Transcript Highlights:

• This article does the cleanup necessary to clear that all out.
• This article does the cleanup necessary to clear that all out.
• This article does the cleanup necessary to clear that all out.
• This article does the cleanup necessary to clear that all out.
• This article does the cleanup necessary to clear that all out.

Bills: HF3732

Keywords: workforce development, unemployment benefits, youth training, economic development, grants, job creation

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Committee Substitute 1 has a lot of cleanup in it for a bill this big; that's not uncommon.
• There's a lot of cleanup in this bill to make us be able to be compliant with all the changes we're making
• quite<01:15:16.800> a<01:15:16.960> deal<01:15:17.120> of<01:15:17.280> cleanup
• <01:15:17.600> in there's a quite a deal of cleanup in there's a quite a deal of cleanup in

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and roll call, establishing a quorum with 33 members present. The chamber approved the prior journal, excused absent senators, welcomed viewers, and received House messages announcing passage of House Bill 253, House Bill 436508, and House Concurrent Resolution 44 for concurrence. New filings were also reported: Senate Bill 197 on economic development and Senate Joint Resolution 99 designating the Destiny Brewer Memorial Highway in Martin County. The main floor action centered on Senate Bill 72, a measure on recruitment and retention of health care professionals and declaring an emergency. The bill’s sponsor argued it would protect health care workers’ conscience rights, improve recruitment and retention, and address provider shortages and corporate pressures in medicine, while emphasizing that emergency care would still be required under federal law. Supporters said the bill would protect providers from being forced to participate in procedures that violate their moral or religious beliefs and cited examples from other states and physicians who had left practices over conscience concerns. Opponents argued the bill’s language was too broad and could allow denial of non-emergency care based on vague moral, ethical, or religious objections, potentially harming patients in health care deserts and sending the wrong message about caring for all people. One senator raised a hypothetical about racial discrimination under the bill’s definitions, while supporters responded that the bill was intended to protect providers and patients and that existing professional ethics and hospital policies would prevent abuse. Additional supporters said the measure would not deny basic care and would help keep physicians in the state. The bill was still under debate at the end of the excerpt, with questions and responses continuing; no final vote or disposition on Senate Bill 72 is shown in the transcript provided. Other bills reported from second reading were referred to the Rules Committee for further action, and Senate Bill 69 was passed over and retained its place on the orders of the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• in to kind of indicate that we have a level of debris that requires federal assistance to get the cleanup
• in to kind of indicate that we have a level of debris that requires federal assistance to get the cleanup
• to<00:10:33.240> get<00:10:33.440> the<00:10:33.640> the<00:10:33.760> cleanup
• <00:10:34.160> of assistance to get the the cleanup of assistance to get the the cleanup of

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Senate Roll Call 00:00:00 House Roll Call 00:00:10 Discussion of Recent Disaster 00:01:18 House Adjourned 00:42:28 SB 218 Discussion 00:43:00 SB 218 Vote 00:46:46 SB 186 Discussion 00:47:22:00, 958, all

Summary: The concurrent House-Senate meeting opened with a roll call and then received a briefing from Kentucky Emergency Management and the Transportation Cabinet on the February storms and flooding. Officials described the event as ongoing and statewide in scope, beginning in western counties and then heavily affecting Eastern Kentucky, including major impacts in Perry, Letcher, Clay, Bell, Martin, Pike, and other counties. They reported widespread power and water outages, nearly 600 people initially sheltered, more than 1,500 water rescues, over 250 National Guard members activated, and substantial mutual aid from other states and FEMA. They also said 73 counties had declared emergencies, 23 fatalities had been confirmed at that point, and individual assistance had already distributed $5.5 million to residents after the federal declaration was signed. The administration emphasized that recovery needs were still being assessed but were already significant. Kentucky Emergency Management said public assistance estimates were about $58 million and rising, with about 2,005 homes and 272 businesses inspected so far. Debris removal was identified as a major issue, and officials said they had requested Category A federal assistance for debris in four counties while continuing to seek more as assessments continued. They also noted that disaster recovery centers were opening and that teams were going door to door in affected areas. On transportation, KYTC reported 39 counties affected, a peak of 355 road closures reduced to 49, 18 damaged bridges, 94 bridges with debris on them, and 579 roadway damages, while continuing to clear roads and move supplies such as water, food, blankets, and heaters. Secretary Hicks then asked lawmakers to consider additional funding mechanisms. He said the current $50 million emergency cap in the budget was likely to be exhausted, with $21.5 million already allocated, and proposed either lifting the cap or creating a new “safe fund” for this disaster, similar to prior funds used after the western Kentucky tornadoes and the 2022 eastern Kentucky floods. He said the state could redirect about $25 million from an unused western Kentucky economic development allocation and about $20 million from an eastern Kentucky transportation allocation, for a total of $45 million, to help with this response. Members and officials also discussed debris disposal, with the Pike County landfill expansion identified as a possible site to receive some of the debris and reduce costs. Representative Fugate thanked the agencies for their response and described severe local impacts, including water outages, road slides, damaged water treatment plants, and heavy debris in homes and driveways.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, page one, line 10, uh, just a cleanup, um, you know traditionally you had one pharmacist working
• Um page one line 10 uh<00:07:25.039> just<00:07:25.199> a<00:07:25.440> cleanup<
• 00:07:26.240> um<00:07:26.400> you<00:07:26.560> know uh just a cleanup um you know
• uh just a cleanup um you know traditionally<00:07:28.240> you<00:07:28.400> know<00:07
• pharmacies operate efficiently and safely in smaller communities and in areas where there were technical cleanups

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You've started an eviction, which means the filing is in the clerk, has accepted it, docketed it, and
• The clerk accepts the file, dockets it, and then it goes off to a judge to make a determination one way
• Um, and I don't know if the petition for annulment gets filed with a docket number that was under the

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• bill was a one-year trial to waive the deductibles, co-pays, and monetary caps for the Petroleum Cleanup

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, and it looks like mostly just some cleanup aspects dealing with the bill. 189. That's correct.
• Uh, and it's looks like mostly just<00:54:54.559> some<00:54:54.880> cleanup<00:54:55.359
• > aspects<00:54:55.839> dealing<00:54:56.160> with just some cleanup aspects dealing
• with just some cleanup aspects dealing with the the the >> 189.

Bills: SB309, HB192, SB178, SB179, SB237, HB10, HB107, HB189, HB37, HB226, SB309, HB192, SB178, SB179, SB237, HB10, HB107, HB189, HB37, HB226

Keywords: automated driving systems, oversized vehicles, transportation, regulations, permits, HB192, international wire transfer, wire transfer fee, remittance fee, money transmission business, Alabama Securities Commission, Department of Revenue, Education Trust Fund, ELL instructors, English Language Learner, ESL teachers, income tax credit, remittances, international money transfer, migrant families

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we typically try not to change the current language in other areas for a cleanup. Okay.
• Certainly a cleanup like that would be appropriate being a 60-day if we need to fix some of those kinds
• So for the most part, it’s some cleanup. Of this bill includes.
• So for the most part, it’s some cleanup.

Summary: The committee first heard a detailed staff presentation on the LESC FY27 public school support recommendation. Staff reviewed the budget structure and explained that, despite a downward revision in state revenue estimates, the recommendation still relied on recurring and non-recurring revenue to support educator compensation, insurance, transportation, literacy, math, special education, and other school programs. Major recurring items included a 3% compensation increase, funding for an 80-20 health insurance cost share, insurance premium growth, and transportation adequacy funding. Staff also flagged a possible supplemental need of up to $35 million for virtual education tied to rapid enrollment growth in Chama and Santa Rosa, and members raised concerns about the quality, accountability, and funding model for virtual programs. Members asked questions about transportation for rural districts, the Martinez-Yazzie lawsuit fees, the treatment of enrollment declines in the school funding formula, and whether the word “average” in salary language should remain in the budget. Staff explained that the SEG should remain whole, that the insurance and transportation recommendations applied to all public school employees but not contractors, and that the budget included multiple math-related investments spread across several lines rather than one single appropriation. There was also discussion of out-of-school learning grants, school meals, literacy center operations, special education training, and the Public Education Reform Fund, including the use of multi-year, evaluation-based appropriations for high-impact tutoring and community schools. After discussion, the committee adopted the LESC budget recommendation. The committee then moved to endorsed legislation proposals. It endorsed a bill allowing the secretary to suspend an individual school board member, with notice and appeal procedures clarified, and a bill creating an 80-20 health insurance cost-share requirement for public school employees, along with a study of the sustainability of public school insurance programs. It also endorsed a bill on attendance provisions for students with severe medical conditions, which would keep those students from being classified as excessively absent. Finally, the committee discussed a teacher residency bill that would raise stipend levels, allow residents to complete service anywhere in New Mexico, and remove the requirement that sponsoring schools must hire them, though the bill did not include an appropriation. Members also raised questions about bilingual, Hispanic, and Black education funding, cultural and linguistic supports in teacher preparation, and where various programs should be placed in the budget or PERF framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is basically a grammatical cleanup.
• This is basically a grammatical<00:58:26.720> cleanup.
• > It<00:58:27.599> is<00:58:28.559> uh<00:58:29.440> nothing grammatical cleanup
• It is uh nothing grammatical cleanup.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee received an Office of Education Accountability presentation on student discipline data in Kentucky schools for the 2024 school year. OEA said the study used Safe Schools data, educator and student surveys, site visits to 12 schools, and principal surveys. The report found that about 1 in 10 schools have major behavior-related challenges and up to one-third have at least moderate challenges, with the most common concerns varying by level: high schools cited vapes, cell phone misuse, apathy, and tardiness; middle schools cited apathy, vapes, and cell phone misuse; and elementary schools reported more extreme classroom behaviors such as throwing objects, overturning furniture, and screaming. OEA also noted that 14% of students had at least one behavior event in 2024, but repeated events were rare, and event rates alone do not reliably measure the severity of behavior problems in a school or district. The presentation emphasized that many disciplinary consequences do not align consistently with statutes or local expectations. OEA said law violations made up 19% of more than 250,000 recorded behavior events, while most were board violations, and that some serious incidents resulted in minimal consequences. The report highlighted concerns about weapons, threats, and assaults: only 9.2% of weapon events led to expulsion or alternative placement, few threats resulted in those outcomes, and fewer than 10% of assaults led to expulsion or alternative placement, including some first-degree assaults. OEA also said the Safe Schools data do not identify victims, limiting analysis of assaults on staff or students, and recommended clearer statutory definitions and better data reporting. A major theme was the difficulty schools face in addressing chronic disruption and severe behavior while complying with federal protections for students with disabilities. OEA said principals reported the biggest challenges were federal limits on disciplinary removals and a lack of alternative placement options. The report described variation among districts in how they implement federal requirements, with some administrators discouraging alternative placements or avoiding discipline because of perceived legal risks. Site visits found that many schools lacked chronic-disruption policies, and teachers often reported frustration with minimal consequences and repeated classroom removals. OEA recommended that KDE collect more information from educators, identify promising practices for alternative instructional settings, and develop clearer guidance and training. In discussion, committee members said the findings showed reporting gaps and resource strains, and OEA staff clarified that some underreporting reflects local discretion, while law violations should still be reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a cleanup bill that just makes it easier to obtain those interpreters. I move passage.
• SB 565 is a cleanup of HB 3232 from last session, which gave TCEQ the option to enter into a safe harbor
• Van Dever to explain the bill. ...cleanup bill for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
• The Senate added a HHSC requested cleanup amendment to authorize already appropriated funding for the

Bills: SB4, SB23, SB3, SJR2, SJR85, SB34, SB60, SB75, SB706, SB1814, SB1220, SB523, SB565, SB1253, SB840, SB764, SB2383, SB2155, SB1535, SB1405, SB1423, SB1566, SB1804, SB1728, SB1816, SB1952, SB1948, SB2037, SB2068, SB1455, SB213, SB243, SB627, SB646, SB670, SB896, SB917, SB1184, SB971, SB1255, SB1261, SB1283, SB1358, SB991, SB1733, SB21, SB231, SB739, SB1252, SB1371, SB664, SB40, SB9, SJR1, SB687, SB1332, SB458, SB482, SB927, SB984, SB651, SB1620, SB2124, SB2448, SB841, SB843, SB402, SB2662, SB2053, SB2332, SB2112, SB745, SB1247, SB1789, SB27, SB207, SB2938, SB1901, SB1227, SB1248, SB912, SB1321, SB2143, SB2145, SB1497, SB1239, SB2180, SB1388, SB1662, SB1951, SB1537, SB493, SB378, SB1020, SB1018, SB992, SB958, SB920, SB1350, SB1762, SB552, HCR109, SB2185, SB4, SB23, SB3, SJR2, SJR85, SB34, SB60, SB75, SB706, SB1814, SB1220, SB523, SB565, SB1253, SB840, SB764, SB2383, SB2155, SB1535, SB1405, SB1423, SB1566, SB1804, SB1728, SB1816, SB1952, SB1948, SB2037, SB2068, SB1455, SB213, SB243, SB627, SB646, SB670, SB896, SB917, SB1184, SB971, SB1255, SB1261, SB1283, SB1358, SB991, SB1733, SB21, SB231, SB739, SB1252, SB1371, HB2970, HB 109, SB2308

Keywords: property tax, homestead exemption, school funding, state aid, constitutional amendment, elderly, disabled, ad valorem taxation, school district funding, SJR 2, Senate Joint Resolution 2, property tax relief, school property tax, ad valorem tax, residence homestead, school district taxes, Texas Constitution Article VIII, public school finance, homeowner exemption, elderly exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• Let me do some cleanup from this morning. Go ahead and grab a seat. Mr. Chair. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, given the full docket of matters both chambers are dealing with at the moment, my apologies
• Unfortunately, given the<00:08:18.240> full<00:08:18.560> docket<00:08:18.960> of
• ><00:08:19.199> matters<00:08:20.160> both<00:08:20.425> [snorts] the full docket
• of matters both [snorts] the full docket of matters both [snorts] chambers<00:08:20.879> are<

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's just requiring that can cause a lot of problems for the docketing system and our clerks.
• that can cause a lot of problems<04:17:08.399> for<04:17:08.560> the<04:17:08.720> docketing
• <04:17:09.199> system<04:17:09.359> and problems for the docketing system and problems
• for the docketing system and our<04:17:09.760> clerks.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So they have that information when someone comes up on their parole docket.
• when someone comes up on<00:52:29.040> their<00:52:29.200> parole<00:52:29.680> docket
• /c><00:52:30.160> that<00:52:30.800> they<00:52:31.040> will on their parole docket
• that they will on their parole docket that they will have<00:52:31.520> everything<00:52:31.920

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• "Anything else for the docket?" "No, we're journ." "Thank you. Thank you much. Thank you.
• Anything<04:31:32.319> else<04:31:32.560> for<04:31:32.800> the<04:31:33.120> docket
• c><04:31:34.319> Go<04:31:34.479> to<04:31:34.640> the Anything else for the docket
• Go to the Anything else for the docket?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Funding Committee’s higher education subcommittee met to discuss HB 443, HB 510, and related issues. The chair explained the subcommittee membership and noted that Representative Luno was absent and replaced by Representative Bricky, with other full committee members allowed to participate in discussion but not final votes. No votes were taken during this meeting, and the chair said final subcommittee recommendations would likely come in the first week of November. On HB 443, which concerns terms of appointment to the Higher Education Commission, the chair described the bill as intended to let the governor replace members who are not attending or no longer representing the appointing organization. He said the prior governor supported the idea, but the current governor’s office believes the bill is unnecessary because nonattendance or loss of representation would already amount to resignation or removal. Members raised questions about legal authority and whether the same principle should apply to other boards. The chair said he was leaning toward finding the bill not needed, but would continue discussion later. The committee then spent most of the meeting on HB 510, which would establish due process rights for students, student organizations, and faculty at public higher education institutions and address collective bargaining issues. Supporters, including Representatives Papovich and Brown, argued the bill would provide clear, minimum protections, especially because campus rules are lengthy and vary by institution; Brown also suggested adding an independent ombudsman or representation for students. Opponents, including Representatives Burton and Bricky, said existing campus regulations already provide due process and that the bill could interfere with campus governance and collective bargaining. The chair and others discussed whether the bill’s definitions should be aligned with existing law to avoid confusion, and several members suggested using existing statutory definitions or cross-references. The chair also said the bill would apply only when disciplinary action is involved, not as a general challenge to DEI policies, though members referenced recent national examples involving DEI-related disputes as context.

Transcript Highlights:

• had a lengthy debate, I guess, at the last session where we're actually adding more cases to its docket
• had a lengthy debate, I guess, at the last session where we're actually adding more cases to its docket
• had a lengthy debate, I guess, at the last session where we're actually adding more cases to its docket
• had a lengthy debate, I guess, at the last session where we're actually adding more cases to its docket

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was a House budget briefing focused on the overall state budget and the first of three divisions. The presenter reviewed the size and structure of the budget, noting that the state had eliminated the interest and dividends tax and still balanced the budget. He explained the major spending categories in the general fund and total budget, emphasizing that health and human services and education remain the largest areas, while transportation is largely self-funded. He also walked through the revenue picture, including business taxes, insurance taxes, court fees, communications taxes, and Medicaid recoveries, and said the remaining interest and dividends tax revenue reflected late payments from prior assessments. Members asked about the size of the tax cut from eliminating the interest and dividends tax, federal funding stability, and why Medicaid was being reduced if federal support was expected to remain steady. The response was that the lost revenue would have been about $200 million absent repeal, and that the budget gap was addressed through many small cuts across departments. On federal funds, the presenter said most aid is tied to multi-year grants and that core programs such as Medicare and Medicaid were expected to remain relatively stable, though some federal reductions could occur. He also said some agency reductions came from eliminating long-vacant, funded positions and from expected lapses. The discussion then moved into Division One, which covers smaller and miscellaneous agencies. The division made cuts to the governor’s office, eliminated a temporary position at the Governor’s Commission on Disability, reduced Department of Information Technology spending through a back-of-budget cut, and found savings in Administrative Services. It also delayed maintenance at the Sununu Youth Services Center, stopped advertising for paid family medical leave, changed retiree health insurance funding, and consolidated several personnel-related boards into one. The division eliminated the Commission on Aging and the Office of the Child Advocate, made a temporary special education advocate position permanent, reduced the Secretary of State’s budget, kept municipal rooms-and-meals distributions flat, and made changes to the retirement system, including $55 million to improve Group 2 retirement benefits and a new retirement structure for future state hires. The judicial branch was also asked to find savings and received two additional judges because of expected caseload increases from other eliminations.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have today scheduled a work session on House Bill 71, so that's on the docket for Division 3
• adjusted authorized figure you will see is higher than state fiscal year 26 governor recommended. on the docket
• for division three on the docket for division three today<00:01:50.119> so<00:01:50.799> the
• So just as a refresher, this bill on the published docket came out of Education Policy and Administration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The House Finance Division 3 work session continued its review of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Medicaid budget and related policy issues, with CFO Nathan White and Medicaid Director Henry Litman presenting updated materials. The discussion focused on a crosswalk between the adjusted FY 2025 Medicaid budget and the governor’s FY 2026 recommendation, plus handouts showing service additions, eligibility changes, dental rates, and other Medicaid changes since 2019. The department also said it would provide a clearer breakdown of the pharmacy cost-sharing item by general, federal, and other funds. Members asked detailed questions about the Medicaid enhancement tax, the 80% plan, and how funds are allocated between hospital payments, directed payments, and DSH uncompensated care. The department explained that the MET is being used more toward rates and directed payments to better align with federal matching rules, while DSH remains important for uncompensated care. They also noted that a pending Senate Bill 249 would keep the 80% structure and move to Senate Finance. On the trigger law, the department identified the governing provision as Chapter 342:12, Laws of 2018, and explained that if the federal match for Medicaid expansion falls below 90%, the state must notify legislative leaders and participants and the program would sunset after 180 days unless the legislature acts. The committee also reviewed current Medicaid expansion enrollment and program trends. Officials said enrollment was just under 59,000 as of March 3, with about 87,000 people enrolled over the past year and more than a quarter-million residents having used the program over its lifetime. They said enrollment has fallen from a post-pandemic high of nearly 97,000 and may eventually settle in the low 50,000s. Finally, the department discussed federal DSH funding risk, saying New Hampshire could face a significant reduction if Congress does not extend current protections, which is part of why the state has shifted more funding toward payment rates and directed payments.

Transcript Highlights:

• abolishes a provision that times first hearings and typically saves a lot of time in the morning docket
• typically saves a lot of time in the uh typically saves a lot of time in the morning<04:54:31.558> docket
• > I'd<04:54:32.558> love<04:54:32.718> to<04:54:32.840> speak morning docket
• and I'd love to speak morning docket and I'd love to speak with<04:54:33.240> the<04:54:33.400

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• cheaper when the externalized costs of those of production are transferred to the public to pick up the cleanup
• cheaper when the externalized costs of those of production are transferred to the public to pick up the cleanup
• public to<01:43:06.400> pick<01:43:06.560> up<01:43:06.639> the<01:43:06.800> cleanup
• <01:43:08.159> Whether to pick up the cleanup costs.
• Whether to pick up the cleanup costs.

Bills: HF3898, HF3957, HF4372, HF4350, HF3692, HF4085

Keywords: pesticides, wild rice, environmental protection, agriculture, water quality, pollinators, training, management plan, fertilizer research, education grants, Minnesota Agricultural Council, technology transfer, agricultural productivity, HF4372, Minnesota agriculture, meat processing, meat processing training, retention incentive grants, grant extension, project deadline extension

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, this is just a little cleanup.
• Um, this is just a little cleanup.
• And I'll let the sponsor do the cleanup.
• > this<02:09:26.560> effectively<02:09:27.199> does cleanup.
• But what this effectively does cleanup.

Keywords: 916, all