Transcript Highlights:

• I'll turn it over to you to close.
• Do you wish to respond now or just in your close? We do have—I can respond in my close. Great.
• I'll turn it over to you to close.
• I'll turn it to you to close.
• I'll turn it over to you to close.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now we're very close to being able to stand up.
• And then we worked really closely with the Racing Commission on the Coggins for the racehorses.
• I just want to close with a statement.
• With that, I'll close, and in closing, I neglected to do something, so we will need a motion here to
• Madam Chair, we work closely with our federal grants for every state dollar that we expect.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the last official error rate that we have was the close out of Y25.
• So, that close out was still way beyond what we want it to be.
• They provided $30 million to help close the gap and limit the amount of debt that needs to be taken on
• I'm close to half a billion dollars.
• They're going to their primary care doctor or whatever it is.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to share about this effort in the coming weeks and today is that more to share kind of day so in closing
• Primary witnesses, would you like to When you're ready, you may begin, two minutes each. Thank you.
• This isn't a closed process. It has not been a closed process.
• I think I may have had close to 200 meetings about this bill over time, and we will continue to do that
• I think I will close by saying we are, this is the beginning of a process.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• China clearly remains our primary competitor, as the only nation with both the intent and capability
• Well, Senator, some of that may be reserved for a conversation in closed session at some point in the
• to tip that off to our adversaries who might be listening, but two, I'd rather talk about that in closed
• I'll submit a question for the record on recruitment and retention challenges, but I just want to close
• I'm happy to talk about that in closed session. Okay, thank you very much. Senator Scott.

Committee: Senate Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel

Keywords: national security, military readiness, Kane nomination, defense budget, China threats, Russia, collaboration, modernization

Summary: The meeting centered on the nomination of retired Lieutenant General Dan Kane for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delving into various security concerns and the strategic environment facing the U.S. today. Testimonies highlighted the growing threats from adversaries such as China and Russia, with discussions around the necessity of maintaining and modernizing military capabilities to address these challenges. The need for agility in military operations and enhancing collaboration among various defense agencies was underscored. Further, concerns were raised regarding the defense budget and the importance of a strong national defense strategy were prevalent throughout the discussions. The committee members collectively emphasized the need for superior readiness and modernization to keep pace with global threats.

Transcript Highlights:

• written testimony must register at the kiosk system outside the hearing room, and registration will close
• Okay, with no public testimony, we'll close public testimony on Senate Bill 870, and Senate Bill 870
• to my district where an individual— We have a situation close to my district where an individual has
• The principal may only designate an employee of the school whose primary duties do not include classroom
• I respectfully ask you consider these four things, and I'll close with Frederick Douglass's quote: 'It's

Bills: SB27 , SB226 , SB326 , SB570 , SB605 , SB870 , SB991 , SB1871 , SB1872 , SB1873 , SB1874 , SB1924 , SB1925

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: residency, public schools, child safety placement, enrollment, education code, antisemitism, student conduct, education, disciplinary actions, Texas Education Code, truancy, attendance policy, chronic absenteeism, school attendance, student absence notifications, parent notification, home visit, attendance officer, truancy court, school district

Summary: The committee heard a series of school safety and discipline bills, beginning with SB 870, which would codify an attorney general opinion allowing local school boards to decide whether school marshals may openly carry, conceal carry, or store a firearm in a secure safe on campus. The bill was laid out with no public testimony and left pending. The chair then moved to a combined discussion of SB 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, and 1924, all focused on school discipline, teacher authority, and student safety. Senators Perry and Creighton described the package as a response to rising classroom disruptions, assaults on teachers, and concerns that districts lack effective tools to maintain order. SB 1871 would expand teacher removal authority, require return-to-class plans before a student removed for certain conduct can return, make some serious offenses mandatory for placement in juvenile justice settings, and provide telehealth mental health services through a consortium. SB 1872 would require expulsion to a JJAEP for assaults on teachers or school volunteers and extend certain expulsion-eligible conduct to off-campus offenses. SB 1873 would restore the prior understanding that in-school suspension is not subject to a three-day limit. SB 1874 would grant teachers immunity from disciplinary action for reporting discipline violations or acting in compliance with Chapter 37. SB 1924 would restore authority for local police and school district police to issue Class C citations for school offenses and require criminal referrals for students posing an imminent threat or assaulting a teacher, with a substitute clarifying referral rules when a citation has already been issued. The committee adopted the substitutes for the bills and moved them forward. Invited witnesses from teacher and administrator groups largely supported the overall goal of stronger discipline and safer classrooms, while asking for refinements. The Texas Classroom Teachers Association testified that teachers need more autonomy to remove disruptive or violent students and that classroom removals should not mean removal from learning. Superintendents from San Angelo, Grandview, and Wiley ISDs supported the bills’ emphasis on safety, expanded ISS flexibility, mandatory placement for serious offenses, and telehealth mental health services, but asked for more local control, flexibility for Districts of Innovation, more than one campus behavior coordinator in large districts, clearer timelines for return-to-class plans, and more precise definitions for disruptive conduct. Several witnesses stressed that teacher retention and student learning are being harmed by current discipline problems, while some members raised concerns about vague standards and the risk of overuse or public humiliation through citations and removals.

Transcript Highlights:

• And let me just close with this, the Department of Education doesn't educate kids.
• West Point has closed down all ethnic clubs.
• And so I want to ask you whether you believe it is your primary role and responsibility as Secretary
• The primary responsibility for dealing with teacher shortages is at the state and local level.
• Thank you. to be closed immediately. He called the department a big con job.

Committee: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

Keywords: educational reform, federal grants, bureaucracy, wealth disparity, public testimony

Summary: The committee meeting engaged in discussions focused primarily on educational reform, the influence of federal grants on local education systems, and the growing disparities in wealth and access to quality education. Members expressed concerns about the bureaucracy surrounding federal funding that hampers schools' ability to obtain necessary resources for improvement. Several members highlighted personal anecdotes from constituents, emphasizing the urgent need for reform to help students succeed in both K-12 and higher education environments. The meeting included public testimonies that provided insights into various community perspectives on these pressing issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• We work closely with our local partners as a force multiplier to remove and prevent DVs statewide as
• We work closely with our local partners as a force multiplier to remove and prevent DVs statewide as
• Not all of the 450 areas were located in the primary focus counties in the study.
• change literally daily if we pull the numbers because we do have investigations that begin and are closed
• change literally daily if we pull the numbers because we do have investigations that begin and are closed

Committee: Senate Environment and Natural Resources

Summary: The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources received a presentation from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on derelict vessels, enforcement challenges, and a long-term stored vessel study. FWC reported about 1,040 derelict vessels currently in its database, with roughly 600 new cases entering each year, and noted that hurricanes account for a large share of recent cases. The agency explained the legal definition of derelict vessels, the environmental and navigation hazards they create, and its enforcement process, including investigation, notice to owners, administrative hearings, removal authorization, and recovery of costs through registration holds. FWC also described prevention efforts such as at-risk vessel enforcement, nuisance vessel designations, public awareness campaigns, and the vessel turn-in program, which has received more than 250 applications and removed more than 145 vessels since rollout. Committee members asked about owner resistance to removal, rapid-response options for hazardous vessels, county differences in derelict vessel numbers, and how local governments participate. FWC said only a small percentage of owners contest removals, that the agency relies on contractors and does not generally have its own removal equipment, and that local governments may conduct removals with their own funding but must still provide due process. Members also asked where removed vessels go; FWC said they are taken to landfills, with recyclable materials recovered, and that storage is used only when necessary for public safety because it is costly. The presentation also highlighted the long-term stored vessel study, which found a strong correlation between long-term anchored vessels and later derelict vessels, especially in Monroe County. No votes were taken on the presentation, and the committee adjourned after Senator Errington moved to adjourn and there was no objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing none, Senator, would you like to close?
• Or dangerous air quality from a wildfire closes child care centers or schools.
• Would you like to close, Senator? Respectfully ask for an aye vote.
• Would you like to close, Senator? Respectfully ask for an aye vote.
• Would you like to close?

Summary: The committee considered several coastal, climate, and air quality measures. Senator Laird presented SCR 136 marking the 50th anniversary of the Coastal Act and Coastal Conservancy Act, and SJR 12 opposing the federal offshore oil and gas leasing program; both drew broad support from environmental groups, local governments, and other advocates, with no opposition heard. Senator Padilla presented SB 10, requiring state climate plans to include gender impact assessments, with supporters arguing climate harms fall disproportionately on women and LGBTQ+ people; the bill also drew no opposition in the hearing. Senator Padilla also presented SB 675 to restructure the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District board and expand public transparency, while supporters cited severe air quality problems and opponents raised concerns about unfunded mandates, consultation, and impacts on local permitting and economic development. Senator Allen presented SB 1229 to limit disaster-rebuild coastal permit exemptions when replacement structures would newly impede coastal access or sensitive protections, with supporters saying it would prevent investor abuse of post-disaster rebuilding rules. After testimony, the committee took up the measures and recorded votes. SCR 136, SJR 12, SB 10, SB 675, and SB 1229 all advanced on party-line or near-party-line votes, with some members voting no on the more regulatory measures. The consent calendar was also approved, including ACR 157, SB 899, SB 949, SB 963, SB 1008, SB 1207, SB 1428, and SJR 5. All of the listed measures were sent onward, generally to Appropriations, and the committee concluded its hearing after the roll calls.

Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing none, Senator, would you like to close?
• Senator Laird, would you like to close?
• Would you like to close, Senator? Respectfully ask for an aye vote.
• Would you like to close, Senator? Respectfully ask for an aye vote.
• Would you like to close?

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We require close proximity to you all and to the Governor's office.
• available leased space or government building space available in the downtown area, much less than close
• And in terms of, Any leased space that's just in any close proximity to you all and to the Governor's
• that close proximity.
• I mean, I know the old PRC office, I believe, is occupied by ECECD, for example, and that's in close

Committee: House Facilities Review Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• We're working closely with the California Department of Technology on this project.
• Projections are close, but it's unsure.
• Projections are close, but it's unsure.
• Cal OES stated the primary need for the change.
• Okay, having heard from all members of the public, we will now get ready to close.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So generally at that level, they're looking very closely at these things.
• And they've invested heavily in resources to closely monitor aquifer levels.
• So 2025, we got close to average but it doesn't come close to making up for what we would get in a normal
• I work closely with them as a consultant.
• Mike: Close to 100%.

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:23:55.800><c> about</c> the covid uh pandemic we closed about the covid uh pandemic we closed
• Um, back to the question about closing stores.
• If we close Walpole, the people, consumers, just buy in a different location.
• The locations are close enough by.
• The primary expenses of my office are my salary and benefits.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first reviewed House Bill 1, focusing on the legislative branch budget, especially the Senate and House lines. Members discussed that the Senate’s fiscal year 2025 adjusted authorized amount was higher than 2024 actual spending, largely due to personnel, benefits, and travel, and one member proposed a $500,000 annual cut. Staff explained that any reduction would need to be allocated across specific line items such as personnel, benefits, and travel, and noted that the Senate budget is entirely General Funds. After discussion of how the adjusted authorized figures were calculated and why the branch no longer staffs some joint committees as it once did, the committee moved on without taking a vote on that section. The committee then heard a detailed presentation from the New Hampshire Retirement System. NHRS officials described their statutory administrative budget, which is funded through the retirement trust rather than the General Fund, and said the FY 2026-2027 increase is driven by IT modernization, cybersecurity, a new strategic plan, and additional staff positions. They also reviewed the system’s funding progress, clean audit opinions, investment performance, and changes to asset allocation, while noting that several recent pension-related laws required major database changes. Members questioned the large increase in salaries and benefits, the need for new employees versus contractors, the purpose of training costs, and the source of the Group Two benefit funding. NHRS said the governor’s budget includes General Funds for Group Two benefit changes, with $5 million in FY 2026 and $27.9 million in FY 2027, and that the figures reflect the governor’s recommendation and related HB 2 provisions. Committee members also asked about employer and employee contribution rates for Group Two police and fire members, which NHRS said were not included in the budget document but were about 31.2% for police and 30.35% for fire, with employee shares around 11.55% and 11.8%. The committee did not make a decision on the NHRS budget during this exchange and indicated it would review the details further before returning to it later. The committee then heard from the Community Development Finance Authority on the State Treasury Department budget line for the required state match to administer the federal Community Development Block Grant program. CDFA explained that its $280,000 annual request for FY 2026 and FY 2027, totaling $560,000, supports administration, technical assistance, contracting, and monitoring of roughly $19 million in annual federal CDBG funds. Members asked about the leverage of the state match, oversight of projects, staffing, and grant prioritization. CDFA said it has 18 employees, uses public hearings and a scoring system to prioritize awards, and conducts both desk and on-site monitoring, with annual audits to ensure compliance. No vote was taken on the CDFA item in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's not close the door behind us.
• Let's not close the door behind us.
• So I'm saying, isn't tax a secondary concern next to the primary concern?
• You can be close. You need to run home for lunch. You can take care of that.
• You can be close. You need to run home for lunch. You can take care of that.

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have any questions on House Bill 94 as amended by Primary House Substitute 1?
• </c><00:13:19.720><c> House</c><00:13:19.920><c> Substitute</c> as amended by primary House Substitute
• as amended by primary House Substitute 1?
• /c><00:14:15.680><c> as</c><00:14:15.920><c> amended</c><00:14:16.440><c> by</c><00:14:16.720><c> primary
• </c> House Bill 94 as amended by primary House Bill 94 as amended by primary House<00:14:17.760><c> House

Committee: House Postsecondary Education

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call: 0:00 Bills for Consideration: 26RS HB 94 – 2:40 26RS HB 307 – 15:00 Adjournment: 20:15, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2792 specifies that the primary residence of a veteran with a service-connected disability
• House Bill 2792 specifies that the primary residence of a veteran with a service-connected disability
• This also specifies that a primary residence that is owned by a veteran and the veteran's spouse, who
• This also specifies that a primary resident that is owned by a veteran and the veteran spouse who are
• secondary residence is not even if you own a business and own property is specifically focused on primary

Committee: House House Ways & Means Committee of Reference

Summary: The House Ways and Means Committee heard several tax-related bills. House Bill 2261, sponsored by Representative Griffin, would rename and clarify the agricultural real property classification statute and codify the income-based valuation approach for agricultural lands, especially permanent crops such as orchards and vineyards. Griffin and farm/ranch supporters said the bill simply reflects recent court rulings and would avoid further litigation costs, while county assessors and the Arizona Association of Counties opposed it, urging the committee to wait for the pending Arizona Supreme Court case. After discussion about the tax court and appellate rulings, the committee voted 5-3 with one absent to return HB 2261 with a do pass recommendation. House Bill 2173, sponsored by Representative Livingston, would allow tax officers to accept and send certain notices electronically unless certified mail is required. County assessors supported the measure as a modernization that would reduce delays, postage, and paper use, and there was discussion about how to handle outdated email addresses. The committee voted 7-0 with one absent to return HB 2173 with a do pass recommendation. House Bill 2120 would add the Social Security Administration to the definition of competent medical authority for property tax disability determinations; it was described as reducing the need for duplicate documentation. The committee approved HB 2120 on a 6-1 vote with one present and one absent. House Bill 2786 would extend a tax deduction for bookstore textbook rentals to include textbooks required by state universities or community colleges, including digital rentals as clarified in testimony from the University of Arizona. Members said it would provide relief to students, and the committee returned the bill with a do pass recommendation on an 8-0 vote with one absent. House Bill 2792, a cleanup bill related to the 100% property tax exemption for veterans with service-connected disabilities, was supported by assessors as necessary to resolve conflicting language and implement the exemption correctly. The committee voted 8-0 with one absent to return HB 2792 with a do pass recommendation, and the meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the report notes the local civilian authorities are the ones who have primary jurisdiction over sexual
• Is the case closed? What are the next steps? What then happens? Is the case closed?
• There was one that came very close that actually dealt with concurrent jurisdiction on federal law enclaves

Keywords: 970, all

Transcript Highlights:

• just hoping a repentant Aggie tax-ex-tax collector senator can get there someday, but I think it’s close
• Agriculture, engineering, and medical are the three primary areas that I feel like are very important
• Hearing none, public testimony is now closed. This process and tries to get it back from it.
• Hearing none, public testimony is closed. This bill will be left pending.

Committee: Senate Education K-16

Summary: The Senate Committee on K-16 met with 14 bills on the agenda and announced it would recess around 9:45 to attend the floor session, then resume afterward. The committee first took up Senate Bill 2361, which would transfer governance of the University of Houston-Victoria from the University of Houston System to the Texas A&M University System and rename it Texas A&M University-Victoria. Senator Cole explained that the committee substitute added transition language for employee health benefits and ERS contributions. Supporters, including Texas A&M System officials, Victoria’s mayor, regional economic development leaders, a Formosa Plastics representative, a Victoria College trustee, and a local business owner, said the move would better align the university with regional industry needs, especially engineering, agriculture, and workforce development, while helping retain local students and support economic growth. A Texas A&M official also noted accreditation, data-system, and other transition challenges, but said the change was manageable. Because there was no quorum, the committee could not adopt the substitute, and SB 2361 was left pending subject to the call of the chair after public testimony closed. The committee then heard Senate Bill 530 from Senator Sparks, which would update Texas higher education law to match federal rules allowing institutions to use any nationally recognized accreditor rather than only a regional accreditor. Sparks said the bill was a cleanup measure responding to a 2019 federal rule change and prior concerns had been addressed over the interim. Testimony in support came from a Texas Public Policy Foundation fellow, who said the bill would give universities flexibility, preserve quality standards, and simplify credit transfer and costs for students. With no opposition and no questions, public testimony closed and SB 530 was left pending. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• You have communities in Selawik and Shungnak that had to close their schools.
• Speaker, we just closed four schools on the Kenai.
• Speaker, we just closed four schools on the Kenai.
• I guess in closing, I would just say that I do hope that we pass this bill by a large margin.
• In closing, Mr. Speaker, this vote is not about the State of Alaska taking on project risk.

Keywords: 905, all