Transcript Highlights:

• account for 62% of what you're using to build Texas, uh, are... deflating, diminishing at an astounding rate
• As we're showing the charts showing a diminishing rate of return, that, too, begins. to illustrate and
• Which means our roads are consumed far greater rate, but we don't receive a greater rate And I think
• have large commercial centers where there's tons of commercial traffic consuming. 10,000 times the rate
• only that Congress has recognized. still got a problem, like we do, with the gasoline tax. growth rate

Committee: House S/C on Transportation Funding

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of which have extremely high water flow rates and much of the cost is related to hauling water.
• And in particular, the agency reports staff Turnover rates of 75% for field staff positions and ranging
• in birds like poultry. rates in other birds like poultry.
• in birds like poultry. rates in other birds like poultry.
• High rate of infection and death loss in there.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present to hear Article VI Natural Resources agency budget recommendations, beginning with the Railroad Commission. LBB staff summarized the commission’s 2026-27 base recommendation at $458.7 million, down from the prior biennium, with an increased FTE cap. The presentation highlighted reduced federal IIJA funding, volatility in oil and gas regulation account 5155, continued support for IT modernization, and rider changes. The commission’s major exceptional items were then presented, including requests for produced water and injection data reporting, an authorized pit registration system, regulatory filing/permitting upgrades, an underground injection well investigation team, site remediation support, and especially $100 million for orphan well plugging. Members asked about biennium-to-biennium comparisons, salary biennialization, the scale of orphan well risks, federal funding delays, bonding, and whether the state should rely more on industry or general revenue for plugging costs. Commission leadership explained that orphan wells can threaten water and public safety, that plugging costs have risen sharply, and that current funding is insufficient to keep up with emergency wells and the backlog; they also said the agency is moving to cloud-based systems with cybersecurity protections and that the proposed performance measure may need adjustment if funding does not increase. The Railroad Commission testimony was followed by LBB and agency testimony for the Texas Animal Health Commission. LBB described a $42 million recommendation for 2026-27, an increase overall, but with a reduced FTE cap due to turnover and salary reallocation. The recommendation maintained funding for cattle fever tick work, chronic wasting disease, lab testing through an MOU with Texas A&M’s veterinary diagnostic lab, and a new $5 million spay-and-neuter pilot program, while deleting a capital budget rider and adjusting riders tied to entry point inspection stations and clinical trials. Agency leadership then outlined the commission’s mission to protect livestock health and the state’s $22 billion animal industry, and described major disease threats including highly pathogenic avian influenza, cattle fever ticks, New World screwworm, and chronic wasting disease. Their exceptional items focused on recruiting and retaining veterinarians, replacing fleet vehicles, creating an ectoparasite identification lab, adding field staff and IT support, improving records and epidemiology reporting, strengthening central administration, supporting secure food supply planning, expanding chronic wasting disease work, and staffing the new spay-and-neuter program. Members asked about field identification of ticks, the use of disinfectants and PPE, fleet management, the scale of cattle fever tick risk, and chronic wasting disease; the agency explained its current inspection and lab-confirmation process, its reliance on field disinfecting and biosecurity, and the need for more staff and better data systems to keep pace with growing workloads and disease threats.

Transcript Highlights:

• includes the discretionary local effort, which school districts may levy at a not-to-exceed millage rate
• For the past several years, this millage rate has been 0.748, and all school districts levy the full
• into consideration how they may be affected by factors such as the current FTE, the state's birth rate
• We can track graduation rates.
• We have increased our graduation rates amongst our ESE students to a tremendous amount.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met to review how Florida’s Education Finance Program (FEFP) works, receive an update from the Department of Education on the October 2024 FTE survey and third FEFP calculation, and hear from three county superintendents about forecasting enrollment and reconciling scholarship students. The chair explained that FEFP is funded by both state and local dollars, is recalculated multiple times during the year, and is now closely tied to school choice policy. Department staff said the third calculation was still being rerun but should be completed soon, and described the forecasting process as collaborative among districts, DOE, and the Education Estimating Conference. Superintendents from Polk, St. Lucie, and Hendry counties said enrollment shifts, especially students moving to Family Empowerment Scholarships, homeschooling, or private schools, make budgeting and staffing difficult. They said districts often must hold back funds to protect against midyear losses, which affects collective bargaining, staffing, transportation, and classroom organization. Several members raised concerns about duplicate counting, transparency, and whether students receiving scholarship funds can also remain in district classrooms. DOE said districts can access scholarship information through a secure portal and that scholarship funding organizations are paid quarterly, with a new process requiring certification and possible future payment adjustments to reduce duplication. The superintendents urged better real-time tracking of students through a statewide ID or student information system and suggested scholarship students should be funded separately from district FEFP calculations. Members also discussed whether more frequent or daily attendance-based calculations would improve accuracy, though some warned that daily attendance could create new problems for high-poverty districts. The committee also briefly discussed categoricals, including mental health and ESE funding, with DOE saying it evaluates programs through studies, reporting requirements, and legislative direction. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with a motion to rise and adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• looking through all of this, realizing that they're one of the agencies that, because of their win rate
• It's a mix of an hourly rate, and it's negotiated.
• What rate of interest are we paying? **Michelle**: Michelle probably knows.
• **Senator Bettencourt**: What the interest rate is, if you know it? You know it?
• after, when you get to an extended payout term like this, if we're running up a one-year interest rate

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, Attorney General, budget recommendations, funding swaps, salary increases, Landowner's Compensation Program, public testimony, law enforcement

Summary: The meeting focused on the budget recommendations for the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), where key issues included the proposed decrease of $163.9 million for the 2024-25 biennium and various methodology swaps for funding. Attorney General Paxton discussed ongoing litigation expenditures and emphasized the need for continued investments in agency staffing to address rising demands within law enforcement. Notably, he requested a 6% salary increase for 2026 and 2027 to retain talented personnel amidst competitive job markets. Public testimony highlighted community awareness challenges regarding the Landowner's Compensation Program, indicating a need for enhanced outreach efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA DOESN'T HAVE THE LOWEST ADMISSION RATE IN OUR STATE.
• THE FLORIDA STATE FOLKS MIGHT THINK IT'S FLORIDA STATE THAT HAS THE LOWEST ADMISSIONS RATE IN OUR STATE
• WORKED THE HARDEST TO GET MONEY FOR WHEN I CHAIRED HIGHER ED APPROPRIATIONS, THE LOWEST ADMISSIONS RATE
• THE LOWEST ADMISSIONS RATE IN FLORIDA IS FLORIDA A AND M. AT 21%.
• THE LOWEST ADMISSIONS RATE IN FLORIDA IS FLORIDA A AND M. AT 21%.

Transcript Highlights:

• utility rates on a Title 16 election.
• Title 15 governs utility services and rates adopted by ordinance.
• During today's utility rates.
• </c> services and rates adopted by ordinance. services and rates adopted by ordinance.
• Title 16 governs servicebased rates.

Committee: Joint Select Water Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Wasn't there also legislative action taken to reduce the discount rate, or increase the discount rate
• Wasn't there also legislative action taken to reduce the discount rate, or increase the discount rate
• If you go to an extreme level of rates, three times the state average, so your rates are stressed, you
• If you go to an extreme level of rates, three times the state average, so your rates are stressed, you
• </c><02:33:40.560><c> was</c> on volume so I think the rate was on volume so I think the rate was $18.50

Summary: The Finance Committee held a hearing on several bills and announced at the outset that no votes would be taken because the measures would go to divisions later. The first major bill, HB 197, would require the state to pay 7.5% of political subdivision employer pension contributions for teachers, police officers, and firefighters. Representative Mike Edgar, the prime sponsor, argued the state had repeatedly reduced and then eliminated its promised share of retirement costs, shifting the burden to municipalities and property taxpayers. He said the bill would partially restore that commitment and provide relief to local governments, businesses, and taxpayers. Several witnesses testified in support of HB 197, including Representative John Cluder, Bradford selectman Marlene Fryer, the New Hampshire Municipal Association’s Margaret Burns, and Epping representative Mark Fone. Supporters said the bill would help with property tax pressure, school budgets, and municipal hiring, and they emphasized that much of the retirement cost reflects unfunded liability decisions made at the state level rather than by local governments. Committee members questioned whether the bill would change local incentives to control costs and how it would affect hiring and compensation. Burns said the state contribution would function as property tax relief because it offsets existing municipal expenses, and she noted the state is already on a long-term schedule to pay down the retirement system’s unfunded liability. After closing the hearing on HB 197, the committee opened a hearing on HB 97, introduced by Representative Tom Buco. He said the bill would continue funding for delayed and deferred wastewater projects and help municipalities finance expensive wastewater infrastructure, which he tied to housing development and local debt planning. No action or votes were taken on either bill during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• to discuss a lot of the impacts about labor, congestion, and some of those items, safety and crash rates
• to discuss a lot of the impacts about labor, congestion, and some of those items, safety and crash rates
• to discuss a lot of the impacts about labor, congestion, and some of those items, safety and crash rates
• unreasonable to at least compensate them for the duties and responsibilities of the position at a rate
• unreasonable to at least compensate them for the duties and responsibilities of the position at a rate

Bills: HF3169 , HF3749 , HF2605 , HF3541 , HF4102 , HF3513 , HF268

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:20:27.440><c> each</c> work was asked to rate each work was asked to rate each recommendation
• or accreditations for additional ratings or accreditations for qual<00:25:46.159><c> quality</c><00:
• The<00:25:59.520><c> burnout</c><00:25:59.919><c> rate</c><00:26:00.080><c> for</c><00:26:00.320><c>
• providers</c><00:26:00.799><c> is</c><00:26:01.039><c> very</c> The burnout rate for providers is very
• The burnout rate for providers is very high<00:26:01.520><c> in</c><00:26:01.760><c> this</c><00:26:

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• of poverty and the people that uh rate of poverty and the people that uh the<00:31:55.919><c> parents
• </c><02:03:28.880><c> of</c> increased yearly at the at the rate of increased yearly at the at the rate
• They're audited by an experienced nonprofit with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.
• They're audited by an experienced nonprofit with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.
• </c> competitive alternative raising the rate competitive alternative raising the rate closer<02:07:36.560

Summary: The Education Funding Committee met in executive session on a bill concerning school meal access and reimbursement. The bill would address local school districts’ responsibility to provide meals during school hours, reimburse schools for meals served at no cost, and make an appropriation. The committee first moved to retain the bill, with supporters saying it was complex, had uncertain fiscal impacts, and should be considered alongside other related meals bills. Opponents argued the committee already had enough information, that the bill served a small number of students at relatively low cost, and that delaying action would harm children who need food to learn. The committee also heard from Tim Roar, a Keene school business administrator and co-designer of the bill, who explained that the proposal was intended to be an opt-in program for districts, with rulemaking to set participation requirements. He said the bill was meant to target aid to students between 175% and 200% of poverty, reduce bad meal debt, and avoid spending taxpayer money on families who could afford to pay. He estimated the state cost at about $250,000 in year one, with local taxpayer costs around $8,500 for Keene, and said some districts already have systems for online applications while others do not. Committee members questioned him about meal debt, online application software costs, and how districts handle students who reach debt limits. Roar said districts still feed students who are hungry, but use other resources and family outreach when meal debt is capped, and he argued that parents should be responsible for providing lunch when they can afford it. Other members pushed back, saying they had seen students go hungry and that teachers sometimes pay for lunches themselves. One member noted the bill would increase eligibility, make it easier to apply, strengthen personal responsibility, and was not a mandate. The discussion ended without a recorded final vote in the excerpt, though the retain motion remained the central action under debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:47:43.119><c> again</c> director to set those rates again director to set those rates again pursuant
• </c><00:57:01.359><c> This</c> fees at current rates for 6 months.
• This fees at current rates for 6 months.
• </c><01:11:01.600><c> And</c> about a $500,000 per day burn rate.
• And about a $500,000 per day burn rate.

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> efficient um way of setting wage rates efficient um way of setting wage rates and<00:59:47.480><
• At that rate, if you work 60 hours a week, you would only make $22,000 a year.
• in New Hampshire is 2.6, the unemployment rate in Massachusetts is 4.1, unemployment rate in Maine is
• The unemployment rate in New Hampshire is 2.6, the unemployment rate in Massachusetts is 4.1, unemployment
• rate in Maine is 3.2, and now Vermont unemployment is 2.4.

Committee: Senate Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• But any rate, the actual question is: when did this relationship start? Thank you, Madam Chair.
• system is an international rating system.
• , of what does a green building rating system look like.
• system um is a so um so the lead rating system um is a international<00:59:17.520><c> rating</c><00:
• systems and then again this is my rating systems and then again this is my this<00:59:56.559><c> is<

Committee: House Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• The House version charged a separate rate for each piece of the project, the pipeline, the treatment
• The Senate version instead charges one flat rate per unit of gas.
• The Senate version instead charges one flat rate per unit of gas that increases over time.
• developer is not reached by January 1, 2028, the project loses access to the alternate volumetric tax rate

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and approved the journal and the prayer for the record. The clerk read gubernatorial messages calling the legislature into a third special session and describing the call around House Bill 381, a major natural gas project bill addressing property taxes, municipal taxes, AGDC, reporting requirements, contract approval, an alternative volumetric tax, municipal impact grants, and related provisions. Messages from the Senate reported passage of a Senate-amended version of HB 381 and transmission of Senate Concurrent Resolution 203 to suspend certain rules related to the bill. The House introduced HCR 301 and HCR 302. HCR 301, which suspends rules on carryover of bills into a special session, passed 40-0. The House then took up the Senate amendments to HB 381. The Majority Leader outlined the Senate changes, including new school funding provisions, reorganization and oversight of AGDC funds, a public project dashboard, stricter bond approval requirements, a heating fuel assistance fund, changes to the alternative volumetric tax structure and distribution of revenues, a permanent rather than sunsetted tax break, new deadlines tied to final investment decision and construction, and a new graduated income tax on certain pass-through entities. He urged members to vote no on concurrence, and the House rejected concurrence 12-28. Because the House did not concur, the Speaker appointed a conference committee on HB 381 consisting of Representative Schrage, the Majority Leader, Representative Edgmon, and Representative Ruffridge. HCR 302, authorizing the House and Senate to recess for more than three days, passed 40-0 after members stated the recess was intended to allow conference negotiations to continue and that the body would return on a time certain. The House also received two governor-request bills, HB 3001 and HB 3002, both referred to the Finance Committee. The House then excused several members for specified absences and adjourned until July 1 at 10:30 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• This SCR 59 by Senator Barrow memorializes Congress to act to lower the insurance rates based on the
• Flood insurance rates should be cut in half based upon the construction of this project.
• Barrow urges the Department of Health and commercial health insurance payors to increase reimbursement rates
• Reimbursement rates for behavioral health crisis centers. Ms. Freiberg, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bills: HB410 , HR310 , HR314 , HR316 , HR317 , HR321 , HR275 , HR276 , HR279 , HR282 , HR286 , HR289 , HR292 , HR295 , HR302 , HR319 , HR307 , HR273 , SCR59 , SCR61 , SCR62 , SCR68 , SCR69 , SCR70 , SCR54 , SCR55 , SCR64 , SCR75 , HCR32 , HB776 , HB42 , HB119 , HB159 , HB302 , HB1017 , HB1028 , SB217 , SB283 , HB953 , SB208 , HR74 , HB998 , HB901 , HR20 , HCR65 , HCR71 , HCR98 , HB284 , HB306 , HB341 , HB366 , HB393 , HB458 , HB577 , HB603 , HB605 , HB614 , HB625 , HB646 , HB733 , HB752 , HB773 , HB798 , HB911 , HB955 , HB996 , HB1035 , HB1069 , HB1113 , HB1140 , HB1180 , HB1191 , HB1240 , HB1255 , SB82 , SB89 , SB97 , SB123 , SB237 , HB36 , HB74 , HB75 , HB258 , HB259 , HB414 , HB459 , HB784 , HB848 , HB956 , HB1095 , HB1220 , HB1252 , SB469 , SB479

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, opened with prayer, the pledge, and a national anthem performance, then moved through several personal privileges and recognitions. Members welcomed a student cancer survivor and entrepreneur, Bella of Brave Bella Bead Company, and also recognized a new legislative assistant, a page leaving for college, and a resolution honoring National Mississippi River Day. The chamber also received conference committee reports and enrollment reports, and returned some previously failed measures to the calendar, including H.R. 119 and H.B. 410. The main floor action centered on a series of Senate concurrent resolutions, most of which were adopted overwhelmingly. These included SCR 59 on re-evaluating flood maps and insurance rates tied to the Comite River Diversion Canal, SCR 61 urging higher reimbursement for behavioral health crisis centers, SCR 62 calling for review of school-zone safety and speed limits, SCR 68 creating a blockchain and digital innovation task force, SCR 69 encouraging continued research to reduce sugarcane burning, SCR 70 supporting the Major Richard Star Act for medically retired combat-wounded veterans, SCR 54 supporting the Mississippi River Basin Fishery Commission Act, SCR 55 designating the Peggy Martin Rose as the official state rose, SCR 64 creating a construction manager-at-risk task force, SCR 75 studying a Louisiana maneuvers museum and trail, and SCR 80 creating a task force on the minimum foundation program and long-term teacher pay funding. Most passed with little or no opposition, with SCR 84 on earthquake seismic activity in several parishes amended to adjust task force membership before final adoption. The House also heard a personal privilege statement honoring the late Ponder P.C. Clinton Jr., a noted Black farmer, cattleman, and community leader in Shreveport’s Cedar Grove neighborhood, and expressed condolences to his family. Later, members received a hurricane-season reminder from Rep. Jay Galle about disaster response procedures and the need to work through parish emergency offices. The transcript ends as the House moves into additional concurrent resolutions returned from the Senate with amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, your maximum annual salary rate for every position is going up, anywhere from 1% to 15%.
• constitutional offices who are already in other state agencies who are on the pay plan and the current market rates
• constitutional offices who are already in other state agencies who are on the pay plan and the current market rates
• previous testimony of the Secretary of State's Office, they have their general counsel's max salary rate

Committee: All JBC-PERSONNEL

Transcript Highlights:

• LGBTQ individuals experience higher rates of sexual violence and intimate partner violence in the general
• Uh LGBTQ individuals<00:04:50.000><c> experience</c><00:04:50.440><c> higher</c><00:04:50.720><c> rates
• </c><00:04:50.919><c> of</c> individuals experience higher rates of individuals experience higher rates

Bills: SCR11 , SR9

Committee: Senate Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs

Summary: The joint committees on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs, Transportation, and later Judiciary heard two sets of resolutions. The first, SCR 132 and SR 124, urged the City and County of Honolulu to take steps to finalize the Makakilo Drive Extension Project. Testimony from a Makakilo resident emphasized the lack of a second access route and raised safety concerns about being trapped in the area in an emergency. Both committees voted to pass the resolutions unamended. The second set, SCR 11 and SR 9, requested that the U.S. Congress amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, federally funded programs, credit, and jury service. Supporters from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, IMUA Alliance, and Pride at Work in Hawaii argued that stronger anti-discrimination protections are needed to reduce vulnerability to violence, housing insecurity, and exploitation, and to provide federal protections that mirror state law. One senator asked whether state protections already exist and was told the resolutions seek federal-level protections because federal law can supersede state law. Both committees adopted recommendations to pass SCR 11 and SR 9 unamended, with votes in favor and some members excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• , for decades, it has been a standard practice to integrate the cost of repairing this damage into rates
• as waste haulers to account for the street maintenance impacts of those vehicles through existing rates
• And in that capacity, I advise public agencies all across the state on setting constitutional rates for
• And in that capacity, I advise public agencies all across the state on setting constitutional rates for

Committee: Senate Local Government

Summary: The Senate Committee on Local Government met and first adopted a consent calendar covering SB 1005, SB 1080, SB 935, and S.J.R. 11 by a 4-0 vote, with those items remaining on call until later in the hearing. SB 992 was pulled at the author’s request. The committee then heard SB 922, which would clarify that local governments may recover street maintenance and repair costs caused by public service operations, such as waste hauling, through rates, fees, or franchise agreements. Supporters included the League of California Cities, county groups, cities, waste haulers, and legal counsel who argued the bill restores a long-standing practice and reduces litigation risk after a recent court decision; the California Building Industry Association opposed unless amended, warning the bill could affect construction impact fees. The bill passed the committee 7-0 to the Senate floor. The committee also heard SB 1078, which would allow Santa Cruz County voters to consider raising the county’s local tax cap to help fund health care, food assistance, and other safety-net services in response to federal cuts. The County of Santa Cruz and the Central California Alliance for Health supported the measure, emphasizing Medi-Cal enrollment, CalFresh needs, and potential impacts on hospitals and clinics. Senator Choi raised concerns that the bill effectively authorizes a tax increase and questioned the fairness of county-by-county exceptions, while other members supported giving local voters the choice. The bill passed 5-2 and was sent to the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee. After those actions, the committee returned to and approved the consent calendar items 7-0. The meeting concluded with thanks to the public and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• In terms of I-Bank loans, one of the ways we measure them is by repayment and default rates.
• Those are, obviously, loans to small businesses, and we have a default rate right around 2%, which, given
• In terms of I-Bank loans, one of the ways we measure them is by repayment and default rates.
• Those are, obviously, loans to small businesses, and we have a default rate right around 2%, 2%, which

Committee: Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the goal of the legislation, at any rate. Will there be any more questions?
• Our ability to decrease incarceration rates, and I think there's been some data that shows that these
• That and also, in some cases, it shows that crime rates have been reduced.
• better for our economy and certainly helps, particularly in Oklahoma, when we reduced the incarceration rate

Bills: SB1288 , SB1705 , SB1878 , SB2019 , SB2118

Committee: Senate Local and County Government

Keywords: emergency management, federal funding, disaster relief, cost sharing, public assistance, bail reform, public funds, nonprofit organizations, political subdivisions, injunctive relief, criminal procedure, surety bond, judicial discretion, uniform bond schedule, liability insurance, judgments, insurance fund, Oklahoma, county sheriff, commissary