Transcript Highlights:

• We will also Trinity River Authority of Texas and the Texas Ethics Commission.
• The next agency we are voting on is the Texas Ethics Commission.
• Allow me to present this modification to staff recommendation 1.2 for the Texas Ethics Commission.
• This modification for the Texas Ethics Commission. Excuse me.
• This new recommendation would recommend that the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees should

Bills: SR1 , SR2

Summary: The Sunset Advisory Commission met for its final meeting of the biennium, established a quorum, approved the December 11, 2024 minutes, and then voted on recommendations for several agencies reviewed earlier in the cycle. It adopted all recommendations for the Angelina and Nettus River Authority, the Lower Nettus Valley Authority, and the Trinity River Authority of Texas, with no modifications offered for those agencies. The Commission then considered the Texas Ethics Commission. Members adopted staff recommendations with modifications, including changes to lobby compensation thresholds and rounding of inflation adjustments. The Commission also adopted a series of new recommendations addressing TEC customer service staffing, late-filing penalties, post-election reporting penalties, waiver of penalties when notice cannot be shown, review of the “substantial compliance” standard, review of the “principal purpose” definition, more prominent public posting of delinquent penalties, and clearer training and guidance on filing and lobby-registration requirements. The Commission also adopted two previously omitted Texas Department of Criminal Justice recommendations, 6.5 and 6.6. By recorded vote, the Commission unanimously forwarded all recommendations adopted during the biennium to the 89th Legislature, with nine ayes. Sunset staff then reported on implementation of 2023 Sunset recommendations, saying the State Auditor found 89% of selected management actions fully implemented and Sunset staff found 68% of statutory and related changes fully implemented, with the remainder mostly in progress. The Commission also noted receipt of a January 6 evaluation of the Texas Lottery Commission, including a study of potential regulation of lottery ticket courier companies, but no further action was taken on that item. The meeting concluded with closing remarks and a motion to recess subject to the call of the Chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bruce Robinson, House Security, and his spouse works at the Department of Corrections.
• Does the committee have any challenges with those disclosures? No.
• The ethics advisors had received a 87 meant.
• And the board encourages members to continue to ask ethics advisors.
• I worked with this person on this committee, you know, like an outside stakeholder.

Summary: The board opened by approving the October 15 meeting minutes and then reviewed three employment disclosure forms, involving a licensing specialist at the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, a security employee who also works as a Department of Corrections corrections officer, and a House Security employee whose spouse works for the Department of Corrections. The disclosures were approved unanimously. Members then approved a proposed rule change to conform board rules to a prior statutory amendment that separated fines from costs. The board also discussed a draft advisory opinion on the meaning of “letter of recommendation” under RCW 42.52.187. The draft would interpret the term broadly, allow legislators to decide when to write such letters if requested by a constituent, and preserve prior guidance allowing job references or scholarship letters for individuals legislators have supervised or worked closely with at the Legislature, as well as gubernatorial appointment letters. Members generally supported the draft, with a request to clarify the phrase “work closely with.” The advisory opinion was approved. The board then reviewed proposed meeting dates and noted a conflict with January 19 because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, asking members to review the full list of dates and respond with any concerns. The public portion of the meeting was adjourned at 10:20 a.m., with the board planning to reconvene in executive session at 10:25 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Good morning, Madam Chair and committee.
• committee, and I was chair of their advancement committee for a number of years.
• Thank you, Chair Harrell and committee members.
• Thank you, Madam Chair and committee members.
• and Elections Committee.

Bills: S1694

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Keywords: technology education, digital literacy, artificial intelligence, computer science, high school graduation

Transcript Highlights:

• committee.
• Our ethics committee is made up of three members of our board.
• </c><01:23:50.000><c> Our</c><01:23:50.239><c> ethics</c> our ethics committee.
• Our ethics our ethics committee.
• Our ethics committee<01:23:50.960><c> is</c><01:23:51.199><c> made</c><01:23:51.360><c> up</c><01:23:

Bills: HF3776 , HF3557 , HF3585

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Keywords: screen time, preschool, kindergarten, early childhood education, digital media, tablets, smartphones, educational technology, EdTech, classroom devices, publicly funded preschool, school policy, child development, special education, IEP, 504 plan, IFSP, Minnesota education law, climate literacy, education

Transcript Highlights:

• The drafting committee that I chaired for the Parentage Act. So I...
• As chairman of this committee, you just remind him, I don't have a gavel. There's a reason for it.
• No, it's as close as I'm going to get to a committee chairman. Okay, I'll get you at least.
• Act prohibit the members of the House Agriculture Committee and legislative staff assigned from participating
• And we also have an ethics advisor from the House.

Summary: The meeting opened with attendance and technical setup, including bringing a remote member into the session. The chair also made brief remarks about public service in light of recent violence against public officials, and a member shared condolences related to a colleague’s death. The committee then approved the minutes and noted no employment disclosure forms were filed. The main business was an update on digitizing committee files. Staff reported that the archival scanning estimate had been reduced and that a DocuSign contract would be sent for the chair’s signature. Members also discussed whether the work could be completed before the end of the biennium and whether existing funds could be used or prepaid. The committee then reviewed a long list of remaining advisory opinions and, on motion, approved staff recommendations to retain some opinions and retire or partially retire others based on changes in law or usefulness of the opinions. Topics included special privileges, frequent flyer miles, state contracts involving legislators, tours sponsored by lobbying entities, conflicts of interest, confidentiality of drafting requests, election-year brochures, and recusal/firewall issues. After a separate discussion about an older election-related outreach opinion, members agreed they likely still intended to apply the same factors outside the election-year context and asked staff to revisit whether that opinion should be unretired or revised. The public portion of the meeting was then adjourned, with the committee preparing to move into executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• They actually bring in, I believe, executive branch ethics and legislative ethics.
• </c> did got to do it by Zoom from my house. did got to do it by Zoom from my house.
• </c><00:11:55.920><c> and</c> believe executive branch ethics and believe executive branch ethics and
• They try to get legislative ethics.
• That doesn't government committee.

Summary: The commission first returned from executive session and reported that no action was taken. It then approved a motion finding there was no reason to believe the respondent in case 25 LAC1 had committed or was about to commit a violation of the code, and dismissed the complaint under KRS 6.86(1)(b)3. Members next reviewed and approved the September financial report, which staff said was based on state accounting data and showed the commission within year-to-date budget parameters. Staff also reported that all required forms for the recent reporting period had been filed and that there were no outstanding forms. The main substantive discussion concerned a proposed one-year, $6,000 contract with Tyler Technology/Kentucky Interactive to add an online payment portal for the commission’s re-registration process. Staff said the system would let employers pay registration fees online using an employer ID, reduce manual handling of 3,000 to 3,500 forms and hundreds of credit card payments, and improve security by keeping credit card information out of commission staff hands. Members asked about user fees and procurement concerns; staff explained that users would still pay the existing credit card processing fee, that an e-check option would also be available, and that the $6,000 cost was viewed as below the de minimis threshold. The commission approved the contract. In other updates, staff said informal opinions were included in the materials and remained confidential, reported on a presentation to the UK Martin School, noted that the regular session calendar would likely require meetings to shift during the legislative session, and said the commission’s statutory recommendations had been received by LRC and referred to a state government committee. The meeting then moved into executive session to discuss a personnel matter.

Transcript Highlights:

• And one house in Potosi, I invite every member of this committee to go tour our administrative segregation
• House Bill 3154. All right, thank you, Chair, and committee. Thank you for hearing House Bill 3154.
• My name is Representative Bennie Cook. and committee. Thank you for hearing House Bill 3154.
• Before I get started on this entire bill, you're going to see a House Committee substitute come before
• And then we're going to dive right into where it says 313.912 will be in the House Committee substitute

Committee: House Corrections and Public Institutions

Summary: The Committee on Corrections and Public Institutions met with a quorum and heard testimony on three bills, with no executive session. House Bill 2153, by Rep. Jim Murphy, would repeal the death penalty in Missouri. Murphy argued the death penalty is costly, not a deterrent, irreversible when mistakes are made, and harmful to victims’ families through repeated appeals. Supporters included Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski, Baptist minister Brian Kaler, Public Defender Director Matthew Crowell, Dr. Heidi Moore of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty, former inmate Clifton Davis, Empower Missouri’s Gwen Smith Moore, the Innocence Project, Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation, and former Rep. Tony Lobotto. Testimony focused on moral objections, wrongful convictions, racial arbitrariness, the burden on victims’ families, and significant state and defense costs. Several members asked about costs, retroactivity, and the effect on current death-row inmates; Murphy said the bill would apply prospectively only. No vote was taken. House Bill 3154, by Rep. Bennie Cook, would update Missouri Gaming Commission fingerprint/background-check requirements to explicitly include sports wagering and fantasy sports applicants, suppliers, and key persons. Cook said the bill is intended to ensure proper criminal background checks through the Highway Patrol and to align the statute with newer gaming activities. Missouri Gaming Commission Executive Director Mike Lira testified in support, explaining that fingerprints are needed to identify out-of-state criminal histories and that federal guidance requires specific statutory language for sports wagering background checks. The committee asked a few clarifying questions, and there was no opposition. House Bill 3535, also by Rep. Bennie Cook, would add fireworks-related authority and clarify that state fire marshals, who are already post-certified peace officers, may act in exigent circumstances and assist other officers during investigations or emergencies. State Fire Marshal Tim Bean supported the bill, saying it would give fire marshals another tool and help with illegal fireworks investigations. One witness opposed the bill, objecting to the phrase “exigent circumstances” as too subjective and potentially harmful to Fourth Amendment protections. The hearing concluded without a vote, and the chair then dismissed the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• And they said, oh, well, we just bought the house. I said, they just bought the house.
• So in the grievance committee process, an investigating member of the committee is assigned.
• They have local UPL committees that are similar to our grievance committees who make decisions in these
• committee.
• Do I understand you to say that a grievance committee in case A is different from the grievance committee

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum present and Senator Thompson excused. The committee first considered Senate Bill 48 by Senator Garcia on judicial sales and procedures. Garcia explained a delete-all amendment that would create clearer statewide procedures for alternative judicial sales, increase transparency, remove bidding credits, extend sale timelines, and add oversight for auctioneers and escrow agents to prevent fraud and collusion. After no questions or opposition, the amendment was adopted, Senator Pasadoma said the rewrite addressed many of his concerns, and the committee then voted CS for SB 48 favorably with unanimous yes votes from members present. The committee then received a presentation from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office on the effectiveness of Florida’s recent anti-squatting law, House Bill 621/SB 888. Presenters described several cases in which deputies used the new process to remove unlawful occupants, including a false landlord report, a long-term fake lease situation, and a more recent unlawful occupancy case. They said the law has helped protect property owners and potential victims, but suggested technical changes: clearer authorization for deputies to enter and use force if needed, and a fix to the affidavit penalty provision because false statements are currently being charged as false reports rather than perjury under the existing wording. The Florida Bar also presented on its role in regulating lawyers, lawyer advertising, and the unlicensed practice of law. Bar leaders explained that the Bar operates under the Florida Supreme Court’s authority, is funded by member fees, and handles complaints through a multi-step process involving intake, branch offices, grievance committees, referees, and final Supreme Court review. They described advertising review procedures, discipline statistics, consumer assistance, the Clients’ Security Fund, and enforcement against unlicensed practice. Senators asked about the Legislature’s authority over lawyer advertising, the prevalence of legal ads, the role of public members on grievance committees, and how those members are selected and used.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh [clears throat] we disapproved the previous contract over concerns that the Legislative Ethics Committee
• Uh, is it appropriate for the ethics committee commission to act as a human resource enforcement entity
• The ethics committee, when you take on an investigative role in certain complaints, do you, uh, that's
• Um, the ethics committee rephrase this.
• Um, the ethics committee when<00:20:37.760><c> uh</c><00:20:38.080><c> you</c><00:20:38.720><c> take<

Summary: The committee first established a quorum, approved the minutes from the November 10 meeting, and then approved a large agenda of contracts and related items, with the total agenda amount stated as $359,638,393.88. Most items were approved without objection, but two contracts were pulled for discussion: attorney general panel counsel contingency fee contracts and a Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission personal services contract. For the attorney general’s office, Chris Lewis explained that the contracts were panel counsel contingency fee agreements, with 14 qualified awards from 16 applicants. He said the contracts were contingency-based, so no money would be paid unless cases were successful, and that the fee structure worked out to roughly 5% under the statutory waterfall. Senators asked about the size of the contracts, whether the terms were uniform, why no Kentucky firms were among the awardees, and how the public should understand the large dollar figures. Lewis said one Kentucky firm applied but was disqualified for a late submission, other Kentucky firms had inquired but did not apply, and local firms could still work with national firms on cases. The committee then approved the contracts. The Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission contract drew more extensive questioning. Commission representatives said they had previously had a contract disapproved because the proper process was not followed, so they used an RFI process posted on the state and commission websites for at least three weeks. They received one applicant, a Kentucky firm, and set the rate at $125 per hour. Members questioned whether the commission was acting beyond its ethics mission, whether staff were helping draft complaints against legislators, and whether the commission was taking on a prosecutorial or human-resources role. The commission said its role is limited to enforcing the legislative code of ethics, providing advisory guidance, and following the formal complaint process; it does not pursue matters outside that code. Members also raised concerns about the earlier procurement misstep and the commission’s credibility, and the commission apologized, said it had corrected the process, and pledged to comply going forward. The committee then approved the contract.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman and committee.
• Chairman and committee.
• Chairman and members of the committee.
• Okay, committee, we have a motion before us.
• Committee, I think we do have some testimony.

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Does the House budget cover it?
• It's really an attitude towards ethics, governmental ethics. And it's an attitude...
• Towards ethics, governmental ethics.
• The actual increase that House 1 gives for the Ethics Commission, in this time of challenges to governmental
• in that kind of housing or have a housing voucher again for a very long time.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

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

Transcript Highlights:

• And John, you might fill the committee in on you were honored as one of...
• There's many risks when it comes to morality and when it comes to ethics.
• This really places the ethical and responsible use of AI tools at center stage.
• Integrity can be broken down to agency, character, ethics, and morality.
• I'm a minister at House of Brady, the Living Church.

Committee: All ALC-HIGHER EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The meeting began with a report on institutions of higher education for annual certification/solvency, which required no action and was noted as coming later in the week. The main presentation featured students from Arkansas State University, Valley View High School, and the University of Central Arkansas discussing artificial intelligence in education and the workforce. They argued that AI should be taught responsibly in K-12 and higher education to prepare students for jobs, support Arkansas’s growing tech sector, and reduce misuse such as cybercrime, scams, plagiarism, and academic dishonesty. They also cited survey results from teachers showing broad support for responsible AI instruction, district-level management, and teacher training, while noting concerns about critical thinking, ethics, and unequal access. Examples were given of AI already being used at UCA and the University of the Ozarks, and the group suggested a statewide AI library and related training built on the Access Act framework. Committee members asked about student reactions, and the presenters said responses are mixed, especially in the arts, but that AI is already being used in real-world careers and should be integrated with clear standards. The committee then heard from a Pine Bluff community coalition led by Pastor Jesse Turner about school-based outreach and youth support programs. The group described long-running work in Pine Bluff schools and Watson Chapel, including Pass on Patrol, mentoring, anti-bullying and nonviolence efforts, drug and vaping education, gun-violence prevention, and leadership clubs for students. They emphasized that their approach is nonreligious in the schools, focused on encouragement, citizenship, scholarship, and keeping students engaged in class. They also highlighted the use of free curriculum resources on African American history and said they help students see themselves as having promise rather than being “at risk.” Members asked about whether the programs could be shared elsewhere and about impacts on behavior; the group said some materials are trademarked but can be adapted with support, and cited reported reductions in negative behavior and referrals in participating schools. The meeting ended after members praised both the AI presenters and the Pine Bluff outreach group, and the committee adjourned with no votes taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• The House General and Housing Committee has worked closely with Senate Economic Development, Housing
• Trust, the House Champlain Housing Trust, the House Committee<00:16:23.400><c> on</c><00:16:23.560><
• </c><00:18:53.320><c> Affairs</c> Committee on Housing and General Affairs Committee on Housing and General
• General and Housing Committee.
• > from</c><00:30:31.280><c> the</c> House Health Care Committee from the House Health Care Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> you and pray for this house you and pray for this house acknowledging<00:01:13.360><c> that</c><
• </c> non-controversial Motions at the house non-controversial Motions at the house desk<00:08:48.040>
• House File 14 is a bill that was heard in the Transportation Committee.
• Means Committee.
• House Rule 4.1 requires bills that have a fiscal impact to be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• Committee substitute for committee substitute for Senate Bill, The motion is adopted.
• Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 348, a bill to be entitled an act relating to ethics.
• of Ethics.
• Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 348, a bill to be entitled an act relating to ethics.
• housing stock available.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions recognizing FSU Day at the Capitol, the Red Mass, visiting students, school board members, veterans, and other guests. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar and took up a series of bills, with several measures temporarily postponed before and during the day’s proceedings. Committee and executive reports were largely absent, and the Senate proceeded directly to floor action on the listed bills. The Senate passed a number of mostly unanimous bills, including SB 36, SB 38, SB 40, and SB 42 on Florida Statutes revision; CS/SB 50 on nature-based coastal resilience, amended to strengthen the Florida Flood Hub and related research; CS/SB 116 on veterans, expanding benefits coordination, mental health training, adult day health care, and other veterans services; SB 126 on mailing prescription hearing aids to adults; SB 150 on abandoning restrained dogs during natural disasters, amended to conform to the House; SB 294 limiting collaborative pharmacy practice for certain serious cardiac conditions; SB 322 creating a nonjudicial process for removing unauthorized persons from commercial property; SB 348 on ethics, including false military rank claims and collection of delinquent ethics fines; and CS/SB 7012 on child welfare workforce recruitment, treatment foster care pilots, and data collection for commercially sexually exploited children. Senate Memorial 314 urging Congress to increase Florida National Guard force structure was also adopted by voice vote. Two bills drew more extended debate. SB 118 on presidential libraries passed 36-3 after questions about local zoning, traffic, and whether the bill’s express preemption would limit county and municipal authority; supporters argued it would prevent local obstruction and help Florida attract a presidential library, while one senator said she would vote no because of concerns about local safety and planning issues. CS/SB 160 on public accountancy passed 39-0 after an amendment clarifying contracted services; supporters said it would broaden pathways into the CPA profession and address workforce shortages. CS/SB 108 on administrative procedures and CS/SB 110 on rural communities were temporarily postponed, then later taken up and passed after extensive debate, with SB 110 amended to prioritize certain rural transportation projects, expand housing, health care, broadband, and economic development support, and draw strong bipartisan praise for its focus on rural Florida. At the end of the session, the Senate waived rules to immediately certify all bills passed that day to the House, observed a moment of silence for former Surfside Chief John Healy, and made several closing announcements and recognitions.

Transcript Highlights:

• A committee substitute, do we have a committee substitute to lay out?
• committee amendment number two.
• This is, as voted out of this committee. The committee substitute to Senate Bill 19, what this is.
• Now, the House Committee on the Judiciary has alleged that ISS and Glass-Lewis are a foreign-owned duopoly
• House of Representatives Judiciary Committee has uncovered documents suggesting that BlackRock secretly

Bills: SB312 , SB945 , SB946 , SB1367 , SB1861 , SB2044 , SB2337 , SB2403 , SB2819 , SJR54

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• WE DEFER TO THAT COMMITTEE THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT PURCHASING.
• WE HAVE SECURITY TRAININGS ON HOW TO USE THEM IN IN AN ETHICAL AND RELIABLE WAY.
• IT'S ABOUT DIGITAL ETHICS AND RESPONSIBILITY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
• IT'S A SOFT CONTRACT BETWEEN THE FACULTY AND STUDENTS ON THE ETHICAL USE OF AI.
• BECAUSE YOU ARE TEACHING RESPONSIBLE USE AND ETHICS.

Transcript Highlights:

• >> The committee on Judiciary will now come to order.
• We just bought a house. They just bought a house.
• It's referred to a grievance committee. So the grievance committees investigate those allegations.
• They have local up committees that are similar to our grievance committees who make decisions in these
• Do I understand you to say that a grievance committee in case is different from the grievance Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the House Committee on Legislative Management. It is Wednesday, February 18th.
• </c> and representative Uh the OC ethics and representative Uh the OC ethics commission<00:16:38.880>
• </c><00:18:26.880><c> and</c> candidates and their committees and candidates and their committees and
• &gt;&gt; voting on House Bill 1805. Chair's &gt;&gt; voting on House Bill 1805.
• Voting on House Bill 2184. chair. Voting on House Bill 2184.

Bills: HB1805 , HB2110 , HB2180 , HB2184 , HB2219 , HB2469

Committee: House Legislative Management

Summary: The House Committee on Legislative Management heard testimony on several measures. HB 1805, relating to child welfare, drew support from the University of Hawaii and concerns from the Attorney General about the bill’s definition of state agency and possible separation-of-powers and supremacy clause issues. During decision-making, the committee opted to move the child advocate function to the Attorney General’s office, accepted the Attorney General’s suggested scope and jurisdiction amendments, set the salary at 90% of the Department of Health deputy director’s salary, and passed the bill with amendments. HB 2110, relating to nepotism, received support from the Hawaii State Ethics Commission, which said the bill would apply the rule consistently and noted the existing good-cause exception process. The committee later deferred the bill, saying existing House rules on nepotism were already strict and that the proposal would be duplicative in statute. HB 2180, relating to voting boards, had no oral testimony in the room during the hearing, but the committee later amended it into a blank appropriations vehicle for the House of Representatives and passed it with amendments. HB 2184, relating to lawmaker safety, drew concerns from the Campaign Spending Commission that the bill would require redaction of address information and could create implementation issues, and the Attorney General noted missing language regarding appointed officials and an internal cross-reference issue. The committee adopted amendments to address those concerns and passed the bill with amendments. HB 2219, relating to disclosure of privileged communications to the Ombudsman, was clarified by the Ombudsman’s office as not requiring disclosure of privileged material, only preserving privilege if such material is voluntarily provided; the bill passed with amendments. HB 2469, relating to a regular session review working group, received testimony from the State Procurement Office, the Legislative Reference Bureau, and others in support and opposition, and the committee passed it with amendments after changing references and funding language.

Transcript Highlights:

• The House Judiciary Committee is called to order. Would you call the roll, please?
• My understanding is committee substitute for House Bill 49.
• The committee substitute for House Bill 164 is basically what you saw in the 60-day version of House
• Very. ...or do not pass on House Bill 164 and a do pass on House Judiciary Committee substitute for House
• Okay, we have a motion for do not pass on House Bill 164 and a do pass on House Judiciary Committee substitute

Bills: HB99 , HB49 , HB164 , SB30 , SB43 , SB50 , SB136

Committee: House House Judiciary

Keywords: medical malpractice, malpractice reform, patient's compensation fund, PCF, health care liability, tort reform, damage caps, punitive damages, hospital liability, physician liability, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, outpatient facility, ambulatory surgical center, urgent care, free-standing emergency room, insurance surcharge, superintendent of insurance, New Mexico hospitals, medical review process