Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:52.640><c> of</c> page 20 and talk about this right of page 20 and talk about this right of
• protection of individual rights.
• </c> and the protection of individual rights. and the protection of individual rights.
• of this bill. properly informed of her rights.
• right of health care restrictions on the right of health care access<01:32:25.679><c> to</c><01:32:25.920

Bills: HB0117, HB0126

Keywords: informed consent, abortion, civil liability, coercion, healthcare rights, fetal heartbeat, termination of pregnancy, medical emergency, Wyoming legislation, rights of minors, healthcare regulations, parental consent, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , in which case a licensed physician may terminate the pregnancy, provided that the termination of the
• the termination pregnancy provided that the termination of<00:12:20.240><c> the</c><00:12:20.480><c>
• Uh, I think we're trying to give permission to do termination of the pregnancy, but the last sentence
• </c><00:14:41.680><c> of</c><00:14:41.920><c> of</c><00:14:42.240><c> the</c> 12 after the termination
• of of the 12 after the termination of of the pregnancy pregnancy pregnancy and<00:14:45.519><c> everything

Bills: HB0117, HB0126

Keywords: informed consent, abortion, civil liability, coercion, healthcare rights, fetal heartbeat, termination of pregnancy, medical emergency, Wyoming legislation, rights of minors, healthcare regulations, parental consent, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um I did bring a couple of props. The current one that is in statute right now is the EpiPen.
• All right. Do you have all of that? All right.
• We were right at the beginning of the Trump administration last year.
• All those in favor of Senator Scott's motion, please say aye. >> Aye. >> Oppose. >> No. All right.
• Members of the committee, thank you. >> Senator Doc Setter, any questions? All right. Thank you.

Bills: HB0117, HB0126

Keywords: informed consent, abortion, civil liability, coercion, healthcare rights, fetal heartbeat, termination of pregnancy, medical emergency, Wyoming legislation, rights of minors, healthcare regulations, parental consent, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They would not be able to file a petition to terminate. the parents' rights until 12 months have passed
• was that Texas generally moves swiftly to termination of parental rights.
• area needing improvement in the review of termination of parental rights.
• parental rights when a child has been in care for 15 of 22 months, absent exceptions and/or... compelling
• Right now, the parent has an obligation that's imposed for life on the parent to take care of the child

Bills: HCR10, HB1814, HB2160, HB2353, HB2643, HB2971, HB3282, HB3382, HB3996, HB4507, HB4509, HB4805, HB5551, HB1863, HCR10

Keywords: family abduction, child safety, custodial rights, parental kidnapping, awareness day, marriage license, informal marriage, family code, identity verification, child support, family law, child custody, court interview, parent-child relationship, child welfare, attorney ad litem, compensation, legal representation, government entity, HB 2643

Transcript Highlights:

• Seventy percent of the parents who owe that money report making less than $10,000 a year, and many of
• Consequently, the number of parents who were paying increased.
• could have one of two effects on non-custodial parents.
• That's right, we got plenty of room, thank you.
• Termination of parental rights and the destruction of that family are always on the table. And...

Bills: SB629, SB1015, SB2501, SB2933

Keywords: child support, interest accrual, family law, delinquency, financial judgment, 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

Transcript Highlights:

• I have you here on behalf of TechNet, registered on the bill. Is that correct? Yes, sir. All right.
• of parents and children in cases involving the Department of Family and Protective Services.
• Parents have the constitutional right to the care, custody, and control of their children, and this legislature
• Judy, I have you here on behalf of Parent Guidance registered for the bill, is that correct? Yes.
• Can I add that they're already doing that right now? Parents are already substituting attorneys.

Bills: SB1960, SB1730, SB766, SB2342, SB2501, SB2903

Keywords: digital rights, replication, Voice likeness, visual likeness, private causes of action, fee structure, online service providers, postmortem rights, self-defense, stand your ground, castle doctrine, use of force, deadly force, civil immunity, civil liability, tort claims, attorney fees, court costs, lost income, Chapter 9 Penal Code

Transcript Highlights:

• And so if you are one of the people who is concerned with an Article 5 convention of any sort, right,
• Maybe some of those changes aren't so good. Right.
• , not just Muslims, to kind of brief them, to kind of know, you know, what their rights are, and he does
• When we curtail the civil rights of one group, we put at risk the civil rights of all of these groups
• I don't know. ...that by stripping rights from a whole group of people on the basis of hatred, bigotry

Bills: HB2908, HB4042, HCM2001, HCM2002, HCM2005, HCM2006, HCR2047

Keywords: constitutional convention, faithless delegates, state delegates, oath of office, class 2 felony, civil penalties, parent-child relationship, termination of parental rights, child welfare, court procedures, abandonment, neglect, reunification services, felony conviction, Muslim Brotherhood, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, national security, Islamist extremism, Congress

Transcript Highlights:

• Before we get started, I just want to thank all of you for being here.
• This is our first meeting of this legislative session.
• and for being vital members of this committee.
• In 2023, we passed a total overhaul of the law in our state.
• You should have a one-sheet kind of distillation of what we're changing, but it's a lot of housekeeping

Bills: SB94

Keywords: adoption, adoptive parent, adoptee, minor adoption, adult adoption, Alabama Minor Adoption Code, Alabama Adult Adoption Code, Department of Human Resources, DHR, county department of human resources, putative father registry, paternity, consent, relinquishment, implied consent, notice of adoption, contested adoption, home study, pre-placement investigation, post-placement investigation

Transcript Highlights:

• It makes a technical change to the termination of parental rights restrictions, just modifying a cross-reference
• </c> um technical change to the termination um technical change to the termination of<00:03:14.720><c
• c> of parental rights restrictions, just of parental rights restrictions, just modifying<00:03:16.519
• If in a kind of a tough position, right?
• Which when I kind of to fentanyl, right?

Bills: HF4407, HF4382

Keywords: child welfare, African American children, racial disproportionality, family preservation, reunification, foster care, kinship care, relative placement, noncustodial parent, guardian ad litem, ombudsperson, Department of Human Services, county social services, active efforts, reasonable efforts, child protection, placement, out-of-home placement, Northstar kinship assistance, data disaggregation

Transcript Highlights:

• You, they have, they no longer have what we call the economies of scale, right?
• It's about safeguarding the democratic rights of our communities.
• It is about protecting the democratic rights of all communities across Texas.
• We must protect the right of the community to be heard.
• Buckley, uh, we were talking about the, the rights and the ability of the board.

Bills: HB4, HB54, SB 10, SB 24

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, citizenship, U.S. citizen, non-citizen, public office, advisory board, task force, state government, local government, political subdivision, commission board, appointment eligibility, officeholder qualifications, public service, naturalization, Texas Government Code

Transcript Highlights:

• The inherent right of parents is a big.
• These are grounds that allow for the rights of a parent to be terminated so that they no longer have
• HB 3281 amends the grounds for the termination of parental rights, elevates the burden of proof to terminate
• right when it comes to the termination of parental rights.
• termination of parental rights.

Bills: HCR 16, HB 782, HB 2159, HB 2288, HB 3281, HB 3819, HB 4656, HB 4696, HB 5494

Keywords: fatherhood, family support, fatherlessness, community engagement, youth development, social policy, male role models, child development, policy reform, role models, mental health, parenting, single-parent homes, welfare reform, economic opportunity, mentorship, community initiatives, children, welfare programs, education

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Chief Counsel of the Division and Executive Director of the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board.
• All right, this is one of my bills.
• failure to do so as sufficient evidence to justify the termination of a parent-child relationship.
• However, sometimes before we can get to the adoption hearing, the court requires a termination of parental
• Filicide is the killing of a child by their own parent.

Bills: HB2495, HB2557, HB2594, HB2615, HB2800, HB2861, HB2862, HB2931, HB2995, HB4042, HB4070, HB4117, HB4136

Keywords: vulnerable adults, sentencing, felonies, criminal justice, enhanced penalties, medical records, patient rights, healthcare access, privacy, healthcare providers, timeliness, address confidentiality, domestic violence, privacy protection, voter registration, court proceedings, parenting time, supervised visitation, family court, high-risk cases

Transcript Highlights:

• and adoptive parents and requires the staff of child-placing agencies to be trained on these rights.
• So again, we're informing birth parents of rights that actually aren't enforceable in Texas.
• So again, we're informing birth parents of rights that actually aren't enforceable in Texas.
• House Bill 4730, which would extend the waiting period of relinquishment of parental rights from a minimum
• I serve as the President of Texas Right to Life.

Bills: HB163, HB216, HB721, HB2035, HB2038, HB3057, HB3153, HB3233, HB3595, HB3801, HB3812, HB4076, HB4129, HB4377, HB4535, HB4666, HB4730, HB4743, HB4903, HB5149, HB5155, HB1534

Keywords: epinephrine, healthcare, emergency response, administration, medical policy, health care, itemized billing, patient rights, provider regulations, Texas Health and Safety Code, cost disclosure, insurance, benefit plan, administrators, chemical dependency, treatment facilities, minor admissions, parental notice, mental health, medical licensing

Summary: The committee met without a quorum at first, then established a quorum with five members present. Members heard and left pending several House bills, including HB 4743 on allowing hospitals to license mobile stroke units under a hospital license, HB 4129 on earlier DFPS enforcement tools for single-source continuum contractors in community-based foster care, HB 4903 creating a Quad Agency Child Care Initiative to coordinate child care regulations across state agencies, HB 3812 revising the gold card/prior authorization process for physicians, HB 4535 requiring written informed consent before COVID-19 vaccination and a standardized state information sheet, and HB 4666 reducing the frequency of some HHSC reports to the legislature. The chair also noted HB 35 would be voted on later after a subcommittee back was received, and that a large number of bills would be heard the next day. Most of the testimony focused on HB 4535 and HB 4730. On HB 4535, supporters argued the bill would strengthen informed consent for COVID vaccination by requiring written consent and clearer state-level information about risks, manufacturer liability protections, and adverse-event reporting; opponents, including a pediatrician and medical groups, said existing federal and state informed-consent materials already cover these topics and warned the bill could create duplicative paperwork and penalties. On HB 3812, the Texas Medical Association supported changes that would extend the gold-card evaluation period to one year, raise transparency, and make prior authorization exemptions easier to administer, while health plans said they were neutral and viewed the bill as a balance between reducing burden and preventing fraud or unsafe care. HB 4730 drew extensive testimony from adoption professionals, birth mothers, adoptive parents, and child welfare advocates. The bill would require DFPS to create a relinquishment form, train child-placing agency staff, and extend the minimum waiting period for voluntary relinquishment from 48 hours to seven days. Supporters of the current law argued the 48-hour period aligns with hospital discharge, allows informed decisions, and helps birth parents and adoptive families begin healing and bonding without pushing children into foster care or creating legal and Medicaid complications. The author said the bill would be revised and that the seven-day provision was a work in progress. No votes were taken on the bills during the meeting; each bill was left pending after public testimony closed.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> children a parents Bill of Rights will children a parents Bill of Rights will not<00:09:13.360><
• of parental rights.
• matters, termination of parental rights matters, post-termination reviews, and finalizing adoptions.
• of parental rights matters termination of parental rights post-termination<00:37:35.440><c> reviews<
• </c> section of two of uh terminating section of two of uh terminating parental<01:00:23.520><c> rights

Bills: HF22, HF45

Keywords: parent's bill of rights, parental rights, minor consent, minors, parents, guardians, education rights, school records, home schooling, charter school, private school, health care consent, medical privacy, patient records, exam room access, biometric data, DNA samples, blood samples, mental health, physical health

Transcript Highlights:

• So the bill is making an effort to protect the biological parents and then any of the other biological
• So if a child has their parental rights severed, is there any reason that you know of that they can't
• Has their parental rights severed.
• At termination, within 45 days of termination, that file would be prepared.
• And so what they do is, like let's say a child has their parental rights terminated when they're 3 and

Bills: SB500, SB1522, SB1137, SB1266

Keywords: SB 500, Texas adoption law, Family Code, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child-placing agency, prospective adoptive parents, adoption records, confidential information, nondisclosure agreement, child history report, health history, social history, educational history, genetic history, termination of parental rights, permanency plan, single source continuum contractor, privacy, redaction

Summary: The Committee on Human Services met with a quorum and first voted out Senate Bill 1589, relating to contract requirements between a single-source continuum contractor and DFPS. The motion to report the bill favorably to the full House with a recommendation that it do pass and be printed prevailed on a 7-0 vote. The committee then heard Senate Bill 500, which would set deadlines for providing foster care adoption records, including health, social, educational, and genetic history reports, to speed adoptions. The bill’s author and witnesses from Addie’s Hope Social Services supported it, saying delays in redacted files can take months, slow permanency for children, and increase costs to the state. Members asked about redactions and sibling/family information, and witnesses explained the bill would mainly speed the preliminary file used to decide whether to proceed with placement. SB 500 was left pending. Members also heard Senate Bill 1266, which would require regular reevaluation of the Medicaid provider support team and add written notice of provider disenrollment at least 30 days in advance. There were no witnesses, no questions, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 1522, concerning continuing care retirement communities, was then laid out and supported by LeadingAge Texas and counsel, who said it updates outdated definitions, clarifies licensing and disclosure rules, and strengthens consumer protections for seniors. It was also left pending. After a brief recess, the committee heard Senate Bill 1137, which would prohibit group home consultants from referring people to unlicensed or unpermitted group homes except in limited circumstances, require disclosure of complaints, and create a Class B misdemeanor for violations. Members discussed whether consultants are regulated and noted concerns about unlicensed referral practices. The bill was left pending, and the committee adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• some part of your parental rights is...
• The inherent right of parents is a big...
• HB3281 amends the grounds for the termination of parental rights, elevates the burden of proof to terminate
• right when it comes to termination of parental rights.
• termination of parental rights.

Bills: HCR16, HB782, HB2159, HB2288, HB3281, HB3819, HB4656, HB4696, HB5494, HCR16

Keywords: fatherhood, family support, fatherlessness, community engagement, youth development, social policy, male role models, child development, policy reform, role models, mental health, parenting, single-parent homes, welfare reform, economic opportunity, mentorship, community initiatives, children, welfare programs, education

Transcript Highlights:

• As of right now, everybody's good. You can't believe everything you hear.
• Right where a lot of times I've seen crazy things happen and they're out.
• I got a couple of amendments. That's right, let's get them.
• Any... yeah, I think both of them are on, is that right, Miss Ogden?
• And of course, I realize what situations exist, and on top of that, I'm looking at the GUU on the right

Bills: HB43, SB81, SB178, SB138, SB89, SB183, HB27, HB188, HB199, HB190, SB117, HB43, HB27

Keywords: criminal procedure, split sentencing, probation, Class A felony, Class B felony, minimum confinement, custodial sexual misconduct, sexual misconduct, inmate abuse, prisoner exploitation, correctional staff, jail staff, detention center, probation officer, parole officer, Department of Corrections, Department of Youth Services, sheriff, county jail, municipal jail

Transcript Highlights:

• right to be free of bullying and discrimination, and include the right to report a violation of personal
• rights without fear of intimidation rather than punishment.
• a violation of personal rights.
• hotline, even if one of the child's parents is a protective parent.
• We can't do an experimental knee-jerk and remove the rights of the citizens of this country.

Bills: HB2035, HB2086, HB2434, HB2611, HB2732, HB2733, HB2830, HB2923, HB2932, HB4004

Keywords: kinship care, child welfare, foster care, relative placement, child protection, vaccination mandates, mask requirements, public health, government entities, COVID-19, controlled substances, prescription monitoring, opioid crisis, healthcare regulations, patient safety, group homes, children's rights, safety protocols, employee training, mental health

Transcript Highlights:

• Involuntary termination of parental rights is a serious issue.
• This bill will repeal the Ground O termination of parental rights, which is a termination based on a
• The severity of termination of parental rights is a remedy that demands strict legal standards governing
• this ground for termination of parental rights multiple times, but it continues to proliferate.
• for terminating parental rights.

Bills: HB809, HB 1193, HB1916, HB2558, HB1973, HB2350, HB2399, HB2340, HB 116, HB330, HB2496, HB116

Keywords: digitized signature, waiver of citation, marriage dissolution, electronic notarization, family law, HB 1193, informal marriage, common-law marriage, declaration of informal marriage, confidentiality, privacy, county clerk, vital statistics unit, Family Code, Health and Safety Code, marriage records, public records, personally identifying information, PII, legal representative

Transcript Highlights:

• Oklahoma, under our current law, is allowed to register using their parents' last place of residence
• have been met, all of the consequences have been paid and fulfilled, then the right to vote is reestablished
• The local school board has found the misconduct of a teacher to be so egregious that they let, they terminate
• You know, I mean, if you look at the typical definition of an educator terminated with cause, an educator
• Instead of letting the bill die right here in this committee, potentially, if I could lay this bill over

Bills: HB2938, HB2939, HB3306, HB3722, HB4113, HB4123

Keywords: elections, national elections, state elections, voter intent, election reform, absentee voting, electronic communication, facsimile device, voting materials, military voters, campaign finance, ethics, political contributions, candidate committee, Oklahoma legislation, voter registration, political party affiliation, Independent designation, Oklahoma, voter eligibility

Summary: The Ethics and Elections Committee heard several election-related bills. HB 2938, as amended by PCS, would restrict certain overseas voters who are not military or dependents from voting in Oklahoma state and local elections unless they were bona fide residents with an intent to return, while still preserving federal voting rights where applicable. The Secretary of the State Election Board explained the measure as a tightening of existing law and said counties would flag affected voters for federal-only absentee ballots. After questions about how intent would be determined and how ballots would be administered, the committee passed the bill 5-1. HB 2939 would remove outdated references to fax machines from election law at the request of the State Election Board. Testimony noted fax returns are now rare, limited to a very small number of military and overseas voters, and are less secure than current electronic and mail options. The committee passed the bill 6-0. HB 3306, as amended, lowers the threshold for requiring a candidate committee filing from $1,000 to $400, with the author describing it as a transparency measure to ensure more candidates disclose fundraising and spending. The committee passed that bill 6-0. The committee also passed HB 3722, with a PCS clarifying that voter registration applicants must actively choose a party affiliation rather than being defaulted to unaffiliated if they leave the field blank. The bill passed 5-1. HB 413, with an amendment, clarified that people with felony convictions regain voting rights once all incarceration, parole, supervision, probation, and related obligations, including fines and fees, are completed; the committee passed it 6-0. Finally, HB 4123, which would bar former school employees terminated for cause from running for school board in the same district, drew concerns about fairness and the breadth of “for cause.” The author said the bill was aimed at serious misconduct cases and agreed to work on clarifying language, and the bill was laid over until the next week.