Transcript Highlights:

• The study showed that more than 200,000.
• I'm just curious. in your background and especially being an attorney in this space, what are the most

Bills: HB406

Keywords: local economic development, notification, workforce development, municipal agreements, county contracts, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For background, roughly 70% of the water that flows into the Rio Grande below Fort Quitman originates
• In 2023, Texas A&M AgriLife conducted a study on the economic impact of irrigation water shortages in

Bills: SCR13, SB1248

Keywords: water rights, treaty compliance, Rio Grande, agriculture, drought, international water, Texas water supply, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, TPWD, harvest reports, wildlife harvest data, public information act, open records, confidentiality, hunter privacy, angler data, game animals, game birds, fur-bearing animals, nongame animals

Summary: The Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs met without a quorum at first, then later established quorum and proceeded with testimony and votes. Senate Bill 1248, by Chair Perry, was explained as a narrow Open Records Act exception to protect harvest report location data collected through Texas Parks and Wildlife’s digital tagging system. Support testimony came from Matt Wagner of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, who said the bill would protect private land and sensitive biological information while preserving useful wildlife data. No one testified against the bill, and it was left pending until later in the meeting. The committee then heard Senate Concurrent Resolution 13, which urges the State Department and the International Boundary and Water Commission to press Mexico to comply with the 1944 Water Treaty and deliver its share of Rio Grande water. Senator Hinojosa, farmers, municipal officials, and other witnesses described severe water shortages in South Texas, low reservoir levels, crop losses, the closure of the Valley sugar industry, and the need for alternative supplies such as desalination, reuse, and drainage-runoff projects. Members also discussed treaty enforcement, regional drought, and the role of cartels and Mexican water storage, while emphasizing that Texas must also invest in its own water infrastructure. The committee also considered Senate Bill 740, which the committee substitute amended to require the Public Utility Commission to adopt a standardized application form for system improvement charges and complete related rulemaking by September 1, 2026, applying only to applications filed on or after that date. Members discussed concerns about water wholesalers using the process to delay cases and drive up costs, and the need for more transparency and PUC resources. The committee voted to adopt the substitute and report SB 740 favorably. After returning to the earlier items, the committee voted SB 1248 out favorably and recommended it for the local and uncontested calendar, and voted SCR 13 out favorably as well. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've worked in correctional studies, residential settings, and outpatient, and I developed my passion
• discretion to the school safety center to determine the list of eligible vendors who do have a background

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm happy to give you the background that you need as you move into the legislative session to make the
• cost of that degree is more expensive because of the labs and the kinds of things that they have to study

Summary: The Appropriations Committee for Higher Education met to review Florida’s workforce and Florida College System funding models as part of budget planning. Chair Harrell opened by emphasizing the state’s growing focus on technical education and workforce pathways, and the committee first heard from Tara Goodman of the Department of Education on district workforce education. Goodman explained the programs funded through district workforce dollars, including career certificates, applied technology diplomas, registered apprenticeship, and adult general education, and described the model’s reliance on lagged enrollment, program cost weights, local tuition offsets, and supplemental factors such as disability services, GED testing, and minimum funding for small rural districts. She also noted federal support through Perkins and WIOA and said the model is used to determine unmet need and guide appropriations. In response to questions, she said health care programs are generally among the higher-cost offerings and may be supplemented by pipeline funds. The committee then heard from Kathy Hebda, Chancellor of the Florida College System, on the college system’s funding model. Hebda described the main funding sources, including the program fund, student success incentive funds, pipeline funds, tuition and fees, and performance-based incentives, and explained that the current model was developed by the 28 college presidents under legislative direction. She said the model uses a three-year average FTE, weights workforce enrollment more heavily than non-workforce enrollment, gives significant weight to completions, includes a small-college factor and regional cost differentials, and also provides targeted funding to bring colleges up to a floor based on per-FTE funding. Senators asked about colleges below the target, cost differences among programs, faculty salaries, and health insurance costs; Hebda said the model is meant to provide flexible operating dollars that colleges can use for those expenses, but specific salary and benefit decisions are left to the institutions. Seminole State College President Georgia Lorenz also testified in support of the college funding model, saying it holds institutions accountable for enrollment and completions, can be adjusted to reflect state priorities like workforce, and addresses differences in size and regional costs. No bills were voted on, and the committee adjourned after brief closing remarks thanking Seminole State College and the presenters.

Transcript Highlights:

• A recent study by Politico published this November shows that groceries are the most common affordability
• And according to a study by the USDA's Economic Research Service, a one percentage point increase in
• I'm a second-year master's in public health student at UC Berkeley, studying food, nutrition, and population
• students, collaborations with my Basic Need Center and the financial aid office to reach out to work-study
• Now shifting gears, with all that background, I want to spend a couple of minutes providing a high-level

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on CalFresh enrollment, food insecurity in California, the recent federal shutdown’s disruption of SNAP benefits, and the long-term effects of H.R. 1 on eligibility, benefits, and state and county costs. Opening remarks emphasized that millions of Californians rely on CalFresh, that the shutdown briefly delayed benefits for the first time in the program’s history, and that state and local governments, including Alameda County, stepped in with emergency food aid and funding. Members also framed the issue as both a hunger and affordability problem, with several noting that California’s agricultural abundance contrasts sharply with persistent food insecurity. The first panel presented research and advocacy perspectives on food hardship. PPIC’s Tess Thorman described food insecurity rates, disparities affecting households with children and Black and Latino households, and the role of nutrition programs in reducing poverty. Nourish California’s Betzabel Estudio argued that hunger is a policy choice and highlighted campaigns to expand state-funded food assistance for immigrants, support reentry populations, and continue the CalFresh fruit-and-vegetable incentive program. The California Association of Food Banks’ Josh Wright said food banks are seeing sustained high demand, lower federal food supplies, and cannot replace CalFresh, while urging more state support for food purchasing, school meals, and SunBucks. The second panel reviewed CalFresh operations and participation. The California Department of Social Services reported that CalFresh participation has risen over the past decade, with the state closing much of the participation gap through outreach, simplified applications, and demonstration projects such as the Elderly Simplified Application Project and a minimum nutrition benefit pilot. Alameda County Social Services described local caseloads, application trends, and emergency food distributions during the shutdown, while also warning that H.R. 1’s work requirements, immigrant eligibility restrictions, and possible cost-sharing could reduce enrollment. A student CalFresh ambassador testified about the burdensome application and recertification process and urged more funding for campus basic-needs centers and outreach to reduce stigma and administrative friction. In the final panel, county, food bank, and policy witnesses described the shutdown response and the expected impact of H.R. 1. Alameda County Community Food Bank and the County Welfare Directors Association said counties, food banks, and community partners mobilized emergency funds, pop-up pantries, and food purchasing to bridge the shutdown gap, but warned that hundreds of thousands of Californians could lose benefits under the new federal rules. The California Budget and Policy Center began outlining the scale of federal cuts, noting that H.R. 1 will significantly reduce SNAP funding and shift costs to states. No votes or formal committee actions were taken; the hearing was informational and concluded with discussion of possible state responses, including backfilling benefits, preserving outreach funding, and improving administrative systems to protect enrollment.

Transcript Highlights:

• the Historic Preservation Division, the New Mexico State Library, and the Office of Archeological Studies
• There is a lack of those in the state; even our own Office of Archaeological Studies is having trouble
• It is confusing because we have the Office of Archaeological Studies, which you think would have the
• So, this is a great case study on how this can work because RLD, your office, your agency—they were right
• And I'm going to give you a little bit of background on what we've been doing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we've had a lot of very informed people studying water issues in New Mexico, and I think that the
• A couple of the other case studies that I wanted to discuss are what I mentioned earlier.
• talking about the grid, we could talk about this for days, but basically you have to look at tie-in studies
• , capacity studies, and yeah, the grid, the grid...
• We'll start working in the background on this application.

Transcript Highlights:

• I, I was a work study in the academic advising program and I know that 70% of our students had to take
• can be expanded to a bachelor of Science and nursing to provide students with continuous course of study
• They, they don't, they, they don't come, a lot of our kids don't come from that background and they don't
• For example, one compelling area of an emerging field of study is electric vehicles, particularly battery
• programs are about to start graduating those new folks, and so that's one of the reasons we suggested the study

Transcript Highlights:

• Olaf College studying public health. Before that, I spent a year as a childcare worker.
• Public Health before that I studying Public Health before that I spend<00:26:02.399> a<00:26:
• If it's a study, I've not seen it.
• If it's a study, I've not seen it.
• If it's a study, I've not seen it.

Bills: HF56, HF780

Keywords: HF56, Minnesota bonding bill, capital investment, state bonds, bond proceeds fund, Hutchinson Area Transportation Services, Hutchinson, McLeod County, transportation facility, vehicle storage, equipment storage, fueling facility, temperate storage, local infrastructure, public works, general obligation bonds, education finance, school funding, state aid, appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• Study the security matters in detail.
• Your background is impressive.
• So that is why we are proposing to do a batch study, and I'll get to what the batch study solves.
• We study each project as they come in, on a one-off bespoke study methodology.
• cluster studies or batch studies of generation.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce convened to discuss critical infrastructure and supply chain integrity, particularly focusing on Texas's power grid and associated vulnerabilities. The meeting highlighted Texas's recent ranking as 10th in electricity affordability, emphasizing the state's commitment to maintaining a reliable and resilient electric grid. New committee members introduced themselves, and the agenda included testimony from ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission regarding the implementation of the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act, which aims to mitigate risks posed by foreign entities to the power grid. Chad Sealy from ERCOT presented updates on the attestation process for market participants, revealing that over 1,500 entities had submitted attestations regarding their corporate structures and affiliations with designated foreign countries. Concerns were raised about the adequacy of the current vetting process, particularly regarding indirect relationships with foreign adversaries. Testimonies from the PUC and the Attorney General's office underscored the challenges of enforcing compliance and the need for improved legislative measures to enhance oversight and security. The committee also heard from experts, including Dr. Emma Stewart from Idaho National Laboratory, who discussed the evolving threats to the grid from foreign adversaries and the importance of securing communication systems. Recommendations included prioritizing inspections of critical components and enhancing collaboration with national laboratories to address vulnerabilities. The discussion concluded with an acknowledgment of the balance needed between ensuring grid security and maintaining affordability for consumers.

Transcript Highlights:

• name and address of the person transferring the animal, the vaccination history, and any other background
• <01:15:14.840> Just<01:15:15.760> as<01:15:15.920> a<01:15:16.000> background
• Just as a background this report.
• Just as a background this<01:15:18.200> this<01:15:18.560> report<01:15:19.160> included
• or this study this this report included or this study committee<01:15:21.240> included<01:15:

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Maguire, yes—give some a little bit of background. Melissa, yeah.
• that is what their some background that is what their amendment<00:44:56.559> is<00:44:56.680
• We have an engineering study I can show you, which tells you how much work it needs.
• The legislature two years ago made us do an engineering study on it.
• We hired SMRT to do a study of the building, like a kind of home inspection, if you will, to tell us

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee met to continue work on House Bill 2, with the chair saying the goal was to finish the bill as given by the governor, though additional amendments were expected. Members first discussed the bail section and agreed to hold it for later because a separate House bail bill was expected on Thursday and could have significant county cost impacts. They also generally accepted the proposed reorganization of positions between Fish and Game, DNCR, and the Department of Environmental Services, but noted the need to review effective dates and funding details, including a possible double appropriation of $275,000 for a scientist position already funded in HB 1. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on environmental review and native plant-related sections moving functions from DNCR to DES. Members discussed changing the rulemaking timeline from 180 days to 90 days, and clarifying that “begin” means the public hearing stage. They also reviewed how fee revenue would shift between agencies in HB 1 so the budget impact would be net zero. The committee indicated it would prepare amendments reflecting these changes and revisit them at a later vote. The longest discussion concerned the boathouse provisions. Members debated whether the new definitions and construction standards were appropriate in a budget bill, with one member arguing they should be in a separate bill, while others said the provisions were urgent because of a lawsuit and the lack of clear guardrails. Concerns included the February 20, 2025 effective date, which some thought might be retroactive, the detailed limits on what may be stored in a boathouse, and a fee increase that some felt could discourage homeowners from seeking permits. The committee also questioned whether the fee structure should be tiered for smaller projects and whether permit-by-notification projects should be exempted. No final votes were taken on these sections during the discussion; instead, members agreed to seek legal and policy answers and to return with amendments and public hearing input before voting.

Transcript Highlights:

• commission that's been tasked to study commission that's been tasked to study carbon,<00:25:16.480
• But I I find it just should study.
• :02.480> that<00:30:02.640> is there's a study committee that is there's a study committee
• I sit on the 1188 study commission.
• Studies revealed that here.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A political science major with a minor in legal studies, Baulina exemplifies the very best of UTRGV:
• And I think that because you had that diverse background, a schoolteacher and an oil field worker, you
• First is a teacher time study looking closely at schedules, non-instructional duties, and professional
• Senate Bill 2467 by Menendez, relating to a study by the Texas School Safety Center on public school
• Knowledge and skills of the public school social studies curricula, to Education K-16.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation, and adopted the previous day’s journal. Members then adopted Senate Resolution 358 honoring the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on its 10th anniversary, with remarks highlighting UTRGV’s growth, degree production, research expansion, medical school, and role in serving the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas. The chamber also recognized the doctor of the day and adopted additional resolutions, including one for Denton County Days at the Capitol and another recognizing Texas HBCU Day. The Senate gave extensive recognition to outgoing Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp through Senate Resolution 368. Senators from both parties praised his long public career, leadership of the A&M System, support for regional universities, and bipartisan approach. The resolution was adopted after multiple members added their names. The chamber also heard from advocates with the Texas Streets Coalition, and received gubernatorial nominations for the State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors and the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. On legislation, the Senate passed several major bills. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 27, relating to rights and support for public school educators, was debated and amended to address teacher vacancies, bilingual certification testing, paid leave options, classroom removals, and appeal rights, then passed unanimously. Senate Joint Resolution 12, proposing a constitutional amendment on parents’ right to direct a child’s education, advanced on a 22-9 vote. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1741, aimed at preventing foreign influence and intellectual property theft at public institutions of higher education, passed unanimously. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 29, the business entities bill, also passed after debate over corporate governance and shareholder protections. Senate Bill 857, authorizing law enforcement to tow certain vehicles driven by unlicensed or uninsured drivers, passed despite some concern about towing abuses during disasters. The Senate also took up Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1536 on dementia and Alzheimer’s training for certain guardians, but the transcript ends as that bill is being laid out.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:24:09.279> that utilizing a uh a deployment study that utilizing a uh a deployment study
• Could you give us a little background?
• I misspoke when I a little background I misspoke when I said<01:42:52.760> it<01:42:52.880>
• deemed necessary by by various studies deemed necessary by by various studies to<02:34:16.760>
• Could we have a little background about why it wasn't funded before and why it is now?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met with New Hampshire DOT Commissioner Bill Cass and Finance Director Danielle Shandra to review the agency’s FY 2026 budget. Cass gave a high-level overview of DOT’s mission, organization, funding structure, and staffing trends, noting the agency has about 650 employees across five divisions. He said the Governor’s recommended FY 2026 budget totals $95.99 million, essentially flat from FY 2025, with funding primarily from Turnpike funds, Highway funds, federal sources, and a small General Fund share for non-highway units. Members asked about how Turnpike and Highway funds are treated in state accounting, and DOT explained that while they are enterprise funds restricted to their purposes, they are considered unrestricted from the statewide perspective and are appropriated through the budget process. A major topic was staffing and budget targets. DOT said its full-time staffing level has remained relatively flat since 2014 even as vehicle miles traveled increased and vacancies rose. To meet budget targets, the department unfunded seven permanent positions and nine temporary full-time positions, and later noted additional reductions in Finance, including the elimination of two full-time positions, reduced print shop equipment purchases, and deeper cuts to overtime, temporary help, equipment, and supplies in FY 2027. DOT also explained that it shifted funding for one unmanned aerial system position from General Funds to Highway Funds, saying the change was workable because the position supports highway-related work and federal-aid-eligible activities. Members asked for clarification on the state transit operating match, and DOT explained that the Legislature had previously provided about $1.8 million annually in General Funds to help local transit agencies meet federal match requirements, but that funding was not included in this budget. DOT said that could reduce the ability to draw down some federal transit funds, though the impact may not be immediate because those funds can be used over several years. The department also described its unmanned aerial system program, saying it has been used for about five years for mapping, survey work, construction oversight, and storm damage assessment, and that it now has about five drones and two full-time positions supporting the program. DOT said it is expanding cross-training so more employees can operate drones without adding positions. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• That status is an indefinite status that you're in until you do two things: complete a criminal background
• check and sign a labor peace background check and sign a labor peace agreement.<00:15:51.480> Once
• My residents are people of all ages, all backgrounds, and income levels who choose to live in land lease
• ,<00:37:53.000> and<00:37:53.240> income of all ages, all backgrounds, and income of
• all ages, all backgrounds, and income levels<00:37:54.080> who<00:37:54.240> choose<00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, I don't—should I try to explain a little bit of the background, Mr. Chairman?
• >> Sure, Senator. >> It's a long and sorted background when I was a county commissioner actually and
• Chairman and members of the committee. >> Sure, Senator. >> It's a long and storied background when I
• So, Cowboy Racing, similarly, in deciding whether or not to build their tracks, studied the 100-mile
• <01:19:21.199> just 307 horse racing initiated a study just 307 horse racing initiated a study

Bills: SF0045, SJ0001

Keywords: pari-mutuel wagering, simulcasting, historic horse racing, HHR terminals, horse racing, gaming commission, Wyoming Gaming Commission, local control, city approval, county approval, municipal approval, permit renewal, gaming permit, wagering regulation, racetrack, live pari-mutuel event, district court appeal, public notice, land use, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• relating to services for Alzheimer's and related dementias; House Bill 448, an act relating to background
• relating to services for Alzheimer's and related dementias; House Bill 448, an act relating to background
• relating to services for Alzheimer's and related dementias; House Bill 448, an act relating to background
• relating to services for Alzheimer's and related dementias; House Bill 448, an act relating to background
• These were retained from the previous version, as was the work group to study board oversight.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He went on to spend nearly two decades working in education, serving as a social studies teacher and
• teacher and counselor at social studies teacher and counselor at the<00:51:40.079> Shauny<00:
• We are so defined by our differences, our backgrounds, our languages, or our histories.
• We are so defined by our differences,<01:10:27.679> our<01:10:27.920> backgrounds,<01:10
• :28.480> our differences, our backgrounds, our differences, our backgrounds, our languages,<01

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The center has studied birth defects for over 25 years, feeding data into the Birth Defects Study to
• This long-term data set offers invaluable opportunities to study birth defects and stillbirths, advancing
• We're studying what the new rules are, as well as what our statute allows us to do.
• Now I'm going to go into the background of how the IRT was established.
• The OCA has studied family resource centers and knows that they do incredible work.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was an informational and oversight session of the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities, with chairs and members hearing agency updates from several commissioners. The Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition described its maternal and child health work, including home visiting, early intervention, WIC, newborn hearing screening, and cross-agency efforts on prenatal substance exposure, respite care, children’s vision, and maternal health initiatives. DPH emphasized that federal grant cuts, layoffs, and the loss of data systems such as PRAMS would weaken services and planning, and members asked about Title V funding and the impact of federal uncertainty. The Massachusetts Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing highlighted communication access services, interpreter and CART referrals, emergency after-hours support, family navigation, and independent living services. Commissioners and members discussed the shortage of ASL interpreters and the need to expand training pipelines, including partnerships with colleges and possible ASL programming for younger students. The Department of Developmental Services reported serving nearly 50,000 people and focused on youth and adult services, transition-age supports, autism services, self-direction, respite, and new high-acuity residential models. Members asked about respite availability, self-direction outcomes, and workforce shortages; DDS said it was expanding clinical capacity and provider rates while monitoring possible federal Medicaid, SNAP, and immigration-related impacts. The Commission for the Blind described services for about 28,000 legally blind residents, most of whom are older adults, including social rehabilitation, orientation and mobility training, children’s services, assistive technology, vocational rehabilitation, and Turning 22 supports. The commissioner discussed a UMass-based effort to build the workforce pipeline for blindness services and said the agency was watching federal restructuring but had not yet seen direct cuts. MassAbility’s leadership then warned about major federal changes affecting Social Security disability determinations, including staff restructuring, office closures, and a new overpayment repayment policy, and said the agency was preparing for possible increases in claims and uncertainty around reallotment dollars that help fund services. The Disabled Persons Protection Commission closed the hearing with an update on its abuse investigations and protective services for adults with disabilities. DPPC reported rising hotline calls and investigations, a growing caseload, its sexual assault response team, the abuser registry, and a new interagency protective services integration system funded by ARPA dollars through 2027. The agency also flagged new federal rules that could affect funding eligibility and said it may need statutory changes to comply. Members asked about funding, reporting pathways, and how complaints reach DPPC, and the commissioner said the agency uses both mandated reporting and proactive outreach to identify and respond to abuse.