Transcript Highlights:

• session that got caught up in the I guess in the crossfire dealing with property taxes, so chemical dependency
• updates the health and safety code to modify how penalties are assessed for violations at chemical dependency
• every hospital's situation in terms of their ability to contract with physicians is very different depending
• on where you are in the state. depending what type of hospital you are.

Bills: SB437, SB528, SB626, SB636, SB884, SB968, SB1044, SB1608, SB2336

Keywords: healthcare, training, abuse, neglect, penalties, chemical dependency, safety, regulation, inpatient competency restoration, competency restoration, forensic mental health, mental health law, criminal competency, incompetent to stand trial, Chapter 46B, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission, state hospital, behavioral health, local mental health authority

Bills: HB32, HB15, HB171, HB421, HB581, HB644, HB745, HB349, HB917, HB204, HB923, HB15, HB171, HB204

Keywords: eviction, landlord rights, tenant rights, justice court, property law, court procedures, chemical dependency, court-ordered treatment, mental health, health care, treatment facility, juvenile justice, criminal justice reform, deep fake, digital impersonation, age verification, private cause of action, explicit content, consumer protection, HB 581

Transcript Highlights:

• The experts promote the concept that safe delivery of care is dependent on two things: patient engagement

Bills: HB32, HB15, HB171, HB421, HB581, HB644, HB745, HB349, HB917, HB204, HB923, HB15, HB171, HB204

Keywords: eviction, landlord rights, tenant rights, justice court, property law, court procedures, chemical dependency, court-ordered treatment, mental health, health care, treatment facility, juvenile justice, criminal justice reform, deep fake, digital impersonation, age verification, private cause of action, explicit content, consumer protection, HB 581

Bills: HB44, HB400, HB444, HB487, SB249, SB252, SB58, HB44, HB400, HB444, HB487, SB249, SB252, SB58

Keywords: teachers retirement, credit purchase, St. Clair County, DAY Program, pension reform, dental insurance, benefit rollover, healthcare, insurance policy, annual maximum, HB444, vaccines, vaccine exemption, religious exemption, religious liberty, private school, church school, faith-based school, parochial school, school immunization

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill has to do with when a child is under the age of five at the time a dependency petition is filed
• B2: If a child is under the age of five at the time of filing the dependency petition, and there are
• during a family assessment dangerous drugs or unsafe conditions are suspected, DCYF must file a dependency
• C2: If at any time dangerous drugs or unsafe conditions are suspected, DCYF must file a dependency petition
• And then we have a third that really looks at intensive in-home dependencies, and between the three of

Bills: SB6062, SB6080, SB6184, SB6224, SB6255, SB6286, SB6308, SB6319, SB5977, SB5979, SB6249, SGA9299

Keywords: juvenile justice, criminal offense, minors, rehabilitation, legal provisions, contracts, jails, federal custody, municipal agreements, incarceration, law enforcement, homeless youth, youth services, mental health, support programs, state law, behavioral health, children, support services, poverty reduction

Bills: HSB314, SF304, HF708, HSB500, HSB501, HSB502, HSB503, HSB504, HSB505, HSB506

Keywords: medical release, incapacitated, terminal illness, serious medical condition, parole, risk assessment, victim impact statement, supervision, care facility, Iowa, minors, medical consent, healthcare services, sexually transmitted infections, privacy, youth healthcare, healthcare decisions, palliative care, hospice care, life-sustaining procedures

Transcript Highlights:

• a victimless enterprise, but a public trust on which lives, policy, and vast financial resources depend
• a victimless enterprise, but a public trust on which lives, policy, and vast financial resources depend
• a victimless enterprise, but a public trust on which lives, policy, and vast financial resources depend
• Our health and lives depend upon accountability. Thank you.
• Our health and lives depend upon accountability. Thank you. Thank you.

Bills: SB1015, SB1049, SB1066, SB1081, SB1092, SB1133, SB1134, SB1139, SB1147, SB1148, SB1168, SB1189, SCR1001, SCR1002, SCR1005, SCR1010

Keywords: gender transition, detransition, healthcare liability, medical malpractice, youth protection, legal action, Arizona law, spousal maintenance, court guidelines, self-sufficiency, financial support, marriage dissolution, child safety, dependency cases, attorney regulation, foster care, legal representation, probation, dangerous crimes, children

Transcript Highlights:

• treatment for persons with chemical dependency. calls House Bill 171 the chair sends up the committee
• and the duration of court order treatment for personal the chemical dependency House Bill 171 ...of
• court-ordered treatment for a person with chemical dependency.
• Under current law, persons with chemical dependency may be subject to court-ordered treatment for no
• Well, I mean, it depends on the situation. You have to classify it.

Bills: HB47, HB171, HB285, HB305, HB449, HB908, HB 1024, HB 1306, HB1443, HB1445, HB1741, HB1866, HB1902, HB2001, HB2282, HB2355, HB2492, HB2637, HB2697, HB3464, HB4263, HB4996, HB5667

Keywords: sexual assault, victim rights, forensic examination, medical care, trauma-informed care, crime victims compensation, evidence retention, chemical dependency, court-ordered treatment, mental health, health care, treatment facility, juvenile justice, criminal justice reform, animal cruelty, nonlivestock, prosecution, veterinary defense, animal welfare, pretrial hearings

Summary: The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice met with a quorum and heard a long agenda of bills on criminal justice, public safety, mental health, victims’ rights, and related administrative issues. Early bills included HB 47, the omnibus sexual assault survivors bill, which would expand post-assault care, require courts to consider delays for adult survivors, bar sex offenders from rideshare driving, allow lease termination regardless of where an assault occurred, and require more reporting from sexual assault response teams. Testimony was generally supportive, though one witness raised concern that the bill’s reporting requirements could jeopardize county grant funding. HB 171, the Annel Borrego Act, would set a minimum period for court-ordered chemical dependency treatment; NAMI Texas supported it. HB 908 would require missing children reports to be sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children within two hours, and HB 1443 would criminalize possession and promotion of childlike sex dolls; both drew supportive testimony and were left pending. HB 567, changing juvenile board chair selection in Parker County, and HB 4263, a TJJD workforce retention bill, were also heard and left pending after brief discussion and adoption of committee substitutes where applicable. The committee also heard several bills focused on jail and prison safety, court process, and victim protection. HB 2282 would raise the arrest warrant fee from $50 to $75; constables supported it as a cost-recovery measure, while the Texas Fair Defense Project opposed it as a regressive fee that burdens low-income defendants. HB 3464 would increase penalties for correctional employees who bring drugs or alcohol into prisons, with support from Harris County jail officials and a formerly incarcerated advocate who described the dangers of contraband and retaliation. HB 285, “Poncho’s Law,” would add criminal negligence to non-livestock animal cruelty offenses; animal welfare advocates said it would close a loophole that lets pet service businesses avoid accountability, and the bill was left pending. HB 2355 would keep certain Crime Victims Compensation records confidential when held by the Attorney General, and HB 2637 would standardize jury exemption ages and clean up jury disqualification reporting; both were left pending after limited testimony. Mental health and competency-related bills received significant attention. HB 305 would require a pretrial hearing within 14 days after a defendant is restored to competency, aimed at reducing repeated decompensation and the forensic waitlist; NAMI Texas supported it. HB 1741 would tighten procedures for not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity outpatient commitments by requiring a stronger nexus to the receiving county and clearer supervision authority; law enforcement and mental health witnesses said it would improve public safety and treatment success. HB 2492 would make the four-hour family-violence post-bond cooling-off period mandatory rather than discretionary, and HB 1445 would allow a managed assigned counsel director to designate someone to approve certain payments for indigent defense attorneys; both were left pending. HB 1024 would require prompt execution of warrants for parole violators on superintensive supervision, and HB 1306 would extend first-responder-style benefits to death investigation professionals; neither drew opposition in the hearing. The committee also heard a series of public integrity and technology bills. HB 449 would expand the deepfake sexual content statute to include sexually explicit images, with Public Citizen supporting the change as necessary to address a rapidly growing problem. HB 1902 would create a new offense for “jugging,” or following bank or ATM customers to rob them; the Texas Bankers Association supported it. HB 2697 would require sureties to notify prosecutors before surrendering a felony defendant’s bond, and HB 2001 would sharply increase penalties for misuse of public information for financial gain and related coercion, with prosecutors and Texas Rangers describing bid-rigging and public corruption investigations as difficult to prove under current law because of short limitations periods and limited penalties. HB 1866 would grant Texas peace officer authority to National Park Service rangers within Texas park boundaries, and HB 4996 would increase penalties for fraudulent liens filed against public servants. Throughout the hearing, most bills were left pending after testimony, and several committee substitutes were adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• not affect the admissibility of evidence or statements made by a child in any criminal, civil, or dependency

Bills: SB1086, SB1193, SB1318, SB1345, SB1346, SB1451, SB1496, SB1611, SB1630, SB1631, SB1632, SB1672

Keywords: reimbursement, healthcare, laboratory services, noncontracting providers, Arizona health care cost containment, personal identifying information, PII, privacy, confidential records, public records exemption, commercial disclosure, data privacy, licensure, certification, health professions, health care licensing, Arizona Department of Health Services, ADHS, emergency medical care technician, EMCT

Transcript Highlights:

• You've got child care providers out there that, depending on which area they're working, whether that's
• I mean, it depends on a lot of things.
• that parents, managing conservators, or guardians of minors who are denied admission to chemical dependency
• Concerns have been raised that chemical dependency treatment facilities do not inform parents of their
• Concerns have been raised that chemical dependency treatment facilities do not inform parents of their

Bills: HB163, HB216, HB721, HB2035, HB2038, HB3057, HB3153, HB3233, HB3595, HB3801, HB3812, HB4076, HB4129, HB4377, HB4535, HB4666, HB4730, HB4743, HB4903, HB5149, HB5155, HB1534

Keywords: epinephrine, healthcare, emergency response, administration, medical policy, health care, itemized billing, patient rights, provider regulations, Texas Health and Safety Code, cost disclosure, insurance, benefit plan, administrators, chemical dependency, treatment facilities, minor admissions, parental notice, mental health, medical licensing

Summary: The committee met without a quorum at first, then established a quorum with five members present. Members heard and left pending several House bills, including HB 4743 on allowing hospitals to license mobile stroke units under a hospital license, HB 4129 on earlier DFPS enforcement tools for single-source continuum contractors in community-based foster care, HB 4903 creating a Quad Agency Child Care Initiative to coordinate child care regulations across state agencies, HB 3812 revising the gold card/prior authorization process for physicians, HB 4535 requiring written informed consent before COVID-19 vaccination and a standardized state information sheet, and HB 4666 reducing the frequency of some HHSC reports to the legislature. The chair also noted HB 35 would be voted on later after a subcommittee back was received, and that a large number of bills would be heard the next day. Most of the testimony focused on HB 4535 and HB 4730. On HB 4535, supporters argued the bill would strengthen informed consent for COVID vaccination by requiring written consent and clearer state-level information about risks, manufacturer liability protections, and adverse-event reporting; opponents, including a pediatrician and medical groups, said existing federal and state informed-consent materials already cover these topics and warned the bill could create duplicative paperwork and penalties. On HB 3812, the Texas Medical Association supported changes that would extend the gold-card evaluation period to one year, raise transparency, and make prior authorization exemptions easier to administer, while health plans said they were neutral and viewed the bill as a balance between reducing burden and preventing fraud or unsafe care. HB 4730 drew extensive testimony from adoption professionals, birth mothers, adoptive parents, and child welfare advocates. The bill would require DFPS to create a relinquishment form, train child-placing agency staff, and extend the minimum waiting period for voluntary relinquishment from 48 hours to seven days. Supporters of the current law argued the 48-hour period aligns with hospital discharge, allows informed decisions, and helps birth parents and adoptive families begin healing and bonding without pushing children into foster care or creating legal and Medicaid complications. The author said the bill would be revised and that the seven-day provision was a work in progress. No votes were taken on the bills during the meeting; each bill was left pending after public testimony closed.

Transcript Highlights:

• to study a word that appears hundreds of times in our law yet carries vastly different meanings depending

Bills: HR38, HR96, HR160, HCR31, HCR61, HB578, HB668, HB1198, SCR19, SB66, SB68, SB76, SB139, SB336, SB475

Keywords: privacy rights, surveillance, USA Patriot Act, FISA, Fourth Amendment, civil liberties, government oversight, civil bench warrants, judgment debtors, notification process, judgment debtor examination, Louisiana State Law Institute, property transfer, public records doctrine, bad faith, real estate law, HCR 31, House Concurrent Resolution 31, foreign entities, foreign corporation

Transcript Highlights:

• And so that percentage would be applied, you know, across the board where some itineraries, depending
• And then on cruise ships, it really, if you're asking for an average, it really depends on the cruise
• And then on cruise ships, it really, if you're asking for an average, it really depends on the cruise
• And then on cruise ships, it really, if you're asking for an average, it really depends on the cruise
• </c> in a tourism dependent economy. in a tourism dependent economy.

Bills: HB1709, HB2195, HB2023, HB2031, HB2033, HB1937, HB2586, HB2575, HB2038, HB2030

Keywords: water carriers, transportation, public utility, Department of Transportation, liability, agricultural rates, certificates of convenience, cruise ship, passenger head fee, harbor, capital improvement, funding, environmental impact, active intelligent speed assistance, intelligent speed assistance, speed limiter, speed limiting device, speed governor, vehicle telematics, traffic safety

Summary: The joint committees on Transportation, Labor and Technology, and later Transportation and Economic Development and Tourism, heard several bills. SB 2573 would allow administrative driver’s license revocation hearings to be held by interactive conference technology such as Zoom and permit electronic exchange of evidence. The chief adjudicator for the ADLRO supported it as a non-mandatory option that has worked well since 2021, improving attendance and saving time and money; DOT also supported it. The committees voted to pass SB 2573 with technical, non-substantive amendments. SB 3215 would make permanent the requirement that securing mooring lines at commercial docks be performed by labor subject to collective bargaining by repealing the sunset date in existing harbor safety law. DOT did not submit testimony, and the chair noted support from longshore labor. The committees voted to pass SB 3215 unamended. The committees also heard SB 2693, which authorizes $15 million in general obligation bonds for planning, design, and construction of a 50,000-square-foot aerospace hangar and related facilities at Hilo International Airport. A Phoenix Space executive testified in support, saying Hawaii and Hilo have geographic advantages and that the project could support aerospace investment and jobs; several other organizations and individuals submitted supportive testimony. Committee members questioned whether federal matching funds or airport capacity existed, and DOT said it had no assurance of federal participation and would need to check on capacity and potential users. The hearing then moved to SB 2698, which would create a cruise ship special fund and impose a per-passenger head fee on cruise ships docking in state commercial harbors while repealing the existing cruise ship TAT framework effective January 1, 2026. DOT supported the bill but requested amendments to clarify that the new fee is in addition to existing passenger, port entry, and dockage fees and to raise the fee from $6.50 to $10; DOT said the higher amount would better fund harbor improvements such as shore power. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings testified in support but said the added fee would significantly increase costs, while a local ship supply business supported the cruise industry and opposed the TAT approach, saying cruise activity benefits local farmers and jobs. No final vote on SB 2698 was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• requirement under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for able-bodied adults without dependents
• The bill is about limiting access to food and grocery help for able-bodied adults without dependents,
• Those people still will not have to work if they have dependent children, if they're disabled, in those
• If they have dependent children, if they're disabled, right, in those situations.
• So currently, anyone up between the ages of 18 and 64 who are able-bodied adults without dependents must

Bills: SB1017, SB1149, SB1162, SB1192, SB1249, SB1253, SB1331, SB1333, SB1334

Keywords: informed consent, surgical procedures, healthcare professionals, patient rights, regulatory compliance, child welfare, dependency hearings, foster care, court procedures, parental rights, healthcare compliance, behavioral health technicians, licensing, monitoring, administrative burdens, basic first aid, good samaritan, medical licensing exemption, Arizona medical board, A.R.S. 32-1421

Bills: AB58, AB275, SB46, SB457, SB465, AB320, AB344, AB381, AB541

Keywords: Nevada gaming, gaming regulation, sports pool, race book, interactive gaming, slot machines, restricted license, Gaming Control Board, Gaming Commission, game approval, administrative approval, service provider, cash access, wagering instruments, global risk management, information service, sports wagering, pari-mutuel wagering, casino regulation, gaming license

Transcript Highlights:

• It depends on where it's going to be given to, right? That would be the time that I would utilize.
• It just depends on what their needs are.

Bills: SB1117, SB1373, SB672, SB1986, SB1098, SB626, SB1784, SB2480, SB2487, SB437, SB660

Keywords: dentistry, botulinum toxin, aesthetic treatments, dental regulation, training, medical staff privileges, hospital administration, healthcare regulation, Texas Health and Safety Code, consistency in privileges, SB 672, Texas hospital emergency operations plan, hospital diversion, emergency department, cyberattack, cyber security, power outage, electrical outage, patient diversion, hospital preparedness

Transcript Highlights:

• As such, the demand for chemical dependency treatment and rehabilitation centers is on the rise.
• pertains to civil and administrative penalties for violations of statutes or rules governing chemical dependency

Bills: SB1117, SB1373, SB672, SB1986, SB1098, SB626, SB1784, SB2480, SB2487, SB437, SB660

Keywords: dentistry, botulinum toxin, aesthetic treatments, dental regulation, training, medical staff privileges, hospital administration, healthcare regulation, Texas Health and Safety Code, consistency in privileges, SB 672, Texas hospital emergency operations plan, hospital diversion, emergency department, cyberattack, cyber security, power outage, electrical outage, patient diversion, hospital preparedness

Bills: HB109, HB136, HB 109, HB136, HB694, HB 1201, HB1716, HB2071, HB2216, HB2358, HB2807, HB2886, HCR78

Keywords: taxation, ballot propositions, public funding, voter information, transparency, training, public officials, candidates, requirements, political education, mental health, inpatient psychiatric facility, juvenile treatment, residential treatment facility, emotionally disturbed juveniles, Department of State Health Services, Health and Human Services Commission, state grant, facility construction, facility expansion

Transcript Highlights:

• there's not that integration currently occurring, you've got child care providers out there who, depending
• I mean, it depends on a lot of things.
• What happens on day five when I've had time to reconsider my choice, feeling extremely dependent, feeling
• Conservators, guardians of minors who are denied admission to chemical dependency treatment facilities
• Concerns have been raised that chemical dependency treatment facilities do not inform parents of their

Bills: HB163, HB216, HB721, HB2035, HB2038, HB3057, HB3153, HB3233, HB3595, HB3801, HB3812, HB4076, HB4129, HB4377, HB4535, HB4666, HB4730, HB4743, HB4903, HB5149, HB5155, HB1534, HB163, HB216

Keywords: epinephrine, healthcare, emergency response, administration, medical policy, health care, itemized billing, patient rights, provider regulations, Texas Health and Safety Code, cost disclosure, insurance, benefit plan, administrators, chemical dependency, treatment facilities, minor admissions, parental notice, mental health, medical licensing

Transcript Highlights:

• treatment for a person with a chemical dependency.
• Under current law, persons with chemical dependency may be subject to court-ordered treatment at a...
• House Bill 171 would set a minimum duration for court-ordered treatment. of chemical dependency, but
• from the previous bill is that it changes the minimum time required for court-ordered chemical dependency
• Our data shows that the real costs of serving a warrant ranges from $75 to $104, depending on the distance

Bills: HB47, HB171, HB285, HB305, HB449, HB908, HB1024, HB1306, HB1443, HB1445, HB1741, HB1866, HB1902, HB2001, HB2282, HB2355, HB2492, HB2637, HB2697, HB3464, HB4263, HB4996, HB5667, HB47, HB171, HB285, HB305

Keywords: sexual assault, victim rights, forensic examination, medical care, trauma-informed care, crime victims compensation, evidence retention, chemical dependency, court-ordered treatment, mental health, health care, treatment facility, juvenile justice, criminal justice reform, animal cruelty, nonlivestock, prosecution, veterinary defense, animal welfare, pretrial hearings

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it always depends.
• It depends on... $4,500 a month? Absolutely. Well, how are they getting that kind of money?
• And that is the one thing that I think, as we debate these kind of things, I think that we depend too
• I think that we depend too much on data that is being accumulated and stored in another state, the CDC

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.