Transcript Highlights:

• If someone is in possession of a dubbed bird, there's only one reason: cockfighting.
• These birds have a street value ranging from $500 to $2,500 per cock, plus winnings from the fights,
• DPD responded and they ended up getting search warrants that turned up nearly 3,000 birds dubbed and
• You may think that seizing birds used in cockfighting rings is not as important as taking down a drug
• If someone swerved in front of your lane, you might even shoot them the bird.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 454 will move the California Migratory Bird Protection Act sunset date, making it permanent.
• to act against the unauthorized take of more than 1,000 native bird species.
• that results from activities that are not explicitly meant to take birds.
• Unfortunately, the California Migratory Bird Protection Act expired in January, leaving our migratory
• Removing the sunset date from the California Migratory Bird Protection Act, ensuring that our state's

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• we just willy-nilly throw—the reason it's yellow for you all in that column is if we, I think, the wild
• , wild west may not be the right approach given what we've seen with social media.
• The Wild Wild West may not be the right approach, given what we've seen with social media.
• The towers are killing our birds. The towers are killing our crops.

Summary: The committee met at Minot State to continue its study of artificial intelligence, with a focus on child safety, sexual exploitation, chatbot risks, and education policy. Members first approved the minutes and then received a Legislative Council overview of AI-related harms to children, including AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, extortion, and chatbot companion risks. The memo reviewed North Dakota and federal law, recent state enactments, First Amendment limits, and examples from other states, including Connecticut’s AI companion safeguards and federal efforts such as the Take It Down Act. Members discussed whether North Dakota’s existing 2025 laws on minors and harmful material are strong enough in light of recent court decisions, and Legislative Council indicated it would provide additional comparison material before the next meeting. Superintendent Levi Bachmeier then presented on AI in education, arguing that schools need guardrails but should not ban AI outright. He said AI should be treated as a tool that can support instruction, teacher efficiency, and digital literacy, while warning against passive use, academic integrity problems, and overreliance on machines. He suggested embedding AI and digital literacy across subjects rather than creating a standalone class, and said schools should provide basic instruction when students receive one-to-one devices. Members asked about parent concerns, local control, higher education partnerships, and how to balance access with safety; Bachmeier emphasized a “threading the needle” approach and said the department would likely seek more guidance on digital literacy and cybersecurity. Special Agent Hellseth of BCI followed with testimony on AI and child exploitation. He said AI is already being used in North Dakota to create explicit images from innocent photos, impersonate children and adults, and facilitate grooming, harassment, and extortion. He described several cases involving AI-generated sexual images and said victims often suffer lasting trauma even when the images are fake. Hellseth explained that investigators use AI tools themselves to process large volumes of data and identify synthetic images, but that the workload is growing and victim services need expansion. He urged stronger accountability for companies, more resources for law enforcement and victim support, and continued training and public education. Members asked about cyber tip volume, staffing, false accusations, and corporate reporting obligations; Hellseth said every tip is reviewed, the unit is small but expanding, and current federal reporting laws are not proactive enough. Representative Porter suggested combining the Legislative Council memo and Bachmeier’s recommendations into a comprehensive bill draft for the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Schelling, Jermaine Wild, and Marcelle Koons.
• Chelsea Bumgarner, Emmett Schelling, Jermaine Wilde, Marcelle Kuhns. It's called Sebastian Taus.
• Germaine Wild, and I want to thank the committee for allowing me to testify and for the opportunity to
• We're over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all wild animals, and

Bills: SB7 , SB14 , SB 7 , SB 14

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: gender designation, civil penalties, private civil rights, multiple-occupancy spaces, Texas Women's Privacy Act, law enforcement, confidentiality, personnel files, employee records, misconduct, abortion, civil liability, abortion-inducing drugs, qui tam actions, Texas Citizens Participation Act, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, healthcare regulations, impact fees, water conservation, reuse projects

Transcript Highlights:

• country by migratory waterfowl, but is highly infectious and also causes high death rates in other birds
• began in February of 2022, we're entering our fourth year of response in this country. 163 million birds
• uh, smaller backyard flocks that we worked through 638 the process with them to, To deal with the birds
• How many did you have the, um, 640 Destroys, or it was right out, down birds.
• So the, if, if because I I'm there's some testing going out right of these birds, or how, how does that

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present to hear Article VI Natural Resources agency budget recommendations, beginning with the Railroad Commission. LBB staff summarized the commission’s 2026-27 base recommendation at $458.7 million, down from the prior biennium, with an increased FTE cap. The presentation highlighted reduced federal IIJA funding, volatility in oil and gas regulation account 5155, continued support for IT modernization, and rider changes. The commission’s major exceptional items were then presented, including requests for produced water and injection data reporting, an authorized pit registration system, regulatory filing/permitting upgrades, an underground injection well investigation team, site remediation support, and especially $100 million for orphan well plugging. Members asked about biennium-to-biennium comparisons, salary biennialization, the scale of orphan well risks, federal funding delays, bonding, and whether the state should rely more on industry or general revenue for plugging costs. Commission leadership explained that orphan wells can threaten water and public safety, that plugging costs have risen sharply, and that current funding is insufficient to keep up with emergency wells and the backlog; they also said the agency is moving to cloud-based systems with cybersecurity protections and that the proposed performance measure may need adjustment if funding does not increase. The Railroad Commission testimony was followed by LBB and agency testimony for the Texas Animal Health Commission. LBB described a $42 million recommendation for 2026-27, an increase overall, but with a reduced FTE cap due to turnover and salary reallocation. The recommendation maintained funding for cattle fever tick work, chronic wasting disease, lab testing through an MOU with Texas A&M’s veterinary diagnostic lab, and a new $5 million spay-and-neuter pilot program, while deleting a capital budget rider and adjusting riders tied to entry point inspection stations and clinical trials. Agency leadership then outlined the commission’s mission to protect livestock health and the state’s $22 billion animal industry, and described major disease threats including highly pathogenic avian influenza, cattle fever ticks, New World screwworm, and chronic wasting disease. Their exceptional items focused on recruiting and retaining veterinarians, replacing fleet vehicles, creating an ectoparasite identification lab, adding field staff and IT support, improving records and epidemiology reporting, strengthening central administration, supporting secure food supply planning, expanding chronic wasting disease work, and staffing the new spay-and-neuter program. Members asked about field identification of ticks, the use of disinfectants and PPE, fleet management, the scale of cattle fever tick risk, and chronic wasting disease; the agency explained its current inspection and lab-confirmation process, its reliance on field disinfecting and biosecurity, and the need for more staff and better data systems to keep pace with growing workloads and disease threats.

Transcript Highlights:

• back through beginning of my career, is when you have trees and plants put in, and you see the first bird
• and plants put in, and you see<00:05:34.800><c> the</c><00:05:34.920><c> first</c><00:05:35.280><c> bird
• > and</c><00:05:35.920><c> land</c><00:05:36.280><c> on</c><00:05:36.440><c> the</c> see the first bird
• come and land on the see the first bird come and land on the plant<00:05:36.960><c> or</c><00:05:37.080

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If someone is in possession of a dub bird, there's only one reason cockfighting.
• DPD responded and they ended up getting search warrants that turned up to almost 3000 birds dubbed and
• Legally seized birds.
• However, at the end of the day, it ended up costing taxpayers 22,731 birds were seized, and we seized
• Somebody swerved in front of your lane, you might even shoot him the bird.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:55:47.800><c> a</c> turbines that kill millions of birds a turbines that kill millions of birds
• I mean, we have to save the lives of these precious birds, right?
• </c> and this building kills a lot of birds and this building kills a lot of birds too<01:59:41.199><
• </c><01:59:44.360><c> from</c> in our effort to save the birds from in our effort to save the birds from
• I mean, we have to save the lives of these precious birds, right?

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our next order of business, we're going to ask Michelle Bird to come to the podium.
• Bird, go ahead and introduce yourself for the record and make your presentation.
• My name is Michelle Bird.
• Bird, just out of curiosity, we had quite a discussion at our last fee discussion.
• Bird. Mr. Chair and Representative Cheatum, I can give you that.

Committee: House Business

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our mission is to advocate for birds in the places they need today and tomorrow.
• I too care about birds.
• I have thaget trees in my house, and the little birds that make their lives there are amazing.
• I too care about birds.
• I have thaget trees in my house, and the little birds that make their lives there are amazing.

Bills: HB2103 , HB2388 , HB2316 , HB2006 , HB2224

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: renewable energy, nonemitting generation, public entities, contracting, electric generation, distributed energy, agricultural land, energy generation, renewable resources, siting regulations, land use, urban development, vegetation management, shrubsteppe, environmental regulation, economic development, sales tax, rural counties, industrial land banks, growth management

Transcript Highlights:

• A little bit of history on the account: it dates back to 2016, following the first outbreak of bird flu
• following the the first outbreak<00:00:36.960><c> of</c><00:00:37.200><c> of</c><00:00:37.320><c> bird
• back</c><00:00:38.160><c> in</c><00:00:38.800><c> 2015</c><00:00:39.800><c> the</c> outbreak of of bird
• flu back in 2015 the outbreak of of bird flu back in 2015 the account<00:00:40.800><c> received</c><

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 1101, which would add $1.5 million to the agricultural emergency account beginning July 1, 2026. Chair Anderson explained that the account was created after the 2015 bird flu outbreak, has been funded in the past, and currently has about $1.2 million remaining. He said the bill would strengthen the state’s ability to respond to livestock disease emergencies and support the Board of Animal Health and Department of Health. Representative Hansen offered the A1 amendment to shift $1.5 million from an unused $4 million dairy line item into the emergency account, arguing the funds were sitting unused, a federal farm bill was uncertain, and the money could help with immediate food testing and emergency response. Chair Anderson opposed the amendment, saying the dairy funds had been set aside for that purpose, he expected federal action in the coming months, and he was unsure the emergency account statute allowed the money to be used for food testing. He recommended a no vote. A roll call was taken on the A1 amendment, and it failed by a vote of 6-7. After brief additional comment in support of the bill, House File 1101 was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• created at those facilities, but you're talking hundreds of farmers that are supplying those poultry birds
• > of farmers that are supplying those of farmers that are supplying those poultry<00:05:21.919><c> birds
• those</c><00:05:22.840><c> facilities</c><00:05:23.280><c> to</c><00:05:23.400><c> be</c> poultry birds
• to those facilities to be poultry birds to those facilities to be processed<00:05:24.440><c> and</c>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture met with a quorum present and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by guest Bob James of Barren County. The chair recognized visiting groups, including the Kentucky Leadership Program and the Kentucky Cattleman’s Leadership Program, before turning to the day’s only agenda item, Senate Bill 28. The committee adopted a committee substitute for SB 28 by motion and second, with no opposition recorded. The chair explained that the bill creates the framework and parameters for distributing $5 million in economic development funding included in the 2024 budget through the Department of Agriculture. Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell testified in support of the bill and described it as enabling legislation to help Kentucky attract more end users, processors, and further-processing operations. He highlighted the importance of existing agricultural processing in the state, especially poultry, citing growth in agricultural cash receipts from $3.1 billion in 1996 to $8.3 billion more recently, with poultry rising from 5% to 25% of the total. He also pointed to major processing facilities, job creation, and the broader impact on farmers and corn markets, including examples from Hopkinsville and other regions.

Transcript Highlights:

• In July of 2025, parole agent Joshua Bird was shot and killed in the line of duty.
• Agent Bird was...
• Agent Bird was shot by a parolee who became agitated during a visit to the Oakland parole office.
• requested ambulance being unable to enter the scene or the area to provide transportation to Agent Bird
• But anyway, in January 2026, just six months after the death of Adam Bird, the California Department

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Summary: The Senate Committee on Appropriations heard a large suspense-file agenda and established a quorum at the start. SB 1167 was announced as not being heard and will be rescheduled. The Department of Finance did not attend because it had no comments on the bills before the committee. Most measures on the agenda were taken up briefly with public testimony, then moved to suspense without objection. Two bills received fuller presentations. SB 872 by Senator McNerney would create a fund to support repairs to Delta levees and State Water Project canals, with testimony from Restore the Delta, State Water Contractors, and numerous water agencies and coalitions emphasizing flood protection, water reliability for 27 million Californians, protection of state assets, and long-term infrastructure costs. Committee members noted the importance of the investment and the likelihood it would be considered in the final suspense decision; SB 872 was moved to suspense. SB 962 by Senator Archuleta would authorize CDCR to use blue emergency lights on parole vehicles, with supporters from the California Correctional Peace Officers Association citing the line-of-duty death of a parole agent and the need for a low-cost, discretionary safety tool. The bill was also moved to suspense. SB 950, dealing with coverage for FDA-approved medically necessary treatments for early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, was discussed as having a minimal near-term fiscal impact, though members noted costs could rise if new treatments emerge. The committee asked the author to consider a sunset amendment, but the bill received a do pass motion and was approved on a 7-0 vote, then placed on call for additional members. The remaining bills taken up, including SB 870, SB 1120, SB 888, SB 904, SB 986, SB 1029, SB 1186, SB 895, SB 1004, SB 1123, SB 909, SB 945, SB 1037, SB 953, SB 1001, SB 1188, SB 1407, SB 967, SB 1135, SB 1136, SB 988, SB 1069, SB 1000, SB 1024, SB 1179, SB 1025, SB 1040, SB 1081, SB 1091, SB 1131, SB 1138, SB 1146, SB 1279, SB 1158, SB 1401, SB 1162, SB 1293, SB 1334, SB 1382, SB 1397, SB 1178, SB 1414, SB 1214, SB 1218, SB 1257, SB 1265, SB 1286, SB 1322, SB 1337, SB 1340, SB 1276, SB 1358, and SB 1412, were moved to the suspense file without objection, with a few witnesses registering support or opposition on selected measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are over 10,000 species of birds. And high noon and midnight.
• There are over 10,000 species of birds, 35,000 species of fish, and 10 million species of animals on
• One being that having witnessed our colleague experience this last year, that was wild and it was really

Committee: House Emerging Issues

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Roford, you were there with me, and yeah, Senator Birds, a little, even though I'm not the chair
• Senator Roford, you were there with me, and yeah, Senator Birds, a little, even though I'm not the chair
• c><00:13:56.160><c> a</c><00:13:56.240><c> little,</c><00:13:56.399><c> even</c> and yeah, Senator Birds
• a little, even and yeah, Senator Birds a little, even though<00:13:56.639><c> I'm</c><00:13:56.800><
• So, Senator Birds, would you, again, like I said, this is buried in my packet. can hold on to this if

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are some endangered birds on our property, and the power lines will destroy their habitat.
• There are some endangered birds on our property, and the power lines will destroy their habitat.
• Deer and wild turkey raise their families there, too.
• We have wildlife as well as many migratory birds.
• spaces, and the rural and remote communities that depend on those unique wild spaces for their ranching

Summary: The Senate Business and Commerce Committee held its third interim hearing on Texas electric grid reliability and 765 kV transmission lines/private property rights. Chair Schwertner opened by noting record ERCOT summer demand of 91,089 MW and emphasized the committee’s focus on managing rapid load growth, ensuring adequate generation, and protecting homeowners, businesses, landowners, and ratepayers. The committee also adopted strict two-minute limits for public testimony and planned to hear invited witnesses first, then public testimony. PUC Chairman Thomas Gleeson, ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas, and OPUC Chief Counsel Benjamin Barclay testified on Senate Bill 6 implementation, large-load interconnection, transmission cost allocation, and market design. Gleeson said the PUC has adopted or is finalizing rules on net metering/co-location, large load interconnection standards, and a transmission cost recovery rule that would move from 4CP to 12CP, lengthen the interval to 30 minutes, and add a minimum demand charge to better allocate costs to large loads. Vegas explained ERCOT’s new batch process for large loads, saying it provides year-by-year capacity allocations, clearer financial obligations, and a transmission plan; he reported 205 GW eligible for Batch Zero, with 65 GW classified as baseload, 25 GW in an intermediate category, and 114 GW as allocated load. Barclay supported the changes as better protection for residential and small commercial customers, while warning that the minimum demand charge may need an exit-fee concept to address stranded costs if large loads leave. Members pressed witnesses on whether additional market changes are needed to attract dispatchable thermal generation and whether DRS/DRRS Plus could become a capacity-market substitute. Gleeson and Vegas said the current market still favors solar, batteries, and other low-variable-cost resources, and that more incentives may be needed for gas and other thermal generation; Gleeson said the commission’s reliability standard assessment will begin this year and conclude next year with a 2029 outlook. They described DRS as an ancillary service for intraday reliability and DRS Plus as a proposed real-time revenue mechanism for thermal resources during scarcity, not a forward capacity market. Senators also questioned whether 12CP could still be gamed, whether curtailment authority under SB 6 should be expanded from EEA 2 to earlier stages, and whether the batch process should be bifurcated so traditional industrial loads are handled differently from data centers. Witnesses said the batch process is intended to prevent speculative projects from driving transmission costs, that most large-load projects are data centers, and that future rules may need to better distinguish among types of large loads.

Transcript Highlights:

• and you have created such an imbalance in that ecosystem, you'll have toxic algae blooms, and then birds
• that land on that water in the area—there's algae toxic allergy issues with bird flocks around the Great
• consistently—and you have, we don't have any pictures of it here, but you will have shores of dead birds
• have, I mean, you would continue to have natural introduction of pathogens or bacteria because of birds
• , if you'll come up here and state your name for the record and proceed with your presentation. of birds

Committee: Senate Resources and Environment

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a Audubon Society has dedicated itself to protecting birds and the places they need today. and
• is an especially important place for the Audubon society and their work because we are one of the bird
• We lie upon from agriculture to outdoor recreation and beyond birds help our communities thrive, and
• Audubon, Texas is proud to celebrate the people and places is undertaking bird conservation work across
• House District 45. is the Bird City capital of Texas with Dripping Springs and San Marcos as well as

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I, before you mentioned the confined, I was worried that my bird feeders were maybe against the rules
• 00:04:45.840><c> uh</c> the confined I was worried that my uh the confined I was worried that my uh bird
• 47.840><c> uh</c><00:04:48.400><c> maybe</c><00:04:48.800><c> against</c><00:04:49.120><c> the</c> bird
• feeders were uh maybe against the bird feeders were uh maybe against the rules<00:04:49.759><c> too.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House File 4295, described by the author as the “Chicken Shift Bill,” which would address an unintended consequence of state feedlot regulations affecting backyard chicken coops. The bill would allow counties to adopt ordinances exempting small chicken coops, up to 24 chickens, from feedlot designation, while leaving counties free to set a lower limit or decline to act. The author and Wright County Administrator Greg Kryser testified in support, saying the measure would give local governments flexibility and resolve confusion for county feedlot officers. Kryser also explained the issue using animal-unit calculations to show how chickens in a coop could be treated differently from chickens at pasture. Representative Coulter raised a question about how a county ordinance would interact with a city ordinance on backyard chickens, and the chair said he did not know the answer but would look into it. Representative Grieman expressed support and noted the bill’s relevance to backyard chicken owners. The chair said the bill would be referred to the Environment Committee and suggested the jurisdictional question be clarified before further hearing. The author closed by reiterating the purpose of the bill and the phrase “the chickens come home to roost.” The committee then voted unanimously in favor of re-referring House File 4295 to the Environment Committee, and the motion passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, I too love Hawaii's birds and animals and want us to increase their safety with this spay-neuter
• Now, I too love Hawaii's birds and animals and want us to increase their safety with this spay-neuter
• Now, I too love Hawaii's birds and animals and want us to increase their safety with this spay-neuter
• Now, I too love Hawaii's birds and animals and want us to increase their safety with this spay-neuter
• </c><00:41:35.720><c> and</c> today now I too love NY birds and today now I too love NY birds and animals

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Commerce

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce met on January 29, 2025, and heard testimony on HB 108, which concerns intoxicating liquor and would expand direct-to-consumer shipping for beer and spirits. Supporters included representatives of Koloa Rum Company, Maui Brewing Company, and Ola Brew, who argued the bill would modernize alcohol laws, help small local producers compete, support jobs and local agriculture, and give consumers more access to Hawaii-made products. They also said Hawaii already has experience regulating direct wine shipments, with age verification and carrier-based delivery systems in place, and that direct shipping could help businesses reach visitors after they return home and diversify beyond tourism. Opposition came from the Hawaii Public Health Institute, whose representative said the bill could increase access for underage drinking, especially because liquor commissions do not currently conduct compliance checks on alcohol shipments and may lack capacity to do so. The group also raised tax-enforcement concerns, saying the existing three-tier system makes excise and sales tax collection easier, while direct shipping would require additional auditing. They urged the committee to oppose the bill or defer it until more research is done, and suggested a common carrier reporting requirement to help reconcile shipments. Committee members questioned both sides about whether current law already allows some alcohol shipments, whether a Kentucky distiller could ship directly to Hawaii, and how reciprocity with other states would work. Supporters said the bill is modeled on wine-shipping language and could be amended to clarify reciprocity, while opponents said the bill lacks a common carrier reporting requirement and would place a burden on county liquor commissions. No vote or final action on HB 108 was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.