Transcript Highlights:

• , HB 3947 by Y Davis of Dallas relating to the transportation planning by Metropolitan planning organizations
• for to the Committee on Transportation.
• History 3951 by Morales Harris relating to the transportation.
• health benefit plans are for the Committee on Insurance.
• drainage infrastructure to the Department's transportation planning process for the Committee on Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• organization designation as well as the scheduling of their regional transportation plans, RTPs.
• There's so much jargon in planning... ...of the regional transportation plans, RTPs.
• Non-attainment metropolitan planning organizations adopt the regional transportation plan every first
• ... ...Metropolitan Planning Organizations adopt the Regional Transportation Plan every four years, and
• Metropolitan Planning Organizations that have achieved attainment, the regional transportation plan is

Summary: The committee first heard AB 253, by Assembly Member Ward and presented by Assembly Member Quirk-Silva, which would allow licensed third-party professionals to review certain post-entitlement permits if a local building department would take more than 30 days. Supporters, including California YIMBY, the California Chamber of Commerce, the Housing Action Coalition, the Bay Area Council, SPUR, and Abundant Housing LA, said the bill would reduce permitting delays and help housing production. League of Cities and the California State Association of Counties expressed concerns but were not formally opposed. Members voiced strong support, and the bill passed the committee 10-0 to Appropriations. The committee then held an informational hearing on California’s general plan. The first panel, led by UC Davis professor Catherine Brinkley, gave an overview of the general plan structure, required elements, update cycles, and the new PlanSearch database that makes adopted plans searchable statewide. She emphasized that general plans are long-term, locally tailored documents that integrate housing, transportation, safety, environmental justice, and other policy areas, and noted that many plans and elements are outdated. Members asked about update timelines, public participation, and whether AI tools could help with drafting and analysis. A second panel of local government representatives described the practical challenges of preparing and updating general plans, especially in rural and small jurisdictions. Speakers from Calaveras County, Sacramento, San Joaquin County, and Fountain Valley cited staffing shortages, consultant availability, funding constraints, CEQA and outreach costs, changing state mandates, and the difficulty of keeping plans aligned with local conditions and board turnover. They asked for more funding, more time, clearer prioritization, and more flexibility. A third panel from the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation explained its role in issuing general plan guidelines, technical advisories, and annual planning surveys, and said it is updating its guidance through 2027 to reflect recent housing, climate, safety, environmental justice, and open space laws. No public comment was offered, and the informational hearing was adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• AND WE HAVE 10 MORE PLANNED IN THE COMING YEARS.
• WE BUILD A FIVE YEAR CAPITAL PLAN.
• IT'S A BIG PLAN AND YOU CAN IMAGINE 15 BILLION ANNUALLY, THAT'S HUGE.
• RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT SECTOR FOR TRANSPORTATION.
• HOWEVER THERE IS A PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENT THAT HAS TO BE PLANNED OUT.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've had presentations to the Oregon Transportation Commission and the Washington State Transportation
• We've had presentations to the Oregon Transportation Commission and the Washington State Transportation
• We've had presentations to the Oregon Transportation Commission and the Washington State Transportation
• Regional Transportation Council.
• What contingency plans does the IBR team have? fall? What contingency plans does the IBR team have?

Committee: Joint Joint Oregon-Washington Legislative Action Committee

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Committee on Transportation is called to order. Here's my script.
• This will help lower transportation costs for these homes.
• Transportation Infrastructure, or CAPTI, which I call it for short, that the California State Transportation
• Transportation Infrastructure, or CAPTI, which I call it for short, that the California State Transportation
• Transportation Infrastructure, or CAPTI, which I call it for short, that the California State Transportation

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Fares in the transportation, these types of passenger transportation companies are not something that
• Lyft increases their access to transportation. 61% use Lyft when they are planning to drink alcohol
• Your industry has transformed transportation, and it's crazy to think... ...transformed transportation
• And in that role, we monitor the city's multimodal transportation network and conduct planning, funding
• on the rise of transportation network companies and their role in our transportation system, as well

Summary: The hearing focused on transportation network companies in California, with the chair framing it as an informational hearing on the history, regulation, safety, climate, accessibility, and data issues surrounding Uber, Lyft, and smaller or autonomous TNC services. The CPUC described its decade-long regulatory role, including safety rules, background checks, insurance requirements, reporting obligations, and two major legislative programs from 2018: the Clean Miles Standard and the Access for All program. Members asked about complaint trends, data collection and disclosure, program implementation, and how the CPUC uses annual reports for policymaking, compliance, and program oversight. Uber and Lyft said the statewide framework has supported growth while providing safety and access benefits, but both companies emphasized that insurance is a major cost driver and argued that California’s UM/UIM requirement is unusually high compared with other vehicles. They said the Clean Miles Standard is pushing electrification but faces headwinds from EV affordability and charging infrastructure, while Access for All has expanded wheelchair-accessible service but still needs continued support. They also discussed transit partnerships, wildfire response, and the potential role of autonomous vehicles, with both companies saying human drivers will remain important and that future regulation should account for new technology. The final panel, including the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and UC Berkeley researchers, presented evidence that TNCs have increased congestion and reduced transit ridership, especially in dense urban areas. They described prior research showing TNCs contributed to congestion growth in San Francisco and noted that this work helped spur local taxes on ride-hailing trips to fund safety and transit improvements. The panel also discussed the CPUC’s evolving data-disclosure decisions, arguing that public access to TNC trip data is important for understanding transportation impacts and informing local policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, state employees are in that plan, elected state officials who decide to join that plan. the plan
• ERS plan.
• Moving to slide eight, the growth of the of TxDOT's Transportation Planning Program, otherwise called
• But so we created the plan. in order to oversee that plan, but that plan has been put on hold.
• plan. then financing.

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: infrastructure, water supply, flood mitigation, Texas Water Fund, community projects, funding allocations

Summary: During this committee meeting, the focus was on discussing critical infrastructure funding, especially related to water supply and flood mitigation projects. Chairwoman Stepney and the Water Development Board presented extensive details regarding the Texas Water Fund, which included $1 billion appropriated to assist various financial programs and tackle pressing water and wastewater issues. Additionally, funding allocations aimed at compromising the state's flood risk and improving water conservation were hotly debated, emphasizing collaboration among committee members and the necessity of addressing community needs in such projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's an omnibus transportation resources bill.
• It raised various transportation taxes and fees. It also enacted various transportation policies.
• , increased regional, safety, increase regional and transportation, increased regional safety of transportation
• We are working on plans to install transportable cameras, but those aren't coming online until either
• We are working on plans to install transportable cameras, but those aren't coming online until either

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met for a work session and public hearing on February 19, 2026. In the work session, Switch Maritime presented a proposal for hydrogen fuel cell ferries for Washington State, including a budget proviso directing the Joint Transportation Committee to study hydrogen propulsion and a lease model for future Washington State Ferries procurement. The company described its Sea Change vessel, said the design could be adapted for Washington routes such as San Juan Islands–Anacortes, and emphasized that hydrogen fueling could be delivered through a mobile supply chain without new charging infrastructure. Senators asked about vessel flexibility, size, hydrogen availability, and terminal compatibility. The committee also received an update from WSDOT on the new public-private partnership program authorized in 2025. Staff said the agency is developing a four-phase implementation process, including consultant selection, a steering committee, a program manual, stakeholder engagement, and candidate project identification, with a report due to the transportation committees on September 1, 2026 and program launch targeted for January 1, 2027. The presentation stressed that the program manual will provide flexibility within the statute and that legislative input is being sought on engagement and project timing. The public hearing was on Senate Bill 6352, an omnibus transportation resources bill that revises and expands provisions from last year’s ESSB 5801. Staff outlined sections covering a mobile driver’s license and ID card program, a reduced-fee ID card for older drivers, changes to alternative fuel and aviation taxes and fees, revised sales tax distributions for ferry and multimodal funding, transit and bicycle education grants, fish passage permitting, clean energy siting on WSDOT right-of-way, toll notice procedures, older driver safety outreach, traffic safety camera revenue sharing, and a delay to the tow-truck indigent impound reimbursement program. The prime sponsor highlighted two priorities: digital driver’s licenses and dedicated ferry funding. Testimony was mixed. Supporters included airlines and aviation groups backing mobile ID and repeal of the luxury aircraft tax, transit and bicycle safety advocates supporting grant flexibility and continued bike education funding, and ferry advocates supporting dedicated ferry revenue. Local governments, including Bellevue, Kenmore, and Tacoma, raised concerns about the traffic camera revenue change, saying the shift from net to gross revenue would reduce local safety funding and could discourage new camera programs. The Association of Washington Cities also warned about unintended consequences in the fish passage and traffic camera provisions. RV dealers sought a delay to the luxury vehicle tax, and peer-to-peer car-sharing platform Turo asked for clarification on documentation requirements. The committee took no final vote and announced it would consider executive action the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:35.680><c> options</c> transportation options transportation options than<00:04:37.759><c> they
• </c><00:04:57.919><c> technology</c> the emerging transportation technology the emerging transportation
• </c> next generation of transportation next generation of transportation workforce.<00:33:38.159><c>
• </c> workforce for emerging transportation workforce for emerging transportation technologies,<00:33:
• </c> get this good transportation. get this good transportation.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• . transportation. transportation.
• </c> in the non-emergency transportation in the non-emergency transportation industry.
• the, uh, ending of that plan.
• </c> certainly all of the plans have fraud. certainly all of the plans have fraud.
• </c> ceasing to exist as a as a health plan. ceasing to exist as a as a health plan.

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• That basically is reflected if all of the strategies in the scoping plan are implemented as planned,
• Yes, there are some plans.
• And within the plans that we see, the finalists do have some planning for that.
• And that section of the scoping plan was sort of what led to this concept of doing a transition plan.
• And I just come away from this thinking that our transportation fuels transition plan is so importantly

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Assembly Committees on Utilities and Energy, Transportation, and Natural Resources focused on California’s transportation fuels sector, especially the state’s response to refinery closures and the broader transition away from fossil fuels. Opening remarks emphasized the tension between climate and air-quality goals, fuel affordability, refinery jobs and local tax bases, and the need to avoid crisis-driven responses as Phillips 66 and Valero consider shutting refineries in Wilmington and Benicia. Professor Emily Grubert framed the issue as a long-term managed transition in which the public already bears much of the risk and should also capture benefits from a well-planned shift. CARB Chair Leanne Randolph reviewed the state’s emissions and fuel policies, including AB 32, the low-carbon fuel standard, clean vehicle programs, and the at-berth regulation for ocean-going vessels. She said California’s transportation sector remains the largest source of greenhouse gases and a major source of smog-forming pollution, but that the state has made substantial progress and still needs to reduce demand for fossil fuels while maintaining compliance with federal air-quality standards. Randolph also said CARB’s recent LCFS amendments had not caused the predicted spike in gas prices and explained that compliance pathways for the at-berth rule include emissions-reduction technologies or payments into a remediation fund. CEC Vice Chair Gunda described declining gasoline demand, shrinking in-state refining capacity, and growing dependence on imports, arguing that the state is in a “mid-transition” period that requires both support for legacy infrastructure and continued investment in cleaner alternatives. He outlined the administration’s petroleum market stabilization proposal, which aims to return California crude production to 125 million barrels a year through four components: codifying the ban on fracking, validating the Kern County oil-and-gas permitting ordinance, creating a temporary CEQA exemption paired with a two-for-one plug-and-drill framework, and strengthening pipeline and spill-safety requirements. Department of Conservation Director Jennifer Lucasey said the proposal is intended to stabilize crude supply and pipeline throughput while preserving health and environmental protections, and noted that CalGEM would still review permits and enforce other requirements. Mayor Steve Young of Benicia testified that a Valero closure would significantly reduce city revenue and leave the community facing years of cleanup and redevelopment challenges. He said the city supports environmental protection but is worried about the economic hit, the possibility that Benicia becomes a fuel-import terminal, and the lack of local influence over refinery decisions. Members pressed the panel on the CEQA exemption, tribal and habitat review, disclosure of closure liabilities, fuel-demand projections, and whether the proposal should include more demand-side measures. No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and officials said some proposals, including a margin-cap pause and further transition planning, would be taken up later in the process.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will call to order today's meeting of the Senate Transportation Committee for Monday, January 19th
• for these costs as part of their capital facilities plans.
• Districts be able to plan for these costs as part of their capital facilities plans, and it also contains
• I am the state utilities manager for the Washington State Department of Transportation.
• We need to prepare, we need to plan, we need to work on design, so on and so forth.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held public hearings on several bills. Substitute Senate Bill 5690 would require WSDOT to give utility owners advance notice of fish barrier removal and other projects, seek federal funding for those projects when available, and report back to the Legislature; supporters said it would help small utilities plan for costly relocations, while WSDOT said the bill would not achieve its intended effect and that federal reimbursement for these costs is limited. The committee also heard Engrossed Senate Bill 5746, which would create or continue an advisory process on EV charger infrastructure property crime; the sponsor and supporters said it would help address vandalism and theft affecting charging access, and testimony was overwhelmingly in favor. Senate Bill 5750 would authorize state facilities to charge fees for privately owned EVs using state charging stations and deposit the revenue into the motor vehicle fund; the sponsor said this would make charging costs fairer and recover expenses, with broad support and some questions about whether the policy could be implemented administratively without legislation. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6148, which would increase the maximum term for regional transit authority bonds from 40 years to 75 years, affecting Sound Transit. Sound Transit and transit advocates argued the longer term would better match debt to long-lived assets, help accelerate construction, and reduce near-term financial pressure without raising taxes, while opponents warned it would increase long-term costs and shift repayment burdens to future generations. Committee members asked about interest costs, asset values, and examples of eligible long-lived projects such as tunnels and bridges. No votes were taken during the hearing, and each bill closed with testimony counts recorded on the record.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, this transportation bill is makes our transportation system smarter.
• . transportation. transportation.
• have no plan.
• have no plan.
• have no plan.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The Active Transportation Plan is not at the The reason why we know about the problems with the vendor
• The Active Transportation Plan is not at the They are doing it in response to what's happened there.
• The Active Transportation Plan is not itself a budget, and so auditing that to ensure state funds are
• Plan is.
• Delta Dental and MetLife will each offer three PPO plan options and one DHMO prepaid plan.

Committee: Senate Joint Legislative Audit

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, it adopts the state 10-year transportation plan for 2027 to 2036, and it authorizes the transfer
• Um, it adopts the state 10-year transportation<02:17:32.000><c> plan</c><02:17:32.319><c> for</c><02:
• 17:32.639><c> 2027</c><02:17:33.519><c> to</c><02:17:33.840><c> 2036,</c> transportation plan for 2027
• Thank you. transportation plan. Not asterking it or transportation plan.
• Coast, uh, the Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation is... plan.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think transportation is a very bipartisan issue.
• Ricky Serna, Secretary, Department of Transportation. I appreciate, Mr.
• We'll continue to get projects through planning and design and on a shelf for construction.
• We could look at the amount of dollars that we are generating from transportation and put them into transportation
• Two is um transportation safety.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:06:19.039><c> plan</c><00:06:19.840><c> to</c><00:06:20.080><c> cover</c> 10-year transportation
• plan to cover 10-year transportation plan to cover associated<00:06:20.960><c> operating</c><00:06:21.360
• planning and transportation projects in New Hampshire.
• </c><02:23:02.800><c> plan</c><02:23:03.120><c> for</c> in the 10-year transportation plan for in the
• 10-year transportation plan for those<02:23:03.680><c> types</c><02:23:03.920><c> of</c><02:23:04.080

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• c> and</c> of the Department of Transportation and of the Department of Transportation and Department
• </c> for Department of Transportation for Department of Transportation employees<00:16:03.519><c> and
• I need the planning, thanks.
• I need the planning, thanks.
• Transportation, uh, there you are.

Committee: Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard testimony on House Bill 1064, which would implement recommendations from the Fire Safety Research Institute’s Maui wildfire report, clarify the role of the State Fire Marshal, and appropriate funds. Testimony was generally supportive from DLNR, the Climate Advisory Team, the State Fire Council, Hawaiʻi Electric, the Attorney General’s office, the Honu Fire Department, AARP, the Hawaiʻi Insurance Council, and others. Governor Green’s office said it supported the bill but wanted the office of the State Fire Marshal placed under the Department of Defense rather than the governor’s office, citing constitutional and administrative concerns. Members also questioned the State Fire Council about the selection process for the fire marshal and about defensible space and wildfire resilience in different communities. After discussion, the committees deferred decision-making on HB 1064 to Friday, March 14, at 3:00 p.m. in Room 225 for the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, with the same recommendation from the other committee. The hearing then moved to House Bill 697, which would expand who may review automated speed enforcement images. HDOT supported the bill but said it would prefer funding from the Highway Special Fund or the automated speed enforcement special fund rather than general revenues. Opposition testimony from the ACLU raised privacy concerns, argued the bill blurs the line between law enforcement and infrastructure management, and said DOT staff lack the mandate and expertise for the task. Judiciary said it would need additional capacity to process citations and hearings, and noted the program’s likely workload and costs were still uncertain. The committees then took up House Bill 277 on vehicular pursuit policy. The Attorney General and the Law Enforcement Standards Board urged the committees to defer the bill and let the board develop policy first, while Hawaii County Police opposed the measure as unnecessary, confusing, and too restrictive of officer discretion. Honolulu Police Department and the Policing Project supported the bill, arguing that clearer statewide standards and transparency are needed because pursuits can cause serious injuries or deaths and existing policies are inconsistent or not public. The Policing Project said the bill could be improved with amendments on serious crimes, but supported legislative action to set statewide standards while still involving the board. No final vote or action on HB 277 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• and actions, which brings me to the work of the Transportation Fuels Transition Plan, or TFTP, which
• But there is also a recognition in the Transportation Fuels Transition Plan and some of the work we've
• As we write both the transition plan and also the transportation assessment, we've been thinking about
• transportation fuel transition plan, and lots of these documents to sort of put more focus on not just
• While the transportation fuels transition plan identifies important priorities, it does remain too general

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications held an oversight hearing on managing the transportation fuels transition, fuel pricing, and supply reliability. Chair Allen opened by discussing prior legislation, including SB 1322 and special session measures, that expanded reporting to the California Energy Commission (CEC) and gave the state tools to study gasoline costs, refinery margins, inventories, and potential supply disruptions. He framed the hearing around refinery closures, rising imports, global conflict affecting crude markets, and the need to balance affordability, reliability, and the state’s long-term clean-fuels transition. CEC Vice Chair Siva Gunda, CDTFA Chief Deputy Director Gentian Droboniku, and DPMO Director Ty Miller presented data showing California’s growing dependence on imported crude and refined products, declining in-state refining capacity, and stable-to-tight inventories that are being supported by higher imports. They said the new transparency laws have improved understanding of the market and pointed to the proposed Gateway Pipeline, marine imports, and distribution constraints as important supply issues. CDTFA and DPMO emphasized that retail margins, especially for branded gasoline, have widened significantly, with large price gaps between branded stations and hypermarts/unbranded stations, and that some of the recent price increases were tied to the Iran conflict while earlier spikes were more consistent with localized market behavior and possible price gouging. DPMO also said it is investigating high-priced branded stations, monitoring algorithmic pricing under AB 325, and continuing to analyze diesel spot-market transparency. The CEC and CARB also discussed the Transportation Fuels Transition Plan and the SB 237 assessment, describing them as efforts to plan for a managed decline in fossil fuel demand while protecting workers, communities, and consumers. They said California’s climate goals remain centered on an 85% greenhouse gas reduction by 2045, with continued use of liquid fuels expected but with lower-carbon alternatives, more efficient vehicles, and alternative fuels playing a larger role. Committee members focused heavily on workforce impacts, the need for concrete transition planning, and whether the agencies could provide a clearer picture of what California’s fuel system will look like under the state’s long-term goals. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Transportation demand management will allow us to plan further to see whether we need to continue the
• Transportation demand management will allow us to plan further to see whether we need to continue the
• Transportation demand management will allow us to plan further to see whether we need to continue the
• Transportation demand management will allow us to plan further to see whether we need to continue the
• Transportation demand management will allow us to plan further to see whether we need to continue the

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint hearing covered HB 1484 on transit-oriented development and HB 157 on transportation. For HB 1484, testimony included a request from the Hoi Community Development Authority to be removed from the measure while offering to assist if the transit-oriented development law is implemented, along with testimony in opposition and support from several individuals. The committees later recommended HB 1484 be passed with amendments, including an HD1, a defective date, deletion of a reference to section 225 on page 11, adoption of H-CDA’s proposed amendment, and related committee report changes. The vote was adopted in both committees, with Representatives Cochran and Lee excused and Representative Mora voting with reservations. HB 157 concerned the transfer and acceptance of roads in the Villages of Kapolei. HHFDC supported the bill’s intent and explained that the roads were originally self-permitted, the city had not accepted dedication, and HHFDC has been maintaining and upgrading the roads under an MOA that requires improvements to city standards before transfer. Testimony from the Villages of Kapolei Association and others described ongoing problems with non-emergency police services, illegal parking, abandoned vehicles, and the need for city enforcement on roads that are open to the public. Committee members asked about the current holdup, the possibility of transferring roads in segments, and whether a cash settlement could resolve the issue; HHFDC said it was working in segments and that the city had mentioned a $60 million figure. The committees then recommended HB 157 pass with amendments, noting they were awaiting an Attorney General opinion on authority to compel the transfer and that the matter would continue to the Committee on Water and Land. The Transportation Committee also heard several additional bills. HB 1083, concerning vessels in state commercial harbors, drew support from the Department of Transportation and some industry groups and opposition from charter operators; HB 1159, which would require compliance with harbor master evacuation orders and increase penalties, drew DOT support and opposition from multiple vessel operators, who argued the bill was too broad and should define emergencies more clearly and use tiered penalties. HB 58, limiting civil liability for firefighting at commercial harbors, received DOT and Maritime Group support. HB 1165, on county disposal of ocean-bordering property and state highway acquisition, received DOT support. HB 938, a broad motor vehicle franchise and EV-related bill, drew support from the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association and the Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing Board, but strong opposition from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Tesla, Rivian, Scout Motors, and others; opponents argued it would restrict direct-to-consumer EV sales and innovation, while dealers said the bill was too broad and needed further stakeholder work. No final votes were taken on the Transportation Committee’s remaining measures in the portion provided, and the joint hearing was adjourned after decision-making on HB 1484 and HB 157.