Transcript Highlights:

• This<00:49:15.080> provision<00:49:15.560> categorically<00:49:16.200> bars This
• provision categorically bars This provision categorically bars intervention<00:49:17.120> by<

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:38 SB 213 Discussion 00:01:23 SB 213 Roll Call Vote 00:20:45 SB 8 Discussion 00:26:23 SB 8 Roll Call Vote 00:58:16, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the prior minutes, and first heard Senate Bill 213 from Senator Phillip Wheeler. He described the bill as a response to rising electric bills, especially in Eastern Kentucky, and said it would give the Public Service Commission more tools to push utilities toward least-cost planning, require stronger integrated resource plans, and address utility service territories, utility sales, and generation contracts. He argued that monopoly service territories are privileges granted by the Commonwealth, not irrevocable rights, and said the bill would help prevent ratepayers from bearing the cost of poor utility decisions or sale premiums. He also said the bill would allow large new loads, such as data centers, to choose alternative power sources in certain areas to encourage economic development. Members asked questions about how the bill would work, especially the section stating that service territory rights belong to the Commonwealth and the provision dealing with utility sale premiums. Senator Wheeler explained that if a utility is sold at a premium, that premium should not simply be passed on to customers, and he said the bill aims to reduce costs for ratepayers and create more competition. Several members spoke in support of the bill’s goals while noting the complexity of utility regulation. Senator West said some companies had not been responsive to concerns about rates, Senator Williams said he would pass but wanted utilities to have enough generation to serve Kentucky users, and Chair Smith said the bill was a smart approach within the legislature’s limited authority. The committee then voted to report Senate Bill 213 favorably with the expression that the same shall pass. The committee then took up Senate Bill 8 from Senator Brandon Smith, which would modernize the Public Service Commission. He said the bill and committee substitute were intended to help the PSC handle increasingly complex utility regulation, infrastructure investment, and rate cases by expanding the commission from three to five members, with three gubernatorial appointees and two appointed by the Auditor of Public Accounts. He also said the bill would adjust the threshold for PSC review of electric transmission construction from one mile to five miles, to reduce delays while preserving oversight of major projects, and would update appointment terms and other language in the substitute. Smith said the changes were meant to improve staffing and expertise at the PSC and speed transmission buildout. The discussion was still underway when the transcript ended, and no final vote on Senate Bill 8 appears in the provided excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• either facing a city fine for exceeding their allotted water use or paying a fine to the POA for violating
• either facing a city fine for exceeding their allotted water use or paying a fine to the POA for violating
• Children in these systems are at a categorically higher risk of becoming victims of human trafficking
• school districts to report each ongoing legal proceeding related to due process complaints alleging violation

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation by Pastor Tedrick Woods, followed by routine chamber actions including excusing Senator Gutierrez and receiving House messages that the House had passed HB 21 and HB 49. Senators also recognized advocates visiting the gallery on focal segmental glomerulosclerosis awareness and introduced the Doctor of the Day. The chamber adopted several resolutions, including HCR 66, by voice vote. The Senate then took up and passed a series of measures, often by suspending the regular order and the constitutional three-day rule. Among the bills finally passed were HJR 2, which would prohibit state death taxes; HB 206, limiting counties from requiring cash bonds for pipeline construction; HB 517, barring property owners associations from fining homeowners for discolored vegetation during watering restrictions; HB 2756, requiring TDCJ correctional officers to receive de-escalation and behavioral health training; HB 451, expanding screening for commercial sexual exploitation risk among children in DFPS and TJJD custody; SB 705, cleaning up the air conditioning and refrigeration contractors advisory board; SB 2017, creating an offense for burnouts and wheelies; SB 1858, expanding body armor grant eligibility to ISDs; SB 1400, directing a study on transfer-student outcomes for community college funding; SB 2764, requiring notice to manufactured home buyers about converting homes to real property; SB 748, a licensing cleanup bill on laser hair removal; SB 2519, restricting certain ad valorem tax uses and bonds after amendment; SB 2878, the courts bill with amendments on Brazoria County courts and youth diversion provisions; SB 466, allowing families to request fetal death certificates at any gestational age; SB 1608, requiring timely physical exams for inpatient mental health admissions; SB 1730, limiting civil damages claims arising from certain uses of force or deadly force; SB 2417, clarifying Attorney General antitrust investigation work product and discovery rules; and SB 1946, creating a family violence, criminal homicide prevention task force. The Senate also passed HB 3204, renaming and updating the Polytechnic College at Sam Houston State University, and SB 1986, requiring opioid warning labels. Several bills drew brief debate or amendments. Senators discussed broader HOA reform while considering HB 517, and SB 2203 on TCEQ discovery procedures was amended to require party motions, set a 15-day expiration for certified issues, and limit hearing abatement. SB 2017 was amended to change the mens rea language from knowingly to intentional. SB 2519 was narrowed by amendment to a forward-looking policy statement separating maintenance-and-operation taxes from debt-service taxes. SB 2878 also received amendments to reduce the number of new Brazoria County courts and add youth diversion and crisis-response provisions. SB 466 prompted a floor debate over whether fetal death certificates are appropriate for pre-20-week losses, with supporters emphasizing family closure and opponents arguing the document has no estate-related purpose. SB 1730 also prompted questions about the relationship between criminal findings and civil liability in self-defense cases. The session concluded with additional House and Senate measures being signed in the presence of the Senate and continued consideration of SB 2177, a grant program to help local law enforcement solve violent and sexual offenses.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rated categorization, it's truly special needs and income vulnerable.
• won't discriminate and number two a required that private religious schools should post alleged violations
• Public schools do not I'd have a requirement, as it's listed in this amendment, to post civil rights violations
• comptroller's framework that's being developed. developed, imposing certain protocols on assault and other. violations

Bills: SB2, SJR36, SB2, SB2, SR29, SB2

Keywords: Maverick County, recognition, economic development, Texas Senate, community celebration, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . 72 >> Chair: YOU ARE RECOGNIZED. 73 Representative Hinson: Knowing that all the time is categorized

Summary: The Pre-K-12 Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and considered three bills. HB 157, School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program, would create a Department of Education program allowing school districts and charter schools to place current or retired high-performing teachers in D- or F-rated schools as mentors, with a proposed $3,000 stipend per mentor per mentee. Members questioned the funding source and contract-time implications; the sponsor said the program would use previously decategorized education funds and that mentoring could be done within existing planning, before-school, after-school, or weekend time. An amendment clarifying that the bill would use a contract template rather than a DOE contract was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS/HB 859, Exceptional Students and Video Cameras in Public Schools, which would require school boards to adopt policies for video cameras in self-contained ESE classrooms upon a parent request, with redaction of other students from footage. Public testimony strongly supported the bill, including emotional accounts from a parent of a nonverbal adult with autism who described past abuse in a classroom and from the Autism Society of Florida, which argued cameras are a necessary safety measure for vulnerable students and noted other states already allow or require them. Members emphasized student safety and the need to fund the policy, and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee considered HB 561, Educator Certification, which aims to reduce barriers for experienced educators returning to the classroom by expanding temporary certificate eligibility to those with expired Florida certificates, allowing prior subject-area exam results to count for reinstatement, and updating references related to educator professional learning support. The sponsor said the bill preserves standards while making reinstatement more efficient and less costly. There was broad support from members, who noted the value of retaining experienced teachers, and HB 561 was also reported favorably. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So whenever we tap into a levy, which quite a few of the 14 categoricals on the special education on

Bills: HF1049

Keywords: school library aid, education finance, school districts, charter schools, funding eligibility

Transcript Highlights:

• It's already fair to say that it's a misdemeanor to violate a court order; it's contempt of court, you
• a court order it's to uh violate a court order it's contempt<00:07:18.479> of<00:07:18.680>
• a a court order should that to violate a a court order should be<00:07:23.639> contempt<00:07
• To violate a court order should be contempt of court, really it is.
• The places where we find that there are violations of water quality standards or other kinds of violations

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To scale the success, we believe a state-level inventory of evidence-based interventions categorized
• level inventory of evidence-based level inventory of evidence-based interventions<00:48:06.560> categorized
• <00:48:07.200> by<00:48:07.359> tiers<00:48:07.760> 1, interventions categorized
• by tiers 1, interventions categorized by tiers 1, two,<00:48:08.240> and<00:48:08.400> three

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Most of ours would be categorized as very small, and we need to get that kind of scale of operation.
• :34:42.560> be point in time. most of ours would be point in time. most of ours would be categorized
• 43.919> small<00:34:45.040> and<00:34:45.280> that<00:34:46.000> we categorized
• as very small and that we categorized as very small and that we need<00:34:46.480> to<00:34:46.800

Bills: SF0025, SF0027, SF0043, SF0066

Keywords: landowner licenses, hunting, wildlife management, quota hunt areas, game and fish commission, game management, hunting regulations, black bear, tracking dogs, wildlife conservation, conservation, contracting, supervisor, funding, districts, hunting licenses, donated licenses, life-threatening illness, vision impairment, nonprofit organizations

Transcript Highlights:

• All we're asking for is to not have a categorical exclusion. This bill talks about CMS approval.
• All we're asking for is to not have a categorical exclusion. No one in opposition.
• And with that, we are adjourned. to not have a categorical exclusion.
• So, to not have a categorical exclusion.

Bills: SB3263, SB3261

Keywords: student-athletes, name image likeness, NIL, compensation, transparency, University of Hawaii, Title IX, funding, protections, athlete agents, student athletes, endorsement contracts, professional representation, registration requirements, sports law, 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Senate Committee on Education and Committee on Health and Human Services heard testimony on several bills related to student health and safety, University of Hawaii programs, and workforce development. For SB 2969, which would appropriate funds for the University of Hawaii to expand and sustain the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study and Maui Health Registry, testimony was overwhelmingly supportive. Witnesses described the ongoing physical and mental health impacts of the August 2023 Maui fires, said the study has identified serious untreated conditions and connected participants to care, and emphasized its role in serving survivors and training students. The committee also heard support from the Department of Health, the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Lung Association, Maui residents, and study staff. No vote was taken during the hearing. The committee then heard SB 2657, which would establish an Alzheimer disease and related dementia research center at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine. University of Hawaii and Alzheimer’s Association representatives supported the bill, saying a local center would improve coordination of existing research, build state capacity, and help Hawaii compete for future NIH designation and federal funding. A family member affected by Alzheimer’s also testified in support, citing the disease’s impact in Hawaii. In response to questions, the university said the proposal would follow a five-year phased plan, with the first year funding used to recruit a senior neuroscientist and staff person, at an estimated cost of about $375,000, and that the effort would still strengthen Hawaii’s research infrastructure even if federal funding is not secured. For SB 2612, which clarifies immunity for Department of Education employees and agents who assist students with medication administration under certain conditions, the Department of Education said the bill is intended to protect volunteers and help ensure students can participate in school activities even when staffing is limited. The committee discussed how volunteers would be selected and whether every school would have someone available, and DOE said schools currently rely on health attendants, nurses, and trained volunteers. The committee also briefly discussed liability language and gross negligence exceptions. The hearing then moved to SB 2412, which would fund a bachelor’s degree program in sign language and sign language interpretation at UH Mānoa with a future master’s pathway. Testimony from interpreters, educators, and university officials emphasized the shortage of interpreters, the need to retain local talent, and the program’s role in building a pipeline; university representatives said the initial request would fund a faculty/staff position as a first step, with additional funding needed later. No final committee action or votes were announced in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't know how we categorize it.
• /c><01:38:49.199> we other special I don't know how we other special I don't know how we categorize
• 38:50.719> DOI<01:38:51.199> would<01:38:51.280> be<01:38:51.360> on categorize
• I would think DOI would be on categorize I would think DOI would be on the<01:38:51.600> federal<

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 210; 22 January, 2026: 1:30 PM, 925, all

Summary: The meeting began with a budget presentation from the insurance commissioner’s office. The commissioner said most of the request was for personnel costs, including an increase above LBO and two additional IT positions tied to a possible conversion to a state-based system and cybersecurity needs. The office also discussed travel costs, contractual expenses, vehicle replacement, and hurricane mitigation funds, noting that some funds are in trust accounts and require legislative authority to spend. The commissioner also briefed members on possible policy changes affecting the ACA exchange and a proposed low-cost plan for the high-risk pool, warning that if coverage options are not developed, more people could shift into uncompensated care. Members asked about the budget request, the IT positions, and a constituent question about propane meter regulation, which the commissioner said falls under the Department of Agriculture and Commerce, though his office sometimes checks related issues informally. The committee then moved to the State Fire Academy hearing. The academy director described a workforce stabilization proposal focused on retaining and recruiting fire instructors, citing competition from local fire departments that pay more, a shrinking applicant pool, and a growing number of retirement-eligible staff. He said the academy’s instructors are being recruited away by municipalities, that recent applicant pools have produced very few qualified candidates, and that the academy may soon have to cut advanced courses if staffing does not improve. He referenced a State Personnel Board review that supported the need for compensation changes and said the academy is trying to remain competitive while continuing to train firefighters, hazmat responders, EMS personnel, and fire officers statewide. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken in the portion provided. Members mainly asked questions, requested written follow-up on some budget items, and indicated they would work with the agencies later in the session if pending bills or funding needs changed.

Transcript Highlights:

• The other thing I do have to say, I think what we were talking about here is a categorical shift between
• about<00:46:24.079> here<00:46:24.400> is<00:46:24.640> a<00:46:24.880> categorical
• talking about here is a categorical talking about here is a categorical shift<00:46:25.920> between

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 69, which would require local school boards to publicly vote on whether to accept or reject charitable gifts or donations, prompted by a case in which a church offered to pay off school lunch debt but the offer was refused and families were sued instead. Senator Keith Murphy said the bill is intended to force transparency and public accountability in similar situations, while acknowledging that boards may still reject gifts with strings attached or for ethical reasons. Members raised questions about anonymity, privacy, and whether school boards already have authority to address meal debt before litigation. Murphy said the bill was aimed at cases where money is refused and families are sued, and he said he would accept amendments to make the vote requirement apply to both accepted and rejected gifts. The hearing on the bill was then closed. The committee then took up Senate Bill 206, which requires public schools to adopt policies limiting student cell phone use during the school day. Trisha Milo, presenting for Senator Rashardi, said the bill is meant to improve focus, reduce distraction and cyberbullying, and create more consistent policies across districts, while still allowing exceptions for medical, disability, language support, and instructional needs. Committee members questioned whether districts would retain flexibility, whether the bill should apply to charter schools and other devices, and whether the annual policy-update requirement and enforcement language were too prescriptive. Milo said districts would still have flexibility in how they write their policies and that she would seek clarification from the senator on several drafting questions. Becky Wilson of the New Hampshire School Boards Association testified in support of the general concept of a cell phone policy, saying many districts already have some form of policy, though not all do, and that existing sample policies are outdated. She said the annual update requirement would likely be burdensome and that the enforcement language seemed intended to ensure administrative involvement rather than teacher discipline, but she suggested the wording may need revision. Members also discussed whether very small districts or districts without schools should be covered and whether the bill should better distinguish between classroom enforcement and student discipline. The chair closed the hearing on Senate Bill 206 after no further testimony, and the committee moved on to the next bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many of us are too small to even be seen, but yet we're being categorized with all the giants.
• 01:13:49.199> yet<01:13:49.320> we're<01:13:49.520> being<01:13:49.840> categorized
• seen but yet we're being categorized seen but yet we're being categorized with<01:13:50.600>

Bills: HF1063

Keywords: grain buyers, grain dealer, grain elevator, agriculture, financial reporting, audit, CPA review, independent accountant, financial statement, balance sheet, cash flow, nonpublic data, licensee oversight, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, grain purchase volume, insolvency, nonpayment, warehouse chain, fiduciary duties, producer protection

Transcript Highlights:

• might be never because of the other folks who are coming onto the program with, I guess, what's categorized
• onto the pro program with I guess um onto the pro program with I guess what's<01:32:03.639> categorized
• as<01:32:04.480> more<01:32:04.679> urgent<01:32:05.040> needs what's categorized
• as more urgent needs what's categorized as more urgent needs and<01:32:05.639> so<01:32:06.159

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There was a second part to my question, and that was if there is a violation of the Data Practices Act
• of the data was if there is a violation of the data Practices<00:58:47.720> Act<00:58:48.720>
• They all are subject to the potential liability of violating that.
• They all are subject to the potential liability of violating that.
• They all are subject to the potential liability of violating that.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• HCA expanded broad-based categorical eligibility for SNAP to households with gross income up to $200,000
• So that's what I mean; it wasn't really an intentional violation by any household.

Transcript Highlights:

• Went and bought an office building and put office space in, which is a clear violation.
• You can name one - Bluewater Village or Ramah or someone that may have a categorization to do that, but

Transcript Highlights:

• Please be aware that violations of these rules may subject you to a visit from a kind gentleman to my
• think he take was invented summer city during your first term here it was the mid two thousands categorical

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They may not be. categorizing property, property correctly. And then they, a big one was they.
• , I think they need to be raised or the city or the county or what not, that would be a definite violation

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We didn't have any near the categorical program funding.
• We didn't have any near the categorical program funding.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Phelps is referred to with Doritos or Skittles or whatever you want to call them, we're categorically
• We're categorically opposed to that.

Keywords: 959, house, all