Bills: SB1023, SB1145, SB1242, SB1247

Keywords: optometrists, eye exams, eyeglass prescriptions, healthcare, vision care, behavior analysis, licensing, psychologist examiners, state regulations, committee authority, mental health, court-ordered treatment, outpatient treatment, audiovisual technology, secure facilities, evaluations, guardian powers, patient rights, assisted living, occupants

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Human Services heard and advanced four Senate bills. SB 1242 would allow courts to conduct mental health evaluation and treatment hearings, or specified testimony in those hearings, virtually by telephone or video if the court finds no unfair prejudice; a speaker said it would codify existing practice and help avoid dismissals caused by technical issues. SB 1145 would transfer licensure and regulation of behavior analysts from the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners to the existing Behavior Analyst Committee, with supporters saying it would improve efficiency and eliminate unnecessary board ratification delays. Both bills received due pass recommendations on 11-0 votes, with one member absent. The committee also considered SB 1247, an emergency measure allowing a person who does not receive care services to live with a resident in an assisted living center or home if the facility permits it. Supporters said the bill would clarify a recent statutory interpretation and preserve longstanding arrangements, such as spouses or other companions living together; one member raised concerns about the bill’s broad wording and potential fraud or safety issues, while another noted facilities could still impose background checks or other conditions. SB 1247 passed with a 10-0 recommendation, with one member voting present and one absent. Finally, SB 1023 would set standards for optometrists’ eye examinations, including a recommended one-year exam interval and authority to extend eyeglass prescription validity up to two years depending on patient factors. The Arizona Optometric Association supported the bill as codifying best practices, and one member said a constituent from the blind community had helped bring the issue forward. The committee gave SB 1023 a due pass recommendation on an 11-0 vote, then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And some of the cities have even gone so far as to threaten things such as revoking occupancy permits

Bills: SB1039, SB1061, SB1068, SB1069, SB1099, SB1127, SB1148, SB1271, SB1426, SB1448

Keywords: attorney discipline, legal costs, reputation damage, state bar, court costs, fentanyl, drug offenses, narcotic drugs, criminal penalties, Arizona Revised Statutes, educational institutions, public order, disruption, concealed weapons, safety regulations, firearms, muffling devices, weapon regulations, Arizona law, public safety

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills dealing with attorney discipline, bar licensure, drug sentencing, campus firearms, suppressors, defamation, emergency-service calls by businesses, mandatory child-abuse reporting, eviction procedure, and protections for utility workers. SB 1039 would allow attorneys who prevail in disciplinary matters to recover lost earnings and seek compensation for reputational harm from the State Bar; SB 1148 would require the Arizona Supreme Court to directly license attorneys rather than delegate that function. Both bills were supported by the sponsor as restoring accountability and limiting delegation, and both received due-pass recommendations despite some opposition votes. Members also heard SB 1061, which lowers the fentanyl trafficking threshold from 200 grams to 9 grams; opponents from the ACLU and defense bar argued the threshold would sweep in personal-use cases and increase incarceration, while supporters said it targets traffickers. The bill was recommended do pass. SB 1068, barring public colleges and universities from prohibiting lawful concealed carry by permit holders, drew strong opposition from gun-safety advocates and campus representatives who cited suicide and campus safety concerns, and support from gun-rights groups who argued campuses are not exempt from constitutional rights; it also received a due-pass recommendation. SB 1069, removing suppressors from Arizona’s prohibited-weapons definition, was opposed by Moms Demand Action and supported by gun-rights advocates as aligning state law with federal law and protecting hearing; it likewise passed out of committee. The committee also advanced SB 1099, which would codify statutory defamation elements and add an internet-related limitation period; the ACLU warned it could chill speech and conflict with evolving First Amendment law, while the sponsor said it would clarify existing case law and address online defamation. SB 1271, prohibiting cities from penalizing businesses for legitimate emergency-service calls, passed unanimously after testimony that some municipalities had discouraged 911 calls for theft and other incidents. HB 1127, requiring mandatory reporters with direct knowledge of child abuse or neglect to report immediately and personally, passed after Phoenix Children’s Hospital and DCS said they supported the intent but wanted implementation language clarified for medical emergencies. SB 1426, changing forcible-detainer procedures by removing the written-demand requirement, passed despite concerns from the multi-housing industry that the current language could disrupt holdover-tenant evictions. Finally, SB 1448, as amended, expanded aggravated-assault protections to utility, telecom, video-service, and related workers; supporters cited threats and assaults against field crews, while opponents argued existing assault laws already cover the conduct and the bill is overly broad. The amendment and the bill as amended were adopted, and the committee gave SB 1448 a due-pass recommendation.

Bills: S0100, S0102, S0104

Keywords: Florida Statutes, codification, revisers bill, statutory adoption, official law, general laws, repeal by omission, statutory compilation, Florida Legislature, legal code update, session law, statute revision, F.S., codified laws, legislative services, pending civil remedies, accrued rights, reviser bill, statutory cleanup, technical corrections

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules met with a quorum present and heard three housekeeping/statutory revision bills. Chair Passidomo introduced the committee’s new staff director, and the committee proceeded quickly through the agenda with no public appearance forms, questions, or debate on any of the bills. SB 100, the Adoption Act, prospectively adopts the 2026 Florida Statutes as an official document and adopts the statute materials passed by the 2025 regular session as official state statute law. SB 102 deletes statutory provisions that were previously repealed or expired and are now without effect. SB 104 is the General Reviser's Bill, which removes obsolete language, updates cross-references, and corrects grammatical and typographical errors in the Florida Statutes. Each bill was reported favorably by roll call vote. After the votes, several senators asked to be recorded as voting favorably on tabs 1 and 2, and the committee adopted that request without objection. The meeting then adjourned, with members reminded that the committee would meet again on Thursday.

Bills: SB243, SB1586, SB1891, SB1959, SB2159, SB2568

Keywords: migrant labor housing, migrant housing, farmworker housing, migrant agricultural worker, agricultural labor, farm labor contractor, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, TDHCA, civil penalty, housing code enforcement, sanitation, occupancy standards, retaliation, worker complaint, language access, Spanish-language outreach, H-2A visa, temporary agricultural workers, unlicensed housing, rural housing

Bills: SB1021, SB1144, SB1164, SB1178, SB1181, SB1241, SB1247, SB1286, SB1415, SCR1011

Keywords: health profession, regulatory boards, criminal activity, notification, auditor general, investigations, veterinary technicians, certification, education alternative, Arizona Revised Statutes, veterinary education, ALTCS, providers, ownership change, healthcare, Arizona Long Term Care System, naturopathic physician, naturopathic medicine, naturopathic doctor, naturopathic physicians medical board

Summary: The committee approved the minutes and held Senate Bill 1241 for a later hearing because a witness was unavailable. It then took up Senate Bill 1144, which would create an alternative pathway for veterinary technician certification through supervised on-the-job training instead of only a two-year curriculum. Supporters, including the Arizona Humane Society, a high school student in a veterinary program, and a veterinary technician employer, argued the bill would help address a veterinary technician shortage, reduce student debt, and expand access to care. Opponents, including the Arizona Veterinary Technician Association and some veterinarians, said Arizona already has an existing pathway, warned the bill could weaken competency standards and patient safety, and argued the shortage is more about retention and utilization than entry requirements. The committee adopted a Bolick amendment tightening supervision and documentation requirements, then passed SB 1144 as amended on a 6-1 vote. The committee next approved Senate Bill 1247 unanimously. That bill would allow an individual who does not need services to live with a resident in an assisted living center or other unit in the facility, and would bar the Department of Health Services from imposing care requirements on that individual. The sponsor and a lobbyist said the bill was intended to fix a recent statutory interpretation that could force spouses or other companions to separate or pay for services they do not use; a floor amendment was mentioned to extend the same treatment to assisted living homes. Senate Bill 1286, which would extend from 14 days to 60 days the period for veterinary prescriptions and renewals issued through telemedicine, drew extensive testimony and was ultimately held for a possible amendment next week. Supporters, including the sponsor, the Arizona Humane Society, and Animal Policy Group, said telemedicine has expanded access in rural and underserved areas and that longer prescription windows would improve convenience and continuity of care while still excluding controlled substances. Opponents, including the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association and several veterinarians, argued the current 14-day limit is a compromise that protects animal safety, that telemedicine without an in-person exam can lead to misdiagnosis and delayed diagnostics, and that the bill could function like a “pill mill.” The committee then passed Senate Bill 1164, which would let Medicaid billing continue under the prior owner’s certification number during a change of ownership for skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. Supporters said the current process can delay reimbursement for 6 to 18 months and strain providers; Access said it had legal concerns about possible conflict with federal law but was working on fixes. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1181, which would expand CPA certification pathways by adding degree-and-experience options and updating reciprocity rules, and a supporter from the Arizona Society of CPAs said it would address workforce shortages and improve mobility.

Bills: HB164, HB164, HB411, HB627, HB 1226, HB1677, HB1865, HB1997, HB2985, HB3462, HB4188, HB4685, HB4840, HB5370, HB5424, HB5466, HB5509, HB5660, HB5673

Keywords: HB 164, HB164, Texas Flood Recovery, Reimbursement, and Reconstruction Program, Texas Division of Emergency Management, TDEM, Hill Country floods, July 2025 floods, flood recovery, disaster relief, flood reimbursement, reconstruction grants, resiliency standards, floodplain, base flood elevation, FEMA, Federal Emergency Management Agency, insurance denial, property damage, tenant assistance, rental property

Bills: HB164, HB411, HB627, HB 1226, HB1677, HB1865, HB1997, HB2985, HB3462, HB4188, HB4685, HB4840, HB5370, HB5424, HB5466, HB5509, HB5660, HB5673, HB164

Keywords: migrant labor, housing regulations, civil penalties, complaints, occupants' rights, remediation, education, retaliation, housing, rental regulation, municipal authority, local government, leasing, housing regulation, local control, rental properties, leasing laws, landlord, tenant rights, municipal regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• her staff for bringing forward the common-sense bill to address the growing problem of unlawful occupancy

Bills: SB1110, SB1140, SB1234, SB1275, SB1426, SB1436, SB1470, SB1489, SB1512, SB1540, SB1556, SB1568, SB1569, SB1573, SB1585, SB1609, SB1627, SB1634, SB1635, SB1648, SB1654, SB1687, SCR1027, SCR1040

Keywords: home confinement, electronic monitoring, community supervision, criminal justice reform, recidivism, expungement, misdemeanor, criminal record, Arizona Revised Statutes, judicial process, record sealing, juvenile court, legal representation, appointed attorney, guardian ad litem, child welfare, veterans, mental health, criminal diversion, military service

Summary: The Judiciary and Elections Committee met with a hard stop at 4:30 and approved the February 4, 2026 minutes. The chair announced several bills would be held for a later supplemental meeting, then took up SB 1426, the “squatter” bill. The bill was described as changing forcible detainer rules for unauthorized occupants and requiring immediate writs of restitution after judgment. Testimony from the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office supported the measure as a practical, collaborative response to unlawful occupancy. SB 1426 received a do-pass recommendation on a 7-0 vote. The committee next considered SB 1687, a strike-everything amendment moving the primary election date from late July to the Tuesday before Memorial Day starting in 2027. The sponsor said the goal was to give more time between the primary and general elections and align Arizona more closely with other states. County election officials testified in neutral, saying they generally supported more time but flagged several issues, including filing deadlines, consolidated election dates, polling place availability, redistricting timelines, signature calculations, and possible conflicts with presidential preference elections. The amended bill passed 4-3, with concerns raised about clean elections qualification periods and state versus local control over elections. The committee then approved SB 1110, which creates a home confinement program for certain nonviolent inmates, with GPS monitoring, eligibility limits, and a 50-to-1 inmate-to-officer ratio. Supporters said it would help families, reduce recidivism, and save money; an opponent criticized the retroactive effective date and questioned funding and monitoring capacity. SB 1110 received a do-pass recommendation on a 5-1 vote. SB 1275, which allows courts to consider PTSD and related service-connected conditions when sentencing certain veterans and first responders, drew support from the sponsor and advocates but opposition from county officials who argued it would undermine mandatory sentencing and victims’ rights; it passed 7-0. Finally, the committee heard SB 1140, as amended, which allows expungement of eligible misdemeanor records after a waiting period, with exclusions for serious offenses and special rules for shoplifting and peace officer employment. Supporters, including a formerly incarcerated advocate and a retired police chief working on anti-trafficking issues, said expungement would improve employment and stability and give people a real second chance. The committee adopted the amendment and then passed SB 1140 as amended on a 7-0 vote before adjourning.

Bills: HB95, HB111, HJR1, HM7, HM17, HM4, HM22, HM3, HM11, HM14, HM15, HM21, HM34, HB2, HB32, HB33, HB61, HJM2, HM23, HM24, HM26

Keywords: HB95, additional judgeship, district court, judicial district, First Judicial District, Second Judicial District, district judges, court administration, judicial staffing, caseload, access to justice, New Mexico courts, judiciary, judge vacancy, court backlog, state courts, water law, state engineer, civil penalty, compliance order

Bills: HB111, HJR1, HB61, HB8, HB30, HB43, HB156, HJM2, HM7, HM17, HM4, HM22, HM23, HM24, HM26, HM2, HM16, HM11, HM14, HM21, HM34, HM50, HB70, SB3, HJM3

Keywords: water law, state engineer, civil penalty, compliance order, water rights, overdiversion, illegal diversion, groundwater storage and recovery, well license, permit violation, water enforcement, New Mexico water code, irrigation district, conservancy district, water diversion, unauthorized water sales, measuring device, district court appeal, water resources, water compliance

Transcript Highlights:

• c> Tax Boone County Occupational Tax Boone County Occupational Tax Administrator,<00:37:55.520>
• Because of the work of the occupational license tax administrators and KC and KO.
• That was for occupational uh taxes.
• <00:48:03.760> license can't thank our occupational license can't thank our occupational license
• 41.760> uh<00:48:41.920> tax know our occupational license uh tax know our occupational

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:13 Roll Call 00:00:24 Approval of Minutes from September Meeting 00:02:10 Presentation of Special Purpose Governmental Entities Report 00:03:19 Presentation of Kentucky League of Cities Legislative Platform for the Upcoming 2026 Session of the General Assembly 00:15:37 Discussion of Centralized Collection of Net Profits and Occupational License Taxes 00:37:05 Adjournment 00:55:53, 958, all

Summary: The committee received reports on special purpose governmental entities from the Department for Local Government and the Fire Commission. DLG staff described SPGEs as limited-jurisdiction political subdivisions and reviewed the department’s registry, reporting portal, compliance monitoring, and planned system upgrades such as a two-way message center, automated noncompliance notices, and tracking for new entities and board expirations. They reported that, as of October 10, 2025, 69% of SPGEs were active and discussed compliance data by cycle, fiscal year, and district type. The Fire Commission reported that fire department mergers have reduced the number of departments by 16 since last year, largely because of volunteer staffing shortages, while financial disclosure compliance had risen to 94%. The commission also noted 509 compliance reviews, 19 in-house inquiries, seven referrals to outside agencies, and one recent federal prison sentence in a theft case. Members asked whether DLG advises SPGEs on tax rates; staff said it only performs calculations and the entities set their own rates. Questions to the Fire Commission focused on whether department reductions meant station closures; officials explained that most changes were mergers that keep physical buildings in place while combining personnel and finances to meet minimum staffing requirements. They said the trend is spread across the state but is especially pronounced in rural areas. The Kentucky League of Cities then presented its 2026 legislative agenda. Its priorities included modernizing city revenue options, increasing equity in road funding, fixing tax increment financing issues, addressing transient room tax collection from web-based platforms, strengthening emergency response coordination, clarifying massage parlor regulation preemption, correcting unintended consequences of House Bill 606, improving newspaper publication rules, and modernizing procurement statutes. KLC also said it supports allowing all cities to collect restaurant tax revenue, wants cities to receive a larger share of road funds and EV-related revenues, and seeks state collection and remittance of any future local sales tax to comply with the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement. Members asked about best-value bidding, road-fund equity, Airbnb tax litigation, EV prevalence, and disaster funding applications; KLC said cities currently must accept the lowest bid, the road split should better reflect city street costs, the Airbnb tax case remains pending, EV data by locality has not been studied, and allowing cities to apply directly for disaster funds would reduce reliance on county officials. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the September meeting minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• review of concerns related to occupancy review of concerns related to occupancy and<00:27:14.799
• . transitioned to single occupancy rooms. transitioned to single occupancy rooms.
• occupancy rooms. occupancy rooms.
• <00:36:13.119> Reporting occupancy rates are high. Reporting occupancy rates are high.
• is too low, we found occupancy occupancy is too low, we found occupancy to<00:40:13.119> be<00

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:00 Approve Minutes from November 13, 2025- 00:00:55 RiverLink Tolling Operations for Louisville Bridges-Quarterhill Testimony- 00:01:48 Staff Report on Veterans’ Centers- 00:26:45 Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs Response to Staff Report- 0:58:53 Adjournment- 1:18:00, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the November 13, 2025 meeting and then heard testimony from Quarter Hill, the tolling subcontractor for RiverLink on the Indiana-Kentucky bridge system. Quarter Hill described its role in back-office support and call center operations for the Lincoln, Kennedy, and Lewis and Clark bridges, and said the contract began in 2021 with go-live in September 2023. The company reported that revenue has increased since it took over, customer service response times have improved, and it has been operating at a loss because the contract was based on outdated transaction estimates and did not account for higher-than-expected volume and added support costs. Members questioned Quarter Hill about the role of consultants, the low reported collection rate, and why the company was leaving the contract. Quarter Hill said a single large consulting engineering firm had been hired to help shape the RFP and contract, but argued that consultants and overly detailed requirements can create disputes and hinder efficient service. On collection rates, the company said the reported 85% rate reflects the absence of registration holds and other enforcement tools, and that the remaining unpaid tolls are the hardest to collect. The company also said it had lost significant money on the contract and had reached a change order and termination agreement, while emphasizing that the system itself was functioning well. The committee then received a staff report on Kentucky veterans centers. Staff said quality of care is generally high and staffing has improved, but reported occupancy figures are misleading because they are based on certified beds rather than functional capacity after conversions to single-occupancy rooms and capital projects. The report said actual occupancy is closer to 85% than the commonly reported 56%, and that increasing occupancy would not necessarily increase revenue because the state’s cost of care exceeds reimbursement and private-pay revenue. Recommendations included adopting functional occupancy reporting, continuing the move to single-occupancy rooms, reviewing modernization needs at Thompson Hood, including Eastern Kentucky in planning, and referring the Radcliffe HVAC procurement and installation to the Auditor of Public Accounts and Attorney General for review.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is expected to increase local hotel occupancy rates.
• And members, it's just a simple hotel occupancy tax bill.
• We have not misspent hotel occupancy tax funds.
• That's why we have local hotel occupancy taxes, at least at that time.
• I manage the hotel occupancy tax expenditures.

Bills: HB 1039, HB2289, HB2370, HB2404, HB3066, HB3076, HB3117, HB3118, HB3169, HB3178, HB3179, HB3182, HB3196, HB3241, HB3377, HB3500, HB3567, HB3715, HB3954, HB4098, HB4109, HB4222, HB4226, HB4412, HB4659, HB4682, HB4683, HB4755, HB4926, HB5165, HB5562, HB5596

Keywords: hotel occupancy tax, municipal revenue, tax authority, border counties, tax legislation, municipalities, hotel tax revenue, convention centers, economic development, local government authority, HB 2370, HOT tax, venue projects, convention center, municipal finance, local government code, Section 334.0082, tourism tax, debt financing, bond repayment

Transcript Highlights:

• occupancy rooms. occupancy rooms.
• capacity and occupancy rates. capacity and occupancy rates.
• . occupancy. occupancy.
• lists, occupancy, and staffing. lists, occupancy, and staffing.
• occupancy, capacity, and staffing. occupancy, capacity, and staffing.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The New Mexico Occupational Therapy Association provides support to occupational therapy practitioners
• Dan Medrano, occupational therapist. Jesse Chavez, occupational therapist.
• Brandon Schingle, occupational therapist. Clara Hardgrave, occupational therapist.
• And there are occupational assistants with us: Ellen Medrano, occupational therapy assistant.
• therapy graduate student at UNM. ...in Occupational Therapy, and Jennifer Long, occupational therapy

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Not necessarily opposed to occupants.
• <00:37:01.760> you um adding family guests or occupants you um adding family guests or occupants
• because that other occupant can be the worst person.
• because that other occupant can be the worst person.
• Keep in members of the family and other occupants, because that other occupant can be the worst person

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee took up a proposed amendment to HP 598, with Nick Norman walking members through changes intended to preserve the existing eviction framework rather than create a separate expedited process. He said the amendment folds the bill’s changes into current law, adds limits on post-judgment motions and continuances, shortens or eliminates certain discretionary stays in default situations, and speeds issuance of notices and writs of possession. The amendment also adds language to RSA 540A to allow action against tenants, family members, guests, or occupants engaging in conduct that damages property or threatens health and safety, and it changes the effective date to 90 days after passage. Norman also said the amendment was meant to reduce frivolous delays and court fiscal impacts. Members raised concerns about several provisions, especially the clause barring discretionary stays after tenant default, the use of the word “immediately” for issuing writs, and the reduction of discretionary stays from 90 days to 60 days. One member asked for clarification on whether any meritorious circumstances should still allow a stay, and another suggested defining a specific timeline for judgments after hearings. Norman responded that the default provision was aimed at cases where tenants do not appear at all, and he said the intent was to prevent abuse of the process. He also discussed the new RSA 540A language as a way to address serious health and safety problems, including unauthorized occupants and hoarding. Other testimony was generally supportive of the amendment as an improvement over the original bill, but several witnesses urged changes. New Hampshire Legal Assistance said it would likely be neutral if recommended edits were made, and suggested clarifying language, preserving the ability to strike defaults, and allowing longer stays by agreement of the parties. That witness and others argued that a 60-day cap could interfere with negotiated move-out agreements and could be too short in some cases, especially for elderly or disabled tenants. There was also discussion of narrowing the new 540A remedy to the specific person causing the problem, while preserving protections for innocent household members, particularly in domestic violence situations. No vote or final action was taken in the excerpt; the chair indicated the committee would consider revised language before executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it fits in a lot of different occupations.
• There is also an Occupational Employment and Wage Survey that is used to do the occupational-specific
• There is also an occupational employment and wage survey that is used to do the occupational specific
• So, through that, to develop the regional demand occupation list, they're looking at whether those occupations
• So one thing to mention with the regional occupational demand list and the target occupation list for

Summary: The subcommittee met to receive an informational presentation from CareerSource Florida President and CEO Adrian Johnson, joined by Anthony Gagliano of CareerSource Suncoast, on the structure, funding, and services of Florida’s workforce development system. Johnson explained that CareerSource serves job seekers and businesses through 21 local workforce development boards and nearly 100 career centers, using federal and state funding streams such as WIOA, Wagner-Peyser, SNAP Employment and Training, and TANF. She described services including case management, training, wraparound supports, job matching, rapid response for layoffs and disasters, and business services such as recruitment, customized training, and on-the-job training. She also highlighted the REACH Act’s role in consolidating local boards from 24 to 21, creating the Master Credential List and Credential Review Committee, and implementing performance-based letter grades for local boards. Members asked detailed questions about funding formulas, letter grade metrics, apprenticeships, youth services, small business access, and the demand occupation list. Johnson said federal allocations are driven largely by unemployment and poverty formulas, which has reduced Florida’s WIOA funding by about $27 million over four years because of the state’s low unemployment rate. She explained the letter grades measure outcomes such as increased earnings, reduced public assistance, employment and training outcomes, work-based learning, business engagement, and service to individuals in certain programs, and said the system is being reviewed for possible changes, including removing extra credit and adjusting weights. On youth services, she said Florida has a waiver allowing a 50/50 split between in-school and out-of-school youth funding, and that local partnerships drive outreach. On the demand occupation list, she said it is based on state labor market data and projections, but local boards can submit evidence of local demand when data does not reflect conditions in their area. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on apprenticeships and workforce training grants. Johnson and Gagliano described apprenticeship navigators funded by the $7.75 million apprenticeship expansion allocation, which help employers navigate registration and expand apprenticeships into nontraditional fields such as IT, health care, education, and hospitality. Gagliano gave examples from CareerSource Suncoast and said navigators helped employers move faster through registration and develop programs with local education providers. Johnson also discussed Incumbent Worker Training Grants and Quick Response Training Grants, noting recent awards of nearly $3 million to 69 businesses and $6.5 million to 24 businesses, respectively, and said these programs are targeted toward high-skill, high-wage occupations and priority industries. The meeting ended with no votes or formal action; the chair thanked the presenters, invited follow-up questions, and adjourned the meeting without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Occupancy limits, not writ large. So if you're concerned that there will be no occupancy...
• Asking for unlimited occupancy.
• limits, get us occupancy limits."
• high occupancy overlays.
• Invariably, the restricted occupancy overlays are further from campus, and the high occupancy overlays

Bills: HB24, HB2015, HB2149, HB2559, HB2701, HB2797, HB3172, HB24

Keywords: zoning, public notice, local government, residential development, protests, water conservation, municipal utility districts, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, environmental regulation, groundwater management, nonconforming uses, zoning regulations, land use, property rights, municipal authority, municipal moratorium, development moratorium, property development, subdivision, site plan

Transcript Highlights:

• The state tax rebates that these cities receive are from the state hotel occupancy tax.
• The hotel occupancy tax will not be...
• The city's hotel occupancy tax is collected, and then the comptroller returns that.
• Holding hotel occupancy tax revenue is in contradiction of Texas statute.
• of hotel occupancy tax dollars based on mentioned classes as a prohibited method.

Bills: SB1071, SB1444, SB1483, SB1556, SB1703, SB1756, SB1854, SB2036, SB2133, SB2297, SB2622, SB2779, SB2955, SB2979

Keywords: municipality, tax revenue, hotel project, convention center, economic development, hotel tax, municipal authority, local governments, local authority, convention centers, hotel occupancy tax, municipal finance, local tax revenue, tourism, hotel and convention center project, Tax Code Chapter 351, city revenue, special district, Texas municipalities, venue financing

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill would make that fee not subject to occupancy taxes.
• That fee should be subject to hotel occupancy tax (HOT). End of sentence, right?
• Hotel occupancy taxes.
• Those are going to be subject to sales taxes, not hotel occupancy taxes. That's old law.
• hotels in Texas collect occupancy taxes on that resort fee today.

Bills: SB209, SB529, SB1265, SB1592, SB1728, SCR37, SCR38

Keywords: SB 529, Texas Tax Code, municipality, hotel and convention center, hotel convention center project, tourism development, economic development, tax revenue pledge, revenue commitment, qualified project, municipal finance, local government, special district, hotel occupancy tax, nearby establishments, convention center financing, city population 130000, Section 351.155, Section 351.157, child care