Transcript Highlights:

• Police pay take up Amendment bar code 2, 4, 3, 0, 0, 6, Thank you so much, Mister Chair and and committee
• Please take up Amendment bar code 9, 1, to 704. You're recognized.
• The Amendment bar code 8, 4, 8, 3, 9, 6, by Senator Rodriguez, you're recognized. >> Thank you, Mr.
• Health and welfare estate to date has made huge investment to the last few years to improve water quality

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• often discuss the importance of making quality education accessible regardless of the students at code
• I was the first in my family to go to law school and a practice real estate and corporate law for almost
• And then I was later asked to be on the Finance Corporation board, which oversees all the real estate
• And the second passion I have is the real estate. We all have a shortage of housing on campus.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• amendment reflects as well, the appropriate code section.
• amendment reflects as well, the appropriate code section.
• 61-7-4(e) of this code.
• It's in code section itself is 61-7-7, subparagraph C, new subdivision 5.
• 61-7-4(e) of this code.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and the state code.
• Hearing none, I'd like to call simplifies tax code simplifies tax code administration, administration
• code better than I do. code better than I do. >> Thank<00:22:27.679> you.
• code.
• we refer to the code, is currently fixed at the 2018 code.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 04:20.280> Houston, Championship to be held in Houston, Championship to be held in Houston, Texas
• 22.160> April,<00:04:23.000> where<00:04:23.200> they<00:04:23.400> will Texas
• in late April, where they will Texas in late April, where they will compete<00:04:24.160> against
• The Estates and Trust Subcommittee will meet 10 minutes after we leave the floor.
• The Estates and >> Thank you Madam Speaker.

Keywords: House streaming session for Thursday, March 12, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House met in Annapolis on February 27, 2026, with 128 members present. After a prayer, the chamber adopted the previous day’s journal and recognized a resolution honoring Brunswick High School’s first Tech Challenge team, Minerva’s Mechanics, for winning the FTC Regional Championships and qualifying for the World Championship in Houston. The resolution was read and adopted with applause. The main legislative item was House Bill 355, concerning the Education, Sexual Abuse and Assault Awareness and Prevention Program and human and sex trafficking; the House adopted the favorable committee report and ordered the bill printed for third reading. The next bill, House Bill 534 on nonpublic school transcripts and prohibiting punitive measures related to student debt, also received a favorable report. Debate then centered on an amendment offered to HB 534 that would have tied school funding to student choice for students in repeatedly one-star-rated schools and allowed parents of habitually violent or disruptive students to consider military boarding school options. The sponsor argued Maryland’s public schools, especially in Baltimore City, were failing students despite heavy spending, citing low literacy, violence, and the book Failure Factory; several members echoed concerns about school performance, bureaucracy, and the need for educational freedom. Opponents and procedural speakers said the amendment was not germane to HB 534, which they described as a narrow bill about transcript access for students leaving nonpublic schools with unpaid fees, often students with disabilities. The floor leader urged the body to resist the amendment and stick to the bill’s actual subject. Despite multiple members explaining their votes in support of school choice and criticizing the Blueprint and school outcomes, the House ultimately took a roll call on the amendment after a voice vote was challenged. The transcript cuts off during the roll call and does not show the final recorded result on the amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• You want to know who it was, the city they lived in, their zip code, but it's not necessary to have their
• He learned that Texas enacted the same legislation and has had a dramatic impact on prostitution in that
• You know, there are all sorts of health codes that could confine a public landfill or private landfill
• answered, and I also want to flag that Prop. 207 very intentionally stayed outside of the criminal code
• So now it's only the disposition of real estate and the method and manner of elections that the courts

Bills: SB1012, SB1099, SB1234, SB1392, SB1489, SB1535, SB1570, SB1609, SB1627, SB1634, SB1661, SB1709, SB1723, SB1725, SB1743, SB1829, SCR1027, SCR1040, SCR1048

Keywords: concealed carry, firearms, restaurants, liquor licensing, public safety, defamation, private figure, public concern, statute of limitations, internet defamation, juvenile court, legal representation, appointed attorney, guardian ad litem, child welfare, election canvass, canvassing board, governing body, election inspection, election access

Summary: The Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee heard and advanced several election, judiciary, child welfare, and criminal justice measures. SB 1489 would require paid petition circulators for initiatives and referenda to disclose their name, state of residence, and paid status verbally and on a badge, add registration requirements for certain local circulators, prohibit pay by signature for local measures, and apply strict compliance and funding-disclosure rules to local initiatives. The ACLU opposed it as compelled speech and a burden on political expression, while the Arizona Chamber supported it as transparency and parity with state-level rules. The committee recommended the bill do pass on a 4-3 vote. SB 1609, an emergency measure concerning political party names, would require proposed party names to be distinguishable from existing parties and bar use of terms like “independent” or similar variations. The Arizona Independent Party opposed it as a retroactive change and “cartel protection,” while county election officials and the Arizona Association of Counties supported it as reducing voter confusion. The committee adopted an amendment and recommended the bill do pass on a 7-0 vote. SCR 1040, a voter-approved constitutional referral, would raise the mandatory retirement age for judges and justices of courts of record from 70 to 75; supporters argued it reflects longer life expectancy and preserves experienced judges, while opponents said voters previously rejected a similar proposal and that an age limit is preferable. It passed 5-2. The committee also considered SB 1234, which changes juvenile court representation rules by requiring a guardian ad litem in dependency and termination cases and allowing appointment of an attorney for the child depending on age and ability to express an opinion. Sponsor Senator Werner said the bill was part of a broader child-safety reform effort informed by cases such as Rebecca Baptiste, arguing that a guardian ad litem with attorney authority would better protect children’s best interests. Child welfare attorneys and advocates opposed the bill, saying children need a dedicated attorney-client relationship, confidentiality, and a voice separate from the court or DCS; DCS remained neutral. The committee adopted an amendment and recommended the bill do pass on a 5-2 vote. SB 1661 would allow a presumed father to be relieved of child support obligations if genetic testing shows he is not the biological father; supporters described cases where men remained liable despite exclusionary DNA results, and the bill passed 6-0. Later, the committee heard election administration and transparency bills. SB 1392 would give governing bodies canvassing elections access to locations where election materials are created, handled, processed, tabulated, or stored, so they can observe procedures and review records while protecting secrecy and security; county officials raised concerns about the term “agent,” and the bill passed 4-3. SB 1634 would require ADOT to provide county recorders with a copy of an applicant’s handwritten signature when facilitating voter registration; county officials said it would improve signature comparison, and the bill passed 5-2 after a vote correction. SB 1743 would redact an individual donor’s employer street number, employer name, or residence address from public campaign finance reports, with penalties for improper disclosure; supporters cited privacy and safety, while opponents argued employer information is important for transparency and identifying influence. It passed 5-2. SB 1099, a strike-everything amendment, set statutory criteria for defamation claims involving public or private figures and public or private concerns, including falsity, reckless disregard, and context; it passed 4-3. After a recess, the committee heard SB 1535, which increases penalties for buyers of sexual conduct, including making the conduct a class 6 felony and adding a $200 assessment to support anti-human trafficking services. The sponsor and supporters, including survivors, law enforcement, neighborhood advocates, and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, said the bill targets demand that fuels trafficking and neighborhood disorder. Opponents from criminal justice and anti-violence groups said the bill should include a rebuttable presumption to better protect trafficking victims. The committee adopted an amendment and recommended the bill do pass.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, we'll take up tab 11, Senate Bill 1500 on estates by Senator Bradley.
• The bill increases the value threshold of small estate expedited probate processes, which were last adjusted
• expressly authorizes personal representatives to initiate enforcement proceedings under the probate code

Summary: The Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance met with a quorum present and heard a full agenda of bills, most of which were reported favorably. Early in the meeting, SB 1000 on trust fund interest for attorney trust accounts was explained as setting a floor and ceiling tied to the Wall Street Journal prime rate and passed without objection after supportive testimony from banking and credit union groups. The committee then took up CS/SB 1082 on a statewide provider and health plan claim dispute resolution program; the sponsor described it as a way to move emergency out-of-network payment disputes away from costly litigation and into an independent dispute resolution process modeled on the federal No Surprises Act. A proposed amendment drew significant questions from senators and concerns from the Florida Insurance Council about confusion over state versus federal eligibility and possible effects on contracted rates, and the sponsor ultimately withdrew the amendment. The underlying bill was then supported by health care and insurance stakeholders and reported favorably. SB 684 on electronic signatures for total loss vehicles and vessels also passed, with Progressive Insurance waiving in support. The committee next approved CS/SB 158 on pet insurance, which requires continuing education for agents, clearer consumer disclosures, and annual reporting to OIR; the amendment was technical and adopted. SB 1494 on breast cancer screening coverage was presented as expanding required coverage for mammograms and supplemental screenings for certain insurance products, and it passed with support from cancer and radiology groups. CS/SB 314 on digital asset issuers was amended to create a Florida framework for payment stablecoin issuers consistent with the federal GENIUS Act, allowing state-level regulation as an alternative to federal supervision, and was reported favorably. SB 1500 on uncontested probate proceedings, including higher small-estate thresholds and clearer authority for personal representatives, also passed after a banking-related amendment requiring letters of administration for safe deposit box access was adopted. Later, the committee approved CS/SB 618 on workers’ compensation insurance, which raises the consent-to-rate cap for workers’ comp policies from 10% to 20% and adjusts the Florida Workers’ Compensation Guarantee Association board membership; a carrier representative testified that the change would help keep more high-risk accounts in the voluntary market. CS/SB 1568 on a Florida Stable Coin Pilot Program was amended to remove authority for DFS to create a Florida coin, limit the pilot to existing stablecoins with at least $1 billion market capitalization, and require qualified public deposit handling; it then passed. CS/SB 838 on electronic payments for retail installment contracts clarified that convenience fees for electronic payments are permissible while preserving a fee-free option, and it was reported favorably after questions about consumer access to free payment methods. SB 1452, the Department of Financial Services agency bill, made a wide range of administrative changes affecting My Safe Florida Home, unclaimed property, licensing, bail bonds, and other DFS functions; a late-filed amendment on title insurer appointments was adopted, and the bill passed. The committee also approved SB 1706 on the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program, targeting condo hardening assistance to owner-occupied units meeting income and occupancy criteria, and SB 990 on protected cell captive insurance companies, which the sponsor and industry witnesses said would modernize Florida law and promote insurance competition and economic activity. The meeting ended with all bills on the agenda reported favorably and the committee adjourning without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please pass House Bill 2765 to bolster our rural economies, protect Texas landowners, and sustain Texas
• Currently, the government code requires that the director of the Texas Military Preparedness Commission
• This established the Texas Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Program at the Texas Workforce Commission
• , Texas manufacturers.
• I represent the Texas Nurses Association.

Transcript Highlights:

• Utility Commission of Texas, also known as PUC.
• total amount to the Texas Energy Fund to ten billion dollars.
• of dates regarding the Texas Energy Fund.
• Lastly, item four, the Texas Advanced Nuclear Reactor, Texas Nuclear Energy Fund.
• The Texas Energy Fund is a program that's currently underway by the state of Texas.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He raised his family in Texas. I met with several detained individuals.
• I yield three minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Doggett.
• Comer: I yield four minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Gill. Mr.
• Comer: I yield another minute to the gentleman from Texas.
• COMER: I YIELD ANOTHER MINUTE TO THE GENTLEMAN FROM TEXAS.

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

Transcript Highlights:

• code of Alabama 1975 and section 28113 code of Alabama 1975 and section 28113 code of Alabama 1975 as
• of Alabama 1975. title 8 code of Alabama 1975. title 8 code of Alabama 1975.
• codes. currently authorized in state codes.
• I like some Texas barbecue. Texas Texas. I like some Texas barbecue. Texas Texas.
• And that's the code the code the code definition. A license, and we talked definition.

Keywords: 920, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And in order to know what those codes mean, we have to get code books from DOC.
• The QR code is simply going to be on the back.
• We got this idea from my neighboring state of Texas, which has been doing this since 2009.
• We got this idea from my neighboring state of Texas, which has been doing this since 2009.
• The Texas Lottery has contributed more than $296 million to veteran programs in the state of Texas.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have invited testimony beginning with the Texas Secretary of State, Texas Department of Public Safety
• , the Texas Association of Election Administrators, the County and District Clerks Association of Texas
• ... and outside the state of Texas.
• Those four pieces, they have their new Texas by Texas account, basically. right where you can go in and
• by the Texas Secretary of State.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas has a 4.6% rate. I believe, actually, I believe that's incorrect for Texas.
• I believe, actually, I believe that's incorrect for Texas.
• One of theirs is, I'll get the correction on the Texas tax.
• And that is one that is specifically in the code right now.
• I believe this is in Section 57-15-14 of the Century Code.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to continue its tax reform and relief study agenda, approved the December 3, 2025 minutes, and announced a new subcommittee to examine property tax statement issues with counties, auditors, and the tax office. Representative Headland was named chair, Senator Rummel vice chair, and Representatives Dressler and Dr. Dr. and Senator Patton were also assigned. The chair noted the group may need an additional meeting and thanked staff and attendees. A major portion of the meeting focused on economic development incentives. The Department of Commerce presented on the Renaissance Zone program and TIF districts, describing Renaissance Zones as locally tailored tools that combine local property tax relief with state income tax incentives. Commerce said the program has supported thousands of projects since 1999 and cited examples from Beach and Mandan showing increases in property and taxable value, business retention, housing, and downtown revitalization. Committee members raised concerns that smaller rural communities often lack the staff and expertise to apply, and Commerce said it provides outreach through conferences, office hours, and one-on-one assistance. League of Cities and local officials from Bismarck and Ellendale echoed the capacity issue, discussed how the programs have worked in their communities, and suggested possible reforms or more targeted support for small towns. Ellendale’s mayor also described two TIF districts, one for industrial infrastructure in Oaks and one for housing infrastructure tied to a data center project in Ellendale. The committee then turned to stripper oil taxation. The Tax Department gave a comparison of oil and gas tax structures in selected states, noting that most have some form of stripper or marginal well provision, while Alaska does not appear to have a specific stripper-well exemption. Members asked for more detail on definitions and North Dakota’s annual adjusted rate. The Department of Mineral Resources followed with a detailed presentation on North Dakota stripper wells, explaining the statutory thresholds, the 12-consecutive-month production test, and the fact that once a well qualifies it remains on stripper status even if production later rises. DMR said about 11,332 stripper wells are active, representing roughly 54% of wells and about 16% of state production, and emphasized that stripper status can extend well life, preserve tax revenue, and reduce orphaned wells. Committee members and industry witnesses discussed refracs, the economics of keeping marginal wells active, and the competitive disadvantage created by North Dakota’s oil price discount. No votes were taken on these informational items.

Transcript Highlights:

• Colorado, Texas, and Massachusetts all have a variety of versions of...
• Colorado, Texas, and Massachusetts all have a variety of versions of this.
• The Texas Education Code outlines that kindergarten and first grade students must be screened at the
• And in Texas... Not be before September so that they can have that initial exposure to reading.
• And in Texas for grade one, it's no later than January, so it falls along the same timeline for that

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard the Governor’s proposals on dual enrollment, reading difficulty screeners, special education, school facilities, and Commission on Teacher Credentialing programs. On dual enrollment, the Department of Finance described a $100 million one-time Proposition 98 investment to expand the Dual Enrollment Opportunities Grant Program, along with changes to make regional occupational centers eligible, add funding for justice-involved youth, prioritize higher-need LEAs, support teacher professional development, and reduce daily instructional minute requirements for some dual enrollment students. The LAO recommended rejecting the new funding as not clearly addressing implementation barriers, while CDE supported the proposal and suggested reserving $10 million for technical assistance. Committee members and public commenters generally supported the expansion, with some asking for technical assistance and broader access, including adult dual enrollment. The committee also reviewed a $40 million one-time Proposition 98 proposal for reading difficulty screener implementation and related trailer bill language that would require screening after 91 school days for kindergarten and 46 school days for grades 1-2. Finance said the timing was intended to reduce over-identification and align with evidence from preliminary data; the LAO recommended rejecting the funding and redirecting it to a discretionary block grant. CDE supported the funding and the general approach but acknowledged the need for local support and training. Several committee members and public witnesses raised concerns that the proposed timing restrictions were too rigid and could delay early intervention, while others supported the delay as a way to improve accuracy and avoid misidentification. For special education, Finance proposed ongoing Proposition 98 increases to adjust for COLA and enrollment changes and to raise the statewide special education base rate to $99 per ADA, equalizing rates across SELPAs. The LAO said the proposal should be adopted but estimated it could be funded for less than the Governor’s figure. CDE and multiple local education representatives strongly supported the increase, citing rising special education enrollment, cost pressures, and large local funding gaps. The committee also heard a brief overview of the school facilities proposal, which continues $1.5 billion in Proposition 2 bond funding for the School Facility Program; OPSC reported significant remaining bond authority but also substantial pending demand, and explained that natural disaster school rebuilding draws from the broader new construction and modernization pools. Finally, the committee reviewed Commission on Teacher Credentialing proposals, including the already-funded $300 million Student Teacher Stipend Program, new state operations resources for misconduct investigations and grant administration, and a $250 million one-time continuation of the Teacher Residency Grant Program. CTC said its grants management system is ready and that it expects better data tracking; public testimony broadly supported the educator workforce investments and urged continued funding for the Golden State Teacher Grant Program and additional support for rural and leadership pipeline programs. No votes were taken, and the hearing adjourned after public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a tenured professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M.
• And the Spanish brought lots and lots of sheep to Mexico and to South Texas during the colonial days.
• And in fact, we had a good amount of scrapie in Texas. and some of the deer in those areas look best
• And those deer have not lived with EHD for thousands of generations like the deer in South Texas and
• One of the things is that having two copies of that S at code on 96 in the prion gene resist refolding

Bills: HB3270, HB3145, HB3056

Keywords: farmed cervidae, chronic wasting disease, genetic resistance, wildlife management, agriculture, wildlife tagging, hunting regulations, Cervidae family, feral swine, exotic wildlife, conservation, commercial hunting, raw milk, unpasteurized, farm sales, Oklahoma Milk and Milk Products Act, local producers, advertising, 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• line 14, and then through sections six to ten, it's pretty much reformatting the way that this tax code
• So, we have Iowa, we have Michigan, we have Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas.
• Texas is based upon the income tax rate, so that is a little different, but it's very similar.
• We've also shared a basin with Texas.
• in this state a more severe tax and regulatory policy than Texas.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not a Texas.
• of the Texas Cable Association Board of Directors, and Julia Harvey, Texas Electric Cooperatives.
• Uh, Texas has not done so.
• the Texas Broadband Association.
• timeline for Texas.

Transcript Highlights:

• acknowledge the tragedies and struggles of so many in Ruidoso and Lincoln County, and also in the Texas
• I took a sidestep into Texas for a number of years, but could not be happier.
• Service ever at a pediatrician's office was at a DNP back in San Marcos, Texas.
• Because it looks like within another year or two, computer coding is going to be done by AI, and yet
• First of all, in terms of the museum, can you assure me that it will be ADA accessible and up to code

Transcript Highlights:

• Federal code requires states and territories to establish programs to contract with one or more Medicaid
• The agency notified legislative audit of the apparent theft of public funds as required by Arkansas Code
• a fee-for-service state, which is we cover programs and we pay when it is utilized using different codes
• Texarkana or just over the line, actually lives in Texas.
• Occasionally, we've had to reach out to, say, Texas or Tennessee, Oklahoma.

Summary: The Medicaid Subcommittee of the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee met to receive a primer on the subcommittee’s history and on how Medicaid oversight works in Arkansas. Legislative audit staff reviewed the subcommittee’s origins in response to earlier Medicaid audit concerns and explained that Medicaid is audited every year in the statewide single audit because it is a high-risk, large federal program. Staff summarized recent audit findings, including issues with eligibility controls, data matching, contractor charging, incarcerated juveniles’ coverage handling, provider eligibility support, and the state’s Medicaid recovery audit contractor exception request. They also noted a DHS departmental audit finding involving employees who improperly received benefits, which was referred for possible prosecution. The Department of Human Services gave an overview of the Medicaid program, describing eligibility groups, delivery systems (fee-for-service, managed care/PASSE, and premium assistance for expansion adults), the size of the program, and the agency’s budget and provider base. DHS also outlined the difference between state plan amendments and waivers and said other committee materials would be sent to members. The Office of Medicaid Inspector General described its role in detecting and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse, explaining that it investigates suspected intentional fraud, suspends providers when there is a credible allegation of fraud, recovers improper payments in mistake cases, and recommends policy changes when trends are identified. The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit explained that it prosecutes provider fraud criminally and civilly, handles neglect, abuse, and exploitation cases in long-term care settings, and works with DHS, OMIG, and federal partners. Members asked about where cases are filed, how provider suspensions work, whether beneficiary fraud is investigated, and how education is provided to providers. DHS confirmed that beneficiary fraud cases are referred to local prosecutors and said the expansion population will move toward community engagement/work requirements under federal changes, with a soft launch planned before full implementation. The meeting ended with no formal votes beyond adoption of the prior minutes and no other committee actions.