Committee: Joint Highways and Transportation

Keywords: Highways and Transportation - Room 216, 21 January, 2026; 10:45 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Birmingham, Washington, and New York. Birmingham, Washington, and New York.
• </c> service every day makes this happen and service every day makes this happen and and<00:08:29.840
• </c> and our host railroad partner CSX and and our host railroad partner CSX and Northfor<00:08:31.919
• 00:08:52.080><c> and</c><00:08:52.240><c> and</c> in coach and 66 in business and and in coach and 66
• Thank you so much. >> Rise and report. >> Hey. roads and um we're just removing the roads and um we're

Committee: Joint Highways and Transportation

Keywords: Highways and Transportation - Room 216, January 14, 2026; 10:30 AM, 925, all

Keywords: Universities and Colleges - Room 216, December 11, 2025; 9:00 AM, 925, all

Keywords: Universities and Colleges - Room 216, December 10, 2025; 1:00 PM, 925, all

Keywords: Ways and Means - Room 113, Sept. 23, 2025; 1:30 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so it was requested that I remove them. And this is from...
• And so it was requested that I remove them.
• And this is from our own leader, attorney on the House side, and an attorney up in legislative council
• And so I am having an amendment crafted for this.
• And so I am having an amendment crafted for this purpose, and the idea of the sunset clause is, I was

Bills: HB1541

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs

Keywords: septic systems, environmental quality, public health, wastewater management, licensing and permitting, 908, all

Summary: The committee reconvened on April 4 to consider two bills. House Bill 1280, Representative Brandenberg’s bill on election approval of projects, was briefly discussed after the chair said legislative council had raised constitutional concerns and the bill could invite lawsuits. Despite that caution, a member moved a do pass recommendation, it was seconded, and the committee approved HB 1280 by roll call vote. The committee then turned to House Bill 1318. The chair explained that after consulting attorneys, the phrase “notwithstanding any other provision of law” in line 7 was considered problematic and would be removed through a crafted amendment. He also said the proposed sunset clause was not a good idea and indicated the bill would be held until the following Thursday morning to allow further review. A member asked about other lines, and the chair said those provisions remained as previously amended. The committee discussed procedural handling of the bill, including whether reconsideration of a prior motion was needed, and confirmed the bill would remain in committee. No further action was taken before adjournment.

Keywords: Local and Private - Room 409, 28 March, 2025; 10:45 A.M., 925, all

Keywords: Highways and Transportation - Room 216, 26 March, 2025; 2:00 PM, 925, all

Keywords: Local and Private - Room 210; 26 March, 2025: 9:00 AM, 925, all

Keywords: Universities and Colleges - Room 409, 20 March, 2025; 9:00 A.M., 925, all

Keywords: Local and Private - Room 409, 18 March, 2025; 9:30 A.M., 925, all

Keywords: Local and Private - Room 409, 11 March, 2025; 12:30 PM., 925, all

Keywords: Highways and Transportation - Room 409, 4 March, 2025; 11:00 A.M., 925, all

Keywords: Universities and Colleges - Room 210; 3 March, 2025: 3:00 PM, 925, all

Keywords: Highways and Transportation - Room 216, 28 February, 2025; 9:30 AM, 925, all

Keywords: Universities and Colleges - Room 409, 3 February, 2025; 3:00 P.M., 925, all

Keywords: Universities and Colleges - Room 409, 30 January, 2025; 3:30 P.M., 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the cost of converting all that stuff goes up and up and up, and sometime it's got to be done.
• And the cost is just going to continue to go up and up and up.
• and grow and grow every year.
• and furniture and remember that?
• And then you walk in and there's nobody there. And then you walk in and there's nobody there.

Bills: SB 1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee began with Article I budget items for the Secretary of State. LBB staff outlined recommendations that would reduce the agency’s appropriation by about $40.3 million, including changes to HAVA funding, removal of one-time business system replacement money, and a rider directing the agency to use Fund 5095 first. Secretary Jane Nelson and staff then defended several exceptional items, especially additional staffing for elections and business filings, a new website, digitization of records, cybersecurity tools, and renovation of the James Earl Rudder Building. Members focused heavily on election administration, cross-checking voter rolls, Harris County complaints, call-center response times, and whether online voter registration should be expanded. No votes were taken; the discussion was informational and budget-focused. The committee then heard the Office of the Governor and trustee programs. LBB presented a recommended $2.4 million decrease for the governor’s office proper and a much larger decrease in trustee programs driven by one-time funding and unexpended balances, while still preserving major border security funding and victim assistance funding. Governor’s staff emphasized Texas’ economic growth, the importance of border security, and efforts to seek federal reimbursement for the roughly $11 billion Texas has spent on border operations. Members discussed whether shifting National Guard deployment to federal control could reduce state costs, and they also reviewed the music incubator program, the Governor’s University Research Initiative, and the semiconductor innovation consortium. Staff highlighted a $5 million late-added request for grants to protect nonprofits from violence and terrorism. Again, the exchange was largely explanatory, with no formal action. Finally, the committee took up the Texas Facilities Commission and lease payments for revenue bonds. LBB recommended major reductions overall, including removal of border wall construction funding and capital complex bond funding, but added money for higher utility costs, renovation of the Rudder Building, and additional facilities staff. George Purcell also noted stable maintenance-and-renewal funding and new riders related to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission building, tenant communications, and space utilization. For lease payments, LBB recommended a smaller appropriation tied to revenue-bond costs allocated across agencies. The discussion was informational, with members asking about the Rudder Building renovation, border wall progress, and capital complex construction timelines; no votes were recorded.

Keywords: Highways and Transportation - Room 216, 29 January, 2025; 2:00 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Which, because we did it on several... Well, Texas Parks and Wildlife. Oh, yes.
• We have had several offers from different foundations to renovate the courthouse, and we'll make some
• Several systems and their sponsors still have significant work to do, but overall the state has made
• But we now have several opportunities to improve and enhance those systems.
• Part 1 and state contributions are not sufficient to provide the normal cost and unfunded liabilities

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations from the Legislative Budget Board and agency officials on several agencies, starting with the Texas Historical Commission. LBB described a large biennial reduction driven mainly by the removal of one-time funding and discussed capital projects, rider changes, and exceptional items including Presidio La Bahia and the National Museum of the Pacific War. Senators asked about heritage trails, courthouse grants, unexpended balance authority, and the status of historical-site funding. Historical Commission leadership emphasized preservation, courthouse restoration, heritage tourism, coordination with the Alamo and other Texas Revolution sites, and requested additional IT, staffing, and vehicle funding. No votes were taken. The committee then reviewed the Pension Review Board and the Employees Retirement System. The Pension Review Board’s budget was largely unchanged aside from IT maintenance and salary adjustments, with an exceptional item for additional IT enhancements. Members discussed the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System’s funding dispute and the need for a workable restoration plan. ERS presented a much larger budget, including funding for the retirement system, the group benefits plan, and the legacy payment intended to reduce unfunded liability. Senators focused heavily on pension investment returns, benchmark comparisons, and rising health-care costs, especially pharmacy spending driven by GLP-1 drugs; ERS said the plan covers about 540,000 lives and that premiums would rise 8% while benefits remain unchanged. ERS also said it had no exceptional items, and committee members requested more detailed benchmark information. The committee also heard from the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. TESSORS reported an unfunded liability, an infinite amortization period, and requested additional state support, staffing, and IT funding, including a statutory change to allow a higher contribution level; the agency warned that without more funding it may have to cut benefits. CEPRIT’s presentation covered its bond-funded cancer research and prevention portfolio, revenue-sharing from funded projects, and a request to increase salary limits for its CEO and chief scientific officer. Senators questioned CEPRIT’s accomplishments and return on investment, while CEPRIT cited screening, prevention, and research outcomes, including tens of thousands of detected cancers and precursors and hundreds of thousands of first-time screenings. The meeting ended after these presentations and questions, with no recorded committee action or vote.