Transcript Highlights:

• But ByteDance is headquartered in Beijing, and the Chinese government's internet investment fund acquired

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation, received a House message that H.B. 422 had passed the House, and heard gubernatorial nominations for the Council on Sex Offender Treatment. The chamber also recognized the Doctor of the Day and several visiting groups and adopted a resolution designating June 20, 2025, as Texas Nuclear Legislative Day. Members then considered and passed several bills and resolutions, often by suspending the regular order and the constitutional three-day rule. SB 311 passed to final passage on the Texas Supreme Court’s writ power. SB 883, on off-label prescription access for COVID-19 treatment, passed to engrossment. SB 1706, creating an Open Meetings Act exception for certain defense, military, and aerospace deliberations, passed despite concerns from Sen. Eckhardt that the bill’s use of “deliberate” could weaken open-government protections. CS SB 1677, directing a study on diabetes-related amputations, passed with support from Sen. Menendez. SB 1967 expanded flood infrastructure fund eligibility to certain multipurpose projects, and SB 1255, a cleanup bill on mold assessor and remediator regulation, passed unanimously. The Senate also approved CS SJR 40 and CS SB 871, which would change emergency and disaster law to require legislative involvement after prolonged or widespread emergencies and to limit gubernatorial suspension powers, with Sen. Eckhardt questioning whether the bill could slow urgent business closures during a disaster. Additional measures passed included SB 1426 transferring management of the First Capital State Historic Site to the Texas Historical Commission, SB 249 requiring TxDOT to fund memorial markers for fallen peace officers, SB 1592 centralizing collection of hotel occupancy taxes from accommodation intermediaries, SB 1271 allowing concurrent jurisdiction on military installations for certain juvenile matters, SB 745 creating a higher penalty for intoxication manslaughter involving multiple deaths, SB 365 shortening the academic fresh start waiting period at public colleges, and SB 1171 adjusting compensation and standards for certain Texas Juvenile Justice Department inspector general employees. CS SB 36, creating a Homeland Security Division within DPS, passed after questions about its relationship to federal homeland security and its focus on border security and critical infrastructure. The latter part of the session focused heavily on CS SB 38, a major eviction and squatter-related bill. Sen. Bettencourt described widespread squatter cases and argued the bill, with a Moody amendment, would clarify notice and eviction procedures while balancing property-owner and tenant rights. Sen. West said he supported addressing squatters but worried the broader eviction changes could harm vulnerable renters, especially single mothers, and said he would vote present not voting. The discussion continued with additional testimony from Sen. Kolkhorst about the need for a balanced eviction process.

Transcript Highlights:

• walls at home, and that's a normal thing because they're child headbangs out of frustration when the internet

Bills: HB741, HB 1199, HB2070, HB2402, HB2542, HB2665, HB2789, HB3096, HB3396, HB3595, HB3747, HB4116, HB4127

Keywords: child welfare, relative caregiver, monetary assistance, Department of Family and Protective Services, child custody, family law, emergency power, nursing facilities, assisted living, generator requirements, health and safety, emergency generators, power outage, emergency generator, assisted living facilities, power source, child abuse, neglect registry, court findings, Medicaid

Transcript Highlights:

• This information is easily accessed with a few clicks of a button on the Internet.

Bills: HB116

Keywords: film industry, incentives, economic development, state funding, media production

Transcript Highlights:

• include domestic advertising, targeting out-of-state travelers and Texans, advertising in primary Internet

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please note that the House is not responsible for any bad internet connections on the testifiers' end

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Housing held a public hearing on a series of housing bills. HB 1432 and HB 1428 drew support from HHFDC, and HB 1428 also received testimony from Hawaiian Community Assets, which said housing counseling funding is needed to meet demand for financial education tied to affordable housing, and that such counseling can help reduce evictions, prevent foreclosure, and stabilize households. HB 833 on community land trusts received broad support from HHFDC, county housing officials, community land trust representatives, and a local developer; testimony emphasized keeping housing affordable in perpetuity, but also asked for clearer access to financing, longer repayment terms, and inclusion of additional land trusts in the bill. Peter Savio argued that community land trusts are the best way to control demand and keep housing tied to local incomes. The committee also heard HB 19 on the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund, which HHFDC said should be made permanent because the pilot has been successful, with 81 units in the program and $7.4 million of the $10 million allocation already committed. HHFDC said the fund helps stalled for-sale projects by providing state equity that revolved back when homes are sold. HB 529 and HB 432 were also heard; HB 432 would create a subaccount in the rental housing revolving fund for projects above 60% AMI, and HHFDC said this would help finance housing for households at 65% and 80% AMI. The bill drew support from several housing, business, and industry groups. Several other housing measures were discussed with mixed testimony. HB 419 had HHFDC support, Limby Hawaiʻi opposition, and support from the Grassroot Institute and others; members asked about whether councils approve these projects in one or multiple readings. HB 527 and HB 416 also drew a mix of support and opposition, with questions focused on county approval timelines and whether state-financed projects would still go through normal local review. HB 417 on the rental housing revolving fund prompted questions about how it differs from the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund and whether it should be more flexible for mixed rental and for-sale projects. HB 418’s proposed working group was noted as potentially unnecessary because HHFDC said a public working group was already being formed. HB 1411 on housing preference raised questions about what happens if a recipient changes jobs, and HB 374 drew an Attorney General’s Office recommendation to remove a duration requirement to avoid possible constitutional travel issues. HB 373 and HB 1492 were also heard, with strong testimony from Peter Savio in favor of a broader trust-based model for affordable housing. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I can follow up with some information that I could find on the internet.
• could find some information that that I could find on<00:50:53.839><c> the</c><00:50:54.000><c> internet
• c> but</c><00:50:54.960><c> I</c><00:50:55.200><c> would</c><00:50:55.280><c> suggest</c> on the internet
• Uh but I would suggest on the internet.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• pushing to do more outreach, uh, in the schools, uh, putting on, uh, presentations whether it's, uh, internet
• pushing to do more outreach, uh, in the schools, uh, putting on, uh, presentations whether it's, uh, internet
• pushing to do more outreach, uh, in the schools, uh, putting on, uh, presentations whether it's, uh, internet
• pushing to do more outreach, uh, in the schools, uh, putting on, uh, presentations whether it's, uh, internet

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• visible as with social media<03:09:46.160><c> and</c><03:09:46.319><c> the</c><03:09:46.439><c> internet
• there</c><03:09:46.960><c> is</c><03:09:47.080><c> a</c><03:09:47.439><c> dark</c> media and the internet
• there is a dark media and the internet there is a dark circle<03:09:48.399><c> of</c><03:09:48.520><
• :54.040><c> and</c> These contests are not always publicly visible, as with social media and the internet

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• will see that the property tax will be vastly different just because of the whole change since the internet
• 05:57:11.040><c> change</c><05:57:11.478><c> since</c><05:57:11.878><c> the</c><05:57:12.080><c> internet
• </c><05:57:13.000><c> so</c><05:57:13.840><c> I'm</c> whole change since the internet so I'm whole change
• since the internet so I'm just<05:57:14.200><c> wonder</c><05:57:14.478><c> if</c> just wonder if just

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard HB 659, which would establish the New Hampshire College Graduate Retention Incentive Program. A Department of Revenue Administration analyst explained technical issues in the bill, focusing on whether the incentive is intended to operate as a rebate or a tax credit, how it would be administered, and how it would interact with the business enterprise tax and business profits tax. She said the bill’s language was unclear on the administering agency, effective tax years, caps, and carry-forward treatment, and noted that reducing BET can also reduce the BET credit against BPT, though not on a one-for-one basis. Committee members asked follow-up questions about the BET/BPT interaction, administrative costs, and whether the Department of Business and Economic Affairs would need additional staffing. Andrew Horn then testified in support, saying the bill is meant to address the large number of New Hampshire college graduates who leave the state after graduation by encouraging them to stay and by incentivizing businesses to hire them. The chair closed the hearing on HB 659 after no further public testimony. The committee then took up HB 770, a bill to establish a program allowing New Hampshire high school students to earn tuition credits at state higher education institutions through community service. Representative Schultz described the bill as a “triple play” intended to increase volunteerism, expand service and internship opportunities for students, and make college more affordable. Ryan Casey, a junior at Bishop Brady High School, testified that the proposal would help students reduce future loan debt while benefiting communities and encouraging young people to attend college in New Hampshire. Committee members asked about eligibility, including why private and preparatory school students were excluded, whether public school students would qualify, whether mandatory service hours would count, and how the bill’s references to education and business eligibility should be read. Schultz said the exclusion of private and prep schools was intended because public school students are more clearly New Hampshire residents, and she noted that mandatory school service hours had been excluded in revisions. The Department of Education then testified that the program would require significant administration, estimating at least three full-time staff, software or tracking systems, and rulemaking to oversee volunteer sites, schools, student eligibility, and tuition credit distribution. No vote was taken in the excerpt, and the hearing remained in testimony phase.

Transcript Highlights:

• format for carriers to submit them, so they gave two options: submit them in JSON forms, which are internet-style
• format for carriers to submit them, so they gave two options: submit them in JSON forms, which are internet-style
• format for carriers to submit them, so they gave two options: submit them in JSON forms, which are internet-style
• format for carriers to submit them, so they gave two options: submit them in JSON forms, which are internet-style

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee took up HB 297 with a non-germane amendment proposed by the Insurance Department to create the Granite State Home Mitigation and Resiliency Program. Commissioner DJ Beton explained that the program is intended to help homeowners reduce rising insurance premiums and avoid surplus lines coverage by funding proactive home and property improvements such as roof fortification, exterior and foundation work, flood protection, and tree removal. He said the proposal was developed after leadership asked for more statutory detail and for the idea to be vetted through policy committees rather than handled only in the budget process. Beton said the program would be funded by the first $1 million collected annually from the insurance premium tax, with grants of up to $10,000 awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. He described the program as modeled on similar efforts in other states, with means testing tied to the Department of Energy’s weatherization/home heating assistance criteria. He also said the department would administer the program using one existing staff position, with coordination through Treasury, and that unspent funds would roll over for several years before reverting to the general fund. Members asked about the unusual use of a non-germane amendment and how the bill would be handled procedurally, since the underlying bill and the new insurance proposal were unrelated. The chair explained that the amendment was being used as a vehicle to move the department’s proposal through the committee process and that the committee could later accept one part, both parts, or neither. No vote was taken in the portion of the meeting shown; the discussion ended with questions about administration, staffing, and the relationship between the underlying bill and the amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• 48.120><c> the</c> is going to give us the low down on the is going to give us the low down on the internet
• 49.120><c> Mr</c><03:27:49.279><c> chair</c><03:27:49.680><c> blue</c><03:27:49.840><c> sheets</c> internet
• thank you Mr chair blue sheets internet thank you Mr chair blue sheets we<03:27:50.600><c> have</c><
• Representative Sergeant on the internet and the blue card online: seven in favor, 26 opposed.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first discussed scheduling and notice for upcoming executive sessions on a larger slate of bills, including plans to take up eight bills in the morning and possibly the last three bills in the afternoon, with caucus time provided if needed. The chair emphasized advance notice, publication, and flexibility if more bills are added later. The hearing then opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and proceeded to HB 568, a bill allowing local planning boards to request water supply studies for subdivisions to ensure water adequacy as housing density increases. Representative Kat McGee, the prime sponsor, said HB 568 was developed after constituent concerns about private wells being affected by nearby development. She described the bill as narrowly tailored, non-mandatory, and intended to preserve local control while clarifying that planning boards may request studies under local regulations. She noted bipartisan support, an exclusion for community water systems and larger groundwater withdrawals regulated elsewhere, and said the bill would help prevent water shortages and related problems for new and existing homes. Questions from members focused on whether the bill should specify that it applies to subdivisions of four or more lots, since that language had been in an earlier version. Testimony on HB 568 was mixed. Bob Quinn of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors opposed the bill, arguing it lacked a definition of “water supply study,” could lead to expensive hydrology studies, and might raise housing costs; he suggested more work with DES or a study committee. DES administrator Brandon Kernin said the department had worked from a 2010 groundwater commission report, that such problems arise only intermittently in certain areas, and that the bill would make explicit local authority to adopt such ordinances. He also said DES data and homeowner surveys can help identify problem areas and that more robust wells could be considered in the long term. The committee noted 10 online submissions in favor and 3 opposed, plus blue-sheet testimony of 2 in favor and 1 neutral, and then closed the hearing on HB 568. The committee immediately opened HB 582, a bill on safety requirements for operation of personal watercraft. Representative Darby, the sponsor, said the bill responds to the speed and maneuverability of modern personal watercraft, which he described as more like motorcycles on water than traditional boats, and cited a fatal accident on Lake Monomonac as an example of the risks. He said the bill is not intended to restrict ordinary recreation or wake surfing, but to update safety standards for a newer class of larger, quieter three-person PWCs. The hearing began with Darby’s presentation, and no vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• technology we can find ways to address the issue where people are unable to, using the anonymity of the internet
• successfully know using the anonymity of successfully know using the anonymity of the<02:19:56.920><c> internet
• 58.479><c> um</c><02:19:58.680><c> pretend</c><02:19:58.880><c> to</c><02:19:58.960><c> be</c> the internet
• be able to um pretend to be the internet be able to um pretend to be somebody<02:19:59.399><c> else<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard testimony on House Bill 167, which would add ski, snowboard, and boat wax containing PFAS to the state’s consumer-product restrictions. The sponsor argued the product is already banned in many places, has PFAS-free alternatives, and is used in ways that can directly contaminate water rather than landfills. She cited high PFAS levels in several New Hampshire lakes and said the bill was a simple extension of prior PFAS legislation. A witness also described a personal experience where a liquid ski wax disappeared from the market and later returned, likely because of PFAS concerns. The chair then closed the hearing on HB 167 without a vote. The committee then opened a hearing on House Bill 312, dealing with college athletes’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. Representative Moffett said the bill was modeled on New Jersey law and intended to let student-athletes earn compensation from NIL without losing institutional scholarships, while also requiring licensed representation and setting limits on certain endorsements. He described the measure as proactive because NIL rules are evolving and could create conflicts among schools and future lawsuits. Members questioned whether the bill should apply to two-year institutions, whether it should exclude firearms and weapons, and whether the scholarship protections would cover need-based or academic aid as well as athletic scholarships. Moffett said the scholarship language was intended to protect scholarships generally, but not need-based aid specifically, and he acknowledged discomfort with some of the endorsement restrictions. Public testimony on HB 312 was mixed. One supporter, a former Division III athlete and coach, backed the bill but urged removal of a section allowing institutions or athletic bodies to use an athlete’s NIL without compensation, arguing most New Hampshire athletes do not receive NIL money and should not have to work extra jobs to cover basic expenses. The chair also raised concerns about the bill’s contractual and identity-rights implications, referencing prior committee work on a J.D. Salinger-related identity case and noting the committee had previously declined to get involved in similar contractual disputes. No vote was taken during the hearing.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• account, and it directed the Department of Health and Health Care Authority to develop technology platforms
• removes the requirement that the Department of Health and Health Care Authority develop technology platforms

Bills: SB6346, SB6347, SB6147, SB6246, SB5940, SB5882, SB6223, SJR8206, SB5762, SB5828

Keywords: millionaires tax, wealth tax, income tax, state revenue, tax reform, Washington estate tax, estate tax, inheritance tax, death tax, probate, decedent, gross estate, taxable estate, exclusion amount, tax rate, estate planning, heirs, beneficiaries, RCW 83.100, Department of Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• account, and it directed the Department of Health and Health Care Authority to develop technology platforms
• removes the requirement that the Department of Health and Health Care Authority develop technology platforms

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on February 6, 2026, and first voted to suspend the five-day notice rule for all bills on the agenda. Senators Braun and Gildon objected, arguing the bill needed more public review and that the fiscal note had only just been released, but a roll call vote passed 15-9 and the committee proceeded to Senate Bill 6346. Staff briefed SB 6346 as a proposal to create a 9.9% income tax on Washington taxable income above a $1 million per-household standard deduction, with a $50,000 charitable deduction, apportionment rules for nonresidents and certain professions, quarterly estimated payments, and credits for capital gains tax and certain business taxes. Staff said the tax would begin in 2029 and eventually raise about $3.5 billion annually from roughly 30,000 taxpayers. The bill also would expand the Working Families Tax Credit, create a sales tax exemption for grooming and hygiene products, increase the small business B&O tax credit and filing threshold, and end the B&O surcharge on high-grossing businesses one year early. Members questioned the bill’s constitutionality, its exemption from referendum, treatment of student athletes, natural-resource industries, and whether real estate gains would be captured. Public testimony was sharply divided. Supporters, including labor groups, educators, health care advocates, counties, child care workers, and some business owners and high-income individuals, said the bill would make the tax code more progressive and provide stable funding for health care, education, child care, public defense, and other services, while expanding the Working Families Tax Credit. Opponents, including many small business, construction, housing, and taxpayer advocates, argued the measure would function as a tax on pass-through businesses and retained earnings, harm housing production and investment, encourage wealthy residents and businesses to leave the state, and violate the state constitution or the will of voters. No final action on SB 6346 was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is another context, but in last year the legislature did fund a bail data platform to deal with
• This is another context, but in last year the legislature did fund a bail data platform to deal with

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to continue its review of recommendations for New Hampshire’s family court, with the chair emphasizing a collaborative approach and noting that the group would focus on the origins of the family division, recurring problems identified in earlier reports, and comparisons with other states. Members discussed organizing testimony into three broad topics: the court hearing process and pro se litigant preparation, mediation/arbitration/counseling, and the interaction of domestic violence issues with family court and related criminal proceedings. The chair also noted that the subcommittee would not meet again for two weeks and encouraged members to review materials from Judge Michael Mace and NCSL research on other states’ family court systems. Attorney Heather Culp, senior administrator for the judicial branch’s circuit court, testified about New Hampshire’s ADR programs. She explained that the Office of Mediation and Arbitration, created by statute in 2007, oversees more than 12 statewide ADR programs across the Supreme, Superior, and Circuit Courts, including family division programs such as divorce-parenting mediation, neutral case evaluation, guardianship, termination of parental rights, and voluntary adoption mediation. She said the divorce-parenting mediation program is the largest family division ADR program, with about 3,400 mediation sessions in 2023 out of roughly 6,700 cases, and that most cases involving minor children are referred to mediation soon after the first appearance session. Culp described the family division process as beginning with a first appearance session led by a case manager, who provides information, helps with paperwork, and schedules mediation, usually within 30 to 45 days. She said mediation is strongly encouraged in parenting and divorce cases, but there is no requirement to reach agreement, and parties may settle some issues while leaving others for court. She also explained that mediation is prohibited or limited in certain domestic violence cases: cases with active civil protection orders may proceed only with both parties’ consent and possible safeguards, while cases involving criminal protective orders are not sent to mediation. Mediators in court-referred family cases are contracted with the court and must be certified by the executive branch’s mediator certification board; mediators do not communicate with judges, except through a brief ADR report noting whether the case settled or what the next procedural step is. Members asked about referrals, timing, and the meaning of “neutrals,” and Culp said the court uses in-house contracted neutrals for family division ADR and does not refer divorce-parenting cases to outside providers.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is also the state's largest platform for education and agriculture.
• also the impact annually um it is also the state's<00:56:35.839><c> largest</c><00:56:36.359><c> platform

Bills: HF1833, HF148, HF1127, HF1227, HF1681, HF1974, HF1106, HF1016, HF2197

Keywords: sales tax, education funding, construction, Aitkin Public Schools, tax exemption, refundable credit, HF148, use of force training, deadly force, peace officer training, police training, law enforcement, POST Board, Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training, scenario-based training, de-escalation, defensive tactics, force-on-force training, stress management, officer wellness

Transcript Highlights:

• If you are not friends with us on all of the social media platforms, do so.
• If you are not friends with us on all of the social media platforms, do so.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then, is it just for Minnesota, or if the neighboring states have the same platform, can they access
• 34:29.080><c> same</c> the neighboring states have the same the neighboring states have the same platform

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Then the list goes on and on: 1,700 public water access sites and 390 fishing piers, platforms, and shore
• Then the list goes on and on: 1,700 public water access sites and 390 fishing piers, platforms, and shore

Keywords: 1183, house