Senate Labor & Commerce policy committee advances multiple labor, cannabis and public-works bills ahead of cutoff

The Senate Labor & Commerce policy committee advanced a slate of labor, cannabis, public-works and regulatory bills during its policy-cutoff meeting, adopting proposed substitutes and sending several measures to Rules, Ways and Means or other committees.

Committee staff opened with reports on multiple bills, and senators voted on proposed substitutes and recommendations in a series of voice votes. Several bills were passed by the committee “subject to signatures” and will move on for fiscal review or floor consideration; a small number of bills were held for later action, including a gubernatorial appointment packet and two measures identified by staff.

Nut graf: The measures touched prevailing wage procedures, workers’ compensation payments, a new wage-replacement program for workers ineligible for unemployment, modifications to cannabis licensing and producer limits, limits on distance requirements for social equity cannabis retailers, pilot programs for psilocybin, and updates to record-sharing and FAA-related paid-leave protections for pilots. Committee action now routes fiscal or rule-related items to Ways and Means, Rules or other committees for additional review.

Key outcomes and highlights

- SB 5503 (Public employee collective bargaining): Committee adopted a proposed substitute offered by Senator Saldana and gave it a “due pass” recommendation to the Rules Committee. Senator King registered a “no” on the recommendation and asked to continue work on section 4 language.

- SB 5422 (Bargaining and AI): The committee adopted a proposed substitute (Saldana) that narrows the duty to bargain to adoption or modification of AI technology that affects wages or performance evaluations; the substitute removes working definitions of AI and machine learning. The committee sent the bill to Ways and Means.

- SB 5548 (Workers’ compensation percentages): A substitute and amendments were considered; committee recommended the bill to Ways and Means. An amendment (D1 by Senator King) addressing notice and attorney contingency fees…