Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1690 created the first-in-the-nation certification process.
• One other thing, though, to note, is that while the certification process has not yet been finalized
• It wasn't waiting to create the certification for these adult safe homes to start operating.
• We appreciate and are excited about the opportunity to have a certification process for these homes,
• It wasn't waiting to create the certification for these adult safe homes to start operating.

Summary: The Joint Administrative Procedures Committee heard a presentation from Representative Esposito on a proposal to strengthen oversight of agency rulemaking under Chapter 120. The bill would require cost-benefit analysis at the front end and after implementation, create an eight-year sunset and review process for rules, and require express legislative authority for agency rulemaking. Members questioned the lack of concrete examples of burdensome rules, the effect on already slow rulemaking, the choice of an eight-year sunset, and the bill’s origin; Esposito said she was working with stakeholders and cited her chamber-of-commerce background and research with the Cicero Institute. No vote was taken on the bill itself. Staff then reported on legislatively mandated rulemaking from 2023 and 2024, noting that most required rules had been adopted, proposed, noticed, or scheduled, with a few agencies still outstanding. The Department of Financial Services explained a delayed notice of rule development for the MySafe Florida Home condominium pilot program as an oversight that has since been corrected, and the Department of Education said it did not proceed with rulemaking for the Fostering Prosperity grants because the program received no funding in the 2025 budget. The Department of Health described delayed rulemaking for the sickle cell disease and trait registry, saying the registry and opt-out forms were being implemented and that notices of rule development had now been filed. Members pressed the department on why rules took so long and discussed the need for statutory deadlines. The Department of Children and Families reported on two 2023 human-trafficking-related rules: signage requirements for residential treatment facilities and children’s safe homes, and a new certification process for adult safe homes. DCF said the signage rule is now moving forward and the adult safe home certification rule has been submitted for final review after workshops and stakeholder feedback. Senators questioned the lengthy timeline and the lack of oversight during the interim, while the chair emphasized the need for time-certain deadlines in legislation and for JAPAC oversight hearings. The committee also considered staff-proposed amendments to Chapter 120 addressing emergency rules pending legislative ratification and the process for initiating ratification, including a one-year limit and notice to JAPAC. After discussion, the committee voted to forward the proposed amendments to the Senate President and House Speaker. Finally, members discussed a proposed amendment to the administrative law judge appointment and retention process under Section 120.65. DOAH’s interim director opposed the change, saying ALJs and workers’ compensation judges have different functions and warning against shifting appointment power to cabinet officers whose agencies appear before DOAH. Members raised concerns about timeliness, consistency, and accountability in DOAH decisions. The committee voted to forward this proposal as well, with Senator Smith voting no on that motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is an overview of our certificate data.
• The top one shows all the non-military certificates in comparison with our military-affiliated certificates
• certificates.
• The out-of-state certification, and you said the highlighted—so bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate—are
• the verification and the full certificate, correct?

Summary: The committee heard updates from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Navy Region Northwest, Fairchild Air Force Base, the Coast Guard, state licensing agencies, the Professional Educator Standards Board, the Washington National Guard, and a veterans behavioral health presenter. Across the military briefings, common themes were readiness, infrastructure, and quality-of-life issues for service members and families, especially child care, housing, food insecurity, medical and dental access, and military spouse employment. JBLM highlighted its role in Indo-Pacific readiness, ongoing PFAS cleanup, 212 new family housing units under construction, efforts to expand child care, and continued work to keep the Lewis Army Museum open. Navy Region Northwest discussed its major installations and economic impact, the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan, future carrier and submarine homeporting needs, and asked the legislature to continue support for licensure compacts, educational stability for military children, housing, and medical access. Fairchild emphasized its tanker and survival missions, child care shortages, food insecurity, aging housing, and concerns about wind turbine development near flight paths, while the Coast Guard focused on rebuilding Base Seattle for new icebreakers and on rural access to housing, medical care, and child care at dispersed stations like Neah Bay. Members repeatedly raised food insecurity and asked for follow-up on solutions. JBLM and Fairchild both described increased demand for food assistance during the shutdown, and committee members noted progress in getting mobile food vans onto JBLM. The presenters also praised state action on military spouse licensure and child care, including Senate Bill 5545 and related compact and portability efforts. The Department of Licensing reported about 9,000 self-identified military members or spouses licensed, with average time-to-license just under nine days, and said applications are prioritized when military status is self-identified. The Department of Health said its military-to-civilian crosswalk now covers more than 35 health professions, that temporary practice permits and expedited processing are in place, and that 1,300 credentials were issued to military spouses and domestic partners and 129 to military-trained health professionals in the last fiscal year, all within 30 days. The Professional Educator Standards Board explained that military spouses and service members can receive expedited teacher certification with reduced documentation, and that they are moved to the front of the review queue when they self-identify. Members asked about verification, and staff said the process relies on attestation with investigatory safeguards if needed. The Washington National Guard briefed on its dual state and federal mission, the impact of the recent shutdown on nearly 700 employees who worked without pay, and policy and budget requests including youth academy protections, alignment of the Washington Code of Military Justice with the UCMJ, making Civil Air Patrol a division of the Military Department, 911 funding, disaster assistance, and capital funding for headquarters and readiness facilities. The Guard also warned about drone threats and said it wants authority to identify, track, and monitor suspicious drones. A veterans behavioral health presenter, an Army combat veteran and clinical social worker, described high suicide risk, barriers to care, and the need for more culturally competent services, especially for women veterans and caregivers. He said Washington veterans’ suicide rate remains above the national average and emphasized that childcare, transportation, and provider shortages can prevent timely treatment. Members generally responded supportively throughout, asked for follow-up on food security and other issues, and encouraged agencies to bring forward legislative ideas for future sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• So then there's a new Roman 14: what onetime certification programs are the equivalent of an AA certificate
• So then there's a new Roman 14: what onetime certification programs are the equivalent of an AA certificate
• So that says that somewhere you've got to be talking about the user certificate, yes.
• The initial inspection is not different if they've got that certificate, is it?
• don't have the OSHA certificate, then you're going to get an inspection by annually?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee reviewed selected House Bill 2 provisions, focusing first on the group two pension reform language and whether it matched prior legislation and the fiscal note. Members discussed two main issues: the treatment of extra and special duty pay in the pension calculation for employees hired before 2011, and the annuity multiplier after 15 years of creditable service. Several members said the HB 2 language was intended to restore prior law and protect against pension “spiking,” while others worried the draft and fiscal note may not have fully reflected current law, potentially affecting the cost estimate. The discussion repeatedly emphasized the need to avoid underfunding or double counting and to make sure Finance had the correct actuarial assumptions. No vote was taken; the committee agreed to flag the issues for Finance and to clarify the fiscal note. Members also discussed the vested-rights language, which was described as an explicit definition of vesting and a restriction on future legislative changes to compensation calculations after three years of service. Some viewed it as a policy protection with no immediate fiscal impact, while others noted it had been included in prior legislation and should be clearly understood before the bill moved forward. The committee also briefly referenced prior pension legislation, including House Bill 436 and House Bill 727, and noted that HB 2 was being used to carry forward related pension repair provisions. The committee then turned to an OPLC-related section transferring building, plumbing, electrical, and fuel gas inspector positions from OPLC to the Department of Safety’s Fire Marshal’s office. Testimony explained that the nine inspector positions are funded from the licensing fund, and that the move was justified as a public-safety function better aligned with the Fire Marshal’s mission because the inspections are statewide code-enforcement work rather than facility-specific licensing work. The discussion ended with a note that the remaining HB 2 changes run through 2034 and a brief announcement about memorial arrangements for C.J. Gerard.

Transcript Highlights:

• Certificate programs are the smallest credential awarded by the institutions.
• Right now, this formula does treat all certificates equally.
• Also, Alex had mentioned that there are certificate levels too.
• So $250 for non-in-demand certificates, $1,500 for associates, et cetera.
• So you get, you know, the $500 per certificate...

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:18:00.400> parts<00:18:01.080> are the self certification parts are the self certification
• This bill implements self-certification for solar projects.
• self-certification self-certification for<00:19:43.880> um<00:19:44.120> for<00:19:44.360
• <00:21:30.720> self-certification self-certification self-certification self-certification self-certification
• Self-certification for solar projects.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint hearing began with SB 133 on energy, which drew opposition testimony from James Abraham, who said the bill was unnecessary because the Public Utilities Commission had already opened a proceeding to investigate wheeling, including intergovernmental wheeling, and should be allowed to finish its collaborative process. The committees then moved to SB 161 on county permitting and inspection, where several agencies submitted written comments or opposition, while the Grassroots Institute and HCDA-related testimony supported the measure. Members raised concerns about accountability and whether state agencies would report back on projects approved under any permitting exemption, and witnesses suggested annual reporting or amendment language to address that issue. The hearing then turned to SB 232 and SB 588, both related to renewable energy permitting. Testimony on SB 232 was largely supportive, but Rocky Mold of the Hawaii Solar Energy Association said SB 232 was an older version of a bill and that SB 588 was the preferred, updated measure. Members discussed whether the bill should be limited to residential or behind-the-meter customer-sited systems rather than utility-scale projects, and Mold clarified that the proposal was intended for customer-sited systems, not utility-scale facilities. For SB 588, the Department of Land and Natural Resources warned that state or county laws inconsistent with the National Flood Insurance Program could jeopardize flood insurance eligibility and related federal assistance, while Mold argued the bill’s FEMA floodway exemption was needed to avoid blocking solar installations on existing structures. The chair expressed concern about risking federal funding and questioned whether the exemption could be narrowed without defeating the bill’s purpose. SB 412, also on renewable energy, received supportive testimony from the State Energy Office and others. Members questioned whether a single coordinating entity should compile agency assessments, and Mark Glick said the Energy Office could take on that role if given the duty and sufficient staff. The committee then discussed SB 635 on energy efficiency, which would require state agencies to use energy-efficient lighting. Mark Glick testified that much of the work was already underway through benchmarking and related contracts, and a DAGS representative said the state was already assessing 590 buildings over 10,000 square feet, with results expected around 2027. Members suggested amending the bill to require annual status reports so the committees could track progress and avoid duplication. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Should be noted with the absentee ballot pre-certification form.
• certificates certificates about<01:33:09.160> how<01:33:09.320> many<01:33:09.600>
• the post-election certificate. the post-election certificate.
• The certificate that the moderator fills out with the clerk.
• , moderator's certificate, moderator's certificate, is<01:36:16.280> what<01:36:16.560>

Keywords: 9:00am HB 158 9:10am HB 281 9:20am HB 317 9:30am HB 340 9:40am HB 1062 9:50am HB 1187 10:00am HB 1234 10:10am HB 1300 10:20am HB 1306 10:30am HB 1381 10:40am HB 1541, 928, house, all

Summary: The committee of conference first resolved House Bill 158, which concerns public inspection of absentee ballot lists. The Senate explained a revised approach that removed the broader bill language and instead directed the Secretary of State to review absentee ballot data after each general election for patterns such as common addresses and to report findings to the committees of jurisdiction. The House agreed to the Senate position, and the conference committee voted unanimously to concur. The committee then took up House Bill 281, dealing with a sortable electronic voter checklist. Members debated the Senate’s removal of language that would have included the absentee ballot mailing address when different from the voter’s registration address. Concerns were raised that releasing mailing addresses could expose where voters are not home and could affect overseas and military voters. The committee also discussed a related form for election officials who personally know a voter, including how long the form would be retained and whether it would be subject to public records law. After further discussion, the House agreed to the Senate changes with an additional requirement that the form be signed, and the committee voted to proceed with the amended Senate position. House Bill 317, concerning verification of a person’s identity by a supervisor of the checklist without identification, was also discussed at length. The Senate’s version preserved the ability for election officials to identify people they know, but required a signed form under penalty of perjury and added a nursing home-related provision. Members described the measure as balancing community-based identification with tighter documentation, and a House witness described local problems with inconsistent ID checks and concerns about voting in nursing homes. The House sought one additional change requiring the nursing home verification form to be signed, and the Senate accepted that addition; the committee then voted to move the bill forward on the consent calendar. The conference committee next considered House Bill 340 on electioneering by public employees. The chair presented a replace-all amendment that tied the definition of electioneering to existing law, added a prohibition on expressly or primarily political surveys, and created a civil penalty of up to $1,000 alongside the misdemeanor penalty. Members discussed clarifying when the misdemeanor versus civil penalty would apply and which categories of public employees were covered. After caucus, the Senate agreed to the House’s replace-all approach with the clarifying changes, and the bill was closed. The committee also resolved House Bill 1062 by agreeing to strike a sunset clause from the Senate version authorizing random audits of citizenship qualifications, and it began discussion of House Bill 1187 on the filing window for special-election candidates, where the House proposed requiring local election officials to arrange a filing time on the same day or next business day after being contacted.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and basically you do— I saw it here—you do certifications right on this thing, yeah?
• And you give somebody a certification that everything is correct.
• right on this thing yeah and you give somebody a certification that everything is correct if you get
• And one other question: so the certifications, I would assume they pertain to people who are removing
• And one other question: so the certifications, I would assume they pertain to people who are removing

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is not a degree-granting entity, rather says certificate granting entity.
• So the certificate program and we work heavily and that is very important going forward.
• And 352 certifications, students employed at graduation.
• The National Retail Association certification is one of the certifications that they provide there.
• We also have an application only advance certification program and we had advance certifications available

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Once enrolled, the company must annually submit a current certificate of good standing, elect a common
• <00:40:12.880> of<00:40:13.000> good to go obtain a certificate of good to go obtain
• of good standing current certificate of good standing elect<00:40:27.880> a<00:40:28.079>
• company to produce a current certificate company to produce a current certificate of<00:40:59.000
• Um, much is Bill is that the onus is on basically DMV would say, Enterprise, get me a certificate of

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• certificates.
• Workforce and um equal pay certificates Workforce and um equal pay certificates if<00:08:30.000>
• and the Equal Pay Workforce certificates and the Equal Pay certificates<00:08:39.360> so<00:08
• in the workforce certificates have been in the workforce certificates have been in place<00:08
• 1980s um and the Equal Pay certificates 1980s um and the Equal Pay certificates um<00:08:52.000>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• program this is whole certification program this is whole conservation<00:10:35.240> planning
• Is there more to the certification for these farms that you mentioned, the 277 MASCIP farms?
• What's all in that certification? Peterson, Peterson, Peterson, yes. Great.
• certification certification Peterson Peterson Peterson yous<00:21:17.520> great<00:21:17.840>
• 01:26:30.920> certification nutrient stewardship certification nutrient stewardship certification

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you. competency assessment and certification competency assessment and certification for<02:40:
• certification, but it's already there. certification, but it's already there.
• You can take one for fun that doesn't issue a certificate, or anybody can get a certificate.
• Shall get a certificate.
• Shall get a certificate. shall. Shall get a certificate.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• WE ARE OFFERING NEW ACCESS TO HEALTH RELATED INDUSTRY CERTIFICATIONS.
• AS WELL AS AWARDING HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS FOR CERTIFICATIONS COMPLETED DURING THE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM.
• CREDIT AND RECOMMENDED PATHWAYS TO OBTAIN EITHER AN AA OR AES DEGREE FOR INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION BECAUSE
• ALSO, AS WE CONTINUE TO EMASCULATE THIS OPPORTUNITY WE SEE STUDENTS TURNING 18 DOING THEIR CERTIFICATION
• NOW THAT THERE IS A RETURN ON INVESTMENT AS WE ALREADY HAVE STUDENTS ENROLLED AND PURSUING CNA CERTIFICATES

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, I'll highlight two items related to special education and bilingual certification: waiving certification
• The last bullet there, CTE certification, provides reimbursement support for educators earning CTE certifications
• Certification and workforce development in Texas public schools.
• If I may, I'm a product of an alternative certification program.
• And did I hear the certification part? Did you answer that? I'm so sorry.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• similar fashion to Emirates' existing registry for renewable energy certificates, or RECs.
• As they are issued and retire certificates, that incurs fees that we assess to that organization.
• or ammonia certificates, and then retire those ammonia certificates.
• Any ammonia certificates issued in the state of Minnesota would be included in that report.
• There might be entities generating certificates in other states.

Bills: HF2103, HF2793

Keywords: energy, renewable energy, ammonia, hydrogen, certificate tracking, funding, environment, community solar, energy policy, sustainability, solar garden program, regulation sunset

Transcript Highlights:

• It's to really incentivize career education to focus more on certificates that will have students, when
• on, you know, where, how much is involved in getting the certificate.
• We need to create the programs to get the kids to the certification.
• We can't get to the certification. Our auto shops are dying. Our wood shops are dying.
• They would if they meet the certification requirements in how that would work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Certification requires a certification, although it's not exclusive.
• Certification requires a certification, although it's not exclusive.
• Certification requires a certification, although it's not exclusive.
• Certification requires a certification, although it's not exclusive.
• Certification requires a certification, although it's not exclusive.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House first suspended the rules briefly to make announcements, including welcoming former representative Doug Gage to the gallery. It then returned to House Bill 211 on data brokers and personal information, where the Appropriations Committee explained a $50,000 appropriation to the Secretary of State for a consultant-led study on an accessible deletion mechanism for consumers to delete personal data held by data brokers, with interim and final reports due in 2027 and 2028. The committee reported a 9-0-2 vote in favor, and the House agreed to the Commerce and Economic Development Committee’s amendment and ordered third reading. Floor debate on H. 211 focused heavily on the bill’s deletion and exemption framework. Supporters argued the bill is needed to give Vermonters meaningful control over their data and to prevent data brokers from commingling information for unrelated uses. Opponents warned the bill could conflict with existing federal frameworks such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Gramm-Leach-Bliley, and the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, and could make credit, banking, insurance, fraud prevention, and identity verification harder. In response, the sponsor said the bill uses use-case-based exemptions rather than broad entity-level exemptions, noted testimony from banks, insurers, a data broker, a former data broker employee, and the Attorney General, and said no constitutional concerns were raised. The House ultimately adopted the amendment and advanced the bill. After H. 211, the House moved to House Bill 577, establishing the Vermont Prescription Drug Discount Card Program. Committee reports from Health Care, Ways and Means, and Appropriations were read into the record, and the Colchester member described the bill as a way to lower prescription drug costs by joining the multi-state Array Rx program. The bill would let any Vermont resident obtain a free discount card for FDA-approved prescription drugs, with claimed savings up to 80% on generics and 20% on brand-name drugs. The House then proceeded to second reading on H. 577.

Transcript Highlights:

• It would give us some more time before certification.
• So all of the provisions certification.
• Any recount should be done before certification.
• :48:16.160> there's<00:48:16.480> some certification.
• If not, there's some certification.

Bills: SF0028, SF0030, SF0031, SF0032

Keywords: voting, elections, electronic voting systems, transparency, public testing, voter registration, qualified elector, residency requirements, voting rights, mortgage modification, priority, electronic signatures, real property, financial covenants, 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• They're not qualified to do that, so we replace that with a certification subject to the penalties of
• of candidates, so that people don't decide to write in after that certification date.
• subject to the penalties certification subject to the penalties of<00:08:28.000> perjury<00:08
• date uh it prohibits that certification date uh it prohibits certified<00:08:51.000> lists<00
• Section 21 establishes the deadline for certification of the total number of votes to the Secretary of

Keywords: Consideration of HB 684 02:30 Consideration of HB 699 19:10, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs met with a quorum and considered two election-related bills. The committee first took up House Bill 684, sponsored by Representative Jennifer Decker, and adopted a committee substitute. Decker described the bill as a “continuous improvement” measure developed with election officials, clerks, legislators, and citizens. She walked through provisions addressing precinct officer staffing in vote centers, notice to school districts when schools are used as voting centers, absentee ballot replacement when a ballot is not received, retention and disposal timelines for election-related video surveillance, permanent voting assistance certifications, write-in candidate deadlines and posting restrictions, candidate filing details, witness requirements, public posting of candidate information, felony voting language, and school district closure rules for voting locations. Members discussed the school-related provision, the handling of mail-in ballots, and a committee-substitute change removing credit cards and debit cards as acceptable voter ID. Supportive comments emphasized election integrity and the collaborative drafting process. The committee then voted to report HB 684 favorably. The committee next considered House Bill 699, sponsored by Representative DJ Johnson, which would add a pre-certification verification process for candidate filings. Johnson said the bill was intended to prevent ineligible candidates from appearing on the ballot by requiring election officials to verify that a candidate’s residence is in the correct jurisdiction and, in partisan races, that the candidate is registered with the party sought, with appeals going to circuit court. He argued the current system relies on costly legal challenges after filing errors occur. During discussion, Representative Hancock voted no, saying the bill would create an unnecessary administrative burden and that filing paperwork should remain a basic responsibility of candidates, while other members voted yes. The committee ultimately reported HB 699 favorably. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know that there have been different iterations where would they be keeping a birth certificate?
• Are you comfortable that people have enough time to perhaps get a replacement birth certificate?
• They requested to see my birth certificate, my photo ID; my proof of address was not enough.
• First, the bill does not clearly accept Puerto Rican birth certificates.
• These are... does not clearly accept Puerto Rican birth certificates.

Bills: S0460, S0748, S1180, S1334

Keywords: special elections, vacancy, Governor authority, election timeframe, judicial determination, voting rights, felony, sentencing, civil rights, criminal justice, rehabilitation, elections, voter registration, citizenship, provisional ballots, election fraud

Summary: The Committee on Ethics and Elections met with a quorum and took up several election-related bills. CS/SB 1180 by Senator Arrington, which creates a recall framework for elected community development district board members and also addresses synthetic turf regulation and CDD eligibility, was presented briefly and then approved unanimously. SB 460 by Senator Polsky, requiring the governor to call special elections within set deadlines after vacancies and allowing judicial relief if deadlines are not met, also passed unanimously after members discussed flexibility for emergencies and the cost of delayed elections. The committee then heard SB 748 by Senator Bracy Davis, which would add constitutional voting-rights restoration language to the sentencing score sheet given to felony defendants. Supporters said it would improve clarity and notice without changing eligibility, and the bill was favorably reported unanimously. The committee also confirmed several appointees, including Jim Milliken and Alicia McShea to the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, Robert P. Estalas as Director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and additional gubernatorial appointees listed on the agenda, all by favorable votes. The longest discussion centered on Senator Grall’s strike-all amendment for SB 1334, an elections bill dealing with citizenship verification, Real ID and SAVE database use, paper-ballot voting, candidate qualification rules, and related election administration changes. Supporters argued it would streamline verification and ensure only citizens vote, while opponents warned it would create burdens, disenfranchise eligible voters, and impose costs and administrative confusion. After extensive public testimony both for and against, the committee adopted an amendment to allow supervisors of elections to observe holidays when not otherwise required to be open, then approved the strike-all as amended by a 6-2 vote, with Senators Polsky and Bernard voting no. The meeting then adjourned after members recorded their votes on earlier items.