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• Today, I want to share an exciting vision for the future.
• , 472 vacancies. in RN education programs and 129 faculty vacancies. graduate nursing education programs
• And that's the future. You look at that field.
• And as we all talk about the future for our higher education. education.
• So let's seize this opportunity and invest in the future of Texas health care.

Bills: HB 1105, HB1527, HB1787, HB1972, HB2081, HB3296, HB3976, HB4071, HB4234, HB4438, HB4701, HB5092, HB5150, HB5180, HB5265, HB5333, HJR203

Keywords: tuition exemption, paramedics, higher education, laboratory fees, emergency medical services, peace officers, criminal justice, law enforcement, degree programs, public institutions, HB 1787, HPV, human papillomavirus, college health, university health, student health, public health education, prevention program, screening, early detection

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• Some brief background, the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, also referred to as the WWRP,
• provides capital funding for land conservation projects, including outdoor recreation and habitat conservation
• The Recreation and Conservation Funding Board establishes priorities for distributions from the WWRP.
• In the bill before you, the Habitat Conservation Account is amended so that it's...
• So that's why we support more efficiency in DNR's timber sale program.

Bills: SB5930, SB6075, SB6216, SB6233

Keywords: irrigation districts, director contracts, beneficial interests, transparency, governance, mitigation, habitat conservation, property rights, landowner compensation, fairness in mitigation, critical habitat, species preservation, riparian protection, salmon recovery, watershed planning, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Ecology, habitat conservation account, conservation easement, noxious weed control

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• </c> water quality certification program water quality certification program there's<00:15:52.480><c>
• </c><00:18:18.440><c> and</c> mandatory voluntary programs and mandatory voluntary programs and um<00
• So Ohio has a pretty robust program. They have a robust program down in Missouri.
• down in Missouri they have a program down in Missouri they have a program<00:20:30.919><c> in</c><00
• that the program is rigorous.

Bills: HF363, HF2155, HF1524, HF821, HF1677, HF1292

Keywords: HF363, property tax credit, agricultural water quality credit, Minnesota agricultural water quality certification program, clean water fund, class 2a, class 2b, certified acres, conservation incentive, water quality, agricultural property, county assessor, county auditor, Department of Revenue, Department of Agriculture, property tax reimbursement, school district reimbursement, legacy finance, taxes committee, southeastern Minnesota

Transcript Highlights:

• groundwater conservation efforts expand across the region.
• The Texas Farm and Ranchland Conservation Program allows landowners to voluntarily protect their agricultural
• House Bill 2018 clarifies that the program is intended solely for purchasing conservation easements on
• The Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program is a valuable tool to protect working ag lands, but
• 2018 will ensure that this program places an emphasis on conserving actual farms and ranches.

Bills: HB2018, HB1633, HB1689, SB612, SB3058

Keywords: agricultural conservation, land preservation, environmental protection, wildlife habitat, Texas Farm and Ranch, groundwater conservation district, Texas Water Code, water permit, permit amendment, groundwater permit, water rights, aquifer, well registration, exempt wells, beneficial use, water conservation, groundwater quality, well plugging, Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area, surface water resources

Summary: The Senate Water, Agriculture, Rural Affairs Committee heard several bills focused on groundwater management, water infrastructure, and agricultural land conservation. SB 612 would limit certain water districts in Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy counties from charging developers pipeline construction fees above actual, documented costs; the committee substitute removed a developer challenge mechanism to preserve district discretion over construction standards. HB 1633 would require groundwater conservation districts to consider registered exempt wells when reviewing or amending permits, and testimony from landowners, district representatives, and advocacy groups largely supported the bill as a way to protect domestic and livestock wells from drawdown caused by large export projects. HB 1689 would clarify that export fee revenues may be used for well operability, alternative water supplies, and aquifer monitoring, including through interlocal cooperation, and HB 3058 would give the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District authority to use export fees for county road improvements and environmental programs tied to well inspection and groundwater management. HB 2018 would clarify that the Texas Farm and Ranchland Conservation Program is intended to purchase conservation easements only on working agricultural lands, with support from cattle raisers and Farm Bureau representatives. The committee also considered HB 29, which would require large water systems to validate water loss audits and submit mitigation plans; a committee substitute removed the water-loss threshold and adjusted the timeline for more detailed validation. Public testimony on the bills was generally supportive, with several witnesses describing declining well levels, road damage from export projects, and the need to preserve agricultural land and local water supplies. The committee adopted committee substitutes and voted favorably on HB 29, HB 1689, HB 2018, SB 612, and SB 3058, recommending several of them for the local and uncontested calendar; HB 1633 was left pending awaiting a committee substitute.

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• and kind of ongoing program similar to the Clean Water Trust's other programs.
• We co-administer the SRF program with the Trust.
• of that program.
• What makes this program so effective is its efficiency and reach.
• Investing more in this program will help avoid disaster costs later on.

Bills: S2542

Keywords: climate resilience, resilience bond bill, environmental bond, infrastructure spending, flood control, coastal resilience, PFAS, clean water, wetlands, nature-based solutions, housing permitting, flood disclosure, land conservation, biodiversity, forest reserves, municipal vulnerability preparedness, MVP grant program, food security, agricultural resilience, solid waste

Transcript Highlights:

• I lead the water program for the Environmental Defense Fund here in Texas.
• as groundwater conservation efforts expand across the region.
• The Texas Farm and Ranch Land Conservation Program allows landowners to voluntarily protect their agricultural
• House Bill 2018 clarifies that the program is intended solely for purchasing conservation easements on
• The team will ensure that this program places an emphasis on conserving actual farms and ranches.

Bills: HB2018, HB1633, HB1689, SB612, SB3058

Keywords: agricultural conservation, land preservation, environmental protection, wildlife habitat, Texas Farm and Ranch, groundwater conservation district, Texas Water Code, water permit, permit amendment, groundwater permit, water rights, aquifer, well registration, exempt wells, beneficial use, water conservation, groundwater quality, well plugging, Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area, surface water resources

Bills: SB874, SB2098, SB2110, SB2126, SB2154, SB2160, HB818, SB2047, SB2116, SB2246, SB2250, SB2334, SB2505, SB2520, SB2561, SB2721, SB2820, SB2971, SB3019

Keywords: veterinary medicine, prescription, consumer rights, transparency, pet medication, agriculture, clean plant program, disease-free plants, Hawaii agriculture, plant propagation, conservation, soil health, climate change, food security, small farmers, technical assistance, Hawaii, grant program, small farms, midsize farms

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• Humanities Center programs are receiving $5 million.
• This would have significant impact on our programming.
• A little bit about the programs: to lose the ability to supplement programs such as our animal encounter
• , treetop trail programming, our adult programming—all would be impacted.
• are best suited that uphold the Constitution for the future.

Bills: HF2563

Keywords: HF2563, legacy finance bill, Legacy Amendment, outdoor heritage fund, clean water fund, parks and trails fund, arts and cultural heritage fund, Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, Clean Water Council, Minnesota legacy funds, habitat conservation, prairie restoration, wetland restoration, forest conservation, riparian buffers, water quality, groundwater protection, drinking water, septic systems, watershed planning

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• </c> uh, fixes the names for conservation uh, fixes the names for conservation corp.<00:03:55.440><c>
• </c> Center Programs is receiving $5 million. Center Programs is receiving $5 million.
• </c><00:23:58.960><c> and</c> Meg Krueger, and I'm the programs and Meg Krueger, and I'm the programs
• My name is Brian Rice. programs that center Minnesota's programs that center Minnesota's history,<00:
• We would also have to programs.

Bills: HF2563

Keywords: HF2563, legacy finance bill, Legacy Amendment, outdoor heritage fund, clean water fund, parks and trails fund, arts and cultural heritage fund, Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, Clean Water Council, Minnesota legacy funds, habitat conservation, prairie restoration, wetland restoration, forest conservation, riparian buffers, water quality, groundwater protection, drinking water, septic systems, watershed planning

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• One of my clients is the McMullen Valley Water Conservation and Drainage District.
• of water supplies and water costs in the future.
• And then there are other programs, there are conservation programs, serious conservation programs that
• in the future could be used.
• As noted earlier, this bill is unclear about the future of AZGO and AGIC.

Bills: HB2014, HB2031, HB2078, HB2102, HB2103, HB2117, HB2261, HB2262, HB2264, HB2278, HB2428, HB2494, HB2756, HB2758, HB2762, HB2782, HB2932, HB2933, HB2986

Keywords: air emissions, fuel blends, environmental quality, feasibility study, Arizona Department of Agriculture, water rights, groundwater, Willcox, active management area, certificate of grandfathered rights, Arizona legislature, aggregate mining, reclamation plans, environmental protection, public safety, land use, domestic water, improvement district, water delivery, water hauling

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• Yes, I think that is a key purpose of a groundwater conservation district is to conserve groundwater.
• 276 Yes, I think that is a key purpose of a groundwater conservation district is to conserve groundwater
• Should the study include the desired future conditions, since that's what the groundwater conservation
• Should the study include uh 286 The desired future conditions since that's what the groundwater conservation
• In order to get there, when I hear something like we’re planning for future use or other people’s future

Bills: HB24, HB27

Keywords: groundwater, conservation, water permits, sustainability, resource management

Summary: The committee met to hear House Bills 27 and 24 on groundwater issues in East Texas, with members and witnesses focusing on a proposed large-volume groundwater export project and the need for more science before major permitting decisions are made. HB 27, which was within the special session call, would direct the Texas Water Development Board to conduct a hydrogeologic study of the aquifers in the affected area and temporarily pause new export permits while the study is underway. HB 24, a separate bill that would limit certain production and export permits to 5% of modeled available groundwater, was laid out but the chair said it would not be moved out of committee. Testimony on HB 27 was largely supportive, though some witnesses were neutral. Supporters, including representatives from a water supply corporation, the Trinity River Authority, Environmental Defense Fund, and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, said the region lacks enough hydrologic data, that the proposed pumping could affect private wells, surface water, and local economies, and that the state needs better information on sustainable yield and groundwater-surface water interaction. Several witnesses emphasized that groundwater conservation districts need clearer tools and better data, while also noting concerns about property rights and the rule of capture. Committee members discussed the scale of the proposed project, the absence of a groundwater conservation district in Houston County, and the possibility that the study should examine desired future conditions and maximum sustainable pumping rather than only modeled available groundwater. The committee adopted the committee substitute for HB 27 and voted it out favorably to the full House with a recommendation that it do pass, be printed, and be sent to the Committee on Calendars. The roll call was unanimous, 11 ayes and 0 nays. After the vote, members briefly reflected on the complexity of the issue and the need to continue working on broader groundwater policy in the interim and next session. HB 24 was discussed later in the meeting, but no final action on that bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• That water conservation plan and whether that district would have an unreasonable impact on the conservation
• no issue with doing water conservation plans.
• As a layperson, I interpret the term water conservation plan.
• You don't have to have a water conservation plan.
• I'd like to hear that it does, um, uh, future use.

Bills: HB24

Keywords: groundwater, conservation, water permits, sustainability, resource management

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• county is the flood plain administrator, and we, um, are participants in the National Flood Insurance Program
• Which says that we can participate in that program, but we cannot adopt, um, standards that are less
• stringent than those in the program itself.
• The concern with that is that NFIP is a FEMA-backed program.
• is probably 99% of the annexations now in the last 6 years, and, and also moving forward into the future

Bills: HB24

Keywords: groundwater, conservation, water permits, sustainability, resource management

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• Part of, obviously, up in my area, we would like to see the program expand, and obviously the way to
• Nels Rodafeld, Assistant Director for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
• So you are willing to work on this piece of legislation in the future, and we try to keep that portion

Bills: HB4128, HB3659, HB3270, HB3145

Keywords: wildlife conservation, hunting regulations, mountain lions, black bears, archery season, senior citizens, licensing fees, waterfowl, nonresidents, public lands, farmed cervidae, chronic wasting disease, genetic resistance, wildlife management, agriculture, wildlife tagging, Cervidae family, feral swine, exotic wildlife, conservation

Summary: The Wildlife Committee first announced that House Bill 4147 would be laid over at the author’s request, and the chair said this would likely be the committee’s only wildlife meeting until more bills arrived from the Senate. The committee then took up House Bill 4128, which would move Oklahoma’s bear hunting season start two weeks earlier, to September 15. Members questioned the current bear population, harvest trends, and the effect of moving the season earlier on female harvests. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said its estimates are based on harvest data and prior OSU mark-recapture studies, and that the bear population is believed to be slowly increasing, with current estimates around 2,500. The department also said moving seasons earlier in Arkansas increased harvests and the share of females taken. Despite concerns about population impacts, the bill received a do pass recommendation and passed 6-0. The committee next considered House Bill 3659, a request bill for resident duck hunters that would allow nonresidents to hunt only Monday through Thursday during the last 30 days of duck season so residents could hunt weekends. There was no debate, and the bill passed 7-0. House Bill 3270, as amended with a PCS, addressed feral swine damage, especially to peanut farmers in western Oklahoma. The author said the measure was a work in progress and would need stakeholder input, including from sporting facilities that had concerns. After a brief discussion about trapping and other control methods, the bill passed 7-0. Finally, House Bill 3145, also amended with a PCS, was described as a clarification of language governing commercial hunt areas, since different operators were interpreting tagging rules differently. The committee approved the clarification and passed the bill 7-0. The chair then said no meeting was planned for the following week unless circumstances changed, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um but it is for future generations.
• , landowner contributions to conservation, landowner contributions to conservation.<00:03:24.000><c>
• And in 20124, the year conservation.
• </c><00:20:04.320><c> as</c> need to be addressed in the future as need to be addressed in the future
• </c> donated tag program. donated tag program.

Bills: SF0025, SF0027, SF0043, SF0066

Keywords: landowner licenses, hunting, wildlife management, quota hunt areas, game and fish commission, game management, hunting regulations, black bear, tracking dogs, wildlife conservation, conservation, contracting, supervisor, funding, districts, hunting licenses, donated licenses, life-threatening illness, vision impairment, nonprofit organizations

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> matter who wins future elections. matter who wins future elections.
• </c><00:08:33.680><c> I</c> programs and foundational support. I programs and foundational support.
• </c> mentioned we do have a lot of programs mentioned we do have a lot of programs in<00:31:24.559><c
• Thank you. but for future generations as well. but for future generations as well.
• So, that was a federal program, the Youth Conservation Corps, right? >> Yes.

Bills: SF0025, SF0027, SF0043, SF0066

Keywords: landowner licenses, hunting, wildlife management, quota hunt areas, game and fish commission, game management, hunting regulations, black bear, tracking dogs, wildlife conservation, conservation, contracting, supervisor, funding, districts, hunting licenses, donated licenses, life-threatening illness, vision impairment, nonprofit organizations

Transcript Highlights:

• over my head—but in that paragraph on the fiscal note where it talks about the school foundation program
• So, it says the school foundation program will experience an estimated revenue decrease from the 43 mil
• For the purpose of this analysis, the decrease in property revenue to the school foundation program is

Bills: SF0025, SF0027, SF0043, SF0066

Keywords: landowner licenses, hunting, wildlife management, quota hunt areas, game and fish commission, game management, hunting regulations, black bear, tracking dogs, wildlife conservation, conservation, contracting, supervisor, funding, districts, hunting licenses, donated licenses, life-threatening illness, vision impairment, nonprofit organizations

Transcript Highlights:

• So you are willing to work on this piece of legislation in the future, and we try to keep that portion

Bills: HB4128, HB3659, HB3270, HB3145

Keywords: wildlife conservation, hunting regulations, mountain lions, black bears, archery season, senior citizens, licensing fees, waterfowl, nonresidents, public lands, farmed cervidae, chronic wasting disease, genetic resistance, wildlife management, agriculture, wildlife tagging, Cervidae family, feral swine, exotic wildlife, conservation

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:46.519><c> uh</c> veterinary loan forgiveness program uh veterinary loan forgiveness program
• this program.
• </c> food for their summer feeding program food for their summer feeding program Which<00:35:36.079><
• I'm the soil conservation manager with Olmsted County Soil and Water Conservation District.
• to get the program kickstarted.

Bills: HF2446, HF2878, HF2667, HF1795, HF2683, HF2916

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant

Transcript Highlights:

• What's your groundwater conservation district over there?
• We even have a program which you all voted to improve last night, the Farm and ranch lands Conservation
• program that provides cost-share dollars to do conservation easements to keep land and agriculture.
• I'm with the Nature Conservancy in Texas.
• You are the Nature Conservancy, right? I am, yes.

Bills: HB 937, HB 2078, HB 2080, HB 3322, HB 3350, HB 4212, HB 4630, HB 4896, HB 4951, HB 5348, HB 5675, SB 565, SB 971, SB 1662, SB 2124

Keywords: special districts, notice requirements, Water Code, government transparency, public meetings, meeting notice, transparency, public engagement, notice, elections, groundwater management, water conservation, joint planning, environmental impact, desired future conditions, groundwater, conservation district, environmental quality, regulatory review, water utility