Transcript Highlights:

• However, in 2023 they started giving us a small amount of money, which is that accounting unit 4046 for
• <00:33:18.480> amount<00:33:18.720> of they started giving us a small amount of they
• of the MMIS system and moving that towards a more modular-based approach.
• of the uh the mismis modularization of the uh the mismis system<01:33:47.760> and<01:33:47.920
• based approach so there of a modular based approach so there there's<01:33:52.600> quite<01:33

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Division of Long-Term Supports and Services presented its budget and program overview as part of the Department of Health and Human Services operating budget review. Leadership described the division’s three bureaus—Aging and Adult Services, Developmental Services, and Family-Centered Services—and explained that the division provides guidance, technical assistance, quality monitoring, and contracted provider oversight across the lifespan. Members also discussed staffing, with reported vacancy rates of 4% in Aging and Adult Services, 15% in Developmental Services, and 6% in Family-Centered Services; the division said the higher BDS vacancy rate is partly due to the small number of authorized positions. The governor’s budget had left eight positions unfunded in the division, including three in Aging and Adult Services and five in BDS. A major topic was the division’s roadmap initiatives, especially building a system of care for healthy aging and strengthening developmental disabilities systems through a new reimbursement rate structure. The division said it contracted with an actuary to study DD service costs and found rates had not been reviewed since 2017 and were significantly below actual costs and other states’ rates, contributing to provider shortages even when services are authorized. Members asked about the impact on service delivery and whether rates would need to rise overall; the division said its strategy is to focus on lower-cost services that help people remain in the community. The division also reported waiver enrollment figures, including about 4,161 people on the Choices for Independence waiver, 3,688 average nursing facility residents, 5,061 people on the DD waiver, 228 on the acquired brain disorder waiver, and 488 children on the in-home support waiver, while noting there is no funding waitlist but provider availability remains a constraint. The division highlighted IT modernization as a major accomplishment, especially moving Adult Protective Services and Developmental Services into the New Heights system. Officials said these changes improve case-note access, data retrieval, service authorization tracking, and transparency for providers, and they asked for future oversight discussion focused on IT leverage. Members noted that New Heights maintenance is budgeted in the Office of the Commissioner under class 27 and suggested better transparency on system costs and benefits. The division also reported that it closed out a long-running CMS corrective action plan for BDS on July 1, 2023, and said it is now focused on strengthening the system rather than compliance alone. Other discussion covered the Aging and Adult Services bureau’s name change from Elderly and Adult Services to Adult and Aging Services, intended to avoid negative connotations and better reflect preventative services. The bureau described Adult Protective Services trends involving scams, financial exploitation, self-neglect, and isolation, and explained that it administers the CFI waiver, determines medical eligibility for nursing facility level of care, and braids funding from Medicaid, state funds, Older Americans Act money, Social Service Block Grants, and other grants. Members asked about waiver growth targets and federal consequences if enrollment remains below projections; the division said it would explain the shortfall in a future waiver amendment and did not anticipate a federal penalty. The meeting ended without any votes or formal actions taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• 3010, which established the Rural Infrastructure Disaster Recovery. ...program to provide grants to small
• While each individual project may seem to have a small impact, on a large scale, these strategies can
• Now even small rains flood faster and angrier between storms.
• for the purposes of repairing and maintaining. or rehabilitating dams and reservoirs or building a small
• ALICE is our local cashier, our child care provider, our small business owner.

Bills: HB48, HB 66, HB 68, HB71, HB75, HB164, HB171, HB254, SB 3, SB 18, HB123, HB149, HB117

Keywords: HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert, Silver Alert, Blue Alert, missing persons alerts, accessible alerts, hearing impaired

Transcript Highlights:

• the region and the state with innovative financing... programs that benefit companies, taxpayers, small
• His career spans research in hyperspectral detection, nuclear reactor modeling, hypersonic, and nuclear
• House Joint Resolution 2, introduced by Representatives Small (member_12971), Little (member_14481),
• House Joint Resolution 12, introduced by Representatives Small (member_12971), Little (member_14481),

Transcript Highlights:

• It's no small task to start up a new state agency, but I am inspired to build a lending authority which
• rate of return time we can earn a small rate of return and<00:09:04.440> serve<00:09:04.760><
• <00:12:29.880> rural<00:12:30.279> farming small rural farming small rural farming operations
• I think I'm more asking around the country: do we see any green bank help for small modular nuclear?
• see any green Bank help for small see any green Bank help for small modular<00:47:26.599> nule

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• years without reoffending is<00:14:24.360> is<00:14:24.560> relatively<00:14:25.120> small
• <00:14:25.839> what<00:14:25.959> is<00:14:26.079> more is is relatively small
• what is more is is relatively small what is more often<00:14:26.600> to<00:14:26.800> happen
• <00:55:58.280> as<00:55:58.440> well<00:55:59.400> represent nuclear reactor
• as well represent nuclear reactor as well represent Hudson<00:56:01.760> thank<00:56:01.880><

Bills: HF1354, HF1901, HF2124, HF2130, HF2260, HF2099, HF104, HF134, HF1769

Keywords: public safety, school safety, active shooter, active shooter drill, violence prevention, threat reporting, anonymous tip line, See It, Say It, Send It, Minnesota Fusion Center, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, officer-involved death, missing person, endangered missing person, criminal background check, national background check, FBI fingerprint check, adult entertainment license, massage license, correctional facilities

Transcript Highlights:

• we're very excited about, what we're using a portion of this money for, is we're installing medical modular
• medical model. excited about we're using a portion of this money for is we're installing medical modular
• We also have civil, small claims, county and circuit court.
• No, for a regular county case, if, let's say, you're an attorney and you're filing a small claims case
• No, for a regular county case, if, let's say you're an attorney and you're filing a small claims case

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice heard an update from Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon on staffing, overtime, capital needs, and inmate population growth. Dixon said the prison population has risen by about 8,000 since January 2021 while staffing has not kept pace, forcing the agency to open 53 housing units without funded positions and rely heavily on overtime and National Guard support. He cited a $189 million deficit tied to salaries and overtime, noted that most staff have less than three years of experience, and argued the solution is to fully fund posts for operational housing units. He also reviewed the department’s fixed capital outlay projects, including repairs, new housing construction, and medical modular units intended to reduce outside hospital transports, and gave an update on the VINE victim notification system and its expansion. The committee then heard from Florida clerks of court representatives Jason Welty and Miami-Dade Clerk Juan Fernandez-Barquin, who described clerks’ court-related and county duties and said clerk budgets have not kept pace with the broader justice system. They requested reimbursements for injunctions for protection ($3.3 million), Baker Act/Marchman Act/sexually violent predator cases ($2.5 million), and juror management ($4.8 million), and said future funding for new judges should include the full courtroom system, not judges alone. Fernandez-Barquin also raised concerns about unfunded mandates, rising retirement and health costs, low court-side pay, and the need to revisit filing fees and trust fund allocations. Members asked about collections, payment plans, license suspensions, and whether some fees or trust fund distributions could be redirected; the governor’s budget had already picked up the $2.5 million request for Baker/Marchman/SVP cases. During public testimony, speakers urged broader criminal justice reforms and additional funding priorities. A prosecutor emphasized that adding judges requires funding for prosecutors, public defenders, and clerks as well. Other speakers called for parole or long-term sentencing reform to reduce prison populations and costs, criticized staffing and conditions in prisons, and raised concerns about inexperienced correctional officers, visitation delays, and lack of air conditioning in some facilities. The committee took no substantive votes on the items discussed and adjourned after hearing the presentations and public comments.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Division for Public Health Services, you'll see, has a relatively small amount of general funds,
• The Division for Public Health Services, you'll see, has a relatively small amount of general funds,
• The Division for Public Health Services, you'll see, has a relatively small amount of general funds,
• <00:13:39.200> uh moving to more of a modular uh moving to more of a modular uh procurement
• ,<00:35:02.160> whether amendment, no matter how small, whether amendment, no matter how small

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met after recess to hear a Department of Health and Human Services overview of its contract structure, with CFO Nathan White explaining that DHS currently has 969 active agreements spanning service contracts, grants, data-sharing agreements, use-of-premises agreements, and MOUs. He said contracts are budgeted across multiple class lines and accounting units, often braided with federal funds, which makes the system complex; he also noted that the department’s top spending list was limited to 18 items rather than 20 and included both individual contracts and grouped regional/provider contracts. White emphasized that many contracts support direct services to residents, while others support departmental operations such as software support and staffing. Commissioner Hardy said the listed contracts are essential to serving vulnerable populations and supporting required administrative infrastructure, and she stressed that the department tries to work with providers and families rather than impose changes on them. In response to questions about area agencies and developmental disability services, DHS officials said the agencies’ duties are spelled out in contract and statute, including family support services, billing-related functions, and services tied to the state’s community-based system; they said some billing duties have already been moved outside the contract. They also explained that the department rejected a previously discussed two-tier waiver concept after stakeholder feedback in October 2023 and instead shifted to rate-based work, including CIS assessments, to better align payment with individual need. Members also raised concerns about possible waste, sole-source contracting, and subcontracting. Hardy said she had not seen specific evidence of waste beyond a whistleblower call mentioned by a member, but acknowledged that inefficient execution can occur in government and said the department is trying to improve management. On procurement, she said sole-source contracts require her approval and that competitive procurement is the default when possible. White added that subcontracting is allowed only with written state permission under the standard P-37 terms, and subcontractors must meet the same obligations as the prime contractor. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY. 59 OF THOSE HUNDRED 37 PROJECTS HAVE GONE TO RURAL AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALL
• THERE IS THE ISSUE CHARLIE MENTIONED THAT SMALL RURAL COUNTIES THAT ARE FISCALLY CONSTRAINED, THEY MAY
• THE LAST ISSUE I WANT TO TOUCH ON IS JUST AN ISSUE WE DEAL WITH WHEN IT'S A SMALL NUMBER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
• EXPANDING ACCESS INTO 2000 UNDERSERVED HOMES AND SMALL BUSINESSES AND DONATING CONTRIBUTIONS WITH THE
• NOT NEXT WEEK, MEETING THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 3 AND DEALING WITH ENERGY AND POSSIBLY MICRO-NUCLEAR REACTORS

Transcript Highlights:

• When families lose housing, landlords lose revenue, our small businesses are already hurting.
• lose revenue, our small businesses are already<00:43:18.640> hurting.
• [clears throat] Uh, Mark Bruner, Manufactured Modular Home Association of Minnesota.
• Mark Bruner, uh, Manufactured Modular Home Association of Minnesota.
• Mark Bruner, uh, Manufactured Modular Home Association of Minnesota.

Bills: HF3403, HF2687, HF2381

Keywords: HF3403, emergency rental assistance, rental aid, homelessness prevention, housing crisis, imminent risk of homelessness, eviction prevention, county aid, Tribal governments, local government aids, general fund appropriation, Minnesota revenue commissioner, poverty level, low-income housing, housing stability, family homeless prevention and assistance, emergency housing assistance, HF2687, single-family homes, corporate landlords

Transcript Highlights:

• But where I'm excited about where we're taking this is to start making this much more modular.
• And what we are working on is to not only, like I said, work on the modularity, but to get to this aspect
• What we have done is modularized all the electronics and the sensors into those composite crossbars so

Transcript Highlights:

• correct it if I say it incorrectly, there remains still some discussion around the manufactured or modular
• correct it if I say it incorrectly, there remains still some discussion around the manufactured or modular
• But there remains still some discussion around the manufactured or modular home fees, and so that piece

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She has also been a tireless advocate for Nebraska businesses, especially small businesses.
• She has also been a tireless advocate for Nebraska businesses, especially small businesses.
• For violations of the Uniform Standards for Modular Housing Units Act, the Commission may enforce the
• Small world.
• That wasn't small talk; it was a method.

Bills: LB764, LB815A, LB839, LB888, LB955, LB972A, LB1029, LB1087, LB1091, LB1126A, LB1181A, LB1237A, LB1261A, LB304A, LB762, LB889, LB929, LB966, LB1022, LB1187, LR508

Keywords: law enforcement, correctional services, Department of Correctional Services, corrections officers, state prison employees, peace officer, certification, police standards, training academy, Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, Nebraska Police Standards Advisory Council, criminal justice, correctional staff, conditional officer, law enforcement authority, public safety, LB815A, LB815, appropriation, appropriations bill

Transcript Highlights:

• The Texas Advanced Nuclear Reactor Work Group released the required report to the upcoming legislature
• OPUC is a small agency currently with 16 staff members, primarily attorneys and legal assistants.
• OPUC is a small agency currently with 16 staff members, primarily attorneys and legal assistants.
• I mean, here's the thing of it: we're a small agency.
• We are a small agency.

Bills: SB1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met to review Article 8, regulatory agencies, and began Article 9, general provisions, before recessing for floor action. The committee first heard budget presentations from the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC). The PUC budget recommendation was about $5.07 billion in all funds, including an additional $5 billion for the Texas Energy Fund, plus funding for staffing and technology needs tied to contested cases, infrastructure resiliency, and outage mapping. PUC witnesses emphasized the agency’s growing workload, the need for more staff and modern systems, and oversight of the Texas Energy Fund. OPUC’s recommendation was about $6.9 million, with a reduction in authorized FTEs to better match actual staffing; the agency requested additional funding for salaries, expert witnesses, and budget flexibility, and members highlighted OPUC’s role representing residential and small commercial consumers in utility proceedings. The committee then heard from the Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC), whose recommendation was just over $11.2 million. BHEC’s main requests included funding to fill vacant positions, money for continuous National Practitioner Data Bank queries, and a proposed Texas-owned psychology licensing exam in response to concerns about changes to the national exam. Agency leaders also discussed a rider request that would shift responsibility for certain judgments or settlements to the comptroller. Members asked about prior complaint backlogs, and BHEC said those backlogs had been cleared. The Board of Chiropractic Examiners followed, with a recommendation of just under $2.4 million; the board sought support for staffing, training, broadband, and salary retention, and described its work regulating chiropractors and workers’ compensation-related doctors. The Board of Dental Examiners was the last agency heard before the committee recessed. Its recommendation was just under $10 million, and it requested a 10% salary increase for eligible staff, three additional licensing staff, one staff member to handle required background checks, an additional attorney, and an executive director salary adjustment. Dental board witnesses said licensure growth, increased complaints, and low salaries were straining licensing and enforcement operations, even though the agency reported strong performance and high case completion rates. The chair ended the hearing early because the Senate had to return to the floor, and the committee remained in recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• and solutions that align with APD Strategic Technical and Regulatory Priorities with an emphasis on modular
• Modernization can be approached a phased, modular manner, consistent with peer state strategies.
• We have 30 plus sessions where we're bring any just users and we did the same thing for the small user
• I've got 3 small questions is is this the palm is it is a SAS model. >> Kind of sort of staff knows the

Transcript Highlights:

• would need to issue an order within 180 days of the application, and that's a pretty big strain on our small
• We have the capability and infrastructure to develop modular power plants to service large block load
• Near-term, we're planning to deploy over 700 megawatts of extremely flexible, long-duration, modular
• So therefore, that allocation fell disproportionately among the residential and small C&I consumers,

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

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, you know, it could be anything from a small dollar amount like 13,000 to maybe 50,000.
• And so, you know, it could be anything from a small dollar amount like 13,000 to maybe 50,000.
• So sometimes they might be a small school or they might just not have as much interest, but we shouldn't
• So sometimes they might they might<00:20:18.000> be<00:20:18.080> a<00:20:18.240> small
• school or they might might be a small school or they might just<00:20:19.360> not<00:20:19.520

Bills: SB2901, SB2902, SB2903, SB2904, SB2905, SB2906, SB2907, SB2908, SB2909, SB2910, SB2911, SB2912, SB2913, SB2914, SB2915, SB2916, SB2917, SB2918, SB2919, SB2920, SB2921, SB2922, SB2923, SB2924, SB2925, SB2926, SB2927, SB2928, SB2929, SB2930, SB2931, SB2932, SB2933, SB2934, SB2935, SB2936, SB2937, SB2938, SB2939, SB2940, SB2941, SB2942, SB2943, SB2944, SB2945, SB2946, SB2947, SB2948, SB2949, SB2950, SB2951, SB2952, SB2953, SB2954, SB2955, SB2956, SB2957, SB2958, SB2959, SB2960, SB2961, SB2962, SB2963, SB2964, SB2965, SB2966, SB2967, SB2968, SB2969, SB2970, SB2971, SB2972, SB2973, SB2974, SB2975, SB2976, SB2977, SB2978, SB2979, SB2980, SB2981, SB2982, SB2983, SB2984, SB2985, SB2986, SB2987, SB2988, SB2989, SB2990, SB2991, SB2992, SB2993, SB2994, SB2995, SB2996, SB2997, SB2998, SB2999, SB3000

Keywords: geological subsurface characterization, groundwater, geothermal resources, environmental review, Hawaii groundwater and geothermal resources center, scientific research, non-extractive, public trust doctrine, clean energy, greenhouse gas, carbon sequestration, climate change, energy policy, Hawaii state energy office, emissions reduction, sustainable development, fare-free transportation, greenhouse gas emissions, public transit, tax on petroleum

Bills: SB2901, SB2902, SB2903, SB2904, SB2905, SB2906, SB2907, SB2908, SB2909, SB2910, SB2911, SB2912, SB2913, SB2914, SB2915, SB2916, SB2917, SB2918, SB2919, SB2920, SB2921, SB2922, SB2923, SB2924, SB2925, SB2926, SB2927, SB2928, SB2929, SB2930, SB2931, SB2932, SB2933, SB2934, SB2935, SB2936, SB2937, SB2938, SB2939, SB2940, SB2941, SB2942, SB2943, SB2944, SB2945, SB2946, SB2947, SB2948, SB2949, SB2950, SB2951, SB2952, SB2953, SB2954, SB2955, SB2956, SB2957, SB2958, SB2959, SB2960, SB2961, SB2962, SB2963, SB2964, SB2965, SB2966, SB2967, SB2968, SB2969, SB2970, SB2971, SB2972, SB2973, SB2974, SB2975, SB2976, SB2977, SB2978, SB2979, SB2980, SB2981, SB2982, SB2983, SB2984, SB2985, SB2986, SB2987, SB2988, SB2989, SB2990, SB2991, SB2992, SB2993, SB2994, SB2995, SB2996, SB2997, SB2998, SB2999, SB3000

Keywords: geological subsurface characterization, groundwater, geothermal resources, environmental review, Hawaii groundwater and geothermal resources center, scientific research, non-extractive, public trust doctrine, clean energy, greenhouse gas, carbon sequestration, climate change, energy policy, Hawaii state energy office, emissions reduction, sustainable development, fare-free transportation, greenhouse gas emissions, public transit, tax on petroleum

Transcript Highlights:

• The energy committee overall represents a small portion of our state budget, but it has a really big
• modular nuclear.
• modules that shut down we'd be able to put in those modular nuclear and have localized power, wouldn't
• modules that shut down we'd be able to put in those modular nuclear and have localized power, wouldn't
• uh the power grid with all of the small uh the power grid with all of the small MUN<00:23:58.640

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Small? Yes. Vice Chair Sotomayor? Yes. Chair McQueen? Yes.
• Continuing House Energy Day in front of the House Energy Committee, we have Reverend Small.
• And Reverend Small, could you read the 233 number? Thank you. So, Mr.
• Okay, so we will adopt the amendment and Representative Small, back to you on the amended bill.
• Representative Small, do you have anything you'd like to add before we go to the committee.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have that sort of small-number problem, right?
• We also have that sort of small-number problem, right?
• Every dollar of food assistance... ...to grocers, large and small.
• There is a small footnote on this slide.
• There is a small footnote on this slide.

Summary: The committee held a work session focused first on juvenile rehabilitation system capacity. DCYF officials said the juvenile rehabilitation population is older, includes more adult-sentenced youth, and has longer lengths of stay, especially for “post-25” youth who must remain in secure facilities and cannot go to community beds. They described overcrowding at Green Hill School, placement limits at Echo Glen and Harbor Heights, staffing turnover, mental health acuity, and the need for more medium-security and specialized mental health beds. DCYF said it is pursuing a Parkland facility proposal, a staffing model decision package, and a broader feasibility study and master plan update. No votes were taken; members were asked to follow up with questions later. The committee then heard on behavioral health system capacity from the Behavioral Health Administration and the Health Care Authority. DSHS described growth in forensic and civil bed need, expansion at Olympic Heritage, Maple Lane, and Brockman, and construction of a new 350-bed forensic hospital at Western State expected to open in 2028. HCA reported progress on long-term civil commitment beds, intensive behavioral health treatment facilities, PACT teams, and intensive residential treatment teams, saying the community-based system is being expanded to support step-down care and reduce hospital reliance. Members asked about whether capacity is right-sized, the difference between facility types, and federal match eligibility for services. A federal funding update followed, covering the effects of H.R. 1 and H.R. 5371 on SNAP, Medicaid, marketplace coverage, long-term services and supports, K-12, higher education, and hemp regulation. OFM and agency staff said H.R. 1 adds work requirements, changes non-citizen eligibility, increases state administrative and benefit costs, reduces Medicaid and marketplace subsidies for some groups, tightens redeterminations, and may significantly affect provider payments and state-directed payments. H.R. 5371 extended federal funding through January 30, 2026 and included some agency appropriations and other provisions, including changes affecting hemp producers. Members asked about SNAP error rates and special enrollment periods. Finally, budget coordinator Mary Monroe gave a 2026 supplemental budget preview. She reviewed the state’s near general fund outlook, noting revenue declines since the enacted budget, the effect of reversions, and a preliminary maintenance-level outlook showing a projected increase in NGFO spending over the four-year period. She said the supplemental will reflect updated caseload and cost forecasts and mandatory impacts from H.R. 1, but not policy proposals. No actions or votes were taken during the session.