Transcript Highlights:

• year 25-26 and a $146,000 on going beginning in fiscal year 26-27.
• And just to note, we will be focusing on the cannabis sales tax. but not today.
• And there's a couple of things to note here.
• Taylor Schick and I'm the Chief Fiscal Officer for the Department of Consumer Affairs and we want to
• I am joined by my colleague, Maxwell Macedo, who is our Director of Fiscal and Administration.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the plus for this committee is that there is no fiscal impact for the state.
• I don't see a fiscal in this bill.
• It's an important part of the conversation is the fiscal.
• There is a fiscal note on the attached PCS to the bill.
• I'll make a note. Vice Chair Hasenbeck, you are recognized for a question.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But on Section 1.5, it shows the fiscal year 2025-2026, 3,000, 235, and then for 2026-2027, 8,129.
• I know this is not a many committee, but we did work with them with their fiscal note as well.
• On that note, thank you so much for your testimony. Mr. McCann. Morning, Madam Chair.
• We worked to remove the fiscal notes, and that's why we had to exempt state agencies.
• We worked to remove the fiscal notes, and that's why we had to exempt state agencies.

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I will note that it is approximately 3:10 p.m. on Thursday, February 13th, 2025, and we do have a
• For the record, I just want to note that Senator Lang has also joined us remotely from Olivia, Minnesota
• 00:05:10.479> to um for the record also I just want to um for the record also I just want to note
• 11.720> Senator<00:05:12.600> Lang<00:05:13.199> has<00:05:13.440> also note
• that um Senator Lang has also note that um Senator Lang has also joined<00:05:14.039> us<00:05

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . shows the five agencies that have the most claims settled and paid in fiscal year 2025.
• So, I appreciate hearing you noting that.
• I just wanted to note that we agree with you fully. We have a Target Zero campaign.
• That'll highlight our claims over the last 10 fiscal years.
• But I had a note here. They brought 27 slides. Thank you for your time today. We appreciate it.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And these numbers are fiscal year data.
• I should note that, in addition to what I just said, I should note that, in addition to what I just said
• year, or the most recent fiscal year.
• year or the most recent fiscal year.
• As you already noted, the next conference is in May.

Summary: The Health Professions and Program Subcommittee met to receive oversight briefings on Florida’s medical marijuana program from the Department of Health’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) and from the University of Florida’s Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research. OMMU Director Christopher Kimball outlined the program’s structure, including more than 900,000 active patients, nearly 7,000 caregivers, 27 MMTC licensees, 706 dispensing locations, and nine certified testing labs. He described the state’s pre-approval process for products and advertising, plain packaging requirements, seed-to-sale tracking, registry operations, and compliance efforts such as background checks, inspections, complaint investigations, and lab desk audits. He also said the Bureau of Public Health Laboratories in Jacksonville had been accredited to begin supporting testing. Members asked about telehealth, patient growth, product safety, advertising to children, inspections, and the status of MMTC licensure; Kimball said recertifications by telehealth now make up more than half of recertifications, that patient growth has slowed, and that ongoing litigation is delaying issuance of 22 new MMTC licenses. Kimball also discussed implementation of recent legislation and licensure changes, including licenses issued under HB 387 and SB 1582 to applicants from the original Pigford-related pool, with additional cure opportunities still ongoing. He said the department is monitoring diversion, inversion, and unapproved products, and that it coordinates with law enforcement when needed but does not itself have sworn authority. In response to questions, he said the department does not regulate physicians directly, but may refer concerns to the Division of Medical Quality Assurance, and that caregiver and physician participation requirements are set by statute. Members raised concerns about edibles, child access, and continued use of child-attractive branding; Kimball said the department tries to catch issues through pre-approval and enforcement, and that complaints involving children are treated as serious and investigated using available records and camera footage. Dr. Almond Winterstein then presented the consortium’s research overview. He explained that the consortium was created by statute in 2019, includes 10 universities, and is funded by annual state appropriations. He said its work includes grants, a research repository, a clinical core, outreach, and evidence synthesis, including a recent FDA-supported review of cannabis evidence. He emphasized that the current evidence base is limited and often low quality, with the strongest signals for symptom relief in PTSD-related symptoms, nausea, and some pain outcomes, but with many studies inconclusive or mixed. He also described the consortium’s use of registry data linked to Medicaid, Medicare, death, fetal death, and birth records to study safety and outcomes, including children, pregnancy, driving safety, opioid-sparing effects, and adverse events. Winterstein said adverse event reporting is sparse and likely underreported, with most reports mild but some serious events noted, and he expressed concern about use among young adults because of uncertain benefit-risk and possible effects on the developing brain. The committee discussed the need for better surveillance, more robust adverse event reporting, and the possibility of using linked data to identify harms more quickly. At the end of the meeting, the committee rose without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Secretary will please note the roll.
• notes and ask for numbers on things like we tend to do all the time.
• Will the secretary please note the roll? Please call the roll. Representative Blotman.
• Will the secretary please note the roll? I will. Please call the roll. Representative Blattman.
• So I'm looking at the JLBC monthly fiscal highlights from January 2020, where they themselves note this

Bills: HB2780, HB4029, HB4030, HCR2052

Keywords: judicial foreclosure, tax lien, redemption rights, excess proceeds, property auction, income tax, federal tax conformity, revenue analysis, legislative session, tax reporting, municipal fees, county fees, utility rates, moratorium, tax classification, local government, inflation, economic stability, tax increases, cost-of-living protection

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2780, a technical cleanup measure related to Arizona’s judicial tax lien foreclosure and excess proceeds process. The sponsor and a witness said the bill clarifies when a court should order a public sale, standardizes distribution of sale proceeds, and corrects inconsistencies left from prior reforms. No opposition was raised, and the committee approved HB 2780 unanimously on a 9-0 do pass vote. The committee then took up House Bill 4029, which would require the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to evaluate the revenue impact of federal tax conformity changes earlier in the process, and would require the Department of Revenue to issue tax forms consistent with statute. An amendment was adopted to have OSPB and JLBC each make the evaluation and to require a governor’s report if the impact is $100 million or more, along with new reporting deadlines for DOR. Supporters argued the bill would force earlier action on conformity and prevent tax forms from diverging from statute; opponents said it added bureaucracy and could delay filing. The committee approved HB 4029 as amended by a 5-4 vote. The committee also heard House Bill 4030 and the related HCR 2052, both aimed at limiting local tax and fee increases. HB 4030 would bar municipalities and counties from adopting, imposing, or collecting increased fees, transaction privilege taxes, and utility rates from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2030. The sponsor said the measure was intended to protect taxpayers from inflation and rising local costs. Cities, counties, and utility representatives opposed the bills, warning they would hinder infrastructure financing, water and wastewater projects, road improvements, and public safety services, and could force general fund subsidies or delayed maintenance. Supporters argued local governments have seen substantial revenue growth and should be restrained from further increases. The committee did not reach a final vote on HB 4030 or HCR 2052 in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Clerk had to remind me that there's not a fiscal note on the local bill, but I did ask you the question
• . >> Okay. >> Then we ain't ser fiscal note. >> What's the final?
• I did misspeak; it's $195,360. >> Then we ain't ser fiscal note. >> What's the final?
• note on this was 280 whatever I said.
• Looking at the fiscal note on this, we don't have anything.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The review should also include an analysis of potential fiscal, administrative, and legal implications
• The review should also include an analysis of potential fiscal, administrative, and legal implications
• note note is<00:10:17.560> if<00:10:17.880> this<00:10:18.040> is<00:10:18.200>
• So, as such, we'll note the concerns in the committee report.
• utilizing it so as such uh we'll note utilizing it so as such uh we'll note the<00:30:44.159>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee reconvened for decision-making on measures previously heard on February 6, 2025. Senate Bill 1513 was deferred indefinitely based on the testimony and issues raised. Senate Bill 786 was also deferred indefinitely and set aside for interim work on a proposed SD1 that could address the concerns discussed and incorporate ongoing federal changes. Senate Bill 1031 was amended and advanced as a Senate WAP 1; the amended version would allow the legislature to adopt non-binding advisory referendum questions only for general obligation bond proposals, require 30 days’ notice, require the legislature to consider the results, and require a written explanation if the final legislative action opposes the majority vote. The committee also set a far-future effective date and noted that any further review should examine opposition concerns and the fiscal, administrative, and legal implications of the proposal. The measure passed on a yes vote from the vice chair and supporting members, with one member excused. In the joint Government Operations and Water and Land hearing, Senate Bill 411, relating to capital improvement projects for boating and ocean recreation, drew support from the Department of Boating and Ocean Recreation and several written supporters, while Budget and Finance opposed it and the Deputy Attorney General warned it could be challenged because it implied funding without an appropriation. The chair recommended moving the bill with amendments and a defective date, and both committees adopted the recommendation to pass SB 411 with amendments. Senate Bill 1103, relating to community districts, generated substantial discussion and was ultimately recommended for deferral. Testimony raised constitutional and special fund concerns, while the Hawaii Community Development Authority supported the concept but suggested major changes, including clearer governance language, a dedicated staff position, and funding. Members debated whether elected boards would undermine county planning authority and whether the concept was more suitable for Oahu or the Neighbor Islands. Senate Bill 1308, relating to plans, was presented as an administration bill and supported by DAGS. The bill would remove outdated filing requirements, update fee schedules, give DAGS more discretion over plan format, and update drawing scales. A member asked whether it could help replace survey monuments lost in the Lahaina wildfire cleanup; DAGS said it would not directly replace monuments but could help with future mapping and surveying. The chair indicated the committee would note the monument issue in the report and work on technical cleanup language, with the measure moving forward subject to those amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• About half the fiscal note that it started out with is a matter of pending business.
• The fiscal note on this was so low, they said it couldn't be asked.
• note, is a good bill, along with SJR 78 and Senate Bill 2907.
• The fiscal note for the year is, as you mentioned, 55 million for this biennium.
• It's also important to note that perishable goods are sold at very thin margins.

Bills: SB1331, SB1375, SB1443, SB1578, SB2251, SB2519, SB2553, SB2655, SB2764, SB2907, SB3030, SB3033, SB3035, SB3036, SB3037, SB3043, SB3047, SB3050, SB3051, SB3056, SB3057, SB3063, HB9, HB467, HB331, HB1244, HB1399, HB2559, HB2730, HB3307, HJR1, HJR99, SB3048, SB3052, SB3053, SJR78, HB1327, HB2723, HB9, HJR1

Keywords: civil service, firefighters, police officers, municipalities, local government, repeal, voter petition, health care, provider participation, continuation programs, population-based regulation, health care provider participation, Medicaid, hospital funding, voluntary compliance, mandatory payments, public health, healthcare program, county participation, nonpublic hospitals

Transcript Highlights:

• Generally, House Bill 1868 would direct the coordinating board to study the feasibility, fiscal, and
• There is no fiscal note attached to this bill, and it will not increase our authority or contract rights
• It's important to note that only about one-third, 33% or so, of all eligible former foster care youth
• So let's look at the fiscal note.
• We'd have to look at the, there's no way to estimate it because, so let's look at the fiscal note.

Bills: HB4, HB20

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard a series of higher education and K-12 bills, initially without a quorum and with several measures left pending subject to the call of the chair. Early bills included HB 1868, which would direct a study on lowering the dual-credit funding threshold for public junior colleges from 15 to 9 semester credit hours; HB 2598, which would replace statutory references to “licensed specialist in school psychology” with “school psychologist”; HB 3629, which would bar registered sex offenders from serving on independent school district boards of trustees; and HB 4361, which would require the Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules for timely emergency notifications at public institutions of higher education. Each received brief sponsor explanations, no opposition testimony, and was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4848, requiring public higher education systems to ensure at least one institution offers affordable competency-based bachelor’s degree programs in high-demand fields, and HB 1211, which would remove the age 25 deadline for former foster youth to use public college tuition waivers. HB 1211 drew extensive supportive testimony from Texas CASA, a former foster youth who benefited from the waiver, and a current student headed to medical school, all arguing the change would better match the realities faced by youth aging out of care. Members discussed the bill’s fiscal uncertainty and the argument that the waiver is an investment in workforce participation; the bill was left pending. Later, the committee heard HB 20, creating an Applied Sciences Pathway Program to let high school students earn certificates in targeted industries such as welding, plumbing, electrical work, manufacturing, and oil and gas while in school. Industry and workforce groups strongly supported the bill as a way to address labor shortages, while Texas 2036 raised concerns about allowing applied versions of core academic courses to substitute for traditional instruction. HB 4687, which would extend governmental immunity protections to certain campus/district charter schools and adult charter high schools, also received support from a charter-school attorney who said it would align statutes with existing case law and not expand charter rights. HB 4236, as substituted, would create a study group to examine the property value study’s effect on school finance and alternative valuation methods; it was adopted as a committee substitute and left pending. The committee also heard HB 824 on civics instruction in high school government courses and HB 2243, which would create a commission on teacher job satisfaction and retention; the latter prompted debate over removing “ethnic diversity” language from the commission’s makeup. After adopting the substitute for HB 2243 by roll call, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• The 5% legislative salary increase for both fiscal 24 and 25 is very much appreciated that's adequate
• I do want to note that. I've heard wonderful things about your partnership.
• Separate from these funds there's $100 million in coronavirus fiscal recovery funds deposited into an
• Page 3, the first item is an update on workers' compensation. benefits paid by fiscal year.
• Economic Index was projected at 4.6% for fiscal year 24.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In state fiscal year 24, total just under $3 billion, so about $2.7 billion flowed through this fund.
• A couple things of note in '24: registration taxes are actually the biggest revenue source for the system
• year 24 total just under in state fiscal year 24 total just under $3<00:03:32.400> billion<00
• <00:04:11.280> in<00:04:11.480> 24 a couple things of note in 24 a couple things of
• Chair, we just need to take note of it.

Bills: HF1167, HF1242

Keywords: Northern Lights Express, NLX, Minneapolis-Duluth rail, passenger rail, intercity passenger rail, high-speed rail, Duluth, Minneapolis, MnDOT, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Council, transportation funding, rail appropriation, general fund, trunk highway fund, rail project cancellation, infrastructure spending, commercial driver training, CDL, financial assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• And as the chairman noted, they've got their own board of trustees.
• And as the chairman noted, they've got their own board of trustees.
• The fiscal note mentions that the University of Texas system... ...you were exploring here.
• The fiscal note mentions that the University of Texas system anticipates the need for a substantial volume
• note.

Bills: HB146, HB150, HB1500, HB1545, HB1562, HB2067, HB2520, HB2818, HB3214, HB3250, HB3466, HB3512, HB3623, HB4063, HB4395, HB4464, HB4668, HB4690, HB5331, HB3833

Keywords: HB 146, Texas Capitol, State Capitol, State Preservation Board, Congress Avenue, Travis County, traffic lanes, lane closure, road closure, municipal authority, local control, Capitol area, downtown Austin, special events, construction traffic plan, pedestrian safety, public works, transportation policy, government code chapter 443, cybersecurity

Summary: The committee took up several pending business items and reported a series of House bills out of committee, including HB 2467, HB 2468, HB 2518, HB 4310, HB 4386, HB 4490, HB 5323, and HB 149. Most of these were advanced on committee substitute motions and sent to the local and uncontested calendar or reported favorably to the full Senate. HB 2467 drew one nay vote, while the others were approved without opposition. HB 4310 and HB 4386 were described as committee-substitute versions with changes narrowing disclosure requirements and preserving attorney-client privilege in certain circumstances. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 149, an AI governance bill. The substitute was explained as addressing biometric identifier capture and storage, exempting certain AI uses for security and fraud prevention, clarifying definitions, restricting AI systems that simulate explicit child sexual content, adjusting Attorney General investigative authority, refining sandbox program waivers, reducing Texas AI Council powers and membership, and adding DIR coordination provisions. The committee adopted the substitute and reported the bill favorably. The committee then heard extensive testimony on HB 1500, the DIR sunset bill. The author said the bill would continue DIR for 12 years, restructure its board, update advisory committees, require regular cybersecurity assessments and penetration testing for state agencies, improve IT procurement training, and transfer the e-grants program to the Comptroller. A Texas 2036 witness supported the bill as a way to strengthen governance, procurement, and cybersecurity. Members asked detailed questions about the bill’s structure and then left HB 1500 pending. The committee also heard a lengthy presentation on HB 150, which would create the Texas Cyber Command as a component of the University of Texas System, administratively attached to UTSA and located in San Antonio. The author argued the command would centralize cyber threat intelligence, incident response, and digital forensics, and would be able to support state and local entities, with optional services for local governments. Members raised concerns about university mission drift, governance, security, chain of command, procurement authority, gifts and donations, and civil liberties implications of proactive cyber monitoring. Witnesses from UTSA/NSCC and SecurityScorecard testified in support, emphasizing the security of the downtown San Antonio facility, the existing cyber ecosystem there, and the need for a dedicated cyber capability. The bill remained under discussion with no final committee action announced in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• note by MDE that was the problem, but I don't see that fiscal component in here.
• <00:30:49.600> was<00:30:49.679> the<00:30:49.919> problem, fiscal note by MDE that
• was the problem, fiscal note by MDE that was the problem, but<00:30:51.600> I<00:30:51.840>
• S Beckl, House Fiscal.
• S Beckl, House Fiscal.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 4893, a school safety and gun violence prevention bill, and first adopted a DE1 amendment before hearing the bill. The author and supporters described the measure as a layered approach to school safety, combining increased funding for student support personnel, required school safety plans, and anonymous threat reporting systems. They cited research from the Violence Prevention Project and other sources arguing that many school shooters are insiders, often show warning signs, and frequently leak plans beforehand, making early intervention and trusted adults in schools important. Members and testifiers also discussed the bill’s firearm storage provisions. Representative Green explained that the bill would require firearms on school property and in vehicles to be unloaded and locked, and would limit or remove principals’ discretion to allow firearms in school buildings, while preserving access for trained school security personnel. Supporters said the bill would improve clarity and safety for schools, while a representative from private schools raised concerns that the language could limit flexibility and create staffing and accountability problems for non-public schools, prompting discussion of possible amendments. Several student and organizational testifiers supported the bill, including students from Edina High School, Education Minnesota, the Minnesota School Counselors Association, and the Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota. They emphasized the impact of gun violence on students’ mental health and learning, the value of anonymous reporting systems, and the need to invest in counselors, social workers, psychologists, and nurses. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided, but the committee did adopt the DE1 amendment and continued discussion of possible changes, including with the BCA and school safety center.

Transcript Highlights:

• broader theme of his overall budget, which is a need to balance the state budget during a time of fiscal
• Our FY 26-27 budget proposals are limited in number and are well tuned to the fiscal realities of our
• Our FY 26-27 budget proposals are limited in number and are well tuned to the fiscal realities of our
• <00:08:31.599> that restrictions I'll also note that restrictions I'll also note that increasing
• Of note is the amount of federal funds that support EW's work.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Just note that there’s a very large number of deferred members.
• I think Doug noted that as well.
• I would also note that our investment policy is set independent of the State Board.
• <01:14:11.440> my patrol um and it would also note my patrol um and it would also note my
• <01:19:32.920> that helpful they've also been noting that helpful they've also been noting

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For fiscal 2026, we wanted to make sure that everyone For fiscal 2026, we wanted to make sure that everyone
• I understand there may be another grant next fiscal year; however, I'm not sure that fiscal note is going
• to allow the fiscal year; however, I'm not sure that fiscal note is going to allow the service north
• I've been writing notes while people have been talking.
• We approved six new programs last fiscal year.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, as I noted in the previous bill, we appreciate the interest in creating additional tools to
• Um, have we seen a fiscal note on this bill? We did request a fiscal note.
• Okay, so we have no fiscal note. This bill has no preventative measures.
• We did request a fiscal note. It was supposed to be ready by today, but MMB asked for more time.
• Okay, so we have no fiscal note. This bill has no preventative measures.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This budget is consistent with the fiscal note that was attached to the Senate bill. chairperson and
• current fiscal than fiscal the current fiscal year um<03:33:15.359> this<03:33:15.479> should
• Yeah, but that might—well, yeah, assuming we get that bill, it'll have a fiscal note, and then we'll
• <04:41:36.560> note get that bill it'll have a fiscal note get that bill it'll have a fiscal
• They won't, but the point is, if you read the fiscal note on this bill, it says due to previous legislative

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard from the Personnel Appeals Board, which explained that it became an independent state agency after Senate Bill 487 and was presenting its first standalone operating budget. The board described its quasi-judicial role in hearing appeals from classified state employees over disciplinary actions such as warnings, suspensions, and terminations, and said it handles about 25 to 35 cases a year, with some cases lasting longer because of their complexity. Members also outlined the need for a chair and vice chair who are attorneys, the board’s current staffing and space needs, and its plan to move away from reliance on Administrative Services for office support and website functions. The board requested about $353,500 for fiscal year 2026, including startup costs, routine operating expenses, and two new part-time positions: a program director and a paralegal. Members said the budget reflects the new independent status, includes funding for only four board members rather than the authorized five, and is designed to avoid full-time staffing costs and benefits. Legislators asked about the cost per case, the board’s relationship to DAS, whether appeals must go through the board before court, and how often cases are appealed further. The board said appeals must first go through it, that court appeals are infrequent but have increased recently, and that the board’s process is intended to resolve disputes more quickly and less expensively than court litigation. Committee members also asked about the board’s caseload, outcomes, and staffing. The board said that in the prior year there were 22 cases, with four decisions overturned in favor of employees, nine dismissals, and nine settlements, and that many disputes are resolved before reaching the board through a multi-step internal process. A member noted the governor and council had recently approved a new board member and were expected to approve a fifth soon. The discussion ended with questions about the board’s website and records access, which members said would need to be moved from Administrative Services as part of the agency’s transition. The committee then moved to the New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities. The executive director explained that the council is 100 percent federally funded under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act and develops a five-year plan to address the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She said the council works with state agencies and advocacy organizations on quality-of-life issues, accessibility, voter rights training, and plain-language or easy-to-read materials, and that 60 percent of its membership must be individuals with disabilities or family members/guardians. She also described the council’s funding structure, including reimbursement to the state for operating costs, and noted that it currently has three full-time and three part-time positions, with no new positions requested but one full-time position being eliminated and replaced after a pandemic-era staffing change did not work out as planned.