Transcript Highlights:

• It impacts our emergency systems.
• It impacts our emergency systems.
• It impacts our emergency systems. It impacts our emergency systems. Caregivers.
• It impacts our emergency systems. It impacts our health systems.
• Perhaps we had some technical difficulties in the back room getting the system, the computer system..

Summary: The joint House and Senate Appropriations committees met to hear the FY 2027 budget package, beginning with the General Appropriations Act (HB 4154/SB 1847). Staff outlined the overall budget, including one-time fund transfers, lump-sum reductions, funding for state employee health insurance, school facilities, corrections, flood and wildfire relief, education and child care, and other ongoing and supplemental items. Members briefly discussed the absence of a requested $1.5 million for the oversight office, but the chair said no amendments would be taken in committee and that only limited technical changes were likely later in the process. Public testimony on the feed bill was largely supportive but focused on specific funding concerns. Testimony highlighted school safety funding, Alzheimer’s services, small business tax expensing provisions, disability oversight for group homes, county use of opioid settlement dollars, adult education/community college funding, victim notification funding, and ESA oversight. Several speakers praised the budget for funding DDD and other services, while others opposed or sought changes to items such as the COMIT group home monitoring program, Maricopa Community Colleges’ lack of operating aid, and a possible cut to the victim notification program. The chair repeatedly emphasized that changes to the negotiated budget would be difficult and should be routed through leadership. The committee then moved quickly through the remaining budget reconciliation bills. Staff summarized bills covering amusement and wagering, capital outlay, commerce, criminal justice, environment, health care, higher education, human services, and K-12 education. Notable provisions included continued wagering assessments, highway and building renewal funding, defense innovation and economic development changes, corrections and wrongful conviction provisions, groundwater and water banking measures, health insurance oversight and opioid settlement provisions, higher education funding and ABOR operating caps, SNAP and housing trust fund changes, and a 2% inflation increase for K-12 formula components. The K-12 bill also included a biometric school safety pilot and a child sexual abuse prevention pilot. No votes were taken in the portion provided, and the chair indicated the committee would continue through the remaining bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it going to be part of a system, a system-wide approach that's really going to be interoperable and
• integrate into our system?
• Is it going to be part of a system, a system-wide approach that's really going to be interoperable and
• integrate into our system?
• This does not contemplate the judicial system being part of it. This is a cabinet-level agency.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee met with a quorum present and considered three items. First, it heard and passed SB 158, which eliminates cost-sharing for diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations under the state employee health plan. Senator Berman described the bill as a way to remove financial barriers to early breast cancer detection, and several senators spoke in strong support, emphasizing the importance of follow-up screening and the life- and cost-saving value of early diagnosis. The bill was reported favorably by roll call vote. The committee then took up SPB 7024, a committee bill on state planning and budgeting. Senator Brodeur explained that the proposal modernizes and simplifies the state agency long-range planning process by focusing on key data points, removing stale measures, and improving how plans are presented to the Legislature. Senator Berman supported the bill, highlighting new provisions on implementation status and budget consequences if enacted laws are not carried out. The committee voted to submit the proposal as a committee bill and reported it favorably. Finally, the committee considered SPB 7026, a major overhaul of state information technology governance. Senator Harrell described a transition from the current Florida Digital Service structure to a new cabinet-level Agency for State Systems and Enterprise Technology (ASSET), with enterprise-wide standards, interoperability, procurement oversight, cybersecurity coordination, technical debt tracking, a testing laboratory, workforce development, and annual IT expenditure reporting. Members raised questions about procurement authority, judicial branch inclusion, existing contracts, cybersecurity, and staffing; Harrell said agencies would retain final procurement decisions but would have to follow enterprise standards, the courts were not included, existing contracts would continue, and the bill would add significant state IT staffing. Several amendments were adopted, including changes on CIO selection conflicts, removal of the Northwest Regional Data Center from a definition, reporting on deviations from standards, and technical updates related to the data center and workforce positions. Public testimony strongly supported the bill as a needed modernization of Florida’s fragmented IT system. The committee then reported SPB 7026 favorably as a committee bill. The meeting adjourned after members recorded their votes on the three items.

Transcript Highlights:

• When a family enters the child welfare system, our mandate is the safety of the child.
• Not because they were wrong, but because the system was never built for them to fight back.
• And the system they're up against is structurally tilted.
• This bill is about protecting consumers and restoring trust in our legal system.
• AB 2039 strengthens consumer protections and upholds the integrity of our legal system.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and safety of children and families in Florida, particularly those impacted by the child welfare system
• We recently procured a new learning management system after the first one was not necessarily meeting
• It's going to be with post adoptive parents and then young parents who have spent time in the system
• Collaboration is at the heart of this system.
• of children interacting within our system interacting within our system in fiscal year. 23. 24 the department

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the system we have in place is adequate. I think the systems we have in place are adequate.
• This is an area that's common in our judicial system.
• Separate ballot systems in each county.
• We could create a system for mail ballots.
• You are okay with the system right now? Right.

Bills: HB2442, HB3697, HB4288, HB5256, HB5337, HB5362, HJR161

Keywords: HB 2442, Texas Election Code, Election Code Section 84.001, early voting, ballot by mail, mail ballot, absentee voting, runoff election, primary runoff, general runoff, voter application, election administration, county election officials, opt-out, voter choice, mail voting, ballot application, voting by mail, Election Code, size requirements

Transcript Highlights:

• That is exactly how... ...the PBM to design our prescription drug system.
• Having biological sex recorded in health systems is important.
• There are judicial decisions that can preempt that for the safety of the child.
• They puncture the skin and expose the immune system to foreign matter.
• We need different complaint systems.

Bills: SB95, SB268, SB493, SB619, SB660, SB922, SB984, SB1098, SB1188, SB1307, SB1332, SB1822

Keywords: immunization, written informed consent, civil liability, health care provider, vaccine compensation, administrative penalty, health care, licensing, complaint procedure, disciplinary action, law enforcement, pharmacy benefit manager, PBM, gag clause, prescription drug pricing, out-of-pocket cost, cash price, pharmacist, pharmacy, prescription drug benefit

Transcript Highlights:

• The way the system would work is if the governor and the commander of a military installation agree,
• 2014, seven sector plans have been approved throughout the state, demonstrating that the current system
• It talks about it limits judicial oversight of legislative errors.
• These same opponents tell us with straight faces that the current growth management system is working
• We deserve better than pretending that a system producing record unaffordability is something to protect

Summary: The Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee heard a full agenda of local and policy bills, with most measures receiving favorable reports. Early in the meeting, the committee approved HB 4019, capping Lake County inmate health care and emergency transport reimbursements at percentages tied to Medicare; HB 97, allowing small counties to opt back into transportation concurrency; HB 267, expanding SHIP/local housing assistance eligibility to mobile home owners paying lot rent; HB 351, creating a framework for concurrent state jurisdiction over certain matters involving military installations, with an amendment changing the bill to say the state “may accept” jurisdiction; HB 4013, revising and merging fire district boundaries in Lee County; HB 481, increasing public nuisance fines and strengthening nuisance abatement and foreclosure procedures; HB 4025, conveying state land to the Village of Tequesta for continued park use; and HB 4017, repealing an obsolete Nassau County recreation and water control district, as amended. The most extensive discussion centered on HB 299, the “Blue Ribbon Projects” bill, which would create a voluntary framework for very large developments that dedicate 60% of land to conservation while allowing compact, walkable development and affordable housing on the remainder. The sponsor argued it would balance growth, conservation, and housing affordability without new bureaucracy, while opponents from Audubon Florida, county groups, and local governments warned the bill could weaken local planning, lack enforceable conservation safeguards, and allow nonconservation uses within reserved areas. Supporters said it could preserve large tracts of land at no taxpayer cost and improve long-range planning. The committee adopted an amendment clarifying reserve areas, allowing use of the state’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, requiring easements be provided without charge, and aligning affordability definitions with existing programs. The bill then passed favorably as amended, with some members voting no. The committee also approved HB 4023, a local bill adjusting the boundaries of the Ave Maria Stewardship Community District in Collier County, with no change to the district’s powers and duties. Several bills drew supportive testimony from local officials, industry groups, or affected residents, and some had amendments adopted without objection. At the end of the meeting, the chair noted it was the last interim committee week meeting, thanked members and staff, and encouraged continued stakeholder engagement ahead of session.

Transcript Highlights:

• HE ENDED UP IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
• IMPLEMENTED BROKEN SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY.
• LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE COURT SYSTEM AND MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM NEED TO WORK LIKE A TEAM. >> Chair Martin:
• AND HE ENDED UP GETTING CAUGHT IN THE SYSTEM.
• WE ARE TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO GIVE POLICE OFFICERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM SOME

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So if they build a system, can they raise the price on the system?
• What I ended up with is that if we introduce any type of ratio billing system, or any system based on
• Any methodology that uses a ratio billing system, or any of the other systems that they may come up with—there
• Any type of ratio billing system or any other system they come up with will also defeat the initial purpose
• , the braking system, all the things that go with elevators.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1167, which would let municipalities and counties satisfy certain public notice requirements by posting notices on their official websites instead of only in newspapers. The sponsor argued the bill is permissive, meant to modernize notice practices, reduce costs, and help governments meet deadlines, while a Blackman amendment added a six-month transition period requiring continued newspaper publication and a notice to the public about the change. Media representatives, tribal advocates, and others opposed the bill, warning that moving away from print could reduce access for rural, tribal, and older residents and weaken transparency; county and local government representatives supported it as a flexible, efficient option. The committee adopted the amendment and then passed SB 1167 as amended on a 4-3 vote. The committee then heard SB 1021, which after a strike-everything amendment would require the Auditor General to refer possible criminal conduct involving health profession regulatory boards to the Attorney General and outline how such investigations should proceed. The sponsor and supporters said the measure would create a mechanism for accountability when audits uncover criminal activity and address conflicts of interest in enforcement. With no opposition testimony, the committee adopted the strike-everything amendment and passed SB 1021 as amended on a 4-3 vote. Next was SB 1011, a bill directing county medical examiners or forensic pathologists to review an infant’s immunization and vaccination history and any countermeasures given in the 90 days before a sudden unexplained infant death. The sponsor said the bill was intended to improve data collection, align Arizona with best practices, and help identify correlations without implying causation. Opponents, including vaccine advocacy groups and a disability advocate, argued the state already collects much of this information, that the bill could fuel misinformation about vaccines, and that it failed to address the main known risk factors for SIDS such as unsafe sleep. The committee passed SB 1011 on a 4-3 vote. The committee also considered SB 1013, an original merit-based public hiring bill that was not amended after a proposed strike-everything was defeated. The sponsor framed it as ensuring public employees are hired based on qualifications rather than identity-based preferences, while opponents from the ACLU and others argued existing law already prohibits discrimination and that the bill could create new liability and hinder outreach to diverse communities. Supporters said it would clarify merit hiring and prevent quota-based practices. The committee passed SB 1013 on a 4-3 vote. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1015, which the sponsor said would create accountability and data collection around detransition care for minors, while the proposed strike-everything would instead establish a family and medical leave insurance program through Medicaid beginning in 2029; testimony on that bill and the striker was underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• TO PIGGYBACK ON A QUESTION BY SENATOR BRADLEY, WHY WASN'T THE PSC PROVIDING THAT JUDICIAL REVIEW TO THE
• STAFF TO BE MAKING THOSE REASONS CONCLUSIONS AND LOOKING AT THE EVIDENCE AND MAKING SURE BECAUSE THE SYSTEM

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And whereas Bernalillo County provides funding and staff support to the Second Judicial District's Criminal
• Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base is home to space vehicles and directed energy systems

Transcript Highlights:

• We want to make sure that they do not come back into our system.
• We are only able to do that with the decision of our judicial system, with our local courts.
• So the child safety response system that you spoke about and how you're... child safety response system
• One, that we have a very robust community-based care system.
• When do you guys anticipate that system being up?

Bills: HCR95, HB4, HB244, HB615, HB648, HB1049, HB1201

Keywords: sales tax, exemptions, credits, rebates, uniformity, legislative rules, fiscal report, constitutional convention, Louisiana constitution, electoral process, government structure, delegate elections, delegates, state election, ratification, Louisiana, public meetings, broadcast, transparency, government accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• in a system.
• That's a completely different auditing system.
• prosecute a judicial division.
• The justice system is state versus defendant.
• New Mexico's higher education system.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's move over to Judicial Proceedings. This is report number five.
• Clerk, will read the next bill. >> Senate Bill 182, Chair, Judicial Proceedings, Adult Protective Services
• Uh, chair of Judicial Proceedings. >> All right. Thank you, Senator.
• Uh thank you uh Senator<01:02:44.160> Chair<01:02:44.400> of<01:02:44.960> Judicial<
• The Judicial Proceedings Committee will meet today.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation by Reverend Jod Gun, whose prayer was journalized by unanimous consent. The chamber then recognized several guests, including representatives from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, who were present for a resolution honoring Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week, as well as former Delegate and physician Dan Moheim, Towson University students, a veteran guest, and parents and young children visiting for Maryland Family Network’s Day in Annapolis. The Senate adopted a resolution recognizing the National Alliance on Mental Illness for its advocacy on tardive dyskinesia screening, early detection, and treatment, and designated May 5–9 as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week. The resolution was read and adopted without objection. The chamber also unanimously welcomed the guest groups and thanked them for their service and advocacy. In second-reader action, the Senate advanced several bills with committee amendments adopted without objection. Senate Bill 113, the Longevity Ready Maryland Act, was amended to refine aging-related planning, website reporting, and Commission on Aging membership, then ordered to third reading. Senate Bill 123 updated the membership of the Oversight Committee on Quality of Care in nursing homes and assisted living facilities and was also sent to third reading. Senate Bill 336 extended the Task Force on the Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances for one year and added an HBCU representative. Senate Bill 394 expanded expedited partner therapy to bacterial vaginosis and added licensed certified midwives as authorized practitioners. Senate Bill 444 changed certificate-of-need requirements for certain intermediate care facilities, and Senate Bill 461 conformed the SNAP Heat and Eat Program to federal eligibility rules; both were advanced to third reading. The Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee then took up Senate Bill 108, which would authorize the Maryland Department of the Environment to impose administrative penalties for certain water, wetlands, dam, and riparian-rights violations and expand administrative enforcement tools. Several senators raised concerns about the scope of the bill, its effect on shoreline restoration, dams, stormwater and wetlands enforcement, and whether it could allow penalties without adequate process or encourage payment instead of correction. The floor leader responded that the amendment requires notice, an informal meeting, and consideration of good-faith efforts before penalties are imposed in certain cases, and said the bill does not change permit requirements. The debate continued as members sought clarification on how the bill would apply to private dams, HOAs, farmers, and shoreline projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• It reduces unnecessary litigation, relieves pressure on Florida's court system, and speeds up payment
• Self-insured ERISA claims stay in the federal system. Thank you.
• And, you know, overall, you know, the system is complex between the federal and state.
• I mean, they're a vital part of our health care system in Florida.
• Senator Truenow, before you withdraw, there's a summary on the system here.

Bills: S0158, S0314, S0618, S0684, S0838, S0990, S1000, S1082, S1452, S1494, S1500, S1568, S1706

Keywords: pet insurance, consumer protection, insurance regulation, policy disclosure, agent training, payment stablecoin, financial regulation, anti-money laundering, state oversight, digital currency, financial services, workers compensation, Florida statute, commercial insurance, insurance board, electronic signatures, vehicle titles, insurance regulations, auditing, total loss vehicles

Summary: The Banking and Insurance Committee heard and advanced a wide range of insurance, financial services, and probate bills. Early in the meeting, SB 1000 on trust fund interest for attorney trust accounts was explained as setting a floor and ceiling tied to the Wall Street Journal prime rate and was reported favorably. The committee then took up CS/SB 1082 on a statewide provider and health plan claim dispute resolution program for emergency out-of-network claims. After extensive discussion about the relationship between the state and federal No Surprises Act processes, an amendment was withdrawn due to concerns about clarity and scope, but the bill itself was supported by providers and insurers and was reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 684 on electronic signatures for total loss vehicles and vessels, CS/SB 158 on pet insurance consumer disclosures and agent education, SB 1494 expanding breast cancer screening coverage, CS/SB 314 on digital assets and stablecoin issuers, and CS/SB 1500 on uncontested probate procedures and small-estate administration. SB 618 on workers’ compensation insurance was amended to raise the consent-to-rate cap for workers’ compensation policies from 10% to 20% and then reported favorably, with supporters saying it would help keep higher-risk employers in the voluntary market. CS/SB 1568 creating a Florida Stablecoin Pilot Program was amended to remove authority for a Florida coin and limit the program to existing stablecoins, then passed. Later, the committee approved CS/SB 838 on electronic payment convenience fees for retail installment contracts, with the sponsor emphasizing that a fee-free payment option must still be offered. SB 1452, the Department of Financial Services agency bill, was amended and reported favorably; it covered My Safe Florida Home administration, insurance and licensing changes, unclaimed property updates, and other DFS-related provisions. The committee also passed SB 1706 on the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program, targeting owner-occupied condominiums at or below 80% of area median income, and SB 990 on protected cell captive insurance companies, which supporters said would modernize Florida’s captive insurance laws and encourage more competition. The meeting ended with all listed bills reported favorably and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• system we're doing K3. system we're doing K3.
• or not. >> Correction, schools, not systems. >> On the systems.
• or not. >> Correction, schools, not systems. >> On the systems.
• /c> >> Correction, schools, not systems >> Correction, schools, not systems >> on<01
• of the judicial branch of government. of the judicial branch of government.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 567, introduced by the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means, makes an appropriation to the Nevada System
• Assembly Bill 567 provides general fund appropriations of $11 million to the Nevada System of Higher
• of Higher Education website. a data dashboard on the Nevada System of Higher Education website that
• It clarifies and expands the eligibility for the NSHE system fee waivers for Native American students
• Senate Bill 498, introduced by the Senate Committee on Finance, makes appropriations to the System of

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• DCR will incorporate the system-wide DCR will incorporate the system-wide recommended<00:04:35.720
• level, so larger justice the systems level, so larger justice systems<00:21:06.760> reform,<00
• , impacted by the justice system, or supporting the system, or providing care for those in and out of
• the system itself.
• , or uh system, or supporting the system, or uh providing<00:24:28.840> care<00:24:29.080>

Bills: SR185, HB2452, HB2329, HB2272, HB2273, HB2335, HB1656, HB2207, HB2289, HB1854, HB2581, HB20, HB2296, HB1707, HB2297, HB1890, HB2241, HB2474, HB1688, HB2546, HB1574, HB1546, HB2218, HB1163, HB1514, HB1749, HB2385, HB1576, HB1974, HB2022, HB1973, HB2005, HB1894, HB1515, HB1718, HB1591, HB2475, HB1721, HB1864, HB1946, HB1920

Keywords: Department of Education, capital improvement program, performance audit, infrastructure, transparency, state bonds, general obligation bonds, GO bonds, bond authorization, state debt limit, constitutional debt limit, Article VII Section 13, Hawaii bonds, state borrowing, public finance, capital improvement projects, supplemental appropriations, judiciary appropriations, refunding bonds, reimbursable bonds

Transcript Highlights:

• Clerk, the Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee would report favorably on the gubernatorial appointment
• The Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee held a confirmation hearing on March 31st on the appointment
• demonstrated experience in different types of retirement plans offered by the Nebraska Retirement Systems
• demonstrated experience in different types of retirement plans offered by the Nebraska Retirement Systems
• But the point is we have to be more judicious about just throwing out these suggestions.

Bills: LB737, LB753, LB788, LB913, LB1055, LB1195, LB1216, LB1256, LB429, LB721, LB722, LB727, LB743, LB745, LB749, LB778, LB787, LB365A, LB823, LB900, LB903, LB940, LB954, LB1127, LB1127A, LB1205, LB1240, LR293, LR296, LR422, LR505, LR507

Keywords: LB737, Olmstead, developmental disabilities, disability services, community-based services, integrated settings, DHHS, Department of Health and Human Services, stakeholder advisory committee, independent consultant, public hearing, legislative oversight, disability rights, community integration, housing, employment, education, transportation, community supports, self-advocacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Lien Registration Act in the Uniform State Tax Lien Registration Enforcement Act, Central Filing System
• Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare, the Office of Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System
• General of Nebraska Child Welfare, and the Office of Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System
• and Nebraska child welfare act and the office of the inspector general the Nebraska correctional system
• And we have a system that is set up that, based on the location of the child care provider, you may be

Bills: LB737, LB753, LB788, LB913, LB1055, LB1195, LB1216, LB1256, LB429, LB721, LB722, LB727, LB743, LB745, LB749, LB778, LB787, LB365A, LB823, LB900, LB903, LB940, LB954, LB1127, LB1127A, LB1205, LB1240, LR293, LR296, LR422, LR505, LR507

Keywords: LB737, Olmstead, developmental disabilities, disability services, community-based services, integrated settings, DHHS, Department of Health and Human Services, stakeholder advisory committee, independent consultant, public hearing, legislative oversight, disability rights, community integration, housing, employment, education, transportation, community supports, self-advocacy