Transcript Highlights:

• During our hearing today, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Highway Patrol will make
• The department Registration, insurance, and operational safety.
• The department currently administers three types of autonomous vehicle permits: testing with a safety
• I'm the Deputy Chief of Operations of the San Francisco Fire Department, and I'd like to thank you all
• insurance or assurance... ...adding another level of insurance or assurance, why is that opposed to?

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• States of America.
• She serves as the chairwoman of the Department of Anesthesia on the campus.
• Members, points of personal privilege at the beginning of the day are for introduction of guests who
• of John McKay trained thousands of pilots and mechanics for the U.S.
• There's a lot of confusion in that area in terms of the role of ADE, the role of the interoperability

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She serves as the chairwoman of the Department of Anesthesia on the campus.
• Members, points of personal privilege at the beginning of the day are for introduction of guests who
• of John McKay, trained thousands of pilots and mechanics for the U.S.
• of John McKay trained thousands of pilots and mechanics for the U.S.
• There is a lot of confusion in that area in terms of the role of ADE, the role of the interoperability

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the prior journal, and recognition of the Doctor of the Day, Dr. Corinna Saldana. The chamber also received a proclamation honoring Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s centennial and a visit from university representatives, and briefly highlighted the House softball championship trophy. Early business included a motion to return SB 1113 to the Senate for further amendment and a motion to reject Senate amendments to HB 2133 and send it to conference committee. The House then considered a series of Senate bills in Committee of the Whole. Bills receiving due pass recommendations included SB 1038, SB 1042, SB 1133, SB 1327, SB 1431, and SB 1447. SB 1429 and SB 1566 were amended before receiving due pass recommendations. SB 1124, SB 1167, SB 1214, SB 1315, SB 1635, and SB 1763 were also amended and recommended for passage, while SB 1501 was retained on the calendar. Debate focused especially on SB 1327, concerning foreign funding and public universities, SB 1315, concerning school-law enforcement interoperability plans, and SB 1635, which opponents argued was overbroad and threatened speech and community safety efforts. After the Committee of the Whole report was adopted, the House placed several bills on third reading and then passed SB 1067, SB 1160, SB 1235, SB 1620, and SB 1668. Recorded votes showed SB 1067 passed 1-0 with six not voting, SB 1160 passed 32-23 with five not voting, SB 1235 passed 45-10 with five not voting, SB 1620 passed 48-7 with five not voting, and SB 1668 passed 55-0 with five not voting. The House adjourned until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• I work for the fire department that has seen the amount of tragedy as the Fernandez family has experienced
• emergency care, which mirrors what we currently do with the Department of Corrections.
• Florida may file the petition. ...or in the state of Florida may file the petition with the Department
• Then that department will investigate the alleged violation and submit a report of its findings to the
• The state of Alabama has 12,000 guardsmen for a state of 5 million.

Summary: The committee first heard CS/HB 69, which would preempt local land-use decisions for presidential libraries to the state. The sponsor said the bill was intended to make it easier to site a presidential library in Florida. Members asked about whether the bill could affect nontraditional uses such as hotels or casinos, and the sponsor said it only addressed land-use and development-order decisions. There was no public testimony, and the bill was reported favorably 16-7. The committee then took up CS/HB 289, “Lucy's Law,” on boating safety. The bill expands boating education requirements, aligns boating penalties more closely with driving offenses, prohibits false information in vessel accident reports, and requires certain nonresidents to obtain boating safety cards. An amendment requiring boating safety courses for those convicted of civil boating infractions was adopted. The committee heard emotional testimony from Lucy Fernandez’s mother, who described the fatal 2022 boating crash that inspired the bill, along with support from industry and local-government witnesses. Members from both parties spoke in favor, emphasizing accountability, education, and enforcement. The bill passed unanimously, 25-0. HB 7003, an open-government/sunshine bill, preserved a public-records exemption for sensitive business information submitted with applications to the Office of Financial Regulation’s financial technology sandbox. It drew no public testimony or debate and was reported favorably. HB 4007, a local bill for Martin County, capped reimbursement for inmate emergency health care at 110% of Medicare, mirroring the Department of Corrections standard; it also passed favorably after supportive public testimony. The longest discussion was on HB 991, which would prohibit creation of new community redevelopment agencies after July 1, 2025, bar current CRAs from starting new projects or issuing new debt after October 1, 2025, and sunset existing CRAs by 2045 or their charter date, whichever is earlier. The sponsor argued CRAs have become long-lived funding vehicles used beyond their original anti-blight purpose and said local governments have other tools. Many members from both parties objected that CRAs remain important for affordable housing, small business support, infrastructure, and redevelopment in blighted areas, and several said the bill would harm ongoing or multi-phase projects. Three amendments were offered: one defining “new project,” one striking the new-CRA prohibition, and one striking the new-debt/new-project language; all were defeated except the first, which was adopted. Public testimony was split, with redevelopment groups, cities, and the Florida League of Cities opposing the bill and Americans for Prosperity supporting it. The committee did not reach final disposition in the portion provided, but the debate showed substantial opposition and concern about the bill’s impact on local redevelopment efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the 4% versus 6% is that based off of the value of the fund?
• This is simply adding the Department of CareerTech and Technology Education on the allowables to charge
• To paint the picture, our pensions receive funds off the top to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars
• This is simply allows the Oklahoma Department of Career Tech to opt for the same retirement options as
• it outside of here that really Some of these seem out of order because they make changes that we haven't

Bills: HB1739 , HB1784 , HB1889 , HB2116 , HB2206 , HB3625 , HB2939 , HB3028 , HB3265 , HB3313 , HB3413 , HB3414 , HB3415 , HB3416 , HB3417 , HB3418 , HB3420 , HB3588 , HB3748 , HB3721 , HB3852 , HB4132 , HB4263 , HB4303 , HB4311 , HB4428 , HB4429 , HB4434

Committee: House Government Oversight

Keywords: retirement, law enforcement, disability benefits, pension system, Oklahoma, education reform, local control, student outcomes, curriculum changes, school funding, public retirement systems, pension, retirement benefits, cost-of-living adjustment, COLA, inflation adjustment, CPI-U, Consumer Price Index, firefighters pension, police pension

Transcript Highlights:

• This is simply adding the Department of Career Technology Education on the allowables to charge processing
• They were included in a few of those, but not all of them.
• Four of our pensions receive funds off the top to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, and so
• This just simply allows the Oklahoma Department of CareerTech to offer the same retirement options as
• of here that really some of these seem out of order because they make changes that we haven't made in

Bills: HB1739 , HB1784 , HB1889 , HB2116 , HB2206 , HB3625 , HB2939 , HB3028 , HB3265 , HB3313 , HB3413 , HB3414 , HB3415 , HB3416 , HB3417 , HB3418 , HB3420 , HB3588 , HB3748 , HB3721 , HB3852 , HB4132 , HB4263 , HB4303 , HB4311 , HB4428 , HB4429 , HB4434

Committee: House Government Oversight

Keywords: retirement, law enforcement, disability benefits, pension system, Oklahoma, education reform, local control, student outcomes, curriculum changes, school funding, public retirement systems, pension, retirement benefits, cost-of-living adjustment, COLA, inflation adjustment, CPI-U, Consumer Price Index, firefighters pension, police pension

Summary: The committee opened with prayer, laid over House Bill 1784 as dead, and then heard a long series of measures, many related to pensions, retirement systems, elections, and state procurement/reporting. Early bills included HB 3588 on debtor-creditor law updates, HB 3748 on county partnerships with four-year institutions, HB 4303 extending the municipal ordinance publication deadline from 15 to 30 days, HB 4311 increasing the treasurer’s share of the unclaimed property administration fee from 4% to 6%, and HB 3028 allowing CareerTech to charge processing fees. All of these advanced on due pass votes, with some opposition on HB 3588, HB 4311, and HB 3028. A major block of the meeting focused on retirement and pension policy. The committee advanced HB 4428 and HB 4429 on proxy advisor transparency and fiduciary voting standards for retirement systems, with the author arguing they would improve transparency and keep pension decisions focused on financial returns rather than ESG/DEI considerations. Other pension-related bills that passed included HB 4132 creating a cybersecurity safe harbor for local governments, HB 1889 fixing a COLA gap for certain retired police officers and firefighters, HB 3265 defining “mental health specialist” for disability applications, HB 1739 reinstating a half-pay provision in the state law enforcement retirement system, HB 3313 changing the Retirement Freedom Act by raising contribution and match rates and eliminating vesting, HB 2116 expanding eligibility for State Fire Marshal officers, HB 2206 allowing newly hired school resource officers to join OLEERS, HB 3625 expanding school district investment options, and HB 3721 creating a survivor-benefit election for children of certain public safety officers. Most of these passed with little or no debate, though HB 1739 drew questions about actuarial “safe harbor” language and pension funding. The latter part of the meeting centered on a package of government contracting and transparency bills from Representative Strom. HB 3413, HB 3414, HB 3415, HB 3416, HB 3417, HB 3418, and HB 3420 would require more detailed reporting of contracts, subcontractors, consulting services, and post-contract assessments; create public posting and reporting requirements through OMES and Central Purchasing; revise bidding rules for state, county, and municipal entities; require vendor ownership disclosures; allow live-streamed bid openings; and add misdemeanor penalties for violations of Central Purchasing rules. Strom said the package was intended to improve accountability, documentation, and protection of taxpayer dollars. The committee also passed HB 3852 clarifying poll worker list requirements for county election boards, HB 4434 requiring gubernatorial notice when out of state, and HB 2939 removing fax-machine references from statute. Most measures were adopted with policy recommendations and passed on strong votes, and the meeting ended with Chairman West thanking members for their work and adjourned the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of those have been very successful, and some of them need some help.
• In one of these states, Alabama, for every dollar invested, they're seeing $9 to $22 worth of economic
• It shows the cost of a total of $115 million. Of a total of $115 million. That's right. Go ahead.
• No, no, this is based on the City of Houston's CAFR, on average expenditures by both the police department
• No, no, this is based on the city of Houston's CAFR, on average expenditures by both the police department

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee heard several bills focused on transportation infrastructure, public safety, and local commemorations. SB 2841 would clarify the overweight corridor designation for the Port of Brownsville so all three statutorily approved bridges are treated uniformly for northbound and southbound overweight traffic; the Port of Brownsville testified in support, and the bill was left pending. SB 39 would restore the commercial motor vehicle “admission rule” framework in collision cases; Senator Birdwell explained the committee substitute, and the bill was later reported favorably. The committee also heard and later advanced SB 682, SB 1369, and SB 1422, which rename stretches of highway or a bridge in honor of fallen firefighters and military service members, with no opposition testimony and all left pending before final votes. The committee also heard SB 2366, which would create a grant program for short-line railroad projects through rural rail transportation districts for track, bridge, capacity, and restoration work. Senator Hughes and several witnesses from rural rail districts and rail advocacy groups supported the bill, while TxDOT explained current rail funding is limited and that the bill would be the first such grant program for Class 3 short lines; members discussed that the bill would need a floor amendment because state funds cannot be paid directly to railroads. SB 1013 would expand crosswalk protections under the Lisa Torrey-Smith Act to include certain driveway curb cuts along sidewalks; it was supported by the author and left pending before later being reported favorably. The committee also considered SB 2080, which would modernize port and navigation district rules by easing records and procurement requirements, exempting certain security and cybersecurity discussions from recording, and expanding some operational authority. Port Houston and the Texas Ports Association supported the bill, while the City of Corpus Christi raised concerns that the language could expand port economic-development authority beyond navigation purposes and affect local tax bases; the Port of Galveston also noted concerns about the filed version but supported the bill as presented, and the committee substitute was later reported favorably. SB 2001 would create specialty license plates and related parking/toll benefits for permanently disabled peace officers; SB 2705 would codify registration exemptions for certain farm equipment and some specialty plates. Both were supported by witnesses, adopted with committee substitutes where applicable, and reported favorably. Final votes on the reported bills were largely unanimous or near-unanimous, and the committee recessed after leaving some motions open briefly.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will start with Secretary Kelly from the Department of Commerce to really discuss how the Department
• Sometimes I think it's a little confusing between the Department of Commerce versus Department of Education
• Just real quick, speaking of young people, we look a lot at CTE in this committee in the Department of
• Our interaction with Department of Education is constant.
• Some of our grant programs, the Department of Education actually has to review, depending if it's a workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:14:00.960><c> of</c> offender or in the Department of offender or in the Department of Michigan
• department and port of entry.
• </c> Mississippi Department of Corrections. Mississippi Department of Corrections.
• </c><02:39:00.400><c> back</c> Department of Corrections and come back Department of Corrections and
• </c> not under Department of Public Safety. not under Department of Public Safety.

Keywords: MS House Floor - 31 March, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are symbolic of what the New Mexico Department of Transportation has become over the past few decades
• On one side, we have our ports of entry, which we co-share responsibility for with the Department of
• (DOT) from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) in 2016.
• I'm with the Traffic Safety Division. for the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
• We partner with the Department of Public Safety for the onboarding of the different agencies, the licenses

Transcript Highlights:

• Because of, of my work as the chair of the Women's Health Caucus, um, and the fact that we have spent
• of Texas women.
• , the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
• Um, uh, I do think the, um, um, the idea of, of looking and, and reviewing is one of the important things
• In my part of Harris County, we had a lot of them.

Committee: House Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Department of Mental Health, and this is Wendy Bailey.
• If you look at, um, specifically state funds, they receive of the grants that the Department of Mental
• funds, they receive of the grants that<00:32:40.480><c> the</c><00:32:40.640><c> department</c><00:32
• :40.960><c> of</c><00:32:41.120><c> mental</c><00:32:41.440><c> health</c> that the department of mental
• health that the department of mental health issues<00:32:42.559><c> that</c><00:32:42.799><c> are</c

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 210; 29 January, 2026: 8:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• WE HAVE SOME OF THEM WITH US TODAY AS WELL AND THEY HELP WORK WITH OTHER STATES AND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
• ALL THE PEOPLE COMING HERE TO DO THE STUFF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND NOW THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR IF
• I'M HAPPY TO PASS IT EITHER THROUGH MYSELF OR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. >> Rep.
• TOP PRIORITIES OF A FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION VETERANS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE GRANT SO WHEN I HEAR THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF A CENTER

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're kind of, but we're kind of leaving it then we're giving the Secretary of State those 44 folks
• Sure, of course.
• Capatillo, won with a majority of of of of voters.
• of Texas in opposition of House Bill 817.
• I'm a retired member of the Georgia House of Representatives.

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• The Commander Hannon Act directed better collaboration between the VA and the Department of Defense and
• the one I'm most familiar with the state of North Dakota through the North Dakota Department of Veterans
• Important I stress the North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs because of the five criteria that
• And they are saying to me that for example, the requirement for the Department of Veterans Affairs to
• I know in my state of Alabama, you know, you can throw all the money at it, you won't.

Committee: Senate Senate Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: veterans, mental health, suicide prevention, Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Grant Program, HOPE Act, BRAVE Act, Every State Counts for Vets Mental Health Act, advocacy, legislation, mental health resources

Summary: The committee meeting focused primarily on the critical issues surrounding veterans' mental health and suicide prevention. Discussions centered on the reauthorization of essential programs aimed at providing non-clinical support services to veterans, particularly the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. Senators emphasized the urgent need for adequate mental health resources as the suicide rate among veterans remains alarmingly high. Key testimonies were provided by various advocates and officials, illustrating both successful implementations of these programs and areas needing improvement.

Transcript Highlights:

• What happens when the Department of State cancels? All of the circulator registrations?
• One of the issues in the letter the Department of State sent them was they mailed out this form with
• The report is 539 pages issued by the Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes and Security
• of those of us who live in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, we understand how much
• The new executive order by the President and the Department of the Interior.

Bills: HB 9 , HB 22 , HB 908 , HB 1392

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tangible personal property, income-producing property, business personal property, tax exemption, local government finance, appraisal district, chief appraiser, rendition statement, property tax relief, small business, commercial property, leased property, related business entity, unified business enterprise, tax situs, Texas Tax Code, local taxing unit, constitutional amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the Department of Finance, LAO, and the Department of Education.
• Department of Finance, please. Hugo Salis Galena with the Department of Finance.
• Department of Finance the Expanding Learning Opportunities Program on behalf of the Department of Finance
• Yeah, Department of Education.
• George Harris, Department of Finance. George Harris, Department of Finance.

Summary: The committee heard presentations on the Governor’s education budget proposals for the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), Learning Recovery Block Grant, and Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), followed by testimony from State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond. On LCFF, Finance outlined the proposed 2.43% COLA, repayment of prior deferrals, and a trailer bill penalty for LEAs that fail to adopt Local Control Accountability Plans on time. The LAO said its COLA estimate was slightly lower and raised concerns that the Governor’s proposed TK staffing ratio increase may be more costly than estimated. Members also discussed whether the current COLA formula should better reflect California-specific or district staffing costs, and whether TK should be more clearly separated from the K-3 grade span adjustment to avoid larger K-3 class sizes. The chair asked staff to work with the LAO on both the TK/K-3 issue and alternative COLA calculations. For the Learning Recovery Block Grant, Finance proposed restoring the first of three delayed payments, $378.6 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund, while the LAO recommended adopting the proposal but extending the expenditure deadline by at least a year. The LAO reported that districts had spent $1.6 billion of the $6.8 billion received through 2023-24 and said most districts were only now shifting from federal COVID relief to block grant spending. Members questioned whether the large state and federal investments were improving outcomes, citing declining reading and math trends, while Finance and the State Board president pointed to some signs of improvement, especially in math, attendance, and gains for some student groups. Darling-Hammond emphasized that student needs have grown, that recovery spending has gone to devices, ventilation, staffing, tutoring, summer school, and community schools, and that targeted interventions appear to be helping some districts recover faster than others. On ELOP, Finance proposed adding $435 million to expand universal access by lowering the Tier 1 threshold from 75% to 55% unduplicated pupils, bringing ongoing funding to $4.4 billion. The LAO said the estimate was reasonable but recommended delaying implementation for a year, aligning ELOP with ASES to reduce overlap, moving toward funding based on participation rather than enrollment, and considering a fixed Tier 2 rate. Members and witnesses discussed staffing challenges, the use of funds for students with disabilities, and uncertainty in Tier 2 funding caused by unspent dollars and opt-outs. Darling-Hammond supported ELOP as part of California’s broader after-school and summer learning strategy, said most districts are now offering full-day TK and expanded learning, and urged the state to reduce fragmentation across categorical programs and build more unified systems for funding, reporting, and support.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:11:59.120><c> of</c> vital difficulty for the Department of vital difficulty for the Department
• of ending emergency department mission of ending emergency department boarding<01:28:39.040><c> for<
• 600,000 to the Department of and the 600,000 to the Department of Natural<01:39:52.800><c> and</c><01
• </c> the Department of Corrections. the Department of Corrections.
• /c><02:26:59.600><c> Services</c> Department of Health and Human Services Department of Health and Human

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It basically says the department must maintain a secure and confidential database of registered domestic
• During the bill presentation, the representative from the Department of Higher Ed addressed some of the
• And on the subject to appropriations part, really that would be up until last year, the Department of
• Missouri’s Telesane, operationalized by the Department of Health and Senior Services, went online in
• the Department of Health and Senior Services website as consistently being able to provide hospital-based

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't know what process that looks like at the Department of Housing, Buildings, Construction to carve
• I don't know what process that looks like at the Department of Housing, Buildings, Construction to carve
• I don't know what process that looks like at the Department of Housing, Buildings, Construction to carve
• <00:21:41.200><c> of</c><00:21:41.360><c> Housing</c><00:21:41.679><c> Buildings</c> Department of Housing
• Buildings Department of Housing Buildings Construction<00:21:42.400><c> to</c><00:21:42.559><c> carve

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from Northern Kentucky building industry representatives Brian Miller and Matt Mains on housing affordability and construction workforce issues. They argued that regulatory and code requirements add significant cost to new homes, citing an estimate of nearly $94,000 per home nationally and $15,000 to $20,000 per home in Boone County over the past decade. They recommended reforms to building code adoption, architectural design mandates, permit fees and delays, and setback/land dedication rules, saying these changes could reduce costs by $25,000 to $35,000 per home without affecting public safety. They also discussed workforce training efforts through the Enzwe Building Institute, dual-credit programs, apprenticeship incentives, and workforce grants, saying these efforts have helped hold wage growth below regional trends and improve housing affordability. Committee members asked about the breakdown of regulatory costs, the effect of energy codes, and ways to speed up permitting. The presenters said the costs were roughly split among federal, state, and local requirements, with local regulations adding about $25,000 to $35,000 and some energy-code changes adding about $19,000 per home. They said faster plan review, coordination with the Kentucky Division of Water, and addressing municipal staffing shortages could cut 30 to 45 days from approvals. Members also discussed the difficulty of building starter homes under about $350,000 and the need for more missing-middle housing, with the presenters saying such homes are hard to produce without sacrificing quality. The committee then took up Representative Kim Moer and Dr. Dale Bertram’s discussion of marriage and family therapist licensing and healthcare workforce data reporting. They explained that the bill would allow Kentucky to recognize out-of-state marriage and family therapists who meet licensure requirements, have no disciplinary history, and have passed the national exam, in order to reduce barriers and address provider shortages, especially in rural areas. They also described a separate workforce data reporting section that would require licensure boards to collect consistent information on where licensees practice and whether they are actively seeing patients, including through telehealth, so the state can better understand its healthcare workforce. Members supported the portability idea, noted that some qualified applicants are currently working in Indiana instead of Kentucky, and asked whether the data collection could be handled administratively; the sponsors said the bill would create consistency across boards. The committee also briefly discussed occupational board updates and the need for stronger communication between legislators and licensing boards, including architecture licensure issues and efforts to recruit more professionals.