Transcript Highlights:

• I think it is meant to harass and chill access to funding.
• But when it's party neutral, you have a plaintiff who doesn't have access to resources.
• This is nothing more than one-sided attempt to distinguish someone's access to courts.
• Can the landlord then access that footage per se to retaliate against that tenant?
• access that footage per se to retaliate against that tenant? Senator Burgess.

Bills: S0014, S0016, S0024, S0052, S0308, S0504, S0506, S0564, S0572, S0590, S0594, S0806, S1396, S7020, S7024, S7026

Keywords: negligence, settlement, police conduct, municipal liability, personal injury, compensation, injuries, Miami-Dade County, places of worship, house of worship, church, mosque, synagogue, religious security, armed security, volunteer security, private security, security guard licensing, licensure exemption, Florida Statutes chapter 493

Summary: The Committee on Rules met with 14 members present and considered a long agenda of bills, including several open-government sunset reauthorizations, consumer and election measures, claims bills, and policy bills on public safety, ethics, and child protection. The committee reported favorably SB 7024 and SB 7026, which extend and consolidate public-records/public-meeting exemptions for cybersecurity information and trade secrets held by agencies, and SB 7020, which reenacts the aquaculture records exemption for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It also approved SB 14 and SB 24, two uncontested Miami-Dade County claims bills, and SB 16, a claims bill for Heriberto Sanchez Mayan involving severe injuries after an unlawful arrest and transport incident in St. Petersburg. Several bills drew substantial testimony. SB 308, creating the Florida Museum of Black History Board of Directors and designating St. Johns County as the museum site, received extensive support from advocates and lawmakers who emphasized preserving the full and accurate history of Black Floridians; some speakers urged safeguards to ensure historians and community members help shape the museum’s content. The committee also favorably reported CS for SB 564, allowing registered or pre-registered high school students to volunteer at polling places for community service hours, with supporters saying it would build civic engagement and help election offices. CS for SB 52, which exempts unpaid volunteer armed security at houses of worship from Class D and G licensing requirements, was also reported favorably after testimony both supporting the need for church security and cautioning that congregations should retain control over whether weapons are allowed. The committee approved CS for SB 1396 on litigation financing and consumer protection after a lengthy debate over transparency, foreign funding, and whether the bill would chill access to courts. Supporters said it would create guardrails and disclose foreign involvement; opponents argued it could burden plaintiffs and reveal litigation strategy. The committee also reported favorably CS for SB 504 and SB 506, creating a framework and related public-records exemption for code inspector body cameras, with discussion about notice to property owners and protection of sensitive footage. Additional favorable actions included CS for SB 572, updating ethics law to reflect foster family relationships, and CS for SB 590, tolling the statute of limitations for failure-to-report child abuse offenses until the offense is known to law enforcement or another charging authority.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're not, they don't have better access. They're not getting better service.
• And they have access to money. And why is a lot... of others don't.
• Access to this type of program is a requirement of the Strong Readers' Act.
• They can't access.
• Feel free to access the presentations, whether be from today or from last week.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, so I did want to note also that Pearson-Nohomish have access to that tax exemption in addition
• Third, we need to strengthen pre-apprenticeship access through targeted financial support.
• And this is really the kind of accessible training that we really need more of; it really represents
• And this is really the kind of accessible training that we really need more of; it really represents
• , road access, interfering with crops, survey access, the time demands to participate in a public process

Summary: The Joint Committee on Energy Supply, Energy Conservation, and Energy Resilience opened by electing Senator Shoemake as chair and Representative Alex Ibarra as vice chair. Members then moved into a series of work sessions focused on data centers, transmission, and workforce needs tied to Washington’s clean energy and grid planning challenges. Kate Bruns and Glenn Blackman presented preliminary findings from the governor’s Data Center work group, created under Executive Order 25-05. They said the group met for six months, received more than 1,000 public comments, and included representatives from agencies, industry, tribes, labor, utilities, environmental groups, and research institutions. The presenters emphasized that data centers are expected to be the largest source of load growth over the next five to ten years, creating concerns about grid capacity, ratepayer impacts, forecasting, water use, backup generation, and compatibility with Washington’s energy and climate laws. They described nine recommendations, including protecting existing energy and climate policy, improving forecasting, seeking more clean power and transmission, and encouraging flexible data center operations. A proposed tax incentive change that would have expanded eligibility while tying the exemption to new clean electricity sources narrowly failed in the work group. Members asked about tribal consultation, cooling technologies, and local benefits from data centers; the presenters said tribal consultation was ongoing and a final report would follow. Keegan Moyer of West Tech then outlined a regional transmission study showing major strain on the Western grid from load growth, electrification, resiliency needs, and limited transmission capacity. He said the 10-year study identified about 12,000 line miles of needed projects across the West, with roughly $56 billion in estimated costs, including planned projects, reliability upgrades, and new interregional transfer projects. He stressed that many projects are upgrades within existing rights-of-way, but new corridors are still needed, and he previewed recommendations on permitting, equipment procurement, cost allocation, and project sponsorship. In response to questions, he discussed the difficulty of crossing jurisdictional “seams,” the role of federal coordination, landowner compensation, eminent domain as a last resort, and the limited role of public financing beyond a federal GRIP grant. Stephanie Scott of Commerce presented the transmission workforce study, which focuses on substation technicians, line workers, and line clearance tree trimmers. She said current workforce levels are far below what will be needed under a clean energy expansion scenario, and that active projects are essential because apprenticeship training depends on thousands of hours of hands-on work. She highlighted barriers such as high upfront CDL and pre-apprenticeship costs, the need for wraparound supports, and the importance of expanding access for women, people of color, and tribal communities. Members asked about tribal utility apprenticeship programs, utility-run training pipelines, and whether the study included funding sources; Scott said the report would include an inventory of apprenticeship programs and tribal considerations, but revenue ideas were outside the study scope. Finally, Brant Johnson of Grid United described the North Plains Connector as a case study in large transmission development. He said the project, a 420-mile, 3,000-megawatt HVDC line connecting Montana and North Dakota, has relied on early stakeholder engagement, route changes, tribal consultation, and coordinated federal and state permitting to reduce risk and shorten timelines. He said the project aims for permits by the end of 2026 and construction beginning in 2028, with an earliest commercial operation date of 2032. In response to questions, he discussed the challenges of crossing regional seams, interconnection queues, land acquisition and compensation, eminent domain, and financing, noting that the project is primarily privately financed with a $700 million federal grant covering a portion of costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• bill, because I work elections, I work the polls, and you always, always need to be able to have access
• So number four is about election workers that would have access to the memory sticks that would need
• So number four is about election workers that would have access to the memory sticks that would need
• So what's the purpose of holding on to anything if you can't have access to look at it?
• And yet in Texas, we consistently rank at the bottom when it comes to voter accessibility.

Bills: HB311, SB447, SB505, SB2217, SB2753

Keywords: voter registration, electronic, Texas election law, Signature verification, DPS, internet application, Texas Election Code, signature verification, online application, data security, electronic application, Department of Public Safety, information security, electronic voter registration, voting technology, voter access, state election laws, digital signature, election irregularities, audit

Summary: The committee heard several election-related bills. SB 447 would let the City of Mission in Hidalgo County permanently move its municipal elections from May to the uniform November election date if it chooses. The bill was described as permissive and intended to increase turnout and reduce costs. Mission’s mayor testified in support, saying voters had already approved the change by a wide margin in a charter amendment election. The bill was left pending after no objection. SB 2217 focused on standardizing election data reporting and reconciliation across counties to improve transparency and comparability. Testimony was generally supportive of the goal, but Dr. Laura Presley and others flagged technical issues, including a discrepancy between a three-ballot mismatch threshold in existing law and a 1% threshold in part of the bill, plus a definition issue involving central accumulators. Supporters said consistent auditing and reconciliation would help election integrity, while the bill was also left pending. The committee then took up SB 2753, a major proposal to create a continuous in-person voting period that would combine early voting and Election Day into one uninterrupted process, with precinct consolidation and other changes. Supporters said it could simplify administration, reduce equipment changes, and improve security by using one set of machines. Opponents and neutral witnesses raised concerns about cost, staffing, ballot security, reporting changes, weekend voting, and whether the bill was ready for implementation; several urged a pilot or study instead. The committee substitute was withdrawn and the bill was left pending. SB 505 would create a process for election workers, candidates, party officials, and measure proponents or opponents to request explanations of election irregularities, with escalation to the Secretary of State for audit or enforcement if responses were unsatisfactory. Supporters said it would provide a way to resolve irregularities and restore confidence, while opponents argued it was too broad, lacked guardrails against abuse, and could be used by partisan actors to pressure counties. The bill was left pending. Finally, HB 311 would expand Texas’s online voter registration system to first-time registrants and others, with supporters citing efficiency, lower costs, and broader access, and opponents raising concerns about signature verification and implementation details. Testimony was cut short because of the session deadline, and the bill had not been disposed of in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• To ensure members of the media and the public have access to our proceedings today, this hearing will
• To preserve the safety of everyone here and ensure the public's access to the discussion, please follow
• And two, ensuring that the routes to work, to good jobs, to entrepreneurship are accessible and effective
• So how do we connect those investments to actual job creation and access?
• One of the biggest challenges I face has been access to capital.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I will say my concern is just making sure people have access to be able to get on those outer walls
• What happens when American consumers have education and mothers have accessibility to knowledge and power
• will have an unintended consequence of eliminating educational elective opportunities by limiting access
• alternative approaches that prioritize physical education and wellness while protecting students' access
• I think that we talk a lot about access to nutritional foods and having these labels, um, because we

Bills: HB25, HB38

Keywords: ivermectin, pharmacist authority, prescription-free, healthcare regulation, patient access, interest rate, ad valorem taxes, homesteads, property tax, tax deferral

Transcript Highlights:

• And also, it then becomes the continuum of care that we can then make sure our veterans have access to
• This bill will remove barriers to telehearing and safely increase access to hearing care for Florida
• It expands access to employment opportunities for education, commerce, and health care.
• We want to make sure every patient in Florida has access to good health care.
• We want to make sure every patient in Florida has access to good health care.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a series of introductions recognizing FSU Day at the Capitol, Catholic lay leaders, seniors advocates, Broward County school officials, and veterans-related guests. The chamber then moved through its special order calendar, beginning with several Florida Statutes revision bills. SB 36 adopted the 2025 Florida Statutes and prior session law; SB 38 conformed statutory terminology for the Division of Criminal Investigations; SB 40 removed repealed provisions; and SB 42 cleaned up obsolete language, cross-references, and typographical errors. Each passed unanimously or nearly unanimously after brief explanations and no substantive debate. The Senate also passed CS/SB 50 on nature-based coastal resilience, as amended to strengthen the Florida Flood Hub’s role under USF and clarify research and modeling responsibilities; CS/SB 116 on veterans, which expanded veteran awareness and coordination efforts, added mental health training, and authorized adult day health care; SB 118 on presidential libraries, which preempted local regulation to give a future Florida presidential library maximum flexibility; CS/SB 126 on prescription hearing aids, allowing mail distribution for adults after appropriate professional evaluation; SB 150 on abandoning restrained dogs during natural disasters, amended to conform to the House; SB 294 limiting collaborative pharmacy practice from being expanded to certain serious cardiac conditions; and SM 314 urging Congress to increase Florida National Guard force structure. Most of these measures passed with strong bipartisan support, though SB 118 drew questions about local zoning, parking, and safety and passed 36-3, with one senator later changing to a no vote over local control concerns. Later, the Senate approved CS/CS/SB 322 creating a nonjudicial process for removing unauthorized persons from commercial property, and CS/SB 348 on ethics, which would penalize false claims of military rank or honors for material gain and require paycheck withholding for delinquent ethics fines owed by public employees. The chamber also passed CS/CS/SB 7012 on child welfare, which included a CPI/case manager recruitment program, a treatment foster care pilot in two judicial circuits, and improved data collection and capacity analysis for commercially sexually exploited children. CS/SB 108 on administrative procedures was adopted after a detailed explanation of rule review, transparency, and rulemaking deadlines, and CS/SB 160 on public accountancy passed after an amendment clarifying contracted services and discussion of CPA licensure pathways. The longest and most celebratory debate centered on CS/SB 110 for rural communities. The bill created an Office of Rural Prosperity, a Renaissance grant program, housing and road funding, school and health care investments, and related rural support measures. Amendments refined transportation priorities in the Everglades agricultural area and clarified the FARM road program. Senators from across the chamber praised the bill as a long-awaited investment in rural Florida, agriculture, broadband, health care, and quality of life. After extensive debate and emotional closing remarks from the sponsor and leadership, the bill passed overwhelmingly.

Transcript Highlights:

• And also, it then becomes the continuum of care that we can then make sure our veterans have access to
• This bill will remove barriers to telehearing and safely increase access to hearing care for Florida
• Such access must be an electronic link from the rule with the reference, or if the incorporated... ..
• We want to make sure every patient in Florida has access to good health care.
• We want to make sure every patient in Florida has access to good health care.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions recognizing FSU Day at the Capitol, the Red Mass, visiting students, school board members, veterans, and other guests. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar and took up a series of bills, with several measures temporarily postponed before and during the day’s proceedings. Committee and executive reports were largely absent, and the Senate proceeded directly to floor action on the listed bills. The Senate passed a number of mostly unanimous bills, including SB 36, SB 38, SB 40, and SB 42 on Florida Statutes revision; CS/SB 50 on nature-based coastal resilience, amended to strengthen the Florida Flood Hub and related research; CS/SB 116 on veterans, expanding benefits coordination, mental health training, adult day health care, and other veterans services; SB 126 on mailing prescription hearing aids to adults; SB 150 on abandoning restrained dogs during natural disasters, amended to conform to the House; SB 294 limiting collaborative pharmacy practice for certain serious cardiac conditions; SB 322 creating a nonjudicial process for removing unauthorized persons from commercial property; SB 348 on ethics, including false military rank claims and collection of delinquent ethics fines; and CS/SB 7012 on child welfare workforce recruitment, treatment foster care pilots, and data collection for commercially sexually exploited children. Senate Memorial 314 urging Congress to increase Florida National Guard force structure was also adopted by voice vote. Two bills drew more extended debate. SB 118 on presidential libraries passed 36-3 after questions about local zoning, traffic, and whether the bill’s express preemption would limit county and municipal authority; supporters argued it would prevent local obstruction and help Florida attract a presidential library, while one senator said she would vote no because of concerns about local safety and planning issues. CS/SB 160 on public accountancy passed 39-0 after an amendment clarifying contracted services; supporters said it would broaden pathways into the CPA profession and address workforce shortages. CS/SB 108 on administrative procedures and CS/SB 110 on rural communities were temporarily postponed, then later taken up and passed after extensive debate, with SB 110 amended to prioritize certain rural transportation projects, expand housing, health care, broadband, and economic development support, and draw strong bipartisan praise for its focus on rural Florida. At the end of the session, the Senate waived rules to immediately certify all bills passed that day to the House, observed a moment of silence for former Surfside Chief John Healy, and made several closing announcements and recognitions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Tier 1 requires that LEAs offer and provide access to all students. All means all.
• Which are very hard for children and families to access.
• Many parents want that access, and there is not enough access to the after-school space.
• The other item that was in the hearing materials was around access.
• We believe that we have access to the internet, and we could really strengthen how we define access in

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To me, that goes against the principles of fairness. ...and market access.
• uncertainty surrounding Basel III forced banks to put capital on the sidelines. ...lines, limiting access
• And we also want all Americans, even those growing up in poverty like I did, to know that they can access
• No one has verified how they got this access or what they are doing with it.
• We're taking that concept out—the manual that we've been using for account access for master accounts

Bills: SB257

Keywords: supply chain resilience, critical supply chains, critical goods, manufacturing, domestic manufacturing, reshoring, nearshoring, supply chain security, supply chain shock, supply chain disruption, critical infrastructure, emerging technologies, semiconductors, microelectronics, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, advanced manufacturing, blockchain, cybersecurity

Transcript Highlights:

• address congestion, ADA accessibility address congestion, ADA accessibility upgrades,<00:33:51.880
• <00:47:46.880> to house folks who don't have access to house folks who don't have access to
• access to the playground.
• > playground classroom and accessible playground classroom and accessible playground equipment
• Um, this have access to playground.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The primary goal here is to discuss the limited additional limited access roads, highways, and their
• Access to primary care is declining in our state, and many practices are closing.
• Well, the potential for easier access for folks.
• Well, the potential for easier access for folks.
• <01:56:57.560> tax long time that worked on the access tax long time that worked on the access

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The access to child care in this state.
• It means they need to get access to health care.
• they need to get access to health care. they need to get access to health care. this<01:27:56.719
• <01:35:56.239> these folks who are primarily accessing these folks who are primarily accessing
• constituents ability to access care. constituents ability to access care.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Private schools, access to it.
• Chairman Creighton. private schools, access to it.
• Indianapolis, ...or affordable private school in Indianapolis to access it.
• those funds to access their right to dual enrollment.
• How many rural families have access to private schools?

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 convened with a quorum, adopted its committee rules, and heard opening remarks from members introducing staff and outlining priorities for the session. Several senators emphasized support for public education, teacher pay and safety, parental choice, and the combined K-16 jurisdiction of the committee. The chair also reviewed hearing procedures, including public testimony registration and time limits. The main item was Senate Bill 2, the Texas Education Freedom Act, laid out by Chairman Creighton. He described the bill as an education savings account program intended to expand school choice, with a $200 million universal eligibility pool and an additional $800 million targeted to students with disabilities and lower-income families. He said the bill includes anti-fraud safeguards, criminal background checks for vendors, reporting requirements, data protections, and annual testing for participating students, while not imposing STAAR on private schools or homeschoolers. He also said the bill removes a prior hold-harmless provision for public schools and is separate from public school funding and teacher pay legislation. Members questioned the bill’s income threshold, lottery and priority structure, treatment of homeschoolers, microschools, charter schools, religious freedom protections, citizenship/lawful presence language, cybersecurity, open records, and disability-related issues, including whether 504 students and foster children should be included. Creighton said the bill is designed to prioritize former public school students with disabilities or lower incomes, while also allowing universal eligibility within the program’s first funding tier, and that the Comptroller would oversee vendor screening and cybersecurity rules. He said the bill does not direct curriculum or interfere with religious beliefs and that amendments may be offered later on citizenship and other issues. After member questions, the committee began invited testimony, starting with EdChoice representative Robert Inlow, who testified in support of SB 2 and cited national growth in school choice programs and studies he said show positive effects for students and public schools.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:12:21.840> to make it far more accessible to make it far more accessible to everybody.
• make it more accessible more easily accessible<01:14:58.120> to<01:14:58.200> the<01:14
• accessible to the public. accessible to the public.
• publicly accessible publicly accessible is<01:15:14.440> what<01:15:14.760> we<01:
• The data would still be accessible to a FOIA request, right? As I understand it. >> Yes, Mr.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• there wasn't a readily accessible there wasn't a readily accessible provider<00:10:34.600> network
• <00:12:01.960> They is provided or in access to care.
• They is provided or in access to care.
• children's timely access to care. children's timely access to care.
• This fraud damages our future by means of reduced access to services.

Bills: HF3542

Keywords: data privacy, investigative data, welfare system, public funds, transparency, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Online access is here, folks.
• Online access that's pretty expensive.
• and court proceedings must be accessible and court proceedings must be accessible online<01:43:54.800
• assumes that more more accessibility assumes that more more accessibility automatically<01:45:20.239
• It needs to have access to utilities and close to a highway.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It had walkable access to Metro Transit Hub, walkable access to Atlas staffing.
• It had walkable access to Metro Transit Hub,<00:18:48.000> walkable<00:18:48.559> access
• Hub, walkable access to Atlas staffing. Hub, walkable access to Atlas staffing.
• city inspectors could still have access. city inspectors could still have access. How?
• should be close to and have access to. should be close to and have access to.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• and backgrounds, including 30% low-income, supported by scholarships and tuition assistance, with accessible
• and backgrounds, including 30% low-income, supported by scholarships and tuition assistance, with accessible
• And again, these are free programs available in person and virtually, so it's accessible for all.
• tuition assistance with accessible tuition assistance with accessible Community<00:01:14.799>
• shape the future this accessible shape the future this accessible highquality<00:13:56.360> content

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to reproductive health care or choose to erode access and restrict abortion.
• choose to support access to reproductive health<00:04:50.039> care<00:04:50.560> or<00
• But that said, I think that, you know, we think about how people are accessing this data, who has access
• But that said, I think that, you know, we think about how people are accessing this data, who has access
• But that said, I think that, you know, we think about how people are accessing this data, who has access

Keywords: 1183, house