Transcript Highlights:

• But now, given the sort of speed of change and also the sort of more public narrative regarding return
• think when we're kind of coming out and varying all three systems now, we love the opportunity to speed

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill authorizes FDOT to set the maximum allowable highway speed limits and increases speed limits

Summary: The committee first handled Senate confirmations, hearing two support waivers from the Florida Swimming Pool Association, and then voted to recommend confirmation of all appointees in a block vote. It then took up several bills, adopting amendments and reporting each measure favorably: CS/SB 462 on transportation, which included FDOT authority over speed limits, EV-related funding, MPO changes, workforce grants, and an I-4 widening report; SB 1574 on energy infrastructure investment, creating a PSC mechanism for renewable natural gas infrastructure cost recovery; SB 1002 on utility service restrictions, limiting local government energy-source restrictions; and SB 726 on swatting, adding liability for prosecution/investigation costs and restitution for injuries or property damage. The committee also approved CS/SB 496 on timeshare management and CS/SB 1076 on roof contracting, both with technical or clarifying amendments. A major portion of the meeting focused on SB 408 on thoroughbred permit holders and decoupling live racing from gaming licenses at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. Senator Burgess presented a strike-all amendment that would delay decoupling for seven years, with a three-year notice period and a four-year guarantee of racing and current purse/breeder award structures. The sponsor and supporters said the longer runway was intended to create room for negotiations and align Florida with other pari-mutuel operations. The committee heard extensive public testimony, overwhelmingly opposed, from horsemen, breeders, veterinarians, farm owners, sales companies, and related businesses who warned the bill would reduce racing, depress breeding, threaten tens of thousands of jobs, and harm a major agricultural industry. A few speakers, including representatives of the Miccosukee Tribe, opposed the bill as a casino expansion that would benefit out-of-state interests and undermine existing gaming arrangements. No final vote on SB 408 was taken in the portion provided, and the committee continued public testimony after a recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• that bad provider's medical malpractice insurance moving forward, similar to if you get too many speeding
• I think if we reduce the speed limit down to 10 miles an hour, we have fewer fatalities on I-95, but

Summary: The Committee on Rules met with a quorum and heard extensive debate on SB 734, which would repeal Florida’s wrongful-death medical malpractice exception that bars certain adult children and parents from recovering noneconomic damages. Senator Yarborough presented the bill as a fairness and accountability measure, while many family members testified in support, describing deaths they believed were caused by medical negligence and arguing the current law denies equal justice. Opponents, including physician and insurer representatives, warned the bill could increase malpractice exposure, premiums, defensive medicine, and physician shortages. The committee also considered two late-filed amendments: Senator Burton’s amendment would make Department of Health investigative findings admissible in court, and Senator Martin’s amendment to that amendment would broaden admissibility/discoverability to additional disciplinary and prior-adverse-incident records and insurance coverage facts. After debate, the Martin amendment was adopted, but the Burton amendment as amended failed on a roll call vote. The committee then reported SB 734 favorably without the amendment. The committee next unanimously reported CS for SB 86 favorably. That bill, by Senator Burgess, expands peer support protections for first responders to include support personnel; there was little debate and several law-enforcement-related organizations indicated support. The committee also took up SB 316 on series limited liability companies. Senator Berman explained that the bill creates rules for series LLCs in Florida, and a late-filed amendment, requested by the Secretary of State, delayed implementation by one year. The amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee considered CS for CS for SB 384, which requires municipalities seeking to annex state-owned land to notify the relevant county legislative delegation when the first public hearing is advertised. Senator Burton presented the bill briefly, there was no opposition or debate, and the committee proceeded to vote on the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• President, Senator, one of the other issues is the speed of infrastructure here in New Mexico.
• Um, is that one of the challenges that you see here with this bill, is just the speed of infrastructure

Transcript Highlights:

• reduce physical mail by using a secure portal system to send and receive documentation, which will also speed
• use of DocuSign across the agency will further reduce administrative burdens and improve process speeds

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , making sure that everyone had access to the internet and a laptop in one-to-one recovery or high-speed
• And the decline will. speed up right and so we implement that process we develop smart goals and we hold

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, and thank you all for being here today and bringing us up to speed.
• Chair, and thank you all for being here today and bringing us up to speed.

Summary: The Banking and Insurance Committee heard a series of presentations focused on mitigation, flood and wind resilience, and insurance discounts. Kevin Guthrie of the Florida Division of Emergency Management outlined several funding streams for mitigation, including federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program dollars, BRIC grants, flood mitigation assistance, and the state hurricane loss mitigation program. He emphasized the new Elevate Florida initiative, which will use about $400 million initially to elevate or reconstruct flood-prone homes, starting with National Flood Insurance Program properties and severe repetitive-loss homes, with no current per-home cap. Guthrie said the state will contract directly with licensed vendors and aims to reduce future flood losses, lower insurance costs, and keep properties on the tax rolls rather than relying on buyouts. Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworski described Florida’s windstorm mitigation discount program, explaining that the 1802 inspection form is used to assess a home’s overall “envelope” and determine statutory discounts. He said the office is updating the program based on a new wind loss study, with likely changes including greater recognition of roof types such as metal roofs and possible territorial risk adjustments. He also said the Legislature now requires the office to revisit the study every five years. Stephen Fielder of the Department of Financial Services reported on My Safe Florida Home, noting that the program offers inspections and grants for roof and opening protections, has completed more than 100,000 inspections, and has reimbursed hundreds of millions of dollars. He said the department has validated its discount calculations with insurers and that the program is intended to help homeowners reduce premiums through verified mitigation work. Michael Newman of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety said Florida’s building code is nationally leading and that post-Ian surveys found no wind-driven structural damage in buildings built after adoption of the code. He argued that mitigation should be treated as a system, not isolated upgrades, and suggested adding Fortified designation to the state’s mitigation form to better document verified resilience improvements. Bill Truex, a county commissioner and builder, stressed the need to educate homeowners about floodproofing and roof choices, citing examples where flood panels prevented damage and noting that asphalt shingles often do not last as long in Florida as their marketing suggests. In panel discussion, senators asked about program eligibility, outreach to elderly and digitally challenged residents, contractor vetting, roof-life disclosures, and whether flood insurance should be more broadly required. Officials said outreach will include call centers and in-person assistance, and several participants urged better consumer disclosure and more data-driven guidance on roof and mitigation choices.

Transcript Highlights:

• municipalities have gone virtual, where they can do a lot of the stuff simultaneously, and it brings up the speed
• example, have gone to virtual, where they can do a lot of the stuff simultaneously and brings up the speed

Summary: The Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee held its first meeting of the 2025 session and focused on an overview of county and municipal home rule powers and state preemption. After roll call and member introductions, Chair Alex Rizzo and Vice Chair Griff Griffiths explained the constitutional and statutory basis for local self-government, the distinction between charter and non-charter counties, and how express and implied preemption limit local authority. Griffiths emphasized that home rule gives local governments broad power to address community needs, but the Legislature can override that authority through clear preemption, with courts ultimately deciding disputes. Representatives Holcomb and LaMarca added that local issues should generally be addressed locally first, but statewide standards can be appropriate when uniformity is needed or local action is ineffective. The committee then heard from a panel representing counties, cities, business, and construction interests: Ginger Delegal of the Florida Association of Counties, Carolyn Johnson of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Rebecca O'Hara of the Florida League of Cities, and Carol Bowen of Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida. Delegal and O'Hara argued that home rule is rooted in local autonomy, policy experimentation, and accountability to voters, and warned against broad or “vacuum” preemptions that remove local authority without replacing it with state regulation. Johnson and Bowen supported preemption when local rules create a patchwork that hurts statewide competitiveness, raises costs, or complicates business operations, citing examples such as labor rules, heat safety, permitting, and procurement preferences. The panel also discussed the 2023 local ordinances law, which requires business impact estimates and provides attorney’s fees in certain challenges, as a mechanism to resolve disputes locally before resorting to preemption. Members questioned the panel about the 2024 heat-safety preemption and how to protect workers in the absence of local ordinances. Business representatives said existing OSHA duties and industry best practices already require employers to provide safe conditions, while local governments and the state should avoid inconsistent standards across jurisdictions. Another discussion centered on construction permitting, licensing, and local boards that may slow projects and increase costs; Bowen suggested eliminating redundant local fees and barriers while preserving statewide licensing and enforcement against bad actors. No votes were taken, and the meeting remained informational, with the chair inviting continued discussion on when preemption is appropriate versus when local governments should retain authority.

Transcript Highlights:

• So now we have to understand what type of Spanish do you speed?
• And this has yielded technology that is very exciting and I think could really speed up the diagnostic

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And most importantly, it speeds up access to essential care.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Financial Services held a hearing with Chair Jamie Murphy and Senate co-chair Senator Feeney presiding. Members asked witnesses to keep testimony to three minutes and noted that written testimony could still be submitted. The committee heard testimony on several health insurance and pharmacy-related bills, including a proposal to allow controlled prescriptions to be transferred between pharmacies within the same chain, legislation affecting health savings account (HSA)-compatible plans and future insurance mandates, a bill on small business health insurance incentives, and H. 1212 on emergency insulin access. Several parents and patients testified in support of emergency insulin access, describing severe diabetes emergencies, diabetic ketoacidosis, prescription delays, and the need for pharmacists to dispense insulin in urgent situations when doctors or insurers are unavailable. A parent also described the burden of repeatedly obtaining new prescriptions for ADHD medication when pharmacies are out of stock. Witnesses supporting the HSA bill argued that state coverage mandates can unintentionally disqualify HSA-qualified plans and that the bill would preserve tax advantages for enrollees while avoiding repeated legislative fixes. A representative of the Retailers Association supported the small business health insurance incentives bill, saying it could help retain small employers in the merged market by allowing carriers to offer financial incentives tied to cooperative purchasing and utilization efforts. One witness, Kathleen Demarest, testified against a co-pay assistance restriction, saying a state rule had unexpectedly cut off her drug assistance before a generic was actually available, leaving her with very high out-of-pocket costs. Committee members asked a few clarifying questions about HSAs, insulin dispensing, and school support for diabetes care. After all scheduled witnesses had testified and no additional testimony was offered, the committee voted to close the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• She was driving home from a get-together: seatbelt, speed limit, no alcohol, just innocent like anybody

Summary: The committee heard Senate Bill 1135, Bentley and Mason’s Law, which would require a person convicted of killing a parent or parents while driving drunk or otherwise under the influence to pay ongoing child support-like maintenance to the victim’s children until age 18, or 21 if in college. The sponsor explained the bill is modeled on child support procedures, with the amount determined by the court based on the offender’s finances and the children’s needs, and with a one-year delay after release from prison before payments begin. He also said the bill was designed to avoid duplicate recovery if the family pursues a civil case against an insurance company, and members raised questions about penalties for nonpayment, whether health care or FAFSA would be affected, and whether the bill should be strengthened with more enforcement teeth. Public testimony was strongly supportive. A Tennessee mother, Brooke Stewart, described how her husband was killed by a drunk driver and how a court-awarded restitution order under Bentley’s Law is helping provide for her two daughters’ future education and needs. She said the offender had prior DUI-related arrests and that the law gave her family relief after a devastating loss. A representative from Mothers Against Drunk Driving also supported the bill, said the measure is needed because Missouri families currently lack this protection, and urged the committee to pass it without amendment because the session was nearing its end. She noted the bill has been pursued for several years, has support from affected families, and is part of a broader effort to strengthen impaired-driving laws in Missouri. Committee members generally expressed sympathy and support, with several saying the bill was good policy and asking about implementation details rather than opposing the concept. The sponsor indicated he was open to offline discussions about possible strengthening amendments, but MADD asked that the bill not be changed at this stage. No opposition testimony was offered, and the hearing on Senate Bill 1135 was closed without any vote or other action taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• What we're acknowledging here with this piece of legislation is that these projects are moving at a speed

Bills: HB2989, HB3724, HB2992, HB3464, HB4246, HB3989

Keywords: high-demand facilities, electric utilities, public infrastructure, water management, taxpayer-funded subsidies, decommissioning plans, local control, citizen initiative, referendum, HB2992, Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026, Corporation Commission, Oklahoma utilities, ratepayer protection, data centers, artificial intelligence computing, AI data centers, cryptocurrency mining, large load customer, electric rates

Transcript Highlights:

• Is The state now going to help them with their cars, you know, get them up to speed to be safe?

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• THAT IS HOW WARP SPEED FEMA WHIPS OUT THEIR CHECKBOOK AND TAKES CARE OF THE NEEDS IN FLORIDA AND EVERY

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When we think about what we rely on, high-speed Internet and cell service, it consists of thousands of

Bills: HB11, HB12, HB21, HB26, HB30, HB33, HB37, HB45, HB210, HB303, HB630, HB879, HB1041, HB1188, HB1261, HB1318, HB1465, HB1535, HB1593, HB1778, HB2559, HB2596, HB2692, HB2703, HB2712, HB2742, HB2809, HB2890, HB3012, HB3526, HB5061, HB5092, HB5238, HCR92, SB203, SB317, SB393, SB397, SB644, SB731, SB801, SB867, SB913, SB1071, SB1073, SB1086, SB1087, SB1250, SB1310, SB1359, SB1444, SB1483, SB1705, SB1782, SB1861, SB1897, SB1944, SB2023, SB2043, SB2082, SB2133, SB2215, SB2309, SB2497, SB2532, SB2549, SB2566, SB2617, SB2639, SB2696, SB2717, SB2747, SB2751, SB2790, SB2797, SB2799, SB2841, SB2850, SB2857, SB2891, SB2919, SB2928, SB2994, SB3051, SJR34, SB529, SB541, SB693, SB963, SB1968, SB2308, SB2544, SB1173, SB1646, SB1734, SB1833, SB1, SB17, SB260, SB509, SB1506, SB1637, HB1393, HB2559, HB26, HB3012, HB1593, HB2607, HB3526, HB3810, HB388, HB879, HB12, HB2703, HB30, HB2712, HB2692, HB1633, HB1318, HB685, HB630, HB4753, HB2742, HB303, HB198, HB1535, HB762, HB148, HB1520, HB5061, HB2286, HB1606, HB1041, HB132, HB11, HB45, HB48, HB1261, HB1465, HB1778, HB2596, HB5238, HB33, HB1188, HB210, HB1022, HB1458, HB5560, HB1240, HB1950, HB2027, HB2768, HB2788, HB2791, HB3146, HB3698, HB3699, HB1893, HB3700, HB4850, HB4187, HB1397, HB4885, HB4804, HB3751, HB3611, HB2775, HB2061, HB2003, HB1729, HB1242, HB791, HB2029, HB647, HB2522, HB4738, HB3033, HB3594, HB3474, HB2563, HB2802, HCR90, SJR36, SJR50, SJR63, SCR12, SCR39, SB2023, SB128, SB2043, SB62, SB666, SB847, SB284, SB854, SB810, SB1505, SB583, SB507, SB1434, SB1772, SB2016, SB1122, SB731, SB397, SB508, SB1436, SB287, SB1882, SB393, SB1791, SB209, SB2429, SB511, SB2309, SB1085, SB1975, SB2717, SB1262, SB636, SB2056, SB884, SB1200, SB1845, SB2458, SB801, SB3014, SB3013, SB758, SB2797, SB2076, SB2876, SB1640, SB1449, SB1181, SB1234, SB2926, SB2841, SB1528, SB2891, SB1854, SB317, SB1250, SB2082, SB1237, SB2819, SB629, SB2608, SB1602, SB2009, SB867, SB640, SB1698, SB2680, SB2994, SB913, SB1071, SB1086, SB1087, SB1483, SB1444, SB1553, SB1556, SB1703, SB2133, SB2297, SB2298, SB2622, SB2955, SB2334, SB1861, SB1367, SB2044, SB2363, SB2565, SB1888, SB3036, SB3057, SB3043, SB3063, SB3035, SB203, SB2799, SB2688, SB2522, SB2639, SB2459, SB2655, SB2251, SB1884, SB2617, SB2928, SB2566, SB1897, SB1749, SB2549, SB2553, SB2919, SB1782, SB1705, SB2696, SB1944, SB2215, SB1232, SB2850, SB2969, SB2497, SB1798, SB2603, SB2607, SB781, HB34, HB128, HB130, HB581, HB668, HB677, HB766, HB2259, HB2960, HB2358, HB2894, HB4384, HB2663, HB748, HB793, HB1193, HB1734, HB2340, HB2350, HB3104, HB5180, HB4739, HB1584, HB4344, HB4238, HB4219, HB3806, HB3805, HB3804, HB3803, HB3229, HB3228, HB1922, HB1522, HB431, HB3597, HB1612, HB4224, HB754, HB1314, HB2254, HB2789, HB3560, HB4643, HB1237, HCR98, SB3070, SB835, SB524, SB2233, SB2683

Keywords: licensing, reciprocity, regulation, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, interstate agreements, housing finance, multifamily residential, low income, tax exemption, audit requirements, affordable housing, local government, development bonds, Medicaid, nutrition support, maternal health, chronic conditions, pilot program, disaster relief, tax rates

Transcript Highlights:

• existing intelligence infrastructure, both federal and state, has failed to keep pace with the scale, speed

Transcript Highlights:

• So when you are up, up to speed, um, how many eggs do you sell per week, would you say?

Transcript Highlights:

• It's all about speed.

Bills: SB311, SB322, SB304, SB313, SB315, SB316, HB489, SB90

Keywords: electric transmission, public highways, permit processing, economic growth, infrastructure, rural development, condemnation actions, state regulations, community development district, CDD, annexation, municipal annexation, wet municipality, dry county, wet county, Sunday alcohol sales, ABC Board, alcohol licensing, on-premises consumption, golf course

Transcript Highlights:

• don't know the way the Medi-Cal system happens is when you come in there's a little it's like a little speed

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the coast, a lot of places in Florida, you'll see a shaded area there, and that represents the wind speed

Bills: HB324, HB252, SB80, HB241

Keywords: sheriffs, term of office, Alabama law, local government, election, residential construction, architectural approval, engineering approval, home building, single family residences, 1136, house, all