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• So we have a program called Texas Vaccines for Children. where we give vaccines, CDC provides them, we
• Um, but we, um, we do administer the Texas HIV medication program or THMP which provides HIV medication
• Our programs support the needs of mothers, children, and families in Texas.
• If you'll turn to slide seven, we will begin the program focused on Texas Medicaid. Thank you.
• We have Healthy Texas Women Program, which is...

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• And now to the Texas flag. Honor the Texas flag. We are the champions.
• In her honor, Anne Manning is a proud graduate of Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech School of
• The program is Accessibility for Female Inmates of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
• Texas Department of Agriculture to promote the Texas strip stake as part of the efforts to support Texas
• efforts to the Texas Beef and Agricultural Program to refer to the Committee on State Affairs.

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• , and Outstanding Women in Texas government.
• exerted extraordinary service to the people of Texas.
• People of Texas by establishing the Governor's Medal of Service Award.
• By designating El Paso as the boot capital of Texas.
• Program that was formerly the alternatives to abortion program.

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• <00:12:26.720> and policy when we think about programs and policy when we think about programs
• 100% Federal program it's a good program 100% Federal program it's a good program for<00:40:06.040
• weatherization um is this the program weatherization um is this the program because<00:56:36.359
• Ready to go?
• in various public programs.

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• The Texas legislative The Texas Legislative, uh, Medal of Honor Committee meeting will come to order.
• as a junior Texas Ranger.
• If, if you're our age and you grew up in Texas, you without a doubt took a course in Texas history, at
• of Texas patch on his chest.
• on it, as is the Texas flag.

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• 300 apprenticeship programs. 300 apprenticeship programs. 4,500<00:45:29.599> eligible<00
• :45:30.240> training<00:45:30.720> programs 4,500 eligible training programs 4,500 eligible
• How do they find the right program? How do they find the right program?
• of these many programs of these many programs together together together in<00:46:25.359> one
• It does great revolving loan program.

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• Ready to roll? Madam Secretary, open the machine for roll call.
• Dallas, Texas, is... ...crazy. In Mississippi, you know, it's $20,000. Texas is $14,000.
• Well, I think in Texas they do the merit system. Let's look at Texas. Let's look at Mississippi.
• Have we looked at Texas as far as the cap? Let's look at Texas. Let's look at Mississippi.
• It creates a vehicle registration program for fleets.

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• <00:01:00.399> to Their entire family moved from Texas to Their entire family moved from Texas
• aid programs? aid programs?
• <00:21:34.240> because didn't have fiscal notes ready because didn't have fiscal notes ready
• We don’t want our families to move to Texas. >> We’d like to compete with Texas for those employees.
• families to move to Texas. families to move to Texas.

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• My office has worked directly with TRS to create the program.
• A the the program and driving the costs up for the program. TRS has been very careful about that.
• of Texas, and you're testifying on the bill.
• economy and Texas citizens.
• It can be in either, uh, but we prefer to do it in Texas.

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• Apparently not in Texas. Well, we're not in Texas.
• What is, you're taking the money from the current programs? What program are we going to lose?
• Senator Wallace's program.
• And we're going to have to get ready, because the federal government is now cutting programs.
• And we're going to have to get ready for the federal government is now cutting programs.

Summary: The committee first considered House Resolution 1016, presented by Rep. Marcus Richmond, which sought permission to file a bill aimed at consumer protection in certain housing arrangements where buyers purchase an interest in an entity rather than the property itself. Richmond said the measure was intended to improve transparency, prevent deceptive real estate practices, and ensure disputes would be handled in Arkansas or federal courts rather than private tribunals. Members raised concerns about overlap with existing law, possible effects on homeowners associations, arbitration clauses, hunting clubs, religious organizations, and the bill’s 25-acre exemption. After discussion, the committee voted down the resolution. House Resolution 1006, by Rep. Bart Schultz, proposed increasing the homestead tax credit by $75, from $600 to $675, using a fund created for property tax relief. Schultz argued the increase was supported by the annual report on the fund and was timely because of higher costs for gas and groceries. Members asked about using special language instead, whether the increase could be made retroactive later, and whether the governor had included it on the call. The committee approved the resolution. The committee then heard House Resolution 1007, presented by Sen. Brian King and Rep. James Eaton, which would have changed how turnback sales tax revenue is distributed to counties, with the first $150 million of sales tax revenue going into a fund for county infrastructure and each county receiving an equal share. Supporters said it would help counties with roads, jails, water, sewer, and other critical needs, while opponents questioned whether taking revenue off the top would harm other state services and whether the issue was urgent enough for a fiscal session. The resolution failed. House Resolution 1008, by Rep. Jim Wooten and Sen. King, sought changes to the LEARNS Act and school choice funding, including performance-based eligibility and reporting requirements. Wooten argued the program was financially unsustainable and that accountability was needed; members questioned whether the proposal would create a larger emergency and whether it should instead be handled through budget language. The resolution failed after a point of order interrupted the closing remarks. Finally, House Resolution 1009, presented by Rep. Ron McNair and Sen. King, aimed to restore local control over crypto mines and data centers, citing concerns about water use, electricity demand, Chinese ownership, and litigation tied to prior legislation. Members questioned whether the issue was truly emergent and whether the resolution was the right vehicle. The resolution failed. House Resolution 1015, by Rep. Howard Beatty, proposed amending the prior IDA bill to address concerns raised by constituents, including board accountability and removing eminent domain authority. Supporters said it would improve the bill before next session, but the resolution also failed. The committee then adjourned.

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• Will they inherit a prosperous Texas?
• Will they inherit a prosperous Texas?
• Well, we have, we do have, Senator Eckhart, are you ready?
• I've been ready for that. Yes, ma'am.
• Alethea is also married to Texas— The appellate level.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Nominations met with a quorum and first took up pending nominations from an earlier agenda. Members severed Douglas McReecken, nominated to the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents, from the rest of the list and then voted to report the remaining nominees to the full Senate by a 7-0 vote. The committee then voted on the severed nomination itself and reported Douglas McReecken to the full Senate as well, by a 5-2 vote. The committee heard testimony from Brooke Pop, reappointed as chair of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and later from Commissioner Katarina Gonzalez, also of TCEQ. Questions focused on whether TCEQ rules comply with state law, ex parte restrictions, public transparency, concrete batch plant permitting, MUD approvals, water availability, illegal dams, enforcement, and the agency’s role in local environmental disputes. Both nominees said they follow the law as written, described internal legal review of rules, and emphasized transparency, public outreach, and enforcement; Gonzalez said she had already sent back two rules she believed did not comply with legislation. Members also discussed TCEQ’s authority limits and the need for clearer public communication about what the agency can and cannot regulate. The committee also considered Alethea Sullivan, nominated to the Texas Southern University Board of Regents. Questions centered on TSU’s status as an independent institution, the role of HBCUs amid DEI-related legal changes, and student outcomes. Sullivan said she would focus on ensuring taxpayer and student resources produce valuable credentials and noted concerns from her review of graduation and bar passage rates. The committee then heard from Benjamin Barkley, appointed chief executive and public counsel of the Office of Public Utility Counsel. Barkley said OPUC’s main need is additional funding to recruit and retain attorneys and expert witnesses, reduce turnover, and continue representing residential and small commercial consumers in utility rate cases; he said the office was involved in 73 contested cases and saved Texans $2.2 billion in FY 2024. No final action was taken on the later nominees, and the committee recessed with nominations left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• motor vehicle programs during fiscal year 2024, these programs included.
• Implement this program. We're going to do this to implement this program.
• Wrapping up, members, Texas Port ready to deliver impactful projects in a timely manner just as we did
• And as a note, 238 counties benefited across Texas from that program.
• TxDOT's take on the county road grant program initially was that all counties in Texas are energy impacted

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• As a program overview, the ACCESS system is the department's integrated eligibility processing system
• It supports many other programs.
• We are in a position where ours is actually at completion and ready.
• One thing that has changed is that we've actually been in talks with Texas.
• They have decided that they are going to now join and implement a CWIS program.

Summary: The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs received a Department of Children and Families update from CIO Cole Sousa on three major technology modernization efforts: ACCESS, CWIS, and FASMS. For ACCESS, he described the six-year, $205 million project to replace the aging eligibility system used for SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid applications, noting completed releases such as the MyACCESS portal, document management, partner portal, workload management, and client registration modules. He said the system now supports mobile applications, multi-factor authentication, and bot detection, and that the next budget request is $36.625 million to continue moving workers off the mainframe, modernize notices, and complete more worker-portal functions. Members asked about performance data, interoperability with other systems, and the relationship to the FX project and APD; Sousa said API-based real-time exchanges are the goal and that current average case processing time is about 30 days, though he would provide a more exact figure later. The committee then heard about CWIS, a four-year, $75 million child welfare modernization project. Sousa said phase one is complete, including hotline intake, investigations, mandatory reporter, youth, parent, and mobile portals, along with mobile field tools, e-signatures, and customizable dashboards. Current work is focused on case management, assessment and safety planning, licensure, and placement modules, with collaboration from community-based care providers through advisory sessions. For the next fiscal year, DCF is requesting $28 million and expects to finish development by summer and launch in September, while continuing change management and training. Senators pressed on interoperability with ACCESS, FX, and FASMS, the use of a single unique identifier, and whether CBCs would be required to use the statewide system; Sousa said the department’s goal is one statewide system, with licensing costs absorbed by the state and no plan for dual systems after go-live. Finally, Sousa gave a brief update on FASMS, the financial and services accountability system used by managing entities. He said it remains in maintenance mode while DCF prioritizes ACCESS and CWIS, and that modernization of FASMS is still being planned with partner agencies. He estimated current maintenance costs at about $1.3 million and suggested a future modernization could cost roughly $5 million to $7 million, though no firm timeline has been set. The committee expressed support for using data and interoperable systems to improve decision-making, and the meeting adjourned without any votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a state-funded route now, so Texas and Oklahoma pays for it.
• So, the legislature asked us to Administer this program.
• We're gonna award those in this coming late winter, early spring, and that kicks that program off.
• Those are important programs, and I recognize the importance of it.
• Especially headed south towards Texas, we have no choice. You've got to keep that artery open.

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• In Texas, we like to lead on things.
• Texas will lead the way.
• We simply cannot meet the unrelenting demand for access to our programs.
• Texas is the greatest and most patriotic state in this entire nation.
• I am up here with 3 fabulous Texas legislators who are ready to get out on the front lines in this session

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• is getting ready to my judge<00:01:29.439> is<00:01:29.600> getting<00:01:29.759> ready
• >> Ready for us? All right. >> Ready for us? All right.
• <00:19:15.679> Uh and academic programming as well. Uh and academic programming as well.
• In Texas, we every single felony.
• Everybody's ready to go home. >> Ashley. Everybody's ready to go home.

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Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the October 21 minutes, and then heard a KO presentation focused on county jail funding pressures. KO leaders and county judges said jail costs have become a statewide crisis, noting that county general fund contributions to jail budgets have risen sharply since 2019. They said the organization’s sole legislative priority this session is to “reshape the shared responsibility” for county jails through three main proposals: incentivizing regional jails, clarifying responsibility for pre-trial felony detainees, and changing the model for housing state inmates. On regional jails, KO proposed one-time state construction help for new or expanded regional facilities, allowing former county jails to become 96-hour holdover facilities, changing regional jail authority boards so each participating county jailer can serve, increasing the closed-jail supplement, and offering a one-time payment to counties that close a jail and join a regional plan. On pre-trial felony detainees, Judge Mosley argued counties bear the full cost for people held before trial, sometimes for years, and said counties should be reimbursed for time served credit when those inmates are later sentenced. On state inmates, KO said the current per diem of $35.34 is below the average daily county jail cost of $63.44, and proposed a new contract model requiring the Department of Corrections to pay actual housing costs while counties provide agreed programming such as substance use treatment, cognitive behavioral programming, re-entry services, workforce training, and academic programming. Members asked about the fiscal impact of the package, the feasibility of regional jail population thresholds, and whether the proposal could affect counties’ ability to house federal inmates. KO said regionalization should remain a local decision, that a bill draft and fiscal note were being developed, and that only certain jails are eligible to house federal inmates under existing agreements. Representative Maddox also asked about social media comments by Judge Mosley regarding homeschooling; Mosley said the remarks were unrelated to KO and apologized for any offense. Senator Mills asked what counties would do with savings from jail costs, and judges said the money would likely go to local services such as roads, ambulance service, senior programs, parks, economic development, infrastructure, broadband, and water projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• And now our beloved state, honor the Stan Kitzman: Texas flag.
• Reynolds: a sea of pink and green that has descended upon our Texas Capitol.
• We're joined by the Texas Police Chiefs Association and police chiefs from across Texas. Mr.
• Ladies and gentlemen, Brownsville is the southernmost city in the tip of Texas.
• We'd like to recognize one of the oldest leadership programs in the state of Texas, Leadership Corpus

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• The school readiness program is funded at $156 million in general revenue and over $1 billion in federal
• State and local pre-kindergarten programs almost without exception improve academic readiness for school
• So to give you a little bit more detail about our program, starting with the school readiness program
• VPK providers and school readiness providers, Programs.
• Commissioner, you mentioned the Texas daily average attendance program and that it's expensive.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee held its first interim meeting, took roll, and established a quorum. Members introduced themselves, many noting backgrounds in education, school boards, local government, or parenting, and Chair Jenna Persons-Mulicka outlined the committee’s goal of building the fiscal year 2025-26 Pre-K-12 budget. She also reviewed the fiscal year 2024-25 education budget, noting that the Pre-K-12 portion totals about $21 billion, with the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) as the largest driver, along with major funding for VPK, school readiness, and school recognition. She explained that federal COVID relief funds have ended and that recent school choice legislation has affected budget structure. Commissioner Manny Diaz and department leaders then gave overviews of their divisions. Diaz highlighted Florida’s education rankings, record graduation rate, progress monitoring, expanded school choice participation, charter school growth, and teacher salary investments, while emphasizing a focus on literacy, math, and early learning. Carrie Miller described the Division of Early Learning’s school readiness and VPK programs, their funding, eligibility, accountability systems, and the importance of kindergarten readiness. Paul Burns outlined the Division of Public Schools’ work on educator quality, literacy, standards, certification, family outreach, federal programs, and school improvement. Suzanne Pridgen reviewed finance and operations functions, including budget management, FEFP calculations, grants, procurement, transportation, and emergency management. Adam Emerson described parental choice programs, including scholarships, charter schools, schools of hope, virtual education, and home education. Darren Norris detailed the Office of Safe Schools’ responsibilities for risk assessments, compliance inspections, threat management, grants, and training created after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy. Members asked questions about several issues, including whether the Safe Schools office recommends changes to the school safety grant distribution formula, whether early learning eligibility should shift from federal poverty level to state median income, how scholarship payments are verified to avoid funding students who return to public school, and whether daily attendance systems could improve funding accuracy. Other questions addressed hurricane-related survey disruptions, VPK provider reimbursement rates and instructional hours, teacher salary increases, school start time costs, and how voucher schools handle IEP accommodations. Department officials generally said some issues remain under review, supported moving school readiness eligibility to SMI, noted that scholarship and enrollment data are cross-checked and adjusted when needed, and said progress monitoring now helps schools support mobile students. On school safety, officials said exemptions are allowed in statute for some items but not for classroom doors, and that district-specific conditions matter. No votes were taken and no formal actions were reported beyond receiving presentations and discussion.

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• of Texas veterans and their families — and after that, the nation.
• Texas will lead the way. Hi, everyone.
• We simply cannot meet the unrelenting demand for access to our programs.
• Texas is the greatest and most patriotic state in this entire nation.
• I am up here with three fabulous Texas legislators who are ready to get out on the front lines in this

Summary: The meeting was a Texas Capitol press event in support of House Bill 3717, which would advance ibogaine research and create a public-private pathway to move the treatment toward FDA approval. Speakers included Brian Hubbard of the American Ibogaine Initiative, Rep. Cody Harris, and VETS co-founders Marcus and Amber Capone. They framed the bill as a chance for Texas to lead on treatment for opioid use disorder, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and other “diseases of despair,” especially among veterans and their families. Testimony focused heavily on the veteran suicide crisis and personal stories of loss and recovery. Marcus Capone described his Navy SEAL service and said conventional treatments had not been enough for many veterans, while Amber Capone cited VETS’ support for roughly 1,000 veterans and a Stanford collaboration that she said showed large reductions in PTSD, anxiety, depression, and suicidality after ibogaine treatment. Supporters also argued ibogaine may have broader applications, including for other substance use disorders and some neurological conditions, and emphasized the need for research, supervised clinical use, and insurance coverage. No formal committee vote or legislative action was taken in the transcript. The event ended with a brief Q&A and a call for Texas legislators to support HB 3717 and help move the bill forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are you ready to proceed? Thank you. Chairman Meyer? Good. Okay, Markoff, are you ready to proceed?
• To be clear, everybody lost something that day, including Texas. And I've Including Texas.
• The Texas Rangers took over.
• The outrage of potentially Texas... ...outrage of potentially Texas saying, it's okay.
• How could people of the state of Texas trust that?

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