Transcript Highlights:

• And this is going to prevent them from doing that?
• And this is going to prevent them from doing that?
• And this is going to prevent them from doing that?
• And this is going to prevent them >> Okay.
• </c> and robust remedies, it says to prevent and robust remedies, it says to prevent competing. competing

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 12 February, 2026; 9:30 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Having one agent prevent one homicide, and having one agent in Washington prevent one rape.
• I was fortunate enough to utilize FISA 702 national security measures to prevent a shopping mall from
• I want to thank my colleague, Senator Welsh, for being so measured and respectful in the way that he
• On the other side, there needs to be a measured action.
• And describe to this committee what the FBI should be doing to prevent.

Transcript Highlights:

• And any opposition to the measure in the public? Seeing none, we'll bring it back to the dais.
• This measure helps prevent the misuse of military power. And with that, I ask for your aye vote.
• This measure helps prevent the misuse of military power. And with that, I ask for your aye vote.
• The measure would authorize $1.25 billion in general obligation bonds to continue funding the CalVet
• This measure is far too important, and contested initiatives can put the program in great jeopardy.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All House measures which have been first read or referred for printing.
• All House measures which have been first read or referred for printing.
• All House measures which have been first read or referred for printing.
• Speaker, I rise for personal prevention for comment. Please proceed.
• The measure of our democracy is not how we treat those with power, but how we protect the Is not how

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the prior journal, and recognition of Dr. Pamela Murphy as Doctor of the Day. Members also introduced a number of guests, including Deacon Ernie Gonzalez, local Prescott officials, Arizona Game and Fish commissioners, and advocates from the Alzheimer’s Association. A proclamation was read designating January 26, 2026, as Arizona Aviation Day, with remarks highlighting the aviation industry’s economic impact and the presence of airport and aviation representatives in the gallery. The clerk then read a long list of bills that had been first read or referred for printing, and a second-reading calendar covering measures on water and energy, education, elections, taxes, housing, veterans, public safety, and other topics. No floor votes on those bills were taken during this segment. Representative Gress also read a resolution recognizing National School Choice Week and praising Arizona’s school choice programs, including charters and ESAs. Much of the remainder of the session consisted of members’ personal privilege remarks responding to violence and immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota and elsewhere. Speakers from both parties and several senators and representatives condemned ICE tactics, described constituent fear and family separations, and called for constitutional rights, due process, and accountability. Representative Sandoval requested and the House observed a moment of respectful silence in memory of Alex Pretty and Renee Good. The House then received committee and caucus announcements and adjourned until 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not an expert in that area, but it does prevent discrimination.
• schools from requiring a prevents schools from requiring a third-party<01:12:32.760><c> Handler</c>
• A well-written goal is measurable, meaningful, and provides a team everything they need to make sure
• It would still be measured whether there's short-term objectives or not.
• measured whether there's has to be measured whether there's short-terms<02:01:20.760><c> objectives<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is an emergency measure and requires at least a two-thirds vote to enact the emergency.
• It is an emergency measure and requires at least a two-thirds vote to enact the emergency.
• I'm happy to support this measure.
• My words, that ultimately she will be approving these measures.
• The committee respectfully recommends acceptance of the Senate and engrossed measure.

Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge, approved the journal, and welcomed several guests in the gallery, including a high school student and an advocate connected to the domestic violence bill HB 2995. The chamber then moved through multiple Committee of the Whole calendars, first advancing HB 4155, HB 4156, and HB 4157, then HB 4164, HB 4165, and HB 4166, all with do-pass recommendations and no substantive amendments on those calendars. Later, the House also considered SB 1326, a victims’ rights measure, adopted a floor amendment, and reported it out as amended. The House corrected an earlier clerical error regarding HB 4155-4157 being referred to engrossing rather than third reading. The House then took up a long series of final passage votes on Senate bills. SB 2174, SB 2611, SB 1011, SB 1012, SB 1016, SB 1018, SB 1038, SB 1039, SB 1040, SB 1053, SB 1055, SB 1057, SB 1060, SB 1061, SB 1068, SB 1069, SB 1075, SB 1100, SB 1113 on reconsideration, SB 1160, and SB 1170 all passed. SB 2873, SB 1004, SB 1009, SB 1042, SB 1043, SB 1049, SB 1093, and SB 1143 failed. SB 2995, the emergency family-law/domestic-violence bill known as the Alec and Lydia Act, passed with the required two-thirds vote after extensive debate; supporters said it would better protect children and clarify judicial standards, while opponents argued its definitions were overly broad and could harm families. SB 1018 on foreign laws also drew extended debate over Sharia law, with supporters framing it as a defense of American values and opponents calling it unnecessary and discriminatory. Several votes included explanations focused on policy concerns. SB 1004 on sex-offender registration and monitoring drew debate over whether electronic monitoring is effective. SB 1040 on voter registration transparency prompted arguments over public access to voter rolls versus privacy and security. SB 1118 on municipal zoning and historical homes was debated as a property-rights and local-control issue, with supporters saying it could help preserve affordable housing and opponents warning it would override local decisions. The House also adopted motions to reconsider prior actions on SB 1043 and SB 1100, and it requested the Senate return SB 1552 for reconsideration. The session ended with the House still processing additional Committee of the Whole business, including HB 4158, HB 4159, HB 4160, HB 4161, HB 4162, and HB 4163, with HB 4162 and HB 4163 receiving floor amendments and do-pass recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill before you would require a sponsor of a proposed ballot measure to include...
• It is rare for a measure to fail a random sample check.
• When wealthy individuals drive ballot measures and pay... Truthful information.
• I've worked on several statewide ballot measures, including 940, 1639, and 1491.
• It helped with our accountability measures.

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2260, House Joint Resolution 4209, and House Bill 2259, with testimony and questions on each. HB 2260 would require petition signature gatherers to sign and date each petition sheet, provide their address and county, and require voters’ residence addresses for signature verification; supporters said this would improve accountability and help prevent fraud or duplicate signatures, while opponents argued it would burden volunteers, risk disenfranchising voters who move or use incomplete addresses, and add unnecessary penalties. The Secretary of State and former Secretary of State opposed the bill, saying existing verification methods are effective and that the measure could create costly, unintended barriers. HB 2259 would require 1,000 registered-voter signatures before filing an initiative or referendum and prohibit pay-per-signature compensation, with civil penalties and a private right of action; supporters said it would reduce frivolous filings, title shopping, and fraud incentives, while opponents said it would chill initiative activity, especially for rural communities and referenda with tight timelines. The Secretary of State and former Secretary of State also opposed HB 2259, saying the initiative process should remain accessible and that the bill would add barriers and workload. House Joint Resolution 4209 would amend the state constitution to allow the legislature to modify congressional districts mid-decade by simple majority if another state adopts a new congressional map absent a court order. The prime sponsor argued Washington should not unilaterally stay passive if other states engage in partisan mid-decade redistricting, while opponents said the proposal would weaken Washington’s bipartisan redistricting system, set a bad precedent, and invite retaliation. Testimony on the resolution was sharply divided, with supporters warning that partisan redistricting elsewhere threatens fair representation and opponents saying Washington should preserve its existing commission-based process rather than respond in kind. The hearing on HJR 4209 was concluded after testimony. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the excerpt. The chair suspended and reopened hearings as planned, and testimony was taken on all three measures, with HB 2260 and HB 2259 drawing extensive public comment and questions about fraud, access, and administrative burden.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1026 is an emergency measure on a very important bill, Senate Bill 893, that this body may
• Senate Bill 513, Senator Smith, fire prevention assistant fire marshals, residential rental high-rise
• fire marshals prevention assistant fire marshals residential<00:36:10.800><c> rental</c><00:36:11.120
• assistant fire marshals fire prevention assistant fire marshals residential<00:42:09.360><c> rental<
• sort of staff state agency to prevent sort of staff intensive<01:19:37.000><c> local</c><01:19:37.360

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 960, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We can also help with outcome measures and quality metrics, as well as maternal health.
• We also address gaps in care for individual patients, and those are aligned with HEDIS measures.
• So, those are some health care quality measures in the health care setting.
• So, just an example of a couple of the measures that we stand up, and we stand up 30 measures.
• And we add additional measures depending on the needs of the organizations and the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:28:22.000><c> preventing</c><00:28:22.560><c> chronic</c> prevention preventing chronic prevention
• on the prevention of chronic absenteeism<00:33:34.760><c> and</c><00:33:34.920><c> truancy.
• And it does not prevent the reassessment of placement decisions if safety concerns arise.
• While we continue work on other measures to bring down the cost of care.
• </c> and regulatory constraints preventing and regulatory constraints preventing them<02:14:13.440><c

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And all of these measures, these treatment or these... ...measures, these treatment or these different
• measures because there are measures that have been established for a long time.
• ..to pull, and that's how they measure how much money Idaho receives based on how we do on those measures
• And a lot of those are not actually included in performance measures right now.
• And if we as a state do better on the system performance measures, then we get more funding.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 751, which would expand the STARS program for commercial roadway infrastructure reimbursement by raising the program’s cap from $35 million to $100 million and lowering the floor from $6 million to $5 million. Representative Monks explained that STARS allows developers to front infrastructure costs for commercial projects and be repaid from new sales tax generated by the development, with no cost to the state because it uses new revenue only. Senators asked about the 60% reimbursement rate and potential projects that could use the program. The committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. The committee then considered Senate Bill 1347, a transparency measure for federal homelessness and housing funds administered through the Idaho Housing and Finance Association, focused on the Continuum of Care and Emergency Solutions Grant programs. The sponsors said the bill would require annual reporting on who receives the grants, how the money is used, and what outcomes result, without changing funding levels. Testimony included support from transparency advocates and concerns from Senator Robbie and others that the bill could duplicate existing federal and IHFA audits and add unnecessary reporting burden; supporters responded that current reporting does not capture all desired outcome data. The committee approved the bill on a do-pass motion, with Senators Robbie and Taylor recorded as voting no. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 1352, a housing/zoning bill aimed at allowing starter-home subdivisions by limiting local minimum lot-size requirements in cities over 5,000 population while preserving local authority over building codes, infrastructure, and safety standards. Supporters argued the bill would reduce housing costs, expand supply, and help first-time buyers and seniors by enabling smaller lots and smaller homes; opponents from city and planning groups said it would override local control, lacked an income-based affordability requirement, and could create infrastructure and planning problems. After extensive testimony and debate, the initial motion to send the bill to the floor failed on a 4-5 roll call vote, and the committee then moved the bill to the 14th order for possible amendment. Senate Bill 1354 was held over until the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here on the bill, and I am definitely for measuring what matters performance.
• I have personal experience with what gets measured gets fixed or done.
• Let's hold on that measure, members. And for Senate Bill 1873, I do have a committee substitute.
• And let's call the roll again on that measure, members. Bettencourt, aye. Middleton, aye.
• Senator Paxton has already explained the differences in the measure.

Summary: The committee heard and discussed several higher education and public school bills. Senator Burwell presented SB 1242 to remove an outdated Coordinating Board approval requirement for Texas State Technical College land and facility acquisitions, and SJR 59 to create a constitutionally dedicated endowment for TSTC capital needs; both drew strong support from industry and workforce groups and were left pending. SB 757, by Senator Middleton, would create a debt-to-earnings accountability system for public college programs, with supporters saying it would protect students from low-value degrees and opponents warning it could unfairly penalize programs with long-term value, especially graduate, medical, and public service fields; it was also left pending. SB 1241, by Senator Millington, would expand acceptable college entrance exams beyond the SAT and ACT, including the Classic Learning Test, and was left pending after testimony from CLT, homeschool, and student groups in support. SB 1085, by Senator Blanco, would let Sul Ross State University offer lower-division courses at its satellite campuses in the Middle Rio Grande region; it too was left pending. The committee then took up a series of public school and higher education measures, voting several out favorably. SB 605, as substituted, limits commissioner approval of charter school expansion amendments for schools under conservatorship or a management team and was reported favorably 9-0. SB 1871 and SB 1873, both by Senator Perry, were revised to narrow teacher immunity, clarify removal and suspension procedures, require periodic review of in-school suspension placements, and align discipline rules; both substitutes were adopted and reported favorably. SB 1872, SB 1874, SB 762, SB 1962, SB 1750, SB 2252, SB 2253, SB 2365, SB 1924, and SB 37 were also considered, with most reported favorably on party-line or near-unanimous votes. SB 1750 would replace a flat charter school facilities funding cap with an attendance-based formula; SB 2252 and SB 2253 address kindergarten readiness, early literacy/numeracy, and educator preparation; SB 2365 concerns student phone use during instructional time; SB 1924 restores local citation authority for certain school offenses and adds reporting, notice, and completion requirements; and SB 37 would expand state oversight of higher education curriculum, governance, faculty senates, and compliance with state law. Other measures heard included SB 769, which would require a Coordinating Board report on barriers faced by students with disabilities in higher education; supporters emphasized the need for better data and accessibility, while witnesses suggested broader reporting on race, disability types, and K-12-to-college transitions. SB 2231 would designate a Free College Application Week in October and was left pending. SB 1878 would modernize the Josie School statute and provide formula funding and aid eligibility for Polytechnic College. SB 1409 would authorize universities to offer self-funded student health benefit plans, with Rice University and Texas 2036 supporting the measure as a way to lower costs and expand coverage. SB 2431 would require universities to give foreign language credit for study abroad programs, SB 2314 would require schools to inform students about opting in or out of record sharing for direct admissions through My Texas Future, and SB 2138 would extend the state’s anti-ESG contracting restrictions to public higher education endowments and governing boards; these later bills were introduced and left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill brings the process in line with the actual work being done, and it prevents unnecessary disassembling
• No, including the tenant improvement measure.
• I think this is a fair measure, and we're in support. Thank you, Senator. Great. All right.
• Libby Sanchez, on behalf of the Chief Probation Officers of California, in opposition to this measure
• And three, limit the threshold for the request for a traffic calming measure to no more than a majority

Summary: The Senate Committee on Local Government heard several bills focused on housing, utility billing, permitting, oversight, disaster recovery, and traffic safety. AB 2058, by Assemblymember Harropetian, would streamline inspections and fees for factory-built housing by reducing duplicative local review and allowing third-party inspections; supporters said it would cut costs and delays, while the author noted local land-use authority would remain intact. AB 1945, by Assemblymember Hodgwick, would let Lassen Municipal Utility District offer voluntary prepaid electricity accounts without deposits or start-service fees, with consumer protections and electronic notices; municipal utility and power agency representatives supported it. AB 2418, by Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez, would set timelines for commercial plan review and allow third-party plan checkers for delayed tenant improvement projects; business and property groups supported it, and the bill was narrowed by amendments. AB 2433, by Assemblymember Alvarez, would expand density bonus incentives for for-sale affordable housing; supporters said it could help produce more homeownership opportunities, while labor and local government concerns led to amendments removing ministerial/by-right provisions. AB 2760, by Assemblymember Sharpe Collins, would allow counties with an Office of Inspector General to extend oversight to probation and animal control in San Diego County; the author and county supervisors supported it, but probation officials opposed it as duplicative. AB 2385, by Assemblymember Petrie-Norris, would clarify local authority to plan for disaster recovery and create local reconstruction agencies; cities and other supporters said it would improve post-disaster rebuilding. AB 1976, by Assemblymember Hitt, would limit late-stage public process for pedestrian, bicycle, and traffic calming projects and exempt pedestrian malls from CEQA; supporters framed it as a safety streamlining measure, while local government groups raised concerns about reduced community engagement. The committee also adopted the consent calendar for AB 2118 and AB 2728. Final votes were taken after quorum was established: AB 1945 passed 6-0 to the Senate floor; AB 1976 passed 5-1 to the Committee on Transportation; AB 2058 passed 7-0 to Appropriations; AB 2385 passed 6-1 to Emergency Management; AB 2418 passed 7-0 to Judiciary; AB 2433 passed 7-0 to Housing; AB 2760 passed 5-2 to the Senate floor; and the consent calendar was adopted 7-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• Student Supports Protocol or other comprehensive models of data-based identification and early prevention
• This was also brought by a stakeholder on this issue, and it's essentially a cost savings measure. ..
• So this is just a cost containment measure.
• The measure before you is on final passage.
• The measure before you is on final passage of Proposed Substitute House Bill 2636.

Summary: The House Education Committee first briefed several bills and amendments before going into caucus, then returned for executive action. House Bill 1295, on comprehensive literacy programs, was amended to require aligned literacy curricula and reporting, with one proposed substitute withdrawn and several amendments debated; the committee rejected amendments that would have added implementation deadlines and reporting, adopted an amendment requiring a 2032 OSPI report on literacy outcomes, and advanced the bill with a do pass recommendation. House Bill 2262, which adds cursive signature instruction to mandatory high school civics and requires election-related reporting on signature mismatches, was amended to recognize culturally specific signatures, include historical context about marginalized communities, remove a graduation-credit condition, and drop State Board monitoring language; the committee rejected a null-and-void amendment and advanced the bill. House Bill 2551, allowing certain school districts to sell real property with superintendent authorization, was debated as a fiscal flexibility measure and passed out of committee on a 10-4 vote. The committee also considered House Bill 2593 on school district fund balances and monthly financial reporting. A proposed substitute shifted the bill away from mandatory minimum fund balances toward formal financial monitoring for districts below required levels, technical assistance from OSPI, and possible withholding of apportionment payments for reporting failures; an amendment removed the withholding provision, and the substitute bill was then advanced with a do pass recommendation. House Bill 2594, establishing state-based protections for homeless students and aligning state requirements with McKinney-Vento, received a technical amendment to avoid duplicative provisions and was reported out unanimously. House Bill 2636, creating a Public Education Performance Operations and Funding Review Commission, was substantially revised into a Public Education Review Advisory Council that would work with JLARC to review education policy requirements and funding; a null-and-void amendment failed, and the committee advanced the substitute bill unanimously. Throughout the meeting, sponsors and members emphasized literacy improvement, student access, district fiscal stability, and reducing or reviewing unfunded mandates. Several members spoke in support of the bills as tools to improve outcomes or provide flexibility, while others raised concerns about mandates, reporting burdens, and the practicality of implementation. Final actions included multiple do pass recommendations, with recorded votes on HB 2551, HB 2593, HB 2594, and HB 2636, and unanimous or near-unanimous support on the other measures after amendment debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• behalf of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, in support, and thank you for authoring this measure
• Rogers for bringing this measure forward.
• This modest measure aims to bolster home safety and reduce the strain on state resources.
• The modest measure aims to bolster home safety and reduce the strain on state resources.
• Preventing even one home loss yields millions in savings.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation held its second regular hearing of the 2025-26 session and announced that, under reinstated suspense-file rules, every bill on the agenda would be referred to suspense rather than voted on immediately. The committee first heard AB 53, which would create a state income tax exemption of up to $20,000 for military retirees and certain survivor benefits. Supporters, including veterans’ groups, military retirees, and local officials, argued California is the only state taxing military retirement pay in full and that the exemption would help retain veterans and their families. Committee members voiced strong support, but the bill was sent to suspense. The committee then heard several wildfire-related tax relief bills. AB 429 would exempt certain wildfire settlement payments from gross income for victims of fires from 2020 through 2026; the author and a Greenville fire victim described the burden of taxing settlement funds, and rural county and forestry groups supported the measure. AB 97 proposed similar relief for Bobcat Fire settlement payments, and AB 389 would create a personal income tax credit for home-hardening expenses in high fire-risk areas, with Cal Fire and realtor representatives supporting the bill as a way to reduce future losses. Each of these measures drew no formal opposition in the hearing and was referred to suspense. AB 386 would create a tax credit for employers that help full-time employees repay student loans, up to $3,000 per employee per year. Supporters said it would help recruit and retain workers and reduce student debt burdens, while the California Tax Reform Association opposed the bill because it lacked allocation criteria and would reduce General Fund and education revenues. Committee members expressed interest but asked for clearer eligibility standards, and the bill was sent to suspense. AB 490 would allow a deduction for interest paid on qualified personal vehicle loans; the author framed it as relief for families dependent on cars, but opposition again came from the tax reform group, which argued the deduction would mainly benefit higher-income taxpayers. The bill also went to suspense. The committee also heard AB 547, which would create a tax credit of up to $5,000 for IVF and other fertility-treatment expenses. The author and a witness who described a long and costly IVF journey said the credit would help families afford treatment and support parenthood; members responded sympathetically and asked why the proposal was structured as a tax credit rather than a health coverage mandate. Finally, AB 330 would extend the prepaid mobile telephony services collection act through 2031, preserving an 80-cent surcharge that supports 911 and local government revenues; local government representatives and cities supported the extension, and it too was referred to suspense. The hearing ended with the committee adjourning after all measures were held for suspense-file consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• Number one, it prevents the shell game that sometimes happens among owners of facilities, especially
• Number one, it prevents the shell game that sometimes happens among owners of facilities, especially
• So this would give the department an opportunity to look at that old history with ownership to prevent
• people with the preventative measures.
• We need to start treating people with the preventative measures, and I think that starts in medical school

Bills: HB2050, HB2082, HB2176, HB2195, HB2202, HB2307, HB2584

Keywords: radiologic technologist, radiologist assistant, radiology, imaging, x-ray, diagnostic x-ray, fluoroscopy, mammography, computed tomography, CT technologist, nuclear medicine technologist, bone densitometry, radiation safety, radiation licensing, scope of practice, health workforce, rural health care, critical access hospital, supervision, telehealth

Transcript Highlights:

• My only concern is what are the construction costs, and what other necessary measures will be taken to
• female prison system and creates an unnecessary traumatic experience for the women, oftentimes preventing
• These measures prioritize victims and enhance safety within essential health care services.
• Senate Bill 1021 prevents these short sentences.
• Simply put, if we can't measure it, we can't effectively manage it or ensure it aligns with our state's

Bills: HB1826, HB1969, HB2708, HB2729, HB3618, HB4515, HB4764, SB1021, SB1610

Keywords: mental health, women's health, county jail, depression screening, criminal justice, inmate release, identification certificate, Texas Department of Corrections, personal identification, driver's license, state law, reentry services, nondisclosure, criminal history, criminal defendants, community supervision, misdemeanors, felonies, rehabilitation, hearsay

Summary: The Corrections Committee first took up pending business and reported several previously heard bills favorably to the full House, including HB 1515 and SB 2405, the TDCJ Sunset bill and its Senate companion, HB 5639 on the veteran housing program, HB 2854 on hospital visits as a parole or mandatory supervision condition and related hospital liability, and SB 1080 on occupational licenses for people with criminal convictions. The committee also heard and advanced SB 1080 without amendment, then moved into new business. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 3618, which would limit invasive group strip searches of female inmates in TDCJ facilities. Formerly incarcerated women and advocates testified in support, describing humiliation, trauma, barriers to programming, and arguing that searches were often ineffective and that contraband more often comes from staff. TDCJ’s resource witness said the agency has looked at technology such as millimeter scanners and is in the process of placing them in facilities, while the bill sponsor said the measure would preserve searches in emergencies and require female officers when women are unclothed. HB 3618 was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4515 on expanding orders of nondisclosure, with the author saying the committee substitute would narrow the bill to marijuana possession only; supporters from Alliance for Safety and Justice and Right on Crime argued it would improve reentry and public safety, while members asked about eligibility and related offenses. HB 1826, requiring depression screenings for pregnant and postpartum incarcerated women, drew support from women’s health advocates and formerly incarcerated witnesses; the bill was left pending. HB 1969, to help people leaving prison renew or obtain driver’s licenses, and HB 2708, expanding nondisclosure eligibility for certain misdemeanor convictions, were also laid out and left pending. Later, the committee heard HB 2729, which would bar hearsay evidence in hearings on violations of release conditions, and SB 1021, which would make stalking convictions ineligible for community supervision and add related victim-protection provisions; both were left pending. SB 1610, addressing civil commitment facility safety, sex offender registration, and penalties for assaults on staff, drew strong opposition from civil commitment residents, family members, and civil rights advocates who argued it was punitive and raised due process concerns; the resource witness said assaults had increased and explained the civil commitment process and existing legal safeguards. Finally, HB 4764 would require TDCJ to report detailed annual data on restrictive housing; supporters said the bill would improve transparency around solitary confinement, and the committee left it pending before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• You'll find the link on the status page for the measure.
• You'll find the link on the status page for the measure.
• You'll find the link on the status page for the measure.
• </c><00:48:15.880><c> mainly</c> in strong support of this measure mainly in strong support of this measure
• We are in very strong support of this measure.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several health-related bills. HB 72 on pharmacy drew only support, with testimony from the University of Hawaiʻi system, the Board of Pharmacy, pharmacists, and others; no questions were raised. HB 237 on peer support programs also received broad support from the Department of Health, DHS, early learning officials, families, and advocates, with testimony emphasizing the value of peer-to-peer mentoring and support for parents, youth, and people with disabilities; no opposition or questions were noted. HB 250, the prior authorization bill, generated the most discussion. SHPDA supported a revised version focused on reporting prior authorization practices and creating a nonbinding working group to develop automation standards, while PCMA, HMSA, Kaiser Permanente, and others raised concerns about duplicative pharmacy requirements, unintended consequences, and alignment with federal timelines and reporting. Several medical groups and individual patients supported the measure, describing delays and burdens caused by prior authorization. A committee member asked whether the bill’s working group differed from a similar group in Senate Bill 1449, and the witness said it was intended to be the same. HB 303 on health care preceptors was supported by the Department of Health, University of Hawaiʻi, nursing and health care organizations, and the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, which asked that pharmacists’ residency programs be specifically tied to national accreditation standards. HB 341, relating to issuance of SPURS to assist the Hawaii Island Community Health Association, drew support from the health center and related groups. HB 692 on Preschool Open Doors received extensive support from early learning, education, family, labor, and community organizations; testimony stressed the shortage of child care and preschool slots, especially on Kauai, and the need to expand access for families. Committee members asked about adding family child care providers and about licensing/certification barriers, and DHS said the bill was focused on current licensed child care facilities and that certification issues were a separate, broader problem. HB 700 on cognitive assessments also drew strong support, with the Department of Health, the Executive Office on Aging, disability advocates, the Alzheimer’s Association, caregivers, and others urging use of a validated cognitive assessment tool during annual wellness visits and asking that the age 65 threshold be removed; some witnesses supported keeping the data-collection portion as a pilot and emphasized early detection and reporting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this brings me to prevention, because prevention is super important.
• It's been estimated that about 40% of dementias can be slowed or prevented by prevention measures. hearing
• We're not, you're not left with the impression that there are merely preventative measures out there
• Prevention is my practice.
• Prevention is a possibility.

Bills: HB5, HJR3, HB155, HB513, HB5, HB155

Keywords: dementia, research, health care, Texas Institute, grants, medical breakthroughs, oversight, prevention, funding, healthcare, Texas, autopsy, confidentiality, public records, medical examiner, law enforcement, HB 513, surgical smoke, surgical plume, smoke evacuation

Transcript Highlights:

• We are devoting, as far as I know, four full-time employees to preventing these people from reaching
• these people from reaching to preventing these people from reaching our<00:15:36.120><c> classrooms.
• </c><00:15:57.440><c> She</c><00:15:57.759><c> did</c><00:15:58.000><c> prevent</c><00:15:58.320><c>
• She did prevent every were ghosts.
• She did prevent every single<00:15:58.880><c> one</c><00:15:59.040><c> of</c><00:15:59.120><c> them</

Keywords: 1187, senate, all