Transcript Highlights:

• Another quite different example is about Portal Space Systems.
• Another quite different example is about the portal space systems.
• So we have a massive backlog of projects that are working their way through the system.
• It can be as simple as unidentified systems, flying objects.
• Unidentified systems flying through military bases.

Summary: The committee held a work session focused on the effects of tariffs on Washington’s economy, agriculture, and small businesses, followed by updates on emergency management, cybersecurity, disaster resilience, tsunami preparedness, and World Cup security planning. Office of Financial Management economist Abdelamintrawe Trieri said tariff increases are expected to raise prices, reduce output and employment, and lower state revenue over a four-year horizon, with the hardest-hit sectors including aerospace, food and beverage manufacturing, and agriculture. Members asked about updated tariff scenarios, crop-specific impacts, inflation versus deflation in different goods, and whether some manufacturing sectors could benefit; staff said updated numbers would need to be rerun as tariff rates changed. Washington Department of Agriculture representative Ryan Hamm described how tariffs raise costs for farm inputs such as equipment, parts, packaging, and fertilizer, while also affecting exports of key commodities like wheat, potatoes, apples, cherries, dairy, and wine. He said some sectors support tariffs on competing imports, but retaliation and market restrictions have hurt exports, especially to China and, in the wine sector, Canada. Department of Commerce representative Andrea Chartock outlined export assistance, business finance, recruitment, and industry-sector development programs, and proposed expanding tariff-resilience support through market diversification, supply-chain optimization, and efforts to attract investment and federal funding. She also noted uncertainty around delayed federal STEP funding for small business export assistance. Emergency Management Division Director Robert Ezell warned that federal disaster and mitigation funding is becoming less reliable, citing the denied bomb cyclone disaster declaration, delays in FEMA grant processing, and possible restructuring of FEMA that could shift more responsibility to states. He said Washington may need stronger state-funded public assistance, individual assistance, and mitigation programs, along with broader coordination among state agencies and local governments. Cybersecurity staff described state efforts to support local governments through the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee, threat intelligence sharing, vulnerability assessments, and a proposed volunteer incident response team, while noting the loss of MS-ISAC funding and the importance of continued state matching funds for cybersecurity grants. Hazard mitigation and tsunami staff emphasized the need for sustained investment in flood, wildfire, earthquake, lahar, and tsunami resilience, including vertical evacuation structures and language-access outreach. Ezell also briefed the committee on World Cup security preparations and federal grants for counter-unmanned aircraft systems, explaining that the state can buy mitigation capabilities but current authority to use them remains largely federal; the committee asked follow-up questions about fan zones, training, and the meaning of drone mitigation. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with adjournment after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't have large water systems; we have many domestic water systems.
• We talk to our members about their values and the types of systems they want.
• , as well as wastewater systems.
• We have a ranking system for each phase, and the ranking is done by technical staff.
• I hope this gets through the system. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a couple of comments from me.

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• We're all in the system.
• So F-16s are one of our two major weapons systems that we train aircrew for.
• on their weapons system, and then sent them off.
• Especially if they have families and kids, the driving factor behind that is the school systems.
• It's notable as a reaction to the concerns about the school system. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• , implementing California's earthquake early warning system, and establishing both the California's 9
• -1-1 and 9-1-1 system.
• I'm here today to support the public safety need to transition from an outdated landline system to a
• Progress and innovation continue to demonstrate that analog systems are a less-reliant method for assessing
• There is a desperate need for a centralized system that is dedicated to helping our most vulnerable and

Committee: House Communications and Conveyance

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I disagree with the because our relatives are a really, really important part of our lives, our system
• .. areas needing improvement in their child welfare practices and programs, as well as institute systemic
• In Travis County, we have an online system.
• But if we invite the federal court system to re-examine this, we should say, re-examine it in a light
• Not only does the system stop looking for them, but we also stop offering them support.

Bills: HCR10 , HB1814 , HB2160 , HB2353 , HB2643 , HB2971 , HB3282 , HB3382 , HB3996 , HB4507 , HB4509 , HB4805 , HB5551 , HB1863 , HCR10

Committee: House S/C on Family & Fiduciary Relationships

Keywords: family abduction, child safety, custodial rights, parental kidnapping, awareness day, marriage license, informal marriage, family code, identity verification, child support, family law, child custody, court interview, parent-child relationship, child welfare, attorney ad litem, compensation, legal representation, government entity, HB 2643

Transcript Highlights:

• Student information system is $5.7 million. Certainly.
• It is for our student information system of Power School.
• We will be moving to a different student information system.
• and the reporting system for federal and state reporting.
• And they had to actually implement the policy and then order some pouch system.

Committee: Senate Appropriations - Education and Environment Division

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to hear and discuss three education bills and related budget items. House Bill 1214 would revise K-12 transportation funding by replacing the current rider-based formula with a new formula tied more closely to district size, square mileage, building counts, and the weighted student payment. Sponsors and DPI said the change would better reflect actual transportation costs, hold districts harmless overall, and likely increase funding by about $4 million beyond current spending; they also said parent-provided transportation and open-enrollment mileage rules would remain largely unchanged. No opposition was heard, and the committee closed discussion without taking final action in the transcript. The committee then reviewed House Bill 1013, the education appropriations bill, and walked through proposed adjustments to program and pass-through grants. The chair proposed keeping or reducing some items, eliminating others, and moving one-time items to the stabilization fund; examples included leaving free meals at $4.5 million for now, keeping the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, reducing some grant lines, and removing several new or one-time grants. DPI also explained that the student information system would remain a flow-through grant for this biennium but would move in-house after July 1, 2026. The committee also discussed adding an FTE for the School for the Blind and making a small equipment swap at the Center for Distance Education. House Bill 1369 was discussed as the main school aid bill, including a proposed 2 percent and 2 percent per-pupil payment increase, higher construction bidding thresholds, elimination of the 12 percent cap, and a transfer of $75 million from Foundation Aid to the School Construction Revolving Loan Fund, with the chair suggesting $100 million instead. DPI explained that the bill also included a policy change returning placement decisions for students with disabilities in congregate care to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, with support from the governor’s office. The committee heard testimony from school officials seeking gap funding for Title I losses caused by a switch from free-and-reduced-lunch to census-based allocations, saying districts with many open-enrolled students could lose substantial funding and staff positions. Later, the governor’s office presented a proposed $1.5 million one-time appropriation to help schools buy secure storage for student cell phones if a statewide device policy is adopted; members raised concerns about cost, local control, and whether the money would be enough. The committee also heard student testimony and then recessed without voting on the amendment in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Other legislation before us is aimed at improving our criminal justice system, target oil... ...and better
• protect the public and those who work in our juvenile justice system and even improve our criminal justice
• system. to improve the statistical transparency of our jails and inmates who are housed out of state
• TJJD system entirely. The bill also prohibits TJJD from releasing youth from a state facility.
• They circumvent the system, and they cause the death of another person.

Bills: SB 476 , SB 664 , SB 745 , SB 826 , SB 989 , SB 1080 , SB 1171 , SB 1320 , SB 1437 , SB 1727 , SB 1809 , SB 2289 , SB 2320

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Keywords: education, funding, school infrastructure, public schools, teacher support, intoxication manslaughter, criminal penalties, ignition interlock devices, youth offenders, vehicular homicide, Texas courts, judicial officers, associate judge, magistrate, master, referee, hearing officer, court administration, Government Code Chapter 54, Government Code Chapter 54A

Summary: The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice convened to address pressing issues surrounding oil field crime and safety on Texas highways. The meeting was initiated by Chair Flores, who emphasized the need for improved tools to combat repeat offenders having committed intoxicated driving, alongside tackling oil field theft that has escalated due to organized criminal activities. The committee heard public testimonies and engaged with various stakeholders, including law enforcement and industry representatives, who highlighted the complexities and dangers associated with these crimes. Notably, a significant focus was placed on Senate Bill 1320, which aims to establish a dedicated unit within the Department of Public Safety to investigate and address thefts specific to the oil and gas industry. This initiative seeks to strengthen coordination among various law enforcement agencies and improve training for local officers to combat these sophisticated theft operations more effectively.

Transcript Highlights:

• to take action to add any California river currently listed in the National Wild and Scenic River System
• protections are otherwise weakened by the federal government to the state's Wild and Scenic River system
• The state and federal systems are similar.
• AB 43 does not add to the state system any rivers or streams that aren't already in the federal system
• AB 43 does not add to the state system any rivers or streams that aren't already in the federal system

Summary: The committee heard and advanced a series of natural resources and climate-related bills. AB 70 would codify a definition of pyrolysis and allow procurement credit for projects using organic waste to generate pipeline biomethane; supporters said it would help divert organic waste from landfills, reduce methane, and support energy reliability. AB 30 would authorize E15 fuel sales in California, with supporters arguing it could lower consumer fuel costs and emissions, while opponents from boating and marine groups raised concerns about engine damage and the need for clear labeling and continued E10 availability. AB 66 would create a CEQA exemption for emergency evacuation routes in high fire-risk areas; supporters emphasized wildfire evacuation safety, while some members worried the bill lacked sufficient guardrails and environmental review. AB 399 would let the Coastal Commission consider blue carbon sequestration in coastal permitting and authorize blue carbon demonstration projects; environmental groups supported it, while business groups objected to new costs and regulatory uncertainty. AB 491 would codify California’s nature-based solutions climate targets for lands and wetlands, with supporters citing climate and adaptation benefits and the Farm Bureau opposing statutory targets. AB 580 would extend Metropolitan Water District authority related to the Colorado River Aqueduct, and AB 43 would make permanent state authority to protect federally designated wild and scenic rivers if federal protections are weakened. The committee also considered AB 436 to streamline siting and permitting of composting facilities and AB 539 to streamline certain Coastal Act procedures and reporting. Most measures received due-pass recommendations and were reported out on roll calls, with several bills also moving on consent; AB 404 was pulled at the author’s request.

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Agricultural and Food Systems hearing today, committee hearing.
• The University of Hawaii system supports House Concurrent Resolution 130 and House Resolution 126, and
• University of Hawaii Hawaii system.
• </c><00:33:57.440><c> Concurrent</c> system supports the House Concurrent system supports the House Concurrent
• Welcome back to the House Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems.

Committee: House Agriculture & Food Systems

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• project hasn't been built, or under the old... ...the project hasn't been built, or under the old system
• These are very small, single-user systems, but the idea is that the process would be expedited.
• systems.
• These systems are something that would bridge between the septic-to-sewer and septic systems.
• So again, it's a very complicated system.

Summary: The Natural Resources and Disaster Subcommittee heard and acted on several bills related to wetlands, emergency management, fishing licenses, disaster recovery, the Florida Keys, brownfields, wastewater treatment, and spring protection. HB 1175 on mitigation banking drew the most discussion, with supporters saying it would create more predictable release of mitigation credits and help address shortages, while opponents warned it could weaken watershed-based wetland protection and allow credits to be used farther from the impact site. The committee adopted a strike-all amendment making the changes prospective after July 1, 2025, and then reported the bill favorably with committee substitute by a 12-3 vote. The committee also considered HB 1535, a broad emergency management strike-all that would expand local storm-preparedness information, debris removal coordination, shelter planning, permitting procedures after storms, limits on post-storm fee increases and moratoria, and changes to election procedures after disasters. Members raised questions about FEMA coordination, shelter standards, impact fees, and the 100-mile post-storm land-use restrictions. After adopting the strike-all, the bill was reported favorably with committee substitute on a 17-0 vote. HB 673, which would extend the same fishing-license convenience to freshwater guides that saltwater captains already have, and HB 705, which extends a public-records exemption for disaster recovery assistance applicants, were both reported favorably without amendment. Later, the committee approved HB 995 for the Florida Keys, which combines affordable-housing incentives, a Habitat for Humanity bond exemption, an extension of the Florida Keys Stewardship Act, and a modest increase in hurricane evacuation time to allow additional residential permits; it was reported favorably on a unanimous vote. HB 733 on brownfields received a technical strike-all and was also reported favorably. HB 645 creating a general permit for distributed wastewater treatment systems passed unanimously, and HB 691 on a reclaimed-water project tied to Outstanding Florida Springs passed 16-1 after concerns were raised about cost, water quality, and whether the bill could broaden the intent of existing spring-protection law. The meeting adjourned after all agenda items were completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• point to the struggle as evidence that the system doesn't work.
• At the end of the day, we are here because our system is not in balance.
• And when our governments ignore those imbalances, the system will correct itself.
• This corrects a great imbalance in our system.
• That's not how you reshape an entire state's financial system.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our insurance system, the way it is, is broken.
• And that's becoming a kind of systemic problem.
• And to be clear, these deaths are the result of purposeful and systemic medical neglect.
• They burden local water and sewage systems, They burden local water and sewage systems, leading to harmful
• The lead agency shall request it and the water system shall submit it.

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is not the role of a public school system, and the results speak for themselves.
• Crane has spent millions and millions of dollars on their security system.
• We have a one-button touch system. We can lock the entire district in one second.
• So it is the way that we've already structured the system.
• And then he broke down my system. I have to thank him too, so thank you, Imran.

Bills: HB2093 , HB2370 , HB2376 , HB2380 , HB2381 , HB2383 , HB2423 , HB2481 , HB2621 , HB2895 , HB4005 , HB4043 , HB4109

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: mental health, school curriculum, education policy, instruction requirements, statute repeal, charter schools, education, weapons detection, public safety, school administration, school districts, real estate transactions, school property, bond issuance, land use approval, capital improvements, school governance, board meetings, education funding, parental notification

Transcript Highlights:

• We did that The transportation system in Washington State, 90 to 0. We did that, Mr.
• He has really worked tirelessly on our transportation needs and system.
• K-12 system and sometimes even in higher ed.
• What it's going to rip from our education system.
• It creates a system where not only do localities and municipalities have to follow.

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5831 , SB6244 , SB6044 , SB5109 , SB5877 , SB6258

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, state regulation, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives, best practices, community protection, voluntary measures, mortgage modification

Summary: The House first took up Substitute Senate Bill 6225, a transportation bond measure. Supporters said it was needed to fund preservation and maintenance of Washington’s transportation system, including road upkeep and emergency repairs, while opponents argued the state had already addressed current needs through a recent unanimous budget and existing bond authority. The bill passed final passage 59-38, meeting the required three-fifths vote. The House then considered Gross Substitute Senate Bill 6260, an education budget-related bill with many floor amendments focused on transition to kindergarten, alternative learning experience (ALE) funding, local effort assistance (LEA), educational service district reserves, superintendent pay, MSOC funding, and collective bargaining limits. Most proposed amendments were rejected, though Amendment 2654 on TK priorities was adopted. After the committee amendment as amended was adopted, the bill advanced to third reading and then passed 50-47. Supporters described it as a necessary budget reduction and risk-management measure; opponents argued it cut K-12 funding too deeply, especially in rural and property-poor districts, and would worsen inequities and invite litigation. The House also concurred in Senate amendments and passed several other bills. House Bill 1796, about school construction financing and capital levy use, passed 95-2. Second Substitute House Bill 2105, dealing with immigrant worker protections, passed 58-38. Engrossed House Bill 2211, on food sourcing for a health-related program, passed unanimously. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2225, regulating companion chatbots and child safety, passed 74-21. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2247, related to animal care, passed unanimously. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2418, streamlining permitting timelines to support housing affordability, also passed unanimously. The House then moved on to additional Senate-concurred bills, beginning with Second Substitute House Bill 1906.

Transcript Highlights:

• System. Thank you. So it doesn't exist now, but that's going to be a policy topic this year.
• I want to start with line 55: Secretary of State for the Elections Logistics Management System.
• Line 55: Secretary of State for the Elections Logistics Management System.
• And the last one, line 56: improve the statewide voter registration elections management system.
• Chairman, just on Line 297, I want to bring attention to this drinking water system support. Mr.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, could you elaborate a little bit on the $1.4 million for the SLDS system?
• state longitudinal data system.
• state longitudinal data system.
• >> Well, this is the state longitudinal data system. It's an entity unto itself.
• I like to say Mississippi's got the greatest community college system in the nation.

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 210; 14 January, 2026: 3:30 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Nim Kidd, Chief of the Division Vice Chancellor for the A&M University System.
• So we're working with manufacturers on how we can override those systems as well.
• So we have a mission training system we call it the MTS, which is a mission-based simulation.
• loading system.
• That is unclear as those systems are not in place.

Committee: House State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• I taught students from a variety of family structures and belief systems.
• I taught students from a variety of family structures and belief systems and perspectives.
• I’m a product of the California public school system, a student at Sacramento State, and I oppose this
• I am the mother of four children who were educated in the San Jose public school system.
• anyone with children in the public school system always tries to do that for our kids.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee held an informational hearing on AB 715, followed by discussion of SB 48. AB 715 was presented by Assembly Members Zbur and Addis as a response to rising anti-Semitism in California schools. They described incidents involving harassment, swastikas, biased classroom materials, and students feeling unsafe, and said the bill would create an Office of Civil Rights with coordinators to address anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination, provide prevention resources, and support school districts. Witnesses in support, including a rabbi and a student who described personal experiences with anti-Semitic harassment, urged immediate action to protect Jewish students. Opposition testimony came from the California Teachers Association, county superintendents, school board groups, labor organizations, civil liberties advocates, ethnic studies educators, and many community members. Their main concerns were that the bill was rushed, had not been fully vetted in the Assembly Education Committee, and could chill classroom speech or create constitutional problems, especially around language requiring instruction and materials to be “factually accurate” and not based on advocacy, bias, or partisanship. Several opponents argued that anti-Semitism should be addressed through education, training, and restorative practices rather than new statutory restrictions. Some witnesses also raised concerns about the bill’s impact on ethnic studies and free speech. Committee members then debated the bill’s process and substance at length. The authors said the bill had been narrowed through negotiations with education stakeholders and the Senate, that some disputed provisions would be revisited in cleanup language, and that the urgency of anti-Semitic incidents required action now. Several members expressed support for the bill’s goal but criticized the late release of the final language and the lack of consultation with the Assembly committee. Others emphasized the need to protect Jewish students immediately and argued the bill was a necessary response to a real crisis. The transcript does not show a final vote on AB 715 in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• bill creates a third-degree felony if a person makes a false report of an emergency using the 911 system
• also creates a second-degree felony if a person makes a false report of an emergency using the 911 system
• needed to subject a person to an enhanced penalty of a third-degree felony from misusing the 911 system
• Each Florida College System institution and state university must develop written housing prioritization
• This is just adding this particular camera system to the counties that are currently doing it now.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions recognizing guests, students, advocates, and a resolution honoring the late USF men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim. Senators also observed moments of silence for victims of recent campus violence and for former FSU President John Thrasher. The chamber then moved to special order bills, with several members explaining measures and, in some cases, substituting House companions before final passage. Among the bills passed were measures updating child care and early learning provider regulation; strengthening penalties and cost recovery for false reporting and swatting; extending protections against extraordinary medical debt collection; expanding hazardous walking condition criteria for schoolchildren; creating young adult housing support for foster and homeless students; and requiring private schools participating in the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program to disclose which accommodations they will provide. The Senate also passed a bill adjusting interest rules for trust accounts funding legal aid, after extended debate over the impact on legal aid funding and banking practices, and a transportation package that was heavily amended to address issues such as school bus camera hearings, beach vehicle use for equipment removal, flooded-street wake restrictions, expectant mother parking permits, micromobility regulation, and traffic signal modernization. The chamber also approved public-records exemptions for Agency for Health Care Administration investigators, Judicial Qualifications Commission employees, and appellate court clerks; a municipal water and sewer rate bill affecting Miami-Dade residents near a plant; motor vehicle offenses involving impersonating law enforcement and obscured license plates; trespass penalties at law-enforcement-controlled locations and large ticketed venues; refund requirements for patient overpayments; stem cell therapy authorization with source and consent limits; and insulin administration authority for direct support professionals and relatives in group homes. Several bills were temporarily postponed, including cardiac emergencies, chemicals and consumer products, and motor vehicle manufacturer/franchise dealer legislation. Most measures passed with strong bipartisan support, though the trust fund interest bill drew notable opposition and passed 28-10, and the Family Empowerment Scholarship bill passed 37-1.

Transcript Highlights:

• . ...lower-cost alternative in the health care system.
• health care system.
• We save annually the health care system about $42 billion nationally. ...the health care system about
• So somewhere in this good old voice system in the TMB network that works...
• Is an independent living community combined with a life alert system...

Bills: SB331 , SB883 , SB926 , SB1137 , SB1138 , SB1144 , SB1151 , SB1236 , SB1270 , SB1522 , SB1869 , SB2207 , SB2422

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Keywords: healthcare, cost disclosure, transparency, administrative penalties, health facility compliance, COVID-19, off-label use, prescription drugs, patient access, medical standards, insurance, physician ranking, incentives, fiduciary duty, health plan issuers, SB 1137, group home, assisted living, residential care, board and care

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 883, which would protect physicians’ ability to prescribe off-label medications and treatments, framed by the author as a “Right to Treat” measure tied to COVID-19 care. Supporters, including physicians and patient-choice advocates, said the bill would safeguard the doctor-patient relationship and prevent interference by boards, pharmacies, or hospitals. Several witnesses described using hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, budesonide, antibiotics, steroids, and monoclonal antibodies during the pandemic, and said they faced complaints, board scrutiny, or pharmacy refusals for those prescriptions. The bill was left pending after public testimony closed. The committee then took up Senate Bill 331, which would extend hospital price-transparency requirements to additional health care facilities such as freestanding ERs, urgent care and retail clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, outpatient clinics, and birthing centers. Proponents argued that broader disclosure of prices for shoppable services would help consumers compare costs and reduce surprise billing, while opponents from ambulatory surgery centers said the bill would impose costly compliance burdens on small providers and that insurers or the state already have much of the needed data. The bill was also left pending. Senate Bill 2422 would expunge Texas Medical Board records and impose reparations for disciplinary actions tied to COVID-era treatment decisions, including references to ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, budesonide, and masks. The author and supporters argued that doctors were unfairly targeted for trying to save patients and should be made whole; the Texas Medical Board representative said most pandemic complaints were dismissed, that actions generally involved broader issues such as privileges, documentation, or informed consent, and that no physician was disciplined solely for prescribing off-label COVID medications. The bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2207, which would loosen Texas Medical Board rules on physicians advertising themselves as board certified, especially by reducing barriers tied to maintenance of certification requirements. Supporters said the current rule is overly restrictive, inconsistent, and costly, and that it drives physicians out of practice; they also said Texas is one of only a few states with such a rule. Witnesses described hospitals using the rule against physicians and said the change would improve transparency and competition. The bill remained pending after testimony.