Transcript Highlights:

• be a small price to pay if these advanced practice nurses needed this extra year or more post-certification
• be a small price to pay if these advanced practice nurses needed this extra year or more post-certification
• be a small price to pay if these advanced practice nurses needed this extra year or more post-certification
• ,<01:09:19.520> must and clinicals and certification, must and clinicals and certification
• This extra year or more post-certification work alongside a physician in order to provide appropriate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These documents include certified birth certificates, naturalization certificates, and other official
• Many seniors may not readily possess birth certificates or other citizenship documents.
• Imagine our young people... ...certification cards.
• Senator Polsky: ...you to show a passport or a birth certificate if, for example, a woman has changed
• So there may be a requirement to pay $30 for a birth certificate because you don't have one.

Summary: The Florida Senate convened with a quorum, opened with a prayer and Pledge of Allegiance, and heard several member introductions recognizing guests, interns, public servants, and a resolution honoring Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza for winning the Heisman Trophy. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar and took up a series of bills, with some measures temporarily postponed and others advanced after brief debate and, in several cases, substitution of House companions for Senate bills. The first major bill passed was CS/CS/HB 355 on health care patient protection, which requires hospitals with emergency departments to have pediatric emergency care policies, training, equipment, and a designated pediatric coordinator; it passed 36-0. The Senate also passed CS/HB 1113 on public records, expanding confidentiality protections for victims and temporarily protecting the name of a law enforcement officer who becomes a victim in the line of duty; it passed 33-4. CS/CS/HB 1085 on local government cybersecurity was amended to place the program under the Florida Digital Service and to adjust grant timing, then passed 37-0. CS/CS/HB 925 on clerks of court passed 38-0 after amendments affecting revenue retention, legal notices, traffic citation distributions, and municipal fee sharing. CS/CS/HB 679 on trademark registration modernization and CS/CS/HB 589 on septic permit timing also passed unanimously. The most extensive debate centered on CS/CS/HB 991 / SB 1334, an elections bill that would use Real ID data to verify citizenship, change voter ID rules, alter candidate qualifying requirements, and revise election administration procedures. Senators offered and debated numerous amendments on documentation fees, senior exemptions, human review versus automated systems, student and retirement-center IDs, and effective dates; most were defeated, though one amendment adding stock-trading disclosure language for candidates was adopted. The bill’s sponsor cited election-crimes reports and specific prosecutions involving non-citizens as justification for the measure, while opponents argued it could disenfranchise eligible voters, especially students and seniors. The transcript ends during continued questioning and debate on that elections bill, before final disposition is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um<00:38:02.079> certifications<00:38:02.880> and<00:38:03.200> licenses.
• And we're going to help them get all of the licenses and certifications that they're going to need to
• The apprentices are going to need those licenses and certifications to be successful.
• We recognize those certifications when those high school students achieve those certifications.
• And then finally, uh, are these types of certificates that you earn portable?

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:04 Attendance Roll Call: 00:00:29 Approval of Minutes: 00:01:50 Kentucky Buy American Act: 00:02:08 Earn As You Learn: KY Building Trades Apprenticeship: 00:30:42 Worker Misclassification in the Construction Industry: 01:02:00 Investing in KY’s Future Workforce Through the Good Business Initiative: 01:20:44 Adjournment: 01:28:28, 958, all

Summary: The committee met on October 23, 2025, approved the September minutes, and heard testimony on a proposed “Kentucky by America” procurement preference bill. Representative Patrick Flannery described the concept as giving preference in public construction and public works contracts to iron, steel, aluminum, and other manufactured goods made in the United States, while emphasizing he wanted to avoid excessive taxpayer costs and was open to changes. Chad Connley of the United Steelworkers and Dustin Reinsteller of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO supported the idea, arguing it would strengthen domestic manufacturing, keep tax dollars in the local economy, and support jobs; Connley said the bill would include waivers for items not made domestically and noted Kentucky has opted out of the GPA trade agreement. Mike Buckington of Metals Innovation Initiative, testifying virtually, also supported the concept and said Kentucky’s metals sector has seen significant investment and can supply most construction needs, while stressing supply-chain reliability and national security concerns. Members generally expressed support but raised questions about implementation. Representative Branscum asked who would grant waivers and how contractors would know the rules during bidding; Flannery said he was open to revising the language and process. Representative Gentry supported the concept but said the bill would likely need editing to avoid harming businesses or markets. Senator Nun suggested aligning the bill’s definition of a U.S. good with industry country-of-origin standards to make compliance easier. Representative KC Carney asked for data on the impact of similar laws in other states, and Connley said he could provide numbers later but did not have them on hand. Senator Boswell supported the concept and asked about the cost threshold for waivers; Connley said the federal standard is a 25% cost increase, while the prior Kentucky version used 10%, and that the threshold is a key detail. The committee then shifted to an informational presentation on building trade apprenticeships. Eric Elie of the Kentucky State Pipe Trades Association, Nick Brown of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 502, and retired IBEW training director Steve Willinghurst explained how union apprenticeship programs work. Brown described earn-while-you-learn training, with apprentices placed on jobs by signatory contractors and attending classes two nights a week for five years. He outlined the work of plumbers, pipefitters, welders, and HVACR technicians, emphasizing that these trades support construction, industrial facilities, distilleries, and other critical infrastructure. No votes or formal actions were taken on the policy topics beyond approval of the prior minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:50:19.680> or<00:50:19.880> award-winning<00:50:20.559> designs certification
• For most things, like renovations where you already have a certificate of occupancy and a fire system
• so you still have to certifications so you still have to submit<01:12:56.400> a<01:12:56.520>
• <01:13:01.400> of where you already have a certificate of where you already have a certificate
• OB occupancy so there's certificate OB occupancy so there's nothing<01:13:27.440> that<01:13:

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Finance held informational briefings first with the Department of Defense on its FY 2026 budget request, then with the Hawaii School Facilities Authority. Major General Steve Logan outlined the Department of Defense request for $40.5 million in state funds, which he said would leverage about $74 million in federal matching funds and support 411 open projects that could attract up to $2.3 billion in additional federal grant money. He said the budget focuses on sustainment, safety, and reorganization in light of lessons from the Maui wildfires. Key requests included $1.3 million to sustain IT systems, $2.7 million for 32 HEMA emergency management positions, three new Hawaii Army National Guard positions plus four upgrades, and $1.9 million for the Youth Challenge Program to cover state-mandated fringe costs and staffing needs. He also reviewed capital improvement projects, including Youth Challenge facility upgrades, siren modernization, ADA improvements, building retrofits for disaster resilience, Army facility upgrades, a third state veterans home on Maui, HEMA EOC improvements, and a maintenance/fuel building at Diamond Head. Members asked about the siren modernization timeline, and HEMA said roughly 26 to 31 sirens would be modernized this year, with 15 on Maui, eight on Oahu, and eight on the Big Island. Questions also focused on Youth Challenge and Job Challenge enrollment and vacancies, with the department saying the Hilo Job Challenge Academy is growing and that combining Youth Challenge recruiting statewide into one Kilauea program has helped enrollment. Logan also answered questions about the New Year’s Eve medical transport mission, explaining the Hawaii Air National Guard’s relationship with active-duty Air Force assets and saying the flight cost is about $20,000 per flight hour, though the final bill had not yet been determined. On the Maui veterans home, staff said the University of Hawaii site was no longer viable after faculty senate opposition, so the department is now focused on a 10-acre Puna District site; the project remains tied to a certified $35 million state match and August 2025 and August 2026 federal suspense dates. Logan said the veterans home remains one of the department’s highest priorities, but it could not be moved higher in the submitted CIP ranking. The department also discussed a Governor’s add-on for a fire marshal/Office of Recovery and Resiliency proposal. Logan said the fire marshal position was reestablished last session but has not yet been filled, and that if the function is transferred to the Department of Defense, the department wants funding ready to move quickly. Staff later said the request would include about $1.1 million for seven positions and about $2.2 million for operating costs, though details were still preliminary. The committee then reconvened for the School Facilities Authority briefing, where Executive Director Ricky Fujitani described the agency as a startup created in 2020 to improve school and workforce housing development through standardized designs, prefabrication, best-value procurement, and public-private partnerships. He said Hawaii’s single school district still functions like 15 different districts because of its 264 schools across 15 complex areas, and that the authority’s goal is to create more efficient, maintainable, and cost-effective facilities.

Transcript Highlights:

• I come here with a lens as a practitioner in the system, as a prosecutor, and now as an elected official
• I come here with a lens as a practitioner in the system, as a prosecutor, and now as an elected official
• I come here with a lens as a practitioner in the system, as a prosecutor, and now as an elected official
• I come here with a lens as a practitioner in the system, as a prosecutor, and now as an elected official

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• documentation, documenting the truth and bearing witness, building a body of evidence for investigators and prosecutors
• witness, building a body of evidence for investigators<00:15:05.440> and<00:15:05.760> prosecutors
• ,<00:15:07.040> elected investigators and prosecutors, elected investigators and prosecutors

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The hearing of the Minnesota Senate Select Subcommittee on Federal Impacts on Minnesotans and Economic Stability focused on federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, especially ICE and CBP operations, and their alleged constitutional and civil-rights impacts. Opening remarks from both parties emphasized the need for calm, cooperation, and public safety, though they sharply differed on the causes of the current situation. Republican members argued that violent criminal undocumented immigrants should be removed and that state and local officials should cooperate with federal authorities. Senator McEwen and other Democrats described the federal presence as abusive and terrorizing, citing deaths, family separations, and community fear, and called for accountability and truth-telling. The chair also held a moment of silence for Renee Mlin Good and Alex Prey before testimony began. Testimony from the ACLU of Minnesota and the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota described what they said was a large-scale federal enforcement operation, including Operation Metro Surge, with widespread alleged violations of the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Tenth, and other constitutional amendments. Witnesses cited alleged racial profiling, warrantless arrests, excessive force, denial of counsel, detention out of state, and failure to comply with court orders. They referenced specific cases involving Susan Tinure, Abdi Khadir Nure, Victor Manuel Diaz, and others, as well as reports of journalists and community members being threatened or detained while documenting ICE activity. The witnesses also said the federal government’s lack of transparency makes it difficult to know how many people have been detained or deported and argued that the harm extends to both immigrants and citizens. Committee members asked questions about ICE entering homes without judicial warrants, federal claims about constitutional limits, and access to counsel for detainees moved out of state. The witnesses said that out-of-state detention, poor locator systems, paid phone access, and lack of privacy make legal representation difficult or impossible, and that civil-rights remedies often come too late because people are removed before cases are resolved. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided; the committee moved from opening statements into testimony and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please, I ask my friends across the aisle: find me one prosecutor, one of the cop beaters that Trump
• aisle<02:55:53.479> find<02:55:53.720> me<02:55:54.000> one<02:55:54.479> prosecutor
• <02:55:55.479> one<02:55:55.840> of<02:55:56.200> of aisle find me one prosecutor
• one of of aisle find me one prosecutor one of of one<02:55:56.520> of<02:55:56.640> the

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• public service corporation that is regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission and that holds a certificate
• They could not give them a 100-year water assurance certificate. That was six or seven years ago.
• to replace existing plants or construct new plants adjacent... ...to current sites without a new certificate
• includes solar and wind, from the county planning and zoning process so long as they receive the certificate
• While this would apply to solar and wind, there's no provision for solar and wind getting certificates

Bills: HB2014, HB2031, HB2078, HB2102, HB2103, HB2117, HB2261, HB2262, HB2264, HB2278, HB2428, HB2494, HB2756, HB2758, HB2762, HB2782, HB2932, HB2933, HB2986

Keywords: air emissions, fuel blends, environmental quality, feasibility study, Arizona Department of Agriculture, water rights, groundwater, Willcox, active management area, certificate of grandfathered rights, Arizona legislature, aggregate mining, reclamation plans, environmental protection, public safety, land use, domestic water, improvement district, water delivery, water hauling

Transcript Highlights:

• for certifying their lumber. they meet certain criteria, they would be allowed to have a certificate
• individual as a business, they would have to go through training. the training, they receive a certificate
• that allows them to use that certificate for certifying their lumber.
• President and Senator, we have never had, to my knowledge, this certification with any of our mills,
• To go through training and receive a certificate that they are eligible to analyze and categorize their

Transcript Highlights:

• That may be trying to gain certification or whatever is the case.
• And then when they finish, they receive a certificate.
• So that is available for retirees if they are keeping their teaching certificate ballot.
• I know there might be some constraints with insurance is, you know, crossing lines and certifications
• And so that's the I want to know what that looks like in terms of what what certifications, what insurance

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• FOR THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR CERTIFICATION WE BELIEVE MEDICAL DIRECTOR COMPETENCY IS ESSENTIAL AND A STANDARD
• CERTIFICATION FOR ALL FLORIDA MEDICAL DIRECTORS ESTABLISHES A CAREER THIS CLEAR CONSISTENT BASELINE
• HE IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING CERTIFICATION AND HAS COMPLETED 35 CONTACT HOURS OUT OF THE
• 75 CONTACT HOURS NEEDED TO APPLY FOR THE CERTIFICATION FOR THE PATIENT SAFETY CULTURE SURVEY RIVER GARDEN
• HAS USED APPLY FOR THE CERTIFICATION FOR THE PATIENT SAFETY CULTURE SURVEY RIVER GARDEN HAS USED THE

Transcript Highlights:

• Florida State College average on first attempt... ...pass rates in all four K-6 Florida teacher certificate
• the Florida Defense Support Consortium to help students earn security clearances and industry certifications
• And then we have the certificates for specialization.
• We have stackable certificates in cybersecurity technologies, data science, AI in the workforce, and
• But when we talk about microcredentials and stackable certificates, how, and I'd like to hear perhaps

Summary: The Committee on Education Postsecondary held an informational hearing focused on how Florida’s public colleges and universities are aligning bachelor’s degree programs with workforce needs and improving student outcomes. Chancellor Kathy Hebda described Florida College System enrollment growth, the state college system’s workforce-oriented bachelor’s degrees, approval and accountability processes for those programs, and outcomes data showing strong completion and wage results, especially in health care. Emily Sykes of the Board of Governors outlined the State University System’s program review practices, performance-based funding metrics, strategic emphasis programs, and the MyFloridaFuture tool that lets students compare earnings, debt, and employment outcomes by major and institution. University and college leaders then described campus-level workforce initiatives. Florida Gulf Coast University highlighted employer-driven microcredentials, digital badges, internships, career fairs, service learning, and partnerships with regional employers. UCF discussed its career navigator requirements, major industry partnerships such as Lockheed Martin, nursing and faculty career-integration efforts, and a centralized career development center. Northwest Florida State College and the University of West Florida emphasized their bachelor’s programs, transfer pathways, teacher and nursing outcomes, military and defense-related workforce pipelines, cybersecurity training, and stackable credentials tied to regional labor needs. During member questions, senators asked how microcredentials and military experience translate into college credit, whether credentials transfer across institutions, and what legislators can do to help. Witnesses said the state’s common course and articulation systems already support transfer, and they encouraged continued legislative support for innovation, faster curriculum alignment, internships, and specialized transfer degrees. No bills were voted on, and the meeting ended with no public comment and an adjournment motion adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, they lack the authority to sign a death certificate and instead must delegate that task to a
• physician who may have never cared for or seen a death certificate. that patient prior to passing.
• So AB 583 will authorize nurse practitioners to sign death certificates bringing us in alignment with
• After having losing my father, it took us over six weeks just to get a death certificate signed.
• We had to wait weeks to get that death certificate, so I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am a resident of San Francisco, and I hold a CNA-HHA certification.
• I am a resident of San Francisco, and I hold a CNA-HHA certification.
• Nearly 30% of all jobs in California require a license, certification, or background clearance.
• Nearly 30% of all jobs in California require a license, certification, or background clearance.
• It requires an applicant to obtain certification from the Bureau confirming their status as a descendant

Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard a long agenda of licensing, health care, and workforce bills. Measures discussed included AB 957, which would prohibit tobacco sales in licensed pharmacies; AB 447, which would allow patients to take home certain unopened medications started in emergency rooms; AB 427, joining the Social Work Licensure Compact; AB 667, allowing interpreters for certain licensing exams; AB 742, prioritizing descendants of slaves in licensing review; AB 873, changing infection-control training timing for dental assistants; AB 360, requiring a report on menopause education for physicians; and AB 1175, modernizing CPA licensure requirements and mobility. Testimony generally emphasized public health, access to care, workforce shortages, language access, and economic opportunity, while opposition or concerns focused on implementation, worker protections, compact authority, and constitutional issues in AB 742. Several bills drew broad support from sponsors, professional associations, and advocacy groups. AB 957 was backed by cancer and pharmacy advocates and pharmacists who said pharmacies should not sell tobacco; AB 447 was supported by emergency medicine and hospital representatives as a way to reduce waste and help patients leave with needed medication; AB 427 drew support from social work and mental health groups but concerns from AFSCME about standards and displacement; AB 667 was supported by immigrant-rights and community groups, with questions about whether translated exams would be preferable to interpreters; AB 360 received extensive support from women’s health advocates and medical groups, and opposition from CMA and ACOG was removed after amendments; and AB 1175 was supported by the Board of Accountancy and CPA groups as a way to expand the pipeline and improve mobility. The committee took votes after quorum was established. AB 360, AB 427, AB 447, AB 667, AB 873, AB 1175, and AB 742 were all approved and sent to their next committees, with AB 742 going to Judiciary and AB 1175 to Appropriations. AB 957 was initially held on call, then later passed after additional votes were recorded. The consent calendar bills AB 375, AB 1107, and AB 1496 were also approved. Most measures passed on largely party-line or near-unanimous votes, with some members not voting on certain items during the roll calls.

Transcript Highlights:

• The cost of training and certification coupled with staffing shortages creates a substantial burden for
• harmed under House Bill 1748, which would exempt these high volume prose courts from language certification
• By exempting these courts from the interpreter, certification and licensure Requirements under the government
• Again, I think sometimes we put too much emphasis on whether somebody has a certification or a licensure
• I think what's at issue in this bill is whether they have to have a particular state certification as

Bills: HB113

Keywords: HB 113, Texas, Government Code Chapter 1253, general obligation bonds, bond election, voter approval, political subdivision, local government, city bonds, county bonds, school district bonds, capital projects, public finance, bond referendum, ballot measure, five-year waiting period, rejected proposition, election law, municipal finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Resourced prosecutors may be focusing on diversion programs instead of full prosecution, leaving some
• Resourced prosecutors may be focusing on diversion programs instead of full prosecution, leaving some
• 4.5 billion worth<03:30:08.319> of<03:30:09.120> participation<03:30:09.920> certificates
• , worth of participation certificates, worth of participation certificates, participation<03:30:11.359

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I believe that do all of them have to get a certificate or whatever through the State Fire Marshal's
• And I believe that do all of them have to get a certificate or whatever through the State Fire Marshal's
• Certificates of occupancy are needed from the State Fire Marshal's Office.
• But yes, they do all have to have certificates of occupancy. Senator Stewart, for follow-up.

Bills: HB1170

Keywords: fiduciary responsibility, proxy voting, public finance, Oklahoma statutes, pension plans, pecuniary factors, nonpecuniary factors, financial risk, Attorney General

Summary: The Senate Committee on Retirement and Government Affairs met to consider two executive nominations and House Bill 1170. Mark Wood was introduced as nominee to lead OMES; he described his background in public accounting and tax administration, said his focus would be on stabilizing the agency, improving efficiency, and balancing accountability with service. Senators asked about OMES’s core mission and whether some duties should be returned to agencies; Wood said he would keep an open mind and work with legislators on possible changes. The committee advanced his nomination on a 9-0 vote. The committee then heard Dwayne Helmberger’s nomination to the State Fire Marshal Commission. Helmberger, currently Stillwater fire chief and formerly assistant chief in Midwest City, emphasized code administration, education, and coordination with other agencies. Senators questioned him about backlogs in fire marshal inspections for marijuana grow operations and certificates of occupancy; he said the backlog was driven by the volume of applications and could be addressed through better planning, coordination, and logistics. His nomination also advanced unanimously, 9-0. Finally, the committee considered House Bill 1170, which would direct pension fiduciaries to focus on pecuniary interests and avoid non-financial ESG considerations. Senator Daniels explained that the bill was intended to clarify state policy and align definitions with related measures, and she requested a title strike while continuing to work on the language. Members raised concerns about due process, immunity provisions, and whether the bill would conflict with recent court rulings or still allow consideration of ESG factors when financially relevant. After debate, the committee passed the bill 6-2.

Transcript Highlights:

• One is the certification, that's A, and B is the loan mobilization program rules.
• One is the certification, that's A, and B, is the loan mobilization program rules.
• -hour credential, that would pay $250. $250 will also be paid for a complete employment skills certification
• So one-half of a high school credit, the employment skills certification, or an earned workforce credential

Summary: The Administrative Rules Subcommittee reviewed a series of agency rules and related requests. The Department of Corrections and Post-Prison Transfer Board reported quarterly updates with no questions, and several Commerce rules were approved, including repeals tied to the minority business enterprise and women-owned business enterprise programs and the Consolidated Incentives Act because they were superseded by Act 116 or duplicative of statute. The Insurance Department’s new rule for online marketplace guarantee providers was also approved, with Airbnb used as an example of the type of platform covered. The Department of Education presented an update to the Arkansas Adult Diploma Program to align payment milestones with Act 502 of 2025, and DFA presented a rule implementing a new tax credit for Arkansas rice used in beer and sake production under Act 874 of 2025. Members asked about verification of grain bills and whether the credit was broadly available; DFA said the rule tracks the statute and requires producers to submit the grain bill with their return. DHS then presented a SNAP rule implementing federal changes from Public Law 119-21, including raising the able-bodied adult without dependents age limit to 64, changing treatment of dependents and exemptions, and adjusting energy assistance income treatment; the rule was approved despite one public comment. Later, DHS Medical Services amended the Medicaid Rehab Hospital Manual to allow rehab hospitals to operate psychiatric units and bill Medicaid for those services, and also secured approval for a recovery audit contractor exemption because Arkansas law bars contingency-fee contractors and the state already has other program integrity safeguards. The Board of Public Accountancy’s rules implementing Act 428 of 2025 were approved after discussion of a new CPA licensure pathway requiring a bachelor’s degree plus two years of experience, changes to substantial equivalency for out-of-state CPAs, and removal of a government/not-for-profit coursework requirement. The committee also approved the Department of Education’s request to be excluded from certain reporting requirements, retained all 18 DAPSAF rules under a review of Group 3, filed outstanding 2023-session rulemaking updates, and adjourned after filing monthly updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• current program, any area that is de-designated, the doctors currently practicing would lose their certificate
• current program, any area that is de-designated, the doctors currently practicing would lose their certificate
• The bill accomplishes that by creating a simple grandfathering process for any ACN certificate holder
• The bill does not guarantee ACN health care providers get a certificate to practice, as the Board of

Bills: S0068, S0096, S0340, S0428, S0606, S1480, S7018

Keywords: pediatric care, emergency departments, hospital regulations, patient safety, health care standards, veterans, dental care, healthcare, grant program, income assistance, human trafficking, nurse licensure, registered nurse, RN, licensed practical nurse, LPN, Florida Board of Nursing, Department of Health, licensure by examination, nursing education

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services heard public comment first on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and the iBudget waiver. Testimony on the HIV program warned that proposed Department of Health changes could disrupt care for thousands of clients, create confusion, and force people off life-saving medications; a senator suggested affected clients explore medically needy and FQHC/340B options. Testimony on iBudget urged support for a roughly 7% rate adjustment for direct support professionals, citing rising costs and the need to sustain the developmental disabilities workforce. The committee then considered several bills. SB 428 expanded Florida’s swim lesson voucher program from children ages 0-4 to ages 1-7 and was reported favorably. SB 68 required hospitals with emergency departments to adopt pediatric emergency care policies, training, equipment standards, and readiness assessments; an amendment aligning reporting dates with the House was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 1718 lengthened the time an adult may stay in an out-of-home placement before being treated as a visitor, reduced background screening burdens for foster families, made the Step Into Success program permanent, and created a best-practices program; it was also reported favorably. The committee next approved SB 606, which adds drowning-prevention and safe-bathing education to postpartum materials and requires related compliance records, and SB 96, which expands the Veterans Dental Care Grant Program to veterans up to 400% of the federal poverty level; an amendment removed the bill’s specific $500,000 appropriation so funding can be handled in the budget process. SB 340 required nursing education to include a two-hour human trafficking course before licensure, and SB 1480 created a grandfathering process for certain area-of-critical-need health care providers if federal designations change, both of which were reported favorably. The committee adjourned after all bills passed their roll calls.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next up, we have House Bill 495, golf course best management practices certification.
• Best Management Practices Certification, I left off that word, by Representative Albert, who is going
• to waive in support, but I do just want to say that really what this does is it moves the BMP certification
• So our goal really is to have more golf courses involved in the BMP certification program to show that

Summary: The Housing, Agriculture, and Tourism Subcommittee heard five bills and reported all of them favorably. House Bill 827, by Rep. Anderson, would require online real estate listings to disclose estimated ad valorem taxes based on the listing price rather than the seller’s current taxes, to reduce surprise tax increases for homebuyers. The bill drew support from the Property Appraisers Association of Florida, the Florida League of Cities, and the Florida Association of Counties, and passed unanimously after a technical amendment. House Bill 483, by Rep. Cobb, aimed to support Florida’s manufacturing sector by formally recognizing the chief manufacturing officer, creating a workforce development grant program, launching a voluntary promotional campaign for Florida-made products and manufacturing careers, and requiring biennial reporting. The bill received broad support from manufacturing, economic development, and business groups, was amended with technical cleanup language, and passed unanimously. House Bill 675, by Leader Driscoll, sought to expand affordable housing efforts by limiting Live Local Act incentives to affordable housing, extending affordability periods from 30 to 50 years, lowering the income cap for eligible units, and eliminating documentary stamp taxes for certain first-time homebuyers. After two amendments and supportive testimony from United Way Suncoast, the bill passed on a party-line style roll call with all members voting yes or excused. House Bill 495, by Rep. Albert, transferred golf course best management practices certification from the Department of Environmental Protection to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services without changing the underlying BMP requirements. After an amendment clarified that all BMPs remain in place, the Florida Golf Course Superintendents Association testified in support, and the bill passed unanimously. House Bill 1497, by Rep. Hunschofsky, revised the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program by narrowing eligibility to lower-income associations, removing a coastal-only requirement, and tying grants to completion of opening protection for all common elements; two amendments further refined eligibility and grandfathered pending applications. The Community Associations Institute supported the measure, and it also passed unanimously. The committee ended with remarks about the prior night’s softball game and then adjourned.