Transcript Highlights:

• Work with the regulators in a more collaborative way.
• and the regulated community work together to find new ways to make MTCA more effective.
• Let's also get real by changing the law and regulation.
• Let's also get real by changing the law and regulation. Process.
• Over the last 100-plus years, new technologies, research, and regulations have developed.

Summary: The committee first heard updates on the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) and related funding. Department of Ecology staff explained how MTCA and the hazardous substance tax support cleanup, prevention, stormwater, and local assistance programs, but said forecasted revenues have declined while appropriations and transfers have outpaced incoming funds. Ecology said the operating account will require underspending to stay balanced this biennium and that the problem is ongoing, with further reductions possible if forecasts worsen. Ecology also reviewed the state cleanup program, noting there are more than 14,500 cleanup sites in Washington and that new sites continue to be discovered faster than they are cleaned up. A question from Representative Lee raised the long-term issue of declining fossil-fuel-based revenue, and Ecology agreed that this is a future structural concern even though the current shortfall is driven more by forecasts and transfers than by fuel-use decline. The Pollution Liability Insurance Agency described its underground storage tank and heating oil programs, saying it has modernized from a reinsurance model to a financial assurance model with stronger state oversight and cleanup milestones. Russ Olson said the agency’s dedicated petroleum tax account is in strong financial condition, but emphasized the importance of preserving that funding source. He also discussed the loan and grant program for historic commercial releases and a new heating oil loan/grant program, while noting the agency is working on equity concerns where liens can be disproportionate to property values in smaller communities. Practitioners and advocates then offered differing views on MTCA’s performance: one attorney urged a collaborative review process to make cleanups faster, less expensive, and more certain, while another consultant argued the program is too conservative and process-heavy and should focus more narrowly on actual exposure and realistic cleanup standards. Environmental and community groups countered that MTCA is essential for cleanup, pollution prevention, stormwater control, and public participation, and that it is especially important for environmental justice communities such as the Duwamish Valley. Port and city representatives stressed that MTCA grants and cleanup funding are critical for large redevelopment projects, but said long timelines, permitting delays, and funding uncertainty can slow projects and jeopardize commitments. The committee then shifted to utility wildfire risk. Staff summarized recent legislation, including requirements for utility wildfire mitigation plans, creation of a wildfire mitigation standards work group, authorization for captive insurance by local governments and PUDs, securitization authority for disaster costs, and the existing wildfire response and resilience account. Chelan County PUD and Puget Sound Energy described extensive mitigation efforts such as vegetation management, grid hardening, undergrounding, AI smoke cameras, weather stations, enhanced operating settings, public safety power shutoffs, and community outreach. Both said wildfire risk is rising and insurance costs are increasing, and Chelan PUD asked the Legislature to restore funding to the wildfire response and resilience account. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner said a 2022 utility liability market study found insurance availability is tightening as perceived risk rises, and reported that a 2025 work group recommended restoring community resilience funding, requiring insurers to share wildfire risk scores and mitigation steps with property owners, and creating a grant program based on insurance industry wildfire standards. A PNNL scientist added that wildfire probability is increasing in parts of Washington and that mitigation requires long-term, landscape-scale coordination. The final speaker began describing California’s approach to wildfire risk, but the transcript cuts off before that presentation concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• regulations regulations um<00:18:25.520><c> um</c><00:18:26.080><c> that</c><00:18:26.240><c> being<
• </c> would be um State Police and fishing would be um State Police and fishing game<00:19:16.400><c>
• You gave an approximate number of accidents that Fish and Game responded to.
• If a town municipality responded to that, Fish and Game doesn't track that. We do not.
• If a town municipality responded to that, Fish and Game doesn't track that. We do not.

Summary: The Public Works and Highways Committee heard testimony on House Bill 375, which would allow municipalities to designate certain road segments for ATV travel, create maps and signage for those routes, set seasonal limits, and require certain equipment on ATVs such as lights, a horn, flashers, and directional signals. The sponsor, Rep. Dan Maguire, said the bill is intended to support tourism and give towns a structured, optional way to permit ATV use on roads, not to override existing uses. Members asked about possible overlap with agricultural vehicle rules, golf carts, speed limits, and whether the bill could allow ATV use on busier roads or expressways; the sponsor said he did not intend to interfere with existing lawful uses and believed golf carts would only be included if they met the relevant statutory requirements. NHDOT State Maintenance Engineer Alan Hennessy said the department had concerns with language exempting municipalities and the Bureau of Trails from the permitting process, arguing that the existing permit system provides needed review, public notice, and signage requirements. He also raised questions about road funding and maintenance if ATVs were allowed on state highways. Fish and Game Captain Michael Eastman testified that his commission opposed the bill as written, citing concerns about the ATV definition, the distinction between ATVs, UTVs, and other OHRVs, and the potential impact on state highways and road maintenance. He said towns can already open roads to OHRV use under existing law, and he noted that accident data for road use would generally be handled by local police or State Police rather than Fish and Game. Craig Reny, chief of the Bureau of Trails, said the current Bureau of Trails/DOT permit process for highway crossings and connectors works well and is used to ensure safety through engineering review. He said his bureau was not taking a position on the bill but wanted to clarify that existing procedures already address many of the issues the bill appears to cover. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• A few key observations from our 2025 report related to GDP and job growth, business cost and regulations
• Looking at the regulatory environment, sensible regulations and requirements on businesses can ensure
• ><c> sensible</c> at the regulatory environment sensible at the regulatory environment sensible regulations
• on regulations and requirements on businesses<00:09:27.720><c> can</c><00:09:27.920><c> ensure</c><00
• that increase costs or regulations that increase costs or attempt<00:40:00.160><c> to</c><00:40:00.319

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

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> fish and an elephant? fish and an elephant? Swim<00:11:06.880><c> trunks.
• </c> product regulation product regulation &gt;&gt; Senate<00:11:52.000><c> file</c><00:11:52.240><c>
• The first project is Upper Greybull fish passage number three.
• and</c><01:48:54.800><c> um</c> fish fish passage project and um fish fish passage project and um so
• </c> native fish species. native fish species.

Transcript Highlights:

• side look at what those uses and side by side look at what those uses and and<00:15:45.040><c> regulations
• are on on the two of and regulations are on on the two of them<00:15:47.920><c> and</c><00:15:48.320
• The tribal wildlife game and fish, our game and fish, the state vets office, and the tribal members to
• The tribal wildlife and fish, our game and fish, the state vets office, and the tribal members need to
• The tribal wildlife and fish, our game and fish, the state vets office, and the tribal members need to

Summary: The committee met briefly to hear and sort through interim topic proposals, with members noting they needed to finish quickly before floor work. The first topic, from Representative Banks and Representative Ottman, would allow non-veterinarians to perform pre-check pregnancy testing on cattle to help address veterinary shortages, while still requiring a certified veterinarian for cattle sold as bred. No public testimony was offered, and the committee agreed to move through the full list and rank topics later rather than taking an immediate vote. A second topic, brought by the County Commissioners Association through Jeremiah Ryman and Joy Hill, concerned subdivision fencing laws. Hill said recent statutory changes moved fencing requirements into the subdivision statutes, creating cost and planning problems for developers and county officials. She said the preferred option would be repeal; if not, counties should have flexibility to exempt some subdivisions, and at minimum the law should be clarified because key terms and requirements are unclear. The committee asked a few questions and then moved on. Representative Davis and Holly Kennedy of the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts discussed updating conservation district statutes. Kennedy said districts are currently barred from borrowing money for major purchases and that election rules can force board members to vacate seats if they move within the district but outside their original locality. The association supported revisiting those provisions. The committee also heard a topic on comparing recreation rules on state lands and federal lands, with the sponsor saying the goal was to identify disparities and possible improvements. Later topics included preventing orphaned water rights, with Keith Kennedy of the Wyoming Association of Irrigation Districts asking for statutory clarification so water rights are properly transferred during divisions and not forfeited, especially in small subdivisions and family exemptions. Another proposal from Representative Ottman addressed a tribal buffalo issue involving whether animals crossing between reservation land and fee land are treated as wildlife or domestic animals; members emphasized the topic was for information and discussion rather than legislation. Senator Pearson also proposed revisiting fence-out laws for livestock to give landowners more protection when repeatedly dealing with wandering animals, while others cautioned that any changes would need to be handled carefully because of differing livestock rules and the state’s fence-in/fence-out framework. Finally, Senator Hicks raised livestock identification concerns, arguing producers should retain flexibility under prior law to identify animals as they choose and that veterinarians should not be forced into new federal tagging requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also sponsored two youth fly-fishing camps that targeted Indigenous youth from some of our land-grant
• It was because the Department of Game and Fish identified the dam for that lake as not being sufficient
• estimate when we first started having this conversation in 2017 was that the options that Game and Fish
• I did an inquiry to NRCS, and NRCS said, well, no, it's a Fish and Wildlife Service issue.
• I inquired with the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Committee: House House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• The Game and Fish State Police Subcommittee met on Wednesday, January 21st.
• The Hospital, Medicaid, and Developmental Disability Subcommittee—hang on, we're still on Game and Fish
• I have, and I've spoken with some PBM regulators in West Virginia about that. Yes, sir. I'm aware.
• Rutledge in 2020 said that a risk of preemption still exists, but when it comes to costs, states can regulate
• So the argument specifically is about whether a state can regulate this particular area of cost.

Committee: All ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (ALC)

Transcript Highlights:

• of those darker blue states are either sending revenue to the general fund or using the fees to regulate
• TNCs. in terms of... revenue to the general fund or using the fees to regulate TNCs.
• The fish passage barrier removal obligations were just over a billion dollars, or 11% of the budget.
• The fish passage barrier removal obligations were just over a billion dollars, or 11% of the budget.
• Looking at the numbers of dollars we have for Fish and Wildlife, it corresponds to about two days of

Bills: HB2109 , HB2139 , HB2192

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: vehicle loads, public highways, transportation, road safety, infrastructure, HB2139, snowmobile registration, snowmobile fee, vehicle license fee, registration fee, Department of Licensing, RCW, vehicle registration, winter recreation, off-road vehicle, moped, motorcycle, trailer, recreational vehicle, vintage snowmobile

Transcript Highlights:

• We will have those regulations on time, as required by the statute.
• The regulations were issued—draft regulations issued last week for most of it—and I had a lot of public
• Regulating on a return on equity about 9.8.
• So I know the fishing extremely well.
• I'd like to first thank you for all the work that you've done at Fish and Game.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing at UMass Amherst on Governor Healey’s fiscal year 2027 budget, focusing on energy/environment-related transportation issues and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The chairs and members opened with thanks to UMass, university leadership, court officers, and legislative staff, and Chancellor Javier Reyes highlighted UMass Amherst’s research, workforce, sustainability, and transportation contributions, including energy research, transit operations, and partnerships with MassDOT. The hearing then moved to MassDOT and MBTA testimony on the administration’s transportation funding package, including House 2, the FY26 Fair Share supplemental, and a proposed four-year Chapter 90 authorization. MassDOT officials described the budget as part of a broader multi-year transportation investment strategy, citing funding for operations, snow and ice removal, regional transit authorities, the MBTA, the Merit Rating Board, sustainable aviation fuel credits, micro-transit and last-mile grants, unpaved road improvements, bridge and pavement work, and housing-related transportation infrastructure. They emphasized workforce expansion, capital delivery capacity, safety improvements, and local aid, including the new lane-mile-based Chapter 90 formula intended to benefit rural communities. Officials also discussed major projects and programs such as Grant Central, culvert and unpaved road grants, work zone speed cameras, congestion hotspot fixes, the Sagamore and Bourne Bridge projects, and MBTA operating support and safety upgrades. Testimony from the MBTA and rail/transit staff focused on improved ridership, service frequency, accessibility, and safety, including progress on the Green Line Train Protection System, reduced delays, expanded bus and commuter rail service, and the South Coast rail extension. Regional transit authorities reported increased ridership and described new fare-free, connectivity, and community transit grants. Aeronautics testimony covered airport capital work, drone and data programs, sustainable aviation fuel efforts, and workforce development in aviation maintenance. Committee members then asked questions, especially about Western Massachusetts priorities, Chapter 90 funding, bridge repairs, snow and ice costs, Cape Cod bridges, Buzzard’s Bay rail, and Compass Rail/West-East Rail. Officials said several federal rail grants were moving forward, that Sagamore Bridge procurement would begin soon, and that the administration remained committed to pursuing federal funding and multi-year transportation investments.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will have those regulations as we're on time as required by the statute.
• The regulations were issued, draft regulations issued last week for most of it.
• Regulating on a return on equity about 9.8.
• So I know the fishing extremely well.
• I'd like to first thank you for all the work that you've done at Fish and Game.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• Wouldn't it this rules and regulations?
• ><c> I'll</c><00:10:43.519><c> again</c> somewhat self-regulated, but I'll again somewhat self-regulated
• </c><00:11:05.279><c> or</c> um, who who over who what regulations or um, who who over who what regulations
• Um about 10 5 to 10 regulated before.
• 20:25.440><c> fish</c><01:20:25.840><c> and</c><01:20:26.080><c> those</c> critters that eat those fish

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Summary: The hearing focused on House Bill 1281, which would establish standards and voluntary certification for agency-owned “facility comfort dogs” used by police and other public safety agencies. Representative Morton, the prime sponsor, said the bill is intended to create a consistent statewide framework because different departments currently use different policies. He emphasized that the bill is meant to distinguish comfort dogs from service animals, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs, and noted that a small amendment may be needed to make that distinction clearer. He also said the bill is timely under the ADA because comfort dogs fall outside service-animal protections, but still need training standards for public safety and consistency. Committee members questioned whether the bill was too detailed and whether the legislature should be setting rules on matters like training methods, diet, and breeding. Laura Barker of Hero Pups, who helped train New Hampshire’s first police comfort dog, supported the idea of a minimum standard but said the bill should be less prescriptive and should not interfere with therapy dogs or private handlers. She explained that comfort dogs vary in temperament and deployment needs, that raw diets raise zoonotic disease concerns, and that the program should remain voluntary and not cost the state money. Detective Michelle Jones of Portsmouth Police opposed the bill as written, saying the term “facility comfort dog” is confusing, the bill is overly restrictive, and some provisions go beyond what should be mandated by statute; she suggested a more flexible, guideline-based approach and noted that departments already have their own SOPs and can enforce them internally. Justin Brassen of the Manchester Police Department also testified, describing the history of comfort dog programs in New Hampshire and the work of a prior subcommittee formed through the governor’s commission on PTSD among first responders. He said there are currently no statewide standards and that the earlier study involved police, fire, EMS, dispatch, corrections, and NAMI New Hampshire, with the goal of creating a thoughtful work product. He agreed the bill needs work and answered questions about how departments handle training and public access. By the end of the hearing, members and witnesses discussed possible amendments, and one committee member suggested the bill may be better handled through interim study because of the amount of work still needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• administrative assistant, and walked several of those health professions boards through zero-based regulations
• I love to hunt and fish and do all that outdoorsy stuff. That's pretty much it, thank you.
• I love to hunt and fish and do all that outdoorsy stuff. That's pretty much it, thank you.

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• There's over a thousand different requirements in this system based upon federal rules and regulations
• , state rules and regulations.
• Looks like you're going fishing on Friday. You know, I'm glad to do it. I'm glad to do it.
• Looks like you're going fishing on Friday. You know, I'm glad to do it. I'm glad to do it.

Bills: SB2015

Committee: Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division met to finalize changes to the human services budget bill and related amendments. Members discussed several items, including a proposed $5 million appropriation for the Altru Hospital project to address inflationary costs, with the rest of the funding question left for conference committee. They also agreed to keep the 10-year operating requirement language for the project and remove a matching-funds provision that was no longer needed. The committee spent considerable time on the OASIS child welfare IT system. Donna Auckland explained that the project is still in the RFP stage, with vendor selection and contract negotiation likely taking months, and that the system will require 50-50 federal matching authority. Based on that testimony, the committee agreed to reduce the general fund amount from $14 million to $6 million and use a line of credit for the remaining authority, while preserving the federal match authority so the contract can be signed and the project can proceed. Members also approved a technical fix to add governor’s designee language for the Children’s Cabinet, which had been missed in another bill already on the governor’s desk. Keith reviewed updated long sheets showing additional budget adjustments, including provider inflation changes, a $50,000 Family Voices grant, reductions to CARES Act COVID funds, and moving the $5-per-day basic care rate increase from ongoing to one-time funding. No formal votes were recorded in the transcript, and the committee adjourned with plans to reconvene Monday if the final bill version was ready.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> committee of the committee to study fish committee of the committee to study fish and<00:03:45.560
• </c> on average across the northeastern fish on average across the northeastern fish and<00:04:03.200
• It would hit the fishing game fund, so the fishing game fund would have to make up that deficit, and
• That's the $1 on the fish license.
• That's the $1 on the fish license.

Summary: The Division 2 Finance Committee heard an overview and budget presentation from New Hampshire Fish and Game, led by new Executive Director Stephanie Simi and Business Division Chief Kathy Leonti. The agency described its mission to conserve and manage fish, wildlife, and marine resources, and emphasized growing pressures from disease, climate impacts, habitat change, and increased public demand. Simi said the department is largely funded by hunting and fishing license revenue and federal grants, is reviewing staffing and internal processes, and faces critical needs including permanent funding for environmental review staff, infrastructure and IT modernization, and possible service reductions if additional support is not found. Members asked about specific program and policy issues, including chronic wasting disease in deer, hemorrhagic disease in rabbits and hares, moose population decline, and a proposed bait-disease bill. The department said it is actively monitoring diseases and did not see a need for the bait bill at this time. Legislators also discussed the Hike Safe program, which the department said has grown from an expected $100,000 annually to more than $300,000, and a possible boating version of that program, which the department said remains under consideration but would involve complex logistics and multiple agencies. Questions were also raised about rescue costs, out-of-state hikers, and whether boat registrations could be used as a revenue source; Fish and Game said boat registration is handled by the Department of Safety, though the department receives $5 per registered boat for the public boat access program. The budget discussion focused on revenue projections, use of unrestricted Fish and Game funds, and dependence on federal reimbursements. Leonti said the department met the governor’s general fund target but not the Fish and Game fund target without using surplus unrestricted funds, leaving only about $100,000 in the fund by the end of the biennium. She said the budget uses more than $18 million in Fish and Game funds annually against about $14 million in unrestricted revenue, and that five of 193 full-time positions remain unfunded. The department warned that if federal grants were halted, it could cost about $5 million over five months and force the Fish and Game fund to cover the gap. Committee members also requested that future presentations be sent electronically in advance, and the department agreed to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• We expect the executive order to be moving down the timeline to have the regulation portion completed
• I'm getting these regulations completed by the end of the year, per the executive order, and we will
• In other words, the largest cut is Department of Fish and Wildlife.
• Is Department of Fish and Wildlife also the biggest? They are one of the bigger ones, yes.
• So we're taking disproportionate cuts in Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Transcript Highlights:

• additionally prescribes duties to ADOA, DPS, the county recorders, and county assessors relative to regulation
• Steve Tressel about this bill, and I've been in communication with Steve as well, and also Game and Fish
• your response to Steve Tressel, with whom I've been communicating about this bill, and also Game and Fish
• I mean, State Parks, Game and Fish — I'm sorry, Game and Fish — and then put under State Parks Board
• industry that's trying to establish itself, and they've passed every zoning law, every municipal regulation

Bills: HB2167 , HB2168 , HB2169 , HB2171 , HB2790 , HB2905 , HCM2005

Committees: House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs , House House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee of Reference

Keywords: attorney general, nuisance action, consumer fraud, damages, civil penalty, public nuisance, nuisance abatement, abatement action, injunction, superior court, county attorney, city attorney, board of supervisors, obscenity, obscene materials, adult materials, pornography, schools, parks, residential district

Transcript Highlights:

• Emotional regulation to others.
• So we talk about the big fish. This is 100% going after the big fish.
• So we talk about the big fish. This is 100% going after the big fish.
• It's been seconded by Senator Abbottz. big fish. This is 100% going after the big fish.
• </c> big fish. So, thank you. big fish. So, thank you.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:47.240><c> we</c> activities in the areas we regulate we activities in the areas we regulate
• There's no regulation on those.
• </c> little bit early there's no regulation little bit early there's no regulation on<00:22:57.840><c
• </c> come to us asking to be regulated come to us asking to be regulated because<00:23:02.200><c> they're
• </c> called uh regulation called uh regulation crowdfunding<00:42:25.599><c> we</c><00:42:25.680><c>

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• , we assess the costs of the burden of that regulation against the benefit.
• How do we make sure we consider the cost to business of certain regulations?
• We have to include it in the permanent regulations process as part of the career readiness program.
• , you know, a million little fish eat the big fish.
• And we have this model where it's like the little fish, you know, a million little fish eat the big fish

Summary: The subcommittee heard an overview from Go-Biz Director D.D. Myers on the administration’s economic development strategy, centered on the California Jobs First framework. Myers described regional planning across 13 regions, the Jobs First Council, and pilot sectors including ag-tech, space and defense, life sciences, and semiconductors. She also outlined budget requests for CalCompetes, CalExport, the California Film Commission, innovation/emerging technologies, and the California Civic Media Fund, along with the new California brand campaign. Committee members raised questions about misinformation about California, regulatory burdens, tourism versus broader economic messaging, and how the brand campaign would highlight underrepresented communities. No vote was taken; the item was informational. The committee then reviewed CalOSBA’s work on small business support, including California RISE, the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, and TAP/SIP technical assistance and capital infusion programs. CalOSBA reported that California RISE’s first cohort awarded $16.9 million to 61 employment social enterprises, with growth in revenue, contracts, and jobs; the performing arts payroll fund paid all 100 recipients but was heavily oversubscribed; and TAP supported more than 112,000 businesses in the past year, helping leverage federal and local funds. Testimony from program partners emphasized the importance of small business counseling, community-based outreach, and support for arts organizations facing post-pandemic and AB 5-related cost pressures. Senators pressed for more data on long-term job retention, better outreach to smaller and ethnic media, and possible program changes to speed grants and stretch funding further. Finally, the committee heard Go-Biz’s request for additional staff and funding for the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program. Staff said the request would support application review, DEIA implementation, and data tracking. The Film Commission reported that about 147 productions had been approved and roughly 90% were opting into the new diversity provisions, with career pathways reporting to include demographic and participation data and a future report expected in 2027. Senators asked about accountability, apprenticeship and internship hours, and whether the program was producing real career pathways and inclusive hiring outcomes. The item remained informational, with no vote or action taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• carb as it's known as Train regulations carb as it's known as an<00:17:45.559><c> unelected</c><00:17
• </c> locomotive regulation locomotive regulation rules<00:17:58.000><c> the</c><00:17:58.159><c> Advanced
• If you don't clear the brush, if you're held up due to environmental regulations and longtime permit
• </c> trapped a little higher number of fish trapped a little higher number of fish than<03:13:00.080>
• Instead, as I mentioned, it comes down to fish in the Delta. It comes down to fish in the Delta.