Transcript Highlights:

• Certainly, we also have requirements at the state level as it relates to depository accounts.
• What type of account is being created? Is it a single-party account? Is it a multi-party account?
• Certainly, we also have requirements at the state level as it relates to depository accounts.
• What type of account is being created? Is it a single party account? Is it a multi-party account?
• One is states may not coin money. So... One is states may not coin money.

Bills: HB42

Keywords: special prosecutor, state law, criminal justice, accountability, law enforcement

Summary: The committee heard Senator Flores lay out the committee substitute for HB 2894, which would expand state reimbursement eligibility for local governments disproportionately affected by the disabled veterans homestead exemption. Flores said the bill would add certain municipalities in Bell, Coryell, and Lampasas counties if lost ad valorem tax revenue equals or exceeds 10% of general revenue, while existing recipients would remain under the current 2% threshold. Lampasas and Bell County officials and the City of Killeen testified in support, describing significant revenue losses and urging adequate funding. One witness, Howard Avery, argued any reimbursement should be counted as property tax revenue for voter-approval rate purposes to avoid a windfall. The committee later adopted the substitute and reported the bill favorably, with one nay. The committee also heard SB 782, which would create a temporary severance tax exemption for restimulated inactive oil and gas wells, intended to encourage investment in mature wells. The Comptroller explained the revised fiscal note as effectively zero because the wells are currently marginal and not generating meaningful tax revenue, while industry witnesses said the bill could extend well life, support local economies, and reduce orphan-well liabilities. Public testimony was supportive, and the bill was left pending. Members then heard HB 3033, a DPS-related grant program funded by voluntary $3 donations on driver’s license and ID applications to support nonprofits aiding injured or fallen DPS officers and their families, including memorial highway signs. The DPS Officers Association supported the bill, citing existing foundation assistance and the need for a steady funding stream. The committee later reported the bill favorably. The committee also considered SB 524, which would permanently extend the franchise tax and fee exemption for qualifying veteran-owned businesses for their first five years; testimony from a veteran business owner and veterans advocates supported the measure, and the committee adopted the substitute and reported it favorably. Additional measures were laid out and left pending or voted out: HB 3594, a local San Antonio retiree health care fund bill with agreed changes for contributions, spouse benefits, and remarriage rules, was supported by stakeholders and reported favorably; HB 4738 would repeal small administrative fees tied to certain loans and was reported favorably; HB 42 on HEAF funding and HB 5246 on the Texas Space Commission were heard and left pending. The committee also reported HB 3474, a cleanup bill for the Pension Review Board’s investment performance review schedule, and HB 2802, the Austin firefighter retirement fund bill, both favorably. Finally, the committee took up HB 1056, which would allow gold and silver held in the Texas Bullion Depository to function as legal tender through debit-card transactions. Supporters framed it as a way to use hard assets and expand financial options, while bankers and some senators raised major operational, consumer-protection, tax, and constitutional questions; the bill remained under discussion as testimony began.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:07.360> auditor studied the office of the state auditor studied the office of the state
• <00:22:47.720> of revenue for the state of revenue for the state of Minnesota<00:22:49.400
• state state government<00:28:04.519> so<00:28:04.760> quickly<00:28:05.519> um<
• <00:28:23.200> of management and budget on the state of management and budget on the state
• because inflation is already accounted because inflation is already accounted for<00:32:09.240><

Bills: HF3

Keywords: legislative auditor, reporting, accountability, state finance, executive agency oversight, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Often they'll be like, we're a different state, and it looks like this because of that.
• But the Paid Family Leave program operates in a different part of the state treasury.
• <01:34:50.679> State different part of the State State different part of the State State Treasury
• and for folks with accounting and for folks with accounting backgrounds<01:34:55.440> which
• we should all uh throughout state we should all uh throughout state government<01:44:28.960>

Bills: HF3

Keywords: legislative auditor, reporting, accountability, state finance, executive agency oversight, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• General of the State of Minnesota.
• The state pays the remaining 25%.
• . of Minnesotans accountable.
• Public is essentially state-run services, government employees, whether they're at the state level or
• sized states.

Bills: HF3043, HF2891

Keywords: public safety, illegal remunerations, healthcare fraud, grants, criminal penalties, state law, grants management, state employees training, certification, monitoring grants, accountability, grant fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• Minnesota in terms of the state budget. Minnesota in terms of the state budget.
• held her accountable. held her accountable.
• have contracts with other state have contracts with other state agencies?
• Are they billing other state agencies? Are they billing other state agencies?
• of state resources uh reporting to OA. of state resources uh reporting to OA.

Bills: HF3043, HF2891

Keywords: public safety, illegal remunerations, healthcare fraud, grants, criminal penalties, state law, grants management, state employees training, certification, monitoring grants, accountability, grant fraud, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Can you tell me your tuition and fee structure as it relates to in-state, out-of-state, out-of-country
• if rural Texas was its own state.
• , even states like Maine and Alaska and Montana, that didn't need... ...every state, even states like
• state.
• That will be in our stated commitment, but also our stated documentation for our COCA application.

Bills: HB42, HB125

Keywords: special prosecutor, state law, criminal justice, accountability, law enforcement, stormwater management, counties, regulation, environment, water quality

Summary: The Committee on Higher Education met to hear several bills and first corrected the minutes from its April 1, 2025 meeting to reflect that a committee substitute for HB 271 had been adopted before the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard HB 3326, which would help Texas higher education employees, especially adjunct faculty, qualify for federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness by counting classroom hours toward full-time status, requiring institutions to verify employment within 60 days, and requiring annual notice to eligible employees. No witnesses testified against the bill, and it was left pending. Members then heard HB 2853, authorizing UTEP to phase in a student union fee increase to fund demolition and reconstruction of its aging student union. Representative Perez and UTEP student and university witnesses said the current facility is outdated and insufficient for a campus of more than 25,000 students, while some members raised concerns about the size of the fee increase and its impact on low-income students. UTEP representatives said most students receive aid, the fee would be phased in over time, and the project was student-approved; the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4066, a one-line bill to abolish the Texas Research Incentive Program after the state cleared its backlog of matching obligations, with the author saying the program was no longer needed in light of newer research funding approaches. The bill was left pending. The committee spent substantial time on HB 125, which would create the Tarleton State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Supporters, including Tarleton leadership, the founding dean, a rural hospital CEO, and a feasibility consultant, argued the school would address severe rural physician shortages by recruiting Texas and rural students, training them in rural settings, and developing new residency slots rather than competing for existing ones. Members asked about affordability, residency placement, and whether the school would draw students from rural Texas; Tarleton said it would seek to keep tuition and debt low, had already raised private donations, and would request $25 million in state support over the biennium. The bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard HB 42, which would increase the annual Higher Education Fund appropriation and adjust its allocation methodology. The chair and university witnesses described rising deferred maintenance, inflation, cybersecurity needs, and enrollment growth at HEAF-eligible institutions, with witnesses from Texas Tech, Sam Houston State, and UNT saying the additional funding would help address aging facilities and technology needs. After testimony, the committee left HB 42 pending and recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:10:53.280> is State um the secretary of state is State um the secretary of state is actually
• Minnesota has a theme here: a state bird, a state flower, a state tree, a state fish, a state dance,
• > state bird a state flower a state tree a state bird a state flower a state tree a state<01:20:34.639
• > and<01:20:36.560> even<01:20:36.920> a state fish a state dance and even a state
• state symbols such as state similar to state symbols such as state birth<01:21:24.719> tree<01

Bills: HF1234, HF1956, HF1025, HF1172, HF791

Keywords: payment transparency, public contracts, contractor rights, government accountability, construction payments, municipal finance, liquor store, audit requirements, state auditor, local government, historic flag, state flag, display standards, ceremonial, Minnesota Statutes, Ursa Minor, state symbol, Minnesota state laws, constellation, official state designation

Transcript Highlights:

• It gives the State Superintendent witness and subpoena powers for records.
• We were the fifth or sixth state to do that, but we were the first state to put all nine of Code.org's
• Now, you're going to hear the State Board.
• Now you're going to hear the State Board of Education has decided to do that as a matter of policy.
• Under state law according to the Supreme Court's 1972 ruling in Wisconsin versus Yoder.

Bills: HB298, HB342, HB332, HB344

Keywords: athletic classification, public high schools, English language learners, state education policy, athletic associations, religious instruction, elective credit, released time, public education, school policy, educational intervention, State Superintendent, local boards of education, subpoena, accountability, state control, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do that by state law, right?
• First, on accountability.
• Texas is a diverse state.
• multiple states.
• Most states that use a criterion-referenced summative assessment use that for accountability purposes

Bills: HB8

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• accountability?
• Be encouraged to help school accountability by first focusing on state accountability.
• Focus on the state becoming accountable for its lawful responsibilities in governing education and serving
• Into account in our accountability system.
• The accountability system in our state is incredibly important so that parents have the information that

Bills: HB8

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• That is not a function of current state law, but would be prohibited under new state law.
• committees for assessment and accountability in multiple states.
• Most states that use a criterion-referenced summative assessment use that for accountability purposes
• 622 advisory committees for assessment and accountability in multiple states.
• Most states that use a criterion reference summative assessment. 636 Use that for accountability purposes

Bills: HB8

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Summary: The House Committee on Public Education met to hear House Bill 8, which would replace STAAR with a new assessment and accountability system beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The chair described the bill as reducing testing time, limiting benchmark tests, adding beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year assessments, requiring faster score turnaround, involving Texas teachers in test development, and tightening accountability timelines and transparency rules. Members also discussed provisions on A-F ratings, cut scores, CCMR, local accountability plans, and TEA reporting requirements. Committee members and invited witnesses split sharply on the bill’s approach. Supporters, including the chair, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, and Ed Trust’s Nicholas Munyon Penny, argued the bill would reduce high-stakes pressure, provide quicker and more actionable data, limit over-testing, and better align assessments to Texas standards while preserving criterion-referenced accountability. They said the new system would help teachers and parents intervene sooner and would improve transparency, including parent access to student responses and automatic rescoring in some writing cases. Opponents, including Rep. Hinojosa and student witness Ella Moran, argued the bill still increases testing and replaces one high-stakes test with multiple TEA-created tests. Moran testified that STAAR creates anxiety, disrupts instruction, and does not reflect real learning, while Hinojosa said the House had previously passed a better bill based on a nationally norm-referenced model and criticized the new proposal as a concession to the Senate. Questions also focused on AI scoring of writing, rescoring rates, and whether the bill’s new accountability rules would be reliable and fair. The committee did not take a final vote during the portion provided, but the chair said a vote on HB 8 would be called after public testimony later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• know, there's going to be kind of layers, you know, there's types of rules, you know, that's in the state
• 13:35.839> the of rules, you know, that that's in the of rules, you know, that that's in the state
• 13:36.880> that,<00:13:37.440> you<00:13:37.600> know,<00:13:37.920> so state
• and we all know that, you know, so state and we all know that, you know, so we're<00:13:38.320> going

Bills: HB558, HB558

Keywords: education funding, public schools, student achievement, RAISE Act, K-12 education, state budget, accountability, rural impact, legislation, report, government analysis, community assessment, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:45.120> Um, parallel with the state auditor. Um, parallel with the state auditor.
• <00:13:34.959> So, writing to the state auditor. So, writing to the state auditor.
• <00:34:14.720> I judge for the state of Minnesota. I judge for the state of Minnesota.
• So this division also the state.
• the state. They dive into an issue area. the state. They dive into an issue area.

Bills: HF1151, HF1239, HF1240, HF2020, HF2514, HF2515, HF2451

Keywords: Compensation Council, salaries, state officials, judicial compensation, legislative process, public funds, misuse, law enforcement, accountability, state government, legislative auditor, compliance, transparency, retirement benefits, health insurance, dependents, state employees, Medicare, legislative studies, government oversight

Transcript Highlights:

• services including the financing State services including the financing of<00:10:47.440> State
• If a state employee is providing truthful, accurate information about state services, I mean state services
• state sets that funding.
• state sets that funding.
• state sets that funding.

Bills: HF23, HF1355

Keywords: whistleblower, whistleblower protections, public employees, state employees, retaliation, reporting fraud, misuse of authority, personal gain, state government, state services, state programs, legislative auditor, constitutional officer, public corruption, fraud reporting, government accountability, employee rights, labor law, Minnesota Statutes 181.931, Minnesota Statutes 181.932

Transcript Highlights:

• system in the state.
• And what the state is doing to change the statewide assessment system, and two, is on accountability.
• And finally, SB 8 transforms the state assessment system from a once-a-year accountability tool into
• results in the absence of the state. formal state results, because they have that data capability.
• But the way state law works...

Bills: SB8, SB 8

Keywords: education, accountability, public school assessment, state law, transparency, intervention, performance ratings, sex designation, restroom access, civil penalties, private civil right of action, women's privacy, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• have<00:12:09.240> smaller Many of these states have smaller Many of these states have smaller
• similarly sized states similarly sized states with<00:14:09.640> staff<00:14:09.960> between
• many state programs and services. many state programs and services.
• efficient services across state efficient services across state government. government. government
• Controls and Accountability Unit in MMB. Controls and Accountability Unit in MMB.

Bills: HF1338

Keywords: Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, state oversight, government accountability, fraud, waste, abuse, audit, investigation, subpoena, whistleblower, public integrity, transparency, state agencies, executive branch, public funds, taxpayer funds, law enforcement oversight, public safety programs, advisory council

Bills: SB 324, SB 1978, SB 2139, SB 2401, SB 2587, SB 2610, SB 2858, SB 3016

Keywords: E-verify, employment verification, state contracts, immigration, labor compliance, Sunset Review, government accountability, Texas Lottery Commission, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Ethics Commission, government agencies, regulatory review

Transcript Highlights:

• United States and the state of United States and the state of Minnesota.<00:27:08.880> And
• These so-called section 1983 claims have helped provide accountability for local and state actors when
• So, correct, federal has federal laws and state have state laws.
• :24.400> for<01:01:24.640> state<01:01:24.880> and stated, the the overlap for state
• and stated, the the overlap for state and federal<01:01:25.680> state<01:01:25.839> and

Bills: HF3477, HF3414, HF103, HF3661, HF3146

Keywords: civil rights, law enforcement, federal collaboration, accountability, state law, constitutional rights, color of law, 42 U.S.C. 1983, section 1983, civil action, damages, injunctive relief, attorney fees, law enforcement task force, federal-state cooperation, intergovernmental agreement, federal agency partnership, Minnesota Constitution, U.S. Constitution, police accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• at the polls like every elected official in... polls like every elected official in this state.
• Mandating all cities to post this information online does not account for local contexts.
• I would be open to even having something at the state level if we went through you, similar to what we
• Fourth, and most importantly, Alabama is of course an energy choice state.
• Association 58 and 54 and every state, including Alabama.

Bills: HB407, SB306, SB320, SB321

Keywords: local redevelopment, tax payments, transient occupancy, state revenue, authority powers, transparency, discretionary accounts, government accountability, public access, online publication, liquefied petroleum gas, safety regulations, public gathering places, cylinder storage, proximity regulations, drycleaning, environmental remediation, pollution, hazardous waste, trust fund

Transcript Highlights:

• Also in 9-21203C, to state the retention of personal data necessary for pending or reasonable anticipated
• permitting and all our account retention permitting and all our account retention so<00:02:24.879>
• <00:04:59.680> governments local governments and state governments local governments and state
• <00:09:12.480> of better data management in the state of better data management in the state
• <00:09:34.959> to their best interests for the state to their best interests for the state

Bills: SF0020, SF0021, SF0022

Keywords: data privacy, government accountability, personal data, data retention, resident rights, stable token, liquidity, trust account, Wyoming, fund distribution, financial regulation, state commission, decentralized, nonprofit association, merger, conversion, liability, membership, governance, indemnification