Transcript Highlights:

• I'm an Assistant Attorney General with the Office of the Attorney General.
• Of those, about 120 were assistance or advice with authorizations and uncontested SAPSRs.
• We've also assisted with access to education, assistance with special education, obtaining Medicaid,
• Our second largest category of rejections, which we don't assist with.
• As an attorney and an assistant DA here in Travis County, I did that for many years.

Bills: HB557 , HB732 , HB1892 , HB1954 , HB2301 , HB3180 , HB3405 , HB3650 , HB3758 , HB4035 , HB4621 , HB4795 , HB4870 , HB5069 , HB5137 , HB5149

Committee: House S/C on Family & Fiduciary Relationships

Keywords: child support, arrears, court enforcement, contempt, legal protections, healthcare, insurance, cost reduction, accessibility, regulations, impotency, marriage annulment, Family Code, Texas law, family law, Texas legislation, dissolution of marriage, annulment, marriage, child custody

Transcript Highlights:

• Tilton, Texas Assisted Living Association, neutral on the bill. Yes, ma'am. Thank you.
• I'm the VP of Public Policy for the Texas Assisted Living Association, known as TLA.
• I'm the owner and CEO of a group of assisted living facilities in the DFW area.
• We provide assisted living and Alzheimer's certified care.
• In most of the smaller and middle markets, this bill will hurt seniors and assisted living.

Bills: HB1531 , HB2667 , HB2809 , HB2865 , HB3589 , HB3151 , HB3748 , HB3750 , HB4419 , HB4643 , HB3597 , HB4129 , HB4130 , HB4131

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: workplace violence prevention, health and safety code, Chapter 331, facility definition, home and community support services agency, home health agency, home health care, nursing staff, registered nurses, health care workplace safety, hospital, nursing facility, ambulatory surgical center, freestanding emergency medical care facility, mental hospital, Texas health care regulation, provider compliance, occupational safety, senior living, referral agencies

Transcript Highlights:

• an emergency preparedness and contingency operations plan, including temperature regulation for assisted
• and community support services. service agency license but does not cover hospice and personal assistance
• This bill simply clarifies this definition to ensure that all hospice and personal assistance services
• Applications to approve other public assistance programs.
• now in the bill, it doesn't specifically highlight that SSI is not included in the public benefit assistance

Bills: HB1531 , HB2667 , HB2809 , HB2865 , HB3589 , HB3151 , HB3748 , HB3750 , HB4419 , HB4643 , HB3597 , HB4129 , HB4130 , HB4131

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: workplace violence prevention, health and safety code, Chapter 331, facility definition, home and community support services agency, home health agency, home health care, nursing staff, registered nurses, health care workplace safety, hospital, nursing facility, ambulatory surgical center, freestanding emergency medical care facility, mental hospital, Texas health care regulation, provider compliance, occupational safety, senior living, referral agencies

Transcript Highlights:

• Tuition assistance is central to educational access in Hawaii.
• assistance programs.
• Tuition assistance is central to educational access in Hawaii.
• assistance programs.
• He said he had personally assisted a number of people...

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 3123, which would treat free tuition or school-conditioned enrollment at private educational institutions as a conditional gift rather than a contractual obligation unless otherwise agreed in writing. The Office of the Governor supported the bill, and Kamehameha Schools and the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools strongly backed it, saying it would protect donor intent, preserve school-ohana relationships, and help maintain tuition assistance and educational access for families. A committee member commented favorably on the unity among school organizations, and there were no objections raised before the committee moved on. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2438, which creates a civil cause of action for interference with constitutional and statutory rights through threats, intimidation, or coercion, with private and government enforcement options and protections for constitutionally protected speech. Testifiers from the Community Alliance on Prisons and a know-your-rights educator supported the measure as a civil rights protection grounded in the Hawaii Constitution. No opposition testimony was presented during the hearing, and the measure appeared to receive general support from those who testified. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 3142, which establishes offenses for dangerous and habitual dangerous intoxication and allows civil protective custody and emergency examination in lieu of arrest in certain cases. The Attorney General, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of Health, and Department of Human Services supported the bill as a treatment-oriented diversion tool for people who are dangerously intoxicated and at risk to themselves or the public. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the measure, warning it could expand police discretion, burden emergency rooms, and function as a loss of liberty without sufficient treatment resources, while committee members questioned whether the bill would simply cycle people through emergency rooms and back onto the street. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided; the chair said decision-making would occur at the end of the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• amend the tax law in relation to increasing authorized resident taxpayer contributions to family tuition
• amend the tax law in relation to increasing authorized resident taxpayer contributions to family tuition

Committee: Senate Budget And Revenue

Summary: The Senate Budget and Revenue Committee met for its first meeting of 2026 with a quorum present and considered nine bills, mostly tax-related measures. Bills discussed included S196 on the public safety surcharge, S939 on gifts to the affordable housing for veterans and seniors fund, S985A on sales tax treatment for feminine hygiene products, S1140A on a tax on non-essential helicopter and seaplane flights in cities of one million or more, S1145 on increasing contributions to family tuition accounts, S1527 on a sales tax exemption for energy storage, S4601 on a temporary sales tax exemption for school supplies, S7641 on dedicating opioid excise tax revenue to the Drug Treatment and Public Education Fund, and S7875 on ending the sales tax exemption for precious metal bullion held for investment. Most bills were advanced without significant opposition and were reported to the Finance Committee. S985A and S4601 were reported to the calendar/Finance after brief discussion; S4601 drew one negative vote. S1140A also advanced, with two no votes. S7875 received the most discussion, with the sponsor arguing that repealing the bullion exemption would recover an estimated $600 million in foregone revenue and better align with affordability concerns; it was reported to Finance with one member recorded as without recommendation. Members generally framed the bills as affordability or revenue measures, citing rising costs for families, school supplies, housing, and the need to redirect or recover tax revenue. The meeting concluded after all agenda items were moved and reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• Section three is the governor's recommendation extending the availability of the educator tuition assistance
• Section three is the governor's recommendation extending the availability of the educator tuition assistance
• </c><00:08:55.120><c> assistance</c><00:08:55.519><c> program</c><00:08:55.920><c> or</c> educator tuition
• assistance program or educator tuition assistance program or EAP<00:08:56.800><c> appropriations.
• assistance program so funds can be fully utilized.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• This fall, we launched the Fitchburg Promise, guaranteeing tuition- and fee-free admission for every
• How are you doing that free tuition for your local students? I love that idea.
• These debts aren't always about tuition.
• educational futures to collect debts, even when the debts themselves are disputed or unrelated to tuition

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education heard testimony on a wide range of bills touching student access, campus safety, and institutional support. Early testimony focused on H. 4544, which would create a state Hispanic-serving institution designation to replace a lost federal designation and potentially allow future funding. Representative Kushmerek and Fitchburg State President Donna Hodge described Fitchburg’s growing Latino student population, the university’s local commitments such as the Fitchburg Promise, and argued the bill would help the institution better serve its community. Committee members asked about how the tuition-free local program is financed, and the bill was described as having no immediate funding request but allowing for future appropriations. The committee also heard support for H. 1421, a proposed John F. Kennedy Service Scholarship Program for Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and Commonwealth Corps alumni, with Representative Arena DeRosa arguing that student debt discourages service and that the program would help make citizen service more accessible to lower- and moderate-income students. Members raised questions about cost, take-up, and whether the program should be capped. H. 1449, dealing with transcript withholding, drew support from Representative LeBoeuf and USPyre’s Demi Stoltz, who said withholding transcripts over small balances or non-academic fees traps students and harms workforce participation; members discussed how schools could still collect debts without blocking transcripts. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to improve study-abroad safety reporting, with Carrie Pascarello urging a centralized data system after multiple student deaths and serious incidents abroad, and members asking about how other states handle similar transparency measures. Another major topic was H. 4113 on higher education sexual misconduct. Laura G. and Ashley Freeman supported a proposal aimed at preventing “passing the harasser” by requiring disclosure of substantiated findings or departures during open investigations in hiring processes. They said the bill would improve transparency and campus safety while preserving due process, and noted Washington State has a similar law. Members discussed whether the bill should be expanded to K-12 settings and asked about the Washington model’s effectiveness. The committee also heard from Mike Canavan of AFT Massachusetts in support of a bill to create a grant program for librarians to earn a master’s in library science, noting the credential is required for the profession but is not offered by any public institution in Massachusetts. No votes were taken, and the hearing concluded after all scheduled witnesses testified.

Transcript Highlights:

• The state of Idaho does underwrite the out-of-state tuition for our veterinary students to go for Medicare
• says that if you're going to go out of state and the state is going to underwrite your out-of-state tuition
• We have been underwriting out-of-state tuition for veterinary students for a long, long time.
• We have been underwriting out-of-state tuition for veterinary students for a long, long time.

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Are we at a point now with the funding of tuition for students who attend private schools that we don't
• Are we at a point now with the funding of tuition for students who attend private schools that we don't
• For many of our schools, I think the average private-school tuition right now is about $7,200.
• credit and the Equal Opportunity Scholarship Fund, the majority of those funds are already, of the tuition

Bills: HB3622 , HB3621 , HB3151 , HB3882 , HB3661 , HB4273 , HB3644 , HB3706 , HB3708 , HB2021 , HB3986 , HB3972

Committee: House Appropriations and Budget

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills, beginning with HB 3622 and HB 3621, both related to census and state data functions. HB 3622, as amended, removed direct appropriation language and would let Department of Commerce staff carry out census-related duties such as updating local census addresses and upgrading technology. HB 3621 would recreate the State Data Center at the Legislative Service Bureau to coordinate census-related programs across agencies such as Commerce, Tax, and others; both bills received unanimous or near-unanimous support and were reported out due pass. A lengthy portion of the meeting focused on HB 3151, which would redefine instructional days so that only time students are actually in the classroom counts toward the instructional minimum, excluding professional development and parent-teacher conference time. The author argued the bill would close Oklahoma’s instructional-time gap and improve outcomes, while members raised concerns about funding, teacher pay, contract negotiations, and how districts would absorb the change. After debate, the bill passed 19-7. The committee also advanced HB 3706, which sets minimum elementary math instruction standards and expands math screening requirements, and HB 3708, which would allow private schools to use scholarship-granting organization funds for capital improvements to increase instructional capacity; both drew questions about funding, scheduling, and the scope of the programs but were reported out due pass. Other measures approved included HB 3661, extending a sunset on a timber equipment tax provision; HB 3882, creating a revolving fund for ODOT’s lake access and industrial access grants; HB 4273, extending a tax credit to certain aerospace engineers at an ARM 1 higher education institution; HB 3644, tied to medical training and best practices after a fatal misdiagnosis; HB 2021, creating a DHS grant program for out-of-school programming, with discussion centered on whether it would effectively favor Boys and Girls Clubs and exclude other providers; HB 3986, extending a sunset; and HB 3972, cleanup language related to the Comanche County prison purchase. Most bills passed with strong support, and the meeting adjourned after the final votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, so it would be up to the inmate to pay tuition to obtain any scholarships.
• Unlike most states, New Hampshire has nothing in place to assist in restoration.
• This bill is currently written establishes two ways to assist with restoration of competency.
• Additionally, a liaison would assist in obtaining services for competency restoration and communicate
• </c> written establishes two ways to assist written establishes two ways to assist with<00:13:54.800>

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• I mentioned welding, phlebotomy, medical assistants.
• How can we assist? How areas we're not. How can we assist?
• </c><02:07:29.880><c> that</c> they need technical assistance that they need technical assistance that
• They need technical assistance.
• </c> they're they need technical assistance they're they need technical assistance from<02:12:03.880>

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• in your EBV is offered by Senator Dhingra, which allows volunteers and youth cadets to use dogs to assist
• in your EBV is offered by Senator Dengra, which allows volunteers and youth cadets to use dogs to assist
• Senate Bill 5954 amends the eligibility requirements for a mandatory waiver of state tuition and fees
• For cash receipts, there is an indeterminate fiscal impact from the loss of tuition and fees revenue
• Senate Bill 5954, concerning veteran survivor tuition waiver eligibility.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met in executive session on February 9, 2026, first hearing a staff briefing on Senate Bill 6346, which would impose a tax on individuals earning over $1 million. Staff described the bill’s revenue and spending impacts and reviewed a proposed substitute and 11 amendments addressing items such as public defense funding, charitable deductions, out-of-state tax credits, small business credits, diapers, constitutional issues, and a contingent constitutional amendment. The committee later took up the bill and rejected all of the offered amendments, then advanced the substitute bill with a due pass recommendation to the Rules Committee. Members supporting the bill argued it would help address tax fairness and fund public services, while opponents raised concerns about constitutionality, economic harm, and the effect on businesses and charitable giving. The committee also acted on a series of policy bills. It advanced a substitute bill on grocery store closures in food deserts after adopting a narrower substitute, despite concerns from some members about burdening grocers. It approved a substitute bill expanding voting access for military, overseas, Native American, and disabled voters, adopting a second substitute that removed a cybersecurity review requirement. The committee also advanced bills on tort claim arbitration against governments, victim and witness protections in sexual assault and domestic violence cases, JLARC review of student aid fraud, agricultural collective bargaining, labor relations if federal preemption ends, a cost-of-living adjustment for Plan 1 retirees, workers’ compensation and medical care access, line-of-duty death reimbursements, law enforcement background checks and eligibility, veterans’ discharge definitions, and extraordinary medical placement. Several of these bills had amendments adopted, including changes to tort claim oversight, victim-requested standby counsel, agricultural labor definitions, workers’ compensation penalties, law enforcement volunteer support, and extraordinary medical placement criteria. In the second group of bills, staff briefed measures affecting property taxes, housing, cannabis, disaster-related tax relief, technical tax code changes, aircraft fuel tax revenues, the estate tax, and a pesticide tax exemption. The committee heard that a substitute for the fire protection district bill would alter how city or town levy capacity is reduced and include consultation requirements and board-creation provisions. It also heard that the property tax relief expansion for seniors and disabled retirees needed a substitute to make the consolidated school levy revenue-neutral. Other bills would expand tax exemptions for low-income housing and nonprofit homeownership, authorize local cannabis excise taxes, extend disaster repair tax relief, expand housing-related local sales tax uses, make technical tax code changes, redirect aircraft fuel tax revenues to aeronautics, reduce the estate tax rate, and extend a pesticide tax exemption. The transcript ends during the committee’s consideration of Senate Bill 6346, with the committee debating and rejecting amendments before moving the bill forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Indian Hospital and County Health Care Act to allow personal authorized uses of county health care assistant
• Expanding medication-assisted treatment programs in correctional facilities.
• Requiring correctional facilities to track and report data on medication-assisted treatment, providing
• Early Childhood Education and Care Department of child care for families eligible for Child Care Assistance
• Award financial assistance grants.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1413, technical correction, veterans tuition deferment. Thank you.
• SB 1413, technical correction, veterans tuition deferment. Excellent, thank you.
• It limits their access to food assistance through SNAP to only three months in a three-year period.
• Food assistance through SNAP is limited to only three months in a three-year period, and it is difficult
• Assistance: the action of helping someone with a job or a task.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 497 should pass with House Committee Substitute 1, an act relating to post-secondary tuition
• accreditation pathway through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for private companies assisting
• directing the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to grant all third-party Supplemental Nutrition Assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm reintroducing this bill this session to assist our institutions of higher education to take advantage
• Vice Chair Campbell, I would call on you now to assist Senator Huffman with the layout of her legislation
• SAT, this bill would ensure that those students would be able to use their scores to qualify for tuition

Bills: SB1998 , SB646 , SB2786 , SB2076 , SB2615 , SB1961 , SB1418 , SB2647 , SB1322 , SB2788

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard several bills and took no final votes, leaving each measure pending. The first major item, SB 1322 by Senator Hagenbuch, would create a Texas Higher Education Accrediting Commission to evaluate and approve accrediting agencies for public colleges and universities using outcome-based metrics such as retention, graduation, employment, debt, and repayment. Supporters, including Kate Byerley of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, argued the bill would add competition and align accreditation with Texas workforce needs; Senator Menendez questioned the need for a new bureaucracy and noted the $3.6 million fiscal note, suggesting existing reporting and oversight structures could serve the same purpose. The committee then heard SB 1998, which would establish a pediatric subspecialty preceptorship program to encourage medical students to enter pediatric subspecialties. Dr. Lauren Gamble testified in strong support, saying the program would help address shortages and improve access for children, especially in rural and underserved areas. SB 2788, authored by Senator Menendez, would add the PSAT as an accepted assessment for dual credit and Texas Success Initiative purposes; Priscilla Camacho of Alamo Colleges supported the bill, citing strong student outcomes and widespread use of the PSAT as a readiness indicator. Senator Creighton laid out SB 2076, which would remove or modify certain Capitol view corridor restrictions affecting the UT Austin Academic Medical Center project, including the planned specialty hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center expansion. He said the existing corridors are outdated and limit development. The committee also heard SB 1418, a cleanup bill replacing outdated references to ACT Plan with Pre-ACT and removing obsolete SAT subject test language. After brief testimony and no opposition on the later bills, the committee closed public testimony and left SB 1322, SB 1998, SB 2788, SB 2076, and SB 1418 pending before recessing for the floor session.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have navigators, which you'll hear from, that also assist workers.
• I have staff ready to help assist employers that want to set up those programs.
• We have assisted 160, I said plus, because this is as of Monday, apprentices.
• Eric started here this program, and he was an ECE assistant.
• I know that, for example, medical assisting, this would be wildly popular.

Committee: House Postsecondary Education & Workforce

Summary: The work session focused first on apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship in Washington, with Labor and Industries explaining the registered apprenticeship system, the role of the state apprenticeship council, minimum training and classroom requirements, and the use of the ARTS database and navigators to help people find programs. Members asked whether the system was saturated and how people learn about openings; presenters said apprenticeship is tied to actual jobs and training agents, and that navigators and centralized tools like Career Bridge are important because L&I does not track hiring openings. The panel also described pre-apprenticeship requirements, youth apprenticeship, and statewide growth in apprentices, training agents, and prep programs, while noting strong earnings and employment outcomes for completers. Representatives from the building trades emphasized that the multi-employer union apprenticeship model is labor-management governed, privately funded through employer and worker contributions, and supported by recruitment, retention, and diversity efforts. They argued that the main constraint is not a lack of apprenticeship capacity but a shortage of jobs and training-agent employers willing to take apprentices, and said public policy tools such as apprenticeship utilization requirements, project labor agreements, and construction-related public investments can help create demand. They also presented data showing many workers on out-of-work lists and many apprenticeship seekers on waitlists, and said support services are needed because apprentices often face unstable wages, transportation costs, tools, and benefit cliffs. Nicole Miller described the Constructed Career initiative, a grant-funded pilot that provides outreach, navigation, case management, and wraparound supports for building trades apprenticeship seekers and first-year apprentices. She said the program has enrolled nearly 1,200 participants, with about 775 currently in apprenticeship, and reported high retention among participants; common supports include transportation, tools, work clothes, and help with barriers such as housing insecurity, food insecurity, and reentry from incarceration. Megan Pearson then described Build Up, a newer nonprofit offering similar statewide support services, including a prison-based boot and PPE program and assistance with insurance, licensing, and other barriers, funded through a mix of public and private sources. Aaron Frazier closed the apprenticeship portion by describing a new oversight committee created by legislation to examine construction training in correctional facilities and improve pathways from prison-based training to apprenticeship, college, or work. The second half of the meeting shifted to Renton Technical College, where college leaders highlighted strong enrollment growth, a median student age of 30, a diverse and largely nontraditional student body, and recent budget cuts that forced program and staffing reductions. Health and human services leaders described short-term and longer-term health programs and noted rising enrollment and completion. Early childhood education faculty then explained how they rebuilt a low-enrollment program by moving to hybrid evening and Saturday offerings, adding Spanish-language instruction, and creating in-person, step-by-step support sessions for application, financial aid, and registration. A committee member raised the issue of English literacy for Spanish-speaking students, and the presenters said the program does not directly teach English reading and writing but is working to support students as they transition into the workforce.

Transcript Highlights:

• He won a state championship as assistant coach at Glenmore High School. In 2020 and 2021.
• He won a state championship as assistant coach at Glenmore High School in 2005.
• . 113 by Representative Terry Landry to create a task force on gestational carrier agreements and assist
• To create a task force on gestational carrier agreements, assist of reproductive regulation reported
• committee that required all four high education management boards to establish a unifying statewide tuition

Bills: HR308 , HR309 , HR310 , HR311 , HR312 , HR313 , HR314 , HR315 , HR316 , HR317 , HR318 , HR319 , HR295 , HR296 , HR297 , HR298 , HR299 , HR300 , HR301 , HR302 , HR303 , HR304 , HR305 , HR306 , HR307 , HCR115 , HCR116 , HCR117 , SCR71 , SCR72 , SCR73 , HR73 , HR118 , HR144 , HR196 , HR237 , HR249 , HR260 , HR267 , HR272 , HR273 , HR276 , HR278 , HCR85 , HCR100 , HCR105 , HCR107 , HCR113 , HCR114 , SCR5 , SCR29 , SCR33 , SCR37 , SCR63 , HB255 , HB378 , HB509 , HB1090 , SB80 , SB131 , SB143 , SB251 , SB254 , SB279 , SB367 , SB384 , SB388 , SB389 , SB398 , SB408 , SB431 , SB468 , SB469 , SB496 , SB25 , SB132 , SB155 , SB157 , SB202 , SB295 , SB433 , HR179 , HR223 , HR225 , HR274 , HCR89 , HR252 , HR253 , HCR96 , HCR103 , HCR108 , HCR26 , HB250 , HB265 , HB339 , HB427 , HB445 , HB463 , HB468 , HB606 , HB639 , HB649 , HB665 , HB746 , HB781 , HB853 , HB861 , HB872 , HB886 , HB916 , HB937 , HB1054 , HB1068 , HB1117 , HB1237 , HB74 , HB108 , HB956 , HB1085 , HB1137 , HB62 , HB193 , HB210 , HB220 , HB246 , HB364 , HB420 , HB475 , HB584 , HB622 , HB772 , HB784 , HB949 , HB953 , HB1043 , HB1070 , HB1092 , HB1134 , HB1162 , HB1176 , HB1196 , HB1214 , HB1199 , SB268 , SB283 , HB782 , SB149 , HR84 , HB646 , HB998 , SB56 , SB163 , SB197 , SB97 , SB326 , SB341 , SB518 , SB123 , SB353 , SB479 , SB495 , HB901 , HR20 , HR74 , HR168 , HCR65 , HCR71 , HCR98 , HB284 , HB302 , HB306 , HB341 , HB366 , HB393 , HB458 , HB577 , HB603 , HB605 , HB614 , HB625 , HB733 , HB752 , HB773 , HB798 , HB911 , HB955 , HB996 , HB1035 , HB1069 , HB1113 , HB1140 , HB1180 , HB1191 , HB1240 , HB1255 , SB82 , SB89 , HB134 , HB258 , HB359 , SB29 , SB42 , SB43 , SB217 , SB274 , SB300 , SB379 , SB382 , SB441 , SB449

Summary: The House convened with prayer, pledge, and a quorum, then spent much of the day on recognitions and commemorative resolutions. Members honored coach Jeffrey Craig Whittington, tourism and the Louisiana Oil Makers Association, Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the Tangipahoa Parish Fair, Washington Parish festivals, ACOG’s 75th anniversary, Louisiana Tech women’s basketball, and Memorial Day. A major Memorial Day presentation commended Lane Frenchy Boudreau for helping recover the body of Army Sgt. First Class James H. Moore in Vietnam; the House observed a moment of silence and presented a flag to Moore’s family. The chamber also received Senate messages, enrolled bills, and committee reports, and introduced several new resolutions on topics including Pope Leo XIV, orphan wells, scenic rivers, Teche water quality, and the LaMelle family’s pilgrimage to Rome. The House then took up numerous resolutions and bills, often adopting them without objection. Among the measures adopted or advanced were studies on neighborhood crime prevention districts, parish solid waste and disaster resiliency in Washington Parish, the Louisiana Climate Action Plan, the Louisiana Maneuvers museum/trail, cash-rounding practices after penny production ends, residential construction costs and inspection practices, roundabout education, Taiwan relations, TSA worker loan assistance in Shreveport, human growth and development standards, and the state income tax credit for water utility customers. The chamber also adopted or concurred in several Senate amendments on bills dealing with financial disclosure, video voyeurism, personal information protections, online child safety, STEM advisory council changes, dual enrollment tuition, fleet vehicle registration, menhaden fishing rules, recording fees, amusement ride insurance, drone footage authentication, garbage and trash contracts, insurance prescription periods, retirement system changes, juror qualifications, fireworks, inspection stickers, employment discrimination, and inactive boards and commissions. Several measures drew discussion or division. H.B. 1199, requiring coverage for genetic testing and treatment for SCN2A-associated disorders, passed 94-0 after being discharged from Appropriations. H.B. 302, which would prohibit vape sales within 300 feet of schools, passed 86-4. H.B. 84, encouraging an interest-free loan program for TSA workers at Shreveport Regional Airport, passed 64-27. H.B. 1054 on self-authentication of law enforcement drone footage passed 78-12, and H.B. 1137 limiting employment discrimination protections to state employees passed 71-23. The House rejected Senate amendments on H.B. 468 (residential real property wholesaling), H.B. 1117 (insurance contractual payments and prescriptive periods), H.B. 956 (fireworks dates), and H.B. 74 (Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism), while concurring in or adopting amendments on many other bills. The session ended amid continued consideration of Senate Bill 56 on the West Bank/Lafitte levee governance structure, including an adopted amendment to ensure Lafitte-area representation on the board, with extended remarks about the history and accomplishments of the existing levee authority.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 2667, homebuyer assistance plan requirement. SB 2686, physician sort of service call coverage.
• SB 2731, physician assistants board continuations.
• It could be medical assistants, nursing assistants, radiology technicians, and respiratory therapists
• It recruits, provides tuition-free training, career coaching, and job placement to support and strengthen
• It recruits, provides tuition-free training, career coaching, and job placement to support and strengthen

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Joel McIntyre, assistant ranking member.
• I have staff ready to help assist employers that want to set up those programs.
• As I mentioned, about 22% are on SNAP or receiving some type of food assistance.
• We have assisted 160, I said plus, because this is as of Monday, apprentices.
• I know that, for example, medical assisting, this would be wildly popular.

Summary: The work session focused first on Washington’s apprenticeship system, especially building trades programs and support services. Labor and Industries staff explained how registered apprenticeship works in the state, including the role of the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council, the requirements for paid on-the-job training and classroom instruction, and the difference between apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship. Panelists emphasized that apprenticeship is tied to actual jobs and training agents, and that many waitlists reflect a shortage of job openings and employer participation rather than a lack of interest. They also discussed youth apprenticeship, the growth of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, and the use of Career Bridge and L&I’s database to help people find programs. Representatives asked whether the state should expand apprenticeship programs and how people can find openings. Speakers said more programs alone would not solve the backlog without more employers signing on as training agents and more apprenticeship utilization on projects. The panel also highlighted the Constructed Career Initiative, a grant-funded navigation and support program that helps people enter and stay in building trades apprenticeships through outreach, case management, and wraparound aid such as transportation, tools, and work clothes. A related nonprofit, Build Up, described similar support services, including prison-based boot and PPE programs and assistance for reentry participants. The panel said these services are especially important because apprentices often face unstable income, housing, food, and transportation barriers. The panel also discussed House Bill 2084 and the new Construction Training Pathway Oversight Committee, which is examining construction training in correctional facilities and how to create clearer pathways from prison-based training to apprenticeship, college, or work. Speakers said the committee is still in its early stages and will report to the legislature. The session ended with committee members thanking the panel and noting the importance of support services and referral networks for apprentices. The meeting then resumed at Renton Technical College, where college leaders and faculty discussed serving non-traditional students. The college reported strong enrollment growth, a median student age of 30, a diverse student body, and high job placement rates, while also noting significant budget cuts and program reductions from the prior year. Health care and early childhood education programs were highlighted, including efforts to expand access through hybrid scheduling, evening and Saturday classes, Spanish-language offerings, and in-person wraparound support for admissions, financial aid, and registration. Faculty said these changes were driven by student data and were aimed at helping working parents, English learners, and other non-traditional students complete credentials and enter family-wage careers.