Transcript Highlights:

• 3 nays, and received 15 ayes and 3 nays.
• And what this does is that it's called the Tulsa Reconciliation Education Scholarship Program.
• And I hope that we will see the same philosophy applied to other programs to increase educational opportunities
• or more righteous or more pious and slowly reduce the accountability and the reconciliation and the
• and the laws of the state of Oklahoma will provide equal protection and equal justice, and we're not

Bills: HJR1024, SB1316, SB1491, SB1552, SB1679, SB1877, SB2040, SB2133, SB2153, SB2174, SB2180, SB227, SJR39, SJR47, SJR48

Keywords: Judicial Nominating Commission, congressional districts, terms of office, Oklahoma Constitution, legal qualifications, political party restrictions, family ties, administrative rules, sunset provision, state agencies, regulatory review, legislative oversight, presidential electors, vacancies, oath of office, political party, elections, county home rule charter, home rule, county government

Transcript Highlights:

• And what this does is that it's called the Tulsa Reconciliation Education Scholarship Program.
• And what this does is that it's called the Tulsa Reconciliation Education Scholarship Program.
• And I hope that we will see the same philosophy applied to other programs to increase educational opportunities
• , ripped from their mother and daddy's arms, and families ripped from their mother and daddy's arms and
• or more pious and slowly reduce the accountability and the reconciliation and the hardship and the Trail

Bills: HJR1024, SB1316, SB1491, SB1552, SB1679, SB1877, SB2040, SB2133, SB2153, SB2174, SB2180, SB227, SJR39, SJR47, SJR48

Keywords: Judicial Nominating Commission, congressional districts, terms of office, Oklahoma Constitution, legal qualifications, political party restrictions, family ties, administrative rules, sunset provision, state agencies, regulatory review, legislative oversight, presidential electors, vacancies, oath of office, political party, elections, county home rule charter, home rule, county government

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee met and first laid over Senate Bill 2133 and skipped several bills because the Pro Tem and Senator Hall were not present. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1552, which would expand an option for very large counties to adopt local charters; an amendment was adopted to raise the population thresholds so the bill would apply only to future growth. After discussion that the measure was optional and not a mandate, the bill passed 12-7. The committee also passed SJR 39, a proposed constitutional amendment to lower the cap on annual increases in property tax assessed value from 3% to 1% for homestead and agricultural property and from 5% to 3% for other property, despite opposition that it would worsen funding pressures and create inequities between long-term owners and new buyers. SJR 47, moving voter ID requirements into the Constitution, and SJR 48, changing how the state handles ad valorem reimbursement for tax-incentive projects, both passed 16-2. The committee next passed Senate Bill 1491, which requires replacement presidential electors to take the same oath as the original slate, and Senate Bill 2174, which changes the membership mix of the State Fire Marshal Commission to include more business-oriented voices; both measures drew little opposition and passed overwhelmingly. Senate Bill 1877 also passed unanimously; it creates a centralized reporting system for 510 reports, with members noting it should have no fiscal impact because an existing state filing system would be used. House Joint Resolution 1024, which revises the Judicial Nominating Commission by removing certain lawyer/non-lawyer and party-balance restrictions and capping service at 12 consecutive years, passed after significant debate over judicial independence and political influence. The committee then approved Senate Bill 2040, which updates the Tulsa Reconciliation Education Scholarship Program by simplifying eligibility rules, changing the income cap to $128,000 and indexing it to inflation, and clarifying that unused funds may still be used for room, board, and books; supporters said it preserves a long-standing scholarship with no fiscal impact. Senate Bill 1316 passed 17-1 and would require agencies to periodically sunset a percentage of administrative rules, though the author said he may lengthen the cycle after reviewing other states’ models. Senate Bill 1679, the Preserving Oklahoma Values Act, passed 16-2 after debate over its references to foreign law and Judeo-Christian Western values; supporters said it protects due process and equal protection, while opponents warned it could marginalize other faith traditions and create legal uncertainty. Finally, the committee passed Senate Bill 227, clarifying which oil and gas facilities are exempt from ad valorem tax and ensuring flow lines, gathering lines, and injection wells are treated consistently; Senate Bill 2153, directing state agencies to use the terms Judea and Samaria instead of West Bank in official documents; and Senate Bill 2180, a transparency measure on foreign lobbying that was amended before passing 17-0. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• As you give us wisdom, add to that understanding and, Lord, top it off with discernment and bless us
• And this bill is HB 342.
• This program would be implemented and administered by the Alabama Department of Revenue.
• This program would<00:04:13.680><c> be</c><00:04:13.920><c> implemented</c><00:04:14.400><c> and</c><
• [coughs and clears throat] And then replace lines 37 through 38 on page two with the following.

Bills: HB342, HB342, HB168, HB220, SB187, SB270, SB265, SB220, SB242, SB277

Keywords: religious instruction, elective credit, released time, public education, school policy, tax credit, scholarship, education funding, financial aid, federal participation, HB168, Alabama, emergency management, local emergency management organization, mutual aid, mutual aid agreement, disaster response, public safety, public health, state emergency management plan

Transcript Highlights:

• If Andy could come on up and state your name and who you represent.
• , so we already have that authority to do that, and that would prevent... a nearby city from being able
• back lawns, well-maintained streets and common areas, police and other emergency services, and community
• We're here to answer any questions you may have about the bill and about our efforts to prevent human
• And Mr.

Bills: HB1532, HB2731, HB3483, HB4308, HB4580, HB4582, HB5509, HB5663

Keywords: Lake Houston, dredging, maintenance district, flood control, environment, public works, HB 2731, roadside vendors, solicitors, county regulation, border counties, Mexico border, Transportation Code, unincorporated areas, right-of-way, public highway, parking lot, livestock sales, live animals, vendor regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• And is there any Other business that needs to come before the committee?

Bills: HB1532, HB2731, HB3483, HB4308, HB4580, HB4582, HB5509, HB5663

Keywords: Lake Houston, dredging, maintenance district, flood control, environment, public works, HB 2731, roadside vendors, solicitors, county regulation, border counties, Mexico border, Transportation Code, unincorporated areas, right-of-way, public highway, parking lot, livestock sales, live animals, vendor regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• and found out that we have some really, really good programs in the state of Texas that we totally fail
• And it's every program, every grant program, and so on and so forth, and there's no control mechanism
• Recent incidents have highlighted the urgent need for legislative action and statutory tools to prevent
• , intimidation, and misuse of confidential information. establish clear boundaries to prevent unauthorized
• The consistency, the fairness of it, and prevents any misunderstandings of non-compliance. before it

Bills: HB3146, HB3719, HB3895, HB3923, HB4748, HB4751, HB4936, HB4952, HB4990, HB4991, HB5061, HB5196, HB5238, HB5246, HB5487

Keywords: State Office of Administrative Hearings, SOAH, administrative hearings, contested case, contested case hearing, administrative law judge, ALJ, final decision, proposed decision, agency hearing, hearing continuance, rescheduling, Texas administrative law, Government Code Chapter 2001, workers' compensation, Department of Human Resources, Texas Labor Code, Transportation Code, Agriculture Code, Insurance Code

Transcript Highlights:

• De-escalation and elopement are defined, first responder, less restrictive intervention.
• , and any intervention that restricts breathing or communication.
• The bill emphasizes de-escalation strategies and less restrictive interventions.
• The bill emphasizes de-escalation strategies and less restrictive interventions to prevent crisis situations
• At its core, House Bill 120 is about safety, dignity, and prevention.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 120, which would revise New Mexico law on restraint and seclusion in public schools. The sponsor and supporters said the bill grew out of a year-long stakeholder working group and would clearly define terms such as chemical, mechanical, prone restraint, seclusion, timeout, de-escalation, and elopement; prohibit chemical, mechanical, and prone restraint; require continuous supervision during seclusion; update school safety plans and staff training; and improve reporting to parents and the state. Testimony from disability advocates, the Public Education Department, educators, and parents emphasized that students with disabilities are disproportionately affected, that clearer rules would help staff act safely, and that better reporting and de-escalation practices would reduce trauma. Committee members asked about the meaning of timeout, chemical restraint, data accuracy, and the juvenile detention facility exception, and the sponsor indicated an amendment on parent-notification timing would not be pursued to avoid delay. The committee then began House Bill 213, which would expand the Optometry Act to allow trained optometrists to perform certain laser procedures, including treatment for capsular clouding and glaucoma-related procedures. The sponsor said the bill adds training, certification, supervised live-procedure requirements, adverse-outcome reporting, and an Optometry Board member qualified to perform the procedures. Supporters argued the measure would improve access to care, especially in rural areas, and that the procedures are already performed safely in other states. Opponents, including ophthalmologists and the New Mexico Medical Board, argued the bill would move surgery outside the Medical Practice Act, lower the standard of care, and create regulatory and malpractice-accountability concerns because optometrists would not be subject to the same oversight and emergency-care authority as physicians. The committee did not reach a final vote on HB 213 before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• parent was going to be incarcerated for most of the child's life, and that really prevents the opportunity
• By expanding statutory emphasis on termination factors without expanding prevention and reunification
• will advocate for an early and maybe unnecessary termination of parental rights.
• So could you speak briefly to the source of your concern with respect to 1257 and early termination of
• These reports were investigated and subsequently closed without further state intervention.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• harm reduction and prevention interventions for people who use drugs over the last associated with drug
• use and harm reduction and prevention interventions for people who use drugs over the last 35 years.
• By using these funds for these preventative programs, we reduce incarceration even further and focus
• ineffective, and it will fail to prevent...
• But this law is seriously flawed and ineffective, and it will fail to prevent drug use and drug deaths

Summary: The committee heard several public safety and criminal justice bills. AB 837 by Assemblymember Davies would add ketamine transportation to existing drug trafficking law; supporters, including district attorneys and peace officer groups, said it would address a growing and dangerous drug trend, while opponents argued increased penalties do not reduce drug supply and can worsen health harms. The bill was approved on a due-pass-as-amended vote and sent to Appropriations. AB 352 by Assemblymember Pacheco would make threats against judges and court commissioners an aggravating factor in sentencing; judicial and law enforcement groups supported it as a response to rising threats, while ACLU and criminal justice advocates said existing law already covers threats and the bill is unnecessary. It also passed to Appropriations. The committee then took up AB 938 by Assemblymember Bonta, which expands vacatur and affirmative-defense relief for survivors of human trafficking, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence, including for some violent offenses. Survivors and advocates testified that the bill would allow people coerced into crimes to tell their full stories and seek relief, while district attorneys and sheriffs warned it could sweep too broadly and affect public safety. The chair and several members strongly supported the measure, and it passed as amended to Appropriations. AB 475 by Assemblymember Wilson would make prison work assignments voluntary and is tied to a broader effort to remove involuntary servitude language from the state constitution; supporters framed it as a rehabilitation and dignity issue, while one member objected to the premise and cited the defeat of a related ballot measure. The bill was voted out to Appropriations but left on call pending additional votes. Assemblymember Lowenthal presented AB 704, which would allow people convicted of low-level offenses before age 26 to petition to seal and destroy records after a waiting period. Supporters said the bill addresses the limits of expungement in the digital age and recognizes young adult brain development; prosecutors and police groups raised Brady/disclosure concerns and objected to treating 18- to 25-year-olds like children. The committee debated those issues at length before sending the bill to Appropriations. Lowenthal also presented AB 812, which would expand resentencing opportunities for incarcerated firefighters who serve on conservation fire crews; supporters emphasized rehabilitation, wildfire response, and reduced recidivism, and the hearing continued with support testimony and the start of opposition testimony as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we still need to step up our work on PrEP and prevention techniques to stop and end this disease to
• standards in early 2025, and the process is still ongoing.
• My name is Heather Godin, and I'm the Program Director of the Center for Endometriosis Care, and also
• prevention and public health education.
• And it's why prevention matters.

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and advanced Senate Bills 6102 and 6103 with due-pass recommendations to the Rules Committee, and referred Senate Bill 6194 to the Ways and Means Committee without recommendation. SB 6102 would align the Ambulance Transport Fund quality assurance fee with federal regulations, SB 6103 would make payments for rural emergency hospital services subject to appropriation, and SB 6194 would allow cost-based Medicaid payments for rural hospitals on federally recognized Indian reservations under specified conditions. The committee then held public hearings on several bills. SB 6183 would require health plans, beginning in 2027, to cover FDA-approved HIV antiviral drugs without prior authorization, step therapy, or other utilization management, with one therapeutic-equivalent exception for prevention drugs. The prime sponsor and one testifier supported the bill as a way to reduce barriers to timely HIV treatment and prevention; sign-in testimony showed 53 pro, 58 con, and one other. SB 5985 would create an online endometriosis resource center, require Department of Health training modules, and direct OSPI to include menstrual health and endometriosis awareness in school standards. The sponsor and multiple patients and clinicians testified in support, emphasizing long diagnostic delays and the need for earlier education; sign-in testimony showed 36 pro, 56 con, and 92 not testifying. SB 6019 would revise home care rate statutes to clarify how Medicaid home care agency rates are set, cap administrative portions at 20%, and require verification that funds are spent as required. The sponsor, labor, and provider representatives supported it as a technical fix to preserve pay parity, while sign-in testimony showed 46 pro and 57 con. SB 6161 would direct the Department of Health to include dementia risk-reduction information in public and provider materials when appropriate and to consult experts; supporters said it could help reduce cognitive decline and align with the state Alzheimer’s plan, while sign-in testimony showed 61 pro and 62 con. Finally, SB 6210 would authorize the Health Benefit Exchange to add a new certification criterion for marketplace plans to address affordability and access, including possible requirements tied to county availability, plan differentiation, and metal-level offerings. The prime sponsor, the Exchange, AARP, and patient advocates supported it as a response to rising premiums and limited choices, especially in rural or single-carrier counties; insurers, brokers, and some carriers opposed it, warning it could reduce competition, create uncertainty, and raise costs. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner supported the bill with a requested amendment to avoid premature disclosure of proposed rates.

Transcript Highlights:

• grant programs; and develop robust markets for recyclable materials.
• And I ask you all to support this amendment and this bill because April is also Prevention of Cruelty
• job quality, and key job sectors, workforce training programs, and addressing job loss and displacement
• self-betterment programs and courses in the department.
• Park and Parramore, which provide free preschool programs and scholarships for colleges and vocational

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge, and heard several member introductions before moving to the special order calendar. The chamber first took up SB 200/HB 295 on a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan, which directs DEP to develop a statewide recycling strategy by 2026 with stakeholder input and a three-year implementation roadmap; the House bill was substituted and passed 38-0. Senators then approved CS/CS/SB 492 on mitigation banking and land development after adopting two McLean amendments, including one on out-of-service credits and another incorporating phosphate mining lands provisions; the bill passed 35-3 after debate over possible constitutional issues. CS/SB 494 on aggravated animal cruelty was also amended and substituted with the House companion to add a searchable FDLE database of convicted animal abusers and a sentencing multiplier, with an agriculture-related exemption; it passed 37-0. The Senate next passed CS/CS/SB 500/HB 711 creating the Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism, including training and coordinated alert procedures, with a House amendment to align implementation timing and funding; it passed 37-0. CS/CS/SB 524/HB 1089 added Duchenne muscular dystrophy to newborn screening tests and passed 36-0. CS/CS/SB 592/HB 393 revised the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program by lowering approval thresholds, clarifying eligibility and ownership issues, and adding sliding-door wind-driven rain mitigation devices; it passed 37-0 after discussion about funding and insurance premium credits. CS/SB 742/HB 1145 on workforce education allowed charter schools direct access to grant funding and expanded money-back guarantees for certain programs, and it passed 37-0. CS/CS/SB 822/HB 443 on charter schools generated extensive debate and multiple amendments, including a Jones amendment requiring parent acknowledgment of school rules; the bill would expand charter autonomy, reporting flexibility, enrollment capacity, and governance provisions, and it was placed on the calendar for third reading after the amendment process. Later, the Senate passed HB 827 on a statewide study of automation and workforce impact, which would examine job displacement, wages, vulnerable regions, and training needs, by a 35-0 vote. It also passed CS/CS/SB 964/HB 181 on parole guidelines, CS/SB 976/HB 901 on court-appointed psychologists, and CS/SB 1084/HB 1451 on sexual cyber harassment and digitally forged intimate images, all unanimously. CS/CS/SB 1156 on a Home Health Aid for Medically Fragile Children Program was amended to clarify training requirements and passed 37-0 after supportive debate about helping parents care for medically fragile children. Finally, CS/CS/CS/SB 1240/HB 1091 on substance abuse and mental health care was amended to allow designated facilities to retain certain stabilized patients during the 72-hour involuntary examination period and passed 37-0. Several other bills were temporarily postponed, and the chamber also recognized guests and interns throughout the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• We operate programs that prevent infectious disease like measles and influenza, and we operate programs
• We operate programs that prevent infectious disease like measles and influenza, and we operate programs
• We operate programs that prevent infectious disease like measles and influenza, and we operate programs
• many public health practitioners leave the field and programs and processes designed to prevent future
• /c> programs and processes designed to programs and processes designed to prevent<00:46:38.680><c> future

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Almost all of them have histories of trauma and abuse early in life.
• </c><00:25:46.000><c> abuse</c><00:25:46.440><c> early</c><00:25:46.760><c> in</c> trauma and abuse early
• </c> absenteeism the key is early absenteeism the key is early intervention<00:31:43.240><c> so</c><00
• </c><00:32:10.679><c> Education</c> we started the Early Education we started the Early Education Intervention
• </c> Intervention Program to reach Elementary Intervention Program to reach Elementary School<00:32:13.559

Keywords: House Agenda:, 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• require varying levels of supervision and medical care and interventions from a multidisciplinary team
• for the next person. and she told me that she these things preventable for the next person, and she
• and program changes as needed.
• We are super excited about their interventions and reducing the use of restraints and very much look
• And you talk about... It prevented this kind of thing.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:41:26.680><c> overall</c> program and kind of the overall program and kind of the overall philosophy
• </c><01:04:06.480><c> and</c> districts who look at this program and districts who look at this program
• ><c> teams</c> years and worked with intervention teams years and worked with intervention teams and<
• and and obviously the transportation and and obviously the special<01:55:17.360><c> programs.
• if we can expand it to be used for response to interventions, supports and services, um, preventative

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee opened its second meeting on House Bill 742, which would require catastrophic special education aid to be drawn from the education trust fund, and discussed whether to also examine differentiated aid within the adequacy formula. The chair said the committee had previously heard from HHS/Medicaid officials and now wanted to hear from local special education directors about how the aid system works in practice, including billing, training, data collection, and whether districts handle claims consistently. Members also referenced Arkansas as a possible comparison state and said they hoped to develop ideas by November to address the current funding process. Committee members focused on the current special education aid thresholds and the impact of proration. The chair described the existing formula as requiring districts to absorb costs up to 3.5 times the state average per student, with the state paying 80% from 3.5 times through 10 times and paying above that, and said FY25 appropriated about $34 million while actual claims were about $50.1 million, leaving roughly a $16 million shortfall that caused proration. Members also raised the possibility of lowering the threshold to 2.5 times and asked how that would affect the number of eligible students and costs. Another member asked about how districts decide whether services are education-related or medical-related and how Medicaid or private insurance reimbursement affects later state aid claims. District representatives from Boothby Therapy Services, Bedford, and Guilford introduced themselves and described their roles. Guilford’s director said the district tracks students with paraprofessional support, nurses, transportation, or specialized programming, uses a data system to log every service touchpoint, and tries to maximize both Medicaid and special education aid; she said a lower threshold would likely capture all students with paras or nurses and that rising staffing and service costs would increase the number of students over the cap. Bedford’s assistant director said the district uses a different system, tracks roughly 60 to 80 students a year, and pursues Medicaid and special education aid simultaneously but does not pursue private insurance if it would affect FAPE; she said reducing the threshold to 2.5 times would likely double the number of qualifying students. Members asked follow-up questions about software, data entry, and how districts decide whether to bill Medicaid or seek state catastrophic aid, and the directors explained that their systems log services by staff type and student, with some districts using the same data for both Medicaid and state reimbursement claims.

Transcript Highlights:

• This legislation does not prevent anyone from choosing a medical intervention.
• And so you don't receive funding directly from the government, but there are programs that support and
• And I worry about all government programs, getting to that point, and that's what I worry about this,
• of Unity, a service provider for permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing programs.
• and that programs are delivering high-quality, meaningful outcomes for vulnerable individuals and families

Bills: HB414, HB457, HB475, HB611, HB616, HB740, HB897, HB925, HB926, HB931, HB949, HB962, HB1076

Keywords: healthcare, criminal convictions, employment, background checks, prohibited offenses, homelessness, homeless shelter, emergency shelter, transitional housing, group home, halfway house, shelter standards, housing standards, sanitation, habitability, fire marshal, inspection, local permitting, parish government, Louisiana Department of Health

Transcript Highlights:

• > CMS</c> that the program be terminated and CMS that the program be terminated and CMS had<00:04:12.560
• And so the program to be terminated.
• So in Minnesota, we have preschool screening and early intervention both in Medicaid and in schools.
• c> and</c> this program today and tomorrow and this program today and tomorrow and whatever<01:29:18.800
• all the motans who are impacted by and all the motans who are impacted by early<01:29:55.199><c> intervention

Bills: HF3379

Keywords: housing stabilization, disability services, predatory funding, provider requirements, housing accessibility, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The program authorizes school districts and charter schools to place current and retired high-performing
• The program authorizes school district and charter schools to place current and retired high-performing
• We've done a lot of programs, put together a lot of programs to support our folks with disabilities and
• Without early diagnosis and treatment, this condition can lead to rapid liver damage and ultimately liver
• Without early diagnosis and treatment, this condition can lead to rapid liver damage and ultimately liver

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And encourages early intervention, which ultimately helps lower healthcare costs across the board.
• and employees.
• month and half price for spouse and kids.
• dumb questions and it's all about charting and then to bill insurance and they have to go faster and
• And apparently it, it's questionable. And I, and I presumably that's the reason for the HDR.

Transcript Highlights:

• It promotes innovation, supports doctor-patient relationships, and encourages early intervention. which
• A patient who has direct access to his or her doctor is far more likely to spot and address issues early
• It's similar to a husband and wife, and one of them is concierge, or rather direct primary care. and
• Chairman and members, and I do have a committee substitute.
• Chairman and members.

Bills: HB3015, HB3521, HB5632, HJR182, SJR57

Keywords: healthcare, direct primary care, insurance deductibles, Texas Health Benefit Plans, telemedicine, police retirement, disability pension, municipalities, law enforcement, retirement benefits, retirement, beneficiary, Employees Retirement System of Texas, divorce decree, beneficiary designation, Veterans' Land Board, general obligation bonds, constitutional amendment, veterans, housing assistance