Transcript Highlights:

• Average age is 28.
• Average age is 28.
• , which is the average age of a student.
• A four-year degree at that age, which is the average age of a student.
• 28 years of age to 30 years of age.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee met to consider the 2026 Budget Act, which leaders said was the negotiated compromise with the Senate and was expected to move to the floor that evening. Opening remarks emphasized that the plan balances the budget over two years, reduces the structural deficit, and builds reserves, while also protecting core services in the face of federal cuts. Jason Sisney outlined the legislative budget framework and the likely floor bills, including AB 109, SB 110, SB 122, and SB 125. Department of Finance representative Eric Khali said the administration appreciated the two-year balanced approach and supported the modification in SB 122, while noting the package uses additional revenues and new spending to soften or reject some proposed cuts. Most of the discussion focused on major spending areas. Members and subcommittee chairs highlighted protections and additions for health care and human services, including rejecting the proposed Medi-Cal asset limit change, delaying premium increases, restoring clinic and dental funding, supporting distressed hospitals and county indigent care, and expanding county eligibility staffing to handle H.R. 1-related workload. Education members described record or expanded support for TK-12 schools, child care, special education, community colleges, teacher recruitment, and higher education, including a change to extend Cal Grant eligibility to age 30 for some community college students. Housing and homelessness funding was increased for HAP, multifamily housing, and the low-income housing tax credit, while public safety members pointed to investments in victims’ services, restorative justice, and prison closure savings. Several members also raised concerns or priorities tied to the budget deal. Some praised the package as a moral document that protects vulnerable Californians, immigrant communities, LGBTQ residents, seniors, and people with disabilities. Others noted unresolved issues, including the MCO tax’s impact on districts, the need for more support for local journalism, arts, biotech R&D incentives, transit and GGRF-related concerns, and the need for continued work on Prop. 98 and long-term fiscal resilience. The vice chair cautioned that despite the current progress, the state remains vulnerable to revenue volatility and warned that the budget should build more resilience against a possible downturn. No formal vote was taken in the portion provided, but the committee was preparing the budget package for floor action and final negotiations.

Transcript Highlights:

• I feel like we're aging together, Priscilla.
• I hate to say all those years because, as I said, we're aging.
• I'm proud of how we're aging. I'm proud of our contributions.
• So we started with the acquisition of the facility in Tucumcari because it was a leased facility, and
• We made inroads last year with a child care facility.

Transcript Highlights:

• One's age and one's years of service.
• </c><00:22:57.480><c> and</c> that make up eligibility one's age and that make up eligibility one's age
• </c> um um we've been using the entry age um um we've been using the entry age normal<01:56:51.599><c
• </c> and operates a Wastewater Tuma facility and operates a Wastewater Tuma facility so<04:19:23.800>
• </c><04:49:28.480><c> is</c> program every solid waste facility is program every solid waste facility

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Administrative Services presented an overview of its budget and operations, emphasizing that it is the lowest-spending agency in state government and that its general fund allocation has declined since 2019. Commissioner Arling House explained that DAS also handles back-office functions for several administratively attached boards, which has affected staffing and spending comparisons. He said the department’s current general fund spending is roughly split between retiree health and other operations, and that the presentation was based on adjusted authorized spending rather than the original budget figures. A major portion of the meeting focused on retiree health benefits and the long-term effort to control costs. Deputy Commissioner Cassie Keane described how the state moved from a projected deficit in retiree health to savings through a series of changes, including higher premium contributions, co-pay adjustments, and shifting Medicare retirees into Medicare Advantage arrangements to capture federal reimbursement. She said the state has about 12,500 retirees and spouses on the plan, with roughly 10,906 Medicare retirees and 1,580 non-Medicare retirees, and that the savings have depended heavily on federal funding and procurement decisions. She also noted that Medicare retirees pay Part B premiums and that the state has grandfathered older retirees from some premium contributions. Members asked about what the expenditures cover, why the state offers retiree health instead of simply giving retirees a payment to buy coverage themselves, and whether out-of-pocket costs changed under Medicare Advantage. Keane said the plan covers actual health claims or insurance premiums, that co-pays and maximum out-of-pocket limits remain in place, and that the state has no authority to change benefit details without legislative action. She explained that retiree health is a long-standing employee benefit that wraps around Medicare and is not collectively bargained in the usual sense, though its eligibility rules and cost-sharing have been tightened over time to better target the benefit to long-term state service. The discussion also covered vendor performance problems. Keane said Anthem recently won the contract back from Aetna, but its pharmacy subsidiary, Caroline, caused serious service disruptions. DAS responded by withholding payments, assessing more than $2 million in performance guarantees, and hiring a third-party auditor to review the pharmacy processes. The current contract runs through the end of calendar year 2026, and officials said they are watching federal Medicare Advantage reimbursement changes closely because future savings are uncertain.

Transcript Highlights:

• Maxine dedicated away at the age of 82.
• Naming this facility in his earned.
• I am opposing this amendment that strikes the Global Environment Facility fund.
• Congress should environment facility.
• And let me just say this facility fund.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• need a care, definitions, reporting abuse, provides relative to pregnant children under 14 years of age
• This encourages facilities to... Victims of scams and crimes.
• This encourages facilities to put together packets for them, retirement savings information, website
• This covers all NEMT, including the councils on aging and others.
• And I take any questions. including the councils on aging and others.

Bills: HR252, HR253, HR254, HR255, HR256, HCR103, HCR104, HR244, HR245, HR246, HR247, HR248, HR249, HR250, HR251, HCR101, HCR102, SCR40, SCR60, SB112, SB131, SB145, SB194, SB268, SB307, SB312, SB319, SB333, SB341, SB346, SB464, SB466, SB488, SB495, SB503, SB507, SB509, HR9, HR196, HCR27, HCR28, HCR50, HCR62, HCR67, HCR71, HCR78, HCR81, SCR20, HB123, HB251, HB625, HB662, HB709, HB769, HB775, HB783, HB895, HB1011, HB1057, HB1155, HB1186, HB1224, HB1245, HB1247, HB1253, HB1254, HB1255, HB1256, SB8, SB10, SB11, SB12, SB13, SB14, SB16, SB17, SB18, SB20, SB21, SB22, SB40, SB48, SB55, SB69, SB75, SB77, SB78, SB85, SB102, SB115, SB133, SB140, SB148, SB151, SB165, SB169, SB170, SB185, SB197, SB200, SB217, SB235, SB278, SB280, SB291, SB300, SB303, SB315, SB324, SB330, SB411, SB416, SB420, SB436, SB438, SB449, SB455, SB456, SB477, SB489, SB521, SB97, SB105, HR171, HCR49, HCR65, HCR72, HR37, HCR64, HR170, HR191, HR206, HR207, HR208, HR217, HCR11, HCR53, HCR60, HCR66, HCR68, SCR19, SCR3, SCR6, SCR18, SCR11, SCR22, SCR2, HCR6, HB64, HB68, HB92, HB130, HB258, HB633, HB801, HB61, HB98, HB102, HB139, HB142, HB170, HB185, HB194, HB199, HB231, HB247, HB294, HB336, HB474, HB661, HB842, HB852, HB66, HB153, HB165, HB326, HB387, HB455, HB513, HB603, HB660, HB719, HB762, HB766, HB802, HB816, HB833, HB940, HB950, HB975, HB1028, HB1039, HB1051, HB1053, HB1080, HB1201, HB1215, HB1228, HB1251, HB1252, SB1, SB23, SB32, SB42, SB43, SB46, SB51, SB110, SB113, SB150, SB154, SB161, SB218, SB220, SB221, SB253, SB289, SB310, SB351, SB399, SB404, SB502, SB26, SB28, SB29, SB30, SB41, SB44, SB64, SB84, SB87, SB93, SB98, SB107, SB118, SB142, SB192, SB195, SB199, SB219, SB222, SB234, SB241, SB255, SB275, SB277, SB292, SB294, SB306, SB314, SB482, HCR32, HB798, HB998, HB1084, HB1223, HB59, HB955, HB1191, HB1234, HB646, HB824, HB341, SB397, SB442, HB901, HB79, HR20, HR74, HB284, HB306, HB366, HB393, HB458, HB577, HB582, HB605, HB614, HB682, HB733, HB752, HB773, HB911, HB926, HB996, HB1035, HB1069, HB1113, HB1140, HB1180, HB1240, SB47, SB82, SB89, SB149, SB382

Keywords: consumer protection, credit card fees, cash transactions, rounding practices, transparency, low-income, economic impact, residential construction, building codes, inspection practices, housing costs, task force, HR254, House Resolution 254, Ty Hebert, Acadiana Legislative Delegation, Louisiana State University, LSU, graduation, commendation

Summary: The House met with a quorum, opened with prayer and the pledge, adopted the journal, and received a large number of Senate messages, committee reports, and bill referrals. Members also introduced several resolutions and recognized guests, including students from Allen Parish, federal appointees Brandon Beach and Paul Hollis, and other visitors. The chamber then moved through a lengthy agenda of House and Senate measures, with many bills and resolutions reported favorably, amended, or referred to committee. Among the notable floor actions, the House adopted H.R. 32 urging the Port of New Orleans to obtain backup motors for the St. Claude Avenue Bridge. It also passed bills on a wide range of topics, including local court and ordinance procedures for Alexandria, prohibiting reporting criminal fines and fees to credit bureaus, veterans’ lottery benefits, police chief residency in Tickfaw, fire marshal plan review authority, expanding the definition of first responder to include public works employees, NIL protections for student athletes, salary increases and additional positions for assistant district attorneys, limiting OMV debt referrals for unpaid reinstatement fees, watershed restoration and flood control funding, a sexual assault survivor task force, elderly consumer protection education, recreation of the Public Service Commission, Medicaid reimbursement for non-emergency medical transportation, local sales tax audit procedures, alcoholic beverage definitions for salons and similar businesses, transfer of removed monuments to state park property, hearing aid dealer regulation updates, a permit fee for small in-state distillers, expanded city court jurisdiction in Avoyelles Parish, and a narrowed version of the Alexandria administrative adjudication bill. Several measures were amended on the floor before passage, including the Alexandria ordinance bill, the sales tax audit bill, the alcohol/beverage bill, and the monument transfer bill. The House also temporarily returned some bills to the calendar for later consideration. Most measures passed overwhelmingly, though House Bill 153 on criminal court debt reporting passed with 67 yeas and 18 nays, House Bill 660 on assistant district attorney salaries passed 94-1, House Bill 719 on additional ADA positions passed 95-0, House Bill 883 on the sexual assault task force passed 86-2, House Bill 1028 on non-emergency medical transportation passed 81-15, and House Bill 1215 on monuments passed 78-14.

Transcript Highlights:

• rapid initial mental health evaluations by non-physician... professionals at designated crisis facilities
• From a physical perspective, directed donor blood tends to be much fresher in age than anonymous donor
• is typically used first in anonymous donations, both anecdotally and scientifically proving that the age
• I'm certain that new donors, compared to your older donors— and I don't mean older in age, but people
• Or just did you say the lack of facilities? Yeah, or the...

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Known-age harvest data from areas closest to CWD provides some value when you're evaluating age structure
• And we also have 100 hunting facilities throughout the state.
• So about 350 licensed deer facilities throughout the state.
• And LDWF picked up the phone and called Ag. Yes, we do have these. How did y'all find out?
• How many enforcement agents does Ag have compared to Wildlife and Fish?

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee continued discussing recommendations for chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance and response in Louisiana’s wild and captive deer herds. Members and staff reviewed current surveillance results, noting that LDWF had met goals in 32 of 64 parishes and that voluntary hunter-harvest sampling was falling short in other areas. Several ideas were raised to improve sample collection without making it broadly mandatory, including incentives for hunters, taxidermists, and possibly processors; use of DMAP properties and mobile sampling units; and targeted sampling of older bucks and other higher-risk animals. Members also discussed whether to use parish-level or other geographic control areas, and whether to mirror aspects of Arkansas’s approach, including testing to reduce or remove restrictions when prevalence remains low. The committee also heard from LDWF and LDAF about captive herd surveillance and reporting. LDAF described its licensed deer facilities, a 2024 positive in Jeff Davis Parish that led to depopulation and quarantines, and follow-up testing that has remained negative at quarantined farms. Witnesses said the agencies currently share information informally and through USDA/NVSL channels, but there is no specific law or regulation requiring 24-hour notification between agencies. The Wildlife Federation and several members recommended mandatory enrollment in the USDA herd certification program, mandatory reporting of positives, and clearer coordination between LDWF and LDAF. Members also discussed the cost of testing, with LDWF saying USDA grants covered diagnostic testing for the last two deer seasons, while department self-generated funds covered earlier costs. A major portion of the meeting focused on how to respond when a positive wild deer is found. Some members favored immediate restrictions, while others argued for keeping existing season rules in place through the season and using the positive as a trigger for intensified sampling, with the goal of avoiding unnecessary penalties and encouraging hunters to submit samples. There was also discussion of whether baiting should be prohibited, allowed during hunting season, or phased based on testing results, with Arkansas’s statewide baiting allowance and county-based disease management zones used as a comparison. The chair emphasized that no final recommendation would be adopted at this meeting; instead, staff was directed to compile the discussion and written recommendations for consideration at the April meeting, when the committee expects to vote and the commission may need to act quickly through its notice-of-intent or emergency rule process before the next hunting season.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the fourth program or service is intermediate care facilities.
• or the seasoned age.
• Well, I thought maybe, because we're focused on the older age or the senior age, I guess they're retired
• There's certain ages.
• Because once they hit a certain age, there's no going back.

Summary: The Arkansas Legislative Autism Task Force approved the April 1, 2026 meeting minutes and then reviewed several vacant membership slots on the task force, including appointments from the Arkansas Psychology Board, Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, UAMS, and parent or guardian positions. Members discussed trying to fill those vacancies before the next meeting, and noted that if they remain open they may be addressed in the task force’s legislative report and through possible statutory changes in the next General Assembly. Representatives from the Developmental Disabilities Provider Association (DDPA) and Civitan Services presented on DDPA’s role serving children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Arkansas. They said DDPA now represents 80 providers serving more than 13,000 individuals in 75 counties, with services including early intervention, adult day programs, supported employment, intermediate care facilities, work activities, and community/residential waiver services. They also shared survey data on older clients and said these services remain available to seniors with IDD, including people with autism. The task force then heard a proposal to amend Act 656 of 2021 to include licensed psychological practitioners as qualified providers for autism waiver-related evaluations. The presenter argued this would reduce wait times, avoid duplicate assessments, and help families access services sooner, while still maintaining quality standards. Members asked about training, licensure, and whether other professionals such as speech-language pathologists or audiologists should be included; Dr. Scott noted that current practice already relies on a two-provider model and that speech-language pathologists play a role because autism diagnosis considers communication, cognitive ability, and language. The discussion also touched on the need for proper testing standards and board oversight. No vote was taken on the amendment, and the meeting ended with plans to return to fraud-related discussion and to begin prioritizing recommendations for the 2027 session before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ag committee's getting high tech over here. Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the committee.
• I know Ag has the exact number in front of you. I've got numbers... In the state of Missouri.
• I know AG has the exact number in front of you.
• With Ag being the largest industry in the state, we need to make this kind of commitment.
• I don't know how this rolling stock ever got put with the ag.

Summary: The House Agriculture Committee first met in executive session on House Bill 2998, adopting a committee substitute that narrowed the bill to a study of the Upper Mississippi River Basin and the Rural Development Office and extended the deadline to December 1, 2029. Members discussed the bill’s roughly $3 million fiscal note and whether the proposed river-related study and power-generation concept would be a worthwhile investment. The committee adopted the substitute and then voted the committee substitute for HB 2998 do pass by a 21-0 roll call. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 913, which would extend several agricultural tax credit programs for five years, including the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Tax Credit (Mazbita), rolling stock credits, meat processing incentives, biodiesel-related credits, specialty crop credits, and a new short-line railroad credit. Senator Curtis Gregory said the bill was intended to provide certainty and support rural infrastructure, agricultural processing, and rail access, and witnesses from the Missouri Soybean Association, Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Corn Growers, Missouri Chamber, short-line railroads, Missouri AgriBusiness Association, Missouri Dairy, Missouri Bankers Association, Missouri Railroad Association, and Missouri Pork Association testified in support. Opposition came from a public advocate who argued Missouri’s tax credit system is too large, lacks adequate auditing, and could cost tens of millions of dollars while adding state administrative costs. Committee members raised questions about the fiscal note, the carryforward of unused credits, and whether the rolling stock credit backfills local property tax revenue; supporters responded that the credit makes local governments whole and that the programs have strong returns on investment and help preserve agricultural and rail infrastructure. No final vote on SB 913 was taken in the transcript, and the committee adjourned after the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it also impacts the cleanliness of the facility.
• I, too, was able to tour a facility where they didn't even have any trees.
• anyone have to suffer like she suffered in our facility.
• Assembly Bill 2259 would create a pilot program at two prisons, one women's facility and one men's facility
• Assembly Bill 2259 would create a pilot program at two prisons, one women's facility and one men's facility

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And my office isn't far from these facilities, so, you know, I've actually picked it up.
• And my office isn't far from these facilities, so, you know, I've actually picked it up.
• The Ag Center would be—they are the research and development, R&D, by the Constitution.
• So you're saying only the research part is turned over to LSU Ag.
• We used to do that through our agency working with the Ag Centers.

Bills: HCR65, HB512, HB1194, SCR23, SB502

Keywords: crawfish, agricultural labor, H-2A program, seasonal workforce, Louisiana economy, Healthy Food Retail Act, food access, food deserts, economic opportunity, public health, Louisiana agriculture, community development, fresh food, agriculture, national security, food production, supply chain, security task force, farm labor, Chinese investments

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> a facility and that's all that it is. a facility and that's all that it is.
• We have 13 HHR facilities.
• Our newest facility, Owensboro Racing and Gaming, is a $100 million facility that opened in February
• ,</c> facilities.
• Our newest facility, facilities.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from its August 21 meeting and then received an update from Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation leadership on implementation of Senate Bill 299 and House Bill 566. Jamie Eids and staff described the agency’s new structure after charitable gaming was brought under the corporation, including new divisions, staffing, banking, payroll, insurance, procurement, and reporting systems. They also unveiled the corporation’s new logo and tagline, and said the transition had been designed to avoid interruption for charities, licensees, and racing operations. A major focus was the fee structure required by House Bill 566. Eids outlined current licensing fees across racing, sports wagering, and charitable gaming, compared Kentucky’s fees with other states, and recommended keeping the status quo for one more year because the agency has only recently brought all three components fully in-house. Members asked about whether charitable gaming had harmed veterans’ groups or other nonprofits, whether any revenue should be transferred back to the state, and whether the charitable gaming licenses cover one-off raffles as well as standing operations. Eids said she had not heard complaints, said the licenses include all such activity with some exemptions, and agreed to look at the question of future transfers. The committee then heard from Melissa Combs Wright on pari-mutuel wagering and Hannah Sims on sports wagering. They reported continued growth in historical horse racing, more than $11 billion in total pari-mutuel wagering in fiscal year 2025, over $10.5 billion in HHR wagers, and about $161 million in pari-mutuel tax revenue, with most of that supporting the general fund and horse-breeding development funds. They also said sports wagering has generated nearly $5 billion in wagers since launch, $73 million for the public pension fund, and more than $2 million for problem gambling services, while expanding to 13 retail locations and 92 additional sports events. Members raised concerns about players being cut off after winning, the lack of local government revenue sharing from gaming facilities, and the growth of computer-assisted wagering; the witnesses said they were reviewing CAWs and that Kentucky does not license poker rooms through the corporation.

Transcript Highlights:

• >> Well, these facilities serve long-distance facilities.
• >> Well, these facilities serve long-distance facilities.
• </c> They're long-distance facilities. They're long-distance facilities.
• of 18 years of age.
• of 18 years of age.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And House 4349, an act directing the Boston Police Department to waive the maximum age requirement for
• And then House 4349, an act directing the city of Boston Police Department to waive the maximum age requirement
• 4142, a third reading of the bill: An act directing the Boston Police Department to waive the maximum age
• friend Emily—because even in, Week by my son, who is 11, and his friend Emily, because even at their age
• , and this bill contemplates what the... ...what that pet ownership in those facilities look like.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Unless you’re over the age of 70 years old, you may not remember what life was like before fluoride.
• They were dentures before they were the age of 30. That generation suffered.
• Chair, when I heard the doctor share the importance of getting the perspective of those over the age
• They deserve access to the same facilities. And of course, right? Trans boys are boys.
• They deserve access to the same facilities. And of course, right?

Bills: HB2015, HB2060, HB2129, HB2170, HB2210, HB2228, HB2352, HB2460, HB2533, SB1019, SB1045, SB1050, SB1078, SB1083, SB1167, SB1184, SCR1006

Keywords: budget procedures, late filing penalty, accounting standards, financial reporting, state appropriations, abortion, educational institutions, health education, state aid, public schools, municipal libraries, annual reporting, state legislation, transparency, government accountability, procurement, foreign adversary, China, state contracts, information technology

Transcript Highlights:

• kind of like when you cross the causeway there’s a facility right there.
• You know, there’s conversations about the facility to be able to go there.
• And does the governor have, like, an age limit on his staff?
• Can you get back to me on the average age of the governor's Cabinet?
• Andrew Kilshaw, age 26. White card for information purposes only.

Bills: HB345, HB503, HB511, HB590, HB655, HB685, HB692, HB707, HB715, HB748, HB776, HB856, HB860, HB868, HB887, HB888, HB896, HB999, HB1000, HB1086, HB1233

Keywords: rail infrastructure, ports, Class II railroads, Class III railroads, transportation, HB 503, Act 554, Golden Meadow, utility terrain vehicle, UTV, recreational off-highway vehicle, ROV, golf cart, low-speed vehicle, road shoulder travel, local ordinance, municipal traffic regulation, vehicle registration decal, municipal general fund, insurance requirement

Summary: The Senate Committee on Transportation and Public Works met with five members present and approved the April 29, 2026 minutes. The committee then heard and favorably reported several bills, including HB 1233, which lowers the contract threshold for hospital service districts to use the Seymours program for certain hospital construction projects, and HB 715, which requires aerial applicators operating from public airports to have a transponder and radio; an amendment removing language about airport use of ADS-B data for fees was adopted after sponsors said the issue would be handled in another bill. HB 999 was reported favorably to allow impoundment of out-of-state vehicles operated in Louisiana without liability insurance, and HB 692 was amended to let parishes and municipalities use group purchasing organizations, with a narrowing amendment limiting one-source procurements and assurances that local bidders would not be disadvantaged. The committee also advanced HB 511, creating a grant program for pursuit intervention technology in response to officer safety concerns, and HB 590, which would let OMV issue specialized envelopes or notices for drivers with autism or other disabilities so officers are alerted during traffic stops. HB 503 was reported favorably after a local cleanup change to a golf cart bill for Golden Meadow, and HB 655 was approved to let DOTD use cost-plus contracts for operation and maintenance of state-owned ferries. HB 748 clarified that school board-owned or leased vehicles are exempt from tolls, and HB 860 would allow fillable electronic bids for local government procurement. Later, the committee approved HB 896, a major tolling-related cleanup bill for Plaquemines Parish that addresses customer service center access, administrative fees, and exemptions, with members and local officials criticizing the toll structure and its impact on the parish. HB 1000 was reported favorably as a cleanup measure tied to highway priority program reporting and local district contract limits. HB 887 established a more consistent scoring and ranking process for Seymour projects, with an amendment to avoid conflict with changing FAA grant rules. HB 888, a cleanup bill on temporary tags, was amended with added security features and then reported favorably. HB 1086, a broad electronic title and registration modernization bill, received a lengthy amendment set but was voluntarily held over for a week so members could review the new language. The committee also advanced HB 776 to expand the Port Priority Program to larger projects, with amendments clarifying flexibility and removing private projects from the bill. HB 707 was reported favorably to let the Department of Agriculture and Forestry handle promotional activities for the liquefied petroleum gas commission through a cooperative endeavor agreement. HB 868, a farm safety bill requiring safety chains or other manufacturer-specified equipment on trailers, was reported favorably after testimony about a fatal accident and assurances it would not change engineering standards beyond existing manufacturer requirements. Finally, HB 856 was amended to authorize indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting for DOTD maintenance and construction work, then reported favorably, and the committee later corrected the record on HB 856 by reconsidering and withdrawing one technical amendment set so further floor cleanup could be made. The meeting adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, new facility.
• Uh, sections 10 and 11 address the much-needed changes to the, uh, facilities allotment.
• And then, secondly, we have more students than we do facilities to teach these kids.
• But also consider funding NIFFAA by capacity of the new facility instead of enrollment.
• If you have an existing facility, you can renovate that for CTE.

Bills: HB20, HB120

Keywords: fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations, higher education, LGBTQ studies, DEI studies, program prohibition, educational policy, HB120, Texas, Texas Education Code, public universities, public colleges, queer studies, gay studies, lesbian studies

Transcript Highlights:

• And by number, I mean age.
• , and similar facilities.
• In that facility, in that case, if somebody comes into an ambulatory facility and the facility said,
• A facility is a licensed facility that is owned by... This is a question I just answered.
• This applies to the facilities Thank you, Madam President. This applies to the facilities alone.

Summary: The Senate began with opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including interns, Denim Day awareness, and a resolution honoring Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange on the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. The chamber also observed a moment of silence for former Senator Karen Johnson Gendron. After routine business, the Senate took up several special-order bills. The first major bill, transportation offenses involving death, increased penalties for repeat DUI/BUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide offenses. An amendment added penalties for refusal to submit to breath or urine testing and required law enforcement to notify suspects of those penalties. The bill passed 37-0. The Senate then passed SB 306 on Medicaid providers, requiring broader after-hours and holiday access to care and setting network standards for Medicaid managed care plans, also by a 37-0 vote. The chamber next considered a major condominium and cooperative associations bill responding to post-Surfside safety and financial concerns. Senators described the measure as balancing building safety with financial relief, extending reserve-study deadlines, allowing temporary reserve relief after inspections, tightening oversight of managers and inspectors, and adjusting voting, resale, and reserve rules. After extensive debate and praise from members for the bill’s sponsors and staff, the bill passed 37-0. The longest discussion centered on a constitutional amendments/petition process bill aimed at curbing fraud in citizen initiative petitions. Sponsors argued that the 2024 petition process was plagued by fraud and identity theft and proposed tighter rules for circulators, faster submission deadlines, voter notification, penalties, and limits on petition handling. Senators offered and adopted multiple amendments, including changes to petition-circulator definitions, invalid-signature thresholds, and voter notification procedures. After a substitute amendment was withdrawn, the Senate continued debating the underlying amended bill, with members split between concerns about election integrity and worries that the bill would burden volunteers and make it harder for citizen initiatives to qualify.

Transcript Highlights:

• So today, because we're in Ag, it seems to me we should be talking about the food.
• And so today, because we are in Ag, you know, the main piece of this legislation deals with creating
• Across the state, they face significant deferred maintenance and aging infrastructure.
• Good afternoon, Chair and members, Rebecca Marcus, on behalf of the California Climate and Ag Network
• So they inspect, ag commissioners do that locally.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill exempts employees of the Department of Health, health facilities, and human services from the
• This bill exempts employees of the Department of Health, health facilities, and human services from the
• , rather than the existing requirement that a physical posting be made at the agency building or facility
• And if less than 21 years of age, the individual has completed a training course as described in West
• Less than 21 years of age and has completed training as described in 61-7-4(e) of this code.

Keywords: 994, senate, all