Transcript Highlights:

• I'm one of I work with the California Department of Water Resources.
• There will be no gains in efficiency from this whatsoever.
• He's praised our telework savings, efficiency, and carbon savings.
• He's praised our telework savings, efficiency, and carbon savings.
• I'm a senior scientist at the Department of Water Resources.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 heard updates from the Secretary of State, EDD, the State Controller’s Office, CalHR, and DGS on a range of budget proposals and federal policy impacts. Secretary of State Shirley Weber opened with remarks about California’s election system, emphasizing its safety, transparency, high voter registration and vote-by-mail participation, and the office’s response to bomb threats and other election threats. Her staff then presented funding requests for the Cal-Access Replacement System (CARS) and Help America Vote Act/VoteCal activities, describing them as needed to modernize campaign finance and lobbying disclosure systems and maintain election security and voter services. A major portion of the hearing focused on federal election policy, especially the potential effects of a presidential executive order and the SAVE Act. Secretary of State staff said California would face significant, potentially unquantifiable costs if forced to comply, including new burdens on county recorders, county election offices, and the Secretary of State’s office, and warned of voter disenfranchisement, especially for students, seniors, disabled voters, military and overseas voters, rural residents, and people with limited transportation. Members and public commenters strongly opposed the federal proposals and argued California’s current system is functioning well. The committee also heard that federal HAVA funds were not expected to be at risk because the state draws them down into an interest-bearing account. EDD reported on paid family leave, explaining that recent delays were tied to a system transition and increased claim volume, and said it was simplifying applications and adding staff and automation. Public testimony supported expanding paid family leave to chosen family. EDD also said it is prepared for possible unemployment spikes, citing a recession plan, a command center, and recent hiring. The State Controller’s Office requested funding to continue the Fiscal migration project, which would move the state’s accounting book of record to the new system by July 1, 2026; Finance and LAO had no objections, and the committee expressed support for the project’s progress. CalHR presented a proposal for a statewide recruitment, outreach, and education paid media campaign under AB 1511, saying its current advertising budget is too small to reach diverse communities effectively. The final item addressed Governor Newsom’s executive order requiring a return to office on a four-day schedule. CalHR and DGS said they were working department-by-department to assess space, parking, transit, and other logistics, but had not completed a statewide cost analysis. Members and many public commenters criticized the order, arguing it was rushed, costly, harmful to telework benefits, and potentially disruptive to workers, especially those with disabilities, caregiving responsibilities, or long commutes. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Housing resources tend to be very local, and there is a need for statewide resources in this space.
• Housing resources tend to be very local, and there is a need for statewide resources in this space.
• </c> there is a need for Statewide resources there is a need for Statewide resources in<00:13:06.040>
• </c> 672 is an absolute invaluable resource 672 is an absolute invaluable resource for<00:34:53.839><
• </c> United Way 211 is an important resource United Way 211 is an important resource for<00:35:44.480

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we can always be more efficient.
• And especially when it comes to procurements, we are spending huge resources.
• And especially when it comes to procurements, we are spending huge resources.
• One of the roadblocks for efficient verification of voter eligibility...
• Is that efficient as it relates to IT? Well, I wouldn't want to comment on the specific...

Summary: The Appropriations Committee met with a quorum present and considered three items. First, it heard and passed SB 158, which eliminates cost-sharing for diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations under the state employee health plan. Senator Berman described the bill as a way to remove financial barriers to early breast cancer detection, and several senators spoke in strong support, emphasizing the importance of follow-up screening and the life- and cost-saving value of early diagnosis. The bill was reported favorably by roll call vote. The committee then took up SPB 7024, a committee bill on state planning and budgeting. Senator Brodeur explained that the proposal modernizes and simplifies the state agency long-range planning process by focusing on key data points, removing stale measures, and improving how plans are presented to the Legislature. Senator Berman supported the bill, highlighting new provisions on implementation status and budget consequences if enacted laws are not carried out. The committee voted to submit the proposal as a committee bill and reported it favorably. Finally, the committee considered SPB 7026, a major overhaul of state information technology governance. Senator Harrell described a transition from the current Florida Digital Service structure to a new cabinet-level Agency for State Systems and Enterprise Technology (ASSET), with enterprise-wide standards, interoperability, procurement oversight, cybersecurity coordination, technical debt tracking, a testing laboratory, workforce development, and annual IT expenditure reporting. Members raised questions about procurement authority, judicial branch inclusion, existing contracts, cybersecurity, and staffing; Harrell said agencies would retain final procurement decisions but would have to follow enterprise standards, the courts were not included, existing contracts would continue, and the bill would add significant state IT staffing. Several amendments were adopted, including changes on CIO selection conflicts, removal of the Northwest Regional Data Center from a definition, reporting on deviations from standards, and technical updates related to the data center and workforce positions. Public testimony strongly supported the bill as a needed modernization of Florida’s fragmented IT system. The committee then reported SPB 7026 favorably as a committee bill. The meeting adjourned after members recorded their votes on the three items.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, TDLR, who is, uh, a resource witness on HP 1560.
• Seeing none, we have one resource witness from TDLR.
• And we have you registered and representing TDLR and you're here as a resource witness.
• It allows businesses to fill critical positions more quickly and efficiently.
• Supports medical innovation and efficiency.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> so that these distributed resources so that these distributed resources function<00:09:16.480><c
• BPPS are an important tool resource.
• 31.600><c> when</c><00:09:31.760><c> energy</c> resources can be deployed when energy resources can be
• c><00:09:46.080><c> energy</c> resources that can mitigate energy resources that can mitigate energy
• </c> into grid resources versus grid strains. into grid resources versus grid strains.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Representative Craft presented House File 2986, as amended with the DE6, and asked that it be laid over for possible inclusion. He described the bill as an affordability measure centered on virtual power plants, explaining that aggregating distributed energy resources such as solar panels, batteries, EVs, smart thermostats, heat pumps, and water heaters can help utilities reduce peak demand and avoid costly generation and distribution investments. He said the bill would require utilities to reduce system peak through a virtual power plant program by 5% by the end of 2028 and 10% by the end of 2032, using an independent third-party RFP process, with plans incorporated into integrated resource planning and a savings clause if requirements prove infeasible. Testimony in support came from the Department of Commerce, Vote Solar, Solar United Neighbors, Kite Rocket, and Mincia. Supporters said virtual power plants can function like grid-scale resources, lower spot-market and peak costs, improve reliability and resilience, and make better use of existing distribution infrastructure. Commerce said the approach fits an all-of-the-above strategy and noted consumer protections in the bill, including standards for contracts, disclosures, dispatch frequency, notice, opt-out, and compensation. Several supporters cited estimates of significant savings, including a national DOE estimate of 10% to 20% of peak load by 2030 and a Minnesota-specific estimate from Solar United Neighbors of about $63.5 million in savings if 10% of peak demand were met with VPPs in 2030. Committee members raised questions about how much cheaper VPPs are than peaker plants and whether utilities, especially Xcel Energy, are already implementing similar programs. Representative Baker expressed concern that the bill could move faster than the technology or market would naturally develop and asked about the risk of forcing utilities into a mandate before the economics are fully proven. In response, a Solar United Neighbors witness pointed to a fact sheet and Brattle Group-based analysis comparing VPP costs and benefits in Xcel territory, while an Xcel representative said the company has been discussing the bill with Representative Craft for months. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion, and no final vote on the bill itself was taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Generation planning: we review integrated resource plans to select the best mix of energy resources,
• a safe and efficient supply as we navigate the transition to a cleaner energy future.
• </c><00:26:14.640><c> where</c> project, leveraging efficiencies where project, leveraging efficiencies
• Uh, so that's one outcome of that docket. utility resource planning process for uh utility resource planning
• </c> into a utility gas gas utility resource into a utility gas gas utility resource plan<00:50:52.160

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Luanda Wesley, Child Care Resource Center.
• Related to CalWORKs, we definitely appreciate the efficiency.
• Christopher Sanchez representing CARECEN, the Central American Resource Center.
• Christopher Sanchez representing CARECEN, the Central American Resource Center.
• Christopher Sanchez representing CARECEN, the Central American Resource Center.

Summary: The hearing began with opening remarks on the Governor’s May Revision for child care and human services, with committee members and advocates stressing that the budget should not be balanced on the backs of low-income families, children, and providers. Legislative members and public witnesses strongly opposed the proposed suspension of the child care COLA, reductions to the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program, and the lack of codified rate reform tied to the alternative methodology. Several speakers also urged more support for providers affected by the Eaton fire and other disasters, and called for child care to be funded at the true cost of care and for additional slots to be restored. Administration, LAO, and Department of Education staff described the child care proposal as maintaining existing funding levels while adding administrative resources to prepare for federally required prospective payment changes and single-rate reform. The administration said the May Revision would suspend the 2025–26 COLA and reduce Bridge Program funding to align with utilization, while the LAO raised questions about the size and purpose of the proposed rate-reform and prospective-payment funding and recommended rejecting a Department of Technology exemption. CDE supported continued early education investments but said it would need additional resources if prospective pay were extended to state preschool, and it objected to a proposed reallocation of preschool funds for inclusive education grants. The committee then moved to the IHSS portion of the May Revision. DSS outlined five major proposals: capping provider work hours at 50 per week, eliminating IHSS for undocumented adults age 19 and older, shifting certain Community First Choice reassessment penalties to counties, reinstating the Medi-Cal asset test as a conforming IHSS reduction, and automating the termination of IHSS when Medi-Cal eligibility ends. DSS also discussed funding to implement a federal HCBS access rule and a separate reassessment of IHSS administrative methodology that found counties would need additional administrative funding. Finance said the proposals were intended to slow program growth and improve sustainability, while the LAO said it was still analyzing the package and raised concerns about implementation, county workload, and the potential loss of services. Committee members and public commenters criticized the IHSS cuts, especially the overtime cap and the elimination of services for undocumented adults and people affected by the asset test. Advocates argued that IHSS workers and recipients depend on these services, that county administration is already underfunded, and that the proposals could destabilize vulnerable consumers. The chair closed by saying the committee would continue to fight for child care and would not pause on child care, and the meeting recessed before moving on to the remaining May Revision items.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:04:06.920><c> efficiency</c> and facility efficient efficiency and facility efficient efficiency
• ,</c><01:04:23.680><c> and</c> procurement, utility efficiency, and procurement, utility efficiency,
• /c> sustainability efficiencies across uh sustainability efficiencies across uh the<01:04:27.400><c>
• > Protecting taxpayers' resources becomes Protecting taxpayers' resources becomes long<01:06:53.640><
• Protecting taxpayer resources requires Protecting taxpayer resources requires consistency<01:09:37.160

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am chair of the State Water Resources Control Board.
• To protect, enhance, and restore the state's water resources for current and future generations.
• and the State Water Resources Control Board.
• A lot of your small districts, like the ones I work for, they don't have resources.
• Water efficiency, yeah, we need to be more efficient.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He's a socio-ecological scientist specializing in social aspects of natural resource management.
• There are also great resources should you come and find anything that you need.
• So I encourage you to use the resources as best you can on this one.
• So it's a great resource, and it has a day-by-day view on that one.
• So in some cases, I think we are not as efficient, and those are the areas we need to look at.

Summary: The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee opened its session with roll call, confirmed a quorum, and introduced new co-chairs, members, pages, and legislative staff. Committee leaders emphasized the heavy workload ahead, the role of JFAC as the legislature’s budget-writing committee, and the importance of using LSO staff, impact team analysts, and other resources. Staff then reviewed the committee’s website tools, budget publications, session record, budget highlights, and the 10-week hearing schedule, including upcoming presentations on the governor’s budget, LSO analysis, health insurance costs, the economic outlook, and the first budget hearings. Administrator Lori Wolf of the Division of Financial Management presented Governor Little’s FY 2026 and FY 2027 budget recommendations, describing them as balanced and built around “enduring Idaho values.” She said the budget responds to slower revenue growth and economic uncertainty with early action, including a 3% holdback, vacancy reductions, and one-time transfers of unused balances and interest earnings to the general fund. Major proposed reductions included ongoing cuts across state agencies, no change in employee compensation, higher employee health insurance costs, reductions to Medicaid, changes to virtual school and Idaho Digital Learning Academy funding, and no transfer from the budget stabilization fund. She also outlined support for rural health grants, graduate medical education, and implementation of Medicaid reforms and federal tax conformity beginning January 1, 2026. Committee members questioned the assumptions behind the revenue forecast, the use of one-time funds, the impact of higher health insurance costs on employees, the size and timing of tax conformity, and the proposed cuts to online education and IDLA. Several members raised concerns that the budget relied too heavily on projected revenue and policy changes, while Wolf and co-chair Groh said the budget was intentionally conservative, preserved reserves, and avoided using stabilization funds. No votes were taken during the meeting; the committee concluded after the budget presentation and questions, with plans to continue hearings the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• intensive. resource intensive.
• Chair, and Senator Marty. to invest and to resource this to invest and to resource this geothermal<00
• And then to just widen out a little bit to the system level, the resource that efficiency provides to
• Energy efficiency and conservation.
• And then to just widen out a little bit to the system level, the resource that efficiency provides to

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Natural Resources and Disaster Subcommittee will now come to order.
• Welcome back to the Natural Resources and Disaster Subcommittee.
• The biggest difference, I think, is just resources and budget.
• and experience to do it correctly and do it efficiently.
• To do it correctly and do it efficiently.

Summary: The subcommittee received an overview from FWC Deputy Director in Law Enforcement Lt. Col. Rob Rowe on boating safety, derelict vessels, and marine debris. On boating safety, he said FWC uses inspections, BUI enforcement, public education campaigns, boater education courses, warnings, and citations to reduce accidents and fatalities. Members asked about probable cause for stops, geofenced safety messages, boating education age requirements, and common violations such as life jacket issues. Rowe said most stops are based on probable cause, the education requirement currently applies to those born after Jan. 1, 1988, and FWC is considering whether broader education requirements would improve safety. The committee then focused heavily on derelict vessels. Rowe explained the legal definition of a derelict vessel, the at-risk and nuisance vessel tools used to intervene earlier, and the V-TIP voluntary turn-in program. He described the removal process, including owner notification, a 21-day administrative hearing period, contractor selection, and disposal/recycling, and said FWC works with local governments, emergency management, and sometimes the Coast Guard on larger pollution-related cases. Members asked about timelines, costs, salvage rules, title issues, and jurisdictional differences between state, county, city, and federal authorities. Rowe said the agency has added staff and grant tools, but continued funding remains important, and he noted that local governments can also use ordinances to address floating structures, liveaboards, anchoring, and storm-related risks. On marine debris, Rowe said FWC works with DEP, FDACS, NOAA, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, local governments, and volunteers to remove debris ranging from plastics to storm-damaged fishing gear and derelict vessels. He said hurricane events greatly increase debris and derelict vessel removals, and the agency is updating the Florida Marine Debris Reduction Plan with partners. The meeting ended after members and the vice chair emphasized local tools such as mooring fields and pumpout enforcement, and the subcommittee adjourned without taking any formal vote or action beyond rising without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we have the resources to make it happen quickly.
• We have the resources to make this happen.
• I'm here as a resource witness on... the bill.
• To our point about existing resources, you currently can conduct tabletop exercises when you deal with
• My point to that is is that we should exhaust every resource as it relates to public notices.

Bills: HB33, HB45, HB48, HB1261, HB1465, HB1778, HB2596, HB5238, SB2969, HB45, HB48

Keywords: HB 48, oilfield theft, organized theft, petroleum products, oil and gas equipment, DPS, Department of Public Safety, Texas, Railroad Commission, criminal justice, energy resources, theft prevention, organized crime, border region, El Paso, law enforcement task force, asset recovery, pipeline theft, drilling equipment, equipment theft

Transcript Highlights:

• And so over the last year, led by the Department of Water Resources, an incredible amount of work by
• folks at the Department of Water Resources, we have engaged with water managers and others throughout
• So is there a more efficient way to do this, or some people are going to be paying for... having more
• So is there a more efficient way to do this, or some people are going to be paying for...
• This legislation applies to an existing program and operates within current resources.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first confirmed Michael Lyndon of Post Falls to the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and then heard several water-related bills. Senate Bill 1304 would clarify ditch easement rights by stating that ditch owners may inspect, maintain, and move diversion structures within an existing easement without landowner permission, while written permission would still be required to move structures outside the easement. Senate Bill 1306 would change the process for excluding land from an irrigation district so that a petition is not automatically approved if a hearing is not held within 150 days, and instead sets a more structured timeline for review and appeal. Senate Bill 1305 would allow water districts, if authorized by resolution, to charge specific property owners for costs tied to updating water-right ownership records during property transfers rather than spreading those costs across all users. Senate Bill 1307 would repeal and consolidate overlapping code chapters governing lateral ditches, simplifying definitions, election or appointment of managers, and maintenance responsibilities. Each of these bills was moved to the Senate floor with a do pass recommendation, though one senator reserved concerns about property rights on SB 1304. The committee then considered House Bill 511, which would raise the cap on the Idaho Department of Lands improved-parcel wildfire surcharge from $40 to $100 per year. The sponsor and department said the increase is needed because the number of improved parcels in the wildland-urban interface has grown, equipment and personnel costs have risen, and the surcharge funds wildfire preparedness, engines, training, and readiness for initial attack. Logging and forest industry representatives supported the bill, citing higher fire-response costs and the need to protect homes, timber, and communities. The bill passed the committee on a do-pass motion, with Senators Hart and Cole recorded as voting no. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 1269 on cloud seeding. The sponsor said the bill does not create or expand the program but adds statutory definitions, reporting requirements, public meetings, and accountability provisions for the existing cloud-seeding program, including suspension of authorization if required reporting is not provided. Supporters from the Idaho Farm Bureau, Idaho Water Users Association, and a farmer said cloud seeding is a useful water-supply tool and that clearer reporting would improve transparency and public confidence. Some members said they still had questions about effectiveness and wanted more discussion, but the bill was sent to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• From here on out, you will hear so much from me and all my internal resources.
• Yes, from here on out you will hear so much from me and all my internal resources.
• By adding staff, we can be more efficient because we need to deliver the result.
• I have already made that commitment in order for me to make it more efficient.
• </c> do or bring other university resources do or bring other university resources to<00:26:53.200><c

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Committee on Higher Education and Agriculture heard Senate Bill 1158, which would authorize general obligation bonds and appropriations for a controlled environment agriculture research and demonstration facility at the Magoon Research and Teaching Site in Manoa. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive from the University of Hawaiʻi, Department of Agriculture, Farm Bureau, Maui County, MetroGrow Hawaiʻi, and other agricultural groups, who said the project would strengthen food resilience, support year-round production, create clean jobs, and provide a demonstration site for urban vertical farming. University representatives said the project would include demolition of an existing condemned building, a research and lab component, and a multistory vertical farm, with an estimated cost of $6 million and a projected two-year build time. Members questioned whether Manoa was the best location, whether the project fit the university’s broader strategy, and whether the request would displace other priorities. The University said the site is tied to SEAR activities, close to students and faculty, and intended to support hands-on training and commercial-scale production. In response to concerns about soil testing and stakeholder needs, the University said it would restart the soil testing lab using internal funds, though not as part of this bill, and would request additional staff for efficiency. The committee then recessed and later reconvened in decision-making, where the chairs recommended and the committee adopted amendments to SB 1158, including a name correction and deferral to July 31, 2050, and the bill passed with amendments. The committee then took up Senate Bill 663, relating to the University of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and SEAR research and experiment stations. The University testified that the stations are important for locally relevant agricultural research but are short staffed, with 34 positions down since 2005, and that the bill requests eight new positions, including agricultural technicians and four county community coordinator positions, to improve station operations, community engagement, and workforce development. The Farm Bureau supported the measure, saying the positions are needed to revamp extension services and that Manoa is an appropriate urban location for the vertical farming component. Members questioned why vacant or existing positions could not be used instead of new ones, and the University explained that some listed vacancies reflected old federally funded positions or inaccurate counts, promised a written update, and said it was working to fill current openings. No final vote on SB 663 was reached in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Processing contested cases quickly and efficiently is key to our regulatory mission.
• This growth includes 4 new teams, the Office of Public Engagement, the Energy Efficiency Division, the
• This system will improve data collection, provide greater transparency, and increase internal efficiency
• You have enough resources to respond to, let alone industry, but the, the public that expects highly
• We've identified opportunities for efficiencies, but no waste, fraud, or abuse.

Transcript Highlights:

• Talk to the resource officer.
• “The utilities coordinate together when we ask for the backup resources because the resources are in
• And we were able to find many efficiencies.
• Again, the governor wanted to find resources and efficiencies in government.
• Again, the governor wanted to find resources and efficiencies in government.

Summary: The committee met on May 26, 2026, and first approved the minutes from the May 22, 2025 meeting. The main topic was the Northwest Louisiana earthquake cluster, with testimony from Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy staff, LSU and Tulane geoscientists, and later LSU law professor Keith Hall. Witnesses said the cause of the swarm has not been definitively identified, but induced seismicity from wastewater injection or hydraulic fracturing remains a concern. They described 50 earthquakes reported by the USGS in Red River, Bienville, DeSoto, and Natchitoches Parishes, including a magnitude 4.9 event on March 5, 2026, and explained that Louisiana’s sparse seismic network limits detection and depth/location estimates. C&E said it inspected Class II injection wells within 12 miles of the events, found no violations, now requires more frequent injection reporting, and is working with researchers and LSU on a possible state monitoring network and future policy changes. Committee members asked about injection depths, fault locations, whether the activity could be natural, and whether Louisiana should adopt stronger monitoring or a traffic-light regulatory system like other states. The witnesses said more data is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, but that denser monitoring can detect smaller quakes and help identify patterns. Professor Hall summarized responses in other states, including more frequent reporting, increased monitoring, injection reductions, moratoria, and traffic-light systems in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois. Members also discussed whether operators should share more seismic and geologic data, and several said the state should avoid jumping to conclusions while still improving oversight. The committee then heard from William Berger, a Texas geoscientist, who described using AI and operator data to model wastewater injection and seismic risk, and said broader data sharing would improve forecasting and siting decisions. He and another witness emphasized that many earthquakes arise from clusters of wells rather than a single well, and that proprietary concerns limit voluntary disclosure. The committee also received a brief update from GOSEP and the Louisiana National Guard on the Barksdale Air Force Base drone incursions. GOSEP said it logged the incident in WebEOC and shared releasable information, while State Police and the FBI said they were limited in what they could disclose. Officers said a task force has been formed, some personnel have received federal drone-mitigation training, and House Bill 940 is intended to mirror the task force MOU. Finally, Major General Thomas Friloux and Brigadier General Jason Maffus updated the committee on the merger of GOSEP into the Louisiana Military Department. They said the merger has reduced GOSEP from seven divisions to three, brought back employees to in-person work, modernized the state’s common operating picture, and produced about $10.5 million in first-year cost avoidance through staffing and contract changes. They also noted the planned transfer of the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, ongoing hurricane preparedness, and continued coordination with parish emergency managers. No votes were taken on the substantive topics, and the meeting ended with the committee moving through its agenda items and receiving informational testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, but we do have a couple of resource witnesses here.
• We have someone from the Comptroller's Office as a resource.
• Comptroller's Office as a resource. In the meantime, we'll call up Tony Bennett.
• We have a resource witness from the Comptroller's Office. No questions.
• So does anybody have any questions for the resource witnesses?

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard several tax and economic development bills. SB 935 would exempt counties from the motor fuels tax on fuel used exclusively in county vehicles; Sen. Hall and Cass County Judge Travis Ransom argued it would save counties money without changing fund allocations, and the bill was left pending while the committee waited for the House version. SB 2206 would extend and revise Texas’s research and development incentives by tying the franchise tax credit more closely to federal law and changing the program’s effective date; supporters from business, manufacturing, and tax policy groups said it would protect innovation jobs and help startups, while the Comptroller’s office explained the fiscal note and said the committee substitute was no longer needed. The committee later withdrew the substitute and left the bill pending before ultimately voting it out favorably. The committee also heard SB 2020, which would repeal the “rehab tax” on nonresidential remodeling. Sen. Campbell said a large fiscal note led him to delay a full presentation, but builders, architects, and contractors testified that the tax raises remodeling costs, complicates audits, and discourages reuse and reinvestment in existing buildings. The bill was left pending. SB 2018 would create a two-year “strong families” tax credit for businesses donating to nonprofits that provide family support services; supporters from Family First, Buckner International, and Texas Baptist said it would strengthen families, father engagement, and upstream prevention, while the author said the Comptroller and HHSC were still working on administration details. That bill was also left pending. After a quorum was established, the committee heard and later reported several bills favorably. SB 1030 would exempt certain aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul parts from sales tax for general aviation; industry, airport, and local economic development witnesses said it would keep high-wage aviation work in Texas and improve competitiveness with neighboring states, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 214 would create a temporary sales tax holiday for qualifying residential HVAC systems; it was laid out and left pending. SB 1901 would make administrative and ethics changes to the Opioid Abatement Fund Council, including staggered terms, conflict rules, and fund reallocation procedures; it was reported favorably. SB 266 would repeal the Texas Research Incentive Program and use the appropriation to address the existing backlog of unmatched donations; the chair and Sen. Paxton said the state should honor past commitments, and the committee substitute was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:59.800><c> So,</c> more efficiently in the future. So, more efficiently in the future.
• </c><00:07:52.840><c> such</c> and existing health care resources such and existing health care resources
• </c> positions and refocusing our resources positions and refocusing our resources in<00:14:15.800><c
• ,</c><00:15:27.320><c> our</c> focusing on, but human resources, our focusing on, but human resources
• </c><00:27:57.440><c> on</c> uh be able to operate efficiently on uh be able to operate efficiently on

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary received an update from the Administrative Office of the Courts on implementation of House Bill 504, the judicial branch budget, and court facility projects. AOC leaders said they do not anticipate problems balancing the outgoing biennium or fiscal year 2026, and explained that the budget changes were driven by the need to reduce costs while preserving required constitutional, court-rule, and statutory services. They also said the new filing fee increases authorized by HB 504 took effect that day and are expected to generate up to $5 million, while the reorganization is projected to save about $3 million in general fund dollars. The bulk of the presentation focused on a major reorganization of the Office of Statewide Programs, which includes specialty courts, family and juvenile services, and pretrial services. AOC said the plan eliminates 170 positions and creates 109 new ones, mainly by reducing middle-management layers, expanding regional service delivery, and cross-training staff. Officials said 110 employees had already been offered or accepted placements, 24 had chosen voluntary separation, and the final number of employees leaving remains fluid until the process concludes around August 1. They emphasized that specialty court programs were not eliminated, but state-funded treatment court contracts and behavioral health liaison positions were removed, with treatment costs shifted to Medicaid or participants where appropriate. Members asked about the process, staffing impacts, specialty court participation, juvenile services, and how AOC will monitor the changes. AOC said the reorganization was developed by leadership, HR, and legal staff under direction of the Chief Justice and approved by the Supreme Court, and that it is intended to improve efficiency and frontline support rather than reduce services. They said specialty court participant levels are being watched closely, that CDW services will continue to use outside providers for programming, and that the agency will keep judges and stakeholders informed as the new structure goes into effect. No votes were taken, and the committee did not approve minutes because a quorum was not present.

Transcript Highlights:

• These resources complement the capital program.
• Our data management system enables more efficient deployment of resources to our customers.
• Let's go after those federal resources. Awesome. I'm all for it.
• We're doing more of these shuttle buses with our own resources.
• And I want them to have the resources they need and deserve.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing at UMass Amherst on Governor Healey’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, focusing on energy/environment-related transportation issues and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The hearing opened with welcomes from the co-chairs and local legislators, followed by remarks from UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier Reyes, who highlighted the university’s research, sustainability, transportation, and workforce contributions and thanked the administration and legislature for support of public higher education. MassDOT Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phil Eng, along with agency leaders, presented the administration’s transportation budget package. They described a combined funding plan through House 2, a Fair Share supplemental budget, and a Chapter 90 bill, emphasizing investments in MassDOT operations, snow and ice response, regional transit authorities, the MBTA, bridge and pavement repair, housing-related transportation improvements, sustainable aviation fuel, microtransit, and local road programs. Officials also highlighted record highway construction activity, safety initiatives such as work zone speed cameras and pedestrian protections, RMV service and equity improvements, airport and drone technology programs, and MBTA gains in reliability, accessibility, ridership, and service expansion. Committee members asked about Western Massachusetts priorities, especially Chapter 90 funding for rural road mileage, bridge repairs, and the Compass Rail/West-East Rail program. MassDOT officials said pending federal grants were moving forward, with some awards recently obligated and others expected as federal processes advance, and they said Palmer Station remains part of the long-term rail plan. Members also raised the Cape Cod bridges and the need for multi-year Chapter 90 funding. Officials said the Sagamore Bridge procurement would begin soon, with construction targeted for 2027, and reiterated that transportation investments support jobs, local economies, and municipal infrastructure statewide.