Transcript Highlights:

• <00:32:40.200> on you know we'll continue to work on you know we'll continue to work on that
• question is sort of how is this work question is sort of how is this work being<00:32:46.960>
• everything you just said being work everything you just said being work that's<00:32:50.679>
• Work it out. Thank you.
• Seeing none, thank you very much. municipalities work out their municipalities work out their dates<01

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As they do their work, bless each of them with wisdom, kindness, and justice.
• He worked as a prosecutor in Harris County and became a chief felony prosecutor.
• I know it's been a long time coming, so we appreciate your work. Thank you.
• So I'm trying to understand how this bill works financially.
• It’s so important to make sure that as we work to protect...”

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation, messages from the House, and several recognitions, including county day delegations from Fayette, LaSalle, Jim Hogg, Austin, and others, as well as a recognition of Rob Keppel for his career with the Texas District and County Attorneys Association. The chamber also adopted several resolutions, including SR 429 designating October 2025 as RET Syndrome Awareness Month and SR 432 honoring Rob Keppel. A doctor-of-the-day introduction and a public announcement about free skin checks were also made. The Senate then took up and passed several bills. SB 1152, creating the offense of continuous manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, passed after suspension of the rules. SB 1868, regulating kratom and related substances, was amended to prohibit smokeable kratom products and kratom pills and to clarify THC variants such as Delta-8 and Delta-10, then passed. SB 1349, creating offenses for transnational repression and unauthorized enforcement of foreign law, drew debate over a failed amendment that would have added election misinformation and foreign meddling; the bill ultimately passed unanimously. SB 2037, expediting review of LNG environmental permits, passed after amendments clarifying fees and deadlines, with opposition focused on its energy-policy implications. SB 1164, addressing emergency detention and court-ordered inpatient mental health treatment, passed after a drafting-error correction and discussion of the bill’s basis in recommendations from the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health. The Senate also advanced SB 2743 on prosecution of certain election offenses, which would allow a court process to disqualify a local prosecutor who repeatedly refuses to prosecute election cases and appoint the Attorney General; it passed to engrossment amid questions about evidence and local discretion. SB 1299, protecting nonprofit members, supporters, volunteers, and donors from disclosure by public agencies, passed unanimously. SB 2349, exempting certain short-term leases and temporary tenancies from floodplain notice requirements, passed unanimously. SB 2788, adding PSAT and pre-ACT scores for Texas Success Initiative exemptions and clarifying dual-credit eligibility, passed unanimously after amendment. SB 843, creating a TEA database of school district bonds, taxes, and bond-related projects and adding charter schools, passed after amendments on funding and scope. Finally, SB 1832, allowing parents to transfer a student who was victimized by a public school employee to another campus, passed to engrossment after extended debate over whether the bill should also cover private schools and how it would interact with school choice and ESA policy. SB 39, revising the admission rule in commercial motor vehicle collision cases, was laid out and debated over its effect on negligent entrustment and related evidence, with the author emphasizing that the bill preserves the bifurcated trial structure and does not alter other admissibility rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• been working been working from<00:06:53.160> so<00:06:53.400> hous from so hous from
• in other locations.
• Works uh supervises the projects and Works uh supervises the projects and there's<00:17:45.720> something
• <00:39:55.440> or little bit of additional work or little bit of additional work or something
• 43534 and then the transitional work 43534 and then the transitional work center<00:50:41.960>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met to review the lapse extensions in the back of House Bill 25, which governs capital budget appropriations and bonding. Members were walked through how the bill is structured: section 1 covers general, federal, and other funds; section 2 covers highway fund appropriations; later sections authorize borrowing, restrict spending to the stated purposes, and explain why community colleges and the university system operate through their boards of trustees. The chair also explained that lapse extensions are needed because capital projects can span multiple years, and that appropriations normally expire at the end of the biennium unless extended. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on how to identify unspent balances and whether they should be extended, repurposed, or allowed to lapse. Members discussed that if a project is complete or an agency confirms it no longer needs the money, the remaining balance can be reused for another project or, if not needed, lapse back. The committee also reviewed the meaning of bill references and chapter numbers, and how to read prior-year appropriations and extensions in the worksheet. One example discussed was a 2023 Department of Administrative Services courthouse generators item, and members noted that some agencies may rely on encumbered balances rather than explicit lapse extensions, though the chair said he prefers including the extension for flexibility. The committee identified at least one specific change: the Jeffrey Ringe CTE renovation was removed from the governor’s recommended budget because the required local match was not approved, freeing about $18.5 million for possible reuse. Later, the chair noted that lapse extension 49 on the worksheet was no longer needed and could be removed, leaving an unspent balance of $81,500 available for repurposing. The discussion also referenced a Department of Transportation item, Caroline Stratford Freight Rail Improvements, which the agency asked to keep alive through a lapse extension so the funds would not expire on June 30. No formal votes were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• with this language that they've worked with this language that they've worked out<00:10:35.360><
• you do my wife has worked for 20 work you do my wife has worked for 20 years<00:59:21.760> in
• That might well work.
• I've worked, and this is my third year now working in this area, and I've worked with two different directors
• working in this area and I've worked working in this area and I've worked with<01:38:29.520>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:40:12.400> with received this fall while working with received this fall while working
• This law has worked well.
• This law has worked well. behind. This law has worked well.
• information, but including location information, but including location information<01:36:51.119
• counties that White Earth is located in. counties that White Earth is located in.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And in where they are located remotely.
• credibility purposes, we already work credibility purposes, we already work with<00:20:20.720>
• hospital's desires, each hospital works hospital's desires, each hospital works differently<00:24
• They've already have a track record.
• They've already have a track record.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: A presenter from Fast Health Corporation described a proposed Kentucky Health Command System tied to Senate Bill 175, which would create a state-sanctioned AI platform for rural hospitals and telehealth. The company said the system would help rural residents get health information remotely, triage minor issues, and escalate more serious cases to Kentucky providers, with use cases including blood pressure, diabetes, maternity care, smoking cessation, and other preventive-care topics. The presenter argued the system would help rural hospitals compete with out-of-state telehealth companies and keep patients connected to local care. The presentation also emphasized a commercial model the sponsor said would generate new revenue through ads and branded interactions, with the bill reportedly directing 80% of that revenue to rural hospitals and 20% to the state to maintain the system. The presenter said the technology would augment, not replace, doctors and nurses, and claimed it could improve access and convenience in underserved areas. Committee members raised concerns about liability, whether the AI could provide medical advice, and whether there was evidence it had reduced emergency room visits; the presenter said the system could not give medical advice and acknowledged the technology is still very new. The sponsor of the bill said the goal was to help transform rural health care, reduce unnecessary ER use, and capture revenue that would otherwise go to commercial search engines and out-of-state companies. No vote or final action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided, and the discussion ended with questions about branding, loyalty, and the legal limits of the AI system.

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't like how this works. We don't like how that works.
• So, how's that work?
• So, how's that work? Is there a kids. So, how's that work?
• How's that work?
• How's that work? Is that we don't I Yes. How's that work?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met for its third discussion on special education aid under retained bill 742, with the chair noting that no action would be taken at the meeting. The chair reviewed prior hearings on Medicaid and local special education funding shortfalls, saying the committee was trying to understand why districts are facing proration of special education aid and how to reduce unfunded costs. He raised a series of questions for the Department of Education about the Nessus system, eligibility and ineligibility, invoices and vouchers, audit procedures, reimbursement rates, out-of-state placements, and who enters data at the district level. Rebecca Fdet, director of special education services at the Department of Education, explained that Nessus is the statewide special education information system and that every child in special education must be entered into it. She said most districts use it to develop IEPs and track services, while six districts use it only as a data reporting tool. She described which fields are required, how the system connects IEP development to the financial section, and how districts submit invoices when seeking special education aid, court-ordered placement payments, or episode-of-treatment placements. She said the department reviews invoices against the IEP, pays only for allowable services, and uses a cap that notifies districts when they reach the annual limit. Members asked about who submits the information, how districts decide when to seek aid, and how costs are calculated for individual or group services. Fdet said the district, usually an administrative assistant in the SAU office, submits the documentation electronically, and districts decide when to track students for aid based on their own circumstances. She said reimbursement is based on actual costs tied to the IEP, with group services split among students, and that the department does not generally set rates for local services. The only rate-setting she described was for approved private special education providers, which submit annual cost spreadsheets for tuition rates. She also said out-of-state providers must be approved by their own state, and the department checks licensure and certification through monitoring and investigations if concerns arise. The department also described its monitoring process, called Program Approval and General Supervision Monitoring, or PAGS. Fdet said districts are reviewed on a six-year cycle, with more intensive review for districts needing assistance or intervention and fewer file requests for districts meeting requirements. She said the department can review up to 65 data points on an IEP and that districts must submit special education aid paperwork by July 31, with superintendent verification due by August 15. The meeting ended with continued questions about procurement, audit procedures, and how the department handles out-of-district and out-of-state placements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh so that will be our specific track.
• I work at a technology firm that does government relations work.
• They're clearly working together, just not side by side.
• <01:01:14.480> not<01:01:14.880> side clearly working together, just not side clearly working
• Um, and um I need some time to work on it. So we will need some time to work on it.

Bills: HB1629, HB1630, HB1631

Keywords: economic development, business, state statutes, Hawaii Revised Statutes, legislation, development strategy, state funding, infrastructure, employment opportunities, legislative intent, state legislation, development initiatives, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, beginning with HB 1829 on marine affairs. Most testimony was in strong support, with speakers from state agencies, ocean-tech companies, startups, nonprofits, and community groups backing the creation of an Office of Marine Affairs and a marine affairs coordinator under HTDC. Supporters said the measure would better coordinate ocean policy, strengthen the blue economy, and help Hawaii capture jobs, investment, and innovation in marine-related industries. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided. The committee then took up HTDC-related measures, including HB 1615 and HB 1613, which also drew broad support from business, technology, and economic development interests. Testifiers said the bills would strengthen Hawaii’s technology and innovation ecosystem, support advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity, and help build a more diversified economy with higher-wage jobs. The committee also heard HB 1607 on public procurement and HB 1772 on small business procurement; state procurement staff and several business groups supported efforts to expand opportunities for local firms, while one speaker from the city’s economic revitalization commission argued that a flat 5% preference could help keep more revenue and jobs in-state. On HB 1636 relating to shopping carts, the Hawaii Food Industry Association and Retail Merchants of Hawaii testified in opposition, saying the bill would penalize businesses for carts that are stolen rather than abandoned and would add costs that could especially burden small and local retailers. HB 1810 on charitable solicitation drew support from Goodwill Hawaii and other nonprofits, who said the bill would improve transparency around donation bins and protect donors from misleading for-profit collection practices; the Attorney General’s office asked for a delayed effective date to allow system changes and staffing. HB 1782 on AI and the protection of minors received broad support from state agencies, educators, and advocacy groups, but some business and retail representatives urged narrowing the definition of covered AI services so ordinary customer-service chatbots would not be swept in. Finally, HB 1759 on theft drew opposition from the Public Defender’s Office, which said the bill could create overly harsh penalties and should include defense representation on any task force; the office also noted existing laws already address conspiracy and related conduct.

Transcript Highlights:

• And today, with the work that's going on, And today, with the work that's going on with the Transportation
• Is this mic working? Okay. Thank you, Senator Leah. Thank you. Is this mic working?
• Is this mic working?
• With that, that is the end of our work session, so we will adjourn our work session.
• With that, that is the end of our work session. So we will adjourn our work session.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met in Yakima to focus on tribal traffic safety, with members and Yakima Nation leaders emphasizing the importance of safety, the right to travel, and continued partnership on U.S. 97 corridor improvements. Yakima Nation Vice Chair Christopher Wallachie and engineering staff described the Tribal Traffic Safety Committee, the U.S. 97 safety project, heritage connectivity trails, roundabout construction, and the use of federal grants and advanced sensing technology to identify hazards before crashes occur. They highlighted collaboration with WSDOT, the Traffic Safety Commission, the University of Washington, and other regional partners, and explained that the goal is to move from reactive crash response to proactive risk reduction. The Yakima Nation engineering team and AI Vision presented the MUST sensor project, which uses compact AI-enabled devices to collect traffic counts, speeds, near-miss events, roadway conditions, and pedestrian activity, with data transmitted to a dashboard and used for real-time warnings and longer-term planning. Committee members asked about speed tracking, driver behavior, enforcement, and partnerships with WSDOT and counties. Yakima Nation staff said the relationship with WSDOT has improved over time, especially after community outreach on proposed roundabouts, and that the tribe now supports several roundabout projects and broader safety coordination. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission then presented statewide fatality trends and tribal traffic safety data. Mark McKekney said 2024 showed a roughly 10% decrease in fatalities statewide, though recent years remain among the highest in decades. He noted that race and ethnicity data are only available for people who die in crashes, and that many American Indian and Alaska Native fatalities involve passengers, pedestrians, or bicyclists rather than drivers. Penny Rerick outlined tribal traffic safety coordinator grants and other state-funded tribal projects, including work with Yakama Nation, Colville, Kalispel, Makah, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Muckleshoot, Lower Elwha, and Puyallup, stressing that flexible state funding helps fill gaps left by federal programs and supports community-led solutions. The final presentation covered impaired driving enforcement and ignition interlock compliance in Yakima County. Yakima Police Chief Sean Boyle said the city created a DUI enforcement and education officer program that helped reduce serious injury and fatal impaired-driving crashes, supported by state funding and social media outreach. Yakima County District Court’s Nick Bazan described a supervision program for DUI offenders and interlock compliance, reporting more than 1,000 DUI convictions in 2024-25 and about 3,800 noncompliant interlock users countywide. He said the court is using a two-pronged approach—pretrial assistance for indigent clients and post-conviction accountability and case planning—to improve compliance and reduce impaired driving. The committee expressed support for the work, noted the progress made, and adjourned the work session after thanking presenters for their updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• requests and the impact of its work. requests and the impact of its work.
• Tracks.
• <00:58:03.040> at<00:58:03.280> Southern work at Southern work at Southern Tracks.<00:58
• on the back side of who live and work on the back side of the<00:58:17.599> track<00:58:18.240
• works of art carved out of ice and snow. works of art carved out of ice and snow.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The good work that they do.
• Cook, do you think that would work? I think that works.
• I think that works. >> Mr. Chair? I think that works.
• I mean, it works if it's Home Depot. You can go into a bricks-and-mortar location.
• we would have to track?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Many of those go toward the work.
• So we started working on it back in February of last year is when we started working on that process.
• So it takes quite a bit of time in order to work up to this. in working within the department and then
• I believe, you know, when we put our work group together to work with Sunset and to be a resource to
• So those supports worked.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Explain how that works. Yeah.
• This is how economic scales work.
• I have worked really hard. I've been working harder for Texas State. for the last 16 years.
• Such as people on H-1B work visa.
• We are working hard.

Bills: HB17, HB34, HB41, HB 118, HB 119, HB 127, HB 128, HB 129, HB 130, HB132, HB133, HB17, HB41, HB118, HB119, HB127, HB128, HB129, HB130, HB132, HB133

Keywords: foreign ownership, real estate, national security, designated countries, Texas property law, lobbying, foreign adversaries, compensation prohibition, transparency, civil penalties, higher education, foreign adversary, research security, trade secrets, academic partnerships, HB 128, sister city, sister-city agreement, international exchange, municipal diplomacy

Transcript Highlights:

• You want to call it identifying by location, but actually... Identify by location.
• Identify by location. Identify by location.
• What works, what doesn't work, and what can we do to help you be fully staffed?
• We're working together.
• I do appreciate your work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our audit work is subject to a rigorous multi-level review.
• As shown on this map, we have auditors located in 15 different locations throughout the state.
• We have located our field offices to...
• We actually have QA reviewers that do that work for us.
• So there's a lot of work going on in the financial arena.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee met to receive annual overviews of its oversight responsibilities and the work of the Auditor General and OPAGA. Committee staff reviewed the committee’s authority over state and local governments, enforcement of audit-report filing requirements, repeated audit findings, Transparency Florida reporting, and lobbying compensation audits. Auditor General Cheryl Norman described her office’s independence, audit standards, quality control, and major audit areas, including the state’s annual financial and single audits, school district and university audits, operational and performance audits, and attestation work. She also noted staffing shortages, recruitment efforts, and a request for carry-forward funds to study salaries. Members asked about whether audits can quantify recoverable dollars, how school district spending comparisons are handled, and how to raise concerns about DCF-related audits or a local city audit that has been pending for years. Norman said her office can quantify findings when possible, sometimes compares costs across districts in operational audits, and that members can bring specific concerns to the appropriate deputy auditor general or the committee. She also explained that citizen or local-government audit requests may require payment of audit costs. OPAGA Coordinator Kara Collins-Gomez outlined OPAGA’s role as a legislative research unit that conducts studies directed by law, the presiding officers, or the committee, and described its policy areas, methodologies, contract monitoring, and recurring statutory reports. Deputy Auditor General Matthew Tracy explained how to read operational audit reports, including findings, criteria, condition, cause, effect, recommendations, and management responses. Deputy Auditor General Greg Senators explained financial audit reports, including audit opinions, required supplementary information, internal control and compliance findings, federal program compliance, and management letters. The meeting concluded with thanks to the presenters and a motion to adjourn, which passed without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Louis County services, to find out: is this working? Is this not working?
• So that's free work.
• I said, what about work?
• <01:16:25.880> to<01:16:26.239> work know that there's a lot of work to work know that
• Like, sometime tell me what's working better and what still isn't working.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee met on February 6, 2025, for an update on emergency medical services (EMS) policy and implementation. Senator Seberger described the work of the EMS Task Force, which traveled statewide to hear concerns from providers about staffing, reimbursement, and retention. She said the task force led to the Sprint Medic model and two innovation zones in Otter Tail and St. Louis counties, and she urged continued monitoring and possible reconstitution of the task force to evaluate what is working and what could be expanded statewide. She also said future EMS work should continue to explore alternative response models and telemedicine, but that the most immediate need is additional funding, especially to address unpaid non-transport calls. Dylan Ferguson, director of the newly formed Minnesota Office of Emergency Medical Services, gave a detailed update on the office’s structure and priorities after the transition from the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board. He described the office’s three divisions, the appointment of deputy directors, the first meetings of the advisory councils, and work on a statewide EMS strategic plan. He also reviewed the $24 million emergency ambulance aid program, explaining its 40-40-20 formula, the emphasis on rural services, the reporting and spending deadlines, and the positive response from ambulance providers. He noted that the $6 million Sprint paramedic grant program is underway, with Otter Tail County moving forward and St. Louis County still finalizing its application. Ferguson also outlined the office’s budget request for modest staffing and contract-cost increases, two rulemaking efforts to update outdated ambulance vehicle standards and expand medication options for basic life support services, and ongoing data collection on workforce needs, violence against EMS providers, and ambulance crashes. He highlighted the paramedic scholarship program administered by the Office of Higher Education, saying nearly 300 scholarships have been awarded. Members and Senator Seberger praised the EMS reforms and emphasized that non-transport calls create significant unreimbursed costs, especially for rural and volunteer services, but no votes or formal committee actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• locations on January 17th we are working locations on January 17th we are working diligently<00:
• build in those locations uh we are<00:26:53.919> working<00:26:54.360> very<00:26:54.640
• We have a proven track record of working with the state for the last 10 years to deploy rural broadband
• and say is it working is it working so and say is it working is it working so you<01:03:27.480><
• And, you know, if there's language we need to work on, we'll work on that.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And work is done in committee. Work is not done on the floor.
• And work is done in should have here. And work is done in committee. committee. committee.
• Work is not done on the floor. Work is not done on the floor.
• I wish the Fourth Amendment worked. I wish the Fourth Amendment worked.
• I really wish the Constitution worked. I really wish the Constitution worked.

Bills: HF3415

Keywords: child care, day care, licensed child care center, license-exempt child care, immigration enforcement, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, CBP, USCIS, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, judicial warrant, facility access, sensitive locations, immigrant families, Minnesota Statutes chapter 142B, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• essential programming we're also working essential programming we're also working with<00:07:11.039
• to work in a long time.
• They are working off their benefits; at least two people are working off of RSDI.
• to work in a long time.
• They are working off their benefits; at least two people are working off of RSDI.

Bills: HF1380, HF1166, HF487, HF1553, HF1472, HF258, HF1911

Keywords: psychiatric treatment, human services, mental health funding, per diem rate, Clay County, disability services, assistive technology, remote support, advocacy, training programs, HF487, Wellness in the Woods, Minnesota human services, grant funding, general fund appropriation, peer support, substance use recovery, addiction recovery, reentry services, reentry after incarceration

Transcript Highlights:

• That can locate people who need CPR right now.
• group. to create recommendations should the CTC convene their own work group and want to work off there
• But I'd be happy to work with our community partners in figuring out a path how this model would work
• right I would work with amendments if that was I would work with the committee on any additional amendments
• They are working thoughtfully and hard.

Keywords: 988, house, all