Transcript Highlights:

• annexations the district has conducted in response to petitions to annex property filed by landowners
• in the 85th Texas Legislature.
• It's the reserve MMD in Mansfield, Texas. 56. So that's on the next page because it's a substitute.
• Moving the property from the district and its services, the bill meets legal, governor, environmental
• Moving the property from the district and its services, the bill meets legal, governor, environmental

Bills: HB103

Summary: The Senate Local Government Committee met to hear and act on a series of municipal utility district and municipal management district bills, most of them presented as template or cleanup measures. The committee first heard HB 5672, which redefined the boundaries of the Driftwood Conservation District in Hays County to match acreage added through landowner petitions; no one testified, and the bill was reported favorably and placed on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee then took up HB 5696 for the Reserve Municipal Management District in Mansfield, where Senator Birdwell explained a committee substitute that conformed the bill to the standard MMD template; the bill was left pending subject to call of the chair. Similar template or technical bills followed, including HB 5680 (Bayou Bell No. 1 MMD in Liberty County), HB 5654 (Montgomery County MUD No. 263), HB 5662 (Fort Bend County WCID No. 12 with road powers), HB 5658 (Craver Ranch MMD in Denton County), HB 5661 (Fort Bend County MUD No. 286), HB 5699 (an exclusion/contract provision for Harris County MUD No. 405), HB 5679 (Hills of Walnut Creek MUD in Parker County), HB 5437 (validation language for Austin County MUD No. 1), HB 5665 (Waller County MUD No. 70), HB 5656 (Fort Bend County MUD No. 263), HB 5670 (Montgomery County MUD No. 259), HB 5651 (Montgomery County WCID with drainage powers), HB 5682 (Comina Ranch MMD No. 1 in McKinney), HB 5320 (merging Starr County drainage-related districts), HB 5677 (Pura Vida MMD No. 1), and HB 5666 (Fencey Road MUD in Harris County). In each case, the sponsor described the district, acreage, location, and powers, and committee substitutes were often used to align the bills with the chamber’s standard template language or correct drafting errors. Public testimony was repeatedly opened and closed with no witnesses appearing for or against the bills. The committee consistently adopted committee substitutes when offered, then voted to report the measures favorably, usually with recommendations that they do pass and be printed, and to place them on the local and uncontested calendar. Most roll calls showed 4 or 5 ayes and 0 nays, with some members absent or not voting. HB 5680 and HB 5682 were reported with committee substitutes in lieu of the filed versions; HB 5658 was reported with a do-not-pass recommendation on the filed bill but do-pass on the substitute; HB 5677 was handled similarly as a companion/template cleanup measure. The committee also noted a few procedural issues, including quorum concerns early in the meeting and a mislabeled bill number that required clarification. At the end of the meeting, the committee adopted several motions in writing and then recessed to reconvene 15 minutes after adjournment of the floor, anticipating possible additional bills later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• state of Texas.
• The Texas Animal Health.
• , south Texas, and central.
• The Texas citrus industry is a cornerstone of South Texas agriculture.
• TVMA along with Texas A&M, Texas Tech and a coalition of agricultural groups including Texas Farm Bureau

Keywords: 1184, house, all

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• The SMR is a special sales tax utilized by cities across Texas to repair streets and sidewalks.
• The city can avoid shifting the financial burden to property taxes or other funding mechanisms, keeping
• Currently, when a property owner passed away, the appraisal district have no way of knowing.
• be on that property.
• You're here on behalf of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. You're here for the bill. Yes, sir.

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• property, home, if you will.
• Agriculture property...
• In 2025, agriculture property makes up just under 18% of the property tax in North Dakota.
• Taxing district property value increases separated by increases on existing and new property.
• property.

Keywords: 908, all

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• in Texas.
• Investment Council, the Texas Music Office and Texas Film Commission, and Travel Texas.
• We facilitate filming on state property and the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program and the
• Texas.
• Texas, it's really a Texas issue. Sure, of course.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's obviously going to require a change to the property tax code to Required even though it wasn't a
• It's obviously going to require a change to the property tax code to Reiterate the fact that these short-term
• rentals are residential properties and should remain residential properties.
• We've taken residential property that has been historically residential property.
• But I really feel like, so they're income-producing properties, but they're residential properties.

Keywords: 996, all

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• Scammers are selling property that's not theirs.
• Uh, this property is real.
• One, and I'll give you an idea, is vacant property, second homes, property of those that are deceased
• <00:04:20.560> as to turn the m turn the property as to turn the m turn the property as quickly
• > of vacant property second homes property of vacant property second homes property of those<00

Keywords: 1136, house, all

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• That includes Texas Tech, Texas A&M, the University of Texas, and Texas State, kind of dividing the state
• However, Texas Education Code 28.002, which outlines the required curriculum, lays out the requirement
• I don't understand that extra time because the way that this Texas Education Code 28.002 is written,
• So then under Texas Education Code 28.002, I guess that's, is that L? L. Yes, ma'am. Okay.
• I don't oversee that division, but they're working on Texas Administrative Code Rule changes to comply

Keywords: 1184, house, all

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• Minnesota's residential energy code Minnesota's residential energy code hasn't<00:03:01.280>
• codes do not slow down home building. codes do not slow down home building.
• It's been, you know, about what this code does, what this next code does.
• does, what this next what what this code does, what this next code<00:15:30.800> does.
• We see this code in Colorado, and what we're asking for is to just adopt the base model code.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: Representative Mecklin moved House File 3545 to the general register and offered a DE amendment that removed the commissioner’s authority to choose a more efficient standard and removed the requirement that the 2038 residential energy code achieve a 70% reduction in annual net energy consumption compared with the 2006 energy use index. The amendment was adopted, and the bill was then discussed as amended. Mecklin said the bill was intended to address home affordability, arguing that energy code requirements add to housing costs and make it harder for younger Minnesotans to buy homes. Several testifiers opposed the bill, including representatives from the Center for Energy and the Environment, AIA Minnesota, Sierra Club, Fresh Energy, Housing First Minnesota, and ARXUS. They argued that energy codes are not a primary driver of housing costs, that stronger codes do not slow housing production, and that more efficient homes lower utility bills and improve comfort, safety, resilience, and climate outcomes. Testifiers cited studies and examples showing payback over time, including estimates that efficiency upgrades could pay for themselves in five to nine years and save homeowners tens of thousands of dollars over 30 years. The Department of Labor and Industry said it had concerns about the bill because it would move away from a more energy-efficient standard and could create unintended consequences in the code adoption process, though it said the current technical advisory group process already considers cost concerns. Members questioned the cost and savings estimates, especially the comparison between higher upfront mortgage costs and lower utility bills. Fresh Energy explained that its figures were based on Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Slipstream analyses using a typical Minnesota home and that the savings were modeled over time. Representative Johnson expressed skepticism about the assumptions behind the savings numbers and argued that utility costs are not the main barrier to homeownership. The chair said the committee intended to take a vote on the bill that day, but the transcript ends before any final vote or disposition is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, this is an adjustment to the code relating to the acquisition and sale of real property, and what
• State code currently allows the department to use waiver evaluations for acquisitions of properties up
• DELDOT is required to dispose of property no longer needed for transportation.
• DELDOT is required to dispose of property no longer needed for transportation purposes, and this bill
• Actually, in Texas Department of Housing, Actually, in Texas Department of Housing Community Affairs

Summary: The Senate Land Use Committee met in hybrid format but did not have a quorum, so it did not approve minutes or take formal votes. The committee first heard House Bill 457, which would raise the appraisal threshold for certain DELDOT real property dispositions from $10,000 to $25,000 to match federal highway standards and reduce the time and cost of selling small surplus properties. There was little discussion and no public comment on that bill, and the chair indicated it would be circulated. The committee then took up House Bill 451, which would codify a disparate impact framework under Delaware’s Fair Housing Act. The bill was described as clarifying that housing policies or practices can violate the law even without discriminatory intent if they have an unjustified discriminatory effect on a protected class, using a burden-shifting test similar to federal law. The sponsor and DHSA said the measure was intended to preserve fair housing protections amid uncertainty at the federal level, and an additional amendment was discussed that would delay implementation for 180 days and require DHSR, with DSA and stakeholders, to conduct outreach, education, and training. Public testimony was divided. Supporters, including Housing Alliance Delaware, YWCA Delaware, and the Delaware Human and Civil Rights Commission, said the bill would protect against discriminatory outcomes, align state law with longstanding fair housing principles, and preserve recourse if federal enforcement changes. Opponents and housing-provider groups, including the Delaware Association of Realtors, Greater Wilmington Housing Providers, and the Delaware Apartment Association, argued the bill could create liability for neutral policies, rely on statistical outcomes landlords cannot easily measure, and increase litigation and costs; several asked for more time, a right-to-cure process, or further amendments. The committee adjourned without taking a formal vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, Texas Occupation Code currently has a rigid rule requiring code enforcement trainees to work under
• It allows swift, affordable code enforcement amid Texas booming population.
• Uh, it's critical for rural Texas, enabling towns to act fast and maintain livability as growth strains
• An international syndicate effectively purchased the historic Texas lottery jackpot of $95 million.
• Uh, this is, uh, a bill to ensure Texas lottery is not influenced by outside organizations or groups

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• in Texas.
• Parental rights in education in Texas are currently enumerated across the Education Code quite broadly
• Members, protecting intellectual property is crucial to maintaining Texas’ competitive edge and research
• First, who owns the beaches in Texas? First, who owns the beaches in Texas? Texas.
• They are living in Texas, spending money in Texas, buying homes in Texas.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation, and adopted the previous day’s journal. Members then adopted Senate Resolution 358 honoring the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on its 10th anniversary, with remarks highlighting UTRGV’s growth, degree production, research expansion, medical school, and role in serving the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas. The chamber also recognized the doctor of the day and adopted additional resolutions, including one for Denton County Days at the Capitol and another recognizing Texas HBCU Day. The Senate gave extensive recognition to outgoing Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp through Senate Resolution 368. Senators from both parties praised his long public career, leadership of the A&M System, support for regional universities, and bipartisan approach. The resolution was adopted after multiple members added their names. The chamber also heard from advocates with the Texas Streets Coalition, and received gubernatorial nominations for the State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors and the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. On legislation, the Senate passed several major bills. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 27, relating to rights and support for public school educators, was debated and amended to address teacher vacancies, bilingual certification testing, paid leave options, classroom removals, and appeal rights, then passed unanimously. Senate Joint Resolution 12, proposing a constitutional amendment on parents’ right to direct a child’s education, advanced on a 22-9 vote. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1741, aimed at preventing foreign influence and intellectual property theft at public institutions of higher education, passed unanimously. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 29, the business entities bill, also passed after debate over corporate governance and shareholder protections. Senate Bill 857, authorizing law enforcement to tow certain vehicles driven by unlicensed or uninsured drivers, passed despite some concern about towing abuses during disasters. The Senate also took up Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1536 on dementia and Alzheimer’s training for certain guardians, but the transcript ends as that bill is being laid out.

Transcript Highlights:

• Oftentimes they will call Texas DPS. They'll ask us, hey, am I in the database?
• So one of the biggest gangs that we've got is in Texas called Cuernos.
• And once again, Texas is leading with this legislation.
• We have two senior fellows here in Texas, including one here in Austin. OK.
• Senate Bill 659 simply amends the Texas Penal Code to expand certain provisions in the definition of

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• I represent the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
• It's just amending the code to say that.
• Uh, Texas Public Policy Foundation brings them in at every hearing.
• I represent the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
• I represent the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

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• Walker County stands as a testament to Texas.
• Texas Ranks, Texas Ranks, Texas Ranks, Texas Ranks.
• in court across Texas.
• And under this Supreme Court, it is the law in Texas.
• But the State Bar of Texas is a public organization. every lawyer in Texas is compelled to join.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

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• We have the date and time: June 12th, 2025, at 9:16 AM, Texas.
• Government Code.
• We are pursuant to Sections 551. ...0.002 and 571.139B of the Texas Government Code.
• 2001.056 of the Government Code.
• We admit Texas Ethics Commission exhibits 1 through 9.

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• state of Texas.
• Texas Senate and the President of the Senate for the tremendous leadership on property tax relief and
• That's part of $51 billion that the Texas Legislature has put into property tax relief on the school
• , creating the criminal offenses of real property theft and real property fraud.
• , creating the criminal offenses of real property theft and real property fraud.

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation and then handled several procedural matters, including a failed motion to excuse Senator Johnson’s absence after a roll-call vote. The chamber also postponed the reading and referral of bills until later in the calendar and adopted motions allowing the Education K-16 Committee to meet while the Senate was in session. The Senate then recessed until 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 6. The main floor action centered on Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 9, which lowers the voter-approval tax rate for certain cities and counties from 3.5% to 2.5% for maintenance and operations. Senator Bettencourt argued the bill would slow local property tax growth and align city and county limits more closely with school district limits, while Senators Hinojosa and Menendez raised concerns about reduced local revenue, public safety funding, and the short time for cities to assess the impact. The Senate suspended the regular order, passed the bill to engrossment, suspended the constitutional three-day rule, and finally passed SB 9, with a clarification later entered that the final passage vote was 18-3. The Senate also took up Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 7, the Texas Women’s Privacy Act, which sets state policy for the use of certain spaces and facilities according to biological sex and creates enforcement mechanisms for state agencies and political subdivisions. Supporters said the bill was needed to protect women and children in restrooms, locker rooms, shelters, prisons, and schools, while opponents questioned the scope, enforcement, civil penalties, and possible conflicts with federal law and local control. After extensive questioning, the chamber adopted a clarifying amendment, suspended the three-day rule, and finally passed SB 7 by a vote of 19-2. Finally, the Senate passed Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 15, which addresses deed fraud and real property theft by tightening recording requirements for certain property documents and creating new criminal offenses for real property theft and fraud. Senator Hinojosa explained that the bill combined civil and criminal provisions, added photo ID requirements for in-person filings, and included restitution and enhanced penalties for certain victims and properties; a floor amendment made cleanup changes, removed a training mandate, and clarified that electronic and mail filings were not affected. The Senate adopted the amendment, suspended the three-day rule, and passed SB 15 unanimously, 21-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this property was sold, which is the claimant's grandparents' property.
• Okay, so we have a sale of property in 2009.
• But when the final sale happened on the property, that piece of mail was sent to the property address
• They had moved to Texas with my parents. They had moved to Texas.
• They had moved to Texas with my parents. They had moved to Texas. So, no, no one told them that.

Summary: The Joint Budget Committee’s Claims Review and Litigation Oversight Subcommittee met to consider two proposed litigation settlements from the Department of Corrections and one appealed claim from the Claims Commission. In the first settlement, Caroline Arnett v. Larry Norris, et al., members asked about the underlying sexual assault allegations, whether policies had changed, and whether PREA audits and other safeguards were in place. The department said audits were underway and that steps had been taken to prevent similar conduct. The committee approved the settlement by voice vote. In the second settlement, Latasha Ridgel v. Arkansas Department of Corrections, members raised concerns about the length of the case and the fact that it involved similar allegations. The department cited attorney turnover, COVID-related delays, and scheduling difficulties; the settlement was approved by voice vote. The committee then reviewed Sharon Greer and Deanna Hayes v. Commissioner of State Lands, an appeal of a Claims Commission dismissal involving a 2009 tax sale of family property in Crittenden County. The claimants said they did not learn of the sale or the $4,200 in excess proceeds until 2025, and argued that notice was inadequate and that the overage should not have gone to the county. The Commissioner of State Lands’ office responded that notice was sent to addresses on file, certified mail receipts were returned, and a post-sale notice explained the process for contesting the sale and claiming excess proceeds. The office also argued the claim was untimely, that the commission lacked jurisdiction, and that state law bars monetary damages against the commissioner for actions related to tax-delinquent land sales. Members discussed broader concerns about the tax-sale and excess-proceeds process, including whether excess proceeds should be held longer or routed differently, but noted those issues would require legislative changes rather than action in this case. The committee then voted to affirm the Claims Commission’s dismissal of the claim. The meeting adjourned after the motion passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• state of Texas.
• It has not reached Texas yet, but surveillance is needed and required to protect the Texas livestock.
• , South Texas, and Central.
• Uh, it's coming back to a huge impact Texas Texas cattle industry.
• TVMA along with Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and a coalition of agricultural groups including Texas Farm Bureau

Transcript Highlights:

• The next one is in Carthage, Texas, and the other one is over near Timpson, Texas.
• What are building codes?
• in East Texas.
• I assume you were talking about Texas in general, not East Texas.
• Looking on the diagram, it looked like in South Texas and West Texas is water eye.

Summary: The committee met on May 26, 2026, and first approved the minutes from the May 22, 2025 meeting. The main topic was the Northwest Louisiana earthquake cluster, with testimony from Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy staff, LSU and Tulane geoscientists, and later LSU law professor Keith Hall. Witnesses said the cause of the swarm has not been definitively identified, but induced seismicity from wastewater injection or hydraulic fracturing remains a concern. They described 50 earthquakes reported by the USGS in Red River, Bienville, DeSoto, and Natchitoches Parishes, including a magnitude 4.9 event on March 5, 2026, and explained that Louisiana’s sparse seismic network limits detection and depth/location estimates. C&E said it inspected Class II injection wells within 12 miles of the events, found no violations, now requires more frequent injection reporting, and is working with researchers and LSU on a possible state monitoring network and future policy changes. Committee members asked about injection depths, fault locations, whether the activity could be natural, and whether Louisiana should adopt stronger monitoring or a traffic-light regulatory system like other states. The witnesses said more data is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, but that denser monitoring can detect smaller quakes and help identify patterns. Professor Hall summarized responses in other states, including more frequent reporting, increased monitoring, injection reductions, moratoria, and traffic-light systems in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois. Members also discussed whether operators should share more seismic and geologic data, and several said the state should avoid jumping to conclusions while still improving oversight. The committee then heard from William Berger, a Texas geoscientist, who described using AI and operator data to model wastewater injection and seismic risk, and said broader data sharing would improve forecasting and siting decisions. He and another witness emphasized that many earthquakes arise from clusters of wells rather than a single well, and that proprietary concerns limit voluntary disclosure. The committee also received a brief update from GOSEP and the Louisiana National Guard on the Barksdale Air Force Base drone incursions. GOSEP said it logged the incident in WebEOC and shared releasable information, while State Police and the FBI said they were limited in what they could disclose. Officers said a task force has been formed, some personnel have received federal drone-mitigation training, and House Bill 940 is intended to mirror the task force MOU. Finally, Major General Thomas Friloux and Brigadier General Jason Maffus updated the committee on the merger of GOSEP into the Louisiana Military Department. They said the merger has reduced GOSEP from seven divisions to three, brought back employees to in-person work, modernized the state’s common operating picture, and produced about $10.5 million in first-year cost avoidance through staffing and contract changes. They also noted the planned transfer of the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, ongoing hurricane preparedness, and continued coordination with parish emergency managers. No votes were taken on the substantive topics, and the meeting ended with the committee moving through its agenda items and receiving informational testimony.