Bills: SJR 1, SB 9, SB 40, SJR 36, SJR 1, SJR 5, SB 9, SB 40, SR 61, SR 91, SR 97, SR 103, SR 104, SR 112, SR 115, SR 116, SCR 16, SB 26, SB 26

Keywords: bail denial, illegal aliens, felony offenses, constitutional amendment, law enforcement, bail reform, defendants, pretrial detention, public safety, criminal justice, charitable bail organizations, bail bonds, public funds, political subdivision, injunctive relief, taxpayer rights, bail, criminal justice reform, Texas Music Advocacy Day, music industry

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2713 imposes a business and occupation tax surcharge on the operators of private detention
• The restriction on private detention facilities does not apply to involuntary confinement at: one, a
• centers like the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.
• This bill is all about the GEO Corporation, which runs the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.
• Are you speaking specifically to juvenile detention facilities?

Bills: HB2730, HB2713

Keywords: aerospace, tax preferences, effectiveness, economic impact, state revenue, private detention facilities, business tax, occupation tax, financial impact, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• jails, and threading the needle when sheriffs are running jails, their primary responsibility is for pretrial

Bills: HB146, HB333, HB517, HB828, SB87, SB93, SB98, SB118, SB125, SB199, SB277, SB294, SB306

Keywords: sports wagering, gambling, elections, local control, revenue generation, inmates, housing, corrections, Department of Public Safety, local jurisdiction, criminal justice, juvenile justice, jury trial, felony offenses, crime of violence, sex offenses, correctional facilities, in-custody deaths, medical oversight, independent investigations

Transcript Highlights:

• A private detention facility is a detention facility that is operated by a private, non-governmental
• The sheriffs and police chiefs do not run juvenile detention facilities, only adults.
• People in detention can't call the police or 911.
• People in detention can't call the police or 911.
• However, those detained in private detention facilities have barriers to reporting crimes.

Bills: HB1228, HB1239, HB2310, HB2464

Keywords: DUI, driving under the influence, impaired driving, toxicology, forensic toxicology, breath test, blood test, THC, marijuana, cannabis, alcohol concentration, state toxicologist, implied consent, evidence admissibility, venous blood draw, forensic phlebotomist, certified laboratory, accredited laboratory, law enforcement, DWI

Summary: The committee heard public hearings on several bills, with staff briefings and sponsor testimony before moving to public testimony later. House Bill 2310 would elevate fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation to a Class C felony for repeat offenders with qualifying prior convictions. The sponsor said it responds to a constituent’s experience and is intended to increase accountability for repeat conduct. Supporters from prosecutors and law enforcement said it addresses repeated plea-downs and aligns with other repeat-offense statutes, while defense advocates warned it would trigger sex-offense consequences, registration, immigration impacts, and higher incarceration and supervision costs, and urged review by the Sex Offender Policy Board. House Bill 1239, the reentry readiness bill, would prospectively increase earned release time to up to 33.33% for eligible sentences starting July 1, 2026, make certain enhancements eligible for earned release time, create a two-year peer-support pilot for incarcerated survivors of sexual violence and intimate partner violence at the women’s correctional center, and require victim notification materials about sentencing changes. The sponsor and reentry advocates said it would improve reentry, reduce recidivism, and support trauma-informed preparation for release. Prosecutors and sheriffs opposed the bill, arguing it mainly shortens sentences rather than improving rehabilitation and could reduce accountability for serious offenses, though they supported the pilot concept. House Bill 1228 would allow blood and breath toxicology analyses to be valid if performed by an accredited ISO/IEC 17025 forensic toxicology lab, creating an alternative to the state toxicologist process. The sponsor, Seattle’s city attorney, prosecutors, and law enforcement supporters said Washington’s toxicology backlog is causing long delays, missed filings, and repeat impaired-driving offenses, and that private lab use could speed cases and improve public safety. Defense advocates asked for discovery protections and cautioned about out-of-state lab complications, while county representatives opposed shifting costs to local governments and warned of unequal access if only some jurisdictions can afford private testing. House Bill 2464 would require private detention facilities to report serious incidents—such as abuse, neglect, deaths, suicides, hospitalizations, and emergencies—to the Department of Health and local law enforcement within one business day, and would require annual law-enforcement reporting on calls and investigations involving those facilities. The sponsor and advocates said the bill is needed because conditions and incidents at the Tacoma ICE facility are not being transparently reported, citing deaths, assaults, hunger strikes, fires, and barriers to detainees reporting abuse. Law enforcement said the bill should be discussed with the affected agencies and noted reporting burdens, while supporters from civil rights, immigrant rights, media, and human rights groups said the measure would improve transparency and public safety. No votes were taken; the committee repeatedly held the hearings open and moved from one bill to the next for testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the ACLU of Texas in opposition to SJR 87, respectfully, which requires... ...which requires detention
• the Supreme Court held because of all these things that in our society, liberty is the norm and detention
• It mandates detention without due process.
• The last thing I want to say: when I think about mandatory detention, I think about some of the people

Bills: SB3073, SJR87

Keywords: Texas criminal procedure, magistrate, probable cause, written findings, arrest review, criminal justice, Article 15.17, pretrial release, judicial recordkeeping, court transparency, law enforcement, defendant rights, criminal proceedings, no probable cause, magistrate findings, bail reform, felony offenses, constitutional amendment, public safety

Summary: The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice met with a quorum present and took up three bills tied to bail reform and law enforcement records. Senator Huffman presented SJR 87, a proposed constitutional amendment that would require denial of bail for people accused of certain serious felony offenses if they have a prior conviction for, or are already on bond for, one of those offenses and there is probable cause to believe they committed another listed offense. Supporters said it would give judges a needed tool to detain repeat violent offenders; opponents from the ACLU of Texas and Texas Civil Rights Project argued it would mandate detention without individualized due process and weaken the presumption of innocence. The committee voted 7-1 to report SJR 87 favorably, with Senator Miles voting no. The committee then heard SB 3073, which would require magistrates who find no probable cause after an arrest to enter written findings supporting that determination. Senator Huffman said the bill was a narrow cleanup measure to improve transparency and provide guidance to law enforcement and prosecutors without limiting judicial discretion. With no invited or public testimony, the committee voted 6-1 to report SB 3073 favorably, again with Senator Miles dissenting. Finally, the committee considered SB 781, a committee substitute dealing with law enforcement file management and personnel records. Senator King explained that the bill would standardize policies already used in many Texas cities and under civil service rules, separating public and sealed personnel information while preserving access for criminal defense discovery. Senator Miles raised concerns that sealing exonerated allegations could hide patterns of misconduct and allow problematic officers to move between agencies. The committee adopted the committee substitute and voted 6-1 to report SB 781 favorably, with Senator Miles voting no. The committee then recessed subject to the chair’s call.

Transcript Highlights:

• guilty of the crime will bear some of the costs incurred during the investigation, prosecution, and detention
• can ensure that they bear some of the costs incurred during the investigation, prosecution, and detention

Bills: HB 1194, HB 1221, HB1738, HB1913, HB2177, HB2178, HB2180, HB2229, HB2282, HB2448, HB2492, HB2777, HB2984, HB3357, HB3553, HB3602

Keywords: emergency protection order, protective order, magistrate, criminal procedure, victim safety, family violence, domestic violence, stalking, assault, magistrate's order, temporary protection, court order duration, defendant restrictions, Article 17.292, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, emergency restraining order, victim protection, firearm restriction, pretrial intervention, reimbursement fee

Bills: HB358, HB358

Keywords: juvenile justice, detention, age of majority, jurisdiction, child welfare, foreign influence, political activity, transparency, registration, civil penalties, hostile foreign principals, state ethics, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here on behalf of the ACLU of Texas in opposition to SJR 87 respectfully, which requires detention
• The Supreme Court held that because of all these things, in our society, liberty is the norm and detention
• It mandates detention without due process.
• The last thing I want to say, when I think of When I think about mandatory detention, I think about some

Bills: SB3073, SJR87

Keywords: Texas criminal procedure, magistrate, probable cause, written findings, arrest review, criminal justice, Article 15.17, pretrial release, judicial recordkeeping, court transparency, law enforcement, defendant rights, criminal proceedings, no probable cause, magistrate findings, bail reform, felony offenses, constitutional amendment, public safety, 1185

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, where the Department of Health may designate county detention facilities for the detention of mentally
• with Laramie County Detention Center.
• with Laramie County Detention Center.
• with Laramie County Detention Center.
• with Laramie County Detention Center.

Bills: SF0007, SF0008, SF0009, SF0010

Keywords: theft, penalties, larceny, criminal offense, felony, Wyoming, absconding, law enforcement, criminal justice, fentanyl, controlled substances, minors, drug distribution, enhanced penalties, mental health, detention, competency evaluation, treatment, contractual agreements, 916

Bills: HB85, HB94, HB276, HB323, HB374, HB586, HB656, HB998, HB1204, SB42, SB46, SB51, SB87, SB110, SB154

Keywords: animal abuse, registry, law enforcement, felony offenses, public notification, firearms, due process, confiscation, law-abiding citizen, government funding, self-defense, bail, contradictory bail hearing, Gwen's Law, pretrial detention, criminal procedure, child sexual abuse, child rape, sexual battery, oral sexual battery

Transcript Highlights:

• CoreCivic is the largest owner of private detention facilities in America, and their primary shareholders
• From my findings or what I'm looking at here, there is no private detention center in Minnesota at this
• </c><00:22:28.320><c> center</c><00:22:28.720><c> in</c> there is no private detention center in there
• is no private detention center in Minnesota<00:22:29.360><c> at</c><00:22:29.600><c> this</c><00:22:
• facility, having a hundred bay detention facility, having a hundred bay doors<00:24:22.320><c> for</

Bills: HF3611, HF3659, HF3909

Keywords: taxation, income tax, damage awards, sexual harassment, abuse claims, immigration enforcement, taxpayers, file income tax return, Minnesota-source income, tax regulations, detention facilities, gross revenues, private prisons, Minnesota law, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The first bond on a pretrial detention in Harris County picks up a murder in Montgomery County.
• Infringe on due process and result in longer pretrial detention for people who could otherwise be safely
• We have had three people die in LaSalle Corrections facility as pre-trial for pre-trial detention. detention
• What our work shows us is that the Texas pretrial and cash bail systems are broken.
• detention with no consideration on the likelihood of their guilt.

Bills: SB9, SB1047, SB1048, SJR17, SJR49, SB40, SJR1, SJR5, SB 9, SB 40, SJR 1

Keywords: bail reform, defendants, pretrial detention, public safety, criminal justice, charitable bail organizations, criminal procedure, public safety report, victim notification, family violence, bail bonds, public funds, political subdivision, injunction, taxpayer rights, violent crimes, sexual offenses, community safety, constitutional amendment, trafficking

Transcript Highlights:

• The Lake and Riley Act expands mandatory immigration detention in a federal detention center. for certain
• They would be transferred into ICE custody. or mandatory detention.
• One, it allows detention of presumptively innocent people.
• It gives the government the unwarranted power to expand pre-trial detention.
• That is an enormous fiscal cost to pay for pre-trial detention.

Bills: SB9, SB1047, SB1048, SJR17, SJR49, SB40, SJR1, SJR5, SB 9, SB 40, SJR 1

Keywords: bail reform, defendants, pretrial detention, public safety, criminal justice, charitable bail organizations, criminal procedure, public safety report, victim notification, family violence, bail bonds, public funds, political subdivision, injunction, taxpayer rights, violent crimes, sexual offenses, community safety, constitutional amendment, trafficking

Transcript Highlights:

• Confinement imposed by a juvenile court up to 30 days is served in a county juvenile detention facility
• I learned this last interim when I was touring the Denny Juvenile Detention Facility.
• Even in other jurisdictions where these juveniles are booked, they are generally out of custody pretrial
• There is very limited intervention for these juveniles on a pretrial basis.
• We have some residents from youth detention facilities on a timeline, so we are going to open up the

Bills: HB2389, HB2456

Keywords: juvenile justice, youth sentencing, juvenile rehabilitation, DCYF, Department of Children Youth and Families, community supervision, community transition services, suspended disposition, less restrictive alternative, sentencing grid, juvenile confinement, juvenile prison, rehabilitation, recidivism, mental health treatment, substance use disorder, chemical dependency, trauma-informed care, racial disparities, equity

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 2456, which would create a juvenile firearm early intervention alternative for youth charged with unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree. Staff explained that the bill would allow dismissal after successful completion of a prosecutor-approved, 12-month intensive supervision program with searches, therapy, mentorship, and regular court reviews, funded by a $100 increase to concealed pistol license fees. The prime sponsor said the bill is meant to fill the gap between arrest and final case resolution and to provide a cautious, evidence-based intervention; one member questioned whether the CPL fee increase functioned more like a tax than a fee. The chair then held further testimony on that bill. The committee then took extensive testimony on House Bill 2389, which would expand suspended disposition alternatives and other community-based options for juveniles, broaden eligibility for some offenses including robbery and assault, require mid-sentence review hearings, reduce some robbery standard ranges, and add juvenile rehabilitation capacity and emergency transfer provisions. Supporters, including youth currently or formerly in juvenile facilities, defense advocates, restorative justice groups, and some judges, argued the bill would reduce overcrowding, address racial disparities, improve rehabilitation, and give judges more individualized options. Several witnesses described personal experiences with trauma, incarceration, and the benefits of treatment and community support, while researchers testified that juvenile incarceration has limited rehabilitative value and that periodic review can improve outcomes. Opponents and those testifying with concerns, including prosecutors, sheriffs, county officials, juvenile court administrators, DCYF, and victims or victim advocates, argued the bill would shift burdens to counties without adequate funding, add appeals and hearings, and reduce accountability for serious offenses. They warned that the first part of the bill would effectively lower many standard ranges to local sanctions for offenses such as robbery, assault, arson, and drive-by shooting, and said community-based resources and staffing are not in place statewide. DCYF and Green Hill staff said overcrowding has improved but emergency transfer authority is still needed, while some witnesses urged changes to preserve revocation tools, clarify transfer standards, and add resources before expanding community placement.

Transcript Highlights:

• But jobs rooted in detention and human suffering do not build community and well-being.
• The legislature has made clear again and again that it opposes private detention in our state.
• We know that the board invests in the private for-profit detention company Geo Group.
• We as a state have taken a stand against for-profit private detention.
• The private detention centers, like the Northwest ICE Processing Center, should not exist.

Bills: SB5439, SB6109, SB6304

Keywords: investment, thermal coal, divestment, state investment board, fossil fuels, environmental impact, renewable energy, detention facilities, state funds, privatization, criminal justice reform, Washington State Investment Board, responsible investment, sustainability, corporate governance, 904, all

Summary: The committee first received a work session from the State Investment Board. Staff described the board’s structure, its roughly $230 billion in assets, and its mandate to maximize returns at prudent risk for pension and other public funds. Officials said the board generally invests public equities passively through low-cost index funds, manages a diversified mix of asset classes, and has produced strong long-term returns that help stabilize contribution rates and the state budget. They also outlined the board’s sustainability program, including ESG integration, proxy voting, engagement with companies, climate and DEI blueprints, and a stated view that divestment restrictions can reduce returns and increase costs. Senators asked about deferred compensation, private equity, digital assets, and whether the legislature has altered investment policy in the past. The committee then held a public hearing on SB 5439, which would prohibit new thermal coal investments beginning in 2026 and require full divestment by 2030, with limited exceptions. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support, with advocates arguing coal is a poor long-term investment, a major climate and health harm, and a small share of the portfolio that can be phased out without major disruption. The hearing also covered SB 6109, which would prohibit investments in private detention facilities and require divestment by 2030; supporters said public funds should not profit from immigrant detention, while staff confirmed the board currently has a small investment in Geo Group. The committee then heard SB 6304, a broader responsible investing bill that would require the board to incorporate ethical principles related to human rights, environmental degradation, corruption, and similar harms, and to adopt proxy voting guidelines and annual reporting. Supporters from labor, faith, civil rights, housing, and Palestinian advocacy groups said the bill would align investments with state values and address harms tied to weapons, detention, surveillance, fossil fuels, and alleged genocide-related investments. Finally, the committee received a briefing on Substitute SB 5945, which would exclude most juvenile convictions from counting as strikes under the state’s persistent offender law, except for first- and second-degree murder and serious sex offenses, and would apply retroactively with resentencing for affected people. Fiscal estimates discussed ranged from about 10 to 48 cases, with costs for public defense, courts, and local prosecution. Public defense officials said the cases would be complex and resource-intensive. Prosecutors and sheriffs opposed the bill, especially retroactive resentencing, citing victim impacts, workload, and public safety concerns, and asked that retroactivity be removed if the bill moves forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Instead of calling the person over the Detention Facility or warden in reference to rehabilitating juvenile

Bills: HB191, HB196, HB134, HB14, HB14

Keywords: juvenile detention, county management, legal procedures, juvenile justice, county commission, supervision, administration, vehicle registration, disability access, fines, law enforcement, public accommodation, interim police chief, public safety, municipalities, state authority, 1136, house, all

Bills: SB15, SB9, SB7, SB1, SB2, SB67, SB15, SB9, SB7

Keywords: real property, fraud, theft, elderly, disabled, statute of limitations, criminal offense, property rights, property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap

Bills: SB15, SB9, SB7, SB1, SB2, SB67, SB15, SB9, SB7

Keywords: real property, fraud, theft, elderly, disabled, statute of limitations, criminal offense, property rights, property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows certain juveniles to serve fewer than 30 days of remaining confinement time in a county detention

Bills: HB2230, HB2364, HB2389, HB2429

Keywords: community oversight, residential services, regulation, service providers, monitoring, poverty, task force, legislative, executive, social programs, juvenile justice, youth sentencing, juvenile rehabilitation, DCYF, Department of Children Youth and Families, community supervision, community transition services, suspended disposition, less restrictive alternative, sentencing grid

Summary: The Early Learning and Human Services Committee met in executive session on four bills. House Bill 2230, which streamlines DHS monitoring and oversight of community residential service providers and limits duplicate routine reviews, was amended with Harrow 796 to clarify that Adult Protective Services investigations are not subject to the routine review limits. The committee adopted the amendment and then passed the substitute bill out of committee unanimously, 11-0, with a do pass recommendation. House Bill 2364, which renames and expands the Legislative Executive Workforce Poverty Reduction Oversight Task Force into the Legislative Executive Economic Justice and Well-Being Task Force, was reported out with a do pass recommendation on an 8-3 vote. Supporters said the bill updates language, broadens membership, and aligns duties; some members voted no or without recommendation due to concerns about the title change and other provisions. House Bill 2389, dealing with juvenile offender sentencing and juvenile rehabilitation capacity procedures, had no amendments to the proposed substitute and was passed out of committee 7-4. Members described it as a complex, balanced effort to modernize juvenile justice policy, address facility capacity, and preserve rehabilitation and public safety. House Bill 2429, supporting implementation of the Washington Thriving Strategic Plan for Children and Youth Behavioral Health, was amended with Wickham 846 to adjust leadership council membership and add two representatives of federally recognized Indian tribes, nominated by the Governor’s Indian Health Advisory Council, while preserving tribal consultation requirements. The committee adopted the amendment and then passed the substitute bill unanimously, 11-0, with a do pass recommendation. At the end of the meeting, staff noted amendment requests for upcoming executive session bills were due by 10 a.m. Monday and to the EBB by 4 p.m. Monday, and the committee adjourned after announcing three bills would be up for possible executive session on Tuesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• As we move away from civil immigration detention, which reflects our values of human dignity and fairness
• Also, understanding that the immediate cessation of civil detention will not happen immediately, this
• I also appreciate you looking at some other ways to use it; it could be a juvenile detention center.
• There's multiple... that was the other amendment I had. ...juvenile detention center.
• You know, of note, you know, that's been noted, you know, the bill that passed impacts civil detention

Bills: HB310, HB323, HM51, HB194

Keywords: museum, cultural affairs, lowrider, Espanola, appropriation, feasibility study, broadband access, low-income, rural areas, Indian nations, affordable internet, employment opportunities, detention centers, immigration, economic development, repurposing facilities, job transition, rural development, housing, affordable housing

Summary: The committee first heard HB 310, which would appropriate $1 million to continue planning and development for a Lowrider Museum in Española. The sponsor said the project had already received prior capital outlay support and that the new funding would help complete the study and planning phase for a future world-class museum. Members asked about the increase from prior funding levels and discussed the broader cultural and economic value of the museum. The bill received a do pass recommendation. The committee then considered House Memorial 51, which addresses the economic and community impacts of ending civil immigration detention in affected rural counties. Sponsors said the memorial would call for planning around workforce retraining, economic diversification, community services, and possible repurposing of detention facilities. Testimony and discussion focused on the short-term harm to workers and local economies, the role of Workforce Solutions, and concerns about family disruption, housing, property tax revenue, and whether facilities might close or be repurposed. The memorial passed on a 7-0 vote. Finally, the committee took up HB 194, which would expand the Metropolitan Redevelopment Code to support housing shortage areas and workforce housing through property tax freezes and related incentives. The sponsor and Apartment Association representative described the bill as a tool to increase missing-middle housing, with affordability requirements, voucher acceptance, audits, and reporting provisions. Members raised concerns that the amendment was very large and difficult to absorb in the committee timeframe, and several said they preferred to see it as a substitute bill. No motion was made to adopt the amendment, HB 194 was rolled, and HB 323 was also rolled because the sponsor was unavailable. The committee then adjourned.