Transcript Highlights:

• I understand this generation that went from time to time again, deployment after deployment, in a different
• The VA and Oracle endangered patients by rushing the deployment, not ensuring the system was technically
• Last month, the VA announced that it would be moving forward with pre-deployment activities at the next

Committee: Senate Senate Veterans' Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Philippine-American War to advocate for medical care, pensions and benefits for those who served overseas

Bills: HCR75 , HCR93 , SB644 , SCR2 , SCR17 , HB2703 , HCR92 , HCR7 , HCR126 , HB1615 , HB1610 , HB1620 , HCR86 , HCR7

Committee: Senate Administration

Keywords: Hemphill, bass fishing, tourism, state recognition, conservation, recreational activities, Nacogdoches, Garden Capital, public gardens, sustainability, horticultural heritage, hospice, palliative care, awareness day, healthcare, patient care, state regulation, taxation, education, local authority

Summary: The Senate Committee on Administration met with six members present and took up several commemorative and code-revision measures, along with one hospice/palliative care resolution. Senator Hall presented HB 2703, designating July as American Patriotism Month, and HCR 7, designating September 29 as Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Day; both drew no public testimony and were reported favorably. Senator Kolkhorst presented HB 1615, a non-substantive Texas Legislative Council recodification bill relating to water and wastewater special districts, which was also reported favorably. Senator Parker presented HCR 86 recognizing Denton’s “31 Days of Denton Halloween,” and Senator Johnson presented HB 1620, another non-substantive code update; both were left pending at first and later reported favorably. Senator Johnson also presented SB 644, creating Hospice and Palliative Care Day on the second Saturday in October, which was left pending and later reported favorably. The committee also heard HCR 75, HCR 93, HCR 126, and HCR 92. HCR 75 concerned a local designation tied to marina/guide services and was left pending initially, then later reported favorably. HCR 93 would renew Nacogdoches as the Garden Capital of Texas, HCR 126 would designate Corrigan as the Timber Products Capital of Texas, and HCR 92 would designate the fourth Thursday in March as Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day; all were heard without public opposition and later reported favorably. Several members emphasized the historical, cultural, or economic significance of the local designations, while the code-update bills were described as non-substantive recodifications prepared by the Texas Legislative Council. After taking up pending business, the committee voted to report the measures favorably, with most also recommended for the May 14, 2025 local and uncontested calendar. The committee certified the local and uncontested calendar list for that date, with some items removed because they had already passed earlier in the day or had other issues. The meeting concluded with a motion to recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• THE DEPARTMENT HAS THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES IN OVERSEAS PROGRAMS AND ENSURES THE SAFETY OF MILLIONS OF

Transcript Highlights:

• like Iron Dome, but as well as the training and preparation necessary to get our forces ready to go overseas

Committee: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

Keywords: spectrum policy, FCC auction authority, national security, innovation, technology development, 9-1-1 modernization, adaptive technologies, China competition

Summary: The meeting centered on the critical examination of spectrum policy and its implications for innovation and national security. The committee discussed the lapse of the FCC's spectrum auction authority, which has been in effect since March 2023, emphasizing the urgency of restoring this authority to maintain U.S. technological leadership against competitors like China. Witnesses provided testimony regarding the need for adaptive and reconfigurable spectrum technologies to enhance communication capabilities for both civilian and military applications. Senator Klobuchar highlighted the importance of modernizing 9-1-1 systems and ensuring robust emergency communication frameworks leveraging new spectrum innovations.

Transcript Highlights:

• their anti-immigrant campaign, the threat of ICE presence at the polls, much less their actual deployment
• His deployment of federalized National Guard soldiers to several cities heightened concerns about election
• state and local police are simply failing to maintain order as it has done to defend its other deployments
• 00:29:24.840><c> other</c> as it has done to defend its other as it has done to defend its other deployments
• </c> deployments of the National Guard. deployments of the National Guard.

Committee: Senate Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• the way for a nuclear fuel facility that will produce nuclear fuel to support the development and deployment
• the way for a nuclear fuel facility that will produce nuclear fuel to support the development and deployment
• of expensive nuclear reactors that should Thank you. to support the development and deployment of expensive
• pushed by the nuclear industry as weakening those protections in the interest of speed of reactor deployment
• We ask that you, a reactor deployment and ultimately nuclear industry profit.

Summary: The committee took up executive action on the capital budget, Proposed Substitute Senate Bill 6003, and several policy bills. Staff described amendments to the capital budget that shifted funding among behavioral health, local/community projects, irrigation projects, and juvenile rehabilitation capacity, plus a technical fix to the water pollution control revolving program. The committee adopted Senator Dozier’s budget-neutral amendment and a technical amendment, then advanced the amended capital budget to the Rules Committee. It also moved House Bills 2441, 2124, 2471, 2133, 2610, and 2338 forward with due-pass recommendations, and advanced Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2251 on Climate Commitment Act accounts to the Transportation Committee after adopting two amendments and withdrawing three others. A major public hearing focused on Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2034, which would terminate and restate LEOFF Plan 1 in 2029, transfer surplus assets, and direct portions to the Climate Commitment Account and the pension funding stabilization account. Staff said the plan is currently about 160% funded and explained the bill’s IRS-review process, statute of limitations, and estimated implementation costs. Testimony was sharply divided: some retirees, firefighters, counties, and cities opposed the bill as an improper use of pension assets and urged benefit enhancements or protection of local medical obligations, while others supported using the surplus for broader public purposes. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee also heard House Bill 2179 on PERS coverage for certain port workers, with ports and the Washington Public Ports Association supporting clarification for railroad employees covered by the federal railroad retirement system. House Bill 1069, allowing Department of Corrections employees to bargain over supplemental retirement benefits, drew support from Teamsters and corrections workers, while House Bill 2091, expanding employee-information sharing with bargaining representatives, drew union support and privacy objections from Washington Policy Center. Finally, Second Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1210 on targeted urban area tax preferences drew support from labor, local governments, and project proponents, and opposition from contractor groups and environmental advocates over project labor agreement requirements and nuclear-related concerns; Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1408 on community preservation and development authorities and Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1974 on land bank authorities for affordable housing were also heard, with both receiving supportive testimony from community and housing advocates.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those funds have been cut by more than one half, with $814 million going to deployment, which is what
• bill was introduced in the United States Senate to claw back everything that was not released for deployment

Committee: House Special Committee on Rural Issues

Transcript Highlights:

• approve the technology roadmap that will be used as a guide for technology needs to support NG911 deployment
• internally within the state and then eventually to the point that we're able to have an actually deployable

Transcript Highlights:

• Center on Early Childhood Education, on broadband, broadband deployment, and on economic development.
• SB 169, the Strategic Economic Development Site Readiness Act, and SB 170, the utility deployment bill

Committee: Senate Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• And you also have an issue with overseas military voters as well.
• c><00:14:00.280><c> an</c><00:14:00.400><c> issue</c><00:14:00.680><c> with</c><00:14:00.960><c> overseas
• </c> you also have an issue with overseas you also have an issue with overseas military<00:14:02.080>

Summary: The committee of conference first resolved House Bill 158, which concerns public inspection of absentee ballot lists. The Senate explained a revised approach that removed the broader bill language and instead directed the Secretary of State to review absentee ballot data after each general election for patterns such as common addresses and to report findings to the committees of jurisdiction. The House agreed to the Senate position, and the conference committee voted unanimously to concur. The committee then took up House Bill 281, dealing with a sortable electronic voter checklist. Members debated the Senate’s removal of language that would have included the absentee ballot mailing address when different from the voter’s registration address. Concerns were raised that releasing mailing addresses could expose where voters are not home and could affect overseas and military voters. The committee also discussed a related form for election officials who personally know a voter, including how long the form would be retained and whether it would be subject to public records law. After further discussion, the House agreed to the Senate changes with an additional requirement that the form be signed, and the committee voted to proceed with the amended Senate position. House Bill 317, concerning verification of a person’s identity by a supervisor of the checklist without identification, was also discussed at length. The Senate’s version preserved the ability for election officials to identify people they know, but required a signed form under penalty of perjury and added a nursing home-related provision. Members described the measure as balancing community-based identification with tighter documentation, and a House witness described local problems with inconsistent ID checks and concerns about voting in nursing homes. The House sought one additional change requiring the nursing home verification form to be signed, and the Senate accepted that addition; the committee then voted to move the bill forward on the consent calendar. The conference committee next considered House Bill 340 on electioneering by public employees. The chair presented a replace-all amendment that tied the definition of electioneering to existing law, added a prohibition on expressly or primarily political surveys, and created a civil penalty of up to $1,000 alongside the misdemeanor penalty. Members discussed clarifying when the misdemeanor versus civil penalty would apply and which categories of public employees were covered. After caucus, the Senate agreed to the House’s replace-all approach with the clarifying changes, and the bill was closed. The committee also resolved House Bill 1062 by agreeing to strike a sunset clause from the Senate version authorizing random audits of citizenship qualifications, and it began discussion of House Bill 1187 on the filing window for special-election candidates, where the House proposed requiring local election officials to arrange a filing time on the same day or next business day after being contacted.

Transcript Highlights:

• difficult based on how the money moves through the ATM and then transactions that typically lead overseas
• The transactions typically lead overseas, outside of our jurisdiction, to recover the funds.
• when our law enforcement and our agencies have trouble trying to track down money that has gone overseas
• when our law enforcement and our agencies have trouble trying to track down money that has gone overseas

Transcript Highlights:

• Not a plan written in California, not a plan shaped from overseas, but an Alabama plan built by Alabama's
• in California, not a plan<01:22:43.360><c> shaped</c><01:22:43.679><c> from</c><01:22:43.920><c> overseas
• ,</c> plan shaped from overseas, plan shaped from overseas, but<01:22:45.679><c> an</c><01:22:46.000>

Transcript Highlights:

• have a constituent, a retired doctor, who spent a great deal of time around the country and working overseas
• 54:16.720><c> country</c><00:54:17.680><c> and</c><00:54:18.079><c> working</c><00:54:18.400><c> overseas
• </c> around the country and working overseas. around the country and working overseas.

Bills: HB0143 , HB0129

Committee: House Labor, Health & Social Services

Transcript Highlights:

• Their sacrifice that they did overseas, they can be treated, but that weight of that service that fell
• These veterans and the veterans' families and their children that live with what those veterans did overseas
• Their sacrifice that they did overseas, they can be treated, but that weight of that service that fell
• These veterans and the veterans' families and their children that live with what those veterans did overseas

Committees: House Education , House House Education Committee of Reference

Transcript Highlights:

• who are taken from their countries and told that they can support their families if they travel overseas
• families<00:13:02.320><c> if</c><00:13:02.480><c> they</c><00:13:02.600><c> travel</c><00:13:03.080><c> overseas
• </c><00:13:04.120><c> And</c> families if they travel overseas.
• And families if they travel overseas.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a common sense way to proceed with members who are deployed overseas.
• members who sense way to proceed with members who are<00:01:34.720><c> deployed</c><00:01:35.119><c> overseas
• It</c><00:01:35.840><c> does</c><00:01:36.000><c> not</c><00:01:36.079><c> allow</c> are deployed overseas
• It does not allow are deployed overseas.

Transcript Highlights:

• educational technical products, and House Bill 727, which is an act relating to sustainable data center deployment
• Navy, for its deployment that ended in 2025. And whereas this outstanding U.S.
• Navy, for its deployment that ended in 2025. And whereas this outstanding U.S.
• c><00:17:52.840><c> Navy</c><00:17:53.120><c> for</c><00:17:53.280><c> its</c><00:17:53.480><c> deployment
• </c> award in the US Navy for its deployment award in the US Navy for its deployment that<00:17:54.320

Transcript Highlights:

• and we're already beginning that part of equipping them, marking them and having them ready for deployment
• and we're already beginning that part of equipping them, marking them and having them ready for deployment
• and we're already beginning that part of equipping them, marking them and having them ready for deployment
• So we just kind of for deployment.
• </c><00:18:04.000><c> and</c><00:18:04.160><c> rescue</c> deployment our local search and rescue deployment

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the August minutes, and heard a brief announcement from Senator Richardson about the Missing in America Project interring unclaimed veterans’ remains at the Western Kentucky Veterans Cemetery in Hopkinsville. He read the names of several veterans being laid to rest with military honors, and the chair thanked the volunteers involved in the effort. The main presentation was an update on Kentucky’s urban search and rescue program from the Department of Military Affairs and Kentucky Emergency Management. Officials said the program is being built around two regional task force hubs, a helicopter aquatic rescue team, an incident support team, and a rescue aid fund for local search and rescue units. They reported that the $8.3 million appropriated for the program in the 2025 budget was fully executed, that $482,670 of the rescue aid fund went to 29 local teams, and that $493,592 has already been allocated in the current year to 36 teams. They also described warehouse and equipment purchases, staffing with full-time and part-time personnel, and a new training site on state property for collapsed-structure and multi-agency exercises. Officials said the program has already been used in recent disasters, including flood response and urban search and rescue operations in several parts of the state, and claimed the effort has impacted more than 1,500 citizens through rescues, evacuations, and related assistance. They said the helicopter aquatic rescue team is fully operational, the task force roster should be finalized by January, incident support should be online by April, and the full program should be deployable by June 30 or July 1, 2026. Members asked about statewide response times, K-9 search capabilities, and the long-term cost of the program, including concerns about reliance on federal matching funds. The presenters said K-9 assets will be part of the task force, that pre-positioning during forecasted storms can reduce response times significantly, and that they would provide more detailed budget information later.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, as you recall, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, BEAD, is under our work as well
• So, as you recall, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, BEAD, is under our work as well
• So, as you recall, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, BEAD, is under our work as well
• Chair. ...federal dollars that are going into deployment, as well as state dollars.
• Then I'd like to go to another page where it says the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• And we can talk about, you know, traveling overseas and seeing people face to face, but at the end of
• 33:13.600><c> you</c><01:33:13.760><c> know,</c><01:33:14.000><c> traveling</c><01:33:14.400><c> overseas
• </c> talk about, you know, traveling overseas talk about, you know, traveling overseas and<01:33:15.280
• And we can talk about, you know, traveling overseas and seeing people face to face, but at the end of