Bills: HB188, HB 265, HJR35

Keywords: emergency preparedness, flood-prone communities, Texas Rural Emergency Preparedness Fund, disaster relief, funding, youth camp, safety regulations, advisory committee, child welfare, health standards, summer camp, camp safety, child abuse reporting, child neglect, mandatory reporting, background check, criminal history check, sex offender registry, CPR training, first aid

Keywords: KY LRC YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdrgN3gvX-8, 2026-06-21T07:17:07+00:00, 2.2.24, Data collected via generic collector engine, Meeting Start: 00:00:11 Roll Call: 00:00:21 Approval of Minutes of the December 15, 2023 Meeting: 00:01:32 Sex Offender Registration: 00:03:52 Wrongful Conviction Compensation: 00:22:03 Destructive Devices and Booby Trap Devices: 00:58:27, 958, all, 2.2.42, 2.1.47

Bills: HB372, HB414

Keywords: HB372, Justice of the Peace Court, Delaware courts, Title 10, court administration, judicial staffing, county courts, Kent County, New Castle County, Sussex County, Wilmington, 24-hour hearings, court locations, court hours, magistrate court, access to justice, court consolidation, Delaware General Assembly, destructive weapon, possessing a destructive weapon

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee met and heard three bills. HB 372 would reorganize Justice of the Peace Court resources by shifting the number of judges and court locations among counties, consolidating overnight operations into a single 24-hour court in Kent County, and adjusting staffing to address workload and efficiency concerns. Chief Judge Alan Davis said the change responds to increased civil filings, automated enforcement, and staffing shortages, and that a Sussex County pilot closing a 24-hour facility had worked without major issues. Some members raised concerns about impacts on Sussex and Kent County, bail processing, and local response times, while public comment included one supporter. The committee voted to release HB 372. The committee then considered SB 324, which amends Delaware’s permit-to-purchase law to allow constable agencies, including those serving institutions like Delaware Tech, to purchase handguns for newly hired constables without duplicative background checks. Sponsor Representative Cook said the bill aligns constable procurement with existing law-enforcement exemptions while preserving gun-safety requirements. Public testimony included support from Delaware Tech and comments urging broader fixes to the permit-to-purchase law, including exemptions for retired officers with federal 218 credentials and clarification on firearms returned from manufacturers, gunsmiths, or police departments. The committee voted to release SB 324. Finally, the committee heard HB 414, which clarifies that the Superior Court’s exclusive jurisdiction over certain destructive-weapon offenses applies only to adults, while juvenile cases would still begin in Family Court. Sponsor Representative Romer said the bill preserves the Family Court’s role in handling youth cases and allows referral to Superior Court when appropriate. The Department of Justice said it still believes Superior Court is the proper venue for these serious charges, while the Office of Defense Services supported keeping youth cases in Family Court first, arguing that rehabilitation and juvenile-specific dispositions are more appropriate. After public comment, the committee voted to release HB 414, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• the discretion of the courts, considering the facts of each case and the characteristics of the offender
• going to have a path forward that is better for Delaware's victims, our prosecutors, and our public offenders

Bills: HB372, HB414

Keywords: HB372, Justice of the Peace Court, Delaware courts, Title 10, court administration, judicial staffing, county courts, Kent County, New Castle County, Sussex County, Wilmington, 24-hour hearings, court locations, court hours, magistrate court, access to justice, court consolidation, Delaware General Assembly, destructive weapon, possessing a destructive weapon

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on public safety, courts, and family law. House Bill 141, with House Amendment 1, would require the Department of Safety and Homeland Security to create a firearm responsibilities notice for firearm purchasers through licensed dealers, covering Delaware gun laws, safe storage, lost/stolen reporting, straw purchases, suicide prevention, and other safety responsibilities. Testimony from the NRA, Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association, Moms Demand Action, the Coalition for Safer Delaware, and Delaware State Police was uniformly supportive, emphasizing education, standardized dealer practices, and potential evidence for straw-purchase prosecutions. No committee questions were raised, and the bill was moved forward after public comment. House Bill 326 would create a new offense for theft by impersonating a family member, aimed at scams involving spoofed calls, texts, or online messages that pressure victims to send money. The sponsor described the bill as a response to increasingly sophisticated fraud enabled by artificial intelligence, and noted that a House amendment removed an original mandatory minimum jail term, leaving sentencing to the courts. No public testimony was offered on the bill. House Substitute 1 for House Bill 150 would prohibit civil arrests inside courthouses and certain Department of Labor proceedings, with the sponsor arguing that such arrests deter people from coming to court or seeking protection; the bill would allow criminal arrests and civil arrests only with advance written notice. No testimony was taken on that measure. Senate Bill 284, the First State Emergency Responders Act, would create a narrowly tailored offense for intentionally approaching within 25 feet of first responders at emergency scenes after crossing a barrier or ignoring warnings, if done to interfere, threaten, or harass. Supporters, including police, fire service, and sportsmen’s groups, said it would protect responders and preserve emergency operations, while the Office of Defense Services opposed it on First Amendment and overbreadth grounds, arguing existing laws already cover much of the conduct. Senate Bill 304 would amend Delaware’s safe school zone law to allow private schools to use trained, vetted sentries or similar security arrangements; supporters said it would give smaller private schools an affordable safety option, while the sponsor said the bill needed more work and should not move forward yet. The committee also heard Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 314, which would clarify how courts handle evidence that a sexual assault complainant previously made a false allegation; DOJ and ODS said the substitute reflects a consensus approach, and YWCA Delaware supported it as a survivor-protective reform. Finally, Senate Bill 343 would expand methods for serving child support respondents in Family Court by authorizing service through certified mail and carriers such as USPS, UPS, and FedEx, addressing cases where people avoid in-person service using doorbell cameras and other technology. The Division of Child Support Services supported the bill as a practical update that would improve timeliness while preserving proof-of-delivery safeguards. At the end of the meeting, a motion was made and seconded, and the chair adjourned the session.

Bills: HB0070, HB0043, HB0103, HB0157, HB0092, SF0092

Keywords: foreign censorship, digital innovation, constitutional rights, Wyoming GRANITE Act, extraterritorial laws, civil actions, speech protection, legal jurisdiction, joint liability, money laundering, illegal investment, financial institutions, criminal activity, Wyoming legislation, First Amendment, free speech, lawsuits, immunity, public participation, strategic lawsuits

Bills: HB0070, HB0043, HB0103, HB0157, HB0092, SF0092

Keywords: foreign censorship, digital innovation, constitutional rights, Wyoming GRANITE Act, extraterritorial laws, civil actions, speech protection, legal jurisdiction, joint liability, money laundering, illegal investment, financial institutions, criminal activity, Wyoming legislation, First Amendment, free speech, lawsuits, immunity, public participation, strategic lawsuits

Bills: HB0070, HB0043, HB0103, HB0157, HB0092, SF0092

Keywords: foreign censorship, digital innovation, constitutional rights, Wyoming GRANITE Act, extraterritorial laws, civil actions, speech protection, legal jurisdiction, joint liability, money laundering, illegal investment, financial institutions, criminal activity, Wyoming legislation, First Amendment, free speech, lawsuits, immunity, public participation, strategic lawsuits

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I will welcome, open the hearing on Senate Bill 323, which revises provisions relating to offenders
• 'When you have something that means this much to those offenders, they take it more serious,' he said
• settled as sort of an intermediary solution until that infrastructure can be installed and until offenders
• have access to that female offenders do not, which itself is an equal protection problem that this bill
• It pays for equipment, basketball equipment, that type of stuff for the offenders.

Bills: SB60, SB85, SB323

Keywords: elderly, vulnerable persons, criminal penalties, theft, civil penalties, criminal justice reform, traffic stops, law enforcement, data recording, public safety, racial profiling, SB323, Nevada, Department of Corrections, offenders, inmates, incarcerated people, prison phone calls, free phone calls, family communication

Bills: HB42, SB246, SB38, SB194, SB183, SB253, SB160

Keywords: unclaimed vehicles, towing, Department of Revenue, notification requirements, abandoned vehicles, real estate, residential property, single-family home, homeowner protection, property solicitation, unsolicited offer, wholesaling, real estate wholesaling, assignment contract, equitable interest, investment property, house flipping, predatory real estate practices, title cloud, deceptive trade practices

Bills: HB462, HB8, HB8

Keywords: emergency medical services, military training, licensure, public health, veterans, tobacco regulation, vaping, sales restrictions, youth protection, tobacco compliance, education programs, electronic nicotine delivery systems, campus chaplain, chaplain, school chaplain, volunteer, public K-12 schools, public schools, public charter schools, education policy

Bills: SB156, SB134, SB108, SB47, SB88, SB89, SB106, SB18, SB9, HB38, HB54

Keywords: habitual felony offender, resentencing, Alabama Department of Corrections, victim notification, criminal justice reform, life sentences, parole eligibility, pardon, parole, law enforcement, GPS monitoring, data sharing, mail theft, stolen mail, criminal penalties, personally identifying information, felony, misdemeanor, expungement, criminal records

Bills: HB8, HB380, HB8, HB380

Keywords: tobacco regulation, vaping, sales restrictions, youth protection, tobacco compliance, public health, education programs, electronic nicotine delivery systems, human cloning, criminal penalties, embryo, genetic modification, bioethics, campus chaplain, chaplain, school chaplain, volunteer, public K-12 schools, public schools, public charter schools

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1370 on habitual traffic offender designation by Chair Martin.
• This expands the definition of a habitual traffic offender to include repeated convictions for driving
• the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to designate a person as a habitual traffic offender
• treats unlicensed driving the same as other serious traffic offenses for purposes of habitual traffic offender
• status, and it allows a person designated as a habitual traffic offender to be prosecuted for a third-degree

Bills: S0086, S0642, S0712, S0758, S0896, S1224, S1300, S1370, S1712

Keywords: unauthorized aliens, commercial motor vehicles, safety regulations, civil penalties, law enforcement, bail bond, insurance regulation, foreign insurers, financial disclosure, premium reporting, pyramid schemes, consumer protection, fraud prevention, legal affairs, penalties, justice, administrative commission, membership, state attorneys, public defenders

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present and took up a series of bills, beginning with SB 1300 on education and workforce development for current and former inmates. Senator Claudio explained that the bill is intended to expand collaboration between the Department of Transportation and the Department of Corrections to provide training opportunities tied to Florida’s need for CDL drivers. The bill was reported favorably without debate. Members then considered SB 896 on campus safety, as amended by strike-all and late-filed amendment. The bill would require postsecondary institutions to adopt active assailant response plans, conduct security risk assessments, improve threat reporting and information sharing, and allow voluntary participation in the guardian program; the late-filed amendment removed a prohibition on guardians wearing uniforms. After questions about the firearm-discharge provision near campuses and testimony both for and against, the committee reported the bill favorably. The committee also reported favorably SB 86 on commercial motor vehicles operated by unauthorized aliens, SB 642 on foreign and alien bail bond insurers, and confirmed appointees listed on tabs 10 through 19. The committee next heard SB 712 on pyramid promotional schemes, which would create a new prohibition and increase penalties while preserving legitimate direct sales plans. Members raised concerns about whether participants in such schemes might themselves be victims, and the sponsor said prosecutorial discretion would distinguish victims from primary wrongdoers; the bill was reported favorably. SB 1224 on rental housing application fraud was also amended and reported favorably after testimony from apartment and realtor groups in support. In the latter part of the meeting, Chair Martin presented SB 1370 to expand habitual traffic offender status to repeated unlicensed driving, and SB 1712 to create a statewide FDLE counterintelligence and counterterrorism unit. SB 1370 was reported favorably unanimously. SB 1712 drew extensive questioning and public opposition over concerns about broad language, surveillance, and possible impacts on speech and protest, but the sponsor said the unit would focus on protecting the state from adversary intelligence threats and operate within constitutional limits; it was reported favorably. Finally, SB 758 on the Justice Administrative Commission was amended to adjust commission membership and reported favorably unanimously. The committee then recorded additional votes for members and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• You're recognized to present habitual traffic offender designations. Thank you, Chair.

Bills: S0260, S1220, S1352, S1362, S1370

Keywords: electric vehicle, EV, battery fire, lithium-ion battery, towing, wrecker service, vehicle storage, submerged vehicle, saltwater damage, fire marshal, fire safety, tow yard, impound, storage fee, administration fee, local ordinance, county ordinance, municipal ordinance, insurance coverage, motor vehicle insurer

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee heard several bills, beginning with SB 1362 on advanced air mobility. Senator Harrell described the bill as a framework for vertiports and eVTOL aircraft, but an amendment removed the sales tax exemptions and narrowed the sovereign immunity provisions to vertiports co-located at airports. Supporters said the bill would help Florida lead in emerging aviation technology, while opponents and some members raised concerns about safety, local control, and extending immunity to unproven facilities. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also considered SB 260 on storage of damaged electric vehicles. The bill, as amended, would allow local governments to set a daily administrative fee of up to three times the normal rate for storing EVs with visible battery damage or saltwater intrusion, reflecting fire-safety spacing requirements. Testimony from insurers, towing interests, and fleet operators focused on whether the fee was justified, whether cleanup language could lead to cost shifting, and whether more data reporting should be required. The amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. Members then approved SB 1352, which creates a secure online portal for license plate seizures and related DMV functions, preserves disabled veterans’ plate designations, prohibits license plate covers that obscure plates, and routes online license and ID renewals through county tax collectors. SB 1370 was also reported favorably; it closes a loophole so drivers who never obtained a license can still face habitual traffic offender penalties after repeated offenses. Finally, the committee took up SB 1220, a broad FDOT transportation package. After amendment, it retained provisions on trails, SunTrail, seaports, airports, drone delivery, autonomous vehicle protections, and FDOT coordination on federal funding, while removing the digital driver’s license provision and the rapid rail compact language. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• As of January 2025, the recidivism rate for offenders looking back three years, who have partially or
• Appropriate screening, assessment, and treatment of DUI offenders in our justice system can be part of
• It is troubling that we have people who are repeat offenders. We criminalize it. They still do it.
• offenders.
• offenders.

Bills: SB60, SB85, SB323, SB309, SB465

Keywords: elderly, vulnerable persons, criminal penalties, theft, civil penalties, criminal justice reform, traffic stops, law enforcement, data recording, public safety, racial profiling, SB323, Nevada, Department of Corrections, offenders, inmates, incarcerated people, prison phone calls, free phone calls, family communication

Transcript Highlights:

• The offender engages in this behavior for weeks, months, and years on end.
• with the offender escalating to an assaultive offense.
• A short stint in custody isn't going to deter the offender.
• So the TDCJ does have sex offender rehabilitation programming.
• Such that they're no longer likely to go into the community and re-offend.

Bills: HB1826, HB1969, HB2708, HB2729, HB3618, HB4515, HB4764, SB1021, SB1610

Keywords: mental health, women's health, county jail, depression screening, criminal justice, inmate release, identification certificate, Texas Department of Corrections, personal identification, driver's license, state law, reentry services, nondisclosure, criminal history, criminal defendants, community supervision, misdemeanors, felonies, rehabilitation, hearsay

Bills: SB211, SB241, HB614

Keywords: school safety, local law enforcement, superintendent, complaints, school bus regulations, criminal enterprise, database, law enforcement, crime management, Alabama law, DUI, driving under the influence, drunk driving, license suspension, driver's license revocation, ignition interlock, interlock device, breathalyzer, alcohol offense, impaired driving

Bills: SB2015

Keywords: corrections, rehabilitation, prison budget, department of corrections, adult services, youth services, correctional facilities, Heart River correctional center, Missouri River correctional center, James River correctional center, minimum security facility, county jails, regional jails, deferred maintenance, capital construction, strategic investment and improvements fund, Bank of North Dakota, line of credit, tasers, body cameras

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division met with all members present and took up several bills, focusing most of the discussion on SB 1577 and SB 1619, along with a detailed review of the HHS budget bill draft. On SB 1577, Senator Magrum explained that the bill was being revised to focus on wastewater rather than raw water, possibly shifting the Washburn project to the Department of Water Resources so it could access matching funds, and potentially converting the bill into a line of credit if federal money is restored later. Members discussed whether to keep an emergency clause or instead use a date-based approach, and agreed the bill would likely be handled through the full committee and possibly reconsidered later. On SB 1619, Senator Davison said amendments were still being worked on, including changes requested by the Bank of North Dakota, and the committee planned to hold it for possible amendment before full committee consideration. The bulk of the meeting was a section-by-section review of the HHS appropriations bill draft. Members discussed one-time funding items such as technology projects, child care programs, housing programs, behavioral health facility grants, infant and toddler care provider support, juvenile justice diversion, medical housing, and other public health and human services projects. Several adjustments were noted, including reductions or changes to IMD-related funding, incarcerated-person treatment funding, the child welfare technology project, and the provider rate increase. The committee also discussed the FTE block grant structure at length, with staff explaining that the apparent increase in positions reflected budgeting mechanics, zero-dollar “phantom” positions, and positions approved previously but not counted in the FTE total. Members raised concerns about transparency and whether the bill should list FTE numbers, but staff said the block grant was intended to give the department flexibility while quarterly reporting would provide oversight. Other topics included Medicaid expansion funding and provider reimbursement rules, the move toward certifying human service centers as certified community behavioral health clinics, a moratorium on new ICF beds, and studies or reports on Medicaid, obesity, disability services, truancy, and behavioral health facility grants. The committee also discussed removing or revising broad intent language in Section 31 so the department would report findings rather than implement changes without further legislative action. No final votes were taken in the transcript; instead, members agreed to make a few technical adjustments, continue reviewing the bill, and likely revisit it the next day before moving it to conference committee.

Bills: SB2015

Keywords: corrections, rehabilitation, prison budget, department of corrections, adult services, youth services, correctional facilities, Heart River correctional center, Missouri River correctional center, James River correctional center, minimum security facility, county jails, regional jails, deferred maintenance, capital construction, strategic investment and improvements fund, Bank of North Dakota, line of credit, tasers, body cameras

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division met to finalize changes to the human services budget bill and related amendments. Members discussed several items, including a proposed $5 million appropriation for the Altru Hospital project to address inflationary costs, with the rest of the funding question left for conference committee. They also agreed to keep the 10-year operating requirement language for the project and remove a matching-funds provision that was no longer needed. The committee spent considerable time on the OASIS child welfare IT system. Donna Auckland explained that the project is still in the RFP stage, with vendor selection and contract negotiation likely taking months, and that the system will require 50-50 federal matching authority. Based on that testimony, the committee agreed to reduce the general fund amount from $14 million to $6 million and use a line of credit for the remaining authority, while preserving the federal match authority so the contract can be signed and the project can proceed. Members also approved a technical fix to add governor’s designee language for the Children’s Cabinet, which had been missed in another bill already on the governor’s desk. Keith reviewed updated long sheets showing additional budget adjustments, including provider inflation changes, a $50,000 Family Voices grant, reductions to CARES Act COVID funds, and moving the $5-per-day basic care rate increase from ongoing to one-time funding. No formal votes were recorded in the transcript, and the committee adjourned with plans to reconvene Monday if the final bill version was ready.

Bills: SB2015

Keywords: corrections, rehabilitation, prison budget, department of corrections, adult services, youth services, correctional facilities, Heart River correctional center, Missouri River correctional center, James River correctional center, minimum security facility, county jails, regional jails, deferred maintenance, capital construction, strategic investment and improvements fund, Bank of North Dakota, line of credit, tasers, body cameras

Summary: The committee first discussed a wastewater infrastructure bill, centered on whether state support should be provided as a grant or through the existing Clean Water State Revolving Fund as a low-interest loan program. Department of Environmental Quality official David Brushwine explained that the SRF already finances wastewater projects, can leverage federal funds with state bond proceeds, and could accommodate the Washburn, Lincoln, and Peasant projects if they are ready to proceed. Members noted that losing federal grant support would make projects harder for local residents to afford because costs would be recovered through utility rates or special assessments, but the projects would still be eligible for loans. Senator Magrum indicated he would likely concur with the budget after this discussion, and the bill was set aside for later consideration. The committee then turned to a proposed amendment for a four-plex housing project for people with disabilities or other special needs. Senator Mathern described Sections 7 and 8 as creating a design consultation appropriation and a revolving loan fund modeled on existing hospital and nursing home loan programs, while Section 9 would transfer $3.3 million from the state infrastructure fund. Members debated ownership, rent subsidies, repayment terms, and whether the state should finance the project directly or leave it to a private developer with Department of Human Services oversight. Concerns were raised that the state should not own the housing and that the proposal needed more work to be workable, but the committee ultimately reached consensus to adopt Sections 7 and 8 and leave out Section 9 for further conference committee discussion. The committee also reviewed provider inflation and long-term care rate issues, with members discussing whether to support a 2% and 1.5% inflation adjustment and how to handle the $5-per-day basic care rate. Staff explained that the $5 payment was already in the base budget, but members debated whether it should remain ongoing or be treated as one-time funding and paired with a study of rate rebasing. The committee agreed to have draft language prepared to remove the $5 from the base budget and add study language, then moved the bill forward for drafting.