Transcript Highlights:

• I'm happy to come speak about Texas Family Care.
• is that through the Texas Family First grant, we have actually been able to keep people engaged and
• Thank you, Rachel Walters, Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services. Is that correct?
• I'm the Senior Director of Public Affairs at the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services.
• That would make the Texas Family First pilots permanent and include direction in the statute to expand

Bills: SB596, SB961, SB1398, SB1183, SB1952

Keywords: DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, foster care, child welfare, Family Code, conservatorship, managing conservator, parental child safety placement, authorization agreement, temporary authorization order, child abuse, child neglect, placement reporting, court-ordered removal, investigation, family preservation, transparency, public reporting, data reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• The Lone Star Card is the ID card for financial assistance. assistance programs in Texas, such as SNAP
• With Feeding Texas against the bill, is that correct? That is correct.
• It goes from Southeast Texas all the way up to Austin, even affects North Texas and Dallas.
• We're going to mandate every grocery store in Texas. I love Senator Creighton. He's my senator.
• Texas Health and Human Services Commission work to ensure compliance with federal guidelines.

Bills: SB596, SB961, SB1398, SB1183, SB1952

Keywords: DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, foster care, child welfare, Family Code, conservatorship, managing conservator, parental child safety placement, authorization agreement, temporary authorization order, child abuse, child neglect, placement reporting, court-ordered removal, investigation, family preservation, transparency, public reporting, data reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 557 amends the Texas Family Code to create reasonable safeguards.
• This bill proposes several changes to the estate code in Texas.
• Your witness affirmation says Texas Family Foundation.
• House Bill 2301 is a straightforward amendment to the Texas Family Code and clarifies the timing of providing
• Since our inception in 2024, we have been providing advice or representation in Texas Family Code caregiver

Bills: HB557, HB732, HB1892, HB1954, HB2301, HB3180, HB3405, HB3650, HB3758, HB4035, HB4621, HB4795, HB4870, HB5069, HB5137, HB5149

Keywords: child support, arrears, court enforcement, contempt, legal protections, healthcare, insurance, cost reduction, accessibility, regulations, impotency, marriage annulment, Family Code, Texas law, family law, Texas legislation, dissolution of marriage, annulment, marriage, child custody

Transcript Highlights:

• When determining the allocation of parental responsibilities, House Bill 1106 amends the Family Code
• So the primary consideration according to Texas Family Code is always the best interest of the child,
• The family code wisely defines abuse as causing a child to sustain mental or emotional injury that impairs
• The Family Code defines abuse.
• It's the family code definition of abuse that this hearing would try to change.

Bills: HB 2646, HB 3941, HB 5153, HB 5155, HB 5394, HB 1106, HB 426, HB 4529, HB 3984, HB 4273, HB 1097, HB 3940, HB 1941, HB 4377, HB 3153

Keywords: child care, task force, high-quality care, affordability, prekindergarten partnerships, foster care, transitional living, Medicaid reform, youth assistance, independent living, services for youth, employment training, educational support, mental health services, health care, public health, child health program, reimbursement, local health entities, maternal health

Transcript Highlights:

• the, the, uh, amendments are designed to assure individuals that we will not be seeing, uh, multi-family

Bills: HB 148, HB 334, HB 554, HB 762, HB 1520, HB 1593, HB 3526, HB 3810, HB 5092, SB 2215, HB 2607

Keywords: family leave, leave pool, county employee, sick leave, vacation leave, family care, pandemic, guardianship, HB 554, fireworks, Juneteenth, Juneteenth holiday, retail fireworks permit, Texas Occupations Code, Local Government Code, county commissioners court, drought conditions, Texas A&M Forest Service, fire safety, holiday sales

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, show you as Sarah Crockett with Texas COSA for the bill. Is that correct?
• Uh, Julia Hatcher, Texas Association of Family Defense Attorneys, and yourself, and you are neutral on
• I've been practicing almost 28 years and I'm president of the Texas Association of Family Defense Attorneys
• So we, we, we hope that this bill is not an attack on family members, especially grandparents.
• They get upset when kids are taken away from them when family is found.

Bills: SB 2041, SB 1777, SB 1681, SB 2311

Keywords: child welfare, foster care, Department of Family and Protective Services, DFPS, Family Code, conservatorship, placement selection, contract residential care, kinship care, relative placement, designated caregiver, best interest of the child, least restrictive setting, placement stability, child protective services, residential treatment, group home, family reunification, Texas foster system, residential care

Transcript Highlights:

• Show you, Sarah Crockett with Texas CASA for the bill. Is that correct?
• I'm the Director of Public Policy for Texas CASA, here in support of Senate Bill 2311.
• I've been practicing for almost 28 years, and I'm President of the Texas Association of Family Defense
• We hope that this bill is not an attack on family members, especially grandparents.
• They get upset when kids are taken away from them when family is found.

Bills: SB2041, SB1777, SB1681, SB2311

Keywords: child welfare, foster care, Department of Family and Protective Services, DFPS, Family Code, conservatorship, placement selection, contract residential care, kinship care, relative placement, designated caregiver, best interest of the child, least restrictive setting, placement stability, child protective services, residential treatment, group home, family reunification, Texas foster system, residential care

Transcript Highlights:

• Investigations conducted by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, these investigative
• But because of certain family code provisions requiring confidentiality, this is never disclosed to law
• The existing family code reinforces orders already issued by the court instead of making them go back
• And it's even in the family code.
• Family Code has a specific statute that says every court order must have, you know, the legal provisions

Bills: SB456, SB826, SB872, SB957, SB993, SB1660, SB2017, SB2611, SB2785, SB2794, SB442

Keywords: human organs, criminal penalties, physician license, medical ethics, illegal trade, SB 826, Texas, DWI, driving while intoxicated, intoxicated driving, school crossing zone, school zone, reduced speed limit, traffic safety, child safety, pedestrian safety, felony DWI, state jail felony, Penal Code Section 49.04, Transportation Code Section 541.302

Bills: SB49, SB60, SB365, SB685, SB895, SB1191, SB1400, SB1401, SB1786

Keywords: junior college funding, performance tier, credentials, education, workforce development, Texas education law, performance tier funding, junior college, Texas education, student success, performance funding, education policy, state finance program, public junior colleges, educational outcomes, SB 60, public junior college library, community college, library materials, book donation

Transcript Highlights:

• So SB 500 amends the Family Code to establish clear deadlines to provide required records to the entities
• I recently worked with a family.
• I, um, recently worked at the family.
• I'm George Linneal, president of LeadingAge Texas.
• Out of the 39 CCRCs licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance, 33 are members of LeadingAge Texas

Bills: SB500, SB1522, SB1137, SB1266

Keywords: SB 500, Texas adoption law, Family Code, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child-placing agency, prospective adoptive parents, adoption records, confidential information, nondisclosure agreement, child history report, health history, social history, educational history, genetic history, termination of parental rights, permanency plan, single source continuum contractor, privacy, redaction

Summary: The Committee on Human Services met with a quorum and first voted out Senate Bill 1589, relating to contract requirements between a single-source continuum contractor and DFPS. The motion to report the bill favorably to the full House with a recommendation that it do pass and be printed prevailed on a 7-0 vote. The committee then heard Senate Bill 500, which would set deadlines for providing foster care adoption records, including health, social, educational, and genetic history reports, to speed adoptions. The bill’s author and witnesses from Addie’s Hope Social Services supported it, saying delays in redacted files can take months, slow permanency for children, and increase costs to the state. Members asked about redactions and sibling/family information, and witnesses explained the bill would mainly speed the preliminary file used to decide whether to proceed with placement. SB 500 was left pending. Members also heard Senate Bill 1266, which would require regular reevaluation of the Medicaid provider support team and add written notice of provider disenrollment at least 30 days in advance. There were no witnesses, no questions, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 1522, concerning continuing care retirement communities, was then laid out and supported by LeadingAge Texas and counsel, who said it updates outdated definitions, clarifies licensing and disclosure rules, and strengthens consumer protections for seniors. It was also left pending. After a brief recess, the committee heard Senate Bill 1137, which would prohibit group home consultants from referring people to unlicensed or unpermitted group homes except in limited circumstances, require disclosure of complaints, and create a Class B misdemeanor for violations. Members discussed whether consultants are regulated and noted concerns about unlicensed referral practices. The bill was left pending, and the committee adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• The problem is that there's nothing in the code that allows for the enforcement of the code against a
• Right now, county employees in Texas have limited options when facing major family issues.
• , in partnership with Texas Tech.
• How long have I known the Alders family? How long have you known the Alders family?
• The Texas Education Code currently places limits on severance pay for ISD superintendents, but those

Bills: HB148, HB334, HB554, HB762, HB1520, HB1593, HB3526, HB3810, HB5092, SB2215, HB2607, HB148

Keywords: family leave, leave pool, county employee, sick leave, vacation leave, family care, pandemic, guardianship, HB 554, fireworks, Juneteenth, Juneteenth holiday, retail fireworks permit, Texas Occupations Code, Local Government Code, county commissioners court, drought conditions, Texas A&M Forest Service, fire safety, holiday sales

Transcript Highlights:

• County family leave. The count is 8-4 for HB 344, the Blanco bill. Thank you.

Bills: HB148, HB148, HB334, HB554, HB762, HB1520, HB1593, HB3526, HB3810, HB5092, SB2215, HB2607

Keywords: HB 148, Texas Education Code, Texas Education Agency, TEA, artificial intelligence, AI, machine learning, automated scoring, constructed response, open-ended answers, student assessments, state testing, standardized tests, public schools, education policy, assessment instruments, school accountability, test scoring, 2026-2027 school year, family leave

Transcript Highlights:

• SB232 would designate October 21st as Unplugged Texas Day.
• That's why Unplugged Texas Day is so important.
• In the state of Texas? In Texas, yes. But we can't do these types of field trials in Texas.
• And how many are in Texas every year? How many trials, how many events are in Texas?
• I took it to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Director, and I said, hey.

Bills: SB2801, SB2232, SCR18

Keywords: SB 2801, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Parks and Wildlife Code, field trial permit, hunting dog field trial, coonhound trial, dog trial, squirrel hunting, fur-bearing animals, nongame animals, hunting license exemption, wildlife management, public land permit, private land hunting, game fish and water safety account, permit fee, commission rules, Parks and Wildlife Department, Unplug Texas Day, digital detox

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Heather King from the Texas Family Law Foundation.
• She's been the chair of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists.
• Now, in 153.004, this is so important because in Title V of the Family Code, we have to look at family
• law and family code stand for.
• Julia Hatcher from the Texas Association of Family Defense Attorneys.

Bills: HB809, HB 1193, HB1916, HB2558, HB1973, HB2350, HB2399, HB2340, HB 116, HB330, HB2496, HB116

Keywords: digitized signature, waiver of citation, marriage dissolution, electronic notarization, family law, HB 1193, informal marriage, common-law marriage, declaration of informal marriage, confidentiality, privacy, county clerk, vital statistics unit, Family Code, Health and Safety Code, marriage records, public records, personally identifying information, PII, legal representative

Bills: HB109, HB136, HB 109, HB136, HB694, HB 1201, HB1716, HB2071, HB2216, HB2358, HB2807, HB2886, HCR78

Keywords: taxation, ballot propositions, public funding, voter information, transparency, training, public officials, candidates, requirements, political education, mental health, inpatient psychiatric facility, juvenile treatment, residential treatment facility, emotionally disturbed juveniles, Department of State Health Services, Health and Human Services Commission, state grant, facility construction, facility expansion

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas.
• As a mother myself, I can tell you that this cannot be the way we support our Texas families and their
• HB 1097 proposes an amendment to section 261.101. of the Texas Family Code focusing on the mandatory
• They do a great job with that and yes the Texas Penal Code does say it has the requirements but what
• Texas families have children enrolled in both Medicaid and CHIP programs.

Bills: HB2646, HB3941, HB5153, HB5155, HB5394, HB 1106, HB426, HB4529, HB3984, HB4273, HB 1097, HB3940, HB1941, HB4377, HB3153

Keywords: child care, task force, high-quality care, affordability, prekindergarten partnerships, foster care, transitional living, Medicaid reform, youth assistance, independent living, services for youth, employment training, educational support, mental health services, health care, public health, child health program, reimbursement, local health entities, maternal health

Transcript Highlights:

• However, many states, including Texas, are not consistently auto-registering newborns, leading to delays
• shows that nearly one in five newborns were not enrolled. not automatically enrolled in Medicaid in Texas
• Currently, many Texas newborns are falling through the cracks and not getting timely care. timely health
• The organization conducted interviews with maternal healthcare providers, and one family physician noted
• It is to fix an oversight in Texas law.

Bills: HB2646, HB3941, HB5153, HB5155, HB5394, HB 1106, HB426, HB4529, HB3984, HB4273, HB 1097, HB3940, HB1941, HB4377, HB3153

Keywords: child care, task force, high-quality care, affordability, prekindergarten partnerships, foster care, transitional living, Medicaid reform, youth assistance, independent living, services for youth, employment training, educational support, mental health services, health care, public health, child health program, reimbursement, local health entities, maternal health

Transcript Highlights:

• Many youth run away from home due to family conflict, abuse, neglect, or instability.
• I'm the Director of Youth Justice with Texas Appleseed, testifying in support.
• One is FASE, Family and Youth.
• Juvenile probation departments across Texas.
• Again, I am Mary York with the Texas Workforce Commission.

Bills: HB1821, HB1822, HB1943, HB3882, HB4263, HB4476, HB4628, HB4631, HB4885, HB4923, HB5461, HB5483, HB5525

Keywords: juvenile records, sealing, privacy, criminal justice, youth rehabilitation, legal procedures, juvenile court, record sealing, nondisclosure, age jurisdiction, criminal justice reform, juvenile board, compensation, Winkler County, juvenile justice, county funding, grants, career education, technical programs, workforce development

Transcript Highlights:

• Teachers across the state of Texas want to make certain—I don't know.
• I fully support the ability of teachers under current Texas Education Code 37.002 to formally remove
• I fully support the ability of teachers under current Texas Education Code 3702 to formally remove a
• We have student codes of conduct.
• That really is a family sort of culture, I think.

Bills: SB27, SB226, SB326, SB570, SB605, SB870, SB991, SB1871, SB1872, SB1873, SB1874, SB1924, SB1925

Keywords: residency, public schools, child safety placement, enrollment, education code, antisemitism, student conduct, education, disciplinary actions, Texas Education Code, truancy, attendance policy, chronic absenteeism, school attendance, student absence notifications, parent notification, home visit, attendance officer, truancy court, school district

Summary: The committee heard a series of school safety and discipline bills, beginning with SB 870, which would codify an attorney general opinion allowing local school boards to decide whether school marshals may openly carry, conceal carry, or store a firearm in a secure safe on campus. The bill was laid out with no public testimony and left pending. The chair then moved to a combined discussion of SB 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, and 1924, all focused on school discipline, teacher authority, and student safety. Senators Perry and Creighton described the package as a response to rising classroom disruptions, assaults on teachers, and concerns that districts lack effective tools to maintain order. SB 1871 would expand teacher removal authority, require return-to-class plans before a student removed for certain conduct can return, make some serious offenses mandatory for placement in juvenile justice settings, and provide telehealth mental health services through a consortium. SB 1872 would require expulsion to a JJAEP for assaults on teachers or school volunteers and extend certain expulsion-eligible conduct to off-campus offenses. SB 1873 would restore the prior understanding that in-school suspension is not subject to a three-day limit. SB 1874 would grant teachers immunity from disciplinary action for reporting discipline violations or acting in compliance with Chapter 37. SB 1924 would restore authority for local police and school district police to issue Class C citations for school offenses and require criminal referrals for students posing an imminent threat or assaulting a teacher, with a substitute clarifying referral rules when a citation has already been issued. The committee adopted the substitutes for the bills and moved them forward. Invited witnesses from teacher and administrator groups largely supported the overall goal of stronger discipline and safer classrooms, while asking for refinements. The Texas Classroom Teachers Association testified that teachers need more autonomy to remove disruptive or violent students and that classroom removals should not mean removal from learning. Superintendents from San Angelo, Grandview, and Wiley ISDs supported the bills’ emphasis on safety, expanded ISS flexibility, mandatory placement for serious offenses, and telehealth mental health services, but asked for more local control, flexibility for Districts of Innovation, more than one campus behavior coordinator in large districts, clearer timelines for return-to-class plans, and more precise definitions for disruptive conduct. Several witnesses stressed that teacher retention and student learning are being harmed by current discipline problems, while some members raised concerns about vague standards and the risk of overuse or public humiliation through citations and removals.

Transcript Highlights:

• All the geographical areas in the state of Texas.
• I fully support the ability of teachers under current Texas Education Code 37.002 to formally remove
• I mean, we had 50,000 new teachers in Texas last year.
• So, in the code, there's no length of time for the committee.
• They're the Texas positive character traits.

Bills: SB27, SB226, SB326, SB570, SB605, SB870, SB991, SB1871, SB1872, SB1873, SB1874, SB1924, SB1925

Keywords: residency, public schools, child safety placement, enrollment, education code, antisemitism, student conduct, education, disciplinary actions, Texas Education Code, truancy, attendance policy, chronic absenteeism, school attendance, student absence notifications, parent notification, home visit, attendance officer, truancy court, school district