Transcript Highlights:

• We don't want drug smuggling. We don't want human trafficking. However, the...
• We don't want drug smuggling. We don't want human trafficking.
• smuggling, illegal immigration, and other border-related crimes.
• With drug trafficking, human smuggling, illegal immigration, and other border-related crimes.
• We have a corridor of human trafficking, drug smuggling. This has to come to an end.

Bills: HB2416, HB2663, HB2759, HB2806

Keywords: border security, drug trafficking, human smuggling, law enforcement funding, Arizona, public safety, immigration, military leave, national guard, employment rights, paid leave, disaster response, veterans services, education programs, funding, appropriation, Yavapai county, lawful presence, public programs, verification

Summary: The Military Affairs and Border Security Committee approved the February 16, 2026 minutes and then heard several bills. HB 2416 would appropriate $20 million for DPS border support, including equipment, officer positions, and grants to local governments for border-related prosecutions and detention costs. Supporters, including the Arizona Sheriffs Association, said the funds are fully used each year and are largely spent on drug interdiction; opponents argued the bill’s immigration-related language could expand enforcement and that the money should instead go to health care, education, food assistance, or prevention programs. After debate, the committee passed HB 2416 on a 4-3 vote. The committee then considered HB 2806, which would require county recorders, ADOT, and AHCCCS to use the federal SAVE system and report citizenship-verification results to JLBC and the Auditor General. The sponsor was absent, and an ACLU representative testified in opposition, arguing SAVE is not appropriate for voter eligibility checks, could disenfranchise eligible citizens, and would likely cause litigation and administrative confusion. Members raised concerns about necessity, due process, and whether the state already verifies citizenship adequately, but the bill still received a do-pass recommendation on a 4-3 vote. HB 2663, a technical cleanup bill updating military leave language for state and local employees who are National Guard or Reserve members, drew no opposition and passed unanimously. HB 2759 would appropriate $500,000 to the Department of Veterans Services for grants tied to veterans programs at Yavapai County institutions; testimony described it as helping veterans with housing gaps, emergencies, and professional development while they wait for GI Bill payments. Several members questioned why it was limited to Yavapai County and whether private institutions should be included, with some viewing it as a pilot program and others wanting statewide expansion. It passed 4-3, and the committee adjourned.

Bills: SB82, SB78, SB4, SB6, SB62, SB66, SB77, SB63, SB79, SB53, SB55, HB14

Keywords: inhalants, butyl nitrite, nitrous oxide, amyl nitrite, possession, sale, misdemeanor, felony, criminal penalties, public health, school safety, resource officers, law enforcement, public schools, private schools, liability insurance, contracting, library governance, board appointment, library diversity

Transcript Highlights:

• Lastly, HB 214 amends the Penal Code to expand the offense of firearm smuggling to include the smuggling
• The human smuggling, the smuggling of ammunition, it's a very big issue, especially down south.
• The same thing with continuous smuggling of persons—individuals that are being smuggled across the border
• or smuggled into the country.
• To your point, the vast majority of smuggling of persons...

Bills: HCR40, HB214, HB214

Keywords: HCR 40, House Concurrent Resolution, Operation Lone Star, border security, southern border, Texas border, reimbursement, federal reimbursement, Congress, immigration, migrant crossings, illegal immigration, Texas National Guard, Department of Public Safety, DPS, human smuggling, cartel, fentanyl, border enforcement, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• About we're making about 100 arrests a week in Operation Lone Star because the smuggling is continuing
• The smuggling prices have tripled and nobody's looking for Border Patrol to turn themselves in.

Bills: SB 36, SB 2202

Keywords: homeland security, border security, critical infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, intelligence operations, public-private partnerships, SB 2202, firearm trafficking, gun trafficking, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, Texas-Mexico border, United Mexican States, Mexico, DPS, second-degree felony, weapons transfer, illegal firearms transfer, arms smuggling, cross-border crime

Transcript Highlights:

• of unlawful immigrants and the consistent flow of transnational criminal activity, including the smuggling
• Mexican cartels and other foreign terrorist organizations heavily rely on smuggled firearms from the
• There are a lot of firearms that are seized in smuggling cases, human smuggling cases, and other cases
• But we're looking at the smuggling events normally on the corridors going to or at the border.
• So I, in my experience, Senator, you know, a lot of our human smuggling cases, the smugglers do have

Bills: SB36, SB2202

Keywords: homeland security, border security, critical infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, intelligence operations, public-private partnerships, SB 2202, firearm trafficking, gun trafficking, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, Texas-Mexico border, United Mexican States, Mexico, DPS, second-degree felony, weapons transfer, illegal firearms transfer, arms smuggling, cross-border crime

Summary: The Senate Committee on Border Security heard Senator Birdwell present SB 2202, which would create a state offense for knowingly transferring a firearm for profit or other remuneration to a member of a foreign terrorist organization. Birdwell argued the bill responds to cartel violence and southbound gun trafficking, and he explained a committee substitute that removed an exemption for federally licensed gun dealers and removed a requirement that DPS coordinate with Mexican law enforcement. He said the goal was to give Texas a state-level tool if federal enforcement is lacking. Invited testimony came from DPS Colonel Freeman Martin and border prosecution unit chair Tanya Ash. Both said the bill could be useful in some organized-crime and cartel cases, but they emphasized that proving a defendant knowingly transferred a gun to a foreign terrorist organization would be difficult and would usually require strong direct or circumstantial evidence, such as recorded statements, informants, or coordinated investigations. They said the measure would be more workable in complex cartel cases than in routine patrol stops, and they noted existing state and federal tools already address straw purchases, firearms trafficking, and related offenses. Members also discussed tracing seized firearms, cooperation with ATF, and the limits of state jurisdiction over international issues. No public testimony was offered, and SB 2202 was left pending. The committee then took up SB 36 as pending business. A committee substitute was adopted without objection, and the substitute bill was reported favorably to the full Senate by a 4-0 vote, with Senators Birdwell, Flores, Hinojosa of Hidalgo, Eckhardt, and Hinojosa of Nueces participating. The committee also accepted a motion in writing and ordered the bill recommended for local and uncontested calendar placement. The chair then announced the committee would recess subject to call.

Transcript Highlights:

• of unlawful immigrants and a consistent flow of transnational criminal activity. ...including the smuggling
• Mexican cartels and other foreign terrorist organizations heavily rely on smuggled firearms from the
• In this situation, there are a lot of firearms that are seized in smuggling cases, human smuggling cases
• You know, a lot of our human smuggling cases, the smugglers do have firearms, and we have debriefed some
• loads, and then we end up. doing a takedown and there's weapons involved, and there's talk about smuggling

Bills: SB36, SB2202, SB 36

Keywords: homeland security, border security, critical infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, intelligence operations, public-private partnerships, SB 2202, firearm trafficking, gun trafficking, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, Texas-Mexico border, United Mexican States, Mexico, DPS, second-degree felony, weapons transfer, illegal firearms transfer, arms smuggling, cross-border crime

Transcript Highlights:

• minutes ago about we're making about a hundred arrests a week in Operation Lone Star because the smuggling
• It's small numbers; smuggling prices have tripled and nobody's looking for Border Patrol to turn themselves

Bills: SB36, SB2202, SB 36

Keywords: homeland security, border security, critical infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, intelligence operations, public-private partnerships, SB 2202, firearm trafficking, gun trafficking, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, Texas-Mexico border, United Mexican States, Mexico, DPS, second-degree felony, weapons transfer, illegal firearms transfer, arms smuggling, cross-border crime

Bills: HB 214, HB 626, HB 647, HB 658, HB 668, HB 674, HB 908

Keywords: firearm acquisition, gun smuggling, criminal offenses, ammunition, terrorism, public safety, driver's license, vision correction, medical verification, Texas Department of Public Safety, renewal fees, weapons, community supervision, law enforcement, retired officers, prohibition, criminal liability, missing children, national reporting, investigation

Transcript Highlights:

• smuggling, and related criminal activity.
• Chair, Representative, my statement doing that is the cartels, drug traffickers, human traffickers are
• We're talking about human trafficking, 245-plus trafficking-related arrests.
• alone, 100-plus connected interdictions stopping human trafficking. ...stopping human trafficking between
• She is a survivor of human trafficking, I guess I should say survivors; my apologies.

Bills: HB2063, HB2271, HB2416, HB2478, HB2593, HB2692, HB2813, HB2992, HB2993, HB4044

Keywords: corrections oversight, appropriation, independent office, public safety, funding, firefighters, insurance rates, workers' compensation, firefighter cancer reimbursement, rate deviations, cost analysis, premiums, border security, drug trafficking, human smuggling, law enforcement funding, Arizona, immigration, education reform, K-12

Summary: The committee heard several appropriations and policy bills, with testimony often focused on public safety, education, and procurement. HB 263 would appropriate $1.5 million in FY2027 to the Independent Correctional Oversight Office; the sponsor and supportive testimony argued the office is needed to address serious problems in the corrections system, and the bill received a due pass recommendation, 17-1. HB 2993, as amended, would allow DPS to spend on legal services independent of the Attorney General and redirect $5 million from the Consumer Protection/Consumer Fraud Revolving Fund to the Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission Fund; the Speaker framed it as supporting law enforcement and public safety, and it passed 17-0. HB 2271 dealt with firefighter cancer coverage and insurance rates. The bill would allow an insurer covering firefighters and fire investigators to file a uniform rate deviation only if it is not reimbursed by the municipal firefighter cancer reimbursement fund. Testimony described the measure as a temporary shell pending a broader consensus agreement to bring fire districts into the reimbursement system; members stressed that firefighters should not see changes in claim handling, but several said the bill still needed work. It received a due pass recommendation on a 16-1-1 vote. HB 2416 would appropriate $20 million to DPS for local border support, including law enforcement positions, prosecution and detention costs, and equipment; sheriffs and the Arizona Sheriffs Association supported it as a continuation of existing funding for drug interdiction and border-related crime, and it passed 11-6-1. The committee also advanced HB 2692, which revises public construction procurement rules and authorizes progressive design-build and one-step competition for certain federally funded projects. Construction and procurement stakeholders said the bill was the product of a long consensus process, while some members worried about taxpayer impacts and the move away from standard procurement; it passed 10-7-1. HB 2478, as amended, creates the Arizona Commission on Student Outcomes to study K-12 accountability, standards, graduation requirements, early childhood education, and a trade pathways diploma, funded by Classroom Site Fund dollars; members debated whether the work should instead be done by ADE or the State Board, and the bill passed 11-7. The committee also heard HB 4044, which would create a Public Safety Parity Fund to support DPS and corrections salaries using investment earnings from the Budget Stabilization Fund and proceeds from forfeited digital assets; the sponsor and a troopers association witness argued it would provide a stable long-term funding source to address chronic vacancies and pay gaps.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:30:17.519> and all to treat everyone with humanity and all to treat everyone with humanity
• <00:38:26.880> rights allow um our department of human rights allow um our department of human
• disagree with I think attacks on human disagree with I think attacks on human rights<00:41:32.680
• <00:42:11.280> Rights is somehow detached from Human Rights is somehow detached from Human
• introduced the Department of Human introduced the Department of Human Rights<00:51:43.359> was

Bills: HF414, HF768, HF359

Keywords: data practices, filing fee, government transparency, complaints, public access, free speech, human rights, censorship, protected speech, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, real property, partition, eminent domain, transfer on death deeds, property rights, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Time being 8:15, the House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee will come to order, and we'll
• delivering for the Department of Human delivering for the Department of Human Services.<00:43:38.800
• Like very very of humans time, right?
• So for the record, Christy Gro with the Department of Human Services.
• Gro with the Department of Human Gro with the Department of Human Services.<01:39:23.119> Um,

Bills: HF3378

Keywords: human services, Optum reports, data privacy, transparency, legislative oversight, 1183, house

Bills: HB340

Keywords: child protection, due process, family preservation, child custody, human resources, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The drug cartels now make more money off of human smuggling and human trafficking than they do off of
• drug smuggling.
• SB 659 covers the current gap in that it adds those who provide material support for human smuggling
• to existing Texas law covering human smuggling.
• Under this bill, that could be seen as using government resources to aid smuggling.

Bills: SB659, SB1585, SB2201, SB2514, SB2569

Keywords: smuggling, human trafficking, criminal penalties, felony offenses, law enforcement, foreign adversary, foreign-owned company, scrutinized company, China, national security, cybersecurity, information technology, communications technology, ICT, critical infrastructure, state contracts, government procurement, vendor certification, debarment, civil penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this is a pilot program with the Attorney General's Office concerning victims of human trafficking

Bills: SB1379

Keywords: human trafficking, victims, prevention, support services, Attorney General, pilot program, grant funding, 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It menaces our human dignity.
• That baby is still a human, even though they have a developmental anomaly.
• to they care if you're a good human to they care if you're a good human being<00:34:46.679> and
• <00:35:43.440> rights ability to have human rights ability to have human rights representation
• <01:32:58.880> whether with the same level of humanity whether with the same level of humanity

Bills: HF1233

Keywords: women's athletics, gender, sports competition, Human Rights Act, biological sex, participation limits, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee will come to order. We do have a quorum.
• services<00:37:53.839> steering creates the human services steering creates the human services
• <00:59:40.640> services career as a health and human services career as a health and human
• services is attributable to the growing need of human services for people.
• <01:32:23.040> Um,<01:32:23.520> and ...human services for people.

Bills: HF4421, HF1937, HF4675, HF4715, HF4684

Keywords: county cost share, economically distressed county, human services finance, substance use disorder treatment, SUD services, civil commitment, state aid, county levy, poverty threshold, tax-exempt acreage, property tax exemption, Minnesota human services, county fiscal relief, local government finance, chemical dependency, behavioral health, PACE, elderly, Medicaid, health services

Bills: HB2115

Keywords: public assistance, Department of Human Services, federal funds, community services, energy conservation, poverty reduction, 914, all

Bills: HB2115, HB2115

Keywords: public assistance, Department of Human Services, federal funds, community services, energy conservation, poverty reduction, 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Human trafficking crimes are incredibly...
• person, the sanctity of human life, and fundamental rights of the human person.
• Home on the Range does help human-trafficked youth.
• , and there are a lot of humans.
• Just humans have a fallen nature, and humans make a lot of mistakes and do a lot of dumb things, and

Bills: HCR3028

Keywords: human trafficking, victim services, re-entry programs, legislative study, public safety, mental health, law enforcement, 908, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard and acted on several measures related to human trafficking, criminal procedure, and child protection. It first took up House Concurrent Resolution 3028, which would direct a legislative study of human trafficking victim services and re-entry programs. The sponsor and supporters emphasized helping victims rebuild basic life and workforce skills and better understanding existing services; YouthWorks and the North Dakota Catholic Conference described current programs and the trauma victims face. The committee discussed overlap with other interim studies, then voted unanimously to give the resolution a due pass, with Senator Braunberger designated to carry it. The committee then considered House Bill 1263, concerning sealing criminal records, and moved it forward without changing the House version after members noted the House had removed presumption language and reduced the waiting period. That bill also received a due pass recommendation. Next, House Bill 1226, which revises the state’s mask law for public places, drew testimony from the sponsor and an expert witness who argued that masking to conceal identity during group criminal conduct undermines public safety and law enforcement. Members debated the House-added requirement that law enforcement request unmasking; the committee adopted an amendment to remove that language, then passed the bill as amended, with Senator Luick to carry it. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 1410, a study resolution on criminal conduct against children, including child sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and the use of artificial intelligence in exploitation crimes. Supporters from the Child Sexual Assault Prevention Task Force, YouthWorks, and the Children’s Advocacy Centers of North Dakota said the study would help update outdated terminology, review AI-related issues, and improve investigation and prosecution tools. The committee approved the resolution with a due pass recommendation, and Senator Cory was assigned to carry it. The committee also received a brief report that, in a quick review, there were 82 active studies introduced, including 10 shall studies and 35 shall-consider studies, with limited overlap identified beyond the trafficking-related measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• The time being 8:15, the House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee will come to order.
• First on the agenda today is an update from the Department of Human Services on their CMS and revalidation
• From the Department of Human Services on their CMS and revalidation update with Director Grom.
• For the record, my name is Christy Gro with the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
• Um so thank you, honorable chairs, co-chairs Schumacher and Noor, members of the House Human Services

Bills: HF729

Keywords: human services, provider enrollment, medical assistance, healthcare, housing stabilization, substance use disorder, vulnerable adults, fraud prevention, 1183, house