Transcript Highlights:

• It was a rare honor to have my legislation endorsed by others behind me.
• Okay, thank you, Senator. honor to have my legislation endorsed by honor to have my legislation endorsed
• So we are in support of this particular legislation, and I am happy to take any questions.
• So we are in support of this particular legislation, and I am happy to take any questions.
• </c> Reen for bringing this legislation Reen for bringing this legislation forward<02:12:34.559><c> the

Committee: Senate Commerce

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Joint Committee on Housing's 12th hearing this legislative session, and we look forward to
• In addition, LIS, Legislative Information Services, and the Housing Committee staff are on hand should
• In addition, LIS, Legislative Information Services, and the Housing Committee staff are on hand should
• If I might add, this legislation is needed to help preserve middle-class affordable housing..."
• Well, we're still waiting for legislative fix for a couple of things in statute that are actually in

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Housing

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Housing held its 12th hearing of the session, chaired by Representative Richard Haggerty and Senator Julian Cyr, and heard testimony on two bills: H. 5317, concerning condominium conversion of co-owned two-unit buildings, and H. 5447, a home rule petition for an affordable housing trust fund in West Tisbury. The chair outlined a hybrid hearing format, three-minute testimony limits for individuals, and a July 31 deadline for written testimony. Peter Harrington testified in support of H. 5317, arguing that the partition law is outdated and should be updated so courts can use the condominium statute when dividing co-owned property. He said the change would help preserve middle-class housing, especially two-family homes that might otherwise be sold, torn down, or redeveloped into more expensive housing. Committee members asked about how common the issue is and whether it is more case-specific; Harrington said it arises at the lower end of Chapter 241 cases but is not unusual. Laura Silber testified in support of H. 5447 on behalf of West Tisbury’s Affordable Housing Committee and the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. She said the bill would let the town’s affordable housing trust serve households up to 180% of area median income and better support seasonal communities tools, including housing for essential public-sector workers and acquisition of year-round deed restrictions. Senator Cyr questioned whether the home rule petition was necessary if technical fixes to the seasonal communities law are enacted, and Silber said the petition was a short-term measure while the towns await statutory changes and work toward a pooled year-round housing trust. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is Senate Bill 1119, which is the Convention of States implementing legislation.
• And so it is conceivable that... implementing legislation.
• I was carrying this legislation when I was in the House. So it's been at least four years.
• Senator: I was carrying this legislation when I was in the House, so it's been at least four years, and
• I am a resident of the 136th legislative district here in Missouri, 30th senatorial district, and I serve

Committee: House General Laws

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am from Legislative District 32, which is part of Bonneville County. I have a preference.
• And that's how all legislation is, right?
• They haven't sorted it out yet, so I'm really cautious about legislating something that's really not
• They haven't sorted it out yet, so I'm really cautious about legislating something that's really not
• And so I think that this would be a knee-jerk reaction to pass this legislation without seeing what the

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :06:58.479><c> federal</c><00:06:59.360><c> law</c><00:06:59.759><c> or</c> The purpose of this legislation
• They're currently working on some legislation themselves that we may see next year.
• Uh, but I would look at some legislation coming back. This is on behalf of the counties.
• c><00:09:31.839><c> look</c><00:09:32.000><c> at</c><00:09:32.160><c> some</c><00:09:32.399><c> legislation
• </c> but I would look at some legislation but I would look at some legislation coming<00:09:33.279><c

Bills: HB545 , HB545

Committee: House Financial Services

Keywords: Escambia County, probate court, court fees, legal services, judicial legislation, HB545, legal tender, cash rounding, nearest five cents, nickel rounding, in-person cash transaction, cash transactions, change making, sales tax, Department of Revenue, merchant payments, consumer payments, currency rounding, cash payment, retail transactions

Transcript Highlights:

• I hope your career as a legislator improves and gets better from this and that some things will help
• you to be a better legislator, and I think we have all confidence that you can do that."
• I hope your career as a legislator improves and gets better from this and that some things will help
• you to be a better legislator, and I think we have all confidence that you can do that.
• you to be a better legislator, and I think we have all confidence that you can do that.

Keywords: The meeting will take start back after coming out of Executive Session, 958, all

Summary: The commission reconvened in open session and announced it had reached a settlement that would avoid a full adjudicatory hearing. Counsel for Representative Gber waived the hearing and agreed to the settlement, and enforcement counsel recommended acceptance. The commission then voted unanimously to accept the agreed settlement. The matter proceeded to an ethics charge involving a proposed finding of probable cause, an agreed order, and a public reprimand. Representative Gber was sworn in and confirmed that he had seen and agreed to the proposed order, waived the adjudicatory hearing, agreed to the findings of violations and penalties in the agreed order, and waived his right to appeal. The commission accepted the agreement and stated that the matter before it was concluded. After the settlement, the chair noted that pending motions related to the case were dismissed and thanked the witnesses for attending, even though they did not have to testify. The chair and Representative Gber each made brief remarks about the long and difficult process, the complexity of the case, and the hope that it would serve as a learning experience. The commission said signed copies of the agreed order and public reprimand would be available, and then moved to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, I guess my only response to that is, in many cases in Medicaid we have legislative direction
• I always find it interesting when legislators may be concerned with a rule, but we have pretty clear
• legislative text that it's not discretionary on the part of the department to promulgate the rule.
• So we kind of get in that little tension between the legislative direction that's found in code and the
• legislative direction we receive from the committee that we're standing in front of.

Summary: The House Health and Welfare Committee met with a quorum and first considered RS 33132, the “expanded medical freedom” bill sponsored by Representative Beiswenger. The bill would clarify school and daycare vaccine language, make immunization registry participation voluntary, prevent local governments from preempting the Medical Freedom Act, and adjust employer-related travel vaccination provisions. Representative Egbert raised concerns about possible conflicts with state and federal medical-document requirements for employment, and Representative Furman said the statement of purpose was misleading. The committee voted to introduce RS 33132. The committee then took up several Department of Health and Welfare rule dockets. It approved a consolidated federal welfare programs chapter and repealed separate TANF and LIHEAP chapters as part of the consolidation. During discussion, members asked whether TANF had any vaccination-related requirements and about LIHEAP funding; the department said it was not aware of any TANF vaccination requirement and that LIHEAP is entirely federally funded at $22.6 million. The committee next handled Medicaid rule dockets tied to House Bill 345, which had removed several Medicaid rule sections from the administrative code with the expectation they would be repromulgated in a single chapter. The department said the updates were mostly consolidations and cleanup, including case management for certain HCBS waiver participants, removing an age-18 requirement for some personal care providers, aligning extraordinary care definitions with federal guidance, removing obsolete Healthy Connections language, and adding speech-language pathology assistants as providers. The committee extended a temporary Medicaid docket to July 1, 2026, approved the corresponding pending rule, and also approved the repeal of the Consumer Directed Services chapter. The meeting adjourned after all agenda items were approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to today's meeting of the Assembly Committee on Government Affairs for the 2025 legislative session
• Today I have the pleasure of introducing Senate Bill 467, which is enabling legislation for a previously
• The vast majority of this language is a direct copy of the enabling legislation of the Office of Cyber
• This legislation solves that and creates one cohesive cybersecurity unit to enhance collaboration and
• this bill with some stakeholders from our municipal entities, and I want to be very clear on the legislative

Bills: SB156 , SB467

Committee: Assembly Government Affairs

Keywords: gun violence, firearm safety, special counsel, data collection, community initiatives, grants, Attorney General, public safety, suicide prevention, cybersecurity, information security, state agency, data protection, confidentiality, 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do this for, I think, we passed legislation that allowed expectant mothers college students to pre-register
• I'm Jim Brennan, legislative director for the Texas Coalition of Veterans Organizations.
• We've had previous legislation here, and I think this fine-tuned some pretty important points on this
• I’m Legislative Counsel for the Institute for Justice, a nonprofit civil liberties law firm that focuses
• This bill very closely tracks our own model legislation at the Institute for Justice, where we seek to

Bills: HB102 , HB300 , SB2255

Committee: Senate Veteran Affairs

Keywords: military education, early registration, ROTC, corps of cadets, higher education, military academy, scholarship, military, Texas Armed Services, military spouses, occupational licensing, state agency, license requirements, reciprocity, training and education

Summary: The Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs heard three measures focused on military-connected students, service members, veterans, and their families. House Bill 102 would give eligible students in military-related university programs early registration privileges, similar to existing accommodations for expectant mothers and student athletes. House Bill 300 would modernize the Texas Armed Services Scholar program by increasing scholarship funding, clarifying the student employment agreement, and creating a scholarship coordinator at THECB to help students and families navigate the program. Senate Bill 2255 drew the most discussion and testimony. The bill would streamline occupational licensing for military members, spouses, and veterans by allowing Texas licensure based on an out-of-state license in good standing with a similar scope of practice, removing the Texas residency requirement, and shortening agency processing time from 30 days to 10 days in the committee substitute. Supporters from the Texas Coalition of Veterans Organizations, the Texas Association of Business, the Institute for Justice, TDLR, and the VFW said the bill would reduce bureaucratic delays, improve employment opportunities, and help military families maintain income during relocations. TDLR also described current licensing confusion between state and federal rules and said the bill would improve alignment and data collection. No witnesses testified against any of the bills. After public testimony closed on each measure, HB 102, HB 300, and SB 2255 were left pending in committee. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Parker: This legislation reinforces, will reinforce, I should say, Texas's commitment to safeguarding
• volunteers across the state, and something that we have tried to remedy for the last couple of legislative
• visiting status mode and on the board of directors of the Texas Guardianship Association and their legislative
• Senate Bill 1881 became model legislation for DC and 19 other states that have since passed similar legislation
• Chairman and members, this is simply a Legislative Council version of the same bill.

Committee: Senate Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:14:10.080><c> uh</c> that there has been a legislative uh that there has been a legislative uh
• </c> is that this legislation is that this legislation would<02:06:43.520><c> help</c><02:06:43.840><
• . legislators. legislators.
• Turning to needed legislative fix.
• Uh, we oppose this legislation.

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll hear from the Legislative Analyst's Office. Thank you, Chair and members.
• Lisa King, Legislative Analyst’s Office: Good morning again.
• Good afternoon, Edgar Cabral with the Legislative Analyst's Office.
• Good afternoon, Edgar Cabral with the Legislative Analyst's Office.
• We'll have a presentation from them, and then the Legislative Analyst Office.

Summary: The committee heard an overview of the May Revision’s Proposition 98 changes for K-12 and community colleges. The Department of Finance said the minimum guarantee rises by $6.4 billion over the Governor’s Budget across the three-year window, with higher guarantees in each year, full payment of the prior settle-up, and larger deposits into the school rainy-day fund. The LAO said the revenue and LCFF updates were reasonable, but urged caution about the settle-up approach and recommended using more of the available funding to protect ongoing programs and build budget resilience. Members focused heavily on the size of the proposed $3.9 billion settle-up, the $10.3 billion reserve deposit, declining K-12 enrollment, and how much of the new funding should be ongoing versus one-time. The committee then reviewed the community colleges portion of the budget. Finance described the May Revision’s higher SCFF COLA, additional funding for enrollment growth, a student support block grant, apprenticeship adjustments, and continued funding for deferred maintenance, Calbright, Common Cloud, and credit for prior learning. The Chancellor’s Office supported the core investments but asked for more funding for enrollment growth, changes to the growth formula, and a COLA for Student Equity and Achievement. The LAO recommended prioritizing the statutory COLA increase, noted that more than half of districts are already above current-year growth targets, and said the new adult learner demonstration project should be rejected because districts already have tools to support similar services. Members also discussed a $52 million current-year apportionment shortfall, which Finance said was discovered too late for the May Revision and would need to be addressed later. Finally, the committee took up the proposed implementation of the federal Workforce Pell program. Finance proposed one-time funding for the California Student Aid Commission and Cradle to Career to build eligibility and data systems, along with trailer bill changes to set up state approval processes. CSAC said the program is promising but highly complex, that California lacks the needed infrastructure, and that the state will need emergency regulations, data linkages, and ongoing funding beyond the one-time proposal. The LAO agreed that some initial funding is needed but warned that the amounts and ongoing costs remain uncertain and that the Legislature should carefully draft the trailer bill language. Members asked about timing, other states’ actions, and how the state would ensure the program is ready for students and institutions.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, in our first area, these two items are really follow-ups to recent legislation.
• ><c> MDH</c><00:29:11.280><c> to</c> That legislation also directed MDH to That legislation also directed
• </c> step of that 2023 legislation. step of that 2023 legislation.
• </c><00:29:41.679><c> session,</c> Um during the last legislative session, Um during the last legislative
• from the legislation, missing from the legislation, unfortunately,<00:29:52.960><c> was</c><00:29:53.200

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Now move on to local legislation.
• Thought we had come to a consensus on the legislation.
• The senator so the legislation.
• </c><01:45:30.960><c> Signed,</c> committee on local legislation.
• Signed, committee on local legislation.

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and a roll call establishing a quorum of 29 members present. The chamber adopted routine motions to excuse absent senators, dispense with reading the prior journal, and allow bills and committee reports to be taken up throughout the day. The Committee on Banking and Insurance reported Senate Bill 269 favorably with a substitute, and the bill was placed on the calendar for the next legislative day. The Senate also welcomed several guest groups in the gallery, including homeschool families, Blount County leaders, and the Alabama Iron and Steel Council. A series of resolutions were introduced and adopted immediately. Senator Stewart’s Joint Resolution 64 honored Joanne Blackman Bland, recognizing her role as a young freedom fighter on Bloody Sunday and later work in voting rights and economic development. The Senate also adopted Joint Resolution 65 congratulating Maplesville High School on its 2025 Class 1A state football championship and Joint Resolution 66 honoring the long-standing partnership between Quebec and Alabama. The Senate then took up local legislation and several calendar bills. Senate Bill 319 for Shelby County, House Bill 460 and House Bill 459 for Henry County, and House Bill 467 regarding the city of Tuscumbia were all advanced and passed, with certification motions adopted where required. The Rules Committee reported Senate Resolution 67, setting the special order calendar, which the Senate adopted. The special order calendar included bills on corrections, services evaluation, retirement benefits, the Growing Alabama Act, health, vessels, homestead exemption, the National Guard, the state port, early childhood education, tourism investment, pardons and paroles, and health-related matters. Under the special order calendar, the Senate passed House Bill 274 on Department of Corrections unmanned aircraft systems, Senate Bill 317 creating the Commission on the Evaluation of Services, House Bill 159 cleaning up retirement provisions for certain circuit clerks, Senate Bill 289 revising the Growing Alabama Act, and House Bill 182 requiring military education to count toward EMS licensure. The chamber also considered House Bill 254 on vessel inspections, with discussion focused on limiting law enforcement stops and boarding of vessels for safety or marine sanitation inspections absent another reason; the transcript cuts off before final disposition of that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you so much for talking to me last night about the legislation.
• This is a very pro-consumer piece of legislation.
• If, just for clarification with this legislation, if a fundraiser is being With this legislation, if
• I have seen what similar legislation has done to education.
• And in connection, in the parallel to the legislation before us, I believe that this legislation would

Summary: The committee took up a long agenda of retained bills and several new measures, with most receiving favorable reports after amendments. Major debate centered on CS/SB 706, which preempts airport naming to the state and designates Palm Beach International Airport as the Donald J. Trump International Airport subject to FAA and trademark-related conditions. Senator Jones offered amendments to avoid private royalty benefits, but both failed. Senators Berman, Osgood, Jones, and Pizzo spoke against the bill, raising concerns about naming an airport after a sitting president, lack of local input, and ethical issues; Senator Mayfield defended the bill as cost-free to the airport and noted the naming agreement. The committee ultimately voted the bill favorably. The committee also approved CS/SB 546 on conservation land notice requirements and CS/SB 1014 on municipal utility service to properties outside city limits, both with amendments and some opposition from the Florida League of Cities on the utility bill. Several other bills were heard and reported favorably with little controversy. CS/SB 1500 would streamline uncontested probate proceedings; SB 962 would exclude farms and farm operations from certain zoning definitions tied to affordable housing preemption; CS/SB 820 would strengthen reporting for problem-solving courts; SB 840 would revise portions of last year’s hurricane-related land-use law to narrow its scope and sunset temporary restrictions; and SB 856 would require online property listings to show estimated ad valorem taxes, with an amendment excluding social media platforms and broadening liability protections. SB 110 would clarify homestead exemption eligibility for 98-year or longer residential leases. SB 394 would exempt certain underwriting managers handling limited facultative reinsurance from licensure requirements, and SB 434 would prevent wind-hardening improvements from increasing assessed value for residential property tax purposes. The committee also advanced several public-safety and transparency measures. CS/CS/SB 658 and 608, a combined water-safety bill, would require safety features for rental properties with pools or nearby water bodies and authorize DBPR enforcement; supporters framed it as a response to Florida’s high child-drowning rates, and Airbnb waived in support. SB 748 would place constitutional language on restoration of voting rights on sentencing score sheets, with broad support from voting-rights and civil-rights groups. CS/SB 824 would require annual reporting of unimproved school-district land inventories, and CS/SB 848 would create a framework for off-site stormwater treatment and related credits, with support from builders and mitigation bankers. The committee also heard CS/SB 1036 on school counselors, which clarifies certification requirements and performance criteria after a delete-all amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the SNAP program might be if the legisle the SNAP program might be if the legisle in<00:29:50.480
• We do actually legislatively required to make a report in that regard.
• We do actually legislatively required to make a report in that regard.
• We do actually legislatively required to make a report in that regard.
• We do actually legislatively required to make a report in that regard.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee met on January 23, 2026, to approve prior minutes and receive an update from the Department of Health and Human Services. The main presentation focused on “Project Compass,” an internal cross-department effort to prepare for changes to Medicaid and SNAP eligibility. Department staff said the goal is to maintain continuous coverage for eligible people, align policy, operations, communications, legal, finance, and eligibility work, and use the new integrated New HEIGHTS system to streamline implementation. They emphasized outreach to beneficiaries, providers, managed care organizations, and other partners, and said temporary manual workarounds had already been used to stay in compliance with fast-moving SNAP changes. Members questioned how the department would avoid repeating the costly outreach effort used in a prior Medicaid work-requirement rollout. Department officials said they are focusing on ex parte processes, sharing eligibility information across programs, and using community partners to reduce duplicate contacts and paperwork. They also said the department is monitoring the SNAP error rate closely, expects automation and a planned system contract amendment to help reduce it, and noted that current error rates are trending downward and remain below the national average. Questions were also raised about possible future SNAP restrictions on certain foods; the department said it can implement whatever the legislature directs, but that defining and administering such restrictions would be complex. The commissioner and CFO then outlined the department’s budget reduction plan. They said the department has begun implementing required “back of the budget” reductions for fiscal year 2026, using contract savings and not cutting existing services where possible. Examples included dental and home-visitation contracts, where spending was adjusted based on utilization and projected need. Officials said they had already written down a little over $15 million in prior-year encumbrances, but that this one-time source will not be available next year, making fiscal year 2027 more difficult. They also explained the difference between legally required back-of-budget cuts and lapse, and said staffing remains a major challenge because vacancies have increased and customer-facing service levels are strained. Dr. Jonathan Ballard then began an update on opioid overdose fatalities, presenting the latest medical examiner data and describing the long-term rise in deaths after fentanyl entered the illicit drug supply, with a peak in 2017 and a later increase in 2022. The transcript cuts off before his full presentation and any further committee action beyond discussion of the minutes and receipt of the department updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um but legislation and doing something.
• :29.280><c> got</c><01:36:29.600><c> accidentally</c> was legislation but um got accidentally was legislation
• I do move inexpedient to legislate on House Bill 648.
• </c> support the motion of inexped legislate. support the motion of inexped legislate.
• </c><02:09:04.719><c> and</c> so I I move in speed to legislate and so I I move in speed to legislate

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up a liquor-related amendment correcting an earlier drafting error that had accidentally removed enhanced penalties for death-related over-service from the statute. Members explained that the language had already been enacted briefly before being deleted by mistake, and the amendment simply restored the prior penalty provisions. The committee voted unanimously in favor. A second liquor amendment followed, concerning VFW and similar veterans’ clubs. The revised language would allow a veteran or member to sign in a limited number of under-21 guests, with testimony emphasizing that this was meant for small events and would mirror existing restaurant rules requiring a parent, legal guardian, or adult spouse. There was extended debate about whether private clubs were sufficiently public, whether towns could tighten liquor rules locally, and whether enforcement would be effective. Liquor enforcement testified that municipalities must approve licenses, only four minors could be signed in at once under a member’s signature, age-restriction signage remains required, and clubs often report violations themselves to protect their licenses. The amendment was ultimately approved unanimously, and the subcommittee then moved into executive session. In executive session, HB 186, relating to cannabis legalization, regulation, and appropriations, was recommended ought to pass on a 10-7 vote, with a minority report noted. HB 241, relating to treatment alternatives to opioids, was then supported with amendment 2990 and recommended ought to pass as amended; the bill was described as expanding access to non-opioid, non-surgical, and non-medication pain treatments, while the amendment clarified Insurance Department procedures and educational materials. That bill was placed on the consent calendar unanimously. HB 297, concerning access by self-funded employer health plans to claims data, was also recommended ought to pass with amendment 2987 and then ought to pass as amended unanimously; supporters said it would let employers opt in to deidentified claims data, improve transparency, and preserve privacy. It too was placed on the consent calendar unanimously. The committee then considered HB 312, dealing with student-athlete name, image, and likeness compensation, and voted to send it to interim study. Members said the issue remained too uncertain because of ongoing federal and NCAA developments, and that interim study would keep the committee’s options open without killing the bill. The motion was supported as a way to continue monitoring the issue for future action.

Transcript Highlights:

• We ask that this legislation ensures that only those with proven expertise and training are entrusted
• that would require proposed legislation that would require individuals<00:08:52.720><c> to</c><00:08
• uh we ask the public alike this legisl uh we ask that<00:09:39.480><c> this</c><00:09:39.720><c> legislation
• ensures that only that this legislation ensures that only those<00:09:41.560><c> with</c><00:09:41.760
• She said Hawaii is better than that and asked the committee to pass the legislation. Thank you.

Committee: House Labor

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I love the legislative process. I love the legislative process. Okay. Okay. Okay.
• </c> but we strongly oppose the legislation but we strongly oppose the legislation in<03:33:24.800><c
• </c> country based on this legislation country based on this legislation uh<03:56:05.840><c> that</c>
• </c> think another committee had legislation think another committee had legislation relating<04:13:55.000
• Uh cuz we we do this in legislation.

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> this body, the body of of legislators this body, the body of of legislators who<00:04:58.160><c>
• Me personally, I want to be a pro paycheck legislator, not a pro welfare check legislator. clear that
• , legislator, legislator, not<00:06:42.319><c> a</c><00:06:42.560><c> pro</c><00:06:42.800><c> welfare
• :26.480><c> intent</c><00:32:27.120><c> language</c> of the legislative intent language of the legislative
• </c><03:13:14.560><c> might</c> point a um interested legislator might point a um interested legislator

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Keywords: 916, all