Transcript Highlights:

• always relate to timber harvesting.
• we're doing the harvest on.
• relate to timber harvesting.
• We do streamside mass. from a timber harvest, and I'm a forester's always relate to timber harvesting
• we're doing the harvest on.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thousands of Minnesotans harvest rice.
• Thousands of Minnesotans harvest rice.
• I'm an active wild rice harvester. I'm a trapper.
• I'm a Trapper I love wild rice Harvester I'm a Trapper I love being<00:21:21.440><c> outside</c><00:
• There's no population data on how harvesting might affect populations or impact other species in the

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Agro equipment goes down certainly during harvest season.
• The reality of it is, through my research, what I found is that you can harvest 5 to 15% of your bear
• I compared this to Kentucky, which has a bear population of uh, 10 to 1,500, and they harvest around
• So, I have no intention of devastating the harvesting of the bear population in Oklahoma.
• But in trying to work in good faith with the department we are harvesting, like, as I said, I think it's

Bills: HB4246, HB4230, HB3617, HB3657, HB2976, HB3391, HB4459, HB4128, HB3989, HB2989, HB4060, HB3145, HB2992, HB3464, HB4246, HB4230, HB3617, HB3657, HB2976, HB3391, HB4459, HB4128, HB3989, HB2989, HB4060, HB3145, HB2992, HB3464

Keywords: HB4246, water rights, rural water, wastewater, drinking water, environmental quality, DEQ, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, Oklahoma Rural Water Association, technical assistance, water infrastructure, small systems, utility operators, emergency water response, nonprofit contractors, vendor qualification, competitive bidding, best value procurement, central purchasing act, rural utilities

Transcript Highlights:

• And we sell to Second Harvest Food Bank, which Louisiana.
• And we have Lindsay Hendricks with us from Second Harvest, who's the director of impact for Second Harvest
• The food that our farmers are harvesting is being distributed within 24 hours of being harvested.
• harvested.
• So when he said funds going to Second Harvest, they're not going to Second Harvest.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Notably, DNR has elected to conduct EJAs on sustainable harvest calculations.
• Sustainable harvest calculations generate a perpetual supply of revenue on state trust lands for trust
• A major component of DNR's approach to sustainable management is calculation of a sustainable harvest
• A major component of DNR's approach to sustainable management is calculation of a sustainable harvest
• The Eastside Sustainable Harvest Calculation.

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held a work session on HEAL Act implementation, beginning with an orientation from Environmental Justice Council member David Mendoza. He described the law’s purpose as integrating environmental justice into agency decision-making, community engagement, tribal consultation, strategic planning, and environmental justice assessments, with the goal of reducing environmental health disparities and improving accountability to communities and tribes. He also discussed the council’s role, the interagency work group, challenges with limited volunteer and agency capacity, and concerns about inconsistent assessment formats and future funding pressures. Committee members asked about council composition, including the balance of tribal, community, business, and other representation, whether the HEAL Act increases permitting time or costs, how “overburdened” and “vulnerable” populations are defined, and whether the council should be refreshed or audited. Mendoza said the statute is not limited to racial categories and can include rural and low-income communities, that the council has not quantified permitting delays, and that there is no formal audit requirement, though the council is discussing how to improve its work. Members also raised questions about the relationship between the Environmental Justice Council and the Office of Equity, with Mendoza saying the bodies are complementary but should coordinate more closely. The Department of Agriculture then reported on its HEAL Act work. Director of Equity and Environmental Justice Nicole Johnson said WSDA conducts environmental justice assessments for significant actions, applies an equity lens to licensing, funding, rulemaking, and strategic planning, and has completed 11 EJ assessments to date. She highlighted pesticide regulation, animal health, and weights-and-measures work as examples of environmental and economic justice, and said the department recently hired a full-time tribal consultant and has only 1.5 FTE supporting HEAL implementation. Members asked whether WSDA’s assessments apply to its role on boards such as the Forest Practices Board; Johnson said the department’s current understanding is that assessments are conducted on agency work. The Department of Natural Resources then presented on its HEAL Act implementation, focusing on strategic planning, community engagement, tribal consultation, environmental justice assessments, and equitable funding. DNR officials said environmental justice is being embedded in the agency’s 2025-2029 strategic plan, in its Community Access and Impact Plan, and in its advisory committee and board representation efforts. They reported conducting EJ assessments for sustainable harvest calculations, agency request legislation, and a prescribed burn manager certificate program, and said DNR has invested about $130 million in overburdened communities and vulnerable populations in fiscal year 2025 through wildfire resilience, youth education, and urban forestry programs. Committee members pressed DNR on how it identifies impacted communities, why landowners were not more visible in the process, how agency-request legislation is being assessed, and whether assessments are required for actions taken through other boards and commissions. DNR said its current interpretation is that assessments apply to internal agency actions, that some notices may appear on OFM’s notices page rather than the completed-assessments dashboard, and that it would follow up on specific questions about its posted assessments and process.

Transcript Highlights:

• Families receive food that is fresh, healthy, and recently harvested, a far cry from the processed and
• I'm the executive director of Harvest Against Hunger, and I'm here in support of ESHB 2238 for statewide
• Eric Williams with Second Harvest. We're the Food Bank for Food Banks. Excuse me. What the...
• Eric Williams with Second Harvest.
• Northwest Harvest works with 350 food partners across the state.

Bills: HB2104, HB2554, HB2619

Keywords: aviation, wildland fires, funding, disaster relief, emergency response, tribal rights, fishing rights, salmon management, state-tribal agreements, natural resources, agriculture, regulations, farming, compliance, economic impact, 904, all

Summary: The committee took up six House bills for public hearing, with staff explaining each measure and sponsors describing their purposes. ESHB 2238 on statewide food security was presented as a broad strategy for WSDA to coordinate food access, agricultural viability, and supply chain resilience, including annual data monitoring and reporting on regulatory costs; supporters from agriculture, food banks, school nutrition, counties, and advocacy groups said it would improve coordination and strengthen the food system, while some asked for broader representation in the advisory process. HB 2199 would expand the derelict vessel removal program by broadening the definition of derelict vessel and allowing earlier intervention on unregistered or hazardous vessels; ports, local officials, and environmental advocates supported it as a way to reduce pollution, safety risks, and cleanup costs. HB 2104 would remove the sunset from the Aviation Assurance Funding Program for wildland fire response, and the sponsor and fire officials said the program has been effective at enabling rapid initial attack and preventing more expensive state mobilization. HB 2554 would repeal statutory language from Initiative 456 relating to treaty fishing rights; the sponsor, Attorney General’s Office, and Department of Fish and Wildlife supported repeal as removing unconstitutional and unenforceable provisions and correcting a historical wrong. HB 2619 would create a legislative task force to review regulatory stressors in agriculture and recommend changes, with the sponsor tying it to agricultural mental health and suicide prevention; no public testimony was offered. HB 2343 would require permits and water-quality controls for publicly owned game farms, with staff noting it appears to apply to a Fish and Wildlife facility and that the fiscal note estimates about $13,000 annually for compliance. Public testimony was overwhelmingly supportive on the bills that drew testimony, and the chair announced all six bills would be listed for possible executive session at the committee’s next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Families receive food that is fresh, healthy, and recently harvested, a far cry from the processed and
• I'm the executive director of Harvest Against Hunger, and I'm here in support of ESHB 2238 for statewide
• Eric Williams with Second Harvest. We're the Food Bank for Food Banks. Excuse me.
• Eric Williams with Second Harvest.
• Northwest Harvest works with 350 food partners across the state. And what we're hearing from our...

Summary: The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held public hearings on several House bills. ESHB 2238 would require the Department of Agriculture to develop a statewide food security strategy, monitor food system performance, and report on agricultural regulatory costs and competitiveness; the sponsor and many stakeholders from agriculture, food banks, school nutrition, counties, and advocacy groups supported it as a coordinated response to food insecurity and farm viability, while one requested amendment was addressed on the House floor. HB 2199 would expand the derelict vessel removal program by changing the definition of derelict vessel to allow earlier intervention when vessels are unregistered for two annual periods; ports, local officials, and environmental advocates testified in support, and the bill had no fiscal impact noted. HB 2104 would remove the sunset from the Aviation Assurance Funding Program for wildland fire response, with support from fire chiefs and the sponsor emphasizing its value for rapid initial attack and cost savings. HB 2554 would repeal statutes from Initiative 456 that conflict with treaty fishing rights; the Attorney General’s Office, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the sponsor supported repeal as necessary to remove unenforceable anti-tribal language, while testimony comments showed substantial opposition. HB 2619 would create a legislative task force to review regulatory stress in agriculture and recommend changes; the sponsor linked it to farmer mental health and suicide prevention, and there was no public testimony. HB 2343 would require public game farms operated by Fish and Wildlife to obtain water discharge permits and meet manure/runoff controls; staff noted it would apply to the known public facility and carry modest compliance costs, with no public testimony. The committee also unanimously waived the five-day notice rule for HB 2104, 2554, 2619, and 2343, and closed the hearings without taking final votes, planning to consider all six bills in executive session at a later meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• to grow up for there won't be any baby to grow up for us<01:03:16.599><c> to</c><01:03:16.960><c> harvest
• for other people that have us to harvest for other people that have the<01:03:18.720><c> need</c><01
• These are wild harvesters everywhere, from your high-water mark to the... ...very opposed to this bill
• These are wild harvesters everywhere, from your high-water mark to the...
• These are wild harvesters everywhere, from your high-water mark to the...

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, harvest location data collected from digital tagging down to the pinprick latitude and longitude
• The lack of protection means that harvest information collected by the Department of Health and Welfare
• , including the exact location of harvest, must be disclosed in response to a public information request
• the Open Records Act by specifically... exempting location information from disclosure as part of a harvest
• state law enforcement bodies through only a subpoena. or in reports that do not reveal individual harvest

Keywords: wildlife corridors, animal-vehicle collisions, HB5259, licensing, concurrent resolutions, cultural significance, Senate Bill 1247, public safety, environmental conservation

Summary: The meeting of the committee centered around significant legislative measures, including several bills aimed at enhancing wildlife safety through the establishment of wildlife corridors and licenses for outdoor activities. Key discussions highlighted House Bill 5259, led by Vice Chair Flores, which proposes a wildlife corridor action plan to reduce animal-vehicle collisions in Texas. This bill is crucial given Texas's alarming rate of wildlife-vehicle accidents, and testimonies from supporting members emphasized the need for action to protect both wildlife and public safety. Furthermore, Senate Bill 1247 was brought forward, simplifying the non-resident hunting license system to improve compliance and conservation funding. The committee also addressed multiple concurrent resolutions recognizing towns for their cultural significance, reflecting a broader commitment to community identity and heritage.

Transcript Highlights:

• The next thing that he'll do is he employs 50 to 100 people during the harvest.
• This has led to smaller fruit sizes, reduced harvests, and extreme cases of the total loss of citrus
• So I'm a fruit and vegetable grower myself and harvester. I'm not. a water engineer.
• I was able to harvest it, ship it, and put it in their cold storage in three days.
• And then as these stands needed to be harvested.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• drilled one exploratory well in the last 11 years because it's difficult to justify, when you're in harvesting
• And as you can see, we have moved into harvest mode.
• And I’ve been saying that: we have operators harvesting the Bakken. We are not generating new oil.
• And they just harvest, harvest, harvest, harvest. And we’ve been in harvest mode.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Finance and Tax Committee met to consider Senate Bill 2397 and a proposed amendment creating a development incentive well program for North Dakota oil and gas production. Representative Dockter explained the amendment as a way to encourage exploratory and innovative drilling in light of the state’s financial outlook and the growing share of stripper wells. Department of Mineral Resources Director Nathan Anderson and DMR geologist Timothy Nashim presented background on the Bakken and Three Forks formations, with Nashim describing research showing that Middle Three Forks second-bench development can add reserves in some areas but not others, and that roughly 600 additional wells in the strongest area could yield about 250 million barrels of oil. Continental Resources representatives William Houser and John Argo supported the amendment. They said the bill would give a temporary oil extraction tax exemption for certified development incentive wells, limited to 36 months or 300,000 barrels, and would also update tax treatment for gas used in enhanced oil recovery and on-site electric generation. They argued the measure would encourage new technology and testing in existing spacing units, complementing House Bill 1483, which they said focused on geographic expansion into non-Bakken and non-Three Forks areas. Argo said Continental still invests heavily in North Dakota but is shifting rigs elsewhere because of economics, and he urged incentives to spur exploration and preserve the basin’s long-term future. North Dakota Petroleum Council executive director Ron Ness also supported the concept, calling it a targeted, low-risk way to encourage innovation and future barrels. Committee members asked about royalty treatment, the difference from House Bill 1483, pressure maintenance, and how the program would be administered. DMR said the amendment should clarify that the operator bears the burden of proving a well qualifies and that only one incentive well per stratigraphic interval should be certified. No vote was taken; the committee paused to work on revised language and indicated the bill would likely need further adjustment, possibly in conference committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are businesses that grow and harvest cannabis and sell it at wholesale.
• A number of factors can affect the amount of cannabis that is actually harvested from that space.
• And indoor producers can have up to four to six harvests per year from that space.
• A number of of the amount of cannabis that is harvested from that square footage.
• six harvests per year from that space.

Summary: The committee began with a work session on the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee’s cannabis market study, presented by JLARC staff member Susanna Pratt. The report found Washington’s cannabis production in 2023 was likely two to three times higher than retail sales, with production estimated at 292,000 to 443,000 pounds of THC versus 139,000 pounds sold. Pratt explained that canopy data are inconsistent and that the Liquor and Cannabis Board’s traceability system is incomplete and unreliable, limiting data-driven regulation, tax verification, recall tracking, and diversion enforcement. JLARC recommended that LCB submit a plan by the end of 2025 for obtaining accurate licensee data by the end of 2026; LCB partially concurred and said a 2027 timeline may be more realistic. JLARC also concluded that the social equity producer licenses would likely have only a minimal effect on statewide production capacity, and suggested the legislature consider broader ways to increase equity in the industry. Members asked about the slow issuance of social equity licenses and about comparable traceability systems in other states. The committee then heard a series of presentations on fraud and scam prevention. Paul Benda of the American Bankers Association described the scale of fraud losses, the role of telecom spoofing, social media scam ads, SIM farms, and crypto ATMs, and argued for a shared-responsibility approach involving banks, telecoms, and platforms. Katie Clark of IQ Credit Union described member-to-member fraud, romance scams, and the operational and financial impacts on credit unions, and recommended better information sharing, safe harbors for returning scam-related funds, and stronger fraud education. Kyle Innes of SIFMA highlighted investor fraud and Washington’s 2009 report-and-hold law, which he said helped shape similar protections in most states, and emphasized the need for better communication among financial firms, APS, and law enforcement. Brian Gerard and Ali Higgs from the Department of Financial Institutions discussed “pig butchering” and other investment scams, focusing on how scammers build trust through social media, dating apps, fake websites, and crypto schemes before extracting funds. Across the fraud presentations, witnesses repeatedly stressed consumer education, interagency information sharing, and stronger controls on telecom, social media, and crypto ATM activity. Members asked about model laws from other states, the role of financial education in schools, and whether crypto ATMs should be regulated or banned. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Would be harvesting a raw agricultural commodity, which is any food in its raw or natural state.
• That’s what I heard last, maybe for a harvester or another piece of equipment.
• This morning, our wheat crop, if we're about ready to start harvesting, is worth less than $5 a bushel
• Our family will lose on just our wheat crop alone if we have close to a record harvest. we will lose
• Since 2012, input costs have risen 27%, much like the cotton harvester...

Bills: HB43, HB519, HB1275, HB1592, HB2842, HB3088, HB3479, HB4163, SB823, HB609

Keywords: agriculture, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, honey production, beekeeping, food safety, local regulation, bovine producers, dairy farms, permits, bovine tuberculosis, public health, wildlife management, disease prevention, alert system, Texas A&M, white-tailed deer, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair Perry explained that Senate Bill 1248 concerns harvest report protection.
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department currently offers digital tagging for harvested deer, turkey, and
• Currently, harvest data and location data collected through digital tagging include pinpoint latitude
• The lack of protection means harvest information collected by the department, including the exact location
• of the harvest, must be disclosed in response to a public information request, or PIR.

Bills: SCR13, SB1248

Keywords: water rights, treaty compliance, Rio Grande, agriculture, drought, international water, Texas water supply, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, TPWD, harvest reports, wildlife harvest data, public information act, open records, confidentiality, hunter privacy, angler data, game animals, game birds, fur-bearing animals, nongame animals

Summary: The Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs met without a quorum at first, then later established quorum and proceeded with testimony and votes. Senate Bill 1248, by Chair Perry, was explained as a narrow Open Records Act exception to protect harvest report location data collected through Texas Parks and Wildlife’s digital tagging system. Support testimony came from Matt Wagner of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, who said the bill would protect private land and sensitive biological information while preserving useful wildlife data. No one testified against the bill, and it was left pending until later in the meeting. The committee then heard Senate Concurrent Resolution 13, which urges the State Department and the International Boundary and Water Commission to press Mexico to comply with the 1944 Water Treaty and deliver its share of Rio Grande water. Senator Hinojosa, farmers, municipal officials, and other witnesses described severe water shortages in South Texas, low reservoir levels, crop losses, the closure of the Valley sugar industry, and the need for alternative supplies such as desalination, reuse, and drainage-runoff projects. Members also discussed treaty enforcement, regional drought, and the role of cartels and Mexican water storage, while emphasizing that Texas must also invest in its own water infrastructure. The committee also considered Senate Bill 740, which the committee substitute amended to require the Public Utility Commission to adopt a standardized application form for system improvement charges and complete related rulemaking by September 1, 2026, applying only to applications filed on or after that date. Members discussed concerns about water wholesalers using the process to delay cases and drive up costs, and the need for more transparency and PUC resources. The committee voted to adopt the substitute and report SB 740 favorably. After returning to the earlier items, the committee voted SB 1248 out favorably and recommended it for the local and uncontested calendar, and voted SCR 13 out favorably as well. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• We harvest and have harvested since we, in the last four decades, about 3,000 cords a year, which is
• We harvest the same amount was before. We harvest the same amount of<04:11:40.640><c> timber.
• </c> timber harvests? timber harvests?
• They have a heavy harvest law. Vermont has a biomass harvest.
• They have a heavy harvest law. Maine. They have a heavy harvest law.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You mentioned that New Hampshire lumber, but the bill says reference to lumber harvested in the United
• harvested in New Hampshire<00:44:55.359><c> to</c><00:44:55.520><c> to</c><00:44:56.000><c> help</c>
• in New Hampshire, grown and harvested in New Hampshire, but<00:45:51.920><c> goes</c><00:45:52.240><
• It was previous testimony that New Hampshire lumber is being harvested, then crossing the border and
• :59.040><c> is</c><01:02:59.200><c> the</c> country of harvest that is the country of harvest that is

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We harvest it, and we make our money.
• So it's really a once-in-a-lifetime harvest.
• And what they do is they harvest... ...has several hundred acres of trees, and what they do is they harvest
• I mean, state forest land: it's not harvested, it's not on a harvest cycle.
• But about one-third of that land is on a harvest cycle, which is harvested over the period of about 40

Bills: HB2720, HB2073, SB5816, SB5919, SB5831, SB6244, SB6044, SB5109, SB5877, SB6258

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, state regulation, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives, best practices, community protection, voluntary measures, mortgage modification

Transcript Highlights:

• to help Feeding America food banks serving Minnesota purchase milk and protein and pay for the harvesting
• Lindsay Aonic, director of sourcing and demand planning at Second Harvest Heartland.
• Just real quick for Second Harvest Heartland: we are one of the largest food banks in the nation.
• </c> affairs manager at Second Harvest affairs manager at Second Harvest Heartland<00:04:23.639><c> and
• Heartland um we are for Second Harvest Heartland um we are one<00:04:51.440><c> of</c><00:04:51.560>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Second Harvest Heartland posted an opening for a voter engagement coordinator.
• Second Harvest Heartland posted an opening for a voter engagement coordinator.
• Second Harvest Heartland posted an opening for a voter engagement coordinator.
• Second Harvest Heartland posted an opening for a voter engagement coordinator.
• Second Harvest Heartland posted an opening for a voter engagement coordinator.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Harvest methane gas out of the waste stream, clean that up and set it as renewable natural gas.
• dry land harvest, he's gonna use a buggy driver, a tractor, and a, and a, and a truck driver.
• Uh, so I'm a fruit and vegetable grower myself and harvester.
• I was able to harvest it, ship it, and put it in their cold storage in 3 days.
• And then as these stands needed to be harvested.