Transcript Highlights:

• We have gone something back there.
• We're expecting a report to come back in the That?
• We're expecting a report to come back in the We're expecting a report to come back in the next couple
• <00:21:15.840> on the committee is all the way back on the committee is all the way back on
• Yeah, I think it was back in the 90s. Okay. It's been a long time.

Keywords: Government Structure - Room 216, 29 January, 2026; 4:30 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bills 2625 and 2636, both described as part of a broader effort to strengthen state cybersecurity. SB 2625 would create a state chief information officer at the governor’s office level to coordinate IT and cybersecurity policy across agencies. Members and the sponsor said it was a conceptual work in progress, and the committee added a reverse repealer before reporting the bill out as a committee substitute with a do pass recommendation. SB 2636 would create a Department of Cyber Security focused on law enforcement and post-attack response, including investigators and coordination with DPS, the auditor’s office, local jurisdictions, and federal partners. Supporters said the goal was to improve collaboration, protect taxpayer information, and separate network protection and recovery from criminal investigation. Some members questioned whether the new department would overlap with existing IT and law enforcement functions, but sponsors said it was intended to clarify responsibilities rather than duplicate them. The committee added a reverse repealer and reported the bill out as a committee substitute with a do pass recommendation. The committee also considered SB 2632, which would delay action on state disaster recovery funding while awaiting federal changes from FEMA/MEMA. The sponsor said the bill would give the state time to evaluate new federal disaster recovery rules and determine the best approach for Mississippi. The committee added a reverse repealer and reported the bill out as a committee substitute with a do pass recommendation. Finally, the committee heard SB 2817, a Department of Public Safety reorganization bill. It would move the Bureau of Investigation, narcotics, homeland security, and the forensic lab under the State Bureau of Investigation to streamline command and allow more flexible staffing. It would also preserve a telecommunications fee, raise autopsy and salvage inspection fees, and continue discussion of DPS police powers. After questions about the autopsy fee and whether the reorganization would save money, the committee adopted a do pass motion. The chair also noted that SB 2673 would be studied further over the next year before any final action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Padilla, be right back.
• Izzy, maybe when you come back, let's go over the 3%.
• Agent, you don't schedule back with you.
• And that's backed up by. 236 acres in New Mexico at this time. And that's backed up by real data.
• I'm not backing down on agriculture at all.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's been a strong partnership in terms of that back and forth.
• So with that, I will pass it back to Jess. I'm sorry. Thank you, Simon.
• There was a lot going on back then.
• I'm going to go back to the data and what the data says.
• Publicly, again going back to your earlier opening statement.

Transcript Highlights:

• Alright, welcome back, everybody. We're going to get started.
• They were very responsive, called back right away.
• Way back to your work, I know.
• People come back home to be buried in their community.
• Camila Bustamante, who is stepping back in to help support the farm.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, I'm going to bring it back to the committee.
• , you know, a look-back, you know, what happened.
• And I want to just go back quickly to the opposition.
• And I want to just go back quickly to the opposition.
• Obviously, the insurance folks push back.

Summary: The committee heard several insurance-related bills. SB 371 by Senator Cabaldon would lower uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage requirements for rideshare companies from the current $1 million level to $100,000 per person and $300,000 per incident, with added transparency and data-reporting provisions. Uber, Lyft, and several business groups supported the bill as a way to reduce fares and improve affordability, while consumer attorneys, labor groups, and others opposed it as a major cut in protection for injured passengers and drivers. Committee members raised concerns about whether savings would actually reach riders and drivers, but the bill was approved on a do-pass vote to the next committee, with one member not voting. SB 487 by Senator Grayson would change how settlement or judgment proceeds are distributed when peace officers or firefighters are injured by a third party, ensuring they receive at least two-thirds of the at-fault party’s liability insurance limits in certain cases. Supporters, including public safety unions and an injured deputy sheriff, said current law can leave injured first responders with little or no recovery after employer reimbursement, while opponents representing cities, counties, and public agencies argued the bill would reduce recovery of taxpayer-funded workers’ compensation costs and lacked sufficient data. The committee members who spoke largely supported the bill, and it passed on a do-pass vote to Appropriations, with one member not voting. SB 616 by Senator Rubio would create an independent community hardening commission within the Department of Insurance to develop statewide wildfire mitigation recommendations and a post-catastrophe reporting process. The Department of Insurance, local governments, consumer groups, and fire-related organizations supported the measure as a way to improve wildfire resilience and insurance availability, while water agencies opposed provisions touching water infrastructure and warned of litigation and ratepayer impacts. The bill advanced on a do-pass vote to Appropriations, with some members not voting and one member voting no. The committee also heard SB 547 by Senator Perez, coauthored by Senator Rubio, which would extend wildfire-related insurance cancellation/nonrenewal moratoriums to commercial properties; insurers removed their opposition after amendments, and the bill passed to Appropriations on a do-pass vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll go back to our public testimony on Senate Bill 111.
• One of the restraints that we are all trained in was pulled back.
• I wanted to back up just a little bit.
• But even back then, you could see the hair on their faces.
• I wrote that provision back when I was the research director of this committee back in 1979.

Bills: SB205, SB582, SB625, SB1884, SB1903, SB2600, SB2617, SB2751, SB111, SB3061, SB1908

Keywords: fetal development, health curriculum, public schools, middle school health education, grade 7, grade 8, State Board of Education, school health advisory council, Texas Education Code, pregnancy, reproductive health, infertility, birth defects, prenatal development, unborn child, trimester, medically accurate instruction, age-appropriate instruction, drug and alcohol effects, lead exposure

Transcript Highlights:

• So we'll circle back around.
• I can get back those.
• Alex, back there, please come up. Houston Regional Business Coalition.
• Can you go back over that and kind of break it down for me?
• Miles, are you coming back? I hope. All right.

Bills: SB39, SB2129, SB2141, SB2246, SB2323, SB2439, SB2722

Keywords: commercial motor vehicle, truck liability, motor carrier, trucking, civil liability, respondeat superior, negligent entrustment, negligent maintenance, negligent loading, negligent repair, bifurcated trial, exemplary damages, punitive damages, personal injury, collision, employer liability, vicarious liability, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Texas tort reform, commercial truck accident

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee reconvened on SB 2722, as substituted by Senator Bettencourt, which would redirect a portion of Harris County Toll Road Authority surplus revenues to the City of Houston and impose audit and tax-rate penalty provisions. Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz and Fire Chief Thomas Munoz testified in support, arguing that Houston bears a large share of toll-road public safety burdens, citing thousands of police and fire responses on toll-road property and the need for compensation for emergency services. Bill King, testifying neutrally, said the toll authority generates large excess revenues and urged stronger oversight and clearer controls on how the money is spent. Opponents, including Harris County officials, business and neighborhood representatives, and toll-road critics, argued the bill would divert transportation dollars, create a precedent for taking toll revenues for general municipal use, and could worsen project delivery and incentives; several also questioned the accuracy and interpretation of the revenue figures and the lack of comparable audit requirements for the city. The committee took extensive testimony but left SB 2722 pending without a vote. The committee then heard SB 2129, which would increase fines for motorists who disregard railroad crossing gates or flaggers, and SB 2323, which would redact railroad crew members’ personal information from public accident reports. Both bills were presented as safety measures, with railroad labor testimony in support, and both were left pending after brief public testimony. The committee also heard SB 2141, a Zaffirini bill concerning specialty license plates for judges, with the substitute aimed at reducing security risks by changing how judges are identified on plates; it too was left pending. Finally, the committee heard SB 2439, another Zaffirini bill, described as a TDLR cleanup measure related to ATV and off-highway vehicle safety certification. The bill would abolish the current training and certification program, which supporters said was burdensome and underused given the small number of approved instructors statewide. With no significant opposition on the record, the committee closed testimony and left SB 2439 pending as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's get back on the original amendment as amended.
• Later, Mike came back on and said, “You need to get to the hospital.”
• Go back and forth.
• So I'd have to get back to you on that. And thank you, Mr.
• I'd have to get back to you on that. And thank you, Mr. Chair.

Summary: The committee took up a series of bills and amendments, reporting several measures favorably. Early in the meeting, CS for CS for SB 344 modernizing the Telecommunications Access System Act was approved without opposition. The committee then adopted amendments and passed CS for SB 714 on non-opioid advanced directives, CS for SB 738 updating child care and early learning provider regulation, CS for SB 756 revising health insurance coverage for individuals with developmental disabilities, and CS for CS for SB 1356 creating a Florida Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases at FSU and a newborn genetic testing pilot. Later, the committee also approved CS for SB 1624 on higher education, CS for SB 1626 on child welfare, SB 178 on an agronomic study for emerging crops, SB 1162 on water access facilities and boat ramp parking, CS for CS for SB 958 creating a type 1 diabetes early detection program, CS for CS for SB 1402 expanding dropout retrieval eligibility, SB 774 requiring electronic transmission of certain court orders, SB 1516 creating an international aerospace innovation fund, and SB 994 revising driver education requirements. Most of these bills were reported favorably by roll call votes after brief explanations and, in several cases, amendments. Several measures drew substantive discussion and public testimony. CS for CS for SB 1624 prompted questions about replacing “minority” with “underrepresented,” the role of the Florida Department of Education’s Commission for Independent Education in overseeing private religious postsecondary institutions, and whether the changes could affect access for students at institutions such as FAMU and FIU. CS for CS for SB 1070 on ECGs for student athletes received extensive emotional testimony from parents and advocates describing children lost to sudden cardiac arrest and urging mandatory screenings; the sponsor said the bill would be cost-neutral for districts by encouraging partnerships with screening groups. SB 994 on driver education was discussed as a vehicle to add distracted driving instruction, and the sponsor agreed to work on that issue. SB 774 was presented as a response to a fatal delay in transmitting an ex parte order, with support from clerks and sheriffs. The most extended debate centered on SB 810 on stormwater management systems. The sponsor said the bill, as amended, would narrow annual inspections to infrastructure identified as vulnerable by MS4 entities, but the Florida League of Cities, Florida Association of Counties, and Florida Stormwater Association warned the proposal could impose major costs and duplicate existing MS4 permit requirements. Committee members questioned the fiscal impact, whether the bill would apply to FDOT or other entities, and whether annual inspections were feasible for large and small jurisdictions alike. Despite those concerns, the sponsor and several members emphasized flood prevention and public safety, and the bill remained under discussion with the sponsor indicating continued willingness to work with stakeholders.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can go back and forth.
• You can go back and forth.
• I am not going to go back to Walton County, Mr.
• Like several people here, I moved here to kick back and relax.
• And my wife's family goes back for about 40 more.

Summary: The committee first took up CS for Senate Bill 304, which would address child protective investigations involving children with certain genetic or medical conditions that can mimic signs of abuse. Senator Sharif and several family members and advocates described cases in which children were removed after injuries were initially misread as abuse, and argued the bill would give parents more opportunity to obtain qualified medical opinions. The committee adopted a substitute amendment that removed language imposing analysis duties on certain medical professionals, then passed the bill favorably after testimony in support from the Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and several affected families. The committee then considered SB 1430 on post-judgment execution proceedings for terrorism victims, SB 96 on relief for Jacob Rogers, SB 382 on affordable housing rent agreements, SB 4 and SB 6 on claims bills for Patricia Armini and Jose Correa, SB 1142 on release of conservation easements, SB 658 on waiver or release of liens, SB 28 and SB 30 on claims involving South Broward Hospital District and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, SB 24 on relief for Mandy Penny Lemon, SB 72 on campaign funds for child care expenses, and SB 1622 on recreational customary use of beaches. Most of these bills were explained by their sponsors as narrow relief or technical measures, and the committee heard a mix of support and opposition from claimants, local governments, industry groups, and advocacy organizations. Several bills drew substantive debate. On SB 382, members discussed rent stability and whether the bill should better address lease language and future rent increases; the amendment and bill were both reported favorably. On SB 1142, members raised concerns about environmental and drainage impacts and whether releases of conservation easements should be mandatory or discretionary, but the bill still passed favorably. On SB 72, members questioned the scope of allowable campaign child care expenses and the need for stronger guardrails against abuse; the bill nevertheless passed favorably. On SB 1622, testimony sharply divided between supporters of restoring public beach access and opponents defending private property rights; debate continued when the transcript ended, so no final vote on that bill is reflected here.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if it's not addressed in the amendment, I can come back to it.
• Actually, can you come back to me? I got it.
• So, I’m back to you and you remain recognized.
• And real briefly, I'll do this here from my desk back here.
• My desk back here.

Summary: The subcommittee considered a long agenda of civil justice and claims measures. HB 1173, relating to the Florida Trust Code, was presented as a clarification of standing in trust litigation after recent case law; after questions about who may sue, an amendment was adopted clarifying that an expressly named charity retains standing, and the bill passed 14-2. HB 1437, on attorney’s fees in motor vehicle PIP disputes, drew testimony from insurers and reform groups opposing a return to fee-driven litigation and from medical groups supporting fee recovery for prevailing parties; it passed 17-0. CS/HB 147, addressing prohibited debt-collection communications during nighttime and early morning hours, was described as a clarification of an outdated statute in light of modern communications, with support from business groups and no opposition in the vote; it passed 18-0. The committee then heard several claims bills against the Department of Children and Families. HB 6511, for relief of L.P., described severe injuries to a child after DCF allegedly failed to act on warning signs; a technical amendment was adopted and the bill passed 18-0. HB 6515, for relief of Michael Barnett, involved DCF’s alleged failure to investigate domestic violence that preceded the killing of three children and injury of a fourth; members asked about the settlement amount and the case’s circumstances, and the bill also passed 18-0. HB 1517, expanding wrongful death law to allow parents of an unborn child to recover for the child’s death, generated the most extensive debate. The sponsor said it aligns civil law with existing criminal definitions and excludes claims against mothers and providers of lawful medical care, including IVF; opponents warned it could be used to target reproductive care, support networks, and domestic violence survivors, while supporters framed it as a justice measure for families. An amendment clarifying damages rules for minors and unborn children was adopted, and the bill passed 13-4. Finally, HB 947, on evidence of medical damages in personal injury and wrongful death cases, sought to allow broader evidence at trial and to change “shall” to “may”; supporters said it would improve fairness and transparency, while opponents argued it would weaken post-2023 tort reforms and reintroduce inflated medical damages. The amendment was adopted and the bill was then taken up with additional opposition testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Going in the back. I'm getting in the... Going in the back. I'm getting in the back.
• Um, Senator Bell, I ask you to call SB1177 back to...
• All right, Secretary, call the... ...back to...
• That's what I keep getting back to. These would... Keep getting back to these.
• Once we put that Help America Vote Act back into place back in the early 2000s, you can vote with a light

Bills: SJR 18, SCR 5, SCR 13, SCR 25, SB 3, SB 6, SB 10, SB 11, SB 12, SB 13, SB 15, SB 17, SB 18, SB 35, SB 388, SB 412, SB 441, SB 495, SB 666, SB 687, SB 706, SB 740, SB 815, SB 842, SB 917, SB 925, SB 995, SB 1006, SB 1281, SB 1300, SB 1379, SB 1451, SB 1902, SJR 36, SJR 18, SJR 12, SCR 13, SCR 25, SCR 5, SCR 22, SB 565, SB 372, SB 495, SB 842, SB 765, SB 62, SB 19, SB 18, SB 666, SB 707, SB 888, SB 687, SB 706, SB 847, SB 290, SB 11, SB 10, SB 13, SB 412, SB 441, SB 1248, SB 740, SB 14, SB 1006, SB 504, SB 917, SB 925, SB 388, SB 1902, SB 1121, SB 995, SB 857, SB 305, SB 296, SB 284, SB 35, SB 6, SB 815, SB 3, SB 1281, SB 1379, SB 1300, SB 1497, SB 1499, SB 1498, SB 1451, SB 1061, SB 15, SB 65, SB 241, SB 304, SB 402, SB 499, SB 621, SB 974, SB 1023, SB 1024, SB 1025, SB 1106, SB 686, SB 112, SB 371, SB 204, SB 400, SB 609, SB 1447, SB 670, SB 502, SB 427, SB 850, SB 854, SB 413, SB 1555, SB 1362, SB 1346, SB 1033, SB 1220, SB 1073, SB 810, SB 987, SB 1539, SB 893, SB 447, SB 875, SB 406, SB 509, SB 985, SB 965, SB 17, SB 1119, SB 1505, SB 12, SB 24, SB 57, SB 1194, SB 1253, SB 1215, SB 1532, SB 1268, SCR 12, SCR 24, SB 1302, SB 856, SB 650, SB 583, SB 673, SB 840, SJR 18, SB 11, SB 441, SB 10, SB 18, SB 412, SB 495, SR 238, SR 264, SR 266, SR 267, SR 268, SR 270, SR 271, SR 272, SR 278, SB 1169, SB 1169

Keywords: capital gains, taxation, constitutional amendment, state revenue, individual investment, SCR 5, Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, Texas School for the Deaf, TSD, Robert Rives, gymnasium naming, building naming, honorary resolution, commemorative resolution, deaf education, hard of hearing, Gallaudet University, alumni hall of fame, football coach, school facility naming

Transcript Highlights:

• And then with... ...back every year.
• I agree. ...back out on our streets again. I agree.
• Back to you, Senator Melson. Thank you.
• Right back to you to explain it.
• Discussion back and forth, we've passed a lot of bills today that we've gone back on.

Bills: SJR 1, SB 9, SB 40, SJR 36, SJR 1, SJR 5, SB 9, SB 40, SR 61, SR 91, SR 97, SR 103, SR 104, SR 112, SR 115, SR 116, SCR 16, SB 26, SB 26

Keywords: bail denial, illegal aliens, felony offenses, constitutional amendment, law enforcement, bail reform, defendants, pretrial detention, public safety, criminal justice, charitable bail organizations, bail bonds, public funds, political subdivision, injunctive relief, taxpayer rights, bail, criminal justice reform, Texas Music Advocacy Day, music industry

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome back. Welcome back. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate all your work.
• In the Waco Mountains, back in... we'll say 2010.
• Harvesters were trying to buy back some licenses. You kind of touched on it.
• Well, don't say what an average price is because I don't want it back.
• I would be very interested if you all could bring back to me. Absolutely.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we are to take that full look back.
• I can get back to you.
• We got to add that back.
• I mean, you got we got to you back.
• me back up. me back up.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The committees resumed discussion of amendments to a bill dealing with licensing moratoria, change-of-ownership rules, and related provider oversight issues. Amendment A8 would prevent a licensing moratorium for certain intermediate care service settings from blocking a new license when the change is due to a change of ownership, including temporary licenses and transitional licenses. Department of Human Services staff said they were still reviewing the language but explained the department’s concern was maintaining program integrity and ensuring owners go through full change-of-ownership review so the agency can see who owns a provider and check compliance history. Senators supporting the amendment argued it would keep legitimate businesses from being harmed by a moratorium and could help preserve providers when ownership changes or family members take over after a death. A8 was adopted on a roll call, with both committees voting in support. Amendment A9, also on the moratorium topic, would exempt a change of ownership from the moratorium so long as it does not increase license capacity or service scope. The department said it needed more analysis to avoid unintended consequences, but the amendment was added to the working bill. Amendment A10 proposed a more detailed, data-driven framework for the moratorium and included a provision about refunds after implementation; department staff said the language would add cost and would require technical assistance, while senators emphasized the need to address licensure backlogs and avoid making provider delays worse. A10 was approved by the committees, though not unanimously. Amendment A11 would have set standards for how the commissioner designates provider types or program areas as moderate or high risk, with added transparency criteria. The department said the commissioner already has that authority and raised concerns about federal requirements and the state’s corrective action plan, and Senator Hoffman withdrew the amendment. Amendment A12, offered by Senator Fateh, would preserve remote supports by removing bill language that repealed the service and would add safeguards for remote overnight supervision, including staffing ratios to ensure emergency response times can be met. Several senators supported keeping remote services as an important, cost-effective option amid workforce shortages, while the department said it had program integrity concerns and supported the governor’s proposal to remove the service. The committee nevertheless advanced A12, with members noting the need to balance safety and integrity with access to services.

Transcript Highlights:

• Be back in your seat in five.
• You go back to the original founding of unemployment insurance back in the 1930s.
• This goes back to a big closure going back a few decades now, when Ethan Allen closed up in northern
• recession uh back in uh 2009 2010. recession uh back in uh 2009 2010.
• maybe when we come back in in March. maybe when we come back in in March.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll come back to you, Senator Grunhagen.
• I think putting it back in this policy.
• Mueller comes back and this. If Mr.
• So it's back into the atmosphere.
• The vote then can go back uh as there.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do want to pivot back to aware of. We do want to pivot back to that<01:28:52.800> business.
• attention back on it to do something. attention back on it to do something.
• They went back.
• I actually had to go sit through two 4-hour trainings back to back on June 2nd and June 3rd.
• They won't answer me back. They won't come back to me and say, "Hey, what's your concern?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Senator Boldon, back to you. >> Thank you, Madam Chair.
• Uh Senator Boldon, back to you. Uh Senator Boldon, back to you.
• Back to you, Chair Igo. Back to you, Chair Igo.
• Bringing it back to the House floor and getting it to our governor.
• back and forth between the Senate. back and forth between the Senate.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The conference committee on House File 1141, the Omnibus Housing Finance and Policy Bill, reviewed the fiscal spreadsheet and policy language for the agreement. Staff explained the major funding items, including appropriations for greater Minnesota workforce housing, manufactured home park infrastructure grants, family homelessness prevention, supportive housing, a tenant hotline, and housing infrastructure bonds, along with a cancellation of unused Tyler settlement funds and a reallocation of Housing Development Fund earnings. Staff said the package was budget neutral over the forecast window. The policy walk-through also covered provisions on livestreaming Housing Finance Agency board meetings, limits on administrative retentions for new grant programs, restrictions and reporting on Housing Development Fund transfers and earnings, clarifying language for local public housing, an exemption related to lived-experience engagement, and access for legislative fiscal staff to agency accounting information. Members then considered several amendments. The A12 amendment, allowing certain local governments to invest long-term funds in housing-related investments, was adopted after a roll call showed support from all three caucuses. The A16 manufactured housing bill of rights amendment, which would have addressed park-owner practices, purchase opportunities, enforcement, and rent increases, was not adopted. The A18 amendment to allow additional flags in HOAs and other areas was also not adopted. The A17 amendment to limit private equity ownership of single-family homes to 100 units was not adopted. The A13 amendment to preempt local rent control was not adopted. Members on both sides said some of the rejected issues warranted further discussion in future sessions, while supporters argued they were needed to address housing affordability and ownership pressures. In closing discussion on the bill as a whole, members from both chambers praised the bipartisan process, the staff work, and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency’s collaboration. Supporters said the agreement would help build thousands of homes across the state, assist vulnerable Minnesotans, and improve transparency and accountability in housing programs. They also noted the bill’s mix of single-family, multifamily, manufactured housing, homelessness prevention, and policy reforms. The committee expressed intent to move the agreement forward to the House floor and ultimately to the governor.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's going back probably 15 or 16 years.
• Get back to insurance now. Gladly. Representative Shammerhorn.”
• Back to you, Representative Walters. Thank you.
• I will be back.
• Well, we look forward to having you back next year.

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 1209, which would pause new cooperative endeavor agreements for surface water withdrawals after December 31, 2026, while allowing existing agreements to continue and renew through 2036. The author said the bill is intended to force a broader, data-driven review of Louisiana’s surface water management and to improve funding for aquatic plant control, especially giant salvinia. An amendment was adopted to broaden the description of how the aquatic plant control fund may be used and to require annual reporting on agreements, withdrawals, revenues, deposits, spending, and non-monetary consideration. Department officials said the current program is voluntary, underfunded for monitoring, and that the bill could create a gap for new users if no replacement mechanism is enacted. The bill was reported favorable as amended after testimony from supporters including the Louisiana Wildlife Federation and opposition concerns from industry representatives were noted but not formally presented. House Bill 599 was then heard, which would prohibit the sale of Louisiana running surface water outside the state. The author argued that out-of-state sales, especially involving Toledo Bend and Texas, would be short-sighted and could harm Louisiana’s long-term water interests. Supporters said Louisiana lacks a water budget and should preserve water for in-state needs, while the Department of Conservation and Energy noted that the state currently has no mandatory process for such agreements and that the bill would not affect Sabine River Authority authority. The committee reported the bill favorable. Finally, House Bill 1206, dealing with permitting and reporting of water usage at data centers, was discussed. The substitute bill and amendment would give the department authority to monitor and regulate groundwater and surface water withdrawals, require public hearings, and improve transparency through reporting and a universal project identifier. The author and supporters said the bill was prompted by concerns in communities affected by large data center projects and the lack of public hearings on water use. Department officials agreed that more comprehensive data and a clearer framework are needed, but the author voluntarily deferred the bill to continue working with the department on a broader measure for next session. The committee also heard House Bill 1171 on allowing airboats in the Mar-Paw Swamp Wildlife Management Area, but after extensive debate over noise, habitat impacts, and existing restrictions, the discussion was ongoing in the portion provided and no final action on that bill was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are financing these projects off the back of IOU balance sheets.
• Okay, we're going to come back to Mr. Alvarez and go to file item number 16.
• We are going to come back to Mr. Alvarez and go to file item number 16.
• I will tell you this: it will come back to bite many of you, because...
• And so with this, get back bonus payments in those scenarios.

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through a long floor file of bills. Early measures passed with little or no debate, including AB 698 on local transfer taxes and affordable housing analysis, AB 456 on mobile home sales, AB 1129 on reportable infant health conditions, AB 69 on Fair Plan insurance notices and voluntary market searches, AB 357 on expedited student and faculty housing permits, AB 383 on firearms code cleanups, AB 426 on drones interfering with emergency response, AB 825 on energy affordability and transmission financing, and AB 699 on ballot transparency for local tax and bond measures. Most of these bills passed unanimously or with strong bipartisan margins, while AB 825 drew the most extended debate over whether it would lower costs or expand state control of energy infrastructure; it ultimately passed 45-5. The most contentious item was AB 84, which would strengthen oversight of non-classroom-based charter schools and tighten accountability for charter spending and operations. Supporters argued it was needed to stop fraud and misuse of public education dollars, citing major scandals and audit findings, while opponents warned it would harm legitimate charter schools, reduce educational options, and disproportionately affect rural and special-needs students. Several members said they supported the bill only to keep negotiations going, and others urged more targeted or delayed action. After extensive debate and multiple amendments, the Assembly passed AB 84 on a 41-22 vote. The chamber also took up AB 610, a housing bill that would require cities and counties to disclose planned housing restrictions and limit new constraints for three years after housing element approval. The author framed it as a certainty and transparency measure to help address the state’s housing shortage, while noting continued discussions with local governments and housing advocates. The transcript ends with the bill’s presentation and request for an aye vote, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.