Bills: HF656, HF655, HF633

Keywords: child care, childcare, day care, daycare, licensing, variance, licensed capacity, capacity limit, staff qualifications, staffing, child care center, family child care, provider flexibility, Minnesota career lattice, Department of Children Youth and Families, DCYF, licensing rules, enrollment, indoor space, professional development

Transcript Highlights:

• require employers in the state of Minnesota to report new hires of 1099 independent contractors to DCYF
• <00:51:02.800> Um, maintained by our partners at DCYF.
• Um, maintained by our partners at DCYF.
• <00:58:14.480> in<00:58:14.640> the from DCF in the audience DCYF in the from DCF in
• the audience DCYF in the audience,<00:58:15.119> but<00:58:16.079> um<00:58:16.680>

Bills: HF2362, HF2136, HF1316, HF2009, HF1918, HF1614

Keywords: youth intervention, funding, mental health, education, community programs, HF1316, child support, new hire reporting, centralized work reporting system, independent contractors, payors, employers, payor of funds, withholding orders, income withholding, child support enforcement, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, gig economy, rideshare drivers, delivery drivers

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:37:44.080> obvious previously housed into uh DCYF obvious previously housed into uh DCYF
• <01:38:00.159> and um from other departments to DCYF and um from other departments to DCYF
• But it's just adding DCYF everywhere.
• And it's just adding DCYF everywhere.
• <01:43:39.840> is of those pieces where now that DCYF is of those pieces where now that DCYF

Bills: HF1918, HF2305, HF897, HF2191, HF2617, HF2551, HF2137

Keywords: HF1918, Department of Children Youth and Families, DCYF, child welfare, foster care, out-of-home placement, permanency planning, relative search, noncustodial parent, kinship care, family preservation, African American Child and Family Well-Being, racial disproportionality, maltreatment reporting, educational neglect, truancy, school attendance, Great Start compensation, child care provider payments, TEACH early childhood program

Bills: HF4493, HF3133, HF4595, HF4143, HF4142, HF3756, HF4289, HF1724, HF2291, HF4568, HF4547

Keywords: opioid use disorder, OUD, medication-assisted treatment, MAT, pharmacist prescribing, pharmacy practice, controlled substances, Schedule III, Schedule IV, Schedule V, DEA registration, Board of Pharmacy, substance use disorder, addiction treatment, buprenorphine, naltrexone, harm reduction, prescription authority, pharmacist intern, Minnesota pharmacy law

Transcript Highlights:

• It aligns the statute with DCYF guidance related to the reestablishment of parental rights to allow for
• It also outlines the statute with DCYF guidance to clarify the timeline, information gathering authority
• This includes adding the new commissioner of DCYF to groups or boards that the DHS commissioner or the

Bills: HF2354, HF1672, HF2389, HF2870, HF2743, HF1918, HF2551, HF1671

Keywords: medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, cannabis, cannabinoids, hemp, marijuana registry, patient registry, visiting patient, Tribal cannabis, Tribal medical cannabis program, Tribal sovereignty, Office of Cannabis Management, designated caregiver, home cultivation, adult-use cannabis

Transcript Highlights:

• It aligns the statute with DCYF guidance related to the reestablishment of parental rights to allow for
• It also outlines the statute with DCYF guidance to clarify the timeline, information-gathering authority
• It aligns the statute with DCYF guidance related to the reestablishment of parental rights to allow for
• It also outlines the statute with DCYF guidance to clarify the timeline, information-gathering authority
• It also outlines the statute with DCYF guidance to clarify the timeline, information-gathering authority

Bills: HF2354, HF1672, HF2389, HF2870, HF2743, HF1918, HF2551, HF1671

Keywords: medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, cannabis, cannabinoids, hemp, marijuana registry, patient registry, visiting patient, Tribal cannabis, Tribal medical cannabis program, Tribal sovereignty, Office of Cannabis Management, designated caregiver, home cultivation, adult-use cannabis

Transcript Highlights:

• DCYF operates 11 ...your change in young people.
• DCYF had also not previously tracked compliance with DCYF had also not previously tracked compliance
• The other seven are to DCYF. DCYF should take steps to increase staff retention.
• DCYF should report progress to JLARC by July 2027.
• So DCYF is, to your second question, DCYF is required to serve anyone who is committed to state custody

Summary: The committee met on July 15, 2026, but initially lacked a quorum, so it could not adopt prior minutes. Chair Jerry Pollett welcomed new member Senator Victoria Hunt and new JLARC staff, and noted national recognition for recent JLARC reports. The meeting then moved into a series of preliminary audit presentations and an agency strategic management update, with committee members asking questions after each item. JLARC presented a preliminary audit of DCYF’s Juvenile Rehabilitation programs. Staff concluded that crowding, staffing shortages, weak risk assessments, and inconsistent programming combine to create unsafe conditions. The report found that most youth are housed in two large secure facilities operating near or above capacity, incidents rise as population rises, 47% of frontline staff leave within a year, current assessment tools are not valid for the population, and program access depends more on facility than individual need. JLARC made one recommendation to the legislature to address crowding and seven to DCYF, including improving retention, training, incident response procedures, validated assessments, program alignment, and data quality. DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter said the agency agreed overcrowding is a serious problem, described ongoing efforts to improve staffing and safety, and said a detailed response would be provided later. Committee members raised concerns about education access, retaliation against staff or youth who participated in the audit, and whether JR-25 has helped or worsened conditions. JLARC then presented a preliminary audit of Labor and Industries’ enforcement of farm worker labor laws. The audit found that L&I generally meets inspection timelines for health and safety complaints, but not for wage and hour or retaliation complaints, where delays are driven largely by time before assignment to an investigator. Staff said complaint volume exceeds capacity, though the agency has added staff, created screening processes, and reorganized workloads, and 2026 legislation now allows prioritization of complaints and broader investigations. JLARC recommended that L&I report back in December 2026 and December 2027 on backlog reduction and implementation of the new law. An L&I representative said the agency is hiring additional staff and will provide a formal response later. The committee also received a JLARC overview and Department of Health strategic management plan update on hospital data reporting, inspections, complaints, and adverse event reporting. DOH reported measurable progress on inspection compliance, new staffing and licensing systems, translated complaint forms, and plans for future work on language access, adverse event reporting, and financial data dashboards. After lunch, JLARC began its 2026 tax preference performance reviews. The first review covered the Main Street tax credit, which JLARC said has helped increase the number of Main Street communities and businesses, with positive growth near designated districts; JLARC recommended continuing the preference and improving business-count data. The second review covered the equitable access to credit program, which JLARC said appears to support underserved communities by funding loans through CDFIs; JLARC recommended continuing the preference beyond its 2027 expiration. The committee began questions on the program mechanics and the role of the Community Reinvestment Act, and the presentation was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Vicki Ibarra, both here from DCYF.
• DCYF at this stage— Then the rules of evidence apply.
• And of those two cases, one of those, DCYF, sought habeas corpus.
• And DCYF is experiencing some resource and staffing shortages.
• Between AOC and DCYF to make that happen.

Summary: The Senate Human Services Committee held a work session on child welfare dependency, focusing on implementation of HB 1227 (Keeping Families Together) and SB 6109 (the fentanyl response bill), along with related data and system updates. DCYF first reviewed the dependency process, explaining intake, shelter care, fact-finding, disposition, and review hearings, and emphasized that removal standards are separate from service provision and that children may be in-home or out-of-home at different stages. DCYF said 1227 raised the removal threshold to imminent physical harm and strengthened kin placement, with nearly 60% of children now placed with relatives or suitable others. The department also said 6109 directs courts to give great weight to fentanyl’s lethality and added legal liaisons to support staff in court preparation. DCYF presented data showing that entries into out-of-home care declined after 1227 but rose again after 6109, returning close to pre-1227 levels. The agency also reported a sharp increase in reviewable critical incidents in 2022-2025, especially near-fatalities, which it linked to the opioid and fentanyl crisis, parental stress, and system complexity. DCYF said it has responded with statewide Safe Child Councils, staff consultations, hotspot monitoring, and additional training, and noted that some contracted services authorized under 6109 were not implemented because of fiscal constraints. Senators asked about where children are in the process, who participates in court, the timing of data releases, age breakdowns, and geographic hotspots. Advocates and lived-experience witnesses from LCYC and a family intervention clinic argued that 1227 has not prevented courts from removing children when necessary and said the law appropriately requires the state to show a causal link between home conditions and risk. They said 6109 appropriately highlights fentanyl’s danger, but stressed that the larger issue is lack of prevention and treatment resources, inconsistent county-by-county practice, and insufficient supports such as inpatient beds, family treatment, housing, transportation, and third-party safety plan participants. A parent ally described how early support, peer guidance, and kin placement helped her achieve recovery and stability after losing parental rights in an earlier case. The committee also heard an update on SB 6068 from the Administrative Office of the Courts and K Implementation and Evaluation. The report identified 15 dimensions of relational permanency and child well-being, found that some data already exist while other measures need development, and recommended a phased data collection plan, a restored data-sharing agreement between AOC and DCYF, and a standing cross-agency work group. AOC said its dependency data system lapsed when the prior agreement expired in June 2025 and needs to be rebuilt. The meeting also included a brief update on bridge housing for youth exiting inpatient treatment, with presenters saying two programs are now open, one in King County and one in Spokane, and a short introduction to juvenile rehabilitation capacity updates before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• The DCYF employees are focused on DCYF.
• Uh, but our DCYF employees are focused on DCYF work. nobody says oh I'm sorry we can't take nobody says
• So there are some there's DCYF.
• Uh, but our DCYF um department.
• need is a more thorough review of DCYF. need is a more thorough review of DCYF.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first opened with brief remarks about a member’s recovery and then heard House Bill 518, which would require the commissioner of Health and Human Services to provide a detailed annual report of all costs related to DCYF. The sponsor, Representative Erica Layon, said the bill was intended to improve transparency, clarify how much time and money are spent on DCYF work versus other departmental work, and help future discussions about staffing, resources, and whether DCYF should remain within DHHS or become a separate department. She said the department could likely produce the report without additional cost, though she was open to adjusting the reporting date and possibly adding more detail about federal mandates. Former Representative Betty Gay and several members supported the bill as a way to better document costs and procedures, while DCYF Director Marie Nunan said the department was not taking a position on the bill, already has many policies and operating procedures, and believed it could comply without a fiscal note. Members raised questions about whether the reporting requirement duplicated existing oversight, whether it should apply to other agencies, and whether the report should include federal funding mandates. Some suggested that a broader review or subcommittee on DCYF might be more useful than a single reporting bill. In executive session, the committee voted 15-1 to retain HB 518, so it will not go on the calendar. Members said they wanted more time to discuss the bill, watch the budget process, and consider whether the reporting requirement could be implemented informally or through a broader oversight effort. The committee then moved on to House Bill 775, which was introduced by Representative Jodi Nelson as a measure to support supervised visitation centers. Dr. Scott Hampton testified in favor, describing the loss of visitation centers since 2019, the role of supervised visitation in protecting children and vulnerable parents in domestic violence cases, and the potential benefits for child safety, crime prevention, and family preservation.

Transcript Highlights:

• The DCYF employees are focused on DCYF.
• The DCYF employees are focused on DCYF.
• Uh, but our DCYF employees are focused on DCYF work.
• So there are some there's DCYF.
• need is a more thorough review of DCYF. need is a more thorough review of DCYF.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened with a brief update and prayer for Oscar, a person known to members, noting he was making slow but encouraging progress and awaiting transfer to rehab. The hearing then began on House Bill 518, which would require the commissioner of DHS to provide a detailed annual report of DCYF costs. Representative Erica Leyon, the sponsor, said the bill was intended to improve transparency, clarify how DCYF resources and shared services are used, and help future discussions about staffing, funding, and whether DCYF should remain within DHHS or become a separate department. She said the department could likely comply without additional cost and was open to adjusting the reporting date, with the department preferring December 31 instead of September 1. Committee members and the DCYF director, Marie Nunan, discussed whether the bill was duplicative of existing reporting and whether it should also include federal funding mandates. Nunan said DCYF already has many policies and reports, but does not currently produce one consolidated DCYF-specific report in this form; she also said the department believed it had the capacity to file the report and was not taking a position on the bill. Several members questioned whether the measure was necessary, while others supported transparency but suggested the information was already available or could be obtained without legislation. In executive session, the committee voted 15-1 to retain HB 518, meaning it will not advance to the calendar at this time. The committee then opened House Bill 775, sponsored by Representative Jod Nelson, concerning supervised visitation centers. Nelson introduced Dr. Scott Hampton, who testified that supervised visitation is important for child safety, domestic violence prevention, and family preservation. Hampton described the history of visitation centers in New Hampshire, saying funding cuts had reduced the number of centers over time and that prior legislation had failed due to budget reductions. He argued that supervised exchanges can reduce risks such as abuse, abduction, and homicide, and said the service can prevent harm without adding cost by avoiding more serious incidents. The hearing on HB 775 was still underway at the end of the transcript, with no vote or final action shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh DCYF was established to All right.
• <00:02:33.600> summary page numbers in the DCYF summary page numbers in the DCYF summary document
• <00:11:50.280> to subject matter experts at DCYF to subject matter experts at DCYF to support
• I am budget director for DCYF. Marina Bellaria: The opioid fund comes to DCYF per statute.
• shared between DCYF and DHS and the DCYF shared between DCYF and DHS and the DCYF portion<00:24:

Bills: HF4525, HF3002, HF3665, HF4420

Keywords: human services, background studies, NETStudy 2.0, licensing, license suspension, license revocation, provider enrollment, program integrity, fraud, medical assistance fraud, Medicaid, payment withholding, credible allegation of fraud, background check, disqualification, variance, set-aside, foster care, family foster setting, adult foster care

Transcript Highlights:

• And from DCYF for about one case a week.
• ,<00:03:59.280> remain decision-making of DCYF, remain decision-making of DCYF, remain unfilled
• about<00:04:12.000> the DCYF has stated concerns about the DCYF has stated concerns about
• I'm the assistant commissioner for DCYF.
• So, first I'd like to acknowledge DCYF.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 3901 was heard in committee and amended with the A26 amendment, which the author described as cleanup language clarifying confidential data and other wording changes. The bill concerns the Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson’s access to records in the Social Services Information System (SSIS) so it can investigate foster care decisions more effectively and in a timely way. Representative Johnson said the issue stems from outdated technology and interagency barriers that make it difficult to share information needed to serve foster youth and families. Misty Coons, the foster youth ombudsperson, testified that the office has struggled to obtain records from DCYF, with delays growing longer and some requests remaining unfilled. She said direct SSIS access would reduce burdens on agency staff and improve investigations, while privacy concerns could be handled through training or interagency agreements. Rebecca St. George, assistant commissioner for DCYF, acknowledged the delays but said the department is understaffed and working on software improvements; she argued that broad direct access would risk exposing privileged and protected information and could conflict with state and federal privacy laws. She also noted concerns from tribal nations about access to tribal data without request and approval. Members discussed the mechanics of data requests, redaction, and whether the bill raised data practices issues. The chair noted that a referral to Judiciary and Civil Law was automatic under chapter 13. Representative Johnson closed by emphasizing that the goal was to better serve children and foster families and said he had received a letter from White Earth Reservation expressing reservations. The committee then approved re-referral of House File 3901, as amended, to the Committee on Judiciary and Civil Law.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um I my husband court system and DCYF.
• I am confident that DCYF is working as…” though they were known to DCYF, um, that though they were known
• to DCYF, um, that scares<02:03:39.840> me.
• <02:04:36.000> in judges are highly reliant on DCYF in judges are highly reliant on DCYF in
• trained DCYF trained DCYF um,<02:05:44.239> workers<02:05:44.639> that<02:05:44.880

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Children and Family Law Committee met on April 15, 2025, and opened a hearing on Senate Bill 269, which would remove references to “bride and groom” and replace them with “applicants” in the Vital Records Act. The bill was described by the sponsor’s designee as a housekeeping update requested by the Secretary of State to modernize and standardize the language in light of same-sex marriage and to make the statute gender-neutral. Members asked whether the change would affect the substance of marriage law, marriage ceremonies, age and residence requirements, or open the door to polygamy; the response was that it would not change the law, would still apply to two adults, and would not supersede New Hampshire’s ban on polygamy. Some members noted the bill had passed the Senate unanimously and 18-0, while others questioned whether the change was necessary given existing forms and statutes, and whether it could create confusion with other laws such as alimony or divorce paperwork. The discussion became lengthy and somewhat informal, with members debating whether the terminology update was merely clerical or whether it should be postponed for more information from the Secretary of State’s office. Several members expressed frustration that no representative from that office was present. One member, speaking as a family law attorney, argued the bill was redundant because similar information already appears on vital statistics forms and could potentially create unintended issues; others countered that the Legislature should keep statutes consistent with current law and modern terminology. The committee also briefly discussed how marriage certificates and licenses are labeled and how same-sex couples are designated under current law. After a Republican caucus break, the chair called for a nonbinding thumb vote on whether to postpone the bill. The committee voted to come back to the bill later, and the hearing on SB 269 was closed and postponed to a later executive session date. The chair then shifted to other committee business, including preparations for a later discussion with Chief Administrative Justice Ellen Kristo and a family court subcommittee exercise, but no further action was taken on SB 269 during this segment.

Transcript Highlights:

• But, uh, anyway, uh, my position on this uh is uh DCYF is a mess.
• my constituents they're afraid of DCYF. my constituents they're afraid of DCYF.
• Um, I have looked into DCYF up there.
• There is a DCYF when we ask for things.
• Um, are provided by DCYF representative.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 518 and House Bill 652FN, both related to the family court system and child/family matters. HB 518 drew extended discussion about DCYF/DCYF’s role and whether the bill should be retained, amended, or studied further. Representative Love argued the agency is deeply troubled, citing abuse cases, lack of training, and fear among constituents, and said he would vote against ITL while preferring interim study so the bill could still be used as a future amendment vehicle. Other members emphasized that the family division has ongoing reform work underway and that abolishing or moving cases to superior court would not solve the underlying problems. On HB 652FN, the subcommittee chair and Representative Pearson gave a detailed defense of the family division, explaining its history, statewide structure, caseload, and the rationale for specialized family courts. Pearson said the bill would reverse progress by shifting jurisdiction back to superior court, overload dockets, and deprive families of judges with specialized expertise. He pointed to reforms already underway, including simplified forms, more mediation, and review of possible judicial bias patterns. Several members and public comments supported keeping the bill as a tool for reform rather than killing it, while critics argued the family court system suffers from due process, oversight, and rule-of-law problems. The committee also heard broader testimony on family court concerns, including allegations of systemic bias, discovery limits, unsworn witnesses, and lack of oversight, as well as support for mediation as a less adversarial and more effective option. Some members said the judiciary needs more judges and mediators, but that budget constraints limit those improvements. The discussion ended with no final vote recorded in the excerpt; instead, members continued debating whether the bills should be ITL’d or retained for interim study and further reform work.

Transcript Highlights:

• The governor's recommendation to take money from the DCYF transition account.
• What you see here is a negative number taking that part of the budget away from DCYF.
• Section one is from the DCYF governor's budget bill authored by the chairs.
• Moving on to Article 6, this is the DCYF Licensing and Certification Policy article.
• The DCYF staff worked diligently to craft policy proposals.

Bills: HF2436

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, DCYF has significant printing and mailing costs.
• So there are three main cost pressures that we've looked at for DCYF.
• I'm Diane Halsey, Assistant Commissioner of Early Childhood at DCYF. I apologize.
• Chair, I am Shana Morris, Legislative Director for Early Childhood at DCYF.
• With DCYF.

Bills: HF2436, HF470, HF2643, HF2456, HF102, HF1367

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, early education, scholarships, funding, children, families, Minnesota education, child care licensing, family child care, child care center, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, correction order, conditional license, fix-it ticket, documented technical assistance, license suspension

Transcript Highlights:

• I would defer to DCYF on that.
• How would that impact DCYF?
• DCYF. My my point is I don't I don't DCYF.
• children, and many DCYF assessments. children, and many DCYF assessments.
• <03:48:10.239> Um to DCYF reports. Um to DCYF reports.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, DCYF does have a system in place.
• DCYF last last term and uh a few times DCYF last last term and uh a few times we<01:06:23.760> heard
• DCYF every seems like every other day you see, you read about a lawsuit because of DCYF not like negligence
• >> When it comes into DCYF, when DCYF gets the first call to when you would actually trigger the
• Without it, there's confusion for DCYF Without it, there's confusion for DCYF with<04:10:16.080> the

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was a falter of DCYF.
• DCYF. Good morning, Chairman Pearson, DCYF.
• Um, it says criminal, but what about<03:40:55.840> DCYF? about DCYF? about DCYF?
• You should just report it to DCYF. Let DCYF take over.
• You should just report it to DCYF. Let DCYF take over.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened with Senate Bill 22-FN, which would expand child care licensing background checks so the Department of Health and Human Services can receive fuller criminal history information, including pending charges and other non-conviction records, similar to the system already used for school staff. Grant Bossi, for Senator Pearl, and DHHS officials Melissa Clement and Christine Sheay testified in support, saying the bill closes a gap that can allow people with disqualifying charges to work with children. They explained that the FBI record is a snapshot in time, that juvenile records are not included, and that the bill would apply to child care programs including residential group homes. Questions focused on what “confidential criminal history” means and how often checks are repeated; DHHS said checks are done every five years or sooner if new charge information is received. The hearing on SB 22 was then closed. The committee then took up Senate Bill 23-FN, which would expand the child endangerment statute and remove the word “purposely” from part of the language. Senator Pat Long said the bill is intended to strengthen protection for children and allow more serious conduct to be charged appropriately. Testimony from law enforcement, including Executive Counselor Dave Wheeler, Sergeant Ryan Rooney of Nashua Police, and Nicholas Georgulis of Manchester Police, supported the bill as a way to distinguish routine misdemeanor cases from the most egregious abuse and neglect cases, such as children living in squalor or being exposed to severe danger. Wheeler and some members raised concerns that the language could be vague or overbroad and cited a prior Manchester firearm-in-a-car arrest as an example of possible unintended consequences; supporters responded that the bill still requires knowingly violating a duty of care and that the serious bodily injury or death standard limits its reach. Rooney also described a fentanyl overdose case involving an 11-year-old and said the current misdemeanor charge did not fully reflect the seriousness of the conduct. The committee recessed SB 23 briefly to open and close SB 161, then returned to SB 23, which remained under hearing with no final vote taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• We see a climb in the DCYF lawsuits, which is the red bar.
• DCYF is likely to have almost 1,000. We're projecting 979 claims against DCYF.
• separately track DCYF out of all the payouts.
• It's just broken out so that we can see DCYF alone. Okay.
• So since the split with DCYF and the formation of that agency, our tort profile... ...split with DCYF

Summary: The committee held a work session on tort liability and parole, with the chair explaining that the topics were linked because criminal justice reform and state liability often intersect, especially in cases involving child welfare and corrections. Staff first outlined Washington’s tort liability framework, including the state’s broad waiver of sovereign immunity, statutes governing mandatory reporting and investigation of abuse, the childhood sexual abuse statute of limitations, and the lack of caps on non-economic damages. Staff and presenters also compared Washington to other states and noted that Washington remains among the broadest states for state liability and childhood sexual abuse claims. Presenters from the Attorney General’s office, Washington State Association for Justice, DCYF, DSHS, and DOC discussed how tort exposure has grown, especially in claims involving DCYF, historical child abuse, juvenile rehabilitation, vulnerable adults, employment discrimination, medical negligence, and negligent supervision. DCYF and AG staff said claims and payouts are rising, with many claims tied to older abuse and new theories of liability, while defense counsel emphasized the human harm behind the claims and argued that tort cases have historically driven accountability and reform. Agency witnesses said they face large volumes of old claims with limited records, rising verdicts and settlements, and staffing and systems challenges, and they highlighted efforts such as early resolution programs, electronic health records, medication-assisted treatment, and improved incident review processes. The committee then shifted to parole. Sentencing experts reviewed Washington’s move from indeterminate sentencing to the current determinate sentencing system under the Sentencing Reform Act, and explained how parole could be integrated with sentencing guidelines through different models used in other states. They also summarized Criminal Sentencing Task Force recommendations related to a determinate-plus approach for three-strikes and persistent offender laws and a second-chance review process, noting there was no consensus on those ideas. Judges from the Minority and Justice Commission and the Superior Court Judges Association said a parole system could support rehabilitation and reduce disparities if it includes data collection, fairness, transparency, due process, and meaningful judicial review; they also pointed to research suggesting parole and structured reentry can reduce recidivism and costs, while warning that access and outcomes can vary by geography and other factors.