Transcript Highlights:

• Farming is not just about row crops; it's also about that urban farmer doing their best, that specialty
• just about row crops, it's also about just about row crops, it's also about that<00:22:20.600><c> urban
• <c> doing</c><00:22:22.120><c> their</c><00:22:22.320><c> best,</c><00:22:22.720><c> that</c> that urban
• farmer doing their best, that that urban farmer doing their best, that specialty<00:22:23.440><c> crop

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to support Langston's board's mission of advising on the management and supervision of Langston's urban
• to support Langston's board's mission of advising on the management and supervision of Langston's urban
• support the Langston's board's mission of advising on the management and supervision of Langston's urban
• This nomination, this nomination, advising on the management and supervision of Langston's urban campuses

Summary: The Extended Education Committee met to consider a long slate of gubernatorial nominations and reappointments to education-related boards and commissions. The committee heard brief introductions from sponsoring senators and remarks from nominees for the Oklahoma Lottery Commission, State Board of Career and Technology Education, Regional University System of Oklahoma, State Board of Education, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges, the Secretary of Education, several university and college boards, the Oklahoma Student Loan Authority, the State Textbook Committee, the Oklahoma Arts Council, and the Langston University board, among others. Many nominees emphasized their backgrounds in public education, higher education, business, agriculture, health care, or community service, and several acknowledged family members or institutional leaders present in the room. A few nominations drew questions or discussion. John Wesley Nofire was asked about working with the State Board of Education and about the social studies standards process, and he explained the board followed statutory public-comment procedures and made changes before final adoption. Secretary of Education Dan Hamlin received supportive comments from multiple senators, who praised his data-driven approach and urged that he be retained by future administrations. Michael McElroy, Brian Beller, Christopher Franklin, Dr. Michael Peck, and others also answered questions about the role of their boards and their experience with the institutions they would oversee. The committee voted on each nomination, with most receiving unanimous approval and a few passing with one or two dissenting votes. Notable vote totals included David McKenzie and Michael McElroy passing 9-2 and 10-1 respectively, while the rest of the nominees generally passed 8-0, 9-0, 10-0, or 11-0. At the end of the meeting, the chair thanked members for their work on the large number of executive nominations and announced that the committee was adjourned for the year.

Transcript Highlights:

• aspect of diversity and disparities is really, One aspect of diversity and disparities is rural versus urban
• One aspect of diversity and disparities is rural versus urban/suburban.
• One aspect of diversity and disparities is rural versus urban slash suburban.
• One aspect of diversity and disparities is rural versus urban suburban.

Summary: The Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Aging opened its March quarterly meeting by welcoming its first full-time director, Alison Bauer, who introduced her background in state government, public health, philanthropy, teaching, and LGBTQ family advocacy. Commissioners approved the December quarterly meeting minutes, then turned to a presentation by Adriana Bullen on diversity, equity, inclusion, power, belonging, and intersectionality. Bullen led an interactive workshop using reflection, anonymous polling, and discussion to connect DEI concepts to the commission’s work, including examples from participants’ personal and professional lives and a brief history of intersectionality rooted in Black feminist scholarship and the DeGraffenreid v. General Motors case. The group then applied the discussion to the commission itself, identifying examples of successful DEI work such as listening sessions across the Commonwealth, targeted recruitment, inclusive trainings, the strategic plan, the commission website, and advocacy that helped pass the LGBTQI+ and HIV long-term care bill of rights. Participants also named conditions that support the commission’s power, including collaboration, commitment, openness, empowerment, persistence, and strong relationships, while noting barriers such as invisibility of older adults, limited racial and ethnic diversity, and lack of trans elder representation. Several commissioners emphasized the need for more Black, Latino, immigrant, and trans voices, and discussed recruitment challenges, including the difficulty of asking marginalized people to be the only one in the room. Bullen concluded by introducing an equity-lens tool for evaluating decisions and actions, using the commission’s strategic priority on representation as an example. Commissioners discussed whether to expand membership, create an advisory board, or use a broader network of organizations to cultivate future commissioners, noting that some changes would require legislative or procedural action. The meeting ended with appreciation for the workshop and a commitment to continue the work, with the next quarterly meeting scheduled for June.

Transcript Highlights:

• Secondly, as we see in other states, the lasers are placed in urban areas and referred to, and like in
• patients said, 'We really need an optometrist to do our laser,' or 'We really want to be referred to an urban
• They're going to operate in urban areas. So I get your sympathy.
• because they would have an ophthalmologist that would be close to them if they're in a rural or in this urban

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 3111, which concerns bail bonds oversight. Representative Phelps offered a committee substitute that moved bail bondsmen into the existing Board of Private Investigators, Private Fire Investigators, and Professional Surety Bail Bonds to avoid a fiscal note. An amendment was adopted to remove fee caps in the substitute, and the committee then adopted the revised substitute and voted it do pass 21-0. The committee then heard Senate Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill 1233, the CPA licensure bill, along with related provisions for social work supervisors and speech pathologists. Senator Trent and supporters from the Missouri Society of CPAs, the speech-language association, the social work community, and the State Auditor’s Office said the bill would address CPA shortages by creating a new licensure path based more on experience, while preserving exam standards and adding reciprocity. No opposition was offered, and the hearing concluded without a vote. House Bill 2999 on optometry scope of practice drew extensive testimony and debate. The sponsor and ophthalmology witnesses described the bill as a negotiated compromise that would codify specific procedures optometrists may perform, while opponents from optometry argued it would freeze scope in statute, limit modernization, and require repeated legislative action as standards change. Witnesses disagreed sharply over whether the bill improved patient safety and access, whether the procedures were already within current practice, and whether surgical procedures such as lasers should be included. The bill was heard but no committee action was taken in the transcript. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2957 on respiratory therapist licensure. Representative Castile and respiratory care witnesses said the bill would phase out the CRT as the entry credential for new applicants in favor of the higher RRT standard, while grandfathering current CRTs and adding renewal audits to confirm active credentials. Supporters said the change reflects current training standards and would raise patient-care quality without reducing workforce numbers. No opposition testimony was presented, and the hearing adjourned without a vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Counties planning under the GMA must also designate urban areas.
• area, if it would require the demolition of a designated historic landmark, if it’s outside of an urban
• This bill is really about unlocking opportunities within existing urban space.
• encourage you to consider the opportunity to allow local governments to work through some of those urban

Summary: The committee first held a public hearing on engrossed second substitute Senate Bill 6026, which would prohibit certain GMA-planning cities and counties from excluding residential development in commercial and mixed-use zones and would limit local requirements for ground-floor commercial or mixed-use space, subject to numerous exemptions and a possible study-based off-ramp. The bill sponsor and supporters, including the Lieutenant Governor, the governor’s housing policy advisor, Commerce staff, developers, labor/employer groups, and housing advocates, argued it would reduce barriers, reuse underutilized commercial land, and help address the state’s housing shortage. Cities including Bellevue, Kirkland, Bellingham, Redmond, Kent, Lacey, and Lakewood testified in opposition or with concerns, emphasizing local control, impacts on walkable neighborhoods and small businesses, implementation costs, and the need for more flexibility or clearer compliance options. Committee members asked about exemptions, the study process, and how the bill would affect existing local plans and incentives. The committee then moved to executive session on several bills. It rejected Representative Griffey’s amendment to Senate Bill 5820, which would have restored Clark County’s freight rail dependent overlay authority and added findings about greenhouse gas reductions from short line rail, and then passed SB 5820 out with a do pass recommendation. The committee also passed SB 5995, extending authorization for port districts to purchase zero- and near-zero-emission cargo handling equipment; SB 5552, directing rulemaking for kit home building codes; SB 5467, raising thresholds for water-sewer district surplus property sales; and SB 6189, removing the deadline for forming a public facilities district for regional aquatics and sports facilities. Each of those bills received a do pass recommendation, with some members noting support for housing, workforce, efficiency, or local flexibility and others expressing concerns about contracts, automation, or competitiveness. After executive session, the committee resumed testimony on SB 6026. Additional supporters, including the Lieutenant Governor, Commerce, developers, the Washington Roundtable, Microsoft, and housing organizations, reiterated that the bill would unlock housing on vacant commercial land and preserve some local flexibility through exemptions and height incentives. Opponents and concerned cities continued to argue that the bill would weaken local planning, reduce commercial space needed for complete communities, and impose costs and implementation burdens. The hearing concluded without final action on SB 6026, with the chair noting more testimony and work remained.

Transcript Highlights:

• But, you know, I represent an urban district.
• But you could argue the same that what's happened in our urban areas. Sure, sure.
• would submit, only based on personal experience, that's not the same for those representatives in an urban
• That's not the same for those representatives in an urban area.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• pleased with the percentage increase of affordable units, as well as the distribution across rural and urban
• create steady jobs, activate abandoned properties, and help revitalize commercial corridors in both urban
• The issue of vacant and abandoned properties is a real issue in both urban and rural areas, and this
• range of cancers and help ensure continuity of care without requiring long-distance travel to larger urban

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is happening in our communities, urban and rural alike, and its victims are often the most vulnerable
• 12.560><c> communities,</c> It is happening in our communities, It is happening in our communities, urban
• 14.240><c> alike,</c><00:09:15.040><c> and</c><00:09:15.200><c> its</c><00:09:15.440><c> victims</c> urban
• and rural alike, and its victims urban and rural alike, and its victims are<00:09:16.000><c> often</

Keywords: Convene 00:00 Senate Message 05:11 Report of Committees 06:05 Orders of the Day/HB 320 07:52 HB 366 14:55 HB 389 17:22 HB 56 22:10 Motions, Petitions, and Communications 25:47 Introduction of New Bills and Resolutions 29:20 Petition of Impeachment Filed 31:24 Recess for ConC/Rules Meeting 32:03 ConC/Rules Report 36:31 Floor Amendments 37:29 Adjournment 37:47, 958, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the pledge, recorded 96 members present, excused absences, and approved the journal from January 27, 2026. The Senate clerk announced passage of Senate Bills 17 and 181 and requested concurrence. Committee reports advanced a number of bills on health insurance, judiciary, local government, and transportation topics, including measures on pharmacist reimbursements, hearing aid coverage, feeding and eating disorders, grooming a minor, local government liability, water fluoridation, cigar bars, chickens on residential property, highway pavement markings, motor vehicle titles, and pedestrian issues; all favorable reports were treated as first readings and placed on the calendar. The House then took up and passed House Bill 320 on human trafficking, with the sponsor explaining it would equalize penalties for promoting human trafficking with those for trafficking itself and increase the penalty when the victim is under 18. A member asked whether the bill included additional funding for cyber enforcement; the sponsor replied it was not an appropriation and would not require new funding, though prior budgets had increased support for anti-trafficking efforts. The House adopted a title amendment changing the bill’s title to combating human trafficking. The chamber also passed House Bill 366, which clarifies that materials portraying a sexual performance by a minor include computer-generated images and requires 85% service of the sentence before probation or parole; the sponsor said it was supported by law enforcement and prosecutors. House Bill 389 on reading and writing in schools also passed as amended by House Committee Substitute 1. The sponsor said it would require annual updates to the state dyslexia toolkit, expand professional development and coaching, require local school boards to develop processes for universal screening and diagnostic tools, and add dyslexia instruction to teacher preparation programs; the substitute added conformity with IDEA and revised the instructional language. Members spoke in support of early dyslexia detection and one member noted the bill updated prior legislation associated with former Rep. Bam Carney. House Bill 56, an omnibus Department of Agriculture bill, then passed; it addressed amusement ride inspections, grain warehousing penalties, egg handler licensing renewal timing, exemptions for small producers, and repealed obsolete tobacco and egg marketing board provisions. All three bills passed by roll call with 95 or 94 votes in favor and none opposed, and clinchers were applied. During announcements, members noted upcoming committee meetings and events, including a suits-and-sneakers day and cancer-related breakfast, caucus meetings, and committee meetings. New bills and resolutions were introduced, including measures on local occupational license fees, early learning and child care, tuition waivers, an adult workforce diploma pilot, motor vehicle usage tax, contract procurement, Fish and Wildlife Resources, adoption, veterans’ benefits, Cabinet for Health and Family Services operations, organ donation safety, hate crimes, prescription drugs, and resolutions on the Kentucky-Japan partnership and veterans’ benefits accreditation. The clerk also reported a petition of impeachment filed against Judge Julie Goodman. The House then referred a group of bills to committees, reported floor amendments for House Bills 321 and 416, and adjourned until 2:00 p.m. Thursday, January 29, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I don't have a problem at all requiring it for urban hospitals, suburban hospitals.
• at all requiring<00:36:52.560><c> it</c><00:36:52.880><c> for</c> requiring it for requiring it for urban
• </c><00:36:56.880><c> I</c> urban hospitals, suburban hospitals.
• I urban hospitals, suburban hospitals.

Bills: SB63, SB80, SB63, SB80

Keywords: immigration, law enforcement, fingerprints, DNA collection, illegal aliens, Alabama state law, SB80, Buddy Sharpless Education Institute, Alabama Local Government Training Institute, county commissioner training, local government training, ethics training, State Ethics Commission, county commissioners, Association of County Commissions of Alabama, local emergency management director, public officials, municipal officials, Alabama Code Title 11, Alabama Code Title 31

Transcript Highlights:

• actually changes more slowly in rural areas, but stays about a quarter percentage point tied to the urban
• during the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw that rural unemployment was impacted less significantly than urban
• what we saw during COVID is that unemployment rates in rural areas actually began to improve before urban
• So this urban-rural distinction is not as clear as I think one of the witnesses has testified.

Bills: HB112, HB199, HCR9

Keywords: school district, bond issuance, election dates, voter approval, Texas Education Code, HCR 9, Texas State Cemetery, Hill Country flood, July 4 2025 flood, Guadalupe River, Camp Mystic, memorial, monument, concurrent resolution, disaster remembrance, natural disaster, flood victims, survivors, State Preservation Board, Texas secretary of state

Summary: The Committee on Trade, Workforce and Economic Development met with a quorum and moved quickly through a long agenda, hearing testimony and taking recorded votes on several bills. Early in the meeting, HB 2214 was laid out to exempt certain short-term residential leases and leaseback arrangements from flood-disclosure requirements; Texas Realtors supported the change, and the bill was left pending. The committee then voted out a series of pending measures, including HB 46, HB 186 (with a committee substitute), HB 431, HB 1147, HB 1154, HB 2468, HB 2488, HB 2788 (with a substitute), HB 2791 (with a substitute), HB 3260, and HCR 90, all reported favorably to the full House, with HB 1147 receiving two nays and the others passing unanimously or nearly so. A major portion of the hearing focused on HB 112, which would create a Texas Science Park district and commission to support advanced manufacturing and innovation sites. The bill’s author and supporters, including Samsung Austin Semiconductor, the Texas Association of Business, and the Governor’s economic development office, argued it would strengthen supply chains, attract investment, and support national security and workforce development. Testimony described interest from semiconductor and advanced manufacturing companies and referenced the model of foreign science parks such as Sinshu in Taiwan. HB 112 was left pending after testimony. The committee also heard HB 3698 and HB 3699, both related to unemployment insurance administration. HB 3698 would expand eligibility for the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment program using federal funds, while HB 3699 would tighten the definition of “last work” to help the Texas Workforce Commission investigate UI fraud. Both bills were discussed with TWC resource witnesses and left pending after the committee withdrew the substitutes. HB 1349, which would extend HOA transparency and property-rights provisions to condominiums and refine HOA rules, and HB 621, which would require HOA meeting spaces to be available for residents to reserve for qualified political candidates or elected officials, were also heard and left pending. Finally, the committee heard HCR 9 to designate the first Saturday of each month as Small Business Saturday, HB 199 to index unemployment benefit duration to the state unemployment rate, and HB 3466 to exempt certain cancelable service contracts from Texas’s in-home sales cooling-off law; each drew supportive and opposing testimony and was left pending before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And, you know, our our urban areas are becoming even more more urban, more populated.
• growing as well becoming, you know, they're they're they're making the switch over from suburban to urban
• reasonable requirement given the fact that we're having so much density, particularly within our our large urban

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• rural and frontier areas, but along with that, it's also a form of enjoyment for people in some of the urban
• Most of those groups included A more urban city or a county with an urban city, but there was still that
• Patterson mentioned in his comment, it could essentially be all from urban areas.

Transcript Highlights:

• Urban Teaching Program, Senate position. Tutoring and Education Enrichment, Senate position.
• We go to page 2.064, Urban Teaching, Senate. Part 2 at the top in your packet was Senate.
• We go to page 2.064 Urban Teaching, Senate. 2.064, Urban Teaching, Senate. 2.074, Senate. 2.082.082,
• O-30 Urban House. O-30 Negro League Baseball, Senate.
• Senate .030, Senate. 0.030, Urban Youth Academy, Kansas City, House. 0.30, Senate. 0.35, Senate.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, should they be in the urban area? Should they not be in the urban area?
• identifying that that's because we're assuming cutting off nine miles, the part that goes through urban
• associations, including the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, the Urban
• associations, including the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, the Urban
• Counties of California, California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, the Urban Counties

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2026 draft business plan, with testimony from the authority, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and the High-Speed Rail Inspector General. Chair Cortese framed the hearing around the project’s recent changes: a new CEO, revised delivery strategy, loss of federal funds, renewed interest in private financing and value capture, and proposed adjustments to the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment. He also raised concerns about statutory compliance, transparency, and whether the draft plan fully reflects required elements and true costs and timelines. Authority CEO Ian Chaudhry said the project has made substantial construction progress in the Central Valley and is moving toward track installation, with the state’s $1 billion annual cap-and-invest funding providing a stable base. He argued the plan uses design optimization, direct procurement of materials, and revised sequencing to reduce costs and support an early operating segment by about 2032-33. He also promoted broader commercialization of the corridor through real estate, energy, broadband, logistics, and public-private partnerships, saying private sector interest is now real. Several senators pressed him on station locations, tax increment financing, utility relocation authority, permitting delays, transparency, and whether the project can realistically reach Los Angeles and San Francisco on the current timeline and budget. The LAO and Inspector General were more skeptical. LAO analyst Helen Kirstine said the draft plan assumes major scope changes, including a shorter segment, a Merced station outside downtown, more single-tracking, and several statutory changes that have not yet been enacted. She warned that the plan may not comply with recent legislative requirements, that funding may still be insufficient even for the reduced segment, and that borrowing against future cap-and-invest revenues is risky because those revenues are uncertain and volatile. Inspector General Ben Belknap said the draft plan fails to comply with newer statutory requirements, especially regarding the Merced-to-Bakersfield scope, the funding plan, and missing procurement milestone dates. He said the presentation obscures cost increases and schedule delays and limits the Legislature’s ability to compare current estimates with prior reports. Committee members generally supported continued oversight and some form of project delivery reform, but several expressed concern that the plan relies on legislative changes that have not been approved and on private financing that may not materialize. Chaudhry said the authority would address the Inspector General’s findings in the final business plan and continue to pursue federal grants, private capital, and corridor commercialization. No vote was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, should they be in the urban area? Should they not be in the urban area?
• on this without identifying that we're assuming cutting off nine miles, the part that goes through urban
• associations, including the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, the Urban
• California cities, the California State Association of Counties, the Urban Counties of California, the
• California cities, the California State Association of Counties, the urban counties of California and

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2026 draft business plan and next steps for the project. Chair Cortese opened by noting major changes since the 2024 plan, including new leadership, a bottoms-up review, scope changes in the Central Valley, loss of federal funds, and renewed interest in private investment and value capture. The Authority’s CEO, Ian Chaudhary, presented the project as moving into a construction and track-laying phase, citing progress on Central Valley structures, right-of-way acquisition, utility relocations, and a new procurement for track and systems. He said the plan reflects a more disciplined, optimized approach, with the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment targeted for revenue service around 2033 and the broader Phase 1 corridor envisioned as commercially viable through ancillary revenues, public-private partnerships, and future private financing. Committee members questioned the Authority about station relocations, single-tracking, tax increment financing, utility relocation authority, transparency, and the feasibility of private financing. Chaudhary said the Merced and Bakersfield station locations were still under discussion with local governments and that no contracts had been finalized. He defended the reduced scope and single-track approach as a just-in-time strategy to avoid overbuilding, while maintaining high-speed standards. He also said the Authority was exploring land value capture, broadband, energy, and other corridor-based revenue sources, but acknowledged that some tools would require legislative action and that private financing options were still being evaluated. Several senators expressed support for the project but raised concerns about permitting delays, local opposition, constitutional and statutory limits, and the need for stronger accountability. The Legislative Analyst’s Office and the High-Speed Rail Inspector General then gave critical assessments of the draft plan. LAO staff said the plan assumes major statutory changes, understates risk, lacks transparency about scope changes, and may not fully fund even the smaller Merced-to-Bakersfield segment once borrowing costs and other uncertainties are considered. Inspector General Ben Belknap said the draft plan does not comply with newer statutory requirements in SB 198 and AB 377, citing three main deficiencies: unauthorized scope changes to the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment, an inadequate funding plan that omits financing costs, and missing procurement milestone dates. He said the Authority’s presentation obscures the true cost and schedule impacts of the project changes, and that incomplete reporting limits legislative oversight. The Authority responded that it would address the OIG’s findings in the final business plan, and committee members indicated they expected a written response on compliance issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, should they be in the urban area? Should they not be in the urban area?
• identifying that that's because we're assuming cutting off nine miles, the part that goes through urban
• associations, including the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, the Urban
• California cities, the California State Association of Counties, the Urban Counties of California, the
• California cities, the California State Association of Counties, the urban counties of California and

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• higher ...levels of care, which would put rural and tribal residents in unequal footing compared to urban
• with higher levels of care, which would put rural and tribal residents in unequal footing compared to urban
• Again, the only facilities where methadone can be provided, and all are located in urban areas.
• Again, the only facilities where meth don't can be provided, and all are located in urban areas.
• So by default, there basically will be no one. and all are located in urban areas.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• with higher levels of care, which would put rural and tribal residents in unequal footing compared to urban
• Again, the only facilities where methadone can be provided, and all are located in urban areas.
• Again, the only facilities where meth don't can be provided, and all are located in urban areas.
• And all are located in urban areas.
• models have been used by various states where you have an OTP being a hub in some areas, particularly urban

Summary: The meeting focused heavily on behavioral health and substance use treatment, especially the IMD exclusion and whether North Dakota should pursue a Section 1115 waiver to allow Medicaid reimbursement for services in institutions for mental diseases for adults ages 21 to 64. Turtle Mountain representatives described major local needs, including limited access to care, high syphilis rates, and the importance of timely public health data. They also discussed the tribe’s recovery center, which opened the prior year, now operating five levels of care with 16 beds, and the desire to expand capacity, possibly through an IMD waiver or related policy changes. Committee members also raised related issues such as rural health transformation funding, telehealth, workforce retention, and the need for better coordination between tribal and state public health systems. A central issue was Turtle Mountain Public Health’s long-running effort to secure a data use agreement with the state so it can receive surveillance data and respond directly to infectious disease cases among tribal members. Speakers said the tribe had a successful COVID-era agreement that allowed faster contact tracing and case management, but that agreement ended with the pandemic. They argued that current delays in sharing data, especially for sexually transmitted infections, leave the tribe unable to respond quickly, while the state and county epidemiology workload is too distant and stretched to be effective. Committee members expressed support and said they would look into the issue, noting that other tribes have secured similar agreements. The committee also heard a detailed presentation from the National Health Law Program on the IMD exclusion. The presenter explained that federal Medicaid law generally bars payment for care in facilities with more than 16 beds, but that states can use other tools such as state plan amendments, managed care arrangements, telehealth, and community-based services. He said IMD waivers are administratively complex, time-limited, and have shown mixed results in other states, with some gains in residential treatment access but limited evidence of improved overdose outcomes or stronger community-based care. He urged the committee to consider broader continuum-of-care solutions and cautioned that waivers alone are not a cure-all. No final vote was taken on the bill draft during the portion shown, but the committee discussed the proposal to appropriate $49,000 and one FTE to HHS to pursue an IMD waiver and report back in the next interim. Members also debated the policy rationale for the 16-bed limit, the role of the state versus tribal sovereignty, and whether the bill should move through the Health Care or Human Services committee in the future.

Transcript Highlights:

• It lowers the quality of life of residents in urban, suburban, and rural areas alike.
• It lows the quality of life of residents in urban, suburban, and rural areas alike.
• Obviously, we're dealing with epidemic levels, crisis levels of it in our urban centers.
• to go and remove dumping, and they can't keep up, which is actually exacerbating the problem in the urban
• to go and remove dumping and they can't keep up, which is actually exacerbating the problem in the urban

Summary: The committee first heard SB 907, which would strengthen California DUI laws in several ways, including mandatory Watson advisements when DUI charges are reduced, judicial discretion for consecutive sentences in cases with multiple victims, enhancements for repeat felony DUI offenders and certain hit-and-run cases, and adding vehicular manslaughter offenses to the violent felony list. The author and supporters, including prosecutors, law enforcement, and victims’ family members, described the bill as a response to repeated, preventable tragedies and argued it would close loopholes and increase accountability. Opponents, including criminal defense and civil liberties groups, raised concerns about duplicative penalties, legal overreach, and the violent-felony and sentencing provisions. Committee members were divided but generally supportive of stronger DUI enforcement; the bill was moved out on a do-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations, with the three-strikes provision removed and the bill kept on call. The committee then heard SB 1015, aimed at online child exploitation and extortion networks. The bill would create a new offense for adults who recruit, direct, coerce, or use minors to harm or exploit other children, and it would also allow limited misdemeanor or felony charges for minors engaged in extreme coercive conduct, with diversion available for juveniles. Supporters, including sheriffs, district attorneys, and child-safety advocates, said the bill addresses a fast-growing cybercrime problem involving grooming, blackmail, self-harm, and organized online groups using minors as intermediaries. Opponents argued existing laws already cover much of the conduct and warned against criminalizing adolescent behavior, urging the Legislature instead to focus on platform accountability. The committee nevertheless advanced the bill on a do-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations, with members emphasizing the need to address evolving online harms. The committee also heard SB 1285, which would clarify that juvenile court dismissals under Welfare and Institutions Code section 782 remain a broad “general dismissal” remedy, separate from record sealing, so that eligible youth can more fully avoid future collateral consequences. Supporters said the bill would restore the intended effect of prior juvenile justice reforms and help young people access employment, education, military service, and licensure without lingering barriers. There was no opposition after one group withdrew its objection, and the bill was moved to the floor on a do-pass motion. SB 1342 followed, a technical cleanup measure for automatic record clearance laws that would prevent outdated pending charges from blocking relief, require local court records to match DOJ updates, and create a way for people to obtain written proof of clearance; it also advanced to Appropriations. Finally, SB 1330 was heard to extend existing assault-and-battery protections for certain workers to utility workers; supporters described rising assaults and even shootings against crews, while one utility worker opposed the bill as only increasing penalties after the fact rather than preventing attacks. The bill was moved out on a do-pass motion and left on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• in the way of telling me I can't build that barn because of possible flooding, which I get in the urban
• in the way of telling me I can't build that barn because of possible flooding, which I get in the urban
• in the way of telling me I can't build that barn because of possible flooding, which I get in the urban
• It's dramatically shifting from rural to suburban to somewhat urban.
• It's dramatically shifting from rural to suburban to somewhat urban.

Bills: HB48, HB66, HB68, HB71, HB75, HB164, HB171, HB254, SB3, SB18, HB123, HB149, HB117

Keywords: HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert, Silver Alert, Blue Alert, missing persons alerts, accessible alerts, hearing impaired

Summary: The committee met in special session to hear a series of flood, preparedness, and youth-camp safety bills, with members repeatedly noting that many of the measures were intended as planning, warning, or authority-clarifying bills rather than direct spending bills. House Bill 254 would expand eligibility for the Rural Infrastructure Disaster Recovery Program to include Kerr County and 18 other flood-affected counties by raising the GDP cap and lowering the poverty threshold; it drew no opposition and was left pending. House Bill 68 would direct a study of flood mitigation in flatland areas, especially in the Rio Grande Valley, to develop cost-effective drainage and infrastructure recommendations; local officials and advocates supported it, and it was also left pending. The committee then heard several youth camp bills tied to the recent Hill Country flooding. House Bill 75 would impose flood-aware building and site standards for youth camps near floodplains, and House Bill 71 would require camps and youth activity entities to submit emergency preparedness plans to TDEM, coordinate with local responders, and maintain readiness protocols; both bills were supported by safety advocates and camp representatives, and both were left pending. House Bill 171 would require campgrounds near flood-prone waters to give written flood-risk notice to campers and obtain signed acknowledgment; it was presented as informed consent and left pending. Testimony on these bills emphasized Camp Mystic and other recent flood tragedies, with some witnesses urging broader building-code and floodplain reforms. The committee also heard House Bill 117, which would let counties regulate impervious cover for flood mitigation in unincorporated areas. Supporters, including county officials, environmental groups, and residents, argued that rapid development in the Hill Country and other growing areas is worsening runoff and downstream flooding; opponents from the builders’ association said counties already have substantial authority and warned about overreach into rural property use. After extensive testimony, the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 18 would streamline permitting for certain flood control districts to repair dams and reservoirs and build small holding areas, and it was left pending after supportive testimony from Plum Creek Conservation District. Senate Bill 3 would create a state-backed outdoor flood warning siren program for identified flood-prone areas, funded through a grant program; witnesses generally supported it, though some cautioned that sirens are not sufficient by themselves and may not be heard indoors or in overnight storms. It too was left pending. The committee also began hearing House Bill 149 on public-safety radio interoperability, but the transcript cuts off before the bill’s full testimony or action is shown.