Transcript Highlights:

• No judgment, no frustration, just practice. Then there's the monkey mind.
• Meditation<00:01:46.240> practice.
• Label it and return Meditation practice.
• judgment, no frustration, just practice. judgment, no frustration, just practice.
• We practice it. We accept So we do this. We practice it.

Keywords: House streaming session for Friday, February 13, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House convened with 125 members present, heard a prayer and opening remarks, and then proceeded through the journal, committee assignments, and several consent calendars. Introductory House Bills 1358 through 1585 were read the first time and referred to the appropriate committees, along with bond initiatives 34 through 37 and Senate Bill 14. House Bill 1215 was later reassigned to Appropriations. The House also recorded quorum calls showing 129 and later 131 members present. On third reading and final passage, House Bill 28, concerning higher education and private career schools advertising, passed 128-0. House Bill 226, establishing Department of Disabilities housing programs and affiliated foundations, passed 122-6. House Bill 229, increasing the Maryland Transportation Authority revenue bond limit, passed 96-33. No debate was recorded on these bills before the roll calls. The remainder of the session consisted largely of committee, subcommittee, delegation, caucus, and personal announcements. Committees announced upcoming voting sessions or cancellations, including Appropriations, Economic Matters, Environment and Transportation, Health, Judiciary, Ways and Means, and Rules. Members also made numerous recognitions and invitations, including a briefing on the Patuxent River sewer interceptor breakage, district nights, a Tourism Day lunch, and several birthday and family announcements. The protocol chair led a Valentine’s Day recognition of House staff, and the House then recessed until Monday, February 16 at 8:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, I'd like to continue the practice of reserving questions until the end of each testimony.
• This is a mutually beneficial solution to provide those practical hours while they can.
• And hopefully, we learn what best practices are.
• This legitimizes that and makes the law consistent with existing practice.
• So there may be guardrails and good practices... This is in place in San Antonio now.

Bills: HB386, HB1449, HB1701, HB2142, HB2675, HB2857, HB3063, HB3171, HB3641, HB3732, HB4045, HB4370, HB4491, HB4505, HB4626, HB5267, HB5356

Keywords: construction contracts, change orders, local government, budget limits, Texas legislation, HB 1449, mobile food vendors, food trucks, mobile food service establishments, permits, county health permit, municipal permitting, Health and Safety Code Chapter 437A, Chapter 437, inspection agreements, permit reciprocity, fee cap, preemption, large counties, population over one million

Transcript Highlights:

• program would not only make Minnesota's roads safer but would also help cut this discriminatory practice
• alleviate the widespread discrimination imposed by insurance companies whose premiums are set by practices
• It's no surprise that these biased practices negatively impact low-income Minnesotans who are being priced
• practice towards our lowincome<00:03:42.120> residents<00:03:43.120> people<00:03:43.439
• <00:04:45.919> that<00:04:46.080> have set by practices that have set by practices

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the past several years in practicing law, I’ve seen occasions where individuals who are on Medicare
• As I saw this happening in my practice, I thought, well, this is just wrong.
• I'm an attorney in private practice in Mobile, Alabama. However, I have clients across the state.
• I have a diverse practice.
• The problem comes in with how it plays out, at least not in my practice.

Bills: SB210, SB225, HB280, HB287, HB94, HB88, SB157, HB7, HB8, HB42

Keywords: hospital liens, medical billing, government healthcare, insurance claims, patient rights, blood tests, DUI, law enforcement, traffic offenses, chemical analysis, public nuisance, event liability, local government, community health, legal action, transparency, reporting, public safety, regulation, accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• It's actually taking advantage of an existing practice that's already used and has been debated over
• It's actually taking advantage of an existing practice.
• It's already used that's been debated over years, you know, to protect. existing practice.
• new innovative stewardship practices and technologies.
• You must have practice. Whenever you're ready. Thank you. Good afternoon, Mr.

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of natural resources and related bills, with several measures taken up as the committee reached quorum and many others moving on consent or with due-pass recommendations. Early items included AB 80 on carpet recycling, AB 452 creating a local process for state surf reserves, and AB 823 restricting microplastics in personal care and cleaning products. AB 80 drew broad support from recycling, labor, and environmental groups and was described as a follow-up to earlier carpet recycling reforms. AB 452 was backed by surf, tourism, environmental, and local government interests as a voluntary, community-driven way to recognize and protect surf breaks. AB 823 generated the most extensive debate, with supporters citing public health and environmental harms from microplastics and opponents warning the bill’s language could sweep in products such as sunscreens, cosmetics, and fragrance-encapsulation materials; the committee discussed possible ambiguity and EU comparisons before voting the bill out on a due-pass-as-amended basis to Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials. The committee also advanced AB 1046, which would create a narrow exemption from SB 1383 organic-waste requirements for certain crop preparers and tree nut processors that do not send organic waste to landfills. Agricultural witnesses said the bill would clarify that their operations already reuse byproducts and should not face duplicative reporting, and the measure passed with support from agricultural and rural county representatives. AB 252, the “Stop Laying Off Firefighters Act,” proposed year-round Cal Fire staffing; the author and Cal Fire supporters argued that wildfire conditions are now year-round and that maintaining trained crews would improve response and prevention, and the bill was sent to Appropriations. AB 571, a targeted CEQA exemption for the Southern California Veterans Cemetery in Anaheim, drew strong bipartisan and veterans’ support and also passed out. Later, the committee approved AB 1455, which would authorize emergency rulemaking and streamline future updates for ember-resistant building regulations after recent wildfire emergencies, and AB 687, which would let public agencies use forest-practice rules and timber-harvest plans for certain publicly funded fuel-reduction projects; AB 687 drew some opposition over scope and enforceability concerns but was still advanced. The committee also moved AB 652, allowing alternate members on the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District board to prevent quorum problems, and AB 317, a first-time homebuyer housing bill that would exempt certain small, lower-cost homes from CEQA and defer some property taxes; AB 317 prompted discussion about guardrails to avoid unintended use on larger subdivisions. Finally, AB 900, requiring the Natural Resources Agency to develop a stewardship plan for 30-by-30 lands, was heard with broad support from land trusts and conservation groups and advanced on a due-pass recommendation, and AB 738, a wildfire-rebuild bill easing solar requirements for certain disaster survivors, was introduced and discussed with questions about its narrow scope and the number of homes affected.

Transcript Highlights:

• Further, third-party suppliers' problematic practices are put on display at local grocery stores in our
• So marketing practices, that is basically how you have sales.
• Are you aware how many Chapter 93A unfair and deceptive business practice lawsuits have been brought
• These companies routinely deploy unethical practices.
• It seems that that appears to be a targeted practice, very specific in its purpose.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several energy-related bills, with the main focus on H. 3534/S. 2255, which would ban or sharply restrict residential third-party electric suppliers, and on related reform proposals. Supporters included the Attorney General’s office, municipal and regional planning officials, environmental justice groups, consumer advocates, and city officials from Boston and Chelsea. They argued that the residential competitive supply market has produced higher bills, deceptive sales tactics, auto-renewals into higher rates, and disproportionate harm to low-income residents, seniors, communities of color, and people with limited English. Witnesses cited AG reports estimating hundreds of millions of dollars in overcharges over time, described door-to-door and storefront marketing abuses, and said municipal aggregation programs have saved residents money while offering more stable rates. Several supporters said the Legislature should either ban residential competitive supply or adopt strong guardrails such as ending automatic renewals, banning incentive-based commissions, and capping rates relative to basic service. Opponents or industry representatives from the Retail Energy Advancement League, Vistra, and Constellation argued that the market can provide savings, longer-term price stability, and value-added products such as renewable options and time-of-use offerings. They said Massachusetts has already improved consumer protections through DPU proceedings, that complaints are relatively few compared with the size of the market, and that a ban would eliminate consumer choice. They also defended direct sales and commissions as normal features of a retail market, while saying they would support additional protections, licensing, bonding, and stronger oversight of bad actors. Committee members pressed both sides on whether the market truly saves money, whether automatic renewals should be banned, and whether the AG’s proposed reforms would be enough. The committee also heard testimony on H. 3972, a bill to extend utility shutoff protections during extreme heat, with Rep. Mindy Domb arguing that Massachusetts should treat extreme heat like extreme cold and protect customers facing financial hardship. Rep. Barrett also testified for H. 3450, a municipal broadband/right-of-way bill, arguing that communities need easier and cheaper access to utility poles and public rights of way to build municipal broadband. In addition, Senate Majority Leader Creem testified for S. 2239, which would bar utilities from recovering ratepayer funds for lobbying, promotions, trade association dues, and similar expenses. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• <02:09:52.400> the administrators shall practice the administrators shall practice the principles
• <02:09:57.360> the there we had previously practice the there we had previously practice the
• teachers that are supposed to practice teachers that are supposed to practice these<02:10:49.840
• So there it's a you shall also practice.
• I just will practice its principles.

Keywords: 10:00am HB 1260 11:00am HB 1574 12:00pm HB 1816 2:30pm HB 1499 2:45pm HB 1709, 928, house, all

Summary: The conference committee first met on HB 1260, a bill requested by municipal clerks to allow certain divorce-related records to be kept confidential. House members argued the Senate amendment would reverse the presumption of openness established in the Keene Sentinel case and raise constitutional issues under the state constitution’s privacy and open-government provisions. Senate members responded that the 2018 privacy amendment, the limited scope of the proposal, and modern internet risks justified the change, but the House maintained the issue needed a full hearing in a separate bill. The committee ultimately voted unanimously for the Senate to recede and adopt the House version, preserving the underlying bill without the Senate amendment, and both sides said they would revisit the topic in a future session. The committee then took up HB 1574, which extends free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch programs and provides funding for SNAP administrative costs. The main dispute was the Senate’s addition of $4.4 million for SNAP administration, which DHHS said was needed because federal law would shift more administrative costs to the state and could increase the state’s SNAP error rate, potentially triggering much larger future penalties. DHHS officials reported the current error rate was 7.57% for federal fiscal year 2024, below the national average, and estimated that if the rate rose above 8%, the state could owe about 10% of SNAP benefits, or roughly $12 million for a partial year and nearly $16 million for a full year. Some House members supported the added funding as a preventive measure, while others objected that the underlying bill was modest and the amendment resembled a previously rejected proposal. The discussion ended with the committee moving toward the House position and the bill’s future depending on the chamber’s vote on the Senate amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• But here's the practical.
• Now that's the authority we're given to pharmacists, but here's the practical.
• They still have to practice in accordance with their license. All right.
• The inspections are to check and make sure that the dealers are following best practices.
• We agree that there should be a best-practices approach.

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:15:08.240> program<00:15:08.720> integrity<00:15:09.279> review practices,
• program integrity review practices, program integrity review processes<00:15:10.880> across<00
• But the work that they can do in breaking down the silos and preventing fraud and sharing best practices
• But the work that they can do in breaking down the silos and preventing fraud and sharing best practices
• People to share data and develop best practices together.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a tool that assesses organizations' disability inclusion practices in areas such as culture,
• So we discuss that in our hiring practices, our promotions, opportunities for individuals... ...because
• We want to advocate and promote communication and attitudes of best practices as we develop these modules
• So we also, as an ELG, try to bring more allyship practices and to ensure that individuals who don't
• Another item that they could help us with is leveraging national and state comparative data, best-practice

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities subcommittee on Disability Employment approved the prior meeting minutes, welcomed new commission member Victoria Gill, and heard an opening quote on leadership before moving to presentations and planning. The main presentation was from Kristen Grip and Katie McCarthy of Boston Children’s Hospital’s Disability Alliance employee-led group, which described its mission to build an inclusive workplace through education, community-building, and advocacy. They discussed monthly disability-awareness programming, intersectional events, accommodation and accessibility efforts, internal ableism, universal design, and BCH’s recognition in the 2025 Disability Equality Index. They also described their own lived experience and emphasized that employees with disabilities should lead disability-related workplace efforts. Committee members asked how to start a disability employee resource group and what external partnerships might help. The presenters said BCH’s HR diversity team helped launch the group over about a year, and members noted related resources, including a Work Without Limits guide and possible connections with Spalding Rehabilitation and other hospitals. The committee also discussed BCH’s continued support for disability inclusion work despite broader political pressure, and members praised the hospital’s efforts and offered to share additional contacts and resources. The subcommittee then turned to possible collaboration with SEED, the State Exchange on Employment and Disability, on Massachusetts as a model employer and benefit cliff analysis work. Members agreed SEED could help with policy framing, comparative data, stakeholder education, and youth disability employment efforts, and they approved inviting SEED to brief the subcommittee in January or February. The group also discussed possible links to CAPE-Youth, Commonwealth HR and DEI offices, and a future partnership with the Office of the Veterans Advocate. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was seconded and approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• The commission is responsible for protecting fair employment practices by maintaining due process for
• I've spent a lot of my practice in front of civil service commissions, and I was thinking this morning
• As you know, a civil service commission is intended to ensure fair employment practices, and one of the
• consider having a study so that the Texas Commission on Jail Standards can really give some best practices
• those minimum jail standards, the minimum that is set in place and being able to recommend best practices

Transcript Highlights:

• So, uh, if they are licensed to practice whatever they are practicing or registered in the state, then
• So, uh, if they are licensed to practice whatever they are practicing or registered in the state, then
• So, uh, if they are licensed to practice whatever they are practicing or registered in the state, then
• Um, regarding data practices, can you give me a context of where this data practice reference would fall
• Our perspective will help practice.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• System contracting and procurement practices and processes shall be transparent, fair, and consistent
• System contracting and procurement practices and processes shall be transparent, fair, and consistent
• System contracting and procurement practices and processes shall be transparent, fair, and consistent
• System contracting and procurement practices and processes shall be transparent, fair, and consistent
• provided we chose to provide practices provided we chose to provide practices that<01:31:57.320>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, for practice. The Vice Chairman: yes. The clerk: yes. Representative Pearson: yes.
• the uh Vice chairman L yes the practice the uh Vice chairman L yes the clerk<02:03:30.119> FKS
• under the general RSA for the practice under the general RSA for the oplc<03:18:54.439> but<03
• The other thing is that this bill, just a reminder, it's a privilege-to-practice model, so that it is
• With that, my question would be if the going from a privilege-to-practice compact to one where you're

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused on House Bill 610, which would fold the Office of the Consumer Advocate into the Department of Energy rather than fully eliminate consumer advocacy functions. The prime sponsor argued the current office is small, funded by a special assessment on ratepayers, and duplicative of DOE work. He said moving the function to DOE would streamline energy policy review, reduce bureaucracy, and better focus the larger agency on lowering residential energy costs. He also disputed claims that the Consumer Advocate is independent, saying the office is appointed through a political process similar to DOE leadership. Committee members and the sponsor discussed whether the bill would actually relocate existing positions or replace them, and whether the Department of Energy would absorb the cost of the transferred staff. The sponsor said the fiscal note shows roughly a million-dollar reduction in both revenue assessment and spending, and that the bill would effectively reduce the office from five positions to three. He also defended his cost estimates for energy-code-related housing impacts and said the Consumer Advocate has sometimes supported policies he считает increase costs, such as energy-efficiency measures and building code changes. He argued the office should focus more on energy supply and generation, including natural gas and nuclear, rather than efficiency alone. Representative Wendy Thomas testified in opposition, saying the Consumer Advocate is an important, fair, and impartial voice for ratepayers and warning that the bill was fiscally irresponsible because the incumbent could still be owed salary and benefits if the office were repealed. She also said the bill’s drafting was confusing and that the Consumer Advocate’s role is to push back on utilities on behalf of consumers. Other members raised questions about whether the DOE would simply inherit the same political appointment structure and whether the bill would meaningfully lower bills. No vote was taken in the excerpt; the chair indicated additional testimony would follow, and the Department of Energy was present to answer questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• their faith or not practice their faith.
• People's ability to practice their faith or not practice their faith.
• state has a long history, and this body has had a long history of respecting people's ability to practice
• their faith or not practice their faith.
• People's ability to practice their faith or not practice their faith.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the journal, recognized the Doctor of the Day, and welcomed several guest groups and visitors in the gallery. Members also offered personal privilege remarks introducing guests and marking birthdays and other occasions. The chamber then took up third-reading votes on Senate bills 1126, 1252, and 1479, all of which passed and were transmitted onward. The House then resolved into Committee of the Whole to consider multiple Senate bills. SB 1099, dealing with defamation and online publication, drew debate over free speech and press protections; opponents argued it would narrow speech rights, while supporters said it distinguished criticism from defamation. SB 1107, SB 1148, SB 1294, and SB 1366 were each recommended do pass with little or no debate. The Committee also considered SB 1237 on the election procedures manual, with supporters saying the Secretary of State should consult legislative committees and opponents calling it overreach; SB 1243 on notice to guardians when patients are released from court-ordered treatment, with supporters citing patient safety and opponents warning it could weaken guardianship reforms; and SB 1281 on reporting federal land acquisitions, which drew a sharp exchange over property rights, federal overreach, and conservation concerns. Later, the Committee considered SB 1586 and SB 1741. SB 1741, which would allow students to be excused for off-campus religious instruction and receive academic credit, prompted debate over free exercise rights, public-school neutrality, and whether charter and district schools should be required to accommodate release-time religious programs. After the Committee rose, the House adopted the Committee of the Whole report, placing SB 1237, SB 1243, SB 1281, SB 1586, and SB 1741 on third reading. The House then heard additional personal remarks and adjourned until Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's just a matter of the practice in this committee.
• That's just the practice of this committee. I appreciate you pointing that out.
• a $5,000 credit may not be the decision-maker for someone contemplating whether they're going to practice
• and upholding the practice of tabling bills that have a fiscal impact in this committee.
• But with this being said, this tabling practice is not one that's set up just for sometimes.

Bills: HB248, HB309, HB332, SB48

Keywords: general obligation bonds, GO bonds, capital projects, bond election, property tax levy, state debt, state finance, capital outlay, senior centers, senior citizen facilities, aging services, long-term services, libraries, library acquisitions, broadband for libraries, higher education, university capital projects, community colleges, tribal schools, special schools

Transcript Highlights:

• be made for the board to properly administer the compact here and to respond to applications to practice
• They'd be practicing under what's a compact privilege.
• So the final bill, 25.136.01,000, relates to our LC 25.136.01.000 relates to the scope of practice for
• the prescriptive authority that's set forth in subsections two through six may be implemented in practice
• So this is allowing a pharmacist whose practice is physically located in this state to substitute a drug

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee reviewed four bill drafts for the Rural Health Transformation effort. The first required the presidential physical fitness test in PE classes; members asked about DPI and school support, then moved and approved the draft. The second required physicians to complete one hour of continuing education on nutrition and metabolic health each renewal cycle and included legislative intent encouraging other health boards to consider nutrition-related CE; it was approved after brief discussion. The third bill adopted the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact. Members discussed a separate issue involving occupational therapy compact background checks and whether that fix could be added now or would need to wait until later; the committee also discussed Board of Medicine input and the compact’s workforce benefits. The draft was moved forward to the full committee. The fourth bill expanded pharmacists’ prescriptive authority and therapeutic substitution. Legislative Council explained the draft, and Senator Roars proposed substantial amendments to narrow motion sickness, UTI, diabetes supply, and substitution provisions. Members debated whether to vote on amendments now or wait for the special session public hearing; concerns were raised about transparency, stakeholder input, and avoiding premature action. No amendment vote was taken, and the bill was left for later consideration. The committee then recessed until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• > the<00:21:14.559> field evidence-based practices of the field evidence-based practices
• This is represented here in practice.
• Uh, they are incorporating best practices.
• We learn what are best practices around the country.
• is the inconsistency in practices is the inconsistency in practices amongst<02:10:44.800> all

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 2198 codifies longstanding practice and clarifies who is responsible for filing which rates.
• AB 2198 codifies longstanding practice and clarifies who is responsible for filing which rates.
• This has been duplicative filings, delays inconsistent practices, and operational challenges.
• long-standing practice and clarifies who is responsible for filing which rates.
• That suggests the problem is not simply insurer practices, but public misunderstanding.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some departments have strong practices in place, while others do not.
• This bill does three practical things.
• In practice, we were seeing situations where permit applications for outdoor advertising... ...Act.
• This bill does not regulate imports, pricing, sourcing decisions, or blending practices.
• Bottom line is AB 1885 modernizes an outdated financing practice.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with testimony largely split between supporters and opponents on policy and implementation. Assembly Member Wynn presented AB 2507 to strengthen state consultation with federally recognized tribal governments by requiring clearer tribal liaison roles, a tribal advisory committee, and more consistent early consultation across agencies. Supporters from Wilton Rancheria and the California Tribal Business Alliance said the bill would improve respect, coordination, and program outcomes; no opposition was heard. Wynn also presented AB 2024, a cleanup bill intended to reduce delays in outdoor advertising permit processing by requiring agencies to act on submitted applications. Supporters said it would clarify existing law and reduce uncertainty, and members expressed interest in the measure as a final fix to longstanding interpretation problems. Both bills were later approved and sent to Appropriations. Assembly Member Connolly presented AB 1585, which would require wine labeled “American” to be made from 100% American-grown grapes, aligning the federal “American” designation with California’s 100% sourcing rule for California-labeled wine. Supporters, including growers, farm bureaus, consumer advocates, and family wineries, argued the bill would improve truth in labeling, protect consumers, and help an industry facing bankruptcies, vineyard removals, and job losses. Opponents from major wineries and Wine Institute argued the bill could confuse consumers, create costly label changes, and disrupt blends and cross-regional products that are currently legal under federal law. After extended debate, the committee passed the bill to Appropriations. Assembly Member Ransom presented AB 1605, a DUI safety bill that would allow judges to place a no-alcohol-sales notice on the licenses of repeat or serious DUI offenders, limiting their ability to purchase alcohol. Supporters from law enforcement and roadway safety groups said the measure would address recidivism and help prevent alcohol-related crashes and deaths, while retailers and restaurant groups raised concerns about implementation and ID-checking burdens. The committee discussed committee amendments and the bill passed to Appropriations. Assembly Member Hoover’s AB 2211, allowing craft distillers to operate a second tasting room, also advanced with support from the distilling industry and no opposition. The committee also took up AB 1578, which would require local and state elected officials to take anti-hate speech training; supporters said it responds to rising hate crimes, while opponents raised First Amendment concerns and objected to the lack of a clear definition of hate speech. After a lengthy exchange, the bill passed on a party-line-leaning vote to Appropriations. Finally, AB 2717, extending a sunset for off-site advertising displays at large sports venues, was introduced as a venue-revenue and fan-experience measure tied to major upcoming events, and the transcript indicates it was being considered with committee amendments.