Transcript Highlights:

• </c> there are some costs that are reimbursed there are some costs that are reimbursed 100%<00:13:36.160
• or add additional reimbursable expenses.
• ,</c><00:26:19.760><c> if</c> weren't allowable for reimbursement, if weren't allowable for reimbursement
• It's not to reimburse other expenses.
• A train bring veterans down to the BA.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• reimbursement is getting worse.
• having to repeat training.
• This proposal increases reimbursements for drivers with a Type 3 school bus certification that trains
• This proposal increases reimbursements for drivers with a Type 3 school bus certification that trains
• This proposal increases reimbursements for drivers with a Type 3 school bus certification that trains

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• There was an issue around training that some folks on the program who receive required training did not
• And here's what I mean by that: my training director, Dr.
• She and her team—I challenged them to start training in July.
• training.
• The only way they can draw down funds is to have those members complete that training.

Committee: Senate Senate Education Committee of Reference

Transcript Highlights:

• inconsistent county reimbursements.
• and when, as well as annual trainings on how to apply this guidance.
• additional mandatory training.
• That would have required that mandatory training.
• We will, we continue to provide the training anyway, but the county clerks that come to those trainings

Transcript Highlights:

• training... ...living with them, help train the family members, the LEAP training, and go side by side
• Reimbursement in this way.
• The total reimbursement?
• increase in reimbursements.
• reimbursement under the program.

Transcript Highlights:

• the DANB exam reimbursement.
• It does reimburse for curriculum and on-the-job training, but it's a max reimbursement of $1,250 per
• It does reimburse for curriculum and on-the-job training, but it's a max reimbursement of $1,250 per
• individual student, and there's no reimbursement for the facility if they're doing on-the-job training
• staff to conduct the training.

Summary: The committee first approved the previous meeting minutes and then heard a detailed annual report from Dr. Thomas Arnold, chair of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, on maternal mortality trends and policy issues. He explained the committee’s review process, confidentiality protections, and national and North Dakota data showing that most maternal deaths are preventable and that mental health conditions, substance use, cardiovascular issues, infection, hemorrhage, and embolism are the leading causes. Members asked about suicide, domestic violence, midwife training, home births, and whether pregnancy testing at death scenes should be expanded; Dr. Arnold said better coroner education, more investigation of unexplained deaths, and possible post-mortem pregnancy testing could improve case identification, especially in rural areas. He also noted that deaths often occur well after 42 days postpartum and that mental health-related deaths remain a major concern. The committee then heard from State Fire Marshal Dr. Matthew Clark on cigarette reduced-ignition-propensity standards and related fire prevention issues. He recommended updating the state’s cigarette propensity law to current national standards and also raised a separate recommendation to require fast-breakaway oxygen tubing for home oxygen users, citing fatal fires linked to smoking around oxygen. Members asked about implementation, cost, insurance coverage, and whether the standards apply in tribal communities; Dr. Clark said he would provide follow-up information and was willing to help with any legislation, but no agency bill had yet been planned. Next, Christine Greff of the Department of Health and Human Services reported on the North Dakota Stroke System of Care. She described the statewide network of stroke-ready hospitals, registry-based quality improvement, and performance data showing continued improvement in stroke recognition, imaging, thrombolytic treatment, transfers, and EMS pre-notification. She highlighted new quality measures for inter-facility transfers and intracerebral hemorrhage care, and said the system remains strong but depends on continued legislative and hospital support. Committee members asked about participation by the VA hospital and were encouraged to consider outreach to include it more fully in the stroke system. Finally, the committee began a presentation on prior authorization and non-opioid pain treatment from Taha Khan of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. He argued that prior authorization can delay access to non-opioid acute pain medications, especially in the 24- to 72-hour post-discharge window when pain is most severe, and said delays can push patients toward opioids. He emphasized that prior authorization has a role in utilization management but should not create barriers in acute pain care, and he noted that current use of the company’s non-opioid product remains very low. The discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, current law permits state agencies to conduct studies and training related to radiation control
• This includes the Event Trust Fund, the Major Event Reimbursement Program, and the Motorsports Racing
• For the Major Event Reimbursement Program, it has to have an incremental gain of at least $1 million.
• The major event reimbursement program that was in Dallas.
• that by 2030, 60% of jobs in Texas will require some sort of post-secondary education or training.

Bills: SB913 , SB1086 , SB1087 , SB1143 , SB1534 , SB1553 , SB1718 , SB1754 , SB2004 , SB2322 , SB2448

Committee: Senate Economic Development

Summary: The Senate Economic Development Committee met to hear a series of bills and informational primers, with several resource witnesses from the Governor’s Office, the Texas Workforce Commission, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The chair opened by noting the death of Senator King’s son and asking members to keep the family in their prayers. Most bills were laid out and left pending subject to the call of the chair after brief author presentations and public testimony. The committee heard several local hotel occupancy tax bills: SB 1553 for Kerr County, SB 1086 for Childress County, SB 1087 for Mason County, and SB 913 for Alpine. Supporters, including the Texas Hotel and Lodging Association and local officials, said the measures would allow counties or the city to use hotel tax revenue for tourism-related projects and local development. The committee also heard SB 1534, which would direct a study on health physics education and workforce needs in Texas; resource witnesses from TWC and THECB testified on the bill. All of these measures were left pending. A major portion of the hearing focused on SB 1754, which would prohibit local tax abatements for renewable energy facilities selling power at wholesale, with an exception for certain battery storage tied to dispatchable generation. The bill drew strong support from witnesses who argued counties should not subsidize wind and solar projects that can harm neighboring landowners and that renewables already receive substantial federal support. Opponents from the solar and storage industry argued the bill would remove a voluntary local economic development tool, raise power prices, and discourage investment. Senators also debated landowner impacts, grid reliability, and whether the bill was the right policy tool; the bill was left pending. The committee also heard SB 2322, a committee substitute related to the Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation Act, which would exempt electric generation facilities from the program’s compelling-factor test so they can qualify for school tax limitation agreements. Supporters said the change would correct an unintended barrier for dispatchable generation, while Senator Johnson argued it would weaken the program’s purpose by subsidizing projects that would locate in Texas anyway. SB 1718 would add the NRA annual meeting to the major events reimbursement program; the NRA supported it, while gun violence prevention advocates opposed using state incentives for the organization. SB 2004 would add the Arlington Grand Prix to the major events program, and SB 2448 would create a rural workforce development grant program; both drew supportive testimony and were left pending. The committee also heard SB 1143, a substitute bill aimed at improving transparency and coordination in programs serving opportunity youth ages 14 to 24, with witnesses supporting better reporting and workforce alignment. At the end of the meeting, Senator Johnson moved that the committee stand in recess subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'm going to jump into reimbursement rates.
• SR Plus uses the same reimbursement rates as SR.
• SR Plus uses the same reimbursement rates as SR. DL had to set co-payments for the program.
• I think we lack a lot of training.
• I think we lack a lot of training.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and focused on School Readiness, specifically the new provider reimbursement rates and the School Readiness Plus program. The chair gave an overview of how School Readiness is funded and administered, noting that the Legislature now sets county-based reimbursement rates using market and cost data, and that School Readiness Plus was created to help families who would otherwise fall off the subsidy “cliff” at 85% of state median income by extending assistance up to 100% of state median income. Panelists from the Children’s Forum, the Association of Early Learning Coalitions, and the Division of Early Learning described the programs as major workforce and family-support tools that help parents stay employed and help providers recruit and retain qualified staff. Testimony emphasized that higher reimbursement rates increase parental choice, help providers cover rising child care costs, and support better staffing and lower turnover. The panel also said School Readiness Plus is easing the pressure on families to turn down raises or promotions for fear of losing child care assistance, though uptake is still early because the program only began in late 2024 and is only available to current School Readiness families at redetermination. The Division of Early Learning reported about 275 children enrolled in School Readiness Plus as of March 10, with expenditures of about $161,420 through January 2025, and said participation is increasing. Members asked about the federal-state funding split, wait lists, reverted funds, coalition accountability, county-based rate differences, and whether the entrance eligibility threshold should be raised or shifted to state median income. The panel said roughly 70% of School Readiness funding is federal, about 4% has typically reverted in recent years, and the wait list is around 12,000 children, with reasons including income ineligibility, lack of available seats, and funding limits. They argued that raising the entrance threshold would expand access but would require additional funding, and they also discussed the need to reduce workforce barriers such as in-person testing and training requirements. The meeting ended with no formal action beyond the presentation and member discussion, and the subcommittee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• that some folks who are on the program and receive required training did not do so.
• And here's what I mean by that: my training director, Dr.
• She and her team—I have challenged them to start training in July.
• training.
• The only way they can draw down funds is to have those members complete that training.

Committee: Senate Senate Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The Senate Education Committee of Reference first heard a sunset review of the Credit Enhancement Eligibility Board. Governor’s Office staff explained that the board was created in 2016 to lower borrowing costs for qualifying schools by providing a state guarantee that improves credit ratings, but the board has no dedicated staff or budget and is now largely in a monitoring role because it has reached its statutory leverage cap. Members discussed the long maturities of the approved financings, whether rural districts might benefit from additional capacity, and why a 10-year continuation was being requested. The committee voted to recommend continuing the board for 10 years until July 1, 2036. The committee then heard a sunset review of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE’s president described the interstate compact, its regional student access programs—WUE, WRGP, and PSEP—along with behavioral health fidelity reviews and cooperative purchasing savings. Testimony emphasized tuition savings for Arizona students, the return of health care graduates to Arizona, and the value of regional collaboration. The committee voted to recommend continuing WICHE for 10 years until July 1, 2036. Finally, the committee reviewed the Arizona Department of Education School Safety Program performance audit. The Auditor General reported that the program has grown substantially, but many sampled schools were not fully complying with requirements such as operational plans, safety teams, training, activity logs, and reimbursement documentation. The department agreed with the finding and said it would implement the recommendations. The school safety director responded that the department has already begun tightening monitoring, training, and documentation procedures, and he answered questions about emergency plans and campus safety. No further action was taken on the audit, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So my question to you is there's a concern of when and if they're going to be reimbursed by FEMA.
• And how does that reimbursement work on the back end?
• Like, what's the last storm we're waiting for reimbursement from? For work that was already done?
• There's no authority that we have to say, hey, we're going to force you to go to this training.
• The division The division loves to train.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Summary: The committee received a program review from the Florida Division of Emergency Management on the 2024 hurricane season and FEMA reimbursement process. Deputy Director Keith Pruitt described the impacts of Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton, including major storm surge, flooding, tornadoes, debris removal, power restoration, flood-control deployments, sheltering, and logistics missions. He emphasized that Florida’s approach is “federally funded, state managed, locally executed,” and said the division has already obligated large amounts of public assistance funding and mitigation dollars while continuing to work on remaining missions and reimbursements. A major focus of the discussion was how local governments can better document and vet debris-removal and other disaster costs so they are eligible for FEMA reimbursement. Chair DiCeglie and other senators raised concerns about local planning, commercial debris collection, and whether counties and municipalities that spend money up front will be reimbursed. Pruitt explained that eligibility depends on documentation, scope of work, insurance, and FEMA rules, and that the state’s FROC process is intended to help counties identify eligible work before costs are incurred. He also said commercial debris may be eligible in some cases but is not guaranteed, and that counties should coordinate early with FDEM and FEMA. Senators also asked about possible FEMA reforms, the age of outstanding reimbursement claims, and a proposed state fund to advance money to fiscally constrained counties while they wait for FEMA payments. Pruitt said Florida’s system is a national best practice, but that more county-level training and clearer coordination would help reduce de-obligations and audit problems. He said the reimbursement-advance idea is still being developed, and that the state continues to look at ways to streamline mitigation through programs like Elevate Florida. The committee took no formal action beyond hearing the presentation, and the meeting adjourned after closing comments from senators praising FDEM’s work.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:54.560><c> from</c><00:07:54.720><c> reimbursing</c> reimbursements from reimbursing reimbursements
• </c> increase in taxes or reimbursements increase in taxes or reimbursements because<00:19:06.559><c>
• Um, Chair, and then on the ... million in reimb in reimbursing charges million in reimb in reimbursing
• which have grown but reimbursements which have grown but they're<00:31:23.960><c> reimbursements</c>
• </c> seen an increase in the reimbursables seen an increase in the reimbursables collected<00:49:52.160

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill would require fair and equitable reimbursement.
• of the current wacky reimbursement system.
• , to follow, and join MassHealth in reimbursing nurse-midwifery services.
• Commercial insurers to reimburse, to follow, and join MassHealth in reimbursing nurse-midwives at the
• Not to mention, we may not be able to be reimbursed.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Financial Services

Summary: The Joint Committee on Financial Services held a lengthy public hearing with testimony on a wide range of health insurance and access-to-care bills. Early testimony focused on prescription drug pricing and pharmacy reimbursement, with supporters of H. 1326 arguing that pharmacy benefit managers and MassHealth managed care arrangements reimburse independent pharmacies too little, contributing to pharmacy closures and “pharmacy deserts.” The committee also heard repeated support for H. 1151/S. 742 on cognitive rehabilitation for acquired brain injury, H. 1288/S. 716 on telehealth parity for nutrition counseling, H. 1309/S. 761 on full-spectrum pregnancy care without cost-sharing, H. 1312 on insurance coverage for doula services, H. 309 on prompt access to health care by removing deductibles for certain services, H. 809/H. 1227 on biomarker testing, H. 1162/S. 810 on reducing inequities in access to medical procedures by limiting insurer cuts tied to Modifier 25, and S. 726 on insurance coverage for mobile integrated health. Testifiers included legislators, physicians, pharmacists, dietitians, emergency and rehabilitation clinicians, and patients and family members. Supporters of the brain injury bill said cognitive rehabilitation is medically necessary, improves long-term outcomes, and can reduce institutional care and public costs; they noted the bill has been heard repeatedly and has support from the Brain Injury Commission and prior favorable committee action. Supporters of the pregnancy care and doula bills described out-of-pocket costs as a barrier to maternal health and shared personal stories of high bills and unmet support needs. Biomarker testing advocates and cancer patients said coverage gaps deny patients access to precision treatment, can lead to avoidable suffering, and should be standardized across insurers; several speakers said insurers often deny claims despite clinical benefit. Dermatology witnesses said insurers’ use of Modifier 25 cuts reimbursement for same-day evaluation and procedure visits, forcing separate appointments and increasing patient burden. Mobile integrated health supporters described home-based care as a way to reduce emergency department use and hospital readmissions, especially for patients with transportation or mobility barriers. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing itself.

Transcript Highlights:

• . training. training.
• And once training is done, those companies file for reimbursement.
• Um, so in those cases, we reimburse for the amount of time that an instructor spends on that training
• We reimburse based on employee wages while they're doing training.
• We reimburse based on employee training.

Summary: The meeting began with a quorum call and approval of the August 21 minutes. The main presentation was from the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development on the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation (BSSC), which was created in 1984 and is administratively tied to the cabinet. Staff explained that BSSC supports workforce training for companies in Kentucky through two main programs: the grant-in-aid reimbursement program and the skills training investment tax credit. They also described the board’s structure, quarterly meetings, annual audit, and the metropolitan tax credit tied to UPS in Louisville, along with public-private training consortia supported by the program. The cabinet outlined eligibility and funding rules: applicants must be qualified companies, trainees must be full-time Kentucky residents meeting wage requirements, and eligible training includes in-house company-specific training, train-the-trainer efforts, safety/OSHA training, and outside training through KCTCS or other providers. Grant-in-aid is a 50% reimbursement program capped at $75,000 per company per fiscal year and $2,000 per trainee, while the tax credit is capped annually and is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications are scored based on county tier, wages, workforce development activity, veteran hiring, participation in consortia, and job growth. Members asked for data on trainees and industries served, and staff said they could provide it. They also discussed coordination with other workforce programs, especially KCTCS and the state’s TRAIN program, to avoid overlap and double dipping. Several members asked about program usage and differences between fiscal years. Staff said the tax credit is less popular because it is not refundable and requires tax liability, while grant-in-aid is more attractive because it is cash reimbursement. They said lower or delayed spending in some years can reflect one-year training windows, reimbursement lag, new facilities ramping up, consortia activity, and special allocations such as those tied to Ford facilities. Questions also covered support for new businesses, which staff said can receive favorable scoring for new jobs and may have funds set aside for new location projects. On veterans, staff said they connect companies to Kentucky Valor and other resources, but the program does not track veteran retention outcomes. The final discussion was on a draft bill related to the Kentucky Horse Park and the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Representative Vanessa Gracel and Kentucky Horse Park President Lee Carter explained that the proposal is intended to help the park maintain integrity and protect athletes, volunteers, coaches, trainers, and guests from abuse and misconduct. They described SafeSport’s federal role in Olympic and Paralympic sports and said they hope to move the draft forward as legislation in 2026. No votes were taken on the BSSC presentation or the horse park discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:15.080><c> An</c> be reimbursed under a warranty claim.
• An be reimbursed under a warranty claim.
• hours</c><00:08:27.440><c> because</c> We get reimbursed 10 hours because We get reimbursed 10 hours
• ,</c> has taken the manufacturer's training, has taken the manufacturer's training, then<00:09:06.360
• And then the fourth reimbursement.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• Each year, more than 65,000 service members train at this elite facility, which is nearly double the
• The enlistment incentives provide state tuition reimbursement and state re-enlistment bonuses.
• Incentives, like I said, include state tuition reimbursement and state re-enlistment bonuses.
• We provide training value and capitalize on their experience.
• This is generally enough to cover state tuition reimbursement, plus a little extra.

Committee: House Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Transcript Highlights:

• The enlistment incentives provide state tuition reimbursement and state reimbursement bonuses and other
• tuition reimbursement bonuses.
• tuition reimbursement bonuses and other tuition reimbursements<00:07:55.919><c> bonuses.
• </c> to support state tuition reimbursement to support state tuition reimbursement for<00:08:07.599><
• </c><00:15:33.839><c> So,</c> certification training. So, certification training.

Committee: House Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Transcript Highlights:

• They may not have the proper training to actually do that, and that may be one of the ways that they
• </c><00:21:38.400><c> and</c><00:21:38.640><c> professional</c> be good training and professional be
• good training and professional development.<00:21:40.400><c> The</c><00:21:40.559><c> Department</c><
• The training they're receiving, they receive a coach, lots of great support.
• The training they're receiving, they receive a coach, lots of great support.

Bills: HB329 , HB8 , HB353 , HB329 , HB8 , HB353 , HB50 , HB78 , HB225 , SB75 , SB209 , HB50 , HB78 , HB225 , SB75 , SB209

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Keywords: military installations, tall structures, local government, construction approval, wind energy facilities, tobacco regulation, vaping, sales restrictions, youth protection, tobacco compliance, public health, education programs, electronic nicotine delivery systems, judicial compensation, salary adjustments, district attorneys, Judges, local officials, computer science, education reform

Transcript Highlights:

• to the education, health care, limited to the education, health care, religious<00:21:09.679><c> training
• </c><00:21:11.039><c> The</c> religious training of the child. The religious training of the child.
• the education, healthcare and limited to the education, healthcare and religious<00:21:49.200><c> training
• </c><00:21:49.919><c> So</c><00:21:50.480><c> I</c> religious training of the child.
• So I religious training of the child.

Bills: HB19 , HB170 , HB171 , HB173 , HB174 , HB19 , HB170 , HB171 , HB173 , HB174

Committee: House Children and Senior Advocacy

Keywords: Ebony Alert, missing youth, public safety, law enforcement, racial equity, HB170, supplemental appropriations, Education Trust Fund, Alabama education budget, school funding, K-12 education, local boards of education, textbook adoption, school buses, school safety, charter schools, summer programs, afterschool programs, reading intervention, college and career readiness

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill would streamline the process. to become a license as a land surveyor in training. duplicative
• duplicated parts of the current process in current statute and applicant or a surveyor-in-training license
• Without getting prior authorization on passage of the exam the applicant would receive a and training
• Nichols work on this bill it's going to help us hopefully increase the number of surveyors and training
• I've just submitted my application for an SIT, surveyor in training, and one thing I have learned in

Bills: SB483 , SB522 , SB783 , SB1239 , SB1254 , SB1255 , SB1259 , SB1341 , SB1664 , SB1762 , SB1856 , SB1877 , SB1977

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: utility, proprietary information, customer data, data protection, electric service, customer information, emergency communication, electric utility, privacy, certification, public accountants, interstate licensing, accounting, regulatory amendment, energy efficiency, construction regulations, building codes, Texas, sustainability, cost-effectiveness

Summary: The Senate Business and Commerce Committee met with a quorum and first took up pending business, voting out several bills. Senate Bills 1697, 1569, 1202 as substituted, 1029, 1364, 1185, 924, 1008 as substituted, 264, 1376, and 1358 as substituted were reported favorably, with some sent to the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also adopted a substitute for SB 1202 and later corrected votes on several measures. SB 924 and SB 1376 drew some opposition, while the rest of the pending bills were reported without dissent or with limited nays. The committee then heard testimony on SB 1856, which would create an annual capacity-cost recovery rider for Entergy Texas customers in the MISO region. The author and Entergy argued the bill would better match rates to actual capacity costs and improve transparency, while the Texas Association of Manufacturers and the Public Utility Commission raised concerns about the short 10-day review period, rider proliferation, and the preference for full rate cases over piecemeal adjustments. The bill was left pending. The committee also heard and left pending SB 522 on CPA reciprocity, SB 1664 requiring TDUs to provide clearer, standalone rate-change disclosures, SB 1877 expanding OPUC’s access to market data, SB 1254 and SB 1255 as TDLR cleanup bills on professional employer organizations and mold assessors, SB 1341 updating manufactured housing rules, SB 1239 on sovereign debt and Texas governing law, and SB 1259 streamlining the surveyor-in-training licensing process. Additional bills discussed included SB 1977, which would cap recoverable legal expenses in electric, water, and sewer rate cases; OPUC and some consumer advocates supported the idea as a way to reduce ratepayer costs, while utility representatives warned it could discourage participation and increase rate shock. The committee also heard SB 1762 clarifying that geothermal energy conservation wells are not battery resources, and SB 783 allowing SECO to proceed with future energy-code rulemaking for state-funded buildings. Both drew supportive testimony from industry and environmental groups. All remaining bills heard during the meeting were left pending, and the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• when someone's not well-trained.
• It requires training. We're not talking about requiring intensive training.
• if they haven't had that training in nursing school or in their post-nursing-school training.
• It's not a SANE training. I'm just trying to get them up. The goal, no, it's not a SANE training.
• Our hospital now has four SANE-trained staff, meaning 40 hours of more training.

Bills: HB62 , HB124 , HB182 , HB193 , HB198 , HB203 , HB223 , HB237 , HB469 , HB486 , HB574 , HB779 , HB796 , HB919 , SCR2 , SB4 , SB36 , SB38 , SB109 , SB152 , SB168 , SB195 , SB216 , SB221 , SB236 , SB404

Committee: House Health and Welfare