Transcript Highlights:

• And so this really isn't a public education bill.
• You can't blame them for choosing bad parents, if the parents aren't able to.
• I think we're more aligned on education than almost anything else.
• I mean, they're about to close down the Department of Education.
• In regards to the Department of Education, that's a federal program.

Committee: Senate Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> get ready, and the Minnesota Education get ready, and the Minnesota Education Equity Equity Equity
• to zero, and setting parental contributions below -1500.
• For dependent students to 100% of the parental contribution, setting the student aid index, parental
• </c> students to 100% of the parental students to 100% of the parental contribution<00:21:52.559><c>
• </c><00:21:57.919><c> or</c> on uh a negative federal parental or on uh a negative federal parental or

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I would also like to see education requirements as well.
• They educate everybody.
• I'm a 28-year-old videographer from Austin, Texas, specializing in education. educational content about
• I'll do that, that's part of being a parent.
• Educate them. Fund them.

Bills: HB 28 , SB 3

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, state health, youth protection, licensing fees, criminal offenses, HB28, public testimony, committee decorum, bill substitute, legislative process

Summary: The meeting featured significant discussions regarding HB28, where the chair outlined the plans to bring forward a substitute for the bill. The chair emphasized the importance of maintaining order and decorum during the proceedings. Members engaged in deliberations, and a number of public witnesses were invited to testify, thereby enriching the discussion around the bill. This interaction provided valuable insights into public sentiment regarding the issues at hand.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this amendment basically just says that if a parent puts their child in a particular school, the parent
• Parental involvement will still be a cornerstone of this school model.
• So how can parents and students be confident that their concerns over any complaints regarding parents
• The parents will not have to depend on outsiders to do this.
• He was soon after appointed to the State Board of Education.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge, and heard several member introductions before moving to the special order calendar. The chamber first took up SB 200/HB 295 on a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan, which directs DEP to develop a statewide recycling strategy by 2026 with stakeholder input and a three-year implementation roadmap; the House bill was substituted and passed 38-0. Senators then approved CS/CS/SB 492 on mitigation banking and land development after adopting two McLean amendments, including one on out-of-service credits and another incorporating phosphate mining lands provisions; the bill passed 35-3 after debate over possible constitutional issues. CS/SB 494 on aggravated animal cruelty was also amended and substituted with the House companion to add a searchable FDLE database of convicted animal abusers and a sentencing multiplier, with an agriculture-related exemption; it passed 37-0. The Senate next passed CS/CS/SB 500/HB 711 creating the Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism, including training and coordinated alert procedures, with a House amendment to align implementation timing and funding; it passed 37-0. CS/CS/SB 524/HB 1089 added Duchenne muscular dystrophy to newborn screening tests and passed 36-0. CS/CS/SB 592/HB 393 revised the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program by lowering approval thresholds, clarifying eligibility and ownership issues, and adding sliding-door wind-driven rain mitigation devices; it passed 37-0 after discussion about funding and insurance premium credits. CS/SB 742/HB 1145 on workforce education allowed charter schools direct access to grant funding and expanded money-back guarantees for certain programs, and it passed 37-0. CS/CS/SB 822/HB 443 on charter schools generated extensive debate and multiple amendments, including a Jones amendment requiring parent acknowledgment of school rules; the bill would expand charter autonomy, reporting flexibility, enrollment capacity, and governance provisions, and it was placed on the calendar for third reading after the amendment process. Later, the Senate passed HB 827 on a statewide study of automation and workforce impact, which would examine job displacement, wages, vulnerable regions, and training needs, by a 35-0 vote. It also passed CS/CS/SB 964/HB 181 on parole guidelines, CS/SB 976/HB 901 on court-appointed psychologists, and CS/SB 1084/HB 1451 on sexual cyber harassment and digitally forged intimate images, all unanimously. CS/CS/SB 1156 on a Home Health Aid for Medically Fragile Children Program was amended to clarify training requirements and passed 37-0 after supportive debate about helping parents care for medically fragile children. Finally, CS/CS/CS/SB 1240/HB 1091 on substance abuse and mental health care was amended to allow designated facilities to retain certain stabilized patients during the 72-hour involuntary examination period and passed 37-0. Several other bills were temporarily postponed, and the chamber also recognized guests and interns throughout the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee.
• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, affects this.
• These students who need financial support across higher education, support to access higher education
• However, she was very committed to education.
• And access to that education is so very important.

Summary: The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee heard two work sessions focused on student access and retention, then held public hearings on gubernatorial appointments before taking executive action. Washington Student Achievement Council staff presented the Washington Completes FAFSA campaign, created by Executive Order 2508, describing its advisory board, outreach strategy, dashboard tracking, and progress toward goals of 46,000 FAFSA/WASFA completions and improved equity in completion rates. They also highlighted broader college access tools such as trainings, printed materials, completion events, Otterbot texting support, and the new “Changing the Narrative” report and College Toolkit, which emphasize multiple postsecondary pathways, relatable messengers, and short video content. The committee then heard from the Council of Presidents and Central Washington University and Evergreen State College on student support services. Presenters discussed retention data, FERPA-related limits on parent communication, and the impact of budget cuts on advising, tutoring, wellness, and other services. Evergreen described the Shelton Promise program, including recruitment, summer bridge, basic-needs supports, peer mentoring, texting outreach, and early retention results showing 52 of 53 students continuing. Central Washington outlined its learner access and support plan, including required advising, University 101, early academic alerts, peer mentoring embedded in coursework, the Students First Center, and a Paying for College Guide, while noting that budget reductions have limited some support offerings. In the public hearing, the committee considered Latasha Wortham’s appointment to the Tacoma Community College Board of Trustees and a panel of student appointees to various boards and councils, including Evergreen, Washington Student Achievement Council, the Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board, Washington State University, Eastern Washington University, Edmonds College, and Western Washington University. Testimony emphasized first-generation and immigrant backgrounds, student advocacy, basic needs, and the importance of student voice in governance. In executive session, the committee adopted a substitute and gave Senate Bill 6325 a due pass recommendation to Ways and Means; the bill would shift certain higher education cost increases from tuition to state funds over time and direct a WSIPP study on essential student services. The committee also recommended confirmation for the listed gubernatorial appointments.

Transcript Highlights:

• educators certified by other states.
• certificate for educators certified by other states.
• And it includes education businesses. ...as a board of manager, and it includes education businesses,
• a handful of schools down to 30. students in public education.
• We spend a lot of money in education. We want the results, for sure.

Summary: The Senate first adopted a motion by Senator Zaffirini to suspend Senate Rule 5.14 and move the intent calendar deadline to 8:00 p.m. that day, also allowing the Secretary to make the calendar available as soon as practicable. The chamber then took up and passed several House bills, often by suspending the regular order and the constitutional three-day rule. HB 2128, relating to a study of rural firefighting and technical rescue capabilities, passed unanimously. HB 4157, on liability protections for commercial spaceflight and exploration, passed 28-3. HB 2240, concerning certain void marriages, passed after adoption of a Birdwell amendment extending filing deadlines to 90 days for certain active-duty service members and Foreign Service officers. HB 367, on verification of excused absences for students with severe or life-threatening illnesses, passed unanimously after clarifying school district forms and TEA model forms. HB 1506, expanding expedited handgun license eligibility to certain retired county court judges, passed 29-2. HB 4449, on alcohol sales in annexed municipal areas, passed 29-2. HB 3812, on health plan prior authorization requirements, passed 30-1. The Senate also announced a long list of bills and resolutions signed in the presence of the Senate. A major portion of the meeting centered on HB 521, a voting-related bill on curbside voting for voters with disabilities. Senator Paxton described it as an anti-misuse measure requiring a signed eligibility form for curbside voting, creating a 20-foot electioneering buffer, limiting election officer assistance in marking ballots unless a second officer is present, and adding reporting requirements for people who assist seven or more curbside voters. Senators Miles, Menendez, Johnson, Campbell, Cook, and others questioned whether the bill would burden disabled voters, create a de facto registry of volunteers, and impose a harsh Class A misdemeanor penalty for failing to complete the form. Paxton said the bill was intended to protect legitimate curbside voters and curb abuse, and the chamber adopted Paxton Floor Amendment No. 1 after a recorded vote. Zaffirini’s Floor Amendment No. 2, allowing an escorting voter to receive his or her own ballot at the curbside or entrance, was adopted. Menendez’s Floor Amendment No. 3 to reduce the penalty failed. The bill was then passed to third reading on a 20-11 vote, with a motion by Senator Miles to have the exchanges reduced to writing and placed in the journal adopted. The Senate also passed HB 3000, creating a grant program for rural ambulance service providers, after a comptroller-related amendment; HB 5616, establishing the Texas Presidential Library Promotion Program and funding for traveling exhibits, after narrowing the bill to mobile exhibits only; HB 4211, addressing certain residential property interests controlled by entities, which passed 30-1; HB 1178, creating temporary educator certificates for out-of-state certified educators and military spouses, which passed unanimously; HB 2243, creating the Texas Commission on Teacher Job Satisfaction and Retention, which passed after debate over the need to streamline education mandates; and HB 42, increasing and reallocating the constitutional Higher Education Fund appropriation by 50% to $1.18 billion, which passed 31-0. Finally, HB 2512, a Fort Worth-specific bill limiting ETJ release for land subject to active development agreements, passed after debate over broader ETJ and de-annexation policy, with a local-only clarifying amendment adopted and a proposed broader amendment withdrawn. The meeting ended with the Senate beginning consideration of HB 3372, which would bar school district administrators from receiving financial benefits tied to outside consulting or contracting with education entities, though the transcript cuts off during questions on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a quote that was shared by a parent. This is a quote that was shared by a parent.
• I come before you today as a parent, an educator, and a community member to talk about, quote, just weed
• As a parent, educator, and community member, I often hear comments that characterize marijuana as, quote
• This bill will provide educators, parents, and community health workers the tools they need to keep our
• This bill will provide educators, parents, and community health workers the tools they need to keep our

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy held a hearing on a broad set of cannabis and hemp bills, with the chairs opening by emphasizing unfinished work on equity, public health, safety, and market stability. The committee heard testimony on House Bill 146, which would create more efficient cannabis testing standards by increasing batch sizes, reducing or eliminating some environmental testing, standardizing lab reporting, and requiring annual scientific review and public data reporting. Industry witnesses, including a representative of the Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition, cultivators, and a testing lab owner, said current testing rules are overly burdensome, costly, and inconsistent, and argued the bill would lower compliance costs while preserving consumer safety. A testing lab witness also said some operators switch labs to obtain higher THC results or pass contaminated batches, and urged greater transparency and better sampling protocols. A major portion of the hearing focused on intoxicating hemp and related bills that would bring hemp-derived intoxicating products under a stronger regulatory framework. Legislators and industry witnesses described products sold in gas stations, smoke shops, and convenience stores as often untested, not age-gated, and sometimes mislabeled or far above the federal hemp THC threshold. Testimony from attorneys and cannabis business leaders said states can regulate these products more strictly under the Farm Bill’s non-preemption language, and pointed to New Jersey and other states as possible models. Some witnesses and committee members stressed that any new rules should avoid harming non-intoxicating CBD businesses or lawful hemp farmers, while others argued that the products are effectively cannabis and should be regulated like cannabis for licensing, testing, age limits, and taxation. The committee also heard extensive public-health testimony in support of bills S. 95, S. 96, S. 97 and their House counterparts H. 191, H. 192, and H. 193. Parents, advocates, and public health professionals urged stronger warning labels, THC potency caps, and improved data collection on cannabis-related harms, citing cannabis-induced psychosis, addiction, anxiety, and youth exposure to high-potency products. Several witnesses said Massachusetts has not done enough to track health outcomes or warn consumers, and referenced other jurisdictions such as Connecticut, Vermont, Colorado, Canada, and Quebec as examples of stronger limits or warnings. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:39:18.560><c> So</c> institutions of higher education. So institutions of higher education.
• parental consent.
• </c> birth record without a parental consent. birth record without a parental consent.
• educators in the classroom.
• </c> education costs to reject this policy. education costs to reject this policy.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• An example might be if there is a fundraiser that a parent-teacher organization is putting on and it's
• It says we want to get rid of the Department of Education.
• And then he said, “Honored to join President Trump today to celebrate returning education back to the
• Idaho is in a great position to educate our own kids.
• And so in education, ...with the federal guidelines than it does the state guidelines.

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Education. 246?
• and appropriations. 2577 ESA's education and appropriations. 2580 ESA's rules. 2583 ESA education. 2593
• Education. 2773 international.
• HB 2810, health education abortion providers prohibition, Education.
• HB 2810, health education abortion providers prohibition, Education.

Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the prior journal, and recorded attendance at 56 present, zero absent, and four excused. Members then used personal privilege to introduce guests and recognize visiting groups, including the West Valley Regional Chamber, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics Arizona, Vitalant, and veterans and military representatives. The chamber and blood donor month proclamations were read, with Representative Bliss recognizing January as National Blood Donor Month in Arizona and Vitalant’s role in supplying most of the state’s blood supply, and Representative Aguilar declaring January 22, 2026, West Valley Regional Chamber Day. The House handled a large volume of procedural business, including reports of standing committees, first reading and referral of numerous bills and resolutions, and announcements of committee meetings. The bills covered a wide range of topics such as elections, education, housing, taxes, health care, artificial intelligence, veterans, public safety, and energy. Several measures were also withdrawn and reassigned to different committees, including referrals to the Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Innovation, Government, Public Safety and Law Enforcement, and Natural Resources, Energy, and Water. Members also made brief remarks honoring guests and community causes, including a Veterans Caucus lunch announcement focused on military-family policy and a personal remembrance by Senator Cruz. No substantive floor votes on legislation were taken beyond procedural approvals and the motion to adjourn. The House recessed and later adjourned until 1:15 p.m. on Monday, January 26, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• But we miss you on education.
• We do miss you on education.
• , conservation education, and shooting...
• Age- and grade-appropriate hunting education, conservation education, and shooting sports courses, inter-curricular
• We've talked about hunter certification, hunter education...

Committee: House Education

Summary: The House Education Committee met on May 12, 2026, and first approved SB 518, which gives LSU limited authority to buy and sell certain real estate within one mile of campus as a two-year pilot program. Supporters said the bill would let LSU respond more quickly to deteriorating properties near campus and improve the student experience, while keeping protections such as appraisals and fair-market-value requirements. Members asked about whether the authority would affect residential property or be expanded to other universities, and the bill was reported favorably without objection. The committee then advanced SCR 33, creating a one-year Work-Based Learning Coordination Task Force to study and better align apprenticeships, internships, job shadowing, and related programs across state agencies and employers. Testimony emphasized the need to reduce duplication and improve coordination so students and employers can more easily connect. HR 168 also passed, directing the Board of Regents to study collegiate athletic program funding after concerns raised by athletic directors about deficits and accounting practices. Members next approved SB 488, establishing a school safety drone response pilot program to supplement school crisis plans. The bill drew detailed testimony from a vendor describing drone deployment, response times, and coordination with law enforcement; an amendment was adopted to require coordination with the Department of Education, State Police, and the Sheriffs’ Association. The committee also favorably reported HCR 97, asking BESE and Wildlife and Fisheries to study adding age-appropriate hunting, conservation, and shooting sports education in grades 5-12, with members clarifying that no live firearms would be used on campus. Finally, the committee approved SB 112, allowing local school boards to adopt parental-consent release-time policies for religious instruction, with amendments adding instructor qualifications, reporting requirements, electronic delivery flexibility, and constitutional safeguards. It also reported SB 504, expanding individual graduation plans to include vocational options and apply to charter schools, with an amendment for standalone elementary charters. The committee then passed SB 346 and SB 347, both dealing with deepfakes—one prohibiting their use against K-12 students and the other adding unlawful deepfakes to campus power-based violence rules—and SB 353, authorizing postsecondary systems to digitize student IDs for use in LA Wallet. Several members raised concerns about naming LA Wallet specifically, but the bill was still reported favorably. The meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Education and the National Civil Rights Movement.
• But I've seen firsthand the power of equal access to education.
• limit educational opportunities for future generations.
• discrimination and the path that we took to Brown v Board of Education.
• Board of Education, the landmark Supreme Court case that ended school segregation nationwide.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's going to mean that, uh, that the parents are probably, the parents, the parents' attorneys, if they're
• Uh, Parents also would like to say I represent a lot of parents as well in CPS cases.
• Our parents are Our parents dwell at the bottom.
• the child to the parent.
• Alleged parent, OK.

Bills: HCR 10

Committee: House S/C on Family & Fiduciary Relationships

Keywords: balanced budget amendment, federal budget, deficit reduction, deficit spending, fiscal restraint, constitutional amendment, U.S. Constitution, Congress, PAYGO, Gramm-Rudman-Hollings, national debt, budget deficit, taxpayer dollars, balanced budget resolution, memorial resolution, Texas Legislature, federal spending, budget reform, fiscal conservatism

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 12 is a strong parental rights bill. It would prohibit discussions.
• into sex education.
• Look, this has passed the Senate and right now it's in public education.
• , that the counselors cannot work against you as parents.
• That's HB 1655 and public education. We need that hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I use in sex education classes.
• </c> don't think this saves the sex education don't think this saves the sex education teacher.<01:24
• Uh so that sex education classes.
• </c> or wherever a bonafide sex education or wherever a bonafide sex education class<01:25:10.400><c>
• </c> education classes. education classes.

Bills: HB0008 , HB0009

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: stalking, minors, felony, protection orders, criminal penalties, grooming, sexual offenses, child protection, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The parent is not involved, and it’s a packet mailed, and the parent has to sign it.
• We are asking that, when parenting time is restricted or limited and the parent has an action plan with
• can meet in order to increase parenting time.
• And also allowing that parent voice to be in there.
• So as parents, we are uniquely positioned to So as parents, we are uniquely positioned to come and comfort

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on a broad set of mental health, substance use, recovery, and patients’ rights bills. Early testimony focused on H. 2227, which would replace stigmatizing substance use terminology in the General Laws, and H. 3950, which would support parents in recovery involved with DCF by requiring more individualized recovery plans, clearer benchmarks for parenting time, access to recovery coaches or counselors, family counseling after sustained recovery, and staff training on addiction and lived experience. Speakers described the bills as ways to reduce stigma, increase accountability, and improve reunification outcomes for families. A major portion of the hearing centered on S. 1386, which would transfer Bridgewater State Hospital from the Department of Correction to the Department of Mental Health. Advocates, family members, and disability groups testified that Bridgewater functions like a prison rather than a hospital, with excessive restraint, seclusion, involuntary medication, poor conditions, and racial disparities, and argued DMH should oversee a treatment setting. One DMH occupational therapist and MNA member opposed the transfer, saying the real issue is mixing forensic and continuing-care patients and that DMH should instead create designated forensic units under bills H. 228/S. 1408. Committee members asked about Bridgewater’s population, the history of DOC control, capacity, staffing, and how a transfer might be implemented. The committee also heard testimony on modernizing the six fundamental rights for psychiatric inpatients, including expanding communication options, clarifying visitation and advocacy definitions, and improving access to gender-appropriate and culturally relevant items. Another bill, H. 2216, would require stronger oversight before antipsychotic medication is prescribed in nursing homes, prompted by concerns about inappropriate use. Finally, testimony supported H. 2240 and H. 2239 on sober homes, with supporters saying discharge and relocation policies are needed when a resident returns to active use or becomes unsafe, while preserving the recovery environment and resident rights. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm also a parent.
• I'm also a parent of an adult child daughter who has multiple disabilities.
• Maybe students or educators talk about their experiences.
• I think parents have to see those options as well as they move forward.
• We still have many Competent and capable educators, but I think we very much have relied on those educators

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• from the Public Education Reform Fund.
• I work for Dual Language Education of New Mexico. For 28 years, I've been an educator.
• and to parents and their guardians.
• The American dream is education.
• Education Act. We keep hearing that the Bilingual Education Act doesn't have funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• One is better funding for public education.
• Eskamani talk about how we have the capacity within our education system, in our higher education system
• Their parents are also here: Laura Michanelli is here, along with Thomas's parents, Patricia and Guillermo
• It's because of where my parents immigrated from.
• I believe that parents deserve that right.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, a moment of silence for former member Chester Clem, the Pledge of Allegiance, and quorum verification. Members then adopted the special order report and a Rules and Ethics Committee report amending House Rule 15.3 to allow fundraising under certain circumstances during extended or special sessions. The chamber also recognized Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano as law enforcement officer of the day and several visiting groups in the gallery. On the floor, HB 1405 on a statewide project for missing persons with special needs passed unanimously, 109-0. The House then took up CS/CS/CS/SB 290, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services bill, which drew questions about surplus conservation lands and oversight by the Acquisition and Restoration Council; it passed 94-10. CS/CS/CS/HB 905, the “Fire Act” on foreign influence, foreign-country-of-concern restrictions, critical infrastructure, gifts, contracts, sister city agreements, and related ethics and criminal provisions, passed 80-20 after debate and a germane amendment was adopted over objections. The House also passed CS/CS/HB 1197 on information technology procurement and contracting, aimed at modernizing oversight of major IT projects, by 109-0. CS/CS/CS/HB 399 on land use development and development regulations passed 71-38 after extensive debate over development fees, manufactured homes, and reducing local supermajority requirements for comprehensive plan changes; an amendment to preserve Orange County’s rural boundary vote failed, and a strike-all amendment was ruled out of order. Members then adopted a technical amendment clarifying manufactured homes language. Several local bills also advanced: HB 1103 on local administration of vessel restrictions passed 109-0; HB 4051 and HB 4053 on Santa Rosa County fire protection district assessments passed 84-25 and 83-27, respectively, after compromise amendments; HB 4081 on the East Point Water and Sewer District passed 110-0; and HB 4093 on the Felsmere Water Control District passed 109-0. The transcript ended as the House moved on to HB 4095, with no final action shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was looking for somebody else on the Education Committee.
• But the truth is that parents need to talk with their children, and that is the best way to be a parent
• I did not require the school to do my job as a parent.
• This bill is based on the promise that parents are not responsible for parenting, but they are.
• Because the idea that parents are not responsible for parenting is just a whack-a-doodle-do notion.

Keywords: 1182, all