Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this is the Board of Dentistry regulation bill.
• The Board of Dentistry regulation bill is mostly through the summer.

Bills: HF3298, SF3832, HF3528, HF3516, HF3972, HF4118

Keywords: underground storage tanks, petroleum, reimbursement program, environmental regulation, pollution control, dairy assistance, investment relief, agriculture support, food production, economic relief, barbering, licensing, examinations, barber schools, public safety, certifications, Barber Examiners Board, dentistry, licensure, registration

Transcript Highlights:

• makes it clear that health departments and folks like DSHS who are specifically in this space can regulate
• House Bill 4163 aims to protect agricultural operations from burdensome or impractical municipal regulations
• House Bill 4163 aims to protect agricultural operations from burdensome or impractical municipal regulations

Bills: HB43, HB519, HB 1275, HB1592, HB2842, HB3088, HB3479, HB4163, SB823, HB609

Keywords: agriculture, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, honey production, beekeeping, food safety, local regulation, bovine producers, dairy farms, permits, bovine tuberculosis, public health, wildlife management, disease prevention, alert system, Texas A&M, white-tailed deer, public safety

Summary: The Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs met with only four members initially present, so quorum was not established until later in the hearing. The committee heard several agriculture-, wildlife-, and food-labeling-related bills, including HB 3479 on expanding the Rio Grande vegetative management program beyond carrizo cane to other noxious vegetation, SB 823 on shrimp origin labeling and restrictions on misrepresenting imported shrimp as Texas or Gulf shrimp, HB 3088 on giving Texas Parks and Wildlife more flexibility to procure resale goods for park gift shops, HB 1275 on permits for non-bovine dairy farms in certain TB-affected areas, HB 519 on honey production and packaging rules, HB 609 on cleaning oyster cages in-bay with bay water only, HB 1592 on a voluntary AgriLife pest and disease alert system, HB 2842 on targeted urban deer depredation permits, and HB 4163 on limiting city requirements that agricultural operators maintain roadside rights-of-way. Testimony generally came from industry groups, agency resource witnesses, and affected producers, with most witnesses supporting the bills and several bills drawing questions about enforcement, labeling responsibility, and the scope of local authority. The most extensive discussion centered on SB 823, where Vice Chair Hancock and others questioned why wholesalers would be covered if they cannot relabel products. The bill author and restaurant association witness said the measure was intended to improve transparency and allow enforcement against intentional mislabeling, while preserving a good-faith defense and clarifying that the bill does not create a private cause of action. HB 519 also drew supportive testimony from beekeepers and a family farm, who argued that current rules treat honey extraction and bottling too much like food manufacturing and burden small operations. HB 609 was presented as a way to save time and resources for cultivated oyster mariculture by allowing cage cleaning in the bay without soaps or chemicals, and HB 1592 was described as a voluntary opt-in alert system for pests and diseases coordinated through AgriLife and other state agencies. HB 43 generated the most detailed policy debate. The bill would restructure and expand the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority, update grant and loan programs, and create a pest and disease control depredation program. The committee substitute reduced some funding caps, changed references from predators to depredating animals, and made the financial provisions contingent on appropriations. Supporters from Texas Farm Bureau, cotton growers, grain and feed interests, and young farmers described severe drought, inflation, land loss, rising input costs, and shrinking infrastructure as major threats to agriculture, while one witness urged preserving priority for young farmers. After testimony, the committee adopted the committee substitute and reported HB 43 favorably. The committee also voted HB 519, HB 609, HB 1275, HB 1592, HB 3088, HB 3479, HB 2842, and HB 4163 favorably, with several recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. SB 823 was reported from committee on a 6-2 vote after adoption of the committee substitute. The meeting ended with notice that the committee would tentatively reconvene Friday morning and then recessed subject to the chair's call.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 2864 clarifies how the state regulates the installation of a relatively new type of rooftop
• Currently, some cities have expressed confusion on how to regulate the installation of these types because

Bills: SB1346, SB1376, SB2075, SB2167, SB2864

Keywords: lottery, prohibited sales, winning tickets, sales agents, license revocation, code enforcement, training requirements, supervision, registered officer, occupations code, advisory boards, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, public members, occupational regulations, professional standards, massage therapy, licensing, human trafficking, regulation, Occupations Code

Bills: SB 1169, SB 1285, SB 1583, SB 1611, SB 1898, SB 1976, SB 2160, SB 2161, SB 2658, SB 2661, SB 2662, SB 2692, SB 1055, SB 1359, SB 2660

Keywords: water service, sewer service, public utility, joint operation, infrastructure, municipality, compliance, groundwater management, water conservation, district planning, environmental regulation, sustainability, groundwater, conservation, fees, agricultural uses, water regulation, wastewater treatment, environmental testing, pollutants

Transcript Highlights:

• And regulation isn't enough.
• So we are highly regulated. And we are regulated here in Delaware.
• We are not unregulated; we are regulated federally, and we are regulated by this state.
• The federal government is regulating us.
• AARP, all folks that we've had conversations with to heavily regulate this industry and follow the regulations

Bills: HB373

Keywords: infused beverages, THC, alcohol control, regulation, non-intoxicating cannabinoids, marijuana, legalization, taxation

Summary: The Senate Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology Committee met in hybrid format and heard testimony on several bills. HB 373, as amended, would regulate hemp-derived THC-infused beverages by defining the products, limiting them to 10 mg of Delta-9 THC per container, restricting sales to package stores and licensed marijuana retail stores, requiring testing and labeling, and imposing a 50-cent per container tax; the sponsor said the bill is intended to create guardrails and protect youth, and a wholesaler representative testified in support. HB 398 would allow racinos to serve alcohol until 2 a.m. and remove local authority to require earlier closing times; the sponsor and Bally’s representative said it would help Delaware remain competitive and increase revenue, and no opposition was heard. HB 433 would let municipalities and counties extend last call for bars, restaurants, and clubs from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m.; a witness from Connect Delaware supported it as a competitiveness and retention measure, emphasizing that it is permissive rather than mandatory. The committee also heard extensive testimony on HB 441, which would ban cryptocurrency kiosks/crypto ATMs in Delaware and require existing machines to be removed within 90 days. The sponsor and supporters, including AARP, the Delaware Department of Justice, and the League of Women Voters, argued the machines are heavily used in scams, especially against older adults, and that regulation has not been effective. CoinFlip opposed the bill, saying it is a regulated operator, that the fraud statistics are overstated or incomplete, and that Delaware should instead adopt a regulatory framework and amendment. HB 465 would update the criminal code to formally define virtual currency and incorporate it into theft, money laundering, racketeering, and search-and-seizure provisions; the sponsor said it would align Delaware law with modern crypto-related crimes, and no opposition was presented. The committee then heard HB 467, which would prevent landlords from requiring renters to buy insurance from a specific company while still allowing them to require coverage meeting lease terms; the sponsor described it as a consumer-choice bill and there was no public opposition. HB 435 would require payment parity for certified registered nurse anesthetists and physicians when the same services are provided; the sponsor, nurse anesthetists, the Delaware Health Care Association, the Department of Insurance, and ChristianaCare supported it as a workforce and access-to-care measure, with no opposition. Finally, HS 1 for HB 450, the Road DE Act, would overhaul permitting and traffic-impact review, emphasize peak-hour traffic, set density standards in growth areas, create a transportation impact fee, and direct some revenue to open space, farmland, and coastal restoration; realtors, builders, environmental groups, engineers, and GEAR supported it as a way to speed permitting, reduce sprawl, and improve infrastructure planning. The committee adjourned after public comment; no votes were recorded in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the state of Wyoming, I do believe that it is appropriate under certain circumstances to have regulations
• circumstances appropriate under certain circumstances to<00:28:53.919> have<00:28:54.159> regulations
• <00:28:54.799> for<00:28:55.120> mentally<00:28:55.600> ill to have regulations
• for mentally ill to have regulations for mentally ill with<00:28:55.919> firearms.

Bills: SF0101

Keywords: Second Amendment, firearm regulation, state legislation, public safety, civil penalties, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• regulation in the state of Minnesota. regulation in the state of Minnesota.
• utility that's regulated rate regulated utility that's regulated at<00:18:36.880> the<00:18:37.120
• The regulators literally outnumbered the regulated. That's a scandalous situation.
• The regulators literally outnumbered the regulated. That's a scandalous situation.
• The regulators literally outnumbered the regulated. That's a scandalous situation.

Bills: HF3298

Keywords: underground storage tanks, petroleum, reimbursement program, environmental regulation, pollution control, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• 16.399> rule, act law, treaty, executive order, rule, act law, treaty, executive order, rule, regulation
• 17.040> of<00:14:17.199> the<00:14:17.360> United<00:14:17.600> States regulation
• of the United States regulation of the United States government<00:14:18.800> solely<00:14:19.279

Bills: SF0101

Keywords: Second Amendment, firearm regulation, state legislation, public safety, civil penalties, 916, all

Bills: SB18

Keywords: greenhouse gas emissions, environmental regulation, air quality, climate policy, sustainability, 996, all

Bills: HB25

Keywords: ivermectin, pharmacist authority, prescription-free, healthcare regulation, patient access, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:01.600> that's regulation, it's redefinition and that's regulation, it's redefinition
• <00:16:01.440> and regulations that are subtractive and regulations that are subtractive and
• for uh for political speech regulation. for uh for political speech regulation. 2471<00:16:16.160
• <00:18:50.480> their Um and so you cannot regulate their Um and so you cannot regulate their
• You know, they have to regulated.

Bills: SB2004, SB2039, SB2042, SB2043, SB2044, SB2132

Keywords: outdoor advertising, billboards, public safety, penalties, community pollution, elections, campaign finance, business entities, political activity, regulation, liability, non-natural persons, insurance, captives, examination, regulations, policyholders, dormant captive, tax exemption, Hawaii revised statutes

Summary: The Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee opened its first hearing of the year with remarks from Chair Jared Kohole outlining hearing procedures, a two-minute testimony limit, rules for remote testimony and decorum, and a revised testimony-publication pilot that keeps 96-hour notice but returns to a standard 24-hour testimony deadline. He then moved through the agenda, beginning with SB 2004 on outdoor advertising, which would increase penalties for violations of billboard and outdoor advertising laws. Testimony on that measure was limited; Henry Curtis of Life of the Land was first up, and written support was noted from Hawaiian Electric and the Outdoor Circle. The committee then heard SB 2039 on election campaign finance, which would prohibit certain business entities from engaging in campaign finance activities. The Attorney General’s office offered comments and did not take a formal position at the hearing. Several proponents testified in support, including Josh Frost, Tom Moore of the Center for American Progress, Hapa/Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, and Common Cause Hawaiʻi, all arguing the bill would curb corporate and dark-money influence and return elections to the people. Moore distinguished between regulating corporate “rights” and limiting corporate “powers,” and said the state can redefine the powers it grants corporations. In questions, Senator McKelvey asked whether the bill could be expanded to include unions; the Attorney General said he would need to get back with legal analysis, while Moore said his preferred approach would include all entities and that leaving out nonprofits or unions would create problems. Members also discussed whether the bill would affect PACs, and Moore explained that the proposal would prohibit corporate and dark-money flows into PACs while leaving individual political giving and existing political committees in place. The committee then moved on to the next measure. SB 2042, relating to insurance, was heard next. The bill would reduce the unimpaired minimum capital and surplus required of class 4 sponsored captive insurance companies under certain circumstances. The DCCA Insurance Division said it stood on its written testimony, and the Hawaii Captive Insurance Council testified in support, describing the change as a narrow, risk-based adjustment that would not affect the commissioner’s authority where actual risk resides and would help keep Hawaii competitive. The committee noted additional written support and proceeded without a vote or final action in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• This does not specifically regulate nurdles, despite repeated spill events.
• And pre-production plastic pollution is currently not regulated in Texas.
• Implement similar regulations in four more states that are currently proposing PFAS regulations.
• It's been regulated; land application of biosolids has been regulated, studied, and approved since the
• Testimony mentioned other states that were regulating PFAS.

Bills: HB1341, HB1674, HB4028, SB2321

Keywords: hydrogen sulfide, public health, environmental regulation, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, ground level concentrations, emissions limit, emissions limits, ground-level concentrations, air quality, PFAS, agriculture, environmental protection, health risks, criminal offense, chemical regulation, preproduction plastic, water quality, pollution control, industrial waste, emissions

Bills: SB 2082, SB 2203, SB 2351, SB 2550, SCR 48

Keywords: concrete crushing, hospital proximity, environmental regulation, public health, zoning laws, concrete plants, standard permit, construction regulation, environmental compliance, health and safety code, water rights, property transfer, disclosure requirements, coastal property, Texas legislation, real estate, environmental impact, Gulf of America, coastal resources, Texas sovereignty

Transcript Highlights:

• There are federal regulations; the 529 college savings plan also allows for funds to be used for K-12

Bills: HCR2048

Keywords: elective officers, salary regulation, compensation, Arizona Constitution, voter approval, legislative commission, 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The nurse compact will allow us to provide a modern regulated mechanism to responsibly bridge gaps. significant
• <01:26:14.400> modern will allow us to provide a modern will allow us to provide a modern regulated
• <01:26:15.760> mechanism<01:26:16.560> to<01:26:16.800> responsibly regulated mechanism
• to responsibly regulated mechanism to responsibly bridge<01:26:17.760> gaps.

Bills: HF1925

Keywords: nurse licensure, multistate license, healthcare, public safety, interstate compact, nursing regulation, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• entrepreneurs, technology leaders, and manufacturers can thrive. from foreign adversaries or over-regulation

Bills: HB112, HB117

Keywords: county regulation, impervious cover, land use, unincorporated areas, environmental management, 1185, senate, all

Bills: HB 28, SB 3

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, state health, youth protection, licensing fees, criminal offenses

Bills: SB 2122, SB 2050

Keywords: oil and gas waste, application fees, permit amendments, environmental regulation, Texas natural resources

Bills: HB269, HB73

Keywords: firearm regulation, trigger activator, civil penalties, Jefferson County, law enforcement, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Probably makes it clear that health departments and folks like DSHS, who are specifically in this, can regulate
• Municipal regulations, particularly those that interfere with land management along public right-of-ways

Bills: HB43, HB519, HB1275, HB1592, HB2842, HB3088, HB3479, HB4163, SB823, HB609

Keywords: agriculture, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, honey production, beekeeping, food safety, local regulation, bovine producers, dairy farms, permits, bovine tuberculosis, public health, wildlife management, disease prevention, alert system, Texas A&M, white-tailed deer, public safety