Transcript Highlights:

• As a state government social worker, I guide them through all the different things, like, "Have you talked
• online in advance of the hearing and then to also participate in the hearing, both in person and remotely
• At the hearing, there are opportunities for public comment, both in person and remotely.

Transcript Highlights:

• operating adjustments, removed the repeal of the unemployment insurance for our integral school hourly workers
• integral unemployment insurance for our integral school<00:04:28.880> hourly<00:04:29.360> workers
• and<00:04:30.479> there<00:04:30.720> was<00:04:30.800> an school hourly workers
• , and there was an school hourly workers, and there was an addition<00:04:31.199> of<00:04:31.280
• [Music] The clerk will call the name of the member participating remotely. All set. House File 5.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this bill adds protections for linemen and utility workers in the Penal Code.
• Members, this bill adds protections for linemen and utility workers in the penal code.
• Every day, thousands of Texans rely on highly trained and skilled health care workers to deliver essential
• Speaker and members, H.B. 1411 will allow those essential workers, the school employees—these are the
• persuasive action No functional, no, no, even remotely persuasive action to protect birds in these areas

Summary: The House convened with a quorum present, heard an invocation and pledges, received Senate messages, and adopted several procedural motions allowing committees to meet during the session and postponing or scheduling certain committee hearings. Members also observed a memorial recognition for Wood County Deputy Sheriff Melissa Pollard, who died in the line of duty, and adopted a resolution honoring her service. The chamber then adopted House Resolution 897 recognizing May 6, 2025 as Golf Day in Texas and House Resolution 1063 recognizing Dallas Housing Coalition Advocacy Day; additional recognitions highlighted Mental Health Awareness Month and tardive dyskinesia awareness, The Woodlands’ 50th anniversary, Alzheimer’s advocacy, student athlete Gator Young, an intern in Rep. Leo-Wilson’s office, and educator Jessica Lopez. The House spent much of the day on third-reading consideration of a long calendar of bills. Among the measures passed were HB 24 on zoning protest procedures, HB 3800 creating a health care workforce advisory board, HB 42 on higher education appropriations, HB 129 restricting contracts with foreign adversary companies, HB 677 on county elections administrator political activity, HB 668 on license-to-carry renewal procedures, HB 2128 directing a rural firefighting study, HB 2038 expanding physician licensing options, HB 2316 on election result reporting, HB 3686 on retired peace officer ID cards, HB 2563 creating a prescribed burn manager self-insurance pool, HB 1160 increasing penalties for assaults on utility workers, HB 3883 on major events funding, HB 2788 protecting fraud-detection information, HB 2663 on inactive well plugging extensions, HB 3305 extending a county health provider participation program, HB 3474 on pension reporting, HB 1105 expanding tuition exemptions for certain paramedics, HB 3490 on closed meetings with internal auditors, HB 3597 on child care facility notice thresholds, HB 1295 on health literacy planning, HB 3512 on AI training for government employees, HB 3783 on court-ordered counseling, HB 2017 on intoxication manslaughter penalties, HB 3010 on rural disaster recovery, HB 3112 on cybersecurity-related public information and meetings, HB 4215 on delivery network companies, HB 3223 on construction claims limitation periods, HB 3464 on controlled substances in correctional facilities, HB 3120 on residential child detention facilities, HB 4214 on public information, HB 481 on trade secret sealing, HB 4783 on opioid antagonist program reporting, HB 4063 on unilateral memoranda of contract, HB 2783 on county employee deferred compensation, HB 5085 on seed banks, HB 2510 on assisted living facility operations, HB 3426 on digital driver’s licenses, HB 4361 on emergency notifications at higher education institutions, HB 1169 on oil and gas infrastructure protection, HB 2516 on Medicare supplement eligibility for Texans under 65, HB 3560 on hospital staff background checks, HB 3860 on occupational licenses for inmates, HB 3146 on SOAH hearings, HB 184 on loan repayment for border prosecution attorneys, HB 198 on firefighter cancer screenings, HB 247 on border security infrastructure taxation, HB 367 on excused absences for students with severe illnesses, HB 449 on deepfake sexually explicit images, HB 1778 on human trafficking and related offenses, HB 514 on maternal health workforce outreach, HB 632 on pharmacy regulation, HB 2582 on victim parole information, HB 766 on precinct chair ballot applications, HB 2715 on suspension/removal of officials, HB 2712 on water and sewer utility test years, HB 3069 on transmission projects, HB 3505 on health provider participation districts, HB 1269 on plant disease and pest prevention grants, HB 4224 on access to health care records, HB 5032 on historical documents in the Capitol complex, HB 2240 on void marriages, HB 5180 on diploma designation, HB 3348 on health provider participation programs, HB 4668 on PUC authority to retain assistance, HB 4665 on child care training providers, HB 3395 on beneficiary designation for manufactured homes, HB 3157 on interim electric utility rates, HB 4395 on electronic submission of public securities records, HB 4325 on bribery civil penalties, HB 4386 on annuity replacement transactions, HB 4273 on Medicaid fraud-related unlawful acts, HB 2760 on judicial review of unemployment decisions, HB 2820 on charitable bingo operating capital, HB 1828 on legislative leave for correctional officers, and a series of Senate bills including SB 2349, SB 1268, SB 610, SB 1577, SB 1369, SB 2032, SB 1057, SB 1044, SB 922, SB 1759, SB 1143, SB 1506, SB 1403, SB 2361, SB 870, SB 372, and SB 72. Several bills drew debate or amendments, including HB 24, where a germane point of order was sustained against an amendment, and HB 198, HB 3348, and SB 2361, which were amended before passage. Most measures passed by wide margins, though some drew notable opposition, including HB 3883, HB 514, HB 1295, HB 184, SB 1143, and others. The House also postponed further consideration of HB 4700 until the end of the day and HB 24 until 1 p.m., and it granted permission for committees to meet during the House session and for the Calendars Committee to meet that morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• The clerk will call the name of the member participating remotely. >> Probably have to hit the gavel.
• The clerk will call the name of the member participating remotely. >> Kisa [clears throat] Watun. >>
• Kisa Watun, present. >> The clerk will close the role. participating remotely. participating remotely

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• :28.160> uh<00:17:28.319> workers<00:17:28.799> on<00:17:29.120> site,<00
• :17:29.679> 1500<00:17:30.080> at<00:17:30.320> its hours on uh workers on site,
• 1500 at its hours on uh workers on site, 1500 at its peak<00:17:31.039> and<00:17:31.360>
• I think Representative Jones, you're remote.
• I think Representative Jones, you're remote.

Bills: HF4912, HF4664

Keywords: electronic pull-tabs, pull-tabs, tipboards, gambling tax, Minnesota Racing Commission, Thoroughbred, horse racing, Minnesota-bred horses, breeders, owners, racing purses, industry subsidy, gambling revenue dedication, problem gambling, compulsive gambling treatment, general fund appropriation, state affiliate National Council on Problem Gambling, racing incentives, equine industry, public officers

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, we'll go to uh Assistant Commissioner Bob Meyer on remote.
• Now, we'll go to uh Assistant Commissioner Bob Meyer on remote.
• Now, we'll go to uh Assistant Commissioner Bob Meyer on remote.
• Now, we'll go to uh Assistant Commissioner Bob Meyer on remote.
• Now, we'll go to uh Assistant Commissioner Bob Meyer on remote.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The chief clerk will call the names of the members voting remotely. Green.
• call the names of the<00:06:06.319> members<00:06:06.639> voting<00:06:06.960> remotely
• the members voting remotely. the members voting remotely. Green. Green. Yes. Green votes: I.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And then in 2019 and 2020 there have been two exceptions related to remote learning, which focused on
• related to a remote education. related to a remote education.
• Education, the school board, and any legislative work to get us in the new contract for testing, remote
• We feel like that's remote testing.
• I think this remote testing is going to be a game changer for us.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Comicon Caral La, government affairs manager for United Public Workers.
• <00:46:53.280> are challenges that public uh workers are challenges that public uh workers
• Next, we have Hawaiʻi Realtors with comments here next, uh, Hawaiʻi Workers Center in support.
• <00:51:52.040> Center comments here next uh H workers Center comments here next uh H workers
• Next we have Hawaiʻi Worker Center in support. India Kot in support. Elizabeth Ray in support.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committees heard testimony on several transportation and consumer-related bills. HB 496, relating to mamaki tea labeling, drew support from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Weights and Measures, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau, which said the bill would help protect a culturally important crop and the Hawaii brand. Members questioned Agriculture about staffing and whether the bill was being used to reopen a package-labeling inspection branch; the department said it currently has no Oahu inspectors for that function but has a place for an additional inspector. No opposition was registered on the measure. HB 978, relating to electric utilities, and HB 1316, relating to DLNR/park reservations, were also heard. HB 1316 received support from State Parks, and members discussed where reservation fees would go and whether the statewide reservation system for three parks would cover its costs; the committee indicated a change would be made so fees go to the special fund. HB 914, relating to water carriers, drew support or comments from the PUC, Department of Agriculture, Department of Transportation, Young Brothers, and the Hawaii Harbor Users Group. The main discussion focused on the proposed automatic rate-adjustment mechanism tied to the GDP price index, with members asking for alternative index ideas and questioning whether the PUC already had authority to adopt such a mechanism. Young Brothers said the measure would provide clarity and help recover inflationary costs, while the chair raised concerns about repeated rate increases and asked for further testimony on possible alternative indices. HB 1161, relating to transportation and road usage charges, received support from the Insurance Division, DOT, and the State Energy Office, with comments from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii and the Hawaii Food Industry Association. Members asked whether counties need state authorization to adopt mileage-based charges and why the bill included funding for implementation; DOT said it is helping counties build the data collection and billing system and that Honolulu is handling much of the collection work. A question was also raised about whether plug-in hybrids would be covered, and DOT said vehicles under the federal electric-vehicle definition would be included. HB 1301, relating to transportation network companies, drew opposition from the Hawaii Association for Justice, Lyft, and Uber, all arguing that classifying TNCs as common carriers and changing liability rules would raise costs, reduce access, and disrupt the current statewide framework. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the chairman of the committee is required if the committee member wishes to attend a meeting remotely
• A member approved to attend remotely must keep their video on at all times.
• Barry Taven on remotely. But Mr. Clark, welcome.
• Barry Tabin on remotely. But Mr. Clark, welcome.
• It's important to train all of our state workers, in my opinion, as well as our IT professionals as well

Summary: The committee held its first meeting on artificial intelligence and data centers, establishing its purpose as a study and policy-development body rather than one aimed at producing many bills. Majority Leader Hogue urged members to move quickly, focus on federal and other states’ AI laws, consider possible federal preemption, child protections, and the siting and economic impacts of data centers. Committee leadership echoed that the goal is practical, balanced governance that protects North Dakota while allowing innovation to continue. Legislative Council staff provided a background memo and NCSL presented a detailed overview of AI concepts and the current state legislative landscape. The presentations distinguished narrow AI, generative AI, agentic AI, and theoretical AGI/ASI, and summarized major state policy themes: comprehensive AI laws in states such as Utah, Colorado, Texas, California, and Illinois; targeted laws on deepfakes, chatbots, health, education, notifications, and digital likeness; and growing use of appropriations and agency inventories. Members asked about Colorado’s repeal and reenactment, Texas’s sandbox and training provisions, oversight structures, and whether AI regulation is bipartisan; presenters said most issues cut across party lines, with broad agreement on child safety and deepfakes but more division on broader regulatory approaches. The federal update focused on executive orders, preemption, and congressional activity. NCSL described a White House framework favoring a single federal standard, a DOJ litigation task force, Commerce Department review of state laws, and possible funding conditions tied to state AI policy, though no formal state-law challenge had yet occurred. The presentation also covered a recent executive order creating a voluntary federal vetting process for advanced frontier models after safety concerns, and congressional proposals including a failed 10-year state moratorium, Senator Blackburn’s child-safety bills, the Kids Online Safety Act, a House-passed children’s digital safety package, a Senate data center moratorium proposal, and a House ratepayer/data-center bill. The committee took no formal action beyond receiving testimony and asking questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• SCR 35 by Senator Foyle to urge and request the Louisiana State Law Institute to study the use of remote
• This SCR is one we have asked be brought to study and make changes to the remote online notary law.
• The law that was passed did restrict the use of authentic acts or execution of authentic acts by remote
• note is other civil law jurisdictions around the world, including Quebec and France, they have a remote

Summary: The House Civil Law Committee met on May 11, 2026, with a quorum present and heard several bills and resolutions. It reported favorably without objection Senate Bill 466, which bars foreign adversaries from using expropriation authority in Louisiana and creates a narrow expropriation category for very large aerospace/LED projects of at least 20,000 contiguous acres with no residential structures. The committee also reported favorably House Bill 986, requiring child support payments from persons convicted of vehicular homicide for the benefit of a child who lost a parent. The committee then considered two constitutional amendments by Senator Morris. Senate Bill 123 would allow judges to be removed for cause by a majority vote of the legislature and certification by the governor; it was amended to change the ballot language to refer to removal for malfeasance, gross misconduct, or incompetence, and was reported favorably after a roll-call vote of 5 yeas and 1 nay, with Representative Carter voting no. Senate Bill 97 would require prosecutorial consent for a defendant to waive a jury trial, except in capital cases; after adopting Amendment Set 5277 to clarify the capital-case exception, the committee heard opposition from Chris Alexander of the Louisiana Citizens Advocacy Group and then reported the measure favorably by a 5-1 vote, again with Representative Carter voting no. The committee also heard Senate Concurrent Resolution 35, which urges the Louisiana State Law Institute to study remote online notarization for authentic acts. Testimony in support came from the Louisiana Bankers Association, which argued the study is needed because of declining notary availability, especially in rural areas, and noted similar practices in other civil law jurisdictions. SCR 35 was reported favorably without objection. Finally, House Bill 1098, by Chairman McFarland, was reported favorably without objection; it provides a limited liability framework for FAA-licensed aerospace flight entities operating in Louisiana. House Bill 375 was voluntarily deferred, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Chief Clerk will call the names of the members voting remotely.
• The Clerk will call the names of the members voting remotely. Hussain, aye. Hussain votes aye.
• The Chief Clerk will call the names of the members voting remotely. Hussain. There you go.
• The Chief Clerk will call the names of the members voting remotely. Hussain. Hussain votes aye.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Clerk will call the name of the member participating remotely. Gander. Gander, present.
• The Clerk will call the name of the member participating remotely. Senator Gander votes aye.
• The clerk will call the name of the member participating remotely. Senator Gander votes aye.
• The clerk will call the name of the member participating remotely. Senator Gander.

Transcript Highlights:

• When I first introduced it, it had a second part that would remove the ability to vote via remote.
• Um I think those who uh make remotely.
• So, again, in conclusion, this would not change the ability of the body to vote remotely.
• So, again, this would not change the ability of the body to vote remotely.
• You may permit remote testimony or attendance participation. Mhm.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This has been a great partnership with our NMSU partners and our master's level social workers who are
• Social workers are part of our attendance team and are conducting home visits while also providing mentorship
• Lozano, two social workers?
• our teachers need to consider looking at maybe some flexible time schedules, school schedules, or remote

Transcript Highlights:

• basically enticing these, you know, employers, there are incentives and these are some really good workers
• that we began our work until now, we've certainly going through the pandemic where everyone went remote

Transcript Highlights:

• Ultimately, this bill is about making sure every community, no matter how small or remote, has a pathway
• boards are notified. of large-scale subsidized job creation so that they can better prepare young workers

Bills: SB913, SB1086, SB1087, SB1143, SB1534, SB1553, SB1718, SB1754, SB2004, SB2322, SB2448

Keywords: hotel occupancy tax, municipal revenue, tax code, local government funding, Texas legislation, county taxation, economic development, hotel industry, local government, counties, taxation, tourism, workforce development, youth programs, employment, education, technical training, health physics, higher education, nuclear energy

Transcript Highlights:

• Any worker, any questions, any appearance Cards?
• This bill contains 2,510 lines and only 30 of them remotely address of freedom. That's one thing.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate your flexibility and accommodation in appearing remotely.
• that they have and will have in the future, particularly as we see there's going to be less farm workers

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education first took up a block of confirmation hearings for trustees and board members at several public universities and state colleges. Appointees from Florida A&M University, Florida International University, New College of Florida, Pasco-Hernando State College, South Florida State College, Valencia College, Florida Atlantic University, and the University of Florida described their backgrounds and emphasized themes such as governance, student success, workforce alignment, fiscal stewardship, research growth, and institutional reputation. Members asked a few questions, but most nominees received no substantive opposition. The committee then voted unanimously to recommend confirmation of the group of appointees on tabs 3 through 18 and forwarded them to Ethics and Elections. The committee next heard Senate Bill 114 by Senator Trumbull, which would create the Florida Center of Excellence in Insurance and Risk Management at Florida State University, move the public hurricane loss projection model from FIU to FSU, and provide funding for the effort. Trumbull said the bill is intended to strengthen the state’s insurance research capacity and broaden study of insurance lines beyond wind risk. Senators asked about the impact on FIU and the distinction between the new center and existing FIU work; Trumbull said FIU’s Wall of Wind would remain and that the state-owned model would simply be contracted to FSU instead of FIU. The committee reported the bill favorably. The committee then considered Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1624 by Senator Calatayud, a wide-ranging higher education bill addressing tuition, workforce programs, institutional operations, and naming changes. Amendments were adopted to create state college regional consortium service organizations for rural colleges, remove a proposed out-of-state fee change for nonresident online students, extend university master plan update cycles from five to 10 years, and rename Hillsborough Community College as Hillsborough College. The bill also changed several references from specific minority categories to “underrepresented,” revised aid and waiver provisions, adjusted adult education and career program rules, and made other technical changes. Senators Smith and Davis questioned the shift away from enumerated categories, arguing it could obscure disparities affecting groups such as Black students, women in STEM, and students with disabilities; Calatayud said the intent was to focus on socioeconomic access and flexibility for institutions. After debate, the committee voted 6-2 to report the bill favorably, with Senators Davis and Smith voting no, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And with the advent of technological solutions that allow for remote proceedings and other things, the
• There is currently a hearsay exception in statute for comparable reports that social workers do in these

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum present and heard several Office of the State Courts Administrator presentations. Judge Mark Mahan discussed the impact of 2023’s HB 837 litigation reforms on court operations, explaining that the law’s changes to comparative negligence, filing deadlines, collateral source evidence, premises liability, bad faith claims, attorney’s fees, and offer-of-judgment rules triggered a major March 2023 civil filing surge. He described how filings tripled statewide, with especially large increases in auto negligence and premises liability cases, and outlined how circuits responded through active case management, added resources, and workflow changes. Members asked whether the bill’s immediate effective date contributed to the surge and whether clearance rates would normalize over time; Judge Mahan said the court system viewed its response as a success and expected rates to settle as the backlog is worked through. The committee then received a presentation on problem-solving courts from Jennifer Grandal and Judge Nina Richardson. Grandal reviewed Florida’s drug courts, mental health courts, veterans courts, dependency and early childhood courts, noting statewide best-practice standards, annual reporting requirements, funding sources, and data collection systems. Judge Richardson gave a local perspective on treatment courts, emphasizing that they address underlying mental health and substance use issues, rely on judicial supervision and sanctions as well as incentives, and help participants achieve recovery and avoid reoffending. She said the programs are accountable, transparent, and effective, and thanked the Legislature for continued support. Finally, Judge Rachel Nordby and Eric McClure outlined the judicial branch’s legislative agenda. Nordby summarized the Supreme Court workgroup’s recommendations to expand Florida’s vexatious litigant law, including broader coverage, fewer qualifying adverse cases, a longer lookback period, and a public records exemption for stricken defamatory or sham material. McClure then highlighted additional agenda items: modernizing the duty-judge statute, expanding senior management retirement eligibility, authorizing additional judgeships based on workload studies, removing the statutory cap on court-ordered nonbinding arbitration compensation, protecting appellate clerks’ personal information, allowing alternative authentication for certain judicial notarizations, and creating a hearsay exception for guardian ad litem reports and testimony. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after member introductions and staff introductions.