Transcript Highlights:

• The gentleman from Texas is recognized. >> Mr.
• THE GENTLEMAN FROM TEXAS IS RECOGNIZED. >> MR.
• The gentleman from Texas reserves the balance of his time.
• The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Texas. >> Mr.
• The gentleman from Texas is recognized. >> Mr.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, February 23, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Bill 2112 suggests improvements to the Massachusetts regulations and associated building codes.
• Bill 2112 suggests improvements to the Massachusetts regulations and associated building codes that will
• We are limited in certain facets of the code enforcement officials within this because some of this is
• not touched upon in the building code.
• Greenfield's water supply is within the boundaries of Leyden.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The joint committee held a public hearing on several bills covering state administration, land/public housing redevelopment, construction safety, memorialization, records management, rural grant equity, and animal research. Testimony in support of H. 3329 described an inequity in the Governor’s Council reimbursement statute, which currently cuts off travel, meals, and lodging reimbursement after four terms; the witnesses argued this disproportionately burdens members from western Massachusetts and creates geographic and economic barriers to service. The Boston Housing Authority supported legislation for the Brighton/Faneuil Gardens area, saying it would allow a mixed-use redevelopment that replaces all existing public housing units one-for-one, adds new affordable housing, creates replacement rehearsal space for displaced musicians, and preserves prevailing wage standards. A major portion of the hearing focused on S. 2112, a construction safety bill. Suffolk Construction, Boston building trade representatives, and local inspectors testified that the measure would strengthen training, site safety standards, oversight of high-risk work, and enforcement, while helping protect workers and the public and improving retention and recruitment of inspectors. Witnesses said the bill would align Massachusetts more closely with higher safety standards in other states and build on lessons from past construction-related incidents. The committee also heard support for S. 2162, which would create a COVID-19 memorial; the witness emphasized the scale of pandemic deaths in Massachusetts and the educational value of public memorials. Other testimony addressed H. 3321, which would modernize records preservation for registers of deeds by reducing reliance on costly microfilm in an increasingly electronic system; the witness said current law is outdated and expensive. H. 3311, aimed at advancing equity for rural communities receiving state grants, drew support from town officials in Leyden and Ashfield, who said small towns lack staff for grant writing and should be evaluated more on need and regional impact, especially for climate and public safety projects. Finally, S. 2117, concerning animal research, was supported by an animal welfare advocate who urged prohibiting state funds for animal experiments and shifting to non-animal research methods. After the hearing concluded, the chairs noted that additional hearings and polling votes would follow, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we rely on Sonoma Water for about 93% of our water supply.
• Balancing water quality and balancing the needs of water systems can provide. Thanks.
• we don't want to have then a water quality issue with our whole water supply.
• water capacity, in a rural area.
• So mutual water is another thing.

Summary: The hearing focused on lessons from the 2017 Tubbs Fire and how Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, and local partners have changed wildfire prevention, recovery, and rebuilding practices since then. Assemblymembers emphasized that the region has become a model for the state, with a shift from suppression to prevention, and panelists described improvements in defensible space, home hardening, vegetation management, alerting, and community coordination. The discussion also highlighted the continuing importance of sharing Sonoma County’s experience with other wildfire-impacted communities across California and beyond. Fire officials and local leaders described specific prevention measures now in place, including Santa Rosa’s vegetation management ordinance, ignition-free/Zone Zero requirements in rebuilding, restrictions on certain mulches, removal of dead and dying trees near roads and defensible space zones, and expanded prescribed burning authority. They also stressed the importance of community organization through block captains, Firewise/COPE-style networks, and the Mark West Area Community Fund. Speakers said these networks helped residents navigate recovery, avoid fraud and bad contractors, coordinate with local agencies, and support neighbors, but they argued that such efforts need more formal structure and stable funding. Water and permitting officials discussed how the fires changed their work. Santa Rosa Water described new regional coordination, generator and backup power upgrades, emergency training, and lessons learned about wildfire-related contamination in water systems, including the need to restore pressure, flush, and test quickly after a fire. Permit Sonoma said rebuilding was balanced by streamlining permits while still requiring safer, more resilient construction, and noted that reduced fees and one-stop permitting helped speed recovery. United Policyholders described helping residents maximize insurance proceeds, organize information, and avoid scams, while warning that insurance availability and affordability remain major barriers and that insurers are increasingly rewarding risk-reduction measures. Across the panels, the main policy requests were for faster and more flexible grant processes, more stable long-term funding for prevention and community programs, stronger support for home hardening and defensible space, better training and tools for local governments and legislative staff, and continued attention to insurance and utility-related resilience. No formal votes or actions were taken in the transcript excerpt; the hearing was informational and ended with a transition toward public comment and further discussion of remaining statewide wildfire policy needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of them is the Water Trust Board.
• Or in 50 million, what is the total coding cost?
• Chairman, the Water Trust Board is made up of people who care deeply about the way in which water is
• Number seven, the Medical Board, Agency Code 446.
• Next up, Board of Nursing, Agency Code 449.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are the second-largest veteran population behind Texas, that's according to the U.S.
• Improvements made on homes also means that they will be brought up to code compliance.
• If they need something—food, water, people, whatever that is—they'll put it into the system.
• We know one of the things that we're going to need is swift water rescue teams.
• The teams in Tennessee are some of the best trained swift water teams in the world.

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from Major General James Hartzell of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs on the agency’s mission, outreach efforts, state veterans nursing homes, and support programs. He highlighted Florida’s large and growing veteran population, the state’s existing nursing homes and the planned 10th home in Collier County, and the department’s dental assistance program, which served 245 veterans in the first quarter of the fiscal year and completed 1,631 procedures while saving more than $525,000. He also discussed veteran service officers, the benefits guide, the department newsletter, efforts to reduce veteran homelessness, and mental health outreach through the Overwatch/Firewatch program. Senators asked about future nursing home locations, adult day health care, homelessness, and the dental program; Hartzell also announced that retired Colonel D.J. Reyes will become deputy executive director on November 7. The committee then heard from Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Division of Emergency Management, on disaster response, recovery, and agency modernization. He described the State Emergency Response Team, the new Florida Central Operations and Coordination Office warehouse in Auburndale, and the new state emergency operations center in Tallahassee, which is ahead of schedule and designed to hold about 220 people and withstand 200-mph winds. Guthrie reviewed recovery efforts for recent storms, including debris removal, volunteer villages, sheltering, and FEMA reimbursement totals for Hurricanes Milton, Helene, Debbie, Idalia, Ian, and earlier storms. He also discussed the Elevate Florida home-elevation program, the Florida Recovery Obligation Calculation training initiative, the DEMES platform, and WebEOC, noting that 60 counties and 22 colleges and universities are using the system. Members asked Guthrie about flood-response resources for cities, training for local officials, and lessons from inland flooding after recent storms. He explained how local governments can request pumps and other assistance through county and state channels, described upcoming elected-official training, and emphasized mutual aid and EMAC as key future disaster-response tools. The committee took no formal votes or other legislative action and adjourned at the end of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• If the water doesn't get up on the roads, it doesn't become a burden for you.
• There's no water. So people are having water sit on their driveways.
• Case in point, Texas, Dallas, Texarkana, Texas, who's in our region.
• We had water pitchers falling all over the place. Fontenot’s being encouraging.
• Anybody could snap a picture of that QR code and it’ll bring you to a GIS map.

Summary: The committee met for an information-only hearing with no votes or other action items. DOTD Secretary Glenn LaD and Deputy Secretary Beau Black gave an update on the department’s transformation efforts, focusing on faster project delivery, improved construction administration, and new technology. They said monthly contractor payment approvals have been reduced from roughly 35 days to 15 days or less, change orders from about 40-45 days to around five days, and that DOTD delivered 86% of its advertised projects in the last fiscal year. They also described new tools such as Headlight for field inspections, Smart PM for schedule tracking, Hall Hub for e-ticketing and work-zone mapping, and a pilot using advanced sensors on district vehicles to identify potholes, guardrail damage, and other asset issues. The department also outlined a district reorganization that replaces the area engineer model with dedicated district points of contact for construction, maintenance, and operations, with no increase in total staff. Members raised concerns about local maintenance issues, especially mowing, drainage, culverts, potholes, and communication with district offices. Several members asked for clearer coordination on jurisdictional questions, more frequent meetings with district administrators, and better public updates on long-running projects. LaD said DOTD would schedule follow-up meetings, use the coming customer service portal to track complaints, and improve public communication through project information officers, social media, and other outreach. Questions also covered contractor accountability, utility relocations, road transfer maps on the DOTD website, and whether maintenance work adjacent to capital projects should be handled by district crews or through new IDIQ contracts. The secretary also reviewed the Highway Priority Program process, saying DOTD will work between June and September to review projects not included in the prior program, explain why, and refine a five-year fiscally constrained plan before the fall road show. He said the department is using IDIQ authority to award bridge maintenance and other task-order work, and that this should help address a two-year bridge repair backlog. Members discussed whether current funding levels are enough to reduce the statewide backlog, and DOTD said the current program likely maintains rather than eliminates it absent new revenue. The hearing ended with a project-specific update that a barge struck the Black Bayou Pontoon Bridge that morning, causing significant damage; DOTD said divers and staff would inspect it and determine emergency repairs. After DOTD’s presentation, Archie Chesson of the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction gave a brief update on that office’s first year, describing its use of consultant pools, master service agreements, a public GIS map, and a data tool to prioritize rural road and bridge projects, with several early projects already completed or under construction.

Transcript Highlights:

• So when it comes to the elderly and the needy, I can see, like, I can see the water and juice and...
• well, let me phrase that... homeless water, juice, and fruit.
• So when it comes to the elderly and the needy, I can see, like, I can see the water and juice and...
• well, let me phrase that... homeless water, juice, and fruit.
• I can see the water and juice and... well, let me rephrase that... homeless water, juice, and fruit.

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 12 and considered a wide range of health, social services, and licensing measures. Early in the meeting, the committee reported favorably HCR 98, which asks the Louisiana Department of Health to study whether SNAP recipients should be allowed to use benefits for grocery delivery fees. The author said the proposal would not change SNAP rules directly, but would examine access issues for elderly, disabled, rural, and transportation-limited residents. The committee also advanced SB 273, a hospice patient-protection bill requiring documentation of hydration, nutrition, and care decisions in inpatient licensed facilities where hospice is provided, with LDH oversight and enforcement authority; members discussed how responsibility is shared between facilities and outside hospice providers, and adopted technical amendments. The committee then approved SB 415, creating the Empower Louisiana Food Purchase Program, a privately funded charitable food-card program intended to let nonprofits distribute food-only cards to people in need. Members and the author discussed whether the cards would be reloadable, which retailers could accept them, and whether prepared foods could be included; LDH said the program could use all SNAP-authorized retailers, and the bill was reported favorably with amendments. SB 437, a cleanup bill for judicially referred residential substance abuse treatment facilities, was also reported favorably with amendments after LDH clarified that facilities providing treatment must be licensed, while residences only housing individuals would not be. SB 451, updating newborn hearing screening terminology and reporting requirements, was reported favorably after testimony that the bill would strengthen early detection and follow-up for deaf or hard-of-hearing children. Later, the committee advanced SB 426, which modernizes the addictive disorder regulatory authority and creates a formal peer support specialist licensing pathway. Supporters said the bill would strengthen the behavioral health workforce, improve accountability, and create a progression from peer support to higher credentials; the committee adopted technical and transition amendments and reported the bill favorably with amendments. SB 236, requiring LDH annual reviews and reports on kidney disease treatment services in Medicaid, was also reported favorably with amendments. Additional measures approved included SB 39, allowing provisional licenses for massage therapy graduates; SB 190, which tightens oversight of poor-performing nursing facilities in the CMS Special Focus Facility Program and sets an 18-month improvement timeline; SB 124, allowing hospitals within the same health system to share peer review records without waiving privilege; HR 174, urging study of fenbendazole as a possible cancer treatment; SB 270, allowing terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in health care facilities; SB 359, changing terms for certain Morehouse Parish hospital district commissioners; and HR 194, requesting de-identified school visual acuity screening data for research. The committee adjourned after reporting all measures favorably, several with amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are the second-largest veteran population behind Texas, that's according to the U.S.
• Improvements made on homes also mean that they will be brought up to code compliance.
• If they need something—food, water, people, whatever that is—they'll put it into the system.
• We know one of the things that we're going to need is swift water rescue teams.
• The teams in Tennessee are some of the best trained swift water teams in the world.

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from Major General James Hartzell of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs on the agency’s outreach, benefits assistance, and state veterans nursing homes. He highlighted Florida’s large and growing veteran population, the decline in World War II and Vietnam-era veterans, and the increase in post-9/11 veterans moving to the state. Hartzell discussed the state veterans nursing home system, including a new Collier County facility that will include skilled nursing, assisted living, adult day health care, and outpatient therapy, and he said the department is also studying future adult day health care expansion and possible additional homes in underserved areas. He also reported on the dental program funded by the Legislature, saying 245 veterans were served in the first quarter of the fiscal year, with 1,631 procedures completed and more than $525,000 in savings, and he credited the added state veterans service officer positions with helping connect more veterans to benefits. Hartzell also noted a 13% year-over-year reduction in homeless veterans, emphasized mental health outreach through SaveFLVets.org and the Overwatch program, and announced a new deputy executive director, retired Colonel D.J. Reyes. Members asked about the need for additional veterans homes in South Florida, the criteria used to site new homes, the homeless veteran reduction, and whether adult day health care could be added at existing facilities. Hartzell explained that federal criteria focus on the availability of private skilled nursing beds for veterans 65 and older, and that adult day health care is state-funded and being studied for broader deployment. He also said the department tracks where homeless veterans are concentrated and works with local partners and organizations like Tunnels to Towers to provide housing and services that reduce recidivism. The committee also discussed Florida’s national reputation for veteran support, including Veterans Month and the state’s culture of veteran awareness. The committee then received a presentation from Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, on disaster response, recovery, and technology systems. Guthrie described the State Emergency Response Team, the new Florida Central Operations and Coordination Office in Auburndale, and the new State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, which is expected to be fully operational by spring 2026 and will significantly expand capacity and hardening. He reviewed recovery efforts for Hurricanes Helene, Milton, Debbie, Idalia, Ian, Irma, Michael, Dorian, Sally, Nicole, and others, including sheltering, travel trailers, debris removal, and FEMA reimbursement totals. Guthrie said Florida removed more than 31.6 million cubic yards of debris from Helene and Milton in 90 days on a 24/7 basis, and he described Elevate Florida, the Florida Recovery Obligation Calculation (FROC), the DEMES platform, and WebEOC as tools to streamline recovery, mitigation, and intergovernmental coordination. Members asked about flood-response resources for cities, the state’s use of pumps and mutual aid, and lessons learned from inland flooding after Milton. Guthrie said local governments should first use county and city mutual aid, then request state assistance when needed, and he encouraged more partnerships for staging and maintaining flood equipment. He also said future flood mitigation must address outdated development patterns, watershed flow, and the need for better drainage planning, while continuing temporary fixes and homeowner assistance programs. The committee ended with no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Unanimous consent to allow for a relaxed dress code to allow jeans worn by our guests, not our members
• . ...for a relaxed dress code to allow jeans worn by our guests, not our members, our guests.
• operation, has a Bachelor of Science in Ag Media and a Master of Science in Agriculture from West Texas
• She was born in Roswell, New Mexico, and her parents moved here from El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez
• They had to go through 100 feet of water and mud to get to the bottom of the bay: concrete, explosions

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• RUNOFF DRAINAGE WATER QUALITY, COLOR AND ISSUES.
• ENSURES THAT THE BUILDING CODE IS CONSISTENT WITH INTERNATIONAL CODE AS IT RELATES TO IT.
• WE ARE EXEMPTING SPACE X FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THE FLORIDA BUILDING CODE? SENATOR GRALL.
• FROM THE BUILDING CODES? SENATOR GRALL.
• AND INTEGRITY AND RECOGNIZED ALL SOUTHEASTERN ACROSS THE STATES FROM TEXAS TO SOUTH CAROLINA.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Sawyer, for a briefing on the Code of Federal Regulations. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• Just to clarify, so the bill would actually not put everybody to the code as database flag...
• , when a study was completed, that specific area has higher cancer rates than anywhere in Houston, Texas
• So the study that I was talking about in reference to public health comes out of Texas, where it impacted
• the Fifth Ward of Houston, Texas.

Summary: The House Transportation Committee heard and advanced a wide range of transportation, public safety, and local infrastructure measures. Several bills dealt with port and commission appointments or authority, including SB 420 adding Vermilion and Iberia Parish representation to the Lafayette Metropolitan Expressway Commission, SB 69 aligning appointments to the South Tangipahoa Parish Port Commission with redistricting, SB 438 increasing per diem for the Greater Lafourche Port Commission, and SB 170 adding qualification and Senate confirmation requirements for Caddo-Bossier Port Commission members. The committee also approved SB 449 to give the New Orleans Public Belt more flexibility in procuring specialized materials, and SB 115 to allow DOTD to assume certain federal NEPA responsibilities to speed project delivery, with testimony emphasizing long permitting delays and the need for faster project completion. Members also advanced multiple safety and enforcement measures. SB 40 expanded move-over protections for emergency and disabled vehicles, SB 55 clarified proper seat belt use, SB 278 required ignition interlock devices for DUI-related license reinstatement, SB 489 authorized third-party verification of insurance coverage through license plate inquiries, and SB 133 updated commercial vehicle parking and autonomous vehicle oversight provisions. SB 151 would flag OMV records for people who owe DNA samples tied to CODIS matches or qualifying arrests/convictions, and SB 48 would create Louisiana-Ireland driver’s license reciprocity. Most of these bills were reported favorably after brief testimony, with support from law enforcement, AAA, OMV, and other stakeholders. The committee also considered several local resolutions and infrastructure studies. Rep. Dickerson’s resolutions on widening Highway 16, studying turn lanes on Highway 1024, and constructing a roundabout on Highway 1019 were all reported favorably. HCR 53 created a study committee on oversized vehicle permits with DOTD participation, HCR 60 asked DOTD to study I-12 and I-55 corridor improvements, and HR/HCR 170 and 68 sought federal funding to remove four closed bridges on US 90 in St. Tammany Parish. HR 191, as amended, requested a DOTD study of mountable median curbs on Range Avenue in Denham Springs. HB 762, amended to make certain OMV debt referrals permissive rather than mandatory, was reported favorably over some concern about debt collection impacts. HB 714, which would have addressed abandoned railroad lines, drew extensive debate over federal preemption, blight definitions, and whether a new commission was needed; the author ultimately moved to defer it, and the committee agreed. SB 330 on school-zone automated speed enforcement markings was amended to grandfather existing compliant pavement markings and rejected an amendment that would have exempted several cities from the law. The committee adjourned after reporting the remaining measures favorably and recognizing a departing staff member.

Transcript Highlights:

• My dad was a water quality specialist, a professor at New Mexico State University.
• Produced water and groundwater are significant issues.
• My district actually borders Mexico and borders El Paso, Texas.
• On the Texas side, Texas is exploding—population growth, economic opportunities, and development.
• We get a water law and everything else. That's a really important rule of statutory construction.

Transcript Highlights:

• public higher education in Texas, and almost a hundred thousand more than the next largest Texas University
• Texas economy.
• Texas Health and...
• Texas.
• State Technical College system, the Texas A&M system, and the Texas A&M agencies.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and to try to get the water to the Parcientis.
• So, water wells are huge. Water is going to be our final frontier.
• Water is super important.
• You guys don't have water. So it's super, super important on the water issue. You know what?
• you know, the water levels change.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is Agency Code 404. Thank you. Just a moment to get to that in your binders.
• Texas formed the Texas Space Commission a few years ago, and if you look at what Governor Abbott and
• what the Texas Space Commission is saying and doing, there's no schizophrenia about what they're trying
• And then New Shepard, which is the small vehicle on the lower left, operates in Van Horn, Texas. ...on
• the lower left, that's the one that operates in Van Horn, Texas.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're going to deport these people to Texas and other states to be held in Texas.
• And if they're in New Mexico and they're sent over to Texas, they'd have to travel to Texas.
• Some live in Texas. And perhaps, Mr.
• Speaker, gentleman, if it's a person who lives in Texas, would we send that check to Texas and that family
• Trailers in Oklahoma and Texas.

Bills: HM3, HM11, HM14, HM15, HM21, HM25, HB9, SB2, SB19

Keywords: nurses, health care workers, healthcare workers, frontline workers, hospital staff, clinicians, allied health professionals, support staff, public health, workforce shortage, nursing shortage, safe staffing, patient safety, rural health care, frontier communities, behavioral health, mental health, substance use disorder, substance abuse, health care memorial

Transcript Highlights:

• <03:27:17.200> and large-scale drills in the waters and large-scale drills in the waters and
• Ronnie Jackson from Texas, and Ms.
• miss the water till the well runs dry. miss the water till the well runs dry.
• compared to say Florida and Texas? compared to say Florida and Texas?
• don't like unions in Florida and Texas don't like unions in Florida and Texas and<08:39:28.080><

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, May 5, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Jeff Witte will be joining me shortly, but he is stuck in Texas right now, so hopefully
• For instance, it would be about $163 million for community drinking water systems.
• We have treatment facilities for petroleum and oil-contaminated water.
• Supercritical water oxidation, for example. Please identify yourself again for the record.
• You continue to use the well and the water.

Bills: HF3220

Keywords: school safety, school security, emergency access, law enforcement access, master key box, secure key box, entry device, school grants, education finance, Department of Education, charter schools, school districts, cooperative units, appropriation cancellation, one-time appropriation, school safety plan, emergency preparedness, public safety, school building security

Transcript Highlights:

• water table.
• treatment, water disposal, water transportation, just dealing with waste water in the oil field.
• There's a potential new source of water. And this is brackish water.
• Water disposal wells close to underground sources of drinking water.
• You mean baseline water data, I guess, so. Water quality data.

Transcript Highlights:

• I voted for the water trust, the water fund project yesterday that some people thought was against the
• OK, so we are now subject to the procurement code. Is that accurate? Mr.
• Expenditures not subject to the procurement code?
• protect those physical assets of the state: water, land, and...
• They present these to the Soil and Water Commission.