Transcript Highlights:

• While providing additional time to meet the updated standards, and those are the changes.
• Do you know what the standard for good faith and who gets to decide that?
• That would be the standard is with the judge.
• So on a focused and channeled way, we can assist in meeting the state's reliability standard which the
• PUC just adopted, and that reliability standard focuses on the frequency, magnitude, and duration of

Bills: SB 1113, SB 1117, SB 1206, SB 1460, SB 1802, SB 1906, SB 1917, SB 2340, SB 2455, SB 2680, SB 2690, SB 705, SB 748

Keywords: SB 1113, converter's license, converter license, motor vehicle dealer, auto dealer, vehicle conversion, converted vehicles, direct sales, retail sales, trailer, semitrailer, manufactured trailer, chassis, manufacturer's statement of origin, MSO, Occupations Code, Transportation Code, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, dealer licensing, general distinguishing number

Summary: The meeting of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee was marked by discussions on several significant bills, with a keen emphasis on legislative updates and committee substitutes. Notably, Senator Blanco presented a new committee substitute for SB2610, which modifies the employee cap from 100 to 250 and extends the update timeline for cyber security programs for small businesses. This substitute was adopted unanimously, reflecting a collaborative agreement among the committee members. Additionally, there were discussions surrounding SB1856 as Senator Crayton provided insights into how stakeholder feedback influenced the bill's committee substitute. The committee ultimately voted in favor, pushing it towards the local and contested calendar, indicating the bill's progression through legislative channels.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's so it would be pretty much standard that if an event is actually going on, that law enforcement
• So that's a standard practice now. Okay. Without any type of agreement.
• ... ...and that as they go along, they're updating it as they should be to make sure if any standards
• In 2019, prior to the pandemic, 35% of our third graders met grade-level standards.
• These are not intensive, like standardized testing sessions.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 met with a quorum and announced a full agenda, including combined public testimony for two bills related to student personal communication devices. The committee first took up Senate Bill 1262 by Senator Nichols, a school safety cleanup bill following House Bill 3. The bill would allow TEA to commission peace officers for school safety purposes, require annual renewal of good-cause exceptions to armed guard requirements, create a new report based on intruder detection audits and vulnerability assessments, and require behavioral threat assessment teams to include someone with specific knowledge of a special education student’s disability. Committee members asked about the difference between TCOLE licensing and TEA commissioning, the scope of the officers’ authority, and how the good-cause exception would work. The committee substitute was adopted, and public testimony included support from school safety and drone-response advocates, Disability Rights Texas in favor of the special education provisions, and a student witness raising concerns about the mental health impact of repeated lockdowns and the need for immediate, reliable school safety responses. The bill was left pending after testimony, then the committee briefly recessed and later reopened testimony to hear the student witness. The committee then laid out Senate Bill 2252 by Senator Creighton, a major early literacy and numeracy bill for kindergarten through third grade. Creighton said the bill builds on prior literacy efforts by funding teacher stipends for literacy and math academies, providing free and clearly administered screeners and assessments, expanding screening options, clarifying how results are used, supporting high-quality pre-K, and increasing the early education allotment. He emphasized low reading performance and the need for early intervention. Members discussed how the bill differs from earlier academy models and whether the assessments are diagnostic or high-stakes; Creighton and witnesses said the tools are intended to identify students needing support, not to serve as punitive testing. The committee adopted the substitute. Witnesses for SB 2252 largely supported the bill. A Uplift Education representative described strong gains from small-group literacy tutoring and said students receiving targeted support can make more than a year of growth in a year. An education specialist explained that the bill aligns general education screening with existing dyslexia and special education practices and helps districts identify students who need intervention before a disability evaluation is required. A Commit Partnership witness cited statewide reading data, the importance of high-quality pre-K, and the need for transparent, consistent progress monitoring and parent engagement. Members asked about the meaning of the growth data, how dyslexia screening works, and how the bill would help identify struggling students earlier. Before finishing all questions, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair after the floor session.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill holds those federal agents to the same standards as Minnesota law enforcement when there is
• as Minnesota law enforcement standards as Minnesota law enforcement when<00:04:00.799><c> there</c><
• Moreover, extending Minnesota's independent investigation standards supports both procedural integrity
• Moreover, extending Minnesota's independent investigation standards supports both procedural integrity
• Moreover, extending Minnesota's independent investigation standards supports both procedural integrity

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• As you heard, devices must meet building codes and safety standards.
• As you heard, devices must meet building codes and safety standards.
• the most recent version of the International Wildland and Urban Interface Code or other code or standard
• 1140 instead of both Standard 1140 and Standard 1144, or the requirements for a wildfire-prepared home
• So how do we create standardized consistency in our leases, and how do we reduce unnecessary changes

Summary: The Housing Committee heard public testimony on Senate Bill 5496, which would limit certain business and investment entities from buying additional single-family homes after reaching 100 holdings, with exemptions for banks, nonprofits making affordability-related improvements, and some development/foreclosure situations. Senator Alvarado said the bill is intended to curb speculation and help Washington families compete for homes, while opponents argued it would interfere with the market, reduce rental supply, and could affect REITs and retirement investments. Supporters, including Habitat for Humanity, said institutional buying has made homeownership harder and that the bill would create needed guardrails; opponents from the building and rental housing industries said the data did not justify the restriction and asked for clearer exemptions or data on impacts. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6200, which would prohibit landlords under the residential and manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant laws from banning tenants from installing portable cooling devices, subject to safety, code, egress, insurance, and damage-related exceptions. Senator Slatter and supporters framed the bill as a public health response to deadly heat events, especially the 2021 heat dome, and said it would help renters, seniors, and people with disabilities stay safe during extreme heat. Landlord and property management representatives were generally neutral or cautiously supportive, but asked for changes on notice, lease language, insurance, and window-unit safety; one testifier raised concerns about evaporative coolers and potential moisture damage. In executive session, the committee acted on several bills. It adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 5156 on elevator standards in smaller apartment buildings and reported the bill out with a due pass recommendation. It rejected amendments to Senate Bill 5938 on the foreclosure prevention fee, adopted an amendment removing a study requirement, and then reported the bill out as amended with a due pass recommendation. It also adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 6054 on fire-hardened building materials and reported that bill out as amended with a due pass recommendation. Finally, the committee reported out Senate Bill 6237B on flood disclosure with a due pass recommendation. After those votes, the committee reopened public hearing on SB 6200 and SB 5496 to hear additional testimony, then adjourned for the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• It exempts factory-built housing using permit-ready plans from local zoning design standards and review
• And this bill helps to standardize that information.
• Third-party systems are widely used to streamline delivery, standardized formatting, and provide timely
• Third-party systems are widely used to streamline delivery, standardized formatting, and provide timely
• Failure to have these bills work together will result in confusion, exceptions, and unclear standards

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee met on cutoff day and first considered two gubernatorial appointments to the Housing Finance Commission. Aaron T. McGrath and Ann T. Malone each testified about their housing finance and affordable housing backgrounds, their prior commission or sector experience, and their interest in improving housing affordability and equity. Senators asked brief questions and offered supportive comments, and both appointments were heard without objection. The committee then heard and later acted on a series of housing-related bills. ESHB 1500 would expand resale certificate requirements for common interest communities by adding reserve studies, audits, and governing documents, limiting certain fees, allowing rush service fees, and creating enforcement rights; testimony was split between Realtors, who supported the consumer-protection goals but sought clarifications and more time for rescission, and HOA/management representatives, who warned against limiting third-party processing tools and sought more flexibility. EHB 1501 would require associations to answer certified written inquiries from owners within 30 days, subject to reasonable association rules; the sponsor framed it as a basic right to a response, while HOA representatives supported the intent but asked for clearer limits and coordination with existing law. EHB 1345 would allow detached ADUs outside urban growth areas under detailed guardrails; builders, Realtors, counties, and housing advocates supported it as a rural housing tool, and the committee heard that it had been the product of years of negotiation. In executive session, the committee adopted amendments and advanced several bills. It approved a metering requirement for water use in SB 5470 on detached ADUs outside UGAs, narrowed SB 5729 to permit-review provisions, adopted a substitute for SB 6015 on permit-ready factory-built housing plans, and moved forward SB 6069 on transitional, supportive, and emergency housing with zoning and local process changes. It also advanced SB 1686 on deferred utility connection fees, SB 6200 on portable cooling devices for renters and mobile home occupants after rejecting an amendment to remove window units, SB 6201 creating tax exemptions for social housing agencies, SB 6214 establishing land bank authorities, and SB 6237 requiring flood-risk disclosures in rental housing. The committee then returned to public testimony on ESHB 1500, EHB 1501, and EHB 1345, hearing additional support and concerns, and adjourned after thanking staff for their work on cutoff day.

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not lower standards, and it does not create a new retirement obligation.
• Kelly here to chime in as well. maintaining their high standards and maintaining their high standards
• </c><00:15:41.279><c> This</c> standards and are willing to serve.
• This standards and are willing to serve.
• It does not lower standards benefits.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our law allows the removal of children based on the reasonable and prudent person standard.
• And there's by the boarding house model standards that's put out by HHS.
• Creating one universal standard form...
• A lot of the next-gen vaccines are in standard clinical trials. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• And we shouldn't have a tale of two courts; it should be the same standard. And that's it.

Bills: HB18, HB37, HB116, HB18, HB37, HB116, HB388, HB879, HB913, HB1151, HB2216, HB2358, HB2809, SB577, SB1590, SB1782, SB1887, SB2744

Keywords: HB 18, Texas Legislature, quorum break, quorum-busting, legislative walkout, absent legislators, political contributions, campaign finance, political expenditures, legislative caucus, specific-purpose committee, Texas Ethics Commission, civil penalty, show cause order, district court, Fifteenth Court of Appeals, session fundraising, travel lodging food expenses, legislative session, compelled attendance

Transcript Highlights:

• On line 390 is the portion of the governor's request for the Nursing Home Standards Board rules.
• We have a number of standards established by the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board.
• Standards Board.
• adopted by the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board.
• Standards board.

Bills: HF2434

Keywords: healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding

Transcript Highlights:

• In regards to any and all academic standards and curriculum, including textbooks, acquired or adopted
• Would it make more sense to just change the state academic standards for publishers to reference when
• If other states don't make that standard and we're alone in that effort, are there other states that
• And like I said again, this is the national standard, but because of the executive order placed by the
• president and the signage... ...national standard, but because of the executive order placed by the

Summary: The committee heard and approved several measures. HB 735 expanded Florida’s boating improvement program to fund parking for boat trailers at public ramps and offered a 10% sovereign submerged land lease discount for manufacturers using environmental best management practices; it passed unanimously. HB 4021 expanded the North River Ranch Improvement Stewardship District in Manatee County by 640 acres and was reported favorably. CS for HB 371, which promotes nature-based methods and green/gray infrastructure for coastal resilience, also passed unanimously after supportive testimony from resilience and environmental groups and committee members. The committee then took up HJR 1325, a proposed constitutional amendment to create an elected Commissioner of Government Efficiency (COGE) with authority to audit, investigate, and report on waste, fraud, and abuse in state and local government. The proposal would eliminate the lieutenant governor position, the Government Efficiency Task Force, and the legislature’s current auditor appointment, with many implementation details deferred to a future bill. Members debated the scope of the new office, its relationship to the Auditor General and inspectors general, whether it should cover the legislative and judicial branches, staffing, and the comparison to federal DOGE efforts. An amendment making a minor wording change was adopted, and the resolution passed 23-? with a favorable report after a split vote. The committee also approved two Gulf of America bills. HB 575 redesignated the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, and CS for HB 549 required Florida’s academic standards and newly adopted instructional materials to reflect the federal designation for materials acquired on or after July 1, 2025. Both measures drew criticism from members who argued the renaming was politically motivated, historically insensitive, and potentially confusing for students, while supporters said Florida should align with federal action. HB 575 passed and CS for HB 549 passed 18-7. Finally, HB 4071, a local bill adjusting the boundary between Coral Springs and Parkland in Broward County by about 8.7 acres, was amended and reported favorably with support from both cities and the Broward delegation.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've established school safety facility standards. We've established intruder detection audit.
• things. done with the school facility standards when I first got started I traveled to may I travel
• We just want to know the standards. Because there were no real standards that they had to live by.
• So when we published those standards, now the school's up by by those standards, but in Sentinel, Sentinel's
• District, but we do ensure that all standards are met.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've supported the efforts to bring the IIPPA up to the CCPA standard and even to exceed it, ensuring
• It also—we often point to Europe as kind of the, you know, bastion of privacy standards, and we model
• This... ...bastion of privacy standards, and we model a lot of what we're doing off the EU.
• This, as it's written, actually—you said it's not your goal to be the, like, leading standard in the
• This would be the most restrictive standard in the world. I know.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Would this allow LDH to address some of those standards?
• Would this allow LDH to address some of the standards if they're going to, it seems like they're going
• But I guess it was dealing with some of the standards on some of the homes.
• Would this allow LDH to address some of those standards?
• Would this allow LDH to address some of the standards if they're going to, it seems like they're going

Bills: HR174, HR194, HCR98, SB39, SB124, SB190, SB236, SB270, SB273, SB359, SB415, SB426, SB437, SB451

Keywords: fenbendazole, cancer treatment, public health, FDA, clinical trials, patient safety, visual acuity, student health, de-identified data, longitudinal analysis, education policy, SNAP, food stamps, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, grocery delivery, delivery fees, service charges, online grocery, food access, food insecurity

Transcript Highlights:

• Without clear workforce standards, we risk funding projects.
• Without clear workforce standards, we risk funding projects that could be inconsistent, incomplete, or
• California is going to step further by aligning our workforce standards with the scale and complexity
• So three and 10 workers on a project that require skilled and trained need to meet this standard.
• And the fact is that we are bound by actuarial standards.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Surveyor specifically, um, standards of practice violations, so that they have a set of standards they
• </c><00:15:45.120><c> violations</c><00:15:46.000><c> so</c> um standards of practice violations so um
• ><c> they</c> that they have a set of standards they that they have a set of standards they have<00:15
• uh for student to define standards uh for student involvement<00:19:31.679><c> in</c><00:19:31.919><
• establish lensure standards would establish lensure standards including<00:19:35.360><c> use</c><00:

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , educator role standards, evidence submitted by programs, and input from community constituents and
• My name is Anna Corinne Huffman, and I am staff with the Professional Educator Standards Board.
• My name is Anna Corinne Huffman, and I am staff with the Professional Educator Standards Board.
• My name is Anna Corinne Huffman, and I am staff with the Professional Educator Standards Board.
• This includes review of PESB-approved program standards, educator role standards, evidence submitted

Summary: The House Education Committee heard several bills related to special education records, artificial intelligence in schools, financial aid access, educator preparation, school health, and student mobile device use. Substitute Senate Bill 6268 would require OSPI to keep an online public record of final special education community complaint decisions for 20 years; the sponsor and several parents, attorneys, and open-government advocates said the records help families, schools, and researchers understand past decisions and remedies, while no one testified in opposition. Substitute Senate Bill 5956 would limit school use of automated decision systems, school surveillance technology, biometric data, and facial recognition in student discipline and safety contexts; the sponsor and supporters said it would prevent harmful false positives and discriminatory impacts, while an industry witness warned the bill could unintentionally reduce school safety by limiting emergency facial-recognition uses. Committee discussion focused on the bill’s scope, especially whether it affects classroom grading or only discipline-related decisions, and staff noted the bill does not require teacher training. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5841, which would add financial-aid application data to the High School and Beyond Plan platform and require students to receive information about the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program. The sponsor said the bill would make aid status more transparent and easier to track, especially for families facing language or access barriers, and a student advocate testified in support; a committee member raised concerns about privacy for immigrant and DACA students, and the sponsor said the portal would be opt-in and guided by privacy protections. Senate Bill 6278 would codify and update Professional Educator Standards Board review of teacher and principal preparation programs, including program standards, educator role standards, evidence, and input from P-12 partners, while allowing field placement plans to be submitted on a less frequent schedule; PESB staff said the bill largely reflects current practice and adds flexibility. Substitute Senate Bill 5240 would expand who may administer epinephrine in schools and allow use of any available epinephrine when a student with a prescription on file has anaphylaxis; school nurses supported broader access to stock epinephrine but warned against using one student’s medication for another and raised legal and ethical concerns, while the sponsor emphasized faster response in emergencies. Finally, Substitute Senate Bill 5346 would direct OSPI to study and report on school mobile-device restrictions and update digital citizenship resources to include research and best practices on student phone use. Staff said OSPI already has some guidance, but the bill would create formal legislative reports and expand the state’s digital citizenship materials. The committee began taking testimony on that bill as the hearing time ran short, and the chair noted there were ten people signed in to testify.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is also the insurance industry standard.
• We have done and are trained to agency all-hazard standards.
• So we have had to do a To agency all-hazard standards.
• is getting clear standards via WUI codes.
• But also, there's another bill talking about the BHS standard.

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2579, which would create a Public Media Broadcaster Program and a Digital Equity Program funded by a 20-cent-per-line monthly tax on wireless, prepaid wireless, VoIP, and landline service. Staff explained that 80% of the revenue would support public media grants, 20% would support digital equity grants, and a small share could be used for administration. The prime sponsor, Rep. Chris Stearns, and many public media, community media, and digital equity supporters testified that public radio and television provide emergency alerts, local news, education, training, and community connection, especially in rural and underserved areas, and that federal funding cuts have made state support more urgent. Several witnesses described how public media helped with emergency communications, youth training, Indigenous programming, and access to local information. Opposition came from CTIA and Washington Citizens Against Unfair Taxes. CTIA argued the tax would add to already high wireless taxes in Washington and would be regressive because low-income residents rely heavily on wireless service. Washington Citizens Against Unfair Taxes objected to the bill as another tax increase and said it would worsen affordability. One supporter said an amendment would be offered to address a misunderstanding in the fiscal note. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then received a cybersecurity and critical infrastructure briefing from state emergency management and cybersecurity officials. They described Washington’s layered cybersecurity model, the role of state agencies, the Fusion Center, WOTEC, the National Guard, and the Emergency Management Division, and the growing threat from ransomware, supply-chain attacks, and AI-enabled attacks. Members asked about volunteer cyber response capacity, the most vulnerable sectors, and whether the legislature should fund more real-time threat monitoring and intelligence sharing. Officials said the state is working to establish a volunteer cyber incident response team and that the main gap is real-time monitoring across participating local and private networks. The committee also heard updates on the December 2025 flooding response and wildfire resilience. Emergency management officials reported widespread flooding, landslides, power outages, evacuations, rescues, and infrastructure damage, but said mitigation investments helped prevent worse outcomes. They identified gaps in statewide alerting, search and rescue coordination, and local emergency management capacity, and said a statewide alert system like Oregon’s would require ongoing funding. In the wildfire update, DNR and partner agencies described increasing wildfire risk, the use of aircraft, AI-enabled detection cameras, and common operating pictures, and ongoing work on hazard and risk mapping, community wildfire preparedness, and home hardening. Members asked about predictive technology, sediment removal, and other mitigation tools, and officials said they are working with universities and federal partners to improve prevention and response.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill does not lower the standards.
• This compact is gold standard. I know we talked about simple bills.
• This compact is gold standard. I know we talked about simple bills.
• This compact is gold standard. I know we talked about simple bills.
• It's kind of the gold standard.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And standards when they pull a permit.
• You folks said we build to a certain standard.
• . standard. standard.
• So, why that sets its own standard.
• </c> amendment simply, um, adds some standard amendment simply, um, adds some standard things.<00:48:

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not dictate benefit design or medical necessity standards.
• This bill will allow some standardization.
• It standardizes the system a great deal.
• This Senate bill would set a clear standard just at 10% of an insurer's assets.
• This Senate bill would set a clear standard just at 10% of an insurer's assets.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from February 19 and March 11. It then heard Senate Bill 1285, which would make high school diplomas from non-public schools, including homeschool, equivalent to public school diplomas or GEDs for Idaho occupational and professional licensing. The sponsor and supporters said the bill removes a barrier for homeschool and private-school graduates without changing other licensing requirements. After brief questions and supportive testimony from Homeschool Idaho, the committee voted to send the bill to the House floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee next considered House Bill 841 on prior authorization in health insurance. The sponsor said the bill would add transparency, predictable timelines, qualified clinical review, stability once authorization is granted, and reporting requirements, while preserving fraud protections and not dictating prices or coverage design. Testimony from the Idaho Medical Association, a migraine patient, and the Idaho State Dental Association supported the bill as a way to reduce delays and administrative burden. Representative Harris raised concerns about complaints and fiscal impact, but after debate the motion to send the bill to the floor failed on a 9-5 roll call, with four absent. Senate Bill 1262 followed, a narrow insurance code change that removes a confusing “lesser of” investment limit and leaves a 10% asset cap for certain insurer investments. The sponsor and a domestic insurer said the change would simplify the code and improve portfolio flexibility, and the committee approved it for the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up House Bill 898, which moves the State Historic Preservation Office from the Idaho State Historical Society to the new Office of Species, Minerals, and Energy Coordination. Supporters argued the move would streamline permitting and keep federal historic-preservation duties intact, while opponents warned of conflicts of interest, loss of independence, and possible funding and efficiency problems. After extensive testimony from preservation professionals, water users, and others, the sponsor closed by saying the budget and staff would follow the office and that the change would improve permitting efficiency; the transcript cuts off before the final disposition of the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• But if the state of Texas continues to allow this to occur, the standard we are providing...
• RTB, or reason to believe, is not a legal standard that we should adhere to.
• SB 481 is specific and clear about important standards for safety.
• Standards and storage standards require child placement agencies to adopt policies to ensure that a foster
• A foster parent can possess arms but has certain safety standards that they have to meet?

Bills: SB397, SB481, SB596, SB760, SB855, SB1195, SB1196, SB1233, SB1257, SB1318, SB1368, SB1388, SB1398, SB1524, SB1558, SB1589, SB1677, SB1792, SB2034

Keywords: SB 397, telemedicine, telehealth, teledentistry, remote care, virtual care, consent documentation, patient consent, data collection, data sharing, audio-only telehealth, in-person examination, irreversible medical procedure, health professional regulation, Occupations Code, Texas Health and Human Services, medical records, provider compliance, data privacy, consumer rights