Transcript Highlights:

• The first is the creation of a centralized data dashboard.
• Imagine someone took a chemical sledgehammer to your central nervous system.
• Now compare that to my experience of staying at a peer respite center.
• Desperate families like mine are counting on our state governments to take action now.
• On September 11, 2001, I was one of the many who responded to the World Trade Center.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing opened with remarks from House Chair Mindy Domb and Senate Vice Chair Robyn Kennedy, who outlined procedures for the hybrid public hearing, noted the committee would hear testimony on 15 bills related to treatment settings, and recognized members present. The first major bill discussed was H. 4200, authorizing a pilot program for psychedelic-assisted treatment in licensed facilities. Representative Jim O’Day and witnesses from Control Z supported the bill, describing it as a tightly controlled, medically supervised pilot with DPH oversight, limited sites, and screening requirements. Committee members asked about the number of sites and whether Column Health still existed; witnesses said the bill contemplated three separate pilot programs and that Column Health no longer existed after being purchased by another company. The committee also heard testimony on S. 1405 to make the drug stewardship program permanent by removing its 2026 sunset date. Senator John Keenan and others said the program helps collect and safely dispose of unused medications, reduces diversion, and should remain in place because manufacturers should bear disposal costs. A member from Boston added support based on local concerns about people searching through bags for drugs, and Keenan explained the original sunset reflected pilot status and industry pushback. A large portion of the hearing focused on S. 1394 and H. 2193, which would strengthen implementation of the 2023 Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform. The Children’s Mental Health Campaign, Parent/Professional Advocacy League, Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, and Elliott Community Human Services testified that the roadmap’s helpline, community behavioral health centers, and crisis services are important but unevenly implemented. They urged a single point of accountability within EOHHS, regular strategic planning, a public data dashboard, and financial analysis of the behavioral health system and the access and crisis intervention trust fund. Witnesses said commercial insurance often does not fully reimburse community behavioral health center services, making sustainability difficult, and asked for better coordination across agencies and crisis response systems. Committee members asked whether the roadmap includes substance use disorder; witnesses said it is intended to cover behavioral health broadly, including mental health and substance use. The committee also heard testimony on bills to ban aversives and on suicide prevention signage. Lisa Jean Graff testified in support of S. 1394 by urging a statewide ban on aversive practices, including electric shock, withholding food or bathroom access, and other painful interventions, arguing disabled people deserve the same protections from harm as others. Fonda Bryant and Carol McLean supported a bill requiring suicide prevention signs on tall parking garages, describing personal experiences and saying the signs could create a brief pause and connect people to 988 or other help. McLean said her son died by suicide from a parking garage and that signage might have made a difference. The committee also heard strong testimony in support of creating intensive stabilization and treatment units within DMH facilities (S. 1398/H. 2204), with the Massachusetts Nurses Association and a DMH nurse arguing that highly assaultive patients need specialized, more secure units to protect staff and other patients and to improve care. Additional testimony supported creating a dedicated board for licensed mental health counselors (H. 4696/S. 1382), with Rep. John Badger, the Mass Mental Health Counselors Association, and others saying LMHCs are a large and growing workforce that needs its own licensing board, clearer standards, and faster implementation of existing licensure reforms. The committee also heard extensive testimony on H. 2223 regarding benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics. Survivors and advocates described severe withdrawal, lack of informed consent, cognitive harms, and long-term disability, while a physician supported the bill as a way to improve disclosure of risks. Finally, the committee heard multiple witnesses in favor of H. 2231/S. 1383 to establish peer-run respite centers statewide. Advocates and people with lived experience said peer respites provide non-coercive, home-like alternatives to hospitalization, can reduce trauma and repeated admissions, and may be especially important for marginalized communities; they also cited cost savings and existing positive outcomes from current respite programs. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing portion reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• In Glendale, we have great Armenian schools, churches, small businesses, cultural centers that contribute
• When we look at my district, two out of the three counties I represent in the Central Valley make up
• When we look at my district, two out of the three counties I represent in the Central Valley, make up
• It's a life of hard work that is centered around weather and so much that is out of our control.
• Lagos State is the economic and cultural center of Nigeria and one of the most dynamic regions on the

Summary: The Assembly convened after a delayed quorum call, then moved through routine procedural actions, including unanimous-consent requests on guest seating and committee referrals. A motion by Assembly Member DeMaio to withdraw AB 2624 from committee failed on a roll call vote, 14-44. The chamber also heard multiple guest introductions and held an Armenian Genocide Remembrance ceremony with a prayer, pledge, and moment of silence. The main floor action centered on H.R. 97, commemorating the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Assembly Member Schultz and numerous colleagues spoke in support, emphasizing historical recognition, solidarity with Armenian Californians, and opposition to denial. The resolution was adopted by voice vote after 66 co-authors were added. Later, H.R. 99 recognizing California Agriculture Day also drew extensive support from members highlighting the state’s agricultural economy, farmworkers, and the need for continued investment in agriculture; it was adopted by voice vote after 65 co-authors were added. Several bills were also considered and passed: AB 1838 on contractor wage-and-hour disclosure for public works bids, AB 1562 authorizing counties to randomly select poll workers, AB 2297 standardizing restitution rules in diversion programs, AB 1659 improving school re-enrollment support for justice-impacted youth, AB 1974 creating an optional temporary firearm storage program for law enforcement, AB 2402 updating health studio fee rules, and AB 1607 extending the Maddy Emergency Medical Services Fund. AB 1607 drew sharp opposition over fee funding and broader policy concerns, but passed 66-1. The Assembly also adopted ACR 129 establishing a sister-state relationship with Lagos State, Nigeria, and considered a Senate joint resolution on tariffs, with members split over whether tariffs or state policies were the main driver of higher costs; the transcript ends during debate on that resolution.

Transcript Highlights:

• Their data center is driven by renewable energy built by P&M, fully powers the data center without passing
• Don't count us out because of where we grew up.' Education and economic mobility are inseparable.
• We can only count on that number getting higher the longer we allow emissions reductions to be left up
• Where I come from, our relationship to the land and water is central to who we are.
• Where I come from, our relationship to the land and water is central to who we are.

Summary: The committee first took up the proposed 2026 tax package, Senate Bill 151, and adopted a committee substitute after discussion of the package’s funding capacity and included measures. The substitute bundled five bills: a physician tax credit, a quantum facility infrastructure tax credit, a construction materials gross receipts deduction for affordable multifamily housing, a local journalist employment tax credit, and a health equipment gross receipts deduction. Members discussed amendments that raised the physician credit from $4,000 to $10,000, narrowed the housing deduction to project-based certification, and reduced the journalist credit threshold from four stories to three. Concerns were raised about the fiscal impact on municipalities, especially Albuquerque, and about the funding mechanism, but the committee voted 6-4 to give the substitute a do pass recommendation. Senator Sanchez explained his vote, saying he wished more could have been included in the package. The committee then heard Senate Bill 18, the Clear Horizons Act, which would codify statewide greenhouse gas reduction targets and direct the Environment Department and Environmental Improvement Board to develop plans and rules for emissions reductions. The sponsors said the bill builds on the governor’s 2019 executive order, includes a 10,000-metric-ton threshold for covered emitters, allows certified offsets, and is intended to protect public health, reduce climate-related costs, and provide regulatory certainty. Supporters argued the bill would help communities facing wildfire, drought, health harms, and rising insurance and utility costs, and that it would encourage clean-energy investment and long-term economic stability. Opposition testimony came from mining, oil and gas, rural electric cooperatives, construction, agriculture, auto dealers, chambers of commerce, banks, water recycling companies, and realtors. They argued the bill functions like a carbon tax or broad regulatory mandate, would raise energy and compliance costs, could reduce investment and jobs, and would disproportionately affect rural, tribal, agricultural, and low-income communities. Several witnesses warned of higher electricity and fuel bills, revenue losses for local governments, and uncertainty from delegating major policy decisions to rulemaking. Supporters included public health advocates, educators, local officials, clean-energy businesses, tribal and environmental advocates, and residents affected by wildfire and drought, who said the bill is necessary to address climate harms and protect public health and the economy. No final committee vote on SB 18 was reached in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We get a count of how many of those people that we're arresting, those individuals, are not lawfully
• For example, in North Central Idaho District 2, 10 positions of 21 are vacant.
• When you go and purchase the Idaho Center, as has been done, that's 90 acres. Well, wait a minute.
• When you go and purchase the Idaho Center, as has been done, that's 90 acres. Well, wait a minute.
• Good lady, I'll count that as debate against the motion. The gentleman from 27 can respond to it.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have data centers that are a major, major challenge for us.
• Could be the child care center, could be the community wellness center, could be the faith communities
• The next one, Missouri River Corrections Center.
• The next one, Missouri River Corrections Center.
• And James River Correction Center.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first approved the December 10 minutes and then received a DEQ base budget summary and agency overview. DEQ staff explained that the agency is largely federally and special funded, with major ongoing costs in salaries, operating expenses, grants, and continuing appropriations. Director Dave Glatt and accounting director Beth Jacobson highlighted core programs, the move to a new chemistry laboratory, the new state fuel inspection program, wastewater-related funding from HB 1577, and implementation of SB 2267 for on-site wastewater rules. They also noted the agency’s spending patterns, possible federal EPA cuts, and the likelihood of some fee adjustments or program changes if federal support declines. Members asked about DEQ’s travel, field offices, future staffing, and how the agency would respond to reduced federal regulation. DEQ said most staff are based in Bismarck, with field offices in Fargo, Sawyer, and Gwinner, and that travel is driven by inspections and spill response. Glatt said the agency would continue to rely on science and law, and that any future federal retrenchment could mean more state responsibility but likely not a wholesale increase in FTEs. The committee also discussed a feedlot enforcement case in the Minot area, with DEQ explaining its role in ensuring compliance, permitting, and animal-waste management standards. The Department of Health and Human Services then presented on FTE block grant reporting, TANF balances, child care transfers, and the Rural Health Transformation Program. Donna Ockland explained that no line-item transfers had occurred yet for the new rural health work, but about 33 positions were planned and some current staff time could be reimbursed through approved cost allocation. HHS also reviewed TANF’s frozen eligibility and block grant structure, the transfer of up to 30% of TANF funds to child care, and recent program changes that increased benefits and raised the income limit. Staff said the department is using TANF more strategically to support child care and other allowable uses, while still carrying over unused funds as many states do. Finally, Pat and HHS staff gave an update on the Rural Health Transformation Program, saying the first funding opportunity was being posted and that the state is on track to obligate the federal funds within the required timeline. They described priorities such as workforce retention, preceptor development, technical assistance for critical access hospitals, community wellness projects, and ambulance upgrades. Members asked about rural versus urban eligibility, immigrant recruitment, evaluation of year-two funding, and how the program would address varied local workforce needs. The meeting then shifted to an Office of Management and Budget update on the new State Hospital project, where Lindsay Ashley reported continued construction progress, updated cost information, and selected alternates, with photos and details showing work underway in multiple building sections.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our requests are for one exceptional item related to our central plant.
• That is probably a count of any amendments processed.
• Rural districts don't have big central offices.
• The NES, it's sort of centrally provided, so that's.
• Student-Centered Special Education Finance System in Texas.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Article III

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:48.480><c> the</c> charter schools that some you count the charter schools that some you count
• We got a whole bunch of data centers.
• We got a whole bunch of data centers.
• Got a whole bunch of data centers.
• </c> innovation centers. innovation centers.

Keywords: 916, all

Summary: The Select Committee on School Facilities met to satisfy its quarterly statutory requirement and to discuss interim priorities. Staff from LSO reviewed the committee’s duties: monitoring K-12 school facilities statewide, prioritizing needs for the interim, and preparing a budget request due by November 1. They also noted the ongoing litigation related to the Chapter 3, Section 8 exception process and said the committee would move forward with securing a consultant to study that issue, as previously authorized by Management Council. A major topic was school funding formulas, especially how average daily membership (ADM) affects routine and major maintenance funding and how excess square footage is treated. Members revisited an earlier proposal to fund 135% of allowable square footage, which did not advance this session, and discussed whether some schools should instead be funded at a minimum percentage of their actual square footage. Staff explained that some districts have buildings larger than their formula allowance, and that the issue is complicated by older buildings, pools, and other unique facilities. They also noted that recent changes to the major maintenance multiplier increased funding and that some districts are still not fully covered by the formulas. Safety and security funding was another focus. The State Construction Department reported that $10 million was appropriated this year for safety and security upgrades, with some funds expected to go toward vestibules, bollards, and design work, and the rest through a district application process. Officials said the last comprehensive safety assessment was done more than 10 years ago and suggested a new consultant-led study to update priorities, since technology and building conditions have changed. Members also discussed the role of school resource officers and whether the committee should continue leading this work rather than handing it off to the recalibration committee. The committee also examined declining enrollment and excess capacity across the state, citing examples such as Newcastle, Shoshoni, Casper, Campbell County, and Fremont County. Officials said some districts are right-sizing by taking schools offline, while others cannot easily reduce capacity because the buildings are essential to the community. Charter school leasing was raised as a related concern, including the Mills charter school and the fact that the state pays lease costs based on ADM and allowable square footage. No formal votes were taken, but the committee agreed to continue studying these issues, likely including site visits and further data requests during the interim.

Transcript Highlights:

• This appropriation is utilized to provide oversight of 19 state correctional centers and support centralized
• For the transition centers?”
• For the transition centers? Yes.
• “The DOC Command Center. The command center opens 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Page 402, Community Supervision Centers.

Committee: House Budget

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• centers.
• We run a 988 center in Oakland. I'm here... ...County. We run a 988 center in Oakland.
• Christopher Sanchez, with the Mesavera Group, here on behalf of the Central American Resource Center
• American Resource Center, Karesen, the largest Central American rights organization in the country,
• I've worked in a birth center.

Committee: Senate Health

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Karina Lago with the Child Care Law Center.
• Rightly a task count.
• Okay, the $10 million for the centers, is that allowable?
• Michelle Bell from the Center for Healthcare Quality.
• Christopher Sanchez, the Mesa Reader Group, here on behalf of the Central American Resource Center, CARECEN

Summary: The committee first heard May Revision child care and human services items. The Department of Child Support Services described two technical adjustments, which the analyst supported. The Department of Social Services then walked through child care proposals, including a reduction in federal and Proposition 64 funding absorbed through a shift from General Child Care to the Alternative Payment program, a 2.01% child care COLA, disaster-related infrastructure grants, a new administrative support cost structure for Alternative Payment agencies, the removal of prospective pay funding after a federal rule change, a reappropriation for existing infrastructure grants, and estimates of unspent child care funds. The Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended asking for more justification for shifting reductions to CAP, supported the COLA reduction but wanted consistency across programs, recommended removing prospective pay funding, opposed the administrative cost shift, and suggested further review of disaster grant alignment. Members pressed the administration on why more slots would be cut for the same savings, why the COLA was reduced, and whether the administrative percentage would grow over time. The administration said the changes were intended to avoid disrupting currently enrolled families, reflect point-in-time relinquishments and unspent funds, and stabilize contractor operations. Public commenters, including providers, advocates, and county representatives, urged full COLA funding, rejection of child care slot reductions, preservation of prospective pay, and continued investment in child care infrastructure and access. The subcommittee then recessed before moving to health items. In Part B, the Department of State Hospitals presented its May Revision proposals, including a central utility plant replacement project at Metropolitan State Hospital, funding for a continuum electronic health record system, reduced county bed billing authority to reflect phase-in of additional LPS beds, limited contract exemption authority for online clinical subscription services, reversion of prior-year unspent operating funds, and a workforce development proposal to use Behavioral Health Services Act funds instead of General Fund for training programs. The department said the EHR would modernize records and improve continuity of care, and that the contract exemption would prevent delays in essential clinical information services. No votes were taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• OTB, simulcast OTB centers.
• I'm going to count on them quite a bit in the coming months and years.
• I'm going to count on then quite a bit in the coming months and years.
• District, North Central Judicial District, Northeast Judicial District, Northeast Central, as well as
• East Central Judicial District.

Summary: The Judiciary Interim Committee met to begin its study of charitable gaming and the ownership of alcoholic beverage establishments by licensed charitable gaming organizations, a study directed by Senate Bill 2334. Legislative Council gave an overview of the constitutional and statutory framework for charitable gaming, site authorizations, rent limits, proceeds, and recent legislative changes. The Attorney General’s Gaming Division then clarified the financial flow of gaming, explaining that in fiscal year 2025 North Dakota had about $2.5 billion in gross gaming proceeds, with roughly 88-90% paid back in prizes and about $256 million available to organizations after taxes; most of that activity came from electronic pull tabs. Members asked for more detail on winnings, replays, rent, and the breakdown of manufacturer/distributor revenues, and the AG’s office agreed to provide supplemental information. The committee also heard from the League of Cities and the Association of Counties about local site authorization. Cities said they have a limited role in approving gaming sites, can adopt policies after public hearing, may charge up to $100, and can set certain conditions, including local nexus requirements, but cannot require donations or force a specific charity or site. The League said it had worked with stakeholders on a model policy to provide more consistency, though members raised concerns that local requirements could become too restrictive for charities serving broader areas. Counties said the issue is mostly a city matter, with little county involvement beyond minimal site fees and general site approval. The North Dakota Gaming Alliance testified in support of the study and provided IRS-related material suggesting charities may use asset diversification, while emphasizing it had not taken a position on whether charities should own bars. Members questioned whether bar ownership is being used for site stability or to channel charitable gaming dollars, and whether city policies might disadvantage charities with broader missions. The committee also discussed the relationship between gaming organizations, manufacturers, and distributors, including restrictions on incentives and interference, and asked for more information on those entities and their ownership. Later in the meeting, the Racing Commission gave its regular update on live racing, pari-mutuel wagering, ADW providers, purse and promotion funds, a new TRPB contract, and concerns about cease-and-desist actions from other states. Finally, the State Hospital superintendent briefly reported on the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s support services, including the SORT team, training, and security assistance for the hospital campus.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not an actual count. If you want to see actual counts on roads, you can go to our maps.
• It's not an actual count. If you want to see actual counts on roads, you can go to our maps.
• It's not an actual<00:27:02.360><c> count.
• If you want to see actual actual count.
• </c> counts on roads, you can go to our maps. counts on roads, you can go to our maps.

Keywords: 00:05 Call to Order and Roll Call 01:55 Bridge Improvement Program 18:56 County Priority Projects Program 38:10 Transportation Alternative Program 51:47 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee met for the first interim meeting of the 2025 Budget Review Committee on Transportation and heard from Bobby Jo Lewis, commissioner of Rural and Municipal Aid at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. She reviewed the new County City Bridge Improvement Program, created in the 2024 regular session, reporting that phases one and two are complete, 45 bridges have been funded so far, and about $18.45 million has been authorized. She said roughly $6.549 million remains for phase three in the current fiscal year, with about $26.445 million in bridge applications still pending. For fiscal year 2026, the program will again have $25 million and will use four application phases. She also described a training resource, Local Bridges 101, and said a new executive advisor, Greg Meredith, has been brought in to help with the bridge program. Members asked how rollover applications would be handled, whether they would be re-evaluated with new applications, how the program would account for bridge longevity and load posting, and how isolated communities would be prioritized. Lewis said applicants not funded in FY25 would be contacted and could choose to roll their applications into FY26, and all applications would be evaluated together at the end of each phase. She said preservation projects are assessed for how much they extend a bridge’s life, and isolated community access bridges or closed bridges with no detour access receive priority. She also said the department aims for equitable distribution across regions and plans to produce a map showing where funds have been awarded. Lewis then turned to the County Priority Projects Program and the Local Assistance Road Program established in House Bill 546 and related resolutions. She said the application cycle opened June 1 and closes October 1, with 106 memoranda of agreement being prepared for awards in House Joint Resolution 46. She described updated application and reporting forms, a scoring matrix, and a County City Pavement Evaluation Manual used to rate projects based on preservation of assets, average daily traffic, recent improvements, safety, cost, and district priority. She said projects must be rehabilitation projects designed to restore the original condition of the road, cannot exceed $500,000, and must use local match percentages tied to the economic development grant program formula. She also reported on funding status for prior road projects, including completed, partially completed, pending, and underrun amounts that may be reauthorized. Committee members asked about photo documentation, online access to project materials, how to measure whether projects truly restore roads to original condition, and what happens when project costs exceed estimates. Lewis said the department is still working on how best to store and share the large volume of photos, and that projects are certified through district offices and local sign-off after completion. She said overages are the responsibility of the applicant because the state does not have additional money beyond the awarded amount. No formal votes were taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, put that on your calendar now because that's usually a nice center.
• I guess I'm a baby too if that counts, but, you know. I'll do what I do. So thank you, Madam Chair.
• Do you know roughly what our rig count is right now? Thank you, Madam Chair.
• Places like Lovington, Hobbs, and Carlsbad, we're not going to see population centers.
• If you'd like to speak in support, please come to the center. We're bringing a microphone out. Mr.

Committee: House House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• a large part of their center, and under C-CAP rules the center had to navigate the loss of any C-CAP
• </c> in the control of a child care center. in the control of a child care center.
• </c> Minnesota, where some child care centers Minnesota, where some child care centers saw<01:19:28.320
• </c> in my opening statement was a a center in my opening statement was a a center in<01:25:35.760><c
• </c> center due to to to weather. center due to to to weather. Senator<01:26:04.480><c> Utke.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was then that she walked through the doors of the Excel Center.
• As with every Excel Center student who wants to pursue a certification, As with every Excel Center student
• The Excel Center is not just granting diplomas.
• Our researchers conducted a study of the Goodwill Excel Center in Central Indiana, beginning in 2018.
• The next one is student-centered.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• versus, or the general that counts, and the primary is just to select a top two or something like that
• We have 41 resource centers, or I call it instructional facilities, totaling 200,000 square feet with
• a total annual list of 3.7 point million, and this cannot be counted under the funding determination
• expenditures. be counted under the funding determination expenditures.
• Laura Kerr with the Charter School Development Center in support.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee met without a quorum for much of the hearing and heard several bills out of order. SB 249 by Senator Umberg would move county board of education elections from the primary to the statewide general election. Supporters, including the League of Women Voters and many educators, argued the change would increase turnout and make the electorate more representative. The Orange County Board of Education opposed the bill, saying it would increase costs, reduce local control, and bury education races on crowded general-election ballots. The chair and members discussed turnout, cost, and representation, but the bill was held pending a quorum. Senator Grove presented SB 373, which adds safeguards for California students placed in out-of-state non-public schools through IEPs. The bill would require more robust LEA and CDE oversight, including annual site visits, student interviews, quarterly contact, stronger certification standards, and restrictions on prone, supine, and mechanical restraints. Testimony from a survivor of an out-of-state placement and from advocates emphasized abuse, neglect, and the need for stronger monitoring. There was broad support and no opposition testimony, but the measure was also held pending a quorum. Senator Ashby presented SB 568, the epinephrine in schools modernization act, to clarify and expand requirements for stocked epinephrine so they clearly apply to all public schools, including preschool programs. School nurses and medical experts said the bill would close gaps created by universal preschool and ensure life-saving treatment is available for anaphylaxis. The committee discussed dosing and implementation, and the bill was supported without opposition testimony. The committee also heard SB 414, the Charter School Accountability Act, which would strengthen fiscal oversight, audit standards, and transparency for charter schools and authorizers. Supporters said it responds to fraud and audit findings while preserving charter flexibility; opponents, including school employees and teachers, said it did not go far enough on authorizer accountability and small-district oversight. After discussion, the committee voted 7-0 to pass SB 414 as amended to Appropriations. The committee also briefly heard SB 743 by Senator Cortese, which would create an equalization reserve account to provide additional funding to underfunded school districts and reduce funding inequities tied to ZIP code. The author said the bill would support student achievement and teacher retention over time. The transcript cuts off before testimony or action on SB 743 was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• and our multi-gen centers.
• , and the Resource Reentry Center for individuals leaving the Metropolitan Detention Center.
• Such as the UNMH Crisis Triage Center, the Gateway Centers with our partners at the City of Albuquerque
• We see many individuals in our correction center, the Metropolitan Detention Center, which is the largest
• detention center in the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• Although litigation is ongoing, uncertainty and chaos are the only things that we can count on right
• My name is Tegan Levine, and I'm from North Central Washington.
• , and we weaken our revenue base and our role as a global center for technology and innovation.
• If it is cheaper to move to Texas or Idaho, he said, they will go there instead of coming to Central
• My name is Lack Tran, and I'm a high school senior in White Center with the Washington Bus.

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several bills. HB 2140 would exempt land sold or transferred to a governmental entity from additional tax when removed from open space classification in certain circumstances. Staff explained the current use property tax system and said the bill would likely have minimal but indeterminate revenue effects, with about $30,000 in one-time Department of Revenue costs. Representative Lowe said the bill was intended to fix a niche problem where a farmer loses a small frontage strip to a county and is then charged back taxes despite no change in land use. FutureWise testified in support of the bill’s intent but asked for small language changes to ensure transferred land remains compatible with agricultural or open space use. The public hearing on HB 2140 was then closed. HB 2326 would allow a fire protection district that is partially overlapped by another district’s EMS levy to impose its own levy on the portion not already covered, subject to voter approval in the affected area. Staff said the bill would have no state general fund impact and about $28,000 in one-time Department of Revenue costs. Fire district and fire chief representatives testified in support, describing situations in Clark County and Kittitas County where most residents cannot vote on an EMS levy because a small overlapping area already has one. Opponents, including Washington Citizens Against Unfair Taxes, argued the bill would add to property tax burdens. The hearing on HB 2326 then closed. HB 2334 would require rounding of cash transactions to the nearest five cents as pennies are phased out of circulation, while leaving non-cash payments unchanged. Staff said the bill would apply to the final total after taxes and fees, with an indeterminate but minimal state revenue impact and significant Department of Revenue implementation costs. The prime sponsor said the bill was needed because the federal government ended penny production without giving states guidance. Retail and grocery groups generally supported the concept but requested amendments for clarity, consumer protection, SNAP compliance, and flexibility while pennies remain in circulation; one witness opposed the bill as another tax burden. The hearing on HB 2334 was then closed. The committee then heard HB 2100, a proposed statewide payroll expense tax on large operating companies to fund a new Well Washington Fund for higher education, health care, cash assistance, energy, and housing. Staff said the proposed substitute would apply to employers with at least 250 employees and $7 million in annual payroll, exclude certain public and health care entities, and generate substantial revenue, with the fiscal note estimating about $7.6 billion to the general fund and $4.2 billion to the new fund in the 2027–29 biennium under the revised threshold. Supporters, including poverty, housing, labor, education, disability, and faith advocates, said the bill would help offset federal cuts and protect vulnerable residents. Business, retail, hospitality, construction, and technology groups opposed it, warning of job losses, higher costs, reduced competitiveness, and broader impacts on consumers and employers. The prime sponsor said the bill was a response to federal divestment and that the state needed a progressive revenue source now; no vote was taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman Blackman, Vice Chair Fink, and central representatives, thanks for having me here today.
• That is a mandated reporter, and we were talking about the call center and they keep track of how many
• Now they're well over 8,000 in last year's count.
• Through housing inventory counts, we’ve seen these increase in every jurisdiction that receives these
• The AGO registry is designed to be a central repository of all of the ongoing...

Committee: House House Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from Intel Expert/Expert Works on software intended to help investigators process large volumes of audio, video, and text data more quickly. The presenters said the tool could be adapted for Department of Child Safety work involving neglected, abused, missing, and exploited children by flagging keywords, building link charts, translating transcripts, and aggregating files for faster review. Members discussed possible use with DCS, county sheriffs, DOC, procurement and RFP issues, and whether the software could help triage hotline calls, clear backlogs, and identify trafficking or abuse networks. The presenters said the system is already used in Iowa and elsewhere, and committee members expressed interest in pursuing legislation, appropriations, or a pilot program. The committee then considered HB 2460, which would preempt local ordinances that penalize businesses for theft of movable property, especially shopping carts. The sponsor argued cities were shifting cleanup costs onto victims of theft, while cities and towns opposed the bill, saying local ordinances address blight and public-right-of-way hazards and that businesses should take proactive steps. After testimony from the League of Arizona Cities and Towns and the City of Phoenix, the committee passed HB 2460 on a 4-3 vote. Members also heard HB 2060, which would prohibit public educational institutions and ABOR schools from encouraging or facilitating abortions. The sponsor said taxpayer-funded institutions should remain neutral and not use public resources to promote abortion, while opponents argued the bill would restrict students’ access to constitutionally protected reproductive health care and referrals. Supporters said campuses should provide alternatives such as pregnancy resources and adoption information. The committee passed HB 2060 on a 4-3 vote. Finally, the committee considered HB 2210, as amended, to prohibit the state, local governments, and private entities from using ADS-B aircraft surveillance data to calculate or collect fees from aircraft owners or operators. Supporters said the technology was intended for safety and should not be repurposed for fee collection, warning that pilots might turn it off if used that way; opponents, including the City of Phoenix, said they wanted flexibility to use the system if needed. The committee adopted the amendment and then passed HB 2210 as amended on a 4-3 vote. The transcript then began discussion of HB 2533, which would create an Office of Homeless Services, board, compensation fund, and ombudsman, but the excerpt ends before that bill is fully taken up.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman Blackman, Vice Chair Fink, and central representatives, thanks for having me here today.
• Chairman Blackman, Vice Chair, Pink, and Central Representatives, thanks for having me here today.
• That is a mandated reporter, and we were talking about the call center.
• Now they're well over 8,000 in last year's count.
• We've seen through housing inventory counts, we've seen these increase in every... ...through housing

Committee: House Government

Keywords: 1182, all