Transcript Highlights:

• <00:38:36.880> payers Medicare, Medicaid, commercial payers Medicare, Medicaid, commercial
• space, um, within the commercial space for nonpar providers directly to the facility is something that
• health insurance data because the APCD mandate includes basically EUTF as the commercial population.
• health insurance data because the APCD mandate includes basically EUTF as the commercial population.
• What we'd like to commercial population.

Bills: HB1853, HB1591, HB1961, HB1854, HB1965, HB1962, HB1959, HB2505, HB2576, HB1801, HB1804, HB1864, HB2319, HB2314, HB2115

Keywords: HB1853, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, cognitive impairment, memory care, memory clinic, Hanai Memory Network, Executive Office on Aging, aging services, kupuna, caregiver support, long-term care, elder care, geriatrics, public health, dementia screening, care coordination, referral network, neighbor islands, rural health

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 2047, relating to pharmacy benefit managers. The Insurance Division said the bill would require new enforcement resources and estimated an appropriation of about $1.5 million and five positions. Kaiser Permanente asked for an amendment to exclude HMOs from the definition of third-party PBMs, saying the bill should not interfere with integrated care models. PCMA and the Hawaii Pharmacist Association supported narrowing amendments, with pharmacists objecting to section 3 and warning the bill as amended could create major operational burdens and a significant general fund cost. No vote was taken in the portion provided, and the chair moved on to the next measure after questions. The committee then took up SB 2080, which would allow Hawaii to join the psychology interjurisdictional compact. Supporters, including DCR, the Hawaii Association of Health Plans, the Hawaii State Association of Counties, the Grassroot Institute, and others, said the compact would expand access to psychology services, especially for people in rural areas or those needing continuity of care while traveling. Opponents, including the Board of Psychology and a Shamanad University psychology professor, raised concerns about client safety, crisis-response procedures, enforcement costs, FBI background checks, and possible loss of state control over training and specialization standards. The board said Hawaii’s current 1,900-hour internship/postdoc requirement is higher than the compact’s standard and that the state is still implementing a separate provisional licensing law that may address some access issues. The discussion focused on whether the compact would meaningfully reduce shortages and whether Hawaii should instead pursue changes within its existing licensing system. Finally, the committee heard SB 2277 on hospital price transparency. The Office of Consumer Protection initially noted the bill could require significant staffing, but later testimony from SHIP suggested the measure could be handled more simply by working with the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and publicly posting violations. The Healthcare Association of Hawaii opposed the bill, arguing hospitals already must comply with federal CMS transparency rules and that adding state requirements would increase costs and legal exposure, especially if violations were treated as unfair or deceptive trade practices. Steve Fenberg testified in support, saying the bill would simply codify existing federal requirements in state law and that he was open to amendments removing state enforcement and the unfair trade practice language. No final action was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our vision through our comprehensive plan is to look for commercial development along Highway 5 to the
• area which includes notably commercial area which includes notably our<00:46:58.319> community's<
• <01:04:36.160> Cre commercial, and logistic businesses.
• Cre commercial, and logistic businesses.
• Combination of white bread and some Latin flare. commercial growth over the next eight commercial growth

Bills: HF1569, HF460, HF850, HF707, HF798, HF852, HF366, HF365, HF836, HF866, HF885, HF959, HF1196, HF1788, HF1349, HF2272, HF2652, HF1251, HF607

Keywords: transportation, bond issuance, capital investment, infrastructure, road improvements, HF460, Sibley County, Highway 21, County State-Aid Highway, bonding bill, state bonds, bond proceeds fund, transportation grant, infrastructure improvements, sanitary sewer, water main, storm sewer, stormwater, public works, local infrastructure

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, they don't have commercial diets, but raw meat was fed to them.
• The raw pet food cases were linked directly to a commercial raw pet food company out of Oregon.
• That's a mix of backyard flocks and commercial flocks, and I believe all but one or two of those has
• Farmers Union represents large commercial livestock producers.
• you know uh large uh commercial you know uh large uh commercial livestock<00:56:07.119> producers

Bills: HF601, HF271, HF1101, HF979

Keywords: agriculture, depredation compensation, livestock, crop damage, elk, wolves, wildlife management, skills path program, career and technical education, CTE, dual credit, postsecondary options enrollment, apprenticeship, apprenticeship readiness, dual training, work-based learning, career pathways, skilled trades, workforce development, high school to career

Transcript Highlights:

• This leads to complexities for our Commercial Motor Vehicle Division in being able to assess what they're
• Then, when they get stopped by our Commercial Vehicle Troopers, they have a document saying that they
• I have Major Omar Villareal, who is a DOT commercial motor vehicle expert and can answer any detailed
• They will purchase that fuel, deliver it to the Rio Grande Valley, offload it into these commercial vehicles
• in infrastructure and commitment to safety, the FAR Bridge has become the bridge of choice for commercial

Bills: SB290, SB2949

Keywords: LP-gas, property owner notice, natural resources, gas installations, safety notification, motor fuel, fuel transport, fuel export, transloading, export fuel transloading facility, fuel terminal, terminal operator, comptroller, Texas Tax Code, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, TCEQ, Department of Public Safety, DPS, border security, ports of entry

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill updates the residential and commercial building codes for Texas municipalities, and I'll give
• Being proactive and protecting the quality of the residential and commercial buildings in the state ensures
• Members, I ask you to support... support this bill so that our residential and commercial structures
• By modernizing the minimum state standard and acceptable residential and commercial building codes in
• But to answer your question, the latest 2024 codes on the commercial side do require it.

Bills: HB407, HB871, HB882, HB2011, HB3572, HB3578, HB4038, HB4866, HB4897, HB4978, HB5380, HB5555, HB5668, HB5670, HB5674, HB5676, HB5679, HB5688, SB673

Keywords: solar energy, residential construction, building code, municipal regulations, energy compliance, building codes, interconnection, education, funding, teacher support, student resources, school infrastructure, municipal requirements, environmental sustainability, municipalities, construction, agricultural operation, International Code Council, county regulations, construction fees

Transcript Highlights:

• Commercial pecan orchards were established in the mid-1970s in California, with the first orchard in
• voluntary, community benefit component, provide parameters specifically specifying what constitutes commercially
• The bill contains vague undefined language regarding commercial viability and insufficient water supply
• I just want to thank the Assemblymember for clarifying the definition of commercially viable. Yep.
• be working, and I'm going to be working closely with the author to address the ambiguity around commercially

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Agriculture met as a subcommittee and heard several bills, with extensive discussion focused on balancing agricultural land preservation, water scarcity, renewable energy, and farm equity. AB 1156 by Assembly Member Wicks would update the solar use easement program to allow certain Williamson Act lands facing water constraints to be used for solar projects through a suspension rather than cancellation of contracts. Supporters said the bill could help landowners and local governments adapt to falling water supplies and meet clean energy goals, while opponents, including the Farm Bureau, warned it could weaken Williamson Act protections, expand solar development onto prime farmland, and eliminate cancellation fees that help preserve agricultural land. RCRC said its concerns had largely been addressed through amendments and moved from opposition to support once changes are in print, though committee members continued to raise concerns about prime farmland, community benefits, and definitions of commercial viability and water constraints. The bill passed the committee on a due-pass-as-amended motion, with a later roll call recording six votes in favor and one absent member voting aye. AB 524 by Assembly Member Wilson would create a new state land access program for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, using Proposition 4 funding to provide financial and technical assistance for land acquisition, protection, and long-term leases. Testimony emphasized the lack of secure land tenure for small and underserved farmers, the loss of farmland statewide, and the difficulty of investing in sustainable practices without stable access to land. Committee members strongly supported the measure, with several noting the importance of land access for family farms and equity in agriculture. The bill passed unanimously on an 8-0 vote. The committee also approved AB 675 by Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry, which would codify California’s Farm to School program in statute. Supporters said the program connects students to healthy local food, creates stable markets for farmers, and supports agricultural and nutrition education, while helping direct school meal dollars to California producers. Witnesses from the Center for Ecoliteracy and CAFF described the program’s statewide reach and benefits for small farms and high-need schools. The bill passed on an 8-0 vote. The committee also adopted the consent calendar, approving AB 1322 and AB 1505 on an 8-0 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• He's over the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division within the Florida Highway Patrol.
• quick background, we found that there were perhaps well-intentioned people trying to avoid the commercial
• This would also provide that a commercial motor vehicle transporting an empty storage container that
• vertiport in our policy proposal, maybe be adjacent to an existing, whether it's a small airport or commercial
• vertiport in our policy proposal, maybe be adjacent to an existing, whether it's a small airport or commercial

Summary: The Transportation Committee took up several bills and agency priorities. SB 44, as amended, increased penalties for operating a vehicle with unauthorized red or blue lights and for obscuring a license plate, including new penalties for using, possessing, manufacturing, or selling license-plate obscuring devices. The sponsor and supporting law enforcement witnesses said the bill addresses widespread plate obstruction and enforcement problems; the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also passed SB 654, designating a railroad overpass in Starke as the Heroes Memorial Overpass, and SB 620, creating a Miami-Dade College specialty license plate with proceeds supporting scholarships and limited administrative/marketing costs. The committee then considered SB 594, which would allow Florida deep-water ports to seek Fish and Wildlife Commission approval for no-anchoring/no-mooring buffer zones adjacent to port channels and turning basins. An amendment clarified the application process, review timeline, rulemaking, and enforcement. Port representatives supported the bill as a way to protect channels and commerce, while several boating and cruising advocates opposed it, arguing the 5,000-foot buffer was excessive, could create safety issues, and would displace anchored vessels without adequate alternative dockage. Despite the opposition, the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard a presentation from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles on its 2025 legislative priorities, including stricter proof-of-address and identification requirements for vehicle registration, changes to tank vehicle and IFTA rules, a higher crash-report damage threshold, and electronic notice options. Secretary Perdue then outlined FDOT priorities focused on workforce development, research, rural road funding, small business participation, consistent traffic-control standards, modal infrastructure, transit accountability, spaceport support, advanced air mobility, and shifting some power-consumption revenues to the Transportation Trust Fund to offset electric vehicle impacts. No votes were taken on the agency priorities, and the meeting adjourned after members recorded additional affirmative votes on SB 44 and SB 654.

Transcript Highlights:

• And, you know, I know it's all market-driven, at least in case of residential and commercial.
• On the commercial side, they get a 35% increase.
• We do all our own, except for our large commercials.
• I think right now we're charging like $4 for every residential parcel, $6 for commercial.
• I believe on commercials, Shelly, can we go back two years?

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The subcommittee of the Tax Reform and Relief Committee met with a quorum to begin its study of whether the content of North Dakota real estate tax statements should be revised to improve transparency. Legislative Council staff reviewed the background for the study, including House Bill 1176, current statutory requirements for tax statements, and recent changes such as separate line items for bonded debt, primary residence credit, and legacy fund-related amounts. The Tax Department then explained the current statement format and noted that the form is prescribed and approved by the tax commissioner, with changes typically driven by statute and implemented collaboratively with counties and vendors. County officials from the North Dakota Association of Counties described the full annual process for preparing budgets, setting levies, calculating taxable values, and issuing notices and tax statements. They said counties spend significant time coordinating with taxing districts, neighboring counties, and software vendors, and that the new budget hearing notices and valuation notices have not generated much public response. Members raised concerns about the usefulness and clarity of certain line items, especially the legislative tax relief calculation and the primary residence credit, and discussed whether the current statement creates confusion rather than transparency. Testimony also addressed the 3% cap, mill levy worksheets, assessment cycles, and the role of county auditors and tax directors in maintaining accurate values. The committee also heard from software vendors CPT and Tyler Technologies about how legislative changes are programmed into tax systems and how online taxpayer portals can provide more detailed breakdowns of tax bills. Vendors said changes required by law are generally absorbed in contracts rather than billed directly to counties, and they demonstrated web tools and pie-chart style breakdowns that show where tax dollars go. NDACO presented a survey of eight counties estimating tax statement preparation and mailing costs, concluding that outsourced printing tends to be cheaper on average and that total statewide tax statement costs may be roughly $600,000, though the estimate was based on limited data. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational and focused on gathering testimony and identifying issues for possible future recommendations or bill drafts.

Transcript Highlights:

• the commercial registered agent.
• the commercial registered agent.
• the commercial registered agent.
• the commercial registered agent.
• the commercial registered agent.

Bills: HB0086

Keywords: county officials, election code, misconduct, removal, government accountability, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you. to our health care providers is that these are commercial insurance plans.
• Be Well New Mexico, these are all commercial plans.
• This is the commercial insurance sector that we are talking about.
• What this program does is keep people on commercial insurance.
• And one of the reasons why that's important for healthcare providers is that commercial rates pay two

Transcript Highlights:

• Then you can see operating adjustments for commercial vehicle and vehicle crimes units.
• Um and you can see a uh commercial 493.
• Um and you can see a uh commercial learner<00:20:03.919> permit<00:20:04.240> extension.
• Section 35 is the commercial learners permit extension that Mr. Lee had mentioned earlier.
• Uh, section 35 is the commercial Uh, section 35 is the commercial learners<00:40:02.560> permit

Bills: HF2438

Keywords: transportation finance, transportation policy, MnDOT, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, Metropolitan Council, highway funding, trunk highway fund, county state-aid highway fund, municipal state-aid street fund, state aid roads, local roads, bridge funding, road construction, transit funding, passenger rail, freight rail, aviation, airport development, safe routes to school

Transcript Highlights:

• Most owners are not running commercial Most owners are not running commercial operations<00:58:55.119
• So is your interpretation that this is applying to commercial vehicles and tractors?”
• <01:20:15.920> um particularly on commercial vehicles um particularly on commercial vehicles
• or commercial use. or commercial use. >> Followup. >> Followup. >> Followup.
• <01:26:54.880> motor exempting the the commercial motor exempting the the commercial motor

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• commercial and municipal operators. commercial and municipal operators.
• started to require uh that commercial started to require uh that commercial plow<02:36:59.040>
• does two things for a commercial does two things for a commercial operator<02:46:09.040> as
• So the commercial operator as well.
• um, who, you know, uses commercial um, who, you know, uses commercial providers<02:46:37.520>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• is being changed here is that, in addition to asking them to come back with some estimation of commercial
• come back with some uh estimation<00:09:27.120> of<00:09:28.000> uh<00:09:28.240> commercial
• <00:09:28.720> salt estimation of uh commercial salt estimation of uh commercial salt applicator
• So the New Hampshire program started 10 years ago with just commercial applicators and then recently
• Um, as of the 2023–24 winter, there were 712 commercial salt folks who participated in the training,

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• certainty of this credit will create steady jobs, activate abandoned properties, and help revitalize commercial
• Many of our small communities are dotted with long-vacant commercial buildings that have become liabilities
• A number of them vacant lots, but most of them empty commercial spaces, including 192 standalone empty
• which much of this property can be addressed in projects big and small to alleviate not only the commercial
• the way to maybe some structures that are in our downtown areas or in our traditional business or commercial

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And this does not include commercial motor vehicles.
• And I will just comment that I did notice that it's non-commercial vehicles, and so they still have I
• did notice that it's non-commercial vehicles, and so they still have to, you know, commercial vehicles
• But I would be interested to know how many commercial vehicles versus passenger vehicles, because we're
• going to exempt commercial vehicles and allow them to still be inspected and require inspections. ..

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But we're still actively looking to build more commercial facilities to make more cultivated meat.
• think we're all pretty familiar with the news also about this is the third successive year where commercial
• What are these commercial fisheries like in terms of the disease and the kind of the cramped quarters
• water and they just have them swimming around, but what are the conditions that exist in these commercial
• scale of a grant that the state could make would make a meaningful dent in building a very large commercial

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

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 3866 prohibits commercial facilities from operating within 5,000 feet of a private residence
• The legislature passed a measure that got rid of state inspections for non-commercial vehicles.
• Furthermore, if you were going to buy a tract and develop it in a commercial area, you would have no
• Chairman and members, commercial surface disposal facilities play a key role in managing oil and gas
• Generally, House Bill 4426 would specify that unless otherwise provided by law, a permit for a commercial

Bills: SB3074, HB49, HB2440, HB3556, HB3619, HB3866, HB4042, HB4112, HB4271, HB4413, HB4426, HB5033, HB49

Keywords: SB 3074, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Water Code, permit applications, environmental permitting, administrative record, ex parte communications, legislative communications, governor, lieutenant governor, state legislators, district projects, public records, recusal, conflict of interest, substantial interest, agency transparency, environmental regulation, permit renewal

Transcript Highlights:

• Yet current laws require a commercial kitchen, which most people, most beekeepers, can't afford.
• Yet current laws require a commercial kitchen, which most beekeepers can't afford.
• Yet current laws require a commercial kitchen, which most beekeepers can't afford.
• If the solar doesn't end, the commercial development and agriculture in our part of the world will end
• How much is the global market satisfying the way... ...commercial five or six, how much is the global

Bills: HB43, HB519, HB 1275, HB1592, HB2842, HB3088, HB3479, HB4163, SB823, HB609

Keywords: agriculture, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, honey production, beekeeping, food safety, local regulation, bovine producers, dairy farms, permits, bovine tuberculosis, public health, wildlife management, disease prevention, alert system, Texas A&M, white-tailed deer, public safety

Summary: The Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs met with only four members initially present, so quorum was not established until later in the hearing. The committee heard several agriculture-, wildlife-, and food-labeling-related bills, including HB 3479 on expanding the Rio Grande vegetative management program beyond carrizo cane to other noxious vegetation, SB 823 on shrimp origin labeling and restrictions on misrepresenting imported shrimp as Texas or Gulf shrimp, HB 3088 on giving Texas Parks and Wildlife more flexibility to procure resale goods for park gift shops, HB 1275 on permits for non-bovine dairy farms in certain TB-affected areas, HB 519 on honey production and packaging rules, HB 609 on cleaning oyster cages in-bay with bay water only, HB 1592 on a voluntary AgriLife pest and disease alert system, HB 2842 on targeted urban deer depredation permits, and HB 4163 on limiting city requirements that agricultural operators maintain roadside rights-of-way. Testimony generally came from industry groups, agency resource witnesses, and affected producers, with most witnesses supporting the bills and several bills drawing questions about enforcement, labeling responsibility, and the scope of local authority. The most extensive discussion centered on SB 823, where Vice Chair Hancock and others questioned why wholesalers would be covered if they cannot relabel products. The bill author and restaurant association witness said the measure was intended to improve transparency and allow enforcement against intentional mislabeling, while preserving a good-faith defense and clarifying that the bill does not create a private cause of action. HB 519 also drew supportive testimony from beekeepers and a family farm, who argued that current rules treat honey extraction and bottling too much like food manufacturing and burden small operations. HB 609 was presented as a way to save time and resources for cultivated oyster mariculture by allowing cage cleaning in the bay without soaps or chemicals, and HB 1592 was described as a voluntary opt-in alert system for pests and diseases coordinated through AgriLife and other state agencies. HB 43 generated the most detailed policy debate. The bill would restructure and expand the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority, update grant and loan programs, and create a pest and disease control depredation program. The committee substitute reduced some funding caps, changed references from predators to depredating animals, and made the financial provisions contingent on appropriations. Supporters from Texas Farm Bureau, cotton growers, grain and feed interests, and young farmers described severe drought, inflation, land loss, rising input costs, and shrinking infrastructure as major threats to agriculture, while one witness urged preserving priority for young farmers. After testimony, the committee adopted the committee substitute and reported HB 43 favorably. The committee also voted HB 519, HB 609, HB 1275, HB 1592, HB 3088, HB 3479, HB 2842, and HB 4163 favorably, with several recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. SB 823 was reported from committee on a 6-2 vote after adoption of the committee substitute. The meeting ended with notice that the committee would tentatively reconvene Friday morning and then recessed subject to the chair's call.

Transcript Highlights:

• joining OPUC, Ben has brought the same focus and dedication to advocating for residential and small commercial
• joining OPUC, Ben has brought the same focus and dedication to advocating for residential and small commercial
• He now serves not only Commercial consumers in utility proceedings across Texas.
• ensure that we can staff up to take on as many cases as we can on behalf of residential and small commercial
• And if we don't think that it is for residential and small commercial consumers, then we intervene.

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