Transcript Highlights:

• documentations and you've and and now you are getting communication from them.
• ... procedures and practices and is focused on results and not show votes.
• Who are illegal aliens who can and should be deported, but their politics matters more than protecting
• children, and so they're releasing violent child molesters into the community.
• amendment votes and I'm happy to Consider those votes and and and resolve them.

Committee: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

Keywords: oversight, subpoena, illegal immigrants, Massachusetts Port Authority, O'Hare Airport, legislative practices

Summary: The meeting was convened by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where robust discussions were held regarding the need for improved oversight within the Senate. The chairman emphasized the historical decline in oversight activities and proposed motions to authorize subpoenas related to an ongoing investigation involving the Massachusetts Port Authority and allegations of illegal immigrant sheltering at airports. This prompted a detailed examination of the current practices and measures needed to address such issues effectively, particularly in light of recent reports from O'Hare Airport. The committee engaged in deliberations that highlighted the importance of maintaining legislative oversight to safeguard national interests.

Transcript Highlights:

• numerous regulatory bodies to safeguard the integrity of the CPA designation and to protect the interest
• Task Force to study and make recommendations to improve child safety and well-being.
• It is an act to amend Title 37 relative to professions and occupations. Senator Pressly.
• It is an act to amend Title 37 relative to professions and occupations, providing relative to limiting
• Senate Bill 398 by Senator Foil is an act to amend Titles 37 and 40 relative to the unit and Title 51

Bills: SR146 , SCR12 , HB378 , HB509 , HB1090 , HB221 , HCR85 , HCR100 , HCR105 , HCR107 , HCR114 , HCR58 , HB723 , SB4 , SB52 , SB57 , SB83 , SB131 , SB143 , SB145 , SB152 , SB194 , SB251 , SB254 , SB279 , SB283 , SB333 , SB353 , SB367 , SB384 , SB389 , SB398 , SB408 , SB431 , SB448 , SB450 , SB465 , SB468 , SB469 , SB484 , SB495 , SB496 , SB509 , SB56 , SCR9 , SCR58 , SB35 , SB65 , SB215 , SB246 , SB249 , SB269 , SB282 , SB296 , SB323 , SB363 , SB369 , SB474 , SB490 , SB492 , SB500 , SB514 , HCR32 , HB59 , HB89 , HB153 , HB243 , HB335 , HB342 , HB407 , HB451 , HB513 , HB595 , HB682 , HB688 , HB690 , HB730 , HB762 , HB802 , HB816 , HB940 , HB1003 , HB1011 , HB1029 , HB1053 , HB1058 , HB1062 , HB1064 , HB1079 , HB1084 , HB1098 , HB1161 , HB1189 , HB1203 , HB1215 , HB1247 , HB1248 , HB1251 , HB1253 , HB1257 , HB1258 , HB17 , HB27 , HB36 , HB41 , HB73 , HB140 , HB166 , HB181 , HB205 , HB211 , HB223 , HB226 , HB259 , HB271 , HB308 , HB337 , HB399 , HB410 , HB487 , HB626 , HB712 , HB740 , HB750 , HB759 , HB775 , HB812 , HB844 , HB906 , HB966 , HB968 , HB979 , HB1006 , HB1009 , HB1018 , HB1036 , HB1038 , HB1081 , HB1086 , HB1107 , HB1112 , HB1155 , HB1220 , HB1242 , HB1252 , HB1256 , SB42 , SB208 , SB217 , SB274 , SB300 , SB341 , SB379 , SB382 , SB387 , SB401 , SB449 , SB487 , HB74 , HB119 , HB134 , HB210 , HB258 , HB468 , HB784 , HB870 , HB953 , HB956 , HB1117 , HB1236 , SB29 , SB43 , SB78 , SB149 , SB441 , HB359

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, heard a guest prayer by Pastor Lee Shipp, and conducted routine opening business including journal adoption, receipt of confirmation appointments, and House messages naming conferees on several Senate bill disagreements. The chamber also adopted or recognized several personal privilege resolutions and commendations, including honors for Grady Hazel, the Acadiana Veterans Hockey of Louisiana national championship team, Grambling State University’s 125th anniversary and related athletics/band centennials, the 2026 Governor’s Fellows, and a brief address by special guest Ms. Benson. Members then acted on a series of resolutions and concurrent resolutions. The Senate adopted measures creating or requesting study task forces on child permanency, medical malpractice review panels, driving school fees, the Minimum Foundation Program, and earthquake activity in north Louisiana, and it concurred in House resolutions on illegal dumping, gaming board review, behavioral health crisis center reimbursement, Medicaid incentive payment reporting, and a physician review panel study. Several condolence and commendation resolutions also passed, including those honoring Lewis Thomas Nelson and Josephine Ruth Kennedy, and the Senate adopted a resolution urging local governments to consider generator requirements for unlicensed senior and disability residential facilities. The chamber also took up House Bill 723, a motorcycle traffic-signal bill allowing certain two- and three-wheeled vehicles to proceed through malfunctioning vehicle-actuated signals under specified circumstances; after debate about safety and enforcement, it passed 33-3. The Senate then considered numerous House amendments to Senate bills, concurring in most, including bills on fluoridation/local opt-out, public assistance, nutrition, human trafficking training, bulletproof vests, adult residential care generators, cell-cultured food products, public benefits eligibility, attorney-fee limits in disciplinary proceedings, critical infrastructure protections, debit card surcharges, bank stock certificates, child welfare proceedings, digital student IDs, watershed restoration funding, innovation hubs, sports agent registration, and manufactured housing regulation. It rejected House amendments to SB 283 and SB 408 for further negotiation. The session ended with announcements for committee meetings and a recess until 2 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• We need them to act quickly and decisively and be thinking only about the safety of their fellow students
• All that this bill does is align our civil protections and our criminal protections to say that if you
• And that is what the university policy protects as well.
• are able to more adequately serve and protect these children, who... ...and protect these children who
• I know the work that they do to protect our children and our law enforcement officers, and I can't thank

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, guest recognitions, and a quorum call before moving into committee reports and floor action. Committees reported a number of bills and resolutions, including measures from Local Government, Energy, Health, Judiciary, Appropriations, Rules, and Finance. The chamber also announced caucus and committee meetings, then recessed and later reconvened for final consideration of legislation. Several bills passed the House finally, including House Bill 2299 on body cameras for county probation officers, House Bill 167 designating a scenic byway along Allegheny River Boulevard, House Bill 95 requiring disclosure when content or advertising is generated or substantially modified by artificial intelligence, House Bill 1944 expanding medical amnesty and Good Samaritan protections on campuses, House Bill 2443 creating a child victim recovery fund, House Bill 246 updating references from the Public Welfare Code to the Human Services Code, and House Bill 2586 establishing title protection for music therapists. The House also adopted House Resolution 463 recognizing Korean-American Citizenship Day, House Resolution 499 recognizing Juneteenth Independence Day, and House Resolution 547 directing a study of electronic monitoring as an alternative to incarceration. The House spent significant time on amendments to House Bill 133, which concerns reinstatement of parental rights, and House Bill 138, which addresses parental incarceration and termination of parental rights. Both bills received bipartisan amendments adding guardrails and exceptions, and the amendments were adopted unanimously. The chamber also debated House Bill 2224, the Fair Act, with multiple amendments on utility rates, return on equity, and scope; some amendments were adopted, several tied votes failed, and the bill was left amended for reprinting. House Bill 2544, dealing with school administrators’ rights and negotiations, saw an amendment to allow individual bargaining, but that amendment failed and the bill was agreed to. The session ended with a correction to the record on House Bill 1944, a motion to recommit several bills to Appropriations, and adjournment until June 22, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• with the Public Records Act and other applicable state and federal laws.
• So let's help protect the children and support this bill.
• Now I'm an 18-year-old trans woman of color and a daughter of immigrants.
• child welfare and what was happening in our juvenile justice systems.
• what it’s supposed to have done and the taxpayers are protected.

Summary: The Senate Human Services Committee heard public testimony on Senate Bill 5977, which would require DCYF to publish child near-fatality review reports within 180 days and post them publicly, with confidential information redacted as allowed by law. Senator Nikki Torres said the bill is intended to improve transparency, accountability, and child protection. There was no public testimony on the bill, and the hearing was closed. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6184, an Office of Homeless Youth request bill sponsored by the chair. The bill makes technical and policy updates to OHY programs, including replacing the term “street youth” with “unaccompanied homeless youth,” allowing certain flexible funds to go directly to youth or vendors, renaming and making permanent the H-Sync program, expanding eligibility and housing options in the Independent Youth Housing Program, and clarifying shelter and reporting provisions. Testifiers from Commerce, advocates, school support organizations, and a youth advocate all supported the bill, emphasizing that the changes would improve access, consistency, and housing stability for unhoused youth. The hearing was then closed. The committee moved into executive session on seven bills. SB 5681, concerning intellectual and developmental disability services at age 20, had Amendment A1 fail and the proposed substitute was adopted and sent to Ways and Means. SB 5917, regarding abortion medication in DOC, saw one amendment adopted and multiple Christian amendments rejected before the bill was sent to Rules. SB 5942, renaming the DCYF Oversight Board as the DCYF Accountability Board and revising its duties, had only Amendment C16 adopted; the amended bill passed to Rules. SB 6024, on duplicative audits for community residential providers, passed without amendment. SB 6036, concerning adult family homes and foster care licensees, had Amendment D1 adopted and the bill passed to Rules. SB 6085, on the DOC institutional welfare account, had Amendment E1 adopted and the bill was sent to Ways and Means after several other amendments failed. In each case, the committee voted to advance the bill after considering amendments, with most of the proposed changes from Senator Christian failing except where noted.

Transcript Highlights:

• Like economic development and universal child care, while maintaining strong reserves, the Senate Finance
• to protect our community and effectively carry out their mission.
• In natural resources, we made a number of additions to protect and advance New Mexico's natural resources
• We added funding to support drinking water needs statewide, protect aquatic ecosystems, and bolster the
• You know that more women have broke their one woman broke her ankle and broke her femur on a high school

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• For over 15 years, I prosecuted sexual assault cases, juvenile delinquency cases, and child protection
• my</c><00:04:22.000><c> small</c> child protection cases in my small child protection cases in my small
• Traumatic shock is a defense mechanism that helps protect your brain and body.
• Traumatic shock is a defense mechanism that helps protect your brain and body.
• </c><00:14:40.759><c> I</c><00:14:40.959><c> found</c> protect our community and what I found protect

Transcript Highlights:

• have gone in and amended their Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
• that are like those for a child, even though they're over 18, and those protections don't lapse, for
• It also protects students and businesses by guarding CDL schools and students from unfair treatment and
• act, and these grants come down through... ...which is a federal act, and these grants come down through
• That's the National Fire Protection Act; that's countrywide.

Bills: SB1521 , SB372 , SB1232 , SB1307 , SB1338 , SB1390 , SB1451 , SB1463 , SB1558 , SB1567 , SB1595 , SB1621 , SB1734 , SB1749 , SB1827 , SB1833 , SB1991 , SB1992 , SB63 , SB2063 , SB2180 , SB1198 , SB80

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, prayer, pledges, and a series of guest and gallery introductions, including medical professionals, interns, students, and advocates visiting for Disability Day. The chamber then moved quickly through a long floor agenda, with leaders repeatedly noting the need to stay at desks and proceed efficiently. Several bills were taken up with floor substitutes or minor amendments, most often restore-title amendments, before advancing to final passage. The Senate passed a number of measures addressing technology, public safety, education, health care, elections, and state agency operations. Among the most notable were SB 1521, which creates safeguards around AI social companions for minors after discussion of teen suicides linked to such products; SB 1734, which sets guardrails for AI use in schools and requires district policies by 2027; and SB 1307, which removes statutory language conflicting with religious-freedom case law and passed after debate over whether it could open the door to funding religious entities. Other bills approved included SB 372 on carrying firearms in certain state-owned lodges and cabins, SB 1232 on escalating penalties for major copper theft damage, SB 1338 making the literacy-coach program permanent and tying Strong Readers Act dollars to district access, SB 1451 on voter-registration cleanup and reporting, SB 1463 extending the polygraph examiners board sunset, SB 1558 clarifying that some OJA youth in Level E group homes may remain served until age 19, and SB 1567 clarifying APRN prescriptive-authority rules and supervision compensation. The chamber also approved SB 1595, an anti-steering/anti-discrimination bill aimed at CDL training grants and workforce boards, and SB 1621, treating public law libraries as public entities represented by district attorneys. SB 1749, which lets the LP Gas Board create permitting and inspection rules for mobile food vendors and delegate inspections to more local permit holders, drew concern from some senators about added costs and burdens on food-truck operators but still passed. The Senate also advanced SB 1833, codifying the SNAP waiver executive order and limiting certain non-nutritive foods, with questions focused on how the restrictions would be communicated and applied. Most measures were passed by substantial margins, and several were declared emergency measures after final votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I URGE YOU TO OPPOSE SB 918, WHICH WEAKENS CHILD LABOR PROTECTIONS AND PUTS YOUNG WORKERS AT RISK.
• AND GOING BACK ON DECADES OF CHILD LABOR PROTECTIONS.
• CHILD LABOR PROTECTIONS THAT ALSO UNDERSTOOD AND ECONOMY WITH AN EDUCATED WORKFORCE IS ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD
• WE ALL, ALL OF THE CHILD LABOR PROTECTIONS FOR 16 AND SEVENTEEN YEAR OLDS.
• WOMAN MUCH MUCH OLDER IN THEIR 60s AND YOU ARE ANGRY BECAUSE NOW YOUR CHILD IS SCARRED THROUGH A POSSIBLE

Transcript Highlights:

• The Toledo maintains creation of the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act to improve screening for and
• Will they protect the well, this protect the homeowner and with the requirements in your bill?
• It could one day protect your child or grandchild.
• like in protecting our state parks and on this Earth day?
• Let's make sure we protect and preserve and for our future.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yet, our representation grows less and less with every redistricting matter, an act that we draw and
• of the Voting Rights Act in Texas, in this country, and Texas has been been found guilty of violating
• I truly believe that each one of us is a child of God and that how people feel matters to me.
• It should reflect our voices, protect our legacy, and ensure the next generation sees leadership.
• The one-vote concept and the Voting Rights Act changed that and ushered in an era where we started to

Bills: SB 2 , SB 5 , SB 9 , SB 7 , SB 17 , SB 4 , HB4 , HB1 , HB3 , HB20 , HB22 , SB9 , SB7 , SB17 , SB4 , HB4 , SB2 , SB5

Transcript Highlights:

• The Attorney General can enforce these provisions through the Consumer Protection Act and local officials
• And third, it requires these conditions to be consistent with the Indian Child Welfare Act.
• , and that implementation must be in compliance with the Federal Indian Child Welfare Act.
• And then the last one from me, Substitute Senate Bill 5609, an act relating to cultural resource protection
• And then, the last one from May, substitute Senate Bill 5609, an act relating to cultural resource protection

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met in executive session on February 9, 2026, first hearing a staff briefing on Senate Bill 6346, which would impose a tax on individuals earning over $1 million. Staff described the bill’s revenue and spending impacts and reviewed a proposed substitute and 11 amendments addressing items such as public defense funding, charitable deductions, out-of-state tax credits, small business credits, diapers, constitutional issues, and a contingent constitutional amendment. The committee later took up the bill and rejected all of the offered amendments, then advanced the substitute bill with a due pass recommendation to the Rules Committee. Members supporting the bill argued it would help address tax fairness and fund public services, while opponents raised concerns about constitutionality, economic harm, and the effect on businesses and charitable giving. The committee also acted on a series of policy bills. It advanced a substitute bill on grocery store closures in food deserts after adopting a narrower substitute, despite concerns from some members about burdening grocers. It approved a substitute bill expanding voting access for military, overseas, Native American, and disabled voters, adopting a second substitute that removed a cybersecurity review requirement. The committee also advanced bills on tort claim arbitration against governments, victim and witness protections in sexual assault and domestic violence cases, JLARC review of student aid fraud, agricultural collective bargaining, labor relations if federal preemption ends, a cost-of-living adjustment for Plan 1 retirees, workers’ compensation and medical care access, line-of-duty death reimbursements, law enforcement background checks and eligibility, veterans’ discharge definitions, and extraordinary medical placement. Several of these bills had amendments adopted, including changes to tort claim oversight, victim-requested standby counsel, agricultural labor definitions, workers’ compensation penalties, law enforcement volunteer support, and extraordinary medical placement criteria. In the second group of bills, staff briefed measures affecting property taxes, housing, cannabis, disaster-related tax relief, technical tax code changes, aircraft fuel tax revenues, the estate tax, and a pesticide tax exemption. The committee heard that a substitute for the fire protection district bill would alter how city or town levy capacity is reduced and include consultation requirements and board-creation provisions. It also heard that the property tax relief expansion for seniors and disabled retirees needed a substitute to make the consolidated school levy revenue-neutral. Other bills would expand tax exemptions for low-income housing and nonprofit homeownership, authorize local cannabis excise taxes, extend disaster repair tax relief, expand housing-related local sales tax uses, make technical tax code changes, redirect aircraft fuel tax revenues to aeronautics, reduce the estate tax rate, and extend a pesticide tax exemption. The transcript ends during the committee’s consideration of Senate Bill 6346, with the committee debating and rejecting amendments before moving the bill forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Despite everything that he's faced, my child is joyful and curious and resilient.
• and an act relative to youth skin health.
• That brings us to Senate Bill 369 and House Bill 544, an act to establish the Whole Child Grant Program
• That brings us to Senate Bill 369 and House Bill 544, an act to establish the Whole Child Grant Program
• act to establish the Whole Child Grant Program.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a public hearing on a large slate of bills, with the chairs emphasizing time limits, written testimony, and grouping similar measures together. Early testimony focused on opioid use disorder education in schools (S.382), with Senator Keenan arguing that students should be taught about the risks of substance use disorder and naloxone use as part of health curricula. Representative DeCost also briefly introduced H.551, a narrow bill concerning parent rights for children in third grade and younger. Several bills were then closed without testimony, including measures on type 1 diabetes informational materials and other diabetes-related proposals. A major portion of the hearing centered on school health and emergency response bills. Supporters of H.652/S.342 on diabetes management in schools described inconsistent district practices and urged clearer standards so students can receive care in classrooms rather than being sent out of instruction. Bills on epinephrine access and seizure disorders drew extensive testimony: advocates for stock epinephrine in schools argued that unassigned epinephrine can save lives and should be funded in a cost-neutral way, while a pediatrician opposed one version as an unfunded mandate. For seizure-safe schools (S.422/H.635), students, parents, educators, and advocates described missed or delayed responses to seizures, stigma, and the need for staff training, seizure action plans, and emergency medication protocols. A separate bill, H.645, allowing anti-seizure medication on school buses, was supported by a parent and student who said current law forces costly and restrictive transportation arrangements. The committee also heard testimony on youth skin health bills (S.334/H.600/H.619), which would let students carry and apply sunscreen at school and camp without a physician’s note. Supporters from melanoma prevention, dermatology, and industry groups said the bills would remove unnecessary barriers and promote sun-safe habits, while one witness cautioned about drafting details and unintended consequences. The hearing then moved to CPR/AED education for graduation (S.456), where Senator Tarr, a student advocate, and the Red Cross all supported requiring hands-on CPR certification for high school students. Finally, the committee took testimony on healthy school lunches (H.539/S.401): supporters from the Healthy School Lunch Coalition and school food directors backed stronger nutrition standards and a standing advisory council, while Consumer Brands Association witnesses opposed the bill as too vague and potentially disruptive. A nutrition scientist also warned about unintended restrictions on medically necessary or innovative foods. The chairs closed the hearing on the healthy lunch bills and then opened testimony on universal school meals for virtual schools (H.700), with Superintendent Patrick Latuka supporting access for students in Commonwealth virtual schools who currently receive no meal support.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is about accuracy, accountability, and protection. Thank you.
• You've heard all of the SAVE Act rhetoric going around Congress and the Senate, and they're holding the
• You've heard all of the SAVE Act rhetoric going around Congress and the Senate, and they're holding the
• There's a report made to the AG in regards to adult protective services, and it sits there forever and
• services and it's there's a report made to the AG in regards to the adult protective services and it

Summary: The meeting covered a long series of bills, mostly in health, education, commerce, federalism, and government. In health, members discussed radiology technology updates (HB 2050), a tribal Medicaid waiver/drawdown measure with no state cost (HB 2177), an emergency medicine study committee (HB 2183), fetal death certificate and remains-transfer requirements (HB 2184), a physician assistant licensure compact (HB 2190), dementia care telemonitoring funding (HB 2202), SNAP error-rate reduction and fraud/eligibility oversight bills (HB 2206, HB 2442, HB 2797), child welfare protections like credit freezes and recorded interviews (HB 2321, HB 2322), and podiatric licensure compacts (HB 2438). Several of these were described as consent-calendar items, while HB 2206 and the SNAP-related measures drew discussion about fraud reduction, administrative burden, and work requirements. In commerce and finance, the committee heard bills on mobile food vendors and local permits (HB 2118), earned wage access services with fee caps and disclosure rules (HB 2309), CPA licensure changes (HB 2476), cash acceptance for retail purchases under $100 (HB 2555), drone delivery and unmanned aircraft guardrails (HB 2875), timeshare salesperson licensing (HB 2877), and a prohibition on state-mandated social credit scoring in lending decisions (HB 2903). The tax and retirement-related items included 529 plan conformity and Roth IRA transfer rules (HB 2477), annual tax conformity to the Internal Revenue Code (HB 2785), ASRS technical and disability-related changes (HB 2089, HB 2090, HB 2092), and a bill on employee health insurance definitions (HB 2089). The Arizona Commerce Authority bill (HB 2754) would add legislative members to the board and shift more control over trade offices and Arizona Competes Fund spending to the legislature. The education section focused heavily on school governance and finance. Bills included patriotic youth group presentations in schools (HB 2312), school board term limits (HB 2318), mandatory training for governing board members (HB 2379), independent municipal advisors for bond elections (HB 2320), restrictions on districts buying operating charter/private school sites to game enrollment formulas (HB 2376), conflict-of-interest limits for school facilities board architects and engineers (HB 2378), public meeting and travel transparency rules for districts (HB 2380), limits on long-term school property leases and reporting requirements (HB 2384), tighter bidding rules for school construction job orders using Building Renewal Grant funds (HB 2482), and a voluntary computer science proficiency seal (HB 2764). Sponsors repeatedly framed these as transparency, accountability, and anti-abuse measures, while some opposition centered on local flexibility, housing use, and existing training providers. In federalism and government, the committee heard bills to give counties more time to mail sample ballots (HB 2006), require courts to identify veterans at first appearance for possible veterans court referral (HB 2226), study veterans’ awareness of benefits (HB 2406), broaden military leave protections (HB 2663), require SAVE verification for voter registration and certain state services (HB 2806), require U.S.-sourced voting machine components by 2029 (HB 2901), affirm the Electoral College (HB 2902), and establish due process protections for justice of the peace courts against outside administrative action (HB 2976). Government committee items included a later deadline for library trustees’ annual reports (HB 2129), a two-year limit on certain adult protective services reports to the Attorney General (HB 2228), and an exemption for public and semi-public cold plunges from ADEQ spa rules (HB 2439). Several bills were reported as consent-calendar items, and a number of sponsors noted committee votes, fiscal neutrality, or favorable testimony in support of the measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, Senate Bill 25 is a step forward, and I believe it is about protecting the health and life of
• And then finally, pillar four is consumer protection through what we... like to say, honest labeling.
• The technical knowledge to provide plenty of good food for every man, woman, and child in the world exists
• As Texans, we've always protected ourselves and our children fiercely.
• And I think we have to take bold action to help protect children against these harmful food additives

Bills: SB 25 , SB25 , SB314

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• And so this bill seems to be protecting men's teams from girls and women competing with them.
• And if there's a hint of the family children, To protect them.
• This is about protecting fraud and abuse.
• And we want every child to have an opportunity to learn well.
• children and for Them protections for their families and for their children and for their grandchildren

Summary: The Senate met, opened with prayer and the pledge, and then handled a series of messages and floor actions. The chamber transmitted a large group of Senate bills to the governor and Senate Concurrent Memorial 1004 to the Secretary of State. It also received House requests to return Senate Bills 1175 and 1198 for reconsideration, which were granted without objection. The Senate then moved into Committee of the Whole to consider several House concurrent resolutions. On H.C.R. 2001, a constitutional referral on election requirements, senators debated a Judiciary Committee amendment and a Hoffman floor amendment that would require voter ID, allow election-day tabulation of early ballots at polling places, and require legislative funding for implementation. Supporters said the measure would improve election security, voter confidence, and speed up results; opponents argued it was vague, could undermine mail voting, and lacked clear implementation details. The amendment was adopted, and after further debate the Committee of the Whole gave H.C.R. 2001 a do-pass recommendation by a 15-12 vote. Later, on third reading, the full Senate passed H.C.R. 2001 by a 16-12 vote and transmitted it to the House. The chamber also considered H.C.R. 2003, a referral on student athletics and biological sex. Senator Ortiz offered a floor amendment to replace the blanket ban approach with rules based on athletic ability and inclusion; supporters said it would preserve fairness while avoiding discrimination, while opponents said it would gut the measure and weaken protections for girls’ sports. The Ortiz amendment failed 11-16, and H.C.R. 2003 then received a do-pass recommendation in Committee of the Whole and later passed third reading. H.C.R. 2044, a referral on prohibiting preferential treatment and discrimination, also received a do-pass recommendation without recorded controversy. The Senate then adjourned after completing the remaining procedural motions and votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><02:08:35.599><c> Um</c> Colorado Consumer Protection Act. Um Colorado Consumer Protection Act.
• </c> protecting uh honest competition uh and protecting uh honest competition uh and promoting<02:08:
• Um and I protection in this area.
• c> would</c><02:57:59.040><c> look</c> protection act that the AG would look protection act that the
• </c><03:11:47.359><c> and</c> protection of legal privilege and protection of legal privilege and strategic

Transcript Highlights:

• protect them and carve them out?
• the chamber and to ensure that those areas are protected and looked after.
• the chamber and to ensure that those areas are protected and looked after.
• the chamber and to ensure that those areas are protected and looked after.
• We can provide tax relief and protect our schools.

Summary: The House met in special session, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the journal, and adopted the special order report setting the day’s calendar. The chamber then took up CS/House Joint Resolution 1F, the Governor’s property tax proposal, which would raise the homestead exemption for non-school taxes, lower the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%, and restrict county and municipal ad valorem revenue to public safety and certain other uses. Sponsor Rep. Overdorf said the measure would return money to homeowners and give local governments flexibility, while opponents repeatedly argued the ballot language was misleading and that the proposal could create large local revenue shortfalls, shift costs to other taxpayers, and threaten local services and debt obligations. Members debated a series of amendments aimed at protecting specific programs from the bill’s effects. Rep. Bartleman’s amendment to exempt Children’s Services Councils and Children’s Trusts was defeated 25-74 after supporters said those entities fund child care, mental health, aftercare, and family support, while opponents said local governments could still choose to fund them. Rep. Cross’s amendment to include water management districts in allowable uses of ad valorem taxes was also defeated, despite testimony that the districts are essential for flood control, water supply, Everglades restoration, and drought response. Rep. Eskamani’s amendment to require the Legislature to backfill public safety funding failed 25-71 after debate over whether the proposal could reduce police and fire budgets and response times. The House then rejected Rep. Woodson’s amendment to require state backfill for senior services, with supporters citing Meals on Wheels, transportation, adult day care, and other aging services, and opponents saying the state already funds senior programs. Finally, Rep. Gant’s amendment to protect veteran services was introduced and debated, with members emphasizing housing, mental health, transition assistance, and homelessness concerns for veterans; the transcript cuts off before the vote on that amendment. Throughout the debate, sponsors and supporters of the main resolution maintained that local governments would retain spending discretion and could use other revenue sources, while critics argued the measure lacked clear backfill provisions and could force cuts or tax shifts at the local level.

Transcript Highlights:

• Program, the pregnant women, and then the upper limit for women and then the upper limit for a child
• </c> other agencies the definition of a child other agencies the definition of a child and<00:32:13.320
• This is the ACA coverage, and for ACA, the Affordable Care Act, and this is the benchmark premium that
• and this is The Benchmark Care Act and this is The Benchmark premium<00:55:35.599><c> that</c><00:55
• And if a parent has a question about what was provided to their child and they need access to what was

Summary: The House Finance Division III held an informational hearing on Medicaid, Medicare, Choices for Independence, and related financing, while postponing nursing facility financing and the county cap discussion to a later date. DHHS officials Ann Landry, Jonathan Ballard, and Medicaid Director Henry Litman provided an overview of Medicaid’s role, noting it is a federal-state partnership with state-specific eligibility and benefits, and emphasizing that Medicaid is a major funding and programmatic support for other DHHS initiatives. They also distinguished Medicaid from Medicare and explained that Medicaid funding is not the same as grant funding, though some providers may also receive federal grants through other channels. The presentation focused on New Hampshire’s relatively small Medicaid program and why it differs from national averages. Officials said about 184,000 residents are covered, roughly one in seven Granite Staters compared with one in five nationally, and attributed the difference largely to the state’s higher per-capita income and older population. They highlighted that about 65% of Medicaid-enrolled adults in New Hampshire are working, that only 22% of births are covered by Medicaid versus 42% nationally, and that the state’s uninsured rate is lower than the national rate. Members asked about covered services, income limits, federal matching rates, and the names of optional eligibility groups; staff explained that New Hampshire offers the optional groups discussed, with matching rates varying by category, including 90% for Granite Advantage and certain other groups, and 65% for children above the required level. A substantial portion of the hearing covered eligibility rules and recent policy changes. Officials reviewed the history of Medicaid, including HCBS waivers, the CFI program, Katie Beckett, the Olmstead decision, the ACA, and the end of continuous enrollment after the public health emergency. They also discussed the 2023 legislative expansion of postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months and child eligibility changes. In response to questions, DHHS said it is tracking utilization and costs for the postpartum expansion and reported that many maternal deaths occur after the prior 60-day coverage period, often involving substance use disorder or suicide; they said the longer coverage is intended to improve access to treatment and prevention. The committee also walked through household-income examples, clarified that Medicaid eligibility is based on household income and categorical rules, and confirmed that Granite Advantage ends at 138% of the federal poverty level unless another categorical basis applies. No votes were taken, and the hearing remained informational.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is protection and a prevention tool for children and families in Louisiana.
• how do we protect that child?
• on, how do we protect that child?
• In 1998, I started as a child protection service worker and investigator, and then became a foster care
• In 1998, I started as a child protection service worker and investigator, and then became a as a child

Bills: HCR95 , HB4 , HB244 , HB615 , HB648 , HB1049 , HB1201

Committee: Senate Senate & Governmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• and our partnership with our colleagues in the Senate and the House to protect seniors from known bad
• Board and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountability Act.
• We must act now to protect older Americans. Thank you and I yield back.
• Protect this country and our people from the CCP. Thank you and I'm happy to take your questions.
• And that's why I recently reintroduced my bill, the Protecting America Act. from International Trade

Committee: Senate Aging (Special) Committee

Keywords: Chinese Communist Party, retirement security, investment risks, SEC enforcement, Bipartisan action

Summary: The meeting primarily addressed concerns regarding the impact of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on American investments and the financial security of retirees. The chair discussed legislation aimed at ensuring the protection of American investors against the risks posed by Chinese companies. There was a consensus among the members regarding the necessity to enforce existing policies that require compliance from foreign companies wishing to trade on American exchanges. The discussion included testimony from various stakeholders highlighting the urgent need to limit exposure to the CCP in retirement portfolios. Additionally, there were calls for increased accountability of regulatory bodies such as the SEC to better shield American investors from potential loss.