Transcript Highlights:

• On behalf of the Texas Ports Association, a member alliance of 21 maritime ports and industry affiliates
• Texas Ports Association, a member alliance of 21 maritime ports and industry affiliates spanning the
• committee substitute, the statute 2507 specified forever that property or leaseholds engaged in maritime
• Property that were leaseholds engaged in maritime commerce under port property were not listed in the
• do public-private partnerships and other things that often involve leaseholds in order to develop maritime

Bills: SB682 , SB1013 , SB1369 , SB1422 , SB2001 , SB2080 , SB2366 , SB2705 , SB2841

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee heard several bills focused on transportation infrastructure, public safety, and local commemorations. SB 2841 would clarify the overweight corridor designation for the Port of Brownsville so all three statutorily approved bridges are treated uniformly for northbound and southbound overweight traffic; the Port of Brownsville testified in support, and the bill was left pending. SB 39 would restore the commercial motor vehicle “admission rule” framework in collision cases; Senator Birdwell explained the committee substitute, and the bill was later reported favorably. The committee also heard and later advanced SB 682, SB 1369, and SB 1422, which rename stretches of highway or a bridge in honor of fallen firefighters and military service members, with no opposition testimony and all left pending before final votes. The committee also heard SB 2366, which would create a grant program for short-line railroad projects through rural rail transportation districts for track, bridge, capacity, and restoration work. Senator Hughes and several witnesses from rural rail districts and rail advocacy groups supported the bill, while TxDOT explained current rail funding is limited and that the bill would be the first such grant program for Class 3 short lines; members discussed that the bill would need a floor amendment because state funds cannot be paid directly to railroads. SB 1013 would expand crosswalk protections under the Lisa Torrey-Smith Act to include certain driveway curb cuts along sidewalks; it was supported by the author and left pending before later being reported favorably. The committee also considered SB 2080, which would modernize port and navigation district rules by easing records and procurement requirements, exempting certain security and cybersecurity discussions from recording, and expanding some operational authority. Port Houston and the Texas Ports Association supported the bill, while the City of Corpus Christi raised concerns that the language could expand port economic-development authority beyond navigation purposes and affect local tax bases; the Port of Galveston also noted concerns about the filed version but supported the bill as presented, and the committee substitute was later reported favorably. SB 2001 would create specialty license plates and related parking/toll benefits for permanently disabled peace officers; SB 2705 would codify registration exemptions for certain farm equipment and some specialty plates. Both were supported by witnesses, adopted with committee substitutes where applicable, and reported favorably. Final votes on the reported bills were largely unanimous or near-unanimous, and the committee recessed after leaving some motions open briefly.

Transcript Highlights:

• [Applause] Also, sort of sitting kind of all around them are representatives from the local maritime
• 16.080><c> local</c> them are representatives from the local them are representatives from the local maritime
• <00:38:16.880><c> industry</c> maritime industry maritime industry uh<00:38:18.560><c> including</c>
• Uh, so can all of the representatives from Young Brothers in the local maritime industry, including a

Transcript Highlights:

• So if they need assistance with any maritime or aviation related search and rescue, they can immediately
• So if they need assistance with any maritime or aviation related search and rescue, they can immediately
• So if they need assistance with any maritime or aviation related search and rescue, they can immediately
• So if they need assistance with any maritime or aviation related search and rescue, they can immediately
• So if they need assistance<00:36:57.920><c> with</c><00:36:58.320><c> any</c><00:36:58.640><c> maritime

Bills: SB2064 , SB2312 , SB2811 , SB2662 , SB2744 , SB2809 , SB2862 , SB2343 , SB2336 , SB2075 , SB2308 , SB2601 , SB2397 , SB2219 , SB2849 , SB2449 , SB2781

Committee: Senate Government Operations

Summary: The committee met for decision-making on measures heard earlier in the week and took up a series of government operations, procurement, public records, public meetings, and related bills. Several measures were deferred one week to February 12, 2026, including bills on state construction projects, government accountability, gubernatorial appointments, the legislature, public procurement, and a bill on Hawaiian lei sales, largely so the committee could compare similar measures, address concerns, or integrate related reports. The committee also deferred SB 2449 on public meetings for the year, citing concerns that the proposed business-day definition was overly prescriptive and unnecessary. The committee passed several bills with amendments. These included measures clarifying UIPA applicability to records created or maintained by agencies, with amendments changing “government function” to “agency function” and committee report language noting Attorney General concerns and exempting ERS for now; SB 2811 on state building projects with technical amendments and a delayed effective date; SB 2809 on budget-related reports; SB 2336 on trees, with a Senate draft and removal of “political subdivision”; SB 2308 on small purchase vendor compliance, setting the threshold at $5,000 and adding a delayed effective date; SB 2601 on procurement, reorganizing misdemeanor language and leaving funding/FTE issues to Ways and Means; SB 2219 on a capital visitor center working group; and SB 2849 on public meetings, with technical amendments and a delayed effective date. Bills on neighborhood board concerns and public notice were also adopted, with SB 2929 drawing testimony both for and against. Testimony was generally supportive on procurement and small business measures, especially SB 2928 establishing permanent small business procurement coordinator positions, which drew strong support from the State Procurement Office, DBEDT, the Chamber of Commerce, DOT, the Ethics Commission, and others. On public notice, the County of Maui supported allowing website posting, while another witness raised concerns about accessibility, centralized notice locations, and impacts on kūpuna and people with disabilities. On search and rescue, the committee heard support for creating a statewide coordination structure, along with discussion of where such an office should reside; the Attorney General raised constitutional and placement concerns, while witnesses suggested law enforcement, DLNR, or DoD as possible homes. The committee also heard support for a bill protecting home addresses of covered public servants and candidates, though the Public First Law Center urged broader coverage and a better fit with existing law.

Transcript Highlights:

• We represent 59 of our counties, and they're assigned to four air, ground, and maritime units.
• Our organizing construct gives the state of Florida year-round, time-sensitive, ground, maritime, and
• We represent 59 of our counties, and they're assigned to four air, ground, and maritime units.
• Our organizing construct gives the state of Florida year-round, time-sensitive, ground, maritime, and
• Our ground, air, maritime, and special missions unit have all been credited with life-saving actions.

Summary: The committee met to hear the Governor’s proposed budget for the Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development silo and to consider one bill. The Governor’s Office outlined a $117.4 billion state budget, including $18.3 billion for the TED area, with major allocations for the Department of Transportation, Commerce, Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, State, Military Affairs, Emergency Management, and the Florida State Guard. Agency heads then presented their priorities, including housing and disaster recovery funds at Commerce; pay, vehicles, aviation, and data systems at Highway Safety; facility modernization, recruitment, retention, and maintenance at Military Affairs; election audit, conservation lab, and historic preservation funding at State; transportation, aviation, seaport, and safety investments at DOT; and emergency response, flood mitigation, grant systems, and alerting at Emergency Management. Members asked questions about Visit Florida’s private match, FHP’s role in immigration enforcement and body cameras, National Guard deployment tempo and staffing, State Guard staffing and facilities, arts grant rules, rail funding, and the number of detainees at the Everglades detention site. Several notable positions were expressed during questioning. Visit Florida said it met and exceeded its private match requirement and described the match as important to ensuring value from public dollars. The Highway Patrol said its aviation assets have been used more heavily in immigration enforcement and that in-vehicle camera systems were a higher priority than body cameras at present. The National Guard and State Guard both emphasized heavy operational demands, readiness needs, and the importance of additional funding for facilities, personnel, and equipment. The Department of State said its audit funding would help counties move to automated post-election audits and that its arts grant rule changes were intended to create more consistent scoring rather than reduce access. The committee then took up CS/SB 48 on accessory dwelling units. The bill requires local governments to allow property owners to voluntarily create ADUs, preserves homestead treatment for the primary residence portion, limits parking restrictions, and extends density bonus incentives to housing for military families receiving basic housing allowance. An amendment was adopted removing reusable tenant screening reports and clarifying that compliant ADUs are allowed by right without a separate hearing or permit. Testimony from the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association supported the bill, especially the long-term rental requirement, as a tool to help workforce housing. The committee reported the bill favorably by a roll call vote, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• representatives from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, as well as Cal Poly Maritime
• Pauley Maritime to the California State Assembly.
• as Tabitha Lee Chan, an international strategy and security major from Pasadena who's attending Maritime
• that advance entrepreneurship, agricultural technology, clean energy, aerospace, defense, and now maritime

Transcript Highlights:

• for Hawaii, and I urge the committee to pass Senate Bill 2400 to help Hawaii lead in sustainable maritime
• Mahalo for your time and maritime tech.
• Maritime Institute, Dave Abrams, in support. Walden, HMSA, in support.
• Maritime Institute, Dave Abrams, Maritime Institute, Dave Abrams, uh<00:32:45.840><c> in</c><00:32:46.159
• A sea glider is a maritime vessel, and the landing space is all around it.

Bills: HB1688 , HB2386 , HB1691 , HB1680 , HB2516 , HB1993 , HB2442 , HB1510 , HB1958 , HB1915 , HB1692 , HB1524 , HB1884 , HB1523 , HB2213 , HB2186 , HB2163 , HB1908 , HB1910

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The committee first took up SB 2699, which would create a youth transit program within DOT and a special fund tied to the environmental response/energy/food security tax fund. The chair described support from several agencies but also noted Attorney General concerns about whether the special fund met statutory criteria, DOE comments requesting a July 1, 2026 effective date, and broader funding concerns because the bill would draw from general fund resources. The chair recommended deferral, saying the measure involved significant long-term costs and needed more work on a funding mechanism. The committee deferred the bill. The committee then heard SB 3182, relating to administrative license revocation procedures. HDOT supported the measure, while the Judiciary opposed the bill as written, citing operational, staffing, fiscal, and mailing burdens from requiring ADLRO to mail all case documents to every respondent within five days. Judiciary said it handles about 3,000 to 4,000 DUI cases annually and would need additional staff and certified-mail costs. Prosecutors from the state and county supported a proposed SD1 version, saying it would address backlog concerns and help DUI enforcement by creating a presumption of revocation. The committee ultimately recommended support and passage of SD1. The committee also heard SB 3313 on interisland air service stability and transformation. The Attorney General warned the bill could be preempted by the federal Airline Deregulation Act and raised constitutional concerns about a local-hire provision. DOTAX said the program would be complicated to administer and suggested third-party certification. No action was taken in the excerpt. The committee then heard SB 3337, which would eliminate state taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel for motor vehicles; HDOT opposed it, while DOTAX provided comments and the Hawaii Transportation Association supported it. The transcript then moved to SB 2896, lowering the minimum age for commercial driving from 19 to 18. HDOT supported the bill, the Hawaii Transportation Association strongly supported it and suggested added training requirements, and an Operating Engineers representative supported the concept but urged that young drivers be tied to apprenticeship or other structured training programs. No vote was shown in the excerpt. Finally, the committee heard SB 2400, which would exempt wing-in-ground craft from the Hawaii Waters Act and define those craft in law. The PUC supported the bill’s intent, and Regent Craft testified in strong support, describing sea gliders as all-electric vessels that could improve interisland access, resiliency, and decarbonization while using existing harbor infrastructure. HTDC and several other groups also supported the measure. Members asked about infrastructure, ports, weather operations, and Coast Guard jurisdiction, and the witness said operators would decide harbor locations and that the company had identified multiple possible ports. No final committee action was included in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires FDOT to identify and prioritize key maritime components in the state's supply chain.
• Has there been consultation with the American Academy of Pediatrics?
• Has there been consultation with the American Academy of Pediatrics?
• the Florida chapter for Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Florida chapter of the American Academy
• of Pediatrics, and the Florida Academy of Family Physicians oppose it.

Bills: S0118 , S0896 , S1690 , S1756

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Keywords: recreational vehicle parks, special assessments, property tax, occupancy rates, commercial assessment, school safety, guardian program, firearms, crimes near schools, security assessments, public postsecondary education, medical freedom, vaccination, ivermectin, healthcare practitioner liability, immunization exemptions

Transcript Highlights:

• representatives from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, as well as Cal Poly Maritime
• Pauley Maritime to the California State Assembly.
• as Tabitha Lee Chan, an international strategy and security major from Pasadena who's attending Maritime
• that advance entrepreneurship, agricultural technology, clean energy, aerospace, defense, and now maritime

Summary: The Assembly met in session, established a quorum, and dispensed with the reading of the previous day’s journal. Members handled routine procedural motions, including permission for guest seating and adjournment-in-memory remarks. A motion by Assemblymember Tangipa to suspend the rules so ACA 12, described as preventing double taxation on roads, could be taken up without reference to file failed on a roll call vote of 17 ayes to 46 noes. The floor then featured several guest introductions and recognitions. Assemblymember Elhawary honored Los Angeles Trade Technical College on its centennial, highlighting its role in accessible education, workforce training, and reentry programs. Assemblymember Addis recognized Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Maritime for Cal Poly’s 125th anniversary and its students and leadership. Assemblymember Haney welcomed representatives from Heel Palestine and six children from Gaza receiving medical care in California, describing the organization’s humanitarian work and the children’s resilience. The remainder of the session was devoted to adjournment-in-memory tributes. Members honored former Congressman Doug LaMalfa, emphasizing his long public service, rural advocacy, and work on agriculture, water, wildfire prevention, and local representation. The Assembly also remembered Alan Stewart Hammond IV for his civil rights and media policy work, and Rob and Michelle Reiner for their contributions to early childhood programs, equality, and public service. The House then adopted the adjournment motion and recessed until Thursday, February 5 at 9 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Whereas the United States is a maritime nation, and the United States Navy serves as a steadfast guardian
• at sea, defending freedom, preserving economic prosperity, and ensuring the protection of vital maritime
• module, will serve as a powerful and versatile asset within the United States naval fleet, advancing maritime
• security... ...asset within the United States Naval Fleet, advancing maritime security and strengthening
• in programs that deepen public understanding of the Navy's global mission and the importance of maritime

Transcript Highlights:

• Our maritime history runs deep.
• Congress declared May 22nd to be National Maritime Day.
• Thank you, Madam Speaker. our state our Maritime history runs deep our state our Maritime history runs
• </c> Department of Transportation Maritime Department of Transportation Maritime Administration<02:06
• </c> have built and sustained haviz Maritime have built and sustained haviz Maritime industry<02:07:09.679

Transcript Highlights:

• today to present Assembly Concurrent Resolution 83, which formally proclaims May 22nd as California Maritime
• California's maritime legacy runs deep, from the port of San Francisco. during the gold rush to the shipyards
• project east of Collinsville in my district is being explored as a potential site for sustainable maritime

Transcript Highlights:

• We represent 59 of our counties, and they're assigned to four air, ground, and maritime units.
• Our organizing construct gives the state of Florida year-round, time-sensitive, ground, maritime, and
• hear law enforcement agencies, directors, and commissioners speak to, especially in the air and maritime
• Our ground, air, maritime, and special missions units have all been credited with life-saving actions
• The maritime equipment and operations, that's sustaining what we currently have and are operating, both

Bills: S0048

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development heard the Governor’s proposed FY 2026-27 budget for the TED silo and presentations from Commerce, Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Military Affairs, the State Guard, State, Transportation, and Emergency Management. The Governor’s office outlined a $117.4 billion overall budget, including $18.3 billion for TED agencies, with major allocations for FDOT, Commerce, emergency management, tourism, military affairs, and state operations. Agency heads emphasized priorities such as housing and disaster recovery, workforce and rural infrastructure, law enforcement recruitment, defense support, tourism marketing, aerospace and spaceport investment, election audits, historic preservation, road and bridge maintenance, aviation safety, and emergency preparedness systems. Members asked several questions about the use and effectiveness of funding. Visit Florida officials said the public-private match is essential and that they exceeded the required match last year. Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles discussed trooper pay, vehicle replacement, aviation support, and transparency tools such as vehicle camera systems, with senators praising the department’s recruitment efforts. Military Affairs and the State Guard described readiness, recruiting, facility construction, and support for domestic missions, including hurricane response and perimeter security at the Everglades detention site; questions focused on deployment tempo, staffing, and costs. The Department of State explained funding for automated election audits, a conservation lab, and historic preservation, and said its arts grant changes were intended to standardize scoring rather than cut programs. Transportation highlighted a $15.4 billion total budget, major work program funding, safety initiatives, seaport and aviation investments, and the elimination of Florida Rail Enterprise funding due to reduced documentary stamp revenues. The committee also heard and passed CS/SB 48 by Senator Gates, which requires local governments to allow accessory dwelling units on a voluntary basis, while preserving local authority over setbacks, construction, and permitting. An amendment removed reusable tenant screening reports and clarified that conforming ADUs are allowed by right without separate hearings. The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and several industry and business groups supported the bill, citing the need for long-term rental housing for workers. After debate, the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably by roll call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, OpenAI we've launched the AI Academy opening. I academy.
• I mean, in my I mean, we're using your I'm not a lot of the state is using a maritime all students with

Transcript Highlights:

• The National Academies of Science, Medicine, and Engineering, the sort of the brightest minds in this
• The National Academies of Science, Medicine, and Engineering, the sort of the brightest minds in this
• So maritime safety and health issues related to long-haul trucking, oil and gas extraction were sort

Summary: The committee heard a report on the Underground Economy Task Force in Washington’s construction industry. Labor and Industries said the task force, created by a 2024 budget proviso, met 11 times and developed consensus recommendations to improve enforcement against worker misclassification, unregistered contractors, and unpaid taxes and premiums. Consensus items included defining and regulating construction labor providers, improving interagency data sharing, increasing penalties for repeat offenders, expanding L&I authority over successor accountability, reviewing agency penalty rules, and exploring tracking of cash payments. Majority-but-not-consensus ideas included posting subcontractor notices at job sites, setting an independent-contractor threshold that would trigger L&I review, holding direct contractors liable for unpaid wages owed by subcontractors, and reviewing reporting requirements. Testifiers from labor, business, and the Attorney General’s Office generally supported stronger enforcement and transparency, while business representatives cautioned against overregulation and said any new rules should avoid burdening legitimate contractors or restricting lawful cash payments and independent contracting. L&I said the final report would be distributed by December 31 and the task force work group would be reconvened. The committee then reviewed the wage recovery work group report. L&I explained current wage complaint procedures and said the work group, made up of labor and business representatives, reached five consensus recommendations: allow L&I to prioritize wage complaints strategically, permit aggregation of related complaints, raise the minimum penalty under the Wage Payment Act from $1,000 to $1,500 and create a penalty matrix, improve employer awareness with materials for new hires, and establish a wage recovery fund. The fund would be seeded by penalties, would not require new employer assessments, and would allow limited early payments to eligible workers facing hardship, with a proposed cap of $2,500 and a later review of the program. Business and labor representatives both supported the overall framework, though business raised concerns about fraud safeguards and recovery of funds if a claim is later found invalid. Members also received an overview of Washington’s apprenticeship system. L&I described the state’s apprenticeship agency structure, the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council, and the difference between Washington’s state apprenticeship standards and the federal Office of Apprenticeship system. The presentation highlighted current participation levels, program approval and objection processes, and strong post-completion outcomes, including median annual earnings above $100,000 and an estimated $7.80 return for every public dollar invested. Committee members asked about how apprentices apply, how sponsors work with L&I, and whether recurring objections could be addressed earlier in the process. Finally, the committee heard updates on wildland firefighter respiratory protection, federal cuts to NIOSH, and economic and federal policy impacts on unemployment insurance and workforce services. L&I said wildland firefighters face significant smoke exposure and cancer risk, but current rules do not require respiratory protection for that work because of technical and operational challenges; the agency is watching efforts in other jurisdictions and at the federal level. On NIOSH, L&I warned that federal staffing and grant cuts could weaken occupational safety research, training pipelines, and programs affecting Washington workers, including firefighter cancer tracking and Hanford exposure assessments. ESD reported rising UI claims, a stable unemployment rate, and pressure on the trust fund, while also describing technology and process changes that have improved claims handling. ESD also said HR1 will significantly increase demand on WorkSource services through new work-search requirements for SNAP and Medicaid recipients, creating an unfunded mandate that the agency is preparing to implement with partner agencies.

Transcript Highlights:

• in support of AJR 9, and I'm proud to represent a district that includes both the San Francisco Maritime
• My stepdaughter graduated from the Naval Academy. He's in pilot school right now.
• My stepson is in the Air Force Academy and he's also going to be a pilot.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh Bill Anderson Maritime support. Uh Bill Anderson Maritime Group.<01:00:59.280><c> Okay.
• Uh, maritime group, Bill Aninsson. Okay.
• Big supporter of Maritime, uh, Hubbers Group, a hugs group.
• Uh, maritime group, Bill sends comments. Uh, maritime group, Bill Aninsson.<01:03:34.720><c> Okay.
• Group,</c><01:03:40.319><c> a</c><01:03:40.480><c> hugs</c> Maritime uh, Hubbers Group, a hugs Maritime

Bills: HB1709 , HB2195 , HB2023 , HB2031 , HB2033 , HB1937 , HB2586 , HB2575 , HB2038 , HB2030

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The joint committees on Transportation, Labor and Technology, and later Transportation and Economic Development and Tourism, heard several bills. SB 2573 would allow administrative driver’s license revocation hearings to be held by interactive conference technology such as Zoom and permit electronic exchange of evidence. The chief adjudicator for the ADLRO supported it as a non-mandatory option that has worked well since 2021, improving attendance and saving time and money; DOT also supported it. The committees voted to pass SB 2573 with technical, non-substantive amendments. SB 3215 would make permanent the requirement that securing mooring lines at commercial docks be performed by labor subject to collective bargaining by repealing the sunset date in existing harbor safety law. DOT did not submit testimony, and the chair noted support from longshore labor. The committees voted to pass SB 3215 unamended. The committees also heard SB 2693, which authorizes $15 million in general obligation bonds for planning, design, and construction of a 50,000-square-foot aerospace hangar and related facilities at Hilo International Airport. A Phoenix Space executive testified in support, saying Hawaii and Hilo have geographic advantages and that the project could support aerospace investment and jobs; several other organizations and individuals submitted supportive testimony. Committee members questioned whether federal matching funds or airport capacity existed, and DOT said it had no assurance of federal participation and would need to check on capacity and potential users. The hearing then moved to SB 2698, which would create a cruise ship special fund and impose a per-passenger head fee on cruise ships docking in state commercial harbors while repealing the existing cruise ship TAT framework effective January 1, 2026. DOT supported the bill but requested amendments to clarify that the new fee is in addition to existing passenger, port entry, and dockage fees and to raise the fee from $6.50 to $10; DOT said the higher amount would better fund harbor improvements such as shore power. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings testified in support but said the added fee would significantly increase costs, while a local ship supply business supported the cruise industry and opposed the TAT approach, saying cruise activity benefits local farmers and jobs. No final vote on SB 2698 was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I attend Caravel Academy, and I'm proud to be representing Girl State as the House Minority Leader.
• the purposes of this bill, firearms do not include antique firearms as defined under federal law, maritime
• the purposes of this bill, firearms do not include antique firearms as defined under federal law, maritime
• the purposes of this bill, firearms do not include antique firearms as defined under federal law, maritime
• It's defined under federal law, maritime flare guns, or construction tools.

Transcript Highlights:

• It specifically calls out representatives from the maritime industry in different varieties of maritime
• It specifically calls out representatives from the maritime industry in different varieties of maritime
• </c><01:13:33.719><c> in</c><01:13:33.920><c> different</c><01:13:34.639><c> um</c> from the maritime
• of Maritime industry um but varieties of Maritime industry um but basically<01:13:38.120><c> take</c
• </c> in the community with a maritime in the community with a maritime interest<01:13:43.400><c> uh</

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• Coast Guard really has so much accolades and successes going on daily, not just here in our maritime
• </c><00:34:42.800><c> here</c><00:34:43.119><c> in</c><00:34:43.359><c> our</c><00:34:43.679><c> maritime
• </c> on daily, not just here in our maritime on daily, not just here in our maritime borders<00:34:44.639
• my</c> It is also my privilege to honor our Coast Guard, a service that plays a crucial role in maritime

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires FDOT to identify key maritime...
• It requires FDOT to identify key maritime...
• It requires FDOT to identify key maritime...
• It requires FDOT to identify key maritime components in the state's supply chain to strengthen and expand
• the state's maritime industrial base.

Bills: S0260 , S1220 , S1352 , S1362 , S1370

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee heard several bills, beginning with SB 1362 on advanced air mobility. Senator Harrell described the bill as a framework for vertiports and eVTOL aircraft, but an amendment removed the sales tax exemptions and narrowed the sovereign immunity provisions to vertiports co-located at airports. Supporters said the bill would help Florida lead in emerging aviation technology, while opponents and some members raised concerns about safety, local control, and extending immunity to unproven facilities. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also considered SB 260 on storage of damaged electric vehicles. The bill, as amended, would allow local governments to set a daily administrative fee of up to three times the normal rate for storing EVs with visible battery damage or saltwater intrusion, reflecting fire-safety spacing requirements. Testimony from insurers, towing interests, and fleet operators focused on whether the fee was justified, whether cleanup language could lead to cost shifting, and whether more data reporting should be required. The amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. Members then approved SB 1352, which creates a secure online portal for license plate seizures and related DMV functions, preserves disabled veterans’ plate designations, prohibits license plate covers that obscure plates, and routes online license and ID renewals through county tax collectors. SB 1370 was also reported favorably; it closes a loophole so drivers who never obtained a license can still face habitual traffic offender penalties after repeated offenses. Finally, the committee took up SB 1220, a broad FDOT transportation package. After amendment, it retained provisions on trails, SunTrail, seaports, airports, drone delivery, autonomous vehicle protections, and FDOT coordination on federal funding, while removing the digital driver’s license provision and the rapid rail compact language. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably.