Transcript Highlights:

• And this bill, by the way, does not require schools to purchase AEDs.
• This does not require anybody to purchase an AED. Madam Chair, this costs nothing.
• This does not require anybody to purchase an AED. So there's no cost at all.

Bills: SB1009

Keywords: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, AED training, high school curriculum, public school, safety training, emergency response, 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1355 requires a distiller to issue an invoice to a wholesaler the day the wholesaler purchases
• those factors, why wouldn't this exception for this company be applicable to another out-of-state purchaser
• those factors, why wouldn't this exception for this company be applicable to another out of state purchaser

Bills: SB8, SB650, SB667, SB779, SB1349, SB1355, SB1378, SB1585, SB1721, SB2312

Keywords: immigration enforcement, ICE agreements, sheriff grants, law enforcement, county jail, federal immigration law, China, Chinese-affiliated entities, Chinese military companies, People's Republic of China, Chinese Communist Party, divestment, state pension funds, public retirement systems, Teacher Retirement System, Employees Retirement System, Permanent School Fund, Texas Comptroller, foreign investment, national security

Summary: The Senate Committee on State Affairs resumed consideration of several pending bills, first taking up Senate Bills 667, 1349, 1585, and 2312. After inviting testimony had already been heard, no members of the public came forward to testify on any of those measures, and the committee closed public testimony and left all four bills pending. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1355, which Senator Parker explained as a committee substitute aimed at helping Texas distillers recover unpaid invoices from wholesalers. The substitute would require distillers to invoice at the time of purchase, send a demand letter if payment terms are violated, and allow complaints to be filed with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which could determine an appropriate penalty based on the facts. Natasha Dehart of Bent Distilling Company testified in support, describing serious cash-flow problems and unpaid invoices from a Texas wholesaler that had forced layoffs, late vendor payments, and operational strain. No one testified against the bill, and it was left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1378, a narrowly tailored local bill for a Carrollton facility recently acquired by Sazerac that employs more than 1,000 Texans. Senator Parker said the bill would create a limited exemption to avoid forcing the company to shut down or move because of current permit restrictions, while preserving the three-tier system and preventing the company from selling wine to itself. A Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission resource witness said the bill was drafted so it would not open the door to broader industry changes. Mason Moreland testified against the bill as filed, arguing it gave special treatment to one company and failed to address broader problems in the wine industry, including direct-to-consumer sales and permit issues. After questions from senators, public testimony closed and SB 1378 was left pending. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• And in this case, a VMT tax helps to address the driving-related problem, while subsidizing EV purchases
• Massachusetts currently offers various EV purchase rebates.
• You raised the concern about the disincentive that a VMT tax could add to an EV vehicle purchase.
• Have you done any analysis as to that concern of what impact it had on the economics of purchasing EV
• As a consumer and as a law student with a limited budget, I care that the produce that I am purchasing

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing opened with remarks from the co-chairs explaining committee procedures, testimony limits, submission instructions, and the new deadlines for acting on House and Senate bills. The committee then heard testimony on several bills related to agriculture, land use, environment, housing, transportation, and taxation, with legislators often taken out of turn. No votes were taken during the hearing. The first major topic was H. 3206, a bill to allow fossil fuel-free 529 college savings plans to qualify for the state tax deduction if MEFA does not offer a comparable option. Representative Steve Owens said the bill would not force MEFA or Fidelity to change existing plans, but would create a definition for fossil fuel-free funds and extend the deduction to qualifying out-of-state plans. The committee also heard strong local testimony on a Belmont home-rule petition, H. 3970, to change tax treatment for the Belmont Country Club under Chapter 61B. Belmont residents and officials argued the private golf course receives an unfair tax break that shifts costs to other taxpayers, while Senator Brownsberger and Representative Rogers supported the measure as a way to help the town recover revenue. Committee members asked about town meeting support, the club’s lack of payment in lieu of taxes, and the size of the tax savings. The committee next heard testimony on a vehicle miles traveled tax proposal, S. 1925, from Senator Barrett and economists Gilbert Metcalf and Christopher Knittel. They argued that declining gas-tax revenue and rising fuel efficiency, especially with electric vehicles, require a more stable transportation funding source; they also said a VMT tax could be designed to be revenue-neutral and mildly progressive, though members raised concerns about administration, fairness, EV disincentives, and the possibility of annual tax shocks. The largest block of testimony focused on the Ahead Act, H. 3194/S. 1973, which would double the deed excise fee and dedicate the new revenue to affordable housing and climate adaptation. Supporters from MACDC, MAPC, FICC, Boston Climate Action Network, CLF, 350 Mass, CHAPA, and a tenant advocate said the bill could generate about $300 million annually for housing production, vouchers, weatherization, resilience, and environmental justice communities, and that it links two urgent crises with a stable funding stream. The committee also heard testimony on the Conservation Land Tax Credit bills, H. 3147/S. 2083, which would raise the annual cap on the credit from $2 million to $5 million for three years and then sunset back down. Conservation groups and a landowner said the program has conserved thousands of acres and that the higher cap would reduce delays and help meet state conservation goals. Finally, the committee took testimony on the Fairness for Farm Workers bills, S. 2011/H. 3107 and S. 2012, which would extend overtime, minimum wage, breaks, and paid time off protections to farm workers and include a refundable tax credit to help farmers offset overtime costs. Senator Gomez and advocates described the bills as overdue civil rights and public health measures, citing low wages, long hours, dangerous conditions, and the racial history behind farm labor exclusions. The hearing also included testimony on H. 3240, a bill to give municipalities a local option vacancy tax on chronically vacant shopping malls, with the sponsor arguing it would help towns address blight, encourage redevelopment, and potentially create housing and tax revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, today, when you purchase Bitcoin or any cryptocurrency, but for the sake of conversation, I'm going
• You're buying access to the private key that you can use for value purchases.
• transactions just saying this transaction may be irreversible, so people kind of think before they purchase
• 00:30:55.760> before<00:30:56.080> they<00:30:56.399> they<00:30:56.799> purchase
• <00:30:57.200> these think before they they purchase these think before they they purchase

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House File 3709, which would allow Minnesota banks and credit unions to offer custodial accounts for digital assets such as cryptocurrency. The bill authors said the measure is intended to let local financial institutions provide a regulated “digital safety deposit box” service, keeping innovation and consumer choice under Minnesota oversight rather than pushing customers to out-of-state or offshore providers. The Department of Commerce testified in support, saying it appreciates efforts to incorporate virtual currency into the regulatory framework and that the bill levels the playing field for trusted community institutions. Members and testifiers discussed whether the bill was really about consumer protection, institutional competitiveness, or both. Supporters from the Minnesota Credit Union Network and St. Cloud Financial Credit Union said the bill helps local institutions remain relevant as customers increasingly ask for crypto services, and one testifier said the credit union had seen significant liquidity leave local communities for exchanges. They also emphasized that the accounts are custodial, not exchange services, and are not NCUA-insured; one witness noted some institutions may obtain private insurance for risks like loss of keys or hacking. A Department of Commerce witness also said the agency is working on separate legislation to address unclaimed virtual currency property. Several members raised concerns about volatility, scams, and whether the bill simply helps banks stay relevant. In response, supporters argued that local institutions can provide a trusted point of contact and help customers avoid fraud, unlike stand-alone crypto exchanges or kiosks. The committee also discussed fees, with one witness saying the credit union’s expected charge would be percentage-based with a minimum of $5 and a maximum of $25. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• These barriers include small award sizes and the limited number of local items that are eligible to purchase
• . that are eligible to purchase and cost barriers, as local food is often more expensive for schools
• The department continually encourages schools to use their state funding to purchase local Some school
• dry beans into their meals, and Farmington is committed to using 10% of their total food budget to purchase
• So some of these purchases of equipment... It worked very well.

Transcript Highlights:

• Monty would hitchhike, and he would hitchhike with a purchased refrigerator and a purchased washer right
• I had to rush and jump, and we purchased the property. It became a bidding war.
• So, we went ahead and purchased the property. So, we own the building where the post office is.
• Somebody that purchased land that doesn't believe in fences because it destroys their ambiance of the
• We're looking at buying and purchasing software.

Transcript Highlights:

• believe my eighth graders, Simple interest and compound interest and what it would be like to go purchase
• And since then I have purchased the frog life cycle.
• I purchased it from Heritage House, and it's just the fetal baby models.
• I purchased it from Heritage House. And it's, as when you looked it up, or what's that kit called?
• I purchased it from Heritage House, and it's just the fetal baby models.

Summary: The Committee on Education K-16 heard several bills focused largely on special education transparency, school safety, and student support services. Senate Bill 1908, by Senator Zaffirini, would direct the Higher Education Coordinating Board to study the feasibility of a statewide system for coordinating clinical training placements, including regional portals for healthcare clinical slots, with a report due by December 1, 2026. A representative of the Texas Nurses Association and the Nursing Legislative Agenda Coalition testified in support. The bill was left pending subject to the call of the chair. The committee then took up Senate Bill 111, by Senator Hall, which in its committee substitute was narrowed to a reporting bill requiring school districts to disclose legal proceedings involving special education due process complaints when legal fees exceed $10,000, rather than capping spending. Several parents and advocates testified that districts spend large sums on litigation against families of children with disabilities and that greater transparency is needed; some senators raised concerns about unintended consequences, including possible pressure to settle cases. The committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1551 on automated external defibrillators in public schools, Senate Bill 865 on CPR instruction requirements for certain volunteers, Senate Bill 1032 on the Governor’s University Research Initiative, and Senate Bill 571 on school employee misconduct reporting and access to the Do Not Hire Registry; each was reported favorably after committee substitute adoption and roll-call votes. Additional bills discussed included Senate Bill 1884, which would formalize and expand dedicated staff support for the State Board of Education and give the board chair hiring authority over that staff; members questioned whether it duplicated TEA functions, while a witness argued the workload increase justified the change, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 625 would replace the current half-credit economics requirement with a half-credit in personal financial literacy; educators and advocates strongly supported making the course required, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 582 would make TEA settlement agreements in special investigations publicly available when sanctions are imposed, and Senate Bill 2600 would bar transportation fees for students living within two miles of campus unless districts do not receive state transportation funding; both were left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 2751, which would require TEA inspections of non-public special education programs to consider medical standards of care and crisis-prevention training; testimony from a program operator described severe student behaviors and the need for more flexibility, and the bill was left pending after the substitute was adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker. lunch is available in the members lounge for purchase. Thank you.
• Members, you can purchase. Purchase these strips 30 to a box for $30 online on Amazon.
• HB number 2468 by Harris relating to the right of a purchaser to terminate a contract of purchase and
• SB 1346 by Hughes relating to the prohibited sales of a person attempting to purchase all or substantially
• Purchase, sale, possession, storage, transportation, and disposal of petroleum products, oil and gas

Bills: HB14, HJR31, HB43, HB18, HB 106, HB36, HB26, HB149, HB 121, HB206, HB136, HB3114, HB2733, HB1732, HB3700, HB467, HB 1130, HB1846, HB1442, HB 1147, HB2176, HB2701, HB805, HB2890, HB 1154, HB1644, HB2118, HB1718, HB2488, HB2596, HB1971, HB2468, HB484, HB2578, HB3204, HB 1041, HB307, HB685, HB1710, HB538, HB2525, HB3125, HB2027, HB2894, HB3077, HB3684, HJR99, HB1399, HJR5, HB1330, HB2110, HJR2, HJR6, HB1587, HB14, HJR31, HB43, HB18, HB 106, HB36, HB26, HB149, HB 121, HB206, HB136, HB3114, HB2733, HB1732, HB3700, HB467, HB 1130, HB1846, HB1442, HB 1147, HB2176, HB2701, HB805, HB2890, HB 1154, HB1644, HB2118, HB1718, HB2488, HB2596, HB1971, HB2468, HB484, HB2578, HB3204, HB 1041, HB307, HB685, HB1710, HB538, HB2525, HB3125, HB2027, HB2894, HB3077, HB3684

Keywords: nuclear energy, advanced reactors, energy security, grant programs, Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, farm products, tax exemption, ad valorem taxation, agriculture, Texas Constitution, livestock, producer, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, rural health, hospital funding, healthcare access, mental health services

Transcript Highlights:

• And then now, uh, there’s a big push to buy, to purchase the land now, and I’m like, no, we can’t in
• A purchase by the U.S.
• A purchase by the U.S.
• He said the citizens of Minnesota should have the right to purchase that for $375 if it is going on the
• that for 375 if it's right to purchase that for 375 if it's going<00:32:22.080> on<00:32:22.240

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up HF 1425, which would prohibit the sale of state-owned school trust lands in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to the federal government and instead require a land trade. Representative Skraba argued the federal wilderness law requires an exchange, not a sale, and said the state should trade Boundary Waters school trust lands for federal lands elsewhere, citing potential benefits for logging, mining, and school trust revenue. He said the current proposed sale price was too low and moved to lay the bill over for possible inclusion in a future bill. Later, he withdrew a DE1 amendment and instead moved to re-refer the bill to the Education Finance Committee, but that motion failed. Testimony was largely opposed to the bill. Aaron Vandal of the Office of School Trust Lands said the exchange option was no longer viable, that the lands have produced no revenue for education for decades, and that selling them is the trust’s last opportunity to generate returns for schoolchildren. Bob Meyer of the DNR supported Vandal’s position and said the agency could not negotiate mineral rights in the way suggested. Aon Clems of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and Amanda Hefner of Save the Boundary Waters both opposed HF 1425, though they emphasized different reasons: Clems argued a sale best fulfills the state’s fiduciary duty to maximize long-term returns for education, while Hefner said a sale would harm public education funding, align with the trust’s original purpose, and help consolidate federal ownership in the wilderness. Members then questioned the valuation and the practical differences between a sale and an exchange. Representative Jacob challenged the low per-acre price and asked about the federal government’s set-aside amount, while Representative Fischer asked how the appraisal was determined. DNR lands and minerals director Joe Henderson explained the valuation came from an independent appraiser, was based on the wilderness restrictions and lack of development potential, and was from a 2020 appraisal that is now being updated. Representative Schultz supported the sale approach and said the state should not transfer the land at such a low price. The committee did not advance the bill to the Education Finance Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our current house prices are roughly 50% of homeowners can afford to purchase a moderately priced entry-level
• It can be difficult to find residential parcels to purchase for a new home, especially in the cities
• It can be difficult to find residential parcels to purchase for a new home, especially in the cities
• It can be difficult to find residential parcels to purchase for a new home, especially in the cities
• It can be difficult to find residential parcels to purchase for a new home, especially in the cities

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• There's no director, and in the absence of the Behavioral Health Purchasing Collaborative doing a needs
• We were able to identify and purchase the land.
• I don't want to be too confident, but we have $9.5 million after the purchase of the land.
• state-owned plane, $10 million for a Veterans Resource Center in Albuquerque, $7.2 million for the purchase
• The goal is to move the state fair to a different location, potentially purchase land for that as well

Transcript Highlights:

• purchase these. purchase these.
• So is it more purchases for 22 months.
• Um but it's part of the purchased.
• for purchasing ballot counting devices. for purchasing ballot counting devices.
• about whether the town should purchase about whether the town should purchase body<05:19:06.400>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because we can purchase vaccines at a cheaper price than the health plans will reimburse, the health
• The VFC program continues to operate, and we can purchase through that program.
• immunization purchasing program. immunization purchasing program.
• And then we to purchase the vaccine.
• But if we purchase through um the CDC.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Serial numbers are critical for tracking the purchase of firearms.
• without being traced back to the original purchaser.
• The ability to trace a firearm back to its purchaser is essential for identifying straw purchases and
• without being traced back to the original purchaser.
• The ability to trace a firearm back to its purchaser is essential for identifying straw purchases and

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• around to the corner store, vape store, to purchase a gummy. This bill, as written, is a gamble.
• More recently, we have seen a rise in arrests from seeking medical or recreational cannabis by purchasing
• Taking away a safe, legal avenue for Texans to purchase hemp products will only empower cartels and street
• He purchased a vape in a B Cave smoke shop. and within months had lost a significant amount of weight
• This bill will not stop intoxicating hemp products from being purchased by Texans.

Bills: HB 28, SB 3

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, state health, youth protection, licensing fees, criminal offenses, HB28, public testimony, committee decorum, bill substitute, legislative process

Summary: The meeting featured significant discussions regarding HB28, where the chair outlined the plans to bring forward a substitute for the bill. The chair emphasized the importance of maintaining order and decorum during the proceedings. Members engaged in deliberations, and a number of public witnesses were invited to testify, thereby enriching the discussion around the bill. This interaction provided valuable insights into public sentiment regarding the issues at hand.

Transcript Highlights:

• did survey our members in those regards, and they're holding those dollars for future equipment purchases
• and towns were allocated included some money held forward for next elections and future equipment purchases
• did survey our members in those regards, and they're holding those dollars for future equipment purchases
• did survey our members in those regards, and they're holding those dollars for future equipment purchases
• did survey our members in those regards, and they're holding those dollars for future equipment purchases

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:03:39.839> And<01:03:40.319> the purchases of properties.
• And the purchases of properties.
• be provided by developers to purchasers be provided by developers to purchasers and<01:03:50.319
• It has a provision to allow for the purchase of security devices.
• Um uh as I mentioned u they purchase.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• as opposed to what gimmicks or inducements or trinkets can be provided to entice a consumer into purchasing
• enables consumers to receive a full refund if they decide to cancel the product within 20 days of purchase
• The bill does not apply to personal lines, nor would it impact the most common insurance purchases for
• The purchasers of the insurance coverage as contemplated by this legislation are large commercial businesses

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Financial Services heard testimony on a wide range of insurance-related bills. Topics included public adjusters (H. 1100/S. 785), electronic cancellation notices (H. 1123/S. 701), insurance rebates and loss-mitigation devices (H. 1233), flood hazard determinations (H. 1087 and related flood bills), organ donor insurance protections (H. 1248/S. 727), mental health parity in disability policies (S. 780), motor vehicle service contracts (H. 1139/S. 812), modernization of business-to-business insurance transactions (H. 1105), and a bill changing the GIC withdrawal notice deadline (H. 1150). Committee chairs set a three-minute testimony limit and heard from legislators, industry representatives, advocates, and affected consumers. Testimony on public adjusters was sharply divided. Insurance agents and property-casualty industry representatives argued that bills barring insurers from prohibiting public adjusters would interfere with policy terms, while public adjusters and several consumers described cases where adjusters helped secure substantially higher settlements and said some surplus lines policies already contain anti-public-adjuster endorsements. On electronic notices, the insurance industry supported consumer opt-in email communications, while agents warned that email-only cancellation notices could cause consumers to miss cancellations. On rebates/loss mitigation, insurers supported allowing risk-mitigation devices outside the policy to encourage innovation, while agents opposed the bill as an improper inducement. Flood-related bills drew opposition from insurers who said flood determinations are complex and federally governed. The committee also heard strong support for organ donor protections from a kidney transplant recipient and the American Kidney Fund, who said the bill would prevent insurance discrimination against living donors and could encourage more donations. On disability parity, a disability insurance specialist opposed S. 780, arguing that mental health limitations are a consumer choice that helps keep coverage affordable, while the bill’s sponsor said it would prevent unequal limits on behavioral health claims. The committee also heard support for H. 1139/S. 812 from the service contract industry, and support for H. 1105 from APCIA as a modernization measure for specialty commercial lines. No votes were taken; after testimony concluded, the chairs closed the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• almost $2.9 million to cover increased costs for food, medical supplies, medicine, and emergency purchases
• almost $2.9 million to cover increased costs for food, medical supplies, medicine, and emergency purchases
• And they provided a sort of justification for what they were looking to purchase. Good. All right.
• And we're purchasing their services? They are performing the services for the state.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, currently the downtown liquor tax applies if you purchase a beer while you're enjoying a
• ><00:04:52.920> applies<00:04:53.760> if<00:04:53.960> you<00:04:54.160> purchase
• <00:04:54.600> a liquor tax applies if you purchase a liquor tax applies if you purchase a

Keywords: 1183, house