Transcript Highlights:

• I want to express our deep gratitude for including the $2 million in the capital budget for the replacement
• our playgrounds was damaged by a vehicle that ran over it, and we have not had the opportunity to replace
• By taking land out of the state trust at DNR and using a capital budget appropriation to buy replacement
• The strong investment you're making in the Trust Land Transfer Program buys replacement land elsewhere
• The strong investment you're making in the trust land transfer program buys replacement land elsewhere

Summary: The Capital Budget Committee held a hearing on Proposed Substitute House Bill 2295, the supplemental capital budget. Staff said the proposal totals nearly $911 million, including about $400 million in bonds and $511 million from other state and federal sources, with much of the increase over the governor’s proposal coming from Climate Commitment Act (CCA) funding. Major spending areas include housing and homelessness, K-12 construction, human services facilities, and CCA-funded clean energy, decarbonization, and habitat restoration projects. The chair said the committee would not take amendments at the hearing and planned to vote out the budget on Thursday, with a technical fix striker expected. Testimony was largely supportive of the House proposal, with many witnesses asking the committee to preserve or increase specific items in final negotiations. Housing advocates urged support for the Housing Trust Fund, manufactured housing preservation, and projects such as Alliance Place, Cloverdale Cottages, Cherry Street Village, Somos, and the Thrive Center. Education and public facility witnesses backed investments in school seismic safety, small district modernization, Healthy Kids Healthy Schools, community college and university maintenance, and projects at Cascadia College, WSU, CWU, and UW. Health and human services testimony supported behavioral health, Tubman Center, HealthPoint, pregnant parenting treatment, and the Yakima Behavioral Health Hub. Natural resources, climate, and infrastructure witnesses praised funding for Flood Plains by Design, community forests, trust land transfer, salmon recovery, the Skokomish land purchase, and the Lower Columbia River dredging project. Several local governments and organizations requested additional support or Senate-level funding for specific projects, while Climate Solutions cautioned against using CCA dollars to backfill existing obligations. The committee heard no votes during the hearing, and the chair closed by saying the budget would be executed on Thursday.

Transcript Highlights:

• But my question still is, how are you ever going to replace that GRT?
• work needs to go into it, and I know that bringing these 200-whatever jobs to that community doesn't replace
• That simply replaces the jobs. I get all that. But the diversification just has to happen.
• and get numbers, first of all, we're going to look at the hard cost that you're going to have to replace
• And then look at job losses, and so you can probably look at two plans: one for immediate cost replacement

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In counties with more than 250,000 people, the coroner may be elected, or the county may decide to replace
• In counties with more than 250,000 people, the coroner may be elected or the county may decide to replace
• until their term expires at which time the county legislative authority would then appointment of replacement
• either putting in place or removing the coroner in the event of any sort of misconduct or reason to replace
• like they would if the county engineer was not available, and then they would hire someone new to replace

Bills: HB2451, HB2298, HB2566, HB2267, HB2530, HB2388, HB2588, HB2094

Keywords: tax increment financing, local government, economic development, municipal finance, public infrastructure, property title protection, land record fraud, county auditors, voluntary program, real estate, procurement, contracting, transparency, financial oversight, urban forestry, environmental policy, tree management, community planning, public facilities district, regional aquatics

Transcript Highlights:

• NOFA board members seeking a candidate to undertake the difficult, if not the impossible, task of replacing
• 05:39.040><c> impossible,</c><00:05:39.880><c> task</c><00:05:41.160><c> of</c><00:05:41.480><c> replacing
• </c> Not the impossible task of replacing the irreplaceable and beloved Enid Wonnacott, who had essentially
• ,<00:10:13.200><c> and</c><00:10:13.400><c> hatred</c><00:10:14.200><c> are</c><00:10:14.360><c> replaced
• </c><00:10:15.000><c> with</c> bigotry, and hatred are replaced with bigotry, and hatred are replaced

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll offer the first one I see on here, on replace line 79 on page three.
• Um, and then it replaces line 87 and line 90 and line 48.
• The first amendment is to replace on line 105 through 107, that the Education Trust Fund Appropriation
• amendment passes and the second amendment— >> Three pages long. >> Um, the second amendment is to replace
• , that actual amendment, which provided money for the smart kids, is eliminated in this bill and replaces

Bills: SB79, HB379, SB253, HB278, HB438, HB233, SB79, HB379, SB253, HB278, HB438, HB233

Keywords: sex-based terminology, gender identity, male, female, man, woman, boy, girl, single-sex spaces, women's rights, privacy, safety, fairness, anti-discrimination, vital statistics, birth certificate, intersex, DSD, differences in sex development, transgender

Transcript Highlights:

• These are not replacements for care, but they're basic parts of modern practice.
• Replacing licensed therapists with chatbots fundamentally goes against what therapy is and how healing
• These tools don't replace therapy or clinical judgment but help clinicians prioritize care, identify
• The proposed substitute would replace these organizations for osteopathic physician surgeons with the
• Lastly, it adds pharmacies to... ...and the proposed substitute would replace these organizations for

Bills: HB2564, HB2599, HB1809, HB2242, HB2261, HB2384, HB2505

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, certification, state regulation, health plan, therapy, psychotherapy, mental health, regulation, professional standards, behavioral health, mental health crisis, crisis response, co-response, co-responder, first responder, EMS, emergency medical services, paramedic, EMT

Transcript Highlights:

• In general, as a note, replacing diesel with natural gas reduces emissions, but because fewer ships and
• There are times when small rural districts need an entire school replaced. It's 120 years old.
• This bill does not replace private banks; it partners with them, lowers borrowing costs for public projects
• has been brought up so far: one of the ways that a public bank can serve the state is by way of replacing
• One of the ways a public bank can serve the state is by replacing some of our revolving loan fund programs

Summary: The committee first received a JLARC work session on the 2025 tax preference performance reviews, covering nine tax preferences and recommending legislative action on eight. JLARC reviewed natural gas transportation fuel preferences, travel agent and tour operator B&O rates, a property tax exemption for nonprofit low-income housing developers, and several shorter reviews including senior center property tax relief, a disabled veteran adapted housing remittance, trade convention nexus treatment, wholesale sales of fertilizer/pesticides/seed, a hazardous substance tax exemption for pesticides stored for out-of-state shipment, and three energy-related preferences for a silicon smelter. JLARC generally recommended continuing preferences that met stated or inferred objectives, modifying some to improve reporting or performance metrics, and allowing the unused silicon smelter preferences to expire. The Citizen Commission endorsed JLARC’s recommendations, and committee members asked a few clarifying questions, including about trends in travel agent/tour operator beneficiaries and the housing exemption’s performance metric and data issues. The committee then heard a work session and public hearing on Senate Bill 5754, which would create a Washington State public bank. A presentation from California public banking advocates and the Bank of North Dakota described public banks as government-owned financial institutions intended to keep public funds working locally, support lending for housing, infrastructure, and community development, and partner with community banks and credit unions. Committee questions focused on leverage, liquidity, constitutional issues, and how the model would interact with existing state investment and debt structures. Staff summarized the bill’s structure, including activation conditions, governance, powers, and fiscal impacts, noting the fiscal note was largely indeterminate and startup costs could be significant. Public testimony on SB 5754 was divided. Supporters included statewide elected officials, county and city officials, labor, educators, community advocates, and residents, who argued the bank could lower borrowing costs, improve access to capital, keep public money in Washington, and help finance infrastructure, housing, and disaster resilience. Opponents included community bankers and county treasurers, who warned about risks to safety and liquidity of public funds, questioned the need for a new institution given existing programs, and argued the proposal lacked a proven track record in Washington. The hearing concluded with no vote taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• So is that kind of what this seems to be replacing?
• I think some people use it as a replacement credit card, but not entirely.
• So is that kind of what this seems to be replacing?
• I think some people use it as a replacement credit card, but not entirely.
• So I wouldn't say it's a replacement. According to CFPB, people use both.

Summary: The Consumer Protection and Business Committee held a work session on buy now, pay later (BNPL) transactions, focusing on how the products work, how they are used in Washington, and whether existing state law adequately protects consumers. Department of Financial Institutions staff described BNPL as short-term, usually no-interest installment financing offered at checkout, often with automatic payments, late fees, and varying credit-reporting practices. Members asked how BNPL compares with payday lending and earned wage access, whether it is effectively a loan or credit product, and whether Washington law already covers it. DFI explained that some BNPL structures may fall into a legal gray area under the Retail Installment Sales of Goods and Services Act because pay-in-four products may not meet the statute’s “more than four installments” language, while other structures may be covered; they also noted the Attorney General can enforce the act. DFI and committee members discussed consumer risks such as overextension, automatic debits, and lack of standardized disclosures, and DFI said it would follow up with additional data on defaults and related issues. Molly Gallagher of the Poverty Action Network and Nadine Chabrier of the Center for Responsible Lending argued that BNPL can help consumers but also poses significant risks, especially for lower-income consumers and consumers of color who already carry debt or use other alternative financial products. They said BNPL use has grown rapidly, often involves multiple simultaneous loans across providers, and can lead to overdrafts, late fees, and difficulty tracking obligations because payments are spread across different schedules. They emphasized concerns about weak disclosures, limited dispute protections, automatic payment structures, credit reporting inconsistencies, consumer overextension, and data privacy/dark-pattern marketing. They also described federal retrenchment, including the CFPB’s withdrawal of an interpretive rule that would have treated BNPL like a digital credit card, and pointed to state responses in places like New York, California, and Maryland. Committee members signaled interest in possible Washington legislation and stronger state oversight. Retail and business witnesses offered a more favorable view of BNPL as a cash-flow and sales tool. A Washington Retail Association representative described BNPL as an evolution of layaway and credit-card-style installment purchasing, noting that merchants receive payment up front minus fees while consumers get goods or services immediately and repay over time. A representative from a business using deferred-payment financing said the tool helps customers obtain equipment and helps the business manage inventory and cash flow, while NFIB said small businesses also use BNPL to bridge expenses and avoid higher-interest credit card debt. Members asked about merchant fees, consumer education, and whether BNPL is being used for impulse purchases or essential expenses like rent, car repairs, medical care, and travel. The chair concluded by saying the committee intends to pursue regulatory language and continue working with stakeholders, while also hearing from retailers to avoid eliminating legitimate financing tools.

Transcript Highlights:

• any emerging tools in the future, our goal is they support and enhance the work we do and do not replace
• So really it’s about an enhancement of the work we do and not a replacement of the work that our educators
• Enhancement of the work we do and not a replacement of the work that our educators do.
• But really the central belief here is around that human-centric belief that this is not a replacement
• Israel said, it is definitely not here to replace humanity. It is something that needs humanity.

Summary: The Committee on Education Pre-K through 12 held a panel discussion on artificial intelligence in K-12 education. Dr. Maya Israel of the University of Florida gave an overview of AI literacy, emphasizing that AI can support personalized learning, school operations, and teacher efficiency, but also raises concerns about data privacy, overreliance, mental health, and the need for human oversight. She described the Florida K-12 AI Task Force, which has produced guidance on policy, ethics, privacy, cybersecurity, classroom integration, and professional development, and is now working on district surveys, webinars, case studies, and teacher/family resources. Superintendents Van Ayers of Hillsborough County and Kevin Hendrick of Pinellas County described district-level implementation. Hillsborough outlined a governance council, a district AI policy, and an implementation guide; it prohibits generative AI for students below eighth grade, allows limited use for older students with teacher permission and district-vetted tools, and uses models for classroom AI expectations. The district also reported growing student enrollment in AI courses, teacher training through summer academies and quick learns, and pilots with tools such as Magic School and Microsoft Copilot. Pinellas emphasized academic integrity, student data privacy, digital responsibility, and the importance of human interaction in learning; it said state assessments already limit technology use and that districts need clear governance and parent transparency. Committee members asked about whether AI improves academic performance, the risk of student dependence, the possibility of returning to more paper-based testing, and who should set guardrails. Witnesses said reliable achievement data is still limited because the technology is new, though districts reported anecdotal gains in tutoring and early literacy. They also said there is no established statewide baseline for teacher AI training yet, so districts are using professional development, stipends, and partnerships with universities to build capacity. The committee also heard from Drew Andrew of FSU’s Inspire program, who argued that industry is moving faster than schools and that education should focus on teaching how AI works, building teacher confidence, and aligning training with workforce needs. No bills were considered and the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• We experienced 8.5 million. dollars in equipment replacement costs.
• So this has a rechargeable battery and then pods that you replace, and so the third prop that I didn't
• For the sake of not having too many props, these are the replaceable pods that you buy.
• Recently, the focus has shifted to replacing single-walled tanks with double-walled tanks. tanks, which
• They will be exempt from penalties while they work to replace their tanks.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• funding approach that you've seen fire and Dennis and Matt and allied lines policies, and the bill replaces
• It replaces the catastrophe bonds with this, yes, yes.
• Um, just get the shingles replaced.
• Obviously that wouldn't fund an entire roof replacement.
• The goal on the hail resistance is any hail under 2 inches would not necessitate replacing the roof.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a 20 or 30-year-old building, and they were going to say, hey, we're not going to replace it with
• We need more money to replace boilers and things like that.
• They typically replace between seven and 15 years, around 10 years. It's just routine maintenance.
• Like I said, our heating exchanger, we estimate that would be replaced about every 30 years.
• That's about a day's worth of work to pull the equipment out of the well and replace that.

Transcript Highlights:

• Replace lines 75-79 on page three with the following statement: "She is a nursing mother."
• Then, on line 90 on page four, replace that with...
• Replace line 90 on page four with: "This act shall become effective on October..."
• chapter 9 or chapter 24 of title 34" and then replaces line 401 on page...
• The amendment replaces line 401 on page 15 with "certificate of employability."

Bills: SB156, SB134, SB108, SB47, SB88, SB89, SB106, SB18, SB9, HB38, HB54

Keywords: habitual felony offender, resentencing, Alabama Department of Corrections, victim notification, criminal justice reform, life sentences, parole eligibility, pardon, parole, law enforcement, GPS monitoring, data sharing, mail theft, stolen mail, criminal penalties, personally identifying information, felony, misdemeanor, expungement, criminal records

Transcript Highlights:

• simple principle: health care artificial intelligence should support clinical judgment, but never replace
• We would never be okay with replacing clinical judgment with artificial intelligence.
• To be clear, CalChamber believes AI and health care should not replace clinicians.
• or stove to be replaced without months of delay.
• However, replacing equipment that is a few years old might require an electrical or gas line upgrade.

Summary: The committee heard AB 2575 on health care AI guardrails, with the author and supporters from the California Nurses Association and labor groups arguing that AI should support, not replace, clinical judgment. They said the bill would require basic disclosures about AI tools, protect workers from retaliation for overriding AI in good faith, and prevent developers or employers from shifting liability to frontline clinicians. Opponents including the California Medical Association, CalChamber, hospitals, and other health care organizations argued the bill would add costs, create uncertainty, and discourage useful AI applications. Committee members discussed bias in health care and accepted amendments narrowing the disclosure provisions; the bill was moved with a 7-1 vote and re-referred to Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement. AB 634 would ban the manufacture, sale, and distribution of products containing tianeptine, described by supporters as “gas station heroin.” The author and law enforcement supporters said the substance is dangerous, easily accessible, and can cause opioid-like addiction, while no opposition came forward. The committee also heard AB 1607 to extend the Maddy EMS Fund, which reimburses emergency providers for uncompensated care. Supporters said the fund is essential to keeping emergency departments staffed, especially amid expected coverage losses; an ACLU representative opposed the funding source because it relies on criminal and traffic fines. Members supported the need for the fund but raised concerns about the fairness and long-term stability of the revenue source, and the bill advanced on a 8-0 vote. AB 1906 would require coverage of at-home cervical cancer screening tests without cost sharing, and the author said the bill would improve early detection and reduce disparities, especially for rural and working Californians. Support came from Planned Parenthood, Health Access, and several health and labor organizations; insurers said they appreciated the amendments and were reviewing their position. The committee adopted amendments aligning the bill with clinical guidelines and passed it 6-0 to Appropriations. The committee also took up AB 2247, the Thrive Act, to create a pilot program for trauma and mental health services for youth affected by gun violence in four counties. Supporters described barriers survivors face in accessing counseling, while members questioned the narrow focus on gun violence, the choice of counties, documentation requirements, and whether the program should instead be housed in victim compensation. The bill passed 8-0 to Judiciary. Later, AB 2531 would expand California’s uncompensated care program so veterans denied abortion care through the federal VA system could receive coverage in California, and would add an abortion resources link for veterans. Supporters framed it as filling a gap created by federal restrictions; opponents argued state funds should not support abortion. Members noted the VA already provides many reproductive services but not this one, and the bill passed 7-0 to Military and Veterans Affairs. The committee also heard AB 1915, which would modernize restaurant facility rules and create a self-certification pathway for some equipment installations. Restaurant and business groups supported the bill as a way to reduce costly delays, while the Contractor State License Board opposed the self-certification provision over safety and inspection concerns. Members generally supported streamlining but echoed public safety concerns and indicated further work was needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• prefer, especially on the first committee stop, and especially when the Senate language has been replaced
• or has replaced my language.
• </c><00:07:41.120><c> or</c><00:07:41.240><c> has</c> Senate language has been replaced or has Senate
• language has been replaced or has replaced<00:07:42.240><c> my</c><00:07:42.520><c> language.
• </c> replaced my language. replaced my language.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• academic building at New Mexico State University, 40 million for renovations of and major systems replacement
• They do have a replacement schedule that they follow. Okay, thank you.
• Senator Lanier, they're on a 12-year replacement cycle. They're on a 12-year replacement cycle.
• the state, whatever school buses come up to that 12-year mark, those are the ones that would be replaced
• So I think this doesn't replace bonding reform.

Bills: HB2, SB152

Keywords: general appropriation, budget, Medicaid, education funding, public safety, telecommunications, low-income assistance, lifeline, broadband, rural broadband, universal service fund, public regulation commission, PRC, 911 surcharge, telecommunications relay service, VoIP, mobile service, internet affordability, digital equity, digital inclusion

Summary: The committee heard a series of capital, bond, environmental, economic development, juvenile justice, and health care bills. Senate Bill 240, the capital outlay package, was presented as a $1.3 billion statewide appropriation, including discretionary capital projects and agency projects; after questions about CYFD projects and House/Senate capital allocations, the committee voted do pass on the committee substitute. House Bill 248, the general obligation bond package totaling about $392.5 million for senior centers, libraries, higher education, and tribal projects, also received a do pass after questions about project vetting, bond timing, and school bus funding. House Bill 80, which increases the share of oil and gas conservation tax revenue going to the Oil and Gas Reclamation Fund to speed orphan well plugging and site cleanup, drew strong support from business, environmental, and industry groups; members discussed funding balances, procurement bottlenecks, and the distinction between abandoned and orphan wells before voting do pass. House Bill 184, making technical fixes to the Conservation Legacy Permanent Fund and related distribution rules, passed with little debate. The committee also heard Senate Bill 172, which expands the TRIGGER program allowing companies to access national laboratory expertise; supporters from the labs, the governor’s office, universities, and business groups cited job creation, follow-on investment, and commercialization gains, while one senator raised concerns about the long extension of the program. The bill passed do pass. House Bill 95, creating a judge for the First and Second Judicial Districts, was described as matching a previously heard Senate bill and passed do pass. Senate Bill 165, a major juvenile justice bill, generated the most extensive debate: the sponsor said it updates the juvenile code, raises the age for certain serious offenses, extends services for youth sentenced as adults, and expands community corrections; law enforcement supported it, while the Public Defender, youth advocates, the ACLU, and a Bernalillo County commissioner opposed it, arguing it expands adult sentencing and relies too heavily on incarceration. Despite those objections, the committee voted do pass. Finally, House Bill 4, which increases the Health Care Affordability Fund distribution to support premium assistance and related coverage programs, was amended so that a portion of the premium surtax would go to the Behavioral Health Program Fund and any unexpended balance would revert to the affordability fund. Supporters from BeWell, health advocacy groups, the insurance office, and homeless services said the bill would protect coverage gains and help offset federal changes; members asked about the amendment’s effect on the behavioral health fund and the bill’s flexibility if revenues decline. The amendment was adopted, and discussion on the bill continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• And you guys plan on replacing all your Chromebooks third, fourth, and fifth throughout the entire district
• Its purpose, ensuring that technology supports learning rather than replaces foundational instruction
• These programs were never designed to replace special education instruction, yet that substitution is
• Screens can support learning, but they cannot replace the instructional practices that build literacy
• which means they have to use the same algorithms that are used in addictive gamification that also replace

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I hear that $700 per loan might be too little, especially if you need to replace all four of your
• Would it make sense that... ...replace all four of your tires, I guess.
• Until alternative methods can adequately replace animal testing, this bill risks deterring local biotech
• Until alternative methods can adequately replace animal testing, this bill risks deterring local biotech
• We are used to replace all forms of animal testing.

Bills: HB2361, HB2542, HB2629, HB2394, HB2274, HB1078, HB2294

Keywords: small loans, consumer protection, financial regulation, lending limits, credit access, animal testing, alternatives, ethical research, animal welfare, scientific methods, infrastructure, protection, safety, security, state regulations, public safety, insurance fraud, law enforcement, crime, penalties

Transcript Highlights:

• You need to replace it. The answer is yes. You have an oil boiler. You need to replace it.
• Three types of projects are eligible: mitigation projects, so replacing existing...
• Yes, boiler replacement.
• When you lose firm energy, you can't replace it with wind and solar because intermittent energy doesn't
• So when we get rid of coal and those types of firm energy, we can't replace them with other non-firm

Bills: HB2272, HB2285, HB2296

Keywords: ski areas, winter sports, terminology update, recreation, regulatory changes, carbon capture, clean energy, environmental regulation, sustainability, green technology, distributed energy, renewable energy, energy resources, energy policy, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we were able to replace some of the carpeting in the building and classrooms and different areas
• That's why we would ask for the request to replace some of those. Federal funding on the next page.
• The carpet replacement Fire range in the safe rooms, we were able to complete, and I spoke of that a
• And it's just time to replace that. In our belief, the skylights are the same thing.
• And you can see over time they've tried to replace tile that needs replaced, but it's and these aren't

Keywords: 914, all