Transcript Highlights:

• I have one of the fastest growing districts in the state.
• This is a statewide rural Texas issue. Everybody has it.
• Homeless, homelessness is a rampant problem in Texas.
• homelessness in Texas.
• We are one of the largest continuum of care in the state of Texas.

Committee: House S/C on County & Regional Government

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> taxes good morning everyone uh I'm state taxes good morning everyone uh I'm state representative
• <00:45:01.280><c> sales</c><00:45:01.640><c> tax</c><00:45:01.920><c> is</c> state sales tax is state
• generated by the state.
• generated by the state.
• generated by the state.

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Monitor the working group led by the Texas Secretary of State in conjunction with counties.
• We have lots and lots of elections throughout the state of Texas.
• An election in the state of Texas is not the same as an election in Delaware, for example.
• Significant shifts to increase voter access in the state of Texas.
• Harris County remains committed to working collaboratively with the Texas Secretary of State and the

Committee: House Elections

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For higher education, there's contingent funding of $850 million for a Texas State Technical College
• How does Texas state and local tax, short acronym SALT, compare to other states? other states.
• Texas had the 11th highest property tax. tax burden for individuals among U.S. states, and the 36th highest
• Texas had the 20th highest. effective tax rate for businesses among US states and the tables look like
• Texas Public Policy Foundation here to articulate a few high-level thoughts on the state of. play with

Committee: House Ways & Means

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So really a game-changer for Texas. We're very fortunate, um.
• It helps law enforcement in Texas.
• No other state is doing that.
• The Texas legislature funded these ballistic windshields.
• Texas is real ID compliant. We're about 98, 99%. There's other states that are like 4 or 5%.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:12:32.560><c> they're</c> seeing across the state, they're seeing across the state, they're
• </c> again, you know, all of the states again, you know, all of the states around<00:38:00.320><c> us
• If you have an out-of-state plea of no contest, which Alabama does not have, but other states do, it
• So they plead that, and in their state it's a guilty plea.
• </c> in Michigan and Michigan is a state in Michigan and Michigan is a state where<00:52:10.720><c> he

Bills: SB309 , HB192 , SB178 , SB179 , SB237 , HB10 , HB107 , HB189 , HB37 , HB226 , SB309 , HB192 , SB178 , SB179 , SB237 , HB10 , HB107 , HB189 , HB37 , HB226

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: automated driving systems, oversized vehicles, transportation, regulations, permits, HB192, international wire transfer, wire transfer fee, remittance fee, money transmission business, Alabama Securities Commission, Department of Revenue, Education Trust Fund, ELL instructors, English Language Learner, ESL teachers, income tax credit, remittances, international money transfer, migrant families

Transcript Highlights:

• It simply states that a lien can be placed if they do not have coverage.
• .working to ensure that those individuals who are insured by Blue Cross Blue Shield throughout the state
• While there is no drug court in this state. And so that's...
• But, uh, like many of you, I'm a parent of a student here in the state of Alabama.
• It will allow all jurisdictions to prosecute uniformly across the state.

Bills: SB210 , SB292 , HB360 , HB233 , HB66 , HB356 , HB164 , HB238 , HB209 , SB223 , HB307 , SB210 , SB292 , HB360 , HB233 , HB66 , HB356 , HB164 , HB238 , HB209 , SB223 , HB307

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: hospital liens, medical billing, government healthcare, insurance claims, patient rights, education oversight, subpoena authority, investigation, State Superintendent, school misconduct, drug courts, accountability, veterans, mental health, substance abuse, rehabilitation, criminal justice, court intervention, terrorist threat, terroristic threat

Transcript Highlights:

• We have federal grants, state appropriations, program income, and contracts with other state agencies
• These state funds can also be used as match... ...being state appropriations.
• the state is not giving them the state funds to be able to pull ...down all the federal funds.
• We receive additional state funds for our state funded positions only.
• You’ll see our map of our state.

Keywords: 977, all

Summary: The committee met to receive a detailed financial operations presentation from the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency, with staff walking members through funding sources, budgeting, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and grants management. Sabrina Walker explained VR’s blended funding structure, including federal grants, state appropriations, program income, and interagency contracts, and emphasized that state funds are essential to meeting the federal match and maintenance-of-effort requirements. Members asked repeatedly about transparency, audit controls, and the risk that state cuts could reduce federal drawdowns; staff responded that all reports reconcile back to the SCEIS accounting system, are subject to state audits and internal reviews, and that even modest state reductions could significantly reduce total available funding. The committee also discussed pre-employment transition services for students with disabilities, with staff confirming services are offered through school districts, charters, and private schools, and that contracts are monitored for performance and compliance. The presentation then shifted to budgeting and internal controls. Walker described a zero-based departmental budgeting process, monthly monitoring reports, contingency reserves for unexpected expenses, and a formal annual cycle that culminates in board approval. Members asked about facilities tracking, culture, and how the agency maintains accountability; staff said facilities staff inspect buildings and equipment, supervisors justify line-item requests, and the process has become smoother over time as departments learned the system. Cynthia Johnson followed with an accounts receivable overview, describing invoicing, receipting, aging, customer verification, year-end reporting, and the use of cross-training, shared email inboxes, and spreadsheets as checks and balances. She also explained work training center billing, interdepartmental transfers, and the revolving fund used to issue consumer checks more quickly than standard vendor payments. Olivia Perez presented accounts payable operations, including invoice processing through SCEIS and OnBase, the three-way match, travel reimbursements, revolving fund checks, State Treasury Office interactions, and handling of reversals, rejections, and levy notices. She reported that AP processed 67,723 SCEIS payments, 13,670 case management system invoices, 3,379 travel reimbursements, and 15,693 revolving fund checks in fiscal year 2025, with only 70 payment rejections. The final portion of the meeting covered Grants and Funds Management, where Walker explained federal reporting, drawdowns, payroll allocation, asset tracking, lease and IT contract reviews, cost allocation, and closing packages. She noted upcoming system changes such as S/4HANA, Workiva, and SC Pro, but said the agency is receiving training and feedback opportunities. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the presentation portion beyond approval of the prior minutes and a brief recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm speaking on behalf of myself and of the, and on behalf of the Texas Medical Association.
• Currently, the Department of State Health Services and the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review
• It, it's going to help identify best practices and successful programs from other states.
• Do you, uh, we know that we have a maternal mortality crisis in this state.
• Yes, in Texas in 2020, the Texas, the, the rate found that maternal deaths for black women was 27.7 per

Committee: House S/C on Disease Prevention & Women's & Children's Health

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm State Representative John Bucy, vice chair of the elections House Committee.
• In Texas, voters should be able to clearly understand where and how to cast In Texas, voters should be
• See, under current Texas law, political parties have to mutually agree to use See, under current Texas
• Efforts to eliminate countywide voting the state.
• of Texas.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:03:19.280><c> and</c> years of age in the United States, and years of age in the United States
• <00:05:17.960><c> University</c> State University State University pursuing<00:05:20.000><c> pursuing
• It's our first statewide um state that It's our first statewide um state that we<00:40:29.720><c> have
• </c> that we are competing across state that we are competing across state borders borders borders for
• </c> for our in our surrounding states for our in our surrounding states um<00:40:43.560><c> for</c><

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><02:11:20.000><c> of</c> human right in the United States of human right in the United States of
• The gentleman from Texas, uh, Mr.
• <02:26:31.520><c> seek</c> Texas seek Texas seek recognition<02:26:33.640><c> uh</c><02:26:33.760><c>
• </c><03:14:11.720><c> has</c> gentlem from Texas has gentlem from Texas has recognized<03:14:13.439><
• </c> Michigan reserves gentleman from Texas Michigan reserves gentleman from Texas is<03:27:04.479><c

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, March 24, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, the world in LNG exports, with Texas serving as the top state in that category.
• In the United States, Mr.
• policy directed at hurting Texas.
• The need for Texas and the other Gulf states to safeguard and promote LNG exports is incredibly important
• Invest in Texas.

Bills: HB206 , HB1238 , HB2890 , HB2970

Committee: Senate Natural Resources

Keywords: pipeline, construction, cash bond, county authority, local government, injection wells, environmental regulation, water quality, site inspection, geoscientist, satellite imagery, interstate compact, liquefied natural gas, energy resources, Gulf Coast, regulatory coordination, HB 2970, Gulf Coast Protection District, Special District Local Laws Code, governor appointment

Transcript Highlights:

• We started with the State Board of Elections.
• Um, they had no market people out of state.
• Um, they had no market people out of state.
• Um, they had no market people out of state.
• Um, they had no market people out of state.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 960, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our state suffered a historic flash flooding in Central and West Texas last month that resulted in a
• These bills, working with our House partners in the state of Texas, address camp safety and campground
• Children should be able to safely do that in the state of Texas.
• There are over a thousand camps operating in the state of Texas with deep history, roots, and impact
• You may remember we have 13 National Weather Service offices in the state of Texas, in addition to three

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Witnesses, please state your name for the record.
• across the state.
• No other country has our Montessori laws like our state.
• So lots of state and federal regulations.
• Just state your name. Sure. My name is Megan Gerritsen.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first heard SB 206, which would require cardiovascular pre-screening and blood pressure testing for student athletes beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. Chairman Miller said the bill was prompted by concerns about undiagnosed hypertension and sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes, and Coach Marcus Scott testified about his own kidney transplant after years of untreated high blood pressure. Members asked about who would perform the screenings and how follow-up would work; the American Heart Association said existing athletic physical processes and referral networks could handle it. An amendment was adopted, and the committee reported SB 206 favorably as amended. The committee then took up SB 305, which would require a publicly available statewide career-alignment dashboard showing how degree programs connect to workforce outcomes, including completion, employment, wages, and high-demand jobs. Chairman Edmonds and student task force member Cruz Cassard said the goal was to help students understand job opportunities in Louisiana and reduce the number leaving the state after graduation. Workforce and higher education stakeholders supported the measure as a transparency and workforce-planning tool. The committee reported SB 305 favorably. Next, the committee considered HB 624, a school safety cleanup bill updating references from crisis management plans to emergency operations plans and aligning school emergency language with national standards. Representative Johnson and the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools said the bill would not create new mandates or costs, but would clarify existing requirements. The committee reported HB 624 favorably. The committee then heard HB 1022, as substituted, concerning school-based health care services. Representative Jackson said the bill was intended to clarify that medical decisions in school-based health centers should be made by licensed health professionals, not school staff, while preserving parental consent. Testimony from school-based health center providers supported the bill, but several members raised concerns about consent, parental authority, and whether the language shifted too much responsibility away from schools; the Charter School Association suggested adding more collaborative language. After discussion, the committee adopted the substitute and reported HB 1022 favorably by a 10-4 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Railroad Commission, the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology, and other state geological surveys to better
• Railroad Commission, the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology, and other state geological surveys to better
• In 2012, Timpson, Texas had a 4.8, the largest earthquake ever in the state of Texas.
• Texas is one of the states that began requiring data on past seismic events in the permitting process
• I'm a registered professional geoscientist from the state of Texas.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard an update on the Northwest Louisiana earthquake cluster. Laura Sori of the Department of Conservation and Energy said the agency has inspected Class II injection wells within 12 miles of the earthquakes, found no permit violations, and is requiring monthly reporting of daily injection data. LSU and Tulane researchers explained that the swarm includes about 50 earthquakes detected by USGS since December 2025, including a 4.9 magnitude event on March 5, and that better monitoring is needed because Louisiana has very limited seismic station coverage. Dr. Cynthia Ebinger said her temporary array has detected more small quakes than USGS, that the pattern looks more like a swarm than normal aftershocks, and that the data suggest pressure changes in the subsurface, though no definitive cause was identified. Keith Hall of LSU described how other states responded to suspected induced seismicity with more monitoring, more frequent reporting, injection limits or moratoria, and “traffic light” systems that escalate regulatory responses as seismicity increases. Members asked about depths, fault locations, possible links to injection or fracking, and whether more monitoring and data-sharing should be pursued; several speakers said Louisiana likely needs a denser monitoring network and more structured data collection. A Texas geoscientist, William Berger, also testified that Texas uses large-scale data analysis and AI to study injection-related seismicity and argued for secure sharing of operator data to improve forecasting and risk management. The committee then took testimony on UAV and drone incursions over Barksdale Air Force Base. GOSEP said the incident was logged in WebEOC and the common operating picture, but that Barksdale did not request direct GOSEP resources and that the matter was handled through law enforcement channels. Louisiana State Police and the FBI said they were limited in what they could disclose, but confirmed multiple drone sightings on the morning and evening of March 9 and continued monitoring for several days. State Police said they have created a task force with the Police Chiefs Association, Sheriffs Association, GOSEP, and LSP, and that officers are receiving FBI-related training to help detect and, where authorized, mitigate drones. Members discussed whether the activity was nefarious, what counts as an incursion, and the need for better public education about drone restrictions near military and critical infrastructure sites. No formal action was taken, but members said the issue will continue to be tracked alongside pending legislation. Finally, the committee received a one-year update on the merger of GOSEP with the Louisiana National Guard and Military Department. Major General Thomas Freelieu and Brigadier General Jason Maffus said the merger has reduced GOSEP from seven divisions to three, shifted administrative functions to the Military Department, and produced about $10.5 million in first-year cost avoidance. They said the agency has modernized its common operating picture, returned staff to in-person work, and continued statewide preparedness exercises. Freelieu highlighted Guard missions including cyber expansion, the new Air National Guard cyber squadron at Jackson Barracks, modernization of the 159th Fighter Wing, and ongoing support for homeland security missions in New Orleans and Washington, D.C. Maffus said GOSEP’s core mission remains emergency preparedness, response, and recovery, and that the merger is intended to make state support to parishes faster and more efficient.

Transcript Highlights:

• Theft convictions can be charged with a state jail felony.
• Members of the committee, peace officers across the state of Texas have been under assault by individuals
• of Texas.
• I just want to thank you on behalf of the people of the state of Texas. Appreciate that.
• Just last year, there was a Texas mother.

Summary: The Subcommittee on New Offenses and Changed Penalties met with a quorum present and first handled witness-registration corrections for House Bill 2461, changing one witness from support to neutral and deleting another registration; HB 2461 was left pending. The subcommittee then heard House Bill 3507, which would create a tiered penalty structure for repeat theft offenders by increasing penalties for those with five or more prior theft convictions. Representative Wharton and Walker County District Attorney Will Durham testified in support, arguing current law treats chronic shoplifters the same regardless of how many prior convictions they have. No opposition was presented, and HB 3507 was left pending. The committee next heard House Bill 1871, which would increase penalties for attempted capital murder of a peace officer, raise the minimum sentence to 25 years, and deny parole and mandatory supervision for those convicted. Representative Dyson, Brazos County District Attorney Jarvis Parsons, Lieutenant Ed Ramirez, and Chief Deputy Constable Calder Lively testified in support, describing attacks on officers and arguing the bill would provide stronger deterrence and truth in sentencing. No questions or opposition were recorded, and HB 1871 was left pending. House Bill 4911 followed, updating child exploitation laws to address AI-generated and deepfake child sexual abuse material by expanding definitions and criminalizing knowing possession or viewing of fake or computer-generated images depicting minors. Representative Fairly and Harris County DA’s Office division chief Steven Driver supported the bill, saying technology had outpaced existing law and that the measure would help protect children. A committee member raised concerns about broad affirmative defenses in the bill, and Representative Fairly said the office would work on an amendment. HB 4911 was left pending. Finally, on HB 795, Representative Bowers moved that the subcommittee report completion of deliberations and recommend the bill for full committee consideration; the motion passed 3-2, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, I'm Julia Perento with the Texas Realtors. I am the director of public policy.
• Chair calls Emily Dove, Texas 2036. Hi, um, thank you for being here today.
• She is representing the American Planning Association Texas chapter. Not testifying.
• Thank you, Chair calls Brendan Griffin, Texas Appleseed.
• So Brennan Griffin with Texas Appleseed registered for the bill but not testifying.

Committee: House Land & Resource Management

Transcript Highlights:

• Library, the Division of Historical Resources, and the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.
• These valuable items are primarily stored at the New Hampshire State Library, but they're also tucked
• ><c> of</c> Hampshire State Library the division of Hampshire State Library the division of historical
• </c> stored at the New Hampshire State stored at the New Hampshire State Library<03:54:19.800><c> uh<
• State Library off-site storage two the State Library off-site storage design<03:56:19.800><c> three</

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a Department of Corrections capital budget presentation on HB 25, focused largely on urgent maintenance and security needs at the New Hampshire State Prison for Men and other DOC facilities. DOC officials described the governor’s proposed priorities: boiler surge and radiator tank replacements, electronic controls and camera upgrades, and replacement of HVAC units using R22 refrigerant. They also outlined additional requested projects totaling $15.4 million, including a body alarm/man-down system at Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility, steam line and trap repairs, fire alarm replacements, and removal of an underground diesel tank in favor of above-ground storage. DOC testified that many systems are well beyond their expected service life, including 40-year-old boilers, outdated analog cameras, and HVAC equipment using discontinued R22 refrigerant. They said the men’s prison is relying on a leased temporary boiler, has significant steam leaks causing major water loss and reduced boiler efficiency, and is dealing with frequent fire alarm faults and deteriorating wiring. On the body alarm system, they said the vendor no longer supports the equipment and replacement parts are no longer available. On the diesel tank, members questioned whether it could be abandoned in place or whether fuel could be reused; DOC said it had not explored all alternatives and would follow up, while noting the tank is underground and tied into the warehouse system. Members also asked whether some current investments could be reused in the planned new men’s prison. DOC said some items, such as air handlers, might potentially be moved, but most projects are needed to keep the current facility operational and would not be practical to transfer. Questions were also raised about the leased boiler arrangement, the use of the man-down system by staff and visitors, and whether the kitchen project could be converted to a modular unit. DOC said the modular kitchen approach is necessary because the existing kitchen cannot remain fully operational during repairs. The committee then moved to lapse extensions, and DOC identified several projects no longer needing extensions, including items numbered 64, 65, and 66 in HB 25, with the chair noting those balances would be deleted and that the lapse amount was $550,500.