Bills: HB134, SB217, SB180, HB157, HB92, HB335

Keywords: vehicle registration, disability access, fines, law enforcement, public accommodation, bond financing, municipal bonds, county debt, local government debt, debt service schedule, bond disclosure, public finance, bond underwriter, county commission, city council, refunding bonds, swap agreements, interest rate swaps, derivatives, fiscal transparency

Bills: SB264, SB542, SB924, SB1008, SB1029, SB1036, SB1057, SB1058, SB1185, SB1202, SB1358, SB1364, SB1376, SB1569, SB1664, SB1697, SJR50

Keywords: SB 264, Texas Workers' Compensation Act, group self-insurance, self-insured groups, workers' compensation, Texas Department of Insurance, commissioner of insurance, certificate of approval, guaranty fund, trust fund, wind down, dissolution, labor code, insurance regulation, employer coverage, risk pool, business and commerce, trade workforce economic development, property owners' association, water conservation

Bills: SB191, HB84, HB79, SB132, HB108, HB109, HB110, HB114, HB118, HB120, HB122, HB124, HB126, HB128, HB129, HB131

Keywords: postpartum depression, mental health, Medicaid, screening, education, maternal health, Chiropractic, Board of Chiropractic Examiners, license renewal, continuing education, election procedures, off-label, pharmacists, medical treatment, state board of pharmacy, employment protection, SB132, Alabama, controlled substances, Schedule I

Transcript Highlights:

• hemp-derived cannabinoid product is, in fact, marijuana.
• Eliminating hemp-derived retail does not remove demand.
• We carry mainly just hemp-derived products.
• hemp-derived store and just have that?
• I would put it over 100 that simply just carry hemp-derived products.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Mostly fentanyl derivative substances is pretty much what we will typically see.
• Mostly fentanyl derivative >> Correct.
• Mostly fentanyl derivative substances<00:02:49.560> is<00:02:49.720> pretty<00:02:49.959
• Um, psilocybin is a, um, chemical derivative of, um, I would say mushroom compounds.
• <00:05:20.000> of<00:05:20.520> um chemical derivative of um chemical derivative of

Keywords: Drug Policy - Room 409, 26 February, 2026; 2:30 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The Senate Drug Policy Committee met to consider two bills. For House Bill 417, which updates the Uniform Controlled Substances Act by adding substances to Schedule I, committee counsel explained that a strike-all was needed because the House version relied on outdated correspondence. Anna Catherine Lambert of the Mississippi State Department of Health said the department updates the language each year by matching Mississippi law to the DEA’s Federal Register, including salts, isomers, and related forms of newly scheduled substances. She noted the additions largely fall into three broad categories, including fentanyl derivatives, phenidates, and tazenes. Senators asked about the number of compounds and the need to list each derivative form. The committee moved to adopt the strike-all and then the title sufficient do pass strike-all, and the bill was reported. The committee then took up House Bill 563, which would allow Mississippi law to conform automatically if psilocybin is scheduled by the federal government before the next legislative session. The chair described psilocybin as a mushroom-derived compound being studied in clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression, and noted that an email from Veterans Exploring Treatment Options supported the legislation. Members discussed that the bill would prevent delay if federal scheduling occurs and asked about the conditions for which the substance might be used; the response mentioned treatment-resistant depression, traumatic brain injury, substance use disorder, and other mental health indications. Senator Blackmon made a lighthearted comment about possible amendments, but no amendments were adopted. The committee approved the motion for title sufficient to pass, and House Bill 563 was reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• responsible production, manufacture, distribution, marketing, sale, and consumption of naturally derived
• The first is the one that has gotten the most Attention, and that is hemp-derived THC products.
• The first addresses hemp-derived THC. It's largely built on the work of Chairman King.
• It will fail again with hemp-derived THC. It's never achieved its stated goals.
• It will fail again with hemp-derived THC. It's never achieved its stated goals.

Summary: Senator Nathan Johnson presented a pair of bills he described as a comprehensive cannabis reform package for Texas. He said one bill would regulate hemp-derived THC with a 21-and-over purchase age, a 5 mg THC threshold, testing, labeling, licensing, packaging, and marketing standards, an advisory committee to report to the Legislature, and a tax structure that would direct revenue to public health, law enforcement, testing, and the Texas Compassionate Use Program. He also said the legislation reflects work by Chairman Ken King and is intended as an alternative to a total ban, which he argued would be unenforceable and undesirable. Johnson said the second bill would decriminalize possession and personal use of up to 2 ounces of marijuana, allow limited home cultivation, and create a path to expunction for people convicted of conduct that would no longer be illegal. He argued current Texas THC laws are inconsistent, harmful, and disproportionately affect communities of color, while also diverting law enforcement resources. He said the bills aim to create a more consistent and enforceable framework and to support medical THC use. Supportive testimony came from Shawn Salvahi, a veteran and Texas Cannabis Collective representative, who said decriminalization and homegrow would help veterans and first responders and that leaders should correct mistaken policy. Senator Molly Cook, an ER nurse, also backed Johnson’s approach and opposed SB 5, saying prohibition has failed, worsened safety, and created criminal and economic harms. In questions, Johnson said the Senate is likely to move SB 5, that the House could still change the outcome, and that he has been consistent in opposing a ban since 2018. The discussion also briefly touched on redistricting, with participants urging attention to flooding and criticizing proposed maps, but the main action was the presentation and defense of the THC bills ahead of floor consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• beverages, derived from hemp, in liquor stores, as well as provide funding for local health departments
• Today I'd like to share feedback on H. 357 and S. 222, an act to regulate hemp-derived beverages like
• alcohol, which seeks to regulate intoxicating hemp-derived products like Delta-9 THC.
• We appreciate that these bills recognize breweries as potential manufacturers of hemp-derived products
• I guess, yeah, we would ask for your support in allowing hemp-derived beverages to go back through us

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure held a public hearing on a wide range of alcohol, liquor licensing, and hemp-derived beverage bills. Early in the hearing, there was a procedural dispute when Senator Jacob Oliveira attempted to testify virtually on S. 279; the House chairs declined to recognize virtual testimony from a committee member, and Senator Pavel Payano instead read prepared remarks supporting the bill to return liquor license authority to municipalities. The committee then heard testimony on H. 437/S. 279 from the Massachusetts Municipal Association and Cohasset Town Manager Christopher Senior, both of whom argued that local control would streamline licensing, better match modern community needs, and support downtown economic development. A Lexington business owner also supported local licensing flexibility for a paint-and-sip business seeking a beer and wine license. The committee also heard extensive testimony on hemp-derived beverage regulation, including H. 357 and S. 222. Supporters from the Commonwealth Beverage Coalition and Theory Wellness said the products are already widely available in unregulated settings, including gas stations and smoke shops, and argued for a regulated framework with age limits, testing, labeling, and local public health funding. The Massachusetts Brewers Guild supported regulation of low-dose hemp beverages but asked that breweries be allowed to participate using their existing retail and distribution rights. The Guild also supported H. 478, which would allow limited self-distribution by pub breweries, saying it would reduce inefficiency and help small breweries grow. Several bills modernizing alcohol licensing laws were also discussed. Representative Ruel supported H. 477, describing it as a cleanup measure that would remove the contiguous-premises requirement, add a character standard for applicants, and extend public notice periods. Representative Sangiolo testified in support of H. 3893, a local liquor-license bill tied to economic development and new businesses in Lexington, including a movie theater, coffee shop, and paint studio. Fable Brewing Company also supported the local license bill, saying the licenses are needed before they can finalize leases and open. The committee then heard opposition from the Massachusetts Package Stores Association and several retailers, who warned that the retail tier is under pressure from oversaturation, declining revenues, and expanded competition, and opposed a long list of bills they said would further weaken existing stores or the three-tier system. At the end of the hearing, Representative McKenna testified in support of H. 437 and S. 279, emphasizing municipal autonomy and the importance of on-premises licenses for restaurants and other economic-development projects. The chairs noted that additional written testimony could still be submitted on bills that did not receive in-person testimony. The hearing concluded with a motion by Representative Sangiolo, seconded by Representative LeBoeuf, to close the hearing, which passed by voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:42.400> THC would not apply to hemp derived THC would not apply to hemp derived THC
• The bill provides derived compounds.
• The bill ensures that these hemp derived The bill ensures that these hemp derived canabonoids<00
• <00:09:58.240> products the use of hemp derived products the use of hemp derived products
• from from a was synthetic THC derived from from a hemp<00:37:59.920> derived<00:38:00.240>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and what I mean by derivatives is not the delta 8 delta 9, but the synthetics that are derived from
• By comparison, hemp-derived THC products do not have to abide by any of the regulations I just listed
• There are no restrictions on the use of cheap synthetically derived cannabinoids, which are down here
• All of these cannabinoids, synthetically derived, semi-synthetically derived cannabinoids are banned
• Is the price of things like delta 8 and delta 10 and synthetically derived cannabinoids because it is

Transcript Highlights:

• Then I found a legal alternative: hemp-derived consumables.
• The products being bought in these stores are plant-derived.
• The products that are being sold are plant-derived.
• , are naturally derived.
• , are naturally derived.

Bills: SB 3, HB28, SB3

Keywords: flash flood, flood warning, outdoor warning siren, emergency alert, disaster preparedness, flood mitigation, Hill Country floods, Texas Water Development Board, municipalities, counties, local government mandate, public safety, grant program, backup power, weather siren, emergency management, flood-prone area, warning system, hemp regulation, consumable products

Transcript Highlights:

• studies, and these certain cannabis-derived medications would be FDA-approved.
• total THC concentration, final hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing more than 0.4 milligrams
• total THC concentration, final hemp-derived cannabinoidal products containing more than 0.4 milligrams
• I should note shipping hemp and hemp-derived products is still considered federally illegal when you're
• This map reflects state regulatory policies for hemp-derived THC beverages as of October 2025.

Keywords: Cannabis Retail Market, Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a, 976, house, all

Summary: The Joint Commission on Cannabis and Hemp Policy met for its first meeting of 2026, elected Senator Lashrecse Aird as chair and Delegate Paul Krizek as vice chair, confirmed a quorum, adopted the virtual participation policy, and heard member introductions. Opening remarks emphasized the commission’s ongoing charge under HJR 497 to oversee Virginia’s transition toward a regulated retail cannabis market, with leaders noting that cannabis possession and home cultivation are already legal but retail sales remain unregulated and that the commission’s work continues despite the veto of the 2026 retail market bill. The commission then received a virtual briefing from NCSL on federal cannabis and hemp developments. Presenters explained the federal rescheduling of certain cannabis products to Schedule III, stressing that it applies only to FDA-approved cannabis drugs and state medical cannabis products, does not legalize adult-use sales, and leaves unresolved issues such as banking and broader tax compliance. They also reviewed the 2026 federal hemp changes narrowing the hemp definition, effective November 12, 2026, and warned of enforcement, interstate commerce, and market-disruption concerns for hemp-derived products. Members asked questions about whether rescheduling could lead to decriminalization and about tax and compliance implications for states. Commission staff then reviewed Virginia’s cannabis-related legislation from the 2026 session. They summarized bills that became law, including a process for modifying certain pre-2021 marijuana-related sentences, a bill allowing the Department of Health to address cannabis oil use in hospitals and convene a work group on medical-care-facility access, and a medical cannabis labeling/delivery measure. They also described SB 543, which strengthened hemp and illicit cannabis enforcement by requiring license decals, creating penalties for unlicensed sales and false decals, authorizing cease-and-desist actions and seizures, establishing a public tip line, directing law-enforcement training, and creating a consumer-protection civil action for certain high-THC products. No public comments were offered, and the meeting adjourned without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Manufacture, distribution, marketing, sale, and consumption of naturally derived THC products in Texas
• One area that has gotten the most attention is hemp-derived THC products.
• The first addresses hemp-derived THC.
• To avoid the erosion in the capital generated from the enormous sale of hemp-derived THC products in
• It will fail again with hemp-derived THC. It's never achieved its stated goals.

Bills: SB5, SB11, SB12, SB9, SB42, SB15, SB5, SB11, SB12, SCR1

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, occupational licenses, criminal offenses, SB 11, Texas attorney general, election crimes, election law enforcement, criminal prosecution, Election Code, Government Code Chapter 402, local prosecutors, county attorney, district attorney, grand jury, probable cause reports, state election offenses, voter fraud, election integrity

Transcript Highlights:

• What happened when we created the Hemp Bill is that these C-stores started finding THC derivatives.
• By derivatives, I mean not the Delta 8 or Delta 9, but the synthetic... ...that are derived from hemp
• By comparison, hemp-derived THC products do not have to abide by any of the regulations I just listed
• All of these synthetically and semi-synthetically derived cannabinoids are banned in our medical system
• At this point, we will now have a medical option for them with actual plant-derived...

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 5 relating to the regulation of certain products derived from hemp, including consumable.
• Hemp products and the hemp-derived cannabinoids contained in those products.
• It will fail again with hemp-derived THC. It has not achieved its stated goals.
• The first was a total ban on all hemp-derived THC products, or to do nothing at all.
• And so as we look at hemp-derived THC, we could move in two directions.

Bills: SB5, SB11, SB12, SB5, SB11, SB12

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, occupational licenses, criminal offenses, SB 11, Texas attorney general, election crimes, election law enforcement, criminal prosecution, Election Code, Government Code Chapter 402, local prosecutors, county attorney, district attorney, grand jury, probable cause reports, state election offenses, voter fraud, election integrity

Transcript Highlights:

• Imp-derived consumables have 0.03 THC. The TCUP program has 1% THC.
• There has been zero deaths due to natural derived THC.
• Then I found a legal alternative, hemp-derived consumables.
• The products being bought in these stores are plant-derived.
• , are naturally derived.

Bills: HB 28, SB 3

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, state health, youth protection, licensing fees, criminal offenses, HB28, public testimony, committee decorum, bill substitute, legislative process

Summary: The meeting featured significant discussions regarding HB28, where the chair outlined the plans to bring forward a substitute for the bill. The chair emphasized the importance of maintaining order and decorum during the proceedings. Members engaged in deliberations, and a number of public witnesses were invited to testify, thereby enriching the discussion around the bill. This interaction provided valuable insights into public sentiment regarding the issues at hand.

Transcript Highlights:

• I do not want our veterans using these hemp derivatives.
• Legal hand-derived consumables entered my life.
• Hemp-derived consumables.
• They want to outlaw hemp-derived cannabinoids.
• It is being labeled by unscrupulous out-of-state operators as hemp derived. It is not hemp derived.

Bills: SB3, SB810, SB965, SB1073, SB1119, SB1505, SB 3

Keywords: Texas Education Code, public schools, school district, open-enrollment charter school, teacher speech, employee speech, biological sex, pronouns, gender identity, retaliation, discipline, workplace protections, school personnel, education policy, LGBTQ, transgender, charter schools, SB 965, religious speech, prayer

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2018, federal law made it such that certain hemp and hemp-derived products are no longer prohibited
• In 2025, federal law changed to ban more hemp-derived products if they contain certain thresholds of
• In 2018, federal law made it such that certain hemp and hemp-derived products are no longer prohibited
• In 2025, federal law changed to ban more hemp-derived products if they contain certain thresholds of
• Federal law changed to ban more hemp-derived products if they contain certain thresholds of THC, causing

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House took up Senate Bill 323, suspending the rules to consider it immediately. The bill was described as a broad agricultural measure with committee amendments and fiscal implications, and it was reported favorably by the Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry Committee, Ways and Means, and Appropriations. Members outlined sections dealing with milk market corrections, farm-to-school language, repeal of the obsolete pest control compact, pesticide applicator licensing changes, seed law updates, the Vermont Agricultural Credit Program, hemp regulation, and CAFO-related provisions. The Agriculture committee reported the bill out 7-0-1, and the effective date was described as July 1, 2026, except for the hemp provisions, which would take effect upon passage. Much of the discussion focused on the hemp sections. Supporters said the bill updates Vermont law to reflect federal changes and shifts hemp oversight from the Agency of Agriculture to the Cannabis Control Board. The hemp provisions would create registration and licensing requirements for hemp producers, processors, and certain hemp products; set fees; authorize testing, inspections, stop-sale orders, and administrative penalties; and allow rulemaking on product standards, labeling, insurance, additives, and age restrictions. Speakers said the changes were intended to help Vermont’s hemp industry maintain access to banking, insurance, and interstate commerce while improving consumer safety and regulatory clarity. Other agricultural provisions were also explained in detail. The bill would clarify milk producer hearing rights, update farm-to-school grant/contract language, remove outdated pest-control compact language, and adjust pesticide applicator exam and fee rules, including removing the limit on retakes and eliminating certain government applicator fees. It would also modernize seed labeling and definitions, transfer the Vermont Agricultural Credit Program into a new statutory structure under VEDA, and make conforming cross-reference changes in tax and cannabis fund statutes. The final sections would add a CAFO permit working group and require consultant training for state agencies on CAFO inspections, with those provisions contingent on future funding. Ways and Means noted the bill’s fee changes could affect state revenues, including an estimated hemp-related impact of roughly $10,000 to $90,000, though the exact effect was uncertain.

Transcript Highlights:

• specifically talking to intoxicating hemp-derived beverages.
• <00:01:36.880> beverage intoxicating hemp derived beverage intoxicating hemp derived beverage
• beverages so we currently hemp derived beverages so we currently have<00:02:02.200> um<00:02:
• cannaboids but we around hemp derived cannaboids but we don't<00:02:09.319> have<00:02:09.800
• talking to intoxicating hemp derived talking to intoxicating hemp derived beverages<00:02:16.640

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up Senate Bill 202, adopting a committee substitute before hearing testimony. Senator Julie Rocky Adams explained that the substitute would require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to promulgate regulations by January 1, 2026 for intoxicating hemp-derived beverages, direct the University of Kentucky to study manufacturing, testing, distribution, sales, and consumer effects of those beverages, and impose a moratorium on their sale until July 1, 2026. Supporters, including Rep. Matt Cook, said the measure was intended as a consumer-protection step rather than a ban, citing concerns about youth access, inconsistent labeling, and the need for a clearer regulatory framework. Members asked about the legal status of the products, whether the bill could unintentionally sweep in non-intoxicating hemp beverages, and whether there was evidence of harm. Senators were told the products are legal under the federal farm bill loophole, but that testing has shown THC levels on sampled cans did not match labels and that current regulations do not specifically address intoxicating hemp-derived beverages. Senator Higdon said CHFS had already been authorized to regulate hemp products and was moving forward with regulations and enforcement, while Senator Meredith questioned whether a moratorium would unfairly punish businesses that had already invested in the market and suggested setting a THC standard instead. Public testimony then shifted to industry opposition. Jim Higdon of Cornbread Hemp said his company had invested heavily in a beverage line and argued the moratorium would function like a ban and harm small businesses. Dee Taylor of 502 Hemp and the Kentucky Hemp Association also opposed the moratorium, saying existing rules already require age limits, behind-the-counter sales, and licensed retailers, and arguing that a cap on milligrams would be preferable to a shutdown. He said retailers were seeing approved and unapproved products in the market and urged work with the Cabinet and ABC rather than a moratorium.

Transcript Highlights:

• , isomers, salts of isomers—but it's that derivative thing.
• These are products that are not plant-derived.
• But right now we're talking about plant-derived hemp products.
• These would be plant-derived.
• Yes. ...plant-derived THC products.

Summary: The House Committee on Public Health heard House Bill 5, a proposal to ban THC products outside the Texas Compassionate Use Program while allowing non-intoxicating CBD and CBG products under tighter regulation. Chair Van Deaver gave a lengthy background on the 2018 federal Farm Bill and Texas’s 2019 hemp law, arguing that the lack of guardrails allowed a large, unregulated THC market to develop. HB 5 would impose licensing fees, product registration, testing and inspection requirements, and restrictions intended to keep products away from children. Invited witnesses from law enforcement strongly supported the bill. Steve Dye of the Texas Police Chiefs Association and Brian Hawthorne of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas argued that THC consumables are widely mislabeled, often far more potent than advertised, and linked to youth access, impaired driving, and organized crime. Both said regulation would be ineffective and would amount to legalization, while a ban would be easier for officers to enforce. They also emphasized support for the Texas Compassionate Use Program and said medical THC should remain available. Dr. Peter Stout of the Texas Association of Crime Lab Directors and Alice Amelot of Texas DPS testified as resource witnesses about forensic testing. They said current lab resources are already stretched thin, that quantitative testing for THC and related cannabinoids is expensive and time-consuming, and that a ban would simplify enforcement because labs could focus on presence/absence testing rather than concentration. Amelot said DPS labs are neutral on the bill but explained that mislabeled products and inaccurate certificates of analysis are common. Committee members asked about traffic safety, impairment, youth use, and the costs of enforcement and lab testing; witnesses repeatedly said the bill would reduce complexity for law enforcement but that any approach would still require more resources for labs.

Transcript Highlights:

• fuel. ...by accepting our refuse-derived fuel.
• It certainly degrades the refuse-derived fuel, as you can imagine.
• It certainly degrades the refuse-derived fuel, as you can imagine.
• But the material then that's shredded is called refuse-derived fuel.
• But the material then that's shredded is called refuse-derived fuel.

Keywords: 1183, house