Transcript Highlights:

• We've already got drug-free zones that we can already enforce.
• The bill is very narrowly focused, applies only to school zones.
• That's why we have the 2,000 feet around the school zone.
• So school zone is 2,000 feet outside of a school. Correct.
• This is about protecting children and families in school zones. In school zones.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• here enrolling into the enterprise zone. here enrolling into the enterprise zone.
• enterprise zone? enterprise zone? >> Sure. >> Sure. >> Sure.
• We have enterprise zones. Let's not create gambling zones. Unnecessary.
• zones.
• Let's not create zones. Let's not create gambling<02:40:30.399> zones.

Bills: HB2118, HB2473

Keywords: business development, arts, cultural affairs, Hawaii, commissions, administrative transfer, funding appropriation, Hawaiian culture, sense of place, land management, environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several bills related to permitting and economic development. On HB 2603, relating to permits, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development said it supported the measure with comments. Committee discussion focused on the fact that the state’s facilitated permit process appears to have been rarely or never used, the need to identify specific projects that would use it, and whether DBEDT would need dedicated staffing to administer it. DBEDT said it had found no projects under the current process, had no capacity to run the program as structured, and estimated it would need about 7 to 9 FTEs, including permitting, coordination, data, systems, and possibly legal support. The chair suggested exploring a staff assignment and comparing the concept to federal FAST-41-style expedited permitting. On HB 2140, relating to essential permitting positions, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development again supported the bill with comments. Testimony and questioning centered on a pilot program to help counties pay competitively for permitting staff. A DBEDT representative said the issue of competitive pay affected both county and state permitting offices and that the bill was intended as a temporary pilot, though a more permanent solution would be preferable. When asked how counties would fund the salary support, the witness said that was not yet discussed with the counties and agreed to follow up. The committee also noted the bill applies to participating counties. On HB 2598, relating to the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, the State Procurement Office and HTDC offered comments, and the Department of the Attorney General raised constitutional concerns. The AG said the bill’s residency-based certification requirements, when tied to procurement, could implicate the dormant Commerce Clause, and that the required 1% contribution tied to state contracts raised unconstitutional-conditions concerns. In questioning, the AG characterized these as legal risks rather than automatic lawsuits. The committee did not take a vote. The committee then heard HB 2141, relating to state enterprise zones. Taxation, DBEDT, HCDA, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, and HTDC testified in support, while the Tax Foundation noted the program was intended to help economically depressed areas create jobs. HTDC said the bill would help preserve the Maui Research and Technology Center’s enterprise-zone status after rezoning. Committee discussion focused on whether the enterprise zone program is being used effectively, how the bill might attract businesses to areas where the state is investing, and whether the program’s labor requirements are too burdensome for new businesses. DBEDT explained that the program requires a 10% workforce increase in the first year, which must be sustained, and said it promotes the program through county coordinators and in-person outreach. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• , meaning they ranked zoning from single-family down to high-rise.
• to do that because it fell below, if you will, the cumulative zoning.
• I am a real estate broker and land use and zoning consultant.
• In this case, the developer had currently zoned office space.
• Without hunting for new land or fighting zoning battles from scratch.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Summary: The committee met to monitor implementation of several housing-related bills from the 89th session, with the chair emphasizing Texas’s housing shortage and the need to review land-use laws. For House Bill 24, witnesses from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Reason Foundation, a church-affordable housing project, Habitat for Humanity, developers, and housing advocates said the bill’s higher protest threshold and simpler council override had reduced procedural barriers to rezoning, helped projects move forward, and supported lower rents and more multifamily development. Public testimony largely praised HB 24 as working as intended, and the chair noted it had passed the committee 6-1, the House 83-56, and the Senate unanimously. The committee then heard testimony on Senate Bill 1567, which preempted certain municipal occupancy limits based on unrelated-adult restrictions. Supporters, including Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texas Realtors, Texans for Housing, and Texas A&M student leaders, said the law improved clarity, reduced arbitrary local limits, and helped students and property owners use existing housing more efficiently. Opponents from College Station and Bryan-College Station neighborhood groups argued the law has encouraged investor purchases, tear-downs, and “stealth dorms,” displaced working-class residents, and harmed family homeownership. The chair noted SB 1567 had passed the committee 5-1, the House 101-19, and the Senate 30-1. The committee also reviewed Senate Bill 15, which reduced minimum lot sizes in covered jurisdictions. Ed Pinto of AEI said the law had already led to thousands of new small lots and lower-cost starter homes, while recommending expansion to more counties and broader application to attached housing. Other witnesses from builders, Pew, and housing advocates said smaller lots can increase affordability, but some cities, such as College Station and Grand Prairie, were adding local standards that could blunt the bill’s effect. City representatives from El Paso described how they implemented the law by reducing lot sizes and widths, while urging broader applicability to more of the city. The chair said SB 15 had passed the committee 7-0, the House 86-43, and the Senate 24-7. Finally, the committee began hearing testimony on Senate Bill 840, a by-right multifamily redevelopment measure. City officials from Garland and Plano described how they had updated local standards to comply while preserving design and setback rules, and said the bill could help redevelop built-out commercial corridors and add housing without expanding city footprints. The transcript ended as the committee continued taking testimony on SB 840.

Transcript Highlights:

• Innovation Zones.
• LFC has zeroed out that appropriation and included Innovation Zones as a public education reform fund
• So I'm trying to figure out Innovation Zones. Mr.
• Chair, I'll probably need some help from the Director to sort of explain Innovation Zones.
• Sounds like we don't have good data on the Innovation Zones. Mr.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• USA, if that site is already zoned for a school, wouldn't that just carry over to you all?
• school, Chargers USA, if you are zoned, if that site is zoned for a school, wouldn't that site is already
• zoned for just carry over to you all?
• I don't believe anything in this changes zoning. What it speaks to is the site plan.
• So zoning is actually covered in a different section of statute, I think it's 1003.

Summary: The Transportation Committee heard and advanced several bills dealing with roadway safety, utility relocation, emergency vehicles, motor vehicle services, charter school siting, and specialty license plates. SB 1782 by Senator Pizzo, as amended, would expand reckless driving per se to include certain extreme speeding behaviors and retain mandatory court appearance while removing impound language; it was supported by AARP and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and reported favorably. SB 818 by Senator McLean would streamline utility relocation for road and rail projects and shift certain relocation costs to the authority in some cases; county groups opposed it as an unfunded mandate, while Charter Communications supported it, and the bill was reported favorably after amendment. SB 1644 by Senator Rodriguez, as amended, would expand warning-signal privileges for volunteer firefighters, medical staff, and related vehicles responding to emergencies; it was reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 1348 by Senator Trumbull, which revises Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and tax collector processes for title/document delivery, driver licensing, disabled parking permits, and related services; a strike-all removed penalties and some CDL retesting provisions, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 636 by Senator Martin would restrict use of the far-left lane on high-speed roads except for passing, exiting, move-over compliance, or traffic/environmental conditions, with a civil fine and DOT signage requirements; it was reported favorably. SB 1152 by Senator Arrington would raise the cost of the Florida Wildflower specialty license plate from $15 to $25 to generate more funding for wildflower research, education, and habitat programs; it was reported favorably. SB 1188 by Senator McLean, which would limit local government authority over charter school siting and concurrency-related restrictions, drew the most debate. Supporters argued local ordinances were being used to block or delay charter schools, while opponents said the bill would tie the hands of local governments and could create traffic and public-safety concerns. After extensive discussion, the bill was reported favorably, with recorded no votes from Senators Arrington and Davis. The committee also unanimously recommended confirmation of multiple appointments to transportation-related boards and authorities, including the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Central Florida Expressway Authority, Jacksonville Port Authority, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, and Florida Transportation Commission.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 78, an act relative to the zoning Board of adjustments appeal period.
• <00:15:26.079> regulations applicable Municipal zoning regulations applicable Municipal zoning
• superseding applicable Municipal zoning superseding applicable Municipal zoning regulations<00:15
• Municipal zoning Municipal zoning development<00:16:21.279> I<00:16:21.519> think<
• <00:16:25.160> regulations applicable Municipal zoning regulations applicable Municipal zoning

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• empower the community's zoning empower the community's zoning administrator<01:33:08.239> to<
• planning and zoning board administrator. planning and zoning board administrator.
• > an planning and zoning assistant, not an planning and zoning assistant, not an administrator,<01
• These RSAs have nothing to do with zoning and not have to do with zoning and not access to housing.
• to buy property is not adopted in zoning to buy property is not adopted in zoning ordinances.<01

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Many patients rely on acupuncture to help manage chronic conditions when they cannot tolerate strong

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard several bills on June 9. SB 1023 by Senator Laird would require insurers that cover injectable HIV PrEP under the medical benefit to also cover it through the pharmacy benefit, with supporters saying the change would reduce reimbursement delays and expand access, while health plans opposed it as an unnecessary mandate that interferes with benefit design. SB 964 by Senator Smallwood-Quivas would limit prior authorization for certain dose or frequency adjustments to covered medications, especially for chronic complex conditions; medical supporters said it would prevent harmful delays in care, while insurers argued it weakens safety and utilization controls. SB 1323 by Senator Rubio, as amended, would strengthen protections for people in immigration custody receiving medical care by requiring hospitals and facilities to inform staff how to respond to requests and allowing patients to notify family members of their location; it passed with one no vote. SB 1099 by Senator Reyes would clarify local governments’ authority to provide state and local public benefits to all residents under federal PRWORA rules, with supporters saying it would reduce legal uncertainty for safety-net services; it passed, though one member later changed a vote to no on the add-on roll call. The committee also took up SB 895 by Senator Wiener, a proposed $12 billion science research bond for the November ballot that would create a California scientific research funding institute. Supporters from UC, UAW, hospitals, and advocacy groups said the measure would help offset federal cuts, protect research jobs, and sustain California’s leadership in biomedical and other research; there was no opposition, and the bill passed on a party-line style vote with two no votes. SB 944, also by Senator Wiener, would stabilize Medi-Cal coverage for acupuncture, which supporters described as a cost-effective, non-pharmacological treatment for pain and other conditions that has repeatedly been threatened in the budget process; it passed unanimously. The committee also approved consent items SB 918 and SB 1202, and later cleared the remaining measures on call after roll votes and add-on votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're going to have a little bit of tolerance with this vote changing, but I'm going to ask that you

Bills: HR310, HR314, HR316, HR317, HR321, HR275, HR276, HR279, HR282, HR286, HR289, HR292, HR295, HR302, HR319, HCR112, HR307, SCR59, SCR61, SCR62, SCR68, SCR69, SCR70, SCR54, SCR55, SCR64, SCR75, HCR79, HCR104, HB75, HB410, HB719, HB750, HB944, HB1098, HB1220, HB1252, HB359, HB210, HB468, HB1117, SB382, HB368, HB552, HB732, HB870, HB1236, SB29, SB42, SB43, SB149, SB208, SB274, SB300, SB312, SB387, SB389, SB401, HR74, HB998, HB901, HR20, HCR65, HCR71, HCR98, HB284, HB306, HB341, HB366, HB393, HB458, HB577, HB603, HB605, HB614, HB625, HB646, HB733, HB752, HB773, HB798, HB911, HB955, HB996, HB1035, HB1069, HB1113, HB1140, HB1180, HB1191, HB1240, HB1255, SB82, SB89, SB97, SB123, SB237, HB36, HB42, HB74, HB119, HB159, HB258, HB259, HB302, HB414, HB459, HB848, HB956, HB1017, HB1028, HB1095, SB217, SB283, SB469

Keywords: oil and gas, orphan wells, inactive wells, shut-in wells, marginal wells, plugging and abandonment, well decommissioning, site remediation, site restoration, Oilfield Site Restoration, OSR program, financial security, bonding, taxpayer liability, public liability, offshore wells, onshore wells, coastal erosion, Department of Conservation and Energy, natural resources

Transcript Highlights:

• The option on the shelf for a fortified version or non-fortified version makes this bill more than tolerable

Bills: HB3552, HB2984, HB4124, HB3934, HB3448, HB3131, HB4200, HB4201, HB3011, HB1912, HB3380, HB3881, HB3538, HB3851, HB3907, HB4430, HB4431, HB4457

Keywords: childcare, differential pricing, Department of Human Services, child care subsidy, licensed providers, emergency legislation, child care, subsidy program, annual report, program integrity, overpayments, ivermectin, over-the-counter medication, pharmacy immunity, healthcare access, FDA approval, prescription, public health, dentistry, licensing

Transcript Highlights:

• And may they be ever so tolerant of the thoughts of others.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Friday, February 27, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Maryland Senate met on Friday, February 27, with an invocation by Reverend Howard Travers and several guest introductions, including family members, defense organization leaders, a South Asian Herald editor, Eagleton Institute fellows, and physicians from Johns Hopkins. The chamber journalized the prayer, confirmed a quorum, and then moved into bill introductions, House messages, and committee reports. Several measures were advanced without objection, including Senate Bill 338 to extend a work group report deadline on transfer of retirement system member services, Senate Bill 448 authorizing Carroll County public facilities bonds up to $27 million, Senate Bill 453 clarifying that the Arabian horse race associated with Preakness can be run at Laurel Park, Senate Bill 614 allowing Dorchester County detention officers to join the correctional officers retirement system if the county opts in, and Senate Bill 724 making a technical emergency adjustment to cost-of-living calculations for retirees because October CPI data was unavailable during a government shutdown. Each of those bills received favorable committee reports and was ordered printed for third reading after no objections or amendments were offered. Two bills were postponed for later consideration: Senate Bill 538 on Baltimore City raffles tied to organizations affiliated with professional baseball and football teams was special ordered to Wednesday of the following week, and Senate Bill 108 on water resources and wetlands enforcement was special ordered to March 3 while members worked on possible amendments. Senate Bill 56 on the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center and third-party data sharing was also special ordered to the following Wednesday because committee discussion was ongoing. House Bill 6 and House Bill 372 were received and referred to the appropriate standing committees. The Senate also took up Executive Nominations Committee Report No. 3 and, after no nominations were separated out, confirmed the executive nominations by a vote of 41 in the affirmative. Later, the chamber heard a personal privilege statement from a Montgomery County senator about Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald schools in Maryland, highlighting preservation efforts and an upcoming Scrabble tournament fundraiser at a Rosenwald school. The Senate then confirmed a quorum, and the Majority Leader moved that the Senate stand in recess until Monday, March 2 at 8:00 p.m., which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• the beauty is, if you come to my agency and you want to work, it's generally because you have a tolerance

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• substances to minors a serious crime, the bill clearly states that exploiting young children will not be tolerated

Bills: HB99, HB38, HB165, HB127, HB72, HB151, SB40, SB104, SB136, SB164

Keywords: medical malpractice, malpractice reform, patient's compensation fund, PCF, health care liability, tort reform, damage caps, punitive damages, hospital liability, physician liability, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, outpatient facility, ambulatory surgical center, urgent care, free-standing emergency room, insurance surcharge, superintendent of insurance, New Mexico hospitals, medical review process

Transcript Highlights:

• It's also the patient's willingness to tolerate side effects.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a zero-tolerance policy for fraud, waste, and abuse, and we take every complaint seriously and

Transcript Highlights:

• This legislation sends a clear message that Texas will not tolerate fraud, and it gives law enforcement

Transcript Highlights:

• on our side of the border, and so it really helps with the spillover violence because it won't be tolerated

Bills: HB 1065, HB2929, HB2956, HB3009, HB3420, HB3626, HB3649, HB4956, HB4993, HB5293, HB5308, HB5528, HCR118, SB36, HB4023, SB 36

Keywords: employee classification, private security, misclassification, workforce regulations, Texas Workforce Commission, autism, peace officers, training program, law enforcement, intervention, communication, developmental disability, family violence, central database, criminal offense, registration, public safety, violent offenses, criminal database, Department of Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• And as soon as you get clean and sober, your tolerance has gone down, and we have to educate them. �

Bills: HB232

Keywords: disaster recovery, natural disaster, weather disaster, emergency relief, flood relief, hurricane relief, storm damage, wildfire, tornado, hail, windstorm, extreme heat, ice storm, snowstorm, property damage, personal injury, temporary housing, relocation assistance, lost wages, state emergency management

Transcript Highlights:

• As soon as you get clean and sober, your tolerance has gone down, and we have to educate them because

Bills: HB232

Keywords: disaster recovery, natural disaster, weather disaster, emergency relief, flood relief, hurricane relief, storm damage, wildfire, tornado, hail, windstorm, extreme heat, ice storm, snowstorm, property damage, personal injury, temporary housing, relocation assistance, lost wages, state emergency management

Transcript Highlights:

• As soon as you get clean and sober your tolerance has gone down and we have to educate them because As

Bills: HB1784, HB2088, HB3062, HB3475, HB3741, HB4279, HB4763, HB5154, HB5294, HB5508, SB1401, HB232, HB232

Keywords: students, homeless, foster care, higher education, liaison officer, housing assistance, transition support, law school, Rio Grande Valley, legal education, public university, accreditation, fentanyl prevention, drug poisoning awareness, mental health resources, substance abuse education, El Paso, university system, funding, public education