Transcript Highlights:

• You discussed one, which are the DACA applicants. For childhood arrivals.
• When I first started practicing law, I submitted the first round of applications.
• These are particular individuals for whom I file applications on a regular basis.
• I do, like I said earlier, I do. ...of DACA applicants.
• There is a narrow application here, members, that must deserve your attention.

Bills: SB664, SB40, SB9, SJR1, SJR5, SB27, SB207, SB2938, SB1901, SB1227, SB1248, SB912, SB1321, SB2143, SB2145, SB1497, SB1239, SB2180, SB1388, SB1762, SB1662, SB1951, SB1537, SB493, SB378, SB1020, SB1018, SB992, SB958, SB920, SB1350, SCR25, SB687, SB1332, SB2185, SB552, SB664, SB40, SB9, SJR1, SJR5, SB458, SB482, SB927, SB984, SB651, SB1620, SB2124, SB2448, SB841, SB843, SB402, SB2662, SB2053, SB2332, SB2112, SB745, SB1247, SB1789, SB27, SB207, SB2938, SB1901, SB1227, SB1248, SB912, SB1321, SB2143, SB2145, SB1497, SB1239, SB2180, SB1388, SB1762, SB1662, SB1951, SB1537, SB493, SB378, SB1020, SB1018, SB992, SB958, SB920, SB1350, HCR76, HCR127, HCR9, HCR40, HCR118, HR559, HCR59, HCR135, HCR141, HCR46, HCR109, HCR10, SCR25, HB2525, HB142, HB140, HB29, HB451, HB3809, HB3307, HB 1130, HJR1, HB9, SB17, SB260, SB509, SB1506, SB1637, SB2308

Keywords: Texas courts, judicial officers, associate judge, magistrate, master, referee, hearing officer, court administration, Government Code Chapter 54, Government Code Chapter 54A, bail training, Article 17.024, Article 15.17, local administrative judge, State Commission on Judicial Conduct, Office of Court Administration, county courts, criminal justice, criminal jurisprudence, judicial qualifications

Transcript Highlights:

• We have examination fees, application fees, and license fees.
• This was applied for with the applicant Tuskegee University, which is currently the sole trainer for
• Like I said, we have talked about ways to maybe create a rubric to evaluate applicants to apply for..
• . ...a rubric to evaluate applicants to apply for grants.
• They used a different software—completely different. We're a Microsoft... ...completely different.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But our application has a entire catalog of these different types of dashboards and we're working with
• It's included in the base cost within our application in Synergy.
• Again, built into our application is social-emotional learning.
• And so our application ensures it is 508 compliant.
• . of these types of screen reading software that the visually impaired will use.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do we have too many software platforms that our students use, which the provost has been very keen on
• Do we have too<01:13:07.920> many<01:13:08.480> software<01:13:09.480> platforms
• <01:13:10.160> that<01:13:10.280> our too many software platforms that our too many software
• So, uh software packages are IT space.
• we get from the federal free application we get from the federal free application for<01:40:17.040

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education met for its first summer interim meeting, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and took roll. The first presentation came from Jerry Gels, principal of Ignite Institute in Erlanger, who focused on the rising cost of dual credit. He said dual credit tuition has increased from about $150 to $290 for a three-credit course over roughly five years, which he argued is discouraging participation, especially for working-class and low-income students. He cited Ignite data and broader college outcomes to argue dual credit improves college persistence, shortens time to degree, and reduces student debt, noting that many of his students enter college with substantial credit and that low-income students at Ignite have increasingly participated after targeted efforts and scholarship use. He also said the instructional labor is largely paid by county school systems, so he questioned the size of the tuition increase and said the committee should examine how the costs are being set and whether college tuition should be stabilizing as more students arrive with credits already earned. Members asked about who pays for dual credit, the role of state scholarship support, and whether tuition varies by institution. Gels said students in his district generally pay the dual credit cost themselves, though some districts may cover it, and he noted the dual credit scholarship now covers fewer classes than before. He said the price appears to be set centrally rather than varying by university, and he emphasized that the higher cost is creating barriers even though the courses are taught largely by local teachers on school payrolls. He also described Ignite’s efforts to expand access for free- and reduced-lunch students, saying participation among that group rose from 27% with no dual credit to about 90-92% taking at least one dual credit class. The committee then heard from the Goldwater Institute, represented by Michael Frazier and Dr. Tim Minella by Zoom. They argued Kentucky’s public universities should face stronger accountability and transparency, citing declining public confidence in higher education, rising costs, and what they described as administrative growth and research spending that does not clearly benefit students or the Commonwealth. They proposed requiring a 10-year accounting of staffing growth by category, comparing it to enrollment and low-income Kentucky enrollment, and limiting non-STEM faculty teaching releases for research unless approved under a baseline consent process. They also criticized certain university-funded research projects as examples of misdirected spending and said public reporting should distinguish Kentucky residents from non-residents more clearly, pointing to a reported decline in low-income in-state undergraduate enrollment. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• , my understanding is that the recount would be in that particular locality, and so it would be applicable
• and so it in that particular locality and so it would<00:06:20.319> be<00:06:20.599> applicable
• to<00:06:21.360> that<00:06:21.599> locality<00:06:22.280> and would be applicable
• to that locality and would be applicable to that locality and then<00:06:23.080> it<00:06:23.400
• code of the machines in the software code of the machines that<01:06:30.359> the<01:06:30.480

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• program rounds for you know application program rounds for you know application rounds<00:32:57.720
• that funding the initial application that funding the initial application round<00:44:15.920>
• application application uh<00:44:28.000> which<00:44:28.200> frankly<00:44:28.680>
• But it's our software line.
• <03:50:15.600> they're manage all the applications they're manage all the applications they're

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a work session on the Department of Business and Economic Affairs budget, with testimony from Chase Hegman and Kathy Frederickson. Early discussion focused on staffing and vacancies, including a senior planner position tied to FEMA requirements, a program assistant funded by federal ORID dollars, a program specialist being considered for reclassification, two Housing Champions positions to be funded in the next biennium, and temporary welcome center positions. Members also reviewed the commissioner’s office, indirect cost recoveries tied to federal program administration, and the structure and staffing of rest areas and welcome centers, including the Turnpike-funded locations and seasonal staffing patterns. Members then moved through economic development and federal grant-related accounts. Hegman explained that a large share of the agency’s funding is federal, with some programs requiring state match, including the Apex Accelerator, which supports government contracting assistance for businesses. He described Apex as a small team that helps businesses with DOD and other contracting opportunities through webinars, matchmaking, and one-on-one support. The Office of Workforce Opportunity was described as largely federally funded through Commerce-related workforce programs and subrecipients, with some general fund support for agency-wide needs. The Northern Borders Regional Commission dues and capacity grant were also discussed, with officials explaining the state’s required contribution and the federal funds used to administer the program. A major point of discussion was the proposed reduction to the Small Business Development Center, which officials said provides one-on-one technical assistance to new and small businesses and has a strong return on investment. Members questioned the cut, the federal funding sources, and whether there was a waiting list for services; officials said they would provide more detail on matching requirements and funding. The committee also reviewed travel and tourism accounts, including the joint promotional grant program and tourism advertising funds, both of which are proposed to increase. Officials said the tourism marketing formula is based on a percentage of meals and rooms tax revenue and argued that the spending generates significant visitor spending and tax revenue, citing an outside ROI study and examples of advertising in test markets. No votes were taken during the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Implement agile software development. I'm not a software person.
• application.
• So what are the limitations of the current software you have? The applications that you're using?
• So what are the limitations of the current software you have? The applications that you're using?
• This would provide the software for those pieces.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our staffing team received over 41,500 41,500 41,500 applications, applications, applications, including
• We can reach out to applicants who have a profile in NEOGV, which is the recruiting software that we
• We can reach out to applicants who have a profile in NEOGV, which is the recruiting software that we
• We can reach out to applicants who have a profile in NEOGV, which is the recruiting software that we
• reviewing applications and screening. reviewing applications and screening.

Bills: SB1, SB4, SB6, SB9, SB16, SB17, SB20, SB22, SB28, SB29, SB36, SB41, SB45, SB77, SB85, SB87, SB96, SB98, SB110, SB126, SB139, SB143, SB164, SB167, SB171, SB186, SB188, SB195, SB197, SB198, SB204, SB205, SB206, SB207, SB209, SB210, SB211, SB217, SB219, SB220, SB225, SB231, SB237, SB238, SB241, SB244, SB246, SB247, SB272, SB294, SB315, SB346, SB364, SB366, SB367, SB386, SB392, SB403, SB415, SB427, SB431, SB437, SB457, SB459, SB469, SB471, SB478, SB484, SB489, SB502, SB503, SB507, SB508, SB510, SB516, SB517, SB518, SB519, SB521, SB535, SB543, SB550, SB564, SB568, SB570, SB575, SB577, SB578, SB590, SB607, SB616, SB621, SB634, SB644, SB647, SB649, SB652, SB655, SB656, SB663

Keywords: agricultural lands, foreign ownership, state agriculture policy, real estate regulation, land conservation, SB4, Royal Mausoleum, Mauna Ala, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, OHA, Department of Land and Natural Resources, DLNR, stewardship, Hawaiian affairs, cemetery, burial site, ancestral remains, cultural preservation, state land management, agency transfer

Transcript Highlights:

• parish, as an example, we just put in a road software a couple years ago, and it's night and day.
• And so we've got new software that the department is utilizing.
• This is not an applicable use for NERDA or NIFWIF.
• This is not an applicable use for NERDA or NIFWIF.
• For the projects we've identified, NERDA and NIFWIF are not applicable funds for it.

Summary: The committee met for an informational hearing focused largely on the state capital outlay process and House Bill 2. Roger Husser and Matt Baker of the Division of Administration/Facility Planning and Control described how the office prepares and administers the capital outlay bill, said the bill has grown substantially over five years, and argued that recent changes in culture, staffing, project management, cash-flow analysis, and use of third-party support have more than doubled project expenditures and improved delivery. Members asked about the use and cost of third-party project managers, delegation of smaller projects to agencies, hiring difficulties, and whether the changes represented better interpretation of existing law versus statutory changes. Husser said some statutes were amended, some internal customs were removed, and the office would provide a list of those changes. He also explained that the office is trying to move away from overly rigid practices and toward faster project completion while still following public-bid and oversight rules. A major portion of the discussion centered on the size and structure of the capital outlay bill, especially the gap between Priority 1 cash capacity and the much larger Priority 5 backlog. Husser said the current annual Priority 1 limit is tied to construction inflation and is about $574 million, with additional surplus funds also available, but that the bill contains far more Priority 5 funding than can realistically move in a five-year plan. He and members discussed dormant projects, scope creep, legacy projects that have sat in the bill for years, and the problem of false expectations for non-state entities. Proposed solutions included limiting Priority 5 to five times Priority 1, requiring annual re-endorsement by members, setting district or project caps for non-state projects, requiring time limits and reporting for grant-like non-state projects, placing matches in escrow, requiring design readiness before submission, and consolidating the many existing reporting requirements into one clearer report. Members also discussed bundling multiple projects under one agency project, which the House had begun piloting for LSU, UL Lafayette, Southern, and DOTD, and which Husser said could improve flexibility, reduce overappropriation, and better reflect actual spending. Baker then explained cash-flow management and the commitment process, saying FPC now analyzes projects annually to estimate what can actually be spent in the next fiscal year and uses commitments to allow projects to proceed when future-year funding is expected. He said overappropriations can result from poor cash-flow estimates, delays, dormant projects, or projects coming in under budget, and that the office is already reworking cash-flow assumptions and reappropriating savings where possible. Members also raised concerns about change orders and low bids; staff said project managers review change orders closely, require concurrence on non-state projects, and sometimes reduce scope to keep projects within budget. After FPC’s presentation, the committee heard the beginning of Louisiana Economic Development’s capital outlay discussion, where LED explained that its projects generally fall into three categories, including the Economic Development Awards Program and Site Readiness Program, both used to support targeted economic development and job creation.

Transcript Highlights:

• parish as an example, we just put in a road software a couple years ago, and it's night and day.
• And so we've got new software that the department is utilizing.
• This is not an applicable use for NERDA or NIFWIF.
• This is not an applicable use for NERDA or NIFWIF.
• For the projects we've identified, NERDA and NIFWIF are not applicable funds for it.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held an informational hearing on the state capital outlay process, with Roger Husser and Matt Baker of the Division of Administration’s Office of Facilities Planning and Control (FPNC) presenting a detailed review of House Bill 2 and proposed improvements. They said FPNC administers about 54% of the bill, while other agencies administer the rest, and emphasized that the capital outlay program has improved significantly over the last few years, with project expenditures more than doubling due to better cash-flow management, staffing changes, and more efficient project administration. They also explained how the bill is structured by priorities, how the priority-one cash line of credit is capped and adjusted for construction inflation, and how the bill has grown into a much larger, longer-range plan than a true five-year program, especially on the non-state side. A major theme was that the bill contains too many dormant, legacy, and low-priority projects, which creates false expectations and ties up funding. Committee members pressed the presenters on culture change, third-party project management, staffing shortages, and the use of technology and statutory interpretation to speed projects without sacrificing compliance. Husser and Baker said they had reduced internal bureaucracy, used staff augmentation because of hiring difficulties, delegated smaller projects to agencies when appropriate, and improved cash-flow analysis so projects can move forward with less money up front. They also discussed overappropriations, dormant projects, and the need to reappropriate unused funds to projects that can actually spend them. The presenters offered several recommendations and considerations: limit the number and size of new projects, reduce scope creep, require more regular endorsement of long-running projects, consider caps on priority-five funding, impose time limits and reporting requirements on non-state grant projects, and possibly require non-state entities to escrow or otherwise demonstrate their match earlier. They also suggested bundling related projects together, expanding that approach beyond the current pilot, and improving transparency by showing full project funding history and the first year each project appeared in the bill. No votes were taken, and the meeting remained informational, with members generally supportive of the efficiency reforms while also raising concerns about false hope, dormant projects, and the need for clearer expectations and accountability.

Transcript Highlights:

• and voted through both chambers, and I believe it had unanimous support, that these would be an application
• > process<00:03:23.240> for<00:03:23.360> which<00:03:23.520> would an application
• process for which would an application process for which would go<00:03:23.800> 5<00:03:24.160
• But all those things are replaceable on the outside and can certainly be upgraded with new software.
• And may I upgraded with new software.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:10 SB 6 Discussion 00:40 SB 6 Vote 00:13:30 Cochlear Implants 00:16:25, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee heard Senate Bill 6, sponsored by Senate President Robert Stivers, which would create an endowed research fund to support collaborative university research in Kentucky. Stivers described the bill as an extension of earlier higher-education research efforts, arguing that Kentucky should build research “hubs” by requiring or encouraging partnerships among universities and outside entities, with potential focus areas including health care, engineering, aerospace, agriculture, and other emerging fields. He said the proposal would establish five research tranches over five years and sought a $30 million endowment for each, generating annual interest to fund consortium-based research and leverage additional private and federal dollars. Senators Frommeyer, Neal, Givens, Boswell, and Richardson spoke in support, emphasizing economic development, job creation, and examples from other research clusters such as Boston and North Carolina’s Research Triangle. The committee voted 12-0 to report the bill favorably to the Senate floor. The committee then received a presentation from Dr. Matthew Bush of the University of Kentucky on pediatric hearing loss and cochlear implants. Bush explained that early hearing detection and intervention is critical because hearing loss in newborns is a neurocognitive emergency that affects language, literacy, and long-term outcomes. He outlined national screening benchmarks, Kentucky’s incidence of childhood hearing loss, and the high educational and societal costs of untreated hearing loss. Bush also highlighted disparities in rural and western Kentucky, where children face delayed diagnosis, longer waits for hearing aids or cochlear implants, and more difficulty accessing follow-up care. He described cochlear implants, the multidisciplinary care they require, and research showing improved language development, quality of life, and cost savings when children are treated early.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh AML KYC, uh applications.
• Why would we block access to the internet just because someone's building an application on it?
• So, it's software. And it's software that runs on a public infrastructure, public cloud.
• <01:40:31.880> So,<01:40:32.080> it's<01:40:32.240> software.
• So, it's software. And security checks. So, it's software.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting opened with roll call, confirmation of a quorum, and approval of the April 6 and May 4 minutes, with minor corrections noted to the May minutes. The main presentation came from JD of Link Network, introduced by Dan Cohen, who described Link’s work with crypto.com and other market participants on tokenized money market funds and real-time settlement for institutional clients. JD gave a detailed history of his earlier work developing the Arca U.S. Treasury Fund and ArCoin, emphasizing that the project was built within existing SEC and 1940 Act frameworks and was intended to use blockchain technology for a traditional asset rather than create a crypto product. He said the effort involved years of discussions with the SEC, multiple custodians, and partners such as U.S. Bank, T-Zero Securities, and Tassat, and that the model eventually led to Link’s settlement system. He highlighted concerns that shaped the design, including regulatory compliance, privacy for institutional users, and the need to bridge traditional banking hours with 24/7 digital asset markets. The presentation also described Link’s features, including segregated and bankruptcy-remote fund structures, tokenized deposit and treasury fund settlement, and “yield in transit,” which allows interest to accrue and be distributed daily down to a two-second block. JD said the platform is being expanded for use cases such as exchange liquidity, cross-border capital movement, off-exchange collateral, stablecoin bridging, treasury management, and peer-to-peer settlement. He closed by posing policy questions for the commission about the use cases for stablecoins versus tokenized money market funds in New Hampshire and whether the state could issue or administer a security-based program with appropriate compliance controls.

Transcript Highlights:

• If the number of applicants... Within the framework, as it should be.
• Again, if applications don't exceed available revenue, all are admitted.
• I am a successful software engineer. I'm the senior engineer at Omega Airline Software.
• to the public school, should be applicable to where our money goes.
• Applicable to the public school should be applicable to where our money goes.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 convened with a quorum, adopted its committee rules, and heard opening remarks from members introducing staff and outlining priorities for the session. Several senators emphasized support for public education, teacher pay and safety, parental choice, and the combined K-16 jurisdiction of the committee. The chair also reviewed hearing procedures, including public testimony registration and time limits. The main item was Senate Bill 2, the Texas Education Freedom Act, laid out by Chairman Creighton. He described the bill as an education savings account program intended to expand school choice, with a $200 million universal eligibility pool and an additional $800 million targeted to students with disabilities and lower-income families. He said the bill includes anti-fraud safeguards, criminal background checks for vendors, reporting requirements, data protections, and annual testing for participating students, while not imposing STAAR on private schools or homeschoolers. He also said the bill removes a prior hold-harmless provision for public schools and is separate from public school funding and teacher pay legislation. Members questioned the bill’s income threshold, lottery and priority structure, treatment of homeschoolers, microschools, charter schools, religious freedom protections, citizenship/lawful presence language, cybersecurity, open records, and disability-related issues, including whether 504 students and foster children should be included. Creighton said the bill is designed to prioritize former public school students with disabilities or lower incomes, while also allowing universal eligibility within the program’s first funding tier, and that the Comptroller would oversee vendor screening and cybersecurity rules. He said the bill does not direct curriculum or interfere with religious beliefs and that amendments may be offered later on citizenship and other issues. After member questions, the committee began invited testimony, starting with EdChoice representative Robert Inlow, who testified in support of SB 2 and cited national growth in school choice programs and studies he said show positive effects for students and public schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've launched an application process for new disaster assistance.
• I want to talk about the Guardian to summarize that it's not just a software project for us; it's really
• our forensic IG division and a second recurring request. of $250,000 to purchase AI in analytical software
• There were two unclaimed property vendors in the US that supported software for that.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And where we are right now is that we are working with the software vendor to implement the electronic
• And where we are right now is that we are working with the software vendor to implement the electronic
• I think that that is going with the software and that sort of with the software and that sort of thing
• There might be a cost of compliance of having some sort of software, but the idea of saving time, you
• , but the idea of saving time, software, but the idea of saving time, you<00:20:06.160> know,<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Figure one shows the number of license applications completed within 45 minutes, the percentage of calls
• As population growth increases, demand for driver's license applications and testing DPS is requesting
• improvements to streamline in-person services, including a secure document. portal and an automated application
• and they can look face-to-face and meet all the rules and regulations with the technology and the software
• Right now, people are writing their... application, they normally don't do it until they come in the

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• c> will carefully will carefully vet<00:20:25.440> um vet um vet um uh<00:20:26.640> applications
• to use the data for uh applications to use the data for public<00:20:29.160> uses.
• to somebody else, giving them away, putting them on your home computer—there are administrative software
• computer the- there<00:23:47.640> are<00:23:48.280> administrative<00:23:48.920> software
• there are administrative software there are administrative software physical<00:23:51.120> um

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:35:51.040> had<00:35:51.200> the<00:35:51.280> right<00:35:51.920> software
• if we had the right software? if we had the right software?
• Could these verifications just easily come down to an AI check at some point if we had the right software
• leading causes of which is actually the leading causes of errors, errors, errors, when when when applicants
• applicants applicants fail<00:40:28.160> to<00:40:28.280> report<00:40:29.320> income

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The licensing software is to go with that.
• And we would definitely need that, or we'll be running a system that doesn't run without the software
• just heard AODA say a little bit, but we are going to need to be upgrading and updating all of our software
• appreciate the funding that we got. last year in our budget for NICE N I C E, the cloud storage software
• point about the judges, you gave them a lot of money and they are attracting a lot of high caliber applicants

Transcript Highlights:

• This would be the eligible applicant This would be the eligible applicant This would be the eligible
• It's applicant uh who receives a loan. It's applicant uh who receives a loan.
• process the application and what's the process the application process for the grants?
• Is that a one-timer per applicant because that's how long the applicant because that's how long the applicant
• but to really get the word application but to really get the word application but to really get and

Bills: HJR 4, HJR 6, HB 195, HB 13, HB 143, HB 135

Keywords: occupation tax, securities, financial regulation, tax exemption, legislative amendment, capital gains tax, realized gains, unrealized gains, investment income, asset sale, capital assets, wealth tax, estate tax, trust tax, tax limitation, constitutional amendment, Texas Constitution, Article VIII, property tax, sales tax