Transcript Highlights:

• For the record, my name is James Manuel.
• We thank Representative Riu for being prime sponsor of this bill, and I thank you for your consideration
• But to your point, for valid liens or for the valid ones, you know, they would still have that recourse
• be making the process even harder and slower for good actors, for legitimate Representative Walsh [member
• So asking for your support.

Bills: HB2640, HB2161, HB2304, HB2445, HB2590, HB2412

Keywords: Uniform Commercial Code, business filings, legal filings, commercial transactions, UCC compliance, attorney general, legal authority, state powers, judiciary, civil rights, condominium, housing, warranty, property rights, construction, probate, estate administration, inheritance, heir finder, heir locator

Summary: The Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee met on January 30 for a public hearing on House Bill 2640 and then took executive action on several bills. HB 2640 would address unauthorized Uniform Commercial Code filings by allowing the Department of Licensing to refuse suspected harassing or fraudulent filings, creating an affidavit-based process to terminate wrongfully filed financing statements, allowing administrative review and court challenges, and adding criminal penalties for intentional unauthorized filings. Department of Licensing testimony supported the bill as an agency request and said it would provide a lower-barrier remedy for people harmed by abusive UCC filings; members questioned whether the department should be making legitimacy determinations and whether existing court remedies were sufficient. No vote was taken on HB 2640 at the hearing stage. In executive session, the committee advanced HB 2161, which expands attorney general civil investigative demand authority for certain civil rights and labor-related investigations, with a substitute clarifying that the authority does not apply to criminal investigations, bars improper use, and extends the response deadline from 20 to 30 days. The bill passed 7-5 with one excused. HB 2304, extending condominium warranty coverage to four-story buildings, passed unanimously. HB 2445, revising probate law and standards for personal representatives and third-party administrators, passed 10-2 with one excused, though some members warned it could slow legitimate probate matters. The committee also adopted an amendment to HB 2590, which exempts limited equity cooperatives from the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act unless they elect coverage, and then passed the substitute bill 8-4 with one excused. Finally, HB 2412, increasing the number of superior court judges in Yakima County from eight to nine, passed unanimously 12-0 with one excused. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2445 is an act relating to ending probates for profit.
• request legislation that makes several revisions to estate administration laws in response to this probate-for-profit
• And it is this suitable person provision that the defendants in the probate-for-profit scheme relied
• The probate-for-profit defendants relied on this provision to open probate in counties that were unconnected
• In several instances, the probate-for-profit defendants were provided with non-intervention authority

Bills: HB2453, HB2590, HB2445, HB2386, HB2585

Keywords: psychiatric pharmacists, mental health, pharmacy regulations, healthcare, pharmacological treatments, limited equity cooperatives, common interest ownership, housing, exemption, community ownership, probate, estate administration, inheritance, heir finder, heir locator, beneficiary interest, transfer of inheritance rights, probate for profit, personal representative, executor

Summary: The Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee heard testimony on several bills. House Bill 2445, requested by the Attorney General, would curb “probate-for-profit” abuses by extending the waiting period before a court may appoint a non-family estate administrator, limiting non-intervention powers and repeat appointments for “suitable persons,” tightening venue rules, and restricting self-dealing in estate assets. The sponsor and Attorney General’s Office described cases in which strangers allegedly used probate loopholes to control estates, sell property, and profit from heirs’ losses; the Northwest Justice Project and others supported the bill. Members raised questions about the bill’s timelines and whether the added safeguards might complicate probate for laypeople, and the sponsor said she was open to amendments. House Bill 2386 would replace a statutory garnishment answer form for continuing liens on earnings with a form developed by the Washington Pattern Forms Committee or a substantially similar form. The sponsor and a district court judge said the current form often leads to calculation errors, especially for fluctuating wages, and that a new form would improve accuracy and fairness for debtors, creditors, employers, and courts. A collectors’ association supported updating the form but asked for more implementation time and flexibility for employers using their own systems. The judge said a delayed rollout would not be a problem. House Bill 2585 would create a Washington State False Claims Act modeled on the federal act, allowing the Attorney General and private whistleblowers to sue for fraudulent claims against the state, with treble damages, civil penalties, retaliation protections, and qui tam provisions. Supporters said it would recover stolen public funds, deter fraud, and help address wage theft and other abuses; they emphasized that the bill requires specific intent and materiality. The Attorney General’s Office said it was generally supportive but would provide technical and substantive feedback, while a wireless industry representative urged an exemption for tax matters and a construction industry witness warned the bill could turn ordinary change-order disputes into fraud claims. The committee also heard House Bill 2590, which would exempt limited equity cooperatives from WUCIOA unless they opt in, while preserving their property tax treatment. Housing and cooperative development witnesses said the bill would remove mismatched regulatory burdens, preserve permanently affordable homeownership, and better fit the cooperative model; members asked about resale appreciation, reserves, and how the cooperative structure works. Finally, House Bill 2453 would add board-certified psychiatric pharmacists to the list of professionals who may sign certain involuntary treatment petitions and provide concurring opinions for involuntary medication under less restrictive alternative orders. Supporters said it would improve workforce capacity and continuity of care in behavioral health settings, while opponents argued it could weaken civil-liberty protections and extend commitment authority to professionals without diagnostic authority. No votes were taken on any of the bills in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• particularly with transactions that involve nonprofit facilities in a merger or acquisition with a for-profit
• my patients and for my colleagues' ability to take care of those patients, unconstrained by profit and
• Any for-profit, any extracting profit from the system will absolutely make access worse and make care
• They're absolutely trying to cut costs to increase profits for themselves, so it extracts public monies
• They're absolutely trying to cut costs to increase profits for themselves.

Bills: HB2255, HB2320, HB2548

Keywords: litigation finance, legal funding, lawsuit, financial services, access to justice, firearm regulation, manufacturing, safety standards, background checks, license requirements, health care market standards, hospital consolidation, merger review, health care transaction notice, attorney general review, antitrust, provider organizations, hospital systems, contracting affiliation, material change

Summary: The committee held public hearings on three bills. HB 2255 would regulate third-party litigation funding by requiring disclosure of funders and financing agreements, limiting certain funder practices, capping funder recovery at 25% of a monetary award, and creating enforcement remedies. The bill sponsor and supporters from insurance and business groups described it as a transparency and consumer-protection measure that could improve case management and reduce costs, while opponents from the plaintiffs’ bar and litigation finance industry argued it would chill access to justice, create satellite litigation, and unfairly expose plaintiffs’ financing arrangements. No vote was taken; the chair asked testifiers to submit written comments and closed the hearing. The committee then heard HB 2548, which would expand state notice and review requirements for health care market transactions, including broader definitions of material changes, pauses for Attorney General information requests, interagency data-sharing, and revocation of nonprofit designation in certain transactions. Supporters, including patient advocates, nurses, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, and the Attorney General’s office, said the bill would help address consolidation, private equity involvement, and rising health care costs. Hospital and medical association representatives opposed or sought changes, citing drafting problems, undefined terms, concerns about overbreadth, and questions about how nonprofit status would be affected. Staff was asked to follow up on the alleged drafting error and other language concerns. Finally, the committee heard HB 2320, which would tighten restrictions on the manufacture and distribution of 3D-printed and CNC-produced firearms, digital firearm manufacturing code, and devices marketed for firearm production, and would make certain violations per se CPA violations. The sponsor and supporters, including school officials, gun violence survivors, students, researchers, and gun safety advocates, said the bill would close a loophole in existing ghost gun laws and respond to growing use of untraceable firearms. Opponents, including the NRA and a makerspace representative, argued the bill was overbroad, raised First, Second, and Fifth Amendment concerns, and could sweep in lawful 3D printing and CNC activities. The hearing ended with additional testimony in support and opposition; no action or vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for being here today.
• So, um, that is there for you for light reading or for you to share with others who might be interested
• Chairman, for allowing these people to... Chairman, for allowing these people to present today.
• So, thank you for the opportunity to do... Thank you for the opportunity to do that. Absolutely.
• So if it works for a kid with vision or hearing loss, it works for any autistic child.

Bills: HB447, HB447

Keywords: HB447, school buses, student transportation, public schools, local boards of education, dual enrollment, career technical education, CTE, community college, trade school, technical college, offsite educational venues, student access, transportation policy, school bus law, Alabama education law, Montgomery County, probate court, judge of probate, will registration

Transcript Highlights:

• It just gives them the option. this question for me. So, this question for me.
• </c> house children for $400,000. house children for $400,000.
• </c> bill over for we won't meet next week. bill over for we won't meet next week.
• Thank you for your comments. &gt;&gt; All right. Thank you for your comments.
• Thank you for your Okay. Thank you. Thank you for your time. time. time.

Bills: SB88, SB337

Keywords: expungement, criminal records, courts, victim rights, rehabilitation, Alabama law, SB337, Montgomery County, probate judge, judge of probate, county officer compensation, salary increase, circuit judge parity, local legislation, county commission, general fund, public official pay, judicial compensation, Montgomery County Legislation, 1136

Bills: SB 711, SB 746, SB 942, SB 1403, SB 1404, SB 1448, SB 1536, SB 1559

Keywords: property owners' association, condominium, management company, homeowner rights, architectural review, child support, family law, Title IV-D agency, administrative adjustment, enforcement, legal representation, probate, decedents' estates, inheritance, community property, court procedures, electronic filing, guardianship, training, Alzheimer's disease

Bills: SB 711, SB 746, SB 942, SB 1403, SB 1404, SB 1448, SB 1536, SB 1559

Keywords: property owners' association, condominium, management company, homeowner rights, architectural review, child support, family law, Title IV-D agency, administrative adjustment, enforcement, legal representation, probate, decedents' estates, inheritance, community property, court procedures, electronic filing, guardianship, training, Alzheimer's disease

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, this could be a question for you, but probably for staff.
• our until it lapses which I think it's for for a year after it lapses so even though that termination
• Classes for prosecutors and judges must be designed to qualify for continuing legal education credits
• And so courts exist for a reason. Judges and juries exist for a reason. Let them do their jobs.
• I may ask for today, and thank you for bringing this bill. Thank you for bringing this bill.

Bills: HB2548, HB2453, HB2640, HB2095, HB2386, HB2239

Keywords: health care market standards, hospital consolidation, merger review, health care transaction notice, attorney general review, antitrust, provider organizations, hospital systems, contracting affiliation, material change, nonprofit conversion, for-profit conversion, health care acquisition, asset sale, Washington RCW, health care competition, price transparency, market oversight, premerger notification, antitrust revolving fund

Summary: The Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee heard staff briefings on several bills, including House Bill 2548 on hospital and provider material change transactions, House Bill 2453 on psychiatric pharmacists’ role in certain involuntary treatment petitions, House Bill 2640 on unauthorized UCC filings, House Bill 2095 on vulnerable users of public ways, House Bill 2386 on garnishment forms, and House Bill 2239 on family burial grounds on private land. The committee also discussed proposed substitutes and amendments, especially on HB 2095, where members debated liability standards, attorney fees, emergency vehicle exemptions, and reporting requirements. For HB 2548, members discussed transparency and disclosure in health care transactions, including notice requirements, filing fees, and Attorney General publication of pending and completed transactions. The committee adopted some amendments and rejected others. On HB 2095, it adopted amendments exempting emergency vehicles and clarifying collision report data, but rejected amendments that would have removed attorney fees, restricted liability further, or replaced the rebuttable presumption with a different civil cause of action. On HB 2239, the proposed substitute added setbacks from wells and springs, local remediation procedures, burial reporting to the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, relocation procedures for remains, and disclosure requirements when property is sold. Members also noted that HB 2640 would give the Department of Licensing a process to refuse or terminate unauthorized filings submitted to harass or defraud debtors. At executive session, the committee voted all five bills out with due pass recommendations: Substitute House Bill 2548 passed 7-6, House Bill 2453 passed 8-5, House Bill 2640 passed 8-5, Substitute House Bill 2095 passed 8-5, House Bill 2386 passed 12-1, and Substitute House Bill 2239 passed unanimously 13-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, if a party to a probate proceeding files a motion for the assignment of of a probate judge to
• of a contested probate proceeding to reimburse the county for the cost of traveling of the traveling
• I'm Guy Herman, presiding statutory probate court judge, and I want to thank our representative for working
• The chair calls Judge Guy Herman, who has testified. for the bill representing the statutory probate
• Chair calls Judge Guy Herman. and the Texas statutory probate courts and testifying for them. bill. get

Bills: SB387, SB1335, HB1671, SB1760, SB1839, SB1923, HB1928, HB4942, HB5628, HB5642, HB1980

Keywords: judicial bond, guardianship, probate law, county judge, statutory county court, estates, inheritance, representative duties, court authority, personal representative, retroactive child support, parentage, genetic testing, family code, child's conception, incapacitated persons, court proceedings, guardianship fees, estate management, probate

Transcript Highlights:

• Any questions for these witnesses for the Vice Chair? Thank you. I thank you all for testifying.
• Thank you for any other questions for the witness. Thank you for your testimony. You're welcome.
• Thank you for any other questions for the witness. Thank you for your testimony. You're welcome.
• Thank you for being here. Thanks for your testimony.
• Any questions for the witness? Dean, any questions for the witness? Thank you for being here.

Bills: SB387, SB1650, SB1838, SB1839, SB1923, SB1940, SB2052

Keywords: judicial bond, guardianship, probate law, county judge, statutory county court, attorney general, criminal prosecution, public order, law enforcement, jurisdiction, attorney ad litem, parent-child relationship, compensation, legal representation, government entity, probate, court proceedings, record delivery, wills, legal documentation

Summary: The Senate Committee on Jurisprudence heard several family-law and probate bills. Senate Bill 2052 would codify a rebuttable presumption that a parent acts in the best interest of a child and require clear and convincing evidence to overcome that presumption in disputes involving non-parents; the author and several witnesses supported the bill as a clarification of existing case law, while one witness suggested refining the modification language. Public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1923, which would allow child support to follow a child placed temporarily with kin or fictive kin under a parental child safety placement or authorization agreement; the bill’s author and a grandparent caregiver testified in support, while one witness suggested the Attorney General could handle the change administratively. That bill was also left pending. Senate Bill 1838 would standardize fee schedules and compensation rules for attorneys ad litem and related court-appointed counsel in DFPS child-protection cases. The author said the bill would clarify unclear current law, and witnesses from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission and family-defense bar supported it, though one asked that expert-witness expenses be expressly included. Senate Bill 387 would raise the bond requirement for county judges handling guardianship proceedings to at least $500,000; the author described it as a refiling of a prior bill that passed unanimously but was vetoed, and a statutory probate judge testified in support. Senate Bill 1839 would require original or paper wills to be delivered to the transferee court when probate proceedings are transferred; the committee substitute broadened the delivery methods, and the district clerk witness supported the change. All three bills were left pending. The committee also took up Senate Bill 1536, which had previously been voted out with the wrong committee substitute; members reconsidered the vote, adopted the corrected substitute, and then voted 3-0 to report the bill favorably to the full Senate, with local and contested calendar certification. Finally, Senate Bill 1940 would create a transfer-on-death mechanism for manufactured homes classified as personal property, similar to existing tools for real property and vehicles; the author and an estate-planning attorney testified that it would streamline transfers and reduce probate costs. A non-substantive committee substitute was still being prepared, and the bill was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll start over for the, okay.
• Thank you each for being here your excuse. Thank you for your testimony.
• for the witness. Thank you for your testimony. You're welcome. Thank you.
• As you know, after a child's been removed, there is kinship care payments for, for, for people like the
• Any questions for the witness? Dean, any questions for the witness? Thank you for being here.

Bills: SB387, SB1650, SB1838, SB1839, SB1923, SB1940, SB2052

Keywords: judicial bond, guardianship, probate law, county judge, statutory county court, attorney general, criminal prosecution, public order, law enforcement, jurisdiction, attorney ad litem, parent-child relationship, compensation, legal representation, government entity, probate, court proceedings, record delivery, wills, legal documentation

Transcript Highlights:

• Move for favorable report.
• Move for favorable motion.
• ><c> for</c> Representative Faulkner moves for Representative Faulkner moves for favorable<00:07:46.960
• </c> questions for the sponsor? questions for the sponsor?
• I was waiting for<00:08:43.280><c> the</c> for the for the &gt;&gt; Okay.<00:08:44.120><c> Thank</c><

Bills: SB59, SB221

Keywords: military families, immunization, education, public health, school enrollment, Mobile County, judge of probate, compensation, salary, expense allowance, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, any other questions for members?
• It's taken for the whole day, and the first time, the second time, it was taken for the whole day, and
• I felt for a moment like a bit of a hypocrite up here because I was on my phone for a minute and was
• Okay, Senator Smith, recognized for the vote... Senator Smith, recognized for the vote.
• Okay for the vote? You can, yes. If I could, okay for the vote? You can, yes, sir.

Bills: SB92, HB9, HB9

Keywords: K-12 education, wireless communication devices, digital safety, social media education, classroom distraction, three-cueing system, reading instruction, structured literacy, scientific strategies, elder abuse, elder exploitation, financial exploitation, elderly person, senior abuse, probate, inheritance forfeiture, slayer statute, intestate succession, will contest, joint tenancy

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it warning or is it for... ...is it warning or is it for sightings?
• Senate Bill 221 is a bill for the probate judge.
• pay to what it was that the probate judge left.
• Uh, I'm going to carry that for him. So I'm going to turn the gavel... For him.
• Any public comments or any other remarks for me? Yes, sir. Any other remarks for me? Yes, sir.

Bills: SB221, SB224, HB440

Keywords: Mobile County, judge of probate, compensation, salary, expense allowance, electronic monitoring, pretrial defendants, criminal justice, court programs, supervision fees, 1136, house, all

Bills: SB746, SB1404, SB1536, SB1559, SB1838

Keywords: guardianship, guardian ad litem, incapacitated person, proposed ward, ward, probate, Estates Code, Texas probate, elder abuse, adult protective services, capacity restoration, guardian removal, annual account, annual report, estate guardian, person guardian, civil immunity, court-appointed representative, judiciary, civil jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:

• probate courts.
• for the bill.
• I applied for a guardian for my father.
• This is just another means for Guy Herman to profit at the expense...
• I paid the excess fees for a guardian for my father.

Bills: SB1015, SB2933

Keywords: statutory probate courts, probate court fees, judicial fund, county reimbursement, comptroller, Texas Government Code, Local Government Code, court fees, fee allocation, excess contributions, judicial education and support fund, presiding judge salary, county finance, court administration, Texas judiciary, revenue distribution, SB 2933, elder abuse, neglect, judicial training

Summary: The Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence heard testimony on Senate Bill 1015, which would clarify that the comptroller is responsible for distributing excess judicial fund payments back to statutory probate courts. Judge Guy Herman testified in support, saying the bill would help ensure probate courts receive funding they are entitled to, while Ed Heimlich testified against the bill with broad criticism of probate courts and judicial practices. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2933, which would add elder abuse training to required judicial education for several categories of judges and judicial officers; Dr. Bruce Hargrave supported the bill, citing the prevalence and underreporting of elder abuse and the need for judges to recognize warning signs. No votes were taken on either of those bills, and SB 2933 was left pending. The committee then reconsidered Senate Bill 38, an eviction-related bill, and Vice Chair Hayes described two agreed floor amendments: one limiting the summary disposition procedure to forcible entry and detainer cases involving squatters, and another requiring a notice to pay rent or vacate for tenants who had been timely payers but missed a payment. After discussion, the committee voted 6-4 to report SB 38 without amendments. The committee also adopted or advanced a series of other bills and resolutions, including SB 293, SB 1141, SB 1448, SB 1536, SB 1558, SB 1838, SB 1940, SB 2127, SB 53, SB 251, SB 311, SB 387, SB 441 (with a substitute), SB 1164, SB 1335, SB 1574 (with a substitute), SB 1719, SB 1760, SB 1839, SB 1923 (with a substitute), SB 2807, and SJR 27 (with a substitute). Most measures were reported favorably on largely party-line or near-unanimous votes, with a few close votes on SB 942, SB 311, SB 2807, and SJR 27. SB 942, relating to retroactive child support beginning at conception, initially failed 5-5 but was reconsidered and then passed 6-5. The committee adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• probate courts.
• for the bill.
• I applied for a guardian for my father.
• This is just another means for Guy Herman to profit at the expense.
• I paid the excess fees for a guardian for my father.

Bills: SB1015, SB2933

Keywords: statutory probate courts, probate court fees, judicial fund, county reimbursement, comptroller, Texas Government Code, Local Government Code, court fees, fee allocation, excess contributions, judicial education and support fund, presiding judge salary, county finance, court administration, Texas judiciary, revenue distribution, SB 2933, elder abuse, neglect, judicial training

Transcript Highlights:

• It's been sitting there for years and years and years. process to try to clear up the title for process
• It's been sitting there for years and years and years. >> Senator Price had moved for favorable on the
• </c> had moved for favor on the sub, right? had moved for favor on the sub, right?
• </c> accommodations for those activities. accommodations for those activities.
• </c> those for signing. Is that correct? those for signing. Is that correct?

Bills: SB337, HB520, HB75, SB337, HB520, HB75

Keywords: SB337, Montgomery County, probate judge, judge of probate, county officer compensation, salary increase, circuit judge parity, local legislation, county commission, general fund, public official pay, judicial compensation, Montgomery County Legislation, discrimination, immunization, facial coverings, healthcare rights, religious convictions, civil rights, Attorney General

Bills: SB 302, SB 1335, SB 1734, SB 1760, SB 1975, SB 2127

Keywords: probate court, statutory judge, reimbursement, court costs, court proceedings, judicial assignments, judge assignment, cost reimbursement, judicial expenses, estate management, statutory requirement, court expenses, estates, inheritance, representative duties, court authority, personal representative, guardianship, incapacitated persons, guardianship fees

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 530 is a bill for the Department of Finance.
• Do we have any questions for committee members? Any comments?
• Any questions for the sponsor?
• Any other questions for the sponsor?
• </c> for the sponsor? I entertain a motion. for the sponsor? I entertain a motion.

Bills: HB530, HB559, SB317, HB568, HB530, HB559, SB317, HB568

Keywords: tax exemption, Kidz Eatz, sales tax, non-profit, local government, loitering, mask mandate, public safety, school policy, college regulations, law enforcement, Alabama Innovation Corporation, board of directors, staggered terms, economic development, entrepreneurship, voting rights, restoration, pardons, Parole Board