Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your testimony.
• Appreciate the testimony from a parent. Uh, any... >> Thank you for your testimony from a parent.
• Appreciate your testimony. >> Thank you very much.
• Thank you for your testimony.
• Thank you very much for your testimony. "Thank you."

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your testimony, Miss.
• Thank you very much for your testimony.
• Thank you for your testimony.
• Seeing none, we thank you for your testimony. Thank you.
• We'll take that testimony now. We'll take that testimony now. Anything further, Senator?

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several public service and retirement-related bills. Senator Kelly Dooner and Rep. O’Rourke supported a Taunton home rule petition to extend Chief Walsh’s service during the city’s transition to a new public safety facility, citing the need to manage new equipment, cameras, and 911 systems smoothly. Senator Lovely testified in favor of bills expanding retirement savings access through the SMART Plan and the CORE Plan, arguing that automatic enrollment and broader eligibility would help state, municipal, and nonprofit workers save for retirement. No questions were raised on the Taunton petition, and the hearing later moved through the remaining testimony without any votes taken during the transcript. Mary Waldron of the Old Colony Planning Council and Jeffrey Walker of the Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District urged support for legislation protecting regional planning agencies from being required to make retroactive payments to the State Retirement Board for past employer contributions. They warned that the costs would be unsustainable, could force layoffs or closures, and would jeopardize their ability to provide transportation, housing, economic development, and planning services. Bill Keith and Patrick Charles of PEREC testified on several retirement administration bills, including measures to ease statement-of-financial-interest filing rules, require payment for certain creditable service purchases, and clarify the definition of wages to include sick, vacation, and personal time; committee members asked questions about regional transit authorities joining retirement systems and about adding local retirement board representation to a proposed commission. Jonathan Osimo and Rob Fabino of the Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System supported bills to penalize delinquent pension reporting by employers and to create a special commission to study retirement credit purchases, saying better reporting would improve retirement processing and that a broader review could improve fairness and sustainability. Eddie Boynton of the Braintree Education Association backed the SMART Plan bill, describing how automatic enrollment and low-fee fiduciary oversight could protect educators from high-cost supplemental retirement products. Matthew Nugent testified for a bill to divest public pension funds from firearms and ammunition. After the final witnesses, the chairs asked if anyone else wished to testify, heard none, and then adjourned the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your testimony.
• She opens up public testimony.
• Chair opens public testimony.
• All right, we have some invited testimony and then open testimony.
• All right, we have some invited testimony and then open testimony.

Bills: SB75, SB715, SB776, SB1299, SB1405, SB1968, SB2021, SB2077, SB2148, SB2321, SB2330, SB2411

Keywords: electric generation, reliability, ERCOT, Public Utility Commission, penalties, performance requirements, energy policy, construction contracts, compensatory damages, government delays, contractor, legislation, nonprofit donor privacy, membership lists, supporter confidentiality, volunteer privacy, association rights, public records exemption, Texas Public Information Act, government transparency

Summary: The committee first took up pending business and favorably reported several bills without objection or by recorded vote, including SB 783, SB 1238, SB 1706, SB 1791, SB 458, SB 1644, and SB 1810, with some of them also sent to the local and uncontested calendar. The committee then moved into hearings on additional bills. SB 1968, by Senator Schwertner, would update the Real Estate License Act by repealing subagency, requiring written buyer-agent agreements before showings, and clarifying when a formal buyer representation agreement must be signed. Texas Realtors testified in support, saying the bill modernizes agency rules and increases transparency, while a committee substitute corrected drafting issues. SB 2411, the annual update to the Texas Business Organizations Code, was also laid out and left pending after supportive testimony from the Texas Business Law Foundation and drafting committee representatives. The committee also heard SB 2321, which would codify ERCOT’s current practice of notifying TCEQ when backup generation needs enforcement discretion for grid reliability; Sierra Club and a chamber of commerce witness supported it with suggestions for clearer emissions reporting, and the bill was left pending. SB 2077 would broaden eligibility for the Texas Mutual Insurance Company board by narrowing conflict restrictions tied to insurance-related interests; Texas Mutual supported the change and the bill was left pending. SB 1405, a broadband bill, would align state law with FCC standards and streamline Broadband Development Office processes; it was left pending after supportive testimony. SB 1299, protecting nonprofit donor privacy, drew support from privacy advocates and concerns from one witness about transparency for publicly funded nonprofit operations; it was left pending. The committee then heard SB 776, which would bar government construction contracts from shifting delay damages to contractors when delays are caused solely by the public owner. Contractors, surety representatives, and water infrastructure advocates supported the bill, arguing it would improve fairness and reduce inflated bids, while water utilities and critical infrastructure entities opposed it, warning of more litigation and higher costs; the bill was left pending. Finally, SB 715, which would apply reliability requirements retroactively to all generation resources in ERCOT, drew opposition from renewable and storage groups and support from some critics of renewable subsidies, with witnesses split over whether it would improve reliability or raise costs; testimony was underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• much for your testimony. much for your testimony.
• . testimony. testimony.
• your testimony. your testimony. >> It's<01:18:19.040> Baylor.
• yourself and begin your testimony. yourself and begin your testimony.
• So thank you for your testimony.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee approved the October 15, 2025 minutes and then held a broader discussion on current challenges with data retention and government transparency. Judy Randall of the Office of the Legislative Auditor said historical data is essential for post-audits, which often look back three to five years, and that retention decisions must balance audit needs with the burden of separating public and nonpublic data. She described the records-retention panel process as informal and largely based on individual judgment, noting she had objected to a proposed 60-day email retention period and generally uses a three-year guideline, though she said that standard is not grounded in a formal rule. Members discussed whether auditing standards should set retention periods, with Randall saying auditing is a good starting point but other offices, including the attorney general, also have needs, and that some agency discretion is unavoidable because of the gray area between official records and non-records. Representative Elkins raised the related principle of data minimization, arguing that government should not keep data longer than needed and citing a University of Minnesota legacy data warehouse breach as an example of the risks of retaining unnecessary sensitive information. Randall agreed that data no longer needed is a liability and said her office purges workpapers after five years. Representative Scott pressed whether three years is enough for fraud investigations and financial records; Randall responded that a reasonableness standard is needed and that longer retention can produce diminishing returns, though she said she would follow up on whether financial records should be treated differently. Tanya Tacker of the Rum River Special Education Cooperative testified in support of updating Minnesota’s data-retention laws for schools. She said districts want to protect student information and maintain transparency, but the current general retention schedule dates to 1985 and 2000 and does not reflect digital records, modern systems, or the volume of special education data. She urged modernizing the schedule, clarifying what must be kept in paper versus digitized form, aligning state rules with IDEA and other federal requirements, and providing practical guidance and tools. Members praised the specificity of her recommendations. Dr. BB Newman testified that retention failures in St. Anthony Village have made it difficult to obtain routine municipal and police data, with records delayed, missing, or inconsistently produced and no clear explanation of what systems were searched or whether records were destroyed. Newman argued these gaps undermine statutory access rights and force residents into costly litigation, and recommended stronger retention auditing, documentation of destruction, mandatory disclosure of systems searched, and consequences for noncompliance. In response to questions, Senate counsel said there is generally no direct penalty, but affected parties may seek mandamus, Data Practices Act claims, or informal mediation/opinions from the Data Practices Office. The discussion closed with calls for clearer standards and possible legislative updates to improve compliance and transparency.

Transcript Highlights:

• always like to look at the testimony always like to look at the testimony look<01:05:55.520>
• You have my written testimony.
• You have my written testimony.
• H Miss stand on written testimony H Miss stand on written testimony support<01:57:30.800> of<
• Testimony and support.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee met on March 19, 2025, and first heard SB 137 SD2 HD1 relating to electric utilities. The Division of Consumer Advocacy and the Public Utilities Commission said they stood on their written comments, IBEW Local 1260 supported the bill, and Ulupono Initiative also supported it. Hawaiian Electric supported the intent but asked for an amendment, saying the bill’s definition of “acquiring entity” was too broad and could unintentionally cover purely local utility transactions. A later witness from Life of the Land supported the bill only if the merger/acquisition language were removed, arguing the PUC would not have a workable mechanism to let a cooperative intervene in a utility sale process. Committee members questioned whether the bill could still work without that section, and Ulupono said it was open to clarifying language but did not seek to remove the provision; the discussion ended without a vote in the excerpt provided. The committee then took up SB 1220 SD2 relating to a renewable gas tariff. The Division of Consumer Advocacy and the PUC again stood on written comments. HGas strongly supported the measure, saying it would create a faster, more cost-effective path for a voluntary renewable gas tariff without requiring a full rate case, while preserving PUC oversight and consumer protections. The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas also supported the bill, emphasizing that it would expand consumer choice and help Hawaii’s clean energy goals while keeping the program voluntary and shielding non-participating customers from costs. Henry Curtis of Life of the Land opposed the bill, arguing that HGas already had an active rate case and could have raised the issue there, and that the proposal did not increase renewable gas supply or speed up acquisition; he called it a gimmick. In response, HGas said the bill was mainly a mechanism to speed filing and that the details would be worked out in a PUC docket. Committee members pressed HGas on whether the measure would actually add renewable gas, what source would be used, and whether customers would simply be paying more for the same gas; HGas said it had two projects in development, including banagrass and hydrogen-related work, and that the tariff would be a voluntary opt-in rate for customers seeking renewable natural gas to meet sustainability goals. No vote was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We ask that you stand on your written testimony if your oral testimony is different from the written
• testimony.
• We do have your testimony, thank you.
• testimony um they have 13 attorneys in testimony um they have 13 attorneys in aahu<00:57:25.520> um
• <01:14:07.880> and mostly on our written testimony and mostly on our written testimony and

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard testimony on several fireworks-related bills. On HB 550, which would allow law enforcement to use drone recordings to establish probable cause for fireworks arrests in public areas and appropriate funds for drones, the Department of Law Enforcement and Honolulu Police Department supported the measure. The Public Defender and some public testifiers opposed it, arguing that a statute cannot mandate probable cause and that the bill raises constitutional concerns. A prosecutor later explained that the bill is intended to address Hawaiʻi case law, especially State v. Kit, which limits aerial surveillance over homes under the state constitution, and suggested that changing “shall” to “may” could reduce constitutional problems. Members also questioned whether current law already allows video evidence of fireworks violations and whether the bill was necessary. Testimony included both support and opposition from individuals and organizations, and no vote was taken during the hearing. The committees then heard HB 806, which would appropriate funds for the Department of Law Enforcement to conduct sting operations on Oʻahu to enforce fireworks laws. The department and police supported the bill, while the Libertarian Party of Hawaiʻi opposed it, arguing that fireworks are already illegal and that the measure adds unnecessary enforcement powers and constitutional risk. Committee members asked what “sting operation” means and whether the term should be defined more clearly; the department said it refers to police or criminal investigations involving deception and agreed a definition would help guide use of the funds. The department also said the funding would support training, storage, and other operational costs for undercover investigations. Finally, the committees heard HB 1483, a broader fireworks enforcement bill that would create an adjudication system for fireworks infractions, revise definitions and penalties, establish new offenses, and increase penalties when fireworks offenses cause injury or death. The Attorney General’s office strongly supported the bill, saying it would improve enforcement by clarifying definitions and allowing cases to be proven without particle testing or expert witnesses when fireworks leave no physical evidence. The Department of Law Enforcement also supported it. The Public Defender opposed the bill, focusing on the bill’s penalty enhancements for offenses that are rarely enforced and its concurrent trial provision, which it said raises problems because of the differences between civil and criminal proceedings. No final committee action or vote was reported in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• If not, we'll open public testimony.
• Hearing none, public testimony is closed.
• If not, thank you very much for your testimony. Chair. I have one more thing.
• Thank you for your testimony.
• Okay, hearing none, we'll now open up public testimony.

Bills: SB2053, SCR19, SCR23, SCR29

Keywords: Governor's Medal of Service, Texas award, state honor, public service recognition, Governor's office, Governor's award, Texas Government Code Chapter 3108, ceremonial award, honorary medal, state service award, local government retirees, private sector contributions, Texas Legislature recognition, gift acceptance, donations, grant funding, executive recognition, Texas Life Monument, human life, preservation

Transcript Highlights:

• If not, we'll open public testimony.
• Public testimony is closed.
• If not, thank you very much for your testimony.
• Thank you for your testimony. Thank you very much.
• Hearing none, we'll now open up public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're in public testimony. Seeing no public testimony, we're in debate.
• We're in public testimony. Seeing no public testimony, we're in debate.
• We're back on the bill as amended with public testimony.
• Seeing no further public testimony, we're in debate, members.
• Seeing no further public testimony, we're in debate, members.

Summary: The Health Professions and Program Subcommittee met with a quorum and heard six bills. HB 1617 on stem cell therapy was presented as a way to expand access to biotherapy options through informed consent, sourcing standards, and required disclosures; an amendment clarifying definitions was adopted, supportive testimony was heard, and the bill passed 16-0. PCS for HB 1399 would give the legislature authority to terminate or refuse to extend a declared public health emergency; members raised a concern about what happens if the emergency prevents the legislature from meeting, but the sponsor said she was working on a fix, and the bill passed 16-0. PCS for HB 555 would change medical marijuana card renewals from annual to every two years and exempt veterans from the $75 fee; members described it as reducing barriers and helping seniors and veterans, and it passed 16-0. PCS for HB 1487 would strengthen licensure for volunteer-based EMS providers such as Hatzalah South Florida; testimony and debate emphasized the value of these zero-cost, volunteer emergency services, and the bill passed 14-0. HB 115 on clinical laboratory personnel addressed workforce shortages by aligning Florida licensure more closely with federal CLIA standards and allowing qualified applicants with relevant bachelor’s degrees and federal training to work with on-the-job training; a strike-all amendment was adopted, industry witnesses supported the bill, and it passed 15-0 as amended. HB 1513 would require health care practitioners to refund patient overpayments within 30 days of learning of the overpayment, excluding insurer and HMO overpayments; it drew supportive debate and passed 15-0. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• mentioned in the previous testimony mentioned in the previous testimony along<00:24:50.080> a
• <00:44:31.400> is credibility of the testimony is credibility of the testimony is reflected
• Thank you for taking my testimony and thank you to other members of the committee for taking my testimony
• chairman we're going to limit testimony chairman we're going to limit testimony two<01:31:21.480
• <02:19:25.679> so appreciate you taking my testimony so appreciate you taking my testimony

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Any other public testimony? Seeing none, I will close public testimony on Senate File 7.
• you know, we provide a lot of testimony you know, we provide a lot of testimony and<00:20:34.480
• :35.520> bill, public testimony on this bill, public testimony on this bill, Miss<00:34:38.079
• We appreciate your testimony. >> Any other public testimony on this bill? >> Mr. Chairman? >> Yeah.
• Any other public testimony? Nope. I will close public testimony on Senate File 10.

Bills: SF0007, SF0008, SF0009, SF0010

Keywords: theft, penalties, larceny, criminal offense, felony, Wyoming, absconding, law enforcement, criminal justice, fentanyl, controlled substances, minors, drug distribution, enhanced penalties, mental health, detention, competency evaluation, treatment, contractual agreements, 916

Transcript Highlights:

• Cowan, thank you for being here. being here, I want to ask about your testimony versus the testimony
• So can you explain why your testimony is different from Ed Choice's testimony?
• Testimony is five minutes, public testimony is two minutes, and we have 227 registered so the be listening
• Public testimony, again, is limited to two minutes. We've had a lot of testimony today.
• Likewise, this is not a Republican or a Democrat testimony, this is a common sense. testimony.

Bills: HB3, HB3

Keywords: education savings account, educational expenses, certified educational assistance organization, school choice, funding, special education, tuition reimbursement, emergency communication, public safety, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, grant program, emergency communications, public safety radio, first responders, radio system, dispatch, 911, emergency management, Texas Division of Emergency Management

Transcript Highlights:

• We appreciate your testimony, Mr. Anchia, and thanks for answering my question.
• Please proceed with your testimony. Thank you for being here. Thank you.
• We appreciate your testimony. Thank you. Sure, calls back, Cyrus Reed.
• I've got the evidence for that in my written testimony.
• We appreciate your testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Know that we also have your written testimony, so if you have submitted written testimony, please feel
• free to stand on your written testimony unless you have anything to add.
• We have three other people with written testimony in opposition.
• So you also listed in your testimony that you have internships.
• so you also listed in your testimony so you also listed in your testimony that<00:25:31.720>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you very much for your testimony. Thank you very much for your testimony.
• just two to three minutes of testimony. just two to three minutes of testimony.
• Thanks for hearing testimonies<01:55:48.640> today. testimonies today. testimonies today.
• that part of your testimony again? Okay. that part of your testimony again?
• Do you have testimony handed? Personal testimony as well. Thank you.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• your testimony. Welcome. your testimony. Welcome. Thank<00:04:26.360> you.
• Thank you for your testimony. Thank you for your testimony.
• . testimony. testimony.
• The chair thanked him for his testimony. Representative Kresha responded to the testimony.
• Thank you for your testimony. Thank you for your testimony.

Bills: HF4145, HF4009, HF4304, SF2511, HF4090, HF357, HF901

Keywords: alcohol consumption, nursing homes, assisted living, resident activities, Minnesota Statutes, seasonal liquor licenses, resorts, intoxicating liquor, county board, Brainerd, Northern Pacific Center, event center, liquor license, on-sale license, alcohol sales, special law, local option, Minnesota liquor law, chapter 340A, Sunday sales

Transcript Highlights:

• Testimony? Is there any? Do we have any? Nope.
• So is it your testimony then that this bill is not needed?
• Excellent and competing testimony.
• We have some invited testimony and then open testimony.
• No questions for the author, so we'll open up public testimony.

Bills: SB75, SB715, SB776, SB1299, SB1405, SB1968, SB2021, SB2077, SB2148, SB2321, SB2330, SB2411

Keywords: electric generation, reliability, ERCOT, Public Utility Commission, penalties, performance requirements, energy policy, construction contracts, compensatory damages, government delays, contractor, legislation, nonprofit donor privacy, membership lists, supporter confidentiality, volunteer privacy, association rights, public records exemption, Texas Public Information Act, government transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll proceed to just hang on and proceed to public testimony.
• OK, thank you for your testimony. Appreciate it.
• If not, thank you for your testimony. Thank you, Ms. Wallace.
• Thank you very much for your testimony.
• If not, thank you for your testimony, sir.

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate the opportunity to provide testimony regarding House Bill 5644.
• Thank you both for your testimony. Do we have any questions from members?
• Thank you both for your testimony. Do we have any questions from members?
• Seeing no questions from members, thank you all for your testimony.
• Next, we are taking up House Bill 4415, which we heard testimony on last week.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure met with a quorum present and adopted the June 16, 2026 minutes. The committee first took up House Bill 5644, which would allow nurse practitioners, physical therapists, and occupational therapists to certify applications for disability windshield placards and disability license plates. The sponsor and witnesses from the nursing profession said the bill restores a practice that had worked for years, reduces delays and extra costs for patients, and improves access, especially in rural and underserved areas. A Department of State representative explained the issue arose after an Auditor General review found the statute was unclear. The bill was reported to the floor on a 10-0 vote. The committee then heard Senate Bill 791, which would designate a portion of I-475 in Genesee County as the St. John Street Community Memorial Highway. Senator Cherry and representatives of the St. John Street Historical Committee described the history of the St. John Street neighborhood in Flint, its displacement by urban renewal and highway construction, and the effort to memorialize the community’s cultural significance and trauma. No members asked questions, and the bill was reported to the floor unanimously, 10-0. House Bill 4415, previously heard by the committee, was also reported to the floor without further testimony. The committee then considered Senate Bill 959, which had a new S-2 substitute. Senator Klinefelt explained the substitute as a compromise that reorganizes rail detector regulations and changes distance and speed thresholds for Class 1, 2, and 3 rail lines. The substitute was adopted 10-0. After additional comments from Senator McBroom opposing the bill due to concerns about impacts on Upper Peninsula commerce and rail operations, the committee reported the S-2 version of Senate Bill 959 to the floor by a 6-4 vote. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you have written testimony and wish to speak, please bring your written testimony forward when you're
• You should also send a digital copy of your testimony to the clerk of the committee.
• If you have written testimony and wish to speak, please bring your written testimony forward when you're
• You should also send a digital copy of your testimony to the clerk of the committee.
• All right, we'll move to public testimony. Chair calls Charles Maley and Stephen Diebel.

Bills: SB2601

Keywords: landowner compensation, border crime, agriculture damage, law enforcement, crop loss, 1185, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Border Security met with a quorum and heard one bill, Senate Bill 2601 by Senator Blanco, laid out by Senator Hinojosa of Hidalgo. The bill amends the Landowner’s Compensation Program, which was created last session and is administered by the Office of the Attorney General, to expand eligibility to land lessees, cover damage to the land itself as well as structures and real property, add continuous smuggling of persons as a covered border crime, prohibit insurers from using claims under the program in rate calculations, and require law enforcement to provide border crime reports to the Attorney General within 14 days. The committee substitute also makes the bill a legislative council draft. Public testimony was unanimously supportive. Representatives of the South Texans Property Rights Association and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association said the program has helped landowners but needed cleanup and broader access, especially for lessees who manage property day to day and may otherwise not receive compensation. Testimony also emphasized ongoing problems with fence damage, debris, pollutants, and other border-related property damage. Members asked about implementation, including how conflicts between landowners and lessees would be handled; the response was that documentation of authority and lease responsibilities would be required. After public testimony closed, the committee adopted the committee substitute without objection. Senator Hinojosa then moved that SB 2601 be reported favorably to the full Senate with the committee substitute, and the motion passed on a 5-0 vote. The bill was also recommended for the local and uncontested calendar, with no objection.