Transcript Highlights:

• We have nine locations in Texas, and we provide sales and service of Complex Rehab Technology, or CRT
• Technology has come a long way, and it has made creating a mobility device for someone to get around
• With devices like iDrive, head control, and several others... technologies that not only drive these
• Please provide an additional $13 million in funding for Complex Rehab Technology products.
• Complex Rehabilitation Technology, or CRT, is medically necessary.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The statute is limiting the Judiciary from exploring the utilization of more current technology.
• um there is no more current technology um there is no uh<00:34:35.399> current<00:34:35.760><
• tools I'm available for technological tools I'm available for questions<00:35:26.520> if<00:35
• We want to be able to utilize the technology for people to be able to respond to their questionnaires
• <00:42:19.800> for able to utilize the technology for able to utilize the technology for people

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several Judiciary-related measures. SB 94 would increase the mandatory minimum jail term for a first knowing or intentional violation of a temporary restraining order from 48 to 72 hours. The Office of the Public Defender and the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence opposed the bill, arguing the current penalty is effective, the measure treats very different conduct the same, and the mental health assessment language is unclear and could be harmful or misapplied. Some other testifiers were listed in support or opposition, but no vote was taken. SB 15 would raise the real property exemption amount for attachment or execution. The Hawaiʻi Financial Services Association offered comments rather than opposition, suggesting the bill should be clarified as applying to creditor claims rather than property taxes and possibly limited to a primary residence, with restrictions on frequency of use. Committee discussion focused on how the exemption would affect unsecured creditors, the role of recorded mortgages and judgment liens, and whether the bill should instead establish a clearer homestead-style exemption. The bill drew both support and comments, with no action taken during the hearing. The committee also took testimony on SB 117, which would protect people making sexual misconduct claims from defamation suits unless made with malice; SB 121, a constitutional amendment to give the Senate more time to confirm judicial appointments; SB 14, a reapportionment amendment tied to the decennial census and resident population; SB 175, which would raise the mandatory retirement age for judges and justices from 70 to 75; SB 173, creating a three-year pilot program for free child care for minor children of parties and witnesses attending First Circuit court hearings; and SB 261, increasing juror pay from $30 to $50 per day. Testimony on these measures was generally supportive in the case of SB 175, SB 173, and SB 261, with some opposition on SB 14 and SB 117. On SB 173 and SB 261, committee members asked questions about practical implementation, and on SB 261 the State Bar Association said the increase was overdue and intended to encourage jury participation.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:37:18.800> and research evolving technologies and research evolving technologies and important
• and technologies. and technologies.
• That also means that if new funding, new technologies, or increased response capacity become available
• <01:08:48.480> or<01:08:48.799> increased<01:08:49.359> response technologies or
• increased response technologies or increased response capacity<01:08:50.480> become<01:08:50.880

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 1166, uh, disability services technology 1166, uh, disability services technology and<00:09:50.399
• 22:02.559> and Disability services technology and disability services technology and advocacy
• The continued funding will provide the necessary staff and technologies for the upcoming biennium.
• The continued funding will provide the necessary staff and technologies for the upcoming biennium.
• reassessments,<00:54:03.839> and technology to conduct reassessments, and technology to conduct

Bills: HF2434

Keywords: healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• You technology are working properly. You technology are working properly.
• Today, they act information technology. Today, they act information technology.
• Today, they act as pretty much the uh technology as pretty much the uh technology as pretty much the
• Also it would create a technology quality assurance board which technology quality assurance board which
• Uh with that I would ask for technology. Uh with that I would ask for technology.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• At the end of the day, this is what this measure is about, and technology is advancing significantly
• Despite being home to the world's leading technology and innovation economy, California ranks 43rd in
• Technology offers access to information, and with the diversity that exists among families across the
• state, it is important to ensure that families who need access to technology have that.
• Educational technology systems have experienced significant cybersecurity breaches recently, affecting

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, please consider the operations when we were talking technology earlier today.
• Give them two more FTEs and let them sort technology out. That's always been the easy button.
• Same thing's true in technology. Let's find some real numbers...
• And then this morning on technology, I think he indicated or Dr.
• So yes, Representative Yen asked whether the ideas around policies on personal devices, technology, and

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And if we were to put in more stringent technology, the costs will be prohibitive for Californians.
• Recent advancements in geothermal technologies like closed-loop and enhanced geothermal systems, or EGS
• This is a new emerging technology.
• This is a new emerging technology.
• California also has a huge potential to rely on even more geothermal energy moving forward with new technologies

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• O'Keefe earned her PhD at UMass Dartmouth School of Marine Science and Technology, has worked for DMF
• O'Keefe earned her PhD at UMS, Dartmouth School of Marine Science and Technology, has worked for DMF,
• At UMass Dartmouth School of Marine Science and Technology, she has worked for DMF as well as served
• I'm the dean for the School of Marine Science and Technology.
• You know, investments in new technology, innovation, safety.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The joint hearing focused on the Atlantic sea scallop fishery, with particular attention to Massachusetts ports, federal scallop management, the proposed reopening of the Northern Edge on Georges Bank, and permit stacking/consolidation. The chair opened by noting the hearing would take written and oral testimony, that time was limited, and that the discussion was intended to inform legislative engagement with federal regulators rather than decide the issue directly. Dan McCarron of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and Dr. Kate O’Keefe of the New England Fishery Management Council outlined the federal management structure under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the role of annual catch limits and rotational closures, and the economic importance of scallops to New Bedford, Gloucester, and other Massachusetts ports. O’Keefe said the council’s current scallop framework is based on annual management, research surveys, and public input, and that recent environmental changes and uncertainty are affecting catch advice and biomass. Dr. O’Keefe and later Dr. Kevin Stokesbury of UMass Dartmouth described the fishery’s recent condition: abundance has increased in some areas, but biomass has fallen because many scallops are still too small to harvest, and changing ocean conditions and natural mortality are affecting the stock. They said the Northern Edge action was considered as a joint scallop/habitat framework but was discontinued in 2024 because the council could not reconcile competing objectives involving scallop yield, habitat protection, and impacts on other species such as cod, lobster, and herring. Stokesbury emphasized the long-running collaborative survey work with industry, said the fishery remains highly productive, and argued that the science supports careful rotational management and that the Northern Edge could be highly productive for scallops, though he acknowledged habitat tradeoffs. Committee members pressed both witnesses on why the issue had remained unresolved for so long and whether the council could revisit it through a future framework. Representatives of the Sustainable Scalloping Fund, including attorney Drew Kavage, John Lees, Sam Blasley, and Tony Alvernes, urged support for reopening the Northern Edge and for permit stacking, which would allow more than one scallop permit on a vessel while keeping ownership caps in place. They argued the fishery is a major economic driver, that industry-funded research has supported sustainable management, and that stacking would help family-owned operators reduce costs, improve safety, and avoid financial distress. They also stressed the need to protect working waterfront infrastructure in New Bedford and other ports. The chair said he was not opposed to stacking in principle but wanted to avoid a slippery slope toward excessive consolidation or private equity control; he noted that any stacking change would require an amendment to the fishery management plan or federal action. No votes were taken, and the hearing concluded with an invitation for continued engagement and future updates on the council process.

Transcript Highlights:

• youth development, regulation, economic impact, and potential risks and benefits of blockchain technology
• Southern University, in collaboration with agricultural manufacturers, to continue work on furthering technology
• It's kind of like everything else, technology is going to take over a lot of things, but there's still
• Members, technology changes things. Mr. President. Members, technology changes things.
• We're in a technology age.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ... ...will establish a statutory framework authorizing counties to deliver adult education and technology
• SB 971 also recognizes the challenges that many seniors face, such as modern technology, managing bills
• Counties can include program modules like guidance in technology assistance, physical activity, music
• Counties can include programs, program modules like guidance in technology assistance, physical activity
• , like guidance in technology assistance, physical activity, music, and arts programming, cultural programming

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, you know, it's not too often you see a new technology in health care come along.
• Yeah, you know, it's not too often you see a new technology in health care come along.
• I move that the amendment of the Science and Technology Committee be adopted.
• question before you is whether the Committee of the Whole rises to report that the Science and Technology
• The Science and Technology Committee will be meeting in 10 minutes. Thank you, Chairman. Mr.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Senate Committee on Labor and Technology. This is our 3 p.m. agenda.
• The Committee on Labor and Technology is adjourned. Thank you.
• The Committee on Labor and Technology is adjourned. in their amendment.
• committee<00:35:27.200> on<00:35:27.359> labor<00:35:27.520> and<00:35:27.680> technology
• <00:35:28.160> is committee on labor and technology is committee on labor and technology is

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Labor and Technology heard testimony on several labor-related bills. SB 2567 would allow public employers to seek temporary restraining orders against harassment of employees; the Judiciary, DHS, DOE, and others supported it, with some asking that coverage be broadened to all public employees. The Judiciary said it would not oppose expanding the bill’s scope. The chair deferred decision-making on SB 2567 to February 13, 2026, to allow further discussion with the Judiciary and Attorney General’s Office. SB 2386 would expand pay-transparency requirements for job listings and lower the small-employer exemption threshold from 50 to 25 employees. Testifiers largely supported the measure, citing transparency and retention benefits, while one opposition was noted. The committee voted to pass SB 2386 with amendments, including changing the effective date to January 1, 2077. SB 2389, the Warehouse Workers Protection Act, drew support from labor advocates but concerns from DLIR and the Attorney General’s Office about enforcement and a prosecutorial provision; after questions about quota tracking and recordkeeping, the chair deferred the bill. SB 2663 would require employers to respond in writing to workers’ compensation treatment plans within seven days and establish related penalties. DLIR opposed the bill as drafted, citing fairness and existing statutory conflicts, while injured workers and labor representatives supported it and described long delays in treatment approvals. The committee voted to pass SB 2663 with amendments, including directing fines to the special compensation fund, clarifying enforcement, and setting the effective date to January 1, 2077. SB 2555 would allow retirees to work in succession-planning positions without losing retirement benefits; ERS supported the intent but suggested an annual reporting requirement and noted existing rehire mechanisms. The committee voted to pass SB 2555 with amendments, including an annual report requirement and the same January 1, 2077 effective date. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Talked about with our healthcare authority, we have both non-recurring technology funding for the IT
• So on page five, line 20, when we're talking about information technology and $10 million, our data is
• After it says updates to information technology, I'd like to see where all updates meet state and minimum
• Or what was placed in each of these items, like the $10 million for information technology and stuff
• Technology and information and consulting to make sure people qualify.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here on behalf of the Academy of California Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Technology Lawyers
• I'm here on behalf of the Academy of California Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Technology Lawyers
• I think we're in a setting where, you know, obviously technology is difficult, so I think that's why
• I take seriously the domestic violence advocates, and I think this new age of technology does make survivors
• And there's technologies available to properly label and ensure that the data is secure all the way through

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on civil rights, family law, privacy, housing, and artificial intelligence. SB 477 would clarify FEHA procedures for the Civil Rights Department, including tolling deadlines by agreement and updating complaint definitions; it drew some concern about venue and convenience but was moved forward. SB 450 would confirm California jurisdiction over adoption proceedings for children born in the state even if families have moved away, and would require all legal parents to be listed on adoption orders; it received strong support, especially from LGBTQ family advocates, and passed to Appropriations. SB 683 would clarify that people whose name, image, or likeness is misused may seek TROs or injunctions under existing publicity-rights law; opposition from media and First Amendment groups focused on the 48-hour compliance default and speech concerns, but the bill advanced as amended to Privacy and Consumer Protection. The committee also considered SB 11, the AI Abuse Protection Act, which would regulate voice, image, and video cloning technology, require warnings, and direct the Judicial Council to develop evidence standards for AI; it passed to Public Safety. SCR 66, a resolution designating May 1 as Law Day and emphasizing the rule of law, was adopted unanimously after supportive comments from members. SB 808 would create expedited judicial review for housing permit denials that violate state law; supporters said it would reduce costly delay and help housing production, while the Judicial Council opposed it as imposing unreasonable timelines and staffing burdens. The bill passed to Appropriations despite concerns about court resources and broader housing-law issues. The committee then took up two privacy bills from Senator Wiener. SB 59 would automatically keep confidential court records for adult and retroactive gender/name change petitions, expanding protections previously enacted for minors; supporters described real-world doxxing and harassment, while opponents raised First Amendment and public-records objections, and the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 497 would require warrants for out-of-state law enforcement access to California prescription monitoring data, expand transgender shield protections for gender-affirming care records, and bar certain disclosures without legal process; the author framed it as a response to out-of-state anti-trans enforcement, and the bill was presented with support from trans advocacy groups.

Transcript Highlights:

• we have about 23 bills to consider, addressing issues ranging from sexual assault and deep fake technology
• we have about 23 bills to consider, addressing issues ranging from sexual assault and deep fake technology
• That includes warrant gear in our vehicles, fuel prices, and even the cost of computers and technology
• As technology evolves, so too must our statutes, as they are behind in trying to keep up with the forms
• There was a study that was conducted by the Center for Democracy and Technology that found that 15% of

Bills: HB47, HB171, HB285, HB305, HB449, HB908, HB 1024, HB 1306, HB1443, HB1445, HB1741, HB1866, HB1902, HB2001, HB2282, HB2355, HB2492, HB2637, HB2697, HB3464, HB4263, HB4996, HB5667

Keywords: sexual assault, victim rights, forensic examination, medical care, trauma-informed care, crime victims compensation, evidence retention, chemical dependency, court-ordered treatment, mental health, health care, treatment facility, juvenile justice, criminal justice reform, animal cruelty, nonlivestock, prosecution, veterinary defense, animal welfare, pretrial hearings

Summary: The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice met with a quorum and heard a long agenda of bills on criminal justice, public safety, mental health, victims’ rights, and related administrative issues. Early bills included HB 47, the omnibus sexual assault survivors bill, which would expand post-assault care, require courts to consider delays for adult survivors, bar sex offenders from rideshare driving, allow lease termination regardless of where an assault occurred, and require more reporting from sexual assault response teams. Testimony was generally supportive, though one witness raised concern that the bill’s reporting requirements could jeopardize county grant funding. HB 171, the Annel Borrego Act, would set a minimum period for court-ordered chemical dependency treatment; NAMI Texas supported it. HB 908 would require missing children reports to be sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children within two hours, and HB 1443 would criminalize possession and promotion of childlike sex dolls; both drew supportive testimony and were left pending. HB 567, changing juvenile board chair selection in Parker County, and HB 4263, a TJJD workforce retention bill, were also heard and left pending after brief discussion and adoption of committee substitutes where applicable. The committee also heard several bills focused on jail and prison safety, court process, and victim protection. HB 2282 would raise the arrest warrant fee from $50 to $75; constables supported it as a cost-recovery measure, while the Texas Fair Defense Project opposed it as a regressive fee that burdens low-income defendants. HB 3464 would increase penalties for correctional employees who bring drugs or alcohol into prisons, with support from Harris County jail officials and a formerly incarcerated advocate who described the dangers of contraband and retaliation. HB 285, “Poncho’s Law,” would add criminal negligence to non-livestock animal cruelty offenses; animal welfare advocates said it would close a loophole that lets pet service businesses avoid accountability, and the bill was left pending. HB 2355 would keep certain Crime Victims Compensation records confidential when held by the Attorney General, and HB 2637 would standardize jury exemption ages and clean up jury disqualification reporting; both were left pending after limited testimony. Mental health and competency-related bills received significant attention. HB 305 would require a pretrial hearing within 14 days after a defendant is restored to competency, aimed at reducing repeated decompensation and the forensic waitlist; NAMI Texas supported it. HB 1741 would tighten procedures for not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity outpatient commitments by requiring a stronger nexus to the receiving county and clearer supervision authority; law enforcement and mental health witnesses said it would improve public safety and treatment success. HB 2492 would make the four-hour family-violence post-bond cooling-off period mandatory rather than discretionary, and HB 1445 would allow a managed assigned counsel director to designate someone to approve certain payments for indigent defense attorneys; both were left pending. HB 1024 would require prompt execution of warrants for parole violators on superintensive supervision, and HB 1306 would extend first-responder-style benefits to death investigation professionals; neither drew opposition in the hearing. The committee also heard a series of public integrity and technology bills. HB 449 would expand the deepfake sexual content statute to include sexually explicit images, with Public Citizen supporting the change as necessary to address a rapidly growing problem. HB 1902 would create a new offense for “jugging,” or following bank or ATM customers to rob them; the Texas Bankers Association supported it. HB 2697 would require sureties to notify prosecutors before surrendering a felony defendant’s bond, and HB 2001 would sharply increase penalties for misuse of public information for financial gain and related coercion, with prosecutors and Texas Rangers describing bid-rigging and public corruption investigations as difficult to prove under current law because of short limitations periods and limited penalties. HB 1866 would grant Texas peace officer authority to National Park Service rangers within Texas park boundaries, and HB 4996 would increase penalties for fraudulent liens filed against public servants. Throughout the hearing, most bills were left pending after testimony, and several committee substitutes were adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• the amount of water used for residential lawn watering, replacing infrastructure, as well as new technologies
• That's before the Civil War, before the telephone or the typewriters, before what we now call technology
• Well, over the past 50 to 60 years, technology has evolved. has come about that they didn't have when
• I propose this: to begin with, technology like desalination and recycling of the water from sewage because
• While the state is investing in these new water technologies, I'm just going to throw my weight behind

Bills: HB1523, HB2109, HB2694, HB3525, HB3898, HB4646, HB5188, HB5219, HB5320, HB5651, HB5655, HB5659, HB5662, HB5672

Keywords: aquifer conservation, Class V injection well, environmental regulation, groundwater protection, municipal water supply, temporary prohibition, water management, reservoir construction, state water plan, Texas Water Code, environmental impact, Brazoria Drainage District, commissioners, elections, vacancies, resignation, HB 3525, North Texas Groundwater Conservation District, groundwater permit, permit amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• state-of-the-art, amazing facilities with top-notch equipment and medical professionals. cutting-edge technology
• Lastly, I would just note that technology investments are critical to the long-term stability of these
• to you first for approval before making investments in any kind of technology that they have?
• , and confidentiality procedures conform with HIPAA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology
• The underlying technology is outdated and requires modernization of both infrastructure as well as the

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a cybersecurity task force and a technology advisory council, which Senator Koran and I are part
• Data and trust are not about technology but about people, and cybersecurity is simply security for our
• <00:05:15.039> but<00:05:15.199> about<00:05:15.440> people not about technology
• but about people not about technology but about people and<00:05:16.400> cyber<00:05:16.759><
• These cities generally have very minimal technology and lack even the basic minimum hardware and software

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you look at other western states that have fire risk, their use of mapping technology is much more
• We have seen a great increase in light pollution due to changes in technology over the past 26 years,
• To become more effective, the act must reflect the current technology and incorporate the current best
• interested in science ensures a future supply of talented scientists and engineers to keep our technological
• This gives us a chance to start to build in the newest technology that keeps us.