Video & Transcript Research : 'CAP'
Page 196 of 284
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
CPC Public Hearing - Thu Apr 9, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST
Consumer Protection & Commerce
Transcript Highlights:
- Second, these are annual adjustments that are capped at 5%, and they'd be known months in advance.
- annual adjustments Second, these are annual adjustments that<01:17:23.440>
are <01:17:23.560>capped - c> and<01:17:25.360>
that <01:17:25.440>they'd <01:17:25.600>be that are capped - at 5% and that they'd be that are capped at 5% and that they'd be known<01:17:25.920>
months <
Keywords:
SB3302, homemade food products, farm kitchens, home kitchens, Department of Health, DOH, food safety, food labeling, value-added agriculture, small farms, agricultural land, commercial food establishment permit, cottage food, direct-to-consumer sales, local food systems, Hawaii Revised Statutes, chapter 91, farm-to-table, food processing, public health regulation
Summary:
The committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce met on April 9, 2026, and heard testimony on several measures. SB 3302 SD1 HD1, dealing with homemade food products, would require the Department of Health to adopt rules for farm kitchens producing homemade food products that are no more stringent than rules for home kitchens. The Department of Health said it supported the bill with technical amendments, and the Hawaii Food Industry Association and Grassroot Institute of Hawaii also supported it. No opposition was heard.
A lengthy discussion focused on SB 2061 SD2 HD1, which concerns a 99-year leasehold residential condominium project and HCDA’s rules for sales, income restrictions, and buyback pricing. HCDA supported the bill and said the House draft clarified unclear provisions and would help move the project to pre-sales. Testimony and committee questions centered on whether the project should remain owner-occupied in perpetuity or allow investor purchases after an initial sales period. HCDA explained that the bill was revised to make the project feasible in the market, that 60% of units would be income-restricted for buyers at or below 140% of area median income, and that the remaining units could be sold without owner-occupancy restrictions. Some members and testifiers expressed concern that the bill had shifted away from the original owner-occupancy vision and could become an investment property model, while others argued the changes were necessary for the project to pencil out and compete with fee-simple developments. No vote was taken during the discussion shown.
The committee also heard SB 2050 SD1 HD1, which would allow chiropractic students in accredited programs to engage in clinical practice beginning July 1, 2028. The Hawaii Board of Chiropractic and the Hawaii State Chiropractic Association supported the measure, and one testifier described personal experience with student chiropractic care in California. Members questioned why the board requested delaying implementation until 2030, and the board said it needed more time to develop rules because it meets only a few times a year and rulemaking is lengthy. Finally, SB 2102 SD2 HD1, on industrial hemp in commercial feed, was introduced; the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity offered comments, the Department of Health raised concerns about regulating pet food and possible jurisdictional conflict, and a farmer testifying in support suggested narrowing the bill to federally approved livestock feed rather than pet food.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Health and Human Services - 04/09/26
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- committee, and the finance committee to refine the list of qualified hospitals, the payment range, and the caps
- qualified hospitals, the payment range,<01:34:30.400>
and <01:34:30.520>the <01:34:30.600>caps - /c><01:34:31.240>
balance <01:34:31.640>the <01:34:31.720>very range, and the caps - to balance the very range, and the caps to balance the very real<01:34:32.280>
headwinds <01:34
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Agriculture Committee Meeting - 2026-04-08
Agriculture Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- The farmers' contribution is capped at $500 per tractor.
- The farmers uh contribution<01:11:19.600>
is <01:11:19.840>capped <01:11:20.080>at - c><01:11:20.400>
$500 <01:11:21.120>per contribution is capped at $500 per contribution- is capped at $500 per tractor.<01:11:22.239>
To <01:11:22.480>be <01:11:22.640>eligible - c><01:11:20.400>
Keywords:
energy, renewable energy, ammonia, hydrogen, certificate tracking, funding, environment, elk, cervidae, cervid importation, chronic wasting disease, CWD, animal health, livestock, wildlife disease, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, state veterinarian, zoo, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, AZA
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- And so this design, uh, I would just like when Cap Board reached out for um ideas of designs, I think
- so this design uh I would just<00:04:42.240>
like just like just like when<00:04:43.480>Cap - 44.520>
out <00:04:44.880>for <00:04:45.800>um <00:04:46.200>ideas when Cap - Board reached out for um ideas when Cap Board reached out for um ideas of<00:04:46.800>
designs,<
Keywords:
HF4470, Melissa Hortman, memorial, statue, memorial garden, State Office Building, Capitol Mall Design Framework, capital investment, appropriation, Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board, Department of Administration, public art, commemorative monument, landscaping, artist selection, family consultation, Minnesota legislature, state building site, capital appropriation, political subdivisions
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Children and Family Law (03/24/2026)
Children and Family Law
Transcript Highlights:
- fact, the child care scholarship is the only subsidy program in New Hampshire that doesn't have an age cap
- doesn't<02:38:00.319>
have <02:38:00.560>an <02:38:00.800>age <02:38:01.120>cap - Hampshire that doesn't have an age cap on its work requirements.
- so much for our state, and SB 608 would remove these barriers by simply removing that cost share, capping
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
MS Senate Floor - 12 March, 2026; 10:00 AM
Mississippi Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- dealt with the opioid crisis in our state, and there is a line-item appropriation, but there's also a cap
- 01:14:49.440>
a item appropriation, but there's also a item appropriation, but there's also a cap - 01:14:51.480>
on <01:14:51.680>the <01:14:51.760>number <01:14:52.040>of cap - that exists on the number of cap that exists on the number of participants,<01:14:53.600>
and
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum present, opened with prayer and the pledge, and then dispensed with the reading of the journal, committee reports, and bill titles. The chamber also recognized several guests and groups, including the doctor of the day, visitors from Quebec, the Sumrall High School boys soccer team, Starkville public safety officials, and the Hattiesburg High School choral arts program. A resolution honoring the long-standing partnership between Quebec and Mississippi was read and adopted, and Ms. Nathalie Rivard of Quebec addressed the Senate about historical ties and economic cooperation between Quebec and Mississippi.
The Senate then moved through a series of procedural actions on the calendar, including multiple motions to table reconsideration on medical cannabis and ARPA-related bills, and several motions to not concur and invite conference on workforce and budget measures. Among those were Senate Bill 2294, the Mississippi Future Innovators Act, Senate Bill 2288 on workforce training, Senate Bill 2401 on workforce development, Senate Bill 2189 on budget transfers, Senate Bill 2895 on ARPA funds, and Senate Bill 2917 on appropriations transfers. These motions were adopted, sending the measures to conference or otherwise advancing them as noted.
A major portion of the meeting focused on appropriations bills. House Bill 1935, the Education Department appropriation, was explained in detail and adopted after a strike-all amendment; the bill includes funding for the student formula, teacher and assistant pay raises, special education supplements, school attendance officers, testing contracts, early learning coaches, and CTE instructor raises, with offsets from reduced or eliminated line items such as school safety platforms and certain vendor programs. The Senate also adopted strike-all amendments and passed House Bills 1936 and 1937 for Mississippi Public Broadcasting and the Library Commission, and then moved on to House Bill 1933 for the Bureau of Building. The Senate recessed until 2:30 p.m. and announced an appropriations meeting shortly after recess, while leadership noted that many supplemental appropriations bills would be considered later with attention to whether they contained reverse repealers and would go to conference or final passage.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- That's the income cap and what this program looks like.
- That's the income cap<01:36:55.199>
and <01:36:55.360>what <01:36:55.520>this <01 - cap and what this program looks like. cap and what this program looks like.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee 3/4/26
Agriculture Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Here’s the thing, there’s also no cap on crop insurance.
- Here's the thing, there's also no<00:15:40.480>
cap <00:15:40.720>on <00:15:40.880>crop - <00:15:42.000>
So, <00:15:42.240>fun <00:15:42.480>little no cap on crop insurance - So, fun little no cap on crop insurance.
Bills:
HF3718
Keywords:
veterinary medicine, veterinary technology, animal care, licensing, client consent, continuing education, emergency services, teletriage, 1183, house
Summary:
The Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee met with quorum present, approved the March 2 minutes, and then heard a presentation on economic consolidation in agriculture from Austin Ferk, who said he was not taking additional public testimony. Ferk argued that consolidation in meat, dairy, and grain markets has squeezed farmers on both input and output prices, raised consumer prices, and reduced product quality. He used charts and examples to claim that concentrated markets lead to price gouging, that farmers now receive a historically low share of each food dollar, and that industrial production has contributed to environmental problems, especially in Iowa.
Ferk focused on several large agribusiness firms, especially JBS and Cargill. He described JBS as a dominant meatpacker with a history of bribery allegations and market power across beef, pork, poultry, and leather, and said its ownership of brands can obscure who is actually selling the product. He also criticized Cargill as an opaque, privately held company with enormous influence over grain and food markets, and said the farm bill and crop insurance system have been shaped to favor overproduction of corn and soy rather than diversified farming. He argued that these policies, along with ethanol demand and export-oriented livestock production, have harmed rural communities, increased manure and nitrate pollution, and contributed to health problems.
In the latter part of the presentation, Ferk discussed antitrust and policy responses, including concentration studies, a proposed packer ban that would prevent meatpackers from owning the animals they slaughter, and restrictions on slotting fees and other pay-to-play practices in grocery retail. He also referenced the failed Kroger-Albertsons merger as an example of consolidation harming local communities. No committee vote or formal action was taken on the presentation beyond approving the minutes.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Housing Finance and Policy Committee 3/3/26
Housing Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Housing received 418 contribution requests for over $15 million, well surpassing the $9.9 million credit cap
- surpassing the $9.9 million, well surpassing the $9.9 million<00:05:13.440>
credit <00:05:13.759>cap - <00:05:14.639>
This <00:05:14.880>overs million credit cap. - This overs million credit cap.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement - 03/03/26
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- We're ending it, you know, and so I mean I could see, okay, we could, you know, put a cap on how much
- you<01:32:07.040>
know, <01:32:07.199>put <01:32:07.360>a <01:32:07.520>cap - ><01:32:07.760>
on <01:32:08.000>how <01:32:08.239>much could, you know, put a cap - on how much could, you know, put a cap on how much we<01:32:08.719>
allow, <01:32:09.840>you
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
February 2026 State Budget and Economic Forecast Presentation - 2/27/26
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- There are cuts to and caps on student loans that are pushing college out of reach.
- are<01:29:43.040>
cuts <01:29:43.360>to <01:29:43.679>and <01:29:43.920>caps - <01:29:44.239>
on <01:29:44.480>student There are cuts to and caps on student There - are cuts to and caps on student loans<01:29:45.199>
that <01:29:45.520>are <01:29:45.679
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
CPC Public Hearing - Tue Feb 24, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST
Consumer Protection & Commerce
Transcript Highlights:
- They said this bill probably has some good elements, but there needs to be a cap, and 20 percent is a
- There needs<00:50:37.440>
to <00:50:37.520>be <00:50:37.680>a <00:50:37.839>cap - needs to be a cap. Uh, 20% is a lot. needs to be a cap. Uh, 20% is a lot.
Keywords:
natural hair braiding, registration, Barbering and Cosmetology Licensing Act, public health, sanitation, cumulative voting, associations, unit owners, board of directors, elections, Hawaii Revised Statutes, condominium, association meetings, electronic voting, proxy voting, mail voting, insurance, premium increase, policy cancellation, licensing
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on HB 1697, which would exempt natural hair braiders from licensing requirements under certain conditions. The DCCA Board of Barbering and Cosmetology said it recognizes braiding as within the scope of cosmetology practice but warned that a broad exemption could create consumer protection gaps, especially around sanitation training, tool use, and enforcement. Supporters from the Institute for Justice and the Grassroots Institute of Hawaii argued the current licensing regime is overly burdensome and unrelated to braiding, citing the 1,250-hour training requirement, high tuition costs, barriers for low-income entrepreneurs, and the fact that many other states already exempt braiders. Committee members asked whether a standalone sanitation course or similar training could address the board’s concerns, and the board said it would bring that idea back for discussion. The committee also noted 16 written testimonies in support and 2 in opposition.
The committee then took up HB 1678, relating to condominium and planned community association elections using cumulative voting. Supporters, including the Hawaii State Association of Parliamentarians, said the bill would clarify that cumulative voting applies to all candidates, including write-ins, and would help resolve confusion in association elections. One testifier urged the committee to remove proxy voting, calling it an abuse of power in some associations, while another asked whether cumulative voting and proxies could be manipulated to stack votes. In response, the parliamentarian explained that cumulative voting and proxy voting are different, that proxies simply allow someone to vote on another’s behalf, and that existing deadlines and counting procedures reduce opportunities for abuse. Testimony also emphasized that electronic or mail voting can be secure and efficient, and that the bill would make the process clearer and more democratic.
Finally, the committee heard testimony on HB 1679, which would clarify an association board’s authority over electronic meetings, electronic voting, voting without a meeting, and mail voting without a meeting. Supporters said the measure would clean up statutory language, make electronic voting optional, and fix problems created by a 2024 change that made written-consent timing rules difficult to use for association actions. They also said the bill would clarify that proxies are only used at meetings, not for actions taken without a meeting. One opponent argued the bill needs further amendment because electronic voting is not well defined and could be abused, and questioned the neutrality of parliamentarians testifying on condominium bills. No votes were taken on any of the measures during the portion of the meeting provided.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- state bonding support for public library and the library construction grants and an increase in the cap
- /c><01:42:29.119>
increase <01:42:29.360>in <01:42:29.520>the <01:42:29.679>cap - <01:42:29.920>
from <01:42:30.239>1 grants and an increase in the cap from 1 grants - and an increase in the cap from 1 million<01:42:30.639>
to <01:42:30.800>$2 <01:42:31.040
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- If there is a whole lot of technical glitches that come out, then I put my thinking cap on and I say,
- glitches that come out, then I put my glitches that come out, then I put my thinking<01:09:24.640>
cap - 25.279>
I <01:09:25.440>say, <01:09:25.520>"Wait <01:09:25.920>a thinking cap - on and I say, "Wait a thinking cap on and I say, "Wait a minute.<01:09:27.120>
That <01:09:27.359
Summary:
The Alabama Senate convened with prayer and the pledge, then established a quorum with 27 senators present. The body excused absent senators, approved the previous day’s journal, and allowed bills and committee reports to be introduced throughout the day. The Senate also welcomed guests in the gallery, including Auburn University McCarter School of Building Science students and retired MPD Sergeant Martin Bean.
The chamber received multiple House messages and gubernatorial confirmations, referring several local bills and appointments to the appropriate committees. Committee reports included favorable action on Senate Bills 298 and 91 from County and Municipal Government, and House Bills 297, 365, and 436 from Local Legislation. The Senate adopted several resolutions, including recognitions for Tharptown Baptist Church, Tuskegee University Day, Dr. Bradley Heim, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, McGill-Toolen Catholic High School volleyball, and a special order calendar resolution setting priority bills for the 15th legislative day.
On local bills, the Senate advanced and gave final passage to a series of county and municipal measures, including SB 301 (Perry County), SB 314 (Morgan County), SB 295 (Montgomery County), SB 312 (Marshall County), HB 371 (Pike County constitutional amendment), HB 386 (Elmore County), HB 330 (Etowah County), HB 409 (City of Alabaster), HB 408 (Shelby County), SB 299 (Barbour County), HB 416 (Cleburne County), and HB 421 (Lawrence County constitutional amendment). HB 337 on Madison County was carried over. The Senate also adopted a resolution honoring Alabama’s record-breaking economic development year, citing major investments and job creation, and heard a lengthy Black History recognition segment on W.E.B. Du Bois, Patricia Roberts Harris, Langston Hughes, and Maya Angelou.
The main policy discussion centered on Senate Bill 240 regarding parole hearings, with the sponsor explaining it would allow the Pardons and Parole Board to hear from inmates and victims by phone or video to reduce travel burdens and improve access. The sponsor said an amendment was being worked on and moved to carry the bill over to the call of the chair, while another senator raised questions about whether inmates currently have an in-person opportunity to speak and whether board members would be able to question participants remotely.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Jobs and Economic Development - 02/23/26
Jobs and Economic Development
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- I will flag that municipalities can adopt local tax caps.
- Those local tax caps are subject to a three-fifths majority approval for any additional spending beyond
- the tax cap.
- six municipalities that do have that process for three-fifths of those who attend to override the tax cap
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- It'll go to market with a cap price of 4%. >> Yeah, they could sell it to anyone at that indexed rate
- It'll go to market with a cap price of 4%. >> Yeah, they could sell it to anyone at that indexed rate
- What is our current, like, in terms of applications and the amount that's currently capped, or the amount
- helpful for the rental housing revolving fund, which is in high demand and often hitting its funding caps
Bills:
HB2611, HB2102, HB1710, HB1868, HB1920, HB1812, HB1733, HB1715, HB1723, HB1724, HB1727, HB1711
Keywords:
HB2611, Hawaii antitrust, rental housing, rent price-fixing, algorithmic pricing, algorithmic rent-setting, property management software, pricing algorithms, rent coordination, price-fixing, collusion, cartel, multifamily housing, landlord software, occupancy levels, lease terms, Attorney General, public education program, consumer protection, housing affordability
Summary:
The committee first took up HB 2611, which would prohibit algorithmic price-setting in Hawaii’s rental market, require public education by the Attorney General, and establish fines and penalties. The Department of the Attorney General opposed the bill, saying its language was too unclear and could expose landlords and agents to criminal and civil liability for ordinary rent-setting practices based on public information or assistance from property professionals. Members asked about antitrust standards, tacit agreement, and whether using county-published affordable-rent schedules would be unlawful; the AG said that would not be unlawful if based on public information and without collusion. Testimony was mixed, with the chair noting support from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii Realtors with comments, 50501 Hawaii and General Strike Hawaii, Haloha Project, 13 individuals, and one opponent.
The committee then heard HB 2102, which clarifies that residential projects involving ground disturbance in high-risk areas remain subject to state historic preservation review and removes an exemption for lands presumed nominally sensitive. The Office of Planning and Sustainable Development and the Department of Planning and Permitting supported the measure, saying it would improve clarity and ensure review focuses on projects most likely to affect historic properties or iwi kupuna, while also urging language refinements to better define sensitive sandy-soil areas and balance preservation with housing timelines. NAP Hawaii opposed the bill, arguing it would undo progress made last session and that the current process already includes protections for inadvertent discoveries and efficiency for lower-risk areas.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs strongly supported HB 2102, explaining it was responding to beneficiary complaints about late-added language in last year’s law and saying the nominally sensitive-area language should be removed because it was adopted without sufficient stakeholder input and could be harmful to iwi kupuna protections. Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation and several individuals also supported the bill. Committee discussion focused on how “nominally sensitive” areas are determined, whether project proponents could self-certify areas as exempt, and how high-density residential projects should be treated; SHPD said it uses survey and monitoring data to map sensitivity, that highly sensitive areas like Kīauea are not nominally sensitive, and that some high-density projects should remain exempt if they do not involve new ground disturbance. The hearing included no final vote in the portion provided, but the chair noted 48 individuals in support and continued questioning on the bill’s definitions and implementation.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- helping them put together the budget for NIL, but we've seen a wide range of schools commit to the cap
- helping them put together the budget for NIL, but we've seen a wide range of schools commit to the cap
- helping them put together the budget for NIL, but we've seen a wide range of schools commit to the cap
- helping them put together the budget for NIL, but we've seen a wide range of schools commit to the cap
Keywords:
student-athletes, name image likeness, NIL, compensation, transparency, University of Hawaii, Title IX, funding, protections, athlete agents, student athletes, endorsement contracts, professional representation, registration requirements, sports law, 912, senate, all
Summary:
The joint committees heard testimony on Senate Bill 3263, which would create a state-supported endowment for University of Hawaii athletics NIL (name, image, and likeness) funding. University of Hawaii Athletics Director Matt Eliott supported the bill, saying NIL requires both immediate funding and a longer-term sustainable solution. He asked for several changes: lowering the initial endowment target from $10 million to $2 million so the fund could start sooner, allowing NIL reporting by team rather than by individual student-athlete, and clarifying that athletes may choose whether to use an agent, while still allowing certified agents or a parent/guardian if desired.
Committee members raised concerns about using taxpayer dollars for athlete compensation, the burden on a small-state budget, and whether the university could realistically raise the required matching funds. Several senators questioned whether the university had a concrete fundraising plan and whether the endowment would meaningfully help UH compete with larger programs. Eliott said UH is already fundraising privately for current NIL obligations, had raised more than $1.6 million toward a $3 million annual goal, and would continue fundraising for both short-term needs and the endowment match. He also said the university is not trying to compete with Power Five schools on the same scale, but to be successful at its own conference level.
Members also discussed transparency and privacy, with some senators arguing that if state money is used, the public should know how it is spent, while Eliott said individual student-athlete NIL information should remain private and team-level reporting would be preferable. He confirmed international student-athletes are eligible for NIL and said about 60 to 70 UH athletes are currently participating, with more than 100 expected next year. The discussion also touched on UH’s Mountain West media rights and local TV rights, with Eliott explaining that the conference distribution is expected to remain around $3.5 million and that local TV rights would be negotiated separately. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on Health Services (9-16-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- They will now be required to make co-payments capped at $35 per service or 5% of total family income
- So what the bill does, what HR1 does, is it caps new state directed payments at 100% of Medicare or a
- And so there has been in some states a cap on the amount of THC per package at 50 milligrams or less
- And so there has been in some states a cap on the amount of THC per package at 50 milligrams or less
Summary:
The committee met and approved the minutes from its August 27 meeting. It then received a presentation from Katherine Castanza of the National Conference of State Legislators on the Medicaid provisions in the 2025 budget reconciliation bill, referred to as HR1. She explained that the bill is estimated by CBO to save the federal government $911 billion over 10 years, with more than 20 Medicaid-specific provisions, most of the savings concentrated in five policies and largely backloaded into 2030-2034. She emphasized that the bill’s effects will vary by state, but that expansion states and hospitals are expected to be most affected, in part because of changes to eligibility, provider taxes, and state-directed payments.
Castanza highlighted several new funding and flexibility provisions, including a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund for 2026-2030 and a new home- and community-based services waiver option effective July 1, 2028, with $100 million in grants in fiscal year 2027. She also outlined major eligibility changes for Medicaid expansion adults: work or community engagement requirements effective January 1, 2027; twice-yearly redeterminations for the expansion population effective the same date; and new cost sharing for certain expansion adults effective October 1, 2028. She noted that Kentucky, as an expansion state, would be subject to these changes and that state agencies would face significant implementation demands, especially because federal guidance and timelines are tight.
A substantial portion of the presentation focused on financing changes. Castanza described new limits on provider taxes, including a 0% safe harbor for new taxes and a phased reduction for existing taxes in expansion states beginning in 2028, while nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities are exempt from the reduction if already taxed. She also explained that state-directed payments will be capped and phased down over time, with existing arrangements grandfathered only briefly; she said Kentucky has 11 approved state-directed payments and could see significant fiscal effects. She added that the bill also bars Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood or similarly situated providers for one year, changes immigrant eligibility rules effective October 1, 2026, lowers the federal match for certain emergency services, and expands the scope of the federal erroneous payment recoupment provision effective October 1, 2029. Throughout, she stressed that federal savings may translate into state cost shifts and that implementation timing will be critical.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- It still caps the THC dosing, still limits the conditions.
- And if you want potency caps, safe packaging, ID checks, great. We're here with you on that.
- And if you want potency caps, safe packaging, ID checks, great. We're here with you on that.
- I'd like to ask you to instead consider capping lobbying, maybe a half percent of each entity's general
Keywords:
disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting, human trafficking, trafficking victim, compelling prostitution, affirmative defense, criminal defense, coercion, force fraud or coercion, sexual exploitation, victim protection, Penal Code, Texas criminal law, prosecution, party liability, affirmative defense statute, survivor rights
Summary:
The Senate Committee on State Affairs took up Senate Bill 5, which Senator Perry described as a ban on intoxicating THC consumer products while preserving legal CBD, CBG, hemp seed, hemp seed protein powder, and hemp seed oil products. Perry argued that most retail THC products are already illegal under federal law, that the industry has used loopholes and misleading labeling to sell high-potency products, and that regulation would be ineffective because chemists can quickly alter formulations. He also said the bill would steer people with medical needs toward the Texas Compassionate Use Program (T-Cup), which he and other supporters described as the proper physician-guided alternative. Committee members and witnesses repeatedly discussed the distinction between legal hemp-derived products and intoxicating THC products, and Perry said the bill would not touch non-consumable hemp uses such as fiber and clothing.
Invited testimony came from law enforcement and medical witnesses who supported the bill. Texas Police Chiefs Association representative Steve Dye, Kaufman County District Attorney Early Wiley, and Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne all said regulation would be too costly, too complex, and ultimately unenforceable, while a ban would be clearer and easier to enforce. They cited overloaded DPS labs, the need for expensive private testing, limited police and prosecutor resources, and the difficulty of keeping up with constantly changing cannabinoids and out-of-state products. Hawthorne and Wiley described raids and investigations involving warehouses, retail stores, cash seizures, and products they said were marketed to young people and often mislabeled or imported from other states. They also said the bill would help law enforcement by creating a clearer legal line and protecting legitimate CBD/CBG businesses.
Dr. Lindy McGee, speaking for the Texas Medical Association and Texas Pediatric Society, testified that retail THC products pose serious risks to children and adolescents, including addiction, impaired brain development, psychosis, suicide attempts, self-harm, accidental toddler ingestions, and possible long-term cognitive effects. She said there is no effective medication treatment for THC addiction comparable to nicotine cessation tools, and she supported restrictions such as child-resistant packaging, no marketing to minors, and age limits, while opposing criminal penalties for possession by minors. Senators asked follow-up questions about brain development, memory, dementia risk, pregnancy, and cardiovascular effects. No vote was taken during the portion provided, and the committee continued with invited testimony and questions.