Bills: SR29, SB667, SB1466, SB1942, SB1989, SB1670, SB1716, SB1521, SB1273, SB1433, HJR1032, SB1969, SB1953, SB1277, SB1287, SB1061, SB1916, SB1589, SB2178, SB1444, SB1438, SB1501, SB1873, SB1364

Keywords: Black History Month, Black Oklahomans, civil rights, Tulsa Race Massacre, Greenwood, Jim Crow, segregation, all-Black towns, Boley, Langston University, Clara Luper, NAACP Youth Council, Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail, Black history, African American history, racial justice, commemorative resolution, Black excellence, state history, heritage month

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer, and then spent much of the session on recognitions and floor introductions. The chamber honored the undefeated Jones High School Longhorns football team for winning the Class 2A-I state championship, recognized Miss Oklahoma 2025 Tessa Darrell, and celebrated the Murray State College bass fishing team for winning its second consecutive national title. The Senate also adopted SR-29, a resolution recognizing February as Black History Month and highlighting Black Oklahomans’ history, civil rights contributions, and achievements; the resolution passed without opposition. The Senate then took up several bills. SB 667, requested by the Board of Chiropractic Examiners, updates chiropractic licensure language, moves to an online licensure portal, and repeals an obsolete consultant position; it passed 45-0. SB 1466 extends the sunset date for the advisory committee on midwifery to 2036; it passed 41-4 and was advanced as an emergency measure. SB 1942, dealing with dental insurance and provider pricing for services not reimbursed by insurance, prompted extended debate over free-market principles, patient costs, and insurance contract limits; it passed 40-3. SB 1989 modernizes the Oklahoma College Savings Plan by allowing contributions through digital payment platforms such as Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, Zelle, and digital wallets; it passed 44-0. The Senate also heard gallery introductions for FCCLA students, including the Bristow chapter and Adair High School students, and welcomed former Senator Judy Easton McIntyre for Black History Month events. Committee and floor announcements followed, including upcoming meetings of Business and Insurance, Administrative Rules, and Technology and Telecommunications. The chamber then adjourned until Monday, February 23, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're retraining workers on interview skills and how to calculate budgets.
• So giving people just the basic skills... Turnover is higher than it was.
• And I'd also like to recognize our Labor Chairman, or Labor Commissioner Alberto Treviño, and recognize
• The Department of Labor is one of our closest partners, but we also work with the Department of Health
• Our reviews focus on issues such as change orders, contractor performance, labor billings, invoice support

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met to hear interim charges on higher education transparency and on preventing fraud, waste, and abuse in state government. The chair emphasized accountability for taxpayer dollars and asked witnesses to address financial reporting, audit practices, and whether more frequent or comprehensive audits would improve oversight. Legislative Budget Board staff described how public university systems and most community colleges respond to requests about internal audit practices, noting that university systems generally follow a similar annual audit timeline and that community colleges use a more varied mix of internal and external audit arrangements. Members focused on gaps in reporting, especially Texas Southern University’s missing submissions for several years and Collin County Community College’s nonresponse to the LBB survey. The State Auditor’s Office then outlined its higher education audit work, including mandatory statewide single audits, DEI compliance audits, HUB and State Use Program audits, benefits proportional audits, and discretionary audits based on risk. The auditor said the office has released 43 higher-ed audit reports since fiscal year 2021 and has two audits in progress, and explained that internal audit reports from institutions help guide future audit selection. Senators pressed the office on the lack of enforcement authority, the value of internal auditors at each institution, and whether community colleges should have more standardized reporting and audit requirements. The auditor and general counsel said the SAO can refer suspected fraud to law enforcement but cannot itself enforce findings, while several senators suggested stronger clawback authority and more robust internal audit structures. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board explained that it collects annual financial reports, sources-and-uses data, and community college finance reports, and uses them for funding formulas and other reporting. It also trains governing board members and said it has limited regulatory authority, though community colleges must certify compliance annually and can lose eligibility for state funds if they do not. Members questioned the reliability of self-attested data, the adequacy of board training, and whether a single reporting structure would be more efficient. During public testimony, a ScholarShot representative argued for clearer, student-facing financial transparency so students can see total cost of attendance and the gap they must cover before enrolling.

Transcript Highlights:

• know, aviation and aerospace is a significant part of New Hampshire's economy, and that depends on a skilled
• If we don't get young people today interested in aviation and aerospace, we will not have the skilled
• :53.840><c> of</c> revenue dedicated to paying the cost of revenue dedicated to paying the cost of labor
• materials</c><00:27:54.679><c> for</c><00:27:54.880><c> direct</c><00:27:55.080><c> Shoreline</c> labor
• materials for direct Shoreline labor materials for direct Shoreline aquatic<00:27:56.519><c> or</c><

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've been dealing with it since the FELUS days, along with, uh, is it full commissioner labors now or
• I've been dealing with it since the FELUS days, along with, uh, is it full commissioner labors now or
• I've been dealing with it since the FELUS days, along with, uh, is it full commissioner labors now or
• labors now or it's Deputy<01:13:10.719><c> I</c><01:13:10.960><c> know</c><01:13:11.400><c> Deputy</
• One common example is post-hospitalization need for skilled nursing facility care.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on House Bill 437, which would change New Hampshire law on undischarged mortgages by creating a shorter period after which certain old mortgages would be treated as unenforceable. Prime sponsor Representative Bill Boyd said the bill was developed with input from bankers, lawyers, realtors, the Attorney General’s office, and the Banking Department, and he noted a drafting correction needed on line 18. He explained that the proposal would replace current law with a new framework modeled partly on Massachusetts, including a five-year expiration after a stated maturity date and a 35-year period for mortgages without an expiration date. Supporters said the bill would help clear obsolete title defects, reduce costly quiet-title litigation, and make real estate transactions easier for consumers, attorneys, and conveyancers. Representative Mary Hakken-Phillips, Susan Cole of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, and Michelle Coffin all testified in support, describing the bill as a consumer protection measure. They said undischarged or improperly discharged mortgages often surface during title searches, causing delays, legal expenses, and failed or delayed closings. Coffin and Hakken-Phillips emphasized that many of these cases involve old, effectively obsolete mortgages and that the current process often requires expensive court action even when no one contests the title. Cole described a recent transaction in which a title defect caused a buyer to walk away and later restart the financing process, creating costs for both buyer and seller. A committee member asked about notice to mortgage holders; the response was that the lender bears responsibility for recording and extending the mortgage, and that due process rights would remain if a lender later contested the discharge. Ryan Hill of the New Hampshire Bankers Association said the banking industry had reviewed the bill and was generally comfortable with it, while requesting a delayed effective date so members would have time to adjust their recording practices. He said the bill’s January 1, 2028 effective date reflected that request. After closing the hearing on HB 437, the committee opened a hearing on House Bill 721, the Gold and Silver Legal Tender Act. Representative Juliet Harvey-Bolia introduced it as a bipartisan economic justice bill intended to recognize gold and silver as legal tender, protect against inflation, and address concerns about trust, taxes, and government taking. She argued that gold is a stable store of value and discussed tax treatment in neighboring states, federal history, and digital gold platforms. The hearing on HB 721 was still in progress when the transcript ended, with the chair limiting questions because of time.

Transcript Highlights:

• When my kids turned one, we didn't stand around reliving 12 hours of labor.
• they may have had in whatever business they owned or operated before this, and they gain a set of skills
• they may have had in whatever business they owned or operated before this, and they gain a set of skills

Keywords: 983, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of been doing a registered apprenticeship program since 2016 through the Department of Labor
• financial literacy course required by R.S. 17:270 and provide students with opportunity to obtain skills
• I think this will give an opportunity for all the students of this state to maybe just learn some skills

Bills: HB28, HB50, HB196, HB268, HB271, HB285, HB316, HB649, HB807

Keywords: teacher certification, certification appeals, BESE, State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Teacher Certification Appeals Council, educator licensure, teaching license, teacher licensure, appeals process, certification denial, administrative appeal, special meeting, board president, retroactive application, education board, Louisiana teachers, Department of Education, statutory entities, re-creation, termination date

Transcript Highlights:

• processes that include really upstream factors like differences in access to high-quality education, labor
• plan strategically, leveraging resources with confidence, and also build and more easily retain a skilled
• And to give job training skills and all of that so they can plan to be able to save in case of another

Summary: The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee 4 met to hear an oversight discussion focused on homelessness, including the state of homelessness in California, state data systems, and the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HAP) program. In opening remarks, the chair emphasized accountability and the need to focus on families and people at the bottom rung, while the vice chair argued that homelessness and affordability problems stem from policy choices and the state should give counties more flexibility rather than top-down mandates. The committee also announced that the one scheduled vote would be postponed and public comment would be taken later. Dr. Ryan Finnegan of UC Berkeley’s Turner Center presented recent homelessness data, saying California’s homelessness remains high at about 187,000 people in the 2024 point-in-time count, with most still unsheltered, though the unsheltered share has declined somewhat. He explained differences between point-in-time counts and the state’s Homeless Data Integration System (HDIS), noted progress in shelter, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and interim housing capacity, and highlighted declines in youth and veteran homelessness. He also described persistent racial disparities, the large number of chronically homeless people, and risks from federal changes and possible reductions to programs such as Emergency Housing Vouchers and Continuum of Care funding. Members questioned the causes of recent trends, the role of Housing First, Proposition 47, Martin v. Boise, and how funding streams such as HAP and CalAIM are layered together. The California Interagency Council on Homelessness then outlined its data systems and AB 799 implementation. Staff explained that HDIS aggregates HMIS data from all 44 continuums of care and is used to measure outcomes, disparities, and program effectiveness statewide. They said HAP 4 was cost-effective under the State Auditor’s methodology, and that new AB 799 dashboards will provide more public-facing fiscal and outcome reporting by June 2027. Members asked whether the system can better distinguish which interventions work, how self-sufficiency will be measured, how fraud is detected, and whether the council can meet the auditor’s concerns on time. Cal ICH said it has met prior statutory deadlines, that program outcome data already exist, and that fiscal reporting will be built through a web-based tool and aligned with existing departmental reporting systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• systemic processes that include upstream factors like differences in access to high-quality education, labor
• plan strategically, leveraging resources with confidence, and also build and more easily retain a skilled
• And to give job training skills and all of that so they can plan to be able to save in case of another

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Fall, graduating students that will work in those skilled trade work in quantum.
• the U.S. is experiencing a soft landing, as we are looking at increasingly difficult conditions with labor
• taking the lead to manage The hiring process was much more challenging to do, especially with the skilled

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• SPECIFICALLY, THE LEGISLATION CHANGES CERTAIN THINGS BY ESTABLISHING A FRAMEWORK FOR THE USE OF LABOR
• PROGRAM BY ALLOWING THE AGENCY FOR HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION TO CREATE FAIR AWARD CRITERIA TO RECOGNIZE SKILLED
• TRAINING FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF IN BASIC FIRST AID, CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION INCLUDING PSYCHOMOTOR SKILLS

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to find ways in California to leverage the high technology skills that we have here to bring
• greenhouse gas funds, and that is we need to find ways in California to leverage the high technology skills
• Well, he's coming up, I'm going to point out that I'm going to file an unfair labor practice about having

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on water and coastal resilience heard an overview of the governor’s Proposition 4 spending plan, with presentations from the Department of Finance, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Water Resources, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and later coastal agencies. Members discussed the water chapter’s major allocations for drinking water and wastewater, recycled water, tribal water infrastructure, groundwater recharge and SGMA implementation, dam safety, flood protection, integrated regional water management, Salton Sea projects, and water data/stream gauges. The LAO noted that many programs are established and have clear funding processes, but some newer or less-defined programs may warrant more detailed future budget requests and reporting. No votes were taken on the agenda items. Members raised concerns about groundwater subsidence, water deliveries from the Delta, the pace of water storage investments, instream flows, and whether bond dollars were being used to backfill General Fund reductions. Administration witnesses said groundwater recharge spending is being paced because prior years already funded substantial SGMA work, that Delta operations are governed by water quality, salinity, and species requirements, and that Proposition 1 storage projects have moved slowly because they are locally led and require permitting and financing. The Water Board and DWR said they use public needs assessments, annual plans, and existing grant processes to prioritize projects, and Finance said some General Fund programs were shifted to Proposition 4 to help balance the budget. Members also asked for clearer public tracking of bond spending and more concise future reporting. In the coastal resilience portion, the Ocean Protection Council and Coastal Conservancy described Proposition 4 funding for sea level rise adaptation, coastal flood management, habitat restoration, public access, and San Francisco Bay projects, with a multi-year rollout based on project readiness and recent large state investments. The Conservancy said it would use its existing rolling grant process, while OPC said its sea level rise grants would build on existing programs and new technical assistance. The Department of Fish and Wildlife explained its proposed use of bond funds for climate-ready fisheries, hatchery modernization, salmon monitoring, whale- and turtle-safe fishing gear, and a specific hatchery operations request tied to the Friant settlement. The LAO said the coastal chapter’s proposed first-year spending is relatively modest but generally reasonable given staffing and project readiness, while members emphasized oversight, transparency, and coordination across agencies and jurisdictions.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> tribute of patriotism who should labor tribute of patriotism who should labor to<02:38:25.359><c
• </c> cares, labors and dangers. cares, labors and dangers.
• Imagine if we were so bad at turning labor into wealth as our competitors.
• We'd be having a crisis about why American labor is so uncompetitive.
• We'd be having a crisis about why American labor is so uncompetitive.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The labor for those repairs is often taxed as well.
• And that is such an important skill and gift.
• And my dad got free labor to walk all of Commerce City with me and all my friends to go drop literature
• I’m not sure if you’ve been here all the time, but Senator Baisley and I served on the business, labor
• , and technology Business, labor, and technology committee when I was the chair.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On May 29, 1776, the General Committee of Mechanics in Union, a large assemblage of laborers and shopkeepers
• ON MAY 29, 1776, THE GENERAL COMMITTEE OF MECHANICS IN UNION, A LARGE ASSEMBLIAGE OF LABORERS AND SHOPKEEPERS
• They learn flexibility, cultural awareness, and leadership skills that shape them into strong leaders
• They would use union labor, but they can build them on a much faster timetable and they have a vested
• THEY WOULD USE UNION LABOR BUT THEY CAN BUILD THEM ON A MUCH FASTER TIMETABLE AND THEY HAVE A VESTED

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several guest introductions, including students from Brooklyn and St. John’s University, followed by adoption of the resolution calendar with exceptions for two items. The chamber then took up a series of previously adopted resolutions recognizing Black Maternal Health Week, Workplace Violence Prevention Month, the one-year anniversary of the Jet Set nightclub tragedy in the Dominican Republic, New York Constitution Day, and the Month of the Military Child. Senators speaking on the maternal health resolution emphasized racial disparities in maternal mortality and the need for culturally competent care; the workplace violence resolution highlighted hospital safety programs; the Jet Set resolution was adopted in memory of the victims; and the Constitution Day speech reviewed New York’s delayed but eventual support for independence in 1776. The military child resolution stressed the sacrifices of military families and support for children of service members. All of these resolutions were adopted, and the resolutions were opened to co-sponsorship. The Senate then moved through the third reading calendar, passing several bills and laying others aside. Measures passed included bills on public health, environmental conservation, executive law, public authorities, and consumer protection. One notable debate involved a bill to require transparency from private arbitration organizations handling consumer cases; supporters argued it would provide basic public data and guard against conflicts of interest, while opponents said it would burden a useful dispute-resolution process and intrude on privacy. The bill passed after debate. Another debated bill would phase out number 4 heating oil statewide; supporters said cleaner alternatives exist and the fuel is harmful to public health, while opponents raised cost and transition concerns, especially for colder regions. That bill also passed. The chamber also considered a bill to create a rebate program for battery-powered landscaping equipment, funded through utility-related mechanisms administered by NYSERDA. Supporters said it would reduce air and noise pollution and help companies transition, while opponents argued ratepayers should not subsidize landscaping equipment. The bill passed after being restored to the non-controversial calendar. Finally, the Senate began discussion of a housing-related bill aimed at preserving manufactured home parks by enabling nonprofits or municipalities to acquire development rights and keep the land dedicated to that use, with the sponsor explaining that the goal is to protect affordable housing and help residents remain in their homes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Insert the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. There are amendments.
• act relating to cannabis producer, processor and retail license insert the United States Bureau of Labor
• Statistics there are amendments amendment amendment United States Bureau of Labor Statistics there are
• I know that my son graduated from college because he had the tenacity and the skill set and the grit
• I know that my son graduated from college because he had the tenacity and the skills because he had the

Bills: HB2720, HB2073, HB2681, SB5467, SB5820, SB5863, SB5892, SCR8406, HB2487, HB2711, SB5816, SB5919, SB5995, SB6278

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, cannabis, license fees, regulatory framework, revenue generation, legalization, SB 5467, water-sewer district, water sewer district, surplus property, public property sale, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• When we met him, his skill set was such that he did kind of that entry-level manual labor.
• My math skill. See? Uh, or 20%, or whatever you want to say. Whatever. What did you say earlier?
• My math skill. See? Uh, or 20%, or whatever you want to say. Whatever. What did you say earlier?
• Let's be realistic: land in Louisville, because the land cost, the labor cost.
• Let's be realistic: land in Louisville, because the land cost, the labor cost. >> You know, I live in

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:03 Roll Call 00:00:08 Discussion of Indiana Residential Infrastructure Fund 00:01:27 Discussion of Affordable Housing Trust Fund 00:33:30 Discussion of Urban Infill 01:12:37 Approval of Minutes from July Meeting 01:39:00 Adjournment 01:39:42, 958, all

Summary: The Housing Task Force heard a presentation from Anita Sanford of the Homebuilders Association of Kentucky and Sheri Cybert of Indiana’s Residential Infrastructure Fund about Indiana’s low-interest loan program for local housing infrastructure. They described the program as a voluntary, locally driven model that helps communities finance roads, sewers, sidewalks, traffic lights, turning lanes, and other infrastructure needed for new housing development. Sanford emphasized that infrastructure and regulation are major drivers of housing costs, citing estimates that infrastructure can account for up to 30% of a home’s cost and regulations another 25%, and said the association is studying Kentucky-specific regulatory costs. She also noted that every $1,000 added to new home construction can price out about 2,000 Kentucky households. Cybert explained that Indiana’s program, administered through the Indiana Finance Authority, began in 2023 with $75 million appropriated over two years and has since closed 17 loans totaling $60.7 million, with more than 2,700 projected housing units. The program reserves 70% of funds for rural communities and 30% for urban communities, requires applications from local governments rather than developers, and asks communities to show need through a market study, describe the infrastructure and housing to be built, and provide preliminary engineering plans and a repayment source. She said the loans currently carry an interest rate around 3.5%, reset quarterly, and that the program has generated about $25 million in savings to communities compared with private borrowing. She also described recent Indiana legislative changes that encourage higher density and other zoning reforms, and said a majority of those local ordinance changes must be adopted for an application to be fundable. Members asked about the ordinance requirements, the funding split between rural and urban areas, repayment mechanisms, and whether there were caps on project size. Cybert said repayment is worked out case by case, often through existing or project-specific TIFs, temporary tax agreements, or letters of credit, and that the program has no cap on request size or income/affordability restrictions. She said the largest request funded was $19 million for a 700-unit project. Co-chair Mills and others discussed whether Kentucky could adopt a similar model and what it would cost, while Sanford and Cybert said they were still refining budget estimates. Later, Scott Welch, president of the Homebuilders Association of Kentucky, testified that upfront infrastructure costs are a major barrier in his projects, citing a $1 million pump station and road-widening and utility relocation costs as examples, and said an infrastructure fund would help get projects off the ground.

Transcript Highlights:

• the merits of free government in a word the merits of free government in a word the merits of your labors
• have now been fairly tested your labors have now been fairly tested your labors have now been fairly
• these kids with the mental capacity of these kids with the mental capacity of these kids the social skills
• that they they're the social skills that they they're the social skills that they they're they're handling

Bills: HB 9, HB 22, HB 908, HB 1392

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tangible personal property, income-producing property, business personal property, tax exemption, local government finance, appraisal district, chief appraiser, rendition statement, property tax relief, small business, commercial property, leased property, related business entity, unified business enterprise, tax situs, Texas Tax Code, local taxing unit, constitutional amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• assess their interests find their skills assess their interests find what<03:56:08.960><c> would</c>
• , expert, and industrious laboring under the current ODHH office.
• </c><04:03:26.520><c> expert</c> certainly do mirror the skilled expert certainly do mirror the skilled
• expert and<04:03:27.439><c> industrious</c><04:03:28.439><c> laboring</c><04:03:29.080><c> under</c>
• <04:03:29.319><c> the</c> and industrious laboring under the and industrious laboring under the current

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee first took up House Bill 702, which would change how extra or special duty pay for retired police officers is treated for retirement and work-limit purposes. Supporters argued the bill would let retirees work more special-duty hours, helping municipalities fill traffic-detail and similar assignments without added state cost, and said it would not prohibit retirees from working but would simply stop those hours from counting toward the return-to-work threshold. Opponents argued the change would be inconsistent with the retirement system’s 2011 reforms, could increase pension liabilities, and would treat the same compensation differently for active employees and retirees. Members also discussed whether the bill would affect current and future retirees, the role of municipalities, and whether the policy amounted to “policing for profit.” The subcommittee ultimately voted 3-2 to recommend inexpedient to legislate (ITL) on HB 702, sending it to the full committee with that recommendation. The committee then discussed House Bill 581, which would create a Group Three retirement plan for new state employees hired after the bill’s effective date. The chair outlined a housekeeping amendment to delay implementation, moving the effective date to January 1, 2026, and noted a sponsor amendment addressing health insurance group inclusion and medical and surgical benefits so those benefits would not be put at risk for the new group. Testimony and discussion focused on the shift from defined benefit to defined contribution, with supporters citing Michigan examples and arguing the bill would help recruit and retain employees while giving them more flexibility. Opponents said the change could weaken retirement security and increase unfunded liability, though supporters responded that the bill still requires employer contributions toward accrued liability and is intended to keep the state on track to pay off its unfunded liability by 2039. The transcript ends with continued discussion of the bill and no final vote shown on HB 581.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of there's the cost of labor.
• ,</c> supply side, you have land, labor, supply side, you have land, labor, materials,<00:53:48.960><
• ,</c><01:11:12.800><c> or</c> not a thoughtful, skillful, or not a thoughtful, skillful, or sustainable
• ,</c><02:06:53.679><c> labor</c><02:06:54.000><c> costs</c><02:06:54.239><c> and</c> cost of labor, labor
• costs and cost of labor, labor costs and construction<02:06:54.800><c> material</c><02:06:55.199><c>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have. the skill set, we have the talent, we need to develop more, our skilled workforce needs to be
• These are DIR contracts for staff to help us in skill sets that we don't have. related to PeopleSoft,
• this compared to what you've spent doing it including your own labor or what have you?
• reviews are done, do you look at training and skills, just give me a sense of...
• What I did show was a comparison of labor policies between Texas and California.

Keywords: 1184, house, all