Transcript Highlights:

• The systems aren't integrated. We're not using AI.
• Are you guys looking at doing any type of integration?
• compliance requirements includes $10 million to comply with caseload standards, $4.8 million for case aids
• So I see if there's an integration.

Transcript Highlights:

• Public Health Director Barbie Robinson was accused of sharing private information and fraudulently aiding
• would add, Senator, that, you know, sitting next to one of the Texas Rangers, we do have a public integrity
• One of my public integrity investigators is sitting in the back of the room.
• One of my public integrity investigators is sitting in the back of the room.

Bills: HB47, HB171, HB285, HB305, HB449, HB908, HB 1024, HB 1306, HB1443, HB1445, HB1741, HB1866, HB1902, HB2001, HB2282, HB2355, HB2492, HB2637, HB2697, HB3464, HB4263, HB4996, HB5667

Keywords: sexual assault, victim rights, forensic examination, medical care, trauma-informed care, crime victims compensation, evidence retention, chemical dependency, court-ordered treatment, mental health, health care, treatment facility, juvenile justice, criminal justice reform, animal cruelty, nonlivestock, prosecution, veterinary defense, animal welfare, pretrial hearings

Summary: The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice met with a quorum and heard a long agenda of bills on criminal justice, public safety, mental health, victims’ rights, and related administrative issues. Early bills included HB 47, the omnibus sexual assault survivors bill, which would expand post-assault care, require courts to consider delays for adult survivors, bar sex offenders from rideshare driving, allow lease termination regardless of where an assault occurred, and require more reporting from sexual assault response teams. Testimony was generally supportive, though one witness raised concern that the bill’s reporting requirements could jeopardize county grant funding. HB 171, the Annel Borrego Act, would set a minimum period for court-ordered chemical dependency treatment; NAMI Texas supported it. HB 908 would require missing children reports to be sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children within two hours, and HB 1443 would criminalize possession and promotion of childlike sex dolls; both drew supportive testimony and were left pending. HB 567, changing juvenile board chair selection in Parker County, and HB 4263, a TJJD workforce retention bill, were also heard and left pending after brief discussion and adoption of committee substitutes where applicable. The committee also heard several bills focused on jail and prison safety, court process, and victim protection. HB 2282 would raise the arrest warrant fee from $50 to $75; constables supported it as a cost-recovery measure, while the Texas Fair Defense Project opposed it as a regressive fee that burdens low-income defendants. HB 3464 would increase penalties for correctional employees who bring drugs or alcohol into prisons, with support from Harris County jail officials and a formerly incarcerated advocate who described the dangers of contraband and retaliation. HB 285, “Poncho’s Law,” would add criminal negligence to non-livestock animal cruelty offenses; animal welfare advocates said it would close a loophole that lets pet service businesses avoid accountability, and the bill was left pending. HB 2355 would keep certain Crime Victims Compensation records confidential when held by the Attorney General, and HB 2637 would standardize jury exemption ages and clean up jury disqualification reporting; both were left pending after limited testimony. Mental health and competency-related bills received significant attention. HB 305 would require a pretrial hearing within 14 days after a defendant is restored to competency, aimed at reducing repeated decompensation and the forensic waitlist; NAMI Texas supported it. HB 1741 would tighten procedures for not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity outpatient commitments by requiring a stronger nexus to the receiving county and clearer supervision authority; law enforcement and mental health witnesses said it would improve public safety and treatment success. HB 2492 would make the four-hour family-violence post-bond cooling-off period mandatory rather than discretionary, and HB 1445 would allow a managed assigned counsel director to designate someone to approve certain payments for indigent defense attorneys; both were left pending. HB 1024 would require prompt execution of warrants for parole violators on superintensive supervision, and HB 1306 would extend first-responder-style benefits to death investigation professionals; neither drew opposition in the hearing. The committee also heard a series of public integrity and technology bills. HB 449 would expand the deepfake sexual content statute to include sexually explicit images, with Public Citizen supporting the change as necessary to address a rapidly growing problem. HB 1902 would create a new offense for “jugging,” or following bank or ATM customers to rob them; the Texas Bankers Association supported it. HB 2697 would require sureties to notify prosecutors before surrendering a felony defendant’s bond, and HB 2001 would sharply increase penalties for misuse of public information for financial gain and related coercion, with prosecutors and Texas Rangers describing bid-rigging and public corruption investigations as difficult to prove under current law because of short limitations periods and limited penalties. HB 1866 would grant Texas peace officer authority to National Park Service rangers within Texas park boundaries, and HB 4996 would increase penalties for fraudulent liens filed against public servants. Throughout the hearing, most bills were left pending after testimony, and several committee substitutes were adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• kinetics of synthetic mRNA, and despite the assumption that there is no possibility of genomic integration
• sarcoma... ...autoimmune disorders, Kaposi sarcoma—you know, as a nurse, you understand that it's AIDS
• It restores integrity.
• If you come here, you will see that studies show that reverse-transcribed SARS-COVIDA can integrate into

Bills: HB18, HB37, HB 116, HB388, HB879, HB913, HB 1151, HB2216, HB2358, HB2809, SB577, SB1590, SB1782, SB1887, SB2744

Keywords: rural health, hospital funding, healthcare access, mental health services, financial stability, perinatal bereavement, healthcare, hospital training, bereavement support, maternal care, fetal demise, stillbirth, neonatal death, parent-child relationship, involuntary termination, family law, child welfare, child protection, HB 388, HB388

Summary: The committee first reopened testimony on House Bill 2216, which would strengthen child welfare requirements by expanding “active efforts” to help families avoid removal and support reunification, while also raising standards related to removals and terminations. Supporters from child welfare and family defense groups said the bill would better protect families and align Texas more closely with ICWA-style principles, but several warned it would require significant new funding, staffing, and community services such as mental health care, housing, child care, and substance use treatment. The committee then left HB 2216 pending. The committee next heard Senate Bill 1782, aimed at boarding and group homes. Senator Miles said the bill closes enforcement gaps left by prior law by requiring retention of background-check records and creating misdemeanor penalties for failing to conduct or keep them, or for knowingly hiring people with serious convictions. Harris County sheriff’s investigators testified in support, describing illegal boarding homes, operators who evade permits and background checks, and exploitation of vulnerable residents; the bill was left pending. The committee also took up Senate Bill 481 on emergency preparedness for nursing facilities and assisted living facilities, adopted a new committee substitute that softened some requirements and removed the fiscal note, and left the bill pending. The committee then heard House Bill 388, which would require the Texas Department of Insurance to create a single standardized coordination-of-benefits form for dual health plans to reduce errors and surprise bills; it was left pending. Senate Bill 1590 would move paternity registry searches for adoptions to an electronic process with a 10-day target, and House Bill 2809 would track child suicide attempts in managing conservatorship and require related reporting and parental notice; both were left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1887, which would prohibit administering mRNA-containing products for immunization for 10 years, with exceptions for cancer and genetic disorders. Supporters argued the bill was needed for safety, informed consent, and medical freedom, while opponents from the medical, research, and public health communities said mRNA vaccines are well-studied, save lives, and that the bill would harm access, research, and Texas’s biotech economy. The bill remained under discussion as testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• called the Texas Education Code, which was created by the Texas Supreme Court in 1989, which begs integrity
• the State Board of Education and authorizes the autonomy over a small number of state staff. have to aid
• Senate Bill 2617 acts decisively to protect... historical integrity in our classrooms.
• Senate floor multiple times, the protection reinforces the launch of the program, ensuring fairness, integrity

Bills: SB205, SB582, SB625, SB1884, SB1903, SB2600, SB2617, SB2751, SB111, SB3061, SB1908

Keywords: fetal development, health curriculum, public schools, middle school health education, grade 7, grade 8, State Board of Education, school health advisory council, Texas Education Code, pregnancy, reproductive health, infertility, birth defects, prenatal development, unborn child, trimester, medically accurate instruction, age-appropriate instruction, drug and alcohol effects, lead exposure

Transcript Highlights:

• Today I'm here to speak to you about House Bill 3662, which enhances the safety and integrity of Texas
• I stand before you today to advocate for the integration of ethnic studies as a choice within our high
• By integrating ethnic studies into the curriculum, we can foster a more inclusive educational environment
• The Masonic orders, mutual aid societies, the religious comfort fraternities — there are all kinds of

Bills: HB178, HB178, HB1551, HB1939, HB2040, HB2354, HB2674, HB3029, HB3460, HB3631, HB3662, HB5201, HB5381

Keywords: efficiency audit, political subdivision, tax rate, fiscal management, government accountability, Texas education, public schools, curriculum, social studies, high school graduation requirements, State Board of Education, Education Code, ethnic studies, world history, world geography, U.S. history, government, economics, personal financial literacy, free enterprise

Transcript Highlights:

• This will be a vital aid for the airport in Victoria.
• HB 3241 is an integral part of making this project work and would be a huge boost for... ...that is the
• The goal is to preserve the integrity of property tax limitations while maintaining accountability.
• them on the language of the bill to address and reassure their concerns while also maintaining the integrity

Bills: HB 1039, HB2289, HB2370, HB2404, HB3066, HB3076, HB3117, HB3118, HB3169, HB3178, HB3179, HB3182, HB3196, HB3241, HB3377, HB3500, HB3567, HB3715, HB3954, HB4098, HB4109, HB4222, HB4226, HB4412, HB4659, HB4682, HB4683, HB4755, HB4926, HB5165, HB5562, HB5596

Keywords: hotel occupancy tax, municipal revenue, tax authority, border counties, tax legislation, municipalities, hotel tax revenue, convention centers, economic development, local government authority, HB 2370, HOT tax, venue projects, convention center, municipal finance, local government code, Section 334.0082, tourism tax, debt financing, bond repayment

Transcript Highlights:

• only his achievements for Texas A&M in the state of Texas, but also the legacy of leadership and integrity
• seen that movie of the men working hard, the cigarettes that are there, but we didn't get to see an integral
• Members and the members of the infratrate fire mutual aid system teams and regional incident management
• For the committee and state affairs, HB 4989 by De Rosio relating the state election integrity and security

Transcript Highlights:

• only his achievements for Texas A&M in the state of Texas, but also the legacy of leadership and integrity
• that movie of the men working hard, the cigarettes that are there, but we didn't. get to see an integral
• Task Force 1 members and the members of the InfraStraight Fire Mutual Aid System teams and Regional Incident
• of Texas or for the community and state affairs HB 40 3989 by DeRozio ruling the state election integrity

Bills: HB9, HB22, HB908, HB1392

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tangible personal property, income-producing property, business personal property, tax exemption, local government finance, appraisal district, chief appraiser, rendition statement, property tax relief, small business, commercial property, leased property, related business entity, unified business enterprise, tax situs, Texas Tax Code, local taxing unit, constitutional amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• We feel that this strikes the right balance and will aid in deterring unlawful demolition of our state's
• I would argue that underground contractors are doing much harder work that's much more integrated.
• personal independence due to a really tightly regulated market in the sense that there's vertical integration
• And so the FTC has gone after some of these issues and pursued accountability on vertical integration

Summary: The subcommittee met with a quorum and took up a series of bills, beginning with PCS for HB 743 on social media use by minors. The sponsor said the bill would extend last session’s restrictions by requiring parental access to messages for minors ages 15 and 16 and allowing law enforcement access with a warrant or parental request. Members raised concerns about abuse situations and private communications, but the sponsor said the bill was aimed at protecting children from grooming and trafficking. The PCS was supported in public testimony and passed 15-0. Members then approved HB 1161, which would let victims of altered sexual depictions or deepfakes demand removal of the content and pursue civil remedies if it is not taken down; an amendment clarified a definition tied to federal law, and the bill passed 14-0. The committee also passed local bills for Duval County (HB 4053) and Oviedo/Seminole County (HB 4031) creating special alcohol licensing exception areas, and HB 717, which increases penalties for unlawful demolition of historic buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places, with supporters from historic preservation and local government groups. The committee next approved HB 1035 on building permits for single-family dwellings, as amended, to extend permit validity around building code updates, speed approvals after emergencies, and create faster review timelines for smaller projects; members questioned possible loopholes and storm-related applications, while the home builders association supported the measure. It also passed PCS for HB 1219 on employment agreements, creating a framework for covered non-compete and garden leave agreements for higher-wage employees or those with access to confidential information; several members objected to its impact on workers and the marketplace, and the vote was 11-5. Additional favorable votes were taken on HB 799 regarding condominium alcohol licenses, HB 869 expanding underground utility contractors’ scope to include certain fire line work after a contested amendment and testimony from both utility and fire sprinkler groups, HB 1071 on alternative plan reviews and inspections, PCS for HB 981 on athlete representation and NIL compensation, and PCS for HB 801 on HVAC/mechanical contractors repairing and replacing certain pool heaters, both of which drew mixed testimony and debate over scope and safety. The final item introduced was HB 311 on repair of motorized wheelchairs, which the sponsor said would improve access to parts, tools, and independent repair options for users.

Transcript Highlights:

• with the Rapids Ice be integrated with the Rapids Ice Center<01:53:10.000> in<01:53:10.159>
• lot of this just goes back to 2003, when the state budget was balanced by slashing local government aid
• 02:29:18.560> uh<02:29:18.720> local<02:29:19.040> government<02:29:19.439> aid
• <02:29:19.760> to slashing uh local government aid to slashing uh local government aid to
• for other cities as other mutual aid for other cities as other cities<02:44:05.680> provide<02

Transcript Highlights:

• , some may not be and it integrated, some may not be and it really<00:34:19.040> does<00:34:19.280
• So if you have a written statement, please give it to our aide over here.
• and we'll read just give it to our aid and we'll read it<02:02:34.639> or<02:02:35.199> you
• So, either you have a written testimony that you will give to our aide, or you can summarize what you
• or you can you will give to our aid or you can summarize<02:29:16.640> what<02:29:16.880>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:23:56.559> Uh excluded from their aid eligibility.
• Uh excluded from their aid eligibility.
• Not all federal financial aid, but particularly student loans.
• This is not all federal financial aid. This is access to student loans.
• <00:28:30.799> student financial aid but particularly student financial aid but particularly

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call: 0:00:00 Approval of Minutes: 0:01:45 Federal Education Updates 0:02:12 Dual Credit Updates: 0:43:38 Kentucky State University's Doctoral Program Request: 01:27:08 Postsecondary Accreditation: 1:49:05 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations: 2:14:48 Adjournment 2:16:31, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the previous meeting minutes, and heard a presentation from Austin Reid of the National Conference of State Legislatures on education-related provisions in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1). Reid said the law is projected to increase the federal deficit over 10 years, with major savings coming from Medicaid, student loan changes, and SNAP. He focused on how those changes could affect schools, including possible effects on free and reduced-price meal certification, state funding formulas that use SNAP as a proxy for low-income status, and Medicaid-funded school services for students with disabilities. Reid also outlined the new federal scholarship tax credit, which gives a dollar-for-dollar credit for donations to qualifying scholarship-granting organizations. He said families up to 300% of area median income may benefit, the program begins in 2027, and states must opt in and designate eligible organizations. He noted unresolved questions about whether states can add their own criteria and said Treasury regulations will be important. He also described the expansion of 529 plans to cover more K-12 and postsecondary expenses. On higher education, Reid explained a new workforce Pell grant option for short-term programs, with states and governors playing a role in determining eligible programs. He said the programs must meet placement, completion, and earnings measures and that implementation is expected to be tight before the July 1, 2026 effective date. He also reviewed student loan changes, including lower institutional loan limits, prorated borrowing for part-time enrollment, new caps on graduate and Parent PLUS loans, and a new earnings-based accountability standard that could make some programs ineligible for student loans if graduates earn too little. No votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• As the building aid moratorum voters.
• was not a priority list for building aid was not a priority list for building aid until<01:40:26.080
• <01:40:48.159> rate amount at the state building aid rate amount at the state building aid
• <01:56:58.080> early aid early aid early improves<01:57:00.400> cash<01:57:00.639> flow
• It was little said about building aid.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are a non-profit that works with legal aid organizations that serve families on public benefits.
• It will mirror existing aid codes for single-parent families.
• As part of my portfolio I oversee the immigrant integration branch and I will be providing some background
• But we fully intend, as the systems integrator is ready to, uh, we're ready to execute a contract with
• the chosen systems integrated.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How we scope that is we, We look at what they call the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of
• How we scope that is we look at what they call the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of a
• does seek to get service from the utility, significant concessions with regard to contributions in aid
• This tends to be a vertically integrated utility region of the country, so most of the load is served
• The vertically integrated utility has ultimate responsibility to provide power in a reasonable way, in

Summary: The committee held its first meeting on artificial intelligence and data centers, establishing its purpose as a study and policy-development body rather than one aimed at producing many bills. Majority Leader Hogue urged members to move quickly, focus on federal and other states’ AI laws, consider possible federal preemption, child protections, and the siting and economic impacts of data centers. Committee leadership echoed that the goal is practical, balanced governance that protects North Dakota while allowing innovation to continue. Legislative Council staff provided a background memo and NCSL presented a detailed overview of AI concepts and the current state legislative landscape. The presentations distinguished narrow AI, generative AI, agentic AI, and theoretical AGI/ASI, and summarized major state policy themes: comprehensive AI laws in states such as Utah, Colorado, Texas, California, and Illinois; targeted laws on deepfakes, chatbots, health, education, notifications, and digital likeness; and growing use of appropriations and agency inventories. Members asked about Colorado’s repeal and reenactment, Texas’s sandbox and training provisions, oversight structures, and whether AI regulation is bipartisan; presenters said most issues cut across party lines, with broad agreement on child safety and deepfakes but more division on broader regulatory approaches. The federal update focused on executive orders, preemption, and congressional activity. NCSL described a White House framework favoring a single federal standard, a DOJ litigation task force, Commerce Department review of state laws, and possible funding conditions tied to state AI policy, though no formal state-law challenge had yet occurred. The presentation also covered a recent executive order creating a voluntary federal vetting process for advanced frontier models after safety concerns, and congressional proposals including a failed 10-year state moratorium, Senator Blackburn’s child-safety bills, the Kids Online Safety Act, a House-passed children’s digital safety package, a Senate data center moratorium proposal, and a House ratepayer/data-center bill. The committee took no formal action beyond receiving testimony and asking questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Nurses themselves recognize that there's a difference between a nursing aide and a nurse. ...a nursing
• The integrated model works well to prevent an overt over-utilization of our existing healthcare system
• The care is grounded in evidence-based practice and critical thinking and incorporates the integration
• I work alongside them every day and... know firsthand how integral they are to patient care.
• A lot of this is what we call vertical integration, where basically...

Bills: HB46, HB35, HB4490, HB4454, HB2188, HB3078, HB4743, HB2556, HB46, HB5342, HB4783, HB3785, HB5278, HB1639, HB2581, HB4224, HB4070, HB4099, HB4882, HB3794

Keywords: local government spending cap, expenditure limit, political subdivision, property tax, ad valorem tax, budget cap, taxpayer protection, spending restraint, inflation adjustment, population growth, voter approval, supermajority vote, county budget, municipal budget, school district finance, junior college district, hospital district, special district, attorney general enforcement, local fiscal limits

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of our aides were friends, and they had a lot of friends, and we came at some point last year to
• <01:24:07.760> That's<01:24:08.080> about<01:24:08.400> integrity.
• That's about integrity.
• And that's integrity, and that's something that you've always had.
• Aided sergeants, bolt the doors shut. Never allow us out again. Weld them closed. And Mr.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am the Behavioral Health Integration and Reform Administrator with the Administrative Office of the
• This is not a simple Band-Aid fix. This is change in how behavioral health systems are...
• And then my final question is we have 100 New Mexico that came out of the Anna Age Aid Institute and
• So we are very integrated with the federal government.
• There's a whole emphasis on program integrity. I mean, there's a lot of stuff in HR 1.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So this really is kind of, to me, a housekeeping bill to really make sure that the money and state aid
• that goes to building aid is used responsibly.
• that goes to building aid is used responsibly.
• that goes to building aid is used responsibly.
• that goes to building aid is used responsibly.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• fintechs are starting to be able to move money for human customers quicker, cheaper, easier, and more integrated
• I want my money to move quicker, cheaper, faster, easier, and be more integrated with all of my apps.
• And that's why we're looking at things like the new fintech vertical in order to bring education and aid
• The customers today want it, as I said earlier, fast, cheap, integrated.
• Our payment rails are not fast, cheap, and integrated. Banking needs a new set of payment rails.

Summary: The committee received a compliance and budget update on Industrial Commission agencies and programs, including the Industrial Commission administrative office, the Oil and Gas Research Program, the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority, the State Energy Research Center, the Research Technology Park grant program, and related funds. Staff reviewed spending and balances for items such as electric grid resiliency grants, lignite research, enhanced oil recovery, the salt cavern business case study, and the new NDSU research and technology park grant. Members also discussed timing, carryover balances, matching requirements, and how some programs are structured to reimburse projects over several years rather than spend funds immediately. Karen Tyler of the Industrial Commission described the agency’s administrative budget, the grant management system nearing completion, and the transition to standalone audits and staffing after separating from other agencies. She also outlined the status of active grant rounds across lignite, oil and gas, renewable energy, outdoor heritage, and clean sustainable energy programs. Members asked about the length of active grants, demand for clean energy funding, and the possibility of future grant rounds. Tyler and members also discussed the salt cavern study, the need to better define its commercial value, and the research technology park grant’s cash-match requirement. Ron Ness then testified on enhanced oil recovery and broader oil and gas market conditions. He said North Dakota production remained steady, but future growth depends on infrastructure, longer laterals, and better use of natural gas and carbon dioxide for EOR. He described the state’s EOR grant round, the use of federal DOE funding to replace part of a state-funded project, and the expectation of additional grant rounds. Members asked about CO2 supply, storage, and the economics of using legacy fields and pipelines to extend oil production and support agriculture and industrial uses. The committee also heard from Bank of North Dakota President Don Morgan, who reviewed the bank’s mission, governance, lending verticals, disaster programs, and new initiatives. He said the bank is seeing deposit growth flatten and is responding to fintech competition by focusing on liquidity, risk management, and a new payment infrastructure initiative called Rough Rider Coin, which he emphasized is not crypto and not a public coin, but a banking payment rail for North Dakota institutions. Members asked about student loan rates, disaster lending, and how the bank’s lines of credit and balance sheet capacity are affected by deposit trends. Morgan said the bank remains profitable and continues to support agriculture, commerce, and industry through participation loans, student lending, and state-directed programs.