Transcript Highlights:

• The clerks plan to accommodate the party representatives as best they can, but they want to assure you
• crowded, and especially election time because you have a lot of equipment and a lot of people. accommodate
• the party representatives as accommodate the party representatives as best<00:52:51.599> they

Bills: SF0069, SF0070, SF0016, HB0078, HJ0002, HB0085, HB0086

Keywords: wastewater, stormwater, infrastructure, environmental quality, public data, data collection, funding, study, water development, irrigation, public works, agricultural supply, municipal water, grazing lands, subleasing, non-owned livestock, state lands, rental fees, agricultural policy, land management

Transcript Highlights:

• The travel industry encompasses attractions, arts organizations, entertainment venues, accommodations
• DOI has provided opportunities for innovative practices for districts to customize their plan to accommodate
• For innovative practices, for districts, to customize their plan to accommodate the population that they

Summary: The committee heard several education bills, with most of the discussion focused on Senate Bill 1835, Senate Bill 784, Senate Bill 1049, Senate Bill 2942, and Senate Bill 2928. SB 1835 would raise from 5% to 20% the cap on nonresident students who can receive resident tuition and fees through competitive scholarships at certain regional universities in slower-growing workforce development areas, provided the schools have capacity as determined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Supporters, including West Texas A&M University, said the bill would help fill underused capacity, attract students who may stay and work in Texas, and support regional workforce needs. SB 784 would strengthen a prior law allowing peace officers’ children to transfer between public school districts for safety reasons by requiring both districts’ approval, making clear that districts of innovation are not exempt, and prohibiting tuition charges. SB 1049 would require districts and open-enrollment charters to excuse students, at a parent’s request, for religious release-time instruction for up to one hour per day and five hours per week; witnesses said the program is constitutional, voluntary, and already operating in other states and some Texas districts. Each of these bills was left pending after testimony, with no public witnesses opposing them. SB 2942 would expand and adjust the state’s adult charter high school pilot program. Senator Creighton said the bill is intended to help the estimated 7 million Texas adults without a high school diploma by removing barriers to expansion, aligning legal protections with ISDs, changing TEA’s disapproval window for expansion amendments to a 30-day period after receipt, and updating funding to reflect part-year attendance. A committee substitute kept the upper enrollment age at 50 and removed a proposed testing change. Testimony from New Heights students and leadership described the program as life-changing, emphasizing that it combines diplomas with career credentials, childcare, transportation, and other supports to help adults stabilize their families and enter better-paying work. TEA witnesses explained the expansion process and said adult charter schools are overseen by the commissioner rather than the SBOE. The committee substitute was adopted, public testimony closed, and the bill was left pending. SB 2928 would set a uniform school start date for public school districts at the third Wednesday in August, while preserving existing district-of-innovation flexibility for current DOI districts and allowing year-round systems to continue. Senator Creighton argued the bill would reduce the patchwork created by DOI exemptions, support students and families, and preserve summer employment and tourism revenue. A committee substitute was adopted. Testimony came largely from tourism, hospitality, and recreation interests, including hotel, water park, zoo, chamber of commerce, and camp representatives, who said later start dates would extend the summer travel season, improve staffing and revenue, and give students more opportunities for summer jobs and camps. Several witnesses cited large economic impacts from tourism and said early school starts reduce August business. Some senators raised concerns about charter schools being excluded and about year-round calendars, but the bill was left pending after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• To accommodate all... who wish to testify, there will be a time limit of three minutes per witness during
• An existing state-owned office space, we now have the capacity, including parking, to accommodate 100%
• Yeah, and if we've got to tweak some... some things to accommodate the setup farm and, you know, the.

Bills: HB10, HB 12, HB675, HB10, HB12

Keywords: regulatory reform, government efficiency, administrative law, rulemaking, agency deference, judicial review, de novo review, Texas Government Code, Administrative Procedure Act, state agencies, plain language, regulatory burden, regulatory reduction, cost-benefit analysis, fiscal note, public benefits and costs, contested case, rule challenge, Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, advisory panel

Transcript Highlights:

• understand what you're Advocating I think perhaps the language of the bill needs to be modified to to accommodate
• So, Head Start can accommodate both their children at the same time.
• district we're in the process of needing to make capital improvements and build new facilities to accommodate

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• is a mess, but you chose to be here, chose to live here, it's expensive to live here, we make accommodations
• That said, I think the House accommodated some kind of rate change versus ours at the end of the day.
• Our FTE slots to accommodate the staff to run the tests. At 11, you'll see exceptional item four.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 58, which establishes a committee to study legislative protections and accommodations for individuals
• Targeted legislative efforts would reduce those inequalities by improving access to accommodations and
• essential to address the interconnected challenges posed by long COVID, such as ensuring workplace accommodations

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a series of steps, it was to be decreased to 115% with the idea that districts over time would accommodate
• 00:46:52.400> over<00:46:52.640> time<00:46:53.640> would<00:46:54.640> accommodate
• districts over time would accommodate districts over time would accommodate that<00:46:55.680>
• > whether<03:14:58.160> it's<03:14:58.320> whether<03:14:58.680> with accommodated
• whether it's whether with accommodated whether it's whether with the<03:14:59.200> South<03:14

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, Senator Rest, I just indicated that we're looking for the revenue to accommodate the provision
• the<00:24:22.760> revenue<00:24:23.760> to<00:24:24.960> um<00:24:25.480> accommodate
• <00:24:26.480> the The revenue to accommodate the provision, the actual amount of the grant
• <00:24:51.840> way<00:24:52.640> of<00:24:53.919> uh<00:24:54.159> accommodating
• for uh a way of uh accommodating that. for uh a way of uh accommodating that.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate hearing that immediate has a different interpretation, and maybe we need to make accommodations
• <00:41:26.400> If<00:41:26.640> I<00:41:26.880> may, accommodations for that
• If I may, accommodations for that.
• I don't see any qualification in there to accommodate for that.
• And then um I accommodate uh for that.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• expanding the range area to accommodate expanding the range area to accommodate a<04:13:09.399><
• Are you able to accommodate more and more other departments if we were to get you this money and move
• <04:15:32.159> more<04:15:32.760> and are you able to accommodate more and are you
• able to accommodate more and more<04:15:33.560> uh<04:15:33.960> other<04:15:34.279>
• Outstanding work here includes expanding online services to accommodate requests for duplicate titles

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Administrative Services presented its capital budget process and priorities, explaining that it maintains and operates 96 state buildings and uses annual facility walkthroughs, condition assessments, and rough cost estimates to rank projects for the governor’s capital budget. Officials described how requests are triaged, how the governor’s office and Public Works refine estimates, and how the resulting capital budget book serves as legislative intent for approved projects. They also noted that this year the governor’s office asked for estimates on all selected projects, which increased workload but reduced detail. The department highlighted several requested projects, including $1.5 million for the ERP system sustainability fund, which officials said is critical because the state is upgrading its core financial, HR, and budget system to the cloud. Other priorities included courthouse HVAC and boiler work, brick repointing at the State House annex/main building, window replacement at the Spalding building, and elevator replacement on the hospital campus. Officials also said the governor’s proposed capital budget included fewer DAS projects than in past years and asked the committee to consider funding closer to historic levels. The committee then reviewed lapse and reallocation items. DAS said most older projects are still in design, bid, or construction because projects now take four to six years rather than two to three, in part due to ARPA-related workload and post-COVID construction backlogs. Members discussed lapsing $81,000 from the completed Spalding roof project and redirecting small remaining balances from several 2019 projects toward the Hillsboro County South cell block project through the Capital Project Overview Committee. Officials also confirmed ARPA-funded projects are expected to be completed before the December 2026 deadline and explained that the ERP system is the main state IT exception outside DOIT’s usual centralized control, though it still requires DOIT consultation and approval.

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><04:31:42.920> the<04:31:43.119> day The only thing is you have to make some accommodations
• , which they didn't do, but I think now we know better to make some kind of accommodations for the fact
• c><04:33:00.359> to<04:33:00.560> make<04:33:00.760> some<04:33:01.080> accommodate
• um is you have to make some accommodate um is you have to make some accommodate which<04:33:02.080
• for the fact that the the accommodations for the fact that the the biggest<04:33:10.119> um<04

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a work session focused on school funding formulas, adequacy aid, and special education aid, with the chair outlining a schedule for the next several Tuesdays and noting that the committee would likely need multiple executive sessions to narrow down the bills. Members discussed the FY 26 formula, including base cost, differentiated aid, extraordinary needs grants, hold harmless provisions, and the roughly $28 million in excess statewide education property tax (SWP) funds that are not currently returned to the state under the existing formula. The first bill discussed was HB 137, which would allow excess SWP funds to remain with the local municipality for school and municipal purposes. Representative Spilsbury argued the issue is fundamental and suggested the state should require excess funds to be remitted back to the state, while Representative Damon said the bill appears to codify current practice and may be unnecessary, especially given possible court action. The discussion then shifted to a related bill from Representative Fellas that would redefine SWP as local money rather than state money and keep the current adequacy aid numbers revenue-neutral for now. Representative Fellas explained that SWP was created in 1999 after the Claremont lawsuit as part of the state’s effort to show increased school aid, but that it effectively labeled part of the local property tax as state money without changing property tax bills. She argued the state should not be tapping local property tax revenue and said her bill would preserve the current distribution while removing the SWP tax label, with future work possible on a different measure of local capacity such as income, home values, or poverty rate. Members also referenced prior discussions of fiscal capacity aid, relief aid, and other formula changes as part of the broader effort to restructure school funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just want to say thank you for accommodating us.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate the accommodation. Thank you, committee.

Bills: HB3767, HB3934, HB4199, HB4336, HB2947, HB3834, HB4302, HB4095, HB3287, HB3649, HB4430, HB4431, HB2059, HB3647

Keywords: dentistry, licensing, dental hygiene, foreign-trained dentists, temporary license, public health, emergency response, child care, workforce, pilot program, affordable care, income eligibility, interventional pain management, pain management clinic, chronic pain, acute pain, spinal injections, epidural steroid injection, peripheral nerve block, nerve ablation

Transcript Highlights:

• And one thing a charter school absolutely cannot do is say, we're not going to accommodate your religious

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the journal, recognized the Doctor of the Day, and welcomed several guest groups and visitors in the gallery. Members also offered personal privilege remarks introducing guests and marking birthdays and other occasions. The chamber then took up third-reading votes on Senate bills 1126, 1252, and 1479, all of which passed and were transmitted onward. The House then resolved into Committee of the Whole to consider multiple Senate bills. SB 1099, dealing with defamation and online publication, drew debate over free speech and press protections; opponents argued it would narrow speech rights, while supporters said it distinguished criticism from defamation. SB 1107, SB 1148, SB 1294, and SB 1366 were each recommended do pass with little or no debate. The Committee also considered SB 1237 on the election procedures manual, with supporters saying the Secretary of State should consult legislative committees and opponents calling it overreach; SB 1243 on notice to guardians when patients are released from court-ordered treatment, with supporters citing patient safety and opponents warning it could weaken guardianship reforms; and SB 1281 on reporting federal land acquisitions, which drew a sharp exchange over property rights, federal overreach, and conservation concerns. Later, the Committee considered SB 1586 and SB 1741. SB 1741, which would allow students to be excused for off-campus religious instruction and receive academic credit, prompted debate over free exercise rights, public-school neutrality, and whether charter and district schools should be required to accommodate release-time religious programs. After the Committee rose, the House adopted the Committee of the Whole report, placing SB 1237, SB 1243, SB 1281, SB 1586, and SB 1741 on third reading. The House then heard additional personal remarks and adjourned until Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• relation to information to be provided to put all new and renewal leases for certain housing accommodations

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Housing, Construction, and Community Development met on March 31, 2026, with a quorum present and noted that the Legislature was in budget negotiations and approaching a scheduled break. The committee took up several housing-related bills, with most being reported to Finance after discussion. The first bill, S.3742A, would require information to be provided in new and renewal leases for certain housing accommodations, and it was reported without opposition. S.4659B, the Rental Emergency Stabilization for Tenants Act, generated the longest debate; supporters said it would give local governments outside New York City a more flexible way to determine a housing emergency and opt into rent stabilization, while opponents argued it lacked a clear vacancy-rate standard, could discourage development, and would benefit higher-income tenants. The bill was ultimately reported, with some negative votes and one or more votes without recommendation. The committee then discussed S.8168, which would create a deconstruction and salvage framework for building materials, including local options, technical assistance, grants, and related code updates. Supporters said it could reduce landfill use, lower disposal costs, and encourage reuse markets, while opponents questioned costs, market demand, and whether the program would raise housing and demolition expenses. The bill was reported, again with some negative or without-recommendation votes. S.8595, dealing with how certain valuations and amounts due are calculated in foreclosure actions, was also reported. S.8672, the Employer-Assisted Housing Matching Grant Act, would provide a state match for employer housing assistance for certain nonprofit human services employers; members raised concerns about scope, possible double-dipping, and whether the program should be expanded to other workers, but the bill was reported with some negative and without-recommendation votes. The final bill, S.94A, made a minor amendment to the Housing Access Voucher Pilot Program regarding priority applicants and unit inspections, and it was reported as well. Throughout the meeting, members repeatedly emphasized that several proposals were optional for local governments or employers rather than mandates, and many of the exchanges focused on affordability, housing supply, local control, and the fiscal effects of the bills. No floor votes were taken; the committee’s actions were limited to reporting the bills to Finance, with some reported favorably and others reported with negative or without-recommendation votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• >> Uh, it would also accommodate anybody that requests a non-dairy beverage, almond or other alternative

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The interview focused on Senate File 3687, a Minnesota bill that would expand school milk choices in the National School Lunch Program. The senator said the measure is modeled on recently passed federal legislation and would allow schools to offer whole milk, 2% milk, flavored milks, and non-dairy alternatives when requested, reversing what he described as the 2010 federal limits to skim and low-fat milk. He argued the bill is about choice rather than mandates and said it could reduce milk waste, increase student consumption, and support healthier decision-making. The senator said the bill has broad bipartisan support and only limited criticism, with the main concern in committee being whether schools would face added stocking burdens. He responded that schools would not be required to offer any specific milk and could adjust orders based on student demand. He also said the bill would benefit Minnesota dairy farmers and local economies by increasing demand for milk produced and cartoned in the state. The interview also touched on Senate File 3686, a separate proposal to create a pilot program for rotational grazing funded through the environmental trust fund. The senator described it as a small but meaningful effort to help beginning farmers, improve pasture management, and support conservation lands, with grants covering up to 50% of fencing or grassland establishment costs, capped at $25,000 per recipient. The segment ended with a lighthearted milk tasting, reinforcing the theme of offering more choices.

Transcript Highlights:

• As we were growing throughout statehood, we were adding members to the House to accommodate our population

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, attendance, journal approval, and multiple guest introductions, including a pastor, ACLU of Arizona lobby day participants, an architecture advocacy group, a doctor recognized for sleep apnea and dementia care work, and former Senator Frank Antinori. Senator Ortiz also read a proclamation declaring March as Sleep Apnea Awareness Month in Arizona, citing the health and public safety impacts of obstructive sleep apnea and disparities in diagnosis and treatment. The chamber then handled calendar and procedural business, including House messages, committee assignments, and a series of third-reading votes. Several bills passed on party-line or near party-line votes, including SB 1011 on county medical examiners, SB 1017 on health professionals, SB 1170 on drug offenses, SB 1173 on health care institutions, SB 1234 on juvenile court, SB 1275 on criminal diversion programs, SB 1332 on a feasibility study for light rail expansion, SB 1544 on probation, SB 1557 on health professionals, and SB 1585 on sex offender monitoring. Members offered explanations of vote on several measures, with opponents raising concerns about mandatory minimums, juvenile court changes, transit delays, and the need for broader criminal justice or transportation studies. The Senate also considered SCR 1022, a proposed constitutional amendment to change legislative member districts and expand the House. Supporters argued it would improve representation and reduce campaign pressures, while opponents said the idea should first be studied more thoroughly. The resolution passed 16-10. Additional transportation-related bills, including SB 1273 and SB 1274, also passed on reconsideration. The session ended with committee announcements for the next day and adjournment until Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 1:15 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• you talking about a getaway to Sedona, now you're going to start getting ads on your phone for accommodations

Bills: SB1049, SB1053, SB1058, SB1093, SB1160, SB1211

Keywords: spousal maintenance, court guidelines, self-sufficiency, financial support, marriage dissolution, concealed carry, gun permits, firearms training, public safety, criminal history checks, local recognition, firearms, merchant codes, financial privacy, Second Amendment, data protection, riot, planning, racketeering, criminal conspiracy

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard and advanced several bills. SB 1160 would make it a class one misdemeanor to fly a drone within one mile of a ticketed entertainment event, with exceptions for authorized personnel or written consent; NASCAR testified in support on public safety grounds, and the bill received a due pass recommendation by a 6-1 vote. SB 1093 would expand the definition of riot to include force or threats causing property damage and add riot as a predicate offense for conspiracy and racketeering; the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice opposed it as overly broad, while the sponsor argued it would target organized, paid riot activity. The committee approved it 5-2. SB 1049 would place a finite limit on spousal maintenance awards and direct the Supreme Court to consider related guideline factors; the sponsor said it was intended to prevent open-ended maintenance, while members questioned the fairness of a four-year cap in long marriages. It passed 5-2. SB 1053 would require Arizona residents to pay 10% of the nonresident fee for concealed weapons permits, with the director able to adjust fees to keep the program revenue neutral; supporters said residents should not pay the same as nonresidents and that the bill could encourage training and background checks, while opponents argued it could reduce state revenue. It passed 6-2. The committee also approved SB 1058, which bars government entities and certain private financial actors from maintaining firearm registries or using merchant category codes to identify firearm retailers, with supporters framing it as a privacy and Second Amendment measure and opponents warning about tracking and debanking; it passed 6-2. Finally, SB 1211 would allow victims of felony aggravated harassment involving domestic violence to seek a lifetime injunction against the offender; domestic violence and victim advocacy groups supported it as closing a gap for repeat victims, and the bill passed unanimously 9-0 after discussion clarified that no amendment was offered.

Transcript Highlights:

• I understand that some accommodation was made to have the newspaper publication right at the beginning

Bills: SB1246, SB1510, SB1979, SB1929, SB1930, SB1976

Keywords: environmental permitting, Oklahoma, Department of Environmental Quality, public participation, regulatory framework, administered applications, energy, wind energy, financial assurance, property restoration, environmental regulation, mining, blasting, residential protection, buffer zone, Department of Mines, public utilities, electric transmission lines, landowner rights, payment regulations

Transcript Highlights:

• If we were going retrospective, then there would probably have to be some accommodations and some, you

Summary: The Finance and Tax Committee met with a quorum present and took up two bills. The first, SPB 7046, was the Senate tax package. It included changes to Live Local property tax opt-outs, charter school distributions from voter-approved property tax levies, RV park special assessments, fiscally constrained county funding, a permanent sales tax exemption for small propane tanks, a hunting/fishing/camping sales tax holiday, and provisions barring governmental net zero policies. An amendment made the charter-school distribution change prospective starting July 1, 2026. Committee discussion focused heavily on whether the charter-school language would divert money from traditional public schools and on the fiscal-constrained county formula. The bill was reported favorably as a committee bill after a roll call vote, with Senators Bernard and Jones voting no. The committee also considered SPB 7048, which updates Florida’s conformity to the Internal Revenue Code as of January 1, 2026 and partially decouples from federal tax changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill addresses bonus depreciation, research and experimental expenses, business meal deductions, and the business interest deduction, with the Revenue Estimating Conference expected to review the fiscal impact later in the week. The Florida Chamber testified that the bill should better align with federal tax relief and reduce administrative burdens, while senators emphasized the need to balance business tax relief with state revenue constraints. SPB 7048 was also reported favorably as a committee bill by roll call vote.