Bills: HB2936, HB2967, HB3627, HB3721, HB4132, HB4303, HB4478, HB4322, HB4227

Keywords: HB2936, children, child protection, adoption, Oklahoma Adoption Code, gestational carrier, gestational agreement, surrogacy, intended parent, preplacement home study, home study, prospective adoptive parent, foster placement, child abuse, child neglect, child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation, lewd molestation, sex offender registry, Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act

Bills: HB2936, HB2967, HB3627, HB3721, HB4132, HB4303, HB4478, HB4322, HB4227

Keywords: HB2936, children, child protection, adoption, Oklahoma Adoption Code, gestational carrier, gestational agreement, surrogacy, intended parent, preplacement home study, home study, prospective adoptive parent, foster placement, child abuse, child neglect, child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation, lewd molestation, sex offender registry, Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act

Summary: The House convened, took the roll, offered an invocation, led the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized the nurse of the day, Stephanie Cooper. Members also adopted motions related to a multi-day adjournment request and received several guest introductions, including students, athletes, family members, and constituents in the galleries. The chamber then considered and passed several bills. HB 2936 clarified that certain offenders may not adopt children, including in surrogacy-related situations; it passed 71-0. HB 2967 exempted certain vehicle title transfers between guardians and children or grandparents and grandchildren from motor vehicle excise tax; it passed 69-10. HB 3627 added the State Committee of Blind Vendors to the list of public bodies allowed to meet by video or teleconference and passed 70-2, with the emergency clause also approved. HB 3721 created a survivor-benefit option for children of unmarried public safety officers who die before retirement after qualifying for benefits; it passed 77-3, and the emergency clause was adopted. Additional measures passed included HB 4132, a data protection bill, by 77-0; HB 4303, extending the deadline for municipalities to publish ordinances, by 70-0; HB 4478, raising the daily deposit threshold for school activity funds from $100 to $500 while requiring weekly deposits, by 73-5; HB 4322, removing the requirement that a funeral director in charge also be a licensed embalmer/director, by 61-17; and HB 4227, protecting the legal rights of child sexual abuse victims, which was amended with cleanup language and then passed with no recorded nays. The House then adjourned until Monday, March 23 at 1:30 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Amendment 4 includes second, third, and fourth offense violations. Thank you, Ms. Champine.
• unlock these difficulties and bring commerce, we all got to be at the same table and we can't take it offensive

Bills: HB309, HB487, HB503, HB590, HB606, HB679, HB693, HB695, HB707, HB720, HB728, HB733, HB746, HB777, HB846, HB849, HB856, HB868, HB873, HB875

Keywords: pedestrian safety, cellphone usage, crosswalk regulations, traffic laws, distracted walking, red light, traffic signal, traffic-control signals, traffic violation, traffic safety, road rage, shoulder lane, turn lane, passing stopped vehicle, overtaking at intersection, intersection safety, motor vehicle, driver fine, citation, Louisiana traffic law

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on March 16 with a quorum present and first deferred three local bills at the sponsor’s request: HB 590, HB 679, and HB 873. The committee then advanced HB 503, which cleans up prior local language for Golden Meadow by removing a reference to electric golf carts and updating the definition of utility terrain vehicles; the technical amendment set was adopted and the bill was reported with amendments. HB 720, dealing with tacit dedication of roads and preserving historic public access to waterways and related access points, was reported favorably after members agreed to continue working on the amendment language before floor debate. The committee spent substantial time on HB 309, which originally made it a crime to walk in a crosswalk while looking at a cell phone. After amendments converted the proposal to a $25 civil fine and added a rebuttable presumption of liability for damages, members from both parties raised concerns about enforceability, tourism and urban pedestrian patterns, free-will and overreach arguments, and the lack of data tying the conduct specifically to crosswalk crashes. The author argued the measure was intended to promote situational awareness and reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities, but after opposition testimony the bill was voluntarily deferred. Members then reported HB 856, which expands DOTD’s use of indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity construction contracting and adds the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, after technical amendments clarified the contracts are for construction-phase work. HB 487, increasing penalties for drivers who use shoulders or turning lanes to bypass red lights, was reported with a technical correction after police support testimony. HB 846, prohibiting license plate coverings or films that obscure plates, was reported favorably after law enforcement support and discussion of clear frames versus obscuring covers. HB 733 and HB 875, both tied to OMV fee and lapse-of-insurance recommendations from the Legislative Auditor, were reported with amendments adjusting grace periods and offense timing. The committee also took up HB 695 on consensual non-commercial towing permits. After extensive questioning about whether the bill applied to multiple vehicles, interstate travel, OMV implementation, and the practicality of an honor-system QR code permit, the sponsor agreed to amend the bill to cover multiple vehicles and then voluntarily defer it for further work with OMV and State Police. HB 777, requiring a driver’s license renewal knowledge exam, was amended at the department’s request and then voluntarily deferred for further review. HB 868, prompted by a fatal trailer accident involving a farmer’s wife, would require trailers to meet safety-chain and braking standards consistent with manufacturer specifications or federal standards; after concerns from members and the Agriculture Commissioner about impacts on older farm equipment, the bill was reported with amendments. Finally, HB 707 moved the LPG Commission’s marketing functions to the Department of Agriculture and Forestry and was reported with a technical amendment, HB 693 on legislative district highway signs was voluntarily deferred after amendments, and HB 746 on local oversized trucking permits opened a broader discussion about parish-by-parish permit disparities, with the sponsor proposing a one-year moratorium on new local standards while stakeholders work toward a more uniform system.

Transcript Highlights:

• look at the current language, 'years have passed since the end of the last felony or misdemeanor offense
• Senator Rader, Centerville 1381 requires that a person arrested for an offense should be brought before

Bills: SB2030, SB1926, SB2170, SB2151, SB2166, SB1213, SB1381, SB1824, SB1876, SB1728, SB1582, SB1286, SB1386, SB1708, SB1618

Keywords: expungement, record sealing, criminal records, clean slate, automatic expungement, expedited expungement, criminal history, OSBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, deferred judgment, delayed sentence, pardon, pardon and parole board, law enforcement records, sealed records, arrest records, conviction records, reclassification of felony to misdemeanor, reentry, second chance

Transcript Highlights:

• you look at the current language, years have passed since the end of the last felony or misdemeanor offense
• Senate Bill 1381 requires that a person arrested for an offense be brought before a judge within...
• Senate Bill 1381 requires that a person arrested for an offense be brought before a judge within 48 to

Bills: SB2030, SB1926, SB2170, SB2151, SB2166, SB1213, SB1381, SB1824, SB1876, SB1728, SB1582, SB1286, SB1386, SB1708, SB1618

Keywords: expungement, record sealing, criminal records, clean slate, automatic expungement, expedited expungement, criminal history, OSBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, deferred judgment, delayed sentence, pardon, pardon and parole board, law enforcement records, sealed records, arrest records, conviction records, reclassification of felony to misdemeanor, reentry, second chance

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee heard and advanced a series of bills covering criminal justice, family law, elections, insurance, and property issues. Among the measures approved were SB 2030, a clean-slate/automatic expungement bill; SB 1926, allowing victims seeking protective orders to file in another county; SB 2170, requiring supervised visits when sexual abuse allegations are substantiated by DHS; SB 2151, giving prosecutors discretion to seek a 65% sentence instead of an 85% sentence in some cases; SB 2166, setting evidentiary rules for calculating future medical damages; SB 1213, allowing certain inmates to start at a higher earned-credit level; SB 1381, creating a statewide pretrial hearing process with a pilot program approach; SB 1824, updating corporation and LLC statutes; SB 1876, modernizing service of process on foreign insurers; SB 1728, adding a domestic violence definition for coercive control; SB 1582, defining bona fide resident and lawful permanent resident for alien land ownership rules; SB 1286, requiring more political subdivisions to provide polling places at no cost; SB 1386, creating a courtroom transparency pilot program using audio-video recording; and SB 1708, creating a rebuttable presumption of joint custody and equal parenting time. Several bills were amended before passage, including title-striking motions on multiple measures and committee-substitute language changes. Debate centered on the policy tradeoffs in several of the more controversial bills. Senators raised concerns about forum shopping and judicial bias in the protective-order bill, the fairness and practical effects of the future-damages bill on injured plaintiffs and insurers, the impact of the custody presumption bill on domestic violence cases and guardian ad litem practice, and the risks of foreign land ownership. Supporters generally framed the bills as responses to constituent concerns, efforts to improve fairness or transparency, or ways to modernize outdated statutes and procedures. Opponents or skeptics focused on unintended consequences, possible burdens on victims, and whether existing law already addressed the problems being raised. The committee also heard that SB 1381 would likely return as a pilot program in one county because of fiscal concerns, and SB 1386 was discussed as a limited courtroom-recording pilot rather than a full statewide rollout. SB 1582 passed after discussion of the meaning of “bona fide resident” and whether certain noncitizens could buy land. SB 1708 drew especially detailed debate over whether the law should begin with a presumption of equal parenting time or leave custody decisions entirely to the judge’s best-interest analysis. Most measures advanced on bipartisan roll-call votes, with some dissent on SB 1926, SB 2166, SB 1386, and SB 1708.

Bills: HB4, HB1, HB2, HB18, HB19, HB20, HB4, HB1, HB 2, HB20, HB19, HB18, HB 4, HB 1, HB 2, HB 18, HB 19, HB 20

Keywords: redistricting, congressional districts, Texas Legislature, elections, 2020 Census, disaster response, emergency management, mass fatality, justices of the peace, training programs, emergency manager license, volunteer management, justice of the peace training, criminal history checks, state health services, emergency communication, interoperability, grant program, first responders, state council

Bills: HB4, HB1, HB2, HB18, HB19, HB20, HB4, HB1, HB 2, HB20, HB19, HB18, HB 4, HB 1, HB 2, HB 18, HB 19, HB 20

Keywords: redistricting, congressional districts, Texas Legislature, elections, 2020 Census, disaster response, emergency management, mass fatality, justices of the peace, training programs, emergency manager license, volunteer management, justice of the peace training, criminal history checks, state health services, emergency communication, interoperability, grant program, first responders, state council

Transcript Highlights:

• It imposes also a criminal offense for intentionally or knowingly making a false statement.
• report it to the state, and if you lie about it or you intentionally don't report, there's a criminal offense
• That's probably not going to happen and so you have a criminal offense for either failing to or intentionally
• Additionally, the creation of a criminal offense for failing to comply with the Attorney General's request

Bills: HB 256, HB 1308, HB 1554, HB 1743, HB 2308, HB 2351, HB 2858, HB 3676, HB 3784, HB 4312, HB 4552, HB 4823, HB 4852, HB 5007, HB 5010, HB 5520, HB 5524, HCR 19

Keywords: E-verify, employment verification, illegal employment, state contracts, government entities, license suspension, immigration compliance, state grant funding, E-Verify, compliance, penalties, immigration, government contracts, employee status, state contractors, E-verify program, legally present, employment practices, legal services, public money

Transcript Highlights:

• into digital formats. ...shortens the filing period for ownership transfers and creates a criminal offense
• This classification limits how game wardens can handle minor offenses, often resulting in the case being
• And pursue enhanced charges and penalties against those repeat offenders and offenses.
• If you're a repeat offender, you're going to be treated differently than if it’s a one-time offense or

Bills: SB34, SB119, SB261, SB532, SB1035, SB1245, SB1247, SB1267, SB1442, SB1930, SB1948, SB2078, SB2112, SB2143, SB2155

Keywords: wildfire, wildfire mitigation, wildfire prevention, volunteer fire department, Texas A&M Forest Service, West Texas A&M University, prescribed burning, fuel loading, fuel reduction, firefighting equipment database, emergency communications, disaster preparedness, rural fire protection, asset hardening, natural resource management, emergency management, large wildfire risk, fire grant funding, fire suppression, Texas Legislature

Transcript Highlights:

• Alcohol-related offenses have, depending on what offense you're on, there are certain requirements. that
• , a new violent offense, in the next 18 months.
• It's not necessarily for nonviolent offenses.
• Detained pretrial because if they are charged with a certain type of offense. offense, there is some
• similar offenses, or are subject to a U.S.

Bills: HB36, HB75, HB76, HB166, HB799, HB 1135, HJR15, HJR16, HB36, HB75, HB76, HB166, HJR15, HJR16

Keywords: family violence, global positioning monitoring system, victim resources, electronic monitoring, protective orders, magistrate, criminal procedure, probable cause, written findings, law enforcement, bail bonds, bail fund, charitable bail fund, nonprofit bail organization, public funds, local government spending, political subdivision, county, city, taxpayer lawsuit

Bills: SB 53, SB53, SB125, SB315, SB379, SB457, SB541, SB599, SB896, SB921, SB963, SB1038, SB1084, SB1330, SB1461

Keywords: voter registration, election procedures, provisional ballot, change of address, residence requirements, mental health, court proceedings, notice requirements, legal filings, electronic documents, autologous blood donation, direct blood donation, blood bank, hospital, Health and Safety Code, physician order, preoperative blood donation, patient blood reserve, transfusion, surgery

Transcript Highlights:

• The first offense is a $500 civil penalty. Second, $500 civil penalty. Let me.
• First offense is a $500 civil penalty. Second, $500 civil penalty.
• The first offense is a $500 civil penalty. Second, $500 civil penalty. Let me.
• First offense is a $500 civil penalty. Second, $500 civil penalty.
• For various criminal offenses, with that I'm happy to answer any questions. Questions?

Bills: SB1067, SB1234, SB1285, SB1295, SB1392, SB1413, SB1436, SB1470, SB1476, SB1489, SB1512, SB1535, SB1540, SB1556, SB1568, SB1569, SB1570, SB1573, SB1585, SB1609, SB1627, SB1634, SB1635, SB1644, SB1647, SB1648, SB1650, SB1653, SB1654, SB1655, SB1656, SB1657, SB1658, SB1661, SB1662, SB1664, SB1666, SB1667, SB1669, SB1709, SB1720, SB1723, SB1725, SB1743, SB1746, SB1748, SB1755, SB1786, SB1820, SB1822, SB1829, SCR1027, SCR1040, SCR1048

Keywords: tax lien, property tax lien, real property tax lien, foreclosure, right of redemption, redeem, excess proceeds, county abatement lien, abatement lien, lien priority, assessment lien, easement, county treasurer, certificate of purchase, tax delinquency, delinquent property taxes, property owner equity, judgment foreclosure, title report, Arizona Revised Statutes

Transcript Highlights:

• makes the crime of domestic assault and battery in the presence of a minor a felony on the first offense
• Senate Bill 1460 strengthens penalties for repeat peeping tom and continuous recording offenses and classifies
• these offenses as sex offenses.

Bills: SB1450, SB1458, SB1232, SB1238, SB1325, SB1209, SB1362, SB2072, SB1451, SB1540, SB1581, SB1535, SB1266, SB1927, SB1460, SB2084, SB2182

Keywords: criminal court costs, court fees, fines, assessments, waiver, ability to pay, indigent defendants, post-release relief, probation compliance, parole, deferred sentence, suspended sentence, restitution, child support, municipal court, district court, criminal justice reform, court debt, legal financial obligations, fee waiver

Transcript Highlights:

• makes the crime of domestic assault and battery in the presence of a minor a felony on the first offense
• Senate Bill 1460 strengthens penalties for repeat peeping Tom and clandestine recording offenses and
• classifies these crimes as sex offenses.

Bills: SB1450, SB1458, SB1232, SB1238, SB1325, SB1209, SB1362, SB2072, SB1451, SB1540, SB1581, SB1535, SB1266, SB1927, SB1460, SB2084, SB2182

Keywords: criminal court costs, court fees, fines, assessments, waiver, ability to pay, indigent defendants, post-release relief, probation compliance, parole, deferred sentence, suspended sentence, restitution, child support, municipal court, district court, criminal justice reform, court debt, legal financial obligations, fee waiver

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee met with a quorum and considered a long series of bills, mostly on criminal justice, elections, civil procedure, and higher education liability. Early measures included SB 1450, allowing judges to waive certain fines and fees for people who have completed probation or incarceration, with an amendment requiring a request and a judicial order; SB 1458, repealing a statute that allowed disclosure of grand jury witnesses; SB 1232, increasing penalties for tower vandalism and copper theft; SB 1238, making domestic assault and battery in the presence of a minor a felony on the first offense; and SB 1325, requiring GPS monitoring and victim-alert protections for certain domestic abuse defendants before release. All of those bills advanced, most on strong or unanimous votes, though SB 1458 and SB 1232 each had one nay. The committee also advanced SB 1209, which adjusted eviction-related civil procedure timelines by replacing “weekends” with Sundays and holidays in the filing-to-summons period, and SB 1362, which standardized early voting hours across the state’s consolidated election schedule, with Thursdays through Saturdays set at 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesdays retained for general elections. Members asked about the effect on landlords, voters, rural counties, and staffing, and the authors said the changes were intended to improve consistency and give more time for payment or mediation. SB 2072, dealing with deed fraud and title theft, was amended to clarify that fee waivers apply to orders restoring title after a fraudulent conveyance, and then advanced unanimously. Later, the committee considered SB 1451, which adds a checkbox for prior voter registration, codifies cancellation of prior registrations, and requires an annual statistical report on registration notices; it advanced on a 6-2 vote after questions about whether the bill could burden voters. SB 1540 created a new felony offense for “grooming” a minor, prompting debate over whether existing indecent-proposal statutes already cover similar conduct; it advanced 7-1. SB 1581 extended the time for county grand jury initiative petitions from 45 to 90 days and added a protest period, and SB 1535 would adjust charity-enforcement procedures for the Attorney General; both advanced. The committee also advanced SB 1266, increasing penalties for violations of the anti-notario law, SB 1927, elevating unauthorized boarding or refusal to leave a school bus to a felony, SB 1460, strengthening penalties for repeat peeping Tom and clandestine recording offenses, and SB 2182, creating civil remedies for nonconsensual sharing of intimate images. SB 1618 was laid over, and the meeting adjourned with notice of another meeting the following week.

Bills: HB63, HB19, HB80, HB41, HB20, HB60, HB100, HB71, HB91, HB93, HB63, HB19, HB80, HB41, HB20, HB60, HB100, HB71, HB91, HB93

Keywords: paternity, child custody, joint custody, parental rights, family law, domestic violence, shared parenting, Ebony Alert, missing youth, public safety, law enforcement, racial equity, human trafficking, victim restitution, civil action, criminal prosecution, labor servitude, sexual servitude, class A felony, class B felony

Transcript Highlights:

• It also adds the same Class A misdemeanor offense for operating an assisted living facility without a
• license if the person has been previously convicted of an offense.

Bills: HB35, HB138, HB754, HB1314, HB1612, HB2254, HB2510, HB2789, HB3560, HB3597, HB4224, HB4273, HB4643, HB4783, HB138

Keywords: peer support, first responders, mental health, confidentiality, emergency services, health impact analysis, cost analysis, coverage mandates, health insurance, legislative analysis, health care data, human trafficking, trafficking prevention, medical assistant training, health care facilities, hospital compliance, clinic compliance, anti-retaliation, whistleblower protection, employee reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• You just said that judges were giving PR bonds on violent offenses.
• Evading arrest is not a violent offense. OK.
• It says, "A victim of an offense that was committed by a person who was..."
• We have stated that hurt and offenses are not eligible for a personal bond.
• The new offense is in Harris County.

Bills: HB5621, HB4904, HB5067, HB5076, HB5081, HB5354, HB4862, HB3847, HB4088, HB4157, HB2966, HB2287, HB4203, HB4803, HB4737, HB5093, HB783, HB5411, HB4281

Keywords: HB 5621, consumer protection, Deceptive Trade Practices Act, DTPA, Business & Commerce Code, attorney general, consumer protection division, district attorney, county attorney, local prosecutor, civil investigative demand, CID, voluntary compliance, financial institution records, bank records, privacy, protective order, in camera review, trade secrets, insurer

Transcript Highlights:

• by increasing the penalties for such offenses.
• , the punishment is elevated to the next highest category of offense.
• category of an offense.
• We're talking about 3G offenses that are really affecting our community.
• That would pertain to these 3G offenses.

Bills: SB552, SB1099, SB1124, SB1208, SB1372, SB1506, SB1667, SB1804, SB1806, SB1870, SB1936, SB1937, SB2180, SB2405, SB2569, SB2570, SB1646

Keywords: community supervision, criminal justice, illegal alien, deferred adjudication, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, SB 1099, undocumented immigrant, unauthorized immigrant, immigration status, felony sentencing enhancement, criminal penalty increase, Texas Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, affirmative finding, judgment finding, deportation, public safety, immigration enforcement, sentencing reform, felony offense

Transcript Highlights:

• Types, DWI offenses under certain conditions, and drug offenses with prior convictions for similar offenses
• People who film the police or protests are often charged with this offense.
• Being arrested for any offense ruins lives.
• The bill, as originally drafted, introduced a version that creates an offense.
• So, there are enough laws on the books right now to prosecute these offenses.

Bills: SB552, SB1099, SB1124, SB1208, SB1372, SB1506, SB1667, SB1804, SB1806, SB1870, SB1936, SB1937, SB2180, SB2405, SB2569, SB2570, SB1646

Keywords: community supervision, criminal justice, illegal alien, deferred adjudication, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, SB 1099, undocumented immigrant, unauthorized immigrant, immigration status, felony sentencing enhancement, criminal penalty increase, Texas Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, affirmative finding, judgment finding, deportation, public safety, immigration enforcement, sentencing reform, felony offense

Transcript Highlights:

• , especially those against children, repeat offenses of some specific types, DWI offenses under certain
• conditions, and drug offenses with prior... ...types, DWI offenses under certain conditions, and drug
• offenses with prior convictions for similar offenses.
• People who film the police or protests are often charged with this offense.
• Being arrested for any offense ruins lives.

Bills: SB552, SB1099, SB1124, SB1208, SB1372, SB1506, SB1667, SB1804, SB1806, SB1870, SB1936, SB1937, SB2180, SB2405, SB2569, SB2570, SB1646

Keywords: community supervision, criminal justice, illegal alien, deferred adjudication, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, SB 1099, undocumented immigrant, unauthorized immigrant, immigration status, felony sentencing enhancement, criminal penalty increase, Texas Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, affirmative finding, judgment finding, deportation, public safety, immigration enforcement, sentencing reform, felony offense

Summary: The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice heard testimony on several bills dealing with criminal discovery, crime lab access, controlled substances, community supervision, interference with officers, oilfield theft, and copper theft. On SB 1124, witnesses split over whether the bill clarified discovery law after the Heath decision or rolled back the Michael Morton Act; opponents argued it narrowed disclosure and shifted responsibility away from prosecutors, while supporters said it restored balance, limited harsh sanctions, and preserved exculpatory-disclosure duties. The committee later voted 4-0 to report SB 1124 favorably and place it on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also heard and later reported favorably SB 1372, which resolves a statutory conflict over access to the DPS crime lab portal, and SB 1936, which changes how LSD “abuse units” are defined for testing and charging purposes; both were sent to the local and uncontested calendar. SB 1937, which would require a subject-matter expert from the testing lab to participate in pretrial meetings in capital cases involving biological evidence, was also reported favorably and placed on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee then heard SB 552, which would make people defined in the bill as “illegal aliens” ineligible for judge-ordered or jury-recommended community supervision, including deferred adjudication. Supporters said the bill would prevent state-funded early release of people who entered or remained in the country unlawfully, while county officials and immigration advocates warned it would be overbroad, difficult to administer, and costly to local jails and taxpayers. Despite those concerns, the committee voted to report SB 552 favorably, and Senator Huffman requested it be taken to the floor. On SB 1208, which increases interference with a peace officer or public official from a Class B misdemeanor to a state jail felony, law enforcement witnesses said repeat “auditors” and similar actors were creating dangerous confrontations and needed stronger deterrence; opponents argued the bill would chill protected filming and protest activity. The committee voted to report SB 1208 favorably and place it on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also took testimony on SB 1806, a committee substitute addressing oilfield theft and related crimes. Supporters from law enforcement and the oil and gas industry said organized theft of crude, equipment, and related materials is a growing problem and that the bill would strengthen penalties, allow seizure and sale of stolen product, and improve inspection and forensic tools. The committee substitute was adopted and the bill was reported favorably, with placement on the local and uncontested calendar. Finally, the committee heard SB 1646, which targets copper theft and fiber vandalism by increasing penalties, requiring reporting and recordkeeping for certain purchases, and adding training and enforcement tools. Telecommunications, law enforcement, and emergency-network witnesses supported the bill as necessary to protect 9-1-1 and critical infrastructure, while metal recyclers warned the bill could overregulate legitimate businesses and sweep too broadly. The committee later voted to report the committee substitute for SB 1646 favorably as well.