Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:27:22.799><c> education</c> available and publicly funded education available and publicly funded
• The last thing I want to highlight is you've been generous in funding us in the past with one-time funding
• Us in the past with onetime funding Us in the past with onetime funding<00:41:08.480><c> what</c><00
• continues in base funding.
• </c> this funding continues in base funding this funding continues in base funding um<00:44:12.280><c

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Where homeowners and mobile homeowners pay a certain level of property taxes, and currently mobile homeowners
• of this funding.
• of this funding.
• of this funding.
• This amendment sets up a trust fund for the surviving sibling. Any questions?

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for two fallen service members, the Pledge of Allegiance, quorum call, and several recognitions, including law enforcement officers and visiting students and advocates. Members then adopted the special order report and moved into the special-order calendar. The first major item was HB 7031, the annual tax package, which was explained as a broad measure covering sales tax holidays, property tax changes, tax credits, pari-mutuel tax reductions, vacation-rental tax collection, and decoupling from federal tax changes. Members asked about the fiscal impact of decoupling and the firearm-accessories holiday; supporters emphasized fiscal caution and the package’s mix of consumer and housing provisions, while opponents objected to the gun-related tax holiday. The bill passed 105-2. The House then passed CS/CS/CS HB 1177 on Space Florida and spaceport operations 107-0, with supporters saying it would strengthen Florida’s competitiveness in commercial aerospace. CS for SB 246 on specialty license plates also passed unanimously after a strike-all amendment that added several new plates, revised the Fraternal Order of Police plate, and tightened specialty-plate financial and nonprofit requirements. CS HB 697 on drug prices and coverage passed 100-0 after supporters said it built on prior PBM reforms by requiring fairer pharmacy reimbursement and limiting forced losses on drugs. CS/CS HB 1263 on the Office of Insurance Regulation passed 109-0 after an amendment clarifying fingerprinting requirements, and CS/CS HB 527 on insurance claim denials passed 100-0 with a requirement for human review before claims are denied or reduced solely by AI. The House also passed CS HB 1449 on the statewide provider and health plan claim dispute resolution program 100-0 after narrowing the bill to out-of-network emergency services and claims at or below $50,000. CS HB 93 on protection from surgical smoke passed 178-0 after extensive emotional debate, with supporters describing it as a long-sought patient and worker safety measure requiring smoke evacuation systems in hospitals and surgical centers. Later, CS HB 1217 on prohibited governmental greenhouse-gas policies passed 29-0 after questions clarified that it would bar net-zero policies and related funding arrangements but not general energy efficiency or incidental emissions reductions; opponents argued it would preempt local climate and resilience efforts, while supporters said it protected energy reliability and affordability. The House then began debate on CS/CS HB 1461 on advanced nuclear reactors, with sponsors describing a framework for licensing and oversight of small modular and microreactors and supporters arguing it would help meet future energy demand and improve reliability.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the affected funds where the adjustments were made were the general fund, the road and bridge fund
• , and the weed control fund.
• Texas and New Mexico certainly stand out.
• And then the state will fund up, this will fund the remainder up to what is deemed the adequate amount
• fund in there.

Committee: Joint Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And the affected funds where the adjustments were made were the general fund, the road and bridge fund
• , and the weed control fund.
• Texas and New Mexico certainly stand out.
• And then the state will fund up, this will fund the remainder up to what is deemed the adequate amount
• And kind of a dark horse when comparing Texas and Florida. and kind of a dark horse when comparing Texas

Summary: The Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee met with a quorum, approved the March 17, 2026 minutes, and heard a lengthy update from Tax Commissioner Brian Croshys on property tax relief programs. He reviewed the Homestead Property Tax Credit, Disabled Veteran Credit, and Primary Residence Credit, noting increased relief after House Bill 1158 and House Bill 1176, but also discussing how some households “income adjust out” of eligibility over time. Members asked about indexing income thresholds, expanding eligibility by age alone, simplifying administration, county-level notices, and whether the county and state systems could be streamlined. Croshys said the programs are heavily used, largely administered at the county level, and that the department is still refining compliance and reporting; he also said there were no material findings or overarching concerns in the latest review. The committee agreed more detailed PRC information would likely come back in a September meeting, and the chair announced an afternoon recess for lunch before later reconvening. Shelly Myers then presented the statewide property tax increase report, the zero-growth report, and a statistical report on property values and tax levies by class. She explained how county auditors report levy and valuation data, how increases and decreases are counted, and identified counties and cities with the largest percentage changes in growth or decline. She also summarized recent trends: agricultural values remain relatively flat, while residential, commercial, and centrally assessed values have risen over the last five years; in 2025, residential property accounted for the largest share of statewide property tax levies, followed by commercial, agriculture, and centrally assessed property. Committee members asked about unusual zero-growth figures, the effect of annexation and land-use changes, and whether the 3% levy cap was forcing political subdivisions to use reserves or defer spending. Myers said many counties complied by using reserves, delaying capital projects, or limiting increases, and that some counties had not used their full cap. The committee then moved to the stripper oil extraction tax exemption. Commissioner Croshys reviewed the state’s oil tax structure and estimated the revenue impact of keeping stripper wells exempt from extraction tax while still paying production tax. He said the exemption saves operators hundreds of millions of dollars over a biennium, while the state still collects production tax on those wells. He also discussed projected impacts if the exemption were changed for future wells and noted that future outcomes depend on oil prices, production declines, and technology such as CO2 enhanced oil recovery. Nathan Anderson of the Department of Mineral Resources briefly explained the historical difference between the 35-barrel and 30-barrel thresholds for certain wells, citing differences in completion costs and lateral lengths. The committee then heard from EERC CEO Charles Gorecki, who presented an analysis of oil well life cycles and said most oil is produced before wells reach stripper status, but that refracturing or other reinvestment can significantly extend production and keep wells above the threshold for years.

Transcript Highlights:

• the domicile, the first residence, gets their $50,000 homestead exemption, and then this particular mobile
• by vacant funded positions throughout the year.
• All of that salary savings goes back to counties, primarily to the general fund.
• And so I did some research in 1989, Supreme Court decision of Texas v. Johnson.
• or state funding to support the needs of our growing community and its population.

Committee: Senate Community Affairs

Summary: The committee took up several claims bills and tax-related measures. It reported favorably SB 20, providing $400,000 in relief to J.N., a minor injured on a Hillsborough County sidewalk, and SB 14, providing $1.7 million to the estate of Pineal Januier after a drowning at a Miami Beach youth center pool. It also approved SB 674, which would let property appraisers, like tax collectors, budget for hiring and retention bonuses with Department of Revenue approval. In each claims bill, the sponsor described the underlying incident, the settlement amount, and the remaining payment sought under sovereign immunity limits; there was no opposition on the claims bills. The bonus bill drew support from property appraisers who said it would help them compete for specialized staff without requiring new appropriations. The committee then considered SJR 1510 and its implementing bill, which would create a new homestead-like property tax benefit for owners who lease a non-homestead property for more than six months as residential rental housing. Supporters said it was intended to encourage more affordable rental housing by extending a $50,000 exemption and Save Our Homes-style assessment cap to qualifying properties. County and city representatives, the Florida League of Cities, and the Florida Association of Counties opposed the proposal, warning of major revenue losses, reduced public safety funding, and tax shifts to other property owners and businesses. Several senators also raised concerns about density, parking, and whether landlords would actually pass savings on to renters. Despite the opposition, both the constitutional amendment and the implementing bill were reported favorably. The committee also approved CS for CS SB 268, as amended to include congressional members, creating a public-records exemption related to certain residential information for elected officials. The First Amendment Foundation opposed it, arguing the bill lacked a sufficient public purpose and could hinder transparency, while senators supporting it cited real threats and harassment against themselves and their families. SB 100, which bans government display of flags representing political viewpoints and allows active or retired military members to use reasonable force to stop desecration of the U.S. flag, also passed after extensive debate. Opponents argued it was vague, unconstitutional, and aimed at pride and other identity-related flags; supporters said government buildings should not display political messages and that the bill protects neutrality. Finally, the committee approved CS/SB 1664, which would require voter reapproval every eight years for local discretionary taxes such as tourist development taxes and local option taxes, with exceptions for pledged bond revenues. Cities, counties, tourism groups, and the restaurant/lodging industry opposed it, saying it would create uncertainty, threaten tourism and infrastructure funding, and complicate long-term planning; Senator Sharief and others said the measure would disrupt existing surtax-backed projects and revenue streams.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fund education.
• Fund education. schools safer. Fund education.
• </c> from Texas is recognized. from Texas is recognized.
• </c> from Texas is recognized. from Texas is recognized.
• </c> from Texas is recognized. from Texas is recognized.

Transcript Highlights:

• And those funds stand appropriate. Section 30A and B. Well, this is clearly 30A and B.
• funds this spring.
• That they don't run out of funds this spring.
• And sometimes we need those funds for our schools, for our fire districts.
• Gentleman from Texas. Speak on the bill, Mr. Speaker. Proceed, please. Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> in their interest field this funding in their interest field this funding would<00:05:20.199><c>
• of the Workforce Development Fund.
• </c> leading to increased economic mobility leading to increased economic mobility and<00:59:32.920><
• or other funds that DEED offers.
• funds or other funds deed youth at work funds or other funds that<01:14:23.040><c> um</c><01:14:23.199

Bills: HF1936 , HF849 , HF989 , HF1130 , HF1223 , HF1907 , HF1847 , HF1957

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Gentleman from Texas, introduction of special guests. Proceed, please. Mr.
• So we had to put that in the teacher retention and recruitment fund.
• Mental health staff, teacher retention strategies, funded at scale.
• I don't think this bill addresses school funding at all, gentlemen.
• , that that funding would go in relation to actual growth.

Transcript Highlights:

• So in Texas.
• Texas patients right here in Texas.
• We also facilitate the funding process. $22 million in HUD funds annually.
• Deanna Angel with Vocal Texas, you're testifying on behalf of Vocal Texas.
• Texas One Center. Oh, Texas One Center. Is there a cost to get an ID? For them?

Bills: HB713 , HB827 , HB932 , HB499 , HB510 , HB163 , HB296 , HB879 , HB913 , HB163 , HB296

Committee: House Public Health

Transcript Highlights:

• as we received funding for about 70 positions. 8 positions, so those added to the ISD funded vacancy
• Eighty-five percent of that is in federal funding or other state funds.
• percent in general fund.
• It is mobile-friendly and... Our total general fund expansion request is— oh, so I'm sorry.
• to the general fund.

Transcript Highlights:

• Across Texas, peace officers, parole officers, and emergency personnel Members, across Texas, peace officers
• He then enrolled and graduated from Texas State University and later North Texas University with his
• I'm here also representing the Sheriff's Association of Texas.
• will not tolerate the misuse of Texas taxpayer dollars.
• That is the reality we face right now here at home in Texas.

Bills: SB127 , SB456 , SB482 , SB659 , SB739 , SB816 , SB1234 , SB1666 , SB1886 , SB1980 , SB2580 , SB2611 , SB2693 , SB2776

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Summary: The committee heard and laid out a series of criminal justice bills, with public and invited testimony on restitution, juvenile justice, child abuse reporting, public-safety protections, organ trafficking, property fraud, disaster-response worker protections, fentanyl exposure, emergency data disclosure, insurance-fraud investigations, blood warrant execution, human smuggling, and TJJD advocacy access. Several measures drew support from prosecutors, clerks, law enforcement, utility companies, and victims who described real-world harms and delays in current law; opposition or caution came from civil-rights and advocacy groups on bills involving expanded criminal liability, data disclosure, and juvenile-facility access. Most bills were left pending after testimony, with the committee later voting out SB 127 favorably and placing it on the local and uncontested calendar. SB 1666 would streamline restitution payments for parole or mandatory supervision cases by requiring TDCJ to include victim information when forwarding payments, shortening the period before unclaimed funds go to the Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund, and clarifying confidentiality and contact procedures; county clerks supported it as an efficiency measure. SB 2776 would let TJJD disclose certain information, with written consent, to support the Credible Messengers Program, and SB 127 would extend limitations periods for failure-to-report child abuse and concealment offenses, with testimony emphasizing delayed discovery of abuse and the need for accountability. SB 1980 would increase penalties for assaulting or interfering with peace officers, parole officers, and community supervision officers, and SB 456 would raise penalties for organ purchasing/trafficking and create a more specific criminal framework for the offense; both drew strong support from law enforcement and victims. The committee also heard SB 2611 on real property theft and deed fraud, which would create separate offenses for real property theft and fraud, add a ten-year limitations period, require criminal judgments to be filed in county property records, and expand restitution and title-clearing remedies. Witnesses described forged deeds, stolen church and family properties, and long, costly efforts to restore title; county clerks and prosecutors said the bill would help victims and streamline civil remedies. SB 482 would increase penalties for offenses against utility workers during declared disasters or evacuation orders, prompted by reports of threats and assaults during Hurricane Beryl; utility representatives said the bill is needed to keep mutual-aid crews coming to Texas. SB 1234 would add fentanyl to the endangerment statute for vulnerable people, while SB 816 would allow providers to disclose electronic data in immediate life-threatening situations; both drew support from prosecutors and criticism from civil-rights advocates concerned about overbreadth and liability protections.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is actually talking about the limiting of certain funds, so this process will go forward.
• Missouri is similarly funded at about $25 million dollars.
• Texas, not exactly apples to apples, but they're funded at about $60 million, and that is. largely through
• And if we do want to have state parks, then we have to fund them. We have to maintain them.
• Do you know what the anticipated funds might be? Thank you for that question.

Bills: HB1823 , HB3031 , HB3369 , HB3378 , HB3429 , HB3624 , HB3657 , HB3880 , HB4215 , HB4476

Committee: Senate Economic Development, Workforce and Tourism

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll tell you, Texas, even though Texas is a non-subscriber state, if you're a non-subscriber or you
• I testified against the Texas ODG.
• But based on what we believe to be true, the insurance companies are actually funding Texas ODG, not
• “Because Texas is where we do not want to go. Texas is an opt-out state.
• I'm not trying to adopt Texas ODG. I'm trying to adopt ODG by MCG. Why do we need Texas?

Summary: The House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee met on May 7, 2026, and first deferred several measures, including House Bill 460, Senate Bill 322, Senate Bill 32, Senate Bill 22, and House Bill 561. The committee then took up House Bill 819 by Chairman Cruz, which would replace Louisiana’s current workers’ compensation medical treatment schedule with the Official Disability Guidelines (ODG) by MCG as the primary guideline, while keeping the existing variance and appeal process. Cruz and MCG representative Troy Prevo argued that ODG is more comprehensive, updated more frequently, and used in many states, and said it could reduce delays, disability duration, and costs. Dr. Jason Picard, the state medical director, testified that Louisiana already uses ODG as a secondary reference in many cases because the state schedule lacks coverage for some body parts and treatments, and said the bill would not otherwise change the appeals process or care delivery. Committee members focused heavily on whether the bill would delay care or improve it. Several members questioned the private-company nature of ODG, the $400 annual subscription cost, and whether Louisiana doctors would be forced to rely on an out-of-state guideline. Rep. Glorioso and others raised concerns about preauthorization delays and proposed amendments to create tacit approval when treatment follows the schedule, require payment within 30 days, and make the carrier prove by clear and convincing evidence that care was not medically necessary to challenge it. Chairman Cruz said he was willing to work with those ideas, and the committee also discussed adding an on-ramp or legacy language so current patients would not be disrupted. Opposition testimony came from injured-worker advocates and representatives of medical and labor groups, including Joseph Jola St. and Robin Krumholt. They argued that Louisiana’s current guidelines are already working, that rates have fallen over time, and that the real problem is delay in approval rather than the content of the schedule. They said ODG is overly rigid, cost-driven, and can lead to denials that shift costs to workers, Medicaid, or private health insurance. They urged the committee to keep Louisiana’s existing system and instead adopt tacit approval under current law. The bill was still under discussion at the close of the transcript, with amendments being read and no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a brief reminder, it establishes funding.
• This fund has received no historic funding, and no appropriation is made from the bill, so I do not expect
• being used, it would be non-state funds, or else the center would not be created if non-state funds
• He called it nepotism and said the program should fund communities, not serve as a slush fund for NGOs
• Community reinvestment fund investments have success stories of economic mobility, especially for young

Bills: HB1073 , HB1128 , HB1316 , HB1408 , HB1591 , HB1592 , HB1634 , HB1906 , HB1960 , HB2073 , HB2145 , HB2248 , HB2266 , HB2301 , HB2333 , HB2365 , HB2401 , HB2416 , HB2421 , HB2438 , HB2474 , HB2475 , HB2515 , HB2517 , HB2523 , HB2548 , HB2597 , HB2637 , HB2640 , HB2660 , HB2675 , HB2685 , HB2720 , HB1742 , HB2104 , HB2186 , HB2405 , HB2557 , HB2593 , HB2636

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: national guard, military support, defense, state security, veteran services, child care, workforce standards, education, child development, training requirements, postsecondary education, homelessness, foster youth, education access, support programs, community preservation, development authorities, funding, local governance, state resources

Transcript Highlights:

• That needs to come out of their private funds.
• I do have a question around funding. How are these programs going to be funded?
• And where those funds are supposed to go.
• In Texas, SB 17 was signed into law, and it requires that schools in the Texas University System cannot
• Funding is critical.

Committee: House Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:

• The vast majority of emergency calls originate from mobile devices rather than traditional landlines.
• California's 911 system is acquired as a service from our vendor partners, and it is funded primarily
• That said, it wasn't until 2018-19 that meaningful amounts of funding became available, and that's when
• And so it will be paid for out of the funds that are collected from the surcharge. Okay, thank you.
• One was an actual outage that affected T-Mobile calls only, to T-Mobile calls to Tulare County Sheriff

Summary: The Emergency Management Committee held an oversight hearing on California’s Next Generation 911 rollout, focusing on Cal OES’s decision to move away from the original regional vendor model toward a statewide provider model. Cal OES said the regional architecture created complexity at the boundaries between regions, leading to misrouted calls, transfer problems, and degraded audio, and that a statewide model would better align with national standards and provide a more reliable, secure system. The Legislative Analyst’s Office urged the Legislature to pause further implementation until it has more information on the problems, tradeoffs, costs, and oversight needs, and recommended stronger reporting and possibly independent technical review before proceeding. Committee members pressed Cal OES on accountability, cost, testing, vendor selection, and whether the current system is safe. Cal OES said the project has cost about $456 million so far, most of it recurring service fees, and that 23 PSAPs had transitioned voice traffic while more than 440 total PSAPs remain in the state. Officials said the current system is operating, that a pause would not put the public at risk, and that the statewide conversion could be completed by summer 2030. Members and the LAO raised concerns about whether Cal OES has enough technical oversight and whether contract language alone is sufficient to prevent repeat problems. The vendor panel largely defended the regional model and argued that the existing system is already built, tested, and ready to expand. NGA 911, Synergem, Lumen, and Atos said the regional architecture provides redundancy and resilience, that early problems were often tied to legacy-system integration, carrier issues, or training rather than the regional design itself, and that a statewide redesign would add cost and delay. Atos said it serves as the statewide backbone and backup and has already carried live traffic, while vendors emphasized that they support continued modernization but believe California should build on the current regional investment rather than replace it.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, so Texas is in ERCOT. It's a different market.
• My concerns are that we don't end up like Texas.
• My concerns are that we don't end up like Texas, and I have a lot of real estate in Texas, and I do a
• lot of things in Texas.
• I'll tell you, working with the Texas commissioners, part of the challenge in Texas is that ERCOT doesn't

Bills: HB744 , HR197 , SB54 , SB79 , SB163 , SB287 , SB375 , SB386 , SB398 , SB469 , SCR5

Committee: House Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• Please amend so that mobile readers are free from Section 3's local restriction decree.
• Please amend so that mobile readers are free from Section 3's local restriction decree.
• in strong opposition. ...exemptions for mobile ALPR, we stand in strong opposition.
• Third, a Texas sheriff's department last year used 80,000 ALPRs networked by Flock to investigate an
• Third, a Texas Sheriff's Department last year used 80,000 ALPRs networked by flock to investigate an

Bills: SB6011

Committee: House Civil Rights & Judiciary

Keywords: court security, bailiffs, threat assessment, judicial safety, law enforcement

Transcript Highlights:

• , a family-owned and operated media company that publishes seven newspapers, magazines, websites, mobile
• As you heard, newspapers have incredible digital reach through our websites, mobile apps, digital e-editions
• So are you aware of the Texas case where a man has sued three friends of his now ex-wife for a million
• And so, like I said, I think the Texas law and every state's laws are slightly different, and sometimes
• We've seen dangerous cases like these brought in Texas and Arizona.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee took up two bills. SB 98, by Senator Harrell, would let self-storage facilities advertise lien sales either in a newspaper or on a qualifying website, while keeping other notice requirements in place and updating contact information provisions. Supporters, including the Florida Press Association and several newspaper/storage owners, argued print and digital newspaper notices already provide broad public notice and that the bill could reduce notice effectiveness; the sponsor said the bill is an optional modernization and does not affect government notices. After debate, the committee voted 8-1 to report SB 98 favorably. The committee then heard SB 164, by Senator Grall, which expands Florida’s Wrongful Death Act to allow parents to recover civil damages for the death of an unborn child at any stage of development, with carve-outs for the mother and lawful medical care. The sponsor said the bill aligns civil law with Florida’s criminal protections for unborn children and gives families a remedy where current law may not. Opponents, including the ACLU of Florida, health care workers, and others, warned it could invite lawsuits against doctors, hospitals, friends, family members, and people involved in abortion access, and could worsen OB-GYN shortages and deter care. Supporters said it recognizes unborn life and should be treated consistently with existing wrongful death law. The committee approved SB 164 on a 4-3 vote and then adjourned.