Transcript Highlights:

• I want to thank the members of the committee and staff and stakeholders who have since provided thoughtful
• the original proposal, and I appreciate Chairman Schwertner asking for us to kind of give him some inputs
• natural gas, encounters supply or cost difficulties, so does Dow Chemical, because that is one of their inputs
• We received a lot of input from members on the dais as well as from stakeholders, but the time is ticking
• handwritten slide over the dais comments that he just got me, and we are simulating continued options and input

Bills: HB132, HB 11, HB14, HB132, HB1584, HB1606, HB5061, HB 1041, HB2286

Keywords: nuclear energy, Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, energy policy, regulation repeal, state energy strategy, licensing, reciprocity, regulation, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, interstate agreements, advanced reactors, energy security, grant programs, HB 132, Texas Government Code Chapter 418, Public Information Act, confidential records, homeland security, foreign adversary, terrorism

Summary: The committee first took up pending business and quickly reported several measures favorably, including HB 12, SB 1361, SB 1705, SB 1749, SB 1897, SB 2344, SB 2566, HB 3809, and HB 4215, with most sent to the Local and Uncontested Calendar. HB 12’s substitute clarified a limited midterm review of regulatory agencies tied to Sunset Commission recommendations. SB 2696’s substitute changed med spa regulation from a license to a certificate, with training instead of an exam, plus background checks, continuing education, and two-year renewals. HB 3809 dealt with battery energy storage decommissioning and recycling, and HB 4215 was reported without a substitute. SB 1978, concerning interconnection of electric facilities in ERCOT and federal jurisdiction concerns, was reported out on a 5-3 vote after debate, but then the chair later announced the bill was withdrawn and left pending subject to the call of the chair. HB 1899 was also reported favorably, with one nay. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 14, the advanced nuclear energy bill. Senator Schwertner described it as creating a Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, a nuclear permitting coordinator, a development fund, a completion grant program, and a workforce development program. Testimony was sharply divided. Supporters, including representatives from Fermi America, Dow/X-energy, CPS Energy, Paragon Energy Solutions, Bridge to Nuclear, Aalo Atomics, and the Texas Association of Business, argued that Texas should lead in advanced nuclear, citing future baseload demand, data centers, industrial power needs, supply-chain development, and long-term energy diversification. Opponents, including Public Citizen, Texas Nuclear Watchdogs, Sierra Club, and individual citizens, argued the bill would subsidize unproven, expensive technology, create grants rather than loans, and expose taxpayers to major risk while doing little to meet near-term energy needs. Several members questioned whether the state should fund projects that may not produce grid power for years, and whether the bill’s grant structure and new office were justified. The committee also heard HB 5061, which Senator Schwertner said would prohibit unethical surveillance and misuse of confidential information by state contractors, create a confidential reporting system through the State Auditor’s Office, authorize Texas Rangers investigations, protect whistleblowers, and impose penalties including contract termination, fines, and contracting bans. No public testimony was offered, and the bill was left pending. HB 132, sponsored by Senator Hughes, would extend confidentiality protections for sensitive information to hostile acts by foreign adversaries; it was also left pending after no testimony. HB 1584 was then laid out, with Senator Schwertner explaining it would require utilities to maintain and update priority restoration lists for critical facilities after Hurricane Beryl exposed communication failures, but the transcript cuts off before any action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then, as I've studied it and talked to my schools and things, it's obvious you've taken a lot of input
• We started with a very transparent process of gathering community input, getting stakeholder input, and
• We're very excited about all of these measures and we want all of our stakeholders to be equally excited
• teacher rights and protections coming through the session and other. legislation and your suggestions on input
• Thank you again for your constructive input. I appreciate all of you. Absolutely. Thank you.

Bills: SB26, SB 26

Keywords: teacher compensation, education funding, public school educators, teacher retention, teacher designation, SB 26, Texas Property Code, colonia, colonias, Spanish translation, bilingual contract, real estate contract, executory contract, residential property, border county, international border, economically distressed area, consumer protection, language access, translator certified in Spanish

Transcript Highlights:

• stakeholders. They introduce a bill. stakeholders. They introduce a bill.
• think you know the the stakeholders think you know the the stakeholders heard<01:14:50.800> uh
• made that the existing uh stakeholders made that the existing uh stakeholders have<02:24:47.840>
• We're looking for a little bit of stakeholder input on the DE1.
• excuse me, letting the stakeholders excuse me, letting the stakeholders digest<02:35:26.560>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There was a whole litany of things, and we're continuing to work with stakeholders on that.
• state... ...the interests of many people in the state, but we want to be able to work with our stakeholders
• Thank you for that input. I think, you know, we really need to request this data.
• ' input.
• And so they already have that most of the structure in place, as in you can tell the stakeholders that

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• which is why I personally met with CWA leadership in my office several weeks ago and requested their input
• The independent and tri-stakeholder entity, CIRC, has been very supportive through the And here are some
• To lobby for a plan that is as easy and quick as possible with as little evidence or public input as
• There's a lot of stakeholders engaging on both sides on this issue.
• So let me thank all the stakeholders who have come to testify today on both sides.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• fiscal year, and we've incorporated all of that work based on external and internal feedback from stakeholders
• And so in this scenario, the stakeholder group—you went through these different sort of possibilities
• We also would work with both stakeholder groups as well as trusted advisors that we have a state... .
• So thank you for that input and feedback, Mr. Smallwood-Quivas.
• It is complicated, many stakeholders involved. We're hearing it here in a committee of four people.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The subcommittee heard May Revision proposals focused on housing, homelessness, and related administrative changes, and took no votes, holding items open for later action. Item 1 would realign staff positions and resources as part of the Governor’s housing and homelessness reorganization, including shifting two Cal ICH positions to HCD, moving one Cal ICH position for communications/external affairs, and authorizing a chief deputy director at the new Housing Development Finance Committee. Administration witnesses said the changes were technical and net zero-cost, while the LAO recommended approval but asked for clarification on funding for the chief deputy. Several senators questioned whether the staffing shifts would weaken Cal ICH’s homelessness work and whether adding communications capacity was appropriate without new housing funding. Item 2 proposed creating a $100 million Disaster Rebuilding Fund at CalHFA, with $56 million General Fund and $44 million in existing National Mortgage Settlement funds, to support disaster-impacted homeowners through tools such as loan loss guarantees and interest rate buy-downs. CalHFA said the fund would help homeowners bridge the gap between insurance proceeds and rebuilding costs and would work through approved lenders. The LAO raised concerns about the lack of alternatives in the proposal, the broad discretion left to CalHFA in program design, and the General Fund cost. Senators pressed for more detail on eligibility, equity safeguards, lender oversight, and how many homeowners would actually benefit, with some warning the proposal was too open-ended and could miss the most vulnerable households. Item 3 addressed trailer bill language for HAP Round 7, including a proposed $500 million General Fund allocation tied to new accountability measures, pro-housing designation requirements for 14 large cities and 11 counties, local match requirements, streamlined system performance metrics, and recapture/reallocation of unspent funds. HCD said the proposal would avoid a new application process by treating Round 7 as additional disbursements of Round 6 and would provide technical assistance to jurisdictions. The LAO and several senators questioned the timing, the burden of pro-housing designation and local match requirements, the vagueness of some standards, and whether the proposal would delay rather than speed up funding. Members also debated whether the trailer bill preserved or weakened existing homelessness accountability metrics and whether the approach was too complicated given local budget pressures and ongoing homelessness needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know there's a stakeholder group.
• Once the stakeholder group convenes, we can accelerate the rollout of their rates.
• input to inform decision-making through a two-pronged approach.
• Key design options will be discussed with stakeholders throughout 2025 and into 2026.
• The trailer provides for stakeholder engagement in the development of the hospital value strategy.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill came out of a working group that met monthly 2023 to 2024 involving stakeholders at all levels
• The changes proposed here reflect the work of a working group that represented all the stakeholders and
• in 2023, and it requested the Developmental Disabilities Council to convene a working group of stakeholders
• Committee substitute and 213 is that this includes additional requirements that resulted from some input

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have some industry stakeholders here today and they can further elaborate, but it's important to note
• difference between the triennial process, which is a very methodical, thorough process involving stakeholders
• You're going to have 482 angry cities across California when you move this so quickly without their input
• I know that you are going to continue to meet with stakeholders both for and against the bill and appreciate

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that we're really looking at safety, cost-effectiveness, community input, and the statutory goals
• <01:02:05.040> and cost-effectiveness community input and cost-effectiveness community input
• and<01:02:24.200> that stakeholder input is structured and that stakeholder input is structured
• Clearly, there are other stakeholders Clearly, there are other stakeholders who<01:36:12.840>
• unrecognized stakeholders unrecognized stakeholders um<01:36:33.240> in<01:36:33.360>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Input from the attorney general's office, from the Department of Agriculture, and from the Department
• Attorney General's office had input ramping up the penalties for egg crimes.
• started out as three separate bills. started out as three separate bills. input<01:57:00.639>
• from<01:57:00.880> the<01:57:01.040> attorney<01:57:01.440> general's input
• Attorney General's office had input do.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Implement our input. So by and large, you would say that currently it's just being ignored.
• You could take that input and do nothing with it.
• And thank you for your input on that. Okay, thank you, sir. We'll move to public testimony.
• meeting without public input?
• For those that can't attend the meeting, they can then provide that input in writing.

Bills: SB3074, HB49, HB2440, HB3556, HB3619, HB3866, HB4042, HB4112, HB4271, HB4413, HB4426, HB5033, HB49

Keywords: SB 3074, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Water Code, permit applications, environmental permitting, administrative record, ex parte communications, legislative communications, governor, lieutenant governor, state legislators, district projects, public records, recusal, conflict of interest, substantial interest, agency transparency, environmental regulation, permit renewal

Transcript Highlights:

• We know this issue will require multiple stakeholders to address the steps needed to ensure our towns
• We know this issue will require multiple stakeholders to address the steps needed to ensure our towns
• provide our input input as you see fit. provide our input input as you see fit.
• ,<01:16:41.360> the progress made by the stakeholders, the progress made by the stakeholders
• So to me, a lot more public input.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• representatives from the Florida Recycling Work Group, local governments, and other interested stakeholders
• He works with stakeholders in recreational and commercial fishing communities to promote sustainable
• He works with stakeholders in recreational and commercial fishing communities to promote sustainable
• I want to thank our stakeholders. There were a lot of people who worked to get this...
• I want to thank our stakeholders.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several member introductions recognizing interns, guests, and advocates. The Rules Chair added CS for CS for SB 622 to the special order calendar, and SB 80 on state land management was temporarily postponed. The chamber then moved through a series of bills, often substituting House companions for Senate bills when the measures were identical or nearly identical. The Senate passed SB 200/HB 295 on a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan, requiring DEP to develop a recycling and waste diversion roadmap by 2026; SB 492 on land development and mitigation banking, after adopting amendments related to mitigation credit use and former phosphate mine lands; and SB 494/HB 255 on aggravated animal cruelty, which increases sentencing consequences and creates a searchable FDLE database of convicted animal abusers, with an amendment clarifying the database language. The Senate also passed SB 500/HB 711 establishing the Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism, SB 524/HB 1089 adding Duchenne muscular dystrophy to newborn screening, SB 592/HB 393 revising the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program, SB 742/HB 1145 on workforce education, SB 936/HB 827 on a statewide study of automation and workforce impact, SB 964/HB 181 on parole guidelines, SB 976/HB 901 on court-appointed psychologists, SB 1084/HB 1451 on sexual cyber harassment, and SB 1156 on a home health aid program for medically fragile children. Most of these bills were adopted after brief sponsor explanations, questions, and in some cases amendments or House-substitute motions. Debate centered on several policy issues. Senators raised concerns about the constitutional and environmental implications of mitigation banking credits in SB 492, the scope and privacy implications of the animal abuse database in SB 494, the funding and eligibility details of the condo resilience program in SB 592, and the public-school/charter-school balance in SB 822, which drew extensive questioning about enrollment, governance, discipline, accountability, and data sharing before being placed on the third-reading calendar after amendments. The Spectrum Alert bill drew support from members who compared it to the Purple Alert and emphasized the risks faced by children with ASD. The medically fragile children home health aid bill also drew strong support, with senators describing it as a long-needed fix to help families provide in-home care without losing Medicaid coverage. Votes on the measures reported in the transcript were overwhelmingly favorable, with bills passing by margins such as 38-0, 35-3, 37-0, 36-0, and 35-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• that will address some of the drafting areas, as well as incorporate feedback from some of the stakeholders
• Our office has worked diligently with our first responders, stakeholders, and community partners.
• We worked with our stakeholders and partners.
• and stakeholders who are voluntarily seeking to make our system better.
• That's good input; I appreciate that. Thank you. All right, members, any other questions?

Bills: SB397, SB481, SB596, SB760, SB855, SB1195, SB1196, SB1233, SB1257, SB1318, SB1368, SB1388, SB1398, SB1524, SB1558, SB1589, SB1677, SB1792, SB2034

Keywords: SB 397, telemedicine, telehealth, teledentistry, remote care, virtual care, consent documentation, patient consent, data collection, data sharing, audio-only telehealth, in-person examination, irreversible medical procedure, health professional regulation, Occupations Code, Texas Health and Human Services, medical records, provider compliance, data privacy, consumer rights

Transcript Highlights:

• but at the same time of having the input but at the same time I<00:16:08.279> do<00:16:08.560
• And I strive to have good bills, but I realize that with input from others, we can make better bills.
• <00:27:49.880> from<00:27:50.559> uh realize um that with input from uh realize um
• that with input from uh others<00:27:51.600> we<00:27:51.799> can<00:27:52.279> can<
• have to get a lot of input from a lot<01:02:45.079> of<01:02:45.319> stakeholders<01:02

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Based on our engagement with service providers and our stakeholder feedback, the department determined
• And both of these efforts would entail a lot of stakeholder input.
• We would want this to be a transparent process that takes the input of people in the regional center
• So we would plan to have a lot of stakeholder feedback in this process.
• The fact that they are spending the time to learn about the issues, getting to know the stakeholders,

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services held a hearing on the Governor’s May Revision, with no votes taken. The first major discussion focused on child care and early education, including proposed reductions tied to federal Child Care and Development Fund and Proposition 64 revenue changes, the shift of reductions from general child care to the California Alternative Payment Program, the end of funding for prospective pay implementation, a 2.01% cost-of-living adjustment, child care infrastructure grants, and a proposal to increase administrative funding for alternative payment agencies. The Legislative Analyst’s Office generally supported removing prospective pay funding and urged caution on the administrative-rate shift, while also recommending more justification for the slot reduction approach and more detail on infrastructure grant alignment. Committee members strongly objected to eliminating about 6,000 child care slots, arguing the Legislature should preserve and expand child care access. The Department of Education supported the preschool QRIS block grant increase and the COLA but raised concerns about rate alignment for three- and four-year-olds and the lack of funding to maintain enrollment growth. The committee then reviewed trailer bill language affecting child care, including codifying age-based reimbursement categories, expanding documentation for enhanced inclusion rates, clarifying CalWORKs child care eligibility, aligning health and safety standards with federal requirements, coordinating disaster-related infrastructure funding, and updating oversight language. Administration officials said the proposals were intended to support the single reimbursement rate structure, improve safety compliance, and coordinate disaster recovery funding. LAO said it had no major initial concerns with the trailer bill language but would continue reviewing it. The hearing then turned to CalFresh and nutrition programs. CDSS described projected caseload declines, a one-time augmentation for county administration to implement federal H.R. 1 changes, a proposed reassessment schedule for county administrative funding, and updated estimates that H.R. 1 could cut CalFresh funding by $2.3 billion to $3.7 billion annually and affect about 500,000 people. Members pressed the administration on the impact of H.R. 1, the “chilling effect” on immigrant households, county workload, and whether the state should backfill federal cuts, especially for families with children subject to new work requirements. The committee also discussed a one-time CalFood augmentation, state administrative expense funding, staffing for H.R. 1 implementation, and a small increase to the CACFP meal reimbursement rate. Finally, the committee began IHSS items, including the impact of reinstating the Medi-Cal asset limit, automatic IHSS termination tied to Medi-Cal loss, and related savings and caseload estimates, with the administration explaining that these proposals would reduce eligibility and that there is no broad substitute for IHSS for many recipients.

Transcript Highlights:

• Did I hear you say that there will be a public input process in the rulemaking to adopt the rule?
• Did I hear you say that there will be a public input process in the rulemaking to adopt the rule?
• Did I hear you say that there will be a public input process in the rulemaking to adopt the rule?
• Did I hear you say that there will be a public input process in the rulemaking to adopt the rule?
• HEMA is committed to collaborating with DOT and stakeholders to safeguard our harbors.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several measures. On HB 211 relating to stream maintenance, DLNR supported the intent but requested amendments to clarify that responsibility for removing abandoned property rests with the entity that has jurisdiction or ownership of the stream, and asked for appropriations to help cover cleanup costs. Members discussed existing county authority to clean streams and then seek reimbursement from private owners, and the City and County of Honolulu’s written testimony was noted as arguing the bill conflicts with a federal court stipulation requiring notice and storage of personal property before disposal. On HB 502 relating to land use, OPSD and the Land Use Commission supported the bill’s intent but raised concerns about the short timeline and the need for rule changes, with OPSD recommending a more permanent county plan-based district boundary amendment process instead of a temporary one. The Department of Agriculture asked counties to make concurrent revisions to ordinances and rules affecting agricultural land partitioning. Testimony also noted the bill is aimed at legacy agricultural subdivisions and would require Land Use Commission rulemaking. On HB 510 relating to declaration of water shortage and emergency, DLNR and the Board of Water Supply strongly supported the measure, saying it would give CWRM a more timely tool to respond to emergencies outside designated water management areas and would require rulemaking, permit classifications, and criteria for declaring shortages. In response to opposition concerns from the Land Use Research Foundation and the Hawaii Farm Bureau, DLNR said the rulemaking process would allow public input and that permit classifications could help balance agricultural and other water uses. On HB 511 relating to public lands, DLNR, the Department of Agriculture, and Hawaii Farm Bureau supported removing the survey requirement before setting aside public lands between state agencies, saying it would speed Act 90 transfers and save time and money, though one testifier cautioned against misuse of agricultural lands. No votes were taken during the excerpted portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Really, our first priority being to gather input from the experts across our state who are working in
• We also learned that there are very few programs that are designed with input from young people.
• So after we received input from young adults and the professional advisory committee, we asked Harris
• They have clear input on curricula from employers so that students leave educational institutions job
• They have clear input isn't a great fit.

Bills: HF3650, HF2238

Keywords: student career pathways, education framework, experiential learning, employer engagement, career technical education, HF2238, Minnesota, workforce development, construction trades, youth skills training, youth apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, construction training, career and technical education, CTE, child labor laws, minor labor, labor exemption, workforce pipeline, skilled trades

Transcript Highlights:

• a result of several cooperative discussions with the Secretary of State’s office, as well as with input
• a result of several cooperative discussions with the Secretary of State’s office, as well as with input
• The pilot program resulted from cooperative discussions with the Secretary of State’s office and input
• a result of several cooperative discussions with the Secretary of State’s office, as well as with input
• a result of several cooperative discussions with the Secretary of State’s office, as well as with input

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Election Law Committee held an orientation and then opened a public hearing on House Bill 67-FN-A, which would make permanent the use of accessible voting machines in local elections and provide funding for additional systems. The chair outlined committee procedures, noting a heavy workload of roughly 70 to 80 bills, mostly Tuesday meetings, likely time limits on testimony, and a default of executive session unless a bill is specifically noticed. Members and staff were introduced, and the Secretary of State’s office described its election-related responsibilities, including voter registration, cybersecurity, ballot-counting equipment, and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) program. Secretary of State David Scanlan and Deputy Secretary Aon Hennessy explained the current pilot program created by last year’s law, which requires accessible voting systems for local elections and allows the state to share machines with municipalities during the first half of 2025. They said the office has made hardware available, but towns have raised concerns about the speed of implementation and the cost of programming each election, especially for towns with multiple ballot questions. Scanlan said the state is also vetting longer-term options, including devices that could remain in polling places year-round, and suggested the committee consider delaying the bill’s effective date to January 1, 2026 to better align with implementation needs. Hennessy said the current state devices are older and complicated to reset for each election, and estimated programming costs could be about $600 for a small single-election ballot and much higher for towns with multiple elections. Supporters of the bill emphasized the importance of accessible voting for people with disabilities. Representative Robert Wy said the measure builds on 2024 law and would move the pilot into a permanent agreement, citing ADA concerns and prior testimony about discriminatory voting experiences. Fred Forier, a legally blind voter from Exeter, testified that accessible voting systems allow him to vote privately and independently and urged support for the bill. Committee members asked about the gap if the pilot ends before a permanent system is in place and about the cost range for programming. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the committee moved on after public testimony began.