Transcript Highlights:

• Regarding Finding Five, when you implement the electronic GPS system, will that be a uniform system across
• You can set alerts in the system.
• And would they be able to use this system for that check-in, check-out process?
• It's not a reservation system at this time. We did look at a reservation system.
• I mean, just, how do you really nail this down so nobody messes with the system?

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the prior meeting. It then heard audit reports from Tom Bullington, including two reports with findings and three without findings, which were filed without objection. The Department of Public Safety FY24 audit had two findings: a duplicate vendor payment of nearly $3,700 that was later recouped, and a $2.5 million collateral shortfall tied to bank-held cash funds because securities were not properly pledged in the State Police’s name. Agency representatives from Arkansas State Police and the Department of Public Safety answered questions, and members discussed how collateralization works for deposits above FDIC coverage. The committee next reviewed the Department of Transformation and Shared Services FY24 audit, which contained five findings. These included an $800 career service overpayment caused by a rehire data entry error, delayed deactivation and inventory issues for assets including stolen cameras, a double count of more than $940,000 in year-end cash records, $10.3 million in health claims that should have been recorded as fiscal year 2024 payables, and repeated deficiencies in vehicle mileage logs. Agency officials explained that the stolen cameras were recovered through restitution, that inventory reviews are being expanded, and that the vehicle log problems are expected to be addressed through a statewide electronic GPS/telematics system. Members asked about the scope of audit testing, asset tracking, vehicle oversight, and whether the new vehicle system would allow monitoring of use, fuel purchases, geofencing, and possible sharing of vehicles across agencies. Shared Administrative Services said it would administer the statewide system, with departments retaining operational responsibility and access controls. After discussion, the committee filed the report without objection and adjourned, noting the next meeting would be held June 4.

Transcript Highlights:

• Regarding Finding Five, when you implement the electronic GPS system, will that be a uniform system across
• You can set alerts in the system.
• And would they be able to use this system for that check-in, check-out process?
• It's not a reservation system at this time. We did look at a reservation system.
• I mean, just, how do you just really nail this down so nobody messes with the system?

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Billionaire global corporations have been rigging our political system and our tax system for decades
• Billionaire global corporations have been rigging our political system and our tax system for decades
• under that system this would be an add-on to that system.
• Our health care system is in trouble. Our health care system is in trouble.
• I am telling you this from the front lines of this very system.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue, chaired by Senator James Eldridge and Representative Adrian Madaro, opened its hearing with a moment of silence for the late Lowell State Senator Ed Kennedy and reviewed hearing procedures and deadlines. The committee then took testimony on several corporate tax bills, including S. 2033/H. 3110 on offshore tax avoidance, H. 3248 on a manufacturing tax exemption, H. 3057 on a tiered corporate minimum tax, and S. 2041 on a corporate tax haven blacklist, along with a separate business interest deduction bill. No votes were taken during the hearing. Supporters of S. 2033/H. 3110, including labor unions, health care workers, educators, public health advocates, seniors, and several legislators, argued that Massachusetts needs new revenue to offset federal cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, health care, education, and other services. They said the bill would raise roughly $400 million annually by increasing the share of offshore profits included in the state tax base from 5% to 50%, and they framed it as a fairness measure that would require large multinational corporations to pay more while leaving most local businesses and workers unaffected. Testimony emphasized risks to MassHealth, PCA services, adult dental care, hospitals, schools, and public health programs if new revenue is not raised. Opponents, including the Mass Taxpayers Foundation and the Council on State Taxation, argued the proposal is poor tax policy and likely unconstitutional because it would tax foreign-source income without allowing foreign tax credits or a comparable apportionment method. They said Massachusetts should take a broader, coordinated approach to federal tax changes rather than a standalone bill, and warned of litigation risk and possible double taxation. Supporters such as MassBudget and former tax counsel Don Griswold countered that the bill is a reasonable rough-justice approach, consistent with federal and neighboring-state treatment, and that it would primarily affect a small number of very large multinationals. On S. 2041, the Global Business Alliance opposed the proposed tax haven blacklist, while supporting a separate bill allowing business interest deductibility.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's just no question we need a much more efficient spay and neuter system.
• from that hospital system.
• And so to say that... ...some direction or oversight from that hospital system.
• , otherwise known as CAPS systems. ...secondhand dealer systems, otherwise known as CAPS systems.
• that the author referred to, and the pawn brokers pay for that system.

Summary: The committee heard a series of bills on access to care, professional licensing, and consumer protection, beginning as a subcommittee because quorum was initially lacking. AB 1307 would create a pilot program allowing up to 30 qualified dentists from Mexico to work in underserved California areas for up to three years; the author and sponsor framed it as a cost-neutral way to address dental shortages, the California Dental Association moved from opposition to neutral after amendments, and members expressed support. AB 1703 would restrict use of osteopathic titles and osteopathic manipulative treatment to licensed DOs; supporters said it would prevent patient confusion and unlicensed practice, while non-physician osteopaths argued it would criminalize a long-standing, safe practice and reduce access. Members raised concerns about consumer clarity and access, and the author said she would continue working with opponents. AB 2250 made technical cleanup changes to last year’s hemp enforcement law, with support from the cannabis industry and no opposition. AB 1758 would raise the annual seller-of-travel assessment for the Travel Consumer Restitution Fund from $35 to $60, and AB 1794 would allow prescribed enteral nutrition formulas to be drop-shipped directly to patients’ homes with pharmacist oversight; both drew support and no opposition. AB 1775 would expand state licensing priority and related support for veterans discharged because of a federal transgender military policy, with emotional testimony from a transgender Army captain and support from equality and women’s organizations. AB 1939 would allow licensed professional fiduciaries to form corporations, and AB 2477 would create a limited provisional period for new pest control employees to work under supervision while licensing is pending; both were supported, though AB 2477 drew questions about supervision and committee amendments. AB 1999 would address veterinary workforce shortages by creating retired volunteer status, a shelter-veterinarian pathway, changes to VCPR rules, and narrowing the owner exemption to exclude surgical procedures; supporters cited animal welfare concerns, while some opponents warned about overreach. AB 2010 would permit high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter clinics in nontraditional settings to expand access, but the Veterinary Medical Board and some advocates opposed it unless amended over safety and clarity concerns. AB 2311 would let public health care district hospitals directly employ physicians, with supporters saying it would improve recruitment and access and opponents warning about erosion of physician autonomy; the author said the bill included safeguards, a sunset, and reporting requirements, and continued negotiations were ongoing. After quorum was established, the committee took roll-call votes and advanced the bills, generally on party-line or broad bipartisan votes, with several measures placed on call and others sent to Appropriations, Judiciary, Revenue and Taxation, Military and Veterans Affairs, or other committees as noted.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm with Our Lady of the Lake, of the FMOLHS system. I am a nurse practitioner.
• Evidence handling: this slide is on the Louisiana kit tracking system.
• That word is talked about in many different systems.
• And then system barriers.
• “And health care systems, because that’s the goal of this task force.

Summary: The first meeting of the Human Trafficking and Emergency Department Task Force focused on implementing Act 267, which created the body to develop a statewide human trafficking protocol to be incorporated into Louisiana’s sexual assault response plans. Chair Rep. Kelly Hennessy Dickerson and Office of Human Trafficking Prevention Director Mary Kate Andropont emphasized that the goal is a practical, transferable, survivor-centered protocol that can be adapted across regions and health systems. The task force also noted its timeline: use today’s presentations and member feedback to draft a protocol before the next meeting, then refine it into a final version. Presenters from hospitals, SANE programs, and advocacy organizations described current practices and gaps. Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport’s Operation Rahab and FMOLHS’s human trafficking policies highlighted staff education, badge buddies, anonymous admissions, hotline and law enforcement reporting, and coordination with community partners. SANE and forensic nursing presenters described red-dot privacy alerts, trauma-informed interviewing, and the need to train all hospital staff, not just ED clinicians, because trafficking victims may present repeatedly or in non-ED settings. LaFASA described statewide advocacy and legal support, while Unbound Now and BCFS/Common Thread explained Louisiana’s juvenile trafficking response under Act 662, including 24/7 crisis response, relational advocacy, and care coordination for minors. Members repeatedly raised the lack of safe housing, transportation, and placement options after identification, especially for adults, male survivors, and adults with special needs. Several presenters said that identifying victims is only the first step and that Louisiana still lacks enough resources for discharge and long-term stabilization. The task force also discussed the need for broader training across emergency departments, residency programs, nursing, housekeeping, maintenance, student health, mental health, and law enforcement, with members stressing that protocols should be clear, trauma-informed, and usable statewide. No votes were taken; the main action was to gather testimony, identify gaps, and begin drafting the statewide protocol.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I do believe that the system has just been been, I do some real estate as well.
• And it's important to understand that athletes didn't actually create this system.
• They're simply navigating a system that was built without them.
• This system was built on multi-billion dollar media deals, and we don't call that chaos.
• And finally, in order to solve this broken system, this is a professional model.

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on name, image, and likeness (NIL) and financial literacy for student athletes, with members framing California as a national leader on NIL but emphasizing the need for stronger protections and more consistent education. The chair and witnesses discussed how NIL opportunities now include both third-party endorsement deals and school revenue-sharing arrangements, and how the current landscape varies widely by institution, leaving athletes with a patchwork of rules and support. Several witnesses argued that student athletes, especially younger ones and those from low-income or first-generation backgrounds, are vulnerable to predatory contracts, tax problems, and pressure from family, agents, or lenders. The first panel featured Tyree Dillingham and Brandon Copeland, who called for standardized financial literacy, better guardrails against predatory NIL advances, and a player-led association or similar collective voice for athletes. They described examples of athletes not understanding paychecks, taxes, or contract terms, and warned that some schools and collectives blur the line between education and marketing. Copeland also argued that college athletics now functions like a professional business and that athletes need representation and a standard contract structure to protect them. The second panel focused on lived experience, including testimony from attorney Anthony Coronae and student athlete Mikey Williams. Coronae described reviewing a contract that he said functioned like a predatory loan disguised as marketing support, with the company taking exclusive rights to Williams’ NIL and requiring repayment far beyond the advance. Williams testified that he signed without a lawyer, later lost endorsements, scholarship, and housing stability, and only later learned the contract’s consequences. He said a required financial literacy course at Sacramento State helped him begin to understand budgeting, taxes, and contracts, and he urged the legislature to require legal review or stronger safeguards for athletes. The third panel, from San Diego State University, highlighted a more structured institutional model. Athletic director Brendan Hill described a mandatory four-year life-skills program that includes financial literacy, resume workshops, internships, and branding education, while student athlete Sloan Benchoff said the program helped her manage money and prepare for post-college life. Witnesses agreed that support is uneven across schools, that some agents and lenders are exploiting athletes, and that California should consider standardized financial education and agent regulation while also being careful not to create rules that unintentionally restrict athlete rights. No formal vote or bill action was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Homeowners should not have to pursue legal action to secure the cooling system of their choice.
• Homeowners should not have to pursue legal action to secure the cooling system of their choice.
• For the electrical system, the park is directly served by SMUD, and ...members for the electrical system
• Because when you remove barriers, you do not weaken the system, but you strengthen it.
• Because when you remove barriers, you do not weaken the system, but you strengthen it.

Summary: The Assembly Judiciary Committee heard a series of bills, many focused on homeowners associations (HOAs), along with measures on self-defense, design-professional litigation, mobile home park claims, senior housing, and DEI. Several bills were presented only or discussed with amendments, and the committee repeatedly noted ongoing work with authors and stakeholders. The committee also established quorum partway through the hearing and took up a consent calendar of several unrelated bills, which passed. AB 2584, on civil immunity for lawful self-defense, was presented as a work-in-progress. The author and a UFC/public-safety witness argued that people hesitate to intervene because of fear of civil liability, while committee members said California already has strong self-defense and Good Samaritan laws and that the proposal could create confusion. The bill was not advanced at that time, with the chair emphasizing further conversations. AB 1684, which would prevent HOAs from restricting homeowners’ ability to install or replace compliant cooling systems, drew support from the author, a constituent statement, and supporters from the California Department Association and others; an HOA group opposed unless amended, citing association property rights and grid/power concerns. Members generally supported the concept, and the author said amendments addressed damage and code-compliance issues. AB 1892, a technical cleanup bill clarifying HOA duties on utility repairs, election notices, and electronic voting timelines, passed unanimously as amended. AB 2050, requiring a formula for HOA reserve funding and a phase-in period, also passed with broad support; witnesses said underfunded reserves lead to special assessments, insurance and mortgage problems, and deferred maintenance, while members framed it as a consumer-protection and affordability measure. AB 2106, extending certificate-of-merit protections for design professionals and requiring California-licensed experts in certain cases, passed with strong support from engineers, architects, landscape architects, and civil-justice groups. AB 2145, directing HCD to study seniors’ need and desire to downsize, passed after lenders and financial groups moved from opposition to neutral with amendments; supporters said it could help unlock larger homes for younger families. AB 2238, aimed at deterring meritless failure-to-maintain lawsuits against mobile home park owners by shifting fee exposure to attorneys, passed after amendments narrowed its focus. Supporters said some firms were using vague demand letters and frivolous claims to force settlements and raise insurance costs; opposition said the bill still needed refinement to protect meritorious resident claims. AB 2439, prompted by two authors’ own HOA payment problems, passed despite opposition concerns about community-wide certified-mail requirements and personal liability for board members; supporters said better notice is needed when payment processors change and that liens and collections can be unfairly imposed without notice. AB 2579, responding to the earlier $100 cap on HOA fines, passed as amended to create a Department of Real Estate process for serious health and safety violations; supporters said the cap had weakened enforcement, while members said the bill sought a better balance. Finally, SCR 89, reaffirming California’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, was presented as a response to federal attacks on DEI programs. The author and witnesses from the UC Student Association, National Action Network, and civil-rights and labor groups argued DEI is essential to fairness, access, and opportunity, especially for students and historically underserved communities. Members voiced strong support, describing DEI as central to California’s values, and the resolution moved forward with bipartisan support noted by the author.

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, the current system is not equipped to deliver that.
• The inefficiencies of the current system are not just operational.
• Unfortunately, the current system is not equipped to deliver that.
• The inefficiencies of the current system are not just operational.
• California's early care and education system.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation heard several bills, most of them referred to the suspense file because of their fiscal impact. AB 2465 and AB 1675 would deny state grants, loans, tax credits, or other benefits to companies doing business with ICE or related immigration-enforcement agencies; both drew strong support from immigrant-rights, labor, and community groups, and opposition from CalChamber and industry groups that argued the bills were overly broad and could affect unrelated federal contracts. AB 1633 would impose a 50% gross receipts tax on for-profit private immigration detention facilities, with supporters saying it would hold companies accountable for dangerous conditions and opponents warning it was punitive and could disrupt detention operations. The committee also heard AB 2089, which would streamline the welfare property tax exemption process for affordable housing, and AB 2250, a cleanup bill to clarify hemp enforcement laws; both were supported by affected industry and advocacy groups, while county assessors and tax collectors opposed AB 2089 unless amended over workload and implementation concerns. AB 2172, which would allow counties to use a single-member assessment appeals commissioner for complex property tax appeals, was the only bill taken up for a vote during the meeting. Supporters, including Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang, said the change would reduce a large backlog and speed resolution of appeals; the committee adopted amendments and passed the bill 4-0 to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. The committee also heard AB 2319, creating a proposed post-production tax credit to keep film and television post-production work in California, with support from labor and industry representatives who said jobs and spending were leaving the state; the author said the bill still needed work on labor standards and the annual credit cap. Finally, AB 2403 was presented to create a commercial production tax credit to keep commercial shoots in California. The author and supporters said commercial production has declined sharply in the state and that other states are winning work through targeted incentives, while labor-backed witnesses argued the bill would protect middle-class jobs and local spending. The transcript ends during the presentation of AB 2403, before any vote or final action on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1350 will help California utilize clean hydrogen to decarbonize the power system.
• SB 1350 will help California utilize clean hydrogen to decarbonize the power system.
• My large concerns is the ability of the tracking system as it exists now.
• So my main point here is it appears that we've outgrown the RPS system in tracking.
• We need to change it such that RPS means resource planning system.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications heard a long agenda of energy, water, housing, and technology bills. SB 952 (Laird, presented by Perez) would give the Department of Water Resources more flexibility to meet the State Water Project’s 100% clean energy procurement goal by 2035 while managing costs; it drew support from the State Water Contractors and California Municipal Utilities Association and no opposition. The committee also heard SB 1417, which would extend transparency, notice, and public meeting requirements to mutual water companies’ rate increases; Senator Perez and supporters tied the bill to post-Eaton Fire recovery in Altadena, while the California Association of Mutual Water Companies opposed it, citing conflicts with tenant billing laws, privacy concerns, and burdensome meeting requirements. SB 1417 was approved on a split vote and the roll was left open. Members then considered SB 924, a low-income utility assistance/weatherization bill by Hurtado, which would require measurable affordability outcomes and better tenant-focused benefits; it passed to Appropriations with broad support from clean energy and community groups and no opposition. SB 925 (McNerney) would direct the California Energy Commission to develop a statewide roadmap for fusion energy; supporters from General Atomics, Clean Air Task Force, and TAE Technologies argued it would help keep fusion investment in California, and it passed unanimously to Environmental Quality. SB 1011 (McNerney) would require CPUC standards for human review and labor consultation before utilities deploy AI in operations; labor and utility engineer witnesses supported guardrails, while business and utility groups opposed or sought more review, warning of overregulation and overlap with other laws. The bill passed to Privacy, Digital Technology and Consumer Protection on a divided vote. The committee also advanced SB 1168 (McNerney), a study bill directing the CPUC to examine how data centers can pay their fair share of grid costs; data center and utility groups were opposed or neutral pending amendments, while climate advocates supported it, and it moved to Revenue and Taxation. SB 1196 (McNerney) would speed utility hookups for ADUs and JADUs by allowing earlier applications and setting timelines and penalties; housing advocates supported it and it passed to Local Government. SB 1350 (McNerney) would allow renewable portfolio standard credits for power plants using green hydrogen, drawing strong support from hydrogen, labor, utility, and local government interests, but opposition from TURN over greenwashing and tracking concerns; it passed to Environmental Quality. Finally, SB 1158 (Stern) would expand quarterly reliability reporting by the CEC and CPUC to include transmission and grid upgrade status; it was presented as a common-sense reliability measure and moved forward with support.

Transcript Highlights:

• ingenuity to work around the impacts of subsidence, but there's no more adaptability left in the system
• He said the levees need to be strengthened and raised to support the state water system.
• They said the water system absolutely should be a priority and that one of the first things put in the
• There's not a really good loan program system out there for people to do this kind of work.
• System out there for people to do this kind of work.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That is negotiated outside the VA accreditation and fee approval system.
• “I need to help that veteran from their Veterans Benefit Management System, which takes me from the day
• Again, what it does is risk limiting access in an already strained system.
• And again, while we're not accredited and we don't have access to their systems, we're with them the
• And again, while we're not accredited and we don't have access to their systems, we're with them the

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A driver of this is the market position of some larger hospital systems.
• So, again, to the extent that you are allowing a system to...
• So, for example, you have a hospital system that has 10 facilities, five of them have different cost
• The other language that we've seen, again, by saying that a single health system is going to be able
• There are states now where there's two or three hospital systems that cover the whole state, and they

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and approved HB 2468 and HB 2481. HB 2481 was amended to replace earlier federal-style language with the governor’s recommended definitions and executive-order language, then rolled into a committee substitute and passed out of committee on a 9-3 vote. The discussion on HB 2481 centered on SNAP-related definitions and whether the revised language would affect federal waivers or change food-stamp purchasing rules; the sponsor said it would not. The committee then moved to regular session. The main public hearing was on HB 3070, the Second Amendment Preservation Act. Representative Hardwick said the bill was revised to remove language the Eighth Circuit had found problematic, while keeping Missouri’s anti-commandeering approach and prohibitions on state or local participation in certain federal gun-control actions, such as firearm registries, tracking, and confiscation from law-abiding citizens. Members questioned whether the bill would interfere with task forces, federal cooperation, courthouses, FFL paperwork, or local officers sharing information with federal agents. Hardwick and supporters said it would not affect Missouri enforcement of state gun laws or cooperation on other crimes, and that the bill was intended to stop Missouri officers from being used to enforce specific federal gun-control measures. Supporters from the Missouri Firearms Coalition and a gun-rights advocate backed the bill and emphasized civil penalties and anti-commandeering protections, while an opponent from Moms Demand Action argued it would handcuff police, weaken interstate trafficking enforcement, and create a dangerous patchwork of enforcement. No vote was taken on HB 3070 in the hearing. The committee also heard HB 388, which would prohibit certain anti-competitive health-care contracting practices, including anti-steering, anti-tiering, gag clauses, and most-favored-nation clauses. The sponsor and supporting witnesses described the bill as an anti-consolidation measure intended to improve price transparency, preserve competition, and help consumers and insurers steer patients toward lower-cost providers. They said the bill would apply to both providers and insurers and would not be anti-hospital or anti-payer. Members asked about effects on rural access to care, 340B pricing, physician-owned referral arrangements, and whether the bill would actually lower consumer costs. Supporters said the goal was to give payers more negotiating leverage and ultimately benefit patients through more competitive pricing, but no action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is an unfair system.
• That is an unfair system.
• That is an unfair system. Now, to bury, my good friend, my dear friend, unfair system.
• That system is solely reliant on the Colorado River working. And that system is no longer working.
• We don't have to change the system.

Summary: The committee took up a series of water, mining, and regulatory bills. HB 2260 and HB 2986, both cleanup/technical measures, were passed unanimously with due-pass recommendations after brief staff presentations and no opposition. HB 2827, extending Pinal AMA groundwater fee authority and related fund timelines to support irrigation district infrastructure, also passed unanimously after testimony from district representatives about using the fees for wells, piping, and conservation projects tied to the loss of CAP water. The committee then heard HCM 2009, which urges Congress to amend the Antiquities Act, address split estate mineral rights, and streamline mining permitting. Mining industry testimony emphasized Arizona’s copper and critical mineral production and the economic and national security importance of access to mineral resources; opponents argued the memorial would undermine protected lands and conservation. The memorial passed on a 5-4 vote. HCR 2038, supporting a seven-state Colorado River agreement and Arizona’s position in ongoing negotiations, drew broad support from water interests and passed 9-1. HB 2078, clarifying that expanded public notice for aggregate mine reclamation plans applies only to new plans and not existing mines, passed 9-1 after the sponsor and industry witnesses said it was meant to match prior legislative intent. HB 2026, HB 2027, HB 2028, HB 2031, HB 2094, and HB 2095 were then considered as water-management bills. HB 2026 and HB 2028 passed 6-4 over concerns from ADWR, while HB 2027 passed 6-4 after adoption of a Griffin amendment despite strong opposition from CAP, municipal water users, ADWR, and several cities who warned it could weaken assured water supply protections and CAGRD replenishment obligations. HB 2031 and HB 2094 also passed on narrow 5-4 votes. HB 2095 was still under discussion at the end of the transcript, with opposition testimony from municipal water interests arguing that groundwater availability should be evaluated regionally rather than by a single-well or site-specific approach.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I have a little color coding system here.
• And then also creating and updating their data collection systems.
• We changed our system.
• The challenges that we have faced: I'd say navigating the grant system, the EGMS system.
• Honestly, it starts to bring a more unified vision to the system.

Summary: The House Education Committee held a work session on reducing restraint and eliminating isolation in schools, then moved into a public hearing on House Bill 1795 and its proposed substitute. Chair Sharon Santos reviewed committee procedures and emphasized the short session timeline, then framed the discussion as part of a longer-running effort to address student restraint and isolation. Representative Callan, the bill sponsor, said the committee’s pilot and demonstration sites would help identify both benefits and implementation challenges for legislation. OSPI Acting Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs Misha Cherniski presented an update on the state’s demonstration project, saying it is in its third year and has $2 million per year in the current budget for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. He described intensive, targeted, and universal supports, including grants to pilot and demonstration districts, a technical assistance manual, and statewide professional learning. He reported that 68% of project sites saw reductions in restraint and isolation compared with the prior year, and said OSPI’s immediate policy recommendations are to extend prohibitions on dangerous restraints such as prone, supine, wall, mechanical, chemical, and noxious spray restraints, and to clarify the definition of “imminent likelihood of serious harm.” Committee members asked for more detailed disaggregated data by race, ethnicity, grade level, incident type, and sample size, and raised questions about authorized entities, student movement, and whether data captures incidents in nonpublic settings. Representatives from Auburn, Bainbridge Island, and Concrete school districts described how the grant-funded work has affected their districts. Auburn reported major reductions in isolation after removing its last isolation room, expanding behavior supports, and training staff through multiple professional development options; the district said the biggest challenge has been shifting staff mindset and navigating delayed access to vendors and grant systems. Bainbridge Island said it has used grant funds for universal staff training, administrator training, social-emotional MTSS work, and partnerships with multiple providers; it reported zero isolations and sharply reduced restraints, while noting the need to monitor nonpublic agencies closely. Concrete, a much smaller district, said the grant allowed it to hire a part-time BCBA, adopt Safety-Care training, and use OSPI’s manual and tracking tools, but staffing shortages and limited substitute coverage make it hard to attend demonstration sites or training in person. During the public hearing, the substitute bill was summarized as prohibiting certain restraints, banning isolation as a planned intervention, narrowing the definition of serious harm, and extending requirements to other providers of public educational services, while preserving lawful duties of school resource officers. Proponents included disability advocates, the Washington Education Association, and public school employees, who said the bill would reduce trauma and align practice with student safety and dignity. A parent testified about a child harmed by a room that was later used for involuntary confinement. A representative from a specialized learning center testified in opposition, arguing that a complete elimination of isolation for younger students could increase danger in some settings, that medical-provider requirements could be difficult to meet, and that specialized providers need broader exemptions. No vote was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I trusted the system. I submitted to a rape kit. I trusted the system.
• In the end, the legal system turned its back on me.
• I've seen some good improvements in grand jury with getting rid of the pickup house system.
• So, but... ...improvements in grand jury with getting rid of the pickup house system.
• Thank you. ...prosecution and important to our criminal justice system.

Bills: HB75, HB108

Keywords: building standards, youth camps, floodplains, safety regulations, environmental policies, drainage utilities, flood management, land use regulation, county authority, drainage fees

Summary: The committee heard a series of criminal justice and public safety bills, with most measures focused on tougher penalties, victim protections, and procedural changes. Bills discussed included HB 75, requiring magistrates to make written findings when denying probable cause despite believing an arrestee committed an offense; HB 413, limiting pretrial detention so it cannot exceed the maximum jail term for the charged offense, with competency-related exceptions; HB 1422, expanding sexual assault survivor protections and increasing penalties for certain sexual offenses and voyeurism; HB 2073, increasing penalties for violating protective orders or bond conditions while armed; HB 2593, raising indecent assault penalties against elderly or disabled victims; HB 108, enhancing punishment when body armor is used during violent crimes; HB 3816, expanding cruelty-to-livestock offenses to include unlawful controlled-substance administration; HB 2854, requiring parole officers to notify hospitals or law enforcement when violent parolees visit hospital premises; HB 1871, increasing punishment for attempted capital murder of a peace officer and making such offenders ineligible for parole; HB 3463, clarifying notice methods in theft-of-service cases; HB 2348, allowing video-recorded depositions of elderly or disabled witnesses; HB 2594, expanding venue options for cybercrime and digital theft prosecutions; HB 2761, clarifying that children cannot be deemed to consent to prostitution-related offenses; HB 3185, authorizing administrative subpoenas in cybercrime investigations; HB 2017, increasing penalties for certain intoxication manslaughter cases involving undocumented immigrants with prior DWI convictions; HB 2306, making certain trafficking offenses ineligible for parole; HB 1607, allowing a rear-only license plate when a vehicle lacks a front bracket; HB 1828, creating a legislative leave pool for TDCJ correctional officers; and HB 3664, requiring prospective grand jurors to complete training and proposing additional changes to grand jury procedure in a future substitute. The committee also took up HB 3073, the Summer Willis Act, which would clarify consent in sexual assault law and address intoxication-related incapacity; the committee substitute narrowed the language to situations where the perpetrator knows the other person cannot consent because of intoxication or impairment, while removing withdrawal-of-consent and “reasonably should know” language from the House version. Several bills were laid out with committee substitutes adopted, including HB 3463, HB 2594, HB 3073, and HB 3073’s substitute, and most bills were left pending after no invited or public testimony or after hearing testimony. Public testimony was especially extensive on HB 3073, with survivors, advocates, and prosecutors supporting broader consent language, while some prosecutors said the substitute was an improvement but still favored the House version’s broader protections. HB 3664 drew significant opposition from district attorneys, who argued that mandatory transcription or recording of grand jury testimony would be costly, chill grand juror questioning, and complicate timely presentations; concerns were also raised about new-evidence requirements and grand jury shopping. No final votes were taken on the bills discussed in the transcript, and the committee recessed partway through to return to the floor before continuing its hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• VAERS, I'm going to talk about VAERS, and that's the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.
• Patients are not allowed to report their injuries on the VAERS system.
• They use a separate system called V-SAFE.
• And I think, to your point, we had systems in place.
• Like with computers, they use zeros and ones, and that binary system is how computers work.

Bills: HB18, HB37, HB 116, HB388, HB879, HB913, HB 1151, HB2216, HB2358, HB2809, SB577, SB1590, SB1782, SB1887, SB2744

Keywords: rural health, hospital funding, healthcare access, mental health services, financial stability, perinatal bereavement, healthcare, hospital training, bereavement support, maternal care, fetal demise, stillbirth, neonatal death, parent-child relationship, involuntary termination, family law, child welfare, child protection, HB 388, HB388

Summary: The committee first reopened testimony on House Bill 2216, which would strengthen child welfare requirements by expanding “active efforts” to help families avoid removal and support reunification, while also raising standards related to removals and terminations. Supporters from child welfare and family defense groups said the bill would better protect families and align Texas more closely with ICWA-style principles, but several warned it would require significant new funding, staffing, and community services such as mental health care, housing, child care, and substance use treatment. The committee then left HB 2216 pending. The committee next heard Senate Bill 1782, aimed at boarding and group homes. Senator Miles said the bill closes enforcement gaps left by prior law by requiring retention of background-check records and creating misdemeanor penalties for failing to conduct or keep them, or for knowingly hiring people with serious convictions. Harris County sheriff’s investigators testified in support, describing illegal boarding homes, operators who evade permits and background checks, and exploitation of vulnerable residents; the bill was left pending. The committee also took up Senate Bill 481 on emergency preparedness for nursing facilities and assisted living facilities, adopted a new committee substitute that softened some requirements and removed the fiscal note, and left the bill pending. The committee then heard House Bill 388, which would require the Texas Department of Insurance to create a single standardized coordination-of-benefits form for dual health plans to reduce errors and surprise bills; it was left pending. Senate Bill 1590 would move paternity registry searches for adoptions to an electronic process with a 10-day target, and House Bill 2809 would track child suicide attempts in managing conservatorship and require related reporting and parental notice; both were left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1887, which would prohibit administering mRNA-containing products for immunization for 10 years, with exceptions for cancer and genetic disorders. Supporters argued the bill was needed for safety, informed consent, and medical freedom, while opponents from the medical, research, and public health communities said mRNA vaccines are well-studied, save lives, and that the bill would harm access, research, and Texas’s biotech economy. The bill remained under discussion as testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• “Next is our request for $2.7 million and 2 FTEs for an oil and gas authorized pit registration system
• “This project will provide a new, more user-friendly and efficient online filing system that enables
• We have a GIS mapping system. In fact, one of our requests is to make sure that gets on the cloud.
• Additionally, this position will help perform post-implementation support of software systems.
• It's a, uh, parasite, the blood system, Babezia bovis or Bavivia 576 It's a parasite in the blood system

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present to hear Article VI Natural Resources agency budget recommendations, beginning with the Railroad Commission. LBB staff summarized the commission’s 2026-27 base recommendation at $458.7 million, down from the prior biennium, with an increased FTE cap. The presentation highlighted reduced federal IIJA funding, volatility in oil and gas regulation account 5155, continued support for IT modernization, and rider changes. The commission’s major exceptional items were then presented, including requests for produced water and injection data reporting, an authorized pit registration system, regulatory filing/permitting upgrades, an underground injection well investigation team, site remediation support, and especially $100 million for orphan well plugging. Members asked about biennium-to-biennium comparisons, salary biennialization, the scale of orphan well risks, federal funding delays, bonding, and whether the state should rely more on industry or general revenue for plugging costs. Commission leadership explained that orphan wells can threaten water and public safety, that plugging costs have risen sharply, and that current funding is insufficient to keep up with emergency wells and the backlog; they also said the agency is moving to cloud-based systems with cybersecurity protections and that the proposed performance measure may need adjustment if funding does not increase. The Railroad Commission testimony was followed by LBB and agency testimony for the Texas Animal Health Commission. LBB described a $42 million recommendation for 2026-27, an increase overall, but with a reduced FTE cap due to turnover and salary reallocation. The recommendation maintained funding for cattle fever tick work, chronic wasting disease, lab testing through an MOU with Texas A&M’s veterinary diagnostic lab, and a new $5 million spay-and-neuter pilot program, while deleting a capital budget rider and adjusting riders tied to entry point inspection stations and clinical trials. Agency leadership then outlined the commission’s mission to protect livestock health and the state’s $22 billion animal industry, and described major disease threats including highly pathogenic avian influenza, cattle fever ticks, New World screwworm, and chronic wasting disease. Their exceptional items focused on recruiting and retaining veterinarians, replacing fleet vehicles, creating an ectoparasite identification lab, adding field staff and IT support, improving records and epidemiology reporting, strengthening central administration, supporting secure food supply planning, expanding chronic wasting disease work, and staffing the new spay-and-neuter program. Members asked about field identification of ticks, the use of disinfectants and PPE, fleet management, the scale of cattle fever tick risk, and chronic wasting disease; the agency explained its current inspection and lab-confirmation process, its reliance on field disinfecting and biosecurity, and the need for more staff and better data systems to keep pace with growing workloads and disease threats.

Transcript Highlights:

• The United States remains the largest funder of the UN system.
• Nations, in the elections process for key leadership posts within the UN system.
• The system.
• Who do you consider our best allies within the UN system? The Brits are very important allies.
• They can't have any kind of standing in a judiciary or legal system. With that kind of a view.

Transcript Highlights:

• I grew up with the British health care system.
• I grew up with the British health care system. I am so proud of the American health care system.
• I do know you're new in the Medicaid system too, so, like Rep.
• I was denied Habitat for Humanity because of the system that we're stuck in.
• I was denied Habitat for Humanity because of the system that we're stuck in.

Summary: The subcommittee held its first meeting of the 2025-2026 term, took attendance, confirmed a quorum, and heard introductory remarks from members and staff. Chair Anderson outlined the subcommittee’s jurisdiction over access and affordability issues, including health facility regulation, insurance, Medicaid, CHIP, and state employee health coverage. The main agenda item was an update on implementation of HB 391, which created a family home health aide program for medically fragile children. Representative Tramont, the bill sponsor, explained that the law was intended to let trained family caregivers be paid through Medicaid to care for their children, reduce reliance on private duty nursing, and relieve families. He and several members expressed frustration that implementation had taken nearly two years and that families still faced barriers. Deputy Secretary Brian Meyer of AHCA and Bridget Royce of DCF said the program was implemented October 1, 2024, with billing available, but no home health agencies had yet launched the required 80-hour training program and no claims had been paid. They described the program’s requirements, including agency employment, background screening, training, a $25-per-hour Medicaid rate paid to the agency, and an annual assessment report. A major issue discussed was that income earned by family caregivers counts toward Medicaid eligibility and could cause families to lose coverage. AHCA and DCF outlined two possible fixes that would require CMS approval: disregarding the income for eligibility purposes or treating the child as a family of one. Members and public witnesses strongly urged changes to avoid forcing families to choose between income and coverage. Several providers said they had begun preparing training programs, but asked for clearer approval processes and more patient-specific training requirements. The committee then heard extensive public testimony from parents and caregivers of medically fragile children, who described the financial, emotional, and logistical strain of caring for children with severe disabilities and argued that the bill should be expanded to include Florida KidCare families and others in the coverage gap. They also raised concerns about the eight-hour-per-day limit, low pay, and the need for simpler rules and direct support. Home health providers and associations supported the concept but asked for modifications, including more targeted training and clearer implementation guidance. The meeting then shifted to a second agenda item on the Andrew John Anderson Rapid Whole Genome Sequencing Program, which was funded in the 2023 budget. Deputy Secretary Meyer said the program has been implemented since January 1, 2024, but utilization has been lower than expected, with only about 60 claims paid and many denials occurring through managed care. Public testimony from a lab, a hospital, and a pediatric rare disease expert said the program is clinically valuable and cost-saving, but managed care billing barriers, prior authorization issues, and DRG-related denials are limiting access; they urged direct billing to Medicaid and possible expansion to all newborns.

Transcript Highlights:

• a different part of a system.
• Let's fix this. ...and deputize a different part of a system. Let's fix the system.
• Well, that's the beauty of our system.
• The system is set up to avoid that.
• It's still going to be part of that integrated system. In addition, as Ms.

Keywords: 987, senate, all