Transcript Highlights:

• against their cost of care.
• This amendment requires a 65% response per child care, per the seven child care regions.
• cost of care.
• This amendment requires a 65% response per child care, per the seven child care regions.
• This bill provides a pathway for that to expand care in care deserts. Asking for a yes.

Bills: HB2689, SB5420, SB5868, SB5877

Keywords: Working Connections Child Care, child care subsidy, subsidized child care, Washington DCYF, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, low-income families, child care providers, licensed child care centers, family child care, market rate survey, subsidy rates, income eligibility, state median income, SNAP, Basic Food, collective bargaining, provider reimbursement, daily payment, half-day care, partial-day care

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee held public hearings on Substitute Senate Bill 5828 and Substitute Senate Bill 5911, then later took executive action on several bills. SSB 5828 would restore and adjust Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship award formulas for private, not-for-profit four-year institutions, reversing part of last year’s reductions; staff said the bill would increase awards relative to the prior changes and carry a fiscal impact of about $3.3 million in FY 2027 and $18.6 million over four years, with the Senate budget fully funding it. Testimony was split: private college leaders, school counselors, students, and the Independent Colleges of Washington supported the bill as restoring promised aid and preserving student choice, while some student representatives from public institutions argued the state should first restore public higher education funding and that the bill favored private schools. The committee later adopted an amendment adding certain Washington-affiliated out-of-state institutions, and then deferred action on the bill from the first executive session run. SSB 5911 would stop DCYF from using benefits or funds belonging to youth in extended foster care to reimburse the state for care costs, require help for eligible youth to receive benefits directly, and allow protected accounts such as ABLE accounts. Staff said the bill would have a net fiscal impact of about $608,000 in FY 2027 and $2.2 million per biennium thereafter, with the Senate operating budget funding it. Testimony in support emphasized that youth with disabilities should receive SSI benefits they are entitled to and that the state should end the practice of withholding those funds. In the later executive session, the committee also heard an amendment specifying that any contracted entity managing representative payee accounts must be a regulated bank or bonded and insured nonprofit, with no expected fiscal change. In executive session, the committee advanced several other bills. It adopted an amendment to HB 2689 on child care that required a 65% provider response rate for market rate surveys, then reported the bill out with a do pass recommendation after debate over child care costs, rural access, and regulatory burdens. It also adopted amendments and reported out E2SSB 5395 on prior authorization, SSB 5420 on veteran benefits and preferences, and E2SSB 5496 on limits on corporate ownership of single-family homes. Additional amendment briefings covered bills on wrongful conviction compensation, workers’ compensation medical care, 340B drug pricing, residential development in commercial zones, clean fuel tax exemption reporting, homeless youth housing stability, and Health Benefit Exchange market criteria. Several bills, including the two heard that morning, were deferred from action in that executive session run.

Transcript Highlights:

• If a child is absent for 11 days or more, the provider will receive a half month of payment.
• managed care organizations.
• This process can take several days to over a week, and these avoidable days are very costly.
• He sees every day the needs in the community to keep care local.
• We get like 8.3% of the cost of our care for, it covers our care for Medicaid, for instance.

Bills: HB2689, SB5832, SB5922, SB5944, SB5988, SB6151

Keywords: Working Connections Child Care, child care subsidy, subsidized child care, Washington DCYF, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, low-income families, child care providers, licensed child care centers, family child care, market rate survey, subsidy rates, income eligibility, state median income, SNAP, Basic Food, collective bargaining, provider reimbursement, daily payment, half-day care, partial-day care

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee held a public hearing on a series of bills, beginning with House Bill 2689 on Working Connections Child Care. Staff explained that the proposed substitute would keep current income eligibility at 60% of state median income, cancel scheduled expansions to 75% and 85%, reduce provider reimbursement from the 85th to the 75th percentile of market rates beginning in 2027, eliminate enhanced regional rates, and replace attendance-based and prospective payment rules with a modified attendance policy. Testifiers from MomsRising praised removal of a proposed cap on the program but opposed the cuts to future eligibility and provider reimbursement; a representative of Puget Sound ESD warned the attendance-based payment changes would create budget problems for providers, including Head Start and E-CAP programs. The committee then heard Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5124 on Medicaid network adequacy for post-acute care, with staff describing standards for nursing homes and inpatient rehabilitation facilities and testimony from hospitals supporting the bill as a way to reduce discharge delays and reliance on single-case agreements. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5832 to raise the new motor vehicle arbitration fee from $3 to $6; the Attorney General’s Office and auto dealers supported the increase as necessary to sustain the Lemon Law arbitration program. The committee then heard Substitute Senate Bill 5862, which would provide a one-time 3% COLA for certain PERS and TRS Plan 1 retirees; retirees testified in strong support, while the Association of Washington Cities raised concerns about added costs for local employers. The committee next heard Senate Bill 5922, allowing school districts to transfer money from the Transportation Vehicle Fund to another fund if they reduce their fleet and receive OSPI approval; staff said the bill would add flexibility for districts and require only a small administrative cost. Substitute Senate Bill 5923 would allow Island Hospital on Fidalgo Island to qualify as a critical access hospital if federally certified, enabling cost-based reimbursement; Island Health leaders and community members testified that the hospital serves a rural, high-government-payer population and needs the designation to sustain services. Senate Bill 5944 would make missed or canceled appointment payments for language access providers a mandatory subject of bargaining and clarify that collective bargaining agreements prevail over agency policies but not statutes; WFSE supported the bill as ensuring interpreters at L&I can bargain on the same terms as other agency interpreters. Substitute Senate Bill 5972 would extend binding interest arbitration to correctional employees in city and county jails regardless of county population; labor representatives supported the change as a retention tool, while cities and counties opposed it, warning of higher costs and urging ability-to-pay protections if the bill moves forward. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5988, which would give the Department of Health statutory authority to continue accrediting opioid treatment programs and to charge accreditation fees; DOH said the bill would let it maintain a critical service and eventually cover costs through fees. Senate Bill 6151 would move Ecology fee revenue for landfill methane emissions and laboratory accreditation into dedicated accounts rather than the general fund; Ecology supported the change as improving transparency and ensuring fees are reinvested in the programs. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6194 would allow Astria Toppenish Hospital, a rural hospital on a federally recognized Indian reservation, to be paid at 150% of the fee-for-service Medicaid rate; hospital leaders and community members said the hospital serves a largely public-payer population and faces unsustainable losses, while lawmakers asked about why the hospital needed special treatment. Finally, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6302 would require L&I to investigate certain public works projects for possible misclassification of independent contractors performing finishing work, with referrals from public entities, contractors, labor organizations, or workers; labor and business representatives both supported the bill as a negotiated enforcement measure against the underground economy. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair announced amendment deadlines before adjourning the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• The current day-to-day operations.
• ><c> classroom</c> It doesn't reflect day-to-day classroom It doesn't reflect day-to-day classroom inevitabilities
• program's absent days limit, allowing a child care provider to apply for an exemption determined by
• program's absent days limit, allowing a child care provider to apply for an exemption determined by
• I don't care. I don't care.

Bills: HF4382, HF2929

Keywords: child care, day care, child care center, family child care, family day care, group family day care, licensed child care, licensing modernization, early childhood education, preschool, infant care, toddler care, school-age care, drop-in child care, night care, sick care, community-based child care, provider training, staff ratios, group size

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> important is cuz I care. important is cuz I care.
• More than half. That means fewer options, longer wait lists, and entire communities without care.
• </c> communities without care. communities without care.
• And costs go up, especially for infant care, where family child care is typically less than half the
• And costs go up, especially for infant care, where family child care is typically less than half the

Bills: HF4407, HF4382

Keywords: child welfare, African American children, racial disproportionality, family preservation, reunification, foster care, kinship care, relative placement, noncustodial parent, guardian ad litem, ombudsperson, Department of Human Services, county social services, active efforts, reasonable efforts, child protection, placement, out-of-home placement, Northstar kinship assistance, data disaggregation

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm lucky that I've got three sisters and a mother who were able to help care for my father until he
• It'll also help them direct families to make sure that they are able to help get the care and services
• And then finally, we have the child care block grant.
• </c><00:10:10.279><c> block</c> and then finally we have uh halfe block and then finally we have uh halfe
• <00:10:27.120><c> block</c><00:10:27.480><c> grant</c> care block grant care block grant okay<00:10:30.000

Keywords: Roll Call – 00:14 Discussion on HB 479 – 00:49 Vote on HB 479 – 09:03 Review of 921 KAR 001:400 Proposed – 09:50 Notice of Half-Year Block Grant Status Reports – 10:08, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, passed over House Bill 291, and took up House Bill 479, an act related to dementia training. Rep. Derek Lewis, joined by Rep. Adriel Camel and Mackenzie Wallace of the Alzheimer’s Association, explained that the bill would provide free dementia-specific training for Adult Protective Services workers and help them better recognize and respond to abuse, neglect, exploitation, and the needs of people with dementia. Testimony emphasized the personal impact of dementia on families, the difficulty of navigating diagnosis and care, and the need to connect families to services. A senator asked about the bill’s data and scope, and Wallace explained that the county-level figures reflected Adult Protective Services referrals and diagnosed cases of Alzheimer’s or other dementia among people 65 and older. She also noted broader public health efforts related to brain health and a federal grant effort tied to those issues. Several members spoke in support, including Sen. Denine, who described his father’s recent death after a difficult period with dementia and said the training would help families and workers identify and respond to the disease earlier. After discussion, Sen. Heron moved the bill, the motion was seconded, and the committee voted 6-0 to pass House Bill 479 with favorable expression. The chair said it should pass on the Senate floor. Afterward, the committee briefly reviewed administrative regulation 921 KAR 2:100 and found it reviewed with no questions. A child care block grant item was also presented for information only, with no questions raised. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fallon Day: "Chair, members, the DE1 subdivision one provides definitions of a child care center and
• Fallon Day: "Uh, subdivision two, the bill prohibits employees of child care centers from consenting
• Fallon Day: "Chair, members, the DE1 subdivision one provides definitions of a child care center and
• Fallon Day: "Uh, subdivision two, the bill prohibits employees of child care centers from consenting
• Fallon Day: "Chair, members, the DE1 subdivision one provides definitions of a child care center and

Bills: HF3415

Keywords: child care, day care, licensed child care center, license-exempt child care, immigration enforcement, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, CBP, USCIS, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, judicial warrant, facility access, sensitive locations, immigrant families, Minnesota Statutes chapter 142B, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> care facility. care facility.
• </c> 60 days late. 60 days late.
• care.
• care.
• care.

Bills: HF3901, HF962, HF4428, HF4478, HF1775

Keywords: foster care, ombudsperson, investigative powers, children's rights, complaint process, HF4428, Medical Assistance, Medicaid, community engagement, work requirement, work mandate, employment requirement, community service, 80 hours, half-time student, income threshold, federal minimum wage, eligibility verification, benefit suspension, benefit termination

Transcript Highlights:

• They must also have worked for the child care program for a minimum of 30 days.
• training required of new child care staff within the first 90 days of employment.
• They must also have worked for the child care program for a minimum of 30 days.
• care for eight and a half to 10 hours each day.
• care for eight and a half to 10 hours each day.

Bills: HF1247, HF628

Keywords: child care, aides, supervision, child care centers, staffing regulations, childcare, day care, licensed child care center, early childhood education, child care licensing, director qualifications, staff ratios, group size, staff-to-child ratio, substitutes, volunteers, assistant teacher, teacher qualifications, infant care, toddler age

Transcript Highlights:

• second thing that we did is that on the bottom of page three, number five, we were clear that the Child Care

Bills: HB1119

Keywords: child care, childcare, day care, daycare, early childhood education, child care licensing, provider licensing, child care regulations, administrative rules, Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, licensing advisory committee, child care providers, group child care, preschool programs, child to provider ratios, square footage requirements, staff training, certification requirements, child care funding

Summary: The Workforce Development Committee reconvened to consider House Bill 1119 with amendment version 02005. Senator Hogan explained that the amendment removed a section requiring the Department of Human Services to respond to legislative management, in order to make the bill feel more like a program evaluation than an audit and to avoid placing an unreasonable burden on the executive branch. The amendment also clarified that the Child Care Advisory Committee would provide an update and that the committee would dissolve after the rewrite of licensing standards, making it a time-limited body. Committee members discussed the bill as a novel approach to forming a group to study an issue and then disbanding after reporting back. Senator Larson noted the concept was similar to broader performance-review ideas, and Senator Hogan said the Legislative Council program evaluation effort was parallel to, but separate from, other performance-review proposals. The committee then voted 4-0-1 to adopt the amendment. Afterward, the committee moved to give House Bill 1119, as amended, a do pass recommendation. That motion also passed on a roll call vote, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• A round of applause for Otero County Day.
• One thing that is not lost on me is how hard these kids work, day in and day out, and how hard these
• Day in and day out, and how hard these educators work.
• serve with us one day, too.
• Speaker, for highlighting this in a 30-day session.

Bills: HM3, HM11, HM14, HM15, HM21

Keywords: nurses, health care workers, healthcare workers, frontline workers, hospital staff, clinicians, allied health professionals, support staff, public health, workforce shortage, nursing shortage, safe staffing, patient safety, rural health care, frontier communities, behavioral health, mental health, substance use disorder, substance abuse, health care memorial

Transcript Highlights:

• so that continuity of end of the day so that continuity of care<00:10:39.839><c> is</c><00:10:40.079
• and child care.
• and child care.
• three shifts a day use family child care models.
• , 365 days a year, and three shifts, and that many use family child care models because most centers

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:

• Brenda is a family care child care provider in my district, and she, along with other family child care
• On the days that he was at child care, I took care of my daughter and worked at the same time, which
• child care.
• With my son in kindergarten, we can only afford to have my daughter in child care three days a week.
• In the beginning of our committee hearings, we talked about reducing the cost of day care in Minnesota

Bills: HF1367, HF2732, HF1897, HF1424, HF1383, HF2728, HF2863, HF1685, HF2929

Keywords: child maltreatment, child abuse, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, labor trafficking, human trafficking, child protection, local welfare agency, county social services, Minnesota Department of Human Services, judicial review, district court appeal, venue, out-of-state abuse, cross-border investigation, Minnesota child welfare, family assessment, maltreatment determination

Transcript Highlights:

• My grandmother still cares for her two days a week.
• that he was at daughter on the days that he was at child<00:59:07.839><c> care</c><00:59:08.039><c>
• </c><00:59:08.880><c> daughter</c> child care I took care of my daughter child care I took care of my
• > my daughter in child care 3 days a week my daughter in child care 3 days a week my<00:59:27.960><c>
• cares for her 2 days<00:59:30.079><c> a</c><00:59:30.559><c> week</c><00:59:31.559><c> even</c><00:59

Bills: HF1367, HF2732, HF1897, HF1424, HF1383, HF2728, HF2863, HF1685, HF2929

Keywords: child maltreatment, child abuse, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, labor trafficking, human trafficking, child protection, local welfare agency, county social services, Minnesota Department of Human Services, judicial review, district court appeal, venue, out-of-state abuse, cross-border investigation, Minnesota child welfare, family assessment, maltreatment determination

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, today is White Coat Day. Mr. Speaker, today is White Coat Day.
• care.
• care.
• And for White Coat Day, I am grateful to our physicians, our caregivers, and health care providers.
• hours for care.

Bills: HM3, HM11, HM14, HM15, HM18, HM21, HB10, HB11, HB12, HB13, HB14, HB31, HB50

Keywords: nurses, health care workers, healthcare workers, frontline workers, hospital staff, clinicians, allied health professionals, support staff, public health, workforce shortage, nursing shortage, safe staffing, patient safety, rural health care, frontier communities, behavioral health, mental health, substance use disorder, substance abuse, health care memorial

Transcript Highlights:

• They all care about doing the job that they were elected to do.
• The campaign trail is the background check that the people should care about.
• Did they get their issue taken care of? Mr.
• I don’t care how virtuous the title of the bill is.
• Friday, March 6th, the 54th Legislative Day.

Bills: HB2720, HB2073, HB2487, SB5816, SB5919, SB5995, SB5831, SB6134, SB6136, SB6137, HB2689, SB5922, SB5944, SB5957, SB5988, SB5994, SB6011, SB6065, SB6103, SB6151, SB6244, SB5420, SB5868, SB6044, SB6132, SJM8002, HB2720, HB2073, HB2487, SB5816, SB5919, SB5831, SB6137, SB6244, SB5420, SB5868, SB6044, SB6132, SJM8002

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, insurance tax, state regulation, insurers, taxation, budget impact, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives

Summary: The House took up Second Substitute Senate Bill 5974, a bill modernizing and strengthening laws concerning sheriffs, police chiefs, town marshals, law enforcement volunteers, youth cadets, specially commissioned officers, and related matters. Debate centered on whether the bill improperly shifts authority away from elected sheriffs to appointed bodies, creates unfunded mandates for counties, and overreaches in regulating volunteers, youth cadets, and information handling. Supporters of the bill argued it standardizes qualifications and eligibility, improves accountability, and clarifies roles for local agencies; opponents repeatedly framed it as a threat to local control, voter authority, and constitutional protections for elected sheriffs. The House first rejected Amendment 2343, which would have added intent language emphasizing sheriffs as elected constitutional officers accountable directly to the electorate. Members supporting it argued the bill would effectively decertify sheriffs through unelected boards and undermine voter choice; opponents said the amendment omitted other countywide elected offices and misstated the bill’s effect. The roll call on 2343 was 41 yeas and 56 nays, so it was not adopted. The House then rejected Amendment 2373, which would have shifted the cost of background checks to the state through the Washington State Patrol; supporters called it a fix for an unfunded mandate, while opponents said current practice already places the cost on appointing agencies. That amendment also failed, 44 yeas to 53 nays. The House next rejected Amendment 2374, which would have exempted private security firm personnel working for local jurisdictions from the bill’s background-check requirements. Supporters said it would clarify overly broad language and reflect existing courthouse and school security practices; opponents said the bill already allows flexibility through specially commissioned officers and that the amendment was unnecessary. The vote was 41 yeas and 56 nays. Amendment 2369, aimed at clarifying rules for volunteers and youth cadets and preserving local training and liability structures, also failed on a 41-56 vote after debate over whether volunteers should be allowed to carry firearms or perform law-enforcement-like functions. Amendment 2371, which would have limited surveillance-related restrictions to situations requiring a warrant, was likewise defeated, 42 yeas to 55 nays. Amendment 2372, which would have limited information-sharing restrictions to non-public information, was also rejected, 41 yeas to 56 nays. Finally, Amendment 2370, which would have aligned the bill’s definition of volunteer law enforcement officers with existing state standards, was defeated 42 yeas to 55 nays. After these votes, the House moved to Amendment 2352, which would prevent the bill’s new decertification rules from applying to currently elected sheriffs and was presented as a protection against changing the rules midstream for offices already filled by voters. The transcript cuts off during debate on that amendment, so no final action on it is shown here.

Transcript Highlights:

• military spouses, and to the veterans, to those who are serving now and in the future, that we do care
• Speaker, there are 86 yays, 10 days, two excused.
• ALPRs scan and store data on millions of drivers every day. Over time, that creates a...
• ALPRs scan and store data on millions of drivers every day.
• live, where they work, where they recreate, where they attend houses of worship, and seek medical care

Bills: HB2720, HB2073, HB2487, SB5816, SB5919, SB5995, SB5831, SB6134, SB6136, SB6137, HB2689, SB5922, SB5944, SB5957, SB5988, SB5994, SB6011, SB6065, SB6103, SB6151, SB6244, SB5420, SB5868, SB6044, SB6132, SJM8002, HB2720, HB2073, HB2487, SB5816, SB5919, SB5831, SB6137, SB6244, SB5420, SB5868, SB6044, SB6132, SJM8002

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, insurance tax, state regulation, insurers, taxation, budget impact, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives

Summary: The House received several Senate messages, including passage of Substitute House Bill 2239 and signed Senate bills, then took up a series of second-reading measures and advanced them to final passage. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6302, dealing with misclassification in the finishing trades, passed 92-4 after supporters said it would level the playing field for legitimate contractors and reduce fiscal leakage. Senate Bill 5420, expanding access to state benefits and opportunities for veterans, military families, and spouses, passed unanimously after a cleanup amendment was adopted. Second Substitute Senate Bill 5969, aimed at reducing duplication between high school special education transition planning and the online high school-and-beyond plan, also passed unanimously after committee amendments were adopted. The House then passed Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 6026, which would ease certain ground-floor retail requirements in commercial and mixed-use development to support housing production; supporters described it as a compromise to remove barriers to housing, while opponents raised concerns about local control, and it passed 69-27. Senate Joint Memorial 8002, a memorial to the President and federal officials urging changes to Medicare and Medicare Advantage, passed 64-32. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5252, which removes an acreage limit affecting Grange Hall property tax exemptions, passed 96-0 with bipartisan support emphasizing rural community use. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5975, addressing consumer access to safe cookware and lead exposure, was amended on the floor and passed 86-10. Supporters said the bill balances consumer safety with industry concerns by tightening lead standards while allowing safe products to remain available. After caucuses, the House returned to consider Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6002 on driver privacy protection. The bill drew extensive debate over automatic license plate readers, with supporters emphasizing privacy guardrails and opponents split between wanting stronger limits and wanting broader law-enforcement use. After adopting a striker and two clarifying amendments, the bill passed 84-0 with 10 excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• With the consent of the House, the minutes of the preceding day will stand approved.
• The Health Care and Wellness Committee amendment is before us for purposes of amendment.
• Relating to strengthening the financial stability of persons in the care. Last line.
• Obviously, the county pays half, the state pays half, and it was still important that they kept this
• Yakima County has also budgeted to pay for half of that judge. So I ask for a yes.

Bills: HB2720, HB2073, HB2487, SB5816, SB5919, SB5995, SB5831, SB6134, SB6136, SB6137, HB2689, SB5922, SB5944, SB5957, SB5988, SB5994, SB6011, SB6065, SB6103, SB6151, SB6244, SB5420, SB5868, SB6044, SB6132, SJM8002, HB2720, HB2073, HB2487, SB5816, SB5919, SB5831, SB6137, SB6244, SB5420, SB5868, SB6044, SB6132, SJM8002

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, insurance tax, state regulation, insurers, taxation, budget impact, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, heard a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the prior day’s minutes, and recognized guests honored by House Resolution 4693. It then received several Senate messages, including passage of House Bills 2215 and 2254 and the President’s signature on engrossed House Bill 1345 and Senate bills 5 and 681. The chamber also agreed to consider several bills on second reading and later suspended the rules to advance measures to third reading. On Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 6027, which concerns expanding allowable uses for certain local sales and use tax revenues for affordable housing and related services, Representative DeFoe’s transparency amendment was ruled beyond the scope of the bill. Amendment 2407, offered by Representative Orcutt to remove rental assistance from eligible uses, was debated at length; supporters argued funds should prioritize homeownership and housing supply, while opponents said rental assistance is part of the housing ecosystem and can support eventual homeownership. The amendment failed, the Finance Committee amendment was adopted, and the bill passed 61-34. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5845, dealing with timely payment of clean claims under insurance law, received a technical amendment requested by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner and passed unanimously, 95-0. Substitute Senate Bill 5911, which addresses financial stability for youth in state care and the handling of Social Security benefits, was amended to clarify DCYF fiduciary responsibility and passed 93-2 after supporters emphasized protecting vulnerable youth and ensuring benefits return to them. Senate Bill 5868, adding an additional superior court judge for Skagit and Yakima counties, passed 95-0 after members cited local caseload pressures, access to justice, and county funding commitments.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know that we think that our day-to-day best-laid plans of urban planning and urban transit will always
• Too many patients are waiting on health care due to prior authorizations being inefficient.
• Thursday, March 5, the 53rd legislative day. Hearing no objection, so ordered.
• Thursday, March 5th, the 53rd legislative day are hearing no objection so ordered.
• The 53rd legislative day are hearing objections so ordered.

Bills: HB2720, HB2073, HB2487, SB5816, SB5919, SB5995, SB5831, SB6134, SB6136, SB6137, HB2689, SB5922, SB5944, SB5957, SB5988, SB5994, SB6011, SB6065, SB6103, SB6151, SB6244, SB5420, SB5868, SB6044, SB6132, SJM8002

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, insurance tax, state regulation, insurers, taxation, budget impact, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives

Summary: The House received a Senate message that Substitute House Bill 1570 had passed the Senate, then moved several bills from Rules to the second reading calendar, including Substitute Senate Bill 5242 on anaphylaxis medications in schools and Senate Bill 6132 on Inland Port District debt. The chamber then took up several bills, beginning with Senate Bill 5988 on Department of Health accreditation fee authority for opioid treatment programs. Amendment 2336 to cap the fee at $17,000 was debated at length but rejected, and a separate amendment to add safe-injection-site language was ruled out of scope. Senate Bill 5988 then passed 62-34. Substitute Senate Bill 6309 on enhanced municipal permitting tools for high-capacity transit projects drew multiple amendments focused on Sound Transit’s authority. Amendments to require written consent from abutting property owners, to add flood-zone and seismic/critical-area protections, and to address public-records issues were either rejected or ruled beyond scope, though the local government committee amendment was adopted. The bill passed 56-38. The House also passed Substitute Senate Bill 5886 on digital personality rights and Senate Bill 6136 on transparency in workers’ compensation rate-setting, both with strong bipartisan support. Later, the House passed a series of additional bills: Substitute Senate Bill 6034 codifying the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs; Gross Second Substitute Senate Bill 5395 on prior authorization reform, with remarks emphasizing limits on AI in health care decisions; Substitute Senate Bill 6248 creating the Washington Travel Insurance Act; Substitute Senate Bill 5720 establishing uniform consumer debt default judgment procedures; Senate Bill 5995 on port modernization funding and labor considerations; Senate Bill 6103 affecting rural hospitals; Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6110 creating a work group on e-motorcycles; Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5156 allowing smaller elevators to support accessible, more affordable housing; Substitute Senate Bill 6269 updating motor fuel definitions to include hydrogen; Substitute Senate Bill 6189 giving Thurston County more time to pursue an aquatics public facilities district; and Senate Bill 6134 requiring unemployment applicants to acknowledge repayment obligations if retroactive union pay is received. Most of these bills passed with large margins, and the House adjourned after completing final passage votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Crisis pregnancy centers are for patient care by staff or volunteers who are not licensed health care
• Speaker, patient care is incredibly important.
• The health care system in our state, Mr.
• Patient care should come first. Remember, Mr.
• Speaker, we need to protect health care providers in this state.

Bills: HB2720, HB2073, HB2487, SB5816, SB5919, SB5995, SB5831, SB6134, SB6136, SB6137, HB2689, SB5922, SB5944, SB5957, SB5988, SB5994, SB6011, SB6065, SB6103, SB6151, SB6244, SB5420, SB5868, SB6044, SB6132, SJM8002

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, insurance tax, state regulation, insurers, taxation, budget impact, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives

Summary: The House took up a series of Senate bills and moved most of them quickly to third reading and final passage, often suspending the rules and adopting committee amendments without objection. Early action included Senate Bill 5944, which addresses compensation for interpreters working for L&I when appointments are canceled or missed; it passed 86-10. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5837, dealing with guardianship and supported decision-making, drew debate over a new right to counsel in guardianship cases and concerns about expanding civil legal obligations, but it passed 73-23. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6197, a plumbers enforcement/discipline measure tied to task force work on wages and the underground economy, passed unanimously. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6019, fixing a loophole in home care worker parity law, also passed unanimously, as did Senate Bill 6011, which extends authority for Court of Appeals bailiffs to assess threats against judges and staff, though members noted concerns about access to non-conviction data. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6058, aimed at improving Labor and Industries’ ability to address wage theft complaints and backlog, passed 96-0 after House amendments. Substitute Senate Bill 5923, allowing an island hospital in Skagit County to become a critical access hospital, passed 96-0 amid support for rural health care. Senate Bill 5994, which changes how timber tax revenue is distributed so school districts are not penalized when levies fail, also passed 96-0. Substitute Senate Bill 6076, streamlining public utility district procurement and raising spending thresholds, passed 95-1 after a capital budget amendment. The House then moved to second reading of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5925, a major bill expanding the Attorney General’s authority to issue civil investigative demands in constitutional and discrimination-related matters. The bill prompted extensive debate over civil liberties, due process, and the potential for government overreach. Amendment 2160, which would have required clear and convincing evidence before a CID could issue, was rejected 38-48. Amendment 2149, creating a right to cure before a CID, was also rejected. Amendment 2150, requiring assistant attorney general approval and a reasonable suspicion standard, failed 38-48. Amendment 2151, requiring the Attorney General personally to approve CIDs in writing, failed as well. However, several narrowing amendments were adopted, including limits on scope and relevance (2288), a prohibition on CIDs to federal agencies (2289), a ban on sharing CID-derived information for criminal law enforcement purposes (2290), and a requirement that the Attorney General’s office consult with other agencies in certain overlapping investigations (2154 was rejected, but later amendments continued). Other proposed protections, such as fee-shifting for successful CID challenges and reimbursement when a CID produces no action, were debated at length but not adopted in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Holy One, we pause at the beginning of this day, in the midst of long days, to take a breath and to acknowledge
• It's quite simple: if you attend one to ten days, you get paid for half a month, and anything above 11
• least accessible child care, as we have child care deserts in many of our areas.
• least accessible child care as we have child care deserts in many of our areas.
• Without child care, how do you get the health care personnel that you need?

Bills: HB2720, HB2073, HB2487, SB5816, SB5919, SB5995, SB5831, SB6134, SB6136, SB6137, HB2689, SB5922, SB5944, SB5957, SB5988, SB5994, SB6011, SB6065, SB6103, SB6151, SB6244, SB5420, SB5868, SB6044, SB6132, SJM8002

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, insurance tax, state regulation, insurers, taxation, budget impact, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and heard a prayer from Tammy Stamphley, a Presbyterian minister and hospital chaplain. After approving the previous day’s minutes and receiving a Senate message, the chamber moved to second and third reading of several bills, with multiple measures advanced under suspended rules. The first major vote was on Engrossed Senate Bill 5872, which establishes a pre-K-related account to support up to 10,000 additional early learning slots for three- and four-year-olds. Supporters emphasized the Balmer Group’s private funding commitment and the value of early learning and family support; the bill passed 97-0. Substitute Senate Bill 5834, a Department of Retirement Systems request bill changing the fund source for legal, medical, administrative, and fraud-prevention expenses using interest earnings from pension funds, also passed 97-0. Substitute House Bill 2689, dealing with the Working Connections Child Care program, drew the most debate. Supporters said it aligned attendance policy with federal rules, adjusted reimbursement rates, and helped balance the budget while preserving child care resources. Opponents argued it cut support in rural and underserved counties, would worsen child care deserts, and placed budget savings on the child care industry; it passed 53-44. The House then passed Senate Bill 5922, allowing school districts to transfer vehicle depreciation funds with OSPI approval, by 59-38, and Senate Bill 6065, a narrower bill for districts under enhanced financial oversight such as Prescott, by 97-0. The session ended with announcements that both caucuses would meet later in the day.