Transcript Highlights:

• To illustrate, a single cardiac monitor...
• The Texas Emergency Services Retirement System is a state agency that administers a pension system for
• So the pension system can't play with the numbers, let's put it that way.
• As I said, it's the last unfunded pension system in the state. Okay.
• Its retirement system is the best retention tool that we have.

Bills: SB868, SB1337, SB1371, SB1377, SB1426, SB1620, SB2064, SB2065, SJR4, SJR 4

Keywords: SB 868, rural volunteer fire department assistance program, volunteer fire department assistance fund, Texas Government Code, wildfire, wildland fire, high-risk wildfire area, fire suppression, rural fire departments, volunteer firefighters, emergency response, public safety, grant allocation, appropriations, disaster preparedness, tax penalties, interest calculation, overpayment, tax law, refund process

Transcript Highlights:

• We need warning systems.
• Specifically, this bill will require CDCR to install temperature monitoring systems, permit increased
• Specifically, this bill will require CDCR to install temperature monitoring systems, permit increased
• system.
• This bill represents a shift and change in the justice system, an already evolving justice system.

Summary: The committee first adopted a seven-bill consent calendar, then heard several public safety measures. AB 1127 by Assembly Member Gabriel would restrict sale of certain semi-automatic handguns that can be easily converted to automatic weapons with “switches”; supporters, including Everytown and Moms Demand Action, said it targets a specific Glock-style design flaw linked to mass shootings, while the NRA and gun-rights groups argued the bill duplicates existing federal law and effectively bans popular handguns. The bill was moved on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Judiciary and remained on call. AB 468, also by Gabriel, would increase penalties and clarify offenses involving looting and impersonating emergency personnel in evacuation zones and during disasters; firefighters, district attorneys, and law enforcement supported it as a deterrent, while public defenders and justice advocates warned it was overbroad and could worsen racial profiling. The committee approved the bill on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations, also held on call. The committee then heard AB 1187 by Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez, which would require eight hours of firearm safety training, including live-fire instruction, before obtaining a firearm safety certificate and would add a requirement for new residents who import firearms. Supporters said California should require training comparable to other safety-sensitive activities and that the measure would reduce gun deaths; opponents argued the bill misunderstands the existing FSC process, would be hard to implement because of range and instructor limits, and would burden a constitutional right. The bill passed on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations and was held on call. The committee also heard AB 1424 by Rodriguez, which would require CDCR climate resiliency and heat-safety measures in prisons, including temperature monitoring, shade, showers, fans, and emergency planning. Prisoner-rights and labor groups strongly supported the bill, citing extreme heat, wildfire, and flooding risks, while one opponent said the monitoring mandate could be too costly; the bill was moved on a due-pass motion to Labor and Employment and held on call. Finally, the committee began hearing AB 1258 by Assembly Member Kalra, which would extend the sunset of the Young Adult Deferred Entry Program through 2029 for selected counties. Kalra and Santa Clara County Judge Erica You described the program’s success in reducing recidivism and providing wraparound services for young adults with felony charges, including housing, counseling, and parenting support. The transcript cuts off before the committee completed action on AB 1258.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um so House Bill 1614, as amended, the bill authorizes the use of lane control signaling monitoring systems
• <03:35:29.040> systems control signal monitoring systems control signal monitoring systems
• <03:35:54.399> monitoring<03:35:55.200> systems<03:35:56.080> in<03:35:56.319>
• > the<03:35:56.720> by monitoring monitoring systems in the by monitoring monitoring systems
• \n\nHouse Bill 55, Delegate Gayton, Vehicle Hotspeed Monitoring Systems, Residential Districts.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Monday, April 13, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate reconvened with a quorum and first honored Nancy Crawford with a resolution recognizing her 46 years of state service, including 20 years as Senator Pam Beidle’s chief of staff. Senator Beidle then spoke at length about her own retirement plans and public service, reflecting on her career in the House and Senate, her work on the Finance Committee, and thanking her staff and colleagues. The chamber unanimously journalized the remarks. The Senate then moved into business on House and Senate messages, including House Bill 139 and Senate Bill 311, and adopted a conference committee report on House Bill 1532, the Utility Relief/Reducing Energy Load for Inflation measure. The report was described as a broad energy and utility package that had already passed the Senate 38-4 and was said to address short-, medium-, and long-term issues, including rate relief, in-state generation, data center policy, consumer transparency, and low-income utility assistance. During debate on the conference report, the majority leader explained several changes from prior versions: no legislative ban on forecast test years, instead deferring to the Public Service Commission; removal of gas programs from Empower to avoid inequities across service territories; modest opening of the retail supply market with guardrails; and rejection of some floor amendments, including a gas line extension provision and a study amendment. The minority leader argued the bill offered only limited relief, focused too much on talking points and short-term savings, and said many bipartisan amendments were not retained. The majority leader responded that the bill would save ratepayers real dollars through provisions on utility adders, executive bonuses, FERC-related returns, and new generation, and urged adoption of the conference report.

Transcript Highlights:

• continue, but I want our future system continue, but I want our future system to<00:02:14.760>
• <00:02:50.160> It the other currently used systems. It the other currently used systems.
• It monitors us for and support.
• <01:30:26.600> Uh the family child care system. Uh the family child care system.
• . monitoring. monitoring.

Bills: HF4382, HF2929

Keywords: child care, day care, child care center, family child care, family day care, group family day care, licensed child care, licensing modernization, early childhood education, preschool, infant care, toddler care, school-age care, drop-in child care, night care, sick care, community-based child care, provider training, staff ratios, group size

Transcript Highlights:

• Of course, our second is our licensing management system.
• c> updated online online system needs to be updated online online system needs to be updated every
• <01:18:27.280> that and that's because of the system that and that's because of the system
• I mean, I always look at our unemployment system, right?
• system.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Can you do that in the lack of our knowledge on how to operate this system?
• , all of the above, our youth hunters, but at the same time keeping things in place so that we do monitor
• estate, all the above, our youth hunters, but at the same time, keeping things in place to where we do monitor
• have a deer that is found, one deer, many instances where we've had only one deer and continue to monitor
• emergency and follow that procedure, but I'm confused as to whether any additional regulation or monitoring

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission/task force met on April 17, 2026, with a quorum present. Members adopted the agenda and prior minutes, then received an update on the chronic wasting disease (CWD) index case in Washington Parish. Staff explained that a hunter-submitted deer tested positive in January 2026, the case was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory, and an emergency declaration was issued March 11 to extend the CWD control area into portions of Washington and surrounding parishes. The update also reviewed baiting restrictions in enhanced mitigation and buffer zones, the 180-day duration of the emergency declaration, and the department’s website tools for locating affected areas. The commission then agreed to table its own CWD task force recommendations while Senate Concurrent Resolution 24 was being considered during the legislative session. Senator Womack summarized SCR 24 as a “reset” of CWD policy. He said it would set a 1.5% apparent prevalence trigger, require at least 300 samples, shorten the management zone from 25 miles to 15 miles, and allow baiting/supplemental feeding from the opening of deer season through March 31 unless the trigger is met. He said the resolution would also help address feral hog issues and restore more normal hunting and economic conditions. Commission and staff members clarified that the resolution would not affect deer pens or livestock under the Department of Agriculture, and that if sampling goals are not met, feed bans would apply the following year. Several stakeholders testified on the economic and management impacts. Louisiana Farm Bureau representatives supported the effort to find a workable solution but asked for clarity on how the resolution would be implemented, especially whether emergency declarations would immediately impose new restrictions. They emphasized the need to avoid discouraging deer sampling and to consider impacts on feed suppliers, landowners, and hunting leases. A written statement from Vic Blanchard of the Louisiana Landowners Association opposed SCR 24 and HCR 4, arguing that easing restrictions would worsen CWD spread and undermine wildlife management. Other speakers said the resolution should preserve economic planning for feed businesses and allow the commission to continue monitoring disease prevalence. After public comment, the commission voted to table its recommendations and then adjourned without taking a vote on SCR 24 itself.

Transcript Highlights:

• , Florida is a global leader,... ...and governor through appropriations for the seaport system.
• We also provide system planning, like the Seaport and Waterway System Plan.
• This plan lays out the roadmap for the future of our system of seaports.
• This includes highway and rail networks that move back... ...access to the transportation system.
• Delivering an efficient transportation system is critical to meet port and market needs.

Summary: The Transportation Committee heard SB 356 by Senator Wright, which would create an opt-in framework allowing counties and municipalities to designate certain roads for utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs) under local conditions, including driver licensing, insurance, and speed-limit restrictions below 55 mph. Senator Wright said the bill would give law enforcement clearer authority and mirror the local-option approach used for golf carts. Supporters included a retired Volusia County sheriff and county commissioner, who argued UTVs are safer than golf carts and are already being used on roads, while opponents from the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association and Honda warned that UTVs are designed for off-road use, lack federal safety standards, and pose crash and tire-blowout risks on public roads. Several senators raised safety concerns, especially about speed and crash severity, but the committee ultimately voted to report SB 356 favorably. The committee then held a lengthy discussion on seaport infrastructure and funding, beginning with a moment of silence for JaxPort COO and former FDOT employee James Bennett. FDOT presented data showing Florida’s 16 deepwater seaports generate major cargo volume, jobs, and economic impact, and described state funding programs such as FSTED, SPI, and the construction aggregate grant program. Port representatives from Port Everglades, PortMiami, Port Tampa Bay, and the Port of Palm Beach described record cargo and cruise activity, major capital projects, and the need for continued state and federal support for dredging, bulkheads, cranes, rail, and terminal expansion. Senators asked about ROI, trade shifts, intermodal connections, fuel and LNG availability, leverage and reserves, and operational risks such as flooding, sea level rise, and channel depth; port officials emphasized resiliency, private partnerships, and long-term master planning. The committee also confirmed appointees to the Tampa Hillsborough County Expressway Authority and the Tampa Port Authority in one vote, with no objection. Finally, FDOT presented the statewide mapping programs work group report required by SB 1662, explaining that coordinated statewide use of LiDAR and aerial imagery could reduce duplication, improve emergency management and planning, and support insurance and storm-damage assessment. FDOT recommended a formal statewide coordination program, shared procurement and cost-sharing agreements, dedicated staffing, and statutory updates to Chapter 334 to support interagency agreements and recurring funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, we have the University of Hawaiʻi System.
• Thank you. system good afternoon chair Vice chair system good afternoon chair Vice chair members<00:33
• Hawaii Systems Corporation um also one Hawaii Systems Corporation um also one individual<00:39:17.040
• work uh with uh with the federal system work uh with uh with the federal system happy<00:50:08.880
• have been able to afford these systems have been able to afford these systems and<01:34:02.159><

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I represent a very different district with a big irrigation system.
• I just feel like there are at least some gaps in the system.
• I just feel like at least some gaps in the system.
• She did everything right—greenhouses, drip irrigation system, everything right.
• I do not think that’s a good system right now.”

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They tell me, like, oh, this system's the most secure system in the world.
• We're like, oh, trust the system. I don't trust the system. Guess what? I don't. No.
• People to become legal under the system.
• And we're not doing that already within the system that it's set up.
• Within the system that it's set up. This is just to measure...

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, I don't know what it is in the justice system.
• We're failing them in juvenile justice system.
• Uh, to revamp, revamp the behavioral health system.
• We are trying to get new case management systems that talk to all of the different police systems that
• is, they don't have that support system.

Transcript Highlights:

• In return for leaving all the solid waste districts intact, it would require a monitoring...
• The system should help that out. But DNR is responsible for these facilities.
• The system should help that out.
• That issue was not that significant of an issue, but the system worked.
• It's unfortunate that they had one slip-up, but I suppose the system worked and caught it.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The committee met to hear Senate Bill 1586, sponsored by Senator Ben Brown, which would address abandoned, ownerless landfills in Missouri. Brown described a constituent’s discovery of contamination near an abandoned landfill in St. Clair and argued the state has at least 29 similar sites, creating risks to water supplies and public health. He said the bill evolved through multiple versions and now keeps the solid waste districts intact while redirecting 10% of tipping fees to fund environmental studies, investigation, remediation, and management of ownerless landfills. The bill also would clarify seller disclosure requirements by requiring written, dated notice delivered by mail. Members questioned the fiscal impact and whether the 10% diversion would effectively amount to a larger share of district revenues. Brown said he was open to further discussion but emphasized the need to fund at least initial studies and to create an interim committee for broader stakeholder input next year. Supportive testimony came from University of Missouri engineering dean Marisa Crusoe, who said the bill provides both a clearer regulatory framework and a stable funding stream, and that studies are a necessary first step to determine cleanup costs and potential reuse of the sites. Opposition testimony came from solid waste district representatives, including Chris Busson, Diana Bryant, and Lacey Miller. They argued the districts already perform important recycling and household hazardous waste functions, that the proposed cut would significantly reduce local programs and staffing, and that DNR already has authority to address abandoned landfills. They also said the districts are subject to oversight and that the system has generally worked, while warning that consolidation or funding cuts would harm local recycling, grants, and hazardous waste services. No vote was taken, and the hearing concluded without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• state used to set the minimum pay floors for teachers, after Proposition 2 1/2 became law, and our system
• While the state used to set the minimum pay floors for teachers, after Prop 2.5, became law, and our system
• So here's a chance for new teachers coming up through the system to just be exposed to it.
• So this is a systemic failure.
• So, like bus monitors, as an example, because I do think it's more than just sometimes the bus drivers

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a public hearing on a large slate of bills, with most testimony focused on two main topics: improving access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for students with disabilities, and raising educator pay statewide. On the AAC bills (House 514/Senate 418), parents, advocates, and attorneys described how AAC devices and communication books help nonverbal or minimally verbal children communicate, participate in class, and reduce frustration and behavioral issues. Testimony emphasized that while districts are generally required to provide devices, many teachers and school staff lack training to use them effectively; the bill would direct DESE to update licensure and training requirements so newly licensed teachers are prepared to support AAC users. Committee members asked about current teacher-prep practices, implementation, and whether DESE could act without legislation, and witnesses said the proposal was intended as a long-term solution and had previously received some support and compromise language. The committee also heard extensive testimony on House 733/Senate 370, which would set a statewide minimum salary of $70,000 for teachers and $55,000 for education support professionals (ESPs/paras), with inflation adjustments and a phase-in structure that would shift costs over time from the state to municipalities. Supporters, including the bill sponsor, MTA leaders, and school employees from several districts, argued that current pay is not a living wage, contributes to staffing shortages and turnover, and forces many educators to work multiple jobs or rely on public assistance. They said the bill would help recruit and retain staff and better reflect the importance of the work. Committee members raised questions about how the state would fund the mandate, how it would interact with Chapter 70 school aid and local budgets, whether other states have similar mechanisms, and whether the proposal could create disincentives for districts already paying above the floor. Witnesses pointed to the Student Opportunity Act, the Fair Share Amendment, and the need for a broader school funding formula review as possible parts of the solution. The committee also briefly heard and discussed Senate Bill 435/House Bill 736, which would require de-escalation training for school bus operators, with the training paid for by employers. The sponsor and a parent advocate said the bill was prompted by a school bus incident involving a child with cerebral palsy and epilepsy and would improve safety and reduce reliance on law enforcement. Members asked whether the bill should also cover bus monitors and other transportation staff, and whether private contractors and public operators currently provide similar training. At the end of the hearing, the chairs closed testimony on the full list of bills and adjourned the hearing without taking any votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• The committee substitute to Senate Bill 1964 zeroes in on what we call heightened scrutiny AI, the systems
• but consistently, regardless of the outcome of the last election, we are still trying to make the system
• So this amendment basically, if a district, a water district, through its monitoring well processes,
• The district because they will have some monitoring responsibilities from those that are developing or
• Newborns and infants have immune systems that are not fully developed yet, correct?”

Summary: The Senate first adopted a motion to move the intent calendar deadline to 4 p.m. and then took up several bills by suspending the regular order of business. Senate Bill 2031, concerning removal of high fences around breeder deer release sites, passed after an amendment shortened the testing period from five years to three, tied visible identification requirements to the date Parks and Wildlife began requiring them, and made the bill effective immediately. Senate Bill 1490, a cleanup to adult charter high school funding, and Committee Substitute Senate Bill 2227, creating a process for delayed birth certificates and renamed the Charles E. Barton Act, both passed unanimously after floor amendments. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1964, regulating artificial intelligence systems used by state agencies, also passed unanimously after the author described guardrails for high-risk AI and disclosure requirements. The Senate then considered Senate Bill 2877, which increases penalties for election fraud and related attempts; after debate over whether existing law already covers some conduct and whether the bill was necessary given the small number of convictions, it passed to engrossment and later final passage on a 21-10 vote. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 2658, on brackish groundwater production and study, passed after four amendments, including one giving water districts authority to stop production if monitoring shows harm to freshwater supplies or subsidence and another returning a portion of transported water revenue to districts. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 648, strengthening recording requirements for real property instruments to help prevent deed theft, also passed on a 26-4 vote. Other measures approved included Committee Substitute Senate Bill 401, making it easier for homeschool students to participate in UIL activities through local district opt-in/nearest-district participation rules; Committee Substitute Senate Bill 407, requiring health care facilities to honor conscience or religious vaccine exemptions for employees, despite extensive questioning about patient safety and immunocompromised patients; Committee Substitute Senate Bill 2117, creating a Texas Committee on Foreign Investment to review risky foreign acquisitions; Senate Bill 1718, adding the NRA annual meeting to the major events reimbursement program after a failed amendment seeking equal space for gun-control advocacy; Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1626, clarifying limits on censorship and interference with digital expression by social media platforms; and Senate Bill 2206, updating the state R&D franchise tax credit and related sales tax treatment, which passed 31-0. The chamber also debated Senate Bill 1395 on school health advisory councils. An initial amendment to restore voting seats for teachers and school employees failed, but a later amendment by Senator West added students back in an advisory, non-voting capacity. The Senate then handled routine motions, committee scheduling, first-reading referrals, and adjourned until April 29, with the session ending in memory of two constituents.

Transcript Highlights:

• But you already have a mesonet system.
• John Hoffman, a couple of weeks ago, spoke to their HydroMet system.
• They're part of the system and part of society.
• and we had some warning systems in place, but what we...
• We have the ability to monitor and predict by developing a statewide hub.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• BUT I WILL BREAK IT DOWN AND WALK YOU THROUGH EXACTLY HOW THIS SYSTEM WORKS BOX BY BOX.
• THIS DIAGRAM SHOWS WHAT THE SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
• THAT YOU CAN SEE THE GOVERNOR OVERSEES FLORIDA'S WORKFORCE SYSTEM.
• WE WORK WITH COMMERCE ON THE COMPLIANCE MONITORING. THEY COLLECT A LOT OF THE DATA.
• THEY MANAGE THE EMPLOYEE FLORIDA SYSTEMS.

Transcript Highlights:

• public school system public school system because<00:26:59.400> of<00:26:59.520> the
• But these two systems are independent of each other.
• /c><00:36:46.800> of<00:36:46.920> each systems are are independent of each systems are
• "Yes, we have the testing system that we just completed will be on the old system.
• <01:28:06.960> education extent possible, monitor education extent possible, monitor education

Keywords: 0:00:03 - Call to Order and Roll Call 0:00:43 - Approval of October 14, 2025 and November 4, 2025 Minutes 0:01:15 - Acceptance of Office of Education Accountability Report: Analysis Of Student Discipline Data in Kentucky Schools 0:02:10 - Implementation Update on 26 RS HB 257 0:49:38 - Career and Technical Education in the Assessment and Accountability System 1:13:50 - Office of Education Accountability Annual Report 1:47:27 – Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The Education Assessment & Accountability Review Subcommittee approved the minutes from its October 14 and November 4 meetings and also approved the Office of Education Accountability report analyzing student discipline data in Kentucky schools. The main presentation came from KDE Commissioner Dr. Robby Fletcher on implementation of House Bill 257, which he said has two major parts: selection of a statewide college entrance exam through a new procurement process, and development of locally designed indicators of quality for accountability. On the college exam, Fletcher explained that the state had to reopen procurement after Senate Bill 197, with the RFP released May 21, vendor questions handled through the Finance and Administration Cabinet, proposals due June 22, and scoring and review expected in July and August, with a vendor decision not likely until October. He emphasized that the exam is a norm-referenced college-readiness measure, not a test of Kentucky academic standards, which are assessed by the KSA. Members asked about the science requirement in statute, the possibility of multiple vendors or district choice, and whether the CLT could participate; Fletcher said vendors must address science in the RFP, multiple vendors could be possible, and any vendor could submit a proposal if it meets the rubric. He also noted that ACT and SAT differ in structure, that either can meet college-readiness benchmarks, and that there were no major complaints about the SAT during its first year of use. The second major topic was the locally developed indicators of quality under House Bill 257. Fletcher said these are intended to let districts measure themselves against their own goals rather than compare districts statewide, while still aligning with Kentucky standards. He described examples such as achievement, growth, student well-being, safety, fiscal responsibility, civics, internships, apprenticeships, project-based learning, and defenses of learning. He said districts may use local assessments such as MAP, STAR, and I-Ready alongside state data, and that local models should be developed with families, community members, and workforce partners. He added that KDE is providing technical assistance, has applied for a federal CGSA grant, and will use a one-time $15,000 cost offset for districts implementing local accountability models, with a superintendent webcast planned for August.

Transcript Highlights:

• CAST, our largest homeless shelter, does not allow sex offenders into their system.
• CAST, our largest homeless shelter, does not allow sex offenders into their system.
• And now I will use my voice to make sure we do not continue expanding a system that harms both women
• This bill will create a chilling effect across the entire health care system and invites costly legal
• But as we were here being mansplained how the criminal legal system works, my colleague conveniently

Bills: HB2244, HB2364, HB2573, HB2749, HB2862, HB2870, HB4117, HCR2004

Keywords: evictions, judgment satisfaction, tenant rights, landlord obligations, court procedures, abortion-inducing drugs, medical abortion, pharmaceutical regulation, felonies, state law, DUI, ignition interlock, substance abuse treatment, driving privileges, alcohol education, felony conviction, misdemeanor designation, court judgment, criminal justice reform, rehabilitation

Transcript Highlights:

• These devices are external cardiac monitoring patches that patients wear for 48 hours or longer.
• longer term monitoring done for people longer term monitoring done for people that<00:30:52.960>
• They don't have to deliver it back to the doctor like you would with a Holter monitor.
• <00:31:36.159> they not uh caught with the hter monitor they not uh caught with the hter monitor
• They don't have to deliver it back to the doctor like you would with a Holter monitor.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 2681, Employee Merit System Dismissal Appeal.
• The system is now open. The Senate will now proceed to vote. Thank you.
• The system is now open. The Senate will now proceed to vote. Thank you.
• The system is now open for the Senate to proceed to vote.
• HB 2914, electronic monitoring health care facilities. RAGE.

Keywords: 1182, all