Transcript Highlights:

• It helps ensure that produce reaches the communities who need it the most.
• This bill fresh, locally grown food.
• It helps ensure that pro fresh economy.
• It helps ensure that pro fresh produce<00:27:33.760><c> reaches</c><00:27:34.240><c> the</c><00:27:34.559
• </c><00:54:05.359><c> Appropriates</c> producers in the state. Appropriates producers in the state.

Bills: HB1952 , HB1951 , HB1929 , HB2497 , HB2208 , HB2572 , HB1737 , HB1953 , HB2551 , HB2549

Committees: House Agriculture & Food Systems , House Agriculture and Environment

Keywords: HB1952, Hawaii agriculture, University of Hawaii, CTAHR, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, Kauai, agricultural research station, extension station, capital improvements, general obligation bonds, GO bonds, appropriation, ADA compliance, Americans with Disabilities Act, certified kitchen, greenhouse, laboratory, field research, cesspool decommissioning, invasive species

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to keep them working for the community, and we need to keep them producing products that are
• They learned that early in the 1900s Hadley produced 80% of the state's asparagus supply, proudly earning
• While there are other states that produce more asparagus in quantity, we like to think Massachusetts

Bills: H5088 , H5315 , H5335 , S3061 , S3073

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight

Keywords: asparagus, official vegetable, state symbol, Massachusetts, Veterans Memorial Rink, Waltham, municipal lease, capital management, city right of first refusal, American lobster, cultural significance, marine life, property, Lowell, state administration, legislation, local government, official state vegetable, state designation, Commonwealth

Transcript Highlights:

• greens, the better produce.
• greens, the better produce.
• Produce is a Apples, you know, the fresh greens, the better produce. And that's a big deal.
• And so I think kids, and what I've seen my kids at least, kind of resonate to that fresh produce and
• But these individual places kind of promote that fresh produce.

Bills: HCR65 , HB512 , HB1194 , SCR23 , SB502

Committees: House Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development , House Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture & Rural Development

Keywords: crawfish, agricultural labor, H-2A program, seasonal workforce, Louisiana economy, Healthy Food Retail Act, food access, food deserts, economic opportunity, public health, Louisiana agriculture, community development, fresh food, agriculture, national security, food production, supply chain, security task force, farm labor, Chinese investments

Bills: SSB1012 , SSB1016 , SF56 , SF57 , HSB87 , HSB121 , HSB122 , HF123 , HF124 , HF137 , HF146 , HF147 , HSB9 , HSB85 , HSB1 , HF2 , HF34

Committee: Joint Health and Human Services

Keywords: food assistance, nutrition program, fresh produce, farmers markets, Iowa healthiest state initiative, healthcare, prior authorization, health benefit plans, utilization review, administrative costs, right to try, experimental treatment, investigational drug, biological product, medical device, terminal illness, life-threatening illness, severely debilitating illness, compassionate use, expanded access

Transcript Highlights:

• Thorium fuel produces both more energy and less radioactive waste than uranium.
• Participants receive an additional dollar spent on Arizona-grown produce.
• Participant receive an additional dollar spent on Arizona grown produce.
• These programs treat type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity with produce.
• These programs treat type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity with produce.

Bills: HB2056 , HB2202 , HB2207 , HB2224 , HB2303 , HB2344 , HB2532 , HB2759 , HB2798

Committees: House Appropriations , House House Appropriations Committee of Reference

Keywords: brackish water, groundwater, desalination, water resources, feasibility study, environmental impact, dementia care, telementoring, healthcare education, rural communities, grant funding, braille, disability access, education funding, state corrections, inclusion, produce incentive, agriculture, economic support, funding

Transcript Highlights:

• Perique cigarettes, black and gray, is produced here in St.
• produce from local farmers available to communities that may lack those resources.
• isn't as fresh.
• And also, like I said, local farmers can be able to have better produce.
• I said local farmers can be able to have better produce. I know USDA has had a program.

Bills: HCR77 , HB81 , HB512 , HB663 , HB717 , HB1194

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development

Keywords: crawfish, agricultural labor, H-2B program, H-2A program, labor shortage, temporary workers, Louisiana economy, HCR77, crawfish industry, H-2B visa, seasonal labor, agriculture, immigration, arborist, property disputes, tree trimming, neighborhood, landowner rights, Delta Economic Research and Sustainability District, board of commissioners

Transcript Highlights:

• They can put more produce into their shopping carts. It's a win for our local economies.
• The nutrition assistance produce incentive program, and then DES allocates that money, and so Double
• For 12 years, our fleet of mobile produce markets has brought fresh, affordable food directly to people
• It can't produce sexual content or sexual suggestions for minors.
• But we have seen significant housing and support services being produced from that fund.

Bills: HB2056 , HB2057 , HB2224 , HB2257 , HB2265 , HB2311 , HB2352 , HB2367 , HB2369 , HB2446 , HB2532 , HB2592 , HB2752 , HB2809 , HB2957

Committee: Senate Appropriations, Transportation and Technology

Keywords: brackish water, groundwater, desalination, water resources, feasibility study, environmental impact, special plates, centennial, Arizona Department of Transportation, vehicle registration, commercial discounts, Arizona Centennial, produce incentive, agriculture, economic support, funding, Arizona, boating, watercraft licensing, law enforcement

Transcript Highlights:

• Plaquemines has produced severance taxes to the State General Fund and an enormous amount dating back

Bills: HB198 , HB325 , HB488 , HB719 , HB749 , HB755 , HB797 , HB823 , HB1028 , HB1194 , HB1222

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: TOPS-Tech, scholarship, education, eligibility, college credit, dual enrollment, state funding, HB 488, Belle Chasse Bridge, Belle Chasse Bridge Merit-Based Special Fund, Plaquemines Parish, severance tax, state general fund, special fund, transportation funding, DOTD, Department of Transportation and Development, public-private partnership, P3 contract, toll reduction

Bills: HB2013 , HB2292 , HB2334 , HB2349 , HB2350 , HB2845 , HCM2011

Committees: House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs , House House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee of Reference

Keywords: air pollution, wildfires, environmental standards, public health, Arizona Revised Statutes, wildfire, wildfire mitigation, wildfire prevention, forest fire, brush removal, defensible space, community hardening, vegetation management, fire-resistant construction, wildland urban interface, WUI, insurance premium tax, property insurance, homeowners insurance, commercial property insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• All of those investments produce long-term gains for the state.
• And our platforms are already producing those parental controls to be able to give a full suite of control

Bills: HB2128 , HB2255 , HB2397 , HB2429 , HB2591 , HB2680 , HB2834 , HB2868 , HB2911 , HB2951 , HB2979 , HB2991 , HB2996 , HB2999 , HB4001 , HB4011 , HB4017 , HB4020 , HB4026 , HB4086 , HB4088 , HB2244 , HB2342

Committees: House Commerce , House House Commerce Committee of Reference

Keywords: homeowners associations, condominiums, open meetings, governance, transparency, Arizona Teachers Academy, teacher preparation, education funding, public schools, scholarships, teacher certification, community colleges, vacation rentals, short-term rentals, state preemption, local government regulation, occupancy limits, civil penalties, apprenticeships, job training

Bills: SB903 , SB2101 , SB2550 , SB2983 , HB2433 , SCR8 , SCR20 , SCR28 , SCR32 , SCR40 , SCR48 , SCR55 , SCR57 , SCR69 , SCR74 , SCR83 , SCR87 , SCR94 , SCR99 , SCR114 , SCR139 , SCR160 , SCR165 , SCR177 , SCR178 , SCR179 , SCR41 , SCR78 , SCR90 , SCR130 , SCR159 , SCR162 , SCR173 , SB2024 , SB2075 , SB2730 , HB2581 , SB2050 , SB2471 , SB2466 , HB1163 , HB1514 , SB3082 , SB2135 , SB2727 , SB3097 , HB1696 , HB2021 , SR20 , SCR110

Keywords: public land trust, Hawaiian affairs, OHA, ceded lands, financial reporting, income settlement, trust responsibility, organic waste, solid waste, waste diversion, composting, bioconversion, recycling, food waste, green waste, food-soiled paper, wood waste, landfill diversion, waste reduction, waste management

Transcript Highlights:

• The current system is not producing the outcomes we desire.

Bills: HB1952 , HB1951 , HB1929 , HB2497 , HB2208 , HB2572 , HB1953 , HB2551 , HB2549 , HB1737 , HB1628 , HB1769 , HB2493 , HB2264 , HB1997 , HB2168 , HB2427 , HB1805 , HB2180 , HB2184 , HB2219 , HB2469 , HB2233 , HB2519 , HB2141 , HB1904 , HB2201 , HB2410 , HB2007 , HB2385 , HB2444 , HB2349 , HB2235 , HB1872 , HB2416 , HB2291 , HB2292 , HB2263 , HB2359 , HB2455 , HB1509 , HB1514 , HB1515 , HB1648 , HB2164 , HB2323 , HB1825 , HB2172 , HB1888 , HB2005 , HB2387 , HB2358 , HB2119 , HB2276 , HB2472 , HB1714 , HB2325 , HB1541 , HB1960 , HB2140 , HB2315 , HB2367 , HB2388 , HB1696 , HB2333 , HB2138 , HB2332 , HB2283 , HB2059 , HB2057 , HB2589 , HB2417 , HB2337 , HB1588 , HB2217 , HB2020 , HB1915 , HB1742 , HB2026 , HB1965 , HB1546 , HB2360 , HB1563 , HB1749 , HB2614 , HB1511 , HB1753 , HB1849 , HB1641 , HB2161 , HB2194 , HB1721 , HB2284 , HB2188 , HB1897 , HB1880 , HB1573 , HB1876 , HB20 , HB2137

Keywords: HB1952, Hawaii agriculture, University of Hawaii, CTAHR, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, Kauai, agricultural research station, extension station, capital improvements, general obligation bonds, GO bonds, appropriation, ADA compliance, Americans with Disabilities Act, certified kitchen, greenhouse, laboratory, field research, cesspool decommissioning, invasive species

Bills: HB389 , HB1166 , HB1510 , HB1541 , HB1605 , HB1661 , HB1663 , HB1678 , HB1769 , HB1785 , HB1801 , HB1802 , HB1815 , HB1824 , HB1838 , HB1840 , HB1853 , HB1860 , HB1891 , HB1952 , HB1960 , HB1969 , HB1970 , HB1972 , HB1976 , HB2050 , HB2094 , HB2104 , HB2158 , HB2165 , HB2171 , HB2208 , HB2246 , HB2271 , HB2300 , HB2310 , HB2315 , HB2319 , HB2338 , HB2339 , HB2343 , HB2443 , HB2498 , HB2551 , HB2599 , HB2606 , SB17 , SB83 , SB99 , SB148 , SB411 , SB709 , SB847 , SB874 , SB888 , SB1032 , SB1166 , SB2001 , SB2014 , SB2031 , SB2041 , SB2050 , SB2057 , SB2061 , SB2074 , SB2075 , SB2089 , SB2095 , SB2101 , SB2102 , SB2108 , SB2109 , SB2110 , SB2125 , SB2135 , SB2138 , SB2140 , SB2146 , SB2151 , SB2152 , SB2175 , SB2203 , SB2239 , SB2246 , SB2247 , SB2253 , SB2261 , SB2268 , SB2271 , SB2272 , SB2320 , SB2340 , SB2347 , SB2353 , SB2363 , SB2367 , SB2372 , SB2376 , SB2386

Keywords: HB389, uncrewed aircraft, drone, drones, UAS, unmanned aerial vehicle, misuse of uncrewed aircraft, criminal offense, felony enhancement, drone crime, public safety, police, deputy sheriff, fire department, intoxicated operation, registration number tampering, property damage, bodily injury, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package, Hawaii Revised Statutes

Bills: HB20 , HB276 , HB644 , HB812 , HB816 , HB916 , HB1131 , HB1247 , HB1518 , HB1525 , HB1537 , HB1541 , HB1546 , HB1553 , HB1562 , HB1565 , HB1566 , HB1576 , HB1577 , HB1591 , HB1605 , HB1612 , HB1613 , HB1614 , HB1618 , HB1620 , HB1650 , HB1656 , HB1658 , HB1661 , HB1664 , HB1668 , HB1676 , HB1707 , HB1711 , HB1713 , HB1715 , HB1718 , HB1727 , HB1749 , HB1756 , HB1774 , HB1776 , HB1801 , HB1802 , HB1805 , HB1813 , HB1815 , HB1831 , HB1838 , HB1853 , HB1854 , HB1859 , HB1863 , HB1871 , HB1872 , HB1918 , HB1920 , HB1952 , HB1965 , HB1966 , HB1967 , HB1969 , HB1972 , HB1973 , HB1974 , HB1975 , HB1980 , HB1985 , HB2005 , HB2023 , HB2031 , HB2033 , HB2062 , HB2113 , HB2114 , HB2116 , HB2138 , HB2139 , HB2156 , HB2158 , HB2159 , HB2171 , HB2208 , HB2268 , HB2270 , HB2272 , HB2273 , HB2276 , HB2289 , HB2310 , HB2315 , HB2335 , HB2338 , HB2339 , HB2340 , HB2343 , HB2361 , HB2384 , HB2387 , SB2338 , SB2431 , SB2438 , SB2593 , SB2907 , SB2671 , SB2321 , SB3084 , SB2401 , SB3033 , SB2972 , SB3032 , SB2806 , SB3014 , SB2108 , SB2981 , SB2973 , SB2423 , SB2078 , SB2322 , SB2397 , SB2896 , SB2088 , SB2347 , SB2408 , SB2970 , SB2851 , SB2713 , SB2697 , SB2312 , SB2192 , SB2363 , SB2530 , SB3028 , SB2024 , SB3007 , SB2599 , SB2596 , SB2662 , SB2930 , SB3334 , SB2378 , SB3019 , SB3231 , SB2240 , SB2372 , SB2175 , SB2046 , SB2298 , SB2922 , SB2835 , SB3263 , SB2174 , SB2128 , SB2006 , SB2489 , SB3134 , SB2982 , SB2425 , SB2849 , SB2797 , SB2795 , SB2575 , SB2521 , SB2765 , SB2386 , SB2852 , SB2022 , SB2117 , SB2277 , SB2387 , SB2688 , SB2885 , SB3132 , SB3219 , SB2169 , SB2591 , SB2090 , SB2983 , SB888 , SB3249 , SB2611 , SB2429 , SB2463 , SB3154 , SB3131 , SB3152 , SB3315 , SB2448 , SB2054 , SB2140 , SB2520 , SB2377 , SB2986 , SB2010 , SB2189 , SB2026 , SB3010 , SB2818 , SB2002

Keywords: lava insurance, homeowners, insurance market, subsidy, Hawaii, condominiums, annual report, filing fee, real estate, developer, residency, property regime, PFAS, single-use plastics, environmental health, food ware, pollution reduction, local produce, agriculture, Hawaii Revised Statutes

Transcript Highlights:

• Fresh produce is crucial for good nutrition, but we also know that it's one of the most expensive food
• </c> fresh food budgets at farmers markets. fresh food budgets at farmers markets.
• Fresh pro produce is crucial for round.
• Fresh pro produce is crucial for good<00:03:30.640><c> nutrition,</c><00:03:31.360><c> but</c><00:03:
• Please give the green light to Fresh Produce Bucks program. Thank you.

Summary: House File 1534, authored by Representative Keeler, was heard and amended with the A1 amendment, which was adopted without objection. The bill would move the Healthy Eating Here at Home/Market Bucks program from the Department of Humanities to the Department of Health and expand the nutrition incentive program from farmers markets to grocery stores, with the goal of helping SNAP recipients afford fresh fruits and vegetables year-round and leveraging federal matching funds. Representative Keeler said the proposal would better align food insecurity work with health outcomes and support both local consumers and local grocers. The Minnesota Grocers Association testified in support, describing the bill as an expansion of a successful program that would help low-income shoppers and provide added support to retailers, especially small businesses facing rising costs. A testifier, Tamara Walter, also supported the bill as a SNAP recipient and Market Bucks user, saying the program helps her family afford healthier food and that winter access to fresh produce is especially important because of diabetes and celiac disease in her household. There was no public testimony in opposition and no member discussion. The committee then laid the bill over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• But having this kind of infrastructure is the first step to being able to make fresh produce, fresh eggs
• It obviously introduces people to more fresh produce and really translates into healthier eating habits
• and the excess that we produce.
• up directly in producers' pockets in recognition of the climate-smart practices that they're producing
• So OK Produce is the produce distributor who sells to Mother's Nutritional Center.

Summary: The joint oversight hearing focused on food insecurity in California and how state and federal nutrition programs, agricultural production, and food distribution systems intersect. Assemblymembers emphasized that many Californians, including farmworkers, seniors, children, and communities of color, remain food insecure despite California’s agricultural abundance. Panelists and members discussed CalFresh, WIC, school meals, Sun Bucks, food banks, and the impact of federal policy changes, including possible nutrition cuts, tariffs, and immigration enforcement, on access to food and the agricultural workforce. Secretary Karen Ross described CDFA programs aimed at improving access to fresh food and supporting local agriculture, including the senior farmers’ market program, California Nutrition Incentive Program, Healthy Refrigeration Grant Program, Community Food Hubs, Farm to School, urban agriculture, and a proposed tribal food sovereignty program. She said these efforts help connect local producers to consumers, expand healthy food access, and build infrastructure such as refrigeration, mobile markets, and aggregation hubs. Department of Social Services Deputy Director Alexis Fernandez Garcia outlined CalFresh, CFAP, Sun Bucks, CACFP, emergency food programs, and tribal nutrition assistance, noting that CalFresh and related programs significantly reduce poverty and food insecurity, but participation gaps remain for non-English speakers, some Asian American communities, and undocumented households. PPIC researcher Tess Thorman presented data showing that 13% of California households experienced food insecurity in 2023, with higher rates among households with children and Latino, Black, and other households. She said nutrition programs reduce poverty and food hardship, but federal rules, income thresholds, immigration restrictions, and high living costs limit their reach. Members asked about simplifying applications, improving call center access, increasing outreach in multiple languages, and adjusting benefits for inflation. Officials said the state has used available federal options to streamline enrollment, improve customer service, and target outreach, but many core rules and benefit levels are set federally. The second panel shifted to food production and market access. A farmer, a UC food systems leader, and a produce distributor described efforts to connect small and medium farms with food banks, schools, universities, and Medi-Cal food-as-medicine programs. They highlighted programs such as Farms Together, the USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center, Farm to School, food hubs, and climate-smart infrastructure grants as ways to create stable markets for local growers while improving food access. Speakers also raised concerns about land tenure, consolidation, regulatory burdens, labor constraints, and the loss of federal funding, and members discussed whether state investments and Prop. 4 funds could help sustain and expand these efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• But having this kind of infrastructure is the first step to being able to make fresh produce, fresh eggs
• It obviously introduces people to more fresh produce and really translates into healthier eating habits
• , usually right from a farmers' market, produce to communities that might not be able to bring that fresh
• His organization operates bring that fresh usually right from a farmer's market produce to communities
• So OK Produce is the produce distributor who sells to Mother's Nutritional Center.

Summary: The joint oversight hearing of the Assembly Human Services and Agriculture Committees focused on food insecurity in California, with members and witnesses discussing the state’s nutrition safety net, food access barriers, and the connection between agriculture and hunger. Opening remarks emphasized that California’s high agricultural output contrasts with widespread food insecurity, especially among families with children, communities of color, farmworkers, and other low-wage workers. Members also raised concern about federal policy changes, including possible cuts to nutrition programs, immigration enforcement impacts on farm labor, tariffs, and the need to protect state and federal food assistance resources. Testimony from the Department of Food and Agriculture highlighted several state programs aimed at improving access to fresh food and supporting local producers, including the California Nutrition Incentive Program, senior farmers’ market nutrition, healthy refrigeration grants, community food hubs, farm-to-school, urban agriculture, and a new tribal food sovereignty effort. Officials said these programs help stretch CalFresh and WIC dollars, expand healthy options in corner stores and farmers’ markets, and build infrastructure such as refrigeration, mobile markets, and aggregation hubs. The Department of Social Services described CalFresh, CFAP, Sun Bucks, CACFP, TEFAP, CalFood, emergency food boxes, and tribal nutrition grants, noting that CalFresh participation has risen to about 81% of eligible Californians and that the state has taken steps such as simplified applications for older adults and outreach in multiple languages. Witnesses and members discussed the need to reduce administrative barriers, improve call center service, and keep benefits aligned with inflation. Research testimony from PPIC said 13% of California households experienced food insecurity in 2023, with higher rates among households with children and Latino, Black, and other households of color. The researcher said CalFresh, school meals, and WIC reduce both food insecurity and poverty, but federal rules, immigration-related eligibility limits, and California’s high cost of living constrain their reach. In the second panel, farmers, food hub operators, and food system advocates described how local procurement, food banks, and institutional markets can support both hungry households and small farms. Speakers pointed to pandemic-era programs such as USDA’s food box and local food purchasing efforts as models, while warning that short-term funding and market consolidation threaten long-term resilience. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the hearing; members used the session for oversight, questions, and discussion of possible budget and policy follow-up.

Transcript Highlights:

• It gives us access to fresh produce that our chefs then turn into scratch-cooked meals on a daily basis
• So we’re producing even less because the food is being eaten.
• I'm excited to hear about the work that's been done to provide fresh fruits in particular, but fresh
• produce, and it'll be better for them.
• Produce products that are produced almost nowhere else in the country. And so it's a balance.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Agriculture heard five bills and took up four consent items. AB 312 would shorten from six months to three months the time agricultural commissioners must hold proceeds from the sale of seized agricultural commodities before unclaimed funds go to the county general fund. The author said it is a narrow administrative change that preserves existing ownership and recovery protections; there was no opposition, and the bill advanced on a 5-0 vote. AB 1731 would create the California Healthy Food Procurement Fund Program to connect schools with California farmers and food businesses through an approved vendor system and procurement support, with a priority for climate-smart agricultural practices. Supporters included school nutrition, farm, environmental, and consumer groups, as well as a rural school district and a farm that described the bill as helping local markets and student access to fresh food. Senators raised questions about climate-smart eligibility and school budgets, but the bill was supported and passed 5-0 to Appropriations. AB 2380 would raise the maximum county fee used to support county agricultural commissioner operations, with a three-year phase-in. The author and the county commissioners’ association said the increase is needed because fees have not been updated in decades and the work is essential for pest control, pesticide enforcement, and public safety. The bill passed 4-0. The committee also heard AB 1603, as amended, which would require DPR to list PFOS pesticides in the pesticide use reporting database and share the information with county agricultural commissioners; the author and supporters described it as a transparency measure, while agricultural and industry groups said they would remove opposition once amendments were in print. It passed 4-1. The four consent items—AB 1711, AB 2326, AB 2685, and AB 2778—were also approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• regularly encountered by our families in accessing fresh, high-quality produce.
• Efforts to increase reliable access to fresh local produce is something the Yakama Nation and Yakima
• Their work enables organizations like mine to source the abundance of fresh produce that may not be perfect
• I have worked with large-scale producers. I've worked with small producers.
• Receiving fresh and beautiful produce provides us the ability to plan ahead and to be more proactive

Bills: HB2279 , HB2463 , HB1941 , HB2238

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: PFAS chemicals, agriculture, environmental impact, regulation, food safety, farmers, food security, Washington, support for farmers, cannabis, cooperatives, marijuana industry, HB 2238, HB2238, statewide food security, food security strategy, hunger, food insecurity, food access, food assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• regularly encountered by our families in accessing fresh, high-quality produce, and efforts to increase
• reliable access to fresh local produce is something the Yakama Nation and Yakima Nation Farms is very
• Their work enables organizations like mine the ability to source the abundance of fresh produce that
• I have worked with large-scale producers. I've worked with small producers.
• Receiving fresh and beautiful produce provides us the ability to plan ahead and to be more proactive

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee heard public testimony on House Bill 2279, which would require the Department of Agriculture to create a program and criteria to evaluate PFAS chemicals in fertilizers and pesticides. The prime sponsor argued PFAS are persistent “forever chemicals” that are entering soil, water, wildlife, and people, and said Washington should begin acting now rather than waiting for federal action. WSDA said the bill is implementable but would require rulemaking, ongoing staff resources, and likely a 12-month extension to complete stakeholder engagement; it also noted the bill should be clarified to address all pesticides, not just new ones. Agricultural and industry witnesses opposed the bill as duplicative of EPA review and warned it could reduce product availability and put Washington farmers at a competitive disadvantage, while environmental advocates supported it as a needed food-safety and environmental measure. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 2463, which would expand the Washington Commodity Donation Program and create a Farm to Food Pantry Program to help hunger-relief organizations buy Washington-grown food directly from farmers. The sponsor said the bill is part of a broader state response to reduced federal food-security support and is intended to keep families fed by strengthening local food purchasing. Testimony was largely supportive from food banks, food hubs, farmers, AARP, and hunger-relief groups, who said the programs help move surplus produce, dairy, protein, and other products to people in need while supporting local farms and reducing waste. Several witnesses, however, raised concerns about language limiting participation to organizations that “solely” function for food sourcing, saying it could exclude many existing regional organizations and reduce resilience; one tribal representative also requested an amendment to include tribally owned small-scale farms. No action was taken on HB 2463 during the hearing. After the hearings, the committee went into caucus and then held executive session only on House Bill 1941, which authorizes licensed cannabis producers to form agricultural associations for collective processing, handling, and marketing. Supporters said it would help smaller cannabis producers cooperate and prepare for possible federal changes, while opponents argued it was premature given marijuana’s federal status and too broad in scope. The committee approved HB 1941 on a 6-5 vote and reported it out of committee with a do-pass recommendation. House Bill 2238 was deferred to the following day for further review of amendments.