Transcript Highlights:

• Under the current Civil Rights Act, an attorney who prevails representing a plaintiff can submit his

Bills: SB246 , SB146 , SB300 , SB301 , SB309 , SM17

Committee: Senate Senate Health & Public Affairs

Keywords: massage therapy, licensure, health and safety standards, continuing education, establishment licensing, civil rights, sovereign immunity, damages, public body, lawsuit limitations, legal notice, child welfare, computing infrastructure, data management, Department of Health, appropriation, foster care, Indian children, cultural competency, training services

Transcript Highlights:

• administrative proceeding for review of procurement-related disputes if the initiating party does not prevail

Bills: SB2543 , SB2435 , SB2352

Committee: Senate Government Operations

Keywords: state construction, construction manager, design review, public works, capital improvement, DAGS, Department of Accounting and General Services, DOE, Department of Education, comptroller, pilot program, design review special fund, county permit review, accessibility compliance, Disability and Communication Access Board, state infrastructure, government construction, project oversight, civil service exemption, county agencies

Summary: The Committee on Government Operations reconvened on February 10, 2026, to take up measures previously heard on February 5. It advanced SB 2983 on criminal destruction of trees with technical, non-substantive amendments and a committee report note asking Judiciary to clarify that removal of invasive species remains allowed; the measure passed with one no vote. SB 2930 on the state risk management revolving fund also passed with amendments, including blanking out the amount, setting a defective date, and directing Ways and Means to review a spreadsheet before further action. The committee likewise passed SB 2928 on making the small business procurement program permanent and SB 2970 on standards of conduct for state agency contracts, adopting the Ethics Commission’s recommended language assigning compliance responsibility to department directors and deputy directors. SB 2927 and SB 3068 on procurement were deferred to a time certain on February 12, and SB 3015 on personal information, SB 2929 on public notice, and SB 2938 on search and rescue were also deferred for further discussion or to avoid re-referral issues. SB 2662 on external consultants was amended to remove a cap and preemptive approval language, narrow the expertise standard, and note possible auditor staffing or appropriation needs; it then passed with amendments. The joint GVO-EIG hearing then took up SB 2543 on state construction projects and an Office of the State Construction Manager within DAGS. Testimony from the Hawaii Iron Workers Stabilization Fund strongly supported the bill, saying it could reduce wasteful spending on large design-build projects and free money for tax credits and other public needs. DAGS, the University of Hawaii, and DLNR offered written comments, while one witness from KIC opposed the measure and asked for an exemption for member-owned electric cooperatives. A Hawaii Solar Energy Association witness also supported the bill but asked that landscape architects be excluded from the bill’s definition of design professionals, and Rocky Mold said Kauai permitting was efficient enough that he had no objection to carving it out. The committee adopted amendments from DNR, DAGS, and UH and passed SB 2543. The hearing also considered SB 2435 on EV charging infrastructure at state facilities. DAGS and the Hawaii State Energy Office supported the concept and explained that the goal was to retrofit managed parking facilities with infrastructure that can meet current and future EV needs, while acknowledging that some stalls can sit unused and that the state must balance space and enforcement. Members raised concerns about whether dedicating 25% of stalls to EV charging would reduce usable parking, and about rural and Big Island conditions where EV range and battery capacity remain limiting. The discussion noted that DOT, DNR, DOE, and DOH may have their own parking facilities outside DAGS control. The committee then indicated it would broaden the bill to apply to all state agencies and lower the threshold in response to member concerns, with final action not fully shown in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Under the current Civil Rights Act, an attorney who prevails representing a plaintiff can submit his

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 246, which would require licensure and inspections for massage therapy establishments. The sponsor and Regulation and Licensing Department said the bill is intended to close a gap in oversight, improve sanitation and public safety, and help address human trafficking and prostitution concerns. Supporters from the massage therapy profession and industry groups said establishment licensing would create accountability and protect legitimate practitioners, while AMTA took a neutral position but supported the rulemaking process. Several senators raised concerns about privacy, home-based businesses, and whether mobile or traveling therapists would be affected; the department said the bill would apply to establishments, not individual therapists, and that home inspections would be governed by rules. The committee voted 8-0 to give SB 246 a do pass recommendation. The committee then took up Senate Bill 300, an appropriation for CYFD computer hardware and software to improve compatibility with the national child welfare management system. The sponsor said the goal was to reduce delays and improve data sharing, especially in child welfare and ICWA-related cases. Members asked about the current system and how the funding would help, and the sponsor said the bill was aimed at better interoperability. The committee voted 8-0 to send SB 300 forward with a do pass recommendation. Finally, the committee considered Senate Bill 146, which would amend the New Mexico Civil Rights Act. The bill and committee substitute would align the legal standard more closely with federal deliberate indifference language, reduce damages caps, shorten the statute of limitations, require 90 days’ notice, and bar double recovery under both the Civil Rights Act and Tort Claims Act. Supporters, including county and city representatives, law enforcement, AFSCME, and risk management officials, argued the changes were needed to control rapidly rising claims costs and protect public budgets. Opponents from the ACLU, civil rights, poverty, immigrant, and LGBTQ advocacy groups said the bill would weaken accountability, reintroduce qualified immunity-like protections, and make it harder for people harmed by government actors to seek justice. After a failed motion to table and a 5-5 vote on the committee substitute, the bill remained in committee and did not advance.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not, you know, saying that if you prevailed at the State Tax Commission, that you can't continue

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Had that position prevailed in court, it would have had obviously catastrophic consequences.

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Villalobos Zwiener. 431 “There being 11 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, the motion unanimously prevails

Bills: HB24 , HB27

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: groundwater, conservation, water permits, sustainability, resource management

Summary: The committee met to hear House Bills 27 and 24 on groundwater issues in East Texas, with members and witnesses focusing on a proposed large-volume groundwater export project and the need for more science before major permitting decisions are made. HB 27, which was within the special session call, would direct the Texas Water Development Board to conduct a hydrogeologic study of the aquifers in the affected area and temporarily pause new export permits while the study is underway. HB 24, a separate bill that would limit certain production and export permits to 5% of modeled available groundwater, was laid out but the chair said it would not be moved out of committee. Testimony on HB 27 was largely supportive, though some witnesses were neutral. Supporters, including representatives from a water supply corporation, the Trinity River Authority, Environmental Defense Fund, and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, said the region lacks enough hydrologic data, that the proposed pumping could affect private wells, surface water, and local economies, and that the state needs better information on sustainable yield and groundwater-surface water interaction. Several witnesses emphasized that groundwater conservation districts need clearer tools and better data, while also noting concerns about property rights and the rule of capture. Committee members discussed the scale of the proposed project, the absence of a groundwater conservation district in Houston County, and the possibility that the study should examine desired future conditions and maximum sustainable pumping rather than only modeled available groundwater. The committee adopted the committee substitute for HB 27 and voted it out favorably to the full House with a recommendation that it do pass, be printed, and be sent to the Committee on Calendars. The roll call was unanimous, 11 ayes and 0 nays. After the vote, members briefly reflected on the complexity of the issue and the need to continue working on broader groundwater policy in the interim and next session. HB 24 was discussed later in the meeting, but no final action on that bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• that with your bill, with it sketching out some procedures that are far less assailable than what prevailed

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation by Pastor Jim Harris of Tilden Baptist Church, followed by remarks from Senator Zaffirini recognizing his service and retirement as an agricultural teacher. The chamber also received a message from the governor on appointments to the Coastal Water Authority Board of Directors. Senators then adopted SR 434 honoring Goodwill Industries of San Antonio’s 80th anniversary, with Senators Gutierrez, Menendez, and Zaffirini praising its workforce training and second-chance employment mission; SR 435 recognizing Dr. Christine Ramos Camacho as Doctor of the Day; and a group of additional resolutions adopted by voice vote. Senator Zaffirini also introduced the McMullen County Day delegation, and Senator Gutierrez introduced the Doctor of the Day. The Senate then took up and passed several bills. SB 1951 addressed penalties for late property rendition filings and removed a financial incentive for appraisal districts; SB 1261 related to financing water supply projects in the state water plan; SB 1620 created a Texas Forensic Analyst Apprenticeship Pilot Program; SB 530 updated higher-education accreditation rules; SB 2183 standardized fireworks sales periods statewide; SB 2368 strengthened the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act and added foreign-affiliation safeguards for electricity market participants; SB 1398 limited children without placement (CWOP) practices and added community-based care transparency; and SB 1960 established digital replication rights for voice and visual likenesses. Each of these bills advanced through suspension of the regular order, passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage, with recorded votes generally showing strong support and some opposition on a few measures. The chamber also debated SB 825, which would require an annual study of the economic, environmental, and financial impacts of illegal immigration. Senators Middleton, Hinojosa, Gutierrez, and Eckhardt debated whether the study should include positive as well as negative impacts; an amendment to require that broader analysis failed, and the bill was left pending after passage to engrossment. Other measures passed included SB 2010, prohibiting political subdivisions from operating guaranteed income programs; SB 546, requiring reporting and continued implementation of school bus seat belts; SB 586, establishing the Historical Texas Cemetery designation program; SB 1150, requiring inactive oil and gas wells to be plugged or returned to production under a compliance plan; SB 1184, lowering the minimum age of wine eligible for sale by wine collection sellers; SB 2185, clarifying bilingual education allotment funding; SB 1923, making child support follow the child in certain temporary placements; SB 2252, expanding early literacy and numeracy supports and screening tools; SB 1870, barring local decriminalization of drugs; and SB 2405, the major TDCJ sunset bill, which included facility planning, parole and rehabilitation reforms, and an amendment protecting parole board discretion. Most of these bills were adopted after floor amendments and passed with recorded votes, often along party-line or near-party-line divisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• In terms of the research, there's a prevailing belief that sex offenders pose a Higher risk to reoffend

Bills: HB240 , HB2097 , HB2731 , HB3087 , HB3234 , HB3319 , HB3394 , HB3687 , HB4105 , HB4205 , HB4350 , HB4462 , HB4642 , HB4801 , HB5403 , HB240

Committee: House S/C on County & Regional Government

Keywords: quorum, tax levy, county governance, local government, population regulations, quorum requirement, Texas counties, population threshold, deputy sheriff, civil service, law enforcement, appeals process, sheriff's department, HB 2731, roadside vendors, solicitors, county regulation, border counties, Mexico border, Transportation Code

Transcript Highlights:

• And the motion prevails.

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Bills: SB2138 , SB2054 , SB2987 , SB2908 , SB2702 , SB2924 , SB3248 , SB2635 , SB3127 , SB3001 , SB2294 , SB2037 , SB2797 , SB2765 , SB2961 , SB2210 , SB2948 , SB3108 , SB3240 , SB2045 , SB2675 , SB2338 , SB2451 , SB2552 , SB2553 , SB3089 , SB3176 , SB3285 , SB2234 , SB2219 , SB2312 , SB2336 , SB2343 , SB2849 , SB2928 , SB2930 , SB3332 , SB2927 , SB2983 , SB2906 , SB2353 , SB2848 , SB2340 , SB2845 , SB3246 , SB3077 , SB3254 , SB2934 , SB2571 , SB2248 , SB2471 , SB2298 , SB2413 , SB2425 , SB3045 , SB2843 , SB2595 , SB2907 , SB3204 , SB2311 , SB2532 , SB2528 , SB2313 , SB3300 , SB2530 , SB2693 , SB2010 , SB3156 , SB2697 , SB2991 , SB3153 , SB2812 , SB2527 , SB2376 , SB3081 , SB3218 , SB3219 , SB3333 , SB2232 , SB2192 , SB2378 , SB2070 , SB3011 , SB2676 , SB2957 , SB2434 , SB2673 , SB3301 , SB2247 , SB2453 , SB2457 , SB2075 , SB2811 , SB2601 , SB2258 , SB2612 , SB3263 , SB3261 , SB3334 , SB2613

Keywords: SB2138, Hawaii National Guard, state tuition assistance, STAP, graduate degree, graduate education, tuition assistance, University of Hawaii, UH, Department of Defense, adjutant general, enlisted personnel, warrant officers, company grade officers, military education, veterans benefits, higher education, state residency, professional development, retention

Transcript Highlights:

• So, for example, number 1 mentions that in the salaries and wages line item, there's a little over $2

Summary: The committee met to review the Attorney General’s budget and related agency operations, beginning with Legislative Council staff walking members through compliance reports and a blue-sheet base budget document. Staff highlighted current-biennium items such as FTE changes, one-time appropriations, litigation funding, opioid settlement receipts, continuing appropriations, and major special and federal funds. Members asked for clarification on items including the Missing Indigenous People Grant Fund, the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit grant funding. Assistant Attorney General Clare Ness then gave an overview of the office’s structure, staffing, and budget pressures. She emphasized the office’s broad statutory duties, the value of its legal services to state and local government, and concerns about attorney pay lagging behind other agencies. Members discussed whether attorney compensation should be benchmarked more consistently across state government and whether some legal work could be consolidated within the AG’s office. Ness also addressed questions about AG opinion turnaround times, boards-and-commissions training, the new-and-vacant FTE pool, operating expense cuts, office leases, and the state’s criminal justice information systems. The crime lab presentation drew significant attention. Director Jennifer Penner described severe space, safety, and infrastructure problems at the current lab, including cramped work areas, glycol leaks, outdated fire and burglar alarms, air-handling limits, and equipment failures that have delayed toxicology work. She said the 2024 study projected a much larger facility would be needed and that the preferred location would be near the current health department site, but in a new building. Members asked about possible evidence risks, backlog status, and whether the proposed building would solve the current problems; Penner said it would and noted backlogs have improved overall, though some delays remain. The committee also heard from the new Medicaid Fraud Control Unit director, who described the unit’s civil and criminal work, federal-state funding split, and examples of fraud such as billing for services not provided or upcoding. The gaming division reported continued growth in charitable gaming and e-tabs, with members expressing concern about large trust-account balances, site competition, and possible misuse of proceeds. Finally, BCI outlined its caseload, cybercrime work, missing Indigenous persons task force, and the surge in CSAM cyber tips; members asked about AI-generated CSAM, and the AG’s office noted that last session’s law increased penalties and expressly allowed AI-generated CSAM to be prosecuted like other CSAM. No formal votes or actions were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• It creates a $300 million targeted grant program to expand capacity in high-demand, high-wage fields

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a lengthy hearing on a large slate of bills focused primarily on charter school policy and vocational technical education. Committee members opened with ground rules for testimony, including a two-minute limit, written testimony acceptance, and a live-streamed format. The committee then heard testimony on bills to expand collective bargaining rights in Horace Mann and Innovation Schools, reform charter school funding and reimbursement, allow enrollment preferences for high-need students in charter lotteries, and require BESE to consider district impacts when approving new or expanded charters. Several witnesses, including union leaders, parents, educators, and legislators, argued that charter growth has strained district budgets and that funding formulas should be reworked to better protect public schools; charter advocates and alumni countered that charter schools serve high-need students well and should not be penalized for their success. A major portion of the hearing focused on vocational technical education bills, including proposals to expand access and capacity, create a large grant program, and increase MSBA reimbursement rates for vocational school construction. Supporters described long waitlists, strong labor-market demand, and the higher cost of building and maintaining vocational schools, while municipal officials emphasized the tax burden on local communities. The committee also heard testimony on charter school reimbursement bills that would extend the state’s reimbursement schedule, with witnesses from districts such as Boston, Worcester, Fall River, and New Bedford describing large net losses to charter tuition and arguing for longer reimbursement periods and structural reform. The committee took no final votes during the hearing. In one instance, the chair said a bill would be held open until a missing senator could testify. Members asked several detailed questions about charter admissions lotteries, special education placements, funding formulas, and the practical effects of proposed charter caps and reimbursement changes. The hearing remained informational, with witnesses and committee members presenting sharply different views on whether the bills would improve equity and opportunity or harm existing public school systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• Medicaid here and across the country, who already work or may not have jobs that provide them a livable wage

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Financial Services

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a lengthy hearing on a large docket of pharmacy and drug-pricing bills, with most testimony focused on PBM reform, 340B drug discount program protections, specialty medication access, and medication adherence. Chair James Murphy and Senator Paul Feeney opened the hearing and took testimony from legislators, patient advocates, pharmacists, health center leaders, industry representatives, and policy groups. Several speakers described delays, denials, high out-of-pocket costs, and pharmacy closures tied to PBM practices, while others emphasized the importance of community health centers and independent pharmacies in serving patients. On the 340B program, supporters including Senator Eldridge, Senator Payano, Community Care Cooperative, Fenway Health, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and several community health center leaders argued that bills such as H. 1107 and S. 819 would stop discriminatory PBM and manufacturer practices, preserve contract pharmacy access, and protect safety-net providers that say they reinvest savings into care, pharmacy expansion, interpreter services, behavioral health, and other services. Opponents including PhRMA, the Community Liver Alliance, and a public policy analyst argued the program lacks transparency and accountability, has grown beyond its original purpose, and may benefit large hospitals and for-profit entities more than low-income patients. They urged more reporting and oversight rather than expanding protections. On PBM reform, testimony supported bills including H. 1157, H. 1234, S. 724, S. 831, and related measures that would require rebate pass-through, ban spread pricing, limit steering to PBM-owned pharmacies, and improve reimbursement for community pharmacies. Independent pharmacists and patients said current PBM practices raise costs, create administrative burdens, and threaten access to local pharmacies. PCMA, representing PBMs, opposed the reforms, arguing PBMs lower costs, that plan sponsors choose to contract with them, and that the Health Policy Commission and CHIA should complete their ongoing study before new mandates are adopted. The committee also heard support for H. 1322 and S. 734 on specialty medications, and for H. 781 and H. 1305 on medication synchronization to improve adherence. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• The authority pays expenditures associated with these operations, including salaries and wages, employee

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING

Summary: The committee met to adopt prior minutes and reports from its executive and standing committees, including counties and municipalities, educational institutions, and state agencies. Those reports covered routine audit activity, delinquent private water and sewer audits, municipal accounting compliance issues, education audit findings, and several state agency audit items. The committee also reviewed and adopted the State of Arkansas annual comprehensive financial report for fiscal year 2025 and the related single audit report, both presented by Legislative Audit staff. The state financial report showed unmodified opinions on the state’s financial statements and described total assets of about $41.9 billion and liabilities of about $11.1 billion, along with retirement system assets of $39.9 billion and a net pension liability of $9 billion. Two material weaknesses were identified: insufficient internal controls at the Office of State Technology to monitor threats and unauthorized access, and a Division of Workforce Services methodology change for unemployment-related estimates that was not properly documented or approved. The single audit covered $12.4 billion in federal awards across 469 programs, with 16 major programs reviewed; it resulted in 33 findings, 14 with questioned costs totaling $16.6 million, and qualified opinions for the Summer EBT program, the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, and the Child Care Development Fund cluster. Members questioned agency officials in detail about the Summer EBT questioned costs, DHS unresolved findings, broadband grant documentation, cyber security controls, workers’ compensation liabilities, and child care funding and reporting. DHS explained that the Summer EBT issue involved drawing federal funds in advance rather than as benefits were redeemed, and said the process has been corrected. Broadband officials said the questioned $6.6 million reflected documentation-detail disagreements across many invoices rather than missing payments. OST officials described new logging, endpoint detection, and phishing-training efforts, and DFA and Education officials addressed specific audit findings and corrective actions. The committee ultimately moved to hold the two large statewide reports over until the August meeting for further review, with discussion continuing on whether to release some agency staff in the meantime.

Transcript Highlights:

• there are no protections for the person who was actually hurt and trying to get this money to pay lost wages

Bills: SR125 , SCR70 , SCR12 , HB4 , HB251 , HB623 , HB819 , HB944 , HB986 , HB1098 , HB1222 , HB1257 , HB221 , HCR58 , SCR22 , SCR24 , SB29 , SB30 , SB32 , SB41 , SB42 , SB43 , SB47 , SB84 , SB93 , SB113 , SB192 , SB199 , SB219 , SB220 , SB221 , SB222 , SB241 , SB253 , SB255 , SB289 , SB292 , SB306 , SB314 , SB351 , SB399 , SB404 , SB14 , SB102 , SB133 , SB151 , SB165 , SB169 , SB170 , SB200 , SB217 , SB280 , SB291 , SB300 , SB303 , SB330 , SB449 , SB489 , SB521 , SB45 , SB156 , SB181 , SB203 , SB274 , SB304 , SB379 , SB396 , SB410 , SB425 , SB427 , SB436 , SB424 , SCR61 , SCR9 , SB35 , SB65 , SB215 , SB246 , SB249 , SB269 , SB282 , SB296 , SB323 , SB363 , SB369 , SB474 , SB490 , SB492 , SB500 , HCR31 , HB296 , HB299 , HB322 , HB364 , HB519 , HB535 , HB538 , HB568 , HB571 , HB622 , HB635 , HB676 , HB772 , HB784 , HB1006 , HB1018 , HB1043 , HB1070 , HB1134 , HB1239 , HB62 , HB193 , HB203 , HB210 , HB220 , HB228 , HB246 , HB420 , HB475 , HB486 , HB574 , HB584 , HB750 , HB813 , HB815 , HB826 , HB870 , HB949 , HB953 , HB1045 , HB1092 , HB1151 , HB1162 , HB1176 , HB1177 , HB1196 , HB1214 , HB1241 , HB22 , HB28 , HB33 , HB41 , HB47 , HB87 , HB115 , HB162 , HB195 , HB214 , HB217 , HB233 , HB283 , HB290 , HB319 , HB324 , HB345 , HB362 , HB363 , HB368 , HB377 , HB380 , HB382 , HB386 , HB392 , HB406 , HB431 , HB441 , HB466 , HB503 , HB533 , HB559 , HB575 , HB590 , HB593 , HB618 , HB636 , HB655 , HB664 , HB685 , HB692 , HB707 , HB715 , HB732 , HB738 , HB741 , HB748 , HB776 , HB807 , HB822 , HB856 , HB860 , HB868 , HB887 , HB888 , HB905 , HB908 , HB961 , HB980 , HB990 , HB992 , HB999 , HB1000 , HB1010 , HB1146 , HB1157 , HB1233 , HB1236 , HB1243 , HB54 , HB137 , HB180 , HB192 , HB310 , HB321 , HB396 , HB512 , HB552 , HB578 , HB638 , HB663 , HB708 , HB717 , HB718 , HB1009 , HB1082 , HB1104 , HB1107 , HB1198 , HB1246 , HB1250 , HB17 , HB36 , HB73 , HB119 , HB126 , HB129 , HB133 , HB140 , HB159 , HB166 , HB211 , HB226 , HB245 , HB271 , HB280 , HB337 , HB351 , HB354 , HB399 , HB677 , HB712 , HB723 , HB726 , HB728 , HB759 , HB789 , HB844 , HB850 , HB966 , HB1036 , SB149 , SB382 , SB441 , HB134 , HB258 , HB359 , HB782

Keywords: SR125, Senate Resolution 125, MUSV, Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel, MASC, Modular Attack Surface Craft, Conrad Shipyard, Morgan City, Louisiana shipbuilding, U.S. Navy, Department of the Navy, unmanned naval vessels, autonomous ships, defense procurement, military contracting, shipyard jobs, maritime workforce, advanced manufacturing, robotics, software engineering

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, received an opening prayer from Pastor Elizabeth Ali Frank, and adopted the journal. The chamber then handled a large number of messages, committee reports, resolutions, and House bills, including several ceremonial resolutions and many House measures returned with amendments. Notable resolutions included recognition of World Preeclampsia Awareness Day, commendations for Louisiana sports honorees, and a resolution urging higher reimbursement rates for behavioral health crisis centers, which was adopted. The Senate also concurred in SCR 22 on opioid settlement fund reporting, with Senator Myers explaining the House changes were technical and improved the reporting deadline and detail. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to concurrence or rejection of House amendments on Senate bills. The Senate concurred in several bills involving telehealth, prenatal bereavement care, official journals, ambulance Medicaid coverage, insurance and licensing disclosures, peptide regulation, psychosocial rehabilitation services, university records confidentiality, the Inspector General, religious exercise protections, child care assistance, eye care coverage, teacher retirement, and electronic service of pleadings. The chamber rejected House amendments to SB 42 on AI-created child sexual abuse materials and SB 43 on psychedelic-assisted therapy, and also rejected amendments on SB 29 and SB 32 before later concurring in many other technical or clarifying House changes. Several members explained that the House amendments were mostly technical, clarified effective dates, or adjusted definitions and contact information. The Senate then took up numerous House bills on final passage. Bills passed included measures on inmate workforce development cleanup, jury bond filing by mail, free transcripts for victims testifying before pardon/parole hearings, public awareness on illegal firearm discharge, special masters in complex litigation, paternity acknowledgments in hospitals, juvenile court filing fees in East Baton Rouge Parish, drug-free school zone penalties, criminal history record confidentiality, body brokering/fraudulent patient referrals, bail notice and residence requirements, sex offender registration updates, parish court jurisdictional amounts, court technology fees, deferred retirement options, shared custody standards, women’s policy and research commission membership, sickle cell and uterine fibroids commission membership, child exploitation reporting on online platforms, recreation of the state civil service department, children’s cabinet membership, DCFS employee background checks, AI disclosure in health care visits, the psychology inter-jurisdictional compact, mental health advisory board updates, foster children’s rights, automatic renewal contract disclosures, Orleans sheriff term alignment, access to death records for financial institutions, insurance referral disclosures, radiologist assistant regulation, plumbing licensure reforms, legislative auditor thresholds, developmental disabilities office renaming, insurer investment rules, Medicare Advantage coverage for integrative care services, and more. Some bills were returned to the calendar for further work, including HB 571, HB 475, HB 750, and HB 1162, and HB 490 was set aside after extensive debate on private-use electrical networks and data-center power arrangements. The most prominent floor action was final passage of HB 636, the Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act, which Senator Boudreaux described as a comprehensive response to hazing tragedies on Louisiana campuses. He said the bill was developed by a task force that included the Wilson family and would strengthen education, reporting, accountability, and penalties, including permanent banishment for organizations involved in hazing deaths. After the bill passed 37-0, the Senate recognized the Wilson family and presented flags in Caleb Wilson’s honor. Throughout the day, many bills passed overwhelmingly, though a few drew dissent, including HB 296, HB 538, HB 568, HB 635, and HB 784. The meeting ended with continued consideration of additional House bills and unfinished items returned to the calendar for later action.

Transcript Highlights:

• When parents who are not paying child support get an insurance settlement for things like lost wages,

Committee: Senate Insurance

Summary: The Senate Committee on Insurance met on May 6, 2026, and first reported HB 1241 favorably. That bill, by Chairman Furman, requires insurers to check with DCFS before paying certain insurance settlements to determine whether the recipient owes delinquent child support, and to withhold and remit arrears if found. DCFS explained that Louisiana already has intercepts and other collection tools, but no current mechanism for insurance settlements. Senators raised concerns about notice to obligors and about liability if insurers fail to withhold, but the bill was advanced without objection. The committee then heard HB 870, which would require health insurers and PBMs to cover lower-cost generic or biosimilar drugs when available and to use utilization management no more restrictively on those drugs. Supporters said the bill would improve access and lower patient costs by using wholesale acquisition cost as the comparison point. Opponents, including Louisiana Blue and the AFL-CIO, argued that WAC ignores rebates and net cost, could force plans to cover higher-cost biosimilars first, and could increase premiums and disrupt ERISA and fully insured plan design. The committee adopted a technical amendment set and then a second amendment set that added notice and reporting requirements tied to net cost calculations, and HB 870 was reported favorably as amended. Several other bills were moved with little or no opposition. HB 1176, concerning Medicare Advantage coverage for integrative cancer treatments such as cold cap therapy, cryotherapy, and acupuncture, was amended to change the effective date and then reported favorably. HB 1196, dealing with colorectal cancer screening follow-up colonoscopies, was also amended and reported favorably. HB 1162, a consumer protection bill requiring DOI to verify that a contractor named on a first-party property damage check is licensed in Louisiana, was amended and reported favorably. HB 826, which modernizes insurance referral rules to allow referrals by email or website address, was reported favorably. The committee also heard HB 1151 on insurer investment limits and solvency protections, and HB 1236 on pharmacy reimbursement and copay maximizer programs; both drew substantial testimony and concern, especially over retroactivity, PBM cost allocation, and whether copay maximizers shift costs to patients, but the transcript cuts off before final action on HB 1236.

Transcript Highlights:

• When parents who are not paying child support get an insurance settlement for things like lost wages,

Bills: HB591 , HB765 , HB826 , HB870 , HB938 , HB1151 , HB1162 , HB1176 , HB1196 , HB1236 , HB1241

Committee: Senate Insurance

Keywords: family leave, insurance, paid leave, employment benefits, caregiver support, liability insurance, coverage defenses, direct action, judgment enforcement, legal procedures, insurance referrals, compensation, non-licensed agents, consumer protection, insurance products, HB 870, Act 907, Louisiana insurance, health insurance, prescription drugs

Transcript Highlights:

• The report also finds healthcare spending growth continues to outpace wage growth, leading to difficult

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• While VTA workers may be making competitive middle-class wages, they work and hope to live in the most

Summary: The committee heard eight bills, mostly on local government, housing, and public agency contracting. AB 1658 would make permanent higher change-order authority for Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties on large construction projects; supporters said it would reduce delays and save money on major projects, and the bill passed 6-0. AB 2263 would authorize the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to develop employee-preference affordable housing; supporters said it would help with workforce retention and long commutes, and it also passed 6-0. AB 2134 would require city councils to allow parental leave without forcing members to seek public approval or risk losing their seats; supporters described the bill as necessary to protect new parents in local office, and it passed 6-0. AB 2188 would raise Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s contracting authority to $250,000, with supporters citing administrative savings and faster project delivery; after committee amendments, it passed 6-0. AB 2033 would let general law cities use job order contracting for repair and maintenance work, with safeguards against employee displacement; supporters called it an efficiency tool, while AFSCME opposed it over workforce impacts, and it passed 8-0 after amendments. AB 1768 would authorize Los Angeles County and Contra Costa County to ask voters to approve a temporary transactions and use tax to help offset major federal health care cuts and preserve clinics and public health services. Supporters from community clinics, Planned Parenthood, labor groups, counties, and health organizations said the measure would let voters decide how to respond to funding losses; opponents, including CalTax and some cities, raised affordability and tax-burden concerns. Members also discussed equity concerns within Los Angeles County and the importance of local control. The bill was moved out on a 5-2 vote and left on call. AB 2415 would allow the city of Folsom to shift housing obligations away from its historic district and toward other transit-oriented sites; supporters said it would preserve the historic district while still meeting housing goals, and it passed 10-0. AB 2741, heard at the end of the meeting, would give cities a grace period to fix housing elements that were certified by HCD but later found noncompliant by a court, especially where cities relied on overlay zones. Supporters from the League of California Cities, Redondo Beach, and real estate groups said cities acted in good faith and should not be immediately subjected to builder’s remedy; opponents from California YIMBY and legal aid groups argued the bill would weaken housing accountability and reward noncompliance. The transcript ends during testimony on AB 2741, before a final vote is recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• While VTA workers may be making competitive middle-class wages, they work and hope to live in the most

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: 988, house, all