Transcript Highlights:

• tenant then like gives them if they pay tenant then like gives them if they pay rent<00:09:20.240
• You're going to pay 6 months in advance.
• not try to put our finger on the scale not try to put our finger on the scale of<00:22:57.760>
• <00:33:48.799> additional If we are required to pay additional If we are required to pay additional
• >> So let's say the tenant pays the first month's rent, you pay the security deposit, a nonprofit pays

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Maybe I wasn't paying attention, Secretary, or I'm sorry, Chair and Mr. Secretary.
• But obviously, we don't pay these vendors up front; we have to pay these vendors as they deliver.
• This is line 320 to implement the wage scale and career lattice framework for the pre-K home visiting
• Are we already paying legal expenses? So, Mr.
• On 232, I'm wondering if this is the Water Research Institute we're recommending, and it's paying two

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I know historically in nursing, the pay for being faculty is so much less than in the clinical world.
• Okay, so I just had a few questions along the lines of, let's pay our faculty so that they want to be
• Do you know, or do you get the sense that it is a pay thing, or are there other issues that get in the
• Klug will discuss the background, including the scale of the problem of substance use, the basics of
• start with some background information on the state of substance use in New Mexico to speak to the scale

Transcript Highlights:

• The federal government pays the rest.
• The federal government pays the rest.
• In other types of stay-or-pay contracts, employers have demanded departing employees pay them for the
• <01:02:08.680> them departing employer employees pay them departing employer employees pay
• simply don't have the resources to pay simply don't have the resources to pay those<01:05:28.160

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > then Private insurance pays first, then Private insurance pays first, then medical<00:10:41.000
• <00:20:10.760> um benefits um as well as provider pay um benefits um as well as provider pay
• Chair votes aye. maximum amount they will pay based on maximum amount they will pay based on data<00:
• Each district pays its own make sense.
• <00:59:17.120> high state, while they're paying high state, while they're paying high premiums

Bills: HF3794, HF4472, HF4410, HF4347, HF4412, HF4398, HF4397, HF4201, HF4199, HF4203, HF3706, HF4071, HF4120, HF4175, HF4188

Keywords: surveillance, price discrimination, wage discrimination, automated decision systems, consumer protections, data privacy, biometrics, school district health insurance, charter school health benefits, employee benefits, public sector health insurance, health insurance survey, Legislative Budget Office, LBO report, premium costs, retiree coverage, broker commissions, third-party administrator, health plan transparency, health reimbursement arrangement

Transcript Highlights:

• And either the school. school districts can pay for it, or if the school districts decide not to pay
• And then we have also asked to please be considered for any teacher pay raises.
• Telling us they're not paying enough, okay?
• . pay for everything that is not teacher salaries.
• And he had to do Uber on the side because it just doesn't pay that much.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not a, again, I'm not familiar enough with the ins and the alt-scale systems. And neither am I.
• We then continued... ...paying for advertising services without a written contract.
• Johnson, there was one part where you said you guys decided to adhere to not paying out any prize money
• The next is you have to pay a price for breaking the law.
• Or do we just need to add a bunch more... ...slid up or down or potentially a new scale created down

Summary: The committee opened with a moment of silence for a deceased member, then approved the April minutes and heard a presentation from HHS on the Diversion Task Force and related youth services grants. Chelsea Florey described the $750,000 one-time appropriation from HB 1012, the five awarded grants, and how programs in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot are using the funds for youth diversion, including school-based groups, physical activity, and services for problematic sexual behavior. Members raised concerns about staffing shortages, family engagement, service silos, and whether diversion eligibility rules are too rigid; Florey said the task force is focused on better coordination, broader education about available services, and possible changes to diversion criteria, with the Children’s Cabinet likely to drive broader recommendations. The committee then received a North Dakota Lottery biennium report from Director Thomas Lawler, who reviewed the lottery’s history, games, retailer commissions, player programs, and revenue distribution. He reported about $67 million in ticket sales for the 2023-2025 biennium, about $16.2 million transferred overall, including roughly $13.6 million to the general fund, plus transfers to drug task force and compulsive gambling funds. Members asked about the compulsive gambling allocation and whether it is set by statute. Next, the Department of Corrections presented on criminal justice data sharing and reentry. Adam Anderson explained that jails, courts, DOCR, HHS, and other entities use separate systems with limited interoperability, making real-time communication largely manual. He outlined possible hub or point-to-point IT solutions, but noted cost, vendor, identifier, and data-definition challenges. Robin Schmolenberger followed with an update on a Medicaid data exchange project between DOCR and HHS to suspend and reactivate inmate Medicaid coverage automatically and improve care coordination, with full bi-directional exchange expected in fall 2026. The committee also heard from county representatives on 24-7 sobriety program fees and an AG opinion allowing local sheriffs to use cheaper testing options when courts waive fees. Finally, the North Dakota Racing Commission reviewed a troubling audit. Bruce Johnson acknowledged serious findings involving overspending from the promotion fund, missing grant documentation, a reversed decision on breeders fund eligibility, and repeated procurement violations. He said the commission has begun corrective actions, including monthly tracking of the promotion fund cap, stricter grant documentation, written procurement procedures, and clearer eligibility rules in condition books. Members pressed him on how the overspending occurred, whether the commission board would impose consequences, and whether statutory clarification is needed on the promotion fund limit and related spending rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• Though we do have programs around where we pay a substantial amount, like $2,000, as an incentive for
• And we are going to pay a stipend for people to take that. The incentive is there.
• And we are going to pay a stipend for people to take that. The incentive is there.
• If the needle on your scale reminds you of the clock last weekend, only going up and never back, keep

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the pledge, and several introductions recognizing visitors and groups in the gallery, including Moffitt Cancer Center for “Moffitt Day,” students from Lakeland Christian School, representatives from the space industry for Space Day, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity members, licensed investigators, and local delegations from Groveland, Polk County, Auburndale, and the College of the Florida Keys. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar with Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 112, relating to children with developmental disabilities. Senator Harrell presented the bill as a major autism-focused measure aimed at earlier diagnosis and expanded services. The bill would expand autism screening and referral grants, extend Early Steps services to age four with a federal waiver, designate the University of Florida Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment as a coordinating research hub, create grants for autism-focused charter schools and summer programs, and establish a microcredential for teachers, health workers, and daycare workers serving children with autism. Senators Davis, Jones, Osgood, Duma, and Wright spoke in support while raising concerns about provider recruitment, Medicaid managed care coverage, the need for technology and research, and the importance of early intervention and adult services. Harrell closed by saying the bill was only “step one,” addressed provider and funding questions, and emphasized research and statewide coordination. The Senate passed CS/CS/SB 112 by a vote of 38-0 and then adopted a motion to waive the rules and immediately certify the bill to the House. Senators also co-introduced Senate Resolution 1856 honoring the life and legacy of Senator Geraldine Thompson, with 38 co-introducers recorded. In addition, Senate Bill 1324 by Senator Simon was withdrawn from further consideration, and the Senate adjourned until the following Wednesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• It pays for hourly wages by their workers. It pays for costs. It pays for test strips.
• It pays for drilling equipment. It pays for mileage. It pays for expenses. It pays for computers.
• It pays for drilling equipment. It pays for mileage. It pays for expenses. It pays for computers.
• It pays for costs. It pays for workers. It pays for costs. It pays for test<01:00:23.520> strips.
• It pays equipment. It pays for mileage. It pays for<01:00:27.359> expenses.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , Meaning, if an owner is not paying, Meaning, if an owner is not paying, there's<02:44:35.279>
• I would also point out for paying.
• <02:44:59.120> and to pay any attorney's fees or costs. and to pay any attorney's fees or
• scale to to<03:28:34.319> balance<03:28:34.800> those<03:28:35.040> scales.
• And I to balance those scales.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• would enter into like an interlocal agreement or something for local response, but not on a larger scale
• would enter into like an interlocal agreement or something for local response, but not on a larger scale
• And it's very difficult to do, and this is kind of the point of you can't scale this sort of talent,
• Senate Bill 2252 addresses these issues by scaling what we already know works. We've seen...
• Senate Bill 2252 addresses these issues by scaling what we already know works.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 met with a quorum and announced a full agenda, including combined public testimony for two bills related to student personal communication devices. The committee first took up Senate Bill 1262 by Senator Nichols, a school safety cleanup bill following House Bill 3. The bill would allow TEA to commission peace officers for school safety purposes, require annual renewal of good-cause exceptions to armed guard requirements, create a new report based on intruder detection audits and vulnerability assessments, and require behavioral threat assessment teams to include someone with specific knowledge of a special education student’s disability. Committee members asked about the difference between TCOLE licensing and TEA commissioning, the scope of the officers’ authority, and how the good-cause exception would work. The committee substitute was adopted, and public testimony included support from school safety and drone-response advocates, Disability Rights Texas in favor of the special education provisions, and a student witness raising concerns about the mental health impact of repeated lockdowns and the need for immediate, reliable school safety responses. The bill was left pending after testimony, then the committee briefly recessed and later reopened testimony to hear the student witness. The committee then laid out Senate Bill 2252 by Senator Creighton, a major early literacy and numeracy bill for kindergarten through third grade. Creighton said the bill builds on prior literacy efforts by funding teacher stipends for literacy and math academies, providing free and clearly administered screeners and assessments, expanding screening options, clarifying how results are used, supporting high-quality pre-K, and increasing the early education allotment. He emphasized low reading performance and the need for early intervention. Members discussed how the bill differs from earlier academy models and whether the assessments are diagnostic or high-stakes; Creighton and witnesses said the tools are intended to identify students needing support, not to serve as punitive testing. The committee adopted the substitute. Witnesses for SB 2252 largely supported the bill. A Uplift Education representative described strong gains from small-group literacy tutoring and said students receiving targeted support can make more than a year of growth in a year. An education specialist explained that the bill aligns general education screening with existing dyslexia and special education practices and helps districts identify students who need intervention before a disability evaluation is required. A Commit Partnership witness cited statewide reading data, the importance of high-quality pre-K, and the need for transparent, consistent progress monitoring and parent engagement. Members asked about the meaning of the growth data, how dyslexia screening works, and how the bill would help identify struggling students earlier. Before finishing all questions, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair after the floor session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Doesn't this exacerbate the situation for the new home buyer, meaning they would pay even more and have
• had portability, doesn't bring anything with them, that initial market price, they are going to be paying
• Nancy Bowen: Freezing assets while inflation continues means cities are forced to pay higher costs with
• You can't cut your budget and keep paying and providing the things you've always provided. Rep.
• We haven't talked about how we passed on the expense to the counties to pay for Medicaid expenses for

Transcript Highlights:

• The model comes from Texas, where they did have some success with a similar program and scaled it up
• It doesn't pay very much.
• Again, to start paying these child protection commissioners who will be appointed by the Supreme Court
• , pay their staff, and probably have to do some physical and facility changes to some of the courthouse
• You know, you're getting into something there above my pay grade.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The committee first considered House Bill 4893, which would increase penalties for contempt of magistrate court and raise the maximum fine a court may impose without a jury trial. Counsel explained that the bill would raise fines for first, second, and third offenses, add community service, and allow weekend jail or work release for a third offense. The committee adopted the strike-and-insert amendment, reported the bill to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass, and adopted a title amendment. The committee then took up House Bill 5684, a pilot program creating child protection commissioners to help handle abuse and neglect cases. Counsel and the sponsor described the proposal as a way to reduce circuit court backlog, improve the frequency and consistency of hearings, and provide more focused attention to children and families while leaving final decision-making authority with circuit judges. Supporters cited the heavy caseloads, shortages of guardians ad litem, and a Texas model that reportedly improved efficiency; one senator criticized the bill as adding bureaucracy, while others said the system needs a new approach. Members discussed funding through a companion bill tied to the medical cannabis fund, with an initial startup amount and ongoing annual support. Several senators raised concerns about the lack of a sunset date and the need for measurable outcomes. The committee adopted an amendment requiring the Supreme Court’s Administrative Director to identify measurable outcomes, establish a pre-implementation baseline, and provide annual reporting to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance, including costs and projected costs. House Bill 5684, as amended, was then reported to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass.

Transcript Highlights:

• The driver must provide a physician's letter and pay the appropriate fee.
• The train will make money, and then the operator who will have all those bonds will have to pay the debt
• I've seen cities that go to the trouble like they want an outer loop and then they go and they pay the
• The bill is now aimed at large-scale repeat offenders, not political candidates.
• They don't have to pay for the local inspection, but the $7.50 and the $5.50 still has to go to those

Bills: HB647, HB791, HB1242, HB1729, HB2003, HB2029, HB2061, HB2775, HB3751, HB4804, HB3611

Keywords: driver's license, vision correction, medical verification, Texas Department of Public Safety, renewal fees, HB 791, Central Catholic High School, San Antonio, specialty license plate, specialty plates, license plate, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Transportation Code, general revenue fund, With Loyal Hearts, Catholic school, private school, religious school, school spirit plate, commemorative plate

Transcript Highlights:

• So the fix today is pay more so you can have the filtration system to keep it from looking brown and
• We are willing to pay for good water. We want good water. There's been two rate increases.
• We're willing to pay for good water.
• We have tailored this down as much as we possibly can... ...we are willing to pay for good water.
• Other states have shown us what policies may serve to protect pollinators on a larger scale.

Bills: HB630, HB685, HB1318, HB2692

Keywords: outboard motors, certificate of title, vessel regulation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, marine documentation, HB 685, municipal utility rates, water rates, sewer rates, local government code, rate discrimination, tax-exempt entities, sales tax exemption, ad valorem tax exemption, nonprofit organizations, charitable organizations, municipal water service, municipal sewer service, utility billing, public utilities

Summary: The Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs met with no quorum at the start, but later reached quorum and took up several bills. House Bill 2692, codifying the San Antonio River Authority’s enabling legislation and making non-substantive modernization changes, received brief supportive testimony from the River Authority and was left pending before later being voted out favorably. House Bill 685, which would prevent municipalities from charging higher water or sewer rates to tax-exempt entities than comparable customers, also drew support and was reported favorably. House Bill 1318, clarifying compensation issues when a municipality decertifies part of a retail water utility’s service area, was heard without opposition and passed out of committee. House Bill 630, exempting certain older outboard motors from title requirements, likewise passed and was placed on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee spent the most time on Senate Bill 2497, relating to filtration systems for certain public drinking water systems. Senator Zaffirini described the bill as a response to ongoing secondary water quality complaints, while TCEQ testified that such contaminants are aesthetic rather than health-based and that the water remains safe to drink if primary standards are met. The Texas Rural Water Association opposed the bill as written, arguing filtration may not solve most water quality problems and could be costly for small systems, while a consumer witness from Floresville supported it and described repeated rate increases and brown water after a filtration system was removed. Members discussed narrowing the bill through a committee substitute and emphasized the need for flexibility and technical expertise; the committee substitute was adopted and the bill was reported favorably, with Senator Kolkhorst later asking to be recorded as voting no. The committee also heard Senate Bill 2850, which would create a pollinator task force to study habitat loss, public education, and best practices for protecting bees and other pollinators. Senator Menendez and invited witness Erica Thompson of Texas BeeWorks highlighted major colony losses and the economic importance of pollinators to Texas agriculture, and Environment Texas and the Texas Beekeepers Association supported the measure. Members discussed monarch butterflies, native grasses, milkweed, and conservation efforts, and the bill was reported favorably and sent to the local and uncontested calendar. After testimony, the committee also voted out several pending items, including House Bill 5560 with a committee substitute addressing water-loss penalties and infrastructure improvements, and then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• We could do that for a lesser amount, scale the thing down.
• Chairman, Senator Irby, I am telling you, you and I are already paying for St.
• A's, paying for Altru. It's in our budgets, paying for the community behavioral health centers.
• That's just a catch-up; that's paying for some fees that we were obligated to and were short.
• Paying for some fees that we were obligated to and were short.

Bills: SB2012

Keywords: transportation, funding, infrastructure, grants, municipal, 908, all

Summary: The Government Operations division met to consider House Bill 1015, the OMB budget, with several amendments already in hand. A major portion of the discussion centered on Senator Mathern’s concerns about the proposed new state hospital in Jamestown. He argued the project is outdated, too expensive, and should be delayed or reduced in favor of local behavioral health services and deferred maintenance at the existing LaHogue facility. Other members questioned him about staffing, capacity, constitutional issues, and the relationship between the hospital proposal and broader mental health investments in other bills. The committee also reviewed budget mechanics, including the transfer of up to $240 million from the Social Services Fund to the Human Services Finance Fund, a $40 million deferred maintenance fund, a $3 million deficiency appropriation for the new and vacant FTE pool, and other OMB-related items. Members discussed whether OMB should have managerial control over the Jamestown project and generally agreed that OMB oversight could help manage costs, though concerns about the hospital remained. The committee then considered two funding items that drew the most debate: guardianship grants and a pro-life education campaign. After testimony from a representative supporting the campaign, members agreed to reduce that item by $500,000 and add $1 million for guardianship grants, while leaving the overall bill to be finalized in conference. The committee adopted Amendment Version 2006 with those changes and then passed HB 1015 as amended on a roll call vote, with all members voting aye except Senator Burckhard on the amendment vote; he later voted aye on the bill itself. The chair indicated the bill would move to conference committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• was approached by a lender, Franklin Management, credit management, and they told him that he had to pay
• They told you who to pay, and honestly, they can't because they are just flying under the radar.
• acting as a landlord or a tenant, I think the basic compact has been, from a tenant’s perspective, to pay
• same time that we work as a Commonwealth to bring homelessness prevention and housing resources to scale
• In one of my recent cases, my entity versus Norman Gurdon, I faced a tenant who stopped paying rent for

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary heard testimony on a wide range of bills, with much of the discussion focused on housing stability and maternal mental health. On H. 1924/S. 1171, supporters including Sen. Joan Lovely, Rep. Jim O’Day, physicians, advocates, and people with lived experience urged the committee to create legal protections and treatment pathways for defendants who experienced postpartum psychosis or other perinatal mood disorders within 12 months of giving birth. Testimony emphasized that these conditions are rare but severe, often treatable, and can lead to tragic outcomes if criminalized rather than addressed through screening, expert evaluation, treatment, and, in some cases, resentencing or mitigation. Committee members asked about diagnosis years after the fact and how the Illinois law has worked; witnesses said retrospective diagnosis is possible and that the Illinois model has led to some successful resentencing petitions and broader awareness. Housing-related bills drew substantial testimony. On H. 1983/S. 1071, witnesses described “zombie” subordinate mortgages that were sold years after borrowers believed they had been resolved, then resurfaced with large balances and foreclosure threats. Supporters said the bill would require disclosures and court review to prevent unlawful servicing and foreclosure practices. On H. 1952, advocates from the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, tenants, and legal services providers backed a permanent statewide right to counsel in eviction cases, citing data showing strong tenant outcomes and the importance of quality control, multilingual outreach, and full representation. On H. 1895/S. 1184, testimony supported codifying a two-tier summary process in eviction court and prohibiting defaults at the initial case-management stage. On H. 1883, a small property owner supported rent escrow as a way to protect landlords from bad-faith nonpayment while preserving tenant rights. The committee also heard testimony on bills addressing discriminatory housing covenants, tenant oversight, and homelessness. On H. 1762/S. 1080, a housing advocate supported removing void restrictive covenants from deeds, describing the Dirty Deeds Project and the lingering harm of racist language in property records. On H. 1814, tenants and advocates described harassment, retaliation, security problems, and lack of accountability in subsidized housing, arguing for an Office of the Tenant Advocate within the Attorney General’s Office. On S. 1120, multiple witnesses supported a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness, saying it would affirm the right to rest and seek shelter, reduce criminalization, and extend anti-discrimination protections. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and questions on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• But right now, I'm leading the team to scale our main product and co-products to not just hundreds of
• For instance, CTE instructors are very tough to come by because of their pay.
• I think one of the things we would like to look at is for the legislature to help us look at how we pay
• We want to keep our students here; we need to have the workforce here that's able to get high-paying
• jobs, and these are higher-paying jobs that do not require a four-year degree.

Transcript Highlights:

• Frankly, it's better marketing than any corporation could ever pay.
• And then the second question. is, who's going to pay for the permit?
• Pay for the permit, so the water board develops the permit, but permittees pay into a waste discharge
• fund that then goes to pay for staff.
• All stormwater permittees are responsible for paying their stormwater permit fee.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Without these dollars, we will be scaling back our projects fairly significantly to match the amount.
• Last year, we scaled them back.
• Again, we had to scale back significantly.
• And they were scaled back to about 10% of that.
• Do you have any estimate of the total scale of the problem?