Transcript Highlights:

• You got the report? Senator McKee, you're recognized to present the report. Thank you, Mr.
• I move adoption of the report.
• I move adoption of the report. Members, we have a motion to adopt the report. Do we have a second?
• This is a report just for reporting purposes only. Is that correct?
• Item two, this is a report just for reporting purposes only. Is that correct?

Summary: The committee first heard a Special Language Committee report from Senator McKee, who reported that the subcommittee adopted nine amendments related to Governor’s Letter 7 and 30, including amendments to HB 1005 and one sponsored by Senator Dismang. The committee then adopted the report and approved several items on the special language agenda, including HB 101 (Department of Corrections), HB 1017 (Department of Agriculture promotion boards), HB 1009 (Department of Public Safety), and SB 10 (Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Services). During discussion of SB 10, members questioned a $10 million unemployment insurance modernization item, and Commerce/DFA explained it was a continuation of existing funding rather than a new increase. The meeting then turned to the Treasurer’s budget, where members raised concerns about prior and proposed salary increases in the office, especially the size of raises for senior staff compared with lower-paid employees. Committee members repeatedly asked whether the new appropriation would be directed to the investment team rather than top administrators, and whether special language could cap raises or otherwise limit how the money could be used. The Treasurer’s representative said the office was willing to discuss caps and that no final decisions on raises had been made, but several members remained dissatisfied and emphasized the need for the Treasurer himself to appear. Representative Lundstrum moved to hold the Treasurer’s budget, and the committee approved the hold. After that, the committee referred items with special language to the special language process and then batch-approved a series of supplemental and reappropriation bills, followed by individual due-pass actions on multiple bills, including HB 1006, HB 1013, HB 1016, HB 1033, HB 1048, HB 1050, HB 1053, HB 1065, HB 1078, and several Senate bills such as SB 2, SB 14, SB 19, SB 26, SB 32, SB 42, SB 52, SB 53, and SB 74. Near the end, members discussed filing deadlines and the need to suspend rules for late special-language items, and Senator Irvin released a hold on HB 1064 before the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• A report from the Minnesota problem.
• Uh, there’s a section dealing with lobbyist reports. several current reports and forms.
• <01:31:43.760> on state and local campaign reports on state and local campaign reports on
• <01:58:36.320> Uh disclosures, inspection reports. Uh disclosures, inspection reports.
• <02:51:24.560> media the number of different digital media the number of different digital

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um so, total reported >> Yes. Thank you.
• Uh Kenton County reported for was 193.
• Some of our judges will take a guilty plea with a lab report or I'm sorry, without a lab report; some
• or I'm sorry, without a lab lab report or I'm sorry, without a lab report,<01:20:21.920> some
• Um, but report, some of them will not.

Keywords: 0:00:04 Call to Order 0:00:50 Dept for Public Advocacy 0:51:31 Life Learning Center 1:21:06 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary heard testimony from the Department of Public Advocacy (DPA) on attorney compensation and alternatives to incarceration. Because the committee lacked a quorum, the chair skipped formal roll call and minutes approval, then invited DPA Public Advocate Damon Preston, Deputy Public Advocate Melanie Lowe, and alternative sentencing worker Cena/Tina Mills to present. Preston said DPA is fully state-funded, has 698 funded positions, and was near full staffing with 673 filled positions and 42 new law graduates expected to join in August. He argued that DPA’s resources lag behind those of prosecutors, noting that local prosecutorial offices receive substantially more total funding and have additional revenue sources beyond the state budget. Preston focused on salary disparities and turnover. He said DPA trial-office attorneys total about $26 million in salaries, compared with about $41.9 million for prosecutors on publicly listed state funding, and estimated that more than 100 additional prosecutors are paid through other sources, bringing total prosecutor compensation to a little over $50 million versus DPA’s $26 million. He said starting DPA attorney pay is $58,200, experienced attorney pay averages about $73,000, and that these levels are too low given law school debt and the state’s constitutional obligation to provide defense counsel. He also said DPA attorney turnover is about 20%, median service time before separation was 15 months in 2024, and exit interviews often cite salary as the main reason for leaving. He gave examples of former DPA attorneys moving to prosecutor offices for raises ranging from 12% to 50%. Committee members asked about how often defendants are represented by private counsel versus DPA and how that affects workload. Preston said a 2017 study found about 50% of misdemeanor cases and about 75% of circuit court cases were handled by DPA, with DPA handling most of the most labor-intensive cases. He said DPA will step aside when a defendant hires private counsel or is found ineligible, and he acknowledged the system historically erred by denying counsel in some cases, though he said the current concern is whether DPA is now appointed too broadly. Members requested updated trend data on appointments over the past decade. Preston also described DPA’s pay scale and said the agency’s compensation structure makes retention difficult. Mills then described DPA’s alternative sentencing worker program, which she said has operated for about 20 years and has received national recognition. She shared a case example involving a client named Patrick, who faced a prison sentence on a possession charge and was referred to a horse-based treatment and certification program in Shelbyville. She said the client wanted treatment and a fresh start, a bed became available, and she and the client’s attorney presented an alternative sentencing plan to the court. The presentation was interrupted briefly by a technical issue, but the testimony continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have to figure out how we do that reporting.
• And with that, to pilot data collection tools for neighborhood-level data reporting.
• It also, based on your report, 821,000 jobs—again, significant.
• that you provided through this report, and it's $288.9 billion.
• It also, based on your report, 821,000 jobs, again, significant.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Nursing Workforce Studies provides workforce supply and demand projections, as well as education reports
• In November of this last year, when NBC News reported that the University, I think it was North Texas
• Section 7.17 is another new rider that will require agencies in the capital complex to report to the
• Because they do not work with the coordinating board, they report directly.
• Now, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board actually recently released a report on the social

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:

• The clerk will report the bill.
• It's also going to require landlords to offer digital payment of rent, to provide alternative methods
• of payment if they can't afford or if they can't figure out how to use the digital methods.
• The clerk will report the amendment.
• clerk will report the amendment. clerk will report the amendment.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House took up Senate File 4171, a housing bill addressing sub-metered utility services and final billing for vacant tenants. Representative Igo explained that the bill allows shared-metered residential buildings to bill the last billing period before a tenant vacates based on estimates, requires landlords to offer digital rent payment with alternative payment methods for tenants who cannot use or afford digital options, and bars extra fees beyond administrative and late fees. Members described the measure as a cleanup bill developed with multiple landlord-tenant stakeholders. Two amendments were adopted. Amendment A2 expanded expedited eviction language to cover threats or harm directed not only at other residents but also at landlords, employees, contractors, and others present at the property, while keeping safeguards such as sworn affidavits, judicial review, service timelines, and penalties for misuse. Amendment A1 protected minor children from appearing in eviction cases and from having eviction records attached to them later, with penalties for noncompliance. Supporters said both amendments were friendly, part of the broader agreement on the landlord-tenant package, and intended to improve safety and protect children. After third reading and brief closing remarks from Representatives Howard and Igo, who thanked committee members, advocates, and stakeholders for bipartisan work, the House took a roll call vote. The bill passed as amended by a vote of 134 yeas and 0 nays, and its title was agreed to.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, by your vote, will show CS for SB 1274 reported favorably. Thank you, Senator McKeown.
• Members, by your vote will show CS for SB 1310 reported favorably. Thank you, Senator Rodriguez.
• And by your vote, members will show CS for SB 828 reported favorably. Thank you, Senator Lee.
• Members, by your vote, SB 1378 will be reported favorably, and we'll stand in an informal...
• Members, by your vote, will show SB 1562 reported favorably. Thank you, Senator Trumbull.

Summary: The Transportation Committee considered several bills and amendments. SB 1274, as amended, removed a number of unrelated transportation provisions and added items including local authority to lower residential speed limits, clarification that certain license plate frames do not obscure plates, FDOT funding for eligible rural airport projects, limits on yellow-light timing changes to intersections with red-light cameras, revisions to private use of license plate readers, and rules for direct payments to first-tier subcontractors. The amendment and the bill both passed favorably. SB 1310, as amended, would direct FDOT to study advanced detection and monitoring systems at public railroad crossings and report policy options to the governor and legislature; rail safety testimony supported the study while urging attention to interoperability and other safety concerns. The amendment and bill were adopted and reported favorably. The committee also heard SB 828 on extending sovereign immunity to private contractors providing public transit services. Supporters said it would reduce litigation costs, provide predictability, and help maintain affordable transit and paratransit service, especially in rural areas; opponents argued it was an overbroad expansion of sovereign immunity and could affect employee rights and accountability. After an amendment narrowing the language to contractors providing services rather than operating transit and removing subcontractor references, the bill passed favorably. SB 1378, which strengthens traffic enforcement by clarifying abandoned-vehicle removal, penalties for unlawful plates or stickers, and vehicle seizure authority for fleeing and eluding, also passed favorably with support from law enforcement-related testimony. The committee then confirmed a slate of appointees in tab 6 by one vote, with no objections. SB 1562, dealing with motor vehicle dealers and limiting concentration of a brand’s sales among a single dealer group once the brand has a meaningful Florida presence, was presented as a competition and dealer-diversity measure and passed favorably. Members later recorded additional affirmative votes on several tabs, and the chair noted this was likely the committee’s last meeting of the year before adjourning without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're very, very proud of our ability to timely count ballots and report those results accurately
• That report is provided to the legislature every January.
• That report is provided to the legislature every January, so it's available for y'all to see.
• There was massive voter fraud in that area, that's all documented in our report.
• So someone would have to go through all of the counties, add them up to be able to report that.

Summary: The Government Operations Subcommittee met to hear a lengthy presentation from Secretary of State Cord Byrd on Florida election administration, with a focus on how elections are handled during natural disasters, election security, and preparations for the 2026 cycle. Byrd described Florida’s response to hurricanes in 2022 and 2024, saying the state works directly with county supervisors of elections to tailor executive orders to local conditions, add or relocate polling sites, extend deadlines, and help displaced voters and emergency workers cast ballots. Members from affected areas echoed that local supervisors had managed storm disruptions well and that turnout remained strong despite major damage. A large portion of the meeting covered election integrity and security. Byrd emphasized Florida’s use of paper ballots, pre-election logic and accuracy testing, post-election audits, public canvassing, standardized voter-intent rules, and strict vote-by-mail request and signature-match requirements. He said the Department of State’s Office of Election Crimes and Security investigates complaints and refers matters to law enforcement, and that Florida has expanded access to the federal SAVE database to verify citizenship. Members asked about threats to election workers, staffing vacancies, cybersecurity, ballot design, vote-by-mail address changes, and how the state coordinates with county supervisors, emergency management, and other agencies. Several members raised questions about voter eligibility and returning citizens, and Byrd said the department provides free information to help people determine whether their rights have been restored, while noting that court and clerk reporting practices still create challenges. He also said the department is considering additional legislative proposals, including more safeguards tied to driver’s license and citizenship verification and a possible statewide 100% audit of races before certification. The meeting ended with the chair encouraging members to visit supervisors of elections offices and submit specific ideas for future elections legislation; no votes were taken and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• being so very long, we the status report being so very long, we only<00:02:18.800> showed<00:
• Any time in this um report<00:02:38.959> that<00:02:39.200> you<00:02:39.360> see
• section 328 gov's report that you see section 328 gov's rack<00:02:41.440> restoration,<00:02
• Moving on to page two of our summary report with the Wildlife Natural Resource Trust, section 39.
• million general fund for digital million general fund for digital permitting<00:34:56.240> systems

Bills: SF0032, SF0010, SF0001, HB0001

Keywords: 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety, mental health, detention, competency evaluation, treatment, contractual agreements, Wyoming, budget, funding, education, wildfire prevention, healthcare, community colleges, grants, economic development

Transcript Highlights:

• You'll see the commission report on the state of re-entry in Hawaii.
• or have been detected to have LFA, as well as voluntary reports.
• or have been detected to have LFA, as well as voluntary reports.
• or have been detected to have LFA, as well as voluntary reports.
• <02:23:54.680> it to look for they can report it to look for they can report it proactively

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard budget testimony first from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Director Tommy Johnson outlined short-term goals to reduce overcrowding, improve living and working conditions, fill vacancies, expand mental health services, and update the correctional master plan. He said the department is still dealing with severe overcrowding at facilities such as OCCC and HCCC, with 947 people at OCCC against a design capacity of 628, and noted 938 inmates are currently housed on the mainland because of temporary repairs at Halawa. He also reported progress on staffing, saying the correctional officer vacancy rate has dropped from 34.3% to 24% through expanded recruitment. The department’s major budget request was $30 million for planning and design for a new Old Triple C project, along with other requests for re-entry services, identification documents, security systems, radios, sink-toilet modules, and trauma-informed care. Members asked about the timing and scope of the OCCC project, courtroom space in new facilities, and the department’s plan to use the funding to improve re-entry and reduce recidivism. The committee then heard from the Department of Law Enforcement on a wide range of priorities. The department described requests to expand agricultural crime enforcement, traffic enforcement, illegal fireworks enforcement, and facilities such as a police building at the DKI airport, a state training center, and new police facilities in central and Leeward Oahu. It also discussed a major IT request for a statewide law enforcement and critical infrastructure notification platform, plus funding for grants management, the Wahiawa Civic Center and court complex, the prescription monitoring program, narcotics enforcement operations, and the narcotics lab. A significant portion of the discussion focused on a proposed traffic enforcement program for commercial vehicle inspections, speeding, and DUI enforcement, which the department said would be funded with federal dollars and would operate concurrently with county police. Committee members questioned whether the effort duplicated county jurisdiction and how the program would be trained and staffed. Members also pressed the department on salary disparities for deputy sheriffs and related vacancies, and the department said the administration was working on a supplemental agreement and placeholder funding to address the issue. Additional discussion covered agricultural crime staffing, the Silver Alert program, and expansion of the forensic lab to handle explosives, firearms, and related evidence. No votes were taken in the portion provided, and the meeting moved from the corrections presentation to the law enforcement budget review with questions and answers throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• Report of the Committee: The Committee on Public Service to whom was referred the petition accompanied
• The Committee reports recommending that the same ought to pass. Michael D.
• Tarr: Attorney General incident reporting. We're going to put that on hold. I'm sorry.
• Tarr, attorney general incident reporting. Question comes on adoption of the amendment.
• Tarr, relative to the reporting and tracking of violations of this act. Question comes on...

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, recognized several guests in the chamber, and adopted a resolution congratulating Coleman-Nee on election as National Commander of the Disabled American Veterans. It also took up several local and personnel matters, including a sick leave bank for Emily Cullick and later Paul Stavarski, and local bills affecting the town of Weston and a Dorchester housing/library procurement exemption; those measures were advanced to third reading or engrossment as appropriate. The chamber also suspended Joint Rule 12 to refer several House petitions to committees. The main business was Senate No. 2516, the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act, which came before the Senate on a Ways and Means substitute (Senate Document 2608). Senators Creem, Moore, Charles, Feingold, Keenan, and others spoke in support, describing the bill as a comprehensive consumer privacy measure with data minimization rules, limits on sensitive data, protections for minors, and strong Attorney General enforcement. Several amendments were debated, with many rejected or withdrawn, while some were adopted, including provisions on geolocation data protections, opting out of targeted advertising, affiliate and merger/acquisition protections, internal operations exemptions, parental access to child data, and a Ways and Means amendment. A number of other amendments on employee data, union data, loyalty programs, AI training, reporting, and related issues were either not adopted or held/withdrawn. After the amendment process, the Senate adopted the amended Ways and Means substitute and ordered the bill to a third reading. The bill was then passed to be engrossed on a roll call vote of 40-0. The Senate also adopted an order to adjourn to the following Monday at 11:00 a.m. and to dispense with printing a calendar. The session adjourned in memory of Darrow Logan Alexander of South Boston.

Transcript Highlights:

• banking partners are now reporting banking partners are now reporting shortages. shortages. shortages
• payroll reporting portal into this<01:00:00.520> bill.
• The A7 makes that all reporting portal.
• I don't want to change anything with the reporting.
• I don't want to change anything with the reporting.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• you think for the big World Wide Web and everything that we're associated with, comes off of our digital
• And if you think of our older population, they don't have those digital footprints.
• lot of questions, so I don't expect you to remember—with the minors information, I mean, is there digital
• But a lot of it is coming sort of off of your digital footprint, other things that you do.
• Again, someone had called 911 with a smoke report and they give you a general area.

Bills: SB1020

Keywords: special plates, Arizona Space Commission, transportation, funding, space exploration, 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, this bill's broad language could unintentionally include local broadcasters who use digital
• But today, I am here on behalf of the Americans for Digital Opportunity.
• I was surprised to read recently that a single social media company has capitalized on that and reported
• Comprehensive Consumer Data Privacy Law that helps protect the digital privacy of residents of this state
• conversation brings me back in my In my community, I came into my work life in corporate America doing digital

Transcript Highlights:

• According to a recent report, AI use has tripled in companies over the past six years.
• As Aon mentioned, our report is already out of date.
• We do have a copy of the report.
• We do have a copy of the report.
• Illinois all protecting people's digital Illinois all protecting people's digital likenesses<01:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So these issues about inspector staffing models, service difficulty reports, whistleblower retaliation
• It's on a digital dashboard, they can look at it at any time and they do, and we look at both trends,
• And just to highlight the issue and its broad magnitude and consequence, the NTSB report in regard to
• Well, I think going back to the expert panel report, they were saying. that the processes on SMS are
• we can see what the NTSB thinks are those trend reports.

Keywords: Boeing, aviation safety, safety management system, military aviation, air traffic control, transparency, oversight, accountability

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on significant safety concerns surrounding Boeing and its compliance with federal aviation standards. Lawmakers expressed frustration over the Army's failure to provide requested operational transparency regarding helicopter operations near Washington, D.C., amid recent incidents indicating a strained air traffic control situation. Several members called for reform in Boeing's oversight, emphasizing the need for a robust safety culture and mandatory safety management systems to prevent future disasters like the 737 MAX crashes. The discussions were passionate, with survivors and families impacted by past accidents present, highlighting the urgency and seriousness of the issues at hand.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, we went for the double-digit property tax inflation that the COVID hangover.
• And if you look at the Department of Revenue's annual report, their homeowners exemption, if you look
• <00:44:26.800> property experience those double-digit property experience those double-digit
• time in my house, or do I need to report time in my house, or do I need to report that<01:21:37.760
• We are trusting the taxpayer to be self-reporting and to tell us the truth.

Bills: SF0061, SF0098, SF0110

Keywords: sales tax, motor vehicle, family transfer, tax exemption, Wyoming legislation, veteran, property tax exemption, Wyoming National Guard, honorable discharge, tax benefits, surviving spouse, military service, property tax, residential real estate, tax assessment, primary residence, tax revenue, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, in fact, the peer report was released just today.
• So, if you want a real deep dive into that, the peer report will discuss that in detail.
• that we've had for our digitization that we've had for our digitization project.<00:26:43.039>
• going forward to keep the digitization. going forward to keep the digitization.
• So, uh, also very proud to report that we will start now in the upcoming next school year.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 14 January, 2026; 1:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first heard a budget presentation from a charter-school authorizer agency. Witnesses explained that the agency no longer receives the federal CSP grant, that a one-time $499,000 equipment grant was not recurring, and that in FY25 they also had no general fund appropriation. They said their special-fund revenue has grown but is not enough to sustain operations alone, especially because the money arrives once a year and the agency needs a cash balance in advance. Their budget request sought a mix of general and special funds, but the legislative budget recommendation stayed near the FY26 appropriation level. Members asked about salary growth and contractual spending; the agency said higher salaries reflected doctorate-level staff and a planned sixth position, while contractual costs covered technical assistance, consultants, CPA reviews, and outside legal support. The agency also said a pending bill, identified as House Bill 2, could significantly affect its operations and revenue. Members asked about Republic, and the agency said a peer report had just been released, the school had made operational changes, and progress was being made though questions remained. The Library Commission then presented its budget request. The outgoing director announced retirement and introduced the incoming director, and praised the agency’s recent federal and state audits with no findings. The commission asked to restore two headcount reductions in the budget recommendation, saying the positions were hard to fill because they require specialized librarianship credentials and that losing them would cost about $130,000. It also asked to restore federal spending authority in case IMLS funding became uncertain, and requested about $173,000 for a 5% salary progression pool because turnover had reached 35% and many employees were near the start step. Senators asked about the open positions and turnover; the commission said one position had been open 10 months, another about eight months, and some turnover was due to retirements. Mississippi Public Broadcasting then presented its request for an $18.153 million appropriation. The agency said it wanted salary progressions to retain staff, four new vehicles for engineering and transmitter work, and $522,000 in reappropriated digitization funds to continue a project that has digitized more than half its library holdings for online access. The director also highlighted programming and outreach, including a new food-focused show, a music program, live coverage of the National Folk Festival, a Medgar Evers documentary now in national distribution, and expanded radio programming. He said MPB reaches nearly 1 million TV viewers annually, has strong radio and app usage, and continues to provide required weather, Silver Alert, and Amber Alert notifications. He also described a partnership with the Department of Education using e-glass technology to connect teachers to classrooms lacking instructors, saying the program is already serving multiple districts and drawing national interest.

Transcript Highlights:

• the committee that Cole rises to report the committee that Cole rises to report it<00:03:50.720>
• agency in terms of um digital agency in terms of um digital information.<00:33:09.519> And
• interacting with your digital interacting with your digital information?
• I move that the committee of the whole rise and report. report does so with the recommendation report
• <01:18:31.840> standing Uh we have reports from standing Uh we have reports from standing

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But I support this bill, thank you, and I hope you can report it favorably.
• Accountability and reporting requirements ensure the Texas Military Department is held accountable for
• It has access to real training support, digital health tools, and comprehensive wellness services.
• The task force will be... ...reported jointly by HHSC and TECO.
• The task force is charged with studying and issuing a report to examine gaps in coordination between

Bills: SB 36, HB 1065, HB2929, HB2956, HB3009, HB3420, HB3626, HB3649, HB4956, HB4993, HB5293, HB5308, HB5528, HCR118, SB36, HB4023

Keywords: transportation, regional authorities, mobility, infrastructure, sales tax, employee classification, private security, misclassification, workforce regulations, Texas Workforce Commission, autism, peace officers, training program, law enforcement, intervention, communication, developmental disability, family violence, central database, criminal offense