Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, Madam Comptroller General.
• Thank you, Madam, Comptroller General.
• And that was done at the direction of the General Assembly.
• And that was done at the direction of the General Assembly.
• But of course also Ruth Ann, the Comptroller General, Burt Skulletti, the Deputy Controller General,

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When we are doing it, we generally are limiting a period of effectiveness to eight years.
• We raised crops and cattle on a fourth-generation farm homesteaded by my great-grandfather in 1876.
• Um, one key is that tax distribution.
• Um, it's generally all this type of constant class EMV is almost always smaller.
• <01:08:44.880> taxed residential property is generally taxed residential property is generally

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Texans will own a piece of the success they helped generate. Thank you.
• Investment products, how much property tax relief could be generated?
• And the funding is distributed by a formula.
• So we had $300 million to distribute.
• So there is a process to distribute those funds.

Bills: HB104

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tax rate election, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, de minimis rate, local government, special district, tax increase, tax notice, public hearing, tax code, Health and Safety Code, Texas property taxes, taxing unit, election threshold, two-thirds vote, majority vote, budget approval

Transcript Highlights:

• objection to the bill in in general. My objection to the bill in in general.
• customer's ability to use distributed customer's ability to use distributed energy<01:23:57.760>
• this provides an opportunity to generate this provides an opportunity to generate their<01:30:06.639
• generation device that solar generator generation device that meets<01:35:30.159> the<01:35:30.400
• not going into the general fund. not going into the general fund.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, and approved the journal. Members then took up Senate Joint Resolution 4, which designates September 20-26, 2026, as Frontotemporal Degeneration Awareness Week in Colorado. The resolution was read at length, with Representative Clifford speaking in support and describing FTD as a devastating, early-onset dementia that affects families during working and child-rearing years. The resolution passed on a 60-0 vote. The chamber also handled scheduling motions, including removing House Bill 1110 from special orders and placing several bills on special orders for March 4. The meeting then shifted into committee-style consideration of House Bill 1205, concerning changes to state law to reflect the federal expansion of good neighbor authority agreements. After a minor committee-report correction adding wildlife habitat language and removing the safety clause, the report was adopted and the bill passed. Sponsors said the measure aligns state law with federal statute and supports recreation projects and cross-ownership coordination in wildfire-prone landscapes. The bulk of the discussion focused on House Bill 1145, concerning water quality in mobile home parks. Sponsors Velasco and Phillips said the bill responds to longstanding water problems in mobile home communities, including discolored, foul-smelling water and contaminants such as arsenic and E. coli, and that it strengthens testing, complaint, and enforcement authority. Two amendments were offered by Representative Richardson and Representative DeGraaf to narrow or clarify the bill’s standards and hearing provisions; both were defeated. The committee report was then adopted and the bill advanced, with supporters emphasizing public health and financial burdens on residents and opponents warning about vague standards, penalties, and possible unintended effects on park owners.

Transcript Highlights:

• recommended by the Committee on General recommended by the Committee on General and<00:14:16.720
• and<00:19:52.120> housing General Committee on General and housing General Committee on General
• out of the House Committee on General out of the House Committee on General and<00:20:37.440>
• from the general fund was in 2025. from the general fund was in 2025.
• recommended by the Committee on General recommended by the Committee on General and<00:21:48.920

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with ceremonial readings and announcements, including a pledge of allegiance and a House Concurrent Resolution recognizing April 2026 as the Month of the Military Child in Vermont. Members also welcomed guests in the gallery, including military families, Vermont Library Association leaders Daisy Benson and Amy Williams, a legislative intern, delegates from North Macedonia under the Open World Program, and Norwich University students. Several caucus and event announcements followed, including a reception for an art exhibition, caucus meetings, and a legislative cabaret notice. The chamber then took up Senate Bill 89, relating to expanding survivor benefits. Committee members explained that the bill would extend the existing emergency personnel survivor death benefit to additional categories of workers, including law enforcement officers, certain corrections employees, family services workers, and certain state-operated mental health employees, with a prospective effective date of July 1, 2026. The House General and Housing Committee reported the bill favorably 10-0-1, and the Appropriations Committee reported 11-0-0, noting there was no new money in the bill and that the fund currently had enough for one claim. The House voted to propose the bill to the Senate as amended and ordered it to third reading. The House also considered House Bill 626 on sexual extortion, voyeurism, and nonconsensual disclosure of sexually explicit images. The Senate amendment added enhanced penalties for voyeurism involving victims under 18, with higher penalties for repeat offenses. After hearing from the Defender General, prosecutors, sheriffs, and the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the House Judiciary Committee recommended concurrence 10-0-1. The House agreed to concur in the Senate proposal of amendment, and third reading was ordered. At the end of the session, the House adjourned on a voice vote until Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• VAWA is funded through congressional appropriations, which are then distributed by a formula fund to
• In Kentucky, the grants management division administers and distributes the grant through competitive
• <00:03:40.159> by 100% federally funded and distributed by 100% federally funded and distributed
• and distributes VOCA funds to<00:03:52.959> our<00:03:53.120> subreients.
• It is a general consensus that there's no national model.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee first heard from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet’s Grants Management Division on federal victim-services funding. Staff described the main grant programs they administer, including STOP VAWA, VOCA victim assistance, sexual assault services, Byrne state crisis intervention, and Project Safe Neighborhoods. They emphasized that VOCA is especially volatile because it is funded by the federal Crime Victims Fund, which has declined sharply in recent years, reducing Kentucky’s available awards and forcing cuts to state, local, and nonprofit subgrants. They also outlined steps the cabinet has taken to stabilize funding, including changing the subaward formula, aligning the grant period with the state fiscal year, subawarding one year behind the federal cycle, and retaining a reserve. Members asked about how funds reach victims, how subgrantee amounts are determined, and requested a breakdown of grant recipients and amounts; staff said they would provide that information later. The committee then received a detailed presentation from the Department of Juvenile Justice on alternatives to detention. Commissioner Randy White and staff explained that ATDs are short-term, less restrictive placements for low-risk youth, including electronic monitoring, home supervision, group homes, foster care, private child care, community programs, mentoring, evening reporting centers, and in-home wraparound services. They described the referral and approval process involving court-designated workers, detention alternative coordinators, courts, and county attorneys, and said DJJ currently has 16 ATD-related contracts, with placements, programs, and electronic monitoring among them. They also reported that between July 1, 2024, and July 30, 2025, 1,652 juveniles were involved in the process, including 168 diversion cases. Members questioned the cost of juvenile detention versus adult incarceration, whether families pay for electronic monitoring, whether there is a national model for juvenile detention, and what alternatives exist for truancy and contempt cases. DJJ said families do not generally reimburse for electronic monitoring, there is no single national model, and day treatment centers are an important alternative for some youth. The department also said it builds daily routines and wellness education into its facilities, and that more than two-thirds of its programs are evidence-based. Officials said they currently monitor vendor performance through quarterly reviews and can end contracts for poor performance, but that data tracking is still largely manual. They said the new JCOM system, now in pilot in the eastern region, should improve reporting and help identify outcomes and recidivism more effectively.

Transcript Highlights:

• Capital cost where we've generally Capital cost where we've generally sought<00:30:00.120> State
• fiscal year 2024 that would generate fiscal year 2024 that would generate about<00:44:17.040>
• Yes, um, not only to the workforce in general, but impacts to the workforce in general, but impacts to
• Yes, not only to the workforce in general, but impacts to the workforce in general, but impacts to the
• <01:14:59.400> through State dollars are distributed through State dollars are distributed

Bills: HF5

Keywords: tax modification, transportation funding, electric vehicle tax, Social Security subtraction, retail delivery fee, motor vehicle registration, state budget, transportation policy, 1183, house

Summary: The committee began with member and staff introductions, then heard an overview of the governor’s transportation budget recommendations from fiscal staff Andy Lee. He explained that the spreadsheet showed only proposed changes, not base spending, and highlighted General Fund and trunk highway adjustments for MnDOT and the Department of Public Safety, including operating changes, extensions of prior appropriations, increased state road construction and Blatnik Bridge authority tied to anticipated federal funds, State Patrol hiring and a metro headquarters item, aeronautics changes, and revenue adjustments in the Driver and Vehicle Services special revenue account. The main testimony came from Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle, who outlined three budget-related items: advancing funds to MnDOT to help coordinate a highway reconstruction with a transitway project, making Metro Mobility riders eligible for free fixed-route transit, and reducing the Metro Transit general fund appropriation by $32.454 million annually. He said the advance would speed delivery and reduce disruption, the free-fare pilot had been successful and could save money if even a small share of Metro Mobility trips shifted to fixed-route service, and the general fund reduction was manageable in the near term because of new revenue streams but could constrain future expansion and capital maintenance. Members questioned the long-term effects of the proposed reduction, possible impacts on safety, service expansion, and capital maintenance, and whether federal funding uncertainty could affect operations and bus procurement. Zelle said the cuts would not affect immediate operations but could limit future BRT, microtransit, and transitway expansion, while also noting that capital maintenance needs include platform rebuilds, track work, rolling stock, and station repairs. He also said the 2023 funding package had accelerated projects and that the council was opening three transit lines this year. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today we will be discussing general items that were laid to our committee.
• that cap will gradually grow over time as general revenue grows.
• And then I also wanted to ask a general overview question.
• Okay, and so Generally speaking. It's we're using a greater than 5% margin?
• General Appropriations Act, which provides that authority.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > complex and generally, we define complex and generally, we define complex litigation<00:05:08.520
• I'm Andrea Anderson, general counsel.
• I'm Andrea Anderson, general<00:41:44.000> counsel. general counsel. general counsel.
• And then they will distribute information out to them.
• will distribute information out to them. will distribute information out to them.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the August 12 minutes and then handled a large agenda of 355 contracts totaling about $278.7 million. It agreed to defer three Office of Energy Policy items to the October 2025 meeting and reviewed a deferred Kentucky Educational Television contract without objection. The main substantive discussion centered on two University of Louisville legal services PSC amendments and a Seven Counties Services MOA item. For the University of Louisville items, members questioned a large increase in hourly rates and the scope of the legal services, especially complex litigation work and a Colorado estate matter. University officials said the contracts followed an RFP, involved specialized litigation, included local counsel where required, and were expected to be offset by savings in other PSCs and by a potential financial recovery in the Colorado matter. The committee also discussed whether the $125 hourly rate was a statutory requirement or committee policy; the chair later said staff would verify whether it was an executive-branch regulation or statutory rate. Both University of Louisville items were ultimately approved, though Senator Meredith voted no on one and Senator Douglas explained his support while urging future adjustments and more information sharing. The Seven Counties Services contract drew questions about how the $18.7 million would be used and whether federal changes could affect future funding. Cabinet officials described 988 crisis response, outpatient mental health and substance use treatment, prevention, recovery, and harm-reduction services, and said they were monitoring federal developments daily. Representative Petrie and Senator Thomas pressed the cabinet on the long-running Seven Counties bankruptcy and the need to push for resolution; officials said the matter was pending on a motion for reconsideration and that they would try to help move it along. The contract was approved. At the end of the meeting, the committee approved the remaining agenda items as reviewed without objection, but Senator Meredith voted no on the blanket approval motion because of numerous retroactive contract requests and what she said were insufficient explanations such as administrative error or staff being on conference. She said retroactive approvals should be rare and supported stronger internal controls.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today we will be discussing general items that relate to our committee.
• It will be general revenue in 26-27.
• Um, and then I also wanted to ask a, a general overview question.
• And so generally speaking, it's we're using a greater than 5% margin.
• For all funds, general revenue funds and state funds?

Transcript Highlights:

• Here we just display our depiction of the general instruction of the General Fund condition under the
• community colleges in general.
• Coming from the general fund.
• Appropriation from the general fund.
• Corporate tax rate to the general fund?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that prior outrageous provision is also gone or removed. ...is the ability of the Attorney General
• Pardon me, if a pharmaceutical manufacturer is manufacturing, selling, and distributing these drugs for
• And that's why this statute says that you're liable if you manufacture or distribute these to Texas for
• Under this bill, a manufacturer— a pharmaceutical company that manufactures, distributes, or sells these
• They just generate more complaints, but they are found to be unfounded, unsubstantiated and yet all of

Bills: SB 2, SB 5, SB 10, SB 9, SB 7, SB 17, SB 4, HB17, HB7, HB7, HB15, HB15, HB27, HB1, HB7, HB15, HB18, SB9, SB7, SB17, SB4, HB17, HB27, HB1, SB8, HCR13, SB2, SB5, SB10

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting, school assessment, public education, accountability, transparency, education standards, STAAR, Texas Education Agency, TEA, public school accountability, school ratings, A-F ratings, assessment reform, student testing, benchmark tests, interim assessments

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I think having an Inspector General.
• independent office of inspector general independent office of inspector general is<00:02:45.599>
• <00:08:46.880> is the inspector general is the inspector general is 60%.<00:08:49.760>
• <00:18:12.000> In who also have inspector generals. In who also have inspector generals.
• <00:38:18.960> And general. Madam Chairson, thank you. And general.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• No, they're using generation. It has to do with crypto.
• Yeah, they're using generation three cryptography.
• Is it not generation three technology? It's generation one; it's legacy. At this point, it's old.
• This is very interesting regarding generations of technology, etc.
• It looks like a password that your password manager would generate.

Bills: SB 21, SB21, SB72, SB140, SB262, SB370, SB372, SB495, SB627, SB703, SB764, SB842

Keywords: emergency alerts, weather alerts, public safety, local government, municipality, county, website posting, online notice, emergency management, disaster preparedness, evacuation, National Weather Service, NOAA, Texas Division of Emergency Management, TDEM, localized alerts, hazard warnings, severe weather, watch warning advisory, public information

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's just kind of a general overview of what we do.
• Next slide, Madam Chair, is just a general overview of how PARA is structured.
• It consists of municipalities, general members, fire and police, state general members, as well as state
• We have a tax suspension fund distribution.
• So on page 10, this is the household distribution.

Transcript Highlights:

• Proposed in the January budget for LCFF funding generated by newly eligible students.
• So we're not capturing 100% of kids, generally speaking, who are age eligible.
• Generally, I think we would see any supports and services.
• So there may be figures floating around, but certainly not finance-generated.
• Yo-yoing creates a very destabilizing community in general.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sometimes we generate them by what we see during our inspections, and other times they come to us from
• The number of physicians shows a slight downward trend, with the exception of my general comment.
• The number of physicians shows a slight downward trend, with the exception of my general comment.
• And you see that the distributions start to look... Medical marijuana, only about 2,000.
• But of course, it produces signals and generates hypotheses to start.

Summary: The Health Professions and Program Subcommittee met to receive oversight briefings on Florida’s medical marijuana program from the Department of Health’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) and from the University of Florida’s Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research. OMMU Director Christopher Kimball outlined the program’s structure, including more than 900,000 active patients, nearly 7,000 caregivers, 27 MMTC licensees, 706 dispensing locations, and nine certified testing labs. He described the state’s pre-approval process for products and advertising, plain packaging requirements, seed-to-sale tracking, registry operations, and compliance efforts such as background checks, inspections, complaint investigations, and lab desk audits. He also said the Bureau of Public Health Laboratories in Jacksonville had been accredited to begin supporting testing. Members asked about telehealth, patient growth, product safety, advertising to children, inspections, and the status of MMTC licensure; Kimball said recertifications by telehealth now make up more than half of recertifications, that patient growth has slowed, and that ongoing litigation is delaying issuance of 22 new MMTC licenses. Kimball also discussed implementation of recent legislation and licensure changes, including licenses issued under HB 387 and SB 1582 to applicants from the original Pigford-related pool, with additional cure opportunities still ongoing. He said the department is monitoring diversion, inversion, and unapproved products, and that it coordinates with law enforcement when needed but does not itself have sworn authority. In response to questions, he said the department does not regulate physicians directly, but may refer concerns to the Division of Medical Quality Assurance, and that caregiver and physician participation requirements are set by statute. Members raised concerns about edibles, child access, and continued use of child-attractive branding; Kimball said the department tries to catch issues through pre-approval and enforcement, and that complaints involving children are treated as serious and investigated using available records and camera footage. Dr. Almond Winterstein then presented the consortium’s research overview. He explained that the consortium was created by statute in 2019, includes 10 universities, and is funded by annual state appropriations. He said its work includes grants, a research repository, a clinical core, outreach, and evidence synthesis, including a recent FDA-supported review of cannabis evidence. He emphasized that the current evidence base is limited and often low quality, with the strongest signals for symptom relief in PTSD-related symptoms, nausea, and some pain outcomes, but with many studies inconclusive or mixed. He also described the consortium’s use of registry data linked to Medicaid, Medicare, death, fetal death, and birth records to study safety and outcomes, including children, pregnancy, driving safety, opioid-sparing effects, and adverse events. Winterstein said adverse event reporting is sparse and likely underreported, with most reports mild but some serious events noted, and he expressed concern about use among young adults because of uncertain benefit-risk and possible effects on the developing brain. The committee discussed the need for better surveillance, more robust adverse event reporting, and the possibility of using linked data to identify harms more quickly. At the end of the meeting, the committee rose without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a general fund request of just over $3 million.
• That's a big generalization, but all get trained when they're asked to do more.
• That's a big generalization, but all get trained when they're asked to do more.
• <00:59:21.680> these to distribute these to distribute these funds<00:59:23.720> our
• made the decision to Pivot to a general made the decision to Pivot to a general licensing<01:14:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm an attorney and I serve as General Counsel for the Texas Association of Water Companies or TAWC.
• the PC uses for the for decisions in expedited electric utility rate matters known as DC RF or distribution
• Of investment in distribution facilities has been available to electric utilities for several years.
• schedules must be supported. by testimony and the testimony must include a list of the completed distribution
• So I do think that having those in-specific terms that we all generally know what we're talking about

Bills: SB 384, SB 503, SB 565, SB 616, SB 740

Keywords: hunting license, fishing license, donation, operation game thief fund, wildlife conservation, livestock, electronic registry, marks and brands, Texas Animal Health Commission, animal identification, SB 565, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, compliance agreement, enforcement suspension, utility consolidation, regionalization, water supply, sewer

Summary: The Senate Committee on Water and Agriculture and Rural Affairs convened under the leadership of Chairman Kelly Hancock, who opened the meeting with a prayer in remembrance of Chairman Perry, who was absent due to a personal loss. The session focused on the discussions surrounding SB384, which aims to support the longstanding initiative known as Operation Game Thief. Senator Flores presented the bill, emphasizing its essential role in the fight against poaching through public support. The operation has a successful track record of convictions but is currently dependent on donations and merchandise sales for funding. The committee aimed to vote on multiple bills during this session, contingent on achieving a quorum. Notably, discussions also revolved around fiscal notes on two bills that were set aside for later consideration, indicating the committee's intention to carefully manage their legislative decisions. The meeting showcased a productive atmosphere, with committee members actively engaged in the review and potential advancement of key legislative measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• , will expire and return back to the general fund.
• expire and return back to the general expire and return back to the general fund<00:34:26.960>
• licensing into this like General licensing into this like General licensing<01:09:02.440> is<
• <01:17:53.679> Jeff Administration uh attorney general Jeff Administration uh attorney general
• <01:19:15.600> belief to cannabis States uh my general belief to cannabis States uh my general

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Minnesota House Commerce Committee held its inaugural meeting with Chair Tim O’Driscoll and co-chair Representative Greg Davids opening the session and inviting members to introduce themselves. Members briefly described their districts, business backgrounds, and priorities, with recurring themes including small business competitiveness, insurance and health care access, property and real estate issues, agriculture, and making Minnesota easier to do business in. Committee staff also introduced themselves and reminded members and testifiers about sign-in procedures and microphone use. The committee then heard an overview from Eric Toell, interim director of the Office of Cannabis Management, on the agency’s work and budget priorities. He said the office now oversees adult-use cannabis, medical cannabis, and hemp-derived cannabinoid products, has grown from about nine employees to 90 full-time staff plus temporary workers, and has been working with a Cannabis Advisory Council on testing, warning labels, and implementation issues. He also described outreach efforts, including webinars, newsletters, guidebooks for local governments, and office hours for applicants, along with enforcement of hemp-derived product rules through more than 3,000 inspections and an increase in compliance rates from about 35% to 75%. Toell also reported that the medical cannabis program has surpassed 51,000 patients and nearly 2,500 registered health care providers, and that a chronic pain report found more than a third of patients reported decreased pain. On the adult-use side, he said the office has posted proposed rules for public comment, plans to adopt them after review, and will open a licensing window from February 18 to March 14. He explained that the office is also managing community reinvestment grants and a technical assistance grant, with an emphasis on safeguards to ensure funds reach intended recipients. No votes were taken during this meeting.