Transcript Highlights:

• What we're going to do is we're going to call a panel of three. La Brea.
• performance or excellence, then And frankly, you end up with a system where when students are interviewing

Bills: HB1784, HB2088, HB3062, HB3475, HB3741, HB4279, HB4763, HB5154, HB5294, HB5508, SB1401, HB232, HB232

Keywords: students, homeless, foster care, higher education, liaison officer, housing assistance, transition support, law school, Rio Grande Valley, legal education, public university, accreditation, fentanyl prevention, drug poisoning awareness, mental health resources, substance abuse education, El Paso, university system, funding, public education

Transcript Highlights:

• just maybe point out a few additional notes and certainly answer some questions too I heard from the panel
• A 2019 study conducted by TCFV found that 71% of survivors interviewed needed assistance finding housing

Bills: HB158

Keywords: public funds, lobbying activities, political subdivision, government spending, transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• So, you know, I proposed a bicameral panel, Senators, House members, working with OMB to do something
• we used to say, you know, take a long time to hire and a short time to fire. are you you have a interview

Keywords: nominations, Scott Cooper, Eric Ulan, federal workforce, Office of Personnel Management, Office of Management and Budget, accountability, collective bargaining

Summary: The committee convened to discuss the nominations of Scott Cooper for Director of the Office of Personnel Management and Eric Ulan for Deputy Director at the Office of Management and Budget. This meeting highlighted the critical roles both positions play in managing the federal workforce, which comprises over two million civilian employees. Concerns were raised regarding the current administration's approach to federal employment, citing issues like mass firings and the undermining of collective bargaining rights. Members expressed the need for better accountability and transparency within the federal system, emphasizing the importance of attracting talented public servants.

Transcript Highlights:

• If they get a panel of labs, it's mandatory that... the labs estimate something called a GFR, which is
• Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review. ...which means that for three years, up until last summer, we interviewed

Bills: HB514, HB1652, HB2117, HB2298, HB3269, HB46, HB46

Keywords: maternal health, maternal care, pregnancy, labor and delivery, postpartum, doula, birth worker, midwife, obstetric care, women's health, rural health, health workforce, workforce development, trauma-informed care, public outreach campaign, health equity, minority health, underserved communities, Texas Department of State Health Services, HHSC

Transcript Highlights:

• If you could just remind the panel and the audience, you know, what is political advertising?
• the things I've also done in the downtown, when I got hired from Kurt Watson, during During that interview

Bills: HB 13, HB143, HB144, HB145, HB366, HB470, HB805, HB912, HB13, HB143, HB144, HB145

Keywords: emergency communication, infrastructure, first responders, grant program, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, local governments, HB 143, Texas Railroad Commission, Public Utility Commission of Texas, Natural Resources Code, oil and gas, well site, surface facility, electrical power line, National Electrical Code, NEC, electrical safety, utility disconnect, service disconnection

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the reason I was looking for a panel. I'll have to research that and get back to you.
• They've got to go through capacity interviews.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Secretary Rubio recently stated on February 10th in an interview on SiriusXM, he said, we're not walking
• The question I have for the panel is this though. Mr. Chairman, may I just inquire? Sure.

Keywords: fiscal responsibility, government waste, foreign aid, funding resolution, legislative oversight

Summary: The committee meeting addressed government spending and foreign aid, with a particular emphasis on perceived wasteful expenditures. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing a funding resolution for the committee, which received unanimous support from the members present. The chair noted a quorum at the beginning of the meeting, signaling that the committee was ready to conduct its business. Discussions highlighted ongoing debates concerning fiscal responsibility and the necessity of legislative oversight, notably regarding foreign aid allocations and their implications for domestic fiscal health.

Transcript Highlights:

• The review panel piece is where we would be looking at now. The applications have been reviewed.
• The remaining portion would not proceed to the review panel. submission so we weren't going up to the
• Once you've gotten past the initial screen, you would then go to the review panel.
• The review panel might have ranked them in the top three.
• <01:13:36.520> would<01:13:36.679> be denied so the review panel would be denied so

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We got some we're interviewing.
• We got some we're interviewing.<00:27:50.559> You<00:27:50.799> never<00:27:50.960>
• got<00:27:51.120> a<00:27:51.279> straight interviewing.
• You never got a straight interviewing.
• boilers and and things and solar panels boilers and and things and solar panels and<01:14:55.199

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was a House budget briefing focused on the overall state budget and the first of three divisions. The presenter reviewed the size and structure of the budget, noting that the state had eliminated the interest and dividends tax and still balanced the budget. He explained the major spending categories in the general fund and total budget, emphasizing that health and human services and education remain the largest areas, while transportation is largely self-funded. He also walked through the revenue picture, including business taxes, insurance taxes, court fees, communications taxes, and Medicaid recoveries, and said the remaining interest and dividends tax revenue reflected late payments from prior assessments. Members asked about the size of the tax cut from eliminating the interest and dividends tax, federal funding stability, and why Medicaid was being reduced if federal support was expected to remain steady. The response was that the lost revenue would have been about $200 million absent repeal, and that the budget gap was addressed through many small cuts across departments. On federal funds, the presenter said most aid is tied to multi-year grants and that core programs such as Medicare and Medicaid were expected to remain relatively stable, though some federal reductions could occur. He also said some agency reductions came from eliminating long-vacant, funded positions and from expected lapses. The discussion then moved into Division One, which covers smaller and miscellaneous agencies. The division made cuts to the governor’s office, eliminated a temporary position at the Governor’s Commission on Disability, reduced Department of Information Technology spending through a back-of-budget cut, and found savings in Administrative Services. It also delayed maintenance at the Sununu Youth Services Center, stopped advertising for paid family medical leave, changed retiree health insurance funding, and consolidated several personnel-related boards into one. The division eliminated the Commission on Aging and the Office of the Child Advocate, made a temporary special education advocate position permanent, reduced the Secretary of State’s budget, kept municipal rooms-and-meals distributions flat, and made changes to the retirement system, including $55 million to improve Group 2 retirement benefits and a new retirement structure for future state hires. The judicial branch was also asked to find savings and received two additional judges because of expected caseload increases from other eliminations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Y'all heard my questions to the earlier panel. 400,000 children are currently in charter schools.
• So I'm here to answer any questions you all may have once we're done with the panel.
• Appreciate. this panel very much. Thank you for your testimony.
• On the panel now that voted for it in 2001, if they don't change, we'd appreciate it.
• In 2024, our chamber led a local research initiative that included 354 survey responses, 80 interviews

Bills: SB1798, SB1835, SB1319, SB2942, SB2928, SB784, SB1049

Keywords: higher education, tuition rates, financial support, immigration status, Texas law, SB 1835, resident tuition, nonresident students, scholarship students, public higher education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Education Code Section 54.213, tuition waiver, in-state tuition, out-of-state students, higher education finance, enrollment cap, capacity limit, workforce development area, nonimmigrant visa

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you and for our next panel we're going to make a slight change and move now to our behavioral health
• All right, I think that's all all the questions for this panel and Next we're going to take up Medicaid
• I believe the Commissioner gave some opening remarks for the last panel. So what is Medicaid?
• Medical transportation services, you heard the commissioner mention this on the last panel.
• .. and we'll be looking at what the data is showing us It's part of the, as mentioned in previous panels

Keywords: budget, House Bill 1, public education, healthcare, border security, federal funding, spending limits

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on reviewing the proposed budget for the upcoming biennium, with substantial discussions around House Bill 1 and its implications for public education, healthcare, and border security. The Comptroller presented a revenue overview indicating a total of $194.6 billion available for general purpose spending, which reflects a slight decrease compared to previous years due to fluctuating economic conditions. Members raised questions regarding spending limits and the impact of federal funding on state programs, highlighting concerns about the sustainability of funding in light of potential changes at the federal level.

Transcript Highlights:

• The next, I'm sorry, next panel will have Cardona. I'm sorry. Next panel, we'll have Cardona.
• We'll call him up on the next panel. We'll call you up on the next panel, okay?
• Okay, panel, we'll go to the next one. I think this gentleman's maybe on the next panel.
• Thank you, panel. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, panel. Thank you.
• The next panel will consist of...

Bills: SB 3, HB28, SB3

Keywords: flash flood, flood warning, outdoor warning siren, emergency alert, disaster preparedness, flood mitigation, Hill Country floods, Texas Water Development Board, municipalities, counties, local government mandate, public safety, grant program, backup power, weather siren, emergency management, flood-prone area, warning system, hemp regulation, consumable products

Transcript Highlights:

• It looks like we have a panel to testify: Jessica Cavalry, Steven Cavalry, and Audra Alexander.
• Let's see, final testifiers are a panel, Morifflin and Katie Labadia.
• And I first want to express my appreciation to your staff for enabling us to come and testify as a panel
• So next up in person, I guess, we have a panel: Julie Burrus, Lisa Mayer, and Bridget Kearns.
• At college, we had our panel and talked about MianCAP and some of the other innovations, so it's nice

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a public hearing on a large slate of bills, with the chairs emphasizing time limits, written testimony, and grouping similar measures together. Early testimony focused on opioid use disorder education in schools (S.382), with Senator Keenan arguing that students should be taught about the risks of substance use disorder and naloxone use as part of health curricula. Representative DeCost also briefly introduced H.551, a narrow bill concerning parent rights for children in third grade and younger. Several bills were then closed without testimony, including measures on type 1 diabetes informational materials and other diabetes-related proposals. A major portion of the hearing centered on school health and emergency response bills. Supporters of H.652/S.342 on diabetes management in schools described inconsistent district practices and urged clearer standards so students can receive care in classrooms rather than being sent out of instruction. Bills on epinephrine access and seizure disorders drew extensive testimony: advocates for stock epinephrine in schools argued that unassigned epinephrine can save lives and should be funded in a cost-neutral way, while a pediatrician opposed one version as an unfunded mandate. For seizure-safe schools (S.422/H.635), students, parents, educators, and advocates described missed or delayed responses to seizures, stigma, and the need for staff training, seizure action plans, and emergency medication protocols. A separate bill, H.645, allowing anti-seizure medication on school buses, was supported by a parent and student who said current law forces costly and restrictive transportation arrangements. The committee also heard testimony on youth skin health bills (S.334/H.600/H.619), which would let students carry and apply sunscreen at school and camp without a physician’s note. Supporters from melanoma prevention, dermatology, and industry groups said the bills would remove unnecessary barriers and promote sun-safe habits, while one witness cautioned about drafting details and unintended consequences. The hearing then moved to CPR/AED education for graduation (S.456), where Senator Tarr, a student advocate, and the Red Cross all supported requiring hands-on CPR certification for high school students. Finally, the committee took testimony on healthy school lunches (H.539/S.401): supporters from the Healthy School Lunch Coalition and school food directors backed stronger nutrition standards and a standing advisory council, while Consumer Brands Association witnesses opposed the bill as too vague and potentially disruptive. A nutrition scientist also warned about unintended restrictions on medically necessary or innovative foods. The chairs closed the hearing on the healthy lunch bills and then opened testimony on universal school meals for virtual schools (H.700), with Superintendent Patrick Latuka supporting access for students in Commonwealth virtual schools who currently receive no meal support.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, I participated in panels that have had significant effect on my school, such as staff interviews
• 01:52:30.159> I<01:52:30.480> participated<01:52:31.079> in<01:52:31.239> panels
• for example I participated in panels for example I participated in panels that<01:52:31.719>
• school<01:52:34.159> such<01:52:34.360> as<01:52:34.599> staff<01:52:34.880> interviews
• <01:52:35.320> for school such as staff interviews for school such as staff interviews for

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, there will be a panel with Hannah Madison Press.
• We have a panel with Jennifer Loud and Michael Murphy.
• And up next we have a panel: Jennifer Loud and Michael Murphy.
• Good afternoon, panel. My name is Colleen DeGowan.
• As we wait for this panel to come in, next is going to be a panel: William Bill Murphy, Nancy Rian Porter

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Ways and Means Committee held its final public hearing on the FY26 state budget, with chairs and members emphasizing that public testimony would help shape the budget and asking speakers to keep remarks brief. Committee leaders introduced members, explained the hearing process, and repeatedly thanked residents, students, and advocates for participating. No votes were taken during the hearing. Testimony focused heavily on education funding and the Chapter 70 formula. Students from Amherst, Northampton, Gateway Regional, Chester Elementary, and other districts described budget-driven cuts to electives, special education supports, paraprofessionals, counselors, transportation, and building maintenance. They urged higher Chapter 70 aid, increased minimum aid, rural school aid, and a reopening or restructuring of the funding formula, arguing that current formulas leave many districts unable to meet student needs and force local layoffs and overrides. Other speakers urged funding or protection for a range of programs and facilities, including the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute for homicide survivor services, the Museum of African American History, the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and CART/interpreter services, the Access to Counsel housing legal aid program, the Department of Mental Health and Pocasset Mental Health Center, and Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children. One speaker opposed offshore wind-related spending and urged a reset of the state’s energy approach, while another advocated ending the aircraft sales tax exemption. Committee members responded sympathetically to many speakers, asked a few follow-up questions, and several expressed support for maintaining or expanding the programs discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• And members will ask questions of the panel when they're finished. Thank you very much. Erica.
• So I'm here to answer any questions you all may have when it's put over the panel.
• Okay, appreciate this panel very much. Thank you for your testimony.
• I do want to thank those members on the panel now that voted for it in 2001.
• I do want to thank those members on the panel now that voted for it in 2001.

Summary: The committee heard several education bills, with most of the discussion focused on Senate Bill 1835, Senate Bill 784, Senate Bill 1049, Senate Bill 2942, and Senate Bill 2928. SB 1835 would raise from 5% to 20% the cap on nonresident students who can receive resident tuition and fees through competitive scholarships at certain regional universities in slower-growing workforce development areas, provided the schools have capacity as determined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Supporters, including West Texas A&M University, said the bill would help fill underused capacity, attract students who may stay and work in Texas, and support regional workforce needs. SB 784 would strengthen a prior law allowing peace officers’ children to transfer between public school districts for safety reasons by requiring both districts’ approval, making clear that districts of innovation are not exempt, and prohibiting tuition charges. SB 1049 would require districts and open-enrollment charters to excuse students, at a parent’s request, for religious release-time instruction for up to one hour per day and five hours per week; witnesses said the program is constitutional, voluntary, and already operating in other states and some Texas districts. Each of these bills was left pending after testimony, with no public witnesses opposing them. SB 2942 would expand and adjust the state’s adult charter high school pilot program. Senator Creighton said the bill is intended to help the estimated 7 million Texas adults without a high school diploma by removing barriers to expansion, aligning legal protections with ISDs, changing TEA’s disapproval window for expansion amendments to a 30-day period after receipt, and updating funding to reflect part-year attendance. A committee substitute kept the upper enrollment age at 50 and removed a proposed testing change. Testimony from New Heights students and leadership described the program as life-changing, emphasizing that it combines diplomas with career credentials, childcare, transportation, and other supports to help adults stabilize their families and enter better-paying work. TEA witnesses explained the expansion process and said adult charter schools are overseen by the commissioner rather than the SBOE. The committee substitute was adopted, public testimony closed, and the bill was left pending. SB 2928 would set a uniform school start date for public school districts at the third Wednesday in August, while preserving existing district-of-innovation flexibility for current DOI districts and allowing year-round systems to continue. Senator Creighton argued the bill would reduce the patchwork created by DOI exemptions, support students and families, and preserve summer employment and tourism revenue. A committee substitute was adopted. Testimony came largely from tourism, hospitality, and recreation interests, including hotel, water park, zoo, chamber of commerce, and camp representatives, who said later start dates would extend the summer travel season, improve staffing and revenue, and give students more opportunities for summer jobs and camps. Several witnesses cited large economic impacts from tourism and said early school starts reduce August business. Some senators raised concerns about charter schools being excluded and about year-round calendars, but the bill was left pending after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• of these bills individually and allow members to ask questions, then we will hear from from a joint panel
• But that's really not the purpose here of this one is to provide a grievance panel. so that parents can
• Thank you to this panel. Vice Chair Campbell. Thank you. Just a comment.
• Appreciate this panel very much and your testimony. and next the chair will call Mary Elizabeth Castle
• We've never had more than two on the panel of anywhere from nine to 15 who were... who were against any

Bills: SB12, SB1565, SB13, SJR12, SB686, SB371, SB204, SB609, SB112, SB400, SB813, SB 12, SB 13

Keywords: parental rights, education, social transitioning, diversity, equity, inclusion, school policy, student clubs, school district, grievance procedure, public education, diversity and inclusion, funding penalties, school libraries, library advisory councils, library materials, educational content, challenging materials, constitutional amendment, school choice

Transcript Highlights:

• when you being order you know how it is when you being order you know how it is when you being interviewed
• you want to know what you interviewed you want to know what you interviewed you want to know what you
• going to be interviewed about first going to be interviewed about first going to be interviewed about
• in the South he get the whole interviews in the South he get the whole interviews in the South he get
• a lot the one thing always come panels a lot the one thing always come panels a lot the one thing always

Bills: SB 26, SB 28, SJR 36, SB 616, SB 565, SB 384, SB 28, SB 28, SR 131, SR 168, SR 174, SR 175

Keywords: teacher compensation, education funding, public school educators, teacher retention, teacher designation, lottery, gambling, internet gaming, mobile application, criminal offenses, aquifer, water management, Edwards Aquifer, sustainability, regulatory framework, SB 565, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, compliance agreement

Transcript Highlights:

• I've Created pretrial interview coordinators because defense demands a pretrial interview.
• their fines, to do their jail time to be on probation, get the interlock, go to the victim impact panel

Transcript Highlights:

• I have been charmed, thrilled, and amazed to hear Shireen Taba's interviews of a number of school-age
• 01:10:06.239> Taba's and amazed to hear Shireen Taba's and amazed to hear Shireen Taba's interviews
• Meanwhile, we have more than doubled the amount of three-panel examinations that we have had to order
• c><03:17:53.920> amount<03:17:54.160> of<03:17:54.399> three<03:17:54.640> panel
• doubled uh the amount of three panel doubled uh the amount of three panel examinations<03:17:55.600

Keywords: 910, house, all