Transcript Highlights:

• of Ethics, fines that remain unpaid and delinquent.
• While the amount varies, some fines remain unpaid for as long as five years.
• violated the code, then thumbed their nose at the law and don't pay their fines.
• from the violator's public paycheck until the fine is paid.
• Withholding is at 25 percent of the delinquent fine or the federal maximum, whichever is less.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections met with a quorum present and took up two bills. First, it heard SB 72 by Senator Berman, which would allow candidates to use campaign funds for dependent child care expenses incurred while actively campaigning, with limits to prevent use for general family living costs and a requirement to keep records for at least three years. The League of Women Voters appeared in support, and Senator Rouson joked about whether the bill should also cover dependent pets. The bill was reported favorably by committee vote. The committee then considered SB 348 by Chair Gaetz, dealing with ethics violations related to falsely claiming military rank or honors for material gain and with collection of delinquent ethics fines. Gaetz explained that the bill would make such false claims a violation of the Florida Code of Ethics and authorize penalties including censure, fines, and possible removal recommendations; it would also allow public employers to withhold pay to satisfy unpaid ethics penalties. Senator Bradley asked for clarification that “material gain” includes political and professional benefits, not just money, and the chair confirmed that it does. An amendment defining delinquent penalties as unpaid 90 days after imposition was adopted, and the Florida Commission on Ethics spoke in support of the bill’s salary-withholding provisions and expanded jurisdiction. Senator Collins, a veteran, strongly supported the anti-stolen-valor section. The committee then reported CS for SB 348 favorably and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Under RSA 483-B:18 as currently written, we can only pursue an administrative fine or penalty under the
• penalty<00:03:14.280> under<00:03:14.640> the<00:03:14.799> Shoreland fine
• or penalty under the Shoreland fine or penalty under the Shoreland protection<00:03:15.920> act
• So, Senator, at the end of the bill in section three, there is, notwithstanding the $5,000 fine limit
• <00:11:22.959> for should consider doubling the fine for should consider doubling the fine

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you'll see on line 44, the previous fine in the current law is $100.
• That fine was previously $25.
• That fine was previously $25.
• That fine was previously $25.
• That fine was previously $25.

Keywords: Judiciary, Division B - Room 409, 2 February, 2026; 4:30 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee took up a series of criminal justice and public safety bills. Early discussion focused on immigration-related concerns and the costs of enforcement, with one senator pressing for data to support claims about crimes by undocumented immigrants and another citing specific cases and DPS removals of drivers with falsified CDLs. The committee also heard a bill requiring the sex marker on a driver’s license to match sex at birth; the sponsor said it was the same measure passed by the committee the prior year, and it received a title sufficient/do pass recommendation. Several bills addressed corrections and court procedures. One bill clarified that people in intervention court are subject to the sentencing judge’s sanctions and are not entitled to a separate technical-violation hearing like probationers or parolees; the sponsor said it would reduce, not increase, leniency, and the committee passed it. Another bill extended the statute of limitations for felonious assistance program fraud from five to ten years, citing the TANF fraud case and the need for more time to detect abuse in executive agency programs; it also passed. The committee then approved a bill allowing judges, after a hearing and specific findings, to order firearms removed in domestic violence cases and protective-order proceedings when the weapons pose a credible threat. The committee also advanced a bill increasing penalties for witness tampering, with the sponsor saying prosecutors wanted a stronger tool because defendants were sometimes willing to accept the current five-year penalty rather than face the underlying offense. Members discussed whether the bill covered intimidation versus tampering and whether the penalty should be tied to the underlying crime; a motion to reconsider/adjust the bill was adopted, and the bill ultimately received a do pass recommendation. Another measure increased fines for handheld mobile device violations while driving, especially in school and work zones, and members discussed whether the bill should be stronger and how any collected fines would be used; it passed. Finally, the committee approved a bill requiring reporting of certain convictions and adjudications to the Child Protective Services central registry, and ended by passing a bill increasing the fine for failing to use a screen on loads that can spill from vehicles and damage windshields, with members noting the fine had not been updated since 1974.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's sure that's fine. the program. That's sure that's fine. It's<00:38:03.839> standard.
• <00:47:45.760> for is it helpful to pay for a fine for is it helpful to pay for a fine for
• fines.
• fines.
• fines.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• past fines.
• The proposed fine increase appears disproportionate, and considering the number of fines DES has enacted
• past fines.
• The proposed fine increase appears disproportionate, and considering the number of fines DES has enacted
• past fines.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the law and there'd be a fine. the law and there'd be a fine.
• So, we know that in the bill, it's written a maximum fine of $750. Um, that's a maximum fine.
• And uh, they also can lower the fine or you can prepay a lesser fine.
• The DNR Um, that's a maximum fine.
• This is not extremely high fines.

Keywords: House streaming session for Saturday, March 21, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House convened with 126 members present, heard the prayer, approved the previous day’s journal, and then took up a series of Senate messages and committee reports. Senate bills on consent calendars 21 and 22 were read the first time and referred to committees. The House then adopted favorable reports, often without amendment, on a wide range of bills including workers’ compensation evaluation procedures (HB 1325), a state shark designation (HB 97), several local alcoholic beverages measures, commemorative months for Muslim American Heritage and Jewish American Heritage (HB 661), and local license commissioner changes in Anne Arundel, Worcester, Harford, Baltimore City, and Prince George’s counties. Several bills were amended before being ordered printed for third reading. HB 121 (Baltimore County alcohol sales) was amended to change the sponsor to the Baltimore County delegation. HB 1335 on Department of Information Technology workforce recruitment and retention was amended to convert the measure into a study and recommendations report. HB 1037 on PSC oversight of broadband and VoIP was similarly amended from direct oversight to a study and report. HB 1164 on water and sewage rate consolidation and limited-income mechanisms was amended to remove rate-consolidation provisions, require a PSC study, and delay implementation. HB 1381 on stopping or parking in bike lanes added exceptions for emergency, transit, disability pickup/drop-off, disabled vehicles, loading/unloading, and construction or maintenance; HB 1504 prioritized sidewalk and bicycle pathway projects near highways with complete streets or Vision Zero policies; HB 912 adjusted community cat trap-neuter-return rules; and HB 969 clarified electric vehicle charging billing and service fees. The most extended debate centered on HB 639, the Transportation Aviation Passenger Health and Safety Act. After amendments turned it into a reporting measure for fixed-base operators and aviation service companies regarding flights carrying detained individuals, warrants, refueling, and emergency-response documentation, members questioned its practical operation, safety implications, and possible federal preemption issues. The floor leader explained the bill as amended was intended to gather information for Maryland safety and emergency planning. On motion of the committee chair, the House agreed to special order HB 639 until the end of the session for further clarification. The House also amended and advanced HB 1063 on hunting management, including deer damage permits and Sunday hunting rules, and heard a brief statement from an Eastern Shore delegate about the Rural Caucus’s approach to offering amendments rather than opposing bills outright. The session ended with HB 972, creating the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund, amended to rename the bill in honor of the late Delegate Charles Otto and to replace lottery funding with an annual appropriation; the House adopted the amendments and the favorable report.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's fine. But I could be wrong. So I'd like to double check. That's fine.
• That's fine. But I could be wrong. So I'd like to double check. That's fine.
• That's fine. But I could be wrong. So I'd like to double check. That's fine.
• It was very fine. I'm fine. Yes.
• It was very fine. I'm date. Oh, okay. It was very fine. I'm fine.<02:27:35.280> Yep. fine.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you can't, you're nervous, fine, just read it. That's fine.
• If you can't, you're nervous, fine, just read it. That's fine.
• If you're reading and you can't, you're nervous, fine, just read it. That's fine.
• This fine can't be suspended, where some fines can be."
• fine in time it's it's not a it's a fine fine in time it's it's not a it's not<00:39:48.440> a

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :45.680> late<00:03:46.000> payment fines, fees, interest, and late payment fines, fees
• , the distribution of the costs, fines, the distribution of the costs, fines, and<00:04:37.520>
• House Bill 774 does not eliminate any fines or fees.
• Is there a way to enforce collection of traffic fees and fines and whatever else is in here?
• <00:37:37.520> because to court and getting a fine because to court and getting a fine because

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first considered House Bill 774, the Cost, Fines, and Fees Reporting Act, which would require data collection and reporting on criminal and traffic-related costs, fines, fees, interest, and late fees in Kentucky. Vice Chair Decker said the bill is intended to improve transparency and accountability, not to change collection policy. A representative from Reason Foundation supported the measure, saying policymakers need reliable data on legal financial obligations. Representative Marzian asked whether the bill would help enforce collection, and Decker replied that it is only a study/data bill. During roll call, some members raised concerns about funding, but Decker said Kentucky Stats already has the staff and systems in place. The bill passed favorably with 18 yes votes, no no votes, and two pass votes. The committee then took up House Bill 542, relating to eminent domain and declared an emergency, and adopted a committee substitute before hearing testimony. The sponsor described the bill as the product of extensive revisions and said it was aimed at improving notice, communication, transparency, and fairness in condemnation proceedings. He said property owners would have to be notified by certified mail or hand delivery, with sworn proof if delivery failed, and that condemning authorities could not make false or misleading statements during negotiations. A guest, Stephanie Barnett, described problems in her own eminent domain experience, including notices going to the wrong address and learning after the fact that people had been on her property. Members generally supported the bill as a fairness measure. It passed the committee substitute unanimously, 20-0. Finally, Representatives Flannery and Whitaker presented House Bill 563, a DUI-related measure intended to reduce deaths and injuries caused by repeat drunk drivers. They said the bill would apply to a fourth DUI offense within 10 years and would place a two-year restriction on alcohol sales, marked on the person’s license or ID, with the goal of both public safety and encouraging treatment. Flannery cited the death of his mother by a repeat drunk driver and shared statistics on fatal crashes and the economic costs of drunk driving. The committee began discussion on the bill, but the transcript cuts off before any vote or final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fine, let's talk about training. No one ever wants to have a conversation.
• Chair: And Sherry Fine with Fine Forecast, good morning. Chair: You are recognized.
• Sherry Fine: It would be disproportionate.
• Sherry Fine: It would not make it fair for the citizens, but on a clean bill.
• Okay, we first want to thank Representative Mooney for this fine representation.

Transcript Highlights:

• THERE HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN FINES LEVIED.
• Polsky: I GUESS THE DIFFERENCE IS NOW THERE IS A FINE SENDING IT TO THE WRONG COUNTY.
• THEY ARE GETTING A FINE FOR NOT TURNING IT INTO THE RIGHT SUPERVISOR. >> Sen.
• Bernard: IF THEY SENT IT TO THE WRONG COUNTY THEY ARE SUBJECT TO A FINE.
• Grall: THERE IS A PROCEDURE TO REFUTE FINES. FUNDS CAN BE DISPUTED.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• addresses, fine. addresses, fine. put<00:11:26.800> them<00:11:26.959> in<00:11:27.040
• rewrite that, you know, fine. But, okay. rewrite that, you know, fine. But, okay.
• Uh, yeah, 11 is fine for me.
• Uh, yeah, 11 is fine<02:31:42.720> for<02:31:42.960> me.
• <03:41:55.120> of subject to an administrative fine of subject to an administrative fine of

Keywords: 12:30pm HB 421 2:00pm HB 701 3:00pm HB 377 4:00pm HB 712, 928, house, all

Summary: The committee of conference first took up House Bill 421FN, concerning notice of tax-exempt status filing procedures by town officials. Members reviewed the Senate changes and focused on whether the amended language would require multiple mailings to charitable organizations. House conferees said the Senate wording appeared to create more than one mailing and asked for clarification; Senate members explained the intent was to reduce clerk workload by posting forms and sending a follow-up notice only to organizations that failed to file after the deadline. After a brief caucus, the House concluded there were too many unresolved changes to work out in conference and moved to non-concur with the Senate amendment. The House motion to non-concur passed unanimously, 4-0, and the committee agreed to place the conference report on the House consent calendar. The chair then closed the committee of conference on House Bill 421FN. The transcript then shifted to a separate committee of conference on another bill, where members discussed revisions involving direct supervision at an eligible facility, federalwide assurance requirements, and immunity language. Testimony focused on whether the bill should require supervision at a specific facility or allow broader supervision arrangements, whether rulemaking should define direct supervision, and whether the immunity provision should cover reckless as well as willful misconduct. No final vote or action on that second bill was reached in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• of those fines.
• generation of collecting those fines. generation of collecting those fines.
• Flat fines and based fines and fees.
• monetary fine, then what will it be? monetary fine, then what will it be?
• effective uh system for traffic fines. effective uh system for traffic fines.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 83, which would require hotel keepers to give adequate notice of service disruptions to guests and third-party vendors. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Office of Consumer Protection supported the bill but asked for amendments to restore remedies and add a nonwaiver provision, arguing that without penalties the measure would lack consequences and that consumers should not be able to waive the notice rights. Supporters, including Unite Here Local 5 and individual testifiers, said guests deserve transparency and meaningful recourse when disruptions occur, especially for labor disputes, construction, or other service interruptions that affect the experience they paid for. Hotel industry representatives, including the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the Hawaii Hotel Alliance, and hotel workers/testifiers, opposed the bill in its current form while offering amendments. They said the measure was too broad, difficult to implement, and could interfere with collective bargaining, third-party booking systems, and existing contracts. They also argued that some disruptions are not easily known in advance and that the bill unfairly singles out hotels compared with other industries. One testifier emphasized that notice should be required only for actual, known disruptions rather than potential events, and another raised concerns about applying the bill to properties not directly involved in a labor dispute. After the SB 83 testimony, the committee moved on to SB 2798, which would make permanent and expand statewide the agricultural enforcement pilot program created in 2025 and rename it the agricultural enforcement program. The chair introduced the measure and called on the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity as the first testifier, but the transcript excerpt ends before testimony or any vote on SB 2798.

Transcript Highlights:

• A second violation is a $100 fine to the clerk and a $500 fine to the retailer.
• The third violation is a $100 fine to the sales clerk and a $1,000 fine to the retailer.
• fine to the clerk and a $500 fine to the retailer<00:26:14.279> third<00:26:14.520> violation
• $100 fine to retailer third violation $100 fine to the<00:26:16.200> sales<00:26:16.600> clerk
• the sales clerk $1,000 fine to the the sales clerk $1,000 fine to the retailer<00:26:19.919>

Keywords: Call to Order 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:35 SB 22 Discussion 00:01:20 SB 22 Vote 00:11:45 SB 100 Discussion 00:15:07 SB 100 Vote 00:38:53 SB 88 Discussion Only 00:42:11 Adjournment 01:03:52, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations met on February 18, 2025, and first took up Senate Bill 22 by Senator Reginald Thomas, which was presented as a cleanup measure following prior cosmetology reforms and a Legislative Oversight and Investigations report. The bill would allow cosmetologists to retake exams multiple times with a one-month wait, authorize the Board of Cosmetology to immediately close facilities that intentionally use unlicensed workers while preserving due process, give the board flexibility to hire an executive director based on qualifications rather than licensure, and recognize certain out-of-state or territorial cosmetology licenses. Board officials said the changes were intended to improve fairness, equality, and administrative due process. Senators asked about retesting fees and whether partial retests could dilute standards; Thomas clarified that the exam is cumulative and must be retaken in full. The committee approved SB 22 with all favorable votes, and Senator Meredith explained his support as a workforce and fairness issue. The committee then heard Senate Bill 100 by Senator Jimmy Higdon, as substituted, concerning tobacco, nicotine, and vapor product retail licensing and enforcement. Youth advocates from the University of Kentucky testified in support, describing youth nicotine use as a public health crisis and urging stronger enforcement, annual compliance checks, retailer licensing, and tougher penalties for illegal sales to minors. Higdon said the bill would create a Division of Tobacco, Nicotine, and Vapor Products Licensing within ABC, require licenses for retailers, authorize inspections and confiscation of contraband, impose escalating criminal and civil penalties for unlicensed sales and sales to minors, publish a list of licensed retailers, and dedicate fine revenue to enforcement and youth education. He said the measure targeted bad actors rather than responsible retailers. A retailer witness also supported licensing but raised concerns about contradictory product definitions that could sweep in hemp and medical marijuana vapor products, and asked that the bill be delayed until after an expected Supreme Court decision affecting federal vapor-product rules. The transcript ends during discussion of SB 100, before any committee vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• in excess of... ...longer available for fines in excess of statutory authority.
• The other one is that it gives the penalties and fines to be set and arranged.
• fined.
• But if not, come in and we’ll watch you, and if you have an issue, then we’ll fine you.
• There’s no pre-fining kind of a thing, so we specifically took that out by statute.

Bills: HB191, HB35, HB29, HB123, HB35, HB29, HB191, HB123

Keywords: sales tax, use tax, sales and use tax, local tax exemption, county tax, municipal tax, county commission, municipality, Alabama Department of Revenue, tax exemption, ordinance, resolution, fiscal year, September 1 effective date, notice requirement, local government, tax administration, revenue law, state and local taxation, volunteer firefighters

Transcript Highlights:

• Vice Chair, Senator Fine. Senator Jones? Here. Senator Leak? Here. Senator Pizzadoma? Here.
• Vice Chair, Senator Fine. Chair, Senator McLean.
• Vice Chair, Senator Fine? Yes.
• Vice Chair, Senator Fine. Chair, Senator McLean. Yes.
• Vice Chair, Senator Fine. Chair, Senator McLean? Yes. Yes. Vice Chair, Senator Fine.

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs met and took up a long agenda of bills, beginning with SB 262 on trust law technical changes. Senator Berman explained four clarifications involving trust decanting, successor trustee actions, ademption by satisfaction, and homestead/community trust definitions; a technical amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. The committee also approved SJR 174 and SB 176, which together would prevent certain homestead tax assessment increases when owners elevate flood-prone homes, and SB 180, a hurricane preparedness and response bill that included a strike-all amendment addressing FEMA reimbursement, mutual aid, hazard mitigation, and post-disaster rebuilding issues. Supporters from emergency management, beaches, counties, and local business groups testified in favor of SB 180, and it was reported favorably. Members then approved SB 608, which renames the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in Florida statutes, despite questions about cost and an appearance in opposition. SB 1002, dealing with utility service restrictions and local government limits on energy-related policies, drew opposition from Earthjustice and Florida for All over possible unintended consequences and fossil-fuel favoritism, but was still reported favorably. SB 466 on the Florida Museum of Black History generated extensive testimony, with strong support from St. Augustine, Florida Memorial University, pastors, local officials, and the museum foundation for locating the museum in St. Johns County; one witness argued for Eatonville instead, but the bill was reported favorably. The committee also passed SB 1128 on building permits for single-family dwellings after an amendment clarified local zoning review and added insurance and liability protections for design professionals. SB 582, increasing penalties for unlawful demolition of historic buildings and structures, was reported favorably with support from preservation advocates. SB 1202, extending family health insurance premium benefits to firefighters permanently disabled during training exercises, also passed without opposition. Finally, SB 1242 on community redevelopment agencies prompted the most debate: supporters argued CRAs can be valuable tools for affordable housing and redevelopment, while opponents warned the bill would effectively end all CRAs by 2045 and block new projects; after extensive discussion, the bill was reported favorably. At the end, senators recorded additional votes on several tabs, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is correct, which is fine.
• inspectors that is correct which is fine inspectors that is correct which is fine okay okay okay
• that's fine that's fine [Music] The buck stops at the governor, and then on the next paragraph it
• What does she know about fines to the IRS?
• district in New Hampshire did get fined district in New Hampshire did get fined by<01:57:58.560>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee reviewed selected House Bill 2 provisions, focusing first on the group two pension reform language and whether it matched prior legislation and the fiscal note. Members discussed two main issues: the treatment of extra and special duty pay in the pension calculation for employees hired before 2011, and the annuity multiplier after 15 years of creditable service. Several members said the HB 2 language was intended to restore prior law and protect against pension “spiking,” while others worried the draft and fiscal note may not have fully reflected current law, potentially affecting the cost estimate. The discussion repeatedly emphasized the need to avoid underfunding or double counting and to make sure Finance had the correct actuarial assumptions. No vote was taken; the committee agreed to flag the issues for Finance and to clarify the fiscal note. Members also discussed the vested-rights language, which was described as an explicit definition of vesting and a restriction on future legislative changes to compensation calculations after three years of service. Some viewed it as a policy protection with no immediate fiscal impact, while others noted it had been included in prior legislation and should be clearly understood before the bill moved forward. The committee also briefly referenced prior pension legislation, including House Bill 436 and House Bill 727, and noted that HB 2 was being used to carry forward related pension repair provisions. The committee then turned to an OPLC-related section transferring building, plumbing, electrical, and fuel gas inspector positions from OPLC to the Department of Safety’s Fire Marshal’s office. Testimony explained that the nine inspector positions are funded from the licensing fund, and that the move was justified as a public-safety function better aligned with the Fire Marshal’s mission because the inspections are statewide code-enforcement work rather than facility-specific licensing work. The discussion ended with a note that the remaining HB 2 changes run through 2034 and a brief announcement about memorial arrangements for C.J. Gerard.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's fine.
• which they were fined?
• Section one is is the fine fine fee one.
• which they were fined?
• 29:06.120> been<00:29:06.320> fined who have already been fined who have already been fined

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• revenue for the county, that they're going to run speed traps just to try to find people and collect fines
• <00:05:17.600> to find people and collect fines. to find people and collect fines. to address
• revenues generated by the fines revenues generated by the fines collected<00:05:29.840> on
• Can you point to what line that's in, or if it's not in here, that's fine.
• misdemeanors and a $50 fine on uh DUIs. misdemeanors and a $50 fine on uh DUIs.

Keywords: Highways and Transportation - Room 216, 30 January, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2269, the Mississippi Fully Autonomous Vehicle Enabling Act. The bill was described as simply extending the repealer date to July 1, 2029. A motion was made that the title was sufficient and the bill do pass, and it passed without opposition. The committee then considered Senate Bill 2614, which would authorize county sheriffs and deputies to use radar on county roads, subject to county board approval and population-based limits on the number of radar units. Senator Thompson said the measure was intended to reduce Mississippi’s high rate of speed-related highway fatalities, not to create revenue or speed traps. He explained that fines would be directed to the Mississippi Department of Education to support driver’s education programs, and that the bill includes a 1,000-foot buffer from municipal limits and a definition prohibiting speed traps. Members asked about engineering reviews of speed limits, opt-in/opt-out authority for supervisors, quotas, body cameras, and how the bill would affect counties that already use radar. Thompson said the bill does not require roadway reassessments, that county boards must approve radar use, that he would not oppose a quota-related amendment, and that a body-camera requirement would be beyond the bill’s scope and could burden departments that cannot afford it. Several senators spoke in support, citing public safety and sheriff support, while one senator raised concerns about transparency and public trust. The committee then voted that the title was sufficient and the bill do pass, and the motion carried.