Transcript Highlights:

• And you know have to live in the house. And you know what?
• and I thought that was something be and and I thought that was something that<00:31:53.360><c> that<
• So, what is the statistics and the and<00:32:47.360><c> the</c><00:32:47.919><c> and</c><00:32:48.159
• the and the number of these units and the and the number of these units that<00:32:50.159><c> is</c>
• </c> pathway act? pathway act?

Bills: SB2060 , SB2063 , SB2062 , SB2069 , SB2070

Committee: Senate Housing

Keywords: rental housing revolving fund, HHFDC, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, mixed-income housing, mixed-income rental project, affordable housing, low-income housing, housing finance, housing development, preservation, rehabilitation, pre-development, construction financing, equity investment, credit enhancement, collateral, gap financing, area median income, AMI, perpetual affordability

Transcript Highlights:

• , that this is really about protecting nature and wildlife and birds and whatnot, and it’s not taking
• question for Senator Middleton that this is really about protecting nature and wildlife and birds and
• That division oversees the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Bald and Golden
• Eagle Protection Act.
• And so it's critical that we find a balanced approach to protect wildlife.

Bills: SB3074 , HB49 , HB2440 , HB3556 , HB3619 , HB3866 , HB4042 , HB4112 , HB4271 , HB4413 , HB4426 , HB5033 , HB49

Committee: Senate Natural Resources

Keywords: SB 3074, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Water Code, permit applications, environmental permitting, administrative record, ex parte communications, legislative communications, governor, lieutenant governor, state legislators, district projects, public records, recusal, conflict of interest, substantial interest, agency transparency, environmental regulation, permit renewal

Summary: The committee heard and laid out several natural resources and environmental bills, with testimony focused on balancing development, public health, wildlife protection, and regulatory authority. SB 3074 would allow the governor, lieutenant governor, and legislators to communicate in writing with TCEQ about matters before the commission, with safeguards requiring the communication to be part of the record and allowing other parties to respond; a committee substitute narrowed it to written communications about permits only, limited legislator communications to facilities in their districts, and adjusted conflict-of-interest rules. HB 3556, as substituted, would require notice to Texas Parks and Wildlife for certain very tall structures in specified coastal counties and give TPWD a limited right to seek injunctive relief if mitigation is insufficient to prevent material harm to migratory birds; supporters said it would address ignored wildlife recommendations and protect key flyways, while opponents argued the bill was too broad, singled out wind energy, and gave one agency unusually strong enforcement power. HB 49 would expand liability protections for produced-water recycling and beneficial use; supporters said it would encourage reuse of a large wastewater stream and reduce disposal pressures, while opponents warned it could shield operators from responsibility before the science and standards are mature. HB 4413 would authorize mass-balance accounting for renewable biomass feedstocks, and HB 3866 would regulate intermediate bulk container recycling facilities near homes, with a committee substitute adding a grandfather clause and making implementation contingent on funding. The committee also heard bills affecting air and energy regulation. HB 5033 would create a trigger to end vehicle emissions inspections if federal law changes to allow it; the substitute removed a Supreme Court-related trigger, and the lone public witness opposed the bill, warning it would worsen air quality and harm nonattainment areas. HB 4112 would clarify that on-site storage of high-level radioactive waste is allowed at current and future nuclear reactors and university research reactors only for waste generated at that site; the substitute clarified the language and removed an inoperative permit condition, and witnesses from environmental and nuclear groups said the clarification was needed to prevent unintended restrictions while avoiding off-site storage. HB 2440 would prohibit state agencies from using air-quality rules to ban or restrict vehicles based on energy source, including internal combustion vehicles, and no public testimony was offered. HB 4271 would require TCEQ to hold public meetings on request for composting facility authorizations; the substitute limited the requirement to future applications and was presented as a transparency measure after a denied local request and extensive public comments. Additional bills addressed landowner protections and Railroad Commission oversight. HB 3619 would require the Railroad Commission to restore surface land after plugging or replugging operations and indemnify landowners from damages tied to authorized entry; a witness supported the bill but urged fixing a separate statutory loophole that he said allowed operators to enter unrelated tracts without notice. HB 4042 would extend Railroad Commission pipeline safety and fee provisions to propane distribution systems by removing the word “natural” from the relevant definitions. HB 4426 would set a 10-year permit term for commercial surface disposal facilities, allow renewal based on compliance history, and require renewal applications 120 days before expiration. The committee took no votes because a quorum was not initially present, and each bill was left pending after testimony and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hearing and seeing none, it is so ordered.
• Hearing and seeing none, it is so ordered.
• Hearing and seeing none, it is so ordered.
• Hearing and seeing none, it is so ordered.
• Hearing and seeing none, it is so ordered.

Bills: SB3074 , HB49 , HB2440 , HB3556 , HB3619 , HB3866 , HB4042 , HB4112 , HB4271 , HB4413 , HB4426 , HB5033 , HB49

Committee: Senate Natural Resources

Keywords: SB 3074, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Water Code, permit applications, environmental permitting, administrative record, ex parte communications, legislative communications, governor, lieutenant governor, state legislators, district projects, public records, recusal, conflict of interest, substantial interest, agency transparency, environmental regulation, permit renewal

Transcript Highlights:

• Customs and Border Protection. U.S.
• I work for text protects and we're in an advocacy agency that's focused on strengthening families and
• protecting children and preventing child abuse.
• An individual cannot just call NCMEC and report a missing child.
• sheriff and others, to act.

Bills: HB214 , HB626 , HB647 , HB658 , HB668 , HB674 , HB908 , HB214

Committee: House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: firearm acquisition, gun smuggling, criminal offenses, ammunition, terrorism, public safety, Texas criminal procedure, federal law enforcement, state arrest authority, search and seizure, felony offenses, federal air marshal, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Defense police, military police, Homeland Security, Public Safety, veterans affairs, federal officers, joint law enforcement authority

Transcript Highlights:

• This delays the JLARC data collection and reporting dates by one year and requires JLARC to include in
• , and identified by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families as consistent with and in compliance
• with the state and federal Indian Child Welfare Act.
• And so if these reports and this data is leading towards more...
• a great opportunity for us to come together and do that, and I think that's exactly what we did.

Bills: HB2200 , HB2468 , HB2660

Committee: House Early Learning & Human Services

Keywords: developmental disabilities, residential settings, data access, safety, stability, terminology correction, social services, healthcare, regulatory compliance, department reorganization, child welfare, court authority, shelter care, family law, court conditions, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They deserve the same protections as human beings in any of our detention facilities and certainly the
• She made police reports, filed for protection, got a lawyer, and cooperated with police.
• In many cases, our emergency room and inpatient psychiatry unit are a child and their caregiver's first
• Committee a number of years ago as a young woman who was working in the mental health space and doing
• Committee a number of years ago as a young woman who is working in the mental health space and doing

Bills: SB5979 , SB6308 , SB6319

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: opioids, substance abuse, dependent children, child welfare, caregiver substance use, court orders, shelter care, judicial discretion, family law, early childhood, family services, diversion programs, court-ordered assessments, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And one is, you know, what are the elements of a well-functioning child protection system in this modern
• And one is, you know, what are the elements of a well-functioning child protection system in this modern
• , again, between child protection, law enforcement, behavioral health, and physical health.
• the department through the Child Abuse Treatment and Prevention Act.
• Throughout my career, I have worked at the intersection of child protection, prevention, and systems

Bills: SB5979 , SB6308 , SB6319

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: opioids, substance abuse, dependent children, child welfare, caregiver substance use, court orders, shelter care, judicial discretion, family law, early childhood, family services, diversion programs, court-ordered assessments, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Chair and vice chair vote I. Rep. Chair and vice chair vote I. Rep. Harpsfield. Harpsfield.
• /c><00:05:37.440><c> and</c><00:05:37.600><c> its</c> audits of the departments and its audits of the
• Housing Solutions, and Housing Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to create a housing
• </c> no-bid contracts issued by state and no-bid contracts issued by state and county<00:08:21.880><c
• Recommendation and December 31st, 2025.

Bills: SCR173 , SCR78 , SCR114 , SCR162 , SCR48 , SCR160 , SCR87 , SCR28 , SCR74 , SCR20 , SCR32 , SCR55 , SCR69

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: ticket scalping, task force, consumer protection, event accessibility, local economy, menstrual health, menstrual cycle, period education, period poverty, menstrual products, menstrual dignity, health education, sexual health curriculum, DOE, Department of Education, public schools, school health, reproductive health, puberty education, hygiene education

Transcript Highlights:

• we never obtain, and it protects dealers from allegations of bait advertising that's prohibited under
• SB1029 will continue to create more confusion, weaken customer protections, and give the manufacturer
• , Y, and Z."
• We are calling for the creation of the Cameron County Pilots Licensing and Regulatory Act.
• And then when she gets a new car and a new license plate, she has to go in and re-register it.

Bills: SB35 , SB249 , SB546 , SB1353 , SB1493 , SB2246 , SB1902 , SB1029

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: transportation, TxDOT, Texas Department of Transportation, road projects, highways, infrastructure, bridge construction, interchanges, corridor improvements, road widening, railroad grade separation, sound barrier, unified transportation program, legislative notice, project prioritization, capital projects, state highway system, Farm-to-Market Roads, San Antonio, Harris County

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, we are here today to try and work on getting those guardrails in place to protect women and children
• </c> place to protect um women and children. place to protect um women and children.
• And so I'm really happy that, you know, we've made protections for this and then also that we can make
• the consumer and protecting animal welfare.
• </c> both the protection of the consumer and both the protection of the consumer and the<01:20:39.960

Bills: HF1606 , HF3733 , HF743 , HF2627 , HF4071

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: nudification technology, image rights, privacy protection, sexual exploitation, cybersecurity, recreational camping, utility fees, electricity charges, consumer protection, energy policy, health insurance, insulin, step therapy, diabetes, patient care, prescription drugs, pet shops, animal welfare, dog sales, cat sales

Transcript Highlights:

• the state's tech strategy, protecting state technology infrastructure, and offering innovative and cost-effective
• Our state's ability to deliver services to and protect the state health data of its growing population
• We're committed to supporting initiatives that modernize state government operations and protect the
• One provision of this bill is to ensure consumer engagement and protection as required.
• It's focused not on making everybody happy, but first and foremost, on protecting public citizens and

Bills: HB149 , HB252 , HB643 , HB1442 , HB1500 , HB1672 , HB1851 , HB1893 , HB2028 , HB2768 , HB2818 , HB149 , HB252

Committee: House Delivery of Government Efficiency

Keywords: artificial intelligence, regulation, biometric data, ethical AI, consumer protection, AI governance, employment compensation, state agencies, salary payments, general appropriations, government efficiency, public works, contractors, payment bonds, government contracts, construction law, transparency, open meetings, government accountability, public access

Transcript Highlights:

• And if the Public Records Act law allows for a requester to submit dozens and dozens of the exact same
• Records Act and ways we can strengthen it and make sure that we are open and transparent. ...Public
• Records Act and ways we can strengthen it and make sure that we are open and transparent, and we preserve
• Port of Tacoma and the Public Records Act.
• Port of Tacoma and the Public Records Act.

Bills: HB2514 , HB2661 , HB2637 , HB2632 , HB2499 , HB2198 , HB2520

Committee: House State Government & Tribal Relations

Keywords: HB 2514, global war on terror, GWOT, war on terror memorial, Capitol campus memorial, Washington veterans, fallen service members, military memorial, post-9/11 veterans, Iraq War, Afghanistan War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation New Dawn, veterans memorial, capitol grounds, state memorial, Secretary of State, Capitol Committee, Department of Veterans Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• All civil penalties collected under the wage complaints and under the Minimum Wage Act must be deposited
• And it helps in holding bad actors accountable and helps with enforcement efficiency and fairness.
• on it, and it will protect our most vulnerable workers, ensuring that they don't have to choose between
• This bill takes an important step forward to protect those workers and to enhance the collection of wages
• worker protection laws, but wage theft does remain a serious and ongoing problem.

Bills: HB2479 , HB2091 , HB2105 , HB2107 , HB2151 , HB2190 , HB2191 , HB2218 , HB2243 , HB2303 , HB2345

Committee: House Labor & Workplace Standards

Keywords: unpaid wages, wage theft, wage recovery, labor standards, Department of Labor and Industries, L&I, worker protection, low-wage workers, back pay, interest on wages, civil penalties, retaliation, immigration status coercion, gig workers, transportation network companies, rideshare drivers, app-based drivers, employment law, wage complaint, payroll enforcement

Transcript Highlights:

• their falls also—protecting our communities, fighting fire not just with hoses, but with bulldozers and
• DNR is in full support of this legislation and appreciates the legislature's focus on protecting and
• health risks taken by these men and women as they protect the citizens, communities, and natural resources
• to protect their bottom line and addict people with cheap products and keep them addicted.
• protect air and water quality.

Bills: SB6073 , SB6113 , SB6116 , SB6129 , SB6162 , SB6114 , SB5857

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: SB 6073, LEOFF, Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement System, retirement system, pension, public safety retirement, wildland firefighter, aviation firefighter, wildland fire, forest firefighter, Department of Natural Resources, DNR, firefighter benefits, retirement benefits, service credit, disability retirement, survivor benefits, employer contributions, Washington RCW, public employees

Transcript Highlights:

• The intent of the bill is to ensure that we protect children getting on and off.
• When a child gets off of a school bus and then runs across the road, it creates a dangerous situation
• Licensing and Regulatory Act.
• approach to protecting the privacy and security of airport customers, and we appreciate your willingness
• adds Section 38. 54.1515, acting as a federal and non-federal sponsor.

Bills: SB249 , SB546 , SB744 , SB927 , SB1227 , SB1229 , SB1353 , SB1365 , SB1366 , SB1394 , SB1464 , SB1709 , SB1729 , SB1733 , SB1744 , SB1745 , SB1746 , SB1772 , SB1816 , SB1841 , SB1939

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: memorial markers, law enforcement, officer memorials, killed in the line of duty, highway signage, school bus, school district, student transportation, child safety, seat belts, three-point seat belt, two-point seat belt, bus retrofit, bus warranty, Texas Education Agency, TEA, transportation code, school activity bus, multifunction school activity bus, school-chartered bus

Transcript Highlights:

• , and have act have high nutrition risk, and have act have difficulty<00:04:12.000><c> with</c><00:04
• It strengthens resident protections while supporting safety and dignity.
• It strengthens resident protections while supporting safety and dignity.
• It strengthens resident protections while supporting safety and dignity.
• </c><00:41:40.720><c> protecting</c><00:41:41.119><c> someone's</c> to an emergency and protecting someone's

Bills: HF4210 , HF4212 , HF4549 , HF4464 , HF4546 , HF4447

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: senior nutrition, older adults, aging services, home-delivered meals, congregate dining, meal delivery, grocery delivery, food insecurity, nutrition support, area agencies on aging, Minnesota Board on Aging, human services, special revenue fund, nonprofit grants, SNAP outreach, medically tailored meals, rural nutrition, food access, transportation services, elderly

Transcript Highlights:

• The Chair opened the CCR Committee for Health and Human Services.
• Senate Bill 893 protects our military institutions and installations from foreign ownership in surrounding
• Senate Bill 893 protects our military institutions and installations from foreign ownership in surrounding

Bills: SB893

Committee: House Conference Committee on Health and Human Services Oversight

Keywords: foreign land ownership, military protection, critical infrastructure, whistleblower rewards, state security

Summary: The Chair opened the CCR Committee for Health and Human Services and took up Senate Bill 893. Representative Colwell explained that the bill is intended to protect military institutions and installations from foreign ownership in surrounding areas and offered to answer questions. No questions or objections were raised. The Chair then asked members to sign the bill out of committee. With no further objections, the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• and Repatriation Act.
• It was pointed out that it is a fiscal note of four and a half, was it four and a half or two and a half
• and it went over to the House and had $16 million.
• And again, they've done their work and they have the model set up.
• Savings from new and vacant FTE positions and $725,000 is added for a new and vacant FTE pool line item

Bills: HB1603

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Keywords: Native American, grave protection, repatriation, cultural heritage, tribal compliance, 908, all

Summary: The Appropriations Committee met with a quorum and announced it would begin meeting at 8 a.m. for the rest of the week to work through a growing bill list. The committee first approved House Bill 1603, a companion to the Historical Society budget dealing with NAGPRA, including a $500,000 matching grant to be divided among North Dakota’s five tribes and a committee to address repatriation of human remains and cultural items. The vote was unanimous, 15-0. The committee then considered House Bill 1225, which would increase penalties for reckless endangerment involving a firearm and create a mandatory prison term. After debate over public safety concerns versus the bill’s fiscal note and prison costs, the committee adopted a do not pass recommendation by a 9-6-1 vote. Members also discussed House Bill 1018, the State Historical Society budget, and approved an amendment that adjusted one-time funding items, including NAGPRA compliance, museum exhibits, military gallery funding, local historic grants, and line-of-credit repayment. The amended bill then received a due pass recommendation by a 14-2 vote. The committee next approved House Bill 1468, a behavioral health facility grant for St. Hayes, which supporters said would expand in-state access to acute and adolescent behavioral health care and reduce the need to send patients out of state. The bill passed 14-1. It then amended and passed House Bill 1485, increasing the personal needs allowance for certain Medicaid recipients by $15 and indexing it to inflation; the amendment and the bill as amended both passed 14-2. Finally, the committee approved House Bill 1016, the Adjutant General/National Guard budget, after adopting an amendment that funded disaster relief, response equipment, IT and website costs, and staffing changes for the watch center; the amended bill passed 14-2. The committee adjourned after completing six bills and planned to resume the next morning at 8 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you. and uh and work with the state. I and uh and work with the state.
• and and fatalities and &gt;&gt; crashes and and fatalities and everything<01:04:54.160><c> else.
• That's unacceptable, and we need to act. The current law does have a gap.
• That's fair, and it fills an important gap. Additionally, this law protects vulnerable people.
• This is common-sense legislation that protects pedestrians and holds careless drivers accountable.

Bills: HB2392 , HB2462 , HB2423 , HB1771 , HB2081 , HB2334 , HB2336 , HB1666 , HB2375 , HB2415 , HB2451 , HB2373 , HB1641 , HB1694 , HB1695 , HB1986 , HB1797 , HB1879 , HB2034

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: transportation, tax credit, employer incentives, commuting, environmental impact, flexible work arrangements, carpooling, bicycling, public transportation, consumer protection, subscription services, motor vehicles, ownership expectations, transparency, biodiesel, renewable diesel, diesel blend, B5, blending mandate, clean energy

Summary: The committees heard testimony on several transportation-related measures. SB 2356, relating to parking, drew support from the Office of Planning, the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Appleseed Center, Realtors, and the Hawaii Bicycling League. Members discussed the bill in the context of the planned stadium-area mixed-use development, with questions about whether parking would be built in structures rather than as large surface lots. Senators expressed support and noted the measure’s broader housing and parking-reduction goals, but no vote was taken during the hearing. The bulk of the hearing focused on SB 2699, which would create a fare-free youth transit program, a special fund, annual evaluations, and appropriations tied to the environmental, energy, and food security tax. The Attorney General’s office raised technical concerns about whether the special fund met statutory requirements. The Department of Education and Department of Health supported the bill, as did the City and County of Honolulu DOT, Appleseed Center, Hawaii Youth Transportation Council, Public Health Institute, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, Hawaii Bicycling League, Our Children’s Trust, and numerous youth testifiers. Supporters emphasized reduced family transportation costs, better school attendance, improved health and mobility, and environmental benefits. One senator raised emergency-planning concerns about how children using free transit would be handled during events like tsunamis; DOT and DOE responded that emergency procedures are being developed. The chair said the committee would work on language changes, including a delayed effective date to July 2027, and defer decision-making until the 12th. The final measure discussed was SB 2470, which would require leading pedestrian intervals, accessible pedestrian signals, and other safety improvements at state-controlled intersections, and create a process for community requests for accessible pedestrian signals. Appleseed Center, the Hawaii Association of the Blind, and the Disability Rights Center supported the bill, citing pedestrian safety, reduced collisions, and the need for audible cues for blind and low-vision pedestrians. Testifiers urged a phased-in approach that prioritizes high-traffic intersections. The hearing ended with the bill still under consideration and no final vote announced.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, for all of this protective measures and...
• I think in Texas, admirably, with the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act and Governor Abbott's executive
• To protect and secure our state.
• Infrastructure Protection Act, and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.
• Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. and the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act SB 2116.

Bills: HB17 , HB34 , HB41 , HB 118 , HB 119 , HB 127 , HB 128 , HB 129 , HB 130 , HB132 , HB133 , HB17 , HB41 , HB118 , HB119 , HB127 , HB128 , HB129 , HB130 , HB132 , HB133

Committee: House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: foreign ownership, real estate, national security, designated countries, Texas property law, lobbying, foreign adversaries, compensation prohibition, transparency, civil penalties, higher education, foreign adversary, research security, trade secrets, academic partnerships, HB 128, sister city, sister-city agreement, international exchange, municipal diplomacy