Transcript Highlights:

• We've looked at that at the office and In in a lot of instances we're paying contractors paying or contractors
• So the mortgage pays, you know, would have effectively. pay down the bonds. So there's that.
• Members don't pay a penny.
• Investing in the arts pays off for the Texas taxpayer.
• two pay increases, including the one in 2002.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I just wanted to address that question up front.
• Customers are having to pay more.
• Or I have to go to an investor and pay them an even higher return than I would pay the bank to get that
• How would you pay me the $10?
• Geren will pay that swipe fee.

Bills: HB246, HB796, HB 1056, HB1544, HB1846, HB2001, HB2618, HB2625, HB2869, HB2898, HB3069, HB3114, HB3157, HB3228, HJR98, HB246

Keywords: federal directives, state authority, Tenth Amendment, government enforcement, local governance, gold standard, legal tender, currency, transactional currency, financial transactions, electronic payment systems, state finance, regulatory compliance, electric trucks, charging infrastructure, advisory council, transportation, sustainability, criminal penalties, official information

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I would hope that we would have individuals who would pay their bill, but if they're not aware
• who may not have been paying as close attention to what was going on on their accounts.
• Very rough, because I'm not that familiar with what the universities pay.
• So any large ticket item I put in front of the board.
• Why would a school choose to pay a private firm rather than have it free by the state?

Summary: The meeting opened with prayer and approval of the January 8 minutes, then moved to review of education audit reports. The first report concerned Northwest Arkansas Community College, which had three findings, including repeat internal control deficiencies that caused financial statement misstatements and a tuition revenue loss tied to a new student information system. College officials said the issues were largely misclassification and process problems, not missing money, and described corrective steps such as monthly closing checklists, approval controls for journal entries, cross-training, and efforts to address staffing turnover and fill finance vacancies. Members asked about the tuition issue, whether students were notified or billed, and whether the software problem affected other institutions; audit staff said they were not aware of the same scenario elsewhere. The committee then filed the report as reviewed. The next report was Cedarville School District, which had one finding involving $794 in improper credit card charges by a resigned elementary teacher. The district was reimbursed, a police report was filed, and the matter was referred to the Professional Licensure Standards Board; members asked whether any further action or license-related consequences were known, but staff said they were not aware of additional action. The report was filed as reviewed. The final finding was for West Memphis School District, where auditors reported repeat capital asset issues, including failure to capitalize about $851,000 in construction costs for a baseball-softball complex and problems with inventory and asset inspection. The superintendent said the district had recently begun using Legislative Audit after prior private audits, and described new controls such as multi-level purchase approvals, separation of duties, tagging of equipment, and a cleanup of old inventory records. Members also discussed the relationship between private audits and Legislative Audit reviews, with staff explaining that private audit reports for public school districts still come before the committee and that the executive committee determines when Legislative Audit performs an audit. The committee filed the West Memphis report as reviewed and noted that 28 school districts had no findings before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we had people who contracted, didn't pay, didn't pick up their contracts.
• called and I would have to pay $400 when the tow truck got there.
• We just settled on paying him $200, but I urge all of you to consider this story.
• Did you pay cash? Yes. Did you get a receipt?
• You may not be able to answer this question, but who pays to maintain the database?

Bills: HB589, HB705, HB1842, HB1874, HB2349, HB2614, HB2827, HB3012, HB3214, HB3308, HB3385, HB3529

Keywords: cosmetology, licensure, interstate compact, state regulations, public safety, workforce mobility, charitable raffles, nonprofit, wildlife conservation, ticket sales, fundraising, master electrician, electrical work, occupational licensing, work scope, Texas law, Texas Real Estate Commission, TREC, real estate broker, sales agent

Transcript Highlights:

• It's our pay bill.
• And this body voted for a $5,000 pay increase.
• , we did an assistant teacher pay increase.
• We're paying them. We do have our priorities upside down.
• We pay football players and musicians millions of dollars.

Keywords: MS House Floor - 1 April, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• service for a lot of folks my age who are still paying off student loans.
• have to come before the legislature to get a waiver to pay anybody more than the governor.
• legislature to um to get a waiver to pay legislature to um to get a waiver to pay anybody<00:19:
• the primary responsibility for paying paying<01:09:22.279> for<01:09:22.560> postsecondary
• <01:09:23.520> education<01:09:24.199> in paying for postsecondary education in paying

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• In order to enroll in a CCRC, seniors must pay a significant entrance fee.
• So they must pay a significant upfront entrance fee.
• I’ve been paying way under market-rate rent.
• Medicare pays all the co-pays.
• PACE is the reason I'm here testifying in front of you right now.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several aging-related bills, with most speakers focusing on housing stability, home-based services, and care transitions. Representative Badger and a commissioner testified in support of H4039, which would create a universal breakfast and lunch program at senior centers funded through a new Senior Breakfast and Lunch Fund, arguing it would reduce food insecurity and social isolation among older adults. Representative Lipper-Garabedian and multiple providers then supported H780/S495, the hospital-to-home partnership program, describing how embedded aging-services liaisons help older patients transition safely from hospitals to home, reduce readmissions, and avoid nursing facility placement; witnesses from Mystic Valley Elder Services and Mass Aging Access cited pilot results, including hundreds of patients served and examples of substantial cost savings and successful discharge planning. The committee also took testimony on S478, which would require continuing care retirement communities to disclose entrance-fee refund policies more clearly at enrollment. Senator Lovely and LeadingAge Massachusetts said the bill would improve transparency for residents and families, while a consumer witness said her family experienced delays and confusion in getting a refund after her mother left a CCRC. Members noted the issue is also being examined by a special commission on CCRCs. A large portion of the hearing focused on S475, a statewide bridge subsidy program for older adults facing housing instability. Advocates from the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, Western Massachusetts, Somerville, Northampton, East Hampton, Old Colony Elder Services, and Somerville’s Office of Housing Stability described rising senior homelessness, long waitlists for subsidized housing, and cases where short-term rental assistance kept older adults housed while they waited for permanent housing. Somerville witnesses said the pilot program helped nine households remain housed and that some participants have since moved into permanent housing. Members asked about wait times, program design, and how to prioritize applicants; witnesses emphasized flexibility, emergency risk, and the need for a statewide expansion. The hearing also included testimony on S465, an ALS bill that would expand home care access regardless of age and bar the use of quality-adjusted life-year metrics in coverage decisions, with the sponsor and ALS Association arguing the measure would reduce discriminatory treatment and better center patient care. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• The amount of savings for the school itself and not having to pay for disposable goods is tremendous,
• The amount of savings for the school itself and not having to pay for disposable goods is tremendous,
• The amount of savings for the school itself and not having to pay for disposable goods is tremendous,
• Up-and-coming costs like increased transportation funds, paying a living wage to all staff.
• We need to pay staff adequately for how hard the job is and how much they do for our students.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education opened a hybrid public hearing on a large slate of bills related to school buildings, school finance, technology, data privacy, safety, and related education issues. Chairs Jason Lewis and Ken Gordon outlined procedures for the hearing, including two-minute testimony limits and the plan to group similar bills together. Several bills drew no testimony and were closed without further discussion, while others drew extensive testimony from legislators, school officials, parents, advocates, and educators. A major theme was school safety and student well-being. Lori Al-Hadeth testified in support of bills on alert systems in public schools, describing the loss of her daughter in the Parkland shooting and urging adoption of Alyssa’s Law-style panic alert technology. Representative Gallagher and disability advocates also supported a bill authorizing, but not requiring, airway clearance devices in schools, arguing they could save lives in choking emergencies and provide an option for people who cannot use the Heimlich maneuver. Another bill on reducing cafeteria waste drew support from a legislator and a Lexington sustainability official, who said installing dishwashers during construction would reduce waste and long-term costs. Much of the hearing focused on Chapter 70 school funding and the inflation cap. Senator Pavel Payano, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Representative Senna, and multiple local officials and school committee members from Bridgewater, Chelsea, Groton-Dunstable, and other districts argued that the 4.5% cap on inflation adjustments has left schools underfunded during years of high inflation, forcing layoffs, larger class sizes, and cuts to programs and student supports. They urged bills to eliminate the cap, restore lost funding, increase the Commonwealth’s share of the foundation budget, or create commissions to study reforms. Testimony also highlighted the impact on special education, English learners, and low-income students, with Chelsea witnesses saying the cap has cost their district about $7 million annually. School construction and MSBA reform were the other major topic. AIA Massachusetts, Boston Public Schools, Lynn officials, and AFT Massachusetts described aging facilities, overcrowding, deferred maintenance, and the difficulty of financing new schools under current reimbursement rules. Boston officials said the district has many pre-World War II buildings and has only built a handful of new schools in decades, while Lynn leaders said reimbursement rates have fallen well below the statutory 80% because of caps and ineligible costs. Witnesses urged modernization of the MSBA program, higher reimbursement rates, and more resources for school construction. The committee also heard support for a bill to study the adequacy and equity of the school building program, and chairs indicated some bills would be closed after no one signed up to testify.

Transcript Highlights:

• to pay for this.
• They would pay 85% of that. We would have to match 15%.”
• A bank, they also pay those examination fees.
• And then all non-depository companies pay examination fees.
• Is that something that the person that our citizens pay, or is that something a facility pays?

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't have the number exactly in front of me, but a significant decrease about complaints about the
• for purchase, music streaming, pay for purchase, music streaming.
• <02:03:48.840> their county they see people um paying their county they see people um paying
• me this, pay me that, give me this, give me that,' in order to be able to call people.
• me this pay me that give me this pay me this pay me that give me this give<02:13:38.239> me<02

Bills: HF2432

Keywords: HF2432, judiciary finance bill, public safety finance bill, corrections policy, crime victims, victim services, Minnesota victims of crime account, court fees, marriage license fee, financial crimes, fraud investigations, insurance fraud, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, Commerce Fraud Bureau, wage theft, automobile theft prevention, nonprofit security grants, 911 funding, POST Board

Transcript Highlights:

• And who pays these suppliers when their customers can't pay their bills? It's not the utilities.
• How does that make any sense when an average person is trying to pay the rent, pay their mortgage, and
• We need consumer protection. ...trying to pay the rent, pay their mortgage, and just need affordable
• We need to know when we pay our bill, we know it's to service us, not to pay for lobbyists or huge, expensive
• We ratepayers, we tax, we pay for it. Their profits are enormous, as we all... We pay for it.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several energy-related bills, with the main focus on H. 3534/S. 2255, which would ban or sharply restrict residential third-party electric suppliers, and on related reform proposals. Supporters included the Attorney General’s office, municipal and regional planning officials, environmental justice groups, consumer advocates, and city officials from Boston and Chelsea. They argued that the residential competitive supply market has produced higher bills, deceptive sales tactics, auto-renewals into higher rates, and disproportionate harm to low-income residents, seniors, communities of color, and people with limited English. Witnesses cited AG reports estimating hundreds of millions of dollars in overcharges over time, described door-to-door and storefront marketing abuses, and said municipal aggregation programs have saved residents money while offering more stable rates. Several supporters said the Legislature should either ban residential competitive supply or adopt strong guardrails such as ending automatic renewals, banning incentive-based commissions, and capping rates relative to basic service. Opponents or industry representatives from the Retail Energy Advancement League, Vistra, and Constellation argued that the market can provide savings, longer-term price stability, and value-added products such as renewable options and time-of-use offerings. They said Massachusetts has already improved consumer protections through DPU proceedings, that complaints are relatively few compared with the size of the market, and that a ban would eliminate consumer choice. They also defended direct sales and commissions as normal features of a retail market, while saying they would support additional protections, licensing, bonding, and stronger oversight of bad actors. Committee members pressed both sides on whether the market truly saves money, whether automatic renewals should be banned, and whether the AG’s proposed reforms would be enough. The committee also heard testimony on H. 3972, a bill to extend utility shutoff protections during extreme heat, with Rep. Mindy Domb arguing that Massachusetts should treat extreme heat like extreme cold and protect customers facing financial hardship. Rep. Barrett also testified for H. 3450, a municipal broadband/right-of-way bill, arguing that communities need easier and cheaper access to utility poles and public rights of way to build municipal broadband. In addition, Senate Majority Leader Creem testified for S. 2239, which would bar utilities from recovering ratepayer funds for lobbying, promotions, trade association dues, and similar expenses. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not promise that renters won't pay more.
• Who pays the bills when the money runs out? Because someone always pays the bill.
• I don't think we should be putting something before the voters that will pay for the trust and pay for
• If we pass this, we'll pay for the trust and paying for the very services that people rely on in the
• We have neighbors that are paying two, three, and four times the tax bill that their neighbor is paying

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Here in California, there are 1.8 million undocumented people, people who pay about $8.5 billion. $1
• We raised our right hands in front of our loved ones, in front of our families, in front of faith leaders
• , in front of the people of the state of we swore an oath.
• There is a way to do it. instead of paying for a car this and that, pay for an attorney to be able to
• I think there's a lot of things we could do both on the recovery front and the prevention part.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You're loaning people money up front and expect to get paid back once the case settles.
• <01:01:24.119> and fees uh and interest are front and fees uh and interest are front and center
• <01:14:37.639> of everyone hopefully you have in front of everyone hopefully you have in front
• And as long as you want to pay $1,000 a month, you can get the benefit, right?
• The retiree has to pay for the insurance plan for their kid.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 733-FN, a bill concerning third-party litigation financing (TPLF). Representative Cole, the prime sponsor, described TPLF as outside investors funding lawsuits in which they have no personal stake, arguing that the practice is largely unregulated, can involve foreign entities, increases litigation abuse, and contributes to higher insurance and consumer costs. He said the bill is modeled on an NCOIL proposal and would require disclosure of TPLF agreements, with guardrails and reporting requirements on specified pages of the bill. He also noted a couple of drafting fixes, including adding the word “knowingly” and incorporating a missing section later. Members raised questions about the bill’s foreign-entity language, especially the provision allowing a governor or the Department of Safety to designate a country as a threat to critical infrastructure. Representative Cole said he would have lawyers review that issue. Another member asked whether the bill would prohibit a party from obtaining outside funding for a lawsuit; Cole clarified that the bill is intended as a reporting measure, not a ban, and that disclosure would be required. He also said the bill is aimed at American citizens rather than foreign-backed financing, and that some states had considered caps on such arrangements, though this bill does not. Brandon Gratz of the Attorney General’s office testified that the enforcement language appears too limited, because it would allow only civil penalties and not broader Consumer Protection Act remedies such as injunctions or restitution. He suggested the Attorney General may not have meaningful authority under the bill as written and raised possible insurance-law issues. Commissioner D.J. Benton-Court of the Insurance Department said the disclosure could help insurers better assess risk and potentially soften the hard insurance market by improving transparency, competition, underwriting, innovation, and claims management. He also said the bill likely needs further work on jurisdiction and enforcement, and that the committee may need to coordinate with the Attorney General, Insurance Department, and possibly banking regulators. No vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I would think a subscription likely would be covered, but if it's like a pay-up-front type of subscription
• I would think a subscription likely would be covered, but if it's like a pay-up-front type of subscription
• That's how we inflate up those numbers from what the pay was in the previous session.
• So what you have in front of you is kind of just a... As it relates to new legislators.
• So by the next meeting of this committee, I think we'll have a lot more to show on that front.

Summary: The committee met to organize upcoming legislative session arrangements and staffing, and to review several rule and security-related items. It first approved a Joint Rule 211 change, recommended by the Employee Benefits Committee, that clarifies the deadline and statutory references for introducing health insurance mandate bills so required cost-benefit materials can be completed in time. Members noted the change would streamline the process, though it would not solve all timing and mandate-determination issues. The committee then discussed a draft bill on confidentiality protections for certain public officials and candidates, but members raised concerns about the statute’s complexity, the practical difficulty of administering it, and whether it would meaningfully improve safety; no action was taken and the topic was set aside for further discussion. The committee received an update on the new NCSL Legislator Security Fund. Staff explained that North Dakota is in process to apply for grant funding that could reimburse up to about $200 per legislator for personal security-related expenses such as home cameras, locks, lighting, or monitoring services, with reimbursement handled through Legislative Council and subject to Emergency Commission approval. Members asked about eligible expenses, timing, and whether new legislators would be included, and staff said the program would likely cover current legislators only for this round. The committee also approved the 2027 joint session schedule for the State of the State, tribal-state message, and State of the Judiciary on January 5, with the tribal and judiciary addresses in the morning and the governor’s address later in the day. The committee next approved the statutory reporting schedule for the Commerce Commissioner and agricultural commodity groups, setting the Commerce report for January 13, 2027, and the agriculture reports and pesticide container disposal update for January 14, 2027. Members questioned the usefulness of some of these recurring reports, but agreed to follow the existing statutory requirements. The largest discussion centered on Legislative Council staffing for the 2027 session: the committee approved reducing session staff to 36 Senate and 41 House employees, eliminating procedural clerk positions in standing committees in favor of permanent policy analysts, while retaining quality assurance clerks and adding a House parking lot attendant. It also approved a 3% salary increase for those staff positions, matching the increase given to state employees. Finally, the committee reviewed a revised organizational session and new legislator training agenda. Staff proposed moving some orientation content into a separate pre-session training day for new legislators on November 30, including laptop setup, mock committee and floor sessions, parliamentary procedure, and HR/benefits training, while adding more security and budgeting instruction. Members strongly supported earlier and more practical training, including follow-up reinforcement during the first week of session, and suggested using experienced or term-limited former legislators as mentors. Staff also described efforts to expand training materials into podcasts, flowcharts, and other formats, and Legislative Council leadership outlined the office’s remaining vacancies and a proposed expansion of policy analysts, program evaluators, legal staff, and training support to better serve the legislature and improve oversight of state programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:01:35.920> I Services in front of this committee.
• I Services in front of this committee.
• We have in front of us um we're good.
• And then also we have in front of us.
• whole reason that we've been paying whole reason that we've been paying extra<00:17:34.680> money

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Too many of our members pay too much for housing.
• Too many of our members pay too much for housing.
• We have families paying more than half of their income for rent, individuals choosing between paying
• stable housing we have families paying stable housing we have families paying more<01:25:10.840>
• Please come to the front to introduce yourself for the record.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It's about the small businesses and workers who rely on the good-paying, family-sustaining jobs that
• We have made so much progress to keep these critical, good-paying jobs in our community.
• They go to work, they pay their bills, and yet far too many are living paycheck to paycheck.
• Vice Chair of the CEC a pay raise?
• Chad wasn't often out in front, but as all of us know who are now out in front, you're only as good as

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS IT ON THE FRONT AND RATHER THAN WAIT FOR A CRISIS TO HAPPEN.
• WAS ANYONE PAYING ATTENTION? >> YES. . >> BED CAPACITY. I WAS PAYING ATTENTION. >> Rep.
• THE PAY RAISES WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS BY THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR HAVE
• THIS INCLUDES INSTALLING BALLARD'S TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE ACCESS TO THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING AND TO
• USE THE FRONT PORTION OF THE BUILDING TO BUILD A DISTINCT AND SEPARATE SECURITY SCREENING AREA SEPARATE

Transcript Highlights:

• must seek approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or TCEQ, for revenue bonds to pay
• must seek approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or TCEQ, for revenue bonds to pay
• Speculation, speculation in front of the judge. Go ahead.
• First Step home communities are designed to give pride of ownership to the homeowner, with front and
• That should be at the very front. Very front. That's a fantastic idea.

Bills: HB1532, HB2731, HB3483, HB4308, HB4580, HB4582, HB5509, HB5663

Keywords: Lake Houston, dredging, maintenance district, flood control, environment, public works, HB 2731, roadside vendors, solicitors, county regulation, border counties, Mexico border, Transportation Code, unincorporated areas, right-of-way, public highway, parking lot, livestock sales, live animals, vendor regulation

Summary: The committee heard and discussed several local-government-related bills, mostly with committee substitutes. House Bill 2731 would let certain border counties regulate roadside vendors selling live animals in unincorporated areas and along public rights-of-way; the substitute narrowed the bill to live animal sales only and excluded livestock and other roadside commerce. House Bill 3483 would streamline TCEQ review of special utility district revenue bonds by removing tax-bond requirements that do not apply to SUDs. House Bill 4308 would create a county industrial development district framework, limited in the substitute to certain counties including Fort Bend County, to help finance industrial sites and related infrastructure. House Bill 5663 would create a Wood County Hospital District memory-care-focused district with no taxing power, intended to help pursue grants and other funding for a new facility. House Bill 4582 addressed attainable housing in Dallas and Tarrant counties, allowing local reimbursement tools for developers under a uniform, optional framework. House Bill 5509 would let municipalities suspend or revoke a hotel’s certificate of occupancy if law enforcement and a criminal court both find probable cause of human trafficking, with the substitute adding due-process protections. House Bill 1532 created a Lake Houston dredging and maintenance district funded by revenue from dredged material sales and revenue bonds, with no taxing authority or eminent domain. House Bill 23, heard as pending business, would revise the process for local governments to rescind development documents and adjust third-party reviewer liability and eligibility rules. House Bill 4580, concerning property tax exemptions for charitable organizations such as the Houston Rodeo, was amended to remove language about exempting revenue from property use and instead focus on land used for agricultural, youth, and educational support. Public testimony was generally supportive on the bills heard, with witnesses including county officials, utility and water association representatives, hotel industry representatives, and housing developers. Several speakers emphasized the need for faster financing or permitting tools, flood mitigation, housing affordability, anti-trafficking enforcement, or local economic development. Some members raised concerns about scope, precedent, consultation with affected senators, and due process, particularly on House Bill 4582 and House Bill 5509, but the committee largely accepted the committee substitutes as improvements. No public testimony was offered on several bills, and most measures were left pending before later being voted out. The committee took recorded votes on multiple pending bills and reported them favorably, often with committee substitutes adopted in lieu of the filed versions. House Bills 1532, 2731, 3483, 5509, 5663, and 4580 were reported out, with 1532 and 5663 passing unanimously and 3483, 2731, and 5509 also receiving favorable votes despite one present-not-voting on 3483. House Bill 23 and House Bill 4582 were left pending subject to call of the chair. The committee then recessed until adjournment or later.