Transcript Highlights:

• buildings don't need to be engineered?
• Grand Farm does not have scientists and engineers on staff; we do.
• I am Xin Hwa Jia, a professor in agricultural and biosystem engineering.
• They are from a variety of majors such as civil engineering, environmental engineering, natural resource
• He's an agronomist who is working with the engine.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<01:40:17.760> archite underwriters, engineering, archite underwriters, engineering, archite
• unfortunately, we have great engineers unfortunately, we have great engineers in<02:48:00.800>
• However, not all engineers in the state.
• So County to um share our city engineer.
• valued engineering we through valued engineering we save save save approximately<03:18:40.800> $400,000

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's why, to me, it's so exciting for New Mexico is that we largely missed out on the software
• It goes a lot faster, it's a lot more powerful, has software, maybe autonomous driving, driver assist
• And that's an engineering challenge, but not a ...technological feasibility challenge, meaning that the
• If you look at cars, for example, you have the internal combustion engine, you have electric vehicles
• This past month, it's an international conference for the International Electro Engineering Consortium

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm just curious when we let this contract and then the current progress of the development of the software
• Senator Bryant, honestly, the underlying software, if you want to use that term for all the systems,
• This is for architectural and engineering design services for the construction of the ASMSA Alumni Hall
• This is an original contract for the implementation of financial software.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• campus is represented among the awardees, and the funded projects include disciplines spanning engineering
• engineering.
• AI, what it is and what it is not, what it means for the college classroom, the data AI detection software
• AI detection software, how it can be used, what it can and cannot do in terms of student success; creating
• If AI is indeed a revolution, a successful implementation goes beyond a contract handshake, software

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Higher Education and the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee held an oversight hearing on the California State University’s AI-empowered initiative, including the systemwide rollout of ChatGPT EDU and broader AI integration across CSU campuses. Opening remarks emphasized both the promise of AI for student success, workforce preparation, and access, and the need to address risks such as bias, privacy, misinformation, environmental impacts, and mental health harms. CSU representatives said the initiative grew out of Academic Senate recommendations and a systemwide generative AI committee, and that the goal was to provide equitable access, training, governance, and workforce alignment across the 23-campus system. CSU officials described systemwide contracts for AI tools, the AI Commons training hub, and faculty grant programs supporting AI-related curriculum innovation. They said more than 93,000 ChatGPT EDU accounts had been activated, over 4,300 faculty had taken voluntary training, and $3 million had been awarded to 63 faculty-led projects from more than 400 submissions. San Jose State University highlighted its own AI-focused programs, courses, orientation training, faculty fellows, student ambassadors, and interdisciplinary efforts to build AI literacy and responsible use into instruction and co-curricular programs. CSU also said it was tracking metrics on adoption, academic outcomes, workforce outcomes, and environmental impacts. Faculty, staff, and student representatives welcomed the educational potential of AI but raised concerns about the rollout, saying it had moved quickly and without enough consultation or consistent systemwide policy. They urged stronger protections for academic freedom, intellectual property, privacy, equity, and worker input, and warned about bias, surveillance, job displacement, and the environmental cost of AI. Legislators pressed CSU and OpenAI representatives on training requirements, data privacy, bias reporting, discipline for misuse, liability, sycophancy, and safeguards against harmful uses such as non-consensual imagery or self-harm-related interactions. CSU said interactions in the licensed tool are private, data are not used to train models, and campuses retain their own conduct processes; members also asked CSU to follow up on systemwide training, policy consistency, and additional safeguards.

Transcript Highlights:

• This action applied as well as software.
• So audit software annual subscription.
• Next is section 37, State Engineer. Senator Larson. >> Mr.
• Chairman, I bring you section 37, State Engineer.
• Questions or on the state engineer? Questions or discussion?

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We were able to implement a variety of different both software and hardware computer updates in both
• We were leasing computers from USDA. variety of different both software and hardware computer updates
• Corps of Engineers, and you have to mitigate that.
• He and our engineer, rather Rogers, will actually look at it and see if it's something that...
• WIRE stands for Workforce Insights and Reporting Engine.

Summary: The meeting began with a budget presentation from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. Secretary Blaine Arthur and Deputy Commissioner Jan Lee described the agency’s divisions and recent efforts to improve efficiency, including expanded online licensing, electronic veterinary inspection certificates, and a new laboratory information system. They highlighted youth and workforce programs, local food initiatives for schools, market development efforts, and ongoing animal health concerns such as avian influenza, equine herpesvirus, and the threat of New World screwworm. They also discussed staffing, turnover, and uncertainty around federal cooperative agreement funding, while noting they were not requesting new or additional appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year. Members asked about meat inspection staffing, the use of one-time forestry firefighting funds, biosecurity and national security coordination, and agency staffing levels. The department said meat inspection was currently in good shape but dependent on federal funding stability, and explained that prior firefighting dollars had been used for equipment purchases. They also said they work with state and federal partners, including DHS and FBI, on threat preparedness and have reduced turnover by adjusting salaries and maintaining staffing at or below prior levels. The Oklahoma Conservation Commission then presented its budget and program overview. Staff described the agency’s long history and current work in water quality, flood control, soil health, unpaved roads, wetlands, and woody species control, especially eastern red cedar removal. They emphasized data-driven, voluntary conservation practices, citing stream cleanups, flood-control dam benefits, pond cleanouts during drought, and the Cherry-Peach watershed project as examples of programs that improve water resources and reduce wildfire risk. The agency said its workload has grown significantly and requested funding for critical dam repairs, local conservation district staffing, continued unpaved roads work, and expansion of woody species control statewide. Members asked about county matching for road and dam projects, who to contact about flooding roads, sediment removal from pond cleanouts, and the effectiveness of county training programs. Commission staff explained that county in-kind work can count as match, local conservation districts are the first point of contact, and the road training has produced measurable savings and better maintenance practices. They also clarified that “high hazard” dams are those where failure could threaten people or infrastructure downstream, not necessarily dams that are structurally failing.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:39:17.440> test<00:39:18.560> transfer<00:39:19.560> something software test
• Again, if I'm a nursing student, I don't really want anything about engineering.
• And so telling me that the university system has an engineering program is not going to be useful to
• engineering engineering right<00:40:58.240> and<00:40:58.440> so<00:40:59.040> uh
• program is not going to be engineering program is not going to be useful<00:41:02.920> to<00:

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Public Higher Education Study Committee held an organizational meeting and received an update from the university and community college systems on implementation of recommendations from the governor’s higher education task force. The systems said the task force report contained about 40 recommendations, and they have focused first on operational items while continuing to work on larger policy issues, including better alignment of public higher education with workforce and economic development needs. The committee also discussed reporting requirements under the amended law and whether quarterly reports are required or whether annual updates are sufficient unless the committee requests more. A major topic was expanding Early College and dual-enrollment opportunities. The chancellors reported strong growth in Early College participation, significant student and family savings, and state scholarship support that they described as producing a strong return on investment. They said the goal is to build clearer pathways so students can earn college credit, reduce debt, and stay in New Hampshire for postsecondary education. They also noted ongoing work to simplify admissions and transfer processes, including about 100 transfer pathways between the systems, direct-admit efforts for community college and university students, and continued development of transfer equivalency tools. Members pressed the systems and the Department of Education on direct outreach to high school students, especially juniors, so students would know they are eligible for direct admission and other opportunities. The main obstacle discussed was access to student contact information, with officials saying the issue may involve contract limits with the College Board and possibly statutory constraints on sharing data. Department of Education staff said they are meeting with the systems and vendors to determine what changes are needed. Committee members urged faster action so students and families can receive letters or other notices about in-state options, affordability programs such as Granite Guarantee, and pathways to community college and university enrollment.

Transcript Highlights:

• not a single game developed in the country that could fit the rules that were created, and that software
• engineers had to recreate games to fit the ridiculously strict definition of what the negotiation was
• we're trying to were created that we're trying to rectify<00:53:51.319> the<00:53:51.520> software
• <00:53:51.920> Engineers<00:53:52.319> had<00:53:52.440> to rectify the software
• Engineers had to rectify the software Engineers had to recreate<00:53:53.160> games<00:53:53.440

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We have engineering at Lyman High School, and we are very proud of the program that we have, but based
• Cardenas is going to highlight a little bit of our manufacturing engineering technology programs.
• In the AS in engineering technology, we have short-term certifications.
• Eighty of those serve in the engineering technology one.
• out, and it could be a month or six weeks, and they may only have one fire engine.

Summary: The Careers and Workforce Subcommittee heard a panel discussion focused on how Florida schools and colleges are exposing students to in-demand careers in manufacturing, semiconductors, transportation, and related fields, and how they are building pathways from middle school through postsecondary training. Panelists from Seminole County Public Schools, Lake Technical College/Lake County Schools, and St. Petersburg College described their career academies, dual enrollment options, industry certifications, and partnerships with employers, local governments, and state colleges. They emphasized early career awareness, counseling, and parent outreach as key to helping students understand technical education as a viable and prestigious path. Seminole County highlighted 51 career and professional education academies and new offerings in agricultural biotechnology, global finance, firefighting, and planned aerospace engineering. Lake County described Lake Technical College’s programs, strong completion and placement outcomes, and three partnerships: a flexible-day high school/workforce model at Lincoln Park Education Center, the Lake Works pathway collaboration with Lake Sumter State College, and a Transportation Innovation Hub with the City of Tavares that trains students on municipal vehicles and serves multiple local governments. St. Petersburg College discussed its manufacturing and engineering technology programs, including semiconductor processing, mechatronics, soldering, and clean-room training, along with new grant-funded expansion at its Midtown campus. Members asked about wages, the semiconductor workforce, how to change perceptions of technical education, how parents are engaged, and how Bright Futures CAPE and Gold Seal scholarships are communicated. Witnesses said school counselors, CTE teachers, parent nights, and district communications are used to promote these options, and that many students can earn strong wages through short-term certifications or two-year degrees. Lake Technical College also raised concerns about workforce funding not keeping pace with teacher pay increases and inflation, noting that funding covers only about 80% of what it earns and tuition has remained unchanged for 18 years. The meeting ended with members praising the programs, and the subcommittee adjourned without any vote or formal action beyond rising and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• people in science technology engineering people in science technology engineering and<00:04:10.920
• Because of this amazing program, I now want to pursue a career in engineering.
• Because of this amazing program, I now want to pursue a career in engineering.
• Because of this amazing program, I now want to pursue a career in engineering.
• Because of this amazing program, I now want to pursue a career in engineering.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hydrogen's unique properties require additional engineering and safety considerations.
• There are a number of properties of hydrogen that require specific engineering and safety procedures
• That means on the eight or so screens that a dispatcher has in front of them with the existing software
• , and also the complementary software that exists in the field that the police officers might have in
• their car, that the firemen have in their fire engines, and so forth.

Summary: The committee first took up a consent calendar of multiple bills, moving them forward mostly to Appropriations, with AB 1531 sent to Insurance. It then heard AB 645, requiring emergency medical dispatch training for public safety dispatchers who handle medical calls. Supporters said standardized dispatcher training would improve CPR and other pre-arrival instructions, especially in rural areas with long response times; there was no opposition, and the bill was moved to Appropriations. AB 716, on statewide hydrogen fire safety standards and a State Fire Marshal hydrogen expert, also drew support and was sent to Utilities and Energy. AB 783, aimed at lowering disaster rebuilding costs by allowing state contracting for construction materials in declared disaster areas, was supported by housing and building groups and moved to Appropriations. AB 591, creating a public works mutual aid plan for disasters, and AB 1200, expanding disaster preparedness through tabletop exercises, a State Lifelines Council, and CERT training, both received supportive testimony and were sent to Appropriations. The committee also heard AB 300, which would require regular updates to fire hazard severity zone maps; witnesses from fire agencies and cities supported moving the review schedule to every five years, and the bill was sent to Appropriations as amended. AB 986 would add landslides and climate-change-exacerbated conditions to the definition of state and local emergencies; supporters from Rancho Palos Verdes and the League of California Cities described severe land movement and major costs, while members raised concerns about overbroad emergency declarations. The bill nonetheless advanced to Appropriations. AB 478, requiring local emergency plans to include pet rescue procedures and longer holding periods for rescued animals, was supported by the author, a mayor, and animal advocacy groups; members suggested revisiting the 90-day reclamation period and transfer rules, but the bill moved to Appropriations. Later, AB 598 proposed school mapping technology for K-12 campuses so first responders can access accurate layouts during emergencies. The sponsor and dispatch representatives said the maps could reduce response times and improve coordination, while committee members asked about costs, vendor neutrality, rural school funding, and coordination with the 911 Advisory Board; the bill was moved to Appropriations with members noting possible follow-up amendments. Throughout the meeting, several votes were left open for later addition, and the committee eventually recorded additional aye votes and one no vote on AB 783 and a not-voting position on AB 986 before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• excel's own modeling Encompass software excel's own modeling Encompass software did<01:25:30.280
• <01:25:38.560> cannot excel's own modeling software cannot excel's own modeling software cannot
• They might contemplate situations where the economic engine of their community is no longer viable due
• of their Community where economic engine of their Community is<01:40:20.040> no<01:40:20.239>
• The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49 and the North Central States Regional Council

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Minnesota Senate Energy Committee heard Senate File 426, authored by Senator Icorn, which would remove the 100-megawatt cap on hydropower for purposes of qualifying as an eligible energy technology under Minnesota law. Supporters said hydropower is carbon-free, reliable, flexible baseload power that can help Minnesota meet its 100% carbon-free electricity goal by 2040. Testifiers from Missouri River Energy Services and Minnesota Power described existing hydropower resources, including allocations from federal Missouri River dams, Minnesota hydro stations, and Manitoba Hydro, and argued that the bill would preserve and expand options for clean energy development. Several members raised concerns about the bill’s purpose and potential environmental impacts. Senator McEwen questioned why the size limit should be removed without specific proposed projects or more information about the need for larger dams, citing concerns about fisheries, water resources, and land use. Senator Port and others asked about costs, environmental effects, and where new projects might be built. In response, supporters said the bill is intended to open the door to future projects and allow agencies to review proposals through existing permitting and environmental processes, rather than approving any specific dam. Committee members offered mixed reactions. Senator Frentz said he supported the concept but recommended laying the bill over for further discussion and possibly sending it to the Environment Committee, noting environmental concerns and the need for more conversation. Senator Gruenhagen strongly supported the bill, arguing that it merely lifts a cap while leaving permitting and review requirements in place. Senator Hoffman also supported the bill, saying current policy blocks consideration of new projects and that the change would allow regulators to evaluate proposals on their merits. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the bill was left open for further consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are some software companies, some of these large tech companies, that do hold the information and
• Everything that you see on your phone in terms of the algorithm, to the software, to the firmware and
• I've architected software before, but I have not coded it, right?
• A job engine charter school is a school that is developed by a municipality, by a local government, as
• effort made, in some cases, to have a municipality or local government be able to establish a job engine

Summary: The committee took up a series of bills, beginning with SB 1422 on unmanned aircraft systems. The bill increases penalties for flying drones over critical infrastructure, prohibits drones equipped with weapons or explosives, creates a first-degree felony for drones carrying a weapon of mass destruction, and includes a law enforcement exception. A lay-filed amendment by Senator Pizzo warning against the use of force to shoot down drones was debated but failed, and the bill was then reported favorably. The committee also reported favorably on SB 846 addressing notary public fraud in immigration-related services, SB 650 on hazardous walking conditions for school transportation, SB 922 on employment agreements including non-compete and garden leave provisions, and SB 1820 on motor vehicle manufacturer and dealer relations, covering performance measures, retaliation, and franchise termination standards. Several bills focused on education, health care, and disability issues. SB 540, the Evan B. Hartzell Act, would require disability history and awareness instruction across grade levels; it drew emotional testimony from the bill sponsor, family members, and supporters, and was reported favorably. SB 998 would allow advanced practice registered nurses to certify deaths and file death certificates in hospice settings under physician protocol, and SB 1412 would modernize home health agency rules by expanding administrative flexibility and contract service use; both passed. SB 1736 would allow direct support professionals and relatives to administer insulin in group home settings for individuals with developmental disabilities, and it was also reported favorably. The committee also advanced several regulatory and court-related measures. SB 1650 expands Florida’s vexatious litigant law, including allowing designation based on conduct in a single case and extending the look-back period, while SB 1652 creates a public records exemption for certain stricken non-criminal court filings; both were approved. SB 1076 on roofing contractors was amended to require continuing education for roof-to-wall connections and then passed, and SB 1078 on fire prevention was amended with stakeholder-agreed language before being reported favorably. SB 1080 on local government land regulations, after multiple amendments and significant debate over agricultural enclaves and local control, was also approved. Other major measures included SB 818 on utility relocation, which creates a relocation fund funded by a portion of communications services tax revenue and was supported by multiple industry and local-government groups after a compromise amendment; SB 868 on social media use by minors, which would require a decryption mechanism for law enforcement access under subpoena and prohibit disappearing messages for minors, remained under discussion as the transcript ended. The committee also heard SB 96, a claims bill for Jacob Rogers against the City of Gainesville, and reported it favorably after testimony that the city would pay the settlement amount.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm an engineer by education, but a technology professional and a small business entrepreneur.
• Lunar Lab designed software used by hundreds of thousands of people in Alabama and around the world,
• :15:32.560> Lunar<00:15:32.959> Lab<00:15:33.199> designed<00:15:33.600> software
• Lunar Lab designed software Alabama.
• Lunar Lab designed software hundreds<00:15:34.800> used<00:15:35.040> by<00:15:35.199><

Bills: HB69, HB114, HB161

Keywords: firearms, possession, Class 1 municipalities, criminal penalties, federal law, stolen firearms, prohibited persons, HB114, Alabama Sunset Law, sunset bill, Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama, dental board, dental licensing, dentist regulation, professional licensing, occupational licensing, healthcare regulation, licensure board, state agency continuation, agency sunset review

Transcript Highlights:

• , as you know, for goods—and has become a major issue for towns and for schools when it comes to software
• , as you know, for goods and has become a major issue for towns and for schools when it comes to software
• Oh, we have the engines database. It works great. Cities and towns need to use it.
• what is a service is less clear—for example, think about information technology and cloud-based software
• You know, for example, think about information technology in cloud-based software products.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on Governor Healey and Lt. Gov. Driscoll’s Municipal Empowerment Act, with administration officials and municipal leaders broadly supporting the bill as a package of tools to help cities and towns manage rising costs, staffing shortages, and service demands. The administration highlighted procurement reforms, including raising Chapter 30B advertising thresholds, clarifying cooperative purchasing, and removing the Commbuys notice requirement; permanent authority to amortize emergency-related deficits over three years; expanded authority and enforcement for removing double poles; continued flexibility for hybrid and remote public meetings; regionalization options such as regional boards of assessors and intermunicipal agreements; cybersecurity reporting to EOTSS; and several local revenue options and other municipal finance changes. They said the bill was shaped by listening sessions with municipal officials and was intended to increase flexibility, efficiency, and stability without imposing broad mandates. Committee members asked about regionalization, cybersecurity costs, Commbuys, hybrid meetings, and double poles. Administration witnesses said cybersecurity reporting would help the state target resources and that existing Community Compact and capital grant programs, including IT and municipal fiber funding, could support local needs; they said EOTSS would absorb reporting within existing resources. On procurement, they said the Commbuys notice change would be optional and that other public notice methods would remain available. On hybrid meetings, they emphasized flexibility for different types of boards and the burdens a one-size-fits-all mandate could create for small towns and volunteer boards. On double poles, they said the bill’s main change from last session was to give utilities more time and improve the removal process while keeping enforcement mechanisms aimed at speeding removal rather than raising revenue. The Massachusetts Municipal Association, MAPC, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and multiple mayors and town managers testified in support. They described the bill as a practical modernization measure that would help local governments operate more efficiently and respond to fiscal pressure. Witnesses from Northampton, Lynn, Gardner, Cambridge, Franklin, North Andover, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Ashland praised the hybrid meeting provisions, procurement changes, regional service-sharing, and emergency deficit amortization. Several also urged adoption of local revenue tools, including meals and lodging tax options and other local fees, as ways to preserve services and staffing. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• IS DONE EASIER ON THE FRONT END WITH ACCESS TO THE ACTUAL DEVICE ITSELF AND ON THE BACKEND BY THE SOFTWARE
• THEY SAY THEY CAN'T, EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED, EVERYTHING YOU SEE IN TERMS OF ALGORITHMS AND SOFTWARE TO
• I DO NOT BELIEVE A SOFTWARE COMPANY, SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY CANNOT CODE SOMETHING IN THE WAY TO PROTECT
• I'VE ARCHITECTED SOFTWARE BEFORE BUT I HAVE NOT CODED IT.
• MY JOB AT AN ENGINE CHARTER SCHOOL IS A JOB DEVELOPED BY A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND IS PART OF AN ECONOMIC

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, techno, when I say technology, I mean for things like Microsoft, uh, software, which is on every
• Uh, get another software product or get out our #2 pencils and our big cheap tablets and go forward.
• Our county engineer's office and our county engineer position is vacant at the moment, uh, but it's a
• In 2023, we spent $365,000 and we reimbursed $41,000 on engine defense.
• With new software and technology. We could have prevented that.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's for continued architectural and engineering services. Good afternoon.
• This is for continuation of our software program that controls or houses maintenance information for
• So it's a really cool app, and it can be shared among all of our engineering team.
• Uh, then you have Thompson Engineering also for geotechnical.
• Uh, then you have Thompson Engineering also for geotechnical.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• lifespans, while simultaneously making repairs more difficult through digital locks, proprietary software
• lifespans, while simultaneously making repairs more difficult through digital locks, proprietary software
• restrictive service agreements. making repairs more difficult through digital locks, proprietary software
• transactions and data, spurring job creation, new markets, and industry transformation. ...and engineering
• Institute of Quantum Science and Engineering at Texas A&M. So how long is that institute?

Bills: HB 106, HB144, HB145, HB252, HB1732, HB2221, HB2467, HB2468, HB2517, HB2518, HB2963, HB3016, HB3689, HB3960, HB4386, HB4490, HB4751, HB5247, HJR175, HB2213

Keywords: HB 106, oil and gas, Railroad Commission of Texas, overhead electrical lines, electrical distribution system, power line maintenance, administrative penalty, Natural Resources Code, oil and gas lease, well operator, energy safety, utility infrastructure, regulatory compliance, cleanup fund, oil and gas regulation and cleanup fund, production safety, leasehold operations, electric utility, distribution poles, inspection

Summary: The committee first handled pending business, including reconsidering SB 715 and then voting out several measures. The committee substitute for SB 1978 was reported favorably, and HB 431, HB 1522, HB 1922, HB 3228, HB 3229, HB 3803, HB 3804, HB 3805, HB 3806, HB 4219, HB 4238, HB 434, HB 1584, and HB 4739 were all reported favorably, many with objections sent to the local and uncontested calendar. HB 1522 and HB 4238 were adopted as committee substitutes before passage. The committee then moved into public testimony on HB 2963, a right-to-repair bill for consumer electronics. Supporters argued it would reduce waste, lower costs, and help independent repair shops by requiring manufacturers to provide parts, tools, and information on fair terms, while opponents said the bill was too broad and the automotive MOU exemption was problematic. The bill was left pending after testimony. The committee also heard HB 2467, which would align State Fire Marshal Office investigators’ pay with other commissioned peace officers at TDI; testimony was strongly supportive, emphasizing the office’s arson-investigation role, and the bill was left pending. HB 252, a bill allowing certain state agencies flexibility to pay Schedule A employees twice monthly, was laid out and left pending after limited testimony. HB 2468, dealing with public improvement district notice in real estate transactions, would let buyers terminate within seven days if required PID notice was not provided before contract execution; it drew no public testimony and was left pending. HB 4386, an annuity exchange and surrender process bill, was presented as a consumer-protection measure with deadlines and penalties for insurer delays; it received support from industry witnesses and was left pending. The committee then heard HB 4751, creating the Texas Quantum Initiative within the Governor’s Office to coordinate quantum research, workforce, industry partnerships, and possible future grant funding. Witnesses from universities and industry supported the bill, while several senators questioned whether a new state structure was necessary; the bill was left pending. HJR 175 proposed a constitutional amendment protecting Texans’ right to use mutually agreed forms of exchange, including cash, bullion, digital currency, or private script, and was discussed at length in the context of central bank digital currency and barter; it was left pending after testimony. HB 2221, updating insurance anti-rebating laws to allow wellness and value-added services, drew supportive testimony from the insurance industry and discussion about incentives versus monitoring; it was also left pending. Finally, the committee heard a series of utility wildfire and infrastructure bills: HB 106, requiring oil and gas operators to maintain certain electrical infrastructure near well sites; HB 144, requiring electric utilities to submit pole inspection and management plans to the PUC; and HB 145, requiring wildfire mitigation plans and allowing self-insurance under certain conditions. Utility, insurance, and cooperative witnesses generally supported the wildfire-related bills while asking for clarifications and less burdensome reporting, and the bills were left pending.