Video & Transcript : 'innovation fund' :
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OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Senate Legislative Session Mar 11th, 2026
Oklahoma Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- to pay an assessment of $100 to be deposited into the drug abuse education and treatment revolving fund
- Do we know whether all qualified Oklahoma organizations are fully funded under the current program?
- When public funds are involved, accountability matters.
- It's only through the grant funding that there would be any.
- It's only through the grant funding that there would be any.
Bills:
SCR17 , SB2104 , SB2155 , SB1428 , SB1250 , SB1651 , SB1794 , SB444 , SB1061 , SB1327 , SB1425 , SB1455 , SB1458 , SB1460 , SB1480 , SB1530 , SB1543 , SB1555 , SB1593 , SB1209 , SB1730 , SB1733 , SB1769 , SB1805 , SB2069 , SB2095 , SB1503
Keywords:
Oklahoma Ireland relations, Ireland, Irish heritage, St. Patrick's Day, Choctaw Nation, Choctaw famine relief, Irish-American, cultural resolution, concurrent resolution, ceremonial resolution, economic development, trade commission, international relations, Tulsa IrishFest, ShamROCK the Gardens, Oklahoma City St. Patrick's Parade, Irish ancestry, Senate of Ireland, Aubrey McCarthy, Phil Thompson
Summary:
The Senate began with several ceremonial recognitions, including citations for the Destiny Christian School girls volleyball team and football team for state championships, and for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, in connection with Delta Day at the Capitol and Women’s History Month. Members and guests were welcomed to speak briefly before the chamber returned to its agenda.
The chamber then considered a series of bills. SB 444, dealing with hospice handling and disposal of controlled dangerous substances left after a patient’s death, passed 39-0. SB 1327, restoring the Tourism and Recreation Commission’s authority and adding general commission-member requirements, passed 27-12. SB 1061, a mortgage broker fee cleanup bill, passed 38-0. SB 1425, repealing an obsolete health care workforce board, passed 40-0. SB 1455, extending the sunset for the Board of Governors of the Architects, Landscape Architects, and Licensed Interior Designers, passed 28-11 and then also passed the emergency with 38-1. SB 1458, an Attorney General-request bill to align grand jury witness confidentiality statutes, failed 24-14.
The Senate also passed SB 1460, which increases penalties for repeat peeping Tom and clandestine recording offenses and makes second or subsequent offenses sex offenses, by a vote of 38-3. SB 1480, creating a youth apprenticeship pilot program, passed 42-0 and then passed the emergency. SB 1530, updating the Oklahoma Research Development Rebate Program and encouraging private partnerships with higher education, passed 36-4. SB 1543, allowing multiple DUI charges within one year to be prosecuted as a single felony case and making related cleanup changes, passed 37-6 after extended debate about diversion, due process, and testing issues. SB 1555, aligning the state definition of intellectual disability with federal standards, passed 42-0, with a later correction noting the final vote as 42-1. SB 1593, updating outdated OSU-Tulsa trustee language, passed 43-0 and then passed the emergency. SB 1730, requiring law enforcement to copy OSBI on sexual offense reports, passed 37-6. SB 1209, which would have excluded Sundays and federal holidays from the eviction filing-to-hearing timeline, failed on a 21-21 tie after debate over landlord rights, service timing, and court delays.
HI
Bills:
HB816 , HB1535 , HB1537 , HB1541 , HB1562 , HB1574 , HB1591 , HB1853 , HB1854 , HB1871 , HB1965 , HB1966 , HB1969 , HB1973 , HB1974 , HB2315 , HB2343 , HB2501 , HB2505 , HB1577 , HB2443 , HB2498 , HB2581 , HB2622
Committee:
House Finance
Keywords:
HB816, Hawaii, opioid overdose, opioid crisis, buprenorphine, naloxone, Narcan, paramedics, emergency medical services, EMS, first responders, substance use disorder, addiction treatment, withdrawal management, overdose reversal, pilot program, Department of Health, DOH, county population under 100,000, rural health
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Business and Insurance Apr 9th, 2026 at 09:30 am
Business and Insurance
Transcript Highlights:
- There are certain funds that invest in environmentally friendly companies, where they invest in oil and
- Would not exclude those funds from existing.
- House Bill 3472 simply allows tire pyrolysis operators to utilize the same funds tire recycling centers
Bills:
HB4248 , HB4429 , HB2588 , HB3472 , HB4317 , HB3462 , HB2035 , HB3501 , HB3127 , HB3143 , HB3144 , HB3260 , HB4321 , HB3011 , HB3522 , HB3530
Committee:
Senate Business and Insurance
Keywords:
HB4248, hemp beverage, hemp drinks, THC beverage, cannabis beverage, intoxicating hemp, age restriction, under 21, minor possession, youth access, public health and safety, Title 63, Oklahoma Statutes, retail sales, alcohol-style regulation, controlled substances, beverage regulation, proxy advisory services, shareholder rights, financial transparency
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Health Finance and Policy Committee 3/25/26
Health Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- And we to the health care access fund.
- </c> keeping it in fi- funneling those funds keeping it in fi- funneling those funds to<00:42:34.960>
- now and putting them into the general fund.
- </c> House File 1724 ensures innovative House File 1724 ensures innovative affordable<01:19:18.800><c
- Go ahead, please. bill to continue the council's funding bill to continue the council's funding for<01
Bills:
HF4493 , HF3133 , HF4595 , HF4143 , HF4142 , HF3756 , HF4289 , HF1724 , HF2291 , HF4568 , HF4547
Committee:
House Health Finance and Policy
Keywords:
opioid use disorder, OUD, medication-assisted treatment, MAT, pharmacist prescribing, pharmacy practice, controlled substances, Schedule III, Schedule IV, Schedule V, DEA registration, Board of Pharmacy, substance use disorder, addiction treatment, buprenorphine, naltrexone, harm reduction, prescription authority, pharmacist intern, Minnesota pharmacy law
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- So with this fund, once we were able to get some funds secured for it, it will be good.
- This fund is one.
- This fund is one.
- , what's a fund and the people to run the fund?
- Well, it's capacity, support, funding. So I didn't think we're allocating any funding.
Committee:
House Education
Keywords:
teacher certification, certification appeals, BESE, State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Teacher Certification Appeals Council, educator licensure, teaching license, teacher licensure, appeals process, certification denial, administrative appeal, special meeting, board president, retroactive application, education board, Louisiana teachers, Department of Education, statutory entities, re-creation, termination date
OK
Transcript Highlights:
- Do you understand my concern that they may not have the funding or the bandwidth to actually accomplish
- And that is a tall order for funding that we need to address at The issue within this bill is suspension
Bills:
HB2987 , HB3026 , HB3076 , HB3288 , HB3315 , HB3467 , HB3711 , HB3885 , HB4427 , HB4359 , HB4363
Committee:
House Education Oversight
Keywords:
education, academic standards, subject matter standards, State Board of Education, legislative review, joint resolution, curriculum, school standards, Oklahoma Administrative Code, education oversight, common education, curriculum standards, state education policy, rulemaking, legislative veto, kindergarten, military families, education policy, school districts, international military dependents
OK
Transcript Highlights:
- Do you understand my concern that they may not have the funding or the bandwidth to actually accomplish
- appreciate the alternative education lane that can and should exist, and that is a tall order for funding
Bills:
HB2987 , HB3026 , HB3076 , HB3288 , HB3315 , HB3467 , HB3711 , HB3885 , HB4427 , HB4359 , HB4363
Committee:
House Education Oversight
Keywords:
education, academic standards, subject matter standards, State Board of Education, legislative review, joint resolution, curriculum, school standards, Oklahoma Administrative Code, education oversight, common education, curriculum standards, state education policy, rulemaking, legislative veto, kindergarten, military families, education policy, school districts, international military dependents
Summary:
The Education Oversight committee heard and advanced several bills, with most receiving due pass recommendations by voice vote. HB 4359, by Speaker Pro Tem Moore, would move the annual testing window to the last three weeks of the school year; members asked about district scheduling and possible cost impacts, but the bill passed 10-0. HB 4363 updated outdated statutory references tied to OSU’s early development and also passed unanimously. HB 3467 would extend school-teacher maternity leave protections to include adoption of newborn children, and it passed without opposition. HB 2987 would change how academic standards are handled if the legislature takes no action within 30 legislative days, deeming them disapproved rather than approved; supporters said it preserves legislative oversight, while concerns were raised about leaving outdated standards in place, but it passed. HB 376, as amended, would create a new alternative teacher certification pathway through third-party certifiers; debate centered on whether easier pathways would weaken traditional teacher-prep programs or help fill vacancies, and it passed after extended discussion.
The committee also advanced HB 4427, which adds guardrails to the adjunct teacher program by limiting adjuncts in core subjects in grades K-4 and requiring them to work toward certification. HB 3026 would let children of U.S. military allies stationed in Oklahoma start kindergarten according to their home-country timelines, and it passed. HB 3288 would restore physical education emphasis in schools, and HB 3315 would direct a feasibility study on 90-hour bachelor’s degree programs; both moved forward. HB 3711 would require schools to post the percentage of spending devoted to instructional expenditures on their websites and bond applications, with the sponsor declining to extend the same requirement to private schools receiving public tax-credit dollars.
HB 3885 drew the most debate. It would establish suspension and expulsion standards for students who physically attack teachers or school employees, with supporters arguing it gives administrators clearer authority to protect staff and students and opponents warning it could conflict with existing protections for students with disabilities and create legal risk. The sponsor said the bill is intended to address intentional violence and allow case-by-case judgment, while critics cited prior civil-rights concerns over disproportionate discipline. Despite the objections, the bill passed on a due pass recommendation. The committee adjourned after announcing it would meet again Wednesday at 9 a.m.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Health and Human Services REVISED Feb 23rd, 2026 at 02:00 pm
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- This just makes EMS be considered essential services for the need of drawing down federal funding.
- What federal funds are you talking about? Thank you for the question, Mr. Chairman.
- So right now, federal funds can flow directly to rural EMS providers, so some of the funds may not flow
- This bill has funding available, and we're creating a revolving fund.
- We have worked with outside groups and have secured funding.
Bills:
SB1806 , SB1430 , SB206 , SB1547 , SB1849 , SB1428 , SB1653 , SB1984 , SB1644 , SB1561 , SB1813 , SB1570 , SB1796
Committee:
Senate Health and Human Services
Keywords:
foster care, adoption assistance, transitioning youth, Department of Human Services, voluntary services, mental health, substance abuse, commissioner appointment, governor's authority, legislative consent, SB206, emergency medical services, EMS, ambulance, 911 response, emergency response, essential services, federal funding, grant funding, public health
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Health and Human Services REVISED Feb 23rd, 2026
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- And so doing this, you're talking about drawing down federal funds.
- What federal funds are you talking about? Thank you for the question, Mr. Chairman.
- So right now, federal funds can flow directly to rural EMS providers.
- This bill has, if funding available, and we're creating a revolving fund.
- This bill has, if funding available, and we're creating a revolving fund.
Bills:
SB1806 , SB1430 , SB206 , SB1547 , SB1849 , SB1428 , SB1653 , SB1984 , SB1644 , SB1561 , SB1813 , SB1570 , SB1796
Committee:
Senate Health and Human Services
Keywords:
foster care, adoption assistance, transitioning youth, Department of Human Services, voluntary services, mental health, substance abuse, commissioner appointment, governor's authority, legislative consent, SB206, emergency medical services, EMS, ambulance, 911 response, emergency response, essential services, federal funding, grant funding, public health
Summary:
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard and advanced a series of health, licensing, and child welfare measures. Senate Bill 1806 would allow eligible individuals receiving Oklahoma Department of Human Services services to voluntarily remain in those services until age 21; the author said the title was struck while fiscal estimates were being revised, and the bill passed 11-0. Senate Bill 1430 would shift authority over hiring, supervising, and removing the commissioner of mental health from the governor to the governing board; it passed 8-2 after questions about removal provisions. Senate Bill 206, as amended, added tribal entities to EMS-related essential services to help draw down federal funding, and passed 10-0, while Senate Bill 1849 made a cleanup change allowing the State Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners to approve medical marijuana education for continuing education credit and passed 11-0.
The committee also approved Senate Bill 1428, creating an Office of Alzheimer’s and dementia-related services within the Department of Health; the author said outside funding would cover the first two years and the bill would have no state budget impact, and it passed 9-2. Senate Bill 1653 created the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact and passed 9-2 after discussion of closed meetings and compact operations. Senate Bill 1984 updated and clarified the Osteopathic Medicine Act and passed unanimously. Senate Bill 1644 required alpha-gal syndrome to be added to the reportable diseases list and passed 12-0. Senate Bill 1561, requested by regional EMS, added disciplinary steps for ambulance and EMT personnel to avoid automatic disqualification and passed 12-0. Senate Bill 1813 enacted the athletic trainer compact and passed 10-2.
The committee then took up major child welfare restructuring. Senate Bill 1570 would create a Department of Child Safety and Well-Being by consolidating DHS Child Welfare Services and the Office of Juvenile Affairs, with a phased implementation timeline and a future board and interim commissioner; members discussed protecting ongoing cases and adding lived-experience representation on the board. The bill passed 12-0. Senate Bill 1796 shortened the period for informal foster care arrangements from seven days to 72 hours and added guardrails for temporary foster care placements; the author said it was intended to prevent harm when children are left with unvetted caregivers, and it also passed 12-0. The committee adjourned after distributing a handout related to the foster care/respite care changes.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Health and Human Services Oversight REVISION 2: Delayed until 11:30 AM
Health and Human Services Oversight
Transcript Highlights:
- Otherwise, states are going to have to start kicking in part of the funds for that.
- Earlier today, we passed some legislation for state funding to go to an organization to help women and
- We're asking that a fund be set up from the state to help with this.
- So I think—I don't know that they're not funded well enough, because I believe they are funded well enough
- So moving to a fee-based system with a revolving fund is the way we're trying to go about it.
Bills:
HB2947 , HB2964 , HB3143 , HB3144 , HB3342 , HB3344 , HB3519 , HB3522 , HB3530 , HB3645 , HB3647 , HB3834 , HB4300 , HB4422 , HB4423
Committee:
House Health and Human Services Oversight
Keywords:
behavioral health, Medicaid expansion, clinical interns, mental health services, licensing requirements, medical records, patient rights, privacy, fees, healthcare access, legal claims, medical marijuana, license transfer, Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, moratorium, business regulation, commercial grower licenses, licensing restrictions, agriculture, Medicaid
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- ><02:14:00.880><c> continue</c><02:14:01.280><c> funding</c> existing derf funds to continue funding
- existing derf funds to continue funding this<02:14:02.800><c> program.
- </c> for additional funding. for additional funding.
- </c> fund.
- This allows for transfer of funds fund.
Bills:
HB2611 , HB2102 , HB1710 , HB1868 , HB1920 , HB1812 , HB1733 , HB1715 , HB1723 , HB1724 , HB1727 , HB1711
Committee:
House Housing
Keywords:
HB2611, Hawaii antitrust, rental housing, rent price-fixing, algorithmic pricing, algorithmic rent-setting, property management software, pricing algorithms, rent coordination, price-fixing, collusion, cartel, multifamily housing, landlord software, occupancy levels, lease terms, Attorney General, public education program, consumer protection, housing affordability
Summary:
The committee first took up HB 2611, which would prohibit algorithmic price-setting in Hawaii’s rental market, require public education by the Attorney General, and establish fines and penalties. The Department of the Attorney General opposed the bill, saying its language was too unclear and could expose landlords and agents to criminal and civil liability for ordinary rent-setting practices based on public information or assistance from property professionals. Members asked about antitrust standards, tacit agreement, and whether using county-published affordable-rent schedules would be unlawful; the AG said that would not be unlawful if based on public information and without collusion. Testimony was mixed, with the chair noting support from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii Realtors with comments, 50501 Hawaii and General Strike Hawaii, Haloha Project, 13 individuals, and one opponent.
The committee then heard HB 2102, which clarifies that residential projects involving ground disturbance in high-risk areas remain subject to state historic preservation review and removes an exemption for lands presumed nominally sensitive. The Office of Planning and Sustainable Development and the Department of Planning and Permitting supported the measure, saying it would improve clarity and ensure review focuses on projects most likely to affect historic properties or iwi kupuna, while also urging language refinements to better define sensitive sandy-soil areas and balance preservation with housing timelines. NAP Hawaii opposed the bill, arguing it would undo progress made last session and that the current process already includes protections for inadvertent discoveries and efficiency for lower-risk areas.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs strongly supported HB 2102, explaining it was responding to beneficiary complaints about late-added language in last year’s law and saying the nominally sensitive-area language should be removed because it was adopted without sufficient stakeholder input and could be harmful to iwi kupuna protections. Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation and several individuals also supported the bill. Committee discussion focused on how “nominally sensitive” areas are determined, whether project proponents could self-certify areas as exempt, and how high-density residential projects should be treated; SHPD said it uses survey and monitoring data to map sensitivity, that highly sensitive areas like Kīauea are not nominally sensitive, and that some high-density projects should remain exempt if they do not involve new ground disturbance. The hearing included no final vote in the portion provided, but the chair noted 48 individuals in support and continued questioning on the bill’s definitions and implementation.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
House of Representatives Second Regular Session of the 60th Legislature Day 2 Feb 3rd, 2026 at 09:30 am
Oklahoma House Floor Meeting
Bills:
HB3725 , HB3260 , HB3660 , HB3369 , HB3370 , HB2937 , HB3419 , HB3264 , HB3266 , HB3267 , HB3268 , HB3310 , HB4311 , HB3841 , HB3024 , HB3075
Keywords:
labor, e-verification, immigration, employers, employment eligibility, Department of Labor, penalties, funeral licensing, continuing education, Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association, professional development, licensing requirements, HB3660, natural organic reduction, human composting, soil reduction, green burial, funeral services, cremation, burial permit
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
House of Representatives Second Regular Session of the 60th Legislature Day 1 Feb 2nd, 2026 at 12:00 pm
Oklahoma House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- This innovative model is being replicated throughout the US and submitted for formal adoption by the
- Today, I call on the legislature to create the Taxpayer Endowment Fund, seeding it with $750 million
- If we reappropriate $12 million of existing funds, we can add $250 to every Oklahoma kid's account this
- It's a state that promotes innovation. champions freedom and creates opportunities for its people.
- Oklahoma was built by entrepreneurs, risk-takers, and innovators who believe in free markets and the
Bills:
HB3725 , HB3260 , HB3660 , HB3369 , HB3370 , HB2937 , HB3419 , HB3264 , HB3266 , HB3267 , HB3268 , HB3310 , HB4311 , HB3841 , HB3024 , HB3075
Keywords:
labor, e-verification, immigration, employers, employment eligibility, Department of Labor, penalties, funeral licensing, continuing education, Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association, professional development, licensing requirements, HB3660, natural organic reduction, human composting, soil reduction, green burial, funeral services, cremation, burial permit
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Pro Forma Floor Session Jan 22nd, 2026 at 12:30 pm
Washington Senate Floor Meeting
Keywords:
employment eligibility, firefighters, law enforcement, citizenship, legal authorization, public safety, mortgage lending, fraud, prosecution, financial regulations, consumer protection, broadband, infrastructure, loan assistance, economic development, technology access, criminal offense, fingerprinting, state regulations, SB 5280
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Jan 21st, 2026 at 12:30 pm
Washington Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- It woke our workers and innovators in our cities.
- ...including securing wage increases for officers in the Washington State Patrol, toxicology lab funding
- In rural areas, the Public Works Board may use funds, if available, to help fund loans to finance repair
- And by fully funding this account, making it permanent, we're making it clear that we are protecting
- Treasurer for the account of the general fund. Remark, Senator Cortez. Thank you, Mr. President.
Keywords:
employment eligibility, firefighters, law enforcement, citizenship, legal authorization, public safety, mortgage lending, fraud, prosecution, financial regulations, consumer protection, broadband, infrastructure, loan assistance, economic development, technology access, criminal offense, fingerprinting, state regulations, SB 5280
Summary:
The Senate opened with ceremonial items, approved the previous day’s journal, and referred committee reports and new introductions. Members then adopted Senate Resolution 8669 recognizing National Blood Donor Month after remarks emphasizing the life-saving need for blood donations and the work of blood coalition partners. The Senate also adopted Senate Resolution 8667 honoring Monica Alexander for her long public service with the Washington State Patrol and Criminal Justice Training Commission, with multiple senators praising her leadership, reforms, and mentorship.
The chamber then took up a series of gubernatorial appointments to college boards of trustees, confirming Rosa Peralta to the Seattle College District, Stephen Zimmerman to Wenatchee Valley College, and Tara Lear to Walla Walla Community College, each by roll call vote. After caucus, the Senate returned to third reading and considered several bills, including SB 5068 on law enforcement, corrections, and prosecutors; SB 5252 on property tax exemptions for nonprofit public assembly halls and meeting places; SB 5280 on consumer protections for virtual currency kiosks; SB 5124 on patient access and skilled nursing facility discharge coordination; and SB 5436 on interference with access to places of religious worship. Most of these measures were amended and then passed, with SB 5068 and SB 5436 drawing debate over immigration status and protest activity, respectively.
Later, the Senate passed SB 5705, narrowing traffic safety penalties to focus on distracted driving in school zones; ESSB 5594, delaying implementation of biosimilar drug access provisions; SB 5169, expanding out-of-court testimony options for child victims and witnesses; ESSB 5098, expanding weapons restrictions to additional public buildings and outdoor public spaces, despite opposition over firearm preemption and self-defense concerns; SB 5188, allowing rural broadband repair loans; SB 5109, making the mortgage lending fraud prosecution account permanent with a fee increase; SSB 5240, authorizing schools to use available anaphylaxis medication in emergencies; SB 5420, ensuring veterans and uniformed service members access to benefits and opportunities; SB 5467, simplifying surplus property sales by water-sewer districts; SSB 5331, strengthening insurance enforcement and restitution authority; and ESSB 5071, updating child endangerment law to include fentanyl and synthetic opioids, with an amendment adding a parenting-alternative approach for child defendants. The Senate also adopted an amendment to SB 5581 to include public transportation providers in safe-system transportation infrastructure planning and then advanced the bill toward final passage.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Jan 21st, 2026
Washington Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- It woke our workers and innovators in our cities.
- , the sexual assault kit tracking system and funding, and the missing Native American women research
- , if available, to help fund loans to finance repair of broadband.
- In rural areas, the Public Works Board may use funds, if available, to help fund loans to finance repair
- Treasurer for the account of the general fund. Remark, Senator Cortez. Thank you, Mr. President.
Keywords:
employment eligibility, firefighters, law enforcement, citizenship, legal authorization, public safety, mortgage lending, fraud, prosecution, financial regulations, consumer protection, broadband, infrastructure, loan assistance, economic development, technology access, criminal offense, fingerprinting, state regulations, SB 5280
Summary:
The Senate opened with ceremonial business, including the roll call, colors, pledge, and prayer, then approved the previous day’s journal and referred committee reports and new introductions. Members also suspended rules to consider multiple resolutions and bills. Senate Resolution 8669, honoring National Blood Donor Month, was adopted after remarks emphasizing the life-saving importance of blood donation and recognizing the Northwest Blood Coalition, whose members were introduced in the gallery.
The chamber then adopted Senate Resolution 8667 honoring Monica Alexander, executive director of the Criminal Justice Training Commission, with multiple senators praising her career in the State Patrol, her leadership on regional training academies, sexual assault kit reform, and public safety culture. The Senate also confirmed several gubernatorial appointments to college boards, including Rosa Peralta to the Seattle College District Board of Trustees, Stephen A. Zimmerman to Wenatchee Valley College, and Tara Lear to Walla Walla Community College, each by 49-0 roll call votes.
The Senate spent much of the session on third-reading bills, often amending them before final passage. Measures passed included SB 5068 on agencies, firefighters, prosecutors, and limited authority; ESSB 5252 on property tax exemptions for nonprofit public assembly halls; SB 5280 on virtual currency kiosk consumer protections; ESSB 5124 on patient access and skilled nursing facility identification; ESSB 5436 on interference with access to places of worship; SB 5705 on traffic safety penalties in school zones; ESSB 5594 on biosimilar medicines; SSB 5169 on out-of-court testimony for child victims and witnesses; ESSB 5098 on weapons restrictions in certain public buildings and parks; SB 5188 on broadband infrastructure repair loans; SB 5109 on the mortgage lending fraud prosecution account; SSB 5240 on anaphylaxis medications in schools; SB 5420 on veterans’ benefits access; SB 5467 on water-sewer district surplus property sales; SSB 5331 on insurer accountability; ESSB 5071 on endangerment with controlled substances involving fentanyl or synthetic opioids; and ESSB 5581 on safe system/complete streets transportation strategies. Most of these bills passed with broad bipartisan support, though some drew opposition over firearms restrictions, insurance penalties, or transportation costs. Several bills were amended on the floor before final passage, including changes to dates, scope, and technical language, and the session concluded with additional business beginning on SB 5649.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- With this historic funding comes the expectation that school districts will use this money efficiently
- on each of the districts' operations that do not efficiently... and effectively use the districts' funds
- 549 would allow school districts to acquire these devices, either through donated or appropriated funds
- What impact does that have on Funding education in the state of Texas. Sure.
- It does not reduce the amount of funding available to any other public school in Texas.
Committees:
Senate Education , Senate Education K-16
Keywords:
HB 123, kindergarten readiness, early literacy, early numeracy, reading screening, math screening, foundational literacy, foundational numeracy, dyslexia screening, reading intervention, math intervention, teacher academy, literacy academy, mathematics academy, interventionist academy, K-3 assessments, school readiness, prekindergarten, tutoring grant, parent-directed tutoring
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- For either plan and will keep both pension funds within the PRB funding guidelines.
- Generally speaking, these funds are the last resort, with the exception of emergency funds, and so we
- stays focused on risk-adjusted returns and stewardship of state funds.
- This fund is different from that proposed by Chairman Bonin.
- The level of like the retirement fund targets or below it. I'm just curious.
Bills:
HB104 , HB2434 , HB2529 , HB2688 , HB3161 , HB3486 , HB3487 , HB3745 , HB4044 , HB4226 , HB4945 , HB104
Committee:
Senate Finance
Keywords:
Texas Future Fund, investment review board, economic stabilization, innovative technology, national defense, retirement, service credit, Employees Retirement System of Texas, employee benefits, pension reform, salary supplement, county judges, judicial functions, state law, government compensation, public retirement systems, municipality pensions, firefighters, police officers, retirement age
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Apr 23rd, 2025
Pensions, Investments & Financial Services
Transcript Highlights:
- This local funding restoration bill will ensure the Austin Firefighters Retirement Fund is stable and
- The Austin Firefighter Pension Fund.
- retiree from the fund.
- , or ADEC funding model.
- Again, I want to emphasize that this pension fund is the best performing pension fund, with over a billion
Bills:
HB886 , HB1514 , HB2434 , HB2688 , HB2802 , HB3161 , HB3221 , HB4029 , HB4339 , HB4591 , HB4774 , HB4802 , HB4853 , HB5627 , SB1737
Keywords:
retirement, supplemental payment, benefits, Employees Retirement System, eligible annuitants, legislation, annuity, service credit, Employees Retirement System of Texas, employee benefits, pension reform, public retirement systems, municipality pensions, firefighters, police officers, retirement age, DROP program, actuarial studies, pension benefits, municipal retirement
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Apr 23rd, 2025
Pensions, Investments & Financial Services
Transcript Highlights:
- This session, we're set to make an extra $1 billion payment into the fund.
- We'll be at a 29-year funding period, a couple of years clear of that 31-year period.
- as opposed to asking the pension plan to look for funds within the trust fund itself to finance those
- would do just that: provide additional funding beyond the legacy payment to pre-fund these benefits and
- I hope they'll be able to keep that fund in there.
Bills:
HB886 , HB1514 , HB2434 , HB2688 , HB2802 , HB3161 , HB3221 , HB4029 , HB4339 , HB4591 , HB4774 , HB4802 , HB4853 , HB5627 , SB1737
Keywords:
retirement, supplemental payment, benefits, Employees Retirement System, eligible annuitants, legislation, annuity, service credit, Employees Retirement System of Texas, employee benefits, pension reform, public retirement systems, municipality pensions, firefighters, police officers, retirement age, DROP program, actuarial studies, pension benefits, municipal retirement