Transcript Highlights:

• Senator of the 31st, Senator Harrell moves the bill be read a third time. All in favor...
• Read the bill: >> Committee substitute for committee substitute for Senate Bill 112.
• SECRETARY WILL READ THE BILLS YOU WISH TO WITHDRAW FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
• PLEASE READ THE SENATOR'S NAME AND BILL NUMBERS.
• The reading of the bill, Mr. President. Sen. Albritton: Is there objection?

Bills: SJR18, SCR9, SCR13, SB10, SB11, SB19, SB20, SB25, SB62, SB260, SB263, SB293, SB314, SB384, SB412, SB441, SB442, SB494, SB523, SB569, SB616, SB688, SB707, SB766, SB842, SB869, SB890, SB914, SB929, SB971, SB992, SB1066, SB1145, SB1621, SJR36, SJR18, SCR9, SCR13, SB616, SB565, SB384, SB372, SB495, SB842, SB971, SB1066, SB929, SB765, SB523, SB62, SB19, SB18, SB666, SB688, SB707, SB888, SB687, SB706, SB847, SB869, SB890, SB992, SB1145, SB494, SB290, SB766, SB11, SB10, SB13, SB263, SB412, SB20, SB441, SB442, SB1621, SB569, SB314, SB25, SB293, SB914, SB260, SB1248, SB740, SB14, SB1006, SB20, SB25, SB260, SB293, SB314, SB384, SB442, SB494, SB616, SB869, SB890, SB929, SB992, SB1145, SB1621, SR232, SR237, SR242, SB16, SB22

Keywords: capital gains, taxation, constitutional amendment, state revenue, individual investment, Supreme Court, judicial independence, Keep Nine, checks and balances, water rights, treaty compliance, Rio Grande, agriculture, drought, international water, Texas water supply, education, Ten Commandments, public schools, religious display

Transcript Highlights:

• I've worked as a reading interventionist.
• And I'll give you some really specific examples with reading. It's great, Bill.
• Next year, I'm having to cut back on my reading interventionists. So I have two retiring.
• And having time to be able to understand how to teach the science of reading takes years.
• Every day we are losing time in terms of teaching her how to read.

Transcript Highlights:

• every single border you with reading every single border profession<00:10:16.839> that<00:10:
• Oh, I was trying to ask for a clarification, but then I read it when I looked at it again.
• I said, no, no, no, read the definition. I put it in here, you know.
• <04:43:50.120> the no no no read the no no no read the definition<04:43:52.560> uh<
• “I can read it.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was an orientation-style overview from the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC), led by Executive Director Deana Jurus and staff. They described the office’s mission to protect public health, safety, welfare, the environment, and the public trust, and outlined the agency structure: enforcement, licensing and board administration, operations, legal counsel, board counsel, and the hearings bureau. OPLC said it currently supports 57 boards, including seven advisory boards, and has about 104 filled positions out of 120 authorized. They also noted new voluntary certifications for doulas, lactation consultants, and community health workers that are in rulemaking. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on how boards and staff divide responsibilities under RSA 310:4. Staff explained that the office handles application processing, complaint intake and initial review, records retention, 91-A requests, and rule drafting, while boards make final decisions on licensure criteria, complaint dismissals or investigations, disciplinary actions, and some hearing matters. They also described the rule structure by chapter number ranges and the distinction between full licensing boards and advisory boards. The committee asked about complaint notifications, and OPLC said it is tightening policies so complainants are told whether a matter is closed or moving forward. The licensing process was discussed in detail, especially for nursing. Bethany Katrell explained that applicants apply through an online portal, may receive approval to sit for exams, can work under provisional authority in some cases, and then receive full licensure after exam results and criminal background checks are complete. OPLC said the portal now reduces back-and-forth paperwork and that, as of the latest biweekly report, 87% of applications were decided within the statutory 90-day period and 57% within 14 days. Members also raised questions about why some professions require board approval before taking an exam, and OPLC said that requirement varies by statute or board rule. No votes or formal actions were taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know the difficulty in the reduction in the training funds.
• I know the difficulty in the reduction in the training funds.
• I know the difficulty in the reduction in the training funds.
• I know the difficulty in the reduction in the training funds.
• increase and after years of difficulty increase and after years of difficulty and<01:40:44.599><

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:

• <00:39:47.599> Any you're reading it. But uh thank you. Any you're reading it.
• Maybe I'm reading the wrong way.
• Maybe I'm reading the wrong way.
• >> Maybe I'm reading.
• >> Maybe I'm reading the wrong way. >> Maybe I'm reading the wrong way.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:35:16.840> this focused language so in reading this focused language so in reading this
• they are very they feel no no difficulty they are very they feel no no difficulty in<03:25:48.479
• to yes repr grto okay you so I'm reading to yes repr grto okay you so I'm reading section<03:29:
• they were highly educated, read quite proficiently, and would read everything submitted so they could
• to. read to us aloud believe it or not I am read to us aloud believe it or not I am highly<05:11:32.680

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held public hearings on House Bill 144 and House Bill 145, both related to professional licensing for dietitians and dental hygienists. HB 144 was described as a technical fix to align statute with existing Board of Dental Examiners rules allowing dental hygienists to administer nitrous oxide and local anesthesia, with supporters saying the bill would add needed training and examination requirements to statute. A dentist and dental society representative testified that the practice is already being done safely within scope, and committee members discussed whether nitrous oxide is still used and whether the bill was mainly to keep the paperwork and law consistent. The committee moved HB 144 forward on a 12-0 vote and placed it on consent. HB 145 would join New Hampshire to a dietitian licensure compact and add a criminal history check for initial licensure to match compact language. The sponsor and board witnesses said the compact would improve portability, support telehealth, help military families and spouses, and maintain public safety by ensuring qualified practitioners and information-sharing among member states. Committee members asked about withdrawal from the compact, the difference between single-state and compact licensure, and why a background check was included; the witness said the compact is not yet active, with four states enacted and seven needed, and that the background check is required by the compact language. Additional testimony from a private-practice dietitian supported the bill, citing continuity of care, rural access, and workforce mobility, while some members raised concerns about telehealth across state lines and the practical effect of the background check.

Transcript Highlights:

• that flooding in a section of the city that already<00:53:27.119> sees<00:53:27.799> difficulty
• /c><00:53:28.079> in<00:53:28.240> updating<00:53:28.720> its already sees difficulty
• in updating its already sees difficulty in updating its infrastructure<00:53:29.520> in<00:53
• We will have difficulty meeting the housing needs in southwest Minnesota with utility bills that exceed
• infrastructure we will have difficulty infrastructure we will have difficulty we<01:08:49.759>

Bills: HF458, HF459, HF461, HF449, HF450, HF965, HF1280, HF612, HF615, HF616, HF622, HF650, HF651, HF1045, HF972, HF851, HF644, HF1050

Keywords: HF458, Henderson, water treatment facility, drinking water, municipal water, public infrastructure, capital investment, state bonds, bonding bill, Public Facilities Authority, water distribution system, well connection, local government grant, Minnesota capital budget, HF459, Carver levee, City of Carver, levee restoration, flood control, flood mitigation

Transcript Highlights:

• say that there is a shortage without recruiting more often and having a demonstrated record of a difficulty
• <00:38:03.440> Because record of a difficulty to fill.
• Because record of a difficulty to fill.
• as a regular employee would provide, including the Social Security, and sometimes the youth have difficulty
• as a regular employee would provide, including the Social Security, and sometimes the youth have difficulty

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm going to read what she's given me here.
• <01:06:29.200> are what do you think the difficulties are what do you think the difficulties
• it still reads it still reads today<01:29:19.560> thank<01:29:19.719> you<01:29:20.239
• I'm reading from the bill methodology.
• I'm sorry, I read it wrong.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• putting in like a station was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per station, and from what I read
• One suggestion that I have, reading over the bill, is that if it's truly a grant program and kind of
• um on some of the schools you know read um on some of the schools you know you<00:36:31.839> might
• <00:36:51.280> over one suggestion that I have reading over one suggestion that I have reading
• or difficulty there whereas deed<00:50:27.799> seems<00:50:28.040> to<00:50:28.160>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2023, more than half of California's children reported difficulty obtaining mental health treatment
• If anybody's read the news or the things happening, there are many changes occurring simultaneously for
• I just need to read the sign. So, God see, not even reading still.
• You need a PhD to read billing codes. This stuff is hard. It is very hard.
• Going outside and seeing sunlight and touching grass is so important for kids, and reading books, too

Summary: The hearing focused on youth mental health and treatment access in California, with opening remarks emphasizing that youth distress, self-harm-related emergency visits, and difficulty obtaining care remain elevated, while workforce shortages and reliance on one-time funding continue to limit access. Assemblymember Lori Davies echoed concerns about unstable funding and said lawmakers need to hear directly from providers and families as they prepare for the budget and legislation. The chair framed the hearing as a chance to hear from county, school, provider, and student perspectives, especially in San Diego County, where needs are high and investments have not always matched demand. County and school officials described the current system and recent state initiatives, including the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, school-linked fee schedules, payment reform, and the Behavioral Health Services Act transition. San Diego County Behavioral Health said it serves Medi-Cal youth with specialty mental health needs through a broad continuum of care, including outpatient clinics, school-based services, crisis response, residential treatment, and new crisis and residential facilities. San Diego County Office of Education and San Marcos Unified School District described efforts to expand school-based services and reimbursement through CYBHI, but said implementation is slowed by complex billing rules, insurance-data collection concerns from families, administrative burden, and uncertainty about sustaining staff positions funded by grants or soft money. School counselor testimony highlighted reduced stigma through campus outreach and clubs, but also noted that counselor-to-student ratios remain well above national standards and that budget cuts threaten supports. Provider testimony stressed that the system remains fragmented and that youth often move between emergency rooms, inpatient care, outpatient therapy, schools, and county programs without smooth handoffs. A child psychiatrist described crisis cases in which the main choices are brief hospitalization or discharge with limited follow-up, and argued for stronger warm handoffs, more outpatient and intensive outpatient options, better school-clinic coordination, and broader use of mobile crisis and 988. Rady Children’s Hospital and Aurora Behavioral Health described large increases in behavioral health demand, expansion of integrated care, and major barriers tied to low reimbursement rates, delayed payments, and administrative complexity. Across the panel, witnesses called for more stable funding, clearer reimbursement rules, better parent education on warning signs, and stronger collaboration among schools, counties, hospitals, and community providers to reduce stigma and improve timely care for youth.

Transcript Highlights:

• How easy or hard it is to do your job and if you think that there's value or what the difficulties are
• c><00:52:38.440> or<00:52:38.600> what<00:52:38.720> the<00:52:38.800> difficulties
• there's value or what the difficulties there's value or what the difficulties are. are. are.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• would basically set up a program for having debate programs in underserved areas or areas that had difficulty
• 00:11:35.920> had underserved areas or areas that had underserved areas or areas that had difficulty
• > the<00:11:36.880> financial<00:11:37.279> aspect<00:11:37.680> of difficulty
• with the financial aspect of difficulty with the financial aspect of that.<00:11:38.480> And<

Bills: HB527, HB563, HB580, HB579, SB190, HB15, HB390, HB527, HB563, HB580, HB579, SB190, HB15, HB390

Keywords: liability, off-roading, parks, participant safety, risk management, SNAP, food assistance, public assistance, income standards, Department of Human Resources, eligibility, HB580, Alabama Healthy Schools Act, public schools, K-12, school nutrition, school meals, cafeteria, vending machines, fundraising sales

Transcript Highlights:

• If a child still believes in the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus, has difficulty tying their shoes, or telling
• 00:41:33.520> Santa<00:41:33.880> Claus<00:41:34.800> has<00:41:35.400> difficulty
• <00:41:35.680> tying or Santa Claus has difficulty tying or Santa Claus has difficulty tying

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several measures, beginning with Senate Bill 869 on community outreach boards. The Office of Information Practices said the bill was now clear and raised no concerns after clarification that it applies to Hawaii County community development action plan committees under the Sunshine Law. Written support was received from several individuals, and one testifier initially opposed the bill but withdrew opposition after hearing OIP’s explanation. No vote was taken in the excerpt. The committee then heard Senate Bill 405 on neighborhood board meetings, which would let boards receive and discuss reports from government officials that were not on a noticed agenda, with final action deferred to a later noticed meeting. OIP said the bill was a policy choice but warned it would give boards more flexibility at the cost of less public notice. Support came from the Wke neighborhood board and Jacob Weinek, while Natalie Iwasa and Greg Mian opposed it, arguing it could lead to unclear agenda items and deeper discussion without adequate public notice. No vote was taken. The committee also heard Senate Bill 903 on a claims review working group in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands asking for the measure to be deferred because it believed a complete inventory and audit of the public lands trust should come first. Members asked about the status of related House Bill 1358. The committee then heard tax measures: Senate Bill 1469, which would suspend the collection statute of limitations while tax assessments are on appeal, and Senate Bill 1467, which would clarify that county tax appeals do not need to be served on the Director of Taxation. The Tax Department supported both bills, and the Tax Foundation’s witness generally agreed but suggested a possible amendment to SB 1469 regarding insurance premium tax language. The committee then moved to Senate Bill 544 on sentencing of minor defendants, which would require courts to consider youth-related factors and allow departures from mandatory minimums; OHA, the Public Defender, Human Rights for Kids, and others supported it, citing trauma, diminished culpability, and national trends, and no opposition was noted in the excerpt. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 691 on family courts, which would set a minimum age of 12 for adjudication of law violations. The Public Defender and Human Rights for Kids supported the bill, saying very young children should not be treated as law violators and can still receive services through other family court mechanisms. The Attorney General’s office and the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office opposed the measure, arguing it could limit court jurisdiction and services for younger children and might have unintended consequences, including recruitment of children into criminal activity. Members asked whether amendments could preserve the bill’s intent while addressing those concerns; no final action is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• receive special ed services, twice as likely to repeat a grade, have increased hyperactivity and difficulty
• receive special ed services, twice as likely to repeat a grade, have increased hyperactivity and difficulty
• receive special ed services, twice as likely to repeat a grade, have increased hyperactivity and difficulty
• receive special ed services, twice as likely to repeat a grade, have increased hyperactivity and difficulty

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up HB 112, which would require students in the University and Community College systems to pass the U.S. citizenship civics naturalization test. A motion was made to retain the bill, and the committee voted unanimously to retain it, resulting in no report. HB 510, dealing with due process rights for students, student organizations, and faculty in higher education disciplinary proceedings, was passed over for a later meeting so the University and Community College systems could meet with the committee. The committee then discussed HB 659, creating a college graduate retention incentive program, but retained it without further debate after noting the prime sponsor was unavailable. HB 770, concerning tuition credits for community service, was also held for later in the day because an amendment was expected. The most extensive discussion centered on HB 583, which would have the state participate in Medicaid direct certification for free and reduced-price school meals. Supporters argued it would identify more eligible students, reduce paperwork, improve accuracy in school funding formulas, and bring in additional federal child care scholarship money; opponents argued it would significantly affect school funding calculations and should be delayed. The committee rejected the amendment by a 10-8 vote and then voted 10-8 to retain the bill, with a majority report and minority report to follow. HB 646, requiring school districts to establish an online application for free and reduced-price meal participation, was also debated. One member said many districts already do this voluntarily and that the bill was unnecessary; another proposed an amendment to convert the mandate into a grant program to offset startup costs, but the committee proceeded on the underlying motion and voted 10-8 to retain the bill, with a majority report and a minority OTP report. HB 665, concerning eligibility for the free school meals program, was then retained by an 11-3 vote. Finally, the committee began work on HB 703, which would prohibit school districts from denying meals to students with unpaid balances and appropriate funds for that purpose. An amendment was explained that would remove state payment of district meal debt and instead require district policies against shaming or bullying students and allow voluntary donations to reduce debt. After discussion, a motion was made to ITL the bill, with the sponsor saying constituents opposed subsidizing the program and wanted districts to retain collection tools; further debate was underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• the difficulties were there, please? the difficulties were there, please?
• ,<01:50:44.400> a and, you know, done a lot of reading, a and, you know, done a lot of reading
• And that was very hard to read. And that was very hard to read.
• >> Yes. >> The light one, the reading... Oh, I totally missed it.
• ;> The light one, the reading >> The light one, the reading Oh,<02:23:19.480> I<02:23

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• LAO, you mentioned, because when I first read it, I thought it was the same across, but you say it's
• I think you're reading everything I have. Yes.
• I think you're reading everything I have. Yes. So if you have anything else.
• I read as much as possible and just, I just want to know that this, you know. It was snuck in.
• I read as much as possible and just, I just want to know that this, you know. It was snuck in.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The subcommittee first heard May Revision items for child support, child care, and related human services. The Department of Child Support Services described two technical adjustments, which the LAO said raised no concerns. The Department of Social Services then walked through child care proposals, including a shift in how federal and Proposition 64 funding reductions would be absorbed, a 2.01% COLA, disaster-related child care infrastructure grants, an increase in in-contract administrative support costs for alternative payment agencies, reversion of prospective-pay implementation funding after a federal rule change, a one-time allocation to cover the first quarter of Cost of Care Plus payments in the next fiscal year, reappropriation for existing infrastructure grant closeout work, and estimates of unspent child care funds. The department also outlined trailer bill language on a single rate structure, site safety and emergency procedures, CalWORKs child care data sharing, and child care oversight. The LAO recommended that the Legislature seek more justification for shifting reductions from General Child Care to the Alternative Payment Program, noting that CAP reductions affect more slots and that General Child Care has had significant unspent funds. It supported removing prospective-pay funding, but recommended rejecting the administrative cost shift to a percentage-based rate because it could create future General Fund pressure. It also suggested the Legislature review alignment between the disaster grants and the child care infrastructure program. Senators and members pressed the administration on why the budget would reduce child care slots and COLA percentages while the state still has waitlists and unspent funds, and questioned the need for early funding of Cost of Care Plus payments and the move from a flat administrative amount to a percentage. Public commenters, including providers, advocates, county offices, and infrastructure partners, urged full COLA funding, preservation of child care slots, support for prospective pay, and continued investment in child care access and facilities. After a short recess, the committee moved to Part B on health and heard the Department of State Hospitals. DSH presented a May Revision budget of $3.2 billion and described proposals for a central utility plant replacement at Metropolitan State Hospital, an electronic health record implementation, reduced county bed billing authority due to phased-in LPS bed capacity, limited contract exemption authority for online clinical subscriptions, reversion of prior-year unspent operating funds, and a workforce development proposal shifting some costs to Behavioral Health Services Act funds, including support for an additional psychiatric training cohort at Napa. The department also outlined IST-related savings and a trailer bill to remove the sunset on the independent placement panel program.

Transcript Highlights:

• course, is difficult difficulty course, is difficult difficulty uh<00:08:19.080> licensing
• People can read it if they want to, but I want to thank you, Madam Chair, for always allowing people
• And that's something that I'm seeing here by reading this bill. There's no guidelines, no limits.
• <01:34:37.720> There's<01:34:37.920> no here by reading this bill.
• There's no here by reading this bill.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:24.160> if prepared statement I'd like to read if prepared statement I'd like to read
• <02:18:30.319> the into the good parts not reading the into the good parts not reading the
• having Council so I I I we do not read having Council so I I I we do not read or<03:57:13.640>
• <04:10:03.399> and employers and employees can read and employers and employees can read and
• <04:16:50.239> them are and will be able to um read them are and will be able to um read them

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think I read that somewhere to verify the attestation and make sure that what they're saying is true
• As I read through things, I get very...
• As I read through things, I get very 1515 I’m worried about young people not having jobs because of AI
• so that it's not a full time job necessarily for each 1831 account for this difficulty so that it's
• I appreciate the difficulty of answering, Senator Menendez's question of, you know, what do we do to

Summary: The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce held its first interim hearing on securing critical infrastructure and supply chain integrity, with a focus on Texas’s electric grid and the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act. The chair also highlighted Texas’s relatively low electricity prices and welcomed new committee members. ERCOT, the Public Utility Commission (PUC), and the Attorney General’s office were invited to explain how the state screens market participants and grid equipment for ties to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, and how the agencies respond to noncompliance. ERCOT testified that it has implemented the requirements of three related Senate bills by requiring attestations on corporate affiliations and on critical grid equipment and services. ERCOT said it has processed thousands of attestations, used additional requests for information and third-party verification tools such as Dun & Bradstreet, and terminated nonresponsive market participants. ERCOT also said it has not seen a case requiring direct Attorney General involvement, but it does refer matters to the PUC when needed. The PUC said it can investigate suspected violations and impose penalties of up to $1 million per violation per day, and that most investigations into late or missing attestations have been resolved through compliance, market exit, or removal by ERCOT. The Attorney General’s office said its role is currently limited to audits and court involvement, and that it lacks broad independent investigatory authority under the act. Members pressed the panel on whether the current system is too reliant on self-reporting and whether it adequately addresses indirect foreign influence, especially through supply chains for batteries, inverters, transformers, and other equipment with routable connectivity. ERCOT acknowledged that the current attestation process has gaps and said it plans to refine definitions of critical grid equipment and grid services, improve information requests, and continue stakeholder rulemaking. The panel also discussed possible legislative changes, including tying prohibitions to the Department of Defense Section 1260H list and the Texas Prohibited Technologies list, clarifying warranty and service access, and expanding the statute to cover grid services more directly. Several senators raised concerns about cost, reliability, and the extent to which foreign-sourced components remain embedded in Texas infrastructure, while others suggested incentives for domestic manufacturing and stronger verification tools, including possible work with national labs such as Sandia.