one. I know Paragon used to be out there.
• Will you plan on freeing up some time for us in the morning, maybe 30 minutes, to get a briefing on what
• we've done in other situations so we can pull those... ...be 30 minutes to get a briefing on what we've

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• The meeting of the Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education was called to order.
• that. >> Um, one more brief question. >> Briefly. >> Okay.
• that. >> Um, one more brief question. >> Briefly. >> Okay.
• </c> &gt;&gt; Um, one more brief question. &gt;&gt; Um, one more brief question. &gt;&gt; Briefly.
• final ask is that as you do your one final ask is that as you do your budget<00:45:02.240><c> for</c

Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education met with a quorum, approved the August 20, 2025 minutes, and then heard a discussion tied to Constitution Day and Kentucky’s constitutional duty to provide an efficient system of common schools. Chairman James Tipton reviewed the history of Kentucky’s model laboratory schools, postsecondary academy programs such as Gatton and Craft, magnet schools, virtual learning, and computer science opportunities, arguing that Kentucky has long expanded educational opportunity through different school models. He described model schools and academy programs as hybrid or innovative approaches that serve specialized student needs and noted that some of these programs receive state appropriations and, in some cases, tuition. Senator Steve West then gave a retrospective on school choice in Kentucky, beginning with the 2017 charter school law and explaining that Kentucky’s charter framework was designed as public-only to comply with the state constitution. He said charter schools have remained largely dormant in Kentucky and used that as context for Senate Bill 207, the School Innovation Act, which he said was modeled on a South Carolina approach. Under SB 207, a local school board can contract with a third-party entity to manage an existing school, receive SEEK funding, and seek waivers from certain state regulations in order to innovate, while retaining limits on items such as school safety and attendance rules. Members asked about how the new model differs from charter schools, whether schools could cherry-pick students, and whether teachers would remain district employees. West and Tipton said the bill is intended to keep the school within the public system, with the local district initiating the process and maintaining accountability through a time-limited contract that can be ended if the school fails to perform. They emphasized that the school would serve the existing student population rather than select students, and that teachers would remain district employees with their pensions and related contributions unchanged. Representative Brown raised concerns that exceptions and charters could leave lower-income children behind, while West responded that the bill is meant to expand choice for families who otherwise lack access and cited examples from other states where outside management and parental involvement helped turn around low-performing schools. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a few things on our agenda.
• But the question then is, on the $14 million, what percentage is that of your total budget?
• Which county has more than one state fair, or one county fair? Sorry. Yeah, Mr.
• Which county has more than one state fair, or one county fair? Sorry. Yeah, Mr.
• /c><01:05:12.720><c> one</c><01:05:12.839><c> of</c> funded a critical inh holding on one of funded a

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Just a brief recap on the funding for workforce: it totals about $26 million.
• the LFC budget recommendation in volume 2 on page 378.
• And as Diego stated, we're really tight on the budget this year.
• Just think, on a $10.3 billion budget, we really need to sharpen our pencils.
• And then this last one, this is not even about my budget or our budget request, but this is something

Bills: SB48 , SB64 , SB100

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• The meeting this morning, we have one thing on our agenda.
• IDLA is only funded on the number of students we serve, so a 50% cut to our budget means we will only
• similar to one we submitted on August 1, 2025, with some additional pieces in it. ...reports, one of
• One more? One more. One more, sorry, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• of the schools, one of the providers, one of something, to cause all of this.

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• of</c> division working on on their pieces of division working on on their pieces of this<00:10:21.680
• So, could you just give us a brief overview of that and specifically touch on partial implementation
• on um that uh on on um that uh partial<00:36:27.640><c> implementation</c><00:36:28.400><c> or</c><00
• She said MMB is hoping they can go further on this year through things such as the governor's budget
• </c> spoken, we just move on. spoken, we just move on.

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Our budget chair testified in budget.
• Just to help on the fiscal note issue.
• On the funding model side, On the scholarship side, on the funding model side, we've accepted some suggestions
• It says builds on the work of the 2024 House Special Interim Committee on Higher Education and Performance
• For that one year, based on their appropriation of the previous year?

Committee: House Higher Education and Workforce Development

Transcript Highlights:

• This meeting is live streamed and will be posted publicly on the Joint Committee on Public Service page
• our local budgets.
• I'm going to be brief because I brought, as you see, with the panel today, and I'm going to pass it on
• I want to speak quickly on Bill 1801. Thank you. I want to speak quickly on Bill 1801.
• on us.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Service

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service heard testimony on a wide range of retirement, municipal workforce, and public employee labor bills. Early testimony focused on H. 2749, a Plymouth home rule petition to classify Plymouth harbormaster employees as Group 4 for retirement purposes. Supporters, including local officials and retirement board representatives, argued the employees perform law-enforcement and rescue duties comparable to police and fire personnel, that the change would be fair, and that it would have little or no fiscal impact on the town. A separate harbormaster-related bill, H. 2743, was also introduced later in the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on provisions of the Municipal Empowerment Act (H. 56), including a temporary critical-shortage exemption allowing retired state or municipal employees to return to work in hard-to-fill positions, and a renewed OPEB commission to study retiree health care costs. Administration and municipal officials said the measures were needed to address staffing shortages and rising benefit liabilities, while emphasizing the shortage exemption would be time-limited and require proof of recruitment efforts. Related retirement bills drew support and caution: advocates for higher COLA bases and enhanced COLA benefits urged relief for retirees, but some asked the committee to wait for recommendations from the special COLA commission before acting. A major portion of the hearing concerned labor rights at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Union representatives and employees backed bills to extend just-cause protections, promotional rights, and collective bargaining rights to MWRA and CPCS workers, arguing they currently lack protections available to most other public employees. Testimony described unfair discipline, delayed promotions, and high turnover, and committee members indicated prior favorable action on similar MWRA bills and expressed support for addressing CPCS labor rights. The committee also heard from representatives of the Massachusetts Municipal Association and public higher education employees in support of H. 2820, which would require timely funding of ratified state employee contracts, with witnesses describing long delays in receiving negotiated raises and back pay. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair repeatedly invited written testimony and closed each panel after questions.