Transcript Highlights:

• small facilities, calcium products from sugar beet production, potassium from wood ash, and many biological
• Biological activity needs to be added to their soil.
• Traditional NPK fertilizers do not promote biological activity in the soil.
• nitrogen, so when it's applied to the soil, it's a slow-release type thing that breaks down with biological

Committee: House Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• Hoffner has been working on several different bills having to do with the preservation of evidence, biological
• evidence in particular. ...having to do with the preservation of evidence, biological evidence in particular

Committee: Senate Executive

Summary: The Senate Executive Committee met in hybrid format, approved the minutes from its June 11 meeting, and noted that the prior day’s minutes were not yet available. The committee then took up Senate Joint Resolution 21, presented by Senator Townsend on behalf of Senator Hoffner, which directs the Department of Safety and Homeland Security to study issues related to the preservation and long-term storage of biological evidence and return recommendations by November so legislation can be considered in 2027. Sergeant Mike Ripple testified for the department, explaining that the agency had worked through multiple drafts with Senator Hoffner and other stakeholders and concluded that a feasibility study of other jurisdictions would be more useful than providing unreliable cost estimates. He said the department also consulted with the courts, which currently store evidence, and hopes to develop a centralized storage approach aligned with best practices. In response to a question from Senator Pinkney, he said the $15,000 cap on the study and report was believed to be sufficient and absorbable for travel and related costs. No other members of the public testified, and there was no virtual public comment. Senator Hoffner arrived just as the meeting was ending. The committee then adjourned by motion and second.

Transcript Highlights:

• And they're boundaries based on biological truth. They're boundaries based on biblical truth.
• to share intimate private spaces, including her apartment, hotel rooms, and locker rooms with a biological

Bills: SB15 , SB9 , SB4 , SB8 , SB60 , SB4 , SB8 , SB60 , SB4 , SB8 , SB60 , SB15 , SB9

Transcript Highlights:

• were seen, and, as I mentioned earlier, very serious circumstances that a healthy and involved biological
• who files, whether it be a motion for contempt or an order to show cause, we use those terms interchangeably

Summary: The Child Custody Review Task Force met with a quorum, approved the prior meeting minutes, and reviewed a memorandum compiling member suggestions for possible legislation. The memo grouped ideas into topics including creation of a family court, expanded education for parents, attorneys, and judges, expedited hearings for parenting-time violations, limiting law enforcement involvement in custody disputes, creating parenting time expediters, and adopting more uniform court procedures. Members also discussed whether to form subcommittees, but the task force decided to continue working as a full committee rather than create subcommittees at this time. The committee then heard testimony from Dr. John Perez, a mental health professional, who described his personal custody experience and his professional work with families he believes have been affected by parental alienation. He argued for stronger education, faster court response times, and better tools to address intentional interference with parenting time. Members questioned him about his case history, the concept of parental alienation, and whether specialized family courts or judges with family-law training could help. Dr. Perez said a dedicated family court and faster hearings would likely have helped his situation. The task force spent substantial time discussing the possible creation of a family court. Judge Hovey supported the idea of a specialized family court or at least a study of one, saying family cases are distinct from ordinary adversarial litigation and that judges with family-law experience could better handle them. Several members agreed that a family court could improve consistency, expertise, and speed, but others cautioned that the task force’s current directive is focused on enforcement of existing orders rather than broader custody policy, and noted that voters had previously rejected equal shared parenting proposals. The group also discussed expedited procedures for parenting-time disputes, with Judge Hovey suggesting a 30-day hearing timeline may be workable. On education, members generally supported requiring parents to complete a parenting education course and adding educational materials explaining court process, child support, and what judges can and cannot do. Mr. McLean suggested a short instructional video for litigants and more family-law education for judges and attorneys, while Ms. Moldenhauer said education could be incorporated into scheduling orders or mediation orders. Members also discussed the Parents Forever course, including whether it should be mandatory in all counties and whether cost is a barrier; no vote was taken on any of these proposals.

Transcript Highlights:

• I can keep this brief and talk that the biological... one of the greatest outcomes of the one of the
• </c> ...and talk about the biological statistics that Jimmy provided.
• We see this as an opportunity to provide more angling experience for people, with no biological risk,
• We see no biological reason.
• We see no biological reason.

Bills: HF647 , HF2824 , HF1249 , HF623 , HF820

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• recommended that, too, that have not been implemented: the pandemic incident plan and the chemical, biological
• Been implemented: the pandemic incident plan and the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and

Committee: House Emergency Management

Transcript Highlights:

• Public schools and charter schools are not interchangeable.
• Schools are not interchangeable.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a lengthy hearing on a large slate of bills focused primarily on charter school policy and vocational technical education. Committee members opened with ground rules for testimony, including a two-minute limit, written testimony acceptance, and a live-streamed format. The committee then heard testimony on bills to expand collective bargaining rights in Horace Mann and Innovation Schools, reform charter school funding and reimbursement, allow enrollment preferences for high-need students in charter lotteries, and require BESE to consider district impacts when approving new or expanded charters. Several witnesses, including union leaders, parents, educators, and legislators, argued that charter growth has strained district budgets and that funding formulas should be reworked to better protect public schools; charter advocates and alumni countered that charter schools serve high-need students well and should not be penalized for their success. A major portion of the hearing focused on vocational technical education bills, including proposals to expand access and capacity, create a large grant program, and increase MSBA reimbursement rates for vocational school construction. Supporters described long waitlists, strong labor-market demand, and the higher cost of building and maintaining vocational schools, while municipal officials emphasized the tax burden on local communities. The committee also heard testimony on charter school reimbursement bills that would extend the state’s reimbursement schedule, with witnesses from districts such as Boston, Worcester, Fall River, and New Bedford describing large net losses to charter tuition and arguing for longer reimbursement periods and structural reform. The committee took no final votes during the hearing. In one instance, the chair said a bill would be held open until a missing senator could testify. Members asked several detailed questions about charter admissions lotteries, special education placements, funding formulas, and the practical effects of proposed charter caps and reimbursement changes. The hearing remained informational, with witnesses and committee members presenting sharply different views on whether the bills would improve equity and opportunity or harm existing public school systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill will designate the interchange of I-35 in Indian Hills Road as the Toby Keith memorial interchange

Bills: SB65 , SB248 , SB330 , SB378 , SB844 , SB1330 , SB1410 , SB1475 , SB1476 , SB1565 , SB1618 , SB1623 , SJR39 , SJR47 , SB2084 , SB1655 , SB1679 , SB2174 , SB1775 , SB1873 , SB1204 , SB1884 , SB1916 , SB1937 , SB1447 , SB1500 , SB2007 , SB2074 , SB1944 , SB2018 , SB1984 , SB2026 , SB2045 , SB2049 , SB2062 , SB2112 , SB2118 , SB2127 , SB2134 , SB2135 , SB2139 , SB2154 , SB1195

Keywords: SB65, naloxone, Narcan, opioid overdose, overdose reversal, opioid antagonist, emergency opioid antagonist, substance abuse services, harm reduction, public health, overdose prevention, good samaritan, civil immunity, criminal immunity, controlled substances, addiction treatment, fentanyl, opioid crisis, school overdose response, first aid

Transcript Highlights:

• We have an interchange down there. It's not... We have an interchange down there.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have an interchange down there. It's not... We have an interchange down there.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee heard several Caltrans, CHP, and DMV budget and trailer bill items. On Caltrans fleet replacement, the department requested a one-time $225 million augmentation to replace aging medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure. LAO said the request was consistent with state policy, but senators criticized the high cost of electric fleet purchases and Caltrans’ delayed zero-emission fleet report; the chair said the report must be delivered within 30 days before the request could be fully considered. Caltrans also presented trailer bill language to replace an originally intended $50 million federal transfer for the High Road Construction Careers Program with $30 million in state Highway Account funds after federal eligibility problems prevented use of the federal dollars. Members questioned the reduction, the delay in implementation, where the remaining funds would go, and whether the program would keep jobs in California and meet labor standards; Caltrans and the Workforce Development Board said the program had prior success and that the state-funds transfer was intended to preserve the original policy goal. The committee then reviewed CHP’s request for a $60 million augmentation for equipment and operating costs, which CHP said was needed because vacancy savings no longer covered rising fuel, vehicle, and other operating costs. CHP argued that recruitment success had reduced vacancies and that costs had risen sharply since 2006, while LAO recommended rejection, citing that the expenses were ongoing, CHP still had vacancies above pre-pandemic levels, and the Motor Vehicle Account faces structural insolvency by 2028-29. Members discussed whether the account can sustain these costs and whether the Legislature should consider broader funding changes. CHP also sought a permanent $885,000 augmentation for seven analyst positions for the Highway Violence Task Force; CHP said freeway shootings had fallen sharply since 2021 and that analysts were essential to solving cases, while LAO noted the request was smaller than prior years but would create an ongoing commitment. Senators generally supported the task force but asked for clearer metrics and reporting, especially because the data categories had changed over time. Finally, the DMV presented the State-to-State verification system and related modernization work under DXP. DMV said State-to-State is required for Real ID compliance and that California must join the system by February 2027, with live testing planned for the summer. Senators focused heavily on privacy and data security, especially the inclusion of Social Security number digits in the system, the role of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, and whether Californians understood their information would be shared in a nationwide database. DMV said the system only shares federally required data, uses encryption, and is designed to de-duplicate records across states, but members pressed for more information on governance, audit authority, and whether the Legislature had explicitly approved the data-sharing approach. The chair asked DMV to follow up with the Attorney General and indicated the committee would continue reviewing the issue.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Glint card does get interchange. I question why we have to have a vendor on this. Why?
• The Glint card does get interchange. I question why we have to have a vendor on this. Why?

Bills: SB524 , SB782 , HB42 , HB 1056 , HB2894 , HB3033 , HB3474 , HB3594 , HB4738 , HB5246 , HB42

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: SB 524, Texas franchise tax, veteran-owned business, new veteran-owned business, business tax exemption, filing fee exemption, Tax Code Chapter 171, Business Organizations Code, Comptroller, small business, veterans, entrepreneurship, tax repeal, privilege tax, beginning date, franchise tax exemption, severance tax, oil, gas, restimulation wells

Summary: The committee heard Senator Flores lay out the committee substitute for HB 2894, which would expand state reimbursement eligibility for local governments disproportionately affected by the disabled veterans homestead exemption. Flores said the bill would add certain municipalities in Bell, Coryell, and Lampasas counties if lost ad valorem tax revenue equals or exceeds 10% of general revenue, while existing recipients would remain under the current 2% threshold. Lampasas and Bell County officials and the City of Killeen testified in support, describing significant revenue losses and urging adequate funding. One witness, Howard Avery, argued any reimbursement should be counted as property tax revenue for voter-approval rate purposes to avoid a windfall. The committee later adopted the substitute and reported the bill favorably, with one nay. The committee also heard SB 782, which would create a temporary severance tax exemption for restimulated inactive oil and gas wells, intended to encourage investment in mature wells. The Comptroller explained the revised fiscal note as effectively zero because the wells are currently marginal and not generating meaningful tax revenue, while industry witnesses said the bill could extend well life, support local economies, and reduce orphan-well liabilities. Public testimony was supportive, and the bill was left pending. Members then heard HB 3033, a DPS-related grant program funded by voluntary $3 donations on driver’s license and ID applications to support nonprofits aiding injured or fallen DPS officers and their families, including memorial highway signs. The DPS Officers Association supported the bill, citing existing foundation assistance and the need for a steady funding stream. The committee later reported the bill favorably. The committee also considered SB 524, which would permanently extend the franchise tax and fee exemption for qualifying veteran-owned businesses for their first five years; testimony from a veteran business owner and veterans advocates supported the measure, and the committee adopted the substitute and reported it favorably. Additional measures were laid out and left pending or voted out: HB 3594, a local San Antonio retiree health care fund bill with agreed changes for contributions, spouse benefits, and remarriage rules, was supported by stakeholders and reported favorably; HB 4738 would repeal small administrative fees tied to certain loans and was reported favorably; HB 42 on HEAF funding and HB 5246 on the Texas Space Commission were heard and left pending. The committee also reported HB 3474, a cleanup bill for the Pension Review Board’s investment performance review schedule, and HB 2802, the Austin firefighter retirement fund bill, both favorably. Finally, the committee took up HB 1056, which would allow gold and silver held in the Texas Bullion Depository to function as legal tender through debit-card transactions. Supporters framed it as a way to use hard assets and expand financial options, while bankers and some senators raised major operational, consumer-protection, tax, and constitutional questions; the bill remained under discussion as testimony began.

Transcript Highlights:

• We should not use the terms interchangeably, but we tend to do that.
• 01:20:39.880><c> use</c><01:20:40.080><c> the</c><01:20:40.160><c> terms</c><01:20:40.480><c> interchangeably
• ,</c><01:20:41.480><c> but</c> not use the terms interchangeably, but not use the terms interchangeably
• is important to note as well, that, you know, we're using tip pooling and tip sharing rather interchangeably
• , and those are two very interchangeably, and those are two very different<01:58:29.760><c> things.

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Transcript Highlights:

• At its core, this amendment would strengthen and clarify the process for reinstating biological parental
• At its core, this amendment would strengthen and clarify the process for reinstating biological parental
• It would limit filings to the county agency, the child's attorney, or the biological parent, ensuring
• It would require petitions to include essential information about the child, the biological parent, and

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, guest recognitions, and a quorum call before moving into committee reports and floor action. Committees reported a number of bills and resolutions, including measures from Local Government, Energy, Health, Judiciary, Appropriations, Rules, and Finance. The chamber also announced caucus and committee meetings, then recessed and later reconvened for final consideration of legislation. Several bills passed the House finally, including House Bill 2299 on body cameras for county probation officers, House Bill 167 designating a scenic byway along Allegheny River Boulevard, House Bill 95 requiring disclosure when content or advertising is generated or substantially modified by artificial intelligence, House Bill 1944 expanding medical amnesty and Good Samaritan protections on campuses, House Bill 2443 creating a child victim recovery fund, House Bill 246 updating references from the Public Welfare Code to the Human Services Code, and House Bill 2586 establishing title protection for music therapists. The House also adopted House Resolution 463 recognizing Korean-American Citizenship Day, House Resolution 499 recognizing Juneteenth Independence Day, and House Resolution 547 directing a study of electronic monitoring as an alternative to incarceration. The House spent significant time on amendments to House Bill 133, which concerns reinstatement of parental rights, and House Bill 138, which addresses parental incarceration and termination of parental rights. Both bills received bipartisan amendments adding guardrails and exceptions, and the amendments were adopted unanimously. The chamber also debated House Bill 2224, the Fair Act, with multiple amendments on utility rates, return on equity, and scope; some amendments were adopted, several tied votes failed, and the bill was left amended for reprinting. House Bill 2544, dealing with school administrators’ rights and negotiations, saw an amendment to allow individual bargaining, but that amendment failed and the bill was agreed to. The session ended with a correction to the record on House Bill 1944, a motion to recommit several bills to Appropriations, and adjournment until June 22, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• to be the legal father of a child conceived or born during the marriage, even if he is not the biological
• This creates legal, financial, and emotional liability for a child that is not biologically his.
• force legal parenthood on someone simply because a pregnancy exists, even when the facts make that biological
• force legal parenthood on someone simply because a pregnancy exists, even when the facts make that biological

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal by roll call vote, 114-1. Members spent a large portion of the morning introducing guests and recognizing visitors, including career and technical education students, FFA and FCCLA groups, school leaders, interns, a physician of the day, and a Black History Month personal privilege honoring inventor Alice H. Parker and her early central heating design. The chamber then took up several bills for perfection and printing. House Bill 1847, the Missouri Dental and Dental Hygienist Compact, was presented as a workforce and access-to-care measure; members cited dental shortages and broad professional support, and it was ordered perfected and printed. House Bill 1866, dealing with peace officer licensure, was presented as allowing the Department of Public Safety to deny applicants whose licenses were revoked or suspended elsewhere and to require U.S. citizenship; an amendment to allow lawful permanent residents who honorably served in the military to qualify was debated at length but failed 95-52, and the bill was then ordered perfected and printed. House Bill 1908, with a companion bill, was described by its sponsor as ending a Missouri rule that delays divorce when a spouse is pregnant; supporters framed it as a due process and safety issue, especially for abuse survivors, and it was adopted and ordered perfected and printed. House Bill 1961, creating temporary licensure and a compact for dietitians, and House Bill 2180, changing Department of Revenue notice delivery options for blind pension recipients and taxpayers to include first-class mail and electronic delivery, both drew support as workforce or accessibility measures and were ordered perfected and printed after amendments. House Bill 2591, which would let speech-language pathologists count clinical fellowship experience completed in any state toward Missouri licensure, also passed perfection and printing. The House then moved to announcements and recessed until 2 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• That simply states that vaccines cannot be updated at that initial visit without biological parental
• So I get the bioparent piece, but why are we specifying biological parent?
• What if you or a kiddo doesn't have access to a biological parent, their biological parent is deceased
• I think because you may run the risk of, if they don't have access to their biological parent or if they
• have been removed from their biological parent, you may run the risk of not even having those parental

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Transcript Highlights:

• Certain ideologies, secular ideologies of gender issues, of biological-based issues that we would instruct
• coach children in understanding what biological male and biological female are.
• We have a biological husband and biological male, married to a biological female, as the head of our

Summary: The committee continued a public hearing on House Bill 2897, which would expand optometrists’ scope of practice. Supporters, including Dr. Kelly Deering, said optometrists are trained to perform the listed office-based procedures, that rural Missouri lacks access to ophthalmologists, and that the bill would reduce wait times, travel burdens, and costs while helping retain students and practitioners in the state. Opponents, including representatives of the Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, argued the bill does not guarantee rural access and said the procedures should remain within the medical/surgical training of physicians. Members also questioned training on live human eyes and how suspicious lesions would be handled. No vote was taken, and the hearing on HB 2897 was closed. The committee then heard House Bill 2353, which would create a licensing and sign-and-seal framework for interior designers and move oversight to the board that includes architects, engineers, land surveyors, and landscape architects. Sponsor Rep. Sherri Gallick and supporters said the bill modernizes regulation, recognizes accredited education and NCIDQ testing, and would let licensed interior designers take responsibility for non-structural interior design work without hiring an architect to stamp plans. Opponents from the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers and others said they were still negotiating but remained concerned about scope-of-practice language, especially phrases like “all interior design of buildings” and “publicly occupied buildings,” which they said could create overlap with architecture and engineering or unintended obligations for public entities. Testimony also focused on whether unlicensed interior designers would still be allowed to work under carve-outs. No final action was taken. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2241, which would create a separate framework for certain faith-based residential child care facilities to operate without a state license while registering with the state and meeting background-check, reporting, and oversight requirements. Sponsor Rep. Jamie Gregg and MACA representatives said the bill is intended to expand foster placement capacity for children in need while preserving the religious mission of Christian homes, and they cited federal and state initiatives encouraging partnerships with faith-based providers. Opponents argued the bill would create a two-tier system, weaken state licensing protections, and risk placing vulnerable children in facilities without the same direct oversight, inspections, and reunification safeguards as licensed foster homes. Members raised concerns about abuse history at some faith-based homes, the role of the proposed board, and whether religious practices or other mission-based rules would conflict with child welfare standards. The hearing continued with additional testimony; no vote was reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• So some people use licensure interchangeably, but the technical term would be registered.”

Committee: All ALC-OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING REVIEW SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The Occupational Licensing Subcommittee reviewed four entities moved up from the July schedule: the State Board of Acupuncture, State Board of Pharmacy, Auctioneer Licensing Board, and Motor Vehicle Commission. For acupuncture, the board described its public-protection role, its small size and limited number of active licenses, and efforts to grow the profession through lower fees and online licensing. Members asked generally about what acupuncture treats, and the review was completed without objection. The Pharmacy Board discussion focused heavily on GLP-1 drugs, compounding pharmacies, home delivery of prescriptions, and enforcement against unsafe or unlicensed distribution. Members raised concerns about access to obesity and diabetes medications, mail-order restrictions, and whether compounding pharmacies and out-of-state entities were properly licensed. The director explained the difference between traditional compounding, sterile compounding, and 503B outsourcing facilities, said the board has issued cease-and-desist orders when needed, and noted that retail pharmacy inspections are currently on a 12- to 15-month cycle. Members also asked about pharmacist impersonation, complaint handling, pharmacy technician registration and training, and whether the state has enough pharmacists, with the board saying Arkansas has a pharmacy in every county but still needs to keep attracting new professionals. The Auctioneer Licensing Board reported no major issues, but members asked about dormant license numbers, exemptions from licensure for charity auctions, personal property sales, and livestock auction barns, and whether the profession has adequate numbers. The director said old license numbers cannot be reissued under the current system, charity auctions and sales of one’s own items are exempt, and the field is generally stable with online auctions helping growth. The Motor Vehicle Commission reported on its licensing of franchise dealers and manufacturers, discussed the revocation and fine against Superior RV after an administrative hearing, and said the business is currently shut down while the commission monitors for possible reentry under a different name. Members also asked about dealer licensing requirements, whether boats are licensed by the commission, and workforce shortages; the director said the biggest need is for service and repair technicians, and the commission awarded $250,000 in grants to 12 high school and college automotive programs this year. The committee concluded all four reviews without objection, asked members to email any recommendations for the final report, and announced the next meeting for September 17 at 1:30 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2536 clarifies in statute that male and female are defined by biological sex.
• House Bill 2536 clarifies in statute that male and female are defined by biological sex.
• taken into account the foundational inequalities of risk, strength, and vulnerability between the biological
• such as restrooms, locker rooms, showers, and sleeping quarters, are designated for use based on biological
• we are just going about our daily lives and we enter a space that we think— —is designated for biological

Transcript Highlights:

• With biological feasibility established and clear ecological...
• With biological feasibility established and clear ecological, cultural, and economic benefits, now is
• Brendan Cumming, the Center for Biological Diversity, and I've also been authorized to relay support
• that they seem to focus the study first and foremost, maybe not exclusively, but pretty close, on biological
• go beyond the Santa Barbara study, which does an excellent job of already examining a lot of the biological

Summary: The committee first heard SB 872, which would direct $300 million annually for 20 years to repair subsidence damage in the State Water Project and to fund Delta levee repairs. The author and supporters said the bill is needed to protect water deliveries for 27 million Californians, prevent major infrastructure and flood risks, and address long-term threats to California’s water supply. Support came from a broad coalition of water agencies, local governments, environmental groups, and business interests; there was no opposition testimony. Members discussed the scale of the funding, the beneficiary-pays issue, and whether the bill should more clearly address risk and identify likely project areas. The committee adopted amendments, and SB 872 passed 5-0 to Appropriations and was placed on call. The committee then took up SB 1305, a study bill on the feasibility of reintroducing the California grizzly bear. The author, tribal sponsors, and conservation supporters framed the bill as a science-based roadmap that would examine habitat, impacts, and implementation, while recognizing the grizzly’s cultural significance to tribes and its ecological role. Opponents, including sheriffs, cattle groups, county representatives, and a former Fish and Wildlife law enforcement official, argued that California lacks the staffing, funding, and public-safety capacity to manage another apex predator and that the state is already struggling with wolves and mountain lions. Members raised questions about the scope of the feasibility study, local control, and whether the bill should address conflict risk earlier in the process. The author agreed to work on additional amendments, and the bill passed 4-1 to Appropriations and remained on call. SB 1079, creating a Cal Fire Fire Innovation Unit to speed the testing and deployment of wildfire technologies, was heard next. The author and supporters said California has strong wildfire innovation but lacks a formal pipeline to move promising tools from pilot projects into statewide use. Supporters included Megafire Action, Fireworks, the Orange County Fire Authority, and the California Association of Realtors, which sought amendments related to nonprofit administration of grants. There was no opposition testimony. The bill passed 5-0 to Emergency Management and was placed on call. The committee also heard SB 997, which would give the North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency lien authority to collect fines and fees tied to its groundwater sustainability plan. Supporters said the change would allow more efficient enforcement and avoid lengthy civil litigation; no opposition appeared. Members asked whether the authority should be extended more broadly to other statutory GSAs, and the author said discussions were ongoing. SB 997 passed 2-0 to Judiciary and was placed on call. The committee later caught up on votes for the earlier bills and then moved to SB 894, a wildfire resilience loan program modeled on Go Green to help homeowners finance home-hardening measures; it passed 5-0 to Emergency Management and was placed on call. Finally, SB 1229 was introduced by Senator Allen to strengthen coastal protections for rebuilding after disasters, beginning with the Palisades fire context, but the transcript cuts off before that bill’s full hearing concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• With biological feasibility established and clear ecological... ...monitored.
• With biological feasibility established and clear ecological, cultural, and economic benefits, now is
• Brendan Cumming, the Center for Biological Diversity, and I've also been authorized to relay support
• that they seem to focus the study first and foremost, maybe not exclusively, but pretty close, on biological
• the Santa Barbara study, which does an excellent job of already examining a lot of the...” “...biological

Committee: Senate Natural Resources and Water