Transcript Highlights:

• H. 907, an act relating to legislative review of reporting requirements, introduced by the Committee
• </c> review of reporting requirements review of reporting requirements introduced<00:09:40.320><c> by
• </c> reporting requirements. reporting requirements.
• um for um the reporting requirements um for um the accounting<00:17:37.200><c> provisions,</c><00:17
• The constitutional amendment process requires that we have it in the calendar for 7 days.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Requires an LSA fiscal in all executive orders.
• , this bill requires parental permission. of age who wants to open an account.
• requirements to open an account for verification.
• I don't think the bill requires that, is what I'm saying, Senator Bahatchak.
• There's no language in here that requires that.

Keywords: 964, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, under current law, the court may but is not required to schedule these hearings.
• The bill makes those hearings required.
• They are not required to.
• here would require a prosecutor to consent.
• We want to talk a little bit about some of the requirements outlined in this bill.

Summary: The House Community Safety Committee met on January 29, 2026, and announced it would not hold executive session that day because of the large number of public hearing sign-ups; those executive sessions were pushed to the following Monday. The committee first heard House Bill 2558, relating to the mental health sentencing alternative (MHSA). Staff explained that the bill narrows eligibility to people diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, adds restrictions for certain domestic violence and prior violent offense cases, requires more detailed DOC reports, lengthens some community custody terms, mandates regular progress hearings, and shifts assessment work to contracted providers. The sponsor said the bill is intended to refocus the program on people whose offenses are tied to serious mental illness and to reduce misuse in domestic violence and other violent cases. No public testimony was taken on HB 2558 that day, and the hearing was held open for later testimony. The committee then heard House Bill 2217, which would replace the current first-time offender waiver with a pretrial deferral option and a suspended sentence option for eligible first-time felony defendants. Supporters, including public defense, immigration advocates, judges, economists, and the Sentencing Guidelines Commission, argued the bill would create a meaningful rehabilitation pathway, reduce recidivism, improve employment outcomes, and avoid the long-term harm of an immediate felony conviction. They also said the deferred-adjudication structure could help immigrants avoid immigration consequences and would better incentivize restitution and compliance. Opponents, including sheriffs, prosecutors, and victim advocates, raised concerns about expanding eligibility to offenses such as assault 2 and robbery 2, the meaning of “violent offense,” the possibility of judicial diversion without prosecutor consent, and the impact on victims and public safety. After testimony, the sponsor said she would remove the bill’s strong presumption in favor of relief, and the committee closed the public hearing on HB 2217. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2641, the “ICE Out Act of 2026,” which would bar Washington law enforcement agencies from hiring people who were sworn ICE officers after January 20, 2025, with the restriction applying prospectively beginning October 1, 2026. The sponsor said the bill was meant to protect communities and prevent hiring officers associated with federal immigration enforcement practices she described as harmful. The committee then heard House Bill 2648, which would require state and local officers who encounter suspected ICE employees conducting immigration enforcement to activate body and dash cameras, report the encounter, and document it, while providing state indemnification for officers acting in good faith. Supporters said the bill would improve transparency and protect communities and officers; the Washington State Patrol said many of the practices already align with its policies. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs expressed concerns about added reporting requirements, possible effects on federal-local cooperation, and asked for changes to soften mandatory language and strengthen indemnification. The committee ended the hearing without further testimony and adjourned, noting executive sessions on about a dozen bills would occur the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• DOC may, but is not required to, obtain payment for delivery.
• should require that those services be fully compensated through a formal agreement.
• One concerning change is the elimination of the pricing requirements of the 2023 law.
• One concerning change is the elimination of the pricing requirements of the 2023 law.
• By requiring some work requirements to it, we're helping them be successful so they can move on beyond

Bills: SB5917 , SB6080 , SB6085 , SB5940 , SB5945 , SB5957 , SB5966

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: abortion medications, reproductive health, mifepristone, misoprostol, abortion access, medication abortion, early pregnancy loss, miscarriage management, Department of Corrections, Department of Health, health care providers, health care entities, Indian health care providers, pharmacy distribution, wholesale distribution, reproductive rights, women's health, emergency clause, immediate effect, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• Commerce is required to review the state energy strategy at least once every eight years.
• Turning to the... ...required to review the state energy strategy at least once every eight years.
• We also identified some policies that lowered state regulatory requirements for SMR siting.
• Some facilities are required to use the EFSEC site certification process, and others may opt in.
• Some facilities are required to use the FSEC site certification process and others may opt in.

Bills: SB5821 , SB6004 , SB6010 , SB5941

Committee: Senate Environment, Energy & Technology

Keywords: nuclear energy, energy strategy, advanced technology, sustainability, state policy, renewable energy, public entities, electric generation, contracting, SB 6010, Washington energy siting, EFSEC, Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, tribal consultation, government-to-government consultation, federally recognized tribes, energy facility siting, RCW, clean energy, alternative energy

Transcript Highlights:

• What we did is we took out the requirements and the membership requiring, I guess, DEI requirements.
• What we did is we took out the requirements and the membership requiring, I guess, DEI requirements.
• Members, this is a request to be excluded from reporting requirements.
• This is a request to be excluded from reporting requirements.
• sedation. ...to some degree because they require sedation.

Committee: All ALC-ADMINISTRATIVE RULES

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council reviewed several agency rules and requests. The Insurance Department’s amendment to its holding company system rule was reviewed and approved, as were two State Board of Election Commissioners rules: one clarifying poll watcher conduct, vote challenges, and provisional voting, and another increasing pay for certified election monitors and defining training, observation, and report-writing compensation. The Arkansas Financial Education Commission also had its rule reviewed and approved after removing membership requirements tied to DEI language to comply with Act 938. The committee held over the Department of Education’s request to be excluded from reporting requirements for one month to allow further discussion about who should write or implement the rules. A major portion of the meeting focused on the Department of Human Services’ request to be excluded from reporting requirements for Acts 567, 568, 967, and 1025. DHS said CMS had raised comparability and other federal approval concerns, especially for the dental and diagnostic lab provisions, and that it might not be able to meet the acts’ effective dates. DHS described several possible paths forward, including broader benefit changes, waivers, or splitting the dental provisions so the pediatric rate increase could move separately from the special-needs adult cap increase. The Arkansas State Dental Association disputed DHS’s conclusion that the acts could not be implemented as written, argued that Act 1025 is workable, and urged DHS to continue pursuing implementation and preserve the September 1 effective date where possible. Public testimony also supported expanded dental access for adults with disabilities and special needs. After discussion, the committee voted not to exclude DHS from reporting requirements for those acts. The committee then reviewed the Division of Higher Education’s Act 781 report. The division said it has 32 rules in effect, asked to repeal three rules—two replaced by new rules and one no longer supported by authority or current law—and to continue the remaining 29 rules. The committee approved that request, with the repeals effective upon adjournment of the Legislative Council meeting on January 16, 2026. The meeting concluded with no questions on the remaining written rulemaking updates from prior and current sessions, which were filed without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you require assistance, please contact the committee staff.
• legislature was clear that counties cannot regulate density, many counties have enacted setback requirements
• So the county has the right to require platting of roads, to require the design standards of those roads
• , to require the locations of the roads, the right of way size of the roads.
• You passed legislation last session to require water availability on the Platte.

Committee: House Land & Resource Management

Transcript Highlights:

• Professional and positive support analyst required qualifications.
• It subjects DWRS payments to MA sanctions and monetary recovery requirements.
• Requirements and certification for recovery residences and a work group.
• Section 11 establishes background study requirements for EIDBI providers.
• William requires 24-hour support and he needs assistance.

Bills: HF2434

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: healthcare, personal care assistance, worker retention, disability services, state funding

Transcript Highlights:

• If you require assistance in registering or testifying, please contact the committee staff.
• Without triggering real estate licensing requirements just as individuals may.
• . 36 out of 50 do not require surveyors to do it.
• In the US, 90% of states have higher training requirements than Texas.
• You'll see I've included a map of the required hours in the other states, um, to, so that requirement

Committee: House Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill would require transient accommodations brokers and other persons or entities to offer, list,
• intent, but this bill would require proof of intent by the defendant.
• </c> Incorporated in this bill requiring Incorporated in this bill requiring proof<00:21:17.000><c> of
• </c> you remove that intent requirement you remove that intent requirement because<00:21:33.159><c> it
• </c> bill um 594 relating to hotels required bill um 594 relating to hotels required um<00:27:34.440>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint hearing of the House Committees on Tourism, Housing, and Economic Development and Technology began with House Bill 604, which would raise the transient accommodations tax by 1 percentage point starting January 1, 2026 and direct the revenue to the Hawaiian Homes General Loan Fund. The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands supported the bill as a source of consistent funding, while the Grassroots Institute of Hawaii and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii opposed it, warning that Hawaii already has very high tourism taxes and that further increases could hurt visitors, workers, and the broader economy. The committees later voted to pass HB 604 with amendments as an HD1 and to defer the date; the vote was adopted, with one member noted as having reservations in the housing committee vote and one no vote in that committee. The committees then heard House Bill 973, which would require transient accommodations brokers and others to display all resort fees, taxes, and government-imposed charges upfront in advertised prices and would establish penalties. The Office of Consumer Protection expressed concerns about the bill’s intent requirement and noted a forthcoming federal FTC rule on junk fees; the Hawaii Hotel Alliance strongly supported the measure as promoting transparency and uniformity, and a public witness also supported price transparency while questioning the size of the penalties. After questions about federal rescission of the FTC rule and enforcement authority, the committees voted to pass HB 973 with amendments as an HD1, including removal of the intent requirement and technical changes, and the recommendation was adopted unanimously. House Bill 594, relating to hotel service disruptions, would require hotel keepers to give notice of disruptions to guests and third-party vendors and allow damages. The Attorney General’s office recommended amendments to add a purpose section and savings clause to address First Amendment and contract clause issues, and Unite Here Local 5 supported the bill, saying guests are not always notified of disruptions and that the measure would improve transparency; the union agreed with the legal amendments. The committees voted to pass HB 594 with amendments as an HD1 and to defer the date, adopting the recommendation. The final measures were House Bill 448 and House Bill 449, both related to technology enablement and economic development for small businesses, including tourism-related businesses. HTDC strongly supported both bills but emphasized that technology should be targeted to the actual problem and coordinated with sister agencies rather than applied broadly; the Hawaii Food Industry Association and Chamber of Commerce also supported HB 448, and HB 449 received support from HTDC and HFIA. The committees adopted amendments to HB 448, including moving a $250,000 appropriation to the committee report, and to HB 449, including deleting duplicative language tied to HB 448 and moving a $500,000 appropriation to the committee report; both bills were passed as HD1s with deferred dates, and the hearing adjourned after the votes were adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Transferring the division may require Transferring the division may require federal<00:03:31.440
• </c><00:32:05.840><c> a</c> not regulatory so it would require a not regulatory so it would require a
• currently requires.
• reasonable reporting requirements?
• </c> required of these reporting requirements required of these reporting requirements every<01:04:00.640

Bills: SB2350 , SB2349 , SB2407 , SB3320

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Environment

Keywords: agriculture, aquaculture, livestock, agribusiness, Department of Agriculture, regulatory functions, employee benefits, restorative practices, sustainability, environmental stewardship, local food systems, Native Hawaiian, workforce development, agricultural development, Hawaii Island, property manager, state employment, SB3320, Hawaii, Agribusiness Development Corporation

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SP 2350, which would transfer oversight of the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Development Division and the aquaculture and livestock support services branch to the Agribusiness Development Corporation. The Department of Agriculture and ADC both testified, with ADC opposing the bill as written while supporting the goal of strengthening agriculture. ADC said the transfer could create federal operational and coordination risks, jeopardize federal funding and program continuity, and was unnecessary because ADC is a business development entity, not a regulatory agency. The Hawaii Farmers Union also expressed concern that moving the programs could weaken the department’s ability to access federal resources, while the Hawaii Farm Bureau submitted written testimony and the Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association and H-Plan were noted as supporting the measure; the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council was noted as opposing it. Much of the discussion focused on aquaculture’s economic potential and the role of regulation, permitting, and funding. Committee members questioned why aquaculture had not grown faster, citing current gross revenues of about $66 million last year, a prior high of $82 million, and a possible long-term target of $500 million. Testimony identified permitting and feed costs as major barriers, along with market conditions and water quality issues affecting producers. ADC described ongoing efforts on feed development, permitting streamlining, coastal-state collaboration on seaweed and restorative aquaculture, and national advocacy for more parity in seafood import standards. Members also pressed the Department of Agriculture on its leadership and priorities, criticizing the lack of bills and resources dedicated to aquaculture and asking whether the department should have more authority to pursue land purchases and development opportunities. The department said it relies on divisions and industry feedback for bill ideas, noted it funds an annual aquaculture survey, and said it was pursuing congressional earmarks and other funding for aquaculture parks, research, and export/import issues. ADC said it would work with the department if the bill passed, but that its current statute does not give it regulatory authority and any such change would require a statutory amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:37:19.520><c> of</c> process and fulfill the requirement of process and fulfill the requirement
• </c><00:39:42.680><c> all</c><00:39:42.960><c> RFP</c> measures that require all RFP measures that require
• </c> specific question of are you requiring specific question of are you requiring the<00:42:27.599><
• </c><00:42:37.400><c> Grant</c> and secondly are you requiring Grant and secondly are you requiring Grant
• Are they required to take it?

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Lobbyists will be required to directly go to the Secretary of State and do it themselves through the
• To my knowledge, realtors are not required to register with the Secretary of State.
• The bill requires jury commissioners to notify elections officials.
• Demonstrate eligibility before elections officials are required to purge them.
• There is also a requirement that jury affidavits comply with election laws that there's no requirement

Committee: Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I guess there’s not a requirement necessarily that they incorporate.
• Okay, so that's where we go back to: it's an application requirement.
• So yes, we are required to come up with an application.
• We are required to provide technical assistance.
• Is there a requirement within the Constitution that sets that five-day parameter?

Committee: House Joint Committee on Administrative Rules

Summary: The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules met to review Missouri marijuana microbusiness rule amendments, especially 19 CSR 100-1.060 and 19 CSR 100-1.190. The Department of Cannabis Regulation explained that the changes were intended to clarify what it means for a microbusiness to be “owned and operated” by eligible individuals, move compliance review earlier in the application process, and address repeated instances where licenses were later found to be controlled by ineligible or noncompliant parties. The department said it had used stakeholder outreach, town halls, listening sessions, and public comments in drafting the rules, and noted that 25 standalone comments were received during formal rulemaking. Committee members focused heavily on whether the rules were too broad, whether they effectively punished applicants for past agency revocations, and whether the department had clear authority to impose a lifetime ban on people denied or revoked under the ownership-and-operation provisions. Several members argued the language should be narrowed to intentional or egregious violations and better tied to specific conduct rather than prior agency action. Witnesses from the public, including applicants and attorneys, testified that the department’s guidance on “predatory practices” and acceptable ownership structures had been unclear, that some applicants relied on consultant arrangements later deemed problematic, and that similar agreements were treated inconsistently. Others supported stronger enforcement, saying the rules were needed to prevent manipulation of social equity applicants and preserve the constitutional requirements of the program. The committee also discussed training and technical assistance requirements, the five-day document deadline, and whether the department should provide more concrete guidance or model forms. Members raised concerns that the proposed definitions could burden small or first-time business owners and that some applicants might be unfairly penalized despite acting in good faith. No substantive vote on the rule package was taken; instead, the committee voted to adjourn and return on Thursday after working with the department on possible corrections, clarifications, or amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• states that only require one license plate?
• Why are we allowing them to operate in the state legally while requiring our own citizenry to have two
• our own citizenry to have bureaucratic encumbrances that we do not require other...
• Truly I do, but this may require, this may require, you know, a shovel rather than a chainsaw.
• “Isn’t that on them to understand what their requirements are?”

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now our office statutorily is required to conduct an audit of the SFOs once every three years.
• Under current law, what is the department required to use for cross-check?
• What data do they need to, what data do we require them under current law to rely upon?
• But statutorily, they're only required to check the 2F and 3F surveys. Okay.
• Next, the bill requires the department to assign a student ID for all scholarship assistance.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met for its first meeting of the 2025 session to hear the Auditor General’s operational audit on 2024-25 school funding accountability challenges, focused largely on the Family Empowerment Scholarship and its interaction with the FEFP. Deputy Auditor General Matthew Tracy described rapid growth in scholarship enrollment, timing mismatches between scholarship payments and public-school funding calculations, delayed membership survey processing, weak cross-check and recoupment procedures, inconsistent handling of parent survey responses, and limited documentation for withholding and returning funds. The audit said these issues contributed to funding inequities, duplicate-payment risks, and an unexpected draw on state education funds, and it recommended separating scholarship funding from the FEFP, aligning application windows with budget timing, strengthening controls and staffing, and creating clearer, documented recoupment and balance-limit processes. Committee members questioned whether current law gives the department and scholarship funding organizations enough authority and whether the system is effectively a pay-and-chase model. Several senators expressed concern about the lack of timely reconciliation, the size of the funds involved, and the absence of clear records showing how money was recovered or withheld. Adam Emerson, executive director of the Office of School Choice, said the department is working more closely with school districts and scholarship funding organizations, including pausing payments when districts identify students still enrolled in public schools, and said the office wants to improve the process. President Gates then previewed legislation he said would address the audit’s findings by funding Family Empowerment Scholarships as a separate FEFP categorical, expanding the Education Stabilization Fund, setting clearer application and acceptance deadlines, moving to monthly payments with eligibility verification before each payment, assigning student IDs for scholarship assistance, lowering SFO management fees, requiring annual audits, and requiring prompt return of audit-related funds. Public comment included a private-school attorney describing losses from unpaid scholarship amounts. Members generally supported the need for reform, with several senators saying the program should be preserved but better structured and more accountable. The committee adjourned after the discussion, with no vote taken on the legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you require assistance in registering or testifying, please contact the committee staff.
• Required to use in their high school health curriculum, specifically, Senate Bill 1207 requires that
• In Texas, we require parental consent on sex education.
• The problem is, they're not required to, and there are witnesses.
• TEKS are required, but they can be added to. All right. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Newman.

Bills: SB204 , SB570 , SB735 , SB784 , SB1207 , SB1396 , SB1447 , SB2392 , SB2540 , SB747 , SB875

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: parental rights, education, school trustees, training, handbook, truancy, attendance policy, chronic absenteeism, school attendance, student absence notifications, parent notification, home visit, attendance officer, truancy court, school district, open-enrollment charter school, student support services, school counselor, principal, administrator

Transcript Highlights:

• And it removes the provisions requiring the board to select the lowest modeled PML. Thank you.
• collateral, we don't require collateral.
• Residents on the upper floors required calling the Houston Fire Department.
• The bill doesn't require any new spending.
• Certain manufacturers are not meeting the obligations required by current law.

Bills: SB 1113 , SB 1117 , SB 1206 , SB 1460 , SB 1802 , SB 1906 , SB 1917 , SB 2340 , SB 2455 , SB 2680 , SB 2690 , SB 705 , SB 748

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: SB 1113, converter's license, converter license, motor vehicle dealer, auto dealer, vehicle conversion, converted vehicles, direct sales, retail sales, trailer, semitrailer, manufactured trailer, chassis, manufacturer's statement of origin, MSO, Occupations Code, Transportation Code, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, dealer licensing, general distinguishing number

Summary: The meeting of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee was marked by discussions on several significant bills, with a keen emphasis on legislative updates and committee substitutes. Notably, Senator Blanco presented a new committee substitute for SB2610, which modifies the employee cap from 100 to 250 and extends the update timeline for cyber security programs for small businesses. This substitute was adopted unanimously, reflecting a collaborative agreement among the committee members. Additionally, there were discussions surrounding SB1856 as Senator Crayton provided insights into how stakeholder feedback influenced the bill's committee substitute. The committee ultimately voted in favor, pushing it towards the local and contested calendar, indicating the bill's progression through legislative channels.

Transcript Highlights:

• This translates to approximately 48,000 state jobs that require a bachelor's degree.
• This just amends the section of the Texas Government Code. to require hotline, to require, I'm sorry,
• Attorneys would be required to complete the 10 days training before being hired or engaged.
• So the bill does require those outside attorneys to undergo training.
• They consume, they require. are usually a small power plant to power those data centers.

Bills: HB3146 , HB3719 , HB3895 , HB3923 , HB4748 , HB4751 , HB4936 , HB4952 , HB4990 , HB4991 , HB5061 , HB5196 , HB5238 , HB5246 , HB5487

Committee: House Delivery of Government Efficiency

Keywords: State Office of Administrative Hearings, SOAH, administrative hearings, contested case, contested case hearing, administrative law judge, ALJ, final decision, proposed decision, agency hearing, hearing continuance, rescheduling, Texas administrative law, Government Code Chapter 2001, workers' compensation, Department of Human Resources, Texas Labor Code, Transportation Code, Agriculture Code, Insurance Code

Transcript Highlights:

• multiple vessels that may not require registration.
• In addition to those cleanup requirements and the general overall requirements to not discharge, we have
• Potential violations of environmental requirements.
• You asked me the same question, but it requires four elements, okay?
• You asked me the same question, but it requires four elements, okay?

Bills: SB2199 , SB2200 , SB2201 , SB2949 , SB2332

Committee: Senate Border Security

Keywords: overweight vehicle, vehicle weight limits, hazardous materials, hazmat, cargo tank, fuel transport, trucking, commercial vehicle, Transportation Code, criminal penalty, second-degree felony, loading violation, truck weight, axle weight, gross weight, public safety, commercial carrier, Texas, commercial truck, truck route