Transcript Highlights:

• facilitate my transition to the Senate, effective March 18, 2026, where I look forward to continuing my service
• Having arrived in this country from Cambodia at age 11, ...my service to our community.
• prepared, is now before the House for final passage, House No. 4962, an act establishing a sickly bank
• His work helped shape the town's growth and stability, and his legacy of public service will be long
• His legacy of service and compassion will not be forgotten.

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and received a resignation letter from Rep. Fana Howard of Lowell, effective March 17, 2026, as she transitioned to the Senate. The chamber then took up several procedural orders, including multiple unanimous or voice-vote suspensions of rules and concurrence with Senate petitions, such as referrals on housing and student transportation matters, and a suspension of Joint Rule 12 for a petition involving children served by DCF. The main substantive item was House No. 5264, a fiscal year 2026 supplemental appropriations bill totaling about $1.8 billion. Members discussed its use of Fair Share surtax surplus funds for transportation and education, including major support for the MBTA, special education circuit breaker costs, early education and child care, snow and ice costs, regional transit authorities, and other deficiencies such as GIC and sheriff costs. Members also explained the bill’s tax conformity provisions responding to recent federal tax changes, with debate over whether to delay conformity to limit state revenue exposure. The House adopted a consolidated amendment to the bill and then passed it to be engrossed by roll call vote, 150-3. The House also adopted a resolution commending the Admetek Foundation on Prostate Cancer Awareness Day. Several local bills were advanced, including a sick leave bank for a Department of Corrections employee, a bill waiving the minimum age requirement for a Boston police officer, a Nantucket charter bill, a Stoneham public safety bill, and a Malden special police officers bill, the last of which was amended before being engrossed. The chamber also considered Amendment 43 to redistribute $100 million of Fair Share revenue more evenly to municipalities for roads and education; supporters argued the current distribution favored statewide priorities over local aid, while opponents said the formula would not adequately address rural road needs. That amendment was rejected 128-25. The House then recessed several times, observed moments of silence for local public servants, welcomed visiting youth sports teams, and finally ordered adjournment to meet the next day at 11 a.m. in informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year, Navy Region Northwest Fire and Emergency Services responded to 2,769 total calls for service
• Last year, Navy Region Northwest Fire and Emergency Services responded to 2,769 total calls for service
• We have services, both at the active duty as well as the VA, that often assume the service member is
• We have services, both at the active duty as well as the VA that often assume the service member is the
• We have case management services. We have telehealth services.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs heard updates from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Navy Region Northwest, Fairchild Air Force Base, the Coast Guard, state licensing agencies, the Washington National Guard, and a veterans behavioral health presenter. Across the military briefings, commanders emphasized readiness and major missions, while also highlighting quality-of-life issues affecting service members and families, including housing, child care, food insecurity, medical and dental access, and spouse employment. JBLM reported progress on 212 new family homes, ongoing PFAS cleanup, continued work on the Lewis Army Museum, and efforts to expand child care and food assistance. Navy Region Northwest discussed its economic impact, infrastructure projects, environmental stewardship, and future shipyard and homeport planning. Fairchild described its tanker and survival training missions, child care shortages, food insecurity during the shutdown, aging housing, and concerns about wind turbine development near military airspace. The Coast Guard highlighted its polar icebreaker buildup, rebuilding of Base Seattle waterfront infrastructure, and access-to-care challenges at remote stations such as Neah Bay, along with progress on housing and dental services. Committee members repeatedly raised support for military spouses, child care, food access, and licensure compacts. The Department of Licensing reported about 9,000 active military members or spouses licensed, with expedited processing, license portability, and an average time to license of just under nine days. The Department of Health said it had implemented prior military licensure laws, maintained a military-to-civilian crosswalk for health professions, and issued 129 credentials to military-trained health professionals and 1,300 to military spouses/domestic partners in the last fiscal year, all within 30 days. The Professional Educator Standards Board said military-affiliated applicants for educator credentials receive a streamlined process requiring fewer documents and expedited review. Members asked about verification of military spouse status, compact implementation, and whether future federal changes could affect existing interstate compacts. The Washington National Guard briefing focused on dual state and federal missions, election security, wildfire readiness, and a new National Guard Response Force requirement to train 700 personnel. The Guard also described the impact of the recent federal shutdown on employees and outlined policy and budget requests, including youth academy protections, alignment of the Washington Code of Military Justice with the federal UCMJ, making Civil Air Patrol a division of the Military Department, public records exemptions for critical infrastructure, 911 system improvements, disaster assistance funding, and capital requests for a new Joint Forces headquarters and a King County Readiness Center. Members pressed for more detail on drone threats, wildfire response, and whether the new response force would be used for immigration-related duties; the Guard said it understood the force to be intended for all-hazards response and would follow up. The final presentation, from a veterans behavioral health representative, focused on access barriers, suicide risk, and the need for culturally competent care, especially for women veterans and caregivers. The speaker cited high veteran suicide rates in Washington, long waits for services, and the ways child care, transportation, chronic pain, substance use, and military sexual trauma complicate treatment. No formal votes were taken during the meeting, but members and presenters discussed several pending or future legislative priorities, including licensure compacts, child care, military justice updates, and support for military and veteran families.

Transcript Highlights:

• Commander Garcia, thank you for your service, and welcome to the Florida House.
• Commander Garcia, thank you for your service, and welcome to the Florida House.
• Well, the original impetus was a meeting at a bank, and I'm sitting there, and this bank manager— ...
• meeting at a bank.
• They met in the building that they built, and every week for church services.

Transcript Highlights:

• And Minnesota has a wonderful program where it sits people down with the farmer and the bank and works
• so that you can negotiate with your bank so that you can stay<00:02:11.800><c> on</c><00:02:11.920><
• </c><00:10:32.960><c> The</c><00:10:33.080><c> banks</c> we're talking about here.
• The banks we're talking about here.
• <00:51:50.360><c> including</c><00:51:50.760><c> counseling,</c> services including counseling, services

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Klein, briefed this committee on the mental health services. And supported by Dr.
• To date, we've paid back $34.7 million in debt service. This is roughly $9 million a year.
• It sits in the Bank of New York, I believe, is where it's at. And as we, as we, Issued.
• It sits in the Bank of New York, I believe, is where it's at.
• The Bank of New York pays our construction manager.

Summary: The committee first heard an update from the Florida Department of Corrections on the proposed Lake Correctional Institution mental health project in Clermont. Tim Fitzgerald explained the project’s history, including the 2016 Disability Rights Florida litigation, the 2018 consent decree, and the original plan for a 550-bed inpatient mental health facility. He said inflation and design changes pushed the project above the bond amount, leading the department to shift to a “continuum of care” alternative with 572 beds total: 92 inpatient beds and 480 residential treatment beds in three special housing units. Fitzgerald said the project is currently paused pending House concurrence, while the Senate has already agreed to the alternate plan, and noted the bond balance, prior expenditures, and the need to spend down the tax-exempt bond by August 2026. Members questioned how the new plan differs from the original facility, whether it satisfies the consent decree, and what caused the cost increases. Fitzgerald said the department believes it has already met the consent decree through systemwide improvements to housing, staffing, programming, and out-of-cell time, though he said he would confirm the court documentation. He also said the original scope grew from 275,000 to 350,000 square feet as treatment, nursing, security, and programming needs were refined, and that inflation, fees, permitting, and contingencies contributed to the higher cost. Several members asked for follow-up information on Senate approval, consent decree documentation, and the project’s impact on crisis-stabilization capacity. The committee then received a joint court-system presentation from State Courts Administrator Eric McClure and Clerks Corporation Executive Director Jason Welty on caseload trends, case tracking, and staffing. McClure described statewide filing trends, the use of weighted caseload studies to certify judicial need, and recent Supreme Court rule changes aimed at active civil case management, including differentiated case tracks, stricter deadlines, and proportional discovery. He said the latest workload study led the Supreme Court to certify a need for 23 circuit judges and 25 county judges. Welty reviewed clerk workload trends, the statewide case maintenance and CCIS systems, and declining clerk FTE despite rising case volumes, and said clerks are seeking additional funding for injunctions, Baker Act/Marchman Act/sexually violent predator work, and juror management. In questions, members pressed both presenters on data quality, case-weight calculations, filing fees, and whether current resources are enough to reduce delays. McClure clarified that the workload weights are based on judge time studies and that a capital murder case averaged 3,177 minutes, while other examples such as auto negligence and dissolution cases were much lower. Welty said the Legislature could help by increasing funding or potentially revisiting filing fees, and noted that many clerk services are unfunded or underfunded, especially indigent and protective filings. The chair and members also raised concerns about backlog, inconsistent case reporting across circuits, and enforcement of judicial time standards; McClure said there is no direct sanction in the rules, and compliance is largely managed through chief judges and the Supreme Court. The meeting ended with no votes taken and adjournment by motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• to rebuild in provide essential services to rebuild in times<00:04:20.919><c> of</c><00:04:21.120><c
• I'm Adam Sheridan with Reed Brothers Insurance Services out of Somerset.
• I'm Adam Sheridan with Reed Brothers Insurance Services out of Somerset.
• This is our first Banking and Insurance Committee.
• </c> comments this is our first banking comments this is our first banking Insurance<00:23:10.080><c>

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first took up Senate Bill 24, a measure aimed at combating property and casualty insurance fraud. Senator Girdler and witnesses from the Insurance Institute of Kentucky and the National Insurance Crime Bureau said the bill would expand the definition of a fraudulent insurance act to cover statements that misrepresent the scope of property damage or repair costs, with the goal of addressing inflated storm-damage claims and out-of-state bad actors. Members discussed whether existing prosecutors were already handling these cases, the role of Commonwealth’s attorneys versus the Attorney General, and the need to keep the bill narrowly tailored to criminal intent rather than negligence or ordinary disputes over value. The committee substitute was adopted, the bill received favorable expression, and a title amendment was also adopted. The committee then heard Senate Bill 18, which would address a shortage of insurance options for automobile dealers by allowing nonadmitted carriers to provide garage liability coverage in Kentucky. Testimony from an insurance agent and a legislative agent for Big I Kentucky described a shrinking market in which some small dealers cannot find coverage at all, risking closure. Members asked about the meaning of garage liability, consumer protections, solvency concerns, and whether more competition could lower prices; witnesses said surplus lines carriers already operate in Kentucky, agents play an important vetting role, and errors-and-omissions coverage would apply to the agent. The bill was supported as a way to preserve dealer businesses and expand coverage options, and it passed the committee with favorable expression after roll call.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just a few months ago, Minnesotans who got ripped off by a bank, a credit card company, a health care
• , a credit card company, a healthc bank, a credit card company, a healthc care care care company<00:30
• people with services providing people with disabilities.<00:37:16.320><c> And</c><00:37:16.480><c> we
• We're also working to improve the efficiency and customer service across state agencies.
• </c><00:40:20.720><c> across</c> efficiency and customer service across efficiency and customer service

Transcript Highlights:

• Our dealership's parts and service division has many obligations: maintaining minimum parts inventories
• They come with a bank-branded credit card. It may say Visa or MasterCard.
• A bank-branded credit card, so it may say Visa or MasterCard.
• The rewards cards that I'm targeting are ones that, again, are bank-branded, specific amount, can be
• Florida is already experiencing capacity constraints and longer wait times for surveying services.

Bills: S0386 , S0528 , S0806 , S0696 , S0930 , S0874 , S0898 , S0826 , S0838

Committee: Senate Commerce and Tourism

Keywords: farm equipment, agricultural machinery, farm machinery, tractor, combine, harvester, implements, warranty, lemon law, defective equipment, repair rights, consumer protection, manufacturer liability, authorized service agent, replacement, refund, rural agriculture, urban agriculture, Florida Statutes, chapter 604

Transcript Highlights:

• The House bill authorizing Jonathan Gagney to take the civil service exam for the position of police
• The House bill authorizing Jonathan Gagney to take the civil service examination for the position of
• An act authorizing Jonathan Gagney to take the civil service examination for the position of police officer
• Third reading of the bill: an act establishing a sick leave bank for Sonia Felix, an employee of the
• Third reading of the bill: an act establishing a sick leave bank for Sonia Felix, an employee of the

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and then took up several procedural matters. It adopted an order extending the reporting deadline for a Community Development and Small Business matter to March 18, 2026, and suspended Joint Rule 12 to allow two petitions to be referred: one on medication administration in rest homes and another on concealment of the death of a child born out of wedlock. The Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling also recommended a slate of bills for House consideration, including measures on Building Trades Recovery Week, accidental death benefits for a former Boston firefighter’s surviving spouse, recess for elementary and middle school students, satisfaction of money judgments, police age-waiver matters for Jose Reyes and Jonathan Gagney, and advertising for justices of the peace. The House suspended Rule 7A to proceed with these matters. The chamber then advanced the listed bills through second reading and ordered seven of them to a third reading. It also passed House No. 4502, amending the Town Manager Act of Arlington, to be enacted. Several bills released from the Committee on Bills in the Third Reading were then taken up: House No. 4740, waiving the maximum age requirement for a Boston police officer applicant, and House No. 4817, authorizing an additional all-alcoholic-beverages license in Pembroke, both passed to be engrossed. House No. 5014, establishing a sick leave bank for Sonia Felix of the Department of Transitional Assistance, was amended on the floor to change wording and add an emergency preamble, then passed to be engrossed as amended. The House also adopted an order to adjourn and concluded by adjourning to meet the following Monday at 11 a.m. in informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• The House bill authorizing Jonathan Gagney to take the Civil Service Exam for the position of police
• The House bill authorizing Jonathan Gagney to take the civil service examination for the position of
• An act authorizing Jonathan Gagney to take the civil service examination for the position of police officer
• Third reading of the bill: an act establishing a sick leave bank for Sonia Felix, an employee of the
• Third reading of the bill: an act establishing a sick leave bank for Sonia Felix, an employee of the

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and then took up several procedural matters. On motions to suspend the rules, it adopted an order extending until March 18, 2026, the reporting deadline for the Committee on Community Development and Small Business, and it also suspended Joint Rule 12 to allow referral of two petitions: one on medication administration in rest homes to the Committee on Aging and Independence, and one on concealment of the death of a child born out of wedlock to the Judiciary Committee. The House also suspended Rule 7A to proceed with scheduling and consideration of bills. The Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling recommended several bills for House consideration, including measures designating Building Trades Recovery Week, providing accidental death benefits for the surviving spouse of a former Boston firefighter, recess requirements for elementary and middle school students, reporting of satisfaction of money judgments, age-waiver legislation for police applicants in Boston and Haverhill, and a bill on advertising for justices of the peace. The House ordered these bills to a third reading after second reading, and separately passed House No. 4502, amending the Town Manager Act of Arlington, to be enacted. The House then took up third-reading bills and passed House No. 4740, waiving the maximum age requirement for a Boston police officer applicant, and House No. 4817, authorizing Pembroke to grant an additional off-premises alcohol license, both to be engrossed. It also considered House No. 5014, establishing a sick leave bank for Sonia Felix of the Department of Transitional Assistance; an amendment was adopted to revise the bill’s language and add an emergency preamble, and the bill was then passed to be engrossed as amended. The session concluded with adoption of an order to adjourn and the House adjourning to meet the following Monday at 11 a.m. in informal session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our food banks do a great job of doing food drives, canned goods, dry goods, that sort of thing.
• It's a great thing, and we're able to give that protein directly to food banks.
• We work with all five major food banks throughout the state.
• Again, no cost to any of the food banks or agencies. So let's talk about hogs.
• I mean, you know, we have a local food bank there in Hammond, I think.

Summary: The meeting began with roll call, approval of the agenda, and approval of the prior minutes, followed by a presentation from Julie Grenwald of Louisiana Hunters for the Hungry. She described the nonprofit’s work collecting and distributing protein to food banks and agencies statewide through freezer clean-out days, deer donations processed by more than 50 processors, fish donations through Venice Marina, and a paused-but-planned-to-reopen feral hog program. Members asked about processor locations, signage, exotic species, funding, sponsorships, and disease safety; Grenwald said the program is protected under Louisiana’s Good Samaritan Law and that wildlife and fisheries agents help connect processors and promote the program. She also noted the organization is looking for more partners and ways to expand access and awareness. The task force then received an update from Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on chronic wasting disease testing. Jonathan Bordelon reported more than 2,800 samples collected and over 2,300 results returned, with nine positives to date: eight in Tensas Parish and one confirmed new detection in Concordia Parish from a hunter-harvested deer. He said the Concordia positive triggered the state’s CWD response plan, including a declaration of emergency and a future rulemaking process to adjust control-area boundaries. Members asked about symptomatic deer, harvest trends, and whether the disease appears to be spreading along the river; Bordelon said most positives were asymptomatic hunter-harvested deer and that harvest numbers remain near record highs. William McKinley of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks then gave an extensive presentation on Mississippi’s CWD experience. He said Mississippi has had 529 detections across 18 counties since 2018, with prevalence rising from about one in 500 samples to roughly one in 40 this year, and that some counties near the Tennessee line are seeing severe impacts. He described Mississippi’s surveillance system, voluntary sampling, taxidermist partnerships, targeted tags for properties near positives, bans on feeding and baiting in CWD zones, and research on environmental contamination, raccoons, and strain differences. Members asked about high-fence enclosures, live deer movement restrictions, Tennessee’s regulations, environmental testing capacity, and whether more aggressive measures or LSU research capacity could help Louisiana; McKinley said the disease is expanding despite management efforts and emphasized early detection, rapid response, and continued interstate coordination.

Transcript Highlights:

• The property that is put in place in food services, whether it's a catering service or a restaurant.
• equipment purchases, including food service equipment.
• equipment purchases, including food service equipment.
• equipment purchases, including food service equipment.
• equipment purchases, including food service equipment.

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• HOME SERVICE WARRANTY ASSOCIATION FINANCE REQUIREMENTS.
• TALKING ABOUT A BILL THAT AMENDS CHAPTER 644 IN THE FLORIDA STATUTES WITH WHICH REGULATES AUTO HOME SERVICE
• I HAVE TIM, FLORIDA SERVICE ASSOCIATION WAIVING IN SUPPORT.
• SPB 7010 THIS DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES BILL.
• YOU HAVE THE POLICY HOLDER THAT WOULD HAVE HEALTH INFORMATION, BANK ACCOUNT NUMBERS, A CHECKING ACCOUNT

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you so much for your service, Ron, and your service to the community.
• </c> your service to the community. your service to the community.
• </c><00:15:22.320><c> of</c> 50% of the food that the Food Bank of 50% of the food that the Food Bank
• </c><00:15:48.959><c> of</c> Kineski, the CEO of the Food Bank of Kineski, the CEO of the Food Bank of
• </c><00:16:10.639><c> of</c> food insecurity and the Food Bank of food insecurity and the Food Bank of

Bills: HR1048 , HR242 , HB1534

Keywords: House resolution, committee assignment, standing committee, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, committee membership, committee seniority, Mr. Menefee, Mr. Riley of New York, House organization, congressional procedure, internal rules, legislative administration, Energy Conservation, Energy Standards, Department of Energy, Higher Education Act, Foreign Contracts, rules resolution, House Rules Committee, Congressional Review Act

Transcript Highlights:

• It is supported by banks and credit unions who see these scams draining life savings.
• year: I have a 72-year-old victim living in Star, contacted by criminals who were posing as Chase Bank
• They actually had two different people on the phone, one pretending to be a bank employee and the other
• We've tried to, we, Consumer Protection Division has tried to engage the community with public service
• Does adding that word change the ability of getting this services paid by an insurance company?

Committee: House Business

Transcript Highlights:

• The person causes damage to or renders inoperable such voice, video, or data services.
• These live lines are really important to the day-to-day emergency services that we all need.
• damages to or renders inoperable such voice video or data services in addition a person who sustains
• These live lines are really important to the day-to-day emergency services that we all need.
• That money belongs in the pockets of workers, not in the bank accounts of predatory lenders.

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several bills. House Bill 2542 would require drug developers to use validated non-animal testing methods when available, unless federal regulators request animal testing. The sponsor said the bill builds on prior Washington action on cosmetics testing and is intended to move toward more humane and modern science. Supporters, including students, animal welfare advocates, and biotech-related witnesses, argued that animal tests often fail to predict human outcomes and that alternatives are more accurate. A biotech industry representative said animal testing is still necessary for some research and warned the bill could deter local innovation, but said the industry was open to amendments. The sponsor said she was open to discussing changes to the enforcement mechanism. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. House Bill 2629 would address theft and vandalism of critical communications infrastructure, including copper and fiber lines. The bill would ban cash payments for nonferrous metal transactions, require electronic or stored-value payment methods, impose civil penalties for stolen copper used in telecommunications cable, and create a new Class C felony for destruction of critical communications infrastructure. The sponsor and industry witnesses described repeated outages affecting 911, hospitals, schools, and first responders, and said Washington has a high rate of these incidents. Recycling industry representatives supported the bill after negotiations, but a prosecutor and some others said the bill should focus more on law enforcement tools such as searchable transaction databases and holding periods rather than new penalties. No final action was taken in the hearing. House Bill 2394 would expand the Insurance Commissioner’s insurance fraud program and create a Class B felony for insurance fraud, including fraudulent billing, misrepresentation of repair costs, and misuse of coding systems. The bill also broadens who can be considered a victim for restitution and gives the commissioner additional investigative tools, while the substitute removed a reporting duty for certified public accountants. The sponsor and the Insurance Commissioner’s office said the measure responds to more sophisticated, technology-driven fraud schemes that harm both insurers and consumers. Insurance industry and fraud bureau witnesses supported the bill as a consumer protection measure. No vote was taken. House Bill 2361 would raise the maximum principal amount for small loans from $700 to $1,200, with annual inflation adjustments, while keeping the existing 30% of monthly income cap and other safeguards. The sponsor said the change would better reflect emergency costs and help borrowers avoid illegal lenders. DFI raised implementation questions about inflation adjustments and publication requirements, and opponents from AARP, SEIU 775, poverty advocates, and consumer attorneys argued the bill would increase debt traps and fees for low-income borrowers and older adults. MoneyTree supported the bill, saying the current cap is outdated and that the product remains a flat-fee, regulated credit option with existing consumer protections. The hearing also included testimony on House Bill 2294, which would prohibit negative use restrictions on real property that block grocery stores or pharmacies; staff described a proposed amendment adding notice and changing enforcement, and the committee then moved the bill out with a due pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Commander Garcia, thank you for your service, and welcome to the Florida House.
• Well, the original impetus was a meeting at a bank, and I'm sitting there, and this bank manager, ...
• meeting at a bank.
• They can't sign a bank check. And I was astonished at this. And yet, I then dug into it.
• They met in the building that they built every week for church services.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Washington County administrator Alan Massey, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several gallery recognitions. The chamber adopted the special order report and then took up a series of bills on the special order calendar. Early measures included CS/HB 967 on electronic payments to local governments, which passed 110-0, and HB 127 requiring cursive writing instruction in grades 2-5, which passed 111-0 after members spoke about literacy, signatures, and heritage. CS/HB 453 on high school diploma requirements passed 111-0 and would allow certain students to use Special Olympics participation for PE credit and marching band for PE and arts credit. The House also passed CS/HB 237 on use of professional nursing titles, which requires APRNs using the title doctor to clarify they are APRNs, by 111-0. The chamber then debated HJR 583, a proposed constitutional amendment on religious expression in public schools. Supporters said it would codify existing statutory protections for student and school personnel religious expression and let voters decide; opponents argued it was unnecessary, could create confusion, and risked constitutional problems involving school-sponsored prayer and the separation of church and state. After structured debate, the resolution passed 93-17. The House next passed CS/HB 363 on dental therapy, which creates a licensed mid-level dental provider and drew sharp debate over access to care versus patient safety; it passed 80-29. HB 375 on autonomous practice by certified registered nurse anesthetists passed 78-28, and HB 301 on psychiatric mental health APRN autonomous practice passed 88-18. Later, the House passed HB 863 on arbitration for Citizens Property Insurance disputes, giving policyholders a choice between arbitration and court, by 105-3, and HB 1399 on property insurance affiliates, which increases oversight of insurer-affiliate transactions, by 160-3. Members also heard and advanced a local claims bill, HB 6517, for relief of Eribeito and Sanchez Mayan against the City of St. Petersburg, describing severe injuries allegedly caused during an arrest and transport; the bill was rolled over for third reading at the end of the transcript. Throughout the day, members also paused for multiple recognitions of visiting students, local officials, professional groups, and community organizations.

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires all candidates who are running for a political office to have a separate bank account for
• that any time we put money in our account as a loan, it needed to make sure that we put that in our bank
• Is that just a copy of your bank statement? Representative McCann, thank you, Chairman.
• An easy example that you may be aware of is the National Council for Legislative Services, or NCLS.
• Here's one: the American Public Human Services Association. We're paying them $100,000.

Committee: House State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Joint Committee on Financial Services public hearing. My name is Paul Feeney.
• Banking, real estate, insurance, and the concrete and aggregate industry all touch this issue.
• So ultimately, I took the $100,000 from the bank and $200,000 from my parents.
• Prior to my current role at Boston Concrete, I was in services to the MCAPA board.
• You can't go to your bank. You can't go back on the builder. You can't go after a realtor.

Bills: S3091 , H5477

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Financial Services

Summary: The Joint Committee on Financial Services held a public hearing on two late-file matters, centered on S. 3091, a bill to create relief for homeowners affected by the crumbling concrete/pyrrhotite crisis. Senator Peter Durant presented the bill as a way to establish a crumbling concrete assistance fund, administered by CEDAC, to help replace failing foundations and reimburse homeowners who already paid out of pocket. He said the proposal follows recommendations from a state commission and would be funded by a $6 fee on homeowner/condo insurance policies and a $6-per-cubic-yard surcharge on concrete, with the goal of spreading costs broadly rather than placing them on homeowners alone. Several affected homeowners testified about severe financial and emotional harm, including expensive foundation replacements, lost equity, inability to sell or refinance, and long delays in getting help. Homeowners Karen Riani, Michelle Iglesi, Karen Bellotti, and Russell Dupierre described living with homes that became unsellable or unaffordable to repair, and urged the committee to move the bill forward. Committee members asked about inspection practices, whether pyrrhotite can be detected during home sales, whether the bill would ban pyrrhotite, and how much funding the program would need. Witnesses said the problem is broader than originally understood, affecting at least 52 municipalities, and that the only fix is full foundation replacement. They also said the bill includes training and education for inspectors, but does not ban pyrrhotite outright because the issue is now being addressed through quarry testing and material controls. Representatives of the concrete industry, including Craig Dauphinay, Karen Marshall, and Guy Glottis, said they support homeowner relief and the creation of a fund, but strongly opposed the concrete surcharge. They argued the industry has already taken significant steps, including supporting state testing and regulation of aggregate sources, and said the surcharge would unfairly assign blame, raise costs for residential, municipal, and infrastructure projects, and create cross-border competitiveness issues with neighboring states. They favored a Connecticut-style model funded primarily through insurance assessments, noting that Connecticut’s program has been successful and that Massachusetts could adopt a similar approach. No vote was taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our dealership's parts and service division has many obligations, including maintaining minimum parts
• They come with a bank-branded credit card. It may say Visa or MasterCard.
• A bank-branded credit card, so it may say Visa or MasterCard.
• The rewards cards that I'm targeting are ones that, again, are bank-branded, specific amount, can be
• Florida is already experiencing capacity constraints and longer wait times for surveying services.

Summary: The Commerce and Tourism Committee heard and reported favorably several bills. SB 386, by Sen. Trumbull, would create consumer rights and manufacturer obligations for defective farm equipment, modeled on lemon-law concepts, and passed without opposition. SB 528, also by Sen. Trumbull, would strengthen Florida’s manufacturing sector through Department of Commerce responsibilities, a chief manufacturing officer role, workforce grants, and reporting requirements; it drew questions about whether it differed from last year’s bill and was supported by several appearance forms before passing favorably. SB 806, a right-to-repair bill for portable wireless devices and agricultural equipment, drew the most testimony: supporters said it would expand consumer choice and repair access, while dealers and industry representatives argued existing manufacturer agreements already provide access and warned the bill could disrupt dealer/manufacturer relationships and future technology; it nevertheless passed favorably. The committee also approved SB 696 on trademark registration, which would modernize the trademark classification system, allow online applications, and clarify document verification procedures, and SB 930, which creates a 15-member Florida Retirement Savings Task Force to study retirement coverage gaps and recommend policy options without imposing employer mandates. SB 826, by Sen. Leak, would address reward cards that function like gift cards but expire, while excluding loyalty programs; the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association raised concerns about unintended consequences and the need for tighter definitions, but the bill was reported favorably after the sponsor said the language would be refined. SB 874 would expand professional licensure reciprocity for experienced out-of-state surveyors and mappers to address workforce shortages, and it also passed favorably. After a pause, the committee took up CS/SB 838 on electronic payments of retail installment contracts. Sen. Yarbrough said the bill clarifies that reasonable convenience fees for optional electronic payments are permissible, provided they are disclosed and a fee-free option remains available, to reduce ambiguity and litigation. Members questioned whether the bill could authorize or expand fees and whether the “reasonable” standard was sufficiently clear; the sponsor said the fees are tied to processor costs and are not intended as revenue. An amendment adding the word “retail” was adopted, and the committee substitute was reported favorably. Several members later asked to be recorded as voting in the affirmative on bills they had missed, and the meeting adjourned.