Transcript Highlights:

• Something is happening in that school that also needs to be addressed. So with that, I won't know.
• And finally, the resolution requires schools to provide space for polling places if requested by the
• To be brief, I think it's a terrible idea to force school principals to have a voting location that,
• I grew up on a farm in rural Iowa.
• I went to college and law school in Missouri and clerked for state courts in Missouri and Nebraska and

Summary: The Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee heard several election, victims’ rights, family court, and probation-related measures. SB 1425, an emergency bill moving Arizona’s primary election date earlier and adjusting related election timelines, was amended to move the primary to the second-to-last Tuesday in July and to remove the proposed compression of cure/ID deadlines; county officials supported it, and it received a do pass recommendation. SB 1289 and SCR 1013/SCR 1014 focused on foreign money in election administration and ballot measure campaigns, with supporters arguing the bills would close loopholes that allow foreign-backed funding to influence elections; some members raised concerns about breadth and enforcement, but both measures advanced. SB 1402 would require probationers on certain sex-offense-related monitoring to pay the cost of electronic monitoring; supporters said it would improve accountability and child safety, while opponents warned it could punish indigent people and divert money from treatment. It also received a do pass recommendation. The committee spent substantial time on family court bills. SB 1330 would allow a parent with less than 35% parenting time or no legal decision-making authority to request a jury trial in custody-related disputes; supporters described severe financial and emotional harm in family court and argued juries would provide a neutral check, while county and legal representatives opposed the bill as costly, slow, and ill-suited to specialized child-welfare decisions. Despite those objections, SB 1330 passed with a do pass recommendation. SB 1328, as amended, declared Arizona public policy to include protecting parents and a child’s right to equal access to both co-parents; supporters said it would clarify legislative intent, while opponents called it duplicative of existing law. It also passed. The committee also heard SB 1329, which would let parents sue court-appointed professionals in custody and parenting-time matters if the professional deviated from licensing ethics or standards. Supporters argued that quasi-judicial immunity and weak oversight have allowed harmful, expensive practices in family court, while opponents said existing malpractice and licensing remedies already exist and warned against expanding litigation. The bill received a do pass recommendation. SB 1326, allowing courts to award attorney fees and costs to victims when a party violates or worsens a victim-rights violation, also passed after supporters said it would help pro bono and victims’ attorneys enforce rights, and opponents said the term “exacerbates” was vague and the need was unclear. The committee approved the minutes and held SB 1285 and SB 1392 without hearing them.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the school systems, the colleges, and all over the state can potentially utilize some equipment, and
• I was researching while you were talking; Utah, Iowa, Michigan, Maryland, they've all figured it out,

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Kelly McCashee, school board member from Pleasanton Unified School District, delegate assembly.
• School board member from Pleasanton Unified School District, Delegate Assembly from the California School
• by school.
• Our member school districts...
• And while school... ...and it's especially straining in small school districts like mine.

Summary: The hearing opened with several procedural announcements and then took up AB 2148, which would prohibit artificial intelligence from replacing education workers. The author and supporters from the California Federation of Teachers and California School Employees Association argued the bill was a modest first step to protect human educators, students’ social-emotional development, and teacher agency in classroom technology decisions. Public support came from labor and education groups, while some school administrator and county office representatives said they were moving to neutral or awaiting the printed amendments. The committee discussed teacher shortages and the role of AI as a supplement rather than a replacement, then passed AB 2148 as amended to Higher Education on a 5-0 vote. The committee then heard AB 2202, which would create a Closing the Achievement Gap Commission to advise the State Board of Education. The author and sponsors said the commission would improve coordination between state and local education leaders and help the state better support local efforts to close achievement gaps. Support came from CSBA, CFT, charter schools, and many district leaders. Members raised questions about early childhood representation on the commission, and the author said he would discuss that with the sponsor. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations on a 5-0 vote. The consent calendar, including AB 1569, AB 2071, AB 2206, AB 2298, AB 2467, AB 2580, AB 2652, and AB 2726, was also approved. AB 2555 was then heard as a special order bill to reform English learner reclassification. The author said the current system is outdated, inconsistent, and too subjective, and proposed a more automatic, transparent process with stronger parent involvement and post-reclassification monitoring. Testimony in support emphasized personal experiences of delayed reclassification and the need to recognize biliteracy; there was no opposition. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations on a 6-0 vote. The committee also approved AB 1860, which would extend design-build authority to county offices of education while preserving prevailing wage, apprenticeship, and skilled workforce requirements; opposition from county superintendent and facilities groups was removed after amendments, and the bill passed 6-0 to Appropriations. Later, the committee passed AB 2514, which would create a State of Achievement Gap Dashboard to track state-level progress in closing achievement gaps, and AB 2149, which would require the Legislative Analyst’s Office to publicly assess the state’s progress and recommend actions. Both bills were presented as part of a broader package to improve state accountability for student outcomes, and both passed as amended to Appropriations on 7-0 votes. Finally, AB 2490 was heard, proposing to allow longer-term substitute assignments with added training, mentorship, and parent notification to address teacher shortages and classroom instability. Supporters said it would reduce “subchurn” and help maintain continuity, especially in special education; opponents, including CTA, Public Advocates, and CTC staff, argued the bill was unnecessary given existing rulemaking and could create legal and training concerns. The transcript cuts off during committee discussion of AB 2490, so no final vote is shown for that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, Brian Easter, Superintendent of the Maple School District and school board member for the
• School board member from Pleasanton Unified School District, Delegate Assembly from the California School
• It goes school by school. There's no way to see a district is making progress collectively.
• school by school.
• navigate school success.

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• I can tell you about the Iowa Hawkeyes coming up here for a football game with the Gophers, and they
• </c><00:30:37.919><c> Hawkeyes</c><00:30:38.399><c> coming</c> tell you about the Iowa Hawkeyes coming
• tell you about the Iowa Hawkeyes coming up<00:30:38.720><c> here</c><00:30:38.880><c> for</c><00:30:
• So, you know, that's like the wheels on that bus, the school bus.
• ,</c><01:15:08.080><c> and</c> enrollment in our schools, and enrollment in our schools, and contributes

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Griff Ryan Roberts, student in McGeorge School of Law, is Griff Ryan Roberts, student in McGeorge School
• So in my former career, I was a school resource officer, and I also chaired our school attendance review
• School attendance review boards are to help with attendance, and so that way the schools can get paid
• I've taken kids to school.
• I've taken kids to school.

Summary: The committee heard several public safety measures, beginning with housekeeping items and the adoption of a four-bill consent calendar. Bills on the consent calendar included AB 476 on metal theft, AB 619 on California Conservation Corps training for formerly incarcerated people, AB 1192 on child abuse or neglect reporting, and AB 1239 on human trafficking data. Several bills were pulled by the authors before hearing, and the committee also announced that AB 379 would be heard with a file notice waiver and AB 63 would be for testimony only. The most extensive discussion was on AB 366, which would require ignition interlock devices for anyone convicted of DUI. The author, Senator Archuleta, and a MADD representative gave emotional testimony about family members killed by drunk drivers and argued the bill would save lives. Support came from law enforcement, fire, medical, auto club, and safety groups. Opposition from public defenders and criminal justice advocates focused on loss of judicial discretion, costs for low-income drivers, and concerns about vendor oversight and effectiveness. The committee voted to pass AB 366 as amended to Appropriations. The committee also heard AB 1380, which would create a permanent pathway into firefighting careers for formerly incarcerated people who served on Cal Fire hand crews. The author and supporters said the bill would recognize service, improve reentry, and reduce recidivism; a fire labor group withdrew its opposition after amendments were discussed. The measure passed to Appropriations, though it remained on call pending one additional vote. AB 461, which would remove criminal penalties for parents of truant K-8 students and replace them with supportive responses, drew broad support from education and justice advocates but no opposition testimony; it was also passed to Appropriations and left on call pending one more vote. ACR 60, recognizing the Downey Police Department’s special-needs communication program for interactions with people with disabilities or sensory challenges, was adopted unanimously. The committee then heard AB 746 on creating an inmate cooperative program and a green reentry reserve for incarcerated workers. Supporters said it would build job skills, dignity, and reentry success; there was no opposition testimony. The bill passed to Appropriations and was left on call pending votes. Finally, AB 379 on human trafficking drew strong support from survivor advocates, law enforcement, and local officials for creating a survivor services fund and targeting buyers, but also strong opposition from survivors and civil liberties groups who warned it would criminalize vulnerable people and revive harmful loitering enforcement. The committee discussion continued with members weighing survivor support, public safety tools, and concerns about the bill’s amendments and scope.

Transcript Highlights:

• Early on in our dual credit journey in North Dakota, many of those high school teachers or high school
• Early on in our dual credit journey in North Dakota, many of those high school teachers or high school
• students in... ...the high school classroom with the high school faculty teacher with the appropriate
• the high school course.
• Without medical school, because pulling the medical school changes... And then also, Mr.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Funding Review Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Early on in our dual credit journey in North Dakota, many of those high school teachers or high school
• And it's a smaller proportion compared to high school students that are being taught in the high school
• the high school course.
• Without the medical school, because pulling the medical school changes. And then also, Mr.
• Without the medical school, because pulling the medical school changes. And then also, Mr.

Summary: The committee met to review updates on low-completion academic programs, dual credit funding, and a draft higher education funding formula bill. Lisa Johnson of the University System explained the State Board of Higher Education’s proposed policy on low-completion programs, which would review associate through doctoral programs with fewer than 10 undergraduate or fewer than 5 graduate completions over a rolling five-year period. She said campuses already know which programs are low-performing, many terminations have involved programs with no students, and faculty are often reassigned rather than laid off. Members asked about online programs, the basis for the 10/5 thresholds, reactivation of inactive programs, and whether state priorities include workforce needs and legislative direction. The committee also discussed that some programs, such as sonography or foreign languages, may continue because of workforce or regional needs, and that the board’s policy is still moving through the approval process. The committee then heard a Commerce Department update on a $750,000 workforce development grant for tribally controlled colleges under SB 2018. Kerry Kraft reported that Turtle Mountain Community College was the only applicant and that it is using the grant to develop dual credit and workforce pathways in areas such as cybersecurity, medical assisting, welding, solar energy, public safety, and health care. Members asked why other tribal colleges did not apply, how many students are participating, and whether the program belongs in the Commerce budget or higher education budget. Kraft said the project is still in development, with no current enrollments yet, but the college has a goal of 210 students and has historically met a 75% completion rate or better. A major portion of the meeting focused on dual credit funding. Senator Sickler summarized the Institutions Committee’s work on quality, access, and cost, noting that most high school dual credit instructors now meet credentialing requirements and that access varies by region and school district preference. He presented cost data showing variation among campuses and discussed a possible single funding rate for subsidized dual credit, using a lower base rate as a model. Members questioned the direct and indirect cost calculations, whether dual credit is already funded through the formula, and whether a separate dual credit rate would require removing those credits from the general funding formula to avoid double payment. The committee then turned to a draft funding formula bill, with staff explaining technical corrections, a change to make UND and NDSU align with the other institutions’ undergraduate rates, a four-year average for research funding, and other revisions. Members discussed the overall fiscal impact, with staff estimating the proposal would increase funding compared with the current formula, and the committee also raised concerns about how dual credit, Tier 1 funding, and certificate programs should be treated in the formula. No final vote was taken, and the committee recessed to allow staff to refine the numbers and additional comparisons.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, in our statute, each school district and each charter school develops, maintains, and makes
• It is the practice of our school districts and our charter schools.
• It protected our high schools.
• It's not forcing schools to do this, but it is allowing schools to do this.
• I mean, I was on a school board.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is the practice of our school districts and our charter schools.
• It protected our high schools.
• It's not forcing schools to do this, but it is allowing schools to do this.
• It's not forcing schools to do this, but it is allowing schools to do this.
• I mean, I was on a school board.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, approved the previous day’s journal unanimously, and then adopted a motion suspending House Rule 98 to allow members to wear hats on the floor. Members also introduced several special guests, including the Eugene High School Class 2 basketball champions, family members, scholarship recipients, and other visitors. One member used a lengthy personal privilege speech to criticize a recent U.S. Supreme Court voting-rights decision and warn about threats to democracy and minority voting power. The chamber then took up committee reports and several bills. It approved a motion to go to conference on the property-tax omnibus measure tied to Senate Bills 1066 and 1088. House Bill 3329, repealing expired tax credits, passed 142-0. House Bill 3405, clarifying the SALT deduction and improving tax-credit accounting, also passed 138-0. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2426, a parental-rights bill that also drew criticism over a school financial-ledger requirement and possible burdens on schools and student safety, failed on third reading 70-60. The House next passed House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1233, a professional-licensing bill involving CPA exam access and other occupational licensing changes, by 129-6 after adopting an amendment removing compact language and rejecting a nursing-home physicals amendment. It then passed House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1408, which raises the maximum rural interstate speed limit to 75 mph and, through multiple amendments, also carried a mix of transportation-related provisions including vehicle inspections, hands-free enforcement, motorcycle lighting, driver education, and specialty license plates for women’s professional sports; the final vote was 82-53. The Speaker also appointed a conference committee for Senate Bill 1066. The final item mentioned was Senate Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill 863, described as an interscholastic athletic oversight/appeals bill, but the transcript cuts off before its final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• confidential exceptions for the names of applicants for leadership positions of universities, public schools
• Of course, one example of this is the Texas Association of School Boards, which is arguably one of the
• Since 2018, when Children at Risk mapped illicit massage businesses alongside public schools, the number
• pools that I had a problem with because I had schools that were in these school pools and then when
• They've gone to a CODA school.

Bills: HB111

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Summary: The committee heard a long series of House bills, with most measures laid out by Senate sponsors and then left pending after brief public testimony. Early bills focused on construction and licensing issues, including HB 305 on prompt payment for public construction audits, HB 5093 on restoring public access to notary contact information, HB 2037 on updating landlord-tenant repair and security deposit rules, HB 4214 on a centralized public information request contact database, and HB 5435 exempting higher education institutions from a 90-day notice requirement for certain public-private partnership projects. Testimony was generally supportive on these bills, and no votes were taken; each was left pending. The committee also considered several transparency and regulatory bills. HB 111 would expand the Public Information Act to certain nonprofit state associations and narrow some attorney-client and working-paper exceptions, with supporters arguing it would improve oversight of public funds and critics questioning the scope and thresholds. HB 5129 would protect occupational license holders’ personal identifying information from disclosure without consent, HB 4350 would allow peace officers to redact personal information from online real property records, HB 4748 would authorize multiple-award state purchasing contracts, and HB 4765 would clean up code enforcement officer licensing rules. HB 4134 would allow motor vehicle creditors to charge limited fees for electronic payment options while requiring a free alternative, and HB 1043 would direct a study of blockchain-based property title records; both drew testimony, with some concern about the practical effects and vendor implications of the blockchain study. Several bills addressed insurance, workforce, and digital-asset regulation. HB 3520 would reduce the insurance coverage required for transportation network companies during the period when a driver is en route to pick up a passenger, drawing support from Texans for Lawsuit Reform and opposition from trial lawyers who argued the higher coverage better protects the public. HB 3320 would create a self-insurance pool for religious institutions, with TDI explaining it would still be regulated but operate under a special statutory framework. HB 4233 would modernize rules for digital asset service providers by removing certain auditor-access requirements and updating reporting and licensing provisions. HB 3923 would reduce bachelor’s-degree requirements for some state jobs, though Every Texan argued low pay, not degree requirements, is the main driver of turnover. HB 4518 would create a legal structure for decentralized unincorporated nonprofit associations tied to blockchain governance; business law experts opposed it as unnecessary and potentially risky, while crypto advocates supported it. Finally, HB 1803 would join an interstate compact for dentists and dental hygienists, with supporters citing workforce shortages and opponents saying Texas already licenses quickly and that the compact could weaken state oversight. Throughout the hearing, the committee repeatedly closed testimony and left bills pending, and a quorum was eventually established before later items were heard.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm from South Carolina, where I went to medical school.
• I'm from South Carolina, where I went to medical school.
• No one goes to medical school to hurt people.
• No one goes to medical school to hurt people.
• You know, I think we all wrote. to medical school to hurt people.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its fourth meeting, held October 27-28 in Santa Fe, with Representative Duncan moving approval and no opposition. The chair then introduced a panel on the cost of providing medical care in New Mexico, focusing on physician shortages, rising practice costs, and access problems, especially in southern New Mexico and Las Cruces. Panelists included family physicians, a pediatrician, a cardiologist/electrophysiologist, and a community health center medical director, who described their backgrounds and practices before turning to the policy discussion. The doctors argued that New Mexico is losing physicians because of three main pressures: medical malpractice exposure, gross receipts tax on medical services, and low Medicaid reimbursement. They said malpractice premiums are much higher than in neighboring states, punitive damages and venue shopping increase risk, and the patient compensation fund and attorney fee structure create additional costs. They also described administrative burdens from insurance billing and referrals, the high debt and long training period for physicians, and the effect of corporate medicine and private equity on practice decisions. One panelist emphasized the economic impact of each physician on jobs and local spending, while another noted that shortages force patients into emergency rooms and delay specialty care. The panel presented a list of proposed solutions: reform punitive damages, limit venue shopping and stacking, restore lifetime medical payments from the patient compensation fund, enact apology protections, cap attorney fees, continue Medicaid funding improvements, and eliminate gross receipts tax on medical and dental services. Committee members generally agreed the presentation was thorough and useful, but several noted that some proposals fall outside this committee’s jurisdiction and would likely need to move through other committees, especially judiciary and tax. Some members supported drafting legislation or working on separate bills, while others urged caution, requested more input from hospitals and economists, and raised concerns about local government revenue impacts from GRT changes. The chair concluded by encouraging members to continue discussions offline and noted that the tax-related issue would be taken up further in the next day’s work.

Transcript Highlights:

• This includes every state with a comprehensive privacy law except for Utah and Iowa.
• When an AI-generated intimate image of a high school student or a working professional is uploaded to
• and then they put them together and they bring them and they dump them on the floor in front of the school
• and then they put them together and they bring them and they dump them on the floor in front of the school
• So, for example, if you're on a city council or a school board and you have an AI-generated, that is,

Committee: Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection

Summary: The committee convened for its first hearing, took roll, and heard several privacy- and AI-related bills. SB 1106 by Senator Cabaldon would shorten the Delete Act data broker deletion deadline from 45 days to 30 days; it drew support from a technology and democracy group, no opposition testimony, and was moved out on a due pass to Appropriations vote. SB 923 by Senator Becker would expand the CCPA deletion right to cover all personal information held by a business and require online-only businesses to offer a web form or similar method for privacy requests; supporters included the California Privacy Protection Agency and privacy advocates, while business groups raised concerns about scope, compliance, and the email/web-form requirement. The bill passed 6-0 to Appropriations, with some members noting they were laying off or wanted further amendments. The committee also heard SB 1142, the Digital Dignity Act, which would regulate digital replicas and deepfakes on large online platforms, including takedown and revocation procedures and penalties. Supporters said it would protect Californians from fraud, harassment, and nonconsensual synthetic likeness use; opponents, including the Motion Picture Association, CCIA, TechNet, and others, raised First Amendment, due process, Section 230, and overbreadth concerns, especially around deceased persons and the 48-hour takedown process. Members said they supported the bill but wanted further work before Judiciary, and it passed 6-0 as amended to Judiciary. The committee also adopted its rules without objection. Later, SB 867 by Senator Padilla would impose a four-year moratorium on the sale and manufacture of AI chatbot-powered toys for children, citing research showing unsafe, sexually explicit, or privacy-invasive behavior; child advocacy and consumer groups supported it, while retailers and civil justice groups sought narrower definitions and liability protections. It passed 7-0 to Appropriations. SB 1247 would give child influencers, once adults, a right to request deletion or modification of images and likenesses used in monetized social media content; it drew no support testimony but was opposed by a civil justice group over the creation of a new private right of action, and it passed 7-0 to Judiciary. SB 930, the consent-calendar item, was approved 7-0. The committee then heard SB 1114, which would restrict sharing of state-collected data related to LGBTQ Californians absent an enforceable order, with supporters arguing it would protect sensitive data from misuse by federal agencies and preserve trust in state programs. It passed 6-0 to Appropriations. SB 1159 would let local governments treat AI bots and agents differently from people for Brown Act, public records, and related civic participation laws, in response to AI-generated comment floods; supporters from environmental, local government, and nonprofit groups said it was needed to preserve human participation, while opponents argued the bill should focus on fraud rather than AI and warned about overreach. The bill passed 9-0 to Appropriations. Finally, SB 1050 would require disclosures when synthetic performers are used in advertisements; labor and consumer advocates supported it as a truth-in-advertising measure, while media and industry groups objected that it was overbroad and should be narrowed to misleading ads and aligned with existing law. Members signaled support for the bill’s goal but also raised concerns about scope and consistency with current false-advertising rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• Folks who are very often just trying to do their best to balance work and family and going to school.
• Often going back to school.
• That's good for our schools, our counties, our hospitals.
• cuts in our schools, which then is going to affect our kids and how they learn.
• Your schools have a voice.

Transcript Highlights:

• , not profession by profession<00:29:46.799><c> or</c><00:29:47.039><c> even</c><00:29:47.360><c> school
• ><00:29:47.600><c> or</c><00:29:47.919><c> program</c><00:29:48.240><c> by</c> profession or even school
• or program by profession or even school or program by program.<00:29:49.600><c> All</c><00:29:49.760
• We also have one pharmacy in Iowa.
• Iowa. Ouries are called Sterling for Iowa.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Doherty, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance provided for us today by Colin Chu of Timberline High School
• , the legislative Section 9 says compulsory attendance at school.
• “The public schools of the state shall not be infringed.”
• So that allows high schools to put their flags up with their graduates and so forth.
• And five of the individuals that died, or the last of the casualties, were Iowa Reserve.

Transcript Highlights:

• Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee

Committee: Senate Finance

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met with eight members present and deferred HB 127. It then considered a series of bills, most of which were reported favorably without opposition. HB 22 revised COLA rules for the clerks of court retirement system, allowing more frequent COLAs when the system is better funded; HB 324 made judicial stipends permanent and added future COLAs subject to available funding; HB 233 increased jury mileage reimbursement; HB 47 reorganized assessor retirement COLA statutes; HB 533 allowed St. Tammany Parish to transfer unused witness-fee account balances to the 22nd Judicial District Court; HB 980 adjusted eligibility for the Firemen’s Supplemental Pay Board; HCR 45 urged Congress to clarify ARPA deadlines for water projects; HB 559 increased court costs in the 4th Judicial District; HB 290 recreated the Department of Treasury and related entities in statute; and HB 382 addressed Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget review authority over Group Benefits plans. The committee also reported HB 1157 favorably, creating a financing bank mechanism for infrastructure projects, and HB 575 favorably, giving youth aging out of foster care preferred access to surplus state vehicles through the Louisiana Property Assistance Agency. Several measures drew more discussion. HB 1236, dealing with pharmacy benefit managers and professional dispensing fees, prompted extensive testimony from the sponsor, the Legislative Fiscal Office, the Department of Insurance, independent pharmacies, and PBM representatives. Supporters said it clarifies and strengthens enforcement of existing PBM law and protects independent pharmacies; opponents argued the bill’s requirement that PBMs bear dispensing-fee costs would be difficult to implement and could raise premiums. The sponsor said he would work on amendments, including clarifying language and a delayed effective date, and the bill was nevertheless moved favorably. SB 25, on registrar of voters compensation, was amended to a revised pay structure and then reported favorably. HB 47 and HB 533 were also presented as funding and administrative cleanups for retirement and court-related accounts, with local support noted. The committee also heard HB 233 on jury duty mileage reimbursement, which the sponsor said updates a 1961 rate and would be funded locally at an estimated average increase of about $4,000 per judicial district. HB 324 on judicial salaries was described as self-funded by the judiciary and subject to available funding, with no budget impact. HB 575 on foster youth transportation was presented as a non-appropriation measure aimed at helping youth aging out of foster care by giving them preferred access to surplus vehicles. HB 382, which concerns the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget’s role in approving Group Benefits plans, was reported favorably with little discussion. The meeting ended after a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• And states have, in Iowa, New Jersey, Florida, and North Carolina, adopted innovative mapping tools that

Bills: SB6139 , SB6214 , SB6237 , SB6091 , SB6096 , SB6200 , SGA9278 , SGA9279

Committee: Senate Housing

Keywords: rental payments, landlords, tenants, eviction, legal procedures, housing stability, land banking, property authority, housing development, urban planning, real estate management, SB 6237, Washington landlord-tenant law, Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, rental property disclosure, flood risk, flood hazard area, special flood hazard area, potential flooding, tenant notice

Transcript Highlights:

• And states have, in Iowa, New Jersey, Florida, and North Carolina, adopted innovative mapping tools that

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee held public hearings on three bills. SB 6237 would require landlords to disclose flooding history and flood risk to new tenants, along with notices that renters’ insurance and flood insurance may be needed and that county or local government sources have hazard information. The sponsor said the bill was a simple disclosure modeled on other states’ laws after recent flooding in Washington. Testimony was generally supportive, with an environmental nonprofit urging a broader jurisdiction-based disclosure instead of only county government, and housing industry groups saying they were neutral or concerned about added lease disclosures and asking for clearer language about what flooding information must be disclosed. No vote was taken on the bill. The committee then heard SB 6214, which would authorize public corporations, housing authorities, and certain nonprofits to operate as land bank authorities for affordable housing, with requirements for affordability covenants, annual reports, priority access to tax-foreclosed properties, and tax exemptions for qualifying land bank property and transfers. Supporters from Spokane, counties, housing authorities, affordable housing groups, and developers said land banking would help lower land costs, speed development, and expand affordable housing production. One member of the public opposed the bill, arguing it could remove land from the market and affect rural land supply. Department of Revenue staff flagged a technical issue, saying the bill needs a clearer definition of a qualifying land bank authority so the exemption can be administered, and confirmed the proposal would shift property off the tax rolls. The committee also asked whether the bill would allow non-housing uses such as parks or green space; staff said the bill requires affordable housing use, though the other half of land bank activity is not specified. The committee also heard SB 6139, which would require landlords to keep accepting previously used payment methods and continue to accept partial rent payments during an unlawful detainer process, while making clear that partial payments do not reinstate a lease or stop an eviction unless the parties agree in writing. The sponsor said the bill was intended to address cases where tenants can make partial payments but landlords shut off payment portals and refuse them, forcing judges to issue case-by-case standstill orders. Tenant advocates opposed the bill, arguing it would encourage evictions, remove judicial discretion, and could trap tenants by inviting partial payments that do not protect their housing. Landlord and property management groups were concerned about requiring continued access to payment portals and about ambiguity over whether accepting partial payments would waive eviction rights, though they said the bill was a good starting point and suggested clearer receipts and statutory protections. The public hearing was closed without action on SB 6139. In executive session, the committee adopted a proposed substitute for SB 6091, which limits broker marketing restrictions without requiring open access to homes and removes a Washington Law Against Discrimination provision, then voted the bill do pass to Rules. The committee also voted to recommend confirmation of gubernatorial appointments 9278, Pedro Espinoza, and 9279, Diana H. Perez, to the Housing Finance Commission.

Transcript Highlights:

• Letter rulings that are published in other states, such as Iowa, Illinois, Texas, and New York, just

Bills: HF2048 , HF2360 , HF2006 , HF950 , HF912 , HF3140 , HF2931

Committee: House Taxes