Joint committees advance scores of House bills; many pass with technical or budget amendments

The Senate Committee on Judiciary (sitting jointly with the House Ways and Means committee) advanced a large package of House bills on April 1, 2025, adopting committee recommendations to pass most measures either unamended or with technical and appropriation changes.

The committees opened with procedural notes and then moved through a long list of bills covering tax changes, appropriations for state programs, regulatory updates and programmatic transfers. Most measures were adopted by voice vote or unanimous assent; a small number were deferred for later consideration.

Why it matters: The session bundled many routine and policy bills for committee approval before floor consideration, including bills that add appropriations, change agency responsibilities, or revise statutory language. Several measures include effective-date fixes, sunset provisions or transfers of duties between agencies that will be reflected in committee reports.

Votes at a glance (selection from committee report): - HB476 — Passed with amendments (committee report to include altered percentage language and a revised effective date). Recommendation adopted. - HB796 — Passed with amendments; committee inserted language to preserve state income tax credits such as earned income tax credit, renter’s credit and others from the bill’s application. Recommendation adopted. - HB1059 — Passed with a two‑year sunset on an exemption status; recorded as adopted with reservations. Recommendation adopted. - HB1145, HB1146 — Passed with amendments to effective dates for tax-year application; recommendations adopted. - HB1173 — Passed with technical edits and deletion of references to a tax section DOTAX does not administer. Recommendation adopted. - HB1439 — Passed with LRB technical amendments. Recommendation adopted. - HB369, HB370, HB371 — Passed; several with effective‑date technical fixes. Recommendations adopted. - HB430 — Passed with amendments to create a state internship and workforce development program, add 90 FTE appropriations and reporting requirements; recommendation adopted. - HB437 (House Bill 4 37) — Passed unamended. Recommendation adopted. - HB505, HB506 — Passed with amendments to appropriate local or departmental funds for program operations. Recommendations adopted. - HB692, HB701, HB703, HB774, HB800 — Passed with either technical or appropriation amendments as noted by committees. Recommendations adopted. - HB934, HB990, HB1001, HB1006, HB1026–HB1040 series — Large group of largely unamended passage votes; committee reports will reflect agency testimony where applicable. Recommendations adopted. - HB1045, HB1052, HB1055, HB1065, HB1069 — Passed with various amendments (including appropriation or universal service fund limits). Recommendations adopted. - HB1152 series (including HB1152/HB1159, HB1296, HB1297) — Passed with committee amendments or technical adjustments. Recommendations adopted. - HB235 — Passed unamended (see separate article for public-comment concerns). Recommendation adopted. - HB329 — Passed with amendments permitting construction on state or county property as authorized. Recommendation adopted. - HB427 — Passed with amendments affecting biosecurity staffing, transfers, appropriations and council placement; committee report will reflect appropriation amounts. Recommendation adopted. - HB477 — Passed with an amended effective date. Recommendation adopted. - HB664, HB697, HB712, HB830, HB860 (HB8 60), HB1141, HB1231, HB1297, HB1325, HB1482 (hemp bill) — Passed with amendments that clarify duties, exemptions, or appropriations; reservations recorded in some cases. Recommendations adopted.

Several items were deferred, including HB1147 and HB807; committee minutes note reconvening dates for deferred items. Many measures will carry committee reports that summarize technical edits and incorporate agency testimony.

What the committees said: Throughout the session, chairs and vice-chairs routinely recorded “chair votes aye” and “recommendation adopted,” and in many instances asked to “let the committee report reflect” testimony or appropriation requests from agencies such as the Attorney General’s office, the Department of Health and other executive agencies.

Next steps: Adopted measures will be reported out of committee and may proceed to further legislative consideration according to chamber rules. Deferred measures will be rescheduled per committee directions.

Ending: The meeting proceeded through a large calendar of bills with few extended debates; most actions were procedural votes to adopt committee recommendations.