Transcript Highlights:

• <00:18:55.840> compliance eliminating the alternative compliance eliminating the alternative
• It should be alternative energy.
• It should be alternative energy.
• alternative energy sources. alternative energy sources.
• <00:57:16.000> energy a bill allowing alternative energy a bill allowing alternative energy

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:26:04.240> and supports, and elderly waiver and supports, and elderly waiver and alternative
• 06.000> so<00:26:06.159> right<00:26:06.320> now<00:26:06.559> there alternative
• Uh so right now there alternative care.
• I I I worry about the alternative under.
• I I I worry about the alternative would<01:43:09.199> have<01:43:09.360> been<01:43:09.600

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As Dan said, we’re looking for different alternatives.
• for customers to have a lower alternative to make these payments affordable to them is what I feel is
• <01:19:48.159> This looking for different alternatives.
• This looking for different alternatives.
• each dealer, but it just the alternative each dealer, but it just the alternative for<01:19:54.000

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But the Commonwealth has been presented with serious alternatives.
• But the Commonwealth has been presented with serious alternatives.
• Dear members of the Legislative Committee, I am the Director of Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• I am the Director of Complementary and Alternative Medicine here at the Pappas Rehab Hospital.
• agenda. ...with disabilities are being pushed aside to fill some sort of alternative agenda.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The special legislative commission on the future of Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children held a hybrid public hearing focused on the hospital’s future, admissions, staffing, infrastructure, and whether the facility should be preserved, expanded, or reimagined. Opening remarks from legislators, commissioners, parents, and union representatives emphasized that Pappas provides a unique combination of medical, rehabilitative, educational, and residential services for children with complex needs, and several speakers argued that the hospital is effectively being depopulated through reduced admissions and ongoing discharges despite public assurances that it remains open. Multiple speakers urged the commission to extend its authorization and continue its work before any closure or major change can occur. Testimony from labor leaders, including AFSCME, SEIU Local 509, and the Massachusetts Nurses Association, described a “silent closure” in practice, with staff reporting confusion about the hospital’s status, declining census numbers, blocked admissions, and uncertainty about the workforce’s future. They called for immediate action to stop admission denials and unnecessary discharges, and some proposed short-term solutions such as temporary modular structures to address infrastructure barriers and allow admissions to resume. Parents and former patients testified that Pappas provided life-changing independence, specialized therapy, and campus-based supports that they said could not be replicated elsewhere, and they criticized alternative placements as inadequate. Commissioner Robert Goldstein of the Department of Public Health said the administration supports keeping Pappas open and funded while the commission works, but he argued that admissions must comply with hospital-level-of-care rules and that the campus’s deteriorating infrastructure limits the kinds of children who can safely be served there. He said the department is continuing admissions for appropriate patients, working to expand outreach and services, and exploring long-term options, including broader statewide models of care. Commissioners pressed him on whether discharge status or lack of a clear discharge plan had been used as a barrier to admission, and requested de-identified data on patients recommended for admission but denied. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And again, I will remind you there's always the alternative of joining Eric, which would keep our voter
• And again, I will remind you there's always the alternative of joining Eric, which would keep our voter
• And again, I will remind you there's always the alternative of joining Eric, which would keep our voter
• And again, I will remind you there's always the alternative of joining Eric, which would keep our voter
• And again, I will remind you there's always the alternative of joining Eric, which would keep our voter

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Summary: The committee worked through several election-related bills and conference committee compromises. On SB 221, members discussed a streamlined re-registration form for voters removed from the checklist, with the Secretary of State to develop the necessary form; one member opposed the bill as unnecessary and warned that more frequent purges can disenfranchise voters, but the committee ultimately accepted the compromise and prepared it for signatures. On SB 213, the committee reviewed technical language changes to the HB 340-related provisions, including changing “legislative body” to “governing body” and replacing “measure” with “warrant article.” Despite those edits, one member argued the bill could chill public employees’ participation in official duties and should be held to the Senate position; another said the bill was unnecessary in light of other voting restrictions already enacted. No position change was made, and the bill remained opposed by at least some members. On SB 218, the committee agreed to add the word “applicable” in two places, and to remove sections 5 and 6 from the Senate version so pre-processing language would be restored. The House also asked to strike a sentence giving the Secretary of State broad authority over errors identified in the process, preferring that such matters remain in statute. Members generally described these edits as improvements, though some still opposed the bill overall. The meeting ended after a final comment on SB 213 seeking to remove language requiring public employees’ factual information to be provided only in response to public requests, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, but what about the alternative?
• What you're saying, just to clarify, is the concern is if they have an alternative perspective and would
• Through associated with a person's biological sex at birth to an alternative gender identity, through
• To communicate the person's alternative gender identity. Does that not clear this up in naming?
• transition is only a problem when the gender expression is intended to communicate the person's, quote, alternative

Bills: HB1325, HB1655, HB3312, HB5526, SB13, SB57, SB207, HB441, HB591, HB5019, SB27, SB843, SB 13, SB 27, SB 57

Keywords: student transfer, public servants, education code, peace officer, servicemember, judicial officer, school security, volunteer program, retired law enforcement, veterans, public safety, school safety, criminal background check, school libraries, library advisory councils, parental rights, library materials, educational content, challenging materials, emergency operations plan

Transcript Highlights:

• times they think that they might be held liable if they allow that, um, that child to go to an alternative
• , um, if it wasn't for my own mother fought leukemia and she had total freedom in order to seek alternative
• neglect, simply because I did not wish to continue with their treatment plan, but rather seek an alternative
• Bill 1652 and protect children like Emily and give her medical freedom to choose safer, effective alternative
• Um, we couldn't accept that and we wanted to search for an alternative treatment to keep her in remission

Bills: HB46

Keywords: local government spending cap, expenditure limit, political subdivision, property tax, ad valorem tax, budget cap, taxpayer protection, spending restraint, inflation adjustment, population growth, voter approval, supermajority vote, county budget, municipal budget, school district finance, junior college district, hospital district, special district, attorney general enforcement, local fiscal limits

Transcript Highlights:

• that many times they think that they might be held liable. ...if they allow that child to go to alternative
• an issue if it wasn't for my own mother who fought leukemia, and she had total freedom to seek alternative
• neglect simply because I did not wish to continue with their treatment plan but rather seek an alternative
• So I ask you to support this house and protect children like Emily, seeking effective alternative treatment
• We couldn't accept that, and we wanted to... for an alternative treatment to keep her in remission.

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

Transcript Highlights:

• RECENT STUDIES HAVE UPENDED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT AVOIDING ALL OPIOID DRUGS AND OPERATIVELY BY USING ALTERNATIVE
• ASSUMING IF THERE WAS A REASON FOR THAT THIS BILL DID BECOME ENACTED THAT THERE ARE NON-OPIOID ALTERNATIVES
• THERE'S LOTS OF SCENARIOS WHERE A NON-OPIOID ALTERNATIVE IS NOT GOING TO DO IT.
• IT IS VOLUNTARY FOR THE PATIENT BUT IT IS A MANDATE TO THE DOCTOR SAYING YOU MUST USE OPIOID ALTERNATIVES
• SO THERE IS DEFINITELY A RULE AND THERE'S ALL KINDS OF OPIOIDS AND THE OPIOID ALTERNATIVES MAY NOT CUT

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• trying to do is open the door for the development of distributed renewable energy. generation alternatives
• compensation options moving forward for El Paso Electric and allows for the evaluation of those very alternatives
• stands, we are opposed to this bill as written because it allows El Paso Electric to propose an alternative
• anti-solar rates and fees, we don't believe that El Paso Electric would replace net metering with an alternative
• If an alternative approach is being proposed, we believe it should be based on the thorough analysis

Bills: HB 13, HB143, HB144, HB145, HB366, HB470, HB805, HB912, HB13, HB143, HB144, HB145

Keywords: emergency communication, infrastructure, first responders, grant program, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, local governments, HB 143, Texas Railroad Commission, Public Utility Commission of Texas, Natural Resources Code, oil and gas, well site, surface facility, electrical power line, National Electrical Code, NEC, electrical safety, utility disconnect, service disconnection

Transcript Highlights:

• Grace Hannah, Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Are you here?
• Grace Hannah, Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Are you here in person? Yes, ma'am.
• My name is Grace Hannah, and I'm here on behalf of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
• Instead of incarcerating people with substance abuse issues, this body should focus on effective alternatives
• American Conservative Union Foundation, the Nolan Center for Justice, and Right on Crime, that offer alternatives

Summary: The Criminal Justice Subcommittee heard and advanced a series of bills on inmate medical billing, court-order transmission, animal abandonment during disasters, first responder peer support, firearm purchase waiting periods, capital felony aggravators, domestic violence protections, boating safety, restitution for leaving the scene of a crash, xylazine trafficking, and offenses against law enforcement officers. Testimony was generally supportive across the agenda, with some opposition or caution raised on the xylazine bill, the boating safety bill, and parts of the law-enforcement-officer bill. Several measures were presented as responses to specific tragedies, including the Martin County jail medical billing bill, the Baker Act transmission bill, Trooper’s Law for restrained dogs, the Jason Rayner Act, and Lucy’s Law. HB 407 would cap certain emergency medical charges for Martin County jail inmates at 110% of Medicare rates, mirroring Department of Corrections practice; it passed 15-0. HB 513 would require faster electronic transmission of certain court orders, including Baker Act orders, to law enforcement within six hours; it passed 15-0. HB 205, Trooper’s Law, creates a third-degree felony for abandoning a restrained dog during a natural disaster; it passed 15-0. HB 421, as amended, expands peer support for first responders to certain support personnel involved in crime scene work or evidence handling; it passed 16-0. PCS for HB 383 would let law enforcement, correctional officers, correctional probation officers, and active military service members bypass the three-day handgun waiting period without a concealed carry permit; it passed 18-0. HB 693 adds an aggravating factor in capital cases when the victim was gathered with others for a school, religious, or public government meeting; it passed 17-1 after opposition testimony from Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. PCS for HB 19 and HB 41, the Haven Act, would expand domestic and dating violence protections, including a feasibility study for a web-based 911 alert system and confidentiality/public-records protections for victims; both passed 18-0. PCS for HB 289, Lucy’s Law, would align boating penalties with driving offenses and expand boating safety card requirements; it passed 18-0 despite concerns from one witness that the bill should go further. HB 479 would allow courts to order restitution in leaving-the-scene property-damage cases; an amendment changing mandatory to discretionary restitution was adopted, and the bill passed 18-0. PCS for HB 57 would regulate xylazine, add trafficking penalties, and include veterinary-use exceptions; it passed 17-0 after one witness opposed mandatory minimums. HB 175, the Jason Rayner Act, clarifies that officers are protected when acting within the scope of their duties and adds manslaughter of a law enforcement officer to offenses requiring life imprisonment; it passed 17-0 after debate over self-defense and unlawful police conduct.

Transcript Highlights:

• The requesting owner is encouraged to engage in alternative dispute resolution.
• Because alternative dispute resolution costs money. So, does that mean they pay for it?
• Uh, examples are, you know, drunk driving contexts or we don't get a breath test quickly enough.
• <02:24:25.359> I<02:24:25.600> mean,<02:24:25.680> just breath test quickly
• I mean, just breath test quickly enough.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• setting, virtual or alternative school, and then also there'll be different ones of the school that
• school, but they've not alternative school, but they've not given<01:00:28.079> me<01:00:28.240
• <01:00:39.119> setting,<01:00:39.440> virtual<01:00:39.760> or alternate setting
• , virtual or alternate setting, virtual or alternative<01:00:40.640> school,<01:00:41.119>
• and<01:00:41.359> then<01:00:41.520> also alternative school, and then also alternative

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How are you going to deal with the issue of the floors used to have alternating men's and women's restrooms
• How are you going to deal with the issue of the floors used to have alternating men's and women's restrooms
• much space is available before there is, or how many years before there has to be some sort of alternative
• much space is available before there is, or how many years before there has to be some sort of alternative
• We had also accepted some alternates that were presented during bidding from subcontractors, and this

Summary: The Budget Section Leadership Division met with a quorum and approved the March 18 minutes before hearing a series of informational updates. The Petroleum Council reported that North Dakota oil production is expected to remain relatively flat at just under 1.2 million barrels per day, with activity shifting northward in the Bakken as technology improves and three- and four-mile laterals boost well performance. The presentation also discussed oil and gas prices, gas taxation, flaring concerns, the importance of pipelines and other linear infrastructure, and enhanced oil recovery pilot projects supported by state and federal funding. Members asked questions about gas production taxes, natural gas liquids, and the outlook for drilling rigs and future production. The Office of State Tax Commissioner then reviewed the federal “big beautiful bill” and its estimated effect on North Dakota individual and business income tax collections. Staff explained that most of the individual income tax impact comes from the permanent increase in the standard deduction, while temporary provisions such as senior deductions, tip and overtime exclusions, and auto loan interest deductions have smaller or limited-term effects. They also noted that business tax changes, especially depreciation and expensing provisions, create a larger near-term cash impact, and that some FY25 collections likely reflected one-time oil field transactions that may have inflated the baseline used in earlier estimates. OMB provided updates on major capital projects and facility funding. For Capitol grounds improvements, officials described plans for 18th-floor renovations, wayfinding upgrades, public seating, lighting, tree management, and possible restroom and lobby reconfiguration, while also noting the governor’s residence security project and the discovery of human remains on the Capitol grounds. OMB and its consultants also reported on the state facility maintenance fund, including window replacement, boiler work, roof and foundation repairs, and a new facility conditions assessment covering more state buildings. Updates were also given on the new state hospital in Jamestown, the Minot state office building, and the use of federal state fiscal recovery funds, including possible future reallocations to the Department of Corrections. Finally, Legislative Council staff summarized the interim compliance report on legislative intent and trust fund activity, highlighting the status of lines of credit, Bank of North Dakota profit transfers, the statewide litigation pool, the new Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship, corrections planning, HHS program updates, and a likely future general fund request for the unemployment insurance modernization project. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes; the meeting was primarily informational, with members asking clarifying questions throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• Initiative this year as an alternative to school suspension.
• I appreciate the focus on alternatives to suspension because suspensions, Madam Chair, are not always
• I agree it would be great to have alternative school suspension at a higher level to provide some of
• And Live Vape Free, that is the alternative to school suspension.
• We know that we're going to have Arvio Health working on the Alternative to School Suspension Program

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm happy to submit that separately, the alternative alignment studies that they published.
• This 21-mile corridor parallels I-35E directly, giving an alternative mode for commuters moving between
• They're looking for alternative forms of transportation.
• and resulted in issues such as poor air quality, split communities, and undermined funding for alternative
• we're told only one untoll bridge would remain, forcing residents to drive 14 miles west... ...alternative

Bills: HJR58, HJR63, HB263, HB542, HB905, HB 1288, HB1402, HB2003, HB2262, HB2323, HB2429, HB2876, HB3019, HB263

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, elderly, retirement, benefits, transit-oriented projects, constitutional amendment, state highway fund, funding allocation, voter approval, highway fund, funding, public transportation, transit projects, transportation, local transit, fund allocation, voting rights, election integrity, ballot access

Transcript Highlights:

• <02:08:35.800> to<02:08:36.000> get<02:08:36.199> tested the ability to tested
• to get tested the ability to tested to get tested insured<02:08:37.599> and<02:08:37.760>
• and drive in our roads so I get tested and drive in our roads so I think<02:10:09.639> it<02:
• What we do is not emissions testing; it's an engine code read.
• the emissions testing from the safety<05:07:24.558> inspection<05:07:24.958> part<05:07

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 758, which would establish a study committee on airport operation hours and possible noise abatement measures, including whether New Hampshire should prohibit departures between midnight and 6 a.m. The sponsor said the committee would examine the pros and cons and consult stakeholders. The Bureau of Aeronautics testified neutrally, noting that New Hampshire has 25 public airports, 12 with federal funding and grant assurances that may require them to remain open during those hours, and that cargo operations, including at Manchester, commonly occur overnight. Members also discussed existing noise abatement programs and how mitigation is determined by noise contours and FAA funding decisions. No vote was taken; the chair closed the hearing after testimony. The committee then heard House Bill 489, allowing voluntary emergency workers to use rear-facing blue lights on private vehicles when responding to emergencies. The sponsor said the bill corrects an oversight in existing law, would not cost the state or towns money, and would improve visibility and safety, especially in rural areas. Supportive testimony from a volunteer responder emphasized that blue lights help cut through fog, snow, and nighttime conditions, and that the bill would only add a single rear-facing blue light to existing red, amber, and white emergency lighting. The New Hampshire State Police opposed the bill, arguing that expanding blue lights to private vehicles would confuse the public and desensitize drivers to blue lights, which are associated with law enforcement. The hearing closed without action. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 533, which the sponsor and State Police clarified is actually two separate changes: one authorizing civilian automotive equipment inspectors to assist with vehicle inspection work, and another expanding language in motor carrier enforcement to include new entrant safety audits and compliance reviews. The State Police explained that civilian inspectors are hired and trained through the department and that any findings of state-law violations would be referred to troopers; they also said the new motor carrier language was requested to satisfy federal audit concerns about right of entry. The New Hampshire Motor Transport Association said it had no position if the civilian inspectors were not doing commercial truck inspections, but would oppose the bill if they were. Members asked about the difference between audits and compliance reviews, and the State Police said audits are for newer carriers and are non-enforcement, while compliance reviews look for violations. The chair then closed the hearing on HB 533. After a brief reset, the committee opened House Bill 594, which would repeal an alternate definition of “way” for the driving-after-suspension statute. The sponsor said the change was requested by the Department of Justice. Representative Erica Leon opposed the repeal, explaining that the prior language was intended to avoid criminalizing people who mow lawns or perform similar work near property edges while suspended, but she worried the repeal could create a loophole allowing driving on places like highway medians. Members questioned whether the issue was limited to mowing or broader vehicle use on property edges, and Leon said she would work with agencies to clarify the language so it protects lawful mowing without allowing misuse. No vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kelsey Vela: ...testing.
• I'm going to pivot from that discussion to the issue of the sexual assault kit testing.
• Chair: ...the sexual assault kit testing.
• It's just a test. So if I go to page five of your presentation.
• All right, is there anyone else here who wants to test?

Bills: SB1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee heard a Legislative Budget Board presentation and then testimony from the Department of Public Safety on the Article 5 public safety budget. LBB said DPS’s 2026-27 recommendation totals $3.7 billion, down from the prior base, while FTEs rise by 856.7. Major items included increased funding for driver license services and customer support, new trooper funding and recruit schools, crime lab operations, border security, and reductions tied to one-time facility, vehicle, and aircraft spending. The committee also discussed new riders, including one to lapse unused trooper funds and require reporting after recruit schools. Members focused heavily on driver license operations, questioning why prior staffing increases and a prior efficiency study had not solved long wait times, high call abandonment, and appointment delays. DPS and LBB said the agency receives about 22,000 calls per day, answers only about 9 percent, and is seeking more staff plus technology upgrades such as automation, kiosks, and better online processing. Senators also raised concerns about rural access, REAL ID document requirements, and whether the department should rethink its processes rather than simply add employees. DPS leadership then described needs for the Williamson County training academy, additional troopers, Capitol and Alamo security, border operations, aircraft and vehicle replacement, and regional headquarters in El Paso and San Antonio. Members asked about Operation Lone Star costs, overtime, pursuit safety, border crime, oilfield theft, and sexual assault kit and toxicology backlogs. DPS said border deployments remain focused on criminal threats, that overtime is partly driven by deployments and staffing shortages, and that the sexual assault kit backlog is down to 118 cases with a goal of zero by April. The committee later recessed and began the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission budget presentation, where LBB outlined a $115.1 million recommendation and noted ongoing costs for the AIMS technology project.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Chair will alternate recognition between the parties, with time equally allocated between the parties
• Joyce, for five minutes. alternate recognition between the alternate recognition between the parties<
• The process is means tested, so it's available only for those who really need it.
• ,<03:56:12.239> so [snorts] process is means tested, so [snorts] process is means tested,
• in just the first five months of test in just the first five months of test driving<05:01:59.200

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, January 12, 2026, 1012, house, all

Bills: SB2876, SB3253, SB2125, SB2781, HB549, HB1768, SB2053, SB2494, SB2851, SB3073, HB1678, HB1721, HB2475, HB2246, HB1667, HB1516, SB2532, SB3131, SB3154, HB2297, HB1737, SB2143, SB2398, SB2623, HB1740, HB1920, HB1682, SB2153, SB3140, HB1515, SB2835, HB2282, SB3083, SB2031, SB2519, SB2667, SB2140, SB2544, SB2069, SB2697, SB874, SB2043, SB888, SB2721, HB2152, HB1334, HB2385, HB1643, HB2314, HB1688, HB1692, SB2568, SB2983, SB2108, SB3136, HB1959, SB3156, HB1511, HB1753, HB1824, HB2137, HB1810, HB2279, HB2309, HB1548, HB2078, HB2293, SB3262, SB2169, SB2607, SB2964, SB3255, HB2576, HB1481, HB1864, HB1550, SB2818, SB3067, SB2061, HB1728, HB1881, HB2361, HB2395, HB1823, SB2050, SB2397, SB2175, SB2852, SB847, SB3001

Keywords: natural hair braiding, hair braiding, braids, braider, braiding license, cosmetology, barbering, barber board, Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, registration, licensure exemption, sanitation training, health and safety, hair extensions, cornrows, twists, locks, protective hairstyles, beauty industry, occupational licensing