Transcript Highlights:

• happens about once a quarter: someone comes into my office, they have been hurt because of the negligence
• in a car, or who had no negligence walking across the street and is struck by a car, only benefits the
• Hospitals are not vicariously liable for the alleged medical negligence of the physicians.
• , gross negligence, or intentional misconduct, and applies to for-profit kennels, nonprofit kennels,
• , gross negligence, or intentional misconduct and applies to for-profit kennels, non-profit kennels,

Bills: HB2242, HB2446, HB2799, HB4502, HB2920, HB2790, HB5620, HB5060, HB5076, HB5080, HB5081, HB5128, HB5130, HB3847, HB5116, HB2969, HB4546, HB4202, HB5624, HB3964, HB4803, HB872, HB4775, HB4777, HB4961, HB5570, HB2988, HB4260, HB1375, HB5009, HB5411, HB5134, HB4388, HB3095, HB1387

Keywords: constables, civil rights, local government, law enforcement, policy-making authority, affidavit, medical bills, civil actions, reasonable charges, healthcare services, judicial statistics, court performance, family law, civil cases, efficiency reporting, court security, emergency management, harassment penalties, judicial safety, court committee

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills affecting civil practice, judicial conduct, and attorney regulation. HB 4961 and the similar HB 3095 would bar uninsured motorists from recovering non-economic damages after a collision, with HB 3095 also addressing certain exceptions and limiting economic damages in some cases. Supporters said the measures would encourage insurance coverage and fairness for insured drivers, while opponents argued they would unfairly punish injured people who were not responsible for the lack of insurance, including pedestrians, passengers, children, and others. HB 3095 drew constitutional concerns from witnesses, and the committee later withdrew the committee substitute and left the bill pending; HB 4961 was also left pending after questions about its scope, including passengers. HB 5570 would expand a continuing legal education exemption to attorneys appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate who serve on boards or commissions. The author and witness said the bill would free up time for public service while still requiring ethics training. A committee member raised a discrepancy in the number of attorneys covered, and the bill was left pending. HB 2969 would prohibit the State Bar from adopting rules or penalties that unreasonably burden attorneys’ religious exercise or free speech, especially in relation to sincerely held religious beliefs. Supporters framed it as a protection for lawyers of faith against an ABA-style speech code, while no one testified in opposition; the bill was left pending. HB 4260 would prohibit county judges and county commissioners from practicing law in courts over which they have jurisdiction. The author described it as an ethics measure to avoid conflicts of interest, but county officials and the County Judges and Commissioners Association opposed it, saying existing ethics rules already address conflicts and that the bill would impose hardships, especially in rural counties. The bill was left pending. HB 4388 would require all judges, including those who serve only in administrative roles, to remain subject to the Code of Judicial Conduct; supporters said some judges avoid discipline by relinquishing judicial functions, while opponents said the bill was unnecessary and could burden county judges who serve as administrators. It was also left pending. The committee also heard HB 5134, which would limit Rule 202 pre-suit depositions to people who have suffered or reasonably expect to suffer actual damages and allow attorney’s fees against abusive petitioners. The author said the bill would curb harassment and fishing expeditions, but members questioned how the standard would work in practice; the bill was left pending. Finally, HB 3964 would narrow common-law public nuisance claims by barring suits over lawful conduct, conduct already addressed by other remedies, and products, while preserving other causes of action. Supporters said the bill would prevent regulation through litigation and protect legislative authority; opponents said it would eliminate important remedies and that no Texas abuse had been shown. The author indicated he would revise the bill, and it was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• response tariff that helps to create more value for those distributed resources when we can control loads
• Our peak conditions are about 2,300 megawatts of load, and for batteries to be viable and provide power
• AI, and this is for everybody, and the AI tools for the heat waves, storms, grid failures, critical loads
• To manage loads and consider that another resource that we can utilize.
• From those that have a resource or can manage their load to the cooperative to Tri State, where we can

Transcript Highlights:

• first part of it, a DUI resulting in death is included as a sentencing enhancement in the criminally negligent
• criminally sentencing enhancement in the criminally sentencing enhancement in the criminally negligent
• > statute,<00:53:37.920> making<00:53:38.079> it<00:53:38.319> a The negligent
• too<02:20:40.399> much<02:20:40.560> of<02:20:40.640> the<02:20:40.800> load
• like we're carrying too much of the load like we're carrying too much of the load so<02:20:42.000

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• three times in a five-year period, or had a violation with a culpable mental state greater than negligence
• three times in a five-year period, or had a violation with a culpable mental state greater than negligence
• three times in a five-year period, or had a violation with a culpable mental state greater than negligence
• three times in a five-year period, or had a violation with a culpable mental state greater than negligence
• three times in a five-year period, or had a violation with a culpable mental state greater than negligence

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House took up Senate Bill 323, suspending the rules to consider it immediately. The bill was described as a broad agricultural measure with committee amendments and fiscal implications, and it was reported favorably by the Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry Committee, Ways and Means, and Appropriations. Members outlined sections dealing with milk market corrections, farm-to-school language, repeal of the obsolete pest control compact, pesticide applicator licensing changes, seed law updates, the Vermont Agricultural Credit Program, hemp regulation, and CAFO-related provisions. The Agriculture committee reported the bill out 7-0-1, and the effective date was described as July 1, 2026, except for the hemp provisions, which would take effect upon passage. Much of the discussion focused on the hemp sections. Supporters said the bill updates Vermont law to reflect federal changes and shifts hemp oversight from the Agency of Agriculture to the Cannabis Control Board. The hemp provisions would create registration and licensing requirements for hemp producers, processors, and certain hemp products; set fees; authorize testing, inspections, stop-sale orders, and administrative penalties; and allow rulemaking on product standards, labeling, insurance, additives, and age restrictions. Speakers said the changes were intended to help Vermont’s hemp industry maintain access to banking, insurance, and interstate commerce while improving consumer safety and regulatory clarity. Other agricultural provisions were also explained in detail. The bill would clarify milk producer hearing rights, update farm-to-school grant/contract language, remove outdated pest-control compact language, and adjust pesticide applicator exam and fee rules, including removing the limit on retakes and eliminating certain government applicator fees. It would also modernize seed labeling and definitions, transfer the Vermont Agricultural Credit Program into a new statutory structure under VEDA, and make conforming cross-reference changes in tax and cannabis fund statutes. The final sections would add a CAFO permit working group and require consultant training for state agencies on CAFO inspections, with those provisions contingent on future funding. Ways and Means noted the bill’s fee changes could affect state revenues, including an estimated hemp-related impact of roughly $10,000 to $90,000, though the exact effect was uncertain.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 156 by Senator Kleinpeter provides for negligent homicide, provide for penalties, increase
• Members, this bill strengthens penalties regarding negligent homicide. Rep.
• Senate Bill 156 by Senator Klein-Peter provides for negligent homicide, provide for penalties, increase
• Members, this bill strengthens penalties regarding negligent homicide.
• The commission of malfeasance, gross negligence, as a civil standard, right?

Bills: HR275, HR276, HR277, HR278, HR279, HR280, HR281, HR282, HR283, HR284, HCR112, HCR113, HR265, HR266, HR267, HR268, HR269, HR270, HR271, HR272, HR273, HCR107, HCR108, HCR109, HCR110, HCR111, SCR63, SCR66, SCR67, SB414, SB484, SB513, HR168, HR174, HR194, HR216, HR264, HCR54, HCR74, HCR79, HCR85, HCR87, HCR94, HCR95, HCR97, HCR98, HCR104, SCR23, SCR29, SCR33, SCR38, HB75, HB705, SB54, SB56, SB72, SB79, SB97, SB105, SB123, SB125, SB129, SB163, SB171, SB252, SB287, SB375, SB386, SB461, SB466, HR84, HR188, HR205, HR3, HR197, HR243, SCR19, SCR3, SCR6, SCR18, SCR11, SCR22, SCR2, SCR20, SCR24, SCR35, HCR6, HB301, HB359, HB657, HB675, HB680, HB727, HB39, HB58, HB112, HB134, HB155, HB187, HB287, HB462, HB782, HB825, HB846, HB903, HB904, HB929, HB941, HB962, HB1200, HB4, HB623, HB944, HB986, HB1098, HB1222, SB45, SB58, SB71, SB81, SB92, SB100, SB109, SB141, SB156, SB181, SB203, SB204, SB205, SB207, SB213, SB214, SB216, SB229, SB257, SB274, SB290, SB304, SB374, SB379, SB396, SB410, SB425, SB427, SB429, SB479, SB522, SB34, SB164, SB172, SB198, SB208, SB232, SB281, SB286, SB317, SB322, SB334, SB380, SB385, SB409, SB417, SB421, SB430, SB439, SB447, SB458, SB510, HB842, HB633, HB1191, HB625, HB1255, HB251, HB582, HB646, HB819, HB998, HB1257, SB197, SB436, SB78, HB901, HR20, HR74, HCR65, HCR71, HB284, HB302, HB306, HB341, HB366, HB393, HB458, HB577, HB603, HB605, HB614, HB733, HB752, HB773, HB798, HB911, HB955, HB996, HB1035, HB1069, HB1113, HB1140, HB1180, HB1240, SB82, SB89, HB258, SB149, SB382, SB441

Keywords: highway maintenance, signage, transportation safety, DOTD, infrastructure, public safety, federal grants, job creation, carbon storage, carbon dioxide storage, carbon capture and storage, CCS, mineral rights, mineral owners, oil and gas, disposal wells, injection wells, advanced drilling, carbon sequestration, Louisiana energy policy

Transcript Highlights:

• This is gross negligence by the DOE and the DOH.
• This is gross negligence by the DOE and the DOH.
• <00:24:50.679> by Children this is gross negligent by Children this is gross negligent by
• gross<00:24:51.520> negligence<00:24:52.399> by<00:24:52.559> the<00:24:52.760><
• c> doe<00:24:53.760> and<00:24:54.000> the<00:24:54.320> do gross negligence

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Education met on April 1 at 2:04 p.m. and first heard HCR 129/HR 125/HD1, which asks state and county transportation and education agencies to work together on pedestrian safety and traffic congestion around Haiku Elementary School. The Department of Education said it stood on its written testimony, and no other testimony was offered on that measure. The committee then took up HCR 173/HR 169/HD1, urging the Department of Health to begin education outreach and vaccination drive efforts at schools with vaccination rates under 30 percent, starting in the 2025-26 school year. The Department of Education and Department of Health both supported the resolution and stood on their written testimony. Support also came from the Hawaii Public Health Institute, Hawaii Nurses Association, the Democratic Party of Hawaii Health Committee, and Free Citizens of Malua. A number of testifiers opposed the measure, arguing that vaccination efforts do not belong in schools, that the proposal would pressure families and undermine parental rights and religious freedom, and that it could create liability and misuse public funds. Several opponents also raised concerns about informed consent, government overreach, and vaccine safety. One supporter, Kye Swan, said vaccines are the way to fight infectious disease and asked the committee to pass the resolution so children could be vaccinated before the school year starts. No vote or final committee action on the resolutions was announced in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And my blood alcohol content would have diminished to negligible amounts by the time I was back on the
• have And my blood alcohol content would have diminished<00:12:51.839> to<00:12:51.920> negligible
• <00:12:52.760> negligible diminished to negligible negligible diminished to negligible negligible

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Claimant sought $3.5 million in damages for medical negligence. Mr.
• Claimant sought $385,000 for emotional distress related to alleged medical negligence, patient abandonment
• After a hearing, the commission found that ADC was negligent in destroying the claimant's photographs
• After a hearing, the commission found that ADC was negligent in destroying the claimant's photographs
• Claimant also alleged that Zachary's death was caused by DHS's negligence and provided a list of failures

Summary: The committee first reviewed several wage-claim and labor-related litigation reports from the Department of Labor and Licensing. Members questioned the department’s authority and jurisdiction, whether it was acting like a court, and why it sought attorney’s fees and costs. Department staff explained that the claims arose under the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act and related labor statutes, that the department investigates small wage claims and can file suit when informal resolution fails, and that filing fees are waived by statute though service costs may be incurred. The committee reviewed individual cases, including one where the employer had not proven cash payments, another that had already been paid and dismissed, and a third where service could not yet be completed. The committee then voted to review or batch-file the labor items. The University of Arkansas System then reported on three pending lawsuits under the litigation-notification statute. One case involving a tenured professor alleging age and race discrimination had already been resolved and dismissed after the university re-engaged in discussions about a position. A second case involving a former employee alleging ADA and FMLA retaliation was moving forward after partial dismissal and an answer denying liability. A third case involved a former vendor employee alleging retaliation tied to a parking ticket; members asked about individual-capacity exposure for a university police sergeant, and counsel explained that punitive damages could potentially create personal exposure. The committee reviewed each report. The Department of Finance and Administration presented a proposed tax settlement reducing a sales-and-use tax assessment from about $48,000 to $20,000, with interest and penalties waived, and the committee approved it. The Claims Commission then presented several claims and settlements, including an unpaid salary differential for the Department of Health, reissued warrants, unpaid bills for DHS, and multiple negotiated settlements involving UAMS, Arkansas State Police, and ARDOT; these were generally approved or batched for approval. The most extensive discussion involved a settlement between the Teacher Retirement System and Tetronics International Limited in liquidation, arising from losses tied to the failed Blue Oak project; members questioned the company’s liquidation status, the prior investment loss, and why the matter was settling for $65,000, and the committee ultimately affirmed the settlement. The committee also heard a disputed tax-sale claim involving the Commissioner of State Lands, where a claimant argued that excess proceeds from a 2009 tax sale should have gone to her family rather than escheating to the county. After testimony from the claimant and counsel, members debated sovereign immunity, heirship, and whether the committee could or should award the $4,200 overage. The motion was amended and then replaced with a motion to hold the matter over for further review in a future joint session, which passed. Finally, the committee considered an appeal by Andrew Simpson challenging dismissal of his claim against the Arkansas Court of Appeals; after Simpson and court staff explained the underlying dispute, the committee reviewed the dismissal and the matter was held over for further consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• roadways, and Kelly Lancelotti, the mother of Gianna Lancelotti, who also lost her life due to a negligent
• roadways, and Kelly Lancelotti, the mother of Gianna Lancelotti, who also lost her life due to a negligent
• Lyman. ...negligent driver. First, Ms. Lyman. Thank you, Senator. My name is Allison Lyman. Sorry.
• Connor was killed by a reckless and negligent driver on April 23, 2025, in Elk Grove.
• about the point system, and as the senator says, two points in and of themselves won't render you a negligent

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This rests on a criminal negligence standard, which is not really something that normally exists out
• I think that there's a real challenge to assess criminal negligence in this context because the substantial
• material, and so that makes it difficult when we're talking about, from the definition of criminal negligence
• felony a violation of the prohibition on a public school employee or contractor who, with criminal negligence
• any sexually explicit materials, and a public library employee or contractor who, with criminal negligence

Bills: SB1433, SB1434, SB1435, SB1567, SB1571, SB1686, SB1745, SCR1024, SCR1025, HB2671, HB2676, HCR2044

Keywords: county boundaries, Maricopa, Gila, Pinal, Yavapai, Yuma, La Paz, local governance, Arizona Revised Statutes, Maricopa county, county division, new counties, intergovernmental agreements, special election, shared use agreements, education, explicit material, parental consent, student protection, library access

Transcript Highlights:

• our friends from the prosecutorial association, but I think if you have a death resulting from negligence
• prosecute this guy that killed my friend's son for being on the wrong side of the road and driving negligent
• the wrong side of the road and being on the wrong side of the road and driving<00:29:17.600> negligent
• <00:29:18.240> obviously<00:29:19.600> um<00:29:19.919> and driving negligent
• obviously um and driving negligent obviously um and reckless<00:29:21.520> um<00:29:22.240>

Keywords: Judiciary, Division B - Room 409, 2 February, 2026; 4:30 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee took up a series of criminal justice and public safety bills. Early discussion focused on immigration-related concerns and the costs of enforcement, with one senator pressing for data to support claims about crimes by undocumented immigrants and another citing specific cases and DPS removals of drivers with falsified CDLs. The committee also heard a bill requiring the sex marker on a driver’s license to match sex at birth; the sponsor said it was the same measure passed by the committee the prior year, and it received a title sufficient/do pass recommendation. Several bills addressed corrections and court procedures. One bill clarified that people in intervention court are subject to the sentencing judge’s sanctions and are not entitled to a separate technical-violation hearing like probationers or parolees; the sponsor said it would reduce, not increase, leniency, and the committee passed it. Another bill extended the statute of limitations for felonious assistance program fraud from five to ten years, citing the TANF fraud case and the need for more time to detect abuse in executive agency programs; it also passed. The committee then approved a bill allowing judges, after a hearing and specific findings, to order firearms removed in domestic violence cases and protective-order proceedings when the weapons pose a credible threat. The committee also advanced a bill increasing penalties for witness tampering, with the sponsor saying prosecutors wanted a stronger tool because defendants were sometimes willing to accept the current five-year penalty rather than face the underlying offense. Members discussed whether the bill covered intimidation versus tampering and whether the penalty should be tied to the underlying crime; a motion to reconsider/adjust the bill was adopted, and the bill ultimately received a do pass recommendation. Another measure increased fines for handheld mobile device violations while driving, especially in school and work zones, and members discussed whether the bill should be stronger and how any collected fines would be used; it passed. Finally, the committee approved a bill requiring reporting of certain convictions and adjudications to the Child Protective Services central registry, and ended by passing a bill increasing the fine for failing to use a screen on loads that can spill from vehicles and damage windshields, with members noting the fine had not been updated since 1974.

Transcript Highlights:

• According to the CHBRP, the impact on premiums is negligible, between two-tenths of a cent and a little
• As the committee analysis notes, AB 1913 has negligible state costs to implement.
• Additionally, proposed amendments reflected in the analysis... ...negligible state costs to implement
• As the committee analysis notes, AB 1913 has negligible state costs to implement.

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on May 6, 2026, with a quorum present and began by approving a large consent calendar of bills on two unanimous-support motions. The committee then heard a series of individual bills, with authors and sponsors generally describing low or absorbable state costs and asking for aye votes. Topics included AI/digital safety education for students (AB 1792), hepatitis C treatment access (AB 1843), rent-now-pay-later consumer protections (AB 2350), retirement information for community college faculty (AB 2417), cannabis regulation changes including tribal commerce, drive-through sales, and beverage labeling (AB 2506, AB 2697, AB 2532), emergency equipment training for law enforcement volunteers (AB 1913), cannery law modernization (AB 2706), child care planning in local governments (AB 1914), EV charger permitting fees (AB 1820), election-record notice requirements (AB 1664), nursing home discharge notices (AB 2135), a San Diego energization-delay pilot (AB 2518), mental health training for school coaches (AB 1665), and education governance and oversight changes (AB 2117). Several bills were described as committee or sponsor measures with technical or clarifying changes, including AB 2780, AB 2615, AB 2121, and AB 2771. Testimony was largely supportive, often from sponsor groups, industry representatives, labor, or advocacy organizations. Notable support included TechNet for AB 1792, the California State Sheriffs’ Association for AB 1913, California Dairies and food manufacturers for AB 2706, the Low Income Investment Fund for AB 1914, EV and environmental groups for AB 1820, the Attorney General’s Office for AB 1664, long-term care ombudsman advocates for AB 2135, and the California State Association of Psychiatrists for the cannabis and mental-health-related bills. Some bills drew limited opposition or “opposed unless amended” positions, including AB 2350, AB 1820, and AB 2506, while AB 2697 and AB 2532 were presented as efforts to support the legal cannabis market and consumer safety. The committee also heard a presentation-only item, AB 2541, creating a lowrider specialty license plate, which drew enthusiastic bipartisan comments and co-author requests from members. Most bills were reported out with due pass recommendations, many on roll call and several with specific members not voting or voting no. AB 1664 was reported out as due pass as amended and placed on call before later being moved out on a B roll call. AB 2350 and AB 1914 were also later reported out from call on B roll calls, with AB 1914 noted as passing despite some Republican no votes. The suspense calendar was then deemed approved without individual action, and the meeting concluded after a brief public comment period in which members of the public voiced positions on unrelated bills, including support for AB 2497, AB 1729, AB 2189, AB 1575, AB 2170, and opposition to AB 1603, AB 2447, AB 2411, AB 2492, and AB 1952.

Transcript Highlights:

• fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle to add a heightened penalty for fleeing in a culpably negligent
• heightened penalty for fleeing in a heightened penalty for fleeing in a culpable<00:28:10.640> negligent
• <00:28:11.840> I've<00:28:12.159> spoken culpable negligent manner.
• I've spoken culpable negligent manner.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Be demonizing folks who have been injured, who are victims of negligence, or those who are seeking justice
• Injured by negligence or damaged by somebody's negligence, so thank you, Madam Chair. >> Thank you.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Human Services and Labor budget hearing opened with Senate and Assembly co-chairs introducing members and naming secretaries for the record. The agencies covered included Human Services, Labor, Temporary and Disability Assistance, Children and Family Services, Veterans Services, Human Rights, Workers’ Compensation, the Welfare Inspector General, and the Public Employment Relations Board. Members then gave brief statements on their priorities for the upcoming budget negotiations. A major theme was affordability, with repeated discussion of child care, SNAP, housing, and worker supports. Senators and Assembly members highlighted the Senate and Assembly one-house proposals for a $500 million child care worker retention grant program, additional child care slots and subsidies, cost-of-living adjustments for human services workers, and expanded support for supportive housing, youth employment, HEAP, and energy affordability. Several members also emphasized food insecurity and SNAP-related issues, including funding to address payment errors, prevent penalties, expand SNAP education, and respond to expected federal changes. Labor-related issues included workers’ compensation fraud, wage theft enforcement, workplace violence, temporary disability insurance reform, and the creation of dedicated enforcement funding for the Department of Labor. Some members supported using workers’ compensation assessments or insurance-company-related funding to pay for anti-fraud efforts, while others preferred grants to district attorneys or broader DOL enforcement. There was also discussion of occupational health clinics, labor standards in any SEQRA changes, and expanding access to doctors in the workers’ compensation system. Veterans, child care, and public assistance fraud prevention were also discussed, including funding for veterans legal defense and mental health services, microchip/secure EBT cards to reduce skimming, and restoring or protecting various programs. No formal votes were taken; the hearing concluded with the chairs stating that the Senate, Assembly, and Executive would continue negotiations toward a final budget.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm used to seeing gross negligence, and I've never seen the use of the words complete neglect.
• there's a bunch of case law out there, numerous pieces of case law out there, that would say gross negligence
• Bowers put it, the other side of that equation is protecting the patient from medical negligence.

Keywords: House Committee Room C, General Assembly Building, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Both of them were loaded.
• He's been charged with Battery, possession of a handgun, negligent use of a deadly weapon, aggravated
• person that sold The gun should be held responsible in the same way that recently the statute for negligently

Transcript Highlights:

• We're stepping over the corpses of, like, 130-plus Texans who died because of your negligence.
• This entire session should have been focused on flood. ...who died because of your negligence.
• You're all pretty loaded. You're businessmen, your oil magnates, whatever.

Bills: SB6, SB7, SB8, SB11, SB12, SB13, SB15, SB17

Keywords: hemp, consumable hemp, hemp-derived cannabinoids, CBD, cannabidiol, CBG, cannabigerol, delta-8, delta-9, intoxicating hemp, hemp gummies, hemp vape, edibles, cannabinoid regulation, hemp licensing, retailer registration, product registration, QR code labeling, child-resistant packaging, minor access

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 8, the Texas Women's Privacy Act, and heard extensive public testimony both for and against the measure. Supporters, including representatives of Texas Values and Texas Values Action, argued the bill was needed to protect women’s privacy and safety in restrooms, locker rooms, showers, prisons, domestic violence shelters, and other government-controlled spaces, and said it would provide clear, sex-based rules. Opponents, including many transgender Texans, civil rights advocates, clergy, business and public safety voices, and others, argued the bill would invite harassment, gender policing, lawsuits, and invasive inspections, while harming trans, intersex, and gender-nonconforming people as well as cisgender women who do not fit stereotypes. Several witnesses said the bill would conflict with federal law or prison standards, worsen safety in shelters and prisons, and hurt Texas’s reputation and economy. The chair repeatedly noted the compressed special-session schedule and said flood relief remained the session’s top priority. Public testimony on SB 8 was eventually closed, and the bill was left pending. The committee then moved to Senate Bill 6, dealing with consumable hemp product restrictions. Testimony on SB 6 focused on whether the bill went too far in restricting hemp-derived THC products. Opponents argued hemp and THC have medical and economic value, that the bill would criminalize conduct and burden courts, and that regulation—not prohibition—was the better approach. Some witnesses supported tighter rules such as testing, child-resistant packaging, and limits on marketing to children, but still opposed the bill’s broad THC ban, higher fees, and age restrictions. Several speakers emphasized benefits for veterans, chronic pain patients, and small businesses, and warned that prohibition would push consumers toward the illicit market. The committee heard the testimony and then continued with additional witnesses, with no final vote or disposition reported in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we had a fiscal impact, and it's very small to negligible. ...until they no longer use it as a primary
• So we had a fiscal impact, and it's very small to negligible.
• So we had a fiscal impact, and it's very small to negligible.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:08 Senate Bill 79 (Sen. McDaniel): 00:48 Senate Bill 67 (Sen. Nemes): 08:09 Adjournment: 12:43, 958, all

Summary: The Senate State and Local Government Committee met and first took up Senate Bill 79, sponsored by Senator McDaniel, with testimony from McDaniel and Deputy Secretary Robert Long of the Personnel Cabinet. They described the bill as a cleanup measure for personnel law that would, among other things, add interns to the definition of employee while excluding them from full-time employee status, remove the Personnel Cabinet secretary as an ex officio member of the KERS Board, clarify personnel board membership and grievance rights, limit appeals of satisfactory-or-above evaluations, address layoffs and reemployment rights, allow leave donation in certain resignations or retirements, restrict remote work from outside Kentucky without approval, permit deductions for unreturned state equipment, and make DJJ facility supervisors non-merit positions. The committee voted on SB 79 and passed it with favorable expression. The committee then heard Senate Bill 67, presented by Chair Nemes, an elder property tax bill. The bill would freeze the assessed value of a primary residence for homeowners age 65 or older until the property is no longer their primary residence, while still taxing at the current rate. Nemes said the measure was intended to help seniors on fixed incomes and noted a fiscal analysis showing little to no direct revenue loss, though it could reduce projected budgeted growth in property tax revenue. Committee discussion noted a local impact and a statewide budget impact estimate of about $4 million for the first two fiscal years. SB 67 also passed with favorable expression, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um have a negligible effect on revenue.
• <00:15:22.399> or<00:15:22.720> no negligible or no negligible or no cost.<00:15:24.720
• The other two have negligible effects on property tax refunds.
• <00:16:41.759> tax negligible effects on property tax negligible effects on property tax refunds
• All of those effects are either unknown or negligible.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Paragraph five then is negligent operation while under the influence of an intoxicating substance.
• Um, so you've got—you're bringing in gross negligence, leaving the scene, and defective equipment.
• negligence is difficult to prove.
• is difficult to prove negligence is difficult to prove although<01:39:29.119> if<01:39:29.280
• Um, so perhaps the charging attorney decided they didn't have basis for a gross negligence provision

Keywords: 1187, senate, all