Transcript Highlights:

• Medical research and educational activities will be conducted while ensuring that loved ones are returned
• We recognize the need for a national organization to develop standards and promote ethics.
• To be clear, we are... ...are committed to the respectful, ethical sourcing and utilization of human
• or a violation of code of conduct.
• You have to be observing some type of professional code of conduct.

Bills: SB2024 , SB227 , SB268 , SB1467 , SB1580 , HB5537 , SB1313 , SB1677 , SB918 , SB331 , SB2207 , SB2721

Committee: House Public Health

Keywords: e-cigarettes, marketing prohibition, youth protection, criminal penalties, public health, school funding, education reform, state budget, property taxes, equity in education, health care, licensing, complaint procedure, disciplinary action, law enforcement, death records, vital statistics, healthcare, trauma facility, Medicaid

Transcript Highlights:

• There is no time limit on the conduct that's contemplated for the designation.
• Religious traditions may guide personal and moral conduct, but they cannot override civil law.
• Religious traditions may guide personal and moral conduct, but they cannot override civil law.
• But the definition of terrorism is very significant illegal conduct that could harm our citizens.
• Florida already has more than adequate tools to prosecute actual criminal conduct.

Transcript Highlights:

• Addie Murphy's funeral he conducted.
• It references sexually explicit conduct as defined in state statute Title W1, section 1024.1.
• Unity standards shall not include depictions nor description of sexually explicit Conduct as defined
• You're strictly stuck with sexually explicit conduct, which means any of the following whether actual
• The bill speaks specifically about sexually explicit conduct.

Bills: HR1036 , HB2975 , HB3026 , HB3297 , HB2981 , HB2978 , HB4144 , HB1322 , HB1818 , HB3194 , HB3767 , HB3342 , HB3344 , HB4170 , HB3287 , HB3288 , HB4454 , HB3264 , HB3266 , HB3268 , HB4095 , HB4115 , HB4316 , HB3530 , HB3428 , HB4272 , HB4273 , HB4274 , HB3405 , HB3406 , HB3467 , HB3469 , HB3931

Keywords: Bob Wills, Western Swing, Cain's Ballroom, Oklahoma music history, country music, rock and roll, folk jazz blues, Oklahoma Arts Council, Oklahoma Film and Music Office, Oklahoma Historical Society, OKPOP Museum, commemorative resolution, day at the Capitol, musician recognition, heritage celebration, Tulsa, poultry waste, nutrient management, environmental regulations, agriculture

Transcript Highlights:

• In other words, the audit would be conducted at the time the audit is conducted, and the audit would
• Why not conduct the audit? Why not conduct the audit, allow the audit to be conducted? Why not?
• This makes her part of the engagement team, even if she does not actually conduct...
• To conduct audits? Is there a process for doing that?
• conduct the annual financial audit of the state of Colorado.

Summary: The subcommittee hearing focused on whether the Office of the State Auditor may constitutionally audit the Massachusetts Legislature under Chapter 250 of the Acts of 2024 and what such an audit could include under generally accepted government auditing standards. Chair Cindy Friedman opened by explaining the background: voters approved Ballot Question 1 in November 2024, the law took effect in January 2025, and the Auditor then initiated audits of both chambers. The chair said the subcommittee was seeking expert testimony because the proposed audit scope, constitutionality, and possible bias concerns remained unresolved. Public testimony was invited, but no members of the public pre-registered; written testimony remained open for a short period after the hearing. The hearing then proceeded with invited experts on constitutional law/state government and auditing-related issues. Professor Lawrence Friedman testified that the ballot initiative’s approval by the Attorney General and by voters did not resolve constitutional questions, and he argued Chapter 250 violates the Massachusetts Constitution. He said the Legislature has constitutional authority to set its own rules and manage its proceedings, and that an executive-branch audit would intrude on legislative deliberation, speech and debate protections, and separation of powers. He also warned that even audits of supposedly administrative matters could become a vehicle for repeated document demands and litigation that would indirectly burden legislative functioning. In questioning, senators pressed him on the line between administrative and deliberative functions, the role of the Attorney General versus the courts, the possibility of retroactive audit scope, and whether prior legislative consent to audits mattered; he said prior consent would not bind future legislatures and that constitutionality is ultimately for the courts. Professor Ray La Raja also opposed the audit, framing it as a threat to institutional independence and representative democracy. He argued that allowing an executive-branch official to audit the Legislature without consent would upset separation of powers, chill internal debate, and create a precedent for broader executive intrusion. He said voters often support “transparency” reforms without fully appreciating institutional consequences, and that legislatures should defend their autonomy, especially amid what he described as broader executive overreach nationally. Senators asked about chilling effects, the practical distinction between administrative and core legislative functions, and whether the courts or the Legislature should resolve the issue; he said the courts would ultimately adjudicate disputes, but the Legislature should not waive its constitutional authority lightly. Jean Kempthorne took the opposite view, arguing the audit is permissible and should proceed. She said the state auditor is a constitutional officer accountable directly to the people, that the audit power can be expanded by statute, and that separation of powers does not require watertight compartments. She contended the audit would not displace core legislative powers because the auditor can only evaluate operations, report findings, and make recommendations. She also argued the Legislature itself already conducts audits of other branches, so it is inconsistent to claim an audit of the Legislature is unconstitutional. In response to senators’ questions, she said there are guardrails against truly intrusive requests, but that the administrative-versus-legislative distinction is not a workable bright line; she suggested disputes should be handled case by case, with objections, negotiation, or litigation if specific requests go too far. No votes or formal actions were taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• While MassDOT created a procurement process and established a framework for conducting the procurement
• And three, conducting the procurement using what's called a P3 Commission approach, which is designed
• I think there's an ethics commission that might look at that.
• Well, I think that conduct matters, and I think that if somebody is charged with having authority and
• We should have folks that are charged with looking at the ethics of it and looking at the efficacy of

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight

Transcript Highlights:

• The Texas Ethics Commission.
• Chapter 10 relating to ethics training general counsel, please introduce this item.
• Yeah, hopefully this is An easy one one of the recommendations of sunset was for the Ethics Commission
• And so you're going to fly in a plane and you register with the Texas Ethics Commission, you file the
• for which a TCEQ investigation was conducted or an application.

Summary: The Texas Ethics Commission met on March 11, 2025, first in executive session and then in open session. The chair announced that, in light of Texas Attorney General Opinion KP-484, the commission would conform its practices to the opinion and move to repeal tolling rules for sworn-complaint deadlines. The chair also said the commission would dismiss 36 pending sworn-complaint cases in which the 120-day settlement deadline had been exceeded, even though the delay had been tolled under prior TEC rules. The commission then set future meeting dates for June 12 and September 17 and approved prior meeting minutes. The commission adopted a new criminal-referral rule clarifying that, once jurisdiction over a complaint is accepted, commissioners may vote to make a criminal referral. It also adopted revised advisory-opinion rules, with a clarifying amendment from a commenter, and republished proposed changes to the definition of “principal purpose” for political committees after staff recommended a 49 percent political-activity threshold and further public input. The commission published for comment proposed changes to ethics training rules, facial-compliance review procedures, late-filing waiver and reduction rules, and sworn-complaint procedures, including tighter discovery limits, a default-order set-aside process, and removal of tolling language inconsistent with KP-484. It also republished Chapter 28 rules on Speaker-candidate reporting. The commission adopted several advisory opinions. It declined to give an affirmative defense on whether certain school-district communications were political advertising because related litigation had already addressed the issue. It reaffirmed that a House member may use donated district-office space if it is not reimbursable with public funds and was accepted before the contribution moratorium. It also concluded that a judge may use political funds for travel to a Navy-hosted event as a local dignitary, that legislators’ use of a corporate aircraft for a border-region fact-finding trip could be permissible but would likely trigger reporting obligations, that a TCEQ commissioner’s revolving-door restrictions apply only to matters actually placed before the commissioner, and that a part-time legislative staffer may not take outside employment assisting a registered lobbyist. The commission then heard and acted on numerous fine-waiver appeals, granting several full waivers or reductions and approving staff recommendations on others, and terminated a number of inactive campaign treasurer appointments. Finally, the executive director briefed the commission on the 2025 legislative session, noting that staffing requests are tied to Sunset recommendations and that the House had preliminarily recommended about half of the commission’s appropriations requests.

Transcript Highlights:

• a violation of the Ethics Act for Ms.
• Washington State Legislative Ethics Compliance.
• In addition to seeking out ethics advice from the Ethics Board counsel, did you also have occasion to
• review Ethics Board decisions?
• Ethical violations in that role.

Summary: The hearing resumed on day two of the Legislative Ethics Board fact-finding matter involving Representative Tara Simmons. After opening remarks and confirmation that board members had not engaged in outside research or ex parte communications, Simmons’s counsel moved to dismiss two allegations at the close of the board staff’s case: that Simmons pressured the Administrative Office of the Courts to alter a contract in favor of her employer, and that she improperly combined a legislative proviso for AEJG with a personal donation to the organization. Board staff opposed the motion, arguing the evidence showed Simmons’s legislative and private conduct were intertwined and that the board had enough evidence to require a defense. After deliberation, the board denied the motion to dismiss and proceeded to hear defense testimony. The first defense witness, Sharon Navas, testified that she met Simmons through advocacy work, later hired her at the Equity and Education Coalition (EEC), and maintained written employment policies intended to separate Simmons’s legislative role from her work for EEC. Navas said Simmons was never compensated for lobbying or legislative acts, that EEC paid her from unrestricted funds, and that Simmons did not work on the AEJG dashboard project or participate in the contract dispute with Anthony Powers and Chris Stanley. Navas described the proviso request and later contract issues as separate from Simmons’s legislative duties, and said she continued to pay invoices while the project was being completed. Simmons then testified about her background, legislative career, disability accommodations, and extensive efforts to seek ethics advice before taking outside employment or pursuing provisos. She said she repeatedly consulted House ethics counsel and reviewed prior board decisions to ensure her outside work and legislative actions were separated. Simmons described her relationship with Anthony Powers, the dashboard project, the proviso process, and her understanding that the work was distinct from her legislative role. The hearing paused for lunch after part of Simmons’s direct examination, with testimony set to continue after the break.

Transcript Highlights:

• After state ethics, we're going to OCPF, so you are on deck, but we'll bring up ethics now.
• After state ethics, we're going to OCPF, so you are on deck, but we'll bring up ethics now.
• In a sense, every month is Ethics Awareness Month for the State Ethics Commission.
• We conduct educational programming.
• My ethics have totally going to be.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• The center's main goal is to conduct research on improving response to natural disasters, minimizing
• But as I read your quote, sir, you're not talking about the house unless the house is conducting your
• I actually it proposed to the conduct of the Florida House.
• And by your vote senators, we will report favorably to the Ethics and Elections Committee.
• I truly believe before the Ethics and Elections Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Resolution by Representative Owen to urge and request Louisiana Economic Development to conduct
• House Resolution 285 by Representative Sam Brass to urge and request the auditor to conduct a study of
• House Resolution 285 by Representative Sam Brass to urge and request the auditor to conduct a study of
• for local ethics entities.
• for local ethics entities.

Bills: HR286 , HR287 , HR288 , HR289 , HR290 , HR291 , HR292 , HR293 , HR294 , HCR114 , HR275 , HR276 , HR277 , HR278 , HR279 , HR280 , HR282 , HR283 , HR284 , HR285 , HCR112 , HCR113 , SCR62 , SCR64 , SB132 , SB135 , SB405 , HR179 , HR216 , HR223 , HR225 , HR274 , HCR89 , SB39 , SB99 , SB111 , SB112 , SB124 , SB134 , SB174 , SB189 , SB190 , SB201 , SB233 , SB236 , SB258 , SB270 , SB273 , SB288 , SB307 , SB313 , SB320 , SB321 , SB325 , SB326 , SB331 , SB339 , SB341 , SB345 , SB346 , SB347 , SB353 , SB357 , SB359 , SB387 , SB393 , SB401 , SB415 , SB419 , SB422 , SB426 , SB435 , SB437 , SB440 , SB451 , SB464 , SB470 , SB487 , SB488 , SB495 , SB504 , SB505 , SB518 , SB523 , SB228 , SB408 , HR168 , HR174 , HR194 , HCR54 , HCR74 , HCR79 , HCR87 , HCR94 , HCR95 , HCR97 , HCR98 , HCR102 , HCR104 , SCR23 , SCR38 , HCR26 , HB250 , HB265 , HB339 , HB427 , HB445 , HB463 , HB468 , HB606 , HB639 , HB649 , HB665 , HB746 , HB781 , HB853 , HB861 , HB872 , HB886 , HB916 , HB937 , HB1054 , HB1068 , HB1117 , HB1237 , HB75 , HB705 , SB34 , SB164 , SB172 , SB198 , SB208 , SB232 , SB281 , SB286 , SB317 , SB322 , SB334 , SB380 , SB385 , SB409 , SB417 , SB421 , SB430 , SB439 , SB447 , SB458 , SB510 , SB54 , SB56 , SB72 , SB79 , SB97 , SB105 , SB123 , SB125 , SB129 , SB163 , SB171 , SB252 , SB287 , SB375 , SB386 , SB461 , SB466 , HR84 , SCR3 , HB582 , HB625 , HB646 , HB998 , HB1191 , HB1255 , SB81 , SB100 , SB109 , SB197 , SB374 , SB479 , SB78 , HB901 , HR20 , HR74 , HCR65 , HCR71 , HB284 , HB302 , HB306 , HB341 , HB366 , HB393 , HB458 , HB577 , HB603 , HB605 , HB614 , HB733 , HB752 , HB773 , HB798 , HB911 , HB955 , HB996 , HB1035 , HB1069 , HB1113 , HB1140 , HB1180 , HB1240 , SB82 , SB89 , HB134 , HB258 , HB359 , HB782 , SB149 , SB382 , SB441

Summary: The House met with a quorum, received a guest minister for prayer, approved the journal, and heard several announcements and recognitions, including NEC Awareness Day, a European Union delegation visit, and the Glenmore Wildcats baseball team’s state championship. Members also received Senate messages, including concurrence on some House measures, the filing of Senate bills, and several Senate resolutions and bills laid over for later consideration. The chamber then took up a long series of resolutions and bills. Among the resolutions adopted were measures on a Louisiana-United Kingdom Trade Commission, support for migratory waterfowl studies, hunting education in schools, SNAP delivery-fee studies, fraud prevention for seniors, subsurface data preservation, boating safety reporting, and visual acuity screening data. Some items were temporarily returned to the calendar, including a sales-tax uniform-base rule resolution and several Senate measures. The House also adopted a resolution creating an agricultural national security task force and another supporting a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. On legislation, the House passed bills on missing-person alerts for people with disabilities (“Brian’s Call”), first responder status for public works employees, planning commission procedures, historic preservation district rules, judges’ supplemental compensation, the Baker Economic Development District, New Orleans downtown development district tax authority, a local crime prevention district, clerks of court records, hotel occupancy taxes in Shreveport-Bossier, firefighter cancer screenings, Shreveport police civil service rules, local ethics entity funding, hemp/alcohol age restrictions, OMV digital signatures, LED recreation, TOPS Tech eligibility for veterans, anatomical gift recordkeeping, crypto kiosk fraud protections, firefighting foam definitions, and consumer data privacy. Several bills failed, including HB 705 on legislative contempt penalties and HB 75 on gaming promotional play. One bill on vehicle insurance reinstatement fees was amended and passed, and a bill on judicial compensation fund adjustments was amended and passed after questions about CPI indexing.

Transcript Highlights:

• The board conducted extensive research, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement to evaluate the potential
• reviewing and developing requirements related to education, continuing education, and professional ethics
• reviewing and developing requirements related to education, continuing education, and professional ethics
• If there is a violation against the code of ethics, then our process is to require additional education
• The review conducted with the Budget Office determined that the fees we were charging simply did not

Summary: The joint Assembly and Senate business committees held a sunset review hearing for five California regulatory entities: the Respiratory Care Board, the California Council for Interior Design Certification, the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, the Board of Occupational Therapy, and the Board of Naturopathic Medicine. Each board or council described its licensing, enforcement, modernization, and consumer-protection work since the last review, and committee members focused on workforce access, transparency, fee authority, and whether current regulatory structures are appropriately tailored to public safety. For the Respiratory Care Board, the main issue was a proposal to move toward a bachelor’s degree requirement for licensure. Board representatives said the change would better align education with the complexity of care and could help the profession’s long-term status and reimbursement prospects, but Assembly Member Addis and others raised concerns about rural access, staffing shortages, and added barriers to entry. Public commenters, including respiratory therapists, families, and congregate living health facility operators, strongly opposed the degree mandate and urged continued use of LVNs for certain respiratory tasks in community settings. The board also discussed its ongoing work on LVN respiratory care issues, updated suctioning guidance, digitized licensing and enforcement systems, and fee cleanup language. The interior design item drew the most debate. CCIDC leaders defended the current title-act certification model, arguing it establishes competency without evidence of public harm and avoids the disruption a full licensure system could cause. Several committee members questioned the lack of enforcement authority, the private nonprofit structure, Bagley-Keene compliance, and whether certification meaningfully improves plan acceptance or public safety. Public testimony was split: supporters said the system works and preserves flexibility, while opponents argued the model lacks accountability, creates confusion, and does not reliably prevent plan-check denials or protect the public. The speech-language pathology/audiology board reported major modernization gains, including a new online licensure system, faster processing, continuing education audits, and updated supervision and advertising rules; it also received support for creating a new audiology assistant license category, while a consumer group urged more public members, proactive inspections, and faster discipline. The occupational therapy board reported growth, improved enforcement and licensing performance, and a need for additional fee authority to address rising costs, while public testimony supported reducing advanced practice hand therapy training hours. The final naturopathic medicine item began at the end of the transcript, but no substantive discussion was captured before the excerpt ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• businesses has earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, reflecting our commitment to ethical
• reflecting our Business Bureau reflecting our commitment<00:07:46.240><c> to</c><00:07:46.479><c> ethical
• </c><00:07:46.960><c> practices</c><00:07:47.800><c> quality</c> commitment to ethical practices quality
• commitment to ethical practices quality customer<00:07:48.680><c> service</c><00:07:49.039><c> and</
• most of your training and who conducts most of your training<00:24:33.600><c> for</c><00:24:33.799><

Summary: The Senate Agriculture Committee took up Senate Bill 122, a measure dealing with pet stores, breeders, and the scope of local regulation. The chair explained the bill was intended to balance private business rights with local control, and said he wanted to clarify definitions such as qualified breeder, local authority, and where fees and fines would go. He also said he would work on a floor amendment and noted concerns about whether the bill would allow localities to outright ban pet stores or instead only regulate them. The committee first adopted a committee substitute by motion and voice vote. Supporters of the bill, including representatives from Petland and an attorney who had worked on animal-related regulation in Ohio, argued that the bill would create statewide standards, protect responsible pet retailers from what they described as politically motivated local bans, and preserve consumer choice. They said local governments would still be able to inspect, require documentation, and enforce licensing, but not shut businesses down without due process. A senator from Campbell County asked whether the bill would interfere with strong local ordinances; supporters responded that the bill would set standards higher than USDA rules and still allow local regulation, while opposing local bans. Opposition came from the Kentucky League of Cities and representatives of Kentucky animal care and control agencies. KLC said local decisions should remain at the local level and noted that several cities and one county already had ordinances that could be affected; it also said the bill was opposed by its board and might overlap with pending litigation. Animal control representatives said the bill did not clearly define breeder verification or enforcement responsibility, could restrict local authority, and did not address animal care conditions or consumer transparency. After questions and debate, the committee voted on the bill; the roll call ended in a 5-5 tie, and Senate Bill 122 failed to pass out of committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is no time limit on the conduct that's contemplated for the designation.
• Religious traditions may guide personal and moral conduct, but they cannot override civil law.
• Religious traditions may guide personal and moral conduct, but they cannot override civil law.
• and ethical framework that guides many Muslims in their daily lives.
• Florida already has more than adequate tools to prosecute actual criminal conduct.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions before taking up a special order calendar of bills. Early measures included a claims bill for relief to L.E. through the Department of Children and Families, which passed 34-0 after substitution from the House version, and a claims bill for the estate of Mark Legata, which passed 35-0 after the amount was reduced in the substitute. The chamber then approved CS for CS for SB 42 on child protective investigations and specific medical diagnoses, requiring investigators to consider certain medical conditions that can mimic abuse; the sponsor described it as a fix for cases where medical evidence is overlooked, and it passed 34-0. A bill on autism education for teachers was also substituted with the House version, amended to replace the Senate language, and passed 35-0 after supportive remarks from members. The Senate next passed a land-use bill, SB 218, adjusting hurricane-related development restrictions so they continue in storm-damaged counties but expire in unaffected counties in 2026, with debate focused on local control and recovery needs; it passed 36-0. The chamber then approved several other measures with little or no opposition: a probate bill modernizing curators of estates (36-0), a Blue Ribbon Projects bill creating a framework for large planned developments with conservation set-asides, which drew extensive debate over local control, growth management, and the bill’s breadth before being temporarily postponed, a state lotteries update (36-0), a diploma requirements bill allowing Special Olympics participation to substitute for PE and clarifying marching band credit (36-0), and a naturopathic medicine licensure/regulation bill that reestablishes a licensing framework and board, which passed 33-3. The Justice Administrative Commission bill was amended to broaden membership to include a judge or senior judge and passed 37-0. The Senate also passed a public records exemption for certain local administrators and their families (31-5), a clinical laboratory personnel bill easing staffing requirements by aligning more closely with federal CLIA standards (37-0), a dry needling bill clarifying occupational therapists may perform the practice (37-0), a financial disclosures bill revising gift/honoraria reporting and restoring a percentage-based reporting option via amendment (36-0), and a child welfare bill expanding when parental drug abuse can be treated as harm or neglect and allowing earlier court intervention and services (37-0). Later, the chamber took up a bill on ideologies inconsistent with American principles and terrorist organizations. The sponsor said it would prevent enforcement of foreign or religious law over the Constitution, create a due-process process for domestic terrorist designations, and bar public funds from supporting terrorism. Senators raised questions about the lack of a time limit on conduct used for designation and whether conviction is required; an amendment was then offered to remove specific references to Sharia law and the bill’s findings, with the sponsor of the amendment arguing the language stigmatized Muslim constituents and singled out Islam. The transcript cuts off during that amendment debate, so no final action on the bill is shown in the provided text.

Transcript Highlights:

• After state ethics, we're going to OCPF, so you are on deck, but we'll bring up ethics now.
• After state ethics, we're going to OCPF, so you are on deck, but we'll bring up ethics now.
• I'm with the Ethics Commission. With me today... I'm David Wilson. I'm the Ethics Commission.
• In a sense, every month is Ethics Awareness Month for the State Ethics Commission.
• We conduct educational programming. We perform... We conduct educational programming.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held its sixth public hearing on the Governor’s FY27 H-2 budget proposal, focused on public safety and judiciary agencies, at the Foxborough Community Center. After opening remarks and local welcomes, the committee heard testimony from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), led by Secretary Gina Kwan, who described the $1.72 billion budget as a 4% increase over FY26 and emphasized readiness, local partnerships, and support for core operations rather than expansion. She highlighted ongoing work on firearms-law implementation, State Police academy reforms, DOC’s new strategic plan, disaster response, hate-crime prevention, and planning for major 2026 events including the World Cup, Marathon, and America’s 250th anniversary. Members also raised concerns about State Police capacity, DNA backlog reporting, academy boxing/training reforms after a trooper’s death, ICE coordination, diversity in public safety leadership, the disaster relief fund, crime lab funding, reentry programming, and whether OEMS should move from DPH to EOPSS; Kwan said she would keep an open mind on some issues but was not ready to commit to an OEMS transfer. The committee then questioned EOPSS officials and the State Police colonel on several operational matters. The colonel said the academy boxing program remains suspended and likely will not return in its prior form, pending an IACP review, and that future training will likely emphasize jujitsu-style control techniques. He also said the State Police uses the civil service exam, with current advancement scores ranging from 83.72 to 98.78 for the most recent class, and acknowledged the need to improve recruitment, preparation, and diversity. On the DNA and sexual assault kit backlog, EOPSS said it supports extending the statute of limitations and is working with the courts and crime lab to identify and collect lawfully owed DNA. On disaster preparedness, officials said the new disaster relief fund is being developed with MEMA and A&F, is currently capitalized at $14 million with another $14 million expected, and should be designed to respond flexibly to different regional needs. They also said the crime lab increase is largely to cover core operations and a structural deficiency rather than expansion. Several members focused on public safety coordination and staffing. Questions from legislators from Bristol, Plymouth, Cape Cod, and elsewhere stressed the need for State Police to absorb additional forensic work if county resources shift, and to maintain strong communication with local chiefs and federal partners. Rep. Holmes pressed EOPSS on racial and gender diversity in the department and State Police; Kwan and Colonel Noble said diversity has improved but will take time to show up in senior leadership, and they pointed to internships and hiring practices as ways to broaden the pipeline. The hearing also included discussion of the World Cup security plan, with Kwan saying planning has been underway for about 18 months through 14 working groups and that current staffing and overtime resources appear sufficient for now. After EOPSS concluded, the committee recessed briefly and then began testimony from district attorneys, led by Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden, who said prosecutors are seeking a 10% budget increase to address staffing and salary pressures, especially the widening pay gap between assistant district attorneys and newly hired public defenders after recent CPCS funding increases.

Transcript Highlights:

• Although they are nominees, they are still bound by the code of judicial conduct, and depending on the
• However, the same concept applies here. judicial conduct, judicial conduct, similar<00:17:09.679><c>
• After a deep dive into her record, reviewing the testimony and conducting two interviews with her, I
• Dresser had an ethical obligation to refuse to defend the federal government in these circumstances.
• violation or he could be an ethical violation or he could be fired. fired. fired.

Transcript Highlights:

• [Music] The Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct will come to order. We were in a brief recess.
• </c> was cited in the ethics was cited in the ethics complaint<00:10:17.279><c> they</c><00:10:17.440
• </c> period not an ellipsis in the ethics period not an ellipsis in the ethics complaint<00:10:40.240
• As such, I respectfully request that this ethics complaint against me is dismissed.
• With that being said, the Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct is adjourned. [Music] [Music] and

Committee: Senate Rules and Administration - Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct

Transcript Highlights:

• were five contracts, and the board went through each one and said whether or not they violated the ethics
• Or not they violated the ethics act.
• I'm one of the ethics advisors in the Senate, and we have two, and the other one's sick today, so she's
• And we also have an ethics advisor from the House.
• But we do ethics advice for our members, and it's really nice when you sit at the table with us.

Summary: The meeting opened with attendance and brief remarks acknowledging recent violence against public servants in Minnesota and the risks of public service. The committee then approved the prior minutes and noted there were no employment disclosure forms to report. An update followed on digitizing committee files: the vendor’s estimate had been reduced after reviewing the files, the contract would be sent via DocuSign for the chair’s signature, and staff discussed whether the work could be completed before the end of the biennium and how it would be paid for. The main business was a review of remaining advisory opinions for possible retention or retirement. Staff walked through several opinions, recommending retention of some that still aligned with current law or practice, and retirement of others that were outdated, duplicative, or no longer useful because the underlying statutes had changed or the supporting materials could not be found. The committee voted to accept staff’s recommendations on the set of previously reviewed advisory opinions. A separate question was raised about an older opinion on outreach/newsletters and whether its factors should still apply outside the election-year context. Members generally agreed that the same factors should continue to guide analysis, with their weight varying depending on timing and circumstances. Staff was asked to review the opinion further and bring back a recommendation on whether to unretire or otherwise clarify it. The public portion of the meeting then adjourned, with the committee preparing to move into executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, tab 5, Senate Bill 572 on ethics for public employees.
• What this bill does is simply modernize Florida ethics statutes to update the definition of relative
• What this bill does is simply modernize Florida ethics statutes to update the definition of relative
• And the bill ensures that ethical safeguards apply consistently to foster family relationships, which
• One appearance form from Kerry Stillman, the Executive Director of the Florida Commission on Ethics,

Bills: S7020 , S0308 , S0692 , S0474 , S0572 , S1106 , S1650 , S0350 , S1442 , S7032

Committee: Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability

Keywords: open government, sunset review, aquaculture, public records, exemption, Florida Museum of Black History, cultural heritage, education, Board of Directors, local governance, cybersecurity, data breach, data privacy, information security, local government, county, municipality, vendor contracts, third-party service provider, liability shield

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the Code of Conduct itself.
• And this is the language in the current Code of Conduct as it was added into the Code of Conduct by the
• General Ethical principles and the Governmental Conduct Act suggest that a state employee is always to
• I'd also like to offer that the Legislative Staff Code of Conduct does contain a lot of the ethical provisions
• and Governmental Conduct Act and general ethical principles still come into play and still need to be

Committee: House Legislative Council

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 2570 creates a defense to prosecution in Chapter 9 of the Penal Code if the conduct is justified
• reinstating a tool school police once had: the ability to issue a Class C misdemeanor for serious school conduct
• When students know a counselor's ability in conduct is real, they're far less likely to engage in violence
• Amendments to Senate Bill 1924 strike the right balance in how we want conduct on our campuses handled
• sanction plan prior to issuing a citation or criminal referral. ...to a child unless the child's conduct

Bills: SCR46 , SB31 , SB39 , SB227 , SB330 , SB401 , SB407 , SB467 , SB482 , SB500 , SB506 , SB512 , SB527 , SB584 , SB619 , SB636 , SB646 , SB647 , SB648 , SB659 , SB663 , SB715 , SB732 , SB758 , SB801 , SB816 , SB847 , SB870 , SB884 , SB1020 , SB1055 , SB1065 , SB1137 , SB1169 , SB1181 , SB1283 , SB1383 , SB1395 , SB1410 , SB1433 , SB1490 , SB1558 , SB1574 , SB1626 , SB1666 , SB1718 , SB1727 , SB1756 , SB1757 , SB1845 , SB1924 , SB1964 , SB1972 , SB2018 , SB2031 , SB2075 , SB2076 , SB2080 , SB2111 , SB2117 , SB2154 , SB2161 , SB2173 , SB2206 , SB2225 , SB2253 , SB2268 , SB2314 , SB2322 , SB2351 , SB2371 , SB2476 , SB2533 , SB2540 , SB2570 , SB2589 , SB2623 , SB2658 , SB2660 , SB2692 , SB2693 , SB2717 , SB2722 , SB2753 , SB2779 , SB2877 , SB2880 , SB2900 , SB2920 , SB3031 , HJR4 , SB5 , SB260 , SB1786 , SJR3 , SJR18 , SB1 , SJR36 , SJR50 , SJR63 , SJR84 , SJR59 , SCR12 , SCR39 , SCR46 , SCR48 , SCR19 , SB2023 , SB62 , SB666 , SB847 , SB284 , SB854 , SB1073 , SB810 , SB1505 , SB583 , SB1502 , SB507 , SB1026 , SB1433 , SB1434 , SB1376 , SB1585 , SB1772 , SB2016 , SB1163 , SB619 , SB1122 , SB732 , SB731 , SB397 , SB508 , SB1436 , SB287 , SB261 , SB1882 , SB393 , SB1791 , SB529 , SB209 , SB2429 , SB1999 , SB511 , SB2309 , SB510 , SB1924 , SB2253 , SB2018 , SB2206 , SB584 , SB1085 , SB1490 , SB2314 , SB2046 , SB1975 , SB2717 , SB1262 , SB1524 , SB1137 , SB636 , SB2056 , SB1558 , SB884 , SB227 , SB517 , SB1200 , SB1410 , SB1626 , SB1845 , SB1863 , SB2681 , SB2200 , SB2199 , SB1757 , SB2050 , SB2458 , SB2201 , SB1055 , SB2660 , SB2662 , SB1065 , SB801 , SB2533 , SB3014 , SB3013 , SB758 , SB648 , SB647 , SB512 , SB1721 , SB2268 , SB2366 , SB1013 , SB2692 , SB2570 , SB2797 , SB2111 , SB2371 , SB2383 , SB646 , SB1169 , SB1754 , SB1718 , SB2779 , SB2004 , SB1756 , SB2119 , SB527 , SB2322 , SB2448 , SB1777 , SB1283 , SB407 , SB2392 , SB2076 , SB2786 , SB3031 , SB2877 , SB2876 , SB2284 , SB2225 , SB1540 , SB2920 , SB2929 , SB1395 , SB1972 , SB2540 , SB2742 , SB2595 , SB2217 , SB2117 , SB715 , SB2330 , SB1964 , SB1383 , SB500 , SB1640 , SB2001 , SB2080 , SB2722 , SB506 , SB2514 , SB2623 , SB2658 , SB1574 , SB2900 , SB2753 , SB2398 , SB401 , SB1241 , SB2927 , SB2173 , SB2538 , SB898 , SB467 , SB1449 , SB2529 , SB1531 , SB2846 , SB2476 , SB2031 , SB986 , SB1181 , SB2075 , SB2154 , SB2864 , SB31 , SB2880 , SB1359 , SB2386 , SB771 , SB2844 , SB2550 , SB1351 , SB1423 , SB1931 , SB2245 , SB2589 , SB2707 , SB2807 , SB2351 , SB410 , SB659 , SB816 , SB2776 , SB2693 , SB2580 , SB1980 , SB1886 , SB1234 , SB739 , SB482 , SB456 , SB127 , SB1666 , SB2843 , SB2801 , SB800 , SB2055 , SB784 , SB2986 , SB735 , SB1012 , SB324 , SB2926 , SB2938 , SB2007 , SB2138 , SB1242 , HJR4 , HB135 , HB 1109 , SCR30 , SCR3 , SB2615 , SB1049 , SB2310 , SB1224 , SB2972 , SB1568 , SB2841 , SB2885 , SB3016 , SB2858 , SB2610 , SB2139 , SB1856 , SB2035 , SB2308 , SB2306 , SB2041 , SB1528 , SB1681 , SB1141 , SB2401 , SB2530 , SB2375 , SB547 , SB1266 , SB1373 , SB1467 , SB2069 , SB2269 , SB2480 , SB2544 , SB672 , SB904 , SB2695 , SB2891 , SB2422 , SB2543 , SB1854 , SB317 , SB2539 , SB2532 , SB2925 , SB1250 , SB2082 , SB2203 , SB457 , SB2357 , HCR35 , HCR64

Keywords: Texas beef, cattle industry, agricultural heritage, Texas strip steak, economic growth, SB 31, Life of the Mother Act, Texas abortion law, medical emergency, reasonable medical judgment, pregnancy complications, maternal health, life-threatening condition, ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, miscarriage, unborn child, abortion exception, abortion ban, physician liability