[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6253362,"mediaKeyId","3181552-b974d59cec1d072a81c2a54e5d02cb02","parentId",3181552,"title","Committee considers expanding confidentiality protections for court staff and related officials","audioSeconds",696,"startMs",2167000,"endMs",2863000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3181552-b974d59cec1d072a81c2a54e5d02cb02&start=2167&end=2863","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3181552-b974d59cec1d072a81c2a54e5d02cb02/thumbnail_2167000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6253362/Texas/Committee-considers-expanding-confidentiality-protections-for-court-staff-and-related-officials","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6253362-2cf77a6519908efcd5de48640361fc48/orig.mp4?Expires=1770493622&Signature=MrgZtvuepW~HIS4~nCcuL2ZDiC-wJwsNmdbatNF2QDr7-L9eaDZh~4bGvk~JDbGuZcj6nfPGQ42EtPVHQ5EjymH~sqQrPinF64EvwxATAaKJcS7SB9qrkgHyrxuPHmOH0n1Ya~T58H9loAnf8XLAd82zuVuWP7JgYm7kCfBWCeWQ1gHB4HbfLsJDd64jo-lJDafo4d-CSKxsSk8e-BRqkgfKhVJc0~y34E7zaozhxL0zVMFEfGmGh11LPnhPkv8GIIyR9Ba1yGB-APZtn4CdkDGi42lqWXduRNePUXb-t0-D9MesjoJdgjN5wmmmsqMKD-41HDxYdjDeS5cSRhlqXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Texas Legislature","date","2025-05-01T00:00:00Z","article","Senator Nichols explained to the Senate Committee on Business & Commerce that Senate Bill 1749 (committee substitute filed) would add categories of current and former court employees, juvenile case managers and state commission on judicial conduct members to a list of individuals permitted to keep certain personal information confidential.

Witnesses described repeated hostile conduct or threats tied to publicly available addresses. Lisa David, district clerk for Williamson County, testified on behalf of herself and the County and District Clerks Association about threats she said followed the public release of court paperwork that included her name and contact details. David described one litigant who made threats and later died by suicide; she said the office had required a bailiff and had endured sustained harassment.

Jacqueline Habersham, executive director of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, and Zindy Thomas, the commission's general counsel, told the committee the commission and staff receive frequent complaints from litigants and have been subject to threats and personal lawsuits. Habersham said she has been ‘‘served at home with lawsuits’’ and described hostile messages from complainants they could not identify.

The bill would let affected employees use a work or courthouse address for public filings and require procedures for verifying precincts for judges — testimony noted that a similar protection already exists for judges and that election registrars verify residency in writing during election-related scrutiny. Megan Lavoie, administrative director for the Office of Court Administration, appeared as a resource and said the address‑confidentiality process for judges is already used and, as she understood it, would not disrupt voting lists because registrars confirm residency privately.

Committee members said they were generally supportive and raised technical questions about how work‑address listings would interact with voter registries and mailings. No final vote was taken and the bill was left pending.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee on Business and Commerce (Part II) May 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 1749, as explained to the Business & Commerce Committee, would allow certain current and former court employees and related officials to keep home addresses and personal contact information confidential; the committee heard testimony from district clerks and the State Commission on Judicial Conduct and left the bill pending.","taxTitle","Committee on Business & Commerce, Senate, Legislative, Texas","taxId",16850,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6253366,"Senate bill seeks to clarify legislators’ access to confidential agency information",201,1976000,2177000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3181552-b974d59cec1d072a81c2a54e5d02cb02&start=1976&end=2177","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3181552-b974d59cec1d072a81c2a54e5d02cb02/thumbnail_1976000.jpg","/articles/6253366/Texas/Senate-bill-seeks-to-clarify-legislators-access-to-confidential-agency-information","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6253366-f8b868242f22eff50ccde7ac28ec2f4a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770493622&Signature=hH2jJsL-o32QsTXQSykyOQqjcaUoC~yyntLXITCrLOsH5Wp2jLt1t6txXhQamXKWjRwLtV7NI8rejizl~VhAAx4eumxHm6yBVmZjjg05aRuN6vVoKyXpSlxwP6UHGYzHXHC62aCiGXBjfSEOqevh6XCLSfXfDSJAowhd1A9NdR8YoxY5jlWG1KM2b1iPGwfQUde2HP27gAQC7c1KhxU7xLlNTwz7rnAgeM28FPZ~ytE8hkeQwz8UsyxcoXeCMCcVum7lbpD-rceqo1F~hpr5LEi0CNVozE0tj9mEdjD-7O9bAvIHI3QrFrOM1Jdx1nDBS~Pih1T5E-VHpG2D~Ss4pg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator West told the Senate Committee on Business & Commerce that SB 2566 would clarify the process for legislators to obtain confidential and public information from executive agencies and would standardize the confidentiality agreements used for that access.

Under the bill as explained by West, the right to access would apply to information provided for legislative purposes unless another statute explicitly prohibits disclosure. He said the bill would require governmental bodies to treat a request under Section 552 the same as a public request and would require agencies to respond within 10 days. The bill would also require that only legislators and their staff who receive confidential information sign the confidentiality agreement and would direct the attorney general to publish a standard confidentiality agreement form on its website.

Senator West told the committee the attorney general must render an opinion within 10 days when asked whether an agreement complies with statutory requirements, and the bill would establish complaint procedures and administrative penalties for noncompliance.

No witnesses registered to testify on SB 2566 at this hearing and the chair closed public testimony; the bill was left pending. Senator West said the measure is intended to give ‘‘much needed clarification’’ about legislators’ rights to information from agencies and to define remedies where agencies fail to comply.","Senator West described SB 2566 to clarify processes and timelines for legislative access to confidential and public information from executive agencies, proposing standardized confidential-agreement forms and a 10‑day response deadline for the attorney general; the committee left the bill pending after opening remarks and no witnesses registered.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6253371,"Senate hears debate over bill to bar dealers from forcing dealership financing",843,1063000,1906000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3181552-b974d59cec1d072a81c2a54e5d02cb02&start=1063&end=1906","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3181552-b974d59cec1d072a81c2a54e5d02cb02/thumbnail_1063000.jpg","/articles/6253371/Texas/Senate-hears-debate-over-bill-to-bar-dealers-from-forcing-dealership-financing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6253371-21d94ecabd91216246e4ee745f648186/orig.mp4?Expires=1770493622&Signature=ntdzj97oihy5EPd8nCsiyLEB61liAA9FoAByYFBT2dQrZOkbhRh2F~GOJ6VwXvuix4oWQ4lb0ItCFl6uewb4zCMMZ2QPvlWfSro8jxQEn0QnAj~KEaTYU0Q-P4blT5PenQYUtd-4su9sGvf4fzCs5pg4RKyUaHDZ-X0I4moDF20ipqDeMg~gLhS79fD1ljP8M2JiiwFWr3fv5srr4C1iDIPgyvU-mCfiAZSv2fNbrxuy3qTjW~xfY3640hXNxKFry6taXe6fiadqjG6JOaADxFspJnZRbTYLMqlhmrB4PfGMfv4KwzKr8tRxOe8F09uEMzo~GhA7XaPtYNihXAML7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator West told the Senate Committee on Business & Commerce that his bill would amend the Texas Finance Code to prohibit motor-vehicle sellers from conditioning a sale on acceptance of dealer-offered financing and from adding fees when buyers use third‑party financing.

Under the bill, Senator West said, a retail dealer could not increase the cash sale price if a buyer pays in cash or with a third‑party loan and could not prevent a buyer from paying the advertised cash sale price with their own funds or a third‑party loan. He also described a committee substitute not offered that would add protections if a buyer’s chosen lender fails to complete or timely finance the transaction.

Public testimony showed sharply different views. Darren Whitehurst, president of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association, testified in opposition and said the bill would force dealers to accept ‘‘any third party lender’’ regardless of the lender’s policies or whether the dealer had a working relationship with the lender. Whitehurst warned that lawmakers would be forcing private businesses to accept potentially unfamiliar lenders and payment arrangements.

Consumer advocates and credit-union representatives told the committee they favor the bill. Christie Brooks of the Neighborhood Credit Union Alliance described three personal vehicle purchases in which she faced pressure to accept dealer financing and said many consumers lack the financial knowledge to negotiate financing. Brooks said the bill ‘‘ensures that the decision is left up to the consumer.’’

Committee members questioned dealers about cash handling and deceptive advertising. Committee discussion noted existing consumer‑protection statutes for deceptive practices but framed this bill as addressing alleged ‘‘bait-and-switch’’ financing and advertising tactics. Senator West said the measure previously passed the committee and the full Senate in the prior session and asked for similar support; the committee left the bill pending subject to the call of the chair.","Senator West explained a bill to prohibit motor vehicle sellers from conditioning sales on dealer-provided financing; the committee took public testimony from dealers, credit-union advocates and consumer representatives and left the bill pending.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6253376,"Senate committee hears broad support for HB 149, an artificial intelligence governance bill",973,26000,999000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3181552-b974d59cec1d072a81c2a54e5d02cb02&start=26&end=999","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3181552-b974d59cec1d072a81c2a54e5d02cb02/thumbnail_26000.jpg","/articles/6253376/Texas/Senate-committee-hears-broad-support-for-HB-149-an-artificial-intelligence-governance-bill","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6253376-b5e3c7208e6cf16c9833bf38b4ec2e3f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770493622&Signature=G7z2GqBJDd4ZuiGD10LY6FBkcWM3ktdZ4h~~cYcMR1sbfIOg1dhvur-zKWOeVWyhV6soMgwdUg45cP4qetoOIvY7ukggHdCmmJM53NspZ3GFOSUeoDZsd6HxIlTNtrhfnbY6KY-JJtZTHa3SLL56SI2UtiHFGMBSogR-wgyoOQSXxoKovRephNP6RgY17TH5fwGSBfwIyMYbkQUVJoE5MN0~2CJ0qJPhUTiD9QzIlriOEwbVlRpMsvmky7kMMqI4mVxpzxS-HGUNYDe5E~vIMFXngHwfZ7AG7AdrirXQF6ic7KTs~lDJWaL0-GWHYypAeyG-J6z0NjkmHv9aW46W7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Business & Commerce on Thursday heard testimony on HB 149, the Artificial Intelligence Governance Act, which sponsor Senator Fortner told the panel would create a framework for ‘‘reasonable’’ AI development while preserving innovation.

The measure, Senator Fortner said, would require government agencies to disclose when individuals interact with AI systems, bar AI designed to ‘‘negatively manipulate human behavior’’ or to perform social scoring, protect biometric identifiers from nonconsensual capture, prohibit unlawful discrimination and address deep-fake child exploitation. Fortner also described an AI sandbox and an AI council to study regulatory updates and to oversee testing in controlled environments.

Supporters from across industry and policy groups told the committee they favor the bill’s mix of defined prohibited harms and flexible, outcomes-based rules. David Dunmoyer of the Texas Public Policy Foundation said HB 149 ‘‘signals to the country and the world that we are gonna be the epicenter [of] responsible innovation with AI.’’ Dominic Cruciani, an attorney who has written on AI, said HB 149 ‘‘installs a new sheriff in this digital town’’ by updating rules to reflect widespread, human-like AI actors.

Witnesses from privacy and civil‑society groups urged limited changes. Ann Bedorin of Texas Appleseed said she supports the bill overall but asked the committee to consider giving regulators limited examination authority within the sandbox so problems can be identified before harms occur. Representatives for Clearview and Technet sought clarifications about law‑enforcement access to facial‑recognition services and alignment with other state laws, and Glenn Hammer, president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, urged technical edits and urged the committee to keep statewide consistency amid many AI bills.

There was no committee vote; after public testimony the chair closed testimony and left HB 149 pending. The committee recorded multiple supporters from industry and advocacy groups and signaled further technical discussions ahead.

The hearing combined policy detail and stakeholder requests: proponents emphasized enumerated harms and a 60‑day cure period and lighter investigative powers for the attorney general, while civil‑rights and privacy advocates asked for clearer enforcement windows and regulator access to detect misuse during sandbox testing. Committee leaders said staff would continue to work with stakeholders on technical language.

No final action was taken on HB 149 at this hearing; the bill remains pending.","The Senate Committee on Business & Commerce heard hour-long testimony on HB 149, the Artificial Intelligence Governance Act, with supporters praising its outcomes-based approach and sandbox provisions; the committee left the bill pending after public testimony.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee considers expanding confidentiality protections for court staff and related officials

Senate bill seeks to clarify legislators’ access to confidential agency information

Senate hears debate over bill to bar dealers from forcing dealership financing

Senate committee hears broad support for HB 149, an artificial intelligence governance bill