Transcript Highlights:

• The CPUC... waiting for the application to be submitted to the CPUC.
• Can you go into the pre-application? How could that be sped up?
• The pre-application phase...
• the transmission utility submits its application to the Commission for permitting.
• Karen Hayeda: ...putting together the project aspects and the application.

Summary: The committee first heard AB 13, which would restructure the CPUC to increase legislative oversight, add legislative liaisons, require more detailed and timely reporting on rate-setting decisions, and add a public advocate member. The author and supporters argued the bill would improve transparency, accountability, and geographic diversity in CPUC decision-making amid rising utility rates. Witnesses from TURN, San Joaquin County, SDG&E, and former CPUC Commissioner Loretta Lynch offered support or support-in-principle, while no opposition testimony was presented. Members generally praised the bill’s transparency goals, and AB 13 passed 10-0 to Appropriations, with the roll left open for absent members. The committee then adopted the 2025-2026 committee rules and approved three consent items: AB 61, AB 365, and AB 406. The next bill, AB 99, would cap investor-owned utility rate increases above inflation except for specified costs such as safety, modernization, and fuel/commodity costs. The author and supporters, including a representative of the California Senior Legislature, said the bill was needed to protect ratepayers, especially seniors and low-income customers, from repeated rate hikes. Opposition came from utility labor, utilities, the Chamber of Commerce, and others, who argued the bill was too simplistic, could suppress labor costs, and did not account for major cost drivers such as wildfire mitigation, mandates, and net metering. Several members supported moving the bill forward as a starting point on affordability, while others criticized it as overly blunt. AB 99 passed 11-0 to Appropriations, with the roll left open. The hearing then shifted to an informational panel on strategies to reduce California transmission costs. A Public Advocates Office staffer described a growing backlog of approved-but-unbuilt transmission projects, rising transmission access charges, and long project timelines driven largely by utility pre-application and construction periods. Panelists from Net Zero California and consulting firms presented research suggesting that public financing or public-private partnership lease models could reduce transmission costs by lowering financing, tax, and capital costs, with estimated savings of up to 57% and as much as $123 billion over 40 years. PG&E’s representative said the utility is already pursuing federal loan guarantees, grants, and a public-private partnership with Citizens Energy, but warned that state ownership could create tax, wildfire-liability, and governance risks. Members asked about the CPUC’s role, the causes of delays, and whether public financing could complement existing competitive solicitation processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we're going to respond to your application.
• That would suggest that the Southeast did not do so well in the first application.
• And aluminum had 560,000 applications for exclusions. It just seems that's too many.
• They use our laws; they have huge applications, and those applications are growing like wildfire.
• You see kind of the military application, the commercial application, and I think a lot of people view

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the top of the stack is really where you'll find the applications and the use cases.
• There are future applications for quantum technologies to further unlock those.
• We Have already received an application from an investor-owned utility for our review for SB 170.
• And we've spoken to the other two independent or investor-owned utilities, and we expect applications
• I got an application that day. That's how excited the IOUs are for this program.

Transcript Highlights:

• So when you're. 317 318 So not the Speedy Trial Act itself, but that application. the application of
• Further, under the election code 276.016, it's unlawful to send out unsolicited applications. applications
• CGS and their marketing materials promoted sending out these applications and had high numbers associated
• Other concern was that many non-citizens would unknowingly fill out this application and provide false
• We did manage to stop unsolicited vote applications.

Bills: SB108, SB318, SB507, SB511, SB533, SB1026, SB1386, SB1433, SB1434, SB1596

Keywords: elections, Election Code, poll workers, election clerks, presiding judge, alternate presiding judge, polling place, central counting station, county chair, political party, gubernatorial election, vote counting, election administration, Texas elections, precinct officials, ballot counting, county election officials, election integrity, election fraud, Attorney General

Transcript Highlights:

• A typical question I get is: do we have enough in-state applicants?
• were out of state; 195 were in-state applicants.
• those numbers, but we did have 195 in-state applicants this year.
• Yes, in-state applicants for this year was 195. Out of state— 1,269. OK.
• This year we have 19 applicants.

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce on its FY26 priorities, recent performance, and budget requests. Commerce said it had helped announce about 8,000 direct jobs and nearly $14 billion in investment year-to-date, while noting challenges such as tariffs, workforce recruitment, staffing/FTE management, and the condition of its 100-year-old office building. The agency highlighted projects and initiatives including a new Taiwan trade office, Route 66 Centennial planning, the National Main Street conference in Tulsa, Olympic-related coordination, census outreach, and continued improvements to its grants and CRM systems. Requested funding included $8.3 million for building repairs or relocation planning, census support, $300,000 for EDGE, $135,000 for IT/cybersecurity upgrades, $250,000 for the Taiwan office, and additional support for Head Start, senior nutrition, and the Strategic Air and Space Commission. Members asked about the meaning of the investment totals, the building condition, delays in senior nutrition distributions, and staffing vacancies; Commerce said the investment figures reflected formal company capital announcements, the building had significant facade and roof damage, delays were due to multiple contracting layers, and several open positions were expected to be filled soon. The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department then presented its FY26 budget and goals. New director Amy Blackburn and special advisor Sterling Zearley said the department oversees 38 state parks, six lodges, seven golf courses, and nine travel information centers, and emphasized tourism’s economic importance. They reported savings from bringing marketing and tracking functions in-house and from shared services, but said the department faces more than $271 million in deferred maintenance needs, staffing shortages, and connectivity problems at parks. Their goals include increasing park visitation to 10.2 million, raising occupancy to 36%, and growing travel to Oklahoma, with major marketing tied to the Route 66 Centennial, America 250, the FIFA World Cup, the Olympics, and other events. The department also discussed a request to raise its purchasing exemption cap from $25,000 to $75,000, a possible TravelOK.com redesign, and efforts to improve restaurant operations at lodges through a new RFP structure. Members questioned the apportionment cap, the size and timing of deferred maintenance requests, park revenue, and the use of parking pass funds; tourism said annual park-related revenue is about $32 million to $34 million and parking pass revenue is about $2.5 million. Finally, the OSU Veterinary Medicine Authority presented its budget request and program updates. The authority said it supports the veterinary teaching hospital and related student training, and that its FY26 budget is entirely state-appropriated. It requested continued support for hospital operations, the large animal scholarship program, and a new $12.5 million annual payment tied to the $250 million Legacy Capital Fund authorization for the veterinary teaching hospital, along with additional funding to expand in-state enrollment. Officials said in-state enrollment had increased from 58 to 69 students after prior funding, with a goal of reaching 90 of 106 total seats, and that there were 195 in-state applicants this year. Members asked whether standards would be lowered; the authority said academic standards would not change and noted strong board-pass rates and retention outcomes. It also said accreditation concerns tied to faculty shortages and off-site teaching had been addressed by bringing students back to the main campus and improving staffing. The committee ended by thanking the presenters and announcing its next meeting date.

Transcript Highlights:

• WITH OUR INTEGRATION SERVICES AND INTEGRATION PLATFORM TO SEND AND RECEIVE DATA THROUGH API OR APPLICATION
• PROVIDERS SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR INITIAL MEDICAID ENROLLMENT AND REENROLL EVERY 3 TO 5 YEARS DEPENDING
• A PROVIDER CAN START AN APPLICATION AND COME BACK TO THE SAME APPLICATION ONCE THEY HAVE GATHERED ANY
• I WANTED TO GET ONE CLARIFICATION SO THE MODULAR DESIGN, WAS THAT SPECIFICALLY TO THE APPLICATION ITSELF
• SO I THINK IT'S AN APPLICATION OF THE THING.

Transcript Highlights:

• The appropriation over the years, each biennium, has not kept up with the applications and...
• We just surpassed 21,000 first-time college applications. That's up 80% since fall of 2023.
• seats. 3,500 applicants, almost all of them are from Texas, many of them from rural Texas.
• So, the answer is yes, and we can be very deliberate in the application process.
• Yeah, about 3% of all applicants. Here in Texas or just anywhere? It's similar. It's similar.

Bills: HB42, HB 125, HB 1233, HB2853, HB3148, HB3326, HB3701, HB4066, HB4361, HB4762, HB4909, HB4912, HB42, HB125

Keywords: higher education, funding, financial allocation, state budget, Texas A&M University, University of Houston, education funding, medical education, osteopathic medicine, healthcare workforce, Tarleton State University, industry-recognized credentials, workforce development, career opportunities, feasibility study, student fees, university funding, student union, education, UT El Paso

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 667 would allow applicants for certain business licenses administered by the Department of Consumer
• And just one last thing: Is there any data that tells us how many applicants are unable to pass their
• It tells licensing boards, when you review applications, you need to prioritize people who've been locked
• It requires that each board falling under the Department of Consumer Affairs prioritize, quote, applicants
• It requires an applicant to obtain certification from the Bureau confirming their status as a descendant

Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard a long agenda of licensing, health care, and workforce bills. Measures discussed included AB 957, which would prohibit tobacco sales in licensed pharmacies; AB 447, which would allow patients to take home certain unopened medications started in emergency rooms; AB 427, joining the Social Work Licensure Compact; AB 667, allowing interpreters for certain licensing exams; AB 742, prioritizing descendants of slaves in licensing review; AB 873, changing infection-control training timing for dental assistants; AB 360, requiring a report on menopause education for physicians; and AB 1175, modernizing CPA licensure requirements and mobility. Testimony generally emphasized public health, access to care, workforce shortages, language access, and economic opportunity, while opposition or concerns focused on implementation, worker protections, compact authority, and constitutional issues in AB 742. Several bills drew broad support from sponsors, professional associations, and advocacy groups. AB 957 was backed by cancer and pharmacy advocates and pharmacists who said pharmacies should not sell tobacco; AB 447 was supported by emergency medicine and hospital representatives as a way to reduce waste and help patients leave with needed medication; AB 427 drew support from social work and mental health groups but concerns from AFSCME about standards and displacement; AB 667 was supported by immigrant-rights and community groups, with questions about whether translated exams would be preferable to interpreters; AB 360 received extensive support from women’s health advocates and medical groups, and opposition from CMA and ACOG was removed after amendments; and AB 1175 was supported by the Board of Accountancy and CPA groups as a way to expand the pipeline and improve mobility. The committee took votes after quorum was established. AB 360, AB 427, AB 447, AB 667, AB 873, AB 1175, and AB 742 were all approved and sent to their next committees, with AB 742 going to Judiciary and AB 1175 to Appropriations. AB 957 was initially held on call, then later passed after additional votes were recorded. The consent calendar bills AB 375, AB 1107, and AB 1496 were also approved. Most measures passed on largely party-line or near-unanimous votes, with some members not voting on certain items during the roll calls.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this has been aggressive since the very beginning of application, and now we get the privilege of
• So how long does it take for DOH to process a disability application, starting from the time when the
• So how long does it take for DOH to process a disability application, starting from the time when the
• ...disability application, starting from the time when the office sends it to DOH until DOH makes the
• And once the authority is granted, we plan on issuing a request for application in the very near future

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Steps in the review process are only applicable to bonds secured through property taxes.
• to develop a streamlined review process for SUD bonds that eliminates the requirements that are applicable
• So, we do have a process for reviewing revenue bonds, and we have that application come in.
• The committee substitute brackets the bill's applicability to counties with a population of less than
• And last, it limits eligibility for third-party review if an applicant is under investigation for any

Bills: HB1532, HB2731, HB3483, HB4308, HB4580, HB4582, HB5509, HB5663

Keywords: Lake Houston, dredging, maintenance district, flood control, environment, public works, HB 2731, roadside vendors, solicitors, county regulation, border counties, Mexico border, Transportation Code, unincorporated areas, right-of-way, public highway, parking lot, livestock sales, live animals, vendor regulation

Summary: The committee heard and discussed several local-government-related bills, mostly with committee substitutes. House Bill 2731 would let certain border counties regulate roadside vendors selling live animals in unincorporated areas and along public rights-of-way; the substitute narrowed the bill to live animal sales only and excluded livestock and other roadside commerce. House Bill 3483 would streamline TCEQ review of special utility district revenue bonds by removing tax-bond requirements that do not apply to SUDs. House Bill 4308 would create a county industrial development district framework, limited in the substitute to certain counties including Fort Bend County, to help finance industrial sites and related infrastructure. House Bill 5663 would create a Wood County Hospital District memory-care-focused district with no taxing power, intended to help pursue grants and other funding for a new facility. House Bill 4582 addressed attainable housing in Dallas and Tarrant counties, allowing local reimbursement tools for developers under a uniform, optional framework. House Bill 5509 would let municipalities suspend or revoke a hotel’s certificate of occupancy if law enforcement and a criminal court both find probable cause of human trafficking, with the substitute adding due-process protections. House Bill 1532 created a Lake Houston dredging and maintenance district funded by revenue from dredged material sales and revenue bonds, with no taxing authority or eminent domain. House Bill 23, heard as pending business, would revise the process for local governments to rescind development documents and adjust third-party reviewer liability and eligibility rules. House Bill 4580, concerning property tax exemptions for charitable organizations such as the Houston Rodeo, was amended to remove language about exempting revenue from property use and instead focus on land used for agricultural, youth, and educational support. Public testimony was generally supportive on the bills heard, with witnesses including county officials, utility and water association representatives, hotel industry representatives, and housing developers. Several speakers emphasized the need for faster financing or permitting tools, flood mitigation, housing affordability, anti-trafficking enforcement, or local economic development. Some members raised concerns about scope, precedent, consultation with affected senators, and due process, particularly on House Bill 4582 and House Bill 5509, but the committee largely accepted the committee substitutes as improvements. No public testimony was offered on several bills, and most measures were left pending before later being voted out. The committee took recorded votes on multiple pending bills and reported them favorably, often with committee substitutes adopted in lieu of the filed versions. House Bills 1532, 2731, 3483, 5509, 5663, and 4580 were reported out, with 1532 and 5663 passing unanimously and 3483, 2731, and 5509 also receiving favorable votes despite one present-not-voting on 3483. House Bill 23 and House Bill 4582 were left pending subject to call of the chair. The committee then recessed until adjournment or later.

Transcript Highlights:

• As she said, Jason Marcus, I’m the legislative chair for the California Applicants Attorneys Association
• Who is here representing the California Applicants Association. Thank you.
• What they do not do is adjudicate the applicability of that contract.
• In fact, What they do not do is adjudicate the applicability of that contract.
• Or something else, and shows that their employer was not in compliance with the applicable OSHA heat

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Insurance met as a subcommittee and heard several bills related to workers’ compensation, insurance access, climate resilience, and farmworker protections. AB 815 would prevent social service workers who use personal vehicles to transport clients from being misclassified as commercial or for-hire drivers under personal auto policies; supporters said the current practice leads to unaffordable premiums and denied claims, while no opposition testified. AB 1329 would revise the Subsequent Injury Benefit Trust Fund to reduce litigation and medical-legal costs and lower employer assessments; insurers and business groups opposed unless amended, citing concerns about eligibility standards and the QME process, but the bill advanced after amendments were discussed. AB 1048 would allow disputed unauthorized payment reductions for medical providers to be reviewed through independent bill review; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, while opposition argued IBR is the wrong forum and existing contract dispute processes should control, though the bill also passed. AB 1236 would create a Department of Insurance grant program for climate and sustainability risk-reduction projects, with broad support from the department, environmental groups, and insurers, and it passed unanimously. The committee also heard AB 1336, the Farmworker Heat Illness Prevention Act, which would create a rebuttable presumption that a heat-related injury arose out of employment when an agricultural employer fails to comply with heat illness prevention standards. Supporters, including United Farm Workers, argued the bill would help protect farmworkers amid extreme heat and enforcement gaps; opponents from the workers’ compensation and agricultural sectors said the measure improperly uses the compensation system to enforce OSHA rules and could create unclear adjudication and delay issues. Members discussed Cal/OSHA enforcement limits, undocumented workers’ reluctance to report violations, and the relationship between the bill and existing workers’ compensation procedures. Despite opposition, AB 1336 passed on a divided vote. The committee also took up a consent calendar including AB 1125, AB 1293, and AB 1398, which were approved together. Roll calls were held open and later completed, and the bills that advanced were sent to the Committee on Appropriations. The meeting concluded with the committee adjourning after final votes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Regional Government HB 33562 by Perez of El Paso relating to the posting and other requirements applicable
• HB 3575 by Noble relating to filing the campaign treasurer appointment and the application for a place
• obtained by mental hospitals and mental health facilities and prohibited employment by certain applicants
• HB 3675 by Cook relating to the consideration of criminal history of applicants for public employment
• HB 3677 by Tupper relates to the issuance of occupational license for certain out of state applicants

Transcript Highlights:

• Facial recognition technology uses artificial intelligence in the application, then, of biometrically
• in the application then of biometrically<00:02:20.519> measuring<00:02:21.519> a<00:02
• They are correct; there are good applications of it.
• They are correct; there are good applications of it.
• They are correct; there are good applications of it.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the additional weighting of special education students are exempt from the block grant provisions applicable
• that for the 2026-2027 school year only, a school district cannot be penalized for not meeting the applicable
• the additional waiting of special ed students are exempt from the block grant provisions that's applicable
• The division is to evaluate the application for reimbursement based on a number of criteria that are
• The division is to evaluate the application for reimbursement based on a number of criteria that are

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met with a quorum present, approved the prior meeting minutes, and then took up several House bills with strike-and-insert amendments. House Bill 5510 was amended to incorporate provisions from Senate Bills 1065 and 928, modernizing Alcohol Beverage Control licensing and adding rules for low-proof spirit alcohol products, including a $1.25 per gallon tax; the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill to the full Senate with a do-pass recommendation. The committee then considered House Bill 5453 on school funding. After discussion of a proposed block-grant system and supplemental aid for special education, the committee adopted an amendment replacing much of the bill with weighted funding for level two and level three special education students, exempting those funds from block grant rules and limiting their use to direct instruction. The committee also adopted a clarification to extend the special education funding to charter school students and reported the amended bill to the Senate. House Bill 5412, dealing with multi-year technology licensing contracts for local fiscal bodies and science-of-reading training for K-5 teachers, was amended to clarify contract language, delay implementation dates, change “endorsement” to “training,” and require charter school teachers to participate; it was then reported. The committee next amended and reported House Bill 4006, which creates aerospace development and workforce grant programs, changing the funding mechanism to use Department of Commerce reporting and personal income tax proceeds rather than direct employee withholdings. It also took up House Bill 4009, combining voluntary portable benefits for independent contractors with microcredentialing and an expanded apprenticeship tax credit, adopted the Finance Committee amendment, and reported it. Finally, House Bill 4004 creating the Recharge West Virginia training reimbursement program was amended to raise the annual employer reimbursement cap from $50,000 to $100,000 while keeping the $10,000 per-employee limit, and the committee reported the bill. The meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we have submitted our application for the rural health transformation grant that was submitted on
• Um, we have submitted our application<00:03:57.040> for<00:03:57.200> the<00:03:57.360>
• rural<00:03:57.599> health application for the rural health application for the rural
• Um, they're going to use scoring for part of the application.
• Some of those scores the application.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on November 12, 2025, approved the October 22 minutes, and heard an update from Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Steven Stack and Public Health Commissioner John Langfeld on Kentucky’s application for the federal rural health transformation grant. The presenters described the grant as a $50 billion, five-year program with annual CMS scoring and rescorings, no state appeal rights, and a December 31 deadline for CMS to announce awards. They said Kentucky submitted its application on November 3 and had gathered stakeholder comments earlier in the process. The testimony emphasized that the grant is intended to support new models of rural care rather than replace existing funding or pay for clinical services or lost hospital revenue. Officials said the state had to address at least three of five federal strategic goals, including prevention and chronic disease, sustainable access, workforce development, and care/technology innovation. They also reviewed restrictions such as no new building construction, no payment for monthly broadband costs, and a cap of 5% for electronic medical record-related spending. The presenters said CMS has been clear that funding should focus on innovation in care delivery, rural access, and related policy goals, and that the state’s award could vary year to year based on performance milestones. The meeting was interrupted by a building fire alarm and evacuation announcement before the presentation was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so that would send the application to us for screening.
• And so that would send the application to us for screening.
• And that work really starts at application. So on slide 13, That work really starts at application.
• I think that's probably correct in the integrated application screens.
• We accept licensure applications in kind of a siloed methodology.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I think an applicability statement that said this is applicable to property tax year 2028 would be
• the bill, but was it the applicability the bill, but was it the applicability date<00:12:38.480>
• <00:14:47.440> said an applicability statement that said an applicability statement that said
• to a permanent application.
• If you're the application permanent.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First of all, section 5 in dealing with the pre-application versus application, I think one of the things
• that we need to be cognizant of is that, yes, all those timelines are front-end. from a complete application
• However, many times we're seeing that there is a dragged-out pre-application process and/or application
• process itself, where there's a multitude of times to go back and forth between an applicant and the
• Volusia and Marion allow for the application and granting of electrical and plumbing permits.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our approach was direct before we launched an online application.
• Like does the current application for services make sense for today?
• Can we eliminate unnecessary work and burden on behalf of the applicant as a result of working arm in
• The final product of this effort resulted in cutting the application for services in half and utilizing
• The new application for services is now available online.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Six applications; we had two counties, four cities. Um, and they're processed.
• Um, the evaluation or the applications totaled 32 projects at 2.685 million and some change.
• c> two<00:37:53.200> counties, Six applications we had two counties, Six applications we had
• the evaluation or the applications the evaluation or the applications totaled<00:38:05.440> 32
• to apply for chip seal application to apply for chip seal application through<00:41:43.200> the

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation met with a quorum, approved the June 3, 2026 minutes, and then heard a presentation from Mike Proctor of Evolve Kentucky on electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. Proctor described Evolve Kentucky as a nonprofit formed in 2016 to promote EV adoption and charger deployment, said the group has helped place more than 135 chargers at 65 locations, and reported that Kentucky EV registrations have grown rapidly but still represent about 1% of the state’s roughly 3 million vehicles. He also outlined the group’s view that EV drivers and charger operators already contribute to state revenue through annual vehicle fees, charger taxes, utility taxes, and related business taxes, and cited figures showing rising revenue collections as EV adoption increases. A major theme of the presentation was that EV owners are paying their “fair share” rather than being overcharged. Proctor said the current $126 annual EV fee is roughly comparable to the fuel tax a typical gasoline vehicle would pay, and noted that public charging can add additional tax burdens for drivers who cannot charge at home, such as those living in apartments or condos. He also argued that EVs provide broader benefits, including lower noise and air pollution, grid-stabilizing nighttime charging, tourism spending at destination chargers, and reduced road wear for passenger EVs compared with much heavier vehicles. Members questioned Proctor about whether EV owners are paying more than their fair share, how the fee compares with gasoline taxes, and whether apartment and condo residents are disproportionately affected because they rely on public chargers. Proctor responded that the fee was intended to bring EV owners into parity with gas vehicles, not to overcharge them, and said some public chargers are free while others are used by drivers who cannot charge at home. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond the minutes approval.