Transcript Highlights:

• Because you’re going to have a problem with everyone.
• I think we’ll need to learn more in depth about what’s causing the problem, what the problem is, and
• And so they have no problem in these bigger counties.
• And if I could just add the other problem...
• And so, you know, I look at the assessor problem, which is my root problem that I put down on paper here

Summary: The subcommittee of the Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee met to begin its study of whether the content of the real estate tax statement should be revised to improve transparency. Legislative Council staff reviewed the study directive from HB 1176 and the statutory requirements for tax statements, including required line items such as true and full value, mill levy, legislative tax relief, primary residence credit, legacy fund share, discounts for early payment, and special assessments. The Tax Department then explained how the current uniform statewide statement is prescribed and approved, and noted that changes are typically driven by statute and implemented collaboratively with counties and vendors. County officials from NDACO, including auditors from McKenzie and Richland counties, described the full annual property tax timeline from budgeting through mailing final statements. They explained how counties gather budgets, calculate levies, verify taxable values, handle centrally assessed property, and prepare required notices and statements. They also said public attendance at budget hearings is generally very low, though the notices and statements generate some calls, mostly about whether attendance is required or why taxes are changing. Several members questioned the usefulness of the legislative tax relief line and the complexity of the 5% discount calculation, and county officials said the current process can be confusing and depends on manual data entry and coordination among counties, vendors, and taxing districts. The committee also discussed assessment frequency, valuation equalization, the 3% cap, and whether more frequent reassessment would reduce large jumps in taxable value. County officials said they try to use rotating reassessments and sales-ratio reviews to keep values within statutory tolerance, but staffing, training, and local market changes make the work difficult. NDACO staff estimated, based on a small county survey, that tax statement preparation and mailing costs average about 74 cents per statement, with outsourcing generally cheaper than in-house printing, and said HB 1176 added some mailing and administrative costs even if the tax statement itself did not change dramatically. Software vendors from CPT and Tyler then began presentations showing how their systems handle budgeting, valuation notices, tax statement generation, primary residence credit processing, and levy worksheets, emphasizing that many of the required calculations and reports are still manually entered or verified by county staff.

Transcript Highlights:

• But my problem is if challenging that.
• fees, um, so we don't have that potential problem if it maybe turns into a problem.
• because sometimes something's a problem because sometimes something's a problem um<00:54:27.119>
• problem by splitting. Is that right? problem by splitting. Is that right?
• problem to not allow fires to smolder. problem to not allow fires to smolder.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened with routine business, including the Pledge of Allegiance, seating alternates, and approval of the minutes and consent calendar. Both were approved without opposition. The committee then moved to the regular calendar, beginning with Department of Environmental Services drinking water rules (2532). Staff noted that the final proposal deleted requirements that had been in the initial proposal, making the published notice technically inaccurate because it said there were no substantive changes. The agency responded that the requirements still exist in other rules, that regulated entities and the Water Council were notified, and that the public had notice through related hearings. After discussion about whether a new noticed hearing was needed, the committee approved the rule. The next item was Department of Administrative Services personnel rule 2510 on seniority and employee performance evaluation. Staff raised informational comments and one unclear comment about language that appeared to require a checkbox even though no form exists, and about evaluation categories that could overlap. The agency said the checkbox language should be removed, but defended the overlapping categories as part of a long-standing template used by agencies for the past 10 years. Members discussed whether the language was too ambiguous or could lead to inconsistent application, but the committee ultimately approved the rule with a condition striking the checkbox language in the affected sections. The committee then considered personnel rule 25109 on investigations, discipline, non-disciplinary communications, and non-disciplinary removal. Staff recommended clarifying language distinguishing license suspension from termination for cause, and questioned whether the sexual-harassment discipline language was too broad because the same conduct could fit multiple discipline levels. The agency agreed to add the suggested clarification for the license-suspension provision, but argued the sexual-harassment language should remain because another rule already provides the factors for determining the appropriate discipline and the agency needs discretion for fact-specific cases. The discussion included concerns about how non-verbal conduct might be treated, but the committee moved toward conditional approval with the agreed clarification and approval of the rest of the rule as written.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this problem exists all around.
• There's not a problem, okay, but it is a problem in certain other areas, and that's why the Morton Act
• That isn't my problem; it's not a defendant's problem if the police are hiding information from the state
• Those are the problems.
• I have no problems with that.

Bills: HB867, HB1347, HB1801, HB1820, HB2197, HB2617, HB3110, HB3166, HB3330, HB4237, HB4342, HB4629, HB4933, HJR148

Keywords: criminal case dismissal, attorney discretion, law enforcement misconduct, judicial approval, evidence, judicial consent, transparency, healthcare, Medicare, insurance, elderly, retired, benefits, access, cost, criminal justice, case dismissal, prosecutorial discretion, law enforcement oversight, criminal procedure

Transcript Highlights:

• But you would say we maybe have a social media problem, but we don't have a data problem and we don't
• It was a real problem, but the solution was nuclear.
• It's just a massive, massive problem.
• We had just a lot of problems like that.
• The problem there, though, is that there's so much The problem there, though, is that there's so much

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:47:33.520> They're I see as a huge problem. They're I see as a huge problem.
• They know the problems just as we do.
• Uh, are you going to fix my problem."
• It doesn't do prevents the problem.
• variety of kinds of problems. variety of kinds of problems. >> Followup.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The problem that we have in Dallas is low voter turnout.
• I can see problems with that.
• I'd like you to finish that sentence, and then remind me, did we fix this problem that they can take
• This bill creates a serious problem by shifting from precinct-level to polling location audits.
• Ma'am, is it necessary... to prove intent, or is it just enough to show that we've got a problem?

Bills: HB3097, HB3691, SB108, SB827, SB1541, SB1862, SB2166, SB2216

Keywords: Texas elections, Election Code, uniform election date, November election, local elections, political subdivisions, general election date, election administration, municipal utility district, county elections, local government, ballot scheduling, candidate filing, voter turnout, election calendar, HB 3097, early voting, electronic application, mail-in ballot, voting accessibility

Transcript Highlights:

• Due to commission... of documentation of the problems in Texas linked to the Class II injection wells
• We want to ensure the systemic problems leading to catastrophic failures in the Class II program are
• Already this session, so I won't go into the size and scope of the problem, but this bill would direct
• the Railroad Commission to establish a task force to address the problem of petroleum product theft.
• Oilfield theft is a serious problem. I don't need to go into that; you know it.

Bills: HB1647, HB2612, HB3125, HB3158, HB3240, HB3506, HB3516, HB3707

Keywords: carbon sequestration, environmental policy, Texas, energy, climate change, regulatory council, geothermal energy, workforce development, education and training, energy industry, apprenticeship, energy production, energy policy, renewable energy, state council, administrative law, public information, transparency, government accountability, judicial process

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, this is not a new problem, but it's getting worse.
• There's water available to fix the problem.
• But even if we solve that problem, we've only solved 30% of the problem.
• This is everyone's problem.
• So you're saying the water marketers were causing the problems more so?

Bills: SCR13, SB1248

Keywords: water rights, treaty compliance, Rio Grande, agriculture, drought, international water, Texas water supply, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, TPWD, harvest reports, wildlife harvest data, public information act, open records, confidentiality, hunter privacy, angler data, game animals, game birds, fur-bearing animals, nongame animals

Summary: The Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs met without a quorum at first, then later established quorum and proceeded with testimony and votes. Senate Bill 1248, by Chair Perry, was explained as a narrow Open Records Act exception to protect harvest report location data collected through Texas Parks and Wildlife’s digital tagging system. Support testimony came from Matt Wagner of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, who said the bill would protect private land and sensitive biological information while preserving useful wildlife data. No one testified against the bill, and it was left pending until later in the meeting. The committee then heard Senate Concurrent Resolution 13, which urges the State Department and the International Boundary and Water Commission to press Mexico to comply with the 1944 Water Treaty and deliver its share of Rio Grande water. Senator Hinojosa, farmers, municipal officials, and other witnesses described severe water shortages in South Texas, low reservoir levels, crop losses, the closure of the Valley sugar industry, and the need for alternative supplies such as desalination, reuse, and drainage-runoff projects. Members also discussed treaty enforcement, regional drought, and the role of cartels and Mexican water storage, while emphasizing that Texas must also invest in its own water infrastructure. The committee also considered Senate Bill 740, which the committee substitute amended to require the Public Utility Commission to adopt a standardized application form for system improvement charges and complete related rulemaking by September 1, 2026, applying only to applications filed on or after that date. Members discussed concerns about water wholesalers using the process to delay cases and drive up costs, and the need for more transparency and PUC resources. The committee voted to adopt the substitute and report SB 740 favorably. After returning to the earlier items, the committee voted SB 1248 out favorably and recommended it for the local and uncontested calendar, and voted SCR 13 out favorably as well. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think this is a good bill, and it addresses a real problem that our communities are facing.
• We had a problem with the pawn brokers.
• that database that's been required by all of you to help curb that problem.
• And in Sarasota, we had a problem with metal recycling thefts—copper, aluminum.
• And so that helped curb that problem.

Summary: The Committee on Commerce and Tourism met with a quorum present and considered several bills. It first took up SB 232 on debt collection, where the sponsor explained a strike-all amendment and the committee adopted a Gruters amendment clarifying that email communications may be sent at any hour while other off-hours communications remain restricted. Testimony was sharply divided on a proposed change from “any person” to “debt collector,” with consumer advocates, legal aid, and the Florida Justice Association warning it would narrow Florida’s consumer protections, while supporters said the bill and amendment would address ambiguity affecting businesses. After debate, the committee rejected the broader amendment, adopted the email-only clarification, and reported CS for SB 232 favorably by roll call vote. The committee then heard and unanimously reported favorably CS for SB 126, which would allow prescription hearing aids to be sold and distributed by mail after a Florida-licensed audiologist or hearing aid specialist conducts the required examination, including remotely through telehealth. Supporters said the bill would improve access and reduce barriers for seniors and others with hearing loss, and no opposition was heard. The committee also heard SB 600 and SB 602 on manufacturing, which would create and fund a statewide Office of Manufacturing, a promotional campaign, workforce grants, and related fees; multiple industry and economic development groups appeared in support, and both bills were reported favorably. Next, the committee considered CS for SB 92 on hit-and-run accountability in vehicle repair shops. The sponsor described the bill as a response to rising hit-and-run incidents and explained that repair shops would have to complete a transaction form or retain a crash report for certain repairs, with a clarifying amendment adopted without objection. Prosecutors and law enforcement supporters said the bill would help identify offenders, while auto dealer representatives argued it could impose burdens and penalties on repair shops. The committee nevertheless reported CS for SB 92 favorably. Finally, the committee heard SB 412, the Motorized Wheelchair Right to Repair Act, which would require manufacturers to provide repair manuals, diagnostic tools, and parts to owners and independent repair providers under fair and reasonable terms. Disability advocates and wheelchair users testified that repair delays can leave users stranded for weeks or months, and the committee reported the bill favorably by roll call vote before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• ratios, we don't have that same problem. ratios, we don't have that same problem.
• Because the problem keeps getting bigger, and you guys do nothing about it. Oh, we saw the problem.
• , which is a bad problem.
• This is my<01:08:53.920> problem. my problem. my problem.
• I don't see a huge problem with that. I don't see a huge problem with that.

Bills: HB389, HB1166, HB1510, HB1541, HB1605, HB1661, HB1663, HB1678, HB1769, HB1785, HB1801, HB1802, HB1815, HB1824, HB1838, HB1840, HB1853, HB1860, HB1891, HB1952, HB1960, HB1969, HB1970, HB1972, HB1976, HB2050, HB2094, HB2104, HB2158, HB2165, HB2171, HB2208, HB2246, HB2271, HB2300, HB2310, HB2315, HB2319, HB2338, HB2339, HB2343, HB2443, HB2498, HB2551, HB2599, HB2606, SB17, SB83, SB99, SB148, SB411, SB709, SB847, SB874, SB888, SB1032, SB1166, SB2001, SB2014, SB2031, SB2041, SB2050, SB2057, SB2061, SB2074, SB2075, SB2089, SB2095, SB2101, SB2102, SB2108, SB2109, SB2110, SB2125, SB2135, SB2138, SB2140, SB2146, SB2151, SB2152, SB2175, SB2203, SB2239, SB2246, SB2247, SB2253, SB2261, SB2268, SB2271, SB2272, SB2320, SB2340, SB2347, SB2353, SB2363, SB2367, SB2372, SB2376, SB2386

Keywords: HB389, uncrewed aircraft, drone, drones, UAS, unmanned aerial vehicle, misuse of uncrewed aircraft, criminal offense, felony enhancement, drone crime, public safety, police, deputy sheriff, fire department, intoxicated operation, registration number tampering, property damage, bodily injury, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package, Hawaii Revised Statutes

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a real problem out there.
• This is a problem that's prevalent.
• This is a problem that's prevalent.
• And then you'll see us doing that. ...is a problem that's prevalent.
• And the litter problem is prevalent. I mentioned earlier we spent $8 million a year on litter.

Summary: The committee received a report from Director Wiley of the Arkansas Department of Transportation on a series of routine and quarterly items, including the closeout of the department’s efficiency review. Wiley said all five remaining recommendations from that review had been implemented, highlighted a new public maintenance dashboard on the agency website, and reported four surplus properties sold since the last meeting. He also noted that ARDOT had obligated $3.14 billion in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding to date and reviewed the annual expenditure report tied to 2019 revenue changes, which funded $98.7 million in maintenance projects last year. Members asked about the balance between maintenance and new construction, with Wiley saying about 75% of construction dollars go to maintaining the existing system and that ARDOT’s overall spending is overwhelmingly focused on upkeep because of the size of the state highway network. He also discussed major projects and corridor priorities, including Interstate 57 and Highway 5 work in Lonoke County, Interstate 49 public meetings, passing-lane improvements on Highway 412/62 in north central Arkansas, Highway 82 widening in south Arkansas, and long-range plans to widen Interstate 40, possibly including a toll study. On the Toad Suck Bridge flood mitigation project, he said the design had been revised to reduce public impacts and would not require a long-term bridge closure. The committee also discussed safety and enforcement tools in work zones. Wiley said new work-zone cameras and cell phone detection tools were being used on projects such as I-30, I-57, and I-49, mainly to improve safety rather than issue citations. In addition, he said ARDOT spends about $8 million annually on litter control and is expanding anti-litter efforts, including a spring cleanup day involving more than 2,500 operations employees and some office staff. He also announced agency initiatives on human trafficking awareness training for field and office staff and the Street Smart education program for middle school students, with plans to expand it to high school content next year. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the director’s presentation and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a problem in... ...handling this differently.
• I have zero problem working with people.
• The problem is not the 99%.
• I have been surprised by how much of a problem this is.
• But this also is a problem going from public to nonpublic.

Bills: SB140, HB102, SB133, SB34

Keywords: Coach Safely Act, youth athletics, noncompliance penalties, Department of Public Health, youth athlete, dual enrollment, high school, community college, university, educational access, high school credit, violence prevention, conflict resolution, mediation, public education, high school graduation, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• THERE IS A PROBLEM HERE.
• WE ARE SEEING A REDUCTION IN A NUMBER OF GROUPS AND IT'S A PROBLEM.
• THE PROBLEM IS THAT PLASTIC COULD HAVE COME FROM ANY NUMBER OF PLACES.
• , FOR SOME IT'S A BIG PROBLEM EASILY SOLVED BY REGULATING LIKE IT'S PLACES IT'S NOT A PROBLEM, FOR SOME
• IT'S A BIG PROBLEM EASILY SOLVED BY REGULATING LIKE IT'S NEAR THAT WATERWAY.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so one of the problems we had was there wasn't accurate forecasting.
• Uh, it is a, um, it's a real problem.
• And a problem even bigger than this is this is for speech.
• That's the problem.
• And that really kind of sums up that problem. Members.

Bills: SCR5, SCR13, SB3, SB6, SB10, SB12, SB13, SB15, SB17, SB18, SB19, SB24, SB35, SB57, SB65, SB112, SB284, SB290, SB388, SB400, SB402, SB412, SB495, SB499, SB502, SB509, SB621, SB706, SB740, SB815, SB842, SB854, SB875, SB893, SB917, SB974, SB1025, SB1061, SB1073, SB1106, SB1268, SB1281, SB1300, SB1362, SB1379, SB1447, SB1451, SB1555, SB1902, SJR36, SJR12, SCR13, SCR25, SCR5, SCR22, SCR12, SCR24, SB495, SB412, SB10, SB18, SB565, SB372, SB842, SB765, SB62, SB19, SB666, SB707, SB888, SB687, SB706, SB847, SB290, SB13, SB1248, SB740, SB14, SB1006, SB504, SB917, SB925, SB388, SB1902, SB1121, SB995, SB857, SB305, SB296, SB284, SB35, SB6, SB815, SB3, SB1281, SB1379, SB1300, SB1497, SB1499, SB1498, SB1451, SB1061, SB15, SB65, SB241, SB304, SB402, SB499, SB621, SB974, SB1023, SB1024, SB1025, SB1106, SB686, SB112, SB371, SB204, SB400, SB609, SB1447, SB670, SB502, SB427, SB850, SB854, SB413, SB1555, SB1362, SB1346, SB1033, SB1220, SB1073, SB810, SB987, SB1539, SB893, SB447, SB875, SB406, SB509, SB985, SB965, SB17, SB1119, SB1505, SB12, SB24, SB57, SB1194, SB1253, SB1215, SB1532, SB1268, SB1302, SB856, SB650, SB583, SB673, SB840, SJR57, SCR8, SB213, SB681, SB1172, SB1252, SB378, SB610, SB918, SB1343, SB608, SB487, SB955, SB957, SB988, SB990, SB1019, SB1021, SB1120, SB251, SB958, SB535, SB761, SB1, SB541, SB315, SB379, SB1018, SB1737, SB266, SB1415, SB3, SB6, SB15, SB35, SB290, SB706, SB842, SB917, SB1281, SB1451, SB1902, SB12, SB13, SB17, SB19, SB388, SR261, SR265, SR276, SR277, SR281, SR286, SR293, SCR5, SCR13, SB2425, SB2880, SB10, SB12, SB13, SB17, SB18, SB19, SB388, SB412, SB495, SB2425, SB2880

Keywords: SCR 5, Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, Texas School for the Deaf, TSD, Robert Rives, gymnasium naming, building naming, honorary resolution, commemorative resolution, deaf education, hard of hearing, Gallaudet University, alumni hall of fame, football coach, school facility naming, education K-16, State Affairs, Texas Legislature, public school tribute, water rights

Transcript Highlights:

• But this is not a champagne problem. This is a problem for many Minnesotans.
• questions come to the board of problems questions come to the board of problems so<00:51:03.200>
• this is a not a champagne problem this is a problem<00:51:30.839> for<00:51:31.040> many
• c> problem for many problem for many minnesotans<00:51:33.319> any<00:51:33.559> further
• is a real problem.

Bills: HF2228, HF46, HF856, HF2149, HF2215

Keywords: homeowners insurance, property insurance, commercial property insurance, insurance affordability, insurance market stabilization, reinsurance, catastrophic reinsurance fund, self-insured pool, premium costs, coverage notice, liability reform, climate risk, climate change, housing affordability, multifamily housing, rental housing, common interest communities, cooperatives, small business insurance, Minnesota Commerce Department

Transcript Highlights:

• This isn't just a theoretical problem.
• Very serious problems with the development.
• That creates problems, too. Sometimes it's a lack of knowledge.
• And if they find problems, they work with the local government to fix those problems.
• So this is a problem that we think needs to be solved.

Summary: The committee held a work session on local government issues, beginning with an update from the State Building Code Council on four legislatively mandated code amendments now in CR-102 rulemaking: temporary emergency shelters, reduced minimum dwelling unit size, multiplex housing up to three stories and six units, and single-exit apartment buildings up to six stories. Council staff also described a separate embodied-carbon appendix proposal that remains under public review, with testimony both supporting and opposing it. Members asked about the rationale for some of the code limits, including the restriction on connecting multiplex buildings. The committee then heard a panel on annexations from MRSC, Pierce County, and the Association of Washington Cities. Witnesses reviewed annexation methods, including petition, election, and interlocal agreement approaches, and said larger annexations are increasingly using interlocal agreements because they can address infrastructure, revenue sharing, and public process concerns. They described barriers such as inconsistent local standards, the cost of infrastructure, referendum risk, census requirements, and the difficulty of persuading residents and local officials to support annexation. Members asked about the five-year restriction on residential zoning changes in one annexation method and whether a hearing examiner could reduce political pressure on local decision-makers. A second panel discussed subdivision reform. The Master Builders Association urged raising the short-plat threshold within urban growth areas to 30 lots as a simpler first step, citing permitting delays and added housing costs. The City of Spokane described implementation problems with recent housing laws, including uncertainty about how to review plats under HB 1110, lot-splitting administration, and added notice requirements for unit lot subdivisions. AWC said there was broad agreement that subdivision decisions should be more administrative, but public hearings remained a point of disagreement. The committee also heard from FutureWise, the Washington State Association of Counties, and Lewis County on county development regulation and enforcement, with witnesses emphasizing underfunded code enforcement, inconsistent standards between counties and cities, and the need for better coordination, incentives, and possibly stronger enforcement tools. No votes were taken; the chair said the committee would continue working on possible solutions in future sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• problems.
• They are system problems - problems of attorneys having too many cases in their caseload, can't prioritize
• That's the true problem with this bill. It just doesn't make sense.
• But the idea of it is truly the problem.
• It would create some problems for this bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think that's any problem under the bill.
• The problem...
• That's not the problem that's been addressed.
• That's where the problem is.
• But in those two times, we've reined in some problems.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So what problem are you attempting to solve by removing that requirement?
• That's also a problem. I'm a researcher.
• However, if you're looking at whether or not healthy tissues are there, that's a problem.
• We can't fix every problem with one vote or with one law or anything like that.
• I was raised with many problems in my own household.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I CONCUR ON THE ISSUES AND PROBLEMS WITH ADDRESSES.
• PARTICULARLY IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM.
• OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A PROBLEM IN AT LEAST ONE COUNTY, POTENTIAL TO BE PROBLEMS IN ADDITIONAL COUNTIES.
• Pizzo: KEEPING WITH THE SAME THEME, WHERE IS THIS A PROBLEM?
• THAT IS MY PROBLEM WITH THIS BILL.

Keywords: 999, senate, all