Alex Ybarra — Addressed in the greeting; likely refers to Representative Alex Ybarra.
Michael Keaton — Introduced himself as representing the 25th District.
Michael Keaton — Michael Keaton was thanked for signing on as a sponsor of the bill, then identified and called on by the chair. He proceeded to ask questions about whether the Pentagon had weighed in on the bill and how many people it might help, including which communities in Washington would be affected.
Skyler Rude — Skyler Rude introduced himself as the representative for the 16th District and briefly described the district as covering all of Walla Walla County along with large portions of Benton and Franklin counties.
Suzanne Schmidt — Introduced herself as representing the Fourth Legislative District.
Alex Ybarra — Alex Ybarra introduces himself as the State Representative for District 13 and is also referred to as the ranking member.
Alex Ybarra — Acknowledged as ranking member in sponsor remarks.
Jenny Graham — Jenny Graham introduced herself as the state representative from Spokane, specifically noting Spokane’s Sixth District.
Gloria Mendoza — Gloria Mendoza introduced herself as State Representative for the 14th Legislative District.
Brianna Thomas — Introduced as representing the 34th District.
Gerry Pollet — Introduced as representing the 46th District.
Julia Reed — Introduced as representing the 36th District in Northwest Seattle.
Joe Timmons — Joe Timmons introduced himself as the State Representative from the 42nd Legislative District, which includes most of Whatcom County, and noted his pride in the local higher education institutions in and near the district, including Western Washington University, Whatcom Community College, Bellingham Technical College, and Northwesternian College.
Mari Leavitt — Introduced herself as representing the 28th Legislative District.
Mari Leavitt — Continued describing the 28th District.
Mari Leavitt — Bill sponsor was identified as Rep. Leavitt.
Mari Leavitt — Referenced as the bill sponsor.
Mari Leavitt — Began sponsor remarks on HB 2088.
Mari Leavitt — Thanked the committee for its work on prior compacts and thanked Representative Keaton for sponsoring the bill.
Mari Leavitt — Explained that the compact would help address health care provider shortages and improve access in rural and urban areas.
Mari Leavitt — Said the compact supports military spouses and helps them get to work quickly; also referenced food insecurity among military families.
Mari Leavitt — Closed her remarks and answered that the bill is in the same spirit as prior compacts.
Mari Leavitt — Was asked whether the bill differs from prior compacts and responded that it is in the same spirit.
Mari Leavitt — Explained that the compact is administered through a national commission and is similar to prior compacts.
Mari Leavitt — Said the Department of the Army provided a letter and emphasized support for military spouses and military members getting to work.
Mari Leavitt — Continued discussing military spouse support and said witnesses could better answer questions about the number of people affected.
Mari Leavitt — Said the dietitian association supports the bill and noted that witnesses could better answer questions about numbers of dietitians.
Mari Leavitt — Was mistakenly referred to as 'Rep. Lovett' in the transcript.
Mari Leavitt — Thanked by the witness for sponsoring the bill.
Mari Leavitt — Referenced indirectly as the sponsor whose work on the compacts was appreciated.
Mari Leavitt — Referenced as having explained the compact approach.
Mari Leavitt — Referenced as having described the compact earlier.
Osman Salahuddin — Introduced himself as representing the 48th Legislative District and noted a constituent recognized by Governor Ferguson.
Greg Nance — Introduced himself as representing Kitsap and the Olympic College area.
Greg Nance — Greg Nance is repeatedly addressed as Vice Chair while handling hearing logistics, including managing testimony flow and announcing the next testifiers.
Dave Paul — Identified himself as chair of the committee and described the 10th District.
HB2088 — HB 2088 was introduced as the only bill scheduled for public hearing and then briefed as the Dietitian Licensure Compact. The discussion explained that the compact would allow dietitians to practice across state lines, outlined the requirements states must meet to participate, described eligibility standards for dietitians, and noted that member states may take adverse action against a regulated dietitian’s multi-state authorization to practice.
Diana Smith — Diana Smith testified in support of the dietitian licensure compact on behalf of the Washington State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She introduced herself as a registered dietitian in Olympia and described her long career, including service as an Army dietitian and the challenges of repeatedly restarting work while following her husband as a military spouse. She emphasized how the compact would help military spouses and improve continuity of care, noted that similar compacts already exist for other professions, and urged the committee to pass the bill.
Matthew Schillingberg — Matthew Schillingberg was introduced as the next in-person witness and then testified as deputy chair of the Veterans Legislative Coalition, stating that the coalition unanimously supports the bill and thanking the committee for its work on the compacts.
Elizabeth New — Elizabeth New was introduced as the next remote witness and then testified in support of licensure reform. She argued that while interstate compacts can help, they are limited, and urged the committee to consider universal licensure recognition as a broader, simpler approach. She said Washington should recognize out-of-state licenses in good standing across professions with appropriate guardrails, noting benefits for worker mobility, access to dietitians and other professions, and military families. She closed by offering to help craft legislation that meets the state’s needs.
Manka Dhingra — Vice Chair Nance is referenced as the person moving testimony along; name appears as Nance in transcript and is likely a transcription error for Vice Chair Nance, not a listed member.
Manka Dhingra — Vice Chair Nance is referenced throughout the committee’s witness lineup as he introduces the next speakers in sequence, moving from Jacqueline Little and Caitlin Bison to Dr. Breck-Lebeg and Charla Burel, then to Charla Beryl and Kathy Visser, and finally identifying Kathy Visser as the last testifier. One mention also includes him in the committee greeting, but the overall discussion remains focused on the orderly progression of testimony.
Melissa Malloy — Melissa Malloy, a registered dietitian and Washington delegate for the state academy, testified in support of the Dietitian Licensure Compact on behalf of about 2,800 dietitians. She explained that the compact would preserve standards while improving access to care, especially for military service members and their spouses, supporting telehealth and rural access, and helping Washington position itself as a leader. She also described the administrative delays and burdens dietitians face when seeking Washington certification and concluded that the compact would improve mobility and access without lowering standards.
Mary Ketchum — Mary Ketchum, a registered dietitian and military spouse, testified in support of the Dietitian Licensure Compact. She explained that she obtained Washington certification when her husband was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, but repeated military moves have made it difficult to maintain licensure and will continue to disrupt her career every few years. She said transferable licensure would make it easier to plan job searches before moves and reduce career disruption, helping military spouses advance their careers while supporting their families.
Jacqueline Little — Jacqueline Little is named as the next witness, but it is noted that she is not present for testimony.
Caitlin Bison — Caitlin Bison is introduced as the next witness and called to testify if present, then she appears and begins her testimony on behalf of the Council of State Governments, offering educational information about the Dietitian Licensure Compact.
Dr. Breck-Lebeg — Named as the next witness to testify.
Charla Burel — Named as the following witness.
Dr. Brecklebeg — Testified as a retired Air Force flight surgeon and public health specialist in support of HB 288.
Amy Walen — The speaker thanked LD28 Rep. Leavitt for her series of compact bills, praising them as pioneering.