Transcript Highlights:

• Efforts can work to close this particular loophole.
• That's how SB2 is supposed to work, and that's a voter approval rate.
• The bill updates work search activity requirements to qualify for unemployment.
• and available to work.
• Working people are taxpayers too. They're paying taxes.

Bills: SB317, SB1250, SB1520, SB1950, SB2298, SB2532, SB2539, SB2747, SB2925, SB2993

Keywords: monuments, memorials, public property, historical significance, civil penalties, local governance, project financing zone, municipal tax revenue, convention centers, multipurpose arenas, infrastructure development, hike and bike trails, outdoor recreation, environmental stewardship, Bicentennial Trail, Texas history, cultural heritage, unemployment benefits, eligibility, Texas Workforce Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• Those things can work too well together.
• You and I know how this works, right?
• We are supportive of it, as are consumer groups, business groups, everybody.
• Chairman, this bill does not do that, and it needs some work.
• We will commit to work with Mr.

Bills: HB1464, HB1635, HB2516, HB3317, HB3502, HB4012, HB4268, HB4386, HB4877, SB916

Keywords: prescription drugs, drug pricing, pharmacy benefits, health insurance, health benefit plan, insurer, HMO, self-insured employer, public employer, school district, county, municipality, university system, higher education, retirees, dependent coverage, stop-loss coverage, bulk purchasing, group purchasing, purchasing pool

Transcript Highlights:

• We are stronger when we work together. That's a fact.
• how that works for Amazon.
• This work requires significant resources and funding.
• But we’ve got a lot of work to do.
• All PVS work for prior year evaluation studies occurs at the same time current year evaluation work is

Bills: HB249, HB 1186, HB2313, HB2408, HB2508, HB2730, HB2974, HB3045, HB3232, HB3336, HB3710, HB4044, HB4236, HJR133, HB249

Keywords: ad valorem taxes, property taxes, homestead exemption, disabled veterans, senior citizens, tax payments, installment payments, municipal tax revenue, hotel, convention center, tax code, economic development, local government, municipality, tax revenue, qualified projects, municipal taxation, hotel project, municipality funding, veteran

Transcript Highlights:

• People need the train to get to work and to get to and from work, and they don't need to be stoned or
• Really, I was working on it.
• During our most recent best work.
• By working together as childcare work.
• She's back. when it does work. That's the goal. when it does work. That's the goal.

Bills: HF1918, HF2305, HF897, HF2191, HF2617, HF2551, HF2137

Keywords: HF1918, Department of Children Youth and Families, DCYF, child welfare, foster care, out-of-home placement, permanency planning, relative search, noncustodial parent, kinship care, family preservation, African American Child and Family Well-Being, racial disproportionality, maltreatment reporting, educational neglect, truancy, school attendance, Great Start compensation, child care provider payments, TEACH early childhood program

Bills: HB145, SB37, HB279, HB292, SB35, SB48, SB20, SJR1, SB38, SB41, SB73, SB100, SB111, SB132, SB152, SJR7, HJM1, HM7, HM17, HM4, HM22, HM23, HM24, HM26, HM2, HM16, HM32, HM13, HM47, HM20, HM51, HM1, HM31, HM35, HM36, HM46, HM53, HM54, HM39, HM29, HM43, HM59, HM30, HM52, HM11, HM14, HM21, HM34, HM50, HB2, HB70, HB180, SB151, SB240, SB273, HB95, HB247, HB332, HB8, HB253, HB4, HB96

Keywords: high-wage jobs, tax credit, job creation, New Mexico, economic development, high-quality literacy instruction, science of reading, structured literacy, reading instruction, literacy assessment, dyslexia screening, phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, biliteracy, English language learner, ELL, bilingual education

Transcript Highlights:

• And what the coalition is doing is we've put together working groups to identify what the top priorities
• The public land trust working group cannot support tasks beyond its scope of work set in law, which is
• Um, if the public land trust working group was fully filled, would the request for that group to be the
• <01:58:43.680> group if the public land trust working group if the public land trust working
• I think if that was amended within the statute and again the Public Land Trust Working Group received

Bills: HCR13, HCR61, HCR136, HCR185, HCR155, HCR68, HCR174, HCR178, HCR179, HCR91, HCR103, HCR115, HCR199, HR15, HR128, HR175, HR147, HR62, HR164, HR168, HR169, HR83, HR95, HR107, HR189

Keywords: coral reefs, sunscreen, environmental education, student stewardship, marine conservation, reforestation, Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, native forests, climate resilience, sustainable practices, economic opportunity, biodiversity, wildland-urban interface, WUI, wildfire mitigation, wildfire safety, Maui County, County of Maui, Kauai

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land met on March 31, 2026, and heard testimony on several resolutions. HCR 13/HR 50, which asks DLNR to work with DOE and the Public Charter School Commission on a student coral stewardship program, drew comments from DLNR, which said it stood on written testimony and had proposed amendments, and from supporters in the room. HCR 61, urging investment in reforestation policies, workforce, nursery capacity, and related support for public and private lands, received strong support from DLNR and multiple testifiers, including members of a reforestation policy hui, a resident, and others who emphasized watershed protection, flood and fire resilience, and the need to upgrade nursery infrastructure and staffing. Committee members asked questions about nursery modernization, staffing, island-specific needs, and whether reforestation could reduce wildfire impacts; the DLNR witness said all islands need investment, with especially large opportunities on Hawaiʻi Island, and that healthier forests improve resilience though they cannot eliminate climate-related risks. The committee then heard HCR 136/HR 128 on wildland-urban interface safety standards for Maui plantation towns, but no one testified. It also heard HCR 185/HR 175, which urges denial of permits for ICE detention-related warehouses; Chris Coffey of Immua Alliance testified in support, saying migrant survivors of exploitation are harmed when ICE detains people and that Hawaii would not be the first place to take such action, citing examples from other states and cities. In questioning, members explored whether a local facility would keep people closer to families and services or instead increase local detention; Coffey said detention generally cuts off access to services and can intensify fear, and that a local facility could incentivize more detention and make survivors less likely to come forward. Finally, the committee heard HCR 155/HR 147 supporting the Hawaii Water Safety Coalition’s Hawaii Water Safety Act. Testifiers included Allison Shapera, who described the statewide water safety plan, Hawaii’s high drowning rate, the economic and human costs of drownings, and her personal loss of her daughter in a preventable drowning; Kirsten Hermstead and Kalani Vierra of the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association said the plan’s recommendations need legislative recognition to help with implementation and grant funding; and Jessamine Town Horner testified by Zoom as a co-founder and bereaved family advocate. The transcript provided does not show any votes or final committee actions on the measures discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• I worked in a school where I had one option. and the group that was that option, the superintendent's
• How does that work with bargaining power?
• It, I have a constituent that works in this area.
• He's going to do great work.
• Happy birthday, even though we were stuck working on stuff.

Bills: HB3407, HB1242, HJR1081, HB3443, HB3781, HB1939, HB4237, HB3430, HB3321, HB3905, HB3329, HB4253, HB4421, HB4311, HJR1046, HB2015, HB3244, HB4265, HB3941, HB4203, HB2941, HB3695, HB3380, HB3132, HB3673, HB3134, HB3383, HB4490, HB4058

Keywords: property rights, abandoned homes, manufactured homes, notification, salvage, real estate, Oklahoma Tax Commission, landowner liability, redemption, HB1242, cervidae, deer, elk, sales tax exemption, agricultural exemption, livestock, ranching, farm tax, agricultural sales tax, agriculture

Transcript Highlights:

• I've been working with the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission since approximately 2006.
• forward to that continued work.
• Senator Reinhart asked unanimous consent to work from a committee sub without objection.
• And hear me, I'm continuing to work on this bill. That's why we struck idle.
• They work with hundreds of other Oklahoma mom and pop small businesses.

Bills: HB4322, HB4202, HB4203, HB4457, HB3983, HB3660, HB3802, HB2933, HB2955, HB2956, HB3781, HB3521, HB3794, HB3796, HB3800

Keywords: funeral services licensing, funeral director, embalmer, funeral director in charge, dual licensure, mortuary science, Oklahoma Funeral Board, funeral establishment, commercial embalming establishment, crematory, cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, apprenticeship, licensing requirements, professional regulation, undertaker, mortician, burial services, death care industry, workers' compensation

Bills: HR210, HR142, HCR150, HR132, HCR140, HR133, HCR141, HR182, HCR192, HR96, HCR104, HR57, HCR63, HR56, HCR62, HR39, HCR43, HR48, HCR52, HR119, HCR127, HR111, HCR119, HR88, HCR96, HR120, HCR128, HR117, HCR125, HR51, HCR55, HR54, HCR58, HR149, HCR159, HR64, HCR70, HR42, HCR46, HR84, HCR92, HR92, HCR100, HCR172, HR172, HCR182, HR75, HCR83, HR116, HCR124, HR36, HCR38, HR73, HCR79, HR125, HCR133, HR136, HCR144, HCR60, HCR20, HR32, HCR32, HR115, HCR123, HR108, HCR116, HR7, HCR8, HR47, HCR51, HR178, HCR188, HCR48, HCR49, HR15, HCR13, HR107, HCR115, HR168, HCR178, HR62, HCR68, HR83, HCR91, HR147, HCR155, HR164, HCR174, HR169, HCR179, HR175, HCR185, HR106, HCR114, HR183, HCR193, HR85, HCR93, HR137, HCR145

Keywords: Earl Kawaʻa, Earl Kawaa, H.R. 210, House Resolution, Hawaii Legislature, Hawaiian language, language revitalization, mānaleo, native Hawaiian speaker, Hawaiian culture, cultural preservation, Hoʻoponopono, Kamehameha Schools, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu, community mentorship, traditional practices, āina-based education, kaiapuni, Peace Corps

Bills: HR210, HR142, HCR150, HR132, HCR140, HR133, HCR141, HR182, HCR192, HR96, HCR104, HR57, HCR63, HR56, HCR62, HR39, HCR43, HR48, HCR52, HR119, HCR127, HR111, HCR119, HR88, HCR96, HR120, HCR128, HR117, HCR125, HR51, HCR55, HR54, HCR58, HR149, HCR159, HR64, HCR70, HR42, HCR46, HR84, HCR92, HR92, HCR100, HCR172, HR172, HCR182, HR75, HCR83, HR116, HCR124, HR36, HCR38, HR73, HCR79, HR125, HCR133, HR136, HCR144, HCR60, HCR20, HR32, HCR32, HR115, HCR123, HR108, HCR116, HR7, HCR8, HR47, HCR51, HR178, HCR188, HCR48, HCR49, HR15, HCR13, HR107, HCR115, HR168, HCR178, HR62, HCR68, HR83, HCR91, HR147, HCR155, HR164, HCR174, HR169, HCR179, HR175, HCR185, HR106, HCR114, HR183, HCR193, HR85, HCR93, HR137, HCR145

Keywords: Earl Kawaʻa, Earl Kawaa, H.R. 210, House Resolution, Hawaii Legislature, Hawaiian language, language revitalization, mānaleo, native Hawaiian speaker, Hawaiian culture, cultural preservation, Hoʻoponopono, Kamehameha Schools, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu, community mentorship, traditional practices, āina-based education, kaiapuni, Peace Corps

Bills: HR210, HR142, HCR150, HR132, HCR140, HR133, HCR141, HR182, HCR192, HR96, HCR104, HR57, HCR63, HR56, HCR62, HR39, HCR43, HR48, HCR52, HR119, HCR127, HR111, HCR119, HR88, HCR96, HR120, HCR128, HR117, HCR125, HR51, HCR55, HR54, HCR58, HR149, HCR159, HR64, HCR70, HR42, HCR46, HR84, HCR92, HR92, HCR100, HCR172, HR172, HCR182, HR75, HCR83, HR116, HCR124, HR36, HCR38, HR73, HCR79, HR125, HCR133, HR136, HCR144, HCR60, HCR20, HR32, HCR32, HR115, HCR123, HR108, HCR116, HR7, HCR8, HR47, HCR51, HR178, HCR188, HCR48, HCR49, HR15, HCR13, HR107, HCR115, HR168, HCR178, HR62, HCR68, HR83, HCR91, HR147, HCR155, HR164, HCR174, HR169, HCR179, HR175, HCR185, HR106, HCR114, HR183, HCR193, HR85, HCR93, HR137, HCR145

Keywords: Earl Kawaʻa, Earl Kawaa, H.R. 210, House Resolution, Hawaii Legislature, Hawaiian language, language revitalization, mānaleo, native Hawaiian speaker, Hawaiian culture, cultural preservation, Hoʻoponopono, Kamehameha Schools, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu, community mentorship, traditional practices, āina-based education, kaiapuni, Peace Corps

Bills: HB2148, HB2306, HB1776, HB2007, HB1939, HB2490, HB1733, HB2049, HB1710, HB1918, HB1926, HB2325, HB2426, HB1553, HB2544, HB2599, HB2616

Keywords: estate tax, generation-skipping transfer tax, unrealized gains, surcharge, property transfer, tax exemption, small business, relative, income tax, tax brackets, household care credit, employment-related expenses, earned income tax credit, food tax credit, fraud disallowance, tenant rights, housing stability, landlord-tenant code, eviction prevention, multilingual resources

Transcript Highlights:

• I really do want to recognize Chairman Capriglione and the blockchain working group and all the stakeholders
• We actually think that a lot of work has gone into this.
• Very grateful to have worked with the House on this.
• And I also want to thank Chairman Turner for all your work on energy.
• Well, again, I think the dealers feel best about working with people that they have a working relationship

Bills: HB12, HB149, SB229, SB1361, SB1749, SB1897, SB2113, SB2566, SB2677, SB1652, SB2327, SB2344, SB2696

Keywords: artificial intelligence, regulation, biometric data, ethical AI, consumer protection, AI governance, automobile sales, finance, retail seller, motor vehicle purchase, motor vehicle sales, pricing restrictions, third-party financing, education, funding, student assessment, accountability, standards, motor vehicle, financing

Summary: The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce heard testimony on HB 149, the Artificial Intelligence Governance Act. Senator Schwertner described the bill as an outcomes-based AI framework that would require disclosure when people interact with AI, prohibit manipulative or social-scoring systems, address biometric capture, discrimination, and deepfake child exploitation, and give the Attorney General enforcement authority. It would also create an AI Sandbox and AI Council. Witnesses from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a Houston attorney, TechNet, and the Texas Association of Business strongly supported the bill, praising its stakeholder process and pro-innovation approach, while Texas Appleseed suggested regulators should have more examination authority over sandbox participants. The bill was left pending. The committee then heard SB 229, which would prohibit motor vehicle dealers from conditioning a sale on dealer-offered financing or charging more because a buyer uses outside financing or cash. Senator West said the bill is meant to stop forced financing and bait-and-switch pricing, and he noted the bill passed the committee and Senate in the prior session. The Texas Automobile Dealers Association opposed the bill, arguing it would force dealers to accept any third-party lender or cash transaction on terms they cannot control. The Texas Credit Union Association supported the bill, saying consumers should be able to choose outside financing without hidden fees or pressure. After questions about cash purchases and dealer practices, the bill was left pending. The committee also took up SB 2566, which would clarify legislators’ access to information from executive agencies, including confidential information, by setting response deadlines, limiting confidentiality agreements to statutory terms, requiring a standard AG form, and creating a complaint and penalty process for noncompliance. No witnesses testified, and the bill was left pending. Finally, SB 1749, as substituted, would let certain court-related employees and judicial conduct commission personnel keep personal information such as home addresses and phone numbers confidential, with work addresses used in place of home addresses for certain purposes. District clerk and judicial conduct commission witnesses described threats and harassment as the reason for the bill, and a court administration witness answered questions about how the address protections would work with voter registration and precinct records. That bill was also left pending, and the committee recessed without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've seen this, you know, ebb and flow, where it works out good, doesn't work out good.
• You're the largest group in Texas. I'm sorry? You're the largest group in Texas. I don't know that.
• work.
• work.
• We've done a lot of work.

Bills: HB136, HB451, SB425, SB466, SB905, SB1986, SB2311, SB2450, SB2805, SB2826, SB2919, SB3001

Keywords: Medicaid, lactation, healthcare, consultation, reimbursement, maternal health, infant care, commercial sexual exploitation, child sex trafficking, human trafficking, child welfare, foster care, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, juvenile probation, risk assessment, needs assessment, trauma screening, child abuse prevention, exploitation screening

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and announced it would vote on pending bills at 10:30, with public testimony limited to two minutes. It first took up Senate Bill 905, a TDLR cleanup bill on licensing regulation of speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Senator Zafferini said the committee substitute would streamline advisory board consultation, remove obsolete provisional licenses, and allow any licensed physician to authorize hearing instruments for minors; the substitute was adopted and the bill left pending. The committee then heard House Bill 451, which would require universal screening for commercial sexual exploitation risk for children in DFPS conservatorship and youth under TJJD jurisdiction. The author and witnesses from Children at Risk, the Fort Bend Anti-Trafficking Collective, and Texas CASA supported the bill as a prevention tool with existing infrastructure and training; the committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending. The committee next considered Senate Bill 466, which would clarify that families may request a fetal death certificate at any gestational age, while keeping existing filing requirements for physicians. A constituent father testified about losing his 11-week-old daughter and being told he could not obtain a certificate, which he said prevented funeral arrangements; the substitute was adopted and the bill left pending. Senate Bill 2311 followed, requiring residential treatment centers to have a written agreement with the school that will educate resident children before becoming operational. The author cited a local dispute where an RTC and school district lacked communication, and witnesses from Texas CASA and Disability Rights Texas supported clearer educational planning while suggesting the Education Code may need conforming changes; the bill was left pending. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2826, known as Alyssa’s Law, which would create a statewide education program on medical child abuse for medical students, health care professionals, and CPS caseworkers. The author and Sheriff Bill Weyburn described Alyssa’s case as involving repeated unnecessary surgeries and argued the bill would improve awareness and early identification, while several witnesses and members raised concerns about false accusations, impacts on medically fragile children, and the need for scientific, peer-reviewed training and safeguards. After extensive discussion, the chair left the bill pending. The committee also heard House Bill 136, which would add certified lactation consultants as Medicaid providers to expand breastfeeding support; witnesses from lactation and nutrition fields said the bill would improve access, maternal and infant health, and long-term savings, and the bill was left pending. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 2805, a surprise-billing/arbitration measure that would clarify provider identifiers and shift arbitration costs to the losing party. The author said the substitute was a legislative counsel draft with no substantive difference, and witnesses from the Texas Medical Association, Texas Society of Anesthesiologists, and U.S. Anesthesia Partners supported the bill as a modest improvement that would reduce administrative confusion and make arbitration fairer without weakening patient protections. Members discussed how arbitration costs affect settlement behavior and how to define the “winner” in close cases. The bill was heard but not voted out during this segment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We tried to work with Spring Branch a lot.
• How does that work?
• The existing system isn't working.
• I absolutely love this work, working with over 110,000 teachers across the country who currently use
• We're currently working on doing a smaller expansion, and that is because we do work so collaboratively

Bills: SB205, SB582, SB625, SB1884, SB1903, SB2600, SB2617, SB2751, SB111, SB3061, SB1908

Keywords: fetal development, health curriculum, public schools, middle school health education, grade 7, grade 8, State Board of Education, school health advisory council, Texas Education Code, pregnancy, reproductive health, infertility, birth defects, prenatal development, unborn child, trimester, medically accurate instruction, age-appropriate instruction, drug and alcohol effects, lead exposure

Transcript Highlights:

• We've worked with Chairman Leach for a number of years on this, and we applaud the work that he's been
• That's just not... my understanding of how things work or should work. I think that, um...
• So long I've been. been working on this bill.
• It worked perfectly. I'm in support of this bill.
• This trauma tends to show up in and outside of work.

Bills: HB285, HB795, HB1795, HB1871, HB2407, HB2461, HB2695, HB3507, HB4911, HB200

Keywords: animal cruelty, nonlivestock, prosecution, veterinary defense, animal welfare, aggravated assault, penal code, public servant, deadly weapon, mass shooting, Penal Code, penalties, felony, Texas Penal Code, felony enhancement, first-degree felony, second-degree felony, violent crime, assault punishment, serious bodily injury

Transcript Highlights:

• But that's an appropriation issue, and I'll be working on that.
• There's a lot of work to be done to effect this change.
• But we're working on it.
• I am the president of the Keating Auto Group, the largest car dealer group in the state of Texas, and
• I go back to when Jack Wu was working for a guy named Mr. Son.

Bills: SB530, SB757, SB769, SB1085, SB1241, SB1242, SB1409, SB1878, SB2138, SB2314, SB2231, SB2361, SB2431, SJR59

Keywords: accreditation, postsecondary education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, baccalaureate degrees, junior colleges, program delivery, faculty recruitment, higher education, performance standards, student loan debt, degree programs, funding, students with disabilities, accessibility, enrollment, report, SB 1085, Sul Ross State University, Rio Grande College, Del Rio

Transcript Highlights:

• This is why a large group of associations and businesses have been pushing for the expansion of TSTC
• It would work a little bit on that, but thank you for your testimony. Yeah, no, I agree.
• , also social work.
• Thank you Chairman, I appreciate y'all both coming today and I'm keep working on that.
• Chairman as chair of the article three work group and the other members Members of Senate Finance have

Bills: SB530, SB757, SB769, SB1085, SB1241, SB1242, SB1409, SB1878, SB2138, SB2314, SB2231, SB2361, SB2431, SJR59

Keywords: accreditation, postsecondary education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, baccalaureate degrees, junior colleges, program delivery, faculty recruitment, higher education, performance standards, student loan debt, degree programs, funding, students with disabilities, accessibility, enrollment, report, SB 1085, Sul Ross State University, Rio Grande College, Del Rio

Transcript Highlights:

• PCS, we'd like to adopt that as a working draft. Yes, please, Mr.
• Would you like to adopt that as a working draft?
• I'm again, I'm willing to work on the time frame.
• How does this work so we put together this pilot idea.
• Yes, this PCS is working with the chairman.

Bills: HB3552, HB2984, HB4124, HB3934, HB3448, HB3131, HB4200, HB4201, HB3011, HB1912, HB3380, HB3881, HB3538, HB3851, HB3907, HB4430, HB4431, HB4457

Keywords: childcare, differential pricing, Department of Human Services, child care subsidy, licensed providers, emergency legislation, child care, subsidy program, annual report, program integrity, overpayments, ivermectin, over-the-counter medication, pharmacy immunity, healthcare access, FDA approval, prescription, public health, dentistry, licensing

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, we need to work through this.
• But the purpose is not to bring parents in out of work.
• You could have a single parent who can't afford to take time off work, won't be given time off work,
• And we work on that. That's not what we do.
• Is my microphone working? It is now.

Bills: HB1022, HB2856, HB3114, HJR5, HB6, HB120, HB210, HB1458, HB1188, HB3126

Keywords: HB 1022, Sul Ross State University, Rio Grande College, Texas State University System, Education Code, higher education, course levels, upper-level college, lower-division courses, community college-style courses, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Uvalde, Board of Regents, academic programs, university expansion, HB 2856, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, clinical training placements, clinical rotations