[{"_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",6226357,"mediaKeyId","3511744-f09e9386008c7c54d8dc6011661a023a","parentId",3511744,"title","Senate backs revised TWIA financing plan, adopts amendment to ease reinsurance pressure","audioSeconds",236,"startMs",7647000,"endMs",7883000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3511744-f09e9386008c7c54d8dc6011661a023a&start=7647&end=7883","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3511744-f09e9386008c7c54d8dc6011661a023a/thumbnail_7647000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6226357/Texas/Senate-backs-revised-TWIA-financing-plan-adopts-amendment-to-ease-reinsurance-pressure","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226357-64085e02ed17c97d9f5967f1328e1efd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770665903&Signature=FbUTVz37DuPX5zXQ030Ro1BpMJfP64HwG73TiSwWHw81MGAYdfB5RL05nxX-2iIHSCtCCDweVcEo2ZfqMdxbvkW~5g35EOMYz9J2itfTiWg6GlZTR4zJnB3RWHadAL5ZcTpDXo1iTBoFZ2gCrabnuF1dygnZqhx7Mc36BcbfgfFx0rwD6LADlEfp4i-EEN~SOf8bzUW8phG~mpxBG1XoEuxUOwItzFOag5DM8Vei0LWRQOiUezo2p66VoSnL1T0TPSgxsin3beTQwaSIp90~87ehpt7qGlutP3IWPwM3WVvGcVXt75UEVLCtYSMbOGH--NxnSxNUkfItFVnOMzNDRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Texas Legislature","date","2025-05-26T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate on Monday passed a committee substitute to House Bill 3689 addressing funding for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). Sponsors said the bill shifts some catastrophe financing from high-cost private reinsurance toward state-financing mechanisms, authorizes up to $500 million in pre-event financing and $1 billion in post-event financing, and creates a temporary catastrophic-surcharge mechanism to repay state-provided funds.

Senator Kolkhorst explained the measure is intended to provide a more predictable, lower-cost financing model for TWIA, replacing higher-cost securities and reinsurance arrangements that have increased policyholders' premiums. Debate centered on the size and structure of the financing, the interest and repayment terms (the transcript cites a modeled repayment at Treasury rate plus 2 percentage points), and protections to preserve and rebuild the catastrophic reserve trust fund.

Senator Middleton offered and the Senate adopted a floor amendment that changed the probable-maximum-loss assumption used for planning from a 1-in-100-year event to a 1-in-50-year event, a change sponsors said would significantly reduce reliance on expensive reinsurance and help refill TWIA's catastrophic reserve trust fund. Supporters said the amendment matched prior Senate work on similar reforms and would have increased the CRTF substantially had it been in effect earlier.

The measure won procedural and final passage after floor discussion and the Middleton amendment was adopted; recorded tallies in the transcript show committee substitute passage and final passage recorded with 28 ayes and 3 nays on votes cited in the floor record.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Session (Part II) May 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Texas Senate passed a measure to change how the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association finances excess losses and operating expenses, adopting an amendment intended to lower TWIA's reliance on expensive reinsurance by altering probable-maximum-loss assumptions.","taxTitle","Senate, Legislative, Texas","taxId",16215,"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},6226362,"Senate passes bill banning municipal and county firearm buyback programs after hours of debate on local control",5515,1441000,6956000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3511744-f09e9386008c7c54d8dc6011661a023a&start=1441&end=6956","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3511744-f09e9386008c7c54d8dc6011661a023a/thumbnail_1441000.jpg","/articles/6226362/Texas/Senate-passes-bill-banning-municipal-and-county-firearm-buyback-programs-after-hours-of-debate-on-local-control","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226362-e9ae257d61c6ab18fa15e96db1ab2328/orig.mp4?Expires=1770665903&Signature=LzR3F-j6qtbsOSbO~Wj6MYrTQnfX9gEqemUYL7ikvUg1iBvJCpKGYK3eR5Ix2fhGDgn7ydizjfsu6ymxcEd6ym1ry~Ugf2AMIstkwd0h4IgVUmEcNkhNp8Pegr~V0sK~~EsPfRoZ8uMmUT4OVeeDstqfAHXC4tOb~CLPZx6UFj2N~swWQb5xgQR--ZgvcsEE7fh-V3lV0ec0djsJSOfDi3dEo32RosxpxCFHhAhfGjylG1mvr-xSeymWSZzFwVF3qB-TCnHC9mExDGHpLlu9-NI-4OOQM2TaVSUS1yMl2piRslIamIi0irc863C3N853LMKUYMwKN7oWvbboBzBC0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Texas Senate on Monday passed House Bill 3053, which adds section 280.005 to the Local Government Code to prohibit counties and municipalities from organizing, sponsoring or participating in programs that purchase firearms from private citizens.

Senator Hall, the bill's sponsor, said the measure \"safeguards the Second Amendment rights of Texans\" and argued governmental buyback programs are ineffective and a poor use of taxpayer funds. He said the bill prevents the use of public money to purchase firearms that would then be destroyed and noted concerns that buybacks could create incentives for criminals to dispose of evidence.

Opponents at length questioned the state's decision to prevent local governments from offering volunteer or privately funded options to help residents, particularly elderly or rural residents, dispose of unwanted firearms. Senator Menendez and others pressed whether the bill would prohibit programs funded by non-taxpayer sources (gift cards donated by businesses) and whether private sales or non-governmental programs would still be allowed; Hall said private, voluntary sales between individuals or businesses would remain lawful but that \"it's not the role of government\" to buy guns. Senator Miles, Senator Gutierrez and others said the ban micromanages local elected officials and could make communities less safe by eliminating convenient disposal programs for seniors and others without access to the open market.

Senate debate drew repeatedly on examples of local programs and testimony from police chiefs who questioned buyback efficacy. The Senate voted to suspend regular order, debated, and then passed the bill; the recorded votes in the transcript show the third-reading passage with 20 ayes and 11 nays on one procedural tally and later a 20-11 tally on third reading with the bill ultimately recorded as passed after subsequent roll calls.","Senators passed House Bill 3053 to prohibit cities and counties in Texas from organizing, sponsoring or participating in firearm buyback programs. Supporters argued buybacks waste taxpayer funds and can be ineffective; opponents warned the law strips local control and could harm elderly residents seeking safe disposal options.",{"_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},6226366,"Senate adopts amendment letting AG's open records unit assist on Open Meetings Act probes and requiring prosecutors to post nonprosecution reasons",256,666000,922000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3511744-f09e9386008c7c54d8dc6011661a023a&start=666&end=922","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3511744-f09e9386008c7c54d8dc6011661a023a/thumbnail_666000.jpg","/articles/6226366/Texas/Senate-adopts-amendment-letting-AGs-open-records-unit-assist-on-Open-Meetings-Act-probes-and-requiring-prosecutors-to-post-nonprosecution-reasons","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226366-272e9e904fce2d62ecc6e345400abb32/orig.mp4?Expires=1770665903&Signature=OgH9MeXDBYx~-J6gj9VaQ-Q8Xqh7U0RRBMQaPwELNKpSe~DnpHlaom2edcwuD97oThJFOErTHgZdT4s5NWKpiE98P4g2ix5GnHKsPzgZQGCR9mX8Lw0jsbcuX8mIuLpsAPv6nkNsiEFspVCwKVvUMb5F01NWKkRERroQ-tIKp879rdsL8HVQHb-fhrfKQMbSm7Wd86gLRZpf2u7DmLj858-6mMjazZQAeQczCz5FuBbwYgHy9YNnigD2U2X9Ei3rPuuYvZg54Q~PFZq6w4zTvzvwJneTW5g37bVU2pyyGMRI6DlcoQgEos7PbTIAXHCuQSm96l8X3mvPzMOTzBc63w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Texas Senate on Monday passed a committee substitute to House Bill 3711 to create a clearer process for local prosecutors to request investigative assistance from the attorney general's Open Records Division in alleged violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act and adopted an amendment that requires certain prosecutors to post, on their websites for at least one year, their decision not to prosecute and the stated reasons.

The bill's sponsor, Senator Sarah Milton, said HB 3711 \"promotes transparency in local government, providing additional tools to investigate violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act,\" and described the measure as permissive: the Open Records Division may assist at the request of local law enforcement or prosecutors but does not prosecute. Senator Middleton offered a floor amendment restoring language from the House-engrossed bill that requires public posting when a prosecutor decides not to pursue an Open Meetings Act allegation; the amendment was adopted without recorded objection.

Supporters told colleagues the Open Records Division already has expertise with open-records exemptions and requested the clarified coordination so investigations can draw on that expertise. During floor questioning, Senator Eckhardt and others pressed the sponsor on what was new in the bill given existing practice; Milton said the bill creates a specific framework for how assistance is requested and coordinated.

The amendment drew sharp questions from several senators who said requiring a public explanation for not prosecuting could set a different transparency standard than other types of criminal matters. Senator Middleton argued that Open Meetings Act offenses \"go to the public trust\" and that posting the reasons for not prosecuting was analogous to notification requirements tied to exemptions in the Public Information Act. Critics asked whether singling out these cases created an unequal treatment compared with more serious crimes; Milton and supporters responded the measure applies only where local prosecutors chose to investigate and is narrower than a blanket open-records duty.

The Senate voted to suspend the regular order to take up the committee substitute, adopted the Middleton floor amendment, and later approved final passage. The roll calls recorded 29 ayes and 2 nays on the bill's passage in the Senate.","The Texas Senate passed a committee substitute to House Bill 3711 to clarify how the attorney general's Open Records Division may assist local prosecutors investigating alleged Open Meetings Act violations and, by amendment, requires certain local prosecutors who decline to prosecute to post their reasons on a public website for one year.",{"_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},6226352,"Senate advances bill to expand licensing pathways for international physicians to address projected doctor shortfall",436,3960000,4396000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3511744-f09e9386008c7c54d8dc6011661a023a&start=3960&end=4396","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3511744-f09e9386008c7c54d8dc6011661a023a/thumbnail_3960000.jpg","/articles/6226352/Texas/Senate-advances-bill-to-expand-licensing-pathways-for-international-physicians-to-address-projected-doctor-shortfall","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226352-b3d98e76f99cafa02fa8af95f5f71b8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770665903&Signature=e8Lvxe-I0LQgL7VC8byP0IPgYwxzecWgOrd6dOxU4BOLNS7do5KsEEwles037xdufN2G~eQiyf7BO4N0UzlMnOuHT53sxXSAJGsQlOhBqyCQPMc2z2uOngsPP58doS00hWtPP78ac5Za56pi~aFsRXfjcunrQaBEjuQaDwibiSkNe9XwDL-RTx3pHwvUzCLxMaWC-R1oNVdDxQlPYyuOWJ6103FqBLehzfhcL3h5sXUe8Onbp1l~gpsmIM-nunfhLVbhPKVgzTVdnfnMPDtsJ-IWtBq-niULNkOacNngSLDZeYF1wHGsKWOI9wfRsqmJDb5kQ6~TCKy~vrchUzyDMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Texas Senate passed a committee substitute to House Bill 2038 on Monday to create additional licensing pathways for internationally trained physicians and other physicians who meet standards set by the Texas Medical Board.

Senator Sparks, sponsor of the committee substitute, said the bill responds to an expected physician shortfall and creates pathways for trained international physicians to provide care in underserved communities without taking U.S.-funded graduate medical education (GME) residency slots. The bill gives the Texas Medical Board discretion to assess whether a foreign residency is equivalent to U.S. residency and tightens provisional licensing standards, including U.S. Medical Licensing Examination requirements and U.S. equivalency filters.

Senators pressed the sponsor on quality controls and GME slot preservation. Senator Kolkhorst said additional language and floor amendments were added to ensure residency equivalence reviews and to align with the Texas Medical Board's recommendations. Supporters said the measure provides flexibility while protecting quality standards; a floor amendment recommended by the Texas Medical Board and accepted on the floor clarified the board's role in setting equivalency and filtering applicants.

The committee substitute was adopted and the Senate recorded a final passage vote of 30 ayes and 1 nay in the transcript excerpts. Sponsors said the change will free up GME slots because internationally trained physicians who qualify will practice without occupying U.S.-funded residency positions.","The Senate passed a committee substitute to House Bill 2038 to allow certain internationally trained physicians and out-of-state doctors who meet Texas Medical Board standards to practice under new provisional licensing pathways intended to ease physician shortages without using Graduate Medical Education slots.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate backs revised TWIA financing plan, adopts amendment to ease reinsurance pressure

Senate passes bill banning municipal and county firearm buyback programs after hours of debate on local control

Senate adopts amendment letting AG's open records unit assist on Open Meetings Act probes and requiring prosecutors to post nonprosecution reasons

Senate advances bill to expand licensing pathways for international physicians to address projected doctor shortfall