Transcript Highlights:

• And if you go, if you put your phone on that QR code, you can actually get to our website that has all
• Fully utilize technology in New Mexico.
• It's blowing that top soil clear into Texas.
• Those old labs up there, my father-in-law was a superintendent of utilities up there.
• water utility.

Transcript Highlights:

• with the zero tolerance policy of Texas schools.
• delinquency code, and deal with those... violent offenses in a different way.
• So our school utilizes a variety of funding in order to make this work at our school.
• , not under the adult criminal code.
• You know, it's not always being utilized in the right way, or it's not being effective.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a lot of commodity codes.
• There's a process through administrative code.
• We figure out what all 17 want, and then we try to utilize the buying power.
• I've been in the procurement game for years and I hate commodity codes.
• There's over 8,000 commodity codes, and they're very tough to follow.

Summary: The subcommittee heard a panel on Florida’s IT procurement process from the Florida Digital Service, the Department of Management Services, and the Department of Financial Services. Witnesses walked through the procurement lifecycle, including planning, market research, solicitation, evaluation, award, implementation, and closeout, and emphasized the role of budget timing, contract managers, and subject matter experts. DMS described the state’s enterprise contracting system, noting more than 1,100 active vendor agreements, over 800 involving IT services, and the statutory requirement to request 25 quotes for certain IT purchases. DFS demonstrated the Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System (FACS), explaining how agencies upload contract and payment data and how the public can search contracts and related documents online. Members focused on accountability, transparency, and whether the state is getting the best products and vendors. Questions addressed how contracts are vetted, how technical evaluations are performed, how financial consequences are used for missed deliverables, how public records and confidential information are handled, and how the state screens vendors for foreign-concern or bad-actor issues. Witnesses said agencies rely on technical experts for evaluations, that contract terms should include measurable deliverables and meaningful financial consequences, and that agencies—not procurement staff—generally manage performance, though Florida Digital Service oversees large IT projects of $10 million or more. The committee then shifted to broader policy discussion, including Senate Bill 7026 and proposals to reorganize state IT governance. Several members argued for stronger centralization under a state CIO or similar enterprise authority, while others cautioned against abrupt restructuring and stressed the need for a transition plan. Members also raised concerns about workforce retention, consulting services, recurring project overruns, and the need for better planning and periodic monitoring. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with the chair thanking members and staff and adjourning the subcommittee.

Transcript Highlights:

• >> yeah so you're reducing your utilization >> yeah so you're reducing your utilization
• ...governing the Uniform Probate Code.
• States like Texas, bipartisan support.
• So, it just seems like it's a very low utilization rate.
• Inflation has driven up labor costs, insurance, rent, utilities, and transportation.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs heard House Bill 2095, which would provide supplemental appropriations for the Judiciary for the 2025-2027 biennium. Judiciary Administrative Director Brandon Kimura testified in strong support and outlined a request for about $6.4 million in supplemental operating funds, plus four permanent full-time position conversions. He grouped the request into security, services to court users, and staffing needs, including $3.25 million for supplemental armed private security at judiciary facilities statewide, nearly $200,000 for cybersecurity staffing and support, restoration of funding for substance use treatment purchase-of-service contracts, restoration of funding for the Office of Public Guardian on Kauaʻi, salary commission funding, a Kona court operations position, and two Court-Appointed Special Advocates positions converted from temporary to permanent. He also described five capital improvement requests totaling $55.4 million, led by $30 million for construction of a new South Kohala courthouse, $1.2 million each for air conditioning upgrades in Hilo and Kauaʻi, $15 million for elevator upgrades at Kahumanu Hale, and $8 million in lump-sum bond funds for emerging projects. Several organizations testified in support, including Parents and Children Together and the True Cost Coalition. Supporters emphasized the importance of the purchase-of-service funding for domestic violence and substance use treatment services and said the restoration would return funding to pre-COVID levels and help providers maintain capacity. Kimura explained that the Judiciary often shifts funds among contracts during the year to avoid service interruptions, but that the reduced funding has caused delays and operational problems for providers and probationers. Members asked detailed questions about the capital projects and operating requests. Representative Shimizu asked for more information on the lump-sum bond funds and the elevator project, and Kimura explained that the Kahumanu Hale request covers four remaining elevator shafts after earlier funding addressed the first five elevators. Representative Cochran asked about the absence of Maui County projects, and Kimura said the Judiciary is still planning for its older Maui facilities with DAGS. Chair Tarnas questioned the need for armed private guards and discussed whether court security should be prioritized within the Department of Law Enforcement; Kimura said the Judiciary needs additional personnel now and has not asked DLE to deprioritize other missions, though the chair suggested further coordination between the agencies. No vote or final action on the bill was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair calls this meeting of the Texas Ethics Commission.
• The chair reconvenes this meeting of the Texas Ethics Commission at 12:05 p.m. Mr. Tinley.
• I serve as Deputy Controller, um, at the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
• The adjusted thresholds are codified in the Texas Ethics Commission rules.
• means that it cannot make contributions to Texas candidates.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 2320 amends the Penal Code to...
• Under the Family Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, or any other order from a state that's related
• We don't have one in Texas, so we can't really say what it is going to look like in Texas.
• Senate Bill 1379 amends Section 32.21 of the Texas Penal Code by increasing the penalty for forgery from
• National Bank of Texas.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Food costs are up, labor costs are up, utilities are up, insurance is up, and nearly every transaction
• Every major cost—labor, insurance, food, rent, utilities—continues to go up, and layered quietly on top
• So the most useful action that this commission can take is to support the X9QR pay code standard.
• And there's a new standard of pay codes, QR pay codes, that was introduced very late last year that would
• Utilize the debit card because the fees are cheaper for a lot of reasons.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Legislative Commission on the Future of Payments and Sales Transactions by Credit Card and the Impacts for Small Businesses held a public hearing focused on interchange fees, sales tax and tip processing, chargebacks, fraud, surcharging, and the broader future of payment systems. Chair Paul Feeney and co-chair Rep. Jamie Murphy opened by explaining the commission’s charge and inviting testimony from small businesses, industry groups, banks, and policy experts. Representative Sean Garballey testified first, arguing that Massachusetts tourism depends on universal card acceptance and stable interchange, and urging the commission not to disrupt the current system ahead of major events expected to bring millions of visitors to the Commonwealth. A large portion of the hearing featured independent restaurant owners and advocates describing thin margins and the burden of paying percentage-based processing fees on sales tax and tips that are not business revenue. Jen Ziskin, Kristen Canty, Nancy Cushman, Kerry Colzer, and others said restaurants often operate on very small profits and that processing fees on taxes and gratuities can amount to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Ryan Lotz also urged reforms to chargebacks, including refunding chargeback fees when merchants prevail, requiring consumers to contact businesses before disputing charges, and limiting repeat abuse. Commission members pressed witnesses on whether tax and tip amounts could be separated at the point of sale, and several witnesses said current consumer card systems do not transmit that level of detail. Testimony from credit union, banking, and payments representatives largely opposed state-level changes that would carve out taxes or tips from interchange, warning of compliance burdens, higher costs, reduced rewards, and possible effects on fraud protection and access to credit. Alex Verine of America’s Credit Unions and Deb Peters and Keely McEwen of the Electronic Payments Coalition said the payment system is complex, that interchange funds fraud prevention and network infrastructure, and that new state mandates could create operational and legal uncertainty. Dan Swanson argued states have authority to act and pointed to Illinois litigation and federal court rulings, while Julian Morris and Brad Popolado emphasized the benefits of card acceptance, the decline of cash, and the need to consider other payment methods and check fraud as well. Several witnesses discussed international payment systems, instant payments, and QR standards as possible future directions. The chairs and members engaged in extended back-and-forth with witnesses about whether Massachusetts could exempt sales tax from swipe fees, whether surcharging should be revisited, and whether vendor compensation or other targeted relief might be more workable than broad changes to interchange. No votes were taken. At the close of the hearing, the chairs said the commission would hold one additional public hearing date to be determined, after which members would begin developing next steps and a report.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, utilities are unique.
• every day and the Public Utilities every day and the Public Utilities Commission<00:05:10.560>
• energy perspective and seek utility energy perspective and seek utility Partners<00:14:59.800>
• and the Public and when uh the utilities and the Public Utilities<00:21:10.279> Commission<00
• <01:07:57.039> I<01:07:57.119> think utility by utility basis and I think utility by

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• lived in that zip code.
• They typically brought a driver's license, utility bill, etc.
• That being said, in times when you're not aware, we are the largest utility in the state.
• Mexico that having a guarantee of that redundancy is in the best interest of the utility.
• So we're looking at almost 2 million on the utility Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas.
• Texas We show you registers Molly Boyles, director of Public Policy, Texas Council on Family Violence
• Senate Bill 1379 amends section 32.21 of the Texas Penal Code by increasing the penalty for forgery from
• , First National Bank of Texas.
• The Supreme or Texas has.

Transcript Highlights:

• As I, as I looked through that list, I would like to also propose that we look at The utilization of
• We entered into a partnership with the Albuquerque Bernalo County Water Utility Authority, um, to do
• Um, I think certainly from the state procurement code, uh, the anti-donation clause prohibits us, and
• So, in that case, Texas is challenging the NRC's approval of the facility, arguing it shifts long-term
• And when we make agreements with parties, uh, to utilize state trust lands, we require certain things

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Lisette Galvan, and I serve as the public policy director for NAMI, Texas, which is a Texas
• Texas penal code defines this harmful sexual contact as a felony, but other sex crimes against kids have
• I was living here in Texas.
• And so, well, the, the actual penal code. Is I've seen it.
• That it's disconsonant with other aspects of the penal code.

Bills: HB268, HB305, HB307

Keywords: gun show, firearm sales, criminal background check, firearm regulation, gun show promoter, election procedures, voter registration, residence requirements, change of address, voter eligibility, youth camp, flood safety, life jackets, grant program, flotation devices

Transcript Highlights:

• So for members, that's agency code 770.
• So as you can see, our agency is made up of five program codes.
• One of them is an enterprise fund, so it is not a general fund program code.
• to the COM, which is the essentially probation and parole budget code.
• I do have one full-time Texas resident attorney who comes in when he needs to.

Transcript Highlights:

• code form steel. code form steel.
• It's in Texas.
• It's in Texas.
• It's in Texas.
• Um Texas is the one and >> It's in Texas.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of Texas, and you're testifying on the bill.
• economy and Texas citizens.
• Current Texas law is inadequate for addressing this problem.
• It can be in either, uh, but we prefer to do it in Texas.
• Most people don't realize that the Texas penal code compared to most states and the feds is quite the

Transcript Highlights:

• It's just now reached the edge of Texas; it's in East Texas, so we screen for that and watch for that
• In Texas? Say that again? We don't have anything currently set up in Texas right now? No. We don't.
• In South Texas alone, a little over half a million whitetail deer roam that part of South Texas.
• of Texas and about another... of the 300-plus livestock dealers in the state of Texas.
• There is a coalition, the Texas Screwworm Coalition, or Screwworm Coalition of Texas.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And also, under the Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 143, meet-and-confer agreements may modify that
• Our state suffered historic flooding in Central Texas and West Texas last month, with tragic loss of
• Do you have that, or is there somewhere else in code?
• the University of Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech.
• This is a project I think that's been Texas Tech is working on.

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum call, invocation, and approval of the previous day’s journal, then observed a moment of silence after Senator Eckhardt referenced a mass shooting in Austin. The chamber also agreed to postpone reading and referral of bills until later in the day. Early procedural business included a motion not to print Senate Bill 3, which was adopted without objection. Later, Senator Mendez raised a parliamentary inquiry about moving flood relief bills to the top of the calendar, but the presiding officer said the order of business was up to the chair. The main floor action centered on Senate Bill 4, the congressional redistricting bill. Senator King laid out the bill, describing it as the companion to the House version, based on 2020 census data, and arguing it was legal, race-blind, more compact, and likely to elect more Republicans. Senators asked extensive questions about the process, public hearings, and the map’s effects on districts and communities. The Senate voted to suspend the regular order of business and the three-day rule, then passed SB 4 to engrossment and finally passed it, with the recorded votes showing 19 yeas and 2 nays. The Senate also took up Senate Bill 6, relating to abortion and civil liability for the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs. Senator Hughes argued the bill was needed to stop illegal abortion pills being mailed into Texas and harming women and unborn children. The Senate suspended the regular order of business and the three-day rule, passed the bill to engrossment, and then finally passed it, with the recorded votes showing 18 yeas, 10 nays, and one present not voting. A lengthy discussion followed on the committee substitute for Senate Bill 14, which would standardize law enforcement personnel and departmental files statewide. Senator King said the bill codifies a TCOLE model policy and limits public access to personnel files to substantiated misconduct, commendations, and evaluations, while keeping other records available through other legal processes. Senators Eckhardt, West, Hinojosa, and others questioned how the bill would affect transparency, meet-and-confer agreements, civilian review boards, and access to unsubstantiated complaints. An amendment by Senator Hinojosa of Dallas to narrow the bill to unfounded complaints failed, and SB 14 was then passed to engrossment on a vote of 18 yeas and 10 nays. The final major item was Senate Bill 1, the natural disaster omnibus bill responding to the July flooding. Senator Perry said the bill addresses camp and RV park safety, evacuation plans, emergency rooftop access, lines of succession for local emergency management, annual drills, volunteer management, drone restrictions over disaster areas, small-business recovery loans, and a statewide data hub for flood and weather monitoring. Senators Menendez, Eckhardt, and Kolkhorst asked about autopsies, volunteer background checks, liability, warning systems, floodplain mitigation, and coordination with FEMA and local governments. Perry said the bill focuses on preparation, response, and recovery, while broader prevention and mitigation issues may be addressed later. The transcript ends during this extended discussion, before final action on SB 1 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Texas Lottery is committed to generating revenue for the state of Texas through the responsible management
• Charitable bingo in Texas was first approved...
• Lottery in Texas.
• The Texas Lotto Commission is a statutory mandated.
• , they were scanning a QR code that was not the official Texas Lottery QR code. or is it everybody's,

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas invested $50 million in their portion and share information.
• So if you come from Texas, you should be able to get that rate.
• Yet someone from Texas can send their kid here for the same price as you and I.
• Code. This provision is in Title 8, Section 1621 of U.S. Code.
• Arkansas, Texas, Japan — no commitment, no strings attached.

Bills: SB1687, HB1687, HB4431, HB2894, HB2979, HB3262, HB3298, HB3369, HB3431, HB3462, SB1226, SB1876, SB1916, SB1920, HB3467, HB3498, HB3500, HB3521, HB3581, HB3650, HB3673, HB3764, HB3767, HB3781, HB3800, HB3831, HB3834, HB3941, HB2749, HB3970, HB3972, HB3979, HB3980, HB3981, HB3996, HB4095, HB4104, HB4191, HB4248, HB4298, HB4338, HB4427, HB4428, HJR1023, HB3660, HB3718, HB4326, HB3443, HB3880, HB3649, HB3000, SB1651, SB504, SB372, SB1326, SB1633, SB248, SB1242, SB1238, SB423, SB1989, SB1286, SB904, SB1213, SB1216, SB1827, SB65, SB1390, SB259, SB1944, SB540, SB2139, SB346, SB1595, SB1400, SB1555, SB1209, SB2110, SB1670, SB1061, SB2104, HR1057, SB1946, SB1734, SB1316, SB1360, SB1557, SB1684, SB2049, SB1410, SB2011, SB1437, SB1204, SB1732, SB1775, SB2084, SB1380, SB1572, SB1772, SB1224, SB710, SB1338, SB1266, SB1303, SB1307, SB1562, SB1794, SB1191, SB1983, SB1832, SB1448, SB1534, SB1593, SB1597, SB1630, SB1489, SB1726, SB1796, SB1806, SB1877, SB1451, SB1553, SB1632, SB1423, SB1425, SB1502, SB2180, SB1725, SB2182, HB3003, HB3004, HB4434, HB4324, HB4342, HB2137, HB4432, SJR50, SJR52, SJR53

Keywords: driver licenses, exam proctor, Service Oklahoma, commercial training, background checks, advance directive, advance health care directive, health care proxy, medical power of attorney, durable power of attorney for health care, living will, surrogate decision-maker, default surrogate, health care agent, capacity determination, supported decision making, mental health directive, psychiatric advance directive, end-of-life care, life-sustaining treatment

Summary: The House recognized several visitors and groups during the day, including the Norman North High School Cheer and Stunt Team, a student page, Bartlesville Day at the Capitol, and Leadership Elk City. The chamber then took up a long series of Senate amendments and final passage votes on a wide range of measures, with most amendments adopted without objection and many bills passing by wide margins. Topics included advanced health care directives, the Oklahoma Rural Jobs Act, motor vehicle and insurance changes, food truck fire suppression, foreign adversary land ownership restrictions, plumbing licensing reform, probate procedure, financial institutions, riots, Medicaid, court reporters, public finance, district attorney recruitment incentives, child care, the Oklahoma Brine Development Act, adjunct teachers, workers’ compensation, and other technical or policy updates. Several bills drew substantive debate. The Oklahoma Rural Jobs Act prompted questions about the additional $15 million funding tranche, return on investment, and the use of out-of-state fund managers; supporters said the program had created thousands of jobs and generated strong tax revenue, while opponents criticized the lack of independent ROI data and transparency. House Bill 3500 on probate procedure also drew questions about a nine-month deadline for successor affidavits, with the author saying the change would prevent a “gotcha” that could defeat a decedent’s wishes. House Bill 3660 on natural organic reduction was the subject of extended debate, with supporters arguing for personal freedom and rejecting claims about misuse of the resulting material, while opponents raised concerns about the practice and its regulation. The House passed most measures by comfortable margins, including bills on advanced health care directives, professions and occupations, motor vehicles, Medicaid, insurance, child care, court reporters, public finance, and criminal law. A few measures failed or were reconsidered: Senate Bill 1916 initially failed on a 46-39 vote, but the House later voted to reconsider and then passed it on reconsideration. Several bills also carried emergency clauses, which were adopted where required by two-thirds votes. The session ended with the House still considering debate on House Bill 3660 after the chamber had recessed and returned to order.

Transcript Highlights:

• Education Code, also known as recapture districts.
• Insurance Code.
• We have a big shortage of officials in Texas. If we don't...
• We have a big shortage of officials in Texas.
• And that just doesn't seem like the right thing for Texas.

Summary: The Committee on Education K-16 heard testimony on SB 1635, which would give certain coastal, recapture-paying school districts a credit against recapture payments for mandatory windstorm and hail insurance costs. Senator Hinojosa said the bill is intended to offset unusually high insurance expenses for districts in Tier 1 or Tier 2 coastal zones, and he estimated about a $12 million impact to state revenue. Witnesses from Port Aransas ISD and Gregory-Portland ISD described sharp premium increases, reduced coverage, higher deductibles, and the effect on teacher pay and classroom spending. Senators asked about the number of affected districts, the accuracy of the fiscal estimate, and whether the bill might encourage districts to maintain coverage. Public testimony was closed and SB 1635 was left pending. The committee then took up several other bills and committee substitutes, adopting and reporting favorably SB 2786, SB 2623, SB 646, SB 843, SB 2392, SB 1998, SB 1418, SB 2788, and SB 2076, with most votes unanimous or near-unanimous. SB 2392 was amended to add improper relationship between educator and student to mandatory reporting offenses and to authorize an attorney general civil penalty for failure to report. SB 2623 was revised to clarify duties and exemptions related to the Safe Schools and Neighborhood Task Force and school proximity restrictions. SB 843 would create a TEA database of school district bonds and related projects, and SB 2788 would exempt certain PSAT scorers from the Texas Success Initiative assessment. The committee also heard SB 2929, which would allow referees and other officials at school athletic events to immediately eject disruptive spectators. The Texas Association of Sports Officials testified in support, citing abusive spectator behavior and a shortage of officials. SB 2929 was left pending. Finally, the committee heard a substitute for SB 2927 on 1882 partnerships and a substitute for SB 2619, which would require more transparency and accountability for failing school districts, superintendent hiring, trustee training, and takeover timelines. Testimony on SB 2619 was mixed, with one witness from Texas 2036 supporting parts of the bill’s accountability provisions. The committee adopted the substitute for SB 2619, left it pending, and then recessed subject to the call of the chair.