Transcript Highlights:

• And from the Arizona Agribusiness and Water Council of Arizona, we have Tom Davis, Stephanie Dubien,
• As a four, seven, Mayor's Council members, to send resolution notices. Government.
• As we 14.9, public council and wellness. As 14.03, 3, workers in a council report.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The experts at the Council of State Government...
• The experts at the Council of State Governments, the Department of War, Missouri Dental Association,
• I think the Council of State Governments has done that, so probably they could provide some information
• It is done with the Department of Defense, which helps put this together with the Council of State Governments

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that for the last few years, and the most relevant document I believe is the most recent Executive Council
• 19:46.160> most<00:19:46.320> recent<00:19:47.600> executive<00:19:48.240> council
• is the most recent executive council is the most recent executive council uh<00:19:50.160> rep

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from its June 30 meeting and then considered Capital Project 2515, a request from the Pease Development Authority Division of Ports and Harbors to spend up to $125,000 from the Harbor Dredging and Pier Maintenance Fund to replace a deteriorated 99-foot floating dock at Rye Harbor. Acting Director Richard Hartley said the dock is used for passenger loading and unloading for charters and whale-watching tours and is in poor condition. Representative Edgar moved approval, Representative Wiler seconded, and the motion carried. The committee then received several informational items, including quarterly and maintenance reports from the Department of Administrative Services, the Community College System of New Hampshire, and the Pease Development Authority. It also heard a presentation from the Department of Health and Human Services on Capital Project 2516, the Beneficiary Service Improvement project supporting closed-loop referrals and related systems. DHHS described the project as a mix of Medicaid enterprise functions and New Hampshire Care Connections tools, including provider modules, third-party liability, event notifications, and closed-loop referrals to connect health and human service providers. Officials said the project is largely federally funded, with capital funds representing only part of the overall effort. Members asked about the accounting breakdown, prior committee review, provider participation, patient experience, and public response. Representative Burr questioned whether the project had been fully presented previously and raised concerns about the scope and necessity of the $8 million effort; DHHS responded that earlier work was discussed in other committees and that the current presentation covered only capital funds. Senator Waters asked about user response and patient experience, and DHHS said feedback has been generally positive but the system is still in design and implementation. In response to questions about participation, DHHS said 84 providers are currently on the network and clarified that a “provider” generally means an individual organization or health system, not each individual clinician. The committee also set its next meeting for December 9 at 9:00 a.m. at Granite Place, Room 228, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I will also give kudos to the State Investment Council, which is often referred to as a potential tool
• My name is Peter Mantos, and today I am wearing my board member hat for the New Mexico Tech Council.
• New Mexico Tech Council.
• The New Mexico Tech Council is pretty broad; it brings together a lot of folks.

Transcript Highlights:

• To my left is William Mason, also with the Legislative Council Service.
• Department, as well as apply for funding for facility needs. ...New Mexico Public School Capital Outlay Council
• fortunate to have been awarded funding through New Mexico Higher Education and the Capital Outlay Council
• you're getting money from, was it the New Mexico Public School Finance Authority or the Capital Outlay Council

Transcript Highlights:

• Before I introduce myself, I'm going to ask our Council Committee Director, Sabina Gaynor, to introduce
• I'm a staff attorney with the Legislative Council. Thank you. very much.
• That if there's somebody not presenting to your town council or village council, whatever you call your

Transcript Highlights:

• also included a reduction in the funding for a staff person in the military transition and readiness council
• And also on the Military Readiness Council, you know, that's important work that's being done and would
• be curious how you're going to be staffing that, as the council isn't going away, but the individual
• who is doing the work of the council is going away.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs met to hear updates from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the Washington Military Department, the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Commerce on federal and state impacts affecting veterans, military families, and military installations. JBLM’s garrison commander said the base remains focused on housing, child care, and spouse employment, but is facing workforce reductions tied to federal personnel actions, especially in air traffic control, 911 dispatch, and firefighting. He also said JBLM is preparing for increased mutual-aid needs during fire season, and that the Army Transformation Initiative could change unit composition at JBLM over time without a major overall population shift. He confirmed that the Lewis Army Museum is on a closure list, but said the building will remain in use for training and that the base is exploring partnerships to keep museum functions operating, possibly with volunteers or local partners. The Washington Military Department reported about 400 Guard members deployed on federal missions and described ongoing state missions in cybersecurity and firefighting. The department said the Army National Guard’s 81st Stryker Brigade will transition to a mobile combat team, with associated changes in equipment, manning, and end strength. It also warned that continuing resolutions are delaying funding, limiting new military construction starts, and increasing costs. The Washington Department of Veterans Affairs outlined a $3.2 million reduction from the governor’s budget and related cuts affecting internships, vacant positions, outreach travel, claims support contracts, counseling and wellness, veterans’ innovation assistance, and the military transition and readiness council staff position. WDVA said it is ending or scaling back several programs, including in-house nursing assistant training, the veteran farm at Ordean, Vet Corps due to AmeriCorps funding changes, and the tobacco cessation program, while noting that the legislature funded about $23.7 million in capital projects for veteran homes, cemeteries, and transitional housing. The Department of Commerce presented on the Defense Community Compatibility Account, which funds projects that reduce conflicts between military installations and nearby communities. The program currently has 10 projects across five legislative districts, including school and child care improvements, water wells, land acquisition, and a joint firefighting training center in Everett. The presenter said the main challenge is that DCCA projects often need non-state funding secured before they can compete, which can make it hard to leverage federal Defense Community Infrastructure Program dollars; he recommended more flexible state timing to help projects qualify for federal funding. In closing discussion, members raised possible future agenda items including child care near bases, veteran homelessness, suicide prevention, Navy Day, military family housing, and a possible Department of Licensing issue involving guard and reserve designations on driver’s licenses. No formal votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after members were invited to suggest topics for the October and December committee meetings.

Transcript Highlights:

• So could Senate Council clarify that for us, please?
• <00:08:59.920> uh<00:09:01.200> uh<00:09:01.360> Senate<00:09:01.680> Council
• Maybe Senate Council can clarify that.
• And just refreshing your memory that that committee includes me, the director of Senate Council, the

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

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• Green Building Council, and on behalf of himself, we will show Mr. Flippen at the podium.
• Green Building Council, and on behalf of yourself for the bill, is that correct? That's correct.
• Green Building Council, for this bill. This is us just taking steps in the right direction.
• Green Building Council, we want, you know, especially when it comes to energy efficiency, things to be

Bills: SB1757, SB1758, SB1898, SB2050

Keywords: rock crushing, permits, air quality, environmental monitoring, aggregate production, seismicity, public meeting, land use, SB 1758, cement kiln, portland cement, aggregate production operation, aggregate quarry, semiconductor wafer manufacturing, chip fabrication, semiconductor plant, vibration, seismic disturbance, liability limitation, TCEQ

Transcript Highlights:

• of the other funds, as those are 100% federal funds that are transferred from DOE and Governor and Council
• DOE and funds that are transferred from DOE and governor<00:15:54.240> and<00:15:54.399> council
• ><00:15:54.800> actually<00:15:55.440> approved<00:15:55.920> a governor and council
• actually approved a governor and council actually approved a contract<00:15:56.880> on<00:15:

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas We show you registers Molly Boyles, director of Public Policy, Texas Council on Family Violence
• I'm the director of public policy at the Texas Council on Family Violence.
• the bill, and one of the big things is for me, I do business consulting and I'm a part of a lot of councils
• , business councils and economics in San Antonio, and just recently I was at a meeting where they were

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• Katerina, you and I have known each other for so long, and I think during my time on city council, even
• Commissioner Gonzalez: It's Houston-Galveston Area Council, so it's the COG in Houston, the 13-county
• Benjamin Barkley, Chief Executive and Public Counsel of the Office of Public Utility Council, to have
• by Governor Abbott to serve as Chief Executive and Public Counsel of the Office of Public Utility Council

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, 25% of these funds go to the ORAC Council, which is the Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory
• Council, which I am proud to serve on with Representative Robert Beerman [member_12615].
• Currently, 25% of these funds go to the ORAC Council, which is the Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory
• Council, which I am proud to serve on with Representative Robert Beerman [member_12615].

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, testifying on behalf of Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities.
• So you registered as Lee Johnson testifying on behalf of Texas Council of Community Centers and for the
• I serve as the CEO for the Texas Council. We represent the 39 LMHAs across the state.
• Jennifer Mudge, uh, on behalf of Texas Council on Family Violence and neutral on the bill but not testifying

Bills: SB 36

Keywords: transportation, regional authorities, mobility, infrastructure, sales tax

Transcript Highlights:

• NOT RECEIVE THE PROPOSAL AT THE TIME OF THE BOARD MEETING HOWEVER I WAS ADVISED AND RECOMMENDED BY COUNCIL
• THIRD DILIGENCE I WOULD SAY MAYBE SURFACE LEVEL DILIGENCE BUT GETTING THE ASSURANCE THAT I WAS IN THE COUNCIL
• DIFFERENT COUNCIL.
• OF THE BOARD IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THE SUPPORT THAT THE DSO HAS ALSO PROCURED SUCH AS THE FEDERAL COUNCIL

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a former president of the TCLA and I have sat at the council table when Michael Moore was found guilty
• representing the Texas chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the Texas Immigration Law Council
• January 1, 2026, for DPS rules promulgation and revising unrelated language added by Legislative Council
• I'm also the current president of the Recycling Council of Texas, a trade association representing hundreds

Bills: SB552, SB1099, SB1124, SB1208, SB1372, SB1506, SB1667, SB1804, SB1806, SB1870, SB1936, SB1937, SB2180, SB2405, SB2569, SB2570, SB1646

Keywords: community supervision, criminal justice, illegal alien, deferred adjudication, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, SB 1099, undocumented immigrant, unauthorized immigrant, immigration status, felony sentencing enhancement, criminal penalty increase, Texas Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, affirmative finding, judgment finding, deportation, public safety, immigration enforcement, sentencing reform, felony offense

Transcript Highlights:

• Jason Schmelzer here on behalf of the California Product Stewardship Council, SWANA. Thank you.
• So all in support, Natural Resources Defense Council, Non-Toxic Communities, Clean Earth Kids, North
• On behalf of the National Stewardship Action Council, San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility
• Chairman, members of the committee, Tim Shestek with the American Chemistry Council.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Legislative Council has been trying for the last couple of sessions to get, because they are able to
• But legislative council has really tried to address that with the support of the majority leaders and
• So I asked Legislative Council to draft some language that would allow it to specify what is required
• Legislative Council just reached out to me and asked me when we want to hear it again, so I'll let them

Bills: HB1162

Keywords: Lake Agassiz, water authority, board of directors, state highways, water management, 908, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1162, which would add the West Fargo mayor as a voting member of the Lake Agassiz Water Authority board. The sponsor and Fargo’s mayor argued West Fargo has grown into a major regional water stakeholder and should have a formal vote, while members questioned the board structure and why the change was not framed more specifically. The bill was supported in testimony, closed without opposition, and received a 6-0 do pass recommendation. The committee then took up House Bill 1259 on annual legislative sessions and session structure. Members adopted an amendment that left the structure and logistics of sessions to legislative management rather than prescribing details in statute, after discussion about flexibility, committee workload, annual versus biennial sessions, and concerns about preserving debate and committee process. The amended bill received a 4-2 do pass recommendation, with some members voting no because they preferred a different committee recommendation or had concerns about the broader change. House Bill 1254, which would allow any North Dakota resident to obtain a State Library card, drew supportive testimony from the bill sponsor and State Library staff. They said the change would align law with current practice and expand access to books, e-materials, and other resources statewide, including for military families and out-of-state state employees. The committee closed the hearing and approved the bill 6-0. The committee also considered House Bill 1469, which narrows financial disclosure requirements so only business or trust interests directly related to the office sought or held must be disclosed. After brief discussion that the change would reduce unnecessary disclosure burdens, the committee adopted the amendment and then gave the bill a 6-0 do pass recommendation. House Bill 1368, dealing with administrative rules and the standard for challenging them, was opposed by committee counsel as too broad and legally problematic; the committee rejected it on a 4-2 do not pass vote. Finally, House Bill 1219, which would reduce the required perpetual care fund set-aside for certain cemeteries from 20% to 10%, received supportive testimony from the sponsor, cemetery representatives, and local users, but also concern about long-term fund health. The committee ultimately recommended do pass on a 5-1 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• review of curriculum. and certain degree and certificate programs, the powers and duties of a faculty council
• I also serve as a member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Advisory Council on Post-Secondary
• Advisory Council was established in 2020 and is tasked with developing recommendations. to address barriers
• We will have prepared, but it'll be at a later date, to swap out for a legislative council draft. substitute

Bills: SB530, SB757, SB769, SB1085, SB1241, SB1242, SB1409, SB1878, SB2138, SB2314, SB2231, SB2361, SB2431, SJR59

Keywords: accreditation, postsecondary education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, baccalaureate degrees, junior colleges, program delivery, faculty recruitment, higher education, performance standards, student loan debt, degree programs, funding, students with disabilities, accessibility, enrollment, report, SB 1085, Sul Ross State University, Rio Grande College, Del Rio

Transcript Highlights:

• The proposed substitute is simply making the bill a Legislative Council draft.
• The bill would require a statewide health coordinating council to develop a long-range plan for improving
• The institute is an alleged council draft of the originally filed non-council bill, with one substantive

Bills: HB514, HB1652, HB2117, HB2298, HB3269, HB46, HB46

Keywords: maternal health, maternal care, pregnancy, labor and delivery, postpartum, doula, birth worker, midwife, obstetric care, women's health, rural health, health workforce, workforce development, trauma-informed care, public outreach campaign, health equity, minority health, underserved communities, Texas Department of State Health Services, HHSC