Transcript Highlights:

• These bills were negotiated in working groups mostly instead of conference committees.
• These bills were negotiated in working groups mostly instead of conference committees.
• These bills were negotiated in working groups mostly instead of conference committees.
• <00:15:46.560> mostly negotiated in working groups mostly negotiated in working groups mostly
• dooror working groups? I sure hope not. dooror working groups? I sure hope not.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Nobody's invited me to be involved in the working group.
• So I'm not, I've not been invited to join the working group.
• /c> involved in the working group I was not involved in the working group I was not asked<01:46:42.920
• guess this working group which I thought guess this working group which I thought certainly<01:47
• <01:47:47.840> group been invited to join the working group been invited to join the working

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My former profession was working with students and kids.
• Studi, for your testimony and for your work at USDA.
• Who works harder? Maybe the coal miners, okay.
• Thompson and a group. group of school nutrition professionals that were like-minded in their concern
• This committee has always been a group that works for America. I hope that continues.

Bills: SB222

Keywords: whole milk, school lunch, school meals, National School Lunch Program, Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, Child Nutrition Act, USDA, nutrition standards, dairy, nonfat milk, low-fat milk, reduced-fat milk, lactose-free milk, nondairy beverages, plant-based milk, milk substitution, parental consent, legal guardian, food allergies, allergic reaction

Summary: This meeting of the committee focused primarily on the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, S222, which aims to permit schools to offer a fuller range of milk options, including whole, reduced, and low-fat varieties, that have garnered bipartisan support. Chairman Bozeman opened the session by highlighting concerns over children's nutrition and the obesity epidemic, emphasizing the significance of nutritious school meals in addressing these issues. Experts from various organizations were invited to discuss the implications of this bill as well as the current challenges facing school meal programs, including budget constraints and food supply issues. The meeting included passionate testimonies about the direct impacts of current dietary guidelines and federal funding reductions affecting schools' abilities to provide healthy meal options.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got the report from a group called the 106 Group.
• We're very proud of this work.
• These tribes and groups exist all over the world.
• We are working with our Latino community and other Moorhead residents to ensure we all work together.
• ACER is doing good work.

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:54:02.040> uh Association working group to take a uh Association working group to take
• and the fire council, um, whatever you call your working group, the state auditor's fire working group
• group working group, the state working group working group, the state auditor's<01:52:59.480> fire
• please auditor's fire working group to please auditor's fire working group to please do<01:53:02.080
• We've got to find a way to be able to work with that group.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement met on April 14, 2026, adopted the April 7 minutes, and then took up Senate File 4464, which the chair said would be laid over after hearing testimony. The bill would restore continued health insurance coverage for police officers and firefighters in the PERA Police and Fire Fund who suffer documented physical duty-related injuries, addressing the current 5-year cap and the loss of coverage at normal retirement eligibility. Senator Hal Hoffman and Senator Hoffman’s testimony emphasized that the bill is a narrow fix for injured public safety workers and not a broader restructuring of retirement benefits. Supporters, including Mike Ladue of Law Enforcement Labor Services, several injured officers, Sheriff Ryan Kruger, and Amber Waldner, described the personal and family impacts of severe line-of-duty injuries and argued that coverage should continue to age 65 so families are not left with uncertainty if injuries worsen or force medical retirement. They said the bill would honor the promise made to public safety workers and provide stability for long-term care needs. One witness, Officer Albert, said the 2025 changes significantly reduced the protection he believed he and his family would have if his injury forced retirement. Anne Finn of the League of Minnesota Cities opposed the bill as drafted, warning that restoring coverage to age 65 for all physical injuries would be fiscally unsustainable without additional state funding. She said the 2025 pension changes were part of a negotiated package, noted that duty disability retirements are common, and argued the employer cost could reach about $500,000 per employee and create significant property tax pressure, especially for smaller communities. She urged the committee to work on a broader solution and said revisiting only one part of the 2025 law would create imbalance.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll be reporting out more tomorrow at the working group and at the task force later this month.
• And we've been active members of the Whale Working Group and the Dungeness Crab Task Force.
• to working with the department, and with a working group, to see this process implemented and to ensure
• group to develop science guidance for on an expert scientific working group to develop science guidance
• She also leads the Restoration Working Group, which we're really grateful for.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture held its annual State of the Fishery forum, focusing on salmon, Dungeness crab, kelp, ocean conditions, and related aquaculture and committee reports. Opening remarks from committee leadership emphasized climate impacts, reduced federal NOAA support, state investments through Proposition 4, coastal resilience funding, and the importance of fisheries to rural economies and tribal communities. Secretary of Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot described a decade of drought and climate stress, highlighted progress such as Klamath River dam removal, wetland restoration, and the state’s salmon strategy, and warned that federal funding uncertainty and staffing cuts could undermine restoration and fishery recovery efforts. Senator Cortese raised concerns about illegal cannabis cultivation damaging riparian habitat and water flows, and both Crowfoot and Fish and Wildlife Director Bonham said enforcement against illicit grows remains a major environmental priority but is constrained by resources. Director Bonham provided a broad update on California fisheries, reporting encouraging signs for salmon after several difficult years, including improved ocean conditions, stronger returns in some runs, and successful short recreational openings in 2025. He also noted major challenges, including reduced federal hatchery production at Nimbus, ongoing uncertainty around winter-run and spring-run recovery, and the need for continued habitat restoration, monitoring, and hatchery investment. On Dungeness crab, Bonham said the fishery remained valuable but constrained by whale entanglement risk, warming ocean conditions, and domoic acid concerns; he described new marked-line distribution, ropeless and alternative gear trials, and ongoing aerial and vessel monitoring. He also said the department’s unified cannabis enforcement task force had served numerous warrants and seized large amounts of illegal cannabis, but more funding is needed for sustained operations. In the salmon panel, Yurok Tribe fisheries director McCovey said the Klamath still faces low run sizes, climate-driven warming, wildfire impacts, and federal uncertainty, but he pointed to dam removal, restoration work, and AB 263’s river-flow protections as major advances. PCFFA president Bradshaw stressed that the three consecutive salmon closures have devastated coastal communities and argued for major reinvestment in aging Central Valley hatchery infrastructure and better broodstock management at Fall Creek. CalTrout’s Schneider said salmon remain at risk statewide, but cited Prop 4, habitat reconnection, floodplain restoration, improved water management, and monitoring as the main tools for recovery. In the crab panel, CDFW’s Schumann reported that the 2024–25 season produced record prices per pound and about $55 million in value despite delays and trap reductions, but he warned that three confirmed whale entanglements and elevated whale presence could force a conservative opener for 2025–26. PCFFA’s Domrash supported marked line, alternative gear, and a new gear-recovery network, while also criticizing the current ramp system as a response to a problem not fully grounded in science.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm wondering if a small group could work on this.
• We can work it in under this subcommittee on innovation.
• We did a focus group during that project.
• There are good activities here too to establish a data work group among the state stakeholders and create
• Thank you for pulling the group together. ...well, it just sometimes I think folks who don't work in

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so there's going to be a work group that's going to work on this and maybe Representative Dodo can
• c> to<00:05:34.400> work<00:05:34.560> on a a work group that's going to work on a
• a work group that's going to work on this<00:05:35.039> and<00:05:35.280> maybe<00:05:35.600
• I want to spend a little bit of time talking about the work group for probation officers.
• I want to spend a little bit of time talking about the work group for probation officers.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I applaud the work multiple efforts.
• It didn't work. It is not working.
• Works. Amendments 2 through 4 specify Works.
• We have a great for other groups.
• <01:13:49.560> So, the work we have done thus far. So, the work we have done thus far.

Keywords: House streaming session for Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, quorum call, and approval of the previous day’s journal, then received Senate Bill 890 and several House committee reports. The first major measure taken up was House Bill 627, which establishes a Commission on Histories, Culture, and Civics in Education. Committee amendments clarified the commission’s purpose, membership, and charge to review curriculum materials and school calendars and make recommendations to the State Board of Education and the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Additional amendments added a disability community expert and preamble language. The bill prompted extended debate about whether the commission would promote diversity in curriculum, how it would address religious and ethnic representation, and whether it would include Christian or Catholic perspectives; supporters said it was meant to reflect communities that had requested inclusion and to improve the completeness of Maryland history, while critics questioned the need for a new commission and raised concerns about identity politics and curriculum control. The bill was ordered printed for third reading after second-reader consideration. The House also considered House Bill 1582, the Education Program Accountability, Comprehensive Outcomes and Measures of Progress for Supporting Schools (COMPASS) Act. An amendment removed references to advanced professional certificates and national board certification from school quality indicators and required annual reporting on the relationship between composite scores and concentrations of low-income students. During discussion, members asked whether the bill was changing the scoring system and how much weight academics would carry; the response was that academic indicators would remain a majority of the score, but no single indicator could exceed 20% of the composite. The amendment and favorable report were adopted, and the bill was ordered printed for third reading. The House then took up House Bill 1514 concerning Calvert County county officials and Board of Education salaries and benefits. Committee amendments were technical and removed a benefit provision related to a former commissioner; both the amendment and favorable report were adopted without opposition, and the bill was ordered printed for third reading. Finally, the chamber moved to special order calendar item Senate Bill 283, the Maryland Consolidated Capital Bond Loan of 2026. The House Appropriations Committee presented 198 amendments to the capital budget, describing them as balanced across regions and within debt affordability limits, and began moving the amendments in groups, starting with a technical amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• uh go to a working group potentially. uh go to a working group potentially.
• working group. working group. Um Mr.
• Could go to the working group, too. Could go to the working group, too.
• working group? Uh thank you, Mr. working group? Uh thank you, Mr.
• out of the working group. out of the working group.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, this model works.
• There have been times I was supposed to be off work after working a double, and I would, you know, have
• When you work in a group home, staff's main responsibility is to make sure the individuals are safe and
• For the past couple of years that I've been working in a group home, it is so difficult to pass it.
• Hi, are you working? Welcome. Thank you. Hello. Hi, are you working? Welcome.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee hearing covered a wide range of child welfare, family support, and human services bills. Testimony strongly supported a guaranteed cash stipend for young adults aging out of foster care (S.161), with the Attorney General’s Office, youth advocates, and foster care providers describing high rates of homelessness and poverty after exit from care. Providers also urged action on a resolve to study the foster care liability insurance crisis (H.197/S.1280), saying premiums and coverage losses are forcing program cutbacks and could reduce foster care capacity statewide. Another major topic was a direct care worker medication administration program registry (H.237/S.162), which supporters said would help recruit and train workers, especially bilingual staff, to address workforce shortages in human services. Several bills focused on child protection and child welfare system practices. Supporters of H.267/S.145 called for advance notice to children’s attorneys when placements or other major events change, arguing that timely communication is essential to prevent unnecessary disruption and improve advocacy. Testimony also backed legislation to formally recognize and strengthen children’s advocacy centers and the Massachusetts Children’s Alliance (H.233/S.112), with prosecutors and CAC leaders describing the trauma-informed model as a longstanding, effective response to child abuse and trafficking. A bill to establish a Massachusetts children’s cabinet (S.115) drew support from advocates who said cross-agency coordination is needed to align policy and funding for children’s well-being. The committee also heard testimony on bills addressing safety, equity, and family support. Senator Lovely and survivors supported S.152, which would create a civil cause of action for sexual abuse by adults in positions of authority or trust, with witnesses describing grooming and power imbalances in schools and youth-serving settings. H.274, a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness, was supported by advocates who said it would add anti-discrimination protections and voting and privacy rights amid rising criminalization of homelessness. H.272/S.171 to protect maternal health received support from Rep. Montaño, MLRI, and a physician, who said the bills would make cash assistance available earlier in pregnancy and remove the medical-verification barrier. H.4216 on equitable hair care for children in state custody was supported by social workers and advocates who said hair care is tied to identity, dignity, and mental health. H.255 on empowering early educators drew testimony about barriers faced by renters and condo owners trying to open home-based child care programs. H.217, concerning resources and support for pregnant and parenting families, drew testimony from anti-abortion pregnancy resource center advocates. No votes were taken during the hearing, and several bills had no one signed up to testify or were deferred when witnesses were unavailable.

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, maternal mortality, isn't that an effort work on a particular group of the, for example, group
• And there's a lot of vague words. >> The mean, a lot of things group marginalization can mean a group
• I work in creative industries in volunteer with Girls Rock camp and trans that work helping create inclusive
• That's the way it works right now.
• That is the way it works.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• program that go in to the homes and work program that go in to the homes and work with<00:03:32.560
• <00:03:44.400> that staff with child care other groups that staff with child care other groups
• every age group which is crucial<00:08:51.120> to<00:08:51.360> our<00:08:51.519> working
• together a working group that uh will together a working group that uh will involve<00:09:38.800
• one group. one group.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Families and Children met and heard presentation of Senate Bill 191, a pilot proposal to create the Kentucky Kindergarten Readiness Performance-based Child Care Incentive Program. Senator Danny Carroll explained that the three-year pilot, to be developed with the University of Kentucky College of Education, would reward child care providers or families with a $2,000 payment when a child is found kindergarten-ready, with the award tied to the prior two years of care. He said the program would include child care centers, child care homes, and eligible low-income families, with added supports such as home-visiting resources and curriculum assistance, and would also automatically fund providers caring for children with special needs who cannot be assessed in the same way. Members asked about logistics, eligibility, diversity, and cost. Senator Meredith asked how parents would participate and how many children might be included; Carroll said UK would help define the details and that the pilot would likely use about $2 million in available funds, with a broad enough sample to produce meaningful data. Senator Thomas raised concerns about direct payments to parents and the fiscal implications of scaling the idea; Carroll responded that the pilot would only test the concept, that public pre-K and Head Start would not be included, and that the program would target families eligible for child care assistance. He estimated the broader annual cost, if expanded statewide, could eventually be much higher, but argued the educational and workforce benefits would outweigh the expense. Senator Thomas also asked whether the bill’s reference to diverse providers meant geographic, racial, language, and socioeconomic diversity, and Carroll said that was the intent, with UK given latitude to structure the sample and assessment tool. Another senator supported the bill as a step toward universal pre-K and emphasized that learning begins at birth. The discussion ended with a motion and second on the bill, followed by a roll call vote, but the transcript cuts off before the vote result is stated.

Transcript Highlights:

• ...in ethnic groups. And the third one was: what happens when the Mass.
• And we do have external stakeholders as well, advocacy groups.
• And so we're delighted to be working with the DOC on this endeavor.
• And when we were trying to form that advisory board, we worked with DOC to find the group of folks that
• Work, and we'll figure out how to do that. Visits.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met on January 12 to continue its review of DOC classification practices, with Senator Brownsberger and Representative Hunt co-chairing. After brief discussion of the prior hearing, members said there would likely be another opportunity for additional testimony, including possible video testimony from people inside facilities. The main presentation for the day was DOC’s classification system and a UMass Chan study of whether the system predicts institutional misconduct and whether overrides affect its accuracy or create racial/ethnic bias. DOC officials described the objective point-based classification system, its history, and the role of discretionary and non-discretionary overrides. They said the system is designed to balance public safety and reintegration, with initial classification emphasizing offense history and reclassification emphasizing institutional adjustment. DOC reported that, in the current population, about 16% are classified to maximum security, 74% to medium, and 10% to lower security. They also reviewed the non-discretionary restrictions that keep people out of minimum or medium security, and said discretionary overrides are used less often than the National Institute of Corrections’ suggested ceiling and are reviewed within six months. UMass Chan researchers said their analysis used historical DOC data from 2019 to 2022, focused mainly on about 7,600 male reclassification cases, and found that the scored custody level accurately predicted institutional misconduct. They said the tool performed well on standard statistical measures, but predictive accuracy declined after overrides were applied, with overlap appearing between minimum and medium groups. In a supplementary analysis, they said the loss of accuracy was driven primarily by non-discretionary restrictions rather than discretionary overrides. They also said the study did not find evidence of racial or ethnic bias in the tool itself, and that DOC’s current system is comparatively more lenient than many other states. Members and guests raised concerns about overclassification to medium security, the low share of people in minimum, the role of civil commitment restrictions, and whether the data captured historical bias or individual cases where overrides felt subjective. DOC and UMass Chan responded that the study was group-based, not case-specific, and that minimum-security rates are hard to compare across states because Massachusetts’ prison and county systems differ structurally. The commission did not take a vote or formal action, but asked members to send follow-up data questions by the end of the week for referral to DOC and the researchers.

Transcript Highlights:

• group that met on the first Tuesday following the working group reenactment all agreed in that working
• Every one of them agreed to that in that working group.
• <00:01:52.799> the<00:01:52.960> first the working group that met on the first the
• :01:54.479> working<00:01:54.880> group Tuesday following the working group Tuesday following
• the working group reenactment The other thing I would like to remind the committee is that, um, one,

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• work groups, relying on stakeholders from across the state.
• <00:11:54.320> stakeholders work groups uh relying on stakeholders work groups uh relying
• We have worked tirelessly, and when I say we, I mean Major Hawkins and his group, have worked tirelessly
• We have worked tirelessly, and when I say we, I mean Major Hawkins and his group.
• We have worked tirelessly, and when I say we, I mean Major Hawkins and his group, have worked tirelessly

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened by approving the September 5, 2025 minutes, with one member asking that future minutes use honorifics such as Mr. or Ms. The agenda was then adjusted so Police Standards and Training could present first. Director John Skipa reported on the 2019 performance audit, saying 12 of 16 findings were fully resolved and the remaining items were substantially or partially resolved. He highlighted work on a job task analysis to update curriculum and develop a more realistic physical aptitude test, including possible replacement of the long-used Cooper test and a shift away from mandatory baton training toward electronic weapons training. He said stakeholder work groups would meet in October and November, with a goal of completing the work by the first quarter of 2026. On the strategic planning and performance measurement finding, Skipa said the agency had relied on the 2019 audit and the LEAC report as guides while also implementing a digital records system. He acknowledged that a formal forward-looking strategic plan with the council had not yet been completed, but said he and the council chair wanted to do so, possibly through a retreat-style planning session. Members asked how many LEAC recommendations had been fully implemented; Skipa said he did not know the exact number but believed nearly all of the 22 items assigned to his agency were complete. On the administrative rules finding, he said a part-time former director had been brought back to help revise outdated rules, the council subcommittee had finished its work, and proposed changes would be sent to the full council, then to stakeholders and the public, with a public hearing expected and implementation targeted for 2026. For the Corrections Advisory Committee finding, Skipa said the committee had been reconvened in 2020 and 2021 but had limited usefulness because the statutorily named members were mostly high-level administrators rather than line supervisors or newer corrections staff. He said some positions later went unfilled because of budget and staffing issues, and the committee had not been called back, but he was open to either informal adjustments or possible legislative changes to make the committee more useful. Committee members suggested that the statute may need to be amended to allow more appropriate designees or supervisors to participate. After Police Standards and Training concluded, the committee moved on to the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, where the executive director said he would focus on the partially resolved items in the dental examiner audit and the National Path audit, noting that many changes were tied to recent statutory revisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, and I don't have their breakdown by Medi-Cal and commercial individual, small group, large group
• So we're working with them now.
• And that was, and then they, you know, suggested a group.
• The work that you guys do is saving lives, and the work that you guys do and the folks that you do in
• We greatly appreciate the work.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee held an informational hearing on Kaiser Permanente’s behavioral health care system, focusing on Department of Managed Health Care enforcement actions, Kaiser’s corrective action work plan, and testimony from patients, advocates, and union representatives. DMHC officials reviewed a long history of complaints, surveys, fines, and settlements involving Kaiser’s access to behavioral health services, including deficiencies found in 2012 and 2016, a 2022 non-routine survey, and a 2023 settlement that imposed a $50 million penalty and required $150 million in community investments over five years. DMHC said it continues to monitor Kaiser through quarterly meetings, complaint review, follow-up surveys, and a reimbursement process for members who could not obtain timely in-network care. Committee members pressed DMHC on what “timely access” and continuity of care mean in practice, how virtual care and group therapy fit into the standards, and what triggers a non-routine survey. DMHC said initial behavioral health appointments generally should not take more than two weeks, urgent care should be within days, and follow-up care within 10 days, with out-of-network care required when plans cannot meet standards. Officials also said Kaiser’s initial corrective action work plan lacked detail, but the revised plan was accepted and will be tracked through quarterly reporting and possible additional enforcement if Kaiser fails to comply. The second panel featured testimony from a Kaiser enrollee, a behavioral health policy expert, a Kaiser therapist, and the NUHW president. The enrollee described serious delays and inadequate treatment for his daughter after a suicide attempt, while the therapist and union leader said Kaiser’s behavioral health system is understaffed, relies too heavily on short appointments, group therapy, and webinars, and treats behavioral health as less important than medical-surgical care. They argued Kaiser’s one-appointment-at-a-time scheduling rule and limited treatment time violate parity requirements and harm continuity of care. Several members criticized Kaiser for not appearing at the hearing and said the testimony underscored the need for stronger oversight, clearer metrics, and faster remedies for patients.

Transcript Highlights:

• are enabled by the lower cost air groups are enabled by the lower cost air sensors<00:09:33.160>
• It empowers a citizen group to contribute air monitoring data to supplement government monitoring and
• It empowers a citizen group to contribute air monitoring data to supplement government monitoring and
• It empowers a citizen group to contribute air monitoring data to supplement government monitoring and
• <00:16:19.560> further this bill and I'd love to work further this bill and I'd love to work

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:38 HB 137 Discussion 01:30 HB 137 Roll Call Vote 16:24 HB 196 Discussion 17:21 HB 196 Roll Call Vote 21:59, 958, all

Summary: The Natural Resources and Energy Committee held its first meeting of the 2025 session, welcomed several new members, and confirmed a quorum. The committee first took up House Bill 137 on air quality monitoring. The sponsor and committee substitute were presented as requiring scientifically defensible, quality-assured data for air pollution enforcement, with the sponsor saying citizen complaints could still prompt agency inspections. A Kentucky Resources Council attorney testified in opposition, arguing the bill could limit low-cost community monitoring, conflict with the Clean Air Act’s credible evidence provisions, and undermine community efforts to identify pollution hotspots. After discussion, the committee adopted the substitute and passed HB 137 with favorable expression. The committee then considered House Bill 196, dealing with mining emergency technicians. The sponsor said the bill responds to the decline in coal mining and smaller mine operations, and that it was developed with the Energy and Environment Cabinet and was not opposed by the Kentucky Coal Association or the UMWA. The bill would require one medic for mines with 10 or fewer miners, two for larger operations up to 50, and one additional medic for each additional 50 miners, with the sponsor saying the change would help small mines avoid shutting down shifts when a medic is unavailable. A question about the ratio above 50 was answered by noting the language came from the cabinet and was not being changed. The committee then passed HB 196 with favorable expression. At the close of the meeting, the chair reminded members that the committee would continue using the 24-hour rule for amendments and committee substitutes and that agendas would generally be sent out the day before meetings.

Transcript Highlights:

• completely naked in groups.
• Similar to Emily, I worked jobs and took classes that required these group strip searches.
• It just is not working because it's not working.
• It's not working because they don't have enough to work with. The men don't have enough to do.
• or the treatment isn't working.

Bills: HB1826, HB1969, HB2708, HB2729, HB3618, HB4515, HB4764, SB1021, SB1610

Keywords: mental health, women's health, county jail, depression screening, criminal justice, inmate release, identification certificate, Texas Department of Corrections, personal identification, driver's license, state law, reentry services, nondisclosure, criminal history, criminal defendants, community supervision, misdemeanors, felonies, rehabilitation, hearsay

Summary: The Corrections Committee first took up pending business and reported several previously heard bills favorably to the full House, including HB 1515 and SB 2405, the TDCJ Sunset bill and its Senate companion, HB 5639 on the veteran housing program, HB 2854 on hospital visits as a parole or mandatory supervision condition and related hospital liability, and SB 1080 on occupational licenses for people with criminal convictions. The committee also heard and advanced SB 1080 without amendment, then moved into new business. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 3618, which would limit invasive group strip searches of female inmates in TDCJ facilities. Formerly incarcerated women and advocates testified in support, describing humiliation, trauma, barriers to programming, and arguing that searches were often ineffective and that contraband more often comes from staff. TDCJ’s resource witness said the agency has looked at technology such as millimeter scanners and is in the process of placing them in facilities, while the bill sponsor said the measure would preserve searches in emergencies and require female officers when women are unclothed. HB 3618 was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4515 on expanding orders of nondisclosure, with the author saying the committee substitute would narrow the bill to marijuana possession only; supporters from Alliance for Safety and Justice and Right on Crime argued it would improve reentry and public safety, while members asked about eligibility and related offenses. HB 1826, requiring depression screenings for pregnant and postpartum incarcerated women, drew support from women’s health advocates and formerly incarcerated witnesses; the bill was left pending. HB 1969, to help people leaving prison renew or obtain driver’s licenses, and HB 2708, expanding nondisclosure eligibility for certain misdemeanor convictions, were also laid out and left pending. Later, the committee heard HB 2729, which would bar hearsay evidence in hearings on violations of release conditions, and SB 1021, which would make stalking convictions ineligible for community supervision and add related victim-protection provisions; both were left pending. SB 1610, addressing civil commitment facility safety, sex offender registration, and penalties for assaults on staff, drew strong opposition from civil commitment residents, family members, and civil rights advocates who argued it was punitive and raised due process concerns; the resource witness said assaults had increased and explained the civil commitment process and existing legal safeguards. Finally, HB 4764 would require TDCJ to report detailed annual data on restrictive housing; supporters said the bill would improve transparency around solitary confinement, and the committee left it pending before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• group. stories ourselves.
• <00:01:21.680> group.
• Because while the working group has eight core duties to perform, there is one overarching goal: that
• 02:16.000> group<00:02:16.319> has >> Because while the working group has >>
• ; Because while the working group has eight<00:02:17.040> core<00:02:17.360> duties<00:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all