Transcript Highlights:

• and the fiscal impact have been estimated at $244,000, with about half of that coming from federal funds
• This bill would create a revolving fund that could save money. I will provide a financial scenario.
• I'm not asking for any money to be put into this fund.
• It's up to the agencies and, as you know, the agencies have already put in their budget request.
• services and PACE would be put into a revolving fund.

Bills: HB3390, HB4199, HB4407, HB4412

Keywords: home care, community services, Oklahoma Department of Human Services, rating system, inspection reports, substantiated complaints, agency oversight, child care, workforce, pilot program, affordable care, income eligibility, long-term care, revolving fund, options counseling, funding, consultation services, Medicaid, community-based services, seniors

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> challenges today and funding is limited. challenges today and funding is limited.
• </c> funding and and it really saddens me. funding and and it really saddens me.
• It had funding that has been funding.
• </c> significant difference in funding. significant difference in funding.
• </c> million left over in the housing fund. million left over in the housing fund.

Bills: HF4893

Keywords: education finance, student support, aid allowances, appropriation, school funding, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> sure those funds can get out the door. sure those funds can get out the door.
• Uh $20,000 funding.
• are not new funds, but they are just adding funds to an existing account.
• </c><00:17:31.400><c> are</c> subdivision one funds are subdivision one funds are um<00:17:32.760><c>
• </c> find the funding. find the funding. Representative<00:19:24.000><c> Smith.

Bills: HF3548

Keywords: farm assistance, down payment, agriculture, state funding, loan modification, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• These both flow into what we call the Marijuana Regulation Fund.
• This 15% of the fund goes to what is called the Cannabis Social Equity Fund.
• It’s a separate fund.
• This 15% of the fund goes to what is called the cannabis social equity fund.
• It's a separate fund, and it was actually established in the 2022 cannabis equity bill.

Bills: H5005

Keywords: environment, water conservation, natural resources, public funding, environmental justice, 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• $8 an administrative fee, and $17 is a donation to the Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund
• We are woefully way behind when it comes to the funding game, as I'm sure you're aware.
• And this is one of those great ideas, Some dollars for our Aerospace and Innovation Fund.
• So I have a request to speak more into the microphone. Okay.
• So I have a request to speak more into the microphone.

Bills: SB1020

Keywords: special plates, Arizona Space Commission, transportation, funding, space exploration, 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We passed statewide tourism funding this year for the first time in a long time, and I'm excited about
• using the experience of our tourism councils across the state as well as this new, you know, newly funded
• representative die thank you senator lias for coming and visiting us we passed a statewide tourism funding
• state as well as this new you know newly councils across the state as well as this new you know newly funded
• need this support and stability and assurances as they're filling gaps between state and federal funding

Bills: SB6313

Keywords: Capitol Centennial Stewardship, funding, gifts, grants, donations, legislative support, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is no General Fund impact and $19,000 total funds.
• near general fund.
• fund source.
• There is no general fund impact and $19,000 total funds.
• in total funds.

Bills: SB5998

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To highlight that point, last week you received a bipartisan letter of support for this funding request
• To highlight that point, last week you received a bipartisan letter of support for this funding request
• I request to straightforwardly fully fund our compensation and maintain the Running Start cap at 1.4,
• budget, which was provided by Mottka dollars, and I'm here to request that those funds be restored.
• I want to thank you for including most of our funding requests in your budget.

Bills: SB5998

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Funding to pay for principal and interest of those bonds are appropriated from the state general fund
• Funding to pay for principal and interest of those bonds are appropriated from the state general fund
• And there's a human cost to this when funding is unstable.
• When funding is uncertain, researchers understandably hesitate.
• My own funding was cut last year.

Bills: SB6321, SGA9245, SGA9247, SGA9250, SGA9252, SGA9253, SGA9254, SGA9259, SGA9260, SGA9261, SGA9262

Keywords: scientific research, innovation, economic growth, Washington Institute, public funding, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The funds in the account must be distributed 80% to fund grants under the Public Media Broadcaster Program
• the two programs, and the account cannot be used to replace funds from the general fund.
• We need community radio funded, and we also need PBS funded. So thank you for letting me speak.
• , continued funding of this program.
• Do you need more funding for that?

Bills: HB2579

Keywords: public media, digital equity, funding, media access, communication technology, 904, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2579, which would create a Public Media Broadcaster Program and a Digital Equity Program funded by a 20-cent-per-line monthly tax on wireless, VOIP, and landline services. Committee staff explained that 80% of the revenue would go to public media grants and 20% to digital equity grants, with a small administrative set-aside. The prime sponsor, Rep. Chris Stearns, and many supporters argued that public radio, PBS, and community media provide essential local news, emergency alerts, music, education, and community connection, especially as federal support declines. Supporters included public media leaders, community media producers, digital equity advocates, a student, and faith-based and civic representatives, who emphasized access for rural communities, youth training, multilingual outreach, and emergency communications. Opponents from CTIA and Washington Citizens Against Unfair Taxes argued the bill would add a regressive burden to already high wireless taxes and criticized the proposal as another tax increase; CTIA also offered to provide comparative state tax data. The hearing closed without a vote on the bill. The committee then received a cybersecurity briefing from state emergency management and technology officials on critical infrastructure protection. Presenters described Washington’s current layered cybersecurity model across state agencies, the Fusion Center, the Military Department, and local and private partners, and said threats are increasingly sophisticated due to ransomware, supply-chain attacks, zero-day exploits, and AI-enabled phishing. They highlighted the state and local cybersecurity grant program, the need for better real-time threat monitoring and intelligence sharing, and a planned volunteer cyber incident response team under the emergency worker program. Members asked about the most vulnerable sectors, motivations behind attacks, and whether the legislature should act on the proposed shared-intelligence model; officials said the main gap is real-time visibility across participating networks and that the model would require significant future investment, but no immediate legislative request was made. The committee also heard an update on the December 2025 flooding response. Emergency management officials said severe atmospheric rivers caused widespread flooding, landslides, wind damage, power outages, evacuations, rescues, and damage to homes, roads, levees, water systems, and agriculture. They credited mitigation investments, floodplain restoration, and prior state staffing increases for reducing damage, and said state and federal agencies coordinated evacuations, rescues, alerts, and disaster assistance. Officials noted ongoing needs for statewide alerting and evacuation systems, multilingual alerting, search-and-rescue coordination, and more funding for state individual assistance and mitigation. Members asked about a statewide alert system, funding needs, and private losses; staff said a statewide integrated platform would improve coordination but would require ongoing appropriations. Finally, the committee received a wildfire resilience update. Presenters said more than 2.3 million acres burned statewide from 2020 to 2025, with wildfire now treated as a recurring statewide hazard rather than an episodic event. They described roles for Emergency Management, the Insurance Commissioner, Commerce’s energy resilience office, and the Department of Natural Resources in prevention, response, recovery, insurance resilience, grid hardening, and forest management. DNR officials highlighted fuels reduction, firefighter training, interagency coordination, AI-enabled detection cameras, aircraft with LiDAR and infrared, and a common operating picture that shares fire data with local responders. They also discussed a legislature-directed statewide wildfire hazard and risk mapping effort and broader community resilience measures such as home hardening and evacuation planning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Missing from the governor's budget, however, is a $30 million emergency funding request we made to scale
• We respectfully request that you restore the DRC funding to the level intended by the legislature and
• We know this at the Arc because budget writers often struggle to fund our request and stabilize care
• Of our two requests to the governor's budget, an operating request for our collections database was funded
• Our other request for a tribal liaison position was not funded.

Bills: SB5998

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses, 904, all

Summary: The Senate Ways and Means Committee heard an overview of Governor Ferguson’s 2026 supplemental budget from OFM Director Katie Chapman See. She said the budget was built in response to higher caseloads and inflation, a $390 million revenue decline, federal changes tied to H.R. 1, and a relatively small ending fund balance. The proposal prioritizes core services, affordability, and limited targeted responses to federal policy impacts. It includes about $1.1 billion in new near-general-fund spending, about $800 million in reductions, revenue shifts and tax preference changes, use of other funds, and about $1 billion from the budget stabilization account. She also noted the budget is balanced over two years but not fully over four years. Chapman See highlighted major reductions in child care, long-term care, developmental disabilities, higher education, K-12 support programs, and administrative costs, alongside increases for wildfire preparedness and suppression, health care subsidies, housing-related work, energy assistance, One Washington IT replacement, and some education and public safety items. She also described about $155 million in costs tied to H.R. 1, including SNAP and Medicaid system changes and food assistance impacts, and said the budget would close or modify several tax preferences, including data center and prescription drug wholesaler preferences. In response to questions, she said some spending was classified as “non-mandatory but necessary” based on the governor’s judgment, that Working Connections Child Care reductions would rely on attrition rather than cutting current families, and that the budget assumes future changes to developmental disability eligibility and maintains services for some clients affected by federal immigration-related eligibility losses. Statewide officials and advocates then testified. Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove urged full wildfire-prevention funding, saying the governor’s proposal falls short of the legislature’s prior commitment. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs objected to fund sweeps from his office, warning they would hinder cybersecurity and election-related needs. Public testimony on K-12 education was overwhelmingly opposed to the budget’s cuts to transition to kindergarten, local effort assistance, Running Start, and other programs, while some witnesses supported restoring funding for Ninth Grade Success, Graduation Success for foster youth, and homeless student supports. Higher education witnesses from community colleges and universities opposed across-the-board cuts and higher self-insurance costs, warning of reduced course offerings, staffing cuts, and harm to access and workforce training. Several speakers also criticized the proposed shift of Climate Commitment Act funds and urged new progressive revenue, including a millionaire’s tax, to avoid deeper cuts.

Transcript Highlights:

• of referred business at a public meeting held immediately upon recess today, notwithstanding any requests

Bills: SB 2, SB 5, SB 10

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting

Bills: SB2, SB5, SB10

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting

Bills: HB17, HB23, SB10

Keywords: property tax, school funding, enrollment changes, inflation adjustment, tax rate notice

Bills: SB2, SB5

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting

Transcript Highlights:

• Funding streams that we made adjustments to were able to fund the unemployment insurance for our hourly
• We were able to maintain the intended use funds for our Funds for Student Support Personnel Aid for our
• Litigation costs at $4 million instead of their state funding, 6 million dollars requested.
• We also captured 2 million of MDE funds that would have been canceled back to the general fund.
• This is a per-pupil funding stream that districts will receive that is as flexible as general ed funds

Bills: HF1049

Keywords: school library aid, education finance, school districts, charter schools, funding eligibility

Transcript Highlights:

• Only 56 are funded with the money that has been set aside for this program since its inception, which
• I will comment that the local funding requirement has been met. Uh, thank you.
• I'm testifying on behalf of Metrocare, which is one of the providers funded by TVFA.
• We support HB 19 lowering the match requirement for TBFA funding.
• I'm pleased to share with you a recent example of how we're using the grant funds.

Bills: HB101

Keywords: voter approval, local tax, disaster declaration, tax rate increases, community funding

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Bill provided MMB uh sustainable funding Bill provided MMB uh sustainable funding in<00:16:20.800
• The next three requests are actually reductions that create savings in the general fund.
• </c> funding and then this that that funding funding and then this that that funding this<01:17:44.360
• I have requested that fiscal note.
• A roll call has been requested. Chair Nash: Means a roll call has been requested.

Bills: HF10

Keywords: undocumented immigrants, state funding, MinnesotaCare, scholarship ineligibility, state assistance, 1183, house

Bills: SB 26

Keywords: teacher compensation, education funding, public school educators, teacher retention, teacher designation

Transcript Highlights:

• and often unstable federal funding.
• The training requirement is subject to funding and is null and void if funding is not provided.
• And in this case... ...education be the paramount duty, funded appropriately, and in this case fund your
• I would also like to add that last year, OSPI quite correctly fully funded it out of state funds, not
• Thank you very much. ...funded out of state funds, not levy.

Bills: SB5901, SB5860, SB5956, SB5574, SB5922, SB5858

Keywords: school construction, school facilities, capital budget, school plant project, state funding assistance, school construction assistance program, on-base schools, military base, Department of Defense school, military families, public school facilities, instructional space, Superintendent of Public Instruction, SIP, school district capital funding, school housing burden, rapid growth, enrollment growth, free and reduced-price meals, alternative learning experience

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 5901, which would change the school construction assistance program so that instructional space on military bases is excluded from a district’s available space inventory when calculating state construction aid. Staff said the bill would help districts such as Clover Park and Medical Lake, where on-base schools can reduce eligibility for state funding even though that space is not available to the broader district. Senator Christian and supporters from OSPI and the affected districts said the measure would prevent local taxpayers from bearing extra costs and could unlock significant renovation funding; no opposition was presented during the hearing. The committee then held an executive session on two bills. Senate Bill 5922, concerning transfers from transportation vehicle funds when districts reduce their fleets, was recommended “do pass” to the Rules Committee. Senate Bill 585, concerning pupil transportation safety net awards for excess costs serving special passengers, was recommended “do pass” to the Ways and Means Committee. Both motions passed by voice vote subject to signatures. Next, the committee heard Senate Bill 5860 on school board compensation and training. The bill would raise director pay from $50 to $100 per day, increase the annual cap, allow child care costs to be reimbursed for meeting attendance, require periodic review of compensation levels, and direct WASDA to provide fiscal and finance training for directors. Supporters argued the current compensation is outdated and that higher pay and child care support would broaden participation and improve board diversity; opponents and some testifiers raised concerns about using levy funds, the added cost, and whether the training should be mandatory, while others said financial training is important for board oversight. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 5956 on artificial intelligence, student discipline, and surveillance, and Senate Bill 5574 on instruction in Asian American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latino American, and Black American history. SB 5956 would bar schools from using automated decision systems or surveillance technology as the sole basis for discipline or risk scoring, limit biometric and law-enforcement data sharing, and require updated OSPI guidance and a WSSDA model policy; testimony largely supported guardrails to prevent bias and misuse. SB 5574’s substitute would require districts to include those histories in required social studies courses on a timeline tied to the state standards review cycle, with annual reporting beginning in 2030; many educators, students, and community members testified in support, saying the bill would make curriculum more complete, reduce bullying and exclusion, and better reflect Washington’s diverse communities.