Transcript Highlights:

• <01:34:29.679> of and the premise or the the background of and the premise or the the background
• Is everybody going through that screening process that comes into the county jail, for example?
• The one that I'm most familiar with again is everyone is screened the same way.
• Everyone comes through the screening and they're finding who is here illegally.
• <02:03:26.239> the with again is everyone is screened the with again is everyone is screened

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Thursday, January 29, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate reconvened after a snow delay, heard an invocation from Reverend Scott Shelton, and conducted several floor introductions and recognitions, including birthday wishes for staff, a welcome for a temporary office staffer, recognition of the Center for Urban Families, and introduction of the week’s pages. The chamber then approved the prior journal and moved through bill and bond initiative readings, referring the listed measures to their standing committees or the capital budget subcommittee. The first substantive action was adoption of a favorable committee report on Senate Bill 17, an emergency bill authorizing the Baltimore City Board of Licensed Commissioners to issue a related event promoters permit for the CIAA tournament. The floor leader said the bill had no amendments, no fiscal impact, and no opposition in committee. The Senate adopted the report without objection and ordered the bill printed for third reading. The Senate then took up Senate Bill 1 from the Judicial Proceedings Committee, which would require the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to adopt a statewide policy on law enforcement face coverings, apply it to state, local, and federal officers in Maryland, and enforce violations through a civil citation and discipline. The committee report included two amendments: one technical and one making the policy statewide and preempting local policies. During extended debate, the bill’s sponsor argued that masks undermine transparency and trust and that the measure would create a uniform standard. A senator from Frederick County questioned whether the bill would effectively create a policy for federal agents without Maryland-specific training and raised concerns about enforcement, temporary detention, complaints, and possible conflicts with federal authority. The sponsor responded that officers would retain discretion, that the bill would be enforced through civil citations, and that similar civil enforcement mechanisms have been upheld in Maryland. No final vote on the amended report is shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• So then my daughter, my time is on the screen.
• concern and share some of the feedback I've received from providers and physicians of all different backgrounds
• that they can approve this, so they can take a look at it, take a look at all of the history and background
• higher rates of self-harm, body image issues and eating disorders, sleep disruption from late-night screen

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, welcomed judicial branch guests for Judges Day, and recognized several visitors and proclamations, including 2026 Social Work Month. Members also received routine announcements and committee substitutions before moving into Committee of the Whole on multiple calendars. In Committee of the Whole, the House considered and advanced a large number of bills, often after committee and floor amendments. Notable measures included HB 2035 on kinship placement in child welfare; HB 2041 on keeping children from being removed from parents solely due to poverty; HB 2251 on licensed midwifery standards; HB 2429 on short-term rental regulation; HB 2444 on pharmacist-provided testing/treatment, which drew strong opposition from several members over safety, oversight, and cost concerns but still advanced; HB 2615 on court-appointed supervisors; HB 2726 on a sleep apnea device for AHCCCS/Access coverage, which drew concerns about vendor specificity and process; HB 2914 on protecting vulnerable adults in long-term care; HB 4018 on public safety; HB 2127 on an omnibus transportation/license plate measure; HB 2240 on tuition waivers for children of disabled veterans; HB 2344 and HB 2403 on appropriations-related matters; HB 2991 on social media and youth safety; HB 4070 on trafficking-related corporate penalties; and HB 4136 on unlawful entry involving vulnerable adults. Several sponsors described stakeholder negotiations and policy goals, while opponents raised concerns about safety, scope, costs, or process. The House then adopted Committee of the Whole reports and sent many bills to engrossing. In third reading, HB 2123 failed on a 24-28 vote after debate over gold and silver legal tender; HB 2270, HB 2324, HB 2404, HB 2557, HB 2574, HB 2594, HB 2611, HB 2681, HB 2697, and HB 2800 were among the bills voted on, with most passing. Members explained votes on several measures, including support for county authority changes, mental health services, patient records access, domestic violence address confidentiality, child welfare rights, and a bill tied to impaired-driving-related tragedy. The session ended with additional votes still underway on later third-reading bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• What's the cost difference, and it sounds like this screening Is a lot more, provides a lot more data
• then have the competency, and the board will recognize it that they can manage this Issue with the screening
• It helps me review kind of my academic background One last question.
• Madam Chair, I'm sorry, Senator, we haven't just a dash of background.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Just to follow up on background, Jennifer with Department of Finance again.
• Going on to the dyslexia screening tool... Going on to the dyslexia screening tool. Thank you.
• timelines and would not apply to standard screenings at all.
• So screenings can occur before and after this point.
• Do we screen, and this may be off topic, but do we screen students as they come in from other states?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up the May Revision update on Proposition 98 and the school rainy-day fund. The Department of Finance said the minimum guarantee rises by $6.4 billion over the Governor’s Budget across the three-year window, with lower average daily attendance projections offsetting some of the revenue gains. Finance also described a reduced $3.9 billion settle-up proposal, increased deposits into the Public School System Stabilization Account, and an ending reserve balance of about $10.3 billion. The LAO said the revenue and LCFF adjustments were reasonable, but urged the Legislature to be cautious about delaying settle-up payments and to consider more budget resiliency, including larger cushions or other tools to protect ongoing programs. Members then questioned the administration and LAO about the size of the settle-up, the rationale for the reserve deposit, declining enrollment, and how lower attendance is creating savings that can be redirected to other school priorities. The LAO said the May Revision’s mix of one-time and ongoing spending was generally reasonable but recommended keeping a strong cushion and considering alternatives such as advance payments or pension-related savings. Questions also focused on how the May Revision’s funding mix affects districts if revenues weaken, and on the treatment of special education, discretionary block grants, and paid family leave costs for LEAs and community colleges. The committee next heard the community colleges portion of the budget. Finance described a higher SCFF COLA, increased apportionment costs, a student support block grant, deferred maintenance, Common Cloud, Calbright, credit for prior learning, and a one-time adult learner demonstration project. The Chancellor’s Office supported the core investments but asked for more funding for enrollment growth, changes to the SCFF growth formula, and a COLA for Student Equity and Achievement. The LAO recommended funding the statutory COLA increase, noted a $52 million current-year apportionment shortfall not yet included in the May Revision, and suggested the Legislature could instead direct some funds to enrollment growth, categorical COLAs, or one-time uses. Members also clarified how COLA and hold-harmless rules apply to different community college districts. Finally, the committee reviewed the proposed state implementation of the federal Workforce Pell program. Finance proposed one-time funding for the Student Aid Commission and Cradle to Career data work, plus trailer bill changes to set up state approval of eligible programs. CSAC said the program is promising but highly complex, with new federal rules just released and significant data, regulatory, and systems work still needed; it said the state will not be ready by July 1 and that ongoing funding will likely be necessary. The LAO agreed that implementation will require careful trailer bill language and noted that ongoing administrative costs remain unresolved. Members asked about other states’ approaches and the practical effect on short-term workforce programs in California.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don’t see why AI couldn’t be an answer that would allow us to screen and stop these streams in order
• In one instance, a patient of one of our members was screened by an AI intake tool.
• In one instance, a patient of one of our members was screens by an AI intake tool.
• In one instance, a patient of one of our members was screened by an AI intake tool.
• But there's really nothing in that definition that requires any technical background at all.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• screening data was collected.
• :40.320> gives Statewide baseline screening data gives Statewide baseline screening data gives
• 10.320> curricular working on um screening curricular working on um screening curricular resources
• act. when we think about the screening act. when we think about the screening data<00:32:42.559>
• Multiple screening tools, new costs.

Bills: HF3421

Keywords: early literacy, reading instruction, teacher preparation, teacher candidates, teacher licensure, educator licensing, Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, PELSB, field experience, supervised practicum, evidence-based reading, science of reading, literacy methods, teacher training, preservice teachers, school-based experience, reading intervention, Minnesota education policy, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• don't have to know different Platforms they don't know have to know different system flows different screen
• And those are the things that we're doing in the background at all times.
• Some of them provide information to the user on a screen. screen, some don't have a screen and provide
• if we came to the table with a tool that said you have to provide all that information on a touch screen
• or on a screen visible to the user.

Bills: HB10, HB 12, HB675, HB10, HB12

Keywords: regulatory reform, government efficiency, administrative law, rulemaking, agency deference, judicial review, de novo review, Texas Government Code, Administrative Procedure Act, state agencies, plain language, regulatory burden, regulatory reduction, cost-benefit analysis, fiscal note, public benefits and costs, contested case, rule challenge, Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, advisory panel

Transcript Highlights:

• The vast majority of states have a Medicaid-paid-for pediatric vision screening program because..."
• She said pediatric vision screening has broad support, has been before the House multiple times, and
• She said the pediatric vision screening program is one that almost every other state has and that has
• dooll into a pediatric vision screening dooll into a pediatric vision screening program<01:51:46.560
• <01:51:56.119> program<01:51:57.040> because Screening program, because children don't

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We conducted a series of focus groups with Latinas from various regions and backgrounds, ages from early
• And then I'll wait for my deck to appear on the screen here. Good morning. Thank you.
• We have essential checkups and infectious disease screenings, as well as vaccine clinics, and provide
• And for those, just a little bit of background on our rapid response network...
• And for those, just a little bit of background on our rapid response network, what was mentioned earlier

Summary: The Select Committee on Latina Inequities met at Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar, hosted by Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez and joined by Assemblymember Mia Bonta. Rodriguez opened by framing the committee’s work around the economic status of Latinas and the effects of federal policies on the economy and social safety net, while the college president welcomed the committee and described campus services for undocumented and housing-insecure students. Rodriguez also emphasized the local impact of immigration enforcement in the San Fernando Valley and said the hearing would focus on Latinas’ economic conditions, immigration enforcement impacts on the workforce and safety, and H.R. 1’s effects on the safety net. The first panel featured HOPE’s Maria Morales and Dr. Elsa Macias, who presented findings from HOPE’s National Economic Status of Latinas report. They said Latinas are a major and growing part of California’s population and workforce, but face persistent inequities, including a large wage gap, higher unemployment, high uninsured rates, student debt, and affordability pressures around child care, housing, and education. They also discussed entrepreneurship, noting both the growth of Latina-owned businesses and barriers such as limited access to capital, technical assistance, and retirement and health coverage. In response to committee questions, they said higher education can still offer a strong return on investment, but only if students can complete degrees without being overwhelmed by debt and care costs; they also pointed to policy solutions such as SB 642, mentorship, financial literacy, CalSavers access, and support for community development financial institutions. The second panel focused on immigration enforcement and Latina safety in the workforce. Luis Nolasco of the ACLU described arrests tied to apparent ethnicity and Spanish-speaking, the chilling effect on families, and the loss of wages, school attendance, and mobility. Dr. Amada Armenta said immigration enforcement harms California’s economy, public health, and mixed-status families, and noted that undocumented workers are concentrated in agriculture, construction, and child care. SEIU’s Jen Baca Beltran said raids and school-based enforcement traumatize children and families and highlighted the need for Know Your Rights trainings. Megan Ortiz of IDEPSCA described repeated Border Patrol raids on day labor centers, injuries to staff, and the need to protect worker centers, domestic workers, and street vendors. Inclusive Action’s Shannon Camacho said raids have forced many informal workers to stop working, prompted emergency cash assistance and rent relief efforts, and strengthened advocacy for vendor protections and CDFI support. CHIRLA’s Jeanette Zanipatine said the rapid response network has expanded, documented widespread arrests and detention conditions, and is providing direct support and legal referrals; committee members asked about detention, maternal health, and what the state can do, and panelists urged stronger oversight, more legal representation, and protections for pregnant and detained people.

Transcript Highlights:

• So folks that have issues, uh, either criminal issues, there is a, a stringent background check.
• where this bill really comes in handy, including through engaging in offline activities, limiting screen
• uh, no they're not, or if you eat this way, it does this and for somebody who doesn't have that background
• And so yes, they'll be looking at, you know, their background, where they went to medical school and
• this to be from Austin, but just you know, anywhere you go, any place you go, if you know your background

Bills: HB163, HB 296

Keywords: judicial liability, personal bond, felony offenses, judges, criminal justice reform, voter registration, election procedures, change of address, residence requirements, Texas Election Code, Texas election law, residence address, precinct voting, county move, same-county move, Election Code, registrar, statement of residence, polling place, local elections

Transcript Highlights:

• So, folks that have issues, either criminal issues, there is a... a stringent background check that goes
• where this bill really comes in handy, including through engaging in offline activities, limiting screen
• And for somebody who doesn't have that background, it makes them seem like they don't. like they're experts
• And so, yes, they'll be looking at, you know, their background, where they went to medical. school and
• Anywhere you go, any place you go, if you know your background and your rules.

Bills: HB713, HB827, HB932, HB499, HB510, HB163, HB296, HB879, HB913, HB163, HB296

Keywords: healthcare, maternal health, reporting requirements, Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee, health provider immunity, workplace violence, nurses, grant program, healthcare facilities, safety measures, safety, nursing, grants, healthcare safety, verbal abuse, physical abuse, nurse empowerment, occupational therapy, licensure, interstate practice

Transcript Highlights:

• What is the process for psychological screening of who is hired to be a guard?
• What is the process for psychological screening of who is hired to be a guard?
• What is the process for psychological screening of who is hired to be a guard?
• What is the process for psychological screening of who is hired to be a guard?
• here just gives you some uh background here just gives you some uh background on<01:37:26.400>

Bills: HB60

Keywords: geoengineering, weather modification, environmental safety, atmospheric pollutants, criminal pollution, Meeting Start: 00:00:02 Roll Call: 00:00:08 26 RS HB 60 - AN ACT relating to geoengineering: 00:01:35 Department of Corrections Update: 00:32:59 Kentucky Parole Board Update: 01:19:21, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that uh within you can see on the screen that uh within DWS<00:36:35.240> there's<00:36:35.400
• <00:45:46.920> study background study background study disqualification<00:45:50.359> this<
• The next proposal is about new background study disqualification that would prohibit an individual who
• We are recommending that we align the family child foster care and adoption background studies with the
• <00:50:56.000> study clear a background study clear a background study prior<00:50:57.599>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So, little small to see on the screen here, but it really shows the comparison of total meals served
• to<00:03:58.760> see<00:03:58.959> on<00:03:59.120> the<00:03:59.239> screen
• <00:03:59.560> here little small to see on the screen here little small to see on the screen
• importantly I have a farming background importantly I have a farming background as<00:31:46.919>
• <00:36:48.599> and<00:36:48.839> of really understands the background and of really

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They are right in the background, and they deserve credit too.
• They are right in the background, and they deserve credit too.
• They are right in the background, and they deserve credit too.
• You're there for our shredding event, back-to-school event, for our breast cancer screenings, you name
• YOU'RE THERE FOR OUR SHREDDING EVENT, BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT, FOR OUR BREAST CANCER SCREENINGS, YOU NAME

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior journal, and handled several motions to discharge and substitute identical Assembly or Senate bills, along with a number of amendments. The chamber also welcomed student visitors from the League of Women Voters’ Students of Albany program and a group of Staten Island titleholders, and later adopted previously approved resolutions honoring Dorothy E. Reid for her role in Brown v. Board of Education and recognizing Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. on Delta Day, with multiple senators speaking in support of both recognitions. The bulk of the floor session was devoted to third-reading votes on a large number of bills, most of which passed with broad support. Measures addressed public health, workers’ compensation, education, environmental conservation, insurance, labor, criminal procedure, domestic relations, tax, municipal authority, and correction law. Several bills were explained by sponsors as advancing stormwater management authority, labor-law transparency, public health protections, and stronger penalties for trafficking-related offenses; one bill on immunization in summer camps drew a defense from Senator Skoufis as a child-protection measure, while another on correction law passed with some Republican opposition. The chamber also took up a controversial public health/electronic health records bill by Senator Fernandez. Senator Martin questioned the bill at length about redacting certain categories of information, emergency access, provider obligations, and the impact on doctors’ ability to see complete medical histories. Fernandez said the bill was intended to protect patients from discrimination and to limit access to a small list of sensitive services, while also noting emergency exceptions and support from more than 200 health care providers. The debate remained focused on balancing privacy protections with concerns about continuity of care and record integrity.

Transcript Highlights:

• Back up, I want to, because it's important to know the background.
• And I Know all too well sitting across from a patient that it's very helpful to have that background
• What we see is a shift in mindset about using measurement-based care, looking at those depression screens
• and anxiety screens.
• organizations is that when you have that level of complexity—and I know many of you Have business backgrounds

Transcript Highlights:

• ><00:37:33.280> um<00:37:33.680> not<00:37:33.920> proper<00:37:34.240> background
• the um system, um not proper background the um system, um not proper background checks<00:37:35.120
• Landlords can continue to screen tenants based on references. helped develop this legislation, helped
• Landlords can continue to<00:43:54.360> screen<00:43:54.840> tenants<00:43:55.640> based
• <00:43:55.960> on<00:43:56.120> references ...to screen tenants based on references

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to prevent and screen and in the past we didn't screen. Why?
• So screening 10 years before symptoms And that's where we can make the biggest bang for our buck, and
• So, is it screening for... things that we know cause progression, like diabetes, like obesity, like..
• So primary care is the first kind of thing to hold up and to screen for these things.
• With my confusion, I have on my screen that you are neutral. But your words have been against.

Bills: HB5, HJR3, HB155, HB513, HB5, HB155

Keywords: dementia, research, health care, Texas Institute, grants, medical breakthroughs, oversight, prevention, funding, healthcare, Texas, autopsy, confidentiality, public records, medical examiner, law enforcement, HB 513, surgical smoke, surgical plume, smoke evacuation

Transcript Highlights:

• There were screens. The waiting room in that clinic was a space of sort of joy in learning.
• There were screens with educational videos, and now instead we replaced a lot of those with informational
• can hold space for the fact that 80% of those who are currently in ICE detention have no criminal background
• Many in our communities are reeling after seeing the ICE surge in Minnesota on our TV screens, where
• I'm from Northern Virginia originally, where I grew up surrounded by people from all different backgrounds

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on several public safety bills, with testimony first on S.2681, Colby’s Law, which would establish safety standards for BMX and motocross tracks. Supporters, including the family of a child killed at a track, argued the bill is needed because some tracks lack basic protections such as barriers, emergency plans, on-site medical staff, and adequate track maintenance. A motocross track representative opposed the bill as overregulation that could impose major costs and argued existing safety efforts and voluntary safety committees are preferable. No vote was taken during the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on S.2680, which would expand emergency preparedness requirements around aging nuclear power plants and nuclear waste sites from a 10-mile to a 50-mile radius. Supporters from Cape Cod Downwinders, Massachusetts Peace Action, physicians, and other advocates said current law is outdated and insufficient, citing risks from radioactive waste storage, limited federal oversight, and the need for broader evacuation and emergency planning. Testifiers urged the bill’s passage, and no action was taken. A major portion of the hearing focused on the Protect Act, H.5158, dealing with limits on cooperation between state/local agencies and federal civil immigration enforcement. Sheriffs testified about how ICE detainers and notification requests work in practice, emphasizing discretion, public safety, and the difference between sentenced prisoners and pretrial detainees. Supporters from labor, education, and health care groups said immigrant communities are living in fear and asked for stronger protections, including bans on 287(g) agreements and clearer limits on ICE activity in schools, hospitals, and other sensitive locations. The hearing also included testimony on H.4697 regarding training and certification of constables and civil deputy sheriffs, with the Hampshire County sheriff saying sheriffs are already working with POST and MPTC on training standards and that the bill may be duplicative.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't have her on the screen, but I'm happy to put you on the screen. Senator Eckhardt.
• In 2023, the FBI updated the standards for state agencies to access criminal background information.
• authorizes the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Office of Inspector General to obtain background
• Texas screens newborns, but does not, I repeat, does not track the disease afterward.

Summary: The Senate met with a quorum, heard an invocation, dispensed with the previous journal, and received a House message. Members also recognized Dr. Namita Bardwaj as doctor of the day. The chamber then adopted Senate Resolution 554 honoring Christopher “Chris” Jake Stone of Santa Fe for his heroism during the 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting, with several senators and the lieutenant governor offering remarks about his sacrifice and the ongoing impact on his family and community. The Senate also signed a number of bills and resolutions and adopted Senate Resolution 533 recognizing the Texas Legislative Internship Program class, with multiple senators highlighting individual interns and the program’s role in developing future public servants. The floor then took up and passed several bills, often by suspending the regular order and the three-day rule. These included HB 1639 on a study of cancer incidence among female firefighters; HB 102 granting early registration for students in military-related programs; HB 4325 increasing civil penalties for barratry; HB 5342 creating a 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline trust fund and related funding study; HB 3370 allowing late timberland appraisal applications after an owner’s death; HB 3376 requiring certain guardians to complete dementia/Alzheimer’s training; HB 132 extending confidentiality protections to information about hostile acts by foreign adversaries; and HB 1978, which sought to restrict ERCOT interconnections, but its motion to pass to engrossment failed on a 20-11 vote. Additional measures passed included HB 511 on unsolicited voter registration mailings, HB 2187 on nurse staffing, retaliation, and overtime protections, HB 2510 creating offenses for unlicensed assisted living operations, HB 694 on DFPS notification timelines, HB 1893 making license plates in law-enforcement video nonconfidential for public information requests, HB 2733 updating barratry and solicitation laws for digital communications, HB 4506 allowing opt-in electronic zoning notices, HB 3751 transferring a TxDOT property to DPS, HB 3033 creating a grant program for nonprofits supporting injured or killed DPS employees, HB 4273 on Medicaid fraud prevention and eligibility verification, HB 3211 on vision care benefits, HB 4529 exempting certain DoD-certified child care facilities from state licensure, HB 2522 easing fingerprinting requirements for certain vehicle dealers, HB 4219 tightening public information request response requirements, and HB 4783 requiring a report on opioid antagonist programs. The Senate also received a House message noting passage of SB 9, and a nominations committee report was announced for future consideration.