Transcript Highlights:

• It is not simply the number of hours spent in training. ...residents en masse throughout their training
• . training.
• 5% of physician training.
• medical school training.
• in the sense of the siloed training they get relative to the foundational training that a nurse...

Bills: SB1888 , SB3003 , SB2417 , SB2459 , SB3055 , HB1393 , HB2884 , SB2943

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Across the state, the demand spans industries from healthcare to advanced manufacturing to skilled trades
• Building and retaining a skilled workforce that is responsive to the evolving needs of the economy is
• Finding, hiring, and training workers remains a barrier to growth.
• training and workforce needs across our state's economy.
• Through the clinic, we both develop student skills. and we help protect our community.

Bills: HF2634 , HF2241 , HF2649 , HF2520 , HF2610

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> my future teachers to have this training my future teachers to have this training so<00:05:05.960
• </c> that we have a self-sustaining training that we have a self-sustaining training um<00:10:07.560>
• </c> we'll get there as soon as this training we'll get there as soon as this training is<00:10:33.040
• </c> the need for foundational reading skill the need for foundational reading skill instruction<00:15
• </c> training we opted for the Ola training training we opted for the Ola training last<01:31:45.880>

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• So when trained staff do utilize emergency procedures, there's a lot of training that goes into it prior
• </c> Um and then the final piece of training Um and then the final piece of training that<01:10:40.960
• </c> skills can we support them in learning. skills can we support them in learning.
• </c> behavior plan to support that skill behavior plan to support that skill development<01:29:05.360
• :45:08.639><c> that</c> actual trained um procedure that actual trained um procedure that includes<01

Transcript Highlights:

• The same type of, of skill that it takes to do perms, to cut hair, to, you know, do, um, I don't know
• Senator and Representative, so They have to learn these skills.
• How are they skilled to do that then, Madam Speaker?
• So a lot of these skills are passed on from one expert to another. And since it is very artistic.
• I'm sure just, no, I think I, I just wanted to know how they got that skill.

Transcript Highlights:

• I ask you to your best, and I know from your dog training skills that you'll be able to do this so confident
• I ask you to your best, and I know from your dog training skills that you'll be able to do this so confident
• I ask you to your best, and I know from your dog training skills that you'll be able to do this so confident
• /c><02:07:50.960><c> professional</c> skill set the training or professional skill set the training or
• </c><02:09:52.320><c> able</c><02:09:52.520><c> to</c> training skills that you'll be able to training

Committee: House Election Law

Transcript Highlights:

• Reading is really important, and we know that kids come to kindergarten with different literacy skills
• , and kids come to kindergarten lacking literacy skills, and a lot of that is based on the language,
• Our teachers focus on reading, writing, discussion, and other foundational skills in the setting.
• in a computer-based test simply because they are still acquiring computer keyboarding and typing skills
• Put him in front of a computer, and he was just clicking bubbles and losing his train of thought.

Committee: Senate Senate Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The Committee on Education approved the minutes from February 18 and March 4, 2026, then took up several bills. HCR 2003, the “Protect Girls in Sports in Arizona Act,” drew extensive testimony. Supporters, including Superintendent Tom Horne, argued it would protect fairness, safety, and privacy in girls’ sports and locker rooms by requiring teams to be designated male, female, or co-ed and by limiting access to sex-designated private spaces. Opponents, including ACLU and transgender advocates, said the measure was discriminatory, would function as a bathroom ban, and could force schools to police students’ bodies and identities. The committee voted 4-3 to give HCR 2003 a due pass recommendation. The committee then advanced HB 2020, which lowers certain student threats or disruptions at educational institutions from a Class 6 felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor, and HB 2032, which changes the statewide testing window so assessments begin later in the spring and scores are returned later, with supporters saying it would better reflect a full year of instruction. HB 2033, allowing school districts or charter schools to choose paper-and-pencil administration of statewide assessments by governing board vote, also received support from educators who said it would reduce technology barriers for younger students. HB 2318, as amended, would impose term limits on school district governing board members after eight consecutive years; school board groups opposed it as harmful to rural districts, but the committee adopted an amendment and gave the bill a due pass recommendation. The committee also approved HB 2378, which changes eligibility rules for School Facilities Oversight Board members who are architects or engineers so their businesses may not include school construction. HB 2313, which prohibits teacher strikes or organized work stoppages and ties funding penalties to districts or charters that violate the ban, advanced despite testimony that it duplicates existing law and could chill educators’ speech and worsen staffing shortages. Finally, HB 2249, a major expansion of the Parents’ Bill of Rights, passed after heated testimony. Supporters said it would prevent schools from socially transitioning minors without written parental consent and stop staff from encouraging children to hide information from parents; opponents warned it was vague, punitive, and would expose teachers and schools to massive liability and litigation. The committee adopted amendments on HB 2318 and HB 2249 and reported all of the listed bills out with due pass recommendations, with recorded split votes on several measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have trained benefits administrators that position means, like, paraeducator or certificated teacher
• This is a narrow and technical clarification that protects the pension status of the skilled building
• The Port of Vancouver relies on highly trained building trades workers to construct and maintain the
• Services offered under the IFS waiver are varied and range from skilled nursing assistants and nurse
• We train Washington's next generation of health care workers, nurses, doctors, and others.

Bills: SB5834 , SB5835 , SB5883 , SB5905 , SB6151 , SB6163 , SB6177 , SB6173

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: Washington retirement systems, retirement trust funds, interest earnings, public employee retirement system, teachers retirement system, state patrol retirement system, judicial retirement system, judges retirement system, school employees retirement system, public safety employees retirement system, law enforcement officers and firefighters retirement system, PERS, TRS, LERS, legal expenses, medical expenses, administrative expenses, fraud prevention, overpayment recovery, trust fund protection

Transcript Highlights:

• Supplemental Nursing Services Agency updates, assisted living facility updates, and medication training
• Section 7 modifies adult mental health case management service provider training and qualifications.
• These are modifications to the Children's Mental Health Case Management Service Provider Training and
• Section nine from the DHS policy bill requires staff training on the use of opiate antagonists before
• Memory screens are quick, simple tests that evaluate memory and other thinking skills.

Bills: HF2115 , HF2276 , HF1644 , HF99 , HF2068 , HF2707 , HF2704 , HF2406 , HF1674 , HF1579

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• they are trained to do.
• Her math skills have taken off. Her comprehension has grown tremendously.
• Her math skills have taken off. Her comprehension has grown tremendously.
• They go through ongoing mandated reporter training.
• That is why CPR training matters. Those standards are not red tape.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first heard SB 206, which would require cardiovascular pre-screening and blood pressure testing for student athletes beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. Chairman Miller said the bill was prompted by concerns about undiagnosed hypertension and sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes, and Coach Marcus Scott testified about his own kidney transplant after years of untreated high blood pressure. Members asked about who would perform the screenings and how follow-up would work; the American Heart Association said existing athletic physical processes and referral networks could handle it. An amendment was adopted, and the committee reported SB 206 favorably as amended. The committee then took up SB 305, which would require a publicly available statewide career-alignment dashboard showing how degree programs connect to workforce outcomes, including completion, employment, wages, and high-demand jobs. Chairman Edmonds and student task force member Cruz Cassard said the goal was to help students understand job opportunities in Louisiana and reduce the number leaving the state after graduation. Workforce and higher education stakeholders supported the measure as a transparency and workforce-planning tool. The committee reported SB 305 favorably. Next, the committee considered HB 624, a school safety cleanup bill updating references from crisis management plans to emergency operations plans and aligning school emergency language with national standards. Representative Johnson and the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools said the bill would not create new mandates or costs, but would clarify existing requirements. The committee reported HB 624 favorably. The committee then heard HB 1022, as substituted, concerning school-based health care services. Representative Jackson said the bill was intended to clarify that medical decisions in school-based health centers should be made by licensed health professionals, not school staff, while preserving parental consent. Testimony from school-based health center providers supported the bill, but several members raised concerns about consent, parental authority, and whether the language shifted too much responsibility away from schools; the Charter School Association suggested adding more collaborative language. After discussion, the committee adopted the substitute and reported HB 1022 favorably by a 10-4 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our kids need to, our students need to have the skills that they need to pursue their dreams.
• Our work is based on progression of actual competencies and actual skills acquired by their learners.
• Yeah, just highlighting the fact that, you know, we're a skills-based program.
• This program trains staff to prepare fresh, scratch-cooked meals while creating career pathways in a
• But achieving this requires a skilled workforce.

Transcript Highlights:

• Robotics education provides high-quality technical training, and it teaches students how to solve real-world
• problems, giving them 21st century skills that will serve them throughout their life.
• when he was introduced to his schools, Ethan has gained hands-on experience, learned industry-level skills
• serving more than 35,000 California students who are gaining confidence and learning the valuable skills
• These spaces help students build confidence, strengthen critical thinking skills, and introduce STEAM

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, offered a prayer recognizing World Water Day and the challenges of water scarcity, and then proceeded with several floor introductions. Members welcomed wildlife photographer Alice Cahill, outgoing California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Chuck Bonham, Avalon Fire Chief Michael Alegria, and a delegation of Cal Poly Pomona students participating in CSU advocacy activities. The chamber also received a message that the Assembly had passed AB 2156, and the Senate approved the March 16-19 journals as corrected. The main floor action was on Senate Concurrent Resolution 132, which designates March 22, 2026, as California STEAM Robotics Day. The author and supporting senators emphasized the value of robotics and hands-on STEAM education for career readiness, problem-solving, and workforce development. The resolution passed by a 34-0 vote. Afterward, the author introduced student and industry guests connected to robotics education, including a Poway High School student and representatives from Garner Holt Productions. The Senate then considered five gubernatorial appointments, all of which were confirmed unanimously: Paul Toopee as Director of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Peter Britery to the Southwestern Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission, Dr. Youngping Chen and Gregory Lung to the California Acupuncture Board, and Roy Mather to the Board of Pilot Commissioners. The body also suspended Joint Rule 62A to allow the Governmental Organization Committee to hear AB 2156 on March 24 without sufficient notice. At the end of the session, the Senate adjourned in memory of Anne Colchin, a longtime Carlsbad city councilmember and public servant, and announced it would reconvene on March 26, 2026, after the State of the Judiciary joint convention.

Transcript Highlights:

• One thing that's not always really well understood is the depth of training physical therapists have
• We are trained to determine when a condition... ...diagnosis, and screening for serious conditions.
• We are trained to determine when a condition is appropriate for physical therapy and when referral to
• Patient safety depends on this skill set.
• We are trained to diagnose injuries and to refer patients who need other health care services.

Summary: The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee heard testimony on several bills. SB 6152 would add physical and occupational therapists as attending providers in workers’ compensation claims. Supporters said it would reduce delays, improve access to care, and speed return to work; opponents, including the Washington State Medical Association, retail and business groups, and L&I, raised concerns about diagnosis, scope of practice, network enrollment, implementation time, and the $1.9 million fiscal note from accident and medical aid accounts. The committee also heard SB 5437, which would prohibit non-compete agreements and clarify non-solicitation rules. The sponsor and labor and physician groups supported ending non-competes as anti-competitive and harmful to worker mobility, while business, banking, and clinic representatives argued non-competes protect investments, confidential information, and patient/customer relationships and asked for narrower changes. The committee then heard SB 6058, which would give L&I discretion over whether to investigate wage complaints and would toll civil statutes of limitation when a complaint is filed. The sponsor said it would better match agency resources, and testimony was entirely supportive. SB 5944 would require language access provider compensation bargaining to include missed or canceled appointments and make CBAs prevail over conflicting agency policies; the sponsor and union representatives said it would create consistency across agencies, with no opposition testimony. SB 6039 would modernize L&I communications by allowing electronic notices while preserving a non-electronic option; supporters called it a permissive modernization, while worker advocates warned email could be missed and could burden vulnerable workers, though L&I said the bill preserves choice and has no fiscal impact. Finally, the committee heard SB 6117, which would place workers and employers not covered by the NLRA under PERC jurisdiction if federal law no longer applies, with card-check and secret-ballot procedures and interest arbitration provisions. Supporters said it would create a state backstop if federal labor enforcement fails and protect workers’ organizing rights; opponents from agriculture, business, and small business groups warned it was too broad, could sweep in agriculture and small businesses, and could weaken secret-ballot protections and disrupt harvest operations. The sponsor closed by saying the bill is intended to create a clear framework where federal jurisdiction is absent. No votes or executive actions were taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• To meet that need, NFC must continue to grow its physical space, facilities, and training capacity, and
• State College is focused on a few good things: preparing nurses, educators, first responders, and skilled
• One of the 10 most in-demand jobs in our region, TSC provides training for all 10.
• Workforce education, however, is more than a training pipeline.
• I look forward to leaning on my legal training, my military background, and my business experience to

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:

• The deputy keeps the trains running on time, but also serves as the department's main troubleshooter
• Our military, both in uniform and as civilians, are among the most skilled and valuable professionals
• These are people who just got hired who are just being trained to serve.
• And I think you have a skill set, again, that's a little bit nontraditional.
• He's very skillful at this, and he'll find the right way to help the United States.

Committees: Senate Subcommittee on Cybersecurity , Senate Subcommittee on Personnel

Keywords: Steven Feinberg, Deputy Secretary of Defense, national security, budget cuts, military readiness, global threats, Department of Defense

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on the nomination of Steven Feinberg as Deputy Secretary of Defense. The committee emphasized the urgent need for strong leadership in response to a complex array of global threats posed by adversarial coalitions, including China, Russia, and Iran. The discussions highlighted concerns regarding budget cuts and personnel reductions within the Department of Defense, showcasing the challenges posed by the current economic context and the pressing need to maintain military readiness and capabilities. Various members expressed their apprehensions about how impending layoffs and budget reductions would impact the defense workforce and national security.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today is a day of training and in preparation for that deployment.
• for my patients who are anxious like you're feeling today, and I am able to teach you some coping skills
• That is a true. and I am able to teach you some coping skills that last you for life.
• When I say that, Berna, has these skills, it is the easiest cell I've ever had with patients, telling
• We're essentially wanting to equip the average person with coping skills.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery

Summary: The Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery held a public hearing on 14 bills focused on insurance, parity, opioids, behavioral health access, and mental health system reform. Chair Mindy Domb and Vice Chair Robyn Kennedy outlined hearing procedures and noted the committee would accept written testimony. The hearing featured testimony from legislators, providers, advocates, and behavioral health organizations, with most speakers urging favorable reports on the bills they addressed. A major topic was psychiatric collaborative care, including H. 222/S. 1390, which would raise reimbursement for collaborative care codes to at least Medicare levels and allow billing outside the MassHealth primary care subcapitation model. Supporters said the model improves access, outcomes, and cost savings by embedding behavioral health in primary care, and several witnesses described successful implementation in practices and schools. Committee members asked questions about how the model works, what specialties use it, barriers to adoption, and whether copays, deductibles, and subcapitation rules should be changed. Witnesses also supported related innovation legislation, including H. 2224, which would create a mental health innovation fund and support nontraditional trauma-healing approaches. Other bills discussed included H. 2212, which would require prescribers to discuss opioid and pain-medication risks, alternatives, and addiction/overdose concerns with patients or guardians; H. 2232 and H. 2233, which would address equitable payment and equitable access for behavioral health providers serving MassHealth patients; and S. 1406, which would add opioid maintenance treatment information to MassPAT and allow patient-authorized access to that information. Witnesses also strongly backed S. 1399, which would set targets to increase behavioral health spending within the overall health care cost benchmark, arguing that Massachusetts underinvests in behavioral health and that greater investment could reduce emergency, hospitalization, homelessness, and criminal justice costs. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded after testimony and committee questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• He completed astronaut training and quickly became one of the agency's most respected leaders.
• Set high expectations to tackle future challenges and develop skills in alignment with local portraits
• Over 37,000 California educators are trained with AVID strategies, and AVID-trained teachers have a higher
• AVID has a direct impact on career-relevant outcomes such as durable skill development, early career
• of AVID should be recognized as a powerful tool for ensuring that California students develop the skills

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then honored astronaut Captain Victor J. Glover Jr. for his achievements as a Navy officer, NASA astronaut, and California native. Senators Weber Pearson and Rubio highlighted his historic space missions and his role as an inspiration for students, especially in STEM, before the chamber took a photo with Glover and his family. The body then took up SCR 183 on Juneteenth. Senator Weber Pearson presented the resolution as a commemoration of emancipation and a reminder of the ongoing struggle for racial justice. Senators Padilla, Smallwood-Cuevas, Valladares, and Becker spoke in support from the perspectives of the Latino, LGBTQ, Women’s, Hispanic, and Jewish caucuses, emphasizing historical memory, faith, and the need to continue fighting discrimination. The resolution passed unanimously, 39-0. The Senate next considered budget trailer bills SB 110, SB 122, and SB 125. SB 110 made technical budget amendments and passed 29-10. SB 122 expanded sales tax to electronically delivered prewritten software, extended and limited business tax credits, adjusted LLC minimum taxes, and included other revenue changes; supporters said it helped balance the budget and protect services, while opponents argued it would raise costs for businesses, hospitals, and families. It passed 27-9. SB 125 created a federally compliant managed care organization tax to support Medi-Cal and avoid deeper cuts; supporters said it was necessary after federal changes eliminated the prior tax, while opponents warned premiums could rise. It also passed 27-9. The chamber also adopted SR 114 designating June 15-21, 2026 as AVID Week, and SJR 14 urging a Congressional Gold Medal for World War II Army and Navy nurses, both by unanimous roll call. SCR 187 recognizing Father’s Day in California also passed unanimously. The Senate then approved a large consent calendar and closed with remarks about Juneteenth and the next session scheduled for June 22, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• The board's rules for its medication assistant training program do now outline an application fee for
• not charge fees for any other training programs.
• Doing so for this program would be inconsistent and create a disparity with other training programs.
• They just are specialty trained to investigate Medical Board complaints.
• They're monitoring their training and they're tracking those investigative cases.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee met as a Joint Health and Human Services Committee of Reference to hear sunset reviews and performance audit findings for several health-related boards. The first action taken was on the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy. The Auditor General reported that while the board met some licensing deadlines, it had significant problems enforcing controlled substances prescription monitoring program (CSPMP) requirements, timely investigating complaints, and documenting fee analyses and other compliance items. The board director said the agency had implemented some recommendations, was seeking legislative help on CSPMP enforcement and data issues, and described staffing and vendor challenges. A public member testified that the board was generally efficient but that statutory gaps limited its effectiveness. The committee then voted 13-0, with six not voting, to continue the Board of Pharmacy for six years until July 1, 2032, with statutory changes to improve its operations. The committee next reviewed the Arizona State Board of Nursing. The Auditor General found the board timely processed licenses but continued to resolve too many complaints late, with a large and growing backlog of open cases, and identified additional issues in oversight, accounting, public records, and conflict-of-interest practices. The executive director said the board had been under-resourced as nursing volume and complaints increased, requested 28 additional investigative positions, and described efforts to triage cases and improve tracking. The Arizona Nurses Association supported the board’s role and said it was working on a bill, House Bill 2408, to improve accountability, prioritization, and fairness in the disciplinary process. A nurse attorney testified that changes to complaint notice, the scope of investigations, and triage could shorten delays. The committee approved continuation of the Board of Nursing for four years until July 1, 2030, by a 14-0 vote with five not voting. The committee then heard the sunset review for the Arizona Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners. The Auditor General reported that the board generally met licensing timelines but had documentation problems verifying fingerprint clearance cards or criminal history checks, and it failed to act promptly on a renewal application involving serious sex-trafficking-related charges. The board said it had accepted all recommendations, had implemented most of them, had moved to a new licensing platform, and had hired help to address rulemaking delays. Members asked about fingerprint verification and the handling of the serious criminal charges. The committee voted 16-0 to continue the board for four years until July 1, 2030, with statutory changes to improve its performance. Finally, the committee began the review of the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants. The Auditor General found the board had met some licensing and enforcement requirements but lacked adequate executive oversight, accountability, and tracking systems, and it had very high complaint-resolution delays. The report also criticized the board’s incentive pay structure, which paid all staff based on measures unrelated to complaint timeliness. The new executive director said the board had created formal investigative timelines, improved reporting, sought additional support staff, and was updating IT and incentive metrics; she also explained that the board is a shared agency with the Medical Board. The transcript ends during this presentation, before any vote on the physician assistant board is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the board reported that it does not charge fees for any other training programs, and doing so for
• this program would be inconsistent and create a disparity with other training programs.
• by remote and hybrid workers. ...with other training programs.
• They just are specialty trained to investigate medical board complaints.
• They're monitoring their training and they're tracking those investigative cases.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm by training an economist.
• I'm by training an economist.
• I'm by training an economist.
• I'm by training an economist.
• I'm by training an economist.

Committee: Senate Higher Education