Transcript Highlights:

• So we changed the Texas, the New York strip to Texas strip.
• He concluded that if Texas does not act, this kind of legal activism could come to Texas and target critical
• He warned that if Texas does not act, this kind of legal activism could come to Texas, targeting critical
• Penal Code.
• Welcome to the Texas Senate. Thank you.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation, recognized a Karnes County Day delegation and the Texas Association of Museums, received a governor’s message on Texas Diabetes Council appointments, and introduced the Doctor of the Day. The chamber then took up several resolutions, including SR 388 honoring the Texas Association of Museums, and adopted SRs 380, 382, and 387 by voice vote. Senator King was excused due to a family death, and the journal reading was dispensed with. The Senate then moved through a series of bills, most of them on expedited suspension of the regular order and three-day rule. Measures passed included SB 868 on Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program funding for high-wildfire-risk areas; SB 264 exempting certain family motor-vehicle transfers from tax; SB 2112 on oyster mariculture penalties; SB 1484 on catfish labeling and marketing; SB 660 on bollards near hospital emergency rooms; SB 1809 creating offenses for gift card fraud; SB 32 and SJR 81 providing business personal property tax relief and a related constitutional amendment; SB 1267 modernizing boat titling and adding disclosure for hidden hull damage; SB 1470 allowing DPS data sharing for voter list maintenance; SB 2406 and SB 2407 implementing Sunset recommendations for the Sabine River Authority and Lower Neches Valley River Authority; SB 609 on school district compliance with legally required policies; SB 921 on ex parte Medicaid eligibility renewals; SB 2320 increasing DWI penalties; SB 1822 requiring disclosure and oversight of AI-based utilization review algorithms; SB 693 on notaries public and deed theft prevention; and SB 664 setting statewide qualifications and oversight for magistrates and related judicial officers. One of the most contested items was SB 779 on common law public nuisance claims, which drew extended debate over whether the bill would limit lawsuits against lawful, regulated activities and whether it would preserve private nuisance and other existing remedies. Despite objections, the Senate suspended the rules and passed the bill to engrossment by a 17-12 vote, holding it there. Another debated measure was SB 1008 on state and local authority over the food service industry; after a perfecting amendment, it was passed to engrossment and then to final passage. Several bills were adopted or passed with near-unanimous support, while others, including SB 1267, SB 1470, SB 1822, and SB 2320, saw some opposition but still cleared the chamber.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm all over Louisiana and Texas. Texas has programs that allow discounts up to a dollar a gallon.
• Another code that typically gets put in that same boat is the National Electrical Code.
• The other thing the International Code Council has just done in relation to the energy code, because
• a... ...code to see if they could basically create a streamlined version of that code.
• And the only reason why that's in the plumbing code is because it's in the state sanitary code.

Bills: HB1163, HB1168, HR252, HR253, HCR103, HCR108, SB80, SB131, SB251, SB254, SB279, SB384, SB414, SB468, SB469, SB496

Keywords: fireworks, retail sales, fire safety, legislation, holiday celebrations, construction standards, precast concrete, DOTD, building regulations, minimum requirements, public projects, private projects, consumer protection, credit card fees, cash transactions, rounding practices, transparency, low-income, economic impact, residential construction

Transcript Highlights:

• amounts of land electricity and water amounts of land electricity and water thank<00:47:45.680><
• hogs causing both water depletion and water pollution.
• hogs causing both water depletion and water pollution.
• hogs causing both water depletion and water pollution.
• c><01:16:02.719> and<01:16:02.880> water causing both water depletion and water causing

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So Texas remains open for business.
• Does Texas have these types of entities that you all can work with so that Texas doesn't have to go outside
• The TSA we want to see as much equipment as possible made in Texas by Texans for the Texas power grid
• market with inverters made here in Texas.
• in Texas.

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.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a result of the 2005 workers' compensation reform, Chapter 504.053 of the Texas Labor Code created
• In 2006, five pools — TML, TASB, TAC, Texas Council, and Texas Water — joined to create the Political
• Chapter 405 of the Texas Labor Code requires the workers' compensation research and evaluation group
• In 2006, five pools, TML, TASB, TAC, Texas Council, and Texas Water, joined to create the political subdivision
• Chapter 405 of the Texas Labor Code requires workers' compensation requires the workers' compensation

Summary: The subcommittee heard testimony on a broad agenda of workforce, labor, and workers’ compensation bills. HB 4676 would require political subdivision workers’ compensation networks to follow the same notice, access, and complaint rules as certified TDI networks; supporters said public employees and first responders deserve equal access to care, while municipal risk pool representatives opposed added regulation and said existing 504 networks already perform well. HB 4479 would create a rural workforce development grant program at TWC to support college-and-career readiness and local workforce alignment, and HB 3844 would define “opportunity youth” in state law to improve data, coordination, and access to services for disconnected young Texans; both drew strong support from rural, education, and chamber witnesses. HB 5545 would clarify federal tax treatment for wage-replacement benefits in non-subscriber injury benefit plans, with proponents calling it a win for employers and injured workers. HB 5118 would direct TWC and DIR to study AI and automated employment decision tools in hiring, including bias and oversight concerns. HB 1667 would move existing PTSD workers’ compensation language into a broader Labor Code chapter so more first responders, including state and campus officers, could qualify for benefits; supporters called it a technical fix to extend coverage more evenly across agencies. The committee also heard several first-responder and workers’ compensation bills. HB 2369 would speed up claims handling for injured first responders by allowing a single medical evaluation, giving carriers 60 days to accept or deny a claim, and letting workers seek treatment while disputes proceed; law enforcement supporters said it would help injured officers return to work faster, while opponents warned it would revive extent-of-injury waiver problems and increase litigation. HB 4483 would reclassify certain workers’ compensation maintenance taxes as surcharges to reduce retaliatory taxes imposed by other states on Texas-domiciled carriers, and HB 875, as revised by committee substitute, would create a small-project exception to municipal workers’ compensation and bonding requirements for certain low-value construction contracts in small cities; both were presented as cost-saving measures for Texas employers and local governments. HB 4415 would extend anti-retaliation protections for workers’ compensation claimants from first responders to all public employees and expressly waive sovereign immunity for those claims, with supporters describing it as closing a loophole that leaves public workers without the same remedy available in the private sector. The committee also took testimony on HB 5400, which would expand remedies for sexual harassment victims by removing the requirement to first file an administrative charge, extending the filing deadline from 300 days to two years, clarifying retaliation, and eliminating current damages caps. Supporters, including employment lawyers and a parent of a victim, said the current deadlines and caps prevent many survivors from obtaining counsel or full relief, especially younger workers and those in small workplaces or franchises. Across the agenda, witnesses repeatedly emphasized access to care, fair treatment for injured workers, rural workforce development, and stronger protections for vulnerable employees. After each bill was laid out and testimony heard, the chair generally closed the public hearing and left the bill pending; no final votes were taken, and the subcommittee adjourned after completing the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• jurisdiction reforms have significantly influenced the patterns of growth throughout the state of Texas
• The way Texas is growing from Harrison, Montgomery County over to Bayer County up I-35 and I-45 to the
• the issues with the water supply.
• OK, go ahead, Trevor Stokes, Texas State Association of Firefighters.
• Districts that can be created in the water code.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sutton, NAACP, and Lillian Sutton from San Antonio, Texas, Bexar County.
• Sutton out of Texas. All of the Suttons have given their lives.
• Memo forthcoming regarding the dress code. Madam, Mr.
• Texas is $7,200 per year for a 140-day session. So, Mr.
• So like there's water, and it would say this water, the bottle contains PFAS, There's water, and it would

Bills: HB145, HB164, HJR6, HR1, HB20, HB65, HB66, HB80, HB166, HB295, HB306, SB29, SB37, HB99, HB206, HB213, HB270, HJR5, SB104, SB193, HJM2, HJM3, HJM1, HM7, HM17, HM4, HM22, HM23, HM24, HM26, HM2, HM16, HM32, HM13, HM47, HM20, HM51, HM1, HM31, HM35, HM36, HM46, HM53, HM54, HM39, HM11, HM14, HM21, HM34, HM50

Keywords: high-wage jobs, tax credit, job creation, New Mexico, economic development, lobbying, transparency, public records, government oversight, accountability, constitutional amendment, legislative sessions, veto override, New Mexico legislature, session length, House Resolution 1, HR1, House investigatory subcommittee, special committee, legislative investigation

Transcript Highlights:

• A&M and the University of Texas.
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center established in 1969 as the Texas Tech University School
• I especially want to applaud United Ways of Texas and One Star for creating the Texas nonprofit Strong
• The Texas Trucking Association has been a unified voice for the Texas trucking industry for over 90 years
• Indoor Water Park, and the Texas Trust Credit Union Theater.

Transcript Highlights:

• So you keep going back to water and sewer, which I understand.
• Smoothie King, for example, now in Texas.
• Smoothie King, for example, now in Texas.
• It's in Now in Texas. I remember the original Smoothie King on Veterans Highway. It's in Texas now.
• vote to exempt water systems from fluoridation requirements.

Bills: HR320, HR321, SCR55, SCR69, SCR75, SCR77, SCR78, SCR79, SB259, SB295, SB312, SB348, SB444, SB485, HR73, HR118, HR144, HR196, HR237, HR249, HR260, HR267, HR272, HR278, HCR85, HCR100, HCR105, HCR107, HCR114, HR245, SCR5, SCR29, SCR33, SCR37, SCR63, SCR30, SCR40, HB62, HB193, HB210, HB220, HB246, HB364, HB420, HB475, HB584, HB622, HB772, HB784, HB949, HB953, HB1043, HB1070, HB1092, HB1134, HB1162, HB1176, HB1196, HB1214, HB119, HB129, HB233, HB283, HB538, HB789, HB850, HB870, HB1236, HB1241, HB54, HB137, HB321, HB368, HB386, HB414, HB431, HB552, HB555, HB578, HB590, HB593, HB618, HB638, HB670, HB692, HB707, HB708, HB715, HB718, HB732, HB741, HB748, HB776, HB796, HB807, HB822, HB848, HB856, HB887, HB888, HB917, HB921, HB1082, HB1243, HB1246, HB378, HB509, HB1090, HB1259, SB80, SB131, SB143, SB251, SB254, SB279, SB367, SB384, SB388, SB389, SB398, SB408, SB431, SB468, SB469, SB496, SB4, SB52, SB57, SB83, SB145, SB152, SB194, SB276, SB319, SB333, SB448, SB450, SB465, SB484, SB501, SB509, SB149, HR168, HB463, HB998, SB123, SB353, SB479, SB495, SB82, SB97, SB283, SB326, SB518, SB197, SB268, HB901, HR20, HR74, HCR65, HCR71, HCR98, HB284, HB306, HB341, HB366, HB393, HB458, HB577, HB603, HB605, HB614, HB625, HB646, HB733, HB752, HB773, HB798, HB911, HB955, HB996, HB1035, HB1069, HB1113, HB1140, HB1180, HB1191, HB1240, HB1255, SB89, HB74, HB134, HB258, HB359, HB468, HB956, HB1117, SB29, SB42, SB43, SB78, SB208, SB217, SB274, SB300, SB341, SB379, SB382, SB387, SB401, SB441, SB449, SB487

Keywords: Arsenal, Arsenal F.C., Premier League, English football, soccer, football club, Mikel Arteta, Emirates Stadium, North London, Tottenham Hotspur, Gunners, sports resolution, commendation, celebration, championship, silverware, Louisiana House Resolution, ceremonial resolution, domestic violence, forensic medical examinations

Transcript Highlights:

• So you keep going back to water and sewer, which I understand.
• Smoothie King, for example, now in Texas.
• “It’s in Texas now.
• vote to exempt water systems from fluoridation requirements."
• Later, motion to determine on Texas order. Thank you.

Bills: HR320, HR321, SCR55, SCR69, SCR75, SCR77, SCR78, SCR79, SB259, SB295, SB312, SB348, SB444, SB485, HR73, HR118, HR144, HR196, HR237, HR249, HR260, HR267, HR272, HR278, HCR85, HCR100, HCR105, HCR107, HCR114, HR245, SCR5, SCR29, SCR33, SCR37, SCR63, SCR30, SCR40, HB62, HB193, HB210, HB220, HB246, HB364, HB420, HB475, HB584, HB622, HB772, HB784, HB949, HB953, HB1043, HB1070, HB1092, HB1134, HB1162, HB1176, HB1196, HB1214, HB119, HB129, HB233, HB283, HB538, HB789, HB850, HB870, HB1236, HB1241, HB54, HB137, HB321, HB368, HB386, HB414, HB431, HB552, HB555, HB578, HB590, HB593, HB618, HB638, HB670, HB692, HB707, HB708, HB715, HB718, HB732, HB741, HB748, HB776, HB796, HB807, HB822, HB848, HB856, HB887, HB888, HB917, HB921, HB1082, HB1243, HB1246, HB378, HB509, HB1090, HB1259, SB80, SB131, SB143, SB251, SB254, SB279, SB367, SB384, SB388, SB389, SB398, SB408, SB431, SB468, SB469, SB496, SB4, SB52, SB57, SB83, SB145, SB152, SB194, SB276, SB319, SB333, SB448, SB450, SB465, SB484, SB501, SB509, SB149, HR168, HB463, HB998, SB123, SB353, SB479, SB495, SB82, SB97, SB283, SB326, SB518, SB197, SB268, HB901, HR20, HR74, HCR65, HCR71, HCR98, HB284, HB306, HB341, HB366, HB393, HB458, HB577, HB603, HB605, HB614, HB625, HB646, HB733, HB752, HB773, HB798, HB911, HB955, HB996, HB1035, HB1069, HB1113, HB1140, HB1180, HB1191, HB1240, HB1255, SB89, HB74, HB134, HB258, HB359, HB468, HB956, HB1117, SB29, SB42, SB43, SB78, SB208, SB217, SB274, SB300, SB341, SB379, SB382, SB387, SB401, SB441, SB449, SB487

Keywords: Arsenal, Arsenal F.C., Premier League, English football, soccer, football club, Mikel Arteta, Emirates Stadium, North London, Tottenham Hotspur, Gunners, sports resolution, commendation, celebration, championship, silverware, Louisiana House Resolution, ceremonial resolution, domestic violence, forensic medical examinations

Summary: The House was called to order, a quorum was established, and the meeting opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Members also observed several personal privileges and recognitions, including International Preeclampsia Awareness Month, the Hudson Cup award presentation to Rep. John Illg Jr., recognition of the Delcambre Shrimp Festival Queen, and a visit from U.S. Sen. John Kennedy. The chamber also received Senate messages, conference committee appointments, enrolled reports, and a conference report on SB 483 dealing with psychedelic-assisted therapy, which was laid over. The House then moved through a long series of concurrence and rejection votes on Senate amendments to House bills. Among the measures concurred in were bills affecting the Louisiana Women’s Policy Research Commission, the Louisiana Sickle Cell Commission, child exploitation reporting on covered platforms, the Children’s Cabinet Advisory Board, DCFS background checks, AI disclosure in health care, foster care placement and related terminology, criminal history record confidentiality, parish court jurisdiction, court costs, developmental disability office renaming, insurance claims and contractor licensing, Medicare Advantage coverage, colorectal cancer screening, health facilities, highway memorial designations, jury compensation, school employee protections, juvenile court fees, off-road vehicle seizure, residential property insurance cancellation, child support enforcement, and several others. The House rejected Senate amendments on bills including ethics retroactivity, sex offender registration notification, plumbers licensing, and health insurance formulary placement, sending some to conference. Several bills were finally passed, including measures on obstructing public passages with motorized vehicles, class six injection well hearings, arson of religious buildings, wearing masks while committing felonies, professional board attorney fees, bulletproof vests for peace officers, critical infrastructure protection from foreign adversaries, debit card surcharges, electronic stock certificates, watershed restoration funding, and innovation economic development pilot hubs. The innovation hub bill drew extensive debate over no-bid contracting, transparency, and the role of elected versus unelected bodies; an amendment to limit contracting authority to parish governing authorities was withdrawn, and the bill later proceeded to final passage after extended floor discussion. The House also took up and passed or concurred in multiple other bills and resolutions, with recorded votes ranging from unanimous to divided on a few measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• But really, the 10-hour workday has really, really saved us in East Texas, West Texas, and the Texas
• That's most of Texas.
• We can hire people in South Texas and West Texas. We cannot hire people.
• The Texas side, the cities on the Texas side are safe.
• Government Code.

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard the Legislative Budget Board’s overview of the Texas Department of Public Safety’s 2026-27 budget, followed by extensive testimony from DPS leadership. The LBB presentation covered funding and staffing changes across driver license services, facilities, troopers and recruit schools, crime labs, vehicle and aircraft operations, and border security. The recommendations included added support for customer service staffing and trooper hiring, but did not include several DPS exceptional items such as major driver license staffing and technology requests, new regional headquarters in El Paso and San Antonio, and other capital projects. Members also discussed proposed rider changes, including a new rider to lapse unused trooper funding and require reporting after recruit schools. Much of the committee’s questioning focused on driver license operations, where senators criticized long call wait times, low call-answer rates, appointment delays, and what they viewed as an overreliance on adding staff rather than improving processes. DPS and LBB witnesses said the agency is pursuing some technology upgrades, including automation, online pre-population of applications, and appointment-system improvements, but acknowledged that the driver license division remains a major problem area. Senators also raised concerns about whether the 2019 efficiency study led to meaningful changes and whether the agency should consider broader process redesign or even a different administrative structure. Colonel Freeman and other DPS officials then defended the agency’s broader law enforcement and border-security work, emphasizing the need for the Williamson County training academy, the 500 additional troopers funded in prior sessions, and continued support for Operation Lone Star. They described DPS’s role in border interdiction, threat-to-life investigations, oilfield theft cases, Capitol and Alamo security, and highway safety, and said the agency is stretched thin by deployments and overtime. Members asked about border reimbursement possibilities, regional staffing differences, pursuit safety, fleet and aircraft replacement needs, and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame museum. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So Texas remains open for business.
• At TSS, we want to see as much equipment as possible made in Texas by Texans for the Texas power grid
• Now, to date, we have not had a battery storage fire in Texas, and again, we have new codes, new standards
• County fire code. Yes.
• in Texas.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As Texas focuses on building our water infrastructure, electrical grid, and deepening and widening of
• However, there are parts of the code that still require Texas institutions of higher education to be
• Senate Bill 530 simply cleans up Texas code to be in line with federal rules.
• Senate Bill 530 simply cleans up Texas code to be in line with federal rules and gives colleges and universities
• A simple fix to sync Texas law with the THECB's March decision.

Summary: The Senate Committee on K-16 met with 14 bills on the agenda and announced it would recess around 9:45 to attend the floor session, then resume afterward. The committee first took up Senate Bill 2361, which would transfer governance of the University of Houston-Victoria from the University of Houston System to the Texas A&M University System and rename it Texas A&M University-Victoria. Senator Cole explained that the committee substitute added transition language for employee health benefits and ERS contributions. Supporters, including Texas A&M System officials, Victoria’s mayor, regional economic development leaders, a Formosa Plastics representative, a Victoria College trustee, and a local business owner, said the move would better align the university with regional industry needs, especially engineering, agriculture, and workforce development, while helping retain local students and support economic growth. A Texas A&M official also noted accreditation, data-system, and other transition challenges, but said the change was manageable. Because there was no quorum, the committee could not adopt the substitute, and SB 2361 was left pending subject to the call of the chair after public testimony closed. The committee then heard Senate Bill 530 from Senator Sparks, which would update Texas higher education law to match federal rules allowing institutions to use any nationally recognized accreditor rather than only a regional accreditor. Sparks said the bill was a cleanup measure responding to a 2019 federal rule change and prior concerns had been addressed over the interim. Testimony in support came from a Texas Public Policy Foundation fellow, who said the bill would give universities flexibility, preserve quality standards, and simplify credit transfer and costs for students. With no opposition and no questions, public testimony closed and SB 530 was left pending. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas Texas' music office, Travel Texas, the Texas Workforce Investment Council, and the new Texas..
• Texas-Mexico office and the new state of Texas-Taiwan office, which I will speak about in a moment.
• trade with Taiwan, and assist Texas communities and Taiwan businesses in doing business in Texas.
• And in the State of the State, he talked about building a stronger Texas, the Texas of tomorrow.
• It's not in the insurance code. In Texas, there's...

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On this slide, you see a citation to Texas Health and Safety Code, Section 192.001. I don't know.
• See a citation to Texas Health and Safety Code, Section 192.001, which requires that each child born
• under Texas Family Code Chapter 160.
• Exploitation of the, as it's called in Texas, family code gestational mother, I am...
• governed by Texas. ...compliance with the Texas Family Code for every gestational surrogacy arrangement

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and the Texas Ethics Commission.
• The next agency we're voting on is the Trinity River Authority of Texas.
• The next agency we're voting on is the Texas Ethics Commission.
• This recommendation amends section 254.042 of the Texas Election Code to limit the late filing penalty
• I understand we have with us this morning the new director of the Texas Water Development Board, Ms.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• bodies and drinking water. >> A clarification.
• water.
• So the state of Texas, the red state of Texas, all of their new generation has been in renewables because
• Does the fire code require GFCIs or circuit breakers or...
• SO IT IS A CODE THAT IS USED GENERALLY STATEWIDE, RIGHT.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several guest introductions, including students from Brooklyn and St. John’s University, followed by adoption of the resolution calendar with exceptions for two items. The chamber then took up a series of previously adopted resolutions recognizing Black Maternal Health Week, Workplace Violence Prevention Month, the one-year anniversary of the Jet Set nightclub tragedy in the Dominican Republic, New York Constitution Day, and the Month of the Military Child. Senators speaking on the maternal health resolution emphasized racial disparities in maternal mortality and the need for culturally competent care; the workplace violence resolution highlighted hospital safety programs; the Jet Set resolution was adopted in memory of the victims; and the Constitution Day speech reviewed New York’s delayed but eventual support for independence in 1776. The military child resolution stressed the sacrifices of military families and support for children of service members. All of these resolutions were adopted, and the resolutions were opened to co-sponsorship. The Senate then moved through the third reading calendar, passing several bills and laying others aside. Measures passed included bills on public health, environmental conservation, executive law, public authorities, and consumer protection. One notable debate involved a bill to require transparency from private arbitration organizations handling consumer cases; supporters argued it would provide basic public data and guard against conflicts of interest, while opponents said it would burden a useful dispute-resolution process and intrude on privacy. The bill passed after debate. Another debated bill would phase out number 4 heating oil statewide; supporters said cleaner alternatives exist and the fuel is harmful to public health, while opponents raised cost and transition concerns, especially for colder regions. That bill also passed. The chamber also considered a bill to create a rebate program for battery-powered landscaping equipment, funded through utility-related mechanisms administered by NYSERDA. Supporters said it would reduce air and noise pollution and help companies transition, while opponents argued ratepayers should not subsidize landscaping equipment. The bill passed after being restored to the non-controversial calendar. Finally, the Senate began discussion of a housing-related bill aimed at preserving manufactured home parks by enabling nonprofits or municipalities to acquire development rights and keep the land dedicated to that use, with the sponsor explaining that the goal is to protect affordable housing and help residents remain in their homes.

Transcript Highlights:

• In Texas, did they withhold money?
• But then Carlo worked in Texas, you know, brought up the fact of the Texas part of this.
• I'm trying water now, and good news to all of you, I'm trying Smart Water.
• You know, I'm trying Smart Water, so maybe we'll work better from up here. More water tomorrow.
• Is that water topics that day? That's right. Yeah, water topics is on the 10th or the 11th.

Summary: The Higher Ed Funding Committee met to review how North Dakota might identify and address low-producing academic programs and to discuss draft funding formulas for the university system. Lisa Johnson of the NDUS explained that the State Board of Higher Education is already developing a system-wide policy, using models from other states such as Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, and Connecticut. She described how low-producing programs are typically flagged by multi-year enrollment or completion thresholds, then reviewed for workforce demand, mission fit, cost, accreditation, and regional need before any action is taken. Committee members asked about what counts as a program, how costs are analyzed, whether certificates are included, how exemptions work for mission-critical or high-demand fields, and whether the board or legislature should set the rules. Johnson said the board is the appropriate body to lead the process, but legislators could use funding leverage if they wanted to encourage action; the chair asked the board to bring a detailed proposal to the June meeting. The committee then heard a Legislative Council presentation on a draft formula for UND and NDSU. The proposal uses fall census FTE enrollment, with a placeholder undergraduate rate of $7,000 per FTE and a graduate/professional rate of $10,500, plus incentives for completions in in-demand fields and research productivity. Alex from Legislative Council walked through the projected funding effects, noting that the model would increase funding for NDSU and reduce it for UND in the current biennium, with different results in the next biennium as enrollment changes are recognized. Members questioned the use of the placeholder rates, the definition of in-demand programs, the treatment of research funding, and the exclusion of state-appropriated dollars from the external grants calculation. The chair emphasized that the numbers were illustrative and that appropriators would set the actual dollar amounts later. A second draft formula for the other nine institutions was also reviewed. That model uses fall census FTE without a weighted economic factor, applies a higher undergraduate rate, and adds completion incentives for in-demand credentials and all other completions. Members noted that the formula would benefit some institutions, such as Bismarck State College, while reducing funding for others, such as Mayville State, and discussed whether the nine institutions should be treated more uniformly or split into smaller groups because of their different missions and sizes. Committee members and staff repeatedly stressed that the formulas are still being refined and that some institutions would likely need hold-harmless adjustments or other transition measures. The meeting ended with the chair directing the committee to continue the discussion later and to expect further work on both the low-producing program policy and the funding formulas.

Transcript Highlights:

• from Texas is recognized. from Texas is recognized.
• any other state, that state being Texas. any other state, that state being Texas.
• Gentleman from Texas Gentleman yields. Gentleman from Texas is<02:57:42.520> recognized.
• and throughout the state of Texas. and throughout the state of Texas.
• The gentleman from Texas is recognized. Reserve. Gentleman from Texas reserves.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• constituents have access to clean water constituents have access to clean water in<00:41:16.640>
• We've been over energy, water.
• We've been over energy, water.
• We've been over energy, water.
• We've been over energy, water.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, 1012, house, all