Appropriations committee reports several bills out of committee; votes advance EV battery recycling, prescribed burns, healthcare contracting, AI bargaining and

The House Appropriations Committee on an evening session reported several substitute bills out of committee with do-pass recommendations, advancing measures on electric-vehicle battery recycling, prescribed burns funding, contracting fairness between insurers and independent providers, collective bargaining over artificial intelligence for state employees, and limitations on payment-processor fees charged against employee tips.

Committee action: Substitute House Bill 15‑50 (battery recycling) was moved by Vice Chair Gregersen and reported out of committee with a do-pass recommendation; the committee recorded a final tally of 21 ayes and 10 nays. Second substitute House Bill 15‑63 (prescribed burns) was reported out with a do-pass recommendation (29 ayes, 2 nays). Second substitute House Bill 15‑89 (contracting between carriers and independent providers) was reported out of committee with a do-pass recommendation (27 ayes, 4 nays). Substitute House Bill 16‑22 (bargaining over artificial intelligence for state employees) was reported out 22 ayes, 9 nays. Substitute House Bill 16‑23 (limits on card‑processor fees applied to employee tips) was reported out 18 ayes, 13 nays. Clerks announced the tallies on the record during roll calls.

Why it matters: The bills touch several policy areas the committee oversees — environmental management of battery waste and mineral recovery, forest and wildfire risk reduction, access to independent health-care providers, labor rights around emerging technology, and consumer/worker protections tied to electronic payments. Committee members framed their votes around competing priorities including environmental protection, regulatory timing, business costs and worker protections.

Electric-vehicle battery recycling (Substitute HB 15‑50) Representative Doug Street said the measure remains “a good vehicle for making sure that electric vehicle batteries don't start fires on our waste stream and poison our environment at the end of life.” Street also described the bill as a way “to ensure that we reclaim a lot of these valuable minerals here at home and don't rely on foreign countries to do so.” Representative John Dye said he would vote no, arguing in part that the market should be allowed more time to innovate and that a new state system could impose costs and reporting burdens on private industry. The motion to report the bill out of committee with a do-pass recommendation passed, final tally announced as 21 ayes, 10 nays.

Prescribed burns funding (Second substitute HB 15‑63) Representative Springer urged support, saying, “Prescribed burns are arguably the single most effective forest health management tool we have.” Representative Schmick also voiced support and said the bill would assist groups reducing fuel loads across the state. An amendment (Smith 39) to add an additional eligible use was rejected; a different amendment (Smith 037) was adopted and incorporated into the second substitute. The bill was reported out with a do-pass recommendation; tally announced as 29 ayes, 2 nays.

Health-care contracting (Second substitute HB 15‑89) Representative D'Oleo framed the bill as addressing “fair contracting between insurance carriers and independent providers,” saying the measure would require carriers to negotiate contract details the carriers already claim to follow. Representative Schmick said the bill raises long-standing tensions between carriers and providers and indicated he would be mixed on final passage. The committee adopted amendment Morris 005 before reporting the bill out of committee with a do-pass recommendation; tally announced as 27 ayes, 4 nays.

State employees and bargaining over artificial intelligence (Substitute HB 16‑22) Representative D'Oleo urged a yes vote, saying the bill “gives [state employees] a seat at the table around bargaining around artificial technology.” Representative Couture said some members believe bargaining over technology is management prerogative and said they would be mixed. The substitute was reported out with a do-pass recommendation; clerk announced 22 ayes, 9 nays.

Limits on card‑processor fees for employee tips (Substitute HB 16‑23) The committee debated multiple amendments. Representative Springer, supporting protections for tipped workers, said processors and banks — not employees or small business owners — should bear fees on tips: “It's a fee that accrues to a third party, and so I think they're the ones that need to bear the responsibility here.” Representative Corey proposed an alternative approach that would allow a credit against business tax to offset processing fees; that amendment failed. Amendment H1665.1 (prohibiting withholding of card fees on employee tips) and other amendments (McCarthy 026, Lee 004) were adopted; one amendment (H1763.1) was not adopted. The substitute was reported out with a do-pass recommendation, final announced tally 18 ayes, 13 nays.

Votes at a glance - Substitute House Bill 15‑50 — Motion: “report out of committee with a do pass recommendation” (mover: Vice Chair Gregersen). Outcome: reported out, 21 ayes, 10 nays. - Second substitute House Bill 15‑63 — Outcome: reported out, 29 ayes, 2 nays. Noted amendment Smith 39 failed; Smith 037 adopted. - Second substitute House Bill 15‑89 — Outcome: reported out, 27 ayes, 4 nays. Amendment Morris 005 adopted. - Substitute House Bill 16‑22 — Outcome: reported out, 22 ayes, 9 nays. - Substitute House Bill 16‑23 — Outcome: reported out, 18 ayes, 13 nays. Amendments H1665.1, McCarthy 026 and Lee 004 adopted; H1763.1 not adopted.

What’s next: Each of these bills was reported from committee with a do-pass recommendation and will move through the Legislature’s next stages; the committee record indicates adopted amendments where noted. The committee recessed for a half-hour at the close of the items on the record.