Transcript Highlights:

• Um, under the probate code, I think the definition is that, um, it's decided by the courts.
• disciplinary action by an occupational disciplinary action by an occupational professional<00:59
• 29.360> and there's a lot of other professions and there's a lot of other professions and occupations
• 31.520> have<01:39:31.760> the<01:39:32.000> same,<01:39:32.560> you occupations
• that have the same, you occupations that have the same, you know,<01:39:33.280> line<01:39:33.520

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What a great day for the Supreme Court of Texas and for the entire state of Texas.
• Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, indivisible.
• And may God forever bless the great state of Texas. Texas. Thank you so much, Governor.
• It's a promise to the people of Texas that he will be. to the people of Texas that he will be impartial
• Supreme Court of the State of Texas of Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Texas and will to

Summary: The Supreme Court of Texas held a ceremonial investiture for two new justices, James Sullivan and Kyle Hawkins. Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock opened the session with welcoming remarks and led the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the National Anthem sung by Trooper Alena Gallardo. The event included an invocation by Father Dean Wilhelm, emphasizing the importance of justice and the rule of law. Governor Greg Abbott praised the new justices, highlighting their qualifications and the significance of their appointments to the court. Justice Samuel Alito administered the oath of office to Justice Hawkins, while Judge Thomas Griffith administered the oath to Justice Sullivan. Both justices expressed gratitude for their appointments and acknowledged the support of their families, mentors, and colleagues. The ceremony also honored former justices Jeff Boyd and Nathan Hecht, with heartfelt tributes reflecting on their contributions to the court and the legal community in Texas. The event concluded with a benediction by Reverend Greg Davidson, encouraging the justices to work diligently and honorably in their new roles.

Transcript Highlights:

• In response to Texas, you know, California does it if Texas does it.
• It's to silence the voices of the people in Texas. Aren't you proud to be in Texas?
• I am a Texas...
• Stand up for Texas.
• For Texas, your service to Texas, and for this opportunity to speak.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Rob Misa III from Cedar Park, Texas, who has been reappointed to the Texas State Technical College Board
• Texas and Texas State Technical College, and we are open for any questions you may have. Thank you.
• I had to find a way to justify Texas, and it's not just about justifying Texas.
• Texas has made significant strides in the aerospace industry, and we're looking forward to the Texas
• Appointees to the Texas Board of Nursing, which the Texas Department of State Health Services indicates

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I pledge allegiance... 29 30 Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas.
• So if y'all would please, we have great folks from Midland, Texas, Odessa, Texas, and the University
• of Texas Permian Basin.
• Longhorn field Texas back then Texas Memorial Stadium from Freer, Texas and I grew up 24 miles If you're
• At University of Texas.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Dawn Buckingham, your Texas. Land Commissioner.
• and contributing to the economy of Texas.
• A combination of factors. factors, the economy of Texas growing, the population of Texas increasing,
• How does that impact Texas?
• President, Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, and the Honorable Todd Staples, Texas Oil and Gas Association

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:13:30.760> and therapy like speech occupational and therapy like speech occupational and
• And I think every school in this state, regardless of the ZIP code, should be able to do that.
• And I think every school in this state, regardless of the ZIP code, should be able to do that.
• An odd thing happened in Texas in 2005: the state decided that only 88.5% of their children needed and
• adequacy grant will increase from $4,100 to $7,356, ensuring that every child, regardless of their ZIP code

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused on HB 563, which would revise the education funding formula for pupils receiving special education services by replacing the current single special education amount with three differentiated categories. Representative Rick Ladd, the prime sponsor, said the bill largely tracks a House-passed version from the prior session with minor figure adjustments, and explained that the proposal uses projected FY26 amounts for three categories based on time in general education versus more intensive placements. He also noted that the bill does not address catastrophic aid directly, but that special education aid, CAT aid, and proration all remain issues for later work sessions. Ladd and supporters argued that weighted categories better reflect actual costs and are more sustainable than treating all IEPs the same. Representative Margaret Drye said the approach was one of the best ideas from the education funding subcommittee and urged the committee to support differentiated aid. Representative Ames asked how the category amounts were derived, and Ladd said Category A follows the FY26 base, Category B is a higher weight, and Category C is a still higher weight for more intensive services, though he acknowledged the exact multipliers were developed earlier and could be revisited. He also said the committee would continue discussing whether the weights are appropriate and how they interact with CAT aid. Testimony from Bonnie Dunham strongly opposed the bill. She argued that funding based on placement rather than actual service need would create incentives to move students into more restrictive settings, could stigmatize children with labels such as "Category C," and would undermine the least restrictive environment requirements under federal special education law. She described her son’s experience in inclusive settings as beneficial and said the bill would have penalized the district for serving him there. In response to questions, she said schools and parents should base funding on the child’s actual needs and costs, not on placement, and urged the committee to recommend the bill inexpedient to legislate.

Transcript Highlights:

• It involves the occupational therapists, but they have been working with the State Education Department

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The New York State Senate Committee on Higher Education met on April 21, 2026, with a quorum present and considered nine bills. The committee advanced bills addressing licensing discrepancies for junior and assistant landscape architects (S.1834A), SUNY/CUNY research foundation financial reporting (S.6745), credits for volunteer firefighters and EMTs enrolled in SUNY or CUNY (S.7367), campus pool and health membership for disabled veterans (S.7784A), early licensure eligibility for dental residents in multi-year specialty programs (S.8401A), a 90-day grace period for certain social workers awaiting limited permits (S.9303), interior designer certification standards (S.9673), and a transfer of excess tuition reimbursement account funds to support proprietary vocational school oversight (S.9682). One bill, S.948 concerning occupational therapists, was held pending resolution with the State Education Department. Members asked questions on several measures, including whether firefighter/EMT credits were tied to service rather than coursework, how the dental residency bill would work in practice, and the funding source and purpose of the proprietary school supervision account transfer. Support was noted for the interior designer bill from ASID, CIDQ, and IIDA, while most other bills had no listed support or opposition memos. The committee explained that the fund transfer bill would move up to $500,000 from a tuition reimbursement account balance above $2.5 million to help the Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision address oversight needs. All of the bills taken up and moved were reported out of committee, with some sent to the floor and others to the Finance Committee as indicated by the chair. Several were reported without recommendation from individual members. The meeting adjourned at 10:45 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• House File number 1355, an act relating to occupational safety. The message is signed by Michael R.

Transcript Highlights:

• What we have learned across Texas is flood looks.
• Allocated so that's 250 million dollars And we are popular in Texas. exploding in Texas.
• Number five, our Texas Grant Management. standards.
• We've worked closely with the Texas Produced Water Consortium.
• I don't believe Texas can ever, Texas users can ever fully. plan on the amount of security or insecurity

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have 23 of those in the state of Texas.
• by Texas mobile application.
• I could use a reference in Texas.
• Maritime commerce moves 24/7, 365 through Texas maritime ports, propelling the Texas economy.
• the region that fuel the Texas economy.

Transcript Highlights:

• So they typically will have an individualized education plan that requires occupational therapy or speech
• And we would apply the policies we do have: employee disciplinary policies, conduct policies, code of
• Thank you. ...policies, code of ethics, those sorts of things.
• It's really a variety of different class codes that over the years, based on the evaluation that we've

Summary: The committee heard a series of Arkansas Department of Human Services budget presentations and questions, beginning with the Secretary’s Office and then the Division of Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services. Staff described the divisions’ appropriations, funding sources, and major programs, including senior centers, Meals on Wheels, mental health grants, substance abuse treatment, community alcohol safety, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, and crisis stabilization units. Members raised concerns about flat or limited funding for senior services, the use and tracing of federal block grants, the lack of a funding source for the veterans’ mental health grant, and the mechanics of the community alcohol safety and treatment programs. The committee also discussed patient benefits funds at state facilities, transportation for senior center clients, and whether some special-language appropriations or fund balances should be revisited. Executive recommendations were adopted for the divisions considered. The committee then reviewed the Division of Children and Family Services and the Division of County Operations. Questions focused on foster care growth, adoption subsidies, professional fees tied to staff training and onboarding, vacancies, the Children’s Trust Fund, and TANF subgrants. Members asked about the reduction or elimination of TANF funding to child advocacy centers and other subgrantees, and DHS explained that prior reserves had been spent down and that the department was now trying to live within the annual TANF block grant and rebuild reserves. County operations questions also covered summer EBT, SNAP employment and training, the farmers’ market program, and the expected impact of a federal SNAP administrative match change, which DHS estimated would increase state costs by about $24 million annually, with roughly $18 million affecting the current year because the change begins October 1. Executive recommendations were again adopted. Finally, the committee heard from the Division of Developmental Disability Services and the Division of Medical Services. DDS testimony covered vacancies, staffing shortages, human development center construction and repairs, the reopening of the Boonville work training program, and funding for infant infirmary and child/family life programs. Medical Services testimony covered the Medicaid program, the current FMAP rate, the Our Kids B CHIP program, Medicaid payments to schools, nursing home distress funding, and large appropriation lines used to provide flexibility for claims and potential facility closures. Members asked for more detail on school Medicaid payments, reserve balances, and why some appropriations were much larger than actual spending. In each division, the committee moved and adopted Executive REC after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• So they typically will have an individualized education plan that requires occupational therapy or speech
• And we would apply the policies we do have: employee disciplinary policies, conduct policies, code of
• And we would apply... ...policies, code of ethics, those sorts of things.
• It's really a variety of different class codes that over the years, based on the evaluation that we've

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations and took executive recommendations on several Department of Human Services divisions, including Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services; Children and Family Services; County Operations; Developmental Disability Services; and Medical Services, with most divisions showing little or no significant change in total appropriations. Staff and agency witnesses repeatedly explained that many large appropriations are maintained for flexibility, federal matching requirements, or contingency needs, even when actual spending is much lower than the authorized amount. Members also raised concerns about staffing vacancies, long-vacant budgeted positions, and the use of excess appropriation authority across DHS. In Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health, members questioned federal funding levels for mental health and substance abuse grants, the status of senior centers and Meals on Wheels, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, community alcohol safety grants, and the veterans mental health grant. Agency officials said federal block grants are largely committed, that senior center funding had been delayed by shutdown timing but was now back on track, that the tobacco settlement program had been moved internally within DHS, and that the veterans mental health appropriation remains unfunded. Senators also criticized the adequacy of support for seniors and asked for more detail on how transportation, meal services, and local contributions are funded. In Children and Family Services, members asked about rising appropriation levels, foster care and adoption subsidies, professional fees, the number of children in foster care, and the Children’s Trust Fund. DHS said increases reflect added flexibility for residential treatment, adoption subsidies, and prevention services, while the foster care population has remained fairly steady at about 3,400 children. The Children’s Trust Fund was described as supporting primary prevention programs such as Baby and Me and community schools, and members asked whether it could be administratively combined with other efforts. Questions also covered TANF subgrants, with DHS explaining that it had reduced outside subgrants after discovering over-obligation and was rebuilding reserves. In County Operations, members focused on the summer EBT program, SNAP employment and training, the farmer’s market program, and the state’s TANF reserve position. DHS said summer EBT is still being funded through temporary appropriations because it is a newer program, SNAP employment and training is largely federally funded and may expand under a pending policy change, and TANF reserves were drawn down after prior over-obligation but are now being stabilized. In Developmental Disability Services, members asked about vacancies, human development center staffing, facility construction funds, and the Booneville work program, and DHS said the program has reopened and staffing recruitment continues. In Medical Services, members asked about FMAP, the Our Kids B CHIP program, school-based Medicaid reimbursements, nursing home distress funds, and several large appropriation lines that far exceed actual spending; DHS said these are maintained for claims payment, nursing home receivership contingencies, and other flexibility needs. Each division reviewed was adopted by executive recommendation after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• But we had the South Texas and Central Texas. Hearing on July 25th, 2025.
• Texas is beautiful.
• ...with Palacios, Texas?
• I know Texas values.
• These seats belong to the people of Texas. The great state of Texas. This is a farce.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Into the Texas flag. God bless Texas. Members, we have some resolutions.
• One of them on the floor of the Texas Senate and the Texas Senate has moved to final passage, one of
• So the Texas Senate is working.
• The county is home to very cherished traditions such as the Texas Gator Fest, the Texas Rice Festival
• across our great state of Texas.

Transcript Highlights:

• And to the Texas flag. God bless you.
• that is pro parent in the history of the state so the Texas Senate is working the Texas House has accomplished
• It's an honor to represent Angelina County here in the Texas House, the only county in Texas.
• Rick Demko, President of NYFA Texas.
• great state of Texas.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And now to the Texas flag. Honor the Texas flag.
• Today, we recognize the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, or Texas CPA, as they gather.
• to their Texas house.
• to their Texas House.
• Joe Bernal of San Antonio, Texas.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Director of Texas Force Service and Al Davis, Director of Texas Force Service. Hmm. All right.
• Texas Forest Service.
• chosen by Texas.
• Texas.
• . and more Texas dollars supporting Texas jobs.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Texas legislative The Texas Legislative, uh, Medal of Honor Committee meeting will come to order.
• as a junior Texas Ranger.
• If, if you're our age and you grew up in Texas, you without a doubt took a course in Texas history, at
• of Texas patch on his chest.
• on it, as is the Texas flag.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor.
• My family is from Jacksboro, Texas, so he knows nothing but Jacksboro and Texas.
• Gage grew up watching "Walker, Texas Ranger."
• If you're our age and you grew up in Texas, you without a doubt took at least one course in Texas history
• But the biggest part is the state of Texas is emblazoned on it, as is the Texas flag.