Transcript Highlights:

• under the purview of UALR and let them make that program, let that money be made up out of their budget
• victim advocates in the prosecuting attorney's offices have to be paid for out of your prosecutor budget
• Well, one of the things that was mentioned to me is that in different counties, different budgets, so
• —if they were paid for out of the state budget rather than out of the county budget.

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the prior meeting and then heard several audit-related reports. The executive committee report noted audit and special reports were scheduled for standing committees and the full Legislative Joint Audit Committee, with one requested report still in progress. The City, County, and Local report covered delinquent private water and sewer audits, reinstatement of turnback funds for entities that filed required reports, and action involving the town of Daisy, which was directed to repay misused street funds at 10% of general fund revenue annually. The education and state agencies reports included higher education audits and state agency findings, with some reports filed and others deferred to the February meeting for additional information or corrective-action details. The committee then took up a special audit of the Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy at UA Little Rock. Legislative Audit reported that the program, funded with $10 million in desegregation money plus a $50,000 grant, awarded $1.87 million in scholarships to 379 students, with 116 graduates, but found numerous eligibility and disbursement problems, including scholarships to ineligible students, excessive awards, improper documentation, and unclear disposition of some assets. Committee members questioned UALR representatives about oversight, staffing, and whether funds were properly used, and also heard from Philander Smith College about its limited role in verifying enrollment. Members expressed concern about the program’s results and the lack of detail on accountability, and the committee voted to table the report until the next meeting for further review and requested additional information, including the federal court order and more detail on expenditures and oversight. Finally, the committee reviewed the annual disposition report on matters referred to prosecutors and the Attorney General for 2024. Staff said 164 matters were referred, with 28 resulting in criminal charges and convictions, 39 still under review, 96 not charged, and others dismissed or pending; 20 convictions produced fines, restitution, and audit-cost orders, and bond trust fund claims were paid in some cases. Prosecutor Coordinator and Attorney General representatives explained that some referrals do not meet criminal standards, may lack intent, or are otherwise not prosecutable, and members asked for more standardized reporting, clearer explanations of why cases are not charged, and more information on restitution efforts. The committee discussed possible templates, training, and better coordination, then voted to file the report and adjourned, with the next meeting set for February 12, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• under the purview of UALR and let them make that program, let that money be made up out of their budget
• victim advocates in the prosecuting attorney's offices have to be paid for out of your prosecutor budget
• Well, one of the things that was mentioned to me is that in different counties, different budgets.
• those victim advocate coordinators, have I got that right, if they were paid for out of the state budget
• rather than out of the county budget.

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• so much for giving me the opportunity to present here to you today about the impacts of federal budgeting
• Of course, we do not know yet what's going to be in the new budget, but funding cuts to...
• I guess the first one with regards to the total R&D budget: do you know what the total R&D budget is
• This is a way to sort of ask an IOU to make a budget and live within it.

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• money, and we're hopeful that this legislation will be able to support an increase to our annual budget
• just in summary, what we've talked about is the co-investment program, an increase to our annual budget
• New Mexico to do a panel discussion, but they're pushing it back until November, just because their budget
• But just the snap cuts and Medicaid budgets are killing us now. And I'm a strong supporter of this.
• What's that budget? So it will be about $250,000 for the year.

Committee: House New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• While this may sound like a budget-busting notion, consider the magnitude of existing subsidies, many
• But more importantly, we can figure out what budget or legislative actions are necessary.
• And to that end, on the budget side, we have a very difficult... ...or legislative actions are necessary
• And to that end, on the budget side, we have a very difficult budget year.

Summary: The Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation held its first informational hearing to examine the state of alternative protein research, industry growth, and policy needs in California. The chair opened by noting California’s $5 million public investment in UC research in 2022 and framed the hearing around three panels: the climate, environmental, and security potential of alternative proteins; industry scaling and commercialization; and university-led research and workforce development. Members emphasized that the committee will continue with site visits and additional hearings across the state. The first panel focused on the case for alternative proteins as a climate, land, water, biodiversity, and food-security solution. Shana Fertig of the Good Food Institute argued that plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated proteins can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water use while helping California meet its climate and conservation goals. Zane Swanson of CSIS added that alternative proteins could reduce risks tied to zoonotic disease, antimicrobial resistance, supply-chain disruption, and broader national security concerns. In questions, members discussed the role of pharmaceuticals in animal agriculture and how alternative proteins might complement, rather than replace, traditional farming by creating new markets for California crops and helping farmers diversify. The second panel featured industry leaders Ethan Brown of Beyond Meat, Myra Passick of Upside Foods, and Arye Elfenbein of Wildtype. Brown highlighted plant-based meat’s health and climate benefits, criticized misinformation campaigns against the sector, and urged better labeling, reduced subsidies for factory farming, and more plant-based food in public institutions. Passick described cultivated meat as a scalable food-production technology, said Upside Foods has already produced millions of pounds annually at its Emeryville facility, and asked for grants, low-interest loans, and possible participation in cap-and-trade or similar revenue programs. Elfenbein described cultivated seafood as a way to address overfishing, contamination, traceability problems, and the heavy import dependence of the U.S. seafood supply, while also noting conservation benefits and the need for California to remain a hub for the industry. The final panel centered on research and workforce development. UCLA’s Amy Rowat described state-funded work on technical bottlenecks such as growing fat cells and creating edible scaffolds, along with a Future Food Fellows program that trains students across science, engineering, law, and policy. UC Santa Cruz economist Galina Hale argued that alternative proteins are necessary to meet future protein demand while reducing food-system emissions, and said California must support the sector through grants, loans, procurement, and research centers to avoid losing leadership to other states and countries. The hearing ended with the chair thanking the witnesses, noting that all materials would be posted online, and saying the committee would continue building policy and budget proposals to support the sector.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, as far as moving nuclear quicker, one of the problems has been that projects have come in over budget
• The recent projects that have been proposed have been fantastically over time and over budget.
• Vogel 4 was 40% below budget from the first one; they are building one in Toronto, and they are building
• But again, when thinking of spending $80 or $90 million in repeating budget cycles, I keep thinking,
• History shows that nuclear energy is always over budget.

Bills: HB 11 , HB 14 , HB 132 , HB 1584 , HB 1606 , HB 5061 , HB 1041 , HB 2286

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: licensing, reciprocity, regulation, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, interstate agreements, nuclear energy, advanced reactors, energy security, grant programs, Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, HB 132, Texas Government Code Chapter 418, Public Information Act, confidential records, homeland security, foreign adversary, terrorism, critical infrastructure, emergency response, law enforcement

Summary: The meeting was a thorough exploration of multiple bills, most notably focused on innovative energy solutions and public safety enhancements. Key discussions centered around HB14, which aims to bolster the state's nuclear energy capabilities through the establishment of a Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office. Senators and expert witnesses discussed the potential of nuclear power as a clean energy source and a strategic necessity for Texas's growth. There was strong support for the bill, with various stakeholders highlighting its importance for the future energy landscape. Additionally, other bills like HB132 addressed the need for enhanced confidentiality protections regarding sensitive information, while HB1584 sought improvements in power restoration procedures during emergencies. Overall, the committee engaged with multiple viewpoints, balancing innovation with safety and ethical considerations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, well, hopefully we'll get some of that fixed with the budget, so, yeah.
• Ben later joined the Governor's Office, where he served as a budget and policy advisor and assistant
• Those experiences, from advising on legislation to working on the state budget and legal matters, have
• Those experiences, from advising on legislation to working on the state budget and legal matters, have
• Do you know whether your budget request is, if granted, will make, you know, put you in better financial

Committee: Senate Nominations

Summary: The Senate Committee on Nominations met with a quorum and first took up pending nominations from an earlier agenda. Members severed Douglas McReecken, nominated to the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents, from the rest of the list and then voted to report the remaining nominees to the full Senate by a 7-0 vote. The committee then voted on the severed nomination itself and reported Douglas McReecken to the full Senate as well, by a 5-2 vote. The committee heard testimony from Brooke Pop, reappointed as chair of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and later from Commissioner Katarina Gonzalez, also of TCEQ. Questions focused on whether TCEQ rules comply with state law, ex parte restrictions, public transparency, concrete batch plant permitting, MUD approvals, water availability, illegal dams, enforcement, and the agency’s role in local environmental disputes. Both nominees said they follow the law as written, described internal legal review of rules, and emphasized transparency, public outreach, and enforcement; Gonzalez said she had already sent back two rules she believed did not comply with legislation. Members also discussed TCEQ’s authority limits and the need for clearer public communication about what the agency can and cannot regulate. The committee also considered Alethea Sullivan, nominated to the Texas Southern University Board of Regents. Questions centered on TSU’s status as an independent institution, the role of HBCUs amid DEI-related legal changes, and student outcomes. Sullivan said she would focus on ensuring taxpayer and student resources produce valuable credentials and noted concerns from her review of graduation and bar passage rates. The committee then heard from Benjamin Barkley, appointed chief executive and public counsel of the Office of Public Utility Counsel. Barkley said OPUC’s main need is additional funding to recruit and retain attorneys and expert witnesses, reduce turnover, and continue representing residential and small commercial consumers in utility rate cases; he said the office was involved in 73 contested cases and saved Texans $2.2 billion in FY 2024. No final action was taken on the later nominees, and the committee recessed with nominations left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so when I did a little math on top of that, that came out to be 0.15% of your annual budget that
• The budget is $337 billion in the biennium, which translates to $220 million per year, or 0.15%.
• our equal recognition of Gold Star families. and provides much-needed support for affected local budgets
• fairer, fully addressing the ongoing underfunding will require additional legislative action in the budget
• Emergency Service Districts (ESDs) operate on lean budgets, especially when compared to municipalities

Bills: HB485 , HB1367 , HB1370 , HB1827 , HB1879 , HB2032 , HB2133 , HB2357 , HB3581 , HB3830 , HB4060 , HB4085 , HB4270 , HB4979 , HB5217 , HB5268 , HB5478 , HJR96 , HJR97 , HJR119 , HJR195 , HJR209 , SB4 , SB23 , SJR2 , SJR85 , SB 4 , SB 23 , SJR 2

Committee: House Ways & Means

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, access, affordability, public health, emergency services district, sales tax, gas and electricity, residential use, tax exemption, emergency services, gas, electricity, HB 485, ESD, use tax, residential utilities, utility tax, local option tax, Texas Health and Safety Code

Transcript Highlights:

• calendar for the day, is an act relating to corrections, appropriating money for deficiencies in the budget
• approval to reallocate approximately $10 million in previously appropriated funds to address the budget
• I recognize the member from Sherburn, Representative Na Noatne. the budget shortfall for fiscal year
• the budget shortfall for fiscal year 2025.<00:18:45.360><c> Um</c><00:18:45.679><c> the</c><00:18:45.840
• What I will say is that we needed to take the budget...

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• , but not least, let's not forget this bill actually saves fiscal dollars next year in the city's budget
• It's like, that's what your maintenance and operation budget is for.
• We've been working through the budget process. There is a contingency rider to fund this bill.
• And so if this bill were to move forward, it seems as though it needs additional state budget appropriations
• I believe it's in the current budget, but this is instrumental to the... basically to the survival of

Bills: HB886 , HB1514 , HB2434 , HB2688 , HB2802 , HB3161 , HB3221 , HB4029 , HB4339 , HB4591 , HB4774 , HB4802 , HB4853 , HB5627 , SB1737

Committee: House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Keywords: retirement, supplemental payment, benefits, Employees Retirement System, eligible annuitants, legislation, annuity, service credit, Employees Retirement System of Texas, employee benefits, pension reform, public retirement systems, municipality pensions, firefighters, police officers, retirement age, DROP program, actuarial studies, pension benefits, municipal retirement

Transcript Highlights:

• as a result of this race to the bottom, is on a path to take over one-fourth of the global carbon budget
• sight on, but I can tell you it will increase costs, and roughly California spends 3 to 5% of their budget
• million that was referenced that's available federally that's nationwide so But we know we have the budget
• the health of our population, in the health of our children, and also in the health of our state budget
• to fund this kind of infrastructure, and we'll continue to work together on it because we've got a budget

Committee: House Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is no, and I repeat, no cost to the state budget.
• really strong parts about this organization is not only that they sell fun, which is brilliant for our budget
• appropriation from the general fund, amends the title, and does so with no cost to our higher education budget
• Dan says that LRAP helped him rework his budget to purchase a more reliable vehicle after his old car
• I ran here as you all know we're in the middle of a budget discussion, and I'm here to talk about this

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a neutral budget impact. There are, And has existed since 2019.
• It is a neutral budget impact.
• There are already eight proposed FTEs that are in the current year budget, which lines up with the staffing
• , sorry, for the future year budget for the coming year, that aligns with what we're already funding
• Does that mean that that entire budget is overseen by the Department of State and then they decide how

Committee: Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability

Summary: The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability met with a quorum present and took up a full agenda of bills, many involving public records exemptions and government operations. Several measures were reported favorably, including SB 342 on an Agency for Health Care Administration public records exemption for employees facing threats; SB 7018 preserving a public records exemption tied to parental consent/judicial bypass records for minors seeking abortions; SB 626 lowering quorum requirements and allowing remote participation for the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys; SB 710 protecting personal information of Crime Stoppers employees, board members, volunteers, and their families; SB 300 extending clerk personal-information protections to appellate court clerks; and SB 302 creating a similar exemption for Judicial Qualifications Commission employees. The committee also approved SB 7010 and SB 7008, which preserve and narrow public records exemptions related to the Department of Financial Services as receiver for insolvent insurers and the financial technology sandbox, respectively. The committee also heard and advanced several policy bills. SB 820 codifies the Office of Faith and Community in the Executive Office of the Governor; Senator Polsky questioned whether the office was duplicative of existing services and raised concerns about religion in state governance, while supporters argued it complements existing networks and helps connect Floridians to services. SB 1144 codifies the Hope Florida program, with supporters describing it as a connector to community resources and critics again raising concerns about overlap, private donations, and accountability; both SB 820 and SB 1144 passed on largely party-line votes with Senator Polsky voting no. SB 804 would redesignate the SS American Victory as the state flagship, but Senator Rodriguez opposed giving up the current flagship designation for the Key West schooner, though the bill still passed favorably. SB 214 designates August 21 as Fentanyl Awareness and Education Day and passed without opposition. SB 1088 requires certain state customer-service phone lines to offer callback features, and SB 576 makes technical fixes to service-of-process law; both were reported favorably. Additional bills included SB 1524, a broad Department of State measure with a strike-all amendment that revises grant-review procedures, adds an America 250 funding focus, and changes commission-fee and oath requirements; Senator Arrington and Senator Polsky expressed concerns about reviewer qualifications, grant criteria, and the impact on arts and cultural programs, and both voted no while the bill still passed. SB 1640, on confidentiality of lethality assessment forms in domestic violence cases, was amended to allow disclosure to domestic violence centers while barring disclosure to state attorneys, and it passed favorably. SB 1160 expands health insurance premium benefits for certain officers catastrophically injured or killed in the line of duty; supporters from the Fraternal Order of Police appeared in support, and the bill passed unanimously. The committee also confirmed eight appointments to the Florida Commission on Community Service, the Investment Advisory Council, the Public Employees Relations Commission, and the State Retirement Commission. At the end of the meeting, senators requested to be recorded on specific bills, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• a previous city attorney for the city of Eagle Pass, I was able to see the council work through a budget
• , and at any given time, anywhere from 60 to 70 percent of the city's budget, you would...
• About 40 percent of that budget is based on aggregate and materials.
• existing road to build a new road, which TxDOT will tell you is not part of the UTP and part of the budget
• , because the Rio Grande Valley has the fifth largest MPO in the state and now one of the largest budgets

Bills: HB767 , HB 1242 , HB1373 , HB1404 , HB1708 , HB1936 , HB2041 , HB2198 , HB2270 , HB2315 , HB2415 , HB2427 , HB2455 , HB2457 , HB2522 , HB2523 , HB2686 , HB2763 , HB2775 , HB2944 , HB3034 , HB1683 , HB1695

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: highway designation, memorial, Montgomery County, Paul P. Mendes, transportation, HB 1242, Texas Transportation Code, U.S. Highway 281, Brooks County, Ernesto Soliz Cantu, memorial highway, road naming, TxDOT, road signage, commemorative resolution, memorial markers, county road 304, Huppergate Road, Los Robles Trail, Farm-to-Market Road

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Sexton: That seems like a significant cost to somebody's budget—a small or medium-sized
• We understand that the budget pressures at the state is under this year and appreciate your consideration
• It's a challenging budget year.
• And when I look at it, I think over the last 10 years, our state budget has increased from $35 billion
• We can do that, I think, when we look at our budget.

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Counties are not losing any revenue they have counted on or budgeted for, because the real property for
• One of the things that we talked about in the budget yesterday was the average salary in New Mexico is
• Here because as, as I talked about yesterday on the, on the floor of the Senate for the budget, Madam
• Chair, our population has grown less than 1% in the past 15 years, but our state budget has increased
• Why can't we take it with a funding stream that is funding 45 to 55% of the state budget?

Committee: Senate Senate Tax, Business & Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• about the process by which we produce costs as... estimates that are submitted to the legislative budget
• that creates mandates or changes the administration process, we want to make sure that policymakers, budget
• However long you give us, and the Legislative Budget Board gives us really tight... deadlines, so we're
• I mean, the state constantly, you know, passes a budget that increases things, you know, all the time
• note processes in the state of Texas, you are required to have a fiscal note. from the Legislative Budget

Bills: HB138 , HB335 , HB388 , HB138

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: health impact analysis, cost analysis, coverage mandates, health insurance, legislative analysis, health care data, education, funding, classroom resources, teacher support, student outcomes, health benefits, provider dentists, payment reimbursement, insurance code, noncontracting, dental care, reimbursement, health benefit plans, noncontracting providers

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe there's 210 million in the budget identified for these projects. Thank you.
• You all know Medicaid is a huge part of our budget now, so we think this is a really smart investment
• now, House Bill 2, any general fund that's appropriated to any agency, be it in their operational budget
• Um, how much money is in the budget, to start this fund? Um, Mr.
• Chair, earlier this evening that there is no money in the budget bill for this, but we're creating a

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• As a consideration for state budget efficiency and transparency, I would like to ask that the Legislature
• provide oversight of the board's budget by reviewing and revising its... ...to ask that the Legislature
• provide oversight of the board's budget by reviewing and revising its enforcement policies.
• Yet the board staff has put in a budget request for $2.5 million in additional funding over the next
• Yet, the board staff has put in a budget request for $2.5 million in additional funding over the next

Summary: The joint Assembly and Senate business committees held a sunset review hearing on the California State Board of Pharmacy, with board leadership describing the board’s consumer-protection role and its priorities around access, enforcement, and updating pharmacy law. The board emphasized a proposed shift toward a standard-of-care model for pharmacists, arguing it would reduce rigid protocol requirements and improve access to services such as HIV PrEP/PEP, contraception, and naloxone. Board representatives also discussed pharmacy deserts, possible fee waivers for pharmacies in underserved areas, concerns about payer practices contributing to closures, continuing education audits, and a request to restore more flexibility in licensure decisions and probationary monitoring for applicants with certain criminal histories. A major focus of the hearing was the board’s ongoing compounding regulations, especially the treatment of sterile versus nonsterile compounding and substances such as glutathione and methylcobalamin. The board said the proposal was not a ban on those substances and described the rulemaking as grounded in federal law, USP standards, and public comment, noting the process had gone through multiple modified texts and hearings. Testimony from stakeholders was sharply divided: pharmacists, veterinarians, firefighters, naturopathic doctors, and patient advocates warned the rules were restricting access to compounded medications and harming patients and first responders, while the California Medical Association, psychiatric physicians, and PhRMA raised concerns that the board’s proposals could expand pharmacist authority beyond training, affect physician practice, or create safety risks. Other public comments addressed pharmacy technician ratios, remote processing, flavoring medications, hospital-specific regulation, budget and enforcement transparency, and whether the board should add members with community compounding or pharmacy technician expertise. Committee members also asked about the board’s oversight priorities and the rationale for its standard-of-care proposal. Board staff explained that consumer protection includes education, licensing, policy, and enforcement, with the highest-priority enforcement cases being those posing imminent public harm. After public testimony concluded, the chairs thanked participants and adjourned the sunset review hearing, announcing an immediate transition to the joint informational hearing on the Department of Cannabis Control.

Transcript Highlights:

• And in my opinion, the dollar is in decline because of the spin-thrift manner in which our federal. budget
• evaluation of overall spending at the federal level to where we get ourselves back to a balanced budget
• Our budget as a as a U.S. federal government is somewhere around 6.9 trillion dollars and we only bring
• The solution to overspending is voting in individuals in Congress that will pass a balanced budget amendment
• You know, Senator, and I apologize, I don't want to get off into the weeds of budget deficits and fire

Bills: SJR34 , SB10 , SB18 , SB19 , SB21 , SB72 , SB140 , SB262 , SB370 , SB480 , SB495 , SB627 , SB703 , SB767 , SB790

Keywords: parental rights, parents, children, custody, care and control, upbringing, family law, constitutional amendment, Texas Constitution, child welfare, education policy, medical decisions, parental authority, primary decision makers, family autonomy, education, Ten Commandments, public schools, religious display, First Amendment