Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Kalata, you'd to close. We close.
• Senator Kalata, you'd to close. We close.
• Senator Burgess to close. Wave closed.
• Senator Burgess to close. Wave closed. Wave closed.
• Senator McLean to close? We've closed.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and doctor-of-the-day introduction, then moved through a long special-order calendar. Early proceedings included a resolution honoring former Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham and a moment of silence for firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber also heard several member introductions and recognitions before taking up bills. The most substantial debate centered on CS/CS/SB 1758 on public assistance and Medicaid/SNAP reforms. The bill would strengthen fraud enforcement, impose a Medicaid work requirement for able-bodied adults, expand behavioral health services through a waiver, modernize Medicaid pharmacy purchasing, and require a SNAP fraud-reduction plan and photo ID on EBT cards. Senators Berman, Smith, Bracy Davis, Osgood, and others argued for Medicaid expansion and added protections for vulnerable SNAP recipients, while Gates defended the bill as a compliance and cost-saving measure. Multiple amendments were offered, including Berman’s Medicaid-expansion condition and Osgood’s SNAP photo-ID safeguards; both were defeated. The bill was placed on the calendar for third reading after extended questioning. The Senate then passed a series of bills, often substituting House companions before final vote. These included tax conformity legislation (7031/7048), technology and computer science education (1503/1694), Parkinson’s disease registry and related public-records measures (1443/1684), designation of the SS American Victory as the official state flagship (249/1656), electronic payments for local governments (967/1612), legal tender and related public-records exemptions for gold, silver, stablecoins, and virtual currency kiosks (1311/1588/1087/7044/1568), local government finance and spending transparency (1329/1566), digital voyeurism (1536), insurance customer representative licensing (1343/1504), and medical freedom legislation (1756) with amendments on anti-kickback rules and vaccine information materials. Most bills passed on largely party-line or near-unanimous votes, with several amendments adopted and some withdrawn; the medical freedom bill was still under consideration at the end of the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• room at the time to respond to the students' physical and emotional needs at that time, paying very close
• </c><00:09:15.519><c> attention</c><00:09:15.839><c> to</c> time, paying very close attention to time
• , paying very close attention to what's<00:09:16.240><c> happening</c><00:09:16.560><c> while</c><00:
• And as I close today, I would student.
• And as I close today, I would just<01:18:30.560><c> like</c><01:18:30.719><c> to</c><01:18:30.800><c>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> &gt;&gt; The light was on, but it was not close &gt;&gt; The light was on, but it was not close
• And then there were some closed capital projects that also added $2 million.
• So we're down in a range where we're not nervous, but we're watching it closely.
• >> It’s going to be close to what is this year? Probably about, I’d say, $60 million.
• North American cargo hub, their primary North American cargo hub, FEM<01:35:35.520><c> Arrow.

Keywords: This meeting was recovered from a back up copy and uploaded after the original meeting took place., 958, all

Summary: The committee received an update from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet on the FY 2025 road fund. Officials reported road fund revenues came in $38.5 million above the enacted estimate, but were down about $11 million from FY 2024, largely because a motor fuels tax rate reduction took effect at the start of FY 2025. Motor vehicle usage tax receipts were stronger than expected, and the cabinet said the road fund ended the year with a $61.6 million surplus, which the budget bill directs to state highway construction. Members also discussed how the motor fuels decline affects formula distributions to cities, counties, and rural/secondary roads, with officials saying about $122.8 million had been planned for revenue sharing but was not distributed because receipts were lower than forecast. Members asked about broader revenue trends, including fuel efficiency, electric vehicles, and the removal of a hybrid fee. Cabinet officials said improved fuel efficiency and CAFE standards reduce gasoline consumption and therefore fuel tax receipts, while EVs and plug-in hybrids are subject to a user fee. They also said toll revenues from the Louisville bridges are covering bills and commitments, though they did not have detailed figures at hand. On project delivery, officials said delays are often caused by right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, and the large volume of projects in the highway plan, and that much of the work happens behind the scenes before construction begins. The committee also reviewed the cabinet’s cash management approach, which was adopted after 2000 to avoid setting aside full project costs all at once and to keep the road fund cash balance above a required minimum. Officials said the balance typically rises in winter and falls in summer as project bills come due, and that the current balance was about $166 million. They also reported that project awards for the year were nearing $998 million and expected to exceed last year’s total. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken beyond approving the prior meeting minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill deals with procedures related to the closing of charter schools.
• </c><00:54:01.520><c> The</c> records for a closed charter school.
• The records for a closed charter school.
• The other body's amendment changes the amount of time granted to a primary petitioner to introduce a
• petitioner to introduce a primary petitioner to introduce a petitioned<02:15:20.960><c> warrant</c><

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First of all, not seeing anybody, so we'll close that.
• I close testimony, then, and then members, questions? Discussion, folks?
• </c> bill I'm not seeing anybody a close bill I'm not seeing anybody a close testimony<00:32:02.000><
• Not seeing anybody, closing testimony.
• </c><01:46:52.920><c> collaborate</c> capacity and more closely collaborate capacity and more closely

Bills: HF3023 , HF3078 , HF107 , HF2171 , HF3079 , HF689 , HF1316

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: unemployment benefits, iron ore mining, economic support, workforce development, Minnesota, unemployment insurance, deferred resignation, employment, worker rights, benefits eligibility, Ellsworth Independent School District, ISD 514, school construction, school renovation, sales tax exemption, use tax refund, construction materials, HVAC replacement, boiler replacement, window replacement

Transcript Highlights:

• on that, but going back to your question about creating an authority: if film is to be one of our primary
• on that, but going back to your question about creating an authority: if film is to be one of our primary
• on that, but going back to your question about creating an authority: if film is to be one of our primary
• c><00:45:28.680><c> our</c> we see if film is to be one of our we see if film is to be one of our primary
• Industries we need to treat it primary Industries we need to treat it like<00:45:30.640><c> that</c>

Committee: House Economic Development & Technology

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee on Economic Development and Technology heard testimony on several measures, beginning with SB 1343, which would amend quorum requirements for the Small Business Regulatory Review Board. The board chair testified in support, saying it has been difficult to fill all seats and that using active seats for quorum would help the board function more effectively. No opposition or questions were raised, and the committee moved on. The committee then heard SB 1578, which drew mixed testimony. DBEDT supported the measure and the Attorney General suggested inserting preamble language from HB 1025 to provide historical context on the East-West Center. Austin Martin of the Libertarian Party of Hawaiʻi opposed the bill, arguing it could invite improper behavior, create loosely regulated satellite offices, increase foreign influence, and add competition for land ownership. The committee took no vote during the hearing. The bulk of the meeting focused on SB 1641, a measure to establish a Hawaiʻi film commission/authority and related funding and governance structure. DBEDT supported the intent and offered friendly amendments to clarify the distinction between film and media industries, while the Honolulu Film Office and labor representatives from IATSE, Teamsters, and Pride at Work supported the bill but urged changes. Their concerns centered on conflicts of interest, especially having producers on the commission, and they asked for more labor representation and clearer oversight rules. The Attorney General raised constitutional and special-fund concerns, saying the grant standards and special-fund language needed work. Committee members discussed renaming the entity as a Hawaiʻi Film Authority, broadening its scope beyond cultural production, adjusting the commission makeup, and clarifying funding sources, including the existing film and creative industries fund and the 0.2% rebate contribution. No final vote was taken in the portion provided, but members indicated the bill would need substantial revisions and an HD1.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Calatayud to close. We close.
• Senator Kalata, you'd to close. We close.
• Senator Burgess to close. Wave closed.
• Senator Burgess to close. Wave closed. Wave closed.
• Senator McLean to close? We've closed.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Calatayud to close. We close.
• Senator Kalata, you'd to close. We close.
• Senator Rodriguez to close. Voice closed.
• Senator Burgess to close. Wave closed.
• Senator McClain to close? We've closed.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Calatayud to close. We close.
• Senator Rodriguez to close. Wave closed.
• Senator Burgess to close. Wave closed.
• Senator McClain to close? We've closed.
• Senator McClain to close? We've closed.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized several introductions and memorials, including a resolution designating August 9, 2026, as Bob Graham Day and a moment of silence for firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber then moved through a long special-order calendar, with several bills substituted with House companions and adopted by voice vote or recorded vote. Early measures included a tax conformity bill tied to federal Internal Revenue Code changes, which passed 34-0, and a Medicaid/public assistance bill that drew extensive debate over work requirements, fraud reduction, behavioral health services, and SNAP/EBT reforms. Amendments offered by Senators Berman and Osgood to condition or soften the work and photo-ID provisions were rejected, and the underlying bill was placed on the third-reading calendar after lengthy questioning about implementation, exemptions, and eligibility effects. The Senate also passed bills on computer science education and AI instruction, a Parkinson’s disease registry public-records exemption and registry update, designation of the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the legal-tender sunset for gold and silver, public-records protections for gold/silver custodians and stablecoin-related entities, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, and local government budget transparency/spending measures. Most of these measures were adopted after minor amendments or technical substitutions, with votes generally ranging from 31-3 to 34-0. The chamber also recognized the Florida Channel’s 30 years of legislative coverage. Later, the Senate approved a digital voyeurism bill expanding the reasonable-expectation-of-privacy definition to include private fenced yards, and an insurance customer representative licensing bill allowing high school students to complete insurance/personal finance coursework and later qualify for licensure. The final major item was a medical freedom bill that would expand parental vaccine information requirements, add a conscience-based exemption to immunization mandates, allow behind-the-counter ivermectin for adults, and repeal the sunset on the mRNA mandate prohibition; two amendments clarifying anti-kickback rules and requiring vaccine information to include risks, benefits, safety, and efficacy were adopted, while questions from Senators Smith and Massullo focused on public-health impacts and the content of the required materials. The transcript ends during discussion of that bill, with no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, I'm going to close the hearing. Next up is House Bill 701.
• Um, it's his PCP, his primary care. Yeah. So, it's not any particular hospital or anything.
• If someone close to me is doing something, I see that and I take on that behavior.
• If someone close to socially mediated.
• With that, I'm going to close the you.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, in comparison, um, the presidential primary in 2024 fielded it at less of a... have oncycle elections
• In closing, the system of choice works for my district and my community.
• In closing, the president community.
• </c><00:26:40.400><c> Um,</c> closing just to keep things moving.
• Um, closing just to keep things moving.

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:18:49.799><c> the</c> testimony and we're going to close the testimony and we're going to close
• Seeing none, we'll close the hearing.
• Seeing none, we'll close the hearing.
• So when is that Beth supposed to close? So when is that Beth supposed to close?
• </c><02:19:53.720><c> in</c> Bethlehem site is expected to close in Bethlehem site is expected to close

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, um, that's the primary purpose of that instructional resources funding.
• My oldest son received the Daniel Scholarship, which fully paid for his bachelor’s degree and is close
• In closing, I'd like to read a powerful...
• In closing, I'd like to read a powerful statement from a Kochville teacher and coach.
• We'll close public testimony.

Committee: Joint Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Irvine is one of the leading places, close to now 300 companies, many of them in MedTech.
• Thiel was talking about, and so we're going to be taking a close look at that as well.
• I'm going to be taking a close look at that as well. And then to dial, yeah, go ahead.
• Thiel was talking about, and so we're going to be taking a close look at that as well.
• I'm going to be taking a close look at that as well. And then to dial, yeah, go ahead.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So close. So close. Martin? Aye. Myrith. Aye. Aye. Schmidt. Smith? Stein Metz. You can do it?
• So close. So close. ...do it? So close. Yes. Yes. Oh, present. Okay. Williams.
• is there are lots of rules about how long, you know, posting meetings in advance and what can be closed
• “There are lots of rules about how long, you know, posting meetings in advance and what can be closed
• I came very close to filing it myself, but I did not want to be known as the guy who killed cell phones

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Summary: The committee first took up a combined substitute for House Bills 2115 and 1876, which would encourage cursive instruction and add a future cursive assessment. Members discussed that the substitute removed an immediate fifth-grade test and instead would phase in an assessment later, with no penalty for failure. Some members raised concerns about teacher training, costs, and added demands on elementary classrooms, while supporters said the measure was only a recommendation and could be improved on the floor. The committee adopted the substitute and then passed the House Committee Substitute for both bills on a roll call vote of 13-9, with several members present or absent. The committee then heard House Bill 2776, as amended and substituted, a teacher-certification bill aimed at addressing Missouri’s teacher shortage through a tiered associate certification system for pre-K and elementary grades. Sponsors explained that Tier 1 and Tier 2 certificates would be temporary and nonrenewable, with mentoring, literacy training, and a minimum salary floor, and that Tier 3 would lead to full certification and retirement-system participation. Members questioned the pay differential, the effect on teacher quality, the role of literacy training, and how the bill would treat leaves or incomplete years of service. After adopting an amendment and rolling it into a new substitute, the committee passed the House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2776 by a vote of 12-5 with one present. In open session, the committee heard House Bills 1698 and 2120 together, both anti-bullying measures that would strengthen reporting, parent notification, school-board awareness, and immunity protections for good-faith reporting. The sponsors described the bills as responses to a student bullying case that ended in suicide, and witnesses from the family gave emotional testimony urging immediate reporting and stronger accountability. Committee members raised questions about definitions of bullying, off-campus conduct, mandatory reporting to law enforcement, and the need to avoid sweeping in protected speech or sincerely held religious beliefs. No vote was taken on those bills in the portion provided. The committee then began testimony on House Bills 2230 and 2978, the Hands-on Learning Restoration Act, which would limit screen time and one-to-one device use in K-5 classrooms and emphasize books, paper, pencils, and cursive. Sponsors and supporters argued that heavy reliance on Chromebooks and other devices has harmed literacy, attention, and child development, citing low NAEP scores and research on handwriting and screen exposure. Teachers, physicians, and parents testified in support, while some members noted the bill may be too prescriptive and would need work on implementation, testing, and local flexibility. The hearing continued with additional testimony after the excerpt ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• buildings in connection with court proceedings, and mental health facilities, as well as schools, both primary
• one adult with a preschool-aged child to afford a week's worth of housing, food, and child care is close
• We close that gap and we move this forward. So it's that piece that I'm going to go after.
• And with that, we close public testimony on Senate Bill 6296, Madam Vice Chair.
• And with that, we close public testimony on Senate Bill 6296, Madam Vice Chair.

Summary: The committee began with Senate Bill 5962 on spring blade knives, first suspending the five-day notice requirement. Staff explained the bill would remove spring blade knives from the list of dangerous weapons while keeping restrictions on carrying them in schools, child care, and other protected locations. Proponents, including Knife Rights and the prime sponsor Sen. T’wina Nobles, described the measure as a modernization and cleanup bill that would reduce confusion and support lawful use and manufacturing; one testifier strongly objected to the bill’s added location-based restrictions. Public testimony was overwhelmingly in support, and the hearing then moved on without a vote. Senate Bill 6105 would raise the wage exemption from garnishment for medical debt judgments from 30 to 60 times the state minimum wage, while keeping the 80% disposable earnings exemption and adding notice requirements identifying the debt as medical. Sen. Marko Liias said the bill is intended to protect low-wage workers from severe financial hardship and reduce incentives to work off the books. Supporters from patient, consumer, AARP, and anti-poverty groups said medical debt is often unexpected and garnishment can destabilize families; opponents from collectors and trade groups argued the bill was too broad, lacked stakeholder input, could hurt providers, and should define medical debt more clearly. The hearing closed with no action taken. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6203, which would clarify that out-of-state convictions can include foreign-country convictions for offender scoring if obtained with sufficient due process safeguards. The sponsor, Sen. Matt Boehnke, said the bill closes a gap in sentencing law; prosecutors supported the concept and suggested simplifying the language, while the Sentencing Guidelines Commission, defense attorneys, and public defense opposed it, citing undefined standards, difficulty verifying foreign convictions, and due process concerns. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6296 on involuntary treatment, which would expand who may petition for detention, change rules for assisted outpatient treatment and police assistance, require firearm surrender compliance procedures, and make other ITA changes. The sponsor and several providers and family members supported the bill as a needed modernization, while DCRs, disability advocates, behavioral health organizations, hospitals, and others raised concerns about due process, implementation, rural transport, capacity, and unintended consequences. No votes were taken on either bill during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• As we know, for example, Alta Vista Hospital closed their OB-GYN wing.
• We don't know exactly all of those details just yet, but we're keeping a close eye on that.
• So, we're keeping a close eye on.
• You are working closely, I know you work with the hospital association, but are you working closely with
• We're all watching very closely for that NOFO. And I appreciate that.

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• early in 2008, the Indian Affairs Department met individually with tribal leaders to discuss tribes' primary
• So we ended up getting this home closed, and we brought this forward to Navajo Nation.
• On the reservation, it is not, and it's closely guarded, and folks don't like to share that.
• It's something that we're hoping to work more closely with tribes on.
• Just in closing, I invite you to come to my community and meet my Club C members or connect by Zoom.

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to work very closely.
• And we will continue working closely with all of them.
• And that became the primary recruiting source.
• So I think both of those things, you're close.
• You're pretty close. And the last question I have, thank you, Mr.

Summary: The committee met to hear an update from Washington State Ferries on capital projects and workforce issues, beginning with a briefing on the agency’s long-term fleet and terminal needs. WSF officials described the history of underinvestment after the late 1990s, the current fleet reduction from 25 to 21 vessels, and the need to keep older boats in service while moving toward a 26-vessel long-range fleet and hybrid-electric operations. They said the agency is transitioning to a new vessel procurement strategy, with Eastern Shipbuilding selected to build up to three 160-car hybrid-electric ferries, and outlined a schedule that includes contract execution, about a year of design work, steel cutting in fall 2026, and several years of construction. Members raised concerns about the higher cost of electrified vessels, the length of the schedule, the adequacy of liquidated damages and incentives, the risks of building in Florida and transporting vessels to Washington, and whether the contract sufficiently protects the state from cost overruns and design problems. The committee also received an update on the Wenatchee conversion, which officials said is days away from entering service as the first large hybrid-electric ferry conversion. WSF explained that the conversion combined required midlife preservation work with propulsion upgrades and battery installation, and that the project took longer and cost more than originally expected because it was a prototype with significant lessons learned. Officials said the Tacoma and Puyallup conversions would follow later, but those decisions were being delayed until after the World Cup to avoid service disruptions. Members asked about the cost-effectiveness of the conversion, the expected fuel and emissions reductions, and what happens to engine crews during long conversion periods; WSF said crews were embedded in the project and that the conversions should reduce diesel use substantially once terminal charging is available. The meeting then shifted to workforce development, with Siegel consultants reviewing their 2021 and 2024 studies of ferry staffing, overtime, recruitment, and workplace culture. They said the earlier problems stemmed from seasonal staffing practices, low winter hours, limited career progression, a narrow maritime recruiting pipeline, and a culture that made retention difficult. Since then, they reported major improvements: staffing has increased from about 1,500 to 1,900, turnover has fallen, captain and engineer shortages have eased, and recruitment has broadened beyond the traditional maritime pool, including more women and other underrepresented workers. They credited new programs such as guaranteed hours, paid pilotage, AB-to-mate pathways, and the “Turning of the Tide” culture campaign, while noting remaining issues with communication, HR access, accountability, and quality of life. Members generally acknowledged the progress but asked whether staffing levels are now sufficient and how interchangeable crews are across vessels and routes. Finally, terminal engineering staff began a presentation on capital terminal work, starting with the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal. They described the terminal’s age, low elevation, vulnerability to sea level rise and earthquakes, and the need for replacement piles, beams, and improved vehicle circulation. The agency said it has completed a planning and environmental linkage study, is moving into NEPA/state environmental review, and has been working with the community to balance the needs of Southworth and Vashon riders with neighborhood concerns in Fauntleroy. The preferred alternative is a larger offshore dock footprint that would improve capacity and reliability while reducing impacts to eelgrass habitat. The meeting ended before the terminal discussion was complete.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, let me lay them out and then make some closing comments relating to the...
• I'm primary in urgent care, so I can do quite a bit myself outside.
• If not, the chair will close public testimony at this time.
• Members, lest there is an objection, I'm going to close witness registration.
• Without objection, the chair closes registration on all bills before the committee.

Bills: SB397 , SB481 , SB596 , SB760 , SB855 , SB1195 , SB1196 , SB1233 , SB1257 , SB1318 , SB1368 , SB1388 , SB1398 , SB1524 , SB1558 , SB1589 , SB1677 , SB1792 , SB2034

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Keywords: SB 397, telemedicine, telehealth, teledentistry, remote care, virtual care, consent documentation, patient consent, data collection, data sharing, audio-only telehealth, in-person examination, irreversible medical procedure, health professional regulation, Occupations Code, Texas Health and Human Services, medical records, provider compliance, data privacy, consumer rights