Transcript Highlights:

• First, we'll have Tom Rock, who'll be followed by Daniel Rock, who'll be followed by Fred Rock.
• Daniel Rock, who will be followed by Fred Rock.
• Fred Rock, who will be followed by Mary, or she's waving, Mary Hudson for Volusia Sheriff's Office, waving

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard Senate Bill 1272 on guardianship, which would limit a guardian’s ability to isolate an adult ward from family and require notice of major events such as a ward’s death or relocation to a more restrictive setting. Senator Jones and supportive speakers said the bill was intended to protect wards from abuse and isolation by bad actors, while still preserving good-faith guardianship. With no opposition testimony or debate, the committee voted 8-0 to report the bill favorably. The committee then considered CS for Senate Bill 1284, which would expand Florida’s Wrongful Death Act to allow civil claims for the death of an unborn child. An amendment was adopted to define “unborn child” as a member of the species Homo sapiens carried in the womb and to state that the act does not authorize claims against the mother or against health care providers acting within the lawful standard of care. The bill drew extensive debate and testimony. Supporters argued it would give parents parity and fuller damages, including economic losses and mental anguish, when negligence causes the death of an unborn child. Opponents, including the ACLU, medical professionals, and reproductive rights advocates, warned it could be used to target abortion care, increase malpractice exposure, worsen physician shortages, and create speculative damages. The committee approved the bill 6-4. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 1288 on parental rights, with a strike-all amendment that would strengthen parental control over minors’ medical decisions, surveys, and biofeedback devices, while adding exceptions for emergencies, court orders, certain legal statuses, and situations involving abuse or out-of-home placement. Supporters said the measure restores parents as primary decision-makers and protects children from inappropriate questioning or treatment without consent. Opponents argued it could block minors from confidential care for STIs, mental health, or abuse-related issues, and could chill school and medical screenings. The transcript ends during testimony and debate on this bill, before any final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, to Truman and Tyler, happy birthday; to my brother Fred, happy birthday; and also to my granddaughter

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and approval of the journal. The body then extended the session under Rule 27 and agreed to request House consent to adjourn until April 27, 2026. It moved into Committee of the Whole to consider several House bills, including HB 2170 (procurement code-related), HB 2415 (kratom regulation), HB 2700 (housing technology study committee), and HB 2950 (special districts/tourism improvement areas). Amendments were adopted on HB 2170, HB 2415, and HB 2950, and the committee reported HB 2170, HB 2415, and HB 2700 do pass; HB 2950 was later defeated on third read. The Senate also heard a brief welcome for visiting students and a personal privilege statement on Earth Day and environmental issues. The Senate then entered an additional Committee of the Whole for HB 2035 (child welfare and placement), HB 2249 (parental bill of rights), and HB 2573 (DUI/local referendum-related language). HB 2035 received a Warner amendment expanding the definition of extended family to include adoptive family members; HB 2249 received a Mesnard amendment adding liability and technical changes; and HB 2573 received a Rogers technical amendment. All three were reported out do pass as amended. On third read, HB 2573 passed 20-9, with several senators explaining opposition based on referendum and emergency-clause concerns tied to a Marana data center dispute; HB 2170 passed 17-12; HB 2415 passed 22-7; HB 2035 passed 26-3; and HB 2249 passed 17-12. HB 2950 failed 10-19. The Senate also considered House Concurrent Resolution 2043, substituting it for the Senate version and sending it to third read. The resolution, which calls for a convention to propose a federal constitutional amendment limiting congressional terms, passed 16-13 after several senators warned about the risks of a constitutional convention and the lack of limits on its scope. The House’s message on adjournment was read, committee meetings for April 27 were announced, and members made personal privilege remarks, including birthday wishes and an announcement about the annual legislative charity softball game. The Senate then adjourned until Monday, April 27, 2026, at 1:15 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Likewise, your Signature Select at Albertsons or your Kroger brand at Fred Meyer more than likely is

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Fred Erie, Administrative Services Director for the Department of State, is here to take up Amendment

Summary: The Legislative Budget Commission met with a quorum present to hear the constitutionally required Long-Range Financial Outlook and consider a series of budget amendments. Amy Baker of the Office of Economic and Demographic Research presented the outlook, describing Florida’s continued population growth, strong wage growth, an aging population, housing-market softening, and low consumer sentiment. She said the general revenue forecast was largely unchanged from March, but the state’s funds available had improved because of legislative actions in 2025 that increased the balance forward. She also noted strong reserves, a projected current-year Medicaid deficit of about $125 million, and a three-year outlook that remains positive in the first year but turns negative in years two and three. She highlighted the risk of co-occurring catastrophic events, using a normalized Great Miami Hurricane scenario to illustrate potential state losses. The outlook was adopted after brief comments from House and Senate members emphasizing fiscal restraint and efficiency. The commission then approved multiple budget amendments, mostly without objection. The Agency for Health Care Administration received amendments to realign funding for Florida KidCare based on estimating conference results, to provide $85 million in budget authority for disproportionate share hospital payments, and to adjust Medicaid and long-term care appropriations, including placing surplus funds into reserve. The Department of Health received $6.3 million in additional authority for newborn screening. The Department of Corrections and the Department of Management Services each received $2.2 million in Private Inmate Welfare Trust Fund authority for repair invoices and pending projects. The Department of State was authorized to release $2.5 million in nonrecurring general revenue for cultural and museum grants and America 250 commemorative grants. The Department of Transportation received approval for a project roll-forward and for work program changes, including advancing I-95 widening in Duval County and the I-4 corridor in Polk and Osceola counties. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• Last but not least, I would like to recognize Athletic Director Joy Matsua and Principal Fred Murphy.

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 562, which would create a home damage mitigation and resilience grant program aimed at helping homeowners make property improvements that could reduce insurance costs and non-renewals. Commissioner DJ Bettencourt of the New Hampshire Insurance Department explained that the program is modeled in part on Alabama’s safer homes program, but tailored for New Hampshire hazards such as floods, microbursts, heavy snow, ice, and falling trees. He said the grants would be limited to primary residences, subject to a means test, capped at $10,000, and intended to help homeowners make targeted improvements such as roof fortification or tree removal that could improve underwriting outcomes and lead to premium discounts. Bettencourt said the program would not use state taxpayer funds and would instead rely on philanthropic donations, possible federal or regional housing-bank funding, and other outside sources. He said the department would not need new staff, and that a current position could be reconfigured to help administer the program part-time. Committee members asked about the funding language, the meaning of “loans” in the bill, whether there were any other states using a similar no-state-funds model, and how many homeowners could be helped. Bettencourt said Rhode Island and Connecticut were moving forward in a similar way, and that the number of beneficiaries would depend on how much money is raised. Members also questioned how the grant program would actually lower premiums, whether savings would apply only to participants or more broadly, and how the IBHS evaluation process would work. Bettencourt and department staff said the direct benefit would be to the homeowner whose property is improved, though neighbors could also benefit in some cases. They explained that IBHS is a building-safety organization that certifies contractors and inspectors and that its standards can qualify homes for insurer discounts. Questions were also raised about confidentiality provisions, first-come-first-served grant awards, rollover of unused applications, and possible tax treatment of donations. The sponsor said those details would be addressed through rulemaking or existing tax rules, and no vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Fred Doucette for the majority of the committee.
• State your motion. it is inexpedient to legislate repres it is inexpedient to legislate repres Fred<04
• :14.080><c> the</c><04:14:14.199><c> majority</c><04:14:14.560><c> of</c><04:14:14.680><c> the</c> Fred
• duett for the majority of the Fred duett for the majority of the committee<04:14:16.000><c> the</c><
• Representative Fred Doucette for the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• 44:23.080><c> itions</c> Alliance of healthc care coal itions Alliance of healthc care coal itions Fred
• <01:44:23.840><c> Brown</c><01:44:24.199><c> on</c> Fred Brown on Fred Brown on Zoom<01:44:26.880><c>
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• </c><01:44:30.000><c> Brown</c> of the committee my name is Fred Brown of the committee my name is Fred
• Fred Brown, on Zoom, continued: "States with some in Canada and over 6 million combined covered lives

Committee: House Health

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1494 on hearing aids. Testimony was generally supportive of expanding hearing-aid coverage, with the Insurance Division raising concern about possible federal defrayment issues, SHPDA supporting the goal of hearing augmentation, DCAB strongly supporting the bill as an important access issue, and health plans and insurers asking for amendments. Kaiser Permanente and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans requested changes to add a medical-necessity standard and clarify annual notice language, while HMSA suggested the proposal should be studied by the auditor. The chair noted concerns about federal preemption and the lack of an audit, and deferred the bill in favor of a related resolution calling for a study. The committee then heard SB 1448, an emergency appropriation for the Hawaii State Hospital. DAGS and the Department of Health supported the measure, with the hospital administrator saying the funding would improve the environment of care, support cleaning, and allow a third-party review of the building. Committee members questioned the size of the request and the status of litigation against the design-builder. Administration witnesses said they were pursuing a comprehensive study involving destructive testing, had made a demand on the design-builder to fund the study, and were using different processes than before. They also said the roof work would be handled through a separate CIP request. No final action was taken in the portion provided. The committee next heard SB 1432, relating to the future responsibilities of the Department of Health and land issues at Kalaupapa after the last patient dies. DOH supported the bill in part but said its long-term role would be limited mainly to environmental cleanup, with operations expected to continue under the National Park Service and land-use decisions left to DHHL and beneficiary consultation. DHHL asked that the measure reflect that any land-use or zoning changes on homeland lands require commission approval and beneficiary consultation. Testifiers from Kalaupapa and Maui County, including Degra Vanderbilt-Papa and Council Member Keani Rollins-Fernandez, supported deferring the bill, saying there had been no meaningful community discussion about provisions affecting Kalaupapa’s future management and possible transfer of responsibilities to Maui County. The committee also read into the record written testimony from Gloria Marks emphasizing that Kalaupapa stakeholders must be included in future discussions. Finally, the committee heard SB 955 on fitness-to-proceed examinations. The Judiciary and the Public Defender’s Office both supported raising pay and standardizing expectations for private examiners, but opposed reducing felony fitness evaluations from three examiners to one and opposed expanding use of expedited reports. They argued that a single examiner would reduce reliability, create a more adversarial process, and likely increase costs and contested hearings, while expedited reports do not contain enough information for a proper fitness determination. The Department of Health also supported the bill’s intent but asked to preserve a three-examiner framework and said the goal was to reduce the number of people sent to the State Hospital, where admissions have reportedly risen about 20% year over year since Act 26. The bill remained under discussion in the excerpt, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• To close out, we'd like to welcome Richard Little and Fred Venn to testify remotely on S. 2115, sedimentary
• Fred Venn with the Vanessa Museum. Welcome to Amherst College. Welcome to our mammoth, by the way.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills. Representative David Linsky supported HB 3383, which would designate the song “Roadrunner” as the official rock song of Massachusetts, describing its Boston roots and cultural significance. Representative Sean Garberle supported HB 3335 on public access to historical records, arguing that records from state institutions should be released after 75 years and that families and researchers should be able to identify people buried in unmarked graves at former state institutions. Representative Rodney Elliott and Lowell officials supported HB 4138, authorizing easements for a Lowell sewer separation project; they said the project is needed for Clean Water Act compliance, will reduce combined sewer overflows into the Merrimack River, and must proceed quickly to meet SRF and consent-decree timelines. Committee members asked about Article 97, the location and scope of the easement, environmental justice impacts, and minority/small business participation in construction. The committee also heard extensive testimony on Senate 2183 and its House companion, which would elevate the Massachusetts National Guard to a cabinet-level position reporting directly to the Governor. Senators Mike Moore and John Velis, along with the National Guard Association’s Matthew McKenna, argued the change would reduce bureaucracy, improve communication and readiness, and reflect the Guard’s broad domestic and military missions. Velis cited the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home tragedy as an example of a breakdown in communication, while committee members said they wanted more information, including input from the Governor’s office and Guard leadership, before acting. The committee noted the distinction between state-controlled and federalized Guard missions and said it would continue reviewing the issue. Senator Liz Miranda and a large panel of survivors, advocates, and Northeastern law students testified in support of S. 2174 and S. 2177, which would create an office and task force on unsolved homicides, allow families to petition for case review after three years, require written responses, and establish a tip line, database, and dedicated funding. Witnesses described long-standing lack of communication, low clearance rates, and the disproportionate impact on Black and Brown communities. Senator Becca Rausch also testified on S. 2210, extending public records law to the governor and Legislature, and S. 2207, creating stronger information-governance and records-retention standards; she said both would improve transparency and reduce waste. The transcript does not reflect any votes taken during the hearing, though chairs repeatedly indicated support for moving some bills favorably and said the committee would continue reviewing the National Guard proposal.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Fred Meyer voting yes. Senator Glen Meyer voting no. Senator Moser voting no.
• Senator Fred Meyer, you're recognized to speak. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Bills: LB815A , LB838A , LB912A , LB972A , LB1126A , LB962A , LB1114 , LB921 , LB937 , LB803 , LB803A , LB1032 , LB1032A , LB1075 , LB1075A , LB889 , LB878 , LB933 , LB304 , LB304A , LB1096 , LB1096A , LB1165 , LB1165A , LB958 , LB958A , LB762 , LB1187 , LB966 , LB929 , LB962 , LB753 , LB788 , LB913 , LB1055 , LB1195 , LB429 , LB721 , LB722 , LB727 , LB743 , LB745 , LB749 , LB778 , LB787

Transcript Highlights:

• Supreme Court case, Korematsu v. the United States, long remembered as a civil liberties disaster.

Summary: The committee met as a subcommittee without quorum at first, then later established quorum and continued hearing several bills. SB 27, the annual CARE Court cleanup bill, would require courts to consider CARE referral for certain misdemeanor defendants found incompetent to stand trial, combine some hearings, allow limited data sharing among licensed medical professionals, and expand eligibility to include mood disorders with psychotic features. Supporters said it would clarify the meaning of “clinically stabilized,” streamline the process, and help more severely ill people receive treatment; opponents argued it would expand CARE Court too broadly, strain county resources, and divert attention from housing and voluntary services. The bill passed to the Health Committee on a roll call vote and was placed on call. SB 82, dealing with so-called “infinite arbitration clauses,” would limit consumer contract arbitration provisions to disputes arising from the product or service actually purchased. The author and supporters said the bill would stop companies from forcing arbitration in unrelated claims and would not ban arbitration itself. Opponents from business and banking groups argued the language was too restrictive, could create litigation over related transactions, and should be clarified as prospective only. The committee approved the bill and placed it on call after a roll call vote. The committee then heard two reparations-related bills. SB 437 would direct CSU to develop a genealogical methodology and framework for verifying descendants of enslaved people, with oversight, reporting, and guardrails tied to recently allocated state funding. Supporters said the bill would create a fair, evidence-based process; opponents, including professional genealogists and reparations advocates, argued the work is already well understood, the bill is unnecessary, and it could delay action. SB 518 would create a Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery within state government, with divisions for genealogy, property reclamation, outreach, and legal affairs. Supporters framed it as needed infrastructure to implement reparations recommendations; opponents objected to locating it in the Department of Justice, warned about data privacy and law enforcement control, and criticized the inclusion of broader communities. Both bills were moved to Appropriations and placed on call. The committee also heard SB 52, the End AI Rent Hikes Act, which would prohibit the use of algorithms to collude on and artificially inflate rental prices; the author and supporters described it as a response to AI-assisted rent fixing in California’s housing market.

Transcript Highlights:

• Supreme Court case Korematsu v. the United States, long remembered as a civil liberties disaster.

Committee: House Judiciary

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with SB 27, a CARE Court cleanup measure by Senator Umberg. The bill would require courts to consider CARE referral for certain misdemeanor defendants found incompetent to stand trial, combine some hearings, expand data sharing among licensed medical professionals, and broaden eligibility to include mood disorders with psychotic features. Supporters said the bill would clarify the meaning of “clinically stabilized,” streamline the process, and help more severely ill people get treatment; opponents argued it would greatly expand the program without enough housing, staffing, or resources and could sweep in people who can make their own decisions. The committee members raised concerns about scope and resources but ultimately voted to pass SB 27 to the Health Committee, with the bill placed on call. The committee then took up SB 82, which would limit consumer arbitration clauses to disputes arising from the specific product or service the consumer agreed to buy, aimed at stopping “infinite arbitration clauses” that force unrelated claims into arbitration. The author and supporters described cases where consumers were compelled to arbitrate claims involving corporate affiliates or unrelated incidents, while opponents warned the bill was too restrictive and should be clarified on retroactivity and construction. Members generally supported the bill, and it passed on a do-pass motion, with several votes recorded and the bill placed on call. Next, the committee heard SB 437 and SB 518, both related to California reparations efforts. SB 437 would direct CSU to develop an evidence-based, reproducible genealogical methodology for verifying descendants of enslaved people, with supporters emphasizing oversight, transparency, and a framework for using the $6 million already allocated in the budget; opponents argued the work was unnecessary, duplicative, and should be done by existing genealogists rather than CSU. SB 518 would create a Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery within state government, with divisions for genealogy, property reclamation, outreach, and legal affairs; supporters called it the infrastructure needed to implement reparations recommendations, while opponents objected to housing the bureau in the Department of Justice, overlap with SB 437, and the inclusion of other communities. Both bills advanced on do-pass motions to Appropriations and were placed on call. Finally, Senator Perez presented SB 52, the End AI Rent Hikes Act, which would make it illegal to use algorithms to collude and artificially inflate rental prices. The author and supporters said landlords and AI companies are using pricing tools to share competitive data and fix rents in the midst of a severe affordability crisis, and that the bill would clarify protections and create enforcement mechanisms. The transcript cuts off during testimony on SB 52, before any vote or final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ed Edmond Fred Quinn in opposition. sentences become life without dignity at sentences become life without
• </c><00:57:56.960><c> Ed</c><00:57:57.440><c> Edmond</c><00:57:57.920><c> Fred</c><00:57:58.319><c> Quinn
• Ed Edmond Fred Quinn in &gt;&gt; We have uh Mr. Ed Edmond Fred Quinn in opposition.
• Uh, we have testimony in opposition by Fred Quinn. establishes a structured and transparent establishes
• ><02:21:07.520><c> opposition</c><02:21:08.160><c> by</c><02:21:08.800><c> um</c><02:21:09.040><c> Fred

Bills: HB1531

Committee: House Public Safety

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1913, which would create a mental health coordinator position within the Office of Veteran Services for the Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home and appropriate funds for it. Supporters said veterans, especially on the neighbor islands, need more mental health access and coordination. Several witnesses, including Sean Sonatada and Tom Driscoll, supported the intent but urged amendments to broaden the position beyond one facility and make it a statewide resource. Committee members questioned whether the bill would duplicate existing services at the veterans home and whether the position would be reimbursable through federal VA funding; testimony indicated the state would appropriate the money, while existing home services are already covered through current staff and federal reimbursement structures. The committee also heard testimony on House Bill 9, which would designate Hawaii as a Purple Heart state. Testifiers generally supported the measure as a way to honor wounded veterans and their families, though one member asked what benefits the designation would confer. Witnesses clarified that the bill was mainly symbolic and did not appear to create new benefits, and one testifier noted Honolulu County had already adopted a similar Purple Heart designation. The committee then took up House Bill 1628, which would establish a compassionate release protocol for certain seriously ill or debilitated incarcerated persons. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Hawaii Paroling Authority opposed the bill, arguing that an existing administrative process already works, that the bill could improperly extend eligibility to people serving life without parole or mandatory minimum sentences, and that it lacked victim and family input and sufficient resources. In contrast, the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission strongly supported the bill, saying it would reduce the high cost of incarcerating people with complex medical needs, ease burdens on staff and the prison population, and better reflect human dignity. The commission described having seen severe suffering and deaths in custody and said compassionate release is warranted in some cases. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Also in the East Gallery, guest today of Representative Fred Allen, we have representatives of the Arkansas

Transcript Highlights:

• So to Truman and Tyler, happy birthday; to my brother Fred, happy birthday; and then also to my granddaughter

Transcript Highlights:

• Fred Smith. >> Good morning. >> Good morning. >> Good morning. >> We ask if you would close your eyes

Transcript Highlights:

• Fred Lewis, Director of Strategic Initiatives at AEDC. Thank y'all for being here.

Committee: All ALC-REVIEW

Summary: The subcommittee reviewed multiple methods of finance and construction items, including projects for Arkansas State University, Black River Technical College, UAMS, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and UCA. The UAPB Allied Health and Sciences Building appeared both as a method of finance and as an alternative delivery construction project, with East Harding Construction selected and AMR Architects as designer. Members approved the methods of finance, the alternative delivery project, and several discretionary grants, including Department of Health grants for a heart attack center designation and community health worker training, and DHS grants related to homeless services, behavioral health transition support, and an enabling technology pilot. The committee then reviewed service contracts, including RFQs, construction-related contracts, intergovernmental agreements, and a large number of out-of-state and in-state contracts. Testimony focused heavily on DHS staffing and state hospital contracts, the Arkansas State Police seatbelt survey, AEDC’s lithium supply chain analysis, and Shared Administrative Services’ new SuccessFactors performance-management contract. Members asked detailed questions about contract nursing costs, turnover, hiring timelines, and whether some contracts were being renewed or amended beyond their original projected costs. DHS and Veterans Affairs officials explained staffing shortages, retention incentives, and the use of contract labor as a supplement to state employees. Several contracts drew scrutiny and were held for further review. Representative Wardlaw raised concerns about projected costs and repeated amendments on the Department of Education security contract and on DHS staffing contracts, arguing that some had exceeded their original projected totals. The committee voted to hold contracts 5, 7, and 8 until Friday, while adopting the remaining contracts. The meeting ended after informational reports on service contract amendments without material change, executed contracts, and emergency procurements were presented, with no further business before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• "Hello, Fred Lewis, Director of Strategic Initiatives at AEDC." "Thank y'all for being here."

Committee: All ALC-REVIEW

Transcript Highlights:

• One, I'd like to let everybody know that there is Fred Riggers Disability Advocacy Day happening today

Transcript Highlights:

• Same with your Signature Select at Albertsons or your Kroger brand here at Fred Meyer.

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs