Transcript Highlights:

• These measure our impact that we have and our excellence in our research programs.
• </c><00:09:30.839><c> our</c> uh disciplines uh these r measure our uh disciplines uh these r measure
• </c> expenditure which is a kind of measure expenditure which is a kind of measure of<00:11:05.760><c
• So they measure magnets on their strength and their size, but also in the cost to make them.
• So they measure magnets on their strength and their size, but also in the cost to make them.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• On line 37 are security measures for the House that are proposed and already undertaken.
• On line 37 are security<00:10:20.520><c> measures</c><00:10:21.160><c> for</c><00:10:21.360><c> the</
• the house that are security measures for the house that are proposed<00:10:22.520><c> and</c><00:10:
• As it's known as B-TAM, it's a proven method to interrupt violence and prevent targeted attacks.
• </c> violence and prevent targeted attacks. violence and prevent targeted attacks.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Safety and Security Conference Committee met on May 13, 2026, with a quorum present and no immediate vote taken. Chairs explained the committee was working ahead of a possible target so it could act quickly later if needed, then proceeded with member introductions and a reminder about committee decorum. Staff noted a microphone delay and said the meeting would include a side-by-side walk-through of the House and Senate policy language and a review of the fiscal spreadsheet. Fiscal staff summarized major differences in court, public safety, and legislative security funding. The House and Senate proposals differed on safety and security funding for the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and District Courts, as well as on courthouse grants, capital security enhancements, and a new legislative/protective services unit. Staff also reviewed Senate-only and House-only items, including a Senate proposal to require removal of insignia from public safety vehicles sold to the public, and House provisions for a security services task force and member security costs. Total general fund impacts were reviewed, with the House total corrected to include an open appropriation that had been omitted from the spreadsheet totals. Nonpartisan staff then walked through the policy differences. The Senate language focused on a Protective Services Unit and security for principal state officials, while the House language focused on a Legislative Services Unit and security for legislators. Both bills included provisions on Capitol Complex Security, reporting requirements, and reimbursement arrangements with local law enforcement, but differed on details such as whether elected officials must provide contact information to DPS and how requests for personal protective services are handled. The House-only amendment A8 was presented for discussion; it would revise emergency contact provisions, replace the House’s personal protective services request language with a more detailed threat assessment and mitigation framework, direct implementation of the new unit, and make related reimbursement and technical changes. Judge Richard Kyle, president of the Minnesota District Judges Association, testified in support of stronger judicial and court safety measures. He described rising threats against judges, citing survey results showing high rates of judges limiting personal information, receiving inappropriate communications, changing personal behavior, and experiencing threats to themselves and family members. He said the association supports legislative authorization and funding for home security and personal data protections for judicial officers, and emphasized that safety concerns for judges and court staff have become more serious in recent years.

Transcript Highlights:

• It starts with preparation, the prevention.
• And preventative services is the starting point.
• To stop human trafficking, the prevention has to be strong. We have to educate our youth.
• Sexual grooming is a tool used to ensure compliance and prevent disclosure.
• Sexual grooming is a tool used to ensure compliance and prevent disclosure.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:10:22.240><c> and</c><00:10:22.519><c> state</c> serving on the fra prevention and state serving
• on the fra prevention and state agency<00:10:23.360><c> oversight</c><00:10:23.720><c> committee</c>
• something like this happening prevent something like this happening because<00:21:39.760><c> I</c><00
• It was to prevent either the taxpayers or the counties from using non-public data.
• it was to Pro um prevent either the taxpayers<01:13:57.520><c> or</c><01:13:57.679><c> the</c><01:13

Bills: HF2233, HF1524, HF1893, HF1396, HF2456, HF2959, HF2300, HF2412, HF3022, HF2825, HF1862, HF1373, HF1039, HF3070

Keywords: Uniform Special Deposits Act, special deposit, banking law, financial institutions, escrow, escrow account, trust account, security deposit, beneficiary, depositor, creditor process, garnishment, attachment, levy, setoff, recoupment, financial market infrastructure, retirement benefits, compensation, earnest money

Transcript Highlights:

• Once notified of the deficient internal controls, OST began implementing measures to address security
• Based on the recommendations, OST needed to have some updates to prevent... ...foundations.
• OST needed to have some updates to prevent threats and unauthorized access. What have you done?
• We're meeting, you know, regularly on, you know, the things that we can do to prevent phishing.
• Can you tell me how that would come about and how we prevent doing that in the future?

Summary: The Legislative Joint Auditing Committee met on June 5 and first adopted prior minutes and several committee reports. The executive committee report noted adoption of its minutes, staff updates on scheduled audits, approval of an annual financial audit for the City of Horseshoe Bend, and an update on the intern program. The Counties and Municipalities report covered delinquent private water and sewer audits, compliance follow-up with towns including Denning, Gum Springs, Omer, Fargo, Jericho, and Haynes, and review of current and deferred reports; the committee filed most current reports but deferred several and referred some matters to prosecutors and the Attorney General. The Educational Institutions report said 103 education audits were reviewed, most with no findings, while several school districts had findings and one Booneville School District finding was referred to law enforcement. The State Agencies report included findings at the Department of Finance and Administration and a deferred Department of Health report, and the committee filed 13 reports. The committee then received lengthy presentations on the State of Arkansas annual comprehensive financial report and the state single audit for fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. Legislative Audit issued unmodified opinions on the state financial statements, but identified two material weaknesses: insufficient internal controls at the Office of State Technology to monitor threats and unauthorized access, and improper methodology changes and documentation issues at the Division of Workforce Services affecting year-end estimates for unemployment-related accounts. The single audit covered $12.4 billion in federal awards across 469 programs, with 16 major programs reviewed. Auditors reported 33 findings overall, including 31 federal findings, $12.9 million in outstanding questioned costs, and qualified opinions for the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program, the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, and the Child Care Development Fund cluster. Committee members questioned DHS, the broadband office, OST, DFA, Education, and Workforce Services about the findings, corrective actions, cyber protections, federal drawdowns, child care reporting, and accounting methodology changes. Several agencies described corrective steps. DHS said it had changed how it draws Summer EBT funds, addressed provider revalidation and incarceration-related Medicaid issues, and updated internal processes and staffing. The broadband office said the questioned costs reflected invoice documentation disputes rather than missing payments and expected Treasury review to resolve the issue. OST said it was expanding logging, endpoint detection, and enterprise monitoring, and described broader cybersecurity investments, training, and a roadmap. DFA and Workforce Services addressed the workers’ compensation and unemployment accounting issues, with Workforce Services saying it had updated its policy and submitted the methodology to DFA. After discussion, the committee voted to hold the two statewide audit reports over until the August meeting, with members asked to submit specific questions in advance so only needed agencies would return. The final item was a special report on the Hot Spring County Solid Waste Authority for January 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025. The audit reviewed compliance with laws, board procedures, bidding, payroll, permits, inspections, and cash handling. It noted prior private audit findings on segregation of duties, that recent private audit reports had not been obtained for 2023 through 2025, and that the current administrator said prior office staff and bookkeeping contractors resigned when he was hired. The authority’s operations and revenue sources were described, and the report was presented for committee review.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1114 is a simple measure in some respects, but it touches on some really key issues.
• SB 1114 is a straightforward measure to help restore that trust and establish clear guardrails for the
• Nothing prevents them today, but under certain conditions.
• Current law prevents the wine industry from using them.
• family-owned wineries are small wineries that do not grow their own grapes, so this prohibition prevents

Summary: The committee began with an informational hearing on the second amendment to the Yurok Tribe’s 2006 tribal-state gaming compact. Governor’s office staff and Yurok Tribal Chairman Joseph James explained that the amendment is a narrow, technical one that extends the compact’s expiration to December 31 of this year to preserve the status quo while the parties negotiate a long-term replacement. Members asked about the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ role, and staff explained that because the change is only a deadline extension and not a substantive compact change, it does not require BIA approval. No vote was taken on the informational item. The committee then heard AB 2156, which would designate March 31 as Farm Workers’ Day in California. The authors and supporters said the bill is intended to honor the farm worker movement and shift the holiday away from any one individual in light of recent allegations, while recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of farm workers. Several members spoke in support, including personal reflections on family histories in farm labor and on the need to center victims and farm workers’ dignity. The bill was moved to the floor, with the roll held open for absent members. Next, the committee heard SB 1044, which would raise the small business procurement cap from $250,000 to $350,000 and index it to inflation. The author and supporters from the Hispanic and Asian Pacific chambers of commerce argued the current cap is outdated and limits opportunities for small businesses, microbusinesses, and disabled veteran business enterprises. Some support was qualified, with one coalition noting concerns about access to capital for microbusinesses but still leaning in favor. The bill passed to Appropriations, with the roll held open. The committee also heard SB 1114, which would restrict state agencies from sharing LGBTQ-related data with federal agencies except where legally required. The author and Equality California said the bill is meant to protect sensitive data from misuse and preserve trust in voluntary state data collection. Support came from Planned Parenthood affiliates and Health Access California, with no opposition. The bill passed to the Privacy Committee, with the roll held open. Finally, the committee heard SB 1248 on automated decision systems in state government, SB 1273 on short-form video advertising for winery instructional events, and SB 917 on allowing more small wineries to sell at farmers’ markets. SB 1248 drew the most debate: the author said it would create baseline guardrails for automated systems, require human review for adverse decisions, and help state agencies use automation responsibly, while labor groups opposed it as authorizing use before meaningful stakeholder engagement and collective bargaining input. Several members supported moving it forward but stressed the need for labor participation in future negotiations; it passed to the Privacy Committee with the roll held open. SB 1273 and SB 917 were both presented as modest measures to help the wine industry adapt to current marketing and sales conditions, and both passed to Appropriations with roll calls held open. The hearing then moved on to SB 1240, which would create an Office of Nonprofit Empowerment to help nonprofits navigate state procurement and grant processes; the author described nonprofits’ economic importance and the need for a liaison, but the transcript cuts off before testimony or action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1114 is a simple measure in some respects, but it touches on some really key issues.
• SB 1114 is a straightforward measure to help restore that trust and establish clear guardrails for the
• Nothing prevents them today, but under certain conditions.
• Current law prevents the wine industry from using them.
• family-owned wineries are small wineries that do not grow their own grapes, so this prohibition prevents

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• kind of program the Climate Commitment Act was intended to support, one that significantly and measurably
• We’re going to need some support during the session to prevent shellfish farms from closing.
• to test for three different biotoxins and proactively close recreational and commercial beaches to prevent
• Also within this section is the shellfish beaches to prevent illnesses.
• So there's no inflationary measure in those new fees that you've scheduled.

Bills: SB5816, SB5971

Keywords: juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, state regulation, market access, green fertilizer, low-carbon, sustainability, incentive program, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So what we have is six initiatives focused on hospital services, prevention and care management, tribal
• Initiative two is related to preventing disease and managing care in community settings, thinking about
• to behavioral health services, particularly crisis services, SUD services, lower level kind of preventative
• I just want to also acknowledge Washington has continued to champion donation throughout measures like
• I just want to also acknowledge Washington has continued to champion donation throughout measures like

Summary: The committee met to hear introductory briefings from the Department of Health and the Health Care Authority on agency priorities, federal changes, and implementation challenges. Secretary of Health Dennis Worsham said his department’s listening tour is focused on strengthening governmental public health, improving health care quality and access, and responding to federal funding disruptions and the shutdown’s effects on programs such as WIC. HCA Director Ryan Moran said the agency is prioritizing coverage preservation, oversight of major contracts, affordability, behavioral health integration, rural health transformation, and internal agency operations. Members asked about licensure delays; Worsham said the backlog had been reduced from about four months to six weeks and should be caught up by January 1, with possible further process changes if needed. A major portion of the meeting focused on H.R. 1 and its Medicaid-related implementation. Governor’s health policy advisor Caitlin Stafford, HCA staff, and interim Medicaid Director Trinity Wilson said the state is working with DSHS, the Health Benefit Exchange, tribes, and other partners to prepare for eligibility changes, work requirements, and six-month redeterminations. They said the state expects up to 30,000 Apple Health enrollees could lose coverage under the law’s non-citizen eligibility changes, and that the work requirement/redetermination provisions could affect about 620,000 adults, with roughly 80,000 also enrolled in SNAP. HCA said it hopes to automate most verification, but about 15% to 20% of cases may require manual review, with technology costs estimated at up to $30 million. Staff also said they are trying to keep H.R. 1 implementation mostly in budget language rather than statute, and that communication and navigator support will be important to minimize confusion and coverage loss. The committee also received an update on the Rural Health Transformation Program created in H.R. 1. HCA said Washington submitted its application to CMS on November 5 after extensive stakeholder engagement, including more than 310 written comments, webinars, and tribal consultation. The application centers on six initiatives: rural hospital innovation, community care and prevention, tribal investments, technology and data, workforce development, and rural behavioral health. HCA said the state is likely to receive less than the full $200 million annual amount assumed in the federal program, and that an advisory committee may be created to help guide spending over the five-year program. Members asked about palliative care, small business impacts, and communication with enrollees; HCA said it expects to share outreach toolkits and that no 2026 statutory changes are currently anticipated, though that could change. The final panels covered organ donation and transplant services. Department of Health staff explained the 2023 “Lights and Sirens” law for organ transport vehicles, including licensing, driver qualifications, insurance requirements, and use of emergency lanes and traffic preemption; the department said one company is currently licensed and there have been no complaints. LifeCenter Northwest described the organ procurement process, the legal framework under the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, and the rarity and complexity of deceased donation, noting Washington has seen strong growth in donation and transplants over the past decade. University of Washington Medical Center staff then outlined its transplant programs for kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, and multi-organ transplants, describing the multidisciplinary evaluation and waitlist process and the coordination required with donor organizations and hospitals.

Transcript Highlights:

• in securing loans, passing bonds, being able to think expansively about public safety and take a prevention
• And as a public health nurse, I'm always going to advocate for thinking about prevention and saving money
• And as a public health nurse, I'm always going to advocate for thinking about prevention and saving money
• I think the reason I think population and inflation is a good measure is that that tells us how much
• And Senate Bill 9 is one tax relief measure that benefits all taxpayers, including business and industry

Bills: SB9

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap, tax rollback, tax levy, maintenance and operations, debt rate, disaster relief rate, Texas Legislature, local taxing unit

Summary: The Senate Committee on Local Government met to hear Senate Bill 9, which would lower the voter-approval tax rate for certain local taxing units from 3.5% to 2.5%. Sen. Bettencourt, the bill author, argued the change would continue the state’s property tax reforms begun in 2019, slow local levy growth, and give voters more say over larger tax increases. He and supporters cited data showing property tax levies have grown faster than population plus inflation, and said the bill would help protect taxpayers while preserving the state’s broader investments in school tax relief, water, rural law enforcement, and ambulance funding. Supporters included the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, the Texas Association of Business, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and the Texas Association of Manufacturers. They said the bill would improve transparency, encourage more disciplined budgeting, and create certainty for homeowners and businesses. They argued that lower tax-rate growth would help attract and retain employers and investment, and that voters would still be able to approve higher rates when needed. Local officials and other opponents said the bill would constrain cities and counties facing rapid growth, inflation, infrastructure needs, and public safety costs. Testimony from county judges, city finance officials, firefighters, and urban county representatives emphasized pressures from jail operations, roads, water, EMS, police and fire staffing, and unfunded mandates. Several witnesses asked for carve-outs or exemptions for public safety and disaster-related costs, warning that a one-size-fits-all cap could force service cuts or shift costs elsewhere. The committee heard extensive questioning but no final vote or disposition on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• long-term thinking, and commitment to investing in Texas' future, especially the recent funding measures
• the area, the part of Bexar County and surrounding counties, there's a provision in the code that prevents
• In the code that prevents a zone from even being designated in an area with certain Chapter 27 injection
• It's just a gradual transition to higher TDS water, indicating that there is no preventing the movement
• There's no prevention of freshwater moving into those brackish water zones.

Bills: HB1523, HB2109, HB2694, HB3525, HB3898, HB4646, HB5188, HB5219, HB5320, HB5651, HB5655, HB5659, HB5662, HB5672

Keywords: aquifer conservation, Class V injection well, environmental regulation, groundwater protection, municipal water supply, temporary prohibition, water management, reservoir construction, state water plan, Texas Water Code, environmental impact, Brazoria Drainage District, commissioners, elections, vacancies, resignation, HB 3525, North Texas Groundwater Conservation District, groundwater permit, permit amendment

Summary: The Committee on Natural Resources heard House Bill 2109, which would remove certain long-proposed reservoir projects from the state water plan after 50 years without progress. Chairman Van Deaver and many landowners, local officials, timber interests, and conservation advocates testified in support, arguing that the Marvin Nichols Reservoir has burdened Northeast Texas landowners for decades with the threat of eminent domain, depressed property values, and uncertainty over homes, farms, ranches, schools, churches, and cemeteries. Supporters also said the project would flood tens of thousands of acres, require extensive mitigation, harm timber and agriculture, and that Texas now has better alternatives such as conservation, reuse, aquifer storage and recovery, and desalination. Several members expressed sympathy for the affected families and questioned whether a project could remain in the plan indefinitely without progress. Opposition came from North Texas water interests, including the North Texas Commission, Tarrant Regional Water District, and the Texas Water Association, who argued that the bill would interfere with the state’s long-term water planning process and remove needed future supply options for a fast-growing region. They said Region C faces major projected shortages by 2070, that conservation and reuse have already delayed the need for new supplies, and that reservoirs remain one tool in the state’s water-planning toolbox. TWDB staff explained the existing inter-regional conflict process and noted that the substitute would affect several unique reservoir sites, not just Marvin Nichols. After testimony, Chairman Van Deaver closed by urging passage of the bill, but the committee withdrew the substitute and left HB 2109 pending. The committee then took up House Bill 5188, a brackish groundwater bill. The author said the bill would reduce permitting burdens for wells in designated brackish groundwater production zones, and the committee substitute added requirements on monitoring, groundwater-rights ownership, and allocation of pumpage limits while removing some exclusions and export-fee provisions. Texas Wildlife Association testified against the bill, warning that the exemptions could weaken groundwater conservation districts’ ability to protect freshwater resources and surface-owner rights. San Antonio Water System testified in favor, saying brackish groundwater is a key future supply and that the substitute would help speed development of desalination and brackish projects. The Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts testified neutrally but raised concerns about reduced district oversight, especially around injection-well exclusions and the loss of export fees, and said discussions on the bill were ongoing.

Transcript Highlights:

• long-term thinking, and commitment to investing in Texas' future, especially the. recent funding measures
• Paired with some of the measures in Senate Bill 7, this could provide some political subdivisions with
• So, it's in the code that prevents a zone from even being designated in an area with certain chapter
• It's just a gradual transition to higher TDS water, indicating that there is no prevention preventing
• I mean, just the dynamics of groundwater flow, there's no prevention. of fresh water moving into those

Bills: HB1523, HB2109, HB2694, HB3525, HB3898, HB4646, HB5188, HB5219, HB5320, HB5651, HB5655, HB5659, HB5662, HB5672

Keywords: aquifer conservation, Class V injection well, environmental regulation, groundwater protection, municipal water supply, temporary prohibition, water management, reservoir construction, state water plan, Texas Water Code, environmental impact, Brazoria Drainage District, commissioners, elections, vacancies, resignation, HB 3525, North Texas Groundwater Conservation District, groundwater permit, permit amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• How can we prevent that?
• I think there's nothing that prevents appraisal districts from conduct conducting audits and investigating
• To prevent abuse, House Bill 3710 specifies that the safe harbor does not apply to property transfers
• session with historic, uh, tax relief for small businesses through our, uh, business inventory, uh, measures
• This credit incentivizes private sector investment in preventative, community-based family support services

Bills: HB249

Keywords: real property, ad valorem tax, tax appraisal, property value limitation, real estate taxation, property ownership

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:13:40.560><c> This</c><00:13:41.040><c> measure</c> prevent fraud upfront.
• This measure prevent fraud upfront.
• </c><00:54:49.599><c> the</c> of the best ways that we prevent the of the best ways that we prevent the
• </c> scenario you described is by preventing scenario you described is by preventing it<00:54:52.960>
• And I'm sorry that you prevent fraud.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• There are other instances where this is happening, and this is an attempt to provide some measure of
• making technical corrections to ensure gender neutrality for the admission to practice law and preventing

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee met and advanced a series of bills, with little opposition and several members noting support for the committee’s bipartisan approach. Senate Bill 2305 (judgments by confession), Senate Print 3413 (judgments in Article 78 disability pension cases), Senate Print 3778 (annual reporting on the drug treatment court program), and Senate Print 4957 (review of bail data reports by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct) were each moved and reported to the floor. Members emphasized the importance of data collection and reporting, especially on bail and drug treatment courts. The committee also discussed Senate Print 8624, which would allow courts to award community damages against an estate in sexual abuse cases. Supporters described it as an important first step to provide justice for survivors and to create a carve-out from existing limits on punitive damages after death. Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick raised concerns about the dead man statute and evidentiary issues, but said she was willing to work on revisions. The bill was advanced. Other bills reported to the floor included Senate Print 9766, making technical corrections to ensure gender neutrality in admission-to-practice rules and limiting required disclosure of prior law enforcement or criminal justice interactions; Senate Print 9770, concerning alternate jurors in civil cases, with some discussion about its civil-only scope; Senate Print 9792, allowing amendment of Court of Claims filings to correct jurisdictional pleading defects and setting procedures for dismissal for noncompliance; and Senate Print 9794, requiring disclosure of generative AI use in civil actions. Each bill was moved by committee members and approved without recorded opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• from their leadership to their financial infrastructure. infrastructure, to eliminate them, and to prevent
• It is an educational piece, it is a prevention piece, and it is an enforcement piece.
• But these more comprehensive solutions that include education, as you mentioned, prevention initiatives
• for example, and overdose prevention?
• She wrote, Marshall Sciaratta has impacted countless lives and prevented and.

Keywords: fentanyl crisis, DEA, drug trafficking, public safety, Judea Serrata, Terrence Cole, judicial security, social media, drug prevention

Summary: The committee meeting centered on the urgent crisis of fentanyl abuse and the government’s response to the drug trafficking epidemic. Key discussions revolved around the nomination of Terrence Cole as the Administrator of the DEA and Judea Serrata as Director of the U.S. Marshals Service. Cole emphasized his commitment to combating the fentanyl crisis, highlighting the rising number of overdose deaths and the necessity of bipartisan efforts to dismantle drug cartels. Members engaged in dialogue on the effectiveness of various strategies and the importance of education aimed at preventing drug-related deaths among youth. Additionally, the challenges of social media in drug trafficking were highlighted, indicating a need for greater accountability in how platforms handle such issues. Senators voiced concerns about the impact of administration policies on judicial security and the resources available for marshals to perform their critical roles.

Transcript Highlights:

• Research screening diagnosis, Prevention practitioner, and workforce education and survivorship.
• with the peer review or the scoring process, what and how will the department in this collaborative measure
• Well, not preventing other types of per ticket part practitioners from the same misleading behavior.
• never as well as other practitioners Osteopathic doctors who never as well as other practitioners to prevent
• And it would also prevent the prosecution for illegal And it would also prevent the prosecution for illegal

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This makes clear in state law that all reasonable measures consistent with good medical practice are
• consistent with good reasonable measures consistent with good Medical<00:32:55.440><c> Practice</c><
• It is not allowed under current law. measures consistent with good Medical measures consistent with good
• 1,624 women received shaken baby prevention education, and 1,527 women received child abuse prevention
• education, and 1,527 women received child abuse prevention information.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> all</c><01:13:11.600><c> getting</c> doesn't prevent us from all getting doesn't prevent us from
• </c> to like uh take more drastic measures to like uh take more drastic measures than<01:37:57.600><c
• </c><04:02:58.239><c> any</c> no law right now preventing any no law right now preventing any transgender
• </c><04:07:18.319><c> overall</c> have a consistent and measurable overall have a consistent and measurable
• </c> women's spaces is suicide prevention. women's spaces is suicide prevention.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened a hearing on Senate Bill 141, which would create a narrow exception to New Hampshire’s three-year deadline for motions for a new trial when a petitioner has newly discovered evidence, new forensic testing, or new scientific understanding. The prime sponsor’s representative and advocates from the Innocence Project and New England Innocence Project argued the bill is needed to help wrongfully convicted people access the courts, noting that exonerations often take many years and that outdated forensic science has contributed to wrongful convictions. The chair also said he had drafted a proposed amendment for committee review, but it had not yet been formally submitted. Witnesses supporting the bill emphasized that the measure would not guarantee relief, only allow a petition to be filed and reviewed under existing standards. They discussed examples such as arson science, explaining that some convictions were based on forensic methods later shown to be unreliable. Committee members asked about the scope of habeas corpus, whether the bill would create a new cause of action, and whether additional screening or pleading requirements should be added. The supporters said they would be open to requiring a petitioner to plead innocence, but opposed adding more burdensome preliminary procedures or counsel requirements at the filing stage. Thomas Farardi, from the Attorney General’s Office, testified in opposition or with caution, saying the bill was a “solution looking for a problem” because existing habeas corpus and coram nobis procedures already provide avenues for relief, and prosecutors can act when credible new evidence arises. He argued the current draft could invite additional litigation and create a new cause of action, and said he favored more screening before cases proceed. The discussion also touched on whether the statute applies in criminal cases, the current three-year limitation in RSA 526:4, and questions about posthumous petitions and petitions by deported individuals. No vote or executive action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• easily if we if the have been prevented easily if we if the training<00:37:24.320><c> was</c><00:37:
• recognize that we are looking for the purpose of the grant, both the broad goals as well as the measurable
• recognize that we are looking for the purpose of the grant, both the broad goals as well as the measurable
• </c><00:41:48.079><c> objectives</c><00:41:49.359><c> uh</c> as well as the measurable objectives uh
• as well as the measurable objectives uh current<00:41:49.680><c> and</c><00:41:49.920><c> past</c><00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all