Transcript Highlights:

• The Texas-Mexico border.
• Texas imports 11 billion of fresh produce from Mexico every year, and according to Texas A&M, these imports
• Texas cannot afford this program to go away.
• Uh, representing Texas farmer, ranchers.
• Of what we've dealt with just in North Texas.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's no different for government.
• It's no different for government.
• It's no different for government.
• It's no different for government.
• >> Gentleman from Texas is recognized. >> Gentleman from Texas is recognized.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Despite statewide statutes governing 5150 holds, county training requirements remain uneven.
• , or documentation... ...demands because of minor clerical, coding, or documentation errors.
• A missing diagnostic code on prior claims.
• The only thing missing was the gestational age code.
• The only thing missing was the gestational age code.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Respectfully submitted, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas.
• Downtown, there are historic landmarks and attractions like the Texas State Railroad, the Texas Theater
• city in Texas.
• in Texas.
• Cleanup Bill, Texas Veterinary Medical Examiner's Board.

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum, an invocation, and routine motions to excuse Senator King and dispense with the reading of the previous journal. Members then took up several ceremonial resolutions and recognitions, including honoring Duncanville High School’s boys basketball state championship, recognizing the city of Palestine, welcoming the Texas African American Lawyers Foundation and Barbara Jordan Leadership Institute, acknowledging the Cibolo Chamber of Commerce, and designating Texas County Treasurer’s Day and Mesquite Day. A memorial resolution for Clyde Vance Dunham of Waco was adopted, with multiple senators speaking in tribute to his long legal career and community service; the Senate agreed to adjourn in his memory. The chamber then considered a series of bills, most of which were advanced on expedited motions. Senate Bill 1948, concerning fire prevention standards for certain agricultural facilities, passed after suspension of the rules and the three-day rule. Senate Bill 1394, updating weight and tire-load rules for ready-mix concrete trucks, passed unanimously. Senate Bill 1814, creating an electronic database to provide information to certain veterans, also passed unanimously. Senate Bill 241, tightening enforcement of the public camping ban and authorizing state enforcement and reimbursement mechanisms, drew questions about impacts on unhoused people but ultimately passed. Senate Bill 1147, withdrawing Texas from the Interstate Mining Compact, passed unanimously. The Senate also passed Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 921 on Medicaid ex parte renewals after a narrower vote, and Senate Bill 609, requiring school districts and charter schools to comply with legally required policies, after rejecting an amendment by Senators Menendez and Perry that would have added a good-faith/resource-limitation safeguard for districts. Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 660, requiring bollards or similar barriers near certain hospital emergency rooms, passed with rural exemptions and exceptions for existing protections. Senate Bill 2155, a cleanup bill returning veterinary board authority from TDLR to the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, passed with amendments. Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1209 on election dates and Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1396 prohibiting national sex education standards in public schools also passed. The Senate then received first-reading bills and adjourned until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Government experience, thank you.
• January 2024, I pushed forward and the council adopted the specialized code.
• Public trust in government is declining nationally.
• We should take it out of the purview of the DPU, out of the purview of Chapter 164 and Chapter 25, and
• Laura Knott, Mothers Out Front, Brooklyn Chapter. Mothers Out Front, Brooklyn Chapter. Thank you.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on several climate and utility-related bills, especially H. 3449/S. 2292 to expand the municipal fossil fuel-free building demonstration program from 10 to 20 communities and related home rule petitions for Somerville and other municipalities. Witnesses from Somerville, Salem, Worcester, Cambridge, Newton, Arlington, Wellesley, Watertown, and the Massachusetts Municipal Association argued that local governments should be allowed to opt into fossil fuel-free or net-zero building standards, citing climate goals, environmental justice concerns, housing production, and data showing all-electric construction can cost about the same as or less than mixed-fuel construction. Committee members repeatedly pressed witnesses for cost data and asked for written follow-up, while also discussing whether strong environmental standards affect housing supply; witnesses responded that the main housing constraints are financing and that they would provide more data from local projects and state studies. A second major topic was H. 3564, which would require gas companies to provide municipalities with detailed multi-year pipe replacement plans, allow local review and objections, and limit reimbursement for projects not previously disclosed except in emergencies. Municipal leaders and advocates said the bill would improve coordination of street work, reduce disruption and costs, and help cities plan for electrification, network geothermal, and non-pipeline alternatives. Testimony from Wellesley, Cambridge, Arlington, Newton, and others emphasized repeated problems with last-minute gas main work, the need for advance notice, and the value of municipal participation in planning gas system retirement and alternatives. The committee also heard testimony on the “tactical transition” bills, S. 2249/H. 3539, aimed at managing the gas-to-clean-energy transition. Supporters from Gas Transition Allies, Rewiring America, and 350 Mass said the bills would require joint gas-electric planning, create an advisory council, eliminate subsidies for new gas hookups, shift investment toward repairs and clean alternatives, protect workers through retraining, and make utility plans more transparent. They argued these changes would reduce ratepayer costs, avoid stranded gas assets, and support orderly decarbonization. In addition, HEET testified on H. 3541, which would update greenhouse gas accounting to better reflect methane’s short-term climate impact, and H. 3543, which would establish a framework for managing shared thermal resources and thermal energy networks; committee members asked several questions about the meaning, ownership, and consumer-cost implications of the proposed “thermal commons.” No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, Hawaii Revised Statutes, HRS 205, and our administrative rules chapter 15-15 govern how the Land
• county codes.
• code?
• , the state building code, the state energy code, the state... ...the state existing building code, the
• There was inconsistency between energy code, building code, and various codes.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Tim Madden. in the California chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Mr.
• Chair and members, Tim Madden representing the California chapter of the American College of Emergency
• I'm here from the California chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
• The California Association of Social Workers is the largest chapter of professional social workers in
• To your point, at a local government level, we always had an interpreter with extra time.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the coding for it is not what you'd normally see, like the A1. The coding is A25-000081.
• The coding is normally see like the A1. The coding is A25-000081. Thank<00:02:00.079> you.
• filing provisions in chapter filing provisions in chapter 176.<00:04:04.319> Section<00:04
• um amends chapters 176 and chapter<00:04:37.199> 79<00:04:38.000> and<00:04:38.320>
• and the applicable classification codes and the applicable classification codes and<00:06:35.120

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• our entourages. upon us by the federal government.
• It will hopefully sway, at the end of the day, the federal government.
• , which is the Arizona chapter, and we are opposed to House Bill 2758.
• I know one of the experts who was on our panel is from Texas.
• derives its just powers from the consent of the governed.

Bills: HB2042, HB2052, HB2055, HB2056, HB2094, HB2098, HB2185, HB2328, HB2758, HB2798

Keywords: solar radiation management, environment, prohibition, Arizona Revised Statutes, public health, complaint process, Attorney General, groundwater management, water conservation, irrigation, water supply, brackish groundwater, water supply development, desalination, water infrastructure, financial assistance, environmental reviews, brackish water, groundwater, water resources

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the Hawaii government relations manager for the International Code Council, a nonprofit corporation
• relations manager for the Haw government relations manager for the International<00:04:45.400> Code
• , a state on a 2021 code, and counties on the 2018 code.
• , a state on a 2021 code, and counties on the 2018 code.
• <00:08:43.680> and a 2024 code a state on 2021 code and a 2024 code a state on 2021 code and

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs heard several bills on building codes, taxation, police reports, National Guard benefits, and discriminatory reporting. SB 48 would have required the State Building Code Council to assess financial impacts of code adoption on homes and include utility costs; testimony was mixed, but the bill drew concerns about housing costs and code timing. SB 120 would have changed the State Building Code Council’s responsibilities and code adoption process; the International Code Council and Sierra Club opposed it, while BIA Hawaii and others supported it, arguing current code cycles raise costs and counties need more flexibility. The committee later noted that county building departments had not submitted testimony on SB 48 or SB 120. SB 138 would create a nonrefundable income tax credit for hurricane-resistant safe rooms. The Department of Taxation and the Tax Foundation raised concerns about blank provisions and revenue uncertainty, while Hawaii Emergency Management stood on written comments. The committee recommended passage with amendments, including a clarifying tax language change and an effective date of July 1, 2077. SB 112 would allow immediate family members of deceased persons to receive police closing reports after a set period; the Attorney General and prosecuting attorney supported access in principle but requested explicit redaction authority for minors and confidential personal information. The committee adopted amendments reflecting those concerns and passed the bill. SB 88 would authorize allowances for TRICARE, dental, and vision coverage for Hawaii National Guard personnel ordered to active duty for more than 30 days. It received support from National Guard and Department of Defense representatives and was passed as is. SB 16 would create civil remedies for discriminatory reporting to law enforcement based on protected characteristics and require public guidance from the Department of Law Enforcement and Civil Rights Commission; it received support from the department and several advocates, with one opposition testimony. The committee passed SB 16 with an amended effective date and technical changes. In final action, the committee deferred SB 48 and SB 120, and adopted the chair’s recommendations on the remaining measures before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• the um efficiency of government the um efficiency of government resources<01:49:19.840> point<
• Council 2024 Suite of International Code Council 2024 Suite of published<01:52:56.040> codes<
• 00.239> most state P building code makes the most state P building code makes the most recent<
• On page 6, line 19, right now the chapter reference is chapter 84, which is the ethics code.
• <03:13:10.760> I chapter 84 which is the ethics code I chapter 84 which is the ethics code

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard three House bills related to the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. HB 606 would extend the Act 279 special fund to June 30, 2028, continue deposits and appropriations to help eliminate the DHHL waitlist, and require a strategic plan and annual reporting. DHHL strongly supported the measure, saying most of the initial $600 million had been used and that the need remains large, with more than 29,000 people on the waitlist. Public testimony also supported the bill, emphasizing its importance to Native Hawaiian families and concerns about Hawaiians leaving the islands because of housing costs. A member noted the bill is a priority and that the committee will keep working on how to fund another $600 million. HB 1086 would exempt DHHL homestead lot and housing development from general excise and use taxes. DHHL supported the bill, saying any tax savings would reduce the eventual cost of housing for low-income beneficiaries. The Department of Taxation said it could administer the measure and noted it is already being implemented under the governor’s emergency proclamation, with a proposed effective date of January 1, 2026. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii offered technical comments and urged the committee to weigh existing benefits already received by DHHL beneficiaries. HB 1307 would appropriate funds for DHHL water well development and geothermal exploration on Hawaiian homelands. DHHL said the bill is a follow-up to prior study funding and would support slim-hole drilling, site evaluation, and consultant work to identify viable geothermal resources, especially on Hawaiʻi Island. Several testifiers opposed the bill, arguing there had been inadequate beneficiary consultation, raising environmental, cultural, and safety concerns, and objecting to using $20 million for geothermal rather than housing. In response to committee questions, DHHL staff explained that the goal is to gather information for a future public-private partnership to develop geothermal electricity, and that a Chapter 343 environmental review would be required later in the process. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Nora Morris, our vice president, Dolores Apache, our land board member, Cherylynn Apache, our chapter
• Whenever the federal government eliminated the surcharge on the premium on private market premiums...
• What I'm struggling with is that we have grown the size of government and we're growing new programs
• So I hope that we find a better way to do this than growing government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• They already receive such benefit in the way our tax code is written today. Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• Grant Program for School District Local Accountability Plans and actions challenging the Texas Education
• Psychologist licensed under the Occupations Code.
• Members, the bill relates to the inclusion of civics instruction in public school government curriculum
• One research security officer for Texas Southern, one for the Texas University System.
• Members, the bill relates to student union building fees at the University of Texas, El Paso.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have 23 of those in the state of Texas.
• by Texas mobile application.
• We all watch football here in Texas.
• Maritime Commerce. moves 24-7, 365, through Texas Maritime Ports, propelling the Texas economy.
• the region. that fuel the Texas economy.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The education code is generally chapters 128, 12A through 129C.
• Chapter 13 is government data practices, and that applies to school districts and charter schools, as
• the open meeting requirements um chapter the open meeting requirements um chapter 14<00:12:05.200
• It has its own chapter of statutes, Chapter 129C. It has two divisions.
• There is a whole chapter of statutes just for the high school league. It's Chapter 128C.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Policy Committee met for its first hearing of 2025 and began with member and staff introductions, along with opening remarks from Chair Peggy Bennett about her first time chairing the committee. Members briefly described their districts and backgrounds, and the chair also reviewed committee rules and procedures, including deadlines for bill requests, amendments, testifiers, and handouts. Nonpartisan House Research then provided an extensive overview of the committee’s jurisdiction and the education code. The presentation covered the Department of Education’s duties, including supervision of public schools, rulemaking under legislative authority, state and federal education funding and compliance, standards and assessments, accountability systems, student discipline, and model policies. It also discussed related entities such as PELSB, the Board of School Administrators, the Perpich Center, regional centers of excellence, Compass, MTSS, and the READ Act. The committee asked questions about zoning for school sites and about teacher licensure changes, including the tiered licensure system and recent adjustments affecting special education teachers and standards of effective practice. No bills were heard and no votes were taken. The meeting was primarily organizational and informational, focused on orienting members to the committee’s work and the structure of Minnesota’s education policy system.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chapter 83 evictions are related to residents.
• Chapter 83 evictions are related to residents.
• Regrettably, I have to bring up Chapter 83 again.
• Regrettably, I have to bring up Chapter 83 again.
• Tab 37, CS for SB 1666 on Uniform Commercial Code.

Summary: The Rules Committee took up a large agenda of bills, with many measures reported favorably after brief explanations, amendments, and testimony. Early bills included CS/SB 658 on lien waivers and releases, which was amended to preserve enforceability despite form differences and then passed; CS/CS/SB 736 on brownfields redevelopment, which drew support from business and redevelopment interests and passed; and CS/SB 1002 on utility service restrictions, which was amended to bar certain building or fire code provisions affecting fuel-source choices and then passed despite opposition from environmental advocates. The committee also advanced CS/CS/SB 1132 on right-to-repair for certain equipment, where manufacturers, dealer representatives, and industry groups warned the bill could undermine dealer networks and existing repair programs, while supporters argued it would improve consumer access and help farmers and equipment owners. The bill still passed. Other measures reported favorably included CS/SB 1378 on restitution for leaving the scene of property-damage crashes, CS/CS/SB 768 on foreign-country controlling interests in health care licensing, CS/SB 772 on school access to glucagon for diabetes emergencies, CS/SB 1400 on removal of nonconsensual altered sexual depictions, and CS/SB 1696 on transportation network company impersonation and transit funding. A major portion of the meeting focused on affordable housing. CS/SB 1730, a follow-up to the Live Local Act, made several changes to zoning, height, density, parking, moratorium, and enforcement provisions, with members raising concerns about parking reductions, attorney’s fees, local control, and impacts in the Keys and other sensitive areas. Supporters said the bill closes loopholes and improves workforce housing implementation, while some witnesses urged additional exemptions for areas of critical state concern. The bill was reported favorably after amendment. Later, the committee considered several bills from Senator Leak, including CS/SB 576 on service of process, CS/SB 606 on public lodging and food service establishments, and CS/SB 1164 on electronic delivery of landlord-tenant notices. CS/SB 606 drew substantial debate over whether hotels and extended-stay properties should be able to remove nonpaying guests without treating them like residential tenants; the sponsor said the bill clarifies transient occupancy and removes mandatory arrest provisions, and it passed. CS/SB 1164, which allows email notice delivery by agreement, passed despite concerns from tenant advocates that the bill should include clearer consent and safeguards. The committee also approved CS/SB 1374 on school district reporting of educator arrests and misconduct, CS/SB 940 on third-party restaurant reservation sales, and began hearing CS/SB 1690 on surrendered infants, which would authorize infant safety devices or “baby boxes” as a legal surrender option, with supportive testimony from proponents describing crisis situations and the need for anonymous surrender options.

Transcript Highlights:

• all authorities is everything governing all authorities is everything governing all authorities is given
• certificate of birth or other government certificate of birth or other government document or medical
• training institute and government training institute and government training institute and mandating
• uh to further provide for the the code uh to further provide for the the code uh to further provide
• code language the current existing code code language the current existing code code language the current

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• States like Kentucky, Florida, and Texas have already implemented stricter limits on adjuster fees to
• to 29, while leaving commercial ZIP codes really unchanged.
• Again, should we look at building code upgrades? Should we look at land use policies?
• Again, should we look at building code upgrades? Should we looking at land use policies?
• on the latest construction technologies, which is probably to code.

Summary: The committee first heard AB 597, a bill to strengthen consumer protections for disaster survivors who use public adjusters. The author and the Department of Insurance said the measure would cap public adjuster fees at 15% for claims tied to declared disasters, require clearer contracts, prohibit solicitation during emergency conditions, and allow consumers to rescind contracts that were solicited during prohibited periods. Insurance industry groups supported the bill, while public adjuster representatives opposed it as written but said they were willing to work on revisions. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to Appropriations; the roll call was ultimately recorded as 16-0. The committee then held its fourth oversight hearing on the Department of Insurance’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy, with Commissioner Ricardo Lara giving an extensive update on wildfire-related market reforms and consumer protections. He said the recent Southern California wildfires had not derailed the strategy and described actions including advance claim payments, a one-year moratorium on residential non-renewals in affected areas, a new fraud strike team, smoke-damage claim guidance, additional living expense protections, and a consumer claims tracker. He reported more than $12.1 billion in claims paid, over 37,000 claims filed, and more than 7,000 survivors assisted directly. He also discussed related bills and reforms, including AB 597, SB 495, SB 547, SB 429, SB 616, AB 888, and AB 2026. Members questioned the commissioner about the Fair Plan’s growing exposure, the $1 billion assessment, rate increases, non-renewals, underinsurance, and whether the reforms would actually stabilize the market. Lara said the assessment was already approved, that policyholders would not be hit with one large bill because insurers have two years to recover costs, and that the department was pushing insurers to use catastrophe modeling and reinsurance tools in exchange for commitments to write more policies in wildfire-distressed areas. He said the department expects to see market stabilization by 2026, though he emphasized the timeline depends on insurer participation, implementation of the new regulations, and future disaster activity. Members generally expressed support for the goals of the strategy while pressing for clearer expectations for consumers and faster action on mitigation and market reform.

Transcript Highlights:

• He also noted guests from Cloudcroft FFA Chapter and chapter advisor Joni Watson, and invited anyone
• Looks like Representative Vincent's got some guests in the gallery, FFA Chapter Cloudcroft and chapter
• 238, Section 1, as amended by Laws 2025, Chapter 29, Section 1, and by Laws 2025, Chapter 79, Section
• , NMSA, 1978, Being Laws, 1988, 188, Chapter 107, Section 3, and Laws, 1988, Chapter 108, Section 30,
• Section 5 as amended, Section 32-2A-3, NMSA, 1978, Being Laws, 2002, Chapter 2, Chapter 8, Section 3,

Bills: HM19

Keywords: New Mexico Aviation and Aerospace Day, aviation, aerospace, space industry, missile programs, Spaceport America, White Sands Missile Range, White Sands Test Facility, Kirtland Air Force Base, drone, unmanned aircraft systems, commercial space transportation, NASA, aircraft, STEM education, research laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, flight testing, medical evacuation

Transcript Highlights:

• And then other sections of the code are updated also to include that requirement.
• And the Board of Medicine does have the authority under another section in that chapter to adopt rules
• governing these continuing education requirements.
• , Chapter 43-17.5, in the code.
• changes to implement the compact in Chapter 43-17, which governs the licensure of physicians and physician

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee reviewed four bill drafts for the Rural Health Transformation effort. The first required the presidential physical fitness test in PE classes; members asked about DPI and school support, then moved and approved the draft. The second required physicians to complete one hour of continuing education on nutrition and metabolic health each renewal cycle and included legislative intent encouraging other health boards to consider nutrition-related CE; it was approved after brief discussion. The third bill adopted the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact. Members discussed a separate issue involving occupational therapy compact background checks and whether that fix could be added now or would need to wait until later; the committee also discussed Board of Medicine input and the compact’s workforce benefits. The draft was moved forward to the full committee. The fourth bill expanded pharmacists’ prescriptive authority and therapeutic substitution. Legislative Council explained the draft, and Senator Roars proposed substantial amendments to narrow motion sickness, UTI, diabetes supply, and substitution provisions. Members debated whether to vote on amendments now or wait for the special session public hearing; concerns were raised about transparency, stakeholder input, and avoiding premature action. No amendment vote was taken, and the bill was left for later consideration. The committee then recessed until the next day.