Transcript Highlights:

• And so 302 projects were advertised and awarded for construction in this past fiscal year.
• Two hundred and two projects were advertised and awarded for construction in this past fiscal year.
• were advertised and awarded for construction in this past fiscal year.
• You gave a number of $1.7 billion in total projects to be completed in this or next fiscal year.
• I should have mentioned that and had it in my notes.

Summary: The committee met for an information-only hearing with no votes or other action items. DOTD Secretary Glenn LaD and Deputy Secretary Beau Black gave an update on the department’s transformation efforts, focusing on faster project delivery, improved construction administration, and new technology. They said monthly contractor payment approvals have been reduced from roughly 35 days to 15 days or less, change orders from about 40-45 days to around five days, and that DOTD delivered 86% of its advertised projects in the last fiscal year. They also described new tools such as Headlight for field inspections, Smart PM for schedule tracking, Hall Hub for e-ticketing and work-zone mapping, and a pilot using advanced sensors on district vehicles to identify potholes, guardrail damage, and other asset issues. The department also outlined a district reorganization that replaces the area engineer model with dedicated district points of contact for construction, maintenance, and operations, with no increase in total staff. Members raised concerns about local maintenance issues, especially mowing, drainage, culverts, potholes, and communication with district offices. Several members asked for clearer coordination on jurisdictional questions, more frequent meetings with district administrators, and better public updates on long-running projects. LaD said DOTD would schedule follow-up meetings, use the coming customer service portal to track complaints, and improve public communication through project information officers, social media, and other outreach. Questions also covered contractor accountability, utility relocations, road transfer maps on the DOTD website, and whether maintenance work adjacent to capital projects should be handled by district crews or through new IDIQ contracts. The secretary also reviewed the Highway Priority Program process, saying DOTD will work between June and September to review projects not included in the prior program, explain why, and refine a five-year fiscally constrained plan before the fall road show. He said the department is using IDIQ authority to award bridge maintenance and other task-order work, and that this should help address a two-year bridge repair backlog. Members discussed whether current funding levels are enough to reduce the statewide backlog, and DOTD said the current program likely maintains rather than eliminates it absent new revenue. The hearing ended with a project-specific update that a barge struck the Black Bayou Pontoon Bridge that morning, causing significant damage; DOTD said divers and staff would inspect it and determine emergency repairs. After DOTD’s presentation, Archie Chesson of the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction gave a brief update on that office’s first year, describing its use of consultant pools, master service agreements, a public GIS map, and a data tool to prioritize rural road and bridge projects, with several early projects already completed or under construction.

Transcript Highlights:

• In fiscal year 2022-23, the legislature allocated five...
• In fiscal year 2022-23, the legislature allocated $5 million for the Northwest Regional Data Center to
• The other point to note is that FDC has 86 and F. FOR has 12.
• A $200 million increase in general revenue has occurred in just the last five fiscal years.
• A $200 million increase in general revenue has occurred in just the last five fiscal years.

Summary: The subcommittee first heard a panel on state cloud modernization efforts after canceling an LBR on the Department of Corrections’ OBIS project because the presentation materials were not submitted on time. Florida Digital Service, the Northwest Regional Data Center, and several agencies described how the state is assessing and migrating applications to cloud environments under the cloud-first policy. Northwest explained its 2023 cloud readiness assessment of 890 applications from 24 agencies, the criteria used to rate readiness and risk, and its recommendation to tackle lower-risk applications first. Agency updates covered the Department of Corrections’ modernization of 98 legacy applications tied to OBIS and cloud-native infrastructure, the Department of Elder Affairs’ Microsoft Power Platform modernization, the Department of Health’s health management and child protection systems, and FDOT’s large cloud program for transportation systems. Members repeatedly asked about costs, data ownership, disaster recovery, single sign-on, security tools, and whether cloud migration actually saves money; presenters generally said the focus is more on modernization, resilience, and efficiency than immediate savings, and that cost analyses are often application-specific rather than enterprise-wide. The discussion also covered governance and architecture questions. Florida Digital Service said agencies remain responsible for their own databases and cloud tenants, while FLDS provides advice and an enterprise architecture framework; it does not have statutory oversight over most projects, except for OBIS project oversight due to its size. Northwest said it is acting as a cloud broker for some agencies and is consolidating Azure and AWS payer tenants to seek better pricing, but agencies still make system-by-system decisions based on business needs, risk, latency, and total cost of ownership. Members raised concerns about fragmented data structures, the lack of a complete statewide application inventory, and the need for better interoperability and enterprise standards. Several agencies said disaster recovery is built into their cloud plans, and FDOT and Corrections described ongoing efforts to keep systems current through core platforms, training, and ongoing support. In the second half of the meeting, the Department of State presented two new technology requests. Secretary Byrd described the SunBiz corporate registry system as a 34-year-old platform supporting more than 3.5 million business entities and generating over $575 million in annual general revenue. He said the department had already virtualized the legacy hardware after earlier modernization efforts failed and is now seeking $800,000 recurring for password protection and $5 million nonrecurring to continue procurement for a replacement system. The department also presented the Florida Voter Registration System modernization request, noting that the current system is outdated and requires manual workarounds for some statutory changes. The department requested $2.4948 million nonrecurring and $44,000 recurring to procure a modernized FVRS solution, and staff said the feasibility study recommended a hybrid approach. Members asked about the study’s findings and about creating a database for voter eligibility information for returning citizens; the department said that would require data sharing with all 67 clerks of court and other entities such as DOC.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair Rck, so I noticed we don't have a fiscal note, but I have some data from...
• Chair Rck, so I noticed we don't have a fiscal note, but I have some data from...
• Chair, I noticed we don't have a fiscal note, but I have some data from 2023, and I'm just wondering
• Chair, as memory serves me, a fiscal note has been requested for this bill.
• It's currently pending in the fiscal note system.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The important thing to note here is that every community in the state will benefit from this tax policy
• The total fiscal impact of the state would be roughly $375 million on the high end, distributed to each
• Speaker, it's important to note that those communities are now not receiving any of that GRT revenue
• Further, I'll read from this note: "Expanding this tax credit to corporate entities further increases
• This bill has no fiscal impact on state government revenues or expenses.

Transcript Highlights:

• We should note that SIPs are not typically equipped to manage multiple co-occurring needs.
• In fiscal year 2023-24, the department received over 300,000...
• In fiscal year 2324, the department received over 300,000.
• In fiscal year 2023-24, the department received over 323,000 reports and referrals through the abuse
• In fiscal year 2023-24, 1,662 LRT staffings were held involving 714 children, and the average age of

Summary: The committee heard three presentations focused on child welfare workforce development and the needs of children in Florida’s dependency system. First, the Florida Institute for Child Welfare described its Grow Center and related initiatives, including academic curriculum enhancements, simulations, virtual reality training, coaching, on-demand learning, advanced certifications, and the planned Tallahassee learning lab opening in January 2026. Members asked about conflict resolution, domestic violence, addiction, and microcredentials; the presenter said the institute is expanding training in those areas and is working with DCF to align advanced certifications with the department’s career ladder. The Department of Children and Families then presented on the Continue the Mission initiative, which recruits veterans, military spouses, and former law enforcement officers into CPI, API, and case management roles. DCF said it has held more than 240 hiring events and hired 372 such workers since launch, while also improving recruitment and retention through higher starting pay, streamlined hiring, rebranding, wellness supports, and enhanced pre-service training. Senators asked about PTSD concerns, staffing levels, caseloads, hotline vacancies, and salaries; DCF said it had not seen direct PTSD issues from the hiring effort and provided figures including a $50,000 starting salary for CPIs, $37,000 for APIs, and average caseloads of 12 to 15 investigations for CPIs and about 10 for APIs. Finally, DCF discussed the increased acuity of children in the dependency system, explaining that fewer children are entering care overall but those who do often have more complex behavioral, mental health, developmental, or medical needs. The department highlighted a new Behavioral Qualified Residential Treatment Program (BQRTP) designed for youth who need more intensive support than traditional foster or group home settings but do not require inpatient psychiatric treatment; one facility is licensed with 12 of 14 beds filled, and DCF said it is seeking funding for placement for 230 youth total. Members pressed for details on licensure timelines, standards, funding, and the handling of crossover youth and lockouts, and DCF said it uses braided funding and works with DJJ, APD, and lead agencies through local and state review teams. A representative of the Florida Coalition for Children also testified, saying the issue is complex and multi-year, and that the coalition is working on possible legislative and programmatic solutions. The committee took no formal votes and adjourned after the presentations and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• the fiscal committee can do it fiscal the fiscal committee can do it fiscal committee<00:11:42.959
• 2016 after we completed the fiscal 2016 after we completed the fiscal process<00:12:42.120> we
• since 2019 um 1.8 million I will note since 2019 um 1.8 million I will note that<01:01:03.680>
• fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
• We provide you with fiscal note worksheets, bill briefs, testimonies such as today, and information materials

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Administrative Services presented an overview of its budget and operations, emphasizing that it is the lowest-spending agency in state government and that its general fund allocation has declined since 2019. Commissioner Arling House explained that DAS also handles back-office functions for several administratively attached boards, which has affected staffing and spending comparisons. He said the department’s current general fund spending is roughly split between retiree health and other operations, and that the presentation was based on adjusted authorized spending rather than the original budget figures. A major portion of the meeting focused on retiree health benefits and the long-term effort to control costs. Deputy Commissioner Cassie Keane described how the state moved from a projected deficit in retiree health to savings through a series of changes, including higher premium contributions, co-pay adjustments, and shifting Medicare retirees into Medicare Advantage arrangements to capture federal reimbursement. She said the state has about 12,500 retirees and spouses on the plan, with roughly 10,906 Medicare retirees and 1,580 non-Medicare retirees, and that the savings have depended heavily on federal funding and procurement decisions. She also noted that Medicare retirees pay Part B premiums and that the state has grandfathered older retirees from some premium contributions. Members asked about what the expenditures cover, why the state offers retiree health instead of simply giving retirees a payment to buy coverage themselves, and whether out-of-pocket costs changed under Medicare Advantage. Keane said the plan covers actual health claims or insurance premiums, that co-pays and maximum out-of-pocket limits remain in place, and that the state has no authority to change benefit details without legislative action. She explained that retiree health is a long-standing employee benefit that wraps around Medicare and is not collectively bargained in the usual sense, though its eligibility rules and cost-sharing have been tightened over time to better target the benefit to long-term state service. The discussion also covered vendor performance problems. Keane said Anthem recently won the contract back from Aetna, but its pharmacy subsidiary, Caroline, caused serious service disruptions. DAS responded by withholding payments, assessing more than $2 million in performance guarantees, and hiring a third-party auditor to review the pharmacy processes. The current contract runs through the end of calendar year 2026, and officials said they are watching federal Medicare Advantage reimbursement changes closely because future savings are uncertain.

Transcript Highlights:

• year 2627, largely untouched, and fiscal year 2627, largely untouched, and does<00:07:31.520> not
• Uh we also uh note you're interested.
• Uh we also uh note that<00:13:42.399> the<00:13:43.200> removal<00:13:43.600> of
• We implore you to reconsider these allocations and... budget during a time of fiscal budget during a
• time of fiscal uncertainty.<00:20:51.120> Attempting<00:20:51.520> to<00:20:51.679>

Bills: HF2439

Keywords: environmental protection, pollution reduction, waste management, climate change, funding allocations, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I note that some $3.1 billion is directly from the oil and gas industry.
• We'll have a new one coming out very soon that will show fiscal year-end performance.
• To that note, I'm not going to spend too long on any of these now.
• Representative, I think it's in the coming fiscal year.
• Sorry, Madam Chair, I would just note, too, that this slide before that, the note.

Transcript Highlights:

• bill's fiscal note.
• And on the fiscal note, is this an annual expense or a biannual expense of $1 million, or is this a one-time
• note.
• It's got a met fiscal... no, not... Let me back up for Senator Hall.
• note.

Bills: HB136, HB451, SB425, SB466, SB905, SB1986, SB2311, SB2450, SB2805, SB2826, SB2919, SB3001, HB136

Keywords: Medicaid, lactation, healthcare, consultation, reimbursement, maternal health, infant care, commercial sexual exploitation, child sex trafficking, human trafficking, child welfare, foster care, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, juvenile probation, risk assessment, needs assessment, trauma screening, child abuse prevention, exploitation screening

Transcript Highlights:

• Please note, the House is not responsible for any bad internet connection on the testifier's end.
• I'm not really good at this, so I was going to refer to some of my notes.
• I'm not really good at this, so I was going to refer to some of my notes.
• In fiscal year 25, we provided $1.2 million plus in direct contributions, and for fiscal year 26, we'll
• In fiscal year 25, we provided $1.2 million plus in direct contributions, and for fiscal year 26, we'll

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee 4 will come to order.
• So before we begin, I want to note a few housekeeping matters about today's agenda.
• My name is Amy Manicero, and I serve as the Deputy Secretary of Fiscal Policy and Administration for
• This is simply an administrative move to relocate staff who've performed specific fiscal, HR... ...fiscal
• At the same time, we recognize the fiscal realities that local governments face.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The subcommittee heard May Revision proposals focused on housing, homelessness, and related administrative changes, and took no votes, holding items open for later action. Item 1 would realign staff positions and resources as part of the Governor’s housing and homelessness reorganization, including shifting two Cal ICH positions to HCD, moving one Cal ICH position for communications/external affairs, and authorizing a chief deputy director at the new Housing Development Finance Committee. Administration witnesses said the changes were technical and net zero-cost, while the LAO recommended approval but asked for clarification on funding for the chief deputy. Several senators questioned whether the staffing shifts would weaken Cal ICH’s homelessness work and whether adding communications capacity was appropriate without new housing funding. Item 2 proposed creating a $100 million Disaster Rebuilding Fund at CalHFA, with $56 million General Fund and $44 million in existing National Mortgage Settlement funds, to support disaster-impacted homeowners through tools such as loan loss guarantees and interest rate buy-downs. CalHFA said the fund would help homeowners bridge the gap between insurance proceeds and rebuilding costs and would work through approved lenders. The LAO raised concerns about the lack of alternatives in the proposal, the broad discretion left to CalHFA in program design, and the General Fund cost. Senators pressed for more detail on eligibility, equity safeguards, lender oversight, and how many homeowners would actually benefit, with some warning the proposal was too open-ended and could miss the most vulnerable households. Item 3 addressed trailer bill language for HAP Round 7, including a proposed $500 million General Fund allocation tied to new accountability measures, pro-housing designation requirements for 14 large cities and 11 counties, local match requirements, streamlined system performance metrics, and recapture/reallocation of unspent funds. HCD said the proposal would avoid a new application process by treating Round 7 as additional disbursements of Round 6 and would provide technical assistance to jurisdictions. The LAO and several senators questioned the timing, the burden of pro-housing designation and local match requirements, the vagueness of some standards, and whether the proposal would delay rather than speed up funding. Members also debated whether the trailer bill preserved or weakened existing homelessness accountability metrics and whether the approach was too complicated given local budget pressures and ongoing homelessness needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, this bill didn't have a fiscal note, right? Correct. Let me pull up the fiscal note.
• Let me pull up the fiscal note. I'll tell you exactly.
• No significant fiscal implication to the state is anticipated. Okay. All right.
• I also want to note that Senate Bill 1832 only applies to fully adjudicated cases.
• And as you saw from the bill on the fiscal note, there's no anticipated fiscal note to the state.

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation, messages from the House, and several recognitions, including county day delegations from Fayette, LaSalle, Jim Hogg, Austin, and others, as well as a recognition of Rob Keppel for his career with the Texas District and County Attorneys Association. The chamber also adopted several resolutions, including SR 429 designating October 2025 as RET Syndrome Awareness Month and SR 432 honoring Rob Keppel. A doctor-of-the-day introduction and a public announcement about free skin checks were also made. The Senate then took up and passed several bills. SB 1152, creating the offense of continuous manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, passed after suspension of the rules. SB 1868, regulating kratom and related substances, was amended to prohibit smokeable kratom products and kratom pills and to clarify THC variants such as Delta-8 and Delta-10, then passed. SB 1349, creating offenses for transnational repression and unauthorized enforcement of foreign law, drew debate over a failed amendment that would have added election misinformation and foreign meddling; the bill ultimately passed unanimously. SB 2037, expediting review of LNG environmental permits, passed after amendments clarifying fees and deadlines, with opposition focused on its energy-policy implications. SB 1164, addressing emergency detention and court-ordered inpatient mental health treatment, passed after a drafting-error correction and discussion of the bill’s basis in recommendations from the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health. The Senate also advanced SB 2743 on prosecution of certain election offenses, which would allow a court process to disqualify a local prosecutor who repeatedly refuses to prosecute election cases and appoint the Attorney General; it passed to engrossment amid questions about evidence and local discretion. SB 1299, protecting nonprofit members, supporters, volunteers, and donors from disclosure by public agencies, passed unanimously. SB 2349, exempting certain short-term leases and temporary tenancies from floodplain notice requirements, passed unanimously. SB 2788, adding PSAT and pre-ACT scores for Texas Success Initiative exemptions and clarifying dual-credit eligibility, passed unanimously after amendment. SB 843, creating a TEA database of school district bonds, taxes, and bond-related projects and adding charter schools, passed after amendments on funding and scope. Finally, SB 1832, allowing parents to transfer a student who was victimized by a public school employee to another campus, passed to engrossment after extended debate over whether the bill should also cover private schools and how it would interact with school choice and ESA policy. SB 39, revising the admission rule in commercial motor vehicle collision cases, was laid out and debated over its effect on negligent entrustment and related evidence, with the author emphasizing that the bill preserves the bifurcated trial structure and does not alter other admissibility rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't have an actual fiscal note at the end of this bill, and so we're just trying to get an idea
• > note<00:09:10.040> at<00:09:10.120> the<00:09:10.280> end<00:09:11.200>
• of have an actual fiscal note at the end of have an actual fiscal note at the end of this<00:
• Surprise you to note that we are uh fully in support of this bill.
• Surprise<00:25:01.200> you<00:25:01.280> to<00:25:01.360> note<00:25:01.560>

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I will make one note on that: the Tax Commission does have the authority to annually adjust fees for
• You just don't get a committee note on it. You can proceed on with it to the floor. Okay.
• We changed a few things in it this year to help with the fiscal note.
• We just figured that might help on the fiscal note, and also it doesn't make a lot of sense.
• note on it, but I think what we've done this time will help a little bit.

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One grant recipient noted, "Loans were not an option for me.
• Grant recipients noted that there was uncertainty about whether the grant would continue to be available
• Lastly, our overall recommendation is, given the state's fiscal condition, if the legislature funds new
• As also noted in your agenda, we at the Student Aid Commission...
• Other than to note that there are some existing federal loan relief programs, there are concerns with

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• completely separate section um just was quite problematic, could lead to a lot of the uh court uh fiscal
• impacts that were noted in the bill.
• impacts that were uh court uh fiscal impacts that were noted<00:12:44.959> in<00:12:45.120>
• So we took the noted in the bill.
• now no fiscal we believe no fiscal now no fiscal we believe no fiscal impact<00:20:18.480> to

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee took up a proposed amendment to HP 598, with Nick Norman walking members through changes intended to preserve the existing eviction framework rather than create a separate expedited process. He said the amendment folds the bill’s changes into current law, adds limits on post-judgment motions and continuances, shortens or eliminates certain discretionary stays in default situations, and speeds issuance of notices and writs of possession. The amendment also adds language to RSA 540A to allow action against tenants, family members, guests, or occupants engaging in conduct that damages property or threatens health and safety, and it changes the effective date to 90 days after passage. Norman also said the amendment was meant to reduce frivolous delays and court fiscal impacts. Members raised concerns about several provisions, especially the clause barring discretionary stays after tenant default, the use of the word “immediately” for issuing writs, and the reduction of discretionary stays from 90 days to 60 days. One member asked for clarification on whether any meritorious circumstances should still allow a stay, and another suggested defining a specific timeline for judgments after hearings. Norman responded that the default provision was aimed at cases where tenants do not appear at all, and he said the intent was to prevent abuse of the process. He also discussed the new RSA 540A language as a way to address serious health and safety problems, including unauthorized occupants and hoarding. Other testimony was generally supportive of the amendment as an improvement over the original bill, but several witnesses urged changes. New Hampshire Legal Assistance said it would likely be neutral if recommended edits were made, and suggested clarifying language, preserving the ability to strike defaults, and allowing longer stays by agreement of the parties. That witness and others argued that a 60-day cap could interfere with negotiated move-out agreements and could be too short in some cases, especially for elderly or disabled tenants. There was also discussion of narrowing the new 540A remedy to the specific person causing the problem, while preserving protections for innocent household members, particularly in domestic violence situations. No vote or final action was taken in the excerpt; the chair indicated the committee would consider revised language before executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Miss Grom, can I ask, would there be a fiscal note if we just passed lines 22.12 to 22.16 as its own
• 00:39:22.320> passed<00:39:23.040> lines fiscal note if we just passed lines fiscal note
• Unless you already sent it to everybody prior to... >> I will pause. >> Is there a fiscal note to it?
• Unless you already sent it to everybody prior to... >> I will pause. >> Is there a fiscal note to it?
• >> Is there a fiscal note to it? >> Is there a fiscal note to it?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't see a fiscal note on this, Senator Sosinski. Is there a fiscal note been requested?
• I don't see a fiscal note on this, Senator Sosinski. Is there a fiscal note been requested?
• Um, the question is, what's a fiscal note on this one? Mr.
• > fiscal note last year no fiscal note last year no um<01:26:55.639> that<01:26:55.800> is<
• <01:27:09.600> note<01:27:09.840> on would uh need need the fiscal note on would uh

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The 5th Judicial Circuit, as State Attorney Bill Gladson has noted, has seen a population growth that
• So our combined fiscal Priorities for the regional councils this year.
• The fiscal impact would actually be pretty small statewide.
• That is the number of cases since the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
• And then looking at this fiscal year, they're looking at approximately eight to nine new cases This fiscal

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative, um, just want to quickly note for members regarding the two bills: these bills are uh
• just want to quickly note for members regarding<00:02:06.240> the<00:02:06.360> two<00
• I'll note for the committee we are I'll note for the committee we are working<00:26:02.799> on
• So just to note, that piece is, of course, cleaning up contaminated properties.
• She noted that DEED is there as well as a couple of other agencies that have overflow.

Bills: HF276, HF413, HF411

Keywords: human services, Medical Assistance, Medicaid, long-term services and supports, LTSS, public assistance, application process, eligibility determination, customer service survey, wait times, form complexity, lead agencies, Department of Human Services, Department of Children Youth and Families, streamlining, administrative reform, case management, reassessment, intake system, adaptive eligibility form