Transcript Highlights:

• We do not have a forum as of yet, so we will operate as a subcommittee.
• It only risks overriding the federal authority that governs how COCs operate.
• I am a state-licensed pyrotechnic operator speaking on my own behalf.
• It is also generally operating on very low, very narrow margins.
• This can result in major delays and can interrupt port operations.

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of local government and housing-related bills, with testimony often centered on regional coordination, permitting reform, and local control. SB 802 by Senator Ashby would require Sacramento-area jurisdictions to form a joint powers authority to coordinate homelessness and housing response; supporters argued the region has long lacked accountability and coordination, while Sacramento County, Folsom, and others opposed the mandate as an unprecedented state-imposed JPA. The bill drew extensive support from local officials, business groups, service providers, and advocates, and opposition from county, city, and nonprofit representatives who said a local process was already underway. Committee members expressed support for the concept, but the bill was held pending a quorum and later discussed again with strong encouragement for regional collaboration. The committee also heard SB 222, SB 677, SB 908, SB 226, SB 828, and SB 1193. SB 222 would streamline permitting for residential heat pump and water heater installations; supporters said it would lower costs and speed clean-energy adoption, while local government groups argued the main barrier is upfront cost, not permits. SB 677 would curb what the author described as abusive appeals and delays in affordable housing approvals, with developers testifying about frivolous subdivision map appeals and TEFRA hearing delays; the California Native Plant Society sought an amendment to preserve appeals on habitat lands. SB 908 would simplify permits for energy-code-compliant window replacements, and SB 226 would clarify financing authority for a West Sacramento baseball stadium proposal; both passed unanimously. SB 828, prompted by the Esparto fireworks warehouse explosion, would tighten fireworks storage and licensing rules, expand inspection and seizure authority, and increase fines; it also passed unanimously after testimony from fire officials and a pyrotechnic operator who opposed it unless amended. SB 1193, a county-specific Alameda County transparency bill, generated the sharpest debate. The author argued it would prevent waste, favoritism, and conflicts of interest in discretionary spending by requiring board approval, a public spending log, and clearer whistleblower procedures. Alameda County and county associations opposed it as overly broad and burdensome, saying existing processes already provide transparency and that the bill would reduce flexibility during fiscal stress. After committee questions about the bill’s purpose and the county’s current practices, the measure passed 7-0, with the author indicating willingness to accept an amendment restoring a four-fifths vote threshold. The committee then moved out of order to SB 1090, which would impose a temporary moratorium on state housing density laws in Altadena through 2030 in response to post-fire displacement concerns. The author said the bill is intended to protect long-term residents from investor-driven redevelopment after the Eaton Fire, while acknowledging amendments to align the moratorium with affordable housing development timelines. The transcript cuts off during the presentation of this bill, so no final action is shown for SB 1090 in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• It includes a $15,000 warehouse and 1.06 acres.
• It includes a $15,000 warehouse and 1.06 acres, and it's going to be used to expand university surplus
• Number one is with the Division of County Operations.
• Number one is with the Division of County Operations.
• This is for consulting services to support the UA System enterprise operations and onboarding of new

Committee: All ALC-REVIEW

Transcript Highlights:

• What this specifically applies to is the old warehouse, for what I will refer to as the old warehouse
• Um the Senate as the old warehouse.
• </c> the new warehouse. the new warehouse.
• ,</c> the balance on the new warehouse, the balance on the new warehouse, towards<00:09:04.680><c> the
• defray</c> towards the new warehouse to defray towards the new warehouse to defray those<00:09:06.280

Committee: Joint Public Property

Transcript Highlights:

• live customer support line during hours of operation, require operators to provide quarterly reports
• occurred, which was a request from one of the operators.
• providing a police report or other report if it's requested by the operator.
• for all owned-and-operated systems.
• fully operating themselves.

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The House Committee on Commerce met on May 11, 2026, with a quorum present and took up a series of Senate bills, a resolution, and one House bill. The committee reported favorably Senate Bill 79 to recreate Louisiana Economic Development, Senate Concurrent Resolution 5 to establish the Louisiana-Ireland Trade Commission, Senate Bill 375 on firefighting foam with amendments clarifying use in declared emergencies, Senate Bill 398 moving manufactured and modular housing oversight under the Contractors Licensing Board with technical and substantive amendments, Senate Bill 163 on virtual currency business licensing with an amendment providing for federal preemption if Congress enacts a national licensing regime, and Senate Bill 287 on virtual currency kiosks with consumer-protection provisions and technical amendments. The committee also reported favorably House Resolution 197, as amended, urging the Public Service Commission to study distributed energy generation and storage resources with LSU involvement, and Senate Bill 54, which would allow estheticians to blow-dry hair after certain services; that bill drew extensive testimony from supporters and opponents in the cosmetology and aesthetics industries before being reported favorably. Several bills prompted detailed discussion and testimony. On Senate Bill 398, the sponsor and Contractors Licensing Board representatives said the change would improve enforcement and consumer safety for manufactured-home installation, especially tie-downs, leveling, and foundation blocking, while not affecting HUD-regulated construction. On the virtual currency bills, OFI said it currently licenses 37 virtual currency businesses with 33 pending applications, and supporters described the kiosk bill as a response to fraud complaints by requiring clearer disclosures, refund procedures, live customer support, and reporting to OFI. For House Resolution 197, the sponsor, PSC officials, and energy stakeholders said the study would examine the value of distributed energy resources, including rooftop solar and battery storage, in light of rising demand and grid reliability concerns; PSC staff and LSU energy experts described the study as focused on market value and avoided-cost benefits. House Bill 744, which would have shifted regulation of certain New Orleans utilities from the city council to the PSC, generated discussion about constitutional history, rate impacts, and utility consolidation. PSC officials and the sponsor said the current city-council regulation is a constitutional exception dating back to 1921, and they argued that PSC regulation could reduce costs and simplify oversight, but the sponsor ultimately moved to defer the bill rather than force a floor fight, and the committee agreed. The committee then began consideration of Senate Bill 386, the Louisiana Data Privacy Act, adopting technical amendments and then a larger amendment package that revised definitions and compliance provisions; the transcript ends while that bill’s amendment process is still underway, with no final action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• live customer support line during hours of operation, require operators to provide quarterly reports
• occurred, which was a request from one of the operators.
• for all own-and-operated systems.
• an exception for all own and operated.
• fully operating themselves.

Bills: HB744 , HR197 , SB54 , SB79 , SB163 , SB287 , SB375 , SB386 , SB398 , SB469 , SCR5

Committees: House Commerce , House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Keywords: public utility, common carrier, regulation, Public Service Commission, New Orleans, constitutional amendment, distributed energy, energy storage, electricity demand, virtual power plants, reliability, hurricane resilience, esthetics, cosmetology, hair services, beauty industry, Louisiana regulation, Louisiana Economic Development, sunset law, legislative authority

Transcript Highlights:

• Item two discusses TDEM's regional warehouses and staging areas.
• at the warehouses.
• I have behind me my CFO and my Deputy Agency Director and slash Chief Operations Officer.
• In the last 61 months, 58 independent activations of the state emergency operation.
• regional emergency operations center space.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Article III

Transcript Highlights:

• And the Williamson Act operates by providing a lower tax assessment level—not a rate, but the actual
• Keith Dunn here today on behalf of the California State Council of Laborers, the Operating Engineers,
• This bill is the Clean Energy Safety Act of 2025, which ensures the safe development and operation of
• Additionally, we represent the workers who build, maintain, and operate these facilities.
• Additionally, we represent the workers who build, maintain, and operate these facilities.

Committee: House Local Government

Summary: The committee began with housekeeping and then took up SB 753 by Senator Cortese, a bill to update California’s shopping cart recovery law. The author and supporters from San Jose, the League of California Cities, counties, and water districts argued the bill would let local governments retrieve abandoned carts immediately, return them directly to retailers, and recover documented costs, rather than storing carts for 30 days. Retail groups and grocers opposed the measure, saying carts are stolen property, that the bill could create a new revenue stream for cities, and that retailers should retain a first right of retrieval without added fees. Members debated notice periods, cost caps, and local control, and the author agreed to continue working on amendments. The committee adopted the bill as amended and passed it 6-0. The committee then heard SB 445 by Senator Wiener, which would speed up third-party permits and approvals for high-speed rail projects. The author said the bill was narrowed from an earlier broader transit proposal and now focuses on requiring early engagement, clear rules, and binding arbitration to prevent utilities, cities, and other entities from delaying a state-approved project. Supporters said permitting delays add major costs and can hold projects hostage; opponents from utilities, cities, counties, telecoms, and special districts said they were concerned about impacts on safety, reliability, affordability, and local authority, though many said they were willing to keep working on amendments. The committee sent SB 445 to the Utilities and Energy Committee on an 8-1 vote. Finally, the committee heard SB 9 by Senator Wiener, a narrower housing bill dealing with accessory dwelling units. The bill would require local ADU ordinances to be submitted to HCD for review and would make state standards apply if a local agency fails to submit a compliant ordinance or respond to HCD findings within the required time. Supporters from housing and YIMBY groups said the measure would improve enforcement of state ADU law and prevent local barriers from slowing housing production. There was no opposition testimony, and the committee passed the bill 6-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• Operational impacts, fiscal impacts, and, again, I cannot stress this enough, prolonged delivery times
• It's affecting our operational readiness.
• Cal Fire operates 537 fire engines, 300 of which currently meet replacement criteria.
• I know you guys are operating on a way larger scale than I am.
• What are they planning to do as far as their current operations when they do merge?

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on the rising cost and long delivery times for fire apparatus and related equipment, with opening remarks stressing that aging fleets, supply chain problems, and delayed replacements are affecting emergency readiness across California. Cal OES and Cal Fire described statewide procurement challenges, including higher prices, multi-year delivery timelines, two-year encumbrance limits, and the strain on mutual aid when engines remain in service beyond their intended replacement cycles. Cal Fire said it operates 537 engines, with 300 meeting replacement criteria and 243 at least 16 years old, and explained the difference between mandatory contracts and one-time acquisitions. The Department of General Services said vendors have cited labor costs, chassis pricing, and the need for longer production timelines, while also noting that statewide contracts can include nominal price increases but not open-ended price hikes. Local fire chiefs from Santa Barbara County, Los Angeles County, Napa, and Fullerton testified that apparatus prices have risen sharply while delivery times have stretched from under a year to three to five years or more. They described specific examples of engines and ladder trucks costing far more than prior purchases and arriving years later, forcing departments to keep older reserve apparatus in service, spend more on maintenance, and defer other budget priorities. Several witnesses said industry consolidation has reduced competition and contributed to delays and price increases, with Los Angeles County and Fullerton noting they have pursued antitrust complaints and litigation against major manufacturers. Napa also described proprietary parts and software limiting in-house repairs, and Santa Barbara County said a vendor’s unfulfilled delivery promise caused the department to lose its place in line. Members asked about possible solutions, including whether the state should consider manufacturing apparatus itself, whether procurement rules or prototype requirements could be streamlined, whether DGS staffing or contract processes could be accelerated, and whether more stable long-term purchasing commitments would help manufacturers plan production. Witnesses said safety-driven specification changes are necessary but can add time, and that the main bottlenecks are industry capacity, consolidation, and vendor performance. The vice chair raised concerns about how grant funding windows and local matching requirements are affected by multi-year delays, especially for small and rural departments that rely on grants and on used apparatus passed down from larger agencies. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded with committee members indicating interest in possible legislative, regulatory, and antitrust follow-up.

Transcript Highlights:

• Strangers poked and prodded his body like a live game of Operation.
• Inside, they found a horror show: a warehouse filled with decomposing arms, legs, and heads.
• Two years ago, when NADOs were permitted to come into the state to operate.
• He’s just some dude operating a channel on YouTube to get views because it was sensationalism.
• Senator Parker, what authority, if any, are these body harvesters operating under?

Bills: SB1406 , SB1681 , SB2480 , SB2721

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Keywords: body donation, medical science, forensic science, willed body program, informed consent, boarding home, boarding home facility, adult care home, group home, assisted living, county reporting, municipal reporting, annual report, reasonable accommodation, fair housing, disability accommodation, local ordinance, permit requirement, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, HHSC

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 2480, which would clarify that the Texas Medical Board may collect license renewal surcharge fees from all licensees to fund the Texas Physician Health Program and related administrative costs. The bill author explained the funding fix was needed after prior language was found to allow surcharges only for physicians and physician assistants. Witnesses from the Texas Physician Health Program supported the measure and described the program’s confidential monitoring and treatment services; members asked about the fee amount, which was described as capped at $15 per two-year registration cycle. The bill was left pending. The committee then took up Senate Bills 1406 and 2721, both authored by Senator Parker, addressing the handling of human remains by non-transplant anatomical donation organizations, willed body programs, and related facilities. Senator Parker and several witnesses described alleged abuses involving unclaimed bodies, consent problems, body leasing, hotel-based dissections, and mishandling of cremains, and argued for strict licensing, inspections, transparency, and criminal penalties. Supporters included families of deceased veterans and other relatives, a biomedical ethicist, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, and some public safety and hotel industry representatives who said legitimate training should continue but bad actors should be shut down. Opponents or cautious witnesses from accredited donation organizations and bioskills labs said they support stronger oversight but warned the bills could unintentionally disrupt legitimate medical education and urged clearer language and implementation of existing law. Both bills were left pending. Senate Bill 1681, by Senator Menendez, would require counties and municipalities that regulate boarding homes to report facility standards and related information to the Health and Human Services Commission. The author said the bill is intended to improve state oversight of boarding homes that serve elderly and disabled residents and to address abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The bill was left pending after brief discussion. After the testimony portion, the committee returned to voting on pending business and unanimously reported Senate Bills 527, 912, 1580, 1952, and 2032 to the Senate with recommendations that they do pass and be printed, and each was also recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 407 and reported the substitute favorably, with six ayes and three nays. The committee then moved on to Senate Bill 500 as pending business.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if something is not done about how ORES operates, how it's insulated from the DEC, we are going to
• And there are some additional bills here to make sure that PSC is building on warehouses or building
• And there are some additional bills here to make sure that PSC is building on warehouses or building
• on parking spaces instead of obviously. on warehouses or building on parking spaces instead of obviously
• I would say that the number one issue here is how ORES is operating.

Committee: Senate Energy And Telecommunications

Summary: The Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, chaired by Senator Kevin Parker, considered several Public Service Law bills and advanced each one to the Rules Committee after brief discussion and recorded no votes or without-recommendation votes on some measures. The bills included proposals to prohibit utilities from using ratepayer funds for certain activities (1012A), establish minimum standards for payment plans for eligible customers (1327), adjust residential fixed charges (1329), require the Public Service Commission to consider economic impacts when setting rates (1847), require utilities to adopt PSC-authorized equity ratios and returns on equity (1896), create the Rate-Hike Notice Act (5553C), suspend certain utility rate changes while allowing retroactive revenue recovery (5593), allow consideration of non-economic losses in penalty determinations (7165A), change the composition of the Public Service Commission (7328A), and let utilities retain revenues above authorized returns on equity (7693). Members asked questions about who would be affected by the bills, including whether fixed-charge reductions would apply to vacant units or vacation homes and whether economic-impact considerations could affect customers differently depending on where they live; the chair and sponsors generally explained the measures as territory-wide or applicable to all residential customers, with no occupancy or income-based circuit breaker in the text. The committee then heard testimony from Alexandra Fasulo, introduced as an entrepreneur and farmer in Schuylerville, about her concerns regarding the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) and utility-scale solar development on farmland and grasslands. She argued that solar developers were pressuring landowners, including older and lower-income property owners, into long-term leases, that ORES approves most projects despite local opposition, and that the process lacks transparency, with redacted documents and limited public access to information. She also criticized the siting of solar projects on productive farmland and said decommissioning rules could leave equipment buried in the soil. Committee members responded that the Legislature has already taken steps to protect high-quality soils, that ORES was created by statute and operates within the Public Service Department, and that DEC and ORES are supposed to work together rather than ORES superseding DEC. Several senators said they were sympathetic to concerns about farmland and community engagement, but also emphasized the need to expand renewable energy and balance that with land preservation. Members suggested that specific complaints about ORES transparency or solar siting could be addressed through future legislation or by inviting ORES and PSC officials back for further discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, I can speak to how repatriation efforts are currently operating at UC Santa Barbara and share
• Then another thing is that... ...with that money, we could also have our own warehouses where we come
• could have the same warehouse. does our people get to come home, you know?
• we could have the same warehouse.
• Same, how they have our baskets stored in a warehouse, we could have the same warehouse.

Summary: The joint hearing of the Select Committee on Native American Affairs and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee focused on the University of California’s compliance with NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA and the return of Native American human remains and cultural items. Senators and Assembly Members opened by emphasizing the sacredness of repatriation, the ongoing trauma caused by delayed returns, and the need for stronger systemwide accountability. The State Auditor presented the third audit of UC’s repatriation efforts, concluding that UC still lacks the urgency, oversight, and clear timelines needed to promptly return remains and belongings. The audit found thousands of remains and hundreds of thousands of cultural items still in UC custody, new undisclosed collections at several campuses, weak budgeting and underspending, and repatriation plans that often lacked concrete deadlines. The auditor recommended stronger UCOP oversight, performance metrics, proactive searches for undiscovered items, and possible legislative action to tie funding to measurable progress. UC officials responded that the system is committed to full compliance and has accelerated its work since adopting a new policy in 2022. UC Provost Catherine Newman said the system repatriated more than 2,800 ancestors and nearly 80,000 funerary belongings in the past year, and that UC now says 80.3% of Native American remains are either repatriated or available for repatriation. UC announced a new systemwide plan to complete repatriation of human remains by the end of 2028, to finish high-risk campus reviews by June 2026, to recall all loans by January 2026, and to require quarterly reporting to UCOP. UC also said it will spend an additional $8.8 million over three years, expand staffing, improve databases, support tribal consultation costs, and identify potential reburial sites on UC land. Berkeley and San Diego described increased staffing, consultations, and repatriation activity, while Santa Barbara said it had corrected earlier omissions, notified tribes about previously unreported ancestors, and was working toward completing repatriations and updated inventories. Committee members pressed UC on why progress has been so slow, why the audit’s timelines differed from UC’s public reporting, and whether the 2028 goal applies only to human remains rather than all cultural items. UC said the 2028 target is for human remains, while cultural items will take longer, and acknowledged that more work remains. Members also asked about the technical expertise needed for repatriation, the role of tribal experts, and whether repatriation should be embedded more permanently in UC governance or statute. Tribal leaders and representatives then testified that remains and belongings were taken without consent and must be returned with tribal consent and leadership. They criticized the repeated delays, stressed that tribes are the experts on their ancestors and cultural heritage, and urged UC to treat repatriation as a top priority and to return all associated items, not just human remains, so ancestors can truly rest.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, I can speak to how repatriation efforts are currently operating at UC Santa Barbara and share
• Then another thing is that With that money, we could also have our own warehouses where we come from
• we could have the same warehouse. does our people get to come home, you know?
• we could have the same warehouse.
• Same, how they have our baskets stored in a warehouse, we could have the same warehouse.

Summary: The joint hearing of the Select Committee on Native American Affairs and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee focused on the University of California’s compliance with NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA and the return of Native American human remains and cultural items. Senators and Assembly Members opened by emphasizing the sacredness of repatriation, the ongoing trauma caused by delayed returns, and the need for stronger systemwide accountability. The State Auditor presented the third audit of UC’s repatriation efforts, concluding that UC still lacked urgency, clear goals, and performance metrics, and that campuses continued to hold thousands of remains and hundreds of thousands of cultural items. The auditor said some campuses had discovered previously undocumented collections, that budgets were not always fully used for repatriation work, and that at current rates some campuses could take decades to finish, with Berkeley projected to need far longer than other campuses. The auditor recommended stronger UCOP oversight, clearer timelines, proactive searches, and possible legislative action to tie funding to measurable progress. UC officials responded that the system had made substantial recent progress and was now moving faster under a new systemwide approach. UC Provost Catherine Newman apologized for the university’s past actions, said UC had repatriated more than 2,800 ancestors and nearly 80,000 funerary belongings in the past year, and announced a goal of completing repatriation of remaining human remains by the end of 2028. She said UC would complete high-risk campus reviews by June 2026, update campus plans with clearer timelines by December, provide quarterly reports, add more than $8.8 million in new resources, support tribal consultation costs, and explore 20 potential reburial sites on UC land. UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons said Berkeley had accelerated consultations and repatriations, had a dedicated NAGPRA team, and was also targeting 2028 for human remains. UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara coordinators described new staff, database improvements, campus surveys, and additional consultations, while Santa Barbara said outstanding loan collections were scheduled to be returned in the fall. Committee members pressed UC on why progress had been so slow, whether the 2028 goal applied to all remains and items or only human remains, why public reporting did not always match the audit’s broader counts of potential cultural items, and what expertise was still lacking. UC said the legal and technical work requires archival, osteological, geographic, and other specialized skills, but tribal leaders stressed that tribes themselves are the true experts and that consultation must be led with them, not around them. Tribal witnesses from Tachi Yokut, Chumash, Redding Rancheria, Amah Mutsun, and Tule River described the issue as a matter of dignity, healing, and transparency, criticized the pace of repatriation, and urged that all associated cultural items be returned with the remains so ancestors can rest. No formal votes were taken in the transcript, but the hearing concluded with commitments to continued oversight, updated reporting, and further discussion of statutory or policy changes to make repatriation a lasting UC priority.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> you're heading through the warehouse you're heading through the warehouse district,<00:43:30.560
• <c> space,</c><00:47:01.520><c> vacant</c> Old warehouses to office space, vacant Old warehouses to office
• </c><01:16:43.679><c> levy</c> $0. $0 for voterapproved operating levy $0. $0 for voterapproved operating
• </c> operating levies. operating levies.
• Thank you. faced challenges in passing operating faced challenges in passing operating referendums.<01

Bills: HF1833 , HF148 , HF1127 , HF1227 , HF1681 , HF1974 , HF1106 , HF1016 , HF2197

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: sales tax, education funding, construction, Aitkin Public Schools, tax exemption, refundable credit, HF148, use of force training, deadly force, peace officer training, police training, law enforcement, POST Board, Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training, scenario-based training, de-escalation, defensive tactics, force-on-force training, stress management, officer wellness

Transcript Highlights:

• Hyperscale data center developers and operators argue that secrecy is needed for a competitive advantage
• argue that developers and operators argue that secrecy<00:19:08.640><c> is</c><00:19:08.800><c> needed
• <00:21:19.800><c> allowing</c><00:21:20.240><c> them</c><00:21:20.400><c> to</c><00:21:20.520><c> operate
• </c> to sign them, allowing them to operate to sign them, allowing them to operate with<00:21:21.080>
• You will see, like when, you know, when a warehouse comes to your town that people want, they're all

Transcript Highlights:

• We bring it into warehouses in the state, and then we facilitate schools ordering that food and ship
• Those trucks are already going, those warehouses are already stood up, so it's leveraging that system
• From an operational perspective, this also makes financial sense.
• From an operational perspective, this also makes financial sense.
• I serve as the Chief Finance and Operations for the Issaquah School District.

Bills: HB2142 , HB2369 , HB2432

Committee: House Education

Keywords: remote learning, hybrid learning, education reform, alternative education, student engagement, local food, public schools, nutrition, sustainability, agriculture, technology access, educational resources, surplus hardware, student support

Transcript Highlights:

• Because, as was testified earlier today, we do believe that pest control operators...
• As was testified earlier today, we do believe that pest control operators that are operating here in
• operating on the ground.
• And I don't believe that they're contracting with any private pest control operator.
• County fair boards operate as governing boards. They always have.

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:11:30.440><c> budget</c> turn adds cost to our operating budget turn adds cost to our operating
• </c> two-thirds of the boiler operational two-thirds of the boiler operational capacity<00:11:40.639>
• </c> we have one boiler that's only operating we have one boiler that's only operating at<00:11:45.480
• </c> located actually at the warehouse located actually at the warehouse facility<00:17:47.240><c> um
• They oversee our operations.

Summary: The committee heard a Department of Corrections capital budget presentation on HB 25, focused largely on urgent maintenance and security needs at the New Hampshire State Prison for Men and other DOC facilities. DOC officials described the governor’s proposed priorities: boiler surge and radiator tank replacements, electronic controls and camera upgrades, and replacement of HVAC units using R22 refrigerant. They also outlined additional requested projects totaling $15.4 million, including a body alarm/man-down system at Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility, steam line and trap repairs, fire alarm replacements, and removal of an underground diesel tank in favor of above-ground storage. DOC testified that many systems are well beyond their expected service life, including 40-year-old boilers, outdated analog cameras, and HVAC equipment using discontinued R22 refrigerant. They said the men’s prison is relying on a leased temporary boiler, has significant steam leaks causing major water loss and reduced boiler efficiency, and is dealing with frequent fire alarm faults and deteriorating wiring. On the body alarm system, they said the vendor no longer supports the equipment and replacement parts are no longer available. On the diesel tank, members questioned whether it could be abandoned in place or whether fuel could be reused; DOC said it had not explored all alternatives and would follow up, while noting the tank is underground and tied into the warehouse system. Members also asked whether some current investments could be reused in the planned new men’s prison. DOC said some items, such as air handlers, might potentially be moved, but most projects are needed to keep the current facility operational and would not be practical to transfer. Questions were also raised about the leased boiler arrangement, the use of the man-down system by staff and visitors, and whether the kitchen project could be converted to a modular unit. DOC said the modular kitchen approach is necessary because the existing kitchen cannot remain fully operational during repairs. The committee then moved to lapse extensions, and DOC identified several projects no longer needing extensions, including items numbered 64, 65, and 66 in HB 25, with the chair noting those balances would be deleted and that the lapse amount was $550,500.

Transcript Highlights:

• Operation Lone Star, just DPS.
• So the Mexican cartels operate differently, yes, than they do even in Mexico.
• As the Operations Manager of a venue that hosts everything...
• Operation Lone Star, Operation Stone Garden.
• They have their part-times or their Operation Stone Garden, whatever.

Bills: HB 1065 , HB2929 , HB2956 , HB3009 , HB3420 , HB3626 , HB3649 , HB4956 , HB4993 , HB5293 , HB5308 , HB5528 , HCR118 , SB36 , HB4023 , SB 36

Committee: House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: employee classification, private security, misclassification, workforce regulations, Texas Workforce Commission, autism, peace officers, training program, law enforcement, intervention, communication, developmental disability, family violence, central database, criminal offense, registration, public safety, violent offenses, criminal database, Department of Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Can you do that in the lack of our knowledge on how to operate this system?
• when he sources... ...amount of capital that is in inventory in his warehouse when he sources feed additives
• So if he sources rice bran and he's got a warehouse full of it ready for hunting season, and then we
• don't have studies on what people feed exactly, but for retailers, you know, it all comes into a warehouse
• don't have studies on what people feed exactly, but for retailers, you know, it all comes into a warehouse

Summary: The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission/task force met on April 17, 2026, with a quorum present. Members adopted the agenda and prior minutes, then received an update on the chronic wasting disease (CWD) index case in Washington Parish. Staff explained that a hunter-submitted deer tested positive in January 2026, the case was confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory, and an emergency declaration was issued March 11 to extend the CWD control area into portions of Washington and surrounding parishes. The update also reviewed baiting restrictions in enhanced mitigation and buffer zones, the 180-day duration of the emergency declaration, and the department’s website tools for locating affected areas. The commission then agreed to table its own CWD task force recommendations while Senate Concurrent Resolution 24 was being considered during the legislative session. Senator Womack summarized SCR 24 as a “reset” of CWD policy. He said it would set a 1.5% apparent prevalence trigger, require at least 300 samples, shorten the management zone from 25 miles to 15 miles, and allow baiting/supplemental feeding from the opening of deer season through March 31 unless the trigger is met. He said the resolution would also help address feral hog issues and restore more normal hunting and economic conditions. Commission and staff members clarified that the resolution would not affect deer pens or livestock under the Department of Agriculture, and that if sampling goals are not met, feed bans would apply the following year. Several stakeholders testified on the economic and management impacts. Louisiana Farm Bureau representatives supported the effort to find a workable solution but asked for clarity on how the resolution would be implemented, especially whether emergency declarations would immediately impose new restrictions. They emphasized the need to avoid discouraging deer sampling and to consider impacts on feed suppliers, landowners, and hunting leases. A written statement from Vic Blanchard of the Louisiana Landowners Association opposed SCR 24 and HCR 4, arguing that easing restrictions would worsen CWD spread and undermine wildlife management. Other speakers said the resolution should preserve economic planning for feed businesses and allow the commission to continue monitoring disease prevalence. After public comment, the commission voted to table its recommendations and then adjourned without taking a vote on SCR 24 itself.

Transcript Highlights:

• Can you do that, in the lack of our knowledge on how to operate this system? No problem.
• Chairman, I won't read it all out, but talks about the amount of capital that is in inventory in his warehouse
• when he sources The amount of capital that is in inventory in his warehouse when he sources feed additives
• So if he sources rice bran and he's got a warehouse full of it ready for hunting season, and then we
• don't have studies on what people feed exactly, but for retailers, you know, it all comes into a warehouse

Summary: The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission met on April 17, 2026, with a quorum present, adopted the agenda and prior minutes, and then focused primarily on chronic wasting disease (CWD) management in light of a new positive deer detection in Washington Parish. Staff explained that the March 11 declaration of emergency expanded the CWD control area into portions of Washington and surrounding parishes, including parts of Morehouse, Union, Lincoln, and Jackson, and that the emergency rule remains in effect for 180 days unless rescinded earlier. The commission also discussed the task force’s report and recommendations, but the chair indicated those recommendations would be tabled pending legislative action on Senate Concurrent Resolution 24 (SCR 24)."} 0}