Transcript Highlights:

• owners involved in all types of industry, including manufacturing, retail, wholesale, service, and agriculture
• In recent months, 10 states, including Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Virginia, New Mexico, and most recently
• We support initiatives to strengthen the criminal code, as others have recommended.
• . ...bill ignores the rigor of our training, of our curriculum, of our standards, and practice and codes

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Summary: The committee opened a hearing of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure and reviewed a broad agenda including credit card fees, event ticketing, music therapy licensure, senior psychologist licensure, CPA pathways, school mental health licensure, and a bill regulating alternative healing therapies. The chairs explained hearing logistics, including three-minute testimony limits and submission of written testimony, and noted that more than 70 people had signed up to testify. Legislators and advocates were heard out of order throughout the day. A major portion of the hearing focused on credit card surcharge and interchange legislation. Restaurant owners, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, NFIB, and other small-business witnesses supported bills allowing merchants to add convenience fees and, in one proposal, preventing card companies from charging fees on tax and tip portions of transactions. They argued that swipe fees are a major and growing cost, especially for restaurants, and that Massachusetts is one of only two states that bars surcharges. Opponents from the Cooperative Credit Union Association, the Electronic Payment Coalition, and the Electronic Transactions Association warned that the proposals would create compliance burdens, fragment the payment system, raise legal preemption issues, and disrupt a system they described as efficient and secure. The committee also heard competing testimony on ticket transferability and ticket resale. Supporters, including the National Consumers League and Sports Fans Coalition, said bills on ticket transferability would protect consumers who cannot attend events and would increase competition and savings in the secondary market. Opponents, including United Musicians and Allied Workers and theater owners, argued that mandatory transferability would weaken artists’ and venues’ ability to prevent scalping and predatory resale, and that some ticket sellers should be exempt from the broader ticketing regulations. Separate testimony supported music therapy licensure, senior psychologist licensure, and new CPA education pathways, with witnesses saying these measures would expand access to care and strengthen the workforce while maintaining professional standards. The hearing also drew extensive opposition to S.261 on alternative healing therapies, with practitioners and clients arguing it would overregulate spiritual and holistic practices and was not an effective response to human trafficking concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• And yet, despite what this bill implies, big agriculture, milk at a Waffle House.
• Alex Haley, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, waving in support. Howard E.
• Florida agriculture is understood and we take the steps to keep Florida green.
• And the Ethics Commission does not have jurisdiction over the elections code.
• I'm a second-year political science major from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

Committee: Senate Fiscal Policy

Summary: The committee first took up CS for CS for CS for SB 462 on transportation, adopting a substitute amendment that would require counties receiving transportation surtax proceeds to report how the money is used, prohibit certain airport fees tied to collegiate flight training, create a Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority pilot program, and fund a traffic signal modernization program with $10 million annually from the State Transportation Trust Fund. The amendment also removed several provisions from the bill, including a sales tax transfer to the trust fund, a bid protest-related contracting requirement, and repeal of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council. A late-filed amendment was tabled, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS for CS for SB 628, “Lucy's Law,” on boating safety, which would strengthen penalties for leaving the scene of a vessel accident and reckless vessel operation. Lucy’s parents gave emotional testimony in support, describing the fatal 2022 boating crash and urging stronger accountability. The sponsor withdrew pending amendments, and the bill was reported favorably. CS for CS for SB 700, the Florida Farm Bill, was next; the strike-all amendment covered a broad range of agriculture-related changes, including water fluoridation restrictions, labeling rules, drone restrictions over farmland, disaster recovery programs, an honest services registry, FFA-related provisions, and agricultural land preservation. Testimony included support from agricultural and gun-rights groups, opposition from banking, dental, and local-government advocates, and a lengthy public debate over fluoridation and financial discrimination. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. SB 796 on general permits for distributed wastewater treatment systems was reported favorably with little debate. The committee then took up CS for SB 1618 on K-12 education, adopting a delete-all amendment that combined a wide range of education provisions, including VPK flexibility, agriculture education, financial literacy, reading intervention requirements, teacher assignment reporting, restrictions on spending public funds on political or social activism, postsecondary and workforce-related changes, and other school and college system updates. Several speakers opposed the activism-related funding restriction, while the sponsor said the bill was intended to keep publicly funded schools focused on education; the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee considered SB 7016 on initiative petitions, adopting a strike-all amendment that would sharply tighten petition circulation rules and increase penalties. The proposal would require circulators to be Florida residents and U.S. citizens, impose training and registration requirements, shorten petition submission deadlines, require more identifying information on petition forms, limit sponsors to one amendment per election cycle, and create new enforcement and investigation triggers, including a 25% invalid-signature threshold. Sponsors argued the changes were needed to address fraud and protect the integrity of constitutional amendment petitions, while senators raised concerns about due process, public-records issues, burdens on volunteers, and the impact on voters and sponsors. The bill was not reported in the portion provided, and the discussion remained ongoing at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> extension provided to agricultural extension provided to agricultural property<00:10:00.480><c>
• </c><00:19:48.919><c> Historic</c> is modified agricultural Historic is modified agricultural Historic
• </c><00:37:10.920><c> seasonal</c> in the state agricultural seasonal in the state agricultural seasonal
• </c> Homestead is in green agricultural Homestead is in green agricultural Homestead<01:10:05.840><c>
• </c> you these helpful charts on agricultural you these helpful charts on agricultural homesteads<01:

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• the task of merging the two and I worked with Representative Maguire, Phil Sherman from the Building Code
• <00:54:42.319><c> from</c><00:54:42.559><c> the</c><00:54:42.720><c> building</c><00:54:43.040><c> code
• </c><00:54:43.280><c> review</c> Sherman from the building code review Sherman from the building code
• slight change, make a committee amendment on page three, line four, included in the state building code
• , provided they are not more or less stringent than the state building code.

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• We need concrete data on the impacts emergency regulations have on agricultural products, cattle products
• The opposition really laid out my concerns from an agricultural perspective, but even if this makes it
• requires... 88% of our 608 square miles of land is dedicated to agriculture, which requires a system
• Most species do not thrive amongst intensive agriculture.
• If the bear is still in the house, we're going to be responding code three.

Committees: House Water, Parks and Wildlife , House Water, Parks, and Wildlife

Summary: The committee heard a series of water, parks, transportation, energy, and fisheries bills, with authors and supporters generally emphasizing targeted exemptions, improved access, or regulatory clarity. AB 430 would require the State Water Resources Control Board to study and publicly release the economic and environmental impacts of repeated emergency water curtailment regulations; farm, water, and local government groups supported it as a transparency measure. AB 1139 would expand a CEQA exemption so county park agencies can open existing roads and trails for non-motorized recreation, with supporters citing outdoor access and opponents warning about impacts to species, riparian areas, tribal resources, and fire risk. AB 929 would temporarily exempt small community water systems and managed wetlands from certain SGMA pumping reductions and fees; supporters said it protects vulnerable communities and wetlands, while agricultural and water interests argued it undermines basin-wide groundwater management and could worsen SGMA implementation. The committee also heard AB 1225, creating an Accessibility Advisory Committee for State Parks, which drew broad support from disability advocates and committee members and no opposition. Additional measures focused on infrastructure and environmental policy. AB 975 would give Sutter County a narrow, temporary exemption from streambed alteration agreements for certain damaged small bridges and culverts, with county officials describing long delays in repairing flood-damaged crossings and no opposition heard. AB 514 would declare state policy encouraging local water suppliers to develop emergency water supplies for drought or service interruptions; it received broad support from water agencies and no opposition. AB 550 would allow incidental take permits for species under consideration for listing, aimed at reducing delays for clean energy projects; supporters said it would prevent regulatory limbo, while environmental groups sought amendments to clarify the permit standard, limit the use of scientific research as mitigation, and add a fee provision. The committee also took up AB 697 on the Highway 37 corridor, authorizing an incidental take permit for the near-term project between Mare Island and Sears Point to advance mobility and habitat restoration. Supporters from local transportation agencies and county officials said the corridor is a major bottleneck and the interim project is needed now, while environmental and tribal opponents argued it would fast-track highway widening, increase emissions, and affect tribal cultural resources. Members discussed tolling limits, equity, and the long delay on the corridor; the bill was moved out on a vote, with some members noting they would continue to monitor it. Finally, AB 1056 would phase out transferable set gill net permits after 2027, allowing only limited family transfers thereafter; supporters framed it as a gradual conservation reform consistent with Fish and Game Commission findings, while fishing groups opposed it as harmful to working fishermen.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our second request is the future of advanced agricultural research in Minnesota, or a farm that would
• :10:10.720><c> research</c><00:10:10.959><c> in</c> of advanced agricultural research in of advanced
• agricultural research in Minnesota<00:10:11.600><c> or</c><00:10:11.839><c> farm</c><00:10:12.560><c>
• </c><00:15:28.480><c> and</c> on modern approaches for agriculture and on modern approaches for agriculture
• from soil to how cycle of agriculture from soil to how the<00:15:46.240><c> soil</c><00:15:46.560><c

Bills: HF3220

Committee: House Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• How many people are here for agriculture? If I can ask you to step out, the next one's...
• spent millions of dollars working in federal compliance and state compliance with the Department of Agriculture
• You go to the last page of this handout, there's a QR code where we interviewed several veterans, police
• hemp growers and processors went through the proper legal channels under the Alabama Department of Agriculture

Bills: SB274

Committee: Senate Children and Youth Health

Keywords: cannabis, psychoactive cannabinoids, CBD, delta-8 THC, delta-9 THC, delta-10 THC, criminal penalties, youth protection, medical cannabis

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, under the existing law, agriculture is allowed this exemption, so we're just asking that utilities
• ... ...so we're just asking that utility companies be allowed the same exemption as agriculture.
• We're just asking for the same as agriculture, and then I'll let the others speak on this.
• You could just have the truck with an ALO code, and then you could use any trailer for those.

Bills: SB42 , HB323

Committee: House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure

Keywords: abandoned roads, land ownership, government regulations, property rights, transportation, electric utility, oversize vehicles, transport permits, state highway system

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, this law applies to seasonal agricultural employers and employees when they lay off 50
• There's an allowance for construction but not agriculture.
• Unfortunately, this law applies to seasonal agricultural employers and employees when they lay off 50
• there's an allowance for construction but not agriculture the impact on and agriculture there's an allowance
• for construction but not agriculture the impact on our industry in 2026 before we can fix this next

Summary: The Labor and Workplace Standards Committee held public hearings on several labor-related bills. SB 6197 would change plumbing license suspension rules from three infractions in three years to five infractions in five years, remove the advisory board recommendation requirement, and require L&I enforcement updates; the sponsor said the bill was narrowed after stakeholder talks, though one transition-timing issue remained unresolved. SB 6134 would require the Employment Security Department to notify striking workers applying for unemployment benefits that they may later owe overpayments if they receive retroactive wages; the sponsor and a testifier said the bill would prevent workers from being paid twice. SB 5292 would replace the PFML program’s statutory look-back premium formula with a forward-looking actuarial method while keeping the 1.2% cap and adding a four-month reserve requirement; labor, business, and policy witnesses offered support or concerns about the reserve. SB 6106 would exempt tribes and tribally owned businesses from the state WARN-style notice law and protect affected workers’ names and addresses from public disclosure; ESD and business groups supported it, while agricultural witnesses asked for a future fix for seasonal agriculture. The committee then moved into executive session on six bills. It adopted amendments to ESSB 5847, which expands access to medical care in workers’ compensation, including allowing certain outside-network providers and authorizing additional claims managers; the bill was reported out 7-2 as amended. SSB 6014, a cleanup bill correcting a date typo and protecting sensitive L&I records from public disclosure, passed unanimously. SSB 6039, allowing L&I to use electronic communications while offering a non-electronic option first, also passed unanimously. ESSB 6058, giving L&I discretion to prioritize wage complaints, was amended to align with the House companion and then passed unanimously. SB 6136, requiring publication of actuarially indicated workers’ compensation rates and disclosure when rates are set below them, passed unanimously. On SB 6188, which would expand L&I’s asbestos-certification rulemaking authority, the committee rejected an amendment that would have restored current-law limits and instead passed the bill without amendment. Members supporting the bill said it would let Washington strengthen asbestos protections if federal standards weaken, while opponents argued it could create conflicting requirements and unnecessary regulatory expansion. The bill was reported out 6-3. The committee adjourned after announcing the votes and noting it would reconvene the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> agricultural purposes with animals. agricultural purposes with animals.
• Out-of-state paid lobbyists from Texas and Massachusetts. Don't mess up New Hampshire, indeed.
• And don't Texas my town.
• And don't Texas my town. And don't Texas my town.
• <c> syntheticum</c><06:17:46.400><c> as</c> criminal code, classifies syntheticum as criminal code, classifies

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> transportation, agriculture, so many. transportation, agriculture, so many.
• </c> agriculture to stand on testimony. agriculture to stand on testimony.
• :47.839><c> has</c><00:48:48.079><c> been</c> agriculture production work has been agriculture production
• </c><00:52:19.119><c> is</c> these lands, and active agriculture is these lands, and active agriculture
• And so, um, knowing with agriculture.

Bills: SB2606 , SB3253 , SB237 , SB3252 , SB1178 , SB2322 , SB2019 , SB3043 , SB3014 , SB2972 , SB1190 , SB2488

Committee: Senate Water, Land, Culture and the Arts

Summary: The committees heard testimony on several measures related to wildlife, conservation, shoreline adaptation, and climate governance. On SB 2606, which would establish the Freshwater State Recreational Area Wildlife Sanctuary Corporation, the Department of Land and Natural Resources said it had concerns about employee eligibility and was not yet prepared to comment further on the bill’s ramifications. After testimony ended, a senator asked DLNR to follow up with more detail, and the department said it would relay the questions to leadership and respond later. No vote was taken on the measure during the excerpt. On SB 3253, which would create the Hawaii Conservation Sanctuary as a nonprofit entity to work with DLNR, the department said it supported the bill. In discussion, DLNR said Hawaii has not done anything like this before, described a similar model in New Zealand, and estimated that developing such a sanctuary could cost millions of dollars. Members also discussed whether the concept would fit with existing efforts such as Hakalau, and DLNR said the bill could apply to private or state lands depending on the site. No action was taken. The most extensive discussion was on SB 237, which would expand state and county authority to develop adaptation pathways for relocating infrastructure away from sea level rise and coastal flooding areas. DLNR supported the bill, saying it prioritizes public trust resources over economic development or private property. The Kahana Bay Steering Committee and the Shoreline Preservation Coalition opposed the measure, arguing it was too focused on managed retreat and should include a broader range of shoreline responses, such as erosion mitigation, groins, sand nourishment, and other interim protections. The Office of Planning and Sustainable Development said it appreciated the bill’s intent but wanted broader language that would allow more tools in the toolbox. Members debated whether retreat is inevitable, whether different shorelines require different approaches, and whether the bill should be more flexible. No vote was taken. The final measure discussed was SB 3252, which would amend the powers and duties of the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, create a coordinator position, and appropriate funds. The commission’s coordinator testified in support, while OPSD opposed the bill, saying it would remove the two cabinet-level co-chair positions, raise accountability concerns, and duplicate some of OPSD’s functions. In questioning, members debated whether the current commission structure has been effective, who would appoint or confirm the coordinator, and whether the bill would improve transparency and implementation. OPSD said it supported more statewide interdepartmental funding for climate planning and staffing, but had concerns about the proposed governance changes. No vote or final action was taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Of note was the ongoing exploitation of a vulnerability with the Code Red emergency notification system
• And then we also saw a lot of damage... ...to our agricultural industry in terms of damages to croplands
• We've seen regulations and building codes implemented.
• heard the international building standards brought up previously, is getting clear standards via WUI codes
• Currently, the international wildland-urban interface code is in RCW.

Bills: HB2579

Committee: House Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans

Keywords: public media, digital equity, funding, media access, communication technology

Transcript Highlights:

• Given the consistent appreciation in agricultural land and assets, market value can be very high for
• </c><00:42:26.400><c> consolidation</c> increase in agricultural consolidation increase in agricultural
• This is the single most progressive tax in our tax code.
• And this is the single most progressive tax in our tax code.
• and the Minnesota Internal Revenue code and the Minnesota tax tax tax code<01:09:23.679><c> and</c><

Committee: House Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• Lastly, the bill expands the applicability of the Wildland-Urban Interface Building Code to reconstruction
• This bill will increase flexibility for farmers and growers to compost agricultural waste and increase
• This year, a ban on open burning of agricultural materials went into effect, placing a significant new
• burden on farmers and growers on how they are going to manage their agricultural waste.
• Small agricultural and composting operations allow ag folks to use that resource to enrich your soil,

Committee: House Natural Resources

Summary: The committee first heard SB 14, which would direct state agencies to reduce single-use plastics and improve recycling and composting practices in state facilities. The author described the bill as a way for California to lead on waste reduction, with goals such as more reusable foodware, less paper purchasing, better employee education on sorting waste, and stronger recycled-content requirements for state purchases of plastic bottles. Support came from composting and waste-management representatives, while manufacturers and bottled-water interests removed their opposition after amendments narrowed the bill; the measure received a due pass recommendation to Governmental Organization on a unanimous roll call of members voting. The committee then took up SB 326, a wildfire-risk bill that would create a framework for Cal Fire to evaluate wildfire mitigation investments and accelerate implementation of Zone Zero building standards in very high fire hazard areas. The author and a Stanford wildfire policy expert argued the bill would help prioritize the most effective fuels-management and defensible-space actions, while local government and insurance representatives voiced support. With no opposition, the bill was passed as amended to Appropriations on a unanimous vote. Next, the committee considered SB 34, dealing with the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The author said the bill was narrowed by amendments to preserve port competitiveness while requiring the district to account for factors outside the ports’ control, avoid cargo-throughput caps, and focus on stakeholder collaboration and electrification planning. Supporters included labor, business, and port-related groups, while environmental organizations, community advocates, and the AQMD opposed it, arguing it would weaken local air-quality efforts and set a bad precedent. After extensive debate over precedent, automation, cargo limits, and federal preemption, the bill passed as amended to Transportation on a roll call with some members voting no and others not voting. The committee also heard SB 279, which would expand composting flexibility for agricultural operations and small community composters. The author and supporters said the bill would help farmers manage orchard and vineyard removals after the agricultural burning ban, increase local composting capacity, and keep more organic material out of landfills. Commercial composting interests opposed the measure, warning it could create permitting inequities, undercut existing facilities, and allow too much food waste at small sites. Despite those concerns, the bill passed to Appropriations on a roll call vote. The transcript ended as the committee began discussion of SB 613 on upstream methane emissions and data collection for imported oil and gas, with the author noting there was no opposition to that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• My husband raises cattle in the state for agriculture. And I think we're a great state.
• dominate a country's political spectrum with one party is nothing new, and it is not a coincidence that Texas
• That's why Trump got to go to Texas and say he entitled to five more seats.
• That's why Trump got to go to Texas and say he entitled to five more seats.
• here in the hallway, saying that we can't be removed because the fire marshal said something about a code

Bills: SB116 , SB121 , SB130 , SB407

Committee: Senate Senate & Governmental Affairs

Keywords: redistricting, congressional districts, Louisiana, 2020 census, elections, precincts, voting, election, political representation, 2026 precincts, demographics, Louisiana congressional map, U.S. House, election districts, precinct shapefiles, Voting Districts, VTD, 2020 Census, 2026 Precinct Shapefiles, apportionment

Transcript Highlights:

• To support these pieces of code into our law, I say, respectively, bring them again.
• To support these pieces of code into our law, I say, respectively, bring them again.
• c> that</c><01:48:11.440><c> order</c> Until our code reflects that order Until our code reflects that
• on agriculture, water and natural<02:14:26.639><c> resources.
• on Agriculture, Water, and Natural<02:15:04.159><c> Resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, guess who broke that code Monty. He would call me at the house.
• with artificial intelligence and applying it to agriculture.
• So, that X for us would be agriculture.
• We work a lot in the realm of digital agriculture and Dr.
• Smart agriculture: rural co-ops are accessible statewide.

Committee: House House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• The amendments also move the bill into the Health and Safety Code for more effective enforcement and
• And safety code for more effective enforcement and make clear that local governments can continue to
• It is just changing from the Department of Food and Agriculture to CEC. But if I may, I do.
• And so the constitutional rights training portion that is in the Labor Code notice is especially...
• The constitutional rights training portion that is in the Labor Code notice is especially germane to

Committee: Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• Maybe private drones that are doing agricultural surveys and things of that nature.
• It is a different code, but it's putting people in jail as potentially.
• But there are other sections of code we realized where the absence of the term electric-assisted bicycles
• And then lastly, section 49-715, this was the last section of code where it was clear that we probably
• didn't mean to omit the term electric-assisted bicycle from code.

Committee: House Judiciary, Rules and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Agriculture. Agriculture. Agriculture.
• </c><00:32:46.600><c> So</c> non-agricultural civilian jobs. So non-agricultural civilian jobs.
• but that report hasn't been agriculture but that report hasn't been updated<00:34:20.600><c> and</c>
• </c> income and GDP data for agriculture. income and GDP data for agriculture.
• So one of the features of that factbook is it digs down to the zip code level on housing data.