Transcript Highlights:

• Move passage to third reading. Senator Hagenbuch moves passage to third reading.
• I move passage to third reading. Senator Hinojosa moves passage to third reading.
• There's always third parties in these suits.
• We consider that scenario unlikely because there will always be third parties as part of the suit.
• The bill is passed to third reading. The bill has passed to third reading.

Summary: The Senate first adopted a motion by Senator Zaffirini to suspend Senate Rule 5.14 and move the intent calendar deadline to 8:00 p.m. that day, also allowing the Secretary to make the calendar available as soon as practicable. The chamber then took up and passed several House bills, often by suspending the regular order and the constitutional three-day rule. HB 2128, relating to a study of rural firefighting and technical rescue capabilities, passed unanimously. HB 4157, on liability protections for commercial spaceflight and exploration, passed 28-3. HB 2240, concerning certain void marriages, passed after adoption of a Birdwell amendment extending filing deadlines to 90 days for certain active-duty service members and Foreign Service officers. HB 367, on verification of excused absences for students with severe or life-threatening illnesses, passed unanimously after clarifying school district forms and TEA model forms. HB 1506, expanding expedited handgun license eligibility to certain retired county court judges, passed 29-2. HB 4449, on alcohol sales in annexed municipal areas, passed 29-2. HB 3812, on health plan prior authorization requirements, passed 30-1. The Senate also announced a long list of bills and resolutions signed in the presence of the Senate. A major portion of the meeting centered on HB 521, a voting-related bill on curbside voting for voters with disabilities. Senator Paxton described it as an anti-misuse measure requiring a signed eligibility form for curbside voting, creating a 20-foot electioneering buffer, limiting election officer assistance in marking ballots unless a second officer is present, and adding reporting requirements for people who assist seven or more curbside voters. Senators Miles, Menendez, Johnson, Campbell, Cook, and others questioned whether the bill would burden disabled voters, create a de facto registry of volunteers, and impose a harsh Class A misdemeanor penalty for failing to complete the form. Paxton said the bill was intended to protect legitimate curbside voters and curb abuse, and the chamber adopted Paxton Floor Amendment No. 1 after a recorded vote. Zaffirini’s Floor Amendment No. 2, allowing an escorting voter to receive his or her own ballot at the curbside or entrance, was adopted. Menendez’s Floor Amendment No. 3 to reduce the penalty failed. The bill was then passed to third reading on a 20-11 vote, with a motion by Senator Miles to have the exchanges reduced to writing and placed in the journal adopted. The Senate also passed HB 3000, creating a grant program for rural ambulance service providers, after a comptroller-related amendment; HB 5616, establishing the Texas Presidential Library Promotion Program and funding for traveling exhibits, after narrowing the bill to mobile exhibits only; HB 4211, addressing certain residential property interests controlled by entities, which passed 30-1; HB 1178, creating temporary educator certificates for out-of-state certified educators and military spouses, which passed unanimously; HB 2243, creating the Texas Commission on Teacher Job Satisfaction and Retention, which passed after debate over the need to streamline education mandates; and HB 42, increasing and reallocating the constitutional Higher Education Fund appropriation by 50% to $1.18 billion, which passed 31-0. Finally, HB 2512, a Fort Worth-specific bill limiting ETJ release for land subject to active development agreements, passed after debate over broader ETJ and de-annexation policy, with a local-only clarifying amendment adopted and a proposed broader amendment withdrawn. The meeting ended with the Senate beginning consideration of HB 3372, which would bar school district administrators from receiving financial benefits tied to outside consulting or contracting with education entities, though the transcript cuts off during questions on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think you haven't been given the party to actually do it, but let me facilitate them.
• Oh, we're up to concerning activity after my third time. business, right?
• Our third request is for the normal information resources.
• It's good for all parties involved. It's very successful so we appreciate that.
• In the 87th legislature, the third special session, We were really at a crisis point.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And what's important to me is if, you know, that third... Most on the Cape.
• And the third item there is technology.
• Twenty-eight percent of them have a disability, and about a third of them are children.
• We're about to onboard our third of those senior psychologist positions.
• We're about to onboard our third of those senior psychologist positions.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing opened with remarks from Senate Chair Robyn Kennedy and House Chair Chynah Tyler, who emphasized that the fiscal year 2026 hearing was focused on the Health and Human Services budget, asked members to keep questions budget-related, and noted that no public testimony would be taken. They also highlighted the choice of Doherty Memorial High School as the venue to showcase Worcester’s investment in career and technical education. Committee members then introduced themselves before the first panel, the Executive Office of Veterans Services and the state veterans homes, began testimony. Secretary John Santiago said the governor’s FY26 proposal would support implementation of the HERO Act, which he said is now about 95% implemented, including higher disabled veteran annuities, expanded behavioral health benefits, and other service expansions. He described efforts to reduce veteran homelessness, including nearly $20 million in ARPA-funded housing and outreach initiatives, and said the agency has delivered more than 100,000 supportive services to nearly 8,500 veterans. Leaders from the Chelsea and Holyoke veterans homes reported on staffing, quality measures, electronic medical records, and major construction projects at both facilities, including a new Chelsea campus and the new Holyoke home. Members asked about funding transfers, geographic equity in access to the homes, outreach to women veterans and veterans of color, suicide prevention, Gold Star family support, and the impact of federal uncertainty; Santiago said the homes are now licensed and certified, that the current budget is sufficient, and that the agency is expanding engagement and data collection. The second panel, the Office of the Veteran Advocate, testified that its FY26 request is about $3.3 million, up from the current $2 million, to cover staffing, a larger office, and higher technology costs. Veteran Advocate Bob Notch said the office is a new independent oversight agency created in 2022 to examine systems, coordinate with local veteran service officers, and investigate fatalities or serious harm involving veterans in state care. He said the office’s work depends on research, data, and collaboration with other agencies, and that current funding is only enough for minimum operations. In response to questions, Notch and Deputy Commissioner David O’Callaghan discussed the difficulty of tracking veteran suicides, the need for better data across agencies, and the office’s role as an oversight body rather than a direct service provider. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:13:22.240> uh and to correct a couple of errors uh and to correct a couple of errors uh
• or the voting records are are in error or the voting records are are in error and<00:15:01.519><
• A third don't see their tax bills change, and a third see their tax bills increase.
• > bills change and a third see their tax bills change and a third see their tax bills increase
• take a two-thirds vote to overturn that. take a two-thirds vote to overturn that.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:09:20.200> if<00:09:20.320> there's<00:09:20.480> any<00:09:20.680> error
• And if there's any error at important.
• And if there's any error at all<00:09:21.880> that<00:09:22.120> the<00:09:22.520> governor
• At the end of the day, everybody in every party is going to go like, "I cracked down on fraud."

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The discussion focused on disability advocacy and the impact of Minnesota’s fraud crackdown on people who rely on home and community-based services. The senator highlighted Lydia Dolly’s testimony about losing services after her provider was placed under a payment withhold, leaving her without care for months and forcing her mother to quit her job. He said her situation illustrates the risk of cutting off services too abruptly and criticized the state’s safe-transitions process as not working well enough. The senator argued that fraud is real and should be aggressively addressed, but said the state’s response has been too haphazard and has harmed innocent clients and legitimate providers. He cited reports of homelessness, possible deaths, and suspended services tied to the crackdown, and said earlier warnings about fraud in child care, PCA, and housing stabilization were not handled thoughtfully. He also referenced recent raids and investigations, saying the administration has been reactive and has not worked closely enough with providers. He described Senate File 2939, the Home Care Stability and Accountability Act, and a broader umbrella bill, Senate File 4222, as bipartisan efforts to add scrutiny, protections, and due process so fraudulent providers can be removed without leaving clients stranded. He also mentioned Senate File 4354, which would modify program integrity requirements, including a new expectation that providers demonstrate they can actually deliver the services they claim. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the conversation, but he expressed optimism that the Legislature could make progress before session ends.

Transcript Highlights:

• so that that's a problem in the Third so that that's a problem in the Third problem<00:26:01.440
• And a third followup. Uh so what said. And a third followup.
• The applicant shall hire a hydrogeologist who has never worked with or been contracted to a third party
• toward the end of this section, we get into mechanical details like qualification of consultants and third-party
• qualification of consultants, third qualification of consultants, third party<04:29:22.239> review

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was a budget error, I would say, but where we went to get our funds that we were funded were not there
• It made the news about these locations that would have these parties, have mushrooms, and all this different
• And then the third one that's listed here is looking for about $1.4 million to resolve prior year deficiencies
• These deficiencies you look At that, we're asking for—they were basically accounting errors, and a lot
• You know, our businesses, they have been without the track now for this is the third go-round for them

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, that's why we have to get the error rate down.
• If we get the error rate down, the state match goes down.
• So we're pushing DHS very hard to get that error rate.
• You're recognized and The error rate is about 11%. What is it currently?
• But I know they're working very hard and extremely Diligently to try to get that error rate down.

Bills: HB4030, HB4031, HB4032, HB4033, HB4034, HB4035, HB4036, HB4037, HB4038, HB4039, HB4040, HB4041, HB4042, HB4043, HB4044, HB4045, HB4046, HB4047, HB4048, HB4049, HB4050, HB4051, HB4052, HB4053, HB4054, HB4056, HB4057, HB4065, HB4067, HB4071, HB4072, SB1144, SB1145, SB1146, SB1147, SB1148, SB1149, SB1156, SB1157, SB1158, SB1159, SB1161, SB1162, SB1163, SB1164, SB1165, SB1166, SB1167, SB1174, SB1175, SB1176

Keywords: education funding, budget appropriations, public schools, teachers' retirement, early childhood education, aeronautics, infrastructure, funding, sustainability, Oklahoma, mining, operator fees, coal production, noncoal mining, department of mines, revenue, state budget, budgetary reform, financial legislation, fiscal accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• And in interviews with seven CDC employees, errors were acknowledged, including that the first COVID
• test was faulty at an error rate of up to 33%.
• in the face of uh errors and suppression of<00:55:58.720> data<00:55:59.280> as<00:55:
• levels and the third one we already<01:04:44.720> started<01:04:45.200> discussing<01:
• Uh but uh on uh third organizations.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The New Hampshire House Special Committee on the COVID Response Efficacy met to continue its fact-finding review of the state’s pandemic response, with the chair restating the committee’s mission and focus on federal guidance, federal funding, emergency use authorization vaccination efforts, long COVID, patient rights, and vaccination policies. The chair said the committee had previously reviewed materials about the U.S. Supreme Court declining to hear a COVID vaccine case and CDC internal emails about vaccine risks, and introduced additional research on CDC testing and communications failures. A large portion of the meeting was devoted to summarizing articles and a recent U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report titled *Unmasked: How Biden Health Officials Purposely Turned a Blind Eye Toward COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signals*. The chair argued that CDC testing and guidance were flawed, citing delayed data publication, confusing guidance, a faulty early COVID test, missed opportunities to study silent spread, and alleged suppression of safety information. The Senate report was described as alleging that FDA and CDC officials knew their surveillance systems could mask vaccine safety signals, that officials discouraged internal analysis from being shared externally, and that newer analytical methods identified multiple statistically significant adverse-event signals. The chair also discussed the V-safe system, VAERS, and claims that federal officials downplayed or concealed adverse-event data. Members and the chair connected these federal issues to New Hampshire, noting changes in the state’s health care landscape since the pandemic, including more urgent care facilities and satellite ERs. The chair suggested New Hampshire should develop independent scientific assessment resources to validate federal information in future emergencies. Representative Wheeler noted that the materials would be entered into the committee record and made available on the House website. No votes were taken; the committee discussed the materials, invited further questions, and indicated that a proposed committee communication would be revisited later after additional supporting information is gathered, with a goal of issuing a statement by the end of June.

Transcript Highlights:

• And third, I will say thank you on behalf of the committee for, I think what we really heard from the
• And third, I will say thank you on behalf of the committee for, I think what we really heard from the
• It was presumed that families would spend about 30% to a third of their income at that point in time
• You also lose, for many people who are in need of a third place, a sense of community.
• This could mean up to $300 million per year in Washington, depending on our payment error rate.

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held a work session on food systems and food security, with no public testimony. The first panel focused on household food security and data. Marie Spiker of the University of Washington explained what food insecurity means, its health impacts, and the importance of reliable measurement, warning that the federal Census food security data is being terminated and that there is no true replacement. She described Washington’s WaFOOD surveys as a useful complement, not a substitute, and noted that they show food insecurity affects households at a range of income levels. Katie Raines of WSDA described the state’s food systems work, the need for shared data and dashboards, and the role of agriculture in both food production and the hunger safety net. Committee members asked about the $2.2 million state food assistance allocation, the scale of the SNAP gap, and how household size, housing costs, and other factors intersect with food insecurity. The committee then heard from Tracy Roof of the University of Richmond on the history of SNAP and its relationship to agriculture. She traced the program from Depression-era commodity distribution through the modern farm bill, emphasizing that food assistance has long functioned both as anti-hunger policy and as an agricultural and economic stabilizer. She highlighted how SNAP expands during recessions, supports retailers and farmers, and has become more important since the Great Recession because participation stayed high even as the economy recovered. Roof also noted that Washington has relatively high SNAP participation and low payment error rates, but that recent federal changes could reduce eligibility and shift more costs to states. Members asked how Washington compares to other states and why the program is structured as it is. A later panel featured the Washington State Food Policy Forum and a joint systems presentation from the Washington Farm Bureau, Washington Retail Association, and Washington Food Industry Association. The Food Policy Forum described its consensus-based recommendations on food insecurity, climate and water, regional food infrastructure, farmland protection, and farm viability, including more support for producer purchasing, water planning, and farmland conservation. The industry groups presented a systems map showing how agriculture, processing, retail, and transportation are interconnected, and argued that rising costs, regulations, labor and fuel expenses, retail theft, and thin margins make it harder to keep farms and stores viable. They said food security depends on store viability and local agricultural profitability, and promised to provide a more detailed list of policy recommendations. The final panel included state agency staff from DSHS, DOH, and WSDA. Bryce Montgomery said the Basic Food program serves about 920,000 Washingtonians monthly and warned that H.R. 1 could require Washington to pay up to 15% of SNAP benefits, broaden work requirements, and restrict immigrant eligibility. Karen Mullen described DOH nutrition programs, including WIC, farmers market nutrition benefits, fruit and vegetable incentives, and a fruit-and-vegetable prescription program, while noting funding instability and the end of SNAP-Ed. WSDA’s Katie Raines began describing ongoing food assistance and farmer support challenges, including farmer mental health and the need to address food insecurity across both producers and consumers.

Transcript Highlights:

• parties concerned. parties concerned. >> Thank<00:25:54.960> you.
• Basically, it's a certification that you it's a third-party certification to do that work and you don't
• 27.920> it's<04:00:28.160> a certification that you it's a certification that you it's a third-party
• 28.960> certification<04:00:29.760> to<04:00:30.000> do<04:00:30.160> that third-party
• certification to do that third-party certification to do that work<04:00:31.120> and<04:00:31.439

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• relating to providing notice of a vehicle towed to a vehicle storage facility by publication on a third-party
• relating to providing notice of a vehicle towed to a vehicle storage facility by publication on a third-party
• that with TWIA because it is a state organization, and the other insurance companies are actually third-party
• Senate Bill 1151 by Blanco relating to an insurer's responsibility to review and audit a third-party
• Bill 1151 modernizes the outdated insurance regulations by removing the requirement that audits for third-party

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, offered an invocation, led the pledges, and approved a series of routine motions, including excusing absent members and granting permission for several committees to meet while the House was in session. Members also adopted several memorial and recognition resolutions, including H.R. 1023 honoring Christian Beerbill, H.R. 1033 recognizing International Bereaved Mother’s Day, and H.R. 877 recognizing Urban League Advocates Day. The House also recommitted SB 17 and HB 4211 to committee and postponed SCR 27 and HB 2145 for later consideration. The chamber then took up a long third-reading calendar of bills covering a wide range of topics, including Sunset review measures, health care workforce and pricing, child custody and family law, Medicaid, rural ambulance grants, energy reporting, public information requests, trail development, virtual meeting disruptions, occupational licensing, protective orders, county leave pools, animal cruelty, infrastructure, and higher education. Most bills were explained briefly by their authors and passed with broad support, though several drew notable opposition, including HB 5265, HB 2402, HB 3000, HB 3237, HB 3326, HB 1056, HB 281, HB 3308, HB 1043, HB 1234, HB 1193, HB 294, HB 809, HB 334, HB 2037, HB 285, HB 1353, HB 3960, HB 4044, HB 4264, HB 2807, HB 3349, HB 4406, HB 1593, HB 1899, HB 1201, and others. Several bills prompted extended debate or amendments. HB 3237, extending public energy-use reporting for state and higher-education buildings, passed after questions about its public-sector-only scope and energy savings. HB 3326, addressing public service loan forgiveness credit for adjunct professors, initially failed on a 69-70 vote but later passed after verification and machine corrections. HB 3211, concerning optometrists in managed care plans, adopted a Buckley amendment before passing. HB 2213 on Texas Windstorm Insurance Association board composition adopted a Metcalf amendment requiring certain board members to be Texas residents. HB 412, dealing with harmful materials and sexual performance of a child, generated extensive questioning about its scope, existing legal standards, and effects on educators and medical professionals; the excerpt ends during that debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Third, the bill restricts workforce participation.
• Third, the bill restricts workforce participation.
• That's one-third of California's landmass. These are huge areas.
• several times about what happened in my county when folks were at a mass shooting and it was a birthday party
• It was just faulty, also with some operator error.

Summary: The committee heard several bills related to public safety, emergency response, wildfire prevention, and environmental protection. AB 2152 by Assembly Member Mark Gonzalez would streamline CEQA litigation for new fire station projects and add best-practice requirements; supporters, including firefighters, said it would help communities and firefighter safety, while opponents argued the project labor agreement requirements would raise costs and limit participation for small and nonunion contractors. The bill passed to Appropriations. AB 2041 by Assembly Member Carrillo would expand reporting related to 911 dispatcher pre-arrival medical instructions; after amendments and stakeholder agreement, opposition groups said they would remove their opposition, and the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 2101 by Assembly Member Gipson would require human trafficking notices and training at disaster sites and for disaster response workers; supporters said it would protect vulnerable workers, while broadband, city, and county representatives raised implementation concerns, especially in rural disaster areas. It passed to Appropriations despite a no vote from Vice Chair Hadwick. The committee also considered AB 1805, which would require an audit and stronger oversight of the state’s Next Generation 911 project after concerns about major spending and delays. CalNENA supported the bill’s transparency and accountability provisions, and the measure passed to Appropriations. AB 1536 by Assembly Member Addis would tighten safety and public review requirements for offshore oil pipeline restarts and require decommissioning of certain spill-prone pipelines; environmental and coastal government groups supported it, while the Western States Petroleum Association warned it would threaten fuel supply and pipeline operations. The bill passed to Appropriations on a divided vote. AB 1964 would direct the State Fire Marshal to survey home hardening in fire-prone areas and estimate costs; it passed to Appropriations with broad support. AB 1960, also by Assembly Member Bennett, would use a portion of wildfire prevention grants to encourage community-level home hardening certification. The author said the bill would create incentives and broader public awareness, while the vice chair argued it would favor communities that can already afford hardening and divert resources from higher-need areas; the bill still passed to Appropriations. AB 1863 by Assembly Member DeMaio would clarify that people cannot be charged simply for calling 911 or when no services are rendered, while preserving fees for actual services and allowing billing for legitimate emergency response costs; it passed to the Assembly floor. The committee also took up consent item AB 2517, which passed to Appropriations. After add-on votes for absent members, the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• say to you, in all candor, it was about a year and a half ago when we found there was some glaring errors
• And then only on a motion of the board, by two-thirds of the board, can we take an anonymous complaint
• But— Of two-thirds of the board, can we take an anonymous complaint and begin an investigation?
• committee is House Bill 1217 by Representative Eccles relative to pharmacy benefit managers, insurers, and third-party

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Welfare met on April 23 and first disposed of several items without hearing them, including HB 1093 and HB 1145, and voluntarily deferring HB 946. The committee then quickly reported HB 1095 favorably without objection. That bill would require nursing facilities to have fuel or another alternative power generation source to maintain power, and supporters said it preserves existing backup-power safety requirements while giving facilities more flexibility as technology changes. The committee then took up HB 926, which concerns vaccination status and admission to public buildings and seeks to prohibit medical mandates. After adopting an amendment set and additional changes clarifying exclusions for licensed health care providers and facilities, medical masks, and child welfare/school-related provisions, the committee heard testimony both for and against the bill. Supporters framed it as a civil-liberties measure limiting vaccine-card requirements for public buildings, while opponents warned it could interfere with public health measures, school immunization rules, and the ability of health care facilities to protect patients. The bill was reported favorably on an 8-4 vote. HB 1220, a cleanup bill for the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, was then reported favorably after a technical amendment set. HB 1227, which would require complaints involving medical judgment to be reviewed by a three-physician panel before formal disciplinary action, drew extensive testimony from a physician sponsor, a doctor describing his disciplinary experience, and the board’s executive director, who said the board already uses practicing physicians, nurses, and experts in its process and warned the proposed panel system could be impractical because physicians are difficult to recruit for such reviews. At the sponsor’s request, the committee voluntarily deferred HB 1227 for further work. Finally, the committee reported HB 1217 favorably with amendments to a pharmacy benefit manager transparency bill, after supporters said it would expose hidden pricing and rebate practices and opponents argued some provisions were duplicative or unnecessary. HB 1028, setting minimum Medicaid reimbursement rates for non-emergency medical transportation, was reported favorably and referred to Appropriations after supporters described the need for higher rates and members discussed funding. The committee also reported HB 1185 favorably, with amendments preserving the existing Rural Hospital Preservation Act while extending similar protections to additional rural-lookalike hospitals, and adopted HCR 76 to continue the Health Inequities and Disparities in Rural Areas Task Force for another year.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then as we move on, it gets down to the third section, or third change, dealing with the violation of
• <01:41:22.159> section<01:41:22.639> or<01:41:22.880> third<01:41:23.360> uh<
• /c><01:41:23.760> change<01:41:24.880> uh third section or third uh change uh third section
• One, the local governing body shall hold a public hearing at which all interested parties are afforded
• hearing at which all interested parties hearing at which all interested parties are<04:10:34.720

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The meeting included a Senate recognition ceremony honoring the Winona High School boys basketball team for winning the 2026 Alabama High School Athletic Association 5A state championship. A resolution was read commending the team for its 101-40 victory over Silicag, noting the team’s record-setting performance, Brendan Davis’s MVP honor, the contributions of other players, and Coach Cedric Lane’s leadership. Senators and the lieutenant governor praised the players’ sportsmanship, the school community, and the team’s historic season, and copies of the resolution were presented to the team, coaches, and administrators. Several guests and school representatives also spoke briefly, including the coach and principal, who thanked the Senate and noted the team’s success and the principal’s retirement after 35 years. After the recognition, the Senate returned to session and adopted the Committee on Rules report setting the special order calendar. The calendar included Senate Bill 99 on the Ten Commandments, Senate Bill 298 on Class 3 municipalities, House Bill 381 on camp safety, Senate Bill 370 on tax increment districts, Senate Bill 363 on the Department of Economic and Community Affairs, House Bill 466 on firefighters, House Bill 95 on elections, House Bill 259 on stablecoin, and Senate Bill 342 on education. The chamber then took up SB 99, sponsored by Senators Kelly and Sessions. Senator Kelly described the bill as requiring local school boards to display the Ten Commandments, together with founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Alabama Constitution preamble, in certain history classrooms and common areas for grades five through 12, using donated displays and funds when available. He said the bill was intended as a historical and educational measure, not religious instruction, and emphasized the inclusion of a disclaimer stating Alabama is not establishing a religion. After extended debate and a petition to close debate from the Rules Committee, the Senate voted on the bill by long roll and passed SB 99, with the recorded vote announced as 30 yeas and 4 nays.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Chair will alternate recognition between the parties, with time equally allocated between the parties
• These are not clerical errors.
• These are not clerical errors.
• These are not clerical errors. giving. These are not clerical errors.
• Speaker. party. The last thing that we need is a party.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Third parties, some public, some private, are essential to delivery of projects like high-speed rail
• Every month we let third-party permitting drag on, taxpayers lose millions of dollars.
• Every month we let third-party permitting drag on, taxpayers lose millions of dollars, and Californians
• These include... ...need legislation to improve relations and timelines with third parties.
• Authorizing the High-Speed Rail Authority to adopt regulations to govern the third-party process should

Summary: The committee first took up SB 712, which would expand California’s smog-check exemption for classic vehicles by adding model years 1976 through 1986 in phases, with a sunset in 2032. The author and supporters, including lowrider advocates and the Specialty Equipment Market Association, argued the bill would preserve car culture, support a small class of rarely driven collector vehicles, and reduce burdens on owners who struggle to find equipment for older smog tests. Opponents, including air district officials, the American Lung Association, and other environmental groups, warned the bill would weaken an important emissions-control program and increase pollution. After discussion, the committee adopted the motion to do pass as amended to Appropriations on a roll call vote of 10-0, with the roll held open for additional votes. The committee then heard SB 800, which requires Caltrans, working with local governments, to assess mitigation measures for suicide prevention on locally owned overpasses crossing state highways. The bill was presented as a response to recent tragedies in Rancho Cucamonga and was supported by local officials, health organizations, and suicide-prevention advocates, who said the measure would help identify high-risk locations and lead to life-saving interventions. There was no registered opposition. The committee members expressed support, and SB 800 was passed to Appropriations on a unanimous roll call vote, with the roll held open. Next, the committee considered SB 30, which would prohibit California public entities from selling, donating, or transferring decommissioned diesel locomotives and railroad equipment with Tier 1 or older engines unless the engine is removed, while allowing Tier 2 and newer transfers under certain conditions. The author and supporters framed the bill as a climate and public-health measure to prevent older, dirtier locomotives from continuing to pollute elsewhere, while transit agencies opposed it, arguing it could limit useful transfers of equipment that still supports passenger service and could be better handled through case-by-case air-quality review. After debate, the committee voted 6-4 to pass SB 30 as amended to Appropriations, with the roll held open for later additions. The committee also heard SB 791, which replaces the flat dealer document processing charge cap with a 1% fee capped at $350, along with new disclosure requirements. Dealers and industry groups supported the bill as a way to recover costs and improve transparency, while consumer advocates opposed it as an unjustified increase that would burden buyers. The committee approved SB 791 on a 8-? roll call vote and held the roll open. The meeting then moved on to SB 34, a port-air-quality bill presented by Senator Richardson, but the transcript ends during testimony and debate on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are these a little over a third.
• I could be, you know, in error in my memory, but that's what I remember.
• And uh, you want to introduce your third member of your group here since she's listed.
• Chair, would you indulge one party comment from me? All right.
• Chair, would you indulge one party Mr.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it a third? Is it $5 million, $4 million, something around there? Yeah, I was doing the math.
• How does such an important system required by our nation's Constitution result in such errors each decade
• They added that members of the Republican Party had said those guardrails were benefiting the Democratic
• Party more, and that they needed to get rid of them.
• I said there was a third question—that's just awesome. Okay, good. Um, Senator? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on the Census held an early planning hearing on how Massachusetts can maximize participation in the 2030 census, with Chair Will Brownsberger and Vice Chair Rebecca Rausch emphasizing the need to start well in advance. The first panel, made up of leaders from the Massachusetts Voter Table, MassVOTE, MIRA, and MESA, stressed that grassroots community organizations are trusted messengers and should be funded early to do multilingual outreach, training, and direct assistance in hard-to-count communities. They described lessons from 2020, including the shift to internet response, reduced federal census infrastructure, the importance of coordinated statewide networks, and the need to begin messaging several years before Census Day because building trust and staffing outreach takes time. Panelists repeatedly warned that immigrant communities are facing heightened fear because of federal immigration enforcement and the possibility of a citizenship question or other federal changes, making census participation more difficult. They said 2020 funding arrived too late to fully staff and train outreach teams before the pandemic, and argued that future resources should be deployed earlier and more flexibly. In response to committee questions, they estimated Massachusetts should invest roughly $8 million to $10 million or more in state census outreach, with one proposed model of about $3 million to $5 million at the start, additional funding in the middle years, and a larger final push closer to 2030. They also suggested that funding should support communications infrastructure, translation, social media and ethnic media outreach, and possibly a permanent complete count structure or trust fund to preserve institutional knowledge. A second panel from Common Cause Massachusetts and the ACLU of Massachusetts echoed the call for stronger, earlier investment and stronger privacy protections. They urged the legislature to expand existing census line items, consider a trust fund or other dedicated funding stream, and coordinate census outreach with other state programs that already work through trusted community messengers. The ACLU testimony focused on racial inequities in census counts and warned that federal efforts to exclude non-citizens or add a citizenship question would deepen distrust and undercount immigrant communities. Committee members asked about the 2020 overcount/undercount results, funding levels, timing of grant distribution, and whether census outreach should be routed through the Secretary of the Commonwealth or other state mechanisms; no votes were taken, and the hearing moved on to a later panel on immigrant-community outreach.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then our local resource and referral agency is posting third-party ELOP options for parents, and
• what is the estimated magnitude of student services for ELOP on third-party sites?
• CDE collects that third-party information from LEAs, including the information and contact information
• party.
• about 1,490 to respond, so a pretty robust reporting response. 328 LEAs reported partnership with a third-party

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance heard testimony and took up three main budget areas: the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), differentiated assistance and the statewide system of support, and universal school meals with kitchen infrastructure grants. Public commenters and agency witnesses generally supported continued or increased funding for ELOP, with several groups urging stabilization of Tier 2 rates, more support for older youth, and preservation of equity guardrails and local flexibility. On school meals and kitchen infrastructure, testimony broadly supported universal meals and additional kitchen funding, while the LAO questioned the need for a fourth round of kitchen grants and recommended rejecting it until clearer unmet-need data are available. For ELOP, the Department of Finance described the Governor’s proposal to provide $4.7 billion ongoing for the program and $62.4 million ongoing to set a minimum Tier 2 rate of $1,800 per pupil. The LAO recommended instead fixing the Tier 2 rate at $1,579 and tying future changes to program requirements. CDE said the program is showing positive results in attendance and math, but data on enrollment patterns, TK participation, and some overlap with other programs are still being collected. Members raised concerns about possible double-funding with ACEs and 21st Century programs, the lack of site-specific data, and whether the current structure best targets students most in need; the issue was left open. For differentiated assistance, CCEE outlined the current statewide system of support and the Governor’s proposal to shift to universal and targeted assistance with a three-year cycle. Finance said the proposal would provide more stable county office funding, broaden universal supports, and give the State Board more flexibility to revise eligibility criteria; it also proposed $131.9 million ongoing for universal and targeted assistance. The LAO objected to changing the system before the State Board finalizes the new performance criteria and recommended revisiting the proposal later, while several members worried that a three-year entry window and broader board authority could weaken subgroup-based equity protections. The committee also discussed school meal funding, with Finance proposing $1.8 billion for universal meals and $100 million ongoing plus $100 million one-time for kitchen infrastructure, while CDE emphasized ongoing needs, deferred maintenance, and the importance of flexibility for innovative strategies such as food pantries. The committee held the issues open and invited additional public comment before moving on.