Transcript Highlights:

• And since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government

Bills: SB683, SB1579, SB1389, SB1387, SB1390, SB1391, SB2063, SB1829, SB2060, SB1842, SB1398, SB1212, SB2158, SB102, SB1772, SB1958, SB2010, SB1595, SB1687, SB1684, SB2049, SB1966, SB1989, SB1191, SB1258, SB1920, SB1936, SB2143, SB2122, SB330, SB2071, SB2169, SB2069, SB2095, SB2157, SB1806, SB1430, SB206, SB1547, SB1849, SB1428, SB1653, SB1984, SB1644, SB1561, SB1813, SB1570, SB1796

Keywords: education, tax credit, student support, private school, Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit, financial assistance, homeschooling, qualified expenses, property tax, valuation increase, taxpayer rights, homestead, protest process, school choice, tuition assistance, income limits, parental choice, accreditation, sales tax, motor vehicles

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, I I agree there are issues that we currently have with our current tax code.
• And so, when our good chairman tax code.
• of the west, you know, our up the code of the west, you know, our state<00:59:30.319> code,<00
• property that that fund statewide property that that fund schools. schools. schools.
• I think, poof, like that on fire. We've done some serious reform and a huge part on our relief.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:15:47.880> accounting Uh moving on to our statewide accounting Uh moving on to our statewide
• maintaining and updating the statewide maintaining and updating the statewide policies<00:28:58.640
• number does not include other statewide number does not include other statewide financial<00:29:
• 37.640> and Overall, the statewide policies and Overall, the statewide policies and procedures
• There's an that no one has been fired.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The police and fire in my town are both created by statute.
• <04:53:06.680> Personnel be able to bring on more fire Personnel be able to bring on more
• fire Personnel more<04:53:07.440> medical<04:53:07.878> personnel<04:53:08.320> so
• So, similar to what I posed to the sponsor, the number of employees for our fire and police department
• , was that if there was a fire, that may save the community forest.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And what is the status of reaching the demand response goal required under the Public Resources Code
• of the statewide load shift of seven gigawatts by 2030?
• I would note that the risk is really those coincident events when there's a Western heat wave, a fire
• Code that's over 100 years old. And so with that, those are my introductory remarks.
• So from the time the legislation goes through the Public Utilities Code or through the bills you put

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A number of years ago when I worked for CAL FIRE, you have never seen men work harder than with these
• But there is not a system, there is not a program better than the fire camps with Cal Fire in the state
• Colleagues, let us remember these brave crews are fighting on the lines of fires of each year, working
• And as my colleague from Lodi said, fire doesn't what color your uniform is, whether it's a yellow Cal
• Fire uniform or an orange jumpsuit, and neither do the people who are in danger, who need help, who

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for<00:27:24.159> that<00:27:24.480> type fired and fired yesterday for that type fired
• and fired yesterday for that type of<00:27:24.799> behavior.
• This proposed project was given a code name, Project Bigfoot.
• code name, Project<01:31:23.440> Bigfoot.
• An NDA silos decisions of statewide consequence within cities.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• there's no scale of operation to invest in bringing a building up to current international building code
• And so in this bill, we'd suggest that you look at the historical building code or look at the existing
• building code for the waiver application that you had asked for, for variance.
• But it remains impossible to bring the buildings up to code, and they remain vacant, like the Buffalo
• Maybe this is the approach, because instead it gives a tax credit for bringing a building up to code

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the current bill we just default to the standard venue statute under the Civil Practice and Remedies Code
• It can't be brought by a person who has been convicted of an offense under the penal code, right?
• We are adopting it statewide for all law enforcement agencies.
• Some of the DFCs aren't considered accurate, but that's what we've put in the code, Mr.
• Uniform and it should have never been this hard to fire him.

Bills: SB 2, SB 5, SB 10, SB 9, SB 7, SB 17, SB 4, HB17, HB7, HB7, HB15, HB15, HB27, HB1, HB7, HB15, HB18, SB9, SB7, SB17, SB4, HB17, HB27, HB1, SB8, HCR13, SB2, SB5, SB10

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting, school assessment, public education, accountability, transparency, education standards, STAAR, Texas Education Agency, TEA, public school accountability, school ratings, A-F ratings, assessment reform, student testing, benchmark tests, interim assessments

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not weaken Florida's building code, fire code, floodplain management, or delegate state environmental
• It would depend on their dress code, I'm sure.
• The problem is it fires without pulling the trigger.
• The problem is it fires without pulling the trigger. It's about the P320 and nothing else.
• Nothing that is being done is wrong from a statewide perspective.

Summary: The committee first considered CS/SB 1434 on infill redevelopment. A late-filed strike-all amendment narrowed eligibility to certain contaminated or brownfield properties in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, added adjacency and density/intensity limits, and excluded agricultural land, park land, land outside the urban growth boundary, and land near military installations. The amendment was adopted without opposition, and the bill was reported favorably on an 8-0 vote, with limited support and opposition noted in waived appearance forms. Members then took up CS/CS/SB 212 on sexual offenders and sexual predators. The strike-all added public swimming pools and related child-centered locations to residency and presence restrictions. Testimony was sharply divided: proponents argued the bill would help protect children and law enforcement, while opponents, including treatment experts and homelessness advocates, said there was no empirical evidence the restrictions reduce abuse and warned of retroactive punishment and increased homelessness. The amendment was adopted, and the bill passed 8-1. The committee also approved CS/CS/SB 686 on agricultural enclaves after an amendment allowing certain enclaves adjacent to interstates to be developed for commercial, industrial, or single-family residential uses and clarifying exclusions for protected areas. Opponents argued it would weaken zoning and comprehensive plans, while supporters framed it as a property-rights measure; the bill was reported favorably 10-0. SB 554 on nonprofit corporations, a technical update to nonprofit law modeled on prior for-profit corporate revisions, also passed unanimously after supportive waived testimony. Later, the committee approved SB 1338 on charitable giving, which creates a donor remedy for endowment restrictions and limits state reporting burdens on certain regulated or exempt organizations; members discussed cy pres and the sponsor said further changes would be worked out later. CS/SB 532 on court fees was amended to let clerks retain all collections above revenue projections rather than half, with supporters saying clerks have been underfunded for years; it passed 10-0. The committee also favorably reported SB 218 on land use regulations, which restores normal land-use authority to counties not affected by recent hurricanes, and CS/SB 692 on cybersecurity standards and liability, which creates a presumption against liability for entities that comply with cybersecurity frameworks and reporting requirements; the cybersecurity bill drew concerns about retroactivity and the adequacy of compliance incentives but passed 9-2.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Spectrum Alert, House Bill 711, creates a statewide alert for law enforcement to put out a message
• And I think it's important to understand that I'm bringing this as an amendment on a statewide policy
• bill because I think it has statewide impact.
• We are on bar code amendment number two. Barcode number 573995 by Representative Soroy.
• It would be literally code if we went out and printed most of these EMRs.

Summary: The committee took up a large health and human services agenda and first approved HB 711, the Spectrum Alert bill, which would create a statewide alert system for missing autistic children and require FDLE to coordinate training with state and local agencies. The measure drew a supportive waiver from the Florida Smart Justice Alliance and passed unanimously, 24-0, reported favorably. Members then considered CS for HB 229 on health facilities, which modernizes the Health Facilities Authority Act to allow additional nonprofit health system structures to use tax-exempt financing. Two amendments were adopted: one requiring advance notice, public hearings, and stakeholder notifications before a nonprofit hospital closure, and another removing a property tax exemption for a nonprofit hospital that closes and fails to maintain emergency services for 120 days, applied retroactively to January 1, 2025. The Florida Hospital Association opposed the amendments, citing workforce and nonprofit-status concerns, but the bill as amended passed 24-0. The committee also approved CS for HB 1405 on juvenile justice status offenders, expanding early truancy intervention, parent involvement, and shelter placement review timelines; it passed 24-0. CS for HB 27, joining the Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact, and its linked public records bill CS for HB 29 both passed unanimously after supportive testimony from several advocacy and business groups. The committee then debated HB 111 on out-of-network referrals and HB 1083 on patient access to records. HB 111 would require referring practitioners to inform patients in writing when a referral is out of network and to apply out-of-network payments to deductibles; it drew opposition from medical groups over administrative burden and patient-care concerns, but passed 17-8. HB 1083 would shorten the time for producing medical records to 14 working days and standardize access rules, with amendments clarifying portal access and delaying the effective date to January 1, 2026; despite opposition from some health information and provider groups over HIPAA and access concerns, it passed 19-7 as amended. Later, the committee approved HB 883, allowing autonomous practice for psychiatric nurse practitioners with the required credentials, after strong support from nurse practitioner groups and opposition from psychiatric and medical associations; it passed 23-3. HB 1297, which aligns Florida’s electronic prescribing exceptions with federal law and removes several state exemptions, passed 19-7 despite opposition from hospice, emergency physician, rheumatology, and medical groups concerned about paper prescriptions in emergencies and hard-to-find medications. HB 1353 on home health care services and CS for HB 989 on foster home licensure transfers both passed unanimously after supportive amendments. The committee also heard HB 1505 on parental rights, which would require written parental consent for many health care services, surveys, and biofeedback devices for minors and expand parental access to records; the bill drew extensive support testimony but also questions and concerns about confidentiality, abuse reporting, and existing exceptions, and the transcript ended before a final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• The largest statewide support today is the $15 million Regional Transit Innovation Grant Program.
• We're a nonprofit that works statewide on bike advocacy, and we've been around since 1977.
• We're a nonprofit that works statewide on bike advocacy, have been around since 1977.
• We know the fires. We know the droughts. It's all happening. It's happening locally.
• And it's happening everywhere: the fires in LA, the fires in Maui. I'll just give a number to it.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on a wide range of transportation bills focused on rural microtransit, commuter rail fares and service, rail electrification, climate alignment, and safety. Several speakers supported H. 4054 and related microtransit proposals, arguing that rural communities need stable, permanent funding for services like the Tri-Town Connector and Quaboag Connector, which have strong ridership, high satisfaction, and measurable economic and health benefits. Testimony also supported a commission bill to study microtransit funding and definitions, with witnesses emphasizing that current grant programs are helpful but short-term and insufficient for long-term service planning. A major theme was commuter rail equity and expansion. Boston-area officials and advocates backed bills to make all Boston commuter rail stations Zone 1A, citing large fare disparities between nearby stations in Hyde Park, Roslindale, and Readville. Related testimony supported studying an Orange Line extension from Forest Hills to Roslindale Square and expanding The Ride to Foxborough, as well as restoring commuter rail service to Cape Cod via Middleborough to Buzzards Bay and beyond. Speakers said these projects would improve access, reduce car dependence, and better serve neighborhoods and regions that currently face limited rapid transit options. Multiple panels urged action on electrification and climate-focused transportation planning, including H. 3726, the Freedom to Move Act, and bills to electrify commuter rail, buses, school buses, and public fleets. Advocates from environmental, transit, and public health groups said transportation is the state’s largest emissions source and argued that statutory goals, coordinated planning, and streamlined permitting are needed to speed decarbonization while improving safety, affordability, and reliability. The committee also heard support for a bill to streamline rail electrification permitting, a bill to exempt certain transit projects from MEPA review, and a bill to improve commuter rail pedestrian safety with gates, fencing, and warning devices at at-grade crossings. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Private security armed with weapons opened fire and eliminated that target.
• A statewide pilot lets us study what works across school contexts.
• Gooden uh was fire trigger device.
• A statewide ban on in the $400 range.
• So, this bill, I think, has a statewide focus, which I think is great.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll fire away. What's 0.17 of a billion dollars? Mr.
• I'll fire away. What's 0.17 of a billion dollars? Mr.
• You'll find this under agency code 631.
• But without funding, we were able to expand the program statewide.
• But without funding, we were able to expand the program statewide.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All of the boundary issues regarding ambulance and fire districts have been removed.
• Most taxing jurisdictions, most school boards, most fire districts, those who charge property taxes,
• business located anywhere in the world that rents out the whole house on Airbnb gets the same tax code
• business located anywhere in the world that rents out the whole house on Airbnb gets the same tax code
• service levels we're talking about when it comes to property taxes are schools, roads, libraries, fire

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the journal for the prior day by a vote of 131-2, and the Speaker signed several enrolled measures, including HB 1768, HB 1866, HB 1870, HB 2180, and HJR 173 and 174. Members also made a series of guest introductions and personal announcements, including remarks recognizing National Infertility Awareness Week and HCR 28, as well as notices about upcoming themed dress days. The chamber then received Senate messages returning a number of budget bills and other measures with Senate amendments, and the House budget chair moved to refuse the Senate versions and send HB 2002 through HB 2013 to conference. Members discussed major budget differences, including child care subsidies, transportation funding, higher education funding, and the shifting of broadband grant dollars, but all of the motions to go to conference were approved. The House also took up Senate Bill 975, relating to ambulance districts and emergency medical services. An amendment was adopted to restore compromise language on community paramedics and make a minor change to first responder mental health provisions. The bill passed 136-7. Later, the House considered a property tax reform package on Senate Bills 1066 and 1088. Amendments were adopted to correct technical drafting issues, require uniform levy increases across property classes and timely use of voter-approved tax increases, and add assessor training, electronic taxpayer notification, and changes to how disputed assessments are paid. Debate centered on local control, transparency, and the impact on schools and other local taxing districts. The combined bill passed 83-61. The House then adjourned until 4 p.m. Monday, April 27, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 947, the no-robob bosses, basically, which calls for a human being in the loop on decisions of firing
• AB 2103 codifies Engaged California as a permanent statewide public engagement program.
• In addition, the age-appropriate design code authored by Assembly Member Wicks passed unanimously in
• In 2022, California enacted the age-appropriate design code, AADC.
• First, the age-appropriate design code protects youth up until age 18 rather than 13 or 16, and it is

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we have launched a code development agreement procurement to bring in a private partner by 2026,
• And it is, to me, embarrassing and harmful that California does not have a true statewide rail system
• It's fast, and it will create a true statewide rail system for California. And every time.
• Statewide rail system for California.
• Eric DeHart, Fire Chief, Ripon Consolidated Fire District in San Joaquin County.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2026 draft business plan and next steps for the project. Chair Cortese opened by noting major changes since the 2024 plan, including new leadership, a bottoms-up review, scope changes in the Central Valley, loss of federal funds, and renewed interest in private investment and value capture. The Authority’s CEO, Ian Chaudhary, presented the project as moving into a construction and track-laying phase, citing progress on Central Valley structures, right-of-way acquisition, utility relocations, and a new procurement for track and systems. He said the plan reflects a more disciplined, optimized approach, with the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment targeted for revenue service around 2033 and the broader Phase 1 corridor envisioned as commercially viable through ancillary revenues, public-private partnerships, and future private financing. Committee members questioned the Authority about station relocations, single-tracking, tax increment financing, utility relocation authority, transparency, and the feasibility of private financing. Chaudhary said the Merced and Bakersfield station locations were still under discussion with local governments and that no contracts had been finalized. He defended the reduced scope and single-track approach as a just-in-time strategy to avoid overbuilding, while maintaining high-speed standards. He also said the Authority was exploring land value capture, broadband, energy, and other corridor-based revenue sources, but acknowledged that some tools would require legislative action and that private financing options were still being evaluated. Several senators expressed support for the project but raised concerns about permitting delays, local opposition, constitutional and statutory limits, and the need for stronger accountability. The Legislative Analyst’s Office and the High-Speed Rail Inspector General then gave critical assessments of the draft plan. LAO staff said the plan assumes major statutory changes, understates risk, lacks transparency about scope changes, and may not fully fund even the smaller Merced-to-Bakersfield segment once borrowing costs and other uncertainties are considered. Inspector General Ben Belknap said the draft plan does not comply with newer statutory requirements in SB 198 and AB 377, citing three main deficiencies: unauthorized scope changes to the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment, an inadequate funding plan that omits financing costs, and missing procurement milestone dates. He said the Authority’s presentation obscures the true cost and schedule impacts of the project changes, and that incomplete reporting limits legislative oversight. The Authority responded that it would address the OIG’s findings in the final business plan, and committee members indicated they expected a written response on compliance issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have some examples of where care has been implemented in a fantastic manner with integrating the fire
• also heard from several other parts of the state where there have been challenges in integrating the fire
• To achieve that, SB 995 creates a uniform, statewide system for inspecting and enforcing standards in
• Instead, it focuses on traditional public health concerns, things like air quality, sanitation, fire
• that juvenile detention centers have been found to be in grave violation of the health and safety code

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we can identify that by looking at the class code.
• The team can identify that by looking at the class code.
• So this is adopted Rule 66011, New Mexico Administrative Code.
• Next is community school requirements, proposed rule amendment 63015, New Mexico Administrative Code.
• That would be baptism by fire for sure.

Summary: The committee began with a presentation on the 520 Native American Language and Culture certificate, created to let proficient tribal language and culture speakers teach in K-12 schools without a bachelor’s degree. LESC staff, PED, and HED described the certificate’s statutory basis, the role of tribes and pueblos in setting proficiency standards, and ongoing challenges such as uneven MOAs, limited professional development, rural access barriers, data gaps, and retention concerns. PED said oversight of 520 is moving from the licensure bureau to the Indian Education Division, and HED reported that the tribal education technical assistance centers authorized in 2023 are still in procurement but are expected to be awarded in early 2026. A student, Alonzo Hughes, testified about how learning Tewa from 520-certified teachers helped him understand his culture and speak with elders, and members praised the program’s role in language revitalization and asked about funding, teacher pathways, and whether similar models exist in other states. Committee members then discussed several PED rule updates. Staff reviewed an adopted rule implementing HB 54 on AEDs and cardiac emergency response plans, including staff training requirements and staggered compliance dates, and a proposed rule for school nurse licensure under HB 195 that would create a three-tier system and align nurse pay with teacher pay. They also reviewed proposed changes to the Community Schools Act rule, including a full-time community school coordinator requirement, updated grant language, and broader coalition membership criteria; PED said the broader language would not conflict with the Martinez-Yazzie work. A proposed bilingual teacher rule would standardize coursework requirements, add trans-languaging and culturally relevant curriculum competencies, and allow Native American language certification applicants to demonstrate proficiency using tribal standards. In questions, members raised concerns about AEDs being present at athletic events, the need for the amended school nurse bill to move experienced nurses directly into higher levels, and whether the community schools rule’s broader coalition language could affect current education litigation. Members also asked about funding for 520 programs, teacher residency or cohort models, and how to support advanced language instruction and sustainability. PED said the Indian Education Fund and school budgets can support some of the work, but additional strategic funding and cross-training are needed. The committee also heard that New Mexico’s 520 system is unusually robust compared with other states, and members encouraged staff to present the model at national conferences. The meeting ended with the director’s report, which noted a flat budget request of $2,024,300, staff turnover including Natasha Davalos’s departure, and appreciation for the committee’s work before adjournment for the holidays.

Transcript Highlights:

• the Study Act, and I'm eager to work with the Attorney General and the legislature to develop a statewide
• This bill is a priority of the Indigenous legislative agenda, and I won't detail the major statewide
• What can we learn from schools like mine, and how can we adapt these lessons statewide?
• The three most critical elements of this bill are the statewide bell-to-bell restriction on all...
• That's why it is so important to have a statewide bill with consistent policies across all districts.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened a public hearing on 41 bills related to school climate and safety, with chairs Jason Lewis and Ken Gordon outlining procedures and noting more than 125 witnesses. The first major topic was the “Study Act” on cell phones in schools and related social media restrictions (House 666/Senate 335). Secretary of Education Pat Tutwiler and Attorney General Andrea Campbell testified in strong support, arguing that bell-to-bell phone-free policies would improve student focus, reduce anxiety and distraction, and support mental health. Several legislators also supported the approach, though Representative Jeff Turco and Senator John Keenan emphasized narrower bills focused only on school-day phone restrictions rather than broader social media regulation. Senator John Velis likewise backed a comprehensive school-hours restriction, citing student distraction and mental health concerns. Representative Tarsky described successful implementation of a Yondr pouch system in a school where he served as principal, saying it improved engagement and reduced bullying and discipline issues. The committee then heard testimony on a bill to prohibit Native American mascots in public schools (Senate 312/House 575). Senator Joe Comerford, Brittany Wally, and Rhonda Anderson all urged passage, saying Native mascots are dehumanizing, harmful to Native youth, and inconsistent with civil rights and educational values. They described support from tribal nations and noted that many Massachusetts schools have already changed mascots, but some still resist. The hearing also included testimony on school start times (House 647/Senate 360), where middle school students Caroline Duffy and Emery Jarvis described exhaustion and survey data showing widespread sleep deprivation. Former educator Telia Jacobs, former principal Rep. Tarsky, and others argued that later start times would improve health, learning, and student well-being, while acknowledging transportation and scheduling challenges. Zoriana Petrosian, who helped write one of the bills as a student, said the state already has enough research to act now. Additional bills drew testimony on related school issues. Dr. Raul Fernandez supported a bill promoting racially integrated schools (Senate 324), citing a recent advisory council report showing large disparities in segregated schools and urging DESE to develop a statewide integration strategy. On safe firearm storage education (House 548/Senate 397), multiple witnesses from Grassroots for Gun Violence Prevention and school communities supported annual school-based education about secure storage, saying it would help prevent child access to unsecured firearms and build on local resolutions already adopted in some districts. The committee also heard testimony on bills to expand career and academic plans (House 533/Senate 438), with speakers saying more structured planning would help students make informed college and career choices. Later, testimony on child sexual abuse prevention and survivor support bills described the prevalence of abuse, the need for training in schools and youth-serving organizations, and the importance of extending compensation and prevention measures. Throughout the hearing, chairs repeatedly closed bills with no witnesses and moved the agenda forward, but no votes were taken in the portion of the transcript provided.