Transcript Highlights:

• They will not return phone calls. They will not have any communication with us.
• Other people heard the phone call.
• They have other things they've got to work with—T-shirts and hats and a number of things.
• I will phone call. I will do work. I will go pick T-shirts up, whatever is necessary.
• I will phone call. I will do work. I will go pick T-shirts up, whatever is necessary.

Committee: All HOUSE MANAGEMENT

Summary: House Management considered a series of House resolutions honoring individuals, teams, and organizations. Resolutions passed recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and commending CASA programs, the Mountain Home Bombers’ boys and girls cross-country championships, a corrected honor for a girls’ team roster, Mount St. Mary Academy’s state golf title, Central Arkansas Christian High School Choir, a local candy shop, Joe T. Robinson’s football and swim/dive state championships, Arkansas Tech University’s Golden Suns and their cross-country team, and North Little Rock’s girls basketball championship. One resolution honoring the Passion Play was pulled from the agenda and moved to regular session. Most of the honors were approved without opposition after brief presentations and no questions. The committee then took up House Resolution 1052, which drew extended discussion. Sponsors and several legislators argued that many Arkansas girls selected for Girls State were being denied participation because school counselors missed an application deadline, despite the students meeting requirements and similar deadline flexibility having been granted in prior years. They said the issue affected roughly 150 girls statewide, that the American Legion Auxiliary board had not been responsive to calls or requests for a meeting, and that the legislature was offering to help with space, funding, or volunteers if needed. Supporters framed the resolution as a matter of fairness, civic opportunity, and not punishing students for adult mistakes, especially since Boys State deadlines had been extended in some cases. Committee members asked about the impact on girls whose brothers were allowed to attend Boys State and whether the situation sent a negative message about equal opportunity. Sponsors said the girls were being treated unfairly and that the resolution was intended to urge the Auxiliary to allow participation. After discussion, the committee voted to pass the resolution. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I rise to move file item number 24 to the enacted file. Desk will note.
• phone, and the conversation began: What the F is wrong with you?
• Of Resources, I'm there a few weeks, and I look down at my phone, and it's John, and I answer the phone
• He didn't have to pick up the phone and call.
• He didn't have to pick up the phone and call.

Summary: The Senate met with a quorum, welcomed former legislative leaders and members to the floor, and opened with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. The session then focused on several ceremonial resolutions and a lengthy adjourn-in-memory tribute to former Senate President Pro Tem John Burton. Members repeatedly described Burton as a forceful, unvarnished advocate for foster youth, the poor, and other vulnerable Californians, while also sharing personal stories about his humor, bluntness, and bipartisan relationships. The Senate also announced upcoming committee hearings and birthday recognitions for several members and former Speaker Willie Brown. Three resolutions were taken up and adopted unanimously or near-unanimously. SCR 133, by Senator Grayson, recognized California Down Syndrome Awareness Month and Day; Grayson spoke about the dignity, autonomy, and contributions of people with Down syndrome, and introduced guests from the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area and several families. SCR 134, by Senator Wahab, recognized Nowruz and the Afghan American community; Wahab and Senator Caballero highlighted the holiday’s themes of renewal and the contributions of Persian and Afghan Americans, and members received baklava gift boxes. SCR 139, also by Senator Wahab, recognized Afghan American Heritage Month; Wahab and Senator Grove emphasized Afghan Americans’ history, resilience, and service, and Wahab introduced leaders from the Afghan Coalition and other community advocates. Each resolution was adopted by roll call vote. The remainder of the session was devoted to memorial remarks for John Burton, with speeches from the President Pro Tem, minority leader, and many senators recalling his work on foster youth, public service, and California politics. Members also suspended and later reinstated Mason’s Manual rules to allow direct quotations during the tribute. The Senate concluded by expressing condolences to Burton’s family and colleagues, inviting members to a reception, and announcing that the chamber would reconvene later in the week for the formal adjourn-in-memory motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• The number is significant.
• Looking for the bill number: 522.
• Would you say the numbers, the percentages, 97% are trafficked?
• Is that a national number? Very, very curious. I will say I'm not familiar with the number.
• Number one, human trafficking investigations are incredibly complex.

Committee: House Judiciary, Rules and Administration

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I also count a very small number of friends as family and they know who they are.
• Did you use a personal phone or a government phone? during that chat.
• I, too, have the signal application on my phone.
• I know that at least you must be concerned that there was a reporter on the phone.
• Is bulk collection of phone and email records currently illegal?

Committee: Senate Intelligence (Select) Committee

Keywords: national security, intelligence community, Aaron Lucas, Joe Kent, John Eisenberg, China threat, terrorism, collaboration, oversight, intelligence capabilities

Summary: The committee meeting centered around significant discussions regarding national security and intelligence community leadership. Notably, nominees Aaron Lucas for Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Joe Kent for Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, and John Eisenberg for Assistant Attorney General for National Security were introduced. Concerns were raised about the current state of U.S. intelligence capabilities, particularly in relation to threats posed by foreign adversaries such as China and ongoing risks from terrorism. The dialogue emphasized the necessity for robust oversight and the importance of collaboration within the intelligence community, as well as with international allies, to ensure effective security measures are in place.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's a program that's been established for a number of years.
• And the number and severity of abuse... ...have been going down, and the number and severity of abuse
• We'll have a lot of updated numbers, hopefully in the...
• Gaming by the numbers.
• Look at your numbers.

Summary: The committee met to review the Attorney General’s budget and related agency operations, beginning with Legislative Council staff walking members through compliance reports and a blue-sheet base budget document. Staff highlighted current-biennium items such as FTE changes, one-time appropriations, litigation funding, opioid settlement receipts, continuing appropriations, and major special and federal funds. Members asked for clarification on items including the Missing Indigenous People Grant Fund, the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit grant funding. Assistant Attorney General Clare Ness then gave an overview of the office’s structure, staffing, and budget pressures. She emphasized the office’s broad statutory duties, the value of its legal services to state and local government, and concerns about attorney pay lagging behind other agencies. Members discussed whether attorney compensation should be benchmarked more consistently across state government and whether some legal work could be consolidated within the AG’s office. Ness also addressed questions about AG opinion turnaround times, boards-and-commissions training, the new-and-vacant FTE pool, operating expense cuts, office leases, and the state’s criminal justice information systems. The crime lab presentation drew significant attention. Director Jennifer Penner described severe space, safety, and infrastructure problems at the current lab, including cramped work areas, glycol leaks, outdated fire and burglar alarms, air-handling limits, and equipment failures that have delayed toxicology work. She said the 2024 study projected a much larger facility would be needed and that the preferred location would be near the current health department site, but in a new building. Members asked about possible evidence risks, backlog status, and whether the proposed building would solve the current problems; Penner said it would and noted backlogs have improved overall, though some delays remain. The committee also heard from the new Medicaid Fraud Control Unit director, who described the unit’s civil and criminal work, federal-state funding split, and examples of fraud such as billing for services not provided or upcoding. The gaming division reported continued growth in charitable gaming and e-tabs, with members expressing concern about large trust-account balances, site competition, and possible misuse of proceeds. Finally, BCI outlined its caseload, cybercrime work, missing Indigenous persons task force, and the surge in CSAM cyber tips; members asked about AI-generated CSAM, and the AG’s office noted that last session’s law increased penalties and expressly allowed AI-generated CSAM to be prosecuted like other CSAM. No formal votes or actions were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and this has and then they make a phone and this has and then they make a phone call<00:44:56.160
• , so it's or the printed page number is 383.
• So, big numbers.
• of infrastructure to keep those phones private and secure.
• in, which is protected from... which uh cell phones are limited if not which uh cell phones are limited

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up HB 129, which would redefine “evidence-based” in public education. Department of Education testimony said the bill’s definition would conflict with the federal definition and be unusually restrictive, potentially affecting curriculum, educator training, and many existing state requirements. The department said it could force a broad overhaul of school programs and create a need for at least one new state position, with local districts likely facing significant unbudgeted costs. Members raised concerns about impacts on federal pass-through funding, curriculum materials, and whether the bill was workable at all. Several members said the proposal would be too costly and difficult to implement, especially during a tight budget cycle. Representative Papovich moved to retain HB 129, and the motion passed 7-0. Members who supported retention said they wanted to set the bill aside because of the scale of the concerns, while also stating they did not support the bill as written. The committee then opened HB 133, dealing with DMV follow-up on residency and licensing issues tied to voting and other interactions. Department of Safety/DMV officials said the bill would require a $40,000 technology update plus a full-time position to handle manual correspondence and review of possible matches, and that postage was not included in the fiscal note. They said the bill’s 60-day residency trigger is vague, that the DMV would be acting outside its normal role by investigating status after the fact, and that the measure could create privacy and operational problems. Members questioned whether the bill would effectively force people to buy a driver’s license to vote, whether non-driver and voter ID options would avoid that concern, and whether the Secretary of State rather than DMV would be the more appropriate agency to handle any follow-up.

Transcript Highlights:

• You could just use my phone.
• </c> home you could just use my phone home you could just use my phone ready<00:07:26.240><c> we'll</
• , I mean, now one thing I think is great is that you can use a phone like I can use my phone and record
• It's just banning cell phones during the instructional period. They can bring the cell phones in.
• get the cell phones whatever and they get the cell phones when<01:41:58.480><c> they</c><01:41:59.280

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I don't know if he said it was your phone battery.
• Item number one, AB 446 by Assembly Member Ward.
• This, my friends, is a picture of the website when you try to find a phone number to call.
• Item number three. Item number four, AB 621 by Assembly Member Bowers. I'm sorry.
• Item number four, AB 621 by Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan.

Summary: The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee met with a new membership roster and adopted its committee rules after quorum was established. The hearing then began with AB 412, the AI Copyright Transparency Act, which would require generative AI developers to provide copyright holders notice when registered copyrighted works are used in training data. The author and supporters, including SAG-AFTRA, the Transparency Coalition, voice actors, writers, labor groups, and other creators, argued the bill would give artists a practical way to learn whether their works were used and to vindicate their rights. Opponents, including EFF, CalChamber, RIAA, CCIA, Chamber of Progress, Bay Area Council, BSA, and TechNet, said the proposal was technically unworkable, could burden startups, conflict with existing law and pending litigation, and raise federal preemption concerns. Members discussed the bill’s amendments, including a fingerprinting approach and narrowing the bill to model developers, and the committee voted 8-2 to pass AB 412 as amended to the Judiciary Committee. The committee then heard AB 446, which would prohibit “surveillance pricing,” or the use of personal data to charge different prices for the same product or service. The author and supporters, including Consumer Watchdog, UFCW, labor organizations, and consumer/privacy groups, described examples of differential pricing tied to device type, location, shopping behavior, and digital price tags, and argued the bill would protect consumers from discriminatory and predatory pricing. Business and industry opponents, including CalChamber, grocers, retailers, travel, broadband, and other associations, said the bill could conflict with the CCPA, interfere with loyalty and rewards programs, and create confusion about personalized discounts and dynamic pricing. The discussion focused on how the bill would treat loyalty programs, whether existing privacy law already covers the issue, and whether the proposal would unintentionally affect legitimate discounts and promotions.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know I call my veterinarian by phone all the time.
• And he's, you know, trying to phone it in and do all this and that.
• How do you do that over the phone, guys? How do you tell the kid that?
• So just call us on the phone and we'll prescribe something.
• Do y'all charge for that first phone call?

Bills: SB34 , SB119 , SB261 , SB532 , SB1035 , SB1245 , SB1247 , SB1267 , SB1442 , SB1930 , SB1948 , SB2078 , SB2112 , SB2143 , SB2155

Committee: Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Keywords: wildfire, wildfire mitigation, wildfire prevention, volunteer fire department, Texas A&M Forest Service, West Texas A&M University, prescribed burning, fuel loading, fuel reduction, firefighting equipment database, emergency communications, disaster preparedness, rural fire protection, asset hardening, natural resource management, emergency management, large wildfire risk, fire grant funding, fire suppression, Texas Legislature

Transcript Highlights:

• Individuals with access to Senate or House emails, phone numbers, or assigned offices without affiliation
• numbers, or office spaces.
• </c> still have an 800 number. still have an 800 number.
• </c> numbers for everybody next year. numbers for everybody next year.
• Madam Chair, Senator Gustafson, the details, the name or the phone number and those things are also deemed

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:19:38.760><c> of</c> illustrates um frankly a number of illustrates um frankly a number of concerns
• Chair, I will once again phone a friend, Ms. Arms. Thank you, Chair and Commissioner.
• </c><00:29:52.799><c> one</c> should be required as a number one should be required as a number one factor
• There are some things in here that I question as well, like the phone numbers, but that's minor and that
• There are some things in here that I question as well, like the phone numbers, but that's minor and that

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• A quarter, eighth, a half would be a huge number.
• Well, the reason I said that, I kind of thought shot those numbers out of my head because I kind of have
• </c> a half would be a huge number. a half would be a huge number.
• out of my head because I kind of numbers out of my head because I kind of have<00:04:49.600><c> heard
• </c><00:18:48.480><c> is</c> I actually think that the number is I actually think that the number is

Committee: Senate Banking & Insurance

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:01 Discussion SB 157 00:23 Vote SB 157 05:22 Discussion SB 189 05:57 Vote SB 189 26:49, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When a home is moved from a copper landline to fiber-based phone service, that phone no longer works
• For a number of clear notice.
• </c> a copper landline to fiber-based phone a copper landline to fiber-based phone service,<00:25:16.559
• ><c> works</c> service, that phone no longer works service, that phone no longer works during<00:25:18.480
• </c> residents have discovered their phones residents have discovered their phones and<00:25:27.919><

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:10:04.959><c> numbers,</c><00:10:05.440><c> those</c> like addresses, phone numbers, those like
• Well, what I've phone number memorized.
• With the passage of Senate Bill 25, thank you so much for giving us back our phone number.
• I think phone number portability started back in the 1980s, right?
• I think phone number portability started back in the 1980s, right?

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:27 Legislative Research Commission 00:01:15 KentuckyWired Operations Company 00:17:30 Wireless Internet Service Providers Association 00:40:15 Administrative Office of the Courts 01:08:55 Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts 01:33:00, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the July 9 minutes without objection and heard from Jay Hartz and Jonathan Harris of the Legislative Research Commission. Members asked about Capitol and legislator security in light of recent targeted shootings in other states. Hartz said LRC had removed members’ home addresses from its website, was reviewing other state-government records for similar information, and was working with the Speaker, Senate President, Kentucky State Police, and outside security experts on broader safety measures. He also said LRC is exploring commercial products to help block personal contact information from public view, but declined to name vendors publicly. Harris added that driver’s license scans at the Capitol are handled by Kentucky State Police, while LRC has a process for flagging high-volume or concerning contacts for police review. The LRC also reported that redistricting work has already begun, with census coordination underway, evaluation of redistricting software including Mapitude and open-source tools, and plans to make the same tools available to the public in the LRC library. The committee then heard from Kentucky Wired Operations Company CEO Robert Morphonius, COO Tom Snyder, and counsel Patrick Hughes about the Kentucky Wired network. They explained the corporate structure: Kentucky Wired Operations Company is a private for-profit special purpose entity that designs, builds, operates, and maintains the network; Kentucky Wired Infrastructure Company is a nonprofit instrumentality used for financing; and Open Fiber Kentucky handles commercialization of excess capacity under a wholesale agreement. They said Kentucky Wired Operations is in the operations and maintenance phase, with those obligations continuing until 2045, and that technical changes to the network generally require KCNA approval through formal change-order processes. They also said the company conducted a market test in June 2023 under Schedule 19 of its contract, considered proposals including Open Fiber and the incumbent service provider, and retained the existing provider. Members asked about KCNA’s role, procurement, network customers, and revenue. The witnesses said Quac operates outside normal state procurement because its process is governed by contract, while KCNA acts as the Commonwealth’s oversight authority and filter for changes. They identified current network users as including AOC, KCTCS, postsecondary education, and other Commonwealth agencies, with all requests routed through KCNA; they also said a separate change process for Exceliccom is in litigation. On funding, they said the operation is paid through monthly appropriations, with roughly a million dollars a month for the service provider and a couple hundred thousand for Quac’s oversight, not including debt service, which is bundled into the availability payment. The discussion ended as members began asking about responsibility for damage-related costs such as squirrel-related outages.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Cuz only the rich had phones then. Cuz only the rich had phones then.
• </c> my phone into their empire. my phone into their empire.
• </c> The home phone does go to here. The home phone does go to here.
• I didn't mention you, Director McIntyre, just by phone number, not... this to them I seems like this
• </c> the number. the number.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• report sleeping with their phone in their hand every night.
• Kids who had phones were happier than kids without phones, which is not surprising to me, because if
• Make sure the numbers match.
• checked in matches the number of votes. votes that were cast, just the numbers.
• It's consistent with the number of votes that were cast.

Bills: SB1065 , SB2117 , SB2217 , SB2363 , SB2533 , SB2742 , SB2743 , SB2881 , SB2964 , SB3013 , SB3014

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: SB 1065, handgun carry, license holder, concealed carry, open carry, government contracts, governmental entity, property lease, state agencies, local government, higher education, university, Texas Government Code, Penal Code 30.06, Penal Code 30.07, Penal Code 46.03, Second Amendment, gun rights, firearms, civil penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• My time is best spent at the bedside, not on the phone.
• We've done analysis of USDA quality control data, and the number one source of errors, the number one
• reason when— The number one source of errors, the number one reason when conducting eligibility determinations
• We can get numbers for you. We don’t have that yet.
• There were over 41 reported phone calls.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard a JLBC presentation on H.R. 1’s SNAP impacts, including expanded work requirements, higher state administrative costs, and a potential state share of benefits if Arizona’s payment error rate remains above 6%. JLBC estimated the administrative cost increase at about $33 million in FY 2027 and $44 million in FY 2028, and said a 2024 error rate of 8.8% could expose the state to about $139 million in benefit costs starting in FY 2028. The chair also opened the meeting by asking members and speakers to keep remarks shorter to improve efficiency. The committee then considered several SNAP-related bills. HB 2797, which requires DES to more frequently verify eligibility through data matching, post fraud/noncompliance data, and address out-of-state EBT purchases, passed 7-5. HB 2442, requiring certain able-bodied SNAP adults with school-age children to participate in employment and training unless exempt, also passed 7-5. HB 2448, which limits DES’s ability to seek work-requirement waivers or discretionary exemptions without legislative authorization, passed 7-5. HB 2206, which sets a goal of reducing the SNAP payment error rate to 3% by 2030 and adds reporting and corrective-action requirements, passed 7-5 after debate over staffing, technology, and whether the target was realistic. The committee also advanced HB 2180, appropriating $2.5 million to the University of Arizona for AZ REACH, a hospital transfer coordination program serving rural facilities. Supporters said it improves patient transfers and reduces burdens on rural hospitals; some health system representatives were neutral but asked for operational improvements. HB 2180 passed 11-1. HB 2184, as amended, passed 7-4-1; it would extend fetal death certificate filing and require patients to be informed of the option to transfer fetal remains to a funeral home, with supporters describing it as a matter of parental dignity and closure. HB 2188, as amended, creating a Language Acquisition Grant Program for deaf or hard-of-hearing infants and toddlers, passed unanimously after testimony about balancing spoken-language and ASL options. The committee then began hearing HB 2194, a bill requiring insurers to provide a contact for detailed explanations after claim or prior-authorization denials, but the transcript ends before action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, that concludes our testimony on House Bill number 1698 and 2120.
• With the cell phones, where we stand? What's the thought process?
• The numbers are declining. So here we are.
• I did bring some numbers because I think this is important.
• Can I just go through the numbers? And mind you, we have the same free and reduced lunch numbers.

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER?
• IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP CHART IS THE NUMBER OF INTEREST LETTERS SENT, I.E.
• THE NUMBER OF INVITATIONS FOR THE I-BUDGET AND THE SECOND IS OUR RESPONSES.
• WE DID HAVE A NUMBER, IT'S A VERY SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF THOSE WHO ARE IN, I DON'T HAVE IT.
• EVENTUALLY… ALL THE PHONE NUMBERS, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH WITHOUT HAVING THE NUMBERS

Transcript Highlights:

• Nobody answers the phone. We get a recording.
• So we have an Oahu number.
• ><c> the</c> different calls numbers set up for the different calls numbers set up for the different<
• They give the HRS number.
• </c><00:27:18.799><c> nobody</c> to send messages the phone nobody to send messages the phone nobody

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means and Commerce and Consumer Protection heard the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs present its biennium budget request for fiscal years 2025 to 2027. Director Nainoa Ando said the department’s requests were primarily special-fund ceiling increases to meet operational needs. Major items included an additional $12 million to complete the King Kamehameha V Post Office building roof project after hidden deterioration and water intrusion were discovered, plus funding related to fringe benefits and central services assessments. The department also outlined requests for a new medical compact implementation cost, an auditor position, an engineer position, and a captive insurance IT modernization project. A significant portion of the discussion focused on the Office of Consumer Protection’s landlord-tenant call line and public service access. Senators raised concerns that callers often reach voicemail, are told to leave a message, and sometimes are referred to look up the law themselves. DCCA said the Oʻahu line is staffed by one full-time employee backed by two to three investigators, with one investigator each on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, and that calls are tracked in a case management system. The department said it plans to add one more Oʻahu staff position through a transfer from another division and that a new call-center/web system with time tracking is expected to go live in the summer. Members also discussed a possible bill related to Pearson VUE nursing certification testing, with one senator describing the burden on neighbor-island nursing graduates who must travel to Honolulu for a one-hour test. The senator said she intended to introduce legislation after receiving no response to repeated outreach. DCCA did not take action on that proposal during the hearing. For the PUC-related requests, the department explained a one-time $1 million request for outside consulting tied to Maui wildfire-related filings, including wildfire safety mitigation and hazard mitigation plans, and a separate $900,000 request through the Consumer Advocacy Division to hire consultants for review and analysis. The committee also discussed a captive insurance IT modernization request, which DCCA said would replace manual and spreadsheet-based processes with a cloud-based system to better handle filings, payments, and workflow; no vote or final action was taken on the budget items during the hearing.