Video & Transcript : 'skills training' :
Page 84 of 500
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- Freeman about mandatory reporters and the training that they're required to do.
- , I want to make sure that we have the mandatory reporter training for these.
- They would also have to do that training. Is that what you...
- So it's either the POST training or an equivalent BESE-approved program and the mandatory reporter training
- They are required to be employed. our school resource officer training under post.
Committee:
House Education
Summary:
The committee first took up HB 987, which would move the Louisiana Geological Survey under the LSU Energy Institute to streamline energy-related programs. The author and members described it as an efficiency measure, and the committee reported the bill favorably without objection.
Members then heard HB 513 on name, image, and likeness rules for intercollegiate and interscholastic athletes. The bill was presented as a product of a task force and was supported by the Attorney General’s office, coaches, and a student athlete, who emphasized the need for guardrails, education, and protections against exploitation by agents or third parties. Questions focused on high school enforcement, parental consent, and what students may legally do; the committee ultimately reported the bill favorably.
The committee also considered HCR 26, which asks BESE to incorporate the science of human growth and development, including prenatal development, into science or health standards and to provide instructional materials. Supporters said it would improve science education and show fetal development more clearly, while opponents raised concerns about medical accuracy, political influence, and lack of safeguards. An amendment requiring parental consent for instruction was offered but failed on a roll call vote, and the resolution was then reported favorably.
Later, the committee reported HB 608 favorably as amended to protect confidentiality of documents tied to intercollegiate athletics revenue-sharing, while preserving public disclosure of overall institutional spending. It also advanced HB 380, creating a pilot program to expand CDL workforce training through a community college and school partnership, and HB 392, which would require suicide hotline information on school websites, student ID cards, and, through amendment, visible signs in schools. The committee then reported HB 476 as amended, requiring Safe Haven law flyers in school restrooms, and began discussion of HB 682 to authorize veterans as school resource officers, with amendments addressing qualifications and training.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- construction trades and to certify that those skilled workers had that on-site. that job training necessary
- First-hand trades training in the process of constructing a home instead of simply... limiting their
- training to a lab experience.
- the next generation of skilled workers through real... ...on-the-job experience.
- Housing costs rise across income levels because of the lack of workforce, skilled trade labor.
Bills:
HB386 , HB1449 , HB1701 , HB2142 , HB2675 , HB2857 , HB3063 , HB3171 , HB3641 , HB3732 , HB4045 , HB4370 , HB4491 , HB4505 , HB4626 , HB5267 , HB5356
Committee:
House Intergovernmental Affairs
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- It also establishes a clear safety protocol that requires trained supervision.
- And all supervisors now have to be trained in CPR. We'll have the skills of diving as well.
- And he says, first of all, his training was basic at best.
- His respirator was off, and no one on site had the training to help him.
- Again, no one had the training to attempt to give him CPR at that time.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- However, unlike traditional foster homes, treatment foster parents receive specialized training to care
- Treatment foster homes receive specialized training to care for children with high behavioral needs and
- receive higher compensation due to this specialized training, increased availability requirements, and
- Because rural governments are small and lean, they sometimes lack the personnel and technical training
- We need folks on the ground in these communities with the skills and technical expertise.
Committee:
Senate Fiscal Policy
Summary:
The Committee on Fiscal Policy met and first considered CS/SB 7012 on child welfare, presented by Senator Graal. The bill addressed three areas: child welfare workforce shortages, higher-acuity children in out-of-home care, and services/data for commercially sexually exploited children. It would create a CPI and case manager recruitment program aimed at former public safety and service workers, convene a workforce work group, establish a four-year treatment foster care pilot in two judicial circuits identified by DCF based on removal and placement data, and require more detailed, extractable child-level data on commercially sexually exploited children along with a bed capacity study and service gap analysis. Two amendments were adopted: one clarified record retention for redacted assessments, and another attached the appropriation.
The committee then heard CS/SB 110 on rural communities from Senator Simon. The bill proposed a broad rural development package, including a state office of rural prosperity, a Renaissance grant program for counties with declining populations, increased housing support, major rural road funding, school consortium funding, and additional health care resources for rural facilities and training. A delete-all amendment was adopted that expanded and refined several provisions, including local sales tax trust fund distributions, county connectivity projects, agritourism marketing support, disaster-impacted rural infrastructure eligibility, insurance and provider eligibility changes, and increased funding for critical access hospitals and rural medical education reimbursement.
Both bills drew broad support from local government, education, health care, housing, and rural advocacy representatives. Supporters said the rural bill was especially comprehensive and would help small counties, schools, roads, housing, and health care, while one witness cautioned that road expansion should be balanced with protection of agricultural and natural lands. Senator Bradley and Senator Simon emphasized local control and the importance of strengthening rural Florida without imposing mandates. CS/SB 7012 and CS/SB 110 were both reported favorably, and the committee then adjourned.
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 25 February, 2026; 3:00 PM
Public Health and Welfare
Transcript Highlights:
- passed unanimously to allow for the Army, the Navy, uh, Air Force that if their medics went through training
- they've Guard medics to be able to after they've had<00:02:20.720><c> their</c><00:02:20.959><c> training
- </c><00:46:28.240><c> nursing</c> intent to then remove skilled nursing intent to then remove skilled
- nursing facility or and leaving skilled nursing facility or hospice<00:46:48.880><c> facility?
- </c> terminally ill patients at skilled terminally ill patients at skilled nursing<00:48:01.920><c> home
Committee:
Joint Public Health and Welfare
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
House Budget Review Subcommittee on Primary & Secondary Education & Workforce Development (2-3-26)
Transcript Highlights:
- ATC's offer programs that provide specialized<00:02:21.760><c> training</c><00:02:22.080><c> in</c><00
- such as specialized training in fields such as healthcare,<00:02:24.239><c> manufacturing,</c><00:02
- 00:02:31.520><c> with</c><00:02:31.680><c> the</c><00:02:31.920><c> practical</c><00:02:32.400><c> skills
- </c> students with the practical skills students with the practical skills needed<00:02:33.040><c> for
- </c><00:03:30.959><c> including</c> dual credit, technical skills including dual credit, technical skills
Summary:
The subcommittee met without a quorum and first heard from Kentucky Department of Education officials on career and technical education funding. KDE explained that House Bill 499 created a CTE funding formula using 60% weighted full-time equivalent enrollment and 40% incentives, but House Bill 6’s budget language excluded area technology centers (ATCs) from that supplemental funding. KDE requested approval of an additional budget request of $14,789,352 in each fiscal year 2027 and 2028 to include ATCs in the formula and hold local districts harmless. Officials said ATCs serve students from 117 of Kentucky’s 171 districts and argued the change would reduce funding disparities and better reflect the return on investment from CTE programs, citing growth in dual credit and work-based learning participation.
Members asked whether the issue would need to be revisited each budget cycle. KDE responded that the problem could be fixed by removing the notwithstanding language from the budget bill, which they said would allow ATCs to be included under the existing statute. Representative Klein supported the request, saying the current clause could lead to stagnation and that the committee should help the program continue to grow. No vote was taken on the CTE item during the portion of the meeting provided.
The committee then heard a presentation from PreK for All on expanding preschool access in Kentucky. Advocates said the state’s preschool program has been funded since 1990 and currently serves about 14,200 children at roughly $84 million per year, but that many working families still fall into a coverage gap. They proposed expanding eligibility to 250% of the federal poverty line, which they said would add about 9,600 children at a cost of $40 million in year two, after a planning year. The proposal also included regulatory flexibility for classrooms and partnerships with private child care providers and nonprofits, with speakers emphasizing child care deserts in some counties and citing research that early learning improves kindergarten readiness and later outcomes. No action or vote was taken on the preschool proposal in the transcript provided.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee 4/9/26
Human Services Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> Another focus is support and training. Another focus is support and training.
- </c> collaboratives, and developing training collaboratives, and developing training for<01:08:41.680
- and that training must be training and that training must be mandatory<01:30:36.320><c> for</c><01:30
- </c><01:31:10.840><c> So,</c> around compliance training. So, around compliance training.
- </c> know you've been trained like that. know you've been trained like that.
Committee:
House Human Services Finance and Policy
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education Apr 10th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- programs for both local education agencies and the registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship training
- The bill requires the local education agency and their pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship training
- And I appreciate the college's emphasis on providing job skills, job training, and workforce opportunities
- and training that will help them as they return to civilian life.
- Our participation in athletics greatly enhanced our college experience and provided a specific skill
Summary:
The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education heard and approved two bills before moving into confirmation hearings for several university and college board nominees. CS/SB 1458 on apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships was presented as a measure to improve consistency and transparency in local education agency partnerships, cap LEA administrative funding at 10% when applicable, and require public meetings and work papers for workforce funding model decisions. Support was noted from Associated Builders and Contractors, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Foundations for Florida Futures, and Independent Electrical Contractors. The bill passed unanimously and was reported favorably.
The committee then considered CS/CS/SB 1726 on higher education governance and presidential searches after adopting a delete-all amendment and a late-filed amendment defining the final group of presidential applicants as no fewer than three. The amended bill added provisions on trustee citizenship and residency/alumni eligibility, interim president succession planning, longer presidential contract renewals, limits on candidate polling by universities, syllabus posting, textbook/open-access material lists, and other governance and academic policy changes. Senators raised concerns about the minimum-three finalist requirement, interim president selection, trustee eligibility, and polling restrictions, while supporters said the bill would depoliticize leadership selection and improve transparency. The bill was reported favorably after the amendments were adopted.
The committee then heard confirmation testimony from multiple appointees and reappointees, including nominees for FAMU, UNF, Pensacola State College, UWF, and UF. Most nominees emphasized ties to their institutions, student success, workforce development, military connections, and institutional growth. Several UWF nominees were questioned extensively about their votes for former chair Scott Yenner and his controversial comments about women and other groups; some said they were unaware of those remarks at the time of the vote and would not have supported him with that knowledge. Public testimony on UWF expressed concern about the nominees’ lack of higher education experience, their ties to the region, and the impact of Yenner’s views. The committee later voted to recommend a block of non-UWF nominees favorably, and it agreed to vote on the UWF nominees individually, with some remaining nominees deferred to a later hearing due to time.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Jan 29th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Are we actually getting young people, or students, maybe they're not young, but students trained and
- They are graded using a tiered system that is already compliant with this bill when they're training
- I trained in family medicine in Seattle, and I now practice in my tribal community in Montana.
- It is continuous growth, enabling our students to develop their skills progressively and prepare them
- The Tri-Cities is growing, with more employers looking to us for the trained workforce they need, yet
Summary:
The committee began with a work session on the Workforce Education Investment Act (WEA) Oversight Board, hearing from board co-chair Jane Broome and Joel Anderson of WASAC. They described the account’s origins as a public-private partnership intended to supplement, not replace, existing higher education funding, and emphasized the board’s role in oversight and outcomes. Members discussed the need for better data, especially outcome-based data, and concerns that recent budget actions have used WEA funds to supplant general fund support for higher education, particularly at the University of Washington. The presenters said WASAC staffing has improved transparency, but they urged the committee to preserve the original “do not supplant” intent and to keep WEA focused on high-demand programs, financial aid, and student success.
The committee then held public hearings on three bills. SB 6251 would require public medical schools to use letter grades or a tiered grading system; the sponsor said the bill was meant to standardize grading, while both Washington State University and UW Medicine testified in opposition, arguing that pass-fail and competency-based systems better support collaboration, student mental health, and residency competitiveness. SB 6259 would make students ineligible for state aid and require repayment of aid if they are found by a court to have caused major damage to a public institution; the sponsor framed it as accountability for serious vandalism, while the lone testifier from WSU student government supported free speech but opposed the bill’s penalties as inequitable for lower-income students. SB 6235 would address the higher education “fund split” by requiring state funding of compensation and central services to return to 2023-25 levels over time and directing a study on essential student services; nearly all testimony from university, faculty, and community college leaders supported the bill, saying the current approach shifts costs to tuition, creates instability, and forces cuts to classes, staffing, and student services.
In executive session, the committee advanced several bills. It adopted proposed substitutes and gave do-pass recommendations to SB 5978, SB 6209, SB 6217, and SB 6227, sending them to the Ways and Means Committee. The committee did not take action on SB 6235 in executive session. The meeting then adjourned.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Criminal Justice and Public Safety (01/21/2026)
Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Transcript Highlights:
- The but also to do physical training.
- </c> from the state police, the training from the state police, the training council.<01:04:39.359><c
- skills and vice versa.
- ><c> skills</c><01:12:00.800><c> and</c><01:12:00.960><c> vice</c> strong physical fitness skills and
- For example, uh, training footage.
Committee:
House Criminal Justice and Public Safety
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Protection and Victim Services Committee May 13th, 2026 at 09:00 am
Protection and Victim Services Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Ongoing training is required.
- And I don’t know if I feel like the train has left the station, and it wasn’t a regular train.
- This was like a bullet train.
- Anybody who has done this type of training has had a child disclose to them, come up after the training
- He is trained to be an emotional support dog.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
October 8, 2025 - 08:30 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- VERY COLLABORATIVE IN NATURE AND INCLUDE DISTRICTWIDE FASCIA LEARNING LITERACY COACHES SUPPORT AND TRAIN
- THE SRLD FACILITATED TRAIN THE TRAINER SESSIONS WITH THE LITERACY COACH TO STRENGTHEN TEACHING CAPACITY
- PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SESSIONS FOCUSED ON INCREASING UNDERSTANDING OF HOW FOUNDATIONAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS
- SATISFACTION RESULTS SHOWED THAT 99 % OF PARTICIPANTS AGREED OR STRONGLY AGREED THE TRAINING PROVIDED
- MATHEMATICS IS VERY SKILLS-BASED.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Transcript Highlights:
- The regulation outlined that staff undergo comprehensive training to be certified as chair people to
- The regulation outlined that staff undergo comprehensive training to be certified as chair, staff or
- undergo comprehensive training to be certified as chair people to oversee the classification process
- In our skilled nursing setting, who need assistance, cannot manage their assisted daily living activities
- It seems to make sense, practicing their skills in less restrictive settings, using those short controls
Summary:
The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met on January 12 to continue its review of DOC classification practices, with Senator Brownsberger and Representative Hunt co-chairing. After brief discussion of the prior hearing, members said there would likely be another opportunity for additional testimony, including possible video testimony from people inside facilities. The main presentation for the day was DOC’s classification system and a UMass Chan study of whether the system predicts institutional misconduct and whether overrides affect its accuracy or create racial/ethnic bias.
DOC officials described the objective point-based classification system, its history, and the role of discretionary and non-discretionary overrides. They said the system is designed to balance public safety and reintegration, with initial classification emphasizing offense history and reclassification emphasizing institutional adjustment. DOC reported that, in the current population, about 16% are classified to maximum security, 74% to medium, and 10% to lower security. They also reviewed the non-discretionary restrictions that keep people out of minimum or medium security, and said discretionary overrides are used less often than the National Institute of Corrections’ suggested ceiling and are reviewed within six months.
UMass Chan researchers said their analysis used historical DOC data from 2019 to 2022, focused mainly on about 7,600 male reclassification cases, and found that the scored custody level accurately predicted institutional misconduct. They said the tool performed well on standard statistical measures, but predictive accuracy declined after overrides were applied, with overlap appearing between minimum and medium groups. In a supplementary analysis, they said the loss of accuracy was driven primarily by non-discretionary restrictions rather than discretionary overrides. They also said the study did not find evidence of racial or ethnic bias in the tool itself, and that DOC’s current system is comparatively more lenient than many other states.
Members and guests raised concerns about overclassification to medium security, the low share of people in minimum, the role of civil commitment restrictions, and whether the data captured historical bias or individual cases where overrides felt subjective. DOC and UMass Chan responded that the study was group-based, not case-specific, and that minimum-security rates are hard to compare across states because Massachusetts’ prison and county systems differ structurally. The commission did not take a vote or formal action, but asked members to send follow-up data questions by the end of the week for referral to DOC and the researchers.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- of Dentistry already reviewed and had a system in place to review dental assisting programs that trained
- The initiative will train coaches and judges, support tournaments, and maintain statewide data.
- The initiative will train coaches and judges, support tournaments, maintain statewide data, and work
- You learn so many amazing skills in speech and debate.
- These are skills you're going to take with you for the rest of your life, and you're going to be like
Committee:
House Education & Employment Committee
Summary:
The committee first took up PCS for CS for HB 1279, a higher education bill focused on Florida’s preeminent universities. The sponsor said the measure would increase access for Florida students, strengthen accountability and transparency, update accreditation references, adjust performance metrics, and address issues such as GPA weighting, engineering credit-hour differences, and certain fee-waiver and dental-program provisions. Members raised questions about the 95% Florida-resident enrollment target, possible funding impacts, Pell Grant metrics, and whether the bill would affect community college pathways; the sponsor said the bill was aimed at first-time-in-college students and that the 95% standard would be measured on a three-year rolling average. After an amendment removing an adjustment to the four-year graduation metric was adopted, the bill was reported favorably by a 17-2 vote.
The committee then heard PCS for CS for HB 1059, which would strengthen speech and debate education by designating the Florida Debate Initiative as the statewide organization, supporting coach and judge training, statewide data collection, tournaments, and a Florida Speech and Debate Week. The sponsor and several students and advocates testified that speech and debate builds confidence, civics knowledge, leadership, and opportunities for English learners and other students, with multiple speakers describing how the program changed their lives. Members from both parties spoke strongly in support, and the bill was reported favorably without opposition.
Finally, the committee considered PCS for HB 725 on political activity at public institutions of higher education. The sponsor said the bill would standardize campus policies, require notice to students and employees about free-expression and political-campaign rules, and align state practice with federal guidelines while preserving free speech and nonpartisan voter engagement. An opponent argued the bill could create barriers to civic engagement and student organizing, while supporters said it would clarify existing rules and prevent institutions from favoring one viewpoint over another. The sponsor closed by emphasizing that the bill was about information and neutrality rather than restricting speech.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education Feb 25th, 2026
Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education
Transcript Highlights:
- Chair: We will take up Tab Number One, CS for SB 182 on School Teaching Training and Mentoring - the
- School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program by Senator Jones.
- This bill establishes the School Teacher Training Mentor Program within the Department of Education.
- direction, demonstration, and recommendations to Senator Jones: help the mentees develop necessary skills
- must provide direction, advice, and a neutral sounding board to mentees and must help them develop skills
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- So it's a little more specialized training that needs to happen.
- So it's a little more specialized training that needs to happen.
- on some of this may not be that much training.
- , training and therapies, assistive technology, and accessible support.
- , daily living skills, camps, recreation programs, parent training, and other individualized supports
Committee:
House Local Government
DE
Transcript Highlights:
- When students struggle to master core skills early, those challenges compound over time and can affect
- . ...and precise intervention all aimed at the same grade-level skills and same grade-level mastery.
- are essential members of the educational team, and they are the ones who help students develop the skills
- are essential members of the educational team, and they are the ones who help students develop the skills
- Delaware has previously recognized the advanced training of speech-language pathologists and physical
Committee:
House Education
Summary:
The House Education Committee met and first heard Senate Bill 293, the Youth Camp Licensing Act, which would amend child care licensing rules for youth camps. The sponsor said the bill, with amendments, would remove accreditation language, clarify shelter requirements for outdoor camps, and eliminate limits that had restricted the number of children camps could serve, especially for families using purchase-of-care assistance. YMCA and school representatives testified in support, saying the measure would expand access to safe, affordable summer care for low-income working families. The committee voted to release the bill.
The committee then approved Senate Bill 328, which would require the Department of Education’s school facility evaluation instrument to be established by regulation and to include lead-based paint hazards in the standard of good repair. The Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Advisory Committee supported the bill, explaining that lead had not been included in the original evaluation tool and that the new language would improve transparency and public comment. Senate Bill 318, updating the Delaware State Education Association special license plate program, also passed after DSEA testified that proceeds support scholarships for educators and students pursuing education careers.
House Bill 443, dealing with background checks for education volunteers and mentors, passed as well. The sponsor said it would allow DOE to continue receiving wrapback reports for mentors in the state mentoring program and ensure state and federal criminal background checks remain in place. The committee also released Senate Joint Resolution 15, which directs DOE to reevaluate Delaware’s use of the SAT, modernize the accountability framework, and develop additional measures of student achievement and readiness; supporters argued the SAT does not capture career and technical pathways or other indicators of success. House Bill 459, which prohibits the sale of energy drinks on public middle and high school campuses during school hours or events, passed after discussion focused on whether the bill would affect possession versus sale and whether it could lead to student discipline; DOE said the bill only bans sales, and the sponsor said an amendment would clarify intent. Finally, House Concurrent Resolution 137 passed, directing DOE to review math instruction and MTSS supports statewide; testimony emphasized low math proficiency and the need for stronger, more coherent interventions. The committee also began hearing Senate Bill 279 on occupational therapist salary placement, with discussion centered on aligning OT compensation with other specialist roles and broader salary regulation updates, though the transcript cuts off before final action is shown.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education Feb 18th, 2026
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education
Transcript Highlights:
- My main concern is the loss of skill that comes with the overuse of AI.
- our students, the future adults and laborers of Florida, do not lose the ability to develop real skills
- This bill does not currently provide dedicated funding for faculty training or create clear statewide
- College of Florida Keys, where I enrolled for one semester just to brush up on some boat maintenance skills
- I am a scientist by training, a chemist specifically, and an entrepreneur by my career.
Bills:
S1694
Summary:
The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met with a quorum present and first took up CS for SB 1694, which would require technology-integrated postsecondary general education core courses to include digital literacy and competency instruction, including use of artificial intelligence tools, and encourage high school computer science courses with AI content to teach how AI systems use data, their benefits and limitations, and responsible use in academic and personal contexts. The bill drew support from several speakers who emphasized the need for students to understand AI’s capabilities, limitations, ethics, and risks, while one speaker raised concerns about overreliance on AI and the loss of skills. Senator Davis said the bill was a good step toward preparing the future workforce and suggested earlier instruction might be worth considering later. The bill was reported favorably, and Senator Leek asked to be recorded in the affirmative.
The committee then heard a long series of confirmation presentations for trustees at multiple Florida colleges and universities, including Tallahassee State College, USF, UNF, Palm Beach State College, the College of the Florida Keys, Hillsborough College, Miami-Dade College, Florida A&M University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, New College of Florida, Florida Polytechnic University, and the University of Florida. The appointees generally emphasized student success, workforce alignment, fiscal responsibility, access and affordability, and institutional growth; several members and senators offered supportive comments, with some asking about specific issues such as Tallahassee State’s NCLEX passage rates and the need for continued improvement. One appointee’s attendance was delayed or skipped for later consideration, but the committee ultimately took a block vote and reported the confirmations favorably to the Ethics and Elections Committee.
Finally, Chair Harrell gave a brief overview of the higher education budget, describing a total of $11.9 billion and highlighting increases for workforce education, Florida College System operating funds, workforce development capitalization, the Rural Incentive for Professional Educators program, the USF Center for Nursing, preeminent research universities, UCF’s community school grant program, UF’s Lassinger Center on Learning, the Florida Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, and campus security through a postsecondary guardian program. Senator Davis asked about a transfer related to the workforce development capitalization and incentive grant fund, and the chair explained it was a transfer of an existing program with new funds being added. There was no public comment on the budget, and the meeting adjourned after Senator Leek requested to be recorded in the affirmative on SB 1694.
WA
Transcript Highlights:
- And skilled nursing facilities care for about 40,000 patients a year that transition from hospitals,
- I am the administrator of Alderwood Park Health and Rehab up in Bellingham, just one of the 194 skilled
- I am the executive director at Enumclaw Health and Rehabilitation, and we're a skilled rural nursing
- Last year, the legislature allocated critical Medicaid funding to support frontline caregivers in skilled
- With $60 million in supplemental funding, you can support the training, equipment, planning, and local
Bills:
HB2289
Committee:
House Appropriations
Keywords:
appropriations, budget, fiscal matters, state spending, general fund, supplemental budget, biennial budget, substitute bill, public defense, civil legal aid, courts, judicial branch, homelessness, supportive housing, affordable housing, behavioral health, juvenile rehabilitation, youth services, child welfare, foster care
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Appropriations Jan 14th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- And skilled nursing facilities care for about 40,000 patients a year that transition from hospitals,
- I am the administrator of Alderwood Park Health and Rehab up in Bellingham, just one of the 194 skilled
- I am the executive director at Enumclaw Health and Rehabilitation, and we're a skilled rural nursing
- Last year, the Legislature allocated critical Medicaid funding to support frontline caregivers in skilled
- With $60 million in supplemental funding, you can support the training, equipment, planning, and local
Summary:
The House Appropriations Committee continued its public hearing on House Bill 2289, the fiscal biennial supplemental operating budget appropriations bill. The chair and vice chair explained the hearing process, limited testimony to one minute per person, and then heard extensive public comment from a wide range of advocates, local officials, service providers, and residents. No committee vote was taken during the hearing.
Much of the testimony focused on opposition to proposed budget shifts involving Climate Commitment Act revenue, especially the proposed diversion of $569 million to other uses, including the Working Families Tax Credit. Environmental, public health, and local government witnesses argued those funds should remain dedicated to climate pollution reduction, wildfire resilience, clean transportation, natural climate solutions, and affordability programs. Several speakers also urged full funding for wildfire response and forest health, including the HB 1168 commitment, and opposed transfers from the Public Works Assistance Account.
Other major topics included Medicaid and long-term care rates, with nursing home and assisted living providers warning that freezing or delaying rate rebasing would worsen staffing shortages and threaten access to care. Public health and health care advocates opposed cuts to foundational public health services, Apple Health expansion, and pharmacy benefit changes, while oral health advocates asked to preserve Medicaid dental funding and support Dentist Link. Testimony also supported or opposed funding for K-12 programs such as special education, the Ninth Grade Success Initiative, and homeless student stability; early learning and child care subsidies; disability services; public defense; housing and homelessness prevention; food assistance; higher education; and immigrant legal services. The committee concluded the hearing and adjourned after public testimony ended.