Transcript Highlights:

• I wish we had more recent data, but that's the data we have.
• Pretrial data collection. National data may differ from data in your state.
• Pretrial data collection. National data may differ from data in your state.
• But what if it's based on data?
• If you use the data that Mr.

Summary: The Judiciary interim committee met with a full quorum and approved the June 17 minutes. The main discussion centered on a detailed Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation presentation about prison population, placement authority, classification, recidivism, and the role of transitional facilities. Director Colby Braun emphasized that DOCR’s job includes incarceration, supervision, victim services, and reentry, and said the department is operating over capacity, with people waiting in county jails and deferred placements. He described current and planned bed expansions, including added beds at MRCC, a proposed 600-bed minimum-custody men’s facility, and broader campus studies, while stressing that minimum, medium, and maximum custody are different security levels and that transitional facilities are tightly controlled placements, not releases. Committee members questioned the meaning of “release” versus “placement,” the use of terms like inmate and resident, and whether state law should be clarified to distinguish incarceration from supervision or placement in community-based settings. Braun said the parole board controls release authority, while DOCR controls placement, and explained that people who reoffend while in community placement are generally returned to prison after due process. He also reviewed data showing lower one-year recidivism in recent years, the impact of GPS monitoring, and statistics indicating that most people released never get a transitional-facility placement, while those who do generally have better outcomes. Members also discussed whether transitional facilities and work-release programs should be considered halfway houses and how much freedom and security they involve. The committee then heard a report from the Attorney General’s office on House Bill 1193 funding for law enforcement retention bonuses and tuition assistance. The office said all funds had been distributed, 73 of 101 recipients had reported back, 1,490 officers had received bonuses, and the average bonus amounts differed by agency size. Members generally viewed the program positively. Representative Steve Vetter also presented a pretrial services report, describing constitutional and statutory limits on pretrial detention, the use of risk assessment tools, court reminders, victim-notification practices, and North Dakota’s pilot pretrial programs. He suggested possible future legislation to expand detention authority for certain serious offenses and to require the Judiciary Committee to receive updated jail-population data before sessions. Finally, Megan Gordon from Legislative Council began her annual technical corrections bill presentation, outlining a series of non-substantive Century Code fixes such as cross-reference corrections, punctuation changes, and obsolete-reference removals.

Transcript Highlights:

• Local governments like mine need real data to address risk before someone is seriously hurt.
• Local governments, like mine, need real data to address risk before someone is seriously hurt.
• and the way that data is utilized is very strict.
• and the way that data is utilized is very strict.
• The data shows a clear pattern.

Bills: S0382 , S0628 , S0654 , S0696 , S0880

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• which data might be helpful, get a full understanding of what data exists, and then making sure that
• that data from freely being shared.
• </c> appreciation of how complex their data appreciation of how complex their data is<00:45:56.640><c
• </c> we're trying to identify which data we're trying to identify which data might<00:46:03.280><c> be
• Act uh and data under the data Practices Act uh and we<01:35:06.920><c> administer</c><01:35:07.400>

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• If you see data, as the FDA, and you have to make a decision, are you willing to lead where the data
• I do think it makes sense to review the totality of data and ongoing data.
• I do believe in data, and I don't believe in prejudging data before somebody has taken a look at data
• , including future. data?
• That is a massive signal in the data.

Committee: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

Keywords: nominations, labor, health, veterans, Social Security, Elon Musk, transparency, government accountability

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on various executive nominations and their implications on labor and health affairs. Significant discussions surrounded the nomination of Mr. Sonderling as the Deputy Secretary of Labor, with members expressing concerns about workforce cuts affecting veterans and Social Security employees. There was also a debate led by a member regarding the authority and influence of private individuals, specifically citing Elon Musk's involvement in government decisions. Such discussions raised questions about transparency and accountability within governmental agencies, leading to a proposal for Mr. Musk to provide testimony before the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1013 also requires ALPR operators to require data security training and data privacy training for
• SB 1013 also requires ALPR operators to operate, to require data security training and data privacy training
• I'm going to focus on the data retention piece of this.
• this data for a long time.
• Finally, SB 1013 implements a maximum data retention time of 30 days for license plate reader data.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• Participating institutions must send their data to WASAC annually.
• As you know, I'm a data guy, and I like to hear those words about better data equals better decisions
• Looking at the data, we can see when there are data gaps how the picture can get a little obscured.
• And ERDC, we have a lot of data that we use.
• A core one was around data collection.

Summary: The committee began with a work session on dual credit, hearing first from the Council of Presidents and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, then from the Education Research and Data Center. The dual credit overview described Washington’s six dual credit programs, high participation rates, transferability, and recent efforts to improve transparency, pathways, and equity. Testimony emphasized both benefits and challenges, including access, funding, advising, and the need for clearer statewide coordination. ERDC outlined its annual report, dashboard, research briefs, and future work on school-level factors and possible causal effects of dual credit participation. No votes were taken during the work session. The committee then held public hearings on several bills. SB 6227 would direct WSAC to work with public higher education institutions to create formal data collection protocols for parenting students and convene a work group to recommend how to identify and support them. Senator Wilson and multiple student and advocacy witnesses supported the bill, citing the lack of consistent statewide data and the barriers parenting students face; WSAC testified that its research found significant food, housing, and child care insecurity among these students. SB 6235 would prohibit public colleges with athletics programs from entering certain private equity or sovereign wealth fund agreements involving athletics revenues or control. Senator Holy said the bill was intended to prevent loss of institutional control, while UW and WSU testified in opposition, warning it could limit flexibility and create competitive disadvantages. The committee also heard SB 6217, which would expand Washington College Grant eligibility to students in eligible non-degree credential programs beginning in 2027-28. Supporters from the community and technical college system, a community college president, and workforce representatives said the bill would help students access short-term training for family-wage jobs and address workforce shortages, especially in construction trades. Finally, SB 6209 would restore Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship eligibility for certain private four-year and career/vocational schools if they meet a gainful-employment standard. DigiPen, Evergreen Beauty College, Seattle Film Institute, and related students and administrators testified in support, arguing the bill would preserve access for low-income and nontraditional students in career-focused programs; some witnesses on the bill’s earlier panel also urged that certificate and two-year programs be included. The hearings were managed with shortened testimony times because of the large number of sign-ins, and no final committee action or votes were recorded in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows us to compare data. It allows us to look nationally.
• That will result in data changes.
• These data come from the latest nationally representative data.
• As I noted, the data for this study come from ERDC's integrated data system.
• We start with high school data that come from OSPI.

Summary: The House Education Committee received status updates on career and technical education (CTE), including OSPI’s work under 2024 legislation on allied health pathways and a statewide CTE task force, an update from Core Plus Maritime, and findings from an Education Northwest longitudinal study of Washington CTE access and outcomes. OSPI described development of allied health guidance such as a home care aide to nursing assistant bridge, model curricula, updated course equivalency frameworks, and coordination with health agencies and employers. It also reviewed Core Plus framework work, task force expansion under later legislation, and the timeline for recommendations due in November 2026. Committee members asked about health profession outreach, equitable access for rural districts, data updates, and employer support for local programs; OSPI said it continues to work with agency and industry partners and that local labor-market alignment varies by region. Core Plus Maritime presenters described expanding maritime career exploration into middle school through low-cost ROV curriculum, student visits to ferries and vessels, Sea Scouts partnerships, and ship-based safety and welding experiences. Industry representatives from the Northwest Marine Trade Association, American Seafoods, and Vigor Marine Group emphasized the maritime sector’s economic importance, aging workforce, and need for hands-on training to build the pipeline for family-wage jobs. A teacher from South Kitsap High School said the program gives students a clear pathway and has helped connect them to careers in shipyards, fishing, and related trades. Vigor also noted support for a student welding competition and equipment donations for a Rainier Beach shop. Dr. Sam Riggs of Education Northwest presented a longitudinal study using state data from 2013-14 through 2023-24. The study found CTE access has been relatively steady statewide, but offerings vary by school size, locale, and income, with rural and lower-income schools generally offering fewer pathways. Participation is high: nearly all students earn at least some CTE credit, and more students are accumulating multiple credits over time, though fewer go deep within a single pathway. Students who earned more CTE credits, especially within pathways such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and construction, were more likely to graduate on time and later had stronger postsecondary certificate attainment and earnings. Riggs recommended addressing local barriers to participation, considering whether the CTE graduation requirement should better encourage depth while preserving flexibility, and aligning offerings more closely with labor-market needs. Committee members asked about COVID-era trends, student motivation, early workforce entry, delivery settings such as skill centers, and how to interpret the comparison groups used in the analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to build data centers here.
• Transparency and data access.
• Better data would allow regulators to plan responsibly for the rapid expansion of data centers while
• Data centers aren't just about AI.
• , which is the reporting data.

Summary: The committee heard several energy-related bills. AB 710 would require investor-owned utilities to share critical circuit and grid information with local and tribal governments and community choice aggregators to help plan microgrids for resilience during PSPS events and wildfires. Supporters from counties and cities said better data sharing is needed to develop microgrids for critical facilities; PG&E and SDG&E opposed the bill as drafted, citing privacy and grid-security concerns, though SDG&E said amendments may address some issues. Members generally supported the bill’s goal, and the author accepted committee amendments. AB 2182 would restructure the CPUC’s industrial energy efficiency program so industrial customers’ funds are used for industrial projects, with less review and more focus on projects that reduce transmission and distribution needs. Support came from large energy users, with members praising the bill’s ratepayer protections and asking about caps, agriculture, and carbon capture; the author said agriculture could participate and carbon capture was removed from the bill. AB 2589 would require utility federal tax savings to be returned to ratepayers, building on prior legislation; it drew little debate and no opposition on the record. The committee also heard AB 2163, which would create strategic clean energy and critical mineral development zones, especially to support geothermal and lithium development in places like Imperial County and the Salton Sea. Supporters emphasized jobs, domestic supply chains, and state competitiveness, while some members raised questions about whether other zero-carbon resources should be included; the author said the bill could be receptive to those ideas. AB 2505 would allow hydrogen refueling stations to use dedicated utility meters and service lines, with supporters from the hydrogen industry and labor. AB 1577 would require data centers to report energy and water-use information to the Energy Commission and local planners; supporters said it would protect ratepayers and communities, while industry groups opposed the bill as too broad and duplicative, though they welcomed amendments narrowing the scope and adding trade-secret protections. AB 2065 would impose penalties on utilities that seek to recover prohibited or double-counted costs from ratepayers, and AB 2516 would create a California Grid Manufacturing Initiative to reduce equipment costs and expand in-state manufacturing; both drew strong support and some concerns about overreach and implementation. Finally, AB 2647 would direct the Energy Commission to study advanced nuclear’s role in meeting California’s electricity needs, with testimony in support from nuclear advocates and academics; the hearing ended before any final votes were taken, with several motions pending quorum.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we've talked about data and history.
• , you've heard about the data.
• Data, data quality, how we actually partner together, although some of these pieces are actually quite
• They would need to be data-driven.
• get your specific data.

Summary: The hearing of the Select Committee on Latina Inequities opened with remarks framing the discussion around reproductive and maternal health disparities affecting Latina, Black, and Indigenous women in California. Members emphasized the need to connect state data with lived experience, and the committee heard historical context on coercive sterilization, language access, and the ways immigration status, poverty, and racism continue to shape reproductive health care. The first panel featured Clarissa Ramirez of California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, Sophia Pedrosa of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, and Kim Robinson of Black Women for Wellness, who described reproductive justice principles, the legacy of eugenics and forced sterilization, community education efforts, promotoras, and the importance of culturally and linguistically responsive care. They also raised concerns about federal funding cuts, fear related to ICE and public charge, and the loss of education and outreach programs that support patients and families. The second part of the hearing focused on maternal health. Matt Green of the California Department of Public Health described persistent racial disparities, including Black birthing people being three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and outlined state efforts such as the Black Infant Health Program, the Perinatal Equity Initiative, the Centering Black Mothers in California report, and a new Black birth equity action plan. Chris Esgera of the Department of Health Care Services explained the state’s birthing care pathway, postpartum care pathway, and Transforming Maternal Health model, including policy changes to support doulas, community health workers, transitional care, and postpartum coverage. He said the department is working through policy updates and payment reforms, with Medi-Cal coverage for pregnant people and 12 months postpartum remaining protected. The final panel included Dr. Nicole Economo and Dr. Kelly McHugh of ACOG, who discussed provider education, anti-racism and implicit bias training, and the need for quality improvement projects focused on closing equity gaps at individual hospitals. They highlighted tools such as the CLEAR Initiative, the Elevate Toolkit, and use of CMQCC data to track outcomes by race and ethnicity. Across the hearing, members repeatedly stressed that community-led solutions, sustained funding, better data, and accountability are needed to reduce preventable maternal deaths and improve reproductive health outcomes. No formal votes or bill actions were taken during the hearing, though several policy priorities and ongoing legislative efforts were referenced for future consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Data Center Coalition is the national trade association serving as the voice of the data center industry
• of data center capacity.
• But we’re also really embracing data centers, and these data centers work really closely at the local
• Carabunder with the Data Center Coalition.
• Public access to data is unchanged.

Committee: Senate Environmental Quality

Transcript Highlights:

• Our student data is here.
• and payroll data.
• We want to be clear this data is reflective of 24-25 data. It is not the current 25-26 data.
• data is.
• This was their data.

Committee: Joint Education Committee

Summary: The meeting focused heavily on dual credit programming across North Dakota, with presentations from Valley City State University, Lake Region State College, Fargo Public Schools, and teachers from West Fargo and Drake-Anamoose. Speakers described dual credit as a way to give high school students college-level rigor, reduce future tuition costs, and help students explore academic and career pathways. Several presenters emphasized that strong local relationships between colleges and school districts are central to program quality, especially in rural areas where access to advanced coursework can be limited. Valley City State University outlined its quality-control model, including annual teacher trainings, syllabus and outcomes alignment, faculty evaluations, qualification standards, school visits, and a goal of building 24-credit College Studies Certificates. The university reported about 504 students in the fall and 559 in the spring, with roughly 5,539 projected credit hours and about 130 students expected to earn the 24-credit certificate. Members asked about faculty qualifications, online versus in-person delivery, student retention, revenue, and whether a more centralized statewide model might be more efficient; the presenter said centralization could reduce duplication but might weaken local relationships and choice. Lake Region State College described a broader regional model, with about 913 dual credit students last fall across 44 school districts, roughly half of them taking online college courses and half taking face-to-face courses taught by qualified high school teachers serving as adjuncts. The college said it has paid for graduate credits to help teachers meet credentialing requirements and reimburses districts for teacher support and materials. Fargo Public Schools reported 50 dual credit courses through multiple higher-ed partners, 1,571 enrollments, and a 12.61% increase in participation, while also raising concerns about inconsistent registration systems, credentialing requirements, and transfer clarity across institutions. Teachers from West Fargo and Drake-Anamoose reinforced the value of dual credit, while noting concerns about retention in foundational science courses and the importance of maintaining rigor and support for students.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've done our periodic data matching and the data are gleaned from study.
• . data. data.
• </c> So, the data are gleaned from our study. So, the data are gleaned from our study.
• </c> and the data are gleaned from study. and the data are gleaned from study.
• </c> as a result of periodic data matching. as a result of periodic data matching.

Bills: HF4110 , HF4101 , HF4144 , HF3546

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• My data request show city administrator.
• I'm here on behalf of the Stop the Monticello Data Centers Group.
• Well, I know this goes beyond data centers.
• Last year when we were looking at it, it was just about data centers.
• Last year when we were looking at it, it was just about data centers.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> private data. private data.
• </c> but that's not considered private data. but that's not considered private data.
• </c> need to be deemed as private data? need to be deemed as private data?
• </c> not public or that private data. not public or that private data.
• </c> A few data points for Senator Limmer. A few data points for Senator Limmer.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• have better data going forward.
• Thank you. years of data to get that one. So, I can years of data to get that one.
• </c> The department has that data already. The department has that data already.
• We want this data.
• We want this data. Um but I also this. We want this data.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the March 6, 2026 meeting and then received updates from the Legislative Budget Assistant audit staff on several ongoing audits. Christine Young reported that the special education audit was in report-writing stage with 39 of 80 observations completed and a draft expected in the second quarter, the education freedom accounts audit had 27 of 42 observations completed with a draft also expected in the second quarter, and the Doorway program audit had a draft report with 15 observations sent to DHHS on March 30, with responses due April 24 and presentation expected at the May fiscal committee meeting. Members asked about the size of the special education report, and staff estimated it would be over 800 pages and roughly three pounds. The committee then reviewed prior audit responsiveness from the Human Rights Commission. The commission reported that 22 observations had been completed, with remaining issues focused on timely case processing, a formal risk assessment, and a performance measurement system. Officials said staffing shortages were improving, a risk assessment manual had been drafted, a scorecard system was nearly complete, and the commission’s rules were moving through the public hearing process. Members asked about the timeline, and the commission said case processing was averaging 20 to 22 months and that the remaining items were expected to be resolved over time. Police Standards and Training also reported progress on prior audit items. The director corrected one status designation and said the job task analysis for curriculum development was substantially resolved, with findings and recommendations being prepared for the council. He said work on fitness testing was on hold pending legislative action, the performance measurement and strategic planning item remained a priority, and the council was focusing first on updating administrative rules. He also said the corrections advisory committee likely needed a statutory amendment to better reflect members with practical corrections experience. In response to questions, he said the council does not certify county correctional officers but reviews county curriculum annually, and he said the agency would be open to discussing consolidation or a pathway for county officers to become state-certified. The Department of Corrections then updated the committee on parole board-related audit items, saying 11 of 13 DOC-related findings were resolved. The remaining issues involved implementing a structured decision-making process for the parole board and improving data collection for recidivism tracking; the board had applied to the National Institute of Corrections for training, and manual data collection was underway. DOC also said it had created a HIPAA-compliant release form to share substance use disorder treatment information with the parole board. Finally, OPLC reported on the mental health workforce audit, saying six findings were fully resolved and six substantially resolved, with most remaining items tied to rulemaking and application processing. The office expects to complete its backend system migration and improve timeliness metrics by the end of the year, and it recently launched a jurisprudence exam for the mental health board. Under potential audit topics, staff said two items remained suspended because of litigation, and the committee discussed whether to keep DHHS contract management on the list. Representative [name unclear] proposed adding two new education freedom account audit topics: verification of residency and eligibility, and a record of educational attainment while preserving student privacy. Members supported adding them, but staff warned the expanded scope could delay the report and would require coordination with the Department of Education and approval by the Fiscal Committee. The chair said staff would work with the commissioner and LBA to draft the revised scope for further committee action.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we put the WASA data into the state's data library, and DOT now uses that as a layer inside their
• pulling data from different sources into some different data libraries that become layers that can be
• Yeah, once it's in the data library, you could pull the data on Public Works Board projects and you could
• , where do you get the data from.
• , where do you get the data from.

Bills: HB2201 , HB2154

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: urban growth, city planning, county regulations, development standards, land use, land ownership, conservation districts, property rights, regulatory authority, environmental policy

Transcript Highlights:

• There are parts about the data uses and things like that that would not be personally identifying data
• De-identified data means data that can reasonably be linked to an identified or identifiable individual
• , how they're... ...how they're protecting biometric data, how they're de-identifying data in compliance
• Section 501.996’s de-identified data safeguard is very weak; such data is frequently re-identifiable,
• Of course, we have data privacy protections and a better understanding of data collection.

Bills: S0214 , S0482 , S7030 , S0554 , S0994 , S0998 , S1004 , S1074 , S1076 , S1266

Committee: Senate Commerce and Tourism

Summary: The Committee on Commerce and Tourism heard and advanced several bills focused on economic development, consumer protection, workforce issues, and technology. SB 1076 would raise Florida’s research and development tax credit cap from $9 million to $50 million beginning with the 2027 allocation, and it was reported favorably. SB 1266, as amended, creates a cybersecurity experiential internship and clearance-readiness program with Cyber Florida and was also reported favorably. SB 554, a Florida Bar-backed update to the not-for-profit corporations statute, was approved without opposition. SB 1004, aimed at protecting buyers of dogs and cats from deceptive sales practices and predatory financing at retail pet stores, received supportive testimony from animal welfare advocates and was reported favorably. SB 1074, which sets rounding rules for cash transactions if pennies are unavailable, also passed favorably. The committee also considered SB 998, the Department of Commerce package, which combines updates to the Small Cities CDBG program, clarification of rural community eligibility, an exemption from a reverter clause for military-related land conveyances, and revisions to E-Verify enforcement. The E-Verify portion drew the most debate, with questions about employer cure periods, treatment of current investigations, and whether the bill creates a loophole for independent contractors. Senator Smith opposed the bill, arguing it creates unequal enforcement between employers and immigrant workers, while Senator Wright supported the military-related provisions. SB 998 was reported favorably on a divided vote. SB 214, which expands the rural community definition to include special districts in rural counties, was reported favorably. The committee then took up SB 482, an artificial intelligence consumer-protection bill that creates an “AI bill of rights” covering companion chatbots, parental controls for minors, data privacy, de-identified data, unauthorized use of likeness, and enforcement by the Attorney General, with a limited private cause of action for minors. The bill drew extensive testimony both in support and in opposition, including concerns about privacy, age verification, and enforcement, but it was reported favorably. Finally, the committee approved SPB 7030, a public-records exemption tied to Department of Legal Affairs investigations under the AI bill, and adjourned after members requested to be recorded on certain votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is data center, are data centers mentioned in the budget? Yes or no?”
• “Is data center or are data centers mentioned in the budget? Yes or no?” “He's got his too.
• We talk about data centers.
• Data centers first, Arizona last. up in five words. Data centers first, Arizona last.
• Data centers are funded here.

Summary: The House convened, approved the journal, and spent much of the opening portion recognizing guests and interns from both parties, along with former lawmakers and a newly seated member, Representative Sylvia Allen. The chamber then took up House Concurrent Resolution 2065 honoring the late Alfredo Gutierrez. Members from both parties gave extended remarks about his life as a civil rights advocate, student activist, legislator, and mentor, and the resolution was unanimously adopted and transmitted to the Senate. Family members of Gutierrez were recognized in the gallery during the memorial tribute. The House then moved into Committee of the Whole on the first budget-related measures. On House Bill 4138, the “feed bill”/budget operations measure, Democrats argued the budget favored corporations and data centers over seniors, health care, housing, universities, and vulnerable families, while Republicans defended it as a continuation of prior policy and said it preserved tax conformity and modest agency cuts. After debate and questions, the committee recommended the bill do pass and the House adopted that report, sending HB 4138 to engrossing. The chamber next considered House Bill 4139, the amusement/gaming-related budget bill. Members debated whether it was essentially unchanged from last year’s budget language, with Republicans saying it was a continuation bill and that gaming-related provisions would support rural economies and tourism, while Democrats questioned the broader budget context and its effects on working families. The committee recommended HB 4139 do pass, and the House adopted that recommendation. The House then began debate on House Bill 4140, the state budget implementation bill, focusing on the budget stabilization fund and a proposed government efficiency initiative; discussion was still underway at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• the data as private data on individuals under our data practices act.
• </c> defines the data or classifies the data defines the data or classifies the data as<00:30:41.240>
• differences between like private data, confidential data.
• differences between like private data, confidential data.
• data.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• data ...requires by creating genetic data privacy protections for all Vermonters.
• Genetic data is not just about people; it is people.
• Genetic data is not just about people; it is people.
• Genetic data represents the fundamental essence of the biological human being.
• Our genetic data is who we are in the most intimate sense.