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• And today's chaplain is Reverend Jen Collins from the Minneapolis area Satca.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

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• The Senate will be attentive to our chaplain, the Reverend Mark Warren.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

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• The prayer will be offered by Chaplain Kevin. Would you pray with me?

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 1012, house, all

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• The prayer will be offered by Chaplain Kibbon. >> Would you pray with me?

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, February 12, 2026, 1012, house, all

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• The prayer will be offered by Chaplain Kevin. >> Would you pray with me?

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, December 12, 2025, 1012, house, all

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• The Senate will be attentive to our chaplain, the Reverend Kimberly S. C. Hester. Good morning.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

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• Members, we start with prayer, and there are times when we start with a chaplain, and then from time

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

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• Prayer will be offered by Chaplain Kibben. Would you pray with me?

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, 1012, house, all

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• The prayer will be offered by our guest chaplain, Dr.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, February 7, 2025, 1012, house, all

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• The prayer will be offered by Chaplain Kibben. “Would you pray with me?

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, January 9, 2025, 1012, house, all

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• And today's chaplain is our own Senate chaplain, Reverend Kristen Frier from Bethlehem Lutheran in the

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

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• The prayer will be offered this morning by Chaplain Kibbon. Would you pray with me?

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 1012, house, all

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• The prayer will be offered by Chaplain Kibbon. >> Would you pray with me?

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 1012, house, all

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• The Senate will be attentive to our chaplain, the Reverend Mark Warren. >> Good morning, Madame President

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

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• The House will attend to a prayer by guest chaplain, Reverend Rainey Rose. Good morning. Rene here.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

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• The prayer will be offered by Chaplain Kibbon. >> Would you pray with me?

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, February 9, 2026, 1012, house, all

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• The House will attend a prayer by House Chaplain the Reverend Kevin Trombbley, pastor of Restoration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

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• The prayer will be offered by Chaplain Kib Kibbon. "Would you pray with me?"

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 1012, house, all

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• boat rescue teams, the AMBUS, medical strike teams, as well as IMT and support staff, including chaplains

Summary: The joint Senate and House disaster preparedness hearing convened in Kerrville with quorum, public testimony limited to three minutes and invited testimony to 10 minutes. Leaders from both chambers, along with the lieutenant governor and speaker, framed the hearing as an unprecedented joint effort focused on learning from the July 4 flood, honoring victims, and identifying actions to reduce future loss of life. The committee also heard opening remarks about decorum, logistics, and the intent to continue work in future sessions. The first panel included Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Sheriff Larry Leitha, Emergency Management Coordinator William B. Thomas IV, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr., Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice, Upper Guadalupe River Authority representative William Rector, Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk, and Real County Judge Bella Rubio. They described the flood as sudden and catastrophic, with Kerr County reporting 108 deaths and two missing. Local officials emphasized that they received no timely warning of the scale of the event, that responders and volunteers acted heroically under extreme conditions, and that communications, cell coverage, and rural emergency resources were strained. Several witnesses said the county’s existing alert systems were limited by geography, sparse broadband, and the speed of the flood. Testimony focused on possible improvements, including real-time flood gauges and predictive monitoring, stronger rural emergency management staffing and training, better interoperability and alerting tools such as IPAWS, CodeRED, WENS, and sirens, and expanded broadband and radio coverage. Kerrville asked for a flood warning system before next summer and state help for stormwater, floodplain, and disaster recovery funding. UGRA described its past and current flood-warning and mitigation efforts, including gauge funding, a new software-based flood prediction project, and consideration of additional retention dams. Kendall and Real counties highlighted successful or needed alerting and evacuation practices, while also stressing the difficulty of funding and maintaining such systems in small rural counties. Members asked detailed questions about the timeline of the flood response, low-water crossings, communications failures, sirens, bridges, and whether regional consolidation or additional infrastructure could improve future preparedness.

Transcript Highlights:

• boat rescue teams, the Ambus, medical strike teams, as well as IMT and support staff, to include chaplains

Summary: The joint Senate and House disaster preparedness and flooding hearing opened with quorum calls, prayer, testimony time limits, and remarks from legislative leaders emphasizing decorum, respect, and the goal of learning from the July 4 flood to prevent future loss of life. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dustin Burrows said the special session and hearings were intended to hear directly from local officials and residents, and that the state would pursue immediate and longer-term legislation and continue working beyond the current session. The committee then heard invited testimony from Kerr County, Kerrville, Kendall County, Real County, and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, followed by member questions. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Sheriff Larry Leitha, and emergency management coordinator William B. Thomas described the flood as a sudden, unprecedented event that overwhelmed local systems before many officials or residents understood the danger. They said the county received multiple National Weather Service and IPAWS alerts, but the rain fell in remote upstream areas with limited gauges, and the flood rose too quickly for normal response. They detailed the emergency response, including dispatchers handling heavy call volumes, deputies and volunteer firefighters conducting rescues, and state and federal partners assisting. County officials said 108 people died, including 37 children, and two remained missing. They called for better real-time flood detection, stronger rural emergency management resources, improved broadband and cell coverage, and more funding for swift-water rescue and warning systems. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring and City Manager Dalton Rice said the city had floodplain rules, emergency plans, and prior preparedness efforts, but the event exposed gaps in communications and regional warning capacity. They urged the Legislature to fund a flood warning system, whether sirens, automated alerts, or a hybrid, and asked for support for predictive weather modeling, broadband expansion, a hazard mitigation fund, and disaster recovery resources. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority said it had long funded gauges and pursued flood-warning and mitigation projects, including a new software-based flood prediction system and possible retention dams, and planned to dedicate reserve funds to feasibility studies and infrastructure improvements. Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk said his county’s emergency action plan and early alerts helped prevent deaths there, and he recommended easier access to alerting tools, a river-wide warning system, simpler grant applications, and regional coordination. Real County Judge Bella Rubio said rural counties face major challenges because of limited cell service, broadband, staffing, and funding, especially for camps and visitors along the Frio and Nueces rivers, and argued that reliable alert systems should be treated as a necessity, not a luxury. Members asked about the timeline of the flood, low-water crossings, communications failures, sirens, bridges, and funding, and several witnesses said the key lessons were better communications, better warning systems, and more investment in rural flood mitigation and emergency response.