Transcript Highlights:

• Like, I mean, that's how you declared yourselves to get that 501(c)(3), right?
• were<05:19:32.000> how<05:19:32.160> do<05:19:32.320> you<05:19:32.480> declared
• that's how you were how do you declared that's how you were how do you declared yourselves<05:19

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Transportation Maritime Administration, by a joint resolution passed on May 20th, 1933, Congress declared
• <02:06:38.800> Congress passed on May 20th 1933 Congress passed on May 20th 1933 Congress declared
• 39.800> 22nd<02:06:40.440> to<02:06:40.559> be<02:06:40.760> National declared
• May 22nd to be National declared May 22nd to be National Maritime<02:06:41.599> day<02:06:42.480

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If they declare an incident, HSEM is incident command and they support them.
• handled similarly uh where if we if gets handled similarly uh where if we if we<01:18:20.639> declare
• 21.199> incident<01:18:22.000> then<01:18:22.199> hscm<01:18:22.920> is we declare
• an incident then hscm is we declare an incident then hscm is incident<01:18:23.560> command<01

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Administrative Services presented its capital budget process and priorities, explaining that it maintains and operates 96 state buildings and uses annual facility walkthroughs, condition assessments, and rough cost estimates to rank projects for the governor’s capital budget. Officials described how requests are triaged, how the governor’s office and Public Works refine estimates, and how the resulting capital budget book serves as legislative intent for approved projects. They also noted that this year the governor’s office asked for estimates on all selected projects, which increased workload but reduced detail. The department highlighted several requested projects, including $1.5 million for the ERP system sustainability fund, which officials said is critical because the state is upgrading its core financial, HR, and budget system to the cloud. Other priorities included courthouse HVAC and boiler work, brick repointing at the State House annex/main building, window replacement at the Spalding building, and elevator replacement on the hospital campus. Officials also said the governor’s proposed capital budget included fewer DAS projects than in past years and asked the committee to consider funding closer to historic levels. The committee then reviewed lapse and reallocation items. DAS said most older projects are still in design, bid, or construction because projects now take four to six years rather than two to three, in part due to ARPA-related workload and post-COVID construction backlogs. Members discussed lapsing $81,000 from the completed Spalding roof project and redirecting small remaining balances from several 2019 projects toward the Hillsboro County South cell block project through the Capital Project Overview Committee. Officials also confirmed ARPA-funded projects are expected to be completed before the December 2026 deadline and explained that the ERP system is the main state IT exception outside DOIT’s usual centralized control, though it still requires DOIT consultation and approval.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's no other property owners in any town that are being asked to self-declare, you know, real estate
• being asked owners in any town that are being asked to<01:16:33.800> self to self to self declare
• 16:37.080> know<01:16:37.440> real<01:16:37.760> EST<01:16:38.520> low declare
• uh uh you know real EST low declare uh uh you know real EST low value<01:16:39.440> real<01:16

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For the United States, it is the 250th anniversary after the signing of the Declaration of Independence
• If the majority of votes are in favor of recall, the office is declared vacant and the vacancy is filled
• If the majority of votes are in favor of recall, the office is declared vacant and the vacancy is filled
• If the majority of votes are in favor of recall, the office is declared vacant and the vacancy is filled
• If the majority of votes are in favor of recall, the office is declared vacant and the vacancy is filled

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• With that, I declare the public hearing open and invite Representative O to introduce the bill.
• resources<05:00:33.798> with<05:00:34.120> that<05:00:35.080> I<05:00:35.240> declare
• <05:00:35.600> the energy resources with that I declare the energy resources with that I declare

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Between that and the $5.5 million that is declared from the federal level, if it goes up to $22 million
• Over the years, you will see out of the 28 declared disasters, and this is in your packet as well, 18
• of our 28 declared disasters would not have qualified under the $22 million threshold.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 210; 21 January, 2026: 1:30 PM, 925, all

Summary: The subcommittee heard the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks present its FY27 budget request and discuss accomplishments from prior appropriations. The commissioner highlighted improved conservation officer retention after salary increases, continued training and wellness efforts, upgrades to state parks and cabins, expansion of tiny homes, fisheries stocking and youth fishing programs, ongoing chronic wasting disease testing, and the Museum of Natural Science’s recent accreditation. The agency said it wants to maintain parks and facilities so they do not deteriorate again, and it emphasized tourism and public access benefits. Budget staff then outlined the request: $21.7 million in general funds, including increases for state parks, the museum, law enforcement, and chronic wasting disease; $23.2 million in state support capital and education funds; and $86.99 million in special funds authority. Major capital requests included $18.8 million for state parks projects at several parks, $1.25 million for law enforcement facilities, $2 million for Lake Lamar Bruce improvements, and $1.125 million for mobile teaching vans. Members asked for more detail on general fund increases, proof that law enforcement salary enhancements reached field agents, more information on the tiny home program and its return on investment, the source of motor vehicle funds, and a breakdown of requested pins and vacancies. The committee also questioned the agency about chronic wasting disease, with the department saying the $400,000 request supports testing and research and that live testing is not yet reliable. Members raised concerns about prioritization of lake and park maintenance, especially Lake Claude Bennett, and whether the agency is too reactive rather than proactive in addressing deteriorating facilities. The department said funding limitations and federal restrictions on certain lake dollars drive its priorities, and that it focuses on the most-used parks and lakes. No votes or formal actions were taken in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• wanted to have that would not they wanted to have that would not they wanted to have that would not declare
• as health insurance and to um declare as health insurance and to um declare as health insurance and

Bills: SB 1, HB 500, SB 1, HB 1400, HB 1094, HB 365, HB 1109, HB 647, HB 500

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, state budget, mental health funding, education funding, infrastructure improvements, public safety, groundwater, water conservation, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, innovation fund, local conservation districts, transportation protection agreement, funeral services, insurance exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• Committee on Executive Departments and Administration, to which was referred Senate Bill 198, an act declaring
• Senate Bill 198 declares the third week of September to be New Hampshire Service Dog Week.
• I also rise and support Senate Bill 198, declaring the third week in September the New Hampshire Service

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill, as you know, would allow municipalities to amortize any deficit related to a declared emergency

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on Governor Healey and Lt. Gov. Driscoll’s Municipal Empowerment Act, with administration officials and municipal leaders broadly supporting the bill as a package of tools to help cities and towns manage rising costs, staffing shortages, and service demands. The administration highlighted procurement reforms, including raising Chapter 30B advertising thresholds, clarifying cooperative purchasing, and removing the Commbuys notice requirement; permanent authority to amortize emergency-related deficits over three years; expanded authority and enforcement for removing double poles; continued flexibility for hybrid and remote public meetings; regionalization options such as regional boards of assessors and intermunicipal agreements; cybersecurity reporting to EOTSS; and several local revenue options and other municipal finance changes. They said the bill was shaped by listening sessions with municipal officials and was intended to increase flexibility, efficiency, and stability without imposing broad mandates. Committee members asked about regionalization, cybersecurity costs, Commbuys, hybrid meetings, and double poles. Administration witnesses said cybersecurity reporting would help the state target resources and that existing Community Compact and capital grant programs, including IT and municipal fiber funding, could support local needs; they said EOTSS would absorb reporting within existing resources. On procurement, they said the Commbuys notice change would be optional and that other public notice methods would remain available. On hybrid meetings, they emphasized flexibility for different types of boards and the burdens a one-size-fits-all mandate could create for small towns and volunteer boards. On double poles, they said the bill’s main change from last session was to give utilities more time and improve the removal process while keeping enforcement mechanisms aimed at speeding removal rather than raising revenue. The Massachusetts Municipal Association, MAPC, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and multiple mayors and town managers testified in support. They described the bill as a practical modernization measure that would help local governments operate more efficiently and respond to fiscal pressure. Witnesses from Northampton, Lynn, Gardner, Cambridge, Franklin, North Andover, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Ashland praised the hybrid meeting provisions, procurement changes, regional service-sharing, and emergency deficit amortization. Several also urged adoption of local revenue tools, including meals and lodging tax options and other local fees, as ways to preserve services and staffing. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• working on the Bridgewater issue, actually it started as an almshouse in 1852, and in 1909 it was declared

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on a broad set of mental health, substance use, recovery, and patients’ rights bills. Early testimony focused on H. 2227, which would replace stigmatizing substance use terminology in the General Laws, and H. 3950, which would support parents in recovery involved with DCF by requiring more individualized recovery plans, clearer benchmarks for parenting time, access to recovery coaches or counselors, family counseling after sustained recovery, and staff training on addiction and lived experience. Speakers described the bills as ways to reduce stigma, increase accountability, and improve reunification outcomes for families. A major portion of the hearing centered on S. 1386, which would transfer Bridgewater State Hospital from the Department of Correction to the Department of Mental Health. Advocates, family members, and disability groups testified that Bridgewater functions like a prison rather than a hospital, with excessive restraint, seclusion, involuntary medication, poor conditions, and racial disparities, and argued DMH should oversee a treatment setting. One DMH occupational therapist and MNA member opposed the transfer, saying the real issue is mixing forensic and continuing-care patients and that DMH should instead create designated forensic units under bills H. 228/S. 1408. Committee members asked about Bridgewater’s population, the history of DOC control, capacity, staffing, and how a transfer might be implemented. The committee also heard testimony on modernizing the six fundamental rights for psychiatric inpatients, including expanding communication options, clarifying visitation and advocacy definitions, and improving access to gender-appropriate and culturally relevant items. Another bill, H. 2216, would require stronger oversight before antipsychotic medication is prescribed in nursing homes, prompted by concerns about inappropriate use. Finally, testimony supported H. 2240 and H. 2239 on sober homes, with supporters saying discharge and relocation policies are needed when a resident returns to active use or becomes unsafe, while preserving the recovery environment and resident rights. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Supporting H. 4200 does not mean declaring psilocybin, quote-unquote, safe and effective in the FDA sense

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing opened with remarks from House Chair Mindy Domb and Senate Vice Chair Robyn Kennedy, who outlined procedures for the hybrid public hearing, noted the committee would hear testimony on 15 bills related to treatment settings, and recognized members present. The first major bill discussed was H. 4200, authorizing a pilot program for psychedelic-assisted treatment in licensed facilities. Representative Jim O’Day and witnesses from Control Z supported the bill, describing it as a tightly controlled, medically supervised pilot with DPH oversight, limited sites, and screening requirements. Committee members asked about the number of sites and whether Column Health still existed; witnesses said the bill contemplated three separate pilot programs and that Column Health no longer existed after being purchased by another company. The committee also heard testimony on S. 1405 to make the drug stewardship program permanent by removing its 2026 sunset date. Senator John Keenan and others said the program helps collect and safely dispose of unused medications, reduces diversion, and should remain in place because manufacturers should bear disposal costs. A member from Boston added support based on local concerns about people searching through bags for drugs, and Keenan explained the original sunset reflected pilot status and industry pushback. A large portion of the hearing focused on S. 1394 and H. 2193, which would strengthen implementation of the 2023 Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform. The Children’s Mental Health Campaign, Parent/Professional Advocacy League, Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, and Elliott Community Human Services testified that the roadmap’s helpline, community behavioral health centers, and crisis services are important but unevenly implemented. They urged a single point of accountability within EOHHS, regular strategic planning, a public data dashboard, and financial analysis of the behavioral health system and the access and crisis intervention trust fund. Witnesses said commercial insurance often does not fully reimburse community behavioral health center services, making sustainability difficult, and asked for better coordination across agencies and crisis response systems. Committee members asked whether the roadmap includes substance use disorder; witnesses said it is intended to cover behavioral health broadly, including mental health and substance use. The committee also heard testimony on bills to ban aversives and on suicide prevention signage. Lisa Jean Graff testified in support of S. 1394 by urging a statewide ban on aversive practices, including electric shock, withholding food or bathroom access, and other painful interventions, arguing disabled people deserve the same protections from harm as others. Fonda Bryant and Carol McLean supported a bill requiring suicide prevention signs on tall parking garages, describing personal experiences and saying the signs could create a brief pause and connect people to 988 or other help. McLean said her son died by suicide from a parking garage and that signage might have made a difference. The committee also heard strong testimony in support of creating intensive stabilization and treatment units within DMH facilities (S. 1398/H. 2204), with the Massachusetts Nurses Association and a DMH nurse arguing that highly assaultive patients need specialized, more secure units to protect staff and other patients and to improve care. Additional testimony supported creating a dedicated board for licensed mental health counselors (H. 4696/S. 1382), with Rep. John Badger, the Mass Mental Health Counselors Association, and others saying LMHCs are a large and growing workforce that needs its own licensing board, clearer standards, and faster implementation of existing licensure reforms. The committee also heard extensive testimony on H. 2223 regarding benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics. Survivors and advocates described severe withdrawal, lack of informed consent, cognitive harms, and long-term disability, while a physician supported the bill as a way to improve disclosure of risks. Finally, the committee heard multiple witnesses in favor of H. 2231/S. 1383 to establish peer-run respite centers statewide. Advocates and people with lived experience said peer respites provide non-coercive, home-like alternatives to hospitalization, can reduce trauma and repeated admissions, and may be especially important for marginalized communities; they also cited cost savings and existing positive outcomes from current respite programs. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing portion reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Cronin reassured him that he was in the right place and joked about banging the gavel and declaring

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on several public safety bills, with testimony first on S.2681, Colby’s Law, which would establish safety standards for BMX and motocross tracks. Supporters, including the family of a child killed at a track, argued the bill is needed because some tracks lack basic protections such as barriers, emergency plans, on-site medical staff, and adequate track maintenance. A motocross track representative opposed the bill as overregulation that could impose major costs and argued existing safety efforts and voluntary safety committees are preferable. No vote was taken during the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on S.2680, which would expand emergency preparedness requirements around aging nuclear power plants and nuclear waste sites from a 10-mile to a 50-mile radius. Supporters from Cape Cod Downwinders, Massachusetts Peace Action, physicians, and other advocates said current law is outdated and insufficient, citing risks from radioactive waste storage, limited federal oversight, and the need for broader evacuation and emergency planning. Testifiers urged the bill’s passage, and no action was taken. A major portion of the hearing focused on the Protect Act, H.5158, dealing with limits on cooperation between state/local agencies and federal civil immigration enforcement. Sheriffs testified about how ICE detainers and notification requests work in practice, emphasizing discretion, public safety, and the difference between sentenced prisoners and pretrial detainees. Supporters from labor, education, and health care groups said immigrant communities are living in fear and asked for stronger protections, including bans on 287(g) agreements and clearer limits on ICE activity in schools, hospitals, and other sensitive locations. The hearing also included testimony on H.4697 regarding training and certification of constables and civil deputy sheriffs, with the Hampshire County sheriff saying sheriffs are already working with POST and MPTC on training standards and that the bill may be duplicative.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then who declares that emergency? And again, these are only in the worst case.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then who declares that emergency? And again, these are only in the worst case.

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of the Mincota Power Cooperative headquarters before returning for presentations on large energy consumers, especially data centers. The first presentations focused on how North Dakota should respond to rapid growth in energy-intensive projects, with speakers emphasizing the need for reliable transmission, local decision-making tools, and factual information for county and township officials who are being asked to weigh major projects with limited staff and technical support. The North Dakota Transmission Authority director said local governments are being asked to make high-impact decisions on pipelines, transmission lines, large agriculture, wind, solar, carbon dioxide pipelines, direct-air capture, and data centers, and urged development of simple statewide decision tools and support from the League of Cities and Association of Counties. The Department of Environmental Quality’s air division director said North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the nation, but large data centers can create air-quality concerns because of diesel backup generation; he said the department is requiring air monitors at some facilities and expects grid power and, potentially, cleaner natural gas backup to reduce emissions. Members asked about emissions standards, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession at DEQ. The Department of Water Resources director said North Dakota’s water law is based on common ownership and prior appropriation, and that data centers generally use relatively small amounts of water, often in closed-loop systems. He said the Missouri River and groundwater supplies are ample for projected needs, that the department’s permitting process protects senior water rights, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use a very small share of Missouri River flow. Members asked about downstream impacts and compared data center water use with fracking. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd Erickson urged the committee to study how other states regulate data centers, warned against litigation-driven delays and overly broad local ordinances, argued reclamation bonding should be handled at the state level if at all, and said data centers can bring jobs and tax base but should remain subject to local zoning. The committee ended the morning session for lunch and later heard an EERC update from CEO Charles Gorecki on the center’s 75 years of work in energy and environmental technologies, especially oil and gas development and related research.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then who declares that emergency? And again, these are only in the worst case.

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of Minnkota Power Cooperative before hearing presentations on large energy consumers and related infrastructure issues. The first presentation, from the North Dakota Transmission Authority, focused on the need for better local decision-making tools for counties, townships, and planning and zoning boards facing major projects such as transmission lines, pipelines, data centers, wind, solar, and large-scale agriculture. The speaker urged more objective, data-driven analysis, noted that local officials often have limited time and resources, and said the state should support training and tools through groups like the League of Cities and the Association of Counties. Members asked about proactive outreach, data center ordinances, and how to avoid subsidizing large loads or causing reliability problems. The Division of Air Quality then discussed environmental oversight of data centers, emphasizing that North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the country and that the agency’s role is limited to air, water discharge, stormwater, and waste—not zoning or water use. The presentation explained that data centers generally have low direct emissions but may rely on diesel backup generators when the grid is unavailable, which creates air-quality concerns; the department said it is requiring air monitors at some projects to collect real-world data and guide future decisions. Members asked about generator emissions, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession, and the agency said permit applicants pay for the monitors while the state handles some QA work. The Department of Water Resources followed with an overview of North Dakota water law and data center water use. The director explained the state’s prior-appropriation system, the public-interest review for permits, and the large overall water supply available from groundwater and the Missouri River. He said most proposed data centers use closed-loop cooling systems and generally request relatively small amounts of water compared with other uses such as power plants, irrigation, and oilfield operations, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use only a tiny fraction of Missouri River flow. Questions focused on downstream impacts and comparisons to fracking water use, and the director said the state’s use is too small to materially affect downstream users. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd-Erickson testified online about data center zoning and permitting. He asked the committee to have Legislative Council gather information on how other states handle data center permitting and to keep the topic on the interim agenda. He argued that local zoning should remain local, but said counties lack the technical and legal resources to manage complex reclamation or bonding requirements and that state-level enabling legislation may be more appropriate. He also recommended eliminating tax incentives for data centers. The committee chair said staff would prepare a document on other states’ zoning and permitting approaches. After a lunch recess, the committee reconvened at the EERC, where CEO Charles Gorecki gave an overview of the center’s 75 years of work and its role in oil and gas, carbon management, and other energy technologies, highlighting enhanced oil recovery and carbon dioxide utilization as major opportunities for future production and tax revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a goal that exists whether or not any elected official declares it true or false.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a series of natural resources and environmental measures, mostly local property transfers and Wildlife and Fisheries bills. It reported favorable on Senate Bills 229 and 71, which authorize property transfers in Bossier and Lafayette parishes, and on several department bills dealing with fishing and boating rules: SB 203 on possession of catch during multi-day trips, SB 429 on registration of lapsed or “orphan” boats, SB 204 on commercial fishing gear licenses for nonresidents, SB 205 reducing duplicate registration for federally documented boats, SB 213 on titling certain vessels and outboard motors, SB 257 removing Social Security number requirements from certain tags, and HB 662, a substitute bill setting a hierarchy for handling seized sick, injured, or orphan wildlife. The committee also adopted amendments and reported favorable SB 379, a technical cleanup bill tied to the Department of Conservation and Energy reorganization, though an opposition witness warned it could reduce minimum oil and gas royalties and asked for a fiscal note. Members also advanced several measures aimed at coastal and flood-related concerns. HCR 62, by Rep. Domangue, urges FEMA to review flood maps every five years instead of every ten and to better account for local flood-protection projects; members broadly supported it and discussed the burden of flood insurance in coastal parishes. SB 214 would give the Teche-Vermilion Fresh Water District authority to stop pumping during immediate flood risk events identified by the National Weather Service or GOSEP, and it was reported favorable. SB 274, as amended, requires lead hazard risk assessments and remediation for certain child care and pre-kindergarten facilities, with DEQ and LDH testimony supporting the update. HCR 78 memorializes Congress to pass the American Seafood Competitiveness Act of 2026, which supporters said would help Louisiana’s seafood industry and access federal loans and grants. The committee also debated broader policy resolutions. HCR 216, by Rep. Owen, sought to repudiate the Louisiana Climate Action Plan of 2022, but after extensive discussion about its purpose, possible effects on existing projects, and whether the legislature should instead hold a hearing, the resolution was voluntarily deferred. Finally, the committee took up SCR 24 on chronic wasting disease rules, adopted amendments raising the prevalence threshold from 1.5% to 2.5% and adjusting zone and baiting provisions, and continued discussion of the bill’s reset of management rules for deer disease control.

Transcript Highlights:

• expand the law authorizing public displays of the Ten Commandments, the Mayflower Compact, and the Declaration

Bills: SB524, SR108, SR109, SCR56, SCR57, SCR12, HB227, HB398, HB689, HB897, HB1029, HB1107, HB1217, HB221, HCR58, HB136, SB162, SB382, SCR33, SCR30, SB112, SB194, SB307, SB341, SB346, SB363, SB495, SB503, SB507, SB509, SB513, SB408, SB131, SB145, SB333, SB464, SB466, SB500, SB283, SB338, SB488, SB35, SB65, SB215, SB228, SB246, SB249, SB268, SB269, SB282, SB296, SB312, SB319, SB323, SB369, SB431, SB474, SB484, SB490, SB492, SB501, HCR14, HB537, HB652, HB653, HB661, HB726, HB756, HB851, HB964, HB966, HB34, HB35, HB48, HB474, HB553, HB758, HB852, HB10, HB16, HB36, HB44, HB46, HB52, HB61, HB78, HB98, HB102, HB124, HB126, HB131, HB135, HB141, HB142, HB164, HB170, HB171, HB179, HB194, HB231, HB245, HB280, HB292, HB294, HB297, HB305, HB336, HB337, HB351, HB436, HB594, HB789, HB956, HB957, HB995, HB1040, HB50, HB117, HB120, HB122, HB139, HB148, HB149, HB185, HB199, HB247, HB271, HB286, HB301, HB358, HB359, HB384, HB413, HB428, HB450, HB462, HB547, HB613, HB631, HB657, HB669, HB675, HB680, HB691, HB712, HB716, HB720, HB723, HB727, HB728, HB735, HB747, HB759, HB825, HB842, HB845, HB846, HB903, HB904, HB907, HB923, HB929, HB941, HB962, HB965, HB1036, HB287, HB370, HB515, HB521, HB570, HB1200, HB29, HB39, HB58, HB67, HB73, HB76, HB77, HB82, HB112, HB121, HB125, HB132, HB134, HB151, HB154, HB155, HB161, HB166, HB187, HB191, HB207, HB211, HB224, HB238, HB241, HB242, HB250, HB260, HB265, HB275, HB300, HB320, HB338, HB339, HB349, HB379, HB399, HB427, HB463, HB464, HB468, HB545, HB550, HB551, HB565, HB588, HB639, HB725, HB782, HB805, HB808, HB834, HB847, HB853, HB858, HB861, HB883, HB916, HB937, HB977, HB1012, HB1027, HB1044, HB1054, HB1071, HB1091, HB1117, HB119, HB129, HB677, HB850, SB68, SB149

Keywords: Jump Start, career and technical education, CTE, career diploma, career pathways, workforce development, high school diploma, career major, individual career and academic plan, ICAP, individual graduation plan, IGP, work-based learning, apprenticeship, internship, dual enrollment, articulation agreement, transfer credit, rural schools, rural LEA

Transcript Highlights:

• expand the law authorizing public displays of the Ten Commandments, the Mayflower Compact, and the Declaration

Bills: SB524, SR108, SR109, SCR56, SCR57, SCR12, HB227, HB398, HB689, HB897, HB1029, HB1107, HB1217, HB221, HCR58, HB136, SB162, SB382, SCR33, SCR30, SB112, SB194, SB307, SB341, SB346, SB363, SB495, SB503, SB507, SB509, SB513, SB408, SB131, SB145, SB333, SB464, SB466, SB500, SB283, SB338, SB488, SB35, SB65, SB215, SB228, SB246, SB249, SB268, SB269, SB282, SB296, SB312, SB319, SB323, SB369, SB431, SB474, SB484, SB490, SB492, SB501, HCR14, HB537, HB652, HB653, HB661, HB726, HB756, HB851, HB964, HB966, HB34, HB35, HB48, HB474, HB553, HB758, HB852, HB10, HB16, HB36, HB44, HB46, HB52, HB61, HB78, HB98, HB102, HB124, HB126, HB131, HB135, HB141, HB142, HB164, HB170, HB171, HB179, HB194, HB231, HB245, HB280, HB292, HB294, HB297, HB305, HB336, HB337, HB351, HB436, HB594, HB789, HB956, HB957, HB995, HB1040, HB50, HB117, HB120, HB122, HB139, HB148, HB149, HB185, HB199, HB247, HB271, HB286, HB301, HB358, HB359, HB384, HB413, HB428, HB450, HB462, HB547, HB613, HB631, HB657, HB669, HB675, HB680, HB691, HB712, HB716, HB720, HB723, HB727, HB728, HB735, HB747, HB759, HB825, HB842, HB845, HB846, HB903, HB904, HB907, HB923, HB929, HB941, HB962, HB965, HB1036, HB287, HB370, HB515, HB521, HB570, HB1200, HB29, HB39, HB58, HB67, HB73, HB76, HB77, HB82, HB112, HB121, HB125, HB132, HB134, HB151, HB154, HB155, HB161, HB166, HB187, HB191, HB207, HB211, HB224, HB238, HB241, HB242, HB250, HB260, HB265, HB275, HB300, HB320, HB338, HB339, HB349, HB379, HB399, HB427, HB463, HB464, HB468, HB545, HB550, HB551, HB565, HB588, HB639, HB725, HB782, HB805, HB808, HB834, HB847, HB853, HB858, HB861, HB883, HB916, HB937, HB977, HB1012, HB1027, HB1044, HB1054, HB1071, HB1091, HB1117, HB119, HB129, HB677, HB850, SB68, SB149

Keywords: Jump Start, career and technical education, CTE, career diploma, career pathways, workforce development, high school diploma, career major, individual career and academic plan, ICAP, individual graduation plan, IGP, work-based learning, apprenticeship, internship, dual enrollment, articulation agreement, transfer credit, rural schools, rural LEA

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum, a guest minister prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a St. Charles Parish presentation featuring a youth national anthem singer. The chamber then moved through a large number of House and Senate messages, committee reports, and introductions, including measures on career and technical education, flood risk maps, public-private partnership contracting, arts day, and a task force on work-based learning. Several resolutions were adopted, including SCR 56 honoring the YMCA and SCR 57 honoring Jonathan Nicole, both by unanimous votes. A House concurrent resolution supporting elimination of the U.S. Department of Education also passed 26-9. On Senate bills, the chamber gave final passage to SB 112 on voluntary release time for K-12 religious instruction with a criminal background check amendment, SB 194 on public assistance and citizenship verification, SB 307 on public displays of historical/religious documents, SB 341 expanding church and nonprofit religious self-insurance coverage, SB 346 prohibiting deepfake materials used against students, SB 495 on campaign finance reporting and unitemized contributions, SB 503 on age assurance for minors using mobile apps, SB 507 creating a statewide process for determining non-enrollment, SB 509 on bank-owned life insurance, SB 131 limiting attorney fee recovery in occupational licensing disciplinary cases, SB 145 requiring backup power for adult residential care providers, SB 333 on child-in-need-of-care proceedings and federal reimbursement, SB 464 on severe obesity treatment coverage, SB 466 on expropriation and foreign adversaries, SB 488 on a school safety drone response pilot program, SB 312 on union dues and withholding procedures, and SB 319 on voter identification and provisional ballot procedures. Most passed with little or no opposition, though SB 194, SB 307, SB 503, SB 131, SB 333, and SB 319 drew some dissenting votes. The chamber also passed multiple House bills, including HB 1071 on public records exceptions for aerospace critical infrastructure, HB 537 repealing the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council, HB 652 and HB 653 adjusting Oyster Task Force membership, HB 661 narrowing nepotism restrictions for certain school board hires with an amendment, HB 756 aligning watercraft enforcement with Coast Guard standards, HB 851 banning intentional balloon releases, HB 964 authorizing a Caddo Parish property transfer, and HB 34 and HB 35 on sheriff pension fund eligibility and contribution rules. Several items were returned to the calendar or referred to committees. A major discussion centered on SB 484, which would restructure parts of higher education governance and transfer certain Board of Regents functions; it drew extensive questioning and amendments, including a new Lumcon board structure and financial reporting requirements, but was returned to the calendar for further work rather than final passage.

Transcript Highlights:

• Second, the governor and this legislature have no authority to declare a constitutional void.

Summary: The Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting met to consider HB 1D, which would establish Florida’s congressional districts using the governor’s proposed map, EOG PCRP 26. Representative Persons-Mulicka briefly introduced the bill, and Jason Jazeel and Jason Pareda of the governor’s office presented the legal rationale and map details. Jazeel argued that mid-cycle congressional redistricting is not prohibited, that the governor’s position is to draw districts without considering race, and that federal equal-protection principles should control over state race-based redistricting provisions. Pareda said he drew the map alone using 2020 census data and census blocks, while also considering population growth estimates, traditional redistricting criteria, and county/city boundaries where feasible. Pareda described the map as race-neutral and said it keeps 48 counties whole, 382 cities whole, and has a boundary-analysis score of about 85.7%. He walked through regional changes, including major revisions in South Florida, adjustments in Central Florida, and changes in the Tampa Bay area, explaining that population shifts and the need for exact congressional population equality drove many of the district configurations. Members questioned the timing of the special session, the use of 2020 census data versus newer population estimates, the role of the legislature versus the governor, the legal basis for mid-decade redistricting, and whether the map complies with the Voting Rights Act and Fair Districts amendments. Motions to place witnesses under oath and to extend the committee meeting by 30 minutes both failed. During public testimony, every speaker who was heard opposed the map. Commenters argued that the proposal was a partisan power grab, would reduce Democratic and minority representation, and violated the Florida Constitution and voting rights protections. Several speakers criticized the short notice and lack of public input, while others said the map would confuse voters or split communities. The chair repeatedly reminded attendees to maintain decorum and limited each speaker to about one minute.