Transcript Highlights:

• Our systems face multiple compounding fracture failures, and that present serious risk to public health
• 02.559><c> systems</c><00:30:02.960><c> face</c><00:30:03.279><c> multiple</c><00:30:03.760><c> compounding
• </c> Our systems face multiple compounding Our systems face multiple compounding fracture<00:30:05.279

Bills: HF4680, HF4047, HF4590, HF3757, HF3569, HF4507, HF4426, HF4927, HF4788, HF4757, HF4747, HF3561, HF4014, HF4013, HF4689, HF4766, HF4589

Keywords: wastewater treatment, improvements, capital investment, Greenfield, bonds, water treatment, infrastructure, municipal funding, state bonds, public utilities, HF4590, Tamarack, municipal infrastructure, bonding bill, general obligation bonds, Public Facilities Authority, sewer system, collection system, street reconstruction, local infrastructure

Transcript Highlights:

• are from Senate File 3783, authored by Senator Mann, and these modify the definition of a drug compounding
• 50.600><c> drug</c> these modify the definition of a drug these modify the definition of a drug compounding
• 00:16:52.200><c> the</c><00:16:52.320><c> use</c><00:16:52.600><c> of</c><00:16:52.720><c> a</c> compounding
• to exempt the use of a compounding to exempt the use of a flavoring<00:16:53.480><c> agent.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the people who bought it decided that they wanted to have a family compound and wanted to close the
• decided that they wanted to have<00:40:32.080><c> a</c><00:40:32.160><c> family</c><00:40:32.480><c> compound
• </c><00:40:33.520><c> and</c><00:40:33.800><c> wanted</c><00:40:34.040><c> to</c> have a family compound
• and wanted to have a family compound and wanted to close<00:40:34.400><c> the</c><00:40:34.480><c> road

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If the folks aren't working, they would like to be, but we see with the compounding of charges, the felonies
• with</c><00:50:13.680><c> the</c> like to be, but we see with the like to be, but we see with the compounding
• 14.480><c> charges,</c><00:50:15.040><c> we</c><00:50:15.200><c> see</c><00:50:15.280><c> the</c> compounding
• of charges, we see the compounding of charges, we see the felonies,<00:50:16.079><c> there</c><00:50

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee first heard from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet’s Grants Management Division on federal victim-services funding. Staff described the main grant programs they administer, including STOP VAWA, VOCA victim assistance, sexual assault services, Byrne state crisis intervention, and Project Safe Neighborhoods. They emphasized that VOCA is especially volatile because it is funded by the federal Crime Victims Fund, which has declined sharply in recent years, reducing Kentucky’s available awards and forcing cuts to state, local, and nonprofit subgrants. They also outlined steps the cabinet has taken to stabilize funding, including changing the subaward formula, aligning the grant period with the state fiscal year, subawarding one year behind the federal cycle, and retaining a reserve. Members asked about how funds reach victims, how subgrantee amounts are determined, and requested a breakdown of grant recipients and amounts; staff said they would provide that information later. The committee then received a detailed presentation from the Department of Juvenile Justice on alternatives to detention. Commissioner Randy White and staff explained that ATDs are short-term, less restrictive placements for low-risk youth, including electronic monitoring, home supervision, group homes, foster care, private child care, community programs, mentoring, evening reporting centers, and in-home wraparound services. They described the referral and approval process involving court-designated workers, detention alternative coordinators, courts, and county attorneys, and said DJJ currently has 16 ATD-related contracts, with placements, programs, and electronic monitoring among them. They also reported that between July 1, 2024, and July 30, 2025, 1,652 juveniles were involved in the process, including 168 diversion cases. Members questioned the cost of juvenile detention versus adult incarceration, whether families pay for electronic monitoring, whether there is a national model for juvenile detention, and what alternatives exist for truancy and contempt cases. DJJ said families do not generally reimburse for electronic monitoring, there is no single national model, and day treatment centers are an important alternative for some youth. The department also said it builds daily routines and wellness education into its facilities, and that more than two-thirds of its programs are evidence-based. Officials said they currently monitor vendor performance through quarterly reviews and can end contracts for poor performance, but that data tracking is still largely manual. They said the new JCOM system, now in pilot in the eastern region, should improve reporting and help identify outcomes and recidivism more effectively.

Transcript Highlights:

• This compounds the amount that's going up, and the result is that there is an estimated cost of $50 to
• </c><01:06:11.280><c> uh</c><01:06:11.440><c> this</c><01:06:12.119><c> compounds</c><01:06:13.119><c
• > the</c> adjustment period. uh this compounds the adjustment period. uh this compounds the the<01:06

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Committee first took up Senate Bill 63, which Representative Maguire described as a straightforward bill setting funding for the Division of Travel and Tourism. He said it was not controversial. The committee voted to retain the bill by roll call, with one no vote and one member absent, and the motion passed 23-1-1. The committee then considered Senate Bill 74, dealing with annual reporting requirements for state departments that issue permits. Representative Maguire explained Amendment 2282 would shorten the reporting burden by requiring summary data on delayed permits rather than listing every permit, and would delay the first report until 2027 so agencies would not have to reconstruct old data. The amendment was adopted by voice vote, and the bill was then approved as amended by a 24-1 roll call vote. Next, the committee heard Senate Bill 241 on construction of a public pier at Hampton Beach. Representative Sweeney moved inexpedient to legislate, saying the project was ambitious and lacked public support. The motion passed unanimously 25-0, sending the bill to consent. Division Two then took up Senate Bill 145, a replace-all amendment to the education freedom account bill. Supporters said the amendment clarified the bill, kept the policy intact, removed a reimbursement program and an open-ended appropriation, and established a cap of 10,000 students with priority for current students and certain other groups. Opponents argued the measure was still a major expansion, would increase spending after crossover, and that the cap was not meaningful. After discussion, Amendment 2301H was adopted and the bill was approved as amended by a 25-0 vote, with members noting it could go on consent because no money remained in it.

Transcript Highlights:

• After October 7th, we saw another 400% increase compounded on that already high level.
• After October 7th, we saw another 400%<00:25:30.240><c> increase</c><00:25:31.039><c> compounded</c><
• 00:25:31.600><c> on</c><00:25:31.760><c> that</c><00:25:32.080><c> already</c> 400% increase compounded
• on that already 400% increase compounded on that already high<00:25:32.799><c> level.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 77, which would allow comprehensive universities to pursue doctoral programs under a new approval process and, in the original bill, would also change who may serve on the EPSB board for small colleges and universities. The sponsor and Council on Postsecondary Education representative explained that the committee substitute removed the current statutory prohibition on comprehensive universities offering certain doctoral degrees, but added eligibility guardrails: a 77% first-to-second-year retention rate, a 56% six-year graduation rate, and three months of unrestricted cash reserves. They said the thresholds were based on national data placing institutions in roughly the top quartile, and that CPE would still review proposals for mission fit, workforce need, fiscal impact, and, where applicable, programmatic accreditation and legislative appropriations. EKU President David McFaden supported creating a pathway for comprehensive universities, said Kentucky is unusual in having an explicit statutory prohibition, and urged the committee to keep the standards attainable and durable. The committee approved the bill and adopted a title amendment, with the motion passing unanimously. The committee then heard Senate Joint Resolution 55, which addresses antisemitism on postsecondary campuses. Senator Tichenor said the resolution responds to a rise in antisemitic incidents after October 7, 2023, and would require campuses to notify students each semester of Title VI rights, complaint procedures, existing harassment policies, and available Jewish student resources. It would also direct campuses to disband student organizations found to provide material support to known terrorist organizations, report such matters to law enforcement, and collect and report antisemitism data to CPE for posting on its website. A guest speaker from the Kentucky Jewish Council described a sharp increase in reported incidents, including harassment, threats, vandalism, and hostile campus activity, and argued that schools have often done too little to respond. He said the resolution was amended to protect free speech while ensuring Jewish students receive the same protections as other protected groups. The transcript ends while testimony on the resolution was still underway, before any committee vote on SJR 55.

Transcript Highlights:

• For Latino and multilingual students, this issue is compounded by what we are hearing directly from families
• For Latino and multilingual students, this issue is compounded by what we are hearing directly from families
• When schools lack language access and culturally responsive support, behavior is misunderstood and compounded
• support, behavior is<02:02:39.920><c> misunderstood</c><02:02:41.000><c> and</c><02:02:41.120><c> compounded
• </c> is misunderstood and compounded. is misunderstood and compounded.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So if you don't mind me taking some liberties, we have done this with a couple other generic pharmaceuticals

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard several bills focused on mental health access, preventive care, health care costs, detention oversight, and daylight saving time. SB 989 would streamline Care Court referrals by allowing first responders to ask county behavioral health agencies to review and file petitions; supporters, especially firefighters and families, said the current process is too burdensome, while Disability Rights California and other opponents argued Care Court is coercive and unproven. SB 1089, as amended, would direct CalRx/HHS to help distribute GLP-1 medications more broadly and more affordably; the author described her own experience with the drugs, and the bill drew support from medical and life sciences groups with no opposition. SB 1309 would eliminate out-of-pocket costs for medically appropriate lung cancer screening follow-up care; cancer advocates and survivors strongly supported it, while health plans and insurers opposed it as costly and said the bigger problem is low initial screening rates. The committee also heard SB 1284, which would require DHCS to report large employers whose workers are enrolled in Medi-Cal and estimate taxpayer costs, framed by supporters as a transparency measure about corporate reliance on public coverage. SCR 7, urging permanent standard time for health reasons, passed with support from medical groups and no opposition. SB 995, the Masuma Khan Justice Act, would create statewide inspection and enforcement standards for large involuntary residential facilities, including private immigration detention centers and certain youth facilities; supporters cited unsafe and inhumane conditions, while county probation officials objected to duplicative oversight for secure youth treatment facilities. The committee took votes on each measure, and the bills and resolution advanced, with SB 1309 and SB 1284 moving on amended and the others also reported out; the consent calendar was approved as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have done this with a couple other generic pharmaceuticals.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You have to prove hours of pharmaceutical training, be educated, and pay about $800 every five years

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For some, acupuncture can help reduce reliance on opioids and other potent pharmaceutical drugs.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• cutting Medicaid, we're going to keep cutting and attacking the health care system and letting pharmaceuticals

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal for the 56th day by roll call vote, 131-2. The Speaker also signed several enrolled measures, including HB 1768, HB 1866, HB 1870, HB 2180, and HJR 173 and 174, suspending business for those signings. Members then offered multiple points of personal privilege and introduced numerous student groups, family members, interns, and former Representative Richard Brown as special guests. The main floor business focused on budget conference motions for HB 2002 through HB 2013. The budget chair moved to refuse Senate substitutes and send the bills to conference, and the House approved each motion. In discussion, members highlighted major budget differences, including child care subsidies, transportation funding, higher education funding, and the movement of about $1.76 billion in broadband-related funds into HB 2017, which was noted as affecting how the operating budget totals appear. The House also received Senate messages on several budget bills and other measures, including HB 2002-2013, HB 2637, and HB 3155. The House then took up SB 975, an ambulance district and emergency medical services bill. A House substitute was adopted, along with Amendment 1 adding a compromise community paramedic provision and a minor first-responder mental health change. Members described the bill as helping struggling ambulance districts, improving emergency response, and allowing community paramedics to provide in-home services to reduce unnecessary ER use. The bill passed 136-7. Later, the House considered the combined property tax reform bill on SB 1066 and 1086, adopting three amendments addressing technical cleanup, uniform levy increases and timing of voter-approved tax increases, and assessor training, electronic notices, and changes to payment-under-protest procedures. Supporters said the bill improved transparency and reform; opponents warned it could reduce local control and strain funding for schools, libraries, and other local services. The bill ultimately passed 83-61. The House adjourned until 4 p.m. on Monday, April 27, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Attorney General recovered or settled $242 million for Idaho taxpayers against tobacco companies, pharmaceutical

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations and questions for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the Office of Species Conservation, and the Office of the Attorney General. Fish and Game’s budget was described as largely dedicated and federal funding with no general fund support, with discussion of ongoing and one-time enhancements for fisheries inflation, habitat projects, Good Neighbor Authority work, depredation claims, chronic wasting disease testing, and communications. Director Jim Fredericks also reviewed the new nonresident tag draw system, access challenges on private lands, and the department’s role in habitat work and species management. Members raised concerns about depredation claim shortfalls, survey and advisory committee processes, predator management, and the overlap between Fish and Game and the Office of Species Conservation on habitat and endangered species work. The Office of Species Conservation presentation focused on its role coordinating state actions for threatened, endangered, and candidate species, mostly through federal and miscellaneous revenue funds. Administrator Mike Edmondson explained that the office often serves as the policy and administrative lead while Fish and Game carries out much of the field work, and he described metrics for sage grouse, salmon and steelhead, and grizzly bear-related efforts. He also said the office has been working with the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources on a possible merger, with some staff reductions under consideration, and answered questions about grizzly bear delisting, wolf litigation, and tribal consultation. Attorney General Raul Labrador then argued that his office has produced significant results without asking for new money, but said the committee’s proposed reductions would force furloughs or position cuts and asked for $980,000 to be restored. He highlighted the ICAC unit’s elimination of a cyber-tip backlog, increased arrests, consumer protection recoveries, and expanded appellate and civil litigation work defending state laws. Members asked about the source of recovered funds, the office’s flexibility to absorb cuts, and whether the state could work on a framework to transfer incarcerated undocumented offenders to federal custody for deportation. The committee ended by noting upcoming budget-setting work and adjourned until the next morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill considers albuterol use, which is a pharmaceutical drug, specifically for our children, and

Bills: HB1160, HB1289, HB1339, HB1798, HB1065, HB1795, HB2107, HB2113, HB2124, HB2125, HB2133, HB2134, HB2140, HB2185, HB2191, HB2205, HB2211, HB2219, HB2245, HB2253, HB2283, HB2343, HB2406, HB2501, HB2531, HB2574, HB1170, HB1544, HB1834, HB2156, HB2188, HB2206, HB2360, HB2471, HB2478, HB2525, HB2605, HJM4012, HB1104, HB1152, HB1254, HB1443, HB1710, HB1750, HB1903, HB1941, HB1974, HB1982, HB1983, HB2006, HB2034, HB2105, HB2179, HB2203, HB2215, HB2223, HB2239, HB2247, HB2297, HB2303, HB2322, HB2329, HB2334, HB2338, HB2345, HB2348, HB2350, HB2353, HB2355, HB2363, HB2367, HB2379, HB2388, HB2399, HB2418, HB2420, HB2428, HB2441, HB2462, HB2464, HB2467, HB2495, HB2505, HB2534, HB2539, HB2544, HB2551, HB2554, HB2557, HB2575, HB2577, HB2588, HB2594, HB2604, HB2636, HB2714

Keywords: design review, local government, land use, zoning, project permits, housing density, middle housing, affordable housing, parking minimums, single-family zoning, infill development, growth management, comprehensive plan, permit streamlining, objective development regulations, architectural review, administrative review, transit-oriented development, accessory dwelling units, ADU

Summary: The House took up several bills on second and third reading, beginning with House Bill 2360 on expanding access to albuterol in public and private schools. A motion to recommit the bill to the House Health Care and Wellness Committee failed on a roll call vote, 38 yeas to 56 nays. Supporters said the bill would help school nurses respond to students in respiratory distress and reflected input from nurses, OSPI, and the Department of Health. Opponents raised concerns about training, drug interactions, follow-up care, costs to districts, and schools making medical decisions without a diagnosis. The bill then passed 60-34. House Bill 2467, clarifying measurement rules for fifth-wheel travel trailers, passed 94-0 after sponsors said it would help Washington dealers and consumers. House Bill 1983, relating to timberland tax treatment when land is sold to DNR, passed 68-26 amid debate over whether it would help forest management or make it easier for DNR to acquire timberland. House Bill 2531, updating ambulance transport fund quality assurance rules to align with federal regulations and preserve matching funds, passed unanimously 94-0. The House also passed Substitute House Bill 1390, which phases out the Community Protection Program for certain developmentally disabled individuals with high-risk histories and transfers participants to other waiver programs. Supporters said the program was overly restrictive, out of compliance with federal law, and had trapped people in long-term confinement-like conditions; opponents argued it would weaken public safety and move dangerous individuals into community settings without adequate safeguards. The bill passed 52-44. House Bill 2367, eliminating a preferential treatment related to the former TransAlta coal plant in Centralia, passed 63-33 after supporters framed it as closing the book on coal and opponents warned about energy reliability, jobs, and an emergency clause. Substitute House Bill 2133, making a property tax exemption for certain senior centers permanent, passed 96-0. Substitute House Bill 2355, establishing labor protections for domestic workers, passed 57-39 after supporters emphasized dignity and long-standing worker abuse concerns, while opponents cited fiscal impacts. The House then passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2534, with a technical amendment, to improve educational stability for children in military families; it passed 96-0. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1974, creating a land banking framework to support affordable housing, passed 59-37 after an amendment reduced fiscal impact by striking some tax preference sections. House Bill 2223, allowing certain irrigation district board service by farmers with spouses employed by the district, passed 93-3. Substitute House Bill 2239, allowing family burial grounds on private property, passed 96-0 after supporters cited rural needs, cultural traditions, and personal family stories. The session also included a brief congratulatory recognition for Representative David Stuebe after his first bill passed the House.

Transcript Highlights:

• That plasma is typically used for pharmaceuticals or research.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 528, which would codify the ability to make directed or autologous blood donations and require health care providers to follow federal requirements. The sponsor said the bill was meant to ensure Idahoans can choose self-donation or directed donation and avoid arbitrary denials. Supporters testified that patients have faced barriers, delays, and travel to other states to obtain blood from family members or themselves for medical or religious reasons. Opponents, including blood bank representatives and Red Cross officials, argued the bill was unnecessary because such donations are already available when medically indicated, could add cost and complexity, and might create a false impression that directed donations are safer than the general blood supply. Committee members questioned the bill’s enforcement, liability language, and how the process would work in practice. A substitute motion to send the bill to amending order failed 7-9, and the original motion to send HB 528 to the House floor with a do pass recommendation passed 7-6. The committee then took up a rules docket for the Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired’s Business Enterprise Program, which was presented as a modernization and streamlining of rules governing vending and food service facilities operated by blind entrepreneurs. The committee approved the docket without opposition. Next, House Bill 550 on midwifery was introduced as an update to Idaho’s 2009 midwifery statute to align medication authority and protocols with current evidence-based practice. The sponsor and several midwives and health professionals said the bill would improve care in rural areas, reduce unnecessary hospital transfers, and let licensed midwives use medications within their training to manage postpartum hemorrhage and other situations. One testifier described a tragic homebirth outcome and urged stronger safety limits, while the Idaho Medical Association said it had worked with the sponsor on compromise language. The committee voted to hold HB 550 in committee and then approved the related revised RS 33-250, which added definitions for protocol, formulary, and maternal/neonatal care, sending it to the second reading calendar with a do pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Jonathan Buxton with Pharmaceutical Care Management Association.

Bills: SB20, SB111, SB211, SB218, SB14

Keywords: prior authorization, pharmacy benefits manager, PBM, health insurer, prescription drugs, step therapy, formulary, auto-adjudication, electronic portal, appeals, medical necessity, serious mental illness, mental health, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, substance use disorder, addiction treatment, cancer, autoimmune disorder

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Jonathan Buxton with the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association.

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 20, a prior-authorization and step-therapy measure, on a committee substitute that had already incorporated many stakeholder changes. The sponsor and agency witnesses described revisions to definitions of chronic health condition and serious mental illness, shorter prior-authorization periods, and limits on reporting requirements. Supporters, including a nurse practitioner and disability advocates, said the bill would reduce barriers to needed medications and urged broader protections for chronic and behavioral health conditions. Health insurance and pharmacy benefit management representatives remained opposed, arguing prior authorization is an important patient-safety tool and objecting to the bill’s limits on its use. Senator Hickey offered two amendments: one to conform electronic prior-authorization response times to existing law by changing seven days to three, and one to restore the prior-authorization period from 12 months to three years. The first amendment was accepted; the second passed on a 5-4 vote. The committee then approved the amended substitute 6-3. The committee next heard Senate Bill 111, which would expand the confidentiality of personal information held by the Motor Vehicle Division to include sex, gender identity, national origin, and immigration status. Tax and Revenue officials explained that the bill would not change what documents MVD collects, but would limit disclosure of sensitive information contained in scanned records unless a statutory exception applies. Members asked about what appears on licenses, what is stored in MVD’s system, and whether law enforcement access would change; officials said criminal law enforcement exceptions would remain in place and that the bill mainly affects public disclosure requests. The committee voted 8-1 to give the bill a do-pass recommendation. Senate Bill 218, funding a Los Alamos Emergency Operations Center, was presented as a regional disaster-response and training facility for northern New Mexico. Los Alamos County witnesses said the project would support emergency management training and coordination across the region and requested $5 million. Several senators questioned whether the county had explored bonding, intergovernmental agreements, or regional cost-sharing, and raised concerns about Los Alamos’s debt capacity and whether the project was truly regional. Supporters said the county has a long capital backlog and that the center would serve communities from Santa Fe north. The committee ultimately voted 9-1 to advance the bill. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 14, a major health professional loan-repayment proposal. Senator Hickey described it as an effort to recruit and retain physicians, nurses, and other allied health professionals by increasing repayment amounts, prioritizing physicians and doctors of osteopathic medicine for 50% of the fund, and allowing service commitments with some flexibility, including part-time work. Supporters from medical, nursing, and behavioral health groups said the bill would help address workforce shortages and make New Mexico more competitive. Committee members asked about the inclusion of physician assistants, the 90-day start requirement, anti-donation concerns, tax treatment, tribal and IHS providers, and whether the 50% physician set-aside would leave enough for other professions. After discussion, the committee voted 10-0 to send the bill forward with a do-pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• evidence, and weapons from law enforcement, federally regulated waste from ports, as well as pharmaceuticals

Summary: The Environment and Energy Committee heard testimony on three bills. HB 2426 would allow the Pollution Control Hearings Board, with unanimous agreement of the parties, to use alternative board compositions for appeals, including a single member or other qualified environmental adjudicators, so long as one member is a Washington-licensed attorney and the panel has environmental law expertise. The bill sponsor and supporters from business and conservation groups said it was a narrow, consensus-based change intended to improve efficiency and predictability. ELUHO’s director supported the concept but flagged technical issues in the bill language about attorney and Growth Management Hearings Board member qualifications. HB 2416 would provide no-cost allowances under the Climate Commitment Act to Spokane’s waste-to-energy facility, which is not currently covered until the second compliance period. Supporters, including Spokane officials, labor, and local partners, said the facility protects a sole-source aquifer, provides waste disposal and electricity for about 13,000 homes, and faces large compliance costs that could raise rates and threaten jobs. Opponents from environmental groups and Ecology argued the bill would give the facility preferential treatment, subsidize most of its emissions through 2050, and fail to ensure real emissions reductions; AWB raised concern about market impacts if new allowances are added. No vote was taken. HB 2373 would require electric utilities to offer monthly bill discount programs with tiered income levels, expanded outreach and enrollment, and updated reporting on low-income energy assistance. The sponsor said the bill is meant to make assistance more consistent and accessible statewide, while utilities and rural co-ops warned it could create unfunded mandates and significant rate increases for non-low-income customers, especially in smaller systems. Supporters from community action agencies, Commerce, and some utilities said monthly assistance is needed because energy burdens are rising and current programs are patchwork, though several urged pairing the bill with state funding or amendments. The committee heard extensive testimony but took no final action on any of the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Several goods are going to see prices go up, such as food, new and used cars, and medical and pharmaceutical

Summary: The committee held a work session focused on the effects of tariffs on Washington’s economy, agriculture, and small businesses, followed by updates on emergency management, cybersecurity, disaster resilience, tsunami preparedness, and World Cup security planning. Office of Financial Management economist Abdelamintrawe Trieri said tariff increases are expected to raise prices, reduce output and employment, and lower state revenue over a four-year horizon, with the hardest-hit sectors including aerospace, food and beverage manufacturing, and agriculture. Members asked about updated tariff scenarios, crop-specific impacts, inflation versus deflation in different goods, and whether some manufacturing sectors could benefit; staff said updated numbers would need to be rerun as tariff rates changed. Washington Department of Agriculture representative Ryan Hamm described how tariffs raise costs for farm inputs such as equipment, parts, packaging, and fertilizer, while also affecting exports of key commodities like wheat, potatoes, apples, cherries, dairy, and wine. He said some sectors support tariffs on competing imports, but retaliation and market restrictions have hurt exports, especially to China and, in the wine sector, Canada. Department of Commerce representative Andrea Chartock outlined export assistance, business finance, recruitment, and industry-sector development programs, and proposed expanding tariff-resilience support through market diversification, supply-chain optimization, and efforts to attract investment and federal funding. She also noted uncertainty around delayed federal STEP funding for small business export assistance. Emergency Management Division Director Robert Ezell warned that federal disaster and mitigation funding is becoming less reliable, citing the denied bomb cyclone disaster declaration, delays in FEMA grant processing, and possible restructuring of FEMA that could shift more responsibility to states. He said Washington may need stronger state-funded public assistance, individual assistance, and mitigation programs, along with broader coordination among state agencies and local governments. Cybersecurity staff described state efforts to support local governments through the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee, threat intelligence sharing, vulnerability assessments, and a proposed volunteer incident response team, while noting the loss of MS-ISAC funding and the importance of continued state matching funds for cybersecurity grants. Hazard mitigation and tsunami staff emphasized the need for sustained investment in flood, wildfire, earthquake, lahar, and tsunami resilience, including vertical evacuation structures and language-access outreach. Ezell also briefed the committee on World Cup security preparations and federal grants for counter-unmanned aircraft systems, explaining that the state can buy mitigation capabilities but current authority to use them remains largely federal; the committee asked follow-up questions about fan zones, training, and the meaning of drone mitigation. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with adjournment after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• manufacturing at a precision level when you're manufacturing or if you're in anything chemical related, pharmaceutical