Transcript Highlights:

• in group homes, group home reforms, improving conditions, safety, and oversight within licensed facilities
• I have a question for Representative Gillette: So the agency knows, but also the AG knows, that this
• The attorney working for the AG of the state 100% knows and must defend these cases.
• We don't know if we can maintain facilities. They don't get any money, which we know they do.
• We don't know if we can maintain facilities. They don't get any money, which we know they do.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, washing machines and all those great, fandangled, new-age appliances that bring us into the
• modern age... ...new-age appliances that bring us into the modern age are always exciting, and that's
• what this bill is: to bring us more into the modern age.
• Members, what House Bill 1746 does is it allows for juvenile detention facilities for high-risk youth
• Members, what House Bill 1746 does is it allows for juvenile detention facilities for high-risk youth

Bills: HB4420, HB3974, HB3016, HB3062, HB3021, HB3145, HB4128, HB3131, HB3015, HB3472, HB3453, HB1638, HB4126, HB2696, HB2710, HB3552, HB3031, HB3544, HB3521, HB4490, HB4488, HB1746, HJR1069, HB4428, HB4429, HB1170, HB3538, HB4124, HB3904, HB4106, HB2999, HB3982, HJR1077, HB3464, HB2588, HB3462, HB4440, HB3674, HB3345, HJR1067, HB4326, HB4331, HB4337, HB4338, HB4359, HB4392, HB3557, HJR1076, HB4003, HB3495, HB3497, HB3501, HB3505, HB3749, HB3011, HB4336, HB4346, HJR1087, HB3240, HB3647, HB3796, HB3969, HB3972, HB3983, HB3984, HB3989, HB3383, HB3130, HB4358, HB3327, HJR1055, HB3386, HJR1089, HB3087, HB2970, HB3314, HB4129, HB4199

Keywords: reading, intervention, literacy, education, third grade retention, teacher training, funding, Strong Readers Act, tort claims, inmate housing, government immunity, public trust, private prison, emergency legislation, vision screening, binocular vision, kindergarten, elementary education, health, firearm rights

Summary: The House began with a quorum call and several introductions, including Wagner Student Council, Heartland Homeschool educators, Northwest Technology Center leadership students, Leadership Oklahoma Class 37, and guests from domestic violence and sexual assault service providers. The chamber then took up House Bill 3131 on homeless shelter standards. The bill, as amended, would set baseline health, safety, sanitation, incident reporting, and fiscal transparency standards for shelters receiving state-administered federal funds, with a limited board to help write rules and local officials notified of issues. Supporters said it was aimed mainly at smaller communities lacking resources, while opponents argued it added state oversight without collaboration or funding and could burden nonprofits and faith-based shelters. The bill passed 65-31. Members then passed several other measures: House Bill 3015 authorizing Service Oklahoma to issue and manage electronic credentials; House Bill 3472 on environment and natural resources; House Bill 3453 on eminent domain, shifting the burden of proof in court to the condemning authority while carving out utilities and oil and gas; House Bill 1638 expanding the Governmental Tort Claims Act definition of public trust to include trusts overseeing county jail facilities; House Bill 4128 on Game and Fish, adjusting bear hunting rules in selected eastern counties; and House Bill 4126 limiting liability for motocross and similar recreational tracks. House Bill 2710 created a 15-member committee to review future statewide radio system needs, and House Bill 2696, an open records bill for school district security and cybersecurity information, was amended and passed. House Bill 3552, giving child care providers flexibility to bridge subsidy reimbursement and tuition rates, also passed, though its emergency clause failed. Later, House Bill 3031 was amended to create a workforce development fund in the Department of Commerce and passed, but its emergency clause failed. House Bill 3544 was narrowed to regulate social AI companions and protect minors from harmful interactions, and passed unanimously. House Bill 3521 modernized money transmission law, updated fees, and added rules for digital asset kiosks. House Bill 4488 established a standardized appraisal process for first-party motor vehicle damage disputes under insurance law. House Bill 1746 allowed juvenile detention facilities for high-risk youth to adopt safety plans. Finally, House Joint Resolution 1069 updated constitutional county boundary language and county-seat references, including adding Cotton County to the Constitution and making other boundary cleanup changes; it passed 74-14. The House then recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I am the analyst for the Early Childhood Department, uh, and I have been the analyst for Aging and
• I will no longer be the analyst for DOH or aging.
• From an early age, all the way to adulthood, maybe a more experienced age, dealing with these problems
• Um, or a 24 hour crisis response facility.
• , and nursing facilities.

Transcript Highlights:

• This deals with licensed facilities, as you already know.
• Members, this bill would add youth who have aged out of the foster care system, up to the age of 21,
• And so, in a phased-in period of time over age, it's broken down that each year after age 65, 65, 69,
• At age 65, they would get another additional. That they have.
• At age 65, they would get another additional tax break, $60,000.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in early detection and have completed 10 hours of training, inclusive of early childhood and school-age
• In treatment facilities for behavioral health patients.
• In a skilled nursing facility.
• I entered foster care at the age of 16 in Palm Beach County and aged out at 18 in May of 2020, right
• I was in foster care from the ages of 6 to 15.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , provided that said facilities are within 20 miles and that the alternative facility has capacity to
• 35.280><c> of</c> State Commission on Aging is part of State Commission on Aging is part of state<05:
• </c><05:11:30.638><c> and</c> enrollment periods at our aging and enrollment periods at our aging and
• Right now it's attained-age, so every year you age, the cost goes up by two variables: one is because
• cost of the product and your age.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on House Bill 437, which would change New Hampshire law on undischarged mortgages by creating a shorter period after which certain old mortgages would be treated as unenforceable. Prime sponsor Representative Bill Boyd said the bill was developed with input from bankers, lawyers, realtors, the Attorney General’s office, and the Banking Department, and he noted a drafting correction needed on line 18. He explained that the proposal would replace current law with a new framework modeled partly on Massachusetts, including a five-year expiration after a stated maturity date and a 35-year period for mortgages without an expiration date. Supporters said the bill would help clear obsolete title defects, reduce costly quiet-title litigation, and make real estate transactions easier for consumers, attorneys, and conveyancers. Representative Mary Hakken-Phillips, Susan Cole of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, and Michelle Coffin all testified in support, describing the bill as a consumer protection measure. They said undischarged or improperly discharged mortgages often surface during title searches, causing delays, legal expenses, and failed or delayed closings. Coffin and Hakken-Phillips emphasized that many of these cases involve old, effectively obsolete mortgages and that the current process often requires expensive court action even when no one contests the title. Cole described a recent transaction in which a title defect caused a buyer to walk away and later restart the financing process, creating costs for both buyer and seller. A committee member asked about notice to mortgage holders; the response was that the lender bears responsibility for recording and extending the mortgage, and that due process rights would remain if a lender later contested the discharge. Ryan Hill of the New Hampshire Bankers Association said the banking industry had reviewed the bill and was generally comfortable with it, while requesting a delayed effective date so members would have time to adjust their recording practices. He said the bill’s January 1, 2028 effective date reflected that request. After closing the hearing on HB 437, the committee opened a hearing on House Bill 721, the Gold and Silver Legal Tender Act. Representative Juliet Harvey-Bolia introduced it as a bipartisan economic justice bill intended to recognize gold and silver as legal tender, protect against inflation, and address concerns about trust, taxes, and government taking. She argued that gold is a stable store of value and discussed tax treatment in neighboring states, federal history, and digital gold platforms. The hearing on HB 721 was still in progress when the transcript ended, with the chair limiting questions because of time.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are taught from a young age, if you need help, call 911.
• What I've seen again and again is that age cutoffs don't match real life.
• Jeremiah remained in foster care and ended up aging out.
• Jeremiah remained in foster care and ended up aging out.
• We were never, Jeremiah remained in foster care and ended up aging out.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Human Services heard testimony on a series of bills affecting disability services, child welfare, foster youth, domestic violence survivors, guaranteed income pilots, crisis response, and child care providers. AB 1575 would update the Lanterman Act to use person-first language and broaden respite services to allow safe community access; supporters said it would improve dignity and consistency in services, and there was no opposition. AB 2470 would create a statewide one-stop reentry program for survivors of intimate partner violence to replace documents, repair credit, and access housing supports, while also giving CalWORKs emergency housing funds more flexibility; the Little Hoover Commission backed the bill based on its prior recommendations. AB 2510 would clarify and expand CalWORKs family reunification aid so parents can keep receiving support during reunification even if not all children are removed, and supporters said it would reduce barriers and better align with reunification goals. AB 2585 would expand guaranteed income pilot funding to rural and underserved counties, with testimony emphasizing the need for geographic diversity and data from places like the Central Valley. AB 1932, the Crisis Act 2.0, would continue and strengthen community-based mental health crisis response programs; testimony from family members and advocates strongly favored non-law-enforcement responses, and the bill drew broad support. AB 1925 would direct a feasibility study on a statewide permanent disability certification process to reduce repeated verification burdens; the committee approved it 4-0 and sent it to Appropriations. AB 2189 would fund a statewide special education parent action network to train and connect parents for systemic advocacy; after some opposition over the use of state funds for advocacy, it passed as amended and was referred to Education. AB 2684 would allow out-of-state nonminor dependents to do monthly social worker visits virtually, with in-person visits still required quarterly; it passed to Judiciary. AB 1967 would improve pathways for older youth experiencing homelessness or failed adoptions to enter or reenter foster care, and it passed to Appropriations. AB 2126 would create a targeted background-check exemption for certain former foster youth hired as peer partners, and it passed as amended to Public Safety. AB 2379 would require DSS to notify family child care providers of Fourth Amendment rights and provide multilingual know-your-rights training regarding immigration enforcement; it passed to Judiciary after some members questioned whether DSS was the right agency to administer the training.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, we have so many professions that are going up in average age.
• Most notably, not a single dog was removed from any of these facilities.
• I advise the AG on white-collar crime issues and worker protection issues.
• It merely permits the AG, working with the CSLB...
• And in this day and age of fentanyl, these programs save lives.

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of bills, with most measures drawing support from industry, professional, local government, and advocacy witnesses, and several receiving committee amendments before moving forward. AB 8 on hemp and cannabis drew the most extensive debate: supporters said it would close loopholes around intoxicating hemp products, strengthen enforcement, and bring THC products into the regulated cannabis supply chain; opponents, including small cannabis farmers and environmental groups, warned it could undermine Proposition 64’s closed-loop system, harm California cultivators, and reduce tax revenues for youth, environmental, and law enforcement programs. The author said the bill was intended to protect consumers and children and to work further with stakeholders. AB 476 on copper theft was presented as a public safety and infrastructure bill to tighten reporting, documentation, and penalties for scrap metal theft; supporters from cities, utilities, broadband, and recycling-related groups described major losses and outages from copper theft, and the remaining opposition moved to neutral after amendments, with the bill advancing with committee support. The committee also heard AB 985, which would allow nationally certified anesthesiologist assistants to practice under direct supervision of licensed anesthesiologists to address anesthesia workforce shortages. Supporters, including the California Society of Anesthesiologists, medical groups, students, and patients, said it would expand access and bring California in line with other states; nurse anesthesiology groups expressed concerns and sought further clarification, but there was no formal opposition at the hearing. AB 506, aimed at online pet sales, would void contracts that fail to disclose an animal’s origin or veterinary records or that require non-refundable deposits; animal welfare groups said it would curb puppy mill pipelines and deceptive online sales, and there was no opposition. AB 876, on certified registered nurse anesthetists, generated the sharpest health care policy dispute: supporters said it would codify existing practice and clarify CRNA duties, while physicians and medical associations argued it would expand scope too far and reduce patient safety. After a roll call, AB 876 passed the committee 9-0, as amended, to Appropriations. Other bills advanced with broad support after amendments. AB 432, the Menopause Equity Act, would require continuing medical education on menopause-related care for certain physicians; the author and medical experts said the bill addresses widespread gaps in menopause treatment and research, while CMA and ACOG opposed the mandate as an inappropriate CME requirement, though they agreed the underlying problem is real. The bill passed on call, as amended, to Health. AB 759 would allow eligible architectural candidates to use the title “architect in training” to encourage completion of licensure and improve diversity in the profession; it passed unanimously, as amended, to Appropriations. AB 967 would create an optional expedited licensure fee for out-of-state physicians to reduce delays in bringing doctors into California’s workforce; supporters said it would help address shortages and improve patient access, and the bill was presented with support from medical stakeholders.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I wanted to add another: we have an aging population as well.
• In Arkansas, in 2023, the age verification as well.
• Right now there's a pending legislation on the age-based bans.
• It's not age verification, it's age estimation.
• So these platforms are estimating the ages of the children.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The Senate was called to order, a quorum was established, and the body proceeded through routine business including prayer, the pledge, journal approval, committee reports, House messages, and first and second readings of numerous bills. Several measures were advanced or referred to committees, and the Senate then resolved into the Committee of the Whole to consider a series of House bills. Amendments were adopted on bills including House Bills 629, 678, 522, 810, 684, 561, and 860, with each returned to the Senate floor as amended without recommendation. On third reading, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1294, which establishes statewide newborn hearing screening provisions, on a 22-13 vote after supporters cited early intervention benefits, support from audiologists and deaf/hard-of-hearing advocates, and no fiscal impact. The Senate also passed Senate Bill 1353 on twin homes and duplexes, and Senate Bill 1354 on accessory dwelling units, both after extended debate over housing affordability, property rights, local control, infrastructure, parking, and whether the bills would help Idaho families or primarily benefit investors. Both measures were approved and sent to the House. The Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 1389, providing liability protection for owners who allow their property to be used as a polling place, and passed Senate Bill 1391, a technical fix preserving surveyors’ lawful access for boundary and right-of-way work. It also passed House Bill 727, revising Idaho’s video voyeurism/extortion laws to address AI-generated sexual extortion and increase penalties for crimes involving minors. The chamber then began debate on House Bill 542, the “Stop the Harms from Addictive Social Media Act,” with supporters arguing it would protect children from addictive platform design and opponents raising concerns about parental authority, legacy accounts, surveillance, and enforceability; the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a very large storage facility.
• And these were existing facilities. They went through CEQA when they were built.
• The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Service—I still use fishing; it shows my age—I looked
• Sacramento area, small ag districts, they don't have staff to do this stuff.
• Hitting that 90th percentile daily flow rate downstream of a flood control facility is very difficult

Summary: The hearing focused on oversight of AB 658 and the State Water Resources Control Board’s five-year temporary permits for groundwater recharge. Assembly Member Arambula and committee members discussed how the permits are intended to help capture high flows during wet periods, support SGMA implementation, and store water underground for later use. The State Water Board chair said the five-year permits have become an important tool, with seven five-year permits issued this season and over 43,000 acre-feet authorized, but noted that actual recharge depends on hydrology and that the board is open to improvements. Members and witnesses discussed several possible changes to make the program more effective: allowing a two-year delay before the five-year permit clock starts, codifying CEQA exemptions that have been used through executive order, and shifting from a public objection model to a public comment model to reduce delays. There was also discussion of water availability analyses, with some members asking whether the state could develop a broader statewide assessment to reduce consultant costs and make permitting more predictable. The board said such an effort would be large and costly, but could potentially save applicants money and improve consistency. District representatives described their experiences. Stockton East said the five-year permit was more cost-effective than repeated 180-day permits, but that the 90-20 methodology, consultant costs, and a burrowing owl survey condition made use difficult. Omaha-Hartnell Water District said its recharge work depends on simple, low-cost infrastructure and that five-year permits, CEQA reform, and lower upfront fees would help small districts. A consultant working with Scott Valley and Sierra Valley said five-year permits can work well in different basins, but local infrastructure, stakeholder coordination, streambed alteration agreements, and upstream flow constraints can limit recharge. Members also raised concerns about basin connectivity, downstream water rights, and the need to pair recharge with sustainable groundwater pumping and broader water storage planning.

Transcript Highlights:

• A chiropractic facility that treats both human and animal patients in the same setting must have appropriate
• dental program data and conduct a deep analysis and look at trends over time, geographic breakdowns, age
• The current legislation directs HCA to pursue a state plan amendment to implement this facility-based
• The facility can bill for medically necessary services that are covered by Medicaid currently.
• She would kick me out, so I experienced homelessness at a very young age.

Bills: SB6138, SB5899, SB6072, SB6094

Keywords: dental procedures, sedation, patient safety, multiprovider system, healthcare regulation, chiropractic, animal care, veterinary medicine, license endorsement, nonhuman animals, veterinarian-client-patient relationship, VCPR, veterinary telehealth, telemedicine, teletriage, teleadvice, animal health, licensed veterinarian, Washington veterinary board, prescription drugs

Transcript Highlights:

• Those new facilities are a new farm animal hospital and a new hallin facility for cattle.
• </c><00:15:29.839><c> Oklahoma</c> facilities, new hospitals. Oklahoma facilities, new hospitals.
• </c> investing $18 million in new facilities investing $18 million in new facilities for<00:15:59.199
• Uh, phase one is a cattle handling facility. So it's a handling facility.
• So it's a uh cattle handling facility. So it's a hallin<01:02:46.400><c> facility.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 20 January, 2026; 2:30 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So then we had to start looking at what makes these facilities different.
• We continued our work because it didn't really break down for smaller facilities; we just had one facility
• were first put into place, is for actual discrete facilities like generating facilities, wind farms,
• When you look at our other ventures, and you mentioned like value-added ag, crushing facilities, We've
• When you look at our other ventures, and you mentioned like value-added ag, crushing facilities, like

Summary: The committee held its first meeting on artificial intelligence and data centers, establishing its purpose as a study and policy-development body rather than one aimed at producing many bills. Majority Leader Hogue urged members to move quickly, focus on federal and other states’ AI laws, consider possible federal preemption, child protections, and the siting and economic impacts of data centers. Committee leadership echoed that the goal is practical, balanced governance that protects North Dakota while allowing innovation to continue. Legislative Council staff provided a background memo and NCSL presented a detailed overview of AI concepts and the current state legislative landscape. The presentations distinguished narrow AI, generative AI, agentic AI, and theoretical AGI/ASI, and summarized major state policy themes: comprehensive AI laws in states such as Utah, Colorado, Texas, California, and Illinois; targeted laws on deepfakes, chatbots, health, education, notifications, and digital likeness; and growing use of appropriations and agency inventories. Members asked about Colorado’s repeal and reenactment, Texas’s sandbox and training provisions, oversight structures, and whether AI regulation is bipartisan; presenters said most issues cut across party lines, with broad agreement on child safety and deepfakes but more division on broader regulatory approaches. The federal update focused on executive orders, preemption, and congressional activity. NCSL described a White House framework favoring a single federal standard, a DOJ litigation task force, Commerce Department review of state laws, and possible funding conditions tied to state AI policy, though no formal state-law challenge had yet occurred. The presentation also covered a recent executive order creating a voluntary federal vetting process for advanced frontier models after safety concerns, and congressional proposals including a failed 10-year state moratorium, Senator Blackburn’s child-safety bills, the Kids Online Safety Act, a House-passed children’s digital safety package, a Senate data center moratorium proposal, and a House ratepayer/data-center bill. The committee took no formal action beyond receiving testimony and asking questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• , ...bills addressing the needs of pregnant and postpartum individuals in our correctional facilities
• legislation to amend and reenact a section of the Code of Virginia relating to the Department for Aging
• of child abuse or neglect, response to complaints within 24 hours for children under three years of age
• and neglect and requires a 24-hour response to reports of child abuse or neglect for children under age
• of child abuse or neglect, response to complaints within 24 hours for children under three years of age

Keywords: March 11, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When you get to that age, your school taxes freeze.
• Aging in place and wanting to stay in your home.
• This is substantial savings for those that wish to age in place in their home, okay? Yeah.
• The city of Odessa, for example, had a 2024 ordinance that ensured that facilities, private facilities
• use facilities, such as a family restroom, for example.

Bills: SJR85, SCR29, SCR38, SCR42, SB23, SB39, SB209, SB227, SB240, SB330, SB527, SB584, SB618, SB619, SB636, SB663, SB715, SB732, SB758, SB801, SB825, SB826, SB843, SB844, SB847, SB870, SB884, SB912, SB957, SB1013, SB1020, SB1065, SB1143, SB1152, SB1164, SB1183, SB1257, SB1299, SB1325, SB1349, SB1413, SB1455, SB1539, SB1558, SB1574, SB1583, SB1624, SB1642, SB1643, SB1667, SB1717, SB1718, SB1727, SB1734, SB1756, SB1757, SB1784, SB1789, SB1832, SB1868, SB1870, SB1883, SB1896, SB1920, SB1924, SB1963, SB2010, SB2018, SB2024, SB2037, SB2052, SB2073, SB2111, SB2161, SB2196, SB2207, SB2253, SB2268, SB2322, SB2323, SB2332, SB2349, SB2371, SB2533, SB2570, SB2601, SB2626, SB2692, SB2705, SB2717, SB2774, SB2788, SB2877, SB2920, SB2, SB260, SB1786, SB1, HJR4, SJR36, SJR50, SJR63, SJR85, SJR84, SCR12, SCR39, SCR38, SCR42, SCR29, SCR4, SCR18, SCR43, SCR46, SB2023, SB825, SB2010, SB1870, SB62, SB666, SB847, SB284, SB854, SB1073, SB810, SB1539, SB1505, SB583, SB957, SB1502, SB507, SB1026, SB1349, SB1433, SB1434, SB1376, SB1585, SB1772, SB2016, SB1163, SB619, SB1122, SB732, SB731, SB397, SB508, SB1436, SB287, SB261, SB1882, SB618, SB393, SB1791, SB826, SB1257, SB870, SB529, SB209, SB1883, SB2024, SB2429, SB1999, SB511, SB2309, SB510, SB1860, SB2037, SB1924, SB2253, SB2018, SB2206, SB1963, SB1643, SB1299, SB841, SB668, SB584, SB1085, SB2431, SB1490, SB1868, SB2314, SB434, SB2046, SB1667, SB1727, SB2127, SB1975, SB1760, SB1734, SB1335, SB2246, SB2439, SB1624, SB1244, SB1468, SB2717, SB1612, SB1262, SB604, SB2395, SB1832, SB1745, SB1746, SB2207, SB1784, SB1524, SB528, SB437, SB269, SB1137, SB968, SB636, SB747, SB1325, SB1789, SB1455, SB2056, SB1940, SB2052, SB1579, SB2068, SB3034, SB844, SB1920, SB1558, SB1236, SB1044, SB884, SB463, SB227, SB240, SB517, SB1200, SB1410, SB1626, SB1845, SB1863, SB2216, SB2681, SB1717, SB2141, SB2323, SB2200, SB2332, SB2199, SB1642, SB1757, SB2050, SB1138, SB2626, SB2458, SB1864, SB2201, SB1862, SB1583, SB1055, SB2660, SB1898, SB2662, SB2161, SB2964, SB2881, SB1065, SB801, SB2743, SB2533, SB1413, SB2073, SB3014, SB3013, SB2774, SB2702, SB2629, SB2443, SB2349, SB2167, SB2145, SB2121, SB758, SB648, SB647, SB512, SB438, SB1721, SB2268, SB1495, SB2705, SB2366, SB1422, SB1369, SB1013, SB682, SB2692, SB2570, SB2797, SB2111, SB1896, SB1164, SB1020, SB663, SB2371, SB1152, SB2196, SB2383, SB2581, SB2798, SB330, SB646, SB843, SB1998, SB1418, SB2788, SB1169, SB2873, SB1754, SB1534, SB1718, SB2779, SB2004, SB1143, SB1756, SB912, SB2119, SB2032, SB527, SB1580, SB1952, SB2601, SB2322, SB2448, SB1777, SB1283, SB407, SB2392, SB2076, SB2786, SB3031, SB2877, SB2876, SB2284, SB2225, SB1540, SB2920, SB2929, SB1395, SB1972, SB2540, SB1183, SB2742, SB2595, SB2217, SB2117, SB715, SB2330, SB1964, SB1383, SB500, SB1640, SB39, SB2001, SB2080, SB2722, SB506, SB2514, SB2623, SB2658, SB1574, SB2900, SB23, SB2753, SB2398, SB401, SB1241, SB2927, SB2173, SB2538, SB898, SB467, SB1449, SB2529, SB1531, SB2846, SB2476, SB2031, SB986, SB1181, SB2075, SB2154, SB2864, HB135, HB1109, SCR48, SB31, SB2880, SB1359, SB2386, SB771, SB2844, SB2550, SB1351, SB1423, SB1931, SB2245, SB2589, SB2707, SB2807, SB2351, SB410, SB659, SB816, SB2776, SB2693, SB2580, SB1980, SB1886, SB1234, SB739, SB482, SB456, SB127, SB1666

Keywords: Texas constitutional amendment, property tax relief, school district taxes, ad valorem tax, homestead exemption, residence homestead, elderly homeowners, senior citizens, disabled homeowners, age 65 or older, school finance, tax exemption increase, local school taxes, property tax exemption, homestead tax relief, voter approval, school district revenue, tax rollback, disabled persons exemption, El Paso

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum, an invocation by Rabbi Kelly Levy, a gubernatorial message naming appointees to the Red River and Nueces River Authority boards, and several ceremonial recognitions, including Texas Woman’s University athletes, the Doctor of the Day, Balch Springs Day, St. Mary’s University, Austin Oaks Church’s centennial, and a memorial resolution for Marie Flickinger, which was adopted after remarks from members and a moment of silence. The chamber then moved to the calendar and took up a series of bills and resolutions. Several measures dealing with water and taxes were passed: Committee Substitute for SB 1413 on procedures for amending or revoking certificates of public convenience and necessity for certain water utilities; SB 1583 on groundwater conservation district management plans, amended by Blanco; SB 23 and SJR 85 to increase the school district homestead exemption for elderly and disabled homeowners, both passing with one nay; SB 2774 to classify industrial uniform and linen rental businesses as retail trade for franchise tax purposes; and SCR 29 designating El Paso as the official boot capital of Texas for 10 years. Members also adopted SCR 49 recognizing Austin Oaks Church’s 100th anniversary and SR 424 recognizing Balch Springs Day. The Senate also advanced a package of insurance and regulatory bills. Committee Substitute for SB 1643 would require prior approval from the Texas Department of Insurance for certain property and casualty rate changes over 10%, and Committee Substitute for SB 1642 would restructure TDI from a single commissioner to a three-commissioner model; both passed after debate about rising insurance costs, inflation, labor, reinsurance, and litigation. Committee Substitute for SB 1883, on land use assumptions, capital improvement plans, and impact fees, passed after discussion of transparency and local development costs. SB 826, enhancing penalties for DWI in an active school zone, passed with strong support. Two other controversial measures were also advanced: Committee Substitute for SB 1257, requiring health plan coverage for complications, reversals, and related care tied to gender transition procedures, passed to engrossment but was held there after a 20-11 vote; and Committee Substitute for SB 2024, banning disguised vape pens and, by amendment, hemp vape pens and other intoxicating-substance vape pens, passed. The final item shown was Committee Substitute for SB 240, the Texas Women’s Privacy Act, which was laid out by Senator Middleton and described as restricting access to sex-specific private spaces in public facilities based on biological sex, with civil penalties for violations; the transcript cuts off during the presentation of that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those ICF facilities, and I think nursing facilities, are both exempt from that reduction.
• So if you're in a facility receiving competency restoration services, you're in a facility that is staffed
• They stay in the competency restoration facility until there is a bed available in the longer-term facility
• This supports all of our 24-7 facilities. 47 facilities. Excuse me.
• , or maybe not even in a facility.

Summary: The Budget Committee heard the Department of Mental Health’s FY 2027 budget presentation, with Director Valerie Hoon outlining a $4.4 billion department budget, including $1.7 billion in general revenue, and describing the department’s roles in substance use, behavioral health, and developmental disabilities services. Early questioning focused on marijuana-related mental health impacts, but the main discussion centered on the department’s new decision items, funding sources, and expected wait lists. The director explained several increases tied to Medicaid growth, mental health youth services, outpatient competency restoration, crisis residential services, developmental disability waivers, and provider tax adjustments, along with offsets such as reduced wraparound funding at the Kansas City Assessment and Triage Center and cuts to some youth and self-directed DD services. A major portion of the hearing focused on competency restoration for people found unfit to stand trial and currently held in county jails. Members pressed the department on the cost, effectiveness, and legal implications of keeping people in jail while awaiting services, noting a reported wait list of roughly 524 to 538 individuals and average holds of about 14 months. The department said it currently has eight outpatient competency restoration beds in the community, is seeking funding for 50 additional outpatient slots, and also operates jail-based restoration for about 40 people at a time. Members repeatedly asked for breakdowns of violent versus nonviolent cases, success rates, cost per person, and the split between state and federal funding, while the department explained that Medicaid can cover only the treatment portion, not residential housing or other non-billable costs. The committee also discussed broader capacity constraints in state hospitals and developmental disability services. Hoon said Fulton, Center for Behavioral Medicine, and FTC North are full, with 183 vacancies across the department, and that the department is working on a new Kansas City hospital that would add 150 beds, though completion is now expected closer to 2029 or 2030. In the developmental disabilities section, the department warned that the governor’s recommendation would create wait lists for in-home waiver services and crisis residential services, and members questioned proposed reductions to self-directed services rates and other provider payments. No votes were taken, and the committee recessed before finishing the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're really operating at not even facility level, right?
• are all non-secure facilities.
• And then you have to—other states also have minimum security facilities that...
• And I think we achieved a good mix of both male facility representation and female facility representation
• And it's good to see the facilities too.

Keywords: 1212, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met with DOC leadership and UMass Chan researchers to discuss Massachusetts DOC’s objective point-based classification system, with a focus on whether inmates are overclassified and how discretionary and non-discretionary overrides affect placement decisions. DOC explained the system’s history, its goals of public safety and reintegration, the initial and reclassification tools, and the use of overrides and restrictions. Staff described several non-discretionary restrictions for minimum and medium security, the limited use of discretionary overrides, and current population breakdowns showing most classified in medium security, with smaller shares in maximum and lower security. UMass Chan presented preliminary findings from a NIJ-funded study using historical DOC data from 2019 to 2022, primarily on male reclassification cases. They said the scored custody level predicted institutional misconduct well, with stronger separation among minimum, medium, and maximum groups. They also said predictive accuracy declined after applying override-informed custody levels, and that the decline appeared to be driven mainly by non-discretionary restrictions rather than discretionary overrides. The researchers noted that violent misconduct in the sample was relatively rare and that the study was based on group-level statistics, not individual cases. Commission members and guests raised concerns about whether the data captured the effects of facility conditions, historical bias, step-down and step-up decisions, and the role of civil commitment restrictions, especially Code C. DOC and UMass Chan responded that the study did not show evidence that discretionary overrides reduced accuracy, that the non-discretionary restrictions were the main factor affecting results, and that Massachusetts’ system should not be directly compared with other states because of differences in facility structure and population. The commission asked members to send follow-up data questions to staff for transmission to DOC and the researchers.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're also working on building more facility space for these companies to have labs to work out of, to
• And we're really looking forward to having a facility here that will be co-located with those so that
• Facility they can use as they sign up as a user. You know they're part of this.
• That over 25 age group that's not in the workforce?
• We still have the companies that built that technology, built the actual facility.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the age of AI, functional productivity skills are more important than ever.
• In addition, we ask you to preserve the area agency on aging case management funding.
• In the last eight years, we have lost 10 out of 22 of these facilities.
• We are a 100% Medicaid-funded facility, and we employ over 40 staff.
• At our facility, we serve 65 residents.

Bills: SB5998

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The facilities, they inspect the facilities so their facilities are not causing any harm or injuries
• facility to a sterile new world screwworm fly production, uh, facility.
• facility.
• opened that facility up.
• Um, You're talking about a BO 2 facility. What do you compare a bio 2, facility to?