Transcript Highlights:

• And whereas Grant County hosts the annual Tour of the Gila, New Mexico's premier cycling stage race,
• These funds support... ...of dollars annually to the state budget.
• He is a student at UNM studying political science with a minor in Arabic.
• She is studying political science and philosophy with a minor in economics.
• She is studying political science and philosophy with a minor in economics.

Bills: HM3, HM11, HM14, HM15, HM18, HM21, HB10, HB11, HB12, HB13, HB14, HB31, HB50

Keywords: nurses, health care workers, healthcare workers, frontline workers, hospital staff, clinicians, allied health professionals, support staff, public health, workforce shortage, nursing shortage, safe staffing, patient safety, rural health care, frontier communities, behavioral health, mental health, substance use disorder, substance abuse, health care memorial

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:17:15.839> basis can be re-evaluated on an annual basis can be re-evaluated on an annual
• <00:45:50.480> costing committee for the study of the costing committee for the study of the
• It’s one program of studies.
• The school district shall annually The school district shall annually annually<03:21:58.319>
• these other studies that have been done. these other studies that have been done.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that there's a well-known study by Harvard that says there is a nexus between academics and art
• We know that there's a well-known study by Harvard that says there is a nexus between academics and art
• A well-known study by Harvard says there is a nexus between academics and art.
• film festival on Veterans Day. ...and as an annual film festival on Veterans Day.
• which is uh the uh somal Museum annual which is uh the uh somal Museum annual anniversary<01:11:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Bi-annual study that will assess the impact of illegal immigration on Texas in key areas: state and local
• How much does this study cost?
• Senator, this is a study. Both legal and illegal.
• Of course, that's outside of the study.
• Committee substitute, Senate Bill 825, relating to an annual study on the economic, environmental, and

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation by Pastor Jim Harris of Tilden Baptist Church, followed by remarks from Senator Zaffirini recognizing his service and retirement as an agricultural teacher. The chamber also received a message from the governor on appointments to the Coastal Water Authority Board of Directors. Senators then adopted SR 434 honoring Goodwill Industries of San Antonio’s 80th anniversary, with Senators Gutierrez, Menendez, and Zaffirini praising its workforce training and second-chance employment mission; SR 435 recognizing Dr. Christine Ramos Camacho as Doctor of the Day; and a group of additional resolutions adopted by voice vote. Senator Zaffirini also introduced the McMullen County Day delegation, and Senator Gutierrez introduced the Doctor of the Day. The Senate then took up and passed several bills. SB 1951 addressed penalties for late property rendition filings and removed a financial incentive for appraisal districts; SB 1261 related to financing water supply projects in the state water plan; SB 1620 created a Texas Forensic Analyst Apprenticeship Pilot Program; SB 530 updated higher-education accreditation rules; SB 2183 standardized fireworks sales periods statewide; SB 2368 strengthened the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act and added foreign-affiliation safeguards for electricity market participants; SB 1398 limited children without placement (CWOP) practices and added community-based care transparency; and SB 1960 established digital replication rights for voice and visual likenesses. Each of these bills advanced through suspension of the regular order, passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage, with recorded votes generally showing strong support and some opposition on a few measures. The chamber also debated SB 825, which would require an annual study of the economic, environmental, and financial impacts of illegal immigration. Senators Middleton, Hinojosa, Gutierrez, and Eckhardt debated whether the study should include positive as well as negative impacts; an amendment to require that broader analysis failed, and the bill was left pending after passage to engrossment. Other measures passed included SB 2010, prohibiting political subdivisions from operating guaranteed income programs; SB 546, requiring reporting and continued implementation of school bus seat belts; SB 586, establishing the Historical Texas Cemetery designation program; SB 1150, requiring inactive oil and gas wells to be plugged or returned to production under a compliance plan; SB 1184, lowering the minimum age of wine eligible for sale by wine collection sellers; SB 2185, clarifying bilingual education allotment funding; SB 1923, making child support follow the child in certain temporary placements; SB 2252, expanding early literacy and numeracy supports and screening tools; SB 1870, barring local decriminalization of drugs; and SB 2405, the major TDCJ sunset bill, which included facility planning, parole and rehabilitation reforms, and an amendment protecting parole board discretion. Most of these bills were adopted after floor amendments and passed with recorded votes, often along party-line or near-party-line divisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• town of Wayland an average of three hours per each annual town meeting.
• Some people may ask, doesn't the Boston Fed's new wealth study address this?
• That study was announced in 2022.
• The Boston Fed study is valuable research.
• There is a study that was put into place to begin with DCAM to set plans.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills related to open meeting law, municipal meetings, town meetings, and remote participation. Senator Rausch supported S. 2205 and S. 2206, and House companion H. 3382, saying they would make remote participation in public bodies permanent and streamline open meeting law and public records complaint processes to reduce burdens on local officials. Committee members and the senator discussed concerns about complaints being weaponized, the role of the Attorney General, and whether public testimony should be presumed allowed unless a chair limits it with justification. The senator said the bills do not change public records fees and are meant to improve process and transparency. A large portion of the hearing focused on H. 3342 and S. 2197, which would modernize municipal meetings, town meetings, and local elections by allowing permanent remote or hybrid participation. Supporters included Wayland officials, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, MAPC, MACC, and others, who argued that hybrid and remote options increase participation, help parents, caregivers, people with disabilities, and residents with travel or work constraints, and have worked well during the pandemic-era extensions. Municipal officials emphasized that a mandate would be costly and difficult for smaller communities because of staffing, technology, room design, cybersecurity, and uneven internet access, especially in western Massachusetts. Committee members asked about equal access, funding, and whether local discretion should remain; the chair said the committee wants a permanent solution beyond emergency rules but must balance access with local capacity. The committee also heard testimony on H. 3328, which would allow remote participation to count toward quorum for statewide appointed bodies such as commissions on women and LGBTQ issues. Supporters argued this would improve regional equity and make it easier for people outside Greater Boston to serve, while committee members noted it is a separate issue from municipal meetings and may be easier to address than broader local-government changes. Another bill, H. 4351, was supported by Rep. Brandy Fluker Reed, who described it as creating an Office of Freedmen Affairs to address longstanding racial wealth disparities affecting descendants of enslaved Americans. The hearing also included testimony on H. 3299 from Common Cause and MASSPIRG in favor of guaranteed hybrid access for public meetings with public participation components, with advocates saying it would improve transparency, accessibility, and civic engagement.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it says the governor shall annually issue a proclamation calling for the proper observance of the
• So it says the governor shall annually issue a proclamation calling for the proper observance of the
• issue a proclamation calling annually issue a proclamation calling for<00:10:56.560> the<00:10
• The response was that in line 18 it says no part of the annual membership dues shall be used to pay a
• one line 18 no part of the annual one line 18 no part of the annual membership<00:26:39.399>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 118 in executive session and adopted Amendment 0882H, which would remove the House and Senate members from the Child Care Commission while leaving the commission in place. Members said the amendment was a continuation of earlier committee discussion and supported it as a needed change. The committee then voted 12-0 to recommend ought to pass as amended, and HB 118 was placed on consent. The committee next considered House Bill 142, dealing with Gold Star Mother’s Day. The sponsor explained that the bill was unnecessary because existing statute already directs the governor to issue a proclamation for Gold Star Mother’s Day and to urge appropriate observance, including flag-related ceremonies. Several members discussed how to ensure the proclamation and flag observance would happen and whether the committee report should note the existing statute. Other members said they would oppose killing the bill because the recognition was important. The committee voted 9-3 to table/ITL the bill, and HB 142 was declared inexpedient to legislate. The final major item was a public hearing on a non-germane amendment to House Bill 456, with a related draft amendment also discussed. The sponsor said the amendment would raise the annual membership allowance from $20 to $75, rename fees as dues, prohibit dues from being used to pay lobbyists, require NHMA dues to be brought before voters as a separate warrant article for transparency, and require separate accounting so lobbying funds are not co-mingled with other funds. Supporters said the goal was to keep taxpayer-derived money from funding lobbying while preserving non-lobbying services such as legal advice and training. Opponents argued the proposal was an overreach and would micromanage local towns. No vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a study, correct? And in the substitute, it made it a study, right? No. Are this?
• It is a study, correct? And in the substitute, it made it a study, right? No. This is a substitute.
• The bill requires A&M Extension Service to create this study.
• I put that in my annual report. There is no need... I put that in my annual report.
• I put that in my annual report. There is no need... I put that in my annual report.

Summary: The committee met with limited attendance at first, then took up a series of water, agriculture, and rural affairs measures. HB 3898 would allow the Texas Water Development Board to provide financial assistance for brackish water desalination projects in certain border counties and related nonprofit suppliers even if the projects are not in the state water plan. Supporters said it is needed to address severe water shortages in places like Webb County and to support future planning; opponents, including the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts, argued it bypasses the regional and state water planning process. The bill was left pending after testimony. The committee also heard HB 5339, which would create a higher-education grant program for regenerative agriculture research. A rancher testified that regenerative methods improved soil health, water retention, and farm viability, while a senator noted existing university research but said better coordination could help. Public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. Members then heard HB 1523, a temporary prohibition on TCEQ issuing Austin a Class 5 injection well permit for an aquifer storage and recovery project in Bastrop and Lee counties until December 2027. Local officials from Bastrop supported the pause, citing unanswered questions about water treatment, recovery rates, and impacts on the aquifer, while Austin Water opposed the substitute, saying the project is central to its long-term water plan and that stakeholder talks were already underway. TCEQ explained its ASR permitting process and said public participation is possible but not always used in the current authorization process. The bill was left pending. HB 5659, concerning the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District and requiring majority city-council approval before certain water sales or interbasin transfers, drew testimony from district officials who said the change could interfere with existing contracts and district authority, but the chair emphasized the need for local buy-in and said the stakeholders had reached a workable compromise; testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 1690, which would expand notice requirements for groundwater export permits so neighboring landowners and potentially affected aquifer areas are informed by certified mail and publication. The sponsor tied the bill to impacts from the Vista Ridge project, and no one testified against it; it was left pending. HB 3333 would prohibit TCEQ from issuing new wastewater discharge permits directly into the Devils River in Val Verde County. The sponsor and a conservation witness said the bill protects one of Texas’s most pristine rivers and reflects a local stakeholder agreement, while TCEQ said it can ensure water quality but acknowledged the river’s unique sensitivity; the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HCR 108 urging continuation of the U.S.-Mexico tomato suspension agreement, with supporters warning of major Texas job and consumer-price impacts if it ends, and HCR 76 urging federal action on imported shrimp, citing public health and industry concerns; both were left pending. Additional measures heard and left pending included HB 4158 on compensation for Texana Groundwater Conservation District directors, HB 654 creating a dismissal path for certain first-time deer hunting violations after self-reporting and hunter education, HB 4530 requiring Texas Water Development Board review of groundwater rights placed in the Texas Water Trust, HB 2128 directing a study of rural versus urban firefighting and rescue disparities, and HB 278 requiring groundwater districts and management areas to track progress toward desired future conditions over shorter intervals. On HB 278, witnesses split over whether the bill’s interim tracking would improve accountability or create new triggers that could be used against local districts, but no final vote was taken and the bill was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• And requires annual reports to the legislature. Sunsets 6/30/2031.
• for pilot programs subject to an annual for pilot programs subject to an annual cap.<00:09:04.880
• And<00:09:11.880> requires<00:09:12.320> annual<00:09:12.640> reports<00:09:13.160
• > to<00:09:13.280> the And requires annual reports to the And requires annual reports to
• a disclosure and transparency um study a disclosure and transparency um study bill.<00:15:31.120

Bills: SB2057, SB2109, SB2400, HB1752, SB2599, SB2930

Keywords: immigration enforcement, sanctuary policy, detainer, ICE, federal immigration authorities, 8 U.S.C. 1357(g), 8 U.S.C. 1373, 8 U.S.C. 1644, deportation, undocumented immigrants, noncitizen, migrant rights, local police cooperation, law enforcement cooperation, hold request, judicial warrant, probable cause, civil immigration enforcement, county police, state police

Transcript Highlights:

• The funding for that study was inexplicably vetoed.
• Why couldn't they study this issue?
• We could have been studying this all year.
• We could have been studying this all year.
• We receive annual evaluations. They're called O.E.E., We receive annual evaluations.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, battery disposal study—I had a feeling.
• the time of the study?
• It caps the increase on assessments for certain mobile home parks to 3% annually.
• $60 million annually to the C-51 Reservoir Project.
• The first being the annual licensure renewal fee.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• proposals related to background studies. proposals related to background studies.
• , the background studies So, the background studies disqualification<01:09:15.920> changes,<01
• those studies. those studies.
• . studies. studies.
• So, they got the studies, and so they got a more limited study.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You said Maine did a full study.
• 02.880> the<00:55:03.040> study study.
• Connecticut stopped the study study.
• necessary to spend $200,000 studying necessary to spend $200,000 studying this<01:01:08.480>
• <01:22:15.040> would like and hopefully this study would like and hopefully this study would

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do annual training and annual audits with those waste generators, with the hospitals, and have a small
• Do annual training and of just one time.
• Do annual training and annual<00:37:20.160> audits<00:37:20.720> with<00:37:21.040>
• those<00:37:21.520> waste annual audits with those waste annual audits with those waste generators
• It would allow would also be studied.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Houston website around the efficiency study page.
• Have you ever done a study on that or looked to see?
• So I do think a study of some form is warranted.
• I generally don't think of that as annualized revenue. even though it's expenditure because the annualized
• There's one from Tennessee, the Tennessee Volley Study.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The ARDAQ submits an annual report to the governor and state Surgeon General, describing the council's
• A $500,000 fund is appropriated annually for grant awards.
• The researchers at Florida State University are studying how gene mutations linked to a rare form of
• piece together, because there's so much information here, is there efficacy in your final, in your annual
• Are you, you know, how many patients have you enrolled in your study?

Summary: The Health Professions and Program Subcommittee met with a quorum present and received a briefing from Melissa Jordan, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Health and chair of the Florida Rare Disease Advisory Council (ARDAC). Jordan explained that rare diseases affect fewer than 200,000 people each individually, but together impact an estimated 2.3 million Floridians. She reviewed ARDAC’s structure, its three subcommittees, and its 2025 legislative report recommendations, which focused on expanding Florida-specific data, disaster preparedness, state agency coordination, insurance oversight, provider education, faster diagnostic tools, research collaboration, and establishing centers of excellence. She also highlighted ARDAC’s work with other states and its effort to build an online repository of resources for families and providers. Jordan discussed the Andrew John Anderson Pediatric Rare Disease Grant Program, funded at $500,000 annually, which supported research awards at Florida State University and the University of Miami in 2024 and another University of Miami project in 2025. She also described House Bill 907 and the Sunshine Genetics Act pilot program, which created the Florida Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases at FSU and a newborn whole-genome sequencing pilot to screen volunteer infants for hundreds of conditions beyond traditional newborn screening. The institute will include research, training, clinical care, a diagnostic lab, genome editing capacity, and a sequencing pilot overseen by a board, consortium, and steering committee. Members asked about interstate collaboration, the scope of data collection beyond Medicaid, how the council reduces family financial burdens, how families and providers can learn about available resources, and how ARDAC measures effectiveness. Jordan said Florida has learned from other states’ survey-based approaches and instead is using administrative data sources such as Medicaid, hospitalizations, emergency department visits, birth and death certificates, with more clinical data to be added over time. She said success is tracked through annual reports, ongoing work plans, and quarterly research reports that measure progress, patient enrollment, treatment outcomes, and potential follow-on funding. The meeting concluded after the presentation and questions, and the subcommittee adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• And people along the way have said, hey, stop for this study, stop for that study.
• And people along the way have said, hey, stop for this study, stop for that study.
• BEG is going to conduct the study.
• I don't know, but Teabag has done a study on sandstone already, and other agencies have done a study
• Teabag has studied sandstone and other agencies across the country have studied limestone.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation, received a House message announcing passage of H.B. 500, and a gubernatorial nomination for the Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority Board. The chamber adopted several resolutions, including SR 409 recognizing Blue Ribbon Lobby Day, SR 402 honoring the discovery of the woolly devil plant at Big Bend National Park, and recognitions for Operation Christmas RGV and Wilson County Day. The Senate also heard an announcement that the Committee on Senate Nominations action report had been placed on members’ desks. The body then took up and passed several bills. SB 2365 was passed to prohibit personal wireless communication devices by public school students during instructional time, with exceptions for health, special education, and safety needs. SB 1869 was passed to reaffirm the DSHS commissioner’s authority over controlled-substance schedule changes without rulemaking or judicial review. SB 1124 was passed to revise criminal discovery procedures in response to the Heath decision, with supporters saying it preserves exculpatory evidence protections while limiting suppression of inculpatory evidence when the defense already knew of it. SB 1758 was passed to create a Grayson County pilot study and temporary permitting hold concerning a cement kiln/quarry near a semiconductor wafer facility, and SB 2078 was passed to regulate composting in certain counties, after a clarifying amendment. The Senate also passed SB 33, barring governmental entities from transactions that support abortion assistance or out-of-state abortion procurement; SB 34, expanding wildfire preparedness measures, studies, equipment databases, and rural fire department funding; SB 1208, increasing the penalty for interference with public duties from a Class B misdemeanor to a state jail felony; SB 1030, removing the maintenance, repair, and overhaul tax for general aviation; SB 505, creating processes to address election irregularities; SB 2411, updating the Business Organizations Code and changing filing-method requirements; and SB 1333, addressing unauthorized entry, occupancy, sale, rental, lease, or conveyance of real property. Most measures advanced on voice vote or recorded roll call after motions to suspend the regular order and the constitutional three-day rule, with several members raising questions or objections, especially on the criminal justice, abortion, and public duties bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:11:17.160> or they have to do a traffic study or they have to do a traffic study or there's
• traffic impact study and a preliminary<00:13:39.959> set<00:13:40.120> of<00:13:40.240
• economic impact, 1.6 million annual visits.
• economic impact 1.6 million annual economic impact 1.6 million annual<01:11:09.080> visits<01
• They did a study of nine of the 27 trails, and those nine generate $8.7 million annually for non-motorized

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, will be here to give an annual address that he shares with us.
• could go to so that we could implement ethnic studies.
• Personal income tax withholding, for example, is growing at an annual rate of around 10%.
• Also frustrated that the ethnic studies isn't funded, but more on the level of...
• And I know ethnic studies has been uplifted, but I also want to add my voice to that as well.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance met for its annual Proposition 98 overview, with Chair Alvarez outlining the committee’s focus on K-12 funding, student outcomes, and use of one-time funds. Superintendent Tony Thurmond gave an update on education issues, including wildfire recovery support for affected school communities, ongoing concerns about federal threats to education funding and immigration enforcement, progress on literacy and math, dual-language immersion, educator housing, and support for dual enrollment. Members broadly expressed support for these priorities, while also raising concerns about implementation, funding stability, and the need for schools to remain safe places for students. The committee then reviewed the Governor’s Proposition 98 proposal. The Department of Finance said the 2025-26 Proposition 98 guarantee is projected at $118.9 billion, with higher revenues and TK-related rebenching driving the increase. The LAO said the budget adds about $7.5 billion over two years and discussed the volatility of the guarantee, especially in 2024-25, when changes in revenue could have an outsized effect on school funding. Members questioned the proposed $1.6 billion delayed settle-up payment, the legal basis for delaying it, and the impact of possible federal funding freezes. The LAO presented alternatives such as a reserve deposit or delayed disbursement, while Finance said the proposal is intended to manage uncertainty. Members also raised concerns that ethnic studies implementation was not funded in the January budget, and Finance said the administration was not proposing funding for it. The committee next heard on the Proposition 98 rainy day fund and education deferrals. Finance said the reserve would receive a mandatory deposit of about $1.2 billion in 2024-25 and a discretionary deposit of $376 million in 2025-26, leaving a balance of about $1.5 billion. The LAO supported rebuilding the reserve as a way to manage volatility. On deferrals, Finance described the Governor’s plan to eliminate remaining deferrals by 2025-26, and the LAO said paying them off improves cash flow and budget resilience. Members generally supported eliminating deferrals and rebuilding reserves, though some asked about acting earlier if revenues allow. The committee also reviewed the proposed $1.8 billion student support and professional development block grant; Finance said it would fund professional development, recruitment and retention, and dual enrollment, while the LAO recommended clearer language on local discretion and use for one-time costs. Members were divided, with some supporting flexibility and others warning that one-time block grants can create instability and confusion for districts.

Transcript Highlights:

• So nursing, social work, addiction studies—we have the only bachelor's degree in addiction studies in
• There have been a number of studies.
• So a couple of studies I wanted to share with you.
• My kids have never had a study hall. They don't know what a study hall is.
• I think, I believe that's on an annual basis.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:58:07.760> in brings producers together annually in brings producers together annually
• <01:08:39.600> Kentucky cast for social studies Kentucky cast for social studies Kentucky
• In alignment, the CAS for social studies In alignment, the CAS for social studies was<01:09:24.400
• :09:31.040> AP<01:09:31.759> was studies advisory panel or AP was studies advisory panel
• in the disciplines of social studies. in the disciplines of social studies.

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call – 0:00:00 Workforce Pell Grant Update – 0:03:30 Extension Office Update – 0:33:25 Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies – 1:07:08 Early Literacy Outcomes – 1:32:20 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations – 1:58:30 Adjournment 2:13:13, 958, all