Transcript Highlights:

• in which bear hunting would be allowed.
• the process of doing our hunting regulations right now.
• Hunting season. So fall of 27, those would be effective.
• It wouldn't be done in time to capture hunting season. So yeah.
• If we got that done in April, that would give us the 26-27 hunting season that we would be hunting under

Summary: The task force met to review chronic wasting disease (CWD) developments and related management actions. After adopting an amended agenda and approving prior minutes, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries presented an update on the new CWD control area expansion triggered by a positive deer sample from Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area in Concordia Parish. Staff explained the emergency declaration, the enhanced mitigation zone and buffer zone rules, baiting and feeding restrictions, carcass transport limits, and the taxidermy waiver process. Members asked about where the deer may have been exposed, how sampling and surveillance are targeted, how the control area boundaries were drawn, and how the department tracks harvest and sample data. LDWF said the disease appears to be at low prevalence, that the emergency declaration lasts 180 days unless changed, and that a formal notice of intent will follow; the commission may act on the emergency and later rulemaking in time for the next hunting season. The committee also heard from the National Deer Association, which stated that CWD is the most serious long-term threat to wild deer and deer hunting and urged hunters, landowners, scientists, and agencies to work together to slow its spread. The task force then discussed its legislatively assigned report under H.R. ACR 75, with staff outlining five required areas: testing and tracking practices, information sharing and public notification, monitoring captive and wild herds, containment protocols, and needed regulatory updates. Members clarified the timing for recommendations and noted the report is due before the 2027 session, though recommendations can be made earlier. Later, LDWF staff provided retail sales figures showing significant declines in corn and rice bran sales in late 2025 compared with the prior year, attributing the drop to the baiting restrictions in CWD areas and noting impacts on small businesses and local economies. Members discussed the need to present harvest, sample, and DMAP data separately and in map form, while also cautioning that detailed property-level data could create legal or economic concerns; LDWF said it can stratify data by parish, public/private land, and DMAP status without identifying individual hunters or properties. The meeting ended with a public comment thanking Governor Landry for assistance after an ice storm, and the task force adjourned with the next meeting date to be announced.

Transcript Highlights:

• I have friends that I hunt with that are natives, and we go in there and hunt, so on school trust land
• I have friends that I hunt with that are natives, and we go in there and hunt, so on school trust land
• I have friends that I hunt with that are natives, and we go in there and hunt, so on school trust land
• I have friends that I hunt with that are natives, and we go in there and hunt, so on school trust land
• I have friends that I hunt with that are natives, and we go in there and hunt, so on school trust land

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, my name is Michael Dah and I'm the public policy director with Homeline, a statewide tenant advocacy
• Uh, my name is Michael Dah and I'm the public policy director with Homeline, a statewide tenant advocacy
• policy director with Homeline, a public policy director with Homeline, a statewide<00:43:18.079><c> tenant
• </c> statewide tenant advocacy organization. statewide tenant advocacy organization.
• </c> Minnesota's statewide tenant hotline. Minnesota's statewide tenant hotline.

Bills: HF1141

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we're widely recognized as the top five deer hunting state, a top five waterfowl hunting state, certainly
• Just to follow up, are they for someone going in to get a license, say a hunting license.
• because it made them lose their opportunity to hunt.
• The hunting access is...
• When we ask somebody what would... allow you to go hunting more or what limits you from going hunting

Committee: House A&B Select Agencies Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• in which bear hunting would be allowed.
• “We’re in the process of doing our hunting regulations right now.
• “Hunting season. So fall of ’27, those would be effective.
• It wouldn’t be done in time to capture hunting season. So yeah.
• “...if we got that done in April, that would give us the ’26–’27 hunting season that we’d be hunting

Summary: The task force met to handle routine business, including roll call, adoption of the amended agenda, approval of prior minutes, and withdrawal of one agenda item because a presenter could not attend. The main presentation came from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on the recent chronic wasting disease (CWD) emergency declaration and control-area expansion after a positive deer was confirmed in Concordia Parish, including on Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area. LDWF explained the expanded control area, the enhanced mitigation zone where baiting and supplemental feeding are prohibited, the buffer zone rules, carcass transport restrictions, and the taxidermy waiver process. Officials also said the emergency declaration lasts 180 days unless extended or replaced by formal rulemaking, and that the department will pursue a notice of intent process that may or may not mirror the emergency rules. Members asked detailed questions about where the positive deer may have been exposed, how the control-area boundaries were drawn, how many deer were sampled, and how surveillance targets are set. LDWF and Dr. Roberts said the positive likely reflects prior exposure but the source is unknown, that the map follows roads, waterways, and processor locations, and that the deer was sampled through a hunter check-in process with a large sample size from the WMA. They also explained that surveillance goals are based on risk models and that sample collection is voluntary, with costs covered by the department and some federal research funds, not by hunters. Several members asked for better public-facing maps and parish-level data showing harvest, sample goals, and actual samples, while staff noted the information exists and can be stratified, but some harvest totals are delayed by DMAP reporting. The National Deer Association then read a statement saying CWD is the most serious long-term threat to wild deer and deer hunting and that hunters, landowners, scientists, and wildlife agencies must work together to slow its spread. The task force also discussed its legislative charge under HR/ACR 75, with staff outlining five areas for recommendations: testing and tracking practices, interagency information sharing and public notification, monitoring captive and wild herds, containment protocols, and needed statutory or regulatory updates. Members discussed the timeline for recommendations relative to the commission’s April notice-of-intent process and the 2027 reporting deadline. Near the end, two members reported large declines in retail sales of deer feed products since CWD feeding restrictions, and a public comment thanked the governor for assistance after a severe ice storm. The meeting adjourned without any votes beyond adopting the agenda and approving minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Hunt.
• Senator Hunt. Those have it. The amendment is not adopted. Senator Hunt. Mr.
• Senator Hunt. Thank you, Mr. President.
• , Hunt, Hasegawa, Holy, Hunt, Kaufman, King, Krishnadasan, Leas, Lovelett, Lovick, McHugh and Jim, Muzzall
• , Senator Gaynor, Hansen, Harris, Hasagawa, Holy, Hunt, Hunt, Kaufman, King, Krishna Dawson, Leas, Leas

Bills: SB6061 , SB6234 , SB6176 , SB6335 , SB6047 , HB2235 , HB2272 , HB2340 , HB2543 , HB2554 , HB2632 , HB2464 , HB2619 , HB1376 , HB1796 , HB2091 , HB2249 , HB2254 , HB2353 , HB2431 , HB2441 , SB5808 , SB5949 , SB6006 , SB6260 , SB6297 , SB6351 , SB6354 , SB6355 , HB2124 , HB1069 , HB2104 , HB2624

Keywords: tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, sewage, grinder pumps, residential buildings, regulation, construction, vehicle registration, enforcement, renewal, transportation, state law, state commission, infrastructure, traffic safety, responsibilities, state capital projects

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1063, Natural Resources, Hunting Management Amendment. >> The clerk will read the message
• as a commercially reasonable and non-discriminatory ground for a landlord to refuse to rent to a tenant
• </c><00:55:25.200><c> with</c><00:55:25.440><c> a</c> to refuse to rent to a tenant with a to refuse
• to rent to a tenant with a housing<00:55:25.920><c> subsidy.
• Senate Bill 937, Landlord and Tenant — Residential Leases — Protections for Tenant Criminal History Records

Transcript Highlights:

• know that this exists and, hey, if you're looking for new business opportunities, don't forget to hunt
• business opportunities, don't<00:20:55.280><c> forget</c><00:20:55.600><c> to</c><00:20:55.680><c> hunt
• </c><00:20:56.760><c> Kind</c><00:20:56.960><c> of</c><00:20:57.040><c> what</c> don't forget to hunt
• Kind of what don't forget to hunt here.
• So, the city and county is going to be a tenant there on the bottom floor.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Government Operations held an informational briefing with the State Procurement Office on its small business procurement program. SPO staff described the program’s purpose as expanding access to state contracting for small businesses, including veteran-, Native Hawaiian-, and women-owned firms, and said they are seeking to make the current five-year initiative permanent before it ends in June 2027. They reported outreach efforts, a new website and newsletter, statewide surveys, draft administrative rules, and a 38% increase in small business registrations in the HANS database. They also explained that the program is intended to support outreach, education, certification, compliance, and a statewide database to connect agencies with qualified small businesses. Committee members focused heavily on whether the program is producing measurable contract awards, not just registrations. The chair and senators questioned the definition of “small business,” noting that SPO currently relies on SBA standards in HANS and is considering a Hawaii-specific definition based on employees, revenue, and Hawaii residency. Members raised concerns that the data showed only a small number of registered businesses receiving awards and that the database does not yet track awards well enough to evaluate performance. SPO responded that the database has had funding gaps, that the position was only filled in February 2025, and that the agency is still building the system and rules needed to track outcomes accurately. A major theme was how to make the program more effective for very small or “micro” businesses and how to reduce the complexity of state procurement. Members discussed the difference between set-asides and bid preferences, with SPO explaining that set-asides are generally tied to RFPs and preferences to IFBs. The committee suggested that future rules should make participation easier, provide more training and hand-holding, and possibly create pathways for micro businesses or groups of small businesses to bid together. No votes or formal actions were taken; the briefing ended with the committee asking SPO to provide more performance data and clearer information on outreach results and database contents.

Transcript Highlights:

• on Zoom<00:50:59.440><c> um</c><00:51:00.440><c> we</c><00:51:00.599><c> had</c><00:51:00.720><c> tenant
• it's left up to a working group depending on its composition, you know, it can turn out to be a witch hunt
• to</c><01:19:47.080><c> be</c><01:19:47.159><c> a</c><01:19:47.280><c> Witch</c><01:19:47.520><c> Hunt
• </c><01:19:48.000><c> you</c><01:19:48.120><c> know</c> can turn out to be a Witch Hunt you know can
• turn out to be a Witch Hunt you know all<01:19:48.440><c> kinds</c><01:19:48.639><c> of</c><01:19:48.800

Committee: House Agriculture & Food Systems

Transcript Highlights:

• The law requires that utility charges to tenants must be based on actual bills the landlord gets from
• the utility, but often tenants move out on the 5th or 10th of the month before the landlord gets the
• The law requires that utility charges to tenants must be based on actual bills the landlord gets from
• the utility, but often tenants move out on the 5th or 10th of the month before the landlord gets the
• </c> vacating tenants. vacating tenants. Third<02:07:04.160><c> reading.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hunt. Hunt. Kauffman.
• Hunt. Kaufman. Thank you.
• Senator Hunt. Thank you, Mr. President.
• Remarks by Senator Hunt: Thank you, Mr. President.
• Hunt. Hunt. Aye. Offman. King. Krishna Dawson. Leas. Leas. Lovel. Leis. Lovelet. Lovelet. Lovick.

Bills: SCR8410

Keywords: returning bills to house of origin, sine die, end of session, legislative procedure, Rules Committee, third reading, unfinished business, pending bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, joint memorials, special session, bill numbering, legislative records, House of Representatives, Washington Legislature, session adjournment, procedural resolution

Summary: The Senate opened with roll call, colors, pledge, and prayer, then approved the previous day’s journal and received gubernatorial appointments and House messages. It also introduced Senate Bill 6362 and referred it to the Law and Justice Committee. After caucus, the President signed a number of bills in open session. The chamber then took up several House-amended measures. Substitute Senate Bill 6225, a transportation bonding bill, was concurred in and passed 49-0 after remarks that it was needed to support the six-year transportation budget and historic maintenance investments. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6354, allowing direct sales by electric vehicle manufacturers such as Rivian and Lucid, was also concurred in and passed 47-2 after supporters said the House changes lowered consumer fees while preserving the fiscal effect. Engrossed Senate Bill 6228, dealing with tax preferences and pharmacy-related provisions, passed 26-23 after concurrence; Engrossed Senate Bill 6347, concerning estate tax changes, passed 39-10 after concurrence; Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6260, which included changes to transitional kindergarten, National Board bonuses, alternative learning experience, Running Start, and electric bus depreciation, passed 26-23; and Substitute Senate Bill 6355, involving transmission authority governance, transparency, and eminent domain-related sideboards, passed 32-17. The Senate also resolved several House/Senate differences by receding or amending bills. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1408, funding the Seattle Community Development Authority, passed 49-0 after the Senate receded from its amendments. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1295, on literacy-related teacher standards and technical assistance, was returned to second reading, amended with a striking amendment, and then passed 48-1. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2215, concerning Climate Commitment Act compliance obligations for fuel supply, was similarly amended with a negotiated striking amendment to protect good-faith operators and then passed 49-0. The Senate then signed additional bills in open session and recessed for lunch and caucus.

Transcript Highlights:

• The current system has stranded employees who rely on workplace chargers and tenants living in apartments
• Jamil Hunt, security officer and shop steward with SEIU-USWW, in support.

Committee: Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with SB 936 on nitrous oxide sales. Senator Blakespear and supporters, including Orange and Humboldt County supervisors and public safety, medical, waste, and local government groups, argued the bill would curb youth misuse, impaired driving, and hazardous waste by prohibiting retail sale of nitrous oxide canisters larger than eight grams while preserving legitimate uses. There was no lead opposition testimony, though members raised questions about enforcement and existing regulatory agencies. The committee ultimately moved the bill on a due pass basis to Senate Appropriations, with broad support and no recorded opposition at the time of the vote. Members also heard SB 1312 on abandoned cemeteries and SB 1340 on small business contracting transparency. SB 1312 would use the existing cemetery workgroup process to develop recommendations for addressing abandoned cemeteries, with the author and the Cemetery and Mortuary Association describing vandalism, theft, and inadequate endowment funds as ongoing problems. SB 1340 would require state agencies to report more detailed small business contracting information, including actual payments, to the Office of the Small Business Advocate; the Controller’s office supported the measure as a way to improve accountability and help small businesses compete for state work. Both bills were moved forward on due pass motions to Senate Appropriations. The committee also considered SB 903 on artificial intelligence in mental health care, SB 1271 on midwifery preceptor data, and SB 1327 on EV charger accuracy oversight. SB 903 drew strong support from mental health and professional groups that said AI should not replace licensed clinicians, while medical and technology groups opposed it unless amended, warning the definitions were too broad and could hinder beneficial tools and research; the author said the bill was meant to keep a human clinician in the loop and allow administrative uses with consent. SB 1271 was supported by midwives and birth workers who said California needs better data on preceptor capacity to expand training and address maternity care deserts; it advanced to Senate Health. SB 1327 would shift EV charger accuracy oversight from CDFA’s weights and measures division to the California Energy Commission; supporters said this would modernize and standardize enforcement, while county sealers and others opposed the shift as unnecessary, costly, and potentially weakening consumer protections. SB 1327 passed on a divided vote to Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications. Several bills were held on call after votes, and the committee established quorum before taking formal actions.

Transcript Highlights:

• The current system has stranded employees who rely on workplace chargers and tenants living in apartments
• Jamil Hunt, security officer and shop steward with SEIU-USWW, in support.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with SB 936 on nitrous oxide sales. Senator Blakespear and supporters, including Orange County and Humboldt County supervisors, described growing misuse of large nitrous canisters, impaired driving, youth access, and waste and safety problems. There was no formal opposition testimony, and multiple organizations and local governments voiced support. Committee members generally supported the bill but raised questions about enforcement and the role of existing licensing agencies; the author said amendments addressed concerns about balloons and bags. The bill was moved on a due-pass recommendation to Senate Appropriations and left on call. The committee also heard SB 1312 on abandoned cemeteries, SB 1340 on small business procurement reporting, and SB 903 on AI in mental health care. SB 1312 would build on last year’s cemetery workgroup to address abandoned private cemeteries; the author and the Cemetery and Mortuary Association said the bill is intended to use forthcoming recommendations to improve maintenance and oversight. It was moved due pass to Senate Appropriations and left on call. SB 1340 would require state agencies to report contract and payment data involving small businesses to the Office of the Small Business Advocate; the Controller’s office supported the measure, and it was moved due pass to Senate Appropriations and left on call. SB 903 drew the most extensive debate. The bill would restrict the public offering of psychotherapy services through AI unless a licensed professional is involved, require disclosure and informed consent, and preserve confidentiality rules. Supporters argued that chatbots and AI therapy tools can mislead consumers and create safety, bias, and privacy risks, while opponents from the California Medical Association and TechNet warned the definitions were too broad and could hinder beneficial clinical tools, triage, research, and FDA-approved applications. Committee members pressed the author on clarity, administrative uses like note-taking, and whether the bill would allow clinician-supervised AI; the author said the intent is to keep a human clinician in the loop and continue refining the language. The bill was moved to the Senate Privacy, Digital Technology, and Consumer Protection Committee and left on call. Finally, the committee heard SB 1271 on midwifery preceptor data and SB 1327 on EV charger accuracy oversight. SB 1271 would collect data on licensed midwives’ capacity to serve as preceptors to strengthen the training pipeline; supporters described workforce shortages, rural access problems, and closures of labor and delivery units. It was moved due pass to the Senate Health Committee and left on call. SB 1327 would shift EV charger accuracy oversight from CDFA’s Division of Measurement Standards to the California Energy Commission; supporters said this would standardize enforcement and better match the agency already regulating EV infrastructure, while county sealers and others opposed the move as unnecessary, costly, and potentially weakening local consumer protection. The bill was moved due pass to the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee and left on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• baccalaureate diploma of which community activity, or yes, community activity service requirement is a core tenant
• for why they're requesting that information, unfortunately, has oftentimes seemed more like a witch hunt

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• To date, we've sold about as many non-resident hunting licenses as we have in the past.
• licenses that put in for controlled hunts or that aren't hunting deer or elk, but come out here to hunt
• So the way I look at it is anything... ...come out here to hunt bears or other animals.
• Mine aren't hunting, mine are fishing.
• Mine aren't hunting, minor fishing.

Committee: House Resources and Conservation

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill would require the local building department to approve or deny the tenant improvement permit
• Our members have conveyed to us that permit turnaround times for their tenant improvements routinely
• All across the state, even a routine tenant improvement can face a plan check or inspection delay of
• Tenant improvement projects for just basic TIs are facing month-long delays, which drive up costs and
• I've spent the last 15 years of my career managing, owning, and operating small, multi-tenant retail

Committee: House Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1404, fraudulent utility conversion; create crime when landlord fails to pay utilities and tenants
• basically pay based on how much they failed to pay from those utility payments that were paid by their tenants
• were paid those uh utility payments that were paid by<00:28:24.320><c> their</c><00:28:24.520><c> tenants
• </c><00:28:25.560><c> Uh</c><00:28:25.640><c> that's</c><00:28:25.880><c> an</c> by their tenants.
• Uh that's an by their tenants.

Transcript Highlights:

• device, including a ramp, elevator, or handrail that was provided as an amenity at the time that the tenant
• As an amenity at the time that the tenant signed the lease.
• It allows tenants to petition a court to hold their rent in escrow in the event that their landlord does
• Additionally, the bill requires that landlords, if found liable, provide tenants with alternative housing
• issues that are just, these are issues that are important for the safety and well-being of these tenants

Bills: SB1113 , SB1117 , SB1206 , SB1460 , SB1802 , SB1906 , SB1917 , SB2340 , SB2455 , SB2680 , SB2690 , SB705 , SB748

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Summary: The committee took up pending business first and reported several bills favorably, including SB 2139, SB 2610, SB 1856, SB 2530, SB 2401, SB 2858, and SB 3016, with most of those measures moving out on committee substitutes and being sent to the local and uncontested calendar or to the full Senate. The committee also heard SB 1906 on expanding Chapter 342E consumer lending rates; supporters argued it would modernize Texas law and expand access to safe, regulated credit, while opponents from Texas Appleseed and AARP warned it would raise costs on already expensive loans and worsen debt burdens. SB 1906 was left pending after testimony. The committee also reconsidered and re-voted SB 1856 after a procedural issue, with the substitute ultimately adopted and the bill reported favorably. The committee then heard SB 1113, which would clarify that certain vehicle converters, including a Texarkana business, do not need an additional dealer license to sell converted vehicles. The bill’s supporters described a long-standing business model and said the new metal license plate rules had created problems, while the Texas Automobile Dealers Association opposed the bill in its current form and said it could be resolved through DMV action or narrower changes. DMV said it was still researching a possible administrative fix, and SB 1113 was left pending. The committee also heard SB 2680, a Public Information Act cleanup bill dealing with emergency deadlines, business-day exclusions, and litigation timing; broadcasters and other open-government advocates argued the issues were already addressed by prior law and court rulings, while the Attorney General’s office said the bill would help with catastrophe notices and timing conflicts. SB 2680 was left pending. Other bills heard included SB 1117, which would allow any Texas-licensed dentist to administer botulinum toxin neuromodulators for aesthetic purposes in the oral and maxillofacial region; the author and dental witnesses said it would clarify scope and improve access, and the bill was left pending. SB 2340 would clarify the Attorney General’s investigative authority over Texas corporations, including pre-suit depositions and sworn written questions; opponents raised due process and separation-of-powers concerns, and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard SB 705 and SB 748, both TDLR cleanup bills, and SB 1206, which would impose timelines and notice requirements on municipalities reviewing transmission projects; SB 1206 was supported by an electric cooperative and left pending. SB 1460, creating an ethics violation registry tied to licensing consequences, drew constitutional and due-process objections from several witnesses and was also left pending. After a recess, the committee heard SB 1802 on landlord duties to repair mobility assistance devices like elevators and ramps in rental housing, with the author describing prolonged outages affecting seniors; the bill was left pending. Finally, SB 2455, creating an Energy Waste Advisory Committee to coordinate efficiency and demand-response programs, drew support from energy-efficiency and environmental witnesses and was left pending, and SB 2690, targeting deceptive business-certification solicitations, was laid out and opened to testimony before the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• landlords of residential rental properties to disclose certain flood-risk information to potential tenants
• If a tenant is not receive the disclosure and suffer significant losses due to flooding, the tenant can
• to the House bill and a technical amendment on the mobile harm home section and for the landlord tenant
• There's one appearance form Edward Tenant. >> It's a since who we represent any way he waives in support

Transcript Highlights:

• Space Florida's actually just a tenant on NASA federally owned property.
• This is NASA federally on property Space. 70 Florida's actually just a tenant on NASA federally owned
• They are thrilled that Space Florida's a tenant on their property.

Summary: The Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee met to consider several bills, beginning with HB 335 by Representative Kendall, which sought to recognize space as a fifth mode of transportation, give voting rights to ex officio Space Florida board members, and reduce what the sponsor described as unnecessary state oversight of spaceport operations. The bill was presented as a response to feedback from NASA, Space Force, and other federal partners about clarifying the state’s role at federally owned facilities like Kennedy Space Center. Members raised questions about terminology, authority over federal property, and the role of Space Florida; the sponsor said an amendment would remove the voting-rights provision and instead require spaceports to provide an annual list of shovel-ready projects. The amendment was adopted, and HB 335 passed favorably. The committee then unanimously passed HB 885, which designates a road in Baker County near the courthouse in honor of former Representative and Judge John Cruz, and HB 403, which names a portion of the road leading into NAS Pensacola as Warriors Way to honor the sailors killed in the 2019 Pensacola attack and the broader naval community there. Both bills drew brief supportive remarks and no opposition. The committee also considered HB 25, a bridge designation for Coach Wilks, a longtime local basketball coach, and adopted a Senate amendment adding the Dickey Betts Memorial Highway designation on U.S. 41 in Sarasota County. HB 25, as amended, passed unanimously. The meeting concluded with adjournment after all measures on the agenda were reported favorably.