Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is written to grant special permission to Buzzballs and Sazerac, and this bill and the statute
• This bill is written to grant special permission to buzzballs and SASRA, and this bill and the statute
• We don't take anything for granted. So your testimony matters, and you're in the industry.

Bills: SB8, SB650, SB667, SB779, SB1349, SB1355, SB1378, SB1585, SB1721, SB2312

Keywords: immigration enforcement, ICE agreements, sheriff grants, law enforcement, county jail, federal immigration law, China, Chinese-affiliated entities, Chinese military companies, People's Republic of China, Chinese Communist Party, divestment, state pension funds, public retirement systems, Teacher Retirement System, Employees Retirement System, Permanent School Fund, Texas Comptroller, foreign investment, national security

Summary: The Senate Committee on State Affairs resumed consideration of several pending bills, first taking up Senate Bills 667, 1349, 1585, and 2312. After inviting testimony had already been heard, no members of the public came forward to testify on any of those measures, and the committee closed public testimony and left all four bills pending. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1355, which Senator Parker explained as a committee substitute aimed at helping Texas distillers recover unpaid invoices from wholesalers. The substitute would require distillers to invoice at the time of purchase, send a demand letter if payment terms are violated, and allow complaints to be filed with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which could determine an appropriate penalty based on the facts. Natasha Dehart of Bent Distilling Company testified in support, describing serious cash-flow problems and unpaid invoices from a Texas wholesaler that had forced layoffs, late vendor payments, and operational strain. No one testified against the bill, and it was left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1378, a narrowly tailored local bill for a Carrollton facility recently acquired by Sazerac that employs more than 1,000 Texans. Senator Parker said the bill would create a limited exemption to avoid forcing the company to shut down or move because of current permit restrictions, while preserving the three-tier system and preventing the company from selling wine to itself. A Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission resource witness said the bill was drafted so it would not open the door to broader industry changes. Mason Moreland testified against the bill as filed, arguing it gave special treatment to one company and failed to address broader problems in the wine industry, including direct-to-consumer sales and permit issues. After questions from senators, public testimony closed and SB 1378 was left pending. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• , including approximately $30 million in county and TxDOT road infrastructure. improvements.
• The roads they must use are highly congested and lack essential infrastructure.
• note for this or has there been, for what the grant program, how much it would be allocated So the LBB
• They're the basic infrastructure of civilization.
• We found that there are 62 infrastructure deserts in Dallas where we don't have sidewalks and other.

Bills: HB769, HB2132, HB3383, HB3792, HB5431, HB5682, HB5677, HB5678, HB5680, HB5681, HB5683, HB5684, HB5685, HB5686, HB4078

Keywords: environmental regulation, sustainability, business compliance, state oversight, local control, pollution, renewable resources, grant program, neighborhood organization, pedestrian infrastructure, Texas Department of Housing, financial assistance, neighborhood organizations, grants, urban development, safety, public safety, housing development, low income housing, tax credits

Transcript Highlights:

• It aligns with how infrastructure projects actually work in the field.
• If you damage infrastructure and don't fix it, you don't get paid.
• The balanced approach is pro-infrastructure, pro-accountability, and pro-business.
• We all recognize the importance of wireless infrastructure.
• HB 536, I believe, strikes a balance between our infrastructure growth and school safety.

Bills: HB220, HB259, HB463, HB536, HB750, HB830, HB950

Keywords: child exploitation, online reporting, platforms, cyber crime, PROTECT Act, excavation, demolition, infrastructure repair, BEAD Program, utility damage, construction coordination, contact point, emergency services, telephone charge, wireless service, reporting requirements, communications district, wireless communication, school safety, community permits

Bills: SB240

Keywords: capital outlay, capital projects, severance tax bonds, general fund appropriations, supplemental severance tax bonds, UNM School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, infrastructure, state buildings, courts, schools, higher education, road improvements, water and wastewater, tribal infrastructure, tribal projects, public safety, housing, emergency services, bonding

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill grants targeted exemptions to selected categories without a clear fiscal offset.
• Capital-intensive industries such as energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure are especially sensitive
• tax revenue is the primary funded source for essential local services including public safety, infrastructure
• It allows local governments to contribute capital and things like infrastructure.
• And so if you're a local government, now you're going to say, "Okay, they're coming to Me for infrastructure

Bills: SB240

Keywords: capital outlay, capital projects, severance tax bonds, general fund appropriations, supplemental severance tax bonds, UNM School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, infrastructure, state buildings, courts, schools, higher education, road improvements, water and wastewater, tribal infrastructure, tribal projects, public safety, housing, emergency services, bonding

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:23:57.039><c> This</c><00:23:57.280><c> is</c> housing infrastructure bonds.
• This is housing infrastructure bonds.
• Um it also you're scoring their grants.
• </c> need to do to expand our infrastructure need to do to expand our infrastructure and<00:42:28.400
• </c> resiliency and water infrastructure resiliency and water infrastructure grant<01:07:47.119><c> program

Bills: HF2300, HF2432, HF2445, HF2443, HF2439, HF3023, HF1615, HF2563

Keywords: HF2432, judiciary finance bill, public safety finance bill, corrections policy, crime victims, victim services, Minnesota victims of crime account, court fees, marriage license fee, financial crimes, fraud investigations, insurance fraud, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, Commerce Fraud Bureau, wage theft, automobile theft prevention, nonprofit security grants, 911 funding, POST Board

Transcript Highlights:

• areas fund under the Texas water fund, as well as funding for wastewater infrastructure projects and
• As I've shared with this committee before, the state faces two major water infrastructure challenges.
• We project $112 billion in long-term water infrastructure funding.
• Water infrastructure across the state is vital, and we know it's a top priority for you this session.
• The total estimated statewide cost of water infrastructure needs for water, wastewater, and flood infrastructure

Bills: SB7

Keywords: water infrastructure, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, water supply, environmental sustainability, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is no eminent domain granting authority in this. No new domain granting authority at all.
• We see a need for $54.5 billion in flood infrastructure projects.
• Next, Texas faces two long-term water infrastructure challenges.
• Are there any buckets that are being created for that, you know, for grant opportunities?
• I guess my question is, with respect, we haven't done grants to date for those big projects?

Bills: SB7

Keywords: water infrastructure, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, water supply, environmental sustainability, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• military must ensure that pre-positioned stockpiles, robust transportation networks, and hardened infrastructure
• I would also like to hear your thoughts general on how we can better leverage infrastructure, our ports
• that we can grant that can be granted by someone in DOD or does that require a change in legislation?
• as part of that, when we look at where the fuel should be, how it should be set. up, what the infrastructure
• Again, relating to these kind of logistical issues, we think it's important to have additional infrastructure

Keywords: Transcom, logistics, military readiness, air refueling, KC-135, KC-46, strategic infrastructure, geopolitical threats, Alaska

Summary: During this meeting, the committee hosted an extensive discussion on the operations and logistical challenges facing the U.S. Transportation Command (Transcom). General Reid provided testimony on key areas including the importance of maintaining robust logistical capabilities in contested environments, particularly in relation to geopolitical threats posed by adversarial nations. Various members emphasized the necessity for modernization of the air refueling fleet, addressing issues such as the readiness of the KC-135 and the procurement of the next-generation KC-46 aircraft, which has experienced delays and technical challenges. The dialogue further extended to the strategic importance of U.S. ports and transportation infrastructure, especially in regions like Alaska which play a crucial role in military logistics and power projection.

Transcript Highlights:

• extract fees from developers far beyond actual cost, these practices raise the cost of housing infrastructure
• district for legal, engineering, and administrative review, construction oversight, required infrastructure
• Senator, do you know if those easements were just granted for free back when people were homesteading
• My family's been in the area since my great-great-granddad got a land grant from the Republic.
• Uh, my family's been in the area since great great granddad got a land grant from the Republic.

Bills: HB2018, HB1633, HB1689, SB612, SB3058

Keywords: agricultural conservation, land preservation, environmental protection, wildlife habitat, Texas Farm and Ranch, groundwater conservation district, Texas Water Code, water permit, permit amendment, groundwater permit, water rights, aquifer, well registration, exempt wells, beneficial use, water conservation, groundwater quality, well plugging, Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area, surface water resources

Summary: The Senate Water, Agriculture, Rural Affairs Committee heard several bills focused on groundwater management, water infrastructure, and agricultural land conservation. SB 612 would limit certain water districts in Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy counties from charging developers pipeline construction fees above actual, documented costs; the committee substitute removed a developer challenge mechanism to preserve district discretion over construction standards. HB 1633 would require groundwater conservation districts to consider registered exempt wells when reviewing or amending permits, and testimony from landowners, district representatives, and advocacy groups largely supported the bill as a way to protect domestic and livestock wells from drawdown caused by large export projects. HB 1689 would clarify that export fee revenues may be used for well operability, alternative water supplies, and aquifer monitoring, including through interlocal cooperation, and HB 3058 would give the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District authority to use export fees for county road improvements and environmental programs tied to well inspection and groundwater management. HB 2018 would clarify that the Texas Farm and Ranchland Conservation Program is intended to purchase conservation easements only on working agricultural lands, with support from cattle raisers and Farm Bureau representatives. The committee also considered HB 29, which would require large water systems to validate water loss audits and submit mitigation plans; a committee substitute removed the water-loss threshold and adjusted the timeline for more detailed validation. Public testimony on the bills was generally supportive, with several witnesses describing declining well levels, road damage from export projects, and the need to preserve agricultural land and local water supplies. The committee adopted committee substitutes and voted favorably on HB 29, HB 1689, HB 2018, SB 612, and SB 3058, recommending several of them for the local and uncontested calendar; HB 1633 was left pending awaiting a committee substitute.

Transcript Highlights:

• When products with undisclosed back doors go into state systems and critical infrastructure, that creates
• produces proceeds that allow the state of Arizona to get some of this potentially vulnerable infrastructure
• So I was just wondering, is the Attorney General going to find where these critical infrastructures are
• , Representative, I believe it's the Department of Homeland Security identifying the critical infrastructure
• Critical infrastructure is defined in the bill.

Bills: SB1308

Keywords: foreign adversary, consumer fraud, technology security, critical infrastructure, Arizona attorney general, fraud office, appropriations, 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've worked on environmental permitting and compliance for almost every type of energy infrastructure
• It was because this committee funded, in particular, in both the bipartisan infrastructure law and the
• Recently, a number of projects, grants, and contracts that were mandated by law, such as the laws like
• Fracking was in vented under Department of Energy research grants back in the 80s.
• The states are granted the authority to determine what generation is within their borders.

Keywords: nuclear energy, permitting process, energy production, public lands, national parks, uranium imports, legislative bills, infrastructure development

Summary: The committee meeting was dominated by discussions on a variety of legislative bills including major topics such as nuclear energy advancement, the effects of regulatory hurdles on energy production, and proposals to improve national park staffing and maintenance. Members expressed concerns over the federal government's handling of uranium imports and the necessity for maintaining a robust domestic nuclear supply chain. Efforts to streamline permitting processes to facilitate more efficient energy project development were also a focal point, alongside public testimony from stakeholders in the energy and environmental sectors. The meeting highlighted the urgent need for infrastructure development to meet rising energy demands while addressing climate change impacts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes Next senator cook Will the Honorable Grant Dorfman stand, please? Thank you.
• I am so delighted to be here. morning to introduce Judge Grant Dorfman who's one of my constituents and
• I now call up the Honorable Sam, goes by Grant, Dorfman.
• Including SWIFT, Rural Water Agriculture Fund, the Flood Infrastructure Fund. and it created the new
• Have you ever asked the state auditor to audit anything with the grants that you've given?

Keywords: Texas Water Fund, water management, infrastructure funding, local governments, workforce development, community colleges, educational programs, sustainability

Summary: The meeting focused on several crucial issues, including the Texas Water Fund and its implications for development in the state. Various members highlighted the critical need for effective management of water resources, discussing the role of the Water Development Board and their strategies for outreach to local governments. The committee engaged in a thorough examination of funding projects and the sustainable financing necessary for communities facing challenges in meeting their infrastructure needs. Additionally, there was notable discussion regarding promoting workforce development and the alignment of educational programs with the demands of the job market as indicated by recent trends in community colleges.

Bills: HB169, HB169

Keywords: education trust fund, appropriations, budget, fiscal year 2026, public education, K-12, pre-K, early childhood education, community colleges, higher education, Alabama Community College System, teacher pay, teacher stipend, school nurses, literacy, numeracy, reading coaches, math and science teachers, career and technical education, CTE

Bills: SB169, SB201, SB1290, SB1377, SB1991, SB2060

Keywords: longevity pay, state employees, Oklahoma government, salary increase, emergency declaration, minimum salary, education funding, teacher compensation, Oklahoma education, salary schedule, 2-1-1 services, revolving fund, Department of Human Services, crisis pregnancy, abortion, legal funding, foster care, duffel bags, personal belongings, children's welfare

Summary: The committee took up several Senate bills and adopted multiple amendments, including a contested amendment process on Senate Bill 201. An objection was raised that an amendment had not been filed by the prior-day deadline under Rule 76C, but the chair ruled the objection not well taken, citing the chair’s authority to waive the timing requirement. The amendment to the amendment, offered by Speaker Hilbert, deleted Section 2 of the bill, removing statutory language that tied the teacher-pay measure to House Bill 3705 and the broader budget agreement. Members discussed that the underlying agreement still linked the measures politically, including a $25 million increase to the Parental Choice Tax Credit and a $2,000 increase to the minimum salary schedule for teachers. After clarification that the bill applied to certified personnel except for positions listed in the amendment, SB 201 passed the committee 29-0. The committee then approved Senate Bill 1290, which strengthens the 211 hotline system by clarifying oversight, improving coordination and service delivery, addressing access gaps, and supporting better funding and emergency responsiveness. Senate Bill 169 also passed after amendment; it increases longevity pay for state employees by 50% for designated years of service beginning in fiscal year 2027. Senate Bill 1377, which requires DHS to provide duffel bags to children in foster care as part of the budget, passed after members asked whether the bags would remain the child’s property and whether the bags would be standardized; the sponsor said the bags would belong to the child but did not know the procurement details. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 1991, described as an OMES/Oklahoma cleanup bill that consolidates existing functionality and revenues under a common umbrella without changing the substantive sources or purposes of the funds. After a question confirming it was only a cleanup measure, the bill passed 29-0. Senate Bill 2060 was laid over until the next day, and the meeting adjourned.

Bills: SB36, SB2202, SB 36

Keywords: homeland security, border security, critical infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, intelligence operations, public-private partnerships, SB 2202, firearm trafficking, gun trafficking, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, Texas-Mexico border, United Mexican States, Mexico, DPS, second-degree felony, weapons transfer, illegal firearms transfer, arms smuggling, cross-border crime

Transcript Highlights:

• SB36 underscores the importance of protecting critical infrastructure by prioritizing sectors such as
• And then, yes, we have to invest. and protecting that critical infrastructure.
• My question is regarding the Infrastructure Liaison Officer program, specifically about the training
• There's room for critical infrastructure protection.
• In critical infrastructure included, but the analysts that do that job did a tremendous job.

Bills: SB36, SB2202, SB 36

Keywords: homeland security, border security, critical infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, intelligence operations, public-private partnerships, SB 2202, firearm trafficking, gun trafficking, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, Texas-Mexico border, United Mexican States, Mexico, DPS, second-degree felony, weapons transfer, illegal firearms transfer, arms smuggling, cross-border crime

Transcript Highlights:

• improves transparency and accountability by clarifying when funds are loans. ...and when they're grants
• And I saw the CFS and the river running about 2,500 CFS, and it devastated our infrastructure, our bridges
• So now, none of the houses that we're talking about were affected by the Dolly Flood, just infrastructure
• Rebuilding in a way that's fiscally responsible for the rest of the infrastructure in the county downstream
• Level Fours are ones that just kind of have vulnerability for infrastructure, but they can probably be

Bills: HB2, SB193, SB132, SB35, SB145

Keywords: general appropriation, budget, Medicaid, education funding, public safety, SB193, acequia, community ditch, irrigation works construction fund, water infrastructure, ditch infrastructure, irrigation, New Mexico water law, agricultural water, farmers, Rio Grande, acequia association, forest land protection revolving fund, state fund transfer, irrigation projects

Transcript Highlights:

• This reduction means fewer resources for the grants and scholarships that these charities are providing
• This reduction means fewer resources for the grants and scholarships that these charities are providing
• This reduction means fewer resources for the grants and scholarships that these charities are providing
• I ask you not sometimes take for granted I ask you not to<00:46:02.160><c> take</c><00:46:02.359><c>
• these are precious and valuable granted these are precious and valuable help<00:46:06.720><c> us</c>

Bills: HF169, HF195, HF194, HF1756, HF2133

Keywords: HF169, Minnesota insurance, health plan, summary of benefits and coverage, SBC, patient assistance program, deductible, health insurer, consumer disclosure, out-of-pocket costs, medical assistance funds, copay assistance, health coverage transparency, chapter 62Q, enrollee, HF195, Fairmont, street reconstruction, bonding bill, capital investment

Bills: SB25, HB243

Keywords: SB25, community development district, community development districts, alcoholic beverage tax, alcohol sales tax, sales tax proceeds, county treasury, special fund, grant distribution, tourism funding, economic development, local grants, education grants, civic activities, community activities, tourism activities, Alabama Code 35-8B-5, county revenue, legislator recommendation, local government finance