Transcript Highlights:

• They were not remote forest fires.
• I respectfully ask for your aye vote.
• Please ask for your aye vote.
• I'll call for a vote. All right.
• We're supposed to request an aye vote.

Committee: Senate Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• Brady votes yes. Michael D. Brady votes yes. Patricia D. Jehlen votes yes. Michael O.
• Rausch votes yes. Joanne M. Comerford votes yes. Jacob R. Oliveira votes yes. Senator Fattman.
• Fattman votes no. Joan B. Lovely votes yes. Cynthia Stone Creem votes yes.
• Moore votes yes. Thank you. Michael O. Moore votes yes. Senator Comerford. Joanne M.
• Comerford votes yes.

Summary: The Senate continued debate on the FY27 state budget, with several distinguished introductions and a series of amendment actions. Early amendments from Senator Collins on restoring DCF social worker funding and educator pay were withdrawn without objection. The Chair then sustained a point of order that a group of tax-related amendments, including proposals on teacher tax relief, tips, overtime, estate tax, and income tax rates, were out of order because they would create money bills that must originate in the House; the Senate voted 35-4 to uphold that ruling. Senator Tarr’s gas tax suspension amendment and several other amendments were defeated, while Senator Fattman’s amendment extending domestic violence leave protections to contract employees was adopted unanimously, 39-0. The Senate also adopted Senator Fernandes’ amendment creating a commission to study the adequacy, reliability, and distribution of unrestricted general government aid (UGA), after debate focused on inequities in local aid distribution and the need for a modern formula. The chamber then took up House No. 5375, the Chapter 90 municipal roads and bridges bill, and passed it to be engrossed. Additional amendments were considered on the budget, including a community programming amendment and a Senate Ways and Means amendment, both adopted, after which the Ways and Means amendment as amended was adopted and the underlying budget was ordered to a third reading. The Senate also handled several procedural matters, including concurrence in a House referral for a bill on poverty-related legislation and ordering a sick leave bank bill for Carla Johnson to a third reading. After extensive closing remarks from the Ways and Means chair, minority leader, and others praising the collaborative budget process and highlighting investments in local aid, education, public safety, and other priorities, the Senate voted on final passage of House No. 5501, the FY27 appropriations bill. The roll call showed 40-0 in favor, and the bill was passed to be engrossed. The Senate then adopted an order to reconvene the following Tuesday at 11 a.m. and adjourned in memory of Trooper Kevin Thomas Traynor.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Senator Fernandez to explain her vote. >> Thank you, Madam President.
• I vote no. >> Are there any other senators wishing to be heard?
• I vote aye. >> Senator Harckham to be recorded in the affirmative.
• I vote aye. >> Senator Harckham to be recorded in the affirmative.
• I vote aye. >> Senator Harckham to be recorded in the affirmative.

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the prior day’s journal, and then recognized several guest groups, including the Shenendehowa High School girls varsity cross country team and tennis champion Jolie Chichak, as well as the Downsville Central School Student Council. Senator Tedisco introduced the Shenendehowa athletes, highlighting their state and federation championships and strong academic records, and Senator Oberacker introduced the Downsville students. The chamber extended courtesies to the guests. The Senate then moved through the calendar, passing a series of bills and resolutions. Among the measures approved were a bill designating Overdose Awareness Day, a real property tax bill, a public authorities bill, several education-related bills, a private housing finance bill, a workers’ compensation bill, and a labor law bill. Some items were laid aside before later being taken up, including the cannabis bill and the environmental conservation bill. Votes were largely unanimous or near-unanimous, with a few recorded negatives on certain bills. The most extensive debate centered on Calendar 261, Senator May’s environmental conservation bill concerning renewable energy installations and transmission on state reforestation lands. Senator Walczyk and others questioned whether the bill would allow solar, wind, battery storage, tree cutting, herbicide use, and reduced environmental review, while supporters argued the bill was mainly about transmission corridors, climate goals, and preserving flexibility for DEC oversight and mitigation. After debate, the bill was restored to the non-controversial calendar and passed 42-13. The Senate also passed Calendar 353, Senator Ramos’s labor law bill addressing class action wage recovery and statutory damages. Supporters said it would clarify the law so workers can recover full wages in class actions, while opponents warned it could encourage litigation against small businesses over technical payroll errors. The bill passed 47-8. The Senate then completed the calendar and adjourned until March 4, 2026, with intervening days as legislative days.

Transcript Highlights:

• Marin Schroeder also joining us remotely.
• My name is Marin, and I'm on behalf of the Minnesota Drug Policy... to tie remotely.
• Uh am is very early for to tie remotely.
• I just know we had 15 Republicans in the House vote for this.
• I just know we had 15 Republicans in the House vote for this.

Transcript Highlights:

• In December, at their annual meeting in Dallas, which we attended, they were There was a vote that we
• Employees who are classified as filled staff and they're 100% remote and then we have about 40 employees
• who are 100% remote and then everybody else is some type of hybrid mix in the office and remote.
• The 40% are 100% remote and then the The rest of that is some type of mix within the office.
• I, myself, coming from other state agencies are aware. of hybrid remote telework policies that those

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII

Transcript Highlights:

• I have voted for five of President Trump's nominees to date in the last couple of days.
• The voters voted for President Trump.
• Anything other than voting for you to confirm would be thumbing my nose at that.
• I will be voting against your nomination because your views are dangerous.
• Figure that out for my vote.

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

Transcript Highlights:

• It is identical to House Bill 2190, which this committee heard and voted out.
• It is identical to House Bill 2190, which this committee heard and voted out.
• First, I'd like to thank you all for already voting the companion bill, 2190 from Rep.
• from AFSCME Council 2 remotely as well.
• I am here in support of 5972, which passed out of the Senate with a bipartisan vote.

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on several labor-related bills. On Substitute Senate Bill 5874, staff and Senator McEwen described a proposal to let the Employment Security Department waive penalties for minor quarterly reporting errors by employers, especially inadvertent electronic filing issues involving occupational codes and job titles. No one testified in opposition, and the public hearing was closed. The committee then heard extensive testimony on Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5847, which would expand injured workers’ access to medical providers, allow medically appropriate departures from L&I treatment rules, prohibit employers from requiring treatment from a specific provider, and set timelines for utilization review. Supporters, including workers’ advocates and union representatives, said the bill would improve access to care and reduce delays, while business groups opposed it as weakening the provider network and raised concerns about costs and claim duration. L&I said it could implement the bill with a technical fix and noted that the fiscal note was still being updated. A previously adopted claims-manager staffing amendment was discussed but not included in the version heard. On Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5061, the committee heard testimony on requiring public works contracts to update prevailing wage rates annually rather than freezing them at bid time. Labor groups supported the bill as protecting workers from wage erosion on long projects, while contractor groups opposed it unless amended to allow change orders for wage increases above 5 percent, citing unpredictable jumps in prevailing wage rates and added risk for small contractors. L&I requested a delayed effective date to July 1, 2028 because of IT changes. The committee also heard testimony on Senate Bill 5944, which would make missed or canceled appointment payments bargained economic compensation for language access providers, and on Substitute Senate Bill 5972, which would extend interest arbitration rights to correctional employees in city and county jails regardless of county population. Labor groups supported both bills; counties and a city representative opposed 5972 over cost concerns and asked for fiscal safeguards. Finally, the committee heard Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6302, which would require L&I to investigate possible misclassification when three or more independent contractors are used for the same type of finishing work on a public works project. Labor and contractor groups both supported the amended version, saying it targets misclassification without banning legitimate independent contractors. The hearing ended after testimony, with no votes or final committee actions taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We had pulled back to remote, and I don't think that remote is the right answer when you're talking about
• But then you're appealing what the Public Service Commission Board voted on through a right of reconsideration

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight met with a quorum present and heard an update from Public Counsel Walt Trierweiler on the work of the Office of Public Counsel. Trierweiler described the office’s role in representing Florida utility customers in rate cases and related proceedings, including investor-owned electric, water, and wastewater matters. He emphasized the office’s use of depositions, expert witnesses, customer correspondence, and service hearings to challenge unsupported utility costs while seeking outcomes that are “fair, just, reasonable, and affordable.” A major focus of the presentation was the office’s work on large utility dockets, especially the Florida Power & Light rate case, as well as other recent cases involving Duke, TECO, Sunshine, and St. Joe. Trierweiler said the office had settled some cases but not others, had two appeals pending, and had filed motions for reconsideration where required. He also discussed storm cost recovery, affordability concerns, and the new challenge of data center tariffs and related energy and water demands. He said the office brought in new experts on affordability and data centers and was trying to get ahead of those issues through workshops and settlement efforts. Members asked questions about how customer input is gathered, how the office evaluates a fair profit for utilities, the role of settlements and counterproposals, and the impact of data centers on energy and water use. Trierweiler said customer voices come in through hearings and correspondence, that utilities are entitled to a fair return but not imprudent costs, and that the office is concerned about data center growth and its resource demands. No votes were taken, and the committee concluded its agenda and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> your work and vote green. your work and vote green.
• I'm proud to vote yes.
• I'm proud to vote yes. I'm proud to vote yes.
• Members, please vote. The clerk will call the names of the members voting remotely.
• Members, please vote. The clerk will call the names of the members voting remotely. Green. Yes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Greenland has never been some remote island. It holds immense strategic and economic importance.
• Tourism, developing infrastructure, could drive new economic opportunities in remote communities.
• attempting to acquire I think the United States should be able to do that. of Denmark and also the vote
• Sullivan who also is going to preside while I run down to the floor and vote. Thank you Mr.
• Mercer, as you know, Arctic research in remote, austere environments through the National Science Foundation

Committee: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

Keywords: Greenland, acquisition, national security, Arctic, geopolitical, China, Russia, icebreakers, trade routes

Summary: The meeting convened by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation focused on the potential acquisition of Greenland by the United States. This issue, first raised by President Trump in 2019, has gained renewed significance amidst shifting global dynamics and the strategic importance of Greenland in relation to transatlantic trade routes and national security. The members discussed the geopolitical implications of Greenland's position, especially given the increasing influence of China and Russia in the Arctic region. Notably, the urgency to address military presence and icebreaker capabilities in the Arctic was a major point of contention, with a call for a new fleet to counter foreign dominance in the area.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we'll move on to the several remote testifiers after that.
• Then on deck we'll have our remote panel: Zara, Dr. Roth, and Dr. Overman.
• So you are creating a real economic impact by voting for this bill in order to keep that production in
• Okay, let's start with our remote testifier, Dr.
• Thank you. ...for bringing the bill forward and urge you to vote this out of committee. Thank you.

Bills: HB1904 , HB2106 , HB2211 , HB2247 , HB2329 , HB2339

Committee: House Health Care & Wellness

Keywords: animal welfare, cats, declawing, animal rights, pet care, healthcare, contract modifications, provider notifications, insurance carriers, health facilities, HB 2211, medically tailored meals, medical nutrition therapy, medical assistance, Medicaid, Health Care Authority, Department of Social and Health Services, nutrition support, chronic disease, dietary accommodations

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair Ingoglia >> Yes, senators by your vote show that Senate Bill 794 reported favorably with committee
• We have one analysts who is going to be areas of the remote and a short introduction of the panelists
• gold 7 in which 1.6 million Texans voted in favor of making gold and silver transactional useful as
• That was a 76% of those who voted based on that.
• Democratic senator who voted for a bill out of the Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> aren't coming here, but they can vote aren't coming here, but they can vote vote<00:20:04.800><c
• We have um vote vote with their feet.
• </c> a vote locally, but then there's a vote a vote locally, but then there's a vote within<00:55:50.560
• One town may have three votes, the other town may have two votes, the other town may have one vote, so
• it is even remotely the same as voting and It’s not remotely the same as voting and registering to vote

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Several years ago, we came and visited, and you folks were having remote workers.
• These people can work remotely. None of these people, that's our decision.
• We certainly have the mechanism in place where they could answer remotely from a remote location.
• </c><00:18:25.320><c> however</c> remotely from a remote location however remotely from a remote location
• remote work and if people are on remote remote work and if there's<01:05:01.039><c> one</c><01:05:01.640

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means and Commerce and Consumer Protection heard the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs present its biennium budget request for fiscal years 2025 to 2027. Director Nainoa Ando said the department’s requests were primarily special-fund ceiling increases to meet operational needs. Major items included an additional $12 million to complete the King Kamehameha V Post Office building roof project after hidden deterioration and water intrusion were discovered, plus funding related to fringe benefits and central services assessments. The department also outlined requests for a new medical compact implementation cost, an auditor position, an engineer position, and a captive insurance IT modernization project. A significant portion of the discussion focused on the Office of Consumer Protection’s landlord-tenant call line and public service access. Senators raised concerns that callers often reach voicemail, are told to leave a message, and sometimes are referred to look up the law themselves. DCCA said the Oʻahu line is staffed by one full-time employee backed by two to three investigators, with one investigator each on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, and that calls are tracked in a case management system. The department said it plans to add one more Oʻahu staff position through a transfer from another division and that a new call-center/web system with time tracking is expected to go live in the summer. Members also discussed a possible bill related to Pearson VUE nursing certification testing, with one senator describing the burden on neighbor-island nursing graduates who must travel to Honolulu for a one-hour test. The senator said she intended to introduce legislation after receiving no response to repeated outreach. DCCA did not take action on that proposal during the hearing. For the PUC-related requests, the department explained a one-time $1 million request for outside consulting tied to Maui wildfire-related filings, including wildfire safety mitigation and hazard mitigation plans, and a separate $900,000 request through the Consumer Advocacy Division to hire consultants for review and analysis. The committee also discussed a captive insurance IT modernization request, which DCCA said would replace manual and spreadsheet-based processes with a cloud-based system to better handle filings, payments, and workflow; no vote or final action was taken on the budget items during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, I hope we can vote and vote this forward.
• Chairman, I hope we can vote and vote this forward.
• Babe Vote is a nonpartisan nonprofit that helps register people to vote and encourages civic engagement
• You said that you were with Babe Vote.
• You said that you were with Babe Vote.

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Then we'll go to a remote panel of John Weber and Dai Wai Chin Fiemann.
• Then, on deck, we will have a remote panel of Zosha Stanley and Chris Knapp.
• We will start with a mostly remote panel of Matt Gillingham, Janine Lewis, and Brian Crutchfield.
• We ask that the law stands with the survivors and votes to protect our future children and families.
• We urge you to vote yes on HB 2320. HB 2320. Brian, go ahead. Hi, my name is Brian Crutchfield.

Bills: HB2255 , HB2320 , HB2548

Committee: House Civil Rights & Judiciary

Keywords: litigation finance, legal funding, lawsuit, financial services, access to justice, firearm regulation, manufacturing, safety standards, background checks, license requirements, health care market standards, hospital consolidation, merger review, health care transaction notice, attorney general review, antitrust, provider organizations, hospital systems, contracting affiliation, material change

Transcript Highlights:

• Then we'll go to a remote panel of John Weber and Dai Wai Chin Fiemann.
• Then, on deck, we will have a remote panel of Zosha Stanley and Chris Knapp.
• We will start with a mostly remote panel of Matt Gillingham, Janine Lewis, and Brian Crutchfield.
• We ask that the law stands with the survivors and votes to protect our future children and families.
• We urge you to vote yes on HB 2320. HB 2320. Brian, go ahead. Hi, my name is Brian Crutchfield.

Summary: The committee held public hearings on House Bill 2255, House Bill 2548, and House Bill 2320. HB 2255 would regulate third-party litigation funding by requiring disclosure of funders and agreements, prohibiting funder control over litigation, capping funder recovery at 25%, and creating enforcement remedies. Supporters, including the sponsor, insurance groups, and liability reform advocates, described it as a transparency and consumer-protection measure that could improve court efficiency and reduce costs. Opponents, including the Washington State Association for Justice and the commercial litigation funding industry, argued it would burden plaintiffs, reveal protected work product, chill access to justice, and create satellite litigation. No vote was taken; the chair closed the hearing and asked testifiers to submit written comments. HB 2548 would expand state oversight of health care market transactions by broadening the types of mergers, acquisitions, asset sales, and ownership/control changes that trigger notice to the Attorney General, pausing transactions until information requests are substantially complied with, expanding interagency data sharing, and revoking nonprofit status in certain transactions. Supporters, including patient advocates, nurses, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, the Attorney General’s office, physicians, and individual health care workers, said private equity and consolidation are driving higher costs, reduced access, and lower quality. Opponents from the Washington State Hospital Association and MultiCare said the bill is unclear, may contain drafting errors, does not adequately target private equity structures, and could create problems around nonprofit status and charitable assets. The hearing ended with the committee moving on to the next bill. HB 2320 would update Washington’s ghost gun laws to address 3D-printed firearms, CNC manufacturing, digital firearm manufacturing code, and the sale of machines marketed for firearm production, and would make certain violations per se Consumer Protection Act violations. The sponsor and supporters, including school officials, gun violence prevention advocates, a trauma survivor, a 3D-printing industry representative, and others, said the bill closes a public safety loophole and responds to the growing availability of untraceable weapons. Opponents, including the NRA, makerspace representatives, and some industry witnesses, argued the bill is overbroad, may sweep in lawful 3D-printing and CNC activity, raises First, Second, and Fifth Amendment concerns, and could create uncertainty through rebuttable presumptions and the CPA provisions. The transcript ends during the HB 2320 hearing, with additional testimony panels still to come and no final committee action recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• They are being accessed remotely by the 24 agencies or those that use a mainframe or whatever service
• They are being accessed remotely by the 24 agencies or those that use a mainframe or whatever service
• much easier and worked with some of the groups that are helping former felons get their rights to vote
• We get that because about 70% of people register to vote when they go get their driver's license.
• related to the election system and some of the information on supervisor websites during the early voting

Summary: The subcommittee first heard a panel on state cloud modernization efforts after canceling an LBR on the Department of Corrections’ OBIS project because the presentation materials were not submitted on time. Florida Digital Service, the Northwest Regional Data Center, and several agencies described how the state is assessing and migrating applications to cloud environments under the cloud-first policy. Northwest explained its 2023 cloud readiness assessment of 890 applications from 24 agencies, the criteria used to rate readiness and risk, and its recommendation to tackle lower-risk applications first. Agency updates covered the Department of Corrections’ modernization of 98 legacy applications tied to OBIS and cloud-native infrastructure, the Department of Elder Affairs’ Microsoft Power Platform modernization, the Department of Health’s health management and child protection systems, and FDOT’s large cloud program for transportation systems. Members repeatedly asked about costs, data ownership, disaster recovery, single sign-on, security tools, and whether cloud migration actually saves money; presenters generally said the focus is more on modernization, resilience, and efficiency than immediate savings, and that cost analyses are often application-specific rather than enterprise-wide. The discussion also covered governance and architecture questions. Florida Digital Service said agencies remain responsible for their own databases and cloud tenants, while FLDS provides advice and an enterprise architecture framework; it does not have statutory oversight over most projects, except for OBIS project oversight due to its size. Northwest said it is acting as a cloud broker for some agencies and is consolidating Azure and AWS payer tenants to seek better pricing, but agencies still make system-by-system decisions based on business needs, risk, latency, and total cost of ownership. Members raised concerns about fragmented data structures, the lack of a complete statewide application inventory, and the need for better interoperability and enterprise standards. Several agencies said disaster recovery is built into their cloud plans, and FDOT and Corrections described ongoing efforts to keep systems current through core platforms, training, and ongoing support. In the second half of the meeting, the Department of State presented two new technology requests. Secretary Byrd described the SunBiz corporate registry system as a 34-year-old platform supporting more than 3.5 million business entities and generating over $575 million in annual general revenue. He said the department had already virtualized the legacy hardware after earlier modernization efforts failed and is now seeking $800,000 recurring for password protection and $5 million nonrecurring to continue procurement for a replacement system. The department also presented the Florida Voter Registration System modernization request, noting that the current system is outdated and requires manual workarounds for some statutory changes. The department requested $2.4948 million nonrecurring and $44,000 recurring to procure a modernized FVRS solution, and staff said the feasibility study recommended a hybrid approach. Members asked about the study’s findings and about creating a database for voter eligibility information for returning citizens; the department said that would require data sharing with all 67 clerks of court and other entities such as DOC.

Transcript Highlights:

• I voted for the bill before I voted against the bill.
• I voted for the bill before I voted against the bill.
• Vote yes.
• </c> The clerk will call the name of the member participating remotely. >> West votes aye. >> The clerk
• The clerk will call the name of the member participating remotely. >> West votes no.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next we'll have Carl Schrader and Bill Clark in person, and then on deck remote we'll have Jeff Pack,
• Luke Esser, please come up, and then after that we will hear from Sue Madsen remotely, Tim Woodard remotely
• , and Wes McCart remotely.
• On deck remotely, we'll have David Neiman, Josh Friedman, and Blake Lyon.
• All right, remotely we will have David Neiman first. Thank you, Senator. Hi, everybody.

Summary: The Senate Local Government Committee heard several land use and infrastructure bills. SB 5633 on subdivision of land drew the most discussion: staff described a broad rewrite that would move many subdivision decisions from legislative bodies to administrative personnel, limit or eliminate public hearings for preliminary plats, require notice to nearby landowners, set completeness and 100-day decision timelines, and streamline concurrent review of related permits. Builders, Realtors, and some cities supported the bill as a long-overdue modernization that could reduce delays and housing costs, while county and city representatives raised concerns about eliminating public hearings, implementation details, and local accountability. The committee also heard SB 6274 on street standards and frontage improvements, which would require jurisdictions to identify infrastructure barriers to infill and middle housing and periodically review street and frontage standards; supporters said frontage mandates can make housing infeasible, while local government witnesses warned about conflicts with safety, ADA, and transportation goals. SB 6309 on high-capacity transit permits would let Sound Transit apply for permits before acquiring property and before some land use decisions, and would allow certain development agreements and subdivision exemptions to speed transit delivery; Sound Transit and city representatives supported it, and the committee waived the five-day notice rule to hear it. The committee also took testimony on SB 6279, which would incorporate the wildland-urban interface code into the state building code after statewide wildfire maps are completed and require state and local coordination on defensible space and local amendments. Supporters framed it as needed wildfire resilience planning, while opponents from counties, builders, environmental groups, and local officials argued the bill was premature, too rigid, and potentially inconsistent with environmental laws, local conditions, and insurance realities; several asked for more local flexibility, clearer map processes, and changes to the timing and scope of adoption. SB 6291 would extend from two to four years the period during which local health jurisdiction staff may inspect on-site wastewater systems under supervision before certification; public health officials supported it as a workforce and training fix, saying the current timeline is too short and costly. The committee also heard SB 5903, SB 6016, SB 5820, SB 6132, and SB 6189 in executive session, adopted substitutes on some bills, and advanced SB 6016, SB 5820, SB 6132, and SB 6189 out of committee by due-pass votes, with SB 6016 receiving a substitute and a member noting support but remaining concerns.