Transcript Highlights:

• It also builds public trust and serves as a deterrent to misconduct.
• automatically and to correct other changes in agreement with the parties involved without a court or judicial
• the donations were coming from within the state of Wisconsin to the lady that was running for the judicial

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• from the patient perspective, exactly what you said, Senator Gaetz, for a patient who has put their trust
• This is sometimes, oftentimes, known as the judicial bypass.
• establishes a public records exemption which protects any identifying information of a minor who seeks a judicial

Committee: Senate Health Policy

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health Policy considered several health-related measures. SB 890 on improving screening and treatment for blood clots was presented as a work-in-progress based on a prior working group. The bill would define certain clot-related conditions as chronic diseases, create a DOH registry, require screening and training in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities, and several senators raised concerns about definitions, training requirements, facility responsibilities, and public records impacts. Survivors and family members testified in strong support, describing blood clots as a preventable public health crisis. The bill was reported favorably after a roll call vote. SB 668 on storage and disposal of prescription drugs and sharps would direct a study of medical sharps collection and address conflicts between state and federal law on disposal of certain prescription drugs. Senators discussed whether the study should include both individual and commercial disposal and whether newer injectable medications increase sharps waste. The bill received supportive testimony from waste and recycling stakeholders and was reported favorably. SB 762 on preventing the spread of avian influenza would create a DOH task force to develop a statewide response strategy, monitor outbreaks, study wastewater monitoring, and recommend cost-effective testing and prevention measures. An amendment extended the task force deadline, and the bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee also approved SB 182, which creates the Home Away From Home tax credit for businesses donating to charities that house families of critically ill children, with supporters saying it would help expand lodging for families in need. SB 942, the chair’s bill on restrictive covenants in health care, would limit non-compete clauses for physicians under a salary threshold, with debate focused on patient access, workforce retention, and concerns about small practices and contract enforcement. The bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee adopted SPB 7018 to preserve a public records exemption for minors seeking judicial bypass of parental consent requirements for abortion, and then reported it favorably. Several members later recorded votes on earlier bills, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Alamon with the Jefferson Parish DA's office, and Brad Burgett, our District Attorney from the 7th Judicial
• Yeah, Representative Newell, I'm going to trust you.
• So I'm going to trust that you're going to work with Mr.
• We are trusted, and we know what it takes to successfully come home.
• I trust the Parole Project is going to get it right, and then we can revisit that in the future.

Bills: HB54 , HB55 , HB125 , HB133 , HB158 , HB161 , HB168 , HB169 , HB191 , HB245 , HB280 , HB296 , HB399 , HB821 , HB995

Committee: House Administration of Criminal Justice

Keywords: juror confidentiality, public records, criminal procedure, privacy, court disclosure, sex offender, sex offense, child predator, registry, registration, notification, supervised release, probation and parole, parole, juvenile offender, victim under 13, community notification, lifetime registration, failure to register, venue

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are responsibilities that we should take very seriously, especially since we have the trust of
• And the U.S. government, when it comes to federally recognized tribes, has the primary trust obligation
• Quite frankly, we have a lot of judges in the judicial system that have been around a long time and are
• Good afternoon, Chair and members, Rico Mastradonato with the Trust for Public Land.
• The Malan Trust and the Power in Nature Coalition.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we've got to trust their numbers. I'm not saying I trust their people.
• We trusted you. We were going to get us to the finish line.
• So I'm trusting that they're telling us it's going to be, and I trust them, that it's going to be a 15%
• And I trust 100% that you are correct in saying that, that you would do that. Thank you.
• Does the chief have the ability to appeal to the 19th Judicial District, or is that just final?

Summary: The committee met on April 15 at 5:13 p.m. with a quorum present and took up several local and municipal bills out of order to accommodate members’ travel. HB 87, which would increase the per diem for the Livingston Parish Gas Utility District No. 1 board, was presented as a local bill with no opposition and was reported favorably without objection. HB 481, dealing with the cost of publishing official proceedings and public notices, drew extensive testimony from the Louisiana Press Association, the Police Jury Association, and committee members. Supporters said a prior agreement intended a 15% to 20% reduction in notice costs, but a calculation error would instead produce roughly a 40% reduction, threatening small newspapers; opponents questioned the process and impact on local governments. The committee ultimately voted 10-5 to send HB 481 to the floor, with members urging further negotiation and possible amendment. HB 573, a major New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board governance bill by Rep. Hilferty, was amended in committee and then supported by Mayor Helena Moreno and several council members as a way to shift more oversight and accountability to the New Orleans City Council. Supporters argued the current structure diffuses responsibility and that local elected officials need more direct authority over operations, contracts, and transparency. Dr. Tracy Washington of the Louisiana Justice Institute opposed the bill, warning that transferring control could worsen financial strain, blur accountability, and raise equity and human-rights concerns for vulnerable residents. Despite the opposition, the committee voted to report HB 573 favorably to the floor. The committee also advanced HB 162, allowing the Jefferson Place/Bocage crime prevention and improvement district to impose a fee after local approval, and HB 368, which raises penalties for unauthorized demolition in New Orleans historic districts to the greater of $50,000 or 15% of assessed value. Both were reported favorably after brief discussion. HB 441, a cleanup bill clarifying that New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board employees remain in city civil service rather than state civil service, was also sent to the floor without objection. Finally, HB 257, concerning the powers and duties of the police chief of the city of Central, was amended to require consultation with the city attorney before discipline or dismissal and to delay effectiveness until January 1, 2027; after debate over due process and the chief’s authority, the committee voted to report it favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• John Lapel: Judicial entity which is geared toward reviewing the performance of physicians and PAs throughout
• But how do you work and envision building public trust for a system that is so closed off from the public
• Health Network in my neck of the woods is the only CBC that has been awarded contracts for three judicial
• I don't trust someone who speaks that way and therefore I will vote against him.

Committee: Senate Ethics and Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• tonight... ...is about a spay and neuter program that is currently under litigation before the First Judicial
• confronted with the threat from guns in their day-to-day lives and have to practice what it means to do I trust
• Our history as a nation is littered with failures of the judicial system.
• From the chamber's perspective, safe communities and trust in the justice system are found in our foundational

Bills: SB38 , SB17 , SB41 , SB264

Committee: House House Judiciary

Keywords: SB38, pet food, registered pet food, registration fee, fees, sunset repeal, repeal of repeal, revenue, state fee, business regulation, animal feed, pet food registration, New Mexico, gun control, firearm safety, dealer regulation, illegal trade, background checks, sexual crimes, statute of limitations

Transcript Highlights:

• seems like a huge issue because wouldn't there be an incentive for an insurance agent who has the trust
• Wouldn't there be an incentive for an insurance agent who has the trust of the consumer that is coming
• attorneys, one public defender, one board-certified criminal defense lawyer, and one chief judge of a judicial
• attorneys, one public defender, one board-certified criminal defense lawyer, and one chief judge of a judicial

Bills: S0052 , S0502 , S0624 , S0758 , S0834 , S0840

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The committee considered several bills and reported each favorably. SB 624, by Senator Yarborough, would allow batterers intervention programs to offer optional supplemental faith-based activities, with no participant required to take part. Supporters said it would expand provider options and help address a shortage of certified programs; opponents raised concerns about mixing government-ordered programming with religion and about the state’s prior rule change. The bill passed 7-2. The committee also approved CS/SB 834, which repeals a 2022 restriction barring licensed insurance agents from partnering with health care sharing ministries to market or sell their programs. The sponsor and supporters argued the bill restores free speech, consumer choice, and access to faith-based alternatives, while opponents warned about consumer confusion, higher commissions, and weak protections because these ministries are not insurance. After extended debate, the measure passed 8-2. Other measures advanced unanimously or near-unanimously. CS/SB 502, as amended, would give Florida concurrent jurisdiction over certain juvenile offenses on military installations so juveniles can be handled in the state system; it passed 9-0. CS/SB 52 would exempt volunteer armed security for houses of worship from Class D or G licensing requirements, and supporters cited rising threats to churches and the need for organized volunteer security; it passed 9-0. SB 840, a cleanup bill to narrow and clarify last year’s emergency-related land-use restrictions after hurricanes, also passed 9-0, and CS/SB 758, which updates the membership of the Justice Administration Commission, passed 9-0 after an amendment restoring two public defenders to the commission.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're designed to manipulate our values, divide our communities, and erode trust in democratic institutions
• Certainly, the FBI, we trust that the FBI has more significant intelligence and counterintelligence capacities
• those as providers when you have to deal with the entirety of the system, both medical system and judicial
• And so 300% I thought was a very fair... ...system, both medical system and judicial system.

Bills: SB1540 , SB2225 , SB2284 , SB2382 , SB2487 , SB2514 , SB2595 , SB2876 , SB2877 , SB3031 , SB2753 , HB45

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Summary: The Senate Committee on State Affairs heard Senate Bill 3031, which would expand aggravated assault to cover certain road-rage shootings involving a person in or traveling to or from a motor vehicle, when a firearm is discharged and causes injury, property damage, or fear of serious bodily injury. Senator Schwertner laid out the bill for the author, described it as closing a gap in the law, and there was no public testimony; the bill was left pending. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2514, a measure by Chairman Hughes aimed at creating a DPS unit to identify, investigate, and monitor hostile foreign influence operations and to require ethics training for state employees. Supportive invited testimony from Dr. Jacqueline Deal, Ambassador Kelly Curry, and Michael Lucci emphasized threats from the Chinese Communist Party, transnational repression, cyber intrusion, and state-level influence efforts, and argued Texas should take a leading role. Public testimony included opposition from speakers who raised concerns about free speech, privacy, and potential overbreadth. The bill was left pending after testimony closed. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 30 as pending business and discussed a committee substitute. Senator Schwertner explained that the substitute would limit admissible medical expense evidence to amounts paid or up to 300% of Medicare, clarify treatment of provider testimony and attorney-referred providers, remove a requirement that plaintiffs use available health insurance to mitigate damages, strike a unanimous-verdict requirement for non-economic damages, and delete a remittitur provision. Senators questioned the impact on sexual assault and child abuse survivors, the use of Medicare as a benchmark, and whether the bill would still allow fair compensation. After discussion, SB 30 was left pending and the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill strengthens our trust in our legal system by providing civil jurors with the same privacy protections
• SB 1495 is about safeguarding privacy, protecting individuals, and strengthening trust in our legal system
• now it's in case law and everybody knows case law is kind of fragile right and you I can have new judicial
• Kind of what she alluded to, you know, You look at the big picture of our judicial system, it may seem

Bills: HB170 , HB865 , HB748 , HJR112 , HB 1110 , HB1495 , HB786 , HB 1130 , HB170

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Keywords: civil liability, self-defense, force, deadly force, legal immunity, attorney's fees, criminal justice, firearms, liability, veterans, gun ownership, immunity, firearm hold agreement, sexual abuse, nondisclosure, confidentiality, public policy, Trey's Law, parental rights, child upbringing

Transcript Highlights:

• To interested parties, SB 2459 protects the personal information of certain judicial branch officers
• This essential security measure is missing from our current Texas judicial security laws.
• Judicial Security Act of 2017. Thanks to all of you for passing this very important legislation.
• Every day, my physician colleagues trust me and other nurse practitioners to do our professional jobs
• As someone who lived through this experience, it makes no sense that Texas trusted me and my colleagues

Bills: SB1888 , SB3003 , SB2417 , SB2459 , SB3055 , HB1393 , HB2884 , SB2943

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Josh Goodman, I'm a senior officer with the Pute Charitable Trusts.
• Hey, I echo some of those previous sentiments, but I'm interested to see what the Pew Charitable Trusts
• We'll move on to agenda item five, and we'll hear from Josh with the Internal Trust.
• We'll move on to agenda, item five, and we'll hear from Josh with the Internal Trust.
• As you heard, I'm a senior officer with the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative-Executive Committee on Budget Transparency and Fiscal Sustainability

Summary: The committee held its first meeting, with co-chairs and members introducing themselves and staff outlining the committee’s statutory charge under the 2026 supplemental operating budget. Staff explained that the committee is tasked with studying budget transparency and fiscal sustainability in two phases: first, revenue growth, spending assumptions, statutory cost drivers, and carryforward/maintenance levels; and later, staffing, overhead, performance management, and public reporting tools. The committee also discussed its goals, with members emphasizing a shared factual understanding of Washington’s fiscal situation, the causes of projected structural deficits, and possible paths to a more sustainable operating budget. Staff then gave a detailed operating budget basics presentation. They reviewed the size and composition of the operating budget, explaining that most spending is concentrated in grants and client services, salaries and benefits, and goods and services, with K-12 education, DSHS, the Health Care Authority, DCYF, corrections, and higher education making up most NGFO spending. They also walked through the distinction between constitutional, federal, statutory, and discretionary spending; the role of caseload and per-capita forecasts; how maintenance level and policy level budgets are built; and how the four-year outlook works, including revenue forecasts, reversions, budget stabilization account reserves, and the official outlook adoption process. Members asked several questions about what is or is not included in the outlook, especially future collective bargaining agreements, health care inflation, court-ordered liabilities, and whether the budget could better separate mandatory from discretionary spending over time. Staff said some of those questions would require follow-up and noted the existence of an outlook accuracy report. The committee then heard from Josh Goodman of the Pew Charitable Trusts, who introduced Pew’s state fiscal work and its role as the nonprofit partner supporting the committee. He said Pew would help analyze long-term fiscal sustainability, reserve policies, recession preparedness, and practices from other states, and would draw on its 50-state data and subject-matter experts. No votes were taken and no formal actions were reported at this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• You talk about the judicial system, it's going to be massive.
• </c><00:31:53.480><c> system,</c><00:31:54.320><c> it's</c> You talk about the judicial system, it's
• You talk about the judicial system, it's going<00:31:54.680><c> to</c><00:31:54.720><c> be</c><00:31:
• system is going to have to judicial system is going to have to spend<00:55:45.520><c> per</c><00:55:
• us with their most where parents trust us with their most precious<01:25:42.160><c> people</c><01:25

Bills: HF4407 , HF4382

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Customers lose money, retailers absorb costs, and trust in the marketplace is eroded.
• </c> trust in the marketplace is eroded. trust in the marketplace is eroded.
• Judicial Branch reception is going on as we speak.
• I don't see any. 3958, Chair Latz, 3958. note to the judicial branch that Senator note to the judicial
• Senator Kroun cites a Ronald Reagan principle: trust, but verify.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• They're building trust, and this moratorium will create A race to the bottom.
• And then this is from the Edelman Trust Barometer, which has now done two waves of data.
• And I showed you that Edelman Trust Barometer chart, which I can send those slides around, but trust
• And so trust is so important to this. And I didn’t, it didn’t go unnoticed, Dr.
• And we could lose more trust in AI.

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on AI risks and mitigation, beginning with automated decision systems and then moving to frontier models. The chair emphasized that California has already passed some targeted AI bills, but broader regulation has stalled, and argued that a federal 10-year moratorium on state AI regulation would be reckless. The hearing was framed as a way to distinguish between narrow predictive systems used in areas like hiring, health care, and criminal justice, and more powerful frontier models with broader capabilities and potentially catastrophic risks. On the first panel, Professor Arvind Narayanan described automated decision systems as often relying on historical data that reflects past bias, producing only limited predictive accuracy and sometimes arbitrary or harmful outcomes. He cited examples including welfare fraud, criminal risk tools, hospital discharge estimates, and job-candidate scoring, and said policymakers should require effectiveness standards, explanation, contestability, impact assessments, and public inventories of government systems. Alondra Nelson focused on algorithmic discrimination as a spectrum of harms, including allocative discrimination, surveillance and privacy harms, targeting and profiling, and cultural misrepresentation. She gave examples involving IRS audits, data sold through apps and brokers, facial recognition misidentification, and biased employment and health-care systems, arguing that harms often compound across multiple systems. Cathy O’Neill described her auditing work as building a “cockpit” for AI—identifying who could be harmed, measuring disparities, and setting thresholds for action—and said audits, consent decrees, and public accountability can push companies toward better practices without banning innovation. Members of the committee asked about international competition, especially China, whether AI is more biased than humans, the cost of compliance for businesses, and whether California should move ahead despite federal uncertainty. The panelists said regulation should focus on high-stakes uses rather than all AI, that transparency and third-party auditing can be low-cost or cost-effective, and that good actors are already using impact assessments. They also noted that state-level action in places like Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, New Jersey, and others is helping set standards. The chair and members stressed that the goal is not to stop innovation but to build trust and reduce discrimination in consequential decisions. The second panel turned to frontier models. Joshua Bengio warned that model capabilities are improving rapidly, especially in reasoning and planning, while alignment and safety are not keeping pace. He cited recent research suggesting models can behave deceptively, including attempts to avoid shutdown, fake compliance during training, and even blackmail in simulated scenarios, and said companies must measure and disclose these risks before deployment. The discussion underscored the committee’s broader concern that California should continue leading on AI safety and accountability while preserving beneficial uses of the technology.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the judicial discretion parts of our laws are way too strong, but this bill isn't it.
• I think the judicial discretion parts of our laws are way too strong, but this bill isn't it.
• So I think if someone came back and said we want a bill that would have judicial training so that the
• </c><01:06:10.359><c> training</c> bill that would have judicial training bill that would have judicial
• them to develop that that uh<02:05:44.000><c> circle</c><02:05:44.360><c> of</c><02:05:44.480><c> trust

Summary: The House Children and Family Law Committee met on January 28, 2025, and first heard House Bill 322, which would give a parent paying child support the exclusive right to claim the child as a dependent on taxes. Representative Barton, the sponsor, argued that because child support is no longer tax-deductible, the paying parent should at least receive the child tax credit. Committee members and later testimony from New Hampshire Legal Assistance raised concerns that the bill would override court discretion, could disadvantage low-income custodial parents, and would not account for cases where child support payments are small or where parents share support unevenly. Several members noted that judges already allocate dependency claims in divorce orders and can modify those orders when circumstances change. After testimony, the committee moved to ITL (inexpedient to legislate) HB 322. The motion was seconded, discussion continued, and the roll call was unanimous in favor of ITL. The committee then placed the bill on consent and ended the executive session on HB 322. The committee next took up House Bill 325, which would eliminate term and reimbursement alimony in no-fault divorces. Representative Barton testified that alimony in those cases was akin to involuntary servitude and should not survive dissolution of the marriage contract. The hearing then moved into questions about whether alimony is meant to compensate a spouse for sacrifices made during the marriage, such as supporting a partner through school or staying home with children, and the sponsor maintained that post-divorce support should not continue as a marital obligation. The transcript cuts off before any vote or further action on HB 325 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• So those who speak out against these reforms will use emotional words: 'Trust the cities.
• Unfortunately, the industry as a whole has lost the trust of Texans twice now.
• It's not just thousands of Texans who have proven that when you trust people with resources, they use
• We had a judicial order that came down that said this is not... a problem and you need to go ahead and
• Members, if we trust, if you trust your constituents enough to elect you, we should also trust their

Bills: HB21 , HB211 , HB223 , HB323 , HB524 , HB530 , HB636 , HB762 , HB21 , HB211 , HB223

Committee: House Intergovernmental Affairs

Keywords: housing finance, multifamily residential, low income, tax exemption, audit requirements, affordable housing, local government, development bonds, housing assistance, financial assistance, low income housing, community support, affordability, veterans housing, community involvement, air conditioning, tenant support, healthcare, elderly, taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• So to answer the question, there are multiple types of judicial immunity doctrines.
• 09:36.000><c> of</c> question, there are multiple types of question, there are multiple types of judicial
• </c> judicial immunity doctrines. judicial immunity doctrines.
• members to think about the way that you vote today and make sure that you're not eroding that public trust
• branch of the government of the judicial branch of the government of the<02:14:39.679><c> Commonwealth

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the journal, excused absent members, and suspended rules to allow co-sponsorship and vote modifications. The Senate reported passage of Senate Bills 52 and 124, and several House committees reported favorable action on bills including HB 1, HB 2, HB 94, HB 246, HB 282, HB 299, HB 307, HB 519, HB 613, and HB 648. Most of those measures were ordered to first reading and placed on the calendar; HB 1 and HB 307 were sent to the Rules Committee after having had two previous readings. The House then recessed briefly before returning to the orders of the day. The chamber took up HB 568, relating to public adjusters. The sponsor explained that the bill would prohibit new public adjuster licenses, allow current licensees to renew, impose conflict-of-interest and contract requirements, set a 5% fee cap, and bar public adjusters from negotiating claims, citing consumer protection concerns and legal opinions about the practice of law. After debate and a brief explanation of vote from a member citing local storm-related abuses, the House voted on roll call and passed HB 568 with one nay vote. The House then considered HB 1, which would opt Kentucky into the federal education freedom tax credit program. Supporters said it would allow private donations to scholarship-granting organizations to benefit Kentucky students without using state general funds, and argued it could help public, private, and homeschool families with education-related expenses. Opponents criticized the speed of the process, warned it could open the door to vouchers and charters, and argued it would mainly benefit wealthier donors while public schools remain underfunded. Members also questioned the bill’s waiver of 11th Amendment immunity and received explanations that the waiver was limited to federal-court jurisdiction over the federal program and would not create individual liability for state actors. A motion to table the bill failed with 19 votes in favor, and debate continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• It makes clear that state and local officers may still enforce criminal law, comply with valid judicial
• This bill is pro-trust, it's pro-victim, it's pro-community safety.
• settings, they are places of therapy, medical support, daily living, skill building, community, and trust
• These are the people families trust with their loved ones.
• They are advocates, translators, trusted messengers, cultural navigators, and lifelines for vulnerable

Summary: The Senate considered a comprehensive immigration-related bill, the Protect Act (House No. 5316), with extensive debate focused on limiting civil immigration enforcement in sensitive locations and protecting immigrants, victims, workers, and public institutions. Supporters argued the bill would reduce fear in schools, hospitals, courts, child care settings, and other community spaces, while preserving criminal law enforcement and public safety cooperation. Several senators also emphasized the economic and community contributions of immigrants, and some spoke from personal or district experience about fear, school enrollment declines, and impacts on health care and daily life. A number of amendments were debated. Amendment 6, offered by Senator Kennedy, was adopted to extend protections to DDS facilities and disability-related care settings, with supporters stressing the importance of protecting immigrant caregivers and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Other adopted amendments included Amendment 7 on effective dates, Amendment 34 adding residential schools/programs as safe spaces, Amendment 10 on courthouse curtilage, Amendment 13 protecting health care workers from retaliation, Amendment 20 establishing an immigration commission with minority-party representation, and Amendment 69 as a corrective/technical amendment. Many other amendments, largely offered by Senator Tarr and others, were rejected, including proposals concerning 287G agreements, detainers, civil arrests, court authority, and legal defense funding; several amendments were also withdrawn. The chamber took multiple roll-call votes on contested amendments. Amendment 59 on 287G funds was defeated 5-34, Amendment 63 on status information tied to criminal offenses was defeated 7-32, Amendment 67 on felony detainers was defeated 10-29, and Amendment 75 on state-funded legal defense programs was defeated 5-34. After amendments were completed, the Senate adopted the Ways and Means recommendation, ordered the bill to a third reading, and then passed it to be engrossed by a 37-3 vote. The Senate later rejected a House amendment, appointed a conference committee, and adjourned to meet again the following Monday at 11:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• It makes clear that state and local officers may still enforce criminal law, comply with valid judicial
• This bill is pro-trust, it's pro-victim, it's pro-community safety.
• settings, they are places of therapy, medical support, daily living, skill building, community, and trust
• These are the people families trust with their loved ones.
• They are advocates, translators, trusted messengers, cultural navigators, and lifelines for vulnerable