Bills: HB1709, HB2195, HB2023, HB2031, HB2033, HB1937, HB2586, HB2575, HB2038, HB2030

Keywords: water carriers, transportation, public utility, Department of Transportation, liability, agricultural rates, certificates of convenience, cruise ship, passenger head fee, harbor, capital improvement, funding, environmental impact, active intelligent speed assistance, intelligent speed assistance, speed limiter, speed limiting device, speed governor, vehicle telematics, traffic safety

Summary: The joint committees on Transportation, Labor and Technology, and later Transportation and Economic Development and Tourism, heard several bills. SB 2573 would allow administrative driver’s license revocation hearings to be held by interactive conference technology such as Zoom and permit electronic exchange of evidence. The chief adjudicator for the ADLRO supported it as a non-mandatory option that has worked well since 2021, improving attendance and saving time and money; DOT also supported it. The committees voted to pass SB 2573 with technical, non-substantive amendments. SB 3215 would make permanent the requirement that securing mooring lines at commercial docks be performed by labor subject to collective bargaining by repealing the sunset date in existing harbor safety law. DOT did not submit testimony, and the chair noted support from longshore labor. The committees voted to pass SB 3215 unamended. The committees also heard SB 2693, which authorizes $15 million in general obligation bonds for planning, design, and construction of a 50,000-square-foot aerospace hangar and related facilities at Hilo International Airport. A Phoenix Space executive testified in support, saying Hawaii and Hilo have geographic advantages and that the project could support aerospace investment and jobs; several other organizations and individuals submitted supportive testimony. Committee members questioned whether federal matching funds or airport capacity existed, and DOT said it had no assurance of federal participation and would need to check on capacity and potential users. The hearing then moved to SB 2698, which would create a cruise ship special fund and impose a per-passenger head fee on cruise ships docking in state commercial harbors while repealing the existing cruise ship TAT framework effective January 1, 2026. DOT supported the bill but requested amendments to clarify that the new fee is in addition to existing passenger, port entry, and dockage fees and to raise the fee from $6.50 to $10; DOT said the higher amount would better fund harbor improvements such as shore power. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings testified in support but said the added fee would significantly increase costs, while a local ship supply business supported the cruise industry and opposed the TAT approach, saying cruise activity benefits local farmers and jobs. No final vote on SB 2698 was taken in the excerpt provided.

Bills: SB9, SB7, SB17, SB4, SB1, HB4

Keywords: school assessment, public education, accountability, transparency, education standards, STAAR, Texas Education Agency, TEA, public school accountability, school ratings, A-F ratings, assessment reform, student testing, benchmark tests, interim assessments, through-year assessment, diagnostic reports, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plans

Summary: The Senate briefly convened and received a message from the House stating that the House was taking a vote. No bills, motions, or substantive policy matters were discussed in the exchange. Pursuant to a previously adopted motion, the Senate then adjourned until 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 21.

Transcript Highlights:

• County clerks will be required to include QR codes on all mailings that link voters directly to this

Bills: AB49, AB169, AB188, AB284, AB296, AB306, AB356, AB366, AB467, AB499, AB515, AB540, AB542, AB595

Keywords: educational personnel, teacher licensing, reciprocal licensure, provisional teaching, school counselors, school nurses, school social workers, state education standards, health insurance, speech-language pathology, stuttering, rehabilitative services, habilitative services, coverage requirements, health plans, retired public employees, subsidy, Medicare, health reimbursement arrangement, Public Employees' Benefits Program

Transcript Highlights:

• already have provisions in Texas law, specifically Chapter 169, Chapter 164 of the Health and Safety Code
• , as well as Chapter 102. of the Occupations Code.
• In the Texas Insurance Code related to telehealth services, while current law requires health plans to
• So this bill simply amends the Texas government code for the Medicaid managed care... ...section, and
• The Texas Family Code does not specify or exempt any specific type of abuse or neglect.

Bills: HB1106, HB3284, HB541, HB713, HB1403, HB1586, HB1942, HB2070, HB2844, HB2851, HB3151, HB3749, HB3940, HB3963, HB4454, HB4466, HB4795, HB5154, HB5394, SB1357, HB1052, HB4099, HB4638, HB5147

Keywords: child abuse, neglect, gender identity, sexual orientation, child welfare, marriage, family, Texas Commission, family welfare, marriage support, stability, premarital education, child development, strong families, direct patient care, healthcare, physicians, medical services, insurance regulation, maternal health

Transcript Highlights:

• These are very serious issues. the only in the penal code and was recently added as a criminal offense
• Statutorily, grooming is strictly criminal, and the insertion of grooming in the family code without
• have to be completely criminal, but parallel to conduct under the following provisions of the Penal Code
• The definition of abuse or neglect of the child in Chapter 261 of the Family Code is extraordinarily
• Operating under Occupation Code 157, we're not asking to act independently, just to continue providing

Bills: HB1106, HB3284, HB541, HB713, HB1403, HB1586, HB1942, HB2070, HB2844, HB2851, HB3151, HB3749, HB3940, HB3963, HB4454, HB4466, HB4795, HB5154, HB5394, SB1357, HB1052, HB4099, HB4638, HB5147

Keywords: child abuse, neglect, gender identity, sexual orientation, child welfare, marriage, family, Texas Commission, family welfare, marriage support, stability, premarital education, child development, strong families, direct patient care, healthcare, physicians, medical services, insurance regulation, maternal health

Transcript Highlights:

• its doors, as you all probably know, the process for naming state buildings is set out in government code
• gonna create the Solar Residential Solar Retailer Regulatory Act under Chapter 1806 of the occupations Code
• Um, as Chair Darby just laid out, it, it cleans up part of the local government code where there's a

Bills: SB 1036, SB 1566, SB 1664, SB 2268, SCR 5, SCR 8, SCR 9, SCR 32, SCR 46

Keywords: residential solar, solar retailer, solar salesperson, solar panel sales, solar lease, solar installation, renewable energy, clean energy, consumer protection, deceptive sales, door-to-door solicitation, occupational registration, TDLR, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation, Public Utility Commission, electrical contractor, interconnection, net metering, Truth in Lending Act

Transcript Highlights:

• As you all probably know, the process for naming state buildings is set out in government code section
• going to create the Residential Solar Retailer Regulatory Act under Chapter 1806 of the Occupations Code
• It ends up as part of the local government code where there's a conflict about whether someone who's

Bills: SB1036, SB1566, SB1664, SB2268, SCR5, SCR8, SCR9, SCR32, SCR46

Keywords: residential solar, solar retailer, solar salesperson, solar panel sales, solar lease, solar installation, renewable energy, clean energy, consumer protection, deceptive sales, door-to-door solicitation, occupational registration, TDLR, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation, Public Utility Commission, electrical contractor, interconnection, net metering, Truth in Lending Act

Bills: SB166, HB365, HB272, HB232, HB234, SB278, SB277

Keywords: Ten Commandments, public education, displays, funding, Alabama law, STEM, science education, technology education, engineering education, math education, workforce development, career pathways, Alabama STEM Council, Department of Workforce, education policy, higher education, community colleges, K-12 education, teacher pipeline, STEM careers

Transcript Highlights:

• The game wardens have said, 'Nope, you are in violation of the state's conservation code, Century Code
• A lot of that land was agricultural land, and we value that by soil type.
• I believe one of them is whether the property is classified as agricultural.
• I think it's in the waiver rules, like the Code of Federal Regulations, as well.
• I think it's in the waiver rules, like the Code of Federal Regulations, as well.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Agriculture and Livestock will come to order. The clerk call the roll here.
• The trade agriculture inspection grant reduces wait times for agricultural inspections on the Texas-Mexico
• Agricultural goods comprise a sizable portion of Texas-Mexico trade.
• What that means is not only do we farm agriculture produce in Texas but also out of Mexico.
• These responsibilities fall to CBP agriculture specialists.

Transcript Highlights:

• the code of the west. the code of the west.
• <01:25:12.400> Trust 109, Cowboy State Agricultural Trust 109, Cowboy State Agricultural Trust
• <01:29:15.360> Trust 109, Cowboy State Agricultural Trust 109, Cowboy State Agricultural Trust
• <01:44:20.960> Thank<01:44:21.119> you, election code violations.
• Thank you, election code violations. Thank you, sir. sir. sir.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• agencies, help communities understand how projects can affect them, and can be used for updating local codes
• reducing impacts during construction and operation, and decommissioning; identify required permits, codes
• contained areas that have fire suppression systems, and the state has adopted a new national fire code
• That ordinance does not allow... ...our code 2308-357.
• Typically, a conditional use permit application gets routed for 15-day review, but my code allows me

Summary: The committee held a work session on state environmental policy act (SEPA) implementation and carryout bags. Ecology staff Diane Buterak described the Clean Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements (PEISs) completed for utility-scale solar, onshore wind, and green hydrogen, plus a new PEIS underway for sustainable aviation fuel. She explained that PEISs provide broad planning-level analysis to help developers and agencies avoid or mitigate impacts, but do not replace project-level review. Members asked about permitting timelines, greenhouse gas emissions from different hydrogen production methods, water use, agricultural land conversion, battery fire risk, and tribal consultation. Buterak said the PEISs identify potentially significant impacts and mitigation measures, including fire response planning, early tribal outreach, and agrovoltaics as an option for solar projects. EFSEC’s Amy Hofkimer then presented the transmission-facility programmatic EIS required by SB 5165 for 230 kV and higher transmission projects. She said the statewide review covers new lines and certain upgrades/modifications, analyzes impacts to water, cultural and tribal resources, habitat, and other areas, and uses general measures, design considerations, avoidance criteria, and sensitivity maps to guide siting and corridor planning. She said the final document would be issued in early October. Questions focused on reconductoring, tribal lands, scenic areas, and whether the review could affect existing lines crossing tribal lands. A Grant County planning director, Jim Anderson Cook, said Ecology’s PEIS would help with cumulative impacts for clustered solar projects, but noted tight local review timelines and the need for strong pre-application coordination, especially on cultural resource studies and decommissioning plans. Yakama Nation attorney Shona Leverett argued SEPA is only an assessment tool and said tribes face barriers from short comment periods, limited confidential tribal input, weak cumulative impact analysis, and challenges in the FSEC process; she urged better upfront developer diligence and more effective tribal coordination. Puget Sound Energy’s Sarah Leverett said the utility needs efficient and predictable permitting to meet clean energy mandates while maintaining reliable service and aging infrastructure. She described the scale of needed clean energy and transmission buildout, including a 10-year process for the Energize Eastside transmission rebuild, and said more consistent SEPA and PEIS processes could help. Members asked about future generation sources, reliability, and hydropower as a firming resource; she said PSE is pursuing an “all of the above” approach and would welcome more firm, dispatchable clean energy options. The committee then shifted to carryout bags. Staff Jacob Lipson and Tracy Taylor reviewed Washington’s bag law, its preemption of local ordinances, the current 8-cent charge, the scheduled increase to 12 cents, and the 2025 change delaying the 4-mil thickness requirement until 2028 while adding a temporary 4-cent penalty for thicker bags. Ecology’s Peter Lyon said the agency emphasizes education and complaint-based enforcement, has received 872 reports, and has not yet imposed any fines. Commerce’s Kirk Esmond summarized a WSU study finding fewer plastic bags distributed but more plastic by weight, and said Commerce and Ecology support keeping the 2.25-mil standard and not allowing thinner single-use bags again. Retail industry testimony from Brandon Housekeeper said grocers comply with the law but oppose the added 4-cent penalty and thicker-bag requirement, citing higher costs and confusion in the policy changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Given the consistent appreciation in agricultural land and assets, market value can be very high for
• and increase in agricultural and increase in agricultural consolidation<00:08:47.720> so<
• and the Minnesota tax code, and that I'm here to fight for working-class people, for people who are
• This is the single most progressive tax in our tax code. ...for regular people who are having trouble
• The omnibus tax... in our tax in our tax code<00:36:56.680> and<00:36:57.800> one<00:36

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This will use new innovative ways of approaching agriculture.
• Is there objection to taking a late filed amendment bar code 995171 by Senator Burgess?
• Bar code 995170 by Senator Harrell. Is there objection to taking up the late filed amendment?
• Bar code 995172 by Senator DiCeglie. Is there objection to the introduction of this late filed?
• code, so our goal is for the money to follow the child.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Code Section 1326 is if you remain in the country illegally, you have committed a crime.
• Domestic farm workers are the backbone of California's agricultural industry.
• Getting the code right matters. Getting these definitions matters.
• It was contaminated with chemicals that were used in the agricultural context.
• Yesterday this chamber took up ...negative impacts to agriculture.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Another one that I would show you is a change that we made in coding to be real honest.
• SIP and so codes is how the federal government tracks what ELL dollars are going to have to move into
• We're actually, it's going to be coded just as apprenticeships to make sure we know what we're giving
• We're putting culture back into. agriculture. We tease.
• We based that number on our expenses when we moved from the Jimthorpe to the agriculture building.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Brooke's agricultural roots will serve her well as Secretary of Agriculture to give farmers and producers
• I will be a Secretary for all agriculture.
• It is so incredibly important in agriculture.
• For agriculture.
• No one should go hungry in America, no matter what zip code or area code they live in, or how much money

Bills: SB2102, SB1940, SB1625, SB1442, SB1623, SB1242, SB1949, SB1592, SB1913, SB592, SB992, SB1241, SB259, SB1928, SB1426, SB1531, SB1561, SB1122

Keywords: credit card fees, merchant discounts, payment card network, interchange fees, transparency in fees, Oklahoma law, payment card, rebate, merchant, tax compliance, health insurance, mandate, impact analysis, insurance department, public health, access to healthcare, SB1442, alcoholic beverage control, ABLE Commission, liquor license fees

Bills: HB34, HM7, HM8, HM17, HM3, HM11, HM14, HM15, HM21, HM25

Keywords: HB34, school nurse, school nurses, nurse licensure, licensure, charter school, charter schools, school district, public education, Department of Health, Public Education Department, registered nurse, RN, mentorship, evaluation, competency, teacher salary parity, minimum salary, level one license, level two license

Transcript Highlights:

• And she is the founder, inspired by her family's legacy and a passion for agriculture discovered at Fort
• She's the executive director of Farm to Table and the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council,
• Big round of applause to our agricultural industry, our farmers... ...food comes from.
• Big round of applause to our agricultural industry, our farmers, our farm workers.
• That is what a civil violation is under U.S. codes.

Bills: HM3, HM11, HM14, HM15, HM21, HM25, HB9, SB2, SB19

Keywords: nurses, health care workers, healthcare workers, frontline workers, hospital staff, clinicians, allied health professionals, support staff, public health, workforce shortage, nursing shortage, safe staffing, patient safety, rural health care, frontier communities, behavioral health, mental health, substance use disorder, substance abuse, health care memorial