Transcript Highlights:

• that I sent everybody along with that from the National Conference of State Legislatures, there's data
• B, where it refers to all trial data, including negative results and effects for any program drug.
• data and actually build the report out that we need.
• This will be a very large data set, and if it's just unanalyzed data, it probably won't be helpful to
• This will be a very large data set, and if it's just unanalyzed data, it probably won't be helpful to

Committee: House Human Services

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up the final bill on its agenda, Senate Bill 2370, which had been converted into a 340B drug transparency measure tied to insulin and broader prescription drug pricing issues. Representative Hendrix outlined the latest bill draft, explaining that it would require reporting by covered entities, contract pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, drug manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers, and health insurers, with confidentiality protections, civil penalties, and staggered effective dates. He also noted unresolved questions about the scope of required reporting, possible overlap with federal reporting, and whether the Insurance Department would need a consultant to analyze the data. Representative Dobervich then proposed an alternative amendment that would replace the bill language with a Legislative Management study on 340B transparency reporting during the 2025-26 interim. Her proposal would remove the detailed reporting mandates and instead direct a study of what information should be collected, how it should be used, who should receive it, staffing or contracted support needs, and stakeholder input from hospitals, pharmacies, FQHCs, rural health, state agencies, insurers, and manufacturers. Members discussed germaneness, the late-stage nature of the changes, and whether the issue had been adequately heard, while the Insurance Department testified that it had not previously studied 340B-specific data but supported transparency and could see value in either a study or reporting approach. The committee first adopted the Hendrix amendment by a vote of 8-5, then voted on a do not pass motion on the amended bill, which passed 7-6. Representative Frelich was selected to carry the bill. The chair then adjourned the committee for the last time and reminded members about the committee dinner.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, sir. for getting that data into your system? Yes, sir.
• So all the data input is 100% done at the local school level. So it depends.
• All the data input is at the local school level. level. All the data input is at the local level.
• But it did not happen to us, so they didn't hack our data. to us. So they didn't hack our data.
• data is part of that big thing, but we didn't get hacked.

Bills: HB315 , HB152 , HB205 , SB184 , SB209 , HB309 , SB280 , SB267

Committee: Senate Finance and Taxation Education

Keywords: sales tax, local exemption, Consumer Price Index, tax holiday, clothing tax exemption, school supplies, sales tax exemption, baby supplies, baby formula, maternity clothing, menstrual hygiene products, use tax, exemption, tax conformity, tangible personal property, Alabama Department of Revenue, retail tax, consumer use tax, nonresident, religious publications

Transcript Highlights:

• But a lot of that part-time data is also flawed, and we're going to have flawed data that leads to taxes
• They would revise the definitions of data broker and de-identified data, define processor and sale, and
• broker or data collector.
• brokers or data collectors.
• Mackey said, these fees are quite exorbitant, and up to a $1.5 million data broker or data collection

Committee: Senate Senate Budget and Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• OICR is in the middle of developing a data dashboard, a statewide data dashboard that will include county-by-county
• integration of data.
• We wouldn't have access to timely data.
• So it sounds like we're going to focus on global health data versus in-house health data?
• Data is the lifeblood of public health.

Transcript Highlights:

• It was simply to recognize that we have data.
• But that data sharing is important.
• would suggest because the data is not reliable.
• So I'm not going to get into too many data points on that, although I do have all the DOH data.
• I'm not sure that, and I know you didn't mean that as actual data. I don't have that data.

Committees: Senate Senate Judiciary , Senate House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• Local governments like mine need real data to address risk before someone is seriously hurt.
• Not only outdated, but the data being collected and what is happening in the field do not match up.
• and the way that data is utilized is very strict.
• So, we don't want any of that data to go out where it shouldn't be.
• The data shows a clear pattern.

Bills: S0382 , S0628 , S0654 , S0696 , S0880

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

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development met with a quorum and considered five bills, all of which were reported favorably. First, SB 628 designated a portion of South Navy Boulevard in Pensacola as “Warrior Sacrifice Way” to honor Ensign Joshua Watson, Petty Officer Muhammad Hatham, and Cameron Walters, who were killed in the 2019 Naval Air Station Pensacola attack. Senators spoke in support, emphasizing remembrance and support for the families. The committee then heard CS/SB 382 on electric bicycles and scooters. The bill would require riders on shared pathways to yield to pedestrians, sound an audible signal before passing, and limit speed near pedestrians, while creating an e-bike safety task force and reporting requirements. Law enforcement, local officials, and school board representatives supported the bill and described safety concerns and data gaps, while several senators raised questions about enforcement and asked that e-scooters be addressed more explicitly. The bill was reported favorably. Members also approved SB 880, creating a Miami Northwestern Alumni Association specialty license plate to fund scholarships and school programs, and SB 696, which allows online trademark registration applications and updates Florida’s trademark classification and verification procedures. Finally, the committee took up CS/CS/SB 654 on traffic infraction enforcement cameras for red light, school zone speeding, and school bus violations. The bill and an amendment added guardrails on data use, hearings, reporting, signage, and contract limits; senators raised concerns about privacy, surveillance, and school zone enforcement, and a Hillsborough County sheriff’s representative testified that all-day school zone enforcement has improved safety. All measures were reported favorably, and the committee adjourned after recording additional affirmative votes on SB 628 from Senators Martin and Smith.

Transcript Highlights:

• Data. Morning. Okay. Okay, Mr.
• a data center to a third party.
• But do we have that data?
• So we do have the data.
• Data migration and Tynet migration. So the core data migration is pretty much done.

Committee: Joint Information Technology Committee

Summary: The Information Technology Committee approved the March 26 minutes and received a series of reports from NDIT on major IT projects, the annual report, mainframe modernization, and cybersecurity services. The project portfolio was reported at 116 major projects with a baseline cost of $546 million, overall under budget but modestly behind schedule. Several projects that had been in variance status last quarter were said to have closed, including HHS bed management, vital records modernization, and DOT roadway capital planning. New startup reports were mostly HHS efforts tied to refugee data management, technical debt cleanup, and legacy application decommissioning, while closeouts included HHS, OMB, DPI, and DOT projects with mixed budget and schedule results. In the annual report discussion, NDIT described its service-fund financials, peer-state rate comparisons, records management reporting, and customer satisfaction efforts. Members asked about how revenues and grants flow through the service fund, how NDIT charges agencies for services, and whether customer satisfaction or CSAT scores are tracked and could be reported more regularly. NDIT said it does track service-team CSAT and survey data, and committee members encouraged more regular reporting of those metrics. The committee also discussed application portfolio management, statewide IT planning, and whether agencies should slow new system replacements while the state pursues an ERP system. The mainframe update focused on the state’s ongoing effort to retire legacy systems by about 2030. NDIT and HHS said the work is being managed as a tech-debt program, but progress is slowed by data cleanup, integration complexity, staff retirements, vendor capacity, and federal requirements. Members asked whether there is a coordinated commitment and whether additional vendor support or consultants are needed; NDIT said it is working jointly with HHS and is seeking an RFP to help accelerate modernization. The cybersecurity presentation then shifted to statewide maturity assessments and services. NDIT said it provides endpoint protection, vulnerability scanning, security awareness training, threat briefings, and penetration testing, and that assessments are based on CIS controls. Members raised concerns about low participation in the self-assessment process, the lack of mandatory reporting or audit authority, and whether insurance incentives through Enderf or possible State Auditor involvement could improve compliance. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I have a larger concern about our children's data and everybody's data that I think health care data
• , their personal data and their health care data.
• And there is data out there.
• And some of that data is the broad data.
• The data.

Summary: The House first established a quorum after a quorum call and welcomed special guests, including the Freedom of the Road motorcycle riders and students from Warsaw High School. It then took up House Committee Substitute for House Bill 1855, a reporting bill on Alpha-Gal syndrome. The bill sponsor described the condition as a serious tick-borne allergy that has affected his family and many Missourians, arguing that Missouri needs mandatory reporting and surveillance data to identify hotspots, guide public health outreach, and support research and funding. Supporters from both parties said the bill would improve awareness and data collection, while one member raised concerns about the fiscal note and whether the state would get useful information for the cost. The chamber adopted Amendment 1 to HB 1855, changing the follow-up language from “may” to “shall,” but rejected Amendment 2, which would have required patient consent before lab results were reported into the surveillance system. Opponents of the consent amendment said it would undermine disease surveillance and set a bad precedent for other reportable conditions; supporters argued for privacy and individual choice. After debate, the House adopted the committee substitute as amended and ordered it perfected and printed. The House then considered House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2230 and 2978, a K-5 education measure addressing screen time, cursive, and handwriting. The sponsor said the bill responds to research and parent/teacher concerns about excessive screen use, poor literacy outcomes, and mental health effects, and would create a state focus group to review evidence and make recommendations while leaving districts flexibility. Members discussed carve-outs for special education, English language learners, and virtual school, and adopted an amendment excluding the virtual school program. The House then adopted the substitute as amended and ordered it perfected and printed. Finally, the House took up House Bill 2355, the “Food is Medicine” initiative, which would allow Missouri to use federal funds through 1115 waivers for pilot programs such as medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions, nutrition education, and related supports. Supporters said the program could improve health outcomes, reduce Medicaid spending, and help address food deserts. An amendment adding vitamin therapies and updating a date drew discussion over supplement safety and regulation, but the transcript cuts off before a final vote on that amendment or the bill itself.

Transcript Highlights:

• But do we have data of those that have been... ...being shared, but do we have data of those that have
• We will be getting data from the health plans in the fall of 2027 with the 2026 data, analyzing it.
• with data.
• with data.
• I would say on the interoperability or data exchange...

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Senate and Assembly Health Committees focused on the “cost of uncertainty” in health coverage, access, and affordability amid federal policy changes. Opening remarks from committee leaders and members emphasized that California’s gains under the Affordable Care Act and Health for All policies—high coverage rates, consumer protections, and lower uninsured rates—are now threatened by federal rollbacks, including the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits and H.R. 1. Members repeatedly cited rising premiums, skipped care, medical debt, and the risk of coverage losses, especially for low-income Californians, workers, seniors, and immigrant communities. The first panel featured federal policy and state implementation experts, including Don Joyce, Jessica Altman of Covered California, and Elizabeth Lansberg of HCAI’s Office of Health Care Affordability. Testimony described the ACA’s coverage expansions and the current federal threats: shorter open enrollment, more verification requirements, loss of enhanced subsidies, and changes affecting immigrants and preventive coverage. Covered California reported that average monthly premiums could nearly double without the subsidies, new enrollment is down sharply, and more consumers are shifting into bronze plans with higher deductibles. HCAI explained its affordability strategy through spending targets, consolidation review, and primary care investment, while members asked about the impact of federal cuts on provider taxes, uncompensated care, and whether California can sustain coverage without new revenue. The second panel, with UC Berkeley Labor Center’s Miranda Dietz and California Health Care Foundation’s Christoph Stremikis, broadened the discussion to statewide cost drivers and consumer impacts. They highlighted that more than half of Californians under 65 rely on job-based coverage, yet premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs have risen faster than wages. They also pointed to medical debt, administrative waste, market consolidation, and underinvestment in primary care as major drivers of unaffordability. Members asked about the 25% of health spending that does not improve patient care, the role of fraud versus administrative friction, the effect of cost growth targets on workers, and the need for preventive care and possible revenue solutions. The hearing then moved to a third panel on human impacts, beginning with testimony from a Central Valley promotora describing how families are choosing lower-tier coverage, struggling with diabetes care, and facing higher premiums after subsidy losses.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 93 is all about ensuring data centers operate responsibly, AB 93 is all about ensuring data centers
• Climate change is only making that pressure worse, and then you add AI data centers, or data centers
• Climate change is only making that pressure worse, and then you add AI data centers, or data centers
• And then third, I think most importantly, data centers... ...and decrease the water usage of these data
• In a report out of the world's largest data center market, Virginia, it was found that data center water

Committee: House Local Government

Summary: The Assembly Local Government Committee heard a long slate of bills, with the chair opening by outlining hearing rules, noting in-person testimony only, and identifying several bills for the consent calendar. The committee repeatedly operated without a quorum for much of the hearing, so several authors closed with requests for aye votes before formal action could be taken. AB 407 (Jackson) was heard first and would broaden eligibility in state loan and financing programs to help small businesses fund environmental, seismic, and ADA upgrades; it drew support from the Treasurer’s office and no opposition. AB 93 (Papan) would require state and local agencies to develop best practices and reporting around data center water use; supporters emphasized water scarcity and transparency, while the Data Center Coalition opposed it as overly restrictive and potentially burdensome. The League of California Cities and water agencies were generally supportive or neutral with amendments. The committee also heard several housing-related bills. AB 650 (Papan) would give cities earlier RHNA information and require HCD to provide clearer, more actionable housing element feedback; it received broad support from cities, planning groups, and housing advocates, with no opposition. AB 507 (Haney) would streamline adaptive reuse of office buildings into housing, especially in downtowns, and AB 1294 (Haney) would create a more standardized housing application process; both drew strong support from housing and business groups, while local government groups raised concerns about one-size-fits-all mandates and local discretion. AB 610 (Alvarez) would strengthen housing element transparency and limit new local housing constraints and fees after certification; supporters said it would improve certainty, while legal aid and city groups opposed it as too rigid and potentially harmful to inclusionary housing and local fee authority. AB 610 ultimately received a 7-0 do-pass recommendation to Appropriations. Other measures included AB 1044 (Macedo), which would create a new groundwater sustainability agency structure for Tulare County to help the region comply with SGMA; it was backed by county and agricultural water representatives and had no opposition. AB 523 (Irwin) would allow proxy voting for single-representative member agencies on the Metropolitan Water District board, with support from several water districts and no opposition. AB 1112 (Wallace) would repeal an outdated property tax carve-out affecting Rancho Mirage; the city supported it as restoring equity, and the committee called the roll after reaching quorum, then moved the bill do pass as amended to Appropriations by a 6-0 vote with the roll left open. Finally, AB 698 (Wicks) would require analysis of the housing, market-rate, and property tax impacts before a local transfer tax is adopted; supporters said it would inform local decision-making, while opponents, including a coalition tied to Los Angeles’ Measure ULA, argued it could undermine local revenue tools and housing funding. The committee discussed that the bill was forward-looking and not retroactive, and then moved it forward as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• That data creates a honeypot for hackers and puts Hawaiians' data at risk.
• ,</c> that way you already have this data, that way you already have this data, which<00:47:51.040><c
• So, they have this framework where the laws regulate how you collect data, protect data, and sell data
• <c> data.
• </c> collect data, protect data, sell data. collect data, protect data, sell data.

Bills: SB2433 , SB2047 , SB2425 , SB3045 , SB2761 , SB3001 , SB2852 , SB2471

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Commerce

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 2433 SD1 relating to condominiums, which would direct the condominium education trust fund toward educational resources for unit owners and require the Real Estate Commission to ensure owners’ interests are represented in funded activities and related rulemaking. Supporters, including the Hawaii Real Estate Commission and a condominium owner advocate, said owners need a seat at the table in condo governance and education efforts. Committee discussion focused on whether the bill was necessary, with the Real Estate Commission indicating it could already use the trust fund for owner education and that owners are already considered stakeholders, though not through a specific commission seat. No vote was taken during the excerpted discussion. The committee then took up SB 2047 SD2 HD1 on pharmacy benefit managers, which would set requirements for maximum allowable cost reimbursement, allow reverse-and-rebill claims after successful appeals, and authorize fines for violations. The Insurance Division offered comments, the Hawaii Pharmacists Association supported the measure with amendments and suggested future PBM reform funding, and Kaiser Permanente requested a technical amendment. A committee question raised whether the staffing and resource request for implementation was too large for a bill focused only on MAC pricing, and the witness said he would provide more data to the next committee. No final action was shown. Next was SB 2425 SD2 HD1 on health insurance and substance use disorder treatment, requiring insurers to honor written assignments of benefits to SUD providers and prohibiting anti-assignment clauses. Supporters described patients being unable to access treatment because of high out-of-pocket costs and said direct payment would reduce harm for people in recovery. HMSA opposed the bill but said it would begin direct payments to non-participating SUD facilities effective March 27, while continuing to object to the assignment-of-benefits portion because of fraud and balance-billing concerns; the Hawaii Association of Health Plans also opposed. Members questioned HMSA about reimbursement mechanics and why the bill was needed if coverage policies were already changing. Finally, the committee heard SB 3045 SD1 HD1, which would require coverage of continuous glucose monitors and related supplies, including for Medicaid managed care, under certain conditions. DHS and the Insurance Division offered comments, while SHPDA, Hilo Benioff Medical Center Foundation, and others supported the bill, citing inconsistent access and a case in which a woman allegedly died after being denied a CGM. HMSA said it already covers medically necessary CGMs and had updated its policy in 2025 for type 1 and insulin-dependent patients, but it raised concerns about expanding mandated coverage to type 2 and gestational diabetes and about supply impacts. The committee also discussed whether the bill duplicated existing coverage standards and why it had been introduced repeatedly. No votes or final dispositions were included in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><00:12:23.600><c> data</c><00:12:23.839><c> from</c><00:12:24.000><c> the</c> We look at lensure data
• The LBO also looked at summary data and income data from the Minnesota Department of Revenue and also
• and income data uh from the summary data and income data uh from the Minnesota<00:14:40.720><c> Department
• </c><00:16:20.639><c> from</c> We look at um income summary data from We look at um income summary data
• </c> all available programs given data all available programs given data limitations.<01:07:00.720><c

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• Thought it want to read the data book.
• </c> existing um situations where that data existing um situations where that data is<00:34:37.599><c
• data.
• c> what</c> what your government data uh what what your government data uh what happens<00:38:57.359>
• </c> public policy of how your public's data public policy of how your public's data is<00:39:31.760>

Transcript Highlights:

• UL supported by current graduation data.
• </c><00:52:18.079><c> to</c> students, and we have not seen data to students, and we have not seen data
• </c><00:53:45.440><c> Thank</c> data that we sent to you. Sure. Thank data that we sent to you.
• Um, I did share WKU's data with the committee yesterday, and as you will see from that data, on average
• </c> So I can tell you I have our our data So I can tell you I have our our data right<01:18:39.040><

Committee: House Postsecondary Education

Transcript Highlights:

• customer data from utilities can be data customer data from utilities can be disclo<00:13:47.120><c>
• </c> 5, 4, which means that customer data 5, 4, which means that customer data will<00:14:18.000><c>
• </c><00:14:22.880><c> it's</c> customer data will be protected. it's customer data will be protected.
• </c> get that data from the utilities. get that data from the utilities.
• </c> initiative to invite these large data initiative to invite these large data centers<00:47:38.880

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Transcript Highlights:

• We've also made the county-level data available online.
• I'm not aware of that data.
• So thank you for sharing the data.
• Obviously, the data doesn't quite show that.
• And I think we have some data from Song-Brown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have the data that they're effective.
• With that data, this legislature With that data, this legislature will soon be informed and able to make
• As a scientist, I look for data.
• But what is the data that you have?
• As a scientist, I look for data.

Summary: The committee heard several health-related measures. SB 27 by Senator Umberg would revise and expand California’s CARE Court by limiting the expansion to people with bipolar I disorder with psychotic features, clarifying the definition of “clinically stabilized,” and narrowing the role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Supporters, including behavioral health officials and family members, said the bill would reduce dismissals and better serve people with severe illness; opponents warned the expansion would strain county staffing and housing resources and could undermine voluntary engagement. The bill passed on a do pass motion to the Committee on Public Safety. SB 503 by Senator Weber Pierson would require AI tools used in health care facilities to be identified, monitored, and mitigated for bias when used in clinical decision-making or resource allocation. The author and supporters from Kaiser Permanente and the California Medical Association said the bill would help prevent discriminatory outcomes and improve trust and safety. The committee discussed the need to clarify developer and deployer responsibilities, and the bill passed as amended to Privacy and Consumer Protection. SB 68 by Senator Menjivar would require restaurants to provide written allergen information for the top nine food allergens, with tiered flexibility for smaller establishments. The bill was supported by patients, families, nurses, and allergy organizations, who described severe reactions and the difficulty of relying on verbal disclosures alone. The California Restaurant Association opposed unless amended, seeking broader use of the national model food code and additional liability language. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 403 by Senator Blakespear, which would remove the sunset from the End of Life Option Act; supporters described the law as a compassionate, well-functioning option for terminally ill patients, while faith-based groups opposed it. The bill passed to Judiciary. Later, SB 41 by Senator Wiener was introduced to rein in pharmacy benefit manager practices that steer patients to mail-order pharmacies and reimburse community pharmacies below cost; community pharmacists and several health organizations testified in support, describing pharmacy closures and patient access problems.

Transcript Highlights:

• In essence, the taxes data centers will pay will offset our gas tax.
• The computer data center equipment...
• The computer data center equipment exemption program enacted in Act 25 of 2021 incentivized data centers
• It doesn't take those building massive data centers.
• centers as we move forward, to ensure that the data centers and the people as it relates to data centers

Transcript Highlights:

• , where we want to make sure that data, any data collected from...
• Are key, where we want to make sure that data, any data collected for the purposes of age assurance can
• I do have concerns about the overcollection of data as well.
• data for billing.
• It's not for collection of data. And that is a misnomer.

Bills: S0198 , S0422 , S1236 , S1356 , S1456 , S1722

Committee: Senate Commerce and Tourism

Summary: The committee first postponed SB 1456, then heard SB 1236, which would condition state economic development incentives on employers using secret-ballot union elections and prohibit neutrality agreements. The sponsor argued the bill protects workers from coercion and applies only to companies receiving taxpayer-funded incentives; opponents said it was government interference, likely to hurt contractors, apprenticeships, and business growth, and raised concerns about federal preemption and Attorney General enforcement. After debate, the committee reported SB 1236 favorably on a recorded vote. The committee then considered CS/SB 198, a measure to regulate cryptocurrency kiosks by requiring operator registration, fraud warnings, transaction limits, blockchain analytics, receipts, and refund protections for certain first-time transactions tied to fraud. Supporters from the banking industry, AARP, and others said the bill would help stop scams that are targeting seniors and vulnerable adults; one industry witness supported the bill but suggested narrowing the limits for existing users and shortening the new-customer period. The committee reported the bill favorably. Next, the committee took up CS/SB 1356 on dog breeding, pet sales, and breeder registration. The sponsor said the bill is intended to curb puppy mills, improve animal welfare, and add consumer protections, while an amendment removed state oversight of local animal shelters. Pet store representatives supported much of the bill but objected to the three-day waiting period for financed purchases, expanded reimbursement, and unfair trade practice penalties; others argued the bill would add red tape and litigation. The committee adopted the amendment and then reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard SB 1722 on app stores and minors, which would require age verification, parental consent for minors, app-content disclosures, and enforcement by the Department of Legal Affairs. Supporters said the bill would help parents protect children online; opponents warned it could force collection of sensitive personal data, create privacy and constitutional problems, and duplicate existing parental tools. Members debated the balance between child safety and privacy, and the committee reported the bill favorably. Finally, the committee heard CS/SB 422 on ADS-B aviation data, which would bar use of ADS-B information to calculate certain landing or access fees; an amendment added departures to the restriction. Pilots supported the bill as a safety and privacy measure, while airport representatives opposed it as undermining airport finances and shifting costs. The amendment was adopted, and the hearing on the bill began with testimony from both sides.

Transcript Highlights:

• What needs to be done now is improving the data.
• We'll also look at data on ballots cast.
• We need better data, and we need that data to be combined instead of provided by every agency separately
• Data privacy is a huge concern for people. What data even is the state collecting, and why?
• Data privacy is a huge concern for people. What data even is the state collecting, and why?

Summary: The committee heard a work session on voting access on tribal lands, beginning with a presentation from Dr. Chelsea Jones of the Brennan Center. She described barriers affecting Native voters and voters on tribal lands, including long travel distances to polling places and drop boxes, nontraditional addresses, unreliable postal service, language access, and limited broadband. Citing research, she said turnout on tribal lands trails turnout off tribal lands by about 10 percentage points nationally and about 10% in Washington, with larger gaps in some convenience voting measures. Members asked about the meaning of “lost votes,” the role of tribal leadership and community trust, and whether outreach by election officials and candidates could help; Dr. Jones emphasized that the study measured missed voting opportunities, not missing ballots, and that partnerships with trusted community leaders are important. The University of Washington Elections Database then presented data on voter registration, turnout, signature challenges, curing, and ballot rejection for voters whose addresses fall within tribal reservation boundaries. The presenters said registration on reservations increased from about 107,000 in 2010 to 137,000 in 2024, turnout on reservations remained about 8 to 9 percentage points lower than outside reservations in recent general elections, and signature-challenge and rejection rates were generally low but somewhat higher in off-year elections. They reported that about 60% to two-thirds of signature-challenged ballots are cured, with cure rates similar inside and outside reservations, and that late return is the most common reason for primary ballot rejection while signature mismatch is the leading cause in general elections. A question was raised about USPS postmarking issues and how those might affect future data; the presenters said they plan to track return method and cure timing more closely. The committee also received an overview of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs. Staff reviewed the office’s history, the Centennial Accord, the Millennium Agreement, and related state-tribal frameworks, and GOIA Director Tim Rainan described the office’s role as a bridge between the state and tribal governments, including consultation, policy coordination, training, and convening work groups. He said GOIA now has six positions, is part of the governor’s executive cabinet, and is working on a statewide tribal relations training module and consultation handbook. In response to a question, he said tribal voting is not a major topic at the Centennial Accord but is discussed more extensively through ATNI. The committee then shifted to contracting equity, hearing from WSDOT, DES, OMWBE, and the Office of Equity. WSDOT described its race-neutral small business and veteran goals, mentorship and support programs, and its response to the federal suspension of the DBE program; DES discussed statewide contracting spend, the EDGE pilot for small construction firms, and efforts to improve procurement access; OMWBE reported growth in certified firms and about $371 million in state spend with certified firms in the most recent year, while noting ongoing impacts from federal DBE changes; and the Office of Equity outlined its broader work on agency consultation, dashboards, and systems change. No votes were taken.