Transcript Highlights:

• And they don't regulate people in the sense that a medical licensure board regulates them.
• And they don't regulate people in the sense that a medical licensure board regulates them.
• And they don't regulate people in the sense that a medical licensure board regulates them.
• And they don't regulate people in the sense that a medical licensure board regulates them.
• </c> doesn't the board of health regulate doesn't the board of health regulate hospitals<00:21:32.960

Committee: Joint Public Health and Welfare

Keywords: Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 17 February, 2026; 2:00 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill has enjoyed bipartisan support and is supported by nursing home resident advocates, ombudsmen
• Under current regulations, licensed cannabis retailers can offer curbside pickup as a remnant of COVID
• Exactly the population this regulated system is meant to serve.
• It includes security parameters, and it is an improvement in how safe, regulated access is delivered.
• Two, it takes up nurses' time. Three, it's very personal.

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• AHCCCS has regulations, the department has regulations, but they're not completely aligned.
• So let's dig into the regulating the clinics component.
• That's what we would be looking at—any of our regulations.
• It's really amazing how many entities that we regulate and how complex the regulation is, so that's been
• I am a regulator. And I think, I hope that it's not...

Summary: The Committee on Director Nominations met with four members present and approved the prior minutes without objection. Chair Jay Kaufman outlined the committee’s role in reviewing executive nominations and explained the hearing process for three nominees: Mary Foote for the Office of Economic Opportunity, Debbie Johnston for the Department of Health Services, and Chuck Bassett. Foote did not appear for her hearing, and members discussed her absence and alleged omissions in her disclosure materials, including prior service with Planned Parenthood-related organizations. The committee then moved to reject her nomination, and the motion passed 3-2, recommending that the full Senate reject Mary Foote. Debbie Johnston, nominee to lead the Department of Health Services, appeared and gave an opening statement describing her Arizona background, prior Senate staff work, and more than 20 years with the Arizona Hospital and Health Care Association. She said her priorities at ADHS include rebuilding trust in public health licensing, improving stakeholder engagement, standardizing rulemaking communication, addressing alleged religious discrimination and retaliation concerns in licensing, and using technology and AI to improve efficiency. In questioning, senators pressed her on her management style, conflict-of-interest safeguards given her prior industry role, enforcement priorities, budget pressures, behavioral health and assisted living oversight, and the department’s response to COVID-19. Johnston said she would follow statutes, recuse herself from enforcement matters involving former contacts, and resign if directed to carry out an unlawful policy. She also said the department does not regulate therapy itself, only facilities, and that it would rely on legal counsel regarding the governor’s conversion-therapy executive order and related federal civil-rights allegations. Several senators focused on public health trust and the department’s pandemic response, with Johnston acknowledging concerns about closures, data collection, and communication during COVID-19 while saying she would review past after-action materials and be better prepared in the future. Public testimony from stakeholders in aging services and health care strongly supported her confirmation, praising her accessibility, responsiveness, and collaborative approach. After testimony, the vice chair moved to recommend Johnston’s confirmation to the full Senate. The roll call was underway when the transcript ended, with several members voting aye and one member expressing reservations about her not reviewing the pandemic after-action report before another crisis occurs.

Transcript Highlights:

• NURSING IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT PROGRAM TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
• FOR NURSING, MOST NURSING STUDENTS TO DO STAY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
• NURSES? CONSTRUCTION WORKERS? YOU KNOW IS IT APPRENTICESHIP? WALK ME THROUGH WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU?
• NURSES, ELEMENTARY TEACHERS, IT IS BY THAT LEVEL OF OCCUPATION.
• NURSING, THERE IS. THERE IS TEACHING. THE ONES YOU TYPICALLY THINK OF THERE ARE.

Transcript Highlights:

• One, for example, is the over-regulation when it comes to gaming, Indian gaming."
• Like I said, the legislature has been reluctant to place regulations.
• And so that is probably our largest two-year program, is our nursing program.
• We have a nurse shortage.
• Nursing. Nursing has been very hard. Nursing has been very hard. We had been very lucky.

Committee: Joint Tribal and State Relations Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This resulted in the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, also known as...
• The Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, also known as M.A.U.C.R.S.A., establishes
• It's simply cheaper to produce cannabis if you're not complying with laws and regulations through the
• I visited a health clinic several months ago, and the nurse there was talking about their experience
• And hundreds of small farmers are dropping out of the regulated market annually.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on the Department of Cannabis Control’s report on the condition and health of California’s cannabis industry. Department staff reviewed the evolution of state cannabis law, the creation of the current regulatory framework, licensing and compliance efforts, and enforcement against illicit cannabis and hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoids. The department said the licensed market has grown in production and retail units sold, while active licenses and retail sales value have declined, and that the illicit market remains a major competitive factor. The department also highlighted consumer education efforts, product testing and recalls, and coordination through the state enforcement task force and other agencies. The department’s economist said the data show continued growth in licensed production and a rising share of consumption through the licensed market, but falling wholesale and retail prices have reduced overall industry value. He identified major headwinds as taxes and fees, illicit-market competition, local prohibitions that limit retail access, regulatory costs, and broader business pressures, while noting opportunities in product innovation and possible hemp-market changes. Committee members pressed the department on enforcement, public health concerns, equity ownership and employment, delays in grant administration, pesticide testing, and whether the legal market is truly viable for small businesses and farmers. Several members argued that stronger enforcement and lower costs are needed, while one member raised concerns about cannabis-related health harms and said the hearing focused too narrowly on supply-side issues. Public commenters from industry groups and advocacy organizations largely echoed concerns about high taxes, regulatory burdens, limited retail access, and the size of the illicit market. Many urged the Legislature not to let the excise tax rise from 15% to 19% and called for tax relief, compliance reform, more enforcement, and broader retail access. Some speakers said the report was too optimistic and did not reflect business failures, debt, and closures, while others emphasized the need to protect small farmers, address wildfire insurance, and support equity businesses. No votes or formal actions were taken; the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• And how many nurses do you graduate a year? 300. 300? Wonderful, wonderful.
• I know you just mentioned our nursing program.
• the importance of building our nursing programs and our workforce.
• Our nursing numbers are: practical nursing is 90%, and the RN is 85%. That was last semester.
• But it's not just nursing when it comes to allied health.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to consider a slate of trustee confirmations for several Florida state colleges and universities. Chair Harrell outlined the process, including swearing in nominees, allowing brief presentations and questions, taking public comment after each nominee, and voting on the full slate at the end unless a member was pulled for separate consideration. One nominee, Edward Fleming, was not heard and was deferred to a future meeting. The committee also dealt with several technical issues for remote participants before proceeding through the agenda. Nominees and reappointees emphasized their personal ties to their institutions and focused their remarks on workforce development, affordability, and partnerships with local employers. Several highlighted nursing and allied health programs, with committee members repeatedly asking about NCLEX pass rates; reported figures included Polk State at 100%, Lake-Sumter at 97.5%, Northwest Florida State at 100%, Daytona State at 95%, Pasco-Hernando at 97% for associate degree and 100% for practical nursing, Pensacola State at 90% practical nursing and 85% RN, and Hillsborough College at 87.5%. Other priorities mentioned included construction technology, agriculture and ag technology, surveying/geodetic programs, maritime and diesel mechanics, aircraft maintenance, dual enrollment, AI, cybersecurity, and support for military and veteran transitions. After hearing from all nominees, the committee asked whether any names should be voted on separately; none were requested. Senator Bradley moved a block vote to recommend confirmation, the motion was approved by roll call, and all nominees heard that day were recommended for confirmation except Tab 10, Edward Fleming, who was postponed to a later meeting. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So how would that work in a school district or nurses in a hospital?
• Nurses have incredibly important jobs.
• Sanitation workers are covered, teachers, nurses, custodians, bus drivers.
• In the early 90s, I watched my mom, a registered nurse, gather with a band of her nurse friends and stand
• This bill takes away those freedoms as a nurse and as a teacher.

Bills: S0332 , S0464 , S0576 , S0830 , S0964 , S0984 , S1096 , S1296 , S1298 , S1612 , S1656

Committee: Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability

Keywords: public records, public meetings, property rights, transcripts, settlement negotiations, Veterans Day, K-12 schools, holiday observance, education, Florida statutes, cybersecurity, local government, grant program, data-sharing, Florida Digital Service, ransomware protection, county administrators, city managers, exemption, privacy

Summary: The committee first heard a committee substitute for SB 332, which creates a narrow public meetings and public records exemption for certain pre-suit settlement communications in Bert Harris claims involving local governments and private property rights. The sponsor said the change is intended to allow confidential legal strategy and negotiation during the 90-day pre-suit period while keeping settlements and outcomes public. The strike-all amendment was adopted, supportive testimony was waived in, and the bill was reported favorably. Members then approved several other measures, including SB 464 requiring K-12 schools to formally observe Veterans Day as a school holiday; SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits and prevention, which was amended to add a statement of important state interest and reported favorably after testimony from firefighters both supporting the bill and urging a longer benefit window; SB 576 on local government cybersecurity, which was amended to route the program through the Florida Digital Service and strengthen state-local coordination; SB 964 clarifying how certain gift and honoraria disclosures are filed with the Commission on Ethics; SB 1612 requiring local governments to accept electronic payments with a delayed effective date; SB 830 creating public records exemptions for certain local government administrators and their families; SB 1096 clarifying the filing deadline for employment discrimination complaints; and SB 1656 designating the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship. All were reported favorably. The committee also considered a slate of appointments, including a separate vote on Jeffrey Aaron to the Public Employees Relations Commission, which was recommended favorably after Senator Polsky objected to the appointment and cited concerns about political ties and prior work. The remaining appointees on tabs 12 through 30 were also recommended favorably. After a recess, the committee took up SB 1296 on the Public Employees Relations Commission, as substituted by a committee PCS. The PCS would change union certification and recertification rules, require stronger showing-of-interest and voting thresholds, limit paid union leave in some cases, require equal access to employer communication spaces, and speed up impasse procedures for state-funded salary increases. The bill drew extensive testimony, with supporters arguing it would improve accountability, transparency, and taxpayer fairness, and opponents—many of them teachers, bus drivers, and other public employees—saying it would weaken collective bargaining, burden workers, and function as union busting. Members raised constitutional concerns about the single-subject rule and collective bargaining protections, and debate was ongoing at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Gloria Doherty, here for the New Mexico Nursing Association and the New Mexico Nurse Practitioner
• I am a real nurse. I am a real nurse practitioner.
• 900 advanced practice nurse providers.
• And I am the perfect example of stacked nurse loans.
• So the increase in the amount that is eligible for nurses and advanced practice nurses is greatly appreciated

Bills: SB241 , SB145

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: child care, child care assistance, child care subsidy, early childhood education, early childhood care, daycare, preschool, pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Children's Code, early childhood education and care department, ECECD, child care facilities, licensed child care, registered child care, copayments, waitlist, subsidy, federal poverty level

Transcript Highlights:

• Nursing homes were initially meant for the aged and the infirmed.
• </c> the term residential care as nursing the term residential care as nursing home<01:03:42.799><c>
• ><c> meant</c><01:04:07.599><c> for</c> Nursing homes were initially meant for Nursing homes were initially
• i.e. the nursing home of their parent, i.e. the nursing home or<01:04:58.680><c> hospital,</c><01:04
• We all need to the county nursing homes.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• by spring 2026, and we're preparing nurses for advanced practice and leadership roles.
• You've established a Doctoral of Nursing program.
• What does that entail and what do you currently have regarding the nursing program?
• We also have a relatively new master's degree program in family practice nursing.
• And in there we had registered nurses. We had social workers. We had pharmacists.

Committee: House House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly Bill 876 clarifies the scope of practice for a certified registered nursing anesthetist.
• Many say they support small businesses, but we over-regulate, over-tax and over litigate against all
• There were many skilled nursing facilities that were burnt down.
• Skilled nurses and surgical nurses became full-time caregivers.
• I just want to say that we honor the doctors, nurses, allied health, environmental and administrative

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• marine, sailor and guardian, the fallen and those who love and miss them, the infirm and the elderly, nurses
• <00:01:52.640><c> and</c><00:01:52.799><c> the</c><00:01:52.960><c> elderly,</c><00:01:53.759><c> nurses
• </c><00:01:54.159><c> and</c><00:01:54.479><c> CNAs,</c> infirm and the elderly, nurses and CNAs, infirm
• and the elderly, nurses and CNAs, and<00:01:56.000><c> all</c><00:01:56.240><c> who</c><00:01:56.399
• I'd also like to and regulators alike.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• If we're gonna say, hey, we're gonna pull it back, you guys do the regulations on licensing and some
• Came away with recommendations for more regulation.
• Are you still continuing to use traveling nurses in those contracts, and maybe we if if we were able
• And that because of that, it has helped us be able to recruit more nurses into full-time roles.
• The OSU program is starting up to be able to produce new nurses.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've seen some hospitals that have a nursing school.
• Since 2021, the Song-Brown Primary Care Residency, registered nurse, family nurse practitioner, and physician
• We've already implemented similar models for behavioral health and nursing.
• While the OCA was established to address the rising cost of health care, we do not regulate health care
• and clinics regarding nursing clinical placement opportunities.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As Florida continues to face persistent shortages in the nursing field, this bill helps to strengthen
• Another area where I spent significant time is development regulation and responsible growth.
• I want to highlight one particularly: line 220 of the bill that says federal laws or regulations.
• CTP is a non-FDA-approved product, but it is a regulated product by the FDA.
• Santos, Dean from the School of Nursing at the University of Miami, and Dr.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, a moment of silence for Army Sergeant Benjamin Pennington, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of guests including law enforcement officers and several student visitors. The chamber then adopted the special order report and moved to the special order calendar, with members also approving the journal and establishing a quorum. Later in the day, the House paused for several introductions and farewell remarks, including extended closing speeches from Representatives Eskamani and Overdorf reflecting on their service, staff, constituents, and policy priorities. The House passed several bills, often after brief explanations and amendments. CS/SB 590 on the statute of limitations for failures to report child abuse was clarified to apply prospectively and passed 111-0. SB 418 on law enforcement interactions with individuals with autism spectrum disorder was amended to include House language and passed 111-0. CS/CS/SB 1668 on the Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association (NICA) passed 112-0 after an amendment merging House and Senate provisions, and CS/SB 1246 on the linking industry to nursing education fund passed 112-0 after amendments expanding eligible contributions and program support. Additional bills approved included CS/CS/SB 1404 on memory care standards, CS/CS/SB 1030 on recovery residences, CS/CS/SB 422 on automatic dependent surveillance broadcasts for aviation safety, CS/CS/SB 598 on funeral, cemetery, and consumer services, and CS/CS/SB 178 on athletics in public K-12 schools, which would allow school coaches to use limited personal funds to support student-athletes with items such as food, transportation, and rehabilitation services, with parental consent added by amendment. Most of these measures passed unanimously or near-unanimously, with SB 422 passing 108-2. The House also heard debate on CS/CS/SB 1134, a bill restricting counties and municipalities from taking official actions related to DEI and limiting the use of public funds for DEI-related activities and contracts. Members questioned how the bill would affect local government practices, observances, and staff functions, and the sponsor explained several exceptions and enforcement provisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so today, colleges, because of our changes in Title V regulations, are required to make sure that
• We desperately need nurses and nursing assistants.
• We're looking at a nursing hospital in Taft, things like that, and water, energy, geothermal.
• And nursing is one way we think we could help address the nursing issue.
• Well, there's a salary tied to that, but I want to become a nurse.

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, this doesn't preclude them from propagating regulations; it just says that for regulations of $500,000
• Now, this doesn't preclude them from promulgating regulations; it just says that for regulations of $500,000
• Now, this doesn't preclude them from promulgating regulations; it just says that for regulations of $500,000
• The cabinet has the authority to regulate what the General Assembly says they can regulate.
• The cabinet has the authority to regulate what the General Assembly says they can regulate.

Keywords: 00:00 Call to Order 01:55 Attendance Roll Call 02:10 HB 422 Discussion 03:35 HB 422 Vote 04:55 HB 6 Discussion 11:30 HB 6 Vote 16:45 HB 87 Discussion 20:22 HB 87 Vote 21:43 HB 255 Discussion 24:33 HB 255 Vote 26:19 HB 437 Discussion 29:09 HB 437 Vote 30:25 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 6, sponsored by Rep. Wade Williams, which would require administrative regulations with a major economic impact of $500,000 or more over two years to go through the legislature. Williams argued the bill would rein in regulatory overreach, improve transparency, and still allow emergency regulations. Several members raised concerns about executive-branch authority and the role of subject-matter experts, while others supported the bill as a way to improve communication and legislative oversight. The bill passed on a roll call vote and was sent to the House floor. The committee then considered House Bill 87, sponsored by Rep. Emily Callaway, with a committee substitute adopted first. The bill is aimed at reducing barriers for people with felony records who are seeking occupational licenses, while preserving existing public hiring practices for cities and counties. Callaway said the changes were mostly technical and intended to make the process more transparent, with no fiscal impact. The committee approved the bill, and it passed with the committee substitute. House Bill 255, sponsored by Rep. Amy Neighbors, also passed with a committee substitute. The measure updates and modernizes the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy statutes, which sponsors said have not been substantially revised since 1958. Supporters said the bill clarifies outdated language, defines terms more clearly, and better reflects current practice, including physical therapist assistants. The chairman noted the long effort to update the practice act and praised the work of the stakeholders involved. Finally, House Bill 437, sponsored by Rep. Tony Hampton, was presented as a cleanup bill for alcohol beverage control law. It would limit state and local ABC administrators and investigators from making arrests unless they are POP certified, while leaving their other authority intact. Hampton and supporting witnesses said the change would align the statute with other law enforcement certification requirements and help keep civilian administrators from being put in harm’s way. The transcript ends during discussion of this bill, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• A primary care physician who would be, or a nurse practitioner, or a physician's assistant, who would
• EMS caregiver based on the compact's rules and regulations.
• This happened with the nurses' compact. In 2003, we passed a compact.
• Even in here, on our analysis, it looks at and talks about regulation, right?
• So what are we doing to regulate that person when they come here face-to-face?

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 130, which would require heart calcium scans for people over 50, allow pharmacists to manage related screening and medication, and eliminate cost-sharing barriers for the testing and treatment. The sponsor argued the bill could prevent coronary artery disease deaths and reduce long-term health costs, while an industry lobbyist questioned whether it would actually save patients money and raised concerns about the substitute language. After questions about costs, rural access, pharmacist training, liability, and the effect of treatment, the committee adopted a due pass recommendation on the committee substitute by a 6-4 vote. The committee then considered House Bill 31, the EMS personnel licensure interstate compact. Supporters from the Chamber of Commerce, Think New Mexico, the Health Care Authority, and an autism advocacy group said the compact would help address EMS shortages, improve emergency response, and support rural health workforce needs. One opponent warned about out-of-state personnel practicing under unfamiliar standards and possible retention problems. The committee adopted an immunity-related amendment and then gave the bill a 9-0 do pass recommendation. House Bill 33, the psychology inter-jurisdictional compact, was also heard and amended with a similar immunity change. Supporters said it would expand telehealth and behavioral health access, while some members questioned data on workforce shortages, standards, and how the compact would affect New Mexico’s oversight. The committee approved the amended bill 8-0. House Bill 43, a cleanup bill for PERA disability and survivor pension provisions, was presented as a technical measure to clarify statutes, update the disability earnings cap to match Social Security, and reduce ambiguity without changing benefits or liabilities. Members asked about double-dipping, survivor provisions, and fiscal impact, and the bill received a 9-0 do pass recommendation. The committee also heard Senate Memorial 22, which asks the Legislative Finance Committee to study how CYFD-administered state and federal funds support domestic violence services. Sponsors and advocates said funding has been flat or reduced despite rising need, and that providers need clearer, more transparent data; committee members expressed concern that the state lacks a clear accounting of where the money goes. The memorial passed on a 9-0 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a high likelihood that this bill will lead to increased regulations.
• Alex Pready, a respected VAICU nurse, was killed by mass men in broad daylight.
• I am also a psychiatric nurse with 40 years of experience in this field.
• As a psychiatric nurse, I do not work with anxiety.
• Code, making all health and safety regulations ostensibly an administrative deficiency.

Committee: Senate Senate Health and Human Services COR

Summary: The committee first approved the January 21 minutes and then heard SB 1179, which would remove the delayed repeal date and appropriation contingency from the Developmental Disabilities Group Home Monitoring Program. Testimony from Disability Rights Arizona and program managers described the program’s monitoring and investigative work, including identified systemic concerns in group homes, while the sponsor said the effort should continue. SB 1179 received a do-pass recommendation on a 6-1 vote, with some members reserving their right to revisit the bill on the floor. The committee then took up SB 1114, appropriating $1 million for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to investigate behavioral health patient brokering. Witnesses, including Native advocates, described widespread recruitment of vulnerable people—especially Native Americans—into fraudulent treatment and sober-living schemes, often through social media and across state lines. Members and the sponsor framed the bill as an enforcement response to long-running abuse. SB 1114 passed 6-0. The committee also heard SB 1115, which would require AHCCCS/Access employees to work in person rather than remotely; supporters argued remote work had harmed oversight and service delivery, while Access said it would need substantial office space and warned of costs and staffing impacts. SB 1115 passed 4-3. The committee next considered SB 1051, requiring hospitals that accept Access payments to collect patients’ citizenship or immigration status on intake forms and report aggregate data to DHS. Supporters said it was a data-collection and accountability measure; opponents, including nurses and physicians, said it would deter care, undermine trust, and function as immigration surveillance. The bill passed 4-3. SB 1122, dealing with prior authorization and prepayment review for behavioral health services under the American Indian Health Plan, was amended to require a corrective action plan before 100% prepayment review; Access said it had minimal concerns with the amended version. It passed unanimously 7-0. SB 1132, a blank appropriation for a new Arizona State Hospital wing, drew testimony from families and advocates about the shortage of psychiatric beds and the effects of the Arnold v. Sarn consent decree; it passed 7-0. The committee also approved SB 1169 for graduate medical education funding, SB 1171 on dual enrollment checks between AHCCCS and exchange plans, and SB 1172 on DCS investigations and court notification, with votes ranging from 4-2 to unanimous support. Finally, the committee heard SB 1173, which would require owners and applicants for outpatient behavioral health facility licenses to be U.S. citizens or lawfully present, with an amendment clarifying lawful permanent resident status. The sponsor said the bill was intended to curb fraud tied to behavioral health licensing and patient brokering; discussion focused on whether the bill language matched that intent. The transcript ends before a final vote on SB 1173.