Transcript Highlights:

• internationally and nationally, are not just theoretical, but have proven to minimize injuries and fatalities
• safety is of the utmost importance, and data shows that the age group with the highest number of fatalities

Summary: The Assembly met on May 23, 2025, after a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance. Members also made several guest introductions and memorial recognitions, including tributes to labor leader Louisa Blue and a Memorial Day moment of silence. The body adopted a motion to suspend Assembly Rule 63 for certain Appropriations Committee bills, and later took up a second-day consent calendar and several resolutions. The chamber adopted ACR 68, declaring July 2025 as Parks Make Life Better Month, and ACR 83, proclaiming California Maritime Day; both received broad support. On the floor file, members passed a series of bills covering child passenger safety, student financial aid, downtown office-to-housing conversion districts, rental vehicle theft prevention, fire hazard zone reviews, medical data protections, UC admissions transparency, office-to-housing streamlining, inoperable RV removal, domestic violence and child welfare, insurance classification for social service workers, sustainable aviation fuel CEQA review, UC hiring background checks, accessory dwelling units, fish and wildlife exemptions for Sutter County infrastructure, speed limit assessments, geothermal permitting, special education transfers, recorder fee adjustments, and a BIT program exemption for farmers and ranchers. Most measures passed with little or no opposition. AB 435, which would have implemented a five-step test standard for child passenger safety laws, was later reconsidered and failed on a vote of 36-12 after the call was lifted. The Assembly also adopted the second-day consent calendar, including multiple bills and resolutions, and added co-authors to several resolutions. The session ended with adjournments in memory and an adjournment until Tuesday, May 27 at 1 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Florida Department of Children and Families has shared data has showed an increasing trend in fatal
• In Florida, the majority occurring in central Florida between 2009 2020 for a total of 1333 fatal drownings

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas also has the second highest number of gray crossing fatalities.
• establishing a new grant program for railroad crossing elimination furthers the goal. of reducing fatalities

Bills: SB35, SB284, SB296, SB305, SB857, SB995, SB1121, SB1555, SB1902, SCR25, SB 35

Keywords: transportation, TxDOT, Texas Department of Transportation, road projects, highways, infrastructure, bridge construction, interchanges, corridor improvements, road widening, railroad grade separation, sound barrier, unified transportation program, legislative notice, project prioritization, capital projects, state highway system, Farm-to-Market Roads, San Antonio, Harris County

Transcript Highlights:

• in the first year uh traffic fatalities in the first year uh of<03:44:45.800><c> having</c><03:44:46.000
• quantities commonly found in in fatal quantities uh<04:45:41.958><c> very</c><04:45:42.200><c> very<
• c><05:08:48.040><c> overdose</c><05:08:48.798><c> and</c><05:08:49.120><c> we've</c> constitutes a fatal
• :12:11.840><c> a</c> talking about is that enough is that a talking about is that enough is that a fatal
• dose so the um answer is probably fatal dose so the um answer is probably not<05:12:17.600><c> the</

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Diseases that were once fatal are now disease-course altering and even durable, curable, I mean, um,
• </c><00:43:11.119><c> are</c><00:43:11.359><c> now</c> Diseases that were once fatal are now Diseases
• that were once fatal are now disease<00:43:12.240><c> course</c><00:43:12.640><c> altering</c><00:43
• </c><00:43:31.119><c> therapy</c><00:43:31.440><c> for</c><00:43:31.680><c> a</c><00:43:31.839><c> fatal
• </c><00:43:32.240><c> rare</c> offering gene therapy for a fatal rare offering gene therapy for a fatal

Bills: HF4438, HF4467, HF4379, SF3402, HF4349, HF4064, HF84, HF85, HF3804

Keywords: healthcare, WIC, community health, licensing, speech-language pathology, audiology, contract term limits, healthcare services, provider enrollment, disenrollment, premium payments, medical assistance, substance use disorders, mental health, children's mental health, early childhood, early intervention, consultation grants, Head Start, child care

Transcript Highlights:

• In almost every fatal overdose, fentanyl seems to be involved.
• In almost every fatal overdose, fentanyl seems to be involved.
• In non-fatal overdoses, again, fentanyl seems to be involved. It is easy to mix with other drugs.
• In almost every fatal overdose, fentanyl seems to be involved.
• 38.720><c> fentanyl</c> In almost every fatal overdose, fentanyl seems to be involved.

Bills: HF1918, HF2305, HF897, HF2191, HF2617, HF2551, HF2137

Keywords: HF1918, Department of Children Youth and Families, DCYF, child welfare, foster care, out-of-home placement, permanency planning, relative search, noncustodial parent, kinship care, family preservation, African American Child and Family Well-Being, racial disproportionality, maltreatment reporting, educational neglect, truancy, school attendance, Great Start compensation, child care provider payments, TEACH early childhood program

Transcript Highlights:

• > to</c><00:24:25.320><c> in</c><00:24:26.320><c> um</c><00:24:27.120><c> use</c><00:24:27.399><c> fatal
• I understand if the person was in a fatal single-car accident.
• Approximately 85% of all attempts made with a firearm are fatal.
• Approximately 85% of all attempts made with a firearm are fatal.
• </c> attempts made with a firearm are fatal attempts made with a firearm are fatal Firearms<02:20:52.680

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, it should be noted that Ebola has a 50% fatality rate.
• </c> be noted that Ebola has a 50% fatality be noted that Ebola has a 50% fatality rate. rate. rate.
• a<04:01:56.319><c> 50%</c><04:01:57.199><c> fatality</c><04:01:57.840><c> rate.
• And while it is not a 50% fatality rate.
• </c><04:02:17.920><c> rate</c><04:02:18.479><c> that</c> Ebola with its 50% fatality rate that Ebola

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• From 2018, we've had 11 pedestrian fatalities.
• From 2018, we've had 11 pedestrian<01:44:10.800><c> fatalities.
• </c> pedestrian fatalities. pedestrian fatalities.
• </c><03:05:30.880><c> So</c><03:05:31.040><c> the</c> fatality rate um for pedestrians.
• So the fatality rate um for pedestrians.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several housing, landlord-tenant, and condominium-related measures. Senate Bill 62, relating to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, would allow HPHA-owned parcels and related areas such as parking lots to be closed to the public with posted signage; HPHA strongly supported the bill, saying it would help reduce loitering, drinking, and other problems, and no further testimony was offered. Senate Bill 822, relating to the landlord tenant code, would create a three-year working group in the Department of the Attorney General to study and improve the residential landlord-tenant code. The Judiciary supported the measure but said the scope should be narrowed; the Attorney General opposed leading the group and suggested another agency should do so; Hawaii Realtors and the Hawaii Worker Center supported the concept and suggested moving the chairmanship to the Judiciary and including Legal Aid participation. The Judiciary said it could chair the group if the bill were narrowed to matters within the court’s purview. Senate Bill 38, relating to housing, would limit counties from imposing stricter conditions, AMI requirements, or fee-waiver reductions on certain affordable housing proposals if those changes would increase project costs. HHFDC supported the bill, saying county changes after state approval create uncertainty for developers, while the Hawaii State Association of Counties opposed it as an intrusion on local authority and a restriction on county safety and infrastructure conditions. Members asked about whether existing county review periods were sufficient, and the county association said the main concern was the bill’s language limiting counties from making cost-increasing conditions. Senate Bill 146, relating to condominiums, would revise alternative dispute resolution procedures for condo disputes, including evaluative mediation and binding arbitration. The Hawaii Real Estate Commission said it took no position overall but supported a $150 mediation fee and asked for a similar arbitration fee; Community Associations Institute supported the bill with suggested amendments; however, most testimony was strongly opposed by condominium owners and advocates, who said the bill had been changed to the detriment of owners and would increase costs and reduce protections. The committee noted 44 testimonies on the bill, with 2 in support, 37 in opposition, and 2 with comments. Senate Bill 253, relating to condominium reserves, would require a detailed budget summary to stand on its own, remove a good-faith defense for certain noncompliant budgets, and clarify standing and the association’s burden regarding substantial compliance. Hawaii Realtors and Community Associations Institute supported the measure as improving transparency and giving owners and buyers a clearer picture of association finances. Greg Msakian also supported it, arguing it would help owners and describing problems he experienced with budget committee exclusion and budget noncompliance in his own association. The discussion ended while testimony on the bill was still underway, with additional witnesses expected.

Transcript Highlights:

• response preparedness, including required training for justices of the peace and responding to mass fatality

Bills: HB4, HB 4

Keywords: redistricting, congressional districts, Texas Legislature, elections, 2020 Census, 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I guess one thing I will say is fatal neglect in custody.
• I think from previous testimony we've certainly heard about the neglect, the fatalities, the lack of

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I guess one thing I will say is fatal neglect in custody.
• I think from previous testimony we've certainly heard about the neglect, the fatalities, the lack of

Summary: The committee first took up several bills in executive session. House Committee Amendment No. 1 was adopted and rolled into a substitute for House Bills 3292 and 2171, which then received a do pass recommendation by a 10-2 vote. House Bill 2753 also received a committee substitute and was voted do pass 10-2. House Bill 2912 was voted do pass by an 11-1 vote. During this portion, one member criticized the Department of Corrections for not responding to inquiries or attending earlier hearings, and the chair acknowledged the concern. The committee then heard testimony on House Bills 1616 and 2832, sponsored by Representatives Allen and Collins, which would create an independent corrections oversight structure, including an Office of Corrections and Transparency or ombudsman-style advocate with authority to inspect facilities, investigate complaints, access records, and report publicly. The sponsors argued that DOC currently lacks independent oversight and that internal review is insufficient. They cited deaths, unsafe conditions, medical neglect, and the need for confidential reporting by staff and incarcerated people. Committee members questioned whether the bills would duplicate existing processes, what the fiscal impact would be, and whether the proposal had enough enforcement power; the sponsors said the office would be small, likely around $300,000, and were open to amendments. Supporters testified that independent oversight is needed because of repeated deaths in custody, lack of trust in internal complaint systems, retaliation concerns for staff, and large taxpayer costs from lawsuits and settlements. Witnesses from Empower Missouri, Missouri Justice Coalition, the NAACP, ACLU of Missouri, and FAMM all supported the bills, with several emphasizing that prisons are closed institutions with inherent power imbalances and that external oversight would improve transparency, safety, and accountability for both incarcerated people and staff. The hearing ended after testimony in support, with no opposition presented and the committee adjourning without taking final action on the oversight bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• especially important because, in the past year, we have seen a troubling rise in critical incidents—near fatalities
• and fatalities—among children involved in the child welfare system.

Bills: HB2295

Keywords: Washington capital budget, supplemental capital budget, capital appropriations, state building construction account, taxable building construction account, climate commitment account, natural climate solutions, housing trust fund, affordable housing, supportive housing, homelessness, manufactured home communities, mobile home parks, school construction, school modernization, school seismic safety, healthy schools, school electrification, SCAP, behavioral health facilities

Transcript Highlights:

• because, in the past year, we have seen a troubling rise in critical incidents, which are near fatalities
• and fatalities among children involved in the child welfare system.

Summary: The Capital Budget Committee held a hearing on Proposed Substitute House Bill 2295, the supplemental capital budget. Staff said the proposal totals nearly $911 million, including about $400 million in bonds and $511 million from other state and federal sources, with much of the increase over the governor’s proposal coming from Climate Commitment Act (CCA) funding. Major spending areas include housing and homelessness, K-12 construction, human services facilities, and CCA-funded clean energy, decarbonization, and habitat restoration projects. The chair said the committee would not take amendments at the hearing and planned to vote out the budget on Thursday, with a technical fix striker expected. Testimony was largely supportive of the House proposal, with many witnesses asking the committee to preserve or increase specific items in final negotiations. Housing advocates urged support for the Housing Trust Fund, manufactured housing preservation, and projects such as Alliance Place, Cloverdale Cottages, Cherry Street Village, Somos, and the Thrive Center. Education and public facility witnesses backed investments in school seismic safety, small district modernization, Healthy Kids Healthy Schools, community college and university maintenance, and projects at Cascadia College, WSU, CWU, and UW. Health and human services testimony supported behavioral health, Tubman Center, HealthPoint, pregnant parenting treatment, and the Yakima Behavioral Health Hub. Natural resources, climate, and infrastructure witnesses praised funding for Flood Plains by Design, community forests, trust land transfer, salmon recovery, the Skokomish land purchase, and the Lower Columbia River dredging project. Several local governments and organizations requested additional support or Senate-level funding for specific projects, while Climate Solutions cautioned against using CCA dollars to backfill existing obligations. The committee heard no votes during the hearing, and the chair closed by saying the budget would be executed on Thursday.

Transcript Highlights:

• Construction workers already have the highest on-the-job fatality rate of any industry. Thank you.
• Workers already have the highest on-the-job fatality rate of any industry.

Bills: HB1160, HB1289, HB1339, HB1798, HB1002, HB1065, HB1155, HB1916, HB2264, HB1078, HB1687, HB1701, HB1717, HB1795, HB1859, HB2088, HB2091, HB2107, HB2109, HB2110, HB2113, HB2124, HB2125, HB2133, HB2134, HB2140, HB2151, HB2152, HB2155, HB2165, HB2185, HB2191, HB2205, HB2211, HB2219, HB2228, HB2229, HB2230, HB2235, HB2238, HB2242, HB2245, HB2249, HB2253, HB2254, HB2269, HB2272, HB2283, HB2304, HB2317, HB2340, HB2343, HB2385, HB2406, HB2417, HB2426, HB2445, HB2452, HB2472, HB2492, HB2501, HB2531, HB2574, HB2606, HB2664

Keywords: design review, local government, land use, zoning, project permits, housing density, middle housing, affordable housing, parking minimums, single-family zoning, infill development, growth management, comprehensive plan, permit streamlining, objective development regulations, architectural review, administrative review, transit-oriented development, accessory dwelling units, ADU

Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, approved the previous day’s minutes, and heard a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Members also announced caucus breaks and a reminder that Seahawks apparel would be permitted on the floor the next day. The chamber then moved through second- and third-reading business on a series of bills, with several committee substitutes and amendments adopted by voice vote before final passage votes were taken by roll call. House Bill 1155, dealing with non-compete agreements, drew the most debate. Supporters said it would ban non-competes, improve worker mobility, and promote entrepreneurship; opponents raised concerns about contract freedom and, in one failed amendment, sought to exempt high earners and senior executives. Other adopted amendments clarified tribal worker relationships, defined patients in place of customers, and required notice that existing non-competes would be void. The bill ultimately passed 65-29. House Bill 1002, concerning PTSD eligibility for coroners and medical examiners, failed an amendment that would have limited costs to the relevant risk class, then passed 70-24 after supporters argued the measure would help a small group of workers exposed to traumatic scenes. House Bill 2264, on unemployment benefits for workers who voluntarily participate in layoffs, passed unanimously 94-0. The House also passed House Bill 2110, allowing nurses to accompany inter-facility ambulance transports without EMT licensure, after an amendment requiring training on ambulance equipment; House Bill 2272, a technical update to ski equipment terminology; House Bill 2238, creating a statewide food security strategy and narrowing agency scope through amendment; House Bill 2445, aimed at stopping profiteering in probate cases involving unclaimed estates; House Bill 2109, allowing covered transport of certain vehicle loads to reduce roadway debris; House Bill 2492, requiring behavioral and mental health training for construction and trades workers despite objections about added costs; House Bill 2472, strengthening licensing enforcement for fire sprinkler work; House Bill 288, joining the dietician licensure compact; and House Bill 2229, updating the Professional Engineers Registration Act and requiring board members to have practiced in Washington for at least five years. Final votes on these bills ranged from near-unanimous to more divided, with each receiving the constitutional majority needed to pass.

Transcript Highlights:

• Construction workers already have the highest on-the-job fatality rate of any industry. Thank you.
• Workers already have the highest on-the-job fatality rate of any industry.

Bills: HB1160, HB1289, HB1339, HB1798, HB1002, HB1065, HB1155, HB1916, HB2264, HB1078, HB1687, HB1701, HB1717, HB1795, HB1859, HB2088, HB2091, HB2107, HB2109, HB2110, HB2113, HB2124, HB2125, HB2133, HB2134, HB2140, HB2151, HB2152, HB2155, HB2165, HB2185, HB2191, HB2205, HB2211, HB2219, HB2228, HB2229, HB2230, HB2235, HB2238, HB2242, HB2245, HB2249, HB2253, HB2254, HB2269, HB2272, HB2283, HB2304, HB2317, HB2340, HB2343, HB2385, HB2406, HB2417, HB2426, HB2445, HB2452, HB2472, HB2492, HB2501, HB2531, HB2574, HB2606, HB2664

Keywords: design review, local government, land use, zoning, project permits, housing density, middle housing, affordable housing, parking minimums, single-family zoning, infill development, growth management, comprehensive plan, permit streamlining, objective development regulations, architectural review, administrative review, transit-oriented development, accessory dwelling units, ADU

Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and heard a prayer. Members approved the prior day’s minutes, referred introduction-sheet bills, and later took up several second- and third-reading bills. Early in the day, the chamber also announced that members could wear Seahawks apparel during floor action the next day. The House passed House Bill 1155, which bans non-compete agreements, after adopting amendments clarifying tribal worker relationships, replacing references to “customer” with “patient” in certain contexts, and requiring notice to current and some former employees that non-competes are void. An amendment to exempt senior executives earning over $350,000 was rejected. The bill passed 65-29. The House also passed House Bill 1002, allowing certain coroners and medical examiners to seek workers’ compensation for PTSD; an amendment to isolate costs to their own risk class was rejected, and the bill passed 70-24. House Bill 2264, clarifying unemployment insurance eligibility for workers who voluntarily participate in layoffs, passed unanimously 94-0. Later measures included House Bill 2110, allowing nurses to accompany inter-facility ambulance transports without also holding EMT licenses, which passed 94-0 after an amendment clarifying training; House Bill 2272, a technical update to ski equipment terminology, which passed 94-0; House Bill 2238, creating a statewide food security strategy, which passed 83-12 after a technical amendment narrowing agency scope; and House Bill 2445, aimed at preventing profiteering in probate estates, which passed 67-28 after a technical amendment. The House also passed House Bill 2109 on securing vehicle loads (95-0), House Bill 2492 requiring behavioral and mental health training for construction workers and apprentices (79-16), House Bill 2472 on licensed contractors for fire sprinkler work (92-3), House Bill 288 joining the dietician licensure compact (93-1), and House Bill 2229 updating the Professional Engineers Registration Act and requiring five years of Washington practice for board members after an amendment (68-26).

Transcript Highlights:

• It is vitally important that extended blood phenotyping is done to prevent fatal reactions.
• On here are other antigens that people can make potentially fatal reactions to.

Bills: SB 53, SB53, SB125, SB315, SB379, SB457, SB541, SB599, SB896, SB921, SB963, SB1038, SB1084, SB1330, SB1461

Keywords: voter registration, election procedures, provisional ballot, change of address, residence requirements, mental health, court proceedings, notice requirements, legal filings, electronic documents, autologous blood donation, direct blood donation, blood bank, hospital, Health and Safety Code, physician order, preoperative blood donation, patient blood reserve, transfusion, surgery

Transcript Highlights:

• AUTO LOSS, AND HAS PENALTIES FOR LEAVING THE SCENE OF A BOATING ACCIDENT OR FIRST-DEGREE FELONY FOR FATAL
• ACCORDING TO FDC STATISTICS, 80 PERCENT OF THE OPERATORS IN FATAL BOATING ACCIDENT AT NO FORMAL BOATING

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• we put this DFC process in the statute in 2005, and I take responsibility for some of it, there's a fatal
• we put this DFC process in the statute in 2005, and I take responsibility for some of it, there's a fatal
• There's a fatal flaw in it.

Summary: The committee met with limited attendance at first, then took up a series of water, agriculture, and rural affairs measures. HB 3898 would allow the Texas Water Development Board to provide financial assistance for brackish water desalination projects in certain border counties and related nonprofit suppliers even if the projects are not in the state water plan. Supporters said it is needed to address severe water shortages in places like Webb County and to support future planning; opponents, including the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts, argued it bypasses the regional and state water planning process. The bill was left pending after testimony. The committee also heard HB 5339, which would create a higher-education grant program for regenerative agriculture research. A rancher testified that regenerative methods improved soil health, water retention, and farm viability, while a senator noted existing university research but said better coordination could help. Public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. Members then heard HB 1523, a temporary prohibition on TCEQ issuing Austin a Class 5 injection well permit for an aquifer storage and recovery project in Bastrop and Lee counties until December 2027. Local officials from Bastrop supported the pause, citing unanswered questions about water treatment, recovery rates, and impacts on the aquifer, while Austin Water opposed the substitute, saying the project is central to its long-term water plan and that stakeholder talks were already underway. TCEQ explained its ASR permitting process and said public participation is possible but not always used in the current authorization process. The bill was left pending. HB 5659, concerning the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District and requiring majority city-council approval before certain water sales or interbasin transfers, drew testimony from district officials who said the change could interfere with existing contracts and district authority, but the chair emphasized the need for local buy-in and said the stakeholders had reached a workable compromise; testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 1690, which would expand notice requirements for groundwater export permits so neighboring landowners and potentially affected aquifer areas are informed by certified mail and publication. The sponsor tied the bill to impacts from the Vista Ridge project, and no one testified against it; it was left pending. HB 3333 would prohibit TCEQ from issuing new wastewater discharge permits directly into the Devils River in Val Verde County. The sponsor and a conservation witness said the bill protects one of Texas’s most pristine rivers and reflects a local stakeholder agreement, while TCEQ said it can ensure water quality but acknowledged the river’s unique sensitivity; the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HCR 108 urging continuation of the U.S.-Mexico tomato suspension agreement, with supporters warning of major Texas job and consumer-price impacts if it ends, and HCR 76 urging federal action on imported shrimp, citing public health and industry concerns; both were left pending. Additional measures heard and left pending included HB 4158 on compensation for Texana Groundwater Conservation District directors, HB 654 creating a dismissal path for certain first-time deer hunting violations after self-reporting and hunter education, HB 4530 requiring Texas Water Development Board review of groundwater rights placed in the Texas Water Trust, HB 2128 directing a study of rural versus urban firefighting and rescue disparities, and HB 278 requiring groundwater districts and management areas to track progress toward desired future conditions over shorter intervals. On HB 278, witnesses split over whether the bill’s interim tracking would improve accountability or create new triggers that could be used against local districts, but no final vote was taken and the bill was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• making recommendations to the department if appropriate, obtaining testimony in cases of child fatalities
• significant risk of custody, as well as requiring that within 72 hours the department provide notice of a fatality
• or near fatality of a child in custody or under investigation.