Transcript Highlights:

• This is the exact same piece of legislation we brought last year. All right.
• In fact, we think a lot of small businesses probably would be most to gain by this legislation related
• This is a great piece of legislation.
• I just want to go on record in support of this legislation.
• Member, we're just going to go on record in support of the legislation like we have in the past.

Committee: House Economic Development

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Senate, and I would like to add that the Arizona State Fair is in Legislative District
• Legislators are the closest to the constituents and the medical community in their districts.
• Legislators' voices, especially rural legislators, should have been considered from the start.
• As a rural legislator, I would have liked to have input.
• I think that our governor should listen to legislators, especially legislators from areas where the governor

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a roll call showing 27 present, and approval of the prior journal. Members then introduced guests, including representatives of the Arizona Fair Association, Mohave County fair staff, a constituent guest, a physician candidate shadowing a senator, Father David Myers, and the Doctor of the Day. The chamber also received messages and read a long list of bills placed on second reading. The Committee of the Whole considered three measures. SB 1268, a veterans property tax exemption cleanup bill, was explained as clarifying that the exemption applies to a veteran’s primary residence and, if jointly owned, still counts as 100 percent; it received a do pass recommendation. SB 1051, requiring hospitals to collect and report patient immigration-status information for accounting purposes, drew extensive debate. Supporters said it would improve accountability for hospital spending and taxpayer costs, while opponents argued it would intimidate patients, discourage care, burden hospitals, and target immigrants unfairly. Despite repeated points of order and appeals over germaneness and remarks, the bill advanced on a 16-13 vote. SB 1316, creating a rural health transformation fund process with public hearings and JLBC involvement, was presented as a transparency measure for roughly $167 million in federal rural health funds; supporters favored legislative input, while opponents said it added bureaucracy and could delay care. It advanced 17-13. The Committee of the Whole reported all three bills do pass, and the Senate adopted the report. HB 2792 was substituted for SB 1268 as an identical measure and passed with the emergency clause by a 29-1 vote. SB 1123 and SB 1145 also passed, and SB 1125, dealing with child safety and communication with tribal nations regarding group homes, passed unanimously 30-0. SB 1316 passed 17-13, and SB 1051 passed 17-13 after a lengthy floor debate in which supporters framed it as a fiscal/accountability measure and opponents called it harmful, anti-immigrant, and likely to deter medical care. The Senate then announced committee meetings for the next day and adjourned until Wednesday, February 11, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• The reason we have prayer at the beginning of the legislative floor session is to set the tone for the
• that are representing the legislative district where Idaho Home Learning Academy sits.
• These legislators have drafted a bill that balances accountability and transparency while keeping parent
• ...” “...the SOP, this is legislation addressing virtual charter schools.
• “That is our charge as legislators for the state of Idaho, and we’ve tried to do so thoughtfully.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Senate, and I would like to add that the Arizona State Fair is in Legislative District
• Legislators are the closest to the constituents and the medical community in their districts.
• Legislators' voices, especially rural legislators, should have been considered from the start.
• As a rural legislator, I would have liked to have input.
• I think that our governor should listen to legislators, especially legislators from areas where the governor

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , Department of Legislative Affairs, Department of Vermont<00:18:49.440><c> Health</c><00:18:50.720><
• Your committee on appropriations took testimony from our legislative council and our joint fiscal office
• council and our joint our legislative council and our joint fiscal<00:19:47.440><c> office</c><00:19
• And on that, before January 15th of each legislative session through 2031, said report will be delivered
• If so, all those in favor, please say aye. heard from legislative counsel, the heard from legislative

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Rules and Administration, report that we have written and approved the House Journal of the 25th Legislative
• This piece of legislation uses what is called a credible threat of a convention by trying to get to 33
• The other day on social media, I was looking and I saw a repost of one of these legislative scorecards
• Y'all remember, the 17th Amendment took away our ability, legislators' ability, to decide who the two
• They have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to lobby legislators and to go after legislators in their

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so when you think about that effort, part of the reason that this legislation starts by regulating
• Thank you. with folks and continue to work on this legislation to get it to the right place.
• Representative Reeves are bringing this legislation.
• Madam Chair, I urge your support on this piece of legislation.
• Madam Chair, I urge your support on this piece of legislation. Thank you very much.

Bills: HB2291 , HB2629 , HB2439 , HB1078 , HB1701 , HB2207 , HB2501 , HB2361 , HB1932

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Business

Keywords: kratom, consumer protection, regulation, health safety, substance control, infrastructure, protection, safety, security, state regulations, public health, tobacco regulation, smoking cessation, vapor products, health policy, youth prevention, pet insurance, insurance regulation, animal welfare, claims processes

Transcript Highlights:

• I think federal legislation is incredibly important. We need that aspect.
• I think federal legislation is incredibly important. We need that aspect.
• I've talked to our congressional offices about legislation.
• But we don't have adequate federal legislation.
• We need legislation that's a billion-dollar-plus for just defense or nuclear waste.

Bills: SB66 , SB79 , SB108

Committee: Senate Senate Conservation

Keywords: environment, cleanup, contamination, uranium mining, abandoned sites, state funding, mosquito control, public health, surveillance, prevention funds, local government grants, food security, agriculture, food bank, regional program, appropriation, 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I serve as a legislative co-chair for ARNPs United. I am here in opposition to HB 2261.
• ARNPs United urges you to respect health care providers and not pass punitive legislation that forces
• I think we all know that without legislative action, premiums will certainly continue...
• I think we all know that without legislative action, premiums will certainly continue to rise.
• For the record, My-Linh Thai, I have the honor to represent the 41st Legislative District.

Bills: HB2261 , HB2283 , HB2425 , HB2110 , HB2113 , HB2122 , HB2152

Committee: House Health Care & Wellness

Keywords: healthcare, transparency, patient communication, credentials, professional standards, medical loss ratio, insurance, health plans, cost management, nursing delegation, registered nurse, RN, home care aide, nursing assistant, certified nursing assistant, CNA, medical assistant, home health, hospice, community-based care

Transcript Highlights:

• And the issue that I am trying to address with this piece of legislation is transparency into what each
• I serve as a legislative co-chair for ARNPs United. I am here in opposition to HB 2261.
• I think we all know that without legislative action, premiums will certainly...
• I think we all know that without legislative action, premiums will certainly continue to rise.
• For the record, Meel and Tai have the honor to represent the 41st Legislative District.

Summary: The committee held public hearings on House Bill 2261, which would require health care providers to wear badges showing name, credential, and relevant degrees, require similar disclosure in advertising, and restrict use of the title “physician surgeon” to certain physicians and osteopathic physicians. Supporters, including the Washington State Medical Association and patient advocates, said the bill would improve transparency and informed consent. Opponents from nurse, naturopathic, and adult family home groups argued it was overly broad, burdensome, confusing, and could harm access to care or residential home settings; several also said existing disciplinary laws already address misrepresentation. No vote was taken on HB 2261 during the hearing. The committee also heard House Bill 2283, which would raise the medical loss ratio for fully insured individual, small group, and large group health plans to 90 percent. Supporters, including small business, patient, and physician groups, said the bill would push more premium dollars toward patient care and lower costs or increase rebates. Insurers and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner warned it could destabilize the market, reduce flexibility for administrative services, and lead to carrier exits, though OIC said it was working on amendments. The bill was not voted on in the hearing. House Bill 2425, an agency-request bill on nurse delegation, would broaden what tasks registered nurses may delegate, remove some setting and training restrictions, expand emergency medication authority, and adjust liability and retaliation protections. The Board of Nursing, long-term care providers, and skilled nursing/assisted living representatives supported the bill as a modernization that could ease workforce shortages and improve care access, while the Washington State Association for Justice opposed the immunity provisions and raised patient safety concerns. The hearing ended without a vote on HB 2425. In executive session, the committee advanced several bills. HB 2110, with an amendment clarifying ambulance staffing and RN scope, passed 18-0 with one excused. HB 2113 passed 18-0 with one excused. HB 2122, as amended to require hospitals to offer flu vaccines with several flexibility and critical-access-hospital exemptions, passed 15-3 with one excused. HB 2152, as amended to require certain facilities to allow medical cannabis use for qualifying terminal patients and to add related exemptions and protections, passed 17-1 with one excused. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• the audit and special report scheduled to be presented to the standing committees and the full Legislative
• This report is issued in response to a request for legislative audit to conduct a review of scholarships
• Legislative audit tested 10% of students who participated in the program for scholarship eligibility
• So I don't know if we could legislate the creation of intent. All right.
• Representative Gassaway and Senator Gilmore were the sponsors of that piece of legislation last time.

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the prior meeting and then heard several audit-related reports. The executive committee report noted audit and special reports were scheduled for standing committees and the full Legislative Joint Audit Committee, with one requested report still in progress. The City, County, and Local report covered delinquent private water and sewer audits, reinstatement of turnback funds for entities that filed required reports, and action involving the town of Daisy, which was directed to repay misused street funds at 10% of general fund revenue annually. The education and state agencies reports included higher education audits and state agency findings, with some reports filed and others deferred to the February meeting for additional information or corrective-action details. The committee then took up a special audit of the Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy at UA Little Rock. Legislative Audit reported that the program, funded with $10 million in desegregation money plus a $50,000 grant, awarded $1.87 million in scholarships to 379 students, with 116 graduates, but found numerous eligibility and disbursement problems, including scholarships to ineligible students, excessive awards, improper documentation, and unclear disposition of some assets. Committee members questioned UALR representatives about oversight, staffing, and whether funds were properly used, and also heard from Philander Smith College about its limited role in verifying enrollment. Members expressed concern about the program’s results and the lack of detail on accountability, and the committee voted to table the report until the next meeting for further review and requested additional information, including the federal court order and more detail on expenditures and oversight. Finally, the committee reviewed the annual disposition report on matters referred to prosecutors and the Attorney General for 2024. Staff said 164 matters were referred, with 28 resulting in criminal charges and convictions, 39 still under review, 96 not charged, and others dismissed or pending; 20 convictions produced fines, restitution, and audit-cost orders, and bond trust fund claims were paid in some cases. Prosecutor Coordinator and Attorney General representatives explained that some referrals do not meet criminal standards, may lack intent, or are otherwise not prosecutable, and members asked for more standardized reporting, clearer explanations of why cases are not charged, and more information on restitution efforts. The committee discussed possible templates, training, and better coordination, then voted to file the report and adjourned, with the next meeting set for February 12, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it's imperative to pass this piece of legislation to solidify the legislative support of the
• I think it's imperative to pass this piece of legislation to solidify the legislative support of the
• That includes legislative investigations.
• This is the hub for legislative activity, and we have a lot of visitors.
• And so I just want to ensure whenever we create this legislation that that's not going to prevent me

Bills: SB7 , SB14

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: gender designation, civil penalties, private civil rights, multiple-occupancy spaces, Texas Women's Privacy Act, law enforcement, confidentiality, personnel files, employee records, misconduct

Summary: The Committee on State Affairs took up Senate Bill 14, which would create a confidential department file for law enforcement officers and jailers and limit public access to records involving unsubstantiated misconduct, while preserving access for hiring agencies, TCOLE, and certain criminal justice uses. TCOLE’s Gretchen Grigsby explained the current rollout of law enforcement recordkeeping reforms, including the distinction between the public personnel file and the confidential G-file, and answered questions about when TCOLE would request files during investigations. Senator Perry and other members focused on how the bill would interact with existing personnel-file rules, public transparency, and criminal discovery obligations. Public testimony was largely opposed. Critics argued the bill was drafted too broadly, could sweep in records beyond misconduct files, and would reduce transparency for the public, journalists, oversight bodies, and families seeking answers in cases such as Uvalde and jail deaths in Tarrant County. Several witnesses said the bill could allow small or single-officer agencies, including elected constables, to shield their own records, and some warned it could chill reporting and oversight. Supporters, including law enforcement representatives, said the bill would protect officers from false or unsubstantiated allegations, align agencies without civil-service protections with those that already have G-files, and preserve confidentiality for records that should not be public. Dallas County prosecutors and Harris County deputies supported the general policy but asked for clarifying amendments, especially to separate language they said could affect the Michael Morton Act and to preserve existing protections through in-camera review or protective orders. Committee members spent significant time questioning witnesses about how substantiated versus unsubstantiated allegations would be handled, whether body camera footage and case files would remain public, and how the bill would affect discovery in criminal cases. After hearing all registered witnesses, the chair closed public testimony. Senate Bill 14 was left pending, and the committee recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Legislative Council Service. Great, thank you all.
• Legislative Finance Committee.
• If you could turn to page 12, just a brief listing and overview of the legislation that was related to
• I believe most of the dollars that had been dedicated during the legislative session had already been
• Although I do remember that several legislators testified it was negligible.

Committee: House Investments & Pensions Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• So I would just like to stress to you as you're moving this legislation that we look to make sure that
• So we quickly came to a strategy and decided that we should bring this forward to the legislation to
• Senate Bill 784 aims to correct that and ensures the intent of the original legislation is carried out
• I urge your support of this pro-family legislation. Thank you very much. You may begin.
• Thank you to Senator Paxton and Representative Leo Wilson for this piece of legislation.

Bills: SB204 , SB570 , SB735 , SB784 , SB1207 , SB1396 , SB1447 , SB2392 , SB2540 , SB747 , SB875

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: parental rights, education, school trustees, training, handbook, truancy, attendance policy, chronic absenteeism, school attendance, student absence notifications, parent notification, home visit, attendance officer, truancy court, school district, open-enrollment charter school, student support services, school counselor, principal, administrator

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, I want to respectfully urge you to support this legislation and get it to the finish line on the
• There is a recognition of the change that's in this legislation.
• And so your legislation, Mr.
• I support SB 505, a crucial piece of legislation. For two, I'm sorry, yeah, that's right.
• ...co-authored this legislation.

Bills: HB311 , SB447 , SB505 , SB2217 , SB2753

Committee: House Elections

Keywords: voter registration, electronic, Texas election law, Signature verification, DPS, internet application, Texas Election Code, signature verification, online application, data security, electronic application, Department of Public Safety, information security, electronic voter registration, voting technology, voter access, state election laws, digital signature, election irregularities, audit

Summary: The House Committee on Elections met with a quorum present and heard several election-related bills, with public testimony limited to two minutes per witness. The first measure, SB 447, would allow the City of Mission to move its municipal elections from May to November on a one-time, permanent basis. Supporters, including Mission’s mayor, said voters had already approved the change by a wide margin and argued it would improve turnout and reduce costs. The bill was left pending after no objection. The committee then heard SB 2217, which was described as a transparency measure to standardize election data reporting and reconciliation across counties. Testimony focused on a technical issue involving discrepancy thresholds for electronic voting system reconciliation, with one witness urging the bill be aligned with existing law’s “more than 3” standard rather than a 1% threshold, and another suggesting a definition fix. The bill was left pending. Members also heard SB 2753, a major proposal to create a continuous in-person voting period by combining early voting and election day into one uninterrupted period, with a committee substitute making it a pilot and permissive. Supporters said it could simplify administration and improve security, while opponents warned it would increase costs, require more staffing and equipment, delay results, and create logistical problems for counties. The committee substitute was withdrawn and the bill was left pending. Finally, SB 505 would let certain election stakeholders request explanations of irregularities from election officials and, if unresolved, escalate the matter to the Secretary of State for audit or possible conservatorship. Supporters framed it as a tool for accountability and transparency, while opponents called it overly broad and vulnerable to abuse. The bill was left pending. The committee also took up HB 311, which would expand online voter registration to first-time registrants and direct state agencies to develop a pathway for Texans without a driver’s license to register online. Supporters argued it would modernize the process, reduce errors, and save money, while opponents said first-time applicants still need a wet signature and raised concerns about signature verification and implementation. Due to the late hour and floor deadline, testimony was cut off, the names of remaining witnesses were read into the record, and the bill was left pending before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for bringing this legislation forward.
• We support, uh, legislation like this throughout the United States.
• Uh, if Texas were to pass this, it would be the 5th state to pass legislation like this.
• Members, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to present this legislation.
• We support the legislation, strong consumer bill.

Committee: House Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• question presented is who is responsible when there are evidentiary failures and the current. ...legislation
• So I support this legislation. Thank you. Thank you for being here. It's a long way to travel.
• As this committee knows, the Michael Morton Act is legislation born out of a wrongful conviction where
• But this legislation deals with evidence that is either material if unchanged or relevant to a fact of
• We want to thank Senator King for his leadership in this legislation.

Bills: SB552 , SB1099 , SB1124 , SB1208 , SB1372 , SB1506 , SB1667 , SB1804 , SB1806 , SB1870 , SB1936 , SB1937 , SB2180 , SB2405 , SB2569 , SB2570 , SB1646

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Keywords: community supervision, criminal justice, illegal alien, deferred adjudication, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, SB 1099, undocumented immigrant, unauthorized immigrant, immigration status, felony sentencing enhancement, criminal penalty increase, Texas Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, affirmative finding, judgment finding, deportation, public safety, immigration enforcement, sentencing reform, felony offense

Transcript Highlights:

• This legislation mirrors an already existing reporting statute found in the Education Code that applies
• And I think that's part of what this kind of legislation does.
• I'm a big fan of common sense in legislation. This bill is common sense.
• Having legislation at a state level will help awareness with the rapid cases appearing in Texas.
• SB 2185 would provide a legislative fix to give TEA the...

Committee: Senate Education K-16

Summary: The Senate Education K-16 Committee heard several bills focused on school finance, transparency, student safety, and educator misconduct. SB 843 by Senator Kolkhorst would create a centralized TEA database for school bond elections, tax rates, and project details; supporters said it would improve transparency for taxpayers, while members discussed the fiscal note and suggested adding charter schools. SB 1224 by Senator Sparks would require superintendents to report alleged romantic, sexual, or abusive conduct between staff and students directly to law enforcement within 48 hours, with penalties for failure to report; testimony from advocates and survivors strongly supported the bill and urged that it also apply to private and charter schools. SB 747 by Senator Paxton on behalf of Senator King would require school district policies addressing AI-generated sexually explicit images of minors as cyberbullying and direct the School Safety Center to develop guidance; the committee heard emotional testimony from a student victim and discussed school authority to discipline off-campus conduct and the role of cell phones. The committee also heard SB 1636 by Senator Hinojosa, which would limit use of interest and sinking tax revenues to debt service for voter-approved capital projects and not deferred maintenance; school finance witnesses raised concerns that the bill’s language could restrict needed facility maintenance spending and asked for a clearer definition of deferred maintenance. SB 2185, also by Senator Hinojosa, would expand access to the bilingual education allotment for dual-language programs; district officials and educators testified in support, saying it would remove barriers to funding and better support bilingual instruction. SB 604 by Senator West would require the Permanent School Fund Corporation to publicly track bonds backed by the state guarantee program that are downgraded to speculative or junk status, with West arguing the information would provide an early warning sign of district financial distress. Across the hearing, much of the testimony centered on student protection and accountability in schools. Multiple witnesses described educator misconduct cases, failures to report abuse, and the need for outside law enforcement involvement rather than internal district investigations. Committee members repeatedly discussed extending reporting and safety requirements to private and charter schools, and several witnesses urged independent oversight. No bills were voted out; each measure heard was left pending, and the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• This exemption is subject to future legislative review and can be repealed if deemed unnecessary.
• This legislation is not about politics.
• That's not the subject of the legislation before us.
• That was previously created in a prior legislative session.
• Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Senator Collins, for consulting on this legislation.

Committee: Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability

Summary: The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability met with a quorum present and took up a full agenda of bills, many involving public records exemptions and government operations. Several measures were reported favorably, including SB 342 on an Agency for Health Care Administration public records exemption for employees facing threats; SB 7018 preserving a public records exemption tied to parental consent/judicial bypass records for minors seeking abortions; SB 626 lowering quorum requirements and allowing remote participation for the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys; SB 710 protecting personal information of Crime Stoppers employees, board members, volunteers, and their families; SB 300 extending clerk personal-information protections to appellate court clerks; and SB 302 creating a similar exemption for Judicial Qualifications Commission employees. The committee also approved SB 7010 and SB 7008, which preserve and narrow public records exemptions related to the Department of Financial Services as receiver for insolvent insurers and the financial technology sandbox, respectively. The committee also heard and advanced several policy bills. SB 820 codifies the Office of Faith and Community in the Executive Office of the Governor; Senator Polsky questioned whether the office was duplicative of existing services and raised concerns about religion in state governance, while supporters argued it complements existing networks and helps connect Floridians to services. SB 1144 codifies the Hope Florida program, with supporters describing it as a connector to community resources and critics again raising concerns about overlap, private donations, and accountability; both SB 820 and SB 1144 passed on largely party-line votes with Senator Polsky voting no. SB 804 would redesignate the SS American Victory as the state flagship, but Senator Rodriguez opposed giving up the current flagship designation for the Key West schooner, though the bill still passed favorably. SB 214 designates August 21 as Fentanyl Awareness and Education Day and passed without opposition. SB 1088 requires certain state customer-service phone lines to offer callback features, and SB 576 makes technical fixes to service-of-process law; both were reported favorably. Additional bills included SB 1524, a broad Department of State measure with a strike-all amendment that revises grant-review procedures, adds an America 250 funding focus, and changes commission-fee and oath requirements; Senator Arrington and Senator Polsky expressed concerns about reviewer qualifications, grant criteria, and the impact on arts and cultural programs, and both voted no while the bill still passed. SB 1640, on confidentiality of lethality assessment forms in domestic violence cases, was amended to allow disclosure to domestic violence centers while barring disclosure to state attorneys, and it passed favorably. SB 1160 expands health insurance premium benefits for certain officers catastrophically injured or killed in the line of duty; supporters from the Fraternal Order of Police appeared in support, and the bill passed unanimously. The committee also confirmed eight appointments to the Florida Commission on Community Service, the Investment Advisory Council, the Public Employees Relations Commission, and the State Retirement Commission. At the end of the meeting, senators requested to be recorded on specific bills, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• With the city's legislative program, I am here to testify in opposition to House Bill 2149.
• Thirty parks in the state of Texas, I also serve as their legislative liaison.
• Thank you to Representative Zwiener for filing this legislation.
• We look forward to working with her on this bill and other pieces of legislation.
• There is a lot of legislation out there this session they're going to work on that.

Bills: HB24 , HB2015 , HB2149 , HB2559 , HB2701 , HB2797 , HB3172 , HB24

Committee: House Land & Resource Management

Keywords: zoning, public notice, local government, residential development, protests, water conservation, municipal utility districts, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, environmental regulation, groundwater management, nonconforming uses, zoning regulations, land use, property rights, municipal authority, municipal moratorium, development moratorium, property development, subdivision, site plan