Transcript Highlights:

• How does the bill account for situations where non-lethal deterrence is not practical or feasible due
• be returned to the state for redistribution to the counties ranked 7 through 10 and requires that financial
• be returned to the state for redistribution to the counties ranked 7 through 10 and requires that financial
• As a senator mentioned, the federal government has been the financial lifeblood of America's scientific
• So it’s important to incentivize their involvement to not only contribute financially, but also provide

Committee: Senate Natural Resources and Water

Transcript Highlights:

• other than it would be nice if someone could apply for financial aid and get a package the way I can
• It could be much easier, but we have to make the financial commitment to doing that.
• aid application and is a determinant of that individual student's or their family's financial need.
• aid application and is a determinant of that individual student's or their family's financial need.
• So we have an MOU to make that financial arrangement work.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance heard an extended discussion on state efforts to recruit, prepare, and retain teachers, with a focus on whether current programs are sustainable and well targeted. Testimony from the Learning Policy Institute, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the Department of Education, and the Legislative Analyst’s Office described persistent shortages, especially in special education, math, science, bilingual education, and high-need schools. Speakers emphasized that residency programs, Golden State Teacher Grants, National Board incentives, classified employee pathways, and undergraduate teacher pipelines have helped increase preparation and retention, but many of these efforts rely on one-time funding and lack long-term certainty. Committee members repeatedly raised concerns about the “leaky pipeline,” working conditions, the burden of student debt, and whether the state should simplify and institutionalize support for aspiring teachers rather than rely on a patchwork of grants. The agencies presented data showing continuing shortages and uneven distribution of fully credentialed teachers. CTC reported projected hiring needs of roughly 20,000 to 25,000 teachers annually, with the highest needs in self-contained classrooms, special education, and certain regions of the state. It also noted that emergency permits, waivers, and intern credentials remain high, and that teachers entering through those routes have higher turnover. LPI cited research showing residency-prepared teachers are more effective and more likely to stay, and argued that Golden State Teacher Grants attract candidates who might not otherwise enter teaching and help them complete preparation. CDE stressed that most new demand comes from attrition and urged support for multiple entry points, tuition assistance, and campus-based coursework. Several members also discussed the role of community college pathways, dual credentialing, and support for school leaders as part of retention. The LAO recommended rejecting the educator pipeline proposals under discussion, citing limited evidence of effectiveness and suggesting that any new spending should be more narrowly targeted to the highest-need schools and long-standing shortage subjects. The LAO also said that if the Legislature funds new programs this year, Proposition 98 would be preferable given the state’s fiscal condition. Committee members pushed back on the idea that declining enrollment or layoffs would solve shortages, noting that shortages and layoffs can coexist in different subject areas and regions. The discussion ended with agreement that staff would continue working with agencies on how to make teacher pipeline investments more consistent, coherent, and easier for candidates to navigate. The committee then turned to the Golden State Teacher Grant Program. Finance proposed $50 million in one-time General Fund support to extend the program for one additional year, while the LAO recommended rejecting the proposal because the first CSAC evaluation is not due until later in the year and because the funding would be non-Proposition 98. CSAC supported the extension, saying demand has been strong, over 20,000 aspiring educators have been served since 2021, and the agency had to pause applications after receiving more than 9,200 this year; it also said more than 2,500 candidates had already expressed interest for next year. Members asked how many students the new funding would serve, and CSAC estimated just under 5,000 awards at $10,000 each. The discussion also covered whether the grant could be moved into Proposition 98 and how the one-time nature of the funding affects confidence among prospective teachers.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is affecting our institutions, including research and administration dollars, and federal financial
• impacts, the significant financial impacts that that's had on both the CSU and the UC.
• Is that feasible? Senator, I think that was me.
• Also note that about 10% of CSU spending is on financial aid.
• Including financial aid, bond debt service, and retirement fund contributions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Can you, from the agency, will pay directly to special districts in rural communities when financial
• Just paying the invoices directly from the agency to places that demonstrate financial hardship.
• The bill says that now municipalities would have to have the budget or those financial information on
• So why would a smaller community need a waiver for fiscal reasons to comply if there is no financial
• The concern is that allowing them to take up two spaces is not always feasible.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it is the task force to analyze what other department resources have, both manpower and financial
• to to supplement manpower and financial to to supplement patrols<01:05:12.000><c> on</c><01:05:12.160
• Reasonable means feasible and, again, extremely subjective.
• </c><01:28:48.400><c> disclosures</c><01:28:49.040><c> and</c> to submit financial disclosures and to
• submit financial disclosures and requires<01:28:49.600><c> the</c><01:28:49.920><c> judicial</c><01:

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• 01:15:51.960><c> recent</c><01:15:52.239><c> Barry</c><01:15:52.560><c> dun</c><01:15:52.840><c> Financial
• </c> in the recent Barry dun Financial in the recent Barry dun Financial sustainability<01:15:54.120>
• feasible for them to continue on in business.
• ><c> uh</c><01:19:01.840><c> uh</c><01:19:02.000><c> make</c> Business and make it effective or financially
• feasible for them to continue on in business.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• We want to do everything we feasibly can to increase the pros and decrease the cons.

Committee: House A&B Education Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to get to the point in short order where it will be feasible to have to not even have to
• point in short order where it<00:52:51.440><c> will</c><00:52:51.599><c> be</c><00:52:52.119><c> feasible
• to have to not even it will be feasible to have to not even have<00:52:54.480><c> to</c><00:52:54.640
• That's not financially sustainable or feasible.
• So, I urge you to vote against the amendment. feasible. So, members, uh we cannot feasible.

Transcript Highlights:

• The current Army Corps of Engineers feasibility study demonstrates that the harbor must be dredged every
• David Weeders, Chief Operating Officer for DHHS. >> Nathan White, Chief Financial Officer with HHS. >
• While the gateway will not have a person's financial or critical, crucial identifiable information within
• resources and being able to make... ...sound financial decisions.
• And we think that, at this point in the game and the way the future looks financially, I think that’s

Transcript Highlights:

• otherwise known as DEMS, is a software-as-a-service platform that streamlines business processes, financial
• This system streamlines business processes, workflow management, financial management, and financial
• This system streamlines business processes, workflow management, financial tracking, grants administration
• Some of the key benefits of DEMS: this ensures state funding is reimbursed faster, reducing financial
• As well, you know, when we submit our feasibility studies, we outline the things that we'll, you know

Summary: The subcommittee heard updates on several state technology modernization efforts, beginning with the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Enterprise Business Solution (DEMS). FDEM said DEMS is about 50% complete, with some grants and finance functions already live, and is intended to replace manual disaster and grants processing with a cloud-based system. Officials described faster reimbursement timelines after recent storms, major return-on-investment claims, and a planned final phase focused on design, testing, communications, data governance, and additional functionality. Members asked about the total cost, the role of Florida Digital Service, deliverables-based contracting, and how much of the system is live; FDEM said the project is expected to cost about $16 million to $16.8 million and finish by June 2027, with some follow-up information to be provided. The Department of Legal Affairs presented its Office of Attorney General Modernization Program, a follow-up to an earlier effort that failed after spending about $26 million. Acting Attorney General John Gard said the department has now moved to an off-the-shelf case management product, LawBase, and is in development and testing, with the Office of Statewide Prosecution already live and full implementation expected by the end of the fiscal year. The request includes funding for staff augmentation, cloud storage, the LawBase license, redundancy through a backup site in Orlando, and OnBase support. Members questioned the prior failure, the use of Florida Digital Service standards, data location and cloud migration, and the redundancy plan; Gard said lessons learned included better scoping and that the current effort is on track. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles then updated the committee on Motorist Modernization, including the Orion system and the MyDMV portal. Officials said Phase 1 and Phase 2 have modernized driver license and motor vehicle services, with Phase 2 statewide rollout scheduled to begin in April 2025 and Phase 3 proposed at $16.5 million for dealer services, data warehouse improvements, and call center modernization. Members asked about payment options, organ donor questions, staffing, cybersecurity, cloud strategy, and the digital driver license program. The agency said the portal already allows some sanctions to be cleared online, an ACH option is being developed, the digital driver license vendor has changed with a fall go-live anticipated, and the department is using security testing and a managed security service provider. Officials also said the system is currently on an on-prem private cloud, with future workloads expected to move to public cloud where appropriate. Finally, Florida Commerce presented on the Reemployment Assistance modernization system, Reconnect, and the FLWINS workforce system. Commerce said Reconnect is hosted in the Azure Government Cloud, has reduced claim filing time, improved fraud detection, and increased appeals capacity, and now needs $4.9 million in recurring funding to cover ongoing operations, cloud hosting, licenses, and staff augmentation. Members asked about adjudication issues, wait times, fraud prevention, and whether the system stores caller identifiers; Commerce said the average wait to speak to a representative is about 18 minutes and claims are generally processed in four to six weeks. The committee then began hearing about FLWINS, which is intended to create a “no wrong door” workforce portal under the REACH Act, but the transcript cuts off before that presentation concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our biggest concerns are that this bill would create new legal and financial exposure by authorizing
• Our biggest concerns are that this bill would create new legal and financial exposure by authorizing
• Had he been gone for more than 30 days here in California, his family would have suffered financially
• As a full-time autumn student, the only income I receive comes from my on-campus job and financial aid
• Because of that, we have had to deal with the financial strain of not having a steady second income.

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• The intent is not to make the process easier, but to make it feasible.
• But if House Bill 549 is not passed, such an effort would not be feasible.

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• , as a transportation committee, that we're trying to communicate, that we're making as easy and feasible
• , as a transportation committee, that we're trying to communicate, that we're making as easy and feasible

Committee: House Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• The committee substitute for House Bill 2189 directs the Coordinating Board to study the feasibility
• This bill also includes the idea of a feasibility study through TEA and the Higher Education Coordinating

Bills: HB295 , HB824 , HB1579 , HB1581 , HB2189 , HB295

Committee: House S/C on Academic & Career-Oriented Education

Transcript Highlights:

• plans and the programs within the plans will reduce restoration and out is times what sets the feasibility
• A big piece of this is environmentally sensitive areas, areas where it's just not feasible to upgrade

Transcript Highlights:

• them to come to the probation office each month, such as a drug test, at that point it wouldn't be feasible
• At that point, it wouldn't be feasible to put them in that telephone reporting system because they still

Summary: The Criminal Justice Subcommittee heard an informational presentation from the Florida Department of Corrections on how the prison and community supervision systems operate after sentencing. Assistant Deputy Secretary Hope Gartman described the reception process for new inmates, including intake, medical and mental health screening, classification, custody and housing levels, gain time, and the department’s academic, vocational, substance abuse, chaplaincy, visitation, and communication programs. She emphasized that reentry begins on day one and that program placement is driven by risk and needs assessments, with facilities matched to inmates’ medical, mental health, and security requirements. Members also asked about family contact, visitor applications, inmate welfare trust funds, tablet access, private prison placement, staffing shortages, overtime, contraband interdiction, and waiting lists for programs; several follow-up materials were requested for distribution to all members. Mr. Winkler then outlined community corrections, explaining the different supervision types under Florida law, including probation, drug offender probation, community control, sex offender supervision, conditional release, and addiction recovery supervision. He described the department’s monitoring tools, such as office and field visits, warrantless searches, alternative sanctioning for technical violations, telephone reporting for low-risk offenders, employment assistance, and mobile probation and reentry units. He said the department’s supervision success rate is about 62%, with more than 91% of successful completers not returning to custody within three years. Members questioned officer workloads, the use of radios and GPS check-ins, the rollout of uniforms and firearms, how violations are handled, and whether all circuits participate in alternative sanctioning; Winkler said the program is statewide and that the department is seeking funding for radios. During public comment, Florida Cares Charity urged the committee to consider evidence on deterrence, parole, and recidivism, arguing that community supervision is less costly than incarceration and can be effective. James Beardy of the Florida PBA emphasized the dangers faced by correctional and probation officers, including long shifts, field searches, and working alone, and argued for higher pay and better support comparable to other law enforcement. The meeting concluded with the chair thanking the presenters and public speakers, and the subcommittee adjourned without taking any legislative votes or formal actions.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> 308c uh to rule there for financial 308c uh to rule there for financial interests interests interests
• </c><00:10:02.160><c> Accounting</c> report annual uh Financial Accounting report annual uh Financial
• interests and financial reporting, making sure that documents and financial disclosures are available
• about financial interests and financial<00:31:33.440><c> reporting</c><00:31:33.919><c> making</c><00
• disclosures</c><00:31:36.600><c> are</c> documents and financial disclosures are documents and financial

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are in various stages of feasibility studies and design, so we do have them prioritized based on
• Those are in various stages of feasibility studies and design, so we do have them prioritized based on
• horizon those are in various<01:10:33.719><c> stages</c><01:10:34.199><c> of</c><01:10:34.640><c> feasibility
• </c><01:10:35.159><c> studies</c> various stages of feasibility studies various stages of feasibility

Committee: House Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• There are financial issues. This would be a way of looking at... ...financial issues.
• So your concern is that there's going to be a financial burden on all this.
• Yes, Senator, a potential increase in the financial burden. So are there guardrails?
• House Bill 1058 by Representative Bamburg enacts Title 17 relative to financial aid to provide relative
• This is a program for adult financial aid. It is working. It is well, well supported.

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met to hear several education-related measures. It reported favorably, without objection, on House Bill 1215, which would transfer certain removed historical statues and monuments to the Office of State Parks, prohibit re-erection in the parish where they were removed, and require interpretive signage. The committee also advanced House Bill 682, which creates a school guardian program for honorably discharged veterans employed or contracted by local school systems or charter schools; testimony emphasized that guardians would be unarmed, trained, and used for mentoring and school safety. House Bill 1079, giving enrollment preferences in charter schools to children in early childhood programs, military families, foster children, and children in custody disputes, was also reported favorably, as was House Concurrent Resolution 81, directing the Department of Education to study options for districts facing declining enrollment. The committee then took up House Bill 1084, which would allow public postsecondary institutions to raise tuition and mandatory fees by up to 15 percent annually, with higher increases requiring Board of Supervisors approval. The bill drew extended debate over affordability, TOPS, student retention, and whether universities should have more autonomy to set prices. Members raised concerns about fee burdens on families and whether the state should first study the issue; supporters argued the bill would increase transparency and let institutions respond to funding needs and market conditions. Senator Mazzell offered an amendment lowering the cap from 15 percent to 10 percent, and the committee adopted the amendment before reporting the bill favorably as amended. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 342, which would shift the burden of proof in special education due process hearings from parents to local education agencies. The author and parents testified that the current system places an unfair burden on families of children with disabilities, who often lack access to records and legal resources, and that schools already control the documentation and should have to show compliance with IEP obligations. Jefferson Parish school officials opposed the bill, arguing it would increase legal costs, require more staff and attorney time, and potentially lead to more hearings; they also questioned the fiscal note. The Legislative Fiscal Office said the fiscal impact was indeterminable, and the committee continued hearing testimony from parents and school representatives as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• What we're dealing with is where I started: what is feasible and what is possible.
• But it's what's feasible as we sit here at the end of June.
• It allows financial institutions to temporarily suspend or restrict an account pending an investigation