Transcript Highlights:

• > for<00:30:57.760> our We want continuous improvement for our We want continuous improvement
• <00:41:57.599> literacy report early improvements in literacy report early improvements in
• <01:04:02.160> the HF 3421 is a move towards improving the HF 3421 is a move towards improving
• of<01:05:17.599> teacher improves the preparation of teacher improves the preparation
• specifically on improving mathematics. specifically on improving mathematics.

Bills: HF3421

Keywords: early literacy, reading instruction, teacher preparation, teacher candidates, teacher licensure, educator licensing, Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, PELSB, field experience, supervised practicum, evidence-based reading, science of reading, literacy methods, teacher training, preservice teachers, school-based experience, reading intervention, Minnesota education policy, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Number one is to improve the quantity and quality of fish and wildlife habitat in and surrounding the
• birding, boating, boat access and parking areas, as well as improved access by paddle craft and small
• As you've heard this project will improve water storage and flood water management.
• I spent most of my career developing capital improvement projects that reduce flood risk and improve
• I spent most of my career developing capital improvement projects that reduce flood risk and improve

Transcript Highlights:

• -29 if we think that our schools are going to improve in the meantime?
• 29, if we think that our schools are going to improve in the meantime?
• I am all for, and, you know, the rigor required improving just education overall.
• It took a lot of noise when this happened, and it's going to be a great improvement.
• This is going to help our students succeed and improve their scores, right?

Summary: The Education Administration Subcommittee heard and advanced a series of education bills focused on transparency, accountability, attendance, school start times, student well-being, and career planning. HB 1321, by Rep. Salsman, would remove public-records and public-meeting exemptions for university presidential searches, eliminate the Board of Governors from those searches, require Board of Governors members to file full financial disclosures and be Florida residents, and expand syllabus posting requirements; it passed 15-0. HB 1079, by Rep. Botana, as amended, broadened eligibility for dropout retrieval programs to include students who withdrew and did not reengage in education, and it also passed 15-0 after a strike-all amendment and supportive testimony from a program provider. The committee also approved PCS for HB 969, by Rep. Kassel, which shifts evaluation of school mental health services to the Department of Children and Families and requires more detailed outcome data, surveys, and reporting related to the Mental Health Assistance Allocation program; it passed 15-0. HB 1367, by Rep. Booth, creates a statewide attendance policy with uniform definitions and reporting requirements to address chronic absenteeism; it passed 15-1 after support from business and education groups and some concern about state control over district policy. PCS for HB 261, by Rep. Gerwig, revises the 2023 middle and high school start-time law by allowing districts to document compliance efforts and unintended consequences rather than fully meet the mandated later start times; it passed 16-0. The most debated bill was HB 1483, by Rep. Valdez, which would align Florida’s school grading scale with the familiar 90/80/70/60 letter-grade standard over a five-year transition and require school grades to appear on student report cards. Supporters argued the current scale is misleading and too lenient, while opponents warned it would sharply increase failing school labels, create costs and turnaround mandates, and confuse parents and students. Despite extensive testimony from school board members, teachers, students, and advocacy groups on both sides, the bill passed 12-4. The committee then quickly approved HB 1245, a one-year Hunger-Free Campus Pilot Program for three universities with the highest share of Pell-eligible students, and HB 571, which expands career planning, paid work experience, and credit-transfer review for students; both passed unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• Before releasing our models, we also engage in third- Improve the model's usability.
• So we're seeing improvements. ...we're seeing improvements on a level of just like help desk and contact
• What kind of process did you see improved? And Ms. Lee, you feel free to chime in.
• What processes improve because of AI? What exactly end result was provided?
• What processes improve because of AI? What exactly end result was provided?

Summary: The subcommittee met to hear a panel discussion on artificial intelligence and automation in Florida government. Panelists from Worldwide Technology, OpenAI, the James Madison Institute, and the Florida Digital Service described AI as a tool to improve efficiency, constituent services, fraud detection, translation, HR workflows, public safety, and regulatory review, while emphasizing that AI should supplement rather than replace workers. They also stressed the importance of data readiness, workforce training, governance, and having existing technology systems and policies in place before broader deployment. Members asked about public records concerns, vendor vetting, model integrity, and how to balance innovation with privacy and security. Chief Schoonover said agencies are already using or exploring AI in areas such as Medicaid analysis, environmental data, emergency management, tax forms, and child support, and noted that the Digital Service publishes prohibited vendor and application lists. OpenAI discussed its red teaming, safety evaluations, privacy controls, and government products such as ChatGPT Gov, and said it does not train on personal data or target users with ads. The committee also discussed concrete examples of efficiency gains, including reduced call times, faster translation turnaround, and streamlined HR classification work, as well as concerns about job disruption and constituent access. In closing, members raised data center infrastructure and energy needs, with panelists noting that AI depends on substantial compute, power, cooling, and utility capacity. The chair concluded by encouraging continued dialogue and noting that future AI legislation should be targeted to specific problems rather than overly broad.

Transcript Highlights:

• So in the public improvement law, when the public improvement hits a threshold, then you're required
• public improvement requires those plans.
• Improvement in the procurement method and how they're scored.
• And so how do we get some dialogue going to improve the process?
• And so how do we get some dialogue going to improve the process?

Summary: The task force reviewed survey results from state agencies on potential statutory revisions, with Levi reporting 70 proposals from 20 agencies and noting that about 33 might become agency pre-file bills. Members discussed the need to share the survey more broadly within higher education and to better coordinate issues involving IT and other cross-agency functions. The task force then heard from the Office of Management and Budget on three topics: concessions, architect/engineering pre-qualification, and legal notices. OMB said the concessions law is outdated and inconsistent with current practice, and suggested a collaborative rewrite to allow best-value evaluation, raise the threshold, and standardize solicitation templates. On architect/engineering pre-qualification, OMB proposed expanding authority beyond current state-agency limits and creating uniform templates. On legal notices, OMB proposed modernizing publication requirements, exploring online and abbreviated notices, and working with newspapers and other stakeholders on technology and accessibility improvements. Members asked about where concession revenues go, whether political subdivisions must follow the same rules, and how to move from discussion to action. The task force agreed to have OMB work with Legislative Council and affected stakeholders to develop bill drafts, and the motion passed unanimously. The University of North Dakota then presented a series of proposed revisions focused on public buildings and procurement. UND asked to rework the definition of construction so routine maintenance and one-for-one replacements over $250,000 would not automatically trigger public-improvement requirements, suggested raising the threshold to $500,000, and asked for more flexibility based on project complexity and risk. UND also proposed changes to public bid advertisements to reflect electronic bidding, revisions to construction manager-at-risk selection criteria, changes to architect/engineer procurement rules, an increase in the direct-hire design threshold, and a higher legislative-consent threshold for privately funded projects. The task force supported having UND work with counsel and OMB to develop bill drafts, and that motion also passed. The Department of Public Instruction concluded with proposed cleanup to credentialing and education statutes. DPI recommended reviewing its credential categories for relevance, possibly transferring credentialing authority to the Education Standards and Practices Board, removing outdated school safety patrol language, clarifying waiver provisions, and updating dyslexia screening reporting requirements so the statute reflects current practice. Members focused mainly on whether the dyslexia reporting requirement should remain, and DPI said the screening itself would continue even if reporting language were revised. No votes were taken on DPI’s suggestions, and the task force recessed after the presentation.

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• plan so welcome please Improvement plan so welcome please introduce<00:26:09.320> yourselves<
• <00:26:43.600> program the hospital rate Improvement program the hospital rate Improvement
• <00:43:33.000> in maybe uh you know great Improvement in maybe uh you know great Improvement
• Well, we're always happy to partner with you and others on improving our health care in Kentucky.
• Thank you so much. others on um improving our health care others on um improving our health care in<00

Keywords: 00:00 Call to Order/Roll Call 00:16 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations 25:49 Discussion of Hospital Rate Improvement Plan 58:50 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee began by reviewing a large slate of administrative regulations and explaining that it does not approve regulations but can find them deficient and send them back for further work. Members then asked questions on several items, including EMS reciprocity, dental hygienist licensure, and interpreter licensure. The EMS board explained that reciprocity would extend to applicants from any state, not just contiguous states, because the underlying statute had been amended. On the dental regulation, staff said the changes mainly clarified licensure requirements, reinstatement fees, and that dental hygienists administering local anesthetic must do so under direct dentist supervision. The most extended discussion involved the Board of Interpreters for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The board chair said the main concern was that the EIPA is an educational specialty assessment, not a nationally recognized certification, yet the regulation would allow it to support full licensure. Members discussed whether that could let educational interpreters work outside their intended scope and whether a separate educational license or statutory change would be more appropriate. The board said it did not think the regulation could be fixed further at this point and suggested a statute could create a narrower educational interpreter license. After discussion, the committee voted to defer both related interpreter regulations, 201 KAR 39:030 and the companion regulation, for further work. The committee then took up two community mental health regulations, 907 KAR 1:044 and 907 KAR 5:005, which had been found deficient in Administrative Regulations. Department for Medicaid Services staff said the rules would expand and rename the mental health associate role as a behavioral health associate, making the role available in many more facilities, but would also require additional coursework or progress toward licensure. Some members and providers raised access-to-care concerns, especially for rural areas and unlicensed staff already working in the field. Staff said the proposal had been revised through work with CMHCs and licensing boards, but the committee ultimately voted to defer both regulations as well. After finishing the regulation review, the committee heard a presentation from the Kentucky Hospital Association on the ATRIP hospital rate improvement program. Hospital representatives said ATRIP is a Medicaid state-directed payment program funded through a provider tax and federal matching dollars, allowing hospitals to receive payments tied to quality measures. They reported improvements including lower Medicaid readmissions, high sepsis screening rates, reduced infections and opioid prescribing, expanded postpartum depression and suicide screening, and training for more than 1,000 people. They said the program has helped hospitals invest in staffing and quality improvement and warned that without it, many hospitals would face severe financial strain.

Transcript Highlights:

• quality for nursing home residents, improving prenatal outcomes, landing that explain, improving fiscal
• requirement for management, improve patient air and access to services.
• And I ask that you join me in improving access to high-quality health care for all Floridians.
• And this bill focuses on improving the care enrolled in Medicaid and the CHIP program as well.
• I would like to work with the sponsor to improve it. I will contingent leave a very weak.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• nature of our pension the improving nature of our pension funds.<00:20:59.320> I<00:20:59.440
• Um, and so, we have seen improvement.
• In 2025, the Texas legislature addressed this by classifying geothermal systems as public improvement
• <00:24:58.200> projects, as public improvement projects, as public improvement projects, unlocking
• So, the definition of improvement.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But access at apartment complexes has improved tremendously.
• our stormwater system to maintain our dams, to improve our drains, to improve that efficiency, and again
• So part of that funding is going to be used to improve our drain system, and not just improve the drains
• I'm always looking at innovative ways in which we can improve our processes and improve our systems so
• ways to improve their energy efficiency and their comfort.

Transcript Highlights:

• A contractor pitches a no-cost upgrade or rebate-backed improvement. Sometimes solar panels.
• So, in this, there's kind of like all home improvements, right?
• Obviously, it's not all home improvements; it's the ones that are financed.
• I do have a remaining concern, and it's related to non-home improvement services.
• I remember going through a situation at one of the big home improvement stores down the street.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The restoration times were improved.
• , and improved vegetation management.
• Reliability improvement, so 2019 versus 2024.
• Another improvement in our reliability metrics—Sadie, Katie, and Mayfee—those are the improvements in
• And the differences in the improvements in... Audited.

Summary: The committee met to hear invited presentations on storm recovery and storm protection from the Florida Public Service Commission, Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy, Tampa Electric, Chesapeake Utilities, and the Office of Public Counsel. The PSC reviewed the history of storm restoration financing and utility hardening efforts after major storms such as Hurricane Andrew, the 2004-05 hurricane seasons, Irma, and Michael, explaining storm reserve funds, storm recovery bonds, and the current three-year storm protection plan process. The commission’s role in approving plans and later reviewing prudence of actual costs was emphasized, along with the types of work included in the plans such as vegetation management, pole replacement, undergrounding, feeder hardening, and substation flood protection. The utilities described their own storm-hardening investments and recent storm performance. FPL said it has spent about $4.9 billion on storm protection and recovery-related efforts, highlighted improved restoration times during Helene and Milton, and said it is expanding undergrounding, feeder hardening, and smart-grid technology. Duke Energy reported more than 40,000 hardened poles and structures since 2021, major gains from self-healing grid technology, and faster restoration during recent storms. Tampa Electric described a roughly $200 million annual storm protection effort, including vegetation management, undergrounding, substation hardening, and new storm surge protections, and Chesapeake Utilities discussed its smaller-scale hardening program, vegetation work, pole replacement, and rapid restoration after Helene in Nassau County. Committee members asked about how utilities prioritize neighborhoods for lateral hardening, whether maps of planned projects could be shared, how much each utility has spent on undergrounding and hardening, and how reliability comparisons are normalized against the national average. Public Counsel Walt Trierweiler argued that storm recovery and hardening costs fall too heavily on investor-owned utility customers, said the current framework lacks a meaningful cost-benefit or prudence check at the planning stage, and urged broader sharing of storm costs because the benefits extend to the whole state. Senators also discussed whether the commission can review the reasonableness of approved programs and whether future reports or recommendations from Public Counsel would be helpful. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• > to<00:08:53.440> have improved focus and tend to have improved focus and tend to have
• <00:10:05.519> their impact on reducing or improving their impact on reducing or improving
• A part of improving across the board.
• <00:37:42.640> rates as well as continuing to improve rates as well as continuing to improve
• with school was improved with school was improved at<00:54:16.720> least<00:54:16.960>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We share the author's goal of improving safety and youth sports.
• It improves that coordination.
• AB 1629 makes practical, targeted improvements to change that.
• How does it improve it?
• So the answer is it doesn't improve it.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:01:49.680> and process Improvement and process Improvement and compliance<00:01:51.840
• <00:02:09.560> mindset with a continuous Improvement mindset with a continuous Improvement
• <00:02:35.720> the<00:02:35.920> lives<00:02:36.239> of improve the lives of improve
• or imp improve compliance with care or imp improve compliance with our<00:52:41.319> requirements<
• continuous Improvement continuous Improvement project<00:57:41.359> um<00:57:42.160> I

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• presenting its recent reports on reducing non-emergency use of emergency systems and, secondly, improving
• Please introduce yourselves and take us through how we can improve CARES programs.
• population health, to reduce non-emergency use of emergency systems, improve population health, and
• We conducted this audit because CARES programs can improve patient outcomes.
• Whether any adjustments need to be made to further improve performance.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee’s Initiative 900 subcommittee held a hybrid public hearing on two State Auditor performance audits. The first audit examined efforts to reduce non-emergency use of emergency systems through CARES programs. Auditors reported that Washington has 52 fire-agency-led CARES programs in 26 counties, but many communities without programs said they need one. Major barriers included unstable funding, difficulty hiring qualified staff, volunteer-based rural departments, and lack of statewide guidance. The audit also found that only about half of programs tracked both required performance measures, and it recommended that the legislature consider private insurance reimbursement options and convene a statewide work group to develop guidance, standards, and possible changes to the role of the Department of Health. Agency representatives and fire officials largely supported the findings and emphasized that short-term grants and one-year contracts make programs hard to sustain. Committee discussion focused heavily on financing, especially Medicaid reimbursement and accountable communities of health (ACHs). Auditors clarified that the 10% figure cited in the report referred to direct Medicaid reimbursement for treat-and-refer services, which some agencies do not pursue because the $115 rate is too low relative to the administrative effort. Several fire officials testified that their programs rely on grants and ACH support, but that funding is often year-to-year and uncertain. They also described the value of CARES programs in reducing emergency room use, jail detentions, and long ambulance wait times, while noting barriers to sharing patient records across systems. Members asked whether the new public safety sales tax authority could help, but fire district representatives said it is not a direct funding option for them. The second audit reviewed performance management in the Department of Commerce’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness. Auditors found that the division does not yet have a statewide economic development strategic plan and that performance management is inconsistent across its 16 programs. In a limited review, all six sampled programs had goals, but only half clearly identified performance measures and targets, and only three tracked outcomes and published results. The audit highlighted leading practices from other states, including strategic planning, regular progress reporting, aligning program goals with agency goals, and using performance-based contracts and grant monitoring. Recommendations urged Commerce to seek stakeholder input, assess internal and external conditions, set goals and measures, align programs with the strategy, and strengthen monitoring and evaluation. Commerce officials agreed with the audit and said the division is already working toward a strategic plan, with a new assistant director to be hired and a target of completing the work by mid-next year. Members pressed the department on how the plan would connect to workforce, higher education, housing, and other economic development systems, and asked Commerce to return to JLARC next year with progress updates. The meeting ended with instructions for submitting written public comments and notice of the next JLARC meeting schedule.

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• Minnesota is a state committed to helping people, and we're committed to providing services that improve
• Minnesota is a state committed to helping people, and we're committed to providing services that improve
• This will improve consistency.
• it creates improve consistency it creates efficiencies<00:06:17.160> across<00:06:17.520>
• We want to make sure that we're continuing to strive to improve all that we do.

Keywords: 1183, house

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• building was severely needed for the community to allow us to adequately serve our residents and improve
• serve our residents and improve serve our residents and improve accessibility<00:04:52.720> it's
• solutions that will support improvements solutions that will support improvements to<00:30:00.480
• units duct work ventilation improvements units duct work ventilation improvements roof<01:05:06.319
• safety upgrades and school improve safety upgrades and school improve Improvement<01:05:42.880><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

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• And I will say we are greatly pleased with the improvements made to this bill overall.
• Some areas of improvement: multi-year contract.
• An area of improvement also related to the internal auditor: we do agree the internal auditor at the
• And so we do like the improvements. We do think it's come a long way.
• That is still a yearly requirement. improvements. Thank you.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present and first took up SB 124, which updates Florida Virtual School statutes to remove outdated language, clarify governance and funding provisions, authorize a direct support organization, streamline reporting, and clarify district responsibilities for student assessments. Senator Berman asked about the removed enrollment prioritization and reporting changes, and the bill sponsor explained that the reporting was largely duplicative of existing audits and other reports. Florida Virtual School’s representative testified in support, saying the school is open to all students statewide with no enrollment caps or waiting lists. SB 124 was reported favorably by a unanimous roll call vote. The committee then considered confirmation appointments in tabs 3 and 4 and recommended confirmation of all appointees on a single favorable vote. After that, the committee heard SB 320 on administrative efficiency in public schools, which would reduce district mandates, expand teacher apprenticeship and multi-year contracts, create a 10-year renewable professional certificate, simplify testing and accountability rules, increase flexibility for district finances and facilities planning, and shift oversight of district-run VPK programs to school districts. Senators Gaetz and Berman questioned the impact on charter school funding, capital dollars, teacher contracts, and how the bill differed from last year’s version. The sponsor said charter schools would retain access to operational funds, the bill does not eliminate annual audits, and the main substantive change from last year was the multi-year teacher contract provision. Several organizations and district representatives waived in support of SB 320, while Florida Citizens Alliance testified in information, praising some testing and licensure changes but suggesting a cap on multi-year contracts and outside auditing safeguards. The sponsor closed by emphasizing that districts would still be subject to annual audits and that the bill is intended to give schools more flexibility and reduce bureaucracy. SB 320 was reported favorably on a roll call vote, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1 also provides $1.2 billion for infrastructure improvements.
• We use those funds to improve the indigent defense system and cover essential operational costs. improve
• One of which is to help improve our services and efficiency.
• We're going to need several more improvements.
• This continuous improvement ensures a higher quality of representation.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

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• That's over all of our construction projects and our utility infrastructure improvements.
• And the landscape and hardscape plan, we're about halfway through total improvement on the campus.
• If you haven't toured it recently, it's definitely worth a trip there to see how much improvement has
• Our 529 program has improved immensely. The 529 program has improved immensely.
• FAU continues to improve in its national rankings.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to hear confirmation testimony for a large slate of university and state college trustees. Most of the discussion centered on the nominees’ backgrounds, ties to their institutions, and priorities such as student success, workforce development, financial sustainability, research growth, housing, and maintaining or improving university rankings. Several University of Florida trustees emphasized campus improvements, “One UF” integration, institutional neutrality, and ambitions to move UF into the top tier nationally. Other nominees highlighted goals for Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, UCF, Florida State, Florida Poly, the Florida Prepaid College Board, and several state colleges, with recurring themes of affordability, economic mobility, cybersecurity, and keeping Florida students in-state for college and careers. Public testimony was heard on the Florida A&M appointment, where Elijah Hooks spoke in opposition to the current administration and described his expulsion, arrest, and trespass from the university after protesting the selection of President Marva Johnson. During questioning of FAU nominee Tina Vidal-Duart, senators asked about her prior service on the Hope Florida Foundation board and about reports concerning CDR Health’s contracting practices; she said she was not aware of the foundation issues at the time and noted that CDR’s state contract was a flat daily rate, so subcontractor pricing affected only the company’s internal margins. Other nominees received little or no questioning. At the end of the meeting, the committee voted to confirm all nominees except Tina Vidal-Duart separately. Senator Bracy Davis requested the separate vote and opposed her confirmation, citing concerns related to her Hope Florida Foundation board service. Despite that objection, the committee ultimately voted to report Vidal-Duart favorably as well. The committee also noted that one University of West Florida nominee would be taken up at a later hearing because he was unable to attend.