Bills: SB5188, SB6313

Keywords: broadband, infrastructure, loan assistance, economic development, technology access, Capitol Centennial Stewardship, funding, gifts, grants, donations, legislative support, 904, all

Summary: The committee held an executive session on two bills. Substitute Senate Bill 6076 would change the authority of consumer-owned utilities, especially public utility districts, to self-perform certain public works related to non-emitting and renewable resource generation projects. Members adopted Hatfield 208, described as a technical amendment clarifying that the self-performance authority applies only to the work covered by the bill, and then voted to report the bill out of committee with a do pass as amended recommendation. Senate Bill 6313 would create a capital centennial stewardship account. The committee adopted a striking amendment sponsored by Representative Walsh that instead places the account as a sub-account within the existing capital building construction account, which members said addressed concerns raised in testimony and simplified the structure while preserving the bill’s purpose. The committee then voted to report the bill out of committee with a do pass as amended recommendation. Both measures passed by voice vote with 16 yeas, 0 nays, and 3 excused. The chair also noted that one additional committee time block remained on March 11 if needed, but no further meeting was anticipated, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This amendment would only create a grant program; it would not appropriate funds.
• The council would administer a grant program to help local governments.
• The second item is 50 million dollars to provide grants to...
• an allowable use for some of the money in the Broadband Infrastructure Fund for these purposes.
• Because this is a grant process, right? You apply and you go through the grant process.

Bills: HB1, HB 2, HB 3, HB 5, HB20, HB 22

Keywords: youth camps, emergency preparedness, safety standards, health regulations, camp licensing, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license

Summary: The committee meeting primarily focused on the discussion and passage of several key bills, including SB5, which pertains to supplemental appropriations for disaster relief. This bill was passed unanimously, highlighting the committee's commitment to addressing disaster preparedness. HB20, aimed at reducing fraudulent charitable solicitations during disasters, also saw significant debate, with positive sentiments expressed by its sponsor, Mr. Darby. Additionally, HB22, which expands the authority of the comptroller to fund emergency communication systems, was passed with overwhelming support, indicating a consensus on improving emergency response capabilities within the state. The session concluded with discussions about future legislative measures aimed at strengthening infrastructure against disasters.

Transcript Highlights:

• in the broadband infrastructure fund for these purposes.
• in the broadband infrastructure fund for these purposes.
• You apply and you go through a grant process. That's right.
• And there's This is a grant process, right? You apply and you go through a grant process.
• Well, grant, there's also low-interest loans. Low-interest loans.

Bills: HB1, HB2, HB3, HB5, HB20, HB22

Keywords: youth camps, emergency preparedness, safety standards, health regulations, camp licensing, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license

Summary: The House convened in special session with a gubernatorial proclamation adding subjects related to penalties for legislators who absent themselves, ivermectin access, and groundwater study authority. The chamber also handled routine motions, committee scheduling, and first-reading referrals before moving to the main floor calendar focused largely on disaster response and public safety legislation. The central theme throughout the day was the July 4 flooding and related tragedies, with repeated references to families of victims and the need for stronger preparedness and prevention measures. House Bill 1, on youth camp emergency plans and preparedness, was the most emotional and heavily amended measure. Members adopted changes requiring annual emergency plans for resident youth camps, staff training, parent notification, evacuation maps, floodplain-related disclosures, restrictions on sleeping quarters in flood-prone areas, and funding for enforcement. One proposed amendment to require air conditioning or heat in sleeping quarters failed, while another amendment on floodplain restrictions passed after debate over floodplain versus floodway language. HB 1 ultimately passed the House 136-1 on second reading and later 135-1 on final passage. Senate Bill 2 / House Bill 2 on disaster preparedness, response, and recovery also advanced after extensive discussion. The bill creates training for justices of the peace in mass-fatality events, establishes an emergency manager licensing system, sets local succession procedures, creates a statewide volunteer management system, authorizes drone interdiction in disaster zones, expands disaster loan eligibility, and adds review and planning provisions for certain infrastructure and weather-related issues. Members debated the scope of the training, drone impacts on press coverage, volunteer registration, and infrastructure-related amendments; some proposals were adopted and others tabled or withdrawn. SB 2 passed the House 130-4 on third reading and later 132-4 on final passage. The House also passed House Bill 3 creating the Texas Interoperability Council and a grant program for emergency communications equipment, House Bill 20 addressing disaster-related scams and fraudulent charitable solicitations, House Bill 22 expanding allowable uses of the broadband infrastructure fund for emergency communications, and Senate Bill 5 providing supplemental appropriations for disaster relief, including funds for local warning systems and weather monitoring. Each of these bills passed overwhelmingly, with only one or a few dissenting votes, and members repeatedly emphasized the need to improve coordination, communications, funding, and fraud prevention in the wake of recent disasters.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:07:58.360><c> for</c> out for um infrastructure grants for out for um infrastructure grants for
• Grant to Region 5 development commission Grant to Region 5 development commission Clause<00:20:36.440
• Minnesotans to broadband.
• </c> enacted last year gave Broadband enacted last year gave Broadband companies<00:45:21.960><c> and
• </c><00:46:25.640><c> uh</c> con connecting motans to broadband uh con connecting motans to broadband

Bills: HF1704

Keywords: Minnesota agriculture budget, Department of Agriculture appropriation, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, farm bill, rural development, agricultural grants, soil health, livestock compensation, crop damage, meat inspection, poultry inspection, county agricultural inspectors, biofertilizer, nitrogen management, commercial nitrogen fertilizer, water quality, farm down payment assistance, beginning farmers

Transcript Highlights:

• You can see today upon final recess or during the bill referral period, if permission granted in room
• This amendment would only create a grant program. It would not appropriate state funding.
• That would have to be done through a future appropriations bill or Or once the grant program exists,
• of the money in. the Broadband Infrastructure Fund for these purposes.
• You apply and you go through the grant process. That's right.

Bills: HB1, HB 2, HB 3, HB 5, HB20, HB 22, HB 1, HB 2, HB 3, HB 5, HB 20, HB 22

Keywords: youth camps, emergency preparedness, safety standards, health regulations, camp licensing, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license

Transcript Highlights:

• He said the amendment adds an eligible use to the AGRI grant program.
• is now under the bill is that Broadband is now under the jurisdiction jurisdiction jurisdiction of<00
• Chair Anderson responded that the reason this bill is in the A bill is that broadband is now under the
• <00:26:26.640><c> Bank</c><00:26:27.000><c> gets</c><00:26:27.320><c> direct</c><00:26:27.760><c> grants
• </c><00:26:28.480><c> every</c> One Food Bank gets direct grants every One Food Bank gets direct grants

Bills: HF1704, HF2052

Keywords: Minnesota agriculture budget, Department of Agriculture appropriation, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, farm bill, rural development, agricultural grants, soil health, livestock compensation, crop damage, meat inspection, poultry inspection, county agricultural inspectors, biofertilizer, nitrogen management, commercial nitrogen fertilizer, water quality, farm down payment assistance, beginning farmers

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> been given the purview over uh Broadband been given the purview over uh Broadband funding<00:13:
• </c> funding so the office of broadband funding so the office of broadband funding<00:13:59.519><c> uh
• He said broadband is very important and should be moving now.
• He also said broadband deployment is critical and he is glad it got to the committee.
• </c> moving uh again the uh the uh Broadband moving uh again the uh the uh Broadband deployment<00:30

Bills: HF1704, HF1722

Keywords: Minnesota agriculture budget, Department of Agriculture appropriation, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, farm bill, rural development, agricultural grants, soil health, livestock compensation, crop damage, meat inspection, poultry inspection, county agricultural inspectors, biofertilizer, nitrogen management, commercial nitrogen fertilizer, water quality, farm down payment assistance, beginning farmers

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, House Bill 2293 extends the sunset on the Oklahoma Broadband Office until December 31, 2030.
• It's being done in order for them to administer the final and largest of the grant monies to the BEAD
• program, which is a Broadband Equity Access Development program, a federal program.
• So this legislation ensures that the Oklahoma broadband is kept intact as is until December 31, 2030.
• make it clear that artificial intelligence systems and other nonhuman inanimate objects cannot be granted

Bills: HB2293, HB3176, HB3545, HB3546

Keywords: broadband, Oklahoma Broadband Office, broadband access, statewide broadband plan, internet connectivity, funding, grant programs, expansion council, termination plan, Oklahoma, Gas Hub, artificial intelligence, national laboratory, public-private partnerships, aerospace, high-performance computing, economic development, state agencies, high-risk AI decisions, deepfakes

Transcript Highlights:

• Also creates a fund to go and get federal grants. With that, I move to pass. Yi, for questions.
• House Bill 2293, as adopted by the committee sub, would extend the sunset for the Oklahoma Broadband
• Even though maybe some of their grants are out, they still Have to function for compliance.
• , obviously, as they award out grants.
• So, was the broadband office consulted about this new provision that was going to be enacted?

Bills: HB1782, HB2293, HB3176, HB3544, HB3546, HB3619, HB4358

Keywords: artificial intelligence, education reform, innovation, funding, advisory council, broadband, Oklahoma Broadband Office, broadband access, statewide broadband plan, internet connectivity, grant programs, expansion council, termination plan, Oklahoma, Gas Hub, national laboratory, public-private partnerships, aerospace, high-performance computing, economic development

Transcript Highlights:

• It also creates a fund to go and get federal grants.
• It also creates a fund to go and get federal grants with that.
• , as they award out grants.
• So was the broadband office consulted about this new provision that was going to be enacted?
• ... ...joint committee that is overseeing all the transformational role broadband.

Bills: HB1782, HB2293, HB3176, HB3544, HB3546, HB3619, HB4358

Keywords: artificial intelligence, education reform, innovation, funding, advisory council, broadband, Oklahoma Broadband Office, broadband access, statewide broadband plan, internet connectivity, grant programs, expansion council, termination plan, Oklahoma, Gas Hub, national laboratory, public-private partnerships, aerospace, high-performance computing, economic development

Summary: The Senate Technology and Telecommunications Committee considered several House bills focused on artificial intelligence, data infrastructure, broadband, and education technology. House Bill 3176 would create an Oklahoma Gas Artificial Intelligence and Space Research Hub under the Department of Commerce and a National Laboratory Development Program to help Oklahoma pursue federal research designations; members questioned the fiscal impact, public reporting, and agency placement, and the bill passed 7-1. House Bill 3544 would prohibit minors from accessing AI social companions and authorize civil penalties; supporters cited research and safety concerns, and it passed 8-0. House Bill 3619 would modernize state geographic data collection and mapping for census and boundary purposes; members raised concerns about county boundaries, costs, and possible impacts on property and taxation, and it passed 6-2. The committee also advanced House Bill 3546, which bars artificial intelligence and other non-human entities from being granted legal personhood under Oklahoma law, passing 8-0 without debate. House Bill 1782 would create an Oklahoma AI Education Innovation Act with an advisory council and grant fund; members asked about funding formulas, membership, and dual office-holding, and it passed 8-0. House Bill 2293 would extend the Oklahoma Broadband Office sunset while requiring a wind-down plan and legislative review; members discussed the office’s consultation and termination process, and it passed 8-0. Finally, House Bill 4358 would limit screen time for pre-K through fifth grade students to one hour per school day. After questions about enforcement, classroom logistics, and special events, the author struck the title to continue working on the measure, and the bill passed 8-0. Throughout the meeting, members generally expressed support for the policy goals of the bills while flagging implementation, fiscal, and jurisdictional concerns.

Bills: HB2, SB152

Keywords: general appropriation, budget, Medicaid, education funding, public safety, telecommunications, low-income assistance, lifeline, broadband, rural broadband, universal service fund, public regulation commission, PRC, 911 surcharge, telecommunications relay service, VoIP, mobile service, internet affordability, digital equity, digital inclusion

Transcript Highlights:

• It creates a low-income broadband plan for New Mexico, essentially, and we do.
• Please fix ARS so this bill supports broadband, not legacy POTS.
• The NMECG is New Mexico's rural broadband telecom group, consisting of 10 rural broadband telecom companies
• . 100% of it has to go to broadband.
• So I thought to myself, well, why don't we create an Office of Broadband?

Bills: HB2, SB152

Keywords: general appropriation, budget, Medicaid, education funding, public safety, telecommunications, low-income assistance, lifeline, broadband, rural broadband, universal service fund, public regulation commission, PRC, 911 surcharge, telecommunications relay service, VoIP, mobile service, internet affordability, digital equity, digital inclusion

Transcript Highlights:

• grants, and then $500,000 for the Metro Meals on Wheels.
• There were two named grants in the base, and the funding has been reallocated within the bill.
• , or the CVSO grants, and then $500,000 for the Metro Meals on Wheels.
• We did leave some funding at the base, and granted it's not enough. I understand that.
• We did leave some funding at the base, and granted it's not enough. I understand that.

Bills: HF2446, HF2563, HF2444

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a broadband study grant in there.
• We have a broadband<00:03:57.280><c> uh</c><00:03:57.439><c> study</c><00:03:57.840><c> grant</c><00:
• </c><00:03:58.720><c> And</c> broadband uh study grant in there.
• And broadband uh study grant in there.
• <00:10:31.600><c> grants.

Bills: HF2446, HF2563, HF2444

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a broadband study grant in there, and what this amendment does is it clarifies that the grant
• larger grants.
• grants.
• , or the CVSO grants.
• , or the CVSO grants.

Bills: HF2446, HF2563, HF2444

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant

Transcript Highlights:

• Another important aspect of this grant is that kitchen grants can also be applied for.
• </c> facilitate the farm to school grant facilitate the farm to school grant program<00:33:23.399><c>
• </c> think we kind of take that for granted think we kind of take that for granted right<00:37:12.119
• </c> Amendment Madam chair yes uh Broadband Amendment Madam chair yes uh Broadband has<00:59:08.880><
• </c> infrastructure Grant so uh this grant infrastructure Grant so uh this grant program<01:03:20.039

Bills: HF2446, HF2878, HF2667, HF1795, HF2683, HF2916

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant

Bills: HB8, HB9, HJR1, HB 22

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• This will require more than just one grant program.
• I'm well aware that we do have broadband.
• broadband in rural areas.
• It's a side entity that broadband...
• As far as the Department of Agriculture, we're to implement the grants that are given to broadband and

Bills: HF2446

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> grant. Anything over that would be more. grant. Anything over that would be more.
• As far as the Department of Agriculture, we're to implement the grants that are given to broadband and
• As far as the Department of Agriculture, we're to implement the grants that are given to broadband and
• As far as the Department of Agriculture, we're to implement the grants that are given to broadband and
• </c> added to the end of the protect grant. added to the end of the protect grant.

Bills: HF2446

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant

Transcript Highlights:

• Um it's health equipment grants.
• Um but office of broadband development.
• Clause 8 is for co-op development grants.
• Nine and 10 are development grants.
• </c> programs to oversee a competitive grant programs to oversee a competitive grant process.

Bills: HF2446

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant