Transcript Highlights:

• a postgraduate degree to be considered for state employment, unless required by law.
• We also acknowledge the repair that is required through this intentional investment.
• And then you look at the requirements that the state has put on all of these child care facilities.
• President, of professional licensure, particularly vital in health care, I might add, due to the often
• An act relating to early learning program licensing requirements and amending RCW 43.216.

Bills: SB6061 , SB6234 , SB6176 , SB6335 , SB6047 , HB2235 , HB2340 , HB2464 , HB2619 , HB1376 , HB1796 , HB2091 , HB2249 , HB2254 , HB2353 , HB2431 , HB2441 , SB5808 , SB5949 , HB2124 , HB1069 , HB2104 , HB2624

Summary: The Senate opened with roll call, the Pledge of Allegiance, prayer, and approval of the previous day’s journal. It received a House message that the House had passed second engrossed substitute Senate Bill 5010, and then took up Senate Resolution 8700 honoring Yolanda Cortinas Trout Manuel for her community service, business leadership, and public service. Senator Fortunato sponsored the resolution and spoke warmly in support, and the Senate adopted it by voice vote and recognized the guest in the gallery. The chamber then confirmed Gubernatorial Appointment No. 9142, Maria Seguyenza to the Western Washington University Board of Trustees, after supportive remarks from Senators Bateman and Wilson-Clair. The Senate also passed Substitute House Bill 2248, described as a technical cleanup bill for Secretary of State corporate filings, and House Bill 2309, which removes postgraduate degree requirements for certain state jobs to broaden applicant pools. House Bill 2348 passed as a Department of Natural Resources efficiency measure allowing smaller land sales to be posted online and clarifying fair-market-value requirements. The Senate deferred Second Substitute House Bill 1128 at first, then later adopted a striking amendment and passed the bill as amended. The bill creates a child care workforce standards board to study workforce conditions and make recommendations; several proposed amendments by Senator King to add child-safety training language, add an expiration date, and narrow the board’s scope were rejected. Supporters said the board would professionalize child care work and improve wages and standards, while opponents argued it would add government and costs without solving affordability. The Senate also passed Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2523 on the Community Reinvestment Program, with supporters emphasizing accountability, periodic review, and an independent study, and passed Substitute House Bill 2428 to prevent unintentional lapses in life insurance policies by allowing third-party notices. Finally, the Senate passed House Bill 2340, expanding the CARES substance use disorder recovery program to nursing assistants, and Engrossed House Bill 2317, which streamlines licensing for Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program sites in certain educational settings. Most bills passed by wide margins, though Second Substitute House Bill 1128 passed with a narrower 28-19 vote. The Senate then recessed for lunch and caucus.

Transcript Highlights:

• Relating to physician continuing education requirements, to provide a statement of legislative intent
• CMS can adjust that workload requirement at any given time during our application period that we will
• Are they going to be required to take nutrition training also, even though they have nothing to do with
• If the bill passes as it is, it would require the testing across schools in North Dakota. So the...
• So there would have to be that sustainability and that follow-through completion requirement with no

Summary: The Joint Policy Committee met to hear an overview of North Dakota’s Rural Health Transformation Program before taking up the related policy bills. Department of Health and Human Services staff explained that the state received a $198.9 million CMS award, with funding focused on four pillars: strengthening rural workforce, bringing care closer to home, connecting technology and data, and improving population health through prevention. They emphasized that the program is intended to benefit rural and frontier residents statewide, including areas near urban centers when the project serves rural patients, and that CMS approval, provider readiness, and sustainability will drive what can be funded. Committee members asked about how the program would treat border communities, frontier counties, urban providers serving rural patients, multilingual outreach, tribal consultation, and whether there would be information sessions for applicants. HHS said the website will include sign-up and translation features, more listening sessions and training will be offered, and a rural health tribal liaison will work alongside the existing Medicaid tribal liaison. Members also raised concerns about reimbursement timing, cash flow for providers, and whether projects in urban areas could qualify; HHS responded that urban projects may be eligible if they clearly benefit rural residents. The department then outlined the four policy bills tied to the grant scoring: nutrition continuing medical education for physicians, the presidential fitness test, the physician assistant compact, and pharmacist scope of practice. HHS said these policy actions were incentivized in the federal funding opportunity and that failure to pass them could reduce future funding. The committee did not take final action on the bills in this portion of the transcript and recessed for lunch before moving on.

Transcript Highlights:

• academic progress according to the institution's policy, which typically includes meeting GPA requirements
• Teaching residents requires real-time, hands-on instruction, whether at 2 a.m., assisting in a delivery
• More specifically, a loss of $645,000 would require us to eliminate nearly four residency positions per
• More specifically, to the program leadership of the residency, which is an accreditation requirement,
• , and we also require our CEO and the Dean to provide approval for those additions as well.

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• These are all things that are not currently required in Minnesota, but other states have required it.
• </c><00:23:15.200><c> signage,</c> into law, which now requires signage, into law, which now requires
• Too many layered consent required.
• ><c> consumers</c><01:21:58.159><c> and</c> requirements can overwhelm consumers and requirements can
• </c> requirements were a good policy choice. requirements were a good policy choice.

Bills: HF3642 , HF2700 , HF3615

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• It expands product safety and testing requirements.
• He requires external respiratory support.
• The packaging is childproof, required to be childproof. The we were Required to be childproof.
• There's also very little data that was required of them.
• It's because these COCs were never really required.

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• <c> to</c><00:08:44.560><c> be</c> require massage establishments to be require massage establishments
• </c> you know, the inspection requirements you know, the inspection requirements like<00:31:22.320><c
• </c> similar lensure requirements? similar lensure requirements?
• </c> requires to comply with the regulations. requires to comply with the regulations.
• </c> demands and requirements. demands and requirements.

Committee: House Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and there were also funding requirements and there were also funding requirements that<00:04:04.040
• </c><00:07:39.440><c> to</c> district right now is still required to district right now is still required
• </c> beyond what those Federal requirements beyond what those Federal requirements are<00:10:05.360><
• </c><00:29:22.919><c> come</c> policies all of the requirements come policies all of the requirements
• that would require all licensed teachers that would require all licensed teachers who<00:48:12.640><

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• am sponsoring is the Courts to Career bill, and that helps workers with training to meet specific licensure

Transcript Highlights:

• It's going very well, but essentially it's to require street, highway, bridge, road, utility, and light
• It's going very well, but essentially it's to require street, highway, bridge, road, utility, and light
• But it's not a requirement. There's no state law saying that you have to do that.
• The problem is the Constitution requires only elected board members to be able to levy a tax.
• It doesn't change the REAL ID requirements that the federal government has set.

Summary: The committee took up a series of bills in its final meeting, beginning with House Bill 200, which had previously been left on the table on a tie vote. The committee voted to bring it back and then approved it as amended on a 7-2 vote. House Bill 38, dealing with coverage for complex rehabilitation technology devices and allowing up to two devices in a three-year period, received testimony in support and was advanced on a 9-0 vote. Members then heard House Bill 270, which would require certain public works projects to contribute to apprenticeship and training programs or the state apprenticeship fund. Supporters argued it would create a level playing field and strengthen workforce development, while opponents said it would raise costs, burden contractors without accessible apprenticeship programs, and hurt small businesses. An amendment to delay the effective date failed 4-6, and the bill was then approved 6-4. House Bill 291, the Taxation and Revenue Department’s annual tax cleanup bill, was presented as a package of technical and policy updates, including rounding rules, fee changes, tax credit clarifications, and property tax collection adjustments; it passed 8-2. House Bill 108, a cleanup measure for watershed districts to address tax-levying authority after a change from elected to appointed boards, passed 10-0. House Bill 306, which limits facility fees for preventive care, vaccinations, and telehealth while exempting rural facilities, also passed 10-0 after brief discussion. House Bill 20, allowing Native American applicants to request a voluntary designation on driver’s licenses and ID cards with privacy protections, received supportive testimony from tribal and law enforcement representatives and passed 10-0. Finally, House Bill 309, expanding a special property tax valuation method to include electric power storage facilities, drew support from labor and energy representatives and passed 10-0. The chair closed by thanking staff and members and adjourned the meeting, noting it was likely the committee’s last of the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• It does address the work requirements and the eligibility in terms of immigration status.
• of commercial tobacco and nicotine products on campus; those policies are required by statute.
• To highlight some issues, they are required to adopt both supportive disciplinary action programs for
• They are already implementing many of the programs required by law for a smoke-free campus.
• Although we have yet to have robust retail licensure enforcement.

Committee: House Tobacco Settlement Revenue Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• That's part of the requirements that get evaluated every...
• Year, if you were to apply for insurance assistance, you have to fill out that requirement every year
• So when you do apply for it, you do have to submit the required documentation from CPB, and then that
• Compact, on average, Have seen a 10 to 15% increase in licensure year over year.
• Everyone is different, and everyone requires some negotiation.

Transcript Highlights:

• This division represents multiple boards in actions related to licensure and regulatory oversight of
• It requires us to spend 100% of our time investigating and prosecuting Medicaid provider fraud and the
• With those federal requirements come certain prohibitions too.
• For example, federal regulations require us to be entirely separate from the agency. that administers
• Are you able to speak about work requirements in Medicare? No. Mr. Wonka: No.

Bills: HF2783 , HF2603 , HF2846 , HF2354 , HF1836 , HF2713 , HF1198 , HF1389

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Most of them require additional funding for books, supplies, and other expenses.
• And so those are things that just require a much deeper conversation.
• We are fully in compliance with all federal requirements and regulations.
• I'm very proud of being in a state that has high standards for teacher licensure and licensure programs
• So to wrap things up, I just want to underscore that the budget, we are required.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The hearing was a Joint Committee on Ways and Means budget session held in Lawrence focused on the governor’s proposed FY27 education and local aid budget, with remarks from legislative co-chairs, local officials, and education agency leaders. Acting Mayor Giovanni Rodriguez and Superintendent Ralph Carrero emphasized Lawrence’s high-need student population, the importance of Chapter 70 and Student Opportunity Act funding, and the impact of state aid on schools serving many English learners and low-income families. Carrero highlighted Lawrence High School programs such as early college, dual degrees, career pathways, and early childhood classrooms embedded in the high school, while lawmakers introduced themselves and noted the importance of the hearing to their districts. Acting Secretary of Education Amy Kershaw, Commissioner of Higher Education Noi Ortega, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Pedro Martinez, and Commissioner of Early Education and Care Amy Kershaw outlined the administration’s FY27 priorities. They described investments in literacy initiatives, universal school meals, student mental health, early college and career pathways, higher education affordability, community college and university student-success supports, preschool expansion, child care subsidies, and workforce supports for early educators. The commissioners also discussed federal funding threats, equity gaps, and the administration’s efforts to improve outcomes for Black and brown students, multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and low-income students. Members questioned the panel about the local contribution formula study, the final year of Student Opportunity Act implementation, and the need to revisit Chapter 70 funding to better address rising costs such as special education, transportation, and health care. Officials said the local contribution study report is expected by the end of June, with a draft to be shared after data analysis and public comment. Commissioner Martinez said the Student Opportunity Act narrowed funding gaps but more work is needed, and he pointed to a proposed Accelerating Achievement Initiative to support the highest-need schools. Senator Oliveira also raised concerns about Chapter 70 disparities and asked about partnerships with libraries to support literacy, prompting discussion of broader early literacy collaboration.

Transcript Highlights:

• Most of them require additional funding for books, supplies, and other expenses.
• And so those are things that just require a much deeper conversation.
• We are fully in compliance with all federal requirements and regulations.
• I'm very proud of being in a state that has high standards for teacher licensure and licensure programs
• So to wrap things up, I just want to underscore that the budget we are required.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• Most of them require additional funding for books, supplies, and other expenses.
• The opportunity at 100% reimbursement requirement.
• And so those are things that just require a much deeper conversation.
• We are fully in compliance with all federal requirements and regulations.
• I'm very proud of being in a state that has high standards for teacher licensure and licensure programs

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a public hearing in Lawrence focused on the governor’s proposed FY27 budget for education and local aid. Opening remarks from Senator Pavel Payano, Representative Pat Duffy, and local leaders emphasized the importance of education funding for Lawrence and other Gateway Cities, with Acting Mayor Giovanni Rodriguez and Superintendent Ralph Carrero highlighting the city’s high-need student population, Chapter 70 and Student Opportunity Act funding, early college and career pathways, and the need for sustained support to close achievement gaps. The Education Secretariat testified in support of the budget, with Acting Secretary Amy Kershaw outlining investments in early literacy, universal pre-K, student mental health, school meals, high school redesign, higher education affordability, and early childhood systems. Commissioner Noi Ortega described higher education proposals including expanded free community college, continued free tuition at public four-year institutions, student success funding, early college and dual enrollment investments, and the Bright Act and Drive Act. Commissioner Pedro Martinez detailed K-12 proposals such as full Student Opportunity Act funding, increased Chapter 70 aid, special education circuit breaker funding, transportation aid, literacy initiatives, and a new Accelerating Achievement Initiative aimed at schools with the greatest needs. Commissioner Kershaw also described early education proposals including funding for C3, child care financial assistance, CPPI, workforce supports, and administrative funding restoration. Committee members questioned the administration about the pending local contribution formula study, the final year of Student Opportunity Act implementation, and the need to address health care and other cost drivers in school funding. Officials said the local contribution report is expected by the end of June and that a draft will be shared for public comment after data analysis is complete. Members also raised concerns about Chapter 70 disparities between districts and urged a broader review of the formula. In response, the commissioners said the Student Opportunity Act narrowed funding gaps but further work is needed, and they pointed to the new achievement initiative, literacy efforts, and early college expansion as ways to improve outcomes. No votes were taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• agencies, and so there's a whole process established within that, including training and reporting requirements
• with Homeland Security and others, and so and I I I ...requirements with Homeland Security and others
• And those that do get licensures for drone use by the FAA are required to know all the federal laws,
• There obviously are no license requirements for boating, and so they don't know they have to have the
• There obviously are no license requirements for boating, and so they don't know they have to have the

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• health insurance reform to provide recommendations for reducing the impact of prior authorization requirements
• 43.439><c> authorization</c> the impact of prior authorization the impact of prior authorization requirements
• ><c> the</c><00:01:45.159><c> timely</c><00:01:45.680><c> delivery</c><00:01:46.680><c> of</c> requirements
• on the timely delivery of requirements on the timely delivery of Health<00:01:47.360><c> Care</c><00
• that the return on investment for lactation care is significant for most families, who typically require

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Summary: The Health and Human Services committee heard several resolutions focused on health care access, Medicaid services, and regulatory reform. SR 6 urged the Director of Health to create a working group on health insurance reform to reduce prior authorization delays; testimony was generally supportive, with DHS, SHIPA, the Hawaii Association of Health Plans, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, the Hawaii Medical Association, and HMSA all offering comments or support. SHIPA said House Bill 250 would provide a better mechanism for the same goal, but the committee still moved forward with the resolution. SR 7 asked DHS Med-QUEST to cover behavioral health services for children in school-based settings, and SR 9 sought a program to incentivize community care foster family homes to accept people eligible under the Medicaid IDD waiver program. DHS supported the intent of both measures but raised concerns about regulatory limits. Testifiers on SR 9, including the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, argued the state should be more creative in expanding residential capacity, especially on the neighbor islands, while the chair questioned whether the barriers were state administrative rules or federal requirements. The committee also heard SC 14/SR 10 on a sunrise analysis for lactation consultant licensure. Supporters said lactation services can improve health outcomes and save costs, and that Medicaid coverage remains limited. After discussion, the committee adopted the chair’s recommendations: SR 6 and SC 14/SR 10 were passed with technical, non-substantive amendments; SR 7 was deferred; and SR 9 was deferred for further work. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• the business licensure process.
• of the business licensure project process.
• It requires a delicate balancing act.
• It requires HCD to give clear, actionable feedback.
• It requires HCD to give clear, actionable feedback.

Summary: The committee hearing covered a long agenda of local government and housing-related bills, with the chair repeatedly noting the committee was operating without a quorum for much of the meeting. Several measures were heard with no opposition, including AB 2639 on Merced County flood control coordination, AB 1788 on allowing best-value contracting for general law cities and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, AB 2058 on reducing duplicative permitting and inspection costs for factory-built housing, AB 2576 on clarifying historic resource protections in a housing law, AB 2568 on increasing the compensation cap for water district board members, AB 2224 on updating county recorder fees and requiring electronic recording, AB 2469 on water-supply review and cost responsibility for data centers, and AB 2397 on requiring local governments to justify denials of certain housing-finance decisions. Most of these bills were presented as targeted fixes to improve efficiency, reduce delays, or modernize outdated statutes, and the authors generally requested aye votes and noted committee amendments where applicable. The most extended debate centered on AB 1751, which would streamline approval of qualifying townhome projects while setting a $28 hourly minimum wage floor for construction workers on covered private projects. Supporters argued the bill would expand homeownership opportunities, raise wages for largely non-union residential workers, and preserve existing prevailing wage law while adding enforcement tools and developer liability. Opponents, including several building trades and labor organizations, argued it would undercut prevailing wage standards, create a race to the bottom, and potentially affect wage-setting more broadly. Committee members asked detailed questions about land-use barriers, the relationship to prevailing wage, and whether the bill would affect unionized work; the author and supporters responded that it applies narrowly to private for-sale townhome projects and does not alter prevailing wage requirements. AB 2469 also drew a substantive split. Supporters said data centers should be required to provide water-supply assessments before approval, pay for infrastructure they trigger, and account for impacts on overdrafted groundwater basins and local ratepayers. Opponents from the Chamber of Commerce, Data Center Coalition, counties, and tech groups argued existing law already covers water planning, that the bill imposes unique and burdensome requirements on one industry, and that some reporting provisions could raise security concerns. The author responded that the bill is about front-end planning and local accountability, not daily reporting, and emphasized the hyperlocal strain data centers can place on small water systems. No final votes were taken during the hearing because the committee lacked a quorum, though members repeatedly indicated support or intent to vote aye once a quorum was present.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is currently a statutory requirement.
• requirements?
• No education or license are required.
• So there's no more information from you that's required.
• So there's no more information from you that's required.

Bills: HB2963 , HB3005 , HB3287 , HB3288 , HB3289 , HB3290 , HB3344 , HB3712 , HB3862 , HB3874 , HB4196 , HB4308 , HB4901 , HB4984

Committee: House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills related to technology, construction, economic development, and consumer protection. HB 3862 would restrict minors’ access to certain social media apps and limit smartphone use in classrooms; supporters, including Champions for Childhood, argued that smartphones and social media contribute to addiction, distraction, depression, self-harm, and trafficking risks, and the bill was left pending. HB 3712 would change Texas retainage rules so owners could not withhold payment on specially fabricated construction materials once they are delivered, approved, and warranted; subcontractors and suppliers said current retainage practices delay payment for years and create financial risk, and the bill was left pending. HB 2963, the right-to-repair bill, would require manufacturers to provide parts, tools, and information for independent repair of digital devices, with exemptions for medical devices, vehicles under existing agreements, and trade-secret protections; consumer, environmental, business, and repair advocates supported it, while Safelite asked that automotive manufacturers not be excluded from the bill, and it was left pending. HB 4308 would create county industrial development districts to attract major employers and finance infrastructure through local elections and bonds; Fort Bend County supported it as a tool to add jobs and broaden the tax base, and it was left pending. The committee also heard HB 3344, which would create a licensing system for re-roofing contractors, require insurance and bonding, and establish a public database and complaint process. Supporters said it would help curb storm chasers and protect homeowners after storms, while opponents argued it would add burdens on legitimate small roofers, duplicate existing fraud laws, and potentially restrict consumer choice and contractor pricing flexibility. After extensive testimony and questions, the bill was left pending. HB 4196 would create a task force on modernizing manufacturing through digital integration and automation; Schneider Electric and the Texas Workforce Commission supported it as a way to improve competitiveness and create skilled jobs, and it was left pending. HB 3874 would require contractors to receive copies of incorporated contract documents before signing if requested; subcontractors and construction attorneys said it would improve transparency and prevent parties from being bound by unseen terms, and it was left pending. In pending business, the committee voted out several bills. HB 74, creating the Port Verde Port Authority District, was reported favorably to the full House without amendment. HB 112, relating to a science park in certain counties, was reported favorably as substituted. HB 2214, on floodplain notice requirements for leased dwellings, HB 3016, on rental vehicle damage waivers, HB 3133, on explicit deepfake material on social media, HB 3173, on workforce development program planning and evaluation, HB 3807, on child care waiting list priority for children of certain child care workers, HB 463, on unilateral memoranda of contract for residential property, HB 4115, on shareholder proposals to certain domestic corporations, and HB 5008, on use of the Skills Development Fund by certain entities, were all reported favorably, most without amendment and some as substituted. HB 2652, creating a certified caregiver pilot program in the Borderplex workforce area, was also reported favorably and sent to the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:45.760><c> uh</c> substance inventories which required uh substance inventories which required
• Um we not require every odd number year.
• ><00:44:55.760><c> through</c> require is required to go through require is required to go through specific
• </c><00:46:00.960><c> by</c> Um, surrogate parents are required by Um, surrogate parents are required
• </c><01:44:06.000><c> Does</c> requirements for cosmetologist. Does requirements for cosmetologist.

Summary: The committee heard Senate Bill 254, which Senator David Roford described as a technical correction to controlled substance inventory law for pharmacies. He said the bill would remove outdated language requiring inventories to be done in an odd-numbered year, while keeping the existing requirement that pharmacies conduct a full controlled substance inventory every two years in line with federal law. Members asked several clarifying questions about whether the requirement is pharmacy-by-pharmacy, whether new pharmacies would be affected, and whether the change would alter scope or compliance; the sponsor and a representative of the New Hampshire Pharmacist Association said it would not, and that it mainly provides clarity for pharmacies and inspectors. The public hearing on SB 254 was then closed, and the committee also heard support from a representative of the pharmacist community, who said the association supports the bill. The committee then discussed a non-germane amendment to SB 254 dealing with FBI background checks for educational surrogate parents under the Department of Education. Representative Leyon explained that the amendment was requested by the Department of Education after the FBI rejected prior statutory language, and that the goal was to allow people serving as educational surrogate parents to complete FBI fingerprint-based background checks so they can perform their duties. Department of Education and Department of Safety staff testified that the amendment mirrors language that has worked in other education-related background check statutes, including provisions with specific disqualifying offenses tied to child safety, and that the FBI requires precise statutory language and direct transmission of records through the Department of Safety. Members questioned why the FBI’s approval was needed, whether individuals could simply provide their own records, and whether changing federal leadership could require future changes; witnesses said the state needs both state and national records, that records must come directly from the FBI through the Department of Safety, and that the language is intended to satisfy current federal requirements. During the discussion, some members expressed skepticism about the need for the amendment and about placing it on a bill about controlled substance inventories, but no vote was taken during the portion of the transcript provided. The committee also briefly discussed a separate bill on physician assistants/physician associates, with members noting that the proposed name change would not alter scope of practice and that some outside groups had raised concerns about transparency, but that discussion was interrupted and not concluded in the excerpt.