Transcript Highlights:

• Right now, we're asking people to work in facilities that are literally falling apart.
• At some facilities, men are assigned to kitchen duty and are forced to share work boots from one shift
• It's about priorities, responsibility, and doing what is right for everyone involved.
• We are preparing to spend $250 million to study and potentially build another correctional facility.
• Violence throughout the facility.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice met with a quorum and took up several bills before returning to the budget and public testimony. CS/SB 600 on bail bonds was explained as revising bail bond agent training, limiting solicitation, clarifying partial release procedures, and directing clerks to automatically discharge certain bonds when detention is ordered; an amendment adjusted cash bond return rules, charitable bail fund treatment, forfeiture remission timing, and clerk procedures. The bill and amendments were adopted, and CS/SB 600 was reported favorably after supportive appearances from clerks and industry stakeholders. The committee then approved CS/SB 436 on felony battery, which expands qualifying prior offenses for felony reclassification and adds felony battery resulting in bodily injury to prison release offender status, after a technical amendment and supportive testimony from law enforcement. CS/SB 928, known as Missy’s Law, requiring immediate remand to custody upon conviction of dangerous crimes, drew both support and opposition; defense lawyers warned of unintended effects on co-defendants and docket management, while the victim’s family supported the measure. The bill was reported favorably. CS/SB 1332 on career offender registration, requiring more frequent in-person registration and stricter reporting, also passed favorably. The committee next approved a substitute amendment and then CS/SB 682 on violent criminal offenses, which strengthens domestic violence penalties, electronic monitoring, injunction protections, and related procedures, including military protective orders and body camera use. CS/SB 1072 creating an anti-Semitism task force in the Attorney General’s Office was reported favorably after extensive public debate over definitions, free speech concerns, and representation on the task force; the sponsor said the bill does not criminalize criticism of Israel but addresses threats and intimidation. CS/CS/SB 532 on clerks of the court was also approved, authorizing clerks to retain more revenue and, through amendment, clarifying foreclosure sale procedures and clerk administration of judicial sales. Finally, the committee heard the criminal and civil justice budget overview, described as a $7.9 billion proposal focused on corrections, juvenile justice, law enforcement, and courts. Public testimony centered heavily on prison conditions, staffing, heat, infrastructure, and inmate care, with speakers urging higher pay, better transparency, and more investment in facilities and air conditioning. The chair announced that SB 1632 and its conforming bill would be temporarily postponed and read into the record the many registered supporters and opponents. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• pilot program well beyond Morris and match every ton of ammonia production with renewable energy facilities
• needed, and it will roll out with the red carpet to distributed ammonia companies who are building facilities
• This registry for ammonia certificates produced by local distributed ammonia facilities will act in a
• So that would likely be, in many circumstances, the owner of the production facility.
• So the production facility would be someone who has the electrolyzer and then the clean energy.

Bills: HF2103, HF2793

Keywords: energy, renewable energy, ammonia, hydrogen, certificate tracking, funding, environment, community solar, energy policy, sustainability, solar garden program, regulation sunset

Transcript Highlights:

• treatment facilities. treatment facilities.
• treatment facilities are not.
• Um these facilities uh are are not.
• just as critical as residential facil just as critical as residential facil facilities<05:06:50.878
• DHS just as our residential facilities. DHS just as our residential facilities.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This allows the safety of the patient to be put as the priority.
• That's how old Reid was when he went to his first rehab facility.
• This is a national priority and a state priority—an alternative to opioids and antidepressants.
• It's two years at any ACGME-accredited facility, which is literally any hospital or healthcare... facility
• There are no current state-based facilities.

Bills: HB 44, HB 2200, HB 1612, HB 2747, HB 2038, HB 3717, HB 1431, HB 3800, HB 3801, HB 3560, HB 3246

Keywords: HB 44, Life of the Mother Act, abortion exceptions, medical emergency, reasonable medical judgment, pregnancy complications, maternal health, life-threatening condition, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, spontaneous abortion, fetal survival, Texas abortion law, abortion ban, physician liability, health care provider, disciplinary action, aiding and abetting, emergency abortion, obstetric care

Summary: The meeting of the public health committee focused on the pressing issue of opioid addiction in Texas, with a particular emphasis on House Bill 3717. Chairman Harris detailed the bill's intent to fund a grant program for Ibogaine clinical trials, framing it as a critical response to the ongoing opioid crisis. He shared poignant testimonies highlighting the struggles of families and veterans battling addiction and mental health issues. The conversation underscored the necessity of innovative treatments, like Ibogaine, which showed promising results in studies for reducing symptoms of withdrawal and PTSD.

Transcript Highlights:

• 'Did you submit your priorities?' 'No.' 'You got to submit your priorities.'
• 'You got to submit your priorities.' 'You submitted your priorities?' 'Yeah.'
• Did you submit your priorities? No. You got to submit your priorities.
• You got to submit your priorities. You submitted your priorities. Yeah.
• Now you got to submit your priorities. Now you got to. to submit your priorities.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized several introductions and memorials, including a resolution designating August 9, 2026, as Bob Graham Day and a moment of silence for firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber then moved through a long special-order calendar, with several bills substituted with House companions and adopted by voice vote or recorded vote. Early measures included a tax conformity bill tied to federal Internal Revenue Code changes, which passed 34-0, and a Medicaid/public assistance bill that drew extensive debate over work requirements, fraud reduction, behavioral health services, and SNAP/EBT reforms. Amendments offered by Senators Berman and Osgood to condition or soften the work and photo-ID provisions were rejected, and the underlying bill was placed on the third-reading calendar after lengthy questioning about implementation, exemptions, and eligibility effects. The Senate also passed bills on computer science education and AI instruction, a Parkinson’s disease registry public-records exemption and registry update, designation of the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the legal-tender sunset for gold and silver, public-records protections for gold/silver custodians and stablecoin-related entities, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, and local government budget transparency/spending measures. Most of these measures were adopted after minor amendments or technical substitutions, with votes generally ranging from 31-3 to 34-0. The chamber also recognized the Florida Channel’s 30 years of legislative coverage. Later, the Senate approved a digital voyeurism bill expanding the reasonable-expectation-of-privacy definition to include private fenced yards, and an insurance customer representative licensing bill allowing high school students to complete insurance/personal finance coursework and later qualify for licensure. The final major item was a medical freedom bill that would expand parental vaccine information requirements, add a conscience-based exemption to immunization mandates, allow behind-the-counter ivermectin for adults, and repeal the sunset on the mRNA mandate prohibition; two amendments clarifying anti-kickback rules and requiring vaccine information to include risks, benefits, safety, and efficacy were adopted, while questions from Senators Smith and Massullo focused on public-health impacts and the content of the required materials. The transcript ends during discussion of that bill, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think badges don't work on your side, but our facilities are right out that door.
• <00:04:17.440> So facilities are right out that door.
• So facilities are right out that door.
• changes, project changes, and priority changes, project changes, and priority changes<01:20:51.760
• We also appreciate a couple of policy priorities that were in the Senate bill.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Coming into session, my highest priority was to pass a budget that would prevent a government shutdown
• So making energy<00:08:24.879> efficiency<00:08:25.680> a<00:08:26.000> priority
• <00:08:26.479> is<00:08:26.720> an energy efficiency a priority is an energy efficiency
• a priority is an important<00:08:27.479> strategy<00:08:28.479> as<00:08:28.720> we
• was to pass a budget that would priority was to pass a budget that would prevent<00:09:39.760> a<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We're legislative priorities this year.
• also a top priority nationally.
• His wife was recently put into a memory care facility.
• That memory care memory care facility.
• > facility was $15,000 a facility was $15,000 a month.<01:17:19.600> Um<01:17:20.239> I

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Jaden's case and his story was again, a reminder for me to make this a priority for us.
• Some subjects that really merit priority.
• Uh, in our correctional facilities, reading about what's happening in Lee County with the private facility
• Chair, actually thinking about the facility in Hobbs and the hearing we did in that facility.
• I'm thinking that maybe we could tour a juvenile facility.

Transcript Highlights:

• technical change to delete Section 10 of the bill as it incorrectly subjects access to nursing home facility
• >> The same recourse that they would today to hold the healthcare provider or facility accountable if
• Every time your loved one steps into a healthcare facility.
• We regulate over 50,000 facilities and my vision is that we execute that duty with fairness, timeliness
• So in certain areas you can get to facility within an hour and a half, but it could be in a county that

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• reach the property line of the facility. reach the property line of the facility.
• um for both existing and new facilities. um for both existing and new facilities.
• year that does not include either municipal facilities or food waste facilities.
• or uh food waste municipal facilities or uh food waste facilities.<04:23:42.960> Um facilities
• Um facilities.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What we're talking about is really doing trade facilities and trade ports through a P3, just like we're
• President, Senator, those counties are going to get a higher priority than other counties. Mr.
• So according to the bill, though, those counties would be like the least priority.
• And I imagine that with all of the training facilities we have around this state, all the focus we have
• , both land use priorities within their own district, and then they create an annual plan that is then

Transcript Highlights:

• WITH THE GOAL OF SUPPORTING LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN CARRYING OUT THE STATE ENFORCEMENT PRIORITIES
• ICE WILL REIMBURSE THE DETENTION FACILITIES FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT AVERAGING $40-$60 PER BED PER DAY.
• OR DETENTION FACILITY.
• WARRANT SERVICE OFFICERS IN THE COUNTY DETENTION FACILITIES EXISTING PROCESSING THE PAPERWORK CAN RECEIVE
• IT IS STRICTLY UP TO THE $100 PER CAN THE AVERAGE DETENTION FACILITY, THE RATE PER DAY IS OVER $100 SO

Transcript Highlights:

• provisions that we have from The personal care attendant to folks who get services in nursing home facilities
• Universal Meals is one of the governor's main priorities, so we can't touch that.
• I think it's something that, you know, that the House leadership said is a priority.
• Sergeant-at-Arms, under the direction of the Speaker and the Speaker Emerita, shall maintain House facilities
• Facilities in the Capitol complex accessed and utilized by the House pursuant to agreements with the

Transcript Highlights:

• Red Trail Energy was a long-running ethanol production facility and a strong example of a Development
• Programs, the ability to understand program needs, and set funding priorities that align with overall
• He has a number of other sub-cabinets aligned with his strategic priorities. This is just one.
• His strategic priorities. This is just one.
• This priority reflects the strategy's commitment to skills-based pathways and lifelong learning.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Budget Section’s Commerce and Legal Services Division met to review the Department of Commerce base budget for the 2027-29 biennium and to receive an update on Commerce programs. Legislative Council staff first walked the committee through the “blue sheet” base budget summary, explaining the major line items, the large share of federal grant authority in Commerce’s budget, and the continuing appropriations that support several Commerce funds. Members asked how grant funding is coordinated across agencies, and staff said collaboration varies by program but is strong in areas like UAS and LIHEAP. Commerce Commissioner Chris Schilken then presented on current activities, focusing heavily on grant administration, transparency, and economic development programs. Members questioned how grant applicants are selected, whether Commerce tracks applications and return on investment, and how long grant awards take to reach recipients. The commissioner said Commerce uses scoring criteria, outside reviewers, a minimum 30-day application window, and typically completes awards within two to three months. A lengthy exchange followed over whether Commerce should open some grants only to intended recipients versus running competitive application processes; Commerce said it follows best-practice grantmaking and that its attorney in the Attorney General’s office approved that approach. Commerce also highlighted the North Dakota Development Fund, citing long-term investment and job creation results, examples such as Red Trail Energy, Packet Digital, Valiance, Corvent Medical, child care loans, and the Automate ND program. Members asked about acceptable failures, lessons learned, regional economic development coordination, and the expansion of the fund into non-primary sectors. Workforce Director Katie Ralston Howell then outlined a statewide workforce ecosystem review, a new governor’s workforce sub-cabinet, and three task forces focused on simplifying entry, warm handoffs, and data integration. She discussed the in-demand occupations list, Workforce Pell, apprenticeships, and efforts to better connect students with employers and higher education. Commerce also briefly reviewed housing programs and a new housing sub-cabinet. No votes were taken; the committee simply received testimony, asked questions, and adjourned after setting up the next meeting to hear the Attorney General budget in June.

Transcript Highlights:

• funding will not be used to reimburse or remediate any tires at the Jefferson County processing facility
• This is a priority for the governor, and it will be reflected in that.
• This is a priority for the governor and it will be reflected in that.
• This, as you said, is a priority for the governor, and it really should be, in my opinion, part of the
• going to meet your priorities.

Summary: The committee met to consider a series of temporary appropriation requests, reserve fund transfers, federal grant appropriations, and review items. Early items included a $32 million appropriation and matching reserve transfer for the Department of Education’s educational freedom account program, a $476,000 request for the State Crime Lab, and a $90,000 assessment coordination request from DFA. Members asked questions about the assessment contract costs, and the item was approved. The committee also approved a $1 ARPA return to the CDC and a Department of Human Services reallocation package that moved general revenue and positions among divisions to meet client needs. The most extensive discussion centered on a $32 million restricted reserve transfer for the educational freedom account program. Members questioned the growing number of participating students, the program’s long-term funding needs, and safeguards against improper purchases. Agency representatives said about 44,000 students were being funded, that reimbursements and marketplace purchases are reviewed, and that reporting and audit controls are in place, though not every instance of fraud can be prevented. The committee approved the transfer after discussion. Members also approved smaller cash and federal grant items, including funding for a teacher shortage data dashboard, All Kids Bike grants, crime lab outsourcing, veterans cemetery operations, and a podiatric medicine licensing investigation fund. The most contentious item was a $7 million federal Forest Legacy grant request for Central Arkansas Water and the Department of Agriculture to acquire land in the Maumelle watershed, including acreage in Perry County and Pulaski County. Members debated water quality, development pressure, property tax impacts, local support, and whether Perry County had been adequately consulted. Agency and company representatives argued the acquisition would protect drinking water, preserve forested watershed land, and support recreation, while some legislators emphasized the county’s tax and development concerns. Senator Davis moved to defer the item to the full Legislative Council and to request removal of the Perry County portion; that motion passed. The committee then reviewed the remaining items, including a Veterans Affairs pay plan request, and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This can be a really busy year, but that's gonna cause us to make that a priority.
• One more thing, the stabilization and reliability of our campaign finance filing platform our priority
• Access was preserved through lawful measures, which became our number one priority during this short
• We made their requests the number one priority, and we were able to keep up with them.
• The vision is to make that into a facility.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And there's inter-facility ambulance services, and that is moving patients in between health care facilities
• The facility failed this basic promise.
• Yvonne Chung with the California Association of Health Facilities.
• What is the order of priority in that decision-making process?
• What is the order of priority in that decision-making process?

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee met on April 22 and took up a special order of bills focused largely on prior authorization and utilization management in health care. The chair framed the discussion as part of a broader legislative effort to reduce delays and barriers to care, especially in behavioral health, chronic disease management, cancer treatment, and rehabilitation services. AB 384 by Assembly Member Connolly would prohibit prior authorization for inpatient mental health or substance use emergency admissions and related physician care; supporters said it would prevent dangerous delays in crisis care, while insurers and health plans warned about fraud, abuse, and ambiguity around residential treatment facilities. The bill was moved on a due pass as amended motion and passed the committee on a party-line style vote, with Republicans largely absent or not voting. The committee then heard AB 510 by Assembly Member Addis, which would require health plans, upon request, to provide a peer reviewer of the same or similar specialty when a treating provider appeals a prior authorization denial or modification. Supporters argued that specialty-matched review would make appeals fairer and more clinically informed; opponents said the requirement was too rigid and that timelines and electronic submission rules needed changes. After discussion about the need for timely, specialty-specific review, the bill was approved on a due pass as amended motion and placed on call. AB 539 by Assembly Member Schiavo would extend prior authorization approvals to one year or the duration of the physician’s prescribed treatment for chronic conditions; supporters cited repeated denials and treatment interruptions, while opponents raised concerns about overbreadth, fraud, and the need for shorter validity periods. The bill was also passed as amended and placed on call. The committee next considered AB 669 by Assembly Member Haney, which would bar concurrent and retrospective review for the first 28 days of medically necessary substance use disorder treatment and limit prior authorization for related outpatient medications. The bill was presented with a powerful personal story from Ryan Matlock’s mother about her son’s death after an insurer cut off treatment early; supporters said the measure would keep patients in care long enough to stabilize, while opponents argued it would reduce oversight and could allow lower-quality or non-evidence-based care. The bill was moved on a due pass as amended motion and placed on call. Finally, AB 512 by Assembly Member Harabedian would shorten prior authorization response times to 24 hours for urgent requests and 48 hours for non-urgent requests; supporters said delays can worsen outcomes, while opponents warned the timelines were unrealistic and could increase administrative burdens and safety issues. The bill was approved as amended and placed on call. AB 574 by Assembly Member Mark Gonzalez was then heard; it would allow up to 12 medically necessary physical therapy sessions for a new episode of care without prior authorization, with supporters emphasizing stroke and neurological recovery and opponents warning of reduced oversight and unnecessary care. The transcript ends during testimony on AB 574, before final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our position aligns with the Executive recommendation, as we believe it best reflects the priorities
• This would have been for new construction of a safe, modern facility in the Las Vegas area.
• And what I did there is broke out our priorities.
• So if this is a program that's a priority for the next governor, that might be something to consider.
• I think it is important because we have our Socorro facility, we have our facility in Albuquerque, and

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is always a lovely facility, and the food is fabulous, and there's lots of it.
• , and research and outreach units. in the college, and certainly highlighting some foundational priorities
• Workforce preparation and economic development are also priorities.
• Yeah, I will reiterate how concerned I am that some facilities are saying you can't do behavioral health
• and your overall priorities.