Transcript Highlights:

• It can be a real tool. but it can also be a detriment.
• You know, again, a tool, but in the end, we don't want machines running our lives. lives.
• So there are tools available that don't try to balance.
• You would know if there are other tools available or what folks would suggest.
• Now, please tell me if there are other tools. But I believe that's the law today.

Bills: SJR57, SCR8, SB8, SB14, SB24, SB108, SB112, SB125, SB213, SB251, SB315, SB318, SB371, SB378, SB379, SB472, SB487, SB502, SB513, SB565, SB621, SB650, SB689, SB707, SB710, SB761, SB763, SB815, SB854, SB875, SB896, SB916, SB925, SB958, SB961, SB965, SB973, SB987, SB990, SB995, SB1006, SB1018, SB1019, SB1024, SB1026, SB1146, SB1194, SB1198, SB1253, SB1330, SB1343, SB1362, SB1379, SB1497, SB1498, SB1527, SB1532, SB1547, SB1596, SJR36, SJR12, SJR57, SCR22, SCR12, SCR8, SB565, SB765, SB62, SB666, SB707, SB888, SB687, SB847, SB1248, SB14, SB1006, SB504, SB925, SB995, SB857, SB305, SB296, SB284, SB815, SB1379, SB1497, SB1499, SB1498, SB241, SB304, SB621, SB1023, SB1024, SB686, SB112, SB371, SB204, SB609, SB670, SB502, SB850, SB854, SB413, SB1362, SB1346, SB1033, SB1220, SB1073, SB810, SB987, SB1539, SB447, SB875, SB406, SB985, SB965, SB1119, SB1505, SB24, SB1194, SB1253, SB1215, SB1532, SB1302, SB856, SB650, SB583, SB673, SB213, SB681, SB1172, SB1252, SB378, SB1343, SB608, SB487, SB955, SB957, SB988, SB990, SB1019, SB1021, SB1120, SB251, SB958, SB761, SB541, SB315, SB379, SB1018, SB1737, SB266, SB1415, SB1527, SB125, SB599, SB1330, SB53, SB916, SB896, SB1352, SB973, SB785, SB710, SB472, SB1450, SB1502, SB1566, SB414, SB1062, SB1547, SB961, SB1038, SB513, SB578, SB711, SB746, SB942, SB1404, SB1448, SB1738, SB108, SB8, SB318, SB507, SB533, SB689, SB1026, SB1349, SB1355, SB1433, SB1434, SB1596, SB1403, SB1198, SB1146, SB763, SB667, SB1059, SB617, SB1567, SB503, SJR37, SB16, SB310, SB311, SB396, SB505, SB1209, SB1210, SB1470, SB264, SB924, SB1029, SB1185, SB1202, SB1358, SB1364, SB1569, SB1697, SB1376, SB1228, SB519, SB878, SB1350, SB462, SB1535, SB827, SB1585, SB207, SB1207, SB1619, SB1396, SB920, SB1484, SB1273, SB1741

Keywords: central bank digital currency, CBDC, Federal Reserve, digital dollar, digital currency, cashless payments, financial privacy, cybersecurity, government surveillance, financial surveillance, money laundering, terrorism financing, illicit finance, banking policy, monetary policy, payments system, commercial banks, Texas Legislature, concurrent resolution, federal reserve digital currency

Transcript Highlights:

• The standardized respite support tool and procedures will also offer consistency.
• Gates mentioned, is Senate Bill 138, the standardized assessment tool. I think it will be helpful.
• I forgot to mention that the standardized family support tool that the department is developing, which
• The tool will not only help with consistency and transparency about respite and how much respite, but
• But also just within the person-centered thinking process, there are tools that are provided to assist

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services held a hearing on developmental services, rehabilitation, and related supports, with no votes taken. The first major topic was the Master Plan for Developmental Services. Administration officials described a year-long, community-driven process that included a steering committee, work groups, and statewide engagement sessions, and said the final draft would be released that Friday with about 170 recommendations. The Department of Developmental Services said the plan would inform future work, but did not offer a detailed implementation roadmap. The LAO said the plan contains significant policy and budget implications, may require statutory changes, and needs further analysis to turn recommendations into actionable proposals. Advocates and regional center representatives urged the Legislature and administration to avoid letting the plan sit on a shelf, called for prioritization and ongoing stakeholder oversight, and emphasized the need to address equity, workforce, service coordination, and cross-system collaboration. The chair said he wanted to work with the LAO on trailer bill language and future reporting to create a clearer path forward. The second topic was the Office of Employment First and competitive integrated employment. Administration witnesses said California has ended subminimum wage under SB 639, but that moving people into competitive integrated employment remains a major priority. They described existing efforts such as DDS’s coordinated career pathways pilot, paid internships, job development services, benefits counseling, and DOR’s career counseling and referral services, along with pilot projects in San Diego and Orange County. The State Council on Developmental Disabilities and advocates argued that employment outcomes have remained stuck at roughly 15% and that a dedicated Employment First Office is needed to coordinate across agencies, align goals, and improve outcomes. The LAO recommended regular legislative oversight on people transitioning out of subminimum wage and asked for technical assistance on coordinated career pathways. The chair criticized the administration’s decision to effectively eliminate funding for the office, requested a detailed implementation timeline and quarterly transition reports, and said the committee would continue pressing for the office to be implemented. The final issue was respite services, utilization trends, and access. DDS reported that in-home respite use and spending have risen sharply over several years, with about 150,000 people using respite in 2023-24 and expenditures reaching about $1 billion. Officials said access depends on families knowing the service exists, service coordinators identifying need, and having enough providers, especially in rural and linguistically diverse communities. The San Diego Regional Center said utilization generally mirrors statewide trends, but access is stronger in some areas, such as Imperial County, where families often prefer family-directed or agency-supported models that allow them to hire trusted workers. Committee members emphasized the importance of respite for family health and caregiver well-being, asked whether service coordinators are asking practical questions about sleep and stress, and discussed the need for better identification of complex behavioral and medical needs. DDS said a standardized family support tool and updated IPP process are intended to improve consistency, transparency, and person-centered assessment for respite and related services.

Transcript Highlights:

• also, uh, have, uh, uh, provided, uh, have developed, um, the injection and pore pressure reporting tool
• can get we can get this sucker passed because this is a very good bill, it's just giving one more tool
• And so we think it's a great bill to give them this extra tool, and with that, I'm happy to answer any
• Does the current system and your current agency in your department have the necessary tools in place
• And so having that level of, um, pre precision within the mapping tool would be.

Bills: HB206

Keywords: HB206, school district bonds, bond election, voter approval, Education Code, Chapter 45, Section 45.003, Section 45.0034, Texas schools, school finance, local tax election, bond referendum, school construction, capital improvements, election frequency, five-year waiting period, district bonds, public school funding

Transcript Highlights:

• This provides them with another tool, and it also provides us with another tool for thinking through
• This provides them with another tool, and it also provides us with another tool for thinking through
• and it also provides us another tool and it also provides us with<00:28:23.640> another<00:28
• :23.919> tool<00:28:24.120> for<00:28:24.320> thinking<00:28:24.679> through<
• /c> with another tool for thinking through with another tool for thinking through the<00:28:25.399>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Higher Education met on March 11 and began with House Bill 442, which would appropriate funds to the University of Hawaiʻi system for nursing programs. University of Hawaiʻi representatives testified in strong support, and several additional supporters submitted testimony. Members asked about a similar Senate measure, and the witness confirmed the university supported that bill as well. No opposition or vote was recorded on HB 442 during the excerpt. The committee then heard House Bill 1169, a housekeeping measure concerning the University of Hawaiʻi Conference Center revolving fund. Testimony explained that the bill would consolidate existing Conference Center statutes into one centralized fund statute and allow campuses to use the fund more broadly. Members raised no questions, and no vote was taken in the excerpt. House Bill 185, which would establish a plant-based building materials working group, drew the most discussion. The Department of Agriculture said it supported the intent but wanted baseline research before a larger working group was formed. Supporters argued the measure could help develop a homegrown industry using bamboo, hemp, and other plant materials, create green jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Several members questioned whether a formal working group was necessary and whether the work could be done without new legislation. The University of Hawaiʻi later estimated the bill’s requested work would cost about $150,000 over two years to analyze crop options and report findings. The final measure discussed in the excerpt was House Bill 1320, which requires the University of Hawaiʻi to collect, analyze, and publicly report graduate outcome data and develop a Graduate Outcomes Dashboard. University officials said they already use some data sources but lack a dedicated data-visualization specialist and need additional capacity to consolidate and present the information. Members questioned the need for new positions and funding, arguing the university should use existing resources and that students already have many ways to explore careers. Supporters responded that the dashboard would help students and the state better understand postgraduate outcomes, workforce needs, and program value. No final action or vote was shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• We let law enforcement do their jobs, and we provide them with the necessary tools and resources.
• The tools of political power.
• Any of these tools can be abused by people who are willing to break the law or abuse these tools or violate
• And similarly, do you agree that tools like Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
• We want to make sure that we are equipping them with all the tools necessary to make those strides for

Transcript Highlights:

• it collects reports on health care-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance, and provides tools
• it collects reports on health care-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance, and provides tools
• it collects reports on health care-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance, and provides tools
• it collects reports on health care-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance, and provides tools
• <00:37:35.680> and resistance and provides tools and resistance and provides tools and education

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The meeting was an informational walkthrough for the Health Finance and Policy Working Group, focused on committee structure, budget basics, and major health-related accounts and programs. Staff explained the roles of House Research and House Fiscal, then reviewed key funds used by the committee, including the general fund, government special revenue fund, federal funds, the health care access fund, remediation account, and drinking water revolving fund. They also outlined the committee’s main budget areas, noting that medical assistance is the largest general fund item and that the Department of Health is a substantial agency funded by a mix of federal, general fund, and special revenue dollars. A major portion of the presentation covered subsidized health coverage programs. Staff described Medical Assistance (Minnesota’s Medicaid program) as an entitlement for eligible Minnesotans, with no premiums or cost sharing, and explained its managed care and fee-for-service delivery systems. MinnesotaCare was presented as a separate federal-state basic health program for people who are not eligible for MA, with income limits, premiums for adults age 21 and older, and cost-sharing requirements; staff noted that federal premium tax credit changes affect MinnesotaCare premium ranges. The presentation also summarized MNsure’s role in the individual market and in determining eligibility for premium tax credits, cost-sharing reductions, MinnesotaCare, and MA. The committee also received an overview of health-related licensing boards and occupational regulation. Staff said Minnesota has 16 health-related licensing boards, funded mainly through the state government special revenue fund and subject to legislative appropriation, and explained that health occupations may be regulated by the Department of Health, the Office of Emergency Medical Services, or the boards under chapter 214. Interstate licensure compacts were briefly noted as a way to ease practice across states. No bills were debated and no votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Porn is not, I want to be clear, porn is not an educational tool. Porn is not an educational tool.
• Porn is not an educational tool. Porn is not an educational tool. Common sense.
• Some members said for having a tool.
• Some some members of set for having a tool.
• They are saying get these tools of carnage out of our communities.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill gives Californians tools to protect consumers when they need it most.
• SB 493 closes these loopholes, and it ensures the state has the tools to deter predatory pricing and
• SB 1208 will provide prosecutors with a much-needed tool to seize and return digital financial assets
• Based money laundering is well-intentioned, SB 1208 inadvertently creates a tool that could be misused
• So I would respectfully ask for your aye vote to get this additional tool in our tool belt and broad

Summary: The committee heard several bills, though no final votes were taken because a quorum had not yet been established. SB 493 by Senator Becker would add war or armed conflict to California’s price-gouging emergency triggers, with the author and supporters arguing it would protect consumers from gas-price spikes tied to international conflict. Opponents, including business and housing groups, warned the bill could over-trigger emergency powers and create broad, ongoing price controls. The chair indicated support for an aye-as-amended recommendation once quorum was reached. SB 1056 by Senator Grayson would require protective orders for disclosure of sexually explicit material involving adult victims in specified criminal cases. Denise Huskins-Quinn and Aaron Quinn testified in support, describing how sensitive evidence in their case was copied and handled without adequate safeguards; supporters said the bill would extend privacy protections similar to those already used for child sexual abuse material. Criminal defense attorneys supported the goal but raised concerns about notice procedures and how the bill would apply when material is in the public domain. The chair said the bill filled a gap in existing law and would receive an aye recommendation. SB 1208 by Senator Grayson would let law enforcement seize and return crypto assets used in scams and fraud to victims. The Attorney General’s office and law enforcement groups supported the bill as a tool to recover losses from transnational crypto fraud, while the ACLU and public defenders argued it lowered the burden of proof, raised constitutional concerns, and could be misused against unbanked or low-level defendants. The chair nevertheless said the bill aligned with existing law for stolen property and would be recommended aye. SB 874 by Senator Weber-Pearson would strengthen oversight of Medi-Cal behavioral health treatment services, including requiring background checks for employees of providers and convening a stakeholder workgroup; it drew support from the California Association for Behavior Analysis and no opposition was heard. Later, SB 1266 by Senator Stern would change how the value of stolen copper and related infrastructure damage is calculated, aiming to address copper theft and its costs to cities and utilities. Supporters said the bill would better capture the real harm from thefts that disrupt streetlights, telecom, and emergency services, while opponents argued it would inflate charges, turn many misdemeanors into felonies, and increase court and incarceration costs. The author said he would continue discussions and accept the amendments. Senator Cervantes presented SB 1379, which would separate the Riverside County sheriff and coroner offices and create an independent medical examiner; supporters cited in-custody death concerns and conflicts of interest, while opponents said the problem was not unique to Riverside and that the bill would override local control. Cervantes also presented SB 1418 to extend ballot-custody protections to other election records and equipment after a Riverside County ballot seizure, with support from the Attorney General’s office. Finally, Senator Blakespear began presenting SB 936 on nitrous oxide misuse, describing public health, impaired-driving, and disposal concerns, but the transcript cuts off before the bill’s testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• This merely gives our prosecutors another tool to deal with situations where they feel it's necessary
• This merely gives our prosecutors another tool to deal with situations where they feel it's necessary
• This merely gives our prosecutors another tool to deal with situations where they feel it's necessary
• This merely gives our prosecutors another tool to deal with situations where they feel it's necessary
• This merely gives our prosecutors another tool to deal with situations where they feel it's necessary

Bills: SF0087, SF0088, SF0092

Keywords: felony, law enforcement, police officer, criminal penalties, public safety, sex offender, child care facility, residency restrictions, criminal law, sex offenders, child care facilities, legislation, false claims, civil penalties, state accountability, whistleblower protection, fraud prevention, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a tool that we use, but it's not something we use that frequently.
• <00:53:51.520> and<00:53:51.720> so who know how to use those tools and so who know
• how to use those tools and so um<00:53:52.640> I<00:53:52.720> think<00:53:52.920>
• so if you have uh Staffing these tools so if you have uh Staffing gaps<00:54:18.599> that<00:
• to access what they need in their lives in a more efficient, more approximate way, rail is a great tool

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• here have the best tools in the tool<00:30:53.799> chest<00:30:54.240> to<00:30:54.600
• > function<00:30:55.600> um<00:30:55.880> especially<00:30:56.360> if tool
• chest to function um especially if tool chest to function um especially if they're<00:30:57.279>
• So this is really enabling corporations to have the tools they need to do that if an emergency arises
• that they need to do that have the tools that they need to do that in<00:33:39.360> and<00:33

Bills: HF747, HF1014, HF320, HF400

Keywords: corporate governance, shareholder rights, beneficial ownership, defective corporate acts, Minnesota Business Corporation Act, Minnesota Insurance Guaranty Association, MIGA, insurance guaranty fund, insurer insolvency, covered claim, net worth threshold, high-net-worth insured, financial information request, insurance claims, self-insured retention, deductible, commercial insurance, insurance regulation, Minnesota Statutes 60C.09, guaranty association

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:18:04.159> These<00:18:04.320> are<00:18:04.960> another<00:18:05.320> tool
• <00:18:05.640> in<00:18:05.760> the our Farm These are another tool in the our Farm
• These are another tool in the toolbox<00:18:06.400> for<00:18:06.559> us<00:18:06.720>
• And then they use this tool called FINPAC, which is a software tool that we use commonly across the state
• called finpac which is a software tool called finpac which is a software that<01:22:38.480> we

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• another important tool uh in our<00:07:36.759> toolbox<00:07:37.240> for<00:07:37.560>
• I would like us to have all the tools in our toolbox if we're going to get to that goal by 2040.
• <00:15:05.000> in would like us to have all the tools in would like us to have all the tools
• this with all the tools and the tool<00:19:36.799> box<00:19:37.440> so<00:19:37.640><
• box so Mr chair I'd ask that we tool box so Mr chair I'd ask that we consider<00:19:39.640> um

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Minnesota Senate Energy Committee heard Senate File 426, authored by Senator Icorn, which would remove the 100-megawatt cap on hydropower for purposes of qualifying as an eligible energy technology under Minnesota law. Supporters said hydropower is carbon-free, reliable, flexible baseload power that can help Minnesota meet its 100% carbon-free electricity goal by 2040. Testifiers from Missouri River Energy Services and Minnesota Power described existing hydropower resources, including allocations from federal Missouri River dams, Minnesota hydro stations, and Manitoba Hydro, and argued that the bill would preserve and expand options for clean energy development. Several members raised concerns about the bill’s purpose and potential environmental impacts. Senator McEwen questioned why the size limit should be removed without specific proposed projects or more information about the need for larger dams, citing concerns about fisheries, water resources, and land use. Senator Port and others asked about costs, environmental effects, and where new projects might be built. In response, supporters said the bill is intended to open the door to future projects and allow agencies to review proposals through existing permitting and environmental processes, rather than approving any specific dam. Committee members offered mixed reactions. Senator Frentz said he supported the concept but recommended laying the bill over for further discussion and possibly sending it to the Environment Committee, noting environmental concerns and the need for more conversation. Senator Gruenhagen strongly supported the bill, arguing that it merely lifts a cap while leaving permitting and review requirements in place. Senator Hoffman also supported the bill, saying current policy blocks consideration of new projects and that the change would allow regulators to evaluate proposals on their merits. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the bill was left open for further consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill would provide additional tools The bill would provide additional tools to<01:49:27.360> the
• Uh, this bill fixes the outdated structure by extending the same graduated licensing tools available
• <01:55:33.160> available<01:55:33.600> for graduated licensing tools available for
• House File 3621 is just one tool. No amount of fraud is acceptable.
• House File 3621 is just one tool.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• our institutions of higher education, and then the individual institutions are able to use this as a tool
• this bill does require that there be internships that are practiced, and I think that that is another tool
• And I think that this bill is an important tool to help keep people in our state instead of leaving and

Transcript Highlights:

• be unlocking every potential possible to build more homes across the state of Minnesota, this is a tool
• Minnesota,<00:10:51.839> this<00:10:52.000> is<00:10:52.120> a<00:10:52.200> tool
• , this is a tool that's going to<00:10:52.720> help<00:10:52.920> us<00:10:53.040> get
• ><00:31:08.240> the making sure that the agency has the making sure that the agency has the tools
• they need to have high program tools they need to have high program integrity,<00:31:11.440> to

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The conference committee on House File 1141, the Omnibus Housing Finance and Policy Bill, reviewed the fiscal spreadsheet and policy language for the agreement. Staff explained the major funding items, including appropriations for greater Minnesota workforce housing, manufactured home park infrastructure grants, family homelessness prevention, supportive housing, a tenant hotline, and housing infrastructure bonds, along with a cancellation of unused Tyler settlement funds and a reallocation of Housing Development Fund earnings. Staff said the package was budget neutral over the forecast window. The policy walk-through also covered provisions on livestreaming Housing Finance Agency board meetings, limits on administrative retentions for new grant programs, restrictions and reporting on Housing Development Fund transfers and earnings, clarifying language for local public housing, an exemption related to lived-experience engagement, and access for legislative fiscal staff to agency accounting information. Members then considered several amendments. The A12 amendment, allowing certain local governments to invest long-term funds in housing-related investments, was adopted after a roll call showed support from all three caucuses. The A16 manufactured housing bill of rights amendment, which would have addressed park-owner practices, purchase opportunities, enforcement, and rent increases, was not adopted. The A18 amendment to allow additional flags in HOAs and other areas was also not adopted. The A17 amendment to limit private equity ownership of single-family homes to 100 units was not adopted. The A13 amendment to preempt local rent control was not adopted. Members on both sides said some of the rejected issues warranted further discussion in future sessions, while supporters argued they were needed to address housing affordability and ownership pressures. In closing discussion on the bill as a whole, members from both chambers praised the bipartisan process, the staff work, and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency’s collaboration. Supporters said the agreement would help build thousands of homes across the state, assist vulnerable Minnesotans, and improve transparency and accountability in housing programs. They also noted the bill’s mix of single-family, multifamily, manufactured housing, homelessness prevention, and policy reforms. The committee expressed intent to move the agreement forward to the House floor and ultimately to the governor.

Transcript Highlights:

• it was because we were able to give Chairman Asger, Stephanie’s boss, Stephanie and her team, like, tools
• funding for community-based services, but not institutional services, Congress created a powerful tool
• So the tool that CMS has used to waive the IMD exclusion is Section 1115 of the Medicaid Act.
• So at a very minimum, providers must have the tools to be able to provide services via telehealth, and
• Medicaid must cover... ...the tools to be able to provide services via telehealth, and Medicaid must

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And one thing very close to my heart is potentially giving us another tool in the toolbox to help with
• 06.000> toolbox<00:19:06.480> to<00:19:06.640> help<00:19:06.799> with tool
• in the toolbox to help with tool in the toolbox to help with southeastern<00:19:07.520> Minnesota
• heard some about, included in the avian influenza mitigation grant program that are putting those tools
• grant program that are putting<00:24:00.720> uh<00:24:00.799> those<00:24:01.039> tools

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm testifying in support of Senate Bill 1261, which authorizes additional financing tools that enable
• political subdivisions affordable implementation. ...which authorizes additional financing tools that
• Senate Bill 1261 provides an optional financing tool to help these large regional projects be more affordable
• And so this tool has really helped to try and bridge that gap between when they start needing to when
• This bill is a needed tool in the toolbox for our water providers to help them meet the ever-increasing

Bills: SB863, SB1190, SB1261, SB1413, SB1624, SB1662, SB1663, SB1855, SB1967, SB2124, SB2204, SB1623

Keywords: Edwards Aquifer, water conservation, reclaimed water, aquifer storage, environmental protection, water loss, municipally owned utilities, Texas Water Development Board, administrative penalties, water audit, water infrastructure, water supply, state water plan, water management strategies, water financing, municipal bonds, revenue bonds, public debt, obligations, TWDB

Summary: The Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs heard several water-related bills, with testimony focused on drinking water quality, groundwater contamination notice, flood infrastructure funding, water rights conservation, and utility service areas. SB 1662 would limit TCEQ’s advance notice to public water systems to no more than 24 hours before testing after a consumer complaint, to reduce the chance of temporary treatment affecting results. SB 1663 would allow TCEQ to notify private well owners, groundwater conservation districts, and nearby residents by direct means about known groundwater contamination, rather than relying mainly on first-class mail and annual reporting. SB 2124 would move the deadline for publishing the Texas Groundwater Protection Committee’s annual report from April 1 to June 1. Witnesses on the first two bills described long-running water quality problems and delayed notice in their communities and supported the measures. No opposition was recorded, and each bill was left pending for a later vote. The committee also heard SB 1967, which would expand eligibility for Flood Infrastructure Fund financing to multipurpose projects that both reduce flooding and create water supply. Senator Hinojosa and Hidalgo County representatives described the Delta Reclamation Project as a shovel-ready example that would capture flood and drainage water, treat it, and produce new potable supply while also providing detention and flood mitigation. A Sierra Club witness also supported the bill, saying such projects could help manage floodwaters and reduce polluted discharges to bays and estuaries. The bill was left pending. A lengthy and divided discussion followed on SB 1413, which would expand the streamlined expedited release process for landowners seeking removal from a water or sewer CCN in additional counties. Senator Nichols said the bill was a property-rights measure aimed at legacy monopolies and bad actors who use CCNs to hold landowners hostage, while supporters described cases where developers could not get timely service, including fire flow, or were asked to fund infrastructure without reasonable recoupment. Opponents from rural water corporations and utility associations argued the bill would undermine investment in water infrastructure, strand debt, and weaken the return on planned expansion. PUC and TCEQ resource witnesses explained that compensation is handled case by case through appraisal and can include stranded costs, planning, design, construction, and some legal fees, but members noted the statute is unclear and discussed possible committee substitute language. Public testimony was closed with the bill left pending. Later, SB 1624 would allow the Texas Water Trust within the Texas Water Bank to hold donated water rights for conservation purposes and protect them from use-it-or-lose-it cancellation, and SB 863 would address Edwards Aquifer utilities that straddle the aquifer boundary by allowing them to continue using Edwards water within their certificated areas under specified conditions. Both bills were laid out, received no public opposition in the hearing, and were left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• And while the author's intent is laudable, I think AB 99 is the wrong tool.
• And before I tell you why it's the wrong tool, I want to maybe suggest an alternative.
• When I look at what's wrong specifically, why this is the wrong tool, I appreciate that the author has
• So what is the tool?
• I want to hear what the tool or what the bill is that we go to address affordability.

Summary: The committee first heard AB 13, which would restructure the CPUC to increase legislative oversight, add legislative liaisons, require more detailed and timely reporting on rate-setting decisions, and add a public advocate member. The author and supporters argued the bill would improve transparency, accountability, and geographic diversity in CPUC decision-making amid rising utility rates. Witnesses from TURN, San Joaquin County, SDG&E, and former CPUC Commissioner Loretta Lynch offered support or support-in-principle, while no opposition testimony was presented. Members generally praised the bill’s transparency goals, and AB 13 passed 10-0 to Appropriations, with the roll left open for absent members. The committee then adopted the 2025-2026 committee rules and approved three consent items: AB 61, AB 365, and AB 406. The next bill, AB 99, would cap investor-owned utility rate increases above inflation except for specified costs such as safety, modernization, and fuel/commodity costs. The author and supporters, including a representative of the California Senior Legislature, said the bill was needed to protect ratepayers, especially seniors and low-income customers, from repeated rate hikes. Opposition came from utility labor, utilities, the Chamber of Commerce, and others, who argued the bill was too simplistic, could suppress labor costs, and did not account for major cost drivers such as wildfire mitigation, mandates, and net metering. Several members supported moving the bill forward as a starting point on affordability, while others criticized it as overly blunt. AB 99 passed 11-0 to Appropriations, with the roll left open. The hearing then shifted to an informational panel on strategies to reduce California transmission costs. A Public Advocates Office staffer described a growing backlog of approved-but-unbuilt transmission projects, rising transmission access charges, and long project timelines driven largely by utility pre-application and construction periods. Panelists from Net Zero California and consulting firms presented research suggesting that public financing or public-private partnership lease models could reduce transmission costs by lowering financing, tax, and capital costs, with estimated savings of up to 57% and as much as $123 billion over 40 years. PG&E’s representative said the utility is already pursuing federal loan guarantees, grants, and a public-private partnership with Citizens Energy, but warned that state ownership could create tax, wildfire-liability, and governance risks. Members asked about the CPUC’s role, the causes of delays, and whether public financing could complement existing competitive solicitation processes.