Transcript Highlights:

• I should be allowed to utilize the House minority research office; however, I am not allowed to utilize
• As a matter of practicality, I utilize the Legislative Reference Bureau in lieu of HM.
• As a matter of practicality, I utilize the Legislative Reference Bureau in lieu of HM.
• I should be allowed to utilize the House minority research office; however, I am not allowed to utilize
• <00:33:11.880> their partisan member can utilize their partisan member can utilize their partisan

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But reliable service also comes from utilities that are financially healthy and can proactively invest
• in utility infrastructure and to compensate utilities for the increased risk of turning over their transmission
• And some of our largest utility companies, including Public Service and others, replaced some very old
• , and online service.
• are to apply with respect to each online service provided by the covered online service provider, and

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Service at Texas A&M University.
• I think it's not just CenterPoint, but all the utilities understand that.
• Again, all of the utilities have learned from Beryl that.
• But again, you're running a public utility.
• But what about other utilities?

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the water pump then was out of service.
• The operational emergency services is very supportive.
• Really, it doesn't matter to the utility. The utility doesn't make one penny off of reforming...
• the public utilities...
• regulated by the Public Utilities Commission.

Summary: The committee heard several energy and utilities bills, with testimony largely focused on wildfire mitigation, affordability, clean energy planning, and utility accountability. AB 706, by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry, would create a fund to support projects that use forest biomass waste from wildfire mitigation and forest restoration; supporters said it would reduce open burning and emissions while providing reliable renewable power, and the bill later passed 13-0. AB 39, by Assembly Member Zbur, would require larger cities and counties to adopt electrification planning strategies for transportation and buildings; it drew broad support from clean energy, labor, environmental, and local government advocates and passed 9-0. AB 1167, by Assembly Member Berman, would restrict investor-owned utilities from charging ratepayers for lobbying, promotional advertising, and similar shareholder-benefit expenses; supporters framed it as an affordability and transparency measure, while utilities argued the bill was overly broad and already covered by existing rules. It passed 7-0, with some members not voting and the roll left open. The committee also considered AB 1417 on offshore wind community funding transparency, which was amended to remove new fees and instead require reporting on developer support for local and tribal community capacity-building; opposition was withdrawn and the bill passed 9-0. AB 367, by Assembly Member Bennett, would require water districts in high fire-risk areas of Ventura County to have backup power, full tanks during red flag warnings, and hardened facilities; water agencies opposed unless amended due to cost and liability concerns, but the bill passed 10-0. The consent calendar, including multiple additional measures, was approved 11-0. Other bills drew more divided testimony. AB 745 would allow securitization to finance utility undergrounding and prohibit a return on equity for undergrounding projects; supporters said it would lower ratepayer costs, while utilities warned it would effectively discourage undergrounding and could raise other rates. The bill passed 7-4 and was left on call. AB 1423 would apply reliability standards to publicly funded EV chargers installed before 2024; supporters said taxpayers should get functioning chargers, while charging-network representatives objected to retroactive requirements and possible conflicts with existing agreements. It passed 13-0. AB 388 would create a narrow exception to utility regulation to facilitate green hydrogen projects using private power lines; supporters said it would unlock low-cost renewable hydrogen and jobs, while utilities raised concerns about customer protections and grid planning. It passed 12-0. The committee also began hearing AB 825, which the author said would address the high cost of financing major transmission and generation buildout, but the transcript cuts off before the full presentation and action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, and must sell lawful goods and services.
• So retail, for example, you said good lawful goods and services.
• These utilities often include additional charges.
• , uh, supportive services for our tenants, and just trying to find nonprofits to help with those services
• We are the only, uh, third-service municipal EMS department in the state that holds civil service, uh

Bills: HB303

Keywords: jail standards, living conditions, Harris County jail, safety, inmate welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• of adjudicating compliance with utility of adjudicating compliance with utility regulation<00:07
• application made by a regulated utility application made by a regulated utility uh<00:23:21.039>
• Vermont has a Department of Public Service and a Public Utility Commission, and I think the difference
• Public Service and a Public<01:15:49.840> Utility<01:15:50.760> Commission<01:15:51.760
• The utility property tax is still going to be paid by utilities and those who own utility property, and

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're continuing to just stretch that service life.
• And so we do utilize some of our preservation dollars to look at pavements and bridges and utilize a
• And so we utilize them.
• Extend that service life as much as we can.
• And so we would utilize that to get that work going.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee devoted its meeting to a presentation from Troy Suing of the Department of Transportation on state highway preservation needs. Suing said DOT is a leader in asset planning, but that current funding is not enough to keep up with the condition of highways, bridges, and other assets. He distinguished operations and maintenance from preservation, and described the preservation program’s main parts: pavements, bridges, and other highway facilities such as slopes, rest areas, signal systems, retaining walls, and culverts. Suing reported that about 40% of state roads are already overdue for preservation and that, with current funding, as much as 85% could need preservation within 10 years. He said there are more than 7,900 lane miles currently due, and that delaying work past the “lowest life cycle zone” increases risk and can cost three to five times more later. For bridges, he said the state has about 3,400 bridges, an average age of 52 years, and roughly 10% are over 80 years old; the share of bridges in poor condition is about 9.9%, near the federal threshold that could trigger more federal oversight. He also highlighted culvert failures, including one on SR-510, and the closed Carbon River Bridge on SR-165 as examples of how deferred preservation can lead to closures and community disruption. Committee members questioned the comparison to national asset management leadership, liability risk as roads deteriorate, the cost and regulatory burden of bridge projects, and whether DOT is relying more on its own crews for bridge work because of cost and urgency. Suing said the department is underfunded to fully implement its asset plans and is forced to focus on risk, emergent needs, and the most critical bridge work first. He said DOT’s 2026 supplemental budget identified preservation as one of five unfunded critical priorities and estimated a 10-year preservation need of $8 billion to address the backlog and become proactive again. Members discussed whether targeted funding in the next biennium could help move the state back toward the “green zone,” and the chair closed by emphasizing the real-world impacts of bridge and road failures and the need for legislative action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Utility services. You're recognized to explain the bill. Thank you.
• Chair, members of the committee, this bill deals specifically with municipal utility services.
• agreement for municipality utility service at retail to customers located in another municipality or
• CS for House Bill 1075 improves how utility services are delivered and governed across Florida.
• This bill strengthens accountability and ensures reliable utility service for Floridians.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is just like any other cost that a utility incurs.
• It constantly resets every time a utility comes in for a base rate change.
• And so this that's no longer in service.
• But as a utility comes in uh in things.
• <00:15:50.399> have utilities and and most utilities have utilities and and most utilities

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:02 HB 398 Discussion 01:01 HB 398 Roll Call Vote 16:09 Chair Comments 18:05, 958, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 398, sponsored by Rep. Wade Williams, with testimony from David Samford of East Kentucky Power Cooperative. The bill would amend KRS 278.264, the Senate Bill 4 statute, to clarify that it governs retirement of fossil fuel plants and not the recovery of associated decommissioning costs. Supporters said the measure would restore the Public Service Commission’s discretion to spread decommissioning costs over the life of a plant, consistent with traditional ratemaking, and avoid large rate spikes when plants are retired. Testimony focused on ratemaking principles such as cost causation and matching, with the witnesses arguing that customers should pay costs as they are incurred rather than face a large “sticker shock” charge at the end of a plant’s life. Members asked about possible double charges, environmental surcharges, fuel adjustment clauses, and what happens if a planned retirement is delayed or canceled. The witnesses said the bill is intended to prevent double exposure and that rates would be revisited in future base rate cases as assumptions change. During roll call, most members voted yes, while Rep. Fugate passed and explained concern about high electric bills and prior lump-sum charges in his area, and Rep. Watkins voted no, saying he needed more information on long-term affordability. The committee reported the bill out favorably, with the chair stating it should pass on the floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so the vast majority of data centers being built are servicing all the services that we rely on every
• Dan Diorio: Yes, utility tariffs in Texas. Mr. Raymond: I know, I know the utility.
• Dan Diorio: The other thing is that data centers as a whole generally don't utilize local services as
• If you wanted to seek service, you went through your interconnecting utility and they controlled that
• they'll get service, to what degree they'll get service they can't plan.

Summary: The Committee on State Affairs convened to discuss data centers and their impact on Texas's energy infrastructure. The meeting featured testimony from key representatives of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and ERCOT, who outlined the evolving landscape of energy generation and the challenges posed by the rapid growth of data centers. Notably, ERCOT reported over 450,000 MW of generation resources planned for connection, with a significant portion attributed to data centers, which now represent around 87% of new large load interconnection requests. The committee explored proposed changes to the interconnection process, including a new 'batch study' approach aimed at streamlining the approval of multiple projects simultaneously. This change is intended to address the challenges of managing numerous simultaneous requests and to provide more certainty for developers regarding their energy needs. Testimonies emphasized the importance of ensuring that the costs of infrastructure upgrades are borne by the data centers rather than residential ratepayers, with discussions around the financial commitments required from developers. Several data center developers also provided testimony, highlighting the economic benefits of their projects, including job creation and increased local revenues. They expressed concerns about the potential for a moratorium on future growth due to the new interconnection rules and emphasized the need for a collaborative approach to address water usage and environmental impacts. The committee plans to continue discussions on these topics in future hearings, with a focus on balancing economic growth with energy reliability and resource management.

Transcript Highlights:

• And those would be the applications that the state would use to deliver these services.
• and utilize the existing procurement processes wherever possible.
• And so you want to focus on service delivery and reduce costs.
• Utilizing existing staff and resources versus creating whole new regulatory bodies.
• Bad actors accountable for utilizing AI to run afoul of the laws.

Bills: HB2452, HB2592

Keywords: comprehensive plans, county governance, data centers, zoning, state regulations, land use, energy production, infrastructure, environmental impact, artificial intelligence, government regulation, innovation, procurement, administrative burdens, 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Page 280 utility rate increases. These are increases Page 280, utility rate increases.
• General Services provides a number of essential support services to state agencies.
• service.
• Who needs the service have to seek out the service.
• This is funding that was added in FY26 for paying on debt service for projects to be utilized for the

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you each for your service.
• The other – and data centers as a whole generally don't utilize local services as much.
• were seeking electrical service.
• If you wanted to seek service, you went through your interconnected utility.
• Developers don't know when they'll get service, to what degree they'll get service.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But I can share with my colleagues that utility policy, and several utility policies, is one of those
• service plan.
• ..alone would have saved utility customers $350 million in 2025 alone.
• Utility services are not designed to bring in hyperscale energy users like data centers en masse.
• Utility services are not designed to bring in hyperscale energy users like data centers en masse.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, committee reports, and approval of the prior journal. Members also granted several leaves of absence and welcomed a number of guests, including Ireland’s Consul General and Deputy Consul General, student shadows, an intern, and the Neshaminy High School baseball team, which was recognized for winning the 2026 PIAA Class 6A state championship. The chamber then recessed briefly for an Education Committee meeting and party caucuses before returning to session. On the floor, the Senate advanced several measures. Senate Bill 362, addressing SNAP skimming, passed 49-0 after remarks about protecting food assistance benefits from theft. Senate Bill 469, providing discounted fishing and hunting licenses for current and retired law enforcement, also passed 49-0 after an amendment was withdrawn. Senate Bill 730, codifying Pennsylvania POLST forms for end-of-life medical orders, saw a tabled amendment from Senator Boscola on physician-assisted dying after a 28-21 vote, then passed 49-0. The Senate also adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 1206 clarifying a temporary license pending FDA approval, and sent House Bill 1344 and Senate Bill 1377 to the House after unanimous final passage. Other bills were moved to appropriations or held in order, including Senate Bill 49, House Bill 96, Senate Bill 535, Senate Bill 536, House Bill 538, Senate Bill 743, Senate Bill 1262, Senate Bill 1273, House Bill 1286, and Senate Bill 1372. House Bill 1862 and House Bill 2017 each received amendments and were re-referred to the Appropriations Committee. The Senate also agreed to consider newly reported committee bills, including measures from Finance, Judiciary, Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness, and Education. In petitions and remonstrances, Senators Tartaglione and Costa focused on minimum wage and utility affordability, urging action on consumer protections, LIHEAP funding, data center energy costs, and related energy policy. The session concluded with the signing of House Bill 1877 in the presence of the Senate and a recess until June 24, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., unless recalled earlier.

Transcript Highlights:

• Community Based Services. Community Based Services.
• utility bills. utility bills.
• which is primarily electric utilities. which is primarily electric utilities.
• the<00:26:14.720> first who utilize the services is the first who utilize the services is
• care of folks utilizing this program. care of folks utilizing this program.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:26 Approval of Minutes 00:02:27 LIHEAP Presentation and Public Hearing 00:02:42 Conservation Opportunities in Kentucky 00:29:52, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up a public hearing and presentation on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Shannon Hall of the Department for Community Based Services and Rick Baker of Community Action Kentucky explained that LIHEAP is a 100% federally funded block grant that helps low-income households pay heating and cooling bills, avoid utility disconnects, and support weatherization. They outlined the program’s components, eligibility limits, seasonal application periods, and recent participation figures, including tens of thousands of households served through the summer cooling, fall subsidy, winter crisis, and spring subsidy components. They also described weatherization priorities, the partnership with Kentucky Housing Corporation, and the role of Community Action agencies in administering the program statewide. Members asked about Assurance 16, the balance between need and available funding, summer cooling assistance, weatherization measurement, renter versus homeowner participation, and whether federal changes could affect LIHEAP. Hall and Baker said Assurance 16 supports energy-burden reduction through education, case management, and conservation strategies; that funding has generally been sufficient in recent years but crisis funds have sometimes been exhausted quickly in the past; and that summer assistance is primarily electric utility support. They also said weatherization uses return-on-investment testing and that Kentucky still has a large backlog of homes needing service. On federal funding, they said the recently passed federal bill did not directly cut LIHEAP, but future appropriations could still affect it, and any major reduction could leave a gap the state might need to consider filling. The committee approved the minutes and later approved the LIHEAP finding of fact; no members of the public signed up to testify. After concluding LIHEAP, the committee heard a presentation from Heather Jeff of The Nature Conservancy on conservation opportunities in Kentucky. She described the organization’s voluntary land-protection work and highlighted the Cumberland Forest project, a conservation easement on about 55,000 acres in Bell, Knox, and Leslie counties supported in part by a $3.875 million state appropriation. She also reported on mine-land reforestation, elk habitat work, and the rapid allocation of a $2 million appropriation for the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund. Jeff emphasized the economic value of conservation for tourism, hunting and fishing, agriculture, forestry, bourbon, and flood protection, and said the group is finalizing a Kentucky conservation needs assessment and related feasibility research.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so the vast majority of data centers being built are servicing all the services that we rely on every
• Dan Diorio: Yes, utility tariffs in Texas. Mr. Raymond: I know, I know the utility.
• The other, and data centers as a whole generally don't utilize local services as much.
• If you wanted to seek service, you went through your interconnecting utility and they controlled that
• Developers don't know when they'll get service, to what degree they'll get service they can't plan.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fixed income utilizing that.
• <00:24:30.680> that in in conjunction with utilities that in in conjunction with utilities
• familiar with how the Public Service familiar with how the Public Service Commission<00:33:29.600
• <00:37:08.080> on forward looking at our utilities on forward looking at our utilities on
• available to, um, many more utilities available to, um, many more utilities than<00:40:52.480>

Bills: SB8

Keywords: utilities, public service commission, energy regulation, appointment, emergency declaration, tax increases, consumer protection, Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:51 Approval of Minutes 00:02:07 Legislator Comments 00:02:18 LIHEAP Public Hearing 00:04:19 PSC Update on RS 26 SB 8 00:32:18 WaterStep Presentation 01:04:08, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So a utility-scale solar farm that utilizes Canadian Solar equipment as part of their supply chain would
• I'm the Chief Executive for the Public Utility Counsel for the Office of Public Utility Counsel.
• that extended to water utilities.
• Slide 5 shows the various utility transmission service providers, the transmission companies, and the
• We do have an ancillary service that’s being dispatchable, dispatchable reliability reserve service,

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to study diabetic well care, out of Health and Social Services, six on its merits.
• to study diabetic well care, out of Health and Social Services, six on its merits.
• a report assessing the safety and utility of portable solar generation devices.
• safety and utility of portable solar generation devices, also known... ...on the safety and utility
• They would be paying for it as if they were consuming it by the utility.

Summary: The Senate received a large number of House communications and committee reports, including several nominations and many bills and resolutions returned from House committees or passed by the House. Committee reports covered a wide range of topics, including education, health, judiciary, finance, housing, transportation, emergency management, and business/technology. The Senate also assigned several measures to committees for further consideration and noted upcoming committee meetings. The chamber confirmed three nominations by roll call: Michael T. Scuse to the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission, J. Eric Firewold to the University of Delaware Board of Trustees, and Joan F. Coker to the University of Delaware Board of Trustees. The Senate also passed Consent Calendar 66, which included Senate Concurrent Resolution 223 on DIA broadcast access for playoff and championship games and House Concurrent Resolution 149 designating June 12, 2026, as Loving Day in Delaware. Members discussed Loving Day and the importance of recognizing interracial marriage rights, with Senator Huxstable, Senator Buckson, and Senator Townsend offering remarks. On the floor, the Senate passed House Bill 141, requiring a firearm responsibilities notice for gun purchasers, after debate over gun safety and industry burden; House Substitute 1 for House Bill 200, as amended, expanding insurance coverage for HIV prevention medications PrEP and PEP; House Bill 426, modernizing municipal street-aid reporting; and Senate Resolution 21, directing a study of portable solar generation devices and related safety and utility issues. The Senate also passed Consent Agenda O, a large package of bills covering topics such as money transmission and stablecoins, nursing advancement, pilot licenses, commerce and trade, subaqueous lands, driver’s license loss due to medical issues, residential speed limits, electronic bidding, family court jurisdiction, agency regulations, technical corrections to multiple local charters, and other measures. The Senate then recessed until June 25, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Aging and Adult Services.
• payment for services. payment for services.
• services they're supposed to get. services they're supposed to get.
• providing the service? providing the service?
• . services. services.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting began with quorum and seating issues, including the temporary appointment of Representative Shaw to fill in for a House member, followed by approval of the previous minutes and the consent calendar. Two items were then postponed to next month: Mechanical Licensing Board item 25-241 and Board of Veterinarian item 25-223. The committee then took up Department of Energy rulemaking on distributed energy resources interconnection procedures, including items 25-220 and related sections on fees, additional controls, and equipment. The Department explained revised language to address concerns that the original draft improperly suggested agency or PUC approval of utility fees; under the amended language, utilities would set fees designed to recover costs, with complaints handled through existing complaint procedures. Committee members and the Department discussed the statutory basis for that approach, including cost responsibility versus fee-setting authority. Public testimony was mixed. A small solar developer argued the rules still exceed statutory authority, impose unfair costs on customer generators, and allow utilities to shift transmission-related study costs onto interconnecting customers. Clean energy advocates supported the Department’s revised language but asked for clearer limits on charging customers for later-added controls, arguing costs should be tied directly to the customer’s interconnection and not to later utility-driven changes. Eversource supported the revised fee language, said most prior concerns were resolved, and recommended conditional approval, while also suggesting a minor wording change in the “Additional Equipment” section to clarify that only operational performance is covered.