Transcript Highlights:

• :01.600><c> County,</c><00:24:02.040><c> and</c><00:24:02.160><c> Municipal</c><00:24:02.600><c> Employees
• ,</c> State, County, and Municipal Employees, State, County, and Municipal Employees, AFSCME<00:24:04.160
• :24:07.920><c> state</c> largest union representing uh state largest union representing uh state employees
• > and</c><00:24:09.080><c> proudly</c><00:24:09.360><c> represents</c><00:24:09.800><c> more</c> employees
• and proudly represents more employees and proudly represents more than<00:24:10.080><c> 55,000</c><00

Keywords: House streaming session for Monday, March 9, 2026, 957, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But talking to one of our good representatives who has many employees, not in this committee, he said
• he has employees come to him and say they're in trouble.
• not in this committee he said he and one of our good representatives, who has many employees, not in
• this committee, he said over and over has employees come to him and say they're in trouble.
• So it ...with his company just to help employees get themselves in a bind.

Committee: House Business

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• one of the Trump accounts and one is the ability of employers to pay student debt up to $5,200 for employees
• , and the employee doesn't have to recognize that as income.
• :04:32.639><c> $5,200</c> up to $5,200 up to $5,200 uh<00:04:34.800><c> for</c><00:04:35.199><c> employees
• </c><00:04:36.160><c> and</c><00:04:36.479><c> the</c><00:04:36.639><c> employee</c> uh for employees
• and the employee uh for employees and the employee doesn't<00:04:37.440><c> have</c><00:04:37.600><c

Bills: SB79 , HB379 , SB253 , HB278 , HB438 , HB233 , SB79 , HB379 , SB253 , HB278 , HB438 , HB233

Committee: House Ways and Means Education

Keywords: sex-based terminology, gender identity, male, female, man, woman, boy, girl, single-sex spaces, women's rights, privacy, safety, fairness, anti-discrimination, vital statistics, birth certificate, intersex, DSD, differences in sex development, transgender

Transcript Highlights:

• Was it an employee of a public body?
• Maybe someone was employed, you said, involving a public body or a public body’s employees are, unless
• employees are, unless I'm thinking of a situation, I can't think of a situation where an employer would
• The employee could have been fired. The employee could have had no priors.
• Those employees aren't there, the board of directors aren't there, the board members aren't there, the

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 97, which would appropriate funding to the Department of Health for updated shaken baby syndrome, now called abusive head trauma, prevention training and educational materials, including baby models used in demonstrations. Testimony from the sponsor and the New Mexico Injury and Violence Prevention Coalition supported the bill and emphasized that the materials had not been updated since 2016. Members noted the budget already included about $167,000 for this purpose, and the bill was tabled without opposition. The committee then heard House Bill 280, creating a Youth Internship Pilot Project to support paid internships for youth as a workforce development tool. Supporters from New Mexico Voices for Children said the bill would provide mentorship and relevant work-based learning, while members questioned what occupations would qualify, whether the program would focus on trades and high-demand jobs, and how schools, employers, and Workforce Solutions would participate. The bill was tabled, with Representatives Duncan and Pettigrew recorded in opposition. The main item of the meeting was House Bill 151, as substituted by the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. The bill would create a compensation fund and commission for survivors of childhood sexual abuse involving public entities, while also allowing a three-year lookback window for claims and preserving private civil claims for private entities. The sponsor explained that the substitute removed a forward-looking statute-of-limitations change, set a $700,000 cap tied to the Tort Claims Act, used an administrative eligibility process with a "more likely than not" standard, and included reporting, confidentiality, and referral provisions. Supporters described the measure as a survivor-centered way to provide compensation while limiting state exposure, but members raised concerns about attorney fees, fund solvency, private versus public liability, rural impacts, and whether the state should pay for claims involving public institutions. After public testimony in support, the committee adopted the substitute but then voted on the bill itself and ended in an 8-8 tie, so the measure remained in committee and was not advanced.

Transcript Highlights:

• the defendant's independent act of negligence and does not require a finding of negligence by the employee
• sure that that's what this bill, House Bill 4688, seems to prohibit—certain evidence regarding the employee
• If the employee says...
• Because look, if the employee says, "Look, I'm tired, I can't drive anymore," and the employer says,
• So if the employer acts negligently in regard to the employee.

Bills: HB5621 , HB4904 , HB5067 , HB5076 , HB5081 , HB5354 , HB4862 , HB3847 , HB4088 , HB4157 , HB2966 , HB2287 , HB4203 , HB4803 , HB4737 , HB5093 , HB783 , HB5411 , HB4281

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Keywords: HB 5621, consumer protection, Deceptive Trade Practices Act, DTPA, Business & Commerce Code, attorney general, consumer protection division, district attorney, county attorney, local prosecutor, civil investigative demand, CID, voluntary compliance, financial institution records, bank records, privacy, protective order, in camera review, trade secrets, insurer

Transcript Highlights:

• Samsung has been an integral part of Central Texas for nearly 30 years, with 4,500 employees serving
• Texas for nearly 30 years, with 4,500 employees serving our Austin and Taylor sites, plus many additional
• Restaurant, ten-table restaurant, and also have multi-generational employees who now work for my family
• that are children and grandchildren of the original employees.
• Here we have 1,350 employees, 73 retail stores, 8 million subscribers, and a facility in Houston.

Bills: HB112 , HB199 , HCR9

Committee: House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

Keywords: school district, bond issuance, election dates, voter approval, Texas Education Code, HCR 9, Texas State Cemetery, Hill Country flood, July 4 2025 flood, Guadalupe River, Camp Mystic, memorial, monument, concurrent resolution, disaster remembrance, natural disaster, flood victims, survivors, State Preservation Board, Texas secretary of state

Summary: The Committee on Trade, Workforce and Economic Development met with a quorum and moved quickly through a long agenda, hearing testimony and taking recorded votes on several bills. Early in the meeting, HB 2214 was laid out to exempt certain short-term residential leases and leaseback arrangements from flood-disclosure requirements; Texas Realtors supported the change, and the bill was left pending. The committee then voted out a series of pending measures, including HB 46, HB 186 (with a committee substitute), HB 431, HB 1147, HB 1154, HB 2468, HB 2488, HB 2788 (with a substitute), HB 2791 (with a substitute), HB 3260, and HCR 90, all reported favorably to the full House, with HB 1147 receiving two nays and the others passing unanimously or nearly so. A major portion of the hearing focused on HB 112, which would create a Texas Science Park district and commission to support advanced manufacturing and innovation sites. The bill’s author and supporters, including Samsung Austin Semiconductor, the Texas Association of Business, and the Governor’s economic development office, argued it would strengthen supply chains, attract investment, and support national security and workforce development. Testimony described interest from semiconductor and advanced manufacturing companies and referenced the model of foreign science parks such as Sinshu in Taiwan. HB 112 was left pending after testimony. The committee also heard HB 3698 and HB 3699, both related to unemployment insurance administration. HB 3698 would expand eligibility for the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment program using federal funds, while HB 3699 would tighten the definition of “last work” to help the Texas Workforce Commission investigate UI fraud. Both bills were discussed with TWC resource witnesses and left pending after the committee withdrew the substitutes. HB 1349, which would extend HOA transparency and property-rights provisions to condominiums and refine HOA rules, and HB 621, which would require HOA meeting spaces to be available for residents to reserve for qualified political candidates or elected officials, were also heard and left pending. Finally, the committee heard HCR 9 to designate the first Saturday of each month as Small Business Saturday, HB 199 to index unemployment benefit duration to the state unemployment rate, and HB 3466 to exempt certain cancelable service contracts from Texas’s in-home sales cooling-off law; each drew supportive and opposing testimony and was left pending before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• If they forego all the employees that are specialized in these kinds of accounts, they get rid of those
• employees.
• If they forego all the employees that are specialized in these kinds of accounts, they get rid of those
• employees.
• Their employees or contractors, is what they call them, don't get paid as much if they don't work as

Committee: Senate Banking and Insurance

Summary: The committee heard several bills and amendments, beginning with CS/SB 498 on trust fund interest for IOTA accounts. The sponsor said a 2023 Florida Supreme Court rule sharply increased interest paid into legal aid funding, creating a windfall and making participation difficult for banks. An amendment was adopted requiring savings institutions to pay the higher of 0.25% or the highest comparable rate offered on certain non-IOTA accounts, and the bill then passed favorably after testimony from banks, legal aid representatives, and other stakeholders both supporting and opposing the measure. The committee also approved CS/SB 232, which clarifies Florida’s consumer collection law applies only to phone calls during restricted hours and not emails or text messages, after a delete-all amendment and supportive testimony from industry groups. It then approved SB 132, as amended, to designate gold and silver as legal tender and set rules for custody, audits, electronic transfer, and government acceptance of payments; supporters called it a sound-money measure, while the banking association said it still had unresolved technical concerns. Later, the committee passed SB 1466 to create a trust fund for the My Safe Florida Home Program, with an amendment funding it from 20% of collected insurance premium tax revenue. It also considered SB 1206 on transportation network company insurance, reducing coverage during the “dead-leg” period before a rider is picked up from $1 million to lower limits; the bill drew sharp opposition from trial lawyers and support from insurers and some business groups, and the committee adopted a clarifying amendment before reporting the bill favorably. Finally, CS/SB 924 on fertility preservation for cancer patients was amended several times to narrow scope and clarify coverage rules, then passed favorably after debate over cost, preauthorization, and post-treatment storage obligations. The committee adjourned after allowing technical and conforming changes to implement the adopted amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• My first year in, we did the first systemwide reclassification of employees in 20 years.
• :15:10.440><c> training</c><00:15:11.320><c> for</c><00:15:11.519><c> those</c><00:15:11.720><c> employees
• </c> kctcs to do training for those employees kctcs to do training for those employees and<00:15:13.079
• </c><00:15:52.000><c> of</c><00:15:52.240><c> that</c> venture we do have employees of that venture we
• do have employees of that company<00:15:53.000><c> being</c><00:15:53.399><c> trained</c><00:15:54.399

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met for its first meeting and heard an update from KCTCS President Dr. Ryan Corral. He opened with a brief report on flood impacts across the state, noting damage at Big Sandy and Hazard, support for displaced faculty and staff, emergency student aid, and the use of campuses as shelters and Red Cross sites. He then outlined KCTCS’s role as the state’s largest postsecondary system, serving about 107,000 students across 16 colleges and 70 campuses, with strong enrollment growth, major dual credit and GED operations, and a large workforce-training mission. Corral emphasized student support needs such as food, housing, and mental health services, and said KCTCS wants to expand work with incarcerated populations and recovery communities. Corral also described system changes focused on compliance, stability, leadership development, property disposal, and curriculum review. He said KCTCS has addressed prior audit findings, is conducting additional audits, has sold or is selling several buildings, and has removed 400 underutilized credentials to better align programs with employer needs. He highlighted transfer agreements with the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University, and said KCTCS is working to align training with employers and local governments. He also discussed the system’s response to House Bill 6 and the $90 million appropriated for an efficient operations and innovation plan, including three proposed capital projects: a Somerset Community College facility for diesel, automotive, welding, HVAC, CAD, and 3D printing; replacement of an outdated Louisville building; and a South Central/Glasgow allied health facility to expand nursing and related programs. In response to questions, Corral said the Blue Oval SK training building in Glendale is open and operational, though workforce demand there has been slower than initially expected, and that KCTCS is working with the company and state officials to cover operating costs. Members praised KCTCS’s workforce role and flexibility in meeting employer needs statewide. Representative Moll also commented on the system’s progress and importance to Kentucky’s workforce development. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Most small businesses, I want everybody to hear this: most small businesses, you know, 20 employees or
• so, that's going to be $600 a day for your 20 employees.
• If I'm understanding that it's going to be 60 cents per man hour, just real simple math on your employees
• We have five employees with numbers less. If you have 100 employees, it's more.
• you know, when you bid these jobs, if your company is non-union, then that goes directly to your employee

Committee: Senate Senate Tax, Business & Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• We are clarifying that an employee may not receive or use, so 'use' is the new language this year, more
• :02:10.840><c> clarifying</c><00:02:11.840><c> that</c><00:02:12.120><c> an</c><00:02:12.319><c> employee
• </c><00:02:12.879><c> may</c> we are clarifying that an employee may we are clarifying that an employee
• on line 23 from a previous version, one of the things that we have done is add to make sure that employees
• know that those eligible for employees know that those eligible for summer<00:05:30.240><c> hours</c

Committee: House Rules and Legislative Administration

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2025, DCYF had about 960 employees working across its secure and community facilities. 1,160 employees
• All JR employees must attend an orientation training.
• And then if I may follow up, you said if the employee was not getting paid what they were expecting,
• I was really disturbed when I saw that L&I was not investigating workers at a location, one employee,
• And then if I may follow up, you said if the employee was not getting paid what they were expecting,

Summary: The committee met on July 15, 2026, but initially lacked a quorum, so it could not adopt prior minutes. Chair Jerry Pollett welcomed new member Senator Victoria Hunt and new JLARC staff, and noted national recognition for recent JLARC reports. The meeting then moved into a series of preliminary audit presentations and an agency strategic management update, with committee members asking questions after each item. JLARC presented a preliminary audit of DCYF’s Juvenile Rehabilitation programs. Staff concluded that crowding, staffing shortages, weak risk assessments, and inconsistent programming combine to create unsafe conditions. The report found that most youth are housed in two large secure facilities operating near or above capacity, incidents rise as population rises, 47% of frontline staff leave within a year, current assessment tools are not valid for the population, and program access depends more on facility than individual need. JLARC made one recommendation to the legislature to address crowding and seven to DCYF, including improving retention, training, incident response procedures, validated assessments, program alignment, and data quality. DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter said the agency agreed overcrowding is a serious problem, described ongoing efforts to improve staffing and safety, and said a detailed response would be provided later. Committee members raised concerns about education access, retaliation against staff or youth who participated in the audit, and whether JR-25 has helped or worsened conditions. JLARC then presented a preliminary audit of Labor and Industries’ enforcement of farm worker labor laws. The audit found that L&I generally meets inspection timelines for health and safety complaints, but not for wage and hour or retaliation complaints, where delays are driven largely by time before assignment to an investigator. Staff said complaint volume exceeds capacity, though the agency has added staff, created screening processes, and reorganized workloads, and 2026 legislation now allows prioritization of complaints and broader investigations. JLARC recommended that L&I report back in December 2026 and December 2027 on backlog reduction and implementation of the new law. An L&I representative said the agency is hiring additional staff and will provide a formal response later. The committee also received a JLARC overview and Department of Health strategic management plan update on hospital data reporting, inspections, complaints, and adverse event reporting. DOH reported measurable progress on inspection compliance, new staffing and licensing systems, translated complaint forms, and plans for future work on language access, adverse event reporting, and financial data dashboards. After lunch, JLARC began its 2026 tax preference performance reviews. The first review covered the Main Street tax credit, which JLARC said has helped increase the number of Main Street communities and businesses, with positive growth near designated districts; JLARC recommended continuing the preference and improving business-count data. The second review covered the equitable access to credit program, which JLARC said appears to support underserved communities by funding loans through CDFIs; JLARC recommended continuing the preference beyond its 2027 expiration. The committee began questions on the program mechanics and the role of the Community Reinvestment Act, and the presentation was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• the California Federation of Teachers, and Catherine Brackman, representing the California School Employees
• School employees, not just teachers, but paraeducators, psychologists and nurses are supportive adults
• Leo Griffin with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, in support.
• In identifying so many different categories of school employees, I think we all can intuitively recognize
• Para-educators, I mean, in identifying so many different categories of school employees, I think we all

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I wonder: you have four employees right now dealing with the school safety program.
• You also mentioned that you currently have four employees. Thank you.
• I have four employees out of 16 whose job it is to manage these grants.
• with 14 employees.
• with 14 employees.

Committee: House House Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee began with member and staff introductions, then acted as the Education Committee of Reference for three required reviews. The first was the Credit Enhancement Eligibility Board sunset review. A governor’s office representative explained the board was created in 2016 to help qualifying schools, mostly charter schools, obtain lower-cost financing by guaranteeing debt with a $100 million fund. He said the board has approved 15 projects, has not met recently because it is at its statutory leverage limit, and has no dedicated staff or budget. Members supported continuation, and the committee voted by voice vote to recommend the board be continued for 10 years, until July 1, 2036. The committee then heard the sunset review of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE leadership described its regional higher education compact and its student exchange and cost-savings programs, including WUE, WRGP, and PSEP. They said the programs save Arizona students money, bring students into Arizona institutions, and help address workforce shortages, especially in health care. A WICHE commissioner and the Arizona Board of Regents executive director also testified in support, emphasizing benefits for Arizona students, universities, and workforce pipelines. The committee voted by voice vote to recommend WICHE be continued for 10 years, until July 1, 2036. The final item was the Auditor General’s performance audit of the Arizona Department of Education school safety program. The audit found the program had grown to more than $128 million and funded over 1,000 school safety positions, but ADE did not ensure many sampled schools complied with requirements such as operational plans, safety teams, annual training, activity logs, and reimbursement documentation. The Auditor General said the department relied too heavily on written attestations and lacked sufficient monitoring and guidance, and recommended stronger oversight, written procedures, and better review of reimbursements. ADE’s school safety director responded that the department had expanded training and documentation systems, was implementing the audit recommendations, and had begun risk-based monitoring; he also said the department would add staff and invited the Auditor General to meet with ADE and ASU’s evaluator. After the audit discussion, the committee began considering House Bill 2142, which would create a school safety center at ADE and allow up to 10% of school safety program funds for administration, with members raising questions about monitoring emergency operations plans, disability-related evacuation planning, and coordination with other state agencies.

Transcript Highlights:

• So Texans have a legal right to protest tax determinations, but under the current law public employees
• Public sector employees, including school districts, police. police departments, fire departments, and
• other local government offices are not required to pay, give time, paid time. off to their employees
• While the law does not restrict public sector employees it's silent.
• Employees of the CAD, for instance, we're very concerned about our employees.

Bills: HB1952 , HB3258 , HB3524 , HB3851 , HB4478 , HB4613 , HB4703 , HB4742 , HB4744 , HB4809 , HB4864

Committee: House S/C on Property Tax Appraisals

Keywords: county appraisal district, board of directors, governance, taxing units, public representation, penalty, property report, taxation, timely filing, chief appraiser, appraisal district, ad valorem tax, property appraisal, tax protests, unequal appraisal, property rights, property tax, public employees, protest leave, appraisal review board

Transcript Highlights:

• It prohibits close meetings when discussing a class or group of employees and requires consistent with
• The number of electric vehicles used by state employees, usage patterns of each parking lot or garage
• Yes, are there any employees in this agency?
• I am completely unaware of whether there's any. employees but it doesn't seem like anybody wanted to
• However, if one of our employees, because some of these folks only have two employees, is required to

Bills: HB 111 , HB1545 , HB2145 , HB2467 , HB2520 , HB4136 , HB4181 , HB4214 , HB4218 , HB4219 , HB4359 , HB4437 , HB4822 , HB111

Committee: House Delivery of Government Efficiency

Keywords: Texas Public Information Act, open records, public records, government transparency, confidentiality, attorney-client privilege, governmental body, Chapter 552, public information law, nonprofit association, quasi-governmental entity, economic development, trade secrets, proprietary information, commercial financial information, Alamo restoration, local workforce board, TDCJ contract facility, civil commitment facility, water supply corporation

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh and plus employees to the state.
• That has been a total failure unless you're a state employee.
• </c><01:59:57.920><c> uh</c> additional uh covered employee uh additional uh covered employee uh covered
• Do you think that our more employees.
• </c><02:17:33.200><c> have</c> quarter of those employees have quarter of those employees have children

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've spoken to— so if they're going to become a part-time employee here and a part-time employee there
• a full-time employee night they're a full-time employee coming<01:21:29.239><c> over</c><01:21:29.440
• or employees of the school district.
• /c><01:51:06.239><c> school</c> employees or employees of the school employees or employees of the school
• </c><03:17:46.080><c> and</c> all disputes by students employees and all disputes by students employees

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 362, which would grant the Department of Education rulemaking authority related to educator licensure and testing requirements, including passing scores on professional education assessments. Representative Ladd said the bill is intended to preserve New Hampshire’s standards for classroom teachers and CTE instructors, while allowing DOE flexibility through rulemaking. He emphasized maintaining high standards, including for career and technical education, and said he was open to DOE clarifying the language further. Committee members raised concerns that the bill, as written, could remove language recognizing industry-recognized credentials for CTE instructors. Department of Education Director Steven Appy said DOE had drafted an amendment to clarify that the requirement applies to an initial New Hampshire license, to exempt CTE teachers from content exams, and to preserve current administrative practice allowing basic academic skills testing and industry-recognized credentials as substitutes. The committee discussed the distinction between basic academic skills tests and content assessments, and Appy said the amendment was meant to avoid conflating those requirements. The chair said the committee would take up executive session on HB 362 and related bills later. The committee then took up House Bill 90, which narrows and defines the rules for part-time teachers, especially in concurrent enrollment settings. Representative Ladd explained that the bill is meant to allow qualified college faculty or adjuncts from the University System or Community College System to teach high school concurrent-enrollment courses when local schools lack a teacher with the needed master’s-level credentials, particularly in math and STEM subjects. He said the bill is intended to expand student access to college-level coursework, save money, and preserve standards, while still requiring background checks and adherence to ethics and conduct rules. Members began asking questions about how the bill would work in practice, including certification and endorsement issues, but the hearing was not concluded in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><00:27:21.600><c> there</c><00:27:21.760><c> could</c><00:27:21.919><c> be</c><00:27:22.360><c> employees
• </c><00:27:22.840><c> of</c> where um there could be employees of where um there could be employees of
• member asked whether the bill would help limit some of the personal data of parents that school employees
• </c><00:28:31.600><c> that</c> protected information to employees that protected information to employees
• who don't need to access it employees who don't need to access it directly<00:29:27.360><c> through<

Bills: HF1027 , HF101 , HF1021

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Keywords: mortgage foreclosure, redemption, foreclosure surplus, sheriff's sale, junior lienholder, mortgagor, homeowner protections, loss mitigation, dual tracking, foreclosure redemption period, certificate of redemption, certificate of sale, sheriff, county recorder, registrar of titles, homeownership center, lien priority, real property, foreclosure by advertisement, surplus funds

Transcript Highlights:

• Um there's been a lot of back employees.
• Um, it also wraps in the higher-up employees just for that organization of surveys.
• ><c> for</c><00:44:12.720><c> that</c> higher-up employees just for that higher-up employees just for
• those next tier up employee those next tier up into<00:50:28.560><c> just</c><00:50:28.840><c> the</
• Again, people who have employees of a town have a financial interest in the budget.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee of conference first took up House Bill 158 on public inspection of absentee ballot lists. The Senate explained that its amendment replaced the original bill with a requirement that the Secretary of State review absentee ballot data after each general election and report findings to the committees of jurisdiction, focusing on unusual patterns such as multiple ballots sent to the same address. After a brief caucus, the House agreed to the Senate position, and members voted individually to concur. The committee then discussed House Bill 281, which concerns making the electronic voter checklist available in a sortable format. The main dispute was whether the public list should include the mailing address where an absentee ballot was sent if it differs from the voter’s registered address. The Senate argued that including mailing addresses could expose where voters actually live or are away from home and could create safety concerns, while the House argued the information could help candidates reach voters and was not primarily a fraud measure. The parties also discussed a related nursing home verification provision and record-retention/public-records questions. After caucusing, the House agreed to the Senate’s position with the added nursing home signing language, and the committee closed the bill on consent. House Bill 340, concerning electioneering by public employees, was then taken up with a Senate amendment that narrowed the definition of electioneering by tying it to existing statutory language, added a prohibition on expressly or primarily political surveys, and created a civil penalty option alongside the misdemeanor penalty. Senators and representatives debated whether the penalties should be mandatory or discretionary and how the language would apply to certain categories of public employees. After further clarification and caucus, the House accepted the Senate’s amended replace-all language, and the committee closed HB 340. Finally, the committee opened House Bill 1062, authorizing the Secretary of State to conduct random audits of citizenship qualifications of registered voters. The Senate explained that its changes removed the need for a permanent audit power by allowing records to be checked against databases and by requiring identification for registration going forward, which is why it added a sunset clause. The House member objected to the sunset and wanted the authority to continue indefinitely, and discussion continued as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then with the OPRs, we were paying an additional percentage on top of the employee contribution.
• So we were paying about twice of what the employee was putting in to help catch those programs up.
• So your question is a bit misleading in the fact that we did do pay raises for every state employee in
• If you're asking aspirationally, if we could pay state employees more, then yes, of course, but we do
• who are a vital part of our schools. support employees who are a vital part of our schools.

Bills: SB1177 , HB3705 , SB1942 , SB2026 , SB1533 , SB1327 , SB2065 , SB2155 , SB2159

Keywords: education funding, mental health services, public safety, housing, state budget, tax credit, parental choice, private school, income tax, dental insurance, health care, medical necessity, insurance claims, dentist rights, military discharge, veterans, DD Form 214, confidentiality, grandchildren access, veteran burial

Summary: The House convened, completed the roll call, received an invocation focused on grief and remembrance, and heard several special presentations recognizing a brave child, visiting groups, and multiple student-athlete teams and school groups in the galleries. The chamber also introduced the Doctor of the Day and Nurse of the Day. The main business was consideration of the Joint Committee report on Senate Bill 1177, the general appropriations bill, presented by Chairman Caldwell-Trey. Most of the floor time was spent on extended questions about the budget’s major features. Caldwell-Trey explained the bill as a largely flat or modestly increased budget that includes a $200 million transfer to a new sovereign wealth fund, $225 million in set-asides, a $12.5 million “dream accounts” program for newborns, and funding tied to teacher pay, education, workforce, public safety, agriculture, and health agencies. Members questioned the use of one-time funds for recurring expenses, the reduction in state contributions to the OPRS pension system, Medicaid assumptions, emergency management funding, veterans’ services, child care, school counselors, and the lack of funding for some requested items such as National Board Certified Teacher stipends and veterans’ facility maintenance. Caldwell-Trey defended the budget as transparent, early, and designed to preserve cash reserves while supporting core services. No final vote on the appropriations report is reflected in the transcript excerpt. The House also heard explanations that the limits bills would be run later in committee, and that the budget negotiations were still ongoing with the Senate and governor on some related items. The session ended with the queue closed after the budget questioning, and the transcript cuts off during additional remarks from Representative Timmons.