Video & Transcript : 'counties authority' :

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LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House of Representatives May 20th, 2026

Louisiana House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • House Resolutions Report by Committee: H.R. 73, by Representative Owen, authorizing the Law Institute
  • House Resolutions Report by Committee: H.R. 73, by Representative Owen, authorizing the Law Institute
  • Members, this amendment just authorizes, but does not require, a governing authority to issue a request
  • Members, this amendment just authorizes, but does not require, a governing authority to issue a request
  • Instead, beginning August 1, 2026, it will be governed by the West Bank Levee Authority.
Summary: The House convened with prayer, pledge, and a quorum, then spent much of the day on recognitions and commemorative resolutions. Members honored coach Jeffrey Craig Whittington, tourism and the Louisiana Oil Makers Association, Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the Tangipahoa Parish Fair, Washington Parish festivals, ACOG’s 75th anniversary, Louisiana Tech women’s basketball, and Memorial Day. A major Memorial Day presentation commended Lane Frenchy Boudreau for helping recover the body of Army Sgt. First Class James H. Moore in Vietnam; the House observed a moment of silence and presented a flag to Moore’s family. The chamber also received Senate messages, enrolled bills, and committee reports, and introduced several new resolutions on topics including Pope Leo XIV, orphan wells, scenic rivers, Teche water quality, and the LaMelle family’s pilgrimage to Rome. The House then took up numerous resolutions and bills, often adopting them without objection. Among the measures adopted or advanced were studies on neighborhood crime prevention districts, parish solid waste and disaster resiliency in Washington Parish, the Louisiana Climate Action Plan, the Louisiana Maneuvers museum/trail, cash-rounding practices after penny production ends, residential construction costs and inspection practices, roundabout education, Taiwan relations, TSA worker loan assistance in Shreveport, human growth and development standards, and the state income tax credit for water utility customers. The chamber also adopted or concurred in several Senate amendments on bills dealing with financial disclosure, video voyeurism, personal information protections, online child safety, STEM advisory council changes, dual enrollment tuition, fleet vehicle registration, menhaden fishing rules, recording fees, amusement ride insurance, drone footage authentication, garbage and trash contracts, insurance prescription periods, retirement system changes, juror qualifications, fireworks, inspection stickers, employment discrimination, and inactive boards and commissions. Several measures drew discussion or division. H.B. 1199, requiring coverage for genetic testing and treatment for SCN2A-associated disorders, passed 94-0 after being discharged from Appropriations. H.B. 302, which would prohibit vape sales within 300 feet of schools, passed 86-4. H.B. 84, encouraging an interest-free loan program for TSA workers at Shreveport Regional Airport, passed 64-27. H.B. 1054 on self-authentication of law enforcement drone footage passed 78-12, and H.B. 1137 limiting employment discrimination protections to state employees passed 71-23. The House rejected Senate amendments on H.B. 468 (residential real property wholesaling), H.B. 1117 (insurance contractual payments and prescriptive periods), H.B. 956 (fireworks dates), and H.B. 74 (Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism), while concurring in or adopting amendments on many other bills. The session ended amid continued consideration of Senate Bill 56 on the West Bank/Lafitte levee governance structure, including an adopted amendment to ensure Lafitte-area representation on the board, with extended remarks about the history and accomplishments of the existing levee authority.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House of Representatives May 20th, 2026

Louisiana House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • And I'm clerk of machine to co-author. Members, vote to machine to co-author.
  • Clerk will close the machine. 18 co-authors. Thank you.
  • Members, this just authorizes—the amendment just authorizes, but does not require a governing authority
  • Members, this just authorizes—the amendment just authorizes, but does not require a governing authority
  • Instead, beginning August 1, 2026, it will be governed by the West Bank Levee Authority.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House of Representatives Jun 1st, 2026

Louisiana House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Madam Clerk, open the machine for co-authors. The clerk will close the machine. Nine co-authors.
  • Madam Clerk, open the machine for co-authors. The clerk will close the machine. Six co-authors.
  • Madam Clerk, open the machine for co-authors. The clerk will close the machine. Ten co-authors.
  • Madam Clerk, open the machine for co-authors. The clerk will close the machine. Five co-authors.
  • Madam Clerk, open the machine for co-authors. Members, vote to the machine for co-authors.
Summary: The House convened with a quorum, opened with prayer, the pledge, and a national anthem performance, then moved through several personal privileges and recognitions. Members welcomed a student cancer survivor and entrepreneur, Bella of Brave Bella Bead Company, and also recognized a new legislative assistant, a page leaving for college, and a resolution honoring National Mississippi River Day. The chamber also received conference committee reports and enrollment reports, and returned some previously failed measures to the calendar, including H.R. 119 and H.B. 410. The main floor action centered on a series of Senate concurrent resolutions, most of which were adopted overwhelmingly. These included SCR 59 on re-evaluating flood maps and insurance rates tied to the Comite River Diversion Canal, SCR 61 urging higher reimbursement for behavioral health crisis centers, SCR 62 calling for review of school-zone safety and speed limits, SCR 68 creating a blockchain and digital innovation task force, SCR 69 encouraging continued research to reduce sugarcane burning, SCR 70 supporting the Major Richard Star Act for medically retired combat-wounded veterans, SCR 54 supporting the Mississippi River Basin Fishery Commission Act, SCR 55 designating the Peggy Martin Rose as the official state rose, SCR 64 creating a construction manager-at-risk task force, SCR 75 studying a Louisiana maneuvers museum and trail, and SCR 80 creating a task force on the minimum foundation program and long-term teacher pay funding. Most passed with little or no opposition, with SCR 84 on earthquake seismic activity in several parishes amended to adjust task force membership before final adoption. The House also heard a personal privilege statement honoring the late Ponder P.C. Clinton Jr., a noted Black farmer, cattleman, and community leader in Shreveport’s Cedar Grove neighborhood, and expressed condolences to his family. Later, members received a hurricane-season reminder from Rep. Jay Galle about disaster response procedures and the need to work through parish emergency offices. The transcript ends as the House moves into additional concurrent resolutions returned from the Senate with amendments.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

House of Representatives Jun 1st, 2026

Louisiana House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Madam Clerk, open the machine for co-authors. Vote the machine for co-authors.
  • Six co-authors.
  • Madam Clerk, open the machine for co-authors. Members, vote the machine for co-authors.
  • Madam Clerk, open the machine for co-authors. Members, vote the machine for co-authors.
  • Did you open the machine for co-authors? Members, vote your machine for co-authors.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Public Health Apr 8th, 2026 at 09:00 am

Public Health

Transcript Highlights:
  • about, Chair, member's house bill, excuse me, Senate Bill 1380, is simply requires the healthcare authority
  • Members, House Bill 1561 is a request from Wahito County.
  • Bill 1565 is establishing the framework to receive federal grant funds by the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority
  • I believe it's handled right now by the healthcare authority. Thank you.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Public Health Apr 8th, 2026

Public Health

Transcript Highlights:
  • Members, House Bill 1380 is simply requires the Health Care Authority to verify eligibility by checking
  • House Bill 1561 is a request from Washington County.
  • Bill 1565 is establishing the framework to receive federal grant funds by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority
  • I believe it's handled right now by the Health Care Authority.
  • I believe it's handled right now by the health care authority. Thank you.
Summary: The committee heard and advanced a large number of health-related bills, with much of the agenda focused on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) regulation, Medicaid administration, and health-system cleanup measures. Bills passed included HB 1344 on insulin affordability and state support for low-cost biosimilar insulin manufacturing; HB 1380 requiring the Health Care Authority to check death records to disenroll deceased Medicaid recipients; SB 2007 and SB 2074, both PBM-related measures addressing pharmacist reimbursement, dispensing fees, appeals, and penalties; SB 1572 creating a feasibility study on reorganizing the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and temporarily allowing the Health Commissioner to serve in a dual role; and SB 1555 updating the definition of intellectual disability to match the federal definition. Members also approved several bills eliminating or repealing outdated councils and programs, including SB 1423 ending the Hospital Advisory Council, SB 1425 repealing the Health Care Workers and Educators’ Assistance Program and Health Care Workforce Resources Center, and SB 1502 eliminating the Alzheimer Dementia Disclosure Act Advisory Council. Other measures passed included SB 1561 changing EMS discipline to a progressive system, SB 244 and SB 667 making chiropractic language and training cleanup changes, SB 1749 on LP gas inspections for food trailers, SB 1484 requiring more detailed medical information for infant and child death investigations, SB 1562 clarifying hospice patient protections, and SB 1644 creating reporting related to alpha-gal to support possible research funding. The most debated bill was SB 1503, which would expand the Choosing Childbirth Act so nonprofits without an Oklahoma physical address could receive grants to connect women seeking abortions with pregnancy resources. Members questioned whether grant dollars and salaries would stay in Oklahoma, whether reporting and accountability would be sufficient, and whether Oklahoma-based providers could do the work instead. The bill passed 5-2 after the sponsor said he was open to amendments and oversight. SB 1833, codifying a SNAP waiver restricting candy and soft drink purchases, and SB 904, modifying the use of certain state funds and facilities for medical procedures, also drew questions and passed on divided votes. The meeting ended after all listed bills were heard and voted on, with most measures passing unanimously or by wide margins.
OK
Transcript Highlights:
  • He's an attorney from Logan County. Is it District 31? He put the final touches on it.
  • Again, is there any way in your study of this in your work to predict what that means on a county-by-county
  • Noble County leadership is here, and can you give them a big round of applause?
  • Representative, just noting that this was a shucked bill under a different author.
  • Of course, this is a problem not unique to Creek County or Oklahoma.
OK
Transcript Highlights:
  • He's an attorney from Logan County. Is it District 31? He put the final touches on it.
  • And again, is there any way in your study of this, in your work, to predict what that means on a county-by-county
  • On a county-by-county basis.
  • Noble County leadership is here, and can you give them a big round of applause?
  • Of course, this is a problem not unique to Creek County or Oklahoma.
Summary: The House convened, heard an invocation from Rep. Kendrix, and recognized Dr. Jason Reagan as doctor of the day. Members then took up a long series of bills, with most moving through amendment, third reading, and final passage. Early measures included HB 3407 on abandoned personal property/manufactured homes, HB 1242 expanding agricultural sales tax exemptions to deer and elk, and HJR 1081 proposing a constitutional property-tax freeze for certain seniors; the senior tax resolution drew extended debate over valuation thresholds, renters, and county fiscal effects before passing. HB 3443 redirected funding for the Way Station Revolving Fund, HB 3781 changed insurance rate filing timing, and HB 1939 addressed Turnpike Authority notice procedures and landowner notification, including certified mail and a one-mile notification area. All three passed. The chamber also approved several criminal justice and public safety measures. HB 4237 and HB 3430, both part of a negotiated criminal-justice package, passed after title-only amendments; HB 3321 shifted to reporting on cost arrest warrants and passed with an emergency clause; HB 3905 clarified GPS monitoring for certain domestic-violence and stalking defendants; HB 2941 required first responders to notify law enforcement about suspected overdoses and created immunity for good-faith reporting; and HB 3695 refined the definition of great bodily injury in DUI cases. HB 3329 repealed the long-term care facility advisory board, and HB 4421, “Leo’s Law,” aimed at protecting children from fentanyl exposure in homes, was amended to address residue cleanup and reporting concerns before passage. Other notable actions included HB 4253, which would give teachers access to professional educator groups; it passed the House but the emergency clause failed. The bill prompted substantial debate over teacher choice, bargaining units, and whether the measure would create multiple representation arrangements. The House also passed HB 4311 increasing the Treasurer’s share of the unclaimed property administration fee, HJR 1046 providing a one-year ad valorem tax break for homes destroyed by disaster, HB 2015 on landlord-tenant issues, HB 3244 strengthening fraud and identity-theft laws, HB 4265 naming memorial roads and bridges, HB 3941 raising secretary/bailiff pay, HB 4203 allowing single-stair small multifamily units, HB 3380 on foster care transparency and outcomes, HB 3132 and HB 3134 on higher-education accreditation and DEI-related standards, and HB 3673 allowing certain expired electrical licenses to be reinstated. Most measures passed with broad support, while a few drew opposition over fiscal impact, legal concerns, or policy implications.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 5th, 2026 at 05:40 pm

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • I don't see county auditor in there. I don't see county auditor in there.
  • I don't see county commissioner in there. I don't see county treasurer, county assessor in there.
  • Most of our district 14 counties are low-income counties.
  • Speaker, I represent Yakima County and a portion of Benton County.
  • The voters of those counties would still hold the ultimate authority in that case, urging yes.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 5th, 2026 at 09:30 am

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • This has been a struggle for my community up in Skagit County.
  • because they just don't have the money they need to continue county government.
  • But this is... the money they need to continue county government.
  • So this is a good bill to support for Skagit County. They desperately need that.
  • Yakima County, through the surveys that are taken determining how many judges a county needs, we're over
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 4th, 2026 at 08:25 pm

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • An act relating to establishing fee authority, providing accreditation services under 42 CFR Part 8.
  • The amendment does not modify fee authority described in the title.
  • It gives them sweeping design and development regulation authority.
  • And in Pierce County, I can tell you, Madam Speaker, we did not vote for this.
  • Clerk will read: An act relating to removing city and/or county legislative authority.
Summary: The House received a Senate message that Substitute House Bill 1570 had passed the Senate, then moved several bills from Rules to the second reading calendar, including Substitute Senate Bill 5242 on anaphylaxis medications in schools and Senate Bill 6132 on Inland Port District debt. The chamber then took up several bills, beginning with Senate Bill 5988 on Department of Health accreditation fee authority for opioid treatment programs. Amendment 2336 to cap the fee at $17,000 was debated at length but rejected, and a separate amendment to add safe-injection-site language was ruled out of scope. Senate Bill 5988 then passed 62-34. Substitute Senate Bill 6309 on enhanced municipal permitting tools for high-capacity transit projects drew multiple amendments focused on Sound Transit’s authority. Amendments to require written consent from abutting property owners, to add flood-zone and seismic/critical-area protections, and to address public-records issues were either rejected or ruled beyond scope, though the local government committee amendment was adopted. The bill passed 56-38. The House also passed Substitute Senate Bill 5886 on digital personality rights and Senate Bill 6136 on transparency in workers’ compensation rate-setting, both with strong bipartisan support. Later, the House passed a series of additional bills: Substitute Senate Bill 6034 codifying the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs; Gross Second Substitute Senate Bill 5395 on prior authorization reform, with remarks emphasizing limits on AI in health care decisions; Substitute Senate Bill 6248 creating the Washington Travel Insurance Act; Substitute Senate Bill 5720 establishing uniform consumer debt default judgment procedures; Senate Bill 5995 on port modernization funding and labor considerations; Senate Bill 6103 affecting rural hospitals; Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6110 creating a work group on e-motorcycles; Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5156 allowing smaller elevators to support accessible, more affordable housing; Substitute Senate Bill 6269 updating motor fuel definitions to include hydrogen; Substitute Senate Bill 6189 giving Thurston County more time to pursue an aquatics public facilities district; and Senate Bill 6134 requiring unemployment applicants to acknowledge repayment obligations if retroactive union pay is received. Most of these bills passed with large margins, and the House adjourned after completing final passage votes.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 4th, 2026 at 01:30 pm

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • County. It should fund more of Mason County's schools.
  • It should fund more of Scamania County schools.
  • Over approximately 90% of the county is off the tax rolls.
  • There's not a lot of money there to fund basic county operations.
  • It merely gives them tools... ...any new enforcement authority.
Summary: The House took up a series of Senate bills and moved most of them quickly to third reading and final passage, often suspending the rules and adopting committee amendments without objection. Early action included Senate Bill 5944, which addresses compensation for interpreters working for L&I when appointments are canceled or missed; it passed 86-10. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5837, dealing with guardianship and supported decision-making, drew debate over a new right to counsel in guardianship cases and concerns about expanding civil legal obligations, but it passed 73-23. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6197, a plumbers enforcement/discipline measure tied to task force work on wages and the underground economy, passed unanimously. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6019, fixing a loophole in home care worker parity law, also passed unanimously, as did Senate Bill 6011, which extends authority for Court of Appeals bailiffs to assess threats against judges and staff, though members noted concerns about access to non-conviction data. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6058, aimed at improving Labor and Industries’ ability to address wage theft complaints and backlog, passed 96-0 after House amendments. Substitute Senate Bill 5923, allowing an island hospital in Skagit County to become a critical access hospital, passed 96-0 amid support for rural health care. Senate Bill 5994, which changes how timber tax revenue is distributed so school districts are not penalized when levies fail, also passed 96-0. Substitute Senate Bill 6076, streamlining public utility district procurement and raising spending thresholds, passed 95-1 after a capital budget amendment. The House then moved to second reading of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5925, a major bill expanding the Attorney General’s authority to issue civil investigative demands in constitutional and discrimination-related matters. The bill prompted extensive debate over civil liberties, due process, and the potential for government overreach. Amendment 2160, which would have required clear and convincing evidence before a CID could issue, was rejected 38-48. Amendment 2149, creating a right to cure before a CID, was also rejected. Amendment 2150, requiring assistant attorney general approval and a reasonable suspicion standard, failed 38-48. Amendment 2151, requiring the Attorney General personally to approve CIDs in writing, failed as well. However, several narrowing amendments were adopted, including limits on scope and relevance (2288), a prohibition on CIDs to federal agencies (2289), a ban on sharing CID-derived information for criminal law enforcement purposes (2290), and a requirement that the Attorney General’s office consult with other agencies in certain overlapping investigations (2154 was rejected, but later amendments continued). Other proposed protections, such as fee-shifting for successful CID challenges and reimbursement when a CID produces no action, were debated at length but not adopted in the portion of the transcript provided.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 4th, 2026 at 09:30 am

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • , Walla Walla County, Whitman County, and Clark County.
  • Whitman County is an important county in my district.
  • Areas like Benton County, Walla Walla County, Whitman County, and Clark County.
  • Whitman County is an important county in my district.
  • , Walla Walla County, Whitman County, and Clark County.
Summary: The House convened with a quorum, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and heard a prayer from Tammy Stamphley, a Presbyterian minister and hospital chaplain. After approving the previous day’s minutes and receiving a Senate message, the chamber moved to second and third reading of several bills, with multiple measures advanced under suspended rules. The first major vote was on Engrossed Senate Bill 5872, which establishes a pre-K-related account to support up to 10,000 additional early learning slots for three- and four-year-olds. Supporters emphasized the Balmer Group’s private funding commitment and the value of early learning and family support; the bill passed 97-0. Substitute Senate Bill 5834, a Department of Retirement Systems request bill changing the fund source for legal, medical, administrative, and fraud-prevention expenses using interest earnings from pension funds, also passed 97-0. Substitute House Bill 2689, dealing with the Working Connections Child Care program, drew the most debate. Supporters said it aligned attendance policy with federal rules, adjusted reimbursement rates, and helped balance the budget while preserving child care resources. Opponents argued it cut support in rural and underserved counties, would worsen child care deserts, and placed budget savings on the child care industry; it passed 53-44. The House then passed Senate Bill 5922, allowing school districts to transfer vehicle depreciation funds with OSPI approval, by 59-38, and Senate Bill 6065, a narrower bill for districts under enhanced financial oversight such as Prescott, by 97-0. The session ended with announcements that both caucuses would meet later in the day.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session Mar 4th, 2026

Washington House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • An act relating to establishing fee authority, providing accreditation services under 42 CFR Part 8.
  • The amendment does not modify fee authority described in the title.
  • It gives them sweeping design and development regulation authority.
  • And in Pierce County, I can tell you, Madam Speaker, we did not vote for this.
  • Clerk will read: An act relating to removing city and/or county legislative authority.
Summary: The House received a Senate message announcing passage of Substitute House Bill 1570 and then moved several bills from Rules to the second reading calendar, including Substitute Senate Bill 5242 on anaphylaxis medications in schools and Senate Bill 6132 on Inland Port District debt. The chamber then took up a series of bills, beginning with Senate Bill 5988 on Department of Health accreditation fee authority for opioid treatment programs. An amendment to cap the fee at $17,000 was debated at length but failed, and a separate amendment was ruled beyond the scope of the bill. Senate Bill 5988 then passed 62-34. The House next considered Substitute Senate Bill 6309 on enhanced municipal permitting tools for high-capacity transit projects. Several amendments were offered to require written consent from abutting property owners, preserve setback and seismic/critical-area protections, and add transparency provisions, but the scope challenge to the transparency amendment was sustained and the other amendments failed. Supporters argued the bill would streamline permitting for Sound Transit and reduce taxpayer costs; opponents said it gave a large transit authority too much discretion and weakened property-rights and land-use protections. The bill passed 56-38. The House also passed Substitute Senate Bill 5886 on personality rights and digital likeness protections, and Senate Bill 6136 on workers’ compensation transparency, both with strong bipartisan support. After caucuses and a rule suspension to work past 10 p.m., the House took up additional second-reading bills. It passed Substitute Senate Bill 6034 to codify the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs, Gross Second Substitute Senate Bill 5395 on prior authorization and AI in health care, Substitute Senate Bill 6248 creating the Washington Travel Insurance Act, Substitute Senate Bill 5720 on uniform consumer debt default judgments, Senate Bill 5995 on port modernization funding with labor-related concerns, and Senate Bill 6103 affecting rural hospitals and enrollment status subject to appropriation. Later, the House passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6110 on e-motorcycle regulation, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5156 allowing smaller elevators in some housing, Substitute Senate Bill 6269 updating motor fuel definitions to include hydrogen, Substitute Senate Bill 6189 extending time for Thurston County to pursue an aquatics public facilities district, and Senate Bill 6134 requiring unemployment applicants to acknowledge repayment if retroactive union pay is received. Most bills passed with large majorities, though some drew dissent over labor, property rights, transit governance, or regulatory scope.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Mar 3rd, 2026 at 10:30 am

Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight

Transcript Highlights:
  • He was the original author. You're talking about the original law from 2023.
  • County, back to you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't think I got an answer.
  • Support the author, the original author of the bill, who I believe put a lot of thought into it, and
  • I have grave concerns with the author that will not take the title off the bill.
  • They need to be either on a seven-mile radius or on county roads, messing with farmers and stuff.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Mar 3rd, 2026

Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight

Transcript Highlights:
  • He was the original author? You're talking about the original law from '23? Right.
  • .” “...the original author of the bill, who I believe put a lot of thought into it, and sometimes less
  • I have grave concerns with an author that will not take the title off the bill to continue to work on
  • So I think the bill has some difficulties that are going to show up in a county commission meeting in
  • In the past, the burden of proof, or how should I say, the language of the condemning authority just
Summary: The committee heard and advanced a large number of bills covering tort claims, criminal law, child protection, licensing, housing, and public transparency. Early measures included HB 3037, adding students in curricular activities to the Government Tort Claims Act definition of employee; HB 3581, revising riot statutes and removing a no-bail provision; HB 458, allowing voluntary blood type notation on driver’s licenses; HB 2929, tightening mandatory child abuse reporting by school employees; and HB 3087, extending garnishment notice and objection timelines. All of those bills received unanimous or near-unanimous due-pass recommendations. Several bills drew more substantial discussion. HB 4227, the Cindy Clemishire Act, was amended to allow minors to discuss sexual abuse with health care providers and was named after a survivor; it passed 13-0. HB 4125, restoring Second Amendment rights to certain nonviolent felons, passed 13-1 but members raised concerns about federal law and asked for further explanation before floor consideration. HB 1453, which would criminalize hostile foreign nationals and entities owning Oklahoma real property and agricultural land, generated extensive debate over indirect ownership, foreclosure timelines, logrolling, and constitutional concerns, and it ultimately failed 3-10. HB 3521, modernizing money transmission regulation and adding payment processors and digital asset kiosks, passed 13-0. Other measures advanced after questions or minor amendments, including HB 3691 on self-certifying medical fitness for a Class D license, HB 2015 on landlord-tenant repair and tenant remedies, HB 2940 on recording public meetings, HB 1016 on trust protections for minors appearing in monetized online content, HB 3267 making breaking and entering an occupied dwelling a felony without needing proof of another intended crime, HB 3695 expanding the definition of great bodily injury for DUI cases, HB 3453 shifting the burden in eminent domain cases to the condemning authority, and HB 3053 creating parole review criteria for older eligible inmates. The committee also advanced bills on self-defense definitions, straw purchasing of land for prohibited foreign parties, human trafficking parole guidelines, child welfare/adoption terminology, outpatient treatment, child support-related license revocations, workplace violence protective orders, and protections for charities reporting sexual misconduct. The meeting ended with several bills laid over and the committee adjourning, with a note that it would meet again Thursday.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Senate Legislative Session Feb 19th, 2026 at 09:30 am

Oklahoma Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • He was a historian, educator, and author.
  • Will there be questions to the author? See no question.
  • Being questions to the author, questions seen no.
  • But questions to the author. Senator Berkstrom, you are recognized for a question on the bill.
  • Where are the questions to the author? Senator Nice asks if the bill be advanced without objection.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Senate Legislative Session Feb 19th, 2026

Oklahoma Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • So if you 77 counties, but I do want to acknowledge and recognize those who are here today.
  • Will there be questions to the author? See, no question.
  • Questions to the author? Questions?
  • Any questions to the author? Questions.
  • That concludes explanation of the bill with the questions to the author. Questions?
Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer, and then spent much of the session on recognitions and floor introductions. The chamber honored the undefeated Jones High School Longhorns football team for winning the Class 2A-I state championship, recognized Miss Oklahoma 2025 Tessa Darrell, and celebrated the Murray State College bass fishing team for winning its second consecutive national title. The Senate also adopted SR-29, a resolution recognizing February as Black History Month and highlighting Black Oklahomans’ history, civil rights contributions, and achievements; the resolution passed without opposition. The Senate then took up several bills. SB 667, requested by the Board of Chiropractic Examiners, updates chiropractic licensure language, moves to an online licensure portal, and repeals an obsolete consultant position; it passed 45-0. SB 1466 extends the sunset date for the advisory committee on midwifery to 2036; it passed 41-4 and was advanced as an emergency measure. SB 1942, dealing with dental insurance and provider pricing for services not reimbursed by insurance, prompted extended debate over free-market principles, patient costs, and insurance contract limits; it passed 40-3. SB 1989 modernizes the Oklahoma College Savings Plan by allowing contributions through digital payment platforms such as Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, Zelle, and digital wallets; it passed 44-0. The Senate also heard gallery introductions for FCCLA students, including the Bristow chapter and Adair High School students, and welcomed former Senator Judy Easton McIntyre for Black History Month events. Committee and floor announcements followed, including upcoming meetings of Business and Insurance, Administrative Rules, and Technology and Telecommunications. The chamber then adjourned until Monday, February 23, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.