Transcript Highlights:

• So the figure today is pay more so you can have the filtration system to keep it from looking brown and
• A lot of times when I've dealt with these issues around the state, nobody wants to pay to fix it, but
• You said if this filtration... ...system was installed, that the consumers should be willing to pay for
• We are willing to pay for good water. We want good water. There's been two rate increases.
• We're willing to pay for good water. We have tailored this down.

Bills: HB630 , HB685 , HB1318 , HB2692

Committee: Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Keywords: outboard motors, certificate of title, vessel regulation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, marine documentation, HB 685, municipal utility rates, water rates, sewer rates, local government code, rate discrimination, tax-exempt entities, sales tax exemption, ad valorem tax exemption, nonprofit organizations, charitable organizations, municipal water service, municipal sewer service, utility billing, public utilities

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, so I believe that in under Section 1, they, they utilize the term anticipation note to pay, um, just
• Tax notes are backed by full faith and taxation, but we were going to pay for them through TURS revenue
• So that TURS revenue would have allowed us to pay off this entire building in 3 to 5 years.
• Tax notes are the perfect instrument to go pay for things like that, uh, because it's not going to outlive
• It's kind of how, what are you paying for? How long is it going to be there for?

Committee: House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Transcript Highlights:

• If a consumer is only provided with a list of facilities that directly pay the referral agency, then
• The referral agency may choose to provide the, the referrals only to the higher paying options.
• protections, which we also support, including written disclosures that explain the services and who pays
• provide needed assistance in order to ensure The delivery of services and in that case, we're also paying
• I will say it's our workers know that we cannot pay for this, so we, we think this is underreported.

Bills: HB 1531 , HB 2667 , HB 2809 , HB 2865 , HB 3589 , HB 3151 , HB 3748 , HB 3750 , HB 4419 , HB 4643 , HB 3597 , HB 4129 , HB 4130 , HB 4131

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: workplace violence prevention, health and safety code, Chapter 331, facility definition, home and community support services agency, home health agency, home health care, nursing staff, registered nurses, health care workplace safety, hospital, nursing facility, ambulatory surgical center, freestanding emergency medical care facility, mental hospital, Texas health care regulation, provider compliance, occupational safety, senior living, referral agencies

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:37:33.440><c> grants</c> for pay for pay for performance grants for pay for pay for performance
• I think overall they are the model when we talk about pay for performance.
• I think overall they are the model when we talk about pay for performance.
• I think overall they are the model when we talk about pay for performance.
• </c><01:36:37.120><c> This</c> workers with higher pay jobs. This workers with higher pay jobs.

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for it but we had a hard time paying for it but we had a hard time getting<00:16:18.680><c> our</c><
• You know, and so, uh, was that mean we wouldn't pay to help the farmers in those type of situations,
• You know, and so, uh, was that mean we wouldn't pay to help the farmers in those type of situations,
• </c><01:29:23.840><c> off</c> takes a long time right to pay off takes a long time right to pay off buying
• </c> where um there's funding that for to pay where um there's funding that for to pay Farmers<01:32:

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, they did pay for those out of pocket on my own.
• Uh, they did I did pay for sessions.
• </c> pay for two um, therapy sessions. pay for two um, therapy sessions.
• </c><01:18:46.440><c> and</c> over for the same amount of pay and over for the same amount of pay and
• </c> actually paying for. actually paying for.

Committee: Joint Labor, Health & Social Services

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> increasing by double digits and paying increasing by double digits and paying them<01:43:08.200>
• One has lower co-pays and everyone else has slightly higher co-pays.
• One has lower co-pays and everyone else has slightly higher co-pays.
• ><01:46:51.880><c> co-pays.
• It's the has slightly higher co-pays.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• so we can reduce the load on those existing project managers and spread around so that everyone can pay
• But currently, our, quite frankly, our pay rates haven't kept up with the market.
• You have to pay off the bonds to which it’s obligated.
• And how much do you all expect to actually pay for projects in the upcoming year? How much?
• The state has to be able to pay the bills.

Summary: The committee met for an informational hearing focused largely on the state capital outlay process and House Bill 2. Roger Husser and Matt Baker of the Division of Administration/Facility Planning and Control described how the office prepares and administers the capital outlay bill, said the bill has grown substantially over five years, and argued that recent changes in culture, staffing, project management, cash-flow analysis, and use of third-party support have more than doubled project expenditures and improved delivery. Members asked about the use and cost of third-party project managers, delegation of smaller projects to agencies, hiring difficulties, and whether the changes represented better interpretation of existing law versus statutory changes. Husser said some statutes were amended, some internal customs were removed, and the office would provide a list of those changes. He also explained that the office is trying to move away from overly rigid practices and toward faster project completion while still following public-bid and oversight rules. A major portion of the discussion centered on the size and structure of the capital outlay bill, especially the gap between Priority 1 cash capacity and the much larger Priority 5 backlog. Husser said the current annual Priority 1 limit is tied to construction inflation and is about $574 million, with additional surplus funds also available, but that the bill contains far more Priority 5 funding than can realistically move in a five-year plan. He and members discussed dormant projects, scope creep, legacy projects that have sat in the bill for years, and the problem of false expectations for non-state entities. Proposed solutions included limiting Priority 5 to five times Priority 1, requiring annual re-endorsement by members, setting district or project caps for non-state projects, requiring time limits and reporting for grant-like non-state projects, placing matches in escrow, requiring design readiness before submission, and consolidating the many existing reporting requirements into one clearer report. Members also discussed bundling multiple projects under one agency project, which the House had begun piloting for LSU, UL Lafayette, Southern, and DOTD, and which Husser said could improve flexibility, reduce overappropriation, and better reflect actual spending. Baker then explained cash-flow management and the commitment process, saying FPC now analyzes projects annually to estimate what can actually be spent in the next fiscal year and uses commitments to allow projects to proceed when future-year funding is expected. He said overappropriations can result from poor cash-flow estimates, delays, dormant projects, or projects coming in under budget, and that the office is already reworking cash-flow assumptions and reappropriating savings where possible. Members also raised concerns about change orders and low bids; staff said project managers review change orders closely, require concurrence on non-state projects, and sometimes reduce scope to keep projects within budget. After FPC’s presentation, the committee heard the beginning of Louisiana Economic Development’s capital outlay discussion, where LED explained that its projects generally fall into three categories, including the Economic Development Awards Program and Site Readiness Program, both used to support targeted economic development and job creation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Jackson: I believe it's a mixed pay.
• There may be more Medicaid than private pay or commercial pay, but there's a mixture.
• So there's a diversity of pay mix.
• is paying."
• Families who pay taxes to support public education while also paying out of pocket to have their children

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first heard SB 206, which would require cardiovascular pre-screening and blood pressure testing for student athletes beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. Chairman Miller said the bill was prompted by concerns about undiagnosed hypertension and sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes, and Coach Marcus Scott testified about his own kidney transplant after years of untreated high blood pressure. Members asked about who would perform the screenings and how follow-up would work; the American Heart Association said existing athletic physical processes and referral networks could handle it. An amendment was adopted, and the committee reported SB 206 favorably as amended. The committee then took up SB 305, which would require a publicly available statewide career-alignment dashboard showing how degree programs connect to workforce outcomes, including completion, employment, wages, and high-demand jobs. Chairman Edmonds and student task force member Cruz Cassard said the goal was to help students understand job opportunities in Louisiana and reduce the number leaving the state after graduation. Workforce and higher education stakeholders supported the measure as a transparency and workforce-planning tool. The committee reported SB 305 favorably. Next, the committee considered HB 624, a school safety cleanup bill updating references from crisis management plans to emergency operations plans and aligning school emergency language with national standards. Representative Johnson and the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools said the bill would not create new mandates or costs, but would clarify existing requirements. The committee reported HB 624 favorably. The committee then heard HB 1022, as substituted, concerning school-based health care services. Representative Jackson said the bill was intended to clarify that medical decisions in school-based health centers should be made by licensed health professionals, not school staff, while preserving parental consent. Testimony from school-based health center providers supported the bill, but several members raised concerns about consent, parental authority, and whether the language shifted too much responsibility away from schools; the Charter School Association suggested adding more collaborative language. After discussion, the committee adopted the substitute and reported HB 1022 favorably by a 10-4 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, differential pay systems force school employees to bear the Currently, differential pay systems
• Having to pay the costs for five months can be financially ruining, particularly for newer employees.
• The policy of making teachers pay for the cost of their substitutes further exacerbates the pay gap in
• , the individual who’s out on leave is getting half pay or reduced pay for their extended leave once
• They don't have to be able to pay for private tuition. We can change that.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Without the ability to match the pay increases afforded by our counterparts in local government, the
• Without the ability to match the pay increases afforded by our counterparts in local government, the
• So the courts are actually using some of the funding to pay clerk time to cover that overload.
• Who ultimately decides which of these entities actually pays for soil testing?
• Does the state pay for it? Who pays for it?”

Summary: The subcommittee met to hear budget-related updates from the Judicial Branch and the Office of Emergency Services, with no votes taken. The Judicial Council supported the Governor’s proposed budget, highlighting $70 million for increased trial court operating costs, additional funding for court-appointed counsel, Court of Appeal case processing, and courthouse construction and facilities. Trial court representatives emphasized staffing retention problems, especially in counties like San Bernardino, and said stable funding is needed to avoid delays and maintain access to justice. Members also discussed the branch’s remote proceedings program, which has been used in more than 6 million hearings statewide since 2022 and was described as especially important in rural areas and for vulnerable litigants; several members urged making the authority permanent rather than extending it temporarily. A major portion of the hearing focused on Proposition 36 implementation. Finance said the Governor’s budget maintains the $130 million provided in the 2025 Budget Act for court workload and pretrial services, but adds no new Prop. 36 court funding. Judicial Council staff reported nearly 35,000 felony Prop. 36 filings in 2025, with most cases still pending and only a small share of treatment-mandated cases already dismissed after treatment. Witnesses said courts are using the funds for staffing, coordinators, clerks, and treatment-court operations, but that workload varies widely by county and that data collection is limited because courts report aggregate information rather than case-level outcomes. The LAO raised a technical concern about the Department of Finance’s Prop. 47 savings estimate and recommended revising the methodology at May Revision. The committee also reviewed the Orange Central Justice Center facility modification project, where the Judicial Council explained that hidden construction deficiencies and fire-life-safety issues caused costs to rise substantially after demolition began. The LAO said the project itself was supportable but recommended that the Legislature set an ongoing funding level for court facilities, require a long-term facilities plan, and consider more oversight of facility modification projects. Finance said it continues to fund courthouse projects individually and through the State Public Works Board, while acknowledging project delays and cost increases. Finally, Cal OES and advocates discussed victim services funding. Cal OES said it administers about $315 million annually for victim service programs, including VOCA-funded services, but federal VOCA allocations have fluctuated sharply and the state has used one-time General Fund backfills to maintain services. Trauma recovery center advocates warned that an 85% reduction in funding would sharply reduce services for survivors of violent crime, while human trafficking advocates urged reauthorization of the Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Program before funding reverts to pre-pandemic levels in July 2026. Members asked about federal and state funding stability, referral pathways, and the long-term value of these programs in preventing worse outcomes and reducing public costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, this accounts for increases in general vacancy funding, the teacher pay raise of 2,000, the $1,000
• special education supplement, almost $968,000 for school attendance officer pay raises plus new hires
• Uh, this accounts for increases in general vacancy funding, the teacher pay raise of 2,000, the $1,000
• Um, that includes a 5,887,497,000 increase for the teacher pay raise for CTE instructors.
• Um, we also increased their instructor pay and just moved them up a little bit on their instructor pays

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 12 March, 2026; 10:30 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• parties' names and it's required to go to the other then currently the receiving end would have to pay
• parties' names and it's required to go to the other then currently the receiving end would have to pay
• </c><00:26:37.520><c> You</c><00:26:37.679><c> can</c> have to pay a sales tax or not.
• You can have to pay a sales tax or not.
• Build credit, and then they end up paying sales tax twice on that.

Bills: SF0058 , SF0061 , SF0095 , SF0107

Committee: House Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs

Keywords: Indian child welfare, tribal relations, sunset repeal, Wyoming law, child custody, sales tax, motor vehicle, family transfer, tax exemption, Wyoming legislation, driver's license, motor vehicle services, third-party providers, Wyoming, regulatory compliance, registration, license plate, electronic system, State Department of Transportation, county treasurers

Transcript Highlights:

• You provide, as I understand it, the money to actually pay for the materials.
• That's what I want to know: who pays for the staffing for the upfront standing, who pays for the materials
• So the state of New Mexico... ...are paying on average $53,700 for somebody else's home. Mr.
• I also like when you're paying down the prime when they get the PMI to help them with their insurance
• And the reason for that is right now, all the different programs pay in, essentially.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• will help them to pay for whatever uh<00:11:38.720><c> those</c><00:11:39.120><c> requirements</c><00
• We actually have a I give them more pay.
• </c> $20,000 above your pay $20,000 above your pay &gt;&gt; annually.<00:41:04.960><c> And</c><00:41:
• They voluntarily then made themselves available to be a part of this higher pay. Right.
• </c> part of this higher pay. part of this higher pay. &gt;&gt; Right. &gt;&gt; Right.

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But we don't, you know, pay for that service.
• We don't, you know, pay for that service.
• for that either so I I'm funds to pay for that either so I I'm waiting<00:25:41.360><c> to</c><00:25
• We certainly want to pay our taxes and do what's right by the state.
• The patient doesn't pay it, the insurer doesn't pay it, and it's really confusing.

Bills: HF1359 , HF1829 , HF290 , HF1933 , HF926

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: solid waste management, resource management account, environmental fund, taxation, Minnesota statutes, homestead, property tax, classification, disability, resort properties, recreational use, commercial property, tax refund, estimated tax, interest on refunds, income tax, corporate franchise tax, S corporation, partnership, corporation

Transcript Highlights:

• So, just going to comment: the Biosecurity Act pays homage to the Cliff Sugi Act.
• </c> comment um the bio Security Act so pays comment um the bio Security Act so pays homage<00:16:03.480
• So, just going to comment: the Biosecurity Act pays homage to the Cliff Sugi Act.
• That's like realistically above my pay grade. I am a regulatory guy, okay?
• into</c><01:03:45.920><c> as</c> these agents would be paying into as these agents would be paying into

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Environment

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint hearing focused on a bill reorganizing Hawaiʻi’s biosecurity and invasive species framework, including moving or renaming responsibilities within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and clarifying the role of the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council (HISC). Testimony from the Hawaiian Invasive Species Council, DLNR, Oʻahu and Big Island invasive species committees, the Sierra Club, farmers, and community members generally agreed that invasive species management is critical, but many opposed consolidating HISC or broader biosecurity functions into a single department. Supporters of the existing interagency model emphasized HISC’s statewide coordination role, its links to DLNR and other agencies, and its ability to fill gaps with federal funding and cross-agency collaboration. Several testifiers raised concerns that the bill could weaken existing authority or create unintended legal and operational problems. The Sierra Club and others warned about possible interstate commerce issues, loss of authority to regulate movement of infested material within an island, and the need to preserve HISC as an independent or elevated coordinating body rather than placing it inside one agency. Community testimony described real-world impacts from little fire ants, coqui frogs, and landscaping-related introductions, and argued that the current system has produced service gaps and duplication when funding or responsibilities shift. One testifier also urged removing hemp movement reporting provisions, saying they do not aid biosecurity and should be treated like other crops. DLNR and Department of Agriculture representatives said they support the overall goal of stronger biosecurity but stressed that invasive species work is broader than agriculture alone. They noted that DOA, DLNR, and other partners each have different missions and capabilities, and that staff safety, terrain, and training matter when responding in remote areas. The department said it was recruiting for new positions, with some of the 44 funded positions still being finalized, and that implementation would require phased rulemaking, standards, training, and outreach. Members asked about the bill’s practical impact, staffing needs, and whether inspectors are prohibited from hiking; the department said no blanket prohibition exists, but staff use judgment based on safety and terrain. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• . paying. paying.
• </c><01:02:32.440><c> pay</c><01:02:32.600><c> for</c><01:02:32.760><c> a</c><01:02:32.840><c> CESA</
• c><01:02:33.440><c> startup</c> are able to pay pay for a CESA startup are able to pay pay for a CESA
• </c> hiring licensed teachers and paying hiring licensed teachers and paying enough<03:00:32.200><c>
• They're struggling to pay the bills, and they know we need to take steps to change the way we pay for

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You pay the lease payments, potentially after paying a down payment.
• So if you say we're no longer going to be paying for the lease, you pay some kind of penalty.
• You pay the lease payments, potentially after paying a down payment.
• So if you say we're no longer going to be paying for the lease, you pay some kind of penalty.
• And I would think that a parent, if they are paying a school or paying a tutor, if they don't think that

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Employees interested would be required to pay the amount they would have been paying into the system
• Right now, the decision to start a family is daunting for many municipal employees because of the pay
• , an act relative to credible service for certain teachers allows teachers currently employed and paying
• , an act relative to credible service for certain teachers allows teachers currently employed and paying
• It requires me to pay into the system the exact contributions I would have paid, plus interest.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Service

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service held a hearing on a wide range of credible service and retirement-related bills, with testimony largely focused on allowing public employees to buy back prior service time or receive more appropriate retirement classifications. Bills discussed included retirement buyback for Joint Base Cape Cod firefighters (H. 4317), clarification of call firefighter buyback rights (H. 2883/S. 1915), veterans’ buyback (H. 2957), a Bridgewater State University police death-benefit/heart-law issue (filed by Rep. Gallagher), unpaid parental leave buyback for municipal employees (H. 2946), school nurse creditable service (H. 2887/S. 1787), former private/parochial school teacher buyback (S. 1900/H. 2873), Massport police retirement classification (S. 1888), contract employee buyback (H. 2795), Retirement Plus late entry (H. 2792), CVTE/teacher-related buyback issues (H. 2762), Peace Corps/AmeriCorps creditable service (H. 2927), and institutional school teacher retirement fairness (H. 2757). Several speakers also referenced related bills for teachers and nurses that had been heard previously or were filed in parallel in the other branch. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support of the bills. Speakers argued that the measures would correct inequities, recognize prior public service, and help recruit and retain workers in hard-to-fill public jobs. Firefighters described the unique federal-to-state transition at Joint Base Cape Cod and said some members were left out of earlier buyback opportunities. Veterans, teachers, school nurses, correctional educators, and Massport police all described service requirements, administrative gaps, or outdated statutory language that they said unfairly limited retirement credit or placed them in the wrong retirement group. Several witnesses emphasized that the proposals were fiscally responsible because employees would pay the cost of the buybacks, and some noted that similar bills had been filed repeatedly in prior sessions. Committee members asked a few clarifying questions, mostly about why certain employees had been excluded under current law or how the retirement provisions would work. No opposition testimony was presented. The hearing concluded after all scheduled witnesses testified, with the chairs thanking participants for their service and the committee voting to adjourn.