Transcript Highlights:

• Jennifer Ashton with the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, waving in support.
• Jennifer Ashton with the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, waving in support.
• Jennifer Ashton with the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, waving in support.

Summary: The Insurance and Banking Subcommittee met with a quorum present and heard four bills. HB 1231, relating to final disposition, funeral, and cemetery services, was presented as a consumer protection and workforce modernization measure. After questions about hospice/funeral provider exclusivity, direct disposal licensing, causes of action, and funeral director/embalmer licensure, the bill was amended by strike-all to remove some provisions and add authorization and regulation of natural organic reduction. Support came from funeral industry representatives, and the bill was reported favorably with the committee substitute. HB 943 would require Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to create a commercial lines clearinghouse by January 1, 2027, to move certain commercial residential and other commercial risks into the private market while maintaining current eligibility rules. The sponsor and members discussed Citizens’ remaining commercial exposure, surplus lines participation, and carrier financial-strength guardrails. A strike-all amendment conforming to the Senate version and making technical corrections was adopted, and the bill passed favorably with the committee substitute after supportive debate from members. HB 1221, a Department of Financial Services bill, was described as streamlining DFS processes, improving licensing, updating the My Safe Florida Home Program, strengthening public adjuster protections, and modernizing unclaimed property rules. Three amendments were adopted: notice before a My Safe Florida Home application is deemed abandoned, removal of a misdemeanor disclosure requirement for certain licensure applicants, and a provision allowing public officials to appoint or promote relatives to firefighter positions through a competitive process in a collective bargaining agreement. Testimony was generally supportive, including from firefighters and unclaimed-property claimants’ representatives, and the bill was reported favorably with a committee substitute. HB 99, concerning reinsurance intermediary managers, would exempt certain underwriting managers handling limited facultative reinsurance business from the intermediary manager statute and instead require an agency license. With no public testimony or debate, the bill was reported favorably. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• DHS's Office of Inspector General oversees 390,000 providers. 142 of those are entities.
• DHS's Office of Inspector General oversees 390,000 providers. 142 of those are entities.
• 44.240> time-based statute with guidance for time-based statute with guidance for time-based codes
• the<00:15:46.319> Minnesota<00:15:46.959> Department<00:15:47.519> of codes
• from the Minnesota Department of codes from the Minnesota Department of Health<00:15:48.839> Rule

Bills: HF1470, HF1310, HF1837

Keywords: opioids, substance use, addiction recovery, mental health, state cabinet, HF1310, Office of Cannabis Management, cannabis, marijuana, tribal consultation, government-to-government relationship, Minnesota tribes, Tribal governments, state government, consultation, rulemaking, Indian affairs, cannabis regulation, tribal sovereignty, state-tribal relations

Transcript Highlights:

• Bar code 253189. You're recognized for amendment number one.
• Inspector Generals come to the prisons and talk to people and say 'let's keep it tight.'
• Amendment number one, bar code 237943.
• That's the bar code amendment number one. Sir, you're recognized to explain your amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a Senate staffer and Hill staffer, I benefited greatly from reading Inspector General reports in which
• increase off the table because what I want to do in the third step is simplify and rationalize the tax code
• Size the tax code, and one thing I found is there's nothing simple about doing that.
• The rest of it is mandatory spending and is spent under the tax code, as Senator Johnson pointed out.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have inspectors and investigators in each of those locations that ensure that everything is being
• So I'm going to call code enforcement. I don't think they have a business license.
• available to any local government that reaches out and is asking us for our take on any ordinance or code
• letter. to any local government that reaches out and is asking us for our take on any ordinance or code

Summary: The Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee met to hear a panel on the prosecution and enforcement of illegal gaming in Florida. The chair opened with a video showing seized machines at a Florida Gaming Control Commission warehouse and described the scale of illegal operations. Panelists included the commission’s executive director, local sheriffs and police officials, and state attorneys from several counties, who described widespread illegal slot-machine locations, often in strip malls or convenience-store-type settings, and said the machines are typically used in organized criminal activity rather than legitimate amusement gaming. Witnesses repeatedly said the current penalty structure is ineffective because possession and operation of illegal slot machines are generally second-degree misdemeanors, which they described as too minor to deter operators who can quickly reopen after paying fines or completing diversion. They said enforcement is resource-intensive, requiring undercover work, search warrants, machine seizure, storage, forensic review, and long prosecutions, often while the same operators reopen elsewhere. Several panelists cited associated crimes such as robberies, firearms offenses, prostitution, drug activity, human trafficking, and at least some homicides tied to illegal gaming locations. Members also asked about the difference between legal amusement devices and illegal slot machines, online gambling, illegal horse racing, local licensing and ordinances, and whether manufacturers or distributors could be pursued. The commission and prosecutors said legal slot machines are limited to specific regulated locations and that lawful amusement machines lack a material element of chance. They said many illegal machines are imported or reworked versions of gaming devices and that upstream accountability is difficult under current law. Panelists also discussed cooperation with licensed casinos, tribal gaming entities, and local governments, noting that some local ordinances have tried to permit or limit these businesses. The main policy takeaway from the panel was a call to increase penalties, likely to felony-level offenses, and to consider stronger forfeiture and enforcement tools. No vote or formal action was taken at the meeting, and the chair adjourned after thanking the panelists.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:35:16.800> the<00:35:16.960> inspector<00:35:17.359> is<00:35:17.520> going
• the inspector is going to have to right?
• I mean, in my mind, yes, it would be there has to be some type of convenience cost for that inspector
• Authorize DOT, the department, to appoint up to three inspectors to support the pilot program.
• Seeing none, recommendation is adopted. inspectors to support the pilot program. inspectors to support

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Transportation heard several vehicle and traffic safety measures. HB 2347, which would require the director of transportation to adopt rules allowing mobile vehicle safety inspections, drew support from DOT and individual testifiers who said it would add convenience and efficiency for passenger vehicle owners. Committee members questioned how home or driveway inspections would handle safety standards such as headlight checks and whether added convenience would come with higher costs; DOT also said it would follow up on inspection fees and audit procedures. HB 182, which would exempt motorcycles and passenger cars from safety inspections, received opposition from DOT, the Hawaii Police Department, and the City and County of Honolulu Department of Customer Services, with Grassroot Institute in support. HB 2022, which would equalize county and state annual vehicle registration fees, was opposed by the Hawaii Transportation Association because it would raise costs that would likely be passed on to consumers. The committee also took testimony on HB 1708, which would make operating a vehicle under the influence at a high intoxication level a class C felony and add probation requirements. Prosecutors, police, DOT, and the Honolulu customer services department supported the bill, while the Public Defender’s Office opposed it, arguing that it would increase court workload, require more defense resources, and create collateral consequences, including possible immigration impacts. Several witnesses and members discussed a proposed HD1 that would change the bill to a graduated penalty structure, making a first offense a misdemeanor and a second offense a felony, while also addressing deferred pleas and DUI deferrals. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office supported the bill’s intent but warned that Oahu lacks a reliable electronic or telephonic warrant system, which could lead to more refusals and additional court impacts. HB 2086, which would amend negligent injury in the first degree to include injuries negligently inflicted by intoxicated drivers, received support from DOT, county prosecutors, police, and the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office. Honolulu’s prosecutor supported the bill but recommended against the attached HD1, saying the current drafting better preserves negligent injury as a lesser included offense and avoids blending it with a separate statutory scheme. HB 2154, which would create a framework for intelligent speed assist technology and require a report to the legislature, was supported by DOT, county police, Smart Start LLC, AAA Hawaii, and others, with the Alliance for Automobile Innovation offering comments and proposed amendments. A testifier described the bill as a way to prevent repeat speeding by limiting vehicles from accelerating beyond the speed limit. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• care provider claims with an estimated value of $10,000 or more to be referred to the Office of Inspector
• care provider claims with an estimated value of $10,000 or more to be referred to the Office of Inspector
• So, when working with the Office of Inspector General Audits and Investigation, we put those parameters
• <00:25:54.279> General<00:25:55.279> seems kicked up to the Inspector General seems
• kicked up to the Inspector General seems like<00:25:55.679> that's<00:25:55.840> an<00

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the minutes, and then reviewed a long agenda of administrative regulations, most of which were advanced with staff-suggested amendments and no objection. Early items included the Kentucky Public Pension Authority’s 105 KAR 1:451, which updates reporting language and adds the contractor wizard for certain employers, and a large package of Board of Veterinary Examiners regulations that revise fees, facility and AHP registration requirements, continuing education, liability, and practice rules. The Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology’s compact-related regulation and the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors’ complaint and compact rules were also reviewed and approved with amendments, along with fish and wildlife rules affecting elk hunting, youth deer season length, bear-dog approvals, and foxhound enclosure permits. The committee also approved transportation, education, workplace standards, horse racing, and several health and human services regulations, including Medicaid waiver reimbursement updates and a child care regulation that sends certain large claims to the Office of Inspector General for review. Several agencies briefly explained their regulations when members asked questions. Fish and Wildlife said the elk population is strong and the baiting change is intended to support harvest monitoring and fair chase, while the longer youth deer season was meant to give young hunters more opportunity. The Department of Community-Based Services said the $10,000 and $5,000 claim thresholds were meant to clarify rare cases involving possible fraud or unresolved recoupment issues. The Department of Financial Institutions’ 808 KAR 5:305 drew the most discussion: it would allow certain state-chartered credit unions with a low-income designation to participate in federal programs, including limited non-member deposits and supplemental capital, but the regulation was deferred again amid continued discussions. The Kentucky Bankers Association testified against the credit union regulation, arguing that allowing non-member deposits conflicts with existing statute limiting credit union deposits to members and other credit unions, and that an administrative regulation cannot override that statutory restriction. Committee members heard the agency’s explanation that the proposal is intended to help underserved communities and that the non-member deposit authority would be limited, but no final action was taken because the item was deferred. The meeting otherwise concluded with the remaining regulations being called, discussed briefly, and approved or advanced without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, which again covers 75% of the cost
• their job nor in the inspector their job nor in the inspector independent<00:29:31.320> inspector
• independent inspector shouldn't do that. independent inspector shouldn't do that.
• <00:31:48.160> General's<00:31:48.680> Office the DHS Inspector General's Office the
• DHS Inspector General's Office um<00:31:50.120> in<00:31:50.240> terms<00:31:50.560>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He has fired inspectors general across the federal government.
• He has fired inspectors general across the federal government.
• He has fired inspectors general across the federal government.
• He has fired inspectors general across the federal government.
• He has fired inspectors general across the federal government.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And you'll see on each of these products, there's a QR code.
• And the QR code... Works on this one. This is legit. This is Madison.
• I think if I hit the QR code, I’d find out more information.
• Code, that gets destroyed as it happened in my shop.
• Want to be able to scan a QR code.

Bills: HB28, SB3, SB 3

Keywords: hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, state health, youth protection, licensing fees, criminal offenses, flash flood, flood warning, outdoor warning siren, emergency alert, disaster preparedness, flood mitigation, Hill Country floods, Texas Water Development Board, municipalities, counties, local government mandate, public safety, grant program

Transcript Highlights:

• And so those our construction codes.
• We've seen and uh our building code We've seen and uh our building code officials<00:34:57.359><
• , specific task related to building codes, specific task related to building codes, energy<00:51:
• code and the commercial<00:54:48.720> code<00:54:49.119> and<00:54:49.359> then
• >> State Building Code Council. >> State Building Code Council.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, neither New Mexico statute or code actually defines the term orphaned well.
• One of the recommendations is having a specific inspector or a company man reporting daily from the site
• We do have inspectors who will drop in periodically. We do not have staff on site every single day.
• The use of the statewide price agreement is that it is compared to the rest of the procurement code,
• You can... if you go to page 15 of the report, there is a QR code that you can... scan with the camera

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now we have inspectors on all the islands to respond.
• Right now we have inspectors on all the islands to respond.
• Right now we have inspectors on all the islands to respond.
• Right now we have inspectors on all the islands to respond.
• Our inspectors will go out, they'll inspect um to help determine whether an incident has occurred. >>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Ardian, legislative director for the DHS Office of Inspector General.
• legislative director for the DHS Office legislative director for the DHS Office of<00:01:48.560> Inspector
• of Inspector of Inspector General.<00:01:50.640> House<00:01:50.960> File<00:01:51.360

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House File 2260, a Judiciary Committee clone of portions of the larger DHS policy bill, and adopted the A1 amendment, which was described as largely technical but also incorporating changes from the related human services bill. The bill was presented as covering several DHS-related policy areas, including background studies transparency, anti-kickback provisions for medical assistance and child care assistance, and personal data protections for human services judges. The amendment also added a number of provisions related to direct care and treatment, competency restoration billing and data sharing, fraud enforcement tools, behavioral health fund eligibility, and clarifications to prior law. Testimony from DHS Office of Inspector General legislative director Ardian Diddy emphasized that the bill would improve transparency in background studies, update investigative and arrest data access, extend a limited set-aside to similar provider types, and correct an effective-date error from last session. He also said the anti-kickback language would mirror federal Medicaid law for medical assistance and create a state-level prohibition for CCAP, giving DHS and law enforcement more tools to investigate fraud and misuse. Additional provisions would add human services judges to existing personal data protections for judicial officials. Diddy also explained amendment sections from the governor’s fraud package, including authority to act against entities convicted of fraud or theft, data-sharing improvements, and a disqualification from management and billing positions. Members raised questions about possible conflicts of interest involving DHS employees with outside LLCs and about the need for stronger safeguards against fraud. The chair and other members referenced recent fraud cases and said the bill would help prevent similar abuses. Christy Grumman of DHS testified on the judge privacy section, saying there are about 35 human services judges and describing a recent incident in which a judge received violent threats serious enough to require the family’s temporary relocation by the State Patrol. Representative Hudson supported the anti-kickback provisions as a needed codification of agency authority. The committee then approved the amended bill and recommended it be re-referred to the Committee on Public Safety, Finance, and Policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have two inspectors currently for the state of Mississippi.
• So there is dire need for growth for those inspectors to be able to have a geographical territory that
• We have two inspectors currently for the state of Mississippi.
• So there is dire need for growth for those inspectors to be able to have a geographical territory that
• We have two inspectors currently for the state of Mississippi.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 5 February, 2026; 8:30 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first heard from the Board of Registration for Foresters, which said it is self-funded through applications and renewals and receives no general fund support. The board requested a budget increase from $62,755 to $77,035, mainly for technology upgrades to its database and website, a social media presence, and about $3,000 more for board travel. Members asked about contractual expenses, staffing, renewals, reserves, and office location; the witness said most renewals are now online, the board has a reserve but he did not know the exact amount, and the board is leased space in the Robert E. Lee Building. No vote was taken, and the chair moved on to the next agency. The Mississippi Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists then presented its budget and operational needs. The board described its 10-member structure, three employees, and oversight of about 4,450 social workers and 210 marriage and family therapists. It explained that a prior $50,000 deficit appropriation was approved too late to spend, and asked to include that amount in the current budget for technology upgrades and equipment. The board also requested salary increases, additional travel funds, money for out-of-state compact participation, more contractual funds for database enhancements and digitizing records, and one additional computer. Members questioned the board about its large cash balance, staffing, office location, and the social work compact; the board said it has about $1 million in cash, is in leased space at Old River Place, and needs database changes to support the compact. No action or vote was taken. Finally, the Cosmetology and Barbering Board discussed major licensing and regulatory changes and its budget request. The board said it had already adopted a passing score for the licensure exam, ended the practical exam, extended testing approval periods, removed barriers to temporary work permits, and opened a path for apprenticeships, mobile establishments, and online licensing software. It also described recommendations in SB 2566, including a low-income first-license fee waiver, sanitation warnings, reduced education and instructor-hour requirements, and removal of some display requirements. The board said these changes had already led to new applications and test signups. On the budget side, it said it was withdrawing a prior request for $6,340 for practical-exam contractors because that exam was eliminated, but still sought $120,000 for certified mail, $49,000 for recruitment and retention salaries, and continued flexibility for possible live-streaming requirements under pending legislation. Senators asked whether the practical exam had been eliminated and whether the board could still ensure competency and inspections; the board said skills are still assessed through program completion and theory testing, and it asked to retain inspector positions because it oversees roughly 6,000 to 6,500 licensed shops and salons with only two inspectors.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next up we have HB 511, public records code inspector body cameras.
• What it prohibits is employers enforcing specific speech codes and ideological viewpoints on employees
• provides for a five-year statute of limitations to prosecute a felony violation under the election code
• It provides that violations of the election code can be prosecuted as racketeering activity under the
• There are actual provisions, there Malik Moore: are actual changes to election code that would actually

Transcript Highlights:

• Hopefully, I'll find a QR code here by the end of this, but I'd like to share that with you.
• Right, we don't have building codes in a lot of them, but they make do. Right? There's no zoning.
• Madam Chair, Representative, because there are no building codes, there's no impact, a lot of times.
• I wouldn't say there's no building codes because I know we put money to do ADA upgrades to those, like
• The community itself typically will not have building codes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Or in 50 million, what is the total coding cost?
• We'll go ahead and we'll go by the agency code as well.
• Number seven, the Medical Board, Agency Code 446.
• Next up, Board of Nursing, Agency Code 449.
• Chairman, we have the Parole Board, Agency Code 760.

Transcript Highlights:

• is the penal code is the penal code.
• They had to move out of their state to a different zip code.
• It's got a QR code on the back of it, whether it's Delta 8 or Delta 9.
• They've got QR codes.
• And on the back of every product we have, it has to have that scan code to get it.

Summary: The House Committee on Public Health heard House Bill 5, a proposal to ban THC products outside the Texas Compassionate Use Program while allowing non-intoxicating CBD and CBG products under tighter regulation. Chair Van Deaver gave a lengthy background on the 2018 federal Farm Bill and Texas’s 2019 hemp law, arguing that the lack of guardrails allowed a large, unregulated THC market to develop. HB 5 would impose licensing fees, product registration, testing and inspection requirements, and restrictions intended to keep products away from children. Invited witnesses from law enforcement strongly supported the bill. Steve Dye of the Texas Police Chiefs Association and Brian Hawthorne of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas argued that THC consumables are widely mislabeled, often far more potent than advertised, and linked to youth access, impaired driving, and organized crime. Both said regulation would be ineffective and would amount to legalization, while a ban would be easier for officers to enforce. They also emphasized support for the Texas Compassionate Use Program and said medical THC should remain available. Dr. Peter Stout of the Texas Association of Crime Lab Directors and Alice Amelot of Texas DPS testified as resource witnesses about forensic testing. They said current lab resources are already stretched thin, that quantitative testing for THC and related cannabinoids is expensive and time-consuming, and that a ban would simplify enforcement because labs could focus on presence/absence testing rather than concentration. Amelot said DPS labs are neutral on the bill but explained that mislabeled products and inaccurate certificates of analysis are common. Committee members asked about traffic safety, impairment, youth use, and the costs of enforcement and lab testing; witnesses repeatedly said the bill would reduce complexity for law enforcement but that any approach would still require more resources for labs.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the legislative director for the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Human Services.
• General at the Department of Inspector General at the Department of Human<01:08:09.840> Services.
• with changes to criminal code. with changes to criminal code.
• as well as uh, we added that to offense as well as uh, we added that to criminal<01:38:17.160> code
• last<01:38:17.680> year<01:38:17.880> that<01:38:18.560> uh, criminal code

Keywords: 1187, senate, all