Transcript Highlights:

• oversight hearing on electric reliability.
• But this hearing is...
• So, but I'm glad to hear you're not hearing that much about it because certainly, and I thank all the
• Can you hear me? We can hear you. Hi, can you hear me? We can hear you. Okay, I had some slides.
• Today's hearing is adjourned.

Summary: The committee first heard AB 1026 by Assembly Member Wilson, which would require investor-owned utilities to provide clearer front-end information and follow more consistent timelines for post-entitlement energization applications tied to housing projects. The author and supporters from the Housing Action Coalition and Mission Housing said utility delays can hold up approved housing, add costs, and create uncertainty, and they argued the bill would align utility processes with recent state efforts to streamline local permitting. PG&E and Southern California Edison opposed the bill, saying existing CPUC timelines and the ongoing energization rulemaking already address the issue, that the bill could be duplicative or premature, and that some proposed timelines were too short. The committee discussed the bill’s relationship to the CPUC’s September 2024 decision, and AB 1026 was ultimately approved on a 15-0 vote, with the consent calendar also passing. The second half of the hearing was the committee’s annual oversight hearing on electric reliability. Representatives from the CPUC, CEC, CAISO, and DWR reviewed lessons from the 2020 and 2022 heat emergencies, emphasizing that California has since added significant resources, improved planning, and created backstop programs such as the strategic reliability reserve. They said the summer 2025 outlook is cautiously optimistic, with no expected shortfalls under traditional planning conditions and a projected surplus, though wildfire and extreme heat remain risks. The agencies also described major changes in planning and operations, including more battery storage, updated resource adequacy rules, expanded transmission planning, and reforms to the interconnection queue. Members asked about data center load, Diablo Canyon’s future, the strategic reliability reserve, demand response, wildfire mitigation costs, affordability, and regional market expansion. Witnesses said data center demand is a major variable but can be managed through better forecasting, flexible service arrangements, and siting in areas with existing capacity; they also said firm clean resources remain valuable while planning continues around Diablo Canyon’s scheduled retirement. On affordability, they said the agencies try to balance reliability with least-cost procurement, and that new resources can lower market prices even as they require upfront investment. CAISO also highlighted the value of the Western Energy Imbalance Market and the planned day-ahead market, saying regional coordination improves both reliability and cost savings.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hearing none, public testimony is now closed.
• I just wanted to make sure everybody knows it because that goes on in the hearing, at least the hearings
• Hearing none, the testimony is now closed.
• That's why we're having these hearings. That's exactly why we're having these hearings.
• Hearing no objection, so ordered.

Bills: SB467 , SB325 , SB867 , SB994 , SB1052 , SB1237 , SB1449 , SB1531 , SB2063 , SB2172 , SB2173 , SB2520 , SB2529 , SB2538 , SB2541 , SJR46 , SJR84

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: SB 467, Texas property tax, ad valorem tax, homestead exemption, residence homestead, fire damage, house fire, destroyed home, temporary tax relief, appraisal district, chief appraiser, local taxing unit, tax rollback, tax refund, Tax Code Chapter 11, prorated exemption, homestead improvement, disaster relief, property tax exemption, residential property

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you all for hearing my story for just a minute.
• Hearing none, the motion is withdrawn.
• The chair hears none, and House Bill 1713 is left pending.
• Hearing none, the motion. Hearing none, the bill is left pending.
• Hearing none, the motion. Hearing none, the bill is left pending.

Bills: HB316 , HB353 , HB 1160 , HB1414 , HB1422 , HB1443 , HB1713 , HB1789 , HB1902 , HB2073 , HB2666 , HB2695 , HB316

Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence

Keywords: motor fuel, criminal offense, metering device, organized crime, Texas Penal Code, trespassing, school safety, day-care centers, education, trespass, public safety, utility employees, criminal penalties, assault, harassment, public duties, safety, law enforcement, driving offenses, license regulations

Transcript Highlights:

• But I will say that you hear there's a need for certainty.
• Right now the hearing is on House Bill 33448.
• Is that, is that what I'm hearing your testimony to be?
• The chair hears none and the bill is left pending.
• Hearing none, the chair moves to adjourn.

Committee: House S/C on Telecommunications & Broadband

Transcript Highlights:

• Hear from the CARB representative. Good morning, Richard Boyd.
• Hopefully my colleagues here will hear these questions. Great.
• Appreciate hearing those. Of course. Yeah.
• That’s a good point, and again, that’s exactly what these committee hearings are for: for us to hear
• This was an incredible, insightful hearing.

Summary: The committee hearing focused heavily on CARB’s broad trailer bill request for regulatory fee authority. Finance and CARB argued the proposal would let CARB develop fees to recover reasonable costs for implementing and enforcing regulations, while the LAO recommended rejection because the authority was too broad, could apply to an entire division of code, and would delegate core legislative taxing/fee-setting power without enough guardrails. Members from both parties raised concerns about the breadth of the authority, accountability, affordability impacts, and whether the Legislature would be put in an up-or-down position after CARB had already developed regulations. CARB responded that fees would still go through a budget change proposal and legislative approval before collection, and cited existing examples such as transport refrigeration units and commercial harborcraft fees. The committee then reviewed CARB’s request for permanent resources to implement SB 905 on carbon capture, utilization, storage, and carbon dioxide removal. CARB said the Legislature had previously authorized limited-term positions and funding, but it had struggled to recruit and retain staff with specialized regulatory and technical expertise, and that the work had included pre-rulemaking contracts, technology review, and permit-related preparation. Members questioned the pace of work, the use of limited-term positions, and whether additional permitting authority would be needed. CARB said it hoped to begin rulemaking later in the year if permanent resources were approved. Members also discussed the cap-and-trade spending plan, noting lower-than-expected auction revenues but higher interest earnings, and the need to monitor the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and possible May Revision changes. The committee then heard overviews of the zero-emission vehicle package, the Community Air Protection Program, demand-side grid support, and e-bike incentives. CARB described ongoing investments in community-based transportation equity, drayage trucks, harbor craft, and other clean technology demonstrations, while members pressed on affordability, program duplication, and whether enough funding was being directed to incentive programs. No formal votes were taken during the portion provided, and the chair repeatedly indicated that the hearing was intended to surface concerns for later budget negotiations.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's critical that you hear this stuff.
• </c><00:15:11.600><c> the</c> other hearings like this was to hear the other hearings like this was to
• Yeah, can you hear me? We can hear you. If you just identify yourself and proceed.
• Yeah, can you hear me? We can hear you. If you just identify yourself and proceed.
• Can you hear me? Yep.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:17:54.360><c> more</c> seen a lot of we'll see we hear more seen a lot of we'll see we hear more
• chief law judge and and I think hearing chief law judge and and I think I<00:30:35.519><c> think</c>
• I didn't hear you very well.
• </c> our first hear Hearing in the labor our first hear Hearing in the labor committee<00:47:58.040><
• </c><00:48:24.880><c> in</c> and and after yesterday's Hearing in and and after yesterday's Hearing in

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Can't hear you either. I can't hear me either. I think the system is gone down. Can you hear me?
• A hearing was held. Ruporty petition. A hearing was held.
• We can't hear your we lost your audio. We can't hear your testimony. testimony. testimony.
• </c> &gt;&gt; Can't hear you either. &gt;&gt; Can't hear you either.
• </c> &gt;&gt; I can't hear me either. &gt;&gt; I can't hear me either.

Bills: SB2094

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Environment

Keywords: toxic chemicals, environmental action levels, public notice, environmental safety, pollution control, Hawaii State Constitution, public participation, government transparency, environmental health, 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 2094, which would require state agencies monitoring environmental toxins and pollutants to establish environmental action levels and limit changes to those levels without meeting procedural requirements. The chair recommended passing the bill with amendments, including inserting estimated costs for a secure portal website and webinars into the committee report and deferring the effective date to July 1, 2050. The motion passed unanimously among those voting, with excused members noted. The committee then considered several other measures and adopted recommendations to pass them with amendments, generally adding technical and clarifying changes and setting a defective date of 2525. SB 2862 was amended to broaden the preamble, make additional appointees confirmable, clarify reporting requirements for gubernatorial appointees, and was held for further discussion. SB 2781 on lei production created a working group to review existing studies and conduct a statewide study of Hawaii’s floriculture industry. SB 3015 adopted California’s definition of PII, applied it to government agencies and political subdivisions, created a private cause of action, and required a compliance report. SB 3230 removed a categorical prohibition on certain third-party project management procurements while preserving state oversight responsibility, in line with procurement office requests. The joint GVO Health and Human Services agenda then focused on two related bills requiring universal changing accommodations in public restrooms. SB 2932 would apply to new state building construction beginning July 1, 2026, and testimony from disability advocates, the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and others supported the measure while asking for language clarifying that the requirement applies only where technically feasible and, in some cases, only to state-managed buildings. SB 2268 was described as broader, extending beyond government buildings into the private sector and including a private right of action; witnesses supported the concept but raised implementation concerns, especially for smaller businesses, and requested the same technically infeasible language and other clarifications. Both bills were advanced with amendments, and the committee noted adoption of the recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> needy families which you will often hear needy families which you will often hear people<00:10:17.839
• To my good friend Senator Grunhagen, I hear you're talking about waste, fraud, and abuse.
• To my good friend Senator Grunhagen, I hear you're talking about waste, fraud, and abuse.
• To my good friend Senator Grunhagen, I hear you're talking about waste, fraud, and abuse.
• I always like having these hearings, so I do appreciate the topic and the discussion.

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, seeing none, we’ll close the hearing.
• Seeing none, we will close the hearing.
• </c><00:31:57.480><c> see</c> has to hear see has to hear see roll<00:31:58.960><c> call</c><00:31:59.440
• </c><00:40:59.920><c> in</c> and we will start our next Hearing in and we will start our next Hearing
• I've made some changes to the bill. hearings I took into great consideration hearings I took into great

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In today's hearings, in the...
• their own hearing to make.
• But we hear about flooding in.
• I hear that a lot.
• Did I hear that wrong?

Keywords: flooding, emergency response, communication systems, first responders, disaster management, Texas Water Development Board, regional planning, public safety

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on discussions around the recent floods in Texas, specifically addressing emergency preparedness, response coordination, and recovery efforts. Officials from various agencies provided testimonies on the challenges faced during the emergency, including issues with communication systems among first responders. Notably, the need for improved inter-agency communication and technology integration was emphasized, with recommendations for establishing regional communications units for better coordination during disasters. The audience included local government representatives and emergency management partners, who shared insights and experiences from the recent flooding events.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, as you are no doubt aware, the subject matter we will cover in this hearing and in future hearings
• So, what we're planning on doing is this hearing and the Kerrville hearing, and then coming back from
• We'll divide those bills up based on the hearings, and each side will actually have their own hearing
• I'm hearing from a lot of people that wanted to be invited to this hearing.
• Did I hear that wrong or right?

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hearing none, it is so ordered.
• Hearing none, it is so ordered.
• Hearing none, it is so ordered.
• Hearing none, it is so ordered.
• Hearing none, it is so ordered.

Bills: SB302 , SB1335 , SB1734 , SB1760 , SB1975 , SB2127

Committee: Senate Jurisprudence

Keywords: probate court, statutory judge, reimbursement, court costs, court proceedings, judicial assignments, judge assignment, cost reimbursement, judicial expenses, estate management, statutory requirement, court expenses, estates, inheritance, representative duties, court authority, personal representative, real property, deed fraud, title fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• Hearing none, it's so ordered.
• Hearing none, the substitute is adopted.
• Hearing none, the substitute is adopted.
• Hearing none, it is so ordered.
• Hearing none, it is so ordered. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, excellent.

Committee: Senate Jurisprudence

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Can you hear me? All right, thank you very much. Thank you. Can you hear me?
• All right, everybody hear me okay? Yes, we can hear you.
• Can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. Okay, all right.
• Can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. Okay, all right.
• Can you hear me? I can hear you, yes. Great.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy held its first hearing of the 194th session to take public testimony on 21 cannabis-related bills. Chairs Donahue and Gómez outlined hearing procedures and noted that written testimony would also be accepted. Much of the hearing focused on the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), with Senator Mike Moore urging support for S. 90 to create an inspector general unit within the CCC. He argued the commission has suffered from dysfunction, workplace harassment allegations, delayed governance reforms, missed fee collections, and high legal costs, and said stronger legislative oversight is needed. Committee members largely agreed the CCC needs reform, though some expressed hope that new leadership would improve operations. A major theme was market structure and business viability. Representative Tyler testified for H. 183 to raise adult-use purchase limits from one ounce to two ounces, saying the change would reduce confusion and help retailers compete with neighboring states. Senator Payano supported S. 100, which would require a study of cannabis supply and demand to guide cultivation licensing, warning that oversupply is driving down prices and threatening cultivators. The Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition, represented by Ryan Dominguez, backed a package of bills aimed at increasing revenue, reducing regulatory burdens, attracting investment, and stabilizing the market, including higher purchase limits, simpler badge and testing rules, and a phased increase in the retail license cap. Attorneys Kevin Conroy and Mike Ross also supported raising the cap, arguing that the industry lacks capital and that more investment and exit opportunities are needed for provisional and distressed licensees. The most contentious issue was whether to raise the retail license cap from three to six. Supporters, including several business owners and industry advocates such as Peyton Shubrick, Tito Jackson, Armani White, Sean Burt, and others, said the current cap traps owners in declining businesses, prevents exits, and limits access to capital. They argued that many social equity and economic empowerment operators are struggling, that oversupply has pushed prices down, and that allowing more ownership could help businesses scale or sell. Opponents, including Senator Liz Miranda and several social equity operators, warned that lifting the cap now would let larger operators and multi-state companies dominate the market and harm equity-owned businesses. Miranda’s S. 88 would instead strengthen enforcement of ownership limits through audits, whistleblower protections, an anonymous tip line, and greater transparency. Another major topic was worker and consumer safety: Laura Bruno, Danny Carson, Al Vega, and others supported H. 194 after the death of Lorna McMurray, arguing for a CCC workplace and consumer safety department, better ventilation and PPE standards, stronger testing oversight, and retaliation protections for workers. The hearing ended without votes, with members thanking testifiers and indicating the committee would continue reviewing the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Everyone in Senate committee hearings.
• </c> signs are not permitted in the hearing signs are not permitted in the hearing room<00:02:27.840>
• So come on forward and take it away. >> Chair Dibble, can you hear and see me? >> Can hear you.
• Sometimes there's a little gap there, so we don't hear bills that hearing requests aren't submitted for
• :01.199><c> hearing</c><01:13:01.600><c> requests</c> hear bills that that hearing requests hear bills

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's a question I have, and I'd love to, at the end of the day in this hearing and future hearings
• Glad to hear that based on your testimony today.
• The thing that you won't hear me say, and to second Dr.
• But I was glad to hear the chairman talk we're going to have a hearing on that.
• the subject of the July hearing that happened here.

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Then we'll start hearing bills.
• On one hand, I hear that AI is going to take everyone's job, and then I hear that we're going to just
• On one hand, I hear that AI is going to take everyone's job, and then I hear that we're going to just
• We're always glad to hear your voice.
• Seeing none, let's go ahead and hear... I hear one.

Bills: HB2190 , HB2202 , HB2233 , HB2251 , HB2252 , HB2396 , HB2437 , HB2689 , HB2796

Committee: House Health & Human Services

Keywords: physician assistants, licensure compact, medical services, multistate practice, patient care access, healthcare workforce, military families, adverse actions, dementia care, telementoring, healthcare education, rural communities, grant funding, HB 2233, rural health transformation, rural health transformation program, AHCCCS, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, Joint Legislative Budget Committee, JLBC

Transcript Highlights:

• hearings, is precisely, Ms.
• hearings, is precisely, Ms.
• over the course of hearings and subsequent hearings on any bills that are introduced in response to
• I guess a retort that I hear frequently talking I guess a retort that I hear frequently talking to my
• But what I hear you say, and maybe I misunderstood this, what I hear you say is actually that, given

Committee: House Utilities and Energy

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Can you hear me okay? Yes? Okay. Mr.
• And I appreciate you hearing the bill. Excellent.
• Thank you for hearing my bill today.
• Again, thank you for hearing the bill today.
• We're about to hear testimony. Yes. Mr. Chair? Yes. Oh, sorry, we're about to hear testimony.

Committee: Senate Senate Natural Resources Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2787, which would bar the state and its political subdivisions from using personnel or financial resources to enforce or cooperate with the federal Mexican wolf reintroduction program, while exempting the Livestock Loss Board’s livestock loss program. Sierra Club and animal welfare advocates opposed the bill as harmful to wolf recovery and unnecessary given the livestock loss reimbursement data. The committee approved HB 2787 on a 4-3 vote. Members then considered House Bill 255, which would create a Brackish Groundwater Recovery Program Fund and authorize the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority to administer projects using long-term water augmentation funds. Opponents argued brackish groundwater is still groundwater and pumping it could cause localized impacts and land subsidence, while supporters framed it as a water-supply solution. The bill failed on a 2-4 vote. The committee next advanced House Bill 2782, requiring disclosure rules for regulatory assets included in utility rates, and House Bill 2781, which would impose financial assurance, insurance, decommissioning, and site-restoration requirements on solar energy power plants. HB 2781 drew stakeholder testimony from solar industry, utilities, and local-government interests; an amendment to revise financial assurance and remove a remediation fund was adopted, but the bill itself then failed on a 4-4 vote. The committee also approved House Bill 2975, which would suspend State Land Department solar scoring maps and require new mining and housing resource maps, despite opposition that it would reduce transparency and favor certain land uses over solar. Later, the committee approved House Bill 2696, as amended, directing the Arizona Commerce Authority to prioritize fuel and gas price reduction and create a fuel resiliency task force, after debate over whether the bill should focus more broadly on energy resilience and whether the ACA was the right agency. The committee also passed HCM 2009, urging Congress to streamline mining access, compensate states for subsurface mineral rights, and require legislative approval for new national monuments, and HB 2889, which would fund ADEQ monitoring of uranium contamination and create a statewide registry and tribal-partnered monitoring program. Finally, the committee heard HB 2763, which would require a legislative joint resolution before the Game and Fish Commission could close a shooting range; Game and Fish said it would add another step to the closure process and mainly affect the Ben Avery facility, but no vote was taken in the portion provided.