Video & Transcript Research : 'technology security'

Page 139 of 500
MO

Missouri 2026 Regular Session

Budget Jan 15th, 2026 at 08:15 am

Budget

Transcript Highlights:
  • The department's largest division, the Division of Employment Security, led by Director Alan Andrews,
  • Our next core is found on page 115: the Division of Employment Security Administration.
  • A new decision item is found on page 125 for the Division of Employment Security, with the governor's
  • On pages 135 is the Special Employment Security Fund, with the governor's recommendation totaling $9.9
  • So we, again, we're pretty proactive in making sure that we have technology in place that really helps
Keywords: 959, house, all
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • to secure the items that I had secured.
  • Campbell, please have been. ...security to secure the items that I had secured. Ms.
  • Well, I don't know a lot about technology, but I know that technology can sure help in this way, as a
  • Or, you know, wait and it'll come back around and we'll need. ...about technology, but I know that technology
  • We didn't have today's technology.
Summary: The joint Senate and House disaster preparedness hearing convened in Kerrville with quorum, public testimony limited to three minutes and invited testimony to 10 minutes. Leaders from both chambers, along with the lieutenant governor and speaker, framed the hearing as an unprecedented joint effort focused on learning from the July 4 flood, honoring victims, and identifying actions to reduce future loss of life. The committee also heard opening remarks about decorum, logistics, and the intent to continue work in future sessions. The first panel included Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Sheriff Larry Leitha, Emergency Management Coordinator William B. Thomas IV, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr., Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice, Upper Guadalupe River Authority representative William Rector, Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk, and Real County Judge Bella Rubio. They described the flood as sudden and catastrophic, with Kerr County reporting 108 deaths and two missing. Local officials emphasized that they received no timely warning of the scale of the event, that responders and volunteers acted heroically under extreme conditions, and that communications, cell coverage, and rural emergency resources were strained. Several witnesses said the county’s existing alert systems were limited by geography, sparse broadband, and the speed of the flood. Testimony focused on possible improvements, including real-time flood gauges and predictive monitoring, stronger rural emergency management staffing and training, better interoperability and alerting tools such as IPAWS, CodeRED, WENS, and sirens, and expanded broadband and radio coverage. Kerrville asked for a flood warning system before next summer and state help for stormwater, floodplain, and disaster recovery funding. UGRA described its past and current flood-warning and mitigation efforts, including gauge funding, a new software-based flood prediction project, and consideration of additional retention dams. Kendall and Real counties highlighted successful or needed alerting and evacuation practices, while also stressing the difficulty of funding and maintaining such systems in small rural counties. Members asked detailed questions about the timeline of the flood response, low-water crossings, communications failures, sirens, bridges, and whether regional consolidation or additional infrastructure could improve future preparedness.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Public Safety Committee Jun 30th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • There are approximately 1.2 million security guards in the country, making the private security industry
  • My name is Larry Taylor, security officer, My name is Larry Taylor, security officer, a member of USWW
  • I've been a security officer for 40 years.
  • I'm a security guard from Los Angeles.
  • Human security jobs, replacing them with modern advances in technology.
Summary: The committee heard several bills, though no final votes were taken because a quorum had not yet been established. SB 493 by Senator Becker would add war or armed conflict to California’s price-gouging emergency triggers, with the author and supporters arguing it would protect consumers from gas-price spikes tied to international conflict. Opponents, including business and housing groups, warned the bill could over-trigger emergency powers and create broad, ongoing price controls. The chair indicated support for an aye-as-amended recommendation once quorum was reached. SB 1056 by Senator Grayson would require protective orders for disclosure of sexually explicit material involving adult victims in specified criminal cases. Denise Huskins-Quinn and Aaron Quinn testified in support, describing how sensitive evidence in their case was copied and handled without adequate safeguards; supporters said the bill would extend privacy protections similar to those already used for child sexual abuse material. Criminal defense attorneys supported the goal but raised concerns about notice procedures and how the bill would apply when material is in the public domain. The chair said the bill filled a gap in existing law and would receive an aye recommendation. SB 1208 by Senator Grayson would let law enforcement seize and return crypto assets used in scams and fraud to victims. The Attorney General’s office and law enforcement groups supported the bill as a tool to recover losses from transnational crypto fraud, while the ACLU and public defenders argued it lowered the burden of proof, raised constitutional concerns, and could be misused against unbanked or low-level defendants. The chair nevertheless said the bill aligned with existing law for stolen property and would be recommended aye. SB 874 by Senator Weber-Pearson would strengthen oversight of Medi-Cal behavioral health treatment services, including requiring background checks for employees of providers and convening a stakeholder workgroup; it drew support from the California Association for Behavior Analysis and no opposition was heard. Later, SB 1266 by Senator Stern would change how the value of stolen copper and related infrastructure damage is calculated, aiming to address copper theft and its costs to cities and utilities. Supporters said the bill would better capture the real harm from thefts that disrupt streetlights, telecom, and emergency services, while opponents argued it would inflate charges, turn many misdemeanors into felonies, and increase court and incarceration costs. The author said he would continue discussions and accept the amendments. Senator Cervantes presented SB 1379, which would separate the Riverside County sheriff and coroner offices and create an independent medical examiner; supporters cited in-custody death concerns and conflicts of interest, while opponents said the problem was not unique to Riverside and that the bill would override local control. Cervantes also presented SB 1418 to extend ballot-custody protections to other election records and equipment after a Riverside County ballot seizure, with support from the Attorney General’s office. Finally, Senator Blakespear began presenting SB 936 on nitrous oxide misuse, describing public health, impaired-driving, and disposal concerns, but the transcript cuts off before the bill’s testimony concluded.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Water and Natural Resources Aug 18th, 2025

Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • In 2021, New Mexico actually led the nation in introducing a modern technology system, which included
  • It's a way of looking at greater food security. You did bring up the pandemic.
  • Laura De La Cruz, the Interim Division Dean for Advanced Studies and Technologies; and Mr.
  • talking about today, Water Technology, resides.
  • They're looking for problem-solving and that technology.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

CPN Informational Briefing 01-14-2026

Hawaii Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • of these technologies. of these technologies.
  • <00:10:24.640> Uh technology. We know that it's here. Uh technology.
  • Technology<00:48:24.320> challenging. Technology challenging. Technology challenging.
  • <00:48:43.920> and<00:48:44.040> media technology and media technology and media on<00:
  • <01:23:57.760> and their relationship with technology and their relationship with technology
Keywords: 912, senate, all
WA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Welcome to the Technology, Economic Development, and Veterans Committee this morning.
  • We were able to secure two federal fire management assistance grants.
  • Grant Program; and the nonprofit security grant program.
  • I anticipate a 50% match being levied on the Homeland Security grants.
  • of Homeland Security CISA, or Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI, the State Patrol
Summary: The committee held a work session focused on the effects of tariffs on Washington’s economy, agriculture, and small businesses, followed by updates on emergency management, cybersecurity, disaster resilience, tsunami preparedness, and World Cup security planning. Office of Financial Management economist Abdelamintrawe Trieri said tariff increases are expected to raise prices, reduce output and employment, and lower state revenue over a four-year horizon, with the hardest-hit sectors including aerospace, food and beverage manufacturing, and agriculture. Members asked about updated tariff scenarios, crop-specific impacts, inflation versus deflation in different goods, and whether some manufacturing sectors could benefit; staff said updated numbers would need to be rerun as tariff rates changed. Washington Department of Agriculture representative Ryan Hamm described how tariffs raise costs for farm inputs such as equipment, parts, packaging, and fertilizer, while also affecting exports of key commodities like wheat, potatoes, apples, cherries, dairy, and wine. He said some sectors support tariffs on competing imports, but retaliation and market restrictions have hurt exports, especially to China and, in the wine sector, Canada. Department of Commerce representative Andrea Chartock outlined export assistance, business finance, recruitment, and industry-sector development programs, and proposed expanding tariff-resilience support through market diversification, supply-chain optimization, and efforts to attract investment and federal funding. She also noted uncertainty around delayed federal STEP funding for small business export assistance. Emergency Management Division Director Robert Ezell warned that federal disaster and mitigation funding is becoming less reliable, citing the denied bomb cyclone disaster declaration, delays in FEMA grant processing, and possible restructuring of FEMA that could shift more responsibility to states. He said Washington may need stronger state-funded public assistance, individual assistance, and mitigation programs, along with broader coordination among state agencies and local governments. Cybersecurity staff described state efforts to support local governments through the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee, threat intelligence sharing, vulnerability assessments, and a proposed volunteer incident response team, while noting the loss of MS-ISAC funding and the importance of continued state matching funds for cybersecurity grants. Hazard mitigation and tsunami staff emphasized the need for sustained investment in flood, wildfire, earthquake, lahar, and tsunami resilience, including vertical evacuation structures and language-access outreach. Ezell also briefed the committee on World Cup security preparations and federal grants for counter-unmanned aircraft systems, explaining that the state can buy mitigation capabilities but current authority to use them remains largely federal; the committee asked follow-up questions about fan zones, training, and the meaning of drone mitigation. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with adjournment after the presentations and questions.
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Taxes Committee 2/18/25

Taxes

Transcript Highlights:
  • Revenue operations then, improving the customer experience through technology.
  • Improving the customer experience through technology.
  • There was sort of like patterns that they could kind of use as technology to track.
  • can rest easy about their information being secure.
  • there's no tax on your social security there's no tax on your social security so<01:02:16.039>
Keywords: 1183, house
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • 49/11 as a necessary and timely update to Texas child protection laws in response to emerging technologies
  • Since then, we've seen that technology has advanced rapidly and the law needs further updates to close
  • Um, to close on this, uh, the reason this bill is so important is one, technology should never outpace
  • Well, um, we will take a look at that because you're right, we want to make sure that it is as secure
  • There is a program that the Department of Home Homeland Security started in 2013.
NH

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

Senate Finance (04/25/2025)

Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • ,<00:38:12.480> Economic, Hampshire Employment Security, Economic, Hampshire Employment Security
  • Information technology.
  • With me is Information Technology.
  • on the services the types of technology on the services the types of technology that<01:47:02.080
  • , involve data data privacy and security, involve data data privacy and security, then<01:47:48.239
Keywords: 1191, senate, all
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Federal funds enable colleges to adopt new technologies.
  • We want our students to know that when they're on campus, they have a sense of security.
  • We want our students to know that when they're on campus, they have a sense of security.
  • They secure the funding to get there.
  • We now have AI and new technologies that make participation more challenging.
Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee held an oversight hearing on how federal actions are affecting California higher education, with opening remarks from the chair and members emphasizing the importance of state-federal shared governance and the need to protect access, affordability, and campus diversity. The first panel included leaders from the CSU, University of the Pacific, California Community Colleges, and UC, who described broad impacts from federal grant terminations, changes to student aid, loan limits, visa and immigration policy, and proposed reductions to research support. Testimony focused on the elimination of Grad PLUS loans, caps on Parent PLUS and Pell-related changes, the loss or suspension of hundreds of grants, and the resulting harm to student support services, research, workforce pipelines, food assistance, and health care training. UC and CSU representatives warned of major losses in research funding, indirect cost reimbursement, and student opportunities, while community college leaders highlighted uncertainty around federal grants and the need to maintain services for low-income, first-generation, undocumented, and other vulnerable students. Committee members asked how the state could respond, including through intersegmental partnerships, dual enrollment, transfer pathways, and support for basic needs and nutrition programs. Witnesses said California could help by sustaining financial aid, protecting minority-serving institution programs, and investing in research, housing, and workforce development. Several speakers stressed that federal changes were creating instability for students and campuses, and that the effects would likely be long-lasting, especially in health care, teaching, STEM, and social work pipelines. A second panel then focused on equitable access. The California Student Aid Commission described state efforts such as the $3.9 billion investment in aid programs, the Cal Grant system, the Dream Act, and possible reforms to better serve adult learners, foster youth, undocumented students, and students with dependents. The Los Angeles Community College District reported that federal cuts and policy shifts are discouraging students from applying for aid, threatening TRIO and MSI/HSI-funded services, and reducing support for basic needs, counseling, and workforce programs. The Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities and the CSU Academic Senate echoed concerns about FAFSA confusion, international student restrictions, grant losses, and the erosion of equity-focused programs. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and discussed possible state responses.
WY

Wyoming 2026 Regular Session

Senate Floor Session-Day 4, February 12, 2026-PM

Wyoming Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • , the fund strengthens US energy security, the fund strengthens US energy security, improves<00:23
  • Uh, I'm with technology cuts, folks.
  • <01:54:32.960> personnel for the capital security personnel for the capital security personnel
  • ,<02:26:21.200> I'm with not keeping up with technology, I'm with not keeping up with technology
  • Uh that's just down on technology costs.
Keywords: 916, all
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Appropriations Apr 29th, 2025

Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:
  • On yesterday, before I came to Austin, I heard about the salination issue related to the technology.
  • According to the study, the water treated with the new technology is cleaner than the drinking water.
  • Strategic infrastructure upgrades and a continued focus on education and workforce readiness can secure
  • And the other is technology, which, as you've heard alluded to today, includes the types of horizontal
  • I think if we give them that chance, they're going to secure our energy future for generations to come
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety - Part 1 - 03/25/26

Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:
  • Uh technology is Uh it is important.
  • /c><01:11:20.240> cost-of-living If we can't secure a cost-of-living If we can't secure a cost-of-living
  • Resident was punching the security desk and kicking the door, screaming he was going to kill the security
  • 19:55.280> desk<01:19:55.600> and was punching the security desk and was punching the security
  • to kill the security staff. to kill the security staff.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
  • standards used by DHS when considering approval of a course of study for a school of radiologic technology
  • So this bill makes some common-sense updates to the radiologic technology statutes, including school
  • So this bill makes some common-sense updates to the radiologic technology statutes, including school
  • The bill also updates the definition of a protected person as it relates to credit security freezes to
  • Seeing none, ...to look backwards and see what we need to bring to the future of technology and what
Keywords: 1182, all
Summary: The meeting covered a long series of bills, mostly in health, education, commerce, federalism, and government. In health, members discussed radiology technology updates (HB 2050), a tribal Medicaid waiver/drawdown measure with no state cost (HB 2177), an emergency medicine study committee (HB 2183), fetal death certificate and remains-transfer requirements (HB 2184), a physician assistant licensure compact (HB 2190), dementia care telemonitoring funding (HB 2202), SNAP error-rate reduction and fraud/eligibility oversight bills (HB 2206, HB 2442, HB 2797), child welfare protections like credit freezes and recorded interviews (HB 2321, HB 2322), and podiatric licensure compacts (HB 2438). Several of these were described as consent-calendar items, while HB 2206 and the SNAP-related measures drew discussion about fraud reduction, administrative burden, and work requirements. In commerce and finance, the committee heard bills on mobile food vendors and local permits (HB 2118), earned wage access services with fee caps and disclosure rules (HB 2309), CPA licensure changes (HB 2476), cash acceptance for retail purchases under $100 (HB 2555), drone delivery and unmanned aircraft guardrails (HB 2875), timeshare salesperson licensing (HB 2877), and a prohibition on state-mandated social credit scoring in lending decisions (HB 2903). The tax and retirement-related items included 529 plan conformity and Roth IRA transfer rules (HB 2477), annual tax conformity to the Internal Revenue Code (HB 2785), ASRS technical and disability-related changes (HB 2089, HB 2090, HB 2092), and a bill on employee health insurance definitions (HB 2089). The Arizona Commerce Authority bill (HB 2754) would add legislative members to the board and shift more control over trade offices and Arizona Competes Fund spending to the legislature. The education section focused heavily on school governance and finance. Bills included patriotic youth group presentations in schools (HB 2312), school board term limits (HB 2318), mandatory training for governing board members (HB 2379), independent municipal advisors for bond elections (HB 2320), restrictions on districts buying operating charter/private school sites to game enrollment formulas (HB 2376), conflict-of-interest limits for school facilities board architects and engineers (HB 2378), public meeting and travel transparency rules for districts (HB 2380), limits on long-term school property leases and reporting requirements (HB 2384), tighter bidding rules for school construction job orders using Building Renewal Grant funds (HB 2482), and a voluntary computer science proficiency seal (HB 2764). Sponsors repeatedly framed these as transparency, accountability, and anti-abuse measures, while some opposition centered on local flexibility, housing use, and existing training providers. In federalism and government, the committee heard bills to give counties more time to mail sample ballots (HB 2006), require courts to identify veterans at first appearance for possible veterans court referral (HB 2226), study veterans’ awareness of benefits (HB 2406), broaden military leave protections (HB 2663), require SAVE verification for voter registration and certain state services (HB 2806), require U.S.-sourced voting machine components by 2029 (HB 2901), affirm the Electoral College (HB 2902), and establish due process protections for justice of the peace courts against outside administrative action (HB 2976). Government committee items included a later deadline for library trustees’ annual reports (HB 2129), a two-year limit on certain adult protective services reports to the Attorney General (HB 2228), and an exemption for public and semi-public cold plunges from ADEQ spa rules (HB 2439). Several bills were reported as consent-calendar items, and a number of sponsors noted committee votes, fiscal neutrality, or favorable testimony in support of the measures.
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Intergovernmental Affairs Mar 11th, 2025

Intergovernmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • My mother's, uh, Application for some of her benefits from Social Security and the management of that
  • My tech budget, technology budget in 2021 was a little over $5 million for the county.
  • Uh, my technology budget for this fiscal year is over $8 million.
  • We can't keep having double-digit percent increases in our technology cost.
  • With new software and technology. We could have prevented that.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

JHA Info Briefing - Tue Sept 16, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • And you have systems through technology.
  • Code for America is a nonprofit civic technology organization.
  • <01:06:17.839> So technology in new and creative ways.
  • So technology in new and creative ways.
  • opening open to looking at technology opening open to looking at technology and<01:24:17.360>
Keywords: 910, house, all
Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs held an information briefing on expungement and record clearance, with Chair David Tarnis and Vice Chair Mahina Poo Poy emphasizing second chances and the legislature’s recent work on state-initiated relief. The chair reviewed prior measures, including Act 62 (2024), which created Hawaii’s first state-initiated expungement pilot for certain non-conviction cannabis-related arrests, Act 159 (2023), which required automatic sealing or removal of expunged records from the judiciary’s public database, and Act 241 (2024), which created the Clean Slate Task Force. He said the committee invited the Clean Slate Initiative and Code for America because of their national experience with state-initiated record clearance systems. Phil Hickden of the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center and Attorney General’s office reported that Act 62 was implemented using existing resources and no new funding, initially covering single-charge, pre-2020 arrests in Hawaii County for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana and later expanded by Act 005 (2025) to all arrests under HRS 712-1249 regardless of drug type. He said the project identified 2,268 potentially eligible records, with 1,072 processed so far, 989 granted and 83 denied, and that the work has taken about 872 staff hours and roughly 45 days per expungement. He also said the office has identified about 412,000 people who could potentially qualify for expungement under broader legislation, though that estimate does not include case-by-case research. Michelle Acasta of the judiciary explained that Act 159 changed the process so HCJDC now digitally transmits expungement certificates to the court, eliminating the applicant’s second step of filing paperwork with the court. She said the courts still manually review eligibility, but the process is easier because certificates now include a case ID and HCJDC provides additional information to help locate records. She reported that since implementation the courts received 125 certificates in July and 87 in August, with 17 court orders filed in July and August, including 81 in the First Circuit, 14 in Maui, 7 in the Third Circuit, and 15 in the Fifth Circuit. She also noted that the Hawaii Supreme Court’s State v. Rogan decision affects procedure by requiring a written request or motion, an opportunity to be heard, and written findings for sealing court records, and that new Supreme Court rules are expected for public comment. Members asked about qualitative outcomes and whether the process could be expanded statewide; staff said they do not track recidivism or personal stories, and the chair encouraged further discussion before the next session to identify barriers and capacity needs.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Water and Natural Resources Aug 18th, 2025

Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • You've really brought technology. The new technology here at Las Cruces with some of your focuses.
  • It's not just about the indiscriminate use of these technologies; it's also a very complex problem.
  • Specifically, Social Security has grown by about half a trillion since 2019, while Medicare has grown
  • Agricultural technologies.
  • Uh, so we're saying that school attendance is up only because of child food security.
ND

North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session

Energy Development and Transmission Committee Jun 2nd, 2026

Energy Development and Transmission Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • And the type of facility: what is its cooling technology?
  • I want to switch gears entirely now to technology development and talk about the technology development
  • So this is the technology development pathway.
  • So that's representing our polar bear technology.
  • That's that polar bear technology that I mentioned.
Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of the Mincota Power Cooperative headquarters before returning for presentations on large energy consumers, especially data centers. The first presentations focused on how North Dakota should respond to rapid growth in energy-intensive projects, with speakers emphasizing the need for reliable transmission, local decision-making tools, and factual information for county and township officials who are being asked to weigh major projects with limited staff and technical support. The North Dakota Transmission Authority director said local governments are being asked to make high-impact decisions on pipelines, transmission lines, large agriculture, wind, solar, carbon dioxide pipelines, direct-air capture, and data centers, and urged development of simple statewide decision tools and support from the League of Cities and Association of Counties. The Department of Environmental Quality’s air division director said North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the nation, but large data centers can create air-quality concerns because of diesel backup generation; he said the department is requiring air monitors at some facilities and expects grid power and, potentially, cleaner natural gas backup to reduce emissions. Members asked about emissions standards, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession at DEQ. The Department of Water Resources director said North Dakota’s water law is based on common ownership and prior appropriation, and that data centers generally use relatively small amounts of water, often in closed-loop systems. He said the Missouri River and groundwater supplies are ample for projected needs, that the department’s permitting process protects senior water rights, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use a very small share of Missouri River flow. Members asked about downstream impacts and compared data center water use with fracking. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd Erickson urged the committee to study how other states regulate data centers, warned against litigation-driven delays and overly broad local ordinances, argued reclamation bonding should be handled at the state level if at all, and said data centers can bring jobs and tax base but should remain subject to local zoning. The committee ended the morning session for lunch and later heard an EERC update from CEO Charles Gorecki on the center’s 75 years of work in energy and environmental technologies, especially oil and gas development and related research.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact Jul 11th, 2025

Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact

Transcript Highlights:
  • We have epicenters around innovation and technology, the largest concentration of military assets in
  • And our technological innovation, we are one of the largest destinations for the Department of Defense
  • High tech and emerging technology is obviously another area of great importance. to digitize and the
  • Investing in fusion technology here in San Diego with the D3D reactor at the General Atomics operates
  • And my hope is that you and your loved ones see our hydration monitoring technology in action.
Keywords: 988, house, all
FL
Transcript Highlights:
  • or... ...car in some way, either through Bluetooth technology or a wire where you're actually using
  • so that it's not something that has to be integrated, but it is also not something that is... ...secured
  • Over the years, technology has given us this ability to be distracted, but we...
  • Over the years, technology has given us this ability to be distracted, but we, We've, over the years,
  • technology has given us this ability to be distracted, but we've got to bring people back to reality
Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development met to review its fiscal year 2025-2026 budget proposal and several bills. The chair outlined a roughly $18 billion budget area, including major funding for the Department of Transportation work program, Visit Florida, library/cultural/historical initiatives, affordable housing, National Guard tuition assistance, and Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles needs. The committee adopted a motion allowing technical adjustments and then approved the budget proposal as a recommendation to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The committee next heard and approved CS/SB 666, creating a Miami Northwestern Alumni Association specialty license plate, with proceeds supporting scholarships, academic, athletic, and arts programs at Miami Northwestern Senior High School. Members praised the school’s academic and athletic achievements, and the bill was reported favorably without opposition. The committee also heard extensive testimony on CS/SB 1318, which would rename Florida’s texting-while-driving law as the hands-free driving law and expand the prohibition to handheld use of wireless devices, including in work zones. Supporters, including law enforcement, health care, bicycling, and crash victims’ advocates, argued it would save lives and make enforcement clearer; some senators supported the goal but raised concerns about enforcement, privacy, and impacts on drivers with older vehicles. The bill was reported favorably. The committee then approved SB 1408, designating memorial highways in Hillsborough and Charlotte counties for Master Patrol Officer Jesse Madsen and Sergeant Elio Diaz, and SB 1516, creating the International Aerospace Innovation Fund to be administered by Space Florida to support partnerships between Florida and international aerospace companies. Both bills were reported favorably with little debate. Senators also requested to be recorded in the affirmative on selected bills, and the meeting adjourned.