Video & Transcript Research : 'foreign deployment'

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TX
TX

Texas 89th Regular

S/C on Defense & Veterans' Affairs Apr 7th, 2025

S/C on Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States was originally founded at the local level in 1899 by
  • HCR 7 seeks to designate September 29th as Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Day for a 10
  • This can include additional training specific to advancement and rank for an upcoming extended deployment
  • During my deployments, I saw the ...arduous situations there, but more importantly, upon return, I saw
Bills: HCR7, HB1557, HB1608, HB2061, HB2201, HB2210, HB2426, HB2754, HJR165, HB2513, HCR7
Keywords: Veterans of Foreign Wars, veterans, commemoration, military service, recognition, September 29, waiver programs, toll roads, discount programs, transportation, affordable housing, land bank program, low-income households, Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation, HB 2061, Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 225, State Highway 242, Interstate Highway 69, Montgomery County
TX
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Senate Session Feb 20th, 2025

Texas Senate Floor Meeting

OK
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Senate Legislative Session Mar 2nd, 2026 at 01:30 pm

Oklahoma Senate Floor Meeting

OK
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Senate Legislative Session Apr 29th, 2026 at 01:30 pm

Oklahoma Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • When you talk about a foreign government adversary. Would that include Russia?
  • Consider foreign trade professionals.
  • Foreign workers.
  • I'm not saying anything necessarily against foreign workers. What I am.
  • Because we filled them with foreign workers, that's my principal concern about this.
Bills: HB2268, HB3000, HB3043, HB3066, HB3078, HB3143, HB3144, HB3244, HB3298, HB3320, HB3467, HB3321, HB3329, HB3431, HB3464, HB3499, HB3500, HB3586, HB3590, HB3650, HB3671, HB3695, HB3700, HB3701, HB3764, HB3767, HB3834, HB3931, HB3934, HB3940, HB3944, HB3979, HB3985, HB4113, HB4294, HB4302, HB4317, HB4324, HB4359, HB4426, HB4427, HB4430, HB4431, HB4434, HJR1077, SR42, SR35, HJR1023, HB1225, HB1374, HB1381, HB1590, HB1675, HB2153
Keywords: HB2268, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, OHCA, appropriation, General Revenue Fund, PACE, Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, elderly care, aging Oklahomans, long-term care, Medicaid, health care funding, provider reimbursement, rate increase, low-income seniors, senior services, integrated care, emergency measure, cosmetology, barbering
OK
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Senate Legislative Session Apr 29th, 2026 at 09:00 am

Oklahoma Senate Floor Meeting

TX
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Business and Commerce May 20th, 2025

Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • DIR will also evaluate a sample of agencies' information resources deployment review responses for accuracy
  • Vice Chair King, members of the committee, my name is Rahul Srini Vaston, Director of Government, Foreign
  • And so kind of the deployment, like for example, right now, UT Austin, the campus, the Wi-Fi is out on
  • Foreign nations invading, all that kind of stuff. How many people work in your department?
  • However, if an individual is injured while on deployment, local governments are not fully compensated
Bills: HB146, HB150, HB1500, HB1545, HB1562, HB2067, HB2520, HB2818, HB3214, HB3250, HB3466, HB3512, HB3623, HB4063, HB4395, HB4464, HB4668, HB4690, HB5331, HB3833
Keywords: HB 146, Texas Capitol, State Capitol, State Preservation Board, Congress Avenue, Travis County, traffic lanes, lane closure, road closure, municipal authority, local control, Capitol area, downtown Austin, special events, construction traffic plan, pedestrian safety, public works, transportation policy, government code chapter 443, cybersecurity
Summary: The committee took up several pending business items and reported a series of House bills out of committee, including HB 2467, HB 2468, HB 2518, HB 4310, HB 4386, HB 4490, HB 5323, and HB 149. Most of these were advanced on committee substitute motions and sent to the local and uncontested calendar or reported favorably to the full Senate. HB 2467 drew one nay vote, while the others were approved without opposition. HB 4310 and HB 4386 were described as committee-substitute versions with changes narrowing disclosure requirements and preserving attorney-client privilege in certain circumstances. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 149, an AI governance bill. The substitute was explained as addressing biometric identifier capture and storage, exempting certain AI uses for security and fraud prevention, clarifying definitions, restricting AI systems that simulate explicit child sexual content, adjusting Attorney General investigative authority, refining sandbox program waivers, reducing Texas AI Council powers and membership, and adding DIR coordination provisions. The committee adopted the substitute and reported the bill favorably. The committee then heard extensive testimony on HB 1500, the DIR sunset bill. The author said the bill would continue DIR for 12 years, restructure its board, update advisory committees, require regular cybersecurity assessments and penetration testing for state agencies, improve IT procurement training, and transfer the e-grants program to the Comptroller. A Texas 2036 witness supported the bill as a way to strengthen governance, procurement, and cybersecurity. Members asked detailed questions about the bill’s structure and then left HB 1500 pending. The committee also heard a lengthy presentation on HB 150, which would create the Texas Cyber Command as a component of the University of Texas System, administratively attached to UTSA and located in San Antonio. The author argued the command would centralize cyber threat intelligence, incident response, and digital forensics, and would be able to support state and local entities, with optional services for local governments. Members raised concerns about university mission drift, governance, security, chain of command, procurement authority, gifts and donations, and civil liberties implications of proactive cyber monitoring. Witnesses from UTSA/NSCC and SecurityScorecard testified in support, emphasizing the security of the downtown San Antonio facility, the existing cyber ecosystem there, and the need for a dedicated cyber capability. The bill remained under discussion with no final committee action announced in the excerpt.
TX
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Senate Committee on Border Security Feb 27th, 2025

Border Security

Transcript Highlights:
  • a permissive environment for violent criminals, gang members, known terrorists, and other hostile foreign
  • But for us... ...as they build up, and we can do fewer deployments when they're signed to Operation Lone
  • It's a nine-day deployment, so they get two days of 24 hours of straight overtime.
  • the Department of Public Safety (DPS), is crucial. a number of moves back and forth and temporary deployments
  • We've adjusted many times, and we're used to deployments—hurricanes, wildfires, border operations—but
Keywords: 1185, senate, all
TX
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Public Health Apr 7th, 2025 at 03:30 pm

Public Health

Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm through all my deployments, all my engagements, all my training.
  • I had multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • All together, I conducted seven combat deployments.
  • I drank myself to sleep most nights after my 2008 deployment.
  • Okay, so foreign doctors and veteran doctors...
Bills: HB 44, HB 2200, HB 1612, HB 2747, HB 2038, HB 3717, HB 1431, HB 3800, HB 3801, HB 3560, HB 3246
Keywords: HB 44, Life of the Mother Act, abortion exceptions, medical emergency, reasonable medical judgment, pregnancy complications, maternal health, life-threatening condition, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, spontaneous abortion, fetal survival, Texas abortion law, abortion ban, physician liability, health care provider, disciplinary action, aiding and abetting, emergency abortion, obstetric care
Summary: The meeting of the public health committee focused on the pressing issue of opioid addiction in Texas, with a particular emphasis on House Bill 3717. Chairman Harris detailed the bill's intent to fund a grant program for Ibogaine clinical trials, framing it as a critical response to the ongoing opioid crisis. He shared poignant testimonies highlighting the struggles of families and veterans battling addiction and mental health issues. The conversation underscored the necessity of innovative treatments, like Ibogaine, which showed promising results in studies for reducing symptoms of withdrawal and PTSD.
KY
KY

Kentucky 2025 Regular Session

Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force (8-20-25)

Transcript Highlights:
  • coordinate the deployment of resources. coordinate the deployment of resources.
  • Some of the attitudes are, oh, well, that foreign animal disease is in Europe.
  • Some of the attitudes are, oh, well, that foreign animal disease is in Europe.
  • And one of the things I was just wondering, can you comment on any current foreign threats from foreign
  • Um that is foreign animal disease.
Keywords: 958, all
Summary: The committee met to adopt the minutes of the second meeting by voice vote, then heard an update focused on disaster preparedness, resiliency, response, and coordination among state agencies and partners. The chair emphasized avoiding duplication of resources and highlighted the importance of agriculture-related response issues, including animal evacuation, feed distribution, and the role of extension services during disasters. The Department for Public Health was invited to explain its role in emergency planning and response. Public Health described its Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch as the lead coordinating agency for Emergency Support Function 8, covering health and medical services under Kentucky’s emergency operations framework. Testimony outlined its broad responsibilities, including support for hospitals, morgues, local health departments, behavioral health, crisis counseling, suspicious package testing, disease outbreaks, and coordination with emergency management, EMS, transportation, and nonprofit and private partners. Officials also described the agency’s risk-assessment process, training and exercise programs, and deployed assets such as PPE caches, deployable communications, a federal medical station, a mobile treatment center, and alternate care support used in events like the eastern Kentucky floods and COVID-19. The agency also discussed funding through federal cooperative agreements for public health emergency preparedness and hospital preparedness, noting that these programs have evolved since 9/11 and have been shaped by major disasters and emerging threats. Officials said Kentucky’s funding has declined over time and that current awards are partially funded for the first time in the program’s history. They expressed support for efficiency if federal programs are consolidated, but cautioned that combining programs could risk further funding losses.
MN
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Veterans and Military Affairs Division 3/19/25

Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Transcript Highlights:
  • Officers, and the Veterans of Foreign Officers, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.<00:15:41.680><
  • <01:15:52.000> My not least, Veterans of Foreign Wars.
  • My not least, Veterans of Foreign Wars.
  • Maybe they had two, three deployments to Iraq.
  • Maybe they three deployments to Iraq.
Keywords: 1183, house
TX
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Business and Commerce Apr 1st, 2026

Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • Involving other states and foreign jurisdictions increases the challenge.
  • And now we find out it's littered with foreign enemy countries.
  • The concern is not simply that the components are foreign-manufactured.
  • We're at a crossroads in our deployment.
  • of foreign influence and interstellar concerns affect our grid.
Summary: The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce convened to discuss critical infrastructure and supply chain integrity, particularly focusing on Texas's power grid and associated vulnerabilities. The meeting highlighted Texas's recent ranking as 10th in electricity affordability, emphasizing the state's commitment to maintaining a reliable and resilient electric grid. New committee members introduced themselves, and the agenda included testimony from ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission regarding the implementation of the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act, which aims to mitigate risks posed by foreign entities to the power grid. Chad Sealy from ERCOT presented updates on the attestation process for market participants, revealing that over 1,500 entities had submitted attestations regarding their corporate structures and affiliations with designated foreign countries. Concerns were raised about the adequacy of the current vetting process, particularly regarding indirect relationships with foreign adversaries. Testimonies from the PUC and the Attorney General's office underscored the challenges of enforcing compliance and the need for improved legislative measures to enhance oversight and security. The committee also heard from experts, including Dr. Emma Stewart from Idaho National Laboratory, who discussed the evolving threats to the grid from foreign adversaries and the importance of securing communication systems. Recommendations included prioritizing inspections of critical components and enhancing collaboration with national laboratories to address vulnerabilities. The discussion concluded with an acknowledgment of the balance needed between ensuring grid security and maintaining affordability for consumers.
CA
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee Jun 24th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • And efficiently from where it is produced to where it is needed for large-scale deployment, pipelines
  • It does not create a hydrogen deployment program.
  • The safety rules first, then allow deployment and development to proceed within a practical and regulatory
  • So it's not as if our workers are still exposed to those foreign oil entanglements under the existing
  • Is Texas foreign oil? Or is Iran foreign oil? Or is it all just foreign?
Summary: The committee first heard SB 804, the Hydrogen Pipeline Safety Act, from Senator Arreguín. He said the bill would designate the State Fire Marshal as the safety regulator for intrastate hydrogen pipelines and require hydrogen-specific standards, while not mandating any pipeline construction or bypassing environmental review. Supporters included labor groups, utility employees, and the City of Burbank, while Air Products opposed unless amended, citing concerns about the bill’s specificity, fee structure, and the need for a hydrogen-specific rulemaking process. The committee discussed safety, fees, and regulatory certainty, and later passed SB 804 on a 9-0 vote to Emergency Management with commitment to take amendments. The committee then took up SB 905 by Senator Becker, aimed at reducing electricity rates by changing utility incentives. The bill would tie part of executive compensation to keeping rates below inflation, require more performance metrics, and allow the CPUC to consider lower returns on equity for certain lower-risk investments and alternative financing options. Support came from consumer, environmental, agricultural, and large energy user groups, while Southern California Edison, CalChamber, PG&E, and utility labor groups raised concerns that the bill could reduce investment, create regulatory uncertainty, and raise borrowing costs. After extensive discussion about utility affordability, wildfire costs, and capital markets, the committee passed SB 905 on a 7-1 vote to Appropriations. SB 913, also by Senator Becker, would create a clearer pathway for distributed energy resources such as batteries and smart thermostats to participate in the resource adequacy market and compete with utility-scale resources. Supporters said the bill would better use existing grid capacity, lower costs, and build on the state’s Demand Side Grid Support Program; PG&E opposed unless amended, saying the use case was not yet proven and was already being addressed in other rulemakings. After the committee accepted amendments, one opposition group moved to neutral and another said it might do so after reviewing the changes. The bill passed 8-0 to Appropriations and was placed on call. Several other measures were heard and advanced, including SB 1196 on faster utility hookups for small energization projects such as ADUs and EV chargers, SB 931 reauthorizing the Diablo Canyon Essential Services Mitigation Fund through 2028, SB 1158 reducing the frequency of joint reliability assessments from quarterly to twice yearly, and SB 1245 directing further study of California’s gasoline market and potential use of non-CARBOB fuel during supply disruptions. SB 1196 and SB 931 both passed with broad support and no opposition after amendments, SB 1158 passed without testimony, and SB 1245 drew strong support from consumer and environmental advocates but opposition from fuel industry and business groups concerned about costs, confidentiality, and fuel standards.
ND
ND

North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session

Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Committee Jul 15th, 2026 at 09:00 am

Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • So it had various requirements for deployers.
  • They focus more on developers and deployers in a general sense.
  • broadband issues and may well be looking at its non-deployment funds.
  • And non-deployment funds are, you know, things that are not kind of shovel-ready projects, Non-deployment
  • The Trump administration said it couldn’t be used by foreign citizens.
Keywords: 908, all
ND
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Committee Jul 15th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • It had various requirements for deployers.
  • They focus more on developers and deployers in a general sense.
  • broadband issues and may well be looking at its non-deployment funds.
  • I think we're all waiting to see what happens with the non-deployment funds.
  • And that's the non-deployment of B that's basically on hold right now.
Summary: The committee held its first meeting on artificial intelligence and data centers, established a quorum, and heard introductory remarks from Majority Leader Hogue and the chair about the committee’s charge. Members said the goal was to build a factual foundation on AI, hear from experts and stakeholders, and develop practical North Dakota-focused recommendations rather than simply produce a large volume of bills. Legislative Council also reviewed interim committee rules and procedures before the informational presentations began. Staff and NCSL presenters then gave overviews of AI concepts and the state and federal policy landscape. The background memo and presentations covered AI categories and terms, state laws in areas such as consumer protection, algorithmic discrimination, deepfakes, chatbots, children’s safety, health, education, and government use, as well as data center siting and economic impacts. NCSL described a growing number of AI bills introduced and enacted across the states, with comprehensive laws in places like Utah, Colorado, Texas, California, and Illinois, and noted recurring issues around transparency, privacy, liability, and protections for minors. A major focus of the discussion was federal preemption and the tension between state regulation and national AI policy. NCSL said a recent White House executive order and related federal framework seek a light-touch, innovation-friendly national standard, with possible challenges to state laws and possible funding conditions tied to compliance, though no broad federal preemption has yet been enacted. Members asked about Commerce Clause concerns, industry pushback, oversight models, and whether AI policy is bipartisan; presenters said the issue cuts across party lines, with broad agreement on child safety and deepfake restrictions but more disagreement on broader regulatory approaches. No votes or formal actions were taken at the meeting, and the committee recessed briefly for technical issues during the second presentation.
ND
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee Apr 22nd, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • reactors, similar to a university size or around those source-term quantities, to help streamline deployment
  • And in the near term, we will have our microreactor deployment, so Marvel and PAYO...
  • And in the near term, we will have our microreactor deployment, so Marvel and Paley.
  • There's supply chain dependence on this and foreign nations currently.
  • Because of, you know, more inexpensive things coming from foreign nations and our dependence on them,
Summary: The meeting opened with remarks about the value of public engagement and the quality of questions from the group, followed by a series of technical presentations from Idaho National Laboratory staff. Joe Renovitz described recent nuclear regulatory changes tied to presidential executive orders, including NRC Part 53 for advanced reactors, the forthcoming Part 57 for very small reactors, and DOE updates to reactor authorization standards. He emphasized efforts to align DOE and NRC processes, use risk-informed and performance-based licensing, support reactor deployment for AI/data centers and national security, and use AI to speed communications and crosswalks between DOE and NRC requirements. In response to questions, he said there was no plan to merge agencies, but rather to improve coordination and public outreach through groups like GAIN and NEI. David Tolman then discussed the nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, spent fuel storage, transportation, disposal, and reprocessing. He explained high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), why it is needed for advanced reactors, and DOE’s HALEU Availability Program and related investments in enrichment, transportation, deconversion, and supply chain development. He also covered spent fuel management, the possibility of centralized storage or a fuel-cycle campus, the Center for Used Fuel Research, and ongoing work on high-burnup cask testing and reprocessing technologies. Tolman described aqueous, pyrochemical, and fluoride-volatility reprocessing approaches, noting the advantages and waste characteristics of each, and said several companies are working with INL on these technologies. Ashley Shields presented INL’s AI and nuclear work, focusing on the Genesis initiative and the Prometheus effort to use AI to design, license, build, and operate reactors with far less human intervention. She described INL’s broad use of generative AI tools, the need to manage large volumes of legacy technical data, and applications in reactor design, materials discovery, autonomous laboratories, and digital twins. Shields said AI is being used to reduce the enormous documentation burden in nuclear licensing and to support autonomous or remotely operated reactor demonstrations, while stressing that humans remain in supervisory roles. In discussion, she addressed data security, model access, and the continued need for software engineers. The session then recessed briefly and resumed with Mitch Kerman beginning a presentation on critical minerals and materials.
US
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Monday, June 23, 2025)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Of result of foreign direct investment.
  • as a member of the Committee on Foreign as a member of the Committee on Foreign Investment<04:09
  • foreign investment in American farmland. foreign investment in American farmland.
  • Investment<04:10:59.760> in The Committee on Foreign Investment in The Committee on Foreign
  • by the former chairman of the foreign adversaries. foreign adversaries.
Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, June 23, 2025, 1012, house, all
TX
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Business and Commerce Apr 1st, 2026

Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • about 114 potential risks or vulnerabilities to the grid and its supply chain posed by 115 hostile foreign
  • entities. 116 hostile foreign entities. 117 Today, we'll hear from state agencies, experts and industry
  • If you're a foreign entity and they say, absolutely, do you believe that?
  • Chairman, thank you for the many charts that I have up here, but on foreign-owned entities that own in
  • And now we find out it's littered with foreign enemy countries.
Summary: The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce held its first interim hearing on securing critical infrastructure and supply chain integrity, with a focus on Texas’s electric grid and the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act. The chair also highlighted Texas’s relatively low electricity prices and welcomed new committee members. ERCOT, the Public Utility Commission (PUC), and the Attorney General’s office were invited to explain how the state screens market participants and grid equipment for ties to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, and how the agencies respond to noncompliance. ERCOT testified that it has implemented the requirements of three related Senate bills by requiring attestations on corporate affiliations and on critical grid equipment and services. ERCOT said it has processed thousands of attestations, used additional requests for information and third-party verification tools such as Dun & Bradstreet, and terminated nonresponsive market participants. ERCOT also said it has not seen a case requiring direct Attorney General involvement, but it does refer matters to the PUC when needed. The PUC said it can investigate suspected violations and impose penalties of up to $1 million per violation per day, and that most investigations into late or missing attestations have been resolved through compliance, market exit, or removal by ERCOT. The Attorney General’s office said its role is currently limited to audits and court involvement, and that it lacks broad independent investigatory authority under the act. Members pressed the panel on whether the current system is too reliant on self-reporting and whether it adequately addresses indirect foreign influence, especially through supply chains for batteries, inverters, transformers, and other equipment with routable connectivity. ERCOT acknowledged that the current attestation process has gaps and said it plans to refine definitions of critical grid equipment and grid services, improve information requests, and continue stakeholder rulemaking. The panel also discussed possible legislative changes, including tying prohibitions to the Department of Defense Section 1260H list and the Texas Prohibited Technologies list, clarifying warranty and service access, and expanding the statute to cover grid services more directly. Several senators raised concerns about cost, reliability, and the extent to which foreign-sourced components remain embedded in Texas infrastructure, while others suggested incentives for domestic manufacturing and stronger verification tools, including possible work with national labs such as Sandia.
US
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Monday, April 20, 2026)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • . >> Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1681, the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment
  • H.R. 1681, the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act, will help ensure this happens.
  • And today I rise in strong support of my bipartisan bill, the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment
  • BUT TOO OFTEN BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT IS DELAYED OR PREVENTED DUE TO UNNECESSARY RED TAPE IN THE FORM OF
  • The Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act addresses these concerns by requiring NTIA to develop a
Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, April 20, 2026, 1012, house, all
US
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Wednesday, March 25, 2026)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • resignation as a member of the foreign resignation as a member of the foreign affairs<02:17:40.800
  • to<02:31:21.760> participate If foreign actors expect to participate If foreign actors
  • 2026. specified harmful foreign 2026. specified harmful foreign activities<04:14:42.479> of
  • referred to the committee on foreign referred to the committee on foreign affairs<04:15:54.159><
  • to the national security and foreign to the national security and foreign policy<04:17:10.800>
Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 1012, house, all
TX
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Border Security May 15th, 2025

Border Security

Transcript Highlights:
  • Hidalgo, urging Congress to enhance coordination among federal, state, and local authorities in the deployment
  • Hidalgo, urges Congress to enhance coordination among federal, state, and local authorities in the deployment
  • HCR 98 is a resolution that urges Congress to support and coordinate the deployment of counter-unmanned
  • this bill also contains a legislative finding stating that any individual entering the state from a foreign
Bills: HCR98, HB180
Keywords: counter-unmanned aircraft systems, C-UAS, counter-drone, drone mitigation, unmanned aircraft systems, UAS, border security, U.S.-Mexico border, aviation safety, airspace regulation, federal preemption, Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Department of Energy, FBI, state-local coordination, tribal and territorial partners, border patrol, cartels
Summary: The Senate Committee on Border Security met with a quorum present and first took up HCR 98, a resolution urging Congress to improve coordination among federal, state, and local authorities on counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) technology for border security. The author and sponsor described increasing drone activity along the border, saying unauthorized drones are used to track agents, identify weaknesses, and smuggle contraband, and argued for clearer procedures to detect, identify, and neutralize such aircraft. There was no public testimony, and the committee voted 4-0 to report HCR 98 favorably to the full Senate; the resolution was also ordered for local and uncontested calendar placement without objection. The committee then heard HB 180, sponsored by Chairman Birdwell, which would authorize the governor to coordinate directly with Mexican officials and individual Mexican states on border security agreements and appoint representatives to implement them. Birdwell said the bill would codify prior border-security cooperation efforts, improve responses to cross-border challenges such as drug and human trafficking, and include a finding that entrants from foreign countries must use a legal port of entry. No questions were asked, and there was no invited or public testimony. After the hearing, the committee left HB 180 pending. The meeting concluded with no further business and the committee standing in recess subject to the call of the chair.