Transcript Highlights:

• And then finally, on behalf of the Urban Counties of California, the California Association of Public
• And then finally, on behalf of the Urban Counties of California, the California Association of Public
• on behalf of Alameda County, and we'd just like to align our comments with those submitted by the urban
• funding for the eligibility workers mirrors my comments, aligning my comments with those from the urban

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Human Services held its final hearing on the budget, with the chair framing the Senate’s plan as a counterproposal that rejected major cuts and preserved revenues. Public comment was overwhelmingly supportive of the subcommittee’s actions, especially on Medi-Cal, IHSS, PACE, behavioral health, child care, CalFresh outreach, immigrant legal services, and long-term care. Testimony from disability, aging, county, health plan, provider, labor, and advocacy groups urged the committee to keep rejecting asset tests, immigrant coverage reductions, IHSS cost shifts, PACE rate cuts, and behavioral health reductions, while supporting mobile crisis, 988, Title IV-E workforce funding, and the “Be Home Soon California” proposal to expand home- and community-based care. Several speakers also pressed for additional or related funding and policy changes, including county alternatives for people losing Medi-Cal under federal HR1-related changes, more support for public hospitals and indigent care, CalFresh and Cal Food investments, child care slots and COLAs, dental rate cut delays, and expanded immigration legal and food assistance. Others thanked the committee for restoring or preserving funding for behavioral health innovation and advocacy grants, public health IT and disease investigation, diaper banks, hearing aids for children, and distressed hospital loans. The committee also heard concerns about fee-for-service shifts, outpatient dialysis coverage, and other implementation details, with some groups asking for trailer bill language or guardrails. After public comment, the subcommittee took three votes on large blocks of budget items. The first block of consent items passed 3-0, the second block passed 2-1, and the final block passed 2-0, with the chair announcing that the items were approved and out of committee. The hearing then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because the urban use definition, even though it is clearly an urban area, still does not fit the rules
• Because urban use definition, even raw is clear urban error by still not fit in the rules.

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Housing heard two substantive housing bills and two consent items. SB 1116 by Senator Caballero would update the Starter Home Revitalization Act (SB 684) by clarifying development standards for small infill housing, reinforcing ministerial approval and timelines, improving state oversight and reporting, updating subdivision rules, and addressing private restrictions such as HOA or deed provisions that can block housing. The author and supporters, including California YIMBY and a small developer, said the bill responds to implementation problems and would help produce more starter homes; there was no opposition testimony. Members generally supported the measure but noted concerns about local implementation and the broader impact-fee/infrastructure context. SB 1117 by Senator Cervantes would clarify ADU fee law so local governments assess impact fees only on the portion of an ADU above 750 square feet, rather than on the full unit, while keeping the existing 750-square-foot exemption intact. Supporters argued the current fee structure discourages larger ADUs and creates a sharp production drop above 750 square feet; a homeowner witness said fees on an 800-square-foot ADU would have exceeded construction costs. Local government and fire-related organizations opposed or opposed unless amended, arguing impact fees fund essential infrastructure and services and should remain tied to nexus studies. Several senators said the bill was narrowly tailored but emphasized the need to address broader infrastructure financing. The committee also took up consent items SB 1267 by Senator Allen and SB 1426, the committee omnibus bill. After the committee obtained a quorum and later reconvened, it approved the consent calendar 10-0, SB 1117 10-0, and SB 1116 8-0. All measures were ordered out to the Senate Local Government Committee, and the hearing was adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because the urban-use definition, even though it is clearly an urban area, still does not fit the rules
• Because urban use definition, even raw is clear urban error by still not fit in the rules.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Jean Hurst, here today on behalf of the Urban Counties of California, as well as the League of California
• Jean Hurst, here today on behalf of the Urban Counties of California, as well as the League of California
• Jean Hurst, here today on behalf of the Urban Counties of California, as well as the League of California
• Jean Hurst, here today on behalf of the Urban Counties of California, as well as the League of California

Summary: The Local Government Committee met on March 25, 2026, hearing eight bills, with several measures focused on housing, water, and local government administration. AB 1621 by Assemblymember Wilson sought to speed post-entitlement housing permits by setting clearer timelines, limiting repeated plan checks, and restricting field changes that conflict with approved plans. Supporters from the building, apartment, business, and housing sectors said the bill would reduce delays and costs, while county and city representatives opposed it unless amended, warning it could limit local enforcement of building and environmental codes and create problems for incomplete applications. The bill passed after a roll call vote, with the committee noting it would continue working with local government groups on amendments. The committee also heard AB 1712, which would help Santa Fe Springs sell its small, financially strained water system to a larger regulated provider without requiring a municipal election, using a protest process instead. The author and city officials said the system faces contamination, major deferred maintenance, and rate increases that could otherwise triple; water industry representatives supported the bill and no opposition was heard. AB 2080, sponsored by county treasurers, would make county delegations of investment authority to treasurers ongoing until revoked rather than requiring annual renewal, with supporters saying it would reduce administrative burden and avoid technical lapses. AB 2640 would allow local governments to offset reductions in reimbursement for disallowed state mandate claims against other unpaid mandate reimbursements; Shasta County testified in support, describing a large audit disallowance and long-delayed state payments. Both bills passed. The committee also approved consent items AB 1622 and AB 1834. AB 2180, which would codify a framework for proportional water rates under Proposition 218 based on the Dreher decision, drew broad support from water agencies and local government groups, but opposition from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the California Association of Realtors, who argued the bill was premature while the Supreme Court reviews related case law. Despite that opposition, the bill passed on a 6-2 vote, and the remaining bills were advanced with roll calls left open for additional votes before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, looking at this problem, and I don't really try to make a difference between rural and urban
• to make a difference between<00:03:53.840><c> rural</c><00:03:54.160><c> and</c><00:03:54.360><c> urban
• </c><00:03:54.680><c> because</c><00:03:55.160><c> there</c> between rural and urban because there between
• rural and urban because there are<00:03:56.320><c> unserved</c><00:03:57.080><c> and</c><00:03:57.320

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In the case where you have a highly urbanized area where the stream's not daylighted or there's a complete
• In the case where you have a highly urbanized area where the stream's not daylighted or there's a complete
• In highly urbanized areas where the streams are mostly blocked or you have six PPD or other contaminants
• But if you look at the area between Olympia up to Everett, along Puget Sound, pretty urbanized, pretty

Summary: The Capital Budget Committee held a work session on fish passage and barrier prioritization. Tom Jameson of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife briefed members on the state salmon recovery framework, the types and prevalence of fish passage barriers, and the many existing barrier-removal programs. He explained that culverts are the most common barrier, but levees, tidegates, dams, and other structures also affect salmon and steelhead. He also described the state’s fish passage database, the assessment criteria used to determine whether a structure is a barrier, and the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board’s role in funding projects. Jameson reviewed the history of the board and its grant pathways, noting that the Legislature has funded 199 projects totaling nearly $225 million over five biennia, including significant federal support in the last biennium. He then focused on the new statewide prioritization strategy directed by the Legislature in 2020. A science panel recommended using an optimization model and then scoring and ranking barriers, but Jameson said the model depends on better stream mapping and ongoing “snapping” of stream layers to known barrier locations. He said the strategy is intended to produce watershed-based priority lists rather than a single statewide ranking. Members asked about how barriers are assessed during fish migration periods, how private land access affects inventory work, how local governments can report completed corrections, and how the prioritization criteria weight Chinook salmon and southern resident orca recovery. Jameson said urban areas with downstream barriers or heavily altered streams may be less recoverable, while rural watersheds may offer greater benefit. He also explained the federal culvert injunction, including ongoing obligations for state agencies and DOT’s 2030 target, and said the injunction never fully ends because new barriers are continually discovered and must be addressed over time. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, so it strikes me that we're in an affordability crisis for Arizona across the state, both urban
• And so you've done a fantastic job representing urban areas fantastically.
• encourages job creation with high standards, promotes long-term economic growth, supports rural and urban
• encourages job creation with high standards, promotes long-term economic growth, supports rural and urban

Bills: HB2113, HB2237, HB2824, HB2926, HB2939, HB2950

Keywords: utility consumer, rate intervention, public service corporation, Arizona Revised Statutes, residential rates, consumer protection, appropriation, Apache Junction, tourism, recreation, Superstition trails, funding, infrastructure, C-PACE, capital expenditure, special assessment, property improvement, local government financing, energy efficiency, water conservation

Transcript Highlights:

• General Counsel: Urban. Urban: Here. General Counsel: Gorman. Gorman: Here.
• General Counsel: Urban. Urban: Here. General Counsel: Gorman. Gorman: Here.

Summary: The Texas Ethics Commission convened at 9:03 a.m. and held an executive session, reconvening at 10:18 a.m. During the meeting, the Commission approved a settlement agreement with Michael Quinn Sullivan, ending ongoing litigation. The agreement involved Sullivan dropping his legal challenges regarding a civil penalty previously imposed by the Commission. The Commission also announced personnel changes, including the departure of the director of enforcement, Marie Prim, and the appointment of Jordan Hun as interim director. The Commission discussed outside counsel contracts, approving the addition of Bickerstaff, Heath, Delgado, Acosta LLP to their pool of qualified vendors. They scheduled their next meeting for September 23rd and approved minutes from previous meetings. The agenda included several rulemaking items, with three rules adopted and five proposed for publication in the Texas Register. Notably, amendments to Chapter 20 regarding reporting contributions and expenditures were approved, as well as changes to lobbyist registration thresholds in Chapter 34, which were proposed for publication. The Commission also addressed advisory opinions, adopting several, including one regarding political advertising by charter schools and another concerning the revolving door prohibition for former state employees. Appeals for administrative waivers and reductions of fines were considered, with several fines waived or reduced based on individual circumstances. Lastly, the Commission discussed policies related to alternative dispute resolution and clarified responsibilities between the Commission and staff, concluding the meeting at 11:15 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Would that kind of thing be a benefit to the urban facilities and any tertiary hospital that is trying
• Partnerships with health systems, and this limits the respite programs to urban areas where the hospitals
• Organization that receives funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development must use HMIS
• people that you have trouble placing from outlying areas, or are a lot of them coming in from the urban

Summary: The meeting focused on hospital “avoidable days” and the difficulty of discharging medically stable patients who still need post-acute placement or social services. Presenters from Saint Anthony Hospital Midtown, the Oklahoma Hospital Association, City Care, and OU Health described common barriers including lack of skilled nursing, rehab, long-term care, behavioral health, and hospice placements; insurance prior authorization delays; Medicaid and Social Security eligibility delays; guardianship and Adult Protective Services bottlenecks; limited home health and private duty nursing; and the challenge of placing unhoused, uninsured, or medically complex patients. Several speakers emphasized that these delays reduce bed availability, increase emergency department boarding, contribute to staff burnout, and expose patients to hospital-acquired conditions and other harms. The testimony included multiple examples of patients remaining in acute care for days, weeks, or even months after being medically ready for discharge, including patients awaiting guardianship, disability determinations, or placement in facilities willing to accept them. Speakers also highlighted special populations such as patients with behavioral health or substance use disorders, medically fragile children, patients with criminal histories, and unhoused individuals who need respite or hospice care. City Care described its planned 40-bed medical respite facility, set to open in 2027, as a way to provide clinical support and housing navigation for patients too sick to recover on the street or in shelters. Witnesses recommended policy and system changes such as standardizing preauthorization protocols, expanding rural swing-bed and home-based services, increasing public guardianship resources, improving data collection on homelessness, expanding private duty nursing hours, and creating more placement options for complex patients. They also suggested better coordination between hospitals, DHS, APS, the Health Department, and post-acute facilities, including a database of facility services to improve discharge planning and keep patients closer to home. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the transcript, but the chair indicated the issue would require collaboration across multiple agencies and partners.

Transcript Highlights:

• This fee significantly increased the cost of remediating contaminated soil in urban infill sites or in
• We worry that an uncapped fee will push housing away from our urban areas and cause less soil remediation
• a incentive to develop that land now you have contaminated soil in perpetuity in the middle of an urban
• with conversations, but I do think it's prudent that we act now on housing and contaminated soil in urban

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, we funded only those business courts in our urban and suburban areas, not in the rural areas
• Also, on the rural-urban-suburban distinction, one distinction that's made is that Montgomery County
• Or in urban counties like Dallas and Harris, that's exactly right; it's more of an equalization, which
• To your questions about the salary supplement, all of the urban areas do provide the salary supplement

Bills: SB1538, SB2883, HB1734, HB2340, HB2350, HB3376

Keywords: digital court reporting, court reporting, court reporter, electronic recording, audio recording, video recording, transcription, verbatim record, judicial administration, Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial System, courts, depositions, grand jury, referee, court commissioner, court technology, courtroom technology, access to justice, accuracy

Transcript Highlights:

• Aloha, Heather McMillan, urban and community forester with DLNR.
• </c> Alohay,<00:17:23.199><c> Heather</c><00:17:23.520><c> McMillan,</c><00:17:24.160><c> urban</c><00
• :17:24.400><c> and</c> Alohay, Heather McMillan, urban and Alohay, Heather McMillan, urban and community
• Or, in the case of county zoning, it'd be zoned, for example, urban again within a larger agriculture
• in a in a and it's parcel is zoned urban in a in a and it's surrounded<00:28:10.399><c> by</c><00:28

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Water and Land met on March 25, 2025, and first announced it had deleted HCR 3 and HCR 4567 from the agenda pending similar Senate measures. It then heard HR 35/HCR 40, which urges DLNR and other state agencies to work with community groups to co-steward community forests on public lands. DLNR’s urban and community forester testified in strong support, and several organizations and individuals submitted support; there were no questions or opposition noted. The committee next heard HCR 64, asking OPSD to convene a working group on establishing and placing an Office of Resilience and Recovery. OPSD and the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Resilience supported the resolution and suggested friendly amendments, including replacing county civil defense representatives with mayors or their designees and allowing subject-matter experts to serve. Members questioned the office’s role, funding, and relationship to other resilience and emergency management offices, and the witness explained it was created after the Maui wildfires to coordinate long-term recovery, with special-project funding and a focus distinct from response and mental health functions. The committee also heard HR 59/HCR 65 on coordinating concurrent reviews of general plan, district boundary, and zoning amendments during land reclassification. OPSD testified with comments and warned that the proposal could facilitate spot zoning if individual landowners could use the concurrent process, recommending it be limited to county-initiated actions. A related discussion followed on HR 118/HCR 122, which would create a collaborative working group on surveying and protecting iwi kūpuna and related coastal erosion issues; DNR, OHA, and others supported it with suggested additions, and testimony emphasized cultural sensitivity and community-specific decision-making. Members asked about burial practices and a recent court ruling, and witnesses said the working group could help guide broader policy and communication. Finally, the committee heard HR 145/HCR 151, requesting DLNR to report on its lease enforcement process and procedures. DLNR said it was recruiting staff to conduct lease inspections but had difficulty filling positions due to compensation, and explained that new or extended leases can include inspection requirements, while retroactive cost-shifting would raise contractual issues. Members asked for information on lease renewal timelines and whether inspection provisions were being added to renewals; DLNR said those decisions are made in public sunshine meetings and agreed to provide additional information. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• But for this instance, we would be increasing taxes and fees on urban residents to pay for rural 911
• Housing agencies will be required to submit reports to the Urban Affairs Committee.
• I don't sit on the Urban Affairs Committee, and so I'm trying to catch up with some of these amendments
• Okay, that went to Urban Affairs, is what?
• We talked in Urban Affairs about the Yes. Thank you, Senator McKinney.

Bills: LB815A, LB838A, LB912A, LB972A, LB1126A, LB962A, LB1114, LB921, LB937, LB803, LB803A, LB1032, LB1032A, LB1075, LB1075A, LB889, LB878, LB933, LB304, LB304A, LB1096, LB1096A, LB1165, LB1165A, LB958, LB958A, LB762, LB1187, LB966, LB929, LB962, LB753, LB788, LB913, LB1055, LB1195, LB429, LB721, LB722, LB727, LB743, LB745, LB749, LB778, LB787

Keywords: LB815A, LB815, appropriation, appropriations bill, Nebraska Department of Revenue, Motor Fuel Tax Enforcement and Collection Cash Fund, motor fuel tax, gas tax, fuel tax, tax enforcement, tax collection, cash fund, budget, state spending, per diem, salaries, fiscal year, enrollment and review, final reading, Nebraska

Transcript Highlights:

• Futurewise agreed that there could be some differences in rural and urban areas for how allowing sewer
• , extending sewer, or septic could have a different impact on sprawl in rural and urban areas.
• So over the summer, Representative Burnbaum did a lot of work... ...all in rural and urban areas.

Summary: The House Housing Committee met to executive several bills, with staff outlining proposed substitutes and key changes before members took a caucus break. House Bill 1974, the land bank bill, was described as removing several original provisions such as county authorization requirements, advisory boards, planning strategies, annual audits, surplus-property prioritization, and a grant program, while adding annual reporting and a real estate excise tax exemption. House Bill 2118, which would limit common interest community associations from imposing more restrictive use covenants than those in place when a unit was acquired, had no amendments but was not moved forward at this time. House Bill 2236, dealing with Housing Finance Commission authority, was explained as clarifying that the commission may not act as a retail mortgage lender or make loans for owner-occupied home purchases or refinancing, except for certain down-payment assistance loans, while adding an intent section to emphasize that the commission is not meant to compete with private lenders. Members debated whether removing language about using public funds could create taxpayer risk or a de facto state bank, but supporters said the changes modernize outdated law and clarify the commission’s role. House Bill 2269, concerning middle housing and on-site sewage systems in LAMIRDs, would restore broader county authority for middle housing in LAMIRDs while limiting sewage-system options based on whether the county is rural or non-rural. The committee voted to report House Bill 1974 out with a due pass recommendation by a 10-7 vote, with several members opposing or voting without recommendation over tax concerns. House Bill 2236 also passed out of committee with a due pass recommendation by a 13-4 vote after similar debate over public-funds language. House Bill 2269 passed unanimously by voice vote, and the committee adjourned after completing its executive action.

Transcript Highlights:

• have experience in working with rural communities and the other must have similar experience with urban
• of two doulas, one that is more focused on rural health outcomes, one that has more experience in urban
• know, the unique experiences of the diverse clientele and populations that we serve in various rural, urban

Transcript Highlights:

• So do you have any specific programs in the urban core, or just the seven-county Metro?
• with expertise in farm transition planning, rural mental health, and growing, especially crops in urban
• with expertise in farm transition planning, rural mental health, and growing, especially crops in urban
• be good to know how much of the funding has gone to farmers showing interest, especially crops and urban
• </c><01:03:13.520><c> areas</c> you know especially cro and urban areas you know especially cro and urban

Bills: HF711, HF653

Keywords: agriculture, agricultural education, leadership development, Minnesota Agricultural Education and Leadership Council, MAELC, chapter 41D, grant funding, general fund appropriation, commissioner of agriculture, farm education, youth agriculture programs, ag literacy, workforce development, extension education, research funding, extension services, technology transfer, grant programs, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We interface. with not only every agency in state government, but all these higher ed institutions as
• the Medicaid space, because you have. have to have a rather large case, especially if you're in an urban
• column is it would appear that your small rural school districts are less efficient. than your big urban

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm happy to address urban Missouri. I think the reason I addressed rural...
• And I'm happy to address urban Missouri.
• we saw gains there was primarily because health insurers typically want to compete for business in urban
• But you still see gains in urban areas.
• In urban areas.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Counties must complete an agricultural impact statement when modifying an urban growth area.
• We are seeing rapid urbanization of areas that will never be replaced for agricultural production.
• We are seeing rapid urbanization of areas that will never be replaced for agricultural production.
• Another contributing factor is channelization and urbanization.
• And, of course, urbanization creates a higher proportion of impervious surfaces, which prevents water

Summary: The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held public hearings on several bills and a joint memorial, with testimony largely focused on steelhead recovery, agricultural viability, wildfire funding, and shellfish fees. On SB 6241, which would create a wild broodstock conservation program for steelhead, staff described a statewide program with a fiscal note of about $14.6 million in FY 2027, while sponsor Sen. Braun argued the concept could boost wild populations and fishing opportunity at lower cost than the fiscal note suggests. Proponents, including anglers and conservation groups, said broodstock programs could improve fisheries, preserve genetics, and support local economies; opponents, including Trout Unlimited, argued the bill was too broad, not sufficiently science-driven, and should be left to agency and co-manager discretion. The public hearing closed with a strong pro/con sign-in count in favor of the bill. The committee then heard SB 6104, a broad agriculture-protection bill that would require agricultural impact statements for certain agency actions, annexations, and zoning changes, and would direct mitigation measures when actions harm agricultural or natural-resource-based commercial activities. Sponsor Sen. Muzzall said Washington agriculture is under severe pressure and losing farms, while supporters from farm groups said the bill would force agencies to consider ag viability and compensate for impacts. Opponents, including a small farmer and environmental advocates, said the bill was too procedural, could burden modernization or conservation efforts, and might create uncertainty around existing conservation funding accounts. The hearing ended with more testimony in opposition than support. The committee also heard SJM 8015, urging the federal government to ensure wildfire-response consolidation does not reduce capacity or firefighter safety. Sponsor Sen. Short and many testifiers, including private forest owners, tribes, students, conservation groups, and local officials, emphasized the importance of maintaining and fully funding Washington’s wildfire response and forest-restoration investments, especially the 1168 account. Testimony highlighted fuel breaks, early detection, community protection, and the economic costs of wildfire. The memorial drew overwhelmingly pro testimony. Finally, the committee suspended the five-day notice rule to hear SB 6318 on commercial shellfish fees; staff explained it would cap Department of Health fee increases after a recent fee review, and shellfish growers strongly supported the bill as necessary to keep small farms viable. The committee also took a work session on beaver relocation and habitat restoration, where presenters described beavers as a water-retention and wildfire-resilience tool and discussed coexistence, relocation, and possible future management changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• 2608 requires nuclear facility projects to meet certain labor standards to qualify for the targeted urban
• Turning to the bill before you, in addition to the existing requirements for the targeted urban areas
• This bill is based off the TUA, the targeted urban area tax exemption that already exists in statute
• So far, the TUA, the targeted urban area tax exemption, has been used once, once, and that was by the
• Rural, suburban, and urban communities alike. This is not just housing policy.

Summary: House Finance heard bill briefings and testimony on several tax and property-tax measures. HB 2175 would exempt licensed nonprofit providers of free durable medical equipment from retail sales and use tax on items reasonably necessary to operate and provide care; the sponsor and a nonprofit provider described how the bill would help organizations that refurbish and donate wheelchairs, beds, walkers, and similar equipment, and staff noted a small Department of Revenue fiscal impact. The committee then heard HB 2608, which revises the targeted urban area property tax exemption for nuclear facility projects by requiring labor standards, including submission of a workforce or project labor agreement and related wage/apprenticeship information, and extending project-completion deadlines. Supporters said it would help attract major clean-energy and nuclear supply-chain investment and jobs, while opponents from construction groups, environmental advocates, and some public commenters objected to the PLA requirement, the tax preference for nuclear projects, and the broader policy direction; tribal consultation concerns were also raised. No votes were taken on these bills in the transcript. The committee also heard HB 2227, which expands an existing REET exemption for affordable homeownership sales from self-help housing to other nonprofit affordable homeownership programs, including community land trusts. The sponsor and nonprofit witnesses said the change would lower transaction costs, improve affordability, and support permanently affordable resale models; staff clarified the exemption applies to the initial sale from the nonprofit to an income-qualified buyer, not later resales. HB 2528 would allow cities and counties that fully plan under the Growth Management Act to impose the second local REET without voter approval, aligning opt-in jurisdictions with those required to plan under GMA. Supporters from cities and counties said the revenue would help fund sidewalks, ADA upgrades, water, sewer, and other infrastructure, while opponents argued it would raise home-selling costs and bypass voters. Finally, the committee heard HB 2292, which would subject long-term capital gains from qualified small business stock to the state capital gains tax beginning in 2026. Staff said the bill would affect about 260 taxpayers and raise roughly $1.2 million in FY 2027, while the sponsor and supporters argued the current QSBS exemption mainly benefits very wealthy investors and should be treated like other capital gains; opponents from the tech and startup community said the exemption helps founders attract investment, keep companies in Washington, and create jobs, and warned the bill would send a negative signal to entrepreneurs. The committee also heard HB 2257, a Department of Revenue request bill making technical and administrative changes to the tax code, largely to codify guidance from last year’s sales-tax-on-services law and make other clarifications; DOR said it was intended to provide certainty and had no fiscal impact. School groups testified that the 5814-related service-tax changes have increased costs for districts, especially for staffing and professional learning, and asked for relief or a broader exemption.