Transcript Highlights:

• Colleagues, this is ultimately a question of trust in an area as deeply personal as health care.
• Our constituents should be able to trust that, for example, when they're getting advice from a nurse,
• As a result, patients trust highly trained physicians and other licensed health care professionals for
• The bill will ensure we have the information necessary to direct funding more efficiently to shelters
• The bill will ensure we have the information necessary to direct funding more efficiently to shelters

Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee held its first regular bill hearing of 2025 and considered a wide range of measures on health care access, professional regulation, animal welfare, and consumer protection. Early in the hearing, the committee adopted its rules and then approved a consent calendar of several bills, including measures by Chen, Caloza, Carrillo, Arreguín, Berman, and Flora. The committee also took up AB 1082, which would allow California nursing students enrolled in out-of-state programs to complete clinical training in California; supporters said it would help address the nursing shortage and keep students closer to home, while opponents warned it could worsen already limited clinical placement capacity and reduce oversight. The bill passed on a do pass recommendation to Appropriations after a quorum was established. The committee then heard and advanced several health-related bills. AB 50, by Assembly Member Bonta, would ease Medi-Cal access to over-the-counter hormonal contraception by removing the need for a prescription for coverage purposes; pharmacists, reproductive health advocates, and medical groups supported the bill, and it passed unanimously to the Committee on Health. AB 489, also by Bonta, would prohibit AI systems from misrepresenting themselves as licensed health professionals; supporters from medical, psychiatric, behavioral health, and other professional groups said the bill would protect patients from misleading chatbot advice, and it passed to Privacy and Consumer Protection. AB 481, by Assembly Member Rubio, would expand the tasks that federally qualified lab personnel can perform under CLIA supervision to help address lab staffing shortages; labor groups raised concerns about training, certification, and supervision, but the bill passed to Appropriations with an amended do pass recommendation. The committee also considered animal welfare and access-to-care measures. AB 631, by Assembly Member Lee, would require animal shelters to post intake and outcome data online; supporters said the reporting would improve policy and resource allocation, while members discussed how the requirement would work for shelters without websites, and the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 867, also by Lee, would prohibit cat declawing except when medically necessary for the animal; animal welfare groups strongly supported the bill, while the veterinary association opposed it as an improper legislative regulation of veterinary surgery, and the bill passed to Appropriations. Finally, AB 1307 would create a pilot program allowing a limited number of qualified dentists trained in Mexico to practice in underserved California areas; supporters framed it as a cost-neutral way to address major dental access gaps, the California Dental Association remained opposed unless amended, and the bill passed to Appropriations. Several members later added their votes on the various items after the hearing, and the committee kept the hearing open briefly to allow additional add-ons.

Transcript Highlights:

• EXCEPT WHERE UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED BY THIS APPLICABLE LAW.
• THAT DIRECTIVE INFORMED THE AGENCY'S DECISION MAKING.
• AND THE AGENCY DIRECTED HERE THAT THIS DIRECTIVE IS CONSISTENT WITH SOUND PUBLIC POLICY.
• THE RULE REFERS TO LAND PREVIOUSLY REQUIRED BY OR MAY BE REQUIRED BY THE TRUST FUND.
• IN 1990 THE LEGISLATURE DIRECTED DP FOR IN 1990 THE LEGISLATURE DIRECTED DP FOR AN ONGOING COMPUTERIZED

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It enumerates exactly who can administer the program, so that we know it's trusted and vetted partners
• they contract them out um to trusted they contract them out um to trusted vetted<00:25:33.440>
• We're moving it through<00:37:20.280> trusted<00:37:21.040> programs through trusted programs
• through trusted programs uh<00:37:22.640> at<00:37:22.840> the<00:37:22.960> county
• <01:50:23.360> result for some, but this is a direct result for some, but this is a direct

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The other authorized user on the account, as directed by the Code of Federal Regulations, requires retail
• Trust me.
• SB 240 is a direct attack on the dignity and rights of transgender Texans.
• And I'm not trusted in either bathroom right now. And this bill makes me very.
• Did not go in that direction. They never voted on their policy at Round Rock ISD.

Bills: SB240, SB1183, SB1184, SB1577, SB2043, SB2051, SCR42, SJR68

Keywords: biological sex, gender identity, public facilities, civil penalties, local government, EBT, electronic benefits transfer, food stamps, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, TANF, temporary assistance for needy families, welfare benefits, benefit card fraud, fraud hotline, card replacement, photo ID, recipient photograph, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• And so this is a direct grant. Do the artists apply for a grant?
• Finally, Item C describes a change in the base funding in the agency that directs more funds towards
• ERS is a trust.
• So we are talking about direct service positions.
• It broke their trust. Some of those have come back but quite a few of them haven't.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I will public trust in government.
• > them<00:20:53.280> when direct them to consider them when direct them to consider them
• <00:21:50.559> to appropriate that it be more directed to appropriate that it be more directed
• I would direct your attention to it.
• <01:48:56.560> grows participation grows, public trust grows participation grows, public trust

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2246, which would expand public financial disclosure requirements. The State Ethics Commission strongly supported the bill, saying broader disclosure could help restore public trust and potentially deter corruption, and it offered a clarifying amendment to make clear the requirement applies to board and commission members rather than all employees of listed agencies. Several organizations and individuals also testified in support. A committee member asked about the amendment, and the commission explained it was intended as a clarification rather than a substantive change. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2250, which would add homeless facilities to the locations covered by the drug-free-zone offense for promoting controlled substances. The Public Defender opposed the measure, arguing that many homeless facilities are unmarked and not easily identifiable, creating notice, fairness, and due process concerns and risking arbitrary enforcement. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office and Honolulu Police Department supported the bill, saying it targets distributors rather than users, that notice can be proven through evidence, and that the law is aimed at protecting vulnerable people in shelters and similar facilities. In questioning, senators asked how homeless facilities would be identified and whether the bill would cover all shelter models; the prosecutor said the definition is cross-referenced in statute and must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii and other groups testified in opposition, while several service and advocacy groups testified in support. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2325, which would allow courts to review and potentially reduce sentences for certain juvenile offenders after 15 years if the person is not a danger to the community. Judiciary staff said the court supports the bill’s intent but noted Hawaii’s indeterminate sentencing structure leaves no alternative sentence for a court to reduce to, suggesting the measure may need structural sentencing changes or could instead be directed to the Hawaii Paroling Authority. Public defender representatives and youth-justice advocates supported the bill, emphasizing rehabilitation, adolescent brain development, trauma, and the need for a meaningful opportunity for release. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• discovered via a lawsuit was that there's the last line in RSA 659, which is 104, I believe, just trust
• HB 514 threatens that trust without providing meaningful benefits in return.
• any like you know direct them have any like you know direct influence<00:44:28.240> over<00:44
• board town wanted to direct, my select board wanted<01:25:34.080> to<01:25:34.400> direct<
• wanted to direct wanted to direct their<01:25:46.960> police<01:25:47.560> department<

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This leads to costly project changes and loss of public trust.
• The bill addresses this of public trust.
• <00:25:22.640> in step toward rebuilding public trust in step toward rebuilding public trust
• <00:58:22.480> and<00:58:22.720> our Public trust in our agency and our Public trust
• And I think that the whole direction.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to direct your attention to the website.
• In this bill is the first-ever hospital directed payment program.
• State-directed payments are not new.
• Directed payments—that's going to make a huge difference.
• This bill is a step in the right direction.

Transcript Highlights:

• They assured us that they were going to pursue these charges aggressively, and we trust that they have
• we're just kind of opening up for discussion, and hopefully that'll kind of get you going in the direction
• but I understand, you know, it's those little things that added up to big things, and if you can't trust
• Our number one job as law enforcement officers is to build trust and legitimacy within our communities
• Our number one job as law enforcement officers is to build trust and legitimacy within our communities

Summary: The committee first heard from Arkansas State Police leadership about efforts to reduce vehicle pursuits and fleeing from law enforcement. Members discussed prior legislation that made fleeing a felony and enhanced penalties when suspects exit moving vehicles, and the State Police reported those changes, along with a social media/public service campaign and work with prosecutors, were associated with a 29% decline in pursuits from 2023 to 2025, or 180 fewer pursuits last year than in 2023. Members also asked about a recent mistaken PIT/TVI incident involving the wrong vehicle; the agency said the family was not injured, had requested privacy, and the trooper involved was terminated. The committee also received an overview of the Arkansas State Police Foundation, which funds scholarships, emergency assistance for troopers’ families, and facilities and training support, with no lobbying role reported. The committee then heard from the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training on officer decertification and hiring accountability. Director Chris Chapman explained that every officer separation must be reported, that files are flagged when conduct may warrant decertification even if it does not meet that threshold, and that hiring agencies must be told about prior misconduct before they can add an officer to their roster. He said the commission now receives more decertification requests than before, with requests rising from 158 in the prior three-year period to 256 in the last three years, and that 147 officers were pending hearings, down from a prior backlog that had stretched to about four and a half years. He also said the commission meets every other month for two-day hearings, and that most decertifications involve integrity or honesty issues. Members asked about open investigations, citizen complaints, appeals, and public access to decertification records. Chapman said resignations during internal affairs or criminal investigations are flagged, citizen complaints are usually handled through supervisors, chiefs, sheriffs, or prosecutors and may lead to decertification review if warranted, and decertified officers can appeal to circuit court. He added that decertification records are subject to the Freedom of Information Act and may be used in civil claims. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after discussion of a possible future committee meeting at the fish hatchery in Lonoke.

Transcript Highlights:

• The governor's going to say that's not the direction I want to go.
• rose by more than 4% in 2025, at a moment when the rest of the country is moving in the opposite direction
• When accountability is unclear, trust erodes.
• It's about the trust that survivors place in the state of New Mexico when they reach out for safety and
• the trust communities place in public institutions to steward those resources responsibly.

Bills: SB238, HJR1, SM21, SM22

Keywords: Governor's Residence, management committee, government administration, New Mexico, advisory, commission, general services, nominating committees, boards of regents, student representation, political party registration, New Mexico constitution, overdose prevention centers, harm reduction, drug overdose, opioid crisis, substance use disorder, public health, addiction treatment, naloxone

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> TUESDAY 2023 WHILE CITRUS COUNTY DEPUTY ANDY LA HABRA A 14 YEAR LAW-ENFORCEMENT VETERAN WAS DIRECTING
• IT SAYS THE FEES HAVE TO BE DEPOSITED INTO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRUST FUND.
• CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRUST FUND CURRENTLY USED FOR?
• HOW CAN WE BE CERTAIN THEY WILL BE ALLOCATED FOR THAT PURPOSE IF THEY ARE PUTTING IT INTO A GENERAL TRUST
• >> Chair Hooper: WHEN AND IF THIS BILL COMES TO THE FLOOR YOU CAN HAVE THE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT TRUST

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Can be done through executive direction, much like we saw during COVID.
• Safety of Texas families and visitors should trust these facilities to provide secure accommodations.
• It is administered by the comptroller and invested by the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company.
• What we're asking for is a grant program to be held in trust at the comptroller's office.
• The money is held in trust at the comptroller to be spent when the whole council agrees.

Bills: HB2, HB1, HB18, HB19, HB20, HB1, HB 2, HB18, HB19, HB20

Keywords: emergency communication, interoperability, grant program, first responders, state council, disaster response, emergency management, mass fatality, justices of the peace, training programs, emergency manager license, volunteer management, justice of the peace training, criminal history checks, state health services, broadband, public safety, disaster preparedness, funding, flood disaster plan

Transcript Highlights:

• The letter was not directed to the Senate.
• And the letter was not directed to the Senate.
• It was only directed to the Attorney General and to the governor.
• Any request for a response is not directed to us.
• Redistricting trust does not have a presence in Texas? To my knowledge it doesn't.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• year to another but you can ask direct year to another but you can ask direct that<01:54:58.239>
• , you know, and one of the ways we build trust is we admit mistakes.
• , you know, and one of the ways we build trust is we admit mistakes.
• , you know, and one of the ways we build trust is we admit mistakes.
• This is just to build on that comment of how you build trust.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division III work session focused on the Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health Services budget. Department staff said Public Health has a relatively small budget compared with other DHHS divisions, is supported mostly by federal and other non-General funds, and contains nearly 100 accounting units and more than 50 federal grants. They emphasized that the governor’s budget did not include significant cuts, but that federal funding uncertainty and the winding down of pandemic-era resources were major factors affecting the division. The division also explained that some apparent budget growth reflects reorganizations, including moving the Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery and some programs from other DHHS divisions into Public Health. The presentation described Public Health’s mission as serving the entire state through food and water safety, disease surveillance, emergency response, maternal and child health, chronic disease prevention, WIC, community health center support, and public health data collection. Members asked about bird flu, and staff explained that human-health response would involve Public Health’s lab, infectious disease, and emergency preparedness units, while animal-health issues are handled with the Department of Agriculture; they also noted ongoing milk testing requested by FDA and USDA. The division said its organizational structure includes bureaus for Family Health and Nutrition, Infectious Disease Control, Public Health Protection, Emergency Preparedness, Prevention and Wellness, Statistics and Informatics, and Public Health Laboratories, with about a 15% vacancy rate. Committee members questioned whether the division’s budget and staffing had really grown since pre-COVID, and staff responded that full-time authorized staffing is about the same as in 2018, with the increase largely due to federal pandemic funding that has since receded and to program transfers between divisions. They said Public Health’s General Fund share is about $24 million out of roughly $1.1 billion in DHHS General Fund spending, or about 2.2% of the department total. Members also asked about the 3,000-position cap and unfunded positions; staff explained that the cap remains in chapter law through June 30, 2025, that 394 positions were unfunded in the governor’s budget, and that the division expects flexibility to move money from personnel lines and fill unfunded positions to manage changing needs. No votes or formal actions were taken in this portion of the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• I lost trust. I lost trust, and I lost peace of mind.
• We trusted that the adults, the teachers, were handling it.
• Scott Simon: This is the direction America is moving.
• This is direction. The direction America is moving.
• They are looking for a state that trust them to make decisions for their children.

Summary: The committee met for public testimony on the Finance budget, with the main discussion focused first on funding for disability services and then on the LA GATOR scholarship program. Several individuals testified in support of fully funding Families Helping Families and Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS), describing how advocacy, transition services, and direct support workers help people with disabilities access education, employment, and independent living. Witnesses urged the committee to preserve or increase state general funds to draw down federal matching dollars, and provider groups said current reimbursement rates and staffing shortages are leaving agencies in deficit, creating waitlists, overtime costs, and difficulty retaining workers. Committee members thanked the speakers and noted that the testimony would be used to compare the governor’s, House, and remaining budget requests. The committee then heard extensive testimony in support of increasing funding for the LA GATOR scholarship program. Supporters included policy groups, school leaders, parents, and students who argued that the program expands educational choice, helps low-income and special-needs students find schools that fit their needs, and should be fully funded at the level of demonstrated demand. Speakers from Catholic and Christian schools said GATOR funding had helped students thrive academically and spiritually, but that shortfalls left many eligible students without awards, hurt kindergarten enrollment, and forced schools to raise private donations to cover gaps. Several witnesses emphasized that the program is not a zero-sum attack on public schools, but a way to let education dollars follow students. A few committee questions focused on the fiscal impact and on whether choice programs improve outcomes without harming public schools. Testimony cited enrollment growth, parent demand, and data from other states to argue that school choice can improve student and parent outcomes and may also strengthen traditional public schools through competition. No votes or formal actions were taken during the public testimony portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's one trade office in Taiwan that does have a lot of direct investment.
• But it's talking about the There's one trade office in Taiwan that does have a lot of direct investment
• And finally, Section 14 confirms that using funds from the trust fund to improve historic sites applies
• House Bill 5032 would direct the TSLAC to collaborate with the State Preservation Board and the Texas
• The bill also directs the TSLAC to collaborate with...

Bills: HB1240, HB2768, HB2788, HB3146, HB4850, HB5032, HCR90

Keywords: border region, infrastructure, economic development, government operations, education, HB 2768, Texas information technology apprenticeship, state IT credential, information resources workforce, junior college, technical institute, apprenticeship program, workforce development, state agency hiring, job classification, career ladder, bachelor's degree substitution, associate degree, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, state auditor classification officer

Summary: The Senate Economic Development Committee met without a quorum, so no votes or formal actions were taken. The chair laid out several bills and resolutions for explanation and public testimony, with each item left pending subject to the call of the chair. Early items included House Bill 1240, a cleanup measure to create a single uniform definition of the Texas-Mexico border region across state law, and House Bill 2768, which would establish an IT apprenticeship credential through junior colleges and technical institutions to help fill state government technology jobs. The committee also heard House Concurrent Resolution 90, which would encourage establishing a Texas trade and investment office in Jerusalem. Testimony on the resolution was sharply divided: one witness opposed it on foreign policy and values grounds, while a Texas Association of Business representative strongly supported it, citing Israel’s innovation and trade potential. Another major item was House Bill 4187, a committee substitute for legislation affecting the Texas Historical Commission; the sponsor described changes expanding use of trust fund money for historic sites, allowing more affiliated nonprofits, clarifying retail operations, and creating a framework for training and consistent interpretation at historic sites. A Texas Historical Commission witness explained that the bill would shift responsibility for maintaining many state-owned historical markers and monuments, including markers on private land, to the commission. Additional measures included House Bill 2788, which would shield Texas Workforce Commission fraud-prevention methods from public information requests; House Bill 5032, directing state agencies to plan for public display of the Texas Declaration of Independence, Texas Constitution, and the Victory or Death letter at the Capitol Complex; House Bill 3146, which would eliminate outdated memoranda-of-understanding requirements for certain State Office of Administrative Hearings arrangements; and House Bill 4815, a cleanup bill modernizing economic development statutes, revising the Made in Texas standard to 51% Texas-origin content, repealing the Governor’s Broadband Development Council, and making other conforming changes. The committee ended by recessing, with members indicating they would likely vote on pending business later when a quorum was available.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just with Hurricane Debbie, we received over 1,700 direct mission support requests through our WebEOC
• We had to clear close to 400 miles of interstate if you look at it in both directions.
• So basically the... 400 miles of interstate if you look at it in both directions.
• There are other expenses, needs that are foregone conclusions in emergencies that do come out of the trust
• It's really important that those activities, as we expend funds out of our trust fund to deliver that

Summary: The Natural Resources and Disaster Subcommittee met to continue its review of hurricane impacts and state response. The committee first heard from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which described its four core functions—preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation—and highlighted its 24/7 State Watch Office, regional training efforts, and disaster assistance work. Deputy Executive Director Keith Pruitt detailed the state’s 2024 storm response, including Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton, citing large-scale mission support, flood-control deployments, meal and water distribution, power restoration, debris removal, and billions in disaster funding and mitigation dollars. He also discussed debris management challenges and recommended that local governments update and exercise debris plans and maintain contingency contracts.

Transcript Highlights:

• These nurses provide direct care PhDs.
• includes the people that have direct includes the people that have direct nexus<02:03:58.639>
• from the species conservation trust from the species conservation trust fund. fund. fund.
• the wrong direction. the wrong direction.
• roads are not being directed that way. roads are not being directed that way.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened, took roll, and approved the journal of Wednesday, May 6, 2026, as corrected. Members then made several announcements, including committee meeting notices, a Colorado Farm Bureau burger bash, recognition of Nurses Week, Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and a commendation honoring former legislator Dorothy Rupert for her public service and advocacy. The chamber also heard a report that Rep. Flynnel had helped save a life by calling 911 when she witnessed a medical emergency near the Capitol. Committee reports were received from Appropriations and Business Affairs and Labor, and the majority leader moved a slate of bills to special order for May 7. The House then proceeded to special orders and considered House Bill 1433, which would allow the firefighter behavioral health trust to receive gifts, grants, and donations to sustain services for firefighters dealing with trauma. Supporters described the program as essential for first responders, and the bill passed. The chamber next considered House Bill 1429 on consolidating administration of public assistance programs. Supporters said it would stabilize the safety net, reduce error rates, and create a transition plan involving counties, state departments, and frontline workers; the appropriations report and the bill both passed. House Bill 1416, which transfers money from the Universal High School Scholarship Cash Fund to support small businesses and the Colorado Small Business Development Center, also passed as amended after debate over the use of the scholarship fund and its prior implementation challenges. Opponents argued the money should remain with students, while supporters said the fund had already distributed most of its original allocation and the transfer would help small businesses without creating a new program.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:48.360> for um areas that is direct for um areas that is direct for entrepreneurship
• <00:05:17.760> and um maintaining uh the public trust and um maintaining uh the public trust
• I trust the legislative bodies in the Commonwealth to make the best decisions for Kentucky.
• I trust the We're here to do your work.
• is not a proposal from their direction is not a proposal from their direction whatsoever.<01:00:

Keywords: 00:00 Call to Order 02:45 Roll Call 05:25 Cosmetologists 13:48 Barbers 01:16:06 Adjournment, 958, all