Transcript Highlights:

• Contrary to some testimony I've read on this measure, county labor standards don't punish property owners
• </c><00:17:39.840><c> add</c> property owners and they don't add property owners and they don't add another
• As a property owner, it's your responsibility to also make sure that those you do business with are following
• As a property owner, it's your there.
• As a property owner, it's your responsibility<00:22:02.480><c> to</c><00:22:02.640><c> also</c><00:22

Bills: HB2614 , HB1660 , HB1704 , HB1563 , HB1573 , HB1777 , HB1749

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Commerce

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 2614, which would require merchants selling cosmetics to accept returns of newer unopened goods within specified time frames and expand signage requirements for return and refund policies. DCCA’s Office of Consumer Protection strongly supported the bill, citing updated figures of 180 cosmetic complaints from 2020 to 2025, 54 still under investigation, 148 referred to class action litigation, and more than $1.3 million in consumer losses. Members questioned whether the bill was needed given the pending lawsuit and whether bad actors would comply, while the office responded that clearer signage would improve consumer awareness and could reduce complaints without limiting other remedies. No vote was taken. The committee then heard HB 1660 HD1, which would allow counties to require contractors to disclose wage, benefit, hour, and employment-status information and to deny, revoke, or suspend permits for certain labor-law violations. DLIR, the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters, Operating Engineers Local 3, and Pacific Resource Partnership testified in support, arguing the measure would help deter cheating contractors, protect law-abiding employers, and keep bad actors from undercutting wages and taxes. One member raised concerns about possible delays to affordable housing projects and whether owners should be held responsible for contractors’ misconduct; supporters replied that compliance is a minimum standard, that county action would be discretionary rather than automatic, and that the bill would not bar counties from working with affordable housing developers. No action was reported. Finally, the committee took up HB 1704, adopting the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact to allow telepsychology and temporary in-person practice across state lines. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the State Health Planning and Development Agency, the Hawaii State Association of Counties, and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans supported the measure, saying it would help fill major staffing gaps, especially for forensic evaluations and services in rural and neighbor-island communities. The Board of Psychology raised concerns about the compact’s scope, the need for a study focused specifically on psychologists, background-check requirements, possible loss of regulatory authority and revenue, and the need to update older statutory provisions. Hawaii Association for Justice opposed the immunity language in the compact, and Shawn Scanlon opposed the bill, arguing it could weaken cultural responsiveness and local control and suggesting the state instead improve temporary licensing and other in-state pathways. The committee also questioned the Department of Corrections about its vacancies and whether telehealth could be filled by local providers; no vote was taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we feel like the Realtors feel that property owners should be able to use their property in a
• And so we feel like the Realtors feel that property owners should be able to use their property in a
• And so we feel like the Realtors feel that property owners should be able to use their property in a
• And so we feel like the Realtors feel that property owners should be able to use their property in a
• So we feel like the Realtors feel that property owners should be able to use their property in a way

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Once I sign those, then they would be sent certified mail to the property owners.
• That civil process is to give the property owner an opportunity to abate.
• Once I sign those, then they would be sent certified mail to the property owners.
• Once I sign those, then they would be sent certified mail to the property owners.
• Once I sign those, then they would be sent certified mail to the property owners.

Transcript Highlights:

• How were you an owner of the property? I was never an owner of the property. My grandparents were.
• property for that?
• We changed that to where any overage goes to the original owner of the property.
• I'm pretty sure that changed to where any overage went to the original property owner after taxes are
• , private property.

Committee: All ALC-CLAIMS REVIEW/LITIGATION REPORTS OVERSIGHT

Transcript Highlights:

• Florida has long recognized that churches are not simply another category of property owner.
• This bill allows property owners that are adjacent to residential land and have environmentally contaminated
• It would, just as a reminder, we're on the amendment right now, but the property owner would do it.
• Okay, so if this is the property owner of a non-developed parcel, and it will be rezoned to residential
• It would, just as a reminder, we're on the amendment right now, but as the property owner would do it

Summary: The subcommittee first took up HB 387 on ADS-B airport billing. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would stop airports and third-party vendors from using federally required automatic dependent surveillance broadcast data to calculate landing or touch-and-go fees, arguing the technology was intended for safety and collision avoidance, not invoicing. An amendment clarifying touch-and-go landings and other fee calculations was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably 15-0. Members then heard several local and policy bills. CS/HB 803 on private-provider building permits and inspections drew broad support from industry groups and was reported favorably 14-1. HB 451 and HB 4053, local fire-district assessment bills, were presented as relief for homeowners and churches facing higher non-ad valorem assessments; both were reported favorably after amendments, with testimony emphasizing impacts on houses of worship and local communities. PCS/HB 1329 on local government spending transparency prompted extensive debate over searchable budget formats, posting requirements, and possible unfunded mandates; supporters framed it as taxpayer access and accountability, while opponents argued many local governments already provide this information and that the bill could impose costs. It was reported favorably 8-4. The committee also advanced PCS/HB 927 on local land planning and development, which would allow qualified professionals to assist with pre-application reviews; local government representatives raised concerns about preemption and environmental restrictions, but the bill was reported favorably 13-2. HB 929 on chickee huts, PCS/HB 4081 on expanding a local water and sewer district by referendum, and HB 489 conveying the Trenton Train Depot to the city and county all passed unanimously or near-unanimously. HB 1211, a Department of Military Affairs bill updating leave and assistance-program provisions, was amended and reported favorably. HB 1041, creating business incentives for veteran- and military spouse-owned businesses, also passed 13-0 after amendment and supportive testimony from members and veterans. The final item shown was HB 1001, a bill restricting county and municipal DEI-related actions and contracting; the sponsor described it as a response to division and waste, and members began questioning its definitions, scope, and potential effects on training and civil actions, but the transcript cuts off before any vote or final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're a property tax oversight division, very knowledgeable people.
• I don't care if it's property insurance, property taxes, whatever. The pace is tremendous.
• And it's significant, and it's chosen by those consumers and owners.
• We also go and visit with community associations, property owner associations.
• I had about 10 different property owners associations that I met with monthly so that I could get direct

Committee: Senate Community Affairs

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs convened with a quorum and took up SB 308, a bill related to the Florida Museum of Black History. The bill would establish a Florida Museum of Black History Board of Directors and direct it to work with a supporting nonprofit foundation, while also requiring the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners to provide administrative assistance and staffing until planning, design, and engineering are complete. With no appearance forms or debate, the committee voted the bill favorably. The remainder of the meeting was an informational briefing from the Florida Association of Counties and the Florida League of Cities on local government budgeting practices. Presenters explained how counties and cities develop budgets, the legal framework governing property taxes and other revenues, the distinction between restricted and unrestricted funds, and the role of constitutional officers, public safety, debt, pensions, and capital planning. They emphasized that most local revenues are restricted by law, that general funds are the main discretionary source, and that local governments must balance annual budgets while meeting mandated service levels. The presenters also discussed how property taxes, fees, local option taxes, and state-shared revenues support local services, and they highlighted the fiscal pressures created by public safety, emergency management, infrastructure, and retirement costs. Members asked questions about the share of local revenue that is unrestricted and the implications for any proposal to eliminate property taxes. The presenters responded that only a portion of county and municipal revenue is flexible, with much of it dedicated to specific purposes by law.

Transcript Highlights:

• owners' associations, or owners of land to provide law enforcement services in and near an area managed
• or regulated by local government or property owners, to the persons residing in or visiting that area
• I guess my question is on the Property Owners Association. Are those...
• The segment that associates with the Property Owners Association is signed by Section 202 point... 0,
• 0, 1 of the Property Tax Code.

Bills: HB8 , HB26 , HB192

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Step in right away so that business owners have support that they need at their lowest, not just when
• John Marco, owner of Wired Wine, I support AB 265.
• When a whole community is burnt down, fair market value for properties is put into question.
• That could, one, purchase the properties in question. Two, use those properties.
• The monetization of the securities comes once the properties are sold.

Committee: House Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact

Transcript Highlights:

• We have been in contact with the owner of both the Sears property and the Macy's property.
• </c> we have been in contact with the owner we have been in contact with the owner of<00:21:03.360><c
• ><c> and</c><00:21:04.559><c> the</c> of both the Sear's property and the of both the Sear's property
• necessarily taxable property, but what its actual taxable property value is?
• property taxes.

Bills: HF1746 , HF2585 , HF1159 , HF2574 , HF2839 , HF157 , HF158 , HF160 , HF338 , HF512

Committee: House Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• taxes, amending Section 63-1201, Idaho Code, to revise provisions regarding the settlement of property
• taxes, late charges, and interest by county auditors, to provide for the settlement of property taxes
• taxes, amending Section 63 1201 Idaho Code to revise provisions regarding the settlement of property
• taxes, late charges and interest by county auditors, to provide for the settlement of property taxes
• Now, upon examination with the owner of the Hitching Post, it became clear that it had nothing to do

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:22:14.960><c> management</c> association um or property management association um or property
• In S.B. 4, it reads: enter into agreements with owners of eligible property in which the owners have
• the property.
• </c> actually confuses how many of the owners actually confuses how many of the owners are<05:31:43.280
• That is the whole idea: make the property more profitable and save energy.

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Transcript Highlights:

• Third is to increase the local tax base by adding property to the tax rolls.
• According to the county assessor data, the total value of all real property and personal property at
• According to the county assessor data, the total value of all real property and personal property at
• This equates to a property tax increase of approximately $1.2 million in collections.
• It didn't seem like that data center owner was making the connection.

Summary: The committee met on July 15, 2026, but initially lacked a quorum, so it could not adopt prior minutes. Chair Jerry Pollett welcomed new member Senator Victoria Hunt and new JLARC staff, and noted national recognition for recent JLARC reports. The meeting then moved into a series of preliminary audit presentations and an agency strategic management update, with committee members asking questions after each item. JLARC presented a preliminary audit of DCYF’s Juvenile Rehabilitation programs. Staff concluded that crowding, staffing shortages, weak risk assessments, and inconsistent programming combine to create unsafe conditions. The report found that most youth are housed in two large secure facilities operating near or above capacity, incidents rise as population rises, 47% of frontline staff leave within a year, current assessment tools are not valid for the population, and program access depends more on facility than individual need. JLARC made one recommendation to the legislature to address crowding and seven to DCYF, including improving retention, training, incident response procedures, validated assessments, program alignment, and data quality. DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter said the agency agreed overcrowding is a serious problem, described ongoing efforts to improve staffing and safety, and said a detailed response would be provided later. Committee members raised concerns about education access, retaliation against staff or youth who participated in the audit, and whether JR-25 has helped or worsened conditions. JLARC then presented a preliminary audit of Labor and Industries’ enforcement of farm worker labor laws. The audit found that L&I generally meets inspection timelines for health and safety complaints, but not for wage and hour or retaliation complaints, where delays are driven largely by time before assignment to an investigator. Staff said complaint volume exceeds capacity, though the agency has added staff, created screening processes, and reorganized workloads, and 2026 legislation now allows prioritization of complaints and broader investigations. JLARC recommended that L&I report back in December 2026 and December 2027 on backlog reduction and implementation of the new law. An L&I representative said the agency is hiring additional staff and will provide a formal response later. The committee also received a JLARC overview and Department of Health strategic management plan update on hospital data reporting, inspections, complaints, and adverse event reporting. DOH reported measurable progress on inspection compliance, new staffing and licensing systems, translated complaint forms, and plans for future work on language access, adverse event reporting, and financial data dashboards. After lunch, JLARC began its 2026 tax preference performance reviews. The first review covered the Main Street tax credit, which JLARC said has helped increase the number of Main Street communities and businesses, with positive growth near designated districts; JLARC recommended continuing the preference and improving business-count data. The second review covered the equitable access to credit program, which JLARC said appears to support underserved communities by funding loans through CDFIs; JLARC recommended continuing the preference beyond its 2027 expiration. The committee began questions on the program mechanics and the role of the Community Reinvestment Act, and the presentation was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• There has been nothing evidence-based that says that the owners of these animals have been persecuted
• And under our Constitution, they have a right to their property. I appreciate that, gentlemen.
• , and here's why I would say that it— ...landowner or livestock owner.
• And I think you're putting livestock owners behind an eight ball that they aren't under yet.
• And the owner needs to be charged with a crime. That's what's not happening.

Transcript Highlights:

• We believe this places additional hardship on property owners by removing the opportunity to share their
• The exemption is available only to persons who were the legal owners of the property when it was damaged
• The exemption is available only to persons who were the legal owners of the property when it was damaged
• If all those homes were to receive the property tax exemption, then the property tax due in calendar
• The BEDBI Committee is comprised of public owners, business owners, general contractors, subcontractors

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a public hearing on multiple bills, beginning with a motion to suspend the five-day notice rule for a long list of Senate bills, which passed on a voice vote. The committee first heard Substitute Senate Bill 6026, a governor-request housing bill that would require cities and counties over 30,000 population to allow residential uses in commercial and mixed-use zones, limit mixed-use/ground-floor commercial requirements in some areas, and allow added height where such requirements are imposed. The lieutenant governor testified strongly in support, arguing the bill would add needed housing capacity without requiring ground-floor retail burdens. The hearing on SB 6026 was then suspended so the committee could move through the agenda. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6294, a broad local government finance measure with eight parts, including expanded uses for certain REET revenues, a new county public utility tax, a new local sales tax for children and family services, expanded housing-related tax uses, changes to county levy structure, longer lid lift periods, and expanded use of rental car tax revenue. Local government, housing, and public health witnesses largely supported the bill, emphasizing flexibility for affordable housing, rental assistance, children’s services, and county fiscal stability. Opponents, including wireless industry, water/sewer district, auto dealer, realtors, energy, and cannabis representatives, objected to specific tax provisions as regressive, costly, or likely to raise consumer prices. Several witnesses requested amendments, including adding public health clinic funding and flood recovery language from House bills. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5400 on local news sustainability, which would create a state grant program funded by a surcharge on large search engines and social media platforms to support journalism jobs and the Murrow Fellowship program. News organizations, the League of Women Voters, open government advocates, and local journalism supporters testified in favor, saying local news is essential to civic life and that the bill would help sustain reporting without using general fund dollars. Technology industry representatives opposed the bill, arguing it unfairly singles out tech companies and could face legal challenges. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6211, which would let opt-in GMA jurisdictions impose REET-2 without voter approval; cities and counties supported it as a parity and infrastructure funding measure, while Realtors opposed the loss of voter approval. Senate Bill 5650, authorizing local cannabis excise taxes, drew support from some local officials but strong opposition from cannabis businesses, which argued Washington’s cannabis taxes are already too high and drive sales to the illicit market. Senate Bill 6033, waiving penalties and interest for taxpayers who failed to collect new sales tax on certain services, was supported by NFIB as a compliance and fairness measure. Senate Bill 6297, exempting temporary staffing services for nonprofit behavioral health providers from sales tax, drew strong support from behavioral health organizations citing workforce shortages and unsustainable costs. Finally, Senate Bill 6343, extending and expanding tax relief for disaster-damaged property and repairs, was presented as aid for flood recovery; local officials testified in support. No final committee votes on the bills were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so animal control has the right to come on property.
• Now they have to follow the law, but they have the right to come on property.
• And so animal control has the right to come on property.
• Now they have to follow the law, but they have the right to come on property.
• Now, they have to follow the law, but they have the right to come on property.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with AB 928 on cockfighting drawing the most extensive debate. The author and supporters said the bill targets large-scale illegal trafficking of fighting birds by creating civil penalties for properties with more than 25 individually tethered or caged roosters, while exempting legitimate poultry, hobby, educational, and religious operations. Supporters, including animal control and veterinary witnesses, described cockfighting investigations and the burdens on local agencies. Opponents argued the measure could profile immigrant, rural, Latino, Asian, and Hmong communities and create unnecessary law enforcement and immigration consequences. After questions about exemptions, enforcement, and local ordinances, the committee approved the bill on a due pass motion, with some no votes and the bill placed on call. The committee also advanced AB 1199, which would align California hospital credentialing law with federal standards by allowing recredentialing and reappointment of medical staff every three years instead of every two. Supporters from the California Hospital Association said the change would reduce administrative burden while preserving patient safety oversight. The bill passed unanimously and was placed on call. AB 2537, a cannabis enforcement bill, was presented as a way to prioritize Department of Cannabis Control resources toward the most serious public health and safety violations rather than technical infractions. Supporters said it would improve enforcement efficiency without weakening authority; members asked about rulemaking and whether the bill focused on the legal market. The committee passed the measure on a due pass motion, with the bill also placed on call. AB 1349, dealing with speculative ticketing, would require ticket sellers to own or have a contractual right to tickets before listing them for resale. Supporters from independent venues and the music industry said speculative ticketing deceives consumers and harms artists and small venues, while opponents warned about effects on the secondary market and ongoing antitrust litigation. After late amendments and additional discussion, the committee moved the bill forward on a due pass motion, placing it on call. The committee also heard AB 1693 on speeding retail tenant-improvement permits through a qualified professional certifier process and shorter local review deadlines; members questioned whether the bill allowed self-certification, and the author said the city would still review the plans. That bill passed and was placed on call. Later, AB 1826, a cannabis due-process bill requiring more timely disclosure and procedures when products are embargoed or recalled, also passed after discussion about giving businesses a meaningful chance to respond. AB 2166, a factory-built housing bill creating a state financial backstop to help modular housing factories obtain insurance and stay in business, advanced despite concerns about whether the market risk was too high for state involvement. Finally, AB 2667 on deceptive vape products began testimony, with the author describing youth vaping and devices disguised as everyday items, but the transcript cuts off before further testimony or action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• With the owner in order to start that evaluation process so that the owner cannot rent the property until
• owner withdrew the property from the program and told me that he was told that this was a placement
• owners themselves terminate and leave the program and don't want to rent their property anymore.
• owner withdrew the property from the program and told me that he was told that this was a placement
• owners themselves terminate and leave the program and don't want to rent their property anymore.

Committee: Senate Joint Legislative Audit

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit Committee held an oversight hearing on the state auditor’s October 2024 report on the California Forensic Conditional Release Program (CONREP) for sexually violent predators. The auditor said CONREP participants were convicted of new offenses less often than SVPs who were unconditionally released, but also found long delays in finding housing, weak guidance for local housing committees, and limited accountability over Liberty Healthcare and the Department of State Hospitals (DSH). The audit noted that 18 of 56 SVPs placed through CONREP had been revoked and returned to state hospitals, and that some participants waited months or years for placement while pre-placement costs continued to accrue. The auditor recommended, among other things, clearer committee guidance, better oversight of Liberty, and exploring transitional housing; DSH agreed to most recommendations but rejected transitional housing as a solution. Members from rural and high-desert districts described repeated placements in their communities and argued the program concentrates risk in areas with fewer services and slower law-enforcement response times. Senator Jones said the audit confirmed a broken system and pointed to his bill SB 380 to require DSH to develop transitional housing. Assembly Member DeMaio sharply criticized the program, the audit title, and Liberty Healthcare, alleging misleading practices with property owners and calling for the program to be suspended. Other members pressed DSH and Liberty on why placements often end up in rural areas, how judges make placement decisions, and whether the current process adequately protects public safety. DSH and Liberty defended the program as a court-ordered, highly supervised treatment model intended to reduce reoffending and support eventual reintegration. They said DSH now has a more active review process for proposed sites, has implemented four of the five audit recommendations, and is tracking program reviews and committee guidance. They also said the state has repeatedly sought additional vendors without success, and that the small scale and high-profile nature of the program make contracting difficult. DSH and Liberty maintained that transitional housing would not solve the core placement problems and would add cost without resolving county-of-domicile and school-proximity restrictions. The hearing ended without a vote or formal action, after public comment was waived due to no speakers.

Transcript Highlights:

• That would be part of a negotiation with the property owner.
• That bill ensured that property owners damaged by hurricanes would be able to rebuild and not be slowed
• That bill ensured that property owners damaged by hurricanes would be able to rebuild and not be slowed
• What happens if the property owner never gets a construction permit from DEP and they've already been
• What happens if the property owner never gets a construction permit from DEP and they've already been

Committee: Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• We did some amendments on the floor to give property tax relief.
• They've started buying secondary properties to maintain their primary residences.
• And just... ...and two business owners were considering leaving the state of Washington.
• If you go over to the Quincy area, several billion dollars worth of assets that pay property taxes, property
• If you go over to the Quincy area, several billion dollars worth of assets that pay property taxes, property

Summary: Senate and House Republican leaders held a media availability in Olympia as the 2026 session entered its final full week, focusing heavily on affordability, taxes, and the state operating budget. Senators Braun and Gildon, along with House Republicans Connors and Abbarno, criticized the House and Senate budget proposals as spending billions more than forecast revenue, relying on one-time money, the rainy day fund, and what they called unrealistic assumptions. They argued the budgets would worsen a future deficit and said Democrats were prioritizing special interests over fiscal restraint. A major topic was the proposed income tax on high earners, which Republicans said would likely expand over time and drive businesses and wealthy residents out of Washington. They also discussed other tax proposals they said would hurt affordability, including changes affecting data centers, nicotine products, prescription drug warehousing, retail bags, and bottles. House Republicans said they were working with some Democrats to oppose the income tax and urged the governor to veto it if it reaches his desk. They also said the budget process has excluded Republican input and relied on closed-door negotiations. Republicans also raised several policy issues they said were stalled or killed this session, including juvenile rehabilitation reform, child endangerment and fatality reporting, tort reform, and housing and energy policy. They criticized the House for not advancing measures they said would help with child safety, juvenile justice, housing supply, and energy diversity, and they opposed a data center tax/clawback bill they said could discourage investment and jobs, especially in rural communities. In response to questions, Braun said he planned to raise the income tax, the budget, juvenile rehabilitation, child endangerment, and tort reform in an upcoming meeting with the governor. No votes were taken during the availability.

Transcript Highlights:

• The one thing to address also, the other senator's comments: a lot of the property owners, if we can
• The one thing to address also, the other senator's comments: a lot of the property owners, if we can
• We're going to be creating a ton of conflict here between property owners, are we not?
• </c><00:25:49.159><c> owners</c> of conflict here between property owners of conflict here between property
• </c> necessarily among too many property necessarily among too many property owners<00:27:09.399><c>

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Like many families here, they were coal miners, business owners, and civic leaders.
• And I will note that this route is on private property.
• We have an agreement with those property owners to use the route, but it is gated.
• It is local access only for individuals or property owners who have a real property interest.
• the quarry, the owner of the quarry for the sandstone.

Bills: SB5987 , SB6170

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: SB 5987, SB5987, Fairfax Bridge, State Route 165, SR 165, Carbon River, WSDOT, Washington State Department of Transportation, emergency bridge replacement, infrastructure failure, transportation emergency, climate commitment account, climate investment account, clean energy, climate funding, greenhouse gas reduction, environmental justice, renewable energy, building electrification, industrial decarbonization