Transcript Highlights:

• The bill adds these offenses to the existing list of qualifying offenses that require enhanced sentences
• The bill adds these offenses to the existing list of qualifying offenses that require enhanced sentences
• The first offense will be a fine of up to $200. The second offense is a fine of up to $500.
• The third offense is a fine of $1,000.
• Alternative sentences, including work-release programs, may be imposed for third or subsequent offenses

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It simply requires a clear nexus between the offense and the occupation, with transparent expectations
• </c><00:24:02.960><c> definition</c> amends the qualifying offense definition amends the qualifying offense
• </c> to include all the felony sex offenses to include all the felony sex offenses under<00:24:06.640
• which I feel need to felony sex offenses which I feel need to be<00:24:22.840><c> included</c><00:24
• and is found mentally offense and is found mentally incompetent<00:24:52.600><c> to</c><00:24:52.680

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 3355, introduced by Cook, an act relating to the offense of impeding, threatening, or harassing
• Currently, it's about 15% on some of these lower-grade, say, a drug possession offense.
• We're talking about additionally white-collar crimes, you know, things of drug offenses.
• So the original title of the bill was, I wrote down, related to criminal offenses.
• So how come criminal offenses was originally chosen?

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the previous journal by roll call. Members then offered personal privilege remarks honoring Dr. Penelope Martin Knox of Raytown Schools for Black History Month and introduced guests, including Adeline Overcast, who was made a page for the day, and visitors from a rural hospital in Rolla. Several new bills were first read, including measures on blind pensions, penalties for impeding first responders, and flag display in the state capitol. The chamber then took up multiple third-reading bills. House Bill 2596, dealing with multiple employee self-insured health plans for small businesses, passed unanimously after supporters said it would help small employers offer affordable health coverage. House Bill 1644, addressing franchisor liability and joint-employer issues, passed 103-45 after debate over whether it protected small businesses or limited workers’ ability to sue franchisors. House Bill 2423, increasing funding for the Division of Finance through fee authority, passed 146-0 despite concerns about higher costs being passed on to consumers. House Bill 2641, regulating intoxicating hemp-derived products and aligning state law with federal changes, drew extensive debate over a beverage carve-out, impacts on hemp businesses, and public safety; it passed 109-34. The House also passed House Bills 2498 and the combined House Bills 2637 and 3155. HB 2498, a juvenile justice reform bill shifting some referral responsibilities to prosecutors and expanding information sharing, passed 100-44 after strong debate over whether it would politicize juvenile cases and overburden treatment facilities, versus claims it would improve accountability and public safety. The combined sentencing bill, HB 2637/3155, passed 102-45 amid disagreement over whether it was truly a transparency measure or instead increased mandatory minimums and reduced judicial discretion. Finally, the House considered House Joint Resolution 154, which opponents described as an attack on Medicaid expansion tied to work requirements. Supporters argued it would encourage able-bodied recipients to work, volunteer, or attend school and reduce administrative costs, while opponents warned it would increase bureaucracy and risk coverage losses for vulnerable Missourians. The transcript ends during the procedural vote on the previous question for HJR 154, before the final disposition is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Clerk: HB number 12 by Shaheen relating to the duty of the Attorney General to prosecute criminal offenses
• It excludes more serious 3G offenses such as murder, kidnapping, sexual assault. Mr.
• establishing a statute of limitations, restitution, and certain procedures with respect to those offenses
• Secondly, the bill creates the criminal offenses of real Member: property theft and real property fraud
• And the bill clarifies that its provisions apply to offenses committed on or after the effective date

Bills: HB8, HB12, SB 3, HJR1, SB 11, SB 16, SB 14

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• That's pretty low in terms of recidivism for any type of offense.
• Another sex offense.
• They have something that predisposes them to commit a new offense.
• Initially, I thought sexual offenses were the key focus.
• that will commit a violent offense.

Bills: HB240, HB2097, HB2731, HB3087, HB3234, HB3319, HB3394, HB3687, HB4105, HB4205, HB4350, HB4462, HB4642, HB4801, HB5403, HB240

Keywords: quorum, tax levy, county governance, local government, population regulations, quorum requirement, Texas counties, population threshold, deputy sheriff, civil service, law enforcement, appeals process, sheriff's department, HB 2731, roadside vendors, solicitors, county regulation, border counties, Mexico border, Transportation Code

Transcript Highlights:

• occurring and the number of offenses reported.
• occurring and the number of offenses occurring and the number of offenses<00:12:03.440><c> reported.
• And part of the offenses reported.
• </c> that's we're dealing with offenses that's we're dealing with offenses involving<00:28:32.480><c>
• If consent is the the offense at all.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Free speech is a fundamental right, even if it may find certain views controversial or offensive.
• added to a database, allowing a government entity to maintain a database on protected perceived offensive
• or offensive this bill ensures<00:01:42.439><c> that</c><00:01:42.600><c> individuals</c><00:01:43.119
• </c><00:01:58.840><c> speech</c> on protected perceived offensive speech on protected perceived offensive
• I find it offensive.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 768, sponsored by Vice Chair Hudson, was heard with an author’s amendment (A4) adopted to remove a technical section and put the bill in the intended form. Hudson described the bill as a response to concerns about government monitoring of protected speech, saying it would bar the Minnesota Department of Human Rights from creating or maintaining a database of constitutionally protected speech while preserving the department’s ability to investigate actual discrimination, harassment, threats, or illegal conduct. He emphasized First Amendment protections and argued the state should not track speech simply because it is controversial or unpopular. The main testimony in support came from Ran Lee of Americans for Prosperity, who echoed the free-speech concerns and said databases of bias incidents can capture lawful speech and create a chilling effect. Representative Rest said she generally supported the free-speech goal but wanted to preserve the Department of Human Rights’ ability to produce biennial reports and analyze de-identified trend data on civil rights incidents, including emerging threats or hateful rhetoric, so lawmakers can respond to patterns without recording individuals’ protected speech. Representative Curran raised concerns that speech trends can relate to public safety and argued that attacks on human rights often begin as speech. Hudson responded that the Department of Human Rights is not a law enforcement agency and that the bill would not impede criminal investigations. He argued that trying to monitor “trends in thought” would be constitutionally problematic and produce unreliable data, and he distinguished protected speech from criminal conduct. Representative Feist said the department’s existing report already uses aggregate, non-investigative data and suggested there may be room to refine the bill’s language. The bill was laid over for further consideration, with Hudson indicating he was open to continued discussion and possible language changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We worked with our Office of Legal Affairs to identify specific Prop. 36 qualifying offenses and to develop
• Commitment offenses are limited to statutes created or amended by Prop. 36 that either established new
• felony pathways or made certain offenses state prison eligible.
• statutes include possession of a controlled substance while armed, as well as certain grand theft offenses
• For these amended offenses, qualifying elements are manually verified in the system by my staff to ensure

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 on Public Safety heard updates on CDCR’s population projections and the preliminary fiscal impacts of Proposition 36. CDCR said its fall 2025 projections show continued declines in the institution and parole populations through June 2030, while noting Prop. 36 admissions are increasing but remain uncertain. The LAO said the administration’s Prop. 36 estimates may be somewhat low because they were based on only six months of implementation data, and the Department of Finance agreed the methodology is still developing. Committee members asked about the offenses driving admissions and the sentence-length impacts, and CDCR identified the main qualifying offenses and enhancements it is tracking. No votes were taken. The committee then discussed CDCR’s request for $91 million ongoing for lump-sum leave cashouts for correctional officers and nurses. CDCR said vacancy reductions and prison closures have reduced the salary savings historically used to cover these costs. The LAO supported the funding only on a limited-term basis and urged more oversight and reporting on CDCR’s structural shortfall, while the Department of Finance argued ongoing funding is needed because leave liabilities are mandatory and salary savings are less stable. Members raised concerns about transparency, asked about leave buyback practices and accrued leave balances, and requested more information before the May Revision. Members also heard CDCR’s proposals for $10 million for the final two statewide video surveillance projects and $15.2 million for Fire Watch coverage and related fire alarm work. The LAO supported the Fire Watch request as a one-time health and safety cost, while CDCR explained the aging prison infrastructure and the need for interim safety measures while longer-term replacement planning is developed. The committee then reviewed CDCR’s proposal to close the California Rehabilitation Center, which would produce a net General Fund reduction of $99.6 million in 2026-27 and ongoing savings of more than $150 million starting in 2027-28. CDCR said the closure is driven by sustained population declines and will include retention and realignment funding; the LAO recommended approval. Public comment focused on county funding for Prop. 36 implementation, opposition to using Prop. 36 as a reason to keep prisons open, and support for community-based rehabilitation programs. The hearing adjourned without any votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• language does is ensure that when that does happen, the predicate felony or that lesser included offense
• 00:12:57.040><c> a</c><00:12:57.440><c> lesser</c><00:12:58.000><c> included</c><00:12:58.399><c> offense
• </c> felony or to a lesser included offense. felony or to a lesser included offense.
• c> included</c> predicate felony or that lesser included predicate felony or that lesser included offense
• um sort of re designate is offense um sort of re designate is redesated<00:13:14.639><c> um</c><00:13

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The Public Safety and Judiciary Conference Committee met on May 13, 2025, with a quorum present and heard emotional testimony on Senate File 281, the coercion crime bill. Jamie Bumth testified about her son Carter’s death by suicide after being targeted in an online sextortion scheme, describing how the perpetrator groomed, shamed, and extorted him and urging lawmakers to hold offenders accountable and better protect children online. Members thanked her for sharing her story, and the committee then moved on without further discussion of that item. The committee next adopted several agreed-upon policy items. It approved Article 4, R17 House language, which extends consecutive sentencing to local jail inmates who assault a sheriff’s correctional officer, mirroring existing law for state correctional inmates and limiting the scope to first- through fourth-degree assault. The motion passed unanimously. Members also adopted Article 5, R1 Senate language with changes: replacing “preserve and protect” with “document,” removing a disputed provision related to fleeing individuals for future work, and inserting “active” so the language refers to facilitating the active search for a missing person. The committee then adopted the A3 amendment concerning felony murder resentencing, clarifying that when eligible individuals are resentenced, the predicate felony or lesser-included offense is redesignated for the felony murder charge while preserving the original conviction date, and applying the clarification to resentencings from August 1, 2023. All motions passed, and the committee adjourned after concluding its formal agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> seven um chapter 711, which is offenses seven um chapter 711, which is offenses against<00:22:56.880
• </c><00:23:14.880><c> is</c> these terms when this uh offense is these terms when this uh offense is
• . offenses. offenses.
• </c><01:46:22.320><c> level</c> analysis by most serious offense level analysis by most serious offense
• On page six, the offense J stalking.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several measures. HB 1957, relating to safe entryways, would create enforcement procedures in large cities to prevent personal property from blocking private doorways or entrances. The Department of the Attorney General supported the concept but recommended moving the offense to the criminal code, adding clearer definitions to avoid vagueness, and including notice, inventory, storage, and property-disposition procedures to address constitutional concerns. No other testimony was offered and no questions were raised. HB 25003/HB 253, relating to fireworks, would expand civil asset forfeiture for certain fireworks offenses, revise the definition of aerial device, and clarify air-delivery offenses. The Attorney General supported the bill but suggested removing the 25-pound weight threshold to avoid unequal treatment of similar offenses. The Department of Law Enforcement also supported the measure, saying it would improve clarity for evolving fireworks investigations and prosecutions. The committee took no action during testimony. HB 2137, relating to artificial intelligence, would prohibit certain harmful uses of realistic AI-generated digital imitations, require disclosures, and create civil remedies and fines. The Commission on the Status of Women supported the bill, while the Hawaiian Islands Republican Women opposed it on First Amendment grounds. The Motion Picture Association, Recording Industry Association of America, and SAG-AFTRA also opposed the bill but said they preferred a different framework, the federal “No Fakes” model, and were willing to work with the committee on amendments. The Attorney General had suggested constitutional amendments, which the chair said would be considered later. The committee also heard HB 2198 on prediction markets, with the Honolulu prosecutor strongly supporting inclusion of prediction markets in the gambling definition because of concerns about speculative betting on events and national security-related outcomes. HB 1511 on consumer protection drew support from the Office of Consumer Protection and the Insurance Division, with OCP proposing clearer disclosure for license and registration renewal solicitations. HB 1897 on condominium alternative dispute resolution received supportive comments from the Real Estate Commission and CI. HB 1642 on crypto kiosks drew strong support from OCP and AARP Hawaii for a ban on kiosks accepting U.S. currency, but opposition from Hill Ventures, which argued for regulation and guardrails instead of a ban. HB 1753 on social media account deletion received supportive comments from DCCA on clarifying deletion of unique identifiers and inferences. HB 1654 on anonymous complaints against public employees drew strong opposition from the Attorney General over implementation and due process concerns, while the Government Employees Association supported it as a way to screen baseless complaints; the committee then moved on to HB 1659 on collective bargaining, with testimony beginning as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the next question I have is this only for primary or secondary offenses? The primary offense.
• Are we going to go get subpoenaed their phone records just for a texting and driving offense?
• Is current law primary or secondary offense? Primary. Okay. Any further questions?
• Before it wasn't an offense, but now they would pay a hefty fine. Through the chair, please.
• Are any of you aware of what the offense is in the state of Florida? Pardon me. My apologies.

Summary: The committee first reviewed the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget proposal for transportation, tourism, and economic development, which totals about $18 billion and includes major funding for the Department of Transportation work program, Visit Florida, affordable housing, library/cultural/historical initiatives, National Guard tuition assistance, and Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles needs. Members approved staff technical adjustments and then adopted the budget proposal as a recommendation to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The committee then heard and approved CS/SB 666, which creates a specialty license plate for the Miami Northwestern Alumni Association, with proceeds supporting scholarships and school academic, athletic, and arts programs. CS/SB 1318, the hands-free driving bill, drew extensive testimony from the sponsor, law enforcement, advocates, and victims’ families. Supporters argued it would create a clearer, easier-to-enforce prohibition on holding a wireless device while driving and help reduce crashes and deaths; some senators raised concerns about enforcement, privacy, and impacts on drivers with older vehicles, but the bill was reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 1408, designating memorial highways for Tampa Police Officer Jesse Madsen and Charlotte County Sergeant Elio Diaz, and SB 1516, which would create the International Aerospace Innovation Fund administered by Space Florida to support partnerships between Florida and international aerospace companies. Both bills had supportive testimony and no opposition noted. The meeting ended with adjournment after the final votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• But if not and they wanted to pay that fine, the fine would be a $300 fine on the first offense and a
• $500 fine of any offense thereafter in the next 3-year period.
• $500 fine of any offense thereafter in the next 3-year period.
• $500 fine of any offense thereafter in the next 3-year period.
• </c><00:09:36.600><c> and</c> be a $300 fine on the first offense and be a $300 fine on the first offense

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 2198, criminal records sealed petty offense, passed unanimously in committee.
• And I want folks not to get distracted by the other categories of offenses included in this.
• There was some discussion around a potential amendment removing any federal immigration offense.
• And also, federal immigration offenses are civil, so I'll leave it at that. Okay, thank you.
• And also federal immigration offenses are civil, so I'll leave it at that. Okay. Thank you.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long list of bills and resolutions, with staff giving brief descriptions and members flagging which items were on consent, had unanimous committee votes, or should be pulled for further discussion. Topics included education, health care, public safety, labor, water, taxation, housing, and elections. Several measures were noted as party-line or mixed votes, while many others were reported as unanimous and placed on third-read or consent calendars. Among the more discussed items were bills on school and labor policy, including a proposal to prohibit teacher strikes, a measure restricting school district bond actions, a bill requiring school safety protocols and assigning felony penalties for noncompliance, and a resolution limiting public money for labor organization activities. Members also raised concerns or requested further review on bills involving pharmacist testing authority, expired opioid antagonists, a county sheriff-related measure, a housing affordability district proposal, and a tobacco/vape regulation bill. Some measures were explicitly pulled from consent, including a Medicaid audit resolution, a budget-related pay-withholding resolution, and several education and public safety bills. The caucus also heard multiple health and human services measures, such as genetic counselor licensing, nursing board and pharmacy board continuations, foster care rights, psychiatry access funding, and free school meals. In addition, there were water and energy bills on Colorado River management, groundwater, transmission-line review, and renewable energy valuation, plus election and campaign-related proposals. The meeting ended with announcements, including an upcoming Colorado River breakfast briefing and an internal award recognizing Representative Brian Garcia, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• that is eligible for... ...of bond for a repeat offender or for an offense that is eligible for the
• Additionally, the House amended the offense of terroristic threat to only be an...
• Additionally, the House amended the offense of terroristic threat to only be ineligible for a personal
• So what the House did was amend the offenses eligible for the denial of bail just slightly, but they
• The House also adjusted the joint resolution to state that a person under one of these offenses shall

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation by Senator West, approved the previous day’s journal, and then adopted several recognitions, including Senate Resolution 625 honoring the McLennan Community College Dance Team for winning two 2025 National Dance Alliance national titles. The chamber also recognized University of Texas Rio Grande Valley interns, the doctor of the day, and the San Antonio Coalition for Veterans and Families. The governor’s withdrawal of a Texas Lottery Commission nomination was received and the nomination was returned, and the Senate appointed numerous conference committees on pending bills. The body then took up and passed several measures, often by suspending the rules and the constitutional three-day rule. Senate Bill 4 and Senate Bill 23 were concurred in House amendments as part of property tax relief, with supporters emphasizing homeowner savings. House Bill 20 creating the Applied Sciences Pathway Program passed after a floor amendment and was described as a way to expand career and technical education and help students earn industry certificates in high-demand trades. House Bill 2594 passed to expand venue options for prosecuting certain theft and cybercrime cases, and House Concurrent Resolution 167 was adopted to correct a typo in House Bill 1314. The Senate also concurred in House amendments to Senate Bill 9, Senate Bill 40, Senate Joint Resolution 5, and Senate Bill 6. SB 9 and SJR 5 were presented as major bail-reform measures, with supporters saying they would strengthen public safety, clarify appeal procedures, and give judges and prosecutors more tools in serious cases; the debate included questions about records, counsel, and the standards for denying bail. SB 40 dealt with nonprofit bail-bond funding, and SB 6 addressed electricity and data-center growth. The chamber also passed House Bill 423 on digital asset service provider reporting and auditing, with amendments adding protections for cryptocurrency kiosks and a technical correction. Additional bills passed included House Bill 4690 on motor fuel standards, House Bill 1094 on transportation protection agreements, Committee Substitute for House Bill 2731 on roadside vendors and solicitors in certain border counties, Committee Substitute for House Bill 127 on protecting higher education from foreign adversaries and trade secret theft, and House Bill 549 on airway clearance devices at public school campuses. The Senate granted or requested conference committees on a long list of other measures, including HB 4, HB 145, HB 493, HB 2974, HB 3071, HB 3372, HB 3556, and multiple Senate bills. The session ended with adjournment until the following Friday morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill will change that because there was a sexual component of his offense.
• What we've seen in the last year is a 22% increase in assaultive offenses.
• The assaultive offenses have gone through the roof.
• All these guys have already been convicted of two sexually violent offenses.
• So it happens sometimes, probably, but that's why we have the affirmative offenses.

Bills: SB693, SB781, SB836, SB860, SB906, SB993, SB1101, SB1321, SB1370, SB1537, SB1563, SB1610, SB1637

Keywords: notary public, notaries, acknowledgment, jurat, personal appearance, remote notarization, online notarization, e-notary, electronic notarization, fraud prevention, identity verification, real estate fraud, property transfer, state jail felony, Class A misdemeanor, secretary of state, continuing education, record retention, notarial act, Texas Government Code

Summary: The committee heard a series of criminal justice bills focused on victim protections, law enforcement tools, notary/deed fraud, sexually violent predators, veterans in jail, tribal policing authority, and peace officer records. Several bills were laid out, heard, and left pending because the committee lacked a quorum for final action on those items. Testimony was generally supportive on bills addressing interpreter appointments, fuel theft investigations, deed fraud, survivor privacy, veteran jailer training, tribal peace officer authority, and officer-record confidentiality, though some bills drew concerns about due process, scope, or drafting. Senate Bill 1537 would clean up criminal procedure language on appointing interpreters and align it with Government Code standards requiring licensed or certified interpreters; it received no public opposition and was left pending. Senate Bill 993 would let Comptroller Criminal Investigative Division officers directly seek warrants for mobile tracking devices in fuel-theft and tax-fraud investigations; it also drew support and was left pending. Senate Bill 693, as substituted, would create a criminal offense for notarizing documents without the signer personally appearing, with a higher penalty when real property is involved, and would add notary continuing education; a Dallas County prosecutor testified that notary fraud is a major driver of deed theft, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 1610, as substituted, would address safety, registration, and criminal penalties at the Texas Civil Commitment Office for sexually violent predators, including assaults on staff and sex-offender registration issues; agency witnesses described increased assaults and operational problems, while a public witness urged waiting for Sunset review and raised due-process concerns. Senate Bill 836 would add privacy protections for sexual assault survivors by limiting livestreaming of trials, expanding pseudonym use, and protecting forensic exam and invasive-recording evidence; survivors and advocates strongly supported it, and defense lawyers said they had no opposition to the substitute. Senate Bill 1563 would require county jailer training on interacting with veterans, with testimony from the Texas Veterans Commission and veterans’ advocates emphasizing suicide risk, PTSD, and the need for better identification and support in jails; the bill was left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 906, which would authorize the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribal police to be commissioned as Texas peace officers like two other federally recognized tribes in Texas; tribal leaders said the change would improve response times and coordination, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 781, as substituted, would standardize confidentiality rules for peace officer personnel and departmental files statewide, mirroring Chapter 143 civil-service practices; law enforcement witnesses supported it as a way to protect personal information and create uniform records practices, but several senators raised concerns that the bill could blur existing disclosure rules or bury misconduct complaints, and public testimony included an opposition witness describing a police shooting involving her brother.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:26:26.119><c> it</c><01:26:26.280><c> can</c><01:26:26.480><c> be</c> Offensive, it can be offensive
• So there's a difference between an offensive book and an obscene, pornographic book.
• So there's a difference between an offensive book and an obscene, pornographic book.
• </c><02:03:48.040><c> or</c> inappropriate or otherwise offensive or inappropriate or otherwise offensive
• </c> determination to what's offensive determination to what's offensive there's<02:03:59.040><c> a</

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><00:50:55.119><c> and</c> comments were wrong, offensive, and comments were wrong, offensive, and
• Complaints about offensive TV and radio.
• Complaints about offensive TV and radio.
• Complaints about offensive TV and radio.
• Complaints about offensive TV and radio.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The second thing that it does is it creates the offense of impeding a first responder.
• This would make that a much larger offense so that this wouldn't happen again.
• are a misdemeanor, but the third offense is a felony.
• This would make that be a much larger offense so that this wouldn't happen again. be a much larger offense
• are a misdemeanor, but the third offense is a felony.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• relating to public safety, extending the length of driver's license revocations related to certain offenses
• According to the CDC, ignition interlocks reduce repeat DWI offenses by about 70% while installed.
• A second offense gets a year or two on interlock; a third offense, three years; a fourth offense, four
• There are almost 5,000 of these driving without a license, inimical to public safety offenses a year
• So, I tried to focus this on the repeat offenses, but along the way I learned many things.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Lewis's bill that has been truly agreed and finally passed created two new sex offenses
• And those offenses are all being moved into the definition section.
• But in Missouri, what to do in both cases, whether in the sending state it was a tiered offense but it
• This offense is in Arkansas.
• We want to make sure that Missouri law governs, even if their offense happened in a sending state.

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and took up House Bill 3174 by Representative Justice. Members adopted two committee amendments: one removed the bill’s mapping provisions so that the vendor-list portion could move forward separately, and another required schools to have at least one master key box for emergency responders. The amendments were rolled into a committee substitute, which the committee then voted do pass on a 10-0 roll call. A second executive-session bill was postponed until the following week because of a family emergency involving Representative Williams. The committee then heard Senate Bill 982, a cleanup and reorganization bill dealing with Missouri’s sex offender registry and related registration rules. Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman said the bill was intended to align the registry statutes with prior changes, clarify tiering and registration requirements, address offenders with ties to Missouri but living elsewhere, and improve information-sharing rules for law enforcement and victims, including notice when a registrant dies or moves. Testimony in support came from the Missouri Alliance for Family Restoration, which said the bill codifies case law and reduces administrative confusion for the Highway Patrol and registrants. No opposition was offered. The committee also heard House Bill 3414, which would create a state offense modeled on a federal online-fraud law to help law enforcement pursue internet-based fraud, including schemes involving credit cards, account numbers, telecommunication identifiers, and similar access devices. The sponsor and a law-enforcement witness said the bill would give investigators another tool against increasingly common fraud, including elder fraud and VoIP-based schemes; a Maverick convenience stores representative also supported it as a response to changing technology. No opposition was presented. Finally, the committee heard House Bills 2628 and 3460, the CARE Act, which would require hospitals and health facilities treating sexual-assault survivors to inform patients about emergency contraception, provide it if requested, test and treat for sexually transmitted infections, and seek reimbursement through the Department of Public Safety. Sponsor Jacqueline Zimmerman said the bill is meant to reduce trauma and prevent pregnancies resulting from rape, and witnesses from sexual-assault nursing, reproductive-health, anti-poverty, medical, and nursing organizations supported it as a way to standardize care, especially in rural areas. Several members raised questions about whether the bill would require abortion-inducing drugs, whether hospitals could opt out on conscientious grounds, and how reimbursement would work; the sponsor said she intended to add language excluding abortion-inducing medications and that the current DPS forensic-exam payment structure would not change. No votes were taken on the later bills in the portion of the transcript provided.