Video & Transcript Research : 'incentive'
Page 63 of 254
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- Uh, when you see incentive payments written there throughout the rest of the statute, um, 362F, we are
- given, uh, authorization to fund or develop or whatever, uh, incentive payments or rebate payments or
- Uh, when you see incentive payments written there throughout the rest of the statute, um, 362F, we are
- "See, incentive payments written there throughout the rest of the statute, um, throughout the rest of
- the statute, um, 362F, we are given, uh, authorization to fund or develop or whatever, uh, incentive
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security Feb 11th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- We're now going to go to Tab 1, and we're going to be talking about SB 1182, business development incentives
- designed to provide our veteran-owned and military spouse-owned businesses with fee relief and tax incentives
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Military, Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security met with a quorum present and considered two bills. SB 1594, by Senator Gates, would require veterans’ benefits accessed on behalf of foster youth to be preserved for the minor’s future use, specifically for post-secondary education or aftercare services when the youth leaves foster care rather than being used to reimburse care costs. The bill had no amendments, received one supportive appearance from Victoria Zep, and was reported favorably by roll call vote.
The committee then took up SB 1182, by Senator Jones, which creates the Florida Veterans and Military Spouses Business Development Act to provide fee relief and tax incentives for veteran-owned and military spouse-owned businesses. A strike-all amendment was adopted that added limited information-sharing between agencies, changed verification procedures, converted part of the tax benefit into a capped $100,000 annual exemption for five years, broadened fee waivers to some existing businesses, and kept annual reporting requirements. The amended bill was then reported favorably.
The committee also held a confirmation hearing for three appointees: Matthew Bacchano, Tim Thomas, and Belinda Kaiser. No one requested separate votes, and the committee recommended confirmation of all three by a single roll call vote. At the end of the meeting, members offered extended praise and thanks to Chair Wright for his long service and leadership, and the chair announced the meeting was adjourned.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Reducing sustainable force incentive payments by 30%.
- reducing sustainable Force incentive reducing sustainable Force incentive payments<00:32:08.240>
- payments for the Sustainable Forest Incentive Act, or SFIA, which will reduce the payment rates and
- for the of incentive payments for the sustainable<01:01:20.760>
Forest <01:01:21.240>incentive - Forest incentives act found in article Forest incentives act found in article four<01:05:00.119>
sections
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Jobs and Economic Development - 02/17/25
Jobs and Economic Development
Transcript Highlights:
- Senate File 1151 would support and protect Minnesota's $25 million production tax incentive program by
- program by providing the incentive program by providing the skilled<00:20:36.080>
Workforce <00 - <00:26:40.720>
and information and the tax incentive and information and the tax incentive - By putting that together, we create less risk and more incentive for the lending institutions to put
- in it for risk and create more incentive in it for the<01:13:53.600>
lending <01:13:54.080>
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on the Arts May 14th, 2026
Joint Committee on the Arts
Transcript Highlights:
- that sector, both structural and geographic in nature, as certain jurisdictions continue to throw incentives
- 2319, which is a bill that seeks to create a standalone $100 million credit for a post-production incentive
- We want to leverage all state opportunities as incentives for cultural and creative development.
- so we have a lot of statewide initiatives such as the Strong Workforce Grant Program and other CT incentive
- there's other states and other countries that recognize those clusters, like the post-production tax incentives
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Senate Legislative Session Day 39 (3-4-26)
Kentucky Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Bill 1, as amended, establishes the Kentucky Kindergarten Readiness Performance-based Child Care Incentive
- The bill creates a framework to provide a one-time $2,000 per child incentive payment or refundable tax
- one-time $2,000 per<00:23:22.480>
child <00:23:22.880>initiative <00:23:24.000>incentive - <00:23:24.720>
payment per child initiative incentive payment per child initiative incentive
Summary:
The Senate convened with an invocation and pledge, established a quorum, excused absent senators, and approved the journal. The clerk reported House-passed bills and Senate bills received from the House, and several Senate bills were read a second time and sent to the Rules Committee. Committee reports recommended passage of multiple measures, including bills from Appropriations and Revenue, Health Services, Natural Resources and Energy, State and Local Government, and Transportation. The chamber then moved to orders of the day and took up Senate Bill 50 and Senate Bill 191, while Senate Bill 137 and Senate Joint Resolution 54 were passed over and retained in the orders of the day.
Senate Bill 50, relating to the disposition of property, was explained as a broad update to trust, probate, and intestacy law. Supporters said it would streamline probate when there are no disputes, add privacy protections for decedents’ estate information, give courts more flexibility, set retention and filing-fee rules for wills, recognize electronic wills and other uniform-law concepts, and allow transfer-on-death designation for motor vehicles. A floor amendment removed inheritance-tax provisions and corrected technical issues; it was adopted, and the bill passed 35-1 after debate in favor from several senators and no substantive opposition.
Senate Bill 191, creating the Kentucky Kindergarten Readiness Performance-based Child Care Incentive Pilot Program, was also amended and passed. The bill would establish a three-year pilot administered by the University of Kentucky College of Education, providing a one-time $2,000 per child incentive payment or refundable tax credit to child care providers and low-income families when children are assessed as kindergarten ready. A floor amendment clarified that the study and recommendations must comply with federal child care regulations; it was adopted, and the bill passed 35-1 after a senator changed a vote from no to yes. The Senate then recessed for Rules and Committee on Committees meetings, after which the rules committee posted additional bills to future orders and the committee on committees referred several bills and resolutions to standing committees. Several members also made announcements about upcoming committee meetings, a legislative breakfast, a fish fry, and condolences for a community member.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- This article reduced the sustainable forest incentive act payment rate and clarified withdrawal procedures
- I'm going to skip over the aquatic invasive species interaction and move to the sustainable forest incentive
- the species interaction and move to the sustainable<00:27:08.480>
forest <00:27:08.799>incentive - <00:27:09.200>
payments, sustainable forest incentive payments, sustainable forest incentive
Bills:
HF9
Keywords:
energy policy, renewable energy standard, carbon-free standard, solar standard, hydroelectric, hydropower, electric utility, Public Utilities Commission, PUC, renewable portfolio standard, carbon capture and sequestration, CCS, greenhouse gas emissions, climate policy, nuclear power plant, certificate of need, fossil fuel plant demolition, utility compliance delay, beneficial electrification, sales tax exemption
MS
Transcript Highlights:
- It protects patient choice by preventing financial incentives or penalties that steer patients away from
- It protects patient choice by preventing financial incentives or penalties that steer patients away from
- c> patients choice by preventing uh patients choice by preventing uh financial<00:31:48.640>
incentives - <00:31:49.120>
or <00:31:49.360>penalties <00:31:49.760>that financial incentives - or penalties that financial incentives or penalties that steer<00:31:50.240>
patients <00:31:50.640
Summary:
The committee took up several insurance and health-related bills. Earlier discussion focused on metastatic cancer step therapy and biomarker testing, with the sponsor explaining that the bills would prevent insurers from requiring patients to try less effective treatments first and would require coverage for biomarker testing to better target treatment. The biomarker bill was described as a product of a summer study committee and was reported favorably. The committee also advanced a bill setting standards tied to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and a private residence elevator bill requiring licensing, inspection, and permitting for elevator installers, with an amendment exempting those elevators from annual inspections after the initial inspection.
Members then considered a mitigation program for retrofitting homes, with the sponsor saying the Department of Insurance and industry were close to a workable statewide program. The bill would be funded by increasing a fee paid by insurance companies, not policyholders, and would allow use of a third-party administrator capped at 5% of program funds. The committee also reported bills extending the state health plan repealer, extending the LOSAP volunteer firefighter program repealer, and creating a fraud detection trust fund at the Insurance Department to address AI- and cyber-related fraud. The fraud fund bill drew questions about whether it would raise premiums and how it would help investigators; supporters said the fund would support staffing and equipment and that the existing fund had been dormant.
Additional bills included a transparency measure for dental insurance spending, which would require reporting on the share of premiums spent on dental services beginning in 2027, and a bill expanding access to self-funded group health plans for members of legitimate professional and trade associations. The committee also heard a Mississippi Patient Protection Act aimed at strengthening willing-provider protections and limiting insurer discrimination against qualified providers; an amendment was proposed to clarify that vision benefit managers would not be treated as pharmacy benefit managers. Most measures were moved by title sufficient due pass and reported without opposition.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Investments and Pensions Oversight Oct 8th, 2025
Investments & Pensions Oversight Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- We need additional incentives to really make sure that this is the best place in the country to either
- the National Laboratories that's ready to be deployed and commercialized, but they need the right incentives
- deployed about $155 million specifically for next-gen computing in New Mexico, which is another incentive
- I think a lot of you are probably familiar with the incentives that we provide to film and television
- What I was going to ask you So do you foresee some incentives that we're not doing now that would really
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Investments and Pensions Oversight Aug 13th, 2025
Investments & Pensions Oversight Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- As we move forward, we should look at our incentives to keep the film industry in New Mexico.
- So the miners have an incentive to protect the network. And to bundle the transactions.
- But the value of Bitcoin is going up, so there's still an incentive for them to do that.
- At that point, the miners will have no more incentive to handle transactions.
- considering because of the amount of energy consumption that we draw some kind of royalty or tax incentive
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
Commission to Study Stable Tokens (03/10/2026)
Transcript Highlights:
- It is maintained by code and incentive mechanisms to mint and burn tokens.
- So it utilizes code and these incentive mechanisms to do so rather than holding fully backed reserve
- mechanisms to mint code and incentive mechanisms to mint and<01:08:52.640>
burn <01:08:52.880> - utilizes uh code and and these incentive utilizes uh code and and these incentive mechanisms<01:
- the algorithm is on those incentives the algorithm is sort<01:19:53.120>
of <01:19:53.199>
Summary:
The meeting began with roll call and introductions of commission members and guests, followed by approval of the agenda and a motion to approve the February 10 minutes with a correction clarifying that one quoted statement was misattributed. The commission then moved into presentations.
The main presentation came from the Conference of State Bank Supervisors on implementation of the federal GENIUS Act for stablecoins. The speaker reviewed the OCC’s recent 367-page proposed rule, noting it raises many open questions and design choices for states, and discussed expected upcoming rulemaking from the FDIC, Federal Reserve, and Treasury. The presentation focused on six areas: permissible issuer activities, reserve assets and redemption, risk management and supervision, treatment of state-qualified issuers, capital/operational backstops, and foreign issuers. It also flagged unresolved issues around Bank Secrecy Act/AML requirements and the meaning of “digital asset service provider” activities.
A substantial portion of the discussion addressed yield restrictions, with the presenter explaining the OCC’s broad definition of yield and its rebuttable presumption against issuer-affiliated or related third-party yield arrangements. The speaker said this likely forecloses many existing white-label structures but leaves some room for third-party payments depending on distance from the issuer, and noted ongoing Senate debate over similar provisions. The presentation also covered reserve valuation, liquidity and diversification requirements, redemption timing, and supervisory expectations such as third-party oversight, IT security, exam cycles, and reporting. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the amended minutes.
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
MS Senate Floor - 7 January, 2026; 10:00 AM
Mississippi Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Well, what that is going to do is give a huge incentive to local governments to privatize everything.
- to local governments to huge incentive to local governments to privatize<00:21:07.880>
everything - to do that with the structure incentive to do that with the structure that<00:21:51.360>
we <00 - <00:23:23.480>
we're <00:23:23.600>giving the incredible incentive we're giving the - I think the we're losing the incentive I think the we're losing the incentive of<00:42:24.000>
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum present, heard an invocation from Reverend Chip Stevens of First Baptist Church in Jackson, and recited the pledge of allegiance. The body then dispensed with the reading of the journal, committee reports, and bill titles, and received several guest introductions, including the president of Mississippi University for Women, the physician of the day, and the session’s pages.
The main item of business was Senate Bill 2004, the Mississippi PERS Stability Act. Senator Sparks explained that the bill would provide a $500 million infusion to the PERS accumulated employers account on July 1, 2026, followed by $50 million annually for 10 years, with backup funding from unobligated general funds if needed. He said the measure was intended to help address the system’s roughly $26 billion liability and to support both state employees and local government employers, noting that the state had already taken other steps to strengthen PERS. The bill was advanced to engrossed status, read for the third time, and placed on the calendar for final passage.
Senator Norwood asked whether the funding would help local governments, and Senator Sparks said it would, because the liability is shared by all employers in the system and affects local balance sheets and bond ratings. Senator Bryan then spoke at length in opposition to the broader direction of retirement policy, criticizing the committee process, the fragmentation of retirement legislation, and what he described as incentives for privatization and unfair treatment of new hires. He said he would still vote for the bill because it sends money into the system, but argued that the state should focus retirement benefits on older retirees and avoid further benefit expansions. Senator Sparks responded that the bill was a necessary cash infusion to honor commitments to employees, stabilize the system, and avoid insolvency, and said more PERS legislation would follow.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
Senate Health and Human Services (01/22/2025)
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- And then lastly is landlord incentives.
- And then lastly is landlord incentives.
- And then lastly is landlord incentives.
- for uh renting to individuals incentives for uh renting to individuals who<00:26:29.520>
are < - **Senator Long:** Landlord incentives—could you give me your top two incentives that get the landlords
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Science, Technology and Energy (02/02/2026)
Science, Technology and Energy
Transcript Highlights:
- She said the incentives here were again to give additional competition and drive down price.
- It's just, um, there were previously a lot more incentives for building things other than nuclear and
- Those incentives, as I'm sure everyone is aware, are fleeting or in danger, I suppose is the best way
- for building things more incentives for building things other<01:44:01.840>
than <01:44:02.239 sure <01:44:06.159>everyone Those incentives, as I'm sure everyone Those incentives, as
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications - 02/24/2026
Energy And Telecommunications
Transcript Highlights:
- But we already have an incentive program to buy the EVs in the first place. Right.
- What does the incentive look like? Is establishing something that puts it out to the focus, right?
Summary:
The Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications, chaired by Senator Kevin Parker, considered a lengthy agenda of energy- and utility-related bills. The committee discussed measures on utility outage penalties for combination utilities, a NYSERDA-backed electric landscaping rebate program, stronger utility storm response compliance, a study on utility reporting of late payments to credit agencies, a used zero-emission vehicle rebate program, alternative fuels along the New York State Thruway, a property tax exemption for energy-related utility real property, a NYSERDA pilot microgrid at Glenwood Houses, a prohibition on PSC approval of certain utility rate increases, a sustainable aviation fuel tax credit, a usage monitoring program, and a bill on denial of increased utility rates and charges.
Several bills prompted questions about who would pay for the programs or penalties, with sponsors and staff repeatedly stating that fines would be paid by utilities and that many programs would be funded through NYSERDA or existing appropriations, though members raised concerns about whether ratepayer funds or system benefits charges could be used. The electric landscaping rebate bill drew extended debate over whether its equipment definitions could allow companies to use battery equipment charged by generators, while the microgrid pilot and used EV rebate bills were defended as investments to improve reliability, lower peak costs, and build a secondary EV market. Senator May spoke in support of the Glenwood Houses microgrid and the related investment rationale.
Most bills were advanced after motions and votes, often with some no votes or without-recommendation votes. The committee reported several measures to third reading, including the utility outage penalties bill, the utility storm response bill, the utility rate increase restriction bill, the usage monitoring program, and the denial of increased utility rates and charges bill. Other bills were advanced to the Finance Committee, Budget and Revenue Committee, or Local Government Committee, including the electric landscaping rebate program, the used EV rebate program, the alternative fuels bill, the tax exemption bill, the Glenwood Houses microgrid pilot, and the sustainable aviation fuel tax credit.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Senate in Special Session A Jan 27th, 2025
Florida Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- And it provides incentives for... ...Immigration law, and it provides incentives for Floridians to enter
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with a prayer recognizing International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The Secretary then read Governor DeSantis’s proclamation calling the Legislature into special session from January 27 to January 31, 2025, limited to five subjects: combating illegal immigration, condominium regulation, agricultural relief after natural disasters, replenishing the My Safe Florida Home Program, and changes to the citizen initiative petition process.
The chamber read the filed bills within the call, including several Senate bills on illegal immigration and petition process issues, all referred to Fiscal Policy. A motion was adopted to send any bills filed outside the call to the Rules Committee to determine whether introduction was warranted. The Senate President then discussed President Trump’s immigration executive orders and said Florida would align with federal efforts while preserving the Legislature’s constitutional role.
He announced that Senator Gruters would sponsor legislation to implement Trump’s border and immigration plan, including funding to reimburse law enforcement costs and incentives to recruit more officers. He said the bill would be posted, referred to Appropriations later that day, and heard on the floor the next day. The session then adjourned sine die by motion without objection, with senators told the chamber would reconvene momentarily for the special session.
AR
Arkansas 2026 1st Special Session
EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE AND HOUSE May 18th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Have you found any incentives that seem to work best with that age group when you're trying to motivate
- What incentives may you be using for that age group? I use a card punch.
- And, like, I'm missing right now, they are doing an Atlas incentive.
- And, you know, like, just how do we find better incentives?
- Who wants to get up at 5 o'clock in the morning, drive a bus, and just how do we find better incentives
Summary:
The committee first approved the March 9 and 10 minutes, then heard a presentation from the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship Program featuring three third-grade teachers from Poyen, Drew Central, and Cabot, along with Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva. The teachers described the fellowship as a year-long collaboration among 23 merit-pay recipients from across the state, focused on sharing classroom strategies, data use, and professional support. Members asked about teacher experience, how the fellowship information is shared locally, the role of merit pay, and how teachers are addressing third-grade reading and retention concerns under the ATLAS assessment system. The teachers emphasized early intervention, relationships with students, small-group instruction, progress monitoring, and communication with families; they also described community supports such as churches, food backpacks, and local donations. Several members raised broader questions about poverty, trauma, social services, DHS involvement, and whether similar professional learning should be expanded to more teachers. Secretary Oliva said the fellowship is a small subset of a larger merit-pay program, that participation was voluntary, and that the state is working to improve literacy supports, clarity, and alignment across grades. He also said ATLAS results are now available to schools and families much faster than in the past, often within 24 to 72 hours, and that the state is using the data to identify at-risk students earlier and support intervention before retention decisions are made.
The committee then moved to the adequacy/resource allocation presentation from the Bureau of Legislative Research. Staff explained that the report is part of the statutory adequacy review and focuses on state funding sources beyond foundation aid, including categorical and supplemental funds. They noted that districts and charters spent more than $7 billion in the 2025 school year, with roughly 49% from foundation funding and 51% from other sources over the last three years. The presentation outlined the four categorical funds—Alternative Learning Environment, English Learners, Enhanced Student Achievement, and Professional Development—describing their restricted uses, student-based funding formulas, and the ability of districts to transfer some money among categoricals while keeping it within allowable purposes. Staff said categorical funds account for about 4% of total spending, or less than $300 million, and reviewed superintendent feedback on whether those funds met district needs, with responses varying by category and district.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Water and Natural Resources Aug 18th, 2025
Water & Natural Resources Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- New Mexico Grown has been around for about 12 years, and it's a state incentive program to Increase local
- I'm sure all of you are familiar with the Job Training Incentive Program that EDD administers, and that
- Presenter, maybe we as a legislator can offer some kind of incentives to get somebody to want to go that
- There is No distribution or incentive to go state-inspected and get rid of the meat.
- More funding for waste compliance, New Mexico distribution funding, or incentives for these guys, and
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Law & Justice Jun 4th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- under federal statutes as well, but they both carry attorney fee shifting, which I think is a good incentive
- Determinate sentences meant the release date was known, and there's no incentive to reform.
- A person... ...meant the release date was known, and there's no incentive to reform.
- It can offer incentives and reasons for people to change.
- It can offer incentives and reasons for people to change.
Summary:
The committee held a work session on tort liability and parole, with the chair explaining that the topics were linked because criminal justice reform and state liability often intersect, especially in cases involving child welfare and corrections. Staff first outlined Washington’s tort liability framework, including the state’s broad waiver of sovereign immunity, statutes governing mandatory reporting and investigation of abuse, the childhood sexual abuse statute of limitations, and the lack of caps on non-economic damages. Staff and presenters also compared Washington to other states and noted that Washington remains among the broadest states for state liability and childhood sexual abuse claims.
Presenters from the Attorney General’s office, Washington State Association for Justice, DCYF, DSHS, and DOC discussed how tort exposure has grown, especially in claims involving DCYF, historical child abuse, juvenile rehabilitation, vulnerable adults, employment discrimination, medical negligence, and negligent supervision. DCYF and AG staff said claims and payouts are rising, with many claims tied to older abuse and new theories of liability, while defense counsel emphasized the human harm behind the claims and argued that tort cases have historically driven accountability and reform. Agency witnesses said they face large volumes of old claims with limited records, rising verdicts and settlements, and staffing and systems challenges, and they highlighted efforts such as early resolution programs, electronic health records, medication-assisted treatment, and improved incident review processes.
The committee then shifted to parole. Sentencing experts reviewed Washington’s move from indeterminate sentencing to the current determinate sentencing system under the Sentencing Reform Act, and explained how parole could be integrated with sentencing guidelines through different models used in other states. They also summarized Criminal Sentencing Task Force recommendations related to a determinate-plus approach for three-strikes and persistent offender laws and a second-chance review process, noting there was no consensus on those ideas. Judges from the Minority and Justice Commission and the Superior Court Judges Association said a parole system could support rehabilitation and reduce disparities if it includes data collection, fairness, transparency, due process, and meaningful judicial review; they also pointed to research suggesting parole and structured reentry can reduce recidivism and costs, while warning that access and outcomes can vary by geography and other factors.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- And I do think something like this gives great incentive to school districts to make sure here. gives
- great incentive to school districts to make sure that their employees take these situations very, very
- , unfortunately, because that's what the cap is... ...tied to, there would be an incentive to effectively
- As I said, it's also what we use for teacher incentive allotment.
- As I said, it's also what we use for teacher incentive allotment.
Keywords:
district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations
Summary:
The committee first took up House Bill 2853, which would allow the UT System Board of Regents to adjust the University of Texas at El Paso student union fee above the current statutory cap, subject to student approval, to help fund a new student union building. Senator Blanco explained the bill and the committee substitute, there were no questions or witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending subject to the call of the chair.
The committee then heard House Bill 610, which would limit severance payments for terminated independent school district superintendents to six months’ salary and benefits. Senator Paxton described large severance payouts and said the bill had passed the House overwhelmingly. There were no witnesses, public testimony was closed, and the bill was left pending.
A lengthy hearing followed on House Bill 4623, which would waive school district immunity in certain cases involving negligent hiring, supervision, or employment of professional school employees who commit abuse or related misconduct against students. Senator Paxton and several witnesses, including survivors and parents, argued the bill was needed to address cover-ups, delayed reporting, and repeated failures to remove dangerous employees; some members raised concerns about liability caps, litigation, and how the bill would interact with the Tort Claims Act. The committee also heard from TEA staff and employee-group witnesses who discussed possible injunctions and stronger no-hire protections. Public testimony was then closed and the bill was left pending.
Finally, the committee heard House Bill 4, an accountability and assessment bill that would restore A-F ratings, change the state testing system, and replace STAAR with shorter, more instructionally useful assessments. Senator Bettencourt explained the committee substitute, including annual ratings, limits on taxpayer-funded lawsuits, and a phased-in testing redesign with beginning, middle, and end-of-year assessments. Testimony was generally supportive from education and business groups, though some witnesses favored norm-referenced testing while others emphasized criterion-referenced, TEKS-aligned assessments; one witness noted social studies assessments were restored in the bill. The hearing concluded with additional invited testimony and no final vote reported in the transcript.