Transcript Highlights:

• We're also key partners in food assistance programs like SNAP and WIC.
• It directs commerce to begin providing energy assistance to the program no later than 14 months after
• This is for all the different discounts and benefits that would be part of this assistance program.
• Senator Conway: I understand the utility programs already provide some low-income assistance, right?
• Avista has robust low-income assistance programs.

Bills: HB2521 , HB2249 , HB1796

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: firearms, background check, gun control, public safety, legislation, HB 2249, Washington Technology Solutions, WaTech, civil service, classified service, exempt employees, state employment, state personnel, network security, cybersecurity, information technology, IT contracting, data center, systems integration, network engineering

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> supplemental nutrition assistance supplemental nutrition assistance program<01:18:30.080><c> and
• Adult financial programs, 36.9 FTE. Program Administration, 36.9 FTE, for cash assistance programs.
• Food distribution program. Community food assistance provider grant program.
• <01:25:06.800><c> Program</c><01:25:07.040><c> Administration</c> Assistance Program Administration Assistance
• </c><05:09:30.240><c> Program</c> State Employees Assistance Program State Employees Assistance Program

Transcript Highlights:

• This is Assembly Bill 262, CALOZA, regarding the California Individual Assistance Program.
• Currently, under federal law, federal assistance is commonly provided under several programs including
• public assistance and individual assistance.
• , by our state programs.
• that's public assistance or individual assistance under federal disaster law.

Committee: House Emergency Management

Transcript Highlights:

• In the second program, the child care assistance program provides assistance to MIP families who are
• assistance</c> assistance program provides assistance assistance program provides assistance to<00:05
• The program also provides transition year childcare assistance for former MIP families.
• </c><00:13:01.279><c> program</c><00:13:01.839><c> and</c> of the medical assistance program and of the
• As with the medical assistance program, MinnesotaCare also saw an increase in those rates.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• And then that program, through just a constant quest for assistance and...
• This constant quest for assistance and finding that path took me to Elban, Stanford's program on scaling
• I think it's a reminder that maybe not having, you know, one-off programs, but having a program that
• And I think we are a living program that these programs are working, and I would urge you to continue
• Treasurer's Office called the California Pollution Control Program that are loan programs run by the

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact held an informational hearing focused on the California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network and its role in helping small businesses access capital, recover from disasters, and scale innovative companies. Chair Salas and Vice Chair Castillo opened by emphasizing the importance of small businesses to California’s economy and noting recent passage of AB 685, described as a small business resiliency and innovation measure. Witnesses from multiple SBDC regions and business owners testified about the network’s statewide reach, confidentiality, multilingual advising, and partnerships with universities and state agencies. Panelists described SBDC’s work in three main areas: disaster recovery, startup and innovation support, and capital access. Testimony highlighted SBDC assistance after major disasters such as the Camp Fire, Dixie Fire, San Diego floods, and the Los Angeles fires, including help with insurance claims, grant applications, debt restructuring, and reopening businesses. Business owners from Altadena and Sacramento shared personal stories of how SBDC guidance, grants, and connections helped restore operations, preserve jobs, and navigate crises. Another panel focused on technology startups and the “valley of death,” explaining how SBDC helps founders with customer discovery, grant strategy, intellectual property, and financing; examples included a mobility-tech company and a biodegradable plastics startup that secured major grants, investment, and jobs with SBDC support. A third panel focused on access to capital, with SBDC staff explaining lending options, state loan programs, and finance centers that package loans and match businesses with lenders. They said many small businesses need less than $100,000 and often turn to high-cost alternatives without guidance; SBDC helps them refinance and secure better terms. A beverage company founder described using SBDC to move from a failed public affairs firm to launching a tequila brand, raising capital, and building distribution. Members asked about barriers facing immigrant-owned businesses, disaster aid gaps, and regulatory burdens; SBDC representatives said their services are confidential, available to eligible businesses regardless of immigration status, and designed to connect clients to whatever public or private resources exist. No formal vote was taken at the hearing, and the meeting ended after public comment with the chair urging continued funding for SBDC and related small business support programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• The technical assistance infrastructure created within the California Community Schools Partnership Program
• We're part of the state's Transformational Assistance Center for the Community Schools Partnership Program
• We're part of the State's Transformational Assistance Center for the Community Schools Partnership Program
• , and also the State Transformational Assistance Center and eight regional transformational assistance
• , but not a program—a movement.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to focus on low-income assistance programs.
• assistance, or LIHEAP, that is part of the utilities bill assistance program.
• assistance, or LIHEAP, that is part of the utilities bill assistance program.
• assistance, or LIHEAP, that is part of the utilities bill assistance program.
• assistance, or LIHEAP, that is part of the utilities bill assistance program.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Transcript Highlights:

• The Lawns to Legumes program is one of our most popular programs.
• Then our Habitat Friendly Utilities program provides financial and technical assistance to create habitat
• About $470,000 of that remains, working through technical assistance programs as well as pilot projects
• </c> working through technical assistance working through technical assistance programs<01:36:06.040>
• ><c> assistance</c><01:36:35.960><c> or</c> through technical assistance or through technical assistance

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• These are assistance programs that provide support to wastewater and drinking water facilities.
• We dusted off a couple of financial assistance programs: the Rural Water Assistance Fund (RWAF) and our
• We also have what we call our TOP team, or Texas Optimization Program. that provides assistance to public
• The PUC has a program to provide financial, managerial, and technical assistance to small and mid-sized
• We have programs to assist young farmers to get a start. We support area food banks.

Committee: Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Marie Spiker, and I am an assistant professor at the University of Washington in our program
• And so we have a multitude of programs under food assistance that are trying to address specific parts
• payments, and farm-to-school, maximizing participation in nutrition assistance programs.
• and the state-funded food assistance program.
• We know it's also important to strengthen access and adequacy of nutrition assistance programs.

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held a work session on food systems and food security, with no public testimony. The first panel covered household food security and data. Marie Spiker of UW explained how food insecurity is measured, its health impacts, and the importance of reliable data, warning that the federal Census food security data is being terminated and that Washington’s WAFOOD surveys are a useful but non-representative complement. Katie Raines of WSDA described the state’s food systems work, including efforts to build shared data and dashboard monitoring, coordinate across agencies and partners, and strengthen the hunger safety net and local food supply chain. The committee then heard from Tracy Roof of the University of Richmond, who gave a history of SNAP/food stamps as both an anti-hunger program and an agricultural support tied to the farm bill. She described how the program evolved from Depression-era commodity distribution to a permanent federal-state program, how it became countercyclical during recessions, and how state policy changes and outreach increased participation. She also noted SNAP’s economic multiplier effects and said Washington’s enrollment is in the middle of the pack nationally, while future federal changes could reduce eligibility and shift more costs to states. A later panel focused on food security challenges and opportunities across the food system. The Washington Food Policy Forum, through Danny Madrone and Chris Elder, outlined its consensus-based recommendations on food insecurity, climate and water, regional infrastructure, farmland protection, and support for small and mid-sized farms. A joint industry panel from the Farm Bureau, Retail Association, and Food Industry Association emphasized agriculture’s economic scale, rising costs, loss of farms, retail theft, and the importance of local grocery stores and SNAP/WIC partnerships. State agency representatives from DSHS and DOH described current program impacts and risks: DSHS said federal H.R. 1 could require Washington to pay up to 15% of SNAP benefits and tighten eligibility, while DOH highlighted WIC, farmers market nutrition, fruit-and-vegetable incentives, and a new Medicaid waiver project, but warned that unstable funding and the end of SNAP-Ed threaten program continuity. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Programs have left some of them behind.
• The PWSS grant program is a critical funding source for state programs, but is not kept up with inflation
• It's one of the reasons I've been pushing for years for a permanent national water assistance program
• customers with those programs which is another significant barrier.
• Yeah, I think those types of programs are incredibly important.

Committee: Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

Keywords: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, water infrastructure, lead service lines, federal reauthorization, sustainability, cybersecurity

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on discussions surrounding the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and its implications for local water systems. Various witnesses highlighted the transformative impact of the bipartisan infrastructure law, which has provided an unprecedented amount of funding to help address long-standing issues in drinking water infrastructure, particularly concerning lead service line replacements and sustainability in water management. The discussions emphasized the urgent need for federal reauthorization to continue supporting these initiatives, as many rural and disadvantaged communities still face substantial barriers in upgrading their water systems. Additionally, cybersecurity risks were noted, raising concerns over the vulnerability of water systems across the nation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is focusing on additional assistance or beefing up the Meals on Wheels program a response that you have
• Home Program.
• Home Program.
• authority for 11 existing positions funded through a portion of local assistance housing program funds
• But many people only learn about these programs because they first connect with information and assistance

Summary: The Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services heard an overview from the California Department of Aging on the state’s Master Plan for Aging, including progress at the five-year midpoint, local aging and disability action plans, HCBS gap analysis, workforce work, and stakeholder engagement. The Legislative Analyst’s Office noted the department’s budget was relatively flat but flagged federal H.R. 1 pressure on nutrition-related programs. Members discussed how H.R. 1 and broader federal and state budget pressures could affect older adults through other programs, even where the Department of Aging itself had no direct cut. The committee also heard a stakeholder request from the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging for $62.3 million to support Older Californians Act services, with Finance cautioning that any added ongoing spending would worsen out-year deficits. The committee then reviewed several Department of Aging proposals, including HICAP modernization to add paid counselors and reduce reliance on volunteers, and senior meal program oversight for virtual congregate/to-go meals under AB 1476. Members also discussed the status of area agencies on aging in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, including a new RFP process in the Central Coast and the need to protect service continuity during transitions. Finance clarified that remaining modernizing Older Californians Act nutrition funds can still be used through June 2029. The Department of Social Services presented a series of items. These included new federal Medicaid Access Rule implementation for IHSS grievance and critical incident systems; housing and homelessness programs for CalWORKs Housing Support, HDAP, Home Safe, and Bringing Families Home, with testimony that one-time funds are expiring and service levels will likely decline; permanent position authority for housing and homelessness administration; a facility management system to replace aging licensing systems; home care services branch solvency and regulations; child care centers in multifamily housing; the Seizure Emergency Response Act; licensing during emergencies and disasters; and the Family Preparedness Plan Act. The committee also heard a detailed exchange about the Autumn Oaks facility in Tulare County, where Senator Grove raised concerns about 53 complaints and the handling of unsafe conditions; CDSS said it is reviewing the matter and has authority to take administrative action even after a license surrender. No votes were taken, and items were held open.

Transcript Highlights:

• The court started the court assistance program in 1998 in response to the high number of litigants appearing
• Ada County fully funds five full-time court assistance officers.
• The court started the court assistance program in 1998 in response to the high number of litigants appearing
• Every day that a participant is in our program, Every day that a participant is in our program, we avoid
• Your program is a very rigorous program, obviously, and it's good to see you've got a nice gap there

Committee: House Judiciary, Rules and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• I wanted to start off with a general overview of what the program is.
• There is one program, the MICP program, that covers kids, but as Heather talked about, HCA kind of oversees
• Rector, Assistant Secretary at DSHS Home and Community Living.
• So I'm going to talk about the Complex Care Assistant program here in Massachusetts.
• So I'm going to talk about the Complex Care Assistant program here in Massachusetts.

Bills: HB2402 , HB2555 , HB2599 , HB2685

Committee: House Health Care & Wellness

Keywords: phthalates, medical equipment, healthcare regulation, intravenous therapy, toxic substances, Medicaid, healthcare, traditional practices, health insurance, coverage expansion, therapy, psychotherapy, mental health, regulation, professional standards, tribal data, data protection, privacy, sharing of information, Indigenous rights

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2307 makes a... ...bicycle support programs, and much more.
• CTR programs are good for workers, good for business, and good for communities.
• Employers in the CTR program do say, once they're in the program, it often helps with recruitment and
• assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 20 miles per hour.
• Electric-assisted bicycles and electric motorcycles.

Bills: HB2307 , HB2374 , HB2379 , HB1823 , HB2111

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: commute trip reduction, definitions, transportation, environmental impact, urban planning, electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, regulation, vehicle classification, tolling, emergency suspension, public access, state highways, transportation improvement board, TIB, transportation improvement account, motor vehicle fund, arterial streets, local match, private match

Transcript Highlights:

• Through that microgrant, technical assistance, and training program, we learned that the majority of
• hope that we can fund this program so that it can further assist our small businesses and entrepreneurs
• hope that we can fund this program so that it can further assist our small businesses and entrepreneurs
• hope that we can fund this program so that it can further assist our small businesses and entrepreneurs
• The similar program was called Business Development Competitive Grants with some technical assistance

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• And our program impacts.
• at the federal level have far-reaching impacts, including loss of technical assistance, Programs at
• Program.
• Okay, so the IT program... Okay, so the IT programs don't get funded.
• At the local level, these are the IT programs that The IT programs at CDPH.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is focusing on additional assistance or beefing up the Meals on Wheels program a response that you have
• Is focusing on additional assistance or beefing up the Meals on Wheels program a response that you have
• Is sort of focusing on additional assistance or beefing up the Meals on Wheels program, a response?
• additional assistance or beefing up the Meals on Wheels program, a response that you have considered?
• authority for 11 existing positions funded through a portion of local assistance housing program funds

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of those 15 grant programs have sub-programs...
• funding from the legislature, a more targeted technical assistance program to support some of the project
• funding from the legislature, a more targeted technical assistance program to support some of the project
• Many of our programs are decades old. Some are newer programs.
• And with the technical assistance program, it's too small to call it a program, but with the additional

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several capital-related bills. HB 2353 would raise the pre-design threshold for state-funded capital projects from $10 million to $15 million and index it to inflation beginning in 2027. The sponsor and a testifier said the change would reduce delays and save money on projects by avoiding costly pre-design work for mid-sized projects; staff noted the bill could reduce future capital budget costs. HB 2420 would increase the Small Works roster contract cap in stages from $350,000 to $650,000 by 2030, with a proposed substitute shifting the first increase from July 2026 to January 2027 to allow time for rulemaking. Testimony from universities, cities, ports, counties, and water/sewer districts supported the bill as a way to reduce administrative burden, speed projects, and help small and diverse contractors. The committee also heard HB 2470, which would change how the School Construction Assistance Program treats school facilities on military bases. Staff explained the bill would exclude on-base instructional space from a district’s available-space calculation and adjust state assistance to account for federal funding, potentially increasing eligibility for affected districts such as Clover Park and Medical Lake. The sponsor and supporters said current rules unfairly reduce state support for districts serving military families; OSPI testified in support but said the bill would need amendment to avoid federal-law issues and was working on a revised approach that would increase the SCAP funding assistance percentage instead of directly referencing federal funds. Clover Park School District and the Veterans Legislative Coalition also supported the measure. In executive session, the committee moved HB 2338, which expands the low-income weatherization program to include community-scaled projects, out of committee with a do-pass recommendation by a vote of 17 ayes and 2 excused. The committee then held a work session with the Recreation and Conservation Office on its competitive grant programs, including Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program accounts, youth athletic facilities, community forests, aquatic lands, boating, off-road vehicle, firearms and archery, and federal grant programs. Members asked about demand, ADA compliance, geographic distribution, and technical assistance; RCO said demand is high in several programs and that it uses scoring criteria, regional allocations, and outreach to improve access statewide.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill before you, House Bill 2579, creates two programs and a tax on phones to fund the programs.
• The first program, the Public Media Broadcaster Program, is created to ensure that every Washingtonian
• assistance program at the state level, into the hands of folks.
• And we'll be turning on rental assistance and temporary sheltering program and then looking to see if
• State individual and public assistance programs are still unfunded.

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2579, which would create a Public Media Broadcaster Program and a Digital Equity Program funded by a 20-cent-per-line monthly tax on wireless, prepaid wireless, VoIP, and landline service. Staff explained that 80% of the revenue would support public media grants, 20% would support digital equity grants, and a small share could be used for administration. The prime sponsor, Rep. Chris Stearns, and many public media, community media, and digital equity supporters testified that public radio and television provide emergency alerts, local news, education, training, and community connection, especially in rural and underserved areas, and that federal funding cuts have made state support more urgent. Several witnesses described how public media helped with emergency communications, youth training, Indigenous programming, and access to local information. Opposition came from CTIA and Washington Citizens Against Unfair Taxes. CTIA argued the tax would add to already high wireless taxes in Washington and would be regressive because low-income residents rely heavily on wireless service. Washington Citizens Against Unfair Taxes objected to the bill as another tax increase and said it would worsen affordability. One supporter said an amendment would be offered to address a misunderstanding in the fiscal note. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then received a cybersecurity and critical infrastructure briefing from state emergency management and cybersecurity officials. They described Washington’s layered cybersecurity model, the role of state agencies, the Fusion Center, WOTEC, the National Guard, and the Emergency Management Division, and the growing threat from ransomware, supply-chain attacks, and AI-enabled attacks. Members asked about volunteer cyber response capacity, the most vulnerable sectors, and whether the legislature should fund more real-time threat monitoring and intelligence sharing. Officials said the state is working to establish a volunteer cyber incident response team and that the main gap is real-time monitoring across participating local and private networks. The committee also heard updates on the December 2025 flooding response and wildfire resilience. Emergency management officials reported widespread flooding, landslides, power outages, evacuations, rescues, and infrastructure damage, but said mitigation investments helped prevent worse outcomes. They identified gaps in statewide alerting, search and rescue coordination, and local emergency management capacity, and said a statewide alert system like Oregon’s would require ongoing funding. In the wildfire update, DNR and partner agencies described increasing wildfire risk, the use of aircraft, AI-enabled detection cameras, and common operating pictures, and ongoing work on hazard and risk mapping, community wildfire preparedness, and home hardening. Members asked about predictive technology, sediment removal, and other mitigation tools, and officials said they are working with universities and federal partners to improve prevention and response.