Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Case, Chairman Case. >> Thank you, Mr.
• Senator Case, Chairman Case. >> Thank you, Mr.
• Senator Case, Chairman Case. >> Thank you, Mr.
• Thank you chairman case. case. case.
• A lot of those cases that extreme cases.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I also listed the regulations in case I also listed the regulations in case you<00:26:42.159>
• <00:37:48.640> loads see, COVID um, dropped our case loads see, COVID um, dropped our case
• a decline in cases that come from APS. a decline in cases that come from APS.
• reasons that a case is substantiated? reasons that a case is substantiated?
• that a majority of the um of the cases that a majority of the um of the cases are<00:42:26.880><

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call – 00:00:24 Discussion of The Center for Courageous Kids – 00:02:46 Discussion of Adult Protective Services and State Guardianship Programs – 00:25:22 Discussion of Annual Report of the External Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Panel – 01:00:34 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations – 01:33:41 Adjournment – 01:42:07, 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children opened its first meeting with roll call and a reminder about the number of children in out-of-home care with active placements, which the chair said was 8,641 as of June 1, 2025. The committee then heard a presentation from the Center for Courageous Kids, a donor-funded camp in Scottville that serves children with lifelong illnesses and disabilities at no charge. Representatives described the camp’s year-round family retreats and summer sessions, its medically safe and inclusive model, and examples of campers gaining confidence and independence. They said the camp has served more than 43,000 campers from Kentucky, other states, and other countries, and that it is seeking legislative support for two capital projects: a new art barn and a medical lodge, with a combined request of $3.2 million. Members praised the program and asked about awareness, staffing, volunteer recruitment, accreditation, and how the projects would expand capacity; the camp said the medical lodge would help increase volunteer housing and allow future growth beyond its current summer cap of 128 campers per session. The committee then moved to adult protective services and state guardianship programs. Jessica Wayne, director of the Division of Guardianship, and Cliff Bryant of DCBS explained the legal framework for guardianship and conservatorship, including state guardianship as a last-resort option when no family member or private entity is available or appropriate. They outlined the court petition process, emergency appointments, and the distinction between full and limited guardianship or conservatorship. They emphasized that guardianship is based on legal incapacity to make decisions, not simply on a medical disability diagnosis, and noted that state guardianship can be arranged for some 17-year-olds aging out of youth services. The presenters said the state currently serves 4,645 individuals under guardianship, with most cases involving developmental intellectual disabilities, supported community living waiver participants, and people in nursing homes or long-term care facilities. They also described the division’s three branches: field services, which handles visits and day-to-day decisions in all 120 counties; a benefits branch that applies for public benefits; and a fiduciary branch that manages funds and pays bills. They reported 89 field workers statewide, an average caseload of 52, and said the agency is hiring to reduce that load. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• The thing I wanted to close on was a recent case. The thing I wanted to close on was a recent case.
• And then one of the quotes from the Bogan case: petitioners' actions in this case protected by absolute
• I can share that case with the committee.
• I'd refer you to the case law that exists from that case that just happened about what constitutes legislative
• Love the case cite if you have it.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing opened with committee chairs explaining the Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions’ role under Article 48 and outlining the process for initiative petition 25-14, H5-004, an act to improve access to public records. The first panel consisted of subject-matter experts. William Clark of the National Conference of State Legislatures gave an overview of public records laws across states, noting that all states have some form of open-records law but that exemptions for legislatures vary widely. He discussed common legislative exemptions, legislative privilege, and court cases showing that outcomes often turn on specific constitutional and statutory language. Rebecca Murray, General Counsel for the Secretary of the Commonwealth, described Massachusetts public records trends, saying state agency requests and appeals have risen sharply since the 2017 law update, with 2025 setting a record for appeals. She said the initiative would extend the public records law to the General Court and the Governor’s Office and add exemptions specific to those offices, while also noting resource concerns from the growing volume of requests and appeals.

Transcript Highlights:

• THE AGENCY SIMPLY TAKES A DIFFERENT DECISION IN A CASE OF WHETHER IN A SUNSET PROVISION YOU WOULD NEED
• PROBABLE CAUSE AND REFERRED THE CASE TO DOE IT AVERAGED OVER 600 DAYS.
• AND FROM WHEN DOE GOT THE CASE INTO WHEN THE CASE WAS CLOSED DOE TOOK AN AVERAGE OF LESS THAN 180 DAYS
• 3,000 OF THOSE 6600 CASES INVOLVE CHILD SUPPORT.
• WAS 194 OF OUR CASES. 3,000 CHILD SUPPORT CASES OF OUR 6600 AND ANOTHER 194.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And cases that would be subject to this provision would be nonviolent cases or potentially cases that
• So, that is one of those cases.
• bet You bet anonymously in this case. bet You bet anonymously in this case.
• That would be the best case scenario. That would be the best case scenario.
• Uh yes, that is correct. case but not over 100. case but not over 100.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um [clears throat] administrative cases.
• Um [clears throat] administrative cases.
• Um [clears throat] administrative cases.
• Um [clears throat] administrative cases.
• Um [clears throat] administrative cases.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• case we're not in session or in case something happens or in case Congress has not updated the list
• I understand the need to prove up a case. I understand the need to prove up a case.
• They can prove up the case maybe in other ways. ...time getting there, they can prove up the case maybe
• Those were negligence cases.
• Those were negligence cases.

Bills: SB1540, SB2225, SB2284, SB2382, SB2487, SB2514, SB2595, SB2876, SB2877, SB3031, SB2753

Keywords: election officials, confidentiality, personal information, government transparency, public safety, spirit beverages, alcoholic beverages, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, distribution, taxation, firearms, local regulation, archery equipment, weapons, voter registration, statewide list, county requirements, election integrity, computer services contracts, mental health

Summary: The Senate Committee on State Affairs heard Senate Bill 3031, which would expand aggravated assault to cover certain road-rage shootings involving a person in or traveling to or from a motor vehicle, when a firearm is discharged and causes injury, property damage, or fear of serious bodily injury. Senator Schwertner laid out the bill for the author, described it as closing a gap in the law, and there was no public testimony; the bill was left pending. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2514, a measure by Chairman Hughes aimed at creating a DPS unit to identify, investigate, and monitor hostile foreign influence operations and to require ethics training for state employees. Supportive invited testimony from Dr. Jacqueline Deal, Ambassador Kelly Curry, and Michael Lucci emphasized threats from the Chinese Communist Party, transnational repression, cyber intrusion, and state-level influence efforts, and argued Texas should take a leading role. Public testimony included opposition from speakers who raised concerns about free speech, privacy, and potential overbreadth. The bill was left pending after testimony closed. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 30 as pending business and discussed a committee substitute. Senator Schwertner explained that the substitute would limit admissible medical expense evidence to amounts paid or up to 300% of Medicare, clarify treatment of provider testimony and attorney-referred providers, remove a requirement that plaintiffs use available health insurance to mitigate damages, strike a unanimous-verdict requirement for non-economic damages, and delete a remittitur provision. Senators questioned the impact on sexual assault and child abuse survivors, the use of Medicare as a benchmark, and whether the bill would still allow fair compensation. After discussion, SB 30 was left pending and the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:51:46.240> case<00:51:46.480> follow-ups<00:51:47.440> and making case case
• no case is hopeless, but some cases have a higher chance of success than others.
• no case is hopeless, but some cases have a higher chance of success than others.
• For criminal cases, too.
• Unfortunately, in a lot of cases we have seen that that is not the case.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee held an informational briefing on the impact and legality of federal immigration enforcement efforts in Hawaii, with Chair Carl Rhodes framing it as the sixth and final interim briefing in a series on the rule of law and local effects of federal actions. He said the discussion would focus on due process concerns, questioning and detention of citizens and lawful immigrants, free speech issues, and pressure on state and local law enforcement, and noted the issues may be revisited in the 2026 regular session. There was no public testimony or committee vote; only invited speakers presented. Dr. Amy Agayani opened by arguing that immigrants are integral to Hawaii’s history, economy, and communities, and contrasted that with what she described as harmful narratives portraying immigrants as criminals. She cited figures that one in five Hawaii residents is foreign-born, that immigrants make up about 20% of the labor force and over 27% of entrepreneurs, and that roughly 40,000 people in Hawaii are undocumented, many of whom may have pathways to legal status but face language, information, and court barriers. She also said federal enforcement has expanded beyond undocumented immigrants to include citizens and lawful residents, and warned that attacks on birthright citizenship and visa categories could affect many families. Matina Mock of the legal clinic emphasized the complexity of immigration law and the severe lack of legal representation, noting a nationwide backlog of 11.3 million immigration-related applications and 3.4 million court cases, plus about 1,400 pending immigration cases in Honolulu with only two immigration judges. She said Hawaii has only six or seven nonprofit immigration legal service providers, and that represented clients are far more likely to obtain relief. Mock described a recent case involving a lawful student visa holder who was transferred among multiple federal facilities before being brought to Honolulu without clear notice, which she said illustrated due process violations. She also said ICE activity in Hawaii has sharply increased, with about 150 arrests from January to July 2025, a 380% increase over the same period in 2024, and that many detainees have no criminal record. Stephanie Haro Sevilla and another clinic fellow described 2025 enforcement as a major shift driven by a January executive order, the end of prior limits on arrests in sensitive locations, and arrest quotas they said require 3,000 arrests per day nationwide. They said this has led to arrests without warrants or probable cause, broader targeting of people with minor offenses or no criminal history, and the use of resources from other federal agencies and local law enforcement for civilian immigration enforcement. They also said the federal detention center in Honolulu is holding roughly 40 to 80 civilian detainees on any given day, often in conditions they characterized as prison-like, and warned that the current escalation could eventually affect lawful permanent residents and naturalized citizens. The speakers urged the public to support immigrant-rights advocates and local protective policies and funding measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• Processing contested cases quickly and efficiently is key to our regulatory mission.
• Processing contested cases quickly and efficiently is key to our regulatory mission.
• This includes funding for a case management system for contested cases, which is currently handled manually
• Yes, sir, absolutely, and we represent them as a class when it comes to the actual cases.
• Despite the uptick, we've achieved a remarkable 98% case completion rate within 75 days.

Bills: SB1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met to review Article 8, regulatory agencies, and began Article 9, general provisions, before recessing for floor action. The committee first heard budget presentations from the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC). The PUC budget recommendation was about $5.07 billion in all funds, including an additional $5 billion for the Texas Energy Fund, plus funding for staffing and technology needs tied to contested cases, infrastructure resiliency, and outage mapping. PUC witnesses emphasized the agency’s growing workload, the need for more staff and modern systems, and oversight of the Texas Energy Fund. OPUC’s recommendation was about $6.9 million, with a reduction in authorized FTEs to better match actual staffing; the agency requested additional funding for salaries, expert witnesses, and budget flexibility, and members highlighted OPUC’s role representing residential and small commercial consumers in utility proceedings. The committee then heard from the Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC), whose recommendation was just over $11.2 million. BHEC’s main requests included funding to fill vacant positions, money for continuous National Practitioner Data Bank queries, and a proposed Texas-owned psychology licensing exam in response to concerns about changes to the national exam. Agency leaders also discussed a rider request that would shift responsibility for certain judgments or settlements to the comptroller. Members asked about prior complaint backlogs, and BHEC said those backlogs had been cleared. The Board of Chiropractic Examiners followed, with a recommendation of just under $2.4 million; the board sought support for staffing, training, broadband, and salary retention, and described its work regulating chiropractors and workers’ compensation-related doctors. The Board of Dental Examiners was the last agency heard before the committee recessed. Its recommendation was just under $10 million, and it requested a 10% salary increase for eligible staff, three additional licensing staff, one staff member to handle required background checks, an additional attorney, and an executive director salary adjustment. Dental board witnesses said licensure growth, increased complaints, and low salaries were straining licensing and enforcement operations, even though the agency reported strong performance and high case completion rates. The chair ended the hearing early because the Senate had to return to the floor, and the committee remained in recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• A little over half of the cases closed successfully.
• You can close a case successfully or unsuccessfully.
• The review of child death cases.
• And we reviewed 293 cases, which was 42%.
• So, in 21, we now have only 33 cases That are still remaining open, and then in 24, we only have 93 cases

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, after the Stevens case in 2021.
• Most of the cases have been dismissed.
• Many of the cases, many of the cases that we see investigated... sometimes the issue of race is brought
• Those cases were unsuccessful.
• And in three other cases, the Attorney General dismissed the case before taking it to trial, unable to

Bills: SB5, SB11, SB12, SB9, SB42, SB15, SB5, SB11, SB12, SCR1

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:

• Who should deal with case management?
• That is not case management.
• cases, patients get hurt and even die. cases, patients get hurt and even die.
• And in<00:29:46.880> many<00:29:47.120> cases, in many cases, in many cases, that<00:29
• <01:54:32.400> Then be the case. Then be the case.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:20:03.360> b chapter in a specific funding case b chapter in a specific funding case b
• <00:38:17.800> had in the process once those cases had in the process once those cases had
• attorney says well we've got a good case attorney says well we've got a good case but<00:51:02.000
• I defend and litigate cases.
• right to get any money out of the case right to get any money out of the case um<01:07:54.319>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 733-FN, a bill concerning third-party litigation financing (TPLF). Representative Cole, the prime sponsor, described TPLF as outside investors funding lawsuits in which they have no personal stake, arguing that the practice is largely unregulated, can involve foreign entities, increases litigation abuse, and contributes to higher insurance and consumer costs. He said the bill is modeled on an NCOIL proposal and would require disclosure of TPLF agreements, with guardrails and reporting requirements on specified pages of the bill. He also noted a couple of drafting fixes, including adding the word “knowingly” and incorporating a missing section later. Members raised questions about the bill’s foreign-entity language, especially the provision allowing a governor or the Department of Safety to designate a country as a threat to critical infrastructure. Representative Cole said he would have lawyers review that issue. Another member asked whether the bill would prohibit a party from obtaining outside funding for a lawsuit; Cole clarified that the bill is intended as a reporting measure, not a ban, and that disclosure would be required. He also said the bill is aimed at American citizens rather than foreign-backed financing, and that some states had considered caps on such arrangements, though this bill does not. Brandon Gratz of the Attorney General’s office testified that the enforcement language appears too limited, because it would allow only civil penalties and not broader Consumer Protection Act remedies such as injunctions or restitution. He suggested the Attorney General may not have meaningful authority under the bill as written and raised possible insurance-law issues. Commissioner D.J. Benton-Court of the Insurance Department said the disclosure could help insurers better assess risk and potentially soften the hard insurance market by improving transparency, competition, underwriting, innovation, and claims management. He also said the bill likely needs further work on jurisdiction and enforcement, and that the committee may need to coordinate with the Attorney General, Insurance Department, and possibly banking regulators. No vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• In this situation, there are a lot of firearms that are seized in smuggling cases, human smuggling cases
• , and other cases.
• A lot of these organized crime cases you wrap up 10 or 15 people.
• They're just difficult. cases to work.
• That's why those cases... made the paper. In some of those areas, there were cases like that.

Bills: SB36, SB2202, SB 36

Keywords: homeland security, border security, critical infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, intelligence operations, public-private partnerships, SB 2202, firearm trafficking, gun trafficking, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, Texas-Mexico border, United Mexican States, Mexico, DPS, second-degree felony, weapons transfer, illegal firearms transfer, arms smuggling, cross-border crime

Transcript Highlights:

• Because it's costly to keep them in the case. They want to focus the case on the bad actors.
• in any case.
• a large majority of our cases.
• One of the other cases held up as an example of med mal jury verdicts run amok wasn't a med mal case;
• it was an unfair practices act case.

Transcript Highlights:

• , it just doesn't flow like it's supposed to, and, and in some cases it would, in many cases, it would
• Is, is the question, um, the, the child, it's not a DFPS case?
• In these particular cases, these, these statutes that this bill is addressing.
• And then I I had an open CPS case and then once that case was closed, I became informal.
• It was a Massachusetts case. The child had been removed to Massachusetts.

Bills: HB 26, HB 140, HB 141, HB 142, HB 215

Keywords: Medicaid, nutrition support, maternal health, chronic conditions, pilot program, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, child abuse investigations, child neglect, child exploitation, advisory committee, Family and Protective Services Council, council abolition, foster care, due process, investigative procedures, child welfare, parental rights, family preservation services

Transcript Highlights:

• That's not hearsay. cases. It might be preferred but there's cases.
• We need to tailor it to this case.
• We need to tailor it to this case.
• We need to tailor it to this case.
• investigation or your your case in? investigation or your your case in?

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission met on November 18, 2025, approved the October 14 minutes, and then took up five motions in ethics matters 24LEC3 and 24LEC6. Those motions included a renewed motion to dismiss and motion to quash by Representative Daniel Gberg, a renewed motion to compel/sanctions and continuance request by Mr. Jenkins, and competing motions in limine concerning evidence and redaction of deposition transcripts. Vice Chair Mike Schaw was appointed hearing officer for the motion practice, and the commission agreed to hear the motions one at a time in open session. Representative Chris Lily joined later by Zoom. Counsel for Representative Gberg argued the remaining allegations were minor, that the commission lacked key exculpatory materials such as an alleged LRC report, policies, procedures, and training materials, and that the record did not support the ethics charges. She also argued the case had been broadened by extraneous allegations and that the respondent had been unfairly prejudiced. Enforcement counsel responded that he had produced all materials in his possession, that any LRC materials were not in the commission’s custody, and that the commission’s probable-cause findings were based on sworn testimony and affidavits already in the record. He argued the motions to dismiss and for summary judgment should be denied because genuine issues of material fact remained and the commission had already found probable cause on three ethics violations. Commission members questioned both sides about the alleged LRC report and whether it was part of the commission’s record. The chair stated the commission had not relied on any LRC report and had not withheld anything, while another member emphasized that the proceeding concerned alleged violations of the ethics code, not LRC sexual-harassment policy. A commissioner also noted the unusual structure of the proceeding and questioned whether the complaints, taken as true, stated a basis for dismissal. The transcript ends during continued discussion of the standard for dismissal and summary judgment, with no final ruling on the motions captured in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Defendant Sig Sauer in a recent<00:17:19.120> court<00:17:19.439> case recent court case
• the jury questionnaire from that case the jury questionnaire from that case and<00:20:02.480>
• , to build cases, to build stronger cases, to build cases, to build stronger cases, um<01:12:57.520
• Uh, in a case called Goss v.
• Um we really misconduct cases.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• determined on a case-byase basis. determined on a case-byase basis.
• We got these four guidelines that are good today, but yet it's on a case-by-case basis.
• We got these four guidelines that are good today, but yet it's on a case-by-case basis.
• There is a case-by-case basis.
• So, they're handled on a case-by-case basis.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 40, authored by Representative Burkel, was heard and laid over. The bill would remove the statutory requirement that farmed deer/elk facilities maintain a physical barrier preventing contact with wild deer, and it would also strike language allowing revocation of registration and seizure/destruction of animals for fencing or escape violations. Burkel argued the current law is unfair to deer farmers, treats them differently than other livestock producers, and amounts to a regulatory taking of a legal agricultural enterprise. Supporters from the Minnesota Elk Breeders Association and Minnesota Deer Farmers Association said the 2023 secondary-fence requirement is expensive, difficult to implement on long-established properties, and has pushed some breeders out of the industry. They described costs ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, said the DNR’s guidance is case-by-case and unclear, and argued that the penalty structure is too harsh for what they view as minor or unavoidable escape incidents. One testifier said the industry is being driven out of business and that the state should help pay for the fencing if it remains required. The DNR opposed the bill. Its enforcement representative said the physical-contact barrier is intended to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease transmission and that removing penalties would leave little incentive for compliance. He said the agency continues to work with the roughly 10 noncompliant whitetail farms and that the DNR provides case-by-case review because farm topography varies. In committee questions, members discussed whether wild deer commonly travel along fence lines, whether ear-tagged deer have been found, and whether there is a standard approved fence design; the DNR said there is no single standard fence, only suggestions and review. Representative Burkel closed by reiterating his support for the bill and the committee then laid it over.

Transcript Highlights:

• Most cases are determined by a parole panel of three, where a majority of the cases are determined by
• These kind of cases are probably our most egregious cases and they consist of. aggravated sexual assault
• Parole cases or discretionary mandatory cases.
• We do have two cases currently set for trial.
• This year, but you'll see that the majority of our cases now are juvenile cases that are coming over,

Keywords: 1184, house, all