Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 599 relates to the authority of a political subdivision to regulate a licensed, registered
• ... ...as my friend could, but this bill can help bridge that gap by ensuring that our existing regulations
• Requiring regulation and oversight will empower state and local agencies to intervene before tragedies
• They would not let me see the clients in that house, so I had no authoritative regulation to go in the
• Michelle Dionne-Vaholic, Associate Commissioner, Long-Term Care Regulation, Health and Human Services

Bills: HB2510, HB3589, HB4611, HB4655, HB4665, HB4666, HB4670, HB4700, HB4730, HB4798, HB4838, HB5136, HB5243, HB5302, HB5539

Keywords: assisted living, healthcare, licensing, criminal offense, personal assistance, group home, regulation, health and safety, inspections, resident care, criminal background checks, adoption, parental rights, registry, vital statistics, disclosure, counseling, foster care, independent living, financial literacy

Transcript Highlights:

• My concerns about the slippery slope of regulation.
• And again, nonprofits are highly regulated in terms of financial transparency.
• This bill does not create new regulations or impose additional fees.
• HHSC is charged with inspecting nursing facilities and other providers.
• . are in the regulations and they are also... we get audited at least annually.

Bills: HB2510, HB3589, HB4611, HB4655, HB4665, HB4666, HB4670, HB4700, HB4730, HB4798, HB4838, HB5136, HB5243, HB5302, HB5539

Keywords: assisted living, healthcare, licensing, criminal offense, personal assistance, group home, regulation, health and safety, inspections, resident care, criminal background checks, adoption, parental rights, registry, vital statistics, disclosure, counseling, foster care, independent living, financial literacy

Transcript Highlights:

• While CCRCs are licensed by HHSC to provide care, CCRCs are regulated by the Department of Insurance
• The statute regulating CCRCs is over 30 years old and has not kept pace with the current trends in the
• home or skilled nursing services at each location.
• By them not being licensed and not regulated, nobody—there's no oversight over them.
• By them not being licensed and not regulated, nobody—there's no oversight over them.

Bills: SB500, SB1522, SB1137, SB1266

Keywords: SB 500, Texas adoption law, Family Code, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child-placing agency, prospective adoptive parents, adoption records, confidential information, nondisclosure agreement, child history report, health history, social history, educational history, genetic history, termination of parental rights, permanency plan, single source continuum contractor, privacy, redaction

Summary: The Committee on Human Services met with a quorum and first voted out Senate Bill 1589, relating to contract requirements between a single-source continuum contractor and DFPS. The motion to report the bill favorably to the full House with a recommendation that it do pass and be printed prevailed on a 7-0 vote. The committee then heard Senate Bill 500, which would set deadlines for providing foster care adoption records, including health, social, educational, and genetic history reports, to speed adoptions. The bill’s author and witnesses from Addie’s Hope Social Services supported it, saying delays in redacted files can take months, slow permanency for children, and increase costs to the state. Members asked about redactions and sibling/family information, and witnesses explained the bill would mainly speed the preliminary file used to decide whether to proceed with placement. SB 500 was left pending. Members also heard Senate Bill 1266, which would require regular reevaluation of the Medicaid provider support team and add written notice of provider disenrollment at least 30 days in advance. There were no witnesses, no questions, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 1522, concerning continuing care retirement communities, was then laid out and supported by LeadingAge Texas and counsel, who said it updates outdated definitions, clarifies licensing and disclosure rules, and strengthens consumer protections for seniors. It was also left pending. After a brief recess, the committee heard Senate Bill 1137, which would prohibit group home consultants from referring people to unlicensed or unpermitted group homes except in limited circumstances, require disclosure of complaints, and create a Class B misdemeanor for violations. Members discussed whether consultants are regulated and noted concerns about unlicensed referral practices. The bill was left pending, and the committee adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is with the utmost compassion and the experience of a nurse, not even a doctor, a nurse, somebody
• It is as a nurse that listens closely and cares about people that I respectfully expressed concern with

Bills: HB25

Keywords: ivermectin, pharmacist authority, prescription-free, healthcare regulation, patient access

Transcript Highlights:

• She understands that financial regulators play an important role.
• So our financial regulators must be held to a very high standard.
• Finally, to promote accountability, regulators must be transparent, both in superintendents and regulators
• , and it intends to drive more tailored regulation.
• We've had increase in regulations.

Keywords: legislation, housing affordability, financial regulation, public testimony, accountability, oversight

Summary: The meeting involved significant discussions around key legislative proposals, primarily focusing on various bills such as HB2 and SB5. The committee examined the implications of these bills on issues like housing affordability and financial regulation. Notable members engaged in debates, providing differing perspectives on the potential economic impacts of the proposed bills. The meeting witnessed public testimony, which included a call for accountability in government actions and oversight of current financial policies. Members echoed concerns about following through on commitments to address critical issues affecting everyday Americans.

Bills: HB 11, HB 14, HB 132, HB 1584, HB 1606, HB 5061, HB 1041, HB 2286

Keywords: licensing, reciprocity, regulation, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, interstate agreements, nuclear energy, advanced reactors, energy security, grant programs, Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, electric utilities, priority facilities, public safety, disaster response, emergency management, insurable interest, individuals with disabilities, life insurance, care providers, insurance regulations

Transcript Highlights:

• undisputed leader in challenging unlawful federal overreach, particularly in the environmental regulation
• Typically, they're challenging onerous and often unlawful EPA regulations.
• enacted at the expense of state sovereignty. when President Biden's EPA issued regulations that would
• We sued because Attorney General Paxton believes that environmental regulation in Texas belongs to Texans
• There is no regulation that I'm aware of on disposal wells, i.e. like your scrap yards, your recycling

Bills: SB766, SB290, SB494, SB1145

Keywords: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water regulation, environmental protection, pesticide management, natural resources, LP-gas, property owner notice, gas installations, safety notification, petroleum theft, task force, oil and gas, law enforcement, economic impact, environmental regulation, water permits, water quality, land application, 1185, senate

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this is the Board of Dentistry regulation bill.
• The Board of Dentistry regulation bill is mostly through the summer.

Bills: HF3298, SF3832, HF3528, HF3516, HF3972, HF4118

Keywords: underground storage tanks, petroleum, reimbursement program, environmental regulation, pollution control, dairy assistance, investment relief, agriculture support, food production, economic relief, barbering, licensing, examinations, barber schools, public safety, certifications, Barber Examiners Board, dentistry, licensure, registration

Transcript Highlights:

• My mom is a nurse, and it rarely spoils, and it poses no health risk when handled safely at home.
• My mom is a nurse, and it rarely spoils, and it poses no health risk when handled safely at home.
• My mom is a nurse, and it rarely spoils, and it poses no health risk when handled safely at home.
• This is a very educated registered nurse. ...caught me so off guard.
• This is a very educated registered nurse, said, 'You don't grow some fathers.

Bills: HB43, HB519, HB 1275, HB1592, HB2842, HB3088, HB3479, HB4163, SB823, HB609

Keywords: agriculture, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, honey production, beekeeping, food safety, local regulation, bovine producers, dairy farms, permits, bovine tuberculosis, public health, wildlife management, disease prevention, alert system, Texas A&M, white-tailed deer, public safety

Summary: The Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs met with only four members initially present, so quorum was not established until later in the hearing. The committee heard several agriculture-, wildlife-, and food-labeling-related bills, including HB 3479 on expanding the Rio Grande vegetative management program beyond carrizo cane to other noxious vegetation, SB 823 on shrimp origin labeling and restrictions on misrepresenting imported shrimp as Texas or Gulf shrimp, HB 3088 on giving Texas Parks and Wildlife more flexibility to procure resale goods for park gift shops, HB 1275 on permits for non-bovine dairy farms in certain TB-affected areas, HB 519 on honey production and packaging rules, HB 609 on cleaning oyster cages in-bay with bay water only, HB 1592 on a voluntary AgriLife pest and disease alert system, HB 2842 on targeted urban deer depredation permits, and HB 4163 on limiting city requirements that agricultural operators maintain roadside rights-of-way. Testimony generally came from industry groups, agency resource witnesses, and affected producers, with most witnesses supporting the bills and several bills drawing questions about enforcement, labeling responsibility, and the scope of local authority. The most extensive discussion centered on SB 823, where Vice Chair Hancock and others questioned why wholesalers would be covered if they cannot relabel products. The bill author and restaurant association witness said the measure was intended to improve transparency and allow enforcement against intentional mislabeling, while preserving a good-faith defense and clarifying that the bill does not create a private cause of action. HB 519 also drew supportive testimony from beekeepers and a family farm, who argued that current rules treat honey extraction and bottling too much like food manufacturing and burden small operations. HB 609 was presented as a way to save time and resources for cultivated oyster mariculture by allowing cage cleaning in the bay without soaps or chemicals, and HB 1592 was described as a voluntary opt-in alert system for pests and diseases coordinated through AgriLife and other state agencies. HB 43 generated the most detailed policy debate. The bill would restructure and expand the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority, update grant and loan programs, and create a pest and disease control depredation program. The committee substitute reduced some funding caps, changed references from predators to depredating animals, and made the financial provisions contingent on appropriations. Supporters from Texas Farm Bureau, cotton growers, grain and feed interests, and young farmers described severe drought, inflation, land loss, rising input costs, and shrinking infrastructure as major threats to agriculture, while one witness urged preserving priority for young farmers. After testimony, the committee adopted the committee substitute and reported HB 43 favorably. The committee also voted HB 519, HB 609, HB 1275, HB 1592, HB 3088, HB 3479, HB 2842, and HB 4163 favorably, with several recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. SB 823 was reported from committee on a 6-2 vote after adoption of the committee substitute. The meeting ended with notice that the committee would tentatively reconvene Friday morning and then recessed subject to the chair's call.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 2864 clarifies how the state regulates the installation of a relatively new type of rooftop
• Currently, some cities have expressed confusion on how to regulate the installation of these types because

Bills: SB1346, SB1376, SB2075, SB2167, SB2864

Keywords: lottery, prohibited sales, winning tickets, sales agents, license revocation, code enforcement, training requirements, supervision, registered officer, occupations code, advisory boards, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, public members, occupational regulations, professional standards, massage therapy, licensing, human trafficking, regulation, Occupations Code

Bills: SB 1169, SB 1285, SB 1583, SB 1611, SB 1898, SB 1976, SB 2160, SB 2161, SB 2658, SB 2661, SB 2662, SB 2692, SB 1055, SB 1359, SB 2660

Keywords: water service, sewer service, public utility, joint operation, infrastructure, municipality, compliance, groundwater management, water conservation, district planning, environmental regulation, sustainability, groundwater, conservation, fees, agricultural uses, water regulation, wastewater treatment, environmental testing, pollutants

Bills: SB76, SB35, SB116, SB119, SB118, SB129, SB32, SB31, SB115, SB75, HB27, HB40

Keywords: jury duty, nursing mothers, exemption, legal rights, parental responsibilities, sexual extortion, criminal law, felony, threat, blackmail, firearm possession, domestic violence, violent offenses, criminal penalties, pretrial detention, bail, offenses, constitutional amendment, criminal justice, law enforcement

Bills: HB2487

Keywords: insurance tax, state regulation, insurers, taxation, budget impact, 904, all

Bills: HB2487

Keywords: insurance tax, state regulation, insurers, taxation, budget impact, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The contaminated material must be removed to comply with the cleanup regulations.
• We thought this was a great opportunity for both of our agencies to ensure that environmental regulations
• and wood waste as part of... ...the contaminated soil and wood waste as part of the state cleanup regulations
• cleanup work, Ecology offered the county an early resolution to their liability for state cleanup regulations
• We provide a voice for the industry, serve as a bridge between the aviation community and regulators,

Bills: HB2495

Keywords: vehicles, streetcar operation, public safety, urban regulation, transportation, 904, all

Bills: HB112, HB117

Keywords: county regulation, impervious cover, land use, unincorporated areas, environmental management

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, the truth is, is that the complex web of, uh, Regulations that you described in your layout, um,
• from the morning when it was a pre-K to a different room when it became a childcare because the regulations
• We are highly regulated under the Texas Health and Human Services as well as by all of our various accrediting

Bills: HB117

Keywords: county regulation, impervious cover, land use, unincorporated areas, environmental management

Bills: SB6131, SB6311, SJM8016, SB6230, SB6032, SB6335

Keywords: traffic safety, roadway fatalities, Washington traffic safety commission, policy update, road safety, accident prevention, pedestrian safety, construction, accessibility, public safety, urban planning, bridge repair, infrastructure, emergency funding, transportation, cash transactions, pennies, currency, economic efficiency, financial regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• regulations weren't in place.
• They got supervised nurses.
• I have 28 years of nursing experience. I hold a doctorate degree in nursing.
• Also, I'm a nurse practitioner and a national certified school nurse as well.
• There's no nurses. At that time, there were no nurses.

Bills: SB57, SB405, HB62, HB193, HB203, HB222, HB246, HB420, HB475, HB486, HB574, HB584, HB815, HB949, HB1092, HB1214

Keywords: SB 57, Act 735, Act 463, nutrition, public health, food additives, artificial colors, banned chemicals, ingredient labeling, food labeling, FDA, food and beverage regulation, consumer disclosure, school nutrition, Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 40, Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 17, food manufacturers, food retailers, compliance, effective date delay

Transcript Highlights:

• Probably makes it clear that health departments and folks like DSHS, who are specifically in this, can regulate
• It's used for medicinal purposes to treat burns—like my mom, who is a nurse—and it barely spoils, posing
• Municipal regulations, particularly those that interfere with land management along public right-of-ways
• This is a very educated registered nurse. She said, 'You don't grow sunflowers.

Bills: HB43, HB519, HB1275, HB1592, HB2842, HB3088, HB3479, HB4163, SB823, HB609

Keywords: agriculture, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, honey production, beekeeping, food safety, local regulation, bovine producers, dairy farms, permits, bovine tuberculosis, public health, wildlife management, disease prevention, alert system, Texas A&M, white-tailed deer, public safety