Transcript Highlights:

• Ranking Democratic Member Cross? Here. Representatives Abbott? Here. Albert? Booth? Here. Casello?
• Ranking Democratic Member Cross? Yes. Representatives Abbott? Yes. Albert? Booth? Yes. Yes.
• Yes, Ranking Member Cross, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• Cross follow-up? Any others? Any other comments? Thank you.
• Cross follow-up? Any others? Any other comments? Thank you.

Summary: The committee heard five housing- and resilience-related bills. HB 793 would create an International Aerospace Innovation Fund administered by Space Florida to support aerospace research, workforce development, and commercialization; it was amended with a clarifying change and passed unanimously. C.S. for HB 411 would extend an affordable housing property tax exemption to certain nonprofit projects on leased land through a housing finance authority, such as Habitat for Humanity projects; it also passed unanimously. HB 701 would require local housing assistance plans to allow mobile home owners on leased land to seek help with lot rent, and it passed unanimously after an amendment and testimony from mobile home advocates and AARP in support. The committee also considered C.S. for HB 393, which expands the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program to help eligible condominiums fund hurricane mitigation projects, including roof-related work, with added eligibility and inspection requirements. The bill drew support from condo and housing groups and passed unanimously with committee substitute. The final and most extensive measure, HB 943, would significantly revise state land-use and development rules to promote affordable housing by limiting local restrictions, changing zoning and approval standards, adjusting parking and impact fee rules, and expanding accessory dwelling unit and mixed-use provisions. It generated extensive testimony, with many local officials, city and county groups, and preservation advocates opposing it as overly broad and preemptive, while housing and business groups supported it. HB 943 was amended several times during the meeting, including changes related to church-owned property, parking, historic landmarks, manufactured homes as accessory dwelling units, and fair housing language. The sponsor repeatedly said the bill was a work in progress and that additional changes would be made. After debate from members emphasizing both the need for more housing and the need to preserve local control, the committee approved HB 943 on a 14-1 vote, with Rep. Casello voting no.

Transcript Highlights:

• You get a bill in the mail for $2.26 for each time you cross the bridge.
• , plus a $25 admin fee for each crossing because you didn’t have the tag already.
• I think $57.10 to cross a man-made 12-foot-deep canal is not reasonable.”
• It’s a border crossing. It’s a border crossing with tolls. Exactly. Over a canal. Exactly. Exactly.
• Border crossing with tolls. Exactly. Over a canal. Exactly. Not a river.

Bills: HB345 , HB503 , HB511 , HB590 , HB655 , HB685 , HB692 , HB707 , HB715 , HB748 , HB776 , HB856 , HB860 , HB868 , HB887 , HB888 , HB896 , HB999 , HB1000 , HB1086 , HB1233

Committee: Senate Transportation, Highways & Public Works

Summary: The Senate Committee on Transportation and Public Works met with five members present and approved the April 29, 2026 minutes. The committee then heard and favorably reported several bills, including HB 1233, which lowers the contract threshold for hospital service districts to use the Seymours program for certain hospital construction projects, and HB 715, which requires aerial applicators operating from public airports to have a transponder and radio; an amendment removing language about airport use of ADS-B data for fees was adopted after sponsors said the issue would be handled in another bill. HB 999 was reported favorably to allow impoundment of out-of-state vehicles operated in Louisiana without liability insurance, and HB 692 was amended to let parishes and municipalities use group purchasing organizations, with a narrowing amendment limiting one-source procurements and assurances that local bidders would not be disadvantaged. The committee also advanced HB 511, creating a grant program for pursuit intervention technology in response to officer safety concerns, and HB 590, which would let OMV issue specialized envelopes or notices for drivers with autism or other disabilities so officers are alerted during traffic stops. HB 503 was reported favorably after a local cleanup change to a golf cart bill for Golden Meadow, and HB 655 was approved to let DOTD use cost-plus contracts for operation and maintenance of state-owned ferries. HB 748 clarified that school board-owned or leased vehicles are exempt from tolls, and HB 860 would allow fillable electronic bids for local government procurement. Later, the committee approved HB 896, a major tolling-related cleanup bill for Plaquemines Parish that addresses customer service center access, administrative fees, and exemptions, with members and local officials criticizing the toll structure and its impact on the parish. HB 1000 was reported favorably as a cleanup measure tied to highway priority program reporting and local district contract limits. HB 887 established a more consistent scoring and ranking process for Seymour projects, with an amendment to avoid conflict with changing FAA grant rules. HB 888, a cleanup bill on temporary tags, was amended with added security features and then reported favorably. HB 1086, a broad electronic title and registration modernization bill, received a lengthy amendment set but was voluntarily held over for a week so members could review the new language. The committee also advanced HB 776 to expand the Port Priority Program to larger projects, with amendments clarifying flexibility and removing private projects from the bill. HB 707 was reported favorably to let the Department of Agriculture and Forestry handle promotional activities for the liquefied petroleum gas commission through a cooperative endeavor agreement. HB 868, a farm safety bill requiring safety chains or other manufacturer-specified equipment on trailers, was reported favorably after testimony about a fatal accident and assurances it would not change engineering standards beyond existing manufacturer requirements. Finally, HB 856 was amended to authorize indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting for DOTD maintenance and construction work, then reported favorably, and the committee later corrected the record on HB 856 by reconsidering and withdrawing one technical amendment set so further floor cleanup could be made. The meeting adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> cannot safely cross Interstate 694. cannot safely cross Interstate 694.
• <c> crossings</c> Those crossing the river crossings Those crossing the river crossings currently<01:
• It's often referred to as a crossing.
• As at a key Mississippi River crossing.
• We have one paved crossing in half.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the CEO of the American Red Cross of Idaho, Montana, and East Oregon.
• The Red Cross does not approve these.
• I'm a member of the Board of the Red Cross. I've been a member for five years.
• I'm not a part of the blood services department at the Red Cross.
• This has nothing to do with, you know, Red Cross or any other supplier of blood.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• Cross, you’re recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• Thank you, Representative Cross, for the question.
• Representative Cross, you’re recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• Cross? No. Cheney? Yes. Cobb? Yes. Cross? No. Duggan? Yes. Eskimani? No. Gant? No. Gentry?
• Thank you for that question, Representative Cross.

Summary: The committee heard and approved several measures. HB 735 expanded Florida’s boating improvement program to fund parking for boat trailers at public ramps and offered a 10% sovereign submerged land lease discount for manufacturers using environmental best management practices; it passed unanimously. HB 4021 expanded the North River Ranch Improvement Stewardship District in Manatee County by 640 acres and was reported favorably. CS for HB 371, which promotes nature-based methods and green/gray infrastructure for coastal resilience, also passed unanimously after supportive testimony from resilience and environmental groups and committee members. The committee then took up HJR 1325, a proposed constitutional amendment to create an elected Commissioner of Government Efficiency (COGE) with authority to audit, investigate, and report on waste, fraud, and abuse in state and local government. The proposal would eliminate the lieutenant governor position, the Government Efficiency Task Force, and the legislature’s current auditor appointment, with many implementation details deferred to a future bill. Members debated the scope of the new office, its relationship to the Auditor General and inspectors general, whether it should cover the legislative and judicial branches, staffing, and the comparison to federal DOGE efforts. An amendment making a minor wording change was adopted, and the resolution passed 23-? with a favorable report after a split vote. The committee also approved two Gulf of America bills. HB 575 redesignated the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, and CS for HB 549 required Florida’s academic standards and newly adopted instructional materials to reflect the federal designation for materials acquired on or after July 1, 2025. Both measures drew criticism from members who argued the renaming was politically motivated, historically insensitive, and potentially confusing for students, while supporters said Florida should align with federal action. HB 575 passed and CS for HB 549 passed 18-7. Finally, HB 4071, a local bill adjusting the boundary between Coral Springs and Parkland in Broward County by about 8.7 acres, was amended and reported favorably with support from both cities and the Broward delegation.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll be able to put crossings that are safe for our state employees.
• from the parking lots, and many of those are having to cross where it's not a pedestrian crossing.
• We'll be able to put crossings that are safe for our state employees.
• from the parking lots, and many of those are having to cross where it's not a pedestrian crossing.
• Some of them were not taught well by their parents to look both ways before you cross the street.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many mothers or grandparents have to cross the train track because I'm...
• Many mothers or grandparents have to cross the train track because there wasn't a safe way to cross,
• That work is cross-sector work and it is holistic work.
• It took 14 years of partnership and collaboration, and it takes cross-sector work.
• , cross-community work done.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses

Summary: The Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business held its final hearing of the session on H. 5187 and S. 3022, the Enough Act, which would create a grant program to support place-based, cradle-to-career anti-poverty initiatives in high-need communities. Chairs Andy Vargas and Sen. Adam Gómez opened the hearing by thanking committee members and stakeholders, and several lawmakers, including Sen. Sal DiDomenico, Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian, and Rep. Antonio Cabral, described the bill as a bottom-up approach that would let local organizations, schools, and community partners direct resources where they are most needed. They emphasized that poverty, housing instability, food insecurity, and chronic absenteeism are interconnected and that the bill is intended to build local “backbone” infrastructure rather than fund isolated programs. A series of educators, school leaders, and nonprofit advocates testified in support, including leaders from Chelsea Public Schools, Bunker Hill Community College, Strategies for Children, AFT Massachusetts, United Way, the Boston Foundation, the New Commonwealth Fund, Give Black Alliance, Eastern Bank Foundation, and the Greater Boston Food Bank. They argued that schools alone cannot overcome the effects of concentrated poverty and pointed to research showing that children arrive at school already affected by poverty-related gaps. Several witnesses described existing local efforts in Chelsea, Boston, New Bedford, Springfield, Haverhill, and Lowell, and said the Enough Act would help coordinate services, align data and goals, and strengthen community voice. Some also noted that the bill could leverage philanthropic and private investment and cited Maryland and Harlem Children’s Zone as models. The hearing also featured testimony from Harlem Children’s Zone CEO Kwame Owusu-Kesse and founder Jeffrey Canada, who said the model has shown that sustained, coordinated supports can reduce the role of luck in children’s outcomes and should be scaled in Massachusetts. Committee members asked about sustainability, funding, and how the bill would interact with existing efforts such as community schools, the Student Opportunity Act, and McKinney-Vento homelessness supports. Witnesses responded that the bill would complement those programs by creating a broader, community-led framework and that long-term sustainability would require public, philanthropic, and private support. No vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• That was our answer, bringing together cross-sector partners to better support our young people.
• That work is cross-sector work and it is holistic work.
• It took 14 years of partnership and collaboration, and it takes cross-sector work.
• , cross-community work done.
• , cross-community work done.

Bills: S3022 , H5187

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses

Keywords: ENOUGH Act, ENOUGH fund, anti-poverty, poverty reduction, community development, place-based grants, distressed neighborhoods, economic mobility, housing and livable communities, community schools, cradle-to-career, child poverty, intergenerational poverty, social services, workforce development, education equity, public health, behavioral health, mental health, affordable housing

Transcript Highlights:

• typically at intersections where we paint the road so folks know they can cross.
• typically at intersections where we paint the road so let folks know they can cross.
• December titled, "On Roads Teeming with Robotaxis, Crossing the Street Can Be Harrowing."
• He said, 'Well, to do anything but to stop at these crossings would be, in my view, unsafe.'
• We were at an intersection we crossed many times, less than a block from our house.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Transportation

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation held a hybrid hearing on 46 bills covering bicycle and pedestrian safety, autonomous and specialty vehicles, street design, and related transportation issues. Chair Jim Arciero and Senate co-chair Brendan Crighton opened the hearing, noted that Senate Bill 2347 was postponed at the sponsor’s request, and explained the hearing procedures. No votes were taken during the hearing. A major portion of testimony focused on autonomous vehicles. Labor representatives from the AFL-CIO, Teamsters, Machinists, and app-based driver organizations opposed bills that would authorize fully autonomous vehicles, arguing they could displace workers, weaken bargaining power, increase congestion, and create safety and data-privacy risks. Waymo and Chamber of Progress supported legislation creating a framework for autonomous vehicles, saying the technology has strong safety results and could improve mobility and economic opportunity, but they opposed provisions requiring a human operator in the vehicle. Transportation and environmental advocates urged stronger oversight, local control, crash-data reporting, and privacy protections before deployment. Several bills on pedestrian and bicycle safety drew support from advocates and affected residents. Testimony backed measures to improve crosswalk timing for slower pedestrians, raise penalties for crosswalk violations, expand truck sideguard and safety-device requirements, and improve roadway marking reflectivity. AARP, MassBike, and other advocates emphasized the need to protect older adults, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users, while some speakers opposed bills expanding e-bike access to sidewalks and natural-surface trails, citing safety concerns. The committee also heard strong support for the Blue Envelope program for drivers with autism and developmental disabilities, with testimony from the Arc of Massachusetts, the Developmental Disabilities Council, families, and individuals describing how the program can reduce misunderstandings during traffic stops and crashes.

Transcript Highlights:

• It merely cross-references a pre-existing provision in the Welfare and Institutional Code, section 14132.26e2
• The cross-reference is intended to facilitate the Department's ability to protect consumers as issues
• they can afford So there's no reason to add a rent control component to this bill We believe the wick cross
• cross-reference in this bill is being misinterpreted We read that provision as allowing the department
• I would say that this is a cross-reference, but it is necessary to clarify that DHCS and DSS may waive

Committee: House Aging and Long-Term Care

Transcript Highlights:

• Cross: Here. Daley, Gentry: Here. Greco: Here. Daley, Gentry: Here. Greco: Here. Griffiths: Here.
• Cross: Yes. Daly: Yes. Gentry: Yes. Cross: Yes. Daly: Yes. Gentry: Yes. Greco: Yes. Griffiths: Yes.
• Cross, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Representative, thanks for this great bill.
• Cross: Yes. Burfield: Yes. Connerly: Yes. Cross: Yes. Daly: Yes. Gentry: Yes. Greco: Yes.

Summary: The Transportation and Economic Development Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and heard two member bills. House Bill 313, by Representative Fabricio, would exempt Florida tolls for veterans who received a Purple Heart in combat and have a Purple Heart license plate. The sponsor said there are about 9,000 such plateholders in Florida and noted support from the veteran community; there was no public testimony or debate, and the bill passed unanimously. The committee then heard House Bill 793, by Representative Kendall Kuhl, which creates the Aerospace Innovation Fund to be administered by Space Florida. The sponsor described it as a $0 bill establishing a framework for collaborative aerospace R&D, workforce, commercialization, and international partnerships, with funding potentially coming from state, federal, or private sources. Space Florida and the Florida Chamber of Commerce appeared in support, and the bill also passed unanimously. After both roll calls, the committee concluded its agenda and adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Representative Cross. >> Thank you, Mr.
• Ex Officio cross. Yes, the bill passes. >> Congratulations.
• Ex Officio cross. Yes.
• Representative Cross. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair Representative Tramont.
• Representative Cross.

Transcript Highlights:

• theft penalties and prohibition, recommends that the bill be amended as follows: reference to a House cross
• theft penalties and prohibition, recommends that the bill be amended as follows: reference to a House cross
• theft penalties and prohibition, recommends that the bill be amended as follows: reference to a House cross
• public records fee exemption, recommends that the bill be amended as follows: reference to a House cross
• public records fee exemption, recommends that the bill be amended as follows: reference to a House cross

Transcript Highlights:

• I am, you know, the Yaqui people are from Sonora, and, you know, we didn't cross the border.
• The border crossed us.
• You know, the Yaqui people are from Sonora, and, you know, we didn't cross the border.
• The border crossed us.
• Can we get back to the border fence, high crossing areas?

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Cross, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr.
• Cross? Yes. Esposito? Yes. Yes. Cross? Yes. Esposito? Yes. Fabricio? Yes. Gentry? Yes. Maggard?
• Cross? Yes. Esposito? Yes. Thank you. Yes. Cross? Yes. Esposito? Yes. Fabricio? Yes. Gentry? Yes.
• Representative Cross, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• I do think that Representative Cross has a valid point.

Summary: The Natural Resources and Disaster Subcommittee met for its first meeting of session and heard four bills. HB 209, the State Parks Preservation Act, would limit development in state parks and require stronger public notice and participation for land management plan changes. Members discussed protections for cabins and existing lodging, and an amendment aligned the bill with the Senate and clarified conservation-based recreational uses. Support came from Audubon Florida, Nature Conservancy, and others, and the bill was reported favorably with committee substitute after a unanimous roll call. HB 143 would create a Florida Resilient Buildings Tax Credit for new construction and retrofits that meet LEED-based resiliency standards, with a new advisory committee under DBPR to help administer the program. An amendment moved the process under DBPR, added UCF and FIU to the advisory council, and made technical conforming changes. The bill drew supportive testimony from a Boca Raton city council member and was reported favorably with committee substitute, with one no vote. HB 295 would direct DEP to develop a comprehensive waste reduction and recycling plan based on its 2020 recycling report, including education, market development, and recommendations for statutory changes. Testimony emphasized that the plan would be voluntary and would not impose costs or mandates on homeowners or businesses. The bill passed without amendments and was reported favorably. HB 585 would let owners of former phosphate mining lands record notice and obtain a Department of Health radiation survey to support a narrow defense against strict liability claims; an amendment clarified the notice content and limited the definition to mined lands, not gyp stacks. The bill drew extensive questions about notice, radiation thresholds, disclosure to buyers, and liability scope, but supporters from Mosaic, the Florida Chamber, and a health physicist argued it would improve transparency and help redevelop lands. It was reported favorably with committee substitute, with one soft yes and one no vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• :29.320><c> again</c> whenever these trend lines cross again whenever these trend lines cross again it
• There was also just more of them, but I think the bigger takeaway here is the cross, when things cross
• > so</c><00:20:36.120><c> this</c> uh the cross when things cross so this uh the cross when things cross
• where uh the darkest line recent cross where uh the darkest line crosses<00:20:45.120><c> uh</c><00:
• </c> a map and also begin doing some cross a map and also begin doing some cross tabbing<00:45:11.960

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• We want folks to cross the road to designated crosswalks.
• Was your daughter, when she was crossing, crossing legally?
• Because we do have people that cross crosswalks when they're not supposed to be.
• Your daughter, when she was crossing, crossing legally?
• So what I was referencing is, yes, we have... we have cross...

Bills: HB2095

Committee: House Civil Rights & Judiciary

Keywords: public safety, vulnerable users, pedestrians, protected classes, transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• We want folks to cross the road to designated crosswalks.
• Was your daughter, when she was crossing, crossing legally? Because we do have people that cross...
• Your daughter, when she was crossing, crossing legally?
• Because we do have people that cross crosswalks when they're not supposed to be, and that does pose an
• that crosswalk, especially if it's got a countdown, that you can't just cross any time you want.

Summary: The House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on HB 2095, which would create training requirements for law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges on negligent driving involving vulnerable users of public ways, and would establish a rebuttable presumption of negligence in certain civil claims when a vulnerable user is injured or killed in a protected area such as a sidewalk, crosswalk, bike lane, or similar designated space. Staff explained that the bill also allows recovery of actual damages, statutory damages, attorney’s fees and costs, and, in limited circumstances, punitive damages if the defendant has previously injured or killed three or more vulnerable road users. Members questioned the unusual nature of punitive damages, the burden-shifting presumption, the three-incident threshold, and whether the education component was tied to the bill’s purpose. The prime sponsor said the training is meant to improve reporting and understanding of existing vulnerable-road-user laws, and said the bill was intended to narrow liability to protected areas and could be amended further, including on the punitive-damages threshold. Supporters, including a widow whose husband was killed while bicycling, Washington Bikes, trial attorneys, a bicycle commuter advocate, and a physician, argued the bill would better protect pedestrians and cyclists, improve police reporting, and reduce the burden on injured people and families who currently must prove negligence after serious crashes. They said the presumption would encourage safer driving and align Washington with similar frameworks used elsewhere. Opponents, including defense lawyers, the Association of Washington Cities, the Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, the Washington Trucking Associations, and the Washington Liability Reform Coalition, said the bill would expand litigation, create uninsurable risks through fee shifting and punitive damages, and could draw cities, businesses, and taxpayers into lawsuits. Some opponents also urged narrowing the bill to individuals and clarifying the protected areas and training requirements. No vote was taken; the chair closed the hearing and encouraged follow-up and amendment requests before executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• This past fall, the Deer Creek Boys cross-country team once again brought home the class 6A state championship
• Aidan Taylor, I would also like to recognize the Deer Creek girls cross-country team who are with us
• Head coach David Yden has led the Deer Creek cross-country program for more than 20 years.
• Members, please join us in congratulating and welcoming the student athletes from the Deer Creek cross-country
• team to the House floor. from the Deer Creek cross-country team to the House floor.

Bills: HR1052 , SB2184 , SB171

Keywords: 4-H, youth development, community service, education, volunteering, Oklahoma, statutory revision, consolidation, law amendment, emergency legislation, legal clarity, SB171, state government, Capitol security, peace officer commission, legislative security, Department of Public Safety, Commissioner of Public Safety, President Pro Tempore, Speaker of the House

Transcript Highlights:

• That was our answer, bringing together cross-sector partners to better support our young people.
• to cross, and we lost community members on those train tracks because of that.
• That work is cross-sector work, and it is holistic work.
• It took 14 years of partnership and collaboration, and it takes cross-sector work.
• , cross-community work done.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses

Summary: The Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business held its final hearing of the session on H. 5187 and S. 3022, the Enough Act, with Chair Andy Vargas and Senator Adam Gomez opening by thanking committee members and stakeholders for their work during the session. The bills were described as a grant-based, place-based anti-poverty initiative intended to support cradle-to-career services by funding local nonprofits, schools, community organizations, and backbone entities that can coordinate housing, education, health, workforce, and family supports in high-poverty neighborhoods. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support of the bills. Speakers including Strategies for Children, Chelsea Public Schools, Bunker Hill Community College, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian, Rep. Antonio Cabral, the Harlem Children’s Zone’s Kwame Owusu Kesse and Jeffrey Canada, former Education Secretary Paul Reville, AFT Massachusetts, United Way, the Boston Foundation, Give Black Alliance, Eastern Bank Foundation, and others argued that poverty is a systems issue that schools alone cannot solve. They emphasized the need for local control, community voice, coordinated services, and long-term public-private investment, often citing examples from Chelsea, New Bedford, Springfield, Lowell, Boston, and other communities, as well as the Harlem Children’s Zone and Maryland’s similar model. Committee members asked several questions about how the bill would function in practice, including what organizations would do on day one, how it would interact with existing efforts like community schools, McKinney-Vento, and the Student Opportunity Act, and how it would be sustained over time. Witnesses said the act would help create or strengthen backbone organizations, reduce duplication, align existing resources, and leverage philanthropy and future revenue sources for long-term sustainability. No vote was taken during the hearing, but multiple speakers urged the committee to report the bill favorably and quickly.