Transcript Highlights:

• Lead agencies will work directly with the selected vendor platform to carry out the reporting and outreach
• information necessary, that vendor will have the expertise and knowledge to work through social media platforms
• that will effectively be looking through and putting up an ad based on an individual's usage of the Internet
• If you've ever noticed a targeted ad, if you've ever noticed if you've been on the Internet and noticed

Summary: The subcommittee heard two Department of Children and Families implementation updates on measures passed in prior sessions. First, DCF reviewed House Bill 633, which increased oversight of behavioral health managing entities through biennial independent audits, standardized claims-based reporting, and new monthly outcome dashboards. The department said it had awarded the inaugural audit to Ernst & Young, found no significant waste, fraud, or abuse, but identified process risks involving financial controls, claims validation, data access, and system access controls. DCF also described its transition to standardized behavioral health coding and said the new public dashboard of 11 measures is posted on its website, though members asked for easier access and for hard copies of the audit report. Members asked about how the department distinguishes Medicaid-covered services from department-funded services, how duplicate payment risks are being addressed, and whether the new reporting and audit requirements would improve oversight without disrupting services. DCF said it is the payer of last resort for uninsured or underinsured individuals, that some overlap with Medicaid is expected because Medicaid does not cover all behavioral health services, and that new claims edits and cross-checks are being built into the system. The department also said it had not found significant negative feedback from providers and that the new requirements are intended to improve transparency and accountability. DCF then updated the committee on Senate Bill 7012, covering human trafficking data collection, domestic violence center certification, limited background-screening exemptions, expanded recruitment for child welfare staff, subcontractor liability protections, a four-year treatment foster care pilot, case management efficiency recommendations, and a statewide study of residential bed capacity for child victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The department said several items are already complete or underway, including limited exemptions in the screening clearinghouse, while others are in procurement or rulemaking. It identified Circuits 4 and 12 as the treatment foster care pilot sites and said the pilot will launch in January 2026. Members questioned recruitment metrics, pilot timing, and report deadlines; the department said final reports are expected by January and that some dates were flexible because of procurement and implementation timelines. The meeting ended after the presentations and questions, and the subcommittee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, it's all about cross-platform engagement.
• We're working to do internet across the state.
• There are areas out there that there's no internet, and so the only thing that they get is our signal

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Internet service providers do not pay for use of the right-of-way. phone and cable companies that we've
• As I said, if you get your internet service from the company, that's not an access line.
• If you get your internet from a cable company, again, that's not video revenue so there's no franchise
• Ferenbach noted, cable internet providers. If you solely get internet, as I do, to my house.
• I don't think it was contemplating internet sales that especially COVID brought about.

Bills: SB264, SB542, SB924, SB1008, SB1029, SB1036, SB1057, SB1058, SB1185, SB1202, SB1358, SB1364, SB1376, SB1569, SB1664, SB1697, SJR50

Keywords: SB 264, Texas Workers' Compensation Act, group self-insurance, self-insured groups, workers' compensation, Texas Department of Insurance, commissioner of insurance, certificate of approval, guaranty fund, trust fund, wind down, dissolution, labor code, insurance regulation, employer coverage, risk pool, business and commerce, trade workforce economic development, property owners' association, water conservation

Transcript Highlights:

• We're an organization that's built an artificial intelligence platform specifically for health care and
• For example, a prior authorization digital worker that we've built on our platform can reduce average
• approval times from three days... ...we've built on our platform can reduce average approval times from
• And unlike traditional technology products, the AI platforms can demonstrate value in 90 days.
• the biases and blind spots of people on the internet.

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Assembly Health and Privacy Committees focused on generative AI in health care, with opening remarks emphasizing both its potential to improve care and its risks around privacy, bias, liability, workforce impacts, and unequal access. Chair Bauer-Kahan and Chair Bonta framed the discussion around how California can encourage beneficial innovation while protecting patients, especially given the sensitivity of health data and the possibility that AI could worsen existing disparities if not carefully governed. The first panel featured representatives from Cedars-Sinai, Kaiser Permanente, Penguin AI, and Google, who described current uses of AI such as ambient clinical scribes, nursing documentation tools, imaging triage, maternal-fetal risk prediction, and administrative automation. Speakers said these tools can reduce clinician burden, improve patient experience, speed treatment, and in some cases improve outcomes, including a reported mortality benefit from a Kaiser predictive model and faster thrombectomy times at Cedars-Sinai. Members raised concerns about accuracy with accents and multilingual visits, whether predictive tools could reinforce bias or lead to more interventions such as C-sections, and how to ensure a human remains in the loop for important decisions. The second panel, including representatives from the California Health Care Foundation, UC Berkeley, and Stanford, focused on policy and governance challenges. Testimony highlighted examples of AI supporting homelessness outreach and community health work, but also warned that biased algorithms can encode inequities, especially when trained on data that reflect under-treatment of Black, rural, or low-income patients. Witnesses urged clearer standards for trustworthy AI, stronger monitoring and governance structures, better data access for accountability, and attention to the safety net’s limited resources. Several speakers argued that states should require health systems to have AI governance processes, clarify liability between developers and deployers, and regulate downstream uses of AI while preserving access to data for lifesaving research and oversight.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and websites be turned off in platforms, and websites be turned off in Minnesota.
• There's so much on the internet that is the same as going into a store to purchase.
• There's so much on the internet that is the same as going into a store to purchase.
• Over 500 cases of AI sexual abuse were noted on the Telegram platform.
• So, this um internet, email, and media.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We had a group from Landall that shared that I don't believe that it's a good platform.
• And can you tell me what the cost increases were for these, you know, these software platforms?
• Some of the platforms are less expensive than others.
• It would be great if we had a line item for the cost of security platforms.
• The algorithm scrapes the available articles on the internet, whatever the bias.

Transcript Highlights:

• and 1980s, most of which are based on a programming language called COBOL, which was simply pre-internet
• For our call centers, the disability and paid family leave programs are on a new platform powered by
• What EDD needs right now is a stabilized platform, which we don't have today.
• We'll have a base platform. Of course, there will be technological advancements.
• So the next question I have, and again, we're all on our own social media platforms, and maybe because

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• shifts responsibility for age verification and for parental consent to the app stores and the device platforms
• ><00:08:00.800><c> and</c><00:08:00.960><c> the</c><00:08:01.120><c> device</c><00:08:01.440><c> platforms
• </c> the app stores and the device platforms. the app stores and the device platforms.
• It's immediately blurred precisely because the internet is forever.
• permanent injunctions in Arkansas and Louisiana as of December for a similar bill that age-gates platforms

Bills: HB69, HB114, HB161

Keywords: firearms, possession, Class 1 municipalities, criminal penalties, federal law, stolen firearms, prohibited persons, HB114, Alabama Sunset Law, sunset bill, Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama, dental board, dental licensing, dentist regulation, professional licensing, occupational licensing, healthcare regulation, licensure board, state agency continuation, agency sunset review

Transcript Highlights:

• But we know now that half of what you see out on the Internet has been manipulated in some way or another
• A quick internet search would see that he had good things going for him, and I do believe...
• A quick internet search would see that he had good things going for him, and I do believe that's part
• A quick internet search would see that he had good things going for him. and I do believe. a quick internet
• So the platform was Instagram. Yeah. And Snapchat. And Snapchat, right. The devil of all.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bills 1946 and 2273, a broad anti-human trafficking package sponsored by Representatives Myers and Lewis. Sponsors said the bills update Missouri law to better address child sexual abuse material, extend the statute of limitations for sex trafficking and CSAM offenses from 10 to 20 years, create an Attorney General-led statewide council and training committee, authorize AG assistance in prosecutions, increase penalties for patronizing prostitution to a felony, and add offenses involving child trafficking by a parent and sexually explicit depictions of child-like objects. They also explained that much of the bill is technical language replacing “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material” throughout statute and preserving prior convictions. Several members asked about AI-generated images, consent, commercial sexual exploitation, and training burdens; sponsors and witnesses said some AI-related conduct is already covered in statute, but they were open to clarifying amendments. Testimony in support came from advocates, survivors, nurses, the Attorney General’s office, and coalition leaders, who emphasized the need for coordinated statewide training, better data collection, more time for victims to come forward, and stronger penalties aimed at buyers rather than victims. No opposition was presented, and the chair said the committee would continue the hearing and allow more testimony later because of time constraints. Witnesses described the practical need for the bill’s training and coordination provisions, including testimony from the Missouri Network Against Child Abuse, emergency nurses, the Attorney General’s office, and regional anti-trafficking coalitions. Supporters said the statewide council would help unify agencies that currently work in silos, and the AG’s office said it is already preparing to lead the council and training efforts, including an upcoming law-enforcement training in Kansas City. Survivors and service providers gave detailed accounts of trafficking, grooming, survival sex, and the difficulty victims face when law enforcement or service systems fail to recognize exploitation. Several witnesses urged the committee to add foster parent training and to ensure the bill’s definitions and data reporting are consistent statewide. The committee also heard emotional testimony from a survivor who described being trafficked as a child, later convicted of prostitution, and said the bill’s expungement and demand-focused provisions would help free victims from lasting criminal records. After concluding testimony on HB 1946 and HB 2273, the committee took up House Bills 1814 and 2551, presented by Representatives Whaley and Warwick. HB 1814, described as “Sophia’s Law,” would create anti-grooming offenses by criminalizing patterns of conduct such as repeated sexual communication, gifts, attention, or other behavior used to build trust with minors or vulnerable persons before abuse occurs. The sponsors said the bill is intended to address grooming and sextortion earlier in the abuse cycle, before physical sexual acts happen. They also said they would offer an amendment to name related provisions after “Evans’ Voice Act.” The bill would increase penalties, including a Class C felony for certain conduct and a Class A felony when threats lead to serious physical injury or death. Committee members asked about the definition of a vulnerable person and whether the bill would cover law-enforcement sting operations; sponsors indicated they would work on clarifying amendments. The committee then recessed due to the floor schedule, with plans to return later.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if I'm on, I'll look at the internet. Clearly somebody's done something that's not what I did.
• to, what's that look like, would it ultimately involve a federal referral because it's over the internet
• Secondly, if it would have been a federal referral, I suspect because Because it is using the internet
• Is your relationship with the social media platforms in a way where they respond accordingly and helpful
• Before the internet and credit checks... He would hide the loans until I found them out.

Bills: SB29, SB406, SB447, SB875, SB893, SB1033, SB1346, SB1362, SB1539, SCR22, SB 29

Keywords: business organization, internal management, corporate governance, partnerships, liability reduction, birth certificate, biological sex, gender identity, health and safety, sex assignment, SB 875, Texas, independent school district, ISD, school board trustee, superintendent, campus administrator, electioneering, political signs, early voting

Transcript Highlights:

• We're getting deep into internet stuff here now, but it was the biggest hub for internet traffic in the
• We're getting deep into internet stuff here now, but it was the biggest hub for internet traffic in the
• We're getting deep into internet stuff here now, but it was the biggest hub for internet traffic in the
• We're getting deep into internet stuff here now, but it was the biggest hub for internet traffic in the
• We're getting deep into internet stuff here now, but it was the biggest hub for internet traffic in the

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Intelligence Task Force met with a quorum present and approved the minutes from the August 14 meeting. The first presentation was from the National Retail Federation on artificial intelligence in the retail sector. NRF described AI use cases in three areas: consumer-facing tools such as chatbots, product descriptions, and marketing; employee-facing tools such as company-specific apps trained on employee manuals; and internal uses such as supply chain forecasting, inventory planning, fraud detection, cybersecurity, and coding support. The presenters said retail has been among the top deployers of AI and emphasized that the goal is to improve both customer and employee experience. NRF also outlined its principles for responsible AI use, organized around governance and risk management, customer engagement and trust, workforce applications, and business partner accountability. The group said retailers should maintain strong internal oversight, be transparent with customers, ensure compliance with existing laws, closely review workforce-related uses because they can be high-risk, and clearly define responsibilities between retailers and third-party developers. In policy discussion, NRF urged a tiered approach focused first on high-risk uses such as hiring, health care, financial, mortgage, and rental decisions, warned against fragmented rules that could favor only the largest firms, and encouraged voluntary standards and worker upskilling incentives. In response to a question about dynamic pricing, NRF said its members do not target consumers based on pricing and offered to follow up with more information. The committee then moved to a follow-up discussion on energy policy and data centers, hearing from Bartley Cleland of NetChoice. He explained that AI runs largely in data centers and that cloud computing shifts processing and storage away from individual devices, which he argued improves efficiency and can reduce costs. He said electricity demand has been rising over time and that AI will increase compute-related electricity use, but framed electricity as a normal input to economic growth. No votes or formal actions were taken after these presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• The program provides contestants with a platform to develop confidence, leadership skills, and community
• The program provides contestants with a platform to develop confidence, leadership skills, and community
• As we were on this floor debating the merits of this bill, internet trolls attacked the memory of your
• And with fantasy, most fantasy sports are run through the internet, but there are specific guidelines
• The Internet is ever evolving.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of a quorum, then adopted the special order calendar for the day. The first major item was CS/SB 156, the Officer Jason Rayner Act, which revises laws on resisting officers and adds manslaughter of a law enforcement officer to offenses eligible for a life sentence reclassification. The sponsor said the bill was intended to honor Officer Jason Rayner and clarify that questions of fault belong in court; opponents argued it removed judicial discretion, could sweep in unintended cases, and was a broad response to a case-specific prosecutorial failure. After debate, the bill passed 108-8. The House then passed CS/SB 688 on naturopathic medicine, which creates a regulatory structure and licensure framework for naturopathic physicians, defines scope and limits of practice, and establishes a board under the Department of Health with medical doctor oversight. Supporters described it as a consumer protection and medical freedom measure; opponents called it an expansion of scope and criticized the low penalty for impersonating a naturopathic physician. The bill passed 85-22. The chamber also passed CS/CS/SB 1062 on speech and debate education, creating a Florida Speech and Debate Hall of Fame, a Florida Speech and Debate Week, and a statewide debate initiative, by a vote of 112-0. Additional measures approved included CS/CS/SB 1220 on transportation, which covers a wide range of issues including FDOT authority, airports and seaports, drone delivery, autonomous vehicles, toll revenues, and related regulatory changes; it passed 87-23. SB 962 on affordable housing, which clarifies that Live Local Act zoning preemption does not unintentionally capture working farms and farm operations, passed 109-2. CS/CS/SB 1580 on illegal gaming was introduced and explained as a crackdown on illegal slot machines and unregulated gaming arcades, with questions focused on VFWs, sweepstakes, fantasy sports, and the Seminole gaming compact, but the transcript ends before a final vote on that bill. The session also included several recognitions and lengthy farewell remarks from departing members, including Leader Driscoll and Majority Leader Sirois.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I've also talked with the gentleman whose nonprofit seeks to use the internet to protect children
• from child predators, and he's done great work. ...seeks to use the internet to protect children from
• we pass these different bills addressing different areas, whether it's bots or other social media platforms

Bills: SB1670, SB1716, SB1521

Keywords: higher education, state regents, university research, technology transfer, intellectual property, patent ownership, royalty income, commercialization, startup companies, research partnerships, public universities, faculty inventions, student inventions, innovation policy, economic development, medical technology, biotechnology, energy technology, telecommunications, aerospace and defense

Summary: The Senate Technology and Telecommunications Committee considered three Senate bills. SB 1670, by Senator Reinhart, would require the State Regents to update Oklahoma university technology transfer guidance, create a tiered ownership framework, and revisit the guidance every seven years. Members questioned the seven-year review period, the scope of terms like aerospace and autonomous technologies, and how broadly the new tiered system would apply. The bill was presented as a way to modernize an outdated 1989 framework and help turn university research into companies, jobs, and economic impact. It passed 8-0. SB 1716, by Senator Howard, amended the Security Breach Notification Act to replace references to a “cybersecurity event” with “breach of the security of a system” and to clarify that there is no private right of action for ordinary negligence when a business reports breaches to the Attorney General. Howard explained that the Attorney General would retain exclusive enforcement authority for reasonable-standards violations, while private lawsuits would remain available only for more egregious conduct such as willful, wanton conduct or gross negligence. Members asked about the negligence standard, HIPAA-related breaches, and staffing needs for the Attorney General’s office. The amendment was adopted, and the bill passed 8-0. SB 1521, by Senator Hamilton, would prohibit minors from accessing artificial intelligence companions and set age-verification and re-verification requirements, including use of government-issued identification and periodic re-verification. Hamilton said the bill was aimed at protecting children from harmful interactions with AI companions and was narrowly drafted to avoid sweeping in other AI tools like customer-service bots. Members raised concerns about the reasonableness and consistency of age verification, account creation requirements, and how the bill would interact with existing statutes on sexually explicit conduct. The chair spoke in support of the measure, and the bill passed 8-0. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Platform. Is there anyone wishing to speak for or against the bill?
• There are doctors and communities on all of these platforms. We put people's lives at risk.
• They have to broadcast it on the internet.
• It prohibits playing the lottery via telephone or the internet.
• It's one of the planks of the Republican Party platform.

Bills: SB835, SB3070, SB22, SJR59, SB926, SB1494, SB251, SB456, SB500, SB1307, SB2615, SB2995, SB2321, SB973, SB974, SB865, SB506, SB781, SB1522, SB1558, SB510, SB667, SB763, SB2073, SB1858, SB1660, SB505, SB2900, SB1433, SB1540, SB1964, SB1300, SB1644, SB2217, SB2373, SB2431, SB1758, SB2480, SB3039, SB3047, SB3073, SB2920, SB2781, SB826, SB766, SB2460, SB527, SB1946, SB2885, SB1243, SB2610, SB2595, SB857, SB37, SB8, SB10, SB227, SB261, SB12, SB15, SJR27, SB552, SB835, SB3070, SB22, SJR59, SB25, SB57, SB127, SB293, SB441, SB3059, SB512, SB241, SB1718, SB140, SB2055, SB2075, SB2018, SB1534, SB1567, SB785, SB1233, SB1580, SB1663, SB413, SB447, SB519, SB467, SB1579, SB1191, SB1021, SB1838, SB2807, SB2835, SB546, SB2121, SB2167, SB2035, SB2024, SB1032, SB1049, SB1266, SB1400, SB1302, SB401, SB1596, SB1281, SB1242, SB1343, SB310, SB1346, SB2753, SB2703, SB2221, SB1719, SB2177, SB800, SB790, SB748, SB571, SB1957, SB1923, SB1896, SB1760, SB1335, SB2368, SB2477, SB2587, SB2972, SB2986, SB2965, SB1563, SB1467, SB1164, SB1137, SB614, SB705, SB961, SB918, SB955, SB869, SB850, SB863, SB1610, SB1055, SB2206, SB457, SB2337, SB1362, SB926, SB1494, SB251, SB456, SB500, SB1307, SB2615, SB2995, SB2321, SB973, SB974, SB865, SB506, SB781, SB1522, SB1558, SB510, SB667, SB763, SB2073, SB1858, SB1660, SB505, SB2900, SB1433, SB1540, SB1964, SB1300, SB1644, SB2217, SB2373, SB2431, SB1758, SB2480, SB3039, SB3047, SB3073, SB2920, SB2781, SB826, SB766, SB2460, SB527, SB1946, SB2885, SB1243, SB2610, SB2595, SB857, SCR9, HB5560, HB762, HB 107, HB 114, HB300, HB138, HB4386, HB2495, HB581, HB3348, HB5323

Keywords: sexual abuse, nondisclosure agreements, confidentiality agreements, public policy, victim rights, lottery, bingo, regulation, Texas Lottery Commission, Department of Licensing and Regulation, criminal offenses, state administration, audits, transfers, Texas, moving image industry, incentive program, film production, grant funding, job creation

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to hold these platforms and those uploaders accountable.
• We need to hold these platforms and those uploaders accountable.
• My private photos and a video were stolen, leaked, and spread across the Internet, and it destroyed my
• How do the platforms require, you know, how does this work so that it's... ...how do the platforms require
• So when a survivor or victim reaches out to platforms, they tell people, this is the image or these are

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with AB 1521, the Judiciary Committee’s civil law omnibus measure. The bill makes a number of minor, mostly clarifying changes, including repealing obsolete Government Code provisions, allowing juvenile courts to hear petitions to establish records of birth, death, or marriage, requiring notice of probate petitions to the Department of Child Support Services, and correcting typos in existing law. It had no opposition and was moved on a do-pass basis to Appropriations, though it was later placed on call pending additional votes. Members then heard AB 57, which would reserve at least 10% of California’s Home Purchase Assistance Program funds for descendants of formerly enslaved people. The author and supporters framed it as a reparative, race-neutral-by-lineage effort to address historic housing discrimination and the racial wealth gap, while opponents argued it was an unconstitutional racial proxy and should instead be based on individual injury. The bill drew strong support and opposition testimony, was amended, and was approved on a do-pass as amended vote to Appropriations, then placed on call. AB 495, the Family Preparedness Plan Act, was heard next. The bill would expand and standardize caregiving and guardianship tools for families facing immigration-related separation, including broader use of caregiver authorization affidavits, recognition of non-relative extended family caregivers, and a new short-term guardianship process that preserves parental rights. Supporters said it would reduce trauma and help children remain with trusted caregivers; there was no opposition testimony. The committee approved it on a do-pass to Human Services vote and placed it on call. The committee also heard AB 392, which would address non-consensual sharing of sexually explicit media by requiring uploader consent certifications, faster takedown procedures, and civil remedies against uploaders and hosting sites. A survivor testified in support, and members discussed implementation details and possible amendments; the bill was moved on a do-pass as amended basis to Appropriations and placed on call. AB 692, which would prohibit employer “stay-or-pay” debt agreements that require workers to repay training or other costs if they leave or are terminated, also advanced despite opposition from business and industry groups concerned about impacts on signing bonuses and voluntary training programs. It was sent to Appropriations on a do-pass as amended vote and placed on call, along with AB 1234, a wage-claim enforcement bill aimed at reducing Labor Commissioner delays and adding consequences for employers who fail to participate in the process. The committee also heard AB 394, which expands protections for transit workers and allows transit agencies to seek restraining orders against violent riders; it received broad support, some concern about system-wide bans, and was discussed with amendments that preserved judicial discretion.

Transcript Highlights:

• A covered platform is a social media platform or a search engine that had a gross income of $5 million
• Hardly a big lift for the tech platforms.
• Hardly a big lift for the tech platforms.
• search engines and social media platforms.
• These platforms have long done...

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:

• Money for roads and bridges, high-speed internet and broadband, solar power, and so much more.
• High-speed internet and broadband, solar power, and so much more.
• see major improvements when it comes to upgrades at stations like Ruggles and Roxbury and at new platforms
• AI is where the Internet was 30 years ago. It's going to change everything.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House and Senate met in joint convention for the Governor’s annual State of the Commonwealth address. Before the address, the chamber handled routine organizational motions, including recesses, the appointment of committees to escort the Lieutenant Governor, constitutional officers, and the Governor into the chamber, the posting of colors, the Pledge of Allegiance, the national anthem, and an invocation and benediction. The joint convention then heard Governor Maura Healey’s address, followed by remarks from legislative leaders and a closing benediction. In her speech, Governor Healey said the state is strong and highlighted accomplishments from the past session, including tax cuts, expanded child care support, the Affordable Homes Act, transportation improvements, federal funding gains, veterans’ services, and health care measures. She also emphasized ongoing priorities such as reducing housing costs, improving transit and infrastructure, expanding primary care and mental health services, supporting education and career pathways, strengthening clean energy and AI investment, and protecting reproductive health care. She called for abolishing tenant broker’s fees, creating a statewide graduation standards council after the MCAS requirement change, and continuing efforts to address the emergency shelter system and other cost pressures. No roll call votes were taken on legislation during the address itself, but the convention adopted the various ceremonial orders and motions by voice vote. After the Governor’s remarks and the benediction, the joint convention adjourned, and the House later adjourned to meet the following Tuesday in informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• counted but were still sealed in their carrier envelopes and data inconsistencies across multiple platforms
• Unlike the other machines, which by law cannot be connected to the Internet, the poll books, by their
• Must be connected to the Internet.
• I have seen these things lose connection to the Internet for several hours at a time, and the reason.

Bills: SB801, SB1200, SB1410, SB1717, SB1862, SB1863, SB2216, SB2681, SB506, SB2626, SJR63, SB 3

Keywords: SB 801, birth certificate, birth record, certified copy, homeless, homelessness, unhoused, vital records, state registrar, local registrar, county clerk, fee waiver, identity documents, ID access, housing insecurity, shelter, transitional housing, Health and Safety Code, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• The Skydio X10, for example, is an internet of things. It has a G.
• Having a reasonable transition period for procurement and usage of adversary platforms.
• And there are pipelines and internet infrastructures everywhere.
• I'm an internet student. I study.
• So I happen to work in the fraud detection domain for an e-commerce platform.

Bills: HB17, HB34, HB41, HB 118, HB 119, HB 127, HB 128, HB 129, HB 130, HB132, HB133, HB17, HB41, HB118, HB119, HB127, HB128, HB129, HB130, HB132, HB133

Keywords: foreign ownership, real estate, national security, designated countries, Texas property law, lobbying, foreign adversaries, compensation prohibition, transparency, civil penalties, higher education, foreign adversary, research security, trade secrets, academic partnerships, HB 128, sister city, sister-city agreement, international exchange, municipal diplomacy

Transcript Highlights:

• But what I've learned being on it is it gives us a platform or a venue where we can actually— I'm sorry
• It gives us a platform or a venue where we can actually share these ideas, in a venue where we can resolve
• It's even more difficult in the age of the Internet, and specifically when we're talking about depicted
• It should be advertised on the internet. It should be available for other people to see and to buy.
• that same fashion, that they are actually putting their homes that they're listing on the active internet

Bills: HB2720, HB2073, SB5467, SB5820, SCR8406, HB2487, SB5816, SB5919, SB5995, SB6278, SB5831, SB5915, SB5963, SB6025, SB6046, SB6084, SB6134, SB6136, SB6137, SB6188, SB6291, HB2689, SB5922, SB5944, SB5957, SB5988, SB5994, SB6011, SB6065, SB6103, SB6151, SB6244

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, SB 5467, water-sewer district, water sewer district, surplus property, public property sale, local government, RCW 57, real property disposal, personal property, notice of intent to sell, public auction