Transcript Highlights:

• There's a crisis in the supply chain, but it benefits every Texas resident, every United States resident
• Texas A&M, West Texas A&M, and some pretty impressive programs that are working.
• According to the Texas Water Development Board, there are currently no operational ASR projects in Texas
• Our largest trading partner— and I don’t mean the United States, I mean Texas—is Mexico.
• House Bill 4530 addresses a Texas Water Development Board legislative priority. The Texas Water...

Committee: Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Downtown, there are historic landmarks and attractions like the Texas State Railroad, the Texas Theater
• Members, today I'm proud to recognize county treasurers from across the state of Texas.
• I had a bill that would have put a cop in every school paid for by the state of Texas.
• I am. ...the state of Texas. That bill went nowhere. Correct. You're aware? I am.
• With no funding help from the state of Texas. That's correct.

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum, an invocation, and routine motions to excuse Senator King and dispense with the reading of the previous journal. Members then took up several ceremonial resolutions and recognitions, including honoring Duncanville High School’s boys basketball state championship, recognizing the city of Palestine, welcoming the Texas African American Lawyers Foundation and Barbara Jordan Leadership Institute, acknowledging the Cibolo Chamber of Commerce, and designating Texas County Treasurer’s Day and Mesquite Day. A memorial resolution for Clyde Vance Dunham of Waco was adopted, with multiple senators speaking in tribute to his long legal career and community service; the Senate agreed to adjourn in his memory. The chamber then considered a series of bills, most of which were advanced on expedited motions. Senate Bill 1948, concerning fire prevention standards for certain agricultural facilities, passed after suspension of the rules and the three-day rule. Senate Bill 1394, updating weight and tire-load rules for ready-mix concrete trucks, passed unanimously. Senate Bill 1814, creating an electronic database to provide information to certain veterans, also passed unanimously. Senate Bill 241, tightening enforcement of the public camping ban and authorizing state enforcement and reimbursement mechanisms, drew questions about impacts on unhoused people but ultimately passed. Senate Bill 1147, withdrawing Texas from the Interstate Mining Compact, passed unanimously. The Senate also passed Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 921 on Medicaid ex parte renewals after a narrower vote, and Senate Bill 609, requiring school districts and charter schools to comply with legally required policies, after rejecting an amendment by Senators Menendez and Perry that would have added a good-faith/resource-limitation safeguard for districts. Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 660, requiring bollards or similar barriers near certain hospital emergency rooms, passed with rural exemptions and exceptions for existing protections. Senate Bill 2155, a cleanup bill returning veterinary board authority from TDLR to the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, passed with amendments. Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1209 on election dates and Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1396 prohibiting national sex education standards in public schools also passed. The Senate then received first-reading bills and adjourned until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Peace officers employed by the OAG bravely serve the citizens of the state of Texas and conduct complex
• In 2007, we were all sent across the state during the Texas Juvenile Justice, uh, division conservatorship
• of Texas.
• We are not only, I guess, competing against each other for officers across the state of Texas, but we
• We are the 3rd largest school district in the state of Texas.

Committee: House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Transcript Highlights:

• based on state-specific metric goals.
• So with that opening up, the state of Texas does not have a method or organization to evaluate accreditation
• The bill amends the Texas Education Code by establishing the Texas Higher Education Accrediting Commission
• labor market demands, as identified by the Texas Workforce Commission.
• The Capitol View corridors in Austin, designed to preserve the visibility of the Texas State Capitol,

Committee: Senate Education K-16

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard several bills and took no final votes, leaving each measure pending. The first major item, SB 1322 by Senator Hagenbuch, would create a Texas Higher Education Accrediting Commission to evaluate and approve accrediting agencies for public colleges and universities using outcome-based metrics such as retention, graduation, employment, debt, and repayment. Supporters, including Kate Byerley of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, argued the bill would add competition and align accreditation with Texas workforce needs; Senator Menendez questioned the need for a new bureaucracy and noted the $3.6 million fiscal note, suggesting existing reporting and oversight structures could serve the same purpose. The committee then heard SB 1998, which would establish a pediatric subspecialty preceptorship program to encourage medical students to enter pediatric subspecialties. Dr. Lauren Gamble testified in strong support, saying the program would help address shortages and improve access for children, especially in rural and underserved areas. SB 2788, authored by Senator Menendez, would add the PSAT as an accepted assessment for dual credit and Texas Success Initiative purposes; Priscilla Camacho of Alamo Colleges supported the bill, citing strong student outcomes and widespread use of the PSAT as a readiness indicator. Senator Creighton laid out SB 2076, which would remove or modify certain Capitol view corridor restrictions affecting the UT Austin Academic Medical Center project, including the planned specialty hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center expansion. He said the existing corridors are outdated and limit development. The committee also heard SB 1418, a cleanup bill replacing outdated references to ACT Plan with Pre-ACT and removing obsolete SAT subject test language. After brief testimony and no opposition on the later bills, the committee closed public testimony and left SB 1322, SB 1998, SB 2788, SB 2076, and SB 1418 pending before recessing for the floor session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Projects in Texas already face a longer state permitting timeline because of the contested case hearing
• Uh, the LNG market is expected to nearly double by 2040, and the state of Texas has an opportunity to
• So, um, the quantity has increased a lot when we're talking about Ty permits for the state of Texas.
• I'm here representing Texas State Inspection Association.
• We're one of the newest towns in, in the state of the great state of Texas, and I am its first mayor

Committee: House Environmental Regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas is a great state, the economy is strong compared to other states. places but don't expect and that's
• But the goal is to bring together the medical schools across the state of Texas. working with the state
• It was a need from the state of Texas, as identified by the Texas... mortality child with the maternal
• As in, every single other state has fewer occupational licensure requirements than the state of Texas
• The state auditor is, state auditor's office Auditor for Texas State Government.

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Which will allow us to learn from the state agencies and the current status of Texas transportation fundings
• It is a Texas issue. this issue and figuring out the problems that face our state is of great importance
• And then there's the federal side that is out of the jurisdiction obviously of of the state of Texas,
• , by the state of Texas and the MPOs.
• And priorities that we need to get done in the state of Texas seems to be dry. wagon out there.

Committee: House S/C on Transportation Funding

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You can tell him to call off this partisan gerrymandering in Texas and other states.
• Again, this is a crisis brought upon us because of what the state of Texas is..."
• Again, this is a crisis brought upon us because of what the state of Texas is doing.
• So by overriding our state constitution to retaliate to the actions of the state of Texas is completely
• You keep, you guys keep bringing up Texas. Why is other states... In Missouri.

Summary: The Assembly Elections Committee met on August 19, 2025, to consider ACA 8, SB 280, and an informational hearing on AB 604. The meeting began with several failed motions to adjourn, to read public comments into the record, and to recess so members could review the roughly 16,000 public comments submitted through the committee portal. The chair emphasized the hearing’s expedited format, transparency measures, and rules limiting witness testimony, and noted a letter from Speaker Rivas authorizing Assemblymember Berman to present ACA 8. ACA 8, described by supporters as the “Election Rigging Response Act,” would place before voters a temporary congressional redistricting plan tied to AB 604 and triggered only if another state, especially Texas, adopts a partisan mid-decade redistricting. Supporters, including Assemblymember Berman, labor groups, CTA, Planned Parenthood affiliates, SEIU, and other allied organizations, argued the measure was a response to partisan gerrymandering elsewhere and a defense of democracy, with voters having the final say in a November 4, 2025 special election. Opponents, including current and former redistricting commissioners, good-government groups, business and taxpayer organizations, and many members of the public, argued the proposal undermines California’s independent redistricting model, was rushed without adequate public review, could cost roughly $200 million or more, and would invite litigation and partisan manipulation. The committee also debated a proposed amendment that would bar legislators who voted for ACA 8 from later running for Congress in districts adopted under the measure. After extended procedural disputes, the committee voted to lay the amendment on the table. The hearing then continued with extensive public testimony, overwhelmingly divided between strong support and strong opposition, but the transcript provided does not show a final committee vote on ACA 8 or SB 280 before the excerpt ends.

Transcript Highlights:

• of Texas, dispose... ...to, while not directly compete with the state of Texas, disposal wells, at least
• Just as a reference point, if the exact well had been in the state of Texas, I would have been given
• The state of Louisiana gave me 1,160, so not even half of what Texas allows.
• You reference that in Texas and other states, it’s more consistent in terms of the substructure, but
• My biggest concern is that the state of Louisiana ends up doing what Texas is doing, and they go in and

Committee: House Natural Resources & Environment

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• About a year and a half ago, the United States Supreme Court rejected the consent decree of the states
• Unlike the consent decree that the states had entered into, the United States is now on board with this
• You can think of this as Texas and New Mexico both thought the other state was violating the compact.
• Senator to Texas.
• Those are just within New Mexico issues, though, so we don't even need Texas or the United States on

Transcript Highlights:

• Referred to the Committee on State Affairs.
• and the state highway system.
• HB 1262, by Goodwin, relating to the purpose and programs administered by the Texas State Affordable
• to the Committee on State Affairs.
• outdoor burns conducted during a state of disaster or state emergency, referred to the Committee on

Summary: The House met to read a large slate of newly filed bills and resolutions and refer them to committees. The measures covered a wide range of topics, including health care and insurance, public education, elections, criminal justice, public safety, taxes, transportation, agriculture, environmental regulation, higher education, housing, and local government. Several proposals focused on abortion and reproductive health, firearms, voter registration and ballot access, school curriculum and accountability, property tax and homestead issues, and state contracting and agency oversight. A number of constitutional amendments were also filed, including proposals on initiative and referendum, veto override authority, vaccination refusal, parental rights in education, gun rights, Medicaid expansion, and various tax exemptions. No substantive debate, testimony, or votes occurred during this portion of the meeting; the clerk simply read the bills and resolutions and announced their committee referrals. The list included both general legislation and joint resolutions, with many items sent to standing committees and several to subcommittees. The House then adjourned without objection until 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• in the state.
• Members of the State Board of Education are among the few elected officials in Texas who do not have
• My name is Maggie DeSanza, and I'm here representing the Texas State Employees Union, speaking on HB
• beneath the Texas.
• The state did not do that.

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are submitted to the State Board.
• Looking at the state standing, as we see...
• Looking at the state standing, as we saw with the academic standards, the state does have academic standards
• Those states are shown here.
• . ...where a district can potentially be put into state authority, meaning that DESE, that the State

Summary: The committee received a lengthy Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on Arkansas academic standards, accountability systems, and adequacy requirements. Staff reviewed how state curriculum and standards have evolved from the 1997 Public Education Act through the 2003 Quality Education Act and the 2017 Educational Support and Accountability Act, including required coursework, standards for accreditation, career and technical education, graduation requirements, and recent additions such as computer science, personal finance, firearm safety, and fetal growth and development instruction. Members asked for a chart comparing the major laws and repeals over time, and staff agreed to provide one. The presentation then turned to federal ESSA requirements and Arkansas’s state accountability system. Staff explained Arkansas’s long-term goals for proficiency, English learner progress, and graduation rates, and reported 2025 ATLAS proficiency results, which remained below the 80% goal across student groups. They also reviewed English learner progress, graduation rates, school support and improvement, and equitable access to educators. Data showed gaps by subgroup and by school poverty/minority concentration, with Title I and high-poverty schools more likely to have emergency/provisional teachers and less experienced staff. Members questioned the lack of recent data for some ESSA measures, including equity labs and school index calculations, and asked staff to follow up with the Department of Education. The committee also discussed NAEP results, ACT scores, and teacher quality measures under the state accountability act. Arkansas’s NAEP performance remained below national averages in fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math, and ACT composite scores and benchmark attainment were also reviewed. Members asked for additional information on historical highs and lows, the number of assessments students take by grade, dropout data, and comparisons with other states. No formal votes were taken; the main action was agreement to request additional information from DESE and to schedule department follow-up at a future meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Historical Society, Idaho Commission for Libraries, and the State Lottery.
• Affairs, Idaho State Historical Society, Idaho Commission for Libraries, State Lottery, State Appellate
• controller, secretary of state, and the state treasurer.
• controller, secretary of state, and the state treasurer.
• And it's all over the state.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first received updates from LSO on the latest green sheet, including the revenue impact of House Bill 559, recent cash transfers, and the Idaho Budget Rescissions Act for FY 2026. Members then moved through a series of FY 2027 maintenance budgets, beginning with the legislative branch. The committee discussed the statewide 2% reduction layered on top of the governor’s recommendation, benefit-cost adjustments, and how those decisions were being built into the maintenance budgets. The legislative branch budget passed, followed by unanimous-consent adoption of related language. The committee next considered public safety, natural resources, health and human services, economic development, judicial branch, constitutional officers, and general government budgets. In each case, analysts explained how rescissions, ongoing base reductions, and statewide adjustments were incorporated. Several members objected to the across-the-board cuts, arguing they would reduce staffing or services in corrections, juvenile corrections, environmental quality, health and welfare, public defender services, crime victims compensation, tax administration, and treatment courts, while supporters said the committee needed a target and would revisit details in enhancement work groups. Most budget motions passed on divided votes and were forwarded with do-pass recommendations. The committee also adopted multiple sections of standard and nonstandard language, including cash transfers, reporting requirements, and agency-specific provisions. In Health and Human Services, members debated language requiring reporting on large acquisitions and transfers, and in Economic Development and General Government they adopted language affecting the State Public Defender, the Department of Insurance, and group insurance premiums. The meeting ended while the committee was still working through a disputed general government language item about funding employee health insurance premiums from reserve accounts, with members debating whether the language should reference specific reserve funds or broader reserve funding and whether the proposal was properly within JFAC’s scope.

Transcript Highlights:

• Judy E., State Building Trades, in opposition.
• Please state your name. Please state your name, your affiliation, and your position only.
• Library to conduct research and issue a report to the Legislature on each state emblem chosen by a legislator
• few states that does not have an official state butterfly.
• how best to spend our state tax dollars.

Committee: Senate Governmental Organization

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please state your name. Thank you. Please state your name, your agency, and your position only.
• Judy E., State Billing Traits, in opposition.
• Library to conduct research and issue a report to the Legislature on each state emblem chosen by a legislator
• few states that does not have an official state butterfly.
• how best to spend our state tax dollars.

Committee: Senate Governmental Organization

Summary: The Senate Government Organization Committee met without a quorum at first, then later established one and took up a series of bills, many focused on regulatory oversight, state symbols, food insecurity, immigration enforcement, and ethnic media funding. SB 885 by Senator Strickland proposed requiring legislative approval for major regulations with an estimated economic impact over $50 million; supporters argued it would restore accountability and help address affordability, while labor and environmental opponents warned it would delay important health and safety rules. After discussion of committee amendments and concerns about timing, the bill was moved out on a due-pass motion, with the roll held open for absent members. The committee also heard SB 986, a similar regulatory oversight bill by Senator Saryato, which accepted committee amendments and advanced after supporters emphasized separation of powers and opponents raised delay concerns. SB 1025 by Senator Hurtado created an Office of Food Security and Affordability to coordinate food programs across departments; members generally supported the goal but urged stronger reporting and oversight guardrails, and the bill was moved forward with the roll held open. The committee then heard several symbolic designation bills. SB 1214 by Senator Ochoa Bogh would designate the Western monarch as California’s state butterfly; supporters highlighted the species’ ecological importance and conservation value, and the bill advanced as amended. SB 1178 by Senator Reyes would designate the California yellow jacket as the state wasp; testimony emphasized its role in pest control and agriculture, and it also moved forward as amended. SB 1286 by Senator Richardson would designate the California sea lion as the official state pinniped; the author and Marine Mammal Care Center described sea lions as a conservation success story and a sentinel species, and the bill passed out of committee as amended. The committee also considered SB 1171 by Senator Caballero, which would make private entities that contract with ICE ineligible for state-funded loans or grants. Supporters framed it as a response to harmful ICE enforcement practices, while opponents warned it could sweep in providers of essential services such as food, medical care, and legal research for detainees and could invite retaliation against California funding. The bill was approved on a 7-3 vote, with the roll held open. Finally, SB 1358 by Senator Rubio, the Ethnic and Community Media Equity Act, would create a database and contracting framework to direct more state advertising and outreach funds to ethnic and community media; supporters said it would improve reach, trust, and effectiveness in underserved communities, and the bill advanced on a strong vote with the roll held open. The committee also took up the consent calendar after quorum was established, and several items were held open for absent members.

Transcript Highlights:

• So sometimes the federal government will give it to a state entity, and that state entity will then filter
• The United States Supreme Court has looked at that and determined that Congress—the United States Congress—has
• I think that's a really important thing for our state that our state does really well and I think probably
• The state learns of direct impacts, if and when... behooves us as a state to work alongside nations,
• Our Navajo Nation spans between four states, including the state of New Mexico.

Committee: House Federal Funding Stabilization Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• Historical Society, Idaho Commission for Libraries, and the State Lottery.
• Affairs, Idaho State Historical Society, Idaho Commission for Libraries, State Lottery, State Appellate
• controller, secretary of state, and the state treasurer.
• Idaho State University has an increase. Lewis-Clark State College has an increase.
• And it's all over the state.

Summary: The committee received an LSO update on the latest green sheet, including the fiscal effects of House Bill 559, recent cash transfers, and the Idaho Budget Rescissions Act for FY 2026. Staff then walked through FY 2027 maintenance budgets, explaining how statewide decisions, benefit costs, contract inflation, and cost allocation were built into the numbers. Members also discussed clarifications to the health insurance calculation language and the treatment of certain agency plans, including graduate medical education and the Secretary of State’s cash balance approach. The committee considered and approved maintenance budgets for the legislative branch, public safety, natural resources, health and human services, economic development, the judicial branch, constitutional officers, and general government. Several members objected to the across-the-board reductions, arguing they would create long-term costs, harm staffing and services, and shift expenses to other parts of government or to the public. Supporters said the committee needed a target, that the maintenance budgets were structurally balanced, and that further changes could be addressed in the enhancement process. Most budget motions passed on divided votes, and the committee also adopted standard language for each packet. The committee debated several pieces of nonstandard language, including provisions related to budget integrity, reporting requirements for large Health and Welfare acquisitions, a cash transfer for livestock depredation prevention, public defender parking, insurance reimbursement limits, and a proposal to use reserve funds to hold state employee health insurance premiums flat. Some language was adopted by unanimous consent, while the employee premium language prompted extended discussion over which reserve funds could be used and whether the proposal should apply differently to elected officials and other employees. The meeting ended while that issue was still being worked through, with the committee having advanced multiple budget packets and accompanying language to do-pass recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please state your name. Please state your name, your affiliation, and your position only.
• Library to conduct research and issue a report to the Legislature on each state emblem chosen by a legislator
• few states that does not have an official state butterfly.
• The yellow jacket is a state wasp.
• how best to spend our state tax dollars.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused largely on regulatory oversight, food insecurity, state symbols, immigration-related funding, and ethnic media outreach. SB 885 and SB 986 would require major regulations with estimated economic impacts over $50 million to come back to the Legislature for review; supporters said this would restore accountability and help address affordability, while opponents warned it would delay health, safety, and worker protections. SB 1025 would create an Office of Food Security and Affordability to coordinate food programs across state departments, expand outreach, run a hunger hotline, and analyze service gaps; members generally supported the goal but urged stronger reporting and oversight language. SB 1214 would designate the Western monarch as California’s state butterfly, and SB 1178 would designate the California yellow jacket as the state wasp, with testimony emphasizing conservation, ecology, and agricultural benefits. SB 1286 would recognize the California sea lion as the state pinniped, with supporters citing its role as a sentinel species and conservation success story. SB 1171 would make private entities that contract with ICE ineligible for state-funded grants or loans; supporters framed it as a response to ICE conduct, while opponents raised concerns about unintended impacts on contractors providing essential services and possible federal retaliation. SB 1358 would create the Ethnic and Community Media Equity Act to improve state advertising and outreach to ethnic and community media through a database and contracting requirements, with supporters arguing it would improve effectiveness and reach underserved communities. Several bills were advanced on committee votes, many with roll calls held open for absent members. SB 885, SB 986, SB 1025, SB 1214, SB 1178, SB 1286, and SB 1171 all received motions to do pass, with some members noting support but also urging amendments or guardrails, especially on timing, reporting, and oversight. The committee also took up a consent calendar of multiple items after quorum was established.

Transcript Highlights:

• to improve state cash management practices, reviewing state- and opportunities to improve state cash
• While we have found that overall the state acts as good money managers, the state can improve on its
• that stays within the state.
• For what the state is investing in, I'd say that's a pretty good benefit back to the state.
• We tend to get a lot of people from out of state. We tend to get a lot of people from out of state.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Leadership Division of the Budget Section approved the prior meeting minutes and then received an update from Senator Jonathan Sickler on the Cash Management Board’s interim work under House Bill 1278. He said the board has reviewed state cash, investments, and liquidity across agencies and concluded the state’s overall mix of long-term and short-term assets is appropriate, with about $35 billion in total liquid assets and investments and roughly 89% in longer-term investments. He highlighted process improvements already underway, including replacing more than 500 six-month CDs with a special-rate savings account to reduce administrative work, and said the board sees opportunities to improve forecasting, automation, and statewide coordination. Members asked about whether the CD change would increase returns, how the Legacy Fund transfer for the homestead tax relief bill affected earnings, and whether more state cash could be consolidated or better managed through BND; Sickler and BND staff said those issues are being studied and may lead to legislation for the 2027 session. Representative Nathan Toman then updated the committee on the Task Force on Government Efficiency. He said the group has focused less on cutting dollars and more on defining metrics and asking how the legislature knows whether programs are working. The task force is pushing a standard set of questions for new or expanding programs—who is affected, expected outcomes, alternatives, how success will be measured, and full funding—and OMB has agreed to require those answers in future budget requests. Members discussed possible use of dashboards, program evaluators, AI tools, and possible rule or statutory changes to require performance measurement. Toman said the task force will continue meeting with agencies such as the courts, university system, auditor, HHS, Commerce, and ITD to identify workflow bottlenecks and potential efficiencies. Phil Davis of Job Service North Dakota gave a workforce update, reporting that North Dakota’s unemployment rate is 2.5% and labor force participation is about 68.7%, both well above national performance. He described Job Service’s 15 workforce programs, including H-2A housing inspections for foreign agricultural workers, the job placement partnership program with DOCR, WOTC, and other federal and state workforce efforts. Davis said the agency served more than 11,000 individuals in 2025, operates nine workforce centers, and tracks outcomes through quarterly and annual reporting. In response to questions, he said job openings data reflect only positions in the system and may understate actual hiring needs, that child care and other assistance programs could be better tied to employment outcomes, and that the DOCR partnership has shown strong results with lower recidivism and higher earnings. He also said the H-2A inspection workload is growing quickly and additional staffing or less frequent federal inspection requirements could help. Allen Knutson then presented S&P Global’s updated revenue forecast. He said oil prices have risen sharply since the prior month’s outlook, improving the state’s near-term revenue picture, though the economy remains volatile and agriculture is facing weaker commodity prices. Based on the updated forecast, total major tax revenues for the current biennium are projected to be about $89 million above the legislative forecast, and the next biennium could be about $500 million higher, though that estimate is preliminary and may change. He also walked through an alternate oil-price scenario showing significantly higher oil and gas collections and a larger Strategic Investment Fund balance if prices remain elevated. Members asked whether another forecast should be requested once oil markets stabilize and about tribal allocation changes in the alternative scenario; Knutson said additional updates are possible through OMB and future forecast cycles.