Transcript Highlights:

• By the LBB. Okay, thank you. Members, any other questions? If not—oh, I'm sorry. Mr.

Bills: HB1482, HB2017, HB2103, HB2341, HB2756

Keywords: community supervision, repeat offenders, intoxication, Texas Penal Code, criminal justice reform, intoxication manslaughter, criminal penalties, mandatory supervision, parole eligibility, Grayson's Law, mental health, trauma, jailers, law enforcement, occupational health, diligent participation, state jail felony, time credits, rehabilitation programs, de-escalation

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the projections that the LBB are using are based on 2023 numbers, which were substantially lower
• I would encourage you all to get very engaged to make sure that when LBB and HHSC... ...and your organizations
• Recommendations from the LBB this session indicate that we're starting to rise; I see some progress.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And they can't be determined according to the LBB due to a lack of data on the number of individuals

Bills: HB4, HB20

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard a series of higher education and K-12 bills, initially without a quorum and with several measures left pending subject to the call of the chair. Early bills included HB 1868, which would direct a study on lowering the dual-credit funding threshold for public junior colleges from 15 to 9 semester credit hours; HB 2598, which would replace statutory references to “licensed specialist in school psychology” with “school psychologist”; HB 3629, which would bar registered sex offenders from serving on independent school district boards of trustees; and HB 4361, which would require the Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules for timely emergency notifications at public institutions of higher education. Each received brief sponsor explanations, no opposition testimony, and was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4848, requiring public higher education systems to ensure at least one institution offers affordable competency-based bachelor’s degree programs in high-demand fields, and HB 1211, which would remove the age 25 deadline for former foster youth to use public college tuition waivers. HB 1211 drew extensive supportive testimony from Texas CASA, a former foster youth who benefited from the waiver, and a current student headed to medical school, all arguing the change would better match the realities faced by youth aging out of care. Members discussed the bill’s fiscal uncertainty and the argument that the waiver is an investment in workforce participation; the bill was left pending. Later, the committee heard HB 20, creating an Applied Sciences Pathway Program to let high school students earn certificates in targeted industries such as welding, plumbing, electrical work, manufacturing, and oil and gas while in school. Industry and workforce groups strongly supported the bill as a way to address labor shortages, while Texas 2036 raised concerns about allowing applied versions of core academic courses to substitute for traditional instruction. HB 4687, which would extend governmental immunity protections to certain campus/district charter schools and adult charter high schools, also received support from a charter-school attorney who said it would align statutes with existing case law and not expand charter rights. HB 4236, as substituted, would create a study group to examine the property value study’s effect on school finance and alternative valuation methods; it was adopted as a committee substitute and left pending. The committee also heard HB 824 on civics instruction in high school government courses and HB 2243, which would create a commission on teacher job satisfaction and retention; the latter prompted debate over removing “ethnic diversity” language from the commission’s makeup. After adopting the substitute for HB 2243 by roll call, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• According to the LBB, this bill will not have a fiscal impact on the State.

Bills: SB801, SB1200, SB1410, SB1717, SB1862, SB1863, SB2216, SB2681, SB506, SB2626, SJR63, SB 3

Keywords: SB 801, birth certificate, birth record, certified copy, homeless, homelessness, unhoused, vital records, state registrar, local registrar, county clerk, fee waiver, identity documents, ID access, housing insecurity, shelter, transitional housing, Health and Safety Code, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill also requires. to provide the LBB with the amount necessary to make the actuarially determined
• It directs the LBB to include that amount in the General Appropriations Bill.

Bills: HB245, HB700, HB2783, HB3526, HB3900, HB4061, HB4124, HB4166, HB4395, HB4534, HB4609, HB4641, HB4736, HB4738, HB4739, HB4945, HB5015, HJR175, HB245

Keywords: military service, retirement, law enforcement, custodial officer, Employees Retirement System, commercial financing, brokers, registration, disclosures, finance, consumer protection, fees, deferred compensation, automatic participation, county employees, payroll deductions, retirement plans, fiscal transparency, local government, bond issuance

Transcript Highlights:

• The LBB has received requests to establish mission-specific formulas from two of the four HRIs that do
• Members, my name is Greg Owens of the LBB and I'll be presenting the summary recommendations for the

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The base budget includes LBB projections, which are significantly lower than the amount projected by
• The base budget includes LBB projections, which are significantly lower than the amount projected by

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, right now, the LBB has indicated that it is unknown, uh, because of the timing of these projects.

Bills: SB 7

Keywords: water infrastructure, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, water supply, environmental sustainability

Transcript Highlights:

• We were told that when we laid this bill out in committee, that we would get an estimate from the LBB

Summary: The Committee on Education K-16 heard testimony on SB 1635, which would give certain coastal, recapture-paying school districts a credit against recapture payments for mandatory windstorm and hail insurance costs. Senator Hinojosa said the bill is intended to offset unusually high insurance expenses for districts in Tier 1 or Tier 2 coastal zones, and he estimated about a $12 million impact to state revenue. Witnesses from Port Aransas ISD and Gregory-Portland ISD described sharp premium increases, reduced coverage, higher deductibles, and the effect on teacher pay and classroom spending. Senators asked about the number of affected districts, the accuracy of the fiscal estimate, and whether the bill might encourage districts to maintain coverage. Public testimony was closed and SB 1635 was left pending. The committee then took up several other bills and committee substitutes, adopting and reporting favorably SB 2786, SB 2623, SB 646, SB 843, SB 2392, SB 1998, SB 1418, SB 2788, and SB 2076, with most votes unanimous or near-unanimous. SB 2392 was amended to add improper relationship between educator and student to mandatory reporting offenses and to authorize an attorney general civil penalty for failure to report. SB 2623 was revised to clarify duties and exemptions related to the Safe Schools and Neighborhood Task Force and school proximity restrictions. SB 843 would create a TEA database of school district bonds and related projects, and SB 2788 would exempt certain PSAT scorers from the Texas Success Initiative assessment. The committee also heard SB 2929, which would allow referees and other officials at school athletic events to immediately eject disruptive spectators. The Texas Association of Sports Officials testified in support, citing abusive spectator behavior and a shortage of officials. SB 2929 was left pending. Finally, the committee heard a substitute for SB 2927 on 1882 partnerships and a substitute for SB 2619, which would require more transparency and accountability for failing school districts, superintendent hiring, trustee training, and takeover timelines. Testimony on SB 2619 was mixed, with one witness from Texas 2036 supporting parts of the bill’s accountability provisions. The committee adopted the substitute for SB 2619, left it pending, and then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• the comptroller's office and presented in the miscellaneous claims bill that gets presented to the LBB

Bills: HB 104, HB2054, HB3459, HB3745, HB4486, HB4488, HB4601, HB104

Keywords: Texas Future Fund, investment review board, economic stabilization, innovative technology, national defense, HB 2054, Texas volunteer fire department assistance fund, Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, volunteer fire departments, wildfire mitigation, wildland fire, rural fire protection, insurer assessment, insurance premium tax, state appropriations, firefighting grants, emergency services, high-risk wildfire areas, Texas Comptroller, Texas Government Code

Transcript Highlights:

• We are working with the Comptroller's Office and LBB to look at the fiscal note to get more accurate

Bills: HB 103, HB 1256, HB1587, HB1632, HB2027, HB2525, HJR88, HJR138, HB103

Keywords: taxing unit, bond database, local government, transparency, civil penalty, education reform, funding allocation, school infrastructure, teacher recruitment, student achievement, tax exemption, water conservation, graywater systems, rainwater harvesting, ad valorem taxation, county commissioners, HB 1587, Texas sales tax holiday, back-to-school tax holiday, clothing tax exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• back that question up just a second. got this bill, number 718, in your hands and had to go back to LBB

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hitting a metric that LBB has given us without prioritizing environmental risk is a bit of a challenge

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In the Miscellaneous Claims Bill that gets presented to the LBB at the start of the legislative session

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:

• a... ...detailed layout of Senate Bill 2020, but late yesterday we received the fiscal impact from LBB

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard several tax and economic development bills. SB 935 would exempt counties from the motor fuels tax on fuel used exclusively in county vehicles; Sen. Hall and Cass County Judge Travis Ransom argued it would save counties money without changing fund allocations, and the bill was left pending while the committee waited for the House version. SB 2206 would extend and revise Texas’s research and development incentives by tying the franchise tax credit more closely to federal law and changing the program’s effective date; supporters from business, manufacturing, and tax policy groups said it would protect innovation jobs and help startups, while the Comptroller’s office explained the fiscal note and said the committee substitute was no longer needed. The committee later withdrew the substitute and left the bill pending before ultimately voting it out favorably. The committee also heard SB 2020, which would repeal the “rehab tax” on nonresidential remodeling. Sen. Campbell said a large fiscal note led him to delay a full presentation, but builders, architects, and contractors testified that the tax raises remodeling costs, complicates audits, and discourages reuse and reinvestment in existing buildings. The bill was left pending. SB 2018 would create a two-year “strong families” tax credit for businesses donating to nonprofits that provide family support services; supporters from Family First, Buckner International, and Texas Baptist said it would strengthen families, father engagement, and upstream prevention, while the author said the Comptroller and HHSC were still working on administration details. That bill was also left pending. After a quorum was established, the committee heard and later reported several bills favorably. SB 1030 would exempt certain aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul parts from sales tax for general aviation; industry, airport, and local economic development witnesses said it would keep high-wage aviation work in Texas and improve competitiveness with neighboring states, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 214 would create a temporary sales tax holiday for qualifying residential HVAC systems; it was laid out and left pending. SB 1901 would make administrative and ethics changes to the Opioid Abatement Fund Council, including staggered terms, conflict rules, and fund reallocation procedures; it was reported favorably. SB 266 would repeal the Texas Research Incentive Program and use the appropriation to address the existing backlog of unmatched donations; the chair and Sen. Paxton said the state should honor past commitments, and the committee substitute was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• When y'all got this, this bill number 718 in your hands and had to go back to LBB with an estimated,

Transcript Highlights:

• According to the LBB, there's no significant fiscal impact to the state or local governments.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, at this point, we don't have a LBB that has made a final determination on that.

Bills: HB158, HB714, HB 1198, HB1630, HB1998, HB3509, HB3788, HB3875, HB3948, HB3977, HB4097, HB4313, HB4314, HB4317, HB158

Keywords: housing, veterans, surplus government property, affordable housing, funding sources, housing assistance, homeless prevention, landlord incentives, rural housing, domestic violence, community development, tenant readiness, program participants, financial assistance, homelessness, rental support, Texas Tenant Readiness Program, tenant assistance, housing stability, Texas Department of Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• According to the LBB, this bill will not have a fiscal impact on this state.

Bills: SB801, SB1200, SB1410, SB1717, SB1862, SB1863, SB2216, SB2681, SB506, SB2626, SJR63

Keywords: SB 801, birth certificate, birth record, certified copy, homeless, homelessness, unhoused, vital records, state registrar, local registrar, county clerk, fee waiver, identity documents, ID access, housing insecurity, shelter, transitional housing, Health and Safety Code, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission

Summary: The Senate Committee on State Affairs heard testimony on several bills, with most measures left pending after public testimony closed. SB 801, by Sen. Menéndez, would require DSHS and local clerks to issue birth certificates at no cost to people experiencing homelessness. The author and Maria Benavides of SA Youth said the fee and mailing requirements are major barriers to obtaining ID, housing, and work, and Benavides described clients who were able to secure housing and employment after getting birth records and IDs through her program. The bill was left pending. The committee also heard a set of bills related to the Gulf of Mexico/Gulf of America naming issue: SB 1410 would require state agencies to use “Gulf of Mexico” in official documents, SB 1717 would conform state law to the federal renaming to “Gulf of America,” and SJR 63 would amend the Texas Constitution to match that change. Support testimony for the latter two emphasized alignment with federal action and the use of different geographic names by different countries. All three measures were left pending. Members then heard SB 1200, which would require plaintiffs suing defense contractors to disclose in discovery whether they are receiving litigation funding from adversarial nations such as China, Russia, or Cuba. The author and Texans for Lawsuit Reform said the bill targets third-party litigation funding and foreign influence on lawsuits, especially those affecting defense contractors; the committee substitute narrowed the definition of defense contractor and expanded applicability to actions involving defense contractors’ activities. SB 2626, which requires continuing medical education on pregnancy-related emergencies for OB-GYN physicians and nurses, drew support from witnesses who said it would reduce confusion about Texas abortion law and improve care in emergencies. SB 506, SB 2681, SB 1862, SB 1863, and SB 2216 all focused on elections, including ballot language standards, voter registration challenges, interstate voter-roll cleanup, procedural audits, and election equipment security; testimony split between supporters who said the bills improve transparency and integrity and opponents who warned of vague standards, added costs, and possible voter disenfranchisement. Each of those bills was left pending after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am not sure what the LBB has, but I believe that's about it.

Bills: SB596, SB961, SB1398, SB1183, SB1952

Keywords: DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, foster care, child welfare, Family Code, conservatorship, managing conservator, parental child safety placement, authorization agreement, temporary authorization order, child abuse, child neglect, placement reporting, court-ordered removal, investigation, family preservation, transparency, public reporting, data reporting