Transcript Highlights:

• As a result of the 2005 Workers' Compensation Reform, Chapter 504.053 of the Texas Labor Code created
• of Insurance. their performance graded by TDI, just like certified networks. 405 of the Texas Labor Code
• This bill makes a few changes to the labor code to speed up first responders' recovery.
• HB 4415 would amend Labor Code 451.0025. ...to include all public employees, not just first responders
• They were wrestling with, I think it was the Code Construction Act. That's my nerdy stuff.

Bills: HB875, HB1667, HB2369, HB3844, HB4415, HB4479, HB4483, HB4676, HB5118, HB5400, HB5545

Keywords: workers' compensation, municipal construction, bidding requirements, small municipalities, contracting policies, first responders, PTSD, mental health, emergency services, medical expenses, injury claims, insurance carriers, opportunity youth, workforce development, employment, education, federal funds, employment discrimination, immunity waiver, public employees

Transcript Highlights:

• Secondly, the bill changes the building code and fire code appeals process, limiting the jurisdiction
• board of appeals for State Building Code or state fire code disputes.
• <01:01:27.960> zoning Code fire code and Municipal zoning Code fire code and Municipal zoning
• State building codes original fire codes State building codes and<01:03:48.359> ordinances<01
• could serve as the local building code could serve as the local building code board<01:04:12.640

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Municipal and County Government Committee held public hearings on House Bill 471 and House Bill 373. HB 471 would create a temporary commission to study growth, traffic, planning, and land use issues in a group of southern New Hampshire towns, with possible recommendations on regional planning commission boundaries or coordination. Representative Perez said the bill was requested by Londonderry residents and local officials, and Eric Power of Brookline testified in support, saying the towns share corridor and development issues that cross regional planning commission lines. Several members questioned whether existing law already allows towns to form regional planning commissions under RSA 364:6, whether the bill should be broader, and whether the town list should include additional communities. The hearing closed with testimony counts reported as two in support and three opposed on remote sign-in, plus one opposed and one in support on the blue sheet. HB 373, sponsored by Representative Diane Powers, would revise RSA 41:11-a on town property leases. Powers said current law is too restrictive because leases over five years require repeated town votes, which she argued is impractical for long-term arrangements. She cited examples from Hampton and Brookline, including long-term road and property leases, and said she had found multiple similar cases. The bill would keep select board authority for leases under one year, allow a legislative body to authorize a specific longer lease by a three-fifths ballot vote, and preserve the existing five-year blanket leasing authority with a three-fifths vote, while keeping existing leases valid if authority is later rescinded. Eric Power testified in support, describing recurring lease renewals in Brookline and saying longer terms are needed for projects such as housing, cell towers, and solar arrays. Members asked about the change from a simple town vote to a three-fifths threshold and whether the bill duplicates existing mechanisms; Powers said the higher threshold was intended because the leases involve long-term commitments. No votes were taken during the hearing portion described.

Transcript Highlights:

• the Transportation Code, they have no authority to enforce that code outside of a county in which their
• They may not enforce the transportation code.
• Well, there is, but not based on a transportation code violation.
• I think the difference is the penal code is statewide. The transportation code is countywide.
• So you said the transportation code is countywide?

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because we have one code for families.
• when it comes to the tax code. when it comes to the tax code.
• It really tries to right-size the tax code to our economy.
• <00:26:14.679> responds the way that our revenue code responds the way that our revenue code
• stable tax code stable tax code and<00:42:39.560> what<00:42:39.680> we<00:42:39.800

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House File 5055, the governor’s supplemental tax budget. Commissioner of Revenue Paul Marquart outlined the proposal as a balanced budget package that would leave a positive bottom line in the current biennium and beyond. He emphasized family-focused tax relief, especially a new refundable young child credit for children ages 0 to 4, which would provide up to $3,000 for one child or $6,000 for two or more, benefit about 104,000 families, and phase out at higher incomes. He also described federal conformity changes, including updates to business interest deductions, dependent care credits, and Section 179 expensing, along with omitted federal items such as research expensing and opportunity zones due to cost and policy concerns. Marquart also defended broader tax modernization proposals, including expanding the sales tax to selected consumer services such as accounting, banking, brokerage, and legal services while lowering the statewide sales tax rate, and creating a social media tax on consumer data collection that would fund an AI readiness special revenue fund rather than the general fund. He said these changes would make the sales tax less regressive and better aligned with the modern economy. Additional provisions mentioned included a gun-related gross receipts tax on firearms and ammunition, cannabis tax technical changes, historic structure rehabilitation conformity, and added auditors for tax compliance. Testimony from outside groups was mixed. Nan Madden of the Minnesota Budget Project supported the governor’s approach as a response to federal tax and spending changes, praised the decision not to conform to opportunity zones or federal no-tax-on-tips/overtime provisions, and urged even stronger revenue measures. Brian Lake of the Minnesota State Bar Association strongly opposed the proposed sales tax on consumer legal services, arguing it would burden low- and middle-income people in sensitive cases and create unfairness when individuals litigate against the state. Tanner Fritsinger of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees supported the sales tax base expansion and the social media tax as ways to broaden revenue without raising the base rate. The committee chair thanked the commissioner and then began hearing public testimony, with additional testifiers queued up.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think our criminal code I'd like to think it's tight enough.
• to our criminal code, you know, I'm a little cautious.
• <00:32:29.840> I'd I So I I think our criminal code I'd I So I I think our criminal code I'd
• their criminal code to our criminal<00:33:02.200> code,<00:33:03.200> you<00:33:03.360>
• So anything in the criminal code apply.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In reaching this decision, I'm guided by the principles reflected in the Kentucky Code of Judicial Conduct
• That code counsels recusal whenever a judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned, including
• Code of Judicial Conduct,<00:02:03.200> which<00:02:03.520> while<00:02:03.759> not
• <00:02:08.160> that<00:02:08.479> code matters of ethical judgment. that code matters
• of ethical judgment. that code council's<00:02:09.200> recusal<00:02:09.679> whenever<

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met to begin work on three impeachment petitions: one against Ballard County Jailer Eric Copus, one against family court judge Stephanie Pllo, and one against Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Pamela Goodwin. Before moving into executive session, the chair announced that John Blandon would chair any discussion of the Goodwin petition and that the chair would recuse himself from that matter. The chair then read a formal recusal letter into the record, explaining that he was stepping aside from the Goodwin petition because he had received a lawful campaign contribution from the citizen who filed it. He said the recusal was intended to avoid any appearance of impropriety and to preserve public confidence in the impeachment process, while making clear he would continue to preside over the other impeachment matters. The committee then voted to go into executive session to discuss and adopt rules of procedure. The motion was made by Mr. Blandon, seconded by Mrs. Deckard, and approved after roll call. The committee announced it would retire to executive session in room 125.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's a definition in the transportation code, their code.
• Detention, Penal Code 38.04. Unauthorized, correction: Disorderly conduct, Texas Penal Code 42.01.
• Texas Penal Code 49.031.
• Public intoxication, Penal Code 49.02. 49.031, public intoxication, Penal Code 49.02, and the list goes
• It is the definition in the transportation code.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that accurate, or— Chair Kegel, Chair Klein, the goal here is to reimburse by code.
• Madam Chair, Chair Jeske, Chair Jeske, the code is compensated as the code.
• We may be your code is at this level.
• Um, but there isn't a—we're not paying the person based on the code.
• <00:42:18.560> We're person based on the into code. We're person based on the into code.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on a health insurance/home care nursing provision and on other consumer protection items. Nick Keis and Emily Walters, both parents of medically complex children, testified that commercial health plans had recently begun capping home care nursing as if it were intermittent home health visits, which they said was contrary to Minnesota law and legislative intent dating to 2010. They described severe impacts on their families, including hospitalizations, loss of nursing coverage, strain on waiver budgets, and the risk of children being forced out of the home and into institutions. Representative Bierman echoed that the bill was a straightforward clarification of existing law, not a new mandate or added cost, and a staff member later cited the statutory definition of home care nursing as ongoing, continuous nursing services that cannot be met through intermittent or visit-based care. The committee also discussed the practical difference between home health visits and private duty/home care nursing, with testimony emphasizing that the latter is medically necessary, assessed, and not unlimited in practice. Laura Sales of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office testified on changes to the Consumer Protection Restitution Fund (CIPRA). She said the fund has begun distributing restitution, starting with consumers harmed by the closure of Woodbury Dental Arts, but that current statutory language limits the office’s flexibility to prorate payments. She asked for an amendment allowing the AGO to distribute available funds more equitably so more eligible consumers can receive some payment, rather than requiring full payment to the oldest claims first. Annette Meeks, representing Citizens Against Gambling Expansion, testified in support of banning sweepstakes gambling in the Commerce Committee omnibus report. She argued that online sweepstakes casinos are an illegal gray-market form of gambling, cited rapid growth and billions in revenue, and said other states have acted through enforcement and legislation to stop them. She urged the committee to include language from Senate File 4474 to clarify state law and prohibit sweepstakes gambling. No votes were taken in the portion of the meeting shown; members mainly asked questions and received testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Contained in another part of the Local Government Code beyond their intended scopes.
• road standards already in the code without...
• All right, and we know and we move this to the disaster code to follow the other. disaster code changes
• However, some appraisal districts have misinterpreted tax code section.
• treatment under the tax code.

Bills: SB467, SB325, SB867, SB994, SB1052, SB1237, SB1449, SB1531, SB2063, SB2172, SB2173, SB2520, SB2529, SB2538, SB2541, SJR46, SJR84

Keywords: SB 467, Texas property tax, ad valorem tax, homestead exemption, residence homestead, fire damage, house fire, destroyed home, temporary tax relief, appraisal district, chief appraiser, local taxing unit, tax rollback, tax refund, Tax Code Chapter 11, prorated exemption, homestead improvement, disaster relief, property tax exemption, residential property

Transcript Highlights:

• Into each of the different program codes.
• So, program support, the P code is 526.
• Now, moving to the last program code, let's go to page 11. This is Program Code 709.
• If you'd like, I can go P code by P code, but those are the big differences.
• I can go P code by P code, but it sounds like you're good.

Transcript Highlights:

• Building codes. Representative Libum, thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• It does increase the span of the code update from 3 to 6 years.
• Nothing dealing with the basic codes of... Okay, thank you. Yes, ma'am.
• In the major revision that we did, we separated the code sections. ...we separated the code sections
• Oh, well, those code sections are listed in the revised adoption code. Did you get a copy of this?

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Or in 50 million, what is the total coding cost?
• We'll go ahead and we'll go by the agency code as well.
• Number seven, the Medical Board, Agency Code 446.
• Next up, Board of Nursing, Agency Code 449.
• Chairman, we have the Parole Board, Agency Code 760.

Transcript Highlights:

• Even sunscreen has a CPT code for mine.
• That has a CPT code. Well, we're in the law of this state or any other state.
• “But, you know, they also have to fit within that certain billing code.
• The other thing is they talk about insurance codes.
• Pecuniary interest is defined in the new Civil Code or the new Code of Evidence article.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 476, which would add clearer warning language for garnishees responding to interrogatories and create a limited procedure for a new trial when a garnishee can show it never held property or owed the debtor during the garnishment period. After brief questions about how garnishment works, the bill was reported favorably without objection. Senate Bill 260, a youth athletics coaches training bill, was then amended to remove language about the department using donated funds to purchase courses and was reported as amended. House Bill 79, by Chairman Carter, would remove the damages cap for carbon capture release claims. Carter argued carbon capture should be treated like other industries and not receive special liability protection, and the committee reported the bill favorably without objection. The committee also took up Senate Bill 424, which clarifies that electronic service applies only to counsel of record representing a party, and Senate Bill 180, a constitutional amendment allowing a surviving spouse of a deceased disabled veteran to make a one-time transfer of an expanded property tax exemption to another qualifying homestead. SB 180 received a ballot-language amendment and a 6.88 report before being reported as amended. The longest discussion centered on House Bill 1089, which creates “care accounts” for future medical damages in delictual actions. Supporters said the bill would ensure future medical awards are used for medical care, reduce abuse, and function like a restricted account with a card or similar payment mechanism; opponents raised concerns about the account being owned by the judgment debtor, possible reversion of unused funds to the wrong party, administrative confusion, and impacts on survivors of trafficking and sexual abuse who may need flexible, trauma-informed care outside standard billing codes. After extensive testimony and debate, the committee adopted an amendment set and reported the bill favorably by a 6-1 vote, with Representative Carter voting no. Finally, House Bill 437 was heard and amended. The bill would prohibit expert witnesses from having a pecuniary interest in the outcome of the case, while still allowing inquiry into an expert’s prior testimony history. An amendment excluded criminal traffic and juvenile proceedings, and the committee continued discussion with testimony from supporters and opponents as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Even sunscreen has a CPT code for mine.
• The other thing is they talk about insurance codes.
• The other thing is they talk about insurance codes.
• The other thing is they talk about insurance codes.
• Pecuniary interest is defined in the new Civil Code or the new Code of Evidence article.

Bills: HB79, HB437, HB646, HB1089, HB1099, SB173, SB180, SB260, SB424, SB476

Keywords: carbon capture, damages, environmental liability, legal liability, site restoration, expert witness, expert testimony, witness fees, pecuniary interest, conflict of interest, civil procedure, evidence law, Louisiana evidence code, Louisiana civil litigation, expert report, discovery, pretrial disclosure, litigation transparency, settlement, damages award

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 476, which would add clearer warning language for garnishees responding to interrogatories and create a limited procedure for a new trial when a garnishee shows it never held property of, or owed money to, the judgment debtor. After brief questioning about how garnishment works, the bill was reported favorably without objection. The committee then took up Senate Bill 260 on youth athletics, which establishes required injury-mitigation training content for youth sports coaches, including emergency preparedness, concussions, heat injuries, overuse injuries, equipment, heart defects, and sudden cardiac effects. An amendment was adopted to remove language allowing the department to spend donated funds to purchase the courses, and the bill was reported as amended. House Bill 79, which removes the damage threshold for carbon capture release, was also reported favorably after sponsor testimony that carbon capture should be treated like other industries and not receive a special liability cap. Senate Bill 424, clarifying service by mail, delivery, or electronic means by defining “counsel of record” as someone who actually represents a party, was reported favorably as well. Senate Bill 180, a constitutional amendment allowing the surviving spouse of a deceased disabled veteran to make a one-time transfer of an expanded property tax exemption to another qualifying property, received a ballot-language amendment and a 6.8A report, then was reported as amended. The committee spent the most time on House Bill 1089, which creates “care accounts” for future medical damages in delictual actions. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would ensure future medical awards are actually used for medical care, function like a money market/HSA-style account, and potentially reduce costs; opponents raised concerns about the account being owned by the judgment debtor, possible reversion of unused funds to the wrong party, unclear mechanics for payment, and the impact on survivors of trafficking and sexual abuse who may need flexible, non-billing-code-based care. Several members suggested exclusions or clarifying amendments for med-mal, intentional torts, and sexual abuse victims, and the bill was reported favorably on a 6-1 vote after amendment. Finally, House Bill 437 was taken up, which bars expert witnesses from having a pecuniary interest in the outcome of the case. An amendment excluding criminal traffic and juvenile proceedings was adopted, and members discussed that the bill would prohibit contingent-style expert fee arrangements while still allowing cross-examination about an expert’s prior testimony and payment history. The discussion emphasized that the rule would apply to both plaintiffs and defendants.

Transcript Highlights:

• Current election code is sufficient.
• Does that define somewhere else in code? I have just the general emergency services.
• Yeah, this is in the current code, but it is also in this code.
• So if anyone were to remove a sign... ...code, but it is also in this code.
• That's in the current code.

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas statute and the Insurance Code require the following insurance coverages.
• To delete an unused chapter in the Government Code that contains the statute that regulated membership
• It relates to the regulation of code enforcement officers and code enforcement officers in training.
• More important, though, the safeguards that the Business Organizations Code has for entities that you
• , use that language. at ledge council who know the utilities code use that language but I don't think

Bills: HB111

Summary: The committee heard a long series of House bills, with most measures laid out by Senate sponsors and then left pending after brief public testimony. Early bills focused on construction and licensing issues, including HB 305 on prompt payment for public construction audits, HB 5093 on restoring public access to notary contact information, HB 2037 on updating landlord-tenant repair and security deposit rules, HB 4214 on a centralized public information request contact database, and HB 5435 exempting higher education institutions from a 90-day notice requirement for certain public-private partnership projects. Testimony was generally supportive on these bills, and no votes were taken; each was left pending. The committee also considered several transparency and regulatory bills. HB 111 would expand the Public Information Act to certain nonprofit state associations and narrow some attorney-client and working-paper exceptions, with supporters arguing it would improve oversight of public funds and critics questioning the scope and thresholds. HB 5129 would protect occupational license holders’ personal identifying information from disclosure without consent, HB 4350 would allow peace officers to redact personal information from online real property records, HB 4748 would authorize multiple-award state purchasing contracts, and HB 4765 would clean up code enforcement officer licensing rules. HB 4134 would allow motor vehicle creditors to charge limited fees for electronic payment options while requiring a free alternative, and HB 1043 would direct a study of blockchain-based property title records; both drew testimony, with some concern about the practical effects and vendor implications of the blockchain study. Several bills addressed insurance, workforce, and digital-asset regulation. HB 3520 would reduce the insurance coverage required for transportation network companies during the period when a driver is en route to pick up a passenger, drawing support from Texans for Lawsuit Reform and opposition from trial lawyers who argued the higher coverage better protects the public. HB 3320 would create a self-insurance pool for religious institutions, with TDI explaining it would still be regulated but operate under a special statutory framework. HB 4233 would modernize rules for digital asset service providers by removing certain auditor-access requirements and updating reporting and licensing provisions. HB 3923 would reduce bachelor’s-degree requirements for some state jobs, though Every Texan argued low pay, not degree requirements, is the main driver of turnover. HB 4518 would create a legal structure for decentralized unincorporated nonprofit associations tied to blockchain governance; business law experts opposed it as unnecessary and potentially risky, while crypto advocates supported it. Finally, HB 1803 would join an interstate compact for dentists and dental hygienists, with supporters citing workforce shortages and opponents saying Texas already licenses quickly and that the compact could weaken state oversight. Throughout the hearing, the committee repeatedly closed testimony and left bills pending, and a quorum was eventually established before later items were heard.

Transcript Highlights:

• And sometimes those codes are added impermissibly.
• I mentioned coding manipulation, uh, that's depicted on slide 18.
• Is chapter 32 of the Human Resources Code. I mentioned the three-legged stool.
• Uh, but it's still chapter 36 of the Human Resources Code.
• Our statute, chapter 32 of the Human Resources Code.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mentioned coding manipulation that's depicted on slide 18.
• And that's a situation where a provider can add a code to a clinic. name in order to get it paid.
• It's still Chapter 36 of the Human Resources Code.
• Sources Code, which is the civil statute as well as the criminal analog.
• The statute is Chapter 32 of the Human Resources Code. 32 of the Human Resources Code. Yes, sir.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• bill was signed by the president on July 4, 2025, and contained over 100 changes to the federal tax code
• He explained that Massachusetts automatically conforms to the federal corporate tax code, meaning the
• We achieved this largely by exploiting loopholes in states' tax codes, including loopholes that were
• You know, being our tax code is a little complicated.
• That starts with permanently decoupling our tax code from Trump's corporate tax cuts.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a public hearing on H. 4975, Governor Healey’s bill to manage the impact of the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OB3) on Massachusetts tax law and state revenues. Administration officials, led by Secretary of Administration and Finance Matt Gorowitz, said OB3 would otherwise reduce FY26 revenue by about $442 million and argued for a phased-in conformity approach that would preserve the current-year budget while still adopting selected federal business tax provisions over time. The proposal would phase in the research and experimental expenditure deduction first, delay other major corporate provisions for two years, extend the pass-through entity excise to income subject to the 4% surtax, add a one-year delay mechanism for future federal tax changes over $20 million, limit opportunity zone benefits to Massachusetts investments, and make smaller technical changes to DFML contributions and casino reporting thresholds. Committee members questioned the rationale for phasing in rather than fully decoupling, the effect on the budget if the bill did not pass, and the treatment of opportunity zones, the surtax, and future federal tax changes. Public testimony was split. MassBudget, Progressive Massachusetts, and several labor and public-sector groups urged the committee to permanently decouple from the federal corporate tax changes rather than delay them, arguing that the bill would still send state revenue to corporate tax breaks, often for investments outside Massachusetts, and that the state should protect funding for schools, health care, human services, and other public services. The Massachusetts Society of CPAs supported the administration’s timing and the research-and-development provisions, citing filing deadlines and the importance of certainty for businesses and startups. Business and tax experts also testified that rushed conformity can create revenue losses and that the governor’s review-and-delay framework was a prudent improvement, though some said decoupling should be the default if the Legislature does not act. Unite Here Local 26 testified against sections 3 and 4, which would raise the slot-machine jackpot reporting threshold from $1,200 to $2,000, arguing the current threshold helps with problem-gambling intervention, preserves slot attendant jobs, and generates revenue. Several union leaders, including the Massachusetts Teachers Association, AFT Massachusetts, SEIU 509, the Massachusetts Building Trades, the AFL-CIO, and 1199 SEIU, urged permanent decoupling, warning that OB3’s federal tax cuts and related spending reductions would worsen budget pressures, harm public services, and shift costs onto workers, patients, and schools. No votes were taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• The current law under section one of the Business Organizations Code is fairly broad but vague, but..
• . ...of the Business Organizations Code is fairly broad but vague regarding the authority to examine
• If you look in the Business and Commerce Code, Chapter 15, related to antitrust violations, they can
• This code that is being updated with this bill, Section 12.153, the Business Organizations Code, I think
• This code that is being updated with this bill, Section 12.153, the business organizations code, I think

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

Keywords: SB 1113, converter's license, converter license, motor vehicle dealer, auto dealer, vehicle conversion, converted vehicles, direct sales, retail sales, trailer, semitrailer, manufactured trailer, chassis, manufacturer's statement of origin, MSO, Occupations Code, Transportation Code, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, dealer licensing, general distinguishing number

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.