Bills: HB4274 , HB3076 , HB4358 , HB3312 , HB3288 , HB3885

Committee: House Common Education

Keywords: HB4274, Oklahoma schools, interdistrict transfer, open transfer, school enrollment, military families, active duty, National Guard, Reserve orders, military installation, residency requirements, district of choice, public school transfer, student transfer, special education, IEP, Section 504, military housing, base housing, electronic enrollment

Bills: HB4274 , HB3076 , HB4358 , HB3312 , HB3288 , HB3885

Committee: House Common Education

Keywords: HB4274, Oklahoma schools, interdistrict transfer, open transfer, school enrollment, military families, active duty, National Guard, Reserve orders, military installation, residency requirements, district of choice, public school transfer, student transfer, special education, IEP, Section 504, military housing, base housing, electronic enrollment

Summary: The committee first took up HB 4274, with a PCS accepted without objection. The bill concerns military students and military school choice, restoring language from the Open Enrollment Act, removing a six-month residency requirement for military families, and addressing early enrollment administration. After brief discussion, the committee voted 10-0 to report the bill out as due pass. HB 3076, authored by Rep. Lepak, would create a new alternative certification pathway for teachers to help address the teacher shortage by allowing third-party certifiers outside the traditional higher-education route. Members asked about accreditation, existing pilot language, and how this differs from emergency or adjunct certification. The author said the bill is intended as an additional route for career changers, with examples from other states and a model that includes follow-up support after hiring. The committee also discussed adding mentor-teacher language, and the bill passed 10-2 as due pass. The committee then considered HB 4358, which would limit screen time for K-5 students to one hour per day, with the author noting possible changes for class-based use, testing, and virtual schools. HB 3312, with a PCS, would require schools to offer firearm safety education in grades K-12, while allowing parents to opt their students out; it passed 9-2. HB 3288, also with a PCS, would increase physical activity for school-age children and prohibit withholding recess or physical education from pre-K through 5th grade as punishment; it passed 11-0. Finally, HB 3885, with a PCS, would impose mandatory disciplinary actions for third- through fifth-grade students who assault or attempt to assault teachers or school employees. The author said the bill is aimed at improving teacher safety and retention, while still allowing in-school suspension and case-by-case superintendent discretion. Members discussed whether schools already have such authority and whether suspension is always the best response. The bill passed 8-3 as due pass. HB 4277 and HB 4173 were laid over.

Bills: HB2367 , HB1974 , HB2650 , HB2626

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: coal-fired plant, preferential treatment, energy policy, electric generation, regulatory reform, land bank, land banking authority, affordable housing, housing crisis, housing supply, public corporation, public housing authority, nonprofit housing, tax-foreclosed property, blight remediation, redevelopment, anti-displacement, equity, redlining, racial segregation

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, this is my trailer bill to House Bill 1403, addressing the longstanding need to reform and reduce
• Vice Chair Farivar: This is my trailer bill to House Bill 1403, addressing the longstanding need to reform
• We do see the value in some of the reforms here to probate law, and certainly some of the stories we
• heard about these Representative Walsh [member_16258]: We do see the value in some of the reforms here
• It does some good reforms.

Bills: HB2640 , HB2161 , HB2304 , HB2445 , HB2590 , HB2412

Committee: House Civil Rights & Judiciary

Keywords: Uniform Commercial Code, business filings, legal filings, commercial transactions, UCC compliance, attorney general, legal authority, state powers, judiciary, civil rights, condominium, housing, warranty, property rights, construction, probate, estate administration, inheritance, heir finder, heir locator

Bills: HB2043 , HB2045 , HB2046 , HB2048 , HB2064 , HB2074 , HB2126 , HB2133 , HB2144

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: felony murder, unborn child, homicide, Arizona Revised Statutes, life imprisonment, death penalty, drive-by shooting, gun violence, firearms, felony, vehicle forfeiture, driver license revocation, drive by shooting, public safety, criminal penalties, education, funding, school districts, state aid, education reform

Bills: HB2205 , HB2309 , HB2206 , HB2123 , HB2120 , HB2411

Committee: House State Government & Tribal Relations

Keywords: sports wagering, gambling regulation, state control, licensing, consumer protection, state employment, classified service, civil service, job qualifications, degree requirements, postgraduate degree, master's degree, doctorate, higher education, Office of Financial Management, OFM, classification plan, salary survey, market rate pay, compensation

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill does a number of things to reform Texas' current assessment program and to strengthen than
• My previous company, Education Reform Now, but yes. What does that mean, "oversaw"?

Bills: HB8

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, Chairman Buckley, for your leadership in advancing assessment and accountability reforms that
• Taken together, these reforms create an assessment system that is more actionable, less burdensome, and
• We believe reforming the test without reforming the way it's used for accountability won't fix the problem
• Texas PTA stands ready to work with you to make sure this reform truly delivers for our 5.5 million public

Bills: HB8

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill does a number of things to reform Texas' current assessment program and to strengthen our state's
• Uh, more so with my previous company, Education Reform Now, but yes. And what does that mean?

Bills: HB8

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Summary: The House Committee on Public Education met to hear House Bill 8, which would replace STAAR with a new assessment and accountability system beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The chair described the bill as reducing testing time, limiting benchmark tests, adding beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year assessments, requiring faster score turnaround, involving Texas teachers in test development, and tightening accountability timelines and transparency rules. Members also discussed provisions on A-F ratings, cut scores, CCMR, local accountability plans, and TEA reporting requirements. Committee members and invited witnesses split sharply on the bill’s approach. Supporters, including the chair, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, and Ed Trust’s Nicholas Munyon Penny, argued the bill would reduce high-stakes pressure, provide quicker and more actionable data, limit over-testing, and better align assessments to Texas standards while preserving criterion-referenced accountability. They said the new system would help teachers and parents intervene sooner and would improve transparency, including parent access to student responses and automatic rescoring in some writing cases. Opponents, including Rep. Hinojosa and student witness Ella Moran, argued the bill still increases testing and replaces one high-stakes test with multiple TEA-created tests. Moran testified that STAAR creates anxiety, disrupts instruction, and does not reflect real learning, while Hinojosa said the House had previously passed a better bill based on a nationally norm-referenced model and criticized the new proposal as a concession to the Senate. Questions also focused on AI scoring of writing, rescoring rates, and whether the bill’s new accountability rules would be reliable and fair. The committee did not take a final vote during the portion provided, but the chair said a vote on HB 8 would be called after public testimony later in the day.

Bills: SB 614 , SB 872 , SB 1199 , SB 1212 , SB 1278 , SB 1573 , SB 1588 , SB 1602 , SB 1660 , SB 1704 , SB 1723 , SB 1833 , SB 1858 , SB 1946 , SB 2009 , SB 2146 , SB 2177 , SB 2373 , SB 2460 , SB 2785

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Keywords: forensic science, capital writs, criminal justice, case review, Texas Forensic Science Commission, prisoner death, investigation, county jail, law enforcement, autopsy, trafficking, prostitution, affirmative defense, coercion, duress, victim rights, child abuse, mandatory reporting, criminal penalties, neglect

Transcript Highlights:

• nothing but law enforcement be carrying nothing but law enforcement bills and and criminal justice reform
• bills and and criminal justice reform bills and and criminal justice reform and I can say that because
• What bonds or reforming the bond system. What bonds or reforming the bond system.
• We're trying to, but instead of doing a lot of reform, we we created the doing a lot of reform, we we
• created the doing a lot of reform, we we created the bail bonding sunset board, right?

Bills: HB265 , HB146 , SB254 , HB202 , HB3 , HB42 , SB18

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: resisting arrest, penalties, criminal justice, law enforcement, public safety, youthful offender, capital murder, victims' rights, SB254, Alabama, statute of limitations, civil procedure, civil action, sex offense, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, survivor rights, tolling, disability, minor plaintiff

Bills: SB302 , SB1335 , SB1734 , SB1760 , SB1975 , SB2127

Committee: Senate Jurisprudence

Keywords: probate court, statutory judge, reimbursement, court costs, court proceedings, judicial assignments, judge assignment, cost reimbursement, judicial expenses, estate management, statutory requirement, court expenses, estates, inheritance, representative duties, court authority, personal representative, real property, deed fraud, title fraud

Bills: SB302 , SB1335 , SB1734 , SB1760 , SB1975 , SB2127

Committee: Senate Jurisprudence

Keywords: probate court, statutory judge, reimbursement, court costs, court proceedings, judicial assignments, judge assignment, cost reimbursement, judicial expenses, estate management, statutory requirement, court expenses, estates, inheritance, representative duties, court authority, personal representative, real property, deed fraud, title fraud

Bills: SB 302 , SB 1335 , SB 1734 , SB 1760 , SB 1975 , SB 2127

Committee: Senate Jurisprudence

Keywords: probate court, statutory judge, reimbursement, court costs, court proceedings, judicial assignments, judge assignment, cost reimbursement, judicial expenses, estate management, statutory requirement, court expenses, estates, inheritance, representative duties, court authority, personal representative, real property, deed fraud, title fraud

Bills: SB1 , HB176 , HB86 , SB1 , HB176 , HB86

Committee: House Ways and Means Education

Keywords: workers' compensation, public education, employee injury, insurance trust fund, on-the-job injury, administrative procedures, HB176, Alabama sales tax, use tax, sales and use tax exemption, optical aids, eyeglasses, contact lenses, prescription glasses, vision care, optometrist, ophthalmologist, optician, medical devices, local option tax exemption

Bills: SB2 , SB3 , SB5 , SB9 , SB10 , SB14 , SB16 , SB34 , SB18 , SB 2 , SB 3 , SB 5 , SB 9 , SB 10 , SB 14 , SB 16 , SB 18 , SB 34

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: flooding, public safety, outdoor warning sirens, disaster preparedness, emergency response, flood warning, outdoor sirens, local government, safety measures, flood management, emergency preparedness, municipal safety, disaster response, disaster relief, emergency funding, Meteorological forecasting, local government assistance, training facilities, hemp regulation, consumable products

Transcript Highlights:

• But this entire conversation began almost about a decade ago as a conversation about reform. to get poor
• That was. the case that started the bail reform movement in Texas, and I would encourage you to continue
• case, the ACLU and crime victims' organizations, once you have a full conversation about what bail reform
• Where we started to go wrong and I don't think this this type of bill reform would make us at all soft
• County Jail, which this bill will also cause. be a way of reforming people, helping people, rehabbing

Bills: HB36 , HB75 , HB76 , HB166 , HB799 , HB 1135 , HJR15 , HJR16 , HB36 , HB75 , HB76 , HB166 , HJR15 , HJR16

Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence

Keywords: family violence, global positioning monitoring system, victim resources, electronic monitoring, protective orders, magistrate, criminal procedure, probable cause, written findings, law enforcement, bail bonds, bail fund, charitable bail fund, nonprofit bail organization, public funds, local government spending, political subdivision, county, city, taxpayer lawsuit

Transcript Highlights:

• So that potato shed was reformed into a place for children to stay that were abused and neglected 50
• What we need is sentencing reform. If I may just say one more thing—you're on.</p><p>Very quickly.
• And so what we need is reform in our upfront in how we define duress, how we define self-defense, and
• But as long as that part of the statute is removed, I'm not in opposition to the idea of reforming.
• </p> <p>I'm not in opposition to the idea of reforming. I'm just urging that what we need is more.

Bills: HB75 , SB134 , SB201 , SB258 , SB288 , SB313 , SB320 , SB321 , SB325 , SB339 , SB345 , SB393 , SB422 , SB440 , SB470 , SB487 , SB523

Committee: House Administration of Criminal Justice

Keywords: HB75, Act 963, gaming, casino gaming, promotional play, promotional wagers, slot machine proceeds, net gaming proceeds, gross revenue, taxable revenue, gaming operators, gaming tax, Louisiana gaming, gaming revenue deduction, casino tax, gaming promotion, revenue cap, pilot program, child sexual abuse materials, sexting

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair recognizes Lee Parsley on behalf of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, registered for the bill.
• Family court reform has been a focus since about 2017.
• It's about lowering standards; it's about recognizing that people can and do reform over time.
• The 15-year window provides meaningful accountability while recognizing that people can reform.
• Legislative Council, following the recommendations of the House Select Committee on Criminal Procedure Reform

Bills: HB 1181 , HB3704 , HB1363 , HB1610 , HB1615 , HB1620 , HB3223 , HB1317 , HB2884 , HB2176 , HB4027 , HB1664 , HB933 , HB2613 , HB3353 , HB2086 , HB4101 , HB3441 , HB4145 , HB3455

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Keywords: judiciary, judges, justices, retired, legal assignments, judicial conduct, notary public, criminal offense, education requirements, official documents, record retention, implicit bias, bias training, judicial training, judge education, court personnel, continuing legal education, CLE, state bar, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Transcript Highlights:

• I am In support of this bill, tort reform for the funeral industry is truly critical.
• Lee here on behalf of Texans for Lawsuit Reform. registered for the bill. That's correct.

Bills: HB 1181 , HB3704 , HB1363 , HB1610 , HB1615 , HB1620 , HB3223 , HB1317 , HB2884 , HB2176 , HB4027 , HB1664 , HB933 , HB2613 , HB3353 , HB2086 , HB4101 , HB3441 , HB4145 , HB3455

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Keywords: judiciary, judges, justices, retired, legal assignments, judicial conduct, notary public, criminal offense, education requirements, official documents, record retention, implicit bias, bias training, judicial training, judge education, court personnel, continuing legal education, CLE, state bar, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals