Transcript Highlights:

• Well, uh, Mr.
• Well, uh, Mr.
• So that's why we're looking at property taxes as well as aircraft registration projects funded with this
• I'm imagining they had constraints as well, and a $1.2 million increase on aircraft taxes and registrations
• </c> constraints as well constraints as well and<01:04:56.319><c> a</c><01:04:56.400><c> $1.2</c><01:

Bills: HF5

Keywords: tax modification, transportation funding, electric vehicle tax, Social Security subtraction, retail delivery fee, motor vehicle registration, state budget, transportation policy, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It's also important to recognize that... items as well as products that are items as well as products
• All right, well, I will offer the A2 then. I will offer the A2 then.
• Well, right now we're focusing on that one report.
• </c> here representative Joy thank you well here representative Joy thank you well right<01:28:18.719
• Is it, you know, is my grandma well?

Bills: HF5

Keywords: tax modification, transportation funding, electric vehicle tax, Social Security subtraction, retail delivery fee, motor vehicle registration, state budget, transportation policy, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, I will say the poorest schools always have the lowest...
• Well, this one's based on low-performing schools. Yeah, but they're poor. No, no, no.
• Well, and they already have that for other things too.
• Well, thank you. I appreciate that.
• So that's trying to encompass those as well that they're each standalone.

Bills: SB303, SB303

Keywords: education, principal leadership, mentoring, high-poverty schools, professional development, off-road vehicles, public roads, registration, liability insurance, age requirement, traffic regulations, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, Mr.

Bills: SB1873, SB1948, SB540, SB1653, SB1061, SB1534

Keywords: roofing, contractor registration, continuing education, endorsement, construction industry, fireworks, consumer safety, local governance, emergency declaration, public safety, dentist, dental hygienist, dentistry, dental hygiene, licensure compact, interstate compact, professional licensing, license portability, health workforce, workforce shortage

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, Mr. Chairman, I think sometimes people make decisions and are influenced by bad information.
• Well, a municipality sits within a county. Right, right.

Bills: SB1873, SB1948, SB540, SB1653, SB1061, SB1534

Keywords: roofing, contractor registration, continuing education, endorsement, construction industry, fireworks, consumer safety, local governance, emergency declaration, public safety, dentist, dental hygienist, dentistry, dental hygiene, licensure compact, interstate compact, professional licensing, license portability, health workforce, workforce shortage

Summary: The committee heard several Senate bills, most of them described as cleanup or compact-related measures. Senate Bill 1061 was presented as a cleanup bill adding defining language, supported by the Department of Consumer Credit and correcting a typo, and it passed 11-0. Senate Bill 1534, a charity enforcement act worked on with the Attorney General’s office, was described as strengthening protections for donor intent, preventing misuse of charitable funds, and closing enforcement loopholes; after a brief question about examples of bad actors, it also passed 11-0. Senate Bill 1873 was another cleanup bill requested by roofers and passed 11-0. The committee also considered interstate licensure compacts. Senate Bill 540 would create Oklahoma’s participation in a dentist and dental hygienist compact; one question focused on why the Oklahoma Dental Association opposed it while the American Dental Association supported it, and the bill passed 9-2. Senate Bill 1653 would join a compact for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, with the sponsor noting 31 states already participate; it passed 11-0. Finally, Senate Bill 1948 would allow year-round fireworks sales in Oklahoma. Members questioned how the bill would interact with city and county authority, whether it would affect dense neighborhoods, and concerns about veterans with PTSD. The sponsor said the bill would not override city ordinances and argued counties should not restrict private property owners, while also saying current law already allows fireworks use year-round but limits in-state purchasing windows, sending consumers to other states. The bill passed 10-1. The chair then announced this was the last bill for the day and that about 12 bills remained for the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• is a little tempered because I'm here because our chair, our good friend, our good friend, is not well

Bills: HB358, HB358

Keywords: juvenile justice, detention, age of majority, jurisdiction, child welfare, foreign influence, political activity, transparency, registration, civil penalties, hostile foreign principals, state ethics, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Any statement, hearing none, well, let's get to work.
• Well, it says Hagan boo, but you are you doing it says Creighton, but which one is it? No. 2407.
• This bill I'm sponsored by Representative Freo and strengthen the Texas sex offender registration system
• statute to enhance the penalties for certain individuals who repeatedly failed to comply with registration
• The bill also reinforces the seriousness of these registration laws, supports efforts of law enforcement

Bills: HB 2407, HB 3425

Keywords: sex offender registration, criminal penalties, law enforcement, criminal justice, public safety, public servant, address disclosure, retrieval of information, electronic communication, criminal offense, retaliation, safety concerns

Transcript Highlights:

• other situations that are happening in Oklahoma, they would also be eligible to qualify or apply as well
• There was no oil and gas wells in that development. There's no past history.
• There was no oil and gas wells in that development. There's no past history.
• So— ...that there was ever an oil and gas well under that house.
• destroy it to go find the well.

Bills: SB1319, SB1369, SB1378, SB1379, SB1309, SB1330, SB1481, SB1546, SB1122, SB1403

Keywords: SB1319, Corporation Commission, Oklahoma, remediation, environmental emergency, brine contamination, oil contamination, oilfield pollution, residential property, home buyout, property acquisition, fair market value, revolving fund, remediation fund, state plugging funds, well plugging, abandoned well, natural breakout, Department of Environmental Quality, DEQ

Transcript Highlights:

• There was no oil and gas wells in that development. There's no past history.
• That there was ever an oil and gas well under that house.
• Representative Fugate: Well, this is not a poison pill question.
• So that’s one reform from them as well.
• So that’s one reform from them as well.

Bills: SB1319, SB1369, SB1378, SB1379, SB1309, SB1330, SB1481, SB1546, SB1122, SB1403

Keywords: SB1319, Corporation Commission, Oklahoma, remediation, environmental emergency, brine contamination, oil contamination, oilfield pollution, residential property, home buyout, property acquisition, fair market value, revolving fund, remediation fund, state plugging funds, well plugging, abandoned well, natural breakout, Department of Environmental Quality, DEQ

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 1319, which would create a Corporation Commission process to help residential homeowners whose homes are contaminated by brine, oil, or other substances tied to the Commission’s jurisdiction. Members discussed a subcommittee amendment that removed an appropriation because the bill had already been funded elsewhere, and several questions focused on whether the measure was a state-funded bridge for rare cases where no liable party is immediately identifiable. The bill was advanced on a 23-3 vote. The committee then approved several other measures with little or no debate: SB 1369 to create a protected revolving fund for the 988 mental health lifeline; SB 1378 to create an Olympic Fund for Oklahoma City’s 2028 Olympic preparations; SB 1379 to establish a two-year grant pilot for victims of labor and sex trafficking; SB 1309 to increase the Rhodes Fund reserve for debt service; SB 1330 to change compensation for the pardon and parole board director and members to an attendance-based structure; SB 1546 to allow private donations for the Inspired to Teach program and rename it Next Ed; and SB 1403 to update the Quality Jobs Program, including adding certain transportation-related industries and tightening eligibility if a credit is unused for three years. These bills all received due-pass recommendations, with votes ranging from unanimous to 23-2. The committee also considered SB 1481, which adds 20 minutes of daily recess, and members noted that similar bills were moving through the process and that the bill did not clearly address whether the added recess counts as instructional time. It passed 25-0. Finally, SB 1122, a broadband tax-policy cleanup bill, drew questions about its fiscal impact on local governments and counties; the presenter said municipalities would not be affected because they do not levy ad valorem taxes, though the measure could reduce revenue for other taxing entities by about $20 million statewide. That bill passed 23-1. The meeting ended with announcements about upcoming appropriations meetings and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• In terms of the statewide federal single audit, I think the chairman, I can't say it well, is we already
• Well, in the private sector, and we heard this morning how important it is to government to be partnering
• So that's one of the—probably at the bottom of our list of amendments—but it is critical as well to maintain
• Well, as we lead into budgets in the legislature, because what happened in the federal government jeopardized
• There is grow funding there as well to really focus on provider pay and provider recruitment.

Bills: SB145, SB143

Keywords: auditing, financial reporting, state auditor, public agencies, capital outlay, compliance, federal audits, agriculture, New Mexico Department of Agriculture, fee update, regulatory fees, egg inspection, egg grading, egg dealer, pesticide control, pesticide registration, pesticide applicator, pest management consultant, plant protection, nursery license

Transcript Highlights:

• But he is with us today as well. But, Chair, I did have a couple of questions.
• Who owns that where you've seen it work really well?
• However, I would certainly like to hear the university perspective as well. Mr.
• Well, thank you.
• So I think maybe its own entity of some kind would probably serve us well.

Bills: SB145, SB143

Keywords: auditing, financial reporting, state auditor, public agencies, capital outlay, compliance, federal audits, agriculture, New Mexico Department of Agriculture, fee update, regulatory fees, egg inspection, egg grading, egg dealer, pesticide control, pesticide registration, pesticide applicator, pest management consultant, plant protection, nursery license

Transcript Highlights:

• You explained it so well at the time of a plea there... You explained it so well.
• Well, it's not to catch. It's on registration and it's confirming. So, I mean, it's not to catch.
• I said, well, let me register to vote while I’m here.
• Thank you all for being here as well. I am April Hall-Loyd.
• Well, that's fine. Go vote on election day.

Bills: S0460, S0748, S1180, S1334

Keywords: special elections, vacancy, Governor authority, election timeframe, judicial determination, voting rights, felony, sentencing, civil rights, criminal justice, rehabilitation, elections, voter registration, citizenship, provisional ballots, election fraud

Summary: The Committee on Ethics and Elections met with a quorum and took up several election-related bills. CS/SB 1180 by Senator Arrington, which creates a recall framework for elected community development district board members and also addresses synthetic turf regulation and CDD eligibility, was presented briefly and then approved unanimously. SB 460 by Senator Polsky, requiring the governor to call special elections within set deadlines after vacancies and allowing judicial relief if deadlines are not met, also passed unanimously after members discussed flexibility for emergencies and the cost of delayed elections. The committee then heard SB 748 by Senator Bracy Davis, which would add constitutional voting-rights restoration language to the sentencing score sheet given to felony defendants. Supporters said it would improve clarity and notice without changing eligibility, and the bill was favorably reported unanimously. The committee also confirmed several appointees, including Jim Milliken and Alicia McShea to the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, Robert P. Estalas as Director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and additional gubernatorial appointees listed on the agenda, all by favorable votes. The longest discussion centered on Senator Grall’s strike-all amendment for SB 1334, an elections bill dealing with citizenship verification, Real ID and SAVE database use, paper-ballot voting, candidate qualification rules, and related election administration changes. Supporters argued it would streamline verification and ensure only citizens vote, while opponents warned it would create burdens, disenfranchise eligible voters, and impose costs and administrative confusion. After extensive public testimony both for and against, the committee adopted an amendment to allow supervisors of elections to observe holidays when not otherwise required to be open, then approved the strike-all as amended by a 6-2 vote, with Senators Polsky and Bernard voting no. The meeting then adjourned after members recorded their votes on earlier items.

Bills: SB 1169, SB 1285, SB 1583, SB 1611, SB 1898, SB 1976, SB 2160, SB 2161, SB 2658, SB 2661, SB 2662, SB 2692, SB 1055, SB 1359, SB 2660

Keywords: water service, sewer service, public utility, joint operation, infrastructure, municipality, compliance, groundwater management, water conservation, district planning, environmental regulation, sustainability, groundwater, conservation, fees, agricultural uses, water regulation, wastewater treatment, environmental testing, pollutants

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, yes.
• Well, thanks for being here.
• Well, I think we all remember that. Well, here's the point.
• Okay, well welcome.
• , I think we can do online voter registration. that we as a state can do that as well.

Bills: HB311, SB447, SB505, SB2217, SB2753, HB311

Keywords: voter registration, electronic, Texas election law, Signature verification, DPS, internet application, Texas Election Code, signature verification, online application, data security, electronic application, Department of Public Safety, information security, electronic voter registration, voting technology, voter access, state election laws, digital signature, election irregularities, audit

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate sponsor, Senator, well, it says Hagenbuch, but it says Creighton, but which one is it?
• I'm going to present a statement on the Texas sex offender registration system.
• It allows some individuals to knowingly avoid these registration obligations while still not being sentenced
• of Criminal Procedure to increase the criminal penalty for failing to comply with sex offender registration
• The bill also reinforces the seriousness of these registration laws, supports the efforts of law enforcement

Bills: HB2407, HB3425

Keywords: sex offender registration, criminal penalties, law enforcement, criminal justice, public safety, public servant, address disclosure, retrieval of information, electronic communication, criminal offense, retaliation, safety concerns, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• toward a degree completion, to better support these students, House Bill 102 would grant early registration
• Senator Parker: Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you all for the great testimony.
• But, Senator, we would love to find other efforts as well. Thank you, Glenn. Thank you.
• And, yeah, well, we're going to have all of it on. We've thought that for a couple of years now.
• Senator Hancock, you said it well a couple years ago: the best way to help a veteran is to make sure

Bills: HB102, HB300, SB2255

Keywords: military education, early registration, ROTC, corps of cadets, higher education, military academy, scholarship, military, Texas Armed Services, military spouses, occupational licensing, state agency, license requirements, reciprocity, training and education

Summary: The Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs heard three measures focused on military-connected students, service members, veterans, and their families. House Bill 102 would give eligible students in military-related university programs early registration privileges, similar to existing accommodations for expectant mothers and student athletes. House Bill 300 would modernize the Texas Armed Services Scholar program by increasing scholarship funding, clarifying the student employment agreement, and creating a scholarship coordinator at THECB to help students and families navigate the program. Senate Bill 2255 drew the most discussion and testimony. The bill would streamline occupational licensing for military members, spouses, and veterans by allowing Texas licensure based on an out-of-state license in good standing with a similar scope of practice, removing the Texas residency requirement, and shortening agency processing time from 30 days to 10 days in the committee substitute. Supporters from the Texas Coalition of Veterans Organizations, the Texas Association of Business, the Institute for Justice, TDLR, and the VFW said the bill would reduce bureaucratic delays, improve employment opportunities, and help military families maintain income during relocations. TDLR also described current licensing confusion between state and federal rules and said the bill would improve alignment and data collection. No witnesses testified against any of the bills. After public testimony closed on each measure, HB 102, HB 300, and SB 2255 were left pending in committee. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. The Transportation Committee will now come to order.
• On immigration, the great replacement strategy, which is well underway every single day at our southern
• Waves in support as well. Now we are in debate. Members, any debate on the bill? All right.
• It amends requirements related to the application process for motor vehicle registrations.

Bills: S0174, S0388, S0470, S0488, S0490, S0584, S0628

Keywords: transportation, memorial, honorary designation, Miami-Dade, Charlie Kirk, license plates, Florida Wildflower, vehicle registration, annual use fee, specialty plates, Fraternal Order of Police, license plate, funding, memorial foundation, law enforcement, motor carriers, fuel tax, military exemptions, safety regulations, electronic submissions

Summary: The Transportation Committee heard and advanced several bills, mostly related to honorary roadway designations, specialty license plates, and Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles administration. SB 628 designated a portion of South Navy Boulevard in Pensacola as “Warrior Sacrifice Way” to honor Ensign Joshua Watson and Petty Officers Muhammad Hatham and Cameron Walters, who were killed in the 2019 Naval Air Station Pensacola attack. The bill passed favorably with no debate or opposition. The committee also considered SB 174, naming a portion of State Road 985 in Miami-Dade County as Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue. Senator Arrington opposed the bill during debate, citing Kirk’s public statements as inconsistent with the honor, while Senator Rodriguez argued the designation was an honorary roadway naming that did not require agreement with Kirk’s views. The bill was reported favorably. SB 388, which raises the annual use fee for the Florida Wildflowers specialty license plate from $15 to $25 while keeping the lower fee for owners with more than 10 vehicles, also passed favorably after a support-only public comment. Members then approved SB 470, which opens the Fraternal Order of Police specialty plate to the general public and allows redesigns to help sustain sales and increase funding for law enforcement memorial efforts. Public testimony from the FOP supported the change. SB 584 authorized DHSMV to enter agreements allowing county tax collectors to enforce certain commercial driving school provisions, aimed at addressing fraud and licensing abuses, and it passed favorably with support. Finally, the committee approved SB 488, the DHSMV agency package updating IFTA compliance, online filing, crash reporting thresholds, registration procedures, email communications, and tank vehicle definitions, along with SB 490, the companion public records exemption for email addresses used under SB 488; both were reported favorably, with SB 490 noted as requiring a two-thirds vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, well, the chair will show Adam Benfield is not Not testifying. Testifying.

Bills: HB483, HB3345, HB3643, HB3821, HB3849, HB4472, HB4523, HB4524, HB5346, HB5347, HB5376

Keywords: high-speed rail, Texas Department of Transportation, TxDOT, public-private partnership, comprehensive development agreement, CDA, Interstate 35, I-35 corridor, Dallas, Waco, Austin, San Antonio, intercity passenger rail, rail infrastructure, private entity, transportation infrastructure, rail corridor, passenger rail, infrastructure finance, vehicle registration

Bills: HB483, HB3345, HB3643, HB3821, HB3849, HB4472, HB4523, HB4524, HB5346, HB5347, HB5376

Keywords: high-speed rail, Texas Department of Transportation, TxDOT, public-private partnership, comprehensive development agreement, CDA, Interstate 35, I-35 corridor, Dallas, Waco, Austin, San Antonio, intercity passenger rail, rail infrastructure, private entity, transportation infrastructure, rail corridor, passenger rail, infrastructure finance, vehicle registration

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> have a service to the community as well have a service to the community as well as<00:10:44.560>
• </c> testimony as well. testimony as well. &gt;&gt; Thank<00:12:21.600><c> you.
• </c> opposition as well. Thank you. opposition as well. Thank you.
• </c> having patience as well. having patience as well.
• Is there anyone else here as well.

Bills: SB3263, SB3261

Keywords: student-athletes, name image likeness, NIL, compensation, transparency, University of Hawaii, Title IX, funding, protections, athlete agents, student athletes, endorsement contracts, professional representation, registration requirements, sports law, 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Senate Committee on Education and Committee on Health and Human Services heard testimony on several bills related to student health and safety, University of Hawaii programs, and workforce development. For SB 2969, which would appropriate funds for the University of Hawaii to expand and sustain the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study and Maui Health Registry, testimony was overwhelmingly supportive. Witnesses described the ongoing physical and mental health impacts of the August 2023 Maui fires, said the study has identified serious untreated conditions and connected participants to care, and emphasized its role in serving survivors and training students. The committee also heard support from the Department of Health, the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Lung Association, Maui residents, and study staff. No vote was taken during the hearing. The committee then heard SB 2657, which would establish an Alzheimer disease and related dementia research center at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine. University of Hawaii and Alzheimer’s Association representatives supported the bill, saying a local center would improve coordination of existing research, build state capacity, and help Hawaii compete for future NIH designation and federal funding. A family member affected by Alzheimer’s also testified in support, citing the disease’s impact in Hawaii. In response to questions, the university said the proposal would follow a five-year phased plan, with the first year funding used to recruit a senior neuroscientist and staff person, at an estimated cost of about $375,000, and that the effort would still strengthen Hawaii’s research infrastructure even if federal funding is not secured. For SB 2612, which clarifies immunity for Department of Education employees and agents who assist students with medication administration under certain conditions, the Department of Education said the bill is intended to protect volunteers and help ensure students can participate in school activities even when staffing is limited. The committee discussed how volunteers would be selected and whether every school would have someone available, and DOE said schools currently rely on health attendants, nurses, and trained volunteers. The committee also briefly discussed liability language and gross negligence exceptions. The hearing then moved to SB 2412, which would fund a bachelor’s degree program in sign language and sign language interpretation at UH Mānoa with a future master’s pathway. Testimony from interpreters, educators, and university officials emphasized the shortage of interpreters, the need to retain local talent, and the program’s role in building a pipeline; university representatives said the initial request would fund a faculty/staff position as a first step, with additional funding needed later. No final committee action or votes were announced in the transcript.