Transcript Highlights:

• That is a blended rate that includes residential, commercial, and industrial electricity sectors.
• These are the residential systems.
• I just advise you again that, you know, the ratepayers, the residential and small businesses are feeling
• How will refunding financial security to large loads five years after energization affect residential
• Are there any interim opportunities to address the issue of affordability for residential customers?

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It enhanced and expanded the certification process and the monitoring of those certified residential
• court now must approve and order a residential treatment placement—a very specific residential treatment
• placement for that specific child—before that child enters any residential treatment placement.
• The court now must approve and order a residential treatment placement—a very specific residential treatment
• placement for that specific child—before that child enters any residential treatment placement.

Committee: Senate Children and Family Law

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> to tag and track fish in the upper pools to tag and track fish in the upper pools of<00:49:39.440
• Not many agencies, 2.75 million in the managed pool where 2.75 million in the managed pool where we<02
• </c> those 7 million acres, 2.75 in the pool. those 7 million acres, 2.75 in the pool.
• </c><02:48:08.319><c> And</c><02:48:09.359><c> and</c> million acres of manage pool.
• And and million acres of manage pool.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council met on May 27, 2026, approved the January 7 minutes and the day’s agenda, and reported no conflicts of interest. The executive director gave staff updates, including introductions of new staff member Cara Castanza and DNR liaison Jason Co., both of whom were welcomed by the council. Members were also informed about three minor easement/conveyance matters in the packet, including a small Bowser easement impact with about $1,600 returned to the Outdoor Heritage Fund, a Minnesota Land Trust easement request involving a DNR trout stream easement, and an access easement revision in Itasca County. The council also noted several upcoming dedication events and a June field tour in southeast Minnesota beginning in Winona on June 16, with visits to Whitewater WMA, bluff prairie and stream sites, and a river segment if a boat is secured. A major agenda item was a legislative session recap on the Outdoor Heritage Fund portion of Senate File 2077, the omnibus Outdoor Heritage Fund, Legacy, and Lands bill. Staff reported that all council recommendations were incorporated into the bill, which passed both chambers on May 17 and was expected to be signed by the governor. The fiscal year 2027 Outdoor Heritage Fund recommendations covered 53 programs totaling about $188.9 million, with the February forecast increasing the appropriation slightly so the final total was about $191.16 million; eligible programs were proportionately increased. Staff also highlighted a few changes made during the legislative process, including adjustments to the Roso Lake rehabilitation phase three project, the conservation partners legacy grant language, and statutory provisions affecting the council. The recap also covered policy changes in the bill: a public member term limit of eight years, with a short vacancy exception and transition rules for current members; a revised executive director hiring process allowing the Legislative Coordinating Commission to provide support while preserving the council’s final hiring authority and permitting closed meetings for candidate discussions; and an extension of the Upper Mississippi River invasive carp deterrent design deadline to June 30, 2027. Members discussed the Roso Lake amendment at length, with Senator Lang and Representative Burkel explaining that the added delay and injunction-related language were intended to address local concerns and preserve the council’s process while litigation proceeds. The meeting ended without any additional formal action beyond receiving the updates and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• We advocate on behalf of ratepayers with an emphasis on residential and small business customers.
• Right now, our residential customers pay 5% of our revenue.
• And if you could hurry up on the residential transmission connections, that would be good, too.
• And if you could hurry up on the residential transmission connections, that would be good, too.
• But that being said, I guess I'm wondering, given that, and I know that's on the residential side, residential

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Assembly Committees on Utilities and Energy and Privacy and Consumer Protection focused on the energy impacts of AI and the rapid growth of data centers in California. Chairs and members emphasized that the state wants to support innovation and data center development, but only under terms that protect ratepayers, preserve reliability, and avoid stranded grid costs. Testimony from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the California Energy Commission, the CPUC, CAISO, PG&E, Silicon Valley Power, and the Data Center Coalition described the scale of projected load growth, the uncertainty in forecasting, and the need for coordinated planning across agencies. Dr. Nate Gleason of Lawrence Livermore said data centers are a major and fast-growing share of electricity demand, with planning challenges driven by short construction timelines for data centers versus long lead times for transmission and generation. He urged stochastic planning, co-optimization of generation, storage, and transmission, and greater use of flexible load and demand response. CEC Director Alicia Gutierrez described the CEC’s bottom-up forecasting approach, based on utility energization requests and load profiles, and said California has over 23,000 megawatts of data center capacity requests in the CAISO footprint. CPUC Deputy Executive Director Luan Tesfai outlined recent actions on energization timelines, flexible service connections, PG&E’s Rule 30 tariff, and the commission’s resource planning and transmission permitting work. CAISO’s Neil Miller stressed that large loads affect transmission planning, interconnection, and reliability standards, and said the agency is preparing additional stakeholder work on technical issues. Utility and industry witnesses said California is already seeing substantial data center interest and is building out infrastructure accordingly. PG&E’s Mike Medeiros said the utility has more than 10 gigawatts of data center interest in its territory, has shifted to cluster studies, and is using flexible interconnection tools such as FlexConnect to speed service while protecting reliability. Silicon Valley Power’s Nico Prokos said data centers account for about 55% of its power use and that the city is investing heavily in transmission and local system upgrades to support projected load growth. He also warned that AI loads may be more variable than traditional cloud loads and that backup generation and air quality constraints complicate curtailment strategies. The Data Center Coalition’s Karabonder argued that data centers are also driving efficiency gains and support critical digital services, while urging better forecasting methods, more transparency, and regular backcasting. Members asked about statutory authority, data availability, flexible load, and whether current forecasts are sufficient for long-lead infrastructure planning. Witnesses said California already has authority to pursue flexible service and rate design, and that the CEC and CPUC have access to utility data, though out-year demand remains highly uncertain. CPUC representatives noted an advanced rate design rulemaking and said the commission is opening additional work on ratepayer impacts. No votes were taken during the informational hearing, and the discussion ended with continued questions about how California should structure planning, pricing, and reliability rules as AI-related load grows.

Transcript Highlights:

• and other families in that's residential and other families qualify<00:04:08.959><c> for.
• </c><00:22:52.000><c> wells</c><00:22:52.400><c> PAS</c> new private residential wells PAS new private
• residential wells PAS testing<00:22:54.080><c> um</c><00:22:54.240><c> especially</c><00:22:54.559><
• So there are some cases too where municipalities will have larger residential well radius requirements
• </c><00:23:52.640><c> well</c> will have um larger um residential well will have um larger um residential

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee opened discussion on SP 170 and worked through the bill section by section, focusing first on housing discrimination language and then on land-use and development provisions. On the housing section, members discussed adding “school enrollment status” or a similar term as a protected class to prevent municipalities from steering students into specific zones, especially in Durham. Some members questioned whether “status” was too vague and suggested “enrollment status” or “school enrollment status” for clarity. Public testimony raised concerns that adding a new protected class could have broader implications beyond this bill and could affect municipal zoning authority, while supporters argued the language was needed to prevent discrimination against students in housing access. The committee then heard testimony on provisions limiting municipal authority over septic test pits and well-siting requirements. DEES officials and a builder testified that state standards are already protective of groundwater and surface water and that some local requirements are more stringent than the state’s, adding cost and delay to housing projects. Supporters said uniform state standards would make housing development faster and more predictable. Opponents warned that local rules can protect aquifers, wellhead areas, and drinking water in specific communities, and that removing municipal flexibility could weaken those protections. The subcommittee appeared comfortable keeping these sections, though members discussed whether to clarify the language and whether some local review authority should remain. The meeting also covered road-length limits, caps on the number of lots on dead-end roads, and subdivision design rules. Members generally supported prohibiting municipalities from using maximum road length or lot caps to block development, with one amendment suggested to allow such limits where adequate water and sewer capacity is lacking. The committee also discussed allowing utilities and infrastructure such as septic systems, wells, electric systems, drainage structures, and shared leach fields to be placed in subdivision open space or perimeter buffers when those areas are not protected wetlands or shoreland. Finally, the committee reviewed a provision requiring municipalities to stamp and accept plan changes within three days after initial review, with members explaining that the goal is to prevent repeated, incremental changes from dragging out the approval process. No final votes were taken in the portion of the meeting provided, but members indicated general comfort with several sections as amended or clarified.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> are sometimes residential treatment are sometimes residential treatment centers,<00:15:45.199><c
• > psychiatric</c><00:15:45.920><c> residential</c> centers, psychiatric residential centers, psychiatric
• residential treatment<00:15:46.800><c> facilities.
• </c><01:39:08.800><c> treatment</c> students placed in residential treatment students placed in residential
• </c> behavioral, therapeutic, and residential behavioral, therapeutic, and residential services<01:42

Committee: Joint Education

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have 13 residential and seven outpatient programs.
• </c><00:51:42.359><c> substance</c> increases for the residential substance increases for the residential
• </c><00:53:21.680><c> because</c> outpatient or residential because outpatient or residential because
• unfunded by the state daycare center, um, for a residential program.
• </c><01:31:58.639><c> City</c> County long-term residential City County long-term residential City supplement

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It adds two provisions concerning manufactured residential housing to provide that such housing may be
• Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade County and are five acres or more in size and already adjacent to residential
• surrounding neighborhoods, you can go up to the maximum of the average adjacent density of the residential
• This is going to be residential. It makes sense. Thanks for the bill.
• Additionally, the five-mile buffer from residential property or schools functions as a categorical siting

Summary: The committee took up a long agenda of land use, public records, infrastructure, and local-government bills. The most debated measures were CS for CS for HB 399 and CS for HB 979, both sponsored by Rep. Borrero, which sought to streamline development approvals and reduce local-government barriers. HB 399 would require simple-majority approval for certain land development applications, mandate local definitions of compatibility, and add provisions affecting destination resorts, manufactured housing, historic properties, and a study of urban development boundaries. HB 979 would allow administrative rezoning of environmentally damaged five-acre-or-larger parcels in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties for residential use if adjacent to neighborhoods. Supporters argued both bills would increase housing supply, encourage cleanup of contaminated land, and lower costs; opponents argued they preempt local decision-making, weaken voter-approved growth controls, and do not guarantee affordability. Both bills were amended and then reported favorably, with HB 399 passing 16-10 and HB 979 passing after debate. The committee also approved CS for HB 437, a public records bill by Rep. Andrade, on a 25-0 vote. The bill requires agencies to respond to public records requests within three days by producing the records, citing why they cannot, or giving a good-faith estimate of time and cost; it also limits agencies from later relying on exemptions not previously raised. Proponents said the measure addresses long delays and nonresponses by agencies, while school district representatives warned the timeline could be difficult for large, complex requests. The committee adopted the bill and sent it favorably. Several local and special district bills were also approved. CS for CS for HB 1103 would help local governments coordinate with FWC on derelict vessels and anchoring issues and passed unanimously. CS for HB 1245, dealing with biosolids regulation, also passed unanimously. CS for HB 4081 to expand the East Point Water and Sewer District passed 25-0. CS for HB 4103, creating a state special district for the Apalachicola water and sewer system, passed 25-1 after testimony from city officials who argued the city had improved its water system and should retain a role. CS for HB 4105, expanding the Port St. Joe Port Authority into a multi-county regional board, passed 23-3 despite opposition from residents concerned about infrastructure, environmental impacts, and local control. The committee also began consideration of PCS for CS for HB 433, an agriculture-related bill with changes to surplus lands and other provisions, but the transcript cuts off before final action on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Going into FY26, DDS is reevaluating the utilization of residential bed capacity across our system.
• However, I do want to be clear that DDS is still engaged in new residential program development.
• But the piece that you... ...setting and into a residential program.
• So Governor Healey's budget supports investments in our residential and our community-based programs
• This is programming that begins in our residential settings and then continues into our communities.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing opened with remarks from Senate Chair Robyn Kennedy and House Chair Chynah Tyler, who emphasized that the fiscal year 2026 hearing was focused on the Health and Human Services budget, asked members to keep questions budget-related, and noted that no public testimony would be taken. They also highlighted the choice of Doherty Memorial High School as the venue to showcase Worcester’s investment in career and technical education. Committee members then introduced themselves before the first panel, the Executive Office of Veterans Services and the state veterans homes, began testimony. Secretary John Santiago said the governor’s FY26 proposal would support implementation of the HERO Act, which he said is now about 95% implemented, including higher disabled veteran annuities, expanded behavioral health benefits, and other service expansions. He described efforts to reduce veteran homelessness, including nearly $20 million in ARPA-funded housing and outreach initiatives, and said the agency has delivered more than 100,000 supportive services to nearly 8,500 veterans. Leaders from the Chelsea and Holyoke veterans homes reported on staffing, quality measures, electronic medical records, and major construction projects at both facilities, including a new Chelsea campus and the new Holyoke home. Members asked about funding transfers, geographic equity in access to the homes, outreach to women veterans and veterans of color, suicide prevention, Gold Star family support, and the impact of federal uncertainty; Santiago said the homes are now licensed and certified, that the current budget is sufficient, and that the agency is expanding engagement and data collection. The second panel, the Office of the Veteran Advocate, testified that its FY26 request is about $3.3 million, up from the current $2 million, to cover staffing, a larger office, and higher technology costs. Veteran Advocate Bob Notch said the office is a new independent oversight agency created in 2022 to examine systems, coordinate with local veteran service officers, and investigate fatalities or serious harm involving veterans in state care. He said the office’s work depends on research, data, and collaboration with other agencies, and that current funding is only enough for minimum operations. In response to questions, Notch and Deputy Commissioner David O’Callaghan discussed the difficulty of tracking veteran suicides, the need for better data across agencies, and the office’s role as an oversight body rather than a direct service provider. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• heating fuels, residential water services, and sewer services.
• And then the tax exemption for residential water services was enacted in 1979.
• And then the tax exemption for residential water services was enacted in 1979.
• And then the tax exemption for residential water services was enacted in 1979.
• And then the tax exemption for residential water services was enacted in 1979.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• If you want to build it in a residential zone, where most families are, then CEQA fully applies.
• There was an old church property that is zoned residential in a residential neighborhood, and it has
• State and federal grants for the project in a residential neighborhood, again, a church that had closed
• That is an action fully subject to CEQA, and it had to have been in the general plan for residential
• That is an action fully subject to CEQA, and it had to have been in the general plan for residential

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, observed a moment of silence, offered prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognized several guest delegations, including UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute fellows and community college representatives. The body approved the Senate journals and then moved through gubernatorial appointments, confirming Dr. Hernando Garsohn as Chief Medical Officer at the Emergency Medical Services Authority and Stephanie Weldon as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health, both by 39-0 votes. The chamber then took up a series of third-reading bills. Measures approved included SB 799 on the South Bay Regional Housing Trust, SB 33 on prompt payment for public works contractors, SB 222 to streamline permitting for heat pump installations, SB 300 strengthening protections for minors in AI chatbot interactions, SB 457 expanding support for community land trusts, SB 479 authorizing city-based homeless response multidisciplinary teams, SB 719 extending a reporting sunset on automated decision systems, SB 722 protecting mobile home park residents from demolition-related displacement, SB 832 updating the Upper Los Angeles River working group, SB 342 limiting forfeiture when a contractor’s license lapses, SB 490 allowing local inspections of unlicensed treatment facilities with state approval, SB 828 requiring permit-data verification for fireworks and explosives facilities, SB 849 barring physicians who committed sexual misconduct from license renewal, SB 742 addressing decommissioned electric lines in response to the Altadena fire, SB 96 regulating amplified advertising on streaming and related platforms, and SB 58 updating hydrogen sulfide monitoring and response standards. Most passed unanimously; SB 222 and SB 677 drew some opposition, and SB 222 passed 38-3. A major floor debate centered on SB 694, which would restrict unaccredited private firms from charging fees to assist veterans with VA benefits claims and align state law with federal accreditation rules. Supporters argued the bill would protect veterans from predatory “claim shark” practices and preserve access through accredited providers, while opponents said it would limit veterans’ choice and could reduce access to needed help. After a motion to pull the bill from Rules and take it up immediately passed 29-9, the Senate approved SB 694 by a 39-0 vote. The session ended with unanimous approval of the consent calendar items and adjournment until January 27, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you want to build it in a residential zone where most families are, then your CEQA fully applies.
• There was an old church property that is zoned residential in a residential neighborhood.
• There was an old church property that is zoned residential in a residential neighborhood.
• State and federal grants for the project in a residential neighborhood, again, a church that had closed
• And it had to have been in the general plan for residential use.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The department currently has 1,230 residential and hospital-type beds.
• And what you're explaining is that there are DOC beds, but non-residential?
• When you say they're residential, but are they, are these for people that are in custody?
• They're considered beds of our capacity, and only our inmates can use those residential beds, and that's
• They're considered beds of our capacity, and only our inmates can use those residential beds, and that's

Summary: The committee first heard an update from the Florida Department of Corrections on the proposed Lake Correctional Institution mental health project in Clermont. Tim Fitzgerald explained the project’s history, including the 2016 Disability Rights Florida litigation, the 2018 consent decree, and the original plan for a 550-bed inpatient mental health facility. He said inflation and design changes pushed the project above the bond amount, leading the department to shift to a “continuum of care” alternative with 572 beds total: 92 inpatient beds and 480 residential treatment beds in three special housing units. Fitzgerald said the project is currently paused pending House concurrence, while the Senate has already agreed to the alternate plan, and noted the bond balance, prior expenditures, and the need to spend down the tax-exempt bond by August 2026. Members questioned how the new plan differs from the original facility, whether it satisfies the consent decree, and what caused the cost increases. Fitzgerald said the department believes it has already met the consent decree through systemwide improvements to housing, staffing, programming, and out-of-cell time, though he said he would confirm the court documentation. He also said the original scope grew from 275,000 to 350,000 square feet as treatment, nursing, security, and programming needs were refined, and that inflation, fees, permitting, and contingencies contributed to the higher cost. Several members asked for follow-up information on Senate approval, consent decree documentation, and the project’s impact on crisis-stabilization capacity. The committee then received a joint court-system presentation from State Courts Administrator Eric McClure and Clerks Corporation Executive Director Jason Welty on caseload trends, case tracking, and staffing. McClure described statewide filing trends, the use of weighted caseload studies to certify judicial need, and recent Supreme Court rule changes aimed at active civil case management, including differentiated case tracks, stricter deadlines, and proportional discovery. He said the latest workload study led the Supreme Court to certify a need for 23 circuit judges and 25 county judges. Welty reviewed clerk workload trends, the statewide case maintenance and CCIS systems, and declining clerk FTE despite rising case volumes, and said clerks are seeking additional funding for injunctions, Baker Act/Marchman Act/sexually violent predator work, and juror management. In questions, members pressed both presenters on data quality, case-weight calculations, filing fees, and whether current resources are enough to reduce delays. McClure clarified that the workload weights are based on judge time studies and that a capital murder case averaged 3,177 minutes, while other examples such as auto negligence and dissolution cases were much lower. Welty said the Legislature could help by increasing funding or potentially revisiting filing fees, and noted that many clerk services are unfunded or underfunded, especially indigent and protective filings. The chair and members also raised concerns about backlog, inconsistent case reporting across circuits, and enforcement of judicial time standards; McClure said there is no direct sanction in the rules, and compliance is largely managed through chief judges and the Supreme Court. The meeting ended with no votes taken and adjournment by motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Invitation from the residential occupant. Amendment number six is technical.
• So is Jonathan Davis with the Residential Roofing Association?
• It's the Residential Roofing Association. Thank you, Chairman and members.
• Back then, to do new construction, you had to have a residential contractors license, so I studied and
• It adds the same for residential vacant property. I want to thank in advance Rep.

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 267, which would change the membership rules for the Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors by adjusting appointment qualifications, term limits, and nomination procedures. Vice Chair Thomas explained the bill was meant to address the lack of nominations from existing entities and to allow the governor more flexibility, especially in smaller districts. After adopting a technical amendment, the committee reported HB 267 favorably. The committee then considered House Bill 478 on utility overcharge reimbursements. The bill, as amended, requires utilities to clearly label reimbursements on customer bills and sets a deadline for issuing refunds. After discussion with the Public Service Commission and utility representatives, the committee changed the reimbursement timeline from 45 days to 90 days and clarified that the bill would not interfere with larger settlement or regulatory credits. HB 478 was then reported favorably as amended. The longest discussion centered on House Bill 924, a consumer protection measure aimed at contractors who solicit residential property owners after declared disasters. The author said the bill was intended to curb predatory storm-chasing and fraudulent insurance-related practices, while still allowing emergency mitigation work. The committee adopted technical amendments and then a conceptual amendment shortening the catastrophe response period from six months to 30 days. Testimony was split: the Insurance Commissioner and some roofing industry witnesses supported the bill as a way to deter fraud, while other contractors argued it would hurt small businesses, limit legitimate door-to-door work, and not solve enforcement problems. The bill remained under consideration after extensive testimony and public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• 707 has a simple purpose: removing red tape for homeowners trying to finance an ADU or secondary residential
• 707 has a simple purpose: removing red tape for homeowners trying to finance an ADU or secondary residential
• This applies specifically to land that already contains an existing or approved ADU or secondary residential
• parcel separation is required for mortgage or financing purposes and does not create additional residential
• This change ensures that manufactured duplexes can be placed on land that is zoned for multifamily residential

Summary: The Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee heard and advanced four measures. House Bill 792, by Rep. Monks, clarified the relationship between yard sales and the small seller exemption, including how sales tax applies once a seller exceeds the $5,000 threshold and when activity goes beyond the small-seller limits. The committee asked no questions and voted unanimously to send the bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation. House Bill 722, by Rep. Ayler, corrected timing issues in the new utility tax system created last year, aligning reporting and payment dates with the existing six-month property tax cycle so local governments have revenue figures for budgeting. The sponsor said counties, utilities, and the Tax Commission were all involved and supportive. The committee approved the bill for the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee also heard House Bill 707, by Sen. Taves, which would create a streamlined process for subdividing land to finance an accessory dwelling unit or secondary residential structure without going through a full subdivision process, while keeping zoning, access, utility, and agricultural protections in place. No one testified against it, and it was sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation. House Bill 800, also by Sen. Taves, would reduce zoning barriers for manufactured housing by allowing manufactured duplexes in multifamily zones and lowering square-footage thresholds for single-section and multisection homes; the Idaho Manufactured Housing Association testified in strong support. The committee passed that bill to the floor as well. Finally, members approved the March 4, 2026 minutes and adjourned, announcing a meeting the next day at 2:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• 707 has a simple purpose: removing red tape for homeowners trying to finance an ADU or secondary residential
• 707 has a simple purpose: removing red tape for homeowners trying to finance an ADU or secondary residential
• This applies specifically to land that already contains an existing or approved ADU or secondary residential
• parcel separation is required for mortgage or financing purposes and does not create additional residential
• This change ensures that manufactured duplexes can be placed on land that is zoned for multifamily residential

Committee: Senate Local Government and Taxation

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So examples of some of the supports that our provider members provide are things like residential supports
• covers a subsection of services, which is outlined on this first slide, including adult long-term residential
• So, for example, adult long-term residential dropped to 16%.
• We're not talking about residential, okay? Getting a home up. That's outrageous.
• We're not talking about residential, okay, getting a home up. That's outrageous.

Summary: The Workforce Support Subcommittee of the Status of Persons with Disabilities met, approved the prior November minutes, and heard a presentation from the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers (ADDP) on its 2025 workforce metrics survey. ADDP described its membership and the survey’s scope, which covers community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and brain injury. The presenters said 102 of 132 members responded, and reported that overall vacancy rates improved for the third straight year, falling from 19% in 2024 to 15% in 2025, with declines across all program types. However, they emphasized that nearly 4,000 positions remain unfilled, licensed practical nurse and clinician vacancies remain especially high, and almost 1,800 people are still waiting for day services. ADDP also highlighted a new survey question on health insurance costs, reporting that nearly 90% of respondents saw premium increases averaging 11%, which providers said limits their ability to offer competitive wages and benefits. Members and commissioners discussed the significance of the data, the need to balance survey length with useful trend information, and the impact of immigration and workforce availability on provider staffing. ADDP said it plans to repeat the survey in the fall and continue monitoring these pressures. The subcommittee then elected Rachel Caprillion and Leo Sarkisian as co-chairs by voice vote. Members discussed possible speakers for the next meeting, including state and out-of-state workforce experts, JVS, Josh Cutler or his office, Juan Vega, Human Services Research Institute, and NASDDDS, with an emphasis on training, turnover, apprenticeships, and broader workforce supports. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was seconded and approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• Residential treatment programs offer intensive, around-the-clock mental health services for children
• At the same time, the introduction of the qualified residential treatment program has expanded the range
• New placement models have emerged, such as the behavioral qualified residential treatment program and
• A key initiative has been the development of the behavioral qualified residential treatment program to
• needs that do not fit the criteria for SIP or higher-level residential treatment.

Committee: Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs

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:

• It narrows the pool, but it doesn't make you qualified. The application makes you qualified.
• It narrows the pool, but it doesn't make you qualified. The application makes you qualified.
• So that cost will vary, but based on the... pool would be slim, but pool would be slim, but &gt;&gt;
• It's already said at least one precinct, and they will have to take from that pool of precincts.
• So, I I out of pool of precincts.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it draws down from the broader pools of new construction or modernization funding, depending on which
• additional $40 million proposed to support the implementation of reading screenings and expand the pool
• additional $40 million proposed to support the implementation of reading screenings and expand the pool

Keywords: 987, senate, all