Transcript Highlights:

• Since then, our state has seen... ...107 major disaster declarations, 18 federal emergency declarations
• It's a disaster declaration, and then it's the request to the President for a major disaster declaration
• , county judges, and the governor to declare a disaster and exercise extraordinary measures.
• for a federal disaster declaration.
• Because you don't, now you're operating in a situation where there isn't a disaster declaration.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It removes the governor's unilateral ability to declare an emergency.
• It removes the governor's unilateral ability to declare an emergency.
• <00:01:33.960> an unilateral ability to declare an unilateral ability to declare an emergency
• is a declared emergency.
• state dis State soldiers disaster state dis State soldiers disaster program<00:18:27.080> is<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Since then, our state has seen 107 major disaster declarations. federal emergency declarations and 259
• , and then it's the request of the governor... ... for a major disaster declaration.
• The governor can declare a disaster and exercise extraordinary measures.
• for a federal disaster declaration.
• The disaster declaration. OK.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• President Biden to sign a major disaster President Biden to sign a major disaster declaration<00
• <00:38:57.599> relief you to secure critical disaster relief you to secure critical disaster
• <06:53:50.240> an collapse in Afghanistan declared an collapse in Afghanistan declared an
• the victims of the ongoing disaster the victims of the ongoing disaster nightmare<07:01:18.398><
• <07:10:26.000> raid<07:10:26.440> it's that to disaster raid it's that to disaster

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So if the county would declare a disaster.
• disaster.
• What we do have, though, is a state disaster program that mirrors the FEMA disaster.
• When a disaster occurs, the county declares it, then the state will authorize executive orders for the
• The Navajo Nation applied for federal disaster assistance and received it.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you’re not FEMA certified, you’re not eligible for disaster relief when FEMA declares a disaster.
• A lot of those are check-the-box items to be eligible for FEMA disaster declarations and funding.
• So along with why sirens, why just the counties in the disaster declared in July of this year?
• declaration, and they must participate. ...that were part of the disaster declaration, and they must
• Yes, the ones that were part of the disaster declaration.

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum call, invocation, and approval of the previous day’s journal, then observed a moment of silence after Senator Eckhardt referenced a mass shooting in Austin. The chamber also agreed to postpone reading and referral of bills until later in the day. Early procedural business included a motion not to print Senate Bill 3, which was adopted without objection. Later, Senator Mendez raised a parliamentary inquiry about moving flood relief bills to the top of the calendar, but the presiding officer said the order of business was up to the chair. The main floor action centered on Senate Bill 4, the congressional redistricting bill. Senator King laid out the bill, describing it as the companion to the House version, based on 2020 census data, and arguing it was legal, race-blind, more compact, and likely to elect more Republicans. Senators asked extensive questions about the process, public hearings, and the map’s effects on districts and communities. The Senate voted to suspend the regular order of business and the three-day rule, then passed SB 4 to engrossment and finally passed it, with the recorded votes showing 19 yeas and 2 nays. The Senate also took up Senate Bill 6, relating to abortion and civil liability for the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs. Senator Hughes argued the bill was needed to stop illegal abortion pills being mailed into Texas and harming women and unborn children. The Senate suspended the regular order of business and the three-day rule, passed the bill to engrossment, and then finally passed it, with the recorded votes showing 18 yeas, 10 nays, and one present not voting. A lengthy discussion followed on the committee substitute for Senate Bill 14, which would standardize law enforcement personnel and departmental files statewide. Senator King said the bill codifies a TCOLE model policy and limits public access to personnel files to substantiated misconduct, commendations, and evaluations, while keeping other records available through other legal processes. Senators Eckhardt, West, Hinojosa, and others questioned how the bill would affect transparency, meet-and-confer agreements, civilian review boards, and access to unsubstantiated complaints. An amendment by Senator Hinojosa of Dallas to narrow the bill to unfounded complaints failed, and SB 14 was then passed to engrossment on a vote of 18 yeas and 10 nays. The final major item was Senate Bill 1, the natural disaster omnibus bill responding to the July flooding. Senator Perry said the bill addresses camp and RV park safety, evacuation plans, emergency rooftop access, lines of succession for local emergency management, annual drills, volunteer management, drone restrictions over disaster areas, small-business recovery loans, and a statewide data hub for flood and weather monitoring. Senators Menendez, Eckhardt, and Kolkhorst asked about autopsies, volunteer background checks, liability, warning systems, floodplain mitigation, and coordination with FEMA and local governments. Perry said the bill focuses on preparation, response, and recovery, while broader prevention and mitigation issues may be addressed later. The transcript ends during this extended discussion, before final action on SB 1 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And for all of the emergencies, once you declare it, you have ...is declared, and for all of the emergencies
• , once you declare it, you have the 60 days.
• During the previous month to support the declared state of emergency.
• Those audits must be updated annually until the emergency is declared to be ended.
• If we, and thank goodness, we have not had a natural disaster in recent days.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The national benefit is withheld until the state of Minnesota declares it a line-of-duty death.
• house for his family because they desperately need one, and they cannot move forward until we get a declaration

Bills: HF4371, HF4317, HF2817, HF3496, HF4151, HF3826, HF4425, HF3990

Keywords: HF4371, Minnesota background checks, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, Office of the Legislative Auditor, Legislative Auditor, criminal history records, national criminal history record information, public safety, statutory amendment, section 299C.76, requesting agency, state audit, oversight, background screening, criminal records, county agencies, MNsure, Department of Revenue, Department of Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1 by Perry, relating to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, is referred to the
• Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding.
• relating to outdoor warning sirens in flood-prone areas, is referred to the Select Committee on Disaster
• Division of Emergency Management for local authorities, is also referred to the Select Committee on Disaster
• Senate Bill 4, relating to disaster management, is referred to the Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness

Bills: SB15, SB9, SB7, SB1, SB2, SB67, SB15, SB9, SB7

Keywords: real property, fraud, theft, elderly, disabled, statute of limitations, criminal offense, property rights, property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of those increases were due to disastrous declarations that took place.
• You'll have to use FEMA A and then part of B schedules if you're a taxing jurisdiction to use the disaster
• an election where they went to the public and said the election because they used the emergency declaration

Bills: SB15, SB9, SB7, SB1, SB2, SB67, SB15, SB9, SB7

Keywords: real property, fraud, theft, elderly, disabled, statute of limitations, criminal offense, property rights, property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap

Bills: HB188, HB265, HJR35, HJR47, SB1901, HB188, HB265, HJR35

Keywords: Texas STRONG defense fund, severance tax revenue, oil and gas revenue, constitutional transfers, rainy day fund, economic stabilization fund, state highway fund, oil and gas production, qualifying county, county grants, water infrastructure, first responders, public safety, DPS staffing, commercial motor vehicle safety, gang violence prevention, human trafficking prevention, economic development, TxDOT grants, school districts

Bills: HB25, HB38, HB997, HB 1119, HB25, HB38

Keywords: HB 25, Texas nutrition, nutrition education, healthy living, public health, school physical activity, recess, physical education, nutrition and wellness course, health curriculum, State Board of Education, Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee, ultra-processed foods, artificial colors, food additives, chronic disease, metabolic health, culinary medicine, functional medicine, dietary guidelines

Bills: HB25, HB38, HB997, HB 1119, HB25, HB38

Keywords: HB 25, Texas nutrition, nutrition education, healthy living, public health, school physical activity, recess, physical education, nutrition and wellness course, health curriculum, State Board of Education, Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee, ultra-processed foods, artificial colors, food additives, chronic disease, metabolic health, culinary medicine, functional medicine, dietary guidelines

Transcript Highlights:

• But we did receive a delayed federal declaration for disaster 4862, which, as you recall, is a tornado
• declaration.
• And there's additionally no non-disaster grants.
• And so, you'll see that we had Declared disasters.
• And then disaster case management.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• disasters.
• <00:09:09.839> declarations disaster declarations disaster declarations And<00:09:11.040> this
• natural disaster area. natural disaster area.
• nation who had major disaster nation who had major disaster declarations<01:20:52.960> in
• As Rebecca said, on the next slide, if we look at a heat map of the major disaster declarations that

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met to adopt the minutes of the second meeting by voice vote, then heard an update focused on disaster preparedness, resiliency, response, and coordination among state agencies and partners. The chair emphasized avoiding duplication of resources and highlighted the importance of agriculture-related response issues, including animal evacuation, feed distribution, and the role of extension services during disasters. The Department for Public Health was invited to explain its role in emergency planning and response. Public Health described its Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch as the lead coordinating agency for Emergency Support Function 8, covering health and medical services under Kentucky’s emergency operations framework. Testimony outlined its broad responsibilities, including support for hospitals, morgues, local health departments, behavioral health, crisis counseling, suspicious package testing, disease outbreaks, and coordination with emergency management, EMS, transportation, and nonprofit and private partners. Officials also described the agency’s risk-assessment process, training and exercise programs, and deployed assets such as PPE caches, deployable communications, a federal medical station, a mobile treatment center, and alternate care support used in events like the eastern Kentucky floods and COVID-19. The agency also discussed funding through federal cooperative agreements for public health emergency preparedness and hospital preparedness, noting that these programs have evolved since 9/11 and have been shaped by major disasters and emerging threats. Officials said Kentucky’s funding has declined over time and that current awards are partially funded for the first time in the program’s history. They expressed support for efficiency if federal programs are consolidated, but cautioned that combining programs could risk further funding losses.

Transcript Highlights:

• disaster may be transferred to a comparable property located in the same county that is acquired or
• SB 603 authorizes the county board of supervisors of any county affected by a disaster declared by the
• Existing law allows properties impacted by a wildfire to be reassessed based on its disaster-impacted
• To address these challenges, I introduced SB 293, which enables disaster-impacted homeowners to update
• But we want to be really intentional here with making this for cases of natural disasters.

Summary: The Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee met after several delays while waiting for the Senate to finish its floor session, and the chair announced the committee would begin once a quorum was established. The committee then heard a series of tax-related bills, with most measures being held for suspense except SB 87, which was voted out. The chair also welcomed newly appointed committee member Assembly Member Juan Carrillo. SB 359 would clarify that county-run transit systems qualify for existing sales and use tax exemptions on transit fuels such as diesel and compressed natural gas. Senator Nilo and Placer County testified that the bill would correct an inequity affecting counties operating their own transit services, especially rural counties, and would not create a new state revenue loss because the tax had not been consistently collected. Support came from the California Transit Association and the California State Association of Counties; the bill was sent to suspense. SB 603 would allow county boards of supervisors in disaster-affected counties to extend by up to three years the five-year deadline for transferring a property tax base-year value to replacement property. The author and supporters, including the California Assessors Association and the California Association of Realtors, said the measure would give local governments flexibility to address post-disaster rebuilding delays. SB 293 would extend the deadline for filing intergenerational property transfer claims from six months to three years for disaster-impacted homeowners, with testimony focused on helping families in Altadena and preserving generational homes after the Eaton Fire; the committee discussed possible refinements and the bill was held in suspense. SB 353 would extend the farm-to-food-bank tax credit through 2032, with support emphasizing food security, waste reduction, and the program’s documented results; it too was sent to suspense. SB 723 would raise the threshold for property tax exemptions on low-value properties, with the author arguing it would reduce administrative costs and ease burdens on small businesses, and the committee asked for technical work before the bill was held in suspense. SB 785 would create a $5,000 tax credit for durable medical equipment used by children with complex medical conditions, with supporters saying it could prevent hospitalizations and help families keep medically fragile children at home; it was also sent to suspense. SB 87, which would extend the sales tax exemption for volunteer fire department fundraising activities for five more years, passed the committee on a 5-0 vote and was sent to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• declaration for our state.
• declaration for our state.
• Disaster relief is a lifeline.
• Disaster relief is a lifeline.
• Disaster relief is a lifeline.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, January 16, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Secondly, an overview of disaster programs, then the status of the disaster recovery, and finally, I'll
• Those are the major disasters.
• a presidential or a governor's declaration, but they can declare those on their own.
• In terms of partnerships on disaster recovery, these partnerships build on those disaster programs.
• So if there was a set aside for disasters, not just the acequias, but disasters generally, And it would

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, there's already disaster declaration. I think it's, uh, local government code.
• So you, your position is they could use basically disaster declaration to halt sales.
• a disaster in order to ban fires, right, right, but subject to them declaring a disaster, it, it forces
• I just want to reiterate this does nothing to the county's ability to declare a disaster.
• If you, if you happen to be unfortunate enough to have some dry conditions and, and the disaster declaration

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill declares government-owned property leased to private entities for defense or air programs are
• I want to fully understand that this money is strictly for natural disasters.
• >> Chair: You are recognized. >> Rep.: Yes, this bill is money appropriated for natural disasters. >>
• I know we have at least 10 natural disaster declarations that have been rolled over in this calendar
• I KNOW WE HAVE AT LEAST 10 NATURAL   161 DISASTER DECLARATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ROLLED OVER 

Summary: The Transportation Economic Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and heard four measures. First, the committee considered PCS for HB 1177, which originally addressed ad valorem tax exemptions for defense and aerospace operations and contract procedures for Space Florida. An amendment removed the tax exemption portion for later consideration in the tax package, and the bill then passed favorably after brief discussion about Florida’s competitiveness in the space industry. The committee next took up a conforming budget bill on documentary stamp taxes, which redirects a portion of doc stamp revenue from general revenue to the State Transportation Trust Fund. The sponsor said the change restores a $60 million transportation funding stream with a corresponding general revenue reduction, while maintaining a net zero fiscal impact overall. Members asked about why the funding was being restored and how the money would be used, and the bill passed favorably. Members then heard PCB 26-02, which re-creates the Emergency Preparedness Response Fund and adds restrictions and oversight. The proposal limits the fund to state appropriations for natural emergencies, requires legislative consultation for extended emergencies, keeps revenue in the fund, sends federal reimbursements to general revenue, adds quarterly reporting and inventory/accounting requirements, and sunsets the fund in 2030 unless reenacted. Testimony and debate focused on accountability, disaster response readiness, and concerns about prior uses of the fund; the PCB passed favorably. Finally, the committee considered HB 953, which strengthens oversight of commercial driving schools by authorizing county tax collectors to enforce related statutes and inspections. The sponsor said the bill responds to fraud and misrepresentation in the industry and would help protect driver licensing integrity, especially in South Florida. After supportive testimony from the Miami-Dade Tax Collector’s Office and a lobbyist, the bill passed favorably. The meeting then adjourned.