Transcript Highlights:

• While the districts in the region have, in some cases, used arbitrary fee schedules and overly strict
• HB 612 extends cost-based fee protections to include developers, not just retail public utilities.
• It prohibits water districts from imposing pipeline construction fees on a developer greater than the
• However, the fee limitations still apply.
• SB 3058 authorizes the district to use export fees, export fees collected under the current law to fund

Bills: HB2018, HB1633, HB1689, SB612, SB3058

Keywords: agricultural conservation, land preservation, environmental protection, wildlife habitat, Texas Farm and Ranch, groundwater conservation district, Texas Water Code, water permit, permit amendment, groundwater permit, water rights, aquifer, well registration, exempt wells, beneficial use, water conservation, groundwater quality, well plugging, Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area, surface water resources

Summary: The Senate Water, Agriculture, Rural Affairs Committee heard several bills focused on groundwater management, water infrastructure, and agricultural land conservation. SB 612 would limit certain water districts in Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy counties from charging developers pipeline construction fees above actual, documented costs; the committee substitute removed a developer challenge mechanism to preserve district discretion over construction standards. HB 1633 would require groundwater conservation districts to consider registered exempt wells when reviewing or amending permits, and testimony from landowners, district representatives, and advocacy groups largely supported the bill as a way to protect domestic and livestock wells from drawdown caused by large export projects. HB 1689 would clarify that export fee revenues may be used for well operability, alternative water supplies, and aquifer monitoring, including through interlocal cooperation, and HB 3058 would give the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District authority to use export fees for county road improvements and environmental programs tied to well inspection and groundwater management. HB 2018 would clarify that the Texas Farm and Ranchland Conservation Program is intended to purchase conservation easements only on working agricultural lands, with support from cattle raisers and Farm Bureau representatives. The committee also considered HB 29, which would require large water systems to validate water loss audits and submit mitigation plans; a committee substitute removed the water-loss threshold and adjusted the timeline for more detailed validation. Public testimony on the bills was generally supportive, with several witnesses describing declining well levels, road damage from export projects, and the need to preserve agricultural land and local water supplies. The committee adopted committee substitutes and voted favorably on HB 29, HB 1689, HB 2018, SB 612, and SB 3058, recommending several of them for the local and uncontested calendar; HB 1633 was left pending awaiting a committee substitute.

Transcript Highlights:

• Agencies, first responder agencies, from charging a fee to respond.
• Responding that they also shouldn't charge a fee for what basically is their mission, which is to be
• And one of the ideas that came up was to charge an accident response fee when fire departments go out
• Those fees will only be charged to insured drivers.
• Accident fees can be $710 to $1,800 per accident.

Bills: HB3045

Keywords: accident response, motor vehicle, law enforcement, fire department, fee prohibition, 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What this does is it sets a cap, which used to be at 55% when the federal law was 50.
• What this does is it sets a cap, which used to be at 55% when the federal law was 50.
• should be amended to put this lower cap should be amended to put this lower cap so<00:08:26.960>
• <00:09:18.000> With next year, a more restrictive cap.
• With next year, a more restrictive cap.

Bills: HF4234, HF484, HF483, HF2614

Keywords: HF4234, Minnesota private activity bonds, tax-exempt bonds, bond cap, aggregate bond limitation, residential rental projects, multifamily housing, affordable housing finance, housing bonds, public finance, bond allocation, private activity bond cap, Minnesota Statutes 474A.02, tax committee, natural gas, gas hookups, residential construction, energy policy, local control, state preemption

Transcript Highlights:

• While the districts in the region have, in some cases, used arbitrary fee schedules. and overly strict
• construction requirements to extract fees from developers far beyond their means and actual costs.
• It prohibits water districts from imposing unreasonable fees.
• However, the fee limitations will apply.
• I will say this: the export fee we got in before, and the export fee is...

Bills: HB2018, HB1633, HB1689, SB612, SB3058

Keywords: agricultural conservation, land preservation, environmental protection, wildlife habitat, Texas Farm and Ranch, groundwater conservation district, Texas Water Code, water permit, permit amendment, groundwater permit, water rights, aquifer, well registration, exempt wells, beneficial use, water conservation, groundwater quality, well plugging, Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area, surface water resources

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have an increase in taxes and fees to support the state road fund.
• This increases the heavy vehicle weight distance tax by 35% and increase vehicle registration fees by
• There are some different types of preventative maintenance techniques, whether it's concrete caps or
• There's no additional fee today. You got to tell her what the question is.
• We share with them the vehicle registration fees. They have the ability to do this.

Bills: SB2

Keywords: SB 2, State Highway Project Bonds, highway funding, transportation bonds, state road fund, motor vehicle fees, vehicle registration fees, electric vehicle fee, EV surcharge, plug-in hybrid fee, weight distance tax, road construction, infrastructure financing, Department of Transportation, State Transportation Commission, bonding authority, county road funds, municipal road funds, transportation improvement program, state highways

Transcript Highlights:

• This resulted in higher profits through Unnecessary facility fees but not improved outcomes.
• Up to the Medicare fee schedule amount.
• from us, and then for each event you're going to get a $40 fee from MDH.
• I just was the testifier said they have to pay the $40,000. dollar fee.
• I thought it was an annual fee, but then they have to pay it repeatedly.

Bills: HF2779, HF1645, HF1885, HF1289, HF1534, HF2707, HF1675, HF3046

Keywords: health care transparency, ownership disclosure, control reporting, health care consolidation, private equity, management services organization, MSO, provider organization, health insurer, pharmacy benefit manager, hospital system, affiliate reporting, financial disclosure, public reporting, market concentration, horizontal consolidation, vertical consolidation, health care ownership, corporate practice, health care regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• fees, but not improved outcomes. fees, but not improved outcomes.
• And they pay a $20 fee to our thing.
• you're going to get $40 fee from MDH.
• They're getting charged not only our $20 fee for the license fee where we actually go out and inspect
• you're going to get $40 fee from MDH.

Bills: HF2779, HF1645, HF1885, HF1289, HF1534, HF2707, HF1675, HF3046

Keywords: health care transparency, ownership disclosure, control reporting, health care consolidation, private equity, management services organization, MSO, provider organization, health insurer, pharmacy benefit manager, hospital system, affiliate reporting, financial disclosure, public reporting, market concentration, horizontal consolidation, vertical consolidation, health care ownership, corporate practice, health care regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, since 2009, when the fee structure for the Construction Industries Board, the fee structures
• Construction Industries Board has presented a fair and responsible assessment that we adjust their fee
• be a barrier for people to be able to even get into the trades due to the large increase of these fees
• I don't believe I would say that, thinking through the fee structure that they've asked for.
• That they didn't ask for any fees that I would consider absorbitant.

Bills: SB1239, SB1732

Keywords: Service Oklahoma, apportionment, state revenue, funding, vehicle registration, professional licensing, licensing fees, home inspection, home inspector, Construction Industries Board, CIB, contractor license, journeyman license, apprentice registration, alarm endorsement, code inspector, electrical license, plumbing license, mechanical license, permit fees

Transcript Highlights:

• The first item on the agenda is Senate Bill 38: fees on registered pet food. ...registered pet food.
• food brand, and then that goes into the fee and is distributed.
• So there's a fee on—pardon me, Madam Chair, Representative—there's a fee on registering the pet food.
• Is there an actual tax on anything over this, or is it just the fee to register the food?
• Madam Chair, Madam Chair, and Representative, yes, it's just the fee.

Bills: SB38, SB17, SB41, SB264

Keywords: SB38, pet food, registered pet food, registration fee, fees, sunset repeal, repeal of repeal, revenue, state fee, business regulation, animal feed, pet food registration, New Mexico, gun control, firearm safety, dealer regulation, illegal trade, background checks, sexual crimes, statute of limitations

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have an increase in taxes and fees to support the state. Road Fund.
• The surcharge is additional to the registration fees. Thank you for your time, Madam.
• How are we stacking up now with our neighboring states in terms of fees?
• There's no additional fee today. You got to tell her what the question is, I don't know.
• They have the bill we give them; we share with them the vehicle registration fees.

Bills: SB2

Keywords: SB 2, State Highway Project Bonds, highway funding, transportation bonds, state road fund, motor vehicle fees, vehicle registration fees, electric vehicle fee, EV surcharge, plug-in hybrid fee, weight distance tax, road construction, infrastructure financing, Department of Transportation, State Transportation Commission, bonding authority, county road funds, municipal road funds, transportation improvement program, state highways

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, there's no cap on the income, right?
• for twice as many kids, and we'll probably be picking up a few, but a lot of it is we just picked the cap

Bills: SB2

Keywords: SB 2, State Highway Project Bonds, highway funding, transportation bonds, state road fund, motor vehicle fees, vehicle registration fees, electric vehicle fee, EV surcharge, plug-in hybrid fee, weight distance tax, road construction, infrastructure financing, Department of Transportation, State Transportation Commission, bonding authority, county road funds, municipal road funds, transportation improvement program, state highways

Bills: HB1583, HB1775, HB1832, HB1836, HB1837, HB1866, HB1983, HB2029, HB2217, HB2318, HB2363, HB2486

Keywords: mental health, emergency detention, peace officer, mental illness, prevention of harm, border security, private landowners, study and report, General Land Office, participation, controlled substances, opioid antagonists, law enforcement training, substance abuse prevention, Texas-Mexico border, criminal justice, public safety, law enforcement, National Park Service, arrest powers

Transcript Highlights:

• Parker, relating to the authority of a brewers or nonresident brewers license holder, authorizing a fee
• relates to authorized activities of a brewers or nonresident brewers license holder and authorizes a fee

Bills: HB223

Keywords: municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures

Summary: The Committee on State Affairs heard several House bills, with most measures left pending after testimony and later taken up in a batch of votes. Early in the meeting, HB 5624 on liability protections for motocross/off-road vehicle tracks, HB 223 on requiring competitive procurement for municipal lobbying contracts, HB 3709 on post-election audit procedures, and HB 5081 on protecting personal information of judicial officers and court staff were all discussed and left pending after testimony. Witnesses on HB 223 supported greater transparency in municipal lobbying contracts. HB 3709 drew sharp opposition from an election integrity advocate who argued the bill would reduce precinct-level granularity and make it harder to detect ballot errors, while a Secretary of State resource witness said the bill would simplify and standardize the audit process by location. HB 5081 received strong support from court administration and a district judge who described prior threats and an attack tied to publicly available personal information. The committee also heard HB 3546 on allowing school districts to move elections to November, HB 493 on barring certain felony offenders from serving as poll watchers, HB 5115 on increasing penalties for election fraud and related conduct, HB 4081 on trade secret filing procedures, HB 3909 on limiting restrictions on wireless devices at polling places, HB 2702 on limiting gubernatorial closure authority for certain veterans organizations during pandemics, HB 119 on foreign adversary lobbying, and HB 5138 on the Attorney General’s authority to prosecute election crimes. Several of these bills were explained with committee substitutes and then left pending before final action. Testimony on HB 493 and HB 5115 came from an election integrity advocate who supported both bills, saying the poll watcher restriction was appropriately narrowed and that the election fraud bill would help address invalid votes and refusal to count valid votes. Later, the committee took up pending business and voted out a large number of bills, generally along party lines or with broad support. HB 186 on minors’ social media use, HB 229, HB 2885, HB 3909 as substituted, HB 4285, HB 1661, HB 2820, HB 3181, HB 4157, HB 223, HB 521, HB 640, HB 1234, HB 2253, HB 2294, HB 3053, HB 3697 as substituted, HB 4281, HB 4463, HB 4995, HB 5081 as substituted, HB 5624 as substituted, HB 119 as substituted, HB 3225, HB 5138 as substituted, HB 5115, HB 481 as substituted, HB 3546, HB 493, and HB 4145 were reported favorably to the full Senate, with several also placed on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also adopted committee substitutes for multiple bills, including HB 3909, HB 5081, HB 5624, HB 119, HB 5138, and HB 481. At the end, the chair noted another committee meeting would likely be needed before deadlines, possibly on a weekend, and recessed the committee subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• The fees where the city can double it is now they can't, so we got a $25 fine on it, and they've been
• If we don't raise the fees, we have to do something with that.
• If we don't raise the fees, we have to do something with the municipal fees, that doubling issue, and

Bills: HB1053

Keywords: North Dakota highway system, state roads, road mileage cap, transportation code, Department of Transportation, DOT, highway mileage limit, road classification, county roads, township roads, state highway network, Century Code section 24-01-01.2, infrastructure, public roads, transportation policy, 908, all

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 1298 and first discussed an amendment from Senator Paulson that would add variable electronic speed limit signs to the bill while leaving the 80-mile-an-hour provision unchanged. Members said the signs would be used on interstates I-29 and I-94 in selected problem areas, based on weather or accident conditions, and that the proposal would not require a fiscal note. The discussion then broadened to Senator Rummel’s concerns about related bills, especially 2243, 1250, and 1229. He argued that the House changes were removing municipal authority to double fines, lowering or eliminating points for serious traffic violations, and undoing prior Senate positions. Several members said they were willing to use HB 1298 as the vehicle to restore the earlier fine and point provisions, including the 29 violations previously assigned three points, and to avoid concurring with the House versions. Members did not take final action on the amendments or the bill. Instead, they agreed more work was needed and asked Legislative Council to prepare a combined amendment and options for the next meeting. The committee recessed and scheduled further discussion for the next morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• They would be able to look at the fee schedule; the number would be there, and that would be the rate
• schedule the number would be at the fee schedule the number would be there<00:09:07.959> and<
• The other side of the question is that when we do this, this would impact fee-for-service.
• Because I've seen in the past managed care organizations sometimes pay more than fee-for-service, but
• <00:53:01.640> and at least 100% of the Medicare fee and at least 100% of the Medicare fee

Bills: HF1005

Keywords: health insurance, medical assistance, behavioral health, reimbursement rates, primary care services, physician fee schedule, managed care, residential services, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So, again, that's how the fees are collected. It's done...
• It's a $100 fee, as I understand it.
• Basically, it's a registration fee charged to manufacturers.
• The animal feed annual fee that companies have to pay, that's the basic fee for whatever product that
• The animal feed annual fee that companies have to pay, that's the basic fee for whatever product that

Bills: SB38, SB46, SB18

Keywords: SB38, pet food, registered pet food, registration fee, fees, sunset repeal, repeal of repeal, revenue, state fee, business regulation, animal feed, pet food registration, New Mexico, SB46, organic waste, solid waste, waste diversion, composting, compost feedstock, waste characterization study

Transcript Highlights:

• Each permit also incurs a $3,000 fee.
• cap at 105,000 cases, and I don't really understand why.
• The caps are the problem. That's the issue with it. I'm sorry.
• The caps then are a little bit different concept, of course.
• I just don't think we can achieve that with a single cap. ...anguish.

Bills: HB223

Keywords: municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Relating to authorized activities of a brewer or non-resident brewer's license holder, authorizing a fee

Bills: HB223

Keywords: municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It also authorizes the commissioner to establish a fee schedule to help offset the cost of burial.
• Removing the fees simply lowers costs for our disabled veterans.
• Removing the fees simply lowers costs for our disabled veterans.
• They're not going to have to fees. They can just designate disability. Is that correct?
• They're not going to have to fees.

Bills: HF4615, HF3532, HF4492, HF4171

Keywords: military, pay, officers, enlisted members, state active service, Minnesota Statutes, veterans, burial eligibility, honor guard, state cemeteries, military service, burial fees, veterans affairs, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, advisory task force, commanders task force, veterans service organizations, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, VFW

Transcript Highlights:

• We're just updating the fee caps for specific regulations under NMDA. Excuse me.
• In some instances, fee caps have not been addressed in 50 or more years.
• Proposed caps are based on an estimated future 20-year operating period, and fees are caps of similar
• raise the permanent fee caps, we would still have to go through the rulemaking process in order for
• So this bill really just raises the caps. It does not necessarily raise the fees.

Bills: SB47, SB110, SB122, SB143, SB168

Keywords: food recovery, composting, waste management, solid waste surcharge, organic waste reduction, environment, grants, advisory group, bosque management, Rio Grande, environmental protection, water resources, fiscal appropriation, drinking water, well owners, water testing, water treatment, public health, agriculture, New Mexico Department of Agriculture