Transcript Highlights:

• State Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission for six years until July 1, 2032.
• , and Boxing and MMA Commission.
• and Mixed Martial Arts Commission for six years until July 1st, 232.
• and Boxing and MMA Commission.
• On SB 1671, it's really good to have some of these commissions operating.

Bills: SB1206 , SB1254 , SB1290 , SB1421 , SB1432 , SB1515 , SB1563 , SB1641 , SB1649 , SB1670 , SB1671 , SB1747

Committees: House Commerce , House House Commerce Committee of Reference

Keywords: storm damage, catastrophic storm, hail damage, wind damage, roof repair, roof replacement, post-storm repairs, insurance claim, property and casualty insurance, adjuster, public adjuster, contractor licensing, homeowner protections, deductible waiver, insurance fraud prevention, storm chaser, residential construction contract, workers' compensation, joint check, claim solicitation

Transcript Highlights:

• The commission, the insurance department money will expire in October of 2027.
• ><c> department</c> The commission the insurance department The commission the insurance department money
• It's a fairly simple bill to protect the Athletic Commission.
• You have to be sanctioned by the commission.
• Uh, to take care of the state athletic commission, is the commission that regulates all slapping.

Bills: SB7 , SB22 , SB39 , SB40 , SB45 , SB46 , SB86 , SB95 , SB107 , SB7 , SB22 , SB39 , SB40 , SB45 , SB46 , SB86 , SB95 , SB107

Committee: Senate State Governmental Affairs

Keywords: voting rights, absentee ballot, protected classes, Alabama Voting Rights Act, felony conviction, election integrity, preclearance, Alabama Jobs Act, incentives, job creation, economic development, recapture provisions, capital investment, employment, board governance, occupational licensing, Sunset Law, public accountability, training requirements, SB40

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> it allows them some flexibility in areas it allows them some flexibility in areas outside<00:05:
• </c> sir uh did you speak to the commission sir uh did you speak to the commission and<00:35:05.119><
• Senator Tim Lang, and I'm still from the Lakes Region and Campton in the Thornton area.
• and campon in Thorton area um before you and campon in Thorton area um before you have<00:46:55.359><
• </c><00:47:00.559><c> was</c> there was a study commission that was there was a study commission that

Committee: Senate Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• We have 34 FTE in that area.
• Mary area.
• Mary area. in attendance today, but they had an EF2 tornado touchdown in the Lake Mary area.
• So this area oversees that.
• But what we do when we start having issues there is reallocate folks from other areas into that area.

Summary: The committee met to review agency program funding as it prepared to build the budget, hearing brief presentations from six agencies and then taking member questions. Florida Division of Emergency Management highlighted its role in response, preparedness, recovery, and mitigation, describing a largely federal pass-through budget, major technology investments, and large disaster and preparedness grant activity. The Department of Commerce, Department of State, Florida Housing Finance Corporation, Department of Transportation, Department of Military Affairs, Florida State Guard, and Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles also summarized their budgets, staffing, and major programs, including workforce and economic development, elections and arts funding, housing assistance, transportation work programs, military readiness, state guard expansion, and highway safety and motorist services. Members focused questions on several issues: arts and library grant funding and whether award criteria had changed; Commerce’s rural infrastructure and job growth grants and why funds were not being disbursed faster; Florida Housing’s use of SAIL, Live Local, Hometown Heroes, and SHIP funds and how smaller agencies learn about and access funding; and DOT’s work program gap between agency and governor proposals. The most extensive questioning was directed to Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles about long DMV lines, vacancies, overtime, staffing shortages, and the ability to shift funds between divisions. The department said staffing and pay constraints, especially in South Florida, were driving service delays and vacancy rates, and that overtime was being used because troopers were leaving for better-paying jobs. The Florida State Guard was also questioned about its spending and procurement pace, including aircraft purchases and facilities. Its director said long procurement timelines explained the low initial spending and that obligations had risen sharply as contracts matured. Members also asked about the department’s public opposition to Amendment 3 and whether agency resources were used in that effort; the director said no contracts or purchases were made to influence the vote and said the colonel’s comments were made off the clock. The meeting ended with the chair asking agencies to respond promptly to unanswered questions, and the committee adjourned without any recorded votes or formal actions beyond receiving the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have Representative Trish Ranson from the Stillwater area.
• This bill comes at the results of the death of a young man in the Tecumseh area.
• It looks like the tax commission is who's given the authority in this situation.
• Why Is this being decided by the tax commission and not the state department of Education?
• We're demanding and we're getting greater transparency in this area.

Bills: SR31 , SB2060 , SB2184 , HB1371 , HB1411 , HB1933 , HB2361 , HB2398 , HB2893 , HB3006 , HB3044 , HB3127 , HB3322 , HB3147 , HB1276 , HB3472 , HB3522 , HB3704 , HB4303 , HB4319

Keywords: military, children, resilience, Purple Up!, military families, master development district, improvement district, public improvements, infrastructure financing, special assessments, statutory revision, consolidation, law amendment, emergency legislation, legal clarity, oil and gas, mineral rights, proceeds, royalties, escrow account

Bills: SB2041 , SB1777 , SB1681 , SB2311

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: child welfare, foster care, Department of Family and Protective Services, DFPS, Family Code, conservatorship, placement selection, contract residential care, kinship care, relative placement, designated caregiver, best interest of the child, least restrictive setting, placement stability, child protective services, residential treatment, group home, family reunification, Texas foster system, residential care

Transcript Highlights:

• How many of those have police departments?
• Except for your most elite police units.
• Just this one area.
• I come from a rural area.
• We don't have police, there's no security protecting us."

Bills: HB259 , HB259 , HB 1128 , HB1337 , HB1506 , HB1794 , HB2215 , HB2470 , HB2771 , HB2882 , HB2993 , HB3053 , HB3428 , HB3669 , HB3789 , HB3924 , HB4201 , HB4675

Committee: House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: redistricting, Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission, Texas Legislature, elections, district boundaries, voter representation, healthcare, insurance, patient rights, medical expenses, access to care, affordability, legislation, firearms, penal code, regulation, short-barrel firearms, ammunition, gun control, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Police officers often don't have time to get on the TABC website to check that information.
• An unnamed 4-year-old was killed by an 18- and 19-year-old in Sour Lake.
• Area allows owners to openly carry pistols, rifles, and shotguns.
• Law-abiding than police officers.
• It's in the highest crime rate area of Dallas.

Bills: HB259 , HB 1128 , HB1337 , HB1506 , HB1794 , HB2215 , HB2470 , HB2771 , HB2882 , HB2993 , HB3053 , HB3428 , HB3669 , HB3789 , HB3924 , HB4201 , HB4675 , HB259

Committee: House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, patient rights, medical expenses, access to care, affordability, legislation, firearms, penal code, regulation, short-barrel firearms, ammunition, gun control, public safety, Texas law, short-barrel, law enforcement, election judges, concealed handgun, polling places

Transcript Highlights:

• I police voting. I represent Jones voting aye. Have all members voted? Have all members voted?
• Commission of Texas to address a failure by an operator to maintain an electrical power line serving
• Real quick, change of plans for Capitol Commission.
• So I'm welcoming y'all down for lunch and. my office with Scott Wall of Capital Commission for Bible
• to the Texas Veterans Commission for the Subcommittee on Defense of Veterans Affairs.

Bills: HJR1 , HJR2 , HB9 , HB22 , HB908 , HB1392 , HB195 , HB 13 , HB143 , HB135 , HJR1 , HJR2 , HB9 , HB22 , HB908 , HB1392

Keywords: constitutional amendment, property tax, ad valorem tax, tax exemption, tangible personal property, income-producing property, business personal property, equipment exemption, machinery, local government finance, school district revenue, county taxes, Texas Constitution, Article VIII, tax relief, commercial property, death tax, inheritance tax, estate tax, property transfer

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><03:02:47.279><c> to</c> time on was creating a commission to time on was creating a commission to
• </c> not woke enough for this commission. not woke enough for this commission.
• Speaker, as part of the California Congressional District 3 Police Honor and in honor of National Police
• Speaker, as part of the California Congressional District 3 Police Honor and in honor of National Police
• </c><03:27:18.640><c> academy</c> Sierra Colleg's modular police academy Sierra Colleg's modular police

Transcript Highlights:

• Just to say that there are areas in Louisiana in this reclaimed coal mine area where the soil is weak
• I think that's all, yeah, just to say that there are areas in Louisiana in this reclaimed coal mine area
• And in that area, I'm very familiar with the morning support area where some of the earthquakes were.
• My understanding is that the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and the Kansas Corporation Commission, as
• Operating hand-in-hand with the Louisiana State Police Troop NOLA and the New Orleans Police Department

Summary: The committee met on May 26, 2026, and first approved the minutes from the May 22, 2025 meeting. The main topic was the Northwest Louisiana earthquake cluster, with testimony from Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy staff, LSU and Tulane geoscientists, and later LSU law professor Keith Hall. Witnesses said the cause of the swarm has not been definitively identified, but induced seismicity from wastewater injection or hydraulic fracturing remains a concern. They described 50 earthquakes reported by the USGS in Red River, Bienville, DeSoto, and Natchitoches Parishes, including a magnitude 4.9 event on March 5, 2026, and explained that Louisiana’s sparse seismic network limits detection and depth/location estimates. C&E said it inspected Class II injection wells within 12 miles of the events, found no violations, now requires more frequent injection reporting, and is working with researchers and LSU on a possible state monitoring network and future policy changes. Committee members asked about injection depths, fault locations, whether the activity could be natural, and whether Louisiana should adopt stronger monitoring or a traffic-light regulatory system like other states. The witnesses said more data is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, but that denser monitoring can detect smaller quakes and help identify patterns. Professor Hall summarized responses in other states, including more frequent reporting, increased monitoring, injection reductions, moratoria, and traffic-light systems in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois. Members also discussed whether operators should share more seismic and geologic data, and several said the state should avoid jumping to conclusions while still improving oversight. The committee then heard from William Berger, a Texas geoscientist, who described using AI and operator data to model wastewater injection and seismic risk, and said broader data sharing would improve forecasting and siting decisions. He and another witness emphasized that many earthquakes arise from clusters of wells rather than a single well, and that proprietary concerns limit voluntary disclosure. The committee also received a brief update from GOSEP and the Louisiana National Guard on the Barksdale Air Force Base drone incursions. GOSEP said it logged the incident in WebEOC and shared releasable information, while State Police and the FBI said they were limited in what they could disclose. Officers said a task force has been formed, some personnel have received federal drone-mitigation training, and House Bill 940 is intended to mirror the task force MOU. Finally, Major General Thomas Friloux and Brigadier General Jason Maffus updated the committee on the merger of GOSEP into the Louisiana Military Department. They said the merger has reduced GOSEP from seven divisions to three, brought back employees to in-person work, modernized the state’s common operating picture, and produced about $10.5 million in first-year cost avoidance through staffing and contract changes. They also noted the planned transfer of the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, ongoing hurricane preparedness, and continued coordination with parish emergency managers. No votes were taken on the substantive topics, and the meeting ended with the committee moving through its agenda items and receiving informational testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• or in up to 20% of its zoned area outside of a station area unless the project is publicly subsidized
• feet in at least 30% of the area.
• To qualify, the dwelling must be located in an area that has been declared a disaster area by the governor
• There are two main categories of law enforcement leaders: police chiefs and marshals, who lead police
• And it's a, the area is defined. I mean. And it's a, the area is defined, right?

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a public hearing on multiple bills, beginning with a motion to suspend the five-day notice rule for a long list of Senate bills, which passed on a voice vote. The committee first heard Substitute Senate Bill 6026, a governor-request housing bill that would require cities and counties over 30,000 population to allow residential uses in commercial and mixed-use zones, limit mixed-use/ground-floor commercial requirements in some areas, and allow added height where such requirements are imposed. The lieutenant governor testified strongly in support, arguing the bill would add needed housing capacity without requiring ground-floor retail burdens. The hearing on SB 6026 was then suspended so the committee could move through the agenda. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6294, a broad local government finance measure with eight parts, including expanded uses for certain REET revenues, a new county public utility tax, a new local sales tax for children and family services, expanded housing-related tax uses, changes to county levy structure, longer lid lift periods, and expanded use of rental car tax revenue. Local government, housing, and public health witnesses largely supported the bill, emphasizing flexibility for affordable housing, rental assistance, children’s services, and county fiscal stability. Opponents, including wireless industry, water/sewer district, auto dealer, realtors, energy, and cannabis representatives, objected to specific tax provisions as regressive, costly, or likely to raise consumer prices. Several witnesses requested amendments, including adding public health clinic funding and flood recovery language from House bills. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5400 on local news sustainability, which would create a state grant program funded by a surcharge on large search engines and social media platforms to support journalism jobs and the Murrow Fellowship program. News organizations, the League of Women Voters, open government advocates, and local journalism supporters testified in favor, saying local news is essential to civic life and that the bill would help sustain reporting without using general fund dollars. Technology industry representatives opposed the bill, arguing it unfairly singles out tech companies and could face legal challenges. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6211, which would let opt-in GMA jurisdictions impose REET-2 without voter approval; cities and counties supported it as a parity and infrastructure funding measure, while Realtors opposed the loss of voter approval. Senate Bill 5650, authorizing local cannabis excise taxes, drew support from some local officials but strong opposition from cannabis businesses, which argued Washington’s cannabis taxes are already too high and drive sales to the illicit market. Senate Bill 6033, waiving penalties and interest for taxpayers who failed to collect new sales tax on certain services, was supported by NFIB as a compliance and fairness measure. Senate Bill 6297, exempting temporary staffing services for nonprofit behavioral health providers from sales tax, drew strong support from behavioral health organizations citing workforce shortages and unsustainable costs. Finally, Senate Bill 6343, extending and expanding tax relief for disaster-damaged property and repairs, was presented as aid for flood recovery; local officials testified in support. No final committee votes on the bills were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> protected shoreland areas. protected shoreland areas.
• </c> the Lake Centipe Protective Association. the Lake Centipe Protective Association.
• </c> the area of the state that you're in. the area of the state that you're in.
• /c><04:40:23.520><c> their</c> area around the lakes in their area around the lakes in their communities
• Northwood Budget Committee, Conservation Commission, and a member of New Hampshire Lakes Board of Directors

Committee: House Housing

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on HB 1065, a housing bill that would clarify when multifamily and mixed-use housing may be allowed on commercially zoned land, define infrastructure standards, and preserve municipal discretion over where such development can occur. Prime sponsor Representative David Priest said the bill is intended to help address the housing shortage by using already developed commercial areas without overriding local planning. The New Hampshire Municipal Association, through Brody Dees, said it supports the bill and views it as a priority, but noted it is still discussing related language with stakeholders and wants clearer definitions for multifamily development, infrastructure, and adaptive reuse while preserving local control over commercial land use. Testimony was mixed. Ivy Van, a certified planner, opposed the bill because she said the infrastructure language is too restrictive and could exclude properties served by private utilities or septic systems. Chris Freeman, a housing provider, was generally supportive but recommended technical changes, arguing the infrastructure definition may be too broad and that the adaptive reuse language could unintentionally block useful building modifications. He said the bill should be clarified so it does not discourage reuse projects. The committee then moved to discussion of an accessory dwelling unit bill, with Representative Turkot describing changes that would shift some ADU approvals from a matter of right to conditional use or special exception, allow municipalities more control over attached versus detached units, set parking standards tied to single-family dwellings, and adjust size limits. He argued the bill would restore local discretion and prevent ADUs from becoming primarily rental units. Representative Reed pushed back, saying detached ADUs can help meet housing needs and provide opportunities for small landlords, while other members questioned how the bill would affect existing detached structures and breezeways. No votes were taken in the excerpt, and the chair also noted a recess and time limits for later testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Tax funds a variety of different services that support businesses whether it be fire inspections, police
• I'm not looking at it for the revenue loss but more for the information on what's happening in our area
• If this local business tax went into a fund and said this supports firemen, this supports police, this
• in downtown Lake Wales.
• Jennifer Roberts Stewart, City of Lake Wales, is waiving in support. Members wishing to debate?

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this bill is on behalf of Louisiana State Police.
• duties of the commission, and interagency cooperation.
• , duties, commissioning, training of the Park Police, approval by the board of commissioners, board membership
• Because I know you have a lot in your area, right?
• There are a lot of casinos in my area, but the racetrack is actually in Representative Horton's area.

Bills: HR295 , HR296 , HR297 , HR298 , HR299 , HR300 , HR301 , HR302 , HR303 , HR304 , HR305 , HR306 , HR307 , HCR115 , HCR116 , HCR117 , HR286 , HR287 , HR288 , HR290 , HR291 , HR292 , HR293 , HR294 , SCR61 , SCR68 , SB121 , SB250 , SB348 , SB444 , SB485 , HR252 , HR253 , HCR96 , HCR103 , HCR108 , SB268 , SB283 , SB414 , HCR98 , HR179 , HR223 , HR225 , HR274 , HCR89 , HCR26 , HB250 , HB265 , HB339 , HB427 , HB445 , HB463 , HB468 , HB606 , HB639 , HB649 , HB665 , HB746 , HB781 , HB853 , HB861 , HB872 , HB886 , HB916 , HB937 , HB1054 , HB1068 , HB1117 , HB1237 , HB74 , HB108 , HB956 , HB1085 , HB1137 , HB75 , SB39 , SB99 , SB111 , SB112 , SB124 , SB134 , SB174 , SB189 , SB190 , SB201 , SB233 , SB236 , SB258 , SB270 , SB273 , SB288 , SB307 , SB313 , SB320 , SB321 , SB325 , SB326 , SB331 , SB339 , SB341 , SB345 , SB346 , SB347 , SB353 , SB357 , SB359 , SB387 , SB393 , SB401 , SB415 , SB419 , SB422 , SB426 , SB435 , SB437 , SB440 , SB451 , SB464 , SB470 , SB487 , SB488 , SB495 , SB504 , SB505 , SB518 , SB523 , HR84 , HB646 , HB998 , HB1191 , SB78 , SB81 , SB97 , SB100 , SB109 , SB123 , SB125 , SB208 , SB385 , SB479 , SB56 , SB163 , SB197 , HB901 , HR20 , HR74 , HR168 , HCR65 , HCR71 , HB284 , HB302 , HB306 , HB341 , HB366 , HB393 , HB458 , HB577 , HB603 , HB605 , HB614 , HB625 , HB733 , HB752 , HB773 , HB798 , HB911 , HB955 , HB996 , HB1035 , HB1069 , HB1113 , HB1140 , HB1180 , HB1240 , HB1255 , SB82 , SB89 , HB134 , HB258 , HB359 , HB782 , SB29 , SB42 , SB43 , SB149 , SB382 , SB441

Summary: The House met on May 18, 2026, with a quorum present, and began with prayer, the pledge, leave requests, and several personal privileges recognizing visitors and groups at the Capitol, including early education advocates, a poster contest winner, Entergy’s River Bend Nuclear Station on its 40th anniversary, a Children’s Miracle Network champion, Community Action leaders, and Leadership Tangipahoa participants. The chamber also received Senate messages, enrollment reports, a conference committee report on Senate Bill 149 that was allowed to lie over, and a long list of House resolutions and Senate bills that were either introduced, referred, or set aside for later consideration. Several resolutions were adopted without objection, including measures recognizing Early Education Day, World Preeclampsia Awareness Day, Dora’s Voyager, Tourism Day, and National Mississippi River Day, while House Concurrent Resolution 98 on SNAP grocery delivery fees failed on reconsideration by a vote of 46 yeas to 39 nays. The House then took up a series of Senate bills. Among the measures passed were SB 39 on provisional massage therapist licenses; SB 111 on freshwater recreational fish limits in the Atchafalaya Basin; SB 124 on peer review confidentiality for health systems; SB 134 on child sexual abuse material and sexting involving minors under 17; SB 99 on electronic DEQ notifications; SB 190 on special-focus nursing facilities; SB 201 on juvenile life-without-parole sentencing procedures; SB 233 on a statewide data exchange compact; SB 236 on annual kidney disease reporting; SB 258 on juvenile traffic offenses; SB 270 on medical marijuana use by terminally ill patients in health care facilities; SB 273 on hospice care requirements; SB 307 on educational displays and a Ten Commandments monument on Capitol grounds; SB 320 on CODIS hit tracking; SB 321 on electronic bonds; SB 325 on excluding threatening persons from sports wagering; SB 331 on temporary exceptions to the Scenic Rivers Act for lower Pearl River Basin work; SB 339 on gaming-related background checks; SB 345 on annual OJJ reporting; SB 346 and SB 347 on deepfake misuse in schools and on campuses; SB 357 on judiciary cleanup provisions; SB 359 on hospital district commissioner terms; SB 387 on pharmacy benefit managers; SB 393 on explosives regulation; SB 401 creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board; SB 415 creating the Empower Louisiana Food Purchase Program; SB 419 on pre-charged pneumatic devices for deer hunting; SB 422 on unsupervised probation for certain repeat DWI offenders; SB 426 on the Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority and peer support credentials; SB 435 creating a Commission on Fatherhood Engagement; SB 437 on licensed treatment services in facilities housing judicially referred residents; SB 440 creating a Renaissance District in Rapides Parish; SB 451 on newborn hearing screening and intervention; SB 464 on severe obesity treatment coverage; SB 470 on pregnancy-related rules in correctional facilities; SB 487 on gaming premises rental agreements; and SB 488 creating a school safety drone response pilot program. Several bills were returned to the calendar for later action, including SB 189 on atmospheric releases affecting weather and climate, SB 326, SB 341, SB 353, and SB 495. A number of bills drew debate over policy and fiscal effects. SB 112 on school release time for religious instruction prompted questions about public-school participation, sponsoring entities, and parental consent; SB 189 on prohibiting intentional atmospheric release of substances for climate or weather modification passed 75-21 after questions about aircraft fuel dumping and agricultural exceptions; SB 201 on juvenile sentencing led to discussion of Supreme Court precedent and appellate review; SB 233 raised privacy concerns about interagency data sharing; SB 313 on electronic filing fees in criminal matters was criticized as a possible unfunded mandate and failed 25-68; and SB 451 on newborn hearing screening drew questions about board expansion, Medicaid coverage, and added administrative costs before passing 94-1. Most other bills passed with little or no opposition, and the House repeatedly adopted motions to table reconsideration after final passage votes. The chamber also announced it would stop debate at 5:00 p.m. and continued working through Senate bills as the Natural Resources Committee finished its meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chris McKayley, on behalf of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, in support. Thank you.
• That was the industry study that we commissioned this year. It may be... Early Research Group.
• County, Sacramento County, Santa Ana Police Officers Association, and the Long Beach Police Officers
• Michelle Welkaw on behalf of the Lake County Board of Supervisors in support.
• The reason why, I mean, I'm in a fire-prone area too, right? I represent the Palisades.

Committee: House Insurance

Summary: The committee heard several insurance-related bills. SB 371 by Senator Cabaldon would reduce uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage limits for rideshare companies from $1 million to $100,000 per person and $300,000 per incident, with the stated goal of lowering fares and improving driver economics. Uber, Lyft, and business groups supported the bill, while consumer attorneys, labor groups, and other opponents argued it would cut passenger and driver protections and should include stronger guarantees that savings reach riders and workers. Members raised questions about data, fee breakdowns, and whether the bill should include a look-back or other accountability measures; the bill was passed on a do-pass vote as proposed to be amended in another committee. SB 487 by Senator Grayson would change how third-party recoveries are distributed when peace officers or firefighters are injured in the line of duty, ensuring injured public safety workers receive at least two-thirds of the at-fault party’s liability insurance limits in certain cases. Supporters, including injured officers and public safety organizations, said current law can leave injured first responders with little or no recovery after employer reimbursement, while opponents representing local governments argued the bill would reduce recovery of taxpayer-funded workers’ compensation costs and lacked sufficient data. The committee discussed the interaction with existing workers’ compensation and retirement benefits, and the bill was moved on a do-pass vote to Appropriations. SB 616 by Senator Rubio would create an independent community hardening commission within the Department of Insurance to develop statewide wildfire mitigation standards and post-catastrophe reports aimed at improving insurability and affordability. The Department of Insurance, local governments, consumer advocates, and fire-related groups supported the measure, while water agencies opposed provisions they said could improperly involve the commission in water infrastructure recommendations and create litigation and ratepayer concerns. The bill was approved on a do-pass vote to Appropriations, with some members voting no or not voting. The committee also considered SB 547 by Senator Perez, coauthored by Senator Rubio, which extends wildfire-related insurance moratorium protections to commercial property policies for one year after a state emergency in affected areas. The Department of Insurance and a broad coalition of local government, consumer, and business groups supported it, and the major insurance trade groups withdrew opposition after amendments. The bill was passed as amended to Appropriations. Separately, SB 770 by Senator Allen would remove an insurance requirement that an HOA be named as an additional insured for residents installing EV chargers in common-interest developments; supporters said the rule is a barrier to home charging, while community association representatives warned it could raise premiums for all members. The discussion focused on balancing EV access with HOA insurance costs, and the bill was supported out of committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know Western is doing a great job in that area, and to me that's something that I really look for in
• I know Western is doing a great job in that area, and to me that's something that I really look for in
• was cut an additional 3%, forcing the university to cut 1,750, or 18%, of our courses in academic areas
• , in part, that is because the University of Washington has more ability to raise dollars in other areas
• Amy Morrison, President of Lake Washington Institute of Technology.

Bills: HB2070 , HB2671 , HB2617 , SB6258

Committee: House Postsecondary Education & Workforce

Keywords: funding, education, higher education, Western Washington University, state funding parity, financial aid, state funding, student support, educational reform, university procedures, academic policy, student success, Washington Medical Commission, medical license, license relinquishment, voluntary surrender, nondisciplinary pathway, physician regulation, health professional licensing, disciplinary database

Transcript Highlights:

• On page 24, number 3, line six, it says that the commission may levy on and collect an annual assessment
• this in here that they can levy and collect assessment from member states if no one is paying this commission
• In fact, our sovereignty and our ability to take and deal with issues with this commission.
• Should there be a majority of the commission that wants to force us to do things that we have a problem

Bills: SB540 , HB1085 , HB1484

Keywords: dentist, dental hygienist, dentistry, dental hygiene, licensure compact, interstate compact, professional licensing, license portability, health workforce, workforce shortage, mobility, compact privilege, state licensing board, public health, public safety, military spouse, telehealth dentistry, reciprocity, Title 59, occupational licensing

Transcript Highlights:

• Basically, it requires the able commission to report annually their discipline actions.

Bills: HB3011 , HB3143 , HB3144 , HB3881 , HB3519 , HB3522 , HB3530

Committee: House Alcohol, Tobacco and Controlled Substances

Keywords: alcoholic beverages, personal use permit, manufacturing, excise tax, Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, medical marijuana, license transfer, Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, moratorium, business regulation, commercial grower licenses, licensing restrictions, agriculture, alternative nicotine products, vaping, regulations, manufacturing standards, packaging requirements, penalties, Attorney General

Transcript Highlights:

• From Las Cruces or Santa Teresa in that area, connect that.
• I want to make this competitive in that area.
• Making sure I'm not getting a ticket by the state police again. I mean, to go back in history.
• Now, if the DOT and the DOT Commission do this correctly... They'll generate $80 million a year.
• The cost of travel in rural New Mexico is higher than it is in an urban area.

Bills: SB2 , SB2

Committees: Senate Senate Finance , Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: SB 2, State Highway Project Bonds, highway funding, transportation bonds, state road fund, motor vehicle fees, vehicle registration fees, electric vehicle fee, EV surcharge, plug-in hybrid fee, weight distance tax, road construction, infrastructure financing, Department of Transportation, State Transportation Commission, bonding authority, county road funds, municipal road funds, transportation improvement program, state highways