Transcript Highlights:

• I also have a pretty high tolerance for things, and that probably comes from having used opioids before
• And zero nays, the bill will be reported favorably and the final tally will reflect motions and writings
• There being eight ayes and zero nays. Senate Bill 7 will be reported favorably to the whole Senate.
• There being nine ayes and zero nays. Senate Bill 12 will be reported favorably to the whole Senate.
• There being nine ayes and zero nays, Senate Bill 17 will be reported favorably to the whole Senate.

Bills: SB6, SB7, SB8, SB11, SB12, SB13, SB15, SB 6, SB 7, SB 8, SB 11, SB 12, SB 13, SB 15, SB 17

Keywords: SB 6, Woman and Child Protection Act, abortion, abortion-inducing drugs, medication abortion, mifepristone, misoprostol, pro-life, pro-choice, Texas abortion law, civil liability, qui tam, private enforcement, bounty hunter law, attorney general, parens patriae, abortion litigation, anti-SLAPP, Texas Citizens Participation Act, fee shifting

Transcript Highlights:

• Hearing none, Senator Hagan-Bood, we have 17 registered witnesses for, zero against, and no one wanting
• Hearing none, Senator Hagan-Boo, we have 17 registered witnesses for, zero against, and no one wanting
• reverse that plaque by 50% by going back and doing the test again and by going on medications—well-tolerated
• I had a zero calcium score, right? Thank you.
• Enright testified, he had a zero calcium score.

Bills: HB18, HB37, HB 116, HB388, HB879, HB913, HB 1151, HB2216, HB2358, HB2809, SB577, SB1590, SB1782, SB1887, SB2744

Keywords: rural health, hospital funding, healthcare access, mental health services, financial stability, perinatal bereavement, healthcare, hospital training, bereavement support, maternal care, fetal demise, stillbirth, neonatal death, parent-child relationship, involuntary termination, family law, child welfare, child protection, HB 388, HB388

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services met with a quorum and took up several House and Senate bills, with public testimony limited to two minutes per witness. The committee first heard HB 2358, a cleanup bill requested by HHSC that would repeal outdated training and conference requirements for long-term care facility surveyors and certain providers; there were no witnesses, and the bill was left pending. The committee then heard HB 18, the rural hospital stabilization bill, which would create financial assessment tools, a rural hospital finance office at HHSC, an academy for rural hospital officers, multiple grant programs, enhanced Medicaid reimbursement tied to average cost, OB/GYN add-on payments, expanded pediatric telehealth connectivity, and a rural pediatric mental health program. Senator Perry and witnesses from TORCH, a rural hospital, AARP Texas, and ARCHI strongly supported the bill as a way to stabilize rural hospitals, improve OB access, and address workforce and financial pressures. Committee members discussed rural hospital closures, low-volume quality metrics, system affiliation, and the need for predictable monthly reimbursement; the bill was left pending after testimony and questions. The committee next heard HB 37, which would create a perinatal bereavement care initiative for families experiencing stillbirth, neonatal death, or intrauterine fetal demise, including counseling, staff training, and access to cooling devices, with possible grants and a recognition program for hospitals. Senator Huffman explained the bill, and several witnesses testified in support, sharing personal stories about infant loss and the importance of time with the baby, trained staff, and cuddle cots or similar devices. A neonatologist also supported the bill while suggesting clarification that hospitals should not be penalized if state funding is unavailable and recommending use of regional advisory councils to help implement training. Public testimony was then closed and the bill left pending. The committee also heard HB 879, which would create a streamlined licensing pathway for veterans with medical or nursing experience to practice in Texas, and HB 913, which would add new state hospitals to statute and split the North Texas State Hospital into two separate hospitals with their own superintendents; both bills had no opposition testimony and were left pending. Later, the committee heard SB 2744, a heart disease screening bill that would update the 2009 Texas Heart Attack Prevention Act to require insurance coverage for coronary CT angiography with plaque analysis, including soft plaque detection, as a preventive screening tool. The author and invited witnesses argued the technology is more effective than calcium scoring alone, can identify patients before symptoms appear, and could save lives at a cost comparable to or lower than colonoscopy. An insurance industry witness opposed the bill, arguing the technology has not been recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for universal screening and that the mandated coverage and payment level would raise costs; the bill was left pending after testimony. Finally, the committee heard HB 1151, a parental rights bill clarifying that refusing psychotropic medication or psychiatric treatment is not neglect unless the child is harmed. Supporters, including parent advocates and attorneys, said the bill would protect parents from CPS overreach and preserve medical decision-making authority, while one witness urged broader attention to physical causes of behavioral issues. Public testimony was closed and HB 1151 was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• And quite frankly, police and fire are going to grab a lot of benefits and the legislature won't tolerate

Summary: The Senate met on Monday, February 23, 2006, approved the previous day’s Journal, and handled routine committee and House message referrals. Among the referral actions, Substitute House Bill 2140, concerning land classified under current use sold or transferred to a governmental entity, was sent to the Committee on Ways and Means. Senate Bill 6355, concerning the electric transmission system, was introduced and held at the desk. The chamber then took up several resolutions honoring individuals and community traditions. Senate Resolution 8685 recognized Steve Nelson for 34 years of public service, including his leadership of the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Plan Retirement Board; Senator Holy spoke in support, and the resolution was adopted by voice vote. Senate Resolution 8695 honored the Daffodil Festival and its Royal Court in Pierce County; Senators Gildon, Peterson, and Conway spoke in support, and it too was adopted by voice vote. During personal privilege remarks, a senator paid tribute to Paul Brainerd, founder of Aldus and a major figure in desktop publishing and philanthropy, noting his contributions to technology, nonprofit work, and environmental education. The Senate also announced a Rules Committee meeting after adjournment and then adjourned until Wednesday, February 25, 2006.

Transcript Highlights:

• Debate is welcome, but personal attacks and name-calling will not be tolerated.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now, it's 80,000 lbs with a tolerance of basically 88,000 lbs in this state.

Bills: SB46

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, Secretary, I think LFC gave us a report that we raised the eligibility for free child care with zero
• With zero co-pay and saying it's free, then telling the provider they must be open 10 hours a day, five
• but I would suggest, as a small business owner, that you take responsibility and get that down to zero
• You come out, and it may be stronger; your body may have less tolerance, etc.

Transcript Highlights:

• Too much uncertainty for them to tolerate and be confident they would be okay on outcomes And so I wanted
• of spread out not just through a regional formula but within regions where you're not having people zero
• I believe it's... 40 years, zero interest, $40,000, so it's a piece of what they used to buy their. their
• That's GR, but it's also program income, because those zero interest loan payments come.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Anything shallower than that, the confidence intervals are incorporating zero percent, so at that 22-
• The witness answered that the number was zero and said he did not need to phone a friend on that.
• it is relative to zero depth, but in this graph it is relative to 10-foot depth.
• In the report, relative to zero depth, but in this graph, I did it relative to 10 foot depth.
• But there's no zero, there's no occurrence to deter. He hasn't even fired. He hasn't even issued.

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 886 by Rep. Orgeron, which would make seasonal catch totals and related reporting for the commercial menhaden fishery publicly available by carving out an exception to confidentiality rules. The author said the bill was intended to align with the original intent of prior reporting legislation and to ensure the public can see how much menhaden is being taken from Louisiana waters. Supporters, including Louisiana Wildlife Federation, CCA, charter captains, and recreational anglers, argued the fishery uses a public resource and that transparency is needed for policymaking. Opponents said they did not object to transparency in principle, but one speaker asked that size-sampling data be removed, arguing it has no scientific value and is already handled through NOAA and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Council processes. The committee reported HB 886 favorably without opposition. The committee then heard House Bill 855, also by Rep. Orgeron, which would establish a 22-foot depth requirement for the commercial use of purse seines in the menhaden fishery. The author said the bill was based on a state-funded bycatch study showing red drum bycatch rises sharply in shallow water and that the current quarter-mile buffer is insufficient, especially in nearshore areas where recreational fishing and sensitive habitats are concentrated. Supporters emphasized the public trust nature of menhaden, the economic value of recreational fishing, and concerns about bycatch, beach fouling, and localized depletion. Several speakers cited the bycatch study, public comments opposing the recent reduction from a half-mile to a quarter-mile buffer, and the belief that deeper-water fishing would reduce impacts on redfish and other species. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries staff and the study’s principal investigator, Dr. Scott Rayburn, answered questions about the current buffer rules, enforcement, and the science behind the 22-foot threshold. They explained that the recent reduction to a quarter-mile buffer came from a commission directive and that the department had investigated complaints but found no violations. Dr. Rayburn said the 22-foot figure came from modeling red drum bycatch as a function of depth and that the study focused on red drum because of its economic and social importance, while not analyzing every species in the same way. Opponents of the bill, including West Bank Fishing and Ocean Harvesters representatives, said the rule of three is a standard confidentiality concept, argued the bill should not be framed as anti-transparency, and urged removal of the size-sampling provisions. The committee heard extensive testimony but no final action on HB 855 was recorded in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And you kind of have to look at each category and zero it down.
• So then you get zero until that point.
• So then you get zero until that point.
• They probably tolerated, or they'd have left already.
• Right now, there's a zero-dollar value in there to Joanne's point.

Summary: The committee met to discuss higher education funding and capital building policy. Members first heard an update from NDUS Deputy Commissioner Lisa Johnson on low-producing academic programs. She described a proposed board policy using a five-year rolling window and thresholds of fewer than 10 undergraduate graduates or fewer than 5 graduate graduates, with programs flagged for three consecutive review periods going to the board. Possible outcomes would include continuation, continuation with modifications, inactivation, or termination. Members asked about how the review would account for program costs, service to other students, workforce demand, and the difference between inactivation and termination. Johnson said the board would consider broader factors and that campuses already do detailed program analysis. Several members also asked about cost savings and staffing impacts from program terminations, and Johnson said the board would try to provide more information later. The committee then received a report on the Capital Building Fund from Jamie Wilkie. He reviewed the program’s history, matching requirements, and recent uses, noting that about $334 million in state and matching dollars has been invested overall, with most going to deferred maintenance and extraordinary repairs. Members discussed whether the program is reducing deferred maintenance and requested updated systemwide data on deferred maintenance and campus space utilization. Wilkie said the board is considering a new study to update deferred maintenance figures, which are based on information more than 12 years old. He also reported that several institutions have used current biennium funds for projects such as residence hall renovations, health sciences housing, generators, and building repairs. Later, the committee began a detailed walkthrough of a draft bill that would replace the current higher education funding formula with an FTE-based model and also revise the capital building fund structure. The draft would use fall enrollment FTEs, add completion incentives for degrees in in-demand fields, and create a separate research funding component for UND and NDSU tied to doctoral completions and external research expenditures. Members raised concerns about the use of older data in the formula, the treatment of waivers, the weighting of professional and health sciences programs, and the use of CIP codes to define CTE and education incentives. The bill draft would also combine capital building fund tiers, broaden eligible uses for deferred maintenance and legislatively authorized projects, change matching requirements, repeal the old formula chapter and the capital pool, and transfer funds from the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund into the capital building fund. No final votes were taken during the portion provided; the meeting was primarily discussion and review.

Transcript Highlights:

• bill, seeing as I am the largest B awardee in the state of Louisiana by a factor of almost six, I had zero
• bill, seeing as I am the largest B awardee in the state of Louisiana by a factor of almost six, I had zero
• hearing before a board, when I went back and looked in the last four years, four years ago there were zero
• hearing before a board, when I went back and looked in the last four years, four years ago there were zero
• the other is basically an extended model code for those communities that do want to try to reach net zero

Summary: The House Committee on Commerce met on May 18, 2026, with a quorum present and the chair noting it was the committee’s last meeting of the session. The committee first considered Senate Bill 254, which would prohibit certain excess debit card surcharges and authorize enforcement by the Attorney General. After adopting technical amendments and a committee amendment requiring written notice before a private right of action, the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then took up Senate Bill 80 on broadband administration fees and GUMBO program closeout. Members questioned the proposed increase in administrative and contractor fees, the timing of project completion, and how withheld reimbursements would work for utility damage. After adopting several amendments, including cleanup language and a provision to restore the reimbursement process, the bill was reported favorably as amended, though the Louisiana Telecommunications Association voiced concerns about the withholding language and lack of a clearer fault-determination process. The committee next considered Senate Bill 469, updating the Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law. Technical amendments were adopted, along with amendments clarifying that the bill’s 30-day notice to utility owner-operators is separate from existing GUMBO notice requirements and creating a rapid dispute-resolution process involving the Office of Broadband, the utility operator, and the local governing authority. Testimony from broadband and municipal stakeholders emphasized the need for quicker responses to excavation damage and better enforcement, while some witnesses raised concerns about the late amendment and the need for clearer recourse and standards. The bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 468, dealing with fuel rewards programs and fuel discount limits, was also amended to allow such discounts while capping them at $1 below the advertised price; it was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 131, concerning attorney’s fees and costs in professional licensing disciplinary proceedings, drew testimony from a cosmetology board representative and the Pelican Institute. Supporters argued the bill would curb incentives for boards to generate revenue through enforcement and give licensees a fairer opportunity to resolve cases; board testimony noted that some boards already have fee caps and that enforcement actions are relatively limited. After adopting an amendment clarifying when a licensee is the prevailing party, the bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 251 on critical infrastructure protection also received technical amendments and several substantive changes, including adding ports and airports to the definition of critical infrastructure, clarifying “significant access,” adding a knowledge requirement, and adjusting exemptions and enforcement timing; it was reported favorably as amended after testimony from State Armor representatives about foreign adversary threats. Finally, House Resolution 253 was introduced to create a task force to study how post-2005 building code additions and inspection requirements affect residential construction costs, with the sponsor explaining the goal was to gather industry input and return recommendations next session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Paxton West Menendez Parker, you know Hosa again boo Campbell I Creighton I There being 11 oz and zero
• There being a 11 ayes and zero nays. The Senate Bill 60 will be reported favorably.
• There being 11 ayes and zero nays, Senate Bill 60. will be reported favorably.
• There being 11 ayes and zero nays, Senate Bill 365. Will be reported favorably to the full Senate.
• We believe at the State Board of Education that, especially when it comes to reading, this is zero tolerance

Bills: SB451, SB762, SB1490, SB1262, SB1459, SB1750, SB1962, SB2252, SB2253, SB2365

Keywords: instructional materials, public schools, Education Code, adoption, rejected materials, local funds, open educational resources, Texas Education Code, school districts, open enrollment charter schools, funding restrictions, environmental regulation, business compliance, local authority, economic development, state preemption, local control, open education resources, SB 762, Texas public schools

Transcript Highlights:

• If you Google murder right now, what jobs a murderer can get, it's like zero.
• officers, this bill would send a clear message that attacks against correctional staff will not be tolerated
• pharmaceutical options and experiencing serious adverse events, I found kratom to be the only effective and tolerable
• Next we have Adam Finnegan, Five Security Ethics and Immune Tolerance Awareness Initiative.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a lengthy hearing on several juvenile justice and parole-related bills, with much of the testimony focused on H. 2051/S. 1087 to end lifetime parole for juveniles and emerging adults, and H. 1923 to raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to include 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds. Chairs Brandy Fluker-Reid and Lydia Edwards opened the hearing by noting the large number of bills and witnesses, the need to keep testimony moving, and special procedures for incarcerated witnesses and sensitive testimony. They also acknowledged the historic nature of the hearing being chaired by two Black women attorneys. No votes were taken during the hearing itself. Many incarcerated speakers and advocates supported ending lifetime parole, arguing that young people can change, that lifetime supervision creates constant fear of technical violations, and that it undermines rehabilitation, family stability, employment, and reintegration. Several testified about their own trauma, youth, and growth in prison programs, while others emphasized the costs of decades of supervision and the racial disparities in the system. Support also came from elected officials, UTEC, the Transformational Prison Project, United Way, CPCS’s Youth Advocacy Division, the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, and others, who said juvenile systems are better suited to developmentally appropriate treatment and that the bills would improve public safety and reduce recidivism. There was also opposition, including testimony from family members of a murder victim who argued that lifetime parole should remain for serious violent crimes and that some offenders are not sufficiently rehabilitated. One virtual witness described a family tragedy involving the kidnapping and murder of her infant nephew and warned that ending lifetime parole could remove needed long-term supervision for dangerous offenders. In addition to the juvenile justice bills, the committee heard testimony on H. 1867, a bill related to continuing care for severe mental illness, and H. 2063, which would increase penalties for assaults on correction officers and other prison staff; the correction officers’ union supported H. 2063 and related safety bills. The hearing continued with many more witnesses and bill topics, but no final committee action was announced in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Verbal outbursts, shouting, or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.
• want to thank everyone for your cooperation and participation in the legislative process. not be tolerated
• Bernie, I want to make not be tolerated.
• Um, the reduction, significant as it is, doesn't equal zero though.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The Speaker pro tempore: On this Vote, the yeas are 413, the nays are zero.
• The situation is untenable and should not be tolerated in a civilized society.
• It sends a simple message: Democrats may tolerate crime, but Republicans do not. Mr.
• IT SENDS A SIMPLE MESSAGE, DEMOCRATS MAY TOLERATE CRIME BUT REPUBLICANS DO NOT. MR.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a child who, you know, has, you know, one of the features of their condition is that they can't tolerate
• loud noises and there's a lot of kids in the milieu who make... ...is that they can't tolerate loud

Keywords: 907, all

Transcript Highlights:

• penalties for inmates who assault officers, sending a clear message that such violence will not be tolerated
• It's about reinforcing that violence against officers is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on a wide range of public safety bills, with strong support from law enforcement, advocates, and other stakeholders. Several measures focused on police and correctional officer wellness and protections, including bills on critical incident leave and post-incident support for officers, a bill to improve POST Commission representation, and a bill to protect correctional officers from assaults and exposure to synthetic drugs like K2. Witnesses described traumatic incidents, rising assaults in prisons, staffing shortages, and the need for confidentiality in peer-support debriefings. Committee members asked questions about assault classifications, K2 smuggling, tablet-related contraband, and whether counseling records would remain confidential. No votes were taken during the hearing. A major portion of the hearing was devoted to canine-related bills. Testimony supported creating a fund for retired police dogs and expanding emergency care training for working dogs injured in the line of duty. Speakers described police dogs as partners who locate suspects, missing persons, drugs, and weapons, and said retirement and medical costs are currently borne by handlers or nonprofits. The committee also heard testimony in favor of a purple alert system for missing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with advocates citing wandering risks, drowning dangers, and data from other states showing faster recovery times. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to expand the definition of sexual assault by an officer to cover situations beyond formal custody, including investigations and other encounters where police have coercive power. Advocates for sex workers and anti-trafficking organizations said the change would close a loophole, protect vulnerable people, and address documented abuses. In addition, testimony was taken on a bill to protect Massachusetts residents from federal surveillance through fusion centers, with critics calling for stronger oversight of BRIC and related databases. Representative Jeff Turco also testified on bills to change POST Commission membership, arguing for more law enforcement representation.

Transcript Highlights:

• And Plan 3 is also designed to appeal to members who are more risk tolerant and seek more flexibility
• again in when and how they receive their benefit. ...tolerant and seek more flexibility again in when

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What we tolerate as a society multiplies.
• Are we willing to tolerate these stories multiplying in our community?

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 754, which would add physical therapists to Idaho’s direct primary care statute so they can enter direct payment agreements with patients without those arrangements being treated as insurance contracts. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would improve access, especially for patients who need frequent therapy or live in underserved areas, and emphasized that it would not expand physical therapists’ scope of practice. One member objected that the bill’s wording could blur the definition of primary care and create scope confusion. After testimony from a physical therapy association representative and a small business health care provider, the committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a do-pass recommendation, with several members recording no votes. The committee then took up House Bill 724, which would add and clarify safety-related rights for children in foster care, including safe placement, access to medical and forensic exams after abuse disclosures, basic necessities, and consideration of safety in visitation and placement decisions. The sponsor said the bill is a narrow child-safety measure that does not alter parental rights or removal standards, while foster parents, a psychologist, former foster youth, and others testified in support with accounts of abuse, unsafe placements, and inadequate oversight. Some members raised concerns about enumerating rights in statute and about broad language that could have unintended future consequences; a substitute motion to send the bill to amending order failed on a roll call vote, and the original motion to send the bill to the floor with a do-pass recommendation passed. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 759, a budget-related measure to reduce Medicaid residential habilitation funding and require a new audit/rate study of home and community-based services. The sponsor said the reduction reflects a governor’s budget recommendation and that the audit would help determine appropriate rates and spending. Providers and family members of people with disabilities testified that the bill was too vague, that prior rate studies were not fully followed, and that any reductions could harm staffing and services; they asked for clearer standards, collaboration, and assurance that rate-study results would actually be used. A motion to hold the bill until a later date was offered, but the sponsor opposed delaying the budget item and the committee continued discussion toward a floor recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• What we tolerate as a society multiplies.
• Are we willing to tolerate these stories multiplying in our community?

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The House Health and Welfare Committee heard House Bill 754, which would add physical therapists to Idaho’s direct primary care law so they could enter direct payment agreements with patients without being treated as insurance contracts. The sponsor and supporters said it would improve access, especially in rural areas, and would not expand physical therapists’ scope of practice. Some members objected that the bill’s wording could blur the meaning of “primary care” and create scope confusion. The committee passed HB 754 to the floor with a do pass recommendation after debate and a recorded no vote from several members. The committee then took up House Bill 724, which would codify safety-related rights for children in foster care, including safe placement, freedom from abuse, timely medical or forensic evaluation after abuse disclosures, basic necessities, and consideration of safety in visitation and placement decisions. The sponsor and multiple foster parents, foster youth, and advocates testified in support, describing serious abuse, unsafe visitation, and placement concerns and arguing the bill would help judges and agencies better protect children already in state custody. Some members raised constitutional and drafting concerns about enumerating rights in statute and proposed amending the bill, but a substitute motion to send it to amending order failed 4-12. The committee then passed HB 724 to the floor with a do pass recommendation. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 759, a Medicaid budget bill that would reduce funding for residential habilitation services, paired with a proposed audit and rate-study process for home- and community-based services. The sponsor said the bill would remove funding tied to prior enhancements that were not implemented and would help balance the budget, while providers and family members testified that the bill was vague, could create administrative burdens, and might cut services for vulnerable people with disabilities without clear assurance that rate studies would be followed. After debate, a motion to hold the bill in committee until March 11 failed, and a substitute motion to send it to the floor with a do pass recommendation also failed 9-7. The committee then voted to hold HB 759 in committee until March 11, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• us right now, if we had a group of people following us being aggressive toward us, that would be tolerated
• something that has been allowed to go on, which does not go on in other states, because they don't tolerate

Keywords: 904, all