Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, to members understand the modification that is now part of the A4 amendment.
• Okay, to members understand the modification that is now part of the A4 amendment.
• Okay, to members understand the modification that is now part of the A4 amendment.
• <01:37:10.320> Um modification to the A4 amendment. Um modification to the A4 amendment.
• that is now part of the A4 modification that is now part of the A4 amendment.<01:37:49.520> Senator

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Then 1.13 to 1.16 of the A3 is some additional language modifications to the whole harmless provision
• some additional language modifications some additional language modifications to<00:03:37.519>
• So would the potential be with this modification to, let's say, reduce two lanes coming through a city
• So would the potential be with this modification to, let's say, reduce two lanes coming through a city
• <01:26:10.159> to potential be with this modification to potential be with this modification

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, modifications to existing riders include removing obsolete language, making conforming
• They would have to be modified, but you could buy it off the shelf with modification.
• Healthcare is going to potentially have some modifications, hopefully, in this nation.
• Um. modifications, hopefully, in this nation. We're the most developed country in the world.
• Other changes include modifications to make conforming changes.

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard the Legislative Budget Board’s overview of the Texas Department of Public Safety’s 2026-27 budget, followed by extensive testimony from DPS leadership. The LBB presentation covered funding and staffing changes across driver license services, facilities, troopers and recruit schools, crime labs, vehicle and aircraft operations, and border security. The recommendations included added support for customer service staffing and trooper hiring, but did not include several DPS exceptional items such as major driver license staffing and technology requests, new regional headquarters in El Paso and San Antonio, and other capital projects. Members also discussed proposed rider changes, including a new rider to lapse unused trooper funding and require reporting after recruit schools. Much of the committee’s questioning focused on driver license operations, where senators criticized long call wait times, low call-answer rates, appointment delays, and what they viewed as an overreliance on adding staff rather than improving processes. DPS and LBB witnesses said the agency is pursuing some technology upgrades, including automation, online pre-population of applications, and appointment-system improvements, but acknowledged that the driver license division remains a major problem area. Senators also raised concerns about whether the 2019 efficiency study led to meaningful changes and whether the agency should consider broader process redesign or even a different administrative structure. Colonel Freeman and other DPS officials then defended the agency’s broader law enforcement and border-security work, emphasizing the need for the Williamson County training academy, the 500 additional troopers funded in prior sessions, and continued support for Operation Lone Star. They described DPS’s role in border interdiction, threat-to-life investigations, oilfield theft cases, Capitol and Alamo security, and highway safety, and said the agency is stretched thin by deployments and overtime. Members asked about border reimbursement possibilities, regional staffing differences, pursuit safety, fleet and aircraft replacement needs, and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame museum. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Article one contains the appropriations, modifications, and cancellations, and also transfers.
• ,<00:37:52.480> and<00:37:52.600> cancellations,<00:37:53.280> and modifications
• , and cancellations, and modifications, and cancellations, and also<00:37:53.680> transfers.
• In section 4, there is a modification for the Rural Cancer Institute pilot program.
• In the event that there's any modifications or we're okay with accepting it, you are on finance, and

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm just going to, uh, offer a modification of the terminology.
• I'm just going to, uh, offer a modification of the terminology.
• I'm just going to, uh, offer a modification of the terminology.
• I'm just going to, uh, offer a modification of the terminology.
• These a modification of the terminology.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 20 January, 2026; 2:30 PM, 925, all

Summary: Mississippi State University officials testified in support of the university’s separately funded agricultural, forestry, and veterinary units, emphasizing their economic impact, research output, and need for continued state support. Keith Cobalt, vice president for the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, said the division generates a $1.7 billion impact on Mississippi, but warned that state and local funding has not kept pace with federal dollars or inflation. He argued that global competition, especially from China and Brazil, is hurting row crop and forestry producers, and highlighted a Vision 2030 study finding about $10 billion in agricultural and forestry value leaves the state through value-added processing. He also raised concerns about rural depopulation and proposed rural innovation hubs to help retain population and jobs. Nick Frank, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, said state appropriations make up about 25% of the college’s operating budget and are needed to support salaries, staffing, and service capacity. He described the college’s education, diagnostic, and clinical missions, including disease surveillance and responses to threats such as avian influenza, screwworm, and equine herpes virus. Frank said the college is expanding facilities with $18 million in 2024 state funding for a new farm animal hospital and cattle handling facility, but still needs additional support for equine and small animal renovations. He also requested support for rural veterinary scholarships and said inflation and salary competition from other schools and private practice are making retention difficult. In response to committee questions, Frank said the college enrolls about 118 to 119 students per class, with roughly 54 to 55 in-state students and tuition of about $29,900 for in-state and $53,000 for out-of-state students. He clarified that the “vet assistants” program is a four-year bachelor’s degree in veterinary medical technology, not a certificate. He also explained that staffing growth has largely been in the hospitals to address clinical shortages and improve care. Dr. Westberger, dean of the College of Forest Resources and director of the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, said Mississippi’s forests support a $19 billion economic impact, 84,000 jobs, and a $4.5 billion payroll, while also providing environmental benefits. He said the college and research center are nationally recognized, including an NSF ranking placing Mississippi State 10th in natural resource conservation research expenditures for a small university. Westberger highlighted research on forest management, pest detection, mass timber, wildlife disease surveillance, and value-added bioproducts, including efforts to attract mills and manufacturing. He said Mississippi has added 10 mills or mill expansions in five years with more than $1.5 billion in investment and over 1,000 high-paying jobs, and noted the college is planning a new mass-timber annex to address capacity and showcase the material. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Individuals have the right to make these modifications should they so choose, but my follow-up is specifically
• c> these individuals have the right to make these individuals have the right to make these modifications
• 29.240> they<05:31:29.360> so<05:31:29.600> choose<05:31:30.400> but modifications
• should they so choose but modifications should they so choose but my<05:31:30.718> followup<05

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 105, which would create a new conservation license plate and direct the added fee to the cyanobacteria mitigation loan and grant fund. The sponsor, Rep. Rosemarie Rung, said the bill would create a non-tax revenue source to help address toxic cyanobacteria blooms in New Hampshire lakes, ponds, and rivers. She described the public health, environmental, and economic harms from blooms, the high cost of watershed management plans and mitigation projects, and the limited current funding available through state and federal sources. She argued that a voluntary plate program could provide sustainable support and raise awareness. Supporters, including Reps. Katie Pell and McDonald, said the bill would help affected lake communities and tourism-dependent areas. New Hampshire DES testified neutrally but confirmed that blooms have increased sharply, that the agency has issued more than 120 warnings in the past two years, and that the existing mitigation fund is nearly depleted after one-time appropriations. DES said the proposed plate would not solve the entire funding need but could provide dedicated revenue for studies and implementation projects. DMV testified that the operational impact of adding a new plate would be minimal. New Hampshire Lakes also supported the bill and said survey results suggested some current Moose plate holders and new registrants would likely choose the Loon plate. Committee members asked about the health effects of cyanobacteria, the expected revenue from the plate, and whether the problem is natural or human-driven. Testimony said exposure can cause skin irritation, gastrointestinal illness, and more serious liver or neurological effects, with pets and children at higher risk; one witness also cited research suggesting aerosolized toxins may affect people several kilometers from a bloom. DES explained that while lake sediments can release nutrients, the underlying problem is largely driven by watershed inputs and worsened over time. No vote was taken during the portion of the meeting provided, and the chair invited written testimony and additional questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• already, it gives us a good starting point to leverage, and you're really talking about kind of modifications
• And so this would involve two major modifications.
• So this part of our recommended modification would be to not enact most of those, or perhaps all of those
• And then the second modification that we're recommending is to include, or to recommend for the version
• would consider—not necessarily to recommend unambiguously enactment—but the second recommended modification

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The subcommittee heard several May Revision proposals, primarily from the Department of Food and Agriculture, the Government Operations Agency, the Department of Technology, and the Franchise Tax Board. CDFA presented funding for the animal care program under Proposition 12, a transition away from the state hemp program to USDA oversight by January 1, 2028, ongoing support for agricultural statistics reporting after USDA reorganization, and trailer bill changes to the department’s indirect cost cap. The LAO generally supported the animal care, hemp transition, and statistics proposals, while also urging future review of the Prop 12 funding once litigation is resolved. The indirect-cost-cap language was described as technical and not increasing charges to programs, and it was held open with no objections from the LAO or Finance. The committee also discussed the new federal Workforce Pell program and related Cradle to Career funding and trailer bill language. Finance said the state is still reviewing federal rules and is focusing on basic implementation steps, with the trailer bill assigning eligibility determinations to the California Student Aid Commission, requiring data sharing through Cradle to Career, and prioritizing public institutions first. The LAO urged caution because the federal rules were just finalized and said the Legislature should better define the process and costs before appropriating the $1.3 million requested for Cradle to Career. Members raised policy concerns about limiting the program to certain institutions and about aligning the proposal with pending legislation and broader workforce policy. The Department of Technology presented a $1 million request for Poppy, the state’s digital assistant, to expand a secure GenAI platform for state employees. Members asked detailed questions about data security, model training, bias controls, and whether the system could eventually support local governments; CDT said the system uses state-controlled cloud infrastructure, does not use user data for training, and quarantines new models for review. CDT also sought provisional authority for the Middle Mile Broadband Initiative to cover possible operating shortfalls while the network is still being built; the LAO remained concerned about broad spending authority, and several members questioned the revenue assumptions and oversight. FTB then proposed retaining a smaller set of CalFile resources after the federal Direct File program was discontinued, with the LAO saying the reduced staffing level was broadly reasonable but still worth legislative scrutiny. The committee also began hearing the administration’s revenue proposals, including a permanent limitation on business tax credits and a tax on electronically delivered prewritten software, with the LAO generally supporting the goal of raising ongoing revenue but recommending changes to the software proposal’s exemptions and business-use treatment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I did want to know what the modification was and just refresh my recollection as to what that modification
• So it doesn't work as a modification.
• So, that was the final modification to it, but that would be part of your resolution.
• Um, I'll take a further look at it just to make sure I'm clear on those modifications to see exactly

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then $1 million to the State Engineer for weather modification.
• And then a million dollars to the state engineer for weather modification.
• Joey and Charles, on line 136, what is weather modification? Cloud seeding.

Bills: SB193, SB132, SB35, SB145

Keywords: SB193, acequia, community ditch, irrigation works construction fund, water infrastructure, ditch infrastructure, irrigation, New Mexico water law, agricultural water, farmers, Rio Grande, acequia association, forest land protection revolving fund, state fund transfer, irrigation projects, SB132, DOIT, Department of Information Technology, software replacement, equipment replacement

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, Representative de la Cruz, that Possible home modifications that somebody may go in for a uh a
• I do like the idea of the home modifications and figuring out how we can draft that and make sure that
• Uh, that home modification that, uh, Representative de la Cruz brought up is important because that happens

Transcript Highlights:

• Even more concerning is that this resolution contradicts RSA 12-F, which allows weather modification
• <07:59:34.320> under which allows weather modification under which allows weather modification
• Weather Modification Reporting Act passed by Congress accommodates weather modification rather than
• It recognizes that atmospheric activities such as geoengineering and weather modification, when they
• ultimately rests at the modification ultimately rests at the federal<08:02:55.920> level.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, there's some<00:16:15.959> modification<00:16:16.959> of<00:16:17.199> that<
• Finally, a modification on the restriction was sought with the court.
• <00:17:52.160> of the court to ask for a modification of the court to ask for a modification
• <00:18:55.039> was modification on the restriction was modification on the restriction was
• , the court's ruling on that modification, the court's ruling on that modification, the<00:19:01.840

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• don't think we walked through this, but it looks like we've got a run of compensatory revenue modifications
• we've got a run of compensatory like we've got a run of compensatory revenue<01:15:04.800> modifications
• revenue modifications. revenue modifications.
• law and under the proposed under current law and under the proposed um um um uh<01:20:24.200> modification
• uh modification uh modification uh<01:20:26.120> those<01:20:26.600> kinds<01:20:27.000

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One, the main change was a modification of how the limit on business interest deduction is calculated
• And there were also some modifications to the calculation of adjusted taxable income for purposes of
• 11.119> how<00:34:11.440> the<00:34:11.760> limit<00:34:12.000> on modification
• of how the limit on modification of how the limit on business<00:34:12.639> interest<00:34:13.040
• and there were also some modifications and there were also some modifications to<00:34:52.560>

Bills: HF3127, HF3816, HF3814, HF3815, HF3817

Keywords: taxation, pass-through entity, qualifying owner, partnership, S corporation, tax return, corporate franchise tax, individual income tax, research expenditures, federal compliance, Minnesota Statutes, income tax, corporate tax, section 179, federal conformity, HF3815, Minnesota taxes, tax conformity, Internal Revenue Code, IRC conformity

Transcript Highlights:

• whether or not you have an obligation to, uh, to, for a, a, a neighboring property, you have to make modifications
• convert theirs, do I have, do I have to go to the neighbor and say that they also have to make modifications

Transcript Highlights:

• Have an obligation for a neighboring property; you have to make modifications to a building that's too
• decides to convert theirs, do I have to go to the neighbor and say that they also have to make modifications

Bills: HB407, HB871, HB882, HB2011, HB3572, HB3578, HB4038, HB4866, HB4897, HB4978, HB5380, HB5555, HB5668, HB5670, HB5674, HB5676, HB5679, HB5688, SB673

Keywords: solar energy, residential construction, building code, municipal regulations, energy compliance, building codes, interconnection, education, funding, teacher support, student resources, school infrastructure, municipal requirements, environmental sustainability, municipalities, construction, agricultural operation, International Code Council, county regulations, construction fees

Transcript Highlights:

• Go through before it is determined that they are ready to present a modification petition to the hospital
• And all of that happens before anybody ever files a petition for modification.
• I think the important thing to reemphasize is that it is a request for modification.
• And again, if the court grants the modification, the court is not losing jurisdiction of...
• The court grants the modification, the court is not losing jurisdiction of these individuals.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And are there any attempts at modification now that the offshore wind, uh, let's say the dreams of 25
• And are there any attempts at modification now that the offshore wind, uh, let's say the dreams of 25
• And are there any attempts at modification now that the offshore wind, uh, let's say the dreams of 25
• And are there any attempts at modification now that the offshore wind, uh, let's say the dreams of 25
• And are there any attempts at modification now that the offshore wind, uh, let's say the dreams of 25

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that providers with consistently low utilization of contracted seats may be subject to contract modification
• contracted seats may be subject to contracted seats may be subject to contract<00:53:41.760> modification
• <00:53:42.280> or<00:53:42.680> termination<00:53:43.680> so contract modification
• or termination so contract modification or termination so that<00:53:44.000> was<00:53:44.119
• The chair's recommendation is to pass with amendments. contract modification or contract modification

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The hearing began with HB 1113, which would create an intensive mobile team pilot program in the Department of Health for chronically houseless individuals with serious brain disorders such as schizophrenia. The Department of Health Adult Mental Health Division strongly supported the bill, and written support was also submitted by several health and harm-reduction organizations. Members asked about the program’s size and coordination with existing services; the testifier said the team would use a low-caseload, 24/7 mobile model, coordinate with police, ERs, hospitals, housing, dual-diagnosis treatment, and other case-management resources, and continue serving participants even if they cycle through jail or hospital. The committee amended the bill to change the participant language from a maximum of 40 to “at least 40,” blanked out the appropriations section, deferred the effective date to July 1, 3000, and then adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass with amendments by unanimous vote in both committees. The next measure, HB 1140, would appropriate funds for DLNR to clean up homeless encampments on department lands. DLNR testified in support, saying it conducts about 22 to 24 cleanups per year and the bill would help it address homelessness statewide. Members asked whether the funds would be used to sweep people out of areas; DLNR said its practice is to give notice, allow time to leave, and then clean up what remains, with storage procedures for personal property. The department also said people still present are told to move to the county area across the road. DLNR confirmed the bill is not in the governor’s budget, though it is in the governor’s legislative package. The committee then heard HB 1486, which would make it disorderly conduct to remain or loiter within 20 feet of a bus stop without intent to use bus services. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing that criminal enforcement is not the right tool, could lead to arrests of people who are simply tired or unhoused, and could create a cycle of repeated low-level cases and constitutional issues around questioning and intent. HPD supported the bill, saying officers would generally try to get people to move first, but could also use field questioning, citations, or arrests depending on the circumstances; HPD said such incidents can be documented and later used in ACT or other mental-health interventions. A private resident testified in support, describing bus stops near her home as occupied overnight and burdening nearby residents and small businesses. Written support came from the City and County of Honolulu Mayor’s Office, and one individual opposed the bill. Members also asked about neighbor-island impacts, property handling, and whether the bill could help connect people to services; HPD said it had not consulted other counties and would follow up. Finally, the committee began hearing HB 877, which would prohibit encampments within 100 feet of the property line of a K-12 public or private school or school facility. DLNR stood on its written testimony, and the Department of the Attorney General raised concerns that the bill did not specify how violators would be removed, what would happen to property or the encampment, or whether the buffer zone applies only to public spaces. The AG suggested making violations petty misdemeanors and adding clearer definitions and due-process guidance. Members asked whether charter schools are included and whether private-property situations within the buffer zone should be clarified; the AG said public schools include charter schools and indicated the bill may need more specificity about private property and trespass situations.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I appreciate you working with the committee to make modifications to the existing speed safety system
• I'd ask you to continue to work with law enforcement on the data retention policy, as well as modifications
• So you couldn't, by virtue of a software update or other modification... ...so that you couldn't, by
• virtue of a software update or other modification, disable the ability of the human being who bought

Keywords: 988, house, all