Bills: HB 1237, HB 2663, HB 3071, HB 4384

Keywords: occupational licenses, renewal, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, registration, license expiration, solid waste, landfill permits, environmental regulation, population density, municipal waste management, gas utilities, cost recovery, regulatory asset, rate making, Texas Railroad Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill would remake 105 years of rate making.
• Specifically, they have GRIP, which is a generous form of piecemeal rate making that provides for annual
• This bill would remake 105 years of rate making.
• Specifically, they have, um, GRIP, which is a generous form of piecemeal rate making that provides for
• Basically have to wait till the full rate case to then make their case that those costs weren't justified

Bills: HB1237, HB2663, HB3071, HB4384

Keywords: occupational licenses, renewal, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, registration, license expiration, HB 2663, inactive well, plugging extension, Railroad Commission of Texas, RRC, oil and gas, orphan wells, well cleanup, well plugging, abandoned wells, surface equipment removal, electric service termination, administrative penalty, Natural Resources Code, Section 89.029

Summary: The Senate Committee on Natural Resources heard several House bills dealing with environmental regulation, oil and gas safety, landfill permits, and utility cost recovery. HB 1237, by Rep. Geren and sponsored by Sen. Zaffirini, would extend TCEQ occupational license renewal deadlines from 30 days to 90 days, allow renewal up to one year with higher fees, and require a new application after longer expiration; the committee substitute clarified that applicants may continue working only until renewal is approved or denied and set a 180-day cutoff for renewal. HB 3071, sponsored by Sen. Hancock, would require TCEQ to cancel certain long-dormant municipal solid waste permits; members discussed concerns about precedent, ownership changes, and whether the bill should be narrowed, and the bill was left pending with a committee substitute expected. The committee also heard HB 2663, sponsored by Sen. Birdwell, which would require operators of inactive oil and gas wells to remove or de-energize electrical equipment after 10 years and authorize Railroad Commission penalties for false compliance. Testimony from landowners, cattle raisers, and the Sierra Club supported the bill as a wildfire-prevention measure, and the bill was left pending. HB 4384, also by Rep. Darby and sponsored by Sen. Birdwell, would let natural gas utilities defer certain infrastructure costs for later recovery through the GRIP process; utility representatives supported it as credit-positive and consistent with existing accounting, while consumer advocates opposed it as increasing rates without enough oversight. The committee discussed possible amendments to add more cost controls, and the bill was left pending. Later, the committee voted HB 2563, the companion to SB 2510, favorably to the full Senate by a 5-0 vote and ordered it certified for the local and uncontested calendar. The committee then took up HB 143, which would codify interagency procedures for addressing electrical power line safety at well sites and related facilities after wildfire concerns; members said a committee substitute had been negotiated with agencies and stakeholders to clarify responsibilities, timelines, and inspection authority while reducing fiscal impact. No final vote was taken on HB 143, and the committee recessed with several bills still pending.

Bills: HB1237, HB2663, HB3071, HB4384

Keywords: occupational licenses, renewal, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, registration, license expiration, HB 2663, inactive well, plugging extension, Railroad Commission of Texas, RRC, oil and gas, orphan wells, well cleanup, well plugging, abandoned wells, surface equipment removal, electric service termination, administrative penalty, Natural Resources Code, Section 89.029

Transcript Highlights:

• If they make a $20 profit when they buy a $2,000 computer, they're now going to make a $25 profit.
• After a hundred and five years of rate-making, it's bad policy to let regulated utilities continue to
• Specifically, they have GRIP, which is a generous form of piecemeal rate-making that provides… ...for
• That credit rating directly affects the interest rate that I pay a bank or... ...the return that an investor
• That rate is ultimately paid for by customers.

Bills: HB1237, HB2663, HB3071, HB4384

Keywords: occupational licenses, renewal, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, registration, license expiration, HB 2663, inactive well, plugging extension, Railroad Commission of Texas, RRC, oil and gas, orphan wells, well cleanup, well plugging, abandoned wells, surface equipment removal, electric service termination, administrative penalty, Natural Resources Code, Section 89.029

Transcript Highlights:

• Has not yet been included in rates.
• It is, in large measure, retroactive rate making.
• That is retroactive rate-making, and it goes both ways.
• It basically remakes 105 years of rate-making by providing guaranteed cost recovery, albeit through deferrals
• and subsequent rate recoveries.

Bills: HB2766, HB2891, HB3334, HB3791, HB3911, HB4021, HB4041, HB4042, HB4384, HB4426

Keywords: inactive wells, oil and gas regulation, environmental protection, Railroad Commission of Texas, well plugging, Railroad Commission, penalties, violations, pipeline safety, civil penalties, criminal penalties, wildfire prevention, oil and gas, safety inspections, administrative penalties, excavation, notification, utilities, underground facilities, regulatory compliance

Transcript Highlights:

• , double-sided—until we can make the tax rate process as clear as this, ...until we can make the tax
• around appraisals, and until we can make tax rates as urgent as we make appraisals by sending everybody
• rate, and 19% of cities approved by voters tax rates above the voter-approval rate.
• We would ask that you make provisions for taxing entities that are consistently lowering the tax rate
• Senator Bettencourt, I just want to make sure I heard this: you're raising your rate from 37 to 38.9,

Bills: SB9

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap, tax rollback, tax levy, maintenance and operations, debt rate, disaster relief rate, Texas Legislature, local taxing unit

Summary: The Senate Committee on Local Government met to hear Senate Bill 9, which would lower the voter-approval tax rate for certain local taxing units from 3.5% to 2.5%. Sen. Bettencourt, the bill author, argued the change would continue the state’s property tax reforms begun in 2019, slow local levy growth, and give voters more say over larger tax increases. He and supporters cited data showing property tax levies have grown faster than population plus inflation, and said the bill would help protect taxpayers while preserving the state’s broader investments in school tax relief, water, rural law enforcement, and ambulance funding. Supporters included the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, the Texas Association of Business, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and the Texas Association of Manufacturers. They said the bill would improve transparency, encourage more disciplined budgeting, and create certainty for homeowners and businesses. They argued that lower tax-rate growth would help attract and retain employers and investment, and that voters would still be able to approve higher rates when needed. Local officials and other opponents said the bill would constrain cities and counties facing rapid growth, inflation, infrastructure needs, and public safety costs. Testimony from county judges, city finance officials, firefighters, and urban county representatives emphasized pressures from jail operations, roads, water, EMS, police and fire staffing, and unfunded mandates. Several witnesses asked for carve-outs or exemptions for public safety and disaster-related costs, warning that a one-size-fits-all cap could force service cuts or shift costs elsewhere. The committee heard extensive questioning but no final vote or disposition on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Keywords: HI House YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZFnG4TwOiw, 2026-07-02T01:22:45+00:00, 2.2.24, Data collected via generic collector engine, House Agenda: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2023/hearingnotices/HEARING_TRN_03-21-23_.pdf 13:42 - Introduction 14:07 - SB588 SD2 16:24 - Decision Making 17:35 - SB824 SD2 19:29 - Decision Making 20:03 - SB809 SD2 22:34 - Decision Making 22:49 - SB1506 SD2 24:22 - Decision Making, 910, house, all, 2.2.42, 2.1.47

Transcript Highlights:

• the Texas Municipal retirement System with greater flexibility in determining employee contribution rates
• Under current law, a city may set member contribution rates at 5%, 6%, or 7% of employee compensation
• It does not mandate an increase in contribution rates.
• It simply empowers local officials to make that decision if they choose, based on their fiscal outlook
• Municipalities that adopted different contribution rates for different departments prior to September

Bills: HB104

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tax rate election, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, de minimis rate, local government, special district, tax increase, tax notice, public hearing, tax code, Health and Safety Code, Texas property taxes, taxing unit, election threshold, two-thirds vote, majority vote, budget approval

Transcript Highlights:

• But high interest rates and tight capital markets are making it harder than ever for startups to raise
• Their average rate of return has been 8%.
• Can I make one clarification? Absolutely.
• Had a sovereign wealth fund, it could make investments in New York City to make New York City a compelling
• What's the, what's the rate of return on that?

Bills: HB104

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, tax rate election, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, de minimis rate, local government, special district, tax increase, tax notice, public hearing, tax code, Health and Safety Code, Texas property taxes, taxing unit, election threshold, two-thirds vote, majority vote, budget approval

Transcript Highlights:

• How do we make sure all of that is here?
• individuals so we can make wise decisions.
• I cannot even make an estimate on that.
• Chair, I want to just make a point of clarification that this bill is asking for the legislature to make
• This is about making sure that the people in the area are heard, and this is making sure that the legislature

Bills: HB2014, HB2055, HB2145, HB2150, HB2696, HB2755, HB2763, HB2781, HB2782, HB2787, HB2795, HB2889, HB2975, HB2985, HB2986, HCM2009, HCR2020, HCR2038

Keywords: air emissions, fuel blends, environmental quality, feasibility study, Arizona Department of Agriculture, brackish groundwater, water supply development, desalination, Arizona Revised Statutes, water infrastructure, financial assistance, environmental reviews, fuel reformulation, gasoline standards, environmental regulations, ethanol supply, Air Quality, state land department, mineral lease, renewals

Summary: The Natural Resources Committee approved the March 17 minutes and then took up a long calendar of bills, holding HCR 2038. HB 2787, which would bar the state and its political subdivisions from using personnel or financial resources to enforce, administer, or cooperate with the Mexican wolf reintroduction program, drew opposition from Sierra Club and Humane World for Animals/Animal Defense League of Arizona, who argued it would hinder wolf recovery and undercut science-based wildlife management. The committee nevertheless gave HB 2787 a do-pass recommendation by a 4-3 vote. The committee then considered HB 2055 on a Brackish Groundwater Recovery Program Fund and HB 2782 on disclosure requirements for regulatory assets in utility rates. Testimony on HB 2055 raised concerns that brackish groundwater is still groundwater and that pumping it could cause localized impacts, but the bill initially received a do-pass recommendation before a later vote failed on reconsideration. HB 2782 prompted discussion about Corporation Commission authority and utility regulation, but it ultimately received a do-pass recommendation. The committee also heard HB 2781, a solar energy decommissioning and financial assurance bill, with testimony from environmental groups, industry representatives, and a local official; an amendment by Senator Sundareshan to strengthen financial assurance and remove the remediation fund failed, and the underlying bill also failed on a tied 4-4 vote. Later, the committee approved HB 2975, which would suspend use of solar scoring maps on state trust lands and require new mining and housing scoring maps, despite opposition from environmental groups and neutral comments from the State Land Department that the solar map is only a guidance tool. HB 2696, as amended, passed after the committee adopted amendments shifting the Arizona Commerce Authority’s fuel-price mandate and creating a fuel resiliency task force; testimony focused on fuel supply, pipeline capacity, refinery access, and whether the ACA was the right agency to lead the effort. The committee also passed HCM 2009 urging Congress to require legislative approval for new national monuments and to streamline mining and land-swap processes, and HB 2889, which funds ADEQ monitoring of uranium contamination and creates a statewide registry and tribal partnership program. Finally, the committee approved HB 2763, which would require legislative approval before the Arizona Game and Fish Commission could close a shooting range. Supporters said it was meant to protect facilities like Ben Avery and preserve safe shooting locations, while opponents argued the bill was unnecessary because existing review steps already exist and there was no imminent closure threat. The committee also heard testimony on the bill from Game and Fish, which said the measure would add another layer to an already extensive closure process and that the department was neutral on the proposal.

Transcript Highlights:

• rates.
• The amendment allows the organization to file with DIFI models to be used by insurers for making rates
• They have 14 days to actually make the payment.
• I said, well, that doesn't make sense.
• And quite simply, it makes sense.

Bills: HB2174, HB2496, HB2744, HB2863, HB2910, HB2938

Keywords: insurance regulation, modeling organizations, financial disclosure, rate-making, predictive models, revitalization districts, construction contracts, infrastructure, municipal services, intergovernmental agreements, user fees, landowner agreements, overtime, wages, employee rights, industrial commission, complaints, adjudication, landlord, tenant

Summary: The Commerce Committee heard and advanced five bills. HB 2174, as amended by a strike-everything, redefined “advisory organization” as a modeling and data organization and allowed models used by insurers for rate-making to be filed with DIFI, with DIFI able to require supporting data to verify compliance. The sponsor said the measure was the product of extensive stakeholder negotiations and technical cleanup. The committee adopted the amendment and then approved the bill 10-0 for a due-pass recommendation. HB 2496 would require revitalization district construction contracts to include payment protections allowing contractors and subcontractors to pause or stop work if the district fails to pay. Supporters argued it was a fairness measure to prevent contractors from being forced to continue work without payment; opponents, including bond counsel and the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, warned it could disrupt public infrastructure projects, misalign incentives, and create bond-financing concerns. The committee passed the bill 9-1 with one member present. HB 2910 would extend from 10 to 20 days the time a contractor has to contest an ROC recovery fund claim after notice. The sponsor and Home Builders Association said it was a minor, technical change and requested more time to respond to claims. The committee approved it 10-1. HB 2938, the “penny” bill, would require Swedish rounding for cash transactions when pennies are unavailable, with an amendment clarifying taxes and fees are calculated before rounding and protecting businesses complying with the rule. The sponsor described inconsistent business practices and support from stakeholders; the committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill. HB 2744 would authorize the Industrial Commission of Arizona to investigate and adjudicate overtime wage violations at the state level. Supporters from the carpenters’ unions said federal enforcement is too slow and workers need a faster path to recover earned wages; the Industrial Commission said it would need additional FTEs and spending authority but not general fund money. One member opposed expanding agency authority over private wage disputes, but the committee ultimately passed the bill 10-1 and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• When the regulated for-profit utilities need to up their rates, they make a proposal for what the new
• ,<00:04:07.680> they<00:04:08.000> make<00:04:08.239> a need to up their rates
• , they make a need to up their rates, they make a proposal<00:04:08.879> for<00:04:09.040>
• By capping interim rates at an arbitrary level, the proposed bill does not make energy more affordable
• <00:25:16.720> interim<00:25:17.200> rates being recovered in rates. interim rates

Bills: HF4236, HF4122, HF4377

Keywords: public utility, interim rates, utility rates, rate case, general rate case, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, PUC, rate increase cap, rate freeze, refunds, customer refunds, ratepayer protection, electric utility, gas utility, regulated utility, ratemaking, return on equity, rate base, test year, rate design

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2019, there was a rate case awarding EPCOR its water utility rates.
• We’re not trying to set the rates. This is just about what is disclosed with the rates.
• “I’ll just mention that we’re not dealing on rate that would make it a constitutional issue, so I vote
• ...with the commission, with our customers, and we go through a little rate-making process at the commission
• manner as the municipal providers. with the commission, with our customers, and we go through a little rate-making

Bills: HB2099, HB2263, HB2264, HB2330, HB2341, HB2492, HB2757, HB2782, HB2843, HB2889, HB2912, HB2915, HB2918, HB4025, HB4100, HCR2020, HCR2057

Keywords: water storage, long-term storage credits, groundwater management, drought contingency, Arizona water regulations, Colorado River, replenishment, groundwater savings facility, groundwater storage, underground water storage, active management area, irrigation non-expansion area, Arizona water law, water rights, water replenishment, recharge, water conservation district, multi-county water conservation district, CAP water, Central Arizona Project

Summary: The committee heard a series of water, energy, housing, and environmental bills, with several measures amended before passage. House Bill 2099, as amended, would limit long-term storage credits and related CAP water storage during declared Colorado River shortages; water utilities, CAP, Phoenix, and other water interests raised concerns about flexibility, contracts, and the law of the river, while the sponsor said the bill was intended to address shortage conditions. The committee adopted the Griffin amendment and passed the bill 6-3. House Bill 2263, also amended, would restrict where Colorado River water diverted for replenishment in an AMA may be stored; CAP, tribal counsel, and AMWA opposed it as too restrictive and potentially excluding existing facilities, but the bill passed 6-3 after amendment. House Bill 2264, requiring the University of Arizona to promote Arizona history and the five Cs through the mining museum, passed unanimously. House Bill 2330 and House Bill 2341, both concerning certificates of environmental compatibility for energy projects, passed 6-3 after amendments expanding siting factors to include character of an area and known off-takers, respectively. House Bill 2918, which would end certain tax benefits for renewable energy and storage equipment after 2026, also passed 6-3. House Bill 2889, appropriating $1 million for uranium contamination monitoring and a statewide registry with tribal epidemiology partnerships, passed unanimously after discussion about moving the program to ADEQ and adjusting the reporting date. House Bill 2492, which would bar state and local urban growth boundaries that prevent new development, passed narrowly 4-3 with one present and two absent. House Bill 2782, focused on utility rate transparency and regulatory assets, passed 5-3 after a late amendment and a motion to suspend committee rules for amendment distribution. House Bill 4025, creating a study committee on gasoline and petroleum refineries, passed 6-3, and HCR 2057 supporting a geothermal permitting roadmap passed unanimously. HCR 2020, supporting housing developments outside designated service areas under certain groundwater conditions, passed 6-2. House Bill 4100, requiring notice to customers about potential water-rate increases if CAP water is lost, drew concerns about public confusion and negotiation impacts; testimony from municipal water users opposed the bill as too speculative and difficult to implement, and the transcript ends while that bill is still under discussion.

Keywords: HI House YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om1NndfOi1U, 2026-07-02T01:22:43+00:00, 2.2.24, Data collected via generic collector engine, House Agenda: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Session2023/hearingnotices/HEARING_TRN_02-09-23_.PDF 10:06 - Introduction 10:28 - HB1104 13:57 - HB1107 14:48 - HB1108 15:10 - HB1109 19:30 - Decision Making Followed by 11:30am Decision Making: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Session2023/hearingnotices/HEARING_TRN_02-09-23_2_.PDF 1:13:16 - Introduction 1:13:43 - Decision Making, 910, house, all, 2.2.42, 2.1.47

Keywords: HI House YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzV9rbZmqKQ, 2026-07-02T01:22:43+00:00, 2.2.24, Data collected via generic collector engine, House Agenda: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Session2023/hearingnotices/HEARING_HLT_02-08-23_3_.PDF Followed by 9:45AM Agenda: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Session2023/hearingnotices/HEARING_HLT_02-08-23_4_.PDF Followed by 11:30AM Decision Making: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Session2023/hearingnotices/HEARING_HLT_02-08-23_.PDF Followed by 11:40AM Decision Making: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Session2023/hearingnotices/HEARING_HLT_02-08-23_2_.PDF Timestamps: 8:27- Introduction (HLT 8:30AM) 8:53 - HB1302 11:44 - HB1201 14:07 - HB1245 20:31 - HB1255 26:04 - HB982 3:17:37 - Decision Making (HLT 8:30AM) ------------------ 1:23:09- Introduction (HLT 9:45AM) 1:23:26 - HB1081 1:35:33- HB914 1:43:23 - HB872 1:47:53 - HB278 1:52:13 - HB838 1:57:43 - HB1263 2:00:53 - HB871 2:10:36 - HB1433 3:21:19 - Decision Making (HLT 9:45AM) ------------------ 3:08:42 - Decision Making (11:30AM Agenda) [ HB517, HB955, HB1404, HB1442, HB950, HB1122, HB1154, HB1155 ] ------------------ 3:26:00 - Decision Making (11:40AM Agenda) [ HB1097, HB70, HB1217, HB696, HB1082, HB1218, HB1219, HB516, HB957, HB734 ], 910, house, all, 2.2.42, 2.1.47

Transcript Highlights:

• So until we can make tax rates as clear as possible...
• Until we can make the tax rate process as clear as this...
• Until we can make tax rates as urgent as we make appraisals by sending everybody this official-looking
• We would ask that you make provisions for taxing entities that are consistently lowering the tax rate
• To make sure I kept that tax rate low. I never had a council pushing to get it up.

Bills: SB9, SB 9

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap, tax rollback, tax levy, maintenance and operations, debt rate, disaster relief rate, Texas Legislature, local taxing unit, school assessment

Transcript Highlights:

• Tax rates change every year.
• So aside from the M&O rate, but if and to the extent you have an I&S rate on your bonds, you may have
• Healthcare costs make our uninsured rate for healthcare the highest in the country at over 17%.
• I was able to get a job making double what I was making.
• they make determinations on.

Bills: HB21, HB211, HB223

Keywords: HB 21, Texas Tax Code, ad valorem tax, property tax, delinquent taxes, tax delinquency, penalty reduction, interest rate, split payment, installment payment, tax relief, county tax collector, taxing unit, property owner, tax collection, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax increase election, supermajority, 60 percent threshold

Keywords: HI House YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY012juEZpw, 2026-07-02T01:22:33+00:00, 2.2.24, Data collected via generic collector engine, Reconvening for the purpose of decision making for earlier hearing Hearing Agendas affiliated with this live stream: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2021/hearingnotices/HEARING_TRN_04-07-21_2_.HTM 9:39 - Decision Making, 910, house, all, 2.2.42, 2.1.47

Keywords: HI House YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hXCjsak-0M, 2026-07-02T01:22:42+00:00, 2.2.24, Data collected via generic collector engine, House Agenda: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Session2023/hearingnotices/HEARING_HLT_02-01-23_.PDF Followed by 10:00AM Agenda: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Session2023/hearingnotices/HEARING_HLT_02-01-23_2_.PDF Followed by 11:30AM Decision Making: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Session2023/hearingnotices/HEARING_HLT_02-01-23_3_.PDF Timestamps: 12:39 - Introduction (HLT 8:30AM) 15:50 - HB82 22:40 - HB664 27:01 - HB666 38:51 - HB517 54:13 - HB659 1:04:09 - HB622 1:18:33 - HB663 3:13:23 - Decision Making (HLT 8:30AM) ------------------------ 1:39:58 - Introduction (HLT 10:00AM) 1:40:25 - HB650 1:54:04 - HB651 2:02:36 - HB652 3:21:05 - Decision Making (HLT 10:00AM) ------------------------ 3:09:40 - HLT 11:30AM Decision Making Agenda [HB406], 910, house, all, 2.2.42, 2.1.47

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, what this bill does is deal with a concept called supportive decision-making agreements.
• an alternative to full guardianship by allowing persons with disabilities who have the faculties to make
• However, when a person with a supportive decision-making agreement is involved in a criminal or civil
• study on the legal and ethical implications of authorizing a supporter under a supportive decision-making

Bills: SB66

Keywords: disability, supported decision-making, legal assistance, confidentiality, access to justice, autonomy, civil rights, advocacy, 1184, house, all