Transcript Highlights:

• HB 112, by Button, relating to the creation and operation of science park districts in certain counties
• Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety, and Veterans Affairs.
• Referred to the Subcommittee on County and Regional Government.
• Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety, and Veterans Affairs.
• HB 1240, by G.A., relating to certain governmental operations affecting the border region.

Summary: The House met to read a large slate of newly filed bills and resolutions and refer them to committees. The measures covered a wide range of topics, including health care and insurance, public education, elections, criminal justice, public safety, taxes, transportation, agriculture, environmental regulation, higher education, housing, and local government. Several proposals focused on abortion and reproductive health, firearms, voter registration and ballot access, school curriculum and accountability, property tax and homestead issues, and state contracting and agency oversight. A number of constitutional amendments were also filed, including proposals on initiative and referendum, veto override authority, vaccination refusal, parental rights in education, gun rights, Medicaid expansion, and various tax exemptions. No substantive debate, testimony, or votes occurred during this portion of the meeting; the clerk simply read the bills and resolutions and announced their committee referrals. The list included both general legislation and joint resolutions, with many items sent to standing committees and several to subcommittees. The House then adjourned without objection until 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• operators through their ratepayer protection pledge. ...this, even the data center operators through
• poses a real threat on energy demand, ...and across the PJM region is that irresponsible data center
• Now, not all data center operators are hyperscalers, so we cannot rely on those pledges to ensure that
• Data centers are basically the only facility that operates on that 24-7 schedule, and already 50 megawatts
• Almost no facilities other than data centers operate at an extremely high load factor.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on energy, public safety, and environmental cleanup. House Bill 455 would create a historic preservation license plate to raise funds and awareness for Delaware preservation efforts, and House Bill 471 would tighten rules and penalties for off-highway vehicles on shared private roads, with golf carts excluded. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 439, the Truth in E-Bike Marketing Act, would require clearer disclosures when selling electric mopeds and electric motorcycles so consumers understand classification, power, and licensing/insurance requirements. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 407, related to the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act and brownfields, would shift funding for brownfield cleanup from the original realty transfer tax approach to a dedicated share of the hazardous substance cleanup fund and raise civil penalties for fraudulent acts. The committee also approved the June 18, 2026 minutes once quorum was reached. Most of the meeting centered on House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 233, as amended, a large-load/data center bill intended to protect ratepayers from costs tied to massive new electricity users. The sponsor and Public Advocate said PJM’s warnings about a coming reliability backstop auction made it urgent to establish a Delaware framework now, requiring large energy users to sign utility agreements, cover their share of transmission, distribution, and capacity costs, and comply with curtailment and other protections. Supporters from environmental groups and some labor and business voices said the bill was needed to prevent cost shifts to households and small businesses, while opponents argued it was being rushed, could deter investment, and might unintentionally affect other industries; several asked for more time and clearer definitions. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee also took up House Bill 470, which would authorize Delmarva Power, with PSC approval, to build and operate utility-owned battery storage and spread costs across the customer base. The sponsor and Delmarva said the bill would improve reliability quickly and help avoid outages, while the chair expressed concern that the state had not yet fully studied whether utility-owned or competitively procured storage is the best model, noting a recent SEU storage study and broader policy questions. Supporters said utility storage could be deployed faster and help with peak shaving, while others urged a competitive process; the transcript cuts off before any final action on HB 470.

Transcript Highlights:

• Your voices are centered in this conversation because you've made them centered.
• Your voices are centered in this conversation because you've made them centered.
• Rural communities have already regionalized.
• I am the executive director of the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center, the oldest fair housing center
• I am the executive director of the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center, the oldest fair housing center

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Ways and Means Committee held its final public hearing on the FY26 state budget, with chairs and members emphasizing that public testimony would help shape the budget and asking speakers to keep remarks brief. Committee leaders introduced members, explained the hearing process, and repeatedly thanked residents, students, and advocates for participating. No votes were taken during the hearing. Testimony focused heavily on education funding and the Chapter 70 formula. Students from Amherst, Northampton, Gateway Regional, Chester Elementary, and other districts described budget-driven cuts to electives, special education supports, paraprofessionals, counselors, transportation, and building maintenance. They urged higher Chapter 70 aid, increased minimum aid, rural school aid, and a reopening or restructuring of the funding formula, arguing that current formulas leave many districts unable to meet student needs and force local layoffs and overrides. Other speakers urged funding or protection for a range of programs and facilities, including the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute for homicide survivor services, the Museum of African American History, the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and CART/interpreter services, the Access to Counsel housing legal aid program, the Department of Mental Health and Pocasset Mental Health Center, and Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children. One speaker opposed offshore wind-related spending and urged a reset of the state’s energy approach, while another advocated ending the aircraft sales tax exemption. Committee members responded sympathetically to many speakers, asked a few follow-up questions, and several expressed support for maintaining or expanding the programs discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• We mentioned a little bit about the cost of operators, hiring operators and the shortages.
• the man response operations.
• The model in the state of Florida is that regional authorities, local governments actually own and operate
• the regional authority.
• Intercity passenger rail exist connects people region to region and track is the basically the one provider

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• safe keeps regional lockups.
• Service Center, Hampshire's Reentry Center, Bridge to the Future, and the OCC.
• Support Center.
• Support Service Center.
• Hampshire's Reentry Center.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The meeting was the third public session of the Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration. Members introduced themselves, and the commission approved the prior meeting minutes. The main presentation came from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association, led by several sheriffs, who described the role of sheriffs’ offices as independently elected county institutions that operate jails and houses of correction, regional lockups, civil process, 911 communications in some counties, school resource officers, and investigative units. They emphasized that most of their population is pretrial, that admissions and releases are far higher than the Department of Correction’s, and that their facilities now house more people overall than DOC despite having a smaller budget. The sheriffs argued that their work has shifted toward rehabilitation, reentry, and public health, highlighting extensive programming in mental health, substance use treatment, medication-assisted treatment, education, vocational training, and gender-specific, trauma-informed services. They said standardized risk/needs assessments and better funding would help make services more consistent across counties. They also described specialized units and models such as regional evaluation and stabilization units, older-adult housing, emerging adult and gang-intervention programs, and reentry centers that connect people to housing, employment, family support, and community services. Several examples were cited, including Suffolk’s Project Evolve, Middlesex’s older-adult unit, Hampden’s MAGIC program, Worcester’s STOP program, and county reentry centers across the state. A major theme was that these programs are expensive but, in the sheriffs’ view, reduce recidivism and improve safety by stabilizing people before release and supporting them afterward. They pointed to COVID-19 as a period when sheriffs adapted facilities for quarantine and medical care, and said they continue to work with public health partners. They also stressed that their facilities are heavily audited by state and federal agencies and that maintaining humane, safe conditions requires significant staffing and operating costs. Commission members responded favorably at points, noting the importance of the turnover in sheriff populations and the need to understand the different correctional mission compared with DOC. The meeting ended with discussion of future commission dates and a note that the presentation materials would be shared electronically.

Transcript Highlights:

• Regional reentry centers: an update—we’re down to six regional reentry centers.
• Regional reentry centers. So an update, we're down to six regional reentry centers.
• And in our local jails, that also encompasses our regional reentry centers and our STEP facilities.
• So the six regional reentry centers that I mentioned earlier, those are local facilities.
• And when you have your 64 parishes, those regional reentry centers, we try to pull the population into

Summary: The committee held an oversight discussion on Louisiana’s reentry landscape, with Chair Villio emphasizing that the hearing was informational only and that no bills were being considered. Department of Public Safety and Corrections officials outlined the state’s reentry mission and current programming in state facilities, local jails, regional reentry centers, and STEP facilities. They described services including literacy and GED preparation, career and technical education, industry certifications, postsecondary partnerships, mental health and substance abuse treatment, victim impact and trauma programming, and pre-release assistance such as state IDs, birth certificates, Social Security cards, Medicaid, SNAP, and driver’s licenses. Officials also discussed a new data-sharing MOU with DCFS for child support matters and a planned “return portal” with Louisiana Works to connect incarcerated people to jobs and training aligned with labor market needs. A major focus was the reentry court program at Angola for men and at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women. Assistant Secretary DeLouche and Assistant Warden Easley explained that the program is limited to nine judicial districts, requires judge and district attorney consent, and includes a two-year institutional phase followed by three years of intensive supervised probation. Participants must earn a HiSET if needed, complete multiple certifications and life-skills programs, and then petition for resentencing; officials said the program’s current recidivism rate is under 14 percent. They also highlighted specialized offerings such as vocational mentoring, a Braille transcription and repair program, and family-focused events like a father-daughter dance. Testimony from employers and local officials was broadly supportive. Eric Lane described hiring formerly incarcerated workers through the parole project and said the program solved problems he had seen with halfway-house placements by helping people secure housing, IDs, and licenses before release. Sheriff Kevin Cobb said sheriffs are active partners, with 51 of 64 parishes offering some form of programming and more than 75 percent of local facilities providing services; he stressed that local jail programming has grown over time and that data collection is improving. Members repeatedly asked for more data on recidivism, employment outcomes, and what programs are available by parish, and several praised the department and sheriffs for the work already being done. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Anyway, the safety and security bill and Anyway, the safety and security bill and some<00:04:14.280><
• ,</c> safety and security, safety and security, um<00:05:18.960><c> and</c><00:05:19.640><c> they're<
• </c><00:10:20.400><c> appropriation,</c> rail offices operating appropriation, rail offices operating
• </c> operating account of 155,000 a year. operating account of 155,000 a year.
• </c> allocation of the regional allocation of the regional transportation<00:18:14.679><c> sales</c><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• closure and provide a site for regional economic activity.
• One of our focus areas where we want to really grow into is national and regional security and, and we
• at the microgrid location to understand how energy management with data centers work.
• This is why the legislation targets comprehensive regional universities.
• Also, the comprehensive regional universities are more cost efficient for the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, you want me do Leo Wilson again for the Galveston Regional Chamberlain.
• Members, I would like to recognize members of the Galveston Regional Chamber.
• It is the oldest continuous chamber in operation in Texas.
• Individual against individual, city against suburb and region against region.
• HR 107 by Leo Wilson, Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Transcript Highlights:

• . security. security.
• </c> facility operate on a very tight budget. facility operate on a very tight budget.
• Um, and as Neil said, it's the National Sports Center, which is the foundation operator under the direction
• , which is the National Sports Center, which is the foundation<01:18:09.760><c> operator</c><01:18:10.239
• Treatment Center.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Trust for Public Lands anticipates securing $50 million.
• Good afternoon, Mateo Kushner, Community Water Center.
• Good afternoon, Mateo Kushner, Community Water Center.
• Good afternoon, Mateo Kushner, Community Water Center.
• I'm with the Center for Healthy Communities.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , an NSF Center for Chemical Innovation.
• San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
• It is integral to secure interim state funding for the ongoing operations and maintenance of this project
• It is integral to secure interim state funding for the ongoing operations and maintenance of this project
• Securing state funding is critical to sustain the operations of the project and prevent hundreds of tons

Summary: The joint Senate and Assembly Environmental Quality/Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials informational hearing focused on the Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis, with members from both parties emphasizing that the problem is long-running, cross-border, and severe enough to require federal, state, local, and binational action. Opening remarks described the crisis as an environmental and public health emergency affecting beaches, air and water quality, marine life, tourism, and residents’ quality of life in South Bay communities. Assembly Member Boerner and Senator Jones both stressed the need for continued funding and cooperation, while Senator Padilla said the issue is underappreciated because of where it occurs but has major public health, economic, and educational consequences. Congressman Mike Levin’s office reported more than $650 million in federal funding secured for infrastructure and cleanup, along with federal legislation and requests for CDC and EPA involvement. Supervisor Paloma Aguirre gave a detailed overview of county efforts and the scope of the crisis, citing decades of sewage flows from Tijuana, nearly four years of beach closures, and the county’s expanded water-quality monitoring. She said the county is pursuing warning signs, an air purifier distribution program, an epidemiological study, soil testing, an economic impact study, and a feasibility analysis to remove the “hot spot” near Saturn Boulevard, which she described as a key local source of airborne pollution. She also pointed to binational funding for treatment plant upgrades and said the county is seeking state support, including from Proposition 4 cross-border river funds, to expand relief and mitigation efforts. Scripps researchers Dr. Sarah Giddings and Dr. Kimberly Prather presented scientific findings on water and air transport. Giddings described a high-resolution forecast model that predicts wastewater movement and beach closure risk up to five days ahead, using real-time observations and showing about 72% accuracy against county measurements. Prather said the main exposure route is through air, not just water, and reported that turbulence at the river hot spot aerosolizes pollutants, with hydrogen sulfide and other gases spiking at night and dropping when river flow is diverted. She said the team has identified thousands of gases and linked measurements closely to odor complaints, while also noting that air purifiers can reduce indoor exposure but are not a permanent solution. Dr. Paula Stigler Granados added that community health surveys and CDC assessments show widespread symptoms, sleep disruption, anxiety, and daily life impacts, especially during nighttime odor events. She said her team has found more than 900 contaminants in river water and 106 chemicals uniquely associated with the Saturn Boulevard hot spot, with passive air sampling showing similar chemical fingerprints in nearby homes. The panel discussion ended with questions about standards and accountability, and witnesses and legislators agreed that the crisis requires updated air-quality standards, more health research, and continued coordination to reduce exposure and address the source of pollution.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have region, our service center 16, 18, and 17. which is Lubbock, Midland, and Amarillo that we've
• I'll start with our regional and local health operations. So...
• Another function of regional and local public, regional and local health operations. is the health emergency
• In addition, we operate state psychiatric hospitals. and state supported living centers.
• Rio Grande State Center, which would be 50 maximum security.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Emergency Communications Center, as well as her son.
• I'm very proud to... ...over at the South Shore Regional Emergency Communications Center, as well as
• centers, and much more.
• centers, and much more.
• Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• offtake and secure demand.
• and secure demand.
• with the operators that do.
• It could be for a data center.
• It's about food security.

Summary: The Senate Select Committee on Hydrogen Energy held an informational hearing on California’s hydrogen leadership, with the chair framing hydrogen as a complementary clean-energy pathway for hard-to-electrify sectors such as heavy-duty trucking, transit, rail, ports, industrial uses, and backup power. The first panel of private-sector witnesses from the California Hydrogen Business Council, Bosch, Hyundai, and Sierra Northern Railway described existing deployments in California, including hydrogen buses, trucks, fueling infrastructure, and the nation’s first hydrogen fuel cell switcher locomotive. They emphasized that the technology is commercially ready but scaling is constrained by permitting delays, high fuel and equipment costs, infrastructure gaps, and uncertainty around federal support and incentives. Witnesses urged stable state policy, targeted investment, and concentrated deployment in high-impact corridors such as ports and freight hubs. Committee members also asked about labor standards, community engagement, and the current size of the hydrogen vehicle fleet in California and abroad. The second panel focused on air quality, climate, safety, and public health. Testimony from CAPCOA, the Coalition for Clean Air, the California State Building and Construction Trades Council, and a UC Berkeley researcher argued that hydrogen fuel cells can reduce diesel-related pollution and health harms when used in the right applications, especially in ports, rail yards, warehouse corridors, transit depots, and backup power for facilities like data centers. Witnesses cautioned that hydrogen should be used selectively, produced as cleanly as possible, and paired with early community engagement, safety planning, and environmental justice protections. The researcher cited projected reductions in NOx, particulate exposure, premature deaths, and health costs under broader hydrogen adoption. Committee members discussed workforce training, apprenticeship programs, and how to balance near-term costs with long-term infrastructure value. The final panel provided public-sector updates from SamTrans, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, the Port of Long Beach, and First Public Hydrogen Authority. SamTrans described its transition to a large hydrogen bus fleet and said the loss of expected ARCHES funding created a major infrastructure gap; it asked the state to protect transit funding, restore a sales tax exemption for zero-emission buses, and address axle-weight rules. GoBiz said the state should focus on creating demand, reducing costs, and streamlining permitting, while acknowledging the disruption caused by the federal cancellation of ARCHES funding. The Port of Long Beach reported hydrogen truck deployments, port incentives, and a planned public fueling station, but said high costs, fuel shortages, and uncertainty have slowed momentum. First Public Hydrogen Authority described efforts to aggregate municipal demand and support new green hydrogen production projects, stressing the need for long-term market signals and financing. Committee members repeatedly emphasized the need for state support, infrastructure investment, and a diversified fuel strategy to keep hydrogen deployment moving forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• At Texas Tech Health Science Center at Odessa. Guns up.
• , and national security.
• But, Nuclear operations, national security, the list is endless.
• It boasts one of the largest equestrian regions of the Southwest.
• of proceedings for those securities, to Business and Commerce.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation, and adopted the previous day’s journal. Members then adopted Senate Resolution 358 honoring the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on its 10th anniversary, with remarks highlighting UTRGV’s growth, degree production, research expansion, medical school, and role in serving the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas. The chamber also recognized the doctor of the day and adopted additional resolutions, including one for Denton County Days at the Capitol and another recognizing Texas HBCU Day. The Senate gave extensive recognition to outgoing Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp through Senate Resolution 368. Senators from both parties praised his long public career, leadership of the A&M System, support for regional universities, and bipartisan approach. The resolution was adopted after multiple members added their names. The chamber also heard from advocates with the Texas Streets Coalition, and received gubernatorial nominations for the State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors and the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. On legislation, the Senate passed several major bills. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 27, relating to rights and support for public school educators, was debated and amended to address teacher vacancies, bilingual certification testing, paid leave options, classroom removals, and appeal rights, then passed unanimously. Senate Joint Resolution 12, proposing a constitutional amendment on parents’ right to direct a child’s education, advanced on a 22-9 vote. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1741, aimed at preventing foreign influence and intellectual property theft at public institutions of higher education, passed unanimously. Committee Substitute Senate Bill 29, the business entities bill, also passed after debate over corporate governance and shareholder protections. Senate Bill 857, authorizing law enforcement to tow certain vehicles driven by unlicensed or uninsured drivers, passed despite some concern about towing abuses during disasters. The Senate also took up Committee Substitute Senate Bill 1536 on dementia and Alzheimer’s training for certain guardians, but the transcript ends as that bill is being laid out.

Transcript Highlights:

• First, there will be a bond that is required from the operator for the life of their operation going
• Medical Center.
• The partners from these subcommittees came together and found a way to support the regional medical center
• We were able to continue our operations as is, fully staffed, with no impact either to our operations
• measure pumping operations.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• State agencies secure the systems they operate.
• These are systems that the state owns, operates, and is directly accountable for securing.
• entities and shared visibility across the Fusion Center, the WOTEC Security Operations Center, the National
• Guard Joint Operations Center, and the State Emergency Operations Center.
• As soon as we saw the weather coming in, we activated the state emergency operations center.

Bills: HB2579

Keywords: public media, digital equity, funding, media access, communication technology, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• with our judicial regions as well.
• one region or is there...?
• Pacheco about security.
• They operate that system.
• law enforcement training center.

Transcript Highlights:

• . regional center agencies, and I'm here today speaking on behalf of the state's 21 regional centers,
• For too long, our regional center system has operated like an island—an inward-looking system that historically
• center system and their family members. direct support professionals, regional center vendors, and regional
• And Gabriel Pomona Regional Center and Westside Regional Center and some local education agencies to
• I have two kids in the regional center. This is my kid.

Keywords: 988, house, all