Transcript Highlights:

• But Christian's Law was written for open water, which are natural bodies of water such as ponds, lakes
• Many camps have stopped going to ponds, lakes, and beaches because no town wants to take on the liability
• Many camps have stopped going to ponds, lakes, and beaches because no town wants to take on the liability

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security heard testimony on several bills, beginning with a major workplace violence proposal for health care settings. Senator Lovely, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Hospital Association, and SEIU 1199 all supported legislation requiring hospitals and other health care employers to conduct facility-specific risk assessments, develop violence prevention plans, train workers, and provide reporting and protections for assaulted employees. Witnesses described workplace assaults as frequent and escalating, and committee members discussed balancing worker safety with concerns about criminalizing mental illness; testimony emphasized that the bill targets intentional assaults while preserving treatment and discretion for behavioral health crises. The committee also heard strong support for bills to strengthen traffic safety, including primary seat belt enforcement, rear-facing car seat requirements, and seat belts on school buses. AAA Northeast, the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, law enforcement, legislators, and the Massachusetts Insurance Federation all backed the measures, citing crash data, injury prevention, and personal stories of traumatic brain injury. Senator O’Connor testified for school bus seat belts, saying Massachusetts should join other states requiring them, and later Sophia Furzada of the National Transportation Safety Board urged passage of school bus seat belt and child passenger safety bills, saying lap-shoulder belts would reduce injuries and save lives in crashes where compartmentalization is not enough. Other testimony included support for a bill to make 9-1-1 disability indicator forms more accessible and inclusive, with the witness arguing the form should better reflect mental health, developmental disabilities, language access needs, and a fifth-grade reading level. The committee also heard opposition to a proposal to extend Christian’s Law to swimming pools, with a parks and recreation director warning of unintended consequences for municipal camps and underserved communities. Finally, the committee took testimony on a bill to expand the Forensic Science Oversight Board to include workforce representation, which MOSES said would restore technical expertise to the board. At the end of the hearing, the committee adjourned without taking votes on the bills discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is John Holman, Superintendent of the Lake Washington School District.
• I serve as the school board president for Lake Washington School District.
• Thanks to our generous community, Lake Washington passed a capital levy in November 2024.

Bills: HB1796

Committee: Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education

Keywords: school construction, contract indebtedness, school districts, bonding authority, education funding, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We talked with the individual from Bear Lake Hospital. And we basically said, you know what?
• We talked with the individual from Bear Lake Hospital. And we basically said, you know what?
• Senator Cook: Lake Hospital. And we basically said, you know what? You're an independent hospital.

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Today's color guard is composed of Senate pages Noah Leach, a student at Lake Stevens High School from
• Lake Stevens, and Wayne Griffith, a student at Kent Lake High School from Kent.

Summary: The Senate opened with roll call, the pledge, prayer, and recognition of guests from the Sikh Coalition and Kalsa Gramath Center. Members then approved the journal and moved through committee reports and resolutions, including Senate Resolution 8678 honoring the Chimicum High School Marching Band for being selected to represent Washington in the 2026 National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C. The resolution was adopted unanimously, and the band and its supporters were recognized in the gallery. The chamber then confirmed two gubernatorial appointments to major health agencies. Ryan Moran was confirmed as Director of the Health Care Authority by a 49-0 vote, with supporters citing his Medicaid and health system experience and ability to provide stable leadership. Dennis Worsham was also confirmed as Secretary of Health by a 49-0 vote, with senators highlighting his long public health career, statewide outreach, and work on HIV/AIDS and community health. On legislation, the Senate passed Senate Bill 6011, expanding Court of Appeals bailiff authority to conduct threat assessments, and Senate Bill 5831, creating the Uniform Mortgage Modification Act. Senate Bill 6188, which expands Labor and Industries’ authority to update asbestos training and certification rules, passed 38-19 after an amendment to limit the bill to federal standards was rejected. Substitute Senate Bill 5917, concerning access to abortion medications through the Department of Corrections pharmacy, passed 32-17 after several Republican amendments were defeated. The Senate also passed In Gross Senate Bill 6024 on developmental disability services confidentiality and Substitute Senate Bill 6091 on prohibiting real estate brokers from marketing residential properties in exclusive private listings. Finally, Substitute Senate Bill 5840, adjusting campaign finance expenditure reporting deadlines, passed 46-3. After completing the day’s business, the Senate recessed for caucus and lunch until 1:15 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Isabel Heppler, and I am a senior at Lake Washington High School, but I'm here testifying
• My name is Anusha Bardwodge, and I'm a senior at Lake Washington High School, here to testify on my own
• I'm also a senior at Lake Washington High School, and I'm here to testify in support of House Bill 1607

Bills: HB1607 , HB2159 , HB2441 , HB2521 , HB2531 , HB2543

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: recycling, waste reduction, environmental policy, sustainability, municipal regulations, preK, education funding, childcare, youth development, state budget, HB 2441, line of duty death, survivor benefits, medical insurance premium reimbursement, surviving spouse, domestic partner, dependent children, public employee death benefits, retirement system, Washington State

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Isabel Heppler, and I am a senior at Lake Washington High School, but I'm here testifying
• My name is Anusha Bardwodge, and I'm a senior at Lake Washington High School, here to testify on my own
• I'm also a senior at Lake Washington High School, and I'm here to testify in support of House Bill 1607

Summary: The committee held a public hearing and briefing on several bills, with House Bill 2441, House Bill 2159, House Bill 2521, House Bill 2531, House Bill 2543, and House Bill 1607 discussed in that order after agenda changes. HB 2441 would expand reimbursement from the LEO retirement fund for survivors of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, covering Medicare Parts A and B premiums and retroactive health insurance premiums during the period before a death is officially determined to be work-related. Staff described a relatively small number of affected survivors and modest actuarial impacts, and the prime sponsor spoke emotionally in support. A representative from the L&I Board also testified that the board had studied the issue and endorsed the bill. HB 2159 would create the Pre-K Promise Account to receive philanthropic funds for ECEAP expansion. Staff explained ECEAP eligibility and the proposed non-appropriated account structure, noting Governor Ferguson’s budget included $34.5 million in non-appropriated authority for about 2,000 new school-day slots. Testimony was strongly supportive from Ballmer Group, DCYF, Head Start/ECEAP advocates, a Yakima provider, and the governor’s office, all emphasizing the public-private partnership, expanded access, and support for children furthest from opportunity. HB 2521 would remove the $18 cap on the State Patrol’s firearm background check fee and allow the fee to be set to cover total program costs. Staff said the fee could rise to about $33 per check based on current costs, and the State Patrol testified that the cap no longer matches actual expenses and threatens staffing and service levels. One member of the public opposed the bill, arguing the state system should be scrapped or capped and that consumers would face higher costs. HB 2531 would freeze the ambulance quality assurance fee at its July 4, 2025 level to comply with federal law and adjust Medicaid add-on payments accordingly; the Washington Ambulance Association strongly supported it as essential to preserving federal matching funds and improving wages and benefits. HB 2543 would update county clerk fees and modernize outdated references, with county officials supporting the changes as necessary to reflect current electronic-record practices. HB 1607, the Recycling Refund Act, drew the most extensive testimony. Staff described a 10-cent refund system for covered beverage containers, a producer responsibility organization, Ecology oversight, and fiscal impacts tied to program administration and lost tax revenue. Supporters, including environmental groups, youth advocates, Seattle Public Utilities, and some industry voices, argued the bill would reduce litter, increase recycling rates, support reuse systems, and complement the existing recycling reform law. Opponents from recycling haulers, grocers, beverage interests, counties, and solid waste providers argued it would function like a tax, raise consumer and retailer costs, duplicate or undermine curbside recycling and EPR, and create siting and implementation problems. No votes were taken on the bills in this transcript; the hearing concluded with public testimony and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know that there's a library that has been developed in a small place called Fence Lake.
• If the Fence Lake people would reach out to us, we would really be.
• just an hour or two in any direction... ...you can explore the caverns, mountains, national forests, lakes

Committee: Joint Economic & Rural Development & Policy Committee

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Most of this water—a big chunk of this water feeds directly south of this aquifer into Lake Livingston
• We know that this river is what feeds that and Lake Livingston, and so most rivers...
• I know in Senator's SB 1, you carefully... ...put some nuance in there that if it's around a lake or

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So you range from Bay Lake at 98.3%, which was the most reliant in the state, all the way down to Claremont
• So Bay Lake, for a Of their functions from one another.
• So Bay Lake, for example, I think in the 2024 census, had 14 people living there.

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes met for a listening session focused on a presentation by Amy Baker of the Joint Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research on local government revenues and expenditures. Baker reviewed statewide financial data for counties, municipalities, and independent special districts, using 2018-19 as a baseline year because it was stable and pre-COVID. She explained that counties rely heavily on taxes, with ad valorem taxes making up about 73% of county tax revenue and about 24% of total county revenues statewide, while municipalities rely more on charges for services and have a lower statewide ad valorem share of about 14.7%. She also noted wide variation across local governments, with some counties and cities highly dependent on property taxes and others using them minimally or not at all. Special districts were shown to be very different from counties and cities, with hospital-related revenues and expenditures dominating many of them, while water management districts were more reliant on ad valorem taxes and focused expenditures on the physical environment. Baker also summarized expenditure patterns: counties spent the largest share on public safety, while municipalities spent the largest share on general government services, followed by physical environment and public safety. She emphasized that local government structures vary widely and that the committee should study what characteristics are associated with greater property tax reliance. She said the next research steps would be to extend the analysis through later years, including the COVID and inflation period, and to examine institutional and legal factors that shape local fiscal structures. Members asked about unfunded mandates, fuel taxes, reserves, school taxes, millage rates, and how property taxes relate to specific services such as police and fire. Baker said the current analysis did not yet account for mandates or school taxes and that further work could examine links between revenues and expenditures, commercial versus residential tax burdens, and other factors. After the presentation, members reported back on local meetings with counties and municipalities. Several described large differences in millage rates, revenue mixes, and the impact of any property tax changes on fiscally constrained counties versus larger, wealthier ones. Concerns were raised about how local governments would replace lost revenue, especially for public safety and emergency response, and members discussed the need to consider both revenue replacement and ways to rein in spending. The co-chairs said the committee would continue gathering information, send members follow-up homework and requests for panel suggestions, and invite additional input from constituents, stakeholders, and local governments. The meeting ended with no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, HB7, so this is called the Lake and Riley Act. So, it actually predates Riley Act.
• Lake Riley was the young lady who tragically lost her life in Georgia.
• Tragically, Lake Riley lost her life in Georgia at the hands of an illegal immigrant.

Bills: HB202 , HB42 , HB146 , HB492 , HB285 , HB7 , HB454 , HB42 , HB7

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: law enforcement, immunity, civil liability, use of force, recruitment, bail reform, cash deposit, judicial discretion, criminal justice, Alabama law, youthful offender, capital murder, public safety, victims' rights, juvenile offenders, delinquent acts, juvenile court, nonfelony offenses, water safety offenses, HB285

Transcript Highlights:

• A December 9 article. called mobile home residents seeking rent relief from Lake Elmo.
• I got on January 25th addressed an urgent issue impacting the Hispanic community at Cimarron Park, Lake
• I'm a resident of the Cimarron manufactured home community in Lake Elmo.

Bills: HF1143 , HF1548 , HF1340 , HF2549 , HF2559 , HF1673 , HF2740 , HF2507 , HF2461 , HF2381 , HF2695

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Keywords: education funding, unemployment aid, special education, Minnesota statutes, appropriations, housing, redevelopment, local government, trust funds, community development, HF1340, housing infrastructure bonds, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, MHFA, affordable housing, supportive housing, permanent housing, adaptive reuse, area median income, AMI

Transcript Highlights:

• adopted the A4 amendment, or before we adopted it, that it was recently the anniversary of the Red Lake
• Is Red Lake High School in March 2005, where a 16-year-old killed seven and wounded nine.
• research is that school shooters, especially those who kill four or more people, like Sandy Hook and Red Lake

Bills: HF1354 , HF1901 , HF2124 , HF2130 , HF2260 , HF2099 , HF104 , HF134 , HF1769

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Keywords: public safety, school safety, active shooter, active shooter drill, violence prevention, threat reporting, anonymous tip line, See It, Say It, Send It, Minnesota Fusion Center, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, officer-involved death, missing person, endangered missing person, criminal background check, national background check, FBI fingerprint check, adult entertainment license, massage license, correctional facilities

Transcript Highlights:

• the opportunity to testify today, my name is Selena Beasley, and I am an enrolled member of the Red Lake
• I'm the Administrative Officer for the Red Lake Chemical Health Program and a certified alcohol and drug
• Program for Recovery, Mindy Bruden from Sanford Behavioral Health and their STD program, and the Red Lake

Bills: HF2233 , HF1999 , HF1995 , HF1614 , HF2781 , HF1775 , HF1316 , HF2127 , HF2521 , HF689 , HF2380 , HF1273

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Keywords: Uniform Special Deposits Act, special deposit, banking law, financial institutions, escrow, escrow account, trust account, security deposit, beneficiary, depositor, creditor process, garnishment, attachment, levy, setoff, recoupment, financial market infrastructure, retirement benefits, compensation, earnest money

Transcript Highlights:

• NEXT IS JAMES LAKE. MR. BLOCK YOU ARE RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE. >> THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING.
• NEXT JAMES LAKE THEN SAM MORLEY.
• JAMES LAKE SPEAKING AGAINST YOU ARE RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE. >> I'M A REGISTERED REPUBLIC.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Where I fell in love with the mountains and mesas and learned to swim and fish in places like Navajo Lake
• When I take my kids back to Navajo Lake today, I see evidence of climate change with the big sandstone
• rocks where we used to jump in the lake as kids now high and dry every year, nowhere near the water.

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• school district superintendents from across the state, representing districts big and small, such as Lake
• I'm a junior at Lake Stevens High School, a rising STEM star for Snohomish County, an officer for HOSA
• I serve as an ASB senator at Lake Stevens High School, and I'm here to ask you to please restore the
• Mary Templeton, Lake Stevens School District.
• I'm the fire chief of the McLean Black Lake Fire Department.

Bills: SB5998

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It adds necessary protections for those doing the work of lake weed removal using scuba gear.
• was just 20 years old, and he had been on the job with dive guys for three days when he drowned in Lake
• Joseph Anderson was just 18 when he began working for your Lake Aquatic Plant Management.
• will just add that there is some urgency to get this bill passed into law because the ice is off the lakes
• will just add that there is some urgency to get this bill passed into law because the ice is off the lakes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Tachi Yokuts stewarded, managed, and lived in harmony with the land, rivers, lakes, and floodplains
• For the Tachi Yokuts, the return of Ba'ashi, or the Tulare Lake, supports the restoration of our traditions
• and culture. ...or the Tulare Lake, supports the restoration of our traditions and culture.
• Ba'ashi is a life-giving lake that once provided for our ancestors, and it is sacred to our people.
• our human habitat and a restoration of habitat for the many birds and other species that make the lake

Summary: The committee heard several water, wildlife, conservation, and local government bills. AB 362, by Assembly Member Ramos, would add tribal water uses as a statewide beneficial use and strengthen tribal consultation in water planning; tribal representatives and conservation groups supported it as a long-overdue correction, while water agencies, business groups, and agricultural interests raised concerns about CEQA, regulatory uncertainty, and impacts on existing water planning. The bill was moved on a due pass motion to Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, with some members noting ongoing stakeholder discussions and one abstention. AB 1089, by Assembly Member Carrillo, would expand local permitting authority under the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act to include commercial and industrial projects. The author and the City of Adelanto argued it would speed housing and economic development in the high desert while preserving the overall conservation framework, but environmental groups opposed it as premature and potentially weakening protections for Joshua trees. The committee approved the bill on a due pass motion to Appropriations. AB 1024, by Assembly Member Harabedian, would require a regional black bear mitigation plan for the San Gabriel Valley and related areas; Sierra Madre officials described rising bear intrusions and the need for state help, and the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 846, by Assembly Member Connolly, would streamline permitting for local wildfire preparedness and vegetation management projects in local responsibility areas by creating a faster review process at Fish and Wildlife and improving mapping coordination with Cal Fire. Local government, fire service, and agricultural witnesses supported the bill as a common-sense wildfire prevention measure, and it passed to Natural Resources with no opposition. AB 263, by Assembly Member Rogers, would extend emergency minimum-flow regulations for the Scott and Shasta Rivers for five years or until permanent rules are adopted; supporters said it protects salmon recovery, tribal subsistence, and the fishing economy during a transition period, while opponents argued it bypasses normal regulatory process and harms farmers. The committee approved it on a due pass as amended motion to Appropriations, with one abstention and two no votes. AB 1044, by Assembly Member Bains, would create a new Tulare County groundwater sustainability agency for undistricted lands after other local agencies split off; the bill passed to Local Government. AB 1426, by Assembly Member Arambula, began testimony on creating a Diablo Range Conservation Program to fund habitat protection and restoration across the range.

Transcript Highlights:

• Among other things, but that's- There are a lot of people that have a second residence, you know, a lake
• So I sit here as someone in South Lake.
• were $156,000. million dollars all funds of that 48 million with sales, you know, I've got a A city, Lake
• Obviously, you would be more than Lake Jackson because.
• It'll go to South Lake. security services, pest control services, all types of landscaping, all types

Bills: HB134 , HB135 , HB 1109 , HB 1243 , HB1392 , HB1399 , HJR99 , HB134 , HB135

Committee: House Ways & Means

Keywords: sales tax, use tax, local tax, municipal tax, county tax, tax sourcing, place of business, principal business location, small business, retailer, marketplace seller, economic development agreement, Chapter 321, Chapter 323, Tax Code, Texas Comptroller, local sales and use tax, tax jurisdiction, order consummation, ship-to location

Transcript Highlights:

• However, on February 22nd, 1980, in Lake Placid, Team USA shocked the world, defeating the Soviets in
• However, on February 22nd, 1980, in Lake Placid, Team USA shocked the world, defeating the Soviets in
• However, on February 22nd, 1980, in Lake Placid, Team USA shocked the world, defeating the Soviets in
• Placid at the Soviet Union 4 to3 at Lake Placid at the Winter<03:18:48.960><c> Olympics.
• And, as was alluded to earlier, the Olympic Center in Lake Placid is going to have a gold medal.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, September 15, 2025, 1012, house, all