Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Austin? Present. Representative Crews? Present. Representative Gillette? Here.
• Representative Austin: Aye. Representative Crews: Aye. Representative Gillette: ...
• Representative Austin: Aye. Representative Crews: Aye. Representative Gillette: ...
• Representative Austin: No. Representative Abeytia? Nay. Representative Austin?
• Representative Austin [member_1750]? Nay. Representative Cruz? No.

Bills: SB1216, SB1391, SB1493, SB1520

Keywords: trauma, public safety, counseling, mental health, employee benefits, law enforcement, stress management, suicide prevention, workforce readiness, disciplinary action, appeals, termination, superior court, investigative process, reinstatement, immigration, data sharing, federal government, undocumented immigrants, visa overstays

Summary: The Committee on Public Safety and Law Enforcement heard several bills related to public safety personnel. SB 1520, which would have required state agencies to share certain immigration-related data with the federal government and sunset in 2029, was set aside after a proposed strike-everything amendment was defeated. The committee then voted 7-5 to give the underlying bill a do pass recommendation. SB 1216, which removes the sunset from traumatic event counseling programs for peace officers, firefighters, and 911 dispatchers and expands eligibility to crime scene and digital forensics technicians, drew support from police and fire representatives and passed 12-1 with a do pass recommendation. SB 1391 would create an AZ POST-administered law enforcement stress management pilot program, funded with a $950,000 general fund appropriation and operated through one Arizona nonprofit. The sponsor described it as a preventive, peer-support-focused program, but several members objected that the bill was overly prescriptive and looked like a vendor-specific measure. The committee voted 5-7 against giving SB 1391 a do pass recommendation. SB 1493, as amended, would require employers to pay taxable costs, attorney fees, and expert fees when a law enforcement officer who was terminated without just cause prevails through the administrative appeal process and then in Superior Court after the employer refuses reinstatement. Supporters argued it was a fairness and due process measure for rare cases where officers must litigate twice to be reinstated. After adopting a chairman’s amendment, the committee approved SB 1493 as amended with a due pass recommendation by an 8-3 vote, with one member changing from yes to no before the final tally.

Transcript Highlights:

• With regard to my professional background, I hold a PhD in physical chemistry from UT Austin and have
• In 2015, when she told me what she saw in her election in Austin, I was like, "Oh my gosh, Laura, I'm
• in Austin!
• I just wanted to call to your attention on March 6th, 2025, the city of Austin, Austin City Council.
• And the city of Austin, unfortunately, our Austin City Council has disregarded that.

Bills: SB38, SB287, SB291, SB292, SB508, SB618, SB901, SB1436, SB1494, SB1626, SB1719, SB1999, SB1333, SB 38

Keywords: evictions, property law, tenant rights, landlord responsibilities, justice court, court rules, SB 287, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, sexually oriented business, adult entertainment, strip club, nude entertainment, live nude performance, alcohol prohibition, alcohol consumption, possession of alcohol, criminal offense, Class A misdemeanor, state jail felony, third degree felony

Transcript Highlights:

• the famous case of Gretchen Gardner, a young Austinite who was interviewed several years ago by the Austin
• Austin is actually a prime example of a city focused on non-core functions to the detriment of its chief
• Austin began the year with an elevated number of motor vehicle thefts, kidnappings, and aggravated assaults
• Austin is in the beginning phase. You can name the state. I believe it's Seattle.
• But Austin is in the beginning phases of trying to map out what this thing looks like and how to properly

Bills: SB414, SB621, SB2395

Keywords: bond election, ballot proposition, debt obligation, municipal bonds, local government finance, property tax, ad valorem tax, school district bonds, county bonds, special taxing district, voter information document, public debt, municipal finance, tax-supported debt, election ballot language, bond transparency, homestead tax impact, capital improvements, general obligation bonds, public bank

Transcript Highlights:

• For us, that meant fewer voices in Austin, speaking up for El Paso and for West Texas.
• You put Plannersville in the same district as Katy and North Austin.
• Well, I currently live in Congressional District 21 outside of Austin.
• No physical hearings will be held outside of Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin.
• And that will be here in Austin.

Summary: The Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting met virtually for its West Texas regional hearing, established a quorum, and explained that the hearing was part of a series of statewide information-gathering sessions before any map was filed. The chair outlined the Zoom procedures, the two-minute testimony limit, and the availability of written comments through the committee’s public portal. Senators also discussed the logistics and transparency of the process, including the expectation that any proposed map or amendment would be made public once filed and that additional hearings would follow. Senator Blanco, whose district includes West Texas and the border region, said the area’s communities of interest should be kept together and warned against repeating the loss of representation that followed the last redistricting cycle. Senators Alvarado, Hinojosa, Miles, and others debated the value of virtual hearings versus in-person hearings, the number of people who had testified, and whether the committee could subpoena witnesses after the regional hearings ended. The chair said he was awaiting legal guidance and would consider a subpoena motion at a formal meeting the next day. A lengthy exchange also occurred over the tone of public testimony and the chair’s view that some comments directed at Republicans and the president had been offensive or historically inaccurate. Invited witnesses and public commenters largely opposed mid-decade redistricting and argued that any new map should reflect population growth, especially among Latino and other minority communities, and comply with the Voting Rights Act. Nina Perales of MALDEF said the hearings were not meaningful without a draft map and testified that Texas has a long history of discriminatory redistricting; senators questioned her about litigation, DOJ’s July 7 letter, and the 2021 congressional map. Tania Chavez Camacho, Luis Figueroa, and several El Paso residents emphasized that maps should preserve communities of interest, avoid cracking and packing, and be transparent and participatory. A smaller number of witnesses supported redistricting, including one El Paso resident who said the current districting leaves the area underrepresented and another who argued that some communities want to return to a map closer to the earlier District 16 configuration. Several witnesses also criticized the DOJ letter as inconsistent with the state’s position that the 2021 maps were drawn race-blind, while others said the current process was too rushed and lacked sufficient public input.

Transcript Highlights:

• There was a great guest editorial in the Austin American-Statesman today, and it asked... kind of one
• We simply do not have the extra time to commit to camping out in Austin to find out exactly what is going
• If this bill passes, the ones who are going to feel it are not going to be the people here in Austin,
• It's about protecting the paycheck of hired-gun Austin lobbyists.
• And this is the toughest fight in Austin because what this bill does is it defunds the deep state and

Bills: SB5, SB11, SB12, SB5, SB11, SB12

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, occupational licenses, criminal offenses, SB 11, Texas attorney general, election crimes, election law enforcement, criminal prosecution, Election Code, Government Code Chapter 402, local prosecutors, county attorney, district attorney, grand jury, probable cause reports, state election offenses, voter fraud, election integrity

Transcript Highlights:

• The City of Austin announced their plans for an ASR project, including it in their Water Forward Plan
• My name is Shea Rawls-Rolson, I'm a licensed professional engineer and I'm the director of Austin Water
• Like many cities across Texas, Austin is highly focused on long-term water planning.
• I love you to death, and I think Austin is forward-thinking. I think most of my big cities are.
• I don't think anything in this bill is going to prohibit Austin from moving forward.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Recently in Austin, Texas, in a hotel lobby, I'm told, that's their new format.
• Talk about something that occurred here very recently in Austin.
• Yes, those cities who... ...have adopted some of the standards are Houston, Austin, and Fort Worth.
• Standards, and those are Houston, Austin, and Fort Worth.
• Area of Medicine at UT Austin Dell Medical School.

Bills: SB1406, SB1681, SB2480, SB2721

Keywords: body donation, medical science, forensic science, willed body program, informed consent, boarding home, boarding home facility, adult care home, group home, assisted living, county reporting, municipal reporting, annual report, reasonable accommodation, fair housing, disability accommodation, local ordinance, permit requirement, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, HHSC

Transcript Highlights:

• It's great to see you on this very brisk, uh, morning here in Austin.
• So you're, you're talking about Austin ISD. Yeah, I, I, that may be true.
• Um, so, you know, 70,000 kids is about the size of Austin ISD.
• With Austin ISD, the deficit has grown from 92 million to 110 million as of mid-February.
• Austin is going to lose $12 million there.

Transcript Highlights:

• pounds of methamphetamine in the city of Austin in six months.
• And San Antonio, it's not easy to get from San Antonio to the city of Austin.
• Chair: ...having to drive that to the Austin crime lab.
• , Houston, it's a midway point of Austin and Houston just a little closer to Austin than Houston.
• You see it in West Austin. You see it in the Panhandle.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Energy Development and Transmission Committee meeting to order, and I will have Austin call the roll.
• Thank you, Austin. Well, committee, we have a very busy day in front of us with a couple of tours.
• And I see that the Thank you, Austin.
• Have Austin present the memo that he'll be working on between now and then.
• Okay, we'll have Austin get that information for us. So thank you for mentioning that.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Austin, and we appreciate big towns, but if we, we're just 12,000. people out there that needed help.
• You said, we are already fighting to protect our water from... like San Antonio and Austin.
• And, you know, nothing against the governor and Austin, but when you're. on the front lines.
• He was killed two years ago by the reckless. actions of a police officer here in Austin.
• I am Vice President of Justice and Advocacy for the Austin Urban League.

Bills: HB2034, HB2436, HB3010, HB3033, HB3138, HB3177, HB3426, HB3686, HB3858, HB4176, HB4257, HB4264, HB4804, HCR98

Keywords: groundwater, foreign ownership, national security, water permits, environmental health, deadly conduct, firearm, recklessness, peace officer, prosecution, Penal Code, Texas laws, disaster recovery, infrastructure, rural communities, grants, state funding, emergency management, HB 3033, Texas Department of Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Who are unfairly indicted here in Austin for doing their jobs. Thank you, sir, very much.
• Now, I think the big question is Austin Police management.
• I'm an attorney here in Austin, and I'm testifying on Senate Bill 1667 in my private capacity.
• I am the policy director for the Austin Community Law Center.
• We provide free and low-cost legal services to people here in Austin.

Bills: SB552, SB1099, SB1124, SB1208, SB1372, SB1506, SB1667, SB1804, SB1806, SB1870, SB1936, SB1937, SB2180, SB2405, SB2569, SB2570, SB1646

Keywords: community supervision, criminal justice, illegal alien, deferred adjudication, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, SB 1099, undocumented immigrant, unauthorized immigrant, immigration status, felony sentencing enhancement, criminal penalty increase, Texas Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, affirmative finding, judgment finding, deportation, public safety, immigration enforcement, sentencing reform, felony offense

Summary: The committee heard a series of criminal justice bills, beginning with SB 1870 and SB 1727, both of which were adopted as committee substitutes and reported favorably to the full Senate. SB 1870 would bar local governments from adopting policies that decriminalize controlled substances or direct officials not to enforce state drug laws, with civil penalties enforced by the Attorney General for violations. SB 1727 was described as a technical change to make the draft a formal Legislative Council version of a TDCJ-related assault bill; both bills were also sent to the local and uncontested calendar. The committee then took up SB 2405, the major Sunset bill for TDCJ, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, Windham School District, and the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee. Senator Parker explained that the bill continues and modernizes those agencies, requires a 10-year facilities and staffing plan, expands rehabilitation and reentry programming, improves parole-board consistency and training, and codifies various cleanup and inspector general recommendations. Sunset staff and agency witnesses discussed the bill’s data-sharing, program coordination, and projected savings from reducing delays in parole-voted programming; public witnesses generally supported the post-secondary education and reentry provisions, while some urged stronger statutory direction for Windham and more reform to medically recommended intensive supervision. The bill was left pending. SB 1804, SB 1099, SB 2569, and SB 2570 were also heard. SB 1804 would allow restitution for tattoo removal for human trafficking survivors and remove the age restriction so adult survivors can qualify; it was reported favorably and sent to the local calendar. SB 1099 would increase penalties for certain felony offenses when committed by a person determined to be unlawfully present in the country; immigration and civil rights witnesses opposed it as overbroad and difficult to administer, but it was reported favorably. SB 2569 would modernize unmanned aircraft reporting by requiring law enforcement agencies to post reports on public websites; it passed unanimously and was sent to the local calendar. SB 2570 would create a defense to prosecution for peace officers and correctional guards using less-lethal force weapons within the scope of their training; law enforcement witnesses supported it, civil rights and prosecutor witnesses raised concerns that it was too broad and could weaken existing use-of-force standards, and the bill was left pending for further work.

Transcript Highlights:

• A young Austinite who was interviewed several years ago by the Austin American Statesman, and she said
• Infinite, I'm sorry, siphon away finite time, money, and resources for questionable purposes, and Austin
• Austin began the year with an elevated number of motor vehicle thefts, kidnappings, and aggravated assaults
• Do you know if the city of Austin was thinking about being a lender and lending to business and consumers
• Austin is in the beginning phases of trying to map out what this thing looks like and how to properly

Transcript Highlights:

• Austin, Austin, would you ask her name? Austin, would you ask her name? She made a sharp right.
• We are joined today by a passionate community servant from right here in Austin.

Summary: The Senate reconvened from recess, received a message from the House that it was organized and ready to transact business, and exchanged brief welcomes between the chambers. The House also reported passage of SCR 7, which directs the State Preservation Board to begin steps to replace the Children of the Confederacy plaque with a plaque honoring victims of the state’s convict leasing system. The Senate then took up and adopted Senate Resolution 1, the caucus resolution offered by Senator Zaffirini, which sets recommendations for Senate operations. Officers of the Senate were sworn in, and the chamber adopted Senate Resolution 2, the Rules Resolution, offered by Senator Hughes; he said it largely carried forward prior rules with only slight committee-structure changes. The Senate also authorized a committee to notify the House that the Senate was organized and ready for business, and named Senators Creighton, Alvarado, Huffman, Hughes, and Parker to that committee. The Doctor of the Day, Dr. Liu, was introduced, and the Senate then recessed until 1 p.m. Wednesday, January 22.

Transcript Highlights:

• Austin, Austin, would you ask her name? Austin, would you ask her name? She made a sharp right.
• We are joined today by a passionate community servant from right here in Austin.

Bills: SR1, SR2

Keywords: Texas Senate, senate rules, caucus report, legislative administration, senate officers, parliamentarian, assistant parliamentarian, secretary of the senate, sergeant-at-arms, calendar clerk, journal clerk, doorkeeper, enrolling clerk, senate staff, employee policies, leave policy, compensatory time, outside employment, staff salaries, per diem

Summary: The Senate reconvened from recess and received a message from the House stating that the House was organized and ready to conduct business. The House also reported passage of SCR 7, which directs the State Preservation Board to begin steps to replace the Children of the Confederacy plaque with a plaque honoring victims of Texas’s convict leasing system. The Senate then took up and adopted Senate Resolution 1, the caucus resolution offered by Senator Zaffirini, which sets recommendations for Senate operations. The officers of the Senate were then sworn in. Next, the chamber considered Senate Resolution 2, the Rules Resolution, offered by Senator Hughes; it was adopted by a 31-0 roll call vote and makes only limited changes to committee structure while retaining prior rules. The Senate also authorized the President to appoint a five-member committee to notify the House that the Senate was organized and ready to transact business. Senator Eckhardt introduced the Doctor of the Day, Dr. Liu, a family medicine physician from Austin. With no further business, the Senate recessed until 1 p.m. Wednesday, January 22.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm currently working with, um, well, I had mentioned CCRC in Austin.
• Not only here in the city of Austin, but in rural towns, communities, outlying areas of Texas, there's
• Also just navigating around Austin can be difficult sometimes because the sidewalks are not great.
• Um, and it's not just Austin.
• Those phone calls for the children in Midland were made to Austin on behalf of DFPS and to Arizona on

Bills: HB 451, HB 645, HB 1041, HB 1151, HB 1155, HB 1536, HCR 12

Keywords: commercial sexual exploitation, child sex trafficking, human trafficking, child welfare, foster care, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, juvenile probation, risk assessment, needs assessment, trauma screening, child abuse prevention, exploitation screening, validated screening tool, evidence-informed tool, conservatorship, juvenile justice, at-risk youth, trafficking prevention, Child Sex Trafficking Prevention Unit

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Abeytia, Representative Austin, Representative Biasiucci, aye.
• And Representative Lorena Austin has the honor and privilege of serving the people of LD 9, which is
• Representative Austin, aye. Representative Biasiucci, aye. Representative Crews, aye.
• Representative Austin? Mr. Chairman, I explain my vote. Please.
• Representative Austin, explain my vote.

Bills: HB2207, HB2225, HB2602, HB2641

Keywords: braille, disability access, education funding, state corrections, inclusion, HB 2225, Yavapai County, northern Arizona regional training academy, training academy, public safety training, law enforcement training, police academy, first responder training, capital appropriation, state general fund, state treasurer, lapsing appropriation, section 35-190, capital costs, regional training facility

Summary: The committee first heard HB 2641, which would ban firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS chemicals. The sponsor said the bill was intended to protect firefighters and the public from carcinogenic and persistent chemicals that can contaminate groundwater, and noted Arizona had already banned the foam for training. A University of Arizona public health researcher testified that firefighters have higher PFAS levels than the general public and that AFFF use is associated with elevated exposure, while a firefighters’ association representative said alternatives exist and that the bill would remove uncertainty for departments. The committee passed HB 2641 unanimously, 15-0. The committee then heard HB 2602, a $24,000 appropriation for a 10% pay increase for Department of Public Safety employees in fiscal year 2027. The sponsor and supporters from the Arizona Troopers Association argued the raise was needed for recruitment and retention, citing vacancies, departures, and the cost of training new troopers. Several members supported the idea but raised concerns about the budget impact and the broader issue of pay disparities across agencies and state employees. The bill received a do pass recommendation on a 10-0-3 vote, with two members voting no and three voting present. Finally, the committee considered HB 2225, which would appropriate $10 million for capital costs at the Northern Arizona Regional Training Academy in Yavapai County and keep the funds from lapsing until 2029. The sponsor and Yavapai County law enforcement witnesses said the academy is overcrowded, serves multiple agencies across northern Arizona, reduces travel and lodging costs, and provides both basic and in-service training. Some members questioned whether the state should fund a county-based facility and raised concerns about the size and structure of the appropriation, while others supported the training mission but wanted the issue handled in the budget process. The committee voted to give HB 2225 a do pass recommendation, with several members voting no or present.

Transcript Highlights:

• One is the resource witness: Austin Clancy, Brianna Gordley, Stephanie Mace. Stephanie Mace.
• Austin Clancy with the Texas Super Credit Coalition. Go ahead. Thank you.
• Austin Clancy with the Texas Super Credit Coalition. Go ahead. Thank you.
• My name is Austin Clancy, Vice President, Managing Director for Public Policy.
• I also want to say, and Austin touched on this, there is a whole That is insanely expensive.

Bills: SB1113, SB1117, SB1206, SB1460, SB1802, SB1906, SB1917, SB2340, SB2455, SB2680, SB2690, SB705, SB748

Keywords: SB 1113, converter's license, converter license, motor vehicle dealer, auto dealer, vehicle conversion, converted vehicles, direct sales, retail sales, trailer, semitrailer, manufactured trailer, chassis, manufacturer's statement of origin, MSO, Occupations Code, Transportation Code, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, dealer licensing, general distinguishing number

Summary: The committee took up pending business first and reported several bills favorably, including SB 2139, SB 2610, SB 1856, SB 2530, SB 2401, SB 2858, and SB 3016, with most of those measures moving out on committee substitutes and being sent to the local and uncontested calendar or to the full Senate. The committee also heard SB 1906 on expanding Chapter 342E consumer lending rates; supporters argued it would modernize Texas law and expand access to safe, regulated credit, while opponents from Texas Appleseed and AARP warned it would raise costs on already expensive loans and worsen debt burdens. SB 1906 was left pending after testimony. The committee also reconsidered and re-voted SB 1856 after a procedural issue, with the substitute ultimately adopted and the bill reported favorably. The committee then heard SB 1113, which would clarify that certain vehicle converters, including a Texarkana business, do not need an additional dealer license to sell converted vehicles. The bill’s supporters described a long-standing business model and said the new metal license plate rules had created problems, while the Texas Automobile Dealers Association opposed the bill in its current form and said it could be resolved through DMV action or narrower changes. DMV said it was still researching a possible administrative fix, and SB 1113 was left pending. The committee also heard SB 2680, a Public Information Act cleanup bill dealing with emergency deadlines, business-day exclusions, and litigation timing; broadcasters and other open-government advocates argued the issues were already addressed by prior law and court rulings, while the Attorney General’s office said the bill would help with catastrophe notices and timing conflicts. SB 2680 was left pending. Other bills heard included SB 1117, which would allow any Texas-licensed dentist to administer botulinum toxin neuromodulators for aesthetic purposes in the oral and maxillofacial region; the author and dental witnesses said it would clarify scope and improve access, and the bill was left pending. SB 2340 would clarify the Attorney General’s investigative authority over Texas corporations, including pre-suit depositions and sworn written questions; opponents raised due process and separation-of-powers concerns, and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard SB 705 and SB 748, both TDLR cleanup bills, and SB 1206, which would impose timelines and notice requirements on municipalities reviewing transmission projects; SB 1206 was supported by an electric cooperative and left pending. SB 1460, creating an ethics violation registry tied to licensing consequences, drew constitutional and due-process objections from several witnesses and was also left pending. After a recess, the committee heard SB 1802 on landlord duties to repair mobility assistance devices like elevators and ramps in rental housing, with the author describing prolonged outages affecting seniors; the bill was left pending. Finally, SB 2455, creating an Energy Waste Advisory Committee to coordinate efficiency and demand-response programs, drew support from energy-efficiency and environmental witnesses and was left pending, and SB 2690, targeting deceptive business-certification solicitations, was laid out and opened to testimony before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am a board certified pediatrician and a current neonatology fellow here in Austin. Texas.
• To Austin, so we're clearly greater than 100 miles from all the major metro areas.
• Austin University. Like HBCU's rural universities are vital institutions.
• As an Afro-Tahana student. at the University of Texas at Austin.
• The UT Austin motto says the education is the guardian genius of democracy.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• mayor but uh work for the City of Austin mayor but uh work for the City of Austin and<00:16:01.399
• We offer tax abatement, and we'd encourage anybody that would like to come build in Austin.
• We offer five years' tax abatement for any single-family or multifamily building in Austin.
• Many individuals commute to other cities outside of Austin and into Austin as well, so parking is a key
• Many individuals commute to other cities outside of Austin and into Austin as well, so parking is a key

Keywords: 1187, senate, all