Transcript Highlights:

• to the payer to determine which kind of pharmacist can practice in which setting.
• to the payer to determine which kind of pharmacist can practice in which setting.
• Payment bills specifically, those are listed within a scope of practice.
• as a pharmacist and many of us practice as a pharmacist and many of us go<00:26:48.000><c> on</c><00
• I mean, is that practical? We don't disagree that yes, it is extra effort.

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Commerce

Summary: The committee heard several measures, beginning with SB 1046 SD1 on condominiums. Testimony on that bill focused on reserve funding and enforcement of reserve study requirements. The Community Associations Institute opposed the bill, saying it would create hardship, confusion, and be difficult to administer, while also urging stronger penalties for boards that fail to comply with reserve study rules. The Real Estate Commission offered comments, and one testifier spoke in support. No vote was taken during the portion provided. The committee then heard SB 532 SD2 HD1 relating to the Department of Education, which would improve access to pre-approved medications for students with health conditions at school and during off-campus activities. The Department of Health, University of Hawaiʻi nursing and medical programs, and the Department of Education all supported the measure, with DOH suggesting amendments to better identify the correct student and improve medication safety. Members had no questions, and the bill moved on. Next was SB 1245 SD2 HD1 relating to pharmacists, a bill to allow reimbursement for clinical services pharmacists are already trained and licensed to provide. The University of Hawaiʻi, Board of Pharmacy, Walgreens, Mikai Drugs, and the Hawaiʻi Pharmacists Association supported the bill, emphasizing improved access to care, recruitment and retention of pharmacists, and better chronic disease management. The Hawaiʻi Pharmacists Association also discussed proposed amendments to prevent plans from denying coverage or network participation when pharmacists meet credentialing requirements. Members questioned whether insurers would actually use pharmacists and how the bill would affect pay and contracting; no vote was taken in the excerpt. The committee also heard SB 1279 SD2 HD1, another pharmacists bill focused on telepharmacy and 340B-related issues. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation supported it, saying telehealth could reduce costs and avoid travel for audits, while the Board of Pharmacy opposed it. Lānaʻi representatives opposed the bill and asked for an exemption, arguing the island already has close in-person access to a resident pharmacist and clinics. The Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association supported the measure, citing large patient savings from 340B pricing, while Mikai Drugs opposed it, arguing that mail-order and telepharmacy are not necessary on some islands and can create delivery and medication-safety problems. Members asked questions about insurer participation, scope of practice, and whether the bill would meaningfully change reimbursement; the transcript ends before any final action or vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a common practice. It's called loss estimate alteration.
• While these practices already violate California law, the lack of automatic financial consequences has
• allowed them to persist as a routine business practice.
• Taking proactive steps to improve their practices and avoid future violations that harm policyholders
• There are many remaining issues, both practical and technical, that still need to be addressed.

Committee: House Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 1760 makes important technical and substantive updates to California's Dental Practice Act, as were
• AB 1760 improves the board's ability to administer and enforce the Dental Practice Act efficiently and
• I'm Melissa Aguirre, a board-certified pediatrician who's been practicing for 25 years.
• I manage obstetric emergencies in my daily practice.
• California was the first to codify advanced practice abortion care in 2013.

Summary: The committee met as a subcommittee until quorum was established, then took up a series of bills on business, professions, health, cannabis, and consumer protection. AB 72, creating an electric vehicle economic opportunity zone in Riverside County, drew questions about whether the state should target one region over others, but supporters argued it would help bring EV manufacturing and related jobs to the Inland Empire. The bill passed on a 8-1 vote to Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement. AB 685, which would create the Small Business Resiliency and Innovation Fund to support technical assistance and capital infusion programs, drew broad support from small business networks and chambers, but some groups raised concerns that the June amendments could affect eligibility and that the funding should be clearly supplemental rather than replacing existing support. The author said discussions were ongoing, and the bill passed 10-0 to Senate Appropriations. The committee also approved AB 173, a resolution, on a 7-0 vote, and AB 1760, a Dental Practice Act cleanup bill sponsored by the Dental Board, on a 10-0 vote. AB 1637, which would limit changes to physician-authored medical records and make unauthorized alterations a misdemeanor, was supported by physicians and labor groups who said it would protect patient safety and professional accountability; it passed 10-0 to Senate Appropriations. AB 1785, allowing online sales of pseudoephedrine products with existing age and quantity safeguards, passed 10-0. AB 1973, expanding the ability of advanced practice clinicians to perform procedural abortions within their training, drew strong support from reproductive health providers and strong opposition from anti-abortion witnesses who raised safety concerns; after questions about training and oversight, it passed 7-3 to Senate Appropriations. The committee then considered AB 2025, requiring disclosure when rental listings use digitally altered or AI-staged images. Supporters said it would prevent renters from being misled, while the California Apartment Association said it was working with the author on implementation; the bill passed 8-1 to Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies and Consumer Protection. AB 2697, allowing drive-through cannabis sales with local approval and security requirements, was supported by cannabis businesses and operators as a way to improve access and compete with the illicit market, while narcotics officers opposed it over ID verification and public safety concerns; it passed 7-3 to Senate Appropriations. Finally, AB 2249, responding to a state audit on cannabis packaging attractive to children by defining prohibited imagery and creating a public rubric and pre-review process, received support from the cannabis operators association and the state auditor’s office, while small independent farmers raised concerns that some categorical bans could sweep too broadly. The transcript cuts off during that bill’s opposition testimony, and no final action on AB 2249 is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• private physician practices.
• The bill in its current form, though, applies to medical debt across all practice settings, including
• private physician practices.
• If this legislation makes that practice financially unsustainable, it will push patients to cash-only
• As such, I'm intimately familiar with the practical operation of these systems.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with the most extensive discussion focused on civil investigative demands for the Attorney General (ESSB 5925), automated license plate readers (ESSB 6002/6702), medical debt interest limits (ESSB 5993), default judgments in consumer debt cases (SSB 5720), adult guardianship technical changes (ESSB 5837), and Court of Appeals bailiff authority (SB 6011). Sponsors and agency staff generally framed the bills as targeted tools or clarifications, while opponents raised concerns about privacy, due process, overreach, and unintended consequences. The AG’s office supported 5925 as a way to investigate civil rights, wage theft, and related laws more efficiently; opponents argued it gave too much pre-suit power and lacked sufficient judicial safeguards. The Court of Appeals bailiff bill was presented as a near-identical extension of authority already given to Supreme Court bailiffs, with no major controversy beyond questions about training. The ALPR bill drew the sharpest policy split. Supporters, including the prime sponsor and civil rights advocates, argued Washington lacks meaningful regulation of license plate readers and needs limits on retention, sharing, and vendor access to protect privacy and prevent misuse. Law enforcement, cities, and some parking-related users said the bill was necessary but too restrictive or technically flawed, warning it could effectively shut down the technology or prevent use in serious cases; they asked for broader crime coverage, clearer definitions, and longer retention. Privacy and civil liberties groups supported regulation but urged stronger protections, especially shorter retention periods and tighter limits on third-party access. On medical debt, the sponsor and supporters argued that capping interest at 1% would reduce financial harm to patients, especially those facing serious illness, and would still allow administrative costs to be covered. They cited bankruptcy risk, chronic illness, and the burden on families, while noting the bill was narrowed from an earlier version and made prospective. Hospitals, collectors, dentists, and physician groups opposed the bill, saying it would not solve broader affordability problems, could reduce repayment incentives, and might push providers toward cash-only models or credit cards, especially harming small and rural practices. The committee also heard support for the consumer debt default judgment bill as a negotiated compromise that improves notice and preserves existing debt-buyer protections, and for the guardianship bill as a technical cleanup of adult guardianship and supported decision-making provisions. No votes or final actions were taken in the hearing excerpts provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's just a practical issue that I have. I don't disagree.
• I just, I had a mother tell me that at our school, this is a very common practice.
• I'm an attorney practicing special education law for families in Missouri.
• I'm an attorney practicing special education law for families in Missouri.
• Instruction and practice. We were using Savvas.

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, in pretrial practice, many of you are attorneys here, you'll know this, that individuals are
• And I think the idea in my folks' practice is that the The idea in my folks' practice is that the majority
• and practice models for managing all aspects of sexual assault investigations.
• limits. ...some trauma-informed courtroom practices that remain within constitutional limits.
• I was subjected to this at the age of 12, along with other cultural practices.

Summary: The committee heard several public hearings on criminal justice and victim-related bills. SB 6087 would expand existing liability protections for donations of children’s items to include religious organizations and add strollers and car seats to the definition of children’s items; the sponsor said it would make it easier to donate usable baby equipment, and the Washington State Board of Health said it supported the goal but noted rulemaking and funding concerns under the original version. SB 5934 would change the standard for post-conviction DNA testing so courts must grant testing unless the state shows by clear and convincing evidence that the results could not demonstrate a likelihood of innocence; the Innocence Project and a DNA exoneree supported it as a way to reduce years of litigation, while prosecutors and sheriffs/police chiefs opposed it as a burden shift that could increase frivolous motions and strain lab and attorney resources. SB 5520 would revise Washington’s wrongful-conviction compensation law by broadening definitions, extending filing deadlines, removing the waiver requirement, and making other process changes; the sponsor and Innocence Project said it would reduce barriers and better fulfill the state’s promise to exonerees, and a DNA exoneree described years of litigation just to access compensation. The committee also heard SB 6017, which would expand victim-centered and trauma-informed protections. The bill would allow a court to appoint a representative to ask questions of victims when a defendant represents themself, extend forensic exam consent to minors 13 and older in non-fatal strangulation cases, add female genital mutilation survivors to protections similar to the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights, and reauthorize and broaden the Safe Advisory Group’s mandate. Survivors, advocates, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy strongly supported the bill, describing courtroom questioning by self-represented defendants as retraumatizing and urging broader access to services for FGM survivors; defense advocates raised constitutional concerns about limiting a pro se defendant’s right to personally question witnesses and said the bill could be vulnerable to challenge without narrower guardrails. The hearing drew extensive survivor testimony, and the chair noted 108 people signed in support and one opposed. Finally, the committee heard SB 5890, which would create an alternative reckless-driving offense for driving more than 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. The sponsor, a former firefighter, framed the bill as an accountability measure aimed at preventing severe crashes caused by extreme speeding. A committee member asked about officer discretion in emergencies, and the sponsor said the bill targets excessive speed while acknowledging that some situations may still be problematic. A preliminary fiscal note had been received.

Transcript Highlights:

• I currently am in private practice, and perhaps...
• I currently am in private practice in Palo Alto, and I primarily do consultation work.
• I've been practicing for the last 45 years here.
• I'm a retired pediatrician who spent most of his practice years working in Federal Way.
• My name is Elizabeth Hanley, and I'm an attorney who practices law in Seattle.

Bills: HB1496 , HB2182 , HB2196 , HB2242

Committee: House Health Care & Wellness

Keywords: patients' rights, healthcare information, medical confidentiality, health data security, healthcare access, abortion, medications, reproductive health, access, healthcare, PANDA, PANS, treatment access, mental health, legislation, preventive services, state authority, definitions clarification, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• For the first question, it's common practice for cities and counties to turn over the property back to
• It's common practice.
• Another common practice is for the rent to be used as an in-kind donation, so we can use that as a match
• That was a practice that happened here prior to the change.
• Now it's been a while since I've Been practicing in those places.

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• promptly, we create a more supportive environment for medical professionals, encouraging them to practice
• Them to practice in Nevada and ultimately strengthen our health care system.
• This bill is about making Nevada one of the most attractive places for doctors to practice, especially
• likely for doctors to come and remain in the state and be a part of the To practice in Nevada, making
• And so maybe someone could explain to me if this is common practice amongst other regulatory boards.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the things I won't be presenting to you today are the data concerning sentencing practices in
• We have a mission as the Clearinghouse Information Center. practices data in the state.
• We get a wide variety of data requests asking about sentencing practices data.
• And so we get a lot of requests for that data, looking for sentencing practices. Chair Navani.
• So it does comport with exactly what happens by practice across the state. Thank you, Chair.

Bills: HF2432

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• If they... can practice in another state at the standard that we ask them to practice, I don't know why
• House Bill 178 provides updates to the Nursing Practice Act to account for current nursing practice and
• emerging nursing practice with artificial intelligence.
• I mean, if it's an unfair trade practice? Mr.
• But no, it's not just an unfair trade practice. It goes beyond our Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Transcript Highlights:

• The reason is physicians can't afford those premiums, and if they practice, they go bare.
• And they say things like, well, they love practicing, but I got to cut you off. Okay. Yeah.
• They love practicing, but they were more likely to retire due to stuff like this.
• I'm a medical malpractice attorney practicing in Jacksonville, Florida.
• Physicians need only heed the signs, do a better job in practice, and avoid egregious errors.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered several health-related bills. SB 398, by Senator Burgess, would create a statewide Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness campaign through the Department of Elder Affairs, focused on early detection, brain health, risk reduction, clinical trial access, and community resources. Supporters said Florida has a large and growing Alzheimer’s population and that the campaign would help families and vulnerable communities; the bill was reported favorably after a roll call vote. The committee also adopted an amendment to SB 714, by Senator Burton, which would create non-opioid advanced directives and add liability protections for providers in medical emergencies involving opioids. Supporters framed it as a patient-choice measure, while opponents argued it was vague and could interfere with appropriate pain treatment; the amended bill was then reported favorably. The committee also approved CS/SB 756, which removes the current age-eight diagnosis requirement for autism-related insurance coverage and extends coverage beyond age 18 for those diagnosed with autism. Senator Burton said the bill would help families whose children are diagnosed later or whose needs continue into adulthood. There was brief discussion about existing lifetime benefit caps, but the sponsor said the bill did not change those limits. The committee then took up SB 734, a proposal by Senator Yarbrough to repeal Florida’s wrongful death exception that bars certain parents and adult children from recovering non-economic damages in medical negligence cases. The sponsor and supporters described the current law as discriminatory and unjust, especially for families of older adults and disabled individuals, while opponents warned it would raise malpractice costs, increase premiums, and worsen provider shortages. The bill drew extensive public testimony from both grieving family members and health care/insurance representatives, and members debated whether caps or other safeguards should be added. No final action on SB 734 is reflected in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Conversely, we are not seeing the same results with the LPN workforce, our licensed practical nurses,
• through 2037, we're just going to need the licensed practical nurses everywhere.
• PN gives us that practical nursing pathway, and RN is the pathway for the registered nurses.
• There are some practices out there, best practices that could be adopted for sure.
• There are some practices out there, best practices that could be adopted for sure.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to focus on nursing education funding, workforce supply, and Florida’s low NCLEX pass rates. The chair emphasized that Florida ranks last nationally in nursing exam pass rates and said the committee wants to use budget decisions and a forthcoming nursing bill to improve outcomes. The Florida Center for Nursing at USF presented preliminary workforce and education data showing RN supply is moving toward equilibrium with demand through 2037, while LPN shortages are projected to worsen, especially in some regions. The center also reported on enrollment, retention, faculty vacancies, and NCLEX trends, noting Florida still underperforms the national average but has shown some recent improvement, including higher RN pass rates in 2024 despite fewer test takers. The center highlighted that students who test sooner after graduation tend to pass at higher rates. A panel of nursing education leaders from public universities, state colleges, technical colleges, and private institutions described how prior state pipeline and line-item funding helped expand enrollment, simulation labs, faculty hiring, student support services, and partnerships with hospitals. UNF, Galen College, College of Central Florida, Keiser University, and Lorenzo Walker Technical College each reported strategies such as expanded simulation, mental health and social work support, test-prep and remediation, and efforts to grow faculty pipelines. Several speakers said faculty recruitment and retention remain major barriers because of salary competition with hospitals, faculty debt, and aging faculty. Technical college representatives also stressed the need to strengthen LPN pathways, English-language support, and LPN-to-RN bridge programs. Members asked for ideas to improve NCLEX outcomes and discussed possible policy options, including student loan forgiveness, critical shortage supplements for faculty, incentives for students to test soon after graduation, and possible changes to timing or regulation around NCLEX eligibility. Several witnesses supported more flexible or recurring funding, while noting that one-time line funding has been useful for simulation, scholarships, and faculty support but is harder to sustain. The committee adjourned after the discussion, with the chair saying the ideas would be considered in future funding and policy decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• It expands the area of critical need program for physician assistants and advanced practice registered
• These prohibitions include discipline in another state, criminal convictions related to their practice
• It expands the area of critical need program for physician assistance and advanced practice registered
• To ensure healthcare practitioners entering Florida meet the minimum standards for safe practice, the
• That one of the barriers that might be in existence for nursing is the years of active practice.

Committee: Senate Health Policy

Summary: The Senate Health Policy Committee received updates from the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Health on implementation of 2024 health care laws. AHCA reviewed progress on workforce and reimbursement measures in Senate Bill 7016 and related bills, including FRAME and TEACH funding, graduate medical education reporting, behavioral health teaching hospitals, acute hospital care at home, advanced birth centers, non-emergent care access plans, and rural emergency hospitals. Agency officials said several programs are already operational or have begun payments, while others are still in rulemaking, federal approval, or report-preparation stages. Senators asked about timing, funding reversion concerns, and whether appropriated dollars would be spent on schedule, especially for behavioral health teaching hospitals and the new birth center category. The Department of Health then reported on practitioner licensure and public health programs. MQA described implementation of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, the Mobile Act licensure pathway, massage therapy enforcement changes, background screening expansion, liposuction safety requirements, pharmacist HIV post-exposure prophylaxis authority, and chiropractic dry needling. Public health staff updated the committee on FRAME and dental loan repayment, the Sinati screening grant program, the cancer research and innovation changes, the health care innovation council and loan program, the pediatric rare disease grant program, telehealth maternity care expansion, newborn screening for congenital CMV, the sickle cell registry and grants, and the swimming lesson voucher program. Members focused questions on how practitioners were being recruited to underserved areas, the pace of licensure approvals, and whether new programs were on track to use appropriated funds. The committee also heard a lengthy update from the Office of Medical Marijuana Use. The director reported more than 900,000 qualified patients, real-time seed-to-sale tracking now integrated across most dispensaries and labs, and ongoing compliance work on product testing, advertising, diversion, and patient safety. Senators questioned the decline in qualified physicians, how THC potency is labeled and verified, and what the agency can do about diversion to non-patients. The director said the office relies on complaints, inspections, lab audits, and coordination with law enforcement, and that patients can be suspended if violations are confirmed.

Transcript Highlights:

• This act shall apply only to consumer protection and disclosure practices affecting customers within
• So that's our practice. So you're already doing that? That's how we do it, yes, sir.
• It sounds—I'm not sure their practice, but it sounds like it. That's their practice. Okay.
• It sounds—I'm not sure their practice, but it sounds like it. That's their practice. Okay.
• Amendment 23 clarifies that a violation of proposed law is a deceptive and unfair trade practice.

Bills: HB471 , HB798 , HB947 , HB1140 , HB1186 , HB1195 , HB1222

Committees: House Commerce , House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Keywords: surveillance, price discrimination, consumer protection, automated decision systems, data privacy, broadband, cable service, price increase, notification, digital assets, abandonment, custodian, escheatment, blockchain, cryptocurrency, unclaimed property, state treasurer, telecommunications, spoofing, call authentication

Transcript Highlights:

• The financial risk of practicing here in New Mexico is real, and for many physicians, it is a deciding
• And support a fair practice environment at the same time. Thank you. Thank you.
• So if you had assets related to a practice that were registered under an LLC or an S-Corp or a C-Corp
• So if you had assets related to a practice that were registered under an LLC or an S-Corp or a C-Corp
• It doesn't change how medicine is practiced.

Bills: HB195 , HB279 , SB30 , HB234 , HB292 , SB100 , SB23 , SB221 , SB261 , SB264

Committee: House House Judiciary

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 195, which would protect the personal assets of certain health care providers from collection in medical malpractice judgments. Supporters said the bill would help recruit and retain physicians, especially in high-liability fields like obstetrics, while opponents argued broader malpractice reform should focus on insurance and legal representation. Members discussed whether the bill’s definition of “independent provider” matched existing law, and the committee adopted a friendly amendment to add osteopathic physician. HB 195 then passed on a 9-0 vote. The committee then heard House Bill 279, a health care privacy and safety measure for reproductive and gender-affirming care. The sponsor said it would strengthen protections for sensitive health information, limit geofencing around clinics, allow providers to keep personal addresses confidential, and remove provider names from medication abortion packaging. Supporters framed it as a privacy and safety bill; opponents said it would weaken parental access, create confusion for emergency physicians, and shield abortion access. After extensive questions about HIPAA, emergency care, and data collection, the bill passed 6-3. Senate Bill 30, which would repeal the requirement that induced abortions be reported to the state registrar, drew similar testimony. The sponsor and supporters argued the reporting requirement is outdated, medically unnecessary, and exposes providers to surveillance and possible out-of-state targeting; opponents said the data supports transparency and public health oversight. Members questioned what data would be lost and how the state currently uses the reports. SB 30 passed 6-3. The committee also heard House Bill 234 on fentanyl definitions, with law enforcement and business groups supporting clearer criminal penalties; members and the sponsor worked through possible amendment language to better align the bill with existing controlled-substance definitions, and the discussion was continued for a revised draft. Finally, House Bill 292, the New Mexico Prison Rape Elimination Act, received broad support from advocacy groups and passed the committee substitute 7-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• Patients then face aggressive billing and collection practices for the health care they need.
• Our courts are set up right now to do a practical result.
• The bill also imposes enormous practical burdens and expenses.
• These stronger guardrails will ensure positive changes in practice.
• And that's not practical.

Summary: The committee began with Senate Bill 5962 on spring blade knives, first suspending the five-day notice requirement. Staff explained the bill would remove spring blade knives from the list of dangerous weapons while keeping restrictions on carrying them in schools, child care, and other protected locations. Proponents, including Knife Rights and the prime sponsor Sen. T’wina Nobles, described the measure as a modernization and cleanup bill that would reduce confusion and support lawful use and manufacturing; one testifier strongly objected to the bill’s added location-based restrictions. Public testimony was overwhelmingly in support, and the hearing then moved on without a vote. Senate Bill 6105 would raise the wage exemption from garnishment for medical debt judgments from 30 to 60 times the state minimum wage, while keeping the 80% disposable earnings exemption and adding notice requirements identifying the debt as medical. Sen. Marko Liias said the bill is intended to protect low-wage workers from severe financial hardship and reduce incentives to work off the books. Supporters from patient, consumer, AARP, and anti-poverty groups said medical debt is often unexpected and garnishment can destabilize families; opponents from collectors and trade groups argued the bill was too broad, lacked stakeholder input, could hurt providers, and should define medical debt more clearly. The hearing closed with no action taken. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6203, which would clarify that out-of-state convictions can include foreign-country convictions for offender scoring if obtained with sufficient due process safeguards. The sponsor, Sen. Matt Boehnke, said the bill closes a gap in sentencing law; prosecutors supported the concept and suggested simplifying the language, while the Sentencing Guidelines Commission, defense attorneys, and public defense opposed it, citing undefined standards, difficulty verifying foreign convictions, and due process concerns. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6296 on involuntary treatment, which would expand who may petition for detention, change rules for assisted outpatient treatment and police assistance, require firearm surrender compliance procedures, and make other ITA changes. The sponsor and several providers and family members supported the bill as a needed modernization, while DCRs, disability advocates, behavioral health organizations, hospitals, and others raised concerns about due process, implementation, rural transport, capacity, and unintended consequences. No votes were taken on either bill during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we want to do all this in Washington before these unfair practices become the norm.
• And so we want to do all this in Washington before these unfair practices become the norm.
• I don't see any reason why this would interfere with that practice.
• I don't see any reason why this would interfere with that practice.
• You say, hey, we want our practices to be, for the day at least, the prices have to stay the same.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2325, which would create a tourism self-supported assessment program to fund statewide tourism promotion. Staff explained that the bill would let the Washington Tourism Marketing Authority develop and administer an assessment program overseen by a 10-member ratepayer board, subject to a referendum of affected businesses, and would add a public records exemption for business financial and commercial information. The prime sponsor and supporters from State of Washington Tourism, the hospitality industry, the Port of Seattle, breweries, and wine interests argued that Washington is underinvesting in tourism compared with other states and that an industry-led assessment would provide sustainable, competitive funding. Opposition testimony from a taxpayer group objected to new assessments and unelected authority over tax-like charges. No vote was taken on the bill in the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 2481, which would prohibit surveillance-based price discrimination and surge pricing for certain retail goods, require clear price posting, and temporarily bar electronic shelf labels in larger grocery stores while Commerce studies their effects. The sponsor said the bill is intended to ensure that customers in the same store pay the same price and to prevent AI-driven pricing based on personal data. Labor, privacy, and consumer advocates supported the bill, citing concerns about hidden price discrimination, worker stress, and consumer harm. Grocery and retail groups, along with an ESL manufacturer and a tech association, opposed the bill as written, warning that the definitions were too broad and could interfere with loyalty programs, discounts, inventory management, and electronic shelf label systems; several said they were working with the sponsor on amendments. The chair indicated amendments were expected and asked stakeholders to submit language soon, but no vote occurred. Finally, the committee opened House Bill 2503, which would require developers of generative AI systems to post high-level documentation about training data before public release and make violations a Consumer Protection Act issue. The sponsor described the bill as a transparency measure meant to function like an ingredients label for AI, helping consumers, researchers, and creators understand what goes into a model. Supporters from TechNet and Chamber of Progress said they generally backed the concept but wanted the bill aligned more closely with California’s recent law, especially on enforcement and the private right of action. Members raised questions about trade secrets, applicability to large versus small developers, and whether the bill could affect medical or other specialized AI uses; the sponsor said amendments were anticipated and that the bill was still early in the process. The hearing on HB 2503 then moved to public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am with the Foundation as the Senior Fellow for Health Care, and I have my own practice here locally
• So the question is in practice, in the pragmatic world of a caseworker in a house: first of all, how
• I practice in Galveston. We wholly support HB 2070.
• Into the bloodstream is a medical act as defined by the Medical Practice Act.
• Practicing naked.

Bills: HB 1106 , HB3284 , HB541 , HB713 , HB1403 , HB1586 , HB1942 , HB2070 , HB2844 , HB2851 , HB3151 , HB3749 , HB3940 , HB3963 , HB4454 , HB4466 , HB4795 , HB5154 , HB5394 , SB1357 , HB 1052 , HB4099 , HB4638 , HB5147

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh and it scope of practice for PAS.
• </c> was already sort of standard practice. was already sort of standard practice.
• I've been actively practicing at the Department of Labor since the fall of 1997.
• </c> employer, but I'm I'm a practicing employer, but I'm I'm a practicing attorney.<03:24:32.000><c>
• </c> degree in um or licensing to practice degree in um or licensing to practice chiropractic<04:26:14.880

Committee: House Executive Departments and Administration