Transcript Highlights:

• As a small business owner, I would appreciate your support of House Bill 1096.
• The backbone and the foundation is small business, and you sit by a small business owners in your churches
• Research, SBIR. and Small Business Technology Transfer, STTR programs.
• And so these small businesses, emerging companies, have the ability to go to the Small Business Research
• competitiveness. grants through the small business innovation research and small business technology

Bills: HB186, HB517, HB 1093, HB 1268, HB1395, HB186

Keywords: social media, children, account verification, data privacy, parental control, property owners' association, residential watering restrictions, vegetation, fine limitations, drought, technology, innovation, economic development, grants, Texas Economic Development, business funding, HB 1395, private passenger vehicle rental, car rental, vehicle rental

Transcript Highlights:

• Small business owners observe all potential risk themselves when running their businesses.
• Business Majority, who understand the vital role small businesses play in our state.
• Notably, only 16% of small business owners disagree with the sentiment.
• One measure to give small businesses an edge is this tax credit.
• The small business focus is really attractive in this bill.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation held its first regular hearing of the 2025-26 session, adopted its proposed committee rules on a 5-0 vote, and reinstated a suspense file for bills with fiscal impacts over the committee threshold. The chair explained that only AB 418 would be eligible for an immediate vote, while several other measures would be held for suspense consideration because of budget constraints. AB 330 was pulled by the author. AB 418 by Wilson, which would create a clearer process and administrative remedy for county Chapter 8 tax sales, received support from county tax collectors and housing and taxpayer groups. Supporters said the bill would add transparency, due process, and a noticed public hearing for negotiated sales of tax-defaulted properties, while helping counties dispose of low-value or problematic properties more efficiently. The committee voted 6-0 to send AB 418 to Appropriations. Several other bills were heard and then referred to suspense: AB 27 by Chau, which would exclude Chiquita Canyon landfill relief payments from gross income and protect recipients’ eligibility for public benefits, drew strong support from affected residents and environmental advocates; AB 258 by Conley would increase funding for California fairs, with supporters emphasizing fairs’ emergency-response role; AB 397 by Gonzalez would expand the California Young Child Tax Credit into a broader child tax credit for older children; and AB 398 by Aaron would set a $300 minimum refundable Cal EITC benefit. The committee also heard AB 231 by Tye, which would offer a tax credit to microbusinesses that hire formerly incarcerated people, and it too was referred to suspense after supportive testimony from reentry and small-business advocates.

Transcript Highlights:

• When you talk to a company small or large, that's risk, there's risk involved in that.
• Most are small businesses.
• So many factory is a small business sector and thinking through what we can do as a state.
• It bows reinforces that that manufacturing is a is a small business entrepreneurial field.
• measures to protect sensitive data and systems can significantly burn small businesses.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• sizes as few as as small as a few dozen. sizes as few as as small as a few dozen.
• We all talk small business.
• small businesses.
• This week is small small businesses.
• a massive tax hike on small businesses. a massive tax hike on small businesses.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• providing more opportunity for small providing more opportunity for small businesses<00:50:49.920
• <00:50:52.400> business if you need if you're a small business if you need if you're a small
• positive step provides for the small positive step provides for the small businesses<00:51:18.160
• ,<01:11:37.679> we're talking about small businesses, we're talking about small businesses
• Well, I got an answer back first that says, "Well, the Small Business Administration doesn't do small

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, and approved the journal of Friday, February 6, 2026. Members then proceeded out of order to consider Senate Joint Resolution 8, honoring Colorado’s 2026 Winter Olympians and Paralympians. The resolution was read at length, and members spoke in support of Colorado athletes, training communities, families, and facilities. An amendment correcting an athlete’s state affiliation was adopted, and the resolution passed 63-0 with two excused. Representative Bottoms then asked to co-sponsor the resolution. The chamber also set several bills as special orders for February 9, 2026. It then considered House Bill 1020, concerning colorimetric field drug tests in drug possession cases. Sponsors said the bill addresses unreliable field tests and had support from the Judiciary Committee and stakeholders. The committee report and the bill both passed without opposition. House Bill 1040, concerning the sterilization rights of a person with intellectual and developmental disabilities, was also taken up. Sponsors said the bill seeks to undo a historical harm by removing language that allowed sterilization against a person’s wishes. Two amendments to the committee report were adopted: one narrowing language around an imminent threat to life or health, and another adding a petition clause. The committee report and the bill then passed. Finally, the House considered House Bill 103, which modernizes the Colorado Small Business Recovery and Resiliency Loan Fund. Sponsors said it would better support small businesses facing higher costs and access-to-capital challenges. One amendment to direct 30% of funding to rural counties, veteran-owned businesses, and minority-owned businesses was debated but failed after the sponsor urged a no vote, saying the bill already included distribution metrics and that a fixed percentage was not workable in statute. The bill itself was then discussed further, with concerns raised about state lending programs and the use of the term “equitable,” but the transcript cuts off before final action on the bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And to go along with that, many small communities already stretched their dollars.
• You mentioned in your testimony small communities in Nebraska are having a similar problem.
• Small Cities Legislative Committee. Say hi to Lynn for me. I will do that.
• A lot of small rural communities, they stretch. every dollar they have.
• Can you speak to how critical IIJA's infusion of federal funding is to small systems?

Keywords: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, water infrastructure, lead service lines, federal reauthorization, sustainability, cybersecurity

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on discussions surrounding the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and its implications for local water systems. Various witnesses highlighted the transformative impact of the bipartisan infrastructure law, which has provided an unprecedented amount of funding to help address long-standing issues in drinking water infrastructure, particularly concerning lead service line replacements and sustainability in water management. The discussions emphasized the urgent need for federal reauthorization to continue supporting these initiatives, as many rural and disadvantaged communities still face substantial barriers in upgrading their water systems. Additionally, cybersecurity risks were noted, raising concerns over the vulnerability of water systems across the nation.

Transcript Highlights:

• today, regarding the future of payments and sales transactions by credit card and the impacts for small
• today, regarding the future of payments and sales transactions by credit card and the impacts for small
• The commission shall report on the impact on small businesses operating in the Commonwealth and provide
• The commission is tasked with studying and reviewing: one, the cost of small businesses operating in
• I am a small business owner based on Martha's Vineyard. Welcome, India. Thank you.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House and Senate chairs opened the first organizational meeting of the special initiative commission created by Chapter 238 of the Acts of 2024 to study the future of payments and sales transactions by credit card and the impacts on small businesses. They explained that no testimony would be taken at this meeting; instead, the commission would begin its work, introduce members, and prepare for future hearings and a final report with recommendations on credit cards and other payment methods. The chairs outlined the commission’s charge: to examine payment trends, cashless transactions, credit card fees, mobile payments, buy now, pay later financing, and the effects of section 28A of chapter 140D on small businesses. They said the commission would likely organize hearings around business and consumer impacts, the legal and regulatory landscape, and policy options such as transparency measures, reporting requirements, and possible limits. Members discussed the importance of hearing from retailers, restaurants, banks, small businesses, and possibly experts, and suggested considering cryptocurrency and whether hearings should be held outside the State House or include regional access. Several commissioners and stakeholders introduced themselves, including representatives from the Attorney General’s office, the House, the Executive Office of Economic Development, the Commissioner of Banks, retail and restaurant associations, a banking representative, and two small business owners. The chairs said interested parties could sign up to testify or receive notices, written testimony would be accepted, and the first hearing was tentatively set for April 8 in Gardner Auditorium. The meeting ended with a motion to close, which passed unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate and have a copy of the Small Loans Act next to this.
• Loans are still very much covered under the Small Loans Act. Thank you.
• In 2022, the legislature capped interest rates on small loans at 36%.
• Most of this language in the rest of the effort comes from the Small Loan Act. Act.
• Like I said, I have the Small Loans Act printed out right here; I've looked...

Transcript Highlights:

• SE section 179 primarily benefits small SE section 179 primarily benefits small and<00:38:14.480
• Uh, NFIB represents over 10,000 small Uh, NFIB represents over 10,000 small independently<00:40:
• um wanting to fight for the small um wanting to fight for the small businesses<01:00:52.400>
• changes will also provide small changes will also provide small businesses<01:17:16.000> in
• vital to support our small businesses. vital to support our small businesses.

Bills: HF3127, HF3816, HF3814, HF3815, HF3817

Keywords: taxation, pass-through entity, qualifying owner, partnership, S corporation, tax return, corporate franchise tax, individual income tax, research expenditures, federal compliance, Minnesota Statutes, income tax, corporate tax, section 179, federal conformity, HF3815, Minnesota taxes, tax conformity, Internal Revenue Code, IRC conformity

Transcript Highlights:

• state or national programs to small state or national programs to small businesses<00:07:20.039>
• public and private many of which small public and private many of which are<00:11:23.959> small
• <00:21:48.400> business guidance mean our small business guidance mean our small business
• Small businesses and our employees so desperately need it.
• <01:24:50.560> to family and no employer is too small to family and no employer is too small

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Entrepreneur Loan Program and the Small Entrepreneur Loan Program and the Small Business<00:02:17.600
• 00:02:54.800> in<00:02:54.920> our likely have small business in our likely have small
• /c> Small Business Assistance Partnership Small Business Assistance Partnership Program<00:05:18.960>
• c> looking toward small or small companies looking toward small or small companies looking to<00:
• small and mid-size businesses. small and mid-size businesses.

Bills: HF3878, HF4131, HF3796, HF4097

Keywords: airport workers, wage standards, labor rights, minimum wage, economic equity, surveillance, price discrimination, wage discrimination, consumer rights, automated decision systems, Minnesota Statutes, suitable seating, employee seating, workplace seating, occupational safety, workplace safety, labor standards, employer requirements, chair, stool

Transcript Highlights:

• Our state is home to over 4 million small businesses.
• small businesses and the jobs they create across California.
• The impact of small businesses in California cannot be overstated.
• businesses and small businesses feel this most strongly.
• Let's support our small businesses and make them want to stay.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• breweries. ...and help small breweries.
• We began as a small brew pub in 2019 in Waco, Texas.
• The people I represent are the smallest of the small.
• We're here to try to help small businesses.
• We're here to try to help small businesses.

Bills: HB 1301, HB2278, HB2776, HB2820, HB3848, HB3920, HB4172, HB4215, HB4284, HB4285, HB4463, HB4517, HB4690, HB4765, HB4766, HB4767, HB4768, HB4769, HB4773, HB4830, HB5506

Keywords: alcohol, beverages, winery permit, restaurant, malt beverages, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, alcohol production, home brewing, family use, craft beverages, massage therapy, licensing, criminal offenses, sexually oriented businesses, public safety, bingo, charitable gaming, operating capital, regulation, funding

Summary: The Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures met with a quorum present, corrected the minutes from April 8, and then took up a long list of pending bills, most of which were reported favorably or left pending after hearing testimony. Early action included HB 1764 (accounting practice for certain out-of-state CPAs), HB 1788 (continuing education for barbers and cosmetologists on recognizing and assisting victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking), HB 2204 (land surveyor regulation), HB 2885 (local option elections on alcohol sales), HB 2996 (gambling offense definitions and prosecution), HB 3250 (real estate appraisals and appraisal management companies), HB 3352 (driver education on work zones), HB 3385 (farm winery permit), HB 3756 (powers of certain nonresident sellers’ permit holders who also hold a winery permit), HB 3816 (cruelty to livestock animals), HB 3913 (real estate licensing), and HB 3928 (electronic notice of towed vehicles), all of which were advanced with unanimous or near-unanimous votes. Several of these bills were reported with committee substitutes, and some were also sent to the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars. The committee then heard testimony on HB 2278, which would legalize limited home distilling of spirits for personal or family use and add honey as an approved ingredient; supporters framed it as a consistency and freedom issue, and the bill was left pending. HB 3920, a TDLR workforce/CTE bill, and HB 1301, which would allow beer or malt beverages to be sold at certain wineries with on-site restaurants, were also laid out and left pending after discussion. HB 2776, aimed at tightening massage therapy licensing restrictions for people convicted of sexual and trafficking-related offenses and strengthening TDLR enforcement, and HB 3848, which would allow electronic filing of elevator and escalator inspection reports, were both heard and left pending as well. A major portion of the meeting focused on alcohol-related bills. HB 4215 would place delivery network companies under a statewide TDLR regulatory framework; Favor Delivery supported it, and it was left pending after the committee substitute was withdrawn. HB 4172 and HB 2820 would raise bingo reserve limits and update charitable bingo rules; supporters from veterans and nonprofit groups argued the changes would help charities, but both bills were left pending after the substitutes were withdrawn. HB 4463, a broadly supported bill allowing contract brewing and alternating brewery proprietorships, was also left pending. HB 4284 would remove the “excessive discount” prohibition in alcohol sales, HB 4285 would allow airlines to store alcohol within five miles of an airport in the same county, HB 4517 would create a complaint process for Texas distillers not paid by wholesalers, and HB 4773 would let breweries and brewpubs transport their own beer between facilities; HB 4773 drew the most debate, with supporters citing efficiency and opponents warning about unintended consequences and possible effects on the three-tier system, but it too was left pending. The committee also heard and left pending a series of TDLR cleanup bills and other measures, including HB 4765 through HB 4769, HB 4830 on service contracts for lease vehicles, HB 5506 giving civil immunity to ringside physicians at combative sports events, and HB 4690 on gasoline vapor pressure compliance. The meeting ended after all business was completed and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so it's not just for small businesses, but we do have about $50 million set aside for small business
• I don't have a small business to enroll that small business program.
• So we have in that small business program, that was the $50 million program, there are 4,700 small businesses
• . $50 million program, there are 4,700 small businesses.
• The small business exchange was the original concept.

Bills: SB241, SB145, HB2

Keywords: child care, child care assistance, child care subsidy, early childhood education, early childhood care, daycare, preschool, pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Children's Code, early childhood education and care department, ECECD, child care facilities, licensed child care, registered child care, copayments, waitlist, subsidy, federal poverty level

Transcript Highlights:

• It focuses on enhancing partnership of small businesses in Florida.
• Chair senators, as you know, small businesses form the backbone of our local economy.
• This is a thriving small business district that is mostly bars and restaurants.
• The small businesses impacted by public works construction. The answer is no. Okay.
• What is the impact on the small business? The small business doesn't have to be completely blocked.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I work for a half dozen other small businesses in every corner of the state.
• Chair. exempting small employees in their first exempting small employees in their first year<00:10:40.320
• We're not going to exclude folks who work at small businesses.
• to exclude folks with who work at small to exclude folks with who work at small businesses<01:03
• offer some things for a real small offer some things for a real small employer<01:13:57.320>

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 1325 and adopted the author’s A2 amendment before hearing testimony. Representative Schultz presented the bill as a set of bipartisan changes to make Minnesota’s earned sick and safe time law more workable for small businesses, public employers, and taxpayers, arguing the current law is an unfunded mandate that increases costs and property taxes. The bill’s supporters said it would add flexibility, including changes affecting coverage for certain workers, employer size thresholds, front-loading, weather-related exceptions, and a delay on penalties. Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach of the Department of Labor and Industry opposed the bill, saying it would exclude about 800,000 workers, or roughly 30% of the workforce, from earned sick and safe time protections and create confusion and enforcement problems. She also objected to the proposed penalty delay, saying the department already uses compliance assistance and needs penalty authority for serious violations. The Minnesota Chamber supported modifications to the mandate, saying businesses—especially small ones—have struggled with compliance and that the law has had unintended effects on PTO policies and leave use. The League of Minnesota Cities supported parts of the bill, especially changes affecting more generous city leave policies and weather-event exemptions, saying current language creates confusion and can interfere with emergency staffing. Opponents from Education Minnesota, SEIU Minnesota, TakeAction Minnesota, and a nurse from Unity Hospital argued the bill would strip protections from part-time workers, minors, and workers with family caregiving needs, and would weaken a law they said has helped workers avoid discipline or lost wages when sick. Supporters from counties and an HR consultant emphasized administrative burdens, emergency staffing needs during weather events, and the difficulty of applying ESS rules to existing leave policies. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the bill was laid over for further consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• social equity applicants, small social equity applicants, small businesses,<01:11:40.000> the
• <01:14:34.080> It's grassroots or small businesses. It's grassroots or small businesses.
• It's on the small business side, too.
• We take care of our small businesses.
• going to be a struggle for small going to be a struggle for small businesses<01:26:11.760> uh

Bills: HF1545, HF2426, HF1615, HF2403

Keywords: medical cannabis, cultivation, cannabinoid products, plant canopy, Minnesota statutes, cannabis, hemp, lower-potency, edibles, regulations, licensing, local control, consumer safety, age restrictions, commerce policy, financial institutions, insurance regulation, limited long-term care insurance, Medicare supplement, health insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• great way to get tax relief to small great way to get tax relief to small businesses<00:01:15.200
• result in relief to our existing small result in relief to our existing small businesses<00:02:13.200
• You know, I run a small business, a successful small business. I'm not asking for these tax cuts.
• that big a difference for small that big a difference for small businesses,<00:57:40.880> big
• with the very small businesses, right? with the very small businesses, right?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's time to ensure Small businesses can harness these capabilities as well.
• Speaker, I rise in support of the Small Business AI Advancement Act.
• It would build on NIST's Small Business Cybersecurity Corner program to help small businesses by providing
• IT WOULD BUILD ON NIST SMALL BUSINESS CYBERSECURITY CORNER PROGRAM TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES BY PROVIDING
• I RISE TO SPEAK FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3679, THE SMALL BUSINESS AI ADVANCEMENT ACT.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, February 23, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Putnam County is a small rural county with 77,000 people.
• Chris Doolin, Small County Coalition. You're recognized. Thank you.
• Our small counties are authorized to levy a small county surtax.
• It generates $211 million for our small counties.
• infrastructure in those small counties.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on March 20, 2025, and first approved HB 4025, creating the Duke Farm Stewardship District in Lee County, on a 17-0 vote. The committee then advanced HJR 1215, which proposes a constitutional amendment to exempt agricultural tangible personal property from property tax, after extended debate about the fiscal impact on counties, especially rural and fiscally constrained ones; it passed 16-1. HB 411 also passed unanimously after an amendment, extending affordable housing tax exemption treatment to certain nonprofit projects on leased land, including Habitat for Humanity projects. The committee likewise approved CS/HB 669, allowing local governments to purchase certain unrated bonds, and CS/HB 4017, codifying the Vermont Drainage District charter in Charlotte County, both without opposition. The committee also approved HJR 1039, which would let the Legislature prevent assessed-value increases for homestead properties that are improved to mitigate flood damage, and the related implementing bill HB 1041; both passed 17-0. Public testimony on these items included some opposition to the flood-related amendment, but no floor debate changed the outcome. The final major item was CS/HB 1221 by Rep. Miller, which would require local option taxes to be renewed by voter referendum every eight years, with longer terms allowed for bonded projects. That bill drew the most extensive testimony and debate, with counties, tourism groups, and local officials warning about impacts on tourism funding, infrastructure, schools, and public safety, while supporters argued for taxpayer accountability and periodic review. After debate, the committee reported the bill favorably on a 13-4 vote.