Transcript Highlights:

• I think certainly Senators heard across the board, trying to identify how this is going to positively
• I think certainly Senators heard across the board, trying to identify how this is going to positively
• Clifton Wilson, on behalf of the county board of supervisors for Humboldt and Del Norte. Thank you.
• And lastly, and equally important, in the event of future wildfires—as we've seen, they're no longer
• Michelle Welkaw, on behalf of the Lake County Board of Supervisors, in support.

Summary: The committee heard several insurance-related bills. SB 371 by Senator Cabaldon would lower uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage requirements for rideshare companies from the current $1 million level to $100,000 per person and $300,000 per incident, with added transparency and data-reporting provisions. Uber, Lyft, and several business groups supported the bill as a way to reduce fares and improve affordability, while consumer attorneys, labor groups, and others opposed it as a major cut in protection for injured passengers and drivers. Committee members raised concerns about whether savings would actually reach riders and drivers, but the bill was approved on a do-pass vote to the next committee, with one member not voting. SB 487 by Senator Grayson would change how settlement or judgment proceeds are distributed when peace officers or firefighters are injured by a third party, ensuring they receive at least two-thirds of the at-fault party’s liability insurance limits in certain cases. Supporters, including public safety unions and an injured deputy sheriff, said current law can leave injured first responders with little or no recovery after employer reimbursement, while opponents representing cities, counties, and public agencies argued the bill would reduce recovery of taxpayer-funded workers’ compensation costs and lacked sufficient data. The committee members who spoke largely supported the bill, and it passed on a do-pass vote to Appropriations, with one member not voting. SB 616 by Senator Rubio would create an independent community hardening commission within the Department of Insurance to develop statewide wildfire mitigation recommendations and a post-catastrophe reporting process. The Department of Insurance, local governments, consumer groups, and fire-related organizations supported the measure as a way to improve wildfire resilience and insurance availability, while water agencies opposed provisions touching water infrastructure and warned of litigation and ratepayer impacts. The bill advanced on a do-pass vote to Appropriations, with some members not voting and one member voting no. The committee also heard SB 547 by Senator Perez, coauthored by Senator Rubio, which would extend wildfire-related insurance cancellation/nonrenewal moratoriums to commercial properties; insurers removed their opposition after amendments, and the bill passed to Appropriations on a do-pass vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• The corporation itself is supervised by a nine-member board of governors.
• The governor appoints three members of our board, the chief financial officer, the president of the Senate
• The CFO designates the board chairman.
• And the flood insurance coverage is supposed to be equal to or greater than our Coverage A amount.
• So if the board directed us to do a study, obviously we'd do it.

Summary: The Insurance and Banking Subcommittee received a lengthy presentation from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation CEO Tim Serio, with Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworski also answering questions. Serio reviewed Citizens’ role as Florida’s insurer of last resort, its statutory funding structure, eligibility rules, depopulation program, reinsurance obligations, and the surcharge/emergency assessment mechanisms that can be used if Citizens runs a deficit. He emphasized that recent legislative reforms, combined with lower litigation and improved market conditions, have helped the private market recover and reduced Citizens’ policy count from a peak of about 1.41 million in 2023 to 936,182 at the end of 2024, with a projected drop to about 771,000 by the end of 2025. He also said the reforms reduced Citizens’ rate need and helped avoid an emergency assessment after the 2024 storms. Members asked about Citizens’ rate increases, why Citizens still seeks higher rates despite lower litigation, how the 20% eligibility threshold works, whether Citizens should be wind-only, and whether the state or federal government could help with deficits. Serio explained that Citizens is still charging below actuarially sound rates in most areas, that rate filings reflect reduced litigation and lower reinsurance exposure, and that assessments on all Florida property policyholders are the reason Citizens tries to build surplus and depopulate. He said the depopulation program is working better than in the past, with less than 2% of takeout policies returning to Citizens, and that the Office of Insurance Regulation has been vetting takeout companies more carefully. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on claims handling after Debby, Helene, and Milton, including flood-versus-wind disputes and Citizens’ use of the Division of Administrative Hearings for some claim disputes. Serio said Citizens had received 76,625 claims from the three storms and had paid nearly $823 million in indemnity and expenses as of January 7, 2025. He said many closed-without-payment claims were either below deductible, withdrawn, duplicate, or flood-only, and that Citizens had asked its internal audit function to independently review the claims data and denials. He also described Citizens’ storm outreach, catastrophe response centers, managed-repair program, and claim review process, and said the corporation remains focused on paying valid claims while minimizing the risk of assessments on the broader Florida market.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, the Senate has its role as an equal share of a governing body, and we just want to make sure
• Well, the treasurer actually serves on the board of TrS.
• So how can he be on the board as a fiduciary and also be the whistleblower.
• This is specific to the officer's board members, employees of the systems, and the plans that are working
• Currently, these proxies And the members that are served on these investment boards are fiduciaries,

Bills: HB1170

Keywords: fiduciary responsibility, proxy voting, public finance, Oklahoma statutes, pension plans, pecuniary factors, nonpecuniary factors, financial risk, Attorney General, 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It removes the authority of the Board of Governors to establish the out-of-state fee for non-resident
• And instead gives this discretion to a university's board of trustees.
• college that, by the same reporting, is already in a position where scholarships and tuitions are nearly equal
• If this were a private transaction, the board would be sued for breach of duty before the ink dried.
• And that's not my data; that's data from the Board of Governors, the State University Systems Efficiency

Transcript Highlights:

• Former Poway school board member? That's correct.
• Eight years on the Poway Unified School District Board of Education as well as served on the California
• School Boards Association leadership committees.
• I know when I was on the Board of Trustees of a CT regional occupational center.
• So we can't have a shifting dash. board that keeps moving.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• School Board School Board Association<00:04:46.280> house<00:04:46.560> file<00:04
• <00:37:01.480> the is allowing our school boards the is allowing our school boards the opportunity
• here today can go to those school boards here today can go to those school boards and<00:37:06.000
• <00:37:09.400> to can go around to those School boards to can go around to those School boards
• <01:03:33.000> concerned goals um we're also equally concerned goals um we're also equally

Bills: HF1124, HF1457, HF1803

Keywords: school calendar, education, school year, Labor Day, state law, school construction, landfill, dump site, closed landfill, contaminated site, pollution control agency, school siting, public school, charter school, environmental health, student safety, brownfield, solid waste, waste disposal site, site contamination

Transcript Highlights:

• "Shall be treated as equals with". It scratches out "other state and county".
• The rationale is that the board of registrars are not county nor state employees.

Keywords: 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It gives all of us an opportunity to be 100% equal before the law.
• Women's rights to be equal underneath the same law as a man. And under Sharia law, it is not equal.
• Relating to the naturopathic physicians medical board.
• Representative De Los Santos, you're on the board?
• Representative De Los Santos, you're on the board. Thank you, Mr.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, yes, they have the power or the ability to do something, but they have to do it equally for either
• If they have a unanimous board vote, they can move along with the project. Right.
• . ...expanded further and applied to some larger communities so that in those communities there is board
• ARC, from the Acquisition and Restoration Council review, and shifts the final authority from the Board
• I wish you were in the Senate during my school board days.

Bills: S0290, S0320

Keywords: agriculture, landscape equipment, gasoline-powered, ecologically significant parcels, local government regulations, educational efficiency, public schools, district school boards, budget transparency, school accountability, instructional personnel

Summary: The Committee on Fiscal Policy met and first took up CS for SB 290, a broad Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services bill. The committee adopted a strike-all amendment that, among other things, set density requirements for certain small municipalities, delayed biosolids-related changes from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2028, required higher insurance coverage for fumigation businesses, increased fines for fumigation violations, extended the time contractors have to pay subcontractors and suppliers from 15 to 30 business days, preempted certain county agritourism permitting ordinances, and renamed the Bonifay Forestry Station. Senators raised concerns about local government preemption, the biosolids timeline, and especially the new felony penalty for nonpayment of subcontractors and suppliers. Audubon Florida testified in opposition to the state lands and biosolids provisions, while several agricultural and industry groups waived in support. The bill was reported favorably after debate, with Senator Bracy Davis voting no and Senator Jones expressing concern about the contractor penalty. The committee then heard SB 320 on administrative efficiency in public schools. The bill would reduce district-level requirements across assessments, personnel, facilities, budgeting, and early learning administration; expand teacher apprenticeship pathways; create longer instructional contracts and renewable professional certificates; simplify testing and evaluation rules; increase flexibility for Title I and discretionary capital funding; and streamline facility planning and architectural requirements. School district and education association representatives waived in support. Senators Osgood and others praised the deregulation and flexibility, while Senator Bracy Davis asked about remedies if charter schools fail to respond directly to Department of Education expenditure questions. The sponsor said the bill is intended to reduce administrative burden while preserving accountability. SB 320 was reported favorably by roll call vote. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• One, it increases the pay our Board of Registrars.
• It also enhances the qualifications because, as you know, the Board of Registrars are appointed.
• Correct, and then replace line 117 on page five with the following: "shall be treated as equals with
• Replace line 128 on page five with the following: "Boards of Registrars of this state are treated as.
• I think that the Board needs it, and I think we've met all the needs in this bill.

Bills: HB37, HB187, HB177, SB63, HB82, SB48, HB33, HB37, HB33

Keywords: judicial compensation, salary increase, court system, Alabama legislation, judges, HB187, court fees, docket fee, sheriff's fund, sheriff's office, jail operations, law enforcement, county sheriff, court filing fees, Alabama Code 12-19-312, solicitor's fund, clerk's fund, forensic services trust fund, budget flexibility, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• However, for an algorithm, when you're searching, unless you've programmed it to equal the same thing
• at the back end... ...when you're searching, unless you've programmed it to equal the same thing at
• other identifier for a proper purpose to apply for a certificate of approval granted by the county board
• insignia on its website and post instructions on how to obtain approval for its use, and the county board
• Presently, statute allows a board of supervisors to prohibit unauthorized use of a county seal.

Bills: HB2134, HB2253, HB2270, HB2402, HB2404, HB2673, HB2941

Keywords: critical infrastructure, foreign adversaries, China, communications, security, law enforcement, disciplinary action, administrative appeals, investigative files, due process, retaliation, county seal, law enforcement authority, sheriff's posse, public safety, county governance, ambulance services, certificate of necessity, emergency medical services, state regulations

Summary: The Committee on Public Safety met, approved the March 11, 2026 minutes, and heard two presentations before moving to bills. The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry presented on its K-9 program, describing staffing, dog types, functions such as contraband interdiction, search and rescue, and offender apprehension, and noting aging vehicles and the need for replacement canines. Biometrica then presented a privacy-focused facial recognition/sensor system intended to help law enforcement identify missing persons and known offenders in real time without storing video or audio; members asked questions but took no action on the presentation. The committee then considered HB 2134, which would create the Arizona Critical Infrastructure Protection Act to restrict Chinese-owned or Chinese-produced equipment and software in critical infrastructure and require reporting and oversight by the Corporation Commission. The sponsor said the bill was revised to be prospective and more workable; supporters framed it as a national security measure, while some members raised cost and implementation concerns. The bill passed 4-3. HB 2404, which shifts inter-facility transport of behavioral health patients away from peace officers and toward authorized transporters except in limited circumstances, drew support from a Phoenix police crisis intervention officer and the Arizona Police Association and passed 7-0. HB 2402, dealing with ambulance certificates of necessity for small or underserved areas, was amended to require rather than allow certain certificates and to streamline reporting and application processes; the sponsor and firefighters said it would preserve access and modernize a decades-old system. It passed as amended 7-0. HB 2673, as amended, was reduced to creating a study committee on inmate mental health services after originally proposing broader jail and prison screening and treatment requirements; the sponsor and a victim’s family member described the bill as a response to failures in the mental health and jail systems. It passed 6-0 with one not voting. HB 2253, protecting employees from retaliation for testifying in law enforcement disciplinary appeals, passed 5-0 with two not voting, and HB 2270, expanding county control over use of county seals, logos, and sheriff’s posse names, passed 6-0 with one not voting. Finally, HB 2941, which would make certain motorcycle lane-splitting or passing behavior reckless driving except as allowed by existing lane-filtering rules, drew support from the sponsor and motorcycle advocates who said it targets dangerous high-speed lane splitting, but one speaker warned the language could unintentionally criminalize safe filtering. The bill passed 5-1 with one not voting. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• get closer maybe how's that is it even better okay we're talking about new new technology coming on board
• we're expanding more, and it would really be helpful for all of our tribal communities across the board
• has argued, and I have debated at times, about how best to hedge the state in terms of trying to equalize
• He noted that, in terms of tax fairness across the board, both Representative Henry and he sit on the
• And some are up to 8% with local taxes included, so school board, et cetera.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The prime rate is published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
• House Bill 4213 as filed and would change the interest rate from the prime rate, as published by the Board
• I'm a board-certified family lawyer here in this area.
• In situations of family counseling, it's assumed both parties have an equal voice.
• I'm a proponent of the Equal Shared Parenting Bill, which has proven to have excellent results.

Bills: HB40, HB1916, HB1973, HB2524, HB2530, HB3180, HB3421, HB3783, HB4170, HB4213, HB40

Keywords: business court, civil procedure, litigation, jurisdiction, arbitration, divorce, property division, family law, court jurisdiction, marital assets, parent-child relationship, birth certificate, identity proof, Family Code, court process, attorney fees, court costs, legal expenses, dispute resolution, child support

Transcript Highlights:

• So where previously institutions like ours were providing full scholarships that included room, board
• c><00:47:57.440> tuition<00:47:57.760> and<00:47:58.000> fees, included room, board
• , tuition and fees, included room, board, tuition and fees, we<00:47:59.200> were<00:47:59.359
• because I think the bill calls for equal because I think the bill calls for equal distribution<01
• with conferences that are share equally with conferences that are not<01:05:30.000> getting<01

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:01 Approve Minutes from June 11, 2026- 00:00:40 Staff Report on 2026 Child Fatality Panel Update- 00:01:17 Panel Staff Response to Report-00:21:12 University of Kentucky Name, Image, and Likeness-00:44:34 Kentucky State Police Update on SERVS-01:17:55 Adjornment-01:33:05, 958, all

Summary: The committee first established a quorum and approved the minutes from the previous meeting. Members then received a staff report on the Kentucky Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel, including an annual LOIC evaluation of the panel’s operations, statutory compliance, case management system development, member experience, and written procedures. The report noted recent House Bill 778 expanded the panel’s access to records and to TWIST/I-TWIST, and recommended that staff request access and training promptly to avoid implementation problems. Analysts reported the panel has met statutory membership and meeting requirements, and that agency responses to the panel’s 2025 recommendations improved, with all responses meeting statutory content requirements though some were late. They also said the panel still lacks formal written procedures, so a prior recommendation was reissued. The report discussed the panel’s new case management system, now in testing with the Commonwealth Office of Technology, and a survey of panel members showing generally positive views of meetings and case discussions but recurring concerns about SharePoint access, time demands, virtual meetings, and the panel’s lack of enforcement authority. The report included a matter for legislative consideration suggesting the General Assembly may wish to seek additional testimony from agencies when responses are unclear or more information is needed. Panel staff responded that the work is difficult but important, said they are optimistic about gaining TWIST access, and acknowledged that written procedures have not yet been completed because they wanted to align them with the new system. They said both the system and procedures are hoped to be finished by the end of the year, with the new case management system expected to be implemented by September 1 after further testing and migration. Members also discussed trends in child fatality and near-fatality cases, including increases in reported cases since 2013, substance abuse, safe storage of firearms, and concerns about THC/CBD gummies reaching children. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Board.
• This is Amy Cardona with the Pension Review Board.
• This is Amy Cardona with the Pension Review Board.
• We've had this conversation with our board.
• Charlie Smith, Legislative Budget Board.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations from the Legislative Budget Board and agency officials on several agencies, starting with the Texas Historical Commission. LBB described a large biennial reduction driven mainly by the removal of one-time funding and discussed capital projects, rider changes, and exceptional items including Presidio La Bahia and the National Museum of the Pacific War. Senators asked about heritage trails, courthouse grants, unexpended balance authority, and the status of historical-site funding. Historical Commission leadership emphasized preservation, courthouse restoration, heritage tourism, coordination with the Alamo and other Texas Revolution sites, and requested additional IT, staffing, and vehicle funding. No votes were taken. The committee then reviewed the Pension Review Board and the Employees Retirement System. The Pension Review Board’s budget was largely unchanged aside from IT maintenance and salary adjustments, with an exceptional item for additional IT enhancements. Members discussed the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System’s funding dispute and the need for a workable restoration plan. ERS presented a much larger budget, including funding for the retirement system, the group benefits plan, and the legacy payment intended to reduce unfunded liability. Senators focused heavily on pension investment returns, benchmark comparisons, and rising health-care costs, especially pharmacy spending driven by GLP-1 drugs; ERS said the plan covers about 540,000 lives and that premiums would rise 8% while benefits remain unchanged. ERS also said it had no exceptional items, and committee members requested more detailed benchmark information. The committee also heard from the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. TESSORS reported an unfunded liability, an infinite amortization period, and requested additional state support, staffing, and IT funding, including a statutory change to allow a higher contribution level; the agency warned that without more funding it may have to cut benefits. CEPRIT’s presentation covered its bond-funded cancer research and prevention portfolio, revenue-sharing from funded projects, and a request to increase salary limits for its CEO and chief scientific officer. Senators questioned CEPRIT’s accomplishments and return on investment, while CEPRIT cited screening, prevention, and research outcomes, including tens of thousands of detected cancers and precursors and hundreds of thousands of first-time screenings. The meeting ended after these presentations and questions, with no recorded committee action or vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Parents in the room, OK, that's, that's kind of gone by the way, also, uh, as far as papoose boards,
• Sometimes papoose boards are still used. So interesting.
• Uh, it's access equals utilization. Uh, there's, there's always a correlation there.

Bills: SB 227, SB 269, SB 407, SB 463, SB 527, SB 547, SB 1283, SB 1380, SB 1383, SB 1511, SB 1640, SB 1784, SB 2069

Keywords: school funding, education reform, state budget, property taxes, equity in education, healthcare policy, vaccines, exemptions, religious beliefs, public health, workplace violence, healthcare facilities, definition expansion, safety regulations, health and safety code, health insurance, anesthesia, pediatric dental services, coverage, medical necessity

Transcript Highlights:

• federal requirements required by the American National Standards Institute, the National Accrediting Board
• Total appropriations for OLS functions equaled $45,000. $34.9 million in general revenue for indigent

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, last in 2023, we did House, Senate, and Congressional, and I think State and the Board of Education
• We need to reapportion the members of Congress so that everyone has an equal district.
• This as equally as transparent as the work that was done by Senator Huffman.
• As was just illustrated to us by Senator Blanco, in order for us to have an equal and truly transparent

Bills: SR5, SB5, SB11, SB12, SB25, SB26, SB28, SB35, SB5, SB11, SB12, SB25, SB26, SB28, SB35, SB5, SB11, SB12, SB25, SB26, SB28, SB35, SR5

Keywords: redistricting, Senate procedures, public input, Texas Legislature, amendments, Texas Senate, congressional districts, legislative procedures, legislative transparency, Senate rules, public hearings, committee procedures, hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, occupational licenses, criminal offenses, SB 11, Texas attorney general, election crimes

Transcript Highlights:

• Training approved by the state Board of Dental examiners.
• And if you can't, the need for adequate oversight is equally important and impactful for patient safety
• The board, the dental board is seeking clarification on this because there's a lot of discussion around
• And the dental board will be the ones that decide the rules and the regulations and the training that
• This, I mean that would be a dental board question.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we do take a little bit longer to get folks on board.
• What is the average on board? the lottery. That is not the case.
• So we do take a little bit longer to get folks on board.
• What is the average on board? We are hovering right at the 4%.
• We've got kind of boards up, and everybody kind of can see where everyone else is at.

Summary: The subcommittee met to review agency vacancy reports and agency-requested budget reductions, with Chair Lopez framing the discussion around stewardship of taxpayer dollars, agency efficiency, and whether long-vacant positions should be cut or repurposed. Members were given vacancy summaries and asked to focus on how agencies are functioning with current staffing, which positions are mission critical, and whether some vacancies reflect market pay issues, re-engineering of work, or true excess capacity. The chair also noted that agency heads had been asked to provide follow-up information on current openings, average vacancy duration, mission-critical roles, and reasons for vacancies. The Department of Revenue was the first major agency reviewed because it had the largest number of vacancies. Its leadership said vacancies had improved from pandemic-era highs due to market pay adjustments, but that some areas—especially general tax and audit—still had long-term openings. The department explained that some positions are intentionally frozen while work is restructured, that it hires above minimum salary in some cases to stay competitive, and that it is using automation and process changes to reduce backlogs. Members raised concerns about vacancies outside Leon County, out-of-state auditor positions, salary compression, and whether the department should provide a list of frozen positions and the salaries actually needed to recruit. The Department of Financial Services said its long vacancies were concentrated in risk management, law enforcement, and the general counsel’s office, where salaries and competition from private employers and other agencies make hiring difficult. DFS said it was using outside vendors in some areas, had reduced vacancies in its general counsel office significantly, and was willing to identify positions that could be cut, including some from treasury and OAT. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation reported progress in lowering vacancies through statewide recruiting, centralized legal hiring, automation in service operations, and leadership changes in alcoholic beverages and tobacco; it said one recommended cut could be achieved by combining two half-time positions. The Florida Lottery reported a low vacancy rate, said all positions were critical, and explained its longer onboarding time due to extensive background checks; members discussed sales reps, incentives, and the agency’s field-office structure. The Office of Financial Regulation said many of its vacancies were already in the hiring pipeline, with recent vacancies tied to promotions, a death, and internal moves, and noted that it often serves as a training ground for federal agencies. The Office of Insurance Regulation, which had a high vacancy rate concentrated in Leon County, said it had been reducing vacancies from a much higher level and was still working through hiring and administrative constraints.