Transcript Highlights:

• reestablishment of parental rights to allow for a child who is not currently adopted to be reunified with a biological

Bills: HF2354, HF1672, HF2389, HF2870, HF2743, HF1918, HF2551, HF1671

Keywords: medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, cannabis, cannabinoids, hemp, marijuana registry, patient registry, visiting patient, Tribal cannabis, Tribal medical cannabis program, Tribal sovereignty, Office of Cannabis Management, designated caregiver, home cultivation, adult-use cannabis

Transcript Highlights:

• who can provide them with safety, support, and compassion until they can be reunited with their biological

Transcript Highlights:

• Today, the collection of digital data requires a new approach to protecting biological information on

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:

• This process uses robust biological data about a species along with specific habitat and climate for

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• his own and to provide everything she needs despite the strong possibility that he isn't even her biological

Transcript Highlights:

• audit teams actually went, looked at the documentation in the agencies, and then went and checked a sampling
• 00:23:25.360> a agencies and then went and checked a agencies and then went and checked a sampling
• sampling sampling of<00:23:27.840> the<00:23:27.960> people of the people of the people

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House took up an urgency motion to recall House File 3819 from committee and advance it to final passage. Supporters said the bill was needed to address fraud in the child care assistance program (CCAP), citing recent FBI raids on child care centers, prior audit findings, and long-standing concerns about weak oversight. They described the bill as restoring a penalty of perjury for attendance records, requiring electronic attendance tracking, mandating unannounced inspections, and requiring camera monitoring for higher-funded providers so the state can verify attendance and reduce improper payments. Opponents argued the bill was not ready, raised concerns about cost, implementation, and the inclusion of camera surveillance, and said the language could create problems related to retention and possible misuse of video. One member said the state had already taken bipartisan action on child care fraud in prior sessions and that the larger fraud estimates being cited were overstated compared with convictions. Another member emphasized that electronic attendance monitoring was the one part they supported, but said the bill lacked clarity and a Senate companion. Members also discussed the history of CCAP fraud investigations, including earlier OLA reports, criminal investigations within DHS, and allegations that fraud vulnerabilities had been known for years. Supporters argued the bill would help recover taxpayer dollars and improve affordability by reducing fraud, while critics warned that added camera requirements could increase costs for providers and potentially threaten child care center viability. The debate included questions and answers about video retention, with the bill author stating the intended retention period was 90 days, though a member noted that language was not clearly visible in the version before the House.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is just a sampling of why it's better in a union.
• This<00:48:21.320> is<00:48:21.480> just<00:48:21.680> a<00:48:21.720> sampling
• <00:48:22.400> of<00:48:22.560> why<00:48:22.800> it's This is just a sampling
• of why it's This is just a sampling of why it's better<00:48:23.359> in<00:48:23.480> a

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are now sampling over in the Linwood Lakes because we're still looking for the edge of that plume.
• <01:04:13.120> We<01:04:13.240> are<01:04:13.280> now<01:04:13.480> sampling
• We are now sampling impacted in Blaine.
• We are now sampling over<01:04:14.120> in<01:04:14.200> the<01:04:14.280> Linwood

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Training them and how to ID flies, how to inspect the wounds, treat the wounds, collect the samples,
• Currently, staff continue to respond to suspect New World screwworm cases in wildlife to collect larva samples
• including number, type of animals, method of take, time of take, duration of authorization, reporting, sample
• We continue to actively communicate best management practices, including sample collection and identification

Summary: The joint hearing focused on preparedness for the New World screwworm threat and brought together the House Committees on Culture, Recreation, and Tourism and Agriculture and Livestock. USDA officials, Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, and Texas Animal Health Commission leadership described the pest as a serious risk to livestock, wildlife, rural economies, and beef prices, and emphasized coordination among federal, state, industry, and Mexican partners. Witnesses repeatedly stressed that Texas is currently seeing no confirmed U.S. detections, but that recent confirmed cases in northern Mexico, including Nuevo León, remain a concern because of their proximity to the border. USDA testimony outlined current surveillance and response efforts, including more than 120 screw worm-specific traps along the Texas border and neighboring states, thousands of additional dual-purpose traps, wildlife inspections, weekly coordination with Mexico’s Senasica, and a new USDA New World Screwworm Directorate. Officials said the existing Panama sterile fly facility is maxed out at about 100 million flies per week, while a dispersal facility in Tampico is helping move flies farther north in Mexico. They also described plans for a retrofitted sterile fly facility in Metapa, Mexico, expected to come online in 2026, and a new domestic production facility at Moore Air Base, with phase one targeted for late 2026 or early 2027 and phase two adding substantially more capacity later. Members pressed USDA on timelines, production capacity, the reliability of Mexican reporting, the risk from wildlife, and whether modular or mobile facilities could be deployed faster. USDA said it is also exploring innovative technologies, including a genetically engineered sterile male fly, but that such tools still require EPA review and field validation. Commissioner Miller highlighted Texas biosecurity efforts, five permanent inspection stations, cooperation with FDA and EPA on treatments such as Exzolt, and other pest issues affecting Texas agriculture. He also noted research into fly bait and private-sector efforts to speed sterile fly production. Texas Animal Health Commission officials described extensive state preparedness work, including weekly coordination calls, field response trainings, outreach to producers and veterinarians, and a Texas Screwworm Response Team. They said Texas has trained more than 100 inspectors and other personnel, with additional trainings planned, and that the state is expanding its cattle fever tick rider program. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing; the main action was the exchange of testimony and questions about readiness, surveillance, and facility timelines.

Transcript Highlights:

• other thing is we also, what was really important is as we engaged our districts was we provided sample
• So as a sample, and again, this is just an example, for things that they're already doing—so, for example
• And this was just a sample so they could see your time, this is what we start to be able to bill for,
• And again, it was just a sample so that they could see, you know, yes, it's not more—I mean, they're

Summary: The hearing focused on youth mental health and treatment access in California, with opening remarks emphasizing that youth distress, self-harm-related emergency visits, and difficulty obtaining care remain elevated, while workforce shortages and reliance on one-time funding continue to limit access. Assemblymember Lori Davies echoed concerns about unstable funding and said lawmakers need to hear directly from providers and families as they prepare for the budget and legislation. The chair framed the hearing as a chance to hear from county, school, provider, and student perspectives, especially in San Diego County, where needs are high and investments have not always matched demand. County and school officials described the current system and recent state initiatives, including the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, school-linked fee schedules, payment reform, and the Behavioral Health Services Act transition. San Diego County Behavioral Health said it serves Medi-Cal youth with specialty mental health needs through a broad continuum of care, including outpatient clinics, school-based services, crisis response, residential treatment, and new crisis and residential facilities. San Diego County Office of Education and San Marcos Unified School District described efforts to expand school-based services and reimbursement through CYBHI, but said implementation is slowed by complex billing rules, insurance-data collection concerns from families, administrative burden, and uncertainty about sustaining staff positions funded by grants or soft money. School counselor testimony highlighted reduced stigma through campus outreach and clubs, but also noted that counselor-to-student ratios remain well above national standards and that budget cuts threaten supports. Provider testimony stressed that the system remains fragmented and that youth often move between emergency rooms, inpatient care, outpatient therapy, schools, and county programs without smooth handoffs. A child psychiatrist described crisis cases in which the main choices are brief hospitalization or discharge with limited follow-up, and argued for stronger warm handoffs, more outpatient and intensive outpatient options, better school-clinic coordination, and broader use of mobile crisis and 988. Rady Children’s Hospital and Aurora Behavioral Health described large increases in behavioral health demand, expansion of integrated care, and major barriers tied to low reimbursement rates, delayed payments, and administrative complexity. Across the panel, witnesses called for more stable funding, clearer reimbursement rules, better parent education on warning signs, and stronger collaboration among schools, counties, hospitals, and community providers to reduce stigma and improve timely care for youth.

Transcript Highlights:

• managed care organization will use a process we call extrapolation, whereby they produce a small sample
• , a random sample, and use the results of that sample to extrapolate against the whole large batch.

Bills: HR188, HR189, HR190, HR191, HR179, HR180, HR181, HR182, HR183, HR185, HR186, HR187, HCR75, HCR76, HCR77, HCR78, HCR79, SCR24, SCR36, SCR39, SB64, SB107, SB152, SB185, SB217, SB232, SB278, SB290, SB294, SB320, SB321, SB419, SB424, SB436, SB440, SB468, SB470, SB476, SB482, SB489, HCR32, SCR11, HB12, HB42, HB205, HB222, HB267, HB324, HB325, HB350, HB478, HB610, HB617, HB679, HB745, HB749, HB797, HB807, HB821, HB896, HB979, HB992, HB1000, HB1024, HB1050, HB1166, HB1172, HB1173, HB1193, HB1207, HB1218, HB1223, SB256, SB180, HR1, HR17, HCR5, HCR4, HCR47, HB59, HB74, HB159, HB330, HB364, HB414, HB458, HB525, HB568, HB786, HB1008, HB1033, HB1034, HB1041, HB1062, HB1070, HB1079, HB1112, HB1118, HB1139, HB1151, HB1176, HB1182, HB1196, HB1214, HB1241, HB87, HB115, HB162, HB368, HB433, HB441, HB447, HB466, HB481, HB741, HB1242, HB362, HB893, HB990, HB1007, HB1153, HB1243, SB162, SB349, SB350, SB382, SB383, SB127, SB244, HB615, HB864, HB1103, HB1175, HB31, HB225, HB608, HB664, HB897, HB977, HB1003, HB1160, HB1180, HB911, HB306, HB366, HB1161, HB1230, HB181, HB901, HR20, HR74, HB284, HB393, HB459, HB577, HB582, HB605, HB614, HB682, HB733, HB772, HB773, HB996, HB1035, HB1058, HB1082, HB1113, HB1189, HB1234, HB1240

Keywords: hunting dogs, field trials, working dogs, dog training, greyhound protection, Farm Bill, federal overreach, sportsmen, sportswomen, wildlife management, conservation, rural communities, Louisiana hunting, hunting tradition, animal welfare, dog breeders, dog owners, outdoor recreation, Kathy Taylor, musical achievements

Transcript Highlights:

• The sample was stratified across four regions of the state: East Cities, West Cities, East Rural, and
• In addition, results were weighted by age, education, and gender to ensure the sample reflects the demographics
• And so the sample is representative of North Dakotans.

Summary: The Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Committee met with a quorum, approved the prior minutes, and then took up a draft bill to make legislators’ and candidates’ residential addresses confidential in public records. Legislative Council and the Secretary of State explained the proposal was prompted by security concerns and would protect residential addresses while still allowing election officials to verify residency and keep candidate names and offices public. Members raised concerns about unintended consequences, transparency, and how the change would affect rural districts and residency enforcement. The Secretary of State suggested an amendment to end the confidentiality when a candidate’s term ends, and the committee agreed to hold the bill over for further discussion at the next meeting. The committee also reviewed follow-up materials on legislator security and best practices, including advice on situational awareness, internet hygiene, varying routines, and reporting threats, along with NCSL materials comparing capitol security practices in other states. Members discussed a recent security incident and the need to keep alert contact information current, and staff said they would continue working with the Highway Patrol on legislative-specific notifications. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to Garrity Consulting’s final report on mitigating the effects of legislative term limits. The consultants summarized survey, focus group, and stakeholder input showing concerns about loss of institutional knowledge, leadership turnover, onboarding demands, and workload pressures, while also noting public support for term limits and annual sessions. Recommendations included considering annual sessions or shifting biennial sessions to even-numbered years, restructuring organizational session and interim committee work, creating office hours and more structured orientation and mentorship, expanding ongoing training and staff support, improving public communication and virtual testimony rules, and addressing barriers to service such as employer support and travel costs. Members discussed the tension between making the legislature more effective and preserving a citizen-legislature model, and the report was received as a roadmap for future implementation rather than immediate action.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have sample proposals of these areas and are happy to discuss with you further, but for the sake of
• We have sample proposals of these areas and are happy to discuss with you further, but for the sake of
• We have sample proposals of these areas and are happy to discuss with you further, but for the sake of

Bills: SB342, HB379, HB326, HB233, HB388, SB342, HB379, HB326, HB233, HB388

Keywords: land bank, land bank authority, local land bank authority, Alabama Land Bank Authority, tax delinquent property, tax sale, tax lien, redemption period, quiet title, blight remediation, vacant property, foreclosure, ad valorem tax, property tax exemption, intergovernmental agreement, county government, municipal government, redevelopment, brownfields, floodplain management

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that it's a sampling of students across the schools and across the students.
• <01:19:40.280> of<01:19:40.400> students it's not it's a sampling of students it's
• is that there's sampling variability that is inherent in these results.
• and the the reality is that sampling and the the reality is that<01:22:07.840> there's<01:22:
• 08.080> sampling<01:22:08.560> variability<01:22:09.560> that that there's sampling

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yet today, it is being found in approximately 80% of fentanyl samples tested in Pennsylvania.
• Following that action, Pennsylvania saw a significant decline in xylazine appearing in fentanyl samples

Keywords: Scheduler, 973, house, all

Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge, and first handled routine business including postponing approval of the prior journal and confirming a quorum. Several committee reports were adopted, including measures from Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness, Tourism and Recreation and Economic Development, Appropriations, Rules, Commerce, and Environmental and Natural Resource Protection. The chamber also adopted House Resolution 531, designating June 2026 as Scoliosis Awareness Month, after testimony from Rep. DeLosier and discussion of a constituent’s experience with severe scoliosis; the resolution passed 201-1. The House then adopted a series of additional resolutions and bills, including Diaper Need Awareness Week, a study on PANS/PANDAS, 717 Day, Little League World Series Week, and a resolution commemorating America 250 in Pennsylvania. It also passed bills on Sunshine Act agenda notice changes, veteran death notifications, Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, township audit deadlines, first responder memorials, road transfers, parole board succession, and restrictions on HOA limits for rooftop solar. The solar bill drew multiple failed amendments on HOA voting rules, native plants, energy-source discrimination, and net metering; one amendment on indemnification for elected officials at special events was adopted. In final passage votes, the House approved legislation to prohibit NDAs related to data centers, with debate centered on transparency and local control; it passed 171-31. The chamber also passed bills allowing Pittsburgh school administrators to collectively bargain, requiring hunting and trapping education options in schools, expanding SWIF’s equity investment authority, and scheduling metatomidine as a Schedule 3 controlled substance. The Counseling Compact bill and a parole-record privilege bill both passed unanimously or near-unanimously, and the House signed those measures for presentation to the Governor. The session ended with referrals of new bills to committees, a motion to adjourn, and adjournment until July 1, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yet today, it is being found in approximately 80% of fentanyl samples tested in Pennsylvania.
• We've seen this pattern before, just with xylazine appearing in fentanyl samples.

Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized several guests, including a student advocate and family members connected to a resolution on scoliosis awareness. The chamber first took up committee reports from Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness, Tourism and Recreation and Economic Development, and later Appropriations, Rules, Commerce, and Environmental and Natural Resource Protection, agreeing to the reported bills and resolutions. House Resolution 531, designating June 2026 as Scoliosis Awareness Month, was adopted 201-1 after remarks describing the condition and the advocacy of a young constituent. The House also adopted resolutions designating Diaper Need Awareness Week, directing a study on PANS/PANDAS, recognizing 717 Day, Little League World Series Week, and commemorating America 250 in Pennsylvania, with broad bipartisan support. The House then considered several bills on final passage. House Bill 2146, updating the Sunshine Act’s 24-hour agenda notice rule after a court ruling, and Senate Bills 130, 511, 971, 972, 1181, and 1235 were agreed to. House Bill 1239, limiting HOA restrictions on rooftop solar, drew multiple amendments; some were withdrawn, and others failed on tied votes, after debate over HOA governance, native plants, and net metering. House Bill 2219, on license plates and transportation provisions, had an amendment agreed to removing indemnification language for elected officials at special events, and then passed as amended. House Bill 2558, banning non-compete agreements for broadcast workers, saw an amendment to preserve limited non-competes fail, and the bill passed. House Bill 2359, prohibiting government NDAs related to data centers, passed 171-31 after extensive debate over transparency and local control. The chamber also passed House Bill 2455, granting Pittsburgh school administrators collective bargaining rights, despite objections that existing appeal protections already exist; it passed 106-96. House Bill 2460, creating hunting and trapping education provisions, passed 180-22 after debate over whether it duplicated existing law and imposed a mandate. House Bill 2499, expanding the State Workers’ Insurance Fund’s equity investment authority, passed 173-29. House Bill 2529, scheduling metatomidine as a Schedule III controlled substance, passed 198-4 amid testimony about overdose risks and concerns about criminalization. Senate Bill 604, joining the Counseling Compact, passed 188-14, and Senate Bill 1259, clarifying parole record privilege and expanding notice to denied parole applicants, passed unanimously 202-0. The House then made referrals and committee assignments, signed the two Senate bills for presentation to the Governor, and adjourned until July 1, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, it is a sample, a representative sampling of the students assessed.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you look at Chart 20 on page 29, an informal survey that PED conducted—this is not a perfect sample
• it should be important to know that whenever we do these site visits, we try to capture a diverse sample

Transcript Highlights:

• significant sums ensuring that it does its part to decarbonize, and McKinsey research looking at sample
• Testing in 2022 found 40% of the beverage samples from PET plastic bottles antimony levels above the

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• something we need to talk more about. 12 years to encourage 1 million veterans to provide their DNA samples
• It has promised groundbreaking discoveries and in reality it hasn't sequenced most of the DNA samples

Keywords: veterans affairs, VA modernization, employee layoffs, mental health, suicide prevention, transparency, senate committee, bipartisan support, oversight

Summary: The meeting involved detailed discussions on various veterans' issues, particularly focusing on the challenges faced by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) amidst a backdrop of significant staffing changes. Members expressed deep concerns over the recent layoffs of over 1,000 VA employees, emphasizing the crucial nature of these positions in the context of mental health support for veterans, particularly amid rising suicide rates. Senators articulated the need for transparency and effective communication between the VA and Congress to avoid further breakdowns in services. The session also spotlighted the ongoing modernization of VA systems and the urgent need to streamline processes to benefit veterans effectively.