Transcript Highlights:

• HB 1236, by Gehan, relating to a study on electrically unmanned aircraft capable of vertical takeoff
• HB 1276, by Gonzalez of El Paso, relating to the study of the state's responses to plant disease or pest
• HB 1276 by Gonzalez of El Paso relating to the study of the state's responses to a plant disease or pest
• outbreaks refer to the Committee on HB 1277, by Gonzalez of El Paso, relating to a study of plant disease
• an associate judge and reimbursement requests for all or part of an associate judge or interpreter salary

Summary: The House met to read a large slate of newly filed bills and resolutions and refer them to committees. The measures covered a wide range of topics, including health care and insurance, public education, elections, criminal justice, public safety, taxes, transportation, agriculture, environmental regulation, higher education, housing, and local government. Several proposals focused on abortion and reproductive health, firearms, voter registration and ballot access, school curriculum and accountability, property tax and homestead issues, and state contracting and agency oversight. A number of constitutional amendments were also filed, including proposals on initiative and referendum, veto override authority, vaccination refusal, parental rights in education, gun rights, Medicaid expansion, and various tax exemptions. No substantive debate, testimony, or votes occurred during this portion of the meeting; the clerk simply read the bills and resolutions and announced their committee referrals. The list included both general legislation and joint resolutions, with many items sent to standing committees and several to subcommittees. The House then adjourned without objection until 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a study. Studies are important. There's a lot of reports and studies already in this bill.
• <00:41:44.880> has that that is I think every study has that that is I think every study has
• But didn't they study it first?
• <00:47:54.319> this question is didn't they study this question is didn't they study this
• , be paying for XYZ's $14 million salary, be paying for XYZ's $14 million salary, everybody's<00:

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Monday, April 13, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate reconvened with a quorum and first honored Nancy Crawford with a resolution recognizing her 46 years of state service, including 20 years as Senator Pam Beidle’s chief of staff. Senator Beidle then spoke at length about her own retirement plans and public service, reflecting on her career in the House and Senate, her work on the Finance Committee, and thanking her staff and colleagues. The chamber unanimously journalized the remarks. The Senate then moved into business on House and Senate messages, including House Bill 139 and Senate Bill 311, and adopted a conference committee report on House Bill 1532, the Utility Relief/Reducing Energy Load for Inflation measure. The report was described as a broad energy and utility package that had already passed the Senate 38-4 and was said to address short-, medium-, and long-term issues, including rate relief, in-state generation, data center policy, consumer transparency, and low-income utility assistance. During debate on the conference report, the majority leader explained several changes from prior versions: no legislative ban on forecast test years, instead deferring to the Public Service Commission; removal of gas programs from Empower to avoid inequities across service territories; modest opening of the retail supply market with guardrails; and rejection of some floor amendments, including a gas line extension provision and a study amendment. The minority leader argued the bill offered only limited relief, focused too much on talking points and short-term savings, and said many bipartisan amendments were not retained. The majority leader responded that the bill would save ratepayers real dollars through provisions on utility adders, executive bonuses, FERC-related returns, and new generation, and urged adoption of the conference report.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is this just for the salaries? Please. Is this just for the salaries? Mr.
• Is this just for the salaries? Please. Is this just for the salaries? Mr.
• He is already getting that salary.
• So that isn't in the salary line now, the sustaining of the new salary? So Mr.
• Up the salary, you're actually, you'd be reducing his salary. No, no, the salaries are set.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee took up Senate Bill 2025, the Veterans Home/Veterans Affairs budget, and worked through the long sheet line by line. Members discussed base payroll, salary and health insurance increases, FTE pool adjustments, IT rate increases, operating expenses, transportation grants, the PTSD service dog program, salary equity requests, temporary help/intern funding, a Veterans Benefit Specialist FTE, accrued leave, and several one-time or carryover items including the Fisher House, document scanning, and veterans medical transportation. The committee also reviewed proposed policy language that would shift governance authority for the Veterans Home and Department of Veterans Affairs from the Administrative Committee on Veterans Affairs to the governor, and would remove board authority over salary-setting and related hiring powers. A major portion of the meeting focused on clarifying the commissioner salary equity line and how the agency had shifted operating dollars to fund the commissioner’s current salary increase. After discussion with agency staff and Lonnie, the committee voted to remove the separate commissioner salary equity increase line and instead restore operating funding, ultimately setting the operating line at $50,000 above the prior amount rather than fully funding the executive request. The committee also approved funding for the Veterans Benefit Specialist FTE, approved a carryforward/exemption for accrued leave, approved authority to accept $200,000 in federal transportation grant funds, approved the $500,000 transfers related to veterans homelessness, and approved the exemption language for certain federal/state fiscal recovery funds after discussing whether the funds were properly obligated. On the governance amendment, members expressed concern about making a major policy change in an appropriations bill, but also frustration over the board’s salary actions. After debate, the committee adopted the amendment transferring governance authority to the governor by a 7-1 vote. The committee also approved a smaller amount for veteran service officer salary equity than requested, and rejected funding for temporary salaries and an intern. The chair then directed staff to prepare the amended bill for further action, with the committee planning to revisit it once the revised version was ready.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 215 relates to prohibiting employers from seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees.
• Wage or salary range transparency, cost of action.
• SB 215 relates to prohibiting employers seeking wage or salary history of prospective employees.
• Wage or salary, range transparency, cost of action.
• infrastructure, Department of Environmental Quality, tax policy options for reforming the litter tax study

Keywords: April 22, 2026 - Reconvened Session Part 2, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the average salary is over $92,000. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• say that our rural health tax provider credit is potentially a tool we use that doesn't have the studies
• some areas, like potentially the communities we represent, those might be half a million dollar salaries
• This way, we at least know and can count and study the effectiveness of these kinds of decisions when
• Study the effectiveness of these kinds of decisions when they are made at the local government level.

Bills: HB248, HB309, HB332, SB48

Keywords: general obligation bonds, GO bonds, capital projects, bond election, property tax levy, state debt, state finance, capital outlay, senior centers, senior citizen facilities, aging services, long-term services, libraries, library acquisitions, broadband for libraries, higher education, university capital projects, community colleges, tribal schools, special schools

Transcript Highlights:

• Of course, salaries aren't the only piece of the puzzle, but they're an important one. essential piece
• Even as inflation has skyrocketed, and as salaries for qualified lawyers have in the private and public
• If that sounds high, it's only because the salary hasn't gone up in 20 years. 12 years.
• You're welcome to do it for me. to do whatever you want with my salary.
• Instead of holding down the salaries of 98% of judges because 2% of of them aren't doing their job.

Bills: SB26, SB28, SJR36, SB26, SB616, SB565, SB384, SB28

Keywords: teacher compensation, education funding, public school educators, teacher retention, teacher designation, lottery, gambling, internet gaming, mobile application, criminal offenses, aquifer, water management, Edwards Aquifer, sustainability, regulatory framework, SB 565, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, compliance agreement

Transcript Highlights:

• will uncover unallowable expenses like luxury perks and sweetheart real estate deals, executive salaries
• I'm salaries have advertising advertising expenditures like if I was Is it just higher salaries for admin
• , higher salary for some people, higher admin?
• You know, we've talked a lot in Texas, we want to study the low-performing schools.
• Well, we should be studying the high-performing schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't want to see the salary<01:29:47.680> commission salary commission salary commission and
• What about the salary? Is there anything we can do about the salary part?
• What about the salary? Is there anything we can do about the salary part?
• . salary. salary.
• >> No, only because of the salary. >> No, only because of the salary.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard several Senate bills. SB 2149 would exempt paternity proceedings involving allegations of domestic abuse from mediation and clarify the domestic abuse mediation exemption in divorce cases. The Department of the Attorney General and the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence supported the measure but recommended technical and conforming changes, including updating references from HRS Chapter 584 to 584A and aligning the language more closely with the Uniform Mediation Act. Members discussed whether the bill’s wording could limit who may bring a support person to mediation, and the chair suggested the intent was to preserve survivor choice while avoiding ambiguity. No vote was taken in the portion heard. SB 2203 would create an offense for law enforcement officers using masks or personal disguises. The Office of the Public Defender, ACLU of Hawaii, Legal Clinic, and many other supporters argued the bill would improve transparency, accountability, and public trust, while still allowing safety exceptions. Law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Law Enforcement, Honolulu Police Department, and the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office, raised concerns about operational needs, undercover and auxiliary units, body cameras, and possible supremacy clause issues if the bill is aimed at federal officers. The chair noted the bill appeared likely to move forward and asked agencies and advocates to work on possible amendments; testimony count was reported as 114 in support, 3 opposed, and 2 comments. SB 2251 would appropriate funds for the victim witness assistance program in the City and County of Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The prosecutor’s office supported the bill, saying it would replace shortfalls from declining federal funding and help maintain victim services and rights information. A former program director also testified in support. When asked, the office said it would not object to a simple reporting requirement. The committee then moved on to SB 2311, which would address claims against the state and add reporting and timing requirements; the Department of the Attorney General testified with concerns and recommendations, and members began questioning current practices for handling claims and settlements.

Transcript Highlights:

• to look at the study that, according to a new study in Colorado, marijuana-related crashes have jumped
• Representative DeFle talked about my salary and the commissions that I have.
• Additionally, I think something like this ought to be studied.
• Additionally, I think something like this ought to be studied.
• This bill needs to be studied. So I think we ought to look at this.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, so you, we give our teachers raises, uh, based on the median salaries, right?
• Salaries, is that not correct? Yeah, that is correct.
• That increase would actually be able to also increase salaries would be required.
• Just trying to get what I can do is I can try to track down this study and send it to you.
• Um, the, the authors of the study observed the effect.

Transcript Highlights:

• The starting salaries have crept up a little bit to make it somewhat attractive.
• The starting salaries have crept up a little bit to make it somewhat attractive.
• Ninety percent of our budget is dedicated to staff salaries.
• You heard the DAs say their starting salary is $72,000.
• Other things we'd have to look at is freezing salaries, no more COLA adjustments.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was held in Clinton Town Hall as part of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means’ budget review, with local officials welcoming legislators and noting the long agenda of many panels. The main presentation was from Secretary Terrence Reedy of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, who outlined the Healey-Driscoll administration’s FY26 proposal for the secretariat, including a $1.7 billion budget and a 7% increase over FY25. He described investments in emergency preparedness, hate-crime prevention, reentry programming, technology modernization, internships, and public safety training, while also noting some reductions driven by resource constraints, including cuts to certain grant programs and administrative costs. Committee members also raised concerns about federal uncertainty and how it could affect state budgets and public safety planning. A major portion of the questioning focused on the Department of Correction. Secretary Reedy and Commissioner Sean Jenkins said the biggest challenges are staffing, officer wellness, facility safety, and contraband—especially K2. They described steps taken at MCI Souza and other facilities, including reducing population at the maximum-security unit, changing management, removing metal products and free weights, improving screening and roll calls, adding a rapid response team, and increasing investigative and technological efforts to combat K2. They also discussed the closure of MCI Concord, saying it was driven by high maintenance costs and staffing needs, and explained that savings are being used to improve staffing patterns and address deferred maintenance over time rather than producing immediate large budget reductions. Members also questioned the budget’s impact on police training and community policing. The administration defended the increase in police academy tuition from $3,200 to $6,000 as reflecting true training costs and said it would still be subsidized by the state, while acknowledging the burden on small municipalities. They said the MPTC is expanding regional training and considering proposals such as Greenfield Community College’s. On community policing, officials emphasized uniform statewide training, de-escalation, and communication skills. The State Police also announced an outside review of the academy by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and said the next class will be split into two smaller groups to improve oversight and allow quicker implementation of recommendations. Other topics included ICE and federal immigration enforcement, with Reedy saying state law prohibits Massachusetts law enforcement from acting in a civil immigration capacity and that no state dollars were used in the Tufts-related ICE operation mentioned by a member. Senators and representatives also raised the upcoming FIFA World Cup, warning that it will require significant public safety resources and likely federal funding. Additional discussion covered restorative justice and juvenile diversion, health care costs in DOC, electronic health records, and the need for more diverse and culturally competent public safety staffing. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Houston website around the efficiency study page.
• Have you ever done a study on that or looked to see?
• So I do think a study of some form is warranted.
• So salaries in some instances, have you seen that?
• There's one from Tennessee, the Tennessee Volley Study.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:21:03.120> who<00:21:03.360> the legislative studies who the legislative studies
• or salaries for the judicial branch, judges, and justices in particular. back to the fund from which
• This would revive the 2025 compensation council to make those judicial salary recommendations in 2026
• This would revive the 2025 compensation council to make those judicial salary recommendations in 2026
• This would revive the 2025 compensation council to make those judicial salary recommendations in 2026

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Budgets for critical areas such as teacher salaries, building maintenance, and facility renovations are
• total basic allotment, a staggering amount of the basic allotment that cannot be used for teacher salaries
• a necessity, and every dollar spent on insurance is a dollar less. we cannot put towards teacher salaries
• To put this in perspective, that same $1 million is equivalent to. to 70% of total teacher salaries at
• You know, our staff did what we could when we saw that there was no impact that we had studied here from

Bills: SB2920, SB2929, SB2398, SB865, SB401, SB2619, SB2927, SB1395, SB1972, SB2540, SB1635, SB1581, SB2008

Keywords: steroids, student athletes, athletic competition, University Interscholastic League, medical purpose, gender transition, school athletics, spectator conduct, referees, ejection policy, extracurricular activities, concussion, brain injury, school policy, academic accommodations, student welfare, cardiac arrest, emergency response, CPR training, automated external defibrillators

Transcript Highlights:

• As you'll remember in 2017, we released the economic impact study under the 78 size Winnie May at the
• Those were numbers that were created by the study that we were working on in 2017, leading up to 2017
• We have done an update to that study, spent the last probably 18 months working on that effort, and are
• And so we're in our water study that we're currently ongoing with.
• We're gonna do a study on that. I think it has to do a lot with the water flow.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , the Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee, which I was chairing at the time, we, had an interim study
• On the, what is the salary range for a social worker?
• Has there been any research or study done, or a survey given to the donors to see if they were willing
• Regarding the salary, the average salary is about $70,000, but usually when social workers first start
• Representative Low: OK, so no formal studies have been done. Mr. Castillo: That is correct.

Bills: HB158

Keywords: public funds, lobbying activities, political subdivision, government spending, transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• The COLA study required by the needs.
• <00:42:40.800> is whether the public employees salary is whether the public employees salary
• <00:54:51.680> of<00:54:51.920> around starting salary of around starting salary of
• <01:25:39.040> back plan and they created a new study back plan and they created a new study
• That's 60,000 times .8. annual salary now goes to Medicare annual salary now goes to Medicare benefit

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• have essentially been sort of the legislative LFC and the executive having the Legislative Education Study
• And on line 17, you'll see also that the LFC and LESC recommendations increase the minimum teacher salaries
• Done an ongoing study of the state school funding formula to determine whether or not it was distributing
• And staff did a study on transportation in the summer of 2023, talking to school districts and school
• Again, to have that consistent three-year pilot and study, and then we can evaluate, and you can all

Transcript Highlights:

• You would see that in our operating expenses, our salaries, fringe, supplies, and things.
• Her salary was $48,000. Now it's $50,000 because she's got a $2,000 raise.
• But it allowed school districts to develop salary schedules on their own.
• So that is something that will be incorporated in the adequacy study.
• I wanted to stick to the question of the allocation for employee salaries.

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations and took executive recommendations on several Department of Human Services divisions, including Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services; Children and Family Services; County Operations; Developmental Disability Services; and Medical Services, with most divisions showing little or no significant change in total appropriations. Staff and agency witnesses repeatedly explained that many large appropriations are maintained for flexibility, federal matching requirements, or contingency needs, even when actual spending is much lower than the authorized amount. Members also raised concerns about staffing vacancies, long-vacant budgeted positions, and the use of excess appropriation authority across DHS. In Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health, members questioned federal funding levels for mental health and substance abuse grants, the status of senior centers and Meals on Wheels, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, community alcohol safety grants, and the veterans mental health grant. Agency officials said federal block grants are largely committed, that senior center funding had been delayed by shutdown timing but was now back on track, that the tobacco settlement program had been moved internally within DHS, and that the veterans mental health appropriation remains unfunded. Senators also criticized the adequacy of support for seniors and asked for more detail on how transportation, meal services, and local contributions are funded. In Children and Family Services, members asked about rising appropriation levels, foster care and adoption subsidies, professional fees, the number of children in foster care, and the Children’s Trust Fund. DHS said increases reflect added flexibility for residential treatment, adoption subsidies, and prevention services, while the foster care population has remained fairly steady at about 3,400 children. The Children’s Trust Fund was described as supporting primary prevention programs such as Baby and Me and community schools, and members asked whether it could be administratively combined with other efforts. Questions also covered TANF subgrants, with DHS explaining that it had reduced outside subgrants after discovering over-obligation and was rebuilding reserves. In County Operations, members focused on the summer EBT program, SNAP employment and training, the farmer’s market program, and the state’s TANF reserve position. DHS said summer EBT is still being funded through temporary appropriations because it is a newer program, SNAP employment and training is largely federally funded and may expand under a pending policy change, and TANF reserves were drawn down after prior over-obligation but are now being stabilized. In Developmental Disability Services, members asked about vacancies, human development center staffing, facility construction funds, and the Booneville work program, and DHS said the program has reopened and staffing recruitment continues. In Medical Services, members asked about FMAP, the Our Kids B CHIP program, school-based Medicaid reimbursements, nursing home distress funds, and several large appropriation lines that far exceed actual spending; DHS said these are maintained for claims payment, nursing home receivership contingencies, and other flexibility needs. Each division reviewed was adopted by executive recommendation after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• better, because we find that our students are coming to us with a lack of knowledge on how to study.
• So study strategies and test-taking strategies are rolled into that coordinator position.
• And so along with salaries, you've also got to have a nurse who wants to leave the bedside for a time
• That's a cost for them, and then to leave the bedside and the salaries—many times six-figure salaries—come
• So salaries have gone up. We've lessened the load in the classroom too for a bit as well.

Summary: The subcommittee met to examine Florida’s nursing education pipeline and the state’s persistently low NCLEX passage rates. Chair Tuck opened by noting the projected nurse shortage and Florida’s ranking near the bottom nationally for first-time NCLEX pass rates. The Department of Health explained the Board of Nursing’s approval process for nursing programs, including application requirements, probation standards, and termination for programs that repeatedly fail passage-rate benchmarks. The Florida Center for Nursing then presented statewide data showing Florida has more test takers than most states, but still trails the national average; the gap has narrowed in recent years, though Florida remains below average. Members focused heavily on why the state continues to underperform, with discussion of faculty shortages, clinical placement constraints, accreditation, student preparedness, and the large share of newer private for-profit programs among those placed on probation. Committee members asked about how probation works, what happens when programs improve, and whether the board requires corrective plans. They also questioned the relationship between program type and outcomes, the effect of Operation Nightingale, and how many students fail and retest. The Florida Center for Nursing said first-attempt pass rates are the standard measure and that students who fail are expected to remediate and retest, though costs vary. The center also said Florida’s data shows accredited programs outperform approved or probationary ones, and that the state’s nursing workforce challenges are tied to broader issues such as faculty vacancies, clinical site competition, and student demographics, including many students balancing work, family, and language barriers. A panel of nursing school leaders from public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit institutions then described strategies used to improve outcomes. These included transparent recruitment, early orientation, tutoring, success coaching, stronger faculty development, curriculum mapping to NCLEX standards, higher course benchmarks, mandatory remediation, simulation labs, and commercial NCLEX prep tools such as ATI, Kaplan, and HESI. Several panelists said their programs had improved after probation or had very high passage rates, and they emphasized that student success depends on academic preparation, clinical experience, and support services. Members also asked about tuition, program length, translation into other languages, and faculty recruitment; panelists said costs vary widely, faculty hiring is difficult because hospitals pay more, and some schools are considering medical Spanish and immersion options rather than full curriculum translation.