Transcript Highlights:

• If you can look at that slide there, you will see, according to our Transportation Asset Management Plan
• I was the vice chair when the art project came through and helped secure the funding for that, as well
• Cogg Transportation Board, and also see if there's any funding to secure for safety.
• Land management, land use, you all could impose, much like a municipality may say we're in a high fire
• I'd like to task Homeland Security with maybe bringing us together with the emergency managers to kind

Transcript Highlights:

• WE KNOW RUNAWAY EPISODES ARE SO CRITICAL TO TRY TO MANAGE.
• ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE MANAGING ENTITIES AND ASSISTANTS ALONG THE WAY.
• AFTER COMPLETING THE WORKFORCE EDUCATION TRAINING, THE NEXT STEP IS SECURING THE INTERNSHIP PLACEMENT
• ALL INTERNS SUCCESSFULLY SECURE PLACEMENT AND THE DESIRED FIELD AND AS OF SEPTEMBER, ALL INTERNS HAVE
• WE HAVE CBC, MANAGING ENTITIES THAT WE CONTRACT WITH, ALL KINDS OF PROVIDERS.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• help attract and secure these events. help attract and secure these events.
• Other states are making significant investments to secure these events.
• <01:45:42.920> tax use of solid waste management tax use of solid waste management tax dollars
• <01:49:42.040> tax on the solid waste management tax on the solid waste management tax collections
• lot about and the waste management lot about and the waste management companies<01:50:47.640>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And now I'm going to be probably facing, you know, a cut in Social Security when I get to that age.
• Beyond the economy, this is a matter of national security.
• incident management platform to fire and law enforcement agencies.
• management standards that enables diverse incident management, supports entities to work together, and
• All the fire incident management.

Bills: SB1041, SB1050, SB1131, SB1138, SB1249, SB1267, SB1272, SB1317, SB1461, SB1488, SB1504, SB1517, SB1523, SB1580, SB1582, SB1584, SB1585, SB1602, SB1630, SB1654, SB1672, SB1673, SB1718, SB1761, SB1819, SB1826, SB1827

Keywords: electronic monitoring, nursing care, assisted living, resident rights, privacy, consent, surveillance, veterans, lifetime pass, state parks, Arizona, access, disabled veterans, cardiac arrest, defibrillators, school safety, emergency response, CPR training, Arizona education funding, automated license plate readers

Transcript Highlights:

• Choosing this reduction to this agency is one that we accept, and we can manage without compromising
• uh without compromising the manage uh without compromising the Integrity<00:13:50.800> of<00:
• that met counil manages to uh in<00:14:40.120> order<00:14:40.360> for<00:14:40.600>
• Chair, uh, Senator, I would actually have the planning manager as our...
• > a manage management is understanding a manage management is understanding a balance<01:02:39.000

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Transportation Committee met on January 29, 2025, to hear the Metropolitan Council’s presentation on the Governor’s proposed agency budget requests. The Council outlined three main budget items: authorization to advance funds to MnDOT to help coordinate a highway project with arterial bus rapid transit construction; a proposal to make free regular-route transit rides permanent for eligible Metro Mobility riders, after a successful pilot that produced nearly 75,000 rides; and a reduction in general fund support for rail operations, which the Council said it could absorb in the near term. The Council also noted it was seeking $15 million in the bonding bill for bus rapid transit, including support for the H Line, and described other capital requests for an infill/infiltration program and regional parks. Council leadership said the advance-funds proposal would let two projects move together more efficiently, reduce disruption, and potentially lower costs by avoiding repeated reconstruction and maintenance. On the Metro Mobility fare pilot, they said the lower fare increased rider freedom and spontaneity while saving state money because fixed-route service is cheaper than individual Metro Mobility trips. On the general fund reduction, they said the agency is expanding service, opening the Gold Line, B Line, and E Line, and can manage the cut because of its diversified revenue sources, though it could affect future expansion. Senator Nelson raised concerns about the proposal to expand the Right-of-Way Acquisition Loan Fund to include regional parks and trails, warning that the legislation should clearly avoid creating condemnation authority for park or trail projects, especially where they are adjacent to MnDOT projects. Council staff responded that the program would finance local acquisitions rather than give the Met Council condemnation power, and said they would take the concern under advisement and ensure the legislation is carefully drafted. Members also discussed federal funding uncertainty; Council officials said federal transit operating support is about $30 million and that a pause or cut could affect future capital projects and some existing awards, while the region’s diversified funding base would help cushion operations. No votes or formal actions were taken at the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Stolen lives that deserve our action to secure justice.
• . management and wildfire mitigation programs.
• Let's not go back to where we were, where we were not managing those forest lands.
• They've been negligent across various administrations in the management of public land.
• How do we keep the promises of managing our forest responsibly?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are federal programs that WIFA manages. So EPA provides capital to the state.
• Those are federal programs that WIFA manages. So EPA provides capital to the state.
• Those are federal programs that WIFA manages. So EPA provides capital to the state.
• We've managed those funds.
• Now, I have four incredible project managers on staff, as well as two additional project team members

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• citing national security threats. citing national security threats.
• ,<00:25:22.080> given keeping sensitive data secure, given keeping sensitive data secure,
• , that voters can vote quickly, securely, that voters can vote quickly, securely, and<00:36:07.640
• experience and accurate, secure results. experience and accurate, secure results.
• our elections are resilient and secure? our elections are resilient and secure?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our Texas records are not secure, and in too many instances it has devastating effects, and it's all
• So I guess, in a sense, you're asking for extra tools to be able to manage some of this behavior from
• We were a security unit doing our best to meet the basic safety needs of the community.
• Is it to protect Social Security and personal information?
• Social Security, personal information. Personal information, family members' names.

Bills: SB693, SB781, SB836, SB860, SB906, SB993, SB1101, SB1321, SB1370, SB1537, SB1563, SB1610, SB1637

Keywords: notary public, notaries, acknowledgment, jurat, personal appearance, remote notarization, online notarization, e-notary, electronic notarization, fraud prevention, identity verification, real estate fraud, property transfer, state jail felony, Class A misdemeanor, secretary of state, continuing education, record retention, notarial act, Texas Government Code

Summary: The committee heard a series of criminal justice bills focused on victim protections, law enforcement tools, notary/deed fraud, sexually violent predators, veterans in jail, tribal policing authority, and peace officer records. Several bills were laid out, heard, and left pending because the committee lacked a quorum for final action on those items. Testimony was generally supportive on bills addressing interpreter appointments, fuel theft investigations, deed fraud, survivor privacy, veteran jailer training, tribal peace officer authority, and officer-record confidentiality, though some bills drew concerns about due process, scope, or drafting. Senate Bill 1537 would clean up criminal procedure language on appointing interpreters and align it with Government Code standards requiring licensed or certified interpreters; it received no public opposition and was left pending. Senate Bill 993 would let Comptroller Criminal Investigative Division officers directly seek warrants for mobile tracking devices in fuel-theft and tax-fraud investigations; it also drew support and was left pending. Senate Bill 693, as substituted, would create a criminal offense for notarizing documents without the signer personally appearing, with a higher penalty when real property is involved, and would add notary continuing education; a Dallas County prosecutor testified that notary fraud is a major driver of deed theft, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 1610, as substituted, would address safety, registration, and criminal penalties at the Texas Civil Commitment Office for sexually violent predators, including assaults on staff and sex-offender registration issues; agency witnesses described increased assaults and operational problems, while a public witness urged waiting for Sunset review and raised due-process concerns. Senate Bill 836 would add privacy protections for sexual assault survivors by limiting livestreaming of trials, expanding pseudonym use, and protecting forensic exam and invasive-recording evidence; survivors and advocates strongly supported it, and defense lawyers said they had no opposition to the substitute. Senate Bill 1563 would require county jailer training on interacting with veterans, with testimony from the Texas Veterans Commission and veterans’ advocates emphasizing suicide risk, PTSD, and the need for better identification and support in jails; the bill was left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 906, which would authorize the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribal police to be commissioned as Texas peace officers like two other federally recognized tribes in Texas; tribal leaders said the change would improve response times and coordination, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 781, as substituted, would standardize confidentiality rules for peace officer personnel and departmental files statewide, mirroring Chapter 143 civil-service practices; law enforcement witnesses supported it as a way to protect personal information and create uniform records practices, but several senators raised concerns that the bill could blur existing disclosure rules or bury misconduct complaints, and public testimony included an opposition witness describing a police shooting involving her brother.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, that's Department of Homeland Security, DHS.
• We currently manage a bunch of water on different WMAs, of course.
• We also manage 43 green tree reservoirs.
• We also manage 43 green tree reservoirs.
• And remind me, Hurricane Lake—is that one of the areas that you manage? Yes, ma'am.

Summary: The committee first heard from Arkansas State Police leadership about the agency’s role in federal immigration enforcement. Colonel Mike Hager said State Police has completed 287(g) training for all but 12 officers and is authorized to assist ICE in limited circumstances, but is not an immigration enforcement agency. He emphasized that troopers only make immigration-related notifications after lawful stops or arrests for other offenses, and that the agency uses discretion and chain-of-command approval for any planned operation. Members asked about how immigration status is determined, whether stops are tracked, whether local agencies are participating, and whether there are costs or reimbursement mechanisms; Hager said the agency began tracking encounters in September and had 48 detentions since then, most tied to other criminal violations such as DWIs or domestic violence. He also said there were no current planned immigration operations beyond assisting federal partners. The committee then received an update from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Director Doug Schoenrock on wildlife management areas, waterfowl habitat, and related infrastructure. He reported that most moist-soil units and green tree reservoirs were flooded or near normal, with one new pump not yet operational and a vandalized Ed Gordon/Point Remove pump back in service since December. He also said the Lake Conway dam and water-control work were progressing, with a public meeting scheduled at Mayflower High School. Questions followed about dock removal notices, maintenance on other water-control structures, and a recent fatal boating accident at Baumito WMA, which Schoenrock described as a high-speed collision in flooded timber and said the agency was working on a safety memorial effort with the victim’s widow. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on duck season, drought conditions, and criticism of the Flyway Federation’s push to restrict hunting over standing corn. Schoenrock said Arkansas remains the nation’s top duck-hunting destination, but drought and warm weather have reduced water availability and caused ducks to move north; he cited survey numbers showing 1.4 million ducks in the state at the end of December but a much lower January count. He argued that standing corn is legal and that federal habitat and water policy, not Arkansas law, drives long-term duck populations. Members raised concerns about changing migration patterns, the role of private clubs, federal regulation, and the possible effects of wind turbines and solar panels on waterfowl; Schoenrock and Commissioner Chris Caldwell said the commission is studying those issues, including a University of Arkansas at Monticello project on avoidance behavior, and that no immediate regulatory changes were announced. The committee took no formal vote and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am the regional manager for the state of Texas for Club America.
• Is it something along the lines in terms of provided security in the cost of gold?
• security costs, it's part of the determination of whether you allow them to speak or not?
• Our troopers, our special agents, our rangers, our security specialists, our homeland security analysts
• We have a very robust homeland security division of analysts. We have undercover agents.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, I will establish a safety risk management panel and engage with aviation stakeholders to
• It must have national security implications. General, you're not answering my question.
• You think that Homeland Security... Homeland Security is operating that way?
• Now today you're going to say to Homeland Security, you have to have ADBS.
• Speak a little bit to crew resource management and how it works in an air crew.

Keywords: aviation safety, midair collision, American Airlines Flight 5342, Army Black Hawk helicopter, NTSB, FAA, ADS-B technology, safety protocols

Summary: The meeting focused on the discussions surrounding the tragic midair collision involving American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, which resulted in the loss of 67 lives. Testimonies were provided by key figures including NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy and FAA Acting Administrator Chris Richelieu. The committee expressed grave concerns regarding the existing safety protocols, questioning why the FAA failed to act on numerous warnings and data indicating potential collision risks. Members emphasized the need for urgent reforms in aviation safety to prevent such tragedies in the future. Specific highlights included the recognition of the importance of ADS-B out technology and concerns about the operational practices of military helicopters in controlled airspaces.

Transcript Highlights:

• One key funding source is $10 million secured in a June 2025 state supplemental budget focused on ESOL
• a lease... ...survive a slow year, purchase equipment, secure a lease, buy commercial property, or pass
• , credentials can be secured, and in the end economic mobility, great wages, and career pathways from
• What people think is a great idea is, well, let them save, manage their own money, and they'll be the
• They don't have to manage them. That's not their responsibility.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion held a hearing on the impact of federal policy on the racial wealth gap in Massachusetts, the fourth in a series on federal impacts on racial equity. Chair Bud Williams and Chair Miranda opened by emphasizing that no bills were being heard and that the committee would instead take testimony from invited witnesses; public written testimony was also accepted. The chairs and witnesses repeatedly cited long-standing wealth disparities affecting Black and brown communities, including homeownership, wages, business ownership, and access to capital, and linked those disparities to federal policy changes, housing, education, health care, and workforce development. Administration officials testified first. Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones described persistent labor market disparities, including higher unemployment for Black and Latino residents, lower median hourly wages, and underemployment among degree holders, and highlighted state efforts such as ESOL-for-work funding, workforce training grants, MassHire career centers, skills-based hiring, and the state equity dashboards. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kiami Mahania argued that poverty drives poor health, not the reverse, and said wealth gaps contribute to chronic disease, maternal health inequities, medical debt, and shorter life expectancy; she pointed to the Advancing Health Equity Massachusetts initiative, a health care affordability working group, and the governor’s push to bar medical debt from credit reporting. Assistant Secretary Juan Vega of EOED focused on entrepreneurship and procurement, citing technical assistance grants, founder support programs, place-based investment, the Business Front Door, and the need to broaden access to contracts, capital, and business growth opportunities. Committee members pressed the panel on the effects of the federal “big beautiful bill” on households, especially single-parent and Black women-led households, and on whether the state could develop more timely data systems instead of relying on federal numbers. Officials said the impacts were still being monitored, but warned that Medicaid and SNAP changes would likely hit lower-income households and community institutions hard. Members also asked about unions and apprenticeships, microbusiness definitions, supplier diversity, pay equity, and degree inflation; the administration said registered apprenticeships and skills-based hiring are key tools, and noted that wage equity reporting is still in its early stages. Later testimony from BECMA’s Nicole O’Bean stressed that tariffs, DEI rollbacks, immigration enforcement, capital gaps, and federal funding cuts are constraining Black-owned businesses and inclusive procurement, while Gastón Institute researchers described severe Latino homeownership and rent burdens, educational inequities, and the need for housing, labor, and education policy changes to close the wealth gap.

Transcript Highlights:

• same session as they push through hyper-partisan, highly irregular mid-decade redistricting maps to secure
• I'm the Coalition Manager with Partners in Democracy.
• I am here with my colleagues, Annika Jensen, our organizing manager, and John Griffin, our managing partner
• I'm the Coalition Manager with Partners in Democracy.
• I am here with my colleagues, Annika Jensen, our organizing manager, and John Griffin, our managing partner

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Election Laws held a hearing on a wide range of voting-access and election-administration bills. The largest portion of testimony focused on same-day voter registration (H. 834/S. 505), with support from Rep. Gentile, Boston and Chelsea officials, civic groups, and election administrators from Maine and Vermont. Supporters argued that same-day registration would help eligible voters who move frequently, miss deadlines, or face administrative errors, and would reduce rejected provisional ballots. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Vermont elections director Sean Sheehan testified that same-day registration has worked in their states without major administrative problems and has helped increase turnout. A Boston-based panel also described high rejection rates for provisional ballots and the burden of registration cutoffs on renters, students, immigrants, and low-income voters. A second major topic was restoration of voting rights for incarcerated people, including S. 524 and related House bills. The committee heard extensive virtual testimony from incarcerated individuals at MCI Norfolk and MCI Shirley, who said voting should be restored as part of rehabilitation, civic engagement, and reintegration. They described disenfranchisement as dehumanizing and argued that voting would help maintain family and community ties, reduce recidivism, and give incarcerated people a voice on laws affecting prisons and reentry. Rep. Erica Uyterhoeven also testified in support, saying the bill would restore municipal voting rights for incarcerated residents and align with broader efforts to expand political participation. The committee also heard testimony on bills affecting election administration and access, including a proposal to reduce or eliminate mandated early in-person voting in primaries and shorten the general-election early voting period, with supporters from the town clerks’ community arguing that low usage, staffing burdens, and costs justify the change. Opponents warned that reducing in-person early voting could hurt voters who do not use mail ballots and could disproportionately affect communities of color. Other bills discussed included decoupling the municipal census from voter registration, requiring periodic accessibility inspections of polling places, and a Somerville home-rule petition on non-citizen municipal voting and another on lowering the voting age in municipal elections. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• fraud such as uh earn value management fraud such as uh earn value management system<00:24:53.440
• So focusing on managed care here, like I mentioned, we contract with managed care organizations. that's
• <00:59:43.200> Care Healthcare through Managed Care Healthcare through Managed Care organizations
• One bucket is individuals who first enroll in Medicaid and are in transition to managed care.
• We added Human Service Performance Management as well.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am the program's manager for employment services with developmental disabilities at Oklahoma Human
• There's lots of conversations with families too about the safety and security they've been used to for
• Of providers, I know we hear from families anytime there's any kind of change, but safety and security
• So, families know that they're safe and secure, and they don't know what happens next.
• He doesn't necessarily have his voice in those conversations with case managers or job coaches to say

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• help people reduce their risk, their homes become more insurable and their communities will be more secure
• You've heard me speak before about the game plan that the department had, including an audit and management
• These families had everything right: working hard, paying rent, and trusting that their housing was secure
• But without affordable insurance, that security is unraveling.
• . the motion is Item number six, AB 1531, by the Committee on Emergency Management.

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee met to consider several bills focused on California’s insurance market, wildfire resilience, and consumer protections. AB 888, the California Safe Homes Act, was heard first. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Alabama Insurance Commissioner Mark Fowler testified in support, describing state grant programs that help homeowners harden roofs and create defensible space, with the goal of reducing losses and improving insurance affordability and availability. Supporters from the insurance industry, local government, and the Rebuild Paradise Foundation also backed the bill, and committee members emphasized the need for more incentives for mitigation. The bill passed the committee on a do pass motion and was sent to Appropriations. AB 290, by Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan, would require the FAIR Plan to offer automatic payments and address non-renewal grace-period issues. The author described her own experience being forced onto the FAIR Plan and facing a large premium increase, while Consumer Federation of California called the bill common-sense consumer protection. The FAIR Plan opposed unless amended, saying it was already handling major wildfire claims and other operational demands and requested more time and changes to the non-renewal grace-period language. Members across the committee supported the bill as a needed modernization measure, and it passed as amended to Appropriations. AB 1339, by Assemblymember Gonzalez, would direct the Department of Insurance to study insurance availability and pricing for affordable housing providers and report policy recommendations. Supporters from affordable housing organizations said rising premiums were forcing providers to cut services, defer maintenance, and use reserves, threatening housing stability for low-income residents. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations. AB 646, by Assemblymember Wallace, also passed to Appropriations; it concerns disclosure related to motor vehicle protection products and catalytic converter theft deterrence, with support from auto dealers and industry groups. The committee also approved AB 1531 on consent. Members later added on to the record in support of the bills, and the hearing concluded without recorded opposition votes on the measures that advanced.

Transcript Highlights:

• AND FLORIDA VIRTUAL SCHOOL SERVES BASICALLY AS THE EDUCATION MANAGEMENT OPERATOR. EMO.
• THE PARENTS ARE THERE AND ASKING QUESTIONS AND ONE PARENT MENTIONED TO ME RECENTLY I NEVER MANAGE MY
• IF IT'S AT 9:00 THEN WE REDUCE AT 8:00 FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS TO SHOW THAT YOU CAN MANAGE IT WELL THEN
• I THINK SCREEN TIME IS MANAGED TIGHTLY BECAUSE LAPTOPS ARE CHECKED IN AND OUT WITHIN CLASSES.
• IS IT CONTROLLING ANGER MANAGEMENT? IS IT UNDERSTANDING THE GUN LAWS AND HOW TO HANDLE A FIREARM?

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First, critical security resources related to first supplemental armed private security that supplement
• First and critical security resources related to - Thank you. Great, thank you very much.
• The security services funding requested by the Judiciary... Oh, I'm sorry.
• permanently outsource security services.
• permanently outsource security services.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard and acted on several nominations and bills. It first recommended advise and consent for Governor’s Message 573, confirming Luann Blake to the Statewide Elections Accessibility Needs Advisory Committee after she described her experience as a blind voter and her goals of improving outreach and accessibility for voters with print disabilities. The committee then took up the judiciary supplemental budget bill, HB 2095, with testimony from the courts and several supportive organizations. The courts requested funding for security, cybersecurity, substance use treatment contracts, public guardian services, staffing, and capital projects; members questioned the lump-sum CIP request, the substance use contract funding, and the Kamanu Hale elevator project. The committee later voted to pass HB 2095 with amendments, including changes to cybersecurity funding, security-related report language, and other committee-report notes. The committee also heard HB 1520, which changes the five-year statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions of campaign finance violations to begin upon discovery by the Campaign Spending Commission. The commission supported the bill, saying it would prevent delayed reporting from avoiding prosecution, while one senator raised concerns about due diligence, tolling, and the difference between administrative and criminal enforcement. The bill drew broad support from advocacy groups and was advanced with an amendment clarifying “criminal prosecution.” HB 1548, which reduces the maximum sentence for misdemeanors and other offenses punishable by up to one year to 364 days, received strong support from the Public Defender, immigrant-rights groups, OHA, and others, who said the change would reduce immigration consequences for noncitizens. The committee later amended and passed the bill, limiting it to non-violent offenses. HB 2050, increasing partial public financing limits and available public funds, was supported by the Campaign Spending Commission and good-government groups, while OHA asked for parity with lieutenant governor races. The committee passed it with amendments increasing the public-fund match and funding levels, and requested additional appropriations in the committee report. HB 2494, which would set factors for warrantless arrests for petty misdemeanors and violations and require documentation of the justification, drew strong support from the Public Defender and civil-liberties advocates but opposition from the Attorney General’s office, prosecutors, police, and some business groups, who warned it would restrict officer discretion and trigger litigation. The committee nevertheless passed it with amendments. In a final decision-making agenda, the committee also passed HB 2250 with amendments, adding blank appropriations and committee-report language related to claims against the state, including claims involving exonerees and a disputed USEPA-related claim.

Transcript Highlights:

• When I was ...for my achievements in the security industry.
• We’re just trying to manage this so it’s most comfortable here for everyone.
• I had to go to the manager.
• Their greatest need is a roof over their head, clean water, security, and hope.
• I did national security.

Bills: SB7, SB14

Keywords: gender designation, civil penalties, private civil rights, multiple-occupancy spaces, Texas Women's Privacy Act, law enforcement, confidentiality, personnel files, employee records, misconduct

Summary: The Committee on State Affairs heard testimony on Senate Bill 7, the Texas Women’s Privacy Act, with the author and committee substitute explaining that the bill would require public facilities to designate multi-use private spaces by biological sex, restrict access to women’s restrooms, locker rooms, showers, sleeping quarters, shelters, and correctional facilities, and create civil penalties and enforcement mechanisms. Members asked about how the bill would apply to family violence shelters, children in mixed-family settings, venue layout, and venue for lawsuits; the author said the bill was similar to prior legislation but with stronger penalties and the 15th Court of Appeals as the exclusive intermediate appellate court for challenges, while clarifying that trial venue should generally be local except for state agencies. The committee also heard that the bill would be amended to better address local venue concerns and shelter-related issues. Invited testimony was largely in support of the bill from witnesses who described personal experiences in women’s sports, prisons, shelters, and public facilities, arguing that single-sex spaces are necessary for privacy and safety. Supporters included parents, former incarcerated women, a Republican county chair, a legal advocate, and a prison educator, who cited incidents involving transgender-identifying individuals in locker rooms, shelters, prisons, and restrooms, and said the bill would restore sex-based boundaries and protect vulnerable women and girls. One witness from Texas Values said the bill was needed despite the recently enacted Women’s Bill of Rights, and another ADF witness said the measure would protect privacy in schools and shelters. Opponents testified that the bill would harm transgender and intersex Texans, create harassment and “gender policing,” and expose cisgender women and children to invasive enforcement. Several witnesses argued there is no evidence that transgender women pose a restroom safety threat, while others said the bill would worsen mental health, employment, and school conditions for trans people and could conflict with prison standards and federal law. Family violence advocates urged changes to protect shelter operations and clarify that children can stay with parents, while other witnesses said the bill would create barriers for victims seeking help. The hearing featured extensive public testimony on both sides, but no final vote or committee action was taken in the portion provided.