Transcript Highlights:

• Substantively, the statute, which is codified in the Health and Safety Code, requires the study to include
• , and constant building code changes.
• I'm going to certify that it's fine because we're doing everything to the building codes.
• If we can start moving the building code and allowing residential building code to be used for that third
• code.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several housing-finance and permitting reforms aimed at making affordable and middle-income housing projects “pencil.” The first panel focused on the welfare property tax exemption, with witnesses arguing that annual recertifications are outdated, burdensome, and costly for both residents and operators. They urged streamlining by aligning eligibility rules with TCAC or HCD monitoring, allowing one-time qualification at occupancy, and preserving exemptions for projects that remain in compliance, especially as insurance costs and operating deficits are rising sharply. A major portion of the meeting centered on social housing and community land trusts under SB 555. HCD described the state’s ongoing study, due by December 31, 2026 and to be included in the 2027 annual report, and outlined public engagement already completed with residents and practitioners. Community land trust and policy witnesses argued that social housing will require legislative action beyond the study, including expanded tax abatements, public land use, soft loans, and simpler capital stacks. They emphasized that the model should include mixed-income and “missing middle” households, and several members discussed the stigma around the term “social housing,” suggesting a rebrand toward generational or multi-generational housing to broaden public support. The committee also discussed a proposed certified professional program modeled on Vancouver, Canada, to speed plan checks and inspections by allowing state-certified private professionals to perform certain code-compliance functions under local oversight. The witness said this would reduce delays, repeated reviews, and cost overruns while preserving local authority over zoning and enforcement. Members raised concerns about local control, infrastructure costs, and political resistance, but expressed interest in exploring a pilot and further recommendations. In the final panel, housing advocates supported allowing HCD loan funds to be disbursed during construction rather than only after completion. They said this would reduce interest costs, improve project feasibility, and could produce additional affordable homes without new appropriations. Members agreed the current system is fragmented and outdated, and several speakers and legislators repeatedly called for streamlined, more flexible financing and permitting tools to support housing production.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ryan, an act to amend the Public Service Law. 8821 Senator Sutton, an act to amend the Administrative Code
• there any requirements that a polling site be in existing locations covered by Article 265 of the Penal
• President, I'm asking specifically whether there is any designation that impacts Article 265 of the Penal
• President, I'm asking specifically whether there is any designation that impacts Article 265 of the Penal
• Much of this is covered under candidate under Penal Law.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate met briefly, approved the prior journal, and then took up a Rules Committee report that advanced a large package of bills, mostly Election Law measures, along with several bills in other subject areas. The chamber then moved through a supplemental and controversial calendar focused primarily on election administration, campaign finance, and voter access. Senators also announced committee meetings and later filed majority committee assignments in the journal. On the supplemental calendar, the Senate passed several Election Law bills. One measure by Senator Gianaris aimed to curb foreign influence in New York elections by restricting foreign-influenced corporations; Senator Walczyk argued it was too narrow and ignored dark money, while Senator Gianaris said it was needed to address foreign meddling. Senator May’s bill creating short-term early voting sites passed after debate over whether pop-up sites would confuse voters or improve access, especially in rural areas; supporters said it would help bring voting closer to where people are, while opponents called it costly and confusing. Senator Myrie’s bill establishing standardized training for elections commissioners also passed, with supporters citing the need for uniform training and opponents calling it an unfunded mandate. On the controversial calendar, the Senate passed Senator Myrie’s bill allowing additional early voting locations and clarifying that a voter’s intent can determine residency for voting purposes, including in some cases a second or vacation home. The most debated measure was Senator Gonzalez’s bill creating civil remedies and confidentiality protections for election officers who are threatened or intimidated; supporters said it responds to rising threats against election workers, while opponents warned it could chill legitimate questioning at polling places and create vague liability. Several senators explained their votes on both sides, and the bill passed despite significant opposition. The Senate then adjourned until Tuesday, January 14 at 11:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Concurrent Resolution by Representative Cruz: urge and request the State Uniform Construction Code
• Council to study many provisions of the International Plumbing Code, as well as the Louisiana State
• Uniform Construction Code, relative to inspections, testing, backflow prevention devices, barometric
• Again, it lets Alexandria use the administrative hearing process for a range of city code matters so
• by the Commerce Foreign Trade Code Title 15, which is 15 CFR 7.9.4.

Bills: HR252, HR253, HR254, HR255, HR256, HCR103, HCR104, HR244, HR245, HR246, HR247, HR248, HR249, HR250, HR251, HCR101, HCR102, SCR40, SCR60, SB112, SB131, SB145, SB194, SB268, SB307, SB312, SB319, SB333, SB341, SB346, SB464, SB466, SB488, SB495, SB503, SB507, SB509, HR9, HR196, HCR27, HCR28, HCR50, HCR62, HCR67, HCR71, HCR78, HCR81, SCR20, HB123, HB251, HB625, HB662, HB709, HB769, HB775, HB783, HB895, HB1011, HB1057, HB1155, HB1186, HB1224, HB1245, HB1247, HB1253, HB1254, HB1255, HB1256, SB8, SB10, SB11, SB12, SB13, SB14, SB16, SB17, SB18, SB20, SB21, SB22, SB40, SB48, SB55, SB69, SB75, SB77, SB78, SB85, SB102, SB115, SB133, SB140, SB148, SB151, SB165, SB169, SB170, SB185, SB197, SB200, SB217, SB235, SB278, SB280, SB291, SB300, SB303, SB315, SB324, SB330, SB411, SB416, SB420, SB436, SB438, SB449, SB455, SB456, SB477, SB489, SB521, SB97, SB105, HR171, HCR49, HCR65, HCR72, HR37, HCR64, HR170, HR191, HR206, HR207, HR208, HR217, HCR11, HCR53, HCR60, HCR66, HCR68, SCR19, SCR3, SCR6, SCR18, SCR11, SCR22, SCR2, HCR6, HB64, HB68, HB92, HB130, HB258, HB633, HB801, HB61, HB98, HB102, HB139, HB142, HB170, HB185, HB194, HB199, HB231, HB247, HB294, HB336, HB474, HB661, HB842, HB852, HB66, HB153, HB165, HB326, HB387, HB455, HB513, HB603, HB660, HB719, HB762, HB766, HB802, HB816, HB833, HB940, HB950, HB975, HB1028, HB1039, HB1051, HB1053, HB1080, HB1201, HB1215, HB1228, HB1251, HB1252, SB1, SB23, SB32, SB42, SB43, SB46, SB51, SB110, SB113, SB150, SB154, SB161, SB218, SB220, SB221, SB253, SB289, SB310, SB351, SB399, SB404, SB502, SB26, SB28, SB29, SB30, SB41, SB44, SB64, SB84, SB87, SB93, SB98, SB107, SB118, SB142, SB192, SB195, SB199, SB219, SB222, SB234, SB241, SB255, SB275, SB277, SB292, SB294, SB306, SB314, SB482, HCR32, HB798, HB998, HB1084, HB1223, HB59, HB955, HB1191, HB1234, HB646, HB824, HB341, SB397, SB442, HB901, HB79, HR20, HR74, HB284, HB306, HB366, HB393, HB458, HB577, HB582, HB605, HB614, HB682, HB733, HB752, HB773, HB911, HB926, HB996, HB1035, HB1069, HB1113, HB1140, HB1180, HB1240, SB47, SB82, SB89, SB149, SB382

Keywords: consumer protection, credit card fees, cash transactions, rounding practices, transparency, low-income, economic impact, residential construction, building codes, inspection practices, housing costs, task force, HR254, House Resolution 254, Ty Hebert, Acadiana Legislative Delegation, Louisiana State University, LSU, graduation, commendation

Transcript Highlights:

• Council to study many provisions of the International Plumbing Code, as well as the Louisiana State
• Uniform Construction Code, relative to inspections, testing, backflow prevention devices, barometric
• Council to study many provisions of the International Plumbing Code, as well as the Louisiana State
• Uniform Construction Code, relative to inspections, testing, backflow prevention devices, barometric
• Council to study many provisions of the International Plumbing Code, as well as the Louisiana State

Bills: HR252, HR253, HR254, HR255, HR256, HCR103, HCR104, HR244, HR245, HR246, HR247, HR248, HR249, HR250, HR251, HCR101, HCR102, SCR40, SCR60, SB112, SB131, SB145, SB194, SB268, SB307, SB312, SB319, SB333, SB341, SB346, SB464, SB466, SB488, SB495, SB503, SB507, SB509, HR9, HR196, HCR27, HCR28, HCR50, HCR62, HCR67, HCR71, HCR78, HCR81, SCR20, HB123, HB251, HB625, HB662, HB709, HB769, HB775, HB783, HB895, HB1011, HB1057, HB1155, HB1186, HB1224, HB1245, HB1247, HB1253, HB1254, HB1255, HB1256, SB8, SB10, SB11, SB12, SB13, SB14, SB16, SB17, SB18, SB20, SB21, SB22, SB40, SB48, SB55, SB69, SB75, SB77, SB78, SB85, SB102, SB115, SB133, SB140, SB148, SB151, SB165, SB169, SB170, SB185, SB197, SB200, SB217, SB235, SB278, SB280, SB291, SB300, SB303, SB315, SB324, SB330, SB411, SB416, SB420, SB436, SB438, SB449, SB455, SB456, SB477, SB489, SB521, SB97, SB105, HR171, HCR49, HCR65, HCR72, HR37, HCR64, HR170, HR191, HR206, HR207, HR208, HR217, HCR11, HCR53, HCR60, HCR66, HCR68, SCR19, SCR3, SCR6, SCR18, SCR11, SCR22, SCR2, HCR6, HB64, HB68, HB92, HB130, HB258, HB633, HB801, HB61, HB98, HB102, HB139, HB142, HB170, HB185, HB194, HB199, HB231, HB247, HB294, HB336, HB474, HB661, HB842, HB852, HB66, HB153, HB165, HB326, HB387, HB455, HB513, HB603, HB660, HB719, HB762, HB766, HB802, HB816, HB833, HB940, HB950, HB975, HB1028, HB1039, HB1051, HB1053, HB1080, HB1201, HB1215, HB1228, HB1251, HB1252, SB1, SB23, SB32, SB42, SB43, SB46, SB51, SB110, SB113, SB150, SB154, SB161, SB218, SB220, SB221, SB253, SB289, SB310, SB351, SB399, SB404, SB502, SB26, SB28, SB29, SB30, SB41, SB44, SB64, SB84, SB87, SB93, SB98, SB107, SB118, SB142, SB192, SB195, SB199, SB219, SB222, SB234, SB241, SB255, SB275, SB277, SB292, SB294, SB306, SB314, SB482, HCR32, HB798, HB998, HB1084, HB1223, HB59, HB955, HB1191, HB1234, HB646, HB824, HB341, SB397, SB442, HB901, HB79, HR20, HR74, HB284, HB306, HB366, HB393, HB458, HB577, HB582, HB605, HB614, HB682, HB733, HB752, HB773, HB911, HB926, HB996, HB1035, HB1069, HB1113, HB1140, HB1180, HB1240, SB47, SB82, SB89, SB149, SB382

Keywords: consumer protection, credit card fees, cash transactions, rounding practices, transparency, low-income, economic impact, residential construction, building codes, inspection practices, housing costs, task force, HR254, House Resolution 254, Ty Hebert, Acadiana Legislative Delegation, Louisiana State University, LSU, graduation, commendation

Summary: The House met with a quorum, opened with prayer and the pledge, adopted the journal, and received a large number of Senate messages, committee reports, and bill referrals. Members also introduced several resolutions and recognized guests, including students from Allen Parish, federal appointees Brandon Beach and Paul Hollis, and other visitors. The chamber then moved through a lengthy agenda of House and Senate measures, with many bills and resolutions reported favorably, amended, or referred to committee. Among the notable floor actions, the House adopted H.R. 32 urging the Port of New Orleans to obtain backup motors for the St. Claude Avenue Bridge. It also passed bills on a wide range of topics, including local court and ordinance procedures for Alexandria, prohibiting reporting criminal fines and fees to credit bureaus, veterans’ lottery benefits, police chief residency in Tickfaw, fire marshal plan review authority, expanding the definition of first responder to include public works employees, NIL protections for student athletes, salary increases and additional positions for assistant district attorneys, limiting OMV debt referrals for unpaid reinstatement fees, watershed restoration and flood control funding, a sexual assault survivor task force, elderly consumer protection education, recreation of the Public Service Commission, Medicaid reimbursement for non-emergency medical transportation, local sales tax audit procedures, alcoholic beverage definitions for salons and similar businesses, transfer of removed monuments to state park property, hearing aid dealer regulation updates, a permit fee for small in-state distillers, expanded city court jurisdiction in Avoyelles Parish, and a narrowed version of the Alexandria administrative adjudication bill. Several measures were amended on the floor before passage, including the Alexandria ordinance bill, the sales tax audit bill, the alcohol/beverage bill, and the monument transfer bill. The House also temporarily returned some bills to the calendar for later consideration. Most measures passed overwhelmingly, though House Bill 153 on criminal court debt reporting passed with 67 yeas and 18 nays, House Bill 660 on assistant district attorney salaries passed 94-1, House Bill 719 on additional ADA positions passed 95-0, House Bill 883 on the sexual assault task force passed 86-2, House Bill 1028 on non-emergency medical transportation passed 81-15, and House Bill 1215 on monuments passed 78-14.

Transcript Highlights:

• So truly, the practical impact of further penalizing it and making it more challenging for people to
• So truly, the practical impact of further penalizing it and making it more challenging for people to
• So truly, the practical impact of further penalizing it and making it more challenging for people to
• So truly, the practical impact of further penalizing it and making it more challenging for people to
• adoptions, sorry, it wasn't traffic code.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on February 6, 2025, and heard testimony on several transportation-related bills. HB 667 would require DOT or county departments to scan deceased cats or dogs found on public roadways for microchips, record information, and report it to county animal services. DOT said it supported the bill, and the Hawaiʻi Humane Society and others strongly backed it, describing it as important for grieving pet owners. A private citizen also testified in support, saying the measure could help families learn what happened to missing pets. The chair noted there were nine supporters. The committee then heard HB 230 on sending a carbon copy of traffic citations to vehicle owners, followed by HB 77, which would make civil identification cards free to issue or renew. The Attorney General’s office said it had already submitted comments on HB 77, DOT opposed it, and a private citizen supported it as a way to reduce barriers to basic services. HB 668, which would make license suspension mandatory for operating a vehicle without insurance, drew opposition from the Office of the Public Defender and DOT. The Public Defender argued current law already allows suspension and that a mandatory rule would discourage people from obtaining insurance, increase court burdens, and disproportionately affect indigent drivers; the chair emphasized that driving is a privilege and raised concerns about uninsured driving in rural areas. The Public Defender also said it would look into whether state insurance options could help people who cannot get traditional coverage. The committee also took up HB 12, which would bar inspection certificates for mopeds or vehicles modified to increase NOx emissions. DOT offered comments, Citizens Against Noise supported it, and the Motorcycle Industry Council opposed it; the chair noted six additional supporters and ten opponents. HB 169 would raise the minimum age for moped operators from 15 to 16 and increase the helmet requirement age from 18 to 21; DOT supported it, while Moped Doctors, Moped’s Direct, and seven individuals opposed it. HB 220 would require moped operators to carry insurance under motorcycle/motor scooter insurance laws; DCCA offered comments, DOT supported it, and Moped Doctors and ten individuals opposed it. Finally, the committee heard HB 277, which would establish a statewide vehicle pursuit policy for law enforcement agencies. The Policing Project at NYU and the ACLU of Hawaiʻi supported the bill, citing national data on deaths and injuries from pursuits and arguing for a baseline limit on pursuits for minor offenses; the Hawaii Police Department and Maui Police Department opposed it. The committee also heard HB 54, which would make a third or subsequent excessive speeding offense a Class C felony and allow vehicle forfeiture. DOT supported it, while the Public Defender opposed it, arguing the bill was overly harsh, internally inconsistent, and likely to strain courts, law enforcement, and probation systems by turning a traffic offense into a felony with prison exposure and jury-trial rights. No votes or final actions were taken on the measures in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, Penal Code Section 374.3 already authorizes the court to consider the defendant's ability
• This is not intended to penalize a person who dumps furniture at the side of the road because they're
• And once again, you know, the Penal Code already has provisions that allow courts to consider cases of
• It is where, in section 259 of the code, you can see what a collector car is defined to be.
• The reason is clear: our current tools work to penalize after a crash or an arrest.

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard several bills focused on active transportation, transit, road safety, and local enforcement. SB 569 would restrict removal or downgrading of bikeways built with state General Fund dollars for at least 20 years, require public hearings before major changes, and was supported by bicycle advocates and some local and environmental groups. The City of Encinitas opposed the bill, arguing it could limit needed safety fixes and should apply only to future projects; committee members discussed whether the bill still allowed safety-based modifications. The bill passed on a due pass vote to Appropriations. SB 741 would streamline the Low-Carbon Transit Operations Program by reducing administrative burden and giving transit agencies more flexibility to use funds for service improvements, fare programs, and other transit needs while maintaining oversight and disadvantaged community requirements. Transit agencies and advocacy groups supported the measure, saying it would help agencies respond to post-pandemic ridership and financial challenges. The committee approved the bill on a due pass as amended vote to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 1167, which would tighten consumer protections by clarifying that high-powered e-motos and similar motor vehicles are not e-bikes, requiring clearer disclosures and labels, and improving crash reporting. Supporters said the bill would reduce confusion and improve safety for riders, pedestrians, and parents; the Motorcycle Industry Council opposed unless amended, arguing the term “e-bike” is used broadly and the bill could affect existing businesses. The bill passed to Appropriations. Later, SB 953, dealing with vehicular manslaughter cases dismissed through misdemeanor diversion, would add DMV points so fatal conduct remains reflected on driving records; the bill was supported by the victim’s family and safety advocates and passed to Appropriations. The committee then heard SB 1218, which would let local agencies boot vehicles tied to repeated unpaid illegal dumping citations instead of using DMV enforcement. Oakland officials and community groups supported the bill as a needed deterrent, while the ACLU opposed it as punitive debt collection without a sufficient nexus to the vehicle. The bill passed to Appropriations. Finally, SB 739 would revise the Clean Miles Standard for rideshare companies by allowing CARB and CPUC to adjust electric vehicle mileage targets in light of current market conditions; Uber and Lyft supported the flexibility, while clean air advocates began raising concerns about weakening climate goals as the transcript cut off.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, Penal Code Section 374.3 already authorizes the court to consider the defendant's ability
• This is not intended to penalize a person who dumps furniture at the side of the road because they're
• And once again, you know, the Penal Code already has provisions that allow courts to consider cases of
• It is where, in that section 259 of the code, you can see what a collector car is defined to be.
• Our current tools work to penalize after a crash or an arrest. SB 1156 changes that.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It weaponizes government processes to intimidate and penalize everyday Floridians who dare to participate
• We already have laws in place to penalize bad actors.
• We already have laws in place to penalize bad actors.
• We need to note it, we need to say it's wrong, and then we need to penalize it.
• Code number 711-907. Other questions? Is there a debate? Is there objections?

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:

• the tax code like traditional firearms. the tax code like traditional firearms.
• If it's about the tax code, let's deal with the tax code. But as Mr.
• Speaker, let's not penalize retirement.
• We also should be penalized for that.
• care and poor people to try to penalize care and poor people to try to penalize those<02:59:29.520

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, February 12, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I will tell you, when you look at 3116, um, the way it is currently in the penal code, it is absolutely
• understand that organized retail theft is different than just regular theft, and right now on the penal
• code, they are the same level of criminal offense and um what you'll see under prong.
• of public indecency with a child, that person cannot be charged with a higher penalty because the code
• Committee man and chair, um, This is the House Bill 1509 and involves the um The, the, the penal code

Transcript Highlights:

• information to be used to deny or limit financial protection, we undermine preventative care and penalize
• So why are we penalizing them?
• other bills were also on the docket: H.4914, An Act Relative to the Massachusetts Uniform Commercial Code
• Massachusetts Uniform Commercial Code and Senate Bill 2921 by Senator Payano and Act Relative to Travel

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Financial Services held a fully virtual public hearing after a blizzard and state emergency closed the State House and created travel and cleanup concerns. Chairs Senator Paul Feeney and Representative James Murphy opened by thanking first responders and committee staff for making the hearing possible and noted that several members attended remotely. The committee heard testimony on three bills: H.5112, An Act Prohibiting Genetic Discrimination; H.4914, An Act Relative to the Massachusetts Uniform Commercial Code; and S.2921, An Act Relative to Travel Insurance. Most of the testimony focused on H.5112. Representative Dave Rogers and his constituent Robin Biggs testified in support of H.5112, describing gaps in federal genetic nondiscrimination law that do not cover life, long-term care, or disability insurance. Biggs shared her experience as a BRCA2 mutation carrier and said genetic knowledge helped her take preventive steps, but that people fear testing because insurers may use results against them. Lindsay Jack of the ALS Association and Lisa Schlager of FORCE also supported the bill, arguing that it would encourage preventive care, research participation, and fairer underwriting without harming insurance markets. They said insurers could still use medical history and diagnoses, but not genetic test results alone. Committee members asked questions about whether insurers currently request genetic testing and how such information is used in underwriting. Testifiers said the information is routinely asked for or found in medical records, but the bill would prohibit its use in coverage decisions and would prevent insurers from requiring testing. No votes were taken. After testimony concluded and no additional witnesses came forward, the chairs closed the hearing and adjourned the meeting by unanimous voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Committee on Finance, having under consideration SB 1638 relating to conformity and Internal Revenue Code
• And so I take issue with this idea that we should be further penalizing the department for the fact that
• Revenue Code deductions. Mr. Majority Leader, please make the motion to substitute. Thank you, Mr.
• In statute, we don't penalize you. I can say that that is definitely true.
• In statute, we don't penalize you. You may still have to pay your accountant.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayers, the Pledge of Allegiance, a journal approval, and a series of guest introductions recognizing groups at the Capitol for Environmental Day, Women’s and Reproductive Health Day, Arizona Nurses Day, Aerospace Day, and International Mother Language Day, along with a Doctor of the Day and a judicial proclamation honoring Justice Daphne Barak-Erez. The chamber also made temporary committee appointments and referred several bills between committees before moving into Committee of the Whole and later third reading votes. The main floor action centered on several SNAP-related bills. SB 1002, dealing with public assistance verification, passed the Committee of the Whole after a Kavanagh floor amendment and then passed third reading 17-9-13, with supporters saying it targets fraud and lowers error rates and opponents arguing it duplicates existing checks, adds bureaucracy, and could harm eligible families. SB 1331, on SNAP military employment and training, SB 1333, on SNAP error-rate audit and penalties, SB 1334, on SNAP work requirement waivers and exemptions, and SB 1368, on SNAP purchase restrictions, all advanced from Committee of the Whole and then passed third reading by the same 17-13 margin, with Democrats and some others warning they would increase hunger, burden rural and tribal communities, and restrict access, while supporters said they promote work, accountability, and healthier choices. The Senate also considered SB 1638, a tax conformity bill. A Sundareshan floor amendment to narrow the bill to standard deduction conformity was debated at length, with supporters saying it would protect most taxpayers from filing confusion and limit revenue loss, and opponents arguing it removed other agreed-upon tax provisions and still left uncertainty. The amendment failed 17-13, the Finance Committee amendment was adopted, and SB 1638 then passed as amended. Finally, SCR 1011, a concurrent resolution calling for a federal constitutional convention on congressional term limits, received a do pass recommendation and passed the Committee of the Whole.

Bills: SR28, SB201, SB1379, SB1525, SB1966, SB2112, SB2170, HB2749, HB3262, HB3265, HB3673, HB3781, HB3040, HB3076, HB3369, HB3982, HB3462, HB3465, HB3521, HB3796, HB3800, HB4095, HB4298, HB4316, HB4338, HB4408, HB4454

Keywords: alpha-gal syndrome, alpha gal, tick-borne illness, tick bite allergy, red meat allergy, meat allergy, dairy allergy, anaphylaxis, Lyme disease, public health, tick prevention, vector-borne disease, allergy awareness, May awareness month, Oklahoma Department of Health, outdoor safety, health education, research funding, minimum salary, education funding

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a special family recitation of the Declaration of Independence by Senator Hamilton’s children. The chamber then adopted SR 28, recognizing May as Alpha-Gal Awareness and Prevention Month in Oklahoma and encouraging awareness, prevention, and research on alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-borne allergic condition. Senator Seifried also introduced constituents affected by alpha-gal. Later, the Senate heard a gallery introduction from advocates for victims of impaired driving, highlighting the toll of DUI-related crashes in Oklahoma. The Senate then took up several House amendments and final-passage votes on bills. SB 201, clarifying that a teacher pay raise applies to certified classroom teachers, passed 47-0 and was advanced as an emergency. SB 1379, SB 1525, SB 1966, SB 2112, and SB 2170 also passed after adoption of House amendments, with SB 1525 and SB 1379 advanced as emergency measures. SB 1525 raised the threshold for contracting to host a conference from $25,000 to $75,000, and SB 1966 served as the annual omnibus highway, memorial highway, and bridge designation bill. Among the House bills considered, HB 3262 increased the sheriff fee for service of process from $50 to $100 and passed 37-8. HB 3265 allowed a psychologist to make PTSD determinations for the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System and passed 47-0. HB 3781, a major insurance modernization bill changing rate-filing procedures for homeowners insurance and expanding the insurance commissioner’s review authority, passed 39-6 after extended debate over transparency, regulation, and market impact. HB 3040 expanded sex-offender loitering restrictions around businesses serving minors and passed 40-4, while HB 3076 authorized alternative teacher certification providers under OEQA oversight and passed 38-6 as an emergency measure. The chamber also passed HB 3369, a deregulation and efficiency bill affecting fire suppression and LP gas inspections, HB 2749, which shifted an intergenerational education program toward a Medicaid state plan amendment, HB 3982 on fleet vehicle titling, HB 3462 creating a shorter residential-only plumbing licensure pathway, HB 3465 extending the Oklahoma Emission Reduction Technology Rebate Program to 2029, HB 3521 modernizing money transmission law, HB 3796 as an Oklahoma Insurance Department omnibus bill, HB 3800 as a roofing-industry cleanup bill, and HB 4095 modernizing the 211 hotline advisory council. Several of these measures drew debate over regulation, workforce needs, public safety, or fiscal and policy impacts, but all of the listed bills ultimately passed by recorded vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't want to penalize people who actually went out of their way one time, took a driver's test, learned
• We don't want to penalize those people more than the people who never even tried to get that driver's
• adds the term to the definition of transportation corridor for purposes of the Florida Transportation Code
• adds the term to the definition of transportation corridor for purposes of the Florida Transportation Code
• digital aspect of it, to where it's something they can still use, and hopefully they're not being penalized

Bills: S0260, S1220, S1352, S1362, S1370

Keywords: electric vehicle, EV, battery fire, lithium-ion battery, towing, wrecker service, vehicle storage, submerged vehicle, saltwater damage, fire marshal, fire safety, tow yard, impound, storage fee, administration fee, local ordinance, county ordinance, municipal ordinance, insurance coverage, motor vehicle insurer

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee heard several bills, beginning with SB 1362 on advanced air mobility. Senator Harrell described the bill as a framework for vertiports and eVTOL aircraft, but an amendment removed the sales tax exemptions and narrowed the sovereign immunity provisions to vertiports co-located at airports. Supporters said the bill would help Florida lead in emerging aviation technology, while opponents and some members raised concerns about safety, local control, and extending immunity to unproven facilities. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also considered SB 260 on storage of damaged electric vehicles. The bill, as amended, would allow local governments to set a daily administrative fee of up to three times the normal rate for storing EVs with visible battery damage or saltwater intrusion, reflecting fire-safety spacing requirements. Testimony from insurers, towing interests, and fleet operators focused on whether the fee was justified, whether cleanup language could lead to cost shifting, and whether more data reporting should be required. The amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. Members then approved SB 1352, which creates a secure online portal for license plate seizures and related DMV functions, preserves disabled veterans’ plate designations, prohibits license plate covers that obscure plates, and routes online license and ID renewals through county tax collectors. SB 1370 was also reported favorably; it closes a loophole so drivers who never obtained a license can still face habitual traffic offender penalties after repeated offenses. Finally, the committee took up SB 1220, a broad FDOT transportation package. After amendment, it retained provisions on trails, SunTrail, seaports, airports, drone delivery, autonomous vehicle protections, and FDOT coordination on federal funding, while removing the digital driver’s license provision and the rapid rail compact language. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• If a doctor asks if we can compound an alternative formulation, this bill severely penalizes my ability
• Furthermore, Business and Professions Code Section 651 penalizes health care professionals who use deceptive
• Furthermore, Business and Professions Code Section 651 penalizes health care professionals who use deceptive
• Instead, it will penalize compliant licensed California pharmacies that are trying to serve patients
• 1915 will support California's neighborhood restaurants by modernizing California's food facility code

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the short answer is yes: the code does address high consequence areas, whether it’s in the gas code
• or a liquid code.
• He said he would need to look at the code for the exact definition.
• The witness said the code does not allow transport of corrosive materials, but if corrosive materials
• So anything that would sacrifice that 30-day comment period violates the federal code.

Summary: The committee took up public comment on a package of similar local-option bills related to carbon capture and sequestration, including House Bills 5, 6, 497, 498, 501, and 504. The bills would let parishes, or in some cases specific parishes such as Rapides and Livingston, decide by local vote whether Class VI wells, CO2 sequestration, and related pipeline infrastructure could be permitted. The chair grouped the bills together for testimony, adopted a three-minute public comment rule, and noted that the bills were not yet under consideration for a vote during the public-comment portion. Supporters, including Speaker Pro Tem Mike Johnson, parish officials, local activists, and residents, argued that communities affected by carbon capture projects should have a direct voice through local option elections. They said the bills were about self-determination, local control, and allowing residents to decide whether the risks are worth the benefits. Several speakers said their parishes had passed resolutions opposing carbon capture or asking for local choice, while others emphasized concerns about eminent domain, aquifer protection, lack of public understanding, and the need for more information about project impacts and financial benefits. Some supporters also said a local vote would force industry to engage more directly with communities and could improve transparency. Opponents, including representatives of the Department of Conservation and Energy, the Louisiana Chemistry Association, the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, warned that the bills would create uncertainty, undermine Louisiana’s primacy over Class VI permitting, and invite litigation under federal preemption and the Supremacy Clause. They said the state already has a strict permitting process with public input and technical review, and that allowing parish-by-parish approval could delay or block billions of dollars in investment, jobs, and export-related projects. The department testified that if the state adopted a local-option referendum system, EPA could determine Louisiana was not implementing the program consistently and could move to remove primacy. No committee vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also provides a procurement code exemption for collections.
• It would penalize the child, whereas, excuse me, if they took the proactive step of designating their
• spouse as a survivor instead of not designating anyone, it could penalize the eligible children.
• It needs to be exempt from the procurement code.
• If there's not an exemption from the procurement code, it's really not available.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:27.200> these<00:10:27.480> companies<00:10:28.040> if would penalize
• these companies if would penalize these companies if they're<00:10:28.399> allowing<00:10:28.800
• There was coded language, and I went deeper in the forums than the ask of, I want 4K quality video and
• There was coded language, and I went deeper in the forums than the ask of, I want 4K quality video and
• There was coded language, and I went deeper in the forums than the ask of, I want 4K quality video and

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ... ...children [the] opportunity to have the ability to have a confidant that's not going to be penalized
• It penalizes every interaction with a child in need and will harm Florida families and force taxpayers
• It penalizes every interaction with a child in need and will harm Florida families and force taxpayers
• What we've seen is providers use conventional medical diagnosis codes to hide these tragic procedures
• ensures patients are not left financially responsible when medical providers use a different billing code

Bills: S0560, S0590, S0778, S1010

Keywords: child welfare, psychotropic medication, Department of Children and Families, community-based care, liability insurance, forensic services, defendants, mental health, judicial system, defense, legal definitions, minors, healthcare, parental rights, criminal penalties, civil action, sex-reassignment, investigations, economic damages

Summary: The Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs considered four bills. SB 590, by Sen. Bradley, would toll the statute of limitations for failure to report suspected child abuse by mandatory reporters until the offense is known to law enforcement; an amendment clarified retroactive application for offenses not already time-barred by the bill’s effective date. Sen. Bradley said the bill is intended to ensure accountability in institutional abuse cases and not to change the reasonable-suspicion reporting standard. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard SB 778, by Sen. Simon, which would update the definition of forensic client so certain individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism whose charges were dismissed for incompetency can be housed with other Chapter 916 residents, reducing duplicative staffing and space needs at the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. Barney Bishop appeared in support, and the bill was reported favorably without amendment. SB 560, by Sen. Garcia, would streamline procedures for psychotropic medication prescriptions for children in DCF custody, reduce duplicative background checks and reporting, and simplify consent documentation. Amendments removed language allowing licensed clinical social workers and marriage and family therapists to serve as evaluators and narrowed changes to the Road to Independence Program’s postsecondary education services and supports, extending eligibility ages from 18 to 26 while keeping the five-year cap. Senators discussed the fiscal impact and funding blend for the education stipend. The committee adopted the amendments and reported the bill favorably. The committee then took up SB 1010, by Sen. Yarbrough, which adds criminal and civil enforcement for violations involving sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures for minors and related parental-rights provisions. An amendment clarified that the civil action authority applies to minors and that damages benefit the affected minor. Public testimony was heavily divided, with supporters saying the bill enforces existing protections and opponents warning it would chill care, counseling, and school-based support for transgender youth. Senators Harrell, Sharief, and Rouson raised concerns about vagueness, standing, and impacts on teachers and health professionals; Sharief voted no, while the bill was still reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Cryptic language, in times where it seems like coded speak, any other criminal activity? Thank you.
• Code speak, any other criminal activity, case evidence, which in that box was anything that was kind
• That's where I would just—those would just get hard-coded in.
• Oftentimes they lose funding or are penalized in some way.
• Oftentimes they lose funding or are penalized in some way.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from Intel Expert/Expert Works on using its Intel Expert software to help the Department of Child Safety and law enforcement process large volumes of audio, video, and text data in cases involving missing, abused, neglected, and exploited children. The presenters said the tool can triage hotline calls, identify names, locations, relationships, criminal methods, and coded language, and produce translated and aggregated transcripts, with the goal of reducing hundreds of hours of manual review to minutes. Members discussed possible use with DCS, sheriffs, DOC, procurement and RFP issues, cost, and whether the system could help identify backlogs, serial abusers, and trafficking networks; the presenters said it is already used in Iowa and could be adapted quickly for Arizona. Committee members indicated interest in pursuing legislation, a pilot, or budget action, and said they would follow up with agencies and the presenters. The committee then considered HB 2460, which would preempt local ordinances that penalize businesses for theft of movable property, especially shopping carts. The sponsor argued cities were shifting the cost of stolen carts onto businesses and consumers instead of pursuing thieves, while city and league representatives argued local ordinances were needed to address blight, sidewalk hazards, and abandoned carts, and that the bill would unnecessarily limit local control. After debate over whether businesses should be required to retrieve carts or use anti-theft devices, the committee passed HB 2460 on a 4-3 vote. Next, the committee heard HB 2060, which would prohibit public educational institutions and ABOR from encouraging or facilitating abortions. The sponsor said taxpayer-funded schools should remain neutral and not use official roles to promote abortion, while opponents argued the bill would chill constitutionally protected health care information and referrals, especially on campuses where student health services may be the only care available. Supporters testified that campuses should provide alternatives such as pregnancy resources and adoption information. The committee passed HB 2060 on a 4-3 vote. The committee also heard HB 2210, as amended, which would prohibit the state, political subdivisions, and private entities from using ADS-B aircraft surveillance data to calculate or collect fees from aircraft owners or operators. Supporters said the technology was intended for aviation safety and should not be repurposed as a tax-collection tool, warning that pilots might turn it off to avoid fees and reduce safety. Opponents, including the City of Phoenix, said airports need flexibility and that the bill could interfere with local airport operations. The committee adopted the Blackman amendment and then passed HB 2210 as amended on a 4-3 vote.