Transcript Highlights:

• Members, current law does not explicitly prevent persons required to register as sex offenders from seeking
• Members, current law does not explicitly prevent persons required to register as sex offenders from seeking
• or holding Thank you. not explicitly prevent persons required to register as sex offenders from seeking

Bills: HB4 , HB20

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard a series of higher education and K-12 bills, initially without a quorum and with several measures left pending subject to the call of the chair. Early bills included HB 1868, which would direct a study on lowering the dual-credit funding threshold for public junior colleges from 15 to 9 semester credit hours; HB 2598, which would replace statutory references to “licensed specialist in school psychology” with “school psychologist”; HB 3629, which would bar registered sex offenders from serving on independent school district boards of trustees; and HB 4361, which would require the Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules for timely emergency notifications at public institutions of higher education. Each received brief sponsor explanations, no opposition testimony, and was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4848, requiring public higher education systems to ensure at least one institution offers affordable competency-based bachelor’s degree programs in high-demand fields, and HB 1211, which would remove the age 25 deadline for former foster youth to use public college tuition waivers. HB 1211 drew extensive supportive testimony from Texas CASA, a former foster youth who benefited from the waiver, and a current student headed to medical school, all arguing the change would better match the realities faced by youth aging out of care. Members discussed the bill’s fiscal uncertainty and the argument that the waiver is an investment in workforce participation; the bill was left pending. Later, the committee heard HB 20, creating an Applied Sciences Pathway Program to let high school students earn certificates in targeted industries such as welding, plumbing, electrical work, manufacturing, and oil and gas while in school. Industry and workforce groups strongly supported the bill as a way to address labor shortages, while Texas 2036 raised concerns about allowing applied versions of core academic courses to substitute for traditional instruction. HB 4687, which would extend governmental immunity protections to certain campus/district charter schools and adult charter high schools, also received support from a charter-school attorney who said it would align statutes with existing case law and not expand charter rights. HB 4236, as substituted, would create a study group to examine the property value study’s effect on school finance and alternative valuation methods; it was adopted as a committee substitute and left pending. The committee also heard HB 824 on civics instruction in high school government courses and HB 2243, which would create a commission on teacher job satisfaction and retention; the latter prompted debate over removing “ethnic diversity” language from the commission’s makeup. After adopting the substitute for HB 2243 by roll call, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, because, I mean, obviously, we want to do anything we can to prevent.
• I'm 100% to do anything and everything we can to prevent things.
• We want to do what is preventing the problem, and that's what you said. Prevention is the goal.
• Prevention is the goal. But what do you do about what's already happened?
• Prevention has to happen, but what's done is done.

Bills: HB4 , HB20

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2853, which would allow the UT System Board of Regents to adjust the University of Texas at El Paso student union fee above the current statutory cap, subject to student approval, to help fund a new student union building. Senator Blanco explained the bill and the committee substitute, there were no questions or witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending subject to the call of the chair. The committee then heard House Bill 610, which would limit severance payments for terminated independent school district superintendents to six months’ salary and benefits. Senator Paxton described large severance payouts and said the bill had passed the House overwhelmingly. There were no witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the bill was left pending. A lengthy hearing followed on House Bill 4623, which would waive school district immunity in certain cases involving negligent hiring, supervision, or employment of professional school employees who commit abuse or related misconduct against students. Senator Paxton and several witnesses, including survivors and parents, argued the bill was needed to address cover-ups, delayed reporting, and repeated failures to remove dangerous employees; some members raised concerns about liability caps, litigation, and how the bill would interact with the Tort Claims Act. The committee also heard from TEA staff and employee-group witnesses who discussed possible injunctions and stronger no-hire protections. Public testimony was then closed and the bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 4, an accountability and assessment bill that would restore A-F ratings, change the state testing system, and replace STAAR with shorter, more instructionally useful assessments. Senator Bettencourt explained the committee substitute, including annual ratings, limits on taxpayer-funded lawsuits, and a phased-in testing redesign with beginning, middle, and end-of-year assessments. Testimony was generally supportive from education and business groups, though some witnesses favored norm-referenced testing while others emphasized criterion-referenced, TEKS-aligned assessments; one witness noted social studies assessments were restored in the bill. The hearing concluded with additional invited testimony and no final vote reported in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Minnesota absolutely must prevent fraud.
• Minnesota absolutely must prevent fraud.
• Minnesota absolutely must prevent fraud.
• </c> Minnesota absolutely must prevent fraud. Minnesota absolutely must prevent fraud.
• We believe strongly that significant steps must be taken to prevent fraud.

Bills: HF3423 , HF2354 , HF3634

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: healthcare, provider enrollment, medical assistance, legislation, state funds, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, service verification, Medicaid, human services, electronic documentation

Transcript Highlights:

• Who goes to Hunger Solutions?
• Who goes to Hunger Solutions?
• Who goes to Hunger Solutions?
• Who goes to Hunger Solutions?
• Who goes to Hunger Solutions?

Bills: SF1959 , HF2444 , SF2298 , HF2445 , SF2216 , HF2443 , HF2130 , HF1943 , HF2436 , HF2442

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: veterans, military affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Military Affairs, omnibus veterans bill, appropriations, National Guard, state active service, armory, State Armory Building Commission, veterans homes, veterans cemeteries, county veterans service office, Minnesota GI Bill, Gold Star families, Blue Star families, Secret War in Laos, Hmong veterans, Laos veterans, special guerrilla units

Transcript Highlights:

• Hunger Solutions is just a pass-through organization at this point, it's my understanding.
• Hunger solutions is just a organization.
• Hunger solutions is just a pass<00:04:36.080><c> through</c><00:04:36.320><c> organization</c><00:04:
• mentioned, just so the committee knows, I did go through three years worth of 990s audits for both Hunger
• mentioned, just so the committee knows, I did go through three years worth of 990s audits for both Hunger

Bills: HF2436 , HF2435

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, healthcare, dementia services, public health funding, opioid prevention, women's health, community health boards, mental health

Transcript Highlights:

• going to the hospital, and that unlicensed respite with a trusted family member or friend could help prevent
• She said unlicensed respite with a trusted family member and a trusted friend could help prevent unnecessary
• I mean, what were they trying to prevent from happening at that time?

Bills: HF729 , HF728

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: human services, provider enrollment, medical assistance, healthcare, housing stabilization, substance use disorder, vulnerable adults, fraud prevention, respite care, children, licensed settings, home and community-based services

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 79 is about preventing that outcome for other New Mexican families.
• $2 million to the Department of Health for fiscal years 2027 and 2028 for mosquito surveillance, prevention
• It prioritizes prevention, protects public health, and uses taxpayer dollars responsibly.
• Our main goal here would be to prevent human and equine, secondarily, but to prevent human illness and
• What are the best prevention procedures? Madam Chair, Senator, thank you for that question.

Bills: SB66 , SB79 , SB108

Committee: Senate Senate Conservation

Keywords: environment, cleanup, contamination, uranium mining, abandoned sites, state funding, mosquito control, public health, surveillance, prevention funds, local government grants, food security, agriculture, food bank, regional program, appropriation

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, what this committee substitute does is prevent any governmental entity in the state, as opposed
• There is an arbitrary permitting process, as well as the weaponization of their zoning code to prevent
• This bill wouldn't prevent you from having it outside of the district, is that correct?
• Is there anything that prevents you from meeting in public restaurants or anything? Like that.
• Is there anything that prevents the MUD from meeting in locations like that?

Bills: HB1835 , HB2561 , HB3630

Committee: House Land & Resource Management

Keywords: manufactured housing, HUD-code, zoning, local government regulations, installation permits, municipal utility district, board meetings, public access, meeting location, transparency, fire prevention, agriculture, local government, fire safety, regulations

Transcript Highlights:

• In his confirmation hearing, the Secretary claimed he claimed suicide prevention was a priority.
• outreach, suicide prevention services, and connections. to VA and community resources.
• Those hotlines and the suicide prevention programs?
• The FOX grants recognize and leverage the role communities play in suicide prevention.
• These interventions are suicide prevention.

Committee: Senate Senate Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: veterans, mental health, suicide prevention, Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Grant Program, HOPE Act, BRAVE Act, Every State Counts for Vets Mental Health Act, advocacy, legislation, mental health resources

Summary: The committee meeting focused primarily on the critical issues surrounding veterans' mental health and suicide prevention. Discussions centered on the reauthorization of essential programs aimed at providing non-clinical support services to veterans, particularly the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. Senators emphasized the urgent need for adequate mental health resources as the suicide rate among veterans remains alarmingly high. Key testimonies were provided by various advocates and officials, illustrating both successful implementations of these programs and areas needing improvement.

Transcript Highlights:

• By developing targeted prevention and treatment strategies. and by launching coordinated awareness and
• HB 1787 is a cancer. prevention bill.
• Strongly enough, this is about preventing cancer.
• Preventing death. It's not forcing anything on anybody. There's no mandate here.
• Why would we not prevent?

Bills: HB 1105 , HB1527 , HB1787 , HB1972 , HB2081 , HB3296 , HB3976 , HB4071 , HB4234 , HB4438 , HB4701 , HB5092 , HB5150 , HB5180 , HB5265 , HB5333 , HJR203

Committee: House Higher Education

Keywords: tuition exemption, paramedics, higher education, laboratory fees, emergency medical services, peace officers, criminal justice, law enforcement, degree programs, public institutions, HB 1787, HPV, human papillomavirus, college health, university health, student health, public health education, prevention program, screening, early detection

Transcript Highlights:

• Senators, this strike-all, really the bill, applies only to new vehicle brands and is designed to prevent
• The bill also seeks to prevent manufacturers from bypassing the Florida dealer franchise laws through
• But this measure is insufficient to prevent bad actors, leaving individuals vulnerable to scams.
• But this measure is suffering insufficient to prevent, is not sufficient enough to prevent bad actors

Bills: S0888 , S1516 , S1562

Committee: Senate Commerce and Tourism

Keywords: professional services, design professionals, contracting parties, indemnification, public policy, caller identification, telecommunications, fraud prevention, STIR/SHAKEN, telecom regulations, call blocking, consumer protection, motor vehicle, franchise, dealership, distribution, licensee, successor, franchise agreement

Transcript Highlights:

• And ultimately, and fundamentally, how are we ensuring that the work that we are doing is preventing
• coalitions and youth prevention campaigns, would continue.
• This is a small highlight of the work by the CARE Fund and why we've done. ...and prevention.
• We offer thanks to the representative for including funding for tobacco prevention efforts here.
• Washington is one of the lowest funded states for tobacco prevention in the nation.

Bills: HB2439 , HB2483 , HB2400

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Business

Keywords: public health, tobacco regulation, smoking cessation, vapor products, health policy, youth prevention, data broker, registry, consumer protection, privacy, data regulation, social media, content creation, online platforms, digital marketing, user-generated content

Bills: SB1369 , SB1570

Committee: House A&B Human Services Subcommittee

Keywords: mental health, crisis services, 988 Lifeline, suicide prevention, behavioral health, revolving fund, child welfare, child safety, administrative transition, Department of Child Safety and Well-being, Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth, juvenile justice, foster care

Bills: HB511 , HB511 , SB364

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Keywords: Fayette County, revenue commissioner, tax assessor, tax collector, consolidation, salary adjustments, public convenience, education, Pledge of Allegiance, prayer in schools, K-12 education, constitutional amendment, violence prevention, conflict resolution, education policy, mediation, high school curriculum

Transcript Highlights:

• looking to expand our resources to improve transportation safety in support of Target Zero and to prevent
• An urban forest management ordinance is a regulation that may limit or prevent the removal of trees on
• So I think that having these heat response plans to prevent patients from coming into the hospital is
• So I think that having these heat response plans to prevent patients from coming into the hospital is
• This bill removes the barriers that prevent cities from using an existing, highly capable public resource

Bills: HB2267 , HB2183 , HB2174 , HB1529

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: urban forestry, local government, environmental policy, tree management, community planning, heat response, counties, public health, emergency management, climate action, crash prevention, traffic safety, roadside regulations, emergency zones, public safety, state legislation, infrastructure, county resources, road construction, maintenance

Transcript Highlights:

• prevention organization.
• prevention organization.
• prevention organization.
• prevention organization.
• prevention organization.

Bills: HB8365 , HB5625 , HCR75 , HB6260 , HB8469

Keywords: monitoring, court appointments, public service, accountability, government oversight, pro bono, reduced fees, cashless bail, criminal justice, public safety, Attorney General, pretrial release, Iran, military force, War Powers Resolution, U.S. Armed Forces, hostilities, Congress, national security, bail fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• That includes investments in prevention programming, culturally specific providers, family prevention
• <01:09:37.799><c> prevention</c><01:09:38.359><c> services</c><01:09:38.839><c> are</c> prevented prevention
• services are prevented prevention services are available<01:09:39.480><c> to</c><01:09:39.640><c> support
• And it'll prevent that horrible story from happening again.
• ><01:26:06.840><c> story</c><01:26:07.720><c> from</c> it'll prevent that horrible story from it'll prevent

Bills: HF3665 , HF3002 , HF4217 , HF4125 , HF4174

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Keywords: foster care, early childhood education, child care programs, placement plan, social services, extended foster care, kinship care, relative custody, permanent legal and physical custody, Northstar kinship assistance, independent living plan, transition services, youth aging out of care, medical assistance, Medicaid, child welfare, children youth and families, out-of-home placement, case plan, relative placement

Transcript Highlights:

• to call a convention, HB 443 could lead to expensive and protracted litigation that could possibly prevent
• prevent an Alabama delegation<00:43:17.200><c> from</c><00:43:17.440><c> being</c><00:43:17.760><c>
• And my conclusion all that the only way that you can prevent a runaway convention is that Congress amends
• </c><00:52:12.240><c> that</c><00:52:12.400><c> you</c><00:52:12.640><c> can</c><00:52:12.800><c> prevent
• </c><00:52:13.040><c> a</c> the only way that you can prevent a the only way that you can prevent a runway

Bills: HB433 , HB443 , HB433 , HB443

Committee: House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections

Keywords: tax distribution, Talladega County, economic development, public safety, rural infrastructure, HB443, Underground Damage Prevention Program, One-Call Notification System, utility locate, dig law, excavation safety, damage prevention, underground utilities, pipeline safety, public utilities, buried facilities, excavation notice, demolition notice, Alabama Public Service Commission, sunset extension

Bills: SB205 , SB242 , SB205 , SB242

Committee: House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure

Keywords: appropriation, education funding, priority schools, Alabama education, State Department of Education, codification, state law, legal revisions, Alabama code, legislative updates, underground damage prevention, notification system, construction safety, infrastructure, commercial driver license, English proficiency, work authorization, impoundment, false documentation

Transcript Highlights:

• It focuses a lot on proactive, preventative training.
• Chair, Senator Kavanaugh, yeah, it does look to me that it's focused on prevention, and thank you. care
• I don't remember the exact details of the other, but this leans heavily on prevention, also dealing with
• Chair, Senator Kavanaugh, yeah, it does look to me that it's focused on prevention and, Thank you.
• Yeah, it does look to me that it's focused on prevention and mental wellness strategies.

Bills: SB1216 , SB1391 , SB1493 , SB1520

Committees: House Public Safety & Law Enforcement , House House Public Safety & Law Enforcement Committee of Reference

Keywords: trauma, public safety, counseling, mental health, employee benefits, law enforcement, stress management, suicide prevention, workforce readiness, disciplinary action, appeals, termination, superior court, investigative process, reinstatement, immigration, data sharing, federal government, undocumented immigrants, visa overstays