Transcript Highlights:

• We are doing it strictly voluntarily based for hunter-harvested deer.
• Hunter-harvested deer.
• It's simply a prescribed harvest for that property.
• Owens, but there to be more of a consolidation of reporting.
• I know you do it based on harvest, what have you.

Summary: The committee and invited witnesses discussed chronic wasting disease surveillance and response in Louisiana, focusing on both wild deer and captive deer facilities. LDWF staff said surveillance goals are being met in about 32 of 64 parishes, but there are gaps in low-sample areas, and they described current efforts using voluntary hunter-harvested deer sampling, targeted sampling in higher-risk animals, and coordination with D-MAP properties. Witnesses and members raised possible ways to improve detection, including incentives for testing, use of taxidermists and processors to collect samples from older bucks, possible mandatory testing tied to special doe days or special seasons, and better use of D-MAP or mobile sampling units. Several members also suggested environmental testing, better deer-density data, and clearer mapping of hotspots and source areas. A major portion of the discussion centered on how to respond when a positive CWD case is found. Members debated whether Louisiana should follow an Arkansas-style approach, including allowing baiting during hunting season while using other tools to manage disease, versus stricter no-bait or no-feeding rules. Some members argued that immediate restrictions after a positive discourage hunters from submitting samples and hurt landowners and feed businesses, and suggested delaying new restrictions until the end of the season while intensifying sampling. Others emphasized that any response should be science-based and should preserve hunter participation. There was also discussion of whether control areas should be parish-based or based on geographic distance, and whether the state should establish thresholds that would allow a control zone to be reduced or removed if enough negative samples are collected. For captive deer facilities, LDWF and LDAF staff reviewed the USDA herd certification program and current surveillance practices. They said Louisiana has about 350 licensed deer facilities, including breeder and hunting facilities, and that a 2024 positive in Jeff Davis Parish led to depopulation and 12 quarantine farms; follow-up testing in 2025 found no new positives in the traced facilities. Staff said the state has relied on USDA competitive grants for diagnostic testing in the last two years, covering roughly $100,000 to $150,000 annually, while department self-generated funds covered more than $800,000 over the last three years. Members and witnesses recommended mandatory enrollment in the USDA herd certification program, mandatory 24-hour reporting of positives to LDWF and USDA APHIS, and clearer, reciprocal communication between LDWF and LDAF when positives are found. No votes were taken; the chair said staff would compile the discussion and written recommendations for consideration at the April 9 commission meeting, with the understanding that the committee will later make formal recommendations to the Legislature.

Transcript Highlights:

• There were six conferees who signed the conference committee report, and the report appears to be confined
• There were six conferees who signed the report.
• What happened in the conference reports?
• We moved to adopt the conference report.
• So we moved to adopt the report. Rep. Ben Trellummoos, adopt the conference committee report.

Bills: HR310 , HR314 , HR316 , HR317 , HR321 , HR275 , HR276 , HR279 , HR282 , HR286 , HR289 , HR292 , HR295 , HR302 , HR319 , HCR112 , HR307 , SCR59 , SCR61 , SCR62 , SCR68 , SCR69 , SCR70 , SCR54 , SCR55 , SCR64 , SCR75 , HCR79 , HCR104 , HB75 , HB410 , HB719 , HB750 , HB944 , HB1098 , HB1220 , HB1252 , HB359 , HB210 , HB468 , HB1117 , SB382 , HB368 , HB552 , HB732 , HB870 , HB1236 , SB29 , SB42 , SB43 , SB149 , SB208 , SB274 , SB300 , SB312 , SB387 , SB389 , SB401 , HR74 , HB998 , HB901 , HR20 , HCR65 , HCR71 , HCR98 , HB284 , HB306 , HB341 , HB366 , HB393 , HB458 , HB577 , HB603 , HB605 , HB614 , HB625 , HB646 , HB733 , HB752 , HB773 , HB798 , HB911 , HB955 , HB996 , HB1035 , HB1069 , HB1113 , HB1140 , HB1180 , HB1191 , HB1240 , HB1255 , SB82 , SB89 , SB97 , SB123 , SB237 , HB36 , HB42 , HB74 , HB119 , HB159 , HB258 , HB259 , HB302 , HB414 , HB459 , HB848 , HB956 , HB1017 , HB1028 , HB1095 , SB217 , SB283 , SB469

Keywords: oil and gas, orphan wells, inactive wells, shut-in wells, marginal wells, plugging and abandonment, well decommissioning, site remediation, site restoration, Oilfield Site Restoration, OSR program, financial security, bonding, taxpayer liability, public liability, offshore wells, onshore wells, coastal erosion, Department of Conservation and Energy, natural resources

Transcript Highlights:

• as our turkey harvest.
• So firearms deer harvest does continue to drive our overall statewide deer harvest.
• </c> on our deer and turkey Harvest on our deer and turkey Harvest specifically<01:26:28.000><c> we</
• </c><01:27:32.920><c> um</c> harvest as well as our turkey Harvest um harvest as well as our turkey Harvest
• :27:53.719><c> that</c> of the overall Statewide Harvest um that of the overall Statewide Harvest um

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> will report the title of the bill. will report the title of the bill.
• </c> forced organ harvesting or trafficking. forced organ harvesting or trafficking.
• </c> Forced organ harvesting is pure evil. Forced organ harvesting is pure evil.
• Clerk will report the title.
• </c> Clerk will report the title. Clerk will report the title.

Bills: HR36 , HR530 , HB1800 , HB2416 , HR1316 , HB1724 , HB1540 , HB1486 , HB1512 , HB1503 , HB1912

Keywords: federal programs, government efficiency, budget cuts, committee, oversight, rules resolution, House Rules Committee, procedural rule, floor procedure, appropriations, military construction, Veterans Affairs, VA funding, fiscal year 2026, immigration enforcement, special interest aliens, DHS reporting, monthly report, inadmissible, deportable

Transcript Highlights:

• reports.
• move the majority report forward.
• I believe the Forest and Fish Report actually anticipated measurable change after harvest, is that correct
• For many of us, our harvest, especially for..."
• I move that House Bill 2348 be reported.

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee heard public testimony on House Bill 2598, which would create a Salmon Advisory Commission made up of tribal leaders, state agencies, legislators, and local governments to develop recommendations on salmon and steelhead recovery. Prime sponsor Rep. Lekanoff described the bill as a way to bring executive, legislative, and tribal leaders together on salmon recovery and treaty obligations. Staff noted a fiscal note of roughly $35,000 in out years. Supporters emphasized salmon’s cultural and treaty importance and the need for coordinated leadership, while the lone public testifier, Todd Myers of Washington Policy Center, opposed the bill as another statewide layer of bureaucracy and argued that recovery efforts should focus more on local, watershed-level action. The committee noted 10 signed in pro, 886 con, and one other, but no vote was taken on the bill in the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 2620, which would repeal the recently adopted Forest Practices Board rule expanding riparian buffers on non-fish-bearing streams and impose new standards for future riparian buffer rulemaking, including an economic viability standard for the timber industry and additional consensus and alternative-analysis requirements. Rep. Dent said the bill was intended to restore communication and collaboration in the forest practices process. Testimony was sharply divided. Tribal representatives and environmental advocates said the rule was the product of a long, science-based adaptive management process under the Forest and Fish framework and was needed to protect water quality, salmon habitat, and treaty rights; they argued the bill would undermine that process and conflict with Clean Water Act compliance. Forest industry and small forest landowner witnesses supported the bill, saying the process had lost trust, ignored alternatives, and imposed significant economic harm on rural communities and family tree farms. DNR and Ecology testified in opposition, saying the rule was based on science and that the bill would weaken water-quality protections and jeopardize HCP compliance. The committee recorded 592 signed in pro, 489 con, and one other, with no vote taken during the hearing. After the public hearings, the committee moved into executive session on five bills. Staff briefly described House Bill 2104, which would make permanent the Aviation Assurance Funding Program for wildfire response; House Bill 2348, a DNR request bill on land and material sales advertising; House Bill 2544, which would require an adjudication process for the Upper Columbia River with a proposed substitute; House Bill 2554, which would repeal Initiative 456 concerning state declarations on tribal natural resource management; and House Joint Memorial 4009, urging federal action on wildland firefighting consolidation. The committee then recessed briefly for caucus and began executive action, starting with a motion to report House Bill 2104 out of committee with a do pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Second Harvest representative.
• So the state has food bank distribution centers and Second Harvest, Northwest Harvest, and Food Lifeline
• I'm the executive director of Harvest Against Hunger.
• I'm the executive director of Harvest Against Hunger.
• I'm the executive director of Harvest Against Hunger.

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee heard public testimony on House Bill 2279, which would require the Department of Agriculture to create a program and criteria to evaluate PFAS chemicals in fertilizers and pesticides. The prime sponsor argued PFAS are persistent “forever chemicals” that are entering soil, water, wildlife, and people, and said Washington should begin acting now rather than waiting for federal action. WSDA said the bill is implementable but would require rulemaking, ongoing staff resources, and likely a 12-month extension to complete stakeholder engagement; it also noted the bill should be clarified to address all pesticides, not just new ones. Agricultural and industry witnesses opposed the bill as duplicative of EPA review and warned it could reduce product availability and put Washington farmers at a competitive disadvantage, while environmental advocates supported it as a needed food-safety and environmental measure. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 2463, which would expand the Washington Commodity Donation Program and create a Farm to Food Pantry Program to help hunger-relief organizations buy Washington-grown food directly from farmers. The sponsor said the bill is part of a broader state response to reduced federal food-security support and is intended to keep families fed by strengthening local food purchasing. Testimony was largely supportive from food banks, food hubs, farmers, AARP, and hunger-relief groups, who said the programs help move surplus produce, dairy, protein, and other products to people in need while supporting local farms and reducing waste. Several witnesses, however, raised concerns about language limiting participation to organizations that “solely” function for food sourcing, saying it could exclude many existing regional organizations and reduce resilience; one tribal representative also requested an amendment to include tribally owned small-scale farms. No action was taken on HB 2463 during the hearing. After the hearings, the committee went into caucus and then held executive session only on House Bill 1941, which authorizes licensed cannabis producers to form agricultural associations for collective processing, handling, and marketing. Supporters said it would help smaller cannabis producers cooperate and prepare for possible federal changes, while opponents argued it was premature given marijuana’s federal status and too broad in scope. The committee approved HB 1941 on a 6-5 vote and reported it out of committee with a do-pass recommendation. House Bill 2238 was deferred to the following day for further review of amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• Second Harvest representative.
• Anna Nepomaceno speaking on behalf of Northwest Harvest.
• The state has food bank distribution centers, Second Harvest, Northwest Harvest, and Food Lifeline, and
• I'm the executive director of Harvest Against Hunger.
• I'm the executive director of Harvest Against Hunger.

Bills: HB2279 , HB2463 , HB1941 , HB2238

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: PFAS chemicals, agriculture, environmental impact, regulation, food safety, farmers, food security, Washington, support for farmers, cannabis, cooperatives, marijuana industry, HB 2238, HB2238, statewide food security, food security strategy, hunger, food insecurity, food access, food assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><03:35:49.399><c> allowing</c> align with Timber harvesting allowing align with Timber harvesting
• It hasn't been harvested.
• It hasn't been harvested.
• It hasn't been harvested.
• </c><04:47:20.280><c> that</c><04:47:21.280><c> harvesting</c> and start harvesting that harvesting and

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Heartland in Brooklyn Park, Second Harvest Northland in Duluth, and then the Food Group in New Hope.
• I'm Alice Noou, the proud CEO of Second Harvest Heartland. Thanks for having me today.
• </c> in East Grand Forks Second Harvest in East Grand Forks Second Harvest Heartland<00:02:19.560><c>
• Northland in duth and then the Harvest Northland in duth and then the food<00:02:22.640><c> group</c
• </c><00:04:19.880><c> Heartland</c> proud CEO of Second Harvest Heartland proud CEO of Second Harvest

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:14.360><c> by</c> Nation's portion, but those harvested by Nation's portion, but those harvested
• </c><00:14:48.000><c> the</c> monthly reporting from the monthly reporting from the municipalities<00
• ><c> the</c> And scientific reports and the And scientific reports and the governor's<00:26:35.880><c
• </c> So we were out there um harvesting So we were out there um harvesting manoomin<00:27:35.080><c>
• Thank you so much. my grandparents were able to harvest my grandparents were able to harvest wild<00:

Bills: HF3426 , HF3896 , HF1426 , HF3793 , HF4061 , HF4246

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:10:04.800><c> blueberries,</c> forest to harvest blueberries, forest to harvest blueberries,
• </c> and honorable harvest practices. and honorable harvest practices.
• </c> harvest practices again on 5.11. harvest practices again on 5.11.
• harvest practices and Honorable harvest practices and regenerative<01:28:01.080><c> harvesting</c><01
• </c> that require a permit to harvest. that require a permit to harvest.

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• them was, um, there was minor damage to a combine when a chain was drawn into the machine during harvesting
• When machinery is intentionally damaged during planting or harvest, we don't just lose repair costs,
• </c> harvesting at peak conditions. harvesting at peak conditions.
• ,</c><00:02:34.640><c> we</c><00:02:34.720><c> don't</c> during planting or harvest, we don't during
• it for for probably don't report it for for whatever<00:08:56.440><c> reason.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can review the full report on our website, and we will be back to present our proposed final report
• You can review the full report on our website, and we will be back to present our proposed final report
• It's a preliminary report, oversight of hospital data reporting, inspections, and complaints.
• Our report is available online.
• proposed final report.

Summary: At the May 14, 2025 JLARC meeting, members approved the January 9 minutes and adopted the 2025–27 biennial work plan with a minor typo correction. Staff reviewed two new work plan studies: a drug takeback program fee-setting and expenditures review due in December 2025, and a state energy performance standard compliance review due in June 2027. Staff also summarized recent JLARC session activity, noting six committee presentations and five bills enacted related to JLARC work or recommendations. The committee then heard a preliminary cannabis market study. JLARC staff reported that Washington businesses likely produced two to three times more cannabis than retailers sold in 2023, but that incomplete and unreliable Liquor and Cannabis Board data limits regulation, tax verification, and diversion tracking. Staff recommended that LCB submit a plan by the end of 2025 describing what resources and funding would be needed to collect accurate data by the end of 2026. Members and agency representatives discussed the 2031 timeline for a new tracking system, data quality problems, and the social equity program; LCB said it is evaluating vendor options and will provide more information on its plan. JLARC also presented a preliminary report on Department of Health oversight of hospital data reporting, inspections, and complaints. Staff concluded DOH is late on many hospital inspections, does not verify third-party inspection standards, does not review adverse health event correction plans, and could make hospital data more accessible. The report included five recommendations to DOH and one to the Legislature. DOH said it would work with JLARC on a strategic management plan and acknowledged the need for improvements. The committee next reviewed a preliminary report on the public records survivor exemption, concluding the exemption is being used but needs clearer guidance. JLARC recommended keeping the exemption and having the Attorney General provide additional implementation guidance. Members then approved a proposed final report on Developmental Disabilities Administration processes and staffing; DDA concurred with the recommendations and described steps it has already taken on metrics, data quality, and workforce planning. Finally, JLARC introduced proposed study questions for its upcoming review of DCYF juvenile rehabilitation programs, focusing on safety and security, access to services, staffing, education, and comparisons to best practices. No votes were taken on the preliminary reports, and the meeting adjourned after the study question presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are doing it strictly voluntarily based for hunter-harvested deer.
• It's simply a prescribed harvest for that property.
• Owens, but there ought to be more of a consolidation of reporting.
• I know you do it based on harvest, what have you.
• 24 hours and any 365 days continuous years to report.

Summary: The committee continued discussing recommendations for chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance and response in Louisiana’s wild and captive deer herds. Members and staff reviewed current surveillance results, noting that LDWF had met goals in 32 of 64 parishes and that voluntary hunter-harvest sampling was falling short in other areas. Several ideas were raised to improve sample collection without making it broadly mandatory, including incentives for hunters, taxidermists, and possibly processors; use of DMAP properties and mobile sampling units; and targeted sampling of older bucks and other higher-risk animals. Members also discussed whether to use parish-level or other geographic control areas, and whether to mirror aspects of Arkansas’s approach, including testing to reduce or remove restrictions when prevalence remains low. The committee also heard from LDWF and LDAF about captive herd surveillance and reporting. LDAF described its licensed deer facilities, a 2024 positive in Jeff Davis Parish that led to depopulation and quarantines, and follow-up testing that has remained negative at quarantined farms. Witnesses said the agencies currently share information informally and through USDA/NVSL channels, but there is no specific law or regulation requiring 24-hour notification between agencies. The Wildlife Federation and several members recommended mandatory enrollment in the USDA herd certification program, mandatory reporting of positives, and clearer coordination between LDWF and LDAF. Members also discussed the cost of testing, with LDWF saying USDA grants covered diagnostic testing for the last two deer seasons, while department self-generated funds covered earlier costs. A major portion of the meeting focused on how to respond when a positive wild deer is found. Some members favored immediate restrictions, while others argued for keeping existing season rules in place through the season and using the positive as a trigger for intensified sampling, with the goal of avoiding unnecessary penalties and encouraging hunters to submit samples. There was also discussion of whether baiting should be prohibited, allowed during hunting season, or phased based on testing results, with Arkansas’s statewide baiting allowance and county-based disease management zones used as a comparison. The chair emphasized that no final recommendation would be adopted at this meeting; instead, staff was directed to compile the discussion and written recommendations for consideration at the April meeting, when the committee expects to vote and the commission may need to act quickly through its notice-of-intent or emergency rule process before the next hunting season.

Transcript Highlights:

• twice per year, with the first report due October 1, 2026.
• reports, and at that point the board chose through a vote to only move the majority report forward.
• Change after harvest? If I'm— is that correct?
• Committee report form.
• Standing committee report form, please.

Bills: HB2598 , HB2620 , HB2104 , HB2348 , HB2544 , HB2554 , HJM4009

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: anadromous fish, environmental conservation, state coordination, wildlife recovery, fisheries management, forest management, natural resources, collaboration, forest practices, sustainability, aviation, wildland fires, funding, disaster relief, emergency response, timber sales, land sales, process efficiency, legislation, department language

Transcript Highlights:

• Primary harvest areas are in that mid-Atlantic Take.
• Any red dot is a commercially harvestable density.
• They monitored until it was the perfect size for them to harvest. They went in.
• They were monitored until it was the perfect size for them to harvest.
• Harvesting more efficiently while maintaining stock health.

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Summary: The joint hearing focused on the Atlantic sea scallop fishery, with particular attention to Massachusetts ports, federal scallop management, the proposed reopening of the Northern Edge on Georges Bank, and permit stacking/consolidation. The chair opened by noting the hearing would take written and oral testimony, that time was limited, and that the discussion was intended to inform legislative engagement with federal regulators rather than decide the issue directly. Dan McCarron of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and Dr. Kate O’Keefe of the New England Fishery Management Council outlined the federal management structure under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the role of annual catch limits and rotational closures, and the economic importance of scallops to New Bedford, Gloucester, and other Massachusetts ports. O’Keefe said the council’s current scallop framework is based on annual management, research surveys, and public input, and that recent environmental changes and uncertainty are affecting catch advice and biomass. Dr. O’Keefe and later Dr. Kevin Stokesbury of UMass Dartmouth described the fishery’s recent condition: abundance has increased in some areas, but biomass has fallen because many scallops are still too small to harvest, and changing ocean conditions and natural mortality are affecting the stock. They said the Northern Edge action was considered as a joint scallop/habitat framework but was discontinued in 2024 because the council could not reconcile competing objectives involving scallop yield, habitat protection, and impacts on other species such as cod, lobster, and herring. Stokesbury emphasized the long-running collaborative survey work with industry, said the fishery remains highly productive, and argued that the science supports careful rotational management and that the Northern Edge could be highly productive for scallops, though he acknowledged habitat tradeoffs. Committee members pressed both witnesses on why the issue had remained unresolved for so long and whether the council could revisit it through a future framework. Representatives of the Sustainable Scalloping Fund, including attorney Drew Kavage, John Lees, Sam Blasley, and Tony Alvernes, urged support for reopening the Northern Edge and for permit stacking, which would allow more than one scallop permit on a vessel while keeping ownership caps in place. They argued the fishery is a major economic driver, that industry-funded research has supported sustainable management, and that stacking would help family-owned operators reduce costs, improve safety, and avoid financial distress. They also stressed the need to protect working waterfront infrastructure in New Bedford and other ports. The chair said he was not opposed to stacking in principle but wanted to avoid a slippery slope toward excessive consolidation or private equity control; he noted that any stacking change would require an amendment to the fishery management plan or federal action. No votes were taken, and the hearing concluded with an invitation for continued engagement and future updates on the council process.

Transcript Highlights:

• Primary harvest areas are in that mid-Atlantic Take.
• Any red dot is a commercially harvestable density.
• And so it takes about four years for them to grow to commercially harvestable size.
• They monitored until it was the perfect size for them to harvest. They went in.
• They were monitored until it was the perfect size for them to harvest.

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight

Summary: The joint hearing focused on the Massachusetts sea scallop fishery, especially the economic importance of the industry, federal scallop management, and two policy questions: reopening the Northern Edge area on Georges Bank and allowing permit stacking/permit consolidation. Chairing senators emphasized their interest in hearing both sides, their frustration with federal bureaucracy, and their view that the issue should be guided by science while protecting the long-term resource and local communities. Dr. Kate O’Keefe of the New England Fishery Management Council and Kevin Stokesbury of UMass Dartmouth described the Magnuson-Stevens framework, annual catch limits, rotational area management, and the role of industry-funded surveys and the research set-aside program. They said scallops remain the most lucrative council-managed commercial fishery on the East Coast, but recent changes include more small scallops, lower biomass in some areas, higher natural mortality, and shifting abundance toward Georges Bank. On the Northern Edge, they explained that the council previously considered opening the area through a framework/joint action with habitat management, but discontinued the action in 2024 because of conflicting objectives involving scallop yield, habitat protection, and other species. They said the issue could be revisited through future council priority-setting. Representatives of the Sustainable Scalloping Fund argued that the fishery needs modernization to remain economically viable. They supported reopening the Northern Edge and strongly backed permit stacking, saying it would allow two permits on one vessel while keeping ownership caps in place, reducing costs, improving safety, and helping family-owned fleets avoid financial distress and outside investment. Port of New Bedford representative John Regan stressed the port’s central role in the state economy, the need to protect working waterfront infrastructure, and the importance of any permit changes preserving local ownership and participation. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and members asked that the witnesses keep the committee informed as the council and federal agencies consider next steps.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:31:22.040><c> um</c> related to the commercial harvest um related to the commercial harvest um
• </c><00:31:29.360><c> but</c><00:31:29.560><c> also</c> commercial harvest but also commercial harvest
• They go through exactly the areas that they'll be harvesting.
• Yes. >> [clears throat] >> So, following harvest...
• And we and harvesting happens really And we and harvesting happens really across<00:36:16.120><c> all

Bills: HF3700 , HF3982 , HF3927 , HF3933 , HF3949 , HF4238 , HF4275 , HF4476 , HF4504

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Keywords: Duluth, Lake Superior Zoo, capital improvements, funding, bonds, appropriations, capital investment, port development, grant caps, state assistance, navigation facilities, Dakota County, state bonds, park improvements, infrastructure, transportation, safety, congestion, water infrastructure, bond issuance

Transcript Highlights:

• Increase income primarily through leasing and timber harvest.
• and harvest opportunity through trapping.
• and harvest opportunity through trapping.
• And again, that accounted prior to the injunction for about 50% of the harvest, the total harvest in
• I recently heard a report that... Thank you, Director.

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from University of Idaho representatives on the university’s land-grant mission and its role in federalism, followed by detailed overviews of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Natural Resources. Speakers described the Morrill, Hatch, and Smith-Lever Acts, the university’s history, and examples of research, extension, and workforce training in agriculture, engineering, law, forestry, fire science, and youth programs such as 4-H. They highlighted facilities and programs including research stations, the Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, the deep soil ecotron, the Wildland Fire Center, the experimental forest, and the policy analysis group, while also noting the impact of federal and state funding delays and cuts on staffing and research capacity. Committee members asked about several current issues, including quagga mussels, screw worm, chronic wasting disease, and the effects of funding cuts. University officials said they were not actively researching some of those wildlife and livestock disease issues but were willing to help if capacity and funding allowed. They also said budget reductions had caused real losses, including layoffs and reduced programs, and that federal grant delays had disrupted research timelines. The committee also raised questions about conflicts of interest and university employees’ outside work; the university said it has annual conflict-of-interest and conflict-of-commitment training and review procedures. The committee then heard from Bonneville County Sheriff Sam Hulse and the Idaho Sheriffs Association on the federal 287(g) immigration partnership program. Hulse argued that participation should remain voluntary and locally controlled, describing the different 287(g) models, the training and liability concerns, and the distinction between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement. He said Idaho agencies already cooperate with ICE in other ways and that mandatory participation could create staffing, legal, and community-trust problems. Members asked about costs, liability, detention standards, and whether deputies lose local control under task force arrangements; Hulse said the answer depends on the specific model and operation, and he emphasized the need for local discretion. Later, the committee took testimony on the long-running bighorn sheep and domestic sheep conflict affecting western Idaho grazing allotments. Idaho Wool Growers representatives and affected ranchers described the history of state legislation, federal litigation, and the closure of grazing areas after bighorn sheep transplants, which they said cut livestock operations in half and caused major financial and personal hardship. They argued that the state and federal agencies had not lived up to assurances that permittees would be held harmless, and they urged continued attention to the issue. No formal votes or committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the reporting data on harvest and the aerial surveys conducted by multiple organizations show a rapid
• Our waterfowl harvest went down.
• But the reporting data on harvest and the aerial surveys conducted by multiple organizations show a rapid
• Our waterfow harvest went down.
• I'll move to report. The board is clear. I'll move to report House Bill 331 with amendments.

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on Wednesday, March 11, with a quorum present and heard several specialty license plate bills. HB 801 by Rep. Martinez would create a classic black specialty plate, with revenue directed to State Police high-speed pursuit training for local law enforcement. Members discussed the need for better pursuit training in light of fatal crashes, adopted a set of amendments and a technical change, and reported the bill favorably with amendments. The committee also advanced HB 891 by Rep. Landry, which creates wildlife conservation specialty plates and adjusts revenue distribution to support conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited and Quail Forever, while also helping the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries conservation fund. Testimony from LDWF and the conservation groups emphasized habitat work, fundraising leverage, and conservation benefits. The bill drew extended questioning from Vice Chair Fontenot about Ducks Unlimited’s work, including its projects in Louisiana and other states and whether certain habitat practices affect duck migration; the committee then reported the bill with amendments. HB 587 by Rep. Dickerson would create a PANS/PANDAS specialty plate to raise awareness and return revenue to the general fund to help cover treatment costs. The bill was supported by a parent and child who described the disorder and the impact of insurance coverage for IVIG treatment; it was reported with amendments. HB 331 by Rep. Mack created a Louisiana GOP specialty plate and was reported with amendments after brief discussion. HB 629 by Rep. Lyons created a plate for the Crew of Athena and was also reported with amendments. HB 428 by Rep. Baham created an LSU baseball championship plate recognizing the 2023 and 2025 national title teams and was reported with amendments. Rep. Walters voluntarily deferred HB 129, HB 130, and HB 854, and the committee adjourned afterward.