Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Nichols: So it's really an unfunded mandate. Senator Betancourt: Yeah, there's no question.
• predicated on getting an amendment that does what we've discussed, right, because to me it's an unfunded mandate
• schools this year, but districts still face tight budgets and we simply cannot afford another unfunded mandate
• That same approach could be applied here without creating a new unfunded mandate.

Bills: HB17, HB23

Keywords: property tax, school funding, enrollment changes, inflation adjustment, tax rate notice, property tax exemption, ad valorem tax, Texas Tax Code, nonprofit corporation, charitable organization, educational nonprofit, scientific nonprofit, agriculture support, youth programs, community education, county population threshold, large county, local government revenue, leasehold interest, possessory interest

Transcript Highlights:

• as a consultant in the industry, I want to highlight the financial and logistics, uh, challenging mandating
• If no one's accessing it because no one's clamoring for this access, it's still an unfunded mandate that
• have a resident even view the video if it's there, again, that feels to me more like an unfunded mandate
• Request and have the flexibility to do this when a resident wants it versus mandating it even if it would

Bills: HB 279, HB 310, HB 365, HB 391, HB 420, HB 422, HB 638

Keywords: HB 279, uranium mining, uranium permit, production area authorization, production zone, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, contested case hearing, administrative hearing, groundwater restoration, groundwater baseline, water quality, mining permit, restoration values, natural resources, environmental regulation, in-situ uranium mining, permit amendment, public hearing

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a choice right now; it's not mandated. I think this is looking for a mandate.
• Make no mistake, this is a mandate.”
• <04:36:00.279> in through follow up and that's mandated in through follow up and that's mandated
• the home the 2024 code does not mandate the home the 2024 code does not mandate it<05:15:20.160>
• <05:15:21.638> what it but no one would ever mandate what it but no one would ever mandate

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 216, which Representative Carol Maguire described as a fix to a workers’ compensation/retirement “glitch.” The bill would remove the current limit that only one year of workers’ compensation time can be credited as retirement service time. Maguire argued the limit is arbitrary and affects only a very small number of grievously injured workers, while committee members asked about the fiscal impact, available data, and whether the change could affect workers’ compensation rates or incentives. Mark Kavar of the New Hampshire Retirement System said Labor could not provide data on how many people exceed a year on weekly indemnity benefits, so the fiscal note used a conservative estimate that could be scaled down; he also explained that workers’ comp is not earnable compensation, which is why service credit stops after a year, and noted that many long-term cases move into disability retirement or lump-sum settlements. The committee closed the hearing, entered executive session, and voted ought to pass on HB 216 by a 13-0 roll call, sending it to consent and noting it would also go to Finance. The committee then acted on House Bill 85, adopting Amendment 0037 and then voting ought to pass as amended by another 13-0 roll call. The bill was described as allowing second-year respiratory therapy students to work under supervision using the skills they have already learned, with support from the Hospital Association and no opposition noted. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 267, the animal chiropractors bill. Members said the bill had been approved previously but was vetoed because of a defect; the problem has now been corrected, and the bill is intended to reduce delays caused by requiring veterinary referrals before chiropractors can treat animals. The committee voted ought to pass 13-0 and placed the bill on consent.

Transcript Highlights:

• States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama to issue a ruling declaring the state laws mandating
• States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama to issue a ruling declaring the state laws mandating
• issue a ruling declaring the<00:25:10.960> state<00:25:11.200> laws<00:25:11.919> mandating
• <00:25:12.480> bus<00:25:12.720> segregation the state laws mandating bus segregation
• the state laws mandating bus segregation as<00:25:13.840> unconstitutional.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2021, we helped pass AB 367, the Menstrual Equity for All Act, which mandates all California public
• schools... ...which mandates all California public schools serving students in grades 6 through 12 supply
• We believe that would be better to ensure transparency without layering unpredictable costs and mandates
• another layer of compliance for manufacturers, having to cover the cost of additional testing as mandated
• add another layer of compliance to manufacturers having to cover the cost of additional testing as mandated

Summary: The Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee heard three bills after beginning without a quorum and later establishing one. SB 328 would cap DTSC hazardous waste generation and handling fees for infill housing and master development projects and set response timelines for cleanup reviews. Supporters said the current fee structure has made some housing and remediation projects infeasible, while opponents warned that capping fees for one sector could shift costs to other hazardous waste generators. The committee discussed the need for broader DTSC fee reform, and SB 328 was approved on a 7-0 vote and sent to the Committee on Revenue and Taxation. SB 754 would require manufacturers of disposable menstrual products to test for and disclose concentrations of certain contaminants, with DTSC able to verify results and publish them. Supporters framed the bill as a transparency and public health measure, citing recent studies finding toxic metals in tampons and emphasizing consumer right-to-know. Opponents, including manufacturers and hygiene product groups, argued the bill adds duplicative testing, vague requirements, and public disclosure that could be misinterpreted, and urged amendments. The committee members generally supported the goal of transparency, and the bill passed 5-2 with not voting members, moving to Appropriations. SB 466 would provide temporary legal protections for public water systems that are complying with approved chromium-6 compliance plans while they work toward the new drinking water standard. Supporters from Los Banos, Coachella Valley Water District, and other water agencies said the measure would help avoid costly litigation during a lengthy and expensive compliance period, especially for systems dealing with naturally occurring chromium-6. Committee members raised concerns about limiting recourse for harmed individuals and discussed possible alternative language, but the author said the bill would not affect state enforcement authority. SB 466 passed 7-0 and was sent to the Committee on Judiciary. The committee also adopted a consent calendar of additional measures by voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• It mandates K-12 education to include instruction on human embryologic development.
• students who participate in the scholarship program, those educators, those instructors, will also be mandated
• Educators, those instructors, will also be mandated to have level two background screening.
• Mandating such a video does not enhance student understanding of human development, but instead imposes
• Rather than enforcing ideological mandates, our focus should be on ensuring students receive evidence-based

Summary: The Pre-K Through 12 Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and considered four bills. CS/HB 1403, by Rep. Yeager, would allow child care facilities to participate in the school guardian program and clarify school perimeter and door security requirements. An amendment clarifying that private security companies would pay for training was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably 11-0. CS/HB 447, the Evan B. Hartzell Act by Rep. Salzman, would provide guidance for schools that choose to teach disability history and awareness during the first two weeks of October, including age-appropriate instruction by grade band. The bill received supportive testimony from advocates and was reported favorably 11-0. CS/HB 257, by Reps. Chambliss and Tramont, would expand on a prior pilot program to allow video cameras in certain self-contained classrooms serving nonverbal students and others with significant disabilities, as a safeguard against abuse and to improve accountability. The bill drew strong support from parents and disability advocates describing abuse concerns, and it was reported favorably 13-0. CS/HB 1255, by Vice Chair Trabulsy, was a broad education bill addressing teacher shortages, scholarship program screening, health and math instruction, corporal punishment policy, and restrictions on spending public funds on organizations tied to discrimination or political/social activism. A major focus of debate was the bill’s human embryologic development instruction and related video language, with supporters calling it science-based and opponents warning it could be medically inaccurate or ideological. After the sponsor said she would amend some language, including removing ABCTE-related text and clarifying the video language, the bill was reported favorably 12-1. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The plan design, we don't have to meet state mandates, we don't have to pay premium taxes.
• There is no fiscal... impact, there's no mandate in any and all public institutions that are. satisfied
• HB 1705 removes SACs as a statutorily mandated accrediting agency in the state.
• be recognized by the board and risks the security that comes with SACs as the state's statutorily mandated
• So HB 1705 proposes. to remove SACs as the sole statutory mandated credit agency for our Texas Public

Bills: HB173, HB184, HB484, HB678, HB 1211, HB1507, HB1705, HB1868, HB2290, HB2851, HB2856, HB3041, HB3204, HB173, HB184

Keywords: foreign donations, higher education, public institutions, national security, funding, prohibition, Texas law, healthcare, insurance, affordability, access, public health, foreign influence, education policy, student loan repayment, prosecuting attorneys, border prosecution unit, financial assistance, tobacco, cigarettes

Transcript Highlights:

• buy multiple, multiple properties and condos, not pay taxes, and not give them any incentive or any mandate
• buy multiple, multiple properties and condos, not pay taxes, and not give them any incentive or any mandate
• And don't forget every mandate that we put on them to cover for their police.
• significant when you add in the fact that we continue to cut taxes every other way and have unfunded mandates
• significant when you add in the fact that we continue to cut taxes every other way and have unfunded mandates

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on March 27, 2025 and first considered HJR 1257 and its implementing bill, HB 1259, which would create two $25,000 property tax exemptions and an assessment cap for long-term rental properties owned by Floridians who also have a homestead in the state. Supporters argued the measure would increase long-term rental supply and help Florida residents, while opponents from counties and cities warned of a large revenue loss, potential tax shifts to businesses, and weak guardrails against abuse. Members raised concerns about wealthy owners holding many condos, possible family-member workarounds, and whether savings would actually reach tenants. The committee adopted an amendment to the implementing bill, then reported both measures favorably after party-line-leaning debate and recorded votes. The committee then unanimously reported HB 761, which limits deferred ad valorem and non-ad valorem tax relief to properties with a just value of $1 million or less and raises the minimum tax certificate sale amount from $250 to $500. Members also unanimously approved CS/HB 733 on brownfields, which expands and clarifies the state brownfields program, and two Osceola/Sunbridge local bills, CS/HB 4043 and HB 4059, dealing with special district infrastructure and district boundary expansion subject to voter approval. HB 995 on Areas of Critical State Concern, focused largely on the Florida Keys, was amended to remove the ad valorem tax exemption portion and to adjust the growth cap from 500 to 825 units, then was reported favorably. Later, the committee approved HB 6021, which repeals sales tax on all bullion purchases of gold, silver, and platinum, with supporters calling it a sound-money measure and critics asking about future revenue effects if related legal-tender legislation passes. Finally, the committee passed HB 1339, which excludes wind-damage mitigation improvements from assessed value for property tax purposes, after adopting a clarifying amendment about secondary water barriers. Throughout the meeting, most bills were reported favorably, often after brief debate and with little or no public testimony beyond support or opposition from affected local-government and industry groups.

Transcript Highlights:

• A LOT OF THEM WORK OVERTIME BECAUSE THEY WANT IT AND OTHERS ARE MANDATED TO EVERY DAY.
• THEY ARE COURT MANDATED. THEY ARE ESSENTIAL TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
• THE COST OF LIVING AND THE RESTRICTED REVENUE STREAMS AND THE CONSTANT UNFUNDED MANDATES HAVE PUSHED
• UNIFORM CASE REPORTING IS A MANDATE FROM THE SUPREME COURT REQUIRED IN THE CLERKS OFFICE IS TO PROVIDE
• AND SINCE 2016 THIS IS BEEN AN UNFUNDED MANDATE AND THE SUPREME COURT HAS CONSISTENTLY EXPANDED THE SCOPE

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is not a mandate bill.
• It mandates it and it would that.
• It mandates it and it would mandate<02:05:02.400> willful<02:05:02.800> trespass<02:05:
• <02:30:33.120> mandate Hampshire statutory law. mandate Hampshire statutory law. mandate mandates
• . mandate. mandate.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and impose state mandates and impose state mandates on<01:40:36.960> schools.
• There was no state interference with mandates.
• There was no state interference with mandates.
• There was no state interference with mandates.
• There was no state interference with mandates.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'm just is going to be mandated.
• <01:36:34.960> of mandate expansion or reduction of mandate expansion or reduction of Medicaid
• And also, like, what exactly is mandated?
• Do you agree exactly is uh mandated?
• , >> right mandate, >> right mandate, >> black<02:54:39.200> and<02:54:39.359

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, this bill is expanding the existing mandate for residential zones and also adding a new mandate for
• for home-based care, essentially mandating that commercial dwelling units be permitted by right for
• adding a new mandate for commercial adding a new mandate for commercial zones.<01:18:14.160>
• Second, the bill would mandate that use.
• home-based care, essentially mandating home-based care, essentially mandating that<01:18:40.680>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's also Alabama's 60,000, in addition to restitution being mandated by some other states.
• Being mandated by some other states.
• There's also Alabama's 60,000, in addition to restitution being mandated by some other states.
• This simply increases the penalty. being mandated by some other states.
• And so this is an unfunded mandate on the clerk. Thank you so much, Ms. Hudnell.

Bills: HR73, HR272, HR273, HR278, HCR91, HCR99, HCR100, HCR111, HB255, HB261, HB328, HB378, HB479, HB517, HB564, HB778, HB1090, SB135, SB278, SB448

Keywords: domestic abuse, protective orders, victim protection, Louisiana State Law Institute, mandatory procedures, parental discipline, corporal punishment, child abuse, cruelty to juveniles, juvenile delinquency, juvenile justice, child welfare, DCFS, Office of Juvenile Justice, reasonable discipline, parental rights, family law, law enforcement reports, abuse allegations, single-parent households

Summary: The Criminal Justice Committee met on May 19, 2026, with a long agenda and several members’ bills and resolutions. The committee first considered HB 255, as substituted, which would add up to two years of imprisonment for a person charged with a felony or rioting offense who wore a mask or face covering to evade identification, with exceptions for religious coverings, motorcycles, and medical use. Supporters said it targeted concealment during felonies; the ACLU opposed it as redundant and potentially overbroad, while the Louisiana District Attorneys Association clarified the enhancement would apply only to felony convictions. The committee adopted the substitute and reported HB 255 favorably by a vote of 8-3. It then advanced HB 378, which creates penalties for using a vehicle to obstruct first responders and law enforcement; after an amendment narrowed the bill to first responders, it was reported favorably. HB 1090, increasing penalties for arson of a religious building, also passed favorably after testimony emphasizing attacks on houses of worship. HR 272, requesting a study on parental discipline, abuse allegations, and juvenile delinquency, was reported favorably as well. The committee also heard HB 479, the Fiscal Truth and Sentencing Act, which would require more detailed reporting on incarceration costs and sentencing impacts. Supporters, including the ACLU, said the bill would improve transparency and help lawmakers make better fiscal decisions; clerks of court opposed it as an unfunded mandate. Despite amendments shifting reporting duties and clarifying compliance with Children’s Code Article 412, the bill failed on a 4-7 roll call. The committee then deferred HCR 99 and took up HR 278, which asks the Attorney General to consult stakeholders and review electronic monitoring laws and regulations; supporters described serious failures in the current GPS monitoring system, and the resolution was reported favorably. HR 273, creating a task force to study work release programs, was also reported favorably after members said it would help refine the system and gather cost data. Later, the committee heard SB 448 on the Office of the State Public Defender. After discussion of a recent Supreme Court ruling and concerns about expert-witness funding and indigency determinations, the committee adopted an amendment adding a contradictory-hearing process and appellate review protections, then reported the bill as amended. HCR 100, concerning casino property sales, was amended to remove specific property references and instead urge the Gaming Control Board to consider economic development, job creation, and community benefit; the casino association withdrew opposition after the amendment, and the resolution was reported favorably as amended. The committee also voluntarily deferred SB 278 and HCR 91. HB 261, which would create exceptions to abortion laws for rape and certain sex offenses, drew extensive emotional testimony from supporters and opponents, including survivors and legislators discussing rape, incest, and fetal life; the bill was defeated 2-10. Finally, the committee took up HB 778 on kratom possession, with the author arguing for a distinction between natural kratom and synthetic products, and supporters and opponents offering conflicting testimony about safety, addiction recovery, and regulation.

Transcript Highlights:

• An astounding 15% of their bill is a direct result of the Virginia Clean Economy Act mandates. Mr.
• Speaker, the flaws of this green mandate approach to energy were on full display during the winter storm
• The bill doesn't change any coverage standards or create new mandates for insurers.
• Instead, the bill relies on the existing category of mandated reporters already in Virginia law.
• Instead, the bill relies on the existing category of mandated reporters already in Virginia law.

Keywords: March 12, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• districts with no consideration to local coordinated efforts already underway and the fact that the mandate
• AB 296 would mandate separate apprenticeship fairs for all school districts, even the 516 elementary
• Parents of elementary school-age children would be less likely to attend these mandated events.
• But the bill mandates schools and districts hold events with no guarantee of any apprenticeship partners
• But oftentimes, it is not optional, and it's mandated as a condition of an appointment.

Summary: The committee heard a series of labor-related bills, with most measures focused on worker training, privacy, wages, and safety. AB 296 would require schools or districts to host apprenticeship fairs at least once a year, with flexibility on how they are run and whether programs outside the county can participate. Supporters said it would help connect students to skilled trades and address workforce shortages; school administrators opposed the bill as an unfunded mandate that could be impractical for elementary schools. The bill was later moved on call, with the committee noting it could not vote until quorum was established. AB 1221 and AB 1331 both addressed workplace surveillance. AB 1221 would restrict invasive monitoring tools, require notice to workers, limit the use and sharing of worker data, and require human review before discipline based on surveillance outputs. Labor groups supported the bill as a response to AI-driven monitoring, while business groups raised concerns about broad definitions, security cameras, investigations, and data-access provisions. AB 1331 focused more narrowly on privacy in off-duty and private spaces, limiting surveillance in places like restrooms, break areas, vehicles, and homes; hospitals and business groups opposed it as too broad and potentially disruptive to safety, cybersecurity, and facility monitoring. Both bills were advanced by committee vote. The committee also heard AB 1181, which would require firefighter turnout gear to be free of cancer-causing chemicals such as PFAS by 2027, and AB 1198, which would require prevailing wage rates on public works to reflect the wage in effect when the work is performed rather than when the project was first advertised. Firefighter representatives strongly supported AB 1181, while the chemical industry asked to continue working on scope and timelines. AB 1198 drew support from labor and contractor groups but opposition from local governments and housing groups concerned about mid-project cost increases; it was passed to Appropriations after a roll-call vote. Other measures approved included AB 1235 on skilled-and-trained workers for CSU construction, AB 1251 on ghost job postings, AB 552 on locating the Agricultural Labor Relations Board office outside Sacramento, AB 1110 on updating Cal/OSHA workplace posters, AB 1136 on expanding high road training partnerships, and AB 1234 on wage claim enforcement. AB 692, which would ban employer debt agreements that require workers to repay training or other costs if they leave a job, drew strong support from nurses and labor advocates and opposition from business and health care groups; it was also passed on a roll-call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• So Senate Bill 744 does not mandate; it's permissive, but it allows school districts in Texas to implement
• Senate Bill 744 doesn't mandate anything, and it doesn't impose any new requirements on local communities
• SB 744 does not mandate anything.
• Now, we can't be creating unfunded mandates.
• However, the County Tax Assessor-Collector is mandated to grant... ...the applicant the request for a

Bills: SB249, SB546, SB744, SB927, SB1227, SB1229, SB1353, SB1365, SB1366, SB1394, SB1464, SB1709, SB1729, SB1733, SB1744, SB1745, SB1746, SB1772, SB1816, SB1841, SB1939

Keywords: memorial markers, law enforcement, officer memorials, killed in the line of duty, highway signage, school bus, school district, student transportation, child safety, seat belts, three-point seat belt, two-point seat belt, bus retrofit, bus warranty, Texas Education Agency, TEA, transportation code, school activity bus, multifunction school activity bus, school-chartered bus

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, it's voluntary, no mandate, no state program, and no taxpayer cost.
• Again, it's voluntary, no mandate, no state program, and no taxpayer cost.
• My close is we're not mandating anything.

Bills: HB591, HB766

Keywords: family leave, insurance, paid leave, employment benefits, caregiver support, cancer treatment, anti-cancer medications, health insurance, copayment, cost-sharing, health policy, 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, it's voluntary, no mandate, no state program, and no taxpayer cost.
• Again, it's voluntary, no mandate, no state program, and no taxpayer cost.
• My close is we're not mandating anything.

Summary: The Senate Insurance Committee met on May 20, confirmed a quorum, and approved the May 13 minutes. The first bill heard was House Bill 591, which would create the Paid Family Leave Insurance Act as a voluntary private-market insurance option for employers, with no mandate, state program, or taxpayer cost. Senator Bass presented the bill, offered technical amendments, and after brief questions about why the framework was needed, the committee adopted the amendments and reported the bill favorably with amendments. The committee then took up House Bill 76, dealing with coverage for orally administered anti-cancer medications. Representative Amy Freeman and former Representative Julie Stokes explained that the bill updates Louisiana’s oral chemotherapy coverage law, which had not been revised since 2012, and addresses insurer rejection of newer oral cancer drugs. They also explained Amendment Set 4063, which was intended to restore the bill to the proper posture after changes made in the Appropriations Committee and to prohibit copayment adjustment programs such as accumulator or maximizer programs from reducing credit for manufacturer assistance toward deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. Senator Bass raised a concern about prior authorization language and possible ERISA litigation, and department staff responded that the bill would not alter ERISA enforceability and that the fiscal note already reflected about $67,000 in OGB costs. After the amendments were adopted, Senator Bass moved to report HB 76 favorably with amendments, and the committee did so without opposition. Senator Carter thanked the bill authors for their advocacy on cancer-related issues and offered to help during the interim. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• With no current mandates in place for these fees, operators have no options to control costs.
• Real transparency is possible, but it should come through collaboration and not conflicting mandates.
• For example, in states that mandate ticket transferability, as this Massachusetts bill proposes, data
• So it's not mandated. It's by the customers. And we really don't want to go backwards.
• So it's not mandated. It's by the customers.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened a hearing of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure and reviewed a broad agenda including credit card fees, event ticketing, music therapy licensure, senior psychologist licensure, CPA pathways, school mental health licensure, and a bill regulating alternative healing therapies. The chairs explained hearing logistics, including three-minute testimony limits and submission of written testimony, and noted that more than 70 people had signed up to testify. Legislators and advocates were heard out of order throughout the day. A major portion of the hearing focused on credit card surcharge and interchange legislation. Restaurant owners, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, NFIB, and other small-business witnesses supported bills allowing merchants to add convenience fees and, in one proposal, preventing card companies from charging fees on tax and tip portions of transactions. They argued that swipe fees are a major and growing cost, especially for restaurants, and that Massachusetts is one of only two states that bars surcharges. Opponents from the Cooperative Credit Union Association, the Electronic Payment Coalition, and the Electronic Transactions Association warned that the proposals would create compliance burdens, fragment the payment system, raise legal preemption issues, and disrupt a system they described as efficient and secure. The committee also heard competing testimony on ticket transferability and ticket resale. Supporters, including the National Consumers League and Sports Fans Coalition, said bills on ticket transferability would protect consumers who cannot attend events and would increase competition and savings in the secondary market. Opponents, including United Musicians and Allied Workers and theater owners, argued that mandatory transferability would weaken artists’ and venues’ ability to prevent scalping and predatory resale, and that some ticket sellers should be exempt from the broader ticketing regulations. Separate testimony supported music therapy licensure, senior psychologist licensure, and new CPA education pathways, with witnesses saying these measures would expand access to care and strengthen the workforce while maintaining professional standards. The hearing also drew extensive opposition to S.261 on alternative healing therapies, with practitioners and clients arguing it would overregulate spiritual and holistic practices and was not an effective response to human trafficking concerns.