Transcript Highlights:

• The big difference last year was Republicans hated everything we were doing, and they were literally

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This version was carried by Representative Pat Curry, a Republican, and passed in the House with strong

Bills: HB647 , HB791 , HB1242 , HB1729 , HB2003 , HB2029 , HB2061 , HB2775 , HB3751 , HB4804 , HB3611

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: driver's license, vision correction, medical verification, Texas Department of Public Safety, renewal fees, HB 791, Central Catholic High School, San Antonio, specialty license plate, specialty plates, license plate, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Transportation Code, general revenue fund, With Loyal Hearts, Catholic school, private school, religious school, school spirit plate, commemorative plate

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee heard testimony and took action on a series of transportation-related bills. Early in the meeting, Senator Hagenbuch presented HB 647, which would let drivers who have had corrective eye surgery update their licenses by submitting physician verification without an in-person DMV visit; he argued it would reduce DMV lines, though a fiscal note estimated setup costs. The committee also heard HB 2029, a cleanup bill clarifying that travel trailers are not subject to safety inspections after prior legislation removed inspections for trailers and all vehicles, and HB 4804, which would remove Texas’s CDL appeals hearing process to align with federal law and avoid jeopardizing highway funds, while also authorizing DPS action related to the terrorist offender registry. All three bills were left pending after testimony, along with HB 2003, which would require annual public reporting by entities with projects in the Texas Rail Plan, especially in light of the Dallas-Houston high-speed rail project and landowner concerns; supporters said it would improve transparency, while opponents warned it would force disclosure of proprietary financial information from a private project. The committee also heard HB 2775, adding Ector County and Odessa to the I-27 Advisory Committee, and HB 791, authorizing a specialty plate for Central Catholic High School in San Antonio; both were left pending after brief discussion and no opposition testimony. The committee then heard several local or commemorative measures. HB 1242 would designate part of U.S. Highway 281 in Brooks County as the Ernesto Solis-Cantu Memorial Highway, and HB 2061 would name a bridge on State Highway 242 in Montgomery County for Lance Corporal Armando Hernandez. Hernandez’s mother testified emotionally in support, describing his military service and the family’s wish to have the bridge mark his return home; members responded supportively. The committee also heard HB 1729, which would impose term limits on Freeport commissioners, and HB 3751, transferring a DPS commercial vehicle enforcement office building in Woodville from TxDOT to DPS. HB 3611, the “bandit sign” bill, was presented as a targeted enforcement measure against illegal commercial signs in medians and right-of-ways, with added safeguards to avoid affecting political signs and to require written notice before fines. All of these bills were left pending after testimony. At the end of the meeting, the committee took up pending business and voted out multiple bills favorably. HB 3751, HB 261/HB 2061, HB 647, HB 791, HB 1242, HB 1729, HB 2003, HB 2029, HB 2775, HB 3611, HB 4804, and HB 2522 were each reported favorably to the full Senate, generally on unanimous or near-unanimous votes. Most were also sent to the local and uncontested calendar, though HB 2029 was ultimately not placed there after an objection. The committee then recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Helping to work on additional amendments with my colleagues in the Republican Party.

Bills: SB66 , SB317 , SB393 , SB397 , SB456 , SB614 , SB628 , SB629 , SB636 , SB715 , SB731 , SB801 , SB872 , SB905 , SB986 , SB1012 , SB1013 , SB1015 , SB1032 , SB1113 , SB1181 , SB1212 , SB1241 , SB1250 , SB1278 , SB1285 , SB1376 , SB1444 , SB1449 , SB1524 , SB1525 , SB1528 , SB1556 , SB1588 , SB1660 , SB1704 , SB1708 , SB1802 , SB1833 , SB1844 , SB1854 , SB1863 , SB1957 , SB1959 , SB1965 , SB1999 , SB2035 , SB2056 , SB2082 , SB2119 , SB2138 , SB2165 , SB2199 , SB2201 , SB2203 , SB2245 , SB2284 , SB2419 , SB2422 , SB2452 , SB2487 , SB2523 , SB2529 , SB2533 , SB2541 , SB2586 , SB2595 , SB2605 , SB2615 , SB2675 , SB2690 , SB2717 , SB2753 , SB2778 , SB2835 , SB2841 , SB2891 , SB2929 , SB2933 , SB3016 , SB3039 , SB3044 , HB912 , HB2525 , SJR3 , SB5 , SB29 , SB326 , SB494 , SB530 , SB769 , SB783 , SB963 , SB1238 , SB1271 , SB1786 , SB1967 , SB2312 , SB72 , SB616 , SB1143 , SB1172 , SB1267 , SB1273 , SB1506 , SB1759 , SB2361 , SB1 , SB260 , SB1637 , SJR36 , SJR50 , SJR63 , SJR59 , SCR12 , SCR39 , SCR48 , SCR19 , SB2023 , SB1524 , SB2422 , SB2119 , SB2753 , SB1863 , SB62 , SB666 , SB847 , SB284 , SB854 , SB1073 , SB810 , SB1505 , SB583 , SB507 , SB1434 , SB1376 , SB1772 , SB2016 , SB1163 , SB1122 , SB731 , SB397 , SB508 , SB1436 , SB287 , SB261 , SB1882 , SB393 , SB1791 , SB209 , SB2429 , SB1999 , SB511 , SB2309 , SB510 , SB1085 , SB1975 , SB2717 , SB1262 , SB636 , SB2056 , SB884 , SB517 , SB1200 , SB1845 , SB2681 , SB2199 , SB2458 , SB801 , SB2533 , SB3014 , SB3013 , SB758 , SB1013 , SB2797 , SB2076 , SB2876 , SB2284 , SB2929 , SB2595 , SB715 , SB1640 , SB1241 , SB2538 , SB1449 , SB2529 , SB986 , SB1181 , SB1359 , SB2245 , SB410 , SB1234 , SB456 , SB1012 , SB2926 , SB2138 , SB2615 , SB2972 , SB2841 , SB3016 , SB1856 , SB2035 , SB1528 , SB1373 , SB672 , SB2891 , SB1854 , SB317 , SB2539 , SB2532 , SB1250 , SB2082 , SB2203 , SB1285 , SB1959 , SB1454 , SB2520 , SB2541 , SB1708 , SB1237 , SB1844 , SB1586 , SB3039 , SB2819 , SB66 , SB629 , SB1015 , SB2342 , SB2903 , SB2933 , SB1965 , SB2477 , SB3029 , SB2605 , SB2419 , SB1957 , SB375 , SB250 , SB777 , SB628 , SB2523 , SB2367 , SB2703 , SB2608 , SB2778 , SB3044 , SB2965 , SB2521 , SB865 , SB1032 , SB2165 , SB2501 , SB2675 , SB2452 , SB2835 , SB872 , SB1212 , SB1278 , SB1588 , SB1602 , SB1704 , SB1723 , SB1833 , SB1858 , SB1946 , SB2009 , SB2177 , SB2460 , SB2785 , SB2373 , SB1660 , SB614 , SB867 , SB1608 , SB1525 , SB905 , SB640 , SB2487 , SB1698 , SB383 , SB705 , SB748 , SB1113 , SB1117 , SB1802 , SB2340 , SB2586 , SB2680 , SB2690 , SB2994 , SB2747 , SB1950 , SB913 , SB1071 , SB1086 , SB1087 , SB1483 , SB1444 , SB1553 , SB1556 , SB1703 , SB2133 , SB2297 , SB2298 , SB2622 , SB2955 , SB3059 , SB2782 , SB2781 , SB2637 , SB2633 , SB2337 , SB2334 , SB1861 , SB2043 , SB1367 , SB946 , SB945 , SB2857 , SB128 , SB571 , SB1263 , SB3058 , SB612 , SB2221 , SB2587 , SB2044 , SB2363 , SB2713 , HB1109 , HB1392 , HB22 , HB2525 , HB3093 , HB517 , HB912 , HB1130 , HB142 , HB1689 , HB2018 , SB2311 , SB1986 , SB2565 , SB2943 , SB1888 , SB2417 , SB3048 , SB3052 , SB3053 , SB3036 , SB3057 , SB3056 , SB3043 , SB3037 , SB3050 , SB3063 , SB3047 , SB3035 , HJR98 , HJR99 , HB136 , HB2884 , HB1393 , HB2730 , HB1399 , HB1244 , HB467 , HB331 , HB2559

Keywords: disability, supported decision-making, legal assistance, confidentiality, access to justice, autonomy, civil rights, advocacy, monuments, memorials, public property, historical significance, civil penalties, local governance, SB 393, Sparks, Middleton, local government, political subdivision, public securities

Transcript Highlights:

• But nothing like the eagle eye of the senior Republican on the local government because he's been there

Bills: SB 250 , SB 375 , SB 536 , SB 845 , SB 1633 , SB 1944 , SB 1957 , SB 2081 , SB 2137 , SB 2262 , SB 2299 , SB 2419 , SB 2452 , SB 2522 , SB 2549 , SB 2594 , SB 2605 , SB 2631 , SB 2639 , SB 2675 , SB 3029 , SJR 60 , HB 22 , HB 1392 , HB 2525

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: municipal annexation, railroad, adjacent areas, local government, property rights, healthcare provider, Harris County Hospital District, hospital funding, healthcare services, public health program, home loans, nurses, veterans, public servants, Texas Heroes program, low-interest loans, social workers, housing assistance, SB 1633, Texas Tax Code

Transcript Highlights:

• With me now is Republican Senator Bill Lieske [member_13567], who says these small businesses can have

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've had to be able to prove that the majority of Republicans on a committee will support my legislation

Bills: SB330

Committee: Senate County and Municipal Government

Keywords: water management, regional boards, municipal governance, ethics compliance, public utility, 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• leadership, your bipartisan approach to saying we can stand. together, and by the way, this isn't a Republican

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Just for the record, in 1971, I was a member of College Republicans on the campus of the University of

Bills: HF1646 , HF2443

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: medical debt, debt relief, healthcare financing, consumer protection, financial hardship, commerce, cannabis, insurance, housing, ombudsperson, affordability, property, task force, financial institutions

Transcript Highlights:

• public, in secret, in violation of the law. of the House rules with Democrat chairmen silencing Republicans

Bills: SB1 , HB500 , SB 1

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, state budget, mental health funding, education funding, infrastructure improvements, public safety, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• like Representative Wit, along with the senators and other House members, are involved, with both Republicans

Bills: SB197 , HB140 , SB214 , HB214 , HB147 , HB270 , SB73

Committee: House Fiscal Responsibility

Keywords: business regulation, nonprofit entities, electronic filing, merger agreements, limited liability companies, partnerships, property transfer, termination fees, HB140, private sewer systems, wastewater utilities, Public Service Commission, PSC jurisdiction, utility regulation, rate setting, rate consolidation, affiliated systems, common ownership, private utilities, sewer rates

Transcript Highlights:

• Every Democrat and every Republican said, let's study advanced nuclear, sometimes called small modular

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Republican Senator Mark Koran [member_11347], thank you for being here.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Baylor remains a vital part of the Republican Party. of Texas higher education and I am proud to welcome

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm now joined by the ranking minority member of the Education Finance Committee, Republican Senator

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• whether you're a renter or owner, whether you're young or older, more seasoned, whether you're Republican

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our Republican Conference has had an anti-Semitism working Group that's proposed a number of pieces of
• Madam President, the Republican Conference will meet at 5:45 in 315 of the Capitol Building. >> The Senate
• Madam President, the Republican Conference will meet at 5:45 in 315 of the Capitol Building. >> The Senate

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior day’s journal, and then processed a large number of motions to discharge bills from committees and substitute identical Senate or Assembly versions for third reading. The chamber also adopted the resolution calendar with exceptions and took up several resolutions and ceremonial recognitions, including a resolution mourning Hudson Talbott, a Dairy Month resolution highlighting New York’s dairy industry, and introductions honoring Niskayuna academic teams, Gabriella Scheer for receiving the Liberty Medal, the Hartstein family’s civic engagement, and Diana Cochran’s advocacy for safe firearm storage. The Senate then moved through the calendar and passed many bills on topics including insurance, public health, education, labor, social services, banking, local government, veterans, public service, consumer protection, criminal procedure, cannabis, parks, taxation, election law, and highway matters. Several members explained votes on notable measures: support for acupuncture insurance coverage, consumer protections for doorbell-camera data sharing, expanded protections in debt collection cases, trauma-informed procedures for sexual assault survivors, a Legionnaires’ disease awareness program, changes to mandatory minimum sentencing, and universal safe storage of firearms. A number of home rule and local authorization bills were also approved, including parkland alienation measures and local tax exemption authorizations. Most measures passed with broad bipartisan support, though some drew recorded opposition. Notable roll calls included the consumer debt uniformity bill, the mandatory minimum sentencing bill, the safe storage/firearms bill, and the public housing and public health measures, each with more divided votes. The chamber also accepted a lengthy Rules Committee report sending many additional bills directly to third reading, and then began the supplemental calendar, passing at least the first items before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, I still think this bill sort of unfairly targets Republican plays, but I do appreciate the improvements
• They've come to be the fourth highest in the nation under Republican control, and so I think that's an
• And to continue down the status quo, or to raise other taxes, since you brought up the Republican control

Keywords: 9:00am HB 158 9:10am HB 281 9:20am HB 317 9:30am HB 340 9:40am HB 1062 9:50am HB 1187 10:00am HB 1234 10:10am HB 1300 10:20am HB 1306 10:30am HB 1381 10:40am HB 1541, 928, house, all

Summary: The committee of conference first resolved House Bill 158, which concerns public inspection of absentee ballot lists. The Senate explained a revised approach that removed the broader bill language and instead directed the Secretary of State to review absentee ballot data after each general election for patterns such as common addresses and to report findings to the committees of jurisdiction. The House agreed to the Senate position, and the conference committee voted unanimously to concur. The committee then took up House Bill 281, dealing with a sortable electronic voter checklist. Members debated the Senate’s removal of language that would have included the absentee ballot mailing address when different from the voter’s registration address. Concerns were raised that releasing mailing addresses could expose where voters are not home and could affect overseas and military voters. The committee also discussed a related form for election officials who personally know a voter, including how long the form would be retained and whether it would be subject to public records law. After further discussion, the House agreed to the Senate changes with an additional requirement that the form be signed, and the committee voted to proceed with the amended Senate position. House Bill 317, concerning verification of a person’s identity by a supervisor of the checklist without identification, was also discussed at length. The Senate’s version preserved the ability for election officials to identify people they know, but required a signed form under penalty of perjury and added a nursing home-related provision. Members described the measure as balancing community-based identification with tighter documentation, and a House witness described local problems with inconsistent ID checks and concerns about voting in nursing homes. The House sought one additional change requiring the nursing home verification form to be signed, and the Senate accepted that addition; the committee then voted to move the bill forward on the consent calendar. The conference committee next considered House Bill 340 on electioneering by public employees. The chair presented a replace-all amendment that tied the definition of electioneering to existing law, added a prohibition on expressly or primarily political surveys, and created a civil penalty of up to $1,000 alongside the misdemeanor penalty. Members discussed clarifying when the misdemeanor versus civil penalty would apply and which categories of public employees were covered. After caucus, the Senate agreed to the House’s replace-all approach with the clarifying changes, and the bill was closed. The committee also resolved House Bill 1062 by agreeing to strike a sunset clause from the Senate version authorizing random audits of citizenship qualifications, and it began discussion of House Bill 1187 on the filing window for special-election candidates, where the House proposed requiring local election officials to arrange a filing time on the same day or next business day after being contacted.

Transcript Highlights:

• that the industry is in a sweet spot where, as we transition from a Democratic administration to a Republican
• And then we transition to, you know, a Republican administration where those regulations are stripped
• We've seen a Republican administration support this.

Committee: Joint Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we spoke with Senator Weisenberg because we were interested in the bill, and two of the Republican
• The two Republican authors volunteered to take their names off so that it would meet the policy of this
• I then became a co-author of the bill so that not only does it not have all five Republican authors,

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the last year, the President and Republicans in Congress have made it their top priority to attack
• Both Democratic and Republican administrations have stood by the Senate.
• Both Democratic and Republican administrations have stood by these commitments in the past.

Summary: The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on the impacts of H.R. 1 on California’s safety net, focusing on Medi-Cal and CalFresh. The chair and vice chair framed the issue as a major federal disruption that would reduce benefits and shift costs to the state, counties, hospitals, and other local systems. The first panel included the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the Department of Finance, the UC Berkeley Labor Center, and the Food Research and Action Center, each describing projected enrollment losses, higher state and county costs, and implementation challenges. The LAO outlined H.R. 1’s main changes: new and expanded work requirements, more frequent eligibility redeterminations, restrictions on certain non-citizen eligibility, and financing changes affecting provider taxes and federal matching rates. The LAO estimated that 1 to 2 million people could be disenrolled from Medi-Cal and more than 600,000 could lose CalFresh, with additional costs from reduced federal support and possible state and county administrative burdens. The Department of Finance said the Governor’s budget includes about $1.4 billion General Fund in 2026-27 to respond to H.R. 1, with larger out-year reductions in federal funds and projected Medi-Cal caseload losses of up to 2 million by 2029-30. The UC Berkeley Labor Center projected up to 3 million Californians could lose full-scope Medi-Cal by 2028 when H.R. 1 is combined with state budget changes, while noting the state could choose policies that would reduce some of those losses. The Food Research and Action Center warned that CalFresh cuts and time limits would increase hunger, worsen health outcomes, and strain local economies and emergency systems. Members questioned the witnesses about procedural disenrollments, regional variation, the overall growth in Medi-Cal spending, the future of the MCO tax, the CalFresh error rate, and the downstream effects on hospitals and county indigent care. Several senators argued that the federal law was driven by tax cuts for high-income earners and would disproportionately harm low-income Californians, immigrants, and communities of color. Administration witnesses said some impacts are still being analyzed, that counties and departments are working on implementation, and that the Legislature may need to use statute, reporting, and oversight tools as federal guidance develops. No votes or formal actions were taken during this portion of the hearing.