Transcript Highlights:

• Senator from Ethics. Thank you, ma’am.
• Senator from Ethics. Thank you, ma'am.
• Contrary to common misconceptions, these treatments are Based on decades of research and follow rigorous
• Groups of students present and do research and present to the judges on things like environment, climate

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And thanks to state funding and ag research and technology, New York's dairy cows outproduce those in
• AND THANKS TO STATE FUNDING AND AG RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, NEW YORK'S DAIRY COWS OUTPRODUCE THOSE IN
• and part of that diversity is a community of very proud and successful, hard-working people with ethics
• THAT DIVERSITY IS A COMMUNITY OF VERY PROUD AND SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY, A HARD-WORKING COMMUNITY WITH ETHICS

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the prior day’s journal, then moved through a series of introductions and resolutions recognizing Women’s History Month honorees, Prince Hall Masons and Eastern Stars, Agriculture Week, Pakistan-American Heritage Day, visiting Mercaz Academy students, and the 175th anniversary of Albany Law School. Several senators spoke in support of the commemorations, and each resolution was adopted. The chamber then took up a number of bills on the calendar. Among the measures passed were bills related to insurance, private housing finance, public health, mental hygiene, real property, elder law, public authorities, and environmental conservation. One bill on the Environmental Conservation Law drew a procedural challenge over a proposed amendment; the Chair’s ruling that the amendment was nongermane was upheld by a show of hands, after which the bill passed. Another bill amending the Emergency Tenant Protection Act was debated on the issue of vacant rent-stabilized units and LLC ownership transparency, with supporters saying it would help identify responsible owners and opponents arguing it was too broad and could impose unclear penalties; it ultimately passed. The most extended debate centered on a real property bill concerning electronic rent payment systems and automated clearinghouse fees. Supporters framed it as a transparency measure that lets tenants choose whether to use such systems, while critics questioned how fees would be handled and whether the bill would affect landlord costs. After debate, the bill passed. A public health bill sponsored by Senator Webb also passed after she explained it was intended to improve transparency and oversight of changes to maternity and perinatal services amid concerns about maternal health deserts and hospital closures. The Senate then completed the calendar and adjourned until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• statutes and rules governing the practice of optometry to reasonably ensure a standard of competent and ethical
• are frequently requested to provide decision makers with commentary and information that's honest, ethical
• Research from other states indicates that the certified midwife licensure leads to greater ethnic and
• In Minnesota, I joined the University of Minnesota Medical School as a research fellow for four years

Transcript Highlights:

• Research shows that children are more likely to view AI chatbots as quasi-human and trust them more than
• Meanwhile, leading up to this, you certainly had your own research, your own thought into this.
• We also have Mike Katz-Lacob, a privacy rights activist and Director of Research.
• Mike Katz-Lacob, a privacy rights activist and Director of Research for Oakland Privacy.
• I'm the Director of Research for Oakland Privacy.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on artificial intelligence, child safety, mental health, and privacy. SB 574 by Senator Umberg would require transparency and human oversight when attorneys, judges, and court neutrals use AI; it drew support from privacy advocates and committee members, with no opposition. SB 1276, the End Child Exploitation Act, would update child sexual exploitation laws to cover live-streamed and AI-generated abuse material and clarify that viewing such content can be criminally punishable; prosecutors, child advocacy groups, and others supported it, while no one appeared in opposition despite opposition on file. SB 813 would create a California AI standards and safety commission and a voluntary two-tier certification framework for AI safety standards; supporters said it would create scalable, independent oversight, while TechNet and CalChamber opposed it as duplicative, under-defined, and likely to create a de facto mandate. The committee discussed market pressure, federal preemption concerns, and the role of voluntary standards, but no final vote was taken in the excerpt. Senator Padilla also presented SB 300, which would strengthen protections for minors from sexually explicit chatbot content by moving from a reasonableness standard to an affirmative duty to prevent such exposure and to prohibit facilitation. Supporters said new evidence showed greater risks and that companies can and should build stronger safeguards; opponents, including TechNet and CCIA, argued the bill was premature because SB 243 had only recently taken effect and warned it could create strict-liability-like exposure. Padilla then presented SB 903, which would bar AI chatbots from being advertised as therapists, require licensed clinician oversight and informed consent for AI use in psychotherapy, and protect patient confidentiality; it received broad support from mental health professionals and labor groups, while industry and health associations were opposed unless amended over triage and crisis-detection language. The committee members emphasized the need for human judgment in mental health care and noted ongoing negotiations on amendments. The committee also heard SB 1119, a companion to AB 2020, which would require annual risk assessments, crisis-response protocols, default child settings, parental controls, limits on data use, public incident reporting, and third-party audits for chatbots used by children. Supporters argued the bill would address documented harms and improve transparency, while industry groups objected to ambiguous standards, liability exposure, and the private right of action. A roll call vote was taken on SB 1119 after quorum was established; the motion to pass to Appropriations succeeded on a 5-1 vote, with one no vote and the measure left on call for absent members. Finally, SB 354, a privacy bill for insurance consumers, would modernize outdated insurance privacy rules, bar sale of personal information, and expand consumer rights to know, correct, and delete data. Supporters said it would implement Proposition 24’s privacy mandate, while a large coalition of insurers, agents, brokers, and related businesses opposed unless amended, mainly seeking a small-business exemption and narrower treatment of publicly available information; members and the author said negotiations were ongoing and the bill had already been substantially revised.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the president of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, better known as PAR.”
• A graduate student on a campus doing research off of private foundation dollars. on a campus doing research
• We've been working to build out that system and start producing research over the last few years.
• How can we permit more group training, similar to the ethics annual training?
• How can we permit more group training, similar to the ethics annual training?

Bills: SR119, SCR65, HCR47, HB196, HB218, HB256, HB325, HB352, HB434, HB448, HB476, HB608, HB624, HB626, HB632, HB749, HB818, HB1059, HB1112, HB1242, HB1249

Keywords: SR119, Senate Resolution 119, D-D Breaux, Sara Breaux, LSU gymnastics, LSU Gymnastics Training Center, LSU Board of Supervisors, facility naming, honorary resolution, public buildings and grounds, women's athletics, Title IX, college gymnastics, SEC gymnastics, Louisiana State University, Tiger Athletic Foundation, women in sports, coach recognition, sports legend, campus naming

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with four members present and took up a long agenda of education-related bills. Early items included SCR 65, which would create a K-12 student success task force to study statewide career and academic pathway advising; the committee adopted a substantive amendment adding designees and then reported the resolution favorably. The committee also reported favorably on SCR 119, honoring Coach D.D. Breaux, after brief remarks about her LSU gymnastics legacy and the request that LSU study naming its gymnastics training facility in her honor. Several bills affecting school operations and student support were heard and reported favorably, including HB 434 on probationary school bus driver employment and superintendent authority over dismissal; HB 484 expanding scholarship benefits for children and spouses of fallen or disabled firefighters and police officers; HB 749 and HB 1059 on savings accounts and TOPS math eligibility alignment; HB 218 adding food insecurity questions to student questionnaires, which was amended and reported favorably; HB 325 expanding TOPS Tech eligibility through dual enrollment and part-time use; HB 476 requiring Safe Haven law postings in middle and high school restrooms; HB 1249 clarifying access to school-based health centers, with an amendment adopted; HB 1242 allowing more than one early learning center license at the same location under certain circumstances; HB 632 improving data protections and functionality for LA First; and HB 352 on behavioral health services for public school students, which was amended to address IEP and dispute-process concerns before being reported favorably. Two bills drew extended debate over transparency, privacy, and school autonomy. HB 608 would create confidentiality for intercollegiate athletics revenue-sharing documents; LSU representatives argued the bill was needed to protect student-athletes and competitive information, while PAR and the Louisiana Press Association opposed it as an improper secrecy carve-out for state-generated revenue. Despite the opposition, the committee reported HB 608 favorably. HB 1112, which would exempt BESE-approved non-public pre-K programs from certain licensure and safety requirements and adjust related definitions, was amended and then heard with testimony from the Pelican Institute in support, arguing it corrects overreach from prior law and protects private school autonomy and parental choice.

Transcript Highlights:

• And in fact, defendant tech companies, in some of the cases—I did some research—have actually argued
• are committing suicide and some companies are being held accountable for it, based on their own research
• He added that some companies are being held to task based on their own research showing they knew the
• Again, with their own research. side, and some of these companies are being held to task for it, again
• , with their own research showing that they knew the harms.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Isaac Pon, House GOP research for public safety. Uh, Zach Minertz, uh, House DFL research.
• Chair Jeff Beel with House Research. John Walls, House Fiscal Staff, Ben Johnson, House Research.
• </c> House GOP researcher for Judiciary. House GOP researcher for Judiciary.
• </c> Chair Jeff Beel with House Research. Chair Jeff Beel with House Research.
• John Hulquist, Johnson, House Research.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• As more workplaces embrace AI, researchers and economists are raising serious concerns about potential
• States Council and Jennifer Snyder of Council for Power, the Partnership Organization for Workplace Ethics
• The Partnership Organization for Workplace Ethics and Reform. Thank you.
• We pride ourselves on operating under the highest standards of ethics, integrity, competence, and professionalism

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on workplace technology, labor protections, and data center oversight. SB 947, the No Robo Bosses Act of 2026, would require human review before automated systems are used in discipline, termination, or deactivation decisions and would ban predictive behavior analysis in the workplace. Labor groups, worker advocates, and privacy organizations supported the bill, arguing AI can be biased and should not make life-changing employment decisions without human judgment. Business groups opposed it, saying it was broader than prior versions, could interfere with workplace safety tools, and should not include a private right of action or cover independent contractors. After discussion about due process and accountability, the bill passed the committee 3-1 and was sent to the Senate Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection. SB 978, the Data Center Community Accountability Act, would require data centers to pay upfront for new transmission or distribution infrastructure, create a separate rate structure so costs are not shifted to other ratepayers, and include skilled-and-trained labor standards for construction. Supporters said the bill would protect ratepayers, create good construction jobs, and encourage zero-carbon energy development. Opponents, including the Data Center Coalition and Silicon Valley Leadership Group, argued the CPUC already has ongoing proceedings on these issues and warned the bill could single out one industry and discourage investment. The committee members emphasized labor standards and community concerns, and the bill passed 3-0 to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. SB 951, the California Worker Technological Displacement Act, would expand WARN-style notice requirements for layoffs caused by AI or automation, require reporting to workers, local government, and EDD, and give displaced workers first consideration for other openings. Supporters said the bill responds to rapid AI-driven layoffs and would provide needed transparency and data. Opponents said the definitions were too broad, the notice requirements too burdensome, and the bill conflicted with existing WARN law; they also objected to the private right of action and inclusion of independent contractors. The committee discussed amendments clarifying that an employee may still be discharged for reasonable and substantiated cause during the notice period. The bill passed 3-1 to the Senate Committee on Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection. The committee also approved SB 1032, which would create a licensing and regulatory framework for temporary staffing agencies, and SB 1046, which would direct Cal/OSHA to develop standards to protect lifeguards and park rangers from transboundary pollution in the Tijuana River Valley. SB 1032 drew support from labor and enforcement advocates who said it would help stop staffing fraud, while staffing firms argued the bill was vague and could burden legitimate small businesses; it passed 3-1 to the Senate Committee on Judiciary. SB 1046 was supported by park workers and community groups describing health impacts from pollution and passed 4-0 to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. The committee also took up a consent item, which passed 4-0, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• As more workplaces embrace AI, researchers and economists are raising serious concerns about potential
• States Council and Jennifer Snyder of Council for Power, the Partnership Organization for Workplace Ethics
• The Partnership Organization for Workplace Ethics and Reform. Thank you.
• We pride ourselves on operating under the highest standards of ethics, integrity, competence, and professionalism

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• step in reclaiming constituency trust that patient autonomy, which is the cornerstone of clinical ethics
• It's not misinformation, but careful research and religious conviction that guide my assessment of DNA
• I ask that you vote yes to H.B. 528 and codify the ethical, patient-centered medical choice of direct
• This is a pillar of Western medicine and an ethical right that we have.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The Senate Health and Welfare Committee began with introductions from three new pages, then approved the minutes from February 3rd. The committee first heard House Bill 558, which would codify Idaho’s current practice of preserving Social Security survivor benefits for foster youth rather than diverting them to state overhead. The sponsor and supporters said the bill protects money left by deceased parents and helps foster youth transition to adulthood; questions focused on the fiscal note and how the program works. No one testified in opposition, and the committee voted to send HB 558 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up House Bill 528, dealing with directed and autologous blood donations. Supporters, including the bill sponsors, patients, medical professionals, and advocates, said the bill would clarify that Idaho patients can use directed or self-donated blood when medically appropriate, and described personal experiences with being unable to access such donations in Idaho and having to travel out of state. Opponents from the Red Cross and blood donation organizations argued the bill is unnecessary because such donations are already allowed, warned it could create confusion, increase costs, waste resources, and imply the general blood supply is unsafe. Testimony also addressed safety screening, blood shortages, and whether unused directed donations can be returned to the general supply. After closing remarks from the sponsors and committee discussion, including concerns about patient choice versus potential impacts on the broader blood system, the committee voted to send HB 528 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. One amendment request from the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association sought to change the bill’s immunity language, but the sponsor said he preferred to keep the bill as drafted.

Transcript Highlights:

• IN YOUR DEBATE YOU TALK ABOUT TRAINING, RESEARCH, MARKETING PROGRAMS AND HOW IT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGHOUT
• THIS IS NO KNOCK AGAINST THE MEDICAL PERFECTION OR ANYONE IN IT BECAUSE FLORIDA HAS THE BEST ETHICAL
• ETHICAL SOCIETIES DO NOT ERECT BARRIERS TO JUSTICE, THEY DISMANTLE THEM. >> Chair: THANK YOU LAUREN .
• THIS IS A MATTER OF BASIC ETHICS.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's one thing that I won't discuss because I fully understand why medical research is necessary.
• And importantly, it creates an opportunity for these businesses to evolve in a way that's both ethical
• Tarr, Further Protecting Research Animals.
• And that was to recognize that we all benefit from the service and sacrifice of research animals that
• because they are docile and friendly and, as a result, are more compliant with this kind of research

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to pursue their happiness and what, someday, through a strong, wonderful education and a great work ethic
• take that instilled in them and they'll take that great<00:03:45.159><c> work</c><00:03:45.480><c> ethic
• /c><00:03:45.959><c> that</c><00:03:46.159><c> great</c><00:03:46.439><c> education</c> great work ethic
• in that great education great work ethic in that great education and<00:03:47.280><c> become</c><00:
• I own a legal research and government affairs business here in St.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• SCHOOLS AND PK YOUNG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH SCHOOL THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA.
• FLORIDA'S DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH SCHOOLS DO HAVE A UNIQUE MISSION.
• SHE IS USING THAT TO CONDUCT RESEARCH.
• GRANTS AND PATHS AWARDED TO SUPPORT THE RESEARCH EFFORTS.
• LIVE HEALTHY FUNDING WILL EXPAND THIS RESEARCH AND INCREASE SCIENCE RESEARCH IN FLORIDA AND THE UNITED

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a clinician and a researcher who has been in this fight for well over 20 years now.
• There's a great deal of research being done, including in Arizona.
• There's a great deal of research being done, including in Arizona.
• We have amazing researchers here.
• I do feel that this bill has legal, ethical, and just... ...has legal, ethical, and just humanity implications

Summary: The committee began with a presentation from the Alzheimer’s Association Desert Southwest Chapter and Dr. Anna Burke of Barrow Neurological Institute on the growing impact of Alzheimer’s and dementia in Arizona, the need for earlier diagnosis, better provider education, caregiver support, and continued research funding. They described current gaps in training and access to specialists, but also highlighted new therapies, lifestyle interventions, and Arizona-based research efforts. Members expressed support and optimism, but no action was taken on the presentation. The committee then heard HB 2202, which appropriates $300,000 from the general fund over fiscal years 2027 through 2029 for a dementia care tele-mentoring grant program through the Department of Health Services. Supporters, including the Alzheimer’s Association, a dementia specialist, and a patient advocate, said the program would help primary care providers diagnose dementia earlier and improve care. The bill was passed out of committee on an 11-0 vote. Next, the committee took up HB 2251, the midwifery bill, which would authorize certain licensed midwives to dispense and administer specified medications and devices, require liability insurance disclosure and annual reporting, and create a Midwifery Advisory Committee. A committee amendment removed some medications and renamed the bill the Jordan and MacTerry Act. ACOG and the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association opposed the bill as drafted, citing concerns about oversight, peer review, and the medication list, while licensed midwives and other supporters argued the bill would improve safety, transparency, and alignment with national standards. The bill was held for further stakeholder work, with members indicating more amendments were likely. The committee then heard HB 2252, which would allow certified nurse midwives, certified professional midwives, or licensed midwives to accompany a patient in a ground ambulance during an out-of-hospital birth if approved by medical direction. Supporters described cases where continued midwife involvement during transport helped newborns and mothers, while firefighters and EMS representatives opposed the bill as written, saying it created ambiguity about command and scene control and could raise safety concerns. The chair said the bill would be held for further stakeholder meetings and possible language changes. After a recess, the committee reconvened for presentations on federal Medicaid and rural health funding impacts, beginning with JLBC’s overview of H.R. 1’s Medicaid provisions and the rural health transformation grant program.

Transcript Highlights:

• As we've expanded the scope of the State Ethics Commission to include oversight of our subdivision campaigns
• , we are asking to increase the cap on the Ethics Committee revolving fund to ensure that they have the
• It appropriates various things for the blood clot registry and sickle cell research.

Bills: HB4030, HB4031, HB4032, HB4033, HB4034, HB4035, HB4036, HB4037, HB4038, HB4039, HB4040, HB4041, HB4042, HB4043, HB4044, HB4045, HB4046, HB4047, HB4048, HB4049, HB4050, HB4051, HB4052, HB4053, HB4054, HB4056, HB4057, HB4065, HB4067, HB4071, HB4072, SB1144, SB1145, SB1146, SB1147, SB1148, SB1149, SB1156, SB1157, SB1158, SB1159, SB1161, SB1162, SB1163, SB1164, SB1165, SB1166, SB1167, SB1174, SB1175, SB1176, HB4030, HB4031, HB4032, HB4033, HB4034, HB4035, HB4036, HB4037, HB4038, HB4039, HB4040, HB4041, HB4042, HB4043, HB4044, HB4045, HB4046, HB4047, HB4048, HB4049, HB4050, HB4051, HB4052, HB4053, HB4054, HB4056, HB4057, HB4065, HB4067, HB4071, HB4072, SB1144, SB1145, SB1146, SB1147, SB1148, SB1149, SB1156, SB1157, SB1158, SB1159, SB1161, SB1162, SB1163, SB1164, SB1165, SB1166, SB1167, SB1174, SB1175, SB1176

Keywords: education funding, budget appropriations, public schools, teachers' retirement, early childhood education, aeronautics, infrastructure, funding, sustainability, Oklahoma, mining, operator fees, coal production, noncoal mining, department of mines, revenue, state budget, budgetary reform, financial legislation, fiscal accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• depot, and $10 million is going to the Fort Sill project Vista, which is for education and aviation research
• I declare House Bill 4031 to House Bill 4037 raises the cap on ethics fees from $150,000 to $250,000.
• House Bill 4054 appropriates $40 million from the Legacy Capital Fund to rebuild the Agronomy Research

Bills: HB4030, HB4031, HB4032, HB4033, HB4034, HB4035, HB4036, HB4037, HB4038, HB4039, HB4040, HB4041, HB4042, HB4043, HB4044, HB4045, HB4046, HB4047, HB4048, HB4049, HB4050, HB4051, HB4052, HB4053, HB4054, HB4056, HB4057, HB4065, HB4067, HB4071, HB4072, SB1144, SB1145, SB1146, SB1147, SB1148, SB1149, SB1156, SB1157, SB1158, SB1159, SB1161, SB1162, SB1163, SB1164, SB1165, SB1166, SB1167, SB1174, SB1175, SB1176

Keywords: education funding, budget appropriations, public schools, teachers' retirement, early childhood education, aeronautics, infrastructure, funding, sustainability, Oklahoma, mining, operator fees, coal production, noncoal mining, department of mines, revenue, state budget, budgetary reform, financial legislation, fiscal accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• Research shows that conversion therapy does not change.
• If ethical therapists are effectively gagged with relevant topics placed off limits, who will help them
• I'm mostly concerned that, in retrospect, a person who went to an ethical therapist who asked them ethical
• I am the head of policy and research at Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services.
• After lots of research, our work with Senator Allen determined that expanding the enforcement provisions

Summary: The committee heard SB 934 by Senator Wiener, which would extend the statute of limitations for malpractice claims arising from conversion therapy and clarify how expert testimony and scientific evidence may be used in those cases. Supporters, including a survivor, a licensed therapist, and LGBTQ advocacy groups, described conversion therapy as harmful and argued survivors often cannot come forward within current filing deadlines. Opponents, including civil justice and conservative legal groups, argued the bill was a workaround to recent Supreme Court rulings and raised concerns about free speech, evidentiary standards, and whether the bill could chill legitimate therapy. Committee members largely focused on whether the bill was limited to conversion therapy malpractice claims and not broader gender-affirming care; the bill was moved on a 7-2-1 vote to Senate Appropriations and placed on call. The consent calendar was also adopted on a 6-0 vote and placed on call. The committee then heard SB 1092 by Senator Allen, a housing bill aimed at manufactured home parks. The bill would give residents or their designated representatives a right to make a competitive bid when a park owner intends to sell, lease, or transfer a park, with notice and response periods intended to give residents time to organize financing. Supporters said the measure would preserve naturally occurring affordable housing, especially for older and lower-income residents, and help resident-owned cooperatives or nonprofits buy parks before investor buyers do. Opponents from park owner and realtor groups argued the bill would burden private property rights, devalue parks, and create unconstitutional takings and litigation risk. Committee questions centered on the bill’s timelines, whether residents would have 120 days to express interest and another 120 days to close, and whether the purchase agreement would be binding if accepted. The author and supporters said the second period was needed for due diligence and financing, while opponents said the structure could still delay sales and reduce market value. Several members expressed support for the bill’s goal but asked for further clarification or possible tightening of the timing and good-faith provisions; no final vote on SB 1092 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Council, I think, was your title, or, yeah, Assembly Ethics Council for most of my time in the Assembly
• Just want to emphasize again that I think, you know, we all strive to act in the most ethical manner
• He said he is the Policy and Research Director for the Institute for Responsive Government Action, a
• I'm the Policy and Research Director for the Institute for Responsive Government Action, a nonpartisan
• Researchers estimate processing each paper form costs $4.72 in labor.

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of elections-related bills. It first approved three consent items: AB 808, AB 1029, and AB 1072. The committee then took up AB 1249, which would require non-Voter’s Choice Act counties to offer at least one Saturday early-voting location before statewide elections and allow in-person return of vote-by-mail ballots at designated county offices or satellite locations. Supporters said it would expand access for working voters and those with transportation barriers; some members raised concerns about ballot verification and added workload for rural counties. The bill passed the committee on a divided vote and was placed on call for absent members. The committee next considered AB 25, a voter ID and election integrity measure that would require citizenship verification, government ID for voting, tighter voter-roll audits, and a 72-hour ballot-counting deadline. The author and supporters argued it would restore public trust and improve election integrity, while opponents from the League of Women Voters, ACLU California Action, labor groups, disability advocates, and others said it would restrict access, burden vulnerable voters, and amount to voter suppression. After extensive debate, the committee voted the bill out on a narrow split and kept it on call. Members also approved AB 1164, which clarifies when voters are entitled to a replacement ballot and updates the Voter Bill of Rights language; AB 1441, which would create an independent citizens redistricting commission in Merced County despite opposition from the county board over cost and local control; and AB 16, which would clarify county election officials’ authority to begin processing vote-by-mail ballots earlier and clean up outdated code. The committee also heard AB 1411, which would require non-VCA counties to prepare voter education and outreach plans and use a Secretary of State template, with the sponsor saying it would improve voter information statewide.

Transcript Highlights:

• allowing any resident or service recipient of the governmental entity to file a complaint with the Texas Ethics
• Off the top of my head, no, but I do have research on it that I'm happy to send over. Thanks. Ms.
• All right, we're going to show Russell Weathers representing the Texas Conservative Coalition Research
• Outdated, inefficient ethics laws were identified, but were not within the duties of the Sunset Commission
• address such matters by creating a select interim committee to study the effectiveness of current ethics

Bills: HB45, HB755, HB 1232, HB1555, HB2460, HB2702, HB2973, HB3120, HB3225, HB3314, HB3356, HB3371, HB3634, HB3638, HB4247, HB4283, HB4290, HB4302, HB4503, HB4511, HB4565, HB4581, HB4627, HB4632, HB4660, HB4668, HB4960, HB5042, HB45

Keywords: housing, affordable housing, rent control, landlord-tenant laws, housing rights, lobbying, public entities, expenditures, government code, transparency, Texas Ethics Commission, government regulation, lobbying restrictions, government accountability, taxpayer money, HB 1232, whistleblower, whistleblower protection, public employee, retaliation