Transcript Highlights:

• </c> file reports as required by statute. file reports as required by statute.
• filed on time going forward.
• filed on time going forward.
• </c><01:26:02.000><c> late,</c> acknowledged that that was filed late, acknowledged that that was filed
• </c><01:26:17.840><c> by</c> because while the report is filed by because while the report is filed by

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first adopted the September 5 minutes and then approved the remaining consent calendar items after removing several bills for separate consideration, including 25-252, 25-248, 25-251, and 25-253. The committee then took up 25-252 from the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, where members asked about the arts tax credit program, staffing, and volunteer coordination. Department representatives said the program had recently been authorized, forms had been finalized, three of six laid-off staff had been rehired through a federal grant, and the agency was now trying to recruit participants. Members also discussed whether tax-credit-raised funds could count as federal match; the department said they could not, because federal rules require state dollars. The item was adopted. The committee next considered 25-248 from the Department of Safety, which was described as a technical correction moving funds from equipment to hardware and software after consultation with the Department of Administrative Services. A member asked about “buy American” waivers, and the department said it would follow up with more information. The item was adopted. The committee then approved 25-251 from the Department of Administrative Services, which included discussion of ongoing problems with Anthem’s retiree health plan mail-order pharmacy. Department staff said many issues were tied to implementation changes and prescription renewal rules, that some complaints were being resolved through the vendor and the retiree health office, and that the contract would be rebid in the coming year, likely causing further changes. On 25-253 from the Department of Health and Human Services, members questioned the department’s September 5 health alert and whether it diverged from CDC guidance. DHHS said the alert was an annual evidence-based guideline for respiratory virus season and immunizations, largely aligned with CDC recommendations, and that some differences reflected timing and population-specific guidance. The item was adopted. The committee then heard 25-237 from the Department of Justice on the annual litigation fund request. Attorney General John Formela said the request was about $4.3 million, roughly 40% below last year and below the five-year average, with major costs tied to YDC civil and criminal litigation and some DHHS class actions. A member criticized the large increase over the budgeted $350,000 and said the budgeting approach should be corrected in the next cycle. Another member asked about YDC settlement reductions; the attorney general said confidentiality limited specifics, but explained that under the new statute the office had accepted well over half of administrator awards, rejected some, and negotiated lower amounts in others while still resolving most cases. The item remained under discussion at the end of the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if this municipality or mayor or whoever refuses to follow the law, the attorney general has a right
• It's, it's, we can address this as the officials that refuse to follow the law and be reasonable about
• It's, it's, we can address this as the officials that refuse to follow the law and be reasonable about
• It's, it's, we can address this as the officials that refuse to follow the law and be reasonable about
• It's, it's, we can address this as the officials that refuse to follow the law and be reasonable about

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from January 21 and 22, 2026, and then recognized a young visitor introduced by Representative Skog. The main item of business was RS 32882, a proposal from Representative Hill to restrict which flags may be displayed on government property. Hill said the bill was intended to prevent local officials from selectively flying political, ideological, or religious flags, and to ensure the American flag remains preeminent. He said the measure would allow only the U.S. flag, state flags, military and POW/MIA flags, recognized tribal flags, recognized nation-state flags, the Basque Autonomous Community flag on special occasions, and official university or college flags, while excluding city flags and other local flags. He also described enforcement provisions including a $2,000-per-day-per-flag penalty and possible injunctions through the attorney general. Members raised questions about the scope of the bill, especially whether it would prohibit city and county flags, banners on boulevards and rights-of-way, and event or promotional flags such as those used for local festivals or community events. Hill repeatedly said the intent was to cover government property and municipal flagpoles, not parades, and that city flags were excluded because they could be used for political statements. Several members objected to that breadth, saying it would eliminate long-standing city and county flags and community displays, while others supported the goal of limiting political messaging on official flagpoles. There was also discussion about the Basque flag carve-out and whether it conflicted with the bill’s stated purpose. The committee then considered several motions and amendments. A motion to simply introduce RS 32882 failed on a 7-7 tie. A substitute motion to introduce the bill with an amendment adding official city or county flags passed 12-2, and that motion became the committee’s action on the bill. The committee then adjourned after completing its work for the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is he filing this bill at the request of the governor's office?
• Did the governor's office ask him to file this bill? This is my bill.
• Did the governor's office ask you to file the bill?
• I guess they could file a writ of mandamus or a TRO or an injunction.
• He doesn't even have any evictions filed. They all go to the parish.

Summary: The committee first approved the April 28 minutes and announced that Senate Bill 499 was voluntarily deferred. It then heard several House bills, beginning with HB 168, a reentry/transitional housing program for female parolees near release; supporters said it would improve public safety and reduce recidivism, and the bill was reported favorably without objection. HB 322, a cleanup bill from the Maggie Grace Act clarifying that victims or families requesting transcripts would not be charged, was also reported favorably without objection. HB 622, which aligns Louisiana criminal history information practices with federal rules, was amended and then reported favorably. HB 821, moving the School for Safe Centers from GOSEP to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, was reported favorably as well. The committee then took up HB 364, which directs State Police to partner on public awareness efforts about the illegality of discharging firearms, especially around holidays. An amendment removed a proposed printing cost and shifted the bill toward PSAs; the bill was reported favorably with amendments. HB 568, which strengthens enforcement of drug-free school zone laws by creating a clearer offense for openly smoking or vaping illegal drugs in school zones and setting a specific penalty for marijuana, drew extensive debate. Supporters, including the author and governor’s office, said it was needed to protect children and families and to give law enforcement a workable deterrent. Opponents argued it would impose harsh, geography-based penalties, sweep in medical cannabis patients and veterans, and worsen racial and fiscal disparities. After roll-call, the committee reported HB 568 favorably by a 3-2 vote. The committee also approved HB 296, a cleanup bill removing long-defunct programs from statute, without objection. HB 823, creating an Orleans Parish DA pilot diversion program for unhoused people accused of nonviolent offenses, was supported by Covenant House and others as a way to avoid criminalizing homelessness and was reported favorably without objection. Finally, HB 1038, a major bill revising the authority and liability structure of city marshals and local governments, prompted extensive testimony. The bill and amendments would limit some marshal powers in smaller jurisdictions, require local approval for certain staffing/insurance matters, and allow local governments to restore powers by ordinance. Supporters said it would reduce liability, clarify authority, and address problems in some marshal offices; opponents, including multiple marshals and law enforcement supporters, said it would undermine elected marshals, hurt small offices, and was too broad and under-studied. The transcript ends amid that hearing, with no final committee action shown on HB 1038.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, the original filing of the bill, the upper part of this, was always a moving target.
• Have you spoken with someone from Kansas City Public Schools before you filed this bill?
• Have you spoken with Blue Springs School District before filing this bill? I have not.
• Have you spoken with someone from independent school district before filing this bill?
• I have not. spoken with someone from independent school district before filing this bill?

Summary: The House first approved the previous day’s journal by roll call vote, 116-0, and then spent a long portion of the morning recognizing visiting students, homeschool groups, professional associations, veterans, and other guests in the gallery. A moment of silence was held in honor of Conrad Ashcraft after a member introduced his grandmother, who was present to testify on a bill related to his death. The chamber also recognized a birthday page, a 90th birthday for a House staff member, and Chiropractic Physicians Day. The main floor debate centered on House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2710, which would create an A-through-F school grading system for public schools and charter schools. Supporters said the bill would give parents a simple, transparent way to understand school performance, while also preserving more detailed underlying data and adding a climate scorecard amendment covering suspension, restraint, and satisfaction measures. The bill sponsor and supporters emphasized that the measure was revised from earlier versions, that the A grade would be based on the top decile rather than a moving target, that literacy and growth measures were important, and that any teacher incentive funding would be handled through appropriations and the teacher retention and recruitment fund rather than direct bonuses. Opponents argued that letter grades would stigmatize schools, destabilize staffing, and oversimplify complex school conditions, especially in districts with high poverty, mobility, or special education populations. Several members questioned the fairness of comparing schools with different funding levels, demographics, and student turnover, and others argued that the bill would not solve concerns about the MAP test or broader school funding. One member objected that the bill applied only to public and charter schools while state dollars are also now going to private-school tuition support. Despite those concerns, the House adopted the amendment offered by the St. Louis member, then adopted the committee substitute and ordered House Bill 2710 perfected and printed. Afterward, the House took up House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2404 and 2172, a measure to remove deed restrictions on unused public school property and create a right of first refusal for public entities, including charter schools. Supporters said the bill would allow vacant school buildings to be reused for education rather than sit unused or be demolished, and could generate revenue for school districts. The bill was advanced after discussion, with members citing examples from St. Louis and other areas where unused buildings could have been repurposed for charter or other educational use.

Transcript Highlights:

• I rise to request removal of file item A1, SB 239, from the inactive file to be ordered to second reading
• Senators, we will now move to consideration of daily file. We will start with unfinished business.
• File item 52, SJR 9. Secretary, please read. SJR 9. Secretary, please read.
• File item 76, Senate Resolution 70. File item 76, Senate Resolution 70 by Senator Pérez.
• We are now going to move back and lift the call on file item number 52, SJR 9.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, offered prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and handled routine announcements and motions, including a request by Senator Arreguín to remove SB 239 from the inactive file for second reading. The chamber then took up SJR 9 by Senator Durazo, a resolution concerning immigration rates, which was debated briefly and placed on call before later amendments were adopted by a 29-10 vote. The Senate next considered SR 70 by Senator Pérez, commemorating the third anniversary of the Monterey Park tragedy. Senator Pérez and Senator Rubio spoke about the 11 lives lost, the injuries, the heroism of Brandon Tsay, and the need to remember the victims and support the community. The resolution passed unanimously, 39-0, after which Senator Pérez introduced Monterey Park Mayor Elizabeth Yang on the floor. The remainder of the session was devoted largely to adjournment memories honoring Mary Gutierrez Hunter, labor activist Bob Mulholland, former Yolo County Supervisor Betsy Marchand, and Vietnamese American community leader Vu von Locke. Senators described each person’s public service, organizing work, and lasting impact on labor, veterans, local government, refugee resettlement, and community institutions. The Senate also announced the Appropriations Committee would meet shortly after adjournment and noted the next floor session would be held Monday, January 26, 2026, at 2 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• federal government, backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, and when a business refuses
• So after I filed this bill, I received a letter of support on it, and...
• So after I filed this bill, I received a letter of support on it, and they brought up some excellent
• And in addition, a bill was filed in recent years on the federal level...
• And in addition, a bill was filed in recent years on the federal level that would require businesses

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're refusing to contribute to the economy and the community that the rest of the community is already
• It would no longer impose the $5 minimum late filing fee on certain tax programs, where we find often
• the reason no one has filed a return is because they had no activity.
• Chair, and Senator Wilson, what we're talking about there is right now there's a minimum $5 late filing
• so a taxpayer might have no receipts or we have no income that's taxable in a period, so they don't file

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, he's a great partner and a champion of public safety, and it's evident in the bill that he filed.
• We filed this like 5 minutes before the deadline, uh, but it was due to a constituent concern, and House
• So if there was ever issues with the purchasing department, the county auditor can always, uh, refuse
• HB 3205 enables counties, if they so decide to impose a fee that is added to county clerk filing for
• Uh, it only covers real property and personal property filings, but even in Harris County, there's going

Transcript Highlights:

• Walle, he's a great partner and a champion of public safety, and it's evident in the bill that he filed
• We filed this like five minutes before the deadline, but it was due to a constituent concern.
• So if there were ever issues with the purchasing department, the county auditor can always refuse payment
• HB 3205 enables counties, if they so decide, county clerk filing for real and personal property.
• Property filings, but even in Harris County, there are going to be hundreds of thousands of those a year

Bills: HB1597, HB2364, HB2437, HB3205, HB3253, HB3310, HB3648, HB3906, HB4259, HB5645

Keywords: county jailer, jail training, veterans, Texas Veterans Commission, Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, TCOLE, criminal justice system, county jail, law enforcement training, mental health training, jail standards, correctional officers, veteran services, veteran interaction, occupations code, jailer licensing, parking, county courthouse, infrastructure, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• THEY REFUSED TO COMPLY WITH THESE OBJECTIONS.
• THE AGENCY FILED NOTICES TO AMEND 26 OF THOSE RULES AND NOW THE QUESTION IS TO EXPLAIN THE AGENCY'S RATIONALE
• THE AGENCY TOOK IT SERIOUSLY THAT THESE OBJECTIONS WERE FILED.
• MEMBERS BY YOUR VOTE WE SEE THIS OBJECTION PASSES AND WILL BE FILED IN A TIMELY FASHION.
• THIS IS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE PUBLIC TO LOCATE FILES ASSOCIATED WITH STATE LAND.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I move that the House refuse to adopt the Senate substitute for Senate Committee Substitute for House
• The gentleman from Webster County has moved that the House refuse to adopt the Senate substitute for
• The gentleman from Webster County has moved that the House refuse to adopt the Senate substitute for
• Speaker, I am instructed by the Senate to inform the House of Representatives that the Senate refuses
• Speaker, I am instructed by the Senate to inform the House of Representatives that the Senate refuses

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we are going to switch up the order on the agenda a little bit and start with Senate File 2681, Senator
• Senate File 2681 addresses a pressing need for Minnesota's manufactured home residents by providing essential
• Senate File 2681 will allow for greater flexibility in cooperative conversion when parks come up for
• Senate File 2681 will allow families.
• Thank you for the opportunity to speak against Senate File 2691. My name is Michelle Carlson.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They are as follows: file number six, CESB, SB 972 by Senator Grayson, and file number 11, SB 1433 by
• So it's a report that's already filed.
• This is file item number four, SB 911.
• File item. Go ahead, one more.
• File Item Number 7. File Item Number 7, SB 1092. Chair: Voting aye. Laird: Aye.

Summary: The committee heard SB 934 by Senator Wiener, which would extend the statute of limitations for malpractice claims arising from conversion therapy and clarify how expert testimony and scientific evidence may be used in those cases. Supporters, including a survivor, a licensed therapist, and LGBTQ advocacy groups, described conversion therapy as harmful and argued survivors often cannot come forward within current filing deadlines. Opponents, including civil justice and conservative legal groups, argued the bill was a workaround to recent Supreme Court rulings and raised concerns about free speech, evidentiary standards, and whether the bill could chill legitimate therapy. Committee members largely focused on whether the bill was limited to conversion therapy malpractice claims and not broader gender-affirming care; the bill was moved on a 7-2-1 vote to Senate Appropriations and placed on call. The consent calendar was also adopted on a 6-0 vote and placed on call. The committee then heard SB 1092 by Senator Allen, a housing bill aimed at manufactured home parks. The bill would give residents or their designated representatives a right to make a competitive bid when a park owner intends to sell, lease, or transfer a park, with notice and response periods intended to give residents time to organize financing. Supporters said the measure would preserve naturally occurring affordable housing, especially for older and lower-income residents, and help resident-owned cooperatives or nonprofits buy parks before investor buyers do. Opponents from park owner and realtor groups argued the bill would burden private property rights, devalue parks, and create unconstitutional takings and litigation risk. Committee questions centered on the bill’s timelines, whether residents would have 120 days to express interest and another 120 days to close, and whether the purchase agreement would be binding if accepted. The author and supporters said the second period was needed for due diligence and financing, while opponents said the structure could still delay sales and reduce market value. Several members expressed support for the bill’s goal but asked for further clarification or possible tightening of the timing and good-faith provisions; no final vote on SB 1092 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Pérez Vega will move that House File 3415 be re-referred to the General Register.
• In January, Children's Defense Fund Minnesota filed an amicus brief in the ICE surge matter state venom
• In January, Children's Defense Fund Minnesota filed an amicus brief in the ICE surge matter, on behalf
• I'm here today to express Think Small's strong support for House File 3415.
• I filed a habeas corpus petition.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• a civil trial lawyer, so what they're doing is what we do in civil discovery all the time after we file
• a lawsuit, just before we file a lawsuit.
• The bill also allows a third party to not accept an agreement if the request for certification is refused
• , ...an agreement if the request for certification is refused or if the third party, in good faith, believes
• have violated the Constitution or the Washington Law Against Discrimination, before any lawsuit is filed

Bills: SB6011

Keywords: court security, bailiffs, threat assessment, judicial safety, law enforcement, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A longer period applies if the person refuses a breath test.
• It can be two years on a second offense... ...refuses a breath test.
• The other challenge we have with the warrant subjects is they don't usually live at their address on file
• The other challenge we have with the warrant subjects, they don't usually live at their address on file
• And I can picture just those reports going in a file cabinet somewhere and nobody ever looked at them

Bills: SJM8016, SB6230, SB5234, SB6081, SB6265, SB6170, SB6131, SB6155, SB6176, SB6238, SB6253, SB6311, SB6032, SB6262

Keywords: bridge repair, infrastructure, emergency funding, transportation, public safety, cash transactions, pennies, currency, economic efficiency, financial regulation, snowmobile, snowmobile registration, vehicle registration fees, registration fee, Department of Licensing, DOL, recreational vehicles, winter recreation, vintage snowmobile, parks and recreation

Transcript Highlights:

• However, people hung in there and refused to walk away before... ...basically were about the same.
• However, people hung in there and refused to walk away before coming to an agreement.
• In response, the board filed...
• In the board responded, the board filed. Standards into rules, and the board responded.
• The board filed the CR 101, which are the procedural things for adopting, starting rulemaking in 2012

Summary: The committee held a work session on the history, implementation, and current challenges of Washington’s Forest and Fish law and related Habitat Conservation Plan. Testimony from tribal representatives Jim Peters and David Herrera, former Rep. Jim Buck, and mediator Tim Thompson described the original timber, fish, and wildlife negotiations as a broad, collaborative effort intended to balance salmon and habitat protection with a viable timber industry. DNR’s Sabur Jawad outlined the program’s statutory framework, the roles of DNR, Ecology, Fish and Wildlife, tribes, local governments, landowners, and the Forest Practices Board, and explained that changes to aquatic-resource rules can come through adaptive management, legislative direction, or court orders. He also described the permitting and enforcement system, the programmatic HCP, road maintenance and abandonment work, and the adaptive management process, including the long-running NP stream-buffer studies and resulting rulemaking timeline. Agency and stakeholder testimony emphasized accomplishments such as decades of HCP coverage, annual compliance monitoring, road and fish-barrier improvements, small forest landowner assistance programs, and the completion of numerous adaptive management studies. DNR’s Katie Allen said the program has strong successes but also faces resource-intensive implementation, rising costs, and watershed-wide pressures beyond forestry, and she pointed to a State Auditor review that produced 13 recommendations now being addressed through an action plan and a structured decision-making model. Washington Farm Forestry Association executive director Elaine O’Neill said small forest landowners supported the agreement expecting assistance and flexibility, but argued the balance has shifted toward more protection and less practical consideration of rural vitality and property rights. Washington Forest Protection Association executive director Jason Spadero said the agreement has produced measurable environmental gains and regulatory predictability, but criticized the recent NP rule and urged continued science-based, economically balanced management. In the final discussion, tribal representatives said the collaborative, consensus-based process still works in some areas, but that the principals need to be re-engaged more directly and periodically to restore accountability and trust. They said the adaptive management process and funding remain important, but expressed concern that consensus has broken down in some recent rulemaking and that side negotiations or outside pressure can undermine the original agreement. Members asked how to restore the collaborative model; Peters suggested renewed commitment from the principal parties and more regular high-level meetings, while Herrera echoed the need to implement the auditor’s recommendations. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• What I can tell you is, unfortunately, I couldn't open the file, but the OSC recently published a presentation
• I refuse to declare our poverty anymore.
• I refuse to listen to any politician who says it every day, just preys over us in our poverty and says
• the most recent planning that we've seen, we're looking at about... 3,400 megawatts, based on the filings
• We did have a development partner file for an air permit in Texas.

Transcript Highlights:

• The committee substitute was filed at the request of the governor, and a difference from the bill is
• as a felony to notify the prosecution of their intent to surrender a defendant to the court before filing
• Public servants are highly susceptible to having fraudulent liens filed against them by citizens who
• House Bill 4996 seeks to deter this abuse of public servants by increasing the penalty for refusal to
• House Bill 4996 amends the Penal Code to increase the penalty for refusal to execute the release of a

Bills: HB47, HB171, HB285, HB305, HB449, HB908, HB 1024, HB 1306, HB1443, HB1445, HB1741, HB1866, HB1902, HB2001, HB2282, HB2355, HB2492, HB2637, HB2697, HB3464, HB4263, HB4996, HB5667

Keywords: sexual assault, victim rights, forensic examination, medical care, trauma-informed care, crime victims compensation, evidence retention, chemical dependency, court-ordered treatment, mental health, health care, treatment facility, juvenile justice, criminal justice reform, animal cruelty, nonlivestock, prosecution, veterinary defense, animal welfare, pretrial hearings

Summary: The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice met with a quorum and heard a long agenda of bills on criminal justice, public safety, mental health, victims’ rights, and related administrative issues. Early bills included HB 47, the omnibus sexual assault survivors bill, which would expand post-assault care, require courts to consider delays for adult survivors, bar sex offenders from rideshare driving, allow lease termination regardless of where an assault occurred, and require more reporting from sexual assault response teams. Testimony was generally supportive, though one witness raised concern that the bill’s reporting requirements could jeopardize county grant funding. HB 171, the Annel Borrego Act, would set a minimum period for court-ordered chemical dependency treatment; NAMI Texas supported it. HB 908 would require missing children reports to be sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children within two hours, and HB 1443 would criminalize possession and promotion of childlike sex dolls; both drew supportive testimony and were left pending. HB 567, changing juvenile board chair selection in Parker County, and HB 4263, a TJJD workforce retention bill, were also heard and left pending after brief discussion and adoption of committee substitutes where applicable. The committee also heard several bills focused on jail and prison safety, court process, and victim protection. HB 2282 would raise the arrest warrant fee from $50 to $75; constables supported it as a cost-recovery measure, while the Texas Fair Defense Project opposed it as a regressive fee that burdens low-income defendants. HB 3464 would increase penalties for correctional employees who bring drugs or alcohol into prisons, with support from Harris County jail officials and a formerly incarcerated advocate who described the dangers of contraband and retaliation. HB 285, “Poncho’s Law,” would add criminal negligence to non-livestock animal cruelty offenses; animal welfare advocates said it would close a loophole that lets pet service businesses avoid accountability, and the bill was left pending. HB 2355 would keep certain Crime Victims Compensation records confidential when held by the Attorney General, and HB 2637 would standardize jury exemption ages and clean up jury disqualification reporting; both were left pending after limited testimony. Mental health and competency-related bills received significant attention. HB 305 would require a pretrial hearing within 14 days after a defendant is restored to competency, aimed at reducing repeated decompensation and the forensic waitlist; NAMI Texas supported it. HB 1741 would tighten procedures for not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity outpatient commitments by requiring a stronger nexus to the receiving county and clearer supervision authority; law enforcement and mental health witnesses said it would improve public safety and treatment success. HB 2492 would make the four-hour family-violence post-bond cooling-off period mandatory rather than discretionary, and HB 1445 would allow a managed assigned counsel director to designate someone to approve certain payments for indigent defense attorneys; both were left pending. HB 1024 would require prompt execution of warrants for parole violators on superintensive supervision, and HB 1306 would extend first-responder-style benefits to death investigation professionals; neither drew opposition in the hearing. The committee also heard a series of public integrity and technology bills. HB 449 would expand the deepfake sexual content statute to include sexually explicit images, with Public Citizen supporting the change as necessary to address a rapidly growing problem. HB 1902 would create a new offense for “jugging,” or following bank or ATM customers to rob them; the Texas Bankers Association supported it. HB 2697 would require sureties to notify prosecutors before surrendering a felony defendant’s bond, and HB 2001 would sharply increase penalties for misuse of public information for financial gain and related coercion, with prosecutors and Texas Rangers describing bid-rigging and public corruption investigations as difficult to prove under current law because of short limitations periods and limited penalties. HB 1866 would grant Texas peace officer authority to National Park Service rangers within Texas park boundaries, and HB 4996 would increase penalties for fraudulent liens filed against public servants. Throughout the hearing, most bills were left pending after testimony, and several committee substitutes were adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Hayes filed a similar bill last session that made it through the House, died in the Senate
• informed by the Secretary of State about voters who were ineligible to vote, but the voter registrar refused
• they don't get the results they want or they don't know what the results of that complaint are they file
• So with your organization that does have to file reports, who would be your major donors on there?
• of these election judges and alternate judges, they asked for more even before that day and were refused