Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for the members of the committee being here.
• So already those boxes go to Alabama.
• >> Any other questions by committee >> Any other questions by committee members?
• Any questions by committee members?
• Any questions by committee members?

Keywords: Business and Financial Institutions - Room 409, 2 February, 2026; 2:00 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2725, which would shorten the required hold period for pawn brokers on precious metal coins and bullion from 21 days to 3 days, change fingerprinting renewal from annually to every three years to match FBI requirements, and make a technical address update. The sponsor and a Mississippi Pawn Brokers Association representative said the change was needed because gold and silver prices are volatile and pawn brokers are disadvantaged compared with jewelry stores. After questions about whether the bill affected pawn loans, the committee adopted a do pass motion and passed the committee substitute. Next, Senate Bill 2530 on perpetual care cemeteries would raise the trust-fund threshold from $50,000 to $75,000 and allow longer-term CDs so cemetery funds can earn more interest. Members discussed Secretary of State oversight, annual reporting, and the fact that only interest, not principal, may be used for cemetery care. The committee then moved the bill out with a title sufficient do pass recommendation. The committee also considered Senate Bill 2712, which would allow small lenders to charge up to a $10 fee for insurance in lieu of filing a UCC on certain collateralized loans. It was described as a way to reduce costs and follow guidance from the Department of Banking and Consumer Finance, and it was passed out on a do pass motion. Senate Bill 2714, a major unclaimed property bill, drew extended discussion about creating a legal process for abandoned safe deposit boxes: banks would inventory contents with a notary and two officers, notify owners and heirs, transfer contents to the Treasurer after notice periods, and allow the Treasurer to auction items while preserving proceeds for claimants. Members raised concerns about notice methods, privacy, wills and other documents, and whether first-class mail should be changed to registered mail; the committee adopted a conceptual amendment to use registered mail and added a reverse repealer, then passed the bill out. Finally, Senate Bill 2732 was introduced to combat identity theft by allowing a child’s credit to be frozen at birth through a form provided with the birth certificate. The sponsor said the bill is aimed at protecting minors from fraud and noted that credit freezes and unfreezes are free. The discussion was brief, and the bill was presented as a consumer protection measure for children.

Transcript Highlights:

• I thank you, God, for overseeing us and for this great state of Alabama.
• Committee members, House Bill 545, the genesis of this was in February of 2025, President Trump directed
• > Bill<00:06:18.319> 545, Committee members, um, House Bill 545, Committee members, um,
• Thank you, committee members. All right.
• Thank you, committee members. >> chairman? Thank you, committee members.

Bills: HB545, HB545

Keywords: Escambia County, probate court, court fees, legal services, judicial legislation, HB545, legal tender, cash rounding, nearest five cents, nickel rounding, in-person cash transaction, cash transactions, change making, sales tax, Department of Revenue, merchant payments, consumer payments, currency rounding, cash payment, retail transactions

Transcript Highlights:

• My understanding is we do have committee members making their way to the committee room.
• Thank you, committee. Appreciate it very much.
• Thank you, committee. Appreciate it very much.
• Alabama, like 50,000 in Alabama, right? Right. We don't even...
• Alabama, like 50,000 in Alabama, right? Right. We don't even And Alabama—Alabama.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have about 48 urgent care clinics in Alabama and see a little over a million patients a year.
• Thank you for coming. >> Thank you, uh, committee, for having me and letting me speak.
• We have about 48 urgent care clinics in Alabama and see a little over a million patients a year.
• We have about 48 urgent care clinics<00:07:51.360> in<00:07:51.680> Alabama.
• We say a little over clinics in Alabama.

Bills: HB146, HB276

Keywords: youthful offender, criminal justice, capital murder, public safety, victims' rights, social media, minor safety, child online safety, teen accounts, parental controls, age verification, digital privacy, online platform regulation, content moderation, deceptive trade practice, Attorney General enforcement, cyber safety, mental health, youth mental health, screen time

Transcript Highlights:

• I do want to welcome everyone that's on the committee and those in the audience.
• Several of our committee members are on both the Education Policy Committee and the Education Ways and
• Means Committee.
• . ...could look like in Alabama.
• As I was saying in the committee meeting, I am...

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Select Committee on Property Taxes will come to order. Rosa, please call the roll.
• Thank you, Co-Chair Overdorf, and committee members.
• Thank you, committee. Thank you, and good morning.
• Madam Chair, thank you, members of the committee.
• They had stood up, you know, policy recommendation committees.

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes heard first from city representatives through the Florida League of Cities, who argued that property taxes are a stable local revenue source that funds core services such as police, fire, parks, public works, and stormwater work. Casey Cook emphasized that cities are optional governments with widely different tax bases and service levels, that exemptions shift the burden to fewer taxpayers, and that transparency already exists through TRIM notices, public budgets, and local hearings. Sarah Campbell of Fernandina Beach, T. Michael Stavris of Winter Haven, and Stephen O’Kee of Port St. Lucie described their budget processes, the share of general-fund revenue coming from property taxes, reserve policies, debt and capital planning, and the impact of inflation, minimum wage increases, and personnel costs. They all said local governments need predictable revenue and that any property tax changes would require careful consideration of replacement funding or service reductions. Members questioned the city panel about whether homebuyers are clearly informed about city versus county taxes and services, the role of HOAs, how many lobbyists cities employ, reserve levels, average salaries, and whether utility revenues are used only for utility purposes. The panel said TRIM notices, realtor listings, and city websites provide tax information; HOAs generally do not provide emergency services; lobbyists help local governments track Tallahassee legislation; reserves vary by city and fund; and utility revenues are generally restricted, though some cities use limited transfers. Members also asked about revenue replacement if ad valorem taxes were reduced or eliminated, and the panel said options would likely include user fees, service cuts, or other local revenue shifts. The chair also asked about public safety consolidation, and the response was that such decisions are local and may shift costs rather than create true savings. The committee then heard from county representatives after an overview by the Florida Association of Counties’ Davin Suggs, who framed counties as shared partners with the state and emphasized the gap between rising market values and the shrinking share of taxable value after exemptions and assessment limits. He said counties face a mismatch between revenue based on taxable value and expenses driven by real-world costs, and noted that most counties either held millage steady or lowered it without reaching rollback rates. He also highlighted that property taxes are only one part of county revenue, with charges for services and intergovernmental revenue often larger in some counties, and that public safety at the county level includes more than law enforcement, such as EMS, emergency management, inspections, and corrections. Deborah Manzo of Okeechobee County described a fiscally constrained rural county with limited staff, a county-supported airport, heavy reliance on property taxes for the general fund, and major cost pressures from inflation, insurance, retirement, and state and federal mandates. She said the county lowered millage slightly over recent years but still depends on multiple revenue sources and special assessments, and she flagged Medicaid, medical examiner costs, and possible firefighter workweek changes as significant concerns. Bay County Administrator Mark McQueen said his county’s budget is shaped by Hurricane Michael recovery, non-discretionary obligations, and rapid growth; he described ongoing FEMA reimbursement delays, substantial borrowing to cover disaster costs, and continuing interest expenses while the county waits for reimbursement. The county panel was still in progress when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• We go through those in the Veterans Affairs Committee and the House Committees that were matched to that
• I have the sunset scheduling bill.
• Adoption of the committee conference committee report. The chair recognizes Senator Campbell.
• Committee report on House Bill 119.
• Committee here in the Senate.

Bills: SB27, SB8, SB15, SB30, SB268, SB568, SB650, SB1405, SB1540, SB1610, SB1637, SB1660, SB2024, SB2217, SB2308, SB2753, SB2878, SB2900, SB2972, SB3059, HB4, HB40, HB46, HB119, HB145, HB493, HB705, HB1545, HB2017, HB2516, HB2885, HB2963, HB2974, HB3642, HB3909, HB5138, HB5246, SJR36, SJR50, SJR63, SCR12, SCR39, SB2023, SB62, SB666, SB847, SB284, SB854, SB810, SB1505, SB583, SB507, SB1434, SB1772, SB2016, SB1122, SB731, SB397, SB508, SB1436, SB287, SB1882, SB393, SB1791, SB209, SB2429, SB1085, SB1975, SB2717, SB1262, SB636, SB2056, SB884, SB1200, SB1845, SB2458, SB801, SB3014, SB3013, SB758, SB2797, SB2076, SB2876, SB1640, SB1449, SB1181, SB1234, SB2926, SB2841, SB1528, SB1854, SB317, SB1250, SB2082, SB1237, SB2819, SB629, SB2608, SB1602, SB2009, SB867, SB640, SB1698, SB2680, SB913, SB1071, SB1086, SB1087, SB1483, SB1444, SB1553, SB1556, SB1703, SB2133, SB2297, SB2298, SB2622, SB2955, SB2334, SB1367, SB2044, SB2363, SB2565, SB1888, SB3036, SB3057, SB3043, SB3063, SB3035, SB203, SB2688, SB2522, SB2459, SB2655, SB2251, SB1884, SB2928, SB2566, SB2549, SB2553, SB2919, SB1944, SB1232, SB1798, SB2603, SB2607, SB2683, SB1319, SB3045, SB3071, HB796, HB1523, HB5294, HB748, HB3395, HB180, HB3171, HB146, HB5596, HB5694, HB1135, HB3225, HB186, HB1449, HB3793, HB112, HB104, HB3336, HB3520, HB3320, HB5663, HB2399, HB111, HB3483, HB4580, HB3748, HB632, HB4730, HB5690, HB5689, HB3385, HB4359, HB5381, HB123, HB5606, HB1057, HB3664, HCR141, HCR40, HCR59

Keywords: immigration enforcement, ICE agreements, sheriff grants, law enforcement, county jail, federal immigration law, SB 15, Texas Local Government Code, zoning preemption, housing affordability, small lots, lot size, lot density, single-family zoning, residential subdivision, municipal land use, local control, state preemption, parking requirements, setbacks

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman and members of the committee.
• Chairman, members of the committee.
• HB425 is a collaborative effort with the Alabama Department of Mental Health, County Mental Health Association
• , County Commissions, the Alabama Council for Behavioral Healthcare, and the Behavioral Alliance of Alabama
• will allow them to meet virtually in ...will allow them to meet virtually in accordance with the Alabama

Bills: HB441, HB425, HB416

Keywords: speech-language pathology, licensure, clinical supervision, educational qualifications, healthcare assistant, mental health, regional authority, board of directors, local governance, public health, sudden cardiac arrest, automated external defibrillator, AED, school safety, emergency response, cardiac emergency response plan, training, athletic events, first aid, sessions

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman and members of the committee.
• Chairman, members of the committee.
• HB425 is a collaborative effort with the Alabama Department of Mental Health, County Mental Health Associations
• , County Commissions, the Alabama Council for Behavioral Healthcare, and the Behavioral Alliance of Alabama
• that will allow them to meet virtually in Will allow them to meet virtually in accordance with the Alabama

Bills: HB441, HB425, HB416

Keywords: speech-language pathology, licensure, clinical supervision, educational qualifications, healthcare assistant, mental health, regional authority, board of directors, local governance, public health, sudden cardiac arrest, automated external defibrillator, AED, school safety, emergency response, cardiac emergency response plan, training, athletic events, first aid, 923