Transcript Highlights:

• abortion access project and support our abortion clinics.
• and burden access to abortion care.
• abortion access.
• What the state used to pay for through the general fund would now be pushed abortion access.
• SB 6182 is a sustainable abortion funding solution, and we ask you to please pass it.

Bills: SB6258, SB6182, SB5947, SJR8206, SB5823, SB6292

Keywords: Washington Medical Commission, medical license, license relinquishment, voluntary surrender, nondisciplinary pathway, physician regulation, health professional licensing, disciplinary database, National Practitioner Data Bank, license renewal, license reinstatement, medical board, professional discipline, credential surrender, healthcare regulation, abortion, reproductive health, pregnancy termination, clinic access, abortion access fund

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee held a January 29 public hearing on six bills, moving through a large number of testifiers under a one-minute limit. The first bill, SB 6292, would create a joint legislative-executive committee on health care financing to study financing mechanisms for statewide access and coverage; the sponsor and several supporters from the Health Care Authority, insurance, hospital, medical, labor, and patient groups said it could help the state respond to affordability and sustainability challenges, while some suggested coordination and scope amendments. The committee also waived the five-day notice rule to hear SB 6258 and SB 6182 that morning. SB 6258 would create a non-disciplinary pathway for voluntary relinquishment of certain Washington Medical Commission licenses. Staff and supporters said it would provide a humane, due-process-friendly option for physicians and other licensees who need to leave practice without discipline; testimony from the Medical Commission and a physicians’ health program strongly supported it. SB 6182 would establish an abortion savings program funded by a new assessment on health carriers and direct the Department of Health to issue grants for abortion clinical care. Supporters argued it would protect abortion access and recoup funds set aside under the ACA, while opponents raised concerns about the assessment functioning as a tax, lack of opt-out, and impacts on premiums and conscience rights. The committee also heard SB 5947, which would create the Washington Health Care Board to design a universal state health plan if and when federal authority and funding become available. Supporters from labor, health care, student, tribal, and universal-care advocacy groups said it would prepare Washington for a future federal waiver and advance universal coverage; opponents argued it was too vague, costly in principle, or unnecessary. SJR 8206 would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to declare affordable health care a fundamental right; testimony was sharply divided between supporters who said it would establish a clear state commitment and opponents who warned of legal uncertainty, vague terms, and future budget pressures. Finally, SB 5823 would require licensed hospitals to employ or provide access to a patient advocate to help patients navigate care, records, billing, and appointments. The sponsor said it was prompted by constituent concerns, while hospital and patient coalition witnesses supported the goal but asked for amendments to clarify staffing, exemptions, and scope. No votes on the bills were taken in the hearing; the committee adjourned after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas Right to Life is a high profile and well-funded anti-abortion organization.
• You, you support that women not have access to a doctor for purposes of abortion here in Texas, correct
• And I spoke with many of my college peers about how they view the need to access abortion, and this one
• Ordered abortion pills from Aid Access. Even though his girlfriend did not want an abortion.
• abortion pills?

Bills: HB7, SB 8

Keywords: abortion, healthcare, jurisdiction, civil action, qui tam, prohibition, state law, sex designation, restroom access, civil penalties, private civil right of action, women's privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Recognize that abortion is health care; they just want to control when you can access it.
• Texas Right to Life is a high-profile and well-funded anti-abortion organization.
• You support that women do not have access to a doctor for purposes of abortion?
• , and I spoke with many of my college peers about how they viewed the need to access abortion.
• From Aid Access, even though his girlfriend did not want an abortion.

Bills: HB7, SB 8, HB7, SB 8

Keywords: abortion, healthcare, jurisdiction, civil action, qui tam, prohibition, state law, sex designation, restroom access, civil penalties, private civil right of action, women's privacy, 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• obtain a disposition transit permit if an unborn child is expelled or extracted at a hospital or abortion
• Finally, the bill outlines abortion clinic form requirements and the exemptions to obtaining a disposition
• Before the D&C, I asked my doctor, as with any death, could I have access to the remains of my baby and
• Before the DNC, I asked my doctor, as with any death, could I have access to the remains of my baby and
• This is not about politics or abortion.

Bills: HB2122, HB2184, HB2910

Keywords: technical registration, engineering, architect, land surveyor, reciprocity, endorsement, qualification standards, fetal death, funeral homes, informed consent, abortion, women's rights, medical assistance, emotional support, contractors, administrative recovery, regulation, statute of limitations, residential contractors' recovery fund, 1182

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> 1% of the funding and 4% of the funding 1% of the funding and 4% of the funding would<00:02:59.120
• This, again, is not cutting any funding. This is not cutting funding any schools.'
• </c><01:02:59.279><c> any</c> funding this is not cutting funding any funding this is not cutting funding
• funds emergency operations?
• funds emergency operations?

Bills: HF25, HF4

Keywords: pregnancy support, women's health, maternity homes, nonprofit organizations, grant funding, abortion, family services, tax relief fund, budget surplus, surplus revenue, tax rebate, tax refund, one-time refund, income tax, property tax, constitutional amendment, Minnesota Constitution, general fund, budget reserve, taxpayer relief

Transcript Highlights:

• What this bill is about is ensuring that abortion care funding that is explicitly supposed to be used
• abortion access project.
• So this is going to be on top of what was removed from abortion access last year.
• So this is going to be on top of what was removed from abortion access last year.
• But still, it's basically more and more money that we're funding to abortion.

Bills: SB6061, SB6234, SB6170, SB6176, SB6182, SB6335, SB5647, SB6047, HB2367, HB2606, SB6129, SB6228, SB6231, HB2235, HB2272, HB2340, HB2543, HB2554, HB2632, HB2464, HB2619

Keywords: tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, sewage, grinder pumps, residential buildings, regulation, construction, contracting rules, state highway construction, procurement limits, state regulations, infrastructure funding, vehicle registration, enforcement, renewal, transportation, state law

Summary: The Senate opened with ceremonial items, then moved through gubernatorial appointments and a series of floor votes. It confirmed Acacia E. Ingram to the Evergreen State College Board of Trustees, Ashland J. Tibbet and David S. Frockt to the Western Washington University Board of Trustees, and Christine Rolfes to the Olympic College Board of Trustees. Members spoke in support of the appointees’ public service and ties to higher education. The chamber also heard a personal privilege statement honoring a Colfax basketball coach who died of pancreatic cancer, followed by a caucus break. The Senate then considered several bills, passing measures on derelict vessels (SHB 2199), radiologic technologist supervision (HB 2113), nitrous oxide retail sales (ESHB 2532), ambulance transport fund alignment (HB 2531), EMT recertification (HB 2540), affordable housing on religious property (2SHB 1859), factory-built housing standards (SHB 2151), social housing public development authorities (EHB 1687), the Washington Voting Rights Act and voter suppression claims (ESSHB 1750), privacy and data protection reporting and AI use (HB 2606), military family school stability (ESHB 2534), coal-fired utility treatment (HB 2367), and school access to albuterol (SHB 2360). Most passed on strong bipartisan roll calls, though the voting-rights bill and coal-utility bill drew the most debate and partisan division. Several bills were amended on the floor. The Senate adopted changes to the nitrous oxide bill, the factory-built housing bill, the social housing bill, the albuterol bill, and the 3D-printer/firearm-manufacturing bill (ESHB 2320), while rejecting some proposed amendments on the voting-rights and 3D-printer bills. Debate centered on whether the voting-rights bill set too low a threshold for lawsuits and whether the coal-utility bill gave improper treatment to coal generation; supporters framed both as needed protections or transition measures, while opponents warned about litigation and policy overreach. The chamber also discussed tribal consultation in energy siting (SHB 2496), ultimately passing it after a close vote, and later returned to the 3D-printer bill, which advanced after amendments narrowed exemptions for gunsmiths and dealers and clarified the bill’s focus on digital files used to manufacture firearms.

Transcript Highlights:

• People face when trying to access safe and timely abortion care.
• Taxpayer funds away from abortion entities.
• Abortion saves lives; preventing access to abortion is inhumane and cruel.
• She, her pronouns, and I'm the Executive Director of the Texas Equal Access Fund, an abortion fund in
• to abortion. ever allow legal access to abortion.

Bills: SB10, SB16, SB6, SB 6, SB 10, SB 16

Keywords: trafficking, prostitution, affirmative defense, victims, criminal justice reform, victim rights, criminal justice, judicial reform, court procedures, mental health services, criminal penalties, court security, SB 6, Woman and Child Protection Act, abortion, abortion-inducing drugs, medication abortion, mifepristone, misoprostol, pro-life

Transcript Highlights:

• I think is what she claimed we had in the emergency fund, something like that.

Bills: HB1168

Keywords: abortion, abortion-inducing drugs, medication abortion, mifepristone, misoprostol, methotrexate, pro-life, pro-choice, reproductive health, unborn child, trafficking, felony, contraception, pharmacist, pharmacy, Title 63, Oklahoma statutes, abortion pill, drug distribution, criminal penalty

Summary: The Senate first came to order after repeated quorum calls, then devoted a long portion of the meeting to farewell remarks for Senator Darcy Jech. Jech reflected on his 12 years in the chamber, his rural district, campaign experiences, major events during his tenure, and the importance of relationships, compromise, and service. Numerous senators followed with personal tributes, praising his steadiness, humility, faith, work on devotions and the Rural Caucus, and his reputation as a thoughtful, respectful colleague and family man. After the farewell segment, the Senate moved to executive nominations. The chamber unanimously confirmed Sharon Shell Millington as Director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs, Clayton Bullard as Cabinet Secretary of Health and Mental Health, and Clayton Bullard as administrator of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. The Senate then approved a slate of Tier 2 nominations, including appointments to the Home Inspector Examiners Committee, the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology board, the State Fire Marshal Commission, the State Board of Health, the State Board of Licensed Social Workers, the Forensic Review Board, the Oklahoma State Credit Union, the Health Care Workforce Training Commission, the Alarm, Locksmith, and Fire Sprinkler Industry Committee, and the Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors. No debate or opposition was recorded on the nominations, and the votes were overwhelmingly or unanimously in favor. After announcements, the Senate agreed to recess and then adjourned until Monday, May 4 at 1:30 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that's what she claimed we had in the emergency Fund, something like that.

Bills: HB1168

Keywords: abortion, abortion-inducing drugs, medication abortion, mifepristone, misoprostol, methotrexate, pro-life, pro-choice, reproductive health, unborn child, trafficking, felony, contraception, pharmacist, pharmacy, Title 63, Oklahoma statutes, abortion pill, drug distribution, criminal penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• drug to cause the unlawful abortion and who knowingly intentionally delivers an abortion-induced Inducing
• be guilty of abortion has to do with the actual definition of abortion.
• To the medical definition of an abortion is a miscarriage, which is a spontaneous abortion.
• Abortion rates.
• Had an abortion or how they had paid for another woman to have an abortion, and I think during that lunch

Bills: HB1168

Keywords: abortion, abortion-inducing drugs, medication abortion, mifepristone, misoprostol, methotrexate, pro-life, pro-choice, reproductive health, unborn child, trafficking, felony, contraception, pharmacist, pharmacy, Title 63, Oklahoma statutes, abortion pill, drug distribution, criminal penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, we have a law that prevents taxpayer funds from paying for abortions, the Heartbeat Act.
• Let's close this loophole and put a stop to taxpayer-funded abortion travel expenses. 33 prevents governmental
• entities from entering into taxpayer-funded transactions with abortion providers, their affiliates,
• I want to thank Senator Donna Campbell for SB 33 and to stop abortion funding, abortion travel funding
• So the money, the abortion fund organizations came quickly asking for money.

Bills: SB 31, SB 33, SB 510, SB 871, SB 1868, SB 2024, SB 2166, SB 2309, SB 2880, SJR 27, SJR 39, SJR 40

Keywords: SB 31, Life of the Mother Act, Texas abortion law, medical emergency, reasonable medical judgment, pregnancy complications, maternal health, life-threatening condition, ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, miscarriage, unborn child, abortion exception, abortion ban, physician liability, health care liability claim, aiding and abetting, Texas Medical Board, State Bar of Texas, continuing medical education

Transcript Highlights:

• They generally have an onus to reinvest in community health due to their subsidies and grant funding.
• and what it does not do for those that are not in the patient compensation fund.
• and what it does not do for those that are not in the patient compensation fund?
• that are not in the patient compensation fund?
• And we have patients that need access to justice.

Bills: HB99, HB49, HB164, SB30, SB43, SB50, SB136

Keywords: medical malpractice, malpractice reform, patient's compensation fund, PCF, health care liability, tort reform, damage caps, punitive damages, hospital liability, physician liability, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, outpatient facility, ambulatory surgical center, urgent care, free-standing emergency room, insurance surcharge, superintendent of insurance, New Mexico hospitals, medical review process

Transcript Highlights:

• It states in paragraph A, each induced abortion... that requires reports of induced abortions, just for
• Abortion reporting often enables the targeting of people accessing reproductive care as well as providers
• Medically unnecessary state surveillance of abortion care communicates that abortion care is somehow
• In 2023... ...abortions. In 2023, there were 21,000 abortions performed here. We had 18,000 births.
• Why is this specific to abortion then? So, Mr.

Bills: HB99, HB49, HB164, SB30, SB43, SB50, SB136

Keywords: medical malpractice, malpractice reform, patient's compensation fund, PCF, health care liability, tort reform, damage caps, punitive damages, hospital liability, physician liability, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, outpatient facility, ambulatory surgical center, urgent care, free-standing emergency room, insurance surcharge, superintendent of insurance, New Mexico hospitals, medical review process

Summary: Senate Judiciary began by announcing that Senate Bill 136 would be rolled over because the sponsor was unavailable. The chair then addressed criticism from the floor over how a prior bill had been handled, defending the committee’s practice of using committee substitutes and amendments without waiting for a new version from council, and emphasizing his authority to set hard stops and limit debate when he believes discussion is repetitive or dilatory. Several members responded, with some supporting the chair’s approach and others arguing that contentious bills deserve more time and fuller committee vetting. The committee then heard Senate Bill 30, which would repeal New Mexico’s requirement that induced abortions be reported to the state registrar. The sponsors argued the reporting law is outdated, unnecessary for public health, and potentially dangerous because provider information can be disclosed under broader vital statistics statutes; supporters from the ACLU, League of Women Voters, Bold Futures, and NOW echoed privacy and safety concerns. Opponents argued the reporting requirement provides transparency and public health data. After debate, the committee approved SB 30 on a roll call vote. Next, the committee heard Senate Bill 43, a bipartisan measure to modernize the Adult Parole Board statute after a prior veto. The bill would update parole factors for life-sentenced inmates, authorize per diem and closed hearings, and prevent parole hearings from being scheduled on victims’ birth or death dates. It received support from corrections officials and victims’ advocates, and the committee passed it without objection. The final major item was Senate Bill 50, which would remove several statutory in-service training mandates for law enforcement and give the Standards and Training Council more flexibility to set curriculum. Supporters said the current requirements are outdated and too rigid; opponents warned the bill could weaken recurring training in domestic violence, sexual assault, crisis intervention, and other high-risk areas. A motion to table failed, and the committee ultimately passed SB 50 on a roll call vote, despite divided member views.

Transcript Highlights:

• They generally have an onus to reinvest in community health due to their subsidies and grant funding.
• They generally have an onus to reinvest in community health due to their subsidies and grant funding
• and what it does not do for those that are not in the patient compensation fund?
• So anyone who is injured through a medical malpractice claim has access to care throughout their life
• We have patients that need access to justice.

Bills: HB99, HB49, HB164, SB30, SB43, SB50, SB136

Keywords: medical malpractice, malpractice reform, patient's compensation fund, PCF, health care liability, tort reform, damage caps, punitive damages, hospital liability, physician liability, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, outpatient facility, ambulatory surgical center, urgent care, free-standing emergency room, insurance surcharge, superintendent of insurance, New Mexico hospitals, medical review process

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 99, which would make changes to the Medical Malpractice Act, especially around punitive damages. The chair and sponsor said the bill would not be voted on that day and that public comment would wait until Monday, when a fuller presentation and any recommended substitute would be considered. Dr. Brooke Baker, a physician-lawyer, gave a long presentation on physician wellness, malpractice stress, and the effect of litigation on staffing and burnout, while also discussing hospital ownership structures, private equity, and rural hospital vulnerability. She argued that punitive damages are often pled too broadly in New Mexico, that the amendment language was unclear about which entities would be capped, and that better oversight and internal quality systems—not punitive damages—are the better tools for addressing bad actors and unsafe care. Committee members from both sides asked extensive questions about the patient compensation fund, indemnification, corporate structures, the effect of caps on insurance and recruitment, and whether the bill would protect physicians’ personal assets. No vote was taken on HB 99, and the committee recessed before moving to the next bill. The committee then returned to House Bill 49, a public safety measure increasing penalties for felons who possess firearms. The sponsors and law enforcement witnesses said the bill is aimed narrowly at serious violent felons who are already prohibited from having guns, and that it would align state sentencing with federal law and give police and prosecutors a stronger tool against repeat violent offenders. An amendment was offered to narrow the bill further, add destructive devices, and make the offense a second-degree felony rather than escalating to first degree on repeat offenses. The amendment was adopted without opposition. Public testimony on HB 49 was largely opposed. The Law Office of the Public Defender argued the bill criminalizes possession without a new act of violence, that current law already punishes felon-in-possession conduct, and that New Mexico has repeatedly increased penalties without evidence of reduced gun crime. The ACLU of New Mexico also opposed the bill, saying increased penalties are not a proven deterrent. The transcript cuts off as additional online opposition testimony was beginning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Would surrounding counties be able to access this, or any county, be able to access this program?
• As a doctor, he wants people to have access to drugs that work, and he wants them to have access to them
• These funds can support secure data exchange, EHR adoption, and digital access for patients, tools that
• Right, because the fund was there.
• funds.

Bills: HB216

Keywords: HB216, Texas abortion law, abortion-inducing drug, medication abortion, mifepristone, misoprostol, telemedicine, in-person exam, physician presence, out-of-state physician, reproductive healthcare, abortion regulation, Health and Safety Code, Occupations Code, consultation services, remote prescribing, pro-life, pro-choice

Summary: The Committee on Public Health met with a quorum and heard public testimony on a long agenda, with members repeatedly reminded of a two-minute limit for witnesses. Several bills were voted out favorably, including HB 2588 on cottage food, HB 1639 on cancer incidence and female firefighters, HB 2581 on a reporting form for contracted services for pregnant women, and SB 922 on electronic disclosure of certain sensitive medical information. Those measures generally passed on party-line or near-unanimous votes, while HB 216 on itemized medical statements was left pending after the committee substitute was withdrawn. The committee also left pending HB 5141, HB 4638, HB 2035, HB 4813, HB 2264, HB 4014, and HB 3829 after hearing testimony and questions. The final item introduced in the excerpt was HB 4408 on health care market transparency and corporate consolidation, but the discussion was cut off before testimony or action was completed. A major theme of the hearing was mental health diversion and access to treatment. HB 5141, by Rep. Howard, would allow Travis County to use vacated Austin State Hospital property for a local mental health jail diversion center; law enforcement, the Travis County sheriff, county judge, and urban counties group all testified in support, describing the lack of alternatives for people in crisis and the burden on jails and emergency rooms. Members asked about eligible offenses, bed capacity, and whether the facility would serve only Travis County, and the bill was left pending. HB 2264, by Rep. Schoolcraft, would create a friends-and-family form for loved ones to provide information to providers during emergency mental health treatment; NAMI and hospital groups supported it, while one neutral witness and several members raised concerns about patient control, credibility of information, and liability protections. The bill was also left pending. The committee also heard multiple psychedelic-therapy and drug-policy bills. HB 4813 would speed Texas rescheduling of Schedule I substances if the FDA reclassifies them, with testimony focused on psilocybin and MDMA and their potential use for PTSD and depression; members questioned whether the bill was too broad and how state rescheduling works, and it was left pending. HB 4014 would direct HHSC to study psychedelic therapies, building on prior state research, and witnesses said Texas should prepare regulatory and clinical infrastructure before FDA approval; it too was left pending. HB 2035 would require parents to be informed that they may seek substance-use treatment for a child even if one facility turns them away, prompted by a constituent’s account of a fatal fentanyl overdose after receiving incorrect advice; it was left pending. HB 4638 would extend and expand the Texas Pharmaceutical Initiative board and timeline, with the author saying the program is still in early implementation and needs more time, and it was left pending as well. Other bills addressed public health administration and animal welfare. HB 3829 would require a study of the animal-friendly account and its grant process for spay/neuter funding, with the author arguing that the current application and reimbursement process is too burdensome for shelters and nonprofits; no opposition was heard and the bill was left pending. HB 2581 and HB 1639 were reported favorably, while HB 216 drew discussion about enforcement of itemized medical billing and was held after the committee substitute was withdrawn. Throughout the hearing, members also discussed broader concerns about homelessness, competency restoration waitlists, jail overcrowding, and the need for more treatment options outside the criminal justice system.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we can't fund programs that we want to fund. We have a cap that isn't working.
• Access and cost. And here, because of cost, we're going to take away access. Mr.
• Let's move that money to the front of the problem, fund more scanners, fund more trained canines who
• Then you take about $750 million from our state's emergency fund, the rainy day fund.
• Then you take about $750 million from our state's emergency fund, the rainy day fund.

Bills: SB6061, SB6234, SB6170, SB6176, SB6182, SB6335, SB5647, SB6047, HB2367, HB2606, SB5998, SB6005, SB6003, SB6129, SB6225, SB6228, SB6231

Keywords: tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, sewage, grinder pumps, residential buildings, regulation, construction, contracting rules, state highway construction, procurement limits, state regulations, infrastructure funding, vehicle registration, enforcement, renewal, transportation, state law

Summary: The Senate met on February 23, 2026, opened with the usual roll call, pledge, prayer, and approval of the previous journal. Members then adopted Senate Resolution 8698 recognizing piano teachers, with several senators sharing personal remarks about their own teachers and the role of music education in families and communities. Guests from the Washington State Music Teachers Association and the National Guild of Piano Teachers were recognized in the gallery. The chamber then moved into budget debate, considering a series of amendments to the operating budget. Several proposals focused on housing costs, local planning, utility rates, and state spending restraint. Amendment 0772, which would have created a housing-related task force and increased funding, was rejected after debate over housing affordability and regulatory costs. Amendment 0785, restoring growth management planning funding for local governments, was also rejected. Amendment 0791, directing the Department of Commerce to study the effects of climate and clean energy laws on utility costs, and Amendment 0769, related to grid capacity and clean energy investments, were both adopted. Other amendments drew sharper partisan debate. Amendment 0798, which would have reduced the Supreme Court from nine justices to five and redirected savings to public defense, failed. Amendments 0794 and 0795, seeking funding for ballot measure costs tied to initiatives, also failed. Amendment 0799, intended to redirect Pacific Tower lease savings to developmental disability services, was rejected after discussion of the building’s current public uses. Amendment 0773, capping state spending growth and tying it to median wage growth, failed on a roll call vote, while Amendment 0777, addressing concurrent use of paid family and medical leave and sick leave by state employees, also failed after extended debate. Later, Amendment 0776 on tort liability reporting was adopted, as were Amendment 0758 creating a DSHS work group on community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and Amendment 0786 was introduced to reduce cash and food assistance work-related funding, with debate beginning before the transcript ends.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we can't fund programs that we want to fund. We have a cap that isn't working.
• Access and cost. And here, because of cost, we're going to take away access. Mr.
• Let's move that money to the front of the problem, fund more scanners, fund more trained canines who
• They've lost access to food benefits. They are about to lose access to long-term care services.
• Then you take about $750 million from our state's emergency fund, the rainy day fund.

Bills: SB6061, SB6234, SB6170, SB6176, SB6182, SB6335, SB5647, SB6047, HB2367, HB2606, SB5998, SB6005, SB6003, SB6129, SB6225, SB6228, SB6231

Keywords: tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, sewage, grinder pumps, residential buildings, regulation, construction, contracting rules, state highway construction, procurement limits, state regulations, infrastructure funding, vehicle registration, enforcement, renewal, transportation, state law

Summary: The Senate convened with roll call, prayer, and approval of the previous day’s journal, then moved to a resolution honoring piano teachers. Senate Resolution 8698 was adopted after remarks from Senator Conway and others describing the role of piano teachers in music education, family life, and community service. Members of the Washington State Music Teachers Association and the National Guild of Piano Teachers were recognized in the gallery. The chamber then took up the operating budget and considered a long series of amendments. Several amendments focused on housing costs and local planning, utility and energy policy, ballot measure costs, state spending growth, tort liability, and paid family and medical leave. Some amendments were adopted, including a study of utility cost impacts from climate laws, a grid-related funding amendment, a tort liability oversight/reporting amendment, and a workgroup on services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Others were rejected, including proposals to create a housing task force, cap state spending growth, fund ballot initiative costs, restore local planning grants, and change paid family and medical leave usage rules. Debate on the budget amendments was often partisan and detailed, with supporters arguing for fiscal restraint, cost transparency, and relief for taxpayers and local governments, while opponents emphasized existing work, program solvency, and the need to preserve services. The Senate also heard amendments on zero-based budgeting, federal education tax credit opt-in language, reproductive health funding, food assistance work requirements, and support for the Pediatric Interim Care Center; some were defeated and some were adopted. Roll-call votes were taken on certain amendments, and the transcript ends during consideration of Amendment 0787, which would restore funding for the Pediatric Interim Care Center.

Transcript Highlights:

• decision... ...or it's a funding rescission that's then overturned in 24 to 48 hours.
• It changes the definition of eligible organization to mean an abortion provider or abortion fund that
• We have Senate Bill 6182, establishing an abortion savings program, before us.
• We have Senate Bill 6182, establishing an abortion savings program before us.
• be used for abortion care in Washington State as they are required by federal law.

Bills: SB5899, SB6292, SB6094, SB6182, SB5947, SJR8206, SB5933, SB6138, SB5823, SB6210, SB5921, SB6226, SB6159, SB5924, SGA9291, SGA9307

Keywords: chiropractic, animal care, veterinary medicine, license endorsement, nonhuman animals, health care, financing, legislative committee, joint committee, policy management, pediatric care, transitional services, healthcare, licensing, children's health, abortion, reproductive health, pregnancy termination, clinic access, abortion access fund

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee began with confirmation hearings for Ryan Moran, nominated to lead the Washington State Health Care Authority, and Dennis Worsham, nominated as Secretary of Health. Both nominees gave extensive opening statements about their backgrounds, priorities, and commitment to improving access, equity, public health, and agency operations amid federal policy changes. Senators asked about Washington’s health care system, social determinants of health, behavioral health, communication and public trust, and how each nominee would respond to federal disruptions such as HR1 and CDC changes. At the close of the hearings, the committee voted to recommend both appointments for confirmation. The committee then moved through executive session on a series of bills. It advanced measures including a chiropractic animal care endorsement bill, a joint legislative-executive health care financing committee bill, a pediatric transitional care facilities bill, an abortion savings program bill, a Washington Health Care Board bill, a constitutional amendment establishing a right to affordable health care, and an overdose mapping information bill. The abortion savings program bill drew the most debate, with several proposed amendments offered by Senator Christian; most were rejected, one amendment was withdrawn, and one amendment clarifying funding for contracted providers was adopted before the bill was sent forward. The committee also approved the gubernatorial appointments of Moran and Worsham in executive session. In the second group of bills, the committee advanced a patient advocate bill, a health plan certification process bill, a psilocybin bill, an audiologist clinical autonomy bill, and a pharmacist prescriptive authority bill. The pharmacist bill prompted comments about access, affordability, rural workforce shortages, and the role pharmacists already play in care delivery. All measures considered in executive session received do-pass recommendations or confirmation recommendations and were reported out of committee, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• A dedicated veterans treatment court fund, funded by legislative appropriations, will provide grants
• On the use of public dollars for biased care, House Bill 2229 directs general fund dollars to anti-abortion
• Our focus needs to be on funding alternatives to abortion, promoting life-affirming resources and options
• And I think the big question is: is this designed to replace abortion access? It does not.
• My children have because it's so accessible, and they do not promote abortion.

Bills: HB2211, HB2229, HB2389, HB2403, HB2445, HB2502, HB2620, HB2813, HB2872, HB2889, HB2960, HB4028, HCR2007

Keywords: contractors, subcontractors, resident preference, public contracts, materials supply, Arizona Revised Statutes, local businesses, pregnancy resource center, pregnancy center, crisis pregnancy center, DHS, Arizona Department of Health Services, state appropriation, general fund, nonprofit grant, women's health, maternal health, reproductive health, abortion funding, pro-life

Transcript Highlights:

• hotline system and clarifies oversight and coordinates the improved service delivery, addresses gaps in access
• , and builds a platform for better funding and emergency responsiveness to all Oklahomans.

Bills: SB169, SB201, SB1290, SB1377, SB1991, SB2060

Keywords: longevity pay, state employees, Oklahoma government, salary increase, emergency declaration, minimum salary, education funding, teacher compensation, Oklahoma education, salary schedule, 2-1-1 services, revolving fund, Department of Human Services, crisis pregnancy, abortion, legal funding, foster care, duffel bags, personal belongings, children's welfare

Summary: The committee took up several Senate bills and adopted multiple amendments, including a contested amendment process on Senate Bill 201. An objection was raised that an amendment had not been filed by the prior-day deadline under Rule 76C, but the chair ruled the objection not well taken, citing the chair’s authority to waive the timing requirement. The amendment to the amendment, offered by Speaker Hilbert, deleted Section 2 of the bill, removing statutory language that tied the teacher-pay measure to House Bill 3705 and the broader budget agreement. Members discussed that the underlying agreement still linked the measures politically, including a $25 million increase to the Parental Choice Tax Credit and a $2,000 increase to the minimum salary schedule for teachers. After clarification that the bill applied to certified personnel except for positions listed in the amendment, SB 201 passed the committee 29-0. The committee then approved Senate Bill 1290, which strengthens the 211 hotline system by clarifying oversight, improving coordination and service delivery, addressing access gaps, and supporting better funding and emergency responsiveness. Senate Bill 169 also passed after amendment; it increases longevity pay for state employees by 50% for designated years of service beginning in fiscal year 2027. Senate Bill 1377, which requires DHS to provide duffel bags to children in foster care as part of the budget, passed after members asked whether the bags would remain the child’s property and whether the bags would be standardized; the sponsor said the bags would belong to the child but did not know the procurement details. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 1991, described as an OMES/Oklahoma cleanup bill that consolidates existing functionality and revenues under a common umbrella without changing the substantive sources or purposes of the funds. After a question confirming it was only a cleanup measure, the bill passed 29-0. Senate Bill 2060 was laid over until the next day, and the meeting adjourned.