Transcript Highlights:

• Local boards of health investigate housing code violations.
• to ensure that the recommendations are science-driven, practical, and safe for both the building occupants
• Surgical smoke poses a real and preventable occupational hazard.
• surgical smoke, which is smoke from burning flesh, is evacuated to protect the health and safety of the occupants

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health heard testimony on a wide range of bills focused on environmental health, disease prevention, and access to care. Major topics included restricting polystyrene use, creating a pancreatic cancer awareness and early-detection initiative, improving indoor air quality through a task force and new regulations, expanding access to epinephrine in public places, improving access to health care for people with long COVID, creating an OBGYN loan repayment program for underserved areas, expanding access to hygiene products, modernizing licensure for dietitians and nutritionists, updating school postural screening requirements, and restricting harmful diet pills and muscle-building supplements. Several legislators also testified in support of their own bills, including measures on menstrual product access and ingredient disclosure, and surgical smoke protections. Testimony on the polystyrene bill emphasized local municipal bans and the need to reduce plastic pollution. Pancreatic cancer advocates and patients described the disease’s low survival rate, the difficulty of early diagnosis, and the need for an awareness campaign and implementation of commission recommendations. Indoor air quality supporters from environmental justice groups, public health organizations, and residents described asthma, mold, pollution, and the need for a task force with technical expertise; some witnesses urged adding remediation professionals to the task force. On epinephrine access, family members of a man who died after a bee sting and an allergy organization stressed that anaphylaxis can be sudden and fatal and that stock epinephrine in public venues could save lives. Long COVID advocates said the condition affects hundreds of thousands of residents and called for better surveillance and access to care, with a request to include MECFS in the bills’ scope. Other testimony focused on workforce and equity issues. Supporters of the OBGYN loan repayment bill said it would help address maternal health disparities and provider shortages, especially in rural and underserved communities. Hope and Comfort described widespread hygiene insecurity and a long waiting list for basic products, urging a task force to study statewide solutions. Dietitians and nutritionists supported modernization of licensure to clarify standards for medical nutrition therapy while allowing broader wellness counseling. School nurses backed reducing mandatory postural screenings, arguing the current law is not evidence-based, is not reimbursed by MassHealth, and takes time from other student health needs. On the supplement bill, the industry trade group opposed restrictions as overbroad and burdensome, while a public health expert cited research linking weight-loss and muscle-building supplements to serious harms and urged passage. The committee also heard support for menstrual product access and surgical smoke protections, with legislators and advocates describing those bills as longstanding priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• This focuses on making clear that no matter what your zip code is, you are entitled to the same level
• House Bills 470, 471, and 475; To the Judiciary, House Bills 468, 477, 478, and 479; To Licensing, Occupations
• To Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations, House Bill 474.
• To Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations, House Bill 474.

Keywords: Convene 00:00 Calendar/2nd Readings 04:07 Orders of the Day 05:07 HB 144 05:15 HB 3 08:27 HB 290 12:34 HB 84 14:53 Motions, Petitions, and Communications 40:12 Introduction of New Bills and Resolutions 45:19 Recess for ConC/Rules Meeting 46:20 ConC/Rules Report 48:12 Floor Amendments 49:42 Adjournment 50:05, 958, all

Summary: The House convened with 93 members present, approved the previous day’s journal, and reported several bills on second reading, including measures on elections, retired police officers, the Kentucky Communications Network Authority, local government, mental health facilities, prescription drugs, Alzheimer’s services, and electric generating unit decommissioning costs. The chamber then moved to floor action on several bills. House Bill 144, relating to motor vehicle titles, was taken up first. A House Committee Substitute was adopted, and members discussed that the bill would let insurance companies avoid forfeiting titles for cosmetic damage such as hail damage while still requiring payment for the damage. The bill passed 94-0, and the clincher was applied. House Bill 3, relating to Medicaid reimbursement for pharmacist services, was then explained as allowing Medicaid to reimburse pharmacists for services they already provide, such as strep testing, immunizations, and medication management, without expanding Medicaid or scope of practice. Supporters said it would improve access, especially in rural areas, and the bill passed 93-0, followed by the clincher. House Bill 290, concerning county law libraries, was explained as allowing local bar associations to use their funds for electronic legal research tools, including online subscriptions, computers, and internet access, rather than only books. It passed 94-0 and the clincher was applied. House Bill 84, on local government liability for failure to protect property during riots, generated the most debate. Supporters said it would make the law uniform across jurisdictions and hold governments accountable when they have notice and the means to act but do not; opponents raised concerns about outdated language, possible vigilante implications, and fiscal impact. A floor amendment adding an emergency clause was adopted 81-8, and the bill then passed as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• BAR CODE 576776. THE AMENDMENT IS BAR CODE 57676 BY SENATOR JONES. THERE WAS NO OBJECTION.
• AND SO I DID SOME RESEARCH AND IN 1989 A SUPREME COURT DECISION OF TEXAS VERSUS JOHNSON.
• I AM SURE YOU ARE AWARE WHAT THAT INDIVIDUALS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WERE VIOLATED IN THE TEXAS STATUTE
• UNDER THE CURRENT CODE IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A CODE YOU TO SUBMIT THAT, THEY APPROVE IT AND IT COMES
• BACK DOWN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THAT WOULD BE THE CURRENT FIRE CODE THAT SPECIFIES THE NUMBER OF

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It prepares an individual for a specific occupation, but it also has an embedded articulation agreement
• For a specific occupation, so you might think about cybersecurity or information technology or business
• are in-demand occupations.
• So the occupation or the training program is connected to an occupation, and that occupation has wage
• That's right, a 126% increase in the number of apprenticesable occupations.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education received an overview of Florida’s career and technical education (CTE) system from Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell, who described the state’s CTE pathways, program types, enrollment and completion growth, quality audit metrics, and the Master Credentials List used to identify credentials of value. He highlighted record postsecondary CTE enrollment and completions, strong statewide performance in talent attraction, and several funding tools supporting expansion, including Open Door, the Florida First Responder Scholarship, Workforce Development Capitalization grants, Perkins funding, CAPE performance incentives, and apprenticeship grants. Senators asked about eligibility for Open Door and first responder aid, top industry certifications, and the teacher apprenticeship initiative. A panel of college and technical school leaders then described how state and federal funding has supported local program growth and facility expansion. Santa Fe College, Palm Beach State College, North Florida Technical College, Lake Technical College, Florida Gateway College, and Manatee Technical College each cited increases in enrollment, high placement or licensure pass rates, and new or expanded programs in nursing, welding, CDL, automotive, manufacturing, public safety, and apprenticeship. Several speakers emphasized partnerships with hospitals, employers, school districts, and local governments, and noted that grants helped fund equipment, renovations, and new training hubs. Palm Beach State also raised a request to broaden line funding beyond nursing to other health science fields, and multiple presenters asked for more flexibility, multi-year support, and continued or increased funding to sustain growth. Members discussed broader challenges, including the difficulty of sustaining grant-funded growth after initial awards, the lag between enrollment growth and funding formulas, and alignment problems for dual enrollment and technical programs with high school schedules. Senators also noted the need to balance support for high-demand core programs like nursing and welding with the ability to respond quickly to emerging industries such as AI and space. The meeting ended with no formal action beyond adjournment after Senator Davis moved to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is current Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure 905.5.
• Texas has had the same problems. In Moore v.
• So QR codes, I’m told,” “And they are revamping the department.
• So, but I’m trying to figure out, I understand the QR code, but if it’s a QR code that they were already
• It’s just going to be a QR code, I would think.

Summary: The committee first handled several housekeeping items, voluntarily deferring HB 123, HB 255, and HB 994 without objection. It then took up SCR 3 by Senator Brock Myers, which would delay and revise implementation of a state police rule affecting criminal history background checks for licensed ambulance personnel and certain health care workers. After adopting Amendment Set 434 to remove a provision involving parish and local law enforcement checks, the committee reported SCR 3 as amended favorably. The committee also heard HB 978 by Rep. Lecombe, which as amended raises the population threshold for municipalities required to remit certain special costs to the District Indigent Defender Fund from under 5,000 to under 9,000; with support from the town of Addis and related stakeholders, the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then considered HB 967 by Rep. Moore, which sought to remove language limiting parole eligibility for certain pre-July 2, 1973 life-sentenced offenders to those who had pleaded guilty, thereby allowing a small group of elderly inmates convicted at trial to seek parole consideration. Supporters argued the bill would only create an opportunity for review, not release, and cited rehabilitation and fairness concerns; opponents, including district attorneys and corrections officials, argued the 2022 law already addressed the intended group and that the current bill would reopen cases involving serious violent crimes. After extended debate, the motion to report HB 967 favorably failed on an 8-3 vote. Finally, the committee took up HB 1107 by Rep. Melerine, a bill on determining intellectual disability in capital cases. The bill, as amended, raised the burden of proof to clear and convincing evidence, set an IQ threshold framework, required expert reports and Daubert-type reliability review, and limited the article to post-conviction capital cases. The Attorney General’s office and district attorneys supported the bill as a way to create clearer procedures and speed resolution of Atkins claims, while criminal defense lawyers, disability advocates, clergy, and medical experts opposed it as inconsistent with current clinical standards and potentially unconstitutional, warning that rigid IQ cutoffs and presumptions could wrongly expose people with intellectual disabilities to execution. The transcript ends during closing remarks on HB 1107, with no final committee vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• of workers within that occupation.
• > that<00:24:16.320> are concentrated in occupations that are concentrated in occupations
• acutely in some of those occupations acutely in some of those occupations than<00:24:42.720>
• board there are certain occupations board there are certain occupations and<00:37:56.960> uh<
• And I had a occupational segregation.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chesney Hatch said they are an occupational therapist and that occupational therapists are not currently
• , and said they cannot currently recruit occupational therapists.
• Chesney Hatch continued, saying occupational therapists cannot currently be recruited.
• Hallie Taylor, M.S., said she is a doctor of occupational therapy and has worked as an occupational therapist
• Hatch this week and were open to an amendment to include occupational therapists.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:24:05.919> Watson, >> Senate Bill 154, Senator Watson, Commercial Law, Uniform Commercial Code
• bitcoins or nonfungible tokens by establishing a new title within the Maryland Uniform Commercial Code
• bitcoins or nonfungible tokens by establishing a new title within the Maryland Uniform Commercial Code
• Clerk will read the next bill. >> Senate Bill 419, Senator Simonaire, Health Occupations, State Board
• to continue to practice under their registration beyond October 31st, Senator Simonaire, Health Occupations

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation, quorum call, and several introductions recognizing guests, including Reverend Jennifer Carsner and her daughter, President Kirk Schmoke, representatives from Maryland independent colleges and universities, students from Stevenson University, Howard and Anne Arundel counties, Washington College, a constituent, and the Greater Washington, D.C.-Maryland chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The chamber also adopted a resolution honoring Damatha Catholic High School for winning the 2025 WCAC football championship and another recognizing the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce on its 100th anniversary. Both resolutions were adopted unanimously after brief remarks and roll calls. The Senate then took up executive nominations, separating nominee 16 from the main report. The chamber voted 42 in favor on the remaining nominations and then 42 in favor on nominee 16, giving all nominees the Senate’s advice and consent. On third reading, the Senate passed several bills, including SB 46, SB 25, SB 58, SB 163, SB 170, SB 188, SB 247, SB 356, and SB 379, with recorded affirmative votes ranging from 36 to 42. These measures covered topics such as veterans cemeteries, tax credits and tax modifications, education funding, transportation revenue bonds, biotechnology incentives, a stillborn child tax credit, and recovery residence grant funding. The chamber also advanced numerous second-reading bills, generally adopting committee reports and amendments without objection. Among the measures discussed were collective bargaining for Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission police officers; adoption of the 2022 Uniform Commercial Code amendments for controllable electronic records; cemetery sale and transfer oversight; an additional license for electronic smoking devices; collective bargaining for Baltimore County Public Library supervisory employees; payroll processor exemptions under the Money Transmission Act; scalp cooling coverage for chemotherapy patients; orthoses and prostheses coverage under health and Medicaid plans; an online database of elevator inspection certificates; service animal program disqualification standards; extension of the State Board of Environmental Health Specialists; disclosure of lapsed professional liability insurance for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and nurse midwives; and revisions to massage therapy licensure rules. Most reports were favorable, with several technical or substantive amendments adopted and bills ordered printed for third reading. A notable policy discussion occurred on SB 56, which would allow the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center to share individual-level student and workforce data with a third-party data center for multi-state reporting. The sponsor explained the bill as a way to compare Maryland outcomes with other states while using data-sharing agreements and oversight to protect privacy; a minority whip raised concerns about the type of third-party data center and whether the practice was new. The sponsor said the bill was intended to formalize and safeguard data sharing, and noted a technical amendment would be offered to correct the amendment language.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:19:30.880> as<01:19:31.000> a good to look at the entire tax code as a good to
• look at the entire tax code as a whole<01:19:31.600> because<01:19:31.840> there<01:19:
• our tax code.
• I kind of feel like this is a good direction in our tax code.
• this is a good direction in our tax code this is a good direction in our tax code capital<03:56:

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• word to, to create a unique PIN word or a unique PIN number or code word to pair with a uniquely generated
• As you aware, state attorneys use criminal sentencing points on the criminal punishment code score sheet
• As you aware, state attorneys use criminal punishment code score sheets to assign points for each offense
• In Texas, there was a man who sued the friends of his victim...” “...who sued the friends of his victim
• We've seen harassing litigation like this in Texas and Arizona.

Summary: The committee heard and voted on a long agenda of criminal justice, public safety, and civil justice bills. Among the measures reported favorably were SB 984, which adds aggravating factors for capital sentencing when a murder occurs during religious, school, or public government gatherings; SB 1140, creating a Hillsborough County pilot program to address substance abuse among offenders on probation; SB 1180, expanding child pornography laws to cover lewd altered or filtered images and solicitation; SB 10, providing compensation to Sidney Holmes for a wrongful conviction; SB 500, creating a Spectrum Alert system and training for missing children with autism; SB 1054, increasing penalties for tampering with electronic monitoring devices; SB 1072, establishing an expedited DNA testing grant program; and SB 240, the Haven Act, which aligns domestic and dating violence protections and creates a feasibility study for a discreet emergency contact system for victims. Several bills were amended before passage, including funding for the Spectrum Alert program and technical changes to the DNA, juvenile justice, and other proposals. Members also advanced SB 494, creating a statewide FDLE animal abuse database and increasing sentencing consequences for aggravated animal cruelty, with strong support from animal welfare groups and county officials. SB 1422 was reported favorably to strengthen penalties for unmanned aircraft over critical infrastructure and for weaponized drones, though members raised concerns about the bill’s “reasonable force” language. SB 1268 updated FDLE statutes and increased reimbursement for retired police dogs. SB 1252 was amended into a feasibility study for a statewide pawn data database, and SB 1386 increased penalties for assaults and batteries on utility workers, drawing support from utility and industry groups. The committee also approved SB 1084 on sexual cyber harassment, which criminalizes dissemination of intimate images and digitally forged intimate images, and SB 1654, which revises sexual offender and predator registration rules, including online reporting for certain in-state travel residences. SB 1650 expanded the vexatious litigant law, and SB 1652 created a public records exemption for stricken non-criminal court filings. Finally, SB 1284, expanding Florida’s Wrongful Death Act to allow civil claims for the death of an unborn child, drew extensive testimony both for and against; supporters called it a life-affirming measure, while opponents warned it could increase litigation, affect abortion-related care, and discourage physicians from practicing in Florida. The bill was heard with multiple public comments, but the transcript excerpt does not show a final vote on SB 1284.

Transcript Highlights:

• The state of Texas is suing the NCAA to require examinations or chromosomal testing, and the same is
• There are more kids right now with measles in Texas than there are transgender athletes playing in the
• My question is: with respect to the CIF, is a CIF required to comply with Title IX and in our codes?
• It is in the education code that the CIF is to comply with both state and federal law.
• Education Code Section 221.5 F. is not just bad policy; it's also a flagrant violation of Title IX.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The amendment is coded A22.
• The amendment is coded A22.
• The amendment is coded A26.
• It had le... my namesake highway in in Katy, Texas. my namesake highway in in Katy, Texas.
• The amendment is coded A38.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• immediately vacate occupants must immediately vacate if<00:19:16.640> it<00:19:17.520> was
• Not necessarily opposed to occupants.
• <00:37:01.760> you um adding family guests or occupants you um adding family guests or occupants
• because that other occupant can be the worst person.
• occupants because that other occupant occupants because that other occupant can<00:44:06.160>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If I had to guess, I would say probably a location in Texas.
• I used to run big power plants in Texas, and guess what?
• Bailey plant in Texas. We've got examples of that.
• We did have a development partner file for an air permit in Texas.
• Texas and Dallas, Texas; in the Midwest, Chicago, Illinois; on the East Coast, northern Virginia, southern

Transcript Highlights:

• Many other states like Texas have long championed electronic recording.
• Many other states like Texas have long championed electronic recording.
• Many other states like Texas have long championed electronic recording.
• Many other states like Texas have long championed electronic recording.
• Many other states like Texas have long championed electronic recording.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's just now reached the edge of Texas; it's in East Texas, so we screen for that and watch for that
• In Texas? Say that again? We don't have anything currently set up in Texas right now? No. We don't.
• In South Texas alone, a little over half a million whitetail deer roam that part of South Texas.
• of Texas and about another... of the 300-plus livestock dealers in the state of Texas.
• There is a coalition, the Texas Screwworm Coalition, or Screwworm Coalition of Texas.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, when the citizens of Texas in 1917 passed the conservation amendment to the Texas Constitution
• His words were, 'small-time Texas politician convincing the governor to allow an East Texas groundwater
• His words 39 were, small-time Texas politician convincing the governor to allow an East Texas groundwater
• Texas is the only state that has it.
• Texas is the only state that has it.

Bills: HB24, HB27

Keywords: groundwater, conservation, water permits, sustainability, resource management

Summary: The committee met to hear House Bills 27 and 24 on groundwater issues in East Texas, with members and witnesses focusing on a proposed large-volume groundwater export project and the need for more science before major permitting decisions are made. HB 27, which was within the special session call, would direct the Texas Water Development Board to conduct a hydrogeologic study of the aquifers in the affected area and temporarily pause new export permits while the study is underway. HB 24, a separate bill that would limit certain production and export permits to 5% of modeled available groundwater, was laid out but the chair said it would not be moved out of committee. Testimony on HB 27 was largely supportive, though some witnesses were neutral. Supporters, including representatives from a water supply corporation, the Trinity River Authority, Environmental Defense Fund, and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, said the region lacks enough hydrologic data, that the proposed pumping could affect private wells, surface water, and local economies, and that the state needs better information on sustainable yield and groundwater-surface water interaction. Several witnesses emphasized that groundwater conservation districts need clearer tools and better data, while also noting concerns about property rights and the rule of capture. Committee members discussed the scale of the proposed project, the absence of a groundwater conservation district in Houston County, and the possibility that the study should examine desired future conditions and maximum sustainable pumping rather than only modeled available groundwater. The committee adopted the committee substitute for HB 27 and voted it out favorably to the full House with a recommendation that it do pass, be printed, and be sent to the Committee on Calendars. The roll call was unanimous, 11 ayes and 0 nays. After the vote, members briefly reflected on the complexity of the issue and the need to continue working on broader groundwater policy in the interim and next session. HB 24 was discussed later in the meeting, but no final action on that bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• below 85% occupancy, to me, that's a red flag.
• So, to me, it's occupancy, it's liquidity.
• below 85% occupancy, to me, that's a red flag.
• So it's to me, it's occupancy, it's liquidity.
• Occupancy is definitely the key. You have to keep your occupancy high.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The commission met at Brookhaven at Lexington to continue discussing continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), with a focus on financial viability, entrance fees, refund policies, and how the industry is evolving. Speakers explained that nonprofit CCRCs have shifted away from building entirely new campuses since the 2008 financial crisis, and now more often grow through expansions, affiliations, mergers, or added home- and community-based services. They also noted that many newer CCRCs, especially nationwide, are being built without on-campus skilled nursing, relying instead on assisted living, memory care, or off-site arrangements, and that zoning and local approval can affect expansion plans. A substantial portion of the discussion centered on financial health and consumer protection. Panelists said the most important indicators of a strong CCRC are high occupancy, strong liquidity, and reinvestment in the property, with low occupancy and declining days cash on hand cited as warning signs. They described how actuarial reviews are used to estimate health care utilization and set pricing, and said staffing shortages are often a bigger financial pressure than resident care utilization itself. On refunds, speakers said entrance-fee refunds are generally paid when a unit is resold and the new entrance fee is received, and that resident refunds are usually protected even in bankruptcy, though residents are unsecured creditors. Massachusetts examples such as Reed’s Landing and the Groves were cited as cases where residents remained in place and refunds were ultimately protected. The group also discussed a pending disclosure bill on Beacon Hill related to entrance fees and refund transparency. LeadingAge Massachusetts said it supports clearer disclosure so residents understand refund provisions, and reported that among surveyed member CCRCs, the average time to provide an entrance-fee refund over the past two years was about 117 days. Participants emphasized the need to balance consumer protection with preserving the financial stability of the communities. The commission also reviewed upcoming dates: a virtual public hearing/listening session on June 16, the next commission meeting on June 23, and a later discussion planned on consumer rights, protections, and advertising practices. The meeting concluded with introductions of commission members and an invitation for attendees to tour the Brookhaven campus.

Transcript Highlights:

• And occupational tax is already maxed out.
• stack of These are just uh occupational stack of These are just uh occupational taxes,<01:14:15.600
• They don't have an occupational license in that profit, correct?
• > that<01:37:22.120> profit, occupational license in that profit, occupational license
• ' occupational tax is much more than their property tax.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:07 Roll Call 00:00:13 Approval of Minutes from August Meeting 00:01:55 Discussion of County Jails 00:03:31 Discussion of Centralized Collection of Net Profits and Occupational License Taxes 01:02:12 Adjournment 01:54:56, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the August 26 minutes, and then took up a discussion of county jail funding. KACO representatives and county officials said jail operations are an ongoing strain for counties because they must pay for inmate care, facilities, and mandated standards, while many counties also rely on jail revenue to offset costs. They described Kentucky’s jail system, including 77 jails, 43 closed counties without jails, and the mix of county, state, federal, and controlled-intake inmates. KACO emphasized that counties remain financially responsible for inmates even when they must contract with other jails, often at costs above the state’s per diem rate, and said it is developing a broader proposal to present later. The testimony focused on rising expenses and shrinking revenue. KACO said counties spent about $374 million on jail operations in FY24, up 24% from FY19, and about $41 million on jail medical costs, up 40%. General fund support for jails was said to total $147 million in FY24, more than double pre-COVID levels. Speakers also noted that state inmate populations in county jails have fallen from about 11,500 in 2019 to 7,212 in 2025, while federal inmates have increased because they are more lucrative for counties. The state jail per diem of $35.34 was described as insufficient to cover actual costs, especially medical care. County judges from Webster, Knox, and Hardin counties gave examples of local budget pressure. Webster County said it now houses 114 state prisoners, 47 county prisoners, and 24 out-of-county prisoners, and that it transferred $512,000 from its general fund to the jail last year, about $77 per taxpayer. Knox County said its jail budget has grown from an initial $2.8 million projection to $5.7 million, with $3 million coming from occupational tax revenue. Hardin County said its jail has an approximate $11 million expense budget against $5 million in revenue, creating a $6 million deficit, driven by higher payroll, medical, and insurance costs and a 29% drop in state prisoner revenue. The judge said the county has responded with property tax increases and an expanded occupational tax district, but still uses reserves to cover other county services. A Grant County magistrate then began speaking from the perspective of magistrates and commissioners, describing her background working at a local jail before serving in county government. The discussion remained centered on the fiscal burden of jails and the need for counties and the legislature to work together on a long-term solution.

Transcript Highlights:

• I thank the gentleman from Texas. Mr. I thank the gentleman from Texas. Mr.
• Carter of Texas. offered by Mr. Carter of Texas.
• Texas seek recognition? Texas seek recognition? Uh,<03:10:31.520> Mr.
• Carter of Texas pursuant to House Resolution 530, the gentleman from Texas, Mr.
• gentleman from Texas. gentleman from Texas.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, 1012, house, all