Bills: HCR50, HB123, HB219, HB251, HB404, HB769, HB1065, SB58, SB81, SB92, SB97, SB141, SB156, SB181, SB207, SB396, SB410

Keywords: electronic monitoring, GPS ankle monitor, ankle bracelet, pretrial release, post-conviction supervision, bail monitoring, house arrest, corrections, criminal justice, law enforcement, prosecuting authority, court reporting, provider registration, LCLE, Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice, data privacy, personal information, cybersecurity, confidentiality, monitoring violations

Transcript Highlights:

• whereas Steve was ordained as a deacon in 2003 and faithfully served the Catholic Church in several parishes
• , including the San Isidro parish in Corrales, San Diego Mission in the Pueblo of Jemez, and St.
• John Vianney Parish in Rio Rancho.

Bills: HM3, HM11, HM14, HM15, HM18, HM21, HB10, HB11, HB12, HB13, HB14, HB31, HB50

Keywords: nurses, health care workers, healthcare workers, frontline workers, hospital staff, clinicians, allied health professionals, support staff, public health, workforce shortage, nursing shortage, safe staffing, patient safety, rural health care, frontier communities, behavioral health, mental health, substance use disorder, substance abuse, health care memorial

Transcript Highlights:

• According to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, in Orange County alone, this special election to
• gerrymandering, we will not have rates the funding necessary for the Secretary of State and our county registrars
• The state controller will then distribute monies to the SOS and the county registrars so that they have

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• without a pension because our churches do not create automatic pensions, and I chose to serve in poor parishes
• I chose to serve in poor parishes. I was young and healthy and perhaps foolish.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a public hearing focused largely on senior long-term care issues, family caregiving, post-acute care access, and direct care workforce pay. Testimony strongly supported bills to raise the personal needs allowance for nursing home and rest home residents (including H. 1411, S. 482, and related bills), with speakers from Mass Senior Action, Dignity Alliance, nursing home residents, providers, and former state officials arguing that the current $72.80 monthly allowance has been unchanged since 2008 and is inadequate for basic items like clothing, toiletries, haircuts, and transportation. Witnesses also backed bills to increase MassHealth asset and income limits for seniors and to stop counting life insurance as cash, describing the current rules as outdated and harmful to low-income elders. The committee also heard testimony on bills allowing family members, including spouses and guardians, to be paid caregivers (H. 1394/S. 886), with supporters saying this would help families keep loved ones at home and reduce reliance on costly institutional care. Another set of bills (H. 1412/S. 903) drew support from a physician who said clearer MassHealth communication and improved post-acute care determination processes would help reduce delays and backlogs for patients awaiting skilled nursing, rehabilitation, or other post-acute placement. Several speakers emphasized that better home- and community-based care can prevent hospital readmissions and support independence. A major portion of the hearing focused on S. 877, which would establish an enhanced care worker minimum wage of $25 per hour, indexed to inflation, for certain home care and human services workers. Union representatives and direct care workers from SEIU Local 509, 1199 SEIU, and the AFL-CIO described severe staffing shortages, burnout, low wages, and high turnover across home care, mental health, disability services, and crisis response. They argued that higher pay is necessary to recruit and retain workers and to stabilize services for vulnerable residents. Committee members asked about costs, comparisons with other states, and whether non-wage incentives could help, but witnesses repeatedly said wages were the central issue. The hearing concluded after all registered testimony was heard, with the committee noting it would continue accepting written testimony and then adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got swing voters in Jefferson Parish, you know, like all over the state.
• representing people who get up and go to work every day and work hard to make their cities and their parishes

Summary: The House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations met for its final meeting of the session and took up SB 312 by Senator Talbot, a bill concerning labor organizations, employee dues and fees, withdrawal from unions, collective bargaining agreements, and related notice and reporting requirements. The author explained the bill would require annual notice to employees of their right to join or refrain from joining a labor organization, allow dues deductions to be authorized and revoked electronically, and require stoppage of deductions at the nearest possible payroll period after notice. The committee first adopted a technical amendment set, then considered a larger amendment set that shifted the withdrawal request to the employer, required the employer to notify the labor organization, placed the burden of proving notice compliance on the labor organization, and made the labor organization responsible for certain administrative costs. Supporters said the bill protected employee choice and could reduce taxpayer-funded administrative burdens; opponents argued the amendments created confusion, unnecessary bureaucracy, and unclear invoicing and cost-shifting procedures. Testimony came from business and labor representatives on both sides. Jim Patterson of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry supported the cost-shifting language as a way to protect taxpayers and public employers. Matt Wood, Peter Robbins-Brown, and Larry Carter, representing labor groups, said they had worked for months to reach a simpler opt-in/opt-out framework and objected to the new amendments as adding complexity and uncertainty. Several members questioned why police, firefighters, and later mass transit employees were exempted; the author and others said those exclusions were tied to federal law or because those groups had not requested inclusion. After debate, the committee adopted the large amendment set and then adopted a separate technical amendment adding mass transit employees to the exemption list. On the bill itself, members continued debating whether the measure was necessary if unions already allow members to opt out and whether the bill should apply only to public employees such as teachers and school workers. The committee ultimately voted to report SB 312 with amendments. The motion passed on a roll call vote, with several members voting no, and the meeting adjourned afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• It became operational three weeks back, I think, when Bob and E5 lead Ted Parish and anyone and if I
• It became operational three weeks back, I think, when Bob and E5 lead Ted Parish and Ryan Bahan were

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am also The cultural life director from my parish, Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church and the
• culture of life director for the Knights of Columbus from my parish, just to clarify, so are you testifying

Bills: SB 6, SB 11, SB 33

Keywords: electric power, interconnection, utilities, ERCOT, large load customers, water supply, sewer service, demand management, school prayer, Bible reading, religious text, public schools, Texas Education Code, student prayer, silent prayer, meditation, religious liberty, First Amendment, Establishment Clause, church and state

Transcript Highlights:

• I am also the cultural life director for my parish, Our Lady of the Atonement, Catholic Church, and the
• cultural life director for the Knights of Columbus for my parish, just to clarify.

Bills: SB6, SB11, SB33

Keywords: electric power, interconnection, utilities, ERCOT, large load customers, water supply, sewer service, demand management, school prayer, Bible reading, religious text, public schools, Texas Education Code, student prayer, silent prayer, meditation, religious liberty, First Amendment, Establishment Clause, church and state

Bills: HB288, HB403, HB420, HB783, HB815, HB915, HB927, HB933, HB944, HB962, HB971, HR74, SCR3, SCR20, SB5, SB34, SB37, SB190, SB255, SB270, SB273, SB314, SB415

Keywords: medical terminology, documentation, miscarriage, spontaneous abortion, healthcare, medical records, billing, homemade food, food safety, small business, exemption, regulation, Department of Children and Family Services, background checks, child welfare, employee screening, safety regulations, criminal history, non-lactational dairy, labeling requirements

Transcript Highlights:

• reading this correctly that we're going to create 265 new jobs through these two projects in Vermilion Parish

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works met to receive public testimony and act on port priority applications for inclusion in the FY 2027-2028 Port Priority Construction and Development Priority Program. After approving the March 9, 2026 minutes, the committee heard from Commissioner Andrew Kilshaw of the Office of Multimodal Commerce on two applications from the Avoyelles Harbor and Terminal District: a building addition and waterfront industrial improvements project, and a Workforce Training Center redevelopment project. He said both met program criteria and projected substantial state benefits, jobs, and high benefit-cost ratios. Committee members asked about the projected jobs, the unusually high benefit-cost ratio, and the status of other port projects. Kilshaw and DOTD’s Molly Bergoin said the program has a backlog of more than $200 million, but the department is working through it, with some projects nearing closeout. They also said the annual request cap has been increased and that a tiered funding approach is being considered to help projects compete for federal dollars. Members expressed support for expanding investment in ports and for a statewide strategic plan. Chairman Boriak moved to accept the port priority applications received through March 1, 2026, for inclusion in the FY 2027-2028 program. There was no objection, and the committee accepted the projects. The meeting then adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bernard Parish, namely the Louisiana International Terminal, which is a major multi-billion-dollar port

Bills: HR307, SB228

Keywords: expropriation, redevelopment, New Orleans East, blighted properties, task force, urban development, environmental remediation, property rights, community engagement, economic development, 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But he was still registered at the local board of registrars.
• And so your local board of registrars would have that information and... information and would... um,
• identified shall be timely communicated by the Secretary of State to the appropriate board or boards of registrars
• to process and... boards of registrars to process and that's it.
• And then I the Secretary of State and boards of registrars may not use or rely on credit bureaus as a

Bills: HB 14, HJR 31, HB 43, HB 18, HB 106, HB 36, HB 26, HB 149, HB 121, HB 206, HB 136, HB 3114, HB 2733, HB 1732, HB 3700, HB 467, HB 1130, HB 1846, HB 1442, HB 1147, HB 2176, HB 2701, HB 805, HB 2890, HB 1154, HB 1644, HB 2118, HB 1718, HB 2488, HB 2596, HB 1971, HB 2468, HB 484, HB 2578, HB 3204, HB 1041, HB 307, HB 685, HB 1710, HB 538, HB 2525, HB 3125, HB 2027, HB 2894, HB 3077, HB 3684, HJR 99, HB 1399, HJR 5, HB 1330, HB 2110, HJR 2, HJR 6, HB 1587, HB 14, HJR 31, HB 43, HB 18, HB 106, HB 36, HB 26, HB 149, HB 121, HB 206, HB 136, HB 3114, HB 2733, HB 1732, HB 3700, HB 467, HB 1130, HB 1846, HB 1442, HB 1147, HB 2176, HB 2701, HB 805, HB 2890, HB 1154, HB 1644, HB 2118, HB 1718, HB 2488, HB 2596, HB 1971, HB 2468, HB 484, HB 2578, HB 3204, HB 1041, HB 307, HB 685, HB 1710, HB 538, HB 2525, HB 3125, HB 2027, HB 2894, HB 3077, HB 3684

Keywords: nuclear energy, advanced reactors, energy security, grant programs, Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, farm products, tax exemption, ad valorem taxation, agriculture, Texas Constitution, livestock, producer, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, rural health, hospital funding, healthcare access, mental health services

Transcript Highlights:

• This is just a bill for our deputy registrars here in the state and reallocating some of the funds to
• But in general, keep in mind deputy registrars have been around for over 70 years.
• My name is Jared O'Reilly, and I began working at a deputy registrar office back in 2011.
• DVS recognizes that the deputy registrars and our deputy offices are a critical part of our ecosystem
• And if they can, maybe we just get rid of these deputy registrars entirely.

Bills: HF3169, HF3749, HF2605, HF3541, HF4102, HF3513, HF268

Keywords: suicide prevention, transportation, mental health, bridge safety, data collection, state law, bridge inspection, active transportation, truck parking, public safety, vehicle registration, fee structure, full-service providers, Capitol security, emergency management, state buildings, law enforcement, Minnesota State Patrol, State Patrol compensation, trooper salary

Transcript Highlights:

• A devoted Catholic and parishioner of the Good Shepherd parish, Clara found strength in her faith.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance led by the Wellesley High School girls tennis team, which was recognized for winning its second consecutive Division I state championship. The chamber then adopted several resolutions, including one commending the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance for recognizing October 15, 2025 as Lobular Breast Cancer Awareness Day and another congratulating Topsfield on its 375th anniversary. The House also suspended Joint Rule 12 to allow several petitions to be referred, including proposals related to law enforcement masks, a sick leave bank for a Department of Correction employee, Agent Orange Awareness Day, and an orange star license plate for veterans exposed to Agent Orange. The House next took up scheduling and advanced several local and private bills. House Bill 667 on school absences, House Bill 4381 regarding the Norwood town moderator term, and House Bill 4565 establishing a sick leave bank for Marie Latendry were ordered to a third reading. House Bills 3914 and 3963, concerning disability retirement for a Randolph police officer and retirement for a former Westfield firefighter, were also advanced to third reading. The chamber then passed House Bill 360, which further regulates on-premises alcohol licenses in Holyoke, to be enacted. After a moment of silent tribute to Clara Fallon of Fall River, the House continued with third-reading action on several bills, passing Senate Bill 2566 on fisheries commission matters, House Bills 3899, 42010, 4348, and 4514 to be engrossed, and House Bill 4243 on Ipswich’s town manager residency requirement. On House Bill 4243, Representative Walsh offered and the House adopted an amendment striking Section 2 before passing the bill as amended. The House also adopted an order to adjourn and then adjourned to meet Monday at 11 a.m. in an informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• reading this correctly that we're going to create 265 new jobs through these two projects in Vermilion Parish

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works met to receive public testimony and act on port priority applications for inclusion in the FY 2027-2028 Port Priority Construction and Development Priority Programs. After a roll call showing 18 members present, the committee adopted the March 9, 2026 minutes without objection. Commissioner Andrew Killshaw of the Office of Multimodal Commerce explained the Port Priority Program criteria and presented two applications from the Avoyelles Harbor and Terminal District: a $3.4 million building addition and infrastructure project requesting $2.853 million in state funds, and a $1.5 million Workforce Training Center redevelopment requesting $1.287 million. He said the projects were projected to create 265 jobs and generate substantial state benefits, with very high benefit-cost ratios. Members expressed support for the projects and for strengthening the port program overall. Chairman Boriak moved to approve the applications, and Senator Carter and others discussed the need to increase investment in ports and develop a statewide strategic plan to better compete for federal dollars. DOTD Multimodal Commerce staff, including Molly Bergoin, testified that the program has more than $200 million in backlog, that annual Transportation Trust Fund financing has made it difficult to reduce, and that the department hopes to clear 10 to 12 low-balance projects this year. They also said the request cap had been increased to $7 million per project this year and up to $21 million going forward, and that most projects are proceeding under reimbursement agreements because construction costs have risen sharply. After discussion, the committee voted without objection to accept the port priority applications received through March 1, 2026, for the FY 2027-2028 program. The committee then adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bernard Parish, namely the Louisiana International Terminal, which is a major multi-billion dollar port

Summary: The Civil Law and Procedure Committee met at 10:15 a.m. on May 26 and established a quorum. The first item was House Resolution 307 by Representative Dana Henry, which would create a task force to study expropriation, acquisition, and related issues tied to economic development in New Orleans East and the Louisiana International Terminal project. The resolution was described as focused on identifying underdeveloped parcels, clarifying ownership, and ensuring due process and safeguards against illegal takings. The chair moved to report H.R. 307 favorably, and it was reported favorably without objection. The committee then considered Senate Bill 228 by Senator Duplessis, a proposed constitutional amendment to allow public funds to be used to replace drinking water utility service lines on private property, specifically to enable use of federal funds for lead pipe replacement on both sides of the water meter. Testimony from the sponsor and Paul Rainwater emphasized that the measure is narrowly tailored, intended to avoid the Constitution’s donation prohibition, and needed to access already-granted federal money. Members discussed why a constitutional amendment was necessary, whether the wording should specify federal funds, and whether the proposal could confuse voters. A draft 6.8A report recommended reporting SB 228 without amendments and noted a possible conflict with House Bill 603 because both measures amend the same constitutional section. The committee adopted the 6.8A report without objection, then approved a motion to report SB 228 without amendments. The meeting adjourned without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• elections, but this process contains ambiguities that create issues for voters, campaigns, and county registrars
• SB 3 contains several reforms, the most significant of which is a new requirement that county registrars
• would only be able to accept signature cure forms produced by the Secretary of State or a county registrar
• statement to vote-by-mail envelopes that the signature provided will be compared to signatures county registrars

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum, offered prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and then moved through a long floor file with many Senate bills. Early procedural actions included unanimous-consent motions, a successful roll-call to rescind prior action on SB 351, and a 54-vote suspension of Joint Rule 61(a)(3) to allow floor amendments on SBs 80, 351, and 415. The chamber also made several referrals, moved one item to the inactive file, and welcomed new Assembly Member Natasha Johnson and other guests. The bulk of the meeting consisted of concurrence and third-reading votes on a wide range of measures, many of them passing with little or no opposition. Topics included tribal gaming grants (AB 221), State Bar fee and bar exam changes (SB 253), AI guardrails in community colleges (SB 241), consumer arbitration clauses (SB 82), due process for law enforcement in Racial Justice Act cases (SB 734), dental payment fee disclosures (SB 386), HOA balcony inspection reports (SB 410), farmland protection and EIFD rules (SB 5 and SB 516), emergency shelter zoning (SB 340), HIV confidentiality (SB 504), election signature-cure reforms (SB 3), contractor workers’ compensation compliance (SB 291), fire training funding (SB 345), wage theft enforcement (SB 355 and SB 261), food allergen disclosures (SB 68), ride-share insurance coverage (SB 371), housing and disaster recovery measures (SB 233, SB 625, SB 21), midwifery education (SB 520), mobile home insurance access (SB 525), epinephrine in schools (SB 568), health facility emergency licensing (SB 582), hair relaxer enforcement (SB 236), wastewater surveillance (SB 317), and several tax, transportation, and public health bills. A number of bills drew brief policy debate or opposition. SB 388, creating a California Latino Commission, prompted criticism from some members who argued the money should go directly to community needs rather than a new commission; it still passed. SB 50 on digital safety for victims of abuse, SB 20 on silicosis prevention, SB 306 on prior authorization reform, SB 373 on oversight of out-of-state special education placements, and SB 437 on reparations descendant-status verification were among the more substantive and discussed measures. Most bills passed by wide margins, often unanimously, and several urgency or tax-levy measures required 54 votes and were approved. The session ended with continued passage of remaining file items and multiple items retained or passed temporarily for later action.

Transcript Highlights:

• And Russell Parish.
• My name is Russell Parish, the Parish and Wright Law firm.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the registrar for the Contractors State License Board.
• I'm the registrar for the Contractor State License Board.

Summary: The Assembly Emergency Management Committee met late in the evening and first approved a consent calendar containing SB 837, SB 894, SB 973, and SB 1079, sending those bills to the Committee on Appropriations. The committee then heard SB 904, which would codify coordinated state response and permitting review efforts for wildfire recovery, and SB 1263, which would limit post-disaster debris removal work to properly licensed contractors with required hazardous-materials training. Both bills drew support from the authors and industry/public-safety witnesses, with SB 1263 also drawing an opposed-unless-amended position from contractors who said they were working toward agreement on final language. Both measures passed to Appropriations on unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The committee next heard SB 804, the Hydrogen Pipeline Safety Act, which would designate the State Fire Marshal as the safety regulator for interstate hydrogen pipelines and require hydrogen-specific safety standards. The author and supporters from building trades and pipe trades argued the bill would provide clear safety rules before hydrogen infrastructure expands, while one industry witness said the correct agency had been identified but that some concerns remained. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations, with Assemblymember DeMaio voting no. Finally, the committee considered SB 883, which would impose additional oversight on facilities storing methyl methacrylate and other reactive chemicals after a recent Orange County evacuation tied to a potential explosion risk. Supporters, including community, environmental, and public-health groups, said the bill would improve transparency, emergency planning, and safety protections near homes and schools. Chemical and manufacturing groups opposed the bill in its current form, citing undefined terms, concerns about mandated cooling systems, and possible conflicts with existing regulatory frameworks, but said they were willing to continue working on the measure. The bill passed to the Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials on a 4-2 vote, with Assemblymembers Hadwick and DeMaio voting no.

Transcript Highlights:

• they are where they say they live and that they live in the district that they're running from, the registrar
• They say they live and that they live in the district that they're running from, the registrar has to

Bills: HB12, HB149, SB229, SB1361, SB1749, SB1897, SB2113, SB2566, SB2677, SB1652, SB2327, SB2344, SB2696

Keywords: artificial intelligence, regulation, biometric data, ethical AI, consumer protection, AI governance, automobile sales, finance, retail seller, motor vehicle purchase, motor vehicle sales, pricing restrictions, third-party financing, education, funding, student assessment, accountability, standards, motor vehicle, financing

Summary: The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce heard testimony on HB 149, the Artificial Intelligence Governance Act. Senator Schwertner described the bill as an outcomes-based AI framework that would require disclosure when people interact with AI, prohibit manipulative or social-scoring systems, address biometric capture, discrimination, and deepfake child exploitation, and give the Attorney General enforcement authority. It would also create an AI Sandbox and AI Council. Witnesses from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a Houston attorney, TechNet, and the Texas Association of Business strongly supported the bill, praising its stakeholder process and pro-innovation approach, while Texas Appleseed suggested regulators should have more examination authority over sandbox participants. The bill was left pending. The committee then heard SB 229, which would prohibit motor vehicle dealers from conditioning a sale on dealer-offered financing or charging more because a buyer uses outside financing or cash. Senator West said the bill is meant to stop forced financing and bait-and-switch pricing, and he noted the bill passed the committee and Senate in the prior session. The Texas Automobile Dealers Association opposed the bill, arguing it would force dealers to accept any third-party lender or cash transaction on terms they cannot control. The Texas Credit Union Association supported the bill, saying consumers should be able to choose outside financing without hidden fees or pressure. After questions about cash purchases and dealer practices, the bill was left pending. The committee also took up SB 2566, which would clarify legislators’ access to information from executive agencies, including confidential information, by setting response deadlines, limiting confidentiality agreements to statutory terms, requiring a standard AG form, and creating a complaint and penalty process for noncompliance. No witnesses testified, and the bill was left pending. Finally, SB 1749, as substituted, would let certain court-related employees and judicial conduct commission personnel keep personal information such as home addresses and phone numbers confidential, with work addresses used in place of home addresses for certain purposes. District clerk and judicial conduct commission witnesses described threats and harassment as the reason for the bill, and a court administration witness answered questions about how the address protections would work with voter registration and precinct records. That bill was also left pending, and the committee recessed without further business.