Melanie Morgan — Referenced as Vice Chair Morgan in the committee discussion.
Melanie Morgan — Encouraged to continue the conversation offline and asked to hear feedback.
Melanie Morgan — Addressed as Vice Chair Morgan during the hearing.
Melanie Morgan — Transitioned the committee from member questions to public testimony.
Melanie Morgan — Recognized as Vice Chair Morgan in the hearing transition.
Melanie Morgan — Announced the first panel of public witnesses for House Bill 2279.
Melanie Morgan — Addressed as Vice Chair Morgan.
Melanie Morgan — The speaker responds to Representative Morgan's earlier comment about stakeholder engagement and requests a 12-month extension.
Melanie Morgan — The speaker addresses Representative Morgan while explaining the requested extension and bill-draft corrections.
Melanie Morgan — Representative Morgan asks Ben Buckholtz whether he has discussed alternative solutions with the prime sponsor and raises PFAS concerns near JBLM.
Melanie Morgan — Representative Morgan presses the witness on alternative solutions and cites PFAS exposure near JBLM in her district.
Melanie Morgan — Representative Morgan challenges the witness and asks for solutions in light of PFAS exposure concerns.
Melanie Morgan — Announces the switch to remote testimony and invites the next witness.
Melanie Morgan — Vice Chair Morgan is asked to read the record of those signed in but not testifying.
Melanie Morgan — Addressed as Vice Chair Morgan while managing remote testimony timing.
Melanie Morgan — Vice Chair Melanie Morgan called the next panelists—Jeremy Roblich, Kamal Sidhu, and Mark Strully—to come up on deck before the in-room panel began.
Melanie Morgan — Vice Chair Melanie Morgan is repeatedly acknowledged and called upon during a series of committee transitions, including switching to the remote panel, introducing or thanking witnesses, and moving between testimony segments. The references are procedural and continuous, centered on managing the flow of the hearing rather than on separate substantive issues.
Melanie Morgan — Representative Melanie Morgan is recognized on HB 1941, speaks in support of the bill as a straightforward measure that treats cannabis as a legal agricultural product and supports marketing stability for the industry, then as chair recommends a yes and asks staff to bring up the committee report form before voting aye on the bill.
HB2279 — The committee opens a public hearing on House Bill 2279, which addresses PFAS chemicals in agriculture. Staff explains that the bill would require the Department of Agriculture to establish a program to evaluate PFAS in fertilizers and pesticides, including related registration and implementation provisions. The sponsor then speaks in support, saying the bill is meant to begin the process of addressing PFAS in agricultural products and noting that other states are already taking action.
HB2279 — A witness testified on House Bill 2279, explaining that the bill would establish specific criteria for reviewing new pesticides in relation to PFAS and noting that the proposal has fiscal implications.
HB2279 — Bill requiring the Department of Agriculture to establish a PFAS evaluation program before registration in Washington.
HB2279 — House Bill 2279 is discussed in a brief, continuous segment: a Washington Farm Bureau witness testifies in opposition, describing the bill as duplicative of federal regulation and asking the committee to pause action on it during the short session. The chair then closes discussion on HB 2279 after the sign-in record is read.
HB2463 — The committee plans about 30 minutes of public hearing on HB 2463.
HB2463 — The committee opens the public hearing on House Bill 2463, "Supporting Washington Farmers, Feeding Families," and then moves into the staff briefing on the bill. The briefing introduces the measure and explains that HB 2463 modifies the Washington Commodity Donation Program and creates a farm-to-food pantry program.
HB2463 — House Bill 2463 is discussed in a sustained block of testimony with broad support from multiple witnesses. Speakers describe it as a practical, non-theoretical solution to food insecurity that would improve efficiency in getting Washington-grown food to people, strengthen procurement of local products, and support programs such as Farm to Food Bank/Farm to Food Pantry. Several witnesses emphasize that the bill responds to chronic food shortages and is informed by stakeholder input and pilot testing. At the same time, some testimony raises concerns about specific provisions—especially restrictive eligibility or participation language in Section 1 and the need for safeguards so distribution remains equitable and local organizations are not unnecessarily excluded. Overall, the bill is supported, with requests for amendments to refine implementation and participation rules.
HB2463 — Supported with a modification; witness said the bill excludes distributors and should be changed.
Rebecca Lewis — Rebecca Lewis provides the staff briefing on HB 2279.
Rebecca Lewis — Staff member identified as Ms. Lewis is asked to brief the committee on HB 1941.
Tom Dent — Asked about the purpose and value of the bill, expressing concerns about overlap with EPA and WSDA efforts.
Tom Dent — Questioned the need for the bill, noting EPA, WSDA, and the agriculture industry are already working on PFOS issues.
Tom Dent — Asked what the bill would accomplish beyond existing federal and state efforts.
Tom Dent — Addressed as Ranking Member Dent.
Tom Dent — The transcript appears to misrecognize 'Representative Buchal' and 'Fed'; the response is likely directed to a legislator, but the exact identity is uncertain. The text also references 'Washington apples' in response to the testimony.
Tom Dent — Addressed as Ranking Member Dent during the introduction of the next witness.
Tom Dent — Addressed as Ranking Member Dent.
Tom Dent — Tom Dent is addressed as Ranking Member Dent during the chair’s transition to the next speaker, and the witness then thanks him for taking the time to listen to their input.
Tom Dent — Representative Tom Dent is called on for further discussion and then responds by saying he understands the sponsor's reasoning for the bill, but he is concerned that the bill's definition is too broad and that the product remains controversial.
Joe Schmick — Representative Schmick questioned what the bill would accomplish given that EPA is already aware of the issue and asked whether the same result could be achieved through other means, including directing the Department of Agriculture. The exchange focused on whether the bill is the best path forward or whether alternative approaches could produce the same outcome.
Joe Schmick — Representative Schmick is referenced as being called on for a question, and then he asks whether other states are already regulating PFAS, what states have passed, and how far along those efforts are.
Joe Schmick — Joe Schmick explains and records his opposition vote on House Bill 1941, saying he will vote no because federal marijuana legalization or reclassification is not yet final and the rulemaking process is still underway; he then votes nay without recommendation.
Adam Bernbaum — Representative Bernbaum said the bill raises a broader policy question about when the legislature should direct an agency, such as WSDA, to conduct a targeted review of a specific pesticide or chemical, and suggested the issue could be discussed further offline.
Adam Bernbaum — Votes aye on House Bill 1941.
Kristine Reeves — Kristine Reeves is addressed as Chair/Madam Chair multiple times during the procedural transition into public testimony, with speakers directing remarks to her in her role as chair.
Kristine Reeves — The chair is addressed as Chair Reeves when Heather Trim begins testimony.
Kristine Reeves — Kristine Reeves is introduced and welcomed to present her bill, then explains that she is there to address a problem in Washington related to food security. She describes how federal reductions in USDA resources have strained local food systems and increased hunger risk, emphasizing food security as a priority.
Kristine Reeves — Kristine Reeves is repeatedly addressed as chair/chairwoman during the committee discussion, with speakers thanking her for her work on the agricultural bills and for helping shape the legislation. The discussion also identifies her as the bill sponsor and later credits her and others for steering the bill toward a focus on local food production.
Kristine Reeves — During the transition between witnesses, multiple speakers repeatedly thanked and addressed Chair/Representative Reeves, including acknowledgments as the committee moved to the next testifier, before testimony began, and while introducing a remote witness. The final mentions also include a witness thanking Representative Kristine Reeves and Ranking Member Dent for listening to their input, reinforcing the same overall theme of appreciation and address to Reeves during the hearing flow.
Kristine Reeves — Votes aye on House Bill 1941.
Ed Orcutt — Representative Ed Orcutt was recognized to ask a question and then asked whether, if the EPA does not act first, Washington could end up banning fertilizers and thereby put the state's agriculture at a competitive disadvantage compared with agriculture in the rest of the United States.
Ed Orcutt — Representative Orcutt is identified as the next questioner, and the exchange centers on his question about biosolids and their use relative to agricultural demand, including wheat land, tree fruit, and related science. The chair indicates questions will be cut off after Orcutt, and the discussion continues briefly in the same thread.