Ways & Means assigns members to read fee and policy reports; schedules testimony

After concluding the Fish and Wildlife presentation, the House Ways & Means Committee moved to routine committee business: assignment and scheduling of required statutory reports. The chair said members should not discuss report contents during the meeting but should sign up to read assigned reports and report back later.

Committee volunteers were recorded for multiple reports. Representative Carolyn Branigan and another member signed up to read the fiscal-year 2026 fee report. Members also volunteered for packages including school construction, special education, regional assessment district progress, and transport-related reports. The chair noted certain reports (for example the cannabis and data-sales items) will be taken up only after related bills are introduced in other committees.

Members asked procedural questions about scheduling and whether printed copies would be provided; staff indicated some reports are not yet released and would be scheduled when available. The chair emphasized members should read the materials in advance and that some reports would require follow-up testimony.

No votes or formal motions were taken on the reports at this meeting; the committee assigned readers, scheduled testimony windows and adjourned the reports portion of the agenda to future meetings.