Transcript Highlights:

• Alex Shope with the Department of Finance.
• A last question for the Department of Finance.
• We'll start with the Department of Finance. Alex Shope, Department of Finance.
• And I have one more for finance.
• We'll start with the Department of Finance once again. Alex Shope, Department of Finance.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and they approve the project financing and they approve the project financing that<00:07:36.400>
• <00:09:01.680> in page is a list of projects financed in page is a list of projects financed
• , which is divided between the Business Finance Authority and New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority
• > business<00:11:41.839> financing divided between the business financing divided between
• All right, so we had scheduled the Business Finance Authority.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority officials, led by Executive Director Rob Dapice, briefed legislators on the agency’s structure and funding. They explained that the authority is created by state law but is not a state agency, its debt is not state debt, and it is governed by a board appointed by the governor and approved by the Executive Council. The discussion focused on the Affordable Housing Fund and the lead paint hazard remediation fund, including how state appropriations and federal resources are combined to finance affordable rental housing and lead abatement work. Dapice said the Affordable Housing Fund is used as gap financing for multifamily affordable housing projects, typically alongside federal tax credits and tax-exempt bonds, and that state dollars leverage roughly 2:1 to 10:1 in additional federal and private investment, averaging about 4:1. He said the fund has received historic appropriations in recent budgets, including $30 million over the last two biennial budgets and an annual $5 million set-aside from the real estate transfer tax. He also said the fund is usually structured as 0% interest, deferred loans rather than grants, with repayments returning to the fund if projects generate cash flow. Members asked about rents, oversight, staffing, revenues, and whether the programs had added positions. Dapice said affordability restrictions generally last 30 to 99 years, rents are tied to income limits and capped so tenants pay no more than 30% of income, and compliance staff inspect properties regularly to verify income eligibility and rent limits. He said the organization has about 130 to 135 employees, down from about 145, with no new positions added because of the appropriations. He estimated total revenues at roughly $300 million, with administrative budget around $22 million, much of it pass-through grant money. On lead paint remediation, he said the state first appropriated $6 million in 2019, plus $1 million in ARPA funds, and that the program has cleared more than 500 units. He said the federal grant program is not annual or predictable, with a recent award of about $7.75 million, and that the maximum federal grant per unit is $177,000, typically paired with up to $100,000 in state loan support. He also noted that the program can address homes before a child is poisoned if lead hazards are identified, but that cases involving an already exposed child are a higher priority. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the code of administrative rules prohibits use of drones for fishing and hunting activities
• And then the code of administrative rules prohibits use of drones for fishing and hunting activities
• look at what Texas did, what's considered to be legal.
• I will say the Texas law was >> Thank you.
• that had enacted a law besides Texas that had enacted a law like<01:15:10.080> that.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When it detected a non-coded ink cartridge, it refused to work.
• We've seen Texas be a leader on this across all these areas.
• for use in the state of Texas, so states can kind of get in front of this.
• The state of Texas is investigating that battery system for allowing remote access into the Texas grid
• Texas has got a $500 million war chest to do infrastructure and investment.

Bills: HB2121, HB2134, HB2451, HB2700

Keywords: modification, electronic equipment, consumer rights, OEM restrictions, civil penalties, intellectual property, critical infrastructure, foreign adversaries, China, communications, security, Arizona Space Commission, strategic plan, aerospace, economic development, space industry, education, workforce training, assistive technology, disability services

Transcript Highlights:

• in the history of Texas?
• I live in the Hays County part of CD-21, and my roots in Texas go back before Texas was Texas.
• And East Texas County should be in an East Texas district.
• And I have concerns about Central Texas. The Uvaldi shootings, really. Central Texas.
• The birthplace at Texas will have no place for Texas to give birth.

Summary: The Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting held its first regional hearing, focused on South and Central Texas, including Bexar County, Travis County, and the Rio Grande Valley. After establishing a quorum, the committee adopted its rules on a 6-3 roll-call vote, with Senators Alvarado and Miles voting no. Chair Phil King explained the regional-hearing format, the use of 2020 census data, the online testimony process, and the availability of written comments and future hearings. Several members then gave opening remarks, with Republicans emphasizing public input and Democrats arguing the special session and mid-decade redistricting were unnecessary and aimed at minority districts. A major procedural issue arose over whether the committee should invite or subpoena the DOJ attorney who authored the July 7 letter that prompted the redistricting discussion. Senator Miles moved to subpoena the attorney; the motion was seconded but then set aside after the chair said the committee could not take formal action on a non-procedural matter during a regional hearing under the adopted rules. The chair said he would consult legal counsel about issuing an invitation, and members discussed the August 7 deadline referenced in the DOJ letter. The committee then moved on to public testimony. Witnesses, including Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, law professor Ellen Katz, and Texas NAACP president Gary Bledsoe, argued that the DOJ letter misread the law and that the targeted districts were lawful opportunity or coalition districts. They said the Fifth Circuit’s Pettway decision was limited to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and did not declare coalition districts unconstitutional, and they cited Bartlett v. Strickland as warning against intentionally dismantling effective minority districts. Garcia and Bledsoe said the hearing was politically motivated and would harm Black and Latino representation; Katz said Texas would act illegally if it followed the DOJ letter’s instructions. Members asked questions about the legal status of coalition districts, the 2021 map-drawing process, and the difference between opportunity, coalition, and crossover districts. The hearing continued with additional public witnesses, including labor representative Emily Amps, who said workers and communities of color were being harmed by the proposed redistricting effort.

Transcript Highlights:

• chronic absenteeism is a piece of it, but here's how we count it, and here's why it's different from Texas
• school districts where maybe you have a great AP calculus teacher, and they can offer that comes With code
• A lot of insight into what gets coded, how it gets coded, and what really classifies.
• And then when I look at my hometown in Texas, they go 155 days.
• of how it's coded 50th in the country per people funding.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Alders of Smith County to lead us in the Pledges of Allegiance to the United States and Texas flags.
• Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to the Texas flag.
• Thank you guys for being here and enjoy your Texas Capitol.
• H.R. 484 by Garin concerning Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas Day.
• SB 4187 by Metcalf relating to the authority and responsibilities of the Texas tech.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously Texas Department of Ag.
• The Texas Animal Health Commission continues to work with Texas Parks and Wildlife both individually
• Animal Health Commission, Texas Parks and Wildlife Service, Texas A&M, AgriLife, Texas Tech University
• Administrative Code.
• and our Texas Texas livestock marketing Texas Livestock Marketing Legislative Advisory Group provides

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And is there an insurance code then?
• This code is a very confusing thing if you're not familiar with the juvenile code.
• If you're not familiar with the juvenile code.
• Our code is lacking in that aspect.
• I know that's a large code.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , for example, the gun In Texas, in Texas, for example, the gun owner<01:49:58.320> the<01:49:
• to the committee on finance. to the committee on finance.
• one from Senate Finance.
• Two from House Finance, one from Senate Finance. All of us happen to be on the fiscal committee.
• Two from House Finance, one from Senate Finance. All of us happen to be on the fiscal committee.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The gentleman from Texas, uh, Mr.
• <02:26:31.520> seek Texas seek Texas seek recognition<02:26:33.640> uh<02:26:33.760>
• <03:14:11.720> has gentlem from Texas has gentlem from Texas has recognized<03:14:13.439><
• Michigan reserves gentleman from Texas Michigan reserves gentleman from Texas is<03:27:04.479>
• Texas uh Mr Speaker I ask unanimous Texas uh Mr Speaker I ask unanimous consent<03:42:37.560> that

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, March 24, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Joseph Simon, and I am an analyst with the Legislative Finance Committee, and Diego Jimenez
• Looking at beginning with the Auditor and going through the Department of Finance and Administration
• In terms of the tax and motor vehicle code changes, you all typically include some kind of appropriation
• It just seems so incredibly high to me for that to be the cost to change a tax code. So, Mr.
• So for the Healthy Food Finance Program, we did 2 million on here. Thank you.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I would say the same way any other presumptions that exist in the criminal code or criminal law are.
• A similar bill was already tried in Texas a couple of years ago.
• We're waiting on a United States Supreme Court ruling on what happened in Texas.
• Texas.
• My friends, Florida is wading into that same territory that Texas did just a couple of years ago.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for the Parkland shooting victims, quorum call, and the Pledge of Allegiance. The Rules and Ethics Committee special order report for February 13, 2025 was adopted, setting the day’s special order calendar and debate times. The chamber then took up immigration-related special order items, beginning with Senate Memorial 6C, which urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide guidance and training for 287(g) agreements. Members debated federal immigration policy and state cooperation with DHS, and the memorial passed 85-27. The House next considered Senate Bill 4C, an immigration bill creating new state offenses related to unlawful entry and reentry into Florida and requiring a mandatory death sentence for an unauthorized alien convicted of a capital felony. Members questioned the bill’s constitutionality, including Supremacy Clause, due process, and Eighth Amendment concerns, and several speakers argued it would create separate classes of people and invite litigation. Multiple amendments were offered to narrow or expand exemptions, including protections for Venezuelans on TPS, certain Haitian TPS and humanitarian parole recipients, undocumented people brought to Florida as children working in critical professions, and a proposal to delay action pending court rulings; all of those amendments were rejected. The bill passed 85-29. The chamber then took up Senate Bill 2C, which would create a State Board of Immigration Enforcement led by the Governor and Cabinet, establish a local law enforcement immigration grant program and advisory council, repeal the undocumented-student fee waiver, and appropriate more than $300 million for immigration enforcement. The sponsor described it as supporting cooperation with federal immigration agencies and ending the in-state tuition incentive for undocumented students. Early questioning focused on the impact on “dreamers” and whether the bill would effectively raise their tuition costs; the sponsor said it removed the incentive of in-state tuition but did not bar attendance. The transcript cuts off during that exchange, before final action on SB 2C is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• on disease prevention women's children's health HB 27 by King willing to the courses of personal finance
• Further, the Committee on State Affairs, HB 552 by Gonzalo Zopasso, relating to the study by Texas A&
• Relating to the improvements to the Texas Information and Referral Rant Work, refer to the Subcommittee
• , tax revenue, and oil natural gas Texas strong defense fund, dedicating the money to fund the benefit
• Tuesday in memory of James S Edward Cook of Eustis, Texas. Is there objection?

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we have launched a code development agreement, and accelerate delivery.
• P3 financing.
• So any incremental financing means that the property tax added is all part of a financing, which takes
• The authority acknowledges that to stay on schedule, it needs financing.
• I understand the concerns about tax increment financing.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2026 draft business plan, with testimony from the authority, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and the High-Speed Rail Inspector General. Chair Cortese framed the hearing around the project’s recent changes: a new CEO, revised delivery strategy, loss of federal funds, renewed interest in private financing and value capture, and proposed adjustments to the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment. He also raised concerns about statutory compliance, transparency, and whether the draft plan fully reflects required elements and true costs and timelines. Authority CEO Ian Chaudhry said the project has made substantial construction progress in the Central Valley and is moving toward track installation, with the state’s $1 billion annual cap-and-invest funding providing a stable base. He argued the plan uses design optimization, direct procurement of materials, and revised sequencing to reduce costs and support an early operating segment by about 2032-33. He also promoted broader commercialization of the corridor through real estate, energy, broadband, logistics, and public-private partnerships, saying private sector interest is now real. Several senators pressed him on station locations, tax increment financing, utility relocation authority, permitting delays, transparency, and whether the project can realistically reach Los Angeles and San Francisco on the current timeline and budget. The LAO and Inspector General were more skeptical. LAO analyst Helen Kirstine said the draft plan assumes major scope changes, including a shorter segment, a Merced station outside downtown, more single-tracking, and several statutory changes that have not yet been enacted. She warned that the plan may not comply with recent legislative requirements, that funding may still be insufficient even for the reduced segment, and that borrowing against future cap-and-invest revenues is risky because those revenues are uncertain and volatile. Inspector General Ben Belknap said the draft plan fails to comply with newer statutory requirements, especially regarding the Merced-to-Bakersfield scope, the funding plan, and missing procurement milestone dates. He said the presentation obscures cost increases and schedule delays and limits the Legislature’s ability to compare current estimates with prior reports. Committee members generally supported continued oversight and some form of project delivery reform, but several expressed concern that the plan relies on legislative changes that have not been approved and on private financing that may not materialize. Chaudhry said the authority would address the Inspector General’s findings in the final business plan and continue to pursue federal grants, private capital, and corridor commercialization. No vote was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• entity to construct, expand, or operate mental health inpatient facilities authorized by the government code
• the commissioners to seek input on appointments from the chairs of the jurisdictional committees in Texas
• House and the Texas Senate.
• provision of food and water and aligns the definition of senior retirement community with the rest of the code

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• entity to construct, expand, or operate mental health inpatient facilities authorized by the government code
• commissioners to seek input on appointments from the chairs of the jurisdictional committees in the Texas
• House and the Texas Senate.
• and water, and aligns the definition of senior retirement community with the rest Senator Cook: Of code

Transcript Highlights:

• In Texas.
• Texas National Guard.
• Texas State Guard is your Texas Patriots.
• Texas leads the way.
• , uh, primarily of, of Texas military forces, uh, Texas Army National Guard.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's duplicative of the existing structure of the code, Children's Code and Criminal Code.
• So it's duplicative of the existing structure of the code, children's code and criminal code.
• And the additional mandates, they're of the code, children's code and criminal code.
• So Code of Criminal Procedure 401 governs the qualifications for jurors, and some don't realize this,
• law that created a compact between Texas and Louisiana.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then heard House Bill 1033, which expands the definition of critical infrastructure to include airports, heliports, spaceports, aerospace facilities, certain government and military sites, and oil and gas platforms. Supporters said the bill is part of a broader effort to position Louisiana for aerospace and defense investment, while opponents from the Sierra Club warned that repeatedly broadening critical infrastructure could chill protest and free-speech activity. The bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard House Bill 1034, which authorizes local officials to declare temporary protection zones for public safety for up to 72 hours, with one extension. The sponsor and the Department of Economic Development said it would be a tool for aerospace and defense projects and other public-safety needs; ACLU testimony raised concerns about notice, property rights, and possible impacts on public waterways. The bill was also reported favorably. The committee next considered several criminal justice bills. House Bill 51, barring post-conviction bail for defendants convicted of aggravated offenses against children, and House Bill 55, limiting public disclosure of juror information to protect juror privacy, both received broad support and were reported favorably. House Bill 635, aimed at protecting Louisianians from transnational repression by foreign governments through penalty enhancements for underlying crimes, was supported by a national security advocate and reported favorably. House Bill 133, increasing penalties for students who commit attacks on teachers or other students, was amended to address juvenile procedure and exceptionalities; teachers testified about serious injuries they suffered, while the ACLU and criminal defense lawyers raised concerns about mandatory minimums and individualized sentencing. The bill was reported with amendments. The committee also heard House Bill 676, which creates the crime of fraudulent patient referrals, or “body brokering,” in the substance-use treatment industry. The sponsor and Blue Cross Blue Shield representatives described schemes that steer vulnerable patients into fraudulent treatment arrangements for profit; the bill was reported favorably. House Bill 159 created a Caddo Parish pilot program for pretrial home incarceration with electronic monitoring to reduce jail overcrowding. The sheriff said the jail is far over capacity and that the program would be limited to nonviolent, non-sex-offense defendants with risk assessments, court approval, and behavioral-health check-ins. Witnesses supported the concept but urged tighter liability language; the committee adopted an amendment and reported the bill with amendments. House Bill 106, dealing with unauthorized administration of melatonin to children in child care settings, was reported favorably. Later, the committee amended and reported House Bill 108, which changes juror qualifications to exclude people convicted of crimes of violence or sex offenses from criminal juries, after opponents argued it would unnecessarily bar citizens from jury service. House Bill 784, a cleanup bill on sex offender registration and notification, was amended and reported with technical changes. Senate Bill 388, which removes a trigger clause tied to a border compact and authorizes review of state contracts for foreign-adversary benefit, was amended and reported. Finally, House Bill 772, a bail-procedure reform requiring accurate mailing and electronic notice information and consolidating notice rules, was presented as a fairness and efficiency measure and had support from the bail industry and prosecutors; the transcript ends before final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.
• Brazoria County is where Texas began.
• The House of Representatives of the state of Texas joins citizens of Texas in remembering the life and
• On Texas Physicians Assistance Day we commend the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants and celebrate
• Wukashkhoot to the state of Texas and the Texas House with a big round of applause.