Transcript Highlights:

• hemp beverage trade association.
• This change permits brands who sell a 10-milligram drink to label that drink as a single 10-milligram
• hemp beverage trade association.
• hemp beverage trade association.
• Hemp, founded in 2019.

Bills: HF1545, HF2426, HF1615, HF2403

Keywords: medical cannabis, cultivation, cannabinoid products, plant canopy, Minnesota statutes, cannabis, hemp, lower-potency, edibles, regulations, licensing, local control, consumer safety, age restrictions, commerce policy, financial institutions, insurance regulation, limited long-term care insurance, Medicare supplement, health insurance

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

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

Bills: SB255, SB199, SB47, HB605, HB216, HB621, HB148, HB389, HB509, HB248, SB255, SB199, SB47, HB605, HB216, HB621, HB148, HB389, HB509, HB248, SB336, SB293, SB43, HB420, HB60, HB188, HB106, HB105, HB11

Keywords: SB255, cannabinoid, hemp, hemp-derived THC, THCa, delta-8 THC, HHC, CBD, THC, novel cannabinoid products, hemp products, intoxicating hemp, delta-8, retail license, Department of Revenue, Department of Agriculture and Industries, testing and labeling, third-party laboratory, product safety, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• Examples shown when this bill was introduced actually come from the unregulated hemp market, but not
• I also want to point out that there are hemp-derived THC products that are allowed in supermarkets as
• Ian was saying earlier, you can walk into a gas station, you can buy a THC drink.
• And in person, I have found products that were cannabis hemp-related.
• And you have tamped down on the hemp problem.

Bills: HB294, SB40, SB43, SB35

Keywords: cannabis, cannabis packaging, cannabis labeling, cannabis regulation, Cannabis Control Division, adulterated cannabis, artificial color additive, food dye, youth appeal, minor appeal, child-resistant packaging, black-and-white packaging, edibles, product labeling, consumer protection, marijuana, hemp, dispensary, licensed cannabis business, cannabis manufacturer

Transcript Highlights:

• Hemp products and the hemp-derived cannabinoids contained in those products.
• I don't drink; it's not that I don't drink because I think it's morally wrong, it's just a poison.
• It advances all THC-containing hemp products except CBD.
• Regulating consumable hemp is necessary.
• "Can you help me stop drinking and smoking but help me?

Bills: SB5, SB11, SB12, SB5, SB11, SB12

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, occupational licenses, criminal offenses, SB 11, Texas attorney general, election crimes, election law enforcement, criminal prosecution, Election Code, Government Code Chapter 402, local prosecutors, county attorney, district attorney, grand jury, probable cause reports, state election offenses, voter fraud, election integrity

Transcript Highlights:

• Instead of alcohol, I drink a hemp beverage.
• Instead of alcohol, I drink a hemp beverage.
• it of alcohol I drink a hemp beverage it of alcohol I drink a hemp beverage it helps<00:16:36.440
• > alcohol beverages having hemp drinks and alcohol beverages having hemp drinks and alcohol side
• :06.159> drinks<00:25:06.720> with for symptom relief keep hemp drinks with for symptom

Keywords: Call to Order 00:00 SB 100 Discussion 00:05 SB 100 Vote 06:42 SB 202 Discussion 08:35 SB 202 Vote 43:17 SB 17 Discussion 47:37 SB 17 Vote 48:08 SB 22 Discussion 49:22 SB 22 Vote 52:55 SB 133 Discussion 53:55 SB 133 Vote 55:15 SB 190 Discussion 56:00 SB 190 Vote 56:38 Adjournment 57:19, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 100, which would place cigarettes, vapes, and related nicotine products under the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) system, add enforcement tools against bad actors, and regulate nitrous oxide/laughing gas sales to those under 21. Supporters, including youth advocates Mallerie Jones and Griffin Kian Neth, argued the bill would reduce youth access to nicotine products through retail licensing, compliance checks, and escalating penalties. Higdon said the bill targets illegal sales rather than most retailers, and noted the measure also updates House Bill 11 from the prior year and raises the retail license fee from $250 to $500. The committee adopted the committee substitute and then passed the bill on a roll call vote, with members voting yes and no opposition recorded in the transcript. The committee then considered Senate Bill 202, focused on cannabis-infused beverages. Senator Julie Raque Adams said the bill was intended to create common-sense public health guardrails for a rapidly growing product category sold in gas stations, liquor stores, and vape shops, and to address enforcement gaps. She explained the committee substitute would define cannabis-infused beverages at a 5-milligram limit per 12-ounce can, place enforcement under ABC while keeping CHFS manufacturing and testing rules in place, require a University of Kentucky report back to the General Assembly, allow existing higher-dose inventory to be sold through June 1, exempt festivals and fairs until January 1, 2026, and allow stores to obtain licenses to continue selling the product. The committee adopted the substitute and then heard testimony from hemp-industry representatives and a consumer. Opponents of SB 202/SB 22, including Dee Taylor of the Kentucky Hemp Association, Cornbread Hemp co-founder Jim Higdon, Annie Rouse of Cannabuzz Barn, and consumer Nancy Roberts, argued the bill would hurt a legal Kentucky hemp industry, reduce consumer access, and force sales into liquor stores. They said the 100-milligram beverage referenced in debate is actually 10 servings with a resealable top, that hemp retailers educate customers, and that the industry already operates under 2024 regulations and needs better enforcement rather than new restrictions. Higdon and Rouse objected to the 5-milligram cap, the on-premise sales ban, the move to ABC enforcement, and the taxation approach, warning the bill could wipe out a large share of business and jobs. No final vote on SB 202 was taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• in hemp clothing.
• So hemp can be grown and is grown. Hemp is grown.
• Putting cocaine in a package and calling it hemp doesn't make it hemp.
• Putting cocaine in a package and calling it hemp doesn't make it hemp.
• Leave hemp alone.

Summary: The Committee on Agriculture heard a presentation from Florida FFA state officers Gabby Howell and Macy Jordan, who described FFA and agricultural education as a three-part model of classroom instruction, supervised agricultural experience, and leadership development. They highlighted FFA membership growth, Florida’s more than 60,000 members, industry certifications, and state funding that allows all agriculture education students to participate at no cost. Members praised the students and the organization’s role in developing future agricultural leaders. The committee then took up SB 438, which would regulate hemp and hemp extract products, including THC-infused beverages, by adding testing, labeling, retail location, age, and event restrictions, along with penalties and $2 million for testing equipment. Senator Burton said the bill is intended to address public safety, prevent products with illegal THC levels from reaching consumers, and respond to the governor’s prior veto concerns, especially store location and regulation. An amendment clarifying final batch testing was adopted without objection. Testimony was mixed. Supporters, including beverage distributors, law enforcement, and some hemp beverage businesses, backed regulation and said the bill would improve safety and clarity, though some asked for changes to avoid treating specialty beverage retailers like liquor stores. Opponents and some hemp industry representatives argued the bill was too restrictive, would hurt small businesses, and could push products into the black market; they also objected to THC limits, event restrictions, and the proposed regulatory structure. After debate, the committee voted 6-0 to report CS for SB 438 favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hemp and industrial hemp are non-intoxicating products. Okay.
• You would not be able to mix hemp with any alcoholic drink.
• , intoxicating hemp.
• We make drinks. People like our drinks. Our drinks are the fastest-growing category in stores.
• So the hemp hoax report shows that these retailers aren't selling hemp.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Bills: SB2, SB3, SB5, SB9, SB10, SB14, SB16, SB34, SB18

Keywords: flooding, public safety, outdoor warning sirens, disaster preparedness, emergency response, flood warning, outdoor sirens, local government, safety measures, flood management, emergency preparedness, municipal safety, disaster response, disaster relief, emergency funding, Meteorological forecasting, local government assistance, training facilities, hemp regulation, consumable products

Summary: The Senate Committee on Finance met in the second special session and considered a series of bills, mostly related to flood response, water infrastructure, taxation, school accountability, property fraud, and legislative procedure. Senator Zaffirini presented SB 18 on TCEQ permit exemptions for certain erosion, floodwater, and sediment control dams or reservoirs; Senator Perry presented SB 2 on flood relief preparedness, SB 14 on credit impact fees and water supply/conservation incentives, and SB 5 on Hill Country relief funding; Senator Bettencourt presented SB 3 on early warning flood sirens, SB 9 on replacing STAAR with three annual tests and strengthening A-F accountability, and SB 10 on lowering the rollback tax rate from 3.5% to 2.5%; Senator West presented SB 16 on property transaction ID requirements and new real property theft/fraud offenses; and Chair Huffman laid out SB 34, which changes legislative witness immunity rules from transactional immunity to testimonial immunity consistent with federal law. The committee also heard brief explanations that several bills were the same as versions previously passed by the Senate or committee, and there was limited public testimony, with no witnesses on most bills and only position cards on SB 16. Senator West raised a concern on SB 10 about a possible carve-out for police pay raises, but Senator Bettencourt said no change would be made at that time. For SB 34, Chair Huffman explained the bill would still allow compelled testimony before the legislature but would no longer provide blanket immunity, while preserving the right to counsel. The committee voted favorably on all bills considered. SB 18, SB 2, SB 14, SB 3, SB 16, SB 5, and SB 34 were reported out unanimously or near-unanimously, while SB 9 passed 10-1 and SB 10 passed 8-3. At the end of the meeting, Senator West requested to be shown voting nay on SB 9, and the chair granted unanimous consent. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 5 by... relating to the regulation of certain products derived from hemp.

Bills: SR5, SB5, SB11, SB12, SB25, SB26, SB28, SB35, SB5, SB11, SB12, SB25, SB26, SB28, SB35

Keywords: redistricting, Senate procedures, public input, Texas Legislature, amendments, Texas Senate, congressional districts, legislative procedures, legislative transparency, Senate rules, public hearings, committee procedures, hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, occupational licenses, criminal offenses, SB 11, Texas attorney general, election crimes

Summary: The meeting centered around the discussion of congressional redistricting, where the committee established the procedures to ensure a fair and transparent process. Led by Senator King, the session focused on adopting a resolution that authorized a special committee dedicated to congressional redistricting and allowed for regional hearings to gather public input via videoconferencing. Concerns were raised about ensuring adequate notice for public participation, especially from marginalized communities potentially affected by proposed changes. Disagreements emerged regarding the timeline for regional hearings and how to address the implications of the redistricting process on minority districts. Overall, participants acknowledged the complex nature of redistricting and the importance of engaging constituents in the legislative process.

Transcript Highlights:

• HEMP IS GROWN.
• YOU CAN CONDENSE THOSE HEMP PLANTS, WITH JUST THE EXTRACT THAT IS HEMP.
• I'M FIVE YEARS SOBER MYSELF BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE NOT SOBER TO DRINK NOT DRINK ALCOHOL.
• AS OPERATORS WE WOULD LOVE YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR INDUSTRIAL HEMP PRODUCT TO ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE HEMP BASED
• LEAVE HEMP ALONE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the hemp farm bill very followed the hemp farm bill very closely.
• When you compare one of these to an alcoholic drink as far as an alcoholic drink as far as impairment
• they've had a drink.
• The cannabinoids that come from the hemp plant are oil. So there... ...from the hemp plant are oil.
• Attributed hundreds of thousands of deaths for hemp. There are no direct deaths from hemp.

Bills: SB274

Keywords: cannabis, psychoactive cannabinoids, CBD, delta-8 THC, delta-9 THC, delta-10 THC, criminal penalties, youth protection, medical cannabis, 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These are the hemp business three.
• This change permits brands who sell a 10-milligram drink to label that drink as a single 10-milligram
• drinks. Neither option is a great one. drinks. Neither option is a great one.
• <00:10:05.120> as<00:10:05.360> a milligram drink to label that drink as a milligram
• remains<00:13:00.000> legal, the hemp market remains legal, the hemp market remains legal

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:02:14.720> derived talking to intoxicating hemp derived talking to intoxicating hemp derived
• and hemp products.
• <00:08:09.199> hemp<00:08:09.599> and these drinks and and the hemp hemp and these
• drinks and and the hemp hemp and hemp hemp hemp products<00:08:12.000> but<00:08:12.360> um
• Kentucky the hemp hemp industry in Kentucky the hemp hemp industry in Kentucky including<00:25:38.799

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up Senate Bill 202, adopting a committee substitute before hearing testimony. Senator Julie Rocky Adams explained that the substitute would require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to promulgate regulations by January 1, 2026 for intoxicating hemp-derived beverages, direct the University of Kentucky to study manufacturing, testing, distribution, sales, and consumer effects of those beverages, and impose a moratorium on their sale until July 1, 2026. Supporters, including Rep. Matt Cook, said the measure was intended as a consumer-protection step rather than a ban, citing concerns about youth access, inconsistent labeling, and the need for a clearer regulatory framework. Members asked about the legal status of the products, whether the bill could unintentionally sweep in non-intoxicating hemp beverages, and whether there was evidence of harm. Senators were told the products are legal under the federal farm bill loophole, but that testing has shown THC levels on sampled cans did not match labels and that current regulations do not specifically address intoxicating hemp-derived beverages. Senator Higdon said CHFS had already been authorized to regulate hemp products and was moving forward with regulations and enforcement, while Senator Meredith questioned whether a moratorium would unfairly punish businesses that had already invested in the market and suggested setting a THC standard instead. Public testimony then shifted to industry opposition. Jim Higdon of Cornbread Hemp said his company had invested heavily in a beverage line and argued the moratorium would function like a ban and harm small businesses. Dee Taylor of 502 Hemp and the Kentucky Hemp Association also opposed the moratorium, saying existing rules already require age limits, behind-the-counter sales, and licensed retailers, and arguing that a cap on milligrams would be preferable to a shutdown. He said retailers were seeing approved and unapproved products in the market and urged work with the Cabinet and ABC rather than a moratorium.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I know we're talking about all hemp products derived from hemp, but you're asking to be treated
• We began selling liquid-based RTD hemp THC infused products last February, beginning with Easy Hemp Co
• Instead of the hundreds of thousands of users of hemp, a milder hemp, they're going to go to illegal
• But if you have an easy drink, it's still a drink that has an effect. Okay.
• But the hemp is a variety of... ...but the hemp is a variety of products, and they're not beverages,

Bills: SB90, SB255, SB268

Keywords: Green County, racing, pari-mutuel wagering, gaming regulations, commission appointments, historical horse racing, local tax, mixed spirit beverages, alcohol regulation, licensing, excise tax, distribution agreements, retail sales, wholesalers, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've been a big advocate for regulation within the hemp market itself, to include the THC drinks.
• When I talked about that during one of our meetings, I was told, drink five drinks, drink six drinks.
• our hemp industry.
• It's not the drink manufacturers.
• They're banning these drinks.

Keywords: 977, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Experts say this provision could wipe out up to 90 to 95% of today's hemp drinks, gummies, and other
• Experts say this provision could wipe out up to 90 to 95% of today's hemp drinks, gummies, and other
• hemp beverage conference, as well as a hemp beverage festival at the guild.
• or does not drink.
• <00:25:38.159> That adult drinks or does not drink. That adult drinks or does not drink.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All those in favor, signify by saying aye. co-founder of Cornbread Hemp and co-founder of Cornbread Hemp
• 70% of the revenue from hemp products. 70% of the revenue from hemp products.
• > broader<00:07:00.720> hemp Cornbread Hemp and the broader hemp Cornbread Hemp and the broader
• <00:16:54.839> at be aligned on regulations for hemp at be aligned on regulations for hemp
• drink of bourbon. drink of bourbon.

Keywords: The livestream event for this meeting cut off shortly after the meeting began. This is the complete copy pulled from back ups., 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But also just the idea that a hemp drink, and I'll make the argument all day long that a hemp drink is
• producers, hemp drink producers, and everything, but right now that... you know previously up here talked
• buy up some of these hemp producers, hemp drink producers, and everything.
• drinks.
• But again, going back to what I said earlier, I strongly believe that these hemp drinks are a much safer

Keywords: 977, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I also want to echo Liz's points regarding hemp legislation.
• And if you said a drink, you're I think partly there.
• Hemp products—we need more and more products to sell in the stores.
• We did carry the hemp beverages before they were banned.
• We did carry the hemp beverages before they were banned.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure held a public hearing on a wide range of alcohol, liquor licensing, and hemp-derived beverage bills. Early in the hearing, there was a procedural dispute when Senator Jacob Oliveira attempted to testify virtually on S. 279; the House chairs declined to recognize virtual testimony from a committee member, and Senator Pavel Payano instead read prepared remarks supporting the bill to return liquor license authority to municipalities. The committee then heard testimony on H. 437/S. 279 from the Massachusetts Municipal Association and Cohasset Town Manager Christopher Senior, both of whom argued that local control would streamline licensing, better match modern community needs, and support downtown economic development. A Lexington business owner also supported local licensing flexibility for a paint-and-sip business seeking a beer and wine license. The committee also heard extensive testimony on hemp-derived beverage regulation, including H. 357 and S. 222. Supporters from the Commonwealth Beverage Coalition and Theory Wellness said the products are already widely available in unregulated settings, including gas stations and smoke shops, and argued for a regulated framework with age limits, testing, labeling, and local public health funding. The Massachusetts Brewers Guild supported regulation of low-dose hemp beverages but asked that breweries be allowed to participate using their existing retail and distribution rights. The Guild also supported H. 478, which would allow limited self-distribution by pub breweries, saying it would reduce inefficiency and help small breweries grow. Several bills modernizing alcohol licensing laws were also discussed. Representative Ruel supported H. 477, describing it as a cleanup measure that would remove the contiguous-premises requirement, add a character standard for applicants, and extend public notice periods. Representative Sangiolo testified in support of H. 3893, a local liquor-license bill tied to economic development and new businesses in Lexington, including a movie theater, coffee shop, and paint studio. Fable Brewing Company also supported the local license bill, saying the licenses are needed before they can finalize leases and open. The committee then heard opposition from the Massachusetts Package Stores Association and several retailers, who warned that the retail tier is under pressure from oversaturation, declining revenues, and expanded competition, and opposed a long list of bills they said would further weaken existing stores or the three-tier system. At the end of the hearing, Representative McKenna testified in support of H. 437 and S. 279, emphasizing municipal autonomy and the importance of on-premises licenses for restaurants and other economic-development projects. The chairs noted that additional written testimony could still be submitted on bills that did not receive in-person testimony. The hearing concluded with a motion by Representative Sangiolo, seconded by Representative LeBoeuf, to close the hearing, which passed by voice vote.