Transcript Highlights:

• A quorum is present, Mr. President. The Senate will be in order.
• A quorum is present, Madam President. Members, we're going to take up returning messages.
• A quorum is... Authorized persons will please leave the chamber.
• A quorum is present, Mr. President. Senate will be in order.
• is authorized persons will please leave the chamber all senators indicate your presence please a quorum

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and a series of introductions recognizing interns, pages, and retiring Senate staff, including Pastor Gary Austin. Leaders also noted ongoing budget talks with the House and said senators would not need to plan on being in Tallahassee the following week. The chamber then moved to third reading and returned messages from the House later in the day. The main floor debate centered on Committee Substitute for House Bill 12.5, the citizen initiative/constitutional amendment bill. Sponsors said the measure was intended to address fraud in the petition process, citing investigations, arrests, pleas, and open cases involving paid circulators and invalid petitions. Opponents argued the bill would make citizen-led amendments far more difficult, expensive, and risky, warning it would chill grassroots participation, burden supervisors of elections, and effectively favor wealthy or corporate-backed efforts. Supporters responded that the bill preserved grassroots petitioning, placed reasonable guardrails on paid circulators and sponsors, and included a provision barring public funds from being used to advocate for or against ballot initiatives. The bill passed 28-10. The Senate also passed several education measures unanimously, including bills tied to Bright Futures, dual enrollment, educator preparation, and broader education policy. Later, the chamber concurred in House amendments on several bills: stem cell therapy legislation clarifying permitted therapies and penalties for improper use of fetal or embryonic tissue; an EKG requirement bill for student athletes with exemptions and partnership options for districts; and a cardiac emergency response bill that renamed the school emergency plan and removed a bill title honoring Rafe McCrone. These measures passed by wide margins, generally 37-0 or 38-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• seeing no other witnesses in support, before we move, we are going to take a minute to establish quorum
• Quorum is established. Here. Board? Corr? Mrs. Tadish? Yes.
• member Gwen Wilcox was removed from the National Labor Relations Board, making the board lose its quorum
• For example, they include when there is a lack of quorum, no matter how brief.
• You know, we wouldn't even need this bill if they had a quorum in D.C. that the workers can go and they

Summary: The committee heard several labor-related bills, with AB 1424, AB 1340, AB 288, and AB 746 all advancing on due-pass motions to Appropriations after testimony and roll calls. AB 1424 would require climate resiliency and extreme-heat protections in CDCR facilities; supporters described dangerous heat conditions for incarcerated workers and staff, while no opposition testified. AB 1340 would allow rideshare drivers to unionize and collectively bargain; drivers, labor groups, and researchers testified that app-based work is low-paid and unstable, while TechNet, Uber, Lyft, and other business groups argued the bill conflicts with Proposition 22 and could raise costs. AB 288 would let PERB step in when federal labor remedies are unavailable; supporters said it is needed because of NLRB dysfunction, while the Chamber of Commerce raised preemption and enforcement concerns. AB 746 would create an inmate cooperative program and a green reentry reserve; supporters framed it as a recidivism-reduction and reentry strategy, and there was no opposition testimony. The committee also heard AB 858, which would extend hotel and hospitality worker recall rights after declared emergencies and extend existing COVID-era protections. Hospitality workers and unions supported the bill as a way to protect jobs after pandemics, wildfires, and other disasters, while hotel, chamber, retail, restaurant, trucking, travel, and attractions groups opposed it, saying the current recall rules were meant to sunset and that the bill would create broad liabilities and hiring complications. The bill was moved to Appropriations but remained on call after the roll. AB 291, creating a credentialed educator apprenticeship program to address teacher shortages and improve diversity, drew support from education groups and stakeholders who said apprenticeships could lower preparation costs and provide better support; it was also moved to Appropriations and placed on call. Later, the committee took up AB 1104, a solar-energy bill intended to clarify that private solar customers are not “awarding bodies” and to ease certain business-to-business solar transactions while preserving prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements for contractors. Supporters said the current interpretation has chilled commercial solar adoption and harmed jobs, while opponents from electrical workers, PG&E, and others warned about expanded “over-the-fence” power sales and the need for clearer limits. Members questioned the lack of a definition of “small,” and the bill was held without a second. The committee also heard AB 338, which seeks $50 million for Los Angeles and Ventura wildfire workforce recovery; the author and county officials described major job loss and business destruction and said the funds would support displaced workers and rebuilding, with the testimony continuing beyond the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So a quorum has not been established yet, and we'll call members as they arrive this morning.
• out the bills one at a time, take invited and public testimony, then vote on each bill if we have a quorum
• Hearing none, we will hold the bill until we get a quorum. This one is pending. We have a quorum.
• Yep, that quorum. Our quorum is established, so if you want to vote it out, we can vote.

Bills: SB552, SB1099, SB1124, SB1208, SB1372, SB1506, SB1667, SB1804, SB1806, SB1870, SB1936, SB1937, SB2180, SB2405, SB2569, SB2570, SB1646

Keywords: community supervision, criminal justice, illegal alien, deferred adjudication, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, SB 1099, undocumented immigrant, unauthorized immigrant, immigration status, felony sentencing enhancement, criminal penalty increase, Texas Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, affirmative finding, judgment finding, deportation, public safety, immigration enforcement, sentencing reform, felony offense

Summary: The committee heard a series of criminal justice bills, beginning with SB 1870 and SB 1727, both of which were adopted as committee substitutes and reported favorably to the full Senate. SB 1870 would bar local governments from adopting policies that decriminalize controlled substances or direct officials not to enforce state drug laws, with civil penalties enforced by the Attorney General for violations. SB 1727 was described as a technical change to make the draft a formal Legislative Council version of a TDCJ-related assault bill; both bills were also sent to the local and uncontested calendar. The committee then took up SB 2405, the major Sunset bill for TDCJ, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, Windham School District, and the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee. Senator Parker explained that the bill continues and modernizes those agencies, requires a 10-year facilities and staffing plan, expands rehabilitation and reentry programming, improves parole-board consistency and training, and codifies various cleanup and inspector general recommendations. Sunset staff and agency witnesses discussed the bill’s data-sharing, program coordination, and projected savings from reducing delays in parole-voted programming; public witnesses generally supported the post-secondary education and reentry provisions, while some urged stronger statutory direction for Windham and more reform to medically recommended intensive supervision. The bill was left pending. SB 1804, SB 1099, SB 2569, and SB 2570 were also heard. SB 1804 would allow restitution for tattoo removal for human trafficking survivors and remove the age restriction so adult survivors can qualify; it was reported favorably and sent to the local calendar. SB 1099 would increase penalties for certain felony offenses when committed by a person determined to be unlawfully present in the country; immigration and civil rights witnesses opposed it as overbroad and difficult to administer, but it was reported favorably. SB 2569 would modernize unmanned aircraft reporting by requiring law enforcement agencies to post reports on public websites; it passed unanimously and was sent to the local calendar. SB 2570 would create a defense to prosecution for peace officers and correctional guards using less-lethal force weapons within the scope of their training; law enforcement witnesses supported it, civil rights and prosecutor witnesses raised concerns that it was too broad and could weaken existing use-of-force standards, and the bill was left pending for further work.

Transcript Highlights:

• A quorum is present. Let the record reflect we have a quorum.
• I'm just kind of curious, how many of these boards can get a quorum? I mean, are they filled?
• So with all of our boards, we're not aware of any quorum issues.
• Quorum issues. They've all been able to meet regularly and to complete all of their functions.
• vacancies on them, and so we work hard to fill them with the governor's office, but we haven't had quorum

Summary: The subcommittee heard and approved four bills focused on reducing or modernizing professional regulation. HB 6015, by Rep. Oliver, repeals the word “reusable” from the wine keg statute to allow businesses more flexibility in container materials; members joked about the possibility of a Home Depot bucket, and the bill passed 16-0. HB 339, by Rep. Abbott, creates an alternative temporary licensure pathway for surveyors and mappers based on employer recommendation and exam passage, but members raised concerns about qualifications, liability, and oversight; Abbott said he was open to amendments, and the bill passed 14-1 with Rep. Overdorf dissenting. HB 139, by Rep. Lopez, allows pawnbrokers to use digital transaction forms instead of only printed forms; a technical amendment added readability and placement requirements for digital forms, and the bill passed unanimously. HB 195, by Rep. Chambliss, lets the Department of Corrections coordinate with DBPR boards so inmates who complete licensure-related classes can receive credit toward professional licensure; supporters framed it as a second-chance and workforce bill, an amendment clarified that DBPR handles professions without boards, and the bill passed favorably 15-0. The committee then received a presentation from DBPR Secretary Melanie Griffin on the department’s role overseeing more than 1.7 million businesses and professionals across over 30 fields. She highlighted enforcement and complaint data, including more than 24,000 inspections and complaints handled in the last fiscal year, a preference for education and voluntary compliance over formal discipline, and the department’s alternative dispute resolution program, which returned $2.7 million to consumers and saved $270,000 in costs. Griffin also reviewed recent deregulatory and efficiency efforts, including endorsement/reciprocity reforms, fee waivers, reduced processing times, and shorter call wait times, and said DBPR is continuing to look for ways to cut red tape while protecting public safety. Members questioned Griffin about permitting, continuing education, complaint processing, board vacancies, fraud in cosmetology and construction, coordination with other agencies, and whether schools can block students from taking state exams over unpaid tuition. DBPR staff said complaints are generally processed within 60 days, schools cannot bar graduates from taking the exam because of tuition debt, and the department works with other agencies when issues cross jurisdictional lines. The panel discussion that followed featured industry representatives from landscape architecture, building/code administration, pools, roofing, construction, HVAC/electrical, and hospitality, who generally supported reducing local permitting burdens, standardizing requirements, improving reciprocity and training pathways, and using technology and clearer scopes of work to make licensure and inspections more efficient.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have a quorum present.
• You don't have quorum in the committee. You don't have quorum in the House.
• committee<00:15:03.240> you<00:15:03.440> don't<00:15:03.680> have<00:15:03.920> Quorum
• <00:15:04.320> in<00:15:04.440> the committee you don't have Quorum in the committee
• you don't have Quorum in the house<00:15:05.240> you<00:15:05.480> know<00:15:05.800><

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Public Safety Committee held its first meeting of the session, opened with a quorum present, and reviewed basic decorum expectations and committee procedures. Members and staff introduced themselves and described their districts and backgrounds. The chair said the committee would focus on protecting victims and preventing crime, and that the first presenters would be law enforcement groups as subject-matter experts. The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association testified first, warning of serious recruitment, retention, and retirement pressures in law enforcement. The group cited survey data showing most members would not recommend the profession to family, rising assaults on officers, a shortage of roughly 1,000 officers statewide, and more than 2,000 officers nearing retirement eligibility. They also urged continued funding for POST Board training reimbursements and described broader concerns about anti-police rhetoric and public policy. The presentation was interrupted by a disruptive outburst in the room, after which the committee returned to order. The Minnesota Sheriffs Association then outlined its 2025 priorities: expanding mental health treatment beds and revisiting the 48-hour law, making the Fandino-Castile training fund permanent, updating drone/UAV statutes for missing-person searches, training, and evidence preservation, requiring permit-to-carry holders to report name changes, expanding BCA authority for sexual assault investigations on state-owned military facilities, replacing aging public safety radios in the ARMER system, and strengthening employer background-check response requirements. Members asked questions about mental health capacity, UAV uses, and officer assaults; witnesses said the state needs more beds, staff, and support for both short-term crisis stabilization and longer-term treatment. The Minnesota Police Chiefs Association closed by echoing concerns about recruitment and retention, supporting the $6 million POST training reimbursement fund, and calling for tougher penalties for fleeing police, auto theft, and violent crime. No votes or formal actions were taken."}】【。assistant to=final 天天中彩票大奖json 天天中彩票追号json ఇలా to=final 彩神争霸快三 to=final 手机天天彩票 ்ந்து result 彩票平台招商 ્યો क्ता ંડ {

Transcript Highlights:

• please contact any absent members and have them come down to the hearing room so we can start with a quorum
• Before we begin today's hearing on all the measures, let's establish a quorum.
• Quorum has been established. We will move on to the business of the day.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Before we begin our hearing today on the measures, let's establish a quorum.
• A quorum has been established. A quorum has been established.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, if you are through voting, the clerk will close the machine. 93 present, a quorum.
• The quicker we get a quorum, the quicker we get out of there, and I do have food coming, so you won't
• Get to my committee, please, so we can have a quorum. We have one bill. Thank you.

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

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

Summary: The House met with a quorum and handled a mix of ceremonial recognitions, committee reports, and floor action on a large number of bills and resolutions. Members recognized several championship high school teams, including Northlake Christian, Archbishop Hannan, St. Scholastica, Lutcher, and St. Louis, and also designated or commended groups and individuals such as Ascension Parish, the Louisiana Counseling Association, LSU, Dr. Paul Correll, and others. The chamber adopted several resolutions without objection, including measures naming Counseling Day at the Capitol, LSU Day at the Capitol, and honoring Dr. Correll’s retirement, while also receiving and referring various other resolutions and Senate bills to committees or laying them over. The House then took up and passed a series of bills, many with amendments. Major measures included HB 159 creating a Caddo Parish home incarceration pilot program with court, sheriff, and district attorney coordination; HB 364 directing public safety PSAs about celebratory gunfire; HB 414 on background checks for certain health care workers; HB 74 creating a Spectrum Alert program for missing children with autism; HB 568 increasing penalties for visible marijuana use in school zones; HB 786 prohibiting extrapolation in Medicaid provider audits; HB 1033 expanding the definition of critical infrastructure; HB 1041 limiting medical-intervention-based discrimination and mandates; HB 1062 revising the Special School District board; HB 1079 giving charter-school enrollment preference to certain preschool, military, foster care, and custody-ordered students; HB 1139 on discharge planning for involuntarily admitted behavioral health patients; HB 1182 changing occupational therapy licensure credentialing; HB 1214 creating an Office of State Health Care Facilities; and HB 1241 requiring insurers to check for child-support arrears before paying certain settlements. Most of these bills passed by wide margins, often after technical or substantive amendments. Several local and administrative measures also advanced, including bills on utility district per diem, abolishing a police chief position in Edgefield, a crime prevention district fee, and New Orleans historic preservation penalties. The chamber also referred or temporarily returned a number of bills to the calendar, and one local bill on historic preservation in New Orleans was introduced at the end of the transcript. Overall, the meeting was marked by broad bipartisan support for many measures, with recorded roll-call votes on the more contested bills and no major procedural disputes beyond extended questioning on the marijuana-in-school-zones bill and the medical-intervention bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• With 97 members present, the Chair sees a quorum. Are there any requests for leave?
• The chair sees a quorum. Are there any requests for leave? Representative Moore, for what purpose?
• The chair sees a quorum. Are there any requests for leave? Representative Moore for what purpose?

Summary: The meeting was the opening of the Arkansas General Assembly’s 2026 fiscal session, beginning with quorum calls, prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of guests, including law enforcement officers, a doctor of the day, nurse of the day, constitutional officers, Supreme Court justices, and family and friends of legislators. The House adopted House Resolution 1001 to convene a joint session for Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s address, appointed committees to notify the Senate and the Governor, and later received the Senate into the chamber before recessing for the joint session. In the joint session, members observed a moment of silence for former Representative Stan Berry, then heard Governor Sanders’s fiscal session address. Her remarks focused heavily on the proposed budget and her administration’s priorities: fully funding education and the LEARNS Act, supporting teachers and literacy efforts, funding public safety and corrections, expanding the 1033 initiative to move people from crisis to career, and holding down government growth while pursuing further income tax cuts. She also highlighted economic development, low cost of living, and support for veterans, while emphasizing conservative policy themes and thanking several Arkansans whose stories illustrated the administration’s agenda. No substantive legislation was debated or voted on beyond the adoption of House Resolution 1001 and the procedural motions to adjourn the joint session and then adjourn the House until the next day. The House announced that Joint Budget would meet later that afternoon and again the following morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a quorum. Thank you, clerk, very much. Senator, you have SB 292.
• We have a quorum. Thank you, clerk, very much. Senator, you have SB 292.
• We have a quorum. Thank you, clerk, very much. Senator, you have SB 292.

Bills: SB292, HB351, HB141, HB273, SB292, HB351, HB141, HB273

Keywords: education oversight, subpoena authority, investigation, State Superintendent, school misconduct, ad valorem tax, road funding, local government, referendum, Choctaw County, HB141, Alabama, state employees, salary deductions, payroll deduction, State Comptroller, membership dues, voluntary contributions, insurance premiums, financial instruments

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair sees a quorum. The Senate will not come to order.
• It has had trouble with quorums and getting members who meet the qualifications of the statute for several
• 2122 and 23, they had to cancel three of their required quarterly meetings because of a lack of a quorum

Bills: SB1238, SB1277, SB1304, SB1378, SB1423, SB1484, SB1501, SR32, SB1502, SB1721, SB1735, SB1832, SB1847, SB1859, SB1876, SB2170, SB2182

Keywords: domestic abuse, domestic violence, assault and battery, strangulation, intimate partner violence, family or household member, repeat offender, felony enhancement, Class B5 felony, stalking, batterers intervention program, court-ordered treatment, protective order, presence of a child, pregnant victim, great bodily injury, animal cruelty, cockfighting, dogfighting, sex offender registration

Transcript Highlights:

• Regina, so we know we have a quorum. Chair Harold. Here. Vice Chair Bradley. Senator Bracey Davis.
• A quorum is present. Thank you. Senator Davis. Here. Senator Leak. A quorum is present.

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to continue confirmation hearings, but the chair announced the committee would not present its budget that day and would instead roll it out the following week in coordination with House partners and Senate notice requirements. After a quorum was confirmed, the committee discussed how it would handle a large number of university board appointments, noting that some reappointments would be grouped for a block vote while others could be heard individually if members requested it. The committee then heard testimony from a series of appointees and reappointees to university boards. Florida A&M University nominees Roderick Harris, Victor Young, and Rafael Vasquez emphasized service to FAMU, student success, and support for the university’s national standing; Harris highlighted his FAMU background and faculty experience, Young cited his business and health care leadership, and Vasquez described scholarship support through his company. Florida Atlantic University appointees Linda Stock and Thomas Mersh focused on servant leadership, research growth, entrepreneurship, and FAU’s recent R1 designation and quantum computing initiatives. University of Central Florida reappointee Alex Martins discussed UCF’s preeminence goal, workforce needs, and strong nursing outcomes. The committee also heard from Florida Gulf Coast University appointees James Gris-Mall, Douglas Van Orte, Robert Rommel, Sarah Partial Perry, and reappointment Joseph Fogg, who spoke about workforce development, affordability, student success, water and nursing programs, and FGCU’s role in regional economic growth. University of South Florida reappointee Rogan Donnelly highlighted USF’s AAU status, research growth, and workforce-focused programs. Members and the chair responded positively throughout, praising the universities’ achievements and the nominees’ qualifications. At the end of the hearing, the committee voted by block on all nominees in tabs 2 through 13 and recommended them for confirmation without objection. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to start by establishing a quorum. Madam Secretary, can you please call the roll?
• Quorum call. Ransom. Ransom here. Arambula? Here. Arambula, here. Here. Baines, here. Here.
• We have established a quorum and we will go ahead and proceed.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's go ahead with—I don't know that we have a quorum. We do have a quorum. Great.
• Well, let's take roll and establish our quorum, first and foremost. Pappin? Here. Pappin, here.

Summary: The committee heard several water- and environment-related bills. SB 72, by Senator Caballero, would modernize the California Water Plan and set long-term water supply targets, including an interim goal of 9 million acre-feet of additional water by 2040. Supporters from water districts, local governments, business groups, and agricultural interests argued the bill is needed to address climate-driven shortages, protect the economy, and improve planning for droughts, flooding, recharge, recycling, storage, and conveyance. Opponents, including environmental and conservation groups, argued the bill could overstate demand, increase costs, and make it harder to protect instream flows and ecosystems. The committee discussed the science behind the 9 million acre-feet target and the need to balance water supply planning with fish and ecological needs. SB 72 passed on a do-pass motion to Appropriations. SB 369, by Senator Padilla, would require a local skilled and trained workforce for all Salton Sea restoration work. The author and sponsors said the bill would protect workers exposed to hazardous conditions at the Salton Sea, create good local jobs in Imperial County, and ensure long-term workforce standards for publicly funded restoration projects. Support came from labor organizations, contractors, and other regional stakeholders; no opposition testified. Members emphasized the region’s high unemployment and the importance of workforce development. The bill passed on a do-pass motion to Labor and Employment. SB 697, by Senator Laird, would update the stream system adjudication process by allowing the State Water Board to use modern technology, such as stream gauges and digitized records, when investigating water rights claims, while still allowing field investigations when needed. The author said the process has not been updated since 1976 and should be streamlined. After amendments addressed stakeholder concerns, there was no opposition testimony. The committee asked whether the bill would affect pre-1914 water rights, and the author said it would not. SB 697 passed as amended to Judiciary. The committee also approved consent calendar items SB 599, SB 609, and SB 765 earlier in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Quorum was established at the last hearing, and so we'll begin.
• I see, before you ask your question, let me get the clerk to call the roll since we got a quorum.
• Quorum is present.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee heard a series of mostly local transportation and memorial designation bills. Several measures would rename highway segments in honor of fallen service members or public servants, including HB 2026 (Gary C. Johnston memorial highways in Archer County), HB 4429 (McIlroy Family Memorial Highway in Blanco and Burnet counties), SB 3062 (Hamby-Webb Memorial Highway in Panola County), HB 3510 (Sergeant Mark Butler Memorial Highway in Brazos County), and HB 3986 (Corporal Speedy Espiriueta Memorial Highway in Mission). The committee also heard HB 2560, which would create an optional county-road “adopt-a-road” style program allowing donations for county road repair and maintenance. Two bills drew more substantive policy discussion. HB 2427 and HB 2455 concerned oversized/overweight freight corridors and permit authority in Hidalgo County tied to cross-border trade near the FARR International Bridge. Supporters, including the bridge director, said the measures would correct prior road descriptions, put existing TxDOT actions into statute, improve truck routing, and support trade and bridge expansion. The committee substitute for HB 2427 also removed Roma permit language, barred certain hazardous-material permits, raised permit fees, required local cost responsibility for road maintenance, and made the bill contingent on SB 2949. HB 5436 would allow licensed automotive recyclers to buy certain older, long-unregistered vehicles for dismantling or scrap without a title, with reporting, lienholder notice, and anti-theft safeguards; recyclers and dealers supported it as a way to curb illegal untitled-vehicle sales and VIN cloning. HB 3966, authored by Sen. Alvarado, was the most contested bill. It would require commercial passenger bus companies to mail advance notice to residents within one mile before opening a new stop or terminal. Alvarado said the bill responded to the relocation of a Greyhound terminal into a Houston neighborhood without notice and to resulting crime and nuisance concerns. Greyhound opposed the bill, arguing the notice requirement would be burdensome and could delay emergency relocations during hurricanes, flooding, or lease changes. After testimony, the committee voted to report most bills favorably, with HB 3966 passing on a 5-2 vote; the other reported bills passed unanimously. Several bills were also placed on the local and uncontested calendar, and the committee recessed to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think we have a quorum, so we will start as a subcommittee. I don't have.
• Great, we have a quorum. Any questions from the committee? Great.
• Great, we have a quorum. Any questions from the committee? Great. Committee, great.

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on May 7, 2025, considering a large number of bills, with several measures heard in detail before the committee moved through consent and suspense items. Early in the hearing, AB 876 by Assemblymember Flora was heard on CRNA scope of practice and anesthesia access. Supporters said it would clarify that certified registered nurse anesthetists may provide anesthesia services independently, while opponents from physician and medical groups argued that anesthesiologists and CRNAs are not interchangeable and that physician-led care is needed for patient safety. The bill was ultimately voted out, with a later vote change recorded for Mr. Tangipa from not voting to aye. The committee also heard AB 379, a major human trafficking and child exploitation bill, which would expand penalties for solicitation of a minor, create a misdemeanor for loitering with intent to purchase commercial sex, increase fines on businesses that fail to post trafficking notices or knowingly allow trafficking, create a survivor support grant program, and establish a vertical prosecution grant program. The bill drew strong support from the author and some members who emphasized tougher enforcement and victim services, but also significant opposition from sex worker and civil liberties advocates who argued the bill would worsen criminalization, disproportionately harm Black and Brown communities, and fail to address housing and other root causes. After extensive discussion, the committee voted the bill out, with one member later changing from not voting to aye. Other bills heard included AB 435 on child passenger safety, which would adopt a five-step test and update booster-seat and front-seat rules; AB 1415, which would give the Office of Health Care Affordability more access to information from health systems and private equity-related entities; AB 539, the Timely Care Act, which would extend the duration of approved prior authorizations for treatment; AB 1466, relating to groundwater adjudication and sustainability disputes; AB 127, which would tie the cap-and-trade price ceiling to the social cost of carbon; and AB 672, which would require public employers to notify PERB of certain court actions and allow intervention to protect labor rights. The committee also approved a large consent calendar and then deemed the suspense calendar approved, sending many bills onward. The hearing concluded with several bills reported out, some on call, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we do have a quorum. year of 2026 and fiscal $2 million for year of 2026 and fiscal $2 million for
• we<00:01:48.720> do<00:01:48.960> have<00:01:49.119> a<00:01:49.280> quorum
• We don’t have quorum now anyway.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a quorum, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Kimberly. Thank you. We have a quorum, Mr. Chair.
• Let the record reflect that a quorum is present.

Summary: The committee took up eight bills and memorials and reported each favorably. It first passed HM 4063, a memorial urging Congress to lay the groundwork for a federal sovereign wealth fund. Sponsor Rep. Anderson described it as a long-term economic security measure, while several members questioned how such a fund would be structured, governed, and balanced against paying down debt. Ranking member Hunschofsky and Rep. Spencer raised concerns about transparency, market disruption, and the lack of specific parameters. The memorial passed on a recorded vote. The committee then approved CS/HB 139, allowing pawnbrokers to use digital transaction forms, with SMG testifying in support as a modernization and pro-business change. It also adopted an amendment and passed HB 1157, which tightens reemployment assistance requirements by adding work-search, interview, identity, immigration, and availability checks; the amendment added protection for missed interviews due to emergencies and removed an email reporting requirement. The Florida AFL-CIO and Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy opposed the bill, arguing Florida’s unemployment system is already overly restrictive and that the proposal would further limit access to benefits, while supporters said it would ensure claimants are actively seeking work and verify eligibility. Members also passed CS/HB 497 to create nonprofit agricultural organization medical benefit plans for farmers and ranchers, with support from Americans for Prosperity, the Florida Hospital Association, and the Farm Bureau; CS/HB 729 to authorize veterinary professional associates to perform limited duties under veterinarian supervision, with testimony from veterinarians and advocates citing access and workforce shortages; and HB 311, a right-to-repair bill for motorized wheelchairs, which drew strong support from disability advocates who described long repair delays, high costs, and the impact on independence and health. Rep. Tramont praised the wheelchair repair bill during debate, and the committee voted it favorably. Finally, the committee passed CS/HB 1549, an Office of Financial Regulation agency bill intended to help regulate financial institutions more efficiently, and CS/HB 715, which allows licensed roofing contractors to perform roof-to-wall connections during reroof or repair projects and extends the emergency cancellation window to 180 days after a declared emergency. HB 715 was amended to require a contract notice advising property owners to verify insurance coverage before signing when the work is tied to an insurance claim. Roofing industry groups and home inspection representatives supported the measure as a way to reduce costs and improve wind mitigation. At the end of the meeting, the chair announced the agenda was complete and the committee rose.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so if we don't have a quorum by the end of the presentation of the bill, the bill will be placed
• move, can we do the, oh we can't, okay, because we are actually, excuse me, since we don't have a quorum
• So now we do have a quorum. So what I will do is have the secretary...

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've reached quorum, so that's good.
• We've reached quorum, so that's good.
• And with that, I'd like to establish a quorum. If one is present, Madam Secretary. Wicks here.

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on March 19, 2025, adopted its committee rules unanimously, and then heard a series of housing, insurance, and disaster-recovery bills. Early bills focused on wildfire relief and insurance issues, including AB 238 on mortgage forbearance for Los Angeles County wildfire survivors, AB 493 on insurance payout interest for homeowners, AB 597 on consumer protections after disasters, and AB 226 on strengthening the California FAIR Plan’s liquidity tools. Supporters generally framed these measures as necessary protections for disaster survivors and market stability, while opponents and concerned witnesses raised issues such as investor guidelines, compliance conflicts, and market disruption. Several members also noted equity concerns and the need to balance relief with consistency across the state. The committee also heard a cluster of housing-production bills. AB 306 proposed a six-year pause on new state building code updates affecting residential construction and limits on local code modifications, drawing strong support from housing and building industry groups who argued it would reduce costs and improve predictability. It also drew opposition from code, environmental, and clean-energy advocates, who warned about safety, local control, and the loss of important code updates. AB 253 would allow licensed third-party professionals to perform plan checks if local review takes 30 days or more, and AB 301 would impose state-agency permitting timelines similar to those already applied to local governments; both were presented as ways to reduce delays and speed housing development. AB 462 would exempt ADU construction from coastal development permit requirements in Los Angeles County, especially to aid fire recovery and expand housing supply. After hearing testimony and brief member discussion on each measure, the committee placed the bills on suspense or advanced them as appropriate. In the suspense hearing at the end of the meeting, the committee took up the suspense-file bills and reported AB 226, AB 238, AB 301, and AB 306 out with due pass recommendations on roll call votes. The meeting then adjourned.