Transcript Highlights:

• entities cannot be compelled to comply with foreign subpoenas that do not meet California legal standards
• adopted a chromium-6 MCL at 10 parts per billion, an amount five times lower than the California standard
• EPA standard for total allowable chromium.
• year, provides public water systems with a limited compliance period to meet the new chromium-6 standard
• statutes and played a key role in establishing many of the patient protections and quality-of-care standards

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and pledge, then moved through a busy floor session with several procedural motions and bill actions. Members suspended rules to allow speeches and guests, withdrew AB 362 from Appropriations to the second reading file, and voted 41-13 to suspend the rules for that motion. The body also took up a number of items on the daily and third reading files, with several measures passed, retained, or moved to inactive file. The main policy focus was ACR 70, designating September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Assembly Member Pellerin presented the resolution with a personal account of losing her husband to suicide and urged greater use of 988, secure firearm storage, and open conversations about mental health. Many members from both parties and caucuses spoke in support, sharing personal experiences with suicide and emphasizing stigma reduction, access to care, and the importance of checking in on others. The resolution was adopted by voice vote, Senate amendments were concurred in, and suicide awareness pins were distributed to members. The Assembly also concurred in Senate amendments to AB 977 on Native American human remains, with unanimous support and a 68-0 vote, and to AB 1510, the Assembly PERS Committee bill, which passed 66-1. Members then adopted H.R. 65, recognizing October as Filipino American History Month, after extensive remarks celebrating Filipino American history, labor organizing, public service, and community contributions; 63 co-authors were added without objection before the voice vote. Later, the chamber passed SB 81, protecting access to health care facilities from immigration enforcement, and SB 98, requiring schools and campuses to notify communities when immigration enforcement is present; both were framed as part of a broader package to protect immigrant communities and passed on urgency votes. The session concluded with debate on SJR 9, a resolution condemning mass immigration raids and defending civil liberties, which drew sharply divided remarks from supporters and opponents, with no final action shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• This one-person, one-vote standard is derived from the Supreme Court's 1964 decisions in Washington.
• I will tell you that SB 4 meets the one-person, one-vote standard.
• that any amendments that could be presented in this committee or on the floor must meet this same standard
• People are mixing up the Jingles 1 standard in terms of trying to bring that into some constitutional
• standard, as if black people can only have a seat if you have... ...50.1.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The department is saying that this is standard procedure.
• If you recall when Police Standards and Training came in, uh, and this goes back to an item that actually
• :38:05.119><c> recall</c><00:38:05.440><c> when</c><00:38:05.680><c> police</c><00:38:05.920><c> standards
• </c><00:38:06.240><c> and</c> If you recall when police standards and If you recall when police standards
• So, Senate Bill 59, as you may recall, had a $100,000 appropriation to the police standards and training

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's no statewide eligibility standards concerning the criminal history of individuals who serve on
• for Senate Bill 2487, we want to offer this model statewide for all large counties with uniform standards
• While this is the correct standard in the vast majority of cases, existing law ignores the complicated
• This is why the typical standard for duress is insufficient, as it only considers force.
• It means more jobs here, higher wages here, higher standard of living for Texans and Texas families.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum present, heard an invocation, adopted the prior day’s journal, received House messages, and adopted several resolutions and recognitions, including Senate Resolution 496 honoring Leadership Garland and resolutions 503 and 504. The chamber also recognized guests, including a North Dakota senator and the Doctor of the Day, and received gubernatorial nominations for the Texas Economic Development Corporation Board and the Nueces River Authority Board. The Senate then took up and passed a series of bills, often by suspending the regular order and the constitutional three-day rule. Measures approved included SB 614 on Texas Forensic Science Commission referrals to the Office of Capital and Forensic Writs; SB 250 on municipal annexation across railroad rights-of-way; SB 1660 on toxicological evidence retention and destruction procedures; SB 2586 requiring property owners associations to file governing documents with the Texas Real Estate Commission; SB 1588 increasing penalties for certain failures to report child sexual abuse; HB 912 on compensation for distributed renewable generation outside ERCOT; SB 1957 setting eligibility standards for civilian oversight boards; HB 2525 clarifying a charitable property tax exemption; SB 1525 limiting repeated prior authorization for neurodegenerative disease drugs; SB 865 requiring CPR/AED training and cardiac emergency response planning in schools; SB 1212 elevating human trafficking penalties; SB 2690 on solicitations for Secretary of State documents; SB 1802 on landlord repair duties for ramps, elevators, and handrails; SB 905 on licensing rules for speech-language pathologists and audiologists; SB 2929 allowing removal of disruptive spectators at school athletic events; SB 2675 creating a narrow McAllen-specific parkland conveyance exception; SB 872 increasing punishment for burglary of a vehicle involving firearm theft; and SB 1113 clarifying sales rules for certain converter-license holders. Several bills drew extended debate. SB 2487, dealing with crisis and mental health services for homelessness, was amended to make the county model permissive rather than mandatory and to remove state funding/assistance requirements before passing 28-3. SB 2138, barring higher education funds from contracting with firms that boycott fossil fuels through ESG policies, also passed after questions about fiscal effects and First Amendment concerns. SB 2615, restricting remote work at public institutions of higher education, advanced 22-9. The Senate also began consideration of SB 3016, which would expand enforcement tools against local governments that fail to comply with state law, but the transcript cuts off before action on that bill is completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a standard accordingly.
• This is a standard instruction<00:03:56.239><c> that's</c><00:03:56.560><c> usually</c><00:03:56.879>
• But as best I can judge, it meets my strict standards of amendment scrutiny.
• But as best I can judge, it meets my strict standards of amendment scrutiny.
• But as best I can judge, it meets my strict standards of amendment scrutiny.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Judiciary Address, a small percentage, approximately 2% of judges are failing to meet the highest standards
• designated areas while maintaining responsible alcohol... alcohol service and existing operational standards
• Senate Bill 240, the Texas Women's Privacy Act, establishes a clear statewide standard.
• Read the Standards of Care 8 from Woodpath. They have some... research listed there.
• It would be great to have these standardized in buildings.

Bills: SB240 , SB1183 , SB1184 , SB1577 , SB2043 , SB2051 , SCR42 , SJR68

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: biological sex, gender identity, public facilities, civil penalties, local government, EBT, electronic benefits transfer, food stamps, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, TANF, temporary assistance for needy families, welfare benefits, benefit card fraud, fraud hotline, card replacement, photo ID, recipient photograph, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• Judiciary Address, a small percentage, approximately 2% of judges are failing to meet the highest standards
• SB EB SN TB OP BB VS PB PB SB Lauren PB PB LT Coach PB alcohol service and existing operational standards
• Bill 240, the Texas Women's Privacy Act, establishes a clear statewide standard, so in public public
• people happen to not be as good at sports because their bones are too too big or something, read the standards
• from existing in day-to-day life, it will mostly... target women that fail to meet some arbitrary standard

Bills: SB240 , SB1183 , SB1184 , SB1577 , SB2043 , SB2051 , SCR42 , SJR68

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: biological sex, gender identity, public facilities, civil penalties, local government, EBT, electronic benefits transfer, food stamps, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, TANF, temporary assistance for needy families, welfare benefits, benefit card fraud, fraud hotline, card replacement, photo ID, recipient photograph, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• And in some cases, compromised systems may fail to meet safety standards in those fuel pumps.
• With this issue, taking a standard in our state with child crimes, it is awful. It is unacceptable.
• How do we know that the behavior crosses the line without a clear standard? And so my.
• Do you think that the standard of Or the burden of proof should be something different, not burden of
• It is typically tinted, which is not standard for the rental company.

Bills: HB316

Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence

Keywords: Medicaid, healthcare, affordable care act, medical assistance, federal funding

Transcript Highlights:

• test aligned that for, you know, is the test aligned that for, you know, is the test aligned to the standards
• are the teachers to the standards? are the teachers to the standards?
• are the teachers teaching the standards and those kind of teaching the standards and those kind of teaching
• the standards and those kind of things when we see those kind of things when we see those kind of things

Bills: SB199 , HB142 , SB86 , HB152 , HB297 , SB1 , SB1

Committee: House Ways and Means Education

Keywords: parental leave, state employees, local education agencies, adoption, work-life balance, family support, portable benefits, portable benefit account, independent contractor, gig worker, 1099 worker, freelancer, app-based worker, rideshare, delivery driver, worker benefits, health insurance, retirement benefits, life insurance, income replacement insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• c> should</c><00:16:10.480><c> approve</c><00:16:11.240><c> alternative</c> On page two, it says standard
• Standard tariff shall be available until such time as... available does that help answer the available
• whereas you whereas you have<00:19:06.280><c> um</c><00:19:06.440><c> such</c><00:19:07.200><c> standard
• </c><00:19:07.600><c> tariff</c><00:19:07.960><c> shall</c><00:19:08.120><c> be</c> have um such standard
• tariff shall be have um such standard tariff shall be made<00:19:08.919><c> available</c><00:19:09.320

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• alternative fuels as it relates to E85 flex fuel to align state vehicle code to federal and international standards
• Establishing new social media literacy standards for students to learn the mental and academic impacts
• comprehensive public school facilities inventory and authorizing the LBFC to conduct a study on standardized
• Revoking this standard today revokes the leverage that we have to continue the support and push for these

Summary: The House met in extended session with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, quorum call, and a series of journal, committee, and Senate bill reports. Members also received several referrals and Senate messages, and the Speaker signed multiple bills already prepared for the Governor. The chamber then took up a long slate of measures, largely budget-related and conference/concurrence items, with repeated roll-call votes and several brief floor remarks for and against the bills. Among the major actions, the House passed or concurred in a number of Senate bills addressing fiscal code and budget implementation, abusive towing practices, telemarketing robocalls and caller ID spoofing, prostitution penalty changes, veteran notification procedures, the cosmetology licensure compact, solar decommissioning, Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, E85 flex fuel definitions, local road transfers, civil penalties for unlicensed commercial driving schools, and trailer sales. The House also adopted House Resolution 580 designating July 18, 2026, as Piping Plover Day. Most of these measures passed overwhelmingly, many by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The most significant debate centered on House Bill 2400, the General Appropriations budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, and House Bill 1505, the education-related budget implementation bill. Supporters described the budget as a bipartisan compromise that funds adequacy and tax equity for schools, public safety, mental health, roads and bridges, veterans, seniors, and workforce programs while avoiding broad-based tax increases. Opponents argued the budget used accounting maneuvers, deferred spending, and was structurally unbalanced. After extended debate, the House concurred in the Senate amendments to HB 2400 by a 167-35 vote and to HB 1505 by a 172-30 vote. The House also considered House Bill 2559, which included Commonwealth property conveyances and a controversial provision affecting Penn State branch campus properties. A motion to recommit the bill failed, and the House ultimately concurred in the Senate amendments by a 105-97 vote after members debated property rights, labor effects, and the future use of the campuses. The session concluded with the Senate later concurring in several House amendments, the Speaker signing the final bills, and the House adjourning until September 9, 2026, unless recalled sooner.

Transcript Highlights:

• facilities to apply to Denrek for a waiver to use the foam in active emergencies, subject to certain standards
• HB 395 forces any intoxicating product to meet the exact same strict health and safety standards.
• We have been asking for standards, mandatory testing, accurate labeling, and accountability.
• We have been asking for standards, mandatory testing, accurate labeling, and accountability.

Bills: HB305 , HB395 , HB341

Committee: Senate Health & Social Services

Keywords: hemp, marijuana, THC regulations, cannabis products, adult-use industry, public health, youth protection, child support, reunification, Department of Services for Children, family court, liability

Summary: The committee met in late June with Senators Hansen, Buckson, Siegfried, Townsend, and Huxable present, and first approved the meeting minutes by voice vote. The opening bill, HB 341, would limit DFS from filing child support in foster care cases unless doing so would not hinder reunification; Children’s Department staff said the department has already decided to stop filing in all such cases, with an estimated fiscal impact of about $140,000 annually. Public testimony from the League of Women Voters supported the bill as a compassionate measure to help families reunite. The committee then heard HB 446/related anaphylaxis legislation for colleges and universities, which would allow institutions to stock and use intranasal epinephrine alongside auto-injectors and update training and reporting requirements. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America supported the measure, emphasizing the need for needle-free options and faster treatment of anaphylaxis. The committee also took up HS1 for HB 356 on PFAS, which would ban firefighting foam containing PFAS beginning in 2028, require disclosure if PPE contains PFAS, and address recalls; DNREC and the fire service supported it, saying most departments have already transitioned away from PFAS foam. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 305, a diabetes wellness pilot program that would use continuous glucose monitoring, app-based care coordination, lab testing, and DHIN data analysis to shift care toward prevention and remission. Sponsor Senator Siegfried described the bill as a response to Delaware’s high diabetes costs and prevalence, and the Medical Society of Delaware supported it as a proactive model. The committee also discussed HB 395, which would regulate intoxicating hemp-derived products and synthetic cannabinoids by classifying products over a THC threshold as marijuana and creating penalties for unlicensed sales; the Office of the Marijuana Commissioner supported the bill, while hemp industry representatives and Senator Hoffner warned it could harm legitimate hemp retailers and access to hemp products. The final item, HS1 for HB 332, would ban sales and marketing of kratom products to those under 21 and direct the state to study testing and regulation of kratom and synthetic variants. Supporters, including the Delaware Healthcare Association and several recovery advocates, said age-gating is a reasonable first step and that synthetic products are the main concern; opponents and some senators argued the bill should go further and fully ban kratom or better distinguish synthetic products from natural leaf kratom. No formal roll-call votes were taken on the substantive bills during the transcript, and the meeting adjourned after public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• means is the average caseload for parole officers right now is 34, maybe 50, in line with national standards
• means is the average caseload for parole officers right now is 34, maybe 50, in line with national standards
• And again, things that we're working on for policy development is what our supervision standards actually
• When we look at national standards for APPA, 50 is that, like, golden number depending on how you're

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Criminal Justice Reform 3.0 heard a presentation from the Massachusetts Parole Board focused on consolidation, cooperation, and evidence-based supervision across the correctional system. Parole Board Chair Angela Gomez-June described the board’s mission, its coordination with the Department of Correction, houses of correction, courts, probation, law enforcement, victim services, and UMass partners, and outlined 2024 activity including 2,810 institutional release hearings, 18,238 victim notifications, 53 pardon petitions, 70 commutation petitions, 41 early termination applications, and supervision of 2,993 parolees. She emphasized the board’s shift toward individualized, data-driven decision-making, including revised GPS use, graduated sanctions, and more service-oriented community supervision. Members and sheriffs pressed for clearer breakdowns of the board’s data, including the difference between releases, hearings, and active supervision; average length of supervision; the share of lifers in the caseload; and how many people are placed in housing, employment, and treatment. The board said its active supervised population fluctuates around 1,600 to 1,800, with more than 400 lifers, and that about 30 to 36 percent of its population is housed through programs such as MASH, community justice resource centers, and sheriff-run residential programs like Rocky Hill and HOPE. Members also discussed parole refusals, noting that some individuals decline parole to avoid supervision or to serve time inside instead, and asked for a more detailed breakdown of those cases. The board and commission also discussed collaboration with DOC and UMass on risk assessment, reentry planning, and community pathways, including a tablet video explaining the parole process and pharmacist support for medication-related drug test issues. The board reported that after the SJC’s Matus decision, 210 individuals were identified as affected, 144 were immediately eligible for hearings, 100 hearings had been completed, and 10 more were scheduled; it also said clemency and commutation work had been slowed by staffing and Matus-related demands. The meeting ended with a request for follow-up data on outcomes, supervision lengths, housing and employment placements, and other consolidated statistics, and the commission announced its next public hearing for March 9 at 10 a.m. before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• don't let them nickel and dime you between, this is a MasterCard, this is a platinum, this is a standard
• This is a MasterCard, this is a platinum, this is a standard card. You know, make them bid a...
• small retailer, I could go and look: okay, oh, this is what Bread usually charges, this is what a standard
• And then standard consumer credit rates will be capped at a maximum of 1.25 for eight years.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on the future of payments and sales transactions by credit card heard extensive testimony from credit union, banking, retail, restaurant, and payments-industry representatives about proposals to limit interchange fees, especially on the tax and tip portions of transactions. Several witnesses opposed state-level restrictions, arguing they would create a patchwork of rules, burden state-chartered institutions, raise compliance complexity, and ultimately reduce resources for fraud prevention, cybersecurity, rewards, and access to credit. Others, including retail and merchant advocates, said swipe fees are a significant and growing cost for small businesses and that states should consider reforms such as limiting fees on taxes and tips, allowing surcharging, improving transparency in merchant contracts, and studying collection costs more closely. Witnesses also discussed recent legal and regulatory developments, including Illinois’s interchange-fee law, OCC and NCUA interim rules, and the ongoing Visa/Mastercard antitrust settlement. Industry representatives said the Illinois law has been delayed and is likely preempted for most transactions, while merchant advocates argued the state efforts and court rulings show that networks and banks do not set fees competitively. The proposed antitrust settlement was described by some as a meaningful but limited merchant victory, with temporary fee reductions and expanded surcharge/steering rights, while others said it still falls short of structural reform. The commission members pressed witnesses on the practical effects of fees, the cost of cash, whether merchants can pass costs through, and whether small businesses are actually seeing benefits from the current system. Members repeatedly emphasized the need for a fair middle ground that protects both small businesses and the payment system. No substantive votes or policy actions were taken beyond accepting testimony, and the meeting ended with adjournment after all scheduled witnesses had spoken.

Transcript Highlights:

• provide much-needed stability for educators, paraprofessionals, and teachers to have a statewide standard
• baseline, so they’re not subject to the vagaries of collective bargaining, which obviously would... ...standard
• While some progress has been made, salaries remain well below what is needed to sustain a reasonable standard
• of living. ...salaries remain well below what is needed to sustain a reasonable standard of living.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a public hearing on a large slate of bills, with most testimony focused on two main topics: improving access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for students with disabilities, and raising educator pay statewide. On the AAC bills (House 514/Senate 418), parents, advocates, and attorneys described how AAC devices and communication books help nonverbal or minimally verbal children communicate, participate in class, and reduce frustration and behavioral issues. Testimony emphasized that while districts are generally required to provide devices, many teachers and school staff lack training to use them effectively; the bill would direct DESE to update licensure and training requirements so newly licensed teachers are prepared to support AAC users. Committee members asked about current teacher-prep practices, implementation, and whether DESE could act without legislation, and witnesses said the proposal was intended as a long-term solution and had previously received some support and compromise language. The committee also heard extensive testimony on House 733/Senate 370, which would set a statewide minimum salary of $70,000 for teachers and $55,000 for education support professionals (ESPs/paras), with inflation adjustments and a phase-in structure that would shift costs over time from the state to municipalities. Supporters, including the bill sponsor, MTA leaders, and school employees from several districts, argued that current pay is not a living wage, contributes to staffing shortages and turnover, and forces many educators to work multiple jobs or rely on public assistance. They said the bill would help recruit and retain staff and better reflect the importance of the work. Committee members raised questions about how the state would fund the mandate, how it would interact with Chapter 70 school aid and local budgets, whether other states have similar mechanisms, and whether the proposal could create disincentives for districts already paying above the floor. Witnesses pointed to the Student Opportunity Act, the Fair Share Amendment, and the need for a broader school funding formula review as possible parts of the solution. The committee also briefly heard and discussed Senate Bill 435/House Bill 736, which would require de-escalation training for school bus operators, with the training paid for by employers. The sponsor and a parent advocate said the bill was prompted by a school bus incident involving a child with cerebral palsy and epilepsy and would improve safety and reduce reliance on law enforcement. Members asked whether the bill should also cover bus monitors and other transportation staff, and whether private contractors and public operators currently provide similar training. At the end of the hearing, the chairs closed testimony on the full list of bills and adjourned the hearing without taking any votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have reduced the standard conditions of probation from 22 to 16, and that has resulted in significant
• And then we were able to incorporate that work and make it a standard part of all of our work across
• The standard that they used was new arrest within one year. From?
• Mike, can I ask, is the history with the support centers a standard part of a judge's sentencing consideration

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met to approve the May 5 minutes and hear a presentation from the Massachusetts Probation Service. The minutes were approved unanimously, with a request that a member’s closing remarks be added to the record. The commission also noted online participants and confirmed quorum before moving to the presentation. Probation leaders described the agency’s role as the state’s largest post-release supervision system and emphasized its focus on reentry, accountability, and reducing technical violations. They outlined the from-and-after sentencing structure, dual supervision with parole, and efforts to reduce revocations and non-criminal violations. Members asked about racial and ethnic disparity work, and probation said that effort is funded through the trial court and state budget, not federal grants. The presentation highlighted community engagement, simplified and translated probation conditions, workforce diversification, and training aimed at improving trust and access for court users. A major portion of the discussion focused on Community Justice Support Centers, evidence-based programming, and shared services such as housing, MassHealth enrollment, transportation, and behavioral health referrals. Probation said the centers are underutilized but have shown improved outcomes in non-randomized studies, with lower recidivism among participants compared with similar probationers. Members discussed mental health access, veterans identification, medication-assisted treatment, and the importance of state IDs and driver’s licenses for successful reentry. The commission also heard about housing supports, including transitional and sober housing, and a statewide behavioral health initiative for justice-involved individuals. The meeting ended with plans for the next session on July 11 and a motion to adjourn, which passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• It ensures compliance with federal standards and smooth implementation for both regulators and the industry
• H. 450 proposes to require standardized disclosure forms and create an educational brochure for customers
• there's a couple of different ways it's really beneficial, and it goes really nicely with the new standardized
• then on the sales registration and the restrictions on solicitations and some of the identification standards

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure heard testimony on several real estate, housing, and consumer protection bills. A major portion of the hearing focused on bills to create licensure for commercial interior designers (H.324/S.254), with supporters from the architecture and interior design fields arguing the measure would recognize a distinct profession, expand permitting authority for qualified designers, improve public safety, and remove barriers to firm ownership and public contracting. Witnesses said the proposal had been redrafted through collaboration among interior designers, architects, engineers, and building officials, and Senator Gomez said the Senate had passed the bill previously and hoped to advance it again. The committee also heard support for H.450 on solar customer protections, with solar companies backing standardized disclosures, a consumer brochure, a longer rescission period, and sales registration requirements as consumer safeguards that would not materially disrupt business operations. The committee then took testimony on H.431/S.245, a bill to end housing discrimination in the Commonwealth. Senator Gomez, fair housing advocates, and several renters described alleged discrimination against Black renters and voucher holders, citing testing data and personal experiences. They said the bill would strengthen enforcement by linking court findings to temporary license suspensions, require fair housing training, increase public reporting, and add board representation with fair housing or voucher-holder experience. A real estate appraisers representative also supported S.196, which would make appraisal licensure mandatory in Massachusetts, arguing that home valuation should be done by licensed professionals. A substantial part of the hearing addressed broker-fee and rental-timing bills, including H.335, H.336, H.374, H.224, and H.449. Supporters of the broker-fee changes argued that tenants should not be charged fees when the landlord hired the broker, while opponents warned the language could restrict tenant representation and harm small landlords, students, and the rental market. Several witnesses opposed the 90-day lease-signing window in H.336, saying it would compress the September rental cycle, worsen competition, and make it harder for students and out-of-state renters to secure housing. The chairs noted that broker fees had already been addressed in the state budget, and the hearing concluded with no votes on the bills, only the close of testimony and an announcement that the committee would not hold another hearing until later in the year.

Transcript Highlights:

• members of the legislature, to hold the organizations and groups and cities and so on to a very high standard
• </c><00:12:37.600><c> a</c><00:12:37.680><c> very</c><00:12:38.040><c> high</c><00:12:38.280><c> standard
• </c> cities and so on to a very high standard cities and so on to a very high standard when<00:12:39.120

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Conference Committee met on May 13, 2026, to finalize House File 3426. After roll call established a quorum, staff walked members through the conference agreement and spreadsheet, noting that most appropriations were unchanged from the House and Senate positions. The report kept the LCCMR recommendations in resiliency, water, fish and wildlife, energy, and most land and education/outdoor recreation items, while removing the “cultivating conservation leaders through education and wilderness experiences” project and a Senate rotational grazing pilot provision. The committee also noted the overall appropriation total and carryforwards/extensions, and that the community grants program appropriation remained in the bill. Members then reviewed the policy language in the DE amendment. The agreement retained House provisions setting guardrails for the community grants program, including requirements for emerging issues account votes, maximum grant amounts, staff training, monitoring visits, pre-award risk assessments, surety bond or fiscal-agent approval for advance payments, and quarterly progress reports, while also adopting Senate language repealing a DNR acquisition-approval requirement. Senators McEwen and Her offered contrasting comments about the removal of the Boundary Waters-related project, with McEwen criticizing the decision as politicized and Her emphasizing stewardship and the importance of exposing young people to the Boundary Waters. Representatives Heintzeman and Fischer defended the need for accountability and said the issue had been addressed in a bipartisan way. The committee reported receiving a letter from the DNR supporting the language and thanking the conferees and staff. Chair Her moved adoption of the HF 3426 DE amendment and the spreadsheet dated 5/13/26 at 11:38 a.m., authorized staff to prepare the conference committee report and make technical and conforming changes, and the motion passed 7-0. The meeting ended with thanks to staff, LCCMR participants, and Speaker Melissa Hortman, followed by adjournment and instructions for members to watch for and sign the conference committee report electronically that night.

Transcript Highlights:

• All scheduled standard deduction increases will continue ending in 2031 at $24,000 for joint filers,
• As standard deductions increase and tax brackets decrease, the withholdings taken out in each paycheck
• As standard deductions increase and tax brackets decrease, the withholdings taken out in each paycheck
• As standard deductions increase and tax brackets decrease, the withholdings taken out in each paycheck

Bills: HB1800 , HB1860 , HB2250 , HB472 , HB649 , HB1391 , HB1481 , HB1509 , HB1511 , HB1515 , HB1518 , HB1541 , HB1548 , HB1576 , HB1618 , HB1642 , HB1643 , HB1661 , HB1667 , HB1678 , HB1682 , HB1688 , HB1692 , HB1707 , HB1710 , HB1711 , HB1713 , HB1718 , HB1721 , HB1728 , HB1737 , HB1740 , HB1741 , HB1785 , HB1801 , HB1802 , HB1804 , HB1810 , HB1815 , HB1824 , HB1838 , HB1839 , HB1853 , HB1854 , HB1864 , HB1870 , HB1881 , HB1888 , HB1890 , HB1891 , HB1894 , HB1920 , HB1959 , HB1960 , HB1969 , HB1973 , HB1974 , HB2023 , HB2050 , HB2078 , HB2094 , HB2095 , HB2104 , HB2137 , HB2152 , HB2158 , HB2171 , HB2207 , HB2218 , HB2246 , HB2270 , HB2271 , HB2272 , HB2279 , HB2282 , HB2289 , HB2293 , HB2297 , HB2300 , HB2309 , HB2310 , HB2314 , HB2319 , HB2329 , HB2338 , HB2339 , HB2344 , HB2361 , HB2385 , HB2395 , HB2417 , HB2429 , HB2443 , HB2452 , HB2474 , HB2475 , HB2498 , HB2505 , HB2547 , HB2576

Keywords: supplemental appropriations, state budget, Hawaii budget, biennial budget, capital improvement projects, CIP, general fund, special fund, green fee, special land and development fund, clean energy revolving loan fund, agricultural development revolving fund, community grants, nonprofit grants, Office of Community Services, housing, affordable housing, homelessness, health care, mental health

Transcript Highlights:

• You have to prove that by heightened standards of clear and convincing evidence.
• And that clear and convincing evidence is actually a higher standard than we use in other civil trials
• Let me list those with a handgun annual qualified under POST, power arm standards.
• firearm qualifications that I already mentioned requirements through the Council on Peace Officer Standards

Committee: House Administration of Criminal Justice

Summary: The Criminal Justice Committee met on April 29, 2026, and first voluntarily deferred House Bill 517. The committee then heard and passed several bills focused on impaired driving, wrongful conviction compensation, gaming promo play, child protection, and criminal penalties related to sexual exploitation and worship-service interference. Senate Bill 118 would require substance use disorder screening for all misdemeanor DUI offenders, with supporters arguing early screening could identify treatment needs and reduce repeat offenses; it was reported favorably. Senate Bill 125 increased the wrongful conviction compensation cap from 10 to 15 years and from $400,000 to $600,000, with testimony emphasizing the hardship faced by people who were wrongfully imprisoned for decades; it also passed favorably. Senate Bill 294 allowed gaming operators to allocate promotional play across licenses without increasing the total amount, and it was reported favorably despite one opposition card. The committee also approved Senate Bill 87, which clarified the definition of commercial sexual activity to address conflicts in child sex trafficking statutes and better reach online solicitation and related conduct. Senate Bill 93 established minimum bond amounts for certain child sex abuse material offenses, and Chair Villio offered an amendment expanding related bail and revocation provisions for certain violent, sex, and firearm offenses; the amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 98 added certain school employees, including school resource officers and security guards, to the definition of educator for purposes of prohibited sexual conduct with students, and it passed favorably. Senate Bill 199 imposed a mandatory minimum sentence for a second offense of purchasing commercial sexual activity and required sex offender registration; after a technical amendment, it was reported favorably as amended. The committee then took up House Bill 333, which would require the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to house inmates within 30 miles of their home or offense location. The author argued this would preserve family ties and reduce recidivism, but sheriffs, district attorneys, and DOC representatives opposed it as impractical given limited bed space, security needs, and existing placement criteria; the bill was not moved. House Bill 828 would create an independent Louisiana Correctional Medical Review Board to investigate deaths in custody, but law enforcement and corrections witnesses warned it could interfere with homicide investigations and duplicate existing coroner and agency reviews; the author asked for voluntary deferral, which the committee granted. House Bill 146, authorizing a Sabine Parish sports wagering election, was heard but received no motion and remained in committee. The committee also approved Senate Bill 277, expanding concealed-carry exemptions for certain statewide elected officials in the State Capitol, and Senate Bill 306, creating the crime of obstructing worship services in a church or other place of worship; SB 306 was amended to reduce a proposed fine from $10,000 to $2,500 after concerns about jury-trial implications. The meeting ended with adjournment after all remaining items were disposed of.